...My flat tire told me so!
So I got up this morning, and set off for my appointment with a bank loan person. As I'm getting ready to turn from the exit ramp to the street I need...I got a flat. Big time. Toasted tire by the time I limped it the last 500 feet to the bank from the intersection. *sigh* Figured "oh, well, fix it when I come out", and went in for my meeting.
Upshot of the meeting is that I'm within about a year or so of being able to buy a house. Not bad, really. Just a couple things to clear up on the old credit report (both of which I swear I paid, but my receipts are in South Bend) and keep up with my car payments, credit cards, etc. Overall, rather a good report. Just means I'll be definitely renting for a year or so.
Left the bank, and headed for my truck so I can change my tire. Oh, Loki likes it when I dress up, too...I have on a white tank top and a long skirt today. Figures, right? Well, there was a young fellow from the landscaping crew who'd been waiting for me to come out so that he could help me! The crew was waiting on some gravel and he was free at the time. Bless his heart, he got it all taken care of, and I barely got my hands dirty! I offered him some money so he could get a cold drink, but he refused it. I thanked him very much, and was very thankful to the universe for sending me a helper!
Went up to Discount Tire, so I could get a new tire and put the spare back underneath the truck. It doesn't have the pretty rim, and well, I wanted the right rim on the truck. Silly, but I don't care. While I waited, I walked across the street to a used book store and an herb shop that I'd been wanting to check out. Herbs, Etc. is great! They have everything I need, and a few things I didn't expect to find. Herbs in bulk and packaged, Bach and FES remedies, magickal items and my Chinese medicine stuff I like...tons of goodies. I got some Bach Rescue Remedy lozenges, some herbal sleep aid softgels (need those), and some spirulina. Then to the bookstore, and oh, the bargain carts are dangerous! At 45 cents a book, I got 4 or 5 good ones, plus paid regular price for a pair of books on odd happenings and places in NM. Those books not only tell the stories very well, they also tell you how to get to the places, when the location is available. Road trips? Maybe when gas gets a bit more reasonable!
Back to Discount Tire, and a small setback. Since the Bravada is all-wheel drive, all four tires need to be within certain tolerances of each other as far as tread. The other tires were too worn to work with the new one, so I ended up getting all four tires. I was going to need them sooner or later, I knew, but I'd been hoping for later! Thank goodness for the charge card! I didn't have to use any of my house deposit money for the tires.
As far as house...well... I'm thinking the big 5 bed/3 bath is going to be out of reach, and not my best investment. Nice to dream, but I can do better. I looked at a 3br/2bath singlewide yesterday evening. It's do-able, but not in the best shape. Also, I don't think I can get hi-speed internet out there. That's a definite negative. I'll hold that one as last resort. The house in Pecos was a no-go from the start...I don't know how they can call a 4-room cottage a 2-bedroom, unless they expect someone to sleep in the living room. Open plan, no privacy, and way too small.
The search continues. The 'Thrifty Nickel', similar to our Penny Saver, comes out on Thursday, so there will be more ads there. I check the New Mexican online every day. The Journal is useless, as it's more ABQ than SF, and not sorted out by area. Keep the juju coming, folks, I know a good place is out there waiting for me. I need to find it by August 1st, and be in it by the 15th. I've written up my 'shopping list' so I know what I am manifesting. C'mon, Secret, work!! I know it will, I'm just anxious.
Anyway, that's where things are right now. More as it happens!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Ups and Downs
What a week.
On Thursday the 12th, our church family lost a very good friend. Betty's cancer took her far sooner than any of us expected. Heck, we expected her to get well!! Six months to the day from when we lost our friend Mel, Betty took her trip to the Summerlands. I'm really going to miss her. Betty was the one who gave me my elf for Yule. There's an inside joke there, obviously, and those who know me will get the true meaning. For the rest of you, let's just say I tend to like the Legolas-type.
On the up side, I have an appointment tomorrow to see a house. It's a great place, a manufactured house in a good park, but it could be moved to permanent land later on. Best of both worlds! It's got 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, and lots of amenities. The owners are looking for someone to take over payments, and I think it's very possible. I already had a meeting with my banker set up for Tuesday to talk about home buying possibilities, so this is just perfect timing! I can see me in that house already!
A sideways wobble... Called my friend Matti Tuesday, and found that he'd already gone up to see his brother Mark in Seattle. Well, pooh! Don't know how long he'll be there, but he'll be back, I'm sure.
Mama and Papa E. came down Friday to pick up their computer. Last I heard, Mama had it up and running, so that's good. Guess I can postpone my house call for a little bit! They didn't stay long, as I was at work, and they had running around that needed to be done before Papa's doctor appointment. Even if it's a short visit, it's sure nice to have "family" out here.
Today at work was a bit slow in the store, but that's ok. I got some much-needed organizing work done in back. The excitement of the afternoon was a mariachi band playing in the middle of the mall. Good stuff, but boy does that sound carry!!
As you can tell, there's no such thing as 'same old, same old' sometimes! Hopefully I will have good news soon, and I'll certainly share it with everyone.
ttyl!
On Thursday the 12th, our church family lost a very good friend. Betty's cancer took her far sooner than any of us expected. Heck, we expected her to get well!! Six months to the day from when we lost our friend Mel, Betty took her trip to the Summerlands. I'm really going to miss her. Betty was the one who gave me my elf for Yule. There's an inside joke there, obviously, and those who know me will get the true meaning. For the rest of you, let's just say I tend to like the Legolas-type.
On the up side, I have an appointment tomorrow to see a house. It's a great place, a manufactured house in a good park, but it could be moved to permanent land later on. Best of both worlds! It's got 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, and lots of amenities. The owners are looking for someone to take over payments, and I think it's very possible. I already had a meeting with my banker set up for Tuesday to talk about home buying possibilities, so this is just perfect timing! I can see me in that house already!
A sideways wobble... Called my friend Matti Tuesday, and found that he'd already gone up to see his brother Mark in Seattle. Well, pooh! Don't know how long he'll be there, but he'll be back, I'm sure.
Mama and Papa E. came down Friday to pick up their computer. Last I heard, Mama had it up and running, so that's good. Guess I can postpone my house call for a little bit! They didn't stay long, as I was at work, and they had running around that needed to be done before Papa's doctor appointment. Even if it's a short visit, it's sure nice to have "family" out here.
Today at work was a bit slow in the store, but that's ok. I got some much-needed organizing work done in back. The excitement of the afternoon was a mariachi band playing in the middle of the mall. Good stuff, but boy does that sound carry!!
As you can tell, there's no such thing as 'same old, same old' sometimes! Hopefully I will have good news soon, and I'll certainly share it with everyone.
ttyl!
Monday, July 9, 2007
Busy Monday
Lots to do today!
Woke up relatively early, about 7:00. Mama Gladys called at 7:30 to confirm that she and Papa Ron were coming down today for his doctor's appointment and our lunch date. Way cool.
Just in case they wanted to stop by my little apartment, I spent a couple of hours doing a thorough tidying up and rearranging. (Note to self: buy some bookends!) They ended up not having time to stop out at the house, but I still feel better having cleaned up.
We met at the mall at noon, and I gave the folks the nickel tour of my workplace. Both were favorably impressed, and they got to meet my bosses as well. Off to lunch after that. I was going to try the Plaza Cafe, but the traffic/parking mess was typical, so we decided to hit the Baking Co. Cafe instead. The sandwiches were a big hit, and I got the asian salad. Yummy. There was enough breeze for us to eat outside on the patio. The tables have umbrellas, so it was very comfortable.
When I took them back to the mall (we'd carpooled to lunch) I gave Mama some cookbooks I'd found, with diabetic friendly recipes, and a copy of my family's cookbook with the stories in it.
Papa's doctor appointment went well, and he's got a follow up on Friday, so they'll stop by the store to say hi and pick up a package that's getting shipped to me for them. Easier than shipping it clear up to their place and having to pick it up at the local diner!
My next task was to go out to Cochiti Lake, south of Santa Fe, and look at a house for rent. It's nice, but a bit on the small side. The rent's a bit more than I'd like to pay, and the houses on that street are all attached, too. I think I'll have to pass on that one, as nice as the area is. I think I'd feel too crowded.
So, I've made a few more calls, trying to contact people with places for rent. Left voicemail where I could, and now I'm stalled out till tomorrow, I guess. Time to work with The Secret some more.
Back into town again, checking the commute time/distance from Cochiti Lake, and stopped at work to get an order figured out for sax pads. Gotta have 'em, and if they get ordered tomorrow, they will get here in decent time, I hope. That's been my biggest frustration, really, just being out of parts and needing tools and supplies. Not an insurmountable problem, just inconvenient. I'm not used to having to order parts, since that was never really my job at the Woodwind. Just more to learn!
Tomorrow, I think I'll do laundry, check on some more housing options, and see what I can do for fun. Might be a good time to run into ABQ for no reason at all ;-)
TTFN!
Woke up relatively early, about 7:00. Mama Gladys called at 7:30 to confirm that she and Papa Ron were coming down today for his doctor's appointment and our lunch date. Way cool.
Just in case they wanted to stop by my little apartment, I spent a couple of hours doing a thorough tidying up and rearranging. (Note to self: buy some bookends!) They ended up not having time to stop out at the house, but I still feel better having cleaned up.
We met at the mall at noon, and I gave the folks the nickel tour of my workplace. Both were favorably impressed, and they got to meet my bosses as well. Off to lunch after that. I was going to try the Plaza Cafe, but the traffic/parking mess was typical, so we decided to hit the Baking Co. Cafe instead. The sandwiches were a big hit, and I got the asian salad. Yummy. There was enough breeze for us to eat outside on the patio. The tables have umbrellas, so it was very comfortable.
When I took them back to the mall (we'd carpooled to lunch) I gave Mama some cookbooks I'd found, with diabetic friendly recipes, and a copy of my family's cookbook with the stories in it.
Papa's doctor appointment went well, and he's got a follow up on Friday, so they'll stop by the store to say hi and pick up a package that's getting shipped to me for them. Easier than shipping it clear up to their place and having to pick it up at the local diner!
My next task was to go out to Cochiti Lake, south of Santa Fe, and look at a house for rent. It's nice, but a bit on the small side. The rent's a bit more than I'd like to pay, and the houses on that street are all attached, too. I think I'll have to pass on that one, as nice as the area is. I think I'd feel too crowded.
So, I've made a few more calls, trying to contact people with places for rent. Left voicemail where I could, and now I'm stalled out till tomorrow, I guess. Time to work with The Secret some more.
Back into town again, checking the commute time/distance from Cochiti Lake, and stopped at work to get an order figured out for sax pads. Gotta have 'em, and if they get ordered tomorrow, they will get here in decent time, I hope. That's been my biggest frustration, really, just being out of parts and needing tools and supplies. Not an insurmountable problem, just inconvenient. I'm not used to having to order parts, since that was never really my job at the Woodwind. Just more to learn!
Tomorrow, I think I'll do laundry, check on some more housing options, and see what I can do for fun. Might be a good time to run into ABQ for no reason at all ;-)
TTFN!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
I'd call it Weekend Update, but that name's taken...
Ahh, Sunday night. My weekend has begun.
I'm listening to a wonderful cello/keyboard duo at the Baking Co., and noshing on chilaquiles. Chilaquiles are scrambled eggs with corn tortilla strips, cheese, onions and chiles all mixed in. Pretty good, especially with the home fries and extra chile sauce. Damn, I think I'm going native.
The music is very good, very eclectic. I've heard classical pieces, some tangoes, and a cover of "Desperado" by the Eagles. Wild.
Last night I had some good music, too, at a bar & grill called Brumby's. A Galway fellow by the name of Gerry Carthy. Plays a great tenor guitar, whistle and other instruments. Not much of a crowd there, unfortunately for him, but we got to talk a bit. Bought a CD. Gerry's been around Santa Fe for 20 years now, and he says he still feels like the only Irishman around. He did mention a place in ABQ that sometimes has music, and maybe they have a session. The website says live music Sunday afternoons, so we'll see. Might have to trade a day off and go down.
Been looking for more permanent housing, too, and there were a couple of promising ads in the paper today. I think I'll call on them tomorrow and see what I find. I'm very close to having enough money for "first,last & deposit", and depending on what the landlords ask for, I could be in another place within a paycheck or two. Time to put "The Secret" to work, or at least pay closer attention to what I'm asking for!!
I'm listening to a wonderful cello/keyboard duo at the Baking Co., and noshing on chilaquiles. Chilaquiles are scrambled eggs with corn tortilla strips, cheese, onions and chiles all mixed in. Pretty good, especially with the home fries and extra chile sauce. Damn, I think I'm going native.
The music is very good, very eclectic. I've heard classical pieces, some tangoes, and a cover of "Desperado" by the Eagles. Wild.
Last night I had some good music, too, at a bar & grill called Brumby's. A Galway fellow by the name of Gerry Carthy. Plays a great tenor guitar, whistle and other instruments. Not much of a crowd there, unfortunately for him, but we got to talk a bit. Bought a CD. Gerry's been around Santa Fe for 20 years now, and he says he still feels like the only Irishman around. He did mention a place in ABQ that sometimes has music, and maybe they have a session. The website says live music Sunday afternoons, so we'll see. Might have to trade a day off and go down.
Been looking for more permanent housing, too, and there were a couple of promising ads in the paper today. I think I'll call on them tomorrow and see what I find. I'm very close to having enough money for "first,last & deposit", and depending on what the landlords ask for, I could be in another place within a paycheck or two. Time to put "The Secret" to work, or at least pay closer attention to what I'm asking for!!
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Flexibility can be fun
Well, I didn't make it to the 'Pancakes on the Plaza' yesterday, and I'm not disappointed at all, since I was up at the Mountain Home instead. But I'm getting ahead of myself...
Monday is one of my regular days off, so I decided to go down to the Plaza area and do a little shopping and people-watching. Lots of tourists, of course, but also very neat shops and cafes all over. I was doing some shopping for a friend of mine, actually, and tourist stuff is exactly what I wanted to find. Betty is undergoing chemo and radiation (both at once!) and will probably lose her hair. I found some neat bandanas and a Santa Fe baseball cap for her. I also found a really cool t-shirt that I sent to my friend Kevin...it says "Make Art, Not War" and the graphic looks a bit like an old Soviet propaganda poster. He'll get a kick out of that, I think. I sent my parcels out Tuesday by priority mail, so maybe he'll get the shirt in time for the gallery opening on Friday. We'll see.
Also found an excellent restaurant, the India Palace. Nice staff, good buffet. The naan (bread) was so good, and there's plenty of vegetarian fare, of course. Reasonable price for downtown, too, under 10 bucks including drink.
Tuesday, I dropped off my packages at the post office, and headed up to Chama around 10 a.m. Got to the Mountain Home about noonish, to find that there was a small traffic jam at the gate to the community. Someone was delivering a small house/large shed on the back of the truck. Turns out that the driver was one Matt Bouska, John's brother! Papa Ron and he talked for a bit, in the road, and that was cool. Small world out here, I tell ya. See, John's in Indiana, but used to work with Papa out here, and....you get the idea.
Of course, when I go up to the mountain home, there's usually a chore or two. And not two days before this, Papa Ron had mentioned that the water filters were in need of a change. Naturally, since I changed them in April, I was right in time to change them again! I don't mind, especially since neither Papa nor Mama Gladys can really get down onto the floor to work on them. I'm already penciled in for Labor Day, when the next change is due. ;-) I also worked on their old dinosaur computer while I was up there. Pentium II, on a very slow dialup...not much I can do, but I did find a few problems I could fix. Glad there's a new machine on the way for them!
Don't worry, I did relax while I was up there. Read a book, visited neighbors and just chilled out as best I could in the heat. Tuesday was a scorcher, and if it hadn't been for an afternoon thundershower, Wednesday would have been just as bad. I ended up spending the night Tuesday, and Wednesday there was a potluck at one of the neighbors' houses. Got to meet more of the local residents, very nice people. After dinner, I headed back home to Santa Fe. (That still sounds odd to me....) I now have my own key to the community gate, so the folks won't have to use gas and time to come meet me and let me in. Way cool. Guess I'm really adopted now!
Got home last night just as the fireworks were going on. Watched them from the road as I drove in, and it was very pretty. Stopped for a quick internet fix in the parking lot of my favorite hotspot (come on, two days on nothing but dialup? I was jonesing!!) and then headed home to feed the cats.
The cats were happy to see me, as they'd been subsisting on dry kibble and water while I was gone. If they ever get the hang of opposable thumbs and can open the cans of wet food, I may be out of a job! But they are good cats, if annoying and noisy while I'm trying to sleep. I admit, it will be nice when I have a separate bedroom with a door again!
So, back to work today after my little holiday. Nice busy day, lots of people in the store, and I even sold a guitar! Hopefully this upward trend will continue.
A nice dinner of cold sesame noodles and spring roll tonight, and soon I'll head back to the apartment. I have a DVD to watch before I take it back to the library in the morning.
We'd been having some water problems in the house this past week, but it seems to be resolved for now, so I'll be glad to get my dishes caught up. Nothing major, just annoyance at this point.
Can't think of anything else, but if you have questions or comments, drop a line.
Monday is one of my regular days off, so I decided to go down to the Plaza area and do a little shopping and people-watching. Lots of tourists, of course, but also very neat shops and cafes all over. I was doing some shopping for a friend of mine, actually, and tourist stuff is exactly what I wanted to find. Betty is undergoing chemo and radiation (both at once!) and will probably lose her hair. I found some neat bandanas and a Santa Fe baseball cap for her. I also found a really cool t-shirt that I sent to my friend Kevin...it says "Make Art, Not War" and the graphic looks a bit like an old Soviet propaganda poster. He'll get a kick out of that, I think. I sent my parcels out Tuesday by priority mail, so maybe he'll get the shirt in time for the gallery opening on Friday. We'll see.
Also found an excellent restaurant, the India Palace. Nice staff, good buffet. The naan (bread) was so good, and there's plenty of vegetarian fare, of course. Reasonable price for downtown, too, under 10 bucks including drink.
Tuesday, I dropped off my packages at the post office, and headed up to Chama around 10 a.m. Got to the Mountain Home about noonish, to find that there was a small traffic jam at the gate to the community. Someone was delivering a small house/large shed on the back of the truck. Turns out that the driver was one Matt Bouska, John's brother! Papa Ron and he talked for a bit, in the road, and that was cool. Small world out here, I tell ya. See, John's in Indiana, but used to work with Papa out here, and....you get the idea.
Of course, when I go up to the mountain home, there's usually a chore or two. And not two days before this, Papa Ron had mentioned that the water filters were in need of a change. Naturally, since I changed them in April, I was right in time to change them again! I don't mind, especially since neither Papa nor Mama Gladys can really get down onto the floor to work on them. I'm already penciled in for Labor Day, when the next change is due. ;-) I also worked on their old dinosaur computer while I was up there. Pentium II, on a very slow dialup...not much I can do, but I did find a few problems I could fix. Glad there's a new machine on the way for them!
Don't worry, I did relax while I was up there. Read a book, visited neighbors and just chilled out as best I could in the heat. Tuesday was a scorcher, and if it hadn't been for an afternoon thundershower, Wednesday would have been just as bad. I ended up spending the night Tuesday, and Wednesday there was a potluck at one of the neighbors' houses. Got to meet more of the local residents, very nice people. After dinner, I headed back home to Santa Fe. (That still sounds odd to me....) I now have my own key to the community gate, so the folks won't have to use gas and time to come meet me and let me in. Way cool. Guess I'm really adopted now!
Got home last night just as the fireworks were going on. Watched them from the road as I drove in, and it was very pretty. Stopped for a quick internet fix in the parking lot of my favorite hotspot (come on, two days on nothing but dialup? I was jonesing!!) and then headed home to feed the cats.
The cats were happy to see me, as they'd been subsisting on dry kibble and water while I was gone. If they ever get the hang of opposable thumbs and can open the cans of wet food, I may be out of a job! But they are good cats, if annoying and noisy while I'm trying to sleep. I admit, it will be nice when I have a separate bedroom with a door again!
So, back to work today after my little holiday. Nice busy day, lots of people in the store, and I even sold a guitar! Hopefully this upward trend will continue.
A nice dinner of cold sesame noodles and spring roll tonight, and soon I'll head back to the apartment. I have a DVD to watch before I take it back to the library in the morning.
We'd been having some water problems in the house this past week, but it seems to be resolved for now, so I'll be glad to get my dishes caught up. Nothing major, just annoyance at this point.
Can't think of anything else, but if you have questions or comments, drop a line.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Friday night fun, Saturday evening mellow....
Last night was a blast!
I got out of work early, and headed down to Albuquerque to go to the Gaelic Storm concert at the Zoo. Managed to find my way there, and did a 'park & ride' shuttle bus from the Botanical Garden parking lot. Lots easier than trying to park at the zoo! The lines were huge, but I finally got my ticket and headed in.
The bandshell is nice, and all the seating is lawn-style; bring chairs and blankets. I found a space over by the dance floor, naturally! Got myself a Guinness and a bite to eat, and settled in...for about five minutes. Lots of dancing going on, and I ended up joining in with a group of folks. We got talking, and they turned out to be some of the local pagan community! Now I'm even more glad that I got to go to the concert. We exchanged info, and now I have a connection that I'd been hoping to make. Yay!
After a great show, I treated myself to a snack at the Frontier Restaurant on Central Ave. Awesome place, good food, open 24/7. If I lived in Abq, I think I'd be hanging out there a lot!
Finally got home about 12:30 a.m. and started winding down. Had a lot to think about, including the workings of the universe in my meeting these particular pagans at this particular time. Those who know me best will understand, or at least know to ask me about that privately. :-D
So today, Saturday, I pried myself out of bed with Michael Longcor's song "I Can't Party as Hearty as I Partied when I Partied at 21" running thru my mind... Got up, went into town. Deposited/cashed my FIRST PAYCHECK! It's only a week's worth, but a very nice amount to me. I'm still trying to be economical of course, but it's nice to be making a decent wage at last. It shouldn't take long for me to save up enough to get into a nice place of my own with room for guests :-)
Worked all day, got a lot done, I think. Flutes this week. Bleah. They are so time-consuming! At least now I have the supplies I need to do them. And I should have a bunch of tools that I need coming in this week, too. I've been making do, and I did manage to get some tools at the jewelry supply store, but there are some things I really can't find substitutes for.
Tonight's supper is courtesy of the SF Baking Co. again. A veggieburger and a bowl of tomato cheddar soup. Good stuff.
I'll probably head home soon and curl up with a good book. I got some good ones at the library this week, including one on Mercury retrograde, one on Witchcraft in the Southwest (historical accounts!), a few mysteries and one on Native American lore.
Tomorrow is the 1st, so I'll try to call Matt and see if he wants to join me on a run up to the Mountain Home. I'm off work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday! Wednesday's the 4th, of course, and I'm gonna try to go to the Pancakes on the Plaza event. There's a car show, too, and other activities. Should be fun!
Right now I'm feeling a bit mellow and melancholy. Nothing major, but I sure do miss being able to talk to all my friends more often. With the 2 hour time difference, it's even hard to make phone calls! By the time I get off of work at 6 here, it's already 8 in Indiana. Oh, well. At least there's email! (That's a hint, y'all!)
Off I go. More when I get a chance!
I got out of work early, and headed down to Albuquerque to go to the Gaelic Storm concert at the Zoo. Managed to find my way there, and did a 'park & ride' shuttle bus from the Botanical Garden parking lot. Lots easier than trying to park at the zoo! The lines were huge, but I finally got my ticket and headed in.
The bandshell is nice, and all the seating is lawn-style; bring chairs and blankets. I found a space over by the dance floor, naturally! Got myself a Guinness and a bite to eat, and settled in...for about five minutes. Lots of dancing going on, and I ended up joining in with a group of folks. We got talking, and they turned out to be some of the local pagan community! Now I'm even more glad that I got to go to the concert. We exchanged info, and now I have a connection that I'd been hoping to make. Yay!
After a great show, I treated myself to a snack at the Frontier Restaurant on Central Ave. Awesome place, good food, open 24/7. If I lived in Abq, I think I'd be hanging out there a lot!
Finally got home about 12:30 a.m. and started winding down. Had a lot to think about, including the workings of the universe in my meeting these particular pagans at this particular time. Those who know me best will understand, or at least know to ask me about that privately. :-D
So today, Saturday, I pried myself out of bed with Michael Longcor's song "I Can't Party as Hearty as I Partied when I Partied at 21" running thru my mind... Got up, went into town. Deposited/cashed my FIRST PAYCHECK! It's only a week's worth, but a very nice amount to me. I'm still trying to be economical of course, but it's nice to be making a decent wage at last. It shouldn't take long for me to save up enough to get into a nice place of my own with room for guests :-)
Worked all day, got a lot done, I think. Flutes this week. Bleah. They are so time-consuming! At least now I have the supplies I need to do them. And I should have a bunch of tools that I need coming in this week, too. I've been making do, and I did manage to get some tools at the jewelry supply store, but there are some things I really can't find substitutes for.
Tonight's supper is courtesy of the SF Baking Co. again. A veggieburger and a bowl of tomato cheddar soup. Good stuff.
I'll probably head home soon and curl up with a good book. I got some good ones at the library this week, including one on Mercury retrograde, one on Witchcraft in the Southwest (historical accounts!), a few mysteries and one on Native American lore.
Tomorrow is the 1st, so I'll try to call Matt and see if he wants to join me on a run up to the Mountain Home. I'm off work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday! Wednesday's the 4th, of course, and I'm gonna try to go to the Pancakes on the Plaza event. There's a car show, too, and other activities. Should be fun!
Right now I'm feeling a bit mellow and melancholy. Nothing major, but I sure do miss being able to talk to all my friends more often. With the 2 hour time difference, it's even hard to make phone calls! By the time I get off of work at 6 here, it's already 8 in Indiana. Oh, well. At least there's email! (That's a hint, y'all!)
Off I go. More when I get a chance!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Storms and stuff
Wrote this up last night, Thursday, but didn't get a chance to post till this morning.
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Well, last night was certainly interesting! I had a ringside seat for one of the best thunderstorms I’ve seen in ages!
It started about sunset, rolling in from the south-southwest. I was watching it out the windows while I had dinner and started up a DVD. By the time the first disc of movie was done, I decided to take an extended intermission and head outside.
The rain was pretty heavy, so I also put out my bowl to catch some rainwater. There really hadn’t been enough to catch on Litha, so I figured this would make up for it.
The house dog is afraid of lightning, so he had been taken inside shortly before the storm got rolling. Yay! This means I can open up the windows to the porch and let the whole place air out!
So, here I am, sitting on a bench, on the porch. I’m on the side of a nice mountain (remember the pics I showed you?), and Thor is having a field day. Lightning everywhere, and some of it pretty close! It was just one bolt after another, and the thunder from one would overlap into the next rumble. I had grabbed a bottle of Guinness out of the fridge, and just sat back and enjoyed. The temperature was downright chilly after a while, and it felt so good. I laughed and applauded and had a great time. There may be more storms tonight and tomorrow. Sure hope the Gaelic Storm concert tomorrow doesn’t turn into a total washout! (Though if Matti does end up coming with me, I’m sure I wouldn’t mind being caught in a storm….*grin*)
I guess this is the start of what the locals call ‘monsoon season’. Not my idea of a monsoon, of course, but it’s good to get rain. The weather patterns out here are different, naturally, what with the altitude and the terrain. I’m enjoying learning the new sky!
So, yeah, tomorrow night I’m gonna go to Abq for the Gaelic Storm show. It’s at the zoo, so lawn seating. Hence, I’m at the Laundromat washing my furry blanket thing so I have something to sit on tomorrow. There’s food available there, so I may eat at the show, or I may wait till afterward and hit the Frontier Restaurant. We’ll see. Haven’t gotten a call back from Matt, so this is probably gonna be a solo trip. No biggie, I know he’s busy lately. I’ll try calling again tomorrow, just in case he didn’t get the voicemail.
I also got something very neat in the mail yesterday. I had ordered a five-volume set of books: The Kitchen Grimoire. I forget the author’s name, sorry. I got them through the site that took over from the Pagan Kitchen MSN group. The new place is http://www.paganliving.org They have good forums, lots of recipes, and a nice bit of a store. Well, the gal who wrote the books had a bit of a crisis going on, and I’d been wanting to get the books anyway, so it seemed like the right time.
Wow, what a collection!! It’s a set of five 3-ring binders, very handsomely done, and the printing/publishing was done by a cookbook company. There are tons of recipes, of course, for food, potions, remedies, toiletries, you name it. There are also pages of lore, astrology tips, ritual and tool ideas, and more. If you’ve got the money to get this, I recommend you look at doing so. With the shipping, it was about 50 bucks for me. Cheaper by the set, of course, but you can also order volumes separately if you wish. There’s enough in there to keep this little bookworm happy for quite a while.
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Well, last night was certainly interesting! I had a ringside seat for one of the best thunderstorms I’ve seen in ages!
It started about sunset, rolling in from the south-southwest. I was watching it out the windows while I had dinner and started up a DVD. By the time the first disc of movie was done, I decided to take an extended intermission and head outside.
The rain was pretty heavy, so I also put out my bowl to catch some rainwater. There really hadn’t been enough to catch on Litha, so I figured this would make up for it.
The house dog is afraid of lightning, so he had been taken inside shortly before the storm got rolling. Yay! This means I can open up the windows to the porch and let the whole place air out!
So, here I am, sitting on a bench, on the porch. I’m on the side of a nice mountain (remember the pics I showed you?), and Thor is having a field day. Lightning everywhere, and some of it pretty close! It was just one bolt after another, and the thunder from one would overlap into the next rumble. I had grabbed a bottle of Guinness out of the fridge, and just sat back and enjoyed. The temperature was downright chilly after a while, and it felt so good. I laughed and applauded and had a great time. There may be more storms tonight and tomorrow. Sure hope the Gaelic Storm concert tomorrow doesn’t turn into a total washout! (Though if Matti does end up coming with me, I’m sure I wouldn’t mind being caught in a storm….*grin*)
I guess this is the start of what the locals call ‘monsoon season’. Not my idea of a monsoon, of course, but it’s good to get rain. The weather patterns out here are different, naturally, what with the altitude and the terrain. I’m enjoying learning the new sky!
So, yeah, tomorrow night I’m gonna go to Abq for the Gaelic Storm show. It’s at the zoo, so lawn seating. Hence, I’m at the Laundromat washing my furry blanket thing so I have something to sit on tomorrow. There’s food available there, so I may eat at the show, or I may wait till afterward and hit the Frontier Restaurant. We’ll see. Haven’t gotten a call back from Matt, so this is probably gonna be a solo trip. No biggie, I know he’s busy lately. I’ll try calling again tomorrow, just in case he didn’t get the voicemail.
I also got something very neat in the mail yesterday. I had ordered a five-volume set of books: The Kitchen Grimoire. I forget the author’s name, sorry. I got them through the site that took over from the Pagan Kitchen MSN group. The new place is http://www.paganliving.org They have good forums, lots of recipes, and a nice bit of a store. Well, the gal who wrote the books had a bit of a crisis going on, and I’d been wanting to get the books anyway, so it seemed like the right time.
Wow, what a collection!! It’s a set of five 3-ring binders, very handsomely done, and the printing/publishing was done by a cookbook company. There are tons of recipes, of course, for food, potions, remedies, toiletries, you name it. There are also pages of lore, astrology tips, ritual and tool ideas, and more. If you’ve got the money to get this, I recommend you look at doing so. With the shipping, it was about 50 bucks for me. Cheaper by the set, of course, but you can also order volumes separately if you wish. There’s enough in there to keep this little bookworm happy for quite a while.
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