As I may have mentioned here before, I'm trying to learn Spanish. For more than 6 months now, I've been working my way through a set of lessons on cd (there are accompanying workbooks, as well). Considering that my main study time is while driving the 4 miles to work and back each day, and how few people I have to practice with, I think I'm coming along fairly well. I recently graduated to the "Intermediate" part of the course, and I look for ways to practice all the time.
The bookstore where I work is having a big clearance sale right now, and while going through the boxes of deeply discounted titles I found a little gem called Street Spanish. It contains the curse words, slang, and vulgarities you won't find in textbooks. Of course, I had to have it. And I've had so much fun with it so far!
For example, yesterday in response to a question about how my day was going, I was able to tell my Venezuelan friend (from another store in the mall) that I was "having a sh*t day" in his native tongue! (I was, too.) He thought that was pretty funny, and I enjoyed watching the look on his face when I said it! Hehehe. So anyway....
Last night after work, I opened up my copy of Street Spanish to a random spot and looked down. This is the sentence my eyes landed on:
Que asco! Creo que huelo un mal aire!
*translation: Yuck! I think I smelled a fart!
I laughed so hard my husband appeared from the other room to see if I'd lost my mind. When I told him what was funny I laughed even harder. Then I imagined the look on my Mexican co-worker Maria's face if I went to work and just said that to her one day, out of the blue. I ended up with tears streaming down my face. Yeah, I crack myself up sometimes.
My husband just shook his head. What fun it must be to be married to a 39 year old woman who sometimes has the sense of humor of a 10 year old boy!
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
That Dog!
The other day, while in the process of cleaning the dogs' bedding, I found this buried under their covers.
It can only be the work of George. That dog!!
It can only be the work of George. That dog!!
Sunday, September 7, 2014
September Staycation
Today is a good day for me, because it's the first of nine I'm taking off work. I've been saving up my paid time off all year, so now I'm using it before October arrives and the holiday season "no vacation time" ban is put into place. I'm extra excited because my husband is taking the week off too!
It was a very busy summer for both of us. I had to help plan and pull off lots of events at the bookstore, which meant extra hours, more work, and more stress. My husband's aquarium design/maintenance business has done well this year with the addition of some new and bigger accounts, but he's lost some of his free time. He works super hard, and rarely allows himself to take a break, and so it will be especially good for him.
We may take a couple of day trips in the upcoming week, and if so I'll take pictures and share them here on the blog. We'll definitely spend lots of time with Ginger, George, and Marco. And I have about a dozen half-finished craft projects I'd like to work on, and recipes I want to try, etc. It's going to be a nice break from the daily grind.
It was a very busy summer for both of us. I had to help plan and pull off lots of events at the bookstore, which meant extra hours, more work, and more stress. My husband's aquarium design/maintenance business has done well this year with the addition of some new and bigger accounts, but he's lost some of his free time. He works super hard, and rarely allows himself to take a break, and so it will be especially good for him.
We may take a couple of day trips in the upcoming week, and if so I'll take pictures and share them here on the blog. We'll definitely spend lots of time with Ginger, George, and Marco. And I have about a dozen half-finished craft projects I'd like to work on, and recipes I want to try, etc. It's going to be a nice break from the daily grind.
 |
| Party lights to celebrate! |
Friday, August 29, 2014
Feeling Lucky Today
It's a lovely, golden, late summer afternoon here.
The dogs are playing in the backyard.
There is a pitcher of homemade peach sangria in the fridge. (Peaches are still wonderful right now.)
A chicken is roasting in the oven, surrounded by small ,new, redskin potatoes and tender, tiny cloves of garlic.
Marco is preening in the beams of sunshine coming in the west facing windows. He's one of the few contented parrots I've ever known.
After one more week of work, my sweetheart and I will have a full week off together.
I'm feeling lucky!
The dogs are playing in the backyard.
There is a pitcher of homemade peach sangria in the fridge. (Peaches are still wonderful right now.)
A chicken is roasting in the oven, surrounded by small ,new, redskin potatoes and tender, tiny cloves of garlic.
Marco is preening in the beams of sunshine coming in the west facing windows. He's one of the few contented parrots I've ever known.
After one more week of work, my sweetheart and I will have a full week off together.
I'm feeling lucky!
Friday, August 22, 2014
The Dog Days of Summer
"the Sea boiled, the Wine turned sour, Dogs grew mad, and all other creatures became languid; causing to man, among other diseases, burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies." Brady’s Clavis Calendaria, 1813.[1]
Summer 2014 is finally winding down, and I have to say that it's been a most unpleasant one, both for me personally and the world at large. This last half has been particularly bad. The news is full of violence, death, riots, war, and despair. It's hot here in South Carolina, hot enough to make tempers flair and electricity bills soar. Yesterday reached 102F, with high humidity, and today promises to be another scorcher. All you can do is stay inside as much as possible and wait out the heat wave.
Bad luck and trouble seem to be hovering over my house this month. For instance, a neighborhood cat apparently wandered into our backyard the other day, and our dogs killed it. I felt terrible about it, but since our dogs are inside a fence (and it happened when we weren't home) there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. Our kitchen was infested (briefly) with tiny black ants, prompting a call to the pest control people. My husband is terribly allergic to ant bites so we had to deal with that problem immediately. Next up? George (el destructo dog) chewed holes in the walls of our garage and laundry room, and we have to find someone to fix them at our own expense, since we don't want our landlord to know that our dog is systematically destroying every part of the house he has access to. This is why, with the exception of the garage and laundry room, he's an "outside" dog right now. My job is as thankless as ever, and the coworkers I dislike the most have really been outdoing themselves with rude behavior recently. The job search continues, but although I've applied for several positions nothing has come of it (yet).
So I'll be happy to see this summer wind down. The only thing I'll miss will be the wonderful summer produce we've been enjoying. I've managed to lose 25 pounds since March, mostly by buying and preparing lots of fresh fruits and vegetables at the market. I had hoped to do some canning/freezing/preserving this summer, but time to do it has been scarce. I did make a few jars of hot cayenne pepper vinegar with garlic......
...and I bought a giant basket of peaches yesterday which I plan to freeze for later use. They smell wonderful.....
.....and next week, on my next day off, I plan to buy a box of mixed heirloom tomatoes to make sauce with, which I will either can or freeze. These tomatoes are so delicious, and they won't be around much longer.
The food has been the best part of this summer so far.
Now I'm ready to see the dog days wind down and the arrival of autumn.
Summer 2014 is finally winding down, and I have to say that it's been a most unpleasant one, both for me personally and the world at large. This last half has been particularly bad. The news is full of violence, death, riots, war, and despair. It's hot here in South Carolina, hot enough to make tempers flair and electricity bills soar. Yesterday reached 102F, with high humidity, and today promises to be another scorcher. All you can do is stay inside as much as possible and wait out the heat wave.
Bad luck and trouble seem to be hovering over my house this month. For instance, a neighborhood cat apparently wandered into our backyard the other day, and our dogs killed it. I felt terrible about it, but since our dogs are inside a fence (and it happened when we weren't home) there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. Our kitchen was infested (briefly) with tiny black ants, prompting a call to the pest control people. My husband is terribly allergic to ant bites so we had to deal with that problem immediately. Next up? George (el destructo dog) chewed holes in the walls of our garage and laundry room, and we have to find someone to fix them at our own expense, since we don't want our landlord to know that our dog is systematically destroying every part of the house he has access to. This is why, with the exception of the garage and laundry room, he's an "outside" dog right now. My job is as thankless as ever, and the coworkers I dislike the most have really been outdoing themselves with rude behavior recently. The job search continues, but although I've applied for several positions nothing has come of it (yet).
So I'll be happy to see this summer wind down. The only thing I'll miss will be the wonderful summer produce we've been enjoying. I've managed to lose 25 pounds since March, mostly by buying and preparing lots of fresh fruits and vegetables at the market. I had hoped to do some canning/freezing/preserving this summer, but time to do it has been scarce. I did make a few jars of hot cayenne pepper vinegar with garlic......
...and I bought a giant basket of peaches yesterday which I plan to freeze for later use. They smell wonderful.....
.....and next week, on my next day off, I plan to buy a box of mixed heirloom tomatoes to make sauce with, which I will either can or freeze. These tomatoes are so delicious, and they won't be around much longer.
The food has been the best part of this summer so far.
Now I'm ready to see the dog days wind down and the arrival of autumn.
Friday, August 15, 2014
When the world is too much with you.....
This is from Connie Sun, and it's just too good not to share.
I often seek refuge from the news (or my disgust with my fellow humans) by going outside and playing with my dogs. Somehow the world always seems a little better afterwards.
http://www.conniewonnie.com/2014/08/antidepressant-puppy.html
If you're not familiar with this blog, I recommend that you take some time to browse while you're there. The gentle humor and the drawings of animals are comforting on stressful days.
I often seek refuge from the news (or my disgust with my fellow humans) by going outside and playing with my dogs. Somehow the world always seems a little better afterwards.
http://www.conniewonnie.com/2014/08/antidepressant-puppy.html
If you're not familiar with this blog, I recommend that you take some time to browse while you're there. The gentle humor and the drawings of animals are comforting on stressful days.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Hard week, heavy heart
It's been rough week.
The suicide of Robin Williams makes me so sad. He was a brilliant comic that brought joy and laughter to so many people, but underneath the extroverted, wildly funny exterior he struggled with many demons. Depression, bipolar disorder, and addiction eventually led him to the desperate act of suicide. It breaks my heart to think of anyone in that much pain. And to the people who say it's a "selfish" act, I say nonsense. Mental illness and addiction can be a private living hell. Until you've experienced that kind of suffering, you don't have the right to sit in judgment.
You just never know what kind of burden someone else has to bear underneath a smiling exterior. If anything, we should all strive to be a little kinder to each other. You never know how much something as simple as a smile or taking the time to really listen to someone might mean. It could even save a life.
Then there are the situations in the news. The Gaza strip. The riots in Missouri. Why can't people treat each other with humanity and understanding? Why can't humans live in peace?
Heavy thoughts for a Thursday morning to match my heavy heart.
The suicide of Robin Williams makes me so sad. He was a brilliant comic that brought joy and laughter to so many people, but underneath the extroverted, wildly funny exterior he struggled with many demons. Depression, bipolar disorder, and addiction eventually led him to the desperate act of suicide. It breaks my heart to think of anyone in that much pain. And to the people who say it's a "selfish" act, I say nonsense. Mental illness and addiction can be a private living hell. Until you've experienced that kind of suffering, you don't have the right to sit in judgment.
You just never know what kind of burden someone else has to bear underneath a smiling exterior. If anything, we should all strive to be a little kinder to each other. You never know how much something as simple as a smile or taking the time to really listen to someone might mean. It could even save a life.
Then there are the situations in the news. The Gaza strip. The riots in Missouri. Why can't people treat each other with humanity and understanding? Why can't humans live in peace?
Heavy thoughts for a Thursday morning to match my heavy heart.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Absolutely Red
I have a new car! And it's really, really red....
Two weeks ago I traded in my old car (a Toyota Corolla) for this. I love it! I didn't expect to buy a fire engine red car, but the salesman talked me into it. It was the only Scion he had on the lot, and someone had ordered some special features on it and then never followed through on buying it. He offered us the extras for free (fog lights, spoiler, clear coat paint protector thingamajigs, a better stereo) if we bought that particular one. For the first few days I felt terribly conspicuous driving such a red car, but then I got used to it, and now I kind of like it. The red seems cheerful and fun to me now!
The car we traded in was only two years old, and had just passed the 12,000 mile mark. Corollas get great gas mileage, and are very reliable, but the car was never very comfortable to sit in for long periods of time. It certainly wasn't made for things like road trips or going camping. We bought it when my husband was just finishing up chemotherapy, and at the time we weren't sure that things like camping trips would ever be possible again. We bought a car that made sense at the time, but now that life is back to normal, our needs have changed. Now a bit more space and cargo room is important to us. Especially since we've added a fourth member to our family this year!
The Scion will be perfect for hauling our two big dogs around in. The inside of it is surprisingly roomy, with ample space for legs and plenty of overhead clearance, even for tall people in the back seat. The small cargo area and the back seats will lay down flat when we want to take the dogs somewhere, and we've bought a canvas tarp to put down to save the seats from damage. The hatch and doors open close to the ground, just right for the mutts to climb in and out easily. Even with two dogs traveling with us, there will still be enough room for luggage and/or gear. The car isn't really all that big; it just seems like it because it's designed well. The gas mileage should be fairly good, and it has great reliability ratings. It's been much more comfortable to sit in than the old car (my back didn't like those seats at all) and I've had fun driving it. Best of all, now we can plan a family vacation!
 |
| Toyota Scion XB |
 |
| The official color is "Absolutely Red" |
The car we traded in was only two years old, and had just passed the 12,000 mile mark. Corollas get great gas mileage, and are very reliable, but the car was never very comfortable to sit in for long periods of time. It certainly wasn't made for things like road trips or going camping. We bought it when my husband was just finishing up chemotherapy, and at the time we weren't sure that things like camping trips would ever be possible again. We bought a car that made sense at the time, but now that life is back to normal, our needs have changed. Now a bit more space and cargo room is important to us. Especially since we've added a fourth member to our family this year!
 |
| George |
The Scion will be perfect for hauling our two big dogs around in. The inside of it is surprisingly roomy, with ample space for legs and plenty of overhead clearance, even for tall people in the back seat. The small cargo area and the back seats will lay down flat when we want to take the dogs somewhere, and we've bought a canvas tarp to put down to save the seats from damage. The hatch and doors open close to the ground, just right for the mutts to climb in and out easily. Even with two dogs traveling with us, there will still be enough room for luggage and/or gear. The car isn't really all that big; it just seems like it because it's designed well. The gas mileage should be fairly good, and it has great reliability ratings. It's been much more comfortable to sit in than the old car (my back didn't like those seats at all) and I've had fun driving it. Best of all, now we can plan a family vacation!
 |
| The ones we really bought the car for. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)