Sisterly love, personified

This is the Esteemed Elder Sister and I at the orchard when I was last visiting her.

Are we not cute?

Painting

Of all home improvement projects I most prefer painting. We decided to paint our breakfast room and so I went and got a sample of a shade of green that seemed to go well with the palette we are interested in using. After much contemplation and making friends and relatives evaluate colors I decided it was in fact, exactly the right color.

So finally the weekend arrived and I set the Things to scrubbing the walls. Then I painted the ceiling.

The color seemed a bit more minty than I'd intended but I tried my best to rely on bravado and just kept painting. After the ceiling was done I got started on the walls and what to my wondering eyes should appear...THEY MIXED THE WRONG COLOR!!!

That is supposedly the same paint.

Look different to you??

Then I checked the color I had just painted the ceiling. I stuck some on the correct sample color I'd used. You can see how the sample matched the swatch, but the ceiling color, I'd just spent hours applying...did not.After HOURS and HOURS,

a trip BACK to the home store,

redoing the ceiling,

and even a whole 'nother day I finally have the room mostly done.
Mr. Logo will be replacing the flooring next weekend, YAY!

Alright, I have to go now, the Aged Ps are coming to spend the night.

Stuff I hate:

1. Stepping in squooshy things,

2. Forgetting what I was saying midsentence,

3. Getting the wrong paint from the dork at the paint counter, having to drive 30 minutes to go get the right paint, waiting for over an hour while the paint clerk tries three different ways to GET the color I want and THEN driving back home and being late to get my son from the birthday party he was attending, etc. etc. etc.

4. Long winded complaints.

I like this shirt.

And, for those of us who enjoy poor translation humor, here are a couple bumper stickers.

It's HUMP day, go forth and behave appropriately for the occasion!

"File that...

in the Look at Later folder."
I actually have one of those.
Today I'm going to pull out a couple of links from that folder and share them with you,
because you are special, and I'm not just saying that.

Here is a list of 50 things you should know by the time you are fifty.

Here is a BBC website to work on various basic math and English skills, really good for kids.

Here is a group of people who spread only love, love, love.

My beloved, and much linked Shakepearean insulter.

A daily puzzle, like a tasty lil appetizer for your brain.

Lastly we have my little addiction. Just because we don't do Dish Network anymore doesn't mean I don't get my fix.

55 Flash Fiction

"No" she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not related."
But golly, what an original thought, she added mentally. The inevitable explanation followed because evidently she was lacking a keen grasp of the obvious.

WhatEVER, she thought; I have a better tongue, better hair, and between that and my mastery of make up essentials?

No contest!

lil trips are fun!

We went down to Portland for a little motorcycle thing. It was great weather and good fun.

One of my bike trip rules (in addition to stopping every hour or so for stretching and caffeine, and regular candy and gum at gas stops) is that hotels should have pools so there is a good way of working off all the pent up energy The Things thoroughly approve of this rule.
Family time is a good thing.

P.S. I know I haven't been a great blog buddy, but it's not tht I don't love you all, I really, really do, lots and lots. I'm just busier than a body oughta be and trying to get it all done.

I don't see what the big deal is!

I overheard some people talking about math and how hard it is and stuff, and I have to say, I think people overthink these things sometimes.

OUCH!

I used them to open a box and dang it, I cut an inch long gash into my index finger.
It hurts to type now. Susie is going to see retribution in this, I suspect.

Oh, oh, it's also Lime's birthday!

Wow, a post two days in row, hold me back!

The Esteemed Elder Sister, her two offspring and yours truly managed to successfully negotiate a day of shopping and in reward we decided to drop by my tea shoppe. Since I had spent the day shopping and had nothing to show for it I decided to buy a couple tins to help organize my tea cupboard. It may not look GREAT now, but you should have seen it before!
Next we have birthday gift. My Limers, the pretzel queen, is having a birthday this Friday and since she will be gone, and there is no way her gift will arrive before she leaves, I thought I would post this pic so she can enjoy it after a fashion. These are notecards, from one curly girl to another;

If you couldn't quite make them out it says, "Her life, like her hair, had become unmanageable."

Hope you have a very happy birthday, Lime!

Speaking annual remembrances, I forgot my blog's birthday. It's two now. This blog started out as a dog blog, which is a piece of information that comes in handy if you ever archive dive around here.

The highlights of the last two years...

(just pick one or two, there should be something to interest everyone, I don't actually expect all of you to check each and every link)

Nutella, Ariella, political humor, apolitical humor, Confessions, poetry, flash fiction, trivia quizzes, red hair and naked flesh, music, religion, clumsiness, motorcycles, unusual holidays, scenes of domestic bliss, memes, and beaches.

It's Monday

let's be musical for a moment. Here is a song I quite like:

That I would be good even if I did nothing

That I would be good even if I got the thumbs down

That I would be good if I got and stayed sick

That I would be good even if I gained ten pounds

That I would be fine even even if I went bankrupt

That I would be good if I lost my hair and my youth

That I would be great if I was no longer queen

That I would be grand if I was not all knowing

That I would be loved even when I numb myself

That I would be good even when I am overwhelmed

That I would be loved even when I was fuming

That I would be good even if I was clingy

That I would be good even if I lost sanity

That I would be good

Whether with or without you

Now then, this last weekend Mr. Logo and Thing One went off together into the sunset and had a great time together in Eastern WA. Thing Two and I played video games, watched movies, visited book stores and tea shops, playgrounds and generally ran amuck. Also, a friend came by Saturday night and brought hazelnuts he had picked himself. We made a yummy pie and watched MORE movies. Sunday we scampered around with only an hour or so to spare and got the place looking all shipshape for the homecoming.

Oh, and by the way, is it just me that thinks having to break out the lawn mower in October is just wrong? I think I mentioned this last year (hate to be repetitive) but look,

mowing fall leaves just seems WRONG!

Alright, the Esteemed Elder Sister is in town and I'm off to meet her at the mall. Yes, that's right, the mall, because I truly love her.

Have a lovely day!

What day is it?

My normal level of confusion with the whole keeping track of the calendar thing is badly exacerbated by the fact my normal routine had been completely done away with over the last week. Between the Things getting ill and then going to see my sister my sense of groundedness in the I was thinking today was Monday, then I was thinking it was Wednesday...somehow Tuesday got skipped DESPITE the fact it's the right answer. Thankfully, I have a Mint Chocolat™ phone to tell me the date and time and take calls from Mr. Logo informing me about what I am suppose to be doing and why, and how, etc.
Anyway... on Saturday we went to an apple orchard and picked about 65 pounds of apples. We also made our own cider which was delicious!
We also stopped to take a picturesque walk along some train tracks. Because I grew up on an island I didn't have any tracks to play on as a kid and there aren't any in the area we live now either. We had a good time and no one fell into the river so it was officially a fabulous excursion.
The six hour drive home was completely uncomplicated. We made really good time and even managed to get to Seattle around 2:30 just as Mr. Logo was getting out of a meeting and so he joined us on our way home. He even drove for the last hour while I took a nap.
The Aged Ps joined us for dinner, Mr. Logo made a pork loin roast with apples and rice and some yummy asparagus. I made an apple pie for dessert, mmmm.
It was a lovely trip and it is so nice to be home.
Now, what was I suppose to be doing?