2014 Reflection

I don't normally do a year-end reflection post, but this morning, I was just thinking about all the stuff that happened this year, and I felt like I wanted to share.

The year really started out no differently from 2013. Eric had already been at his job for awhile, as had I. There was nothing forthcoming, that we knew of, that was going to make the year 2014 one of those years to look back on. And honestly, until spring sprung, that was seemingly the case. But I think the year started to get more memorable after I won those Boston Red Sox tickets. So we knew an awesome trip was in the works. And that was on top of the two wedding that came to fruition, both of which were 'destination weddings' for us (IOW - we traveled). So the traveling aspect of the year became that of a lot of travel memories, which was interesting since Eric's job no longer had that as a component. Together, we traveled to St. Jo, MI; Houston/Austin, TX; NYC (x2); Boston; Yuengling Brewery; Chicago; and of course, FL. And only one of those trips was via plane (to Texas) - the rest were true roadtrips. Separately, Eric went to Lansing, MI; Nashville, TN; and Philadelphia, PA for work. I, of course, did my girls' Caribbean trip and a late fall trip to FL to see my family. Not too shabby for travel in one year.

Then there was one component of Eric's work life that impacted me more than I imagined it would. He opened a fashion store. And while he was really just the money guy behind the creative minds, it wouldn't have happened without his incubator idea that he had been dwelling on for awhile. This impacted me in the fact that I had no idea there was a local fashion scene in Indy and I, personally, became one of the stores repeat customers rather quickly. Plus, the people I've gotten to meet in this fashion world that I didn't know existed has been quite a trip. It's a world I never would have met without Eric branching out himself. And the people are of such a different mindset than what I'm used to in 'my world' of engineering and development.

I'm not even going to touch on things that have happened in the world or even in my own neighborhood (which has really 'grown up' a lot this year). If I did that, I'd be rambling on for quite some time.

Finally, and most recently, there was the shift in my own job. While technically, there have been murmurings since the summer about this happening, the jump back to the development world really didn't come until late November. And wow... this is setting up 2015 to be another hell of a year. I'm not going to lie - I'm a bit nervous getting back on this side of the arena... but I'm sure once I'm going, I'll be right back in the groove.

So here's to a spectacular 2014... and hoping 2015 will keep the awesomeness going.

Another Reason We Need Our Garage Done

So those who know me, know that I am desperately waiting the completion of our garage. We're fully designed and permitted... but the ground froze on us before the contractor could get started. Boo. Personally, I'm still hoping he can find a week sometime soon to get the foundation in - once that's in, it's a go, regardless of weather. But he has to have a few days to get the concrete to cure, not to mention the ability to dig in the ground, with the temperatures above freezing (ideally, well above freezing). Eric's not as optimistic as I am.

So, to add to our desire to get this done, when we got back from our trip early this morning, we notice something looked weird with Eric's car, which was parking directly in front of our house on Fletcher. Before we even got out to look, I said, "I think your car got hit!"

Sure enough, someone tagged the left rear side, making the tire, which was now tilted, making the car undrivable. WTF. So, instead of waiting, Eric decided to file a police report right then, and called it in. While it was the middle of the night, they still had an officer come out and fill out the report, and I simultaneously started a claim on my State Farm app on my phone - might as well get the process going. With New Year's Day a couple of says away (ie - another day of closure for businesses), it'd be good to get the car in for repairs before so the process could at least begin.

We only know it was a Volkswagen of some sort that hit him - they left a hubcap behind. But no note was left. We can't help but wonder how they got home... the damage left on Eric's car had to indicate their car was in pretty bad shape, too. So it kind of sucks that we had to go to our insurance with a hit-n-run. This is not a 'no-fault state' like Florida, where your insurance always pays. So this really sucks.

So now we are waiting to hear from the insurance company on the next step. I guess the silver lining is that my car is available (for the most part) this week since I don't have to go into work. But then that leaves me stuck at home. I'm sure he'll get a rental later this week... but for now, I get to mill around the house.

UPDATE: I talked to our neighbor and she recalls seeing a car with a broken axle and deployed airbags 'parked' at the end of the block on Sunday morning. I wouldn't have thought the damage to Eric's cars would indicate that much damage to another car, but maybe? Or there was another car involved and Eric's was a third? This new info doesn't nothing for us, regardless... but it's interesting.

My Florida Christmas

It's not a secret that I look forward to me 'green Christmases' every year. I never grew up dreaming of a white Christmas, and even living in Indiana for as long as I have, I still don't desire a white Christmas. I like seeing my palm trees decorated and breaking out shorts on Christmas Day. I like having an opportunity to go to the beach, even though it doesn't mean actually laying out in the sun. To me, that is home... that is Christmas.

Christmas Even, Eric and I headed down to FL. This year, we decided to give a go at driving straight down, with no overnight stops. We knew, in theory, it was very doable. We just hadn't tried it yet. So in similar fashion of our summer roadtrip easy, we got up and left really early in the morning - 5am. We actually wanted to leave earlier, but it was just too hard to get out of bed. I didn't make it too far down the road before I fell back asleep for a couple of hours... but Eric said he was okay, so I rested soundly. We just drove and stopped when we wanted to stop, and since we had no agenda, we took our time. I told my parents that if we got there in time to go by the house, we would, but don't plan anything around our arrival. Glad we did that, too, because we didn't get to our hotel until around 8pm. We still went over to say 'hi' to my parents and Nan, and deliver our gifts to the tree. But we didn't stay long - we were quite tired. SO back to the hotel we went to crash.

Since my sister and her family didn't come up until Christmas Day, we took that as a queue to sleep in and get plenty of sleep for the long day ahead. We actually barely made over to my parents before they arrived, which was no big deal, really... we ate breakfast at the hotel before we went over, so there was no delay in anybody's schedule. Once they arrived and everyone settled in, it was right to opening gifts. Even though they're teenagers, the kids still love opening gifts as if they were still six-years-old. Of course, the gifts are very different now. Did I mention how hard it is to shop for a teenage boy?? Darian started out difficult, but much in the way my list grew at her age, it was an ever growing list that made shopping for her very easy. I actually had a hard time shopping for everyone else, this year, too. Except for my Dad... my travels made his gift list easier, as I found all sorts of fun t-shirts for him. And actually, my travels helps with everyone, as everyone got at least one souvenir type things from my travels. But I still had to get things people wanted, too.

Eric is never easy to shop for, either. In fact, I'm finding none of the guys in my life are easy to shop for. Why is that? I know I'm not the only one with this issue, either... I think it's because if they want something, they just go buy it. So they never leave any hints on the table. But I digress.

The rest of our trip was a typical FL trip for me. Lots of family time, shopping with the girls (my Mom, sister, and niece), and even pierogi making this year! Eric got a little more antsy than usual this year - he just can't stay in one place for too long with an agenda in front of him. He wanted to go do something 'planned out' and unfortunately, that's just not how my family operates. At least not since we used to do the zoo day with the kids. (Which I miss) He couldn't even get the guys to go to lunch when us girls were out shopping. I felt bad for him, but yet, this was no different than any other year. Maybe next year, we can plan at least one day out with a full agenda to calm his nerves.

The trip home turned out to be another straight-thru drive. We initially planned on making a stop, but the timing of us leaving (noon) and where that put us at a good 'stopping point and time', it just didn't make sense. So we pushed through and arrived home closed to 2am. Made for a long, exhausting day, but I have to admit, it was nice to sleep in my own bed last night (this morning).

So another Christmas is in the books. Kind of hard to believe that this year is wrapping up already. It flew by way faster, it seems. But none the less, it was a great Christmas with family on both sides.

Two Christmas Parties and a New Job

'Tis the season for company Christmas parties... of 'Holiday' parties if you need to be politically correct. They can range from a potluck in the office, to a formal affair, all depending on how the company likes to do things. Or, sometimes, just due to who's in charge of it that year.

This year was kind of interesting. I got the whole range in two days... from two companies, obviously... but one of them was NOT where Eric and I currently work. That was part of what made it interesting.

But let's start with my A&F party. Since we're such a small company, Steve keeps things simple. Which is nice. We do more than a potluck... we figured it out last year she we took an afternoon off and went bowling with a nice lunch beforehand. It might sound corny, but since it's just the employees, there's good camaraderie and lots of just laid back fun. And yes, we get alcohol. So that was on Wednesday afternoon.

Last night, Eric and I crashed a party where neither of us work. But of course, there was more to it than that. So jumping ahead, I start a new job on Monday! (SURPRISE!) I'm getting back into the development world and I cannot wait! I've heard nothing but amazing things about the company I'm going to work for, and I think I got a preview of it at their party last night. Late last week, I got the invitation to attend, which surprised me, but I wasn't about to say no. I did, at least, know a couple of people already from previous places of employment. So it wouldn't be completely awkward.

Oh, and did I mention it was cocktail/formal dress? Yeah... so it didn't matter who I met... I won't recognize them on Monday. But it was a really nice event... quite a way to be introduced into a company culture! Eric and I sat down to eat and then another couple came and asked to sit with us. Turned out to be the COO. He talked to me quite a bit and was all sorts of excited about the company and me coming on. The CEO later touched base with me, as well - we had met during the interview process. And his wife was VERY pregnant with their 7th child! So family/work life balance... check! The whole evening was a casino them, so very social - actually a great way to meet people informally. I actually had a really great time!

So yeah... I start a new job on Monday. More to come on that, obviously. After last night, I have no doubt I made the right decision in making the move. I'm even more excited now!

Indiana Christmas

We celebrated our Indiana Family Christmas a little early this year... today. And it was a bit unconventional... but I couldn't have sake for a nice day.

It started very informal... Kelly and Kimber were coming up to see Tran-Siberian Orchestra and asked if we could watch the kids. Of course, that was no problem. But after these informal plans were made, we learned we weren't get to see them for Thanksgiving or Christmas! So that changed everything. We didn't want to necessarily do the full day, sit down dinner type of Christmas... but something. And then Eric suggested Lasagna. Perfect!

So the closer we got, the more I realized I wanted to make this a real Christmas celebration and actually get to see the kids open their gifts. So wrapping their gifts moved up the priority list (not to mention buying them).

Mind you, all this happened in less than a month, where for a week, I was out of the country! So there was a bout of craziness in there. But it was all worth it.

So today came, and I was busy in the kitchen, first thing in the morning. Since most of the adults were heading to the concert at 3:30pm, dinner had to be a little early, which was no problem. I haven't made lasagna in what seems like forever, so I was excited to make it. And it worked out perfectly. Everyone got to the house, just as I was putting the lasagna in the oven, and we ate with just enough time for them to let the food settle before walking over to the concert.

That left Eric and I with three kids, and the fourth on his way. Well, we initially figured we play games, but two of them fell asleep... and so did Eric. I Payton and I played Uno until Nolan got to the house... and then he joined in... and then Paige played some. Finally, everyone seeming to be ready to do something more, and the girls suggested going to look as some Christmas lights. Well, what better lights to see that the giant tree on the circle. So we all coated up and headed out... and managed to get there right before the concert left out. So then Les, Lytta, Kimber, and Kelly met us up there before heading back to the house.

We were all a little cold at this point,but it didn't take long to warm up. It was finally present time for the kids, too, so I'm sure that helped. I think we did alright with gifts (thanks to some ideas from Kelly) and everyone seemed happy. It all happened so quick, though... as kids and gifts often do. But that was not a bad thing, since Kelly and umber had to get back on the road to KY.

So it was a short but sweet visit. But I think it was a win-win as far a Christmas celebrations go... I love when everyone leaves happy.

Annual Girls' Cruise!

As most of you know, every year, a couple of friends and I take a cruise. Our annual girls cruise has become just three of us, though it started with a larger group. But Karla, Jen, and I just decided we travel well together and always have a great time.

This year was no different. We set sail on the Independence of the Seas from Fort Lauderdale last Sunday for a 6 night cruise (our longest yet!) through the western Caribbean. All three of us were SO ready for the cruise this year - I guess it's just been a stressful year for us all! That, and the early onset of winter just made us that more anxious.

We managed to get on board quite early (and easily) this year. They had a new system where they asked people to arrive based on their deck assignment. Not that they'd turn you away, but it helped spread the arrival times out and keep lines down. So we got on board and found ourselves some chairs by the pool until our room was ready and we had to do our muster drill. It was an absolutely gorgeous day - perfect to just be by the pool in waiting.

Our first day at sea was spent cruising to our next day's destination (so another day lounging by the pool, getting some sun), Georgetown, Grand Cayman. Karla and I had not been to this port, though Jen had and knew a few things. We actually signed up for an excursion at this port - a catamaran tour of Grand Cayman, complete with a swim with the ray at Stingray City. Alas, shortly after getting off the boat, they had to cancel it due to rough waters around the stingrays. So we had to make up our own fun at the spur of the moment. We decided to go to Hell.

Yes, you read that right... Hell. There is a town called Hell on Grand Cayman, though it's not so much a town as it is a few buildings built up around these odd rock formations. But how many people can say they've been to hell and back and actually mean it?? And not just because we were using the public buses on the island. After we took our pictures and had our fill of hell, we jumped back on the bus and went back to a little jerk restaurant called peppers that Jen had learned about from a local. That's one thing she's really good at... talking to locals to find out where to go and what to eat, locally. Can't help but admire her for being able to do that... I don't think I could! But off we went and the food was, indeed, quite good. The owner was there and loved to talk to his customers. Interestingly enough, he was from Jamaica (our next port)... part of the 10% of non-black people from Jamaica (no lie - a fact we learned the next day, phrased just like that). Jen promised him a good review on Cruise Critic and we were on our way to Seven Mile Beach. Which is just what it says... seven miles of soft, sandy beaches. It was quite overcast, so not the greatest beach day. We just chilled out for awhile, took a dip to get our salt water fix, and then headed back to the port area to do some shopping. We all agreed we'd have to try this port again, though, and actually go swim with the rays.

The next day we were in Falmouth, Jamaica. Well, our ship docked there, anyway. We ended up further east, past Ocho Rios, up in the mountains, jumping off rocks and playing in the waters of Blue Hole. The area is basically a series of small water falls and pooled water, going down the mountain side, that has become quite the attraction. Some locals act as guides down the series of jumps and swings, making sure you jump where it's safe and so on and so forth. And they do some crazy jumps of their own, for entertainments purposes, as well. We had a blast doing it! Afterwards, we hit another jerk place for lunch called Scotchies. Personally, I liked the place on Grand Cayman better, but I will admit, they had a killer sauce for their chicken! But then it was back to the port with just enough time to grab a few souvenirs on the way back to the ship. This port, by the way, was really nice. Somebody sunk a lot of money into it, just this year, to build a brand new port area that was more secure and tourist friendly. Jen was just here in February, and it wasn't done yet!

Port three was just another overnight sail to Haiti. Royal Caribbean has a private beach/peninsula on the north side of Haiti called Labadee. It's quite nice, actually, although you know it's nothing like the rest of Haiti. Royal Caribbean put a lot of money into this place, as it even has a dock - no tendering in here, anymore (apparently, they used to). This little private getaway is decked out to the extreme, complete with a long zipline and even a small roller coaster. There's a 'rough side' that has waves, and a 'calm side' toward the bay, so you get your choice of serenity. It was about the most perfect day we had in a port yet, which was a good thing, since there wasn't much here besides getting some sunshine (unless you wanted to do the adventure sports stuff). We started on the wavy side, but it got too crowded, so we ended up in a little area on the calm side that Jen had access to. So it was a little more quiet. I decided to explore a bit and take some pictures at some point, and went for a lap around the paradise. I managed to get some great pictures of some waves crashing on some rocks before heading to the end of the peninsula where it was all waves crashing into rocks. That was the draw, hence the little viewing point they set up on what they dubbed Dragon's Breath Point. The name comes from the 'hissing' you hear as the water pushing the air through all the holes in the rocks. It's pretty cool, actually. And it now brings a Segway to a story.

I almost died here. Okay, not really, but I did have a moment of life flashing before my eyes. I was wrapping up my exploration of Labadee, and this lookout point was one of the last places. They have a nice path with stairs that you walk along made of natural stones and cement... so it's an easy path to walk. With lots to look at as you go. I had my little waterproof camera with me, so I wasn't worried about some of the light spray that was coming up from the point. I had to follow the path up and over one rock formation, through a gate, and then back down and up to got to the little tower they built. I saw some RC person up there, taking pictures of guests and such, and there was a good stream of people going back and forth. So I took my time, snapping pictures along the way. I was working my way up the last part of the path to the tower when I saw a neat view back, where you could see the top of the ship. Then I hear a wave hitting the rocks behind me and think, "Ooh! Sounds like a good wave to catch crashing!" I turn around real fast and start to snap the picture and realize that the wave is not stopping. (yes - this is a picture of the wave that almost killed me) Next thing I knew, I was thrown off the path/steps into the rocks about three feet below. It all happened so fast and I was just sitting there in shock when the security guard from the lookout came running down to help me out of the hole. I walk up to the top with him and catch my breath, while those who saw it all happen kept asking if I was okay and seemed to be a little shocked themselves. Then they started pointing out my injuries... lots of little scratches which, just because, seemed to be bleeding a lot. But I looked at them and could tell it was all superficial. After the shock started to wear off and the security guy knew I was okay, he deemed the lookout point closed because the tide was coming in (so THAT'S why he was up there and why there was a gate further back on the path - so they could close the point during high tide!) One couple was almost scared to walk back down - they kept seeing more waves and thought they were all going to start coming in like that. Nah... that's just my luck.

So I get back to my girls and tell them my story. They have their own shock and awe moment and a second shock and awe moment hits me when I realize how much worse it could've been. I was thrown down onto sharp rocks, after all... yet, managed not to loose my camera, sunglasses, or hair clip... only lost my SeaPass card to get back on the ship, but that was easily fixed since this was a private port. And I didn't realize that was gone until about an hour later! By dinner that night, we were all laughing about my luck, likely because we all realized I was actually quite lucky it wasn't worse! My biggest injury was actually discovered later... a bruise across my butt that had more colors than I knew could exist in a bruise. I iced it that night. And then strategically took photos as to keep my injuries (lots of scratches!) out of the line of focus.

Thankfully, our last day was a cruising day... just another day to lay by the pool. I took a bag of ice up with me to sit on until it melted. It was actually starting to feel better - I actually think the ice may have helped. But the bruise will likely be around for awhile. The day, itself, was the perfect day to be cruising. The sun was the perfect intensity and there was just a few clouds. It wasn't until the ship turned more northerly that it started getting breezy and more clouds came into play. But it's was about time to head in, anyway.

All in all, it was another spectacular cruise. At least the ports. The three of us decided that the service on this ship wasn't up to par with what we were used to on Royal Caribbean... but I blame that on the fact that they just came back to the US and Caribbean circuit after being over in Europe for a long time. I just don't think the European cruising set expect or want the same things from the crew and staff that American's have come to expect. At least I'm hoping this is the case - I'd hate to think Royal Caribbean is losing it panache. I guess we'll see next year!

Small Business Saturday

So if you caught my Thanksgiving blog, than you know I'm becoming a little anti Black Friday. I just feel like all those big retailers who decided to open Thanksgiving night for 'Black Friday' are destroying what used to be a nice holiday that you just spent with family - one of the few not based around gifts or other material goods. Just good food and company. Having said that, though, I'm ashamed to say that I ended up taking part in the night shopping.

It was Eric's fault. He saw something in the Target ad (a vacuum cleaner) that he wanted. His parents were long gone and we were surprisingly still wide awake after the long day, so I obliged him and we went to Target. And Macy's, since it's across the parking lot (at Glendale Town Center). We walked out of Target with a vacuum cleaner and Macy's was all about stuff for him, believe it or not. Mostly for 'now' but I talked him into letting me wrap one thing for the tree. He's just so hard to shop for...

But back to the blog at hand... Today is Small Business Saturday! I've come to love this day... way more than Black Friday. I'm lucky enough to have some very cool local small shops that I like to frequent on a regular basis, anyway, and today just gives me a reason to hit them all again. And I love seeing them all busy! And while some more gifts were picked up, most of it was for me. Just because.

Now if you don't know what Small Business Saturday is, where have you been??? American Express has be promoting and sponsoring this day for years, now... and I think it's an awesome idea. So many people don't realize what they can find out there is they look beyond the big box retailers. Even cooler is often these small, local shops also carry locally made stuff that is only sold on a small scale locally. And there are some cool local makers out there. This I've learned more recently, thanks to Eric's job.

So you still have time. Get out there and shop local today. You might just find a new favorite store.

Thanksgiving

Is it just me, or has the creep of 'Black Friday' one Thanksgiving starting the make Thanksgiving, itself, insignificant?

I'm not trying to be Negative Nelly over here... but between that and the smaller Thanksgivings we've had (with family not all being able to get together), I feel like it's becoming a 'glossed over' holiday. How long before it's just another day that you may, or may not, get off from work and you just have turkey sandwiches for dinner to celebrate? Just look at how many people had to work (in retail, at least) today... Why must the almighty buck always seem to dominate?

Okay... rant over... thinking happy thoughts.

As foreshadowed, we are having a very small celebration at our house today... Jut Eric and I, and his parents. Not a bad thing... it'll still be nice and we're still doing turkey (albeit, just a breast). And I'm baking a cake, right now... hope it turns out, since it's my first stab at this recipe. You never know with a new recipe.

In the meantime, I've barely glanced at the Black Friday ads. Why bother? Most of them are for deals tonight. That, and the fact that I'm really about done with shopping already. And before you curse me, know that it wasn't on purpose... I've just been finding things along the way this year. Yes... I think about Christmas gifts all year long.

Oh, well. I guess all I can say at this point is, "Happy Thanksgiving!" Hope all you out there reading this can restrain yourself from going shopping. It's much better to spend time with family.

Jags Game (at the Colts)

Since giving up our season tickets a few years ago, Eric and I typically go to one Colts game a year. it was easy, at first... always the Jaguars game. but then they flipped the home/away schedule, and the Jags were always in Indy when we were down in Jacksonville. That sucked. So while we still went to a game, it gave little excitement to either of us.

But then this year, the schedule was adjusted so the Jags were up in Indy earlier than in recent years (but not flipped), and I literally just realized this a couple of weeks ago. So of course, this quickly became our game for the season. Even if my Jags are doing poorly (they are the poster child this year), I still like to see them play. Besides, I wanted to check out the new quarterback in person - he was seemingly pretty good, from things that float around the media.

So the game was this afternoon. Eric was a good sport about humoring me with the 'one game' of the season... he's really just not a big fan of the NFL in general, anymore. And I went to the game with absolutely no expectations, other than just seeing my Jags in person. We managed to snag some great seats... NOT through a broker or reseller, but actually directly from the ticket source (go figure - not a sell out). They were even better than what we used to have for season tickets, so score!

The first half actually gave me some hope. The Jags held the Colts to 6 and they scored a field goal, themselves. Not great, by any means, but defense was earning their pay, at least!

But then came the second half. Despite the defense forcing 6 fumbles throughout the game, the offense could do nothing with it. I'm not sure if it was the Colts defense (I doubt it) or the horrible offense of the Jags, but it was sad to watch. There was a reason I only saw a handful of Jags jerseys in the stadium, when in years past I'd see sections of them. Colts won, 23-3.

Alas, I got to at least see my Jags this year. It's been a couple of years, I think. Here's hoping to better luck next year.

First Snow

We got our first snow overnight, last night! And I have very mixed feeling about it...

Technically, it supposedly snowed on Halloween... when Eric and I were in New York. So despite what 'people' might say, I'm calling last night's snow the first snow of the season.

But back to my mixed feelings. On one hand, it's pretty to look at. It's wonderful if you don't have to go anywhere, and you can just sit inside and look at it. But on the other, it's cold. And as much as I wish I could just sit at home with a Rumchata Hot Chocolate, and just look out the window, I can't. And did I mention that it's cold?

Seriously, though... snow. On November 16th/17th. Granted, it was just a couple of inches, unlike some other parts of the country that got upwards of a foot or more. But in true Indianapolis form, everyone freaked out. They forgot how to treat the roads correctly, and/or everyone forgot how to drive, right on cue. There were slide-offs everywhere, this morning. They even had to completely shut one interstate down because there were so many slide-offs in one stretch. Which, technically, that would be INDOT's responsibility, not the City's. It seems it takes a few storms to remind jurisdictions every year that whether it's 2" or 12" of snow, they both cause the roads to be slick, and in both instances, something needs to be put one the roads to allow people the safely drive them. If there's evidence of moisture on the roads and it's below freezing, you've gotta treat. Period. If the pavements is warm and melting everything, and even drying with traffic, then fine - leave them be. But that was not the case with this storm, nor with most storms that fall overnight... we just don't have enough traffic on our roads to

I digress.

The sun did at least come out a bit, today, and helped with some of the pavement areas (roads) fully melting and even drying. But then is snowed some more. And I'm guessing, as it gets later and colder with no sun beating down, some of those melted areas will ice over nicely if there's still moisture left on them. So it might be a fun drive, again, tomorrow. But at least it's pretty to gawk at.

The Mouse

I'm not going to say I grew up a sheltered life, but I was lucky enough to almost always live in a new house. Not just 'new to us', but actually 'new', as in, we watched it get built. I didn't know about living in old houses, and what comes with living in an old house, until I moved in with Eric into his 100+yr-old house.

Recently, I discovered a true negative to the old house, with the creaks and slanted floors and drafty windows... the ability for vermin to get in (especially when it gets cold outside). A mouse. I've never seen a 'wild' mouse before. At first, I didn't know what I saw. It was a blur across the floor, and I jumped. Eric shrugged it of and said, "yeah.. I thought I saw a mouse earlier, too. If you think you saw one, then you did." About this time, he darted again, this time a little too close to comfort for me (still halfway across the room, mind you). I screamed this time, and curled up into a frantic ball. Eric just laughed at me. But he finally humored me and got up to see if the mouse was hiding behind a foot stool, and thought it was gone. I was still on edge. Then I saw it again, and by this time, I'm freaking out so much I'm near tears! And I have no idea why it freaked me out so much - I just never had a mouse in my house. I felt so... violated!

We didn't see him again and, in fact, Eric was convinced it left the house, since it warmed up a bit, again. Then, I came home to find what I thought was to be a perfectly fine loaf of bread in the garbage. I just assumed it was Eric being Eric about bread - he throws it out when it's just close to the expiration date. But then he told me he thought a mouse got to it. Uh oh.

Now, we are not dirty people, by any means. We have some clutter, just like anyone, but I'm OCD about dishes in the sink or leaving any plates around, let alone food out. So this really kind of got to me... where did this little sh*t come from and why our house??

Other than putting EVERYTHING in the fridge or high cabinet, we didn't change anything about our routine, at this point. We had no idea where he was 'living' and where to try to trap him. Then last weekend, I was cooking standing at the sink, washing a plate off, when I swear I felt something scurry past my toes along the kickboard. I looked and saw nothing... but was now on high alert. About 10 minutes later, I see him scurry under the fridge. And I saw him, in full mouse view, this time. For some reason, truly seeing him and just not a blur made me ready to mouse hunt... I was going to get the sucker. Or so I hoped/thought. I texted Eric and told him to bring home traps. In the meantime, I stood guard so he couldn't get out from under the fridge.

Oh, and he tried! He's poke his little head out, and I'd jump at him, knowing it would only scare him and there was no way I'd catch him by doing that. We played this game until Eric got home. He threw out a couple of the sticky traps on either side of the fridge and we left the kitchen.

Alas, no mouse. He was too smart for that. So we positioned the two traps a little better around the kitchen in hopes he's get stuck overnight. But again, no mouse. So I looked up some mouse traps online and found a simple and seemingly effective (and humane) trap. Put some peanut butter on the inside, bottom of a small glass, balance it upside down, with one side of the rim on a nickel, and let the heavy, easily off-balance glass do the work. I set up my trap (even with the sticky traps still out) and waited. I thought surely he's knock this over within a day.

A few days later (Friday), and the glass was unmoved. But wait... I looked a little closer. The peanut butter was GONE and the nickel was rotated 90 degrees so it couldn't roll with the weight of the glass. WTH?? Did this mouse take physics??

Yesterday, I was in the living room and heard a noise in my fish tank cabinet. I knew it had to be the mouse. Either that, or one of the fish got out. So I briskly opened the cabinet... but didn't see him. I shuffled stuff around, but still no mouse. An hour or so later, I heard the noise again. I ran over and opened the door, and there it was, just sitting in the cabinet. It darted out the back (there's no back on these cabinets) and I ran to get one of the sticky traps. but again, no luck. So I proceeds to investigate what he had found in the fish tank cabinet. Wow... the little sh*t found old fish food I had long forgotten about. So that was quickly removed and put in the trash. Now he had nothing to go after there.

Then I heard a noise behind the couch... where I was sitting. This freaked me out a bit because I couldn't see it... hopefully, it was just the same mouse. And just a mouse. So I cautiously looked over the back to see a bag of candy that had fallen back there some how... it definitely matched the crinkling sound.

I should mention that every time I removed a food source, I'd hear the mouse, again, in the same vicinity, squeaking up a storm. I think I was pissing it off.

That was the last straw. Eric decided it was time for the old school snap traps. I told him I didn't want to know where he set it, and it couldn't be anywhere I'd see it before him (so he could check it). Basically, there was no way I'd be able to see the dead mouse in the trap. So he set it before we went to bed last night

This morning, Eric woke me up by nudging me and tell me the mouse is dead. He was all excited because he heard it go off just a few minutes earlier, and continued to go into detail of what the whole thing sounded like. I tried to get him to stop - I didn't want to know. I just asked him to please make it all go away before I came downstairs. And he did.

So now comes the fun task of complete disinfection. That's been fun today... and gross, because the damn mouse left a trail of where he'd been. I've cleaned out the fish tank cabinet and all the counters in the kitchen (we had done the floors after the first round with this damn mouse). But I think I might have to go a second round of cleaning here shortly, for my own sanity. Here's hoping that is was, indeed, just one mouse. I really hope the next time I see a blur, it's my mind playing tricks on me.

New York, New York!

This time last week, I never thought I would have just gotten back from a trip to New York City. But I did... late last night. Seriously.

Friday morning, Eric went into work a little early to knock our something before the normal bustle of his office started. I get a call right before I get in the shower, him telling me to stop by his office on my way in because he had a surprise. All I could think was, "What is he up to?"

I didn't rush through my normal routine and when I stopped by, I was only slightly surprised when he told me he found cheap flights to NYC, using his Delta Skymiles. We had been talking about going so we could do the Brooklyn Makers Tour, though we had talked about NOT traveling over the upcoming weekend. But he was determined, hence, the only slight surprise to me. So I agreed - let's go do this. He booked the flights and I told him I'd look at hotels and a car service when I got into work. Somehow, this last minute trip all came together, quite easily.

So Friday at 6pm, we were on a direct flight to LGA. And we were in the heart of NYC by 9pm. We got to the hotel, checked in, and decided to just grab food there instead of wandering. We stayed just off of Times Square in the Hilton. It was a surprisingly good deal and, quite frankly, you can't beat the location, as one of the larger MTA Subway hubs is right there. After we ate, we decided the brave Times Square, itself, just so we could say we did do it... we only did a lap, and even in a drizzly rain, it was still packed!

Saturday morning, we woke up without an alarm (always awesome, in my mind), grabbed breakfast at the hotel, and decided to check off a few items on our list of places to go before we headed over to Brooklyn. Believe it or not, these were shopping destinations of Eric's choosing. Stuff we don't have in Indy... I think Eric misses his travelling more that he likes to admit. But we also found one of the many small parks throughout Manhattan, Bryant Park. Eric's determined to make the small park on Mass Ave cooler, so he ate up this little find. Granted, we can't do a skating rink, but there were some other cool ideas in the park.

From there, it was back to hotel, briefly, and then on to the subway to head over to Brooklyn. We routed it out, based on what the Made in Brooklyn Tours company website suggested, and had no problem getting to where we need to be, despite the dreary, drizzly rain. It was a little chilly, but not at the freezing level. I still knew we'd be cold and wetter than we'd like to be by the end. Yet, I was still looking forward to it. We started at a little coffee shop located in a building that, historically, used to roast coffee. And that first tidbit of the tour confirmed this was going to be a good tour, even if we would be walking all over Brooklyn in the rain.

The tour guide, Dom, made the tour spectacular. He was born and raised in Brooklyn and knew all sorts of cool tidbits of information. We only went on one of the many offered (Made in Williamsburg), but I would imagine if you did multiple, you'd never get bored. Seriously. We visited an ice cream place that has crazy flavors (there was bacon in one of the flavors... literally), and artists' sketchbook library, a chocolate shop, a cheese shop, jewelry store, and a bagel shop. Not only did he have stories about the places we stopped, but also all sorts of history tidbits as we walked. It was really cool. I highly recommend you check out one of their tours if you're ever in NYC. Their page is linked above, in italics.

After it was done, Eric and I decided to hop a bus to another part of Brooklyn and tour a little more on our own. We essentially ended up in the area under the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge. First, we found the Brooklyn Roasting Company, thinking it would be a good place to warm up. And it was. Coffee was excellent and I even bought some to bring back with me. We then decided to do an early dinner at Grimaldi's Pizzeria 'under' the Brooklyn Bridge. And after that, we decided it was time to head back to Manhattan. As we walked to the nearest subway station, we came across a Brooklyn Industries store. This was right up Eric's alley with his involvement with the Pattern Store. I just loved the stuff they had - kind of wish we had found it earlier. We both ended up finding things we like there to buy. Not that it's hard for me to find something I like...

Once we got back to our hotel, we warmed up just enough to take another 'hike', this time down to Tavern on Third. "Why?" you might ask? Well, I found out from a fellow alumni that spotted my Auburn hat at breakfast that this was the official NYC Auburn Alumni watch party location. So of course I had to check it out. Eric was a good sport about it, too... even if when we got there, we found more than we bargained for. It was PACKED! Wall to wall Auburn people, cheering on the game on the 32 TV's throughout. It was standing room only, and with us being on our feet all day, we knew we couldn't make it though the whole game on our feet. So, even though it bummed me out a little, we went back to the hotel for the second half of the game. Found some alumni and fans there, too. In fact, I was a bit blown away by how much Auburn apparel I saw all weekend. Gotta love Auburn pride.

Sunday morning we woke up knowing two things. One, we had until noon to be out of the hotel, and until 5pm before we were actually picked up by our car and two, we had unknowingly came to New York on the weekend of the NYC Marathon, which was Sunday. The later at least explained why our rate went up the second night... but the good news was that it all stayed north of where we were (came no further south than Central Park) and in the other boroughs. So for what we wanted to do, there was no issue. It just kept one thing off my desired 'to-do' list, and that was to stroll through Central Park for a bit. But it was going to be crazy with the marathon finishing there, so we nixed that idea quickly. Instead, we did some more shopping and wandering. Again, mostly Eric's chosen shops. I got him to go to Macy's to see the wooden escalators... which I still think are just so cool.

We ended up by the Flatiron building, and another little park, coincidentally. I don't think I realized how many little parks there really were throughout NYC. Plus, they made much of Broadway a pedestrian plaza. This was a very nice change from last time... a lot more walking room through the busy areas. And it just looked nicer! We took a brief pause in our shopping and touring to go check out of the hotel and store our bags, and then we were off again, this time to the Highline to walk to new north end of it that had just opened. There were some cold, blustery winds blowing across the Highline since it was so close to the water - the new leg even skirts over right next to the water! It was sunny, at least. And I'm still glad we checked it out. We hit another few shops and then decided to grab a late lunch/early dinner before going back to the hotel and wait for the car to pick us up.

We were both feeling (are still feeling) the pains of walking around for two days. But it was worth it. It turned out to be a spectacular weekend trip. I never would've gone to Brooklyn without this tour being a reason for me to cross the East River - I just didn't think there was anything worth seeing over there. But it was really cool... Brooklyn's pretty cool. And just getting to see more of NYC after our very brief visit back in July... will always love that. I think I will just always love New York City and exploring what else it has to offer. No trip has been the same, yet, nor do I think any trip will be the same... unless I want it to be the same, that is. But why would I want that?

Ding Dong the Pole is Gone!

So after about six months of bugging the crap out of AT&T (it started with IPL), the guy pole that was in our back yard is GONE!

I know this sounds like a trivial thing to all of you that have never had to deal with this... but you have no idea how huge this is! This means we have no excuse to NOT start our garage finally! There can't be any foundation issues, now.

Except that our permits haven't been issued yet. They're in for approval, but not yet. And since we in a historic district, we have the added step of having a pre-con meeting with an IHPC person. Bleah!

It's weird, though.... the pole took up very little space, and the guys, themselves, have been gone for months. (The picture shows where the pole once was...) But when I look out back, our yard seems bigger, somehow. It was just a pole... and, at one time, a wire.

Of course, that 'big feeling' will be short lived, as the garage will quickly close our backyard in. But it'll be worth that sacrifice.

Pacers are Back!

Tonight was the first home game of the Pacer's new season. They had a pretty great season last year, and seem to finally be getting back in fans' good graces. There was definitely a period, there, where they just had a bad reputation. And they weren't playing so hot, either.

This year, they did a mini-season pack called 'Perfect 10' where you could actually pick whatever 10 games you wanted. Eric and I decided to go for it and, so we didn't feel completely obligated or feel guilty if we gave them away, we chose the cheap seat. Yes, semi-nosebleeds. We're less than 10 rows up in the upper deck for any of the games (I think there are as many as 30 rows), so it really isn't as bad as it sounds. Besides, it was more about getting to see the good games (or at least the games we thought would be good).

We did go to tonight's home opener against the 76er's. It was kind of sad to see how many empty seats there were for a home opener, especially as strong as they finished last year, making it to the playoffs and all. Even more so because we know how cheap it really is to go to a game, if you really want to. We spent less for 10 Pacer's games for than what we would've spent for ONE COLT'S GAME if we were still buying those season tickets. Seriously... what do you think the better deal is? If we chose the nosebleeds at Lucus Oil Stadium, we could've squeezed two, maybe three games in for what we paid for 10 Pacer's games. But I digress.

One of the reasons people might be staying away (and I hope this is all it is) is because three starters are injured right now. When you only have 5 guys on the floor, that can make a difference. But I have to say, I was impressed with some of our second stringers, and even third stringers. The Pacers still pulled off a pretty nice win (even if it was against the 76er's). I'm looking forward to our next nine games, scattered throughout the season!

Eric's Birthday

Eric's birthday was actually on Tuesday, but with it being in the middle of the week, we didn't really celebrate until tonight. I asked him where he wanted to go, and he said Hollyhock Hill.

Now if you're not from the Indy area, me saying that means nothing. So let me tell you about it... Hollyhock Hill is one of those places that's been around for over 80 years, that is essentially an old house converted into a restaurant. It's a true family style restaurant. They're specialty? Fried Chicken. And how's this for old school... when you make you reservation, you tell them THEN you having the fried chicken dinner. And it's not you KFC style... no... it's true family style. As in, multiple course of home cooked food brought to your table on serving platters and bowls. So there's the standard fare... mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, biscuits... but then there's the oddities that you know are served as part of tradition at this point. Like pickled beets, cottage cheese, and a 'salad' that is essentially just lettuce with their special dressing on it. After your meal, they bring out hot wash clothed to clean up with, and then, if you're still hungry, you get dessert. What else but vanilla ice cream with a trio of sauces to top it with, including mint! So while this is all kind of odd if you've never been there, it's pretty damn good.

So back to Eric's birthday. To his surprise, Hollyhock Hill now serves alcohol. This was an 'improvement' from the last time we were here, and we guessed that they jumped on the opportunity when the state was literally auctioning liquor licenses off a couple of years ago. They had to know it could only be a benefit. So Eric ordered his Sun King and then had to snap a picture of it on one of the doilies on the table. Our food came out, one course at a time, and we enjoyed each course thoroughly. I think Eric enjoyed having his birthday dinner there, kind of like being a kid. They even brought out some brownies with candles when they found out it was it birthday celebration. Again... he enjoyed it more than he'll admit - you could see it on his face.

I didn't think that we'd end up at Hollyhock Hill for Eric's birthday. But I can say it was likely the best place to end up. Eric just seemed to really unwind and relax for once. And actually enjoy his birthday.

Long Overdue Visit to FL

So ever since my life at Kite, and even somewhat through Eric's time with Kite, traveling to FL to visit my family was not an unusual thing. It was almost par of course... you know... expected at some point throughout the year, if not even multiple times. But now that neither of us travel for our job on a regular basis, the thought of getting on a plane for just a basic visit has become almost foreign.

Last month, Eric suddenly finding two different conferences on his schedule. The first one was just down in Nashville, TN - no big deal. Even though there were more days to it than the second one, which was in Philadelphia. Which meant a flight. Now Eric may have been initially joking around, but at one point, he said, "you should go down to FL and see you family and fly out the same time I do." Umm... okay!

Of course, when I go to book my flight and start asking abut his, he conveniently forgets this was his suggestion. But it was still a go. So I looked at flights and ended up having to book flights on 'off days' in the realm of travel to keep prices reasonable, which meant it would be a short trip, or a longer trip than anticipated. I opted for the longer trip. I had the PTO that needed to be used by the end of the year, anyway. So I proceeded to book things... and decided to keep it a surprise for the niece and nephew. Just for fun. They're teenagers... don't get to have fun like this as much as I used to.

So last Wednesday morning, well before the sun rose, I was up and on the way to the airport with Eric, whose flight left just fifteen minutes before mine. Still before sunrise... (saw that on the plane!)

Of course I had to go through ATL... which has a runway closed for construction... which means delays. This concerned me a bit, only because I had a tight connection. I just didn't want to spend hours in the Atlanta airport. Who does?? But, even with the hold at IND, we still made it in time... I just had no time to do anything else besides get to my next gate. But it was worth it to be in FL well before noon. And the vacation truly began.

Now mind you, I had absolutely no agenda. None. Nothing was on my radar of things I wanted to do, other than just relax with the family, and maybe a little shopping for Christmas. Yes, Christmas shopping. It is just over two months away, so why not?? Quite frankly, I think my 'no agenda' agenda worked out just fine.

The rest of Wednesday was spent catching up with my parents, and then we went out to dinner. I crashed pretty early, then, since I was up so early for my flight. Thursday, my Mom and I went shopping out at St. John's Town Center... nearly all day. Easy to do, there, and a good day to do it, since it was a weekday. Didn't actually buy much, but it made for a nice long day of walking. Friday, we ran some errands and got ready for the Pitts' arrival that evening, including a new recipe for dinner from Publix Aprons (Asparagus Shiitake Chicken with Sesame Rice). it was absolutely amazing! I will be cooking that again, soon! And the kids were surprised to see me... thought it wasn't nearly as exciting as it was when they were younger. Teenagers...

Saturday, my Mom and I were actually able to talk BOTH kids into going out shopping so we could get ideas for Christmas. They were both reluctant, at first, giving us no ideas. It was looking to be a frustrating day... but the second stop, they got more into it and actually found some ideas for us. Yay! So after a bit more shopping and a nice lunch a Panera, we had a successful afternoon with them. This was doubly good since they had to leave right after breakfast the next morning. But we even kept it short since one of them had homework to do.

So Sunday, after the Pitts left, the house seemed all too quiet. My Mom and I decided to go down to the St. Augustine outlet malls, since she had something to return. So we did some more shopping there, and got a little more done for Christmas. I like this early Christmas shopping deal... I used to do this all the time! On Monday, after one more quick trip with my Mom, I wrapped up those Christmas gifts so they're all set for the tree when it goes up. Then I packed for the trip home.

My flight got in LATE last night. Sure... I've gotten home later, but it's been awhile and I've been wiped out all day. Not used to this travel thing anymore. But I still miss it. It was great to see all my family down there, and it was way overdue. I'll be back down in a couple of months... but for now, I've had my family fix and that makes me happy.

Stormin' the Mike!

So I've talked about the Indy Eleven before... Indianapolis' professional soccer team. This has been their inaugural season, with the fall series wrapping up in a few weeks. They've won a few games... none at home, but there have been a few... and numerous draws (ties). But the home crowd has been aching to see a win at home... hence, the 10,000+ sell-out crowds every home game.

In fact, the 'legend' of our fandom has gotten out. Not too many teams in the NASL can boast a single sell-out crowd, let alone an entire season (if not every game, it's been pretty damn close). Plus, we have the Brickyard Battalion, which sings, cheers, and chants the entire game behind the west goal. It's an absolutely cool atmosphere to be in. It's been fun being a season ticket holder.

So anyway... last night was their second-to-last chance to score a home victory for they fans. They were playing the Minnesota United, though... the top ranked team in the NASL. But the Eleven came out strong, scoring early in the first half in the 8th minute. And the Brickyard Battalion did its thing to celebrate. The remainder of the first half was a lot of hard playing by both teams, but never the less, went into halftime with Indy up by one.

The second half started off with a bang, with the Eleven scoring their second goal in the first minute (or, as soccer enthusiast would recognize, the 46th minute). I think it happened so fast that a lot of people weren't even back in their seats yet! But the cheering commenced, just as loud as usual. The rest of the half was much of the same hard fought battle, with an additional (unheard of) seven minutes being tacked on to the end of the match. But Indy held on, much to their fans delight.

And after the final whistle blew, those fans 'Stormed the Mike' - they ran on the field like it had been their calling all along. The smoke bombs went off, the cheering was more of a roar, and the high fives with the players seemed never ending. It was such an awesome thing to see and be a part of. The historic, first home win in the inaugural year of the Indy Eleven. We believed that they would win... and they did.

Indiana Spirits

There's a problem plaguing many museums nowadays... their patrons are dying. Literally. So the museums (at least a few here in Indy) are scrambling to get, and retain, younger patrons and members (since that's how they stay funded). In doing so, they are coming up with new ideas, often in the way of a party/fundraiser that appeal to my generations and younger.

Case in point... last night, the Indiana State Museum had an event called Indiana Spirits, and they even tied it to one of their current exhibits, The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. Eric and I are members, but we were given tickets to this event through The Pattern Store, since they were doing some promoting for both the event and the exhibition with the museum. Which was cool, cause I really wanted to go, anyway.

Part of the fun was dressing up for the part. You didn't have to, but they were really wanting to get people to dress up in likeness to the these (prohibition era). Pattern had a really cute dress to go along with the them that I picked up to wear to the event - totally worth it (since it really wasn't a splurge) and I'll easily get a couple more wears out of it, this year, alone! Eric didn't get into the theme thing... but for guys, it wasn't as big of a deal.

So the event itself was pretty nice. The ISM is a pretty sizable museum, and they utilized quite a bit of the space... which has it's plus and minuses. It's almost a shame, because the lower level, which most people enter from, since it's where the parking garage is, is seemingly wasted space, as a whole, as it really serves as just an entry into the whole museum. Occasionally they'll have a teaser exhibit, and I guess the IMAX entrance is on that level... but in general, I think more could happen there. But for last night, it served as just a spot for a greeter and, oddly enough, an ID check (for alcohol). The 2nd level served as the main check-in area, and the VIP room. There was also the cocktail competition finalists here, with samples of their cocktails for you to taste and vote on. But the main event, including the exhibit, itself, was on the 3rd level. So while nice to have lots of room to roam, it made for a lot of space to cover. So I'm a little torn on if the layout was a good or bad thing.

My only true complaint, which actually comes for just about every one of these events, is the lack of 'free' seating. In other words, non-sponsor and/or VIP areas that anyone can sit down at. Doesn't have to be table and chairs.. just some place to sit. They had a few here... but they make it hard for a girl to keep her cute shoes on all night when she has to stand in them for four hours. That's a long time to stand without tall heels! We did manage to find a sponsor we knew, so got to sit for awhile there. And then managed to find solace in one of the few free seating areas a little later... but I noticed, easily, half of the girls carrying their shoes by the end of the night. I was not one... I managed to hang on until we got back to the car, where I had some flats waiting. But that did not make my feet happy.

We even went to the after party for a bit at Plat 99. I think if it was anywhere else, we probably wouldn't have gone. But we like that place, and it's also just two blocks or so from our house. I just had a drink before heading home, myself. Eric stuck around for another to chat it up with some friends. I was too beat to stick around.

All in all, though, it was a fun night! I love going to these types of events, and when it's a fundraiser, it's just a bonus.

Living the Single Life

Eric went away on a fieldtrip with the mayor on Sunday. And doesn't come back until tomorrow night.

I know... a weird start to a blog. But this is the first time I've had the house to myself for this long since before he quit his job a Kite, when he travelled ALL the time. Quite frankly, it's kind of weird to not have him here at night. I mean, he still works a lot, so sometimes I only see him for dinner and then when he comes to bed... but I'm not used to have the remote control to myself. And the couch. And the bed.

Though I gotta admit, it was nice to veg in front of the TV for a couple of nights, without someone griping about the stupid comedies I like to watch. I love some mindless TV (usually sitcoms), which drives Eric nuts (he picks apart everything from plot lines to character flaws).

On the down side, I didn't cook at all. Which some would say is not a bad thing. I had some leftovers tonight, and last night I had cereal. Yes, cereal. I love cereal and have considered making it my three meal-a-day diet. But I kind of missed making some 'real' food, even if some of what I cook is pretty mindless, too. Cereal is just SO much easier! And, sometimes, tastier.

But alas, this little experiment is done tomorrow night. Even if his work schedule and quirks drive me up a wall some days, I still love him. It'll be good to have him home.

Campaigning for a Friend

Ten years ago, if you would of asked me if I'd ever be campaigning for a politician, let alone be friends with one, I would've laughed. Yet, today, there I was, back up in Fishers, doing just that.

David George, whom I worked with at Kite and got to know more since leaving Kite through some other friends, Tony and Jen, has been on the Town Council for years. With Fishers becoming a City next year, he actually has a district now, and actually has to campaign for his re-election (since he actually has an opponent). And, even though we don't live in Fishers, Eric and I go help our friend out.

We did it last spring, for the primaries, too. Before that, I had never campaigned before, though Eric had. Thankfully. I've never been one for answering random knocks on my door, let alone being the one doing the knocking. I was surprised at how friendly people usually are.

Of course, I learned the trickery to it... you only knock on doors of people registered with the party you're affiliated with. Which means no controversy. Since it's done on the weekend, though, people often aren't home. Or just choose not to answer (like I would).

This does not make me any more of a fan of politics. I'm just helping out a friend. Don't see myself ever doing this for a random politician... still not my thing. Still don't agree with the way politics have become in this country. But that's for another blog.

Fall...

So the change of the seasons is upon us. Weird, since we didn't really get a taste of summer until the last month or so. And the past couple of weeks already started feeling like fall, complete with some leaves starting to change colors.

Fall came too fast this year. I want more summer. Not just because of the year flying by fast, but because I actually want some more hot weather! You know... the type when you breathe, you can feel the hot air as you breathe it in. Just call it a weird quirk I have.

And also, there's now the looming knowledge that winter is much closer than we'd all like to think. And I still don't have a garage. Have a nice big patch of dirt and a hole with utilities stubbed... but no garage yet. This makes me sad. I can't deal with another winter of digging my car out. It sucks.

For some reason, I'm just not into the onset of the cooler weather and really am not looking forward to the changing colors. it's just kind of 'meh' in my mind right now. And I've never been one of those people that associate cooler weather with football because, well, I grew up in FL. So football can play on in warmer weather... if it would just stay that way.

So this feeling of 'blah' does not bode well for the upcoming weeks and months. If I'm already dreading winter, what am I going to be like when it's actually here???

*sigh*

I guess one positive is that I can look forward to my boots and coats that come out in the cooler weather. I also have a few cozy sweaters that I look forward to wearing. But I can't even get hyped about that yet. I just want summer back.

No. Just, No.

It was in the 40's this morning. Said so on my car thermometer (forgot to take a picture - I was in too much shock). And on the news before I left the house. I'm not ready for this. I'm not ready for the cold. It's not even Fall yet!

This just reinforces the fact that I need to go to FL. ASAP. My cruise is still too far off to make that what I'm looking forward to...

Come to think of it... that is the only trip I have to look forward to right now. That's not good. Christmas doesn't count yet... it's a given, and we don't actually have it planned yet, so...

Eric laughs when I say I 'need' to go somewhere. I don't think I could ever be a true nomad... but I do get bored if I somewhere too long without a break from it. Those weekend jaunts up to Chicago for a Cubs games are lifesavers in my book. And Boston was the icing this year... what as awesome trip that turned out to be. But that was two months ago... too long ago. Especially when colder weather shows up on my doorstep.

Don't get me wrong... I'm not one that's on the high maintenance front as far as travel goes... but I've always liked to roam. Growing up, it was on my bike, at the end of Emerson Drive and beyond, where there were no houses, yet lots of paved roads. I could ride for hours out there, by myself, looking for and going nowhere in particular. Unless I saw smoke... then I had to find the source of the smoke. FL brush fires always intrigued me... have you ever watched a palm frond burn? Or the bark of a scrub pine smolder? It's mesmerizing. Okay... I'm starting to sound like a pyro now... I never set them... just liked to watch them.

Anyway... lots of rambling here... point being, I don't want the cold weather yet. And I need a trip to FL soon. That is all.

You Just Never Know What You'll Find...

I think most everyone who reads this knows that I live in an old house. Like, really old house... 100+ years old. It's not my dream home, but it was more ideal than my former home up in Fishers, for Eric and I, when we got married . It's a way better location and much bigger. It was also the one hobby Eric had going - working on an old house. This is his third.

Thankfully, he had most of it done before I ever brought one box down. He kind of had to, with the condition is was in when he bought it. It had been in the same family for decades, and it the later decades, it had been divided up from a single family home into three rental apartments. The plus side to that was nothing was ever painted, so most of the original woodwork just had to be cleaned up. The bad side of that was the fact that you had weird walls build and more kitchens then you needed. So that's what Eric spend the first few years doing - turning it back into a single family home. He had a few surprises along the way, both pleasant and unpleasant. For example, the original wood floors were still mostly intact... just buried under multiple layers of vinyl. Probably the coolest discovery was that he had a true parlor in the front of the house, complete with a knee wall and columns that had been enclosed into studs and drywall at some point. While they weren't pristine, he was able to restore them pretty well.

To date, not much had been done outside. He has redone/repainted about half of the siding, which is a feat on all it's own (I'm trying to convince him to hire someone to do the rest). The front porch was rebuilt by his old contractor, with a finish upgrade to the floor itself (from painted wood to stained wood). But the backyard... aside from putting in a vegetable garden, nada. We're working on getting a garage started, and knew there was a smaller garage or carriage house (literally) at some pint, since the foundation was still in place. But it didn't seem as if they did much else out back.

You may remember the backhoe we had to trench in utilities over the 4th of July weekend. That was fun. Well, we never fully filled in the trench because Eric wanted to make sure a few connections were made, first. With the impending winter upon us, we spent this past weekend filling it in by hand and, also by hand, leveling out the other remaining mounds of dirt so we could reseed and not have a huge mudpit all winter. Eric had just started throwing in dirt when I noticed some bricks along the edge of the trench. They were too perfectly straight to be remnants from the old cistern that was removed. So we did some exploratory dirt moving and found a brick path. At this point, I was excited, and took it upon myself to find out how far this thing went. Well, turns out it likely led from the back porch to the old garage, because we uncovered quite a length of it. Judging from the amount of dirt on top of it, I would say they just threw sod on top of it at some point. Why would you do that??

So now I have a solid path to walk on most of the way to my car (since I park out back). It still needs to be cleaned up a bit, but that's the easy part. Maybe. We also might explore some more and use it and/or modify it to use when our garage is done. Maybe. Since we still have no idea how we're going to finish off our backyard next year, this idea might not be feasible. But for now, I'm just excited to not have to walk through mud.

Penrod

Penrod. Also known an Indiana's Nicest Day. Though that could be argued this year - it got kind of muddy overnight, I think. But never the less, I think it's one of the better art fairs out there. Especially if you go to the VIP event the night before, An Evening with Penrod.

Okay... so it's VIP only in that they sell a limited number of tickets to it, as it's a fundraiser for the Penrod Society. But never the less, it's a fun event. Eric and I went last year, too, and really enjoyed ourselves. There's little one-bite foodie tents all over to nosh on, it includes drinks, and while not all the artists are open, a large majority of them are. And it's not overcrowded like the day event can sometimes get. Which makes for a more comfortable environment, where you're ready to buy, which the artist like. Last year, we found a beautiful painting that we gave my mom for Christmas. This year, though, I found a little something for myself. A cool purse.

It's much more than it sounds. We found this guy who salvages seatbelts from old cars and turns them into a realm of bags, from coin purses, to messenger bags, and everything in between. The guy (Clay Bush) who started it was pretty cool to talk to - very passionate about his start-up called Salvage, which is pretty cool. It's not like some of the seatbelt bags you probably seen out there, either... you know, where they weave the belts or something. He actually busts out an industrial sewing machine and sews the things together. So if you're at an art fair and see this guy, definitely check it out. It's totally worth your time (and money if you like them).

To give you an indication of how on trend this even is, we went by Eric's fashion store, Pattern, and showed them. They liked it enough that they're in talks with the guy to sell the bags out of the store. How cool is that??