Weekend pictures

We took the kids to the Portland Sea Dogs game on Sunday afternoon, which was lots of fun. I was surprised that they lasted as long as they did- we actually ended up staying into the 8th inning, which was way after the snacks ran out.

Charlotte with a tiny Slugger (the mascot). She looks like she's concentrating on the game but really it's because we forgot her hat.
Lily, Ella and April

Only in Maine....inflatable Bean boot.
Pat, Pete and the kids. Emma has Pat's sunglasses.
Ken and Luke
The girls
Go Sea Dogs! Emma, Lou, Lily and Ella
Aw, family.
Pat and Em
And one more, from later that day at the house. Cuteness.

7:10

(7.15.09)

Late

It gets late so fast these days. Maybe it's because sometimes I don't get home as early as I'd like; maybe it's because there's so much that I want to do that I can't possibly fit it all into one evening. Maybe the contents of my head right now are much like the stuff in the bottom of my purse: jumbled, sandy, only somewhat useful and difficult to sort.

I got in around quarter to eight tonight, which is about par for a Tuesday in Salem. It was largely a frustrating day for many minor (and boring) reasons, but a co-worker said something so funny I damn near fell out of my chair. "That's it," I said. "You just made coming to work today worthwhile, and now I'm gonna leave and go home before anything else can happen." And I did.

Low-key night here- Days with Frog and Toad for Lou before bed, leafing through a magazine while watching a couple of episodes of Season 2 of Dexter with Pete. I finished the sweater on Monday, short of weaving in a few ends and blocking, but have had no inclination to do the finish work (surprise, surprise). I've been hesitant to go back to my other project since at night I leave my finger uncovered and the damn stitches might get stuck in the yarn. Even now, I am typing this with 9 fingers. Redonkulous typos. So annoying.

But now, in the odd quiet of this late hour, my eyes and neck burn but my mind is still awake. Writing a to-do list might empty my head, or not. TV generally doesn't help- I tend to find myself asleep on the couch at an even more insane hour, and all twisted up.

Here are some random things:

1. I have pictures from this weekend. I'll post them tomorrow.
2. Thursday our friends the Costellos are having a cookout. I am excited because it's a Thursday night event and I don't have to miss it for working late.
3. I'm also excited to bring homemade ice cream sandwiches (Pete promised Amy I would).
4. Thursday I am also picking up my new mouthguard. I'm happy about this too, even though they probably won't allow me to barter knitted goods or photos of my garden for it.
5. Only 8.5 more work days till vacation.
6. We still need to reserve a campsite.
7. Charlotte had me write "squiggly lines" on her doodle pad. From here it looks like it says "Squiggy lives."
8. It seems like every 8 to 9 years I do something that results in the need for a tetanus shot.

I think I'm babbling. It could be bedtime......

Wishful thinking

(7.14.09)

Proto-grapes

(7.13.09)

Sunday. Pre-game.

(7.12.09)

Ah, Saturday

This has been a good morning so far- coffee, sun, almost finishing a knitting project, and some one-handed cleaning. It's fairly difficult to change the sheets on a king-sized bed with only one hand....I don't recommend it. Then again, I also don't recommend rendering yourself one-handed in the first place.

The finger still hurts, and I haven't undone the bandage yet. Later on I will. I'm annoyed now that I won't be able to jump in the ocean this weekend without the assistance of Ziploc. Oh well.

Pete's outside filling up the kiddie pool, and I am thinking I might need a grocery list and a shower. I need to make a phone call or two....maybe hit the library to pay my overdue fines and renew a few books.....and possibly finish my Juliet sweater....all good things.

Blooms

(7.11.09)

The good, the bad and the bloody

This afternoon began a three-day weekend for me (the one I should have had last weekend, ahem), which is so very good. It was a full day of conference calls and reports and chit-chat with work friends over company IM, and I left at 3:30.

Mostly I left early because I visited the fantastic and heaven-sent Dr. Hotz for some adjusting. He is a brilliant, brilliant man and he is not ever allowed to retire. EVER. Good thing he's not much older than me- by the time he stops practicing I will have acquired a bionic spine.

I must also mention that the sun was shining. So between the shiny sun and warm air, the 89 hours away from work (so sad that I counted them) and the post-chiro euphoria, I just couldn't stop smiling. I picked up the Lou and went home....I watered the garden and then chatted with Pete while starting to work on a large gin-and-tonic. Then I started dinner.

Maybe I should begin by saying that a person should have more than one suitably sharp knife in the house, so that a person does not get used to using dull knives. Or maybe I should start by saying that perhaps a person shouldn't be high on the heady smell of basil she grew herself and the promise of three days unchained from the crackberry when using said knife. At least I made it through trimming the green beans, chopping the garlic and tomatoes, and putting everything together before hacking off part of my finger.
And that would be the bad and the bloody. It hurts like a mofo, and bled like crazy. This is part of the reason that the Red Cross calls my house when it's been too long since they've gathered my blood. I've been banned for life from using the Santuko- maybe I should contact a Montessori supply website and look for some knives that might be more on my level.
The salad was amazing though. It's the green bean/white bean/tomato salad with garlic and basil, stolen from That Martha and modified a bit.

Friday

(7.10.09)

Garden

(7.9.09)

Mmm, food

(7.8.09)

Out the window

(7.7.09)

Up

(7.6.09)

More holiday

Tired girl
In the field
The last dregs of sunset
Ken and Katie
Fireworks, yay!!
Fleurys
Youngs
The cool thing was that although we were up there to see Dover fireworks, we were positioned so that we could also make out the fireworks from a couple of surrounding towns on the horizon. Great spot. We felt bad for the poor cows though- they were terrified, and we were grateful for barbed wire.

July 4th

Yesterday I had the unexpected win of sleeping in, which I really needed. We did a few things around the house, then headed off to Westford to spend some time at Pete's Aunt Deirdre's house.

Swimming!


And lounging on the boat. (Although we had to miss the boat ride, since we had dinner/fireworks plans and needed to head back.)
Mikayla, Deirdre, and Victoria
Such a beautiful day....
Bocce

Aunt Deirdre and the Lou
Uncle John and Grumpa!
A nice visit, then off to meet some of our townies for dinner and fireworks from the Youngs' neighbor's field.....

So far......

...so good. It was a tough start to the holiday weekend, in that I had to head into the office for a bit on Friday morning (we were open 9 to 1). But by the time I left, the sun was out for a little while:



Buuuuut, then it rained again. And rained. We had some friends over in the hopes that we'd go from dinner to the kickoff to the Cochecho Arts Festival. Once the concert was moved inside the high school because of the weather, though, it sort of lost its appeal. We had yummy meat from the smoker, broccoli salad and a few beers...and later, ice cream...and the girls rode bikes in the now-drizzle.


Lots of fun, despite the lack of cooperation from the weather.

Sunday morning

(7.5.09)

Finally

(7.4.09)

Really??

(7.3.09)

Clean...even in the rain....

(7.2.09)

7:30

(7.1.09)