Garden Update

Well, the rains have come. Along with them assorted bugs and lots of weeds. At least the vegetable garden seems to be doing well. Quick run down:

• Tomato plants are getting big and bushy with lots of green fruit. Barring any major problems, everyone I know will be getting tomatoes in the next couple of weeks. Because I just don't do the canning thing and don't have room for freezing.


• Pea plants are adorable. I love them, the flowers are dainty, the little tendrils are curly-cue magnificent and the vegetable itself is delicious. Unfortunately, I don't think we planted enough of these guys as other than snacking we haven't done much with them because they are only ready 3 or 4 at a time.


• Cucumber plants are getting their vine on. We had to replant as the first seeds didn't germinate, but this batch looks good.


• Hot peppers are looking good, as are the regular peppers. I just can't get that excited about peppers.


• Fennel is feathery and fragrant. This year I will know to leave it in past where I want to pull it for a really good bulb.


• Lettuce is overgrown and a mess. Our little plants are starting to bolt and I can only imagine the leaves are bitter and not edible (not willing to try at this point). Will get yanked this weekend.


• The carrots aren't doing great. One row is being overshadowed by a bully of a tomato plant and the other row didn't really take off. I think we may get one or two actual carrots, which doesn't seem quite worth it.


• And finally, yeah, for raspberries ripening at the appropriate time and thank goodness I don't have to pay $3 a container for them at the grocery.

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.

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!

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?

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.

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.

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.