All thoughts are on my sweet Steve. I took her to the ER for animals at 2 AM on Sunday and then again 8 hours later. Steve has what they call "Kennel Cough" and this term refers to any upper respiratory infection. She's been coughing and spitting up for a few days but Saturday night, it got to be unbearable, coughing and gagging at least 20 times an hour. It was so sad to hear. We got some antibiotics and a cough suppressant but they didn't work very well. We were up all night together. Finally, I slept on the couch and Steve slept on the hardwood floor so I would stop worrying about the carpet and just let her be. At 10 AM, I went back to get her something stronger, a big ole shot of a sedative, which definitely helped her relax and sleep. Last night, on the couch again, she made it through the night, just getting up once every hour. Basically, I just rubbed her body and her feet to relax her so she'd go back to sleep. I was supposed to head to Virginia Beach with a client at 4:30 this morning, but had to cancel. I couldn't leave her by herself all day. So, we slept in, and she played in the backyard, where she seems to be distracted enough not to cough. Also, I don't have to worry about her rolling around in her spit up (I'm sorry for that image). I have some wonderful friends checking up on her, cause I left her outside today. It's cool and breezy and she has her food and water. For some reason, she's bored inside, and this boredom makes her cough even more.

When I spoke with my regular vet this morning, they told me that this could last a couple of weeks! I'm speechless - well, not really. A couple of weeks?? I can't bear the thought of her coughing like this, sounding like she's hacking up a lung. It's awful. I'm sure she'll be fine, in fact, I know she will. This is the first time Steve has ever been sick like this. I think I may have an inkling of what it's like to stay up all night with a sick baby. It's no fun, and it breaks your heart.

Morning Calm

I never really appreciated the peace one can find in the morning. For a long time, I've stayed in bed too long in the morning, often making myself late to wherever I need to be, then rushed around, relying on N to get me all set for the day. But since N is gone, Steve and I wake up early and take our morning walk, I make coffee, feed Steve, check my e-mail, eat cereal, all in a calm setting. It's actually really nice. Even though I couldn't fall asleep until 2 in the morning, I'm not struggling as much as I thought I would be. Now, if I enjoy this peace too much, I'm gonna be late for work.

Stream of consciousness

I say this every year, but I mean it every single year. I can't believe it's been 9 years since my father died. The time has gone by so quickly. It feels like it was just yesterday I was sobbing into my sister's arms when she told me. That is a moment engraved in my mind. I remember thinking I will never in my life be able to think of my father and not cry. But look at me, sitting here writing of my father's death and not one tear comes. It's a true testament that time does wonders for grief and loss.

I am passionately jealous of my sisters who had my father walk them down the aisle on their wedding day. I want that so badly. I want my father to hold my first child. I want my father to see me argue in a courtroom. I want my father to meet my husband. I always contemplate how N and he would get along. I'm sure they would have gotten along very well - he would be so proud of both of us.

I remember when I would sing in school performances and my father would be wiping tears from his eyes. I remember holding my father's hand when we would drive in the car. I remember my father giving me a thumbs-up from the audience when I graduated from high school. I remember packing up my father's office after he died and finding that he framed my first report card from college.

God I miss him.

New items being added to Vintage Virginia all night long as I try to contain my excitement since Grey's is back on.

1) EU and I hosted a kick-ass Passover Seder on Saturday night. I've never helped in such a feat. I will toot my own horn and tell you it was awesome. Lots of friends and food and the best part of it all was having this meal for N and he didn't have to do a thing - except lead us in an entertaining Seder.
2) I did some gardening on a week ago Saturday. Man, it's hard work but great exercise. I pulled all our carrots, which have been in the ground much too long to premit consumption. After tilling the land (ha!), I planted some lettuce we got from the farmer's market and cabbage we got from our neighbor across the street. We also planted the seeds in the Jiffy thingymabob and they've sprouted. We still have a while until they are ready for Virginia clay.
3) Today is one of the busiest days ever! I had to be in Fluvanna County this morning to file an appeal, then Louisa County to hear the petition against my client get dismissed, then to Albemarle County for 3 criminal charges and then to Charlottesville City for a civil trial. This afternoon I have a trial in Orange County. That's 5 different courts in one day. That must be some sort of record. I'm going to sleep like a baby tonight.
4) Grey's is back on this week and I CAN NOT WAIT! Seriously, I've been deprived of any meaningful TV interaction ever since the writer's strike. It has been nice not watching so much TV but not nice enough to forgo watching Grey's and ER.
5) Our family on N's side was in Plainview, Long Island this weekend celebrating Passover while MMG was in Columbia. This is the first year since Noah and I started dating that we haven't been to New York for Passover. Maybe we'll start a new tradition here in Charlottesville and also go to Long Island. I really did miss our family though. I'm afraid that sister and brother won't get to see N before he goes to Italy. Next year MMG better come down here - ya hear dat?

Locolomo

N picked up this camera off ebay. It's called a Lomo and there's this whole movement dedicated to the use of this camera. We took Steve on a walk the day we got it (we tend to take her on walks everyday, if she's good) and captured some pretty hip photos. I can't post them here yet cause we don't have a scanner at home, but if N ever gets the time to scan them at school, I'll be sure to post them. They are magical. We're in the process of picking out some to hang on the wall.

Anyone else have any experience with this camera?

Looky Here

My friends Brian and Ozan in a featured blog posting. They are very cool...and hot!

No Jokes for this Fool

1. Sister and brother came and went. Sister did a wonderful job at her reading and read my favorite poem of hers, All Night Vigil. I wish they lived so much closer - I sound like a broken record. Sister has a new blog, but she doesn't update it as often as I'd like (hint hint).
2. I have a date with EU. Our relationship has suffered since the writer's strike, but we've substituted TV watching and ice cream eating with running our asses off and sweating profusely. 3. N planted the seeds in the Jiffy pods. We planted 4 watermelon seeds. You think we'll get 4 whole watermelons?
4. N's been getting me into shape about waking up early to walk the dog, get myself ready with breakfast and lunch and out the door close to 9 am. Oh wait, I lied, I'm just practicing walking the dog at 7 am, not the whole making my own breakfast and lunch. When he's gone this summer, I'm most likely going to survive on a diet of cereal, oatmeal, Kraft macaroni and cheese, and Campbell's Soup. Oh wait, that was my diet in college. Maybe I'll have a few cookies.
5. I've been staying late at the office finishing up my brief which I thought was due Tuesday. Ha, it was due Wednesday. Better that I thought it was due earlier rather than later. Then on Wednesday night, I came home and zoned out in front of the TV for 4 hours. I didn't move. It was nice.
6. This is a very boring blog post. Is my life really this mundane? Or maybe it's that I'm in a nice state of mind?

Relative Arrival

1. I am my mother. I hate to admit that I have the same problem of waking up in the morning. I just can't do it. Now my marriage is in jeopardy. N needs to be at class at 9 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I am responsible for getting him there. I lie in bed, knowing I need to wake up, and I think that the extra 5, 10 or even 15 minutes is going to make me feel more energized, more awake, more alive. Really, all I need to do is get my ass out of bed, starting walking around, and then I will feel fine. But getting my ass out of bed is the part I simply cannot do. And if only I reminded myself of all that N does in the morning to get me ready and out the door (walks the dog, makes my breakfast, lunch and coffee, etc.) that should be enough to spring me from the comforts of my pillow. Why isn't that enough? Am I selfish? Or do I just have some disorder that prevents me from waking up when required?
2. My petition for appeal was granted and now the brief is due on Tuesday. I've been at work late every night this week so I can complete it by tomorrow. The self-imposed early due date is because brother and sister are coming into town today. While I'm sure the main reason for their visit is to see us, the real main reason is because sister is giving a reading during the Festival of the Book here in Virginia. She's famous. Seriously. Just google her name. It comes up all over the place.
3. I'm in love with the idea of multiple Polaroid cameras at my wedding and guests using them ferociously. Working on getting some from craigslist.

River

On Sunday, I took Steve to the dog park and then to the river. This time, I brought my camera, and these photos don't even begin to capture her cuteness when she's there.Here Steve is just checking things out. Right before this picture was taken, she was sitting in the water, with her butt rubbing the dirt floor.

You can barely see her white head poking out of the water, cooling herself off after an hour of chasing other pups at the park.
Steve and Marley after some rough-housing. I can never remember what kind of dog Marley is. She has some Great Pyrenees in her and some St. Bernard.
On her throne. Our house is now covered in sand, despite the time I spent cleaning her up. She slept like a baby the rest of the day.

Spring me from this place!

The only way I can get things done that I dread doing is to set up an appointment for someone to come in and review the actual document I need to draft. That way, I HAVE to complete it by that time. This method has worked on occasion. It's also backfired recently when I had to call up a client and reschedule cause I didn't have a chance to do what I needed to do. Bad bad!!

On a completely different note, yesterday was the first day of spring. In celebration, I've posted this picture from last year since it gets me excited for planting in our garden and running around with Steve. The green grass in the background, sun on N's face, Steve smiling...and don't forget the large zucchinis N's holding from our garden. This weekend we are planting 6 types of seeds from the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Last year, we bought seedlings or just planting seeds directly in the garden. This year, in order to utilize our cold frame, I picked this up from Southern States. We've never used it before, but all you need is come water and seeds, and voila - seedlings appear. I'll try to take pictures this weekend as we start our seedlings. Hope it's warm out!

Vigor for Life

That was yesterday's motto. Steve and I went to the dog park Saturday morning. She LOVES it there, and being such a warm, beautiful day, so did I. Lately, it's been frigid, but yesterday, I brought my book, sat and read, and didn't feel a pinch of guilt for indulging since Steve was having a grand ole time. She got muddy so I took her down to the river, which I would've done anyway since she loves to swim, and she cleaned up a bit. There are two dogs, Coco and Marley, who we always see there, no matter what day or time. Steve loves to chase them. They give her a good instigator for the crazies! The crazies are when she runs around in circles like she's possessed with something unearthly, like she has so much energy she can't get rid of it fast enough. She went swimming in the river, cooling herself off.

We then went to Integral Yoga to pick out seeds to plant this week. I got zucchini, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, lettuce, watermelon, and bell peppers. Afterwards, I went to Southern States to pick out our pods to plant the seeds in. We then surprised N at school and headed to the Corner to get a sandwich, where Steve made friends with some cute yuppie kids. Then back home to rest while watching the Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan. Ah, gotta love it. Last night we headed to an engagement party for our friends M and B. B is in the same program as N and I got to know M through our ladies' night dinners. M and B are moving to Philly since M got this great job at a hospital as a speech therapist. With the move, and their wedding, they have many adventures headed their way.

On a different note, I wanted to share a picture of Steve. As a result of our playtime at the dog park and splashing in the river, this was Steve earlier this morning:You can't deny how cute she is. Oh, and I promised a picture of our curio. And believe it or not, I'm going to deliver on that promise. Here is the beginning of our bird collection, along with a close-up.The close-up picture attempts to capture the great lighting we have in our bathroom. In fact, I admit that our downstairs bathroom may be my favorite room in the house. Granted, our landlords did re-tile the floor, we spruced it up with a coat of paint, and it's very minimal. Any one else have any collections started?

Flu You

1) It's Flu-ville in C-ville (I'm that much of a dork). N went to the health center yesterday and they did some test which came back positive for influenza, which then led to my phone call to the doctor's office and resulted in some meds to prevent me from getting the flu. Probably shouldn't admit I didn't get a flu shot - but wait, I just did. My health insurance kinda blows since I have an annual $1,200 deductible, afterwhich coverage is 100%. Because I'm relatively healthy, I pay for everything out of pocket. By the time I'll every reach my deductible, it will be the next year and I start all over again. I shouldn't complain because there are millions without any insurance, and g-d forbid I get into a car accident or some incurable disease, it will come in handy. So, I'll shut up now.
2) I won something, which rarely happens (despite my competitive nature). You can check it out my winning entry here and my prize here.
3) I bought my wedding dress. It's not anything like I imagined. I could show you pictures but they don't do it justice. And I already made the mistake of showing a certain someone, and let's just say it didn't go as I would've hoped. Whatevs. It's a dress. It's long and white. I'm going to wear it for a few hours. Whatevs. I'm going to look hot!
4) Working on sweet collections of birds in our curio. Pics are worth a thousand words.

Wedding Planning

We're in full wedding planning mode and have actually accomplished a few things - or at least started them.
1) Today, JB and I are going to West Main Bridal to check out wedding dresses. I hope they carry dresses under $500 cause I was really hoping only to spend $200. Is that possible?
2) I've narrowed our search for photographers and I really like this one. I spoke with her on the phone for a while and she showed me some pictures on her site. She recommended I check out Wedding Photojournalist Association. I think these are the best kind of photos for our wedding.
3) We found our videographer (Hi RC and JB!). JB has all the equipment and editing software, and she loves to have a purpose. I love that she is doing this for us.
4) The chuppah - I've been contacting family to see if anyone has any fabric from my grandparents that I could use, but it's not looking good on that front. I might make my own or look around on the net. We are going to use my father's or my grandfather's tallit when JVB blesses us together underneath of it. It's going to bring tears to my eyes, I know already.

Haven't forgotten those resolutions

I was looking over the resolutions and I've got to say I haven't strayed as far as one might expect.

1) I'm not doing that well on the cursing, but I have made an effort by making up some substitute words and phrases. Nothing too unique, but just something to keep me from shoving a bar of soap in my mouth.
2) I did get a haircut, which was something just for me. Also, I called to make an appointment for a massage. I really need one. My back has been killing me.
3) I found some gray hairs on my head, and I'm afraid that I'm allowing work to stress me out. I do not want to be one of those people whose life is led by my career. While I love my job, I don't want it to control me. And while there could be other reasons for gray hair (you know, that whole mom had cancer thing), work is definitely the main contributing reason.
4) I opened up a high interest savings account to start saving for our house. It's not with our normal bank, so I forget about it most of the time. Should've done it a long time ago, but better late than never.

Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

Lots of firsts...certainly to be followed by seconds

I made my first bag!

N gave me this great book for Chanukah. It's Simple Sewing by Lotta Jansdotter. And I made this bag using one of her patterns. I love the way it turned out, and will either a) use it or b) give it to someone as a present. Haven't decided. But I'm definitely going make more. I learned how to make the next one even better, and love that with every project, I'm becoming more comfortable with the sewing machine.

Also, I got my first tat!
I hope to Lord my mother doesn't read this. I haven't told her yet. But once she finds out, she'll be happy to know it's on my ankle and not somewhere all visible to the world, like my face or something. I can see why they are addictive. Once you get your first one, you're like, okay, I'm ready for another one now. That wasn't what I was thinking when I was getting it though. I was squeezing my sister's hand so tight it turned black and blue and I looked her straight in the eyes and told her I'm not doing this ever again. I'm over that now. But I'm gonna wait. At least until after the wedding.

Our store is going. Hopefully by getting our name out there we'll get some bites, but we still have a lot more items to list. It's been interesting connecting with the Central VA arts and crafts scene though, and hopefully, we'll grab more finds in the next few weeks.

Vintage Virginia

Guess what? We opened a store. It's only online, but we are having fun with it. Check it out here. As you know, we are addicted to thrift stores, yard sales and scavenging for junk-tques, and we wanted to share our finds. We have a bunch of stuff waiting in the wings and will be listing items daily. Enjoy! Oh, and tell your friends!

Blue Mountain Brewery

A day without a buzz is a day that never was.

It's A Brand Spankin' New Year

I have vowed not too make failure ridden resolutions, but I have made a few that I'd really like to work on.
1) Stop cursing so damn much. Seriously, I do and it's not very becoming.
2) Do one thing just for me every week that I really enjoy. And if it happens to be more often, so be it.
3) Work hard but don't let the hard work induce stress.
4) Save money towards a down-payment on a home.

Of course, there are the usuals - be healthy, lose weight, exercise more, 0declutter the home, yada yada yada. But those aren't really resolutions. They are really a bunch of reasons to feel guilty about all that you don't do, and I don't want that anymore. I'm tired of feeling guilty cause I don't make it to the gym, or because I eat a cookie, or because I acquire more junk for crafts and what not. So, I'm tired of that and that's my main resolution. Stop feeling guilty about all that I don't do.

Let's how it goes. Last night, I didn't bring work home with me, and didn't allow myself to feel guilty about that. So that's good, right?

Be Still, and Know that I am G-d.

-Said by my future father-in-law, when attempting to offer suggestions on what kind of cheese we'd like to purchase.

Sleepy now. It's been a long couple of weeks. N's been working so hard, every night, and I miss doing things with him. But this has given me a taste of the summer, when he'll be gone for weeks in Italy, and Steve and I will keep one another company.

MMG may come this weekend to visit. We have a bunch of errands to do before the end of the year, but I am looking forward to her seeing my home for the first time. That means lots of cleaning in anticipation. Just like she does for me when I come to her home. It's not really my home, just the house she lives in. But where she is, that is home. It's the place I go back to, to remember where I came from, and what I could leave behind. Stupid sounding, but the truth.

Steve rolled in some sort of animal poop tonight, so I had to give her a whore's bath (that's what MMG calls it, a sponge bath of sorts). She smelled pretty bad. Now she smells like dog shampoo. Gotta love masking the smell. She needs a real bath. A pimp's bath. I've already begun a list in my head of tasks for N to work on when he's all done with the semester. That's on it, at the top of the list.

As usual, I'm on a clutter-busting binge. Trying to get clutter out of this house, even though I manage to bring s**t in. But my friend OW reminded me that making a home is about evolving. Constantly moving things around, and swapping things here for this, and there for that. So, I'm embracing that, while still trying to move stuff out. Freecycle works. Craigslist hasn't been too good for me, though I take pics. I'll keep trying.

Off to snooze. So I don't lose. I need a drink!

Register

I thought I'd love registering for our wedding, but I was wrong. I don't. I don't know what I like, or what I'd like to have, and I don't like telling people that this is what I want, so buy it for me. And my eyes hurt from looking at the computer for so long, searching for things to register for. So, I'm this close to just boycotting the whole thing.

The Daily Coyote

I can't help myself. I've looked at these pictures multiple times. They are just so damn cute.

My favorite pics from N'awlins

Saturday after our arrival at the first Halloween celebration, with Tulane alums.

Love it!

Twister girl, Sexy devil and Dick in a Box

More to come....

1. NOLA was awesome. Pics will be posted as evidence of such awesomeness. However, I did come home with a strange rash all over my body. I asked SPR if she had the same rash and at first she didn't, but now she does. WTF?? I went to the doctor yesterday cause this mysterious rash has spread to my face - I know, I know, it's gross. The doctor said it was caused by something I came into contact with. Eww! Anyhow, I was directed to take Benadryl and hope that it goes away soon.

2. I worked on a home damaged by Hurricane Katrina through Rebuilding Together. I worked with ElderHostel, a group of fun-loving, energetic retirees who travel around the country volunteering for a week at a time. It was definitely the most rewarding. I got to paint the outside of a home that had a lot of wind damage...the roof was torn off. I wish I could've volunteered more.

3. We're having an engagement party - woohoo!! It's December 29 at 6 pm at the Bolton household. And because of all this excitement going around, I started a wedding blog. I know, too much, I'm a huge dork who thinks that people are more interested in our life than they really are, but I don't care. I like it.

4. Steve is a bumpkin.

5. Read this. It's damn good. I can't put it down.

1. Work has been crazy busy. I am leaving for New Orleans in one week from Friday and have to finish a Petition for Appeal, Answer/Grounds of Defense for a Complaint (real estate), and a bunch of other filings before I leave. I am looking forward to my trip because I know that I will have completed all that needs to be complete by the time I am on that airplane.

2. Yard sales were sparse this past weekend. I got some enamel small bowls, a retro gravy dish, two cloth napkins, and a few other items that escape my mind. I was so desperate for yard sales I even hit up Circa which I have been avoiding since their prices make me depressed. They have the best items galore but I can't bear to pay the prices knowing that I could find the same things that much cheaper at thrift stores and yard sales.

3. I picked out my costume for Halloween. Check it out here. Now I just have to work on getting the boots. May not be able to get red boots, but I'd settle for white.

4. I still want to sign up for a day's worth of service work in NOLA. I have a few leads but nothing set in stone.

5. Oh, I can't believe I haven't mentioned it, but we picked our date and location for the wedding. We are getting married on December 21, 2008 at The Brewer's Art. We visited two weeks ago when we went up to B'more for DK and M's wedding. It's all that I imagined and more. Never thought about a winter wedding, but I think it's only appropriate to get married at this brewery in the winter. The fireplaces will be roaring, everyone will be drinking...I'm stoked.

6. BTW, I'm going here next year. Who's coming?

I saved another 18 dollars. Last night, I watched the terrible but oh so good chick flick, The Prince and Me, you know the one with Julia Stiles and she falls in love with the Prince of Denmark, and I hemmed up another pair of jeans. I'm telling you, maybe I should start soliciting my services and make some money on the side. Whataya think?

How to Avoid Paying 18 Dollars

Last week, I went to the tailor to get 4 pairs of pants hemmed. Getting pants hemmed is part of my life, something I rarely am able to avoid, being vertically challenged and all. Two pairs were jeans (one pair I bought at a yard sale) and two pairs were pants for work. After I tried them on for the tailor, and she pinned the pants where needed, I braced myself for the total. When I saw her writing down the amounts on the ticket, I couldn't believe it. I asked "It's 14 dollars to hem a pair of jeans?" She said, "Oh no, to hem a pair of jeans it's 18 dollars. 14 dollars is for the other pants." I can't believe I left the store without the pants, but I did. However, the very next day, as soon as the store opened, I retrieved my pants and vowed to do this myself. When hemming jeans, it's very difficult to use a standard sewing machine because most can't handle the girth of the materials. And as for dress pants, they need to be done by hand so as not to see the stitches through the material. So, I went to the local fabric store, and bought some jean thread and needles, a total of $3.30, and faced the challenge. Let me just tell you how good it feels to not spend $18 on hemming a pair of jeans, especially when you bought them for a dollar at a yard sale. It feels damn good. And they turned out really good, if I do say so myself. You can't tell that the hem is done by hand. As for pics, if I had any, that would just be too over-achiever-like of me.

I've been looking for a way to organize my circular knitting needles, so they're easily accessible. When I come across a pattern requiring a circular needle, I turn the page, unwilling to search through the tangled mess. I once came across a pattern for a sewn circular needle organizer, but I didn't have access to a sewing machine...until now. I went searching for that needle organizer to sew up a few nights ago. Instead, I came across this. Crazy thing is that I just picked up empty wooden spools a few weekends ago at a yard sale in hopes of coming up with some crafty project. It was fate! Here's an action shot, with all the circulars.
And here's a close-up.

I didn't have enough spools to add decorative spools on either end, but I think it turned out okay.

N went downstairs to the basement to throw in a load of laundry and discovered sewage in the basement. Our sewage pipe(s) is (are) backed up. I have no idea if there is more that one sewage pipe, but I do know that the huge tree in our front yard has invaded our sewage system and now we got some s**t in the basement. Literally, s**t. Stay tuned. It will be an interesting week.

When I first arrived in Virginia, I continually referred to the prosecutor as the State's Attorney. But I was very quickly corrected. They are not State Attorneys. They are Commonwealth Attorneys. Yes, I live in the Commonwealth of Virginia, not the State of Virginia. You wanna know the difference? I bet you do. Well, there is no damn difference. Virginia decided to remain a Commonwealth. I bet it's because it sounds more prestigious, like "Yes all of you other feeble minded states, you could never compete with a Commonwealth like us...haa haa haa."

Look What I Did!

Two weekends ago, N and I went to a Y'art sale. Kinda like a yard sale, but it was for art supplies and art pieces. I went nuts, buying 6 grab bags of fabric and wood block paint while N picked up an old-school hand crank pencil sharpener, wooden wall art and drafting pens. With this fabric, I made my first pillow cover. Whadya think?

It was very easy and for the next one I make, I'm hoping to write a tutorial to pass along to anyone who needs some guidance. As you can tell from this pic, the cover is a tad bit bigger than I'd like. I've been on the lookout for a snap or eye hook to use in the back to tighten it up. Otherwise, I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

I didn't think I was much of a fantasy genre reader, but it just so happens that I'm more than half-way through the first Harry Potter book. Not too bad if I do say so! I don't foresee myself become ridiculously addicted to the Harry Potter series, but I'm not making any bets, and you shouldn't either. You never know. I come from a family of addicts.

Today was the second time I cried at work. First time was when I found out MMG had cancer. But today, I cried. Because of the nature of my work, I can't get into specifics (sounds like I work for the CIA...don't get excited, I don't) but let's just say I got emotionally invested in a case, and my client was found guilty. I held it in until for about an hour and then I cried. I'm questioning whether I'm cut out for this. Real estate is much more safe. Even estate planning. Dead people don't come back and yell at you for giving their son and not their daughter some ugly painting. But criminal law - damn, especially when you're client is innocent. That's when it gets tough. It's easier if you have guilty clients, cause you work your hardest to make sure the system doesn't screw them. But when they're innocent...I need to make sure I don't get emotionally invested, and attached, and all that bullshit. I'm looking forward to the day when I have 10 years of experience behind me. That'll be the day when I won't come back from court and feel like crumbling into a puddle of tears.

Do you have a secret?

I miss Steve.

Presents from my garden

Beautiful presents if I do say so myself! We have zucchini coming out of our ears, so guess what we made on Saturday? Yup, zucchini bread. It's really good, if I do say so myself. We have brandywine tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and other heirloom tomatoes growing; however, only the cherry tomatoes are ready. The others are still on the vine. We've been quite fortunate with our garden. The only struggling veggie has been the squash, and frankly, if that's the only failing veggie, I'm a happy camper.

Why Blog?

A friend asked me why I blog? And as I was formulating my answer - as it was spewing forth from my mouth - I am still pondering this question. With Facebook, Myspace, Friendster and more (all of which I have page), I started considering that maybe this means of communicating is selfish and narcissistic. Really, why do I write online for others to read? Maybe it's insecurity, and I hope people find me interesting. But then, do I really care what people think? I try to convince myself that I don't care what other people think, but secretly I guess I do. So, in addition to wanting people to find me interesting, why do I blog? Here are some of the excuses...


1) I like to keep a diary and I type faster than I write.

2) I share my projects with others, since I often like reading about other people's projects.

3) I think of witty things in my head (at least, I think they're witty) and I hope other people find them just as witty.

4) Thoughts in my head should not stay in my head, and here is just as good of any place to dispose of them.

5) I like to have something that's just mine, and no one else's.

6) This is a great starting point for interesting discussion with friends far away.

7) Blogging encourages me to become a better writer.

8) Blogging keeps my far-away friends informed about my life.

I could go on, but those are just a list of reasons (excuses) without thinking too hard.

And for a cute picture of Steve. And yes, that is her in the bathtub.

Okay, one more...Sorry it's so dark. I'm not at all technimologially savvy with the photo stuff. But if you look really close, you see a sweet face.

I try to stay away from political comments on this blog, mostly because I have no idea what I'm talking about. Truly, I read the news like any educated citizen and I am more than interested in the upcoming primary. But there's so much out there, and how do you know what's the truth and what is the media playing tricks on you in order to increase the amount of viewers? Regardless, and I know this is bottom of a large heap of issues going on, but what ever happened to believing you are the best one for President? It's lately become a war of words and who will win, not who is the best one to lead our country. Am I the only one who sees this? Maybe I'm not looking past the words.

Don't speed when driving. You could go to jail. Seriously. Oh, and don't do speed when driving, either. You really could go to jail.

Five things I say I will do, but don’t, and then hate myself for not doing

I often am inspired to post an entry when I see a blogger's list and then want to make the same list. A friend from high school posted such a list and now I am using the premise to create my own.

And therefore, here is the list:

1) Put more thought into giving creative gifts

2) Have a yard sale

3) Help N around the house more

4) Don't watch TV

5) Exercise More

And of course this list could go on. Pathetic really. We are too hard on ourselves. We (meaning me) feel we are never good enough. I want to stop feeling bad for what I don't do, and recognize what I do do...doo doo.

Monday Musings

1) Late yesterday afternoon, N and I began the daunting task of organizing the basement. I use the basement as a storage unit for items that I hope to sell at the never-happening yard sale. Also, since MMG moved, I have had to bring a lot of my childhood belongings to Charlottesville as there is no place in MMG's home. We have four categories - yard sale, one for keep, trash and school. I was going through my second box (only my second), when N warned me that he remembered a plate may be broken in the box. I came across the plate, and N and I picked it up. Either we each thought the other had it stable in our hands, or the plate was a magical jumping plate, but either way, the plate cut my leg open, and here I sit with four stitches in my calf. I know, only four, but I've only had stitches one other time in my lifetime, and I don't really remember it that well. All I know is that my mom had to lie about our last name cause the KKK lived by. She was afraid they would turn us away.

2) The doctor at Urgent Care was an asshole. As he was preparing the materials for the serious surgery, N asked whether the office stitched up a lot of people, and he responded "Yeah, too many. We don't have time for this crap." The doctor said that right there, with blood gushing out of my calf, and he doesn't have time for this crap. Believe you me, if I didn't need them I wouldn't have been there. You think I want to be getting stitches at 9 in the evening? I'd rather be organizing my basement, thankyouverymuch. And you know, stitches are not for preventing scars. They are for preventing infection you bozo! I don't give a shit if I have a scar on my calf.

3) Allgood festival two weekends ago was awesome. We took it easy Friday night, but danced our tushis off Saturday night. Moe, STS9, Bob Weir and Rat Dog, Keller Williams, Benevento Russo Duo, Lotus, Grace Potter - the list could go on. I saw a lot of potential clients at the festival too.

4) No more musings. Maybe more later.

No shit sherlock!

N finally came to the realization that we are getting married...preferably in the next year and a half. But that's how N is. I'll go on and on about something that needs to get done, or that is coming up, and he needs a certain amount of time for it to sink in. And then I walk in the door after a long day at work and he says "You know what, if we're getting married, we need to get on it." Oh, really? I didn't know that.

Good thing I'm aware of his needs.

So, we're thinking of going more traditional. And while I've always imagined, from the day I started planning my wedding when I was in the womb, of having bridesmaids, good friends standing by my side as I vow to love my husband forever, I think we might forgo that for our wedding. We are planning a more traditional Jewish wedding, and in a traditional Jewish wedding, there is no bridal party. Just the bride and groom. Not sure how I feel about this. Maybe we'll ask some friends to read something, or hold up the chuppah. Haven't figured this out yet.

Of course, I've been considering what I'm going to do about who will walk me down the aisle. Usually, it's both parents. But I'd like to have my mom and someone else by my side, to honor my father, so it will most likely be my cousin. He loved my father, he understood my father and he respected my father immensely. I mentioned it to him a few years ago at our cousin's wedding. Now I've got to dig up the courage to remind him of my request so long ago.

We haven't even decided where we are going to have it. We're contemplating between Charlottesville, NOVA and Baltimore. But one thing is for sure...it's not going to be a typical wedding. I just want a big party, commencing with the wedding ceremony. I am not sure I want a sit down dinner. I kinda just want a backyard party, with lots of drinks and music and some food so people don't get filthy drunk. But filthy drunk is also fine. Whatever works.

And again, she peed twice. WTF? Seriously, I don't know what's wrong with her. She has peed on the rug two out of three trips to the in-laws, and the main factor that wasn't present when she didn't pee was the presence of 2 cats, Bob and Bug. Are they making her pee? Are they stressing Steve out so much that she has to pee in front of them to remind them who's boss? Is she peeing multiple times because she smells where she previously peed? Does anyone out there in cyberspace have any theories as to why my princess doggie is peeing in the in-laws home?

Steve just peed on the in-laws year-old carpet. Good times.

Hodgepodge of Ideas

Last week, we spent some time playing Bananagrams and now I'm addicted. Seriously, very cool game. Not hard at all, and you could probably just create the game if you already have Scrabble.

Also last week, with Bird staying at our home, I found myself not watching any TV at all. And it was nice. Lately, I've been in the rut of coming home, plopping my ass down on the sofa, and watching hours of mindless television. But, having been unintentionally deprived of it for almost a week, it's quite refreshing. I actually did things that needed to get done and that I wanted to do...like sew up a skirt, clean up my craft room, and sew on a button missing from a purse purchased at a yard sale. I know I know, this all seems so trite and simple, but whatever, it was a refreshing moment for me, so there.

I just finished The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood. Surprisingly, I picked this up at a yard sale (ha ha). A quick read certainly - but I wouldn't say it's contemporary literature at it's best. I like how it reminded me of why I knit, and keep knitting. The act and art of knitting does soothe my mind, and any stress or anxiety I may be feeling dissipates. Knitting is rhythmic craft.

Tonight, N and I are going to get a drink on the downtown mall, something rare for us during the week. I tend to run home and stay around the house. But this will be a nice deviation from the expected schedule of the week.

Quick thoughts

Websites I may spend more time reading:
Lifehack
zen habits

I wish there was one of these in Charlottesville

I can't believe I will be in Baltimore but be missing this.

Projects in the works:
- Compost Pile
- Another garden bed
- Painting the ceiling of our screened-in porch
- New patio
- Yard sale at the beginning of July

I'm sure I'll have more thoughts later in the day...at least I hope so.

What 5 seemingly insignificant little things made you happy today?

1) Going to court without another partner from the firm in the stands
2) The cool breeze outside - so different from the past few days
3) Sleeping in past 6:45am
4) Spying on Steve as she watched the birds from our screened in porch
5) N picking up my shoes from the gym (I accidentally left them there) on his own whim, simply because he's that kind of man

We have a wonderful house guest this week, BC. We met through her boyfriend, who went to high school with J and N. But the crazy thing is that she went to writing camp with J, way before she was dating the bf. She and I do not know each other that well - we've met only a handful of times (two to be exact) but she is someone that I would like to get to know better, since I am always on the lookout for more peeps to hang with here in Cville. BC went to school here and has all sorts of crazy fun jobs. She makes organic soaps and such, which she sells on her own. She writes about food for the Cville, she has a killer ebay business selling great finds at yard sales and thrift stores. Seriously, I'm liking that kinda lifestyle a lot more than my current position.

We are getting ready to go up to MD to continue the moving extravaganza. I can't wait for this to be over. Still trying to hunt down boxes and need to collect newspaper to wrap some valuables in. But N's mom, J and Nat are coming over this weekend to help, which will be an incredible relief. The whole process is much more enjoyable when you have many warm bodies.

The garden is growing by leaps and bounds. Our zuchs are going nuts while our tomatos keep us on our toes. We can't wait for them to get here. We have a few babies, getting us excited and all.

I will hopefully post some pics of the garden soon. And for those who have read all the way here, I apologize for lack of exciting news. BC's arrival is the most excitement we've seen in these here parts of town.

This weekend N and I are helping MMG pack up her house. Seriously, not fun stuff at all, but I am looking forward to helping her getting rid of a lot of shit. She's been carting around this stuff for 8 years and now we are going on the 5th move. I don't know where I get this compulsion to get rid of things - but I have this great burning need to pair down, simplify, declutter. And it's not just throwing stuff away. I like to do it in a very systematic way. For example, I have a ton of stuff in my basement right now that I have been putting away for a yard sale. But, I also have some of these items posted on craigslist, some on freecycle, some separated to be brought to a consignment shop. Of course, this is like a whole other job so I do a little bit each week.

This weekend, we are separating mom's stuff into a five categories:

1) Items that she will keep for the new place
2) Items that are not valuable and can be sold at a yard sale to be held in two weekends
3) Items that are valuable to be sold to an auctioneer
4) Items that MMG doesn't want but N and I want to keep
5) Items to be donated to charity
6) Items that MMG does want but can't bring to her new place cause she doesn't have any room (my plan is to keep this pile as small as possible cause our basement is filled with our own crap)

So that's the deal. If you are reading this (all 2 of you) and you want to come help, please don't feel like you can't join in the fun. Cause you CAN!!

Now, for some pics from the wedding:

Brother and sister!!


Feeling good.

Loving the mohawk.

Our unofficial engagement photo.

J bitch slapping his future wife.

Seriously, my favorite at the moment

The wedding weekend was beautiful. Seriously, good times with family and friends. Of course, Nat looked gorgeous, and J was full of humor and wit. I will be sure to get pics up soon. The evening before the wedding, J and V had a big party at their house for all out of town guests, but seriously, about 70 percent of those invited to the wedding showed up. And that's when it hit me - this is exactly what I want for our wedding. I just am not in the position to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars for a wedding, especially since I do not come from a family who has the funds at its disposal. But please don't get me wrong - Nat and J's wedding was absolutely gorgeous. It truly was. Especially the ceremony. When the bride circled the groom with the music in the background, it was beautiful. And the Klezmer band freaking rocked. So I know that I want a traditional Jewish ceremony and I'd love some music. But I just want everything at a house or at a restaurant. This way, N and I won't start our marriage off in debt. I also plan on doing a lot myself - like invitations, and party favors, and I probably won't buy any flowers - maybe just a bouquet - and my dress will be quite simple. Nat has already offered me the use of her veil and maybe even her dress. People, her dress was gorgeous, just so beautiful. If only...

MMG and I had a falling out on Monday, but then we fell back in yesterday. Things to do with finances and mortgages and attention towards one another and such. Being the only child of a widowed parent is not easy, especially of a parent who is still grieving the death of her husband 8 years later. She accused me of not paying enough attention to her - that she felt like she didn't have a daughter. I do the best that I can, but I don't think my best is good enough for her. Do I sound like a candidate for therapy or what?

She is in process of moving to a smaller place, and so we will be going through the painful process of letting go - letting go of physical items that she acquired when my father was alive, letting go of clothing that she's had since before I was born...she's moved quite a number of times in the past eight years and every time, we do get rid of stuff. But this time, she will be getting rid of a lot, whether she likes it or not. Cause you know who has to move it all? Yup, you guessed it. ME!

And to finish off this picture-lacking post, Steve did the cutest thing today. On any other day, it wouldn't have been cute. But since N didn't have any plans, and I was up earlier than expected, it was okay just this one time, that she rolled around in the leaves on the outskirts of the backyard, and came trotting back to the door smelling of horse poop. Seriously, she smelled rank - but at least she looked cute rolling around outside. Then the outdoor bath began and relished it for a while, so long as no water touched her face. Now she looks like a big poofy polar bear. Sweet Shenandoah Steve!

So all that stuff I wrote a few days ago, about engagement and such? Well, it's moot now cause N proposed!! and I said YES (obviously). Very sweet, lots of tears, it couldn't get much better.

Getting ready to leave for a while for the wedding. Good times, I'm sure. We've been packing and getting the house ready for JC while she watches our home and dog and garden.

Last night we were attacked by one ass mother fucking huge bee/wasp/hornet/whatever flying insect in our kitchen. N went nuts and cleaned the entire kitchen with bleach and words such as "FUCK" and "SHIT." Seriously, every time he found a few drops of the Raid Spray, he yelled like the world was going to explode in one millisecond. Then when I addressed this instance of rage, he's like "What? What's the matter?" I think he was mostly upset that the Raid smelled like roses.

Anyhow, I'll be gone from Charlottesville for a few days. While I am excited for the weekend, seeing N's family and friends, I am also a homebody and love to stay home and do stuff around the house and spend time with projects just for me. I often feel I don't get the time to do that. I also have this thing about waking up in my own bed. I spent the last 3 years living out of a suitcase, since almost every weekend I was travelling. And though the whole point of moving down here was to cut the travelling out of my life, we travel almost as much, with seeing my MMG and N's parents.

Oh, and if MMG brings up anything resembling the word "Ring" I will seriously go ape-shit. And the great thing is that I told her that. Seriously people. If one more person asks me - and I know I'll be inundated with that question this weekend - I might burst into tears. Cause I really don't have control over it. And I am happy and that's all that matters. N and I love each other, we are going to get married, and having a piece of jewelry to signify it is not my purpose in life. I am tired of living with the mentality "My life will begin as soon as I pass the bar, as soon as I move to Charlottesville, as soon as I get married..." This is my life dammit and I am happy just as it is. It doesn't need to be rushed.

On another note, I am almost finished this project at work that I've been dreading for weeks. Once in a while, I get a project that I just loathe, mostly because I have no idea what the hell I'm doing. This involved someone's estate and the accounting for it, and I don't really know what I'm doing, especially since I didn't start at the beginning. I just came in and picked up where the other attorney left off, which is harder than starting in the beginning. Anyhow, as I leave for the wedding, it feels great knowing that this will be in someone else's hands. I am so glad it's done. I've been avoiding it as much as possible, but finally, I just sat down, worked my brain hard, and figured it out the best I could.

Okay, that little diatribe about work wasn't that interesting so I'm gonna stop now.

At the local recycling center, there is a trailer where people drop off books so others can pick them up. There are always old encyclopedias and books with old pics, so I grabbed these to use for my card making adventures.

Just some flowers we got to brighten up the place.

It's a sickness, I know, but I just can't get enough of her.

I've crossed a line and want to go back, but am afraid it's too late. I'm becoming one of those annoying pet owners who talks about her dog constantly..constantly people. It's a real addiction and I'm trying to stop but I'm afraid I can't. I truly believe she's the meaning of adorableness. Anyhow, photos of Steve are posted on my Flickr account...Here's a teaser.

In other news, J and Nat are getting married in less than 2 weeks, and though we won't be officially sisters until N and I get 'er done, we are that much closer. I have three half-sisters who are much older than me, and I grew up with three other kids (story for another time), but besides all the adopted and half and step siblings, I am an only child. And if I don't act like an only child, then I certainly acted like the baby of the family when growing up, cause let's face it, I was a baby. I am the youngest cousin, the youngest child, and was always the youngest student in class (don't get any ideas of being in the presence of a genius - I skipped a year of pre-school).

J and N are very close, so I feel lucky that me and Nat have gotten to know each other so well over the past two years. We talk about all sorts of things, especially how much Bolton men love to fart. Now that she and J are going to be in Philly, we'll get to see them that much more. Nat and I are already planning our first pregnancy - can you imagine, calling each other up and asking - You got him in place? You ready? Let's go! Seriously people, we are going to drive the Bolton men NUTS. Heck, we already do. When the house gets filled with people, or we just need some peace and quiet, we can always count on each other to crawl into bed and watch MTV or read Popsugar or paint toenails. Seriously, I love it - someone with whom I will grow old, experience marriage and motherhood, mid-life crises, it's gonna rock. Sounds like a husband but it's different. N won't understand when I start getting hemorrhoids from being pregnant, or needing to go out clubbing dressed like a hooker when I'm 45. Now we just need to make sure that we stay close enough that a 4 hour car drive will do the trick.

Steve after a long weekend

Steve after a long weekend, originally uploaded by elenafreed.

Baby Steve needs much rest tonight after a fun filled weekend of tearing down doors and eating all the deli meat from the counter. But seriously, how can you resist that adorable face even if you have to buy a brand new door?

Now that N is finished his first year of graduate school, he can play around the house more - doing fun projects like planting veggies in the garden, and putting up shelves in the crafty room, where all things crafty are born. He helped me sew a duvet cover for our bed on Sunday night, and it turned out better than I thought. Very beautiful fabric on the top and we found a king-size bed sheet at Marshalls for 10 bucks to use for the bottom. The first night I slept under it, I didn't move a muscle the entire night. Granted, that probably had more to do with the fact that I was still recovering from the birthday shindig we hosted for N and Maressa. It was their 50th birthday this year on Sunday. Happy Birthday!

We spent N's birthday on Sunday not only making the duvet and planting, but also playing with Baby Steve, making yogurt and dining at the very elegant Blue Grass Grill. N got corned beef hash and I had some choco chip panks with a side of bacon and a biscuit. Talk about yummy. It's all about the panks.

Yesterday I took a watercolor class from N (after I burst into tears that he didn't have a good assignment for me and that he likes his other students better than me, and why didn't I get any perks cause I'm sleeping with the professor - but anyway), and I did this thing where I tried to match 5 colors from the spider plant with watercolors and then painted in five distinct blocks. I took a pic of it and will put it up. N taught me that I should consider going back over it and try to match the colors again, considering my perception of the colors will be different today then they were yesterday. It was a cool project. For those 2 people reading this - yes, that was a boring rendition of the project but just trust me on this one, it was cool.

Mother's day on Sunday - MMG made me feel bad that she didn't have mother's day cards in her hand on Sunday and I told her that I sent them on Sat, but I didn't. I didn't lie, I just thought I'd be able to get them off to her on Sat. Anyhow, she does that a lot - makes me feel bad, but she does it with this way that she's joking, but it does hurt sometimes. Whatever. I'm over it. I love her, that's all that matters. Right?

Now that I'm a full-fledged VA lawyer, I'm getting my own cases and even got a salary!! Woohoo! I thought I wouldn't be working the second temp job, but decided to take one more assignment in order for us to catch up on finances. Seriously, it was harder these past few months, getting Steve and having not worked while studying for the bar exam and such. I think if I take on one more assignment, I can get us caught up on bills and we'll be okay. Not gonna lie to you, I do take pride in the fact that we somehow went 2 weeks with only 11 dollars in the bank account. Can I get some props for that plz? Me and JC talk about how proud we are that we got by this past pay period with such little funds. Is that something to be proud of or what?

Dear Shenandoah Steve,

I would like to tell you a few things as our new life together begins, and because I LOVE lists, I will format this letter in such a fashion.

1) I love you. I really do. You brighten up my day by just being a part of our family. I love giving you belly rubs when you get all roley poley on the ground, I love giving you pets and snuggling with you while we relax at home. I love to take you on long walks and don't even mind when you sniff something every 30 seconds - literally, it's every 30 seconds - during our walks. I'm just ecstatic that I can give you a good home, with food and shelter and lots of love.

Even though I love you as much as I do, I have a few requests.

2) Barking in the middle of the night is not necessary when there isn't a masked murderer trying to break into our home. Seriously, barking for the sake of barking is just not required in order to be a part of our family. Like two nights ago, when we were trying to get some sleep at 2 in the morning, there really wasn't any need to be barking at the television, especially since it was turned off. And last night, after we had been sleeping for an hour, you don't need to bark in order to wake us up so you can check out the downstairs. I promise, it hasn't changed. It's the same as it was when you came upstairs. No one is waiting for you down there, the couch that you like to shed your entire coat on is still there. There aren't even any cars driving by that you can look at out the window downstairs. So sweetheart, no need to bark in the middle of the night.

3) You are quite a voluptuous doggie, and we are trying to make sure you get a good, healthy diet. This does not mean that you can jump up to the counter, pull down the treats your Dad just bought you and eat the entire bag of chicken strip treats. This is not so good for your girlish figure, and we want you to grow up to be a healthy pooch. Oh, and carrying the container of treats in your mouth upstairs to show us you like your treats is also not necessary. We know you like them. But still, you can't eat the entire bag or container.

Shenandoah Steve, that's it for now. Don't even forget we love you, but these are just a few things I thought you should know about.

Love,
Your mama

Meet the newest member of our family:

Right now, her name is Eve. This is the name she came with from the SPCA, but we're trying to find a more fitting name. This pic doesn't do her justice, but seriously dudes, she is the sweetest most cuddly dog in the world. She is part lab, part pyrenees, she LOVES belly rubs and snuggling in bed with us, and she has the sweetest disposition. And I know you can't tell from this pic but she's HUGE. She's over 100 pounds. There is no doubt that she loves people. I'm completely in love with her. I couldn't be happier!! I feel like we are the luckiest people in the world to have adopted her and give her a loving home. Don't worry, more pics are coming.

We're THIS much closer to getting a dog. And I've already scoped out the one I want. His name is Mac, and as of 2:30 this afternoon, he is still in need of a loving home. Seriously dudes, how cute is he!!! In order to get a dog, we need money - money for the pet deposit we need to give our landlord, money for the adoption fee at the Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA and then money for all the toys and food and treats and snuggly things we are going to spoil him with. In order to do this (and in spirit of spring cleaning), I am selling my clothes. Yup, come by and see me naked cause I'm selling all my clothes. Nah, just kidding, just the ones that don't fit anymore ever since I grew a big ass and also those that I still have from high school. No joke people, I still have clothes in my closet from high school. Not only can I barely fit one limb in the piece of clothing, but they look like they are from the mid 90s. I posted an ad on Craigslist and already have someone coming by to peek a look-see at them tonight. I even posted some pics on Flickr so no one wastes their time or mine. Granted, I could do this all at a yard sale (which I am still planning on holding sometime very soon), but maybe I can sell enough clothes for the adoption fee.

I'm still on track with my one project a night thing. It helps when I go to the gym in the morning cause then I have time at night to piddle around. I love to piddle around, let me tell you. Oooh, and tonight's Grey's Anatomy. Man oh man, am I going to get a lot done tonight. I wish I knew how to put up one of those thermometer thingys on my blog to track the money I raise to get the doggie. Wouldn't that be nerdy and fun?

So I followed through on my scheduled project last night and made these cute magnets for the fridge out of beer bottle caps and I also decorated some twigs from the backyard with some accessories from a holiday project I did a few years ago. At first I placed the twigs in the glass bottle downstairs on top of our entertainment furniture but it just didn't look right. Then we finally found the perfect place on our dresser in our bedroom. Very cute. I always forget about upstairs cause no one really sees it, and we aren't up there very much (just to sleep and shower - and maybe we do other things - I'll let your imagination take care of that one). But I should think more about our bedroom and making it cozy. I saw these cute embroidered napkins at Circa here in Cville and am now thinking they would be nice to put on the dresser, cause it's very bare and undecorated.

I also managed to clean out the guest room closet, where I hoard my keepsakes and memories from childhood. I go through these boxes every once in a while and always manage to purge them just a bit. I got rid of about three shoe boxes full of stuff. I learned a few things last night about myself - some of which I'm not too proud of.

1) I was quite a moody teenager. I kept letters from my best friend that she wrote me while in high school, and she was always apologizing. And let me tell you, she rarely did anything wrong. I was just a moody brat. Granted, I was experiencing teenage angst thinking that the world was ending, but still, who the hell did I think I was being all moody and bratty and taking out all my growing pains on my friends?

2) I kept a lot of stuff from my childhood, and I'm glad I did. Cause as I was going through all those cards and papers, it brought back memories that I was not ready to forget, and hopefully never will. Granted, I came across things that triggered some memories that I was more than ready to forget. It was like listening to a mix tape from when you were 14 and just hearing a certain song makes you feel weirdly uncomfortable.

3) Last night I read a lot of cards teachers in high school sent to me shortly after my father died, and they all had one point in common. My father's pride of me did not go unnoticed, and he made sure everyone knew it. Man, I think - no actually I know - I was and still am the luckiest person for having him as my father. He pushed me hard to succeed, but damn am I glad he did it. Cause I know I wouldn't be where I am today if he hadn't. The anniversary of his death is coming up - not something I dwell on but something that sneaks up on me and all the sudden I'm like shit - it feels like it was yesterday that he died but crazy cause it will be 8 years this Sunday. G-d I miss him.

Ever since my posting last Monday, I haven't been able to keep my eyes off the news. Seriously, I was getting a little worried about how much I needed my news fix, with all the media coverage about the Virginia Tech shooting floating around out there and then being shot into our head. There were moments, of course, where I wanted to shoot something into the head of the dumb ass newsperson asking a VT student how the mood on the campus was after the shootings. Dude, what the fuck do you think the mood was on the campus? In fact, I heard one newsperson ask a student who had been in a Norris Hall classroom when the shootings were occurring who managed to barricade the door - "How do you feel about being called a hero today?" followed by a painstaking 10 second lull in the dialogue as the student mustered the courage to respond to her idiotic question. Shut the F up. Anyhow, I was pretty useless last week at work, since every 5 minutes I needed my CNN intravenous shot.

Beans was taken from us by Mama and Papa B on Saturday. No joke, there was a tear or two. But I already have asked our landlord if we can have a dog, she gave us the okay (still need to put down a $500 deposit), and I already filled out an application to adopt a dog from the SPCA in Charlottesville. This is as good of a time as any to get one since N is almost finished with the semester so he will be more available to help with the dog. We got into a pretty slick routine while Beans was here, each of us taking on various duties in the taking-care-of-Beans-procedure. I'm totally ready. Seriously, dogs make a home that much more home-esque.

I painted our craft room this weekend a green color - called Wild Artichoke - or was it Wild Asparagus. Oh, can't remember. But I did it all by my lonesome - of course, not without some direction and guidance from N. You know, he did go to school where they teach you how to color inside the lines. But once I got started, I got into it. Granted, it was my first time ever painting so it's not perfect, and I learned what to do (and what not to do) next time. We are painting our bedroom next.

After the painting extravaganza, the wheels started turning and I became somewhat excited by the resolution of having one project a day that I complete (or work on) that makes our home pretty. Not just the daily laundry or dishes or vacuuming (though they need to be done ASAP or someone will get lost in the piles of dirty undies and billowing dust balls) but I'm talking about either painting a room or cleaning out a closet or organizing the kitchen or getting ready for our yard sale...you know that type of stuff. So, yesterday my project was planting a few baby spider plants in pots that were transplanted from a mama spider plant that I picked up from Freecycle. I hope they survive the move.

Hmm, what am I going to do today? Things on my list to do around the house: paint the bedroom (which I could start today by taping everything off), organize for our upcoming yard sale, clean out the kitchen shelves where we keep our food and spices, start on the knitted rug pattern, clean up the sticks in the yard...hmm, what to do. Of course, this plan will most likely go out the window as soon as I get another gig from the other job (the work-from-home-at-night-which-helps-pay-the-bills job). Anyhow, I got these cool old glass bottles off of Freecycle and was thinking of putting a bunch of twigs in them and attaching paper flowers. I saw the idea in a mag. We'll see. I can't believe I'm admitting this, but there is some inspiration over at Martha Stewart's site.

This weekend was full of nothing and goodness. Not much in the way of headline news occurred in our parts of town, but we did spend Friday night with new and good friends for some wine and dine (much more wine that dine). Then Saturday - gym, chopped off my hair, went to a few local thrift stores (I'll try to post some pics tonight), lounged around watching bad TV, did a few hours of work and finished off the night watching Volver. Good movie. Kept me entertained.

Yesterday was filled with hours of working on a project for which I thought the deadline was today, but was pleasantly surprised to learn I don't have to turn it in until tomorrow.

Oh g-d - word in. Check out CNN about shooting at Virginia Tech. At least 22 dead, 17 injured.

Hi Peeps. With AV gone for the next two days and JC out sick, I'm all here by my lonesome holding down the fort. My boss just got word that yet another attorney is leaving the firm. Not because he does't like it, but because of his wife's job. So, this really opens up a can of worms as to the future of the firm. Anyhow, that's all boring business stuff, so on to more cuteness.

I wanted to introduce you to the newest member of our Charlottesville family. Meet Beans:

Beans is N's dog from home and lives up in Reston, VA. However, VB and JB went across the pond to England to celebrate the marriage of VB's son T, so we get to love and pet and snuggle and walk and admire Beans for the next two weeks.

This picture is photographic evidence of Beans' nightly ritual of arranging her blankets right before she plops down to sleep for the night. What's even sillier is that she spends all this time arranging her blankets (yes, she needs two - so high maintenance) and then she usually manages to settle only one-third of her body on one of the blankets. Sometimes she even fluffs a pillow for herself. I truly deeply madly love having her with us. She makes our home feel so cozy. There's something to be said of the feeling you get when you walk through the door at the end of the day and someone's there waiting for you. Welcome to our home Beans!

Favorite Color Swap Pal 2

I want to give a shout out to Kerin, my favorite color swap pal, who sent me such wonderful presents. Here is some of the funky yarn she sent me, for which I plan on making a drop stitch scarf. I think it will block pretty nicely, and a drop stitch pattern just seems to be the perfect pattern for this yarn.Kerin also made this fantastic journal. I've already pounced on her for a tutorial, cause I'm all intimidated by the wood and screws and hand drawn designs. No tutorial to be had, but I feel lucky enough just being gifted with such a pretty thing. I haven't written anything in it, and am thinking I may put photos in it instead. Not sure yet...
To read more about Kerin, check her out here. This was a fun swap. Not only did I enjoy receiving such pretty things, but I also enjoyed the giving portion of the swap.

This past weekend with MMG was pleasant. Ran a few errands, relaxed A LOT, and spent some time helping MMG get stuff in order. She is quite a busy real estate agent, always running this way and that way showing houses, listing houses, running from houses, etc.

I've become quite a gym junkie lately. Even made JC sign up for the gym, even though it was like pulling teeth. She finally fell under my spell and now we have been going to the gym every day (except for days we are exploring other parts of the country - such as home or boyfriend's home). While the benefit of toning is something to be treasured, I am most interested in increasing my energy level. With two jobs, and all the other responsibilities I hold, I am completely drained at the end of the day and just want to the lie on the couch scratching my belly when I get home from work. So I'm hoping that going to the gym will give me the energy to do the other things I love to do - like work in my craft room making my cards, painting, knitting, working on the garden, cleaning up the house (which is a shit hole right now), painting the walls in the house and other things. Also, for the next few months, I will be going this way and that - Passover in Plainview, JV and NL's wedding, my cousin's wedding in Chi-town, etc. So it's uber important that I do stuff at night during the week, or I will become a crabby bitch, someone no one wants to encounter.

Yesterday, one of the associates in the firm was offered a position elsewhere, and will be leaving in a month. Supposedly this change will generate a ton of work for me and JC, but we haven't felt the brunt of it yet. I know that a lot of her cases will be passed along to one of the managing partners, for whom I work directly, which translates into more work for me. But, I'm ready for it, kinda excited to learn more and get more involved.
Boy do we look tired. Here is JC and I with our shawls cause it's a freakin' freezer in here. And sometimes we like to pretend we are nuns.