Paint Your Wagons

It's paint decision time. I am really nervous about this decision. I know I can always change it but I don't relish the thought of repainting the interior anytime soon.

Last weekend, we spent over $100 on paint samples and supplies. You would think I'd have a better idea after looking at a 2' by 2' painted board. While it is much better than the 2" by 2" swatch, it still doesn't capture what it will look like on my large great room. I bought the Benjamin Moore Personal Color Viewer but the colors don't seem to match reality at all. If I am to believe the Color Viewer, my great room will look like this.

That's just scary.

The Grand Entrance

We pay a lot of money for our temporary apartment. From a distance, the complex looks fabulous. With a bit more scrutiny, you are able to see its numerous flaws. One flaw we have been living with is our cracked front stoop. The soils beneath it have experienced a great deal of shifting.

In addition to the heaving concrete stoop, pigeons hang out two floors up and use the stoop for, well, their business. Last Friday, the management decided to do something about the stoop. When we came home on Friday, we found this.


You know it is bad when this is considered a vast improvement. I can't wait for the grand unveiling this week. I wonder if we will get to cut a ribbon or something.

You Light Up My Life.....in the Wrong Spot

Yippee! The drywall and texturing are complete. I must admit it is looking good. At least until I walked into the dining room. The placement of the electrical box for the light fixture is completely wrong. On the blueprint, it shows the light fixture centered with the window. It isn't centered in the window or the room. It is about two feet closer to the wall that will host our ginormous china cabinet.

As a matter of fact, if the table were to be centered under the current light fixture location, guests would only be able to sit on one side of the table. That is unless our guests would like to sit IN the china cabinet.

Randy left a voicemail for Bob the Builder. When Bob called back, he stated that the electrician had notes indicating that Randy and I picked the location for the fixture in that spot. NO FREAKING WAY unless we were drunk. I reminded him that we had a 15 minute discussion on the placement of the electrical outlet for the lighted behemoth china cabinet. Why the heck would we put our table that close to the china cabinet?

Upon further review, the electrician admits he may have made a mistake. Um, yeah. The electrician will be returning to relocate the fixture. I feel much, much better.

Monday, Monday

Holly had her last ice skating lesson for this session. She is really doing a good job although I wish she would concentrate more on her form than her speed. At the end of the lesson, she proudly skated off the ice. Her evaluation sheet showed that she gets to move up to Level Four.

I told Holly what a great job she did. She responded with..."Mom, maybe I can show you how to do some turns. You aren't very good." Sadly, she's right. I'm an okay skater but I really have trouble with stopping and turning. I didn't do a whole lot of ice skating in Florida when I was growing up.

The next session starts next week. I think Holly's ultimate goal is to be a better skater than Randy. She has certainly left me in the dust.

I'm Thinking Arby's

Arby's is by far the closest restaurant to my office. If I've forgotten my lunch and pressed for time, Arby's is usually my default lunch destination. I really like their chicken salad sandwich. While all of this may seem fascinating, the reason I bring it up is their bag.

It states

Go on, hold your bag with pride. Let everyone see you chose Arby's and let them be jealous. But don't let them get too close... because once they do, they may try to make your bag their bag.

Exactly how does one hold their bag with pride? I've never been one to smuggle my fast food lunch into the building under my shirt. On the other hand, I've also never presented my bag to my co-workers with a grand, sweeping arm gesture. It's just not my style.

As I entered the building with my prized chicken salad sandwich, I took note of my co-workers' expressions. Not one of them seemed to emote any hint of jealousy. Thankfully there was also no attempt to commandeer my lunch.

A last side note...if you cut a hole in the bottom of the bag, you can put it on your head. It really does look like you're thinking Arby's.

Sunday Six

Kelly is all about Johnny Appleseed for this week's Sunday Six. I really don't think Holly has a clue about Johnny Appleseed. He doesn't get much press here in Denver.

1. Who was Johnny Appleseed?
I don't know

2. What did he do?
I don't know

3. What does his last name (Appleseed) mean?
An appleseed is poisonous

4. Where did Johnny Appleseed live?
Torrey Street

5. What did Johnny Appleseed like?
Black because his shirt was black

6. Do you like Apples? If so, how do you like to eat them?
Yes, I like to eat them cut up

I want to give a big shout out to my beloved Florida Gators on their performance yesterday. Great job Gators!

What's For Launch?

Last Sunday, the family and I visited a local farm to gather a pumpkin or two. And by local, I mean about 30 miles away. It was our first ever visit to this particular farm and they go all out for their fall festival. One of the activities was launching vegetables into a field. It's really quite the innovative moneymaker. People pay good money for the opportunity to put small vegetables in a slingshot and see how far they will travel before gravity summons them to the earth.

I have to admit it was a heck of a lot of fun.
Holly chose a small ear of Indian corn. It was gathering a quick reputation as quite the traveler.


Randy was up next. He chose some sort of small gourd. If you look closely, you can see it way in the distance.


I honestly don't remember my vegetable of choice but I was pleased with the result.


Of course, none of us could hold a candle to the farm owners and their fancy pumpkin launcher.

This puppy had pumpkins grazing the upper atmosphere. I wonder if they'd let me try it. Maybe next weekend.

Not So Super Sonic

It's Monday night. I have a softball game while Holly has ice skating lessons. If my game is early, as it was tonight, Randy and Holly meet me at Sonic for dinner. Having gone through this ritual a number of times, here are my observations about the Golden Colorado Sonic:
1. The delivery truck must come on Tuesday. Case in point: Tonight's cheeseburgers were covered in the shredded cheese normally reserved for burritos and such. Additionally, the milk was served in a cup instead of the little milk containers. The staff had obviously made a run to the grocery store that shares the parking lot. Why they couldn't have picked up some American Cheese is beyond me.
2. The Monday night crew is not the most talented. We have never, ever had our order correct on the first try. Tonight's mistake found us with fries instead of Tater Tots.
3. I believe one order of Sonic's Tater Tots fulfill the recommended daily allowance of sodium for an entire year. Forget peanuts....if bars want patrons to drink more beer, serve Sonic's Tater Tots.

Sunday Six

Kelly is challenging the kids this week with questions about Fall. I was curious to see what Holly knows about the subject.
1. What is Fall?
Autumn
2. Why do leaves change color?
Because it is Fall.
3. What colors remind you of Fall?
Red, Gold, Green and White and Brown
4. Why do we call it Fall?
Because the leaves fall off the trees
5. What is your favorite thing about Fall?
Changing colors
6. What is the weather like where you live during Fall?
Sunny