The sun also sets

What happened to July? Oh yeah, it burned off all the grass and plant life leaving nothing but dry hot dust. Good times, good times.

I have been wondering if I should shutter ye olde blogg. I don't seem to be generating much content or feel inclined to post. Bottom line is that I've been busy with lots of other things and less likely to be on the internets for fun with any regularity and what with the twitter and such, I think shorter is sweeter. I'll leave it up for posterity and if the mood strikes, will post here/there/never. I kind of hate when things fade out but you know...

June

Where has the time gone? Fast/slow all at once it seems and another June has come along.

A few things: I have been doing lots of farm therapy, mainly on the East Side. This past weekend project was building grain bins which was awesome because hello, working with wood = something I love and also tools. Farmers market on Saturdays.

I definitely feel more and more grounded.

I have also been mowing my yard like no one's business - as you know, this is one of my favorite things + very zen. Planting flowers: morning glories and petunias and clary sage and lavender and fushia and this and that. Need to get my hands on some sunflower seeds and/or wild sunflowers for sure. I have a whole area in the front prepared and I am going to perennial the shit out that space, all wild flowers and stuff. I planted a lilac bush and want to plant a million more. The purple cone flowers that were already here are blooming now, nice and tall. Alas, the poppies I planted did not make it. Will try again next year. I am also holding out hope for the tiny nasturtiums sprouts to make it. The hollyhocks are going to be huge. I am in love with my kitchen herb garden. Two of my three butterfly bushes are growing well/blooming. The third, on a shady north side, not so much. I have plans and plans for hostas on that side. Trumpet vines (or as we called them, 'witch's fingers') all along the back with the honeysuckle. I planted some horsetail grass in a nice shady spot near the downspout. I need more peonies. Definitely not enough peonies in my yard yet. There are a few spots reserved for new trees - I am thinking honey locust or lilac trees or more redbuds or perhaps an apple/cherry/other fruit tree? Yes to all I think.

The lightning bugs are out. It's summer for sure. The light at the end of the day reminds me of home. My new one and my old.

And June.

ETA: This

Route This

It's been ages since I last posted right? A month? A year? A decade? Lord knows but here's the really important thing I need to tell you:

The throat plate to my table router was recalled YEARS ago! or whatever and not only that but I just discovered that I totally lost my defective throat plate somewhere in move 1-5 in the last 4 years.

What does this all mean?? (you may be asking yourself)

Hello it means that tonight when I was all psyched to route like no one's business, I could not. I am beside myself (beside you, farawayupclose inside you). (FYI - I blame Glee for spontaneous song lyrics in seemingly random places).

So alas, woodworking will not occur this even which makes me sad. But do not think that I will not be calling One World Technologies tomorrow to receive my new replacement part (rest assured, this will happen).

Oh and also I am building an empire at work and bringing in cash etc etc. Thank you DC for something useful which was money-making skills and all the BS that goes with it. Soon I will have hookers on every corner in this city and I shall rule the land. Or something similar.

And with that, I bid you adieu. I have a beer to drink.

Hoosier daddy

So I am back in Indiana for a long weekend, visiting my dad who had a bit of a health scare (PSA: 50 years of smoking takes a toll, btw. Eventually you will lose the ability to breathe without the aid of oxygen and eventually your lungs and heart will just give up one day, but not today - the more you know..)

Here is what I have done so far no kidding:

1. Played poker and won $130 bucks from old men/women
2. Slept and/or napped. A lot.
3. Installed a tiny little fence around a flower garden while it was cold/rainy
4. Drove my dad's big car to my old hometown and by my old house and was sad all over again
5. Went to not one, but two sad townie bars in Ft. Fun with my oldest friend in world, the second of which was on 'country karaoke night' and in which an older gentleman sang this song after which the blond karaoke host had to cheer up the room with some busta rhymes I don't make this stuff up, it happens.
6. Too many fried foods
7. Trains and more trains.
8. Got sucked into re-watching When Harry Met Sally
9. Coors light (too many, but not enough)

I think I am ready to go back home.

Hum

On a different note, I love this interview with Mary Oliver. Even though it's by Maria Shriver. Even though it's on Oprah.com.

I know a bleeding-heart plant that has thrived
for sixty years if not more, and has never
missed a spring without rising and spreading
itself into a glossy bush, with many small red
hearts dangling. Don't you think that deserves
a little thought? The woman who planted it
has been gone for a long time, and everyone
who saw it in that time has also died or moved
away and so, like so many stories, this one can't
get finished properly. Most things that are
important, have you noticed, lack a certain
neatness. More delicious, anyway, is to
remember my grandmother's pleasure when
the dissolve of winter was over and the green
knobs appeared and began to rise, and to create
their many hearts. One would say she was
a simple woman, made happy by simple
things. I think this was true. And more than
once, in my long life, I have wished to be her.

-The Bleeding-heart

the needle and the damage done

Went there, came back

Egads, I forgot to celebrate my 1 year anniversary of escaping DC last Sunday! Remember when I did that? Like a whole year ago when I gave two weeks notice at Robotech and had a moving Pod come and haul all my stuff back home to here? No more metro hell? Happy anniversary to me!

Second thing is that we had a snow storm today which, if you are counting, is merely 1 day after it was 65 degrees and sunny when my girlfriend Rachel Maddow came to town and I guess people in the bar were too loud or something and no one could hear her on the TeeVee which I relate to because I was stuck outside on the porch and couldn't hear a damn thing she was saying either but she looked good so there's that.

(Tell not my old English teachers about the previous run-on sentence. It's called 'experiential writing', Mrs. Fetters).

What else? I'm starting to have to attend more dinners and functions as "The Offical Girlfriend" which means best behavior or something. And lots of questions. So what do you do? Uh huh. How'd you meet? Dinner on Sat being a prime example. And a trip to Dallas for a family thing with parents and sister and such. I was honestly hoping to fly under the radar a bit more but what can you do.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my bathroom? I would marry it if I could but now that the Republicans are back in charge in this state, fat chance of that. Why must they ruin everything? Soon I may have to do a news moratorium.

I think that's it. Main point: What a difference a year makes! Second point: It's all good.

What you say on your 600th blog post is this

Six years is a long time to keep a semi-private mostly anonymous blog that 3 people read and 600 posts about god knows what. According to my label count, I apparently am very loquacious about my vices which sounds about right. Too bad The Aussies and mu didn't pan out as planned. And frankly, I better start blaming myself more often starting now.




Are you thinking the same things I do?
I been thinking about me & you
My nights are turning into days
But I don't know since everything changed
I only dream of you
You say that I
I'm untrue

Home repair is fun

Remodeling your bathroom is not for those with a faint heart or a dearth of cash. I thought I was all that and a bag of chips when I replaced a wax seal years ago. Oh, I was so young and innocent then.

We are on week two now. I have not been able to sleep at my own house for 1.5 weeks of those 2. I contracted this work out b/c 1) I had to gut the whole thing and replace rotten subflooring which hello I like tools and wood as much as the next person but I know when I don't know what I am doing which would have been then/now; 2) I needed to get it done before I have a Swiss Renter for three months who will be renting/paying for my clawfoot tub starting Feb 1 and at this point, I am wondering why I agreed to a renter but whatever, it's only for a little while and I get a tub out of the deal; and 3) good lord who has the time to remodel your own bathroom these days like when would I be able to knock down a wall and re-route plumbing and re-wire and drywall and etc etc = never. So that is where we stand. I also need you to pray for the safe and speedy delivery of my clawfoot tub which is being driven god knows where out of Pennsylvania to here and if it doesn't come tomorrow, they can't deliver until Tues. I don't even know what to say anymore. I am trying to be zen throughout this whole ordeal. And failing.

Would you like to geek out on some before, during, and after pix? Sure you would because what could be more exciting than looking at someone else's bathroom is what I say. You will have to wait for the 'after' pix until after whenever that is but hopefully Mon or Tues lord willing. Here you go:

This was taken in July when I was looking to buy the place:



This was when the side wall was knocked out and the toilet still worked. Those were the days..



This is total gutted and new subfloor installed. The toilet is but a dream.



This is The Farmer planing my wood. Which is not a euphemism but should be.



This is drywalled and repurposed wood floors installed. Please note the arrow where the toilet will be hopefully tomorrow.



Stay tuned for more during/after pix. Yes, I know, very riveting. Very edgy. The excitement is palpable.

Edited: Here you go, the moment you've been waiting for. My bathroom is DUN holla.

indoor plumbing is for babies

Girl, you don't even want to know.