Tonight's project

The basil, parsley, etc....

Carly(via Blackberry)

For the tomatoes

Which are starting here...

Carly(via Blackberry)

Leaves

In my life I have probably sent enough emails and texts and IMs to put one on each leaf on this tree. But somehow I still feel like I never get my message across very well. .

Carly(via Blackberry)

Still more birds

I am tired of these things happening... You may be tired of reading. But still.

So yesterday it was a dead baby bird, maybe a day old and clearly plucked out of a nest and dropped into the middle of my driveway. Nice. I gingerly kicked it aside and it's gone this morning. Blaaaah.

This morning TWO herons flying over my head (admittedly, up high but still attention-getting) in some sort of a squabble. A third right in the pond.

Would all the birds leave me alone please?

Carly(via Blackberry)

Man in the moon

A little bit before ten I went out on the porch and rode the bike for a while, in the dark except for the iPod screen. Tonight it gave me good stuff like Midnight by Yaz, Where the streets have no name, Start the Car by Jude Cole, Time will do the talking by Patty Griffin, and some song by Sugarcult.

The (full? damn close) moon was rising and I could see it if I turned my head to the right. The bike is really very quiet and I could hear crickets and things while I watched the fireflies blink on and off all through the yard.

So I rode the bike and thought and looked at the moon and tried to figure things out, and I don't know if I really got anywhere, but then the bike will never move...

singers cry AFTER the funeral

After 9/11 I learned from a choir director how to sing when you are also mourning.

You must focus on the notes, the words on the page. The markings, the rests... Step through them one by one. Execute perfection, as your gift to those present.

The funeral this morning pretty much closed one of the main streets in town. The fire truck loaded with flowers, the long black car, the officer on a horse... I could see them all from the windows of the choir loft.

If you need me, I'll be on my porch. Don't call. I may not answer for a bit.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Quote for the day

"What we focus on determines what we miss - and what we become. "

(If I were a better writer I could link that somehow to the rest of this post, but I just came across it)

Today is the funeral - we waited an hour and a half in line to see the family at the wake, and I heard it was like that all afternoon.

I am somewhat relieved to hide
in the choir loft and at least be able to do some small thing for the family.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Monday is here again

Today was a long and depressing day. I have been tasked with sorting out two project billing errors, and I'm getting nowhere fast.

I have to attend a wake tonight for a friend of ours who has passed away due to injuries sustained in a car accident. He was a wonderful man - a Korean war veteran - the kind of man you would like to have for your dad. I am heartbroken for his whole family. I am going to sing with the rest of the choir tomorrow.

This little flower is my spoon rest. I bought it a while ago and I like the way it looks against the new counters. It's about the only CHEERFUL thing I'm seeing right this minute.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Thoughts

in no particular order:

• why does a lemon slice float, but a lime wedge doesn't? if I cut a lime slice and a lemon wedge what will happen? How many glasses of water do I need to not want a beer? (answer: at least one more)
• the carpet/tile store owner SAID we would need two bags of grout. He ordered one. We needed two. It's not white, it's "summer wheat"... medium brown... whatever... Will this ever end? I have my tile, and ALMOST all of it is grouted. But almost only counts in handgrenades and horseshoes... isn't that the saying?
• my brother in law gave me a non motorized exercise bike. I stuck it on my porch; went out tonight while it was raining. I did about 8 km in a half hour, just listening to the iPod, which was busy playing songs I've never heard... MY iPod... wtf?
• still working with no glasses, which is not very convenient... and still working on old laptop that rebels in every way possible
• why is Ice Truckers on? why do people live up there???
• last night I was sitting out on my BIL's deck EATING MY FOOD AND MINDING MY OWN BUSINESS and my daughter, Queen PMS of the North, barked at me "why are you looking at me?" It was effing hilarious. Because I wasn't. I had sunglasses on. I was just breathing improperly or something. Dear Midol, please help soon.
• this morning Stanley yelled at me for not coming to mass for 3 weeks. Oops.

It feels like fall

But there's no homework. I love summer.

PS: And yes, I know my photo is slightly tilted. So am I. I listened to my coworkers fight all day (deadline time).

Carly(via Blackberry)

Day 52

I love the bundles of nails that I find lying around. This one looked like a leaf to me.

I found it right next to an ibuprofin bottle, an empty fast food soda cup, and a couple of cigarette butts. Poetic, eh?

Today Btb cut a bunch of tiles, put some down, and.... I think that's it.

I cleaned some dust off my beautiful counter, opened a bottle of Salmon River, and ordered takeout Italian.

I want my house done! I'm so tired of saying to myself "maybe next week". But, maybe next week.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Cheeeeesecake

Suzy loves me and brought me cheesecake to cope with the sink and the dust and the cable and the mess and DONT STEP ON THE TILES and all of that.
Important note: this was NOT all for me to consume!

Carly(via Blackberry)

Day 51

Oh my god. I went to sleep last night at 10 and slept and slept. It's like the world started turning again. Even the sound of the ice cream truck isn't bugging me.

Btb actually left me a note SIGNED Btb which freaked me out - did I leave my blog up one day? Turns out ALL the kids call him Bob the Builder. I thought I was so clever. I'm crushed.

The counter guys were supposed to come at 9 today. Apparently they did, but the counter wasn't cut quite right because the guy who was here to measure talked too much about how happy I would be with my granite counter. Um, I bought it already sweetheart. Measure.

So anyway they had to cut a little bit off, to let the stove go back to where it was supposed to be. Cut. In my kitchen. That dust everywhere? That's $20 worth of GRANITE dust, not your ordinary sheet rock dust, babycakes. My effing house is just getting dirtier.

There is also something about the faucet I will have to deal with in a little while too. One hole, two hole, red hole, blue hole. Can't use old faucet, gotta buy new. Cha ching, Seuss.

Right now the 6' 3" cable guy is crawling through the TWO crawl spaces to get back to the radio shack splitter that Btb put in to add cable to my porch. Yowza.

He's resigned to his fate though - he's actually kind of hilarious. Especially the hilarous part about tracking mud all the way into my bedroom. (To check the cable box. You guys are pigs.) He explained to me earnestly about the HBO blocker on the pole outside being part of the problem. And connectors and signals and so on. It's all good.

So, reacap, counter, only a little tile as you can see in the picture, and don't fuck with the cable, please.

U




Carly(via Blackberry)

IMG00285.jpg

Liking the counter. Things are a little rough though. Burger king tonight...

Carly(via Blackberry)

Maybe I do need new glasses....

At lunch today we were discussing someone' friend who "fell in love over the internet".

My friend D said that in too many relationships, there is one person who looks to the other to make them feel happy and feel good. about themselves, and expects that other person to make their life perfect.

Ouch.

I have been guilty of that.

s

Carly(via Blackberry)

Skyline report

The skyline was beautiful today; the sun popped in and out of a fairly thick blanket of smoky blue puffy clouds. To me it looked like someone had bunched up cotton balls and used artist's chalk on them.
(I miss my art stuff!!! Just when I need it most, it's in boxes and not even at MY house.)

The sun was rising at just the right angle to hit the tower buildings perfectly - it made the downtown skyline look very postcard-ready. All of the greens and blues are very saturated and it just perfected the view.

s

Carly(via Blackberry)

Day 50

Bob showed up today, not looking fabulous. (--- Fabulous? There's a joke there that only maybe two of you can get.)

I decided to get out of his way and went to the garden store with my kids. I have this crazy idea about growing a tomato plant on my very sunny porch. Given the deer, rabbitts, etc. around here, this might be my only shot at growing veggies.

It's more of a lark, but then I haven't killed Ted or Finn yet...I have a giant pot that Suzy gave me, so that will be my project after dinner, stakes and all.

Then we went to the mall to deal with the glasses. They're about a year old. Each of the temples has broken now - the first one only lasted about six months. I am not athletic. These things sit on my nonathletic face, or my dresser. For BOTH to have broken is simply nuts.

I pointed this out to the clerk and maybe it was the dark circles under my eyes, or the fact that my insurance is in my name and I had no wedding rings on(this weather is making my hands really puffy) and that my insurance won't cover new frames until next year.

Whatever the reason, she decided with the manager to not charge me for the fix. Customer service still exists. I was very grateful. It will be a few days but she promised to try to rush it.

I came home, iced my foot and took a nap. Walking around the mall killed it and I am just starting to crash from not sleeping well. Not asking for pity. I don't want that. It is what it is.

Bob started ripping up the old rud and some of the linoleum today. More tomorrow, hopefully he will do some tiling. The counters are supposed to come tomorrow. I wish I felt excited. Maybe if I sleep.

i




Carly(via Blackberry)

Two steps back

I haven't been sleeping very well lately. Last night was particularly bad. I have a hard time falling asleep, and my son woke me up more than once somplaining about wanting the AC on (because he wants to sleep covered in his QUILT).

So each time, I struggled to nod off again. Fifteen minutes, 20, 30,.......

It makes it harder for me to roll with it when stupid little things happen. Like this morning, when I put my glasses on, and they broke apart in my hands. Again.

m

Carly(via Blackberry)

the hampster keeps falling off the wheel

So...

Bob is still not feeling great, but might come by tomorrow to do a little bit. Contrary to what you might think, I really DO want him to rest and be 100% before he starts again.

My family room is a large empty shell. If (Btb) doesn't tile the floor and build the platform for the fireplace, then I can't get the carpet put in. Which means I can't put the main desk into the spot where it will be, and therefore I can't get the main desktop PC back out. Tay was right when she said you should NEVER EVER dismantle your pc.... it's killing me.

In the meantime I finally broke down and reconnected the cable modem & wireless router and I'm using a five year old laptop; it might as well be 1000 years old - this puppy CRAWLS along like I can not believe. Sometimes I open yahoo and the window immediately closes. Fun times.

Day 49. The word of the day is "discouraged."

More Birds

My heart sank yesterday when I saw a mangled wild turkey carcass on the same exit ramp where I saw a mother and her babies about a week ago. I know it happens, but geeeeez. What a way to start a Monday.
Last night I was out on my porch and a huge Great Blue Heron flew right by, landed in a tree, hung out for a while, then flew by very closely on his way back to his nest.

This morning I took the newspaper out to read on the porch, and I saw a hawk swoop down on a bird right outside the windows. I am pretty sure he missed, but then he sort of spiraled around and for a second I thought he might careen right through the screens at me. At what seemed like the last second he altered course off toward the trees (he was much more beautiful flying AWAY...)

We won't talk about my crazy neighbor bringing her giant parrot out in its cage, along with however many birds she has in the other two cages. Ahem.

Or the birds in the woods that scream their damn heads off EVERY morning between 4 and 5 a.m. Every morning. So if I sleep with windows open they wake me. Did I mention this is EVERY MORNING?

What does this mean? Why so many birds all of a sudden???

I



Carly(via Blackberry)

Day 48

Not a great day, Btb was in the hospital over the weekend. He should be fine, but please send him "get well" vibes.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Fireplace

This is how I would like my fireplace to look... if I had a cabin up in Lake Placid. It's just not right for my house, but I do love it.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Porch

My new shelf, with some flowers I got at the supermarket today because I liked the ceramic pot and I love daisies. .

The floor of the original deck is grey. We decided to do grey walls inside the screen porch, and the window trim and baseboards will be white. (The floor will be a grey indoor outdoor rug, which I didn't want at first but its our only option because of the way part of the original deck is insdie the screenhouse.)

Then we decided to paint the top half of the 4th wall (house / no windows) white because B thought the clock/thermometer/ barometer would look nicer on the white than the grey.

It's just so nice to sit out here and not be a mosquito buffet.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Angelic

So I had a little incident at the car wash where I went to try to get all the ash from last night's fireworks off my car (I really parked in the WRONG place!) that made me feel stupid and grumpy.

I went to Linens n Things because they're closing, and everything's on sale. I almost got really nice knives, until I realized they were $199.99 and not $19.99. Ooopsie.

I found some good stuff for my addition that IS in my range, and was wandering around aimlessly when I saw this adorable little girl with brown ringlets. She was wearing a cute little sundress and holding one of these stuffed animals. When she had my attention she squeezed it really hard and it let out this horrible gross grunting noise.

It was so funny that I just burst out laughing and she looked so smug that she'd been able to "get me".

I brought her home, she's in my basement.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Mixed success

The fireworks crew did NOT start a fire in dry woods at the state park this year. Ahem.

They did, however, get their huge ryder truck stranded. Hopelessly stuck on a very steep dirt road that they were allowed to use to access the water to load the barge.

While we were cleaning stuff up (selling hot dogs n burgers and stuff) they were loading their truck. We had just finished and were having our traditional Coronas and watched them try to get up the hill, (not move), try to back up, (not move). Rinse, repeat. We WANTED them to get it free. We knew they wouldn't.

After half an hour they gave up. Somebody had.a long walk home on the other side of the river.

(The river itself was beautiful this morning, green trees and inky black- blue water). I almost took a photo w my blackberry while I was driving over the bridge but I try not to do that anymore.

;-)

Carly(via Blackberry)

Hopefully

...This year maybe they won't set the barge on fire again....

Carly(via Blackberry)

The last

...of Suzy's chocolate, put to good use on some cherries, strawberries, and a few stray pretzels.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Remember

...while you're reaching for another beer, piling stuff onto your plate, jumping into beautful water...

Remember the soldiers who can't be home with their families, because they are all around the world trying to serve us, protect us, and make this world a better place

.

* * * * * Come Home Soon (Shedaisy) * * * *



I put away the groceries, And I take my daily bread, I dream of your arms around me, As I tuck the kids in bed, I don't know what you're doin', And I don't know where you are, But I look up at that great big sky, And I hope you're wishin' on that same bright star

I wonder, I pray

And I sleep alone, I cry alone, And it's so hard livin' here on my own,
So please, come home soon(Come home soon)

I know that we're together, Even though we're far apart, And I'll wear our lucky penny 'round my neck, Pressed to my heart

I wonder, I pray

[Repeat Chorus]

I still imagine your touch,
It's beautiful missing something that much, But sometimes love needs a fighting chance, So I'll wait my turn until it's our turn to dance

I wonder, I pray,
I sleep alone, I cry alone, Without you this house is not a home, So please, come home soon

I walk alone, I try alone, I'll wait for you, don't want to die alone, So please, come home soon

Come home soon


Carly(via Blackberry)

Sportsmanship

My son is a pretty good sport. He got frustrated with himself after missing an easy pop fly(it was horrible to watch him clap his hands onto his hat and sort of rock there in anguish). He didn't, however, throw helmets, gloves, etc.

I can only hope he continues on the path toward this gold standard:

http://m.si.com/news/news/news/detail/1029954

Ex-record holder Hansen displays ultimate class after Trials setback

(Hope the link isn't broken..... I WANT MY PC BACK!!!!!!!)

Carly(via Blackberry)

Wii-eeeeeeeeeeee!

My daughter is kicking my ass in bowling. I had to change my Mii because it looked too much like Hillary Clinton.

In Wii baseball, the fielders have no legs. It's kind of freaky to see them bobble around.

In tennis, no one seems to be dressed on their bottoms. Hmm. Also in tennis if my player loses a point they swear before I do (a swirly tangled black line over their head; music notes for happy...)

I did one boxing match after all the other stuff, and my arms were tired. Good way to take out some hostility.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Wii love Poly

I can see I'll get nothing done today.

Carly(via Blackberry)

OmgZ

I just walked out onto my porch. It's been kind of the junk room for various tools, boxes, etc that Bob the Builder needed to drop somewhere.

It's empty.

Except for two folding chairs, one of which I am now occupying.

I was out for a while this afternoon, and hadn't seen then empty it.

The light, at the end of the tunnel.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Vino

Poly will be happy to hear that I'm drinking lots of wine these days to cope with the "Tazmanian Devil waz here" decor we're rocking. (Knobs, painting, electric...boring stuff lately. Tile next week and maybe counters.)

I buy New York wines whenever I can since I figure the owners are paying the same glorious income taxes I am, and there's a shop near me that does only NYS wineries. Ditto for those owners. .

Salmon Run Petit Noir, bottled by Konstantin D. Frank & Sons, is great with red sauce. So that's our go-to with spaghetti.

Tonight we're having crab cakes along with Summertide, a semi dry white from Cascade mountain vineyards down in Amenia. No, I'm not sure where Amenia is. South.

I also had a white from Red Newt Cellars - probably a pinot grigio because that's the white I like best even though I can't ever spell it - to celebrate the end of the school year. (If I haven't mentioned it here yet I am No Longer A PTA Lady and that makes Carly happy. Bottoms up!)




Carly(via Blackberry)

Birds

So, I was driving in this morning on autopilot, and on the exit ramp I noticed a little too late that Mama wild turkey and her babies were walking single file.

I slowed down (thinking about the cars behind me) and swerved waaay over.

At the last second I saw Mama fly up in the air right next to my side window. I really thought I killed her; my heart sank. But in the rear view mirror I thought I could see her walking back to the baby on the "from" side.

Not a great way to start the day.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Day 41

My lights are finally in over my (old) counter and they are just what I'd hoped for.

A good chunk of painting is done. The wainscoting is finally GREEN as I intended and I like it.

My toilet is leaking, so maybe Bob the builder will fix that for me. (Yes the water is off for now ) Just for a little variety.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Math

I can't do math lately

It has been 5+ weeks, not 7 yet.

I don't think we can afford the fireplace yet. At least, not based on the one place we looked the other day.

I had to take my desktop pc apart - so I can't read anyone's blog for a while. Unless you have your content on the left, links on the right, so that I don't have to scroll past too much junk w my blackberry trackball.

It's monday, I did not get enough sleep, and I just want to go home. Can someone wake me up at lunchtime?

Carly(via Blackberry)

The only way

...to celebrate a birthday is with lobster (but not the giant killer attacking ones) and a nice piece of beef and a 2005 cabernet

Then you bring the rest of the wine to your sisters house

(No, I didn't get lobster. Its not MY birthday. I did get some wine. And today at a farmers market I got really NICE tomatoes that I mixed with foccacia pieces and basil and fresh mozzarella and onion and I won't pretend that's lobster, but it was good)

Then you melt down chocolate and dip really fresh strawberries or poundcake or graham crackers or pretzels or cannolis. By "or" I mean "and", of course.

I wanted to eat the rest of the melted white chocolate with a spoon but that would be a Bad Idea. Right? Probably.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Other plans

My son is mentally redesigning the screen porch.

"The DJ table goes over here, we'll replace this ceiling light fixture with a disco ball, we'll shine colored lights from these corners, the soda machine will be here, and the margarita bar will be over here for the old people "(points at ME!)

Hmmm.

Random things

So, this and that....

• Look at my knobs... pretty, huh? I wanted something that kind of goes with the light... the CORRECT LIGHT... which is now illuminating my kitchen table
• Rugs will be 2 - 3 weeks. I want my house back together. Arrgh.
• Hmm... I just read about the Atom smasher ... well, it's been nice knowing y'all.

Happy Birthday Suzy!

You're the best sister anyone could ever have.

(photo by Suzy)

Day 38 and 39

My daughter sent me a text message yesterday when she got home: "The house looks awesome!"

They started painting the walls, "pebbled courtyard" which is sort of a taupe but looks really nice on the walls. They also put up crown molding which is beautiful; we didn't have that in this room before, just some skinny quarter round.

Aaaaand BtB cleaned the paint off of both the leather chairs and the desk. (there were some quiet guity looks among the crew over his assertion that "no, we always tarp"... I think he just wasn't at my house when the guys got roller-ing.)

They also assured me that no, we know that's the porch light, we had to move the location and wanted to give you something and blah blah. Ok, as long as everything ends up in the right place. The porch light is now ON THE PORCH but not working yet, due to half the wiring not quite being finished, but the last screen is finally in so I'm going out there to have a cup of tea now.

Today I have to go spend more money. We need to buy a fireplace, and cabinet knobs, and confirm the carpeting and find out when that will be installed, so I can get most of my life back.

Not a great day 37

In addition to multiple other discouraging things today, I came home to find the new PORCH light installed in my KITCHEN. (As in, remember THIS ? They didn't. )

Also some painting got started, which we were told wouldn't happen until Monday, so that we could clear the room; they started with the ceiling - which makes perfect sense. But there were things in the room still which didn't get covered... there are paint splatters on the good desk and the good leather recliner.

Not helpful to a harmonious evening.

Done that

Today I found out that no only do I now report to someone I never even met, they are in a completely different part of the company. In another state, even.

I am sure my new boss is wonderful. But the last time I got on this ride, I puked at the end, so....color me blue.
~Create the world you want to see.~
Carly(via Blackberry)

When the walls

...come tumblin' down...
~Create the world you want to see.~
Carly(via Blackberry)

FINALLY

I got the guys pizza today (as a bribe to HURRY UP, more or less). After we finished, BtB just tore down the huge plastic tarp that has been dividing the new construction from the existing family room.

The kids and I promptly lost our minds about how big the room is. Lost. Our. Minds.

Or 36

I'm not sure anymore what day it is. All day yesteryday I thought it was Friday and kept saying to myself "No, Carly, it's Wednesday." For the benefit of anyone as confused as I am, yesterday was Tuesday. I also don't know if it's day 35 or day 36 of this work but it is clearly Time To Be Done. And we're soooo not done.




So these are the new cabinets. Opinions? Please share. Yes, all of you lurkers, you really need to talk to me today.

Day 35

The white stuff is already gone. The guy (Bob the Builder's assistant) said "you know, I stood there for 10 minutes wondering if I should get white, or the kind that you can paint." Ooooops. At least he was really nice about it.

I also found out I can paint the inside walls of the porch so I don't have to keep the tan color (blagh). Yay.

Now about those cupboards....

And oh, it's been 7 weeks and we're NOT DONE. Breathe in, breathe out.

if only I hadn't packed the tylenol

... I could use some right now.

I noticed they started putting wainscotting on the two kitchen walls that don't have cabinets. (Good). It's white. (huh?) It seems to be a "finished" paneling product, and not wood that we can paint the medium/dark green I have picked out. (Bad!)

Hoping that's why they stopped...

Wondering if the sink or the faucets will be the next headache.

Still not decided on shade of cupboards, but my big pots actually DO fit. Hmmm. Bringing in two expert opinions tomorrow. One (my neighbor who is VERY honest) knows the question - do you notice? The other, my mom, doesn't, and that will be a good test. Will she say anything? If she notices, she definitely will. For once I'm banking on that. For the record, Suzy, who admits to being VERY picky about things and is a very talented artist (shades of color matter!) didn't even notice and thinks SHE could live with it. I'm weighing the options:

• leave them; nothing in life is perfect and it MIGHT not be noticable once the counter's in (i know, I'm kidding myself here)
• rip them out, send them back, and get it over with (but the boxes are long gone, giant headache, extra time, etc)
• bite the bullet and get new top ones as soon as possible to match and stop this nonsense of trying to match 11 year old cabinets!! (means more packing of STUFF and so on, not to mention co$t)

don't know, don't know....

Sugarland

If you are a country fan, Sugarland's new song is FINALLY out on iTunes. Thing1 has been asking me for it every day for a while now since they performed it on tv at the awards. All I wanna doo ooo ooo ooo oooh.....

It's funny that this song mentions "that Elvis lip" because I was listening to the Elvis station on Sirius yesterday (what? I wander through the dial, and yes Poly I even listen to the Jimmy Buffet station too, when I can't bear to drive down the highway to work) and I was dwelling on how almost every song is about the amazing feeling of first falling love or the horribleness after it all falls apart, and Elvis first hit it big HOW many years ago? And it is still next to impossible for most people to get it right, and no one really understands why.

Golf tourney blues

So this one guy stands behind the sponsor sign for me to take his group's picture, and literally unbuckles his pants and drops them. The others say "X, it's a catholic school tournament, behave!"

I think I need a beer.
~Create the world you want to see.~
Carly(via Blackberry)

More birdies

I am helping out with a golf tournament today. Take a picture. Print the picture. Zzzzzzz. At least it's not raining.
~Create the world you want to see.~
Carly(via Blackberry)

Day 34

I walked in, saw my new cupboards and thought, "Uh-oh".

They're ONE slight shade off, from the upper ones. I am hoping that when the dark countertop is on, it will be ok. We'll see. I'm trying not to think about it right now.

Uh-oh number two is that I really DON"T like the rolling drawer inserts in the pots & pans cupboard. I may take the lower one out. I feel like they waste a ton of space. I can't decide. I just know for a fact that my big pasta pot WON"T fit in it.

Hmmph.

Bird brains

This is shaping up to be one of those days already.

I'm exhausted because I stayed up pretty late packing more stuff. I had to empty the bottom half of the cupboards in my kitchen. Fun fun fun.

I think I'm hallucinating; I keep seeing birds.

There was a great blue heron fishing in the pond this morning. His mate was also walking around on the banks, farther down.

On the exit ramp to work there is a woodsy area, and I saw a Mama wild turkey with at least four babies.

What's next?

~Create the world you want to see.~
Carly(via Blackberry)

Everybody's doing it

"I think I am.
Therefore, I am.
I think."
- George Carlin

Take cover

We were supposed to go to a baseball game today but there were some pretty bad storms predicted.

Around dinnertime we had tornado warnings. The kids must have been more afraid than I thought, because after the line of storms fiinished going through they literally both fell sound asleep right in front of the tv.

I'm sitting on my porch now, enjoying the breeze.
~Create the world you want to see.~
Carly(via Blackberry)

I Snapped

Today I taught my 11 month old nephew to cough deliberately for no reason other than that it's funny. It was just one of those goofy things his parents will want to kill me for. Heh. It's my revenge for the fact that he lets out EAR PIERCING shrieks and they never say "shhh" and put their finger on his lips to try to teach him NOT TO DO THAT CRAP.

Ahem.

So, with everything going on around here (today we bought a porch light and a beautiful shelf for the porch and BIG 5 gallon buckets of paint... ) I almost punted on my sister in law's birthday.

On about Tuesday night I went "oh crap... a gift". I'd had the bright idea to get her a photo puzzle about two weeks ago. She loves games & puzzles and so on. You would think I'd have ordered it then....

Wednesday morning I checked around Snapfish and they do make photo puzzles. I found a good picture, uploaded it, closed my eyes and clicked on $$ two day shipping. Awesome, it would arrive by the party (today).

Then I got an email saying that it would take 5-7 days to print the actual puzzle. Then it ships. My reaction was a sedate sort of WTF ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

I wrote a tense little note to Snapfish customer service pointing out that since they hadn't had that little 5-7- day factoid near the puzzle ordering details, I felt like I had paid waaaaaaaaaaay too much for shipping and was really not happy.

Whabaaam - about two hours later I magically got an email that my puzzle was printed, and wheee, it was on its way to me. Nice!

So, if there is a customer service department for, I don't know.... "THE UNIVERSE", um, I have a couple of things.

Ducky

this crappy photo* actually shows a mama and 15 VERY new baby ducks. Every one of those things that looks like a rock is a little fuzzy puffball of cuteness that will someday make a lovely meal. I kid, I kid. Is a mama duck considered an "adult?"

* I really need to stop dropping my Blackberry.

Tonight I got home just in time to go for a walk with my kid, who is getting very good at skipping rocks. It was pretty damn nice to wander around without worrying about what PTA emails might be waiting for me back at the ranch.

Today, at the house, more sheetrock taping, and putting up of "stuff" on inside walls of porch. Not sure what it's called but looks like (fake?) cedar... Tired, can't formulate proper description.

All but ONE screen is installed on the porch, so no sitting out there just yet.

Day 31

I am tired of writing checks to Bob the builder because I usually say to myself as I write, "Ten and no/ ....oh crap"

I am not used to being a high roller.

I have to buy my paint this weekend. And light bulbs for my six new lights. Who says I don't have a wild Saturday planned?

~Create the world you want to see.~
Carly(via Blackberry)

and I can not lie

I can absolutely guarantee one way I will never get arrested: at a party like this one.

I am dying to give the kids the wii; I almost told them last night after Thing2 won his baseball game.

Today is my last day to saunter out of work early, but on the flip side for the next 10 weeks I have an extra day off each week.

Winners

So my kid played baseball, and did very well as one of the catchers. I have the empty Spray & Wash bottles to prove it. I once asked if he just rolled around in the dirt before the game, just to warm up. Nothing really seems to get by him.

They won, every game this season. Including tonight!

We were down the first two innings, 3 -0. it looked like rain and we DIDN'T want a rainout, before the game was really over. Then we tied in the 4th.

Then we pulled ahead in the 5th(they don't play 9 innings at this age, only 6 ). Last inning started, we were home team. One out, a runner on base, excellent play to first for second out, another runner on base, then the pitcher struck out Ms. Fabulous Money's even more fabulous son and the game was over. Hee hee hee. Ms. FM was NOT HAPPY. Hee hee hee.

Day 30

I am tired of cone-struction. There, I said it.

That being said the guys are all really nice and got plenty done today.

The sheetrock taper showed up at 7:01 and got started. The other guys did all of the siding and installed the screen door for the porch.

~Create the world you want to see.~
Carly(via Blackberry)

Day 29

Sheet rock on my walls. Taping tomorrow, cabinets maybe monday. Wheee! Porch is progressing (trim, soffits, stuff like that).


Other things going on:

Turns out Thing 1 was smart to skip pool day. Thing 2's friend took a big scary fall off of one of those playground merry go rounds (which was spinning at the time, d'oh!) and got carried away in an ambulance just to be checked, while 100 kids stood there crying. Sounds like great fun! Friend is pretty much "fine". Maybe I won't have to worry about pool day anymore. Snarky but true.

One and a half days of school left... if I survive them without smacking someone. Hey, miracles can happen!

Planning a party for the first of my friends at work to leave, but this is one who quit, he didn't get fired. Yeah, stick it to the man! Ahem. I mean, we'll miss you. First beer's on me.

This post brought to you by Tylenol

I'm working from home today; a complex negotiation took place with Thing 1, who didn't want to be at pool day today and agreed to do laundry; it is now not being done without frequent reminders to "get your butt in there and do it". The tv really WILL still be there when you bring your fried eyeballs back to it.

There is quite a lot of banging emanating from the back of the house. Also the occasional cussword (wait, no, that's me). Today is boring things like insulation. The photos will be almost nothing. But next week, there might be cabinets. Ooooh. (sigh... more packing.)

Also tonight, a transition meeting for PTA. I'm thinking of giving each family a Tylenol rating(one tablet, two, or three) in the school directory, based on whether they bounce checks, criticize the lunch program, complain about fundraisers, etc. All those little charming things that make being an officer so easy.

When all the hotness is gone

it's a sad, sad thing. Yes, that's not your grandfather in the garage, that's Sting

Curious-er

#1
We looked out the front door last night and saw a baby skunk sniffing around in the crazy neighbor's flowerbeds. It was easy to see because this particular flowerbed is raised in such a way as to appear to be concealing bodies. (This neighbor also wraps her shutters in foil come december, and adds bows "to look like gifts". )

Today I heard her nonchalantly telling another neighbor "yes, there are seven (7!!!) babies in the wood pile; we have to call someone to get rid of them." Um, soon. Please? Very soon? Can I loan you my phone? Cause I have plenty of minutes. Really really.

#2
I am the point person for a couple of items while we transition to new PTA officers. (Insert several consecutive cartwheels here, I am freeeeee!). One item involves receiving the forms that people fill out, to specify how they want their family listed in the school directory. Now, the top of the form is the family listing, name address and phone number, and the bottom allows you to have your business listed in the school directory if you would like.

It makes me laugh how some people shred the form and then cram it into a giant envelope, all folded up. For no particular reason, they savagely rip the bottom half off. Hey - if you don't have a business, leave it blank. I promise NOT to give you a fake entry in the business section. Like skunk removal services.

#3
My new floor is the wrong height. Or actually, Bob tB called and said that whoever did the first addition did that floor in such a way that HIS floor is not the right height to line up, and he didn't know that until he broke the wall today. Apparently he is going to have to chaching, lay aother layer of plywood on top of what he's already put down. Hmm. I'm betting that means my shiny new door is going to be fucked up. Any takers on that bet?

#4
Rolling my foot on a tennis ball relieves the (self diagnosed) plantar fasciitis that's been killing me since I went to NYC. I think it cost me $1.50 for three tennis balls. I had to buy them at target because I don't play tennis. Why does this paragraph make me feel SO MUCH like Andy Rooney?

#5
Seriously, I'm sure Russert was a great guy but the first 15 minutes of the today show was Lauer telling the guy's kid personal anecdotes. I felt like I was eavesdropping, listening to it (Mr. C and the kids like the tv on in the morning) and was concurrently thinking THIS IS NOT REALLY SUCH MAJOR NEWS!!! I'm sure this is not a popular opinion. I don't cannonize news anchors the way many people in this country seem to.

Cavemen (day 27)

We came home (after HELLISH day - incredible thunderstorm storm with dense hail at work, and more hair-pulling emails than I can count...)

The kids and I came home to find that we have ONE REALLY BIG GIANT ROOM NOW.

The windows were moved, the old wall is GONE, completely, and neatly, and there is plastic hanging to separate the old from the new, but you can ALMOST see through it. We immediately found the side that we could slip through and took turns sort of shaow dancing on the other side to amuse each other. Strictly G-rated of course!

It's one biiiiig room. A giant empty cave, really.

How much do my contractors rock? They even ran an extension cord so that we can watch tv.

That's it?

It occurred to me this morning that all we had to do is turn the couch the way it is now, and then everything would be fine. We wouldn't have needed this addition after all. (If I threw away all of my hobby materials - beads, photos, paper, stamps, cross stitch...)

The room is a hollow shell and ECHOES like crazy. But the loveseat does look really good at this angle. We packed some 35+ boxes because Mr decided we should use "banker boxes" which are more for archiving paper business records than.... stuff.

Speed post

quasi - telegram...

Duet with Betty at church - sang it right! Kissing my baby nieces/nephews at brunch - awesome (sang "Mockingbird" to one and got HUGE smile)

packing boxes boxes boxes boxes - NOW my daughter wants to clean out HER room?????? Right now??? Seriously??

Moving said boxes down to my mother in law's, where she will surely dust them for the next 3 weeks. Bye bye, all my stuff.

Day 25

Packing.

I have SO MUCH STUFF in this room, that's the irony -- having to empty it to make it bigger.

Day 24

Bob the Builder handed me keys today, to a door that will go from the family room to the porch, which is now in place.

He also hung up some recessed lighting (six, did I need six? I guess we did, it's big. )

The house now looks like a BOMB WENT OFF. I have been packing desk stuff and scrapbook stuff and picture frames and just STUFF for hours and have not much really accomplished. Oh well. I have tomorrow and Sunday afternoon.

Went to the farmer's market near me, got a NYS wine and some veggies (no tomahhhtoes, boo, I love tomatoes).

Monday... the wall comes down. Buckle up!

Feels like today

I took today off for the hell of it because now that I am done with the raffle and the breakfast and the recital I can do ANYTHING I WANT around here today.

I went to Fleet Feet and got fitted correctly for size. My mizunos I love are not quite sized right and pronating, yada yada.

I went on a whim and didn't think to wear shorts and a tshirt. I had on a longsleeve black tshirt and jeans. The clerk who helped me was nice about not visibly laughing. ;-)

I'm going to lace up these little limes and get some of my stuff around here packed out of the way. (Bob the Builder says next week, we break through the old wall. )

Create the world you want to see.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Hmmm

I think I wore THIS shirt to work Monday, too.

It's going to be one of those days.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Sigh

It's dance recital day. Sweet mother of pearl. I'm doomed.

And I got only a few hours of sleep because Top Chef was on (Yay winner!) and my cabinets were scattered all around the warehouse and so I put off printing pictures that Thing 2 NEEEEEEEDS for today until 11:30 or so when I finished with TC and THEN I couldn't find a picture from first grade and then I had to proofread Thing 1's poem which is VERY good, and

then I couldn't fall asleep

...until 2 am.

Dancing

:::dancing around:::::

Poly got me a wii, Poly got me a wii.... you can't get them around here. I bow to her supremacy.

The kids are going to have a GOOD time this summer.

Day 22 or something

Today Bob the builder pointed out where he will put outlets in my family room and talked to me about things like which way doors will swing open (which seems trivial at first until you think about walking AROUND an open door that is in your way 1,000 times). They framed out the porch some more. (lower walls, windowsills... everything is tied together now properly and not just propped up - which one of the crew was worried about last night since our area had tornado watch conditions... um, YIKES!)


and here are some random notes:

• I want a camera just like this, Santa: Nikon D70
• I had a list of things to blog about and I lost it.
• My daughter has a boyfriend ::::thud:::::
• I was instant messaging my friend at work today and reciting the various lyrics from "I'm fucking matt damon" this afternoon. I hope I don't get fired.
• we are picking up my new cabinets tonight - gotta go!!

Blooming

Finally!
Carly(via Blackberry)

Stormy

FINALLY - thunderstorms.

I am listening to the sound of the rain through the windows that open into the addition.

(Day, uh, something- a llittle bit of porch roof made. It was too hot)

I got my blackberry skins from BLACKBERRYSOURCE.COM and I'm very happy. Now my BB doesn't LOOK like I keep dropping it.
Carly(via Blackberry)

by the way

...the cheery song was by jack Johnson and you can hear it here

How my day went

Everyone laughed at her joke

As if they'd never even heard it before

And maybe they were truly amused

But every word that she spoke was a bore

And maybe it's because they had seen

The previews on the TV screen

Well this part is good and that's well understood

So you should laugh if you know what I mean

But it's all relative

Even if you don't understand

Well it's all understood

Especially when you don't understand

Then it's all just because

Even if we don't understand

Then let's all just believe

Everyone knows what went down

Because the news was spread all over town

And fact is only what you believe

And fact and fiction work as a team

It's almost always fiction in the end

That content begins to bend

When context is never the same

And it's all relative

Even if we don't understand

And it's all understood

Especially when we don't understand

Then it's all just because

Even if we don't understand

Then lets all just believe

I was reading a book

Or maybe it was a magazine

Suggestions on where to place faith

Suggestions on what to believe

But I read somewhere

That you've got to beware

You can't believe anything you read

But the good Book is good

And it's all understood

So don't even question

If you know what I mean

But it's all relative

Even if you don't understand

Well it's all understood

Especially when you don't understand

And it's all just because

Even if we don't understand

Then lets all just believe

But there you go once again

You missed the point and then you point

Your fingers at me

And say that I said not to believe I believe

I guess

I guess it's all relative

Casa Carly Stuff

It's hotter today - yay.

Bob the builder told me I have to use outdoor carpeting on the screen porch. Damn. Just what I didn't want, but there won't be windows to close, just open screens. At least it's a good size (12 by 13 feet)

He said the wasp nest was very much alive, inside that soffit. Must have been a Good Time when they opened that up! I did have Raid in the garage for them though (I should buy more).
Carly(via Blackberry)

Questions from my kids

1. Are we getting a new big screen tv because the family room will be bigger? (No)

2. What if we don't like the addition? (well that will really suck, won't it?)

3. What's for dinner? (How much money do you have?)
Carly(via Blackberry)

Day 20

Holy crap, it's hot. 90+ out there. Almost TOO hot to go out and take pictures.

BtB framed the roof of my screen porch today. And it's hot out.

The room will have a nice symmetry around the deck with the garage.

Did I mention how friggin hot out it is?

There was a big yellow jacket's nest, right where I always ALWAYS knew there was, in the soffit at the end of the deck. I found pieces of it all over the deck. The hot deck. Pieces, lying in the hot sun.

OK, you get it, right?

Junk Room

My great Aunt Helena used to love garage sales. She used to go on a regular basis, with her best friend Ruth.

Her purchases would be deposited into the Junk Room, the second bedroom of her house. That room was beyond awesome. It was a kid magnet.

Suzy and I were just discussing it this morning. Pins, necklaces, hats, gloves. Everything a fashionable woman of last century would accessorize with. All sizes, colors, shapes.

If I recall correctly, there were art supplies and books too. Any number of interesting, random objects were piled here, there, and everywhere.

Every time we visited, Helena would let us poke around unsupervised to our heart's content. Eventually we always found something that caught our interest, and then we begged our mother to let us bring it home.

I always loved her house. It was a little brick house with a fireplace and a baby grand in the living room. I would have loved to see Suzy live there. Unfortunately so would the brothers at the frat house which is now right next door.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Over

The breakfast is over.

My REAL friends helped cook and serve and clean up (we won't talk about the rude boorish behaviour of some of the guests, but I did end up in tears this morning. I am fortunate to have great kids who helped me shake it off. )

Its time for my glass of wine...

and I'm locked out of my house.

Karma is laughing at me.

Mr. C will be home SOON.
Carly(via Blackberry)

The Beep beep beep

...of a work truck to tell me that Nimo is dropping my gas line this morning. Yay!

Now as long as they don't dig right through any of these, we won't have a problem:







(My stargazer lily, which is SO close to blooming, the clematis on my trellis is too, and my coreopsis are NO WHERE NEAR where they should be digging!!)

Last Minute Lucy

So here I am -

It's 6:42 on Saturday morning, and I've been awake for over an hour, at the computer, doing things for this breakfast like seating charts and placecards that I should have been doing for the past couple of weeks, instead of ... I don't know, BLOGGING, maybe?

Day 17

Before I imploded at Sam's we took Sharpie markers and signed some of the various indoor beams with our initials and names and the date.

Just a little graffitti, not too much. It was just a fun, (lazy Mama's) time capsule, and the kids loved it.

Becaus of the rain the guys focused on framing the ceiling today. Whooopdedoo. Oh, and they put down a pressure treated floor for the porch. I really want to tile the porch. There's a straight line delineating where the new part starts that I'm not crazy about (the existing deck extended a bit past the house.

Now that we got more copies of the blueprints from the architect they can do the roof for the screen porch next.

Progress.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Dear Sam's Club

I hate you - I hate the giant heavy bulk- ness of your items and your random organization and your towering high shelves and the people who roam around in your store. I hate the logic used to place items and I hate that the signs don't match what's in the aisles but then I realize that they do when I go down for the third time

I hated the clerk who rang up each item and literally said "I'll put this here" as he placed it in my cart, which wasn't my cart, because it was the person's ahead of me, and I hate that everyone gets what's going on in this store, and I don't. I hate that there are no bags because everything is big. I hate that everyone thinks these are the greatest stores ever.

I hate having to make breakfast for 75 people this Sunday. I hate that my feet hurt from roaming around this giant store stressing about how much of each thing to buy. I hate it that Suzy is right when she says "who cares what they think? they'll never be happy and they're just basically mean... ignore them". I want breakfast in bed Sunday! Soooo not going to happen.

Es regnet heute

When I was little I used to live on the east bank of a river. We'd sit in our screenhouse in the evenings.

If a thunderstorm was coming in from the west we would watch the lightning over a nearby city and then the wall of rain would travel over the river to us. I used to absolutely love to watch that, and I still lam in awe of the beauty of a strong thunderstorm.

We would wait until the last possible second and then leave the (METAL) screen house and run for the house, laughing.

Maybe it's because the storm woke me at four a.m., and I couldn't fall back asleepn and I'm so tired, but all of my rainy day memories seem like SO long ago. They almost don't even feel mine anymore.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Shania

After reading this I have to say that since it was Shania who gave us "It only hurts when I breathe" (1) and "I'm jealous" (2) will surely put out some amaaaaaaaaaaaazing songs once she gets over Mutt.

(1)
And it only hurts when I'm breathing
My heart only breaks when it's beating
My dreams only die when I'm dreaming
So, I hold my breath--to forget


(2)
If I were the moon, I could catch your eye
I'm jealous of the moon
If I were the wind, I would make you fly
I'm jealous of that too



Some people get it, some never will. When I'm in a bad place, and I hear a song that nails just how I'm feeling, it's comforting to know that someone else understands exactly what that feels like.

Day 16

One of the best parts of this week has been being able to stand in the space while it is under construction and think "My art table (sitting patiently in the garage in a carton) will go right here. The other chair will go right there".

Today they started to make the floor of the screen porch. They also finished the roof framing of the family room. Yeeeehaw.

Today at work more than one person basically gave me a pile of crap I didn't deserve. I just wanted to pick up the phone and say "Not having it. Do NOT throw me under the bus for not getting a program done as quickly as you want, when I'm trying to help you in my practically nonexistent spare time." And also "if you continue to treat me this way, the answer is that you just won't get it at all. I am tired of people who try to push my buttons. Wake up. Knock it off. Thank you. "

In completely unrelated news, I got a new ringtone. Any guesses?????

Day 15

I got hammered and nailed all day. Hahahaha. No, (re: previous post), Klinger wasn't wearing a dress. Bonus points for all who wondered.

I have a plywood roof. Not quite enough to hide out there for the evening, but exciting anyways.

The Wrongness Of The Deck is still an issue. Pffft. Whatever. It's some boards on sticks. Really.

I ordered my granite today, more or less. I have to have them come measure, once the new cabinets are in. Wheeeeeeee.

Well now

I am working from home today for a couple of reasons.

I am happy to say that the guys are also here working, even though it's rainy today.

I don't mind if the workers smoke OUTSIDE. I was just surprised to see a Klinger lookalike smoking a CIGAR in my yard.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Doubter

My builder just called; OF COURSE he did not block the dryer vent. It's venting to the open area under the new family room floor for now. Uh, yay, I can do laundry.

I also noticed (when I was walking around trying to figure out if the vent has been redirected yet) an odor that concerns me. The odor of cat... um.. cats, using my dug up yard for a... well, you know what I mean.

Then I was walking around and noticed a bucketlike container of kitty litter, with a handle and a lid. This freaked me out. Are we encouraging cats here? Too cheap for a porta john? WTF?

I finally summoned my courage to open the bucket and, trying not to gag, I looked inside.

Nails. Bundles of nails, for a nail gun.

Go ahead, laugh. Your yard doesn't smell like 100 cats took a crap in it.

First

....problem with the new construction.... I do not think I have a dryer vent anymore. Hmmmm. It was on the back of the house riiiiiight about THERE. Where that new deck is.

If I didn't have four loads of laundry to do, I would not be so bummed right now.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Day 14

Awesome. I have walls roughed out. My son: "we're going to have WINDOWS!!!" Um, yeah.

Bob the Builder told me this morning that there are "issues" with my existing deck; not a big deal apparently. Just not really attached to the house the best/ most correct way.

Today was better at work. Things seem to have taken a SLIGHT turn for the better now that some of the worst stress of the layoffs is behind us.

I went out briefly, picked a sandwich, and went back to eat lunch with my crew. I have this shirt, and every time I wear it, apparently it is required that we ALL discuss it at the lunch table. I swear to George Clooney, people. Yes, I have cleavage. This shirt is NOT THAT LOW CUT. It is merely not a turtleneck, and when I wear something that isn't a turtleneck the masses must discuss the fact that "Oh my god, she's letting the girls breathe today."

I'm mystified. But the fact that I had gone out to get the sandwich made me feel better. Panera. Yum. (Andy, one of my coworkers, got a cafeteria sandwich, and the bread was so stale it actually broke into pieces. Not good. So I did actually give him one half slice of my bread, because a Panera sandwich is actually SO big on two giant slices, I can never finish the entire thing and they didn't have a soup that I liked today, and ramble ramble ramble he liked the sundried tomato bread. Karma, I need all the karma I can get.)

We had ice cream this afternoon to celebrate a couple of upcoming birthdays. There were actually a few people SMILING. Haven't seen that in a while.

I ache. That's what happens when you don't run for 3 months. Oooopsie.

One lap, two lap

So, basically my boss nudged me along a little by threatening me with a 5K this fall and tonight I went for a short 20 minute run which kicked my ass and made me want to puke JUST A LITTLE.

I can't recall the last time I ran but it was an early fake spring day quite a while ago.

The running itself felt ok other than the brief wannabarf, and I am stretching and typing on my blackberry at the same time, which is rather bogus, but at least I'm doing a little bit.

Ciao.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Day 13

I now have plywood where my family room floor will be.

I also still have a job for now, after a long day of waiting while people were plucked away here and there like the Others used to in season 1 & 2 of Lost.

I'm sitting at a baseball game now; the cotton tree seeds are everywhere. It looks like snow. It gets in your eyes and hurts, or up you nose. Foul!

If you need me, I'll be listening to Coldplay's new song over and over.
Carly(via Blackberry)

Symmetry

...you've probably seen this... but it's cool, no?

I am in the mood for a dark movie. I will probably go see this one alone (hopefully not whilst collecting unemployment, but at any rate, it's on my calendar. Life goes on.)

So, Meopta had a post about a meme that basically is, "go find your 42nd blog post ever; that sums up your life."

Mine has several insights into my life:

• I hate the supermarket
• I love to cook for other people
• I love my sister
• I love wine somewhat more than cooking... but less than my sister, of course
• I'll probably enjoy a good action movie based on comics, (but I'd rather not see thick shiny yellow blood - I should have known better. )

Sunday Art

Recently, one of the blogs I read and enjoy was featured on blogged.com, so I have been exploring that, and found all sorts of art blogs to look at. Awesome.

Today I came across Frostyland (love the Billy Idol lyrics) and Frostola's gallery - beautiful shots.

Enjoy!