Perfect days should be savored
Mood:  hungry

Yesterday was absolutely perfect. Well except for the fact that I woke up with another wine headache. But I am in much better shape than Lennie who drank wine then switched to beer later in the night.

 

We woke up Wednesday and had coffee and breakfast out on the patio sitting at my new patio table and chairs. The weather was perfect. It was cool with a slight breeze. We sat there a little longer than I would have wanted but it was just so nice we hated to get up. Lennie drove back to his place to change clothes and I packed a lunch and we headed up to Eno River State Park for the day. I had never been there before but my boss raved about it so we decided to give it a try.

 

We got there around noon and grabbed a picnic table and ate our sandwiches and fruit then glanced at the trail map for a hike we could do. We opted for the Coal Mountain Trail which was about 4 miles long. It was a beautiful hike. And we had most of the trail to ourselves. I even managed to spot a Scarlett Tanager (It’s a bright red bird) which was a thrill for me because I had never seen one in the wild. I got some pictures and when I have a chance I will upload them.

 

Once we finished the hike we head home so I could get started making dinner. I was so excited to use my new cedar planks. We had a minor mishap with the first one. It went up in flames and couldn’t be saved so I went in and soaked another one. Thank God the salmon wasn’t on it.  I sent Lennie outside with the second plank to keep an eye on it. Which I am sure he would have preferred to watch Eddie Izzard instead. Dinner was fantastic. The sauce I made for the salmon was very tasty. Lennie stated at one point that he would have paid for a meal like that. I just wish I knew that before I served him. I could have made a few bucks. LOL After dinner we spotted my neighbor Dave and Lennie invited him down to enjoy the new patio and to have some pie. We sat there eating pie and drinking wine and just chatting up a storm. It was such a nice night. My other neighbors were all setting off fireworks. At one point it sounded like my complex was being invaded. It was coming from all sides. Every once in awhile one of the fireworks would go high enough for us to see them.

 

So all in all it was a great day. I need days like that just to recharge. I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable 4^th.

Weekend Update
Mood:  a-ok

It was a fairly quiet weekend which is just what I needed. I got up Saturday and cleaned the house never once getting out of my pj’s. Well that was until Lennie showed up to take me out to dinner. I had actually already eaten and wasn’t really in the mood to leave the house because it meant I had to put real clothes on. Lennie was suppose to help a friend with his AC. I assumed that they would hang out when they got done because the friend’s wife is in Ireland for a couple of weeks. So I decided I would try to finish off the party leftovers and watch a movie. Lennie showed up stating that his friend wasn’t ready for his help so they were going to wait till Sunday. He was hungry and wanted to go eat at this place called Ted's Montana Grill. This is not one of my favorite places to eat. The food can sometimes be very bland. I figured I would just get an appetizer. Well they only have 4 appetizers and none of them were appealing so I got soup and salad instead. The salad consisted of lettuce, tomatoes, and croutons. That’s it…no other veggies. The soup was New England clam chowder and was so thick that my spoon, when inserted in the center, stood straight up. It also has absolutely no taste.

 

Sunday morning we got up and Lennie headed over to his friend’s house. I finished up my laundry and then headed over to Lowes. I needed to get some planters for the jasmine I got at the housewarming. I also managed to pick up two more plants to try to hide the cord from the fountain. On the way home one of the plants fell over sending soil all over the car. So I spent most of the afternoon cleaning it up. Who knew so much dirt could come from such a little plant.  When I was finished I grabbed a shower, a glass of wine, and some candles and sat outside on the patio enjoying my new plants, fountain, and wireless speaker. At 9PM I went in to watch my new favorite show, Supernatural. I have just recently started watching it. I don’t know why I never gave this show a chance before. It is about these two hunky guys who hunt demons and ghosts. What could be better that that? Lennie said that he is almost positive that it isn’t the show’s content that I like but rather actor Jensen Ackles. *sighs blissfully* Maybe he is right.

 

The only downside of the weekend was the fact that Aunt Flo decided to make an appearance. I should have known…it was a full moon after all. So this morning I woke up extremely bloated, crampy, and tired. All I want to do is curl in my bed with Fenwick and sleep for a week.

 

Still trying to decide what to do for the 4^th. Hiking was mentioned as well as working on Lennie’s house. He is trying to get it ready to put on the market. Not really looking forward to doing manual labor on my day off so I am hoping to convince him to do something fun. . I think I have decided on the dinner menu though. How does cedar plank salmon with a Dijon, lemon, dill sauce, steamed green beans, roasted red potatoes and my famous Red, white and blueberry pie sound?

Patio Furniture and Bidding wars
Mood:  hungry

I am starting to get frustrated with my search to find decent, inexpensive patio furniture. The stores are still charging $200 to $1000 for items that will spend their existence outside in the elements. I just refuse to pay that much. Harris Teeter has a set on sale for $199 with your MVP card but it isn’t really what I want. Maybe Lennie and I can ride over to take a look at it tonight.

 

I finally got rid of the extra bed that Overstock sent me. I posted an ad on Graig’s list on Monday and the gentleman came over to pick it up last night. I had a little bit of a bidding war going on between the gentleman and this horrible aggressive woman. Even though the woman offered me more, I ended up letting it go for $140 to the gentleman. My ad was very detailed and included all the measurements and a picture of the bed. The woman kept emailing me asking me questions about the bed that was already listed in the ad. At one point she asked me to measure he bed diagonally. WTF! I finally told her that the bed was spoken for and pending pickup but she still kept asking questions. She tried to get me to lower my price and finally when I got through to her that I was giving it to someone else she kept upping her price. She told me that she could come and get it RIGHT NOW! I told her I work and would not be home until 5PM. She just kept saying, “I can take it off your hands right now. You don’t need to wait till tonight.*Sigh* I finally just ignored her and went with my first choice. The gentleman emailed me this morning thanking me and told me how much his wife loved the bed. I am glad they will enjoy it.

 

This will be a quiet weekend for me. I am going to do some yard work if the rain holds off as well as try to make a dent in my laundry. Lennie will be helping out a friend Saturday and possibly Sunday. I don’t know if we will see each other in the evenings. It will just be so nice to have a weekend where I don’t have to build or paint something.

 

I hope everyone had a great weekend.

I have "Wine Head"...someone pass the advil...PLEASE!
Mood:  caffeinated
I am feeling like CRAP today. UGH!

I got off work yesterday and ran over to the mall. My plan was to hit Charlotte Russe and if they didn’t have anything I would wander over to NY& Company then on my way out of the mall I would check out Dillard’s. Charlotte Russe always has some cute stuff so I was pretty sure I could find something. I found 2 dresses and a top and ran into the dressing room to try them on. I didn’t like either dress but I loved the top so I bought it. Headed over to NY&C and they had nothing. So I stuck to my plan and hit Dillard’s. They had some really cute dresses but I refused to pay $60. So in the end I only got a top. A quick call to Lennie on the way out of the mall assured me that it would be okay to wear pants. The plan now was to wear my sexy black pants and my new top which is a little strapless number that is white with black roses.

I ran home, said a quick hello to the animals, called the recycling center to inform them that their guy skipped my recycling bin AGAIN, and stepped into the tub for a quick shower. Annie was to pick Lennie up at 6 and then they would head to my place. So that meant I had till 6:20 to get ready. I was making good time. Make-up on…hair done…and about to slip into my clothes when the doorbell rang. F***! I glanced at the clock and it read 6:15 PM. This can’t be Annie and Lennie. I threw on some clothes and ran to the door. I opened it up and there stood Lennie (I need to get him a key) with a not so enthused look on his face. He said that Annie was still at the pub and that her daughter Roxanne was supposed to pick him up. He waited but she never showed so he came on over to my place. We were hoping that Annie would drive so that we could drink but now Lennie would have to be DD. He was not happy.

We drove over to Andy’s (woman cooking the dinner). She just moved into to a really nice apartment complex. It has a pool, weight room, garages you can rent for your car, and a movie theater. Andy informed me that she had reserved the theater so that we could watch a movie. She brought out appetizers and Champaign while we waited for the other to arrived. Finally Scott and Roxanne showed up but still no Annie. We decided to eat dinner without her. Dinner was great! It was salmon over rice served with a curry pineapple sauce and fresh baby carrots. We must have gone through 3 bottles of wine. After dessert Annie finally showed up. She works WAY too hard at the pub. I sat there and chatted with her while she scarfed down some food. Then we all headed over to the theater.

The movie for the night was called Acid Nation (I think). It is a Scottish film and even through they are speaking English, their accents were so strong that the whole movie was subtitled. It was totally bizarre. I think Lennie and Scot were worried that my view of Scotland was now tainted. When the movie ended I glanced at my watch 11:30PM. WAY past my bedtime. We headed home and I immediately crashed.

I woke up this morning feeling like someone took dump on my brain. Why did I drink all that wine? I could really go for something greasy right now. I may have to make a Bojangles run.

Tonight should be quiet. I have a guy coming over to buy that spare bed that has been taking up space in the house. Then I am going to run to Lowes to get pots for the jasmine and maybe a palm plant of some kind. Just looking forward to a night at home.

Why aren't jeans considered fancy dinner attire?
Mood:  don't ask
Lennie and I have been invited to a dinner party tonight. I was excited about going because the woman cooking the food is a gourmet chef. She owned a Restaurant in SC and worked as a chef on cruise ships and private yachts. The excitement dwindled last night when I got a call from my old boss at the pub. The message on my voicemail said that the dinner was going to be dressy. UGH! At the moment I don’t own a dress. Okay that is a lie. I have my Marine Corps Ball and my Renaissance dress but don’t think either of those would be appropriate. So now after work I have to run and buy a dress. DOUBLE UGH!!!!

It is not that I am opposed to being “girly”. It is just that my legs are usually riddled with bruises, cuts from briars that I have to walk through at work, mosquito and tick bites. Not to mention that I am a pasty white girl who's legs are so white that I am sure the glare could guide Santa’s sleigh.

Why can't fancy dinner party attire consist of blue jeans and a nice top? Now I will have 30 minutes to get to the mall, find a dress, and get home in time to get ready to go to dinner. If Lennie was driving I wouldn’t be so stressed because Lennie is ALWAYS late so I know I would have a few extra minutes to get ready. But Annie has offered to drive so time will be tight. Maybe I can leave work a little early tonight.

At least I shaved my legs this morning.

What the hell is a Pergola?
I heard the question a lot when I talked to people about my plans for my patio.
A pergola is a garden feature forming a shaded walk or passageway of pillars that support cross beams and a sturdy open lattice, upon which woody vines are trained. It may also be part of a building, as protection for an open terrace. The origin of the word is the Late Latin pergula, referring to a projecting eave.
So my Pergola is finally finished after a week of nail biting and near arguments. On our first attempt we found out that the concrete below the corner posts was only about 2 inches thick in some spots. Apparently the previous owners had laid down cinder block and then just pour concrete over the top of it. So there were open spaces underneath the concrete. It was hard to get the posts secure because there wasn’t much for the lag bolts to connect to. After 2 hours we finally secured the posts but it was still a little shaky so we had to put up braces to keep the whole thing from falling over in the middle of the night.

On the second night Lennie decided to use bolts instead of the wood screws the plans called for. While drilling the holes for the bolts, he leaned too much on part of the pergola we already had up. In doing this he pushed the whole structure over to about a 45 degree angle. We couldn’t get it to stand back up again so we had to take down everything we had just put up. We were now back to the beginning with just the 4 corner posts standing. Lennie saw how upset and stressed I was because I feared it wouldn’t be done in time for the house warming. So he showed up at 3PM the next afternoon and worked till 10PM to get the structure up. I spent the rest of the week staining it. All we have left to do is paint the lattices that go on top and plant the vines that will eventually cover the lattice. We went about $50 over budget but I love the final product.

Here is a before shot of what the patio looked like when I bought the house.

Here is what it looks like now.

I have some more decorating to do. I need to find a table and chairs and get some plants to hide the cord from the fountain. I purchased so cool oil lanterns on Sunday. I can’t wait to fully enjoy it.

The House Has Been Warmed
Mood:  lazy
I know I have been MIA for awhile and I apologize for that. Things here have been so busy I haven’t had much “me” time. First there was getting the pergola built before the housewarming. It didn’t go well at first but it is up and looking great. Then I got word that I would now be responsible for planning out next year’s budget. I must have had 3 mental breakdowns the last two weeks. This budget preparation is a HUGE deal and they gave it to the lowest paid employee at the project….me. The manager from another lake came to my party on Saturday and said that he was working on his budge. WTF!!! Why isn’t my boss doing the budget? Why has it been given to me? The other manager agreed that I shouldn’t have gotten the brunt up the work. That I should have just pulled the contract and utilities amount and given it to my boss to stick in the budget. The other two Admin Rangers are in the same boat as me. It just isn’t fair and I plan on saying something at my evaluation. In between the budget and the house I also had Corps Day to plan and had 2 VIP visits to deal with. I just need a break.

Having 2 extra people in my house this morning (Mom and Lennie) that both drink coffee, I wasn’t able to have my normal 3 cups of coffee so my body is a little sluggish. Maybe I will make a run to Starbucks.

The party on Saturday was a great success. Out of the 23 people who RSVP’ed…19 showed up. The new patio was a hit. Lennie strung white lights on the pergola and it looked awesome when the sun went down. Mom bought me a fountain at Target. It was originally $99 but since it was a floor model and the last one they had they gave us 30% off. It was so nice to sit out under the light with soft music playing and the water from the fountain in the background.

The food was also a big hit. We had shrimp, meatballs, cheese and crackers, zippy olive dip, veggies and dip, sandwich rolls, mini quiches, mini cheesecakes, and miniature versions of my famous red, white and blueberry pie. There were very few leftovers. I did hide a couple mini pies in the fridge for Lennie who guarded the pies all night making sure that people only ate one. LOL

Mom left this morning. She was such a big help. I don’t think I could have gotten it all together in time without her. I think she enjoys the new patio. We sat outside every morning drinking coffee and listening to the birds and the fountain. I just need to find a table and chairs to stick out there and some more plants and it will be great. My real estate agent brought me 2 jasmine plants and I am anxious to get them into pots. They will grow up and hopefully cover the pergola and fill the air with that wonderful scent next spring.

I will take me awhile to get my house back in order and to put away all the stuff Mom and I bought this weekend. I also need to catch up on some much needed rest. I hope to get some pictures uploaded tomorrow so keep an eye out for them.

The weekends are never long enough
Mood:  hungry
I don’t think I have fully recovered yet from the weekend. I am sore and a bit crabby today.

Friday night Lennie was going to come over and acid wash the patio but he didn’t show up till 8PM and it was getting too dark to do anything so we went out in search of some food instead. Being a new homeowner I am getting a bunch of coupons and gift certificates from local businesses. I had gotten a coupon for a free meal at this new place that opened up behind Triangle Town Center called the Bakehouse Bistro. We tried it a couple weeks ago and although the service was a little poor the food was great so we decided to head back there for dinner. They have this man made pond there and the businesses surround it with plenty of outdoor seating and a stage at one end where they have live music. Friday night they had a jazz/blues band. We sat outside eating our skirt steak and just relaxed…enjoying a night away from working on the patio. Once the music stopped I could hear bullfrogs calling. Upon closer inspection I spotted 5 fairly large frogs in the pond. I also noticed a female mallard with 5 little chicks in the pond as well. The bad thing about the pond is that is surrounded by a concrete wall.

There is no way for the frogs or little ducks to get out. The little ducks were all huddled on the fountain platform getting wet from the fountain mist but I guess it beats trying to swim around for hours on end. Our waitress said that people have been feeding them and that they may call animal control to try to get them out. Poor little things.

Saturday Morning we got up and Lennie headed over to help his friend Todd fix the AC in his car. The plan was that he would work on the car then come back to acid wash the patio. Well the AC repair took longer than expected. It was almost 4 by the time he showed up. I read the instruction for the acid and it said we needed to wear rubber clothing. Well I don’t own any rubber clothing so we decided to nix the acid and just wash the patio off with some water and a broom. It got most of the dirt off. When we finished we got cleaned up and headed out for the Irish/Scottish Ex-Pat’s meeting and Kilt Night at Tir Na Nog. But first we had to stop by and pick up a friend’s camera from here brother who was hanging out at the Ale House. Of course we couldn’t just run in and grab the camera. Lennie made us stay for a drink. The only thing I had eaten all day was a bowl of oatmeal so the glass of wine I had went straight to my head. We finally arrived at the pub…an hour late… and sat down to chat with friends. They had free beer and appetizers so I was content. Lennie made his rounds and left me to chat with the girls. We finally got home about 1:30AM.

Sunday morning I got up and felt like someone had cut open my skull and took a dump on my brain. In other words….I felt like crap. I just can’t drink like I used too. I made us some breakfast and then drove Lennie downtown to pick up his truck. He went home and put some scruffy clothes on then cane to pick me up so that we could load up the cement mixer to take back over to Todd’s. I absolutely adore Todd and Maria. They are such a nice couple. Maria and I laugh that we were separated at birth because when we go out people think we are sisters. The plan was just to drop off the mixer and head to Home Depot to pick up some concrete stain. Well they had other plans for us. When we got in the house they put some lamb on the grill and we sat around and ate and chatted for a few hours. They have a really sweet Jack Russell Terrier named Dempsey and I spent a lot of the afternoon tossing the ball for him. Almost made me wish I had a dog…almost. At one point this Pitt Bull wondered into the yard. We were all panicked because Pit Bulls have a reputation and didn’t know if it was there to attack Dempsey. They sniffed each other for a few minutes and then started to play. I noticed the Pitt Bull had a collar on but when she finally allowed me to approach her I saw that it didn’t have any tags. She was very skittish and when you went to pet her she would cower and shake. I am pretty sure this comes from being beaten. She also had an injured hip and you could tell it hurt for her to sit down. She didn’t seem to have a desire to go home and spent the whole afternoon hanging out with Dempsey. We finally left about 4PM and headed over to get the stain for the patio. Both of us were stuffed and tired but we were determined to get this patio done. Of course nothing ever goes according to our plan but finally at 8:30PM we had the paint down. It looks really nice. I love the color. Lennie wants to put another coat down but I fear it will make it too dark and I like the way it looks now. Tonight, as long as the rain holds off, I am going to get the edging and soil for the flower beds as well as the sealant for the patio. Lennie is going to drill the holes for the support beams for the Pergola. Hopefully everything will come together before the house warming. *keeps fingers crossed*

There is this one item that I want to get but I just can’t decide if I want to spend the money. Todd and Maria have this really cool wireless speaker that they got at Brookstone. It is $150 but it would be so cool to have it out on the patio the night of the party. *sigh* I just can’t decided.

Letting go is hard to do
Mood:  happy
Well the little bird has flown away.

After a weekend of constant feeding and care he had put on some weight and his feathers had come in nicely. I took him to Dr. Mark yesterday and he said other than the broken rear toe on his left foot he seemed to be doing well. He gave me some exercises to do with him to see if maybe I could get him to fly. We practiced last night in the backyard but the little bird didn't seem to really want to go anywhere.

This morning after his 10 o'clock feeding he was very active so I took him out into the woods to practice some more. He finally flew up into a tree and refused to come back. A very good sign. I was worried that maybe he was starting to imprint. He still wasn't eating on his own so hopefully he can figure that out. I released him in the general area the woman had picked him up from so hopefully his mom can find him.

Good Luck Little Guy!!!!

I just want to remind everyone out there that this is the time of year for fledglings. They are anxious to try out their new features, but just like when we learned to walk, they may stumble. They are not in need of rescuing. The mother will continue to look after them. If you do see one on the road side try to chase him back in the trees. It is important that they remain in the wild. Their mothers teach them important skills they will need to survive. Even though I can hand raise baby birds I can't teach them these skills.

Remember that nature has a way of taking care of itself. I know it is hard to watching them struggle but it is important for their development.

Some of you have asked me about how to attract birds to your backyard. The answers are simple and cheap.

You can buy an inexpensive feeder at Walmart or Target (If you are trying to attract a variety of birds avoid the long plastic tube feeders. These are mainly for finches). If you don't have a tree to hang it from you can purchase a Sheppard’s hook. Just make sure it is high enough to avoid cats on the prowl. You can purchase straight sunflowers seeds but I found that Kaytee's Nut and Berry Blend attracts them in droves and will also attract small woodpeckers.

A great craft for kids is to take pine cones or empty paper towel/toilet paper rolls and coat them in peanut butter. Some suggest the chucky but I think it works best with the creamy style. Once it is coated rolls the pine cone or roll in the bird seed of your choice. Once again I like using the nut and berry blend. You can also stick a few dried cranberries to it as well. Attach a sting to your creation and have the kids hang them in the tree. Buy a bird ID book and have the kids identify the birds they see. This is a great way to get them into nature.

Now for humming birds. You don’t need to buy the expensive nectar from the store. You can actually make it at home. It is 4 parts water to one part sugar. Boil the water and then add the sugar and stir till it dissolves. Once the mixture has cooled, pour it into the humming bird feeder. You can store the remaining mixture in the fridge. Make sure you clean the feeder and put fresh nectar in ever other week or so because it does have a tendency to mildew.

Humming birds also enjoy flowering plants. Some that I found not only attract humming birds but butterflies as well are; butterfly bush, purple cone flower, trumpet vine, and oregano.

Hope these ideas work for you. Good luck and happy birding!

I'm a Mom!
Mood:  not sure
Of a bird!

A visitor came into today and brought me a baby bird that she found while on the trail. I wish people would just leave baby birds alone. They are not orphans. I asked her if she could show me where she found it and she said she really couldn't remember. The poot thing doesn't have its flight feather yet so I am going to attempt to feed it for a few days until the feather develop a little more. I don't know what kind of bird it is but it has some BIG feet. It is spunky and is eating very well so it might have a good chance. So wish me luck.

Concrete tears us apart...Karaoke puts us back together.
Mood:  lazy
Last night Lennie showed up with a grinder for the patio. The thing weighed 235 lbs which made getting it out of the back of the truck an adventure. We got the grinder pads on and the water hooked up and Lennie went to town. I was not at all prepared to resurface the patio last night. Actually I was looking forward to a relaxing evening. No such luck. Things started out smoothly until he stopped to check his work. He got so into making the surface level and smooth that he forgot that in some places the concrete we put on was only ? inch thick so when he grinded he went clean through to the crappy concrete below. Then he went to brush off the water and grit and pushed it off the side of the patio that borders my neighbor’s yard. This sent red water and grit right down to my neighbor’s house. I ran down to try to stop it but he just kept pushing more water. STOP!!!!! He looked at me and said “What?” I yelled that this was not my yard and I am pretty sure my neighbors don’t want red concrete in their yard. So I had to then dig up and throw it back over onto my yard. I mentioned that had I know we were doing this tonight I would have gotten plastic to put down to catch all the crap. He then said under his breathe that he was about sick of this project. I stated it was fine if he wanted to quit. I would just call a professional in to fix it. Well I think that made things worse so now he is determined to do it himself. He now wants to buy 4 more bags of concrete and mix it up tonight and put it down. UGH!!!! I am so not looking forward to it. But I just keep telling myself that it will look nice in the end. I probably just should have stuck with laying tile. Is there an Idiot’s Guide to Laying Concrete? Because this idiot (I mean me not Lennie) needs something.

Once we finished we sat on a rock and just stared at the patio. Neither of us spoke much but you could feel the tension. We didn’t really have a fight. It was more that we were both fed up with the other at that point. He finally looked at me and asked if I wanted to go for a beer. I asked if he brought a change of clothes. He shook his head no and said he would go home. When he left I wasn’t sure if he was coming back. I got cleaned up anyway and sure enough I see Lennie pull up in the driveway.

We decided to go to Piper’s Tavern for dinner and a beer. When we got there the place was packed. This is an unusual site for a Wednesday night. We got a booth along the wall and I ordered crab cakes and he got wings and as we ate I saw some people setting up a bunch of equipment near the stage. When they finally put the TV monitor up I realized…OMG its Karaoke Night!!! I didn’t even thing this still existed. Our moods started to uplift with the thought of being able to snicker at the poor Idol wannabe’s. By the time they finally got everything set up we only stayed long enough to hear two people sing. It was getting late and I was early ranger today so I had to get some sleep.

We made a promise early in the relationship to never go to bed angry. We definitely were in a much better mood when we laid down last night and quickly fell asleep.

We will see how the final attempt at the patio goes tonight. I will keep you all informed.

The next project after this….Build a Pergola.

Even the best laid plans....
Mood:  hungry
What a weekend!!!

Saturday morning Lennie and I got up to start work on the patio. The plan was to put in the frame and then on Sunday pour the concrete. Lennie said the hardest part of the whole process would be the prep work. Man he was wrong. That was actually the easy part.

The concrete slab that was in place was in really bad shape. The top had large stones sticking our and the edges were all wavy and uneven. Lennie decided that we should build a permanent frame around the edge to even everything up before we started pouring the concrete. We had purchased 10 inch wide treated lumber which meant we would have to dig a trench around the existing structure. Lennie started digging and immediately had trouble. The soil was so compacted it was like trying to shovel through rock. He handed me the shovel and ran to Home Depot to pick up a pick ax. I proceeded to dig. I figured I would get as far as I could then he could get the rest with the ax. I managed to make a nice trench on one side and had started to other side before he finally returned. The pick ax made quick work of the rest. When we finished that part Lennie’s friend, Todd showed up with his cement mixer. He proceeded to help Lennie sure up the wood frame At this point I ran to Lowes to pick up some cement to fill in the large gaps where the concrete was uneven. I also stopped at the store to pick up stuff for lunch.

After feeding the boys it was time to head back outside to finish up the frame and patch the holes. I think Todd left about 5PM and Lennie and I worked till 7:30 but were finally able to get the frame completed. We came in and showered and I cooked us a steak and potato dinner. We were both so tired that even chewing food was a chore. LOL Lennie assured me that Sunday would go much smoother. I only wish that was true.

We got up Sunday and drove to Knightdale to pick up more concrete and the dye to make the concrete red. When we got back I realized I had left the bag of dye at the register and had to drive back to Knightdale to pick it up. Ugh!!! Lennie said he would start mixing the first batch and start pouring while I was gone. But when I got back he apparently had just gotten of the phone with his Dad and had started. It was almost 1PM at this point and it was starting to get very hot. So we headed out and started the first batch. We mixed 80bls at a time. Then we would pour it into a bucket and Lennie would start troweling it on. This process wasn’t nearly as easy as he and Todd said he would be. My theory is that we didn’t make the concrete wet enough in the mixer. We would start smoothing it out and it would get hard and we would spray water over it. I read the box of dye later and it stated that doing this could cause uneven color and white spots. Whoops! At 8 o’clock we finished up the concrete and cleaned everything up. I wish I had gotten a picture of what I looked like. I was covered from head to toe in cement dust, dirt, sweat, and red dye. I think Lennie was surprised I lasted as long as I did. We decided to get cleaned up and grab a bit to eat. Once again I was too tired to even chew but I managed to get down some cheese fries and Salmon.

Monday morning we got up to take a look at our handy work. Neither one of us were too happy with what we saw. It was all patchy and different shades of red. I knew there was a reason I don’t lay concrete for a living. I suck at it. LOL We started to discuss what we could do to fix it. My plan is to rent a sander and sand down all the rough patches. Then I can sponge on some color paint or glaze to even out the color a little. Then carve in the grout lines and paint them black. I think this will make the patio look like stone. Because stone isn’t always one color…right? Lennie wants to mix more concrete and pour it over the top. I am sooooo not looking forward to mixing more concrete. I think I got him to agree to try my idea first. We will see.

We both decided that Monday would be our day away from the patio. So we went downtown and had lunch at Napper Tandy’s and then headed over to see if there was an IMAX movie playing that we wanted to see. The only thing playing was Spiderman and neither of us have a desire to see it, so we drove up to the mall to see Shrek 3 instead which I thought wasn’t too bad, I know my sister and two other friends hate it but I laughed. There were come cheesy, campy moments that I think were funny and I loved Merlin who was played by Eric Idle. I found out from a friend of mine who used to work at DreamWorks that there is a TV Christmas Shrek called Shrek the Halls as well as Shrek 4. I really think they should just stop with 3 but hey it’s their money.

After the movie we came back to my place and Lennie got in his truck and went home. I think he had hit is “Rebecca” limit for the weekend. I wish I had been more enthusiastic yesterday but I was just feeling so lousy. I was sore from all the work and I think dehydrated as well. I am really surprises that we didn’t fight or argue once.

Last night I slipped into my PJ’s, order a pizza and watched a movie. I LOVE having Lennie there but it was nice to just relax on my own. I can’t wait till the patio is finished and I can start enjoying it. I will post pictures when it is complete.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

What a girl won't do for $100
Mood:  hungry
Yesterday I logged online to pay a couple of bills. When I pulled up my phone bill I was shocked…$140.00. I had signed up for this Triple Choice plan because the women at AT&T told me it would way cheaper than what I was currently paying. The deal was for phone, DSL, and Direct TV and was suppose to be around $99 a month. So when I saw the $140 I just about lost it. I knew it would be a little over $100 with taxes and fees but $140? This didn’t even include the $48 I just paid for Direct TV. I was also supposed to get $100 in cash for switching whish had never arrived. I picked up the phone to give AT&T a piece of my mind.

The first guy I talked to wasn’t very helpful. He said that by signing up for the plan I had switched from unlimited long distance to the 5 cents a minute deal. In looking at the bill my long distance charge this month was only $6.50. Still don’t see where the $140 came from. HE assured me that next month I should see a drop in price. He tried to tell me that the extra fess was to set me up on this service. I asked about my $100 cash back and he transferred me to the reward department. The woman there was not helpful at all and kept saying I was not eligible and that I was going to have to call customer service. I was just speaking to customer service and they transferred me to you. Frustrated I hung up on the rewards lady without even saying goodbye.

I called customer service back and this time got this woman who seemed to know what she was doing. She pulled up my bill and was shocked by how high it was. She decided to see what she could do to lower it. She was so nice. We discussed how we had both just bought new houses and she said she knew having a mortgage could leave you strapped for cash. An hour later not only had she lowered my bill but I am getting DirectTV free for 6 months including all the premium channels (HBO, Showtime…), I now have the fastest internet speed they offer, unlimited long distance with discounted international rates (I mentioned Lennie being from Scotland and so I guess she figured I needed to call overseas), and I am getting $180 cash back. She even tried to give me 4 free Razor phones but I already have a cell phone I like. She assures me that my bill next month should be about $80 without DirectTV and when the 6 months end my rate will be a little over $100. We will see when I get the next bill if what she says is true.

To add to the glorious deal day I was having I get home to find two checks in my mailbox. One for $120 from my mortgage company. Apparently I had money left in my escrow account for the month. The second check was for $75 from cancelling my renter’s insurance.

Accepting Body Guard Appilcations....
Mood:  chillin'
Ever since I moved into the house Lennie has been asking me when I was going to get a dog. Then he states I should look at getting a big dog like a Rottweiler or Doberman. My answer is always the same. Not anytime soon. The backyard needs to be fenced in first and I need to make more money than I currently make because, lets face it…my animals are spoiled and it costs a lot of money to keep them in the life they are accustomed to.

Last night this kid came to my door. I say “kid” because I swear he couldn’t have been more than 12. He was going door to door trying to sell home alarm systems. Which honestly has to be the worse job in the world. He must have been new to the whole sales thing because he was awful and lost me from the moment he uttered his first sentence. At one point he pulls out his cell phone to show me about what size the detectors would be and he sort of pushes me aside to enter my house to show me where they would connect. SOOOO NOT COOL! You never enter someone’s home unless you are given permission. This freaked me out a little. See on Monday night a guy came to my door selling magazines and he got a little pushy and a little odd. Asked a lot of personal questions that just made me feel uneasy and he refused to take no for an answer. I finally shot the door on him. They have been talking on the news about people who are going door to door trying to push their way into people’s homes. So when the alarm guy pushed past me my hackles went up. Luckily Lennie was sitting on the couch so I didn’t worry too much. I knew I could have taken the guy. I mean come on….he was like 12. But it still made me uneasy and I think Lennie saw that.

That night at dinner we got to talking about the incident and Lennie brought up the fact that I should look into getting some sort of home security. Jokingly I said, “I do have a security system. I have a deadbolt and an attack cat.” He looked at me and I knew he was serious. He said he didn’t care if someone broke in and robbed me because that stuff could be replaced. He worried about someone breaking in and assaulting and/or raping me. He didn’t worry about it so much when I was in the apartment because no one in their right mind would walk up those steps if they didn’t have to.

For some reason I was really touched by what he said. I know that he cares about me. I have never doubted that. But I could really see the concern in his eyes and it was just one of those “awww he loves me” kind of moments. I know that Lennie is worried about what will happen to me while he is in Iraq. He can’t protect me and I think that really eats at him. I have looked into alarm systems because my house is set up for one, but the monitoring fee is $30 a month and that is just not an expense I can tack onto my budget at the moment. I guess I will just have to practice my self defense moves some more. Anyone want to volunteer to be my practice dummy?

On a different note…

My friend Marie wrote in her journal yesterday that she was quitting her job and moving to Charlotte to be closer to her boyfriend. Although I will miss her terribly (now who am I going to go swing dancing and Ren. Fairing with?) I am excited for her. She is much braver than I am. From reading, I don’t think she has a job lined up which would scare the crap out of me. I am very much a planner and need stability. I envy people that can just pick up and go. Way to go Marie. I wish you all the best and hopefully you won’t be a stranger to Raleigh. Maybe we can have a girl’s night out before you go. I still have my CF to Tir Na Nog.

Different subject #2

For those of you who have been asking me about last week’s drowning…

On Monday they finally recovered the body of the man who drowned at Jordan Lake last Thursday. State Park Rangers discovered the body about 1000 yards away from where searchers were looking.

Details about the man and the incident started being release over the weekend. Here is how the story unfolded…according to the news. On Thursday Jamie Burney decided to head out on the lake with some of his friends. They took along with them a full cooler of alcohol. After drinking a few (or many) Jamie decided the water looked great for swimming so he dived right in. Burney was not wearing a life jacket and was partially paralyzed on one side of his body from an earlier accident. This might have prevented him from fully feeling how cold the water was. Water temperatures at Jordan are currently 68 degrees. Anything under 70 can be enough to cause hyperthermia. Jamie calls to his friends to jump in the water was fine. They jumped in but unlike Burney, they were wearing life jackets. They swam around for a nit then got back in the boat. Jamie’s girlfriend looked for him and noticed he was in trouble. She attempted to throw a rope to him but he went under the surface and never came back up. Scared for their friend they took the boat to shore to get help. In doing this they forgot where they had been on the water and they were unable to give the searchers the exact location. Which is why it took so long to find the body.

Jaime Burney was only 36 years old and to be taken so early is completely tragic. When will people learn to put on a life jacket? This gentleman would still be alive if he had been wearing one. It just completely saddens me. When I talk to people about putting on their jacket they always have some sort of excuse. It is uncomfortable, too bulky, I am too macho, it will ruin my tan, I don’t need one I am an expert swimmer. Well you know what? I would rather go out on the lake and be a little uncomfortable and come home safe and sound than go out on the water and come back in a body bag. I also consider myself and expert swimmer. I am even a certified lifeguard. But I would never get on the boat without a life jacket. What if you were to fall out of the boat and smack your head on something? You can’t swim if you are unconscious. Some people swallow water and choke. They panic and forget to swim.

Shooting Tigers
Mood:  don't ask
Why do I end up with all the strange phone calls? This morning I got a call from a lady and at first I wasn't sure if it was real or if I was being pranked. Below is our conversation. When reading the part of LADY image a REALLY thick Hispanic Accent.

ME: This is Rebecca, can I help you?
LADY: Yes…ummm...hello?
ME: Hello? Can I help you?
LADY: Yes…ummm…my English no so good. Ummm I don’t know how you say…..my husband wants to shoot the tigers. Where he do that?
ME: (very puzzled) He wants to shoot the tigers?
LADY: Yes the tigers…where he do that? Off 98 many people fishing…he shoot tigers there? You know I mean?
ME: Ma’am I am sorry but we don’t have any tigers.
LADY: Yes off 98…he shoot tigers….you know I mean?
ME: (repeat louder) Ma’am we don’t have tigers at Falls Lake.
LADY: Oh…..no?.....maybe is not right word? He shoot little paper he stick to the trees.
ME: Oh you mean a TARGET.
LADY: Yes…he do that off 98?
ME: No Ma’am we don’t allow target shooting at Falls. He will have to find a firing ranger.
LADY: He do that off 98?
ME: No Ma’am he will have to go to a shooting range. We don’t offer places for target practice. He can hunt here but he can’t shoot at targets.
LADY: No he no hunt… just shoot. He do that off 98?
ME: (getting frustrated now) No your husband will have to go to a firing range.
LADY: Oh…… you have number?
ME: No sorry I don’t have a number but I am sure you can find it online or the phone book.
LADY: I call you…your number on the sign.
ME: Yes ma’am it is on the sign but we do not offering target shoot here your husband will have to go to a firing range.
LADY: Oh….a what?…you spell please?
ME: F…I…R…I…N…G
LADY: F…I…R…I…N…D
ME: No G
LADY: D
ME: No G as in Grape
LADY: P
ME: No G…F…I…R…I…N…G..........G
LADY: Oh G
ME: Yes G.
LADY: You have number?
ME: No you will have to find that information.
LADY: Oh…..firing?
ME: Range
LADY: Eh?
ME: Range….R…A…N…G…E
LADY: R…A…N…D…E…
ME: No D….G
LADY: R…A…N…D…G…E
ME: No there is no D in it. Replace D with G.
LADY: You have number I can call?
ME: *sigh* No I am sorry you will have to get that number on your own. I don’t know of any local firing ranges.
LADY: oh…(hangs up phone).


I felt like was part of that "who's on first" routine that the 3 Stooges used to do. Oh I love my job!!!! The one thing that worries me is that we might have some non-english people out there shooting guns. If they can't speak english they certainly can't read signs. *sigh* What's next?

A weeked full of this and that
Mood:  lazy
What a busy weekend this was. It was also kind of sad because I finally gave my notice at the pub so this was my last weekend to work. I told them I would work on an emergency basis if they really got into a bind. But now I can focus on my real job and start doing some things to the house that I haven’t had time to do. It is hard to work 7 days straight. My house is a mess and my laundry pile is taking over my closet. So I guess I know what I will be doing tonight.

Friday night was fairly quiet. Lennie and I ate dinner at this little Greek place called Taverna Agora. The food there is always outstanding. I haven’t found another place in Raleigh that serves up flaming cheese. LOL We then headed over to Adam and Eve (a little pleasure shop) and then went home where we crashed on the couch. We have both been so tired lately. We had plans for a nice romantic night but that never happened. We agreed to give it a try Saturday instead.

Saturday morning I got up and drove down to the pub. I totally forgot it was Artsposure weekend. There was no place to park and I refused to pay $3 to park in the garage. I ended up at the science museum and then had to walk three blocks. I got there about 30 minutes late which didn’t seem to matter because nothing we really set up. We started out slow but at noon we were packed. The kitchen fell behind and some people had to wait 45 minutes before they saw any food. Lennie showed up around 2PM and told me he wanted to cook me dinner. His plan was to roast a chicken with some potatoes and Yorkshire pudding. Since my kitchen is better stocked than his, he asked for the key to my place so he could go ahead and start cooking. I handed him my key and told him to make sure he said hi to Annie before he left. Big Mistake! Annie was outside talking to a group a guys sitting at one of the picnic tables. 2 Irish men and a Brit. Annie introduced Lennie to the group and they convinced him to stay and have a beer. An hour later he was still sitting there. I went out to tell him the chicken wasn’t going to cook itself and he handed me back my key and continued to hang out with the guys till I got off work. I was a little disappointed I wasn’t going to get my homemade dinner but he made up for it by taking me to Red Lobster. We then met up with his friend Sean at the Ale House for a beer and then headed home. Once again we laid down on the couch and fell asleep. So much for our romantic night. LOL

Sunday morning I got up to head back to the pub. We were steadily busy all day. Brunch ended at 2PM and we immediately starting serving off our main menu. We really should have given ourselves an hour to get the kitchen set up and the buffet taken down because we got slammed and the kitchen got backed up again. Apparently when Annie goes out of town the pub falls apart. While she was gone nothing got ordered and we ran out of food and supplies. Pete (the owner) made 5 trips to Sam’s Sunday morning. I left around 3PM and headed home to change. Lennie and I were going to go see Grease with another couple and we were due to meet back down at the pub for dinner. I was told the festival would be over at 5PM so we assumed when we got down there we could find a place to park close to the pub. We apparently the festival didn’t end till 6PM and they were still charging $3 to park in the garage. Lennie tried to get us in for free by lying to the attendant. He told them guy we were managers at Tir Na Nog. The guy wasn’t buying it and said if we wanted to park there we would have to pay $3. Lennie wasn’t having it so we drove around. We ended up parking at the theater then had to walk 7 blocks to the pub. It wouldn’t have been bad if I wasn’t wearing heels. Lennie’s friends called and said they were going to make dinner and would just see us at the show. After dinner we then had to walk the 7 blocks back to the theater. My feet were killing me. The show was good but not outstanding. But I do enjoy going to the theater. There is just something nice about grabbing a glass of wine, sitting in the balcony, and watching a play. After the show we walked 5 blocks to a bar called The Big Easy for a drink then had to walk 5 blocks back to where we parked the car. My feet still hurt today. Note…next time I go out with Lennie and he drives…wear hiking boots.

We are planning to start of the deck this week. I had a guy come out and look at it but I never heard back from him. So Lennie decided we would do it ourselves. I have ordered the paint and hopefully it will be here soon. The plan is to mix the power color in with the concrete. Then once it is poured we will use some pipes to stamp the grout lines. Once it dries I am going to sponge on some color and paint the grout. Keep your fingers crossed that it will work out.

Everywhere you look there is an idiot...look there goes one now!!!
Mood:  irritated
I was saddened to learn that Jordan Lake had its first drowning on the season yesterday.

“Crews were dispatched to the southern portion of Jordan Lake Thursday afternoon after receiving a call about a missing boater. The man, who was also the driver of the boat, reportedly went for a swim with four of his passengers. He was last seen in water estimated to be ten to fifteen feet deep, and the water was more no than 60 degrees in temperature. Officials say the man, in his 30's, was not wearing a life jacket.
According to Riggsbee, the other swimmers couldn't pinpoint where their friend was last seen, so no divers were used in the search. Instead, four boats spent hours dragging the bottom of the lake. "The sad situation is, is it all goes back to not wearing a life jacket every time," the Chief said. "I've never had a person drown with a life jacket on."
Authorities said the search turned into a recovery effort at 7 p.m. due to low water temperature and low visibility. The search continued Friday morning. Three of the passengers on the boat are related, and say they are friends of the missing boater. “
That is an except from a news article I found online. While reading the article I noticed they had a section where people could comment on the story. I clicked on the link and was surprised at what I read...
One guy stated that he was irate that the press didn’t release the name of the victim. He said the guy could be missing. That he probably swam to shore and went and had a beer with his friends. He felt that the police and the press were keeping something from the public and that there had to be more to the story than what we were being told. Are you kidding me? This is not a missing person case. This is a drowning. The victim’s name has not been released because the body has not been found and the next of kind has not been notified. The gentleman was the driver of the boat so it is safe to assume that he wouldn’t just swim to shore to have a beer with other friends and abandon his other friends in the water. If this was the case I am sure he would have shown up at home last night and the authorities wouldn’t be out searching for him today. He was also not wearing a life jacket. The water is still below 70 degrees. He could have gotten hypothermia, crapped or got caught on something in the water. But plain and simple…he drowned and the police and news have no evil master plan in keeping information from the public they are just trying to be respectful to the family.
Another person was upset to learn of another drowning and was asking why there were so many drownings at Jordan Lake. They said there was something wrong with Jordan and it should be closed to swimmers. Someone else agreed and stated that maybe there was an evil sea creature in the water. Like our very own Loch Ness Monster. Are you kidding me? There is nothing wrong with the water at Jordan Lake. There is nothing sucking people into the depths and there is no evil sea creature. The reason people drown is simple…THEY DO NOT WEAR A LIFE JACKET!!!! I consider myself an expert swimmer but I still do not get on a boat without first putting on my lifejacket. Like the police chief stated above...” I've never had a person drown with a life jacket on”
On guy stated that there was plenty wrong with the lake. That he actually ran his boat onto something there once, in the middle of the lake. He was cruising at about 20mph and the boat STOPPED. He wasn’t even close to land. The front of the boat was tipped upwards. They jumped out of the boat, and got the shock of their lives. They were on a ROAD. You could still see the paint from the broken white lines. They walked around a pavement area of about 12' x 14' in the MIDDLE of the lake. Boat sustained about $3000 of damage to rudder, underside and prop. Luckily someone responded to this comment before I had to. They stated they knew where the guy was talking about and that you hit the road after you pass through two buoys marked with Do Not Enter signs. LOL Idiot! When Jordan and Falls Lake were formed they flooded out certain areas. Those areas contained homes, bridges, and roads. All obstructions are marked. If you don’t know what the signs on the buoys mean then pull your boat out of the water, put it on a trailer and don’t come back until you have taken a safe boaters course. The Coast Guard offers them once a month and they are FREE!!!!!
One thing that amuses me is that now there seems to be a “Name the Jordan Lake Monster” contest going on in the discussion board. So far we have…
Jordie
Billy Bob
Cletus
Monty (I am assuming this comes from the fact that part of the lake is in Moncure, NC)
I think my vote would be for Jordie. LOL People never cease to amaze me.

I love it when a plan comes together!
Mood:  energetic
Apparently my refusal to go get a new CAC card (Military ID) got the attention of some people in the District. I kept saying that I found it odd that I could log into several programs with my CAC card but couldn’t get into my computer. They kept telling me it was my card and I would just have to suck it up and get a new one. Even the Colonel got involved and told IM they needed to sort it out. But he met the same answer. So I broke down yesterday and called the National Guard to set up an appointment to get a new card. I wasn’t at all happy about it. My picture is halfway decent on this one. Unlike my driver’s license where I look like and angry Hispanic woman.

Yesterday I got a call from Security stating that they think they found the problem and someone from IM would be calling me shortly. They remoted into my computer and loaded a few things. I then stuck in my CAC card and …no error message. *cheer* So now I can cancel my appointment with the National Guard. Why couldn’t the first guy in IM figure that out?

This morning I came in all excited that I could log onto my computer without having to call IM and security to unlock it. My happiness was short lived. No it wasn’t my CAC Card this time that ruined my day. It was coming in to find that we don’t have water. The plumber came out yesterday to fix a valve and was unable to finish so he said he would be back at 7AM and we would have water by the time we opened at 8. Well it is now 9:09 and I have yet to see the plumber. So until it is fixed we have to drive down to Bojangles to use the rest room. One highlight of that is…I now have an excuse to go get a breakfast biscuit.

Yesterday we got off 59 minutes early. This is normally reserved for holidays but seeing as our beloved LTG Strock is retiring, he decided to let us off early to say thanks. So what did I do with my 59 minutes? I went to the bank then to Target to buy a new cell phone. Don’t worry my number hasn’t changed.

The battery in my old phone wasn’t holding a charge. I have had the thing for 6 years and it has been a great little phone. I called Virgin Mobile to see if I could get a replacement battery but they said they no longer carry those. Oh course not. So I went on the site and looked at the phones they currently have. I wanted a Razor but Virgin Mobile doesn’t sell them. They have one that is slim like the razor and what luck…it was on sale for $19.99. So I went to Target last night to pick one up. The guy kept trying to get me to buy on with a camera on it but I don’t need anything fancy. I don’t use my cell phone much. I make quick calls and text message a few people and that is it. So I get home last night and immediately log on to the Virgin Mobile site to swap phones. I am going along pretty good till it asks me to input my MSID number. I searched the book and the website and nothing mentioned were to find the number. So I broke down and called the 1-888 number. Virgin Mobile has recently one and award for their outstanding customer service. And after talking to the tech last night I can see why. These people really seem to love their jobs. The guy was so helpful and perky. In about a minute he had my new phone up and running. The only thing I don’t like about getting a new phone is there wasn’t anyway for them to transfer my contacts so I had to do it all by hand last night. That took awhile. I was also hoping to get a Harry Potter ring tone but all the ones on the Virgin Mobile site suck. I just want the theme song. Is that too much to ask?

Today should be quiet seeing as I am the only one here. Hopefully I was get motivate to do some actual work. :)

Hitting the Couples Scene
Mood:  hungry
Lennie and I both commented this weekend about the fact that we seem to be invited to more events now that we are a couple. His theory is that he is now viewed as “safe” because he is dating me and I have been a good influence on him. My theory is that when you are a couple you feel weird invited your single friend along because you fear they will feel like the 3rd wheel.

This past weekend was jammed packed and I don’t feel the least bit rested. I really need to stop working two jobs.

Friday night Lennie came over late and he headed to the Olive Garden for dinner. But first he wanted to make a pit stop by Home Depot to look at cement for my patio. This ended up taking two hours as we ran around the store looking at different ideas. If it works the way we hope it will I think it will look nice. I had hoped to lay tile but I am having a hard time finding tile I can afford. Who knew your basic ceramic tile would cost over $2.00 a sq ft.? I was hoping for something around $0.50 per tile. LOL yeah right. While looking at the cement I noticed boxes of pigment that you can add to the powder to create different colors of cement. So we thought we would pour cement and then make a template out of wood and press it into the cement to make it look like tile. Then I could go back and paint the grout lines. We are still trying to iron out all the details.

Saturday I had to process a new employee and then head down to the Carolina Kids Expo for a few hours. There were little kids running around EVERYWHERE! It was a good event and it was nice to see such a great turn out. Around 3PM I left and came home to start Lennie’s Birthday dinner. I was suppose to do it the weekend I moved but thing were just too hectic. I made finger-lickin’ good pork chops, French cut green beans with almonds, steamed red potatoes, fried apples, and my famous pie. I guess Lennie liked it because he licked the plate clean. LOL After dinner we just sat around drinking wine and chatting.

Sunday I got up and went to work brunch at the pub. We were packed. They actually had to stop taking reservation because we got so booked. It surprised me that people showed up with large parties without reservations. A majority of them were men who stated they didn’t realize they needed reservations. HELLO!!!! It’s Mother’s Day! Do you think you are the only one who came up with the idea to take Mom out to brunch?

That evening I met up with Lennie and his friends Maria and Todd (Maria’s husband) I enjoy hanging out with Maria. She is so sweet and easy to talk to. Several people have even mistaken us for sisters. LOL Maria’s parents are visiting for 3 weeks (poor Todd). They are from Ireland originally but I think they live in NY now. Maria’s Dad brought his accordion with him and played in the jam session at the Hibernian with several other Irish Musicians. The rest of us sat and had a few beers and just listened to the music. Maria and I perked up when we noticed the Hibernian’s Rugby team (Viper) walk in. I was on eye candy overload. Lennie said there is a guy on the team who looks like Hugh Grant but I never spotted him. I should make a point to go to a game or two.:) And for those of you worried that I was eying up other men…don’t worry Lennie had his own distraction in the form of a cute young waitress with beautiful long curly hair. It was funny watching Lennie and Todd trying to flirt with her.

About 7PM I became extremely hungry so we headed over to 518 West for dinner. The food there is okay. Not one of my favorite places. After dinner we headed to Tir Na Nog to attend a Hispanic Wedding Reception. One of the busboys at the pub got married on Saturday and we were invited down for a drink. We got there and were handed 5 drink tickets each. I only used one. I know I am a light weight. But I had 2 large pints of beer at the Hibernian and since I was driving I decided to take it easy. I had never been to a Mexican party but it was a lot of fun. The one thing I noticed is just how tight the Hispanic community is. Everyone takes care of everyone. It was nice to see.

I don’t think this coming weekend will be restful either. I am scheduled to work both Saturday and Sunday at the pub and there is some sort of Art festival which means we will be busy. (Sigh) I am hoping someone will call me and tell me I don’t have to work this weekend. I have so much to do at my house to get ready for my housewarming.

Cliff Swallows
Mood:  chillin'
Cliff Swallows are not a common site in the Eastern United Sates. They are more prevalent in the West were there are large rock over hangs for them to nest. With the loss of habitat and man made structures popping up all over the East, The little swallows have found a new home.

I was out on the tower one day doing a gate change when I noticed small birds swarming near the tower. Upon closer inspection I noticed they were Cliff Swallow and that they had chosen the south facing bridge wall to build their nests.

The swallows build their nest out of little balls of mud that they carry one by one. They form a cone shape with a small hole pointed downward. They build in large colonies as you see in the picture obove. Some colonies have been know to hold over 100 nests.

The female lays 3 to 5 eggs per nest and some times will lay eggs in other nests. She then sits on the eggs while the male goes in search of food. Their primary diet is insects which are caught in flight. The male returns to the nest with lightening speed and leaves just as quickly to catch more food. There primary feeding time at the dam seems to be around 11AM. It was such a flurry of activity it was hard to watch them through the camera lense. They were quite comical to watch. At one point I watched a male return to the nest. He didn't offer the female any food but instead pushed his way into the nest. The female quickly followed after him. A few seconds later she tosses him out of the nest and proceed to chirp fiercely. Almost like she was saying, "Get you lazy ass out their and get me some food!!! You good for nothing ball of feathers!!!! My mother told me I shouldn't have fallen for you bright rusty colored head."

Nature never ceases to amaze me. It always seems to adapt to any situation. There is a lesson to be learned there.