deucespruce

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Adventures and down time

An unexpected opportunity to play with some friends popped up for the girl yesterday, so Pete took her to a playground a town over. I poked around for a while, not really feeling pursuing my plans. Still, a chance to get out there in the sun was not something to let slip away, so I headed off to the farmer's market.

There were fewer vendors, since the winter has ended and the stores of potatoes, onions, carrots, turnips, shallots and garlic are mostly depleted. But I could still find fresh bread, fish, meat, eggs, goat's milk and cheese....plus there were some crafters there with their wares. I loaded up with a loaf of anadama bread, 2 lb of haddock, 2 packages of frozen sausage, and some small yellow potatoes (which are really so so pretty- I should take a picture). And since I was alone, I had a better opportunity to talk to people, poke around. All in all, not a bad way to spend an hour or so....plus the walk through the greenhouse just to get to the market area was just full of heady fragrance and green...tulips and primroses, pansies and daffodils. I swear this fall I will plant bulbs for early spring bloom no matter what I do.

From there I hit the yarn store for a brief visit. I've been annoyed at my wristwarmers, largely because of the aforementioned problem (my fault) of running out of yarn. Fortunately for me, Margot did have more of the same dye lot. [Sometimes my luck is better than my procrastinating heart can hope for!] I also found a beautiful blue cotton...so soft...and despite the fact that I have FOUR separate knitting projects sitting on my couch, I bought two hanks of it. We have friends who recently had a baby boy...and I do love making wee sweaters. Almost instant gratification.

I took pictures, walking down Central:

After dropping off the market stuff, eating lunch, and taking care of some stuff around here, Lou and I headed off again to (get this) get my car washed. It just felt like a good day to do that. A trip to Tuttle's did not yield what I needed to make dinner (why can't I find either Negro Modelo or ancho chiles in the Dover area?)...so we headed home.

I played with the camera...

...and then made dinner. I did the Beer-Braised Turkey Tacos from Food & Wine's March issue. It was a lot of work, probably more than the grilled salmon tacos in the same issue...and not quite as tasty. It could also be that I botched the sauce by trying to reduce it after I pureed the tomatoes/onions/jalapenos/garlic instead of reducing and THEN dumping it into the blap-o-matic.

Kitchen wear

(Mexican sugar skull apron by Cupcake Provocateur. Love the lovely husband.)

Today I've been good for not much. Made some waffles, am avoiding the grocery list and the rest of the cleaning. Lou and I might go to Petco or do some crafty stuff after lunch. I think it's a sleepy day, despite the sun...Pete seems to have caught a cold...so I think another quiet Sunday might be what we need. Haddock, potatoes and peas for dinner- not exciting, but yummy local, comforting food. Ahh.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Spring, please

I had intended to write this entry before now, so much of it has flown from my cluttered head. I had been thinking about this winter- my attempts to resist the impulse to hibernate, the weird weather- and realized that while I am usually beginning my spring thaw by now, I'm not quite there yet. I think I need to shake things up...these things don't happen on their own, now do they?

The weekend ahead is supposed to be sunny, but a bit cold (30s and 40s). I am thinking that this is the perfect opportunity for working inside the house. Our collective and individual piles of stuff are out of control. Some organization is in order, some stashing of stuff not immediately needed in storage, some general cleaning. Trust me when I say that there is LOTS that needs to be cleaned. This Monday through Friday pace does not lend itself well to maintaining a clean house!

Being able to look around and see a clean and (mostly, let's be honest; it's still me) organized house will be so much more peaceful for me than glancing over and looking at this pile or that thing-that-is-dirty. So that's one thing.

And the winter farmer's market is this weekend too. I think it's the one close to home, and we haven't been in a while. The market always gets me inspired about food and cooking and growing...and it is time that we start thinking about the garden....

To get me over this early spring hump, where the ground still sleeps and the air still holds a chill, I'm going to take pictures of things I find beautiful, things that inspire me. I've been too bogged down. There's an entire world out there that I don't always see, whispering "open your eyes" as I speed along. I'm listening, I promise I am.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Last-Minute Mama rides again

Fortunately for the kidlet, I was able to recover from my almost-fumble. We are locked and loaded for kindergarten, with only the doctor's office completion of the school's physical form left to add to what is now her file.

"I hope you know....that this will go down...on your permanent record...."

Today is a bit of a blur; even now I'm not sure how it all happened. Somehow though, possibly through some kind of time warp, I managed to resolve student issues, request refund checks, chase the Business Office manager (fruitlessly, I might add) for help resolving two of said student issues, register the Lou for school, drive to the other office, have one of my (many) weekly meetings, resolve more student issues.....and leave for home an hour late. Then I remembered the laundry detergent we didn't have. Sigh.

You can see why I'm a little manic. It could also be the giant iced coffee I drank at 2:00.

And now I am working, although sort of half-heartedly. I am sure I will regret this when I am ill-prepared for my 9:00 meeting tomorrow, in which I am scheduled to throw down with the Director of Admissions.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Up and down

Okay, so there's good news and bad news today.

Good news: The operations review went pretty well. I expected a firing squad, but our presentations were met with either mild skepticism or even simple acceptance...and questions here and there.

Bad news: I have had a headache perched on my face, like a giant malevolent bird, since around 11 am.

Good news: My presence is not required tomorrow; I can go back to my regularly scheduled programming.

Bad news: I'm so drained! I wish today had been Friday. Tomorrow will likely be exhausting.

Good news: I will be able to pick the Lou up from school tomorrow and make dinner. Who knows? Maybe we'll even get her birthday thank-yous finished.

Bad news: I forgot to check and see when kindergarten signups are scheduled for Lou's future elementary school.

Good news: A friend who lives in town mentioned something on FB and her post reminded me.

Bad news: Um, possibly pretty bad news: They're this week. By appointment only. The only days left for appointments are tomorrow and Thursday. Crap.

Just when I think I have things under control, man...who decided that I should be an adult?!?

Monday, March 15, 2010

....in which I am, inexplicably, in a very bad mood...

The darkness outside the windows when the alarm sounded this morning didn't surprise me. Why would it? This is the time of year, and to be honest I gladly trade daylight in the early morning for daylight in the evening. I was even cheerful about the time change yesterday, feeling as though it's a true sign that spring really is just around the corner. Despite the chill in the air, I crawled out of the warm flannel nest and headed off to start the day- coffee, stretching, treadmill.

Maybe that's where it started.

Everything has just been so damn difficult today, and it's only 9:00. I ended up feeling squashed by the exercise rather than energized. I had to wake everyone else in the house up a bit later than usual, which didn't make for happy people. Truthfully, all of the annoyances today have been just that- petty annoyances, nothing to get fussed about- and still my frustration threshold is really really low today. I drove to Portsmouth thinking about all of the things I didn't get done yesterday, thinking about the work week and things that I don't want to do (as in, major presentation to regional management, sort of a defend-your-life kind of thing, which I am co-presenting with my boss, who has in turn not shared anything he's written with me) and thinking about how badly I could use some time off. The more I think, the more frustrated and irritable I become.

And still it rains. The wind blows the sheets of rain sideways, and the roads resemble what sailors look for on the surface of a body of water. I get wet getting cash from the ATM, wetter getting in and out of the car to pick up cough and cold medicine at the pharmacy. I have plans to meet a friend for lunch downtown today, and know that I will be wetter still after that.

I can put all this into perspective...things can always be worse, you know? We didn't lose power again, the cellar is wet but not flooded, I have a job....today I just do not have the psychic energy to put on the happy face. I am having a bad morning, and I own that.

And I know that tomorrow will be better. I refuse to have the same day two days in a row.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Rainy Sunday

I had the idea that I might get some stuff accomplished today...errands, cleaning, laundry....but have abandoned that plan in favor of laying low. What was a little cough yesterday has evolved into a full-blown cold today, and the last thing the kidlet needs is to be dragged to the shoe store, the yarn shop, the grocery store and wherever else. She's tired, and a bit weepy, so couch time and movies are in order. Coraline is on soon, and she really wants to see it...and to be honest I am not feeling 100% today either. I've decided to resign myself to the fact that my house will look like a tornado blew through it for the rest of the week, because I am not cleaning it up!

Some randomness from the past week or so:

Before hair

And after.

I'm still getting used to it...but I really like it. Next time I will convince her to make them more so (more bang-y; she really didn't want to give me the bangs in the first place).

This hat

which has aggravated me off and on since November, is finally done. The bad news is that it's too big for my head and too small for Pete's. It's really beautiful, which is a great thing- I worked hard on all those one stitch cables, made it too big, blocked it, and then got frustrated and shelved it. The intended recipient got a different Christmas gift. Lasy week, I finally took it in for help ripping back, then redid all the finish work yesterday. Even after steam blocking it, I'm not happy for some reason. [Probably because I can't wear it.]

I'm working on a simple pair of arm/wristwarmers- I liked the last pair I made so much I decided I need a pair too! Of course, despite using the same yarn, same pattern, same needles...I am going to run out of yarn. Damn. Always pick up the extra ball...I know this! And yet. Thus the trip to the yarn shop...which now is not happening. I can work on Charlotte's sweater, or Pete's, or swatch for mine, so it's not like I don't have stuff to work on. I just really wanted those done before I moved on to the next thing.

This little person

really likes making potholders. She does not like finishing them (weaving the loose loops together), so I get to do that part. It hurts the hands! She's a smart kid to make me do it.