Its me, Peggy B

2012-01-09T19:36:00.001-05:00

The Three Bears… The First one was too big, second one too small, I hope this one is just right.

This is only a test.

2012-01-09T19:33:00.002-05:00

Yay!! It works!

2012-01-09T19:30:00.001-05:00

Playing with my text editor.

I just want to see if this will come out on my blog like this or if it will just be blah blah boring text

New Stuff

2012-01-03T21:10:00.002-05:00

So.....I got a new car. I said goodbye to The 300 and said hello to The Escape.

Also bought a new MacBookPro, which I just love!!

Our Christmas tree fell down the week before Christmas and we didn't replace it, and we didn't miss it. I think it was our last big formal tree.

I also started using a CPap machine at sleep time and let me tell you....its the best thing ever! I didn't know how good I wasn't feeling. Everyone should get one.

2011-11-03T17:01:00.001-04:00

I've been watching hockey in Buffalo since they wore bottlecap jerseys, * when i was a kid, my friend Karen's dad used to take us down to The Aud and watch them play. He used to work for Pepsi and, I think, had an in with the team. I could be wrong about that, but it's the story I'm going with.* and in all this time there's some things that have remained constant.

• The Boo-Birds will let you know you know when they're not real pleased with a performance...or an attitude...or whatever.

• Most Goalies are head cases. You cant earn your living stopping flying projectiles and be like Joe Average Guy. Pick a goalie...you'll find some quirk...be it personality....or....attitude...or whatever.

• Boo-Birds are not afraid to "Go All Hasek On Your Ass" when they are not pleased. They don't mean anything bad by it... They just want you to know they're not happy. But the good thing about them is, they morp quite quickly into the Screaming Rabid Fans when when they are. Nature of the Beast and all that.

•As long as there's passion, there's drama. Or whatever.

Seconds and Inches

2011-10-22T14:48:00.001-04:00

It started out as a beautiful morning. A crisp fall day in WNY....perfect day to take a car for a ride.

The last ride you take before putting your baby away for the winter. You know....the one you dry with the leaf blower...

Then some guy thinks he can roll thru the stop sign and ruins your whole day.

Bright side....Coulda been worse. Nobody hurt. Nobody dead.

5 Years

2011-10-13T07:22:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it's been 5 years since The Storm!

Remember this tree?

Thought we were gonna lose it. Here's what she's like today

And heres a couple of trees that didn't make it... But live on down at the marina thanks to Carvings For A Cause, which helped to fund Re-Tree WNY

Update

2011-10-09T14:26:00.001-04:00

I ran to Valu and picked up a can of Rustoleum spray... A hammered finish paint in bronze ....

Updates on when it dries.

At Least I'm Not Buying Shoes

2011-10-09T10:19:00.002-04:00

I've got a little case of Estate Sale Bug......Happens every year at this time. So I was digging yesterday and I found these plant stands. At least that's what they're going to be when I'm done with them. They look like stands that they use at funeral parlors, don't they? Anyway, I'm going to use them outside since my flowers seem to grow best when they're up off the patio and I like a little height interest. I'm thinking I could maybe use them inside too, Christmas time maybe? wrap them in tulle and stuff lights in the middle?...oooooo, that would look good on the front porch. I dunno..

I do know they need to be painted.....but what color? I was originally thinking green. Then maybe red. Black is the safe color. But then I thought some bizzaro color....a funky yellow or a purple. Or a combination of colors....maybe the scrolly's a different color than the straights.

This is going to require some thought. I wanted to paint them today because its so nice out, and I'd have them done for the holidays, but I don't want to make a rushed decision.

Although.......I could repaint if I didn't like the results. Its only spray paint.

End of Summer Party!!

2011-08-30T09:38:00.001-04:00

2011-07-16T19:10:00.001-04:00

I was rudely awakened this morning by a massive cramp in my calf. *I havent had one of those in years. I'm pretty sure, with the heat in the kitchen the last couple of days, I was dehydrated, causing the cramp. I hate when that happens.*

On a Saturday.

A Saturday I didn't have to work.

I had the day off today so I'd kinda planned to take full advantage of my "Ladies Who Lounge" membership, but the muscle soreness from the Charliehorse told me I needed to walk it off. So I went to the mall.

I know..... You're surprised, right? .... Me. At the mall. Who woulda thunk it?

Anyway, I got all gussied up *not really....presentable, not gussied* and headed out. the Galleria was PACKED. And it wasn't packed with just locals. It was a multi-cultural Mecca of men, women and children. And I'm gonna say, through my very trained and observant eye, that there's a softball tournament, a baseball tournament and a soccer tournament going on in the area. I thought to myself, "Pegz, we can go spend our money on us now! No more Softball Mom stuff. Onward woman! Let's go shopping!" Now, I have a rule...if I'm going to the mall just to go, I give myself a mission. When this occurs, I turn into what The Offspring call, Super Mall Walking Bitch mode. *and they meant bitch in the most positive BabeInTotalControlofHerself kind of way* What can I say, it's what I do... Anyhooo... Its always an extra strenuous workout dodging strollers, old people, idiots, teenage girls, teenage girls with teenage boys. But, it needed doing. And i had to work that calf muscle I was on a mission to find a nice little dish rack. Preferably a wooden one. Easy task and I can get my double laps on both levels done, be in....be out. *Yeah, no store at the mall had one. Found one at BedBathBeyond on Union... fyi if you're looking for one.*

Ummm... Where was I going with this... Oh yeah, the Mecca thing... Its nice to see an influx of people around here. I can see it down at the waterfront too....I walk that every Friday between shifts ... Lots of out of town license plates. Lots of languages. I get a positive vibe around town and I like that.

The Guest On The Porch

2011-06-07T07:19:00.001-04:00

We've got a new addition to the household. Meet BlackJack...the new resident of the porch.

A couple of weeks ago, he turned up at work and wouldn't leave. This is not a good thing when work is a restaurant. With people all over. And food. The Spouse had been talking for a couple years now, that he wants an outdoor cat to rid the yard of moles. Moles that are making tracks in his lawn. So, when this one showed up at work. And stayed. And came into the kitchen twice, I agreed that he could bring him home. The only conditionof residency....it does NOT come into the house. EVER! Now, I don't much care for cats, so I wasn't all giddy at the idea of one hanging out at my house, but he a pretty cool cat. I even let him sit on my lap. Once. That's probably not going to happen again.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Like A Butterfly Out Of The Cocoon

2011-05-09T19:17:00.040-04:00

The porch enclosure is FINALLY down. One came down on Sunday. We were little catapillars all winter long with the porch being all closed up. I voted we get a roll up door to enclose the porch in the winter, but The Spouse had his buddy build these. They're heavy as all heck, and the plexi keeps the snow and wind out, and the sun in, but once they're up....they're not going anywhere, so access off the porch is non-existent.

We hauled them out to the end of the yard so The Spouse could wash them off.

Let them dry in the sun

It feels so much bigger now. In fact, I'm going to sit out there right now. Or clean up. Probably sit.

I'm a little verklempt.....tawk amongst yourselfs....

2011-04-10T15:20:00.002-04:00

This First Video Made Me Laugh. The Second One Made Me Laugh More

2011-03-31T18:51:00.000-04:00

Viral Video of Twin babies having a conversation.

Video of a Translation of the Viral Video of Twin babies having a conversation.

The Demise Of The Human Barometer

2011-02-28T11:47:00.003-05:00

Ever since I can remember, my sinus cavity has afforded me luxury of being able to predict the weather. I knew when it was going to rain. Get warmer. Get colder. I know, you're jealous aren't you? I mean who wouldn't want that sensation of your head coming this close to exploding. The constant post nasal drip. The ballon inflating and deflating behind your eyes. Yeah, that was me....operative word being WAS.

About 2 weeks ago, I woke up to a plugged up ear. Not a rare occurrence when the weather changes, most notably when the seasons are ready to flip, so I really didn't think much of it. This time was a little different in that the plugged-up-ness was accompanied by severe sinus congestion. I was miserable... Not only could I not hear.. I couldn't breathe thru my nose,in or out.. I couldn't blow my nose, and swallowing after chewing was an adventure. I was completely plugged up.

As luck would have it, I had a scheduled doctors appointment, so I figured I'd tough it out until then. When I got to the doctors office, I immediately whined to the nurse about my predicament. *WHAAAA* I think I have an ear infection. *WHAAAAA* I think I have a sinus infection. I don't break out the whine card often, but I know how to play it when I do. So the doctor has a looksee up my nose and says "Nope, no sinus infection. Take some Sudafed, use some Afrin" "Oh, yeah???" I replied...."What about my ear? My balance is all off.. I can't hear, My balance is all off and the sssshhhhhing noise is making me crazy!" Ace of Whine card played right there.
So, he looks in my ear. "There's a little wax I there. If you want I'll have the nurse flush it for you.". If I want???? No, just let me be miserable. Get her in here.

So, now I'm a 6 year old and the nurse is getting prepped to get the marble I shoved in there, out. Really, that's what I felt like! First syringe is getting filled up with nice warm water and promptly explodes all over the exam table. And my leg/butt area. Near the pocket of my jeans. Where my phone is stashed. Great. And this poor nurse. Apparently her whole day had been going like that. She kept apologizing...no biggie, it's only water, let's get on with this. Well, after the first syringe-full of water I could feel something gurgling around in my head. After the third syringe-full there was a miracle!!! This enormous ball of crap fell into the drain bowl and immediately, the bubble that inflated inside my head 2 weeks earlier BURST !! I jumped off the exam table with the drain bowl in my hand, yelling "Holy Crap, I can hear!! And I can breathe! Oh My Gawd, you are my HERO right now." and then I looked down into the drain bowl and I saw the source of my problem. Picture the largest pea you've ever seen, color it black and add a heartbeat to it. That thing must have been in there for years. I'm hearing things now that I've never heard before.

And I haven't taken a sinus pill in a week.

Brrrrrr

2011-01-24T10:44:00.000-05:00

What a wake up this morning. -7 degrees. That "around the freezing mark" forecast for Wednesday is almost a heat wave. It's been a cold couple of days. At least the sun was shining. That makes almost everything ok.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T17:25:00.000-05:00

Took down the outdoor Christmas lights today. I wasn't too elaborate this year....my Little Voice said "yeah, we're not going nuts with this, right?".....I agreed....and just put lights on the shrubs. Lights, as it would turn out, would not bee seen because of the 4 feet of snow we got in early December that would not melt, until yesterday and today, as it's been in the 50's.

Moral of the story... Listen to your Little Voice

I Treated Myself....

2010-12-28T21:48:00.000-05:00

....to a new iPhone4.

8gigs to 32gigs just like that.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!

2010-12-24T08:42:00.000-05:00

My resolution for the new year will be..... To blog more often. I've been a slouch.

Mother Nature Did A Spectacular Job With The Sunset Tonight

2010-11-11T18:00:00.001-05:00

This picture did not do it justice at all.

Wow....

2010-10-12T18:22:00.000-04:00

....Time flies!

Yep....it was 4 years....FOUR YEARS!...since The Storm.

And I almost missed posting about it. I really need to get into blogger mode and get my butt here more often.

The First Hint of Fall On The Maple Tree

2010-09-19T15:02:00.000-04:00

I spotted this whilst on the porch, sipping my tea.

I also went to Lowe's and bought a heater for the porch so I can be toasty whilst sitting there sipping my tea.

Ok, I'm Back

2010-09-16T18:51:00.001-04:00

I was just looking at my tracking stats and there's somebody out there from the UK who visits.

Like, once a week.

Hi out there in UK land who just lurks and never leaves a comment. Y'all come back, now...y'hear.

What the hell happened to August?

2010-09-16T18:35:00.000-04:00

Or the last half of July, for that matter.

I've hardly even Twittered! What's wrong with me?

I've never not posted for a whole month or more.

I'll try and make sure it doesnt happen again.

That is all for now.

Hi Lisa! *waves*

Epic Fail

2010-07-12T18:44:00.001-04:00

Yeah,

The begonia didn't make it.

Services at sunset.

We'll gather by the garbage cans.

Can This Begonia Be Saved?

2010-06-28T20:01:00.000-04:00

I say YES! !

Ok, it's not as bad as it looks.

I just repotted it.

And deadheaded it.

A lot

The other porch plants are going nuts!

The perfect combination of sun, rain, warmth, coolness.

All these impatiens came from one flat.

That I bought from my nephews.

Who were selling them for school.

Buy the fundraiser flowers, people

There was one sprig of flowers

On this next one,when I got it

It's thriving on the steps

It was a Mother's Day gift

From Offspring #2 and The Son In Law.

They're so cute together.

They make a nice couple.

Another Random

2010-06-28T16:30:00.002-04:00

So....its been 3 week since The Spouse pulled The Car into the garage. Guess how many miles are on it.

Go ahead. Guess

I'll wait.

Wrong!!!! He's put over 2200 miles on it. Drive much?

******

Funny thing....The Car related. Offspring #1 came home to pick up her mail, and noticed a new registration sticker *her name on it* came. She opened it, and couldn't figure out why she was getting a new one, since hers was not expired yet, but just thought, oh, well. She ended up leaving, forgetting to take her mail with her. Well, The Spouse comes home that night, sees the opened mail, and registration sticker and wants to know who opened his mail. Like I know, right? I wasn't here. So he takes the sticker and puts it in his mail basket. Two days later #1 comes back to get her mail and is frantic cuz she cant find the sticker. She sees it in his basket and grabs it. Remember, she's still thinking its for her car and she's still confused as to why she received it. Well....she studies it for a second....low and behold....its the registration for the Mustang. The dealer put her name on the paper work, not The Spouses. That's a pretty big screw up. Let's see how long its going to take to get this resolved.

******

We've got a new pet. Ok, its not a pet, more like a critter. Out back, after dark, The Spouse has seen an animal walking along the fence, from the neighbors yard on the right, to the neighbors yard on the left. He asked me if I'd ever seen it....and I hadn't until the other night when we were sitting out there. It looked like, in the dark, a huge white cat...or a ferret. Last night, the critter was out a little earlier than usual, and he saw what it was. A ginormous SKUNK! Great. Pepe LePew is living under the sheds of the neighbors and we're caught in the middle. Hopefully the town will come out and set a trap....I don't want to be surprised some night, walking around out there and getting sprayed. That would ruin my day, I think.

******

Ever hear of 'gin-soaked golden raisins' to help with aches and pains and arthritis? Well, we're gonna try it. A bunch of people at The Spouse's office swear by it it. We're gonna do it. I'll let you know what kind of effect they have. Not that we have a PROBLEM with arthritis, but our bones creak, here and there. Sometimes. :-)

Something For Flag Day

2010-06-14T16:07:00.001-04:00

Robin Williams as the American Flag.....

Robin Williams As The American Flag : The Coolest One

And I thought this would embed, you'll just have to follow the link.

Guess What I Did Today

2010-06-07T17:34:00.002-04:00

I ran over to the mall today, and I went into the Apple Store to get The Spouse an audio cable, so he could hook up the iPod in The Car *from here on out, The Mustang will be referred to as The Car* . On my way out, I stopped and played with the iPads *I want one!, its like playing on my iPhone, only bigger* . I was just surfing around, when I had the most evilly brilliant thought. So, I typed in the address for this blog.

And then I walked away.

Hi! person playing with this iPad and reading me!

I was gonna do it on more than one, but I was in a hurry, damnit.

Speaking of the mall...they reallllllyyyy need to fix that ring road around Galleria drive. between Best Buy and the Post Office. Somebody get on that.

Time For An Update On A Tree

2010-06-06T12:20:00.002-04:00

Picture it....October, 2006 a couple days after The Storm. This weeping willow tells the story of the devistation

Flash forward to Spring, 2007. Pretty gnarly

Present day.She's looking way better.

The New Phone Books Are Here! The New Phone Books Are Here!!!

2010-06-05T17:07:00.006-04:00

The Spouse got the call....The Mustang is in. We went over to the dealer today and took it for a little spinnerroo.

He picks it up Monday. Just our little way to stimulate the economy.

"Ooo Ooo That Smell....

2010-05-05T18:15:00.004-04:00

...Cant you smell that smell?" just my little Lynyrd Skynyrd interjection here.

The Lilac bush is in full bloom. I sit on the porch and the scent is incredible.

And the color....just lovely

It's Do Or Die Time....Again

2010-04-26T07:10:00.000-04:00

Let's Go Buffalo *clap clap clapclapclap*
Let's Go Buffalo *clap clap clapclapclap*
Let's Go Buffalo *clap clap clapclapclap*
*tosses blue and gold glitter everywhere*

Ooooooooohhh, Ahhhhhhhhh...

2010-04-15T21:19:00.000-04:00

Now That My Computer And My Modem Are Communicating Again, Here's Some Dyngus Day Pictures.

2010-04-14T22:42:00.001-04:00

These were taken from the parade staging ground. Thats the Central Terminal in the backround. Pretty much the epicenter of the Dyngus Day Festivities. Let me tell you....it is more fun to be IN a parade, than to watch one.

Rosie, Mark, Justin, Emily, Diane

Me, Emily, Justin, Rosie, Mary and Diane on the float.

The group in front of us were handing out these stickers. Well, mostly they were slapping them on the butts of people.

We had a bunch of candy that we threw, the tshirts you see above, and.....best part, Wardynski's gave, yes GAVE us a couple boxes of individual wrapped Polish Sausage to throw. And of course we all had our squirt guns. I wish I'd had pictures from along the parade route, but it was no time for snapping shots. We had time to take shots of Krupnik, a honey liquor, not real tasty, don't judge, it was Dyngus Day but not pictures.

We headed off to the Adam Mickiewicz Library & Dramatic Circle after the parade and we had our usual good time. No pictures from in there either, what with all the squirt gun squirting and water everywhere stuff. Plus, I just didnt want to be bothered with lugging around the camera. And then remembering to bring it home.

We're already decorating next years float.

It Seems Like Only Yesterday....

2010-04-07T22:00:00.000-04:00

...that we had problems with the computer.

Well...here we go again. *sigh*.

The Only Difference Between Men And Boys Is the Price Of Their Toys

2010-03-29T16:34:00.001-04:00

In a couple of weeks, me and my Chrysler 300 will be displaced from occupancy of the garage. The Spouse's new toy will be taking over.

note...this is a pic of 2010..the pics for 11's arent out yet. Well, I havent found one anyway.

Thaaaaaats right, he bought a 2011 Mustang. 412 horsepower, 5-litre V8, 6 speed, In the words of Tim The Tool Man Taylor, ARRRRH ARRRRRRH ARRRG

On a positive note, when thats paid for, I get a new kitchen.

Confession Time

2010-03-25T16:51:00.005-04:00

Confession is good for the soul, so I'm going to come out with something. I'm just going to spit it out, a verbal 'ripping off the of the band-aid' if you will.

Here goes.....

Last night we left the Sabres game early.

That's right!!!!....we broke a cardinal rule. We left with 4 minutes left and the minute we got in the car and travelled 20 feet in the parking ramp, the couple that was with us, The Spouse and I had a discussion. It went like this.....

Watch, they'll score now.
Watch, they'll tie it up now
Watch, it'll go to a shootout
Watch, Miller will be awesome.
Watch, they'll win.

Son of a Bee Sting don't all those things happen.

In our defense, it was a pretty crappy first 58 out of 60 minutes of hockey, the couple we were with had an hour + ride home, we all had to work in the morning the game stared late, and ended late....after 10:00 we didn't want to be stuck in the upper yeah, we shoulda been there earlier, but hey, we were having ribs at Al-E-Oops parking ramp for an additional hour, so we left.

That kinda sucked, but it all worked out.

The Search Is Over

2010-03-08T17:36:00.005-05:00

Remember my post about shopping for a sideboard?

Well, I went a little beyond the whole sideboard thing and just purchased this from Pottery Barn.

I love Pottery Barn. If I could, I'd buy everything they had. I need to win the lottery or something. Its not available for delivery till April 11, so I have to put on my patience pants till then. Well, technically I have to keep them on because I've been wearing them since I ordered Pirate Radio from Borders a couple weeks ago. That movie gets released and shipped tomorrow. AND my new sneakers should be here by Thursday. Man, the Fed-Ex/UPS truck never stops here. Till now :-)

Two Things That Practically Just Dropped In My Lap Today.

2010-03-02T17:43:00.007-05:00

Thing One...

I found THE most comfortable sneaker! I have a hard time finding sneakers that dont hurt my feet. This is why I wear Crocs to work. Yes, I realize that they are ~~hideous~~ not exactly the fashion statement I wish to project, but they saved my feet. and for that reason they are gorgeous. So, anyway...I needed new kicks to wear to the gym and I needed new sheets, but thats a different story so I went to Kohls and found these. Skecher's D'Lites Extreme.

I can tell within 5 seconds after trying on a pair of shoes if they're comfy enough to buy. This was one of those times. I've been wearing them for 3 hours and my feet don't hurt. At all. Brand new shoes. 3 hours. No ouchie. SOLD! I liked them so much, I went to skecher.com and bought another pair.

Thing Two...

Got an email from ChaCha today and it offered a link to this....quite possibly the funniest thing I have ever seen on the internet. And I've seen a lot of funny things....

Powder Keggin'

2010-02-28T16:03:00.015-05:00

My Festival Buddy and me headed down to The Powder Keg Festival this afternoon. It was a gorgeous day. A little too gorgeous, tho, the Labatt Pond Hockey had to be cancelled today. They got yesterdays games in but there was a little too much snow yesterday and it was a little too warm and the ice just wasn't safe enough to play today.

Downtown was bustling. Lots of people. We had lunch at The Pearl Street Grill (pictured here, the hub of the activity) then hit the streets. *as always, click on the pic to make it bigger*

Lots of characters....the Abominable Snowman even showed up.

The tubing down the Seneca St. exit ramp of the Skyway was a big attraction. But, that too was a little mushy and slushy because of the warmness. But it didnt stop people from giving it a go. Not the best vantage point for a picture here, but its as close as I could get. The line was pretty long.

Broom Ball Tournament going full swing

Here's the incredible Ice Maze. Official dubbed by the Guinness World Book as the largest ice maze in the world. Yeah, I totally stole this picture from The PowderKeg website.

This is as close to the maze as we could get....the line started here...

wrapped around to here

then ended up waaaaaayyyy down there. No way were we waiting 90 minutes in line.

So we headed over to the beer tent. Good plan.

I think this is going to turn into quite a nice festival. Maybe a little earlier in the month might help with the snow and temperature conditions and maybe spread it out a little, but it was really cool to see all those people out and about downtown in the middle of winter. Good job Powder Keg People!

Things to make note of for next year. Different boots for me. I wasnt sure how dry my feet were going to be in the "Ugg" type boots I have (they havent really been tested in wet conditions), so I pulled a page from when we were kids and did the 'pair of socks, plastic bag, another pair of socks' thing just to be safe. Good thing I did. And draft beer still gives me a headache.

When The Cat Is Away, The Mouse Turns Into A Slug

2010-02-20T16:01:00.003-05:00

The Spouse left for his annual two week "Mikey Does Florida Golf Tour" this morning. I woke him up at 12:30 am. He was gone by 1:00. Since that time, I've.....

slept in, (till about 8)
had a cup of tea
took a nap
watched a movie....Splendor In The Grass
emptied the dishwasher
posted this

I think I'll take another nap, it's been a busy day.

It Doesnt Happen Very Often....

2010-02-11T17:43:00.008-05:00

.... when we as Western New Yorkers get to say it, but, this time, I really mean this with all my heart yes, this time....

It really sucks to be youse guys!!!!!

Here in The Buff, The B-Lo, The Queen City of the Lakes, The City With No Pity, There's a paltry 3 inches of snow on the ground, there's snowmobile events being cancelled left and right because the conditions are not good enough. In February. In Western New York. In February.

It's a tad bit cold but we don't care cuz the sun is shining. Did I mention its February?

We've got other States, yes I said STATES! asking for advice on how to rid themselves of this white scourge that has plagued them. In the spirit of sharing, here's some advice on how to muddle thru...

It's snow. It's going to melt.
If you don't have to go out, don't. Simple, so far
In the words of our esteemed former mayor, the late Jimmy Griffin "Stay inside, grab a six-pack and watch a good football game.” yes, its February. The fridge in the garage should have beer. What? you don't have a fridge in the garage just for beverages? You'll never survive here, man.
Drive slower. And by slower, I mean "Don't Be A Dick!!!" ask The Spouse, that's my motto. for real!
Don't clear out the driveway till the plow comes down the road. or you'll be doing it again later. while you're waiting for it refer to the Jimmy quote above.
Help out your neighbor. Snowblow their sidewalk and driveway. Oh, right, you guys don't really have snowblowers just hanging around, huh? In that case just wave to your neighbors out the window.

Here in Buffalo, we need the snow. They started prepping the ice on Lake Erie for the Labatt Blue Pond Hockey Tournament. Started building the 8 rinks today. This event coincides with The Powder Keg Festival. which sounds like one awesome way to spend a weekend. Offspring #3, my festival buddy, and I will be going downtown to participate. In one way or another. There are, like a million things going on. An ice maze. broom ball, bubble hockey, pancake breakfasts...read the link, there's too much to post here. If you're in the area, I'll be the one waiting at the end of the Seneca St. exit ramp off The Skyway keep in mind there's a good reason this road is called The Skyway. think about it when #3 comes tubing down. TUBING DOWN THE EXIT RAMP OF THE SKYWAY! On a TUBE! how cool is that? If you click on this picture, you'll be able to see the top half of the ramp. Then it bears to the right and goes down and around. It's harrowing in a car, I can't imagine a tire tube!

I sure hope we have enough snow for that. Maybe we should send a couple of plows and trucks to DC under the guise of helping out and steal their snow.

Halftime Update

2010-02-07T19:53:00.002-05:00

Won $$$ after the 0-0 for the first quarter. Would have won the second if the Saints had scored on that one drive.

Stay tuned!!!

Shocking!!!!

2010-02-02T19:27:00.002-05:00

So, I go down ~~into the dungeon~~ in the basement to get my clothes out of the dryer.

I reach for the string for the light, and at THE VERY SECOND I touch the string, the dryer goes BUZZZZZZZZZZZ

Scared the crap out of me.

I think that qualifies for my cardio for the day.

Why is it......

2010-01-29T22:35:00.002-05:00

... When a group of women are are having a get together like a craft/jewelry/Tupperware party, maybe having a beverage, all of them talking at once, it's a hen party.

And when a bunch of guys do the same thing it's called a poker game?

On This Date In History.....

2010-01-28T07:03:00.003-05:00

... 1990.... Offspring #4 made her way into the world. Happy 20th Kerry!!!

... 33 years ago the big one, aptly named The Blizzard Of 77, hit. MotherNature celebrated by dumping 8 inches of snow on us last night. Party on MN, party on.

Here We Go, Sportsfans!

2010-01-27T16:50:00.004-05:00

It's Superbowl time.
WooHoo.
Yay.
RahRah-Sis-BoomBah.

I should probably root for the Saints. We lived there for a couple of years. OffSpring #1 was born there. But I really have no feeling one way or the other. Whom ever wins, wins.

I do however have an interest in the score. And by interest I mean a bunch of money on more than a few pools. So, lets all put on our positive thinking caps and channel all our energy into these numbers...

(AFC first number - NFC second number)
8-2 (not feeling good about this one)
4-0 (not a bad number)
6-2 (really?)
0-0 (this one could be worth something, huh?)
5-2 (almost as likely at 6-2)

2010-01-26T17:33:00.001-05:00

You can stop worrying.

I fixed my iPod.

Seriously?????

2010-01-21T17:05:00.002-05:00

I spent a good part of the other night cleaning up my iTunes. I got rid of some stuff, I added some stuff. Nothing major. Sync up my iPhone and everything is dandy.

Today, I decided to sync up my iPod, cuz y'know, I got rid of some stuff, I added some stuff. Nothing major. I plug the iPod into the computer, it tells me its synching, when its ok to disconnect after the sync is complete and I unplug the iPod.

So far, so good.

Wait a minute....this thing is completely empty. Void of any melody. My computer just ERASED EVERYTHING!!!!

Ok, deep breaths....don't panic. Unplug it and resync. No big deal, breathe.... in and out....there you go.

Again nothing!!!

And yet again!!!

Resetting it didn't help. Twice. All the music is still on my computer, so why will nothing sync and download over???? Will it erase everything off my phone if I plug in to sync??? Just what the hell kind of conspiracy is going on here? Do I have gremlins in my iPod? Will Modern Family continue to be the funniest show on tv for a long time? I have questions, people...give me answers!!!!

Looks like I'll be going over to the Apple store. This could be a sign that I should invest in a new iPod. Hey, while I'm there I'll go over to Pottery Barn and check out the sideboards.

I can turn anything into a shopping trip.

I'm Shopping Right Now....

2010-01-19T18:32:00.006-05:00

....For a sideboard

I need a place to keep all my Grandmother's China. Currently some of it is down in the basement collecting dust and the rest of it is in the cupboard above my stove. Along with all kinds of other crap that I keep jamming in there. Its a real adventure when you open this particular cupboard. You never know whats going to fall out. I'd really like to make that useable storage space for stuff I actually use instead of stuff I don't.

Two years ago I went to Buffalo China's big spring clearance. They sell off all the imperfect, but perfectly usable, stuff. I went nuts, considering that I'd never actually had a whole collection that matched. And this is all restaurant quality. I left with 12 each of bowls, plates, and BIG plates. I contemplated whether the BIG plates were going to fit in my dishwasher. I decided that they would and when I got home, I discovered that they DIDN'T FIT IN MY CUPBOARDS!!! Yeah...like I said....BIG plates 12" in diamater. They've been stored under an end table in my living room since I got them.

I found one at Ashley Furiture the other day. Picture this without the top hutch. I like it and all but I'm torn about the glass doors. I just dont know about those.

I really like this one from Ballard. I don't know who Ballard is or where they're located. I just found it online. And I dont really want to buy without seeing it first. But I really like it.

But this one here from Pottery Barn is by far my favorite...

I may take a run over to Pottery Barn tomorrow afternoon.

Update on the Titanium Twins

2009-12-29T16:28:00.006-05:00

Both the girls are doing great! They're both back to driving and pretty much, with the exception of having to use a cane, resuming normal activity.

My cousin Julie had the most incredible gifts made for them. Really nice zip jackets, black with a red lining.....

And the most AWESOME tag embroidered on to them....

BEST.
GIFT.
EVER!!!!!

We need to get a picture of them in their finery together.

I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas

2009-12-10T19:20:00.004-05:00

Well...we finally got some snow. Boy DID we!!! That storm thats been gripping the country got to our neck of the woods today.

I found this picture whilst perusing The Buffalo News. I thought it was pretty cool so I lifted it. Hey, don't judge, I gave full credit and admitted my plagarism. It was taken from the top of the Liberty Bank Building.

It took me 50 minutes to do my normal 10-15 minute commute home today, what with the white-outs and piling up snow and idiot drivers. I debated getting on the I-190 for about 2 seconds. Good choice on my part not to get on....it was a parking lot.

I finally made it to my street, when to my surprise, only half of it was plowed. And guess what, the unplowed part was my part. I had to park around the block and walk home because I couldnt get up the street. Brrrrr. Actually I was better off doing that anyway because, with the drifts in the driveway, I would have never made it into the garage.

This pic here shows the depth of the drifts. Thats The Spouse getting ready to plow them out of here.

I'm spending the evening getting a start on my Christmas cookie baking. I cant think of a better way to spend a snow night.

Doe, A Deer, A Female Deer....

2009-12-02T23:13:00.002-05:00

at least I think it was a female deer that just WALKED INTO THE SIDE OF MY CAR!!!!

I was minding my own business driving down Borden Road when I spotted a couple of our white tailed friends crossing the road. Naturally I slowed way down because if there's one deer in the road chances are there's another. Who knew it would be a whole herd of them!!! I was going less than 20 mph. I had my eye on the one directly in front of my car (and by directly I mean 3 feet in front of me) when another just rammed into the side of my car by the front wheel. It's an awful sound....vehicle meeting furry animal. In my passenger side mirror I saw the thing on the ground on the side if the road. Shit. I thought about getting out of the car for about a nano second and continued home. While I was assessing the damage (which really isn't that bad) The Spouse pulled in the driveway. We hopped in his car to go back to the scene, (cuz we're morbid like that) and when we got to the spot the deer was gone. So, I'm not a Bambi killer...I just maim.

In my defense, those deer were NOT crossing at the DeerCrossing sign.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T09:00:00.003-05:00

I vow to not have a repeat of last year when, because my brother caused the hours long dinner delay by not having the turkey fryer in working order, never really ate anything all day and just consumed Cosmos and proceeded to get hammered..(run on sentence much Peg?) Going to work the next day was so not fun!!!

I shall limit my martini consumption to 2.

Before dinner.

Maybe one after.

Good thing....

2009-11-19T08:39:00.002-05:00

.....it's been so unseasonably mild temperature wise. If it was cold, all this rain we're having today would be snow and we'd be neck deep in it right now !!!!!!

Extremes

2009-11-07T08:40:00.002-05:00

Thursday we had snow showers.

Yesterday was sooooo damp and chilly you felt it in your bones.

Today and tomorrow????? Temps in the high 50's and low 60's.

Welcome to the B-lo. Don't like the weather? Wait a couple minutes.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition will be in town this weekend so I guess cooperation from Mother Nature will help dispel the old "all it ever does here is snow" myth.

The Titanuim Twins And The Case Of The Fractured Femurs

2009-10-18T21:40:00.008-04:00

The words on the voice mail were the ones you never want to hear. "I'm at the hospital with mom. She fell. Pretty sure her leg is broken. Call me when you get this".

Tuesday, The Maternal Unit had been on a walking tour downtown with a group of retirees that she used to work with. She recounted that she was talking and walking and then the next thing she knew she was on the pavement. She didn't remember tripping or stumbling...just landing. Being the good daughter that I am, I questioned if she had been chewing gum at the same time. My brother came up with a few good zingers during our wait in the ER too. Good thing we know how to act in these kinds of situations. Laughter is the best medicine, after all.

There was lots of texting going on....sharing info with family members, especially with my cousin Julie in Atlanta, who happens to be the Offspring of The Maternal One's twin sister.

When she went up to surgery to have the rod and screws inserted into the femur *you just cringed reading that didn't you* I made a phone call to my Aunt Twin, who coincidentally fractured her femur 3 years previous. Of course she told me to tell mom to "quit copying her" and other good natured barbs. You can see where us cousins get our sense of humor now, don't you? Anyway, when the surgeon came down to talk to my brother and I after the surgery, he stated that the sharpness of the break indicated a stress fracture and that the bone probably broke and then she went down. "we've been seeing this a lot in patients who have been taking Fosimax for more than 5 years"

WHAT???? You mean this drug that's supposed to prevent osteoporosis actually does the opposite??? how does that happen?

Fast forward to Friday morning..... I get this text from the aforementione cousin Julie...

Not a joke|
My mother just broke her leg (the right femur this time) can u fucking believe that?? Patti just called they r on the way to the hosp in ambulance

WHAT??????

UnFREAKing believable!!!!!! The Aunt Twin falls on the kitchen floor and breaks her OTHER femur. And guess what her surgeon says. "she looks like the pictures in the medical journals of Fosimax issues and the bone probably broke and then she fell.

So now they are both laid up in rehab facilities. And Julie and I are calling the two of them The Titanium Twins.

Crazy week

On This Date In History.....

2009-10-18T08:38:00.002-04:00

1985......Offspring #2 was born. Almost had her in the van under a bridge on the way to the hospital. Happy birthday Michelle.

And happy birthday to your spouse on tuesday too!

----------

on another note, I've got quite a story to tell about my Maternal Unit and her Twin (who, from now on will be referred to as The Titanium Twins) Upcoming as soon as I have the time to compose.

Another Installment of......On This Date In History

2009-10-12T16:17:00.007-04:00

26 years ago, Offspring #1 made her debut into the world. Man...she's getting up there! Happy Birthday Melissa.

3 years ago today, The TreeStorm started. We went to bed knowing that there would probably be a snow day on the 13th. It was snowing pretty hard. Little did we know there would be a week of snow days.

And when we woke up....this is what we saw.....

We didn't think this tree would survive...

But here she is two days later....I love the color of those leaves.

And here she stands today, 3 years later. Stronger than ever I think. A little weird that her leaves are just starting to change color now, isnt it?

Pointless Stuff

2009-10-10T08:35:00.006-04:00

Have you seen the new show Modern Family yet?

No?

Well, you're missing out on some funny stuff.

I suggest you watch.

It's probably the best new show of the new tv season.

------------------------

A couple of weeks ago I got a blast from the past. A girl I used to work with when The Spouse and I lived in New Orleans called. They had just retired, bought a motor home *and by motor home I mean a house disguised as a bus* and would be up in our neck of the woods. So we met up with them Tuesday night for a couple beers and food. Blew me away when I heard that deep southern accent on the phone.

-------------
The leaves are changing and there's a bit of a nip in the air. And there's Christmas stuff in stores already. It's not even Halloween yet!!!

--------------

that's all for now

Oinktoberfest

2009-09-27T10:42:00.008-04:00

Offspring #3 and I were out and about yesterday. We'd planned on going to a big barn sale out in West Falls and when that turned out to be a dud of a sale we headed over to Clarence...thinking that the Flea Market would be in full swing....it being a decent day and all. Turns out that there was no flea market. Apparently its only on Sunday. BUT! The Great Pumpkin Farm was open and it was Oinktoberfest! Big BBQ cookoff, a band playing some really good tunes, pie eating contests, rides, petting zoos, all kinds of stuff going on, so we decided to roam around there for a while. And with all the fantastic scents coming from the competition tents we decided we were hungry. Got some ribs, some pulled pork, some mac and cheese and THE best jalapeno cheddar cornbread ever.

Offspring #3 in front of the tent for the bbq competitor with the best name.... "Bobby Q and The Butt Rubbers. "
They even had a Zoltar Machine!!!! Just like in the movie "Big"! No sign of Tom Hanks tho.
Ok, then, at one point I had to relieve myself and just my luck...Porta-Potties. Yeah...we all love using them, right? So I open the door and whats in there? The newspaper. Someone made themselves at home.

Ok, Now We're In Business!

2009-09-24T18:56:00.003-04:00

My computer has been really stupid lately and I haven't been using it too much. And it's in the house and I spend all my time out here in The Snug cuz I love it out here. I've been doing just about every thing on my phone except blogging and I hadn't been doing that cuz I couldn't get anything of a textual nature to appear on a blog post. I could only get text to appear in the title. And I didn't like that so I did a little homework and got my phone linked up to my blog. Those folks at Blogger.com are up on all the techno stuff. I do like that.

So you'll be hearing alot more from me more often now.

Now I just have to figure out how to post pictures from the phone.

This is only a test

2009-09-24T18:44:00.002-04:00

Testing one two three. Chhhhhh chhhhhh chachacha. (can you tell I've been to a couple sound checks before?

Posting this from the phone. I think I figured out how to do it.

Here goes. *Hitting publish*

Some Random Wedding Stuff....

2009-09-08T19:02:00.003-04:00

You can view a short slideshow of the few pictures I had time to take here .

A couple of things....

Lots and LOTS of beer mixed with 20-ish testosterone is not a good combination. The after party almost got out of control. I spent a good hour trying to get a jump on the clean up....3 big bags of garbage and a couple bags of beer cans. I went upstairs about 10:30, just to get 10 minutes of quiet time because I was starting to get annoyed with the young bucks. Woke up at 4:30 am. My 10 minutes turned into 6 hours. The Spouse and The Offspring cleaned up the rest of the mess.

Nineteen 30 pack of beer were consumed at the house. UnFREAKIN'believable.

I want to thank the following people......

Judge Tim Walker. Anyone who quotes Dr. Seuss and Green Eggs and Ham during an exchanage of vows is alright in my book.
Annette Szcymanski at Shelly's Flowers. The floral arrangements were stunningly perfect.
Jim Weldy of "The Boys of Summer" for the perfect music
Donna Ilecki for the culinary masterpiece that was The Cake
Dave Wozniak, our brilliant photographer and friend.
Joseph's Country Manor for their wonderful venue.
Lee Nowicki who made the bride's dress and then delivered it as a wedding present.
And last but certainly not least....Mother Nature herself for probably the nicest day of the year.

The Wedding

2009-09-06T08:53:00.009-04:00

Here's just a few shots from the wedding. And, I might add...it was the best wedding EVER!!! And its not just me, mother of the bride, saying that. It was so relaxed and unstructured. Fantastic time was had by all.....at least thats what I heard all day.

I love this candid shot of Michelle and the sisters, Melissa, Emily and Kerry...and the flower girl, Maggie

My dryer broke this morning!!!!!!! The wedding is on Saturday. Timing is everything

2009-09-02T15:49:00.001-04:00

Sunday In The Park

2009-08-18T17:53:00.015-04:00

The past couple weeks at work have been brutal. Events every night after lunch is over and back to backs on the weekends. 21 days straight. No breaks. But we're just that good and we can pull it off.

We got to blow off a little steam this weekend at The South Park Italian Festival. Good Times Good Times.

It was held on the greenspace in front of The Botanical Gardens this year. Way nicer than where it's been held on Redding Street previously.

It was HOT and the sun was glaring but all the vendor tents were set up under a stand of trees, which made it quite nice. This is the one event that we bring our own beverages to. This year, the bev of choice was Three Olives Cherry Vodka and Lemondade or Limeade. Yum Yum .... perfect drink for the day. Needless to say, we killed the bottle. We also ran out of food!!!! We had lines all day long for our Grilled Chicken w/ Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich and the Italian Sausage Patty w/ peppers and onions and cheese sandwich, and the Stuffed Hot Peppers Sandwich. We rock! Pretty sure the other vendors were jealous at our brisk business. We ended up donating the proceeds of $500.00 to Cradle Beach Camp. We're awesome.

Justin won a prize in the Chinese Auction. The umbrella he models for us here, along with a two seater chair. I probably dont have to say that this picture was taken after the bottle of vodka was gone

Here, Justin tests out the umbrella, Mary Poppins Style by jumping off the back of the truck.

We really wanted to take this little guy for a ride. The BPD probably would have had a problem with that since its was theirs.

Here's the Master of Ceremonies for the event...Assemblyman Mark Schroeder. Those yellow shirts the DiTondo's people were wearing had a picture of him when he was a little kid. We do a different one every year. He loves it *evil grin*

At one point I found myself having a conversation with Mark and Mayor Brown. Later on, I mentioned to Offspring #4 that she should have taken a picture with me and Byron and after that, #4 and Justin started and all on "Who Can We Get A Picture With" challenge. #4 got a couple of the Buffalo Jills for Justin, they got me with the mayor and a state senator.

C'mon Out

2009-08-16T10:05:00.002-04:00

We'll (and by we, I mean the gang from DiTondo's) be over at the South Park Italian Festival today. Come on over. It'll be loads of fun!

Random

2009-08-15T12:09:00.003-04:00

We're finally having a summer!!!! Hot, Hazy and Humid. It hasn't rained in like a week.

Trying to get a couple of Beatles songs. There is not ONE Beatles song on iTunes, just cover band stuff. Why the hell is that?

I really need to clean my house. And by clean, I mean a move the furniture and scrub and polish everything clean.

I need a day off.

The new front door came in. Doug will install as soon as I'm done staining it. The Spouse says he might do it. That would be nice.

When We Last Left Our Story....

2009-07-29T21:01:00.003-04:00

...construction on The Project was just being completed. Its been most enjoyable. I'm spending every free minute being out there. That pretty much explains why I havent posted in a while. Well, that and the fact that we're working wicked crazy hours.

Focus is now turned to The Wedding Details. Offspring #2 and the Fiancee take the big walk in 6 weeks. Invites are out and returns are coming back in. I'm not one to get all nervous and jerky about stuff, but I'm getting a little hinky here because everything is going way too smoothly. The way this summer, and I use the term 'summer' with full sarcasm, is going, odds are, its going to rain.....and considering that the affair is a PICNIC, in the OUTDOORS...perhaps that will be our crisis. I keep telling myself that the weather is the one thing I can't control, so I'm not going to stress about it. I also keep telling myself that Mother Nature will be a dear and bless us with a nice day....She's just getting the wet stuff out of the way for that weekend. Yeah...thats it.

My Friend Lynn Sent Me This

2009-07-18T14:21:00.004-04:00

This video was made in the Antwerp , Belgium

Central (Train) Station on March 23, 2009, with

no warning to the passengers passing through

\the station.

At 8:00 am a recording of Julie Andrews singing

'Do, Re, Mi' begins to play on the public address

system.

As the bemused passengers watch in

\amazement, some 200 dancers begin to appear

from the crowd and station entrances.They

created this amazing stunt with just two

rehearsals!

Enjoy!

And Then There Was Light

2009-07-08T08:40:00.002-04:00

Well....sort of. I mean there's light, and it looks incredible in person, but I couldnt capture it like I wanted to on the camera.

Photos just dont do it justice

By Jove, I Think We've Done It!

2009-07-03T16:11:00.005-04:00

The Irish Snug

What is a Snug? The history of the "snug" began in Ireland in the late 19th century. It was typically a small, very private room that had a frosted glass window, set above head height, accessing the bar. You paid a higher price for your beer in the Snug, but nobody could see you. It was not only the well off visitors who would use these rooms. The snug was for patrons who preferred not to be seen in the public bar. Ladies would often enjoy a private drink in the snug in a time when it was frowned upon for ladies to be in a pub. The local police officer would nip in for a quiet pint, the parish priest for his evening whiskey, and lovers would use the snug for their clandestine visits.

Well....I just got done putting a couple of coats of poly on the bar. And let me tell you, it's friggin awesome looking.

Here's a couple of shots......

I'm loving this bar. I believe we'll call it The Snug.

All we need the electric hooked up and Kevin is coming over early next week to do that. Oh, and I need to dress up the place with all the little chachki and stuff I've been collecting. Jewelry, if you will.

You'd Think....

2009-07-01T11:05:00.004-04:00

...that since I've been off all week....(we're closed...one week every year at 4th of July) that I'd have tons of time to post. But no....I've been off doing stuff. Mostly wedding stuff. I believe I have everything checked off my list, so now I'm good with that.

Every morning, I've been waking up a little later. Except for Monday of course, when The Spouse woke me up at the usual time, forgetting that I didnt have to get up. This morning, I rolled over and it was 9:45. I cant remember the last time I slept that late. AND, its rained pretty much every day this week. Yeah.

And, I havent had a Pepsi since Friday. Its just too easy having that fountain gun so close to me at work. My name is Peggy and I am a Pepsi-holic. Nothing beats an ice cold one in a can. Yes, it must be in a can...none of that 2 litre or plastic bottle stuff for me. And it was the absolute bestest when it came in glass bottles. Remember those? What I wouldn't give.... Now that I'm rambling about it, I'm probably gonna have to buy some when I head to the grocery this afternoon.

But I can't leave now....Doug is here installing the bar on the porch. Film at 11.

The Green Green Grass Of Home

2009-06-23T07:11:00.004-04:00

We have green-ness! I guess all that rain over the last week was good for something. The seed is beginning to sprout.

Stucco guy finished up on Friday and I spent all of Sunday painting. Looks really really nice. The Spouse is just loving it also. He was a bit concerned about the whole stucco thing, but he absolutely loves it now. Dude...always trust my vision, ok?

I dragged up some of the old crusty chairs and a couple of tables from the basement and we've been sitting out there. A LOT! The Offspring and I were out last night for hours. I'm very pleased.

All thats left to be done is the ceiling and the new front door. Oh, and the bar. Doug's off on another job right now and we've been demoted to 'rainy day' work status. Which, I guess, is ok. Not really, but what are you gonna do? He promised that all would be done by the end of the month.

I'm very well pleased with the whole project. Thinking about posting it on "Rate My Space" on HGTV.com. Wouldn't it be cool if we were an inspiration room for someone and then got on the show????

Ok...I've Got Some Catching Up To Do

2009-06-18T17:16:00.009-04:00

We've been swamped with parties at work, and we're putting in 12 hour days, and doing weekends and I've just not have time to update anything, so here goes......

Last week I noticed that the Yucca in the front yard had started sprouting. Not just one or two stalks...but SIX!

The started to open up today....

Gorgeous little flowers....too bad they don't last real long.

Now...on to The Project.

The whole house is sided. Love the color. The Spouse and His Buddy With The Bobcat spread 25 yards of dirt (Thats a LOT of friggin dirt) to level the terrain around the patio and slope it out to the back. He also got the grass seed spread and miracles of all miracles...its been raining ever since. Weather so far this spring/summer has been kinda crappy. One or two nice teaser days then not so much.

AND!!! The stucco guy game today and started the side walls. Doug will finish off the ceiling when stucco guy is done and then Kevin will come and install the lights and outlets and the fan and we'll be DONE!!! Well...we'll be done when Doug installs the bar.

When The Walls Come Tumbling Down

2009-06-08T05:38:00.006-04:00

The Aud is almost gone. Here's another good place to reminisce about the old girl. And this will lead you to a video of the tumbling from Saturday

The last of the roof came down on Saturday morning

I drove by yesterday....This was taken from under the I-190
And this wall is all that's left standing.
There were a good number of people roaming around and checking it out.

Everyday Brings Something New

2009-06-02T17:02:00.005-04:00

Bricklayer Todd pretty much finished up today. We thought we were going to have to wait a few weeks for the capstone but he found some and slapped it up there today

Check out this brutally phenomenal detail work above the door.
All thats left to do on the structure is the stucco on the two interior walls, and the covering for the ceiling.

In the mean time, Doug has begun the task of re-siding the rest of the house....he's got the one side done. After that we can add the landscaping and its party time.

Nice View

2009-05-31T11:10:00.007-04:00

We went to Harry's Harbour Place Grille for my birthday dinner last night. Good view, good food and excellent company!!!

In other news.....the brick work is coming along nicely! Half the inside wall is done....I'm thinking he'll finish up tomorrow....
And all the brick on the outside walls is done. That will be getting capped off with a white stone ledge. As you can see...some of the old siding is off and being prepped for the new stuff. Coastal Sage is the new color. We are so over that 20year old blue!!!

I just got done staining the door and the window. 6 more hours to go before I can do the second coat. I may cheat and do it a little earlier. We'll see. If the 1st coat is dry I may be a rebel and do it. I live dangerously!

Doors and Windows and Bricks, Oh My!

2009-05-27T19:30:00.004-04:00

New door *which I have to stain on the inside* New window *which I have to stain, on the inside*
And the best part..the brick work. Gonna look wicked awesome once the new siding goes up. *did I mention that we decided to reside the whole house? Budget buster right there.*

Grime Doesn't Pay

2009-05-26T21:53:00.002-04:00

Got the computer back today. My guy Ray ran what he needed to run, said if there was any kind of virus that it was gone and he didnt think there was a virus, but the big reason for my problems was dust. I guess shooting the thing with the air in the can stuff just isn't enough to keep the puppy clean. Computers are like TVs in that they are giant electromagnets that attract the dusties.

Speaking of dust, I've got a thin layer of construction dust all over the house. I just got done delousing the kitchen because the new sliding door went in today. There's grime everywhere. One thing I despise is grime!!! makes me nuts! And the window went in on The Project too. The brick guy was here dropping off the goods and Kevin came by and did some preliminary wiring. He and The Spouse are now up at Nickel Creek having a pop. And by pop I dont mean pop if you get my drift. I'll have some pictures up soon. There were too many people roaming around to get any shots this afternoon.

Not Much New Progress To Report

2009-05-20T17:20:00.004-04:00

We have trim....

And we have soffits

I believe we're waiting for the electrician to work his magic and the brick guy to come and do the brick work along the lower section *across the whole lower back of the house, where the Tyvec is...wont that look cool?* of the house, then the siding can go up. Brick guy is also doing the brick and stucco on the interior.

I want it to be done!!!! "Daddy..I want an Oompa Loompa and I want it NOW!!!!"

Everyday A Little More Progress

2009-05-18T17:26:00.007-04:00

Today The Project is enclosed. Well...except for the part thats staying open. All the sheathing is up and the roof, no shingles, but a roof, is on. As expected, my kitchen is a little darker, but thats ok because now I can have the curtains open without being blinded. It'll lighten up once the window goes in on the left side.

Would you look at that lawn???? All thru this, The Spouse, aka, Mr. Greenjeans has kept his lawn up.

And, as always, you can see more detail if you click on the picture.

What The???

2009-05-18T06:49:00.001-04:00

Yeah..its the 18th of May and we're scraping frost off the cars????

And I didn't take the computer in Saturday cuz they were closed.

2009-05-16T06:50:00.003-04:00

We have an actual structure now!

And this guy is doing all the work by himself.

In other news.....I think I have a fan motor problem on my computer.....I should really take it in and have it checked out, so I may be inactive for a few days. I can make posts from my phone but I dont know if there will be any pictures. Wish me luck

Have I Ever Mentioned How Much I Love My Job Or The People I Work With???

2009-05-13T15:39:00.005-04:00

I'm sure I have. Today was just one more example of why.

We have a regular customer...*we have LOTS of regulars actually, this is just one of our favorites* who lately has been getting a salad to go. I started drawing little pictures on the bag, or writing little notes on the container and just doing goofy little things like that. Well, today Justin took it to the next level..

Yes...thats Andy's name carved out of a couple slices of provolone cheese.

Awesomeness

Framing Has Begun!

2009-05-12T17:45:00.006-04:00

This is awesome...and the picture does not do it justice.

The sun was in the way!

And its weird....it's the first time since way back when in, what, September was it, that we're able to walk out the sliding door into the backyard. Coolness

Another Episode of .... Unsolicited Product Review

2009-05-11T16:16:00.004-04:00

Today I tried the Woolite Rug Stick . And gosh darnit, it worked pretty well! I've got a high traffic problem stepping down into the family room. The dingy came out and it fluffed up nicely. I also tried upstairs where I had a spill and that came clean also. Then I thought...the stairs could use a sprucing up so I started on the bottom, got one step done and ran out of product, since the kit only comes with a trial size container.

Bought it at Tops for $14.95 and I didnt even think to look and see if they sold a refill. If they don't, I'm sure Target will have it. At least I hope they do.

Two Thumbs Up

And They're Off

2009-05-10T10:15:00.004-04:00

We went to Buffalo Raceway last night. Had a table right along the glass in the grandstand.

I went down and play some slots for a little while, *because I couldnt find a room they were painting so I could watch the paint dry...not a big fan of the whole 'slap a wagon on a horse and make him trot in a circle and see how much money people will bet on the outcome thing* till I ran out of money...hahahahaha...it didn't take long.

If there's a recession, you couldn't tell it from The Fairgrounds. The grandstand was packed and there were very few slot machines that were not occupied.

Taking Shape

2009-05-10T10:07:00.002-04:00

The concrete for the porch and the patio are done!

Next step....construction of the porch itself.

Random

2009-05-07T21:37:00.006-04:00

So...there's no update on The Project because they're not pouring the concrete until Saturday. And it's supposed to rain on Saturday night so, who knows.

Here's some random stuff.

New (or old) TV shows I like.

The Unusuals I LOVE this show!!! The characters are a bit off the wall, or, unusual, if you will. On ABC, Wednesday night, 10:00

Castle Two thumbs up on this one too. Nice cast, humor, mystery, well written. On ABC, Monday night, 10:00

Bones David Boreanaz, Buffalo boy, nuff said. His father was Dave Thomas of Rocketship 7 and Dialing For Dollars fame.

30 Rock I have always and will forever have a crush on Alec Baldwin. There, I said it. Everyone knows now.

The Mentalist No commentary, I just like the show.

The Office, My Name is Earl, Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, all make the list too. Hmmmmm...seems to be the stuff I like most is the stuff that makes me laugh. Or chuckle. Or snicker. Nuthin wrong with that!

And looking over at my Twitter update from last night, it seems I can't type whilst walking down stairs in a mob of people. That should have read "A Chorus Line". And let me tell you it was just fantastic! I was walking around all day today singing the songs I love the most. And singing them outloud, which is not really pretty at all. At least I didnt break out in a dance number using a lid to a pot as my top hat belting out "One, singular sensation, every little step she takes". I thought about it but I didnt do it.

Double Update

2009-05-06T15:26:00.005-04:00

...because I didn't get home till after dark last night and didn't take pics till this morning and this afternoon.
This was the scene after yesterday....the foundation was all filled in and level. Beginning to look like something now, huh?

Now, today, forms for the floor of the porch, the stairs and the patio are now set.

It's probably going to stay that way for a while. Weathermen say its going to rain the next couple of day. Oh, wait...what am I talking about...they haven't been right about any weather prognostications for a long time!

The lilac are beginning to bloom too!

First Floor, Housewares, Second Floor, Sporting Goods, Third Floor, FOUNDATIONS!

2009-05-04T16:57:00.003-04:00

WooHoo!

I Miss All The Good Stuff

2009-04-29T15:37:00.006-04:00

I'm an ambulance chaser from way back. My dad was the first one to say "Let's go" when the sirens at the fire station went off. We had a scanner and if something big was close, we were there.

If only I'd stuck around at work for a few more minutes yesterday. I could have been in the middle of all the excitement. Not 10 minutes after I left, this really cool building behind work went up in flames.

This is all that's left

I know I have a before picture around here somewhere, and if I find it, I'll post it.

I should mention that the building was vacant and no one was hurt.

There's some more pictures and a story to this story at BuffaloRising.com

**edit 5/4

Just got this picture in from The Spouse, thought I'd post it

Pimpin' Ain't Easy!

2009-04-28T16:30:00.004-04:00

Today was Kid's Day and Al and Justin and Kush and Jimmy and Peter and The Spouse and I were out there at 6AM schlepping newspapers. Here's Justin and Al...crazy bastards were walking the middle of the road like they owned it.

It was a fantastic morning, weather wise...we were warm and dry. Of course, it started raining about 10:30. I'm glad it held off till we were done, but the rain means nothing gets done on The Project.

We're On The Way!

2009-04-27T18:22:00.005-04:00

The footers were poured this afternoon. The moat has been filled.

Let's hope there's no rain for a little while. *just knows there will be now that I've said it out loud*

Holy Lots of Dirt Batman!

2009-04-26T14:57:00.005-04:00

Ok...so there's not THAT much dirt.

There's two nice mounds that came out of the trench for the foundation. Hopefully footers will be poured on Monday. Waiting for the building inspector to give an okie-dokie to proceed.

We've had an absolutely gorgeous last couple of days. I went over to Antique World this morning, y'know, just to get out and get some fresh air, yeah, that's it...I wanted fresh air. We'll stick with that story. I found this awesome tin Pepsi thermometer. The mercury for that actual temperature reading is gone, but otherwise its in great shape!
Can't wait to hang it out back with all the other stuff I've been collecting. I hope this room is going to be big enough!!!!

And The Construction Begins

2009-04-24T15:15:00.006-04:00

Day One

Doug came over this morning to do preliminary stuff. Excavation for the footers starts tomorrow.

I'm excited.

If you recall, the last work to be done was demolition of the pool and deck, back in September.

Today, the siding was taken off, and marker stakes put in.

And the fence came down so the dig equipment can get back.

Stay tuned for further developments.

Did I mention I was excited?