we had a blast at Evil Dead: The Musical.
E started working the day shift (7am-3pm) today.
Lola shook her muffler loose this morning, as i was taking Mom to her annual eye-dilation appointment...
...two doors down from a Muffler Man repair shop, where the guy got me right in, showed me the broken pipe, explained exactly what needed to be done (properly, not a band-aid fix), gave me a 10% discount, AND waived the sales tax.
and i didn't even have to borrow money for the $469 repair.
God > Mercury.
every time.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Thursday, October 16, 2014
CatCat got to do some catting in the front window...
the leaves are brilliant and beautiful and make my heart skip with happiness...
gas prices continue to fall...
and today, i won these tickets:
the dog has accepted being crated without issue, i've had a full work schedule, E might get to move to the day shift, and i found a recipe for slow-cooker chicken tikka! all in all, it's been a very busy but pretty awesome week.
Bonus Pic:
"oh, the eyes of the puppy are upon youuuuu...everything you do he's gonna see...when you're in bed, just look right on youuuuuuu....'cause that's! where the puppy's! gonna be!"
Thursday, October 9, 2014
wedding fever!
*insert disco moves here*
legally and financially, we're at least a year away from getting married - two years would be a better guess. nevertheless, i'm in full-blown planning mode this week! i figure the more we can figure out/narrow down now, and the more costs we can ballpark, the better we can prepare (and the lower our stress levels will be).
E is immensely relieved that i'm so gung-ho ("thank God one of us is into this kind of thing!"). she has pledged her input and her help with absolutely everything, but isn't comfortable planning anything larger than a Superbowl party. i think she was worried that i would be sad, but honestly? i've just been given free rein to plan our wedding.
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
so far, our requirements are few. we're neither of us the princess type, and couldn't care less about things like chair covers and tulle and things matching. we just want a nice, laid-back celebration with our families and friends, and we'd like things to look suitably festive. we're also very budget-minded, and are willing to spend more on what really matters to us (great food, great pictures, an awesome first dance, a Hawaiian honeymoon) and less on things like venue and decor.
ideally, we'll be using the back yard at my Mom's house for the ceremony and reception (i say ideally because i haven't asked Mom yet. well, not recently. but she did agree to that idea twelve or so years ago...). That would mean no venue fee, but we'd need to rent a canopy, chairs, tables, tablecloths, a dance floor, and some kind of sound system. we'd also need to deep-clean the house and spruce up the yard. i've already been considering preparation timelines...have all deep-cleaning done and the yard mowed three days before; make the frosting two days before; bake the cake/cupcakes and have the rental items delivered the day before (and host a combination wedding rehearsal/table-setup/cupcake-frosting party that afternoon). that would leave the wedding day morning/early afternoon free for putting tablecloths on and decor up, with plenty of time left for getting ready! (i don't understand the common multi-hour hair and makeup sessions. i plan on looking stellar, but also looking like ME. which means very little makeup. and probably braided hair. and a dress that takes all of 5 minutes to put on, lace up, and adjust.)
the second option we're considering is a banquet hall near E's house. it's a very pretty venue, with tall windows in the main banquet room (i do like those windows), but it's also very cookie-cutter. i've emailed the contact person for rates, menu options, and rental information...the website had a list of preferred vendors for things like flowers and cakes, but i don't know if "preferred" means "you're free to use whomever you like", or "these are the only vendors we're comfortable with". and i am determined to make our wedding cake. so. we'll see how relaxed their rules are, and we'll see what the cost breakdown will be.
the theme will probably be "laid-back, colorful wedding with maybe a picnic-y vibe". metal tubs (or possibly the wheelbarrow) full of iced beers, water, and fizzy drinks! buffet-style BBQ, perhaps, or maybe individual boxed sandwiches, salads, and cookies! strings of Christmas lights around the dance floor and in the dining tent! spiked lemonade! chocolate cupcakes with fluffy white frosting and rainbow sprinkles! a bonfire, maybe...we could do individual s'mores kits as favors!
a yarn pompom bouquet!
because, obviously!
legally and financially, we're at least a year away from getting married - two years would be a better guess. nevertheless, i'm in full-blown planning mode this week! i figure the more we can figure out/narrow down now, and the more costs we can ballpark, the better we can prepare (and the lower our stress levels will be).
E is immensely relieved that i'm so gung-ho ("thank God one of us is into this kind of thing!"). she has pledged her input and her help with absolutely everything, but isn't comfortable planning anything larger than a Superbowl party. i think she was worried that i would be sad, but honestly? i've just been given free rein to plan our wedding.
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
so far, our requirements are few. we're neither of us the princess type, and couldn't care less about things like chair covers and tulle and things matching. we just want a nice, laid-back celebration with our families and friends, and we'd like things to look suitably festive. we're also very budget-minded, and are willing to spend more on what really matters to us (great food, great pictures, an awesome first dance, a Hawaiian honeymoon) and less on things like venue and decor.
ideally, we'll be using the back yard at my Mom's house for the ceremony and reception (i say ideally because i haven't asked Mom yet. well, not recently. but she did agree to that idea twelve or so years ago...). That would mean no venue fee, but we'd need to rent a canopy, chairs, tables, tablecloths, a dance floor, and some kind of sound system. we'd also need to deep-clean the house and spruce up the yard. i've already been considering preparation timelines...have all deep-cleaning done and the yard mowed three days before; make the frosting two days before; bake the cake/cupcakes and have the rental items delivered the day before (and host a combination wedding rehearsal/table-setup/cupcake-frosting party that afternoon). that would leave the wedding day morning/early afternoon free for putting tablecloths on and decor up, with plenty of time left for getting ready! (i don't understand the common multi-hour hair and makeup sessions. i plan on looking stellar, but also looking like ME. which means very little makeup. and probably braided hair. and a dress that takes all of 5 minutes to put on, lace up, and adjust.)
the second option we're considering is a banquet hall near E's house. it's a very pretty venue, with tall windows in the main banquet room (i do like those windows), but it's also very cookie-cutter. i've emailed the contact person for rates, menu options, and rental information...the website had a list of preferred vendors for things like flowers and cakes, but i don't know if "preferred" means "you're free to use whomever you like", or "these are the only vendors we're comfortable with". and i am determined to make our wedding cake. so. we'll see how relaxed their rules are, and we'll see what the cost breakdown will be.
the theme will probably be "laid-back, colorful wedding with maybe a picnic-y vibe". metal tubs (or possibly the wheelbarrow) full of iced beers, water, and fizzy drinks! buffet-style BBQ, perhaps, or maybe individual boxed sandwiches, salads, and cookies! strings of Christmas lights around the dance floor and in the dining tent! spiked lemonade! chocolate cupcakes with fluffy white frosting and rainbow sprinkles! a bonfire, maybe...we could do individual s'mores kits as favors!
a yarn pompom bouquet!
Sunday, October 5, 2014
i'm typing this one-handed, because the cat is insisting that i hold her while she naps. poor thing, i know she's lonely - her basement exile continues.
last weekend, E and i hit the Michigan Renaissance Festival! i hadn't been since...ummmm...college, but found it to be just as hilarious and bawdy and fun as ever - though, perhaps, with way fewer tempting things to buy. that could just be me, though, because i'm pretty sure i was all OVER that sh*t when i was 19. ahh, tastes. how they do change.
we spent some extra money and attended the Pig & Swig - four beers paired with four different kinds of bacon! it was totally worth it, there was a minstrel band in period dress playing Irish drinking songs (one of which i remembered from elementary school music class), and we were all banging our flight paddles on the tables and bellowing along. and we did each buy one of these:
no, it's not a crystal ball. it's an acrylic sphere for contact juggling!so far, i can roll it around in my palm, and i can move it from my palm to the back of my hand, but the arm and body rolls are going to take a looong time to master.
after a long and fruitless search, i borrowed this book through an inter-library loan. god knows where my copy's got to, and i needed this hat pattern to make a Christmas present. having gotten both earflaps made and connected, i expect my book to reappear shortly!
mid-term election season is upon us, and already i'm sick of the ads and campaigning. but i couldn't resist making my political affiliation known:
love is a piece of heart-shaped chicken in your bowl of homemade chicken alfredo:
and speaking of love, yesterday E and i celebrated two years together! our friend S and her partner C were in town, so we all piled into E's car and gave C an insiders' tour of Detroit. we started with lunch here:
(not to self: you don't have to eat the entire plate of brisket in one sitting)
took a ride on the People Mover:
and finished off the day with pumpkin ale and pizza at Motor City Brewing Works. it was really a wonderful day!
today, we've taken it easy. lots of snuggling, pancakes for breakfast, and a sausage-and-tortellini stew for dinner. i need to put laundry in the dryer, wash dishes, and walk the dog...assuming Houdini lets me get up.
last weekend, E and i hit the Michigan Renaissance Festival! i hadn't been since...ummmm...college, but found it to be just as hilarious and bawdy and fun as ever - though, perhaps, with way fewer tempting things to buy. that could just be me, though, because i'm pretty sure i was all OVER that sh*t when i was 19. ahh, tastes. how they do change.
we spent some extra money and attended the Pig & Swig - four beers paired with four different kinds of bacon! it was totally worth it, there was a minstrel band in period dress playing Irish drinking songs (one of which i remembered from elementary school music class), and we were all banging our flight paddles on the tables and bellowing along. and we did each buy one of these:
after a long and fruitless search, i borrowed this book through an inter-library loan. god knows where my copy's got to, and i needed this hat pattern to make a Christmas present. having gotten both earflaps made and connected, i expect my book to reappear shortly!
mid-term election season is upon us, and already i'm sick of the ads and campaigning. but i couldn't resist making my political affiliation known:
love is a piece of heart-shaped chicken in your bowl of homemade chicken alfredo:
and speaking of love, yesterday E and i celebrated two years together! our friend S and her partner C were in town, so we all piled into E's car and gave C an insiders' tour of Detroit. we started with lunch here:
took a ride on the People Mover:
visited the Heidelberg Project:
and finished off the day with pumpkin ale and pizza at Motor City Brewing Works. it was really a wonderful day!
today, we've taken it easy. lots of snuggling, pancakes for breakfast, and a sausage-and-tortellini stew for dinner. i need to put laundry in the dryer, wash dishes, and walk the dog...assuming Houdini lets me get up.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
projects
(Christmas is THREE. MONTHS. AWAY. hoooooly cow!!!)
i haven't got a picture for my next project, but i'm closer to getting my massage license! they received my application, my high school transcripts (to prove that i graduated) are ordered and en route, and today i dropped off the education verification paperwork at my massage school. three down, three to go: verification of my WA license, verification that i passed the NCBTMB exam, and fingerprints/background check.
you know what? they're small. SO SMALL. both ships were under 100 feet long, and not very wide. imagining three of these crossing the Atlantic Ocean, when they were dwarfed by the freighters on the Detroit River, was staggering - even more so considering that ships of this time period pre-date the invention of the nautical steering wheel by a couple hundred years. and yet those three little ships are the culturally accepted launch point for American history. from those three little ships, came all of this. as grateful as i am to be alive, i just...wow. i can't stop thinking that exploring the replicas was like looking at a couple of Black Death bacteria under a microscope. so tiny, and responsible for so much destruction.
mind-blowing.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
the week
* Lola the Jeep did NOT need any sudden repairs! the "leak" was nothing more than leftover fluid in the old brake line making its way out. i'm jubilant! i'm ecstatic! i'm...wishing they would've told me that could happen and saved me hours of panic!
*Dallas (aka Tripod, aka Sir Pups-a-lot, aka Nibbles) is settling in nicely. he's getting plenty of exercise, and we're working on sitting, staying, and the all-important Get Down. he loves to fence-race with Ruger, the neighbor dog, and he barks his fool head off at every person he encounters...including drive-through cashiers. E took him downstairs yesterday for an official cat visit (there have been a few unofficial, tearing-down-the-stairs-after-him visits), and Houdini puffed her fur out, sized him up, and swatted him. personally, i consider this progress - she's getting used to his noise and scent, and has figured out that she can mount an offensive instead of running for cover. also, we are in contact with a trainer who does the temperament tests for the shelter, and who promised a free training session to the next adopter after Dallas was returned. so, to sum up, pupperton will get some proper training, and eventually the cat will free-range in the house again.
*Mom's foot surgery went perfectly, and she is now recuperating in her recliner. we took up all the area rugs in the house, and she's been scooting around in a wheeled office chair. you'd hardly know she's injured - she's been keeping up on the dishwasher (MOM! you need to let me do some of this stuff!!!), and today she made herself a grilled-cheese sandwich.
*sometimes you really need a bucket of fried chicken, some biscuits, and a tub of coleslaw. don't ask me why. it's a mystery of the universe.
*i'm making progress on the licensing. high school transcripts have been sent; next up, i drop off education verification paperwork to my massage school.
*you know what's marvelous? getting through an exhausting, stressful, pulled-in-all-directions week, crying a few times, wondering why your anxiety seems out of proportion, doing some navel-gazing...and realizing that that sense of being in perpetual disgrace that you've been carrying around for 13 years (encompassing your failure to graduate from college, several bouts of depression, several horrific endings to relationships, being fired from a job, being unable to find a job, several moves across state lines, and several poor decisions that seemed right at the time) is complete and utter bullshit. you are not in disgrace. you were NEVER in disgrace. the Israelites had to wander in the wilderness for FORTY YEARS - you only wandered for eleven, but it took you two more to figure out that you were free. FREE!!!
*Dallas (aka Tripod, aka Sir Pups-a-lot, aka Nibbles) is settling in nicely. he's getting plenty of exercise, and we're working on sitting, staying, and the all-important Get Down. he loves to fence-race with Ruger, the neighbor dog, and he barks his fool head off at every person he encounters...including drive-through cashiers. E took him downstairs yesterday for an official cat visit (there have been a few unofficial, tearing-down-the-stairs-after-him visits), and Houdini puffed her fur out, sized him up, and swatted him. personally, i consider this progress - she's getting used to his noise and scent, and has figured out that she can mount an offensive instead of running for cover. also, we are in contact with a trainer who does the temperament tests for the shelter, and who promised a free training session to the next adopter after Dallas was returned. so, to sum up, pupperton will get some proper training, and eventually the cat will free-range in the house again.
*Mom's foot surgery went perfectly, and she is now recuperating in her recliner. we took up all the area rugs in the house, and she's been scooting around in a wheeled office chair. you'd hardly know she's injured - she's been keeping up on the dishwasher (MOM! you need to let me do some of this stuff!!!), and today she made herself a grilled-cheese sandwich.
*sometimes you really need a bucket of fried chicken, some biscuits, and a tub of coleslaw. don't ask me why. it's a mystery of the universe.
*i'm making progress on the licensing. high school transcripts have been sent; next up, i drop off education verification paperwork to my massage school.
*you know what's marvelous? getting through an exhausting, stressful, pulled-in-all-directions week, crying a few times, wondering why your anxiety seems out of proportion, doing some navel-gazing...and realizing that that sense of being in perpetual disgrace that you've been carrying around for 13 years (encompassing your failure to graduate from college, several bouts of depression, several horrific endings to relationships, being fired from a job, being unable to find a job, several moves across state lines, and several poor decisions that seemed right at the time) is complete and utter bullshit. you are not in disgrace. you were NEVER in disgrace. the Israelites had to wander in the wilderness for FORTY YEARS - you only wandered for eleven, but it took you two more to figure out that you were free. FREE!!!
Monday, September 15, 2014
dog days
so, this happened:
we rescued this guy from the animal shelter on Friday morning and, apart from some mild separation anxiety, he's fitting in just fine. he's a judicious barker (except for barking extra-long at men), and a big snuggly baby who likes to nibble on clothes and ears. he's f*cking adorable, and we really don't understand why someone gave up such a great dog!
he and Houdini have yet to be formally introduced...she's still at Mom's, but Mom is having foot surgery this Friday, so the cat was slated to move back to E's mid-week before we got Tripod, and we're just going to have to stick to that plan and see how things go. i'm not expecting it to be a bed of roses, lol...but the pup is very chill, and the house is big enough for the cat to have her own space when she needs it.
in other news, after leaking something that looked suspiciously like brake fluid in a client's driveway yesterday afternoon (yet not last night or this morning), the Jeep is back in the shop today. sigh. Lola does have a history of cluster repairs, and it has been a couple years since the last cluster, so here's hoping we're just getting things out of the way before winter!
the weather has cooled down dramatically, and i've been pretty giddy about it! fall has always been my favorite season - the leaves, the smells, the hoodies and hats, Halloween and Thanksgiving...this is tea-drinking, soup-making weather, and i am loving every minute!
he and Houdini have yet to be formally introduced...she's still at Mom's, but Mom is having foot surgery this Friday, so the cat was slated to move back to E's mid-week before we got Tripod, and we're just going to have to stick to that plan and see how things go. i'm not expecting it to be a bed of roses, lol...but the pup is very chill, and the house is big enough for the cat to have her own space when she needs it.
in other news, after leaking something that looked suspiciously like brake fluid in a client's driveway yesterday afternoon (yet not last night or this morning), the Jeep is back in the shop today. sigh. Lola does have a history of cluster repairs, and it has been a couple years since the last cluster, so here's hoping we're just getting things out of the way before winter!
the weather has cooled down dramatically, and i've been pretty giddy about it! fall has always been my favorite season - the leaves, the smells, the hoodies and hats, Halloween and Thanksgiving...this is tea-drinking, soup-making weather, and i am loving every minute!
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