Sunday, June 29, 2008

It Rained on Prom Day

Another ComFest caught me stuck in a torrential downpour, hoping the sycamore we were huddeled under would provide more shelter than it ended up doing. Rain really puts the community into ComFest.

After we dried off, it was time to get ready for Prom. Margaret and company did a remarkable job making it truly a night to treasure. I think that Margaret had more fun at this prom than she would have at any high school prom. High school proms, if I remember back to a decade ago, were fraught with all the high school insecurities of fitting it and wearing the right dress. Grown up proms, from my recent experience, focus more on the fun and the fact that everyone is now comfortable in their own skin. And there really isn't a better 30th birthday present to ask for than that.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Big Weekend

It's going to be a busy weekend in the GK household. Actually, this usually one of my favorite weekends of the year. It will kick off tomorrow night with dinner out with a family dinner in honor of my Dad's (60th!) birthday and my parent's wedding anniversary. Things have been busy and we haven't all been together in a several weeks, so I'm looking forward to it.

Then Saturday afternoon, I'll go watch the Pride Parade with my brother. I think it is so important to support Pride events to be there for all my LGBT friends and family and the parade promises to be quite entertaining. I wonder if I can find a Love Makes a Family t-shirt or maybe one of these in time for Saturday. Should have planned better on that.

After the parade, we'll head over to ComFest. Oh, how I love ComFest. What's not to love about hippies and hipsters happily carrying babies in tie dye, sipping mugs of beer, signing petitions to free Tibet and shopping for funky handcrafted jewelry. There's cool music, too. And lots of great people watching. Did I mention the mugs of beer?

And then after the afternoon activities, we are going to get all dressed up for prom. Yes, prom! A friend is turning 30 and since she never went to her high school prom, she has decided to have a prom-themed birthday party, which in turn is themed A Night to Treasure. I'm actually really excited for prom. I'm wearing an old bridesmaid dress (from junior year of college, either I wasn't as thin then as I thought, or I'm not in as bad of shape as I think now). We're totally doing the prom thing, and I mean all of it. Getting a limo, drinking Zima with Jolly Ranchers, getting into a fight with that bitch who is wearing the same dress and keeps flirting with my boyfriend. Er, we'll do most of the prom things.

So wish me luck in keeping the energy up...I'm tired just writing out the plans!

Monday, June 23, 2008

Something Back at Home

So I was in Nashville over the weekend attending a friend's wedding shower and bachelorette party. The weekend was fun and it was great to have some girl time. We drank and danced and generally had a great weekend. We even snuck in a quick trip to a spa for mani and pedis...ah bliss. However, I kept getting somewhat disturbing text messages from Chris. I knew he and a couple of buddies were spending Saturday morning doing demolition on our kitchen in preparation for our new counters which are being installed tomorrow. Even though I knew this demo was happening I wasn't totally prepared for what I came home to. No counters, lots of dust, no sink, no oven or range, pots and pans everywhere and one freaked out cat. It was a shock to us all. Which is why I, still wearing a dress, grabbed a paint brush and started touching up the cabinets. Who says girly girls can't do home improvements?




Friday, June 20, 2008

Salty and Delicious

Should I ever develop high blood pressure, I'll be in trouble and in more than the obvious way. I have recently started a love affair with all things salt in general and all fish bathed in salt in particular. It started with the anchovy bread salad at Marcella's last week and continued to this:

And yes, that is a greasy cheese pizza covered with yet more salty and delicious anchovies. Pair with wine for a truly gourmet dining experience.

The next stop in this affair is going to be a rendezvous with a big plate of spaghetti and anchovies at the new restaurant up the street from us (it's walking distance and has a liquor license!). They're not advertising yet, but I know people and have seen the menu and instantly zeroed in on Spaghetti con Acciughe as my entree choice. Because, when there are anchovies on the menu I have a tough time saying no.

And now I need to drink large quantities of water to counterbalance all that delicious salt.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Regardless

The calendar might say we have to wait until this weekend to have a true start to summer, but I know we're already there. I have several welts on my arms and ankles as a result of mosquito bites and for me there is no truer sign of summer. As if to prove the season is here, I also saw my first lighting bug of the year last night.

Over the weekend, we also went on our first bike ride of the year. It was a perfect afternoon on the bike trail as we skirted between sun and shade. We rode up to the Rose Festival which is always a beautifully scented event. This year the event seemed to be particularly well attended. Made me wonder if all the free events of the summer will see a uptick at the gate.

After our bike ride, we made our way to my parent's house for a Father's Day celebration. Which in our case, meant steaks eaten huddled around the coffee table watching the last round of the US Open.

So regardless of what the calendar says, between the roses, the bikes rides, the bites, and the celebrations, I'm pretty sure summer is here to stay for at least another couple of months.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

More Than a Chance to Nap

When I lived at home with my parents, most late afternoon weekends would find us watching whatever golf tournament happened to be on. I got to know the golfers by name and by game. My dad was watching for the golf. My mom and I mostly watched for the moments after the tournament when the family of the winning player would make their appearances. Seeing Phil Mickelson's adorable young family was always my favorite.

We won't be seeing them tomorrow, however, because right now Phil happens to be 10 over in the US Open. I know this because all those years of watching Sunday afternoon golf, have become less how to pass the time before dinner and more of an enjoyable habit. And now, I actually watch golf on television by choice and by myself. Like I am right now, with a margarita in hand.

I like the calmness of the game and watching the emotional devotion it takes these players to stay in the zone. It's fun to giggle at some of the ridiculous things the announcers say to fill airtime. The scenery is usually exquisite. And you can't beat the background noise of television golf for taking a cat nap. Also, I've had the pleasure of watching golf in person and while it is fun, you can't beat television for the breadth of coverage. It's a game that I just think is better to watch from the comfort of your own couch.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Freaky Friday

While I don't expect to be switching bodies with anyone (let alone my mother), a la a classic movie remade into a subpar movie, I am having my very own mini Friday the 13th meltdown. To begin with the day just wouldn't end. All afternoon, it felt like it was 3 p.m. for a good four hours and in the normal realm, that's just not possible. By the time 5 p.m. did roll around, I made it home just in time for a loud and angry summer storm (note to the dead tree in the front yard: please stay standing). Then I managed to get myself worked into tizzy about things I can't control. It started with one thing and I somehow managed to bring 50 other things into the mix, which were, of course, all conspiring to make my life a nightmare the likes of which Michael Myers couldn't produce. After a 20 minute nap and a beer, I'm coming out of the nightmare and hoping Friday the 13th passes with no further freakishness.

Monday, June 9, 2008

When Will I Learn...

...that it is never a good idea to put something you know you will need later in a really clever location. You might as well throw the item into a crowd and hope it will find its way back. My latest purposefully losing something was done several months ago in the dark winter months. I found the key to the pool at my old condo location and I decided I would put it in my pool bag to be ready for the hot and humid days of early June. I clearly and specifically remembering putting the key in a bag that I would take to the pool.

Finally, after making it through months of darkness falling at 5:30 p.m. and a surprise snowstorm, the perfect pool day arrived today. I had taken a day off and after completing several loads of laundry, organizing my closet and cleaning up our bedroom, I wanted to reward myself with a trip to the pool. Laying by the pool with a book ranks in my top five favorite activities.

So I start to look for my pool bag. Which isn't as easy as it sounds because I quickly discover I have an even dozen of possible pool bags and I couldn't remember which pool bag I smartly placed the key in. With a gasp and a sinking heart, I remembered that I realized how ridiculous that was the last time I was cleaning out closets and donated several other possible pool bags to Goodwill. I'm afraid, because I've scoured the house for it, the key might have been part of the donation.
It's going to be a long, hot, cranky summer.

* Happy Ending Update:

I found the key! My memory is not quite as infallible as I had thought. Because what I specifically remembered is clearly not what happened. After searching through bags, baskets and junk drawers with no luck, I decided to continue organizing the bedrooms. Lo and behold the key was in a jewelry box. Not a smart place for it, but at least it hadn't been accidentally donated to Goodwill.
So I got my hour at the pool after all. And now, I'm ready for nap because nothing tuckers me out like five minutes of swimming laps and then 55 minutes of laying and reading. And no worries, the key is now in the pink striped pool bag so I know where it is for next time.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Big Excitement

A few weeks ago my friend Sara sent me an e-mail letting me know Jimmy Buffet's new book was just released. Since I'm still trying to not buy books, I put my name on the waiting list at the library and now after (mostly) patient waiting, I am number 1 on the list. Woo hoo and please hurry up and return it to the library if you happen to be reading a copy from CML, m'kay?

While I am eagerly awaiting the e-mail letting me know the book is ready to be picked up, I'm not expecting great literature, here. I've read his past books and I know what I'm getting myself into - lots of island descriptions, short chapters, some fun action and quirky characters. I like the Buffet books for the ridiculous escapism they offer and the feeling that I, too, could be enjoying life on a beach with a boat drink in hand. It will be great pool reading over the next hot and humid weeks of June.

This is the same reason I like Jimmy's music. Again, we're not talking musical genius, but we are talking guy with a guitar, a raspy voice and some stories to tell that transport you to another time and place. Sure, it can get cheesy, but that's part of the fun. The other part of the fun is the vast amounts of alcohol consumed at concerts, but that's really a story for another time.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

New Beginnings

One of my sorority sisters from college is having a baby. Well, to be fair several of my sorority sisters have had babies, in fact at least one is working on baby number three. Today, however, I made the trip down to the Dayton area for a shower for one of those friends. I realize we're all about 30 years old, but it's strange for me to see this girl who I still think of as living in the dorm at the back of the quad as being all grown up and getting ready to be a mother. She's now set with all the onesies and burp clothes any new mom will need and I know she'll do a great job in her new role.

A trip to the Dayton area wouldn't be complete without a stop at Ikea! That place has gotten under my skin. It's fun, it's funky, it's inexpensive - what's not to love? Today we bought a new sink, faucet, counter thingie and medicine cabinet for the bathroom. I'm not sure when we'll begin that project, but at least we have the materials now. I'm so looking forward to the day our bathroom doesn't scream bad 80s decorating with lots of wood trim and yellow linoleum.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

The Slugs Are Back in Town

Our little uninvited guests are back. The first year in our house, we were amazed to see huge slugs hanging out on our garage door one night after returning home . They were fascinating in a prehistoric way and since we didn't have a garden other than a few volunteer tomato plants and lots of perennials we weren't too concerned. So the slugs were thought of a quirky edition to our new home, that is until I started having nightmares about giant slugs slithering all over me. To stop the night terrors and rescue the hosta plants, we set out a few beer traps and called it a year.

Last year, our garden was virtually free of the slugs. Not wanting to congratulate ourselves too much, but still sure our anti-slug efforts were valid, we thought that maybe our yard was the equivalent of a gay bar at a Baptist conference - some people would sneak in, but they weren't about to tell their friends. Now, I think last year's dry and hot summer had more to do with the absence of slugs from our yard than our pithy little beer traps did.

This year the slugs are back in force and they're no longer happy with chewing their way through hosta leaves. In fact, I think all the slugs from the first summer were just out on maternity leave last year and are now debuting their babies in this year's rainy slug haven. Our fennel plants look like a slug nursery all loaded down with slimy little bundles of happy baby slugs. Which is funny, because this site suggests planting fennel as a slug deterrent. Our slugs' love for the anisy flavor of fennel would be fine if they just stayed there or even on the hostas, but, no, I'm constantly picking the little buggers off the pea plants and our lettuce is inedible because we can't get all the slugs off enough pieces to make a salad.

So, the beer traps are set, and I'm thinking of hand washing some of the leaves of the lettuce and peas with Shaklee detergent. Yes, I'm planning on individually washing leaves of vegetable plants with high-priced natural cleaning products. That is the madness of slugs and I'm expecting the nightmares to commence any day now.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Some Things I Know

My garden is happiest with rain from the sky as opposed to rain from my watering can.
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It's best to go to Target with a time constraint. Having only 30 minutes there prevents from spending too much money on random items. In fact, 30 minutes is ideal - enough time to grab the basics and just a smidgen of time to gawk at purses and clothes before standing in line for the checkout.
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The Greek alphabet, but only if I sing it.
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The older I get the faster time goes, unless, of course I'm waiting for something. Then time crawls or simply stops to make up for the sprinting.
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The never fail me quick recipe for a healthy dinner: tofu and veggies in spicy peanut sauce.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

See it With a Pink Drink

Sipping a cosmo and waiting for my friends to meet me at the theater tonight, I was able to look over the balcony of the theatre and watch the long line of women ready to see Sex and the City. All the girls were dressed up, wearing cute shoes and standing in small groups of friends. A few brave men made the trip, but the audience was predominantly female.

I'll agree with the critics who said no new ground had been broken in the making of this movie. It really is a couple of long SATC episodes strung together. In spite of this, or maybe because of it, I loved the movie. Loved it. In some ways I feel like I grew up (at least through those formutive early twenties) with Charlotte, Miranda, Samantha and Carrie and it was so good to see them again. If you liked the series even a little bit - go see the movie. I guarantee you absofuckinglutley won't be disappointed.