Repairs - Thanksgiving edition

Today is Nov. 26. One day before Thanksgiving. Might I ask, "Where the heck did the year go?!" As I look back on what I'm thankful for in 2008, I've realized that when it comes to my home, I'm usually most thankful for successful repairs, particularly the DIY kind.

For some reason, half of these little victories never made it to my blog, but I'm very grateful still the same!

• A major leak from my shower fixed (Consequently, I'm thankful for running water as well)


• Rotting siding on my garage replaced


• Rotting side door threshold replaced


• Rotting deck boards replaced


• Anti-freeze applied to my deck to circumvent further rot (Noticing a theme yet?)


• Old water heater removed and new one installed


• Handle on toilet fixed so it no longer stays down when flushed


• Stuck garage door quickly tweaked to fully close


• Basement reclaimed with bleach and water following too much summer rain

More than the repairs themselves, I'm thankful for everyone who lent a helping hand (Cue the violins)!

Now, let's eat! Much like I'm doing in this photo from Thanksiving '07.

Home Sweet Home

My stint in the house across town has come to an end. I'm now back in my own house and back to mentally noting all the things I need to do. First things first - unpack my bags. Second things second - do laundry. Third things third - pay bills. I'm sure I'll think of more things as I go!

I have baggage.

See what I mean?

Confirmed. Homegirl has to get glasses. Sad.

*Sigh* Such is life.

TV time

I'm still sitting in the house across town. And now that I've found my groove with the DVR and cornucopia of DirecTV channels, I might have to politely refuse to leave.

I don't have cable at my house, so I'm a bit green when it comes to all the functionality that is modern television. I spent the first week here just putting my toe in the water, simply flipping through channels. Then, over the weekend, I stumbled upon a remarkable show that helped me rapidly improve my TV-operating abilities. The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

After fifteen minutes of Lisa, Kim, Nene, Sheree and DeShawn, I was finding, rewinding, fast-forwarding, pausing and recording every last episode I could get my hands on. And all in time for the season finale tomorrow night at 9 p.m. central. You better believe the TV is all set up to record that gem!

Classy, sassy and trashy all in one. Could there be better TV? I like Lisa and Nene best! Pic from Bravo.

Meanwhile, in a house across town...

Greetings from a different house! I'm house- and dog-sitting for some friends as they galavant around Italy and Switzerland. My charges are one charming 86-year old home, white with red shutters, and one 9-year lab, black with a giant build.

For some reason, I feel like I have more time on my hands here, even with the extra dog duties. I think it's because I'm not looking around my place and mentally noting all the projects that need to be done. My brain is getting a little vacay of its own.

Meet Gordito.

The saga continues

I typically don't have enough patience for catalogs, yet I can't bring myself to recycle them until I've looked through each one cover to cover. So, a few days ago, I found myself leafing through a two-week old catalog from CB2 and came across another coffee table to throw into the mix of competitors - the Lunar coffee table.

Just a week earlier, I was set on getting Pottery Barn's Chase Bench. Now that I've laid my eyes on the Lunar table, it's back to square one. I might just wait and purchase the first one to go on sale.

Me likey.

New throw pillows

After my original pillow post, I changed my mind about what I wanted. So, I polled some of my coworkers and siblings, and ended up buying floral pillow covers from Etsy seller Marie's Cosy Cushions. They came all the way from the UK. I could almost hear a cheery British "hullo!" when I opened the package.

My new pillows. I'm relegating my viney pillow to the love seat. Note that the walls still aren't painted, the picture still is not hung, and the clock still does not go there.

Guten Tag

Janelle tagged me. I now feel like I'm officially part of the blogging club!

Seven random things about me:

1. I don't like it when people (ahem, siblings) touch my collarbone, or spine for that matter. My collarbone may protrude farther than any other collarbone you've seen in your life, but you should still resist touching it. I think my aversion to this is similar to others' dislike of fingernails on a chalkboard.
2. More and more, I've discovered I like being at home. If not at my house, then at least in my city.
3. Unless you catch me after a workout, which are far and few between these days, you will rarely see me in sweats. I just feel so much more confident in something a little more structured.
4. I like a good literary nightcap. Although, I can't decide what I like better - that phrase or the actual act of reading before going to sleep.
5. I'm a "psycho magnet." That's what one such "psycho" told me on the bus tonight. Last week, he had turned around and called to me, halfway across the bus, "Yoo-hoo!" This kind of stuff happens with alarming regularity. Must buy mace.
   
6. I took some rocks from Machu Picchu back to the U.S. with me. I sometimes wonder if they are cursed like artifacts from the Egyptian pyramids. I doubt it, but my imagination can be quite vivid.
7. I'd rather ask you questions than divulge my own details

And here's a random photo. My mom, sisters and me.

Oh, Bee-have

A swarm of bees. That's what my friends and I were for Halloween. As a result, local hardware stores noted a shortage in yellow duct tape leading up to the big day.

Eleven of us swarmed the streets Friday night decked out in our best bee garb. While we all might have come from the same hive, we each took on our own persona. I went as a spelling bee. H-O-L-L-A. I love Halloween!

Here we have BYOB, Killer bee, B Real from Cypress Hill, Worker bee and Spelling bee.

Here's the whole hive, workin' it.

Terrorizing the Neighborhood

Something terrorized my brother's jack-o'lantern as it sat on the front stoop. My guess is either a squirrel or a cat or a Rodent of Unusual Size. Whatever creature it was, it ate away at the pumpkin's mouth, making the pumpkin smile just a tad bit larger, and making Halloween just a tad bit spookier.

This is what greeted the kiddies on Halloween. Oh, the horror.