Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Today I tried out the endless pool that is a part of our community. It was GREAT! It looked like (and worked like) this: 
I liked it more than I thought I would, considering I wasn't going anywhere. It was truely enjoyable!
Then I got home to discover that I had both worked up an appetite, and developed a craving for chocolate. So I said, "Steve, I want to make chocolate chip cookies" and he gave me a "you know you shouldn't" look. That, combined with the simple fact that we had no chocolate chips in the house, led me to settle for one of my housemate's Thin Mints. (I can't believe she still has some around!) That did not satisfy so I made bread (in our bread machine). The went upstairs to clean house while the bread machine did its thing. I was there for less than 5 minutes when my housemate shouted up the stairs "WE HAVE A GUEST!" There, in our doorstep, with a plate of chocolate chip cookies, was one of our friends (from here on out, our "dear old friend") Matt with a plate full of chocolate chip cookies. Where he got the inspiration, I'll never know, but I was very grateful. He just dropped by, said "Hey. I made these cookies. I have too many, so I thought I'd give you some." Then "How are the squirels" and "Well, gotta run to the library See y'all later." He has never done this before, but ooooh... my tummy loves that he did so tonight!
mmm... cookies and chlorine... I'm in heaven.
I liked it more than I thought I would, considering I wasn't going anywhere. It was truely enjoyable!Then I got home to discover that I had both worked up an appetite, and developed a craving for chocolate. So I said, "Steve, I want to make chocolate chip cookies" and he gave me a "you know you shouldn't" look. That, combined with the simple fact that we had no chocolate chips in the house, led me to settle for one of my housemate's Thin Mints. (I can't believe she still has some around!) That did not satisfy so I made bread (in our bread machine). The went upstairs to clean house while the bread machine did its thing. I was there for less than 5 minutes when my housemate shouted up the stairs "WE HAVE A GUEST!" There, in our doorstep, with a plate of chocolate chip cookies, was one of our friends (from here on out, our "dear old friend") Matt with a plate full of chocolate chip cookies. Where he got the inspiration, I'll never know, but I was very grateful. He just dropped by, said "Hey. I made these cookies. I have too many, so I thought I'd give you some." Then "How are the squirels" and "Well, gotta run to the library See y'all later." He has never done this before, but ooooh... my tummy loves that he did so tonight!
mmm... cookies and chlorine... I'm in heaven.
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Pictures will come, I promise...
More news on the "new home" front, though.
1 -- We bought CURTAINS! Now I can change in my bedroom. This is a very good thing. The very BAD thing is that we don't have an electric drill, and we discovered the wood around our windows is VERY hard, making the "puting up curtains" process difficult.
2 -- We have furry house guests! The nice thing about having a family of squirrels living in the roof above your bathroom/hallway is that you are often unexpectedly serinaded by the pitter patter of little feet. Since I've been dreaming (off and on) for the past year about hearing the pitter patter of little feet around my house, you'd think this would make me happy. Somehow it's not quite like I expected, however. On the plus side, I now know what a squirrel sounds like! (Earlier today there was one talking to us through the ceiling fan in the bathroom, about a foot above our heads.) It's not so much "squeeker squeek squeek squeekum," like Disney portrays, so I was a little thrown off.
I saw Mama Squirrel outside my window while battling with the screw driver. We had a heart-to-heart through eye contact. Knowing that my Disney-learned "Squirrel" dialect was ill-informed, and not having been exposed to true squirrel long enough to have mastered it, I figured eye-contact would have to do. From what I could gather, here's how the conversation went:
Laura (L): "So YOU'RE the reason my bathroom has smelt faintly of urine on and off for the past week! You really have made my life not-so-fun, you know."
Mama Squirrel (MS): "Is that a face over yonder beyond the window glare?" (tilts head)
L: "You do realize we have to live right below you, right? It would be very kind of you if you would please take your dirty work outside from now on." (See how polite I was?)
MS: "I think it is a face. Is it safe for me to sneak into my home? Perhaps I better just stay still. Maybe if I don't move, the scary creature won't see me."
L: (slightly distracted) "This stupid screw won't screw in! GRRRR..."
MS: "My belly itches. The face isn't coming any closer. I will itch."
L: "You're a MAMA squirrel!"
MS: "How could you tell?"
L: "Alright, now that you've acknowledged my existence, would you please stop peeing in the insulation? You've got a whole YARD here!"
MS: "MM... that looks like something good to eat between my toes. I will eat it. Well, better start grooming. My fur's getting a touch filthy."
Feeling that our conversation was getting no where, I returned to my drilling, only to find Mama Squirrel gone when I looked up again.
So, I'm not sure our eye-conversation was terribly productive. Outside of learning to speak squirrel fluently (I start school in a week and a half and don't think I'll have time) anyone have any ideas for how to get rid of a nest full of squirrels? We have no access through the attic to the area they are living in, which complicates things slightly, and all the ideas I can think of are not only inhumane (which I'm not really worried about right now) they would also potentially make our whole space smell a LOT WORSE than it does now. (THIS is my true and purely selfish concern.)
Ah, life is an adventure! Fleas and flooding last year, Squirrels and ...? this year.
More news on the "new home" front, though.
1 -- We bought CURTAINS! Now I can change in my bedroom. This is a very good thing. The very BAD thing is that we don't have an electric drill, and we discovered the wood around our windows is VERY hard, making the "puting up curtains" process difficult.
2 -- We have furry house guests! The nice thing about having a family of squirrels living in the roof above your bathroom/hallway is that you are often unexpectedly serinaded by the pitter patter of little feet. Since I've been dreaming (off and on) for the past year about hearing the pitter patter of little feet around my house, you'd think this would make me happy. Somehow it's not quite like I expected, however. On the plus side, I now know what a squirrel sounds like! (Earlier today there was one talking to us through the ceiling fan in the bathroom, about a foot above our heads.) It's not so much "squeeker squeek squeek squeekum," like Disney portrays, so I was a little thrown off.
I saw Mama Squirrel outside my window while battling with the screw driver. We had a heart-to-heart through eye contact. Knowing that my Disney-learned "Squirrel" dialect was ill-informed, and not having been exposed to true squirrel long enough to have mastered it, I figured eye-contact would have to do. From what I could gather, here's how the conversation went:
Laura (L): "So YOU'RE the reason my bathroom has smelt faintly of urine on and off for the past week! You really have made my life not-so-fun, you know."
Mama Squirrel (MS): "Is that a face over yonder beyond the window glare?" (tilts head)
L: "You do realize we have to live right below you, right? It would be very kind of you if you would please take your dirty work outside from now on." (See how polite I was?)
MS: "I think it is a face. Is it safe for me to sneak into my home? Perhaps I better just stay still. Maybe if I don't move, the scary creature won't see me."
L: (slightly distracted) "This stupid screw won't screw in! GRRRR..."
MS: "My belly itches. The face isn't coming any closer. I will itch."
L: "You're a MAMA squirrel!"
MS: "How could you tell?"
L: "Alright, now that you've acknowledged my existence, would you please stop peeing in the insulation? You've got a whole YARD here!"
MS: "MM... that looks like something good to eat between my toes. I will eat it. Well, better start grooming. My fur's getting a touch filthy."
Feeling that our conversation was getting no where, I returned to my drilling, only to find Mama Squirrel gone when I looked up again.
So, I'm not sure our eye-conversation was terribly productive. Outside of learning to speak squirrel fluently (I start school in a week and a half and don't think I'll have time) anyone have any ideas for how to get rid of a nest full of squirrels? We have no access through the attic to the area they are living in, which complicates things slightly, and all the ideas I can think of are not only inhumane (which I'm not really worried about right now) they would also potentially make our whole space smell a LOT WORSE than it does now. (THIS is my true and purely selfish concern.)
Ah, life is an adventure! Fleas and flooding last year, Squirrels and ...? this year.
Friday, August 19, 2005
A TEASER
Lots has happened in the life of SteveNLaura, but because lots has happened, we have had no time to blog. We do, however, have pictures! And I am excited to share them with you! Alas, I have to find my desk (see below for why it's lost) first, so for now you get a teaser... a taste of what's to come in the blog world of SteveNLaura.
- Steve studies REALLY hard for his qualifying exams while simotaneously packing. Laura trys to do most of the packing, so that Steve can study all the harder. (Week of 8/1 through 8/10/05)
- Steve continues to study hard and pack. Laura helps him out by getting out of his hair and going to the beach (8/11)
- Where she sees lots of cool birds and critters, a lighthouse, and lots of friends. She completely breaks any diet she held before the trip, learns she really DOESN'T like seafood, not even the fresh stuff (although squid was REMARKABLY good) AND she learns how to surf! After about 3 runs on the surfboard, she sucessfully stands up AND rides a wave to the shore! She is proud, oh so very proud. She decides she loves surfing. (8/12)
- Laura discovers that SPF 30 waterproof sunscreen doesn't REALLY stop you from getting burned to a crisp while surfing for an afternoon. She wakes up in pain from the day before, and spends the day in her suit again (because it's the only piece of clothing that doesn't hurt) but doesn't go swimming and stays under an umbrella on the beach watching others try to battle 7 feet high waves. (8/13) Meanwhile back at the ranch, Steve studies.
- Laura goes home, the packing fun begins again. (8/14 & 8/15)
- Laura takes a half-day off work & Steve takes a half-day off studying to move with friends (8/16)
- Laura takes a half-day off work to clean the old apartment with friends (8/17)
- Steve takes his first qualifying exam (8/18)
- Steve and Laura spend the evenings unpacking, and are EXHAUSTED (8/17 - today)
Pictures of surfing, the beach, and the move (as well as, maybe, the new place) to come!
Good news is, we now have wireless internet, and over 200 TV channels, so once our place IS put together, we'll have plenty to keep us occupied for two days -- then school will start for both of us!
Lots has happened in the life of SteveNLaura, but because lots has happened, we have had no time to blog. We do, however, have pictures! And I am excited to share them with you! Alas, I have to find my desk (see below for why it's lost) first, so for now you get a teaser... a taste of what's to come in the blog world of SteveNLaura.
- Steve studies REALLY hard for his qualifying exams while simotaneously packing. Laura trys to do most of the packing, so that Steve can study all the harder. (Week of 8/1 through 8/10/05)
- Steve continues to study hard and pack. Laura helps him out by getting out of his hair and going to the beach (8/11)
- Where she sees lots of cool birds and critters, a lighthouse, and lots of friends. She completely breaks any diet she held before the trip, learns she really DOESN'T like seafood, not even the fresh stuff (although squid was REMARKABLY good) AND she learns how to surf! After about 3 runs on the surfboard, she sucessfully stands up AND rides a wave to the shore! She is proud, oh so very proud. She decides she loves surfing. (8/12)
- Laura discovers that SPF 30 waterproof sunscreen doesn't REALLY stop you from getting burned to a crisp while surfing for an afternoon. She wakes up in pain from the day before, and spends the day in her suit again (because it's the only piece of clothing that doesn't hurt) but doesn't go swimming and stays under an umbrella on the beach watching others try to battle 7 feet high waves. (8/13) Meanwhile back at the ranch, Steve studies.
- Laura goes home, the packing fun begins again. (8/14 & 8/15)
- Laura takes a half-day off work & Steve takes a half-day off studying to move with friends (8/16)
- Laura takes a half-day off work to clean the old apartment with friends (8/17)
- Steve takes his first qualifying exam (8/18)
- Steve and Laura spend the evenings unpacking, and are EXHAUSTED (8/17 - today)
Pictures of surfing, the beach, and the move (as well as, maybe, the new place) to come!
Good news is, we now have wireless internet, and over 200 TV channels, so once our place IS put together, we'll have plenty to keep us occupied for two days -- then school will start for both of us!
