3-21-10

The garden is speaking in a language I barely understand. One word I do comprehend, however, is onion grass. Dan and I spent a couple hours digging and pulling onion grass everywhere today. I even got a huge blister on my hand to show for it. The plant at the bottom- is that trillium? I'm anxious to see it flower.

OK, here's the secret. Everything looks really copacetic here on Chrissy's Photo-a Day. But I'm actually in a pretty bad funk right now. I'm not sure what it is- I've tried dissecting it, but am coming up with just a bunch of spilled guts. Hopefully my trip this week will help me with some things. Tomorrow I leave for Philadelphia for a conference then it's onto Milwaukee for a wedding and family get together. I get to see Igor,Mooniebutt and Babybutt, my old advisor, and lots of in-laws. Still have to pack for this adventure, but hopefully I will have the energy to do so before my Monday afternoon departure.

3-20-10

First day of spring. Dan and I took Frisbee on a hike up a very high "hill" to an old Indian Fort. This was about 40 minutes southeast from Lexington near Berea. The land is actually owned by Berea College. This hike reminded me of why I love Kentucky- the people. Every single person we passed on the hike was friendly- not only saying "hello" but chatting with us. It was just so strikingly different from what a hike up the Monticello trail would have been. Anyway, it was beautiful and hard work and really invigorating. Welcome spring!

3-19-10

We had our supper group over for dinner tonight- and set the tables for 12. We had a really nice time- the living room was crowded when everyone was in there, but dining worked out great. We had chicken and sausage gumbo over rice, salad with feta, tomato and pepitos, and homemade bread. Dessert was vanilla ice cream with toasted almonds and pecans and homemade fudge sauce. Mmmmm... leftovers!

3-18-10

We set this up today- moved it from the den where it was doing no good. If you knew me in my life back in Virginia, you will know that this lamp is a familiar welcome for me as I enter my house.

I tell you, setting up this table and lamp in the foyer, keeping the light on 24/7, makes this place so much more like "home" (wherever that is.) A state of mind, I guess. All starting with a lamp in a foyer... and a welcoming chicken.
"Feels like home to me
Feels like home to me
Feels like I'm on the way back
Where I come from.
Feels like home to me
Feels like home to me
Feels like I'm on the way back
Where I belong." ~Randy Newman

3-17-10

It's supposed to be my spring break but it's been no fun at all. My to-do list is overwhelming and that sets me back in itself. I've been working hard getting student teacher observations done since I'm going away next week, and they are really time consuming. I'm just not in a great frame of mind right now. Two good things today- Dan made some beautiful bread, and we have plans to go out to dinner with some friends. But I'm dragging.

3-15-10

Worked in the yard all morning and wore myself out. Worked at the computer all afternoon trying to organized my to-do list and accomplish things. Wore myself out. Dan took me out to dinner, I went grocery shopping while he walked home for exercise, picked up a movie from the Red Box, and got home worn out. We watched Precious, emotionally wearing. Tired. Got ready for bed. Looked in the mirror and noticed for the first time how very very wrinkly my face is getting. I'm losing weight and I guess that brings out the wrinkles.

I think I like the wrinkles. I really think I do. Two self portraits with a macro lens.

3-14-10

Pi day. I got out all my papers from off the top of James and organized them into three piles: trash, take-to-work, and keep-at-home. It felt good, but I still feel disorganized like there's pieces of me just all over the place and I can't pin them down. Can't put my finger on them. Can't just be in one place.

3-13-10

We went antiquing today to try and find a piece of furniture for our foyer. We must have seen every piece of old furniture in Kentucky. I took pictures, we came home, I roughly photoshopped them into the foyer and, well, we still don't have a light colored, shaker-style, Thorn-style, cherry piece for our stained glass lamp to rest upon. Perhaps the right thing will just jump out at us one day.

3-11-10

Seems as if spring is here. The crocuses are finally blooming in the yard.
Today I did an observation at a school.
For dinner, Dan and I went to Good Foods and had yummy sandwiches and picked up some groceries while my tire was in the shop being fixed. Fixed tire!

3-10-10

I have an observation this afternoon so I pulled into the high school parking lot and ran over a soda can in the parking space. No big deal. It went "crunch."

Came back to the car after the observation and guess what? My tire was flat. Called Dan and he said, "You always pride yourself on doing masculine things. You can take care of this, it's not that hard." So I dragged out the spare tire and the tools and jacked up the car, had to jump on the lug wrench to get the lug nuts to budge, and successfully put on the little spare.

OK, now I have a little spare on my car and I need to be at another school at 8:30 tomorrow morning. Do I take Squirt's car and make him take the bus? I think so. It's just not safe driving around without a spare, with this little puny tire on. Meanwhile, we examined the flat tire when I got home and we found a nail and a staple and a piece of metal (not aluminum) stuck in the tire. So perhaps it was a slow leak brought to my attention because I was concerned about that soda can. Better to change a tire in a parking lot during the daytime than by the side of the road at night!

3-8-10

Aza and I spent a lovely day together. First we went shopping for "teacher clothes" at Ann Taylor Loft. Then we had lunch at Panera Bread. We ran some mundane errands THEN we went and had pedicures and manicures! Can you tell which foot is Aza's and which is mine?

I spent the evening grading papers while Aza and Squirt played cards with their Dad. Oh, good times. Good times.

3-7-10

A productive day for Chrissy's Kids. Here is Squirt living up to his name- one he received at the age of two from antics with a hose- washing the car on this warm almost-spring day.

Aza was productive inside painting the kitchen. She is simply amazing. Pictures of the completed kitchen and dining room to follow.

Dan was productive cheering on the Kentucky Wildcats to a win. Meanwhile, I was less than productive. Spent the first half of the day in bed with a headache and very achy belly. Spent the afternoon grading papers. Tonight we will watch the Oscars, I'm sure. I hope Avatar wins all sorts of awards!

3-6-10

Aza arrived yesterday. How wonderful to have her here! Last night we watched The Fellowship of the Ring on DVD, all four of us snuggled up on the couch under blankets together. Today while I was grading papers, Aza painted the dining room. Yep- she's that good. It looks beautiful. Dan and I went out to dinner tonight with Miss March and her husband Mr. March, and a good time was had by all. Tomorrow I hope Aza paints the kitchen while I grade papers again and Dan goes to the basketball game with Mr. March.

3-3-10

For lack of a photo today I give you a screenshot of my latest
addiction- playing scrabble on my iPhone with my friend DrFisher who,
for once, is losing. We shall see how the game goes. She usually
whoops my butt in the end.

Today I joined a gym. Nothing else is working.

3-2-10

Airports all day. I have a love/hate relationship with Detroit. I love
the water fountain and wish I had my Nikon with me to capture some
cool shots of it. However, I HATE the psychedelic tunnel. Got home
with plenty of time to rest up before Lost.

3-1-10

We left Steamboat this morning for Denver. Jes drove. We went shopping
downtown then went to see Avatar in 3D at an Imax theatre. It was
definitely as amazing as everyone alluded. Dinner at a BBQ restaurant
then a nite in hotel. Tomorrow Dan and I fly home while Jes returns
to Steamboat.

2-28-10

Last day of February. Dan and I spent the afternoon walking around downtown, then after lunch Jes drove in the snow to Strawberry Hot Springs.

We soaked for a couple hours as the snow was coming down and the steam from the hot water was rising up. It was SO relaxing, and surprisingly easy to get out into 30 degree air with a wet swimsuit and towel dry.

2-27-10

A bridge over Yampa River...

Above, the downtown of Steamboat Springs. Below, Jes in front of her house.

Woke up with a lingering headache again. Directly above is the view out of Jes's bedroom window where we are sleeping. My sweet husband walked into town and came back with a latte for me- warm and succulent. Sure to help take the edge off this ache de tete. This afternoon Jes and I walked downtown where we saw the original hot springs in town off the Yampa River. Tonight we are going to see Jes's roommate in a dance recital thing.

2-26-10

Rough night of non-sleep, light came in the window early- and bright- from all the snow reflecting it outside. Above is the view from Jes's front door. Snow up to the railing. Below is a view of her back yard- a snow filled container surrounding by the tops of a fence.

The icecycles coming off the roof of her house are monumental. And they break off during the day with a crash while one is napping.

This is where I hung out all day recovering from my epic voyage yesterday. Dan and Jes went skiing while I curled up on the couch trying to stay warm with a cat on my lap and a wood stove blazing, reading Discover magazine. I could have taken a walk into town but recovering from an epic voyage also meant tending to a very bad headache.

Once the sun went down, and Dan was home, we walked to where Jes works and got a grande tour. She is doing some fun stuff with these kids. They are lucky to have her. Ironically she works with a young woman who 1)also went to UVA 2)lived in the same dorm as Jes three doors down 3) double majored in the same exact fields 4)four years before Jess. Wild. Also, her roommate is her best friend from the 4th grade who also made her way to Colorado from Virginia after college.

We went to dinner at the Cottonwood Grill or Inn or something like that and had a wonderful time. I wish so much that Jes could be part of our lives on a more regular basis. It sucks having her so far away.

2-25-10

Today was one of those traveling days from hell. I left Lexington around 7am this morning and by the time I got to Jess's house in Steamboat Springs, Colorado 20 hours later I probably could have been in New Zealand. Traveling in the wintertime is just so unpredictable. I should have known that a connection in Detroit was a baaaad idea. I'm thankful I made it at last, but am not looking forward to the return trip on Tuesday. Here are the key highlights of the day as I wished I'd flown US Air instead of using my frequent flyer points on Delta:
*waking up to see snow. again. in Kentucky....
*sitting on the runway for an hour waiting to be de-iced in Lexington
*landing in Detroit just as my flight to Denver was taking off without me
*having to scan my boarding pass for an alternate plan and seeing that the alternate plan meant a trip to Atlanta
*flying first class from Detroit to Atlanta and getting served treats from a basket
*having to pay $50 for an earlier flight from Atlanta to Denver
*missing every phone call to and from Dan while he was traveling from Lexington to Denver via Charlotte on a USAir free ticket.
*Landing in Denver then RUNNING through the airport to try and catch the 3pm shuttle to Steamboat and missing it
*Sitting in a corridor near an electric outlet to charge my iPhone in Denver for 3 hours (see photo above)
*crammed on a bus with 10 passengers on what should have been a 3 hour trip to Steamboat, but was a 5.5 hour trip through a snowstorm
*pulling up to my daughter's house and seeing her wave at me through the window and my husband come out to greet me. Priceless.