Two Cats and a Chick

I know! I know!

2009-06-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

I know I said I was going to get back to blogging again and I haven't. But even though I may not have been writing my blog, I have been writing! I am doing what I hope is the final edit on my book that I wrote several years ago and never totally finished. A little bit of grammatical tweaking and some adjustments to the storyline and I am almost finished. I plan to send it out to publishers again, but because I have had several people requesting a copy to read, I may just self-publish. I'm happy to just be finally finishing the *%^$#@# thing!!
I have also been working on another book about "ghost" hunting. I won't give away too many details because it's still a work in progress, but it's going to be different from anything else out there. And I've also been writing some short stories based on remembrances from my Mom's family that I scribbled down a few notes about at one of our family reunions.
And, of course, I've been doing a few decorating/craft projects as well. I got rid of a giant hutch that was overwhelming the dining area and sold a pile of old items at a flea market. I'm trying to scale back my possessions and simplify any area of my life that I can. (I even went back to being vegetarian a couple of months ago.) But I can never seem to get too simplified because I have way too many interests!
Anyway, I will try to do another post this week with some new photos or something more interesting than my everyday doings.

No, I'm not dead....

2009-01-10T13:29:00.000-08:00

.....I've just been doing other things! I know I am being totally rude to those few people who actually read this somewhat sparse review of my daily doings, but what can I say...I'm easily distracted. But now that the holiday season has ended and I'm a little more settled into my new position at work, (Did I mention I was moved to a different division? I'm still doing the same thing, but in a different area) I'm finally working on my various projects again. This weekend I've been doing some decorating since I've decided I'll probably be in this apartment for at least another year.
I finally finished the Moroccan style doors/shutters that I found at an antique store. I think they came off of some kind of cabinet. I just sanded them a bit, then painted them a dark brown, faux woodgrain and added the red and gold beads I already had. Total cost was about $30 for two of them.

Before

After

I also painted two walls of my living room. That particular corner was rather dark and far away from the windows. Not to metion the fact that I was just coming home from work during the week and not doing much since the place was way too calm in color. The color I chose is called Woodlawn Music Room by Valspar. It is just the right shade to go with my black, brown and misty green that I have elsewhere in the living room. Like a bit of sunshine in the woods!

That's about it for now! I will do my best to update more often!

More Montana

2008-08-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

Some of the fun and wacky people at our daily before dinner cave conference. Most of the time we actually discussed the day's events at the dig, but sometimes we got a bit off track and just chatted about whatever.

Zee archaeologists francaise, working at zee excavations. Hehe Actually it's Stephie, Cameron and Heather working in the "garbage dump" moments before we all strangley developed French accents.

One of Rich's ever-present goats greeting me as I emerged from the very odiferous Lion Cave. Previous excavations had been done here, but on our hike we weren't equipped to go in much farther than daylight could reach.

Aaaaaahhhh....Montana

2008-08-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't know where to start! I could go on for hours about my vacation to Montana last week, but that would probably get boring. I am a believer in the phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words" - well, at least if it's a good picture. So here are a few pics with short captions so you know what they are.

Petroglyphs at the entrance to Blacktail Cave

One of the thousands of beautiful views on the ranch

Ranch owner and cave discoverer Tag Rittel with his dog Kelly telling us about the Medicine Wheel and the history of the Native Americans in the area.

This shot is a little blurry because of the low light, but it shows two levels of the excavations in the cave.

I've been [tos]sed!

2008-07-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

It's not just great, it's not just amazing, it's amazingly amazing!!It's [tos]ome to the 10th degree!!! I was blown away from the moment the curtain went up until the cast took their final bows. The crowd was full of die hard fans that went crazy at the drop of a hat. When Larry Pressgrove came onstage and took his seat behind Lady
88s it took almost a full minute for the crowd to settle down enough for the show to begin. Then Jeff and Hunter had to wait for everyone to settle down after they made their entrance. Pretty much after every moment that was special in some way (and to the super[tos]sers that's a lot of moments!) the audience was making enough noise for three theatres full of people.
And I was just as excited as everyone else. I laughed (almost constantly), I cried (when Heidi sang A Way Back to Then), I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. After the show, we went around the building to the stage door and had to squeeze through the crowd that was already forming to get inside. The dressing rooms were crowded with all sorts of people congratulating the cast. It was great to talk to Jeff after not seeing him for about 30 years. His mom, Jeannie showed up as well and we chatted in his dressing room while he visited with more people.
But the craziness wasn't over yet! The cast was paged to go down to the stage door to meet the HUGE crowd of fans that had gathered. Apparently the police were getting a little cheesed that they were BLOCKING ALL TRAFFIC ON 46TH STREET!!!
We sat in Jeff's dressing room while they went downstairs and we could hear the crowd screaming when they appeared. After that we had to see what was going on and took a gander out the window. There must have been at least 200 people all trying to get pictures and autographs. The phrase "rock stars" was being bandied about quite a bit in reference to the cast's popularity.
All in all it was an exciting evening! In addition to the show, we had a very yummy dinner at Connolly's, an Irish pub a few doors down. Great food and service and reasonable prices. And it was nice to see Nike and Todd too! And the Night Hotel was very dark, shiny and cool. And of course New York City was its usually sparkly self. Nike and Todd took us for an after dinner stroll and we went through Bryant Park (where we took pics of each other) to the Public Library (where we took pics of the lions)
I could go on and on about all the fun things we saw and did, but this post is getting too long. Suffice it to say, I will be heading back to New York again this fall!!

NYC Here we come!

2008-06-27T15:58:00.000-07:00

One more week until we head to New York!!! It's going to be [tos]ome!! I just saw a cool trailer for an entry in this year's NY TV Pilot Festival. You can watch it here: .It's a humorous look at life at the zoo called "Living in Captivity" Let's hope we see it on the tube soon!

mhunkee and playbill

2008-06-07T14:41:00.000-07:00

The countdown begins to the first preview performance of [title of show] on Broadway!! I can't wait! A friend and I are going up to NYC for the weekend to see the show at the Lyceum (buy tickets now if you haven't already!) I opted to go to the first preview show rather than the "opening night" because a) I am off work for the preview show and b) it won't be so crazy afterwards and I should be able to chat with my cousin Jeff for a little while. I think I was probably 5 or 6 the last time I saw him since they moved to Florida when we were little. Anyhoo, I've been listening to the [tos] CD a lot and- if it's possible- I love it more everytime I listen to it. It always inspires some new thought and mostly inspires me to keep creating whatever I like and not worry about what people might think or if it's any good. (My favorite number in the show is Die,Vampire,Die!) I think anyone, anywhere who has ever done anything remotely creative can connect with the show on some level. (That sounded good didn't it? Very all-inclusive and possibly a little [title of show] )

And speaking of shows, I also recently went to see Duran Duran in concert in Philly. It was amazing! They sound even better in person. The opening band was Your Vegas and they were so good I went out and bought their CD the next day. Duran Duran's set started with some of their new songs from Red Carpet Massacre. I love the new stuff as much as the old because it really has the flavor of their early stuff mixed with the intense dance rhythms provided by Timbaland and Justin Timberlake. It reminds me of their first three albums when they were more funky and danceable. Their middle set was an all electronic mix of new and old. I love how the reinvented some of the old songs. And the last set was all the good old hits. The whole show had an amazing energy and it was a blast!!

who wants a clean house?

2008-05-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

For an organizing, decorating geek like myself, today was rather exciting. The crew of Style network's Clean House has been in town all week filming their "Messiest Home is America" episode! Of course it's in Pennsylvania - though there's a place in Bedford county that is the REAL messiest home in America, but I'm sure they wouldn't want any help to clean it up. Anyhoo, today was yard sale day for the show. I got there a bit early and there was already a crowd gathering under the chilly grey morning sky. We stood off to the side and watch Matt and Trish shoot a few scenes. Trish really is that sweet in person and Matt is hilarious! A few minutes later, genius designer Mark Brunetz showed up and the crew started handing around the release forms since we could possibly end up on TV. I was surprised that the home owners were about my age. I thought it would be a retired couple who had been hoarding things for decades. But these two had been hoarding things since the 80s because they had old computer parts and video games from that era. And I mean A LOT! Three 6' tables full of odds and ends from 3 decades of technology. I know a few people who would have been drooling over it. I only bought a funky faux carved wood picture frame and an onion chopper, but Mark Brunetz wrote up my receipt for it and I got my picture with him!. The crowd around Niecy was crazy- hell, the crowd was crazy in general. There must have been over 100 people crammed into a small front yard under a tent. But most people were pretty considerate of others and didn't shove or fight. I know at least one person who will be on the episode when it airs in July. There was a little boy who was buying a Harry Potter game and he looked like a miniature Lucius Malfoy, so Matt called a cameraman over so they could talk to him. I'll probably be on in the background somewhere! It was a neat experience to watch them tape the show and see everyoine I watch on TV way too much!

Was I just in Utah?

2008-04-23T18:15:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I just got back this afternoon from a very short trip for work. We went to Logan, Utah to visit one of our vendors. Our flight to Salt Lake City arrived at 10:30am Tuesday and we flew out at 10:06 am this morning, so I really didn't get to see much except during our drive up to Logan. The Rockies were certainly larger than our mountains here in PA, but they weren't as big as I thought they would be. I did think Logan was a cute little town and was certainly clean. It looked as if they had just swept all of the streets and sidewalks. But it was such a short trip (and I was sleepy half the day from getting up at 3am to go there) that I hardly feel like I was in Utah. But I did get a good dinner at Hamilton's, a lodgey type steak house in Logan. Very good service and beautiful decor as well.
In other news, I got my tickets for [title of show] !!!!! I could only afford balcony seats, but it's front row balcony, baby! I bought an extra ticket for whomever I can con into going with me. (And hopefully help defray the cost of the hotel) because it will be more fun if I've got someone along to discuss the show with. I hope I get a chance to chat with my cuz, but I'm sure he'll be busy with all the craziness of their FIRST BROADWAY PERFORMANCE. WOO-HOO!!!!

[something to shout about]

2008-04-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

This is some very exciting news.....[title of show] is going to Broadway!!! "get outta here!" Yes, it's true. My uber-talented cousin Jeff and his three amigos will open at the Lyceum theatre in July. If you'd like to see their creative and hilarious announcement from the [title of show] website click here: http://www.titleofshow.com/blog/index.php?itemid=1085 It was also announced in the New York Times this past Thursday. I am definitely going to be there, hopefully for opening night! I didn't get the opportunity to see the show when it was off-broadway, but I did buy the CD. And even though I didn't get all the theatrical references (not being in the scene myself), I still laughed until I nearly peed my pants. And I really love the [title of show] Show installments on YouTube. If you haven't seen these, you need to!! I especially enjoyed the Christmas special. It captured the feeling of holiday specials of the late 70s/early 80s and family gatherings gone wild. LOVED IT!! So I am really looking forward to seeing the show on Broadway! (did I put enough exclamation points in this post?)

On the move

2008-03-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm sitting in my new apartment enjoying some pizza. I am done unpacking for the day, but I think it's going to take the rest of the week to finish. I keep changing my mind where I want things! But I enjoy decorating, so it's not really a chore. And I'm excited that I'm allowed to paint here, so I'm sure I'll be adding some pizazz to the plain walls later on. The kitties adapted to their new surroundings rather quickly. They're already enjoying the views from the windows and sliding glass door.
I'll post some pics after I get a little more settled in.
I'm now a contributor for our blog at work. You can see my first entry at http://www.boscovs.blogspot.com/ . Of course it's work related, but I think it's pretty entertaining and informative as well.
Well, I'm going to finish my pizza and try to relax the rest of the evening. More on the unpacking progess next weekend!

BBQ or Bust!

2008-02-25T16:59:00.000-08:00

Hello all! This month I traveled the furthest west I have even been in this country - the lovely city of Ft. Worth,TX. I wish I could say I was there for the fun of it, but I went for three days for a convention for work. When I wasn't hiking up and down the aisles of the Ft. Worth Convention Center looking at camping gear and camouflage, I was partaking of the excellent local cuisine. I've eaten plenty of barbecue in my time and I have to say Ft. Worth had some of the best. One of our vendors took us out to eat at The Railhead Smokehouse ( http://www.railheadonline.com/ ) where we had some great sammiches. I have never eaten barbecue in a sandwich quite like the way they serve it. Pickles, onion and mustard sounds like a strange combination, but it was fantastic. They also have a great Texas brew called Shiner Bock that was a great complement to the meal. It tasted a lot like PA's own Yeungling. And you can order from their website if you're getting hungry from reading this blog. I think that their claim of having the best barbecue in Texas just might be true!

I stayed in the Hilton Ft. Worth which used to be the old Hotel Texas where John F Kennedy stayed the night before he was assassinated. We had a cocktail reception in the ballroom where he gave a speech as well. Unfortunately I slept great - no ghosts! But it was a very nice corner room with a view of the courtyard across the street and the hotel is a couple minutes walk away from the convention center.

Other than that I've been slaving away at work. We're doing all of our last minute adjustments to our spring assortments while we're working on our fall plans. The fun never stops! Now I'm also starting to pack since I'm moving next month. The kitties are just thrilled. Well, they would be if they knew we were moving. They've been having fun playing with the stuffed armadillo toy I brought back for them from Texas. My new place is more modern and I'll have a dishwasher!! Now I can go crazy cooking up lots of good eats and not have to wash the $&*%$ dishes by hand.

Well, I'm going to sign off for now and I will try to write every week again like I started off!

I'm still here!

2008-01-10T17:00:00.000-08:00

Hello again! I am still here, though for most of December I wasn't sure which way was up. It was the usual hectic month since I am still working in retail though in the buying office. I only had Sundays off the entire month and I had to get things done around the house then. So there's my excuse for not posting! I'll post something more interesting this weekend, I promise!

Fabulous Food!

2007-11-30T16:50:00.000-08:00

Sorry it took so long to get a post up about this, but I have been working way too much!! The Fabulous Food Show lived up to its name. There were way too many vendors to sample everything in one day, but unfortunately that was all I could manage. I got in to Cleveland in the evening on Friday and checked into the Sheraton hotel a few miles from the airport. It was a nice room and the staff was very courteous. Sadly, I decided to have my dinner at the bar and grill attached to the hotel (it shall remain nameless) and ended up getting sick in the middle of the night from the undercooked cheesesteak sandwich. So I was a little late getting to the Food Show the next day, which meant I couldn't get into line to meet Alton Brown. There were at least 500 people already in line when I got there and he wasn't coming out for another hour yet! So I meandered around the show and bought a few things. A couple of AB books I didn't have yet and of course, FOOD. I stayed away from the wine tastings because I didn't want to upset my stomach again.

I watched Duff Goldman's show on a massive screen while he was on stage as watched the lucky people who had gotten in line early that morning to meet AB. I didn't get to see Giada DeLaurentiis though. Her schedule was running opposite of mine. And at about 4:30 I was able to get in line for the 5pm Alton Brown show. I had gotten pretty good seats, sixth row on the aisle and had a very good view from there. But since there were empty seats in the front row and Alton was rather hurt by this, I quickly ran up and grabbed a seat. Front row!! WOO-HOO!

Needless to say, the show was great. I could go on and on with the details and bore everyone to death, but I'll save the anecdotes for any true fans who want to hear about it. Just post a comment and I'll let you know some of the hilarious moments.

Some of it may end up on Food Network, but I don't know when or what the show will be called. I'll keep you posted when I find out!

Nature Girl

2007-11-05T16:18:00.000-08:00

I have been lucky enough to spend some time in Nolde State Forest the last few weekends. I live next door to it since I moved to Berks County and the weather finally cooled off to the point that I can enjoy it. (I am a bug magnet and get eaten alive if I go into the woods in the summer) My favorite hike is along the Watershed Trail. I find the sounds of the stream to be soothing and conducive to meditation. I usually take along a notebook and do a bit of writing here and there along the way. The trail starts off realtively level at the bottom af the mountain and slowly works its way up over the ridge follwing the stream until you get to the actual watershed. Somethin interesting I discovered at the end of the trail is what looks like an old root cellar or storage room. I couldn't see too far back into the opening, but it looked like it was about 10 feet square with stacked stone walls. There was a mound over it that curved into a sort of crescent shape as well. I usually spend at least 3 hours wandering the trails and stopping to write now and then. And by the time I get home I am usually starving and I cook up a big batch of stew or soup or throw a roast into the oven. To me that is just about as perfect of a day as you can get.

Vacation is always too short....

2007-10-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

It's been a wonderful week off from work, and I still have a day and a half of relaxation to go. Last weekend I went to Bedford to visit Mom and do the Fall Foliage Festival. When I arrived on Saturday morning I met Mom over at Bob Harclerode's to help pick grapes off of the stems that they had just gotten at the vineyard that morning. We then proceeded to have a hell of a time trying to press them. Apparently green grapes, when pressed fresh, are very uncooperative.But after a lot of adjustments, the grapes finally gave up the juice. I'm looking forward to sampling that wine in a couple of years!

After we cleaned up the mess we had made, we headed out to Ritchey's Dairy and Nolt's Bargain Barn. Ritchey's being the home of the best ice cream ever and Nolt's being the best place to find treasures for pennies. It's was a ridiculously warm 86 degrees that afternoon, so my mint chip cone was good and drippy. Nolt's is located directly behind Ritchey's, so I just strolled back there while enjoying my cone. It's very possible to spend all day in Nolt's and not see everything, so I just looked for specific items that are always on my mental list. I found a few good decorative items, one of which is a little gold colored throw pillow that cost me an entire dollar and which Akhee has now claimed as her own.

That night we went to dinner at The Arena in Bedford. I had an absolutely delicious filet mignon while we listened to the entertainment in the lounge. Kent Martin http://www.musicbykentmartin.com/ played keyboard, flute and trumpet throughout the evening, serenading the crowd with laid back tunes by Jimmy Buffet, James Taylor and the like. It was one of those pleasant evenings that didn't have any one memoable moment, but was thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless.

After a good night's rest, we headed into Bedford again on Sunday to go to the Fall Foliage Festival. I meandered through the stalls, noting that once again there were way too many "country" crafts. I mean the kind that are all the same style of painting on wood or slate that people churn out in mass quantities.But there were enough new and truly artistic items to make it interesting.
One of my favorites was Wander Wheel Studio's pottery by Jone Bush. It was unique because besides being beautifully handcrafted, it had a story behind it. Her Mom's Lace pottery is impressed with a favorite piece of her mother's crochet-work. I also picked up some yummy foodstuffs while I was there. You can't go to the festival without eating! I bought a jar of jalapeno pepper jelly from Piper's Peck http://www.piperspeck.com/ and some hot 'n' sweet mustard from Miller's Mustard http://www.millersmustard.com/ .
It was a very full weekend! I headed home on Monday and I've been puttering around the house most of the week. I got my Halloween decorations done, and bought some of the supplies for the party I'm having later this month. And I've finished a few small projects. I also bought the kitties a self-cleaning litterbox. They're still getting used to it. I think Mhunkee is afraid it will start moving while she is in it! But they started using it right away and only freak out if they happen to be around when it turns on. Hopefully they'll learn to ignore it eventually. Then again they are a couple of pampered fraidy cats!
Well, this is running on and I need to make pizza for movie night! Tata for now!

...and the horse you came in on...

2007-10-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

Finally, I have a little time to catch up. I've been doing a lot of extra things for work lately. Last Thursday I had to go to Moorestown, NJ again. This time I had to roll up my sleeves and move sports equipment around to help get our prototype set up. I got home from there at about 7pm and then had to pack to go to our White Marsh store outside of Baltimore. We had ourVIP day event there on Saturday. It's a lot of fun because all of the buyers for the "hardlines" areas (i.e. non-apparel) and some of the apparel buyers get together for a dinner the night before along with a lot of our vendor reps. And after dinner a group of about twenty of us decided we may as well go to Fells Point since we were in Baltimore. I forgot just how fun it is there. I think the last time I went was with Kristine back when we were still doing the RHPS thing. But we couldn't get into the bars then! Anyway, I was thrilled because I'd been wanting to go to The Horse You Came In On Saloon. I'm a big Martha Grimes mystery fan and it's the only American pub that has managed to be a title of one of her Richard Jury mysteries. It was a great place,too. Not too big, a good crowd of people and dancing as well as the usual row of televisions tuned to ESPN. So I got back to my hotel a little late and was tired the next day, but I hardly ever go out on the town so it was worth it.

I'm on vacation next week so I will write more then. I'm off to good old Bedford, PA this weekend for the Fall Foliage Festival and to visit my mom. I think I'll also have to visit Nolt's Bargain Barn while I'm there. It's an old converted milking barn full of two floors of antiques, housewares and other used treasures run by a Mennonite family. Lots of fun to dig through and great prices.

Autumnal Bliss

2007-09-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

It has been what I would call a "fantabulous" weekend. The weather has been gorgeous. Sunny and mid-60s - very fall-like. Some trees are even starting to turn. I've just been puttering around the house working on my various decorating projects and cooking some of my favorite food. I am also enjoying watching the Steelers massacre the Bills!!
Yesterday I made Cinncinati-style chili. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, it is a very flavorful meat chili with a smooth texture which is served over spaghetti or on hot dogs. It's also served with your choice of topping when on spaghetti, either kidney beans, chopped onion or shredded cheese. I like mine "three-way", which is all of the above. I just put some classic cabbage rolls in the oven a few minutes ago. A bit of work to make all of the parts and put it together, but absolutely yummy with a Yeungling Lager! So I'll have plenty of good chow for the week. Later on this week I'll be making some Chick Pea Soup and Black Bean Enchiladas. I am so in the mood for cool weather food!
Well, now I'm going to replace the tile in the hallway between the kitchen and living room. Right now it's a lovely fake brick pattern that matches absolutely nothing around it. I lucked out and picked up 30 tiles for 8.99 at Ollie's Outlet that make a good transition from room to room. And that's pretty good considering the bathroom is also off of that hallway! I don't know what I'm going to do with myself when I finish all of these projects.... I guess I'll do more hiking in the state forest I live near! I LOVE AUTUMN!! Even though it's not officially here yet. :)

New Jersey and Koolickle Weekend

2007-09-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

So did the title get your attention? Hehe. I'll tell you about Koolickles in a minute. I was in Moorestown, NJ yesterday to visit our Boscov's store. We're setting up our fall prototype for what all of our stores should look like for the season. I had to go out so I could get a better idea of what their floorplan is like so we can can come up with a good layout. I wasn't thrilled about having to spend my Saturday doing something for work, so I decided to make it fun and take the scenic route. I headed south from Reading on Rt.10 until I got to Honey Brook, which is a little town in the middle of cornfields. Then I picked up 322E and pretty much followed that the whole way to the NJ Turnpike. On my way I spied a few interesting places to stop on my way back. Wally's Wiener World was high on that list. And apparently I'm not the only person who thought it was fun! http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g52728-d614953-r5773990-Wally_s_Weiner_World-Glen_Mills_Pennsylvania.html
There were also tons of roadside produce stands, but seeing as it was 94 degrees outside and I didn't think to bring a cooler, I didn't want to drag fresh produce around 'til I got home. All in all, it was a pleasant drive and I got to see more of the diverse state of Pennsylvania. There is a unique feel to the landscape in Chester county. Some areas just seem too picturesque to be real. I got the impression that humans could ever really stamp their will over nature in that area.
So after my trip I got home and watched the Feasting on Asphalt marathon. Which brings me to my next subject. Koolickles are a regional item in the Mississippi delta. What are they? Well, the "Kool" is from Kool-Aid, the "ickle" is from pickle. Get the picture? Basically you take a jar of dill pickles, mix the brine with Kool-Aid (cherry flavor seems to be popular) and sugar and let it sit in the fridge for a week or so until the pickle takes on a bright red color. Of course, after seeing something so bizarre, I had to try making it myself since I doubt I'll be in MS anytime soon. They're in the fridge right now, so next week I will report on the experience of consuming a Koolickle!

Cleveland Here I Come!!

2007-09-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

Well, not until November, but I am going to Cleveland. Why, you ask? Because one of the greatest events for a foodie like me is taking place there on Nov. 9- 11. The Fabulous Food Show has hundreds of exhibitors and presentations all about food. And there are several Food Network stars doing demonstrations as well. Giada DeLaurentiis will be there and my personal favorite........Alton Brown! I have sixth row tickets for one of Alton's shows and hopefully I can get an autograph,too. I'm also looking forward to the wine tasting!

It's only a three day getaway, but it should be packed full of fun! Anyone else interested in going? Check out www.fabulousfoodshow.com

Weekend Warrior

2007-08-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

I am actually writing another post in the same month! It's a miracle! I didn't think I'd keep up with this.
I've been doing a lot of work around the house since I moved in back in June. My latest project is the filthy, mildewed half bath. After giving it a thorough scrubbing, I repainted it last weekend with some mildew resistant paint. I only painted the stucco, but I may paint the paneling in the future. Yesterday I started in on the flooring. I can't stand carpet in a bathroom, and in this case it was twice as bad because of the dampness of the area. I tore out the carpet and revealed a beautiful splotchy green paint over grey sealant that I had to scrub down and remove all of the loose paint. I got most of the tile down until I ran out. I have to wait for Lowe's to get in their next shipment this week since I bought the last of what they had. I guess everyone is going for the Armstrong Italia Palazzo vinyl tiles. hehe.
Not much else has been going on. Just project around the house and a lot of cooking. I've been eating healthier for the past three weeks and I've managed to lose a few pounds. I've also been watching a lot ofAlton Brown on Food Network. (Which seems to satisfy my cravings for fattening foods.He doesn't seem to know the meaning of the phrase "low fat".) If you haven't had the chance to see Feasting on Asphalt, make time for it. I am a lover of road food and all of the diners, dives and roadhouses they visit make me want to hit the road! I think next weekend I'm going to have have to take a mystery road trip. Just hop in the car and pick a direction, stopping wherever looks interesting.
Anyway, enjoy the pics of my projects and my beautiful kitties.

Laurel Caverns and Fallingwater

2007-08-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I decided to start this blog because Kevin got me started reading his. I'm not very good at emailing everyone about what's going on in my world so maybe this will suffice. (As long as I keep up with it!)
Anyhoo, I just got back yesterday from visting my mom and I took a daytrip to Laurel Caverns and Fallingwater. Laurel Caverns is PA's largest cave and I trudged up and down a good bit of it on Friday morning. The cave reaches down 450 feet into the mountain through passages over three miles long. I was lucky enough to be the only person on the trip other than the guide, so I really got to see a lot. Climbing over massive rockfalls and squeezing through a few tight spots, we worked our way throught the caves. There are a lot of high ceilings in Laurel and a couple of small streams that wind through, so it wasn't always hard going. But the 35 degree inclines were definitely tiring! My guide, Ben, had been doing the lower caving tour for 8 years so he knew every nook and crannie. And of course there were the amusing names for various formations and rooms. The "Post Office" was so named due to the abundance of early graffiti with names and addresses, and even some phone numbers. We squeezed our way out of there through the "Mail Slot" and onto the deeper portions.
Even though the caves are 58 degrees, you get rather toasty climbing around, so I took an opportunity to belly crawl through a tube where the stream cut through so I could cool off. The water temp was about 42 and felt wonderful. On the way back we went through part of the lighted tour area where Ben re-enacted a scene from The Matrix on one of the more extreme slopes. (when I get the pics developed I'll put them up. I had to take a cheap disposable camera on the trip because it's not a good environment for a digital!)
Three hours and who knows how many miles later, we re-emerged from the cave. Wet and covered in clay and sand, very tired, but very happy!
After much Gatorade and a cremesicle, I decided I needed to visit Fallingwater since it was nearby. I grabbed some lunch at a local mini market and headed toward Ohiopyle State Park. I definitely need to go back there some day. As I drove through, I saw groups of people getting ready to go whitewater rafting and it just loloks like a beautiful park.But my destination was just beyond it.
If you don't already know, Fallingwater is one of Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous buildings. It's built directly over a waterfall and it is without a doubt the most ingenious structure built in the 20th century. If I ever win the lottery, I am going to get someone to reproduce the place for me in a similar setting. Everything is just as it was when the original owners lived there. The built in furnishings and artwork are untouched. From the time I arrived at the visitors center until the tour was done, I felt transported back in time. I personally love the arts and crafts style of home and Fallingwater is loaded with exquisite craftsmanship. And you feel so tied to nature even as you are standing in the middle of the house. I think my favorite feature was a sliding horizontal door in the living room that opened to stairs leading down to the creek.
Well, I've got to get back to some projects around the house. I'll write more later about how things are going with the new apartment an job!