No reason. Just because.

We didn't host or cook much for Thanksgiving this year, so we knew we'd need to do something to ensure we had on hand that very important part of the festivities: leftovers. 

Today ended up being the first available day for cooking a chicken and some side dishes, and we decided what the heck, let's use the china and glasses we got as wedding gifts. And while we're at it, let's get a little dressed up.  And drink some fancy beer.  Why not?

What are we celebrating? Just the fact that our life together is pretty damn good.

Cozy Day

Moxie has the right idea.  I walked into the living room this morning and found her just like this, all ensconced in her cushion and blanket cave.

It did indeed snow this weekend, so it's a good thing I saved those raspberries. We also lost power in the middle of the night. I'm told there were flashes of light and popping sounds when a few misfit branches, weighted down with snow, fell on the power lines outside our window. I was sound asleep and blissfully unaware.

We were all geared up for an adventure day (complete with coffee made over a camp stove!), but the fridge whirred back to life at about 10:30. 

That's ok.  An adventure day with a football game is fun too.  And the furnace is working again, so Moxie can go back to her regular perch on the back of the couch, blanket-free.

we're ready for shoveling season now

How awesome is The Awesome Husband? He patched and sealed the driveway -- and did a fantastic job -- kind of awesome.

I don't have pictures of the finished product because it's raining and, honestly, it just looks like a new driveway. Pictures of a looks-like-new driveway aren't exciting. *Having* a looks-like-new driveway is exciting, but the pictures would be boring.

Shots of the patching materials, though, now that's a whole other story. More fun than a barrel of monkeys, amiright?

(I'd just like to point out that the blindingly yellow shed in that middle photos isn't ours. The one with the metal eagle on the door? Yep. Ours. But not ol' lemony fresh over there.)

he's such a good sport

It's been ages since I've posted anything about knitting, eh? For much of the summer, I was working on a sweater for The Awesome Husband as an anniversary gift. I wanted it to be a surprise so I didn't blog about it, obviously, and I didn't work on it when he was in the house. I learned something this summer: he and I don't spend a whole lot of time apart from each other when I'm not working. Certainly not enough time to knit a sweater in less than two months, anyway. So it wasn't ready on time, and -- Awesome Husband that he is -- he didn't make me feel bad about it.

He was also awesome enough to let me take a few pictures now that it's finally complete and wearable.

For those of you who still check in hoping for some knitting chatter, I used a pattern called Joukahainen. The ravelry page is here. You don't need to be a ravelry member to see the pattern here.

... But you do need to know Finnish.

anniversary mini-vacation: castine

The Awesome Husband and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary the other day (as I'm sure you could tell). I had vague plans to write up a post about marriage and teamwork and challenges and successes, but nope, you're getting a travel post. We went to Castine, Maine, an adorable seaside town, for a 24-hour mini-vacation.

We stayed at the Manor Inn, which was lovely and which we would absolutely recommend.

Breakfast at the Manor Inn was particularly delightful. Pecan waffles with fresh berries. Too delicious to be photographed.

We got spiffed up and went out for dinner:

Yes, there was food. No, we did not have only beer for dinner.

And we wandered around, admiring pretty buildings and historic sites:

So fun, so relaxing, so well-timed. Three cheers for Castine!

365

Awesome Husband of Mine, I still promise to treat you with the respect I would wish for myself,

to comfort and support you always,

to work together toward our shared and individual aspirations,

and to apologize with sincerity when I stumble in these efforts.

I'm so lucky to have you as my friend, my love, and my husband,

beside me and apart from me,

in laughter and in tears,

in conflict and tranquility,

to honor and cherish,

for our similarities and our differences,

as long as we both shall live.


Happy anniversary, my dear. Here's to many, many more.

Blustery

We were fortunate to deal with only the last vestiges of Irene on her way across the eastern seaboard. The worst of the damage at our house was a lot of leaves strewn across the street.

We didn't lose power or anything, but it was dreary and soggy, so we turned it into a (much needed) stay-in-your-pajamas, TV-marathon kind of day. We all left the house for Mr. Cecil's morning walk, but that was about it. In the evening, The Awesome Husband was kind enough to wrangle the puppy (yes, he's three. I'll be calling him a puppy when he's 13, too...) by himself while I foraged in the cabinets for some dinner ideas.

About 15 minutes after they left, my phone made a little noise, and I found an email from The Awesome Husband. It contained this picture of Cecil, ears inverted, with the caption "You guys, it's really windy!"

Happy Birthday from 60 Minutes

I had a really great weekend, you guys.  I'd been kicking around a culinary blog post at the back of my mind since Saturday afternoon, when The Awesome Husband put the finishing touches on the carrot cake he baked for my birthday and slathered with cream-cheese-sour-cream frosting (yes, it was as delicious as it sounds), but a) I didn't really take any pictures of the deliciousness, and b) by the time Sunday night rolled around, I was overwhelmed with how fortunate I am in lots of ways, not just with the tasty vittles.

To back up and be entirely trivial for a second, though, the carrot cake was only the tip of the culinary iceberg, my friends.  There were fancy sandwiches (pesto/tomato/mozzarella; roast beef/caramelized onion/cheddar) and vichyssoise (potato leek soup).  There was good coffee and bagels with cream cheese.  There was even a second birthday cake, people!  Chocolate with chocolate ganache frosting and white chocolate mousse filling, because my mother is a cake-baking overachiever.

Lots of people (like, a crazy amount) wished me well, and several were way too generous with the gift-giving (after they'd been instructed that gifts weren't necessary, natch).  It was a little overwhelming, and a good exercise in "graciously accepting the generosity of others."  (Am I the only one who feels uncomfortable without the opportunity to give something to the gift-giver as well in situations like that?)

So yeah, by Sunday evening I was filled with joy and gratitude.  And then we watched 60 Minutes, because I'm a big nerd and of course I think it's a great way to cap off one's birthday.  (In fact, I was a little bummed that the earlier celebrations of the day conflicted with Meet the Press.  Nerdy nerd nerd!)

Now, did anyone else watch 60 Minutes last night?  They ran a story on this gospel choir for teenagers in New York, and these kids, my gawd!  They're so talented and they have so much to deal with.  Like, friends being shot and parents they've never met and parents they live with who don't show up to watch them sing kind of stuff to deal with.  I almost started crying right there in my living room, thinking about how lucky I am to not have any IDEA what that's like.  I wouldn't re-live my teenage years if you paid me (standard shy wallflower stuff) but there was never one day, ever, when I felt unsafe or questioned whether my parents were proud of me.  I can't even fathom how my life would be different now if that hadn't been the case.  Would I have had the resources I needed to succeed academically, and professionally?  Would I have had the self esteem to be patient and wait longer than I'd envisioned to meet and marry the absolute best-fit-for-me, bakes-me-cakes-from-scratch, hugs-me-when-I'm-overwhelmed person in the whole wide world?  Thank goodness I'll never have to know.

I am so lucky, I can't even stand it.

Weekend, hurrah!

This weekend, I'll be doing the following:

- weaving in a thousand and one ends of yarn on that stripey sweater (it's nearly done! must find buttons, too!)

- napping

- trying to figure out how to put a stop to Mr. Cecil's new habit of whining from his crate constantly during the hours of 10:00pm through 4:00am. (The napping makes sense now, right?)

- starting cucumber seeds in little peat pots

- more napping

- eating Girl Scout cookies

- admiring the out-of-the-blue flowers Mr. Wonderful surprised me with the other day:




Happy weekend to everybody!

My Cup Runneth Over

It's a good day today for so many reasons.

It's Friday!  Thank you, sweet baby Jesus.

The Awesome Husband and I have been married for six months today.  We went out for dinner yesterday (not for that reason, just as a spur of the moment idea, which might be even better) and had a great conversation about our wedding, going on dates still, and how lucky we are in general. 

My lunch today is leftovers from yesterday's dinner.  Pizza with roasted chicken, two types of mushrooms, potatoes, leeks, and fontina cheese.  I'm already salivating, and it's only 9:30.

It's National Grammar Day!

There's a pair of boots that I bought online for a song on their way to me as we speak.

I can't be the only one in an (uncharacteristically, of late) good mood.  What's going well for you today? 

Regarding the Cat Formerly Known as Patience

Cecil: *whine*  *whine whine whine*

Me: Hmm.  Does he have to go out?

The Awesome Husband: Maybe, but he'll have to be patient.

Me (speaking for Cecil): I'm a do-og.  I don't have opposable thumbs... or patience.  Don't be stupid!

Me (speaking for myself):  You know, that was Moxie's name before I adopted her.

The Awesome Husband:  *pause*  ... Why would anyone name a cat Stupid?!

Annnnd *scene*.

Jackpot

... I've hit it.

Not only because Senor Stupendous was a total trooper and danced a lot with me at the wedding we went to over the weekend.*

Not only because he let me nap in the car on our way home, as I was the more tired of the two of us (but not by much).

... but also, to a large extent, because when I got home from work on Friday, he was serving up the pork chops stuffed with pesto and feta, in a balsamic and herb glaze, that he'd cooked. Annnnd, he let me take the leftovers for lunch today.

Seriously. Jackpot.


*We went to an awesome wedding on Saturday. I doubt the happy couple is checking blogs today, but if so: hi guys! Heart you!

Google Reader Update!

Ok, first things first: if you don't have a Google Reader account, you should get one. Each time you sign in, it shows you the most recent posts from the blogs you read. The result is akin to an online magazine tailored to your interests and preferences. Pretty cool, huh?

Now, clearly, those of you reading have had craftosaurus updates arriving in your respective Reader accounts for some time now. Right? (If not, you can go fix that now. I'll wait.) Even those of you who are already faithful Reader readers might want to click that "add new subscription" button, though:

*insert drumroll here*

The Awesome Fiance has started a blog. He's sort of eclectic with his interests like I am ("well, it's a knitting blog, with a side of gardening and... OOH, some thing shiny!") but odds are good that he'll be discussing bicycle commuting, job searching (for now), and fly-fishing.

Please give him a warm welcome over at Some Bread and Circuses. Mmm, carbs... And, uh, clowns...*


*kidding! there aren't really clowns (shudder). "bread and circuses" is actually a really cool, complex phrase.

small victory

The Awesome Fiance and I had a limited amount of time for a recent running workout, so I figured that I, at least, would use the opportunity to work on my speed.  The Awesome Fiance is a naturally faster runner than I am, but he's gracious enough to slow down to my pace.  Speed work for me is entirely comfortable for him.  And I usually focus on speed when I'm running by myself, whereas when we run together, we go slowly and add distance.

Anyway, so the victory: I can now say that I've run a 9:40 mile without the assistance of a treadmill (the conveyor belt and the constant pacing feedback are both helpful).  It certainly helped that he (unintentionally) gave me an inaccurate answer when I asked for a time check near the end, though. Whatever, I'll take it.  And the two miles in twenty minutes and a few seconds, I'll take those too.   

The Tables Have Turned

Remember when I worked for people who didn't give me the tools I needed to succeed, and then I lost my job and it was a big relief in a lot of ways, but it was also pretty darn scary, and we lived on Mr. Terrific's income, and he was wonderful and supportive and (not at all surprisingly) awesome about the whole thing?

Yeah.

I've got my work cut out for me if I'm going to be half as wonderful and supportive as he was. 

We'll never be PBS reality tv stars...

The Awesome Fiance and I have a lot of similar interests and values (e.g., conservation and sustainability, politics, food that's delicious and nutritious, most music). I think it's a good thing that there are also several areas where our interests diverge (me: knitting, cute clothes, dance music. him: fishing, martial arts, guitar rock).

I realized how dissimilar our views in another area are, too: our dependence on modern conveniences. Mind you, I'm not the type to need my hair dryer with me at all times, but running water is definitely something I like. I'll go camping, but I prefer it to be in small doses.

So we were watching Frontier House, borrowed from the library (yes, we're huge nerds, but you knew that already, right?) , and we were talking about what would motivate a family to participate in this type of project. I know myself well enough to know that five months of frontier living would not go well for me (and that's an understatement). I asked The Awesome Fiance if he would ever consider something similar. His eyes lit up, and we had this exchange:

Him: I'd love it!

Me: Really? With no electricity or plumbing?

Him: Oh, sure. It's like camping.

Me: But the food rationing would be tough, wouldn't it?

Him: Nah. I'd be so busy with chopping wood and stuff to think about being hungry.

*pause*

Him: But you know what I'd hate?

Me: What's that?

Him: All the cameras. That would ruin it.


... so I guess I don't have to worry about him wanting to sign us up for anything like this in the future. Works for me!

a really stellar day

Got up this morning and had cereal with fresh strawberries for breakfast, with french vanilla coffee.

Ran a 5k with Mr. Terrific. Well, we started together -- about a quarter mile in I started listening to music and he ran ahead. Just how terrific is he? He stopped to help an elderly gentleman who'd been overcome by the exertion of the race and today's humidity, rather than power through the last stretch before the finish line to have the fastest possible time. That's how terrific. I was several minutes behind him and ended up clocking in about two minutes faster than the race we ran on Mother's Day. I was pretty unprepared for that one though, so "two minutes faster" is still pretty slow.

Had the best sandwich ever for lunch. Avocado, lettuce, and tomato on wheat. It haunts me still. A bottle of Coal Porter along with it rounded out a possibly perfect lunch. (Not bad for a beer I initially tried years ago almost exclusively because of the name. Thankfully it's not only punny, but also delicious.)

Spent the afternoon with Mr. Terrific's dad to celebrate Father's Day, and we'll be having dinner with my dad.

Thunderstorms are supposed to roll in this evening.

The pea plants finally have flowers on them.

I like today.

Our Stamps

The Awesome Fiance and I are dividing and conquering this wedding planning stuff (thank goodness). I dealt with the printing folks to order our invitations; he called hotels to ask about reserving blocks of rooms. That sort of stuff.

We'd decided that yesterday, I would pick up an ink pad from the craft store near my office, and he would pick up stamps for our RSVP return envelopes because he works near a post office. At the end of the day, we'd convene and start assembling and addressing invitations, all to be adorned with the stamp we had made (hence the ink pad) that arrived a few weeks ago and that we're still disproportionately excited about.

Ok. Back to the topic. My wonderful, helpful, adorable fiance bought stamps and brought them home. It was one of the most amusing moments of wedding planning we've had so far (though I'm not sure if anything will top this). I looked at the three sheets of stamps in his hand and inquired if there were no other choices, and he said he didn't state a preference when asked. I've never advocated having us invest in personalized wedding postage, but I'd sort of assumed we'd go with, you know, flowers or something. But these will get the envelopes where they need to go just fine.

At least they support a cause we both agree with: adopt pets that need homes, folks!



This concludes our unintentional wedding-related public service announcement.

Happiness is...

... spontaneously deciding to hold on tightly to the arm of one's unsuspecting fiance and thusly prevent him from leaving the couch as he'd planned; persisting with said endeavor until he opts to try in earnest to stand up and succeeds only in causing you both to topple over like dominos; giving up said arm only when continuing to hold on becomes impossible because one's stomach hurts too much from laughing.

Swoon.

The Awesome Fiance earns his superlative moniker(s) every day. This weekend in particular, though, he went all out: he installed a bathroom exhaust fan to replace the anemic and useless one that came with the house. I don't have a picture -- let's face it, it's a white grate on a white ceiling: nothing much to look at -- but take my word for it when I sat it's a vast improvement. His dad helped, mostly for moral support and to run down to the circuit breaker box in the basement, but The Awesome Fiance did all the important work.

In the next few weeks, weather permitting, we'll be tackling the set-up of a rain barrel (water for the garden! doing our part to reduce run-off pollution!), which involves as a prerequisite the installation of gutters on the house. I'll help (instead of reading and knitting like I did during the fan installation...) but I suspect the lion's share of the effort will be his. Because he's awesome.