This morning it was a lovely 54 degrees outside. By the time I went for a walk it as closer to 60 and rising. What a wondeful break from the heat! There is a nice breeze and crisp air. We actually have our doors and windows open for once. And I get to enjoy it while having a delicious Rockland Bakery Roll with breakfast. Yum!
More to updates for you later . . . pictures too.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
July Floats By
Hello all. July is still floating by in it's humid hazy way. It is usually much too warm to be outside getting sunshine and so I am forced to deal with indoor projects that need to be finished anyway. Wedding Album #2 was mostl finished last night, with only small additons to be made in order to show it off. I hope to have it complete and ready to bring with me when we venture up to NY in a couple weeks. It is fun to relive the whole wedding hing expeciayl when there aer so many silly little thingas I kept the entire time to add to my masterpiece. Like the response cards with thier messages, wedding and shower cards with precious handwriting from the grandmothers, and the well wished left for us on our wedding day with thier messages that remind Leo to mow to lawn and of course to not go to bed angry. All these things make our memories of wedding time complete!
I have had my nose in books lately, as usual of course. I joined a new book club this past weekend and met a nice group of girls. I'm really looking forward to meeting with them again.
This weekend I will be heading off to RI for some training. I wlll get to spend some time with people I rarely see and spend the night in a Marriott. I love Marriotts! But I am really counting down to the days until we can enjoy the shores of NJ (I would prefer Hawaii or the Caribbean but you can't be too picky!). We'll join my dad and the fam for a few days in a beach house before we head up to NY for that big party for Nanni's 90th. I'm so excited I'm able to put aside the thought of the long car-rides . . . for the most part.
We have some visitors coming in a week or so as well and hopefully the heat won't be too oppresive so we can go out and do something fun. We shall see!
I have had my nose in books lately, as usual of course. I joined a new book club this past weekend and met a nice group of girls. I'm really looking forward to meeting with them again.
This weekend I will be heading off to RI for some training. I wlll get to spend some time with people I rarely see and spend the night in a Marriott. I love Marriotts! But I am really counting down to the days until we can enjoy the shores of NJ (I would prefer Hawaii or the Caribbean but you can't be too picky!). We'll join my dad and the fam for a few days in a beach house before we head up to NY for that big party for Nanni's 90th. I'm so excited I'm able to put aside the thought of the long car-rides . . . for the most part.
We have some visitors coming in a week or so as well and hopefully the heat won't be too oppresive so we can go out and do something fun. We shall see!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
July Thunder
Happy July. The 4th passed with some fun as usual. We went to a friends place for some grilling and hanging out. We ended somewhat early but it was ok with me. I was so tired from my week long project of painting!
Last weekend I decided it was time to pull out the paint chips and rollers and just get this gaint task done. So out I went to the local home improvement store to get what I needed. It didn't take me long to pick what I wanted. I have been dreaming of fresh creamy walls since we moved in. So all week I have been doing it in pieces - trim here, cutting in there. Friday afternoon Leo and I finished up and it looks great. I will post a pic soon. Now for the next project . . .
Mom and Ed were in town this week and we saw them a couple times. We tried out a new Italian place too that was pretty darn good. For non-NY food it was quite tasty.
Today we are enjoying our "new" living area and watching the storms move though the area. We have had several lately - part of the fun of the summer months.
The next few weekends are filled with events here and there - helping a friend move, a concert (for Leo) and Arbonne training in RI (for Jen), visitors and hopefully we will get to the NC beaches too. Don't worry visitors - I won't ask you to help paint. That job is in the bag. But we could use some help with the gutters . . .
Last weekend I decided it was time to pull out the paint chips and rollers and just get this gaint task done. So out I went to the local home improvement store to get what I needed. It didn't take me long to pick what I wanted. I have been dreaming of fresh creamy walls since we moved in. So all week I have been doing it in pieces - trim here, cutting in there. Friday afternoon Leo and I finished up and it looks great. I will post a pic soon. Now for the next project . . .
Mom and Ed were in town this week and we saw them a couple times. We tried out a new Italian place too that was pretty darn good. For non-NY food it was quite tasty.
Today we are enjoying our "new" living area and watching the storms move though the area. We have had several lately - part of the fun of the summer months.
The next few weekends are filled with events here and there - helping a friend move, a concert (for Leo) and Arbonne training in RI (for Jen), visitors and hopefully we will get to the NC beaches too. Don't worry visitors - I won't ask you to help paint. That job is in the bag. But we could use some help with the gutters . . .
Monday, June 30, 2008
Durham Bulls Game
As part of our Semi-Annual meeting, Valiant Solutions got a suite at the AAA Durham Bulls game last week. The suite was fully stocked with hot dogs, chicken tenders, and beer (my kind of party!). The Durham Bulls won (yay?) - and we played a pretty interesting gambling game, called 'hit the mound' I think.
At the end of every inning, players usually (or sometimes) throw the ball back towards the mound to leave for the other team. If the ball lands on/stays on the pitchers mound, whoever holds the money, wins the money. So every half inning, each person puts in $1 and if the pot isn't won it's handed to the next person.
I had it the very first inning, and after a strikeout, the catcher threw it right back on the mound! But since it was the first half inning I only won like $6! They proceeded to not throw it anywhere near the mound for several innings, building the pot to $60+. For the 2nd time through we added a bunch of stuff like $3 for a strikeout, $5 for a double play, $10 for a homerun, etc. I didn't win much after the first inning but I broke even with some strikeouts, fun times.
Here are the pictures:
At the end of every inning, players usually (or sometimes) throw the ball back towards the mound to leave for the other team. If the ball lands on/stays on the pitchers mound, whoever holds the money, wins the money. So every half inning, each person puts in $1 and if the pot isn't won it's handed to the next person.
I had it the very first inning, and after a strikeout, the catcher threw it right back on the mound! But since it was the first half inning I only won like $6! They proceeded to not throw it anywhere near the mound for several innings, building the pot to $60+. For the 2nd time through we added a bunch of stuff like $3 for a strikeout, $5 for a double play, $10 for a homerun, etc. I didn't win much after the first inning but I broke even with some strikeouts, fun times.
Here are the pictures:
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Videos!
So as some people know we got a camcorder - and we have been filming a bunch of stuff the last couple months. I have finally captured the video onto the computer and uploaded some stuff to youtube. Check it out!
*PS- Jen calls the lilies calla lilies but they are casablanca. Does it matter? Not at all but she doesn't want you to think she doesn't know her own flowers!
A little tour of our backyard
Our Hummingbirds
Some random stuff: Birds, Bugs, and Flowers
*PS- Jen calls the lilies calla lilies but they are casablanca. Does it matter? Not at all but she doesn't want you to think she doesn't know her own flowers!
A little tour of our backyard
Our Hummingbirds
Some random stuff: Birds, Bugs, and Flowers
Friday, June 6, 2008
It's Hot!
Here are some recent pictures:
Yes that is 100.7 degrees outside!
No, the flowers are not blue...but Jen took the good camera and my phone isn't meant for professional pictures :)
Yes that is 100.7 degrees outside!
No, the flowers are not blue...but Jen took the good camera and my phone isn't meant for professional pictures :)
Monday, May 26, 2008
Rock Band, BBQ's, Wii Injuries and Birds
This weekend has been busy every minute it seems. Actually my past week was jam-packed. It's nice when everything seems to fit and work in your favor. I wonder if going to the gym first thing in the morning is part of it. I get it done first thing and there you have it - a major goal accomplished from the start.
Friday we started our long weekend out to dinner with Sharon, Stan, Kerri and Rob. We walked to a casual Italian place near their apartment. Then we went to a friends house. Leo's co-worker Dena and her husband Kent had us over to their place in Garner. They have a young son, Keaton and they had their other friends over too who also have a son only 3 weeks younger. When the boys went to bed, they broke out Rock Band. I had only played once before, but having some experience on Guitar Hero I confidently played a song or two. We switched and I tried my hand at the drums. It was fun even though you feel kinda dumb - I mean I could just as easily be hitting real drums with sticks to make the same amount of noise. But I went along with it. Leo and I both avoided the microphone. The toy microphone, unfortunately, does not transform your voice into a super star singer like colored buttons can really make you sound like a guitar hero.
Saturday Sharon and Stan came by and we went to the flea market together. Leo and I hadn't been in a long time and it was a nice day so there were lots of vendors out. I bought a beautiful hand-made ceramic birdhouse. I'll have to take a pic and post it later. I'll tell you about our bird/ animal adventures later . . .
After the flea market, we went to a Taste of Durham which is a little festival where you can sample food from various restaurants, beers and wines of different kinds and some other vendors. Even a snow-making company. I attempted to nail Leo with a snowball but missed horribly - my aim is non-existent. (You will see I made up for it later . . . ) We stayed a little while but there wasn't a whole lot to see and do. Some of our friends were there as well but we left early knowing we would see them later in the weekend.
Saturday afternoon I was faced with hours of time before our evening plans and a yard that needed some help. I finished some additional weeding, transplanted lilies to the new garden area I hope to cultivate, planted some sunflower seeds and cleaned up parts of a dead animal. Yeah, there was something furry and very dead hanging out on the side of the house. Whatever it got into a fight with - it lost terribly. It looked like part of a rabbit to me but there wasn't enough to know for sure. Ick.
Saturday night I was somehow convinced to go watch a UFC Fight at a local bar/ restuarant. I could care less about fighting matches but it turned out to be fun and even slightly entertaining.
Sunday morning we slept in a bit. I had time to make it to the gym before we got ready for a party at friends Eleni and Mike's house. Most parties in the last year or so have been either our house or Eleni's. I like to host, but I also really enjoy just being at the party. Last night was no exception. There was lots of food and drink as always and our Raleigh gang were all there. It's so great having a group of people you can feel really comfortable with.
After stuffing ourselves with burgers and dogs a few of us went for a little walk through the neighborhood. We found a Greenway nearby which we didn't know about. Greenways, by the way, are paved paths to run/ walk/ bike on that usually run through neighborhoods behind houses and such. This ones runs a long way around the area but we veered off the path to follow a different one with a small waterfall. We ended up in someone's backyard and on another block but we made it to where we started feeling a little better having walked off a bit of dinner.
We hung out on the hammock strung out between trees in Mike and Eleni's massive backyard. They have about an acre of land, most all of it fenced in and very long. There's tons of room for dogs to run, people to play games in and, we have joked, tents to be set up and slept in. The yard is so big that if we set up the tents a certain way we could probably trick ourselves into feeling like we are "roughing it". Or we could actually go camping. We'll see.
When nighttime arrived we moved from the back yard and deck to the inside. We fired up the Wii and started a couple games of tennis. Leo and I were playing. I was standing and he was sitting on an ottoman to my right. It was my turn to swing and I connected my right hand and wii remote with Leo's left ear. Oops. I clipped the side of his head pretty hard. His hat flew off one way and his body went the other. In classic Leo form he dropped to the floor like dead weight. In classic Jen form I bent over laughing my butt off. Oh man...I'm still laughing. It was hysterical. Leo didn't think so and he laid on the ground while everyone else worried he was in major pain, but I could see his face. It said "Ow, that really hurt you jerk but yeah it was a little bit funny. Ow." Evenutally I cought my breath, he sat up again and we finished the game. I lost. But I was the most entertained.
Today we are just hanging around the house. While we were eating lunch in the kitchen we saw something cool. For Christmas I got a hummingbird feeder from Greg & Danielle. I put it up a while ago hearing that hummingbirds come through in early April down here. I was giving up on seeing any. Leo saw one a while ago but today I finally saw one myself. He was using the feeder and he danced around a bit for us. We got a little bit of it on tape - we got a camcorder not too long ago. I'll post some of that when we get a little more footage. I feel like the little things I'm doing in the yard are making a difference. I put a birdfeeder out there a month or so ago, along with the new birhouse. Of course the stupid squirrels always find a way to feast on the bird treats. Grrr . . . Otherwise. I can't wait to get more flowering plants out there and start on my little garden off to the side. Soon it will be a fun place to hang out everyday. Just ask the squirrels - they love it.
Friday we started our long weekend out to dinner with Sharon, Stan, Kerri and Rob. We walked to a casual Italian place near their apartment. Then we went to a friends house. Leo's co-worker Dena and her husband Kent had us over to their place in Garner. They have a young son, Keaton and they had their other friends over too who also have a son only 3 weeks younger. When the boys went to bed, they broke out Rock Band. I had only played once before, but having some experience on Guitar Hero I confidently played a song or two. We switched and I tried my hand at the drums. It was fun even though you feel kinda dumb - I mean I could just as easily be hitting real drums with sticks to make the same amount of noise. But I went along with it. Leo and I both avoided the microphone. The toy microphone, unfortunately, does not transform your voice into a super star singer like colored buttons can really make you sound like a guitar hero.
Saturday Sharon and Stan came by and we went to the flea market together. Leo and I hadn't been in a long time and it was a nice day so there were lots of vendors out. I bought a beautiful hand-made ceramic birdhouse. I'll have to take a pic and post it later. I'll tell you about our bird/ animal adventures later . . .
After the flea market, we went to a Taste of Durham which is a little festival where you can sample food from various restaurants, beers and wines of different kinds and some other vendors. Even a snow-making company. I attempted to nail Leo with a snowball but missed horribly - my aim is non-existent. (You will see I made up for it later . . . ) We stayed a little while but there wasn't a whole lot to see and do. Some of our friends were there as well but we left early knowing we would see them later in the weekend.
Saturday afternoon I was faced with hours of time before our evening plans and a yard that needed some help. I finished some additional weeding, transplanted lilies to the new garden area I hope to cultivate, planted some sunflower seeds and cleaned up parts of a dead animal. Yeah, there was something furry and very dead hanging out on the side of the house. Whatever it got into a fight with - it lost terribly. It looked like part of a rabbit to me but there wasn't enough to know for sure. Ick.
Saturday night I was somehow convinced to go watch a UFC Fight at a local bar/ restuarant. I could care less about fighting matches but it turned out to be fun and even slightly entertaining.
Sunday morning we slept in a bit. I had time to make it to the gym before we got ready for a party at friends Eleni and Mike's house. Most parties in the last year or so have been either our house or Eleni's. I like to host, but I also really enjoy just being at the party. Last night was no exception. There was lots of food and drink as always and our Raleigh gang were all there. It's so great having a group of people you can feel really comfortable with.
After stuffing ourselves with burgers and dogs a few of us went for a little walk through the neighborhood. We found a Greenway nearby which we didn't know about. Greenways, by the way, are paved paths to run/ walk/ bike on that usually run through neighborhoods behind houses and such. This ones runs a long way around the area but we veered off the path to follow a different one with a small waterfall. We ended up in someone's backyard and on another block but we made it to where we started feeling a little better having walked off a bit of dinner.
We hung out on the hammock strung out between trees in Mike and Eleni's massive backyard. They have about an acre of land, most all of it fenced in and very long. There's tons of room for dogs to run, people to play games in and, we have joked, tents to be set up and slept in. The yard is so big that if we set up the tents a certain way we could probably trick ourselves into feeling like we are "roughing it". Or we could actually go camping. We'll see.
When nighttime arrived we moved from the back yard and deck to the inside. We fired up the Wii and started a couple games of tennis. Leo and I were playing. I was standing and he was sitting on an ottoman to my right. It was my turn to swing and I connected my right hand and wii remote with Leo's left ear. Oops. I clipped the side of his head pretty hard. His hat flew off one way and his body went the other. In classic Leo form he dropped to the floor like dead weight. In classic Jen form I bent over laughing my butt off. Oh man...I'm still laughing. It was hysterical. Leo didn't think so and he laid on the ground while everyone else worried he was in major pain, but I could see his face. It said "Ow, that really hurt you jerk but yeah it was a little bit funny. Ow." Evenutally I cought my breath, he sat up again and we finished the game. I lost. But I was the most entertained.
Today we are just hanging around the house. While we were eating lunch in the kitchen we saw something cool. For Christmas I got a hummingbird feeder from Greg & Danielle. I put it up a while ago hearing that hummingbirds come through in early April down here. I was giving up on seeing any. Leo saw one a while ago but today I finally saw one myself. He was using the feeder and he danced around a bit for us. We got a little bit of it on tape - we got a camcorder not too long ago. I'll post some of that when we get a little more footage. I feel like the little things I'm doing in the yard are making a difference. I put a birdfeeder out there a month or so ago, along with the new birhouse. Of course the stupid squirrels always find a way to feast on the bird treats. Grrr . . . Otherwise. I can't wait to get more flowering plants out there and start on my little garden off to the side. Soon it will be a fun place to hang out everyday. Just ask the squirrels - they love it.
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