me and mr. b

There are many things to share these days, but most importantly, Steve's website is up - check it out, y'all.

it must be love

After Steve read my post about being the man when it comes to orchids, he said to me "You could have taken credit for those orchids."

Really.

I just love him to bits.

As for secrets, he has none. He's a native Floridian, which must count for something.

gush gush

Last night, or February 13th, I was feeling a bit low. Every holiday and birthday that comes around I just can't seem to get my shit together and have something for Steve. Sometimes, I am beyond being a thrifty girlfriend. I had to buy his Christmas present at a thrift shop for goodness' sakes. You must know that he doesn't mind; if every gift I ever gave him for the rest of our lives was something I thrifted he would die from happiness. Because he is that wonderful.

Today, or February 14th, I was expecting just another day. I love Valentine's Day, but being without much money, every holiday in these times is a bit...gloomy? When Steve arrived home on his lunch break, he was smiling so big. He was carrying this beautiful rose bush in his hands:

An Our Lady of Guadalupe! Especially made for Florida growing conditions!
If that weren't enough to make me all gooey inside, he went out to his truck for another bush, my FAVORITE ROSE, the Hot Cocoa:

He had no idea how much I love these two rose varieties...In bygone days, I'd even blogged about them before.

But wait. There's more. He cooked me dinner. Bought me a yummy sparkling wine.

When I said to him, "Damn, I wish I had something for you!" because I was so lame and did nothing at all, he said, "This day is for you."

weekend delights

• A couple of weeks ago, Steve installed a new stereo in my car. It was a glorious day. My nano chills in the glove box while I control it from the deck. Can you handle it? On Friday, I made my first '95 Toyota Corolla playlist (02/2007). Triple woot.
  
• In the spirit of last weekend, this Saturday we transplanted a not-doing-so-well-but-really-large bougainvillea from one part of our yard to another and in the process, I learned that bougainvilleas are laced with spikes. I'm used to thorny rose bushes being a Portland girl, but these spikes were quite another thing. I was drilled in the ear with a bougainvillea spike. What? Like my ears haven't been tortured enough lately? It hurt so much I couldn't even cry. You know when pain is so intense it takes your breath away and leaves you unable to speak? Yeeeeeow! But the transplant was successful and when the rain clears, I'll be out with my camera.
• Cause if you were watching the Super Bowl, you know what the weather was like today.
• Steve and Cole have long wanted a fence for man's best friending type things (dog poo, frisbee, wrestling, etc.). Today on Craigslist, Steve discovered free fence materials in Ft. Lauderdale, so we secured these fence-y things and went down to Ft. Laudy to uproot them and take them home with us. Let me tell you, it was labor. Midway into taking this fence down (let me emphasize midway), we were warned by the owner that the vine we were clearing off said fence was poison oak. They wanted to know if we were we allergic? Oh. Fuck. I think I said, "You're kidding me, right?" Nope. The good news is, so far, Steve and I aren't allergic. So far. At least we got free fence materials. We are such thrifty blow-hards. We'll brave anything for free goods! But this doesn't mean that, in the future, we'll be rubbing poison oak all over ourselves and crying victory.
  

seriously

Steve has an Aunt Colleen who became a nun in the late '60s.

Her name in the sisterhood was Sister Mary Juana.

She is no longer a nun. We can only imagine.

flower pots of all kinds

It's Wednesday and I'm just getting around to things done over the past weekend! Shame.

Here's the list version:

• Went shopping for Steve's work attire.
• Started a compost pile.
• Took my sister to the airport, so sad!
  
• Went food shopping.
• Organized the tool room, finally.
  
• Did some gardening around the homestead.
  
• Did token Sunday laundry.
• You. Get. The. Picture.

The weekend felt productive to say the least.

Now here's the picture version:

We don't have much of a front porch, but we do have a naked trellis. We decided to splurge for a tiny bougainvillea that we hope will "grow like a weed" up and around said trellis. We went for yellow, because it's not as common as pink (because we aren't a common people, don't you know):


Steve is the orchid whisperer. We get all of our orchids from his dad, who gives to them to us after they're done blooming. And just like that, Steve pays them attention and they give us glorious, fat buds every few months and then the most beautiful flowers you've ever seen! One of the white ones is blooming now:


I planted some Impatiens in a found pot:


We planted several other things, but I realize now I didn't take pictures of them! Doh! Hopefully the basil will surface and I can photograph it for the 'ol bloggeroo.

I haven't taken a good picture of what I'm about to tell you about, but try to imagine this: We salvaged a bathroom sink from an old West Palm Beach home and hung it on the wall in the middle of our kitchen/dining area and turned it into a Dada planter. It is not connected to any pipes, it's just kind of floating in the middle of the wall:

It looks awesome! But each time I try to get it in a picture, it just doesn't work for me. So the above is just a tease until I really figure out how to make it look as marvelous in picture as it does in the house.

I love weekends.

the daily blurbs

• My 12-year old car has 12-year old repair bills. But I'm happy to drive my Corolla (a.k.a. the Corotor Boat) for a long time coming. I'll pay what I must to ride in style, and that's with three plastic hubcaps. The missing one? It adds charm, no? *I typed this earlier in the day - my car sounds brand new! After sounding like a meat grinder on wheels for two years, I almost cried when I drove her home from the dealership. She's so happy with me and I am so happy that she's happy. We hugged.
  

• We all of us have our ticks, don't we? I have a fetish for magazines (I think I want to be a periodicals librarian, for real). I use my frequent flyer miles on subscriptions (American and Northwest). I check the subscription list...way too frequently. To my joy, the list of choices was just updated. Here's what I got: Flying Magazine (for my older sister, the Goddess of Flight), Body + Soul (Martha's take on whole living), House & Garden (I have loved this magazine for a long time, but I've always been too cheap to subscribe) and Wine Spectator (woot!). I'm contemplating Condé Nast Traveler...and my older sister says this publication is a must.
  

• Over the weekend, I was on the local news! Only, I didn't know I was. I was told! How thrilling. I was at an art show, gawking at all the lovely paintings and photographs with my mouth open (not a fact, but I'm sure it probably was - how American of me). Gawk! Gawk! Sources say they will try to get me the video clip. Woot!

• I love me some Corley. I have this thing about CSI Miami and she knows it - it's like the worst show ever, yes? David Caruso creeps me out! Nevermind the sunglass bit, his profound one-liners and the way he swiftly dips out of each frame. The man is creepy. His voice, the way he squints...I shudder. I cannot take credit for this, but I've read that he is the only human being capable of looking both 17 and 70 at the same time. But for all of these reasons and more, I cannot look away. Steve and I watch CSI Miami because we love to laugh at the improbability of everything and because, well, it "takes place" in Miami. We love it because we can predict each episode will either begin at 1) da club, 2) a Star Island house/pool party or 3) a strip club. And here you have Horatio Caine (David Caruso's character), who does not evoke a hint of sex, stumbling into these places like a hot shot. We love that Horatio Caine is a forensics expert/gun-toting cop/high-stakes bomb diffuser. What would Miami do without him? So, in getting back to Corley (my dear sweet pal in Austin) - she found a David Caruso clip-o-tron that you must see if you just can't get enough...it is hysterical.

• I made beef stew for dinner. Steve said it was the best meal I've ever made. Nevermind it was delicious: our house still smells delicious! I love comfort foods. We determined that comfort foods, especially beef stew, might be a tidge white trash. Look, I'm from SE Portland! He's from S. Florida! We can walk the walk and talk the talk on a dime, people. We can certainly eat that way, too.
  

• I have another blog! Please go check it out if you haven't lately!

stop skipping breakfast

Hoorah!

My older sister is coming to visit next week! She'll be trading the harsh elements of Seattle for some Florida sunshine. I'm so excited.

After her visit, I will make it my purpose in life to start my career. When I put it that way, is it any wonder I keep putting it off...? I love to play. Too much. But playing without any kind of income is getting increasingly difficult. Can Steve get a hand for supporting me during these last six+ months? Because he deserves one - he's made so many sacrifices so that I could have two final semesters in peace. I heart him. Now, I need to get a job so he can afford to buy film once more! He does have some exciting news - he just bought a (used) Hasselblad! The sound of the shutter is like butter. Pop! He's developed 4 Hasse rolls and they are some of his finest pictures if you ask me.

I've been in my craft room all day. Pressing my fabric stash. Organizing paper. I'm headed back there now...it is very cozy. All the pets come in there with me and fall asleep to the sound of the iron steaming.

refraction

Last night Steve said, "Get out here quick!"

I ran outside. He pointed upward.

Sigh.

over the river and through the woods

Bruce Nauman's None Sing-Neon Sign, 1970

Tonight we went to Miami for a trip to MOCA and to photo MIAMI's opening reception.

All was swell.

Conclusion: I love Miami, nice folks and genuine friendliness, watching Steve looking at photographs, free wine, taking my own pictures, publications, the art crowd as subject for people-watching, jeans under skirts, and ideas.

help us all

I went to an art shop yesterday to buy some paper (beautiful, delicious paper). Upon checking out, the cashier asked if I was on the mailing list.

"No, but my boyfriend is."

"What is his name?"

[Apparently, the name is needed to begin the transaction.]

"Steve or Stephen B****"

"Hmmm, I don't have that."

"No? I swear he is on your mailing list - we get your ads all of the time."

"I have a S-T-E-P-H-E-N B****"

"That's him."

"Oh! That's how you spell Stephen?"

Like I said, help us all.

the Boca day trip

I don't particularly like Boca Raton, Florida.

I don't know why? Let me be clearer: I just hate Boca. Once I had to visit someone who lived in Boca. To get to her "neighborhood," I went through seventeen gates, was carded forty-six times, and was then permitted to park in her driveway and walk inside her front doors, which were approximately seventy-three feet tall. You can imagine this was the most welcoming experience of my entire life.

The general feeling was, keep out! So thereafter, I did.

Also, I don't like Bocarchitecture. Again, let me be clearer: I hate Bocarchitecture. I'm making up that phrase. That's why I'm using it twice like that.

However. I have an open-mind. I visited the Boca Raton Museum of Art in Mizner Park on Sunday. And my experience was so beautiful! I loved the museum (even though its slogan, "Minutes from the beach. Miles from conventional." needs work); Steve and I strolled around like it was ours alone, even though there was a nice collection of folks also visiting. The employees were uncommonly and genuinely friendly - it was refreshing. Perhaps my mind re: Boca has officially changed...

I took these pictures of my experience; not too many...just enough:

It's the holiday season / With the whoop-de-do and hickory dock:

















La Amphitheater:

















Do not be fooled. These are not ordinary-sized coffee cups. They are HUGE:

















No photography was permitted inside the museum. But they didn't have a policy against taking pictures in the restrooms! How's that for sneaky. These Kohler sinks sat above the counter. Don't be fooled, darlings! I love the Kohler brand. Those candy-colored advertisements have definitely gotten the better of me...(although, this is probably too modern for my taste). Also, I think it would be neat if my name was Madge Kohler, but that's another story:

















Is Madge Kohler in the museum or out?


















On behalf of all folks who have been, at one time or another, close-minded re: Boca, I urge you to visit their art museum on a blustery winter day. It will change you, and for $4, it's completely worth every penny.

fireplace cheer

Last night, we watched the Leonids. Despite clear skies, Steve only saw one meteor! This was my count: 0. It was still fun and absolutely beautiful to be gazing upward. When I look up at the night sky, I get the same sensation as when I'm snorkeling in very deep water - there is this strange feeling in my belly: empty/full.

So it is chilly in Florida - I see the low for my parts will be forty-seven degrees tonight. Our fireplace is not a working fireplace, but it must not be neglected...so I fancied it up last night. See photograph. Maybe the best part of yesterday, aside from the meteor shower, was snuggling by the "fire" with Jane, D. Sergei, and Cole Dog.

I have to begin work on my final papers of my grad school career this week. This has hit me with an ounce of sadness, unexpectedly. I graduate in less than a month. And then I am, technically, a librarian from an ALA accredited program. Wow. I definitely did not see this as my career even...four years ago - funny.

I am about to admit something that might lose your readership. I am willing, however, to take that risk. Yesterday, at Goodwill, I heard my favorite Christmas song of all time: All I Want for Christmas is You, by...uhhh...Mariah Carey (this just feels obligatory: !!!!!!1!!!!!1!!). Everyone has their secret pop star obsession. She's mine, and I so love that song. It makes my hips gyrate. Love me or leave me, folks.

the things i sings

• Last night, Steve and I made our first craigslist purchase. He scopes craigslist like a champ, sends me e-mails while he is at work ("what do you think of this?"), and then we discuss the possibilities of picking up whatever random item he sends my way. It is a thrilling process. And 98% of the time, we do not act. But last night, we followed a hunch about a wool rug via Spain (faded cyan, deep chocolate, and ochre in color - picture to come soon) and went to shell out $20 for it (a steal I assure you!) and take it home. I have to say, the woman we bought it from was so nice. She was wearing Birkenstocks. In my world, if you wear Birkies, you are automatically the nicest person in the world and could do no harm to others (others includes spiders). As we peeled the beautiful rug off her floor and slung it over our shoulders and headed out the door, she wished us, "good luck!" I am cheesy to admit such a thing, but the whole experience was just so beautiful. Big ups for humanity. And we just bought a rug. From a stranger. Who wore Birkies.
• Currently reading: Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel García Márquez. (I took the list off my sidebar because I am relying completely on LibraryThing for all things sidebar literary.)
  
• I thought I had one thousand things to say. Not so.
  

sunday by the lake

• Ms. Dewey. Ms. Dewey? (Found by way of Big Huge Blog)
• Speaking of library mumbo-jumbo, I bought an old media cart yesterday - ca. 1970s? It's blue, on wheels, and has three tiers (for my scanner, printer, misc. techie items). I love it. It is both functional and Madge, all at the same moment.
  
• I think it has finally stopped raining. It has rained so much lately - since Halloween.
• Signs that things are resuming to normalcy post-theft: there are seven million jugs of photo chemical on the kitchen counter. Steve developed film last night. He has seven (give or take one) new-to-him cameras (one of them is a Speed Graphic, which is the same camera Ben Folds uses at his leisure - sidenote: I'm into celebrities who take pictures). Because of the out and about nature of photography, I too will have more pictures to share in the coming months.
  
• I have been unfairly neglecting D. Sergei on the blog. He is as proud as ever - but something strange has happened. While always on the fluffy side, he has now mushroomed into one very regal cat. The hair around his neck has begun to closely resemble an Elizabethan collar of imperial proportions. See for yourself:
  

the ten-twenty-niners

The birthday festivities have begun; we get an extra hour to party tomorrow!





















Awwww. I heart my Steve so.
He is wearing that white jacket because his hero was Don Johnson.
OY.
This was me, at eight days old:























Happy Birthday to us!

good riddance

lake.view

So.

We are finally done at the old house. Finally! The keys to that house are no longer on our rings. We are happy about that. A lot of celebratory wine was consumed on my behalf. Now our attention is completely on our new place, but the backyard is distracting. I have scribbled canoe on my wish*list.

*****
My birthday is in one week! Here are some interesting facts about the 29th:

• Steve and I have the same birthday. Yup. Only he was born two years before yours truly. A friend of mine says this means we are true soulmates - this is an actual, technical qualification. I Googled this to see if I could find anything, but I turned up nothing (by the way, I want to be your librarian someday; have I ever mentioned that before?). I do believe a red velvet cake is on our horizon.
  
• My 2 fabulous sisters were both born on 29ths, also. The Seattle-based sister was born on June 29 and the Honolulu-based sister was born on March 29. None of this was planned - I was due October 5, Seattle was due in July and Honolulu was a wee-bit early, I think.
• Winona Ryder has my birthday. Excuse me! Do you need more evidence that October 29th is the day?

*****
I have been having hunger pains for a drink I once had in Portland. My Seattle-based sister took me to a bar - the Rose and Raindrop? The Rose and Thistle? I cannot remember its name for the life of me - and said, "Madge. You must have a Nuts and Berries." She treated me to one and it was delicious. This was probably five years ago. Lately, I have been craving this drink - so I thought I would track down the recipe for motivation to perhaps make my own:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 oz. Chambord® raspberry liqueur
• 1 oz. Frangelico®
• 1 oz. light cream

DIRECTIONS

Fill a shaker half-full with ice cubes. Pour all ingredients into shaker and shake well. Strain drink into a Cocktail glass and serve. Garnish with berries.

So. Delicious.

we're pooped

jane.on.the.ladder

I've been working on two houses for too long, and I'm exhausted! We're almost done fixing the old, bad karma house and we have hardly touched our new place, save the floors and new paint on mostly every wall in mostly every room. I can't wait to fix up the new place exactly how we want it - thank heavens for thrift shops and craigslist. If only Steve could find his cameras at those kinds of places...humph.

Jane likes to perch on the top step of the ladder that is permanently set up in the kitchen. She loves it up there...she also likes to jump into the litter box when new litter is raining down from a very heavy box, and swat at the litter flow. "Look! I can send pieces of litter all over this room! And you can't get angry with me because I am Jane the kitten!"

Oh - I think I am that crazy cat woman. Library degree, cat details. Gross!

So we have a clothesline in our backyard and I love it - I am happy to save the energy. I took the Ecological Footprint Quiz and my results were disgusting! Disgusting! I am ashamed. I have this beautiful bike that I never ride, and about one million other nasty habits I need to fix.

There are many lists in my head. How do I organize these lists?

Maybe this is a good solution: I already have a few Google spreadsheets going, but now I heart Google docs - the new Microsoft Office rival. Totally free!

My younger sister sent me this text message after the earthquakes in Hawaii happened:

Huge earthquake here- dorms not e.q. safe so scared no power i love you + will call late

That made me feel every bit of 6,500 miles away from Honolulu. It was the worst. Everything, for the most part, is better. But still - choke choke!

I almost forgot: I won $25 on a $1 scratch lotto ticket today! Woot!

...the bungalow mystery

• I bought two old hardcover Nancy Drew books from one of my recent thrifting adventures - I started reading The Bungalow Mystery (#3) out loud to the pets. We really like it so far; I must have read it before - I can't remember how the story goes. The word bungalow gives me a nice feeling in my underpants. And, it reminds of me of my old neighborhood: bungalows aplenty.
  
• Also, I bought a 100% cherry wood (read: no veneer, no particle board; dovetailed drawers = mmmmmwhaaa kissy kissy) desk from a thrift shop for $35.00. It turns out, it's made by this company. I love me a good thrift score. It needs to be refinished...but that's a piece-o-cake when you're living with a mad-skilled, visional genius.
  
• Actually, I've been thrifting like a mad woman lately. As in, daily. I have been taking some before and after pictures to share - lots of projects are going on - so you'll just have to wait with baited breath; they'll be coming soon.
  
• And, for the first time in my life, I went to an architectural salvage yard. It was a tremendous first for me. In fact, I had to drive by it the next day because I was that obsessed with looking at it - after hours no less. Help!
  
• We might get Steve's truck back tomorrow.
  
• Jane is getting huge. Too fast. We're totally in love. She loves people and D. Sergei. They roll around together like bunnies.

ugh

We were almost completely moved out of our old house - the house where Steve's truck was stolen. We just had to make one last run to pick up his tools and some miscellaneous things...we were waiting for the weekend.

But now we don't have to worry about moving things this weekend.

The house was burglarized two nights ago and all of his tool$ were stolen.

And the little stereo in the kitchen.

And two jars of change we used to dump our change into - for a camping trip this winter.

My heart is sick over how much hate I am feeling. And it could have been worse - undoubtedly. We could still be living there - and we don't.

Ugh.