Why I Oughta...

A week ago today, we moved out of this place.  We bought this home together back in September of 2008.  In fact, we closed on it the day of our rehearsal dinner.  We didn't go to the closing, but my Dad stopped by our attorney's office and picked up the key on the way to our rehearsal dinner at Southport Lanes. I remember the smile on his face when he saw me and dropped that dangling key into my hand that night.  What a whirlwind.  Buy a house, get married.  Go on a honeymoon.  Then come home and begin a long rehab process. That process took five months.  We moved in close to Valentine's Day 2009.  We had been staying at Nat's parents' place while we built the house and while that was awfully nice, it was different when we moved in here. I think of our three kids as our 'second, third and fourth projects' together.  But the house at 274 N. Indiana?  That was Nat and my FIRST project together.  And it was A LOT of fun.  Her touch is all over this pla

That right there is our upright piano as it begins it's journey into storage for what I hope is just six months (Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, March).  It was packed with cardboard, wrapped in plastic then covered in moving pads to settle in for a climate-controlled slumber.  I know we'll be 'home' when it makes a reappearance.  More on that at some point once I know the details and timing.

This morning, I found myself sitting at my sister's desk up in her office and noticed this black and white photo of my Momma on her wedding day.  Looks like she's carrying a bouquet of long-stemmed flowers.  Don't see that happening today, right? Not sure where Vic and Equation Boy got some of the photos around their house, but they have some sweet ones of our family from back in the day - including a few of me as a little guy.  Maybe I'll share some of those here on the blog at some point...

Anyone who has traveled for work with me knows that I have a soft spot for an airport purchase at the ole' Hudson News of Mike and Ikes.  You know...the little pill-shaped fruit candies.  They're my favorite.  Have been for years.  I'll pick those over the rest of the fruit-jelly crowd including Swedish Fish, Twizzlers, etc. But, at Menards, I spotted this bag of "Australian Style Outback Beans with Chewy Red Centers".  This are the same folks who make the "Australian Style Green Apple Licorice" that comes in little cut down stalks that I pick up on occasion (Nat loves that stuff, too!).  I didn't buy these, but I'm thinking on my next trip, they'll end up in my cart.  Who doesn't need 10 ounces of Mike and Ike copycats, amirite?!? "Incredibly delicious"?!?  I'll be the judge of that.

I had to pay "Big Rob" this weekend in cash and that required a trip to the bank to pick up some cash.  They dole'd it out in 'big bills' including just one of these fancy new One Hundred Dollar Bills. The ink well and feather pen on the right side of the photo and the super bright purple streak right down the middle are new additions, aren't they?  I don't deal a lot with benjamins, so I could be wrong?

That's the 85th Anniversary of the creation of Pluto being celebrated on the left in the D23 wall calendar and Greg Hall at the University of Illinois on the right.  With all the events that have happened in the past 10 days (vacation, moving) I'm surprised that I got to turning these over to August this soon into the month.  Not too bad. Here's the history so far this year: July was bad. The 21st . In June, I nailed it. Turned on June 1st . Here's the post from May with the calendars . Took me until the 12th. March's post - where I turned them on the 11th. February post introducing the concept . On the 17th.

Back in May, I posted about this variety of tomatoes called "Rapunzel" based on how they cascade down the vine .  That photo above was taken this week when I grabbed a few cuts of the vine. Interestingly, this is the first tomato that I cut off the vine in bunches.  Normally....we pick them right from the stems and they fall into our hands.  But these things?  They're way too cool to not pick and 'show' on the vine, right? I'd buy these again - when I have a garden again.  ( Womp, womp. )

Neat sticker on the garbage cans out in the Village of Southampton, NY.  There are flags all over town that simply have the number '375' on them. Couldn't figure out what the flags were for until I spotted this tattered sticker that shows a native and a settler on the side of the garbage can.   Turns out...that's the anniversary of the settling of the community.  That's just 30 or so years after the settlement at Jamestown.  And 100+ years before the founding of our country.  Old school, baby.

I've never been one to seek out candy corns.  At Halloween-time, they're usually around people's houses (maybe not so much these days?  But...when I was a kid, it seemed that plenty of candy dishes were filled with them come fall time?!?) and I've always stayed away. They just never did anything for me. But...when I was at Menards this weekend, I took the girls to peruse the candy aisle (as we always do) and came across these:  Birthday Cake Candy Corn.  Didn't buy them, but interesting to see the Brach's company trying to come up with other occasions for their product.  Birthdays seem like a good place to start.  Or...maybe they've already expanded before?  Are there Christmas Candy Corns?  Red/White/Green?  What would they taste like?  Birthday Cake is a natural.  But Christmas?  Some combination of pine and sugar?!?

Mixed emotions this morning based on seeing the survey stakes out front.  She was a good house.  A great house, in fact.  But more on that later when I give her the proper sendoff she deserves in a post of her own.  274:  we thank you for all you've allowed us to do with you.  We are hopeful the new folks love you as much as we do.