California, Here I Come

By the Bay

Tomorrow night we will be on our way to California and I can't wait! We get to stay with our friend Diggy in Palo Alto and wander around the bay area to have lots of fun. I'm notorious for being a super planner when it comes to travel, but this trip has been put together a little more loosely since I was a bit preoccupied with our housewarming. In fact, I still have to finish A LOT of packing tonight (mostly because I decided to fall asleep on the couch last night). But we've got a general schedule in place and I can't wait to explore and see San Francisco, Palo Alto and surrounding areas. Here's a general idea of what we're planning to see and do:

Thursday:
-Winchester Mystery House in San Jose
-The Trouble with Harry at the Stanford Theater

Friday:
-Muir Woods , Muir Beach?, Tide Pools?, other outdoorsy things

Saturday:
-Shopping at H&M
-Richard Avedon exhibit at SFMOMA
-Coit Tower

Sunday:
-Lindy in the Park
-Stowe Lake
-Scary Cow 9th film fest at Victoria Theater, including Diggy's short film Cult Fiction

Other things to be fit in where/when able:
-Ferry Market
-Bob's Donuts
-Eating from a taco wagon
-Crissy Field and Fort Point?
-Secret slides?

Any other ideas or suggestions?

Weekend Roundup

Friday:
-Sleep in
-Work from home, from bed in fact, while watching MacGyver
-See Josh off to Fate Lions show and start re-reading Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
-Josh gets home and we hit the hay

Saturday:
-Up early
-Hair cuts at Shelton's
-Buy shower invitations at Michael's
-Cheese toast and a banana
-Write thank you notes
-A little TV time and a bit of reading
-Nap on the couch
-Chipotle for lunch
-Tidy house
-A bit of Beatles Rock Band
-Spencer, Deb & Liam come over for some pizza, Rock Band and lots of good catching-up
-See them off and a bit more Rock Band
-Awake in bed far too late to finish BJ2
-Finally sleep

Sunday:
-Sleep in
-Cereal and banana
-Print out shower invitations
-Get ready
-Grocery shopping
-Stamp invitations and address envelopes while drying
-Chipotle leftovers for lunch
-Start laundry
-Assemble invitations and stuff envelopes
-Clean off desk
-Go over finances and grocery receipts
-More laundry
-Watch Bridget Jones Diary while eating dinner and planning vacation wardrobe
-Shower
-Finish laundry
-Re-start reading Mansfield Park
-Snooze

Catch Up

This past weekend can be summed up in a few words. These words are- fun, family, friends, cleaning, cooking, recuperating, and Rock Band. Friday and early Saturday were all about party prep, and then before I knew it it was time for our friends to start arriving. I had a moment of panic once all the food was on the table- what if no one comes? Funnily enough that idea hadn't occurred to me before then. And luckily it proved not to be true, as within an hour our house was filled to capacity. I was so happy that so many of our friends came to see our new home, and over the moon to have my sisters there with me. And after all the party people left, I got to sit outside and have good girl talk with them while Josh cleaned up all the mess. That's some kind of double luck or something. Sunday was all about recouping. Lots of laying around and playing Rock Band while we ate party leftovers. We've been eating leftovers since the party. I realized that one of the things you learn after throwing your first party is what you over and under estimate on in the food category. Next time more cheese and less veggies. The biggest hit of the party? The cheese ball, I'd say.

Unfortunately, the luck left me as I woke up Monday morning with a sore throat and am just now back in the office today. I feel increasingly that sticking a couple of skewers in my ears and twirling them round might be a good idea, just to scratch that unreachable itch and irritation that is engulfing my head, throat and chest.

Now that the party planning is done, the travel planning takes it's place. One week until we head to Cali to visit Diggy!

House Projects

Basically the only thing that keeps me sane when there is disappointing stuff going on with the house (cracks, in case I haven't mentioned it enough), is making a list of all the improvements and projects I want to undertake. Raises my spirits. Considering it's STILL RAINING, I could use some raising.

-Install gutters on front and back of house, with rain barrels on each side of the garage, to help with drainage and lower water bill
-Put drain in flower bed by garage to help during flash floods
-Hire electrician to upgrade wiring and install switch in hall bath for over sink lights
-Get trees trimmed
-Dig up bushes near the shed
-Plant moonflowers along back backyard fence
-Build raised beds next to deck for vegetable gardening
-Plant container garden of herbs on south side of house
-Finish out laundry area with counter top, on-wall drying racks and rubber mats
-Arrange photo wall for the hallway
-Get Manhattan map framed for dining room
-Put trim up in bathroom and around mirror
-Extra insulation in attic?
-Get art for drum room
-Paint trim
-Paint spare bedroom
-Paint master bedroom?
-Re-do backyard shed

Rainy Day Rant

More like rainy week rant. It's been raining since Friday evening, and it's making me miserable. It means that the ground is so saturated with water that all the cracks around doorways and such that had previously closed up are all coming back out big time throughout the house. Just in time for a bunch of our friends coming to see the house this weekend. Not to mention that I was really looking forward to using the back yard and deck for the gathering. I had high hopes for setting up the badminton and horseshoes, but now who knows? And I had finally found a good deal on the globe lights I wanted out there too. Obviously this wet weather has REALLY got me down. And looking into putting gutters on the house. How does one have gutters and Christmas lights? Cause Christmas lights are pretty high on my list of priorities.

The one thing cheering me up? Beatles Rock Band.

Heartbroken

I'm in mourning people. So, so sad.

Weekend Roundup

Friday:
-Sleep in
-Peanut butter toast, banana and coffee
-Move fridge and clean behind/under
-Clean cabinet fronts
-Salad, pita w/ hummus and smoothie
-Dishes
-Scrub counters & grout with baking soda paste
-Flush sink drains with boiling water and baking soda/vinegar
-Scrub sink
-Sweep and mop
-Clean baseboards
-Clean dining room table and chairs
-Sweep and mop
-Amy's burrito for dinner while watching Glee
-Popcorn and a beer while watching Crimes and Misdemeanors
-Bedtime

Saturday:
-Sleep in
-Cereal, banana, smoothie and coffee
-Clean master bath and bedroom
-Wash sheets and remake bed
-Order Swell Season tickets!
-Clean hall bath
-Salad, pretzels w/ mustard and apple
-Clean drum room, wash curtains
-Clean living room, sweep and mop hall and living room
-Wash rugs
-Shower
-Rosemary roasted potatoes and sourdough grilled cheese for dinner
-Bridget Jones Diary and Girl With a Pearl Earring with some wine
-Bedtime

Sunday:
-Try to sleep in despite cat's incessant meowing
-Clean up last night's dishes
-Leftover potatoes and fried eggs with coffee
-Meal plan and grocery list for week and party
-Start reading Mansfield Park
-Josh is home
-Get ready
-Grocery shopping for eternity
-Unload cargo
-Start laundry
-Salads and shells & cheese for dinner
-Watch Glee again with Josh
-Shower
-Go over grocery receipts and budget while watching an American Experience
-Finish laundry
-Insomnia followed by cat-interrupted sleep, blerg

Lovely Linda

I alluded to my most recent purchases a few posts ago. I have wanted these books for years, had them on my amazon wish list for quite a long time. Alas, they are out of print and therefore no one seemed to give them much thought when buying my Christmas or birthday presents. But my interest in photography collided with my recent McCartney obsession and so forth I went to eBay in search of them. I got Sixties from the Goodwill of San Francisco's eBay store, so at least the little I paid for it went to a good cause. The second book, Roadworks, came from a UK seller, but arrived just a few days after the first. These books are filled with beautiful photographs- famous musicians and strangers on the street. Linda McCartney was incredibly fortunate to be blessed with natural interest and talent that met with good timing and luck to create some amazing images. Some of the shots in these books truly take my breath away.

Weekend Roundup- Late, but with pictures!

Friday:
-Sleep in
-Unpack, wash and put up my china
-Hang NYC map in my office
-General housework
-Shower
-Borrow ironing board from Mom
-Make dinner & eat
-Finish up American Experience on the Kennedy's while working on my puzzle
-Bedtime
























Saturday:
-Rise and shine for Fate Lions rehearsal
-Coffee
-Hem and hang new curtains
-Tune into KTCU radio for Fate Lions on-air performance
-Lunch and a little Clarissa Explains It All
-Finish my puzzle
-Shower
-Get ready
-Head to House of Blues for early soundcheck
-Wait, wait, wait around
-Full band soundcheck
-Order food and wait around green room
-Eat
-Wander around HOB, run into Josh's old boss and friends
-More wandering and waiting around green room
-Watch Josh play with Back In Black from stage-side
-Hang out with Cory, Mike and ladies post-show
-Finally head home
-Crash into bed





























Sunday:
-Sleep in late
-Menu plan and grocery list
-Get ready
-Grocery shopping
-Chipotle for dinner
-Hang photos in dining room
-Start laundry
-Make cookie dough and refrigerate
-Tidy garage while Josh and Randy work on music
-Finish laundry
-Hit the hay















Monday:
-Sleep in
-Make Labor Day pancakes and bacon
-Eat
-Scoop and freeze first batch of cookie dough
-Fold last load of laundry
-Make Black Bean Confetti Salsa for potluck
-Wash and prep veggies
-Shower and get ready
-Party it up at Clif & Duane's Labor Day potluck
-Home, chug some water and hit the hay

Glee

Did you guys see "Glee" on Fox? They originally aired it back in May, but they aired a Director's Cut version of the pilot yesterday and are apparently going to show it again tomorrow. There is finally a show that I'm actually interested in watching. Although that's probably a bad sign right off the bat, since the shows I like tend to get canceled. Anyway, I thought it was clever and funny, so I wanted to recommend it. Maybe you should watch it tomorrow. Or you could watch it right now on Hulu, like I did.

Mind On My Money

Lately I've been on a bit of a spending binge and I'd really like to clear my palate of it. Not going to be terrifically easy since I'm hosting a party in a few weeks, then two weeks later going on vacation, followed quickly by hosting a baby shower for my bestie. But it's better I start thinking about this before all those things come and go and I'm left with nothing but receipts. Looking over our budget and our spending over the past few months I noticed several different things. One- we've been spending far too much money on eating out, particularly fast food. An average of $250 a month! Although that also includes when we were out of town and when we were moving, both times when grabbing a quick bite often feels like the best choice. But generally that just turns my stomach. We could use that money for things so much more valuable than the fleeting french fries and milkshakes. So that is definitely the first spending area we're targeting. Everytime I think about a quick run through the drive thru I need to remember that it's costing us $250, not $2.50. Two- my husband is a text message machine. Sometimes he manages to keep it under control, but we pay a few bucks a month for a specific number of texts and on occasion he goes over that amount. Most recently by more than 100! I've looked over our used minutes and we can scale down one more plan tier, which will save us a little. And I'm trying to figure out the differences between all the message/media/data options to see what would cover his usage without increasing out bill too much.

In addition to needing to rejigger our spending I keep thinking of things I want to spend money on! I recently decided that I want another tattoo. It might sound strange, but it's something I feel pretty strongly, and excited, about. So I need to save up some money for that. And then I also want to sign up for an online photo class through TCU. I could theoretically take on a second job, but I tend to get accustomed to how much money we make and then my fear of never having enough takes hold again and I feel like I can't live without what we're bringing in. So I'd trap myself in a second job whose income we don't truly need. We make decent money, have a house, no debt (aside from the mortgage), and save 30+ percent of our income. We're not talking about dire straits, I just want fun money without negatively affecting our current cash flow.

I posted our old TVs on Craigslist and someone is hopefully coming today to take them away. Then we'll hopefully sell the old entertainment center and I'm considering posting a couple pairs of worn-once shoes on eBay. Combined with cutting back on our eating out and slowing down my husbands texting fingers maybe these things will get us back to a better money place.

P.S. Look for posts soon about the last two purchases I made prior to the belt-tightening as well as probably some tattoo indecisiveness.

Pride and Prejudice vs. Pride and Prejudice

As you may have gathered if you give this blog even an occasional glance, I love the story of Pride & Prejudice. Love might be too weak a word, obsess over might be more appropriate. I frequently re-read my favorite portions of the book, aside from my new tradition of reading it every year for my birthday. And I have seen the 1995 mini-series adaptation more times than I can count. Seriously, who would have thought 5 hours could go by so happily and too quickly? After seeing the Lost in Austen series recently, my love of all things Pride & Prejudice had renewed strength and I decided to finally watch the 2005 adaptation. And I have to say that I had very mixed feelings about it. One one hand I thought it was a very good romantic movie. And on the other hand I thought it was a terrible adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, ha. If it weren't supposed to be based on a text that I love I would probably think it a very fine film indeed. But for me they changed the tone of the story to the point that the characters didn't seem themselves. Aside from the fact that some of them were written completely different (I'm looking at you Georgiana), it also seemed like they were forcing more romance into the story, which hardly seems necessary when they are adapting what is deemed one of the most romantic stories written. It was infused with a sense of destiny from the first meeting of Darcy and Elizabeth, which I think took away from the growth of their characters spurred on by their mistakes and false judgments. And in truth, they are never even shown to discuss how their initial relationship changed them each for the better and made them love and appreciate each other more. I think that is a pretty integral part of their love story, not to be left to assumption. And then you get to the end and I could just die with how they created this bizarre early morning meeting. Again, very romantic and even swoon-worthy, but not Pride & Prejudice. I was beginning to think that perhaps I would finally see one of my favorite parts of the story, which was not included in the 1995 version either. I would pay good money to see the scenes of the story in between Mr. Darcy's re-proposal and the wedding. I find the suspense and anticipation of them waiting and attempting to get her father's approval divine. And I particularly feel faint at the idea of Mr. Darcy whispering in Elizabeth's ear that her father wants to see her, just after he's applied to him for her hand. But my hopes were once again dashed as they not only overlooked that portion of the story again, but overlooked the wedding altogether just to show me Mr. Darcy with no shoes or stockings on smooching Elizabeth all over her face. Woohoo. And does anyone else find it odd they would just be out on the porch (patio? deck?) in that casual manner, smooching and stuff, while Georgiana is still living there? Seems very improper to me. But at least they didn't have them making out prior to the marriage, which is the biggest Austen adaptation faux-pas in my eyes.

I do give them credit for some of the scenes, like the original proposal. Very swoony, especially the part where he's apologizing for taking so much of her time, but there's so much passion involved they look like they might just start making out right there. Not remotely the feeling or emotion I take from the text of Pride & Prejudice, but definitely an enjoyable take on it.

So to sum up- a good movie, but not the best adaptation. Therefore the leaderboard remains as follows:

1. Pride and Prejudice novel
2. 1995 mini-series adaptation
3. 2005 movie adaptation