July 2009 - December 2009

I haven't posted in a while. Believe it or not, we have been busy. But, really, who isn't. So in a homage to busy people, here is the last 5 months in photos:


Early August we bid so long to Nina who has headed off to get a PhD at UC Davis.

In Late August we had the MN Wedding Reception. Family, friends, pork, and a HUGE bonfire = perfect night on the farm!
Here is the new and improved Jindrich Clan at our Rehearsal Dinner.

Then the real deal. Meet Mr. and Mrs. Baum. And our little family had a photo in front of the famous Daniel Johnston mural as a Christmas gift for little Lucy!

Getting in the "Holiday Spirit"

We have been preparing the house for the big work Holiday Party that we are hosting this coming Friday at Pi Milton.

We have been getting some little things crossed off the "weekend-warrior list."

One chore I have been waiting to cross off since they day we moved in (over 16 months ago) is painting the front door. Zen rule says that red doors are welcoming.

And then I got to baking. We are going to be giving holiday cookies to everyone as they leave the party and we have a few neighbors who really like the gingerbread with maple frosting. (Pictured are shortbread trees with red rum and green vanilla frosting. Then there are gingerbread trees with maple cinnamon frosting. And there are also chocolate espresso logs. And then ISSB’s cookie of the month: triple chocolate – he went out with a bang.)

I even used my new Clay Coyote Saucepan as double boiler for the chocolate topping.

These are more like biscotti:
And I finally finished re-stitching all the stockings for Christmas in Minnesota. What do you think of my nephew's train?
And, then to top off a day in the kitchen, I used my Clay Coyote Chicken Baker to make ISSB and me a very tasty dinner. (In case you are wondering we used Firemans #4.)
Overall, a very productive weekend.

Birds all sing as if they knew....

On Thanksgiving, our first spent just the two of us, ISSB asked me to marry him and I said "of course." Friends and family have asked to see a photo of the ring and this is the best we can do. So you are just going to have to wait to see us in person!!!

Sarge is thrilled, our families are ecstatic and we are happy!

Pi Milton is going red, white and blue!

We spent the day painting the shed. I am so excited because it looks amazing. Here is the old shed:

And now the new blue shed! The trim will be done next weekend and is the same color as the back wall of the dining room seen here. This blue is in the same paint family as the color we painted the den.
All the dust has done a number on my allergies, but it was worth it. :)

Yard Overhaul '08

You may recall, when we moved in we were much more concerned about the livability of the inside of the house - we were leaving the outside for later. Well, later has arrived.

About two months ago we have the tree removers in for a day. They took down 17 junk trees. Leaving only the peach, mountain laurel and the American berry bush out back. Here are some shots from the removal day:

The old backyard:
At one point I looked out the back window to see this:
The biggest tree they removed was in the middle of our deck.
This weekend we are clearing out more weeds, brush and leaves before the big freeze (ha). Tomorrow we are painting the shed and then next week we may (big may) tackle the house trim. I am so excited to put in a red door. Feng shui says a red door is welcoming. And since I hate the color, the purple door has been messing with my chi for the last 18 months.

More photos tomorrow.

IKE!

While the Texans run out to buy TP and milk ISSB and I stocked up on wine and beer. We are planning to spend the weekend inside, dry, and playing Gin.
ISSB also believes that since we got the yard SO prepared for the high winds - we will be spared entirely. Fingers crossed.

Jaws…nope, not the movie

Regular readers, family and friends will know that I have been waiting patiently to have jaw surgery. Well, it has taken almost a year. Funny how I called it “on the fast track” last August.

To make a long story short. The insurance company only approved the right side of my jaw for surgery not the left. Apparently this major provider thinks I have jaws. Well doctors agree, I do only have one and if you work on one side you ought to work on the other as well. So appeal after appeal, waiting on hold for hours, getting mixed messages from my surgical coordinator and the insurance…and finally the last Friday in April they approved both sides.

And now, after all that, I go under tomorrow.

I won’t be talking for awhile. I am going on a liquid diet at least the next few weeks and at the worst the next 3-4 months. We just bought a juicer and I have tried out all the different protein drinks (so far I like Boathouse the best over Naked and Odwalla). But the good news is that they won’t wire me shut, but I have to be extra careful.

So wish me luck, send good vibes, be extra nice to ISSB: my favorite nursemaid, and don’t call – send email.

PS: since I will be laid up I will have plenty of time to finish the "Postcards from our trip" series.

Clean house: art shots and working kitchen!

Both my mom and dad, for entirely different reasons, have been bugging me to see photos of the house.

Mom, because she hasn’t see it with all the art up, and Dad because he hasn’t see photos after we settled in to the new kitchen.

So here are some clean house photos from right before my b-day party.

This is the "shelf" I am pondering, what to put here, maybe nothing.

Me, reaching for the stars.

21 bags!!!

Look what we did this weekend! And, really we could have filled 40 bags.

Merry Christmas from Texas!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Here it comes!
How lovely are the branches!!!! Big thank you to mom and Aunt Susan for sending me the ornaments. I love it. (PS: 16 lbs of ornaments fills a 6' tree!)
You know you're in a Red Sox house when this is ornament chosen as the center focal point for the tree.
The Baums all land tomorrow! And, I am officially on vacation until 2008! Woohoo!

A pot to piss in: Part 2

I wanted to put this photo up, even though we aren't done yet. I am off to San Francisco for the next 5 days, then Dallas after that. So ISSB is on his own to figure out how this faucet/drain hook-up thing works.

We decided to clean up and call it quits tonight since I still have to pack and we could use some dinner.

Here is the bathroom, it is almost done. Need to hook up water, put in our most beautiful towels, pick up a nice bath rug, hang the toilet paper holder, replace the lights and mirror and put the baskets back on the shelf. Piece of cake. ISSB will do the first part and I will do the rest when I get back from my work tour.

At least at 3:30 in the morning when I want to use the bathroom I don't have to walk across to the neighbor's (like last night)!

PS: ISSB says it feels bigger in there - the jury is still out for me. :)

A pot to piss in

This weekend we tackled the bathroom. I have been waiting for this moment for MONTHS. The old bathroom wasn't that great or that bad when we moved in, but once we used the bathroom as the staging area for all the tools, paint, and grim from all of our other projects, it was really horrible.

The bathroom then:
Putting down the hardy back.
The tiles by the door.
The little natural stones go all the way around and then the big ones are in the middle.
We are in process of putting in the toilet and sink as I type (just letting the paint dry).

Almost all the credit fro the bathroom goes to Catlin who did all the tile work. And ISSB who aided and assisted him.

The showdown at Pi Milton

Every year Ian and I manage a fantasy football team together. The Muckracker league is a bunch of old Center For Public Integrity folks squaring off each week from all over the country. Normally, I am the team owner (I put up the money and make all the final calls) and he is the team manager (he keeps up with the player news and make key decisions).

Well, this year we also both go invited to play in a free league with some friends. Except, he has a team and I have a team. And this week we play eachother.....ut-oh.

Here is his lineup:

the kill dash nines
QB Ben Roethlisberger
WR Terrell Owens
WR Kevin Curtis
RB Joseph Addai
RB Laurence Maroney
TE Heath Miller
W/T Chris Chambers
W/R Marshawn Lynch
K Shayne Graham
DEF Dallas

And here is my team and mascot:

The Personal Fowls

QB Brett Favre
WR Steve Smith
WR Joey Galloway
RB Frank Gore
RB DeShaun Foster
TE Tony Gonzalez
W/T Roy Williams
W/R Cedric Benson
K Adam Vinatieri
DEF Houston

(PS: you know we both really want to win when we are both starting our least favorite QBs in the NFL just because they get high points. )

Day Eight: Dad's gone

Dad is gone, which means we are mighty close to done. Non new pictures today. We will spend tomorrow polishing and sealing the granite. And we will start the massive project of cleaning up. It will be a lot easier since Dad took all his tools with him and did a dump run. We should have things in the cabinets by tomorrow too. Maybe not everything because I am insisting that we wash everything first - there is a gross coat of dust on everything - can't put dirty dishes away!

Tonight we are going to get the first good night of sleep in a week. It is a lot easier to sleep soundly when you aren't thinking about a million things to do the next day.

We are on target to get everything cleaned and all the guest linens washed in preparation for Micah and Erica's arrival on Thursday. Yes, folks, it is that time again ACL!

Day Seven: More progress

Today dad and ISSB spent the day bonding and working on the kitchen. First they went on a wild Texas goose chase around the Austin-area in search of the rubber granite sanders, they found them just north of Buda, TX at some off the beaten track backwards place call Moe Frieds. They think they even met Moe.

Then they spent the day getting some of the final details in to place.

So the good news is that (1) we have a working sink, (2) we have a working icemaker/water filter, (3) we have a working garbage disposal, (4) we have a working dishwasher, and (5) we have a working stove -- well half of one, the other side is on backorder.

The all the granite is glued down (yes, we are high again). And the seams are close to perfect.

Tomorrow we have to cut the back splashes, finish rounding the edges of the peninsula and island, polish the whole thing and then seal it. Do a little more detail work, crown molding, trim, etc and then dad will begin the 36 hour drive back to Portland. ISSB and I will begin the 36 hour cleaning spree that I have planned (seriously, there is dust EVERYWHERE!!!).

And once we get everything in I will do a before and after, side-by side comparison of the new look and feel of the Pi-Milton house.

For today, here are the shots:

From Alcove:
from living room:
From dining room:
New lighting:
More tomorrow!!!