I’m Beautiful Like Me.

Yesterday, I found a great deal while Stumbling around. Restaurant.com had an 80% discount, so Husband and I bought $225 of gift certificates for $16! The only clincher is that we were unfamiliar with all the local restaurants that participate with Restaurant.com, so we had to browse their very slow site to make our selections. Husband immediately gravitated to Bountiful Bread, a deli-slash-bakery reminiscent of Panera.

With today being T’s last full day here with us, I suggested we use the gift certificate to dine at one of the restaurants. We chose Bountiful Breads. The five of us packed up in our little truck and drove across town.

The place is located in a little plaza which seems relatively new (or perhaps just very well-maintained). It’s tucked away on a corner near a gym and a few other restaurants. Inside is very large with plenty of seating, but it was quiet - maybe one or two other tables. We walked up to the counter to browse the menu and the entire staff stood there looking at us, at the ready to whip up whatever we ordered. Likely looking as uncomfortable as we felt, the cashier offered us a menu to hold and we found a table in the back by the unlit fireplace while we made our choices.

After Husband and I placed our order, I went outside to have a cigarette and decided the whole lot of us needed to be out there, as it was such a pretty day. T and Joy complained at first, but later agreed that being outdoors was rather nice.

We goofed off and took pictures while we waited for our food, then took pictures of the food before eating. Then took more pictures, in an effort to remember today as well as possible.

Waiting…

Joy

tata

T got the Hot Brown. I daresay it is better than KT’s!

Joy got Tuna on Semolina bread. Not very adventurous.

She also wanted the soup. I ordered the largest size, which is served in a bread bowl and we all shared. It was absolutely amazing. They even give you the innards for dunking!

Husband ordered The Underhill. Roast beef, Muenster, Thousand Island dressing and cole slaw served on German rye bread. VERY adventurous!

I ordered the Classic Club, but asked for the Pepper Jack bread instead of the Semolina. Oh my word, it was divine! Piled high with yummy tomatoes, too.

For dessert, we shared this insanely sweet, deliciously warm Cinnamon Stick. It’s like a Cinnabon cinnamon roll on crack.

My family.

You’d never believe a demon would have a face like this, huh?!

I really love this picture of Husband and I.

Boys making silly faces.

T and Husband checking out their silly shots.

The girls.

T and tata

Whenever you miss me, T, remember this picture

I’m really gonna miss this kid. I don’t just mean the dish-washing and the zucchini bread and preparation of meals I’d otherwise hafta make (although I’d be lying if I said I won’t miss that, too!). I don’t just mean picking on her for the way she says certain things or making her flinch for the fun of it or licking her face just ’cause it icks her out so much (heeheeheeeheee!!!) I mean the trips to Wal*Mart, the knitting and crocheting we’ve done together, learning signs, the long talks, going to the park, just kickin’ it… I fuckin’ hate to see you go, kid. But I’m holding you to the promises you made to me and your mama (don’t disappoint us!) and wish you the very best upon your return home. I love you.

Godspeed.

The girls went to P’s for the night. Husband, Buddha and I had a nice, quiet dinner. It was a collaborative effort - Husband grilled the chicken and I diced the veggies and made salad. It was so good!

I’m on a big olive and tomato kick these days.

Husband had a busy day. He had a PT appointment, followed by a doctor’s appointment. Afterwards, he had a pile of paperwork he needed to take by his job. While he was away, I mostly lazed, napped a bit with Buddha. Our stimulus check arrived late in the afternoon. Husband didn’t return home until a bit after 5pm.

He brought home with him thee.most.excellent news! He got day shift! YAY!!! When he told me, I squealed, jumped up and attacked him with a hug. He starts right away. He has different days off now, too - Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I’m thrilled about this. We can have dinner together as a family now. He’ll be home to help with the boy’s tough evenings and to help with the girl’s homework. We’ll sleep together at night! Weee! Great news, indeed.

So, we went to Wal*Mart to cash the stimulus check and immediately went out to buy a tool box for the truck. Trying to squeeze 4-5 people into the cab of his truck is tough enough without needing to deal with all of his tools and work gear. We’ve really needed some sort of solution for our travels and for the time being, this is a good one. T made sure it was big enough for us.

Then we went into the Highlands yet again. We stopped at Twisted, a tattoo/body piercing parlor recommended to me by a student at the Hair Design School that Joy and I went to a few months ago (see post). I am interested in pricing some tribal body jewelry. Unfortunately, they are closed on Sundays and Mondays. Phooey!

Then we headed to KT’s. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s my most favorite restaurant of all time, so I was pretty tickled. It was nice outside, so we sat on the patio. I’ve had better service, but the food was outstanding (as usual). I forgot to snap photos before we ate (in my defense, we were all pretty hungry and it is so good!), but I got a couple of good ones anyway. I had the chicken pesto tortellini, while Husband and T both got the Hot Brown. The pictured portions are about half-size.Waiting patiently for our food…
T was less patient. Damn energy drinks.
Her impression of Mr. Napkin Head.After dinner drink?YES!

We lounged for a good while at the restaurant. Buddha was exceptionally well-behaved. He ate crayons, scribbled, nibbled on fries and bites of our food. After my daiquiri, we left. We took the scenic route home (read: surface streets as opposed to the highway).

I decided to stop by the Hobby Lobby for yarn. It was 8:30pm by then and it closed at 8pm. Curses! So then, Wal*Mart again. Different location, though. I was reluctant, as it is a much smaller store than the one I typically frequent. I expected the selection to be more limited. But I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was their selection pretty dern good, it was better than the selection at the nearby Wal*Mart. I bought a boat-load of yarn and some additional knitting needles. And a big, clear plastic bin for storing my growing collection of yarn. Husband bought a new office chair. We’re tired of arguing over the single one we have! On the way home, we spotted a gas station that had gas cheaper than we’ve seen in a while ($4.08 - how frickin’ sad is that?!), so we stopped in for a fill-up.

Once home, Husband assembled the new chair, Buddha played happily with the new box and I photo-documented my additional stash. Buddha got a bath, then he and I snoozed a while. Husband came to bed and I got up to knit. I completed my first swatch and want to get started on a project of some kind. I browsed Ravelry for some patterns, but everything requires much smaller needles than I have. Impatient as I am, I’m going to improvise a black and red stripey scarf. I knitted (and purled!) 4-5 rows while watching Forensic Files before turning in. When I went in to bed, Husband was still awake. He and I ended up staying up way too late, talking. Much needs to be done today again, particularly for him. I was unable to sleep with all these things swirling around in my head. He set the alarm for 8am and set the coffee pot. Time to condition ourselves for a new schedule.

Now, he’s away at another PT appointment, stopped by the Post Office and the bank. Afterwards, he went by his school to talk about his major and then to Lowe’s to see about J hooks or U bolts or somesuch for the new toolbox. I drank way too much coffee this morning to compensate for lack of sleep and ended up with the shakes because I didn’t eat. So, I ate my leftover chicken tortellini just now. I’m so tired, but I’ve got things to do as well. I need to make a call to pay off a rather large debt of mine, do some laundry (*groan*) and some serious cleaning. Obviously, I’m ignoring all of those demands by blogging, uploading photos and creating slideshows.

Later tonight, I am going to meet up with some people from Ravelry to do some knitting together. I’m excited. I haven’t met new people in real life in quite some time! Plus, they all enjoy the same crafts I do and have gobs more experience, so I look forward to learning lots.

I’d be finished by now because the boy has been playing quietly, letting me do my thing. I turn around to see what he’s up to, and well, it was just so darling, I had to get out the camera:

While I am here, I meant to share this cute one from the other day. Daddy got Buddha to fall asleep in his arms. These types of things are really, really rare for our little guy.

My supplies and yarn stash!

Today was a really nice day. After waking up rather late (1pm-ish) and having breakfast with Husband and Buddha, we packed up, told a sleeping T we were leaving and went out for a bit.

We went by the aforementioned house again, this time stopped and peeked into windows. The neighborhood is still not great, and while the house has major potential, it would require way more work than I am willing to put into it right now. Husband is more in love with it now than he was before. Frankly, I just want a house I can move into, not one that needs that much work before it becomes livable! Turns out the house next to it is also for sale. It’s a bit smaller (still 2200 feet!) for the same price, but it’s clean, painted, has new carpet and is ready to move in. Meh. I’m interested in looking around more. A lot more.

We then drove into the Highlands and hit the Knit Nook. It was textile heaven. I want to break in, throw all the yarn on the floor and roll around in it! I purchased a small bit of yarn, my first skein of wool, a bamboo crochet hook (size F) and my first pair of knitting needles. The skein of wool is for the needles. Tonya (the girl at Knit Nook) suggested a large pair (I got the 10.5) and the wool because it is chunky and only 1 ply. I could spend a large fortune there, but I restrained myself.

Then we went to Heine Bros. for a mocha latte and chilled out front for a long bit. I was sorry for not bringing my camera. I bought Buddha a Kizito chocolate chip cookie, which he promptly fed to the sparrows. I reminisced while Husband browsed cameras for T on ebay (he brought his laptop).

On our way home, we stopped at the grocery to get stuffs to make wraps for dinner. When we got home, we found everything very, very clean. Thanks, T! She helped construct wraps and the four of us ate. I called Joy and chatted with her for a bit. They were headed out to Busch Gardens, so we kept our call short.

Later, I went and hid in the bedroom with a book from the library, my skein of wool and the new knitting needles. In the span of 45 minutes, I managed to cast on about 4 times and to do the knit stitch! I am *so* proud of myself!

Casting on

Knitting! I am knitting!!!

I took a late nap, which always makes the day feel weird. Buddha napped with me, but when he woke up, I changed him, handed him to Husband and promptly went back to bed. I slept another two hours or so. It was a good sleep, though, just not long enough.

Yesterday, Husband accompanied me to the library where I got some more crochet books, renewed a couple of books and got two books on hand-spinning. I’m really interested in learning. It sounds like a GOB of work, but it sounds so rewarding, especially when I consider how much money I might save on yarn.

Afterwards, I accompanied him to the downtown Fiscal Building so he could apply for his CCDW. He was frazzled that we wouldn’t get there on time, especially considering I was 100% certain of where we were going. However, I have mad navigation skillz and even better parallel parking skillz. I even managed to find a parking meter with 2 hours left on it! We got there with more than 10 minutes to spare and the entire ordeal took maybe 5 minutes.

Then we drove into the Highlands, so I could seek out a coffee shop where some locals get together on Tuesdays for knitting/crocheting. Problem was that I mistakenly thought I was searching for a yarn store. D’oh! Here I thought there were 2 businesses in town with the same name. I had read earlier this week that the coffee shop was closing. I never made the connection that it was the same place. So, I’m not as savvy as I thought.

In any case, one of those lovely locals and I have exchanged a few messages on Ravelry and I read her blog religiously. I sent her a message and she invited me to the group on Ravelry, so I could be in the know of where they’d be getting together on Tuesday.

Then we drove by a house we’ve found online that we really like. It’s HUGE - almost 3,000 sq. ft., three floors, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, big front and back porches for a killer price. The only drawback is the location. I’m not fond of the location at all for a place to raise our kids. I’m going to hafta do some additional research on the area - the school(s) the kids would attend, the crime rate, etc. if we were to ever seriously consider it.

We stopped at Aldi on our way home. Husband has never been there. They are a lot like Sav-A-Lot, but they have some great deals and sometimes some good imports. I spent a small fortune on imported chocolate.

I had hoped Husband and I would be able to go to KT’s for dinner last night. It’s my most favorite restaurant of all. Great food, good service, excellent ambiance, and a fair price. We’ve been a handful of times since moving back to the ‘Ville, but I can never get enough. I wanted to wait until later in the evening, so we could enjoy our meal on the outdoor patio. Later came and Husband didn’t want to go anymore. Instead, I lied down with the baby and dozed a long while. When I woke up, I had a need for ice cream. It was about 10pm. Husband and I packed up Buddha and T joined us to the Dairy Queen. We ate way too much. I had a hot fudge waffle bowl sundae that was pure heaven. The boy surprised me by rejecting several bites from his dad’s ice cream. He ended up staying up until 1am, too.

This morning, I woke up too early (see previous post). By the time I was ready to crawl back into bed, the boy was awake. He wakes up with the sweetest demeanor. I was here at the computer, tinkering with my new Ravelry widget and I heard him call for me: “Daddy!” I poked my head around the corner and was greeted by a big smile. He reached for me immediately. I laughed and told him I prefer to be called “Mama.” We played for a bit, but since about an hour after waking, he’s been a total grouch. Very whiny. Sigh.

Tonight, Husband started making dinner - a London Broil on the grill. I jumped in the shower while T watched the boy. Husband busted into the bathroom: “I ran outta gas! Making a run to the store!” After my brief shower, I ran out to the grill to snap a picture of the delicious-looking and -smelling hunk of meat.

I stole bites as I prepared small pieces for the boy.
Husband’s plate. Yummy!
Dinner was delicious! Husband is a very good grill master. He’s made steaks on the stove a half dozen times or so and the results were always “meh.” I finally suggested he get out the grill about a month or two ago. That night, after dinner I told him he was never allowed to cook steak in the house again! T whined that the meat was too pink for her liking once or twice before, so this time Husband cooked hers a bit longer. I used to like my steak well, too, but nowadays it tastes like the bottom of a shoe when it’s cooked that long. I prefer it more medium, thank you very much.

Tonight I hope to get some or all of my squares sewn together. Once that’s complete, I still need to add a border before it’s totally done. I’m getting close. I had really hoped to visit a local yarn store called The Knit Nook today to get some yarn for my next project - a blanket for my mother-in-law (MIL). I still haven’t found a pattern that I like for her, but I’m excited because MIL’s favorite colors are my favorites, too. Maybe I can get over there tomorrow. Wait, are they open tomorrow? Ooh, I hope so. Husband has some schoolwork to get to while he’s still got plenty of time to focus on it, but we might catch a movie together tonight, too.

It’s the Fourth of July. Happy Independence Day to those of you celebrating the holiday today!

I’m ambivalent about the day. I love the food, but hate the fireworks.

Dinner was great. I bought a 5 quart Teflon skillet and made home fries for the first time in ages. We also had Sloppy Joes and greens. We sat together at the dinner table and stuffed ourselves. But the neighbors are stinking up the place with their incessant firecrackers and making me jumpy. I’m not a jumpy person, dammit. I hate twitching with every pop, boom, crack, bang, pow.

I want to go out. There’s so much going on in the city today! Weird Al is performing right down the street from me at the Iroquois Amphitheater. And it gets better - yes, better! George Clinton and the P-Funk All*Stars are playing the Louisville Waterfront, absolutely free! I really, really want to go. Alas, I have no way down there (insert sobbing smiley here, please). I tried to convince Husband to stay home tonight so we could attend, but he is being infuriatingly sensible. P is hanging out with her sister and their girls this evening. I even tried calling my mom to see if I might borrow her Jeep so I could go, but she doesn’t answer. Curses!

There’s beer in the fridge, though and it’s my new favorite - Blue Moon’s seasonal beer Honey Moon. I stayed up way too late again last night, sipping 3 of those delish brews and hanging out with Husband. I’m pretty exhausted from lack of sleep. Plus, I went shopping for a bit, cooked dinner and played a ton with the boy. I even chatted with Joy for a bit. She complained about boredom but then said she was going to Busch Gardens today. That kid, I tell ya, she expects to be entertained 24/7.

I bought some new clothes for myself while shopping today. I got a pretty good deal, too. I bought 5 summery shirts and a pair of shorts and spent a whopping $40. I still haven’t gotten around to trying them on yet, though, ’cause I’m so tired and started dinner as soon as we got back. It gets damn hot in that kitchen quick!

I’ve still got a ton of shows on the DVR and I wanna watch Vantage Point. And I’ve got tons of crocheting left to do. I’ve only made 6 of the 16 small squares and none of the other size squares! Mom’s birthday is only in a few days, so I suppose her gift will be late. It took me forever to decide on a color pattern and finally decided to use two color patterns. Here’s what I have so far: