Weekend Randomness #7 - Street Lights

About twice a week (or more often lately) I notice a street light flare up and turn off over top of my head, either while walking or driving. When I drove back from MA last time, it happened three times. When I drove back before, it happened five times.

I know there is a logical reason for it, given to me from Helen, but it still freaks me out.

By the way, the picture above is of the street light that was outside my childhood window! The only way I could love it more is if were Narnian.

Weekend Randomness #6 - Keep Walking!

Any time I go on vacation, I lose anywhere from three to five pounds. This is not because I suddenly stop eating and start exercising like mad. This is because Paul and I walk from sun up until a short afternoon nap and then we wake up and walk again until bedtime. On our trip to London and France, I managed to injure myself due to the amount we walked. Because, besides walking a lot, I like to do it in shoes not intended for extended amounts of walking. I love to walk in sandals or ballet style shoes, but never sneakers.

You can't tell in the photo above, but I was limping when we went to Normandy. I could only stroll very slowly and I was mostly almost in tears anytime a longer walk was expected or required. However, I kept walking even more. I tried to walk through that pain and it worked.


When we went to California, I was pregnant with Nathan, so I swore I would take it a little easier. Only, I didn't. I again walked until Paul was asking me to stop for the night. I would often consider asking him if we could go back to our hotel and rest but then I would remember how much we weren't seeing in San Diego because I was a weakling! Luckily, San Diego isn't much of a walking city, or I probably would have suffered a collapse.

Do you find that you can't actually relax when you go on vacation and you must see the sites until you nearly drop? Or are you completely unlike me and able to just lay back and tan?

Weekend Randomness #5 - Black Thumb

I'm the absolute worst at keeping a garden or plants. There's a number of reasons including forgetfulness, but the main problems? I have a terribly crippling fear of bugs, worms, and dirt. Due to this, in previous years, my mom has come by our house to plant flowers and mulch and do other things I grimace just thinking about and which Paul finds annoying to do.


However, this year? Paul wants to do a vegetable garden, and I'm psyched to 'help'. I plan to do things like water the garden from a worm fearing distance and eat the food that comes from the garden after having Paul thoroughly search the vegetables for bugs.

I also plan to help by contributing tiny little strawberry plants. My cousin Talena gave away a tiny strawberry seed kit with Lilly's birthday favors, and I planted them and they are really growing! I didn't forget to water them. I didn't overwater them. I didn't kill them! This is a first since high school when I managed to successfully keep a cactus for two years.


So next summer? Expect some updates from me on whether Paul, Nathan (and his tiny gardening set), and I managed to grow vegetables for cooking. If we do, I plan on giving some to Helen for her food blogging, to keep some for myself, and to give some to my mom. Also, if I manage to make raspberries take over my backyard, I'm totally throwing a raspberry party, and you're invited.

Do you like gardening? Do you have a garden or are you a plant killer like me?

Weekend Randomness #4 - The Butler Did It!

Many of you know I like to read, and are aware that my proclaimed first genre of choice is fantasy, but I like to dabble in romances. However, not as widely known is the fact that I also love murder mysteries. And not the silly suspense novels that are popular nowadays, but classic murder mysteries such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers wrote. I want a list of possible suspects, a murder, and motives in my mysteries. If possible, I'd also like an English manor house in which the murder is committed.

I am so in love with murder mysteries, that when I first saw those boxes called "How To Throw a Murder", I knew I had to host one. I spent years considering it, but Paul finally made me pull it all together by promising that he'd handle food. We have held two so far, and I want to host a third one like no one's business. Christy, Paula, and Helen have helped bring up the awesomeness level of these gatherings by wearing over the top outfits. If you love murder mysteries, I highly recommend that you throw a murder mystery. Act in character! It's a blast, and by the time the night's over, you'll be shouting, "Sure, I'm a murderer and adulteress, but I'm not THE murderer!" And, really, how many times in your life do you get to yell something like that?

Weekend Randomness #3 - Hunger

Sorry I didn't blog a random fact last weekend, but a certain toddler I know keeps deciding a nice hospital stay would be pleasant for the whole family.



As many of you know, I love food. I like to make sweets, I like the food that Paul makes me, and Nathan and I would probably run you down with his stroller for some Matter Paneer from our local Indian restaurant.

Due to these factors, and due to the fact that Paul spends a good portion of his time at home making sure that Nathan and I won't starve due to my ineptitude with savory cooking, I am rarely ever hungry. Lately, however, after looking closely at my weight on the scale, and considering some upcoming events, I decided to think about losing some weight by not eating so damned much. This has made me feel hunger for the first time in months.

Here's the weird part. I like being hungry. I find it satisfying in its own way. Paul gets super grumpy and non-talkative while he's hungry, and when I first found this out, I was stunned. I had previously assumed everyone else liked being hungry too.

Do you like being hungry too, or are you like Paul? All grump and headaches and anger?

Weekend Randomness #2 -- Sleighs

I have a dream. One day, I want to ride in a sleigh. That's right, a horse-driven sleigh cutting through the snow. My sleigh's horses can possibly have bobbed tails, but none of the horses riding it would be named Bobtail.


image from pmarkham

I've had this dream for years, and I've come close. I've been to hotels, in the middle of winter, that offer sleigh rides, but never at the same time as actual snow. However, I am beginning to believe my dream will never come true. I mean, it's not just the sleigh and the horse(s). I also have a muff in my dream. And possibly a wool peacoat.

My dream has grown over the years too! Now, it includes an adorably dressed Nathan sitting near me and Paul on the other side of him. And when we get done with our sleigh ride, we'll go in for hot cocoa and read books.

I've clearly built this winter fantasy up in my head. I hope that if I achieve it, it will be everything that I hope.

Weekend Randomness #1 - Wrapping Paper

Here's one of my new blogging categories -- random facts about me! Let's see how this goes. I'm considering trying Wordless Wednesday as well in the future, but I haven't committed fully to it being for this particular blog. I think Nathan and the house might be a better subject of wordlessness.

I am obsessed with wrapping paper and items related to wrapping presents. I love ribbon, gift tags, stickers, and even special tape dispensing tools. You can possibly tell where you stand with me by what wrapping paper I use for your gifts.

I have a system in which paper I do not like gets used for people I like less. For instance, while Nathan might get the last yard of my favorite, and still amusingly tacky, kittens sleeping in Christmas stockings; a random gift for Paul's office parties might get ugly dull paper that was clearly part of a boxed set of papers that someone (Paul or my mom) bought for me.



At odds with this system is also the fact that I love to use up wrapping paper and related goods, so that while I love Nathan, he might also get ugly dull blue paper if I have only a snippet left, and he has a tiny gift left. Additionally, for huge gifts, I tend to use up a paper I don't really care for no matter my feelings for a person.

Every year, I finish up about three different Christmas paper rolls. This would be great if I didn't also buy a few rolls, and Paul always buys several rolls himself which are later given to me. If I were smart, I'd throw out some unloved wrapping paper, but I can never make myself do this. In fact, my mom depressed me hugely this year by whipping out five rolls of hideous paper that I remember her purchasing when I was in high school. Knowing my love of wrapping paper, she'd often purchase large boxed collections of them, only for me to like a single paper (if any) out of a box. Now I have five more ugly rolls of paper to use at her house, and she never has any gifts to give to anyone because she hates to give gifts to people. When she does give them gifts, she doesn't wrap the present.

Many a year I've given serious thought to paring down to two or three rolls of paper for a beautifully coordinated grouping of gifts under the tree, but I've never actually done this. I have, however, started to get really into how my presents are wrapped. (Thank you, design blogs!) I try to take care to wrap my presents using string and ribbons rather than just slapping a bow on top of them, though I do like a good bow when the situation calls for it.

I got several GREAT papers this year which are left unopened, including one which looks like fair isle knitting.



These papers will be moved to the "gifts that Santa has wrapped" pile of secret papers next year. My plan is to have Santa introduce a new paper or two ever year, starting with three I've chosen to start with next year.

By the way, if I know you in real life, this post is also an offer. I will wrap ANY presents for you should you need present wrapping done. I have birthday paper, Christmas paper, wedding paper, baby shower paper, and random awesome papers. I am also, clearly, willing to buy paper for an occasion. Just come over with said item(s) and I will wrap.