A pleasant surprise

Nuni on the phone
Originally uploaded by sarahkate.

I picked up a shift at Duff's today. It wasn't too busy and all went smoothly. Just as I was starting to do my checkout, Nuni pops up and hooray! I get to see her before she leaves on vacation. Her lunch date was running late. How dare he keep such a cutie waiting!

Derek does the dishes: the best one of the evening

Derek does the dishes
Originally uploaded by sarahkate.

I really like this picture. Matt thinks the title should be "Derek at the Sinks" because that's "Derek does the dishes" in clearer-speak, a linguistic phenomenon unique to BBH. Matt promises a full length dissertation on said phenomenon for the next Babbler. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you really should quit your job and come work with us.

night photos at Blueberry Hill

Mike in the kitchen
Originally uploaded by sarahkate.

I've taken a leaf out of Rusty's book and have been snapping pictures at BBH after I'm off the clock. I'm working on the fuzz factor, but I don't like using a flash. It gives the pictures a less magical feel.

morning garden in the rain

morning garden in the rain
Originally uploaded by sarahkate.

Everything that was going to be planted has now been planted and fenced off. I have tomatoes {THREE kinds!} red bell peppers, three broccoli plants (which I've never grown before), and more romaine lettuce than a human being could possibly consume. That row in the back that runs the entire length of the garden is the lettuce bed. I'm planning on eating a lot of caesar salad this summer. Almost all the vegetables and herbs I planted could be put into pasta sauce, so that's what I'm telling folks when they ask what I'm growing.

nighttime visitor

nighttime visitor
Originally uploaded by sarahkate.

This is one of the things I love about my husband: Something strange comes floating down the gangway and he says "Oooh! Aliens! Finally!" and then doesn't really seem all that dissapointed that it's just a balloon.

UFO?

UFO?
Originally uploaded by sarahkate.

okay, so by the time I took the photos I knew it was a balloon, but it still spooked us to no end.

just a few quick words...

...while I'm waiting for the photos to upload. Matt and I went over to Toni's to return the carpet steamer we had borrowed from her yesterday. As usual, we ended up on the front porch talking about stuff. As we were sitting there this mylar "happy birthday" balloon comes floating down the gangway and passes right behind Toni's head, scaring us half to death! It was so surreal.

old wallpaper

old wallpaper
Originally uploaded by sarahkate.

This is the bathroom wall on my second floor. The paper is ancient and looks to be hand-painted. Unfortunatley, all the plaster that this wallpaper is hanging on, not to mention the paper itself, is severly water damaged from a roof leak that we have since repaired. Shawna has suggested that we make an attempt to peel some of it off and maybe frame it so we can have a record of what the house looked like before we did all the rehab. She is slightly more optomistic than I am. I'm affraid that it will disolve in my hands if I try to peel it off. We'll see what happens.
I think I'm going to try to get some more pictures today of the whole upstairs for the record. I have a photo album started of the house and the rehab process already, so I'm just going to keep adding to it.
I'm also going to go shopping for a new printer this afternoon. My trusty Epson Inkjet has finally died and I think it is time for an upgrade to something that can print on photo quality paper, that has a scanner and copier built in, that doesn't attempt to walk off the table every time it prints, etc. Plus I get to ogle the new iBooks that I lust after but cannot afford and wouldn't buy anyway til after OS X Tiger comes out. So there.

I blame Shawna.

Shawna came to brunch with news.
"I have a growler of raspberry hefewiezen with your name on it."
So I told her to come on over tonight.
Then Kate came in for brunch with Paul and Glenna. I said "Shawna's coming over with some raspberry hefe. Let's hang out tonight." Kate agreed that it would be a good thing.
Shawna brought Molly and Rizalia and gave directions to Tara. We sat on the back porch and reminisced about our misspent youths. The Biscuits put in an appearance. Rizalia threw together an amazing meal from the mess of stuff I had in my kitchen. We did some damage to the beer collection and were very boisterious on the back porch. I forgot until just now that I have to work a double tomorrow. Kate made off with a good chunk of my comix collection.
I think we'll do it again next Sunday.

plants all toasty

plants all toasty
Originally uploaded by sarahkate.

I took this picture this morning before work. See, the garden does look like a recycling bin, but the plants survived very chilly temperatures last night.

just how cold is it supposed to get?

I'm worried bout the vegetables in the garden. It might freeze tonight and I'm afraid the plants I put in the garden will die. I asked my dad for suggestions on what to do about this. He told me to cover them, so I took all the jars and plastic cups and a few drinking glasses and covered away. My garden looks like a recycling bin right now, but I'm hoping everything will survive the night. I brought all the potted plants into the kitchen and dragged the seedlings that are still in the flats into the basement. I'm crossing my fingers.
Carl, my father-in-law, laid the subfloor for the upstairs bathroom today. He gave Matt and I instructions to take down the drywall that Dean put up and to pull out the ceiling as soon as possible. We'll probably do it tomorrow when I get home from work. I'm going to post some pictures of the bathroom wallpaper tomorrow because you've gotta see this stuff. It is unbelievably cool. I wish there was some way to preserve it, but it is just too stained and damaged.
I'm going to crash out in just a few minutes. I finished the seaming on Drew's present tonight and started the embroidery. I hope it doesn't look too cheesy. I hope he likes it.
Just one more thing. I started a new book today, The Twentieth Wife, by Indu Sundaresan. I'm off Aurthian Legend for a bit, I need time to absorb before I crack open my highschool copy of Mallory for some serious catchup. I'm also reading A Brief History of Time by Dr. Stephen Hawking, so I thought a nice novel was just what I needed to distract me from the things I really should be doing. It's working. I didn't finish the laundry and I don't really care.

A5, what a mess

A5, what a mess
Originally uploaded by sarahkate.

I hosted twith Paulie tonight. It was kinda busy, but not crazy. I've been trying to get more pictures at Blueberry Hill because Scotty is talking about starting a group for the employees on Flickr. I want to have something to offer.
I'm always amazed at what a huge mess we all make at the end of the shift. there's usually menus and glassware and food everywhere. I'm surprised we manage to clean it all up so quickly, but then, we are professionals. I'm also shocked at how fast a basket of fried zucchini can slide down the gullets of my co-workers.

lettuces, basil, rosemary, dill

lettuces, basil, rosemary, dill
Originally uploaded by sarahkate.

I potted all of the herbs and some of the vegetables this morning also. I need to dig another row or two in the yard before I can put the rest of the lettuces and some more tomato plants in the ground. I put them in pots because I felt so sorry for them in their little sprouting cups, all crowded looking and smothering.

the plot

the plot
Originally uploaded by sarahkate.

This morning I planted the vegetable garden. I put ten tomato plants, two pepper plants, two broccoli and two lettuces in the ground.

early to bed...

I had a very productive day, considering the ammount of beer I consumed last night. I washed and dried all the feather comforters, which is a little bit like wrestling a two-hundred pound octopus. Amy dropped Naomi off around noon and she ate lunch then went to bed. While she slept I turned over a 4x8 plot of the yard and mixed in some potting soil and compost. I have some cherry tomato seedlings that Clara gave me and Matt and I went out to get more vegetables. We got some heirloom tomatoes called big boys and two roma plants. I also bought sweet red bell peppers, bib and romaine lettuces, string beans, broccoli, oregano, rosemary and four kinds of basil. I'm going to pot the herbs tomorrow and put the vegetables in the ground. I'm a little worried about the weather, because it's supposed to get cold tomorrow night. I don't think it will freeze, but mostly I'm crossing my fingers. My father-in-law is coming over to lay the subfloor in the upstairs bathroom tomorrow morning. I'll put up pictures as soon as I have some. I'm going to bed now.

the lovely folks I spent my evening with

the lovely folks I spent my evening with
Originally uploaded by sarahkate.

Here we have Toni, Matt, Kate and Shawna. We hung out at Blueberry Hill all night, mostly because people kept buying me shots and beers. When I walked in the door Becca ordered me a flaming kamikaze. I drank it even though I am generally opposed to drinks on fire. I got to hang out with Cindy and Monica and Steve and T.J. I had a wonderful time. DIana and James came out later and gave me a cute book of Junko Mizuno's Illustrations.

I am so old!

the cake that kate made
Originally uploaded by sarahkate.

I am slightly inebriated, so I apologize for any and all mispellings (dad). I spent the majority of my evening at Blueberry Hill. I went in for one drink and we ended up closing the place. Kate made me this lovely cake. It was a vanilla scratch cake with chocolate ganache in the middle and milk chocolate frosting with raspberries and dogwood blossoms on top. Thankfully she didn't see it necessary to put thirty candles on the top also. I love having tactful friends.

it's my birthday!

my birthday present
Originally uploaded by sarahkate.

Last night I went up the street to Tanner B's for drinks with the incomparable Humphries sisters. Jill and Sara made me a chocolate cake with homemade pink frosting and gave me this lovely princess phone for my birthday. A bunch of friends from highschool were there and much laughing about our misguided youths ensued. I wish Jill was not returning to Maryland today. She obviously wants to stay here, but I know she has business to settle in MD. I am going to miss her. It was lovely having her around for almost an entire month.
So it's my birthday. I'm thirty today. Shawna and My Aunt Patti (who is also my godmother) called this morning to wish me happiness. Matt has aranged for a new windshield to be put on my car, seeing as my old one is horribly cracked. I had cake for breakfast and I am currently drinking peach Lambic (a fancy kind of Belgian beer) even though it's not even noon. I do not have to work today. I may go to the book store later, and I would like to eat Vietnamese food for dinner. I'm not really freaking out about this whole "turning thirty" business. I figure, I survived my saturn return, this is nothing.
We'll see how I feel tonight after several cocktails. I'm going to find something fabulous to wear for this evening.

Lunch at Iron Barley

shady Miles 2
Originally uploaded by sarahkate.

Daniel got into town last night. Jill and the boys are going home with him tomorrow. I wish they could stay longer. We had lunch at Iron Barley, and we are going to get together later tonight for a beer. It sucks that Daniel hates St. Louis so much. It just shows that he has no taste.

I really thought no one read this anymore

So Scotty at work tells me the other day that I need to put a new post on my blog. I didn't think anyone read this thing except Matt and Kate. Hmm, that makes me wonder who else is lurking in the shadows, never commenting, just absorbing my blathering.
I'm uploading my pictures as I am writing this, and I promise many posts this week. I worked a long double yesterday and was very glad to see Glenna at the end of my shift. She came in for a beer and we actually got a chance to talk for a while before we both had to scurry off to bed. I miss hanging out with Glenna.
I finished reading the Mary Stewart Aurthur books. She did an okay job with the story, but I still think Marrion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon is the best I've read so far. I was thinking of re-reading that, but I have so may other things in my several piles of books that it wouldn't be practical, so I lent it to Katie Clancy, who said "I was hanging out with people last night and having a great time, but all I wanted to do was go home and read the book you gave me!" I should have waited til her semester was over before I lent it too her. I hope this doesn't interfere with her finals. MZB is the best. Yes, she even beats out T.H. White. There now I've said it. I also finished the Seasons of Mists comic, which I haven't read in like, ten years. Matt's started collecting them and It's like visiting an old friend.
Okay, picture time.

domestic day

I spent my morning with Naomi. She ate lunch and took a nap. Amy had a short shift today, so that was pretty much the extent of our time together. She's a ton of fun when she's awake.
This afternoon I cleaned the house, kinda half-assedly. I vacuumed, did dishes, scrubbed out the tub. The tub needed it. It was filthy.
I started to do some laundry, changed the sheets, put away the featherbed for the summer. I straightened up a bit, then I wasted several hours online looking at new iBooks that I cannot afford. I want one so bad, but the government took all the money I had been saving to buy one. I hate tax time.
Kate showed up drunk and loud at about 11:00 with Sam Coffee and Winestro in tow. we went to the Real Bar where Matt was putting in an appearence as a guest bartender for the new owners. Bill was there, which was nice since I haven't seen him in ages. I wish I had more time with Kate. I know I will, but it sucks that she's been here for a week and I've spent about ninety minutes total with her.
There is a possibility of a picnic with Jill & Co. tomorrow. It's supposed to be gorgeous out, so I'm thinking sushi take-out in the park. Miles can run around and expend some energy. Jill, Jasper and I can stuff our faces.
My birthday is fast approaching. I don't know why everybody gets so worked up about being thirty. I'm not even thinking about it. I'm just excited that Matt is going to buy me a new windshield for my car, cause mine is hell of cracked. Woot. Most romantic birthday gift ever.

It's been a week!!??!!

I guess I've been busy, because I just noticed how long it's been since I've posted on the blog. I've been working a lot and trying to get caught up on a bunch of projects.
Matt and I got the taxes done today (finally!) and I have to say that our tax guy, Bill Brush, has the coolest office ever. It's on Cherokee Street, and is just this unobtrusive little storefront, but once you're inside... wow! It's just one big room, with a 14 foot tin ceiling painted white. Hanging from said ceiling in an enormous, dusty stuffed vulture with a wingspan of about seven feet. There are old mismatched file cabinets, dressers, bookshelves, hutches, desks and tables packed into the space and assorted electronics equipment covers every surface. On top of all the VCRs, hard drives, CD players, fax machines, printers, copiers, and stereo equipment there is an enormous collection of stuffed creatures (of the taxidermy variety, not the plush variety), a fancy glass barometer with the little globes of different colored liquid inside, one of those little bird-things that drinks from a cup when you tip it, several dishes of hard candy, two or three little light up desktop fountains and tons of papers, books, files and forms. One entire wall is covered with framed mounted butterflies of every size and shape, and Mr. Brush knows where everything is. Nothing's dirty or dusty, just enormously cluttered. Matt went to school with Mr. Brush's kids, and he says their house is the same way. Totally awesome. If I ever have an office I want it to look just like his. Too bad we ended up owing as much to the feds this year as we got back last year. Suckage.
Well, good news now. I got my iPod back up and running today. Unfortunatley the guys at the Apple Store couldn't figure out what had caused it to wipe, and had to reset it to the factory settings, which means they were unable to restore all my files. I'm gonna have to take it to Jared and get my music back.
We have a new addition to our desktop family. Maguro (my iMac) has a new little sister! No folks, she's not the iBook I've been coveting, but a 160GB firewire hard drive. She is little and silver and is currently storing all my photos. See, Maguro (named after the dark purple sushi) was getting stomachaches because her startup disk was almost full. Matt and I recently upgraded her memory and realized that we needed additional storage. I've been a little too camera-happy these past few months and all the pictures were taking up way too much space. So we have added Haruko to the mix. She stepped right up to the plate and took over for Maguro, who is feeling much better now. Maybe I'll put a picture of her up once I get her sweater knitted. Yes, I am knitting a sweater for my external hard drive. Yes, I am a bit crazy. Here's my explination. At some point yesterday I refered to gigabytes as gilabytes. As in gila monster. Matt thought this was especially funny. So I said I was going to knit the hard drive a little lizzard sweater. Again Matt was in stitches. Now I have to do it. I already have made a TV cozy, and a cellphone cozy, so this is not an unusual project for me.
This evening I went out for pizza with Jill, Sara and the boys, then we went back to Casa del Humphries and watched a Bollywood musical called Koyla. All I have to say is intoxicated children dance numbers rule. chicka chicka bum bali bum chicka bum bali. oh yeah. Even Miles was getting into it.

tuesday

Spent the day with the godsons while Jill and Sara Jane got their hair done. (both look fabulous, and quite fancy) Jasper is such a sweet little guy, all wiggly and drooly. Miles is a spitfire, with so much to say and so anxious to try everything. I was supposed to go see the Gore Gore Girls and The Vultures at the way out club, but I am exhausted after work tonight, and after spending the day with a two-and-a-half-year-old and a six-month-old baby. I don't know how Jill does it. I could barely keep up with them for an afternoon.
I think I'm getting obsessed with Arthurian Ledgends. I've been reading Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy, and I looked up a bunch of books that I want to check out of the library. I think this might be a good thing, since I haven't really had a purpose in my reading lately, just jumping from subject to subject and plotzing thru the usual new fiction and books about books. ( the most recent of which is Nicholas Basbanes' "Among the Gently Mad") I think it's high time I got a bug up my ass about something or other. The last kick I went on was the whole history of Venice before the surgery, and that was mid-November.
I'm off work tomorrow, and I have to take Matt to get his brakes fixed and run about forty thousand errands. Jill and I are planning a sushi dinner for tomorrow night. I hope it works out. I need unagi.

monday

Short post tonight. I waited on Bill Murray (yes, the actor) at work today. He was in town for the final four basketball business. He's apperently a big Illini fan. He was really nice. The other four guys he was with were really nice. He gave me a 100 dollar bill when he shook my hand on the way out. He said thank you about fifty times. What a great guy, that Bill Murray. I was expecting a call from Amanda tonight. She's supposed to be in town, but I guess she was pooped. I ate too much curry and I'm going to bed early.

Sunday nite

This weekend has been crazy busy for me. The final four is in town and I have been serving them all burgers and beer and mimosas and pancakes. I forgot about daylight stinkin savings time this year, and I was late for work for the first time in ages. I hate being late. It makes me feel like a yutz. I came home after brunch today and passed out. For three hours. I have to work a double again tomorrow, and I think I picked up tuesday night, but I know I have wednesday off. Jill is still in town, but I haven't had a chance to see her. I haven't been posting because I haven't been doing anything interesting. I miss K ate and cannot wait for her return, I miss my sister too. I would really like some sesame tofu. That's all for now. Shawna, BooBoo and Annie O. are coming over to plan Annie O.'s graduation party. She wants a prom-themed party. I'm on the prom commitee.