veggies

Last week went surprisingly smoothly for the week before vacation. A snow/rain day mid-week really threw things off, but it was otherwise productive. I had a nice, quiet weekend with a friend visit and a trip to the parents house.

Saturday resulted in 6 rows of vegetables planted in my mini-greenhouse. Basil, parsley, corn salad (a leafy green), bell peppers, chives and bell peppers. I think I might have been a bit overzealous. The seeds are tiny and the peat 'pots' I planted them in were hardly 2 inches wide, but eventually the plants will grow bigger, much bigger! Today I bought 5 window box type planters and a deep pot for the carrots. They're really pretty and made from recycled materials (yay!), but, they may very well take up my entire balcony.

I also got in some good cuddle time. There is a puppy store at the mall, and of course puppies cannot be passed by, allergen filled though they may be. Then today I went to a knitting group and one woman brought her 6 month old baby. I want one...

Maine

This weekend went by in a flurry! Friday I got a surprise visit from a college friend who was working at my apartment complex. That lasted until the planned visit of 2 other college friends and our adventure up to Portland. The weekend was spent partaking in free samples (chocolate and jam), eating out and catching up. The weather was rather white, but that didn't stop us from walking to many destinations. Maybe not driving into town offset my friend's plane flight? The drive to the airport was rather slow and wet, but we got everyone where they needed to be at the right times.

Today was spent catching up with myself after being otherwise occupied an entire weekend. My brain is still feeling a little slow, but everything at home seems to be organized.

I may finally know which degu is which! Nose-stripe climbed up and out of the cage on her own today, while no-nose-stripe waited for me to open the front door and let her out. I believe that means the striped lady is Lola and the unchanged girl is Nala. I'll be looking for confirmation on this tomorrow. I certainly hope that Nala doesn't develop the same stripe pattern Lola has formed. One of them is also responsible for some scratches on my back, she climbed down face me rather than the shirt (a more pleasant, fuzzy experience)- but I didn't take the time to look at her nose, I just wanted the claws on the ground!

4 days until vacation...

housewife

Today I ran errands, cleaned and cooked. The rest of the day will be spent on more cooking and cleaning, plus a soap opera. I feel like such a housewife! If my stomach can manage to digest the plethora of delicious wontons I learned to make today, maybe some exercise will occur as well. Pilates video still screams housewife. I should do laundry too, as long as I'm playing the role.

What is it with animated dancing in ads? I just checked the weather and saw 2 women and 3 santa clauses doing a boogie. Weird.

I want to turn some of my empty pots into a veggie/herb garden. I think I'll have to wait until spring because I'm completely out of space to put pots. Plus the temperature does fluctuate quite a bit by the window, which seeds probably don't appreciate. I'd like to go skiing and sled a few more times, but otherwise I'm ready for warm weather and itching to get back out on my bike. Soon...

salems

Yesterday morning I had to take the Miller Analogy Test to get into grad school. The closest testing location was in Salem, MA. Since I finished the test at 9:30 am I thought I may as well make good use of the day and the gas I used getting there by exploring the city. I found a cute local bakery to get a tea and croissant while waiting for the Peabody Essex museum to open. Then I explored the museum- getting to see the origami exhibit I'd been told about months ago, wandering through other exhibits and following a tide of people headed into an auditorium. Turned out that I had shown up on the opening day of a film 5 high school and college students had developed on immigration. It was brilliantly put together, personal, accessible and interesting to people of all ages. I'm getting a free copy sent to me to share with the high schoolers, perhaps through their TV production class, or maybe in history. If I get really motivated it could be through those, plus math and english, shared with the entire school and the implications of being an immigrant could be discussed among our population comprised largely of first and second generation students.

After I left that Salem, I headed to the other, in NH, to buy an excessively large wheel for the critters to run in. I managed to avoid buying mass amounts of yarn even though Michael's was in the same plaza, yay for will power. Today I must exercise more of that will to actually do some work. I have to teach again tomorrow, haven't actually done that in a week and a half with midterms. I wonder what I should talk about...

gone in a flash

Last post I was excited about building, now those buildings are gone. http://www.eagletribune.com/punews/local_story_021123037.html

Habitat had finished one 2 family home and was doing finishing touches (last coat of paint and installing the fridge) on another. Other buildings surrounding these two were ready to be inspected for asbestos and work should have started any day now. Those buildings are gone, along with a number of others in a huge fire that swept through a block in Lawrence this morning. Families moved into the nearby middle school for the time being, bringing with them nothing but their pajamas and maybe a blanket. I'm sure these families include some of my students, yet somehow they have to take midterms tomorrow and go on with life.

I had other things to post about, but they've left my brain and are insignificant in comparison regardless.

building

Last Saturday and today were spent at Habitat. Spending the day giving back to the community is a great feeling, especially since its Lawrence. But really, that is usually just an added bonus to the fact that someone will give me tools and let me play. Manual labor is so satisfying! I can really, truly know that I have accomplished something because I can see it. Tomorrow's goal is another minor construction project- creating another entrance to the degu cage on the top. The kids have become rather bold and both run right out if I open the door. An opening from above might allow me to take them out individually and without them escaping. I'm crossing my fingers it will work, since they seem to have a slow learning curve when it comes to following the command 'come here.'

My apartment complex finally has recycling! After months of badgering and sending recyclables home with various visitors I can recycle paper, cardboard, glass and plastic. I thought metal was a pretty commonly recycled material, but we'll celebrate small victories. The newsletter announced this accomplishment as going GREEN (their emphasis)- while this is an environmentally friendly move, I would not go nearly so far as to say this place is 'green.' These are the things that make me want to buy a place here.

wine+pancakes

=dinner, only on vacation.

Happy new year. We spent the eve in Haverhill, Boston and Methuen. It sounds like a crazy party hopping event, but we actually went to the thrift shop (where I attained a snazzy CD rack), the early bird fireworks and spent the late night at home, making sushi and drinking some interesting varieties of alcohol. Chai liquor is only good chilled, its just spicy and strange at room temperature.

The rest of the week has sped by, lots of reading, sleeping, lounging, playing with the pets and an afternoon of sledding in 10 degree weather. I'm glad we didn't know it was that cold when we left because it was still fun, in the really numb- can't tie my boots because my fingers don't understand that neuron signals are occurring- kind of way.

Today I finally decided to be productive- planned classes, applied to grad school and wrote a recommendation letter. It was strange to be on both sides of that process. I have a scary looking mountain of grading that will have to wait until Sunday. Tomorrow is habitat! We're painting and it'll be good to get out and do something. Plus I've really been wanting to go, its the best thing I can think of to honor Kelly.

The wine and pancakes are mixing strangely in my stomach, I think its time to lie on the couch and add pistachio nuts, because clearly that will unconfuse my poor digestive system!