Free Toast Mirror

How could I forget the toast mirror?

When I moved in, I commented that the mirror over the fireplace was shaped like a piece of toast. Now my housemate wants to be rid of the toast mirror, so I had the singular joy or posting on freecycle "Offered: large toast mirror"

So far, 4 people have asked for it. It has only been 3 hours.

My Friend Carl

I have named my car 'Carl'. Because ...*drumroll*... it's a car! We've had a good couple of weeks - his brake checkup went well, the sunroof opens (and I've learned NOT to open it right after it has rained....), and we've driven uneventfully over hill and dale. Also, no one has harmed him in any way.

At night, out my window, sometimes I see urban foxes!

The two pea plants I saved from my destroyed garden in the woods have borne fruit (vegetables...actually) and I ate the results! Good and crunchy!

Mi casa es mi casa

I have a new flat! Moving in a couple weeks. Its so close to my lab, I can walk easily! Has its own yard, parking space, spare room, and a creepy closet! Has very large living area with bay windows. And of course - I can live there with the dog! It is right by a huge park! What could be better? Only time will tell........

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Ah Saturday, a day to help masters' students, a day to buy wire brushes, a day for housemates to return, a day to watch surreal films.

Yes, my long lost housemate has returned from her fieldwork in the south, plagued by flooding on the roadways, she finally arrived in remarkably good spirits with her two canine companions. We viewed "The Science of Sleep" - which was so very strange. Should have opted for Hot Fuzz? maybe...maybe....

They let me take the dog in the video store! Score one for the home team!

The wire brush is to remove rust from my car. I anticipate the process greatly. Like destroying vegetation, peeling paint, biting fingernails, etc. Ahhhhhhhhh........

Speed limit enforced by aircraft

Yesterday I purchased a car. At last! An aging, yet low milage, Nissan Almera. Its sorta between a hatchback and and estate car, it has more space than most 5-door hatches but is still in a low insurance group (yes!). It has an electric sunroof and is red, so now I am cool, as long as I wear my sunglasses. My new housemate tells me it needs a male name. Her car is Dora, the orange Peugeot 106.

Amazingly, my housemates from Missouri were in the UK and we all went for a delicious, if somewhat bizarre, Japanese dinner. Very fun to see them again and hear how everything back in MO is. They got a new housemate for my old room, and the neighbors who bought my old car still enjoy it - and it is 18 years old!

Muffin. Absolutely muffin.

Hi! So...I just returned from my fantastic vacation back in the states! Not that anyone is reading this... HA HA HA! I could just drivel on and on about how horrid the muffin is that the airline gives you for breakfast, and no one would know the difference! Then I could mention that I have finally broken down and eaten said muffin. But...

Back to the vacation...
at home, it was great to do things like split firewood and shoot guns again. And be surrounded by trees and not worry about walking in broken glass when barefoot. Visiting family and friends was so wonderful, so wonderful! At the beach, surfing for the first time was super fun, except when I got boarded in the throat. Sand sculpturing was fun for all, except for cold-weather mulder and scully, who, in addition to having to wear winter outerwear the entire time, were eaten or trampled by almost everything I made.

"DON'T POKE IT IN THE EYE, MULDER!"

Then I used their heads to capture a ghost crab. Which brings me to the crabs! I held ghost, fiddler, and blue crabs. The fiddlers were in our yard, the ghosts on the beach, and the blues in the harbor. You can go out at night and catch them! But hold onto your sandals...

If you fall off the surfboard, can you say you were ghostriding it?

4th of July bloodbath

So, on the fourth of July our meat chickens were slaughtered for us by an Amish family. Mom didn't want to do 19 chickens on her own. The Amish do not celebrate the 4th of July. They are friendly and ask us about our lives. The kids speak Amish Dutch - they are all young and have not yet learned English. We are 'The English.' The kids mostly go barefoot. So do I.

Meanwhile, my Dad's brothers and associated family members came for a party. We talked, ate, had a fire, the brothers played music, and we all shot pellet guns at cans. The usual good times. Someone brought a high-powered air rifle, which we used to shoot 4 eggs. The resulting explosions were fantastic! Not to worry, we have plenty of eggs. The other day Dad took 8 dozen to work to sell, and we had 4 more dozen in the fridge the next day. Egg production is out of control! The hens are really enjoying their new improved huge pen. Anyway, the party was a huge success, and no one threw up.

The Terminal

At last I have arrived home in Ohio. The flooding in the UK caused some train delays getting to the airport, but probably the most memorable part of the trip was the 12-hour delay of my flight out of the UK. Yes, 12 hours. There was an engine fault which had to be fixed and then tested. While we all waited in the airport, they gave us lots of free food vouchers. I slept, wandered the duty free store, ate, and drew to while away the time. Then we got in to Chicago in the wee hours and were sent to a swank hotel for the grand total of 2.5 hours until it was time for the connecting flight...the soda vending machine didn't work, even after I kicked it, so I used the one downstairs to get a coke for $2.75. But all that is behind me now as I enjoy the heat and sunshine, the family, and all the animals.