I didn't make much time for blogging last week. I guess it was just a crappy week all around. Between my three chiropractor appointments, the two visits from our electrician friend and, let's see . . . what else was there??? Oh yeah, my father had a ridiculously close brush with death. To say my week was busy and sucky would be an understatement. But fortunately a lot has changed in just a few days. My father pulled through his near death experience and it looks like he's going to be fine. Our hot tub finally got hooked up and if the stress of balancing the water doesn't kill me, we may just get to enjoy it some day. Unfortunately my neck and shoulder are still miserable and the timing for me to have to jump on an airplane and fly across the country certainly isn't ideal. If Karlo calls me on any given night from the hot tub I swear I will scream. So not fair!
I pray that my week in Seattle is uneventful. I'll be very busy with work so it should fly by. I just hope I come home in no worse condition with my neck. It seems that I'm in such bad shape the chiropractor can't even start to adjust me. I have to 'work my way up' to the adjustments. In fact, the doc said that the hot tub may not even be a good idea for me right now because the heat may cause further inflammation. uuuuugh. I'm pretty sure if I was a horse somebody would have shot me to put me out of my misery by now. Wishing I could click my heels and be back from my trip and be ready to get fixed. Be back soon . . .
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Week 30 in Photos
#205
I spent most of my late afternoon trapped in my car watching the rain as I waited for Karlo to finish his dentist appointment and then go grocery shopping. I was in too much pain to move out of the car so I made the best of it and took pictures.#206
Our electrician friend and his assistant trying like hell to hook up our tub, but to no avail. Tub has to wait for part three of the major hook up production.
Our electrician friend and his assistant trying like hell to hook up our tub, but to no avail. Tub has to wait for part three of the major hook up production.#207
My lovely portraits showing the depressing story of my neck issues. Do not even want to discuss . . .
My lovely portraits showing the depressing story of my neck issues. Do not even want to discuss . . . #208
I was convinced I would never see this day. The tub is now hooked up and filled. Amen! I should have taken a picture of Tim, Karlo, Luke and Lisa all huddled around the tub watching the water flow in . . . but I was in so much shock that the power was hooked up that I was delirious and forgot to reach for the camera.
I was convinced I would never see this day. The tub is now hooked up and filled. Amen! I should have taken a picture of Tim, Karlo, Luke and Lisa all huddled around the tub watching the water flow in . . . but I was in so much shock that the power was hooked up that I was delirious and forgot to reach for the camera.#209
The highlight of my otherwise horrific day was finding this bracelet in the mail that my niece made for me.
The highlight of my otherwise horrific day was finding this bracelet in the mail that my niece made for me.#210
Walked out to the deck first thing in the morning and took some dewy pictures of water droplets hanging off our new wooden shelf.
Walked out to the deck first thing in the morning and took some dewy pictures of water droplets hanging off our new wooden shelf.#211
Up to my eyeballs in spa chemicals and not happy about it. Getting so frustrated with this science experiment that I'm ready to give up. Stupid spa. At least the duck is cute!
Up to my eyeballs in spa chemicals and not happy about it. Getting so frustrated with this science experiment that I'm ready to give up. Stupid spa. At least the duck is cute!Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Big Picture Color Class
During the month of June I participated in an online photo class and it was a ball. Every morning I would rush to my email to see the daily photo assignment. Each day was a different theme (all pertaining to some aspect of capturing color) and the assignment included an inspiration shot. It was up to me to capture my interpretation of that assignment. I did really good as far as getting a new shot just about every day. Not all shots were stellar, but it sure was fun doing them. A couple days the weather didn't cooperate for the particular assignment and I was forced to pull from archives, but for the most part I did all my homework.
It took me nearly a month, but I finally compiled all my homework into one place. I made a pdf booklet showing every assignment and my answer to it. In the booklet, the left pages represent the assignment inspiration and the right side pages are my photos. If you would like to see it, please click here.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
A Week Late
We were supposed to be in our kayak on a lake right this minute, but the weather is not cooperating. And I'm so disappointed too. We went kayaking yesterday to one of my favorite lakes in Eastford. This place always reminds me of Maine and it just happens to be the lake that first attracted us to Eastford. We found a post & beam house across the street, but that deal (like so many others) just wasn't meant to be.
Yesterday was our first trip to this lake in a very long time and just being there was a thrill. But the trip got so much better. The water was perfectly clear and I had a ball spying on all the pretty fish. I mean this was almost as good as our glass bottom kayak trip to Cozumel. Granted, the fish weren't quite as pretty, but they were cute with their blue tails and the boat was a million times more comfortable. Since it was such a hot and lazy day, Karlo and I decided to just relax and float around without paddling. It was then that we realized the schools of fish swimming around the boat. I swear I could just reach down and grab one if I so desired. I was ready to catch some new pets for my little pond at home. I put my finger into the water and I'll be darned . . . the fish swam up for a nibble. I was actually petting the fish!
Then Karlo decided to throw some pumpkin seeds into the water and it turned into a feeding frenzy. Fish everywhere! I was not comfortable with the fact that we may be choking the poor fish with the seeds so that didn't last long. I was kicking myself for not having my underwater camera with me. What an idiot. Karlo promised that we would go back today (this time with some proper fish food) and now it's raining. So sad.
So in lieu of some amazing shots of cute fish eating out of my hand, here's some pictures we snapped last weekend at Mansfield Hallow. Also a great day on the lake.
First we spotted this spot in the sand bar that we wanted to park. The birds were not too happy that we invaded their space.
They took off as we approached. I'm pretty sure I heard bird cursings.
I got out of the boat and waddled around in the water.
Yesterday was our first trip to this lake in a very long time and just being there was a thrill. But the trip got so much better. The water was perfectly clear and I had a ball spying on all the pretty fish. I mean this was almost as good as our glass bottom kayak trip to Cozumel. Granted, the fish weren't quite as pretty, but they were cute with their blue tails and the boat was a million times more comfortable. Since it was such a hot and lazy day, Karlo and I decided to just relax and float around without paddling. It was then that we realized the schools of fish swimming around the boat. I swear I could just reach down and grab one if I so desired. I was ready to catch some new pets for my little pond at home. I put my finger into the water and I'll be darned . . . the fish swam up for a nibble. I was actually petting the fish!
Then Karlo decided to throw some pumpkin seeds into the water and it turned into a feeding frenzy. Fish everywhere! I was not comfortable with the fact that we may be choking the poor fish with the seeds so that didn't last long. I was kicking myself for not having my underwater camera with me. What an idiot. Karlo promised that we would go back today (this time with some proper fish food) and now it's raining. So sad.
So in lieu of some amazing shots of cute fish eating out of my hand, here's some pictures we snapped last weekend at Mansfield Hallow. Also a great day on the lake.
First we spotted this spot in the sand bar that we wanted to park. The birds were not too happy that we invaded their space.
They took off as we approached. I'm pretty sure I heard bird cursings.
I got out of the boat and waddled around in the water.
While Karlo happily stayed in the boat and ate his snacks.
Week 29 in Photos
#198
Karlo has fun playing with his drill as he works on the big hot tub wiring project. He needed to drill a hole through the house to get from the basement to the porch.#199
Because I didn't have enough fun staining on Saturday . . . Karlo found more staining projects for me to do.#200
I just happened to capture the milestone of my MINI turning over 60,000 miles.#201
The story of my life lately–all the things that help me manage pain and get through the day.#202
You know it's bad when this is the thermostat, in the shade, in Eastford.#203
This was just too cute not to pick for my photo of the day. Peanut peeking through Karlo's legs as she gets shaved.#204
A perfectly lazy Sunday on the porch.Friday, July 22, 2011
A Grumpy Mess
Gee, I've been quiet this week and as far as Karlo is concerned, the quieter the better. I'm just a grumpy angry mess and I'm totally losing my patience with this neck/shoulder condition. I have grown steadily worse every day for the past month and a half and the reason I'm blogging about my misery is not to publicly complain, but to document this ordeal so next year I can look back at my blog book to compare and contrast. That is exactly what I did this year. I literally turn to my blog book for answers. When will this end? How long did I have to suffer last year? Since most things in my life seem to repeat in very predictable patterns I need to know next year how bad it was this year. And so far . . . it's been pretty stinkin' bad.
I just took off my neck brace because I swear it causes me more pain to wear it. I've been to a massage therapists this week who pretty quickly diagnosed me with thoracic outlet syndrome. I already made my first chiropractor appointment for next week, and I am (surprisingly) happily icing my back, neck, and shoulder as much as possible. I guess I picked a good week for icing seeing as it's over 90 degrees even here in Eastford. I am pretty much in constant pain management mode and I tried really really hard all week to limit my time in front of a computer. As I type my left arm is cold and numb with a dull ache running down to my forearm. Gee, maybe that's a sign that I should get the heck off the computer!
Well, let the record show that so far this year I had one month of the good life. That's right, ONE MONTH of blissful happiness and pretty much total crap for the other 6 months. My patience is being tested for sure. And the worst part, I can't even do my daily meditations. Oh, and we also can't find an electrician to hook up that freakin' hot tub. What is worse than sitting here in pain and looking out the window at the EMPTY hot tub? Uuuuuugh
I just took off my neck brace because I swear it causes me more pain to wear it. I've been to a massage therapists this week who pretty quickly diagnosed me with thoracic outlet syndrome. I already made my first chiropractor appointment for next week, and I am (surprisingly) happily icing my back, neck, and shoulder as much as possible. I guess I picked a good week for icing seeing as it's over 90 degrees even here in Eastford. I am pretty much in constant pain management mode and I tried really really hard all week to limit my time in front of a computer. As I type my left arm is cold and numb with a dull ache running down to my forearm. Gee, maybe that's a sign that I should get the heck off the computer!
Well, let the record show that so far this year I had one month of the good life. That's right, ONE MONTH of blissful happiness and pretty much total crap for the other 6 months. My patience is being tested for sure. And the worst part, I can't even do my daily meditations. Oh, and we also can't find an electrician to hook up that freakin' hot tub. What is worse than sitting here in pain and looking out the window at the EMPTY hot tub? Uuuuuugh
Monday, July 18, 2011
Using Brains Rather than Muscles
I never dreamed this was possible, but Karlo really shocked me. He actually used his head rather than his muscles for what I was convinced was an impossible project. As you already know, we took delivery of our new 900 pound hot tub on Friday. Just getting it off the truck with the lift gate was an interesting ordeal. When it finally was resting safely on the ground the truck driver told Karlo that, "it's time to call in the moving crew" in order to move it into place. Karlo laughed and agreed, but I knew all along that there would be no way in Hell he was going to ask anybody for any help. Totally not his style. And I was, of course, panic stricken and wondering if I should call his back surgeon in advance of him doing something terribly idiotic again. But he came through with flying colors.
Our Saturday went something like this . . .
8 AM - 1PM The Screened Porch Expansion - At nearly the last minute (after we placed the order for the tub) Karlo got the brilliant idea of putting the tub on the front porch section of the deck. I know these words don't make any sense, but picture this . . . we have a wood deck suspended from the ground for the "screened in porch" section. And at the front of the house we have a terra-cotta "patio" section of the covered porch. Wouldn't it make more sense to put the tub on solid ground rather than on a suspended deck? Not only less work, but better for the cedar siding and windows that may have gotten damaged from the moisture. This means that the screened in porch section needed to be expanded by 8 feet so Karlo got busy moving the railing. We had to add new screen section to two sections which meant wooden framed needed to be built and stained and the screen needed to be installed. This was slow and tedious work and the worst part was all the bugs harassing us in what used to be our bug-free zone.
1PM - 1:15PM Glorious Lunch Break
1:15PM - 8PM Project Hot Tub Placement - You may wonder how it could take so long to move a tub approximately 25 feet, but just imagine getting a 900 lb. tub not only laid down so it's right side up, but also moved across the grass, and then up a foot tall step and slid into place (with no more than 2 inches to spare between the railings). This was quite the undertaking for two people to do . . . OK, maybe one and half people. Hmmm, now that I think about it, with my neck and shoulder condition I may have only counted for quarter of a person! But we did it.
First, we got the tub on roller dollies. Next we had to slide it across the drive way and onto the plywood that Karlo had lining the lawn. It was a long and grueling process of Karlo lifting each side of the tub with a piece of wood used for leverage as I moved piles of wood under the tub. I placed and replaced the dollies a hundred times.
We made our way, slowly but surely, down the grass until it was time to lay it down. Up until now it was standing on it's side. This was the part I dreaded the most. Karlo kept using the term "dropping it" and I feared that was exactly what would happen. How does one control movement of 900 pounds once gravity starts to take over?
Enter the Jeep. Karlo rigged this thing up and tied it to the front bumper of the Jeep so that the Jeep was used to slowly lower it in stepped increments. And guess who was driving the Jeep? No stress there. It was me behind the wheel making tiny brake adjustments to gingerly get this thing onto the ground. During the last two feet I would say we did sort of "drop it" but it appeared to be fine. We hope. (I forgot to take pictures of the Jeep in action.)
Phew, it felt like the hardest part was now behind us. But still, how the heck are we getting it UP A STEP? At least another hour or so of just trying to spin it in the right orientation. We only had two pieces of plywood and two dollies, and of course the ground had to be sloping slightly. I had visions of the entire tub rolling straight down the rock ledge and into our new garden.
Luckily that didn't happen and we finally got this this in the right orientation. I ran into the house to make a snack and by the time I got back Karlo had the wooden rails built that we would "slide" the tub up on. OK, still trying to figure out how we will do that . . .
Enter the ATV. Karlo had the whole plan masterfully crafted ahead of time, but he kept me guessing every step of the way. We were actually able to use the ATV to push the tub right into place. And your not going to believe this one, but guess who did the driving? ME. With virtually no experience at driving an ATV and terrible control over a throttle that you push with your thumb, I did it without busting a huge hole into the side of the tub.
So relieved and exhausted.
When that darn thing landed exactly in place, exactly how we pictures it I just had to laugh. I simply could NOT believe what we accomplished. Sure it took us 12 hours, but we did it! I'm so proud of ourselves, and so impressed that Karlo does have a brain in that head after all. He should definitely try to use it more often ;-)
Our Saturday went something like this . . .
8 AM - 1PM The Screened Porch Expansion - At nearly the last minute (after we placed the order for the tub) Karlo got the brilliant idea of putting the tub on the front porch section of the deck. I know these words don't make any sense, but picture this . . . we have a wood deck suspended from the ground for the "screened in porch" section. And at the front of the house we have a terra-cotta "patio" section of the covered porch. Wouldn't it make more sense to put the tub on solid ground rather than on a suspended deck? Not only less work, but better for the cedar siding and windows that may have gotten damaged from the moisture. This means that the screened in porch section needed to be expanded by 8 feet so Karlo got busy moving the railing. We had to add new screen section to two sections which meant wooden framed needed to be built and stained and the screen needed to be installed. This was slow and tedious work and the worst part was all the bugs harassing us in what used to be our bug-free zone.
1PM - 1:15PM Glorious Lunch Break
1:15PM - 8PM Project Hot Tub Placement - You may wonder how it could take so long to move a tub approximately 25 feet, but just imagine getting a 900 lb. tub not only laid down so it's right side up, but also moved across the grass, and then up a foot tall step and slid into place (with no more than 2 inches to spare between the railings). This was quite the undertaking for two people to do . . . OK, maybe one and half people. Hmmm, now that I think about it, with my neck and shoulder condition I may have only counted for quarter of a person! But we did it.
First, we got the tub on roller dollies. Next we had to slide it across the drive way and onto the plywood that Karlo had lining the lawn. It was a long and grueling process of Karlo lifting each side of the tub with a piece of wood used for leverage as I moved piles of wood under the tub. I placed and replaced the dollies a hundred times.
We made our way, slowly but surely, down the grass until it was time to lay it down. Up until now it was standing on it's side. This was the part I dreaded the most. Karlo kept using the term "dropping it" and I feared that was exactly what would happen. How does one control movement of 900 pounds once gravity starts to take over?
Enter the Jeep. Karlo rigged this thing up and tied it to the front bumper of the Jeep so that the Jeep was used to slowly lower it in stepped increments. And guess who was driving the Jeep? No stress there. It was me behind the wheel making tiny brake adjustments to gingerly get this thing onto the ground. During the last two feet I would say we did sort of "drop it" but it appeared to be fine. We hope. (I forgot to take pictures of the Jeep in action.)
Phew, it felt like the hardest part was now behind us. But still, how the heck are we getting it UP A STEP? At least another hour or so of just trying to spin it in the right orientation. We only had two pieces of plywood and two dollies, and of course the ground had to be sloping slightly. I had visions of the entire tub rolling straight down the rock ledge and into our new garden.
Luckily that didn't happen and we finally got this this in the right orientation. I ran into the house to make a snack and by the time I got back Karlo had the wooden rails built that we would "slide" the tub up on. OK, still trying to figure out how we will do that . . .
Enter the ATV. Karlo had the whole plan masterfully crafted ahead of time, but he kept me guessing every step of the way. We were actually able to use the ATV to push the tub right into place. And your not going to believe this one, but guess who did the driving? ME. With virtually no experience at driving an ATV and terrible control over a throttle that you push with your thumb, I did it without busting a huge hole into the side of the tub.
So relieved and exhausted.When that darn thing landed exactly in place, exactly how we pictures it I just had to laugh. I simply could NOT believe what we accomplished. Sure it took us 12 hours, but we did it! I'm so proud of ourselves, and so impressed that Karlo does have a brain in that head after all. He should definitely try to use it more often ;-)
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Week 28 in Photos
#191
A self-declared "bring your dog to work day." Cooper had his check up at the vet so he scored a trip to the office. I never seen him so tired after 'working' all day.#192
I got to help my buddy Sheryl celebrate her birthday at the Wood N Tap this evening. So great to catch up with 'old' volleyball friends. (Pun intended!)
I got to help my buddy Sheryl celebrate her birthday at the Wood N Tap this evening. So great to catch up with 'old' volleyball friends. (Pun intended!)#193
Dinner with the Grovers. It was way too short.
Dinner with the Grovers. It was way too short.#194
I shopped for some shelf decor on my big trip to civilization earlier this week and finally got a chance to set it in place today.
I shopped for some shelf decor on my big trip to civilization earlier this week and finally got a chance to set it in place today.#195
The very exciting delivery of our new hot tub . . . that weighs 900 lbs and for some reason Karlo thinks this is a good idea. And what if it DID starts to slip?? . . . I don't even want to know.
The very exciting delivery of our new hot tub . . . that weighs 900 lbs and for some reason Karlo thinks this is a good idea. And what if it DID starts to slip?? . . . I don't even want to know.#196
12 hours it took to get the porch ready and then to move the 900 lb. tub into place. What a day and what an ordeal. More on that soon.
12 hours it took to get the porch ready and then to move the 900 lb. tub into place. What a day and what an ordeal. More on that soon.#197
I found a smiley face in the water on our kayak trip during this glorious Sunday.
I found a smiley face in the water on our kayak trip during this glorious Sunday.Saturday, July 16, 2011
Girly Girl
A couple of days ago Karlo, Jill, and I were taking a walk around the office building at lunchtime. We ran across one of the grounds crew guys digging a ditch to fix some sewer issues. He joked around about how it's a good thing that he's around because 'somebody has to do the dirty work around this place.' That led to more jokes and him commenting that he could see Jill jumping into the dirt hole to help out, but not me . . . Not me . . . because I'm a "girly girl." I was appalled! "WHAT? Me, a girly girl???" Ha, that wasn't true at all. Surely Karlo would set him straight. I waited, but nothing. So I encouraged Karlo jump to my defense and set this guy straight (by smacking him of course). Just because I dress like a girly girl doesn't mean I AM one. And I should mention that I was wearing an adorable new tangerine dress with the cutest polka dot scarf at the time.
But still, you can't judge a book by the cover, right? How many grueling miles have I hiked and biked? How many cords of wood have I stacked? How many yards of rocks have I moved, or feet of snow have I shoveled? And after all that, Karlo laughs and agrees with the guy that I am indeed a girly girl?!? I was devastated and came to the conclusion that Karlo has obviously never known a real girly girl!
So later that day we get home from work, and I'm still half-heartedly ticked about this new title of mine. Then I open the front door looking for whatever goody the UPS may have delivered to me that day. Low and behold my new motorcycle helmet has arrived. I was thrilled. And that just gave me more ammunition against being a girly girl. How many girly girls drive bad-ass enduro motorcycles????
And then I put my new helmet on and looked into the mirror . . . I bowed my head and came to the shocking realization that . . . my God, it's true. I just may be a girly girl. Check out my new helmet . . . . I'm gonna look ridiculous . . .
But still, you can't judge a book by the cover, right? How many grueling miles have I hiked and biked? How many cords of wood have I stacked? How many yards of rocks have I moved, or feet of snow have I shoveled? And after all that, Karlo laughs and agrees with the guy that I am indeed a girly girl?!? I was devastated and came to the conclusion that Karlo has obviously never known a real girly girl!
So later that day we get home from work, and I'm still half-heartedly ticked about this new title of mine. Then I open the front door looking for whatever goody the UPS may have delivered to me that day. Low and behold my new motorcycle helmet has arrived. I was thrilled. And that just gave me more ammunition against being a girly girl. How many girly girls drive bad-ass enduro motorcycles????
And then I put my new helmet on and looked into the mirror . . . I bowed my head and came to the shocking realization that . . . my God, it's true. I just may be a girly girl. Check out my new helmet . . . . I'm gonna look ridiculous . . .
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Latest Updates
Wow, for hermits we sure have been on a roll of non-stop socializing. I think my body is going into shock. It seems we've had plans every day for the past two weeks. And on top of that, work is starting to get really crazy. I just haven't had much time for blogging these days and my head is spinning so fast it's hard to remember where I left off, or what I did in the mean time. The highlights that I remember from this week include a social media conference in Cromwell one day, followed by a most delightful shopping trip in Wethersfield, and an awesome get-together with some old volleyball buddies at the Wood N Tap. And the term "old" has a double meaning since my friend Sheryl was celebrating her birthday that day. OK, I guess I should shut up since I'm exactly 8 days older than her ;-) It sure was a great day and night all around.
Then yesterday there was more great socializing as our long lost buddies that moved to Tennessee were back in town. Robin and her kids came over for dinner and we had a ball catching up on an entire year. It sure was hard to cram a year's worth of stuff into 3 short hours and I was sad to have to say goodbye.
And there were more birthdays to celebrate . . . Robin's youngest daughter is turning 13 today (Happy Birthday Sarah), Robin is turning some un-determined age next week, and I (of course) turned 35 last week . . . so we had a yummy cake and look what I got:
Could there be a better shirt for me? I totally can't wait for next 4th of July to sport that!
Today was just a blur. To give you and example I started writing an email back to Tina at about 9 am. It wasn't until after 3:30 that I found the message half written sitting on my desktop - never sent. Well, to be exact, there were 3 messages that I half wrote and never sent this morning. I literally couldn't catch 5 consecutive minutes without somebody coming to my office. My God I was in demand today and it was completely exhausting.
And speaking of Tina, I know she's anxious to hear more about our "wood" project that I've been teasing about. I haven't really meant to tease, we just haven't had much time to complete it, nor talk about it (please see explanation above) . . . but I'm happy to report that it's done and I can finally unveil exactly what Karlo built. It's really not a very big deal, but I was just thrilled.
I have always wanted a really rustic bench and or table, something that we dragged out of the woods and turned into furniture. I have to say, Karlo had a ball with this project. First we bought two pieces of milled lumber. They were basically just cross-sections of a tree, with the rough (bark still on) edges. Karlo spent the first few days sanding and polyurethaning them. It took days to dry and then it was onto the next step of finding some appropriate legs. First we took a hike through our trails to scout out some potential candidates.
Karlo cut and dragged some good options to the driveway where he scratched his head and tried all sorts of combinations. Once he got the right combination he assembled everything and sealed it all up. I am simply thrilled with the result. We have both a bench and a shelf in one unique piece. Here's a pretty bad picture of the finished piece taken from the window upstairs:
Then yesterday there was more great socializing as our long lost buddies that moved to Tennessee were back in town. Robin and her kids came over for dinner and we had a ball catching up on an entire year. It sure was hard to cram a year's worth of stuff into 3 short hours and I was sad to have to say goodbye.
And there were more birthdays to celebrate . . . Robin's youngest daughter is turning 13 today (Happy Birthday Sarah), Robin is turning some un-determined age next week, and I (of course) turned 35 last week . . . so we had a yummy cake and look what I got:
Could there be a better shirt for me? I totally can't wait for next 4th of July to sport that! Today was just a blur. To give you and example I started writing an email back to Tina at about 9 am. It wasn't until after 3:30 that I found the message half written sitting on my desktop - never sent. Well, to be exact, there were 3 messages that I half wrote and never sent this morning. I literally couldn't catch 5 consecutive minutes without somebody coming to my office. My God I was in demand today and it was completely exhausting.
And speaking of Tina, I know she's anxious to hear more about our "wood" project that I've been teasing about. I haven't really meant to tease, we just haven't had much time to complete it, nor talk about it (please see explanation above) . . . but I'm happy to report that it's done and I can finally unveil exactly what Karlo built. It's really not a very big deal, but I was just thrilled.
I have always wanted a really rustic bench and or table, something that we dragged out of the woods and turned into furniture. I have to say, Karlo had a ball with this project. First we bought two pieces of milled lumber. They were basically just cross-sections of a tree, with the rough (bark still on) edges. Karlo spent the first few days sanding and polyurethaning them. It took days to dry and then it was onto the next step of finding some appropriate legs. First we took a hike through our trails to scout out some potential candidates.
Karlo cut and dragged some good options to the driveway where he scratched his head and tried all sorts of combinations. Once he got the right combination he assembled everything and sealed it all up. I am simply thrilled with the result. We have both a bench and a shelf in one unique piece. Here's a pretty bad picture of the finished piece taken from the window upstairs:
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Weekend Follies
Weekends just don't get any better than this past one as far as weather goes. I wish it didn't have to slip away so soon, but we really enjoyed it. We got in some great outdoor activities like biking, hiking, and kayaking. Notice how a motorcycle ride didn't come into the picture and that makes me so sad. I just feel like I'm stuck and I don't know what to do about fixing my issues. The short Summer will likely slip away before I come up with a solution.
In addition to playing outside on Saturday we also took a drive to Hartford. We got in a little visit with my Father, which is always nice, and then we attempted to go to the RiverFest. Holy mother of all crowds. It made Boston feel like a secluded walk through Eastford. After sitting in stressful traffic and paying $7 to park the car, we literally lasted about 17 minutes (just enough time to walk from one end of the waterfront plaza to the next) before we looked at each other and said, "Forget this. Let's get the Hell out of there." And that is exactly what we did. We fought the crowds to get back to the car and made our escape before the fireworks started. We ended up in a deserted parking lot in East Hartford, where we tailgated all alone until the fireworks started. Once they started we simply walked about one block where we could see just about everything. Yeah, we had to stand up, but at least we were mostly alone. Upon completion of the fireworks we were on the highway within 10 minutes and on our way back home to the peaceful seclusion that we are accustomed to. And to think, Karlo picked Hartford over New London because he thought it would be less crowded. Next year we know better. We are totally heading to New London!
Sunday was just picture perfect. We decided to plan the day around kayaking and I can't get over what a big treat this was. This was our very first voyage of the season and I can't believe how long it's been. We used to kayak a couple times per week. Now it seems like such a big deal to go kayaking. I packed a picnic lunch and spent all afternoon on the lake. This was my favorite part of the trip . . .
In addition to playing outside on Saturday we also took a drive to Hartford. We got in a little visit with my Father, which is always nice, and then we attempted to go to the RiverFest. Holy mother of all crowds. It made Boston feel like a secluded walk through Eastford. After sitting in stressful traffic and paying $7 to park the car, we literally lasted about 17 minutes (just enough time to walk from one end of the waterfront plaza to the next) before we looked at each other and said, "Forget this. Let's get the Hell out of there." And that is exactly what we did. We fought the crowds to get back to the car and made our escape before the fireworks started. We ended up in a deserted parking lot in East Hartford, where we tailgated all alone until the fireworks started. Once they started we simply walked about one block where we could see just about everything. Yeah, we had to stand up, but at least we were mostly alone. Upon completion of the fireworks we were on the highway within 10 minutes and on our way back home to the peaceful seclusion that we are accustomed to. And to think, Karlo picked Hartford over New London because he thought it would be less crowded. Next year we know better. We are totally heading to New London!
Sunday was just picture perfect. We decided to plan the day around kayaking and I can't get over what a big treat this was. This was our very first voyage of the season and I can't believe how long it's been. We used to kayak a couple times per week. Now it seems like such a big deal to go kayaking. I packed a picnic lunch and spent all afternoon on the lake. This was my favorite part of the trip . . .
Week 27 in Photos
#184
Showing off our 4th of July spirit in Boston.#185
Karlo inspecting his sanding job on the mystery wood project.
Karlo inspecting his sanding job on the mystery wood project.#186
The first batch of eggs from the chickens. How exciting!
The first batch of eggs from the chickens. How exciting!#187
Karlo and I had a great little dinner date tonight.
Karlo and I had a great little dinner date tonight.#188
We made really good use of our porch entertaining on this rainy night.
We made really good use of our porch entertaining on this rainy night.#189
My new yoga mat is too dark to see at the bottom of this picture, but I found my new favorite place to practice, outside on the porch with the greatest yoga mat in the world.
My new yoga mat is too dark to see at the bottom of this picture, but I found my new favorite place to practice, outside on the porch with the greatest yoga mat in the world.#190
Here's something you don't see every day . . . a dog on a stand-up kayak.
Here's something you don't see every day . . . a dog on a stand-up kayak.Friday, July 8, 2011
Not all Rosy
After looking back at my weekend in review I find it funny how I never mentioned the bad part. It wasn't quite as rosy as it seemed by my splendid recap. Well, everything happened as lovely as I described, but you see, my God-awful neck, shoulder, and back pain is plaguing me again. I truly thought I was done with this non-sense. I managed to get through the most ridiculously stressful winter without any severe episodes of it. I had some residual stress pains, but nothing as bad as what I'm suffering with now. And then with the start of my new meditation program I really and truly thought I would never have to deal with this in my life again. WRONG!
It started a couple of weeks ago and it's the same story every single time it happens. It starts with neck pain so bad that I could swear my neck broke in my sleep. That goes on for a few days and then it travels down to every muscle surrounding my left shoulder. From there it goes to very specific muscles in my back. And it just gets worse and worse by the day until I just can't sit still. Every possible position is painful and I am so incredibly tempted to reach for the industrial strength prescription pain killers and muscle relaxers leftover from Karlo's back issues. I'm just losing my mind.
And the worst part . . . Karlo and I finally figured out exactly what is causing it. We went on that terrific Father's Day motorcycle ride 3 weeks ago. That was a good 3 hours of riding and the issues started within the following week. Thinking back, every time I ever rode my own bike I complained that the riding position was 'funny' and it gave me strange pains in my back, but I never thought anything of it. Then this weekend a lightbulb went off in my head. I thought about how I ride with my motorcycle helmet visor shield lifted in the up position, which just catches even more wind, giving my head even more resistance. I think my giraffe-length neck is totally working against me here and the combination of my short windshield and my heavy helmet is a recipe for disaster.
So now what? I know know that my motorcycle is the culprit. What do I do? Karlo is looking into higher windshields and I'm shopping for the lightest helmet I can find. This past weekend when we went for that motorcycle ride to Coventry I rode on the back of Karlo's bike, but sadly even that ride made me much worse. In this position I just can't stand any sort of helmet on my head. It totally sucks and I'm terrified to test any new set up, be it a new windshield and/or a new helmet. What if it doesn't work? I'll have to go through another month or more of hellish pain. Ohhhh, I am NOT happy about this. The scariest part of all . . . Karlo wants to teach me some exercises to strengthen my neck . . . the ones that he did wrestling when he was young. Yah, I want no part of that. I'm sure this pain is much less than the pain he will cause when he breaks my neck.
It started a couple of weeks ago and it's the same story every single time it happens. It starts with neck pain so bad that I could swear my neck broke in my sleep. That goes on for a few days and then it travels down to every muscle surrounding my left shoulder. From there it goes to very specific muscles in my back. And it just gets worse and worse by the day until I just can't sit still. Every possible position is painful and I am so incredibly tempted to reach for the industrial strength prescription pain killers and muscle relaxers leftover from Karlo's back issues. I'm just losing my mind.
And the worst part . . . Karlo and I finally figured out exactly what is causing it. We went on that terrific Father's Day motorcycle ride 3 weeks ago. That was a good 3 hours of riding and the issues started within the following week. Thinking back, every time I ever rode my own bike I complained that the riding position was 'funny' and it gave me strange pains in my back, but I never thought anything of it. Then this weekend a lightbulb went off in my head. I thought about how I ride with my motorcycle helmet visor shield lifted in the up position, which just catches even more wind, giving my head even more resistance. I think my giraffe-length neck is totally working against me here and the combination of my short windshield and my heavy helmet is a recipe for disaster.
So now what? I know know that my motorcycle is the culprit. What do I do? Karlo is looking into higher windshields and I'm shopping for the lightest helmet I can find. This past weekend when we went for that motorcycle ride to Coventry I rode on the back of Karlo's bike, but sadly even that ride made me much worse. In this position I just can't stand any sort of helmet on my head. It totally sucks and I'm terrified to test any new set up, be it a new windshield and/or a new helmet. What if it doesn't work? I'll have to go through another month or more of hellish pain. Ohhhh, I am NOT happy about this. The scariest part of all . . . Karlo wants to teach me some exercises to strengthen my neck . . . the ones that he did wrestling when he was young. Yah, I want no part of that. I'm sure this pain is much less than the pain he will cause when he breaks my neck.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The Actual July 4th Celebration
We were in the spirit of the holiday.
We drove to . . . well, I'm not quite sure where we drove to, but the T station was called Riverside. It was the furthest station from the city. Getting there was a piece of cake. It was right off the highway and the parking was easy. Then we figured out how to buy the T tickets and jumped on the first train. It's easy to get on the right one when there's only one choice!
It took about 40 minutes and most of the train was full of Red Sox fans heading to the game. We got into the big city just about 1pm and got our bearings. We found the harbor, the Freedom Trail, and Quincy Market with no problem. First stop was a giant pretzel that I've been craving for 2 days. We got "Boston pretzels" which means there are sesame seeds in addition to salt. Yummy! Next stop was to grant my only one big birthday request. I have been waiting for a month to try a Dunkin Donuts frozen hot chocolate. I can't imagine a better day as it was about 100 degrees and I was wearing jeans (brilliant). I managed to suck down the whole thing and not complain that I was the slightest bit cold.
We walked all over Quincy Market strolling the shops and watching street performers. I had my heart set on the Duck Tours, but we never did manage to find them. This is a great excuse to go back and do it all over again (now that we are seasoned vets). Instead we took a trolley tour and I suppose that, aside from the portion of the tour where you get to drive around in the Charles River, it was pretty much the same. I enjoyed snapping photos as we zipped along. I should however mention that my lens was not functioning properly so I only took half as many pictures as I intended. Even with a brand new (mildly expensive) non-functioning lens I still kept my spirits high. More proof the meditation is working because just thinking about this situation now infuriates me. I did the best I could with what I had and I knew I would fix the problem some day - along with suing Tamron for my photo losses!
We managed to fill the entire day being tourists and then it was time to board the sailboat for our sunset cruise. I am so proud to say I lasted the whole two hours without needing a sweater. I was thankful for all the heat at this point. The conditions were perfect for me. And of course, they were ripe for photos as well.
One of the cool things about the harbor is the proximity of the airport. We had tons of airplanes taking off overhead. I finally got tired of taking photos of them after about 20 shots.
At about 8:30 we headed back to the T station and easily found the proper train to board back to our car. I was worrying about hitting all the 495 traffic on the way back and I so didn't want to end on a bad note since the day went so well. By some stroke of luck there was positively no traffic issues at all and we sailed all the way home. Even the train was empty due to the fact that everyone was heading into Boston for the fireworks as we were making our escape out of the city. The funniest part of the whole day was laying in bed watching the 11 o'clock news (the Boston station) and seeing Karlo's reaction when they showed reports from all the festivities that took place around the fireworks. He said, "THAT was going on today??? If I knew that there is no way you would have gotten me anywhere near that place!" The moral of that story . . . What you don't know will never hurt you.
I uploaded more photos to an online album. If you would like to see them, please click here.
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