Lordy Be!

Well it certainly has been a long time since we last spoke, hasn't it? I swear chronicling our lives seems like an important thing to do (and it is!), but sometimes things get in the way. Like life. And it's hard to make the commitment to writing things, just like it's hard to start an exercise routine if you've been living a sedentary life. Or give up drinking so damn much when you really enjoy it. Or stop eating crap food. Or stop eating Chick-fil-a because they want to deny me and mine the right to marry. Yet all of these things we've done in the past few weeks. It's been tough, but in a way I've enjoyed the process. When you let yourself have everything you want, there really seems to be no pleasure in anything. Everything is pleasurable therefore nothing is pleasurable? But when you restrict yourself, you really appreciate that brownie (even if it does give you a headache later on).

So what has happened in the past several years? Well I worked at a sustainable farm in Pittsboro during 2008 and 2009 part time. It was exhaustive work, but it was really rewarding and we definitely enjoyed the fruits (and vegetables) of my labor. In early 2009 I decided to apply for the Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting programs at UNC. I got into Dental Assisting, and decided to take classes that spring to get into the Hygiene program - hopefully. I ended up dropping out of the chemistry class I would have needed to get into DH. And wouldn't you know that after that happened a spot in the Hygiene program opened up. Life's a bitch, ain't it? So I continued with assisting...hating every minute of it. But I finished and now, over 6 months after graduating, I still don't have a job. I'm working very part time hours for a temp agency, but it's nothing too exciting. It helps a little $wise. A little.

Michele's dad passed away in September of 2009 after a long and debilitating struggle with body inclusion myositis. Despite my feelings on him and his relationship with Michele (or any of his kids for that matter), it was difficult to see him in such a state. I think it's always hard accept an aging parent's condition, but he was fairly young, and the disease had thoroughly ravaged his body.

In the spring of 2010, there was talk of adding on to our home, but with the banks being so stingy and cautious, we would have had to come up with a decent amount of clams and we wouldn't be able to get the house we want anyway. Plus we worried about overbuilding. I mean we ARE next to a shitty trailer and a crappy house with a confederate flag on the garage!We ultimately decided to put our house for sale and use the money we get as a down payment for another. Whether we go with a "used" home or a newly built remains to be seen. I guess when we sell our house we'll have to make a definite decision.

We both got new cars in 2010, and of course with that came two car payments. Yikes and yikes.

Angus was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, among other things, in the spring of 2010. We knew something was up so we decided to take him to the vet hospital in May. His murmur had worsened over time and his heart was enlarged. While there, he was diagnosed with a mitral valve defect. As well as a possible(and later confirmed) collapsing trachea. And pre-congestive heart failure. This dog couldn't have more issues. We love him to death; I love him so much it kills me. I wish there was a miracle drug to make his remaining time on earth comfortable. To see him cough and gasp for air hurts me so much, even if he does sometimes do it for attention. I can hardly stand it sometimes. When I look at him I still see the three-and-a-half year old dog who came to live with us on the condition that it worked out for all parties involved. I think it worked out pretty well.

Around Thanksgiving we went to New York to visit Andrew and see the city. It was a small and quiet holiday. In December, after many months of Lucia being sick all of the time (throwing up and diarrhea) we euthanized her before Christmas. It was sad, but ultimately I feel like we ended her suffering - and I do believe her existence on earth for those last months was miserable. For the first time ever, we had Christmas at our house. We went to PJ's and Michele's mom's house in the afternoon, but it was very low key. It was nice to have a small and quiet holiday season. Because who knows what the future holds this year?

What I'm getting at is this - we decided after the new year that after months - okay, years - of talking about it, we were going to try to have a kid. So we've done everything I think we possibly can to get that ball rolling. And at this point we're thinking we'll start the inseminations in March. Michele signed up for more disability through her work so that we can get more clams when she's out. So we have to wait. We've been charting. And poking and prodding and reading all we can about how to go about conceiving this child. The thing that sucks about trying to get pregnant while being a gay woman who doesn't have sex with a man ever, is that it's not going to just happen accidentally. By nature we're planners and want to educate ourselves about as much as possible beforehand. When we look up information about our insemination options, whether it's ICI or IUI, the target audience is usually someone who has a fertility problem. We aren't there yet. In fact I just know that everything is fine, and we'll have no problem conceiving a child. But it's been difficult to find much information online that doesn't mention shots of clomid, hCG, etc., as well as monthly ultrasounds and whatnot. Right now we just want to know how to time our inseminations properly and it's not the easiest thing to locate.

So to recap, I'm looking for a job, our house is for sale, our remaining animal is basically knocking on death's door, we're (probably) going into significant debt trying to conceive a child....not to mention all the health conscious changes that have taken place in the past few weeks:

- No caffeine

- No/low sugar

- Low amount of refined carbohydrates (white flour, white rice)

- Low dairy consumption

- Running several times a week

- Low/no alcohol

Lots of changes going on here, but Michele and I have talked for a while now about how we feel like we're spinning our wheels - waiting for something to happen. Well, some things are now happening. Dietary changes were necessary anyway - regardless of the thought of children. The fact is, you can't eat like we did all the time and expect to live forever (well I will because I am MEAN!) And sometimes life already feels pretty stressful, so I don't know how we're going to handle a child, and everything that comes (and more importantly goes) with one. But in the 15+ years we've been together, we've handled the ride pretty well. And everyone always says that having a child bonds you like nothing else. I guess I just can't image that since I feel like we're already so...bonded. But if they're to be believed, I supposed our relationship will just continue to get better....like a fine wine. Which reminds me....I could really go for a glass or two right now!

-L

Radiohead, and all that jazz....

Ok, so a little less than two months ago we went to go see Radiohead. I mentioned before about how I was nervous and anxious about the situation. I was so excited to see them (it's been since 2003), but worried about all the "what ifs". So anyway, a few days before we ask Michele's brother to come by and take Angus out, and he says he can't. So we think that he'll just have to pee and poop on the floor while we're gone for 12 hours. Then we get an ad on our mailbox about a boy down the street will pet sit. So I call him come over and meet Angus. That didn't go too well as Angus apparently didn't care for the fellow. Of course, he doesn't care for anyone except me and Michele...and a select few others. I think it's about someone coming into his territory or something. Doesn't matter. The boy came, and I showed him where his leash was, etc. And so that got taken care of, thank goodness.
So we wake up on Friday, and leave for Charlotte around 1:00. We get there to the venue early as hell...they weren't letting people in yet. We decided to go to Chick-fil-a. We find the closest one via my phone. We eat and then return to the venue. People are in their cars drinking and whatnot. There's tailgaiting, hackey sacks, frisbees. Of course we're not into that whole socializing thing, so we just sit in the car and drink. Around 6:00 we decide to try to go into the actual venue. They've already let people in, so we have no problem. I wait in line to pee in a port-a-potty and wonder why I have to drink at a concert like this. Anyway, we buy a poster (and Michele returns it to the car) and head to the pit. It wasn't that crowded when we got there. It filled up of course, but it still wasn't bad. We left a few times to pee or get beers, but once it got tight we stayed put. The Liars came on and the Radiohead. They were perfect, everything I imagined that they'd be. I love seeing them live because I truly believe they're the best live performers in the world. They give me chills and take me places where other bands cannot. So we were amazed by the show, and then we had to wait in the car for a couple of hours before we could leave. The traffic was horrendous. It couldn't ever be worse, could it? It certainly could.
On Sunday morning we got up to leave for the show in Bristow. All day I was a bag of nerves. But look at the situation. We left a little later than we should have, then for some reason I started going the wrong way. Michele was looking at coupons, so she neglected to see I was going the wrong way until about 20 minutes into the trip. So we turned around and got on the right road. Graduation just happened to be getting out as we were going by the UNC campus. It was raining, and the traffic was horrible. Finally we passed that area, and I thought we'd be ok. The traffic up to the DC area was awful...starting before Richmond. My blood pressure was high, I am certain. We finally got to the hotel around the time I had wanted to LEAVE our hotel to go to the venue. So of course we were rushed. We were hungry, and there just wasn't time to eat. The rain just would not stop and it was COLD! So we finally got to the venue and the parking lot didn't look too full. However, all the people were lined up at the gates, and of course the gates did not open for another hour. So we stood there freezing, wet, and pissed. And hungry. For no other band would I do what I did. After we finally got in, we raced to the pit area where, again, we had to wait. It was rickdiculous. Finally they started letting people in. People were pushing each other. It was a rough crowd. Despite the fact that there were a lot of people in the pit, at no time was I ever warm, or even comfortable. My shoes were wet, my jacket was thin. It was awful. RH's show was great save for the little midget bitch who got in front of me right before they went on. I kept knocking her with my camera lens (which was a beast) and coughing in an attempt to get her to move. She told me to stop hitting her with it, and my reply was "If you hadn't cut right in front of me, you wouldn't be feeling the lens in your back, so you should probably move if you want it stop". She finally did. The crowd was super tight, and after a while, I just couldn't take it. We went to the back, and then finally I told Michele I just wanted to leave. I couldn't believe I was saying that, but I was exhausted and hungry and wet. It had been such a rough day. Water was pouring into the pit. Our feet were soaked. I had wet pants up to the knees. I just wanted to curl up in our hotel bed with coozles and sleep for a looooooooooong time. HAH! We went to the car and saw that others, too had the same idea. I figured our wait couldn't be too bad, since the concert was still going on. Well I was wrong. Later we found out that a road had been flooded out. Apparently some people couldnt even get into the venue. So I guess we were lucky in that sense. However, we didn't get home until about 5 hours later. This trip should have taken at most, 45 minutes. I wanted to die. I wanted to kill someone. The police were doing such a fantastic job standing around. They couldn't even be bothered to direct traffic. We ended up in one line - everyone. It was a nightmare. I lost it. It was awful. I could never ever go back there. On the way to the hotel, we thought we would stop somewhere to get food, but at 3:00 in the morning nothing is open. We found a 7-eleven and got some food there. Yogurt, cheese, banana...juice. It was probably better than getting garbage from Taco Bell. Then we couldn't find our hotel. It was insane. We were just delirious I guess. All I could think about was Angus wondering where we were. I felt bad for him being all alone. We finally got to the hotel. We took showers, ate, and called it a night. I didn't want to talk about it much on the way home. And even now writing about it on this blog makes me irritated. I love Radiohead, but jesus christo, I was tested that night.
Thank goodness we had a pleasant experience the first night. Save the traffic, the second date would have been fine too. I would have overlooked all the other bad things that happened. But the traffic...it killed me

Arcade Fire/ Superchunk Obama rally

About two weeks ago I read about the plan for Superchunk and Arcade Fire to play a concert at the Carrboro Farmer's Market to help support Barack Obama's presidential bid. Despite not having made up our minds about who we really want in the White House come January 20th, we decided to go. I mean it's the Arcade Fire. That's all.  Of course there were some strings attached. First we had to WAIT IN LINE to get the tickets, which were free.  That meant that 1) we had to get up early to go hang out in Carrboro, and 2) people who weren't fans of either the Arcade Fire or Superchunk were there getting tickets just for the hell of it. I would have rather paid for the tickets and slept in. But we survived the process. I very much love the fact that when I need tickets to a concert I can get online and buy them in a matter of (usually) minutes. I don't have to go camp out in front of a freaking Macy's or the like, with who knows what kind of people. I remember waiting in line for tickets to see the Smashing Pumpkins in 1996, and since then (I think) we've been doing the online thing.   ANYWAY...Obama's people were late, and we had to deal with some pretty irritating people. But I guess anytime me and Michele have to deal with the general population, especially a mass of people, we tend to get pretty irritated. So last Friday we attended the concert, and it was good. Superchunk came on at about 2:15, and played for about 45 minutes. Then the Arcade Fire came on pretty swiftly afterwards. We were appreciative towards them because they didn't take forever to set up. They were all pretty much out there setting out their own equipment - sort of unusual. But it made for a nice quick transition, and since I was roasting my chest I was happy. I managed to take some pretty decent pictures, and they sounded really good. I could tell that they weren't in touring mode, because they weren't as tight as I've seen them, but because they're so good, they're still above and beyond most.

This weekend is Radiohead!!! Friday and Sunday! I am so excited, but in a very conservative way, if that makes sense. I love them so much, but I know my tendency to fall into wacko mode concerning all things Radiohead...so I'm holding back. At least for now. I don't have the energy for months of obsessing...and I realize it's not healthy. I know that I'm going to see them, and even if I had to sit in my car in the parking lot of the venue, I'd still be a changed woman for having heard them. Of course I'd slit my wrists thinking of what the experience could have been, but nevertheless...we have general admission tickets. I plan on getting there early and not drinking much at all. So I think we'll be ok. I love them. They are so awesome live!

So aside from going to see the show on Friday, we went to the Embassy Suites to visit with my parents...had drinks and pizza. Then we came home and went to bed. They ended up coming over the next day for a visit. I gave my mom her mother's day present, they ate lunch and delivered our requested items from Costco. We did some laundry, planted some of our vegetables, and then came in pooped. We watched Man vs. Nature, and then went out to do a little shopping. First Walmart. Yeah. I got some magazines there because they had coupons for free deodorant. Coupons that I could use to make money at CVS. We also got some pots to put some of our plants in. Then we went to CVS and got some sweet deals. I paid about $2.00 out of pocket for three bags of chex mix, a toothbrush, two cans of cashews, some toothpaste, a facial scrub, and some deodorant. Then I MADE back about $8.00 in extra care bucks, on top of what I already had. So I was happy with that. It was kind of stressful because we were there around closing time, and next week's sale were already up and they didn't have a current circular. So we had to kind of go from memory. But all in all it was a good trip. Then we went to Chipotle and had dinner. Yum.
Yesterday we got up and had breakfast, and then came upstairs to look at career paths for me. I guess I am trying to decide what to do. I mean I have been at home now for about 7 months. I can't say that I am bored, I just don't feel like I'm doing anything, big picture-wise. And it would be nice to have more money, not that we're not ok. We spent a good while up here and still don't have a specific plan, but the ball's rolling I guess. We went to Michele's mom's house for a visit. We got some of our stuff that had been in storage there. We wanted to get some of the stuff because we cleaned out our attic area and would just feel safer having it with us. And then stuff like the picture albums we wanted to get because they're deteriorating, especially after years of being in sticky albums and more recently in hot storage areas. So that's going to be a process....going through them and making the transition to new, better albums. Hell, just removing them from the ones they're in will be a great help.
Well today's a lovely day...it'd be a shame not to go out and experience it somewhat.
Peace out.

It seems like all of my posts have been about music, and that's ok since I really do love it. I really really do. So today, more of the same. We went to see Sia at the beginning of March, and she was really really good. I will say that we didn't like the 9:30 club when we went there the first time. And then of course we went back a few weeks later and it sucked once again. I'm sorry - a beer should not cost six bucks. They should cost around three, maybe four in a bigger city. But whatever. That's why I don't like to drink at places like that. I prefer to drink on the way. Or before we get there. But of course I don't drive when doing so. Anyway, we went toDC and my sister and her family went, as well as my parents. We all had separate hotels, and so we didn't really see each other much. Friday night, we took the metro to my parents' hotel and then walked to a Chipotle from there. And then walked back to the metro to get to the 9:30 club. We had the lovely surprise of standing next to a douchebag who kept bumping into me and telling young girls to shut the fuck up. I mean, what's wrong with people? Granted the girls were text messaging, but they were being fairly quiet...I think he had 'roid rage. He eventually left, so that was great. The show improved greatly from there. Saturday we went to the city and did a lot of walking. We went to the Jefferson Memorial, as well as the museum of natural history (science?), and an art museum. I just had a good time taking pictures and being on "vacation" with my snuggs.

So we came back and decided we were going to try to pay for a lot of our other trips that were coming up. We tightened the belt, and we were able to pay for all of our gas and food out of pocket. I was proud since we had only planned on doing that for a couple of weeks. We're on a budget anyway, so it really was a big deal. It's been hard learning to live within our means. I mean, if I was working we'd have no problem, but since I'm not, it's been tough. I just imagine what it'll be like when I do finally get a job. It'll probably feel nice not to have to watch every penny.

Speaking of watching money, I've gotten into clipping coupons. Also, I have discovered the wonderful CVS, and have been stockpiling free/cheap items from the store. It feels good to get stuff that you'll actually use for free, and that's exactly what i've been doing. There was a time when I'd go to Target to get all of our health and beauty aids. And since they had the lowest everyday price on items (besides Wal-Mart, which I abhor), I'd just get stuff there. Nowadays, I don't really want shampoo unless it's something that I can get for cheap or free. Granted, I don't generally buy stuff that we'd never use (like who wants VO5 shampoo?), but I do buy some things if they're going to be free after getting extra care bucks back and I have a coupon. It's a pretty sweet deal a lot of times. Sometimes you can "make" money by using a coupon. I have to say it's become a bit of an obsession. I just feel like if I'm in charge of the finances, I should be stretching our money as far as possible. The money we save on those types of things allows us not only to eat better quality foods, but also enjoy meals out without having to deplete our savings, or worse - charge it on a credit card. Of course this still happens, but all in all I think we've done well for having one income only. Our life is so much better now. I just wish I could find the perfect part time job.

So we had a couple of concerts in the past month. Good times, good times. Except I forgot to say that we didn't make it through either. At the first concert we left due to lack of sleep (nine hours just isn't enough), and the second one we left early because we knew that we could make it through because of what had happened the previous time. Michele had a pretty busy week at work too, what with all of her newfound duties. But I wanted to go see The Fiery Furnaces, and so at least we got to see them. I don't know what Super Furry Animals really sound like, but I'm never generally disappointed at hearing live music. I'm sure they were good. As far as The Fiery Furnaces go, I'll say this - they were tight and sounded pretty much exactly like what I thought they'd sound like. They seem like perfectionists, as far as their music goes. I don't know if that's a good characterization of them, because honestly I know little about them. But perfectionists or not, they were tight, and they were insane. One minute the music sounds all normal (if dorky with Matthew's little keyboard...but in a good way!) and then BOOM -- all hell breaks loose and there are crunchy disjointed sounds that, when given more time (MICHELE) would start to work, and make sense. I'm not saying I'd go all crazy and become obsessed. But I do like to listen to music that challenges sometimes, rather than always instantly liking what I hear.
Speaking of liking music instantly, we picked up a new cd at School Kid's when we were on our way to Chipotle, before going to see The Fiery Furnaces. It's called Some People Have Real Problems and it's by and Australian singer named Sia. Now I don't know much about her, but she was in Rolling Stone (which I did not subscribe to on my own - thanks Tower Theater) last issue, and she seems quite nutty. But that's ok. I think "normal" people are pretty boring. But anyway, she's in there talking about her outfit, and how she took off her undies so she wouldn't have VPL, but then she was totally sporting a full on camel toe. Now there's someone with a sense of humor. Anyone who could talk about their camel toe is someone I'd be proud to call a friend! That's my favorite section of RS. I love learning how to dress like my favorite musicians (where does one buy their tight emo-boy pants?). So the music is good, her voice is good. She seems to have a good range, meaning some songs are super pop-y (Buttons), but then she also has more dramatic fare as well. Her song "Breathe Me" (not on SPHRP) was featured on the last Six Feet Under episode, and it's good. I like the vocal phrasing and the annunciation in that song especially. I also like how you can hear her getting ready to sing at the beginning of the song.  We're going to see her in a few weeks.  I am excited.  I like concerts!

Here it is, only January 9th of this year, and I'm already ready for it to hurry up and move along. I'm tired of the election coverage, especially since we have, what eleven months left? I'm all for change, don't get me wrong, I just don't need to be bombarded with this stuff so early on. Not since we spent all last year talking about it too. I remember last Thanksgiving -2006- talking about who had a chance and what not. I'm tired of the writers' strike. I want my new shows, and I want them now. I'm not looking forward to the fact that there won't be an awards season. As much as I don't like to admit it, I like the shows, mainly because we usually have a party with hors d'oeuvres, and that's fun! Plus I like to see what the stars are wearing. Anyway, I'm just wanting things to get ironed out. No more of this hurry up and wait crap.

I'm wondering what's going to happen with Michele's brother. I hate to say that it's bothering me, but it really is. I mean I know that whatever happens, we're not going to go to the wedding if it's on my bday. The thing that scares me though is that I might just go crazy if they do get married then. I don't want two people, who bother and irritate me to no end, to take my birthday. They have three other Saturdays to choose from. And the person inside of me who thinks (sometimes) that people are out to get me believes that they chose that date on purpose, and that infuriates me. You just don't even know. It's enough for me to wash my hands of them. But hopefully it will not come to that. Michele told her bro that she thought it was really tacky of them to chose my birthday as their wedding date. I'm not some distant cousin. I'm glad her mom said something to them about us going to Europe, because it's so early on and they can't use the "we didn't know and now all the plans are made" excuse. If they still stay with that date they're just being bitches, and we're going to look like the bad guys to everyone. Fuck anyone who thinks so.

So we have a couple of concerts coming up in a few days/weeks. The Rosebuds are on the 16th (I think) and then Fiery Furnaces are playing on the 28th (I think). We haven't seen the Rosebuds since May, but they're always pretty good. And then of course there's a chance to go to Chipotle, our new obsession, both times. We're going up to the mountains this weekend to go to my cousin's daughter's birthday. She'll be four, and she's dang pretty cute. We want to get a cabin, but they're so expensive. I'm going to look at some options a little later and see if I can't see anything affordable.

So I have started walking three miles a day, in addition to our usual exercise regimen. I watch Hope and Faith while walking. I figure if I watch that show (a vice) I have to do something to offset it. We're drinking a glass (or two) of wine a night. Last time I had wine, I didn't like it much, but the wine we've been having isn't bad. In fact I look forward to it, because it's nice to decompress.

All in all our lives are pretty good. We have an old person routine, which was bound to happen now that we're, well, old. I'm looking forward to my Metamucil and Geritol cocktail in the mornings. Dinner at 4:30 isn't so bad. It's good because my heartburn goes away before we go to bed. We have to tape Law & Order. We're old. It's ok. We still love each other so much!

New Year, New Us

Ok, well it's January 4th, and we were making these resolutions before the new year came, but still I wanted to mention them so that if/when we do stop doing them we will have more reason to feel bad. We'll have proof we made them.
1) Stop using plastic bags from grocery stores. I'm not saying that we never will use them again, I'm just tired of having to take them back to the store because I always forget to.
2) Reduce soda consumption. This is a tough one. We love soda, and switched to diet a while ago. But then I got kind of concerned about drinking one every day, just because of the artificial sweetener. So we went back to regular. Tastes good, but if you drink too much, well, then that's too many calories.
3) Make a budget and stick to it. That's hard because I don't have a job right now, but once I do, my money will mainly go towards paying off debt. That will be most fabulous.
4) Exercise 5 times/week. This shouldn't be too hard since we've been exercising regularly for a while now.
5) Watch less crappy television. We just picked up Law & Order though, so somewhere we have to justify that.
6) Less liquor, more wine.  I like some new cheap wine we got from Trader Joe's.  So we'll see if we can stick with it.  

About #3 - I quit my job on September 25th. It was the best day ever. Actually the day wasn't that great, but I closed down the Teet' and then came home and had a great dinner from Maggiano's. And Cheesecake Factory. Since then we've had the weekends off together and it's been so great. It's nice to go places, and not have to worry if I am going to get the time off. Of course we're lower on cash than before, but Michele is supposed to get a promotion soon, and with it hopefully a raise. Not saying that i'm not going to get a job, I'm just saying that we'll be better off financially. But anyway...

So Michele's brother got engaged on Christmas. Ever notice how there's a "gag" in the middle of the word enagaged? I just thought I'd point that out. But the funny thing is their wedding, at least at this point is on my birthday. So unless things change we won't be going. We are planning on going to Europe right around that time, so oh well. Michele really wanted to be the flower girl. And I remarked how upset I would be that I wouldn't get to see his fiance's best friend (a woman) as the best man. Folks, she ain't pretty, and she looketh like a man. That's all.

So Christmas was a little irritating. When we were at my house and then later when we were going to have Michele's family over here to exchange gifts and have dinner. It didn't happen. Next year we want to be somewhere else. And hopefully we will be.

So we're in love with Chipotle now. It's on Franklin in CH. And we go there whenever we can. We'd rather eat there twice then eat other places once. It's so fucking good. Good lord we're going tonight.

Hurry up and get home Michele so we can go eat!!!!!

End of summer

Well, it's Labor Day weekend, the symbolic (albeit not official) end of summer... I don't have much time to post, b/c my snuggs will be home shortly and I have some clean-up yard work to do. I cleaned up some of our beds today, cutting out old growth, etc. and getting them ready for fall.
Developments since the last post:
The kids came to visit the week before my birthday. It was a hum-drum visit. They didn't have much moolah this time, and they didn't seem too excited about being here (esp. C). L stayed home with them during the week and they met me for lunch and did a lot of shopping. They did swim in our blow-up pool and do the slip n' slide (when Aunt Flow wasn't in town).

My birthday: 8-8-2007 my 30TH!!! It wasn't the traumatic day I was expecting. L ended up calling into work for the preceding 2 days (I think she needed some mental health time after having the kids and working too many days in a row), so she was relaxed, etc. for the big day. She decorated and made me a delicious yellow cake with a hybrid buttercream/ganache icing. We drank quite a bit of vodka on the 7th and had exceptionally fabulous sex. On the 8th we went to lunch at South, where I finally tried a mint julep (too strong at first, but the portion/potion at the bottom of the cup was tasty). Then we did some shopping at Triangle Town Centre (I abhor that spelling, but I'm trying to be accurate). We came home and exercised, then went to the late show of the Bourne Ultimatum, which was really exciting - a fun movie to see on the big screen.

Since then we've just been working and having our same routine at home. I don't want to bring up unpleasantries, but I will mention that it seems as though we've been fighting more this summer than we generally have in the past. We generally aren't a couple that fight - I mean sure I'll say something that will make L mad and she'll freeze me out for a night, etc. but we usually don't have big discussions.

I don't really know what's been different about this summer that has changed that. I do feel like that phase is behind us. I think sometimes couples can just get out of sync, although with us it didn't really feel like that. When we were fine, we were fine; there were just a few nights within a 1-2 month period that discussions kind of erupted. Sex certainly wasn't the problem :) I feel a lot of it was brought on by my negativity. I think getting close to my 30th birthday even brought some of it on. Part of the reason our relationship works so well is that we are supportive and considerative of each other. We make decisions based on their group impact, but we also recognize that sacrifice is a necessity in order to make sure we each accomplish what we want. We have been able to take leaps of faith together (i.e. moving to Wilmington, Charleston, Durham, buying this house, being out for so long, etc.) I think I misplaced some of that faith this summer and I really don't know why. I feel bad about it; I feel like I've overly burdened L and our relationship by being that way.

I love L more than I can ever articulate. I try to write it down (and I know that I'm not as diligent about this as I should be), so here goes:
The sun was close to setting the other evening when we were driving to dinner; it was behind us, and she looked at me and smiled. Her hair was fiery and golden red; her eyes were warm and brown and impossible to turn away from.
Her persistence in keeping our life photographed
Her perennial willingness to have a good time
The way she spoons me at night when we're falling asleep in our bed (heck, the way she does anything to me in our bed)
It's just the way that (she) loves me (thank you Ms. Abdul)

I'm asking for a raise at work on Tuesday; hopefully I'll get a positive response. If I do (and even if I don't), there's a real possibility that L is going to shift down to part-time hours. That would give us the weekends together!!!!

I know L is depressed about it getting dark earlier, and while I don't enjoy my day ending at 5, I am excited about fall! The cooler weather, the leaves (although who knows with the drought), the FOOTBALL! My snuggs' birthday (her turn to be an old lady), our concerts, our anniversary, Thanksgiving, Christmas... ding dang y'all!

Best baby award/fall plans

I know it's terrible to judge a person under the age of 12 months, but I swear that Melanie's baby boy is the sweetest most easy-going baby ever! He is able to entertain himself, and he doesn't seem to get irritated at much of anything. I really wish for one like that. I worry about us losing our shit over a screamer...

So in the past week we've spent shitload on SP concert tickets, although some of them were bought for other attendees. It should be something to look forward to in the fall. A road trip to Philadelphia followed by one to Asheville for the venerable NP and then to Atlanta again for SP, and possibly the NPs. I'd like to swing a visit to my granny's as well. I don't know what the venue in Philadelphia is like. They're playing the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. That should be a cool place to go around Halloween.

Summer so far

Well July 4th has come and gone, so in the eyes of merchants, it's the end of summer. I think that notion is ridiculous, but I am worried about not getting many more summer activities/memories in before the end. We've been to the g-parents' pool once. We've been to the farmers market a few times, and I'm sure we'll go again b/c my snuggs is a semi-professional canner. She lives for the ping.
But I can't help but long for the summer of schooldays' past. When you had a lazy break that was filled with (elementary era) library reading lists, pool time, sleepovers, etc. High school era - sleepovers, beach/pool time, MOVIE time, getting high/drunk time. College era - pool time, kid time, getting high time, sex... Not that none of these activities occur now that we're responsible adults. It's just a different structure and a SCHEDULE to always deal with. Mon-Fri 9ish -5ish for me, whenever for L, yard work 1X week, coozles all the time. I do wish for the days like we had in Wilmington when the only real thing we had to do was some schoolwork, class face time, etc.

But it is exciting in its own way to have your own house to do anything you want in. To have a yard you're responsible for, etc.

My birthday will be upon me before I know it. I saw a 30th b-day card in Wal-Mart the other day and was none too pleased. I hope I don't get any of those!! :(
I guess it's not that big of a deal to turn 30. I am usually not a vain person, but for some reason this one has me a little worried. Oh well, it'll come and go like they all do and I'll feel the same I'm sure.

I rediscovered a Sahara Hotnights CD today that we had never burned onto our Ipods. It's really been the highlight of my day. I also was able to download Burning Up by Madonna yesterday. I love a good dance song!

So what if I like to listen to songs over and over and over again? It shows dedication, and true love of a song. Until of course I move on. So I have all these pictures that I took over the weekend and now it's my job to upload them and send them to people and also get some printed for us. A lot actually turned out pretty good. What I'm thinking I'm going to do is buy some sort of foam or cork that I can affix to the wall and start putting pictures, etc. on it. It's something I have wanted to do for a while now, but I just keep...forgetting and procrastinating. I made a bunch of pesto today. I need to find some ice trays so that I can freeze it in small portions and use it as needed. And enjoy. I love pesto....love basil. We have a Japanese beetle problem and they're destroying our basil. So instead of laying down and taking it, I harvested the majority of the basil and made glorious pesto. Did I mention I like pesto? I was thinking I would bring some into work and see if anyone wanted any. We'll see. I hate to waste it all by letting it go bad in the freezer....get all freezer burned. We'll see. I'm really liking my camera, and this past weekend was my first real time to use it and see what she could do. I'm impressed. And I should be. We'll be paying on it for a while.
My extra day off today has been nice. I think that I really do need a day off by myself, at least once every two weeks. So I can do nothing, and do things that I want to do...without having someone structure my day. I realize the need for structure, but only on days when M and I are together. We have to pack in as much as possible on those days. But on my days off alone...I could be on the internet all day looking up music, news, financial stuff, and then spend the last hour before M gets home doing stuff so that it looks like I've been doing stuff all day. Of course laundry is different. You can't just start and finish laundry in an hour. But I can let it sit in the washer after it's done....while I'm doing nothing.
Oh, my cousins called us last night and when we returned the call, M talked to them and then when it was my turn the phone was intercepted by their mom who was telling me about how they were going to send us a check for the Gwen Stefani concert (since they couldn't go). Which was ok, and then she just SAT THERE SILENT. She always does that and that's why I always make M talk to the adults...even though they're my relatives. I can't stand it. Anyway then my uncle gets on the phone and is FUCKING HAMMERED...starts talking to me about how the kids are embarassed about how they didnt call to tell us they couldn't go, and how they thought we were mad...which we were kinda, but you know the kids have a shitty example set for just about everything. It sucks. And we try to be a positive influence in their lives, but it's hard. I just have to cross my fingers and hope all turns out well. But again...the examples have been set.

The 60th Birthday Party

Ok, so these types of experiences don't come around too often. At least not for me, or us I guess. We can be such pessimists, and are always expecting the worst from everyone. But often times that's what ends up happening. I know what to generally expect from people. Especially people who I deal with on a fairly regular basis. M's mom will say something outrageous. A will talk about how he doesn't eat much/is so buff/is so busy/ and will ALWAYS fall asleep in the car. Miguel will never call, will be loud and over the top. My sister will bring up conspiracy theory crap. My mom will accuse me of being a closet conservative. These things are just....truths. So anyway, I was expecting more problems this weekend, but was pleasantly surprised. We got there and hung out for a bit, and went for a spin on the golf car that was rented just for us. Took it to our rental house which was farily decent. We cleaned up there and then met at the marina for our booze cruise. It was a relief. Water bottle filled with vodka and plent of cool chasers. Pretty soon it didn't matter who was on the boat because I had a lot to drink. And not much food. I met the Cgrove cousins...well the other two. I had met the middle in Italy 2000. They definitely like to get their drink on, which was ok since we do too. I couldn't keep up though. So we go eat some dinner after the cruise and then end up back at our rental. Did I mention that we had a golf cart? YESSS.. So we get up and head over to the house for brunch, eat and listen to Heater talk to Miguel like he's her son, or retarded, or both. It's just hard to hear that. But whatever. We go outside, take what is FINALLY a decent picture. We go to Beaufort and get the pics printed at Walgreens. Head over to Sonic which is delicious, but FUCKING HOT because there's no indoor dining. So we sweat and eat our tots and drink our delicious beverages.
We get our pics, head home and then decide to go to the pool. The first place is ok, and Michele gets me a daiquiri. Soon though we leave in search of better pool experience. We meet up with M&H at the cabana pool which is nicer and shadier. I wanted to see if she had the nerve to wear a bikini, but no. Oh well.
We go back to the house and get ready for the party. M&H had gotten recruited to help and unfortunately for us we were not. So we show up and Liz is barking orders and it is so GD hot....and it's hotter inside the little building where all the tables are. So we have to decide between sweating and burning out in the sun or broiling in the shade of the Peg Leg's building. Tough call. I drank too many vodka on the rocks, and then I had some vodka and cokes, and then a vodka with cranberry juice. We toast, tear up, talk, and the night continues at D&E's house. More drinks. More conversations about movies, music, getting shot, wrecks, working (and not working) all the drama in Italy....forgiveness. H wants to talk to M about....well I can only speculate, but prolly about how we have no relationship with her, and Miguel too. But it doesn't end up happening. She wasn't THAT bad, but she's just not someone with whom I'm interested in making an effort. And I'd say I speak for both of us on that. Anyway, we get back home and shower and (I) collapse into the bed, only to wake up seven hours later. Drinking sucks in that sense. We go to the house, visit and say our goodbyes. All in all it was....pretty good. Definitely not as bad as I imagined. Drinking helps I think. But still the contact was limited, and there were so many people that there wasn't a lot of one on one time. Definitely have to have full use of the golf cart, and also would PREFER to have our own place to stay. But we'll see. We just got back and I'm not even interested in going back any time soon.
But if we do....

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So we went to go see knocked up this past week. It was pretty funny. I have been working nights for the past three nights, which has - phew - taken its toll on me. I'm tired of getting home late. And still getting up early. Anyway we're about to leave tomorrow for Fripp island. We're going there for M's dad's birthday....something I'm not looking forward to. Michele and I just had a long conversation about why I am or am not going to be friends with T at work. I just feel like it's ok, and if I am wrong then I am wrong. We talked about how he's a friend who we're not really both friends with, even though I think that's not really true. I mean I see him at work and she doesn't, but it's not like we don't do stuff outside of work....all three of us. Maybe she'll post on here and give her own views on the subject. I personally am tired of discussing the entire situation and will look forward to a day when it's just all ok.
So after three tries I got a bathing suit that doesn't ride up and does not seem too small. Or too large. Or too short. My last complaints with the last two suits. Anyway, it was worth the pain. We both have suits that fit and look mildy attractive. So....
Hopefully they'll last a few years....
Dear diary, I can't wait to come back and dish about our trip. I'll take good notes about everything and make sure nothing goes unnoticed. I'm looking forward to the drinking and "family" time. I'm not looking forward to the real family time. The face time so to speak. But who knows. It might be ok. Think positive.
I went to the dentist today and sorta sounded like a freak. Asked about how to keep my teeth. I'm a retard, but everything looks ok otherwise. Phew
Will write more soon......
-L

Weekend

So this past weekend was actually pretty nice. Friday night we went to the ES and had some drinks with my parents, aunts and uncles, and Kelly. She lives around here but for some reason we can't ever seem to get together. We're trying to work on that, but you know how schedules are. She's in school and works full time. I work odd hours, Michele works regular hours. Blah, blah. Anywho, we got some dinner on the way home and then pretty much went to bed because I had to go into work early. Michele's aunt and uncle and mom ended up coming by on Saturday while I was at work. When I got home I caulked the siding that we had replaced on Thursday. Which is good because it ended up raining that night. Now we just have to get some primer for masonry, and then see if the paint that is in the shed is the right color. If not we'll be able to get more, but hopefully it'll be in there and be enough for what we need.
So we napped and then we got up and headed to Winston-Salem. I'm glad we went because I really like Bloc Party, and they sounded really good. But I hate that venue. And I'll really have to like like like someone before I go there again. We were talking about how the crowd is all very frat bro, and really rough. And that sucks. I like the Cat's Cradle. I like the Orange Peel. I like general admission, but I like people to not touch me a whole lot. And if they do touch me I want it to be as they're passing by to get to another area, not because they're an asshole and just not willing to move. So many people wanted beer but then they wanted to get back up front and it just really wasn't possible. Dudes kept tying to reason with other more inebriated dudes and it backfired. People just need to either commit to not drinking and being up front, or to drinking and chillin' in the back. Either way people...you can't have it both ways. Anyway, we got home went to bed and the didn't get up until late this morning.
We ended up going to the farmers market in Raleigh, and got some produce. I made pickles and blueberry/raspberry jam. We also got some beets and I'm going to pickle them too....but not preserve them. And some time soon, we'll have zucchini on the grill.
Oh yeah, there's a new place right at the farmers market that sells a bunch of outdoor stuff. I don't know what the name is but we're definitely going back when we have some cash burning a hole in our pockets...
I go back to work tomorrow and then work until Thursday. That's ok since I have the entire weekend off. Not too excited about it though We're going to Fripp Island to see Michele's dad for his birthday. I'm SURE I'll have some comments to make about the visit. I can't believe I'm taking vacation time to do this....the sacrifices of love!!!

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Hmmm...well all's well here. My parents came up yesterday to work on the house. We had some siding that needed to be replaced. And it had been out there, staring at me for MONTHS. Anyway, that's fixed; now all we have to do is prime and paint the siding. We also had the lines on our clothes line tightened. I guess it's good that my dad was a boy scout. It's nice to have someone in the family that can do these types of things. Plus I feel like I can learn some stuff in the process. We had a good dinner with myriad food items - steak, fried oysters, macaroni salad, potato salad, grilled zucchini, sliced tomatoes, and rolls. I was full but not that full.

So the past few days at work have been good. Not too many crazy customers, and not too much aggrevation from management. I've been talking to T at work, and things seem to be ok there too. It's just weird. I wish things could just go back to being the same as they were before, but of course they can't. It's just going to take some adjusting...some feeling out. Some akwardness. Things seem ok for now, and I guess that's all that matters.

Later we'll go to the Embassy Suites where my parents are staying, and have some drinks. Then on Saturday I'll go to work and then come home and nap and then go see Bloc Party in Winston Salem. Hopefully it won't be as crowded as it was when we saw the Shins. I'll report back later.
Peace out, yo....

I guess we'll just have to adjust...

Michele's been off work sick for practically the entire week. While it's been nice, I can't help but think about the weekend, and how, of course, I have to work. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. I swear, if I don't ask for specific time off, I just get totally fucked each and every week. One of the many reasons I love working at blank. It wasn't that bad before when Michele was in school and she could skip, or put off studying to be with me. But after about a year and a half of her working and me working, and neither schedule meshing with the other, well..it's starting to take its toll. I go back and forth about quitting my job. I mean of course I'd have to get another one, but who's to say that another job won't be equally as bad, if not worse than my current job. That scares me. I also have thought about going part-time at my job, and telling them that I can only work on the week days, but they could totally give me five hours a week and there's nothing I could do. Plus, the part time employee insurance is really expensive for what it is. Basically it covers going to the doctor, but what if you actually develop a condition? You're totally screwed. So that's another reason that I've put it off.
The truth is I haven't been happy at my job for a while. There are a few reasons why, and while I know them and talk to Michele about them, perhaps writing them out and looking at them for reals would be beneficial.
1) I hate dealing with customers that are total assholes. This goes without saying. We work in an environment that naturally caters to the people that are closest to the establishment. Basically nouveau rich people - i.e. (former) rednecks that might have started a business (landscaping or construction??) ten or fifteen years ago, and have become "successful". By successful, I mean they have the finest KB home money can buy (or some other crappy builder), and they have a Navigator that the wife drives, mainly ALONE, probably leased. The wife does the majority of the shopping with the kids in tow. Said kids are totally uncontrollable in the store and the frazzled and bitchy wife/mom is late for a tennis match/pedicure appointment/boob job consultation/play date. Well that just breaks my heart. Let me see if I can't move whatever line you're standing in FASTER THAN I ALREADY AM so that you can get to your appointment on time. Don't forget to fill up your big ass rig on the way since it gets, what, ten miles to the gallon? The problem I have with these people is not that they're total bitches, etc, it's that they know that we cater to them and they know WHAT we HAVE to do to make them happy and they demand it. I just know now that, having worked in retail for a few years, it's not for me. Not when I can't ever tell someone "no". Not when I have to give a person whatever they want just because. Where I work is a great place to shop if you're not an employee, but it sucks to work there.
2) As aforementioned, I hardly ever have weekend days off. If I could have one off every week, I'd be happy, but I can't get one really without asking. Therefore I must bitch.
3) I don't like the fact that I can work any time at any day. Most people in my department work fairly set hours. Not the people in my section though. I feel like we're the "bitches" of the department. When other people are off on the weekends, or if there aren't enough people to work in a section, then one of us has to go help out. I don't mind helping out, because it breaks up the monotony, but I'd like to see other people jump in and help when it gets busy in our area...it's just not fair. I can see people leaning up against counters and talking for thirty minutes while I'm busting my ass alone making sandwiches. WTF?
4) The schedule making is really crappy....holes everywhere. How do you expect the chef's case to get set up if YOU DON'T SCHEDULE SOMEONE??
5) Christian. Gone now, but still dealin'...jesus christo. What a terrible terrible manager/person. What a psycho. It really sounds bad to say this, but I don't care - whatever happens to her, she deserves. I'll leave it at that.
6) My relationship with a former friend/co-worker. It's been a very strange shift. It was the middle of March last year when one day he came to work and announced to everyone he was "through with people". Whatever that meant. I guess what it meant was that he didn't want to be my friend anymore because from what I could tell our relationship was the only casualty of the day. And I tried to talk to him afterwards; I could just tell, I just knew that it was the end of things between us. No explanation, no nothing. Weird. I ceased to exist. I later found out his dad was sick and wished that I could have been there for him. But I just never wanted to risk being hurt by the situation more than I already was. It's been really difficult for me to go to work every day and know that there's someone there who 1) I used to be be friends with and 2) no longer wants to be friends with me. I've not had to experience much rejection in my life, thank goodness. But in this instance it's like not only do I have to be reminded of the fact that we're no longer friends every day, I have no explanation of why things are the way they are. And would I even want to know the reason?? I have no closure. Nothing. I told Michele yesterday that I was just blown away by the fact that he asked me about geting SP tickets. Out of the blue, after not talking for over a year - 14 months to be exact - he asks me this, and I just don't know how to respond. Is this an invitation to begin speaking? It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Communication is essential when you work with someone, but we've done our best to avoid it. When it did happen, there was, in my opinion a lot of akwardness. I just think about how it really sucks to not be friends, but as bad as it is, at least that's something I can control. If we were to be friends again, how easy would it be for things to go back to the way they are now? That's too scary to think about. Phew.
7) Sanitation issues. I won't elaborate. Suffice it to say that I wouldn't eat there. Just sayin'

Ok, so there are my issues....having read through them they're bad...terrible actually. If one thing out of all of them could change, things would be so much better. For instance, if the powers that be actually made an effort to give people weekend days off FAIRLY, that would make things better. Or if the schedule could be made without major problems, that would be fabulous. Things like that....

Fever in, fever out?

Well, seeing as my better half has posted 2 entries, and I none, I feel obligated to do so, especially as I'm convalescing.
One not so pleasant thing about living in the woods are our insect neighbors, namely ticks. Sunday I mowed our yards and the ditch by our road. For the rest of the afternoon I felt like I had been struck by a Mac truck. Repeatedly. The very marrow in my bones hurt.
Monday I still felt shitty, and even felt like I had a fever, but according to our $7 thermometer, no such luck. Side note: isn't it true that no one really buys someone's illness unless there's a fever involved (hence the ridiculous kid movie trick of the thermometer on the inefficiently hot incandescent bulb)? Or some intense documentable bathroom action, which I'm happy to report hasn't been the case.
So on to work for me on Monday. Came home and took a 4 hour! (no real sleep the night before) nap with L. I woke up hot as hell and now the thermometer reported my temp. as 102.5.
To the doctor yesterday - after a siphoning out a couple of vials of blood, the diagnosis is either an unknown viral infection, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, or ehrlichiosis. I won't know for a few days if it's one of the 2 latter.
But, at this point, the fever and aches are worth having a rooster for a neighbor and seeing a handwritten 'missing peacock' sign at the end of our road...

Le weekend

Well I was off on Saturday, and it was a really pretty day outside. We got up and went out to lunch with M's mom and brother (he just returned from a semester abroad). Cheesecake Factory. I enjoyed seeing bro, but I can't help but get annoyed with their mom quelquefois. And I know I'm not alone in that, I just sometimes feel a tinge of guilt about it. Sometimes.
We're almost thirty, and thinking about kids....and it makes sense that I'd stay home with them. Because I'd be working to pay for daycare. I will not be a conventional mom. And I admit that, yeah, it would be great if M could stay home and raise the chitlins, because she is a mom. She always has been. But is it fair to say that she would be "better" than me since neither of us have ever parented?
When we talked about it at lunch on Saturday, I just sat there thinking that I didn't need someone questioning my parenting capabilities. I'm not even a parent yet. You can read books, etc., but nothing can really PREPARE you for having a child. That's what I think anyway.
We got back from lunch, came home and put our blowup mattress out on the front lawn. We laid on it and it felt so nice - cool and breezy. I wish we could have taken a nap, but I kept thinking about snakes swirling around my feet, and Angus wasn't there.
Later we got up and had strawberry shortcakes for dinner. Yeah dinner. That night we went to a concert at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro. The Rosebuds. They're a local band; husband and wife duo. This time around they had a couple more people in the "band", but it rounded their sound out. They sounded good. I think they were cheesing it up somewhat because people were filming the show, but it was still good. Their new cd is called "Night of the Furies" and is pretty good, although at nine songs, a little short. Their 2005 release "Birds Make Good Neighbors" is definitely worth checking out. It has a lot of nature references throughout and ideas of home and love and togetherness. So much of that I can relate to, especially since we moved into our house around the time we discovered their music. Here we're so close to nature which can be such a comfort. And I do think our relationship with nature has brought us closer together. We've always made a home wherever we've been, but now it truly feels like home. A family that I love so much...one day bigger, unimaginably filled with more love...I love your guyses so much!!!

Before the winter takes hold, and the figs all dry up cold
The birds all meet in the tree and confess love's what they need
The form lines on the limbs, and sing one of love's true hymns
If you listen close, you can even here them say
Will you ever not treat me right?
Are you ever gonna hold me down?
Will you ever get tired of holding me tight?
Looks like the story of love grows all right
Will our love ever end?
Will you let the cold shake our tree?
Will you stop being my best friend?
Looks like the story of love never ends......

Tuesday. May 15th.

Best day in a long time. First we got up late, had a doughnut from the night before (krispy kreme, after the Gwen Stefani concert....yeah we like her, so what?). The we got out of the house and went to:
1) Pick strawberries at Jean's Berry Patch $18 (and got sunburned)
2) Eat lunch at Tacos Mexico in Apex $30
3) Buy various gardening supplies at Lowe's $45
4) Buy groceries and other home stuff at Target $67
After all that shopping, etc. we were tired. It's hard though because we're rarely off on the same days. So we have to do all we can when we are together. And it seems of late that if we are off at the same time then we're of course doing something that we are obligated to do (deliver a wedding cake and attend the wedding), or work on the house when my parents are here helping. I'm not complaining about the help or the money from the cake, mind you. Just sayin'.
So anyway, we came home and planted a bunch of tomatoes and realized we didnt have enough pots or dirt. We went up to Ace and looked at pots (too expensive) and lusted over Smith and Hawken patio furniture (way too much $$). I know it's expensive, and yeah I know we're not made of money, but for God's sake, if you're going to get patio furniture, why not get PATIO FURNITURE? I feel like if you're going to buy something like that, you might as well get the best they make. In that sense I am definitely not my mother's child. We want something timeless and solid and.....teak. And teak isn't cheap. Sigh...
Anyway, we came back, had steaks and hot dogs (M) on the grill. And then I made strawberry jam from all of the strawberries we picked earlier in the day. I had never used pectin before in jam recipes, but it helps fruits that are low in pectin jell better. Tastes like shit though. The pectin. Not the jam. The jam is good...life is good.

Creation of This is the Modern Age Blog

Well, so this is our blog...something that I (L) have been wanting to set up for quite a while. If you happen to stumble upon this blog on accident, please feel free to read, reflect, and comment. Note however, that this blog was birthed because of my desire to keep a diary of sorts. But in this modern age, who has time for paper and pen? We're two twentysomething girls living in an impossibly small house in the woods outside of the triangle area, NC. We like to go to concerts, work outside in the yard, try new restaurants, and spend time with our pets (especially when they're not annoying the shit out of us).