Smiles and Snores

Back in the day...

2012-01-31T17:00:00.000-05:00

As a little girl, about Connor and Fiona's age, I relished the winter ski trips we took to Colorado. My grandparents had a condo in Breckenridge and the whole family would go out for ski trips. Later, my grandfather was the manager of a George T Sanders (plumbing supply company -- he was a plumber and HVAC guy) in Silverthorne, CO. My grandparents lived there for several years. I visited at least one whole summer and fell in love with one of the guys in the warehouse.

We are planning a trip to Breckenridge for just under a week in February, and I've been rather nostalgic about the wonderful memories of my childhood. Below are some photos of the fun I had.

From left to right, me age 5 or 6, my father, my grandmother, my grandfather and my mother

This picture was taken at my grandparents house in Wichita, Kansas. I'm guessing it was in the late 1970's.

Me and my snowmobile, ~1980

My grandparents were avid snowmobilers -- they actually towed a trailer with snowmobiles behind a 10' trailer for warming up. They got me this little thing and grandpa adjusted the governor down so I wouldn't go too fast. I loved taking it out in the field next to the plumbing supply warehouse.


A professional shot with my grandparents and I, ~1980

This is one of my treasured photos. Skiing with my father and grandparents was such a great part of my life. This photo was taken after the years of the adults skiing in hunter orange sweatshirts and jeans (hey, it was the 70s), when we actually had real ski gear.

I am my grandfather's namesake -- Tracy Bryan. He passed away when I was in high school and I miss him very much. He set a standard that very few men have been able to meet in my life. My father, Mike's father and Mike are the only other people who are in the same category. Men who love their families above all else, who are completely moral almost to a fault, people you just want to be around.

I'm looking forward to seeing how much the mountain has changed in 30+ years. It will be a great adventure for Mike and I. I'm looking forward to making more great memories.

I love FOOD (part 2 of 2)

2012-01-26T17:00:00.000-05:00

As much as I love to eat out, it isn't really practical to do so often. We were lucky in that the last few weeks allowed us to celebrate holidays, thus eat, at home. In preparation for our chow fest, I stocked up on some food. Way more food than was advisable, by the way. But that's okay. We enjoyed it bite by bite.

Cheese plate featuring gorgonzola, brie, gruyere and goat cheese with fig jam (from Murray's Cheese Shop), 12/31/2011

Smoked salmon, onions, capers and creme fraiche (from Wegman's), 1/1/2012

Our first meal on our new kitchen table; pot roast, asparagus with Hollandaise sauce, baby new potatoes and salad, 1/1/2012

Lobster pie (from Hancock Gourmet Lobster), crab-stuffed mushrooms (Wegmans) and snap peas, 1/8/2012

After all of this eating, I need to go on a diet!!!

Smiles

I love FOOD (part 1 of 2)

2012-01-24T17:00:00.000-05:00

You knew that about me, right?! I love to eat. If I ate as often as I thought about food I'd weigh 700 pounds. Fortunately, I have a small amount of control that has saved me -- so far. We have enjoyed some very nice meals over the past few weeks. I thought it would be fun to share some of them with you, my few dedicated followers :-) This post will highlight our adventures in dining out.

Mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto and deep fried, served with toasted bread and tomato; starter at Sonoma, 12/30/11

Caesar salad presented in a toasted Parmesan bowl; starter at Sonoma, 12/30/2011


Lobster Savannah en croute, entree at Sonoma, 12/30/2011

Rack of lamb, entree at Sonoma, 12/30/2011


Salmon, entree at Romaine's, 1/6/2012

Duck, entree at Romaine's, 1/6/2012

Apple bacon grilled cheese sandwich with lentil salad, Armsby Abbey, 1/9/2012

Porchetta sandwich with lentil salad, Armsby Abbey, 19/2012

If you haven't been to the restaurants above, I highly recommend them. Yum!

Smiles

Goodbyes

2012-01-23T11:39:00.004-05:00

Unfortunately, goodbyes are a part of everyone's life cycle. They are most difficult for those left behind, as they begin picking of the pieces of what they have lost and remembering all the good in the loved one that has left us. Basically, it sucks.

Today I am in that suckalicious void of sadness. My grandmother, Margaret Anne Everson, passed away Friday afternoon after battling dementia for several years. She waited to let go until all of the family -- her three children and husband -- were assembled together. She is now at peace and free of her corporeal discomforts. She can watch us from above and share in our live forever and always.

She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother, an avid reader, card player, swimmer and boater. She worked hard and she was unwavering when she supported someone. I will hold my memories of her dear.

Hitting the slopes

2012-01-20T17:00:00.000-05:00

Mike and I have had a great time skiing with Connor and Fiona. We started teaching them at the beginning of last season. This season we are out having fun with little direction required. They get on and off the lifts unassisted (mostly). We're holding off on letting them go up without an adult. A 7 year old fell off the lift at Nashoba Valley recently, and we'd like to avoid that.

Anyhoo... Just thought I'd share some pics from our recent trip. I'm a proud auntie.

Getting ready to go

Between Mike and I, much of Connor and Fiona's lives are documented in photos

Fiona far left, Connor middle, Mike right

I just love these guys

A Clean Start

2012-01-18T17:00:00.002-05:00

Part of our plan for 2012 is to reclaim the poorly used space on our second floor. Mattie is the only one who really uses the space (his "room" is the bathroom); the two bedrooms and landings had become a place to put things. This was once organized, but over the past year, has become increasingly random and out of control. So much so, that I thought we were going to get put on that TV show Hoarders. Starting January 1, Mike and I have been making a concerted effort to organize and clean up the second floor. We have thrown out several lawn and leaf bags of trash (10 or so) and gotten a shocking number of items together for the yard sale we plan to have this spring.

Our landing only has a few key things now. The chair is a candidate to go downstairs...

The bedroom is free of debris.

As shocking as the transformation may be for those of you that saw the horror before we started cleaning, we did not just shove things into the other bedroom and the attic. The attic has about 40% less in it that it used to (and is nicely arranged). The third bedroom is still undergoing work. We have to sort through paperwork and organize a variety of things. It is the last room remaining.

We even had a burn party to get rid of 4 years worth of my bills.

Yard sale stuff.

The photo above is of some of the items ready for the yard sale -- yes, all the way from the pole, to the wall. We have another big group of items in another part of the barn. I can't wait to see this stuff GO!

Smiles

Michael is a genius

2012-01-16T17:00:00.003-05:00

Really, he is. Why? That will become clear soon.

We got up on Friday morning to find that our beloved dishwasher seemed to have bitten the dust. It died mid-cycle, was full of water, and the control panel would not light up. After some searches online, we found a forum that had answered someone with a similar problem for the same dishwasher that we have.

I posted a message asking for help (http://appliantology.org/topic/35872-bosch-shu9955uc-has-no-power/page__p__220562#entry220562) and the folks on the forum were very helpful. They asked if we opened up the kick panel and how the wiring looked.

Ah oh...

The wiring was not supposed to look all fried like it is above.

Mike cleaned up the wiring. Thank God his eye is feeling better.

Cleaning up the connections


Ready to make the new connections

Once he had it all cleaned up, we did a test run. It works!!! His patience and our good fortune in finding a forum with people who were willing to help saved us about $400 -- easily.

In the Eye of the Beholder

2012-01-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

You know how sometimes you're just walking along and something hits you? Oftentimes, it is a figurative experience, a WOW moment. On Tuesday, it was a literal experience for Mike. He was walking along the sidewalk in Boston and he got hit by a strong gust of wind. Apparently it was a doozie. Immediately afterward, he felt like he was stabbed in the eye.

By the time he got home a few hours later, he was in significant pain. He's had a problem with inward curling eyelashes for a couple of years. They grow in toward his eye and scratch the cornea. It is very irritating, but he has formulated a system of locating and removing the offending hairs. This time he wasn't able to find any pokers. He looked for at least an hour throughout the night.

We headed to CVS and he stocked up on a few varieties of Genteal. After many applications and no alleviation of pain, we went to bed, where he was unable to sleep due to pain. Mike's eye was red, bloodshot and swollen by Wednesday morning. Phrases like "horrible pain" and "emergency room" became his refrain on the way into work. He decided to call Beetham Eye Center at Joslins Diabetes Center and speak with the on-call doctor. The doctor thought he should be seen, so we detoured directly to One Joslin Place and walked into the clinic at 7:50 am.

Beetham stuck to their normal routine and Mike was first seen by an optometrist. She attempted to have him read the chart and took a look into his eye. He couldn't read the chart and was in so much discomfort from the fluorescent lights that they had to be turned off. The doctor gave him a numbing drop for his eye. It apparently stung but brought nearly instant relief for the pain. The good news was that there were no foreign objects. We went to the dilation waiting room until the ophthalmologist could do an examination.

Upon examination by the ophthalmologist, we learned that Mike had a severe corneal abrasion. From what we can tell, that big wind gust in Boston blew a piece of grit or dirt into Mike's eye. He wiped his eye to get it out and ended up scratching his cornea -- badly. The treatment was broached; Mike was prescribed antibiotic cream that the doctor would put in his eye. A patch would cover the eye until the next day so the eye would be immobilized and have a chance to heal.

All patched up

We were to return on Thursday to see Mike's regular ophthalmologist for a follow-up. It was going to be a long day. Mike wanted to return to work for some meetings. We headed home after his meetings so he could get some rest. It was more comfortable to have both eyes closed that only one with no depth perception. The pain was still intense. He did some research and learned that corneal abrasions are among the most painful injuries one can have. Women have described it as more painful that childbirth.

Mike got some much-needed sleep on Wednesday night and we returned to Beetham on Thursday. The doctor said the eye was healing and he should add antibiotic drops to his treatment plan, followed by application of the antibiotic cream to the unpatched eye (4x a day).

Still not out of the woods, but getting better

Mike returned home Thursday to rest and recover. He is on his way to feeling better. He'll see a corneal specialist from Massachusetts Eye and Ear on Wednesday to determine if there was permanent damage to the cornea; we're told that there shouldn't be, but it is best to check.

Who knew a little walk could be so dangerous?

Meet Miss Molly

2012-01-11T18:56:00.000-05:00

Last year we met, fell in love with, and gave up a great little homeless kitty. We named her Molly, and we'd like to share her story.

The New Table Tableau

2012-01-08T19:22:00.001-05:00

Every home needs to be spruced up now and again. Right? Right!

So, on January 1st, we were out running errands and found our spuce, er, well, whatever. We got a new kitchen table! I have been telling Mike I'd like to get a new one for quite some time -- 4 years -- but we never really found one we like. I really like this one.

the old table

the new table - 1 of the 2 leaves in

the new table without any leaves

I really like the way the table dresses up the kitchen. It is slowly growing on Mike. Come on over and see it in person!

Coming up... Food, cleaning and who knows what else!

Smiles!

Magnet Balls = Endless Fun

2012-01-06T08:21:00.001-05:00

As Christmas got closer last year (last year?! That was only 5 days ago!), I started looking for a fun stocking stuffer for Mike. I found it, and being me, got one for myself as well. They are Magnet Balls. Street name is Bucky Balls, but I got the off brand for a little less. Mike got all gold and I got rainbow. I love them!!! There are 216 little balls that you can mold and shape into all kinds of cool things. The bonus? They are fun stress relievers.

My latest creation is a mug. Boring, right? That's ok. I like it!

A New Year!

2012-01-05T15:43:00.002-05:00

Time has passed, we've changed for better and for worse, and a new year is upon us.

I've just been overtaken with an urge to come back to blogging randomness every now and then. We'll see how well I keep up! I hope you'll join me and let me know what you think.

Happy 2012 :)

A beautiful day

2011-07-19T12:45:00.000-04:00

After a fun-filled day at camp on Saturday, Mike and I were ready for an off-grounds excursion on Sunday. We decided to hit the Ledges and made a late start. We arrived at the beach around 1, did a round of hellos to old friends and hung out. It was great. The weather was perfect, there were a good number of people (but not too many), and we got some sun.

Near the end of the day, my competitive darling must have decided he could top my blister. As we were traversing some rocks, his foot went down wrong and his broke one of his toes (ouch!). On the way to our towels, he stubbed a toe on the other foot. The poor guy was spewing blood.

Fortunately, he is doing ok. He's wrapped his toes and is soldiering along. It kind of messed up wearing his 5 finger shoes though -- the toe wouldn't go in its slot!

Happy Trails

2011-07-18T16:47:00.000-04:00

Friday marked the first day of our long-overdue vacation. We decided we needed an active day, so we hiked from the Lee/Beckett town line to Upper Goose Pond on the Appalachian trail. The terrain was pretty aggressive (it was a major workout, steep hiking) and the path was well-trodden.

The day was beautiful and we enjoyed a nice picnic while we admired the view at the pond. The hike out was no less challenging. We were really happy to have the great workout!

View Larger Map

I did have one little foible during the day, which is a little embarrassing. My some rash of poor judgment I decided to wear a pair of Tevas I haven't put on in three years. I felt a large blister on my right foot about a mile and a half into the hike. Knowing there was nothing I could do, I kept going. Mike, my ever-present man scout had an extra pair of socks that I wore out. It made the hiking bearable.

I am on the mend with plenty more activity to come for the week. I'll keep you posted with more tales!

Dreaming of lobster rolls

2011-07-08T10:01:00.000-04:00

The arrival of summer always brings an increased desire to indulge in lobster rolls. For us, anyway.

We haven't treated ourselves with the hearty goodness of restaurant lobster rolls yet. But, tomorrow, we'll make our own for the first time! I called the supermarket yesterday and asked them to cook up two lobsters for us. We'll shell them tonight and make our salad so it can absorb all the flavors for tomorrow night's dinner: lobster rolls, onion rings, and summer slaw.

I can't wait!!!

Some of the better movies

2011-07-07T11:42:00.001-04:00

After ranting on what I think is bad, it is only fair to tell you about the recent movies we thought were OK (or better):

A Shine of Rainbows: This amazing movie made me cry. A must see.
Country Strong: Good music, sad topic
The Company Men: Mike thought it was weak; I thought it was ok
True Grit: Saw it at the theater, Mike didn't so we watched together. Awesome.
The Mechanic: A good, if predictable, action movie
The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader: I like Narnia a lot
The King's Speech: I really liked it
Secretariat: Excellent

What's on your list? Good or Bad!

Locked into the bad movie rut

2011-07-06T13:30:00.002-04:00

I don't know what it is, but it seems we've seen more than our share of bad movies lately. Here are a few of the disappointments:

The Hit List: Bad plot, horrible acting, poorly developed characters
Biutiful: The story could have been so much better, but it was just depressing
Just Go With It: D.U.M.B. but it did make me laugh some
Drive Angry: A bad choice for Nick Cage. The story was deplorably bad; so much so I fell asleep during a zombie movie
Due Date: So stupid it didn't make sense. But I did laugh a couple of times
How Do You Know: Plot? What plot. Quelle stupide.
The Tourist: The only good thing about this one was the two attractive stars. The plot was non-existent but at least they got to film in Italy.
Unstoppable: This movie is very stoppable. Just do it; click Stop. Save yourself the time.
The Scent of Green Papaya: I had high hopes. There was little language and it just drug on and on with no point.
Salt: Just another Angelina Jolie flick. She's just a pretty picture.

I'm not all grey clouds... Next I'll tell you the recent movies we liked!

Celebrating with a bang

2011-07-05T15:29:00.000-04:00

The Fourth of July has come and gone. The summer can't be so far gone already -- really -- it just can't be!

We enjoyed a great weekend away in the Berkshires. We got to see our great friends (even Steve and Helen, which was a super treat), have some nice meals and relax. You can't beat it!!! Speaking of food (as I often am), I made a few yummy recipes that I want to share:

Salmon with summer tomatoes and rosemary: This was a delightful Friday night dinner. I cooked it one the grill -- the parchment wrapping did not catch fire -- and the flavors were fabulous.
Shrimp salad with butter lettuce: I skipped the pumpernickel bread on this. The salad had a delicate flavor.
Herbed new potato salad: A nice flavor, but it needed more dijon and herbs. My all-time olive oil based fave is this one http://iamthebeholder.wordpress.com/2009/06/07/the-best-potato-salad-ever/
Grilled onion salad: This was by far and away the show-stopper. Friggin' amazing flavors, sweet and carmelized without a bit of sugar. This one is a real keeper.
Egg Nests: I've made these once before. You have to use a good stand mixer (not a hand mixer) to really puff up the egg whites. This is a nice alternative to scrambies and other eggs and would be tres fun for the kiddos.
Mixed Fruit Salad: I put in whatever fruit I want. This is a nice, fresh break from the daily egg routine. We top with chopped nuts (this week was pecans) for a nice crunch. If you aren't diabetic and have nut concerns, granola would be perfect.

I'm not all about food, but it is a nice way to share happiness :)

Happy days!

The Return of Ms Kitty

2011-06-22T21:15:00.000-04:00

I thought she was gone. Really, I thought she'd been out on a day pass or sneaky escape when we last saw her. We haven't seen hide nor hair since the last time I posted about Ms Kitty. Then again, we were gone from home for 12 days...

In fact, Ms Kitty is still around. Mike looked out the window last night and saw her uphill out the bedroom window. I talked to her for a bit from the bathroom window, but she wasn't too interested in seeing me when I went outside (read she ran away).

This morning she was hanging out with Mattie under the truck. The weird thing was that her fur was all over the place. It was like she molted. Or someone ripped her hair out. When she walked away it appeared she might have part of her skin ripped (I do not know if that was indeed fact).

I decided to lure her in with some tuna Pat got for Mattie last week (he only likes the juice, not the meat). It didn't take her long to come over and have a snack. I got some very bad photos with my cell phone that I'll just skip posting.

Little did I know that tuna must be an aphrodisiac for cats. For Mattie, anyway. Next thing I know, she's back under the truck with him, ass up and him, well, you know. Guess no one told him he's NEUTERED!

Plagued with rain tonight, I took some food out to the barn in case she was seeking refuge. She was in there and ran for cover when I went in. I put the food down and talked to her for a bit. I went in again later, scaring her again, and chatted as I walked by.

Maybe we'll have a new barn cat. I just wish I knew what was up with all this loose hair...

A week away

2011-06-21T14:37:00.000-04:00

We are back from a week away in the Poconos. The Eastern Naturist Gathering was great fun. Though it did rain a few days, then warm sunny days made up for it.

We arrived back home around 4 pm on Sunday. Last night we caught up on the lawn, which hadn't been mowed for three weeks (the lawn tractor needed a part, and it would take me 3 hours to do it all with the self-propelled mower). That was fun :)

We did take a walk afterwards. It was very nice.

View Larger Map

More to come later on!

More flowers

2011-06-11T08:58:00.000-04:00

Gosh, I am just flower obsessed and cat obsessed. Oh well, you knew already!

Mike's sister also gave us this plant...

So pretty!

A peony for your thoughts...

2011-06-10T15:58:00.000-04:00

Our peonies are out now. I have snap pics quick while they last! Those pretty plants turn quickly...

I had fun taking photos of these... The first, from far away is in iAuto mode. The rest are in sepia and soft focus.

This plant was a gift from Mike's sister

soft focus 1


soft focus 2

sepia 1

sepia 2

I just love flowers!

More on Ms. Kitty

2011-06-08T11:35:00.000-04:00

So... Yes, I am still on the kitty kick. And, I still think Kitty is a girl. I'm even thinking of names for her.

Don't get askeered for me falling in love yet; I don't think she'll be around long term (though it would be nice if it works out for her to be a barn cat).

We picked up the car from the shop yesterday and when we got home, she was in the driveway. She ran under the potting shed and we couldn't spot her. We gave up and went out for ice cream. When we got back home, she was out again. Zoom! Back to the potting shed.

As a sneaky way to lure her out, I took out some cat food. Tricky, right?! She came out and nibbled a bit. I got up to get my camera and some canned food; off to the potting shed again. She came out while I was inside (Mike stayed out) but then retreated when I came back out.

I sat up shop waiting for her to come back out. At that point, Mike had quite enough and went in to iron. After a good little bit, she made her way out.

I think she's thinking, "I see you see me, and I don't like it."

After a little bit she wandered over to under the front of truck. I slowly approached. Creep... Creep... She was watching. Mattie had enough of this creepy crap and just went to the truck. She came back to see him. I stopped about 10 feet from the back of the truck.

Hi, Girlfriend. Didn't know you were going to meet the folks today.

Really, mom, I'm not interested in her. We're just friends.

I'm now about 7 feet from her; she is perfectly happy and content

She even did a rolling around and stretching "I'm so happy" number

She's watching Mattie check out the kitty buffet

It was at this point that I decided to try to creep closer. No dice for me. She said, "Danger! Danger! Human too close!" and fled.

That progress isn't too bad for 3 days!

You know I'll keep you posted!

There's a new cat in town

2011-06-07T08:47:00.004-04:00

We were outside on Sunday when we (Mike) noticed a cat on our stone wall. It was Mattie's size. He was with it, very closely following, as a matter of fact. I think it is a female because he was right with the other cat and not the least bit stand offish as he was with Midnight.

We got home last night and scared the dickens out of the little thing, who was sleeping in the driveway with Mattie on the patio table. She took off like a shot. I saw her later in the barn.

I'm not sure if she belongs to someone or if she is a stray. We left out food for her last night. I don't know if she ate it or if it was another animal.

I'm happy that Mattie has someone to hang out with. He seems to be having a good time. If that means having another kitty around for a while, that is ok with me. I'll try not to get attached.

By the way, the cat looks a lot like our first cat, Scrumpy. He was handsome and sweet -- I'm sure you've all heard his story by now.

The "new" cat has similar markings in the face and a fluffier tail. I don't have pictures of her yet (since she runs when she sees me, as all smarties should).

I will take broad liberties and post a few more pics of Scrumpy...

I'll keep you posted!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Grumbles and Growls

2011-06-06T21:24:00.003-04:00

I called my gynecologist in November to schedule my April appointment. They told me, we don't book out that far, you need to call back. So, I used my handy dandy online calendar and set up a reminder to call early March for my late April appointment. Noper doodle. Not good enough. The soonest I could get was June. Well, ok.

I thought it was all set. A couple of weeks later, the doctors' office called again. My GYN wanted to go to a conference the day of my appointment and I'd need to reschedule. Hmm... Okay, I did.

My appointment was today at 3:00. I arrived 15 minutes early and quickly filled out the paperwork. At 3:25, I went to the receptionist to find out when I might be seen. At 3:35 I was taken back to the exam room and weighed. And there I sat until 4:10. No check-ins, no "the doctor will be ready in a few minutes". N-O-T-H-I-N-G. Oh, but I did hear the doctor outside the exam room BSing with the nurses for quite a while.

I initially planned to pick up Mike and his luggage (from a trip that was cancelled at the last minute) in Boston. The seriously late appointment precluded that and we changed to him taking the train (very inconvenient with luggage in rush hour).

I finally walked out at 4:10. Party because I needed to get to Southborough to pick up Mike and partly because, well, I was pissed. I mean, really, at least show me the smallest amount of courtesy and treat me like a semi-valued patient.

I left a message for the office manager on my way to pick up Mike. She is supposed to call Friday. We'll see if she does and how that goes. In the meantime, I've gotten a recommendation from my primary care physician and can see him in a pinch if I need to.

Sigh.

p.s. I failed to mention that I waited almost an hour to see the doctor last year after a 4 month booking for the "soonest" appointment... And, she is not an obstetrician, just a gynecologist, so there was no baby delivery or emergency appointments to blame. I really don't think I'm being bitchy (and even if I am, I simply don't care).

**Update **
I heard back from the office manager today. She was very apologetic and horrified about what happened. She is going to investigate the situation and call me back tomorrow. Maybe we can make lemonade out of lemons. I sure hope so...