Free time

Taking advantage of my first short work day. Dropped off a bill at the City building, got home around 3:30, went to the bathroom (because the office toilet is out of service), did dishes, shoveled some of the snow that keeps piling on while Aldy played in the edible landscape, did a load of laundry, cleaned/organized our "art" room, talked to my mom, and just started a homemade pizza dinner...

Effing amazing.

Work less, not work-less

So, to make a long explanation, well, nonexistent, I'll say that my company has been forced to cut hours across the board, at least temporarily. Fortunately for me my employers opted for less hours than less pay per hour--the latter choice would have sent me into blind rage.

To be honest, this could work out very well for me. I'm only missing one day a week and able to keep my benefits, which I might not even need after the baby is born. I get a day off which will be devoted to my personal life which, you know by now, is much more valuable to me than the wage I make. It is supposed to be a temporary situation, but I have already posited that the new schedule could be beneficial to me as a permanent solution in that it could mitigate the cost of daycare once our baby is born. Instead of working to pay for daycare, I'd be daycare for at least a day... Not sure if my boss will buy into it once finances start picking back up, but I think I'll be sticking by that option.

Anyway, I'm not stressed, just a little weirded out, if not partially relieved that something really bad was avoided...

Ready for the weekend!

...Since Monday morning I have been. That's not a great way to live life, eh? It's not that bad. I just love my home life and can enjoy it more when I get closer to 72 consecutive hours of it...

Getting excited about our baby girl. She's been moving like crazy. My cousin Emily had her baby girl this morning (or last night?), and about a month early I think. Craziness. Last night C and I started into an art project for the baby's room. I always get stressed when making art. It's my M.O. Not fun for anyone else. That's why I couldn't be an artist for a living. I'd kill somebody. But when I do create something I like, I'm on top of the world.

Life is pretty great, though, right now. Been skateboarding a little bit; doing small projects around the house: art; organizing; purging unneeded stuff...

Bought a new bag, which will be my diaper bag of choice and will replace 2 backpacks I should get rid of... Timbuk2. Hope it's all I expect it to be... Also bought some skate shoes from the local shop for $25. Too damn small. That's the second time I've done that. I might look at it as a donation to support a small local buisness... I do stupid stuff sometimes...

Had a great lunch meeting with an associate today. Gyro with chips and a... beverage... one that counter-acted the coffee that made me so jittery until then. That's a great way to end a week. Didn't affect me at all, but I felt guilty, so prob won't do that again... Might have landed some more work though in the process, and it was his treat too.

Good music today, trying to run up the rest of my 40 hours of allotted free streaming I get each month from Pandora. What a shame.

Anyway, work is boring and I'm ready to enjoy my home life...

Love and skateboards

Photo Updates

aldy watching the "incredible dog championship"

aldy getting belly rubs

handy

work

set-up the new board

handyman

whatup friday night?
just built the third shelf of four in the closet of our extra bedroom known as the "art room". it's a fun project that makes me feel like I've got a little bit of handyman skill. bustin out my circ(ular) saw, my drill. drinkin a beer and cussing about little mistakes.

in addition to trying to organize the inside of our house, i've spent some time trying to start organizing the garage. last year I built a hefty work bench. last week I hooked up a big ol' fluorescent light hanging above it. i'm trying to hook up a little corner that will house my bike stand and bike tools in the warmer months. this spring i'll hopefully get rid of a bunch of the scrap stuff I've been hanging on to...

also, we've been amassing a small mountain of stuff to be donated to the free store that travels around and does periodic pick-ups... next tuesday is the day!

i can't wait until we free up a little more space and then get some baby furniture. i just want that to be done so i can rest easy as we wait for baby to arrive.

bike ride?

stuff at home

 

Winter film

Here's my first film. A test.

Alden winter_test from d strong on Vimeo.

music is from Catalpa Catalpa before permission
http://opsound.org/artist/catalpacatalpa/

i dun fell off

computer crashed over a week ago at home. lots of holiday traveling has kept me away from the office, so no computer access for me. it's helped curb my ebay habit at the very least. it's also helped me realize i don't need to check email and blogs so frequently--let's see if i can get any work done today and tomorrow...

i had a great vacation, hanging out with family, eating lots of food, especially sweets and beer... movies: The Hangover (classic), Role Models (super great), 500 Days of Summer (meh), and soon, PaperHeart (?).

2010 is rollin up fast--no resolutions, just hopes for a healthy wife and baby. Maybe less computer. Finish the basement before Baby Girl arrives.... awesome garden that produces all summer long. Less sleep. A tattoo. And no Ebay. Did I just say that? No Ebay. Wowie. Less Ebay, meaning not checking it everyday.  Hey, it's not 2010 yet. I still have some time to amend my resolutions...  Oh, and at least 800 miles on my bike.

secrets, secrets

did i tell you yet?

due date: April 11

photo update

2 years

C and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary last night. It was pretty low key and simple, but it turned out so much nicer than I expected. We dropped Aldy the Pup off at J's house and went to a favorite Greek restaurant downtown. Dinner was really good, if not great, and peaceful as the place was surprisingly not busy. After that we walked over to visit our brother-in-law, M, who was working at a nearby restaurant, so he could get a piece of our celebration. We hung out with J and the dogs for a while longer then made it home to finish the evening watching some of our "stories" and eating ice cream. Bam. Easy does it. Two years down.

I guess I can't really say that it seems like our wedding was yesterday, but the time has gone quickly, and my love and attraction to C is as fresh as it was the first day I met her. I regret not doing more, because I really think C deserves the world, but life has been busy for us both and we were both ready to enjoy the evening despite anything.

In case you were wondering, if I were to have gotten a gift, it should have been something of cotton.

Sewing machine

Yesterday I pulled out the sewing machine my mother-in-law gave us and attempted to sew up the blown-out crotch of my favorite work pants. Like all the other things I do so infrequently, I had to reteach myself how to do what I wanted to do: thread a bobbin (?); re-thread the machine; then figure out how to use it. After maybe an hour, I had completely sewn up the 1-inch hole. Bam!

Pumped on my success, I trimmed a couple hedges around the house, and weeded some garden beds. Bam!

I went on a quick bike ride to pick up some lunch--bam!--and even went on a short run--bambam! We even walked our dog, twice! SUPER BAM!

I don't think any of that really happened in the order I just described, but needless to say we got some stuff done.
--
The weather is getting breezy around here and it seems like Summer is getting ready to pack up and head south. A new season is always a little bit exciting, but I'm not thrilled for Summer to end.

Wealth Underground & backyard farming

The crew over at The Wealth Underground Farm of Portland, Oregon, have unloaded a couple more visual treasure chests of the bounty that has emerged from the fertile depths of their backyard.

The operation that Chris, Nolan, and Brooke (with the help of their friends and community) have established is a true inspiration to me.

If I could go "balls to the walls," as they say, my backyard farmstead would include the following: one or two sugar maple trees for sugaring (=maple syrup, right behind the house for summertime shade), goats for milk, cheese, and lawn mowing, chickens for eggs, and maybe even some bees for honey. I don't have a sugar maple tree and couldn't get one to grow quick enough; I probably don't have the space for a goat; and I'm sure I don't have the temerity needed to raise a colony of bees. But it's a pretty sweet visual in my mind's eye. That leaves chickens but besides C's objections there very well may be some newish local codes that prohibit such a wholesome pastime.

Longer

Been trying to find something to write about. Today I rushed out of the house in a terribly grumpy mood after finding that two of my tomato plants had fallen over due to pouring rain, worthless metal cages, and the burden of so many large and unripe fruits.

C called me at work to say she had managed to prop the plants up with bricks. It's a temporary fix, but it reminded me that she loves me so much and wants to take care of me, if only to reverse the direction of my shitty moods.

I also found these photos on J&M's photo-blog of C and me. I usually hate pictures of myself but I'm obsessed with Jess's editing talents. She knows how to make it work.
--
I'll also mention C's dad has been staying with us since Monday to start finishing our basement. He's banged out so many great projects around our house. This one is more than a bite and I'm excited to get my hands in on it--even if my part is only hanging drywall and slinging mud.
--
This week has been a stress: lots of rain that seems to dump only when we are trying to get work done and gray clouds that have lingered all day long; C's work schedule has been a bit off; not been riding my bike much--which tends to be my main form of exercise; and work around the house has kept it a mess and has inhibited much needed down time. None of it is really bad--just minor things that are keeping me feeling a bit exhausted. I'm pining for the weekend.

B-day, Patio, Photos

(I apparently didn't take photos of the most complicated steps: leveling the sand...)
We owe you big, DanS'mores

a;lsdkfaskfnasd

I've managed to ignore talking about TLC's champion debacle, Jon & Kate Plus 8, that had recently claimed the media spotlight just before Gov. Stanford's jaw-dropping stunt, then Michael Jackson's fake death, took over.

Today, Today announced that Jon has reemerged on the media radar which is apparently centered on the French Riviera, where he was spotted with his (not) new girlfriend, holding hands, sipping champagne, and suggesting he is considering starting a fashion line. Images of these activities were juxtaposed with photos of Kate, still wearing a wedding band, shopping at the grocery and taking their eight children on a picnic.

Originally, I was pretty satisfied when I heard TLC had put the show on hiatus, personally hoping it would turn into a permanent decision. My opinion as a largely disinterested observer was that the attention was driving the family to its breaking point (for whatever reason) and that dissolving the fame would allow them to heal. I was unhappy to hear that the network expects to resume the series this Fall.

Since when did family friendly documentary-style shows cater so eagerly to the gossip hungry media?

I was furious to see this asshole Jon trying to regain his media attention through infidelity and arrogance above all things, including the family he conceived, once loved, and has consistently insulted. Or maybe he's not trying and the media is seeking it out, which is the more likely scenerio. Either way, it appears Jon has chosen to betray his wife and family, and pursue "sins of the flesh" as it were.

Why do I care? I guess because it's in my face and it disgusts me, like a fly. I watch more TV than I need as it's cheap entertainment or, at least, background noise to whatever I'm doing around the house. And because we only have 20 channels or less, I find myself watching The Today Show every morning and TLC most evenings. When "J&K+8" morphed from a mild-mannered show about raising babies into a media circus centered around a breaking marriage, I got annoyed that all the attention seemed to inflame this sad story. I guess the point is the show was stressed for material and may have been destined to crack into the shit-show it became.

But I, like many others before me, just want this show off the air. Kate will rise above in some other way and the children will seek out some sort of normal that they haven't yet had. Jon will probably continue to pursue terrible things, trying to live out the second decade of his life that he feels was robbed from him.

Meanwhile, this will hopefully be my last written word on the subject; that is, unless this thing flares up like unwanted jock-itch after wearing one's padded spandex cycling shorts for too long...

Clean

A salesman came to our house today to demonstrate a water purifying system. The whole experience was estimated to last up to an hour, according to the guy who set it up and promised us a $20 gift card to Home Depot. We were 2 hours deep into this pitch before the guy even started talking about the cost... He had a lot to prove. Unfortunately for him, a lot of it relied on us being average, "hygienic" Americans. One part of our discussion sounded something not much unlike this:

Salesman: How much do you spend on groceries each week?
C: ...$75 a week?
Man: Ok [punching numbers into calculator]. 25% of that budget should be how much you spend on your "cleaning bill"... $18 per week...$80 each month
C & D: [confused looks]
C: Umm...
D: Noo...
C: We don't spend that much. Maybe... $10 each month.
D: Yeah. Ten...
Man: [puzzled] Oh, that includes your soaps, shampoos, bathroom and household cleaners, laundry detergent...?
C & D: [smirking]
D: We use a lot less of that stuff than the average household. We don't do a lot of laundry.
C: I don't wash my hair.
Man: [look of concern and abject horror] You don't wash your hair? It's because you don't like the feeling of the hard water--
C: No, I think it's 'cause I just don't care.
Man: [trying to save this] That's okay. We're all different.
--
The actual conversation was a lot funnier because it was longer and involved us fumbling over a padded description of our lifestyle, while he was trying to keep the ball rolling about his point about saving money. According to their literature, the average household spends $12-15/week on their "cleaning bill." I think we agreed that we spent $10 a month on cleaning products... I'm still convinced that is a liberal estimation...

I don't know if I should spend some time giving an explanation of our unusual/atypical habits. I guarantee this lifestyle would (will?) change dramatically if (when?!) a baby joins up and completes our nuclear family unit. Until then, we will wear most of our clothes multiple times before a wash, and showers will be on an as-needed basis.

good work, photos

lamb's ear, sage

squash

sugar snap peas

lettuce

tomatoes

homegrown strawberries

deconstruction

Quote, marriage

For me I am standing back at that stove and I want a do over. I want to live this marriage so Cole knows that I am hers and that nothing is as important. Making more money to buy more things, keeping a house, mowing a lawn, taking the garbage to the street, all of these domestic annoyances that people let ruin moods and marriages are on my list of things to not let win over this love. So fuck that spinach.
-Ryan, Pacing the Panic Room

Paint/Holiday Chill

This is my latest work of half-ass-ed art, but I'm a bit obsessed with it for a couple reasons: (1) this particular canvas has been serving as our makeshift baby-gate to corral the dog(s) in one room or another, so it is constantly being shifted around and always visible; (2) this painting marks the first time I've picked up a can of spray paint in a long time and it felt great. Nothing compares to painting with spray paint. It's a phenomenal medium and gives you an awesome amount of control.
--
So, the weekend was pretty great. Instead of filling it with tons of chores, errands, traveling, etc. we got a lot of rest. C would argue it was pretty boring and a waste of time, but I really appreciate all the mid-day napping and couch-surfing that went down. Plus, we DID get stuff done. We bought as many as twenty-one plants which are now planted in the front yard; we weeded and cleaned out helicopters from our garden beds; I removed some turf to expand another garden bed; we added a lower level to the garage work bench for additional (and essential) storage which allowed some much-needed organization; I also organized the basement a bit. The one thing I am really frustrated about is getting a pretty wicked sunburn on my back which was extra stupid considering I had applied 50SPF sunscreen to my neck, shoulders, face, and arms...twice! C and I biked a lot this weekend and I'm sure we got many other small things done, all while watching M&J's dog.

All the R&R was afforded, unfortunately, at the expense of spending time with family--which was not an easy decision to make. If we had traveled out of town, not only would our time with each relative be pretty thin, but on top of the long drive, no rest would have been had. I've got a big week at work coming up and needed some home time with C, the pup, and our impatient gardens.

Sometimes I fear that I walk a thin line between laziness/boring and "chill." I can be pretty complacent about things and am usually not too frustrated with doing nothing--as long as that nothing is restful and pleasant. I can get antsy at times, but usually don't have a problem with filling those small gaps with completing useful chores or doing something I enjoy (riding a bike, making art, etc.). I guess I mastered the art of un-organized, solo activities when I was younger (skateboarding, playing music, etc.).
--
Tonight, our holiday chill will include tacos, a Red Stripe, Religulous, and maybe brownies...byah!