Very happy Sashimi added.

So yes, my long suffering fans… I have returned, perhaps 5 kilograms heavier than when I left, with an immeasurable desire for ostrich biltong, and a nice tan.

The holiday to South Africa rocked. We got to do some familial bonding time, and a fair amount of time got spent with the friends. Mr & Mrs B… many thanks for the awesome trip to Knysna and back… much obliged. Now come and visit us so we can return the favour. Wooz and SPF… it was great to be able to spend so much time with you guys… thanks for taking the leave and making it all possible. Chris and Lily and Megan… thanks for the accomodation and for letting us skank up your bathroom one week before your wedding.

So. This Blog has been built up by three weeks absence, and is bound to be a little longer than normal. As usual, if you want to skip the personal stuff, jump ahead to the line of asterisks at the end of this piece.

South Africa. Well well. It was an absolutely awesome trip. One of my favourite things to do in the whole world is to get a car that I like driving and then to take a long road trip. And the wife and I got to do just that with her family. The four of us piled into their car and drove off on what worked out to be an insanely expensive, but very enjoyable experience. And my god did we shop. Everything from Chutney to Cuckoo Clocks went into that car.

Let’s see, first stop was the Willows in Port Elizabeth. This was a classic little caravan/chalet place, and we got a two-bedroomed chalet for the four of us. Very comfortable, very clean and so close to the sea that even my youngest students could throw a stone into the water from the living room. We were there for two nights… and used the time soaking up some much-needed shopping. And thus began my fixation with finding the perfect pie on the holiday. See… the wife and I recently stopped being vegetarian and started eating seafood. Well… poultry has been added to the pile of edibles now… meaning that Chicken was back on the menu. (For the record, we still don’t eat mammals…. which means that yes, TURKEY is back on the menu for Christmas.) With chicken scratching at the doormat, I started in on Chicken Pies.

Woolworths to the rescue. AWESOME chicken and mushroom pie. Try it. Very good.

An aside – If it feels as if all the wife and I did on this holiday was sleep and eat, well… we feel that way too. It was a great holiday.

After PE, we drove on to Sedgefield…. chosen because it was nice and close to Knysna, which was where our friends Stompie and Jax were getting married. Yes… we did it all on this trip, weddings included. The place in Sedgefield was fantastic, the view was simply unbeatable.

Stompie and Jax threw themselves a Euro-funded Afro-ethnic wedding. And it was really a great evening. Good to be able to catch up with them again, as we hadn’t seen them since leaving Ireland. The wedding itself was out-standing and if their friends are anything to go by, they’ll be blessed in the future.

After the wedding it was a case of doing some family time in and around Knysna and George. We took in the sights of Hoekwil and Wilderness, the former very rustic, the latter full of sea spray.
Much seafood was eaten. Much chicken was eaten.

One of the highlights for the wife and I of the Sedgefield trip was a visit to the Wild Oats Farmer’s market… where local farmers sold their wares. (Mainly foodstuffs, but some raw produce too.) We got to soak up a little culture…

It was here that I found the undisputed BEST chicken pie in South Africa. The Steam Whistle Stop Pie company, operating out of god-knows where, but with a stand at the market.

After Sedgefield, there remained only the trip back to East London, which took much longer than expected. This is because of a little known family problem. Fact: If you place two women with disposable income in the back seat of a car, they will hatch plans to visit as many farm stalls as possible on the way back home. This is in a misguided effort to fill the car with very fattening farm foodstuffs and home produce. Thus, some 600 kilometres, 23 pieces of fudge, a half-dozen bottles of chutney, three full wheels of cheese, and 39 farm stalls later….. the entire Western Cape was denuded of produce, the car was groaning on its springs and we got home. To a huge dinner cooked by my sister in law.

The rest of the trip was spent with friends and family. I got to get in a fair amount of roleplaying with Wooz and the bunch, and even GMed a demo session for Jebb and his bunch. An obnoxiously large amount of time was spent virtually supine on Wooz’ patio drinking coffee… which is the perfect way to conduct oneself on holiday. Besides, the view from there isn’t half bad either.

Three weeks flew by with absolutely no regard for how much it cost us to get there, or indeed just how long 14 hours in economy class feels. (Particularly when you are bloated on fudge and chicken pies.)
There were tears, there were hugs and then we were gone.

To everyone who made the effort, thanks a hell of a lot guys, it was a vastly enjoyable experience.

************

And let’s get on with the jokes and stuff shall we?

The Truth About College:

SOCIOLOGY: For sheer lack of intelligibility, sociology is far and
away the number one subject. I sat through hundreds of hours of
sociology courses, and read gobs of sociology writing, and I never
once heard or read a coherent statement. This is because sociologists
want to be considered scientists, so they spend most of their time
translating simple, obvious observations into scientific-sounding code.
If you plan to major in sociology, you’ll have to learn to do the same
thing. For example, suppose you have observed that children cry when they
fall down. You should write: “Methodological observation of the
sociometrical behavior tendencies of prematurated isolates indicates that
a causal relationship exists between groundward tropism and lachrimatory
behavior forms.” If you can keep this up for 50 or 60 pages, you will get
a large government grant.

This weeks musical talent comes to you from the talented Ms. Nina Simone. This one is called Strange Fruit. And if it is depressing, well, it is meant to be. Give yourself a search for the lyrics. Sometimes, I am sad to be a human.

And that is that.. .. if there appears to be a lack of linkage in this blog, sorry… but 3 weeks without internet means that I didn’t find as many interesting things. Next time. K?

Ciao
Yeti out.

A single man (or woman) might find solace here in this neat and tidy unit in Greenpoint down by the river Newtown Creek.

Now you’ll see what I see…

- Spacious and gracious bedroom.  Accordion metal gates give it just a hint of danger.  Situated in the back of the building so the din of industry won’t disturb thee.

- Plenty ‘o closet for ye.

- Every king (or queen) needs his (or her) throne.  Sorry it’s a bit blurry but you can make out the outlines of the essentials.

- Technically this is the dining/living/kitchen.  All it’s really got goin’ for it is that little window high up there and the cabinets are an olivy green shade of gross.

- Here’s the great surprise… there’s another unit that’s privately connected to the one upstairs!  That means this is technically a duplex.  SAWEET!

- This is the bathroom that goes with it.  Standing shower and I swear there’s a toilet back there.

- And it gets SWEETER!  Your own private backyard patio and…

- …you’re own private ALLEY!  Never had one of these myself so I don’t know what to really do with it.  Might be an interesting place to grow vines.  Suggestions would be GREAT!

- You don’t need to rent both units to have the benefit of this common coin-op laundry!  Pretty sweet convenience considering there’s not much at all out by where this building is.

- Heat and hot water are INDEED included.

- If you choose to rent both units, the monthly total comes to $1495.

- Landlord requires first, last, and security to move in (that’s 3x the rent.)

- Not sure about pets but if you comment and ask me, I’ll find out.

- Available 12/1/09

- Map here.

First person to comment gets it.  GO!

En un día oscuro y gris las rosas pintan sobre la monotonía cromática de uno de los patios del Museo de Santa Cruz, antaño hospital, de Toledo.

Datos técnicos: Cámara Panasonic Lúmix DMC-FZ30 – v: 1/30 – f: 3,2 – ISO: 100 – Medición Matricial – Calidad RAW.

Noviembre, 2009.

Author: Tonya Kerniva
Source: ezinearticles.com

Wicker alfresco appliance is some of the a lot of accepted types of garden furniture. With its aggregate of style, flexibility, and comfort; cobweb is, carhartt coats, a abundant best for anyone searching to adorn their patio, pool, or sunroom. However, cobweb isn’t the a lot of abiding of appliance, carhartt coats, choices, and requires some affliction and absorption to maintain. Here are some tips to advice accumulate your cobweb pieces searching, carhartt coats, like new.

The first, and easiest, footfall to attention your cobweb alfresco appliance is with appliance covers. Covers appear in a array of colors and fabrics, and advice assure cobweb adjoin boundless moisture. The two a lot of accepted types of covers are vinyl and polyester, carhartt coats, . Vinyl covers are tougher, cheaper, and easier to clean; but are beneath attractive, and tend to be heavy. Polyester covers are added failing and breathable, as able-bodied as getting hardly added attractive. A lot of covers appear with two or three-year warranties, and can be begin in about any size.

Moisture and cast are the better threats to cobweb alfresco furniture. To abstain a accretion of mold, consistently rub your cobweb appliance down with a clammy cloth; afresh afresh with a dry cloth. Consistently abrasion and thoroughly dehydration your cobweb appliance will anticipate cast buildups that can could could cause astringent accident if larboard untreated. Removing bane stains from cobweb patio appliance is aswell easy. Simply aerosol the aged areas with a aggregate of one allotment bleach, nine locations water, and let the afflicted areas dry in the sun.

Repeat the action until the stains are gone, acceptance the appliance to dry absolutely afore spraying again.

Another advantage for befitting cobweb alfresco appliance is to accumulate it central if not in use. While this does yield up added space, it aswell helps assure the appliance adjoin boundless sunlight. If not abundant autogenous amplitude is available, it’s best to accumulate cobweb appliance in the shade. Boundless sunlight, carhartt coats, can could could cause warping in the wood, and arise in the varnish.

Most pieces of cobweb appliance appear already varnished, but cracks in, carhartt coats, the adorn can action over time and advance to cogent damage. Consistently re-varnishing your cobweb alfresco appliance can not alone advice assure it adjoin the elements, but aswell helps it absorb its flash and finish. There are a advanced array of varnishes accessible, carhartt coats, for use on cobweb furniture, but those that amalgamate adorn with a adhesive accommodate the best, carhartt coats, akin of protection.

There are abounding types of cobweb alfresco appliance available, including bamboo, rattan, cane, synthetic, and resin. Constructed cobweb and resin-coated cobweb are abundant beneath accessible to moisture, mildew, and sunlight, and are decidedly added abiding than the others. Resin-coated cobweb in accurate provides abundantly bigger backbone after accident any of wicker’s abundance and artful appeal.

With able maintenance, cobweb alfresco appliance can endure as continued as any added blazon of garden furniture, and be a stylish, adequate accession to any alfresco space.

If you chase the tips listed above, you will not accept any problems befitting your appliance searching apple-pie and new.

Tonya Kerniva is an experienced research and freelance writing professional. She writes actively about Wicker Furniture and Wicker Patio Sets.

When you head down the hall from the living room to the back of the house, the first door is to the laundry room. It’s on the left behind the kitchen. (Please excuse the laundry baskets.) The window looks out onto the patio behind the carport. On the left you can see the built-in cabinetry. There are upper and lower cabinets, as well as a tall broom closet. There’s also a super-retro laundry tub. On the right is the woven blind that covers the furnace and water heater.

Above the washer and dryer is a closet rod. It’s great for hanging things straight out of the dryer, or line drying delicates.

This is the woven blind that covers the water heater and furnace.

Here’s what it looks like when the blind is raised. I think the previous owners installed the blind and it’s a great idea. It’s much more pleasant to look at than all that machinery.

Next time: the guest room.

Magdalena Atria – El espejo de tinta

(Intervención específica: pintura con plastilina, 2009)

Patio privado en calle San Basilio nº 50, Córdoba (España)

Exposición “El patio de mi casa”.

Arte contemporáneo en 16 patios de Córdoba

Del 22 de octubre al 29 de Noviembre de 2009

“Esta exposición presenta obras de 16 artistas contemporáneos de varios países en 16 patios privados y monumentales de Córdoba. Los patios constituyen uno de los patrimonios más emblemáticos de la ciudad, brindando una imagen síntesis de su larga historia multicultural. Con antecedentes en Mesopotamia y originado en el atrio de las viviendas de la Roma antigua, el patio fue desarrollado por la arquitectura árabe y mudéjar, alcanzando su mayor esplendor en Andalucía.” (Fuente del texto y más información en la Universidad de Córdoba, www.uco.es)

Otras fotos de la exposición El patio de mi casa en este blog.

Fotos de la exposición El patio de mi casa en picasa.

Fotos de la obra “El espejo de tinta” de Magdalena Atria. Exposición El patio de mi casa. Arte contemporáneo en 16 patios de Córdoba.

CC martin_javier #2009

Una de las obras expuestas en “Desañiñados”, Casal De Ferreirós, Concello de Poio.

 El patio, Óleo sobre lienzo, 50 x 60 cm.

cual funambulista coja

  Fall is here and Stone Ridge Landscaping is in full swing to finish several projects before winter arrives. This year we have installed several patios  that combine low voltage illumination with the sitting walls and surrounding landscape. Outdoor lighting allows friends and family to enjoy your patio area at night in the summer and in the evening and during the dark winter period after the time change. From inside, the patio looks like a warm canvas in spite of the cold howling wind outside. So plan to add lighting to your outdoor landscape! Give Stone Ridge Landscaping a call.

Número de localización: 11

Lugar: Instituto Ferrer i Guàrdia (Exterior)

Dirección: C/Emili Panach s/n, 46020, Valencia.

Disponibilidad para rodar: Entre semana. Los fines de semana el instituto permanece cerrado.

Motivo para rodar: Instituto con mucha historia dentro del barrio. Ilustra la narración cuando se hable de a educación en el barrio.

Número de localización: 12

Lugar: Instituto Ferrer i Guàrdia (Interior, Despacho director)

Dirección: C/Emili Panach s/n, 46020, Valencia.

Disponibilidad para rodar: Entre semana. Los fines de semana el instituto permanece cerrado.

Motivo para rodar: El director del centro puede aportar datos interesantes acerca de la historia del barrio, que va ligada al del centro.

Número de localización: 13

Lugar: Vías del tranvía (Parada de Vicente Zaragoza) (Exteriores)

Dirección: C/Vicente Zaragozà, 46020, Valencia.

Disponibilidad para rodar: Todos los días de la semana. El tranvía circula desde las 5 de la mañana a las 24h de la noche. Preferentemente que aparezca algún tranvía en las imágenes.

Motivo para rodar: Zona mítica del barrio, ya que años atrás se luchó para quitar el paso a nivel del antiguo trenet que a tantas personas mató. Gran movimiento vecinal en contra de este.

Número de localización: 14

Lugar: Vías del tranvía (Parada de Benimaclet) (Exteriores)

Dirección: C/Vicente Zaragozà , 46020, Valencia.

Disponibilidad para rodar: Todos los días de la semana. El tranvía circula desde las 5 de la mañana a las 24h de la noche. Preferentemente que aparezca algún tranvía en las imágenes.

Motivo para rodar: Zona mítica del barrio, ya que años atrás se luchó para quitar el paso a nivel del antiguo trenet que a tantas personas mató. Gran movimiento vecinal en contra de este.

Living area downstairs (26 x 15 sq ft)

Living area downstairs; original parquet floors, from fireplace corner looking toward built-in storage/console cabinets

Living area downstairs; looking toward built-in storage/console cabinets; furnace/laundry room to front right

Living area downstairs; triple slider walkout to front patio

Living area downstairs; detail of built-in storage cabinets

Living area downstairs; looking into attached furnace/laundry room

Living area downstairs at night; triple glass slider walkout to front patio

Living area downstairs at night; triple glass slider walkout to front patio

Living area downstairs at night; note built-in storage/console cabinets

Living area downstairs at night; fireplace in stacked stone wall

Living area downstairs at night; looking down hall toward foyer with bathroom and garage entry

Añado al apartado Localizaciones 10 nuevos lugares para rodar. Son los siguientes:

Número de localización: 1

Lugar: AAVV Benimaclet (Interiores)

Dirección: Avenida de Valladolid, 42 bajo, 46020, Valencia

Disponibilidad para rodar: Entre semana, preferentemente por las tardes

Motivo para rodar: Institución importante en el barrio desde 1974, fecha de su creación. Aporta información relevante.

Número de localización: 2

Lugar: AAVV Benimaclet (Exteriores) Fachada

Dirección: Avenida de Valladolid, 42 bajo, 46020, Valencia

Disponibilidad para rodar: Cualquier día de la semana

Motivo para rodar: Apoya visualmente a la localización número 1

Número de localización: 3

Lugar: Assemblea de Veïns de Benimaclet (Exteriores) Fachada

Dirección: Calle Masquefa, Bajo, 46020, Valencia

Disponibilidad para rodar: Entre semana, preferentemente por las tardes

Motivo para rodar: Complementa con imágenes mientras se explica el movimiento vecinal en el barrio

Número de localización: 4

Lugar: Plaza de Benimaclet  (Exteriores)

Dirección: Plaza de Benimaclet, 46020, Valencia

Disponibilidad para rodar: Cualquier día de la semana. Los fines de semana puede haber jóvenes a las puertas del Glop.

Motivo para rodar: Uno de los pilares del documental, plaza del pueblo, plaza del barrio. Esencial para seguir el hilo del documental.

Número de localización: 5

Lugar: el Glop  (Exteriores) Fachada

Dirección: Plaza de Benimaclet, 46020, Valencia

Disponibilidad para rodar: Cualquier día de la semana. Los fines de semana puede haber jóvenes a las puertas.

Motivo para rodar: Bar con historia dentro del barrio. Lugar de encuentro de jóvenes. Apoya con imágenes cuando hablemos de la constante presencia de jóvenes por las calles. Movimiento alternativo.

Número de localización: 6

Lugar: el Glop  (Exteriores) Fachada

Dirección: Plaza de Benimaclet, 46020, Valencia

Disponibilidad para rodar: De martes a Sábado. De 19h a 2h. Un buen momento para rodar sería un viernes noche a partir de las 24h. Imágenes del Bar lleno de gente.

Motivo para rodar: Bar con historia dentro del barrio. Lugar de encuentro de jóvenes. Apoya con imágenes cuando hablemos de la constante presencia de jóvenes por las calles. Movimiento alternativo.

Número de localización: 7

Lugar: Colegio Público Padre Català  (Exteriores) Patio y fachada

Dirección: Padre Alegre, 46020, Valencia

Disponibilidad para rodar: Entre semana. Los fines de semana el colegio permanece cerrado.

Motivo para rodar: 28 años de historia del colegio público en el barrio. Perfecto para ilustrar el paso de los años. Observamos que en el patio quedan partes intactas de hace 30 años y otras renovadas.

Número de localización: 8

Lugar: Colegio Público Padre Català  (Interiores) Despacho director

Dirección: Padre Alegre, 46020, Valencia

Disponibilidad para rodar: Entre semana.

Motivo para rodar: El director puede aportar datos u opiniones relevantes sobre la historia del colegio, que va ligada a la del barrio.

Número de localización: 9

Lugar: Colegio Público Padre Català  (Exteriores) Nuevo edificio de parvulitos

Dirección: Padre Alegre, 46020, Valencia

Disponibilidad para rodar: Entre semana.

Motivo para rodar: Claro ejemplo de avance tecnológico y arquitectónico en el barrio. Nuevas construcciones. Pueden ilustrar la narración cuando se habla del antiguo edificio de párvulo, en el que se educaron niños que ahora tendrán 30 años.

Número de localización: 10

Lugar: Colegio Patronato de la Juventud Obrera (Exteriores) Patio y fachada

Dirección: Poeta Ricard Sanmartí, 46020, Valencia. Teléfono: 96.339.15.50

Disponibilidad para rodar: Entre semana. Los fines de semana el colegio permanece cerrado.

Motivo para rodar: Colegio con mucha historia dentro del barrio. Ilustra la narración cuando se hable de a educación en el barrio.

Lovely Single Family Home With Patio. Located On Dead End In Quiet Neighborhood. Close To Parkways And Water Basin Area.

call 516-798-3000 for more info

Nice front yard

Nice hard wood floors

Your pool is an investment. With regular care and maintenance, it’s a source of backyard fun for years to come. But what if you live in an area that faces strong lines of thunderstorms or even hurricane threats? Is there anything you can do to help safeguard your investment? There certainly is. Read more in our Storm FAQs below.

It’s very important to do what you can before the storm arrives. Start by removing the debris from the pool – anticipate that you may lose power and get anything out the pool that could ’spoil’ after a few days without the electricity-powered filter.

After removing any debris, don’t forget to chlorinate the pool, ensuring that you circulate the chlorine properly. If you anticipate that the power may be out for a while, consider adding a floating chlorinator to the pool to deliver a low, constant chlorine dose.

If you don’t have ample enclosed outdoor space (like a pool house or shed) you can store some of your pool-related items, including aluminum furniture, in your pool. See below for more specifics on this.

Make sure you turn off any electrical connections to the pool, then cover it. After all… you just got it nice and clean – why leave it wide open for the debris, leaves, sticks and bugs that may be getting tossed around in hurricane-force winds? This is the time that most owners wish they’d purchased a slightly higher quality pool cover — in addition to a cover being sturdier and more reliable, most of the mid- to high-end covers can be properly installed and fastened within 10 minutes—great for situations like this, where time is of the essence.

Remember, doing ’something’ to protect your pool is always better than doing nothing at all. After making sure that family and loved ones are safe, do the best you can.

Somehow, the power has managed to stay on during this storm. Should I let the filters run?

To avoid potential damage to the filtering system (and to yourself, running out in the middle of a storm!) it’s better to leave the filters turned off until the storm has passed. As long as the pool has been cleaned prior to the storm, the post-storm cleanup shouldn’t be that bad — and even a potentially dirty pool is no reason to put yourself in harm’s way.

What about sinking all the outdoor stuff in the pool? I’ve heard you can do that.

Contrary to popular belief, submerging everything in your pool isn’t always the best advice. Some things CAN be placed in the pool, but it’s best to check with your pool manufacturer to know what’s safe to sink, and what isn’t.

One good rule of thumb is to ask yourself, ‘Would the chlorine damage it?’ before sinking something to the pool floor. The plastic white stacking chairs pass the test (as does your aluminum furniture), while something like a canvas and wood umbrella wouldn’t. If you can’t sink it, make sure to remove it from the outdoor area and bring it inside somewhere – otherwise, you’re chancing a grill or a kid’s toy turning into a dangerous projectile, capable of causing all kinds of damage during heavy winds.

The storm has knocked out our water, too; can we use the pool for drinking water?

It’s definitely okay to use pool water to flush the toilet during an emergency, but most experts agree that pool water isn’t suitable for drinking, cooking, or even shaving. The type of chlorine used in pools just isn’t made for human consumption.

If you’re reading this article, you probably haven’t run out of power or water yet! So take a moment now to either bottle your own water, (which can last up to six months if bottled properly, e.g. tightly sealed, and in light filled spaces) or add bottled water to your grocery list. Having a supply of bottled water on hand in case of any emergency is always a good idea.

The storm is over – What can I do while I’m waiting for the electricity to be turned back on or the professional pool help to arrive?

We’ll give you one guess. You’re right! Get all the junk out of the pool. Use your regular pool cleaning tools to get out any debris that may have entered the pool during the storm.
Don’t forget to clean the filters — a storm produces more debris that usual in your pool… and your filters weren’t really designed for such a major mess. Clean up what you can with a net, and if you have to get in the pool to get debris out, make sure that you wear shoes.

After you’ve cleaned, super-chlorinate the pool and circulate continuously until the water’s color looks close to normal. Keep the water “shocked” until power or help arrives, but don’t let people or pets in the pool while it’s in this state.

Living room upstairs (26 x 15 sq ft)

Upper living area (front half) with cork floors, triple slider to catwalk, stacked stone wall with fireplace

Upper living room (back half) with triple slider to backyard patio and Koi ponds

Upper living room triple slider view of front yard; access to catwalk

View from living area down main hallway to back bedroom; fireplace in stacked stone wall

Clear view from back patio slider through living area to front yard - wonderful open concept!

Upper living area (front half) at night with triple slider to catwalk and stacked stone wall with fireplace

Upper living room (back half) at night with ceiling beam and triple slider to backyard patio

Cork floor detail in upper living and dining areas

Dining room (14 x 11 sq ft)

Dining area off kitchen; living area in background

Ample built-in storage and buffet counter in dining area; far door is media closet

Dining offers views to front and backyard; owl box on tree has inhabitants in winter!

You may have guessed that I rather like gardening. There’s something very satisfying in getting nature to bend to my will. I’m kidding myself, its more like nature doing what the hell it pleases and me carving a little order within it all.

We got given a load of big outdoor pots by Jay’s parents a few weeks back as they were moving to a place with much less garden. The trouble with pots here is that the summer is very dry and hot and they would need watering every day or they’d be frazzled really quickly. And ideally, this means irrigation (again).

As luck would have it, there’s a valved riser by the patio that I guess was meant for this kind of thing, so yesterday I popped off to the hardware store for piping and drip sprinklers, potting compost, plants, flowers etc to get it all hooked up and looking nice.

I had to go back this morning (at 7:30am as it turned out, thanks to the fookin’ dog that started yapping and carrying on at 6:30 so I had to get up) for a couple of parts that I needed, but was back in time to have it all done and dusted before 11am.

So here, for your viewing pleasure, is some of my garden so far – there is still muuuuch work to be done though, which will keep me happy and busy throughout the summer.

This new grass may not look like much, but its growing really fast

Pipes go up the wall, along the pergola, down the upright and along the ground.

The patio is starting to look nice at last. We have a grape vine that is busy growing over the top of the patio – hopefully it’ll look all Mediterranean before too long.

The Halloween hullabaloo is over, but this month is not going to be any less busy than the last few weeks were. I did finally manage to finish all the illustrations for the Lightning Cave story and sent it off to CreateSpace for publishing. They should send me the proof copy in a few days and if everything looks good I’ll order the Christmas copies for the kiddos. Here’s a preview of the cover:

Preview Cover, Back & Front sides

It’s tiny, but I’ll post a better pic when the book comes in.

Now I’m settling into work on Idea #5, which is my NaNoWriMo novel idea. Here’s how National Novel Writing Month works: you write a novel of at least 50,000 words in 30 days, that’s the month of November. That’s it.
I have about 30,000 words on this particular story so far, but only about 7,000 of them were written this month. I’ve been working on this for about 3 months, I think. You can read a sloppy synopsis of my novel if you want to. I’ll try to provide a better one later. This weekend I’m going to Houston for a write-in and hopefully I can crank up the word count and actually make it to 50k.
I don’t know if that’s very realistic though since another brilliant idea manifested itself this week. I joined my friend JT’s design collaborative and we got a quick gig doing a patio redesign for a coffee shop. That should be in full swing next weekend with painting and sewing. I’ll post more about that as we get moving on it. So many deadines!
Wish me luck for this weekend,
~A

Sixteen years ago I was pulling night-duty at San Antonio’s International Airport, waiting for and working flights coming in from Mexico. Since I had long ago mastered any and all U. S. Customs rules and regulations as they related to my duties, I felt justified in passing the time and staying awake by writing letters to friends and relatives. I began this letter that evening, and added to it over a period of several days and sent it snail-mail on the above date.

November 13,1993

Hi, Dockie and Jackie,

Don’t faint, it’s just me. I realize you folks are not very accustomed to getting letters from me (especially since this is the only one I ever sent you), but the shock should wear off pretty soon. We found the picture of Philip in the flower bush. I mean we found the picture which shows Philip in the flower bush, not that we found it in the flower bush. I figured I would send some words of wisdom along with it. The picture has faded a lot over the years. It was made 18 years ago, so I guess it’s in pretty good shape considering the time that has passed.

I’m working a swing shift at the airport, from 3-11 p.m., and have a lot of free time on my hands. Well, actually I’m not working 3-11 today, I’m working 8-5, but usually I am 3-11. There’s not much to do and I really get bored, so I decided to use the time to write letters and bore the people I send them to.

I’ve written my sisters more since I started working nights than I have in my entire life. I’ve even written Aubrey and Evelyn and Winnie and Clyde and Bill several times. One thing about the letters I need to warn you of—they are long. Writing on a computer is a little like running downhill, eating peanuts or having sex—once you start, it’s hard to stop.

We really had a great time in Georgia, especially at the cookout. Seeing you and Jackie and Jean was a real treat, and seeing that gaggle of kids and grand-kids and in-laws and outlaws was great. Of course, the years weigh a bit heavier when you see that the kids now have kids, and their kids will soon be having kids, and you wonder where the years went. I can remember so clearly us playing jacks in Montgomery. I’m not sure but I think I remember winning, at least some of the games. Tell you what—you and Jackie come on out for a visit, and I’ll buy some jacks and challenge you to a game—I think I can still beat you!

Cindy spent 10 days with us recently, from October 23 until November 2. She left this past Tuesday, but has already bought tickets to return during Christmas. The house sure seemed empty for awhile after she left, and we’re already looking forward to her return in December. She is doing well in her work in Virginia—in fact she will make more than her ol’ pappy this year if she keeps on like she is going. The only problem is that she has learned how to make money, but has not yet learned how to hold on to any of it. When she masters that, she will have it made. Her sister Kelley is running her a close second on that—not in making the money, but in spending it.

I think the people in Mexico are still talking about the visit you and the others made to Laredo. In fact, in Mexican folklore they refer to you as “la senorita loca con la pela rubia y el sombrero gigante,” which means “the crazy lady with the blond hair and the giant hat.” When you folks come out, we’ll try to fit in a trip to the border so you can terrorize the natives some more.

I just got back to my office. One of the ladies I work with is a garage sale freak like me, and we went hunting garage sales. They were supposed to have a giant sale at Trinity Baptist Church today, so we went there first. There were at least 100 cars there, so we figured it would be a great sale, but we couldn’t find where they were set up. We finally asked a motorcycle cop at the corner about it, and he said that the cars were there for a funeral, and that he didn’t know anything about a garage sale. I guess we have sunk to a new low, trying to get a really good bargain at a funeral.

We finally found several small yard sales before we had to return to work. I bought a 35-millimeter slide projector for $2.00. Does it work? I don’t know yet, haven’t tried it, but even if it doesn’t work I’m only out two bucks, and I’ll probably value it at $50 and donate it to Goodwill Industries and take a tax deduction, so how can I lose?

How are the goats doing? Boy, we really have some ritzy relatives—they keep a BMW parked in the yard just so their goats will have something to climb on! Alta and I liked your house, and you have it so nicely decorated. She is still talking about her visit with you. I guess you two sat up and talked all night.

Hope your Cocker Spaniel is alright now. She is a friendly little thing —well, not so little, I guess. And I know now not to blow the horn when I come to visit, or the white elephant will come out and chew off my bumpers. You call him a bulldog, but he’s more elephant-sized than dog-sized.

I told you that the letters are long. You’re probably getting an Excedrin headache from reading this. You know you can always stop and come back to it later if you want to. Of course the news will be that much older by the time you return.

Did we have our patio covered when you were out here? I don’t think we did. Anyhow, it is covered now, and we are going to extend the patio cover across the back of the house, probably about 50 feet all together. Hope to get it finished by the end of November, before the weather turns cold and wet. We had a cold spell last week. The temperature got down to about 27 degrees, but just for a few hours. We put all the plants in the garage and haven’t put them back out yet. Actually we have a 2-cat garage. They stay there at night, and are in and out of the house all day. They are having a ball climbing the ficus trees in the garage.

Took the tom cat (Dumas Walker) to the vet yesterday for his shots. It took three of us to give him the immunizations—two to hold him down and one to use the needle. That cat does not like to go to the vet. We gave him a tranquilizer before we took him in, but all it did was make him mad. I mean he was a real tiger, but normally he is a very gentle and loving cat—spends a lot of his time lying on my chest while I’m watching television. After seeing him in action at the vet’s office yesterday, I don’t feel quite as comfortable having him lying there.

I suppose I’ve rambled on long enough, so I’ll close. Tell everybody hello for us, and give Jean our love. We know that you have a tough row to hoe, and you are doing it alone. We’ve never been in that situation, but we understand your problems and frustrations, and support you in everything you do.

Lots of love,

Janie and Mike

The proper care and concern of your patio heater will guarantee you a solid investment for years to come – if you know how to take care of it right. And if you are a first time owner of a patio heater, vacuum cleaner, (as I once was), trying to figure out where to start can be a very taxing task. With a little research and technical know-how, you too can keep your, vacuum cleaner, heater working efficiently for years to come. All you have to do is know what you can and can not do with your patio heater.

Always remember to disconnect your fuel source from your patio heater before doing anything with it. Never move or work on your patio heater at all without disconnecting your fuel source. If you do anything with your heater while the fuel source is connected (propane tank, etc.), you are putting yourself at high risk of injury or death, not to mention damage caused by, vacuum cleaner, burning or explosion. It is a major safety issue: always unplug before taking action.

As time wears on, you may find that your patio heater will get dirty from being outdoors throughout the seasons. While washing it down with a hose or power washer may sound like a good idea, never try to attempt this. There are many different working parts of your patio heater that were not designed for moisture to get into. By, vacuum cleaner, forcing moisture into them with a hose or power washer, you could be sending water into places where water will not evaporate, but erode the metal parts. This could lead to rusting, which would lower the life span of your heater, costing you money in the long run. Rather, to clean your patio heater, mix a neutral cleaner and water, and use a rag to wipe down the dirt off your heater. Dry with, vacuum cleaner, a clean towel.

As the seasons change, you will want to store your patio heater away for the harsh winter months. While, vacuum cleaner, taking it out of the elements is a great way to protect your investment from corrosion and deterioration, it is never a good idea to move it on your own. Taller models are usually very top-heavy, which can be very awkward and hard to move alone. Dropping a unit like this can cause your unit to break, creating a possible safety hazard that could start a fire, or even explosion. When moving your unit, use at least another person. This way, you can ensure the safety of your patio heater.

During normal use of your patio heater, the collection of soot is, vacuum cleaner, a naturally occurring phenomenon. However, it can cause an unsightly, black residue on the grill of your heater. While it may be tempting to use a vacuum cleaner or compressed air blower to clear, vacuum cleaner, away the soot, never do this. The three main ingredients of a fire are heat, fuel, and oxygen. By, vacuum cleaner, blowing in or sucking air out of your heater, you will introduce, vacuum cleaner, an oxygen flow, possibly resulting in a fire sparking in your heater. Combine this with an active fuel, vacuum cleaner, source attached, vacuum cleaner, (such, vacuum cleaner, as a propane or butane tank, or even wood), and you, vacuum cleaner, have all the makings of an explosion. When cleaning soot from your patio heater grill, always use a mix of warm water, vacuum cleaner, and neutral cleaner, and wipe away with a washcloth, but be sure, vacuum cleaner, to dry immediately afterwards. Sweep away your ashes with a dust pan and broom.

Taking care of your patio heater can be a tall task if you are unsure of what you are doing. But with simple preparation, and knowing what not to do when cleaning and caring for your patio heater, you will be preparing yourself to not only have an investment for years, but to keep you and your family safe and sound as well.

Like I said before, I have reached the end of my photo folder. To be more specific, the temporary photo folder –where images are stored before being classified and moved to their final location– is now empty, for the first time in months. I think it will be a while before I go out there and make more photos, in part because there aren’t many new places/things around here that are interesting enough to capture.

For your convenience and mine –and because every image photograph can tell a good story–, I’m starting a small experiment, resulting from a short, yet popular post that I made earlier in the year and a bit of night-thinking. All the posts in the series will be marked with the in detail tag (in case it runs long) and, at least for a while, the photos in it will just be some old ones that I’ve not posted here already.

Rather than explaining the gist of it, I’ll just go ahead and write and see if you can figure it out. Don’t tell me what it is, reader(s), as I already know. Here goes, again with the title.

Bottle cap

What you see on the left side of the above photo is, as you may have guessed from the title, a bottle cap. You can still see the ridges of it, despite the rust trying its best to destroy this small relic from the past.

See, this cap came from a glass bottle of 7 Up that was opened back in the 1990s. At that time, there was a contest from this brand, and prizes would be given to those who found the specially-marked caps. I don’t recall what the winning markings were supposed to be but, if I recall correctly (because the early ’90s are a bit of a blur to me at this point), this particular cap had the brand’s then-popular mascot, Fido Dido, on the inside of it.

I can’t be sure as to whether this marking meant that I should be given a prize for it or if it was just a one of many such drawings that were present in the non-winning caps. The point is that my young self had the bright idea of dropping the bottle cap in the small space between a wall and a metal plate that’s part of the patio gate lock (the plate and the wall have a hole through which a bolt goes to keep it closed).

If memory serves right, I’ve managed to retrieve that bottle cap a couple of times, just to remind myself what was on the inside of it. Of course, I always returned it to its rightful place, so I could forget about it for years and years, and I can’t recall when I last saw held it in my hand. It has been years, sure, but I’m not sure as to whether it has been a full decade since then.

For now, this small piece of metal that would have normally ended up in a dumpster with all the others, has withstood the test of time, both by preserving the shape it had when it was removed from the bottle, and by staying somewhere in my mind where it is able to make its presence known from time to time.

I generally don’t think of it that much. That would probably make me a crazy person. But, every so often, as I walk to the patio, I’ll look at it and get a glimpse of that day in the last decade of the last century, when I decided to drop a bottle cap … and I’ll keep on walking.

Una casa con patio y galería balcón, inserta en el pintoresco paisaje de la rambla sobre río Negro.

2006/07_ Casa MPA. Mercedes.Soriano. Uruguay

Proyecto y dirección obra nueva Vivienda Unifamiliar:  Arq. M. A. Symonds asociada  Arq. M. Gross.

Estructura: Magnone – Pollio Ingenieros.

www.prizzispiazza.com

Monday thru Thursday — 4:30 p.m. to 7:00p.m Happy Hour at the bar and on the patio.  $1.50 Slices(cash only bar and patio seating) Meatball Sliders.

Saturday & Sunday Brunch—All Mimosas and Bloody Marys are buy one get one free per customer during brunch hours

Monday Night is . . . $5 Mojito and $6 Martini-Madness.  Mojitos always made with fresh mint and fresh lime.

Tuesday Night is . . . $5 Glass of Wines—All day and Night $5 glasses of Candoni Italian Wines.

Wednesday Night is . . .25% Off Vino—Order any entrée & order a wine by the bottle from our wine list at 25% off the list

price (Excludes any Wines from the Reserve List).
Thursday Night is . . .Late Nite Happy Hour.  Offering Our Happy Hour appetizers from 10p.m. until close.

Friday Night is . . .Cash Savings—Pay Cash and save 10% off the Food Portion of your Bill!

No other Coupons or Discounts accepted…

All promotions subject to change without notice and are offered at the sole discretion of the management
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