crack the window 2007

nov. 29, 2007

archive | for grandma | gallery

vacating, part 1
the week after the seagull, I headed down to georgia. last year, I took the train. it wasn't bad, but the traveling time ate up a bunch of my vacation time - 12 hours each way. then there was that giant furnance of a woman who squeezed in beside me for the return trip. this year, I flew. the security line at dulles was huge, but I got through it in about a half-hour, and they didn't even look at my neatly bagged 3 ounce or less liquids, grr. but I got to atlanta so quickly and easily (1 hour and 20 minutes) that I felt like I beat the system and somehow tapped into time travel. the shuttle from the aiport to athens worked out great, too. ginny met me at the holiday inn, and we began a wonderful few days together. the grit. we spent a couple nights at the cabin on the lake. we paddled the red beauty up the chattooga. we hiked around tallulah gorge state park, after taking care of the flat. we played scrabble. she gave me a very generous gift - her "old" camera. one day I spent with don, hanging out around athens. the grill. we saw ben at the taco stand. don took me back to ginny's later, and we paddled the old white monster round and round her lake. no sign of grass carp this time, and the water level was very low because of the drought.
_________________________________________________________________

vacating, part 2
I didn't have a plan for this one. off from wednesday (halloween) until monday (the day before election day). what to do, what to do. headed to st. albans first, stopping to see the leaves at coopers rock on the way. had hoped to trick or treat with cara and the kids in riverlake, but st. albans did it a day early, so I missed it. I caught a giant crawdad in browns creek while my feet stayed toasty in cara's awesome boots. cara and I hit the haunted trail after dinner at rio grande in nitro. on thursday, I visited with pop, aunt olivia and uncle paul, then headed to the farm on the old road. the arrival of cierra dawn postponed the ya-ya trip to the smokies. took a couple day trips with mom and dad to places I'd never been. on sunday, I took skyline drive back. on monday, daisy and I hiked around catoctin mountain park.
_________________________________________________________________

more from the yard
first it was the mulberries, then bounty from the garden, then there were crabapples galore. I found this recipe online and tried it. the spices were just right, but I don't think I cooked the apples long enough.

nanowrimo
wrote just 148 of the prescribed 50,000 for november's national novel writing month. better luck next year.

twins
spent a day with stacie and jared's beautiful girls. had some trouble telling them apart, but enjoyed snuggling just the same.

hot chocolate
threw a hot chocolate tasting/game night this month. what fun. tried four recipes: aztec chili, brown sugar, peppermint white chocolate and decadent. played scrabble and outburst. hope to do it again real soon.

seen in 2007
"Cloak & Dagger" "Next" "Darjeeling Ltd." "Jaws 2"
"Into the Wild" "Perfume"
"Casino Royale" "Neverwas" "Breach" "The Fountain"
"Live Free or Die Hard"
"Hannibal Rising" "No Way Out"
"The Hand That Rocks the Cradle"
"The Illusionist" "Thumbsucker"
"A River Runs Through It"
"The Cooler" "Children of Men"
"Girl, Interrupted" "Memento"

bridge day
what a fun time sharing the farm and this wv festival with friends from work and friends from home, plus hiking the grapevine trail with mom and a rousing game of UNO with dad. and have you tried the pumpkin ice cream. yum

reruns
discovered "homicide" the TV show. it's not half bad.

reading
I can never just read one book. so at the moment I'm into "another roadside attraction," "roses are red," "the monkey wrench gang," "word freak," "confessions of a dangerous mind," "picnic, lightning," and "the executioner's song."

darjeeling ltd.
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. and the soundtrack is fabulous, too. I guess I should get around to seeing "rushmore" now.

fed up
why do people let their dogs run free in places like great falls where it is forbidden? twice this month, I've had run-ins with these folks, and "THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE"

farm journal
shot of day
sortakinda
babes on bikes
virginiamcclure.com

stumbling on...

headlines
**Bellowed brimstone
raises ire on Hill
**Ice cream induces
arrival of the stork
**Home is where
the heart trouble
likely begins
**Bush rocks
Plymouth story
**Thompson keeps it
short, not so sweet
**U.S. warms to the Earth's
'untapped potential'
**Cell-phone ban a hang-up
for D.C. drivers