Alien Spouse

Kinetic Art.

Having moved from a one-bedroomed shoe box to a palatial two-bedroom-and-a-dining-room bread box we find ourselves suddenly feeling that the space is a touch spartan.  I mean we want it to be fairly minimalist, and we certainly don't want clutter - but Eva's room echoes because there are only three small pieces of furniture in there right now!

We are going to by a sofa/bed to go in there at some point in the next month, because otherwise where will Moth sleep when she comes to visit? (squeeee!) Before then though we have to do something to make the space feel a touch more inviting and fun for Eva; I especially thought she needed somethinbg entertaining to look at whilst lying in her crib.

So we bought her a mobile.  Not one of those sugary sweet nursery mobiles though, oh no, we went with a design classic that also happens to depict one of my favourite birds.

It's a Flensted Swallow mobile, and the minute I saw it I was like "Oh,  of course!  That!"

The shop we bought it from was the rather lovely Mod Sprog, and they had all of their Flensted mobiles on sale - So we also got this one for the living room.

 

This is the Flowing Rhythym mobile in red, which was originally designed in 1955 so, of course, it goes nicely with our current mid-century modern look AND our love of red home furnishings.

I knew exactly where this one was going to hang, because there was an ugly hook screwed into the ceiling in th ecorner of the living room, so I knew I had to put something there to at least excuse the damn thing.  The trick was going to be how to hang up the one in Eva's room, but the mobile is extremely light so I thought that I'd take the advice of the manufacturers and use a drawing pin (US Translation: Thumb Tack).  I got out the step ladder, grabbed a drawing pin and unpacked my new avian friends.

When I looked at the ceiling above Eva's crib I was surprised to find that there was already a drawing pin there in almost exactly the right position.  Dude, that's just spooky.  I mean it's not like there are drawing pins all over the ceiling here; there is just that one precisely where I wanted it to be.  Asheville just provides everything... (or, and this is just a crazy theory, that room has been a baby's room before and the crib is in the most logical place for it).

Beer City Video.

Apart from moving house I was also very pleased to see the launch of a video that I've been working on for a couple of months now.

 

I am the project manager for production company that made this - which in this case meant I did everything from comissioning custom etched beer glasses; including child-care of an adorable little girl whilst her dad climbed into a beer vat; to sewing a teeny tiny kilt for a beer bottle.

It was a very unusual project I think, and I sort of doubt that anything is going to touch this for the having-fun-at-work factor - I mean really I got paid to hang out in bars and discuss jokes!  How much better could it get?

Comfortably Ensconced.

So, we moved this week! It was glorious! (note dripping sarcasm)

Actually it was mostly ok, just the usual pain of seemingly endless packing, which once that's finally over, is followed by apparently infinite amounts of unpacking.  Doc spent early Tuesday morning wandering around looking in boxes trying to find 1) the kettle (unsuccesful), and 2) his underpants (fortunately succesful).

Eva really doesn't seem to notice any difference in the apartments, she's just as happy here as anywhere else; I do think she's sleeping better in her own room though,  The cats, however, are noticeably happier.  There is distinctly kittenish gambolling about the place and they clearly love having free access to our bedroom at night again.  We thought they would miss the balcony (we do have one here too, but it faces east so it only gets the sun in the morning and it's enclosed by fly screens), but the additional space seems to make all the difference to them.

The best bit about this move is that we have much more room - I told Doc on the first morning we woke up here that this must be what toothpaste feels like once it gets out of the tube.  I loved the last place, and for a single person it would be amazing; for a couple it was a tight fit; for a nuclear family it was a squash; for two adults, a baby AND two cats it really was too small.  We really had to economise quite drastically when I left my job and we re-located here, but now I'm working again and Doc C has got tenure (Squee!  Jus this week!  I'm so proud of him!!!) we can afford to actually spread out a bit.

The other thing is that, whilst our old neighbours were all very sweet people, no one here has so far woken us up playing the mandolin.  Or the guitar.  Or exuberantly singing.  There are more than double the number of apartments here, and we've heard almost nothing of our new neighbours.  It's rather soothing.

Moving! Again!

We are moving next week to a new apartment, which is only at the corner of our current road - But it has two bedrooms (Squee!) and the unheard of luxury of a dining room (OMG!)

We actually had two months left on our contract here and were discussing maybe looking for something to buy after that, but having a baby and buying a house are supposed to be two of the most stressful things you can do in your lifetime - let's not do both within twelve months eh?  

Instead we noticed a for rent sign outside the apartments at the end of our street, and it's a really funky building so I was nosy about what it might look like.  Add to that it's actually managed by the letting agent we are currently renting from, so it seemed like a reasonable idea just to look, you know?

And... we liked it, and it turned out that not only is it managed by the same agents, but it's actually owned by the same person; so we could transfer our current lease to the new place and just move there at the end of the month.

Well.  How can you turn that down?  That seems far too much like something that's meant to happen doesn't it? If you believe such hippy illogical nonsense, which obviously we don't, but looking a gift horse in the mouth purely because it's logical is actually just daft don't you think?

So we are moving on Monday.  Squee!  Except packing. sigh. But mostly Squee!

A Damn Fine Breakfast.

It's Wednesday already?  Jeez!

Today Doc and I went to the Sunny Point Cafe, which we'd heard served the third best breakfast in America (I don't know who decided that though!) I cross-questioned the waitress about the maple syrup was real maple syrup or not, she was very nice about it and assured me it was.  With her guarantee on that important point I happily ordered waffles. It was a really good breakfast, Doc (who ordered sausage, eggs, potatoes and a biscuit) and I both thoroughly enjoyed it and it was only just over $20.

Eva had fun too.  She grinned happily at everyone else in the cafe and tipped a glass of ice water into her dad's lap.  Poor Doc had to sit through his delicious breakfast in cold soggy jeans.  I may have laughed.

A Tuesday in Asheville.

I had anticipated a relaxed start to my day, because I was going to a meeting round the corner at 12 instead of going to the studio at 10.  So naturally I woke up with a splitting headache, a vomitting cat and a baby in need of a bath - None of those things were connected, except that they all seemed to happen at once.

Still, my day itself was good.  We are filming in local bars at the moment, and one of the guys in the video has needed to bring his year old daughter with him to the sets.  As project manager I see my role as including taking care of any issues that might delay filming, so I've been the on-set British nanny as needed!  It was actually really nice to play with a toddler and get a glimpse of where Eva will be in a few months.  Apparently there will be a lot of climbing up and down stairs, as well as a fair amount of toothy grins.

Whilst I was trying to source props for Thursday (how hard is it to find DJ decks in Asheville on two days notice?), Doc C was taking Evalyn to her six month check up.  She's very healthy and now weighs nearly 16 pounds, so she's almost tripled in size since she was born.  I'm told she still hates having vaccination jabs, but then who could blame her for that really?

Love Asheville.

On Sunday I was working at the shop, and it was fairly busy which was really quite fun.  I was saddened to see that the clock hand earrings I'd been eyeing up had been sold since Thursday, but I probably shouldn't wear attractive dangly earrings around Eva McGrabby-Hands anyway.

Sundays are a nice day to be working in one of the coolest shops in Asheville, because we get a lot of tourists who are visiting for the weekend and usually by Sunday they are relaxed and chatty.  I really enjoy meeting people when they are happily chilled out, so it's a win-win.  This week I was wearing my new "Love Asheville - Go Local" t -shirt

Even better this week I recognised one of our customers, but I couldn't immediately place her.  Fortunately I realised who she was before she left - It was Go Go Ren of the Appalachian Roller Girls!  Squee!  I, of course, fan girled out, and told her what a great jammer she was.  Go Go seemed quite surprised to be recognised, but she was lovely and didn't skate a lap around the shop at top speed or anything.  She mentioned that she had retired her skates, and asked if I'd considered joining a derby team myself (Don't worry Mum - I'm a wimp, I'm highly unlikely to strap on the knee guards) It was a definite highlight of a pleasant day at work.

Asheville.  You have got to love it.

Day Trip Back.

It's been snowing today, but Doc C needed to go and get some books from his office - So we went on a day trip.  Eva slept on the way there, and on the way back (impressively I only slept on the way there); whilst we were in town she was a very sociable baby and smiled at everyone she saw.

We grabbed the books (fed and changed the baby), and then had lunch at one of the best sandwich places in town. I'd also called our favourite bakery yesterday to reserve a loaf of their Friday special - The chocolate cherry sourdough.  We also bought coffee and cookies for the road, so today was a total carbs-fest.

All in all, quite a pleasent day.

Afternoon Snooze.

 

Today was a pleasantly stark contrast to yesterday, and Evalyn Alice was in a bloody lovely mood all day.

Ok, as far as Eva was concerned, the day did start promptly at 5:30, but it was all smiles and delightful cooing noises right from the start.

We took her for a walk to the Botanical Gardens at UNC Asheville this afternoon.  We hadn't taken her there before and the novelty of it was clearly rather exciting; she was smiling and doing her happy wriggles (these are very very different to her angry wriggles, beleive you me).  Several people said hello to us, and Eva gave them all a nice big gummy grin.

When we got home she had a lovely snooze, and was extremely photogenic about it.

All in all - Adorable.  That's what I signed up for!

An Unexpected Perk.

Hurricane Sandy probably won't make it's way up the mountain, so we're safe; however, it has pushed the winter into place, so we've had snow today.  Again it's not bad in Asheville, but Doc's university is likely to be canceling classes tomorrow because there is between 5 and 8 inches of snow predicted.  Which means Doc came home unexpectedly this evening! Yay!

 

Bump : Elevation 6684 Feet.

Today is the last (week) day of the summer holidays for Doc C, and when I was a kid that always meant going out for the day.  In the absence of a National Trust House (I love National Trust Houses and especially National Trust tea rooms!) to visit, we drove to the top of Mount Mitchell and then walked 280 yards to the actual summit - Which, as you can see from the sign, made Evalyn's bump the highest bump East of the Missipi River!

It was very pleasant up there, because it was quite misty and autumnal.  Lovely.  It was very odd to drive back down the mountain and into late summer again.

Thirties Style.

I keep forgetting to say that we met one of our neighbours, Steven (and his very sweet dogs Twiggy and Coco), from the rather nice house next door, he told us that he had a friend who had lived in our house decades ago.  Apparently it was built in the Thirties and has always been appartments.  Fascinating!

There are several elements, like the living room's light fixture, that are clearly original features, and it also explains the layout and design of the flat itself.  All of the rooms, including the hallway and except for the bathroom, have a large cupboard built in; it makes so much difference, and I don't understand why more modern houses forego this type of functionality.  Well I suppose that it must be much cheaper to build that way, but why don't people insist that houses need proper storage? 

There is never anywhere to keep the ironing board or the vacuum cleaner anymore.  Actually, in this appartment we have an original murphy bed style ironing board in the kitchen which I would have tried using, but Doc C thought it would be a little bit impractical as it butts up against the gas stove in the kitchen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still, isn't that fab?

 

 

Squirrel and Nut.

This afternoon I was in our bedroom and there was a weird loud scritchy noise coming from just outside the window.  I looked out, and there was a squirrel draped over a small branch gnawing at a nut.

I loved how nonchalent the wee beastie was; just hanging out in his tree, eating his nut, totes happy.

I also filmed it, but I am having a really difficult time downloading the film to the computer from the camera data card.  It's only 90 seconds of footage, yet it is taking FOREVER via the wi-fi link and the card reader keeps getting turned off by the lap top.  I don't particularly care about this short film, but what about when Evalyn does something that needs to be filmed?  Hello?  First words?  First smile?  Clearly I'm going to have to fix this technical issue before it messes up something important.  Updates as they happen!

I.D.

My State I.D. arrived today, and, as predicted, the photo is horrendous!  Woot!

A Pastoral Spherical Bump.

We didn't actually leave the house yesterday, so today Doc C was all "WE ARE GOING FOR A WALK - Bird Sanctuary or Botanical Gardens?  Choose!"  I didn't realy mind which and I felt like a bit of a stroll, so we ended up going to both and grabbing lunch from a Korean/Mexican food truck in between (so I had a tofu torta, Doc had spicy pork tacos and we split a side order of kimchi - It was SO delicious).

I also asked Doc C to take some more photos of the bump, because my stripy blue skirt is cut in such a way that it really shows off how spherical the thing is looking now.  I am serious, look:

It looks like I stuffed a mixing bowl up my t-shirt! Ridiculous!

Oh!  Let's compare it to a photo taken this time last year, shall we:

That really is RIDICULOUS!

The really funny thing about all the photos we've taken to document The Bump is that all of them have been outside (almost - We took a photo inside the flat last week, but I was next to the window!), preferably near a pond or a lake with plenty of trees in the background.  When Evalyn looks at them it will look as though I went entirely feral whilst I was carrying her and never came indoors or ventured too close to an urban area.  We'll have to go into town and find some really good graffiti for The Bump to pose next to, just to get some grittiness on record.

We also received a parcel from Doc C's aunt, who had clearly heard we were intending on depriving Eva of anything pink.  She thoroughly redressed the balance, and we now have several pink baby-grows, night gowns and dresses; fortunately she did lean more towards hot pink and the over-arching theme of the bundle was pink elephants, so we're not turning our noses up!

Nappy Training Day.

Today Doc C and I had an induction with a local diaper service (they deliver fresh clean nappies and take away the dirty ones to be washed - So the part of the whole cloth nappy thing that was giving me pause is just taken care of?  Perfect!), which means that the very nice woman who runs the service, Erika, came to our flat with a big stack of cloth nappies and a baby doll to practice putting nappies on.

We now know three different ways of putting a nappy on a baby, and both of us now feel a little more confident about what we're doing, I think.  The nappies are held in place with nifty rubber grippy things instead of nappy pins and then you put a water-proof cover over the top of that to really secure everything in place.  It seems fairly straight forward, but the doll isn't as wriggly as an actual baby, so that might change everything.  We shall have to see.  The only thing that Erika said that really surprised me was that breast-fed baby poo doesn't smell nasty, she said it smells like bread! Really?!?!?  Is that a true thing?   Similarly, I was reading last night that to help with breastfeeding I should consider taking fenugreek, which apparently has the weird side-effect of making sweat smell like maple syrup: again, really?!?!?!  I want to try fenugreek now just to see if that actually happens, because then, once Evalyn is born, the flat could potentially smell like french toast and how great would that be?

One of the things I am surprised to find that I like about the new flat is that, precisely because it's so small, we are forced to assign an actual place for everything to be stored - It really has to be "A place for everything and everything in it's place" because otherwise we'd be tripping over stuff and/or losing everything the minute we put it down.  So Doc C immediately cleared a shelf in the hall cupboard for the nappies and wipes, and we have stacks of both of them ready to go right now.  The nappy bin is also going to go in there, so it should be nicely out of the way and, should the bread aroma thing be a lie, we'll have an additional smell buffer.

Now all we need is a baby to actually wear the things.

Questions and Answers.

We went back to the NCDMV today to re-submit my (totally fine and not at all expired) immigration papers, and that seemed to go smoothly.  Of course, it seemed to go smoothly last time as well, but the examiner this time was aware that it had already been messed up once so he got a colleague to come and double-check his work before submitting it.  He also apologised for the inconvenience and thanked me for my patience; I said it was just one of those things, so it didn't seem worth getting het up about, but, if it made better material for teasing the other guy, that he should say I totally flipped out about it.

I have to say I wasn't best pleased about having my photo taken again today, because I didn't bother to put any make-up on this morning.  So the photo is bound to be even worse than the last one. Oh well, these things are not meant to be flattering are they?

On the way back we stopped to get some Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.  It always takes me slightly longer to make a decision than Doc C so he ordered his first, then the lady behind the counter turned to me and asked "And you?  What are you having?" To which Doc C chirpily replied "It's a girl!" to her evident confusion, because she couldn't actually see my bump over the counter and meant what doughnut did I want.  Hilarity ensued, and I don't think I stopped giggling to myself for the next hour.

Doc C is on a hair-trigger as far as questions about the baby go, clearly!

State of Annoyance.

I seriously feel like the state of North Carolina is messing with me. 

First of all my old town sent me a letter calling me for jury duty practically on the day I move to a different county, and it's for the 13th of August (so, in case you haven't been keeping track, just at the point where my waters could break any minute). Oh, AND, in any case, I'm a resident alien, which is not an American citizen, so why I'm being called for jury duty I do not know. Ugh.

Anyway...

The court's letter had a series of tick boxes for reasons that you could be excused without needing to actually go to the court house and explain yourself to the judge.  Not being a citizen wasn't one of them, so I went with what seemed like the easy option; not being a resident of the county.  As proof of this they require a driver's licence, which I don't have, so last Monday we went to the NC Department of Motor Vehicles to get a State ID for me.  To do this I queued, I smiled nicely at NCDMV employees, I provided the relevant paperworks and proofs, I signed things, I paid $10 and then I posed for what is bound to be a really unflattering photo.

Today I got a letter from the NCDMV saying there was a problem, and that to resolve the issue I needed to supply non-expired immigration paperwork.  My Permanent Resident Card doesn't expire until 2019, so I was slightly perplexed by this request as you may imagine.

So I called the number on the NCDMV's letter to ask what they meant, and that number didn't work.  Of course.  So I called the main number, navigated the automated torture system and, after being kept on hold for half an hour and being bounced around between three different NCDMV employees, I was eventually told that my details had been entered in the wrong place in the computer - So I have to go back and resubmit them!  It's their mistake, I didn't do anything wrong, all of my paperwork is in perfect order but I have to go back to their office and start the process from scratch. The really frustrating part is that the NCDMV can see that the right  forms were submitted by me, but they can't correct the mistake they made without me going back to their office. Ugh.

Which wouldn't be so problematic if I didn't need to get back to the court by the 6th with a solid reason why I can't sit on the jury, so we really needed the State ID to be ready this week.  Ugh.

At this point I called the court clerk's office and explained the situation.  There was bemused silence, and then the woman at the other end of the phone line said "Well, just fill out the form and return it".  OK, but the tick boxes don't cover two of the three reasons I'm asking to be excused because of, and the third reason I don't have the required proof for.  Silence.  Should I just write a letter and attach it to the form?  Yeah... Do that, yeah.

So I did, my letter says:

Please excuse Jennifer from Jury Duty, because a) she doesn't live in your county, b) she is, like, SO pregnant and c) she is NOT a citizen and is therefore not allowed to bloody well serve on a jury you muppets!  UGH!

Ok, I paraphrase slightly but you get the idea.  Hopefully that will take care of the jury duty, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

As for the State ID, at this point I'd be inclined to say bugger it because I don't really need it, but I paid $10 in cold hard cash for the thing (that was another thing - the NCDMV don't take cards, only cash or cheques but they don't tell you that until you go to pay.  At which point you are directed a couple of miles up the roud to the nearest bank!); and, ok, it does get a little tedious explaining the permanent resident card every time I want to buy a beer.

Still. Ugh NC, UGH!

An Afternoon in the Arboretum.

This afternoon we decided to go to the North Carolina Arboretum which us about twenty minutes drive from our flat.

It is amazing.  If you ever come to visit Asheville I would highly recommend spending a few hours here, for one thing the only charge is $8 for parking a car so it is a veritable bargain.

We started off in the exhibition center which is currently hosting an exhibit called "Wicked Plants" which was just like Halloween in July - So, clearly, it charmed the hell out of me, and convinced me that every plant I saw after that was going to seriously maim me.  Fun!  The exhibit was set out as a haunted house, with family portraits of the anthropomorphised plants and different rooms illustrating the various ways that plants could take a person down.  It was just so well done, and had so many clever details; it made me quite jealous, because I realised that I would love to have a job as a designer of exhibits like this!  How does one go about doing that?

The arboretum itself is spread over 434 acres, and 65 of those acres are arranged as gardens and hiking trails - So we definitely only saw a fraction of what there is to be seen.  Doc C was particularly charmed by the bonsai garden, which was just stunning.

After a noce lunch in the education center's cafe, we strolled around the Stream Garden and the Quilt Garden before heading home.

We both had a lovely afternoon, and discussed buying an annual membership because it is so close to our new home and it is so very lovely.  I can't wait to take Eva there for an afternoon, and my Mum can almost certainly expect to be taken there when she come to visit.  Bring your walking shoes, Mum!

Three Days After the Move.

It is SO nice to have the internet up and running again, even if it is the old school cable version until we pick up our own wireless router (It's a bit mean of Charter to not tell you they are retracting wireless, if only because it means the poor engineer on the job has to explain why he's taking your old wireless router away with him. I could tell our guy was sick of having that conversation.)

Anyway, we are here in Asheville now and just getting the flat organised.  It feels like for every box I unpack there are another three lurking behind it, but we are making some progress I'm sure.  Hey at least we've got the kettle out, so we can have tea!

Both cats seem to have settled in already, it helps a lot that the apartment is surrounded by trees so they have plenty of birds to stare at longingly.  We've also let them out onto the balcony, because there really isn't any way they can get off it (apart from old-fashioned jumping, which I'm not totally convinced they wouldn't be stupid enough to try).  This is a huge success with both cats, and I'm 90% sure they don't even remember the old house now.  They do only have teeny tiny cat brains after all.

As for the humans, we seem to be settling in quite well too. I think this could be a pretty good place to live... Once I get rid of all of these damn boxes...

An Uncivil State.

I am so disappointed and saddened that North Carolina's constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage or civil unions was voted in.  The only slight shreds of good news in this are that the county I live in voted against it, and actually 40% of the state as a whole did as well.

Still, that 60% was ample to push the thing through, and be hateful for the sake of it, because it's not like gay marriage was legal in NC even before this amendment. This is just the nasty cherry on top, it makes me almost expect to hear about a resurgence in witch hunting at this point.

Of course, that was yesterday... Today I am very glad though that President Obama has FINALLY declared his support for same-sex marriage.  That is a huge deal because he is the first US president to back gay marriage, and that support is a step in what I personally consider to be the right direction.

Cake and Asheville Therapy.

Here is a nice slice of cake from a hippy cafe that we went to in Asheville. (Well, I say it was a hippy cafe, all of the lovely smiley girls behind the counter had dreadlocks and/or tattoos of trees, but then it had a very clear "brand identity" and logo, plus really plush bathrooms so it was distinctly upmarket hippy.)

 

This was a chocolate almond cake made with beet sugar, which is why it looks slightly pink. This adds fuel to my theory that Red Velvet Cake really does not need to be made with three bottles of cochineal in it, but that the same effect could be achieved in a much less artificial manner. It was quite dense, not too sweet and altogether a nice bit of cake. 

 

This was the introductory snack to my Asheville day trip therapy which also included:

• A two-hour drive there, listening to Kylie all the way (I was DJing, obviously, and in dire need of some handbag pop)
• A haircut from Naomi
• Browsing second-hand books
• Delicious lunch (I had really good fish-and-chips, Doc C had shrimp stuffed salmon that he was just ecstatic about)
• Shopping for maternity clothes (a striped grey dress, a skirt, a blouse and two t-shirts) and anti-stretchmark body lotion
• Unexpected bonus purchases of make-up and a picture book about London.
• A two-hour drive home, listening to Ok Go (I was DJing again, but being kinder to the Doc)

My lobbying for us to move to Asheville has been moved up a notch.

Happy Pink Cloud.

As I mentioned at the time, we went to Asheville this weekend, and I took a photo of this rather cheering mural. Obviously it was the happy pink cloud that caught my attention initially, but I particularly like the black half-cloud at the top left; it's painted on a bit of masonry that's sticking out slightly so there is a pleasing 3D effect.

It's always been my aim to have a photo up every day, but that has definitely been dropping off recently. The main problem I have with downloading and editing my photos at the moment is purely that I have to use the desktop in the study to do that, and it's a temperamental beastie at the best of times.If you plug in a USB before switching it on, then it crashes and Doc C has to physically take it to bits and re-build it. This sort of thing makes me wary of using it.

Anyway, I had read about memory cards that had built in wi-fi and would just automatically upload all your photos when in range of your home network (or any of the 32 other networks you can give it permission to use). So I bought one, and it's all set up and raring to go. So far I've just taken some test shots of an empty cake stand, but once I've got something better than that I'll post them here.

A Kindle's Journey.

For my birthday Moth gave me some Amazon gift tokens, so I could buy a Kindle! I ordered it on my birthday (along with a olive green leather case, and a book for the Doc) and have been tracking it's progress ever since. Wheeeee!

That's really been the focus of this week for me, so I've found it very hard to write blog posts that weren't just detailing the Kindle's journey from Amazon's mysterious seller facility, the location of which is merely given as "US". The first stop on the trek was Hebron, Kentucky, which gives us a clue as to the seller facility's location because it only took an hour to get to Hebron from there. We can also deduce that Hebron must be delightful, because the Kindle spent 7 hours there. What do you think? Brunch with some of the other parcels, maybe a mini spa day?

Happily refreshed the Kindle spent the next day travelling from Kebron KY to Charlotte NC, where it checked in for the night. Kindle left Charlotte for Alienspouseville at 2 o'clock this morning, and I kept checking the shipment tracker, and when it's arrival was logged I got VERY excited; so I walked to the post office at lunch time.

Did I mention that today has been the first day we've had proper snow? And, naturally, the heaviest flurry was at lunch time, so I walked to and from the post office - in the snow - to get my Kindle and...

...The delivery it was on hadn't been unpacked yet, so I have to go back tomorrow.

It'll probably snow again, and there will be some sort of geological event that will mean I'll have to walk up hill both ways. Actually it was quite a nice walk really, and it wasn't an entirely unfruitful trip, the birthday present I'd ordered for Doc C (and the t-shirt I got at the same time) had arrived, so that was something. Doc's present was an apron in suitably drab colours, the man lives in drab, with the slogan "I (pictogram of a loaf of Bread) Bread"! "I Loaf Bread"! Love it!

Flame Coloured Leaves.

This tree is right next to the main entrance to my building and it's easy not to notice for most of the day, because it's not until the sun moves around behind it in the laste afternoon that you really get the effect of the whole tree being aflame. Then you notice.

Birds and Other Animals.

This is the bird feeder (that's what it was labelled anyway - but I think it makes a better bird bath than a bird feeder, because surely it's just going to fill up with water when it rains?) I bought in Old Salem yesterday, the shell is about the size of a hand and the little metal bird is probably a little bit smaller than life size.  It was only ten bucks! Score!

So far the birds have totally ignored it, but that's hardly surprising as it has nothing in it.

This is right next to our now empty seed holder, which Doc filled up on Thursday and which was then systematically emptied by the cheeky chipmunk that lives under our house. This morning I saw a squirrel hanging on the empty feeder - Sorry Nutkin, too slow! The chipmunk is quick and efficient!

Being animal-loving softies we are secretly rooting for the chipmunk, and so we didn't chase it away or remove the feeder when we saw what it was up to. Of course that doesn't mean we are going to refill that feeder any time soon, the chipmunk has more than enough to last it for quite some time and the birds won't really need our help until it snows.

 

Sadly, there is a down-side to being animal loving softies.  Apparently when you rescue a mouse from certain death at the jaws of your cat and release it from the front door, what the ungrateful wretch then does is run round to the back of the house and climb back in through the tumble dryer duct. I know this because I saw a mouse sitting in the middle of the downstairs bathroom when I got up this morning, and I am pretty damn certain it was the same mouse from last night.

I called Edith, who naturally ignored me completely, but when I got her and carried her into the bathroom she pretty soon figured out what I was trying, in my moronic human way, to tell her. The mouse slipped away under the washing machine, and Edith so has been on high alert ever since. She has been patrolling downstairs and checking all the likely places a mouse might hide, including a very close examination of under the sofa. She is very thorough.
If I were this mouse I would get the hell out of here, but, seeing as it came right back to where it was caught last night and then just sat in the open where even a dopey human could see it, I'm assuming it's Pinky and not The Brain.

Autumn Morning.

There are some mornings when both of your precious darling cats have thrown up in various places, and, whilst you clean that up, the kitchen fills with smoke because your breakfast bagel has burnt in the toaster.

It is particularly important on those mornings to take a deep breath, and also to appreciate a moment of unexpected beauty when you walk around a corner to see misty sunlight shining on autumn leaves.

Trees Within Trees.

Over the weekend we went for a walk, and Doc C spotted a large tree which has two fir tree saplings growing out of the fork. It's a beautiful adoptive tree family!

Kitty Pride.

I read recently (on Wikipedia) that the reason Sanrio don't usually give Hello Kitty a mouth is because "without the mouth, it is easier for the person looking at Hello Kitty to project their feelings onto the character" and that "the person can be happy or sad together with Hello Kitty." I've just never pictured Hello Kitty as being a great solace during times of difficulty myself, but maybe she is to somebody.

I think the addition of the glasses make Hello Kitty look more scholarly, but also as if she will not take any nonsense. A fine role-model for any professional woman I'm sure you'll agree.

Today I am wearing jeans and a t-shirt (that both fit!) topped off by a waistcoat with a Nerd Hello Kitty badge on it. I happened to be wearing almost exactly the same thing when I was in a slightly awkward situation a week or two ago and I must say that I felt equal to the challenge because I had Nerd Hello Kitty in my corner (not to mention I was better dressed - Which I hesitate to note because it sounds a bit self-congratulatory, possibly outright bitchy, but, none the less, that was my honest opinion).

Turning Colours.

Autumn! Woot! Woot!

Nero Greenback Visits Appalachia.

When we were walking yesterday I was taking photos of tree roots, and I notices a fuzzy white caterpillar. I think this is a picture of it's head, but I'm not really positive of that.

Anyway, I think it's Baron Greenback's evil pet, Nero, or at least a close relative. Could someone in London pop a note in Danger Mouse's letter box please, or perhaps e-mail Penfold?

(By the way I made none of these jokes at the time because Doc C has never seen "Danger Mouse". I know! Can you imagine?)

Asheville Feeds Me.

I always book my next haircut with Naomi on my way out of the salon (Ananda - Who are lovely by the way), that way we have our next trip to Asheville set up before we've even left town, and when I booked my haircut last month I happened to choose the weekend that the Americana Burlesque and Sideshow Festival was in town. That sounded like our idea of a good time, so the Doc booked a hotel and I threw an evening dress and two bags of make-up into an overnight case. However, we couldn't find out if there would definitely be seating at the main show at The Orange Peel on Saturday night. I know that sounds a bit needy, but really I don't want to be standing for three hours at the best of times and it would really kill Doc C's back. We really did try to find out, we scoured the website for clues, and asked at the box office on the day, but no-body seemed to know and we didn't want to plonk down $25 apiece on the off-chance we'd be able to snag a chair.

So we got dressed up anyway and went for a curry at Mela. There was considerably less nudity on display, but the Malai Kofta (Ground almonds, cashews and paneer cheese formed into balls and cooked in a rich almond spice sauce) with a Mumbai Mojito was so delicious I barely noticed that. I am a girl who liked her food, it makes me very happy to eat a really nice meal.

Speaking of which, we went to Table for brunch this morning. You know when I say it like that it sounds easy, but we weren't at all certain they would be able to fit us in because we didn't have a reservation. To be sure of a tasty breakfast we got there half an hour before they opened and made sure we were the first people through the door. They hadn't even printed off the day's menus, that's how ahead of the game we were this morning!

Doc had a breaded pork loin with a fried egg and avocado, which was delicious; at least that's what he tells me, personally I was too focussed on my bagel with lox, goat's cheese and a hard-boiled egg to really pay any attention to anything else. So delicious. I'd already eaten half of the bagel, all of my salad and a good number of smashed-then-fried potatoes before I thought to take a photo.

So delicious.

happy sigh.

Soft-Shells.

OH MY GOD!

The neighbours across the pond from us, the people who are only here for a couple of months over the summer, were just shooting air rifles and fireworks at the ducks and geese. Apparently they've been doing this every summer for several years, to try and scare the birds away permanently but it just hasn't worked.

Why would anyone do that?

I mean quite apart from the fact that it's really noisy, scares the hell out of our cats and our next-door-neighbour's dog, AND they were aiming the fireworks in the general direction of our house; why do they get to evict the wildlife from a perfectly nice pond? Why live next to a bloody pond if you don't like wild fowl being on it? What is the point? And who the hell made them king of the world?

Aaaahhhh! People are just horrible sometimes.

Naturally, being British, I just went outside and stared at them with my hands on my hips until they went back into their house again, but I'm sure that being given a disapproving look won't do much long term difference to their attitude.

Does anyone know of a good goose or duck translation of "The Foxbusters"? I think we could do with some of the Ransome, Simms and Jeffries spirit around here.

A Visit from My Mother-in-Law.

After the Power of the Pumps walk we met up with Alison (Doc's Mum) and her friend Mike, who had detoured on their drive back to Massachussets after wintering in Florida. They had arrived in town just before the walk, so they saw The Wedges before going to get some lunch whilst the actual walk was in progress.

The last time they visited we were still living in our old house, so we were excited about showing off our current home because it is a much prettier house and neighbourhood. They were staying over-night (after Doc guilt-tripped them), so we went out for dinner and an evening tour of the town, before getting frozen custard. We know how to show visitors the very best of our small town. It was actually a really good evening for them to visit, with the town being neither in the full-on tourist mode of summer or the full-on student mode of the start of a semester (it's exam week - The students should all be revising...) and the weather being actually quite pleasant instead of miserably cold and damp.

This morning Doc dropped me off at work before going to meet them for breakfast, and then they will continue on their way back to New England.

Repetitively Beautiful.

I'm aware that I've been taking fewer pictures than usual, but it's that age old complaint: It's been snowing since the dawn of time & everything looks the same every bloody day.

With that in mind, please forgive a second photo of the Stick Cockerel in the snow. This one is different though, because there is a bit less snow so Mr Stick himself isn't frosted and you can see bird tracks around him. Plus there is a pinkish tinge from the setting sun.

Did I mention the snow?

Tree Buds and Video Games.

We went out for brunch this morning, and then went for a walk to work it off again.

I noticed there were several trees in bud, which is really shortsighted on the part of the trees because we are expecting another bad cold snap next week. I was taking photos of the buds when Doc C pointed out a really tiny nest. We couldn't work out if it was a bird nest or an insect nest, but it's pretty impressive that it's so well built that it has survived the whole winter so far.

Then we came home and I had a lovely nap with Edith in the loft.  Then Doc C napped with both cats whilst I played "Little Big Planet 2", and it is SO cool. There is an whole level made of cake, Batternburg Cake, where you can grab and throw blobs of jam. Plus there is another great soundtrack, which includes the disco classic "A Fifth of Beethoven" which is so damn funky.

It has been a fun Saturday.

Winter Sunset.

On the way home some enormous fluffy snowflakes landed on the windscreen and you could see the pattern of the ice crystals really clearly.  I tried to take a photo, but it was really difficult to focus on it so the white spec that I actually captured in the shot turned out to be the moon.

I still had my camera out when we hit the stretch of road that faces the sunset in the evening.  So I snapped some pictures of the gorgeous orangey pink horizon instead.  It's definitely one thing that North Carolina does really very well, and I particularly like the colours against the monotones of the telegraph wires, the mountains and the snow.

Yes, if it wasn't for that bloody Hot Tub sign on the right I'd be really quite chuffed with this photo.

A Blow to the Christmas Spirit.

Today Doc C and I were on somewhat of a mission, we made a list of everything we needed to buy, loaded all the recycling and rubbish into the car and then we went to town.  The list was mainly things that we might need whilst snowed in, which there is not a sign of so far I have to say, and included such necessities as whiskey, apples and draught excluding stuff.

We completed our mission within the alloted time frame and then came home to put up the lights on the veranda before the hotly anticipated arrival of snow.  

Whilst helping Doc to wire the lights through the kitchen window, I managed to hit myself in the head.  If this were a sit-com it would have been something seasonally appropriate, but in real life it was actually a very large wok which I knocked off it's hook and onto my head.  Doc came running in, and made me sit down then he checked me for any signs of concussion, but I think I'm ok.  Bit of a headache, but that's about it.  Edith kissed it better, well, really she just likes the taste of my hair product I think so it was more an affectionate grooming.

We were planning to go to a friend's party this evening, but the wok to the head took the party mood right out of me, so we stayed at home instead.  I put up some of the draught excluders, but I've left the rest to do in the morning.  Oddly putting up insulation is far less fun then putting up decorations, weird that eh?

Friday Night - Before the Predicted Snow Storm.

We're going to my Department's Christmas Party this evening, which should be quite fun actually.  It's a very good thing that it's this evening, because this weekend we have been promised a blizzard.  In fact the University has already re-scheduled the exams that were supposed to take place on Monday to Wednesday, I'm assured that this is completely without precedent so this is clearly going to be some serious snow.

I'm already planning the supplies we'll need to buy tomorrow morning to survive the predicted long snow-pocalypse weekend - Mostly this involves having all the ingredients required to bake mince-pies and gingerbread houses, but I also have my eye on some draught excluding caulking cord for the window frames.  I am determined to stay warm this year, and I've been reading this blog post about things you can do to keep heat in when you live in a rented home with an eye to making that a reality.  Of course my top tips to staying warm over the winter is plenty of tea and a cat or two scattered about the place.

How Tuesdays Should Always Be.

If there is anything better than coming home early from work, it's coming home early from work, having a nap with your loving pets and being woken by the smell of banana bread baking in the kitchen.

Also, in other news, it snowed a bit.

When life Gives You Snow, Make Hot Chocolate.

I stayed at home today, thanks to the combination of a bad headache and a heaping helping of snow.

Doc had a meeting so he still drove into campus, but the Mini is front wheel drive so he actually had a bit of a challenge just getting up the incline of the driveway and onto the main road.  It took him three tries, but he took a good run up and made it eventually.

I made myself some porridge and went back to bed with the cats.  They mostly slept, whilst I knitted and read "Freakonomics".

Doc came home at 12, and said he was really glad that I hadn't gone in today because the roads were awful already.  He'd brought home a lot of work to do, so he disappeared into the study.  

I felt much better this afternoon so I took the opportunity to whip up a batch of heart-shaped butter cookies and some hot chocolate; because if this isn't the perfect weather to snuggle up with a warm snack and a good book, then I really don't know when is.

The Cat in Winter.

Doc C took Edith outside for a few minutes yesterday morning, naturally he got bored well before she did. For one thing because she's admirably prepared for such weather with a luxurious fur coat which keeps her toasty warm, and for another she's very vain and knows how gorgeous she looks against white.  

I suspect this is how she was given the distinctly snowy name of Mrs Zhivago, because if any cat would look good snuggled up to Julie Christie in a horse drawn sleigh it would be our Edith.

A Purgative of Mental Objects.

Edith woke me up at 5 this morning by miaowing pitifully, which she never does, so I went downstairs to check she was ok (she was totally fine, I don't know what that was about at all) and then back up to bed; but I couldn't fall back to sleep.  I just did that dozing thing, where you have your eyes closed but your brain is churning away.

Mainly I was thinking about life, the universe, and, you know, everything.  A recurring theme was blogging and what exactly I'm trying to do in this little bit of of the internet.  I read a lot of blogs, web comics and cyber-zines so I've observed there are as many approaches to maintaining an internet site as there are people on-line.  I've never wanted to stick to a particular theme, because my blog was more about keeping an open diary.

When I wrote about going to the hospital with Doc C on Wednseday evening he wasn't very pleased that I'd done that, but it was in defending those 2 posts that I came to the conclusion that I haven't been writing about the things I've been actually thinking about.  I don't really know why I'm censoring myself so heavily because all it means is that when I open the compose screen I'm stuck with a very limited selections of topics to write about, and it sort of feels like I'm making endless small talk.  Which is exhausting.

So I think it's time for a cathartic blurt of my current recurring thoughts:

• Doc C and I are going to try and get me pregnant in 2011.  This is a very weird thought.
• I haven't been home in over three years and I just have a small but constant lump of homesickness in my throat that I have to try and ignore or I'll just wallow in it.
• I've been on anti-depressants for 18 months mainly to cope with the homesickness, and that certainly helps, but it's still there.
• I don't like living in a small town, because I really miss being in a big city.  The job market means we are unlikely to move anywhere soon, so I'm trying to make the best of it all but it's not my ideal lifestyle.
• Only one person seems to be talking to me from my last office here on campus, and that makes me really paranoid.  Did I do something awful or are they just cross because I changed offices?  No one's actually mentioned anything to me, but it's a hard feeling to shake.
• I like my current job but I always planned to have got somewhere in an actual career by this stage in my life, and I'm getting a little bit panicky that I'm in my mid-thirties without any idea what the hell I'm going to do next. Part of the problem is that the only career option that seems viable in a small university town is becoming a university lecturer.
• I'd need to complete at least an MA, which would involve taking classes, researching and writing essays and doing student teaching whilst working a full time job.  I need a nap and a large gin just thinking about that. 
• I would like to start a small business but I'm not sure what I should try to do.  I'm always being told I should sell my Amigurumis or other stuff I make, but I'm just not sure if that's really what I want to do full-time.
• I'm not a very good house keeper, because I honestly don't notice that stuff until it becomes clear that it really needs to be done.
• I don't like my wardrobe.  The only place I ever seem to buy clothes here is Old Navy, which is fine for jeans and casual tops; but all of their skirts are too short.  I'll never be cool and that's fine, I just want to look smart and sensible, but also a bit funky or at least interesting.  
• I can't find time to exercise regularly.  Going to the University gym is free, but it opens at 7 so I can only fit in 20 to 30 minutes in the morning before I have to get ready to start work at 8; the gym then closes at 3 and I finish work at 5.  I can't run because my plataar fascitiis flares up again.  I want to take Pilates, but one studio just won't get back to me and the other isn't offering classes until next year now.
• I'm a natural blonde and, as is natural, my hair is getting darker.  I occaisonally think that I'd like to dye it a fun colour, but I've never bleached or dyed my hair and I'm not sure I could really be bothered with the necessary upkeep to keep it looking good.  Plus that sounds expensive.
• We will be in Boston for Christmas, which means we will be seeing the Doc's family and he hasn't even begun thinking what we could do for presents for all of them.  Actually when I mentioned it this morning he said he would tell them not to give us any, so we shouldn't need to get anything for them.  This strategy never bloody works, and I find it mortifying to be given gifts when I don't have anything to give in return.
• Edith keeps pooping on the bathroom floor, I'm trying not to get angry with her because I know she's just trying to tell me something, but I don't know what she wants now. This makes me feel like a bad cat owner.

Ummm... Yeah, there's other stuff too I'm sure, but that'll do for now!

Roller Derby Demo Bout.

Our local roller derby team had a demo bout this afternoon, which sounded like my idea of a well spent Sunday.  I thought I'd left my camera at home, so I don't have any photos - Not even of when one of the Black Team's Jammers slid off the track right into our trackside chairs.

It was very entertaining, and we already have a few favourite skaters (our favourites were chosen based on a combination of skating, style and a clever name or number); so I'm really looking forward to seeing them play an actual match against another team!

Don't worry though Mum, much though I enjoyed watching, I can't imagine I'll ever get out on the track itself.  For one thing, as Doc C said, I just don't have enough of a killer instinct for it.

Countdown to Halloween: Twenty One Days

This mechanical pony ride sits outside Kmart, next to a kid size Bat-Mobile.  I took this photo on the way in, and made some comment to Doc C about how spooked the horse looked.  This isn't the first time I've noticed this particular toy, and I have always thought that it looked uninviting, because that horse looks evil and/or insane and I wouldn't want to put a child on it.  Look at the expression on it's face!  That is not a well balanced horse!   

On our way out after our shopping there was a little girl riding the Pony of Darkness, and I recognised her as the child who had been systematically destroying an animatronic witch inside the shop. Maybe she was playing a rousing game of the Spanish Inquisition,.. or maybe she's just out of control.   Either way, I can see why the horse looks like that now, clearly even devil spawn children demand pony rides occasionally.

Countdown to Halloween: Twenty Three Days

We happen to live in a place that's famously beautiful at this time of year, so much so that we actually get tourists who are referred to as "Leaf Lookers".  This being a particularly nice day I was taking some photos of the late afternoon sun shining through the autumn leaves.

Then I spotted the newly spun spiders web catching the light, and looking very much like my beaded cardigan from yesterday.  When you see a new web they look so delicate and pretty it seems ironic they are so intrinsically linked with haunted houses.

However, when I moved to try and get a better shot, I then saw the main web.

 
Oh right, well now that you mention it, that is really creepy.

Cat in the Rain.

Taking the cats out for a walk is definitely more fun for them then it is for me, because they don't really do very much apart from eat grass and sniff things; but they move just fast enough and just far enough away to stop me from reading a book or something.

Last night I tried walking both cats at the same time, and, of course, they each wanted to go in the opposite direction to the other.  It was not fun for any of us, so I brought them back in and Edith threw a tantrum.  I'm not kidding!  She miaowed, she clawed at the door, she threw herself on the floor, she tried to push the screen off the window and finally tried to climb up the window frame.  It was quite a display.  Doc asked if I really thought taking her outside was such a good idea after all.

But I still do, because for one thing I know that Doc wants to be able to let the cats out by themselves when we live somewhere suitable with a private garden or something.  When that does eventually become a possibility I will just feel a lot more comfortable if I've been able to see them outside on the lead first, and be 100% certain they know how to get home before I'll trust them out there by themselves.

Anyway, this evening it was raining and had been all day - So I thought Edith wouldn't want to be out there for very long, because she hates water.  And that assumption would be wrong.  Apparently Edith hates water unless it's rain, and that's a very important distinction clearly.  Good thing I'd put on my new raincoat and wellies, because we were out there for a while.  The thing's I'll do for these cats.

By the way, I edited this picture in Picnik and added in the watery texture that way, which is a new effect that I love.  That's pretty much what it looked like for me anyway, I'm just pleased none got on the camera lens itself.

Hair Cut in Asheville

Today we went to Asheville, mainly so I could get my hair cut.  This seems an awfully long way to go for a salon, but I just can't find anyone here to cut my hair short enough and to understand when I say I want some "volume and texture" I do not therefore mean "BIG HAIR".  I'm from England, not Texas.

So I searched on-line for a hairdresser that stocked the hair products I've become very attached to, Bumble and bumble, and that was how I found the website for Ananda Hair Studio.  I liked the look of their portfolio, and the bios they'd written for the stylists; so I rang and spoke to quite possibly the most helpful receptionist I have ever come across.  She asked some very good questions about my hair and the type of style I wanted, and also broke down the different fees for me.  She then suggested Naomi would be a good stylist for me, so I went with that and she was spot on.  Naomi was so cool, she was wearing a navy tank dress with white stripes, a red headscarf knotted round her neck and high red wedges; it was sort of punk sailor girl look, which I wish I could pull off.  She also turned out to have pretty much exactly the haircut I wanted, so I relaxed the minute I sat down at her station.

After that we went shopping, I bought three books and some yarn; whilst Doc C declared again that he is totally over Urban Outfitters.  On the way home we got Dunkin' Donuts, which were pretty much dinner, so it was a very fun day but I am knackered now.

Stupid Spiders.

I didn't go running this morning, but I did get up early to do some yoga and after breakfast Doc C and I went for a walk; so I feel like I've had some exercise.

We then went shopping for a few things; mainly I wanted an extension cable and a clip lamp for the loft, but we also had to get some sort of bug spray.  I've currently got three large bites on my right leg and they are itchy as hell, Doc C suspects spiders.  I am most annoyed by this, because I am nice to spiders damn it!  I try not to damage their webs (unless they are in really stupid places that I can't avoid) and I regularly rescue them from the bath.  Why would they turn on me like this?  Actually I wouldn't really care if the bites didn't itch for days, that's the bit the I hate.

Anyway, Doc won't have me being snacked on and the cats are showing no aptitude for spider hunting, so bug spray it is.  sigh.

Edith Can Climb.

As I tweeted earlier today I climbed up to the loft for a nap this afternoon, and when I'd been up there for a while I could hear Edith messing around on the mezzanine (I worked in a bookshop that had a half floor that we referred to as the mezzanine for three years, so I think it's a perfectly reasonable way of describing it; Doc keeps asking if that's really what we are going to call it) climbing on all the boxes.  So I looked over the edge of the loft at her, until she looked up and saw me.

Then she had to try and get to me.

She walked all round the mezzanine trying to find a way up, and occasionally miaowed in frustration.  Finally she sat at the foot of the ladder and just gazed up at me.  I thought that would be the end of it, because I didn't think she'd even try to climb the ladder by herself.

Oh how wrong I was.  She just launched herself onto the first rung, and scrambled up until she reached me and was clearly very proud of herself.

We stayed up there for about an hour, and when I climbed down I carried Edith down with me.  She hated that, but I honestly don't know how else she could get down from the loft.  Of course now I'm worried she'll climb up there when we aren't at home and get stuck.

Stupid cat.