Everything is awesome, fundamentally.

Perhaps you are visiting my blog for the first time today - thanks! Jason put our website together about a year ago and we keep it updated pretty regularly with the quirky, mundane and goings on of life. When we sent out our Christmas cards - we thought it would be nice to alert you that we've moved...and mention our website too! So, thanks to you who have been reading for a while - and to the newbies - Welcome!

Well, we did it - we survived Christmas on our little island of joy in Virginia. I wasn't sure how things would turn out - given that we didn't travel home to see our family and friends in Illinois- but to my surprise, all was well. It would have been nice to see everyone, but we'll just make some new plans and carry on.

I'm really enjoying our new home. We decorated for the holidays, and it felt very festive for Christmas! We put our tree front and center in the bay window and it looks fantastic from the street! You'd think the condo association paid us to put it there. (actually we don't have a condo association yet - new construction ya know.) And on that note, i nominate Jason condo president! I actually think he'd be good at it - however - i've also shared the elevator with some of our neighbors, and i'm not sure it's worth the hassel dealing with some of the snottiness. So, nevermind Jason - it would probably just be more annoying than anything.

We are invited to a New Year's Eve party at our neighbor's house on the first floor. So, travel plans will be easy. Just head down a flight of stairs!

I hope your travel plans are just as safe this New Year's Eve.

Have a very Happy New Year!

PS. I made the Peanut Brittle - it turned out delicious! (read previous post)

Candy Coated Nuts!

For some reason, while i was at the grocery store on Sunday, a glistening package of Peanut Brittle caught my eye. In-between the deli counter and the bread section it called out my name. I got a closer look only to find that this particular canister of Peanut Brittle was almost $10. I thought, "I can do better than that." As if - the challenge was ON! I researched my cookbooks, even called my parents and got the extremely old version of Peanut Brittle - the kind they made back in the day! (*Note: I've included the "scan" from my parents ancient Better Homes "New" Cookbook. My dad can't find a date on his copy, but i'm thinking it's from the 1950s.)

As my dad and I talked, it was made offical -The Annual Christmas Cookie Baking Season -has arrived! Every year, my dad has the same list of delicious cookies - Pinwheels are his specialty - and it just wouldn't be Chirstmas without them. So, this week, the Gingersnaps, Spritz, Pinwheels and Cresents will be created! And for some reason, i have this adventurous candy dream.

Perhaps it was my recent visit to the Sarris Candy Factory on Thanksgiving weekend. Or, just that $10 canister of peanut brittle at the grocery store.

No matter....the supplies will be purchased, and candy will be made! ( i hope) ....I have to find the right saucepan first.

The whole world should know about Corn Pudding.

I realized something during our Thanksgiving meal today-everyone must try corn pudding. It is absolutely delicious! It's a dish that speaks to me. It's full of downhome goodness with a hint of sweetness that sends my heart soaring. I like it a lot. My serving even has its own plate. Yep, you heard me right. I reserve a small salad plate for my corn pudding. Mostly because i don't want any other food items to touch it. For me, it's not a food that meshes well with a river of gravy and green been casserole (more on this later)...no, to me eating corn pudding is like eating dessert DURING dinner. The funny thing is, the recipe Jason follows is really sketchy. And that's why this story makes me laugh! I'm seriously looking at the recipe right now and it says "1 or 2 eggs" - well which is it?? One or Two? Ha! There are also no measurements next to the words "nutmeg" "allspice" and "sugar"....who knows how much of those ingredients you add! And somehow, Jason manages to pull of a flawless tasting corn pudding year after year!

After further clarification, here's the recipe from Jason:
2 cans cream corn
2 eggs
1 box Jiffy Corn Bread Mix
Nutmeg ("I don't know - a dash?" Jason says.)
Allspice ("I don't know - I don't measure it" he replied.)
About 3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 stick of butter
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until top turns golden brown.

So try it! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised and you be the hit of the neighborhood.

....and as for the Green Bean Casserole. Welcome to 2007 Lynette. All these long years I never knew what I'd been missing. It's great! Why didn't anyone tell me?

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

What a fun 4 days off!

Yes! What a fun 4 days off. Marx and Elizabeth came to Virginia for a long weekend and we had so much crafty fun! We'll post some pictures soon. The only downside to their visit was the morning of their departure. We didn't want them to leave :) We are so greatful to have friends who are also "home improvement friendly" - while the two were staying with us, we managed to install a dimmer switch in the kitchen and three ceiling fans. I'd say that's an achievement! Thanks guys, the improvements are awesome! Don't be shocked if we ask you to come back to help us paint the walls! I heard Elizabeth likes to paint.

Visitors

You would think life has been boring and uneventful considering i haven't posted for nearly a month. I guess I don't really have an excuse - mercury was in retrograde from Oct 11th-Nov 1st if you believe in that stuff...so that could be the reason.

We're still up in the air about our dog adoption. Read Jason's blog for the complete details. I would just like to get a 4-legged pet, ya know? Easy to dream about (and Jason and I have been dreaming about it for many years) but, apparently it's harder to actually do it. So we have dog food, but no dog at the moment. And Abe, poor Abe the loner dog with SA well - let's just say, I didn't let myself get attached to him but now i realize i miss him.

I was telling my sister that I think fondly of Abe and my memories run in my head like you're watching a movie and right in the middle they do that "montage of good times" to some cheesy song. Yeah, that's how i remember Abe. I hope to know more soon about our 4-legged friend. Until then, we're in limbo.

In other news - Marx and Elizabeth are in town for the weekend. Fun! Jason is currently teaching Marx how to play Guitar Hero. Jason is playing "Freebird".

I'm too excited to sleep.

For the past two nights I've been tossing and turning during the night. The first night I figured, "way to go Lynette, you drank a Vanilla Coke Zero at 5pm...this is your punishment." (Can't say i drink too much caffeine, so it really does get to me.) But when the same thing happened last night, I was perplexed....and then it occured to me...I'm too exited to sleep! You could compare it to that Christmas morning feeling. And now that i'm blogging about it, it kind of seems overly dramatic, but the simple fact is - Jason and I are adopting a dog on Sunday and I'm really looking forward to it! And it's funny that i'm feeling this way - when Cathy from the BRGA conducted our home visit she mentioned that Christmas morning feeling happened to her. Now, here i am and it's happening to me too.

I'm looking forward to the adoption for a few reasons. First, there will be a soft animal to pet in our home - and it won't be a stuffed animal!! Second, I can't wait to see Jason's face on adoption day. You think I'm excited? Jason is excited.

Meanwhile, I never say it enough. Jason rules. I couldn't ask for a better person to share this life with and be married to. It will be an honor to share this new experience with him as we adopt a new member of The Carlock Family.

My New Favorite Snack.

It's October 1st and I'm here to say - Pumpkin Seeds rule! I picked some up at our local Trader Joe's this weekend and have found them to be the perfect snack for snacking on. Plus, I read they are very nutritious. I have sealed them in an airtight container and put them in the cabinet...but have since learned they should be stored in the fridge. Who knew? I've been eating them with the shell on and Jason thinks I'm crazy. He doesn't like them.
Ps. Take the poll! (on your right ->)

They said "Yes!"

It's official, we're adopting a dog. We are worthy enough to become Greyhound parents.

Aside from a series of fish - Jason and I haven't had a pet in awhile. We soooo miss you Charlie and Artoo! That is why it seems adding a pet The Carlock Unit 216 is such a thrill.

Now that we've crossed the "you are worthy to own a dog" bridge...it won't be long before I'll be handing over my prized stuffed animal collection so I can make a new friend. I don't mind...during the our recent move I questioned why i had so many stuffed animals in the first place. I guess i was saving them for this purpose. Who knew!??!

I really thought we'd get rejected for adoption, so it was very exciting to get the news last night. As recent as Sunday, Jason told me not to get my hopes up. Now I can!

Food poisoning and crazy ladies

I'm so glad Jason posted some picures of our new place. Now you can see that we're kinda getting settled. (Thanks for not taking a pic of the second bathroom Jason... which looks more like the back room at an art gallary.) We have so many framed things - and they're all stacked in the bathroom. That's also where you can find Jason's comic books, a few guitars, lamps and backpacks. Yeah, we haven't found a home for everything just yet. But we're getting there. I can't believe next Monday (Sept. 24th) will be one month since we closed.

The time has been flying by, and we've been working so hard to get our lives back into a normal groove. And that proves difficult when one of your two days off -you spend in total pain and agony in the bathroom. On Saturday I ordered a simple turkey sandwich for lunch at our favorite restaurant- turkey on bread, yeah that's a "safe bet" cause there's no grease involved - well that didn't seem to matter. That's all I'll say. It wasn't pretty. So last Saturday afternoon/evening was rough...but not to be outdone, I encountered a slightly different type of agony and pain the following morning.

It was Sunday, 11am, and Jason was at violin. (Every other Sunday morning I have to myself. I did the math and for exactly 4 1/2 hours a month - I am home alone.) Let's just say, the next time someone knocks at the door and I'm alone, I probably won't answer it. I peered through the small peep hole and saw a nice lady with blue hair standing in the hall. Curious, i thought - "huh, I wonder what she needs? Did she just move in next door and want to introduce herself? Is she inviting me to a party?" Well, less than thirty seconds later, I heard the real reason for her visit. If you can imagine it, it was actually worse than the food poisoning the day before. Without introducing herself, or hesitating - she blurted out, "you are very loud and inconsiderate." I felt my head lean back as if she were spitting on me and thought, "Ahhhh, noooooo, a crazy lady is chewing me out at my doorstep. Help!" So she went on and on explaining and complaining about noises...(the whole time thinking our home was right above her) I told her I've also heard noise and gracefully pointed out, "I'm not sure if it's us or not, no one lives below us...it's the grand enterence to the building." She actually lives under the place nextdoor. She had knocked on the wrong door! Oh she felt soooo bad, apologized and left. Lesson learned: Crazy ladies - do your research!

Thankfully, I've recovered from both of these weekend adventures. Ahh, life can be so full of joy.

And now...A monkey washing a cat!

On The Home Front

It's been an exciting two weeks living in our new home. Jason and I made a dent in the stacks of boxes last weekend, and got about 1/2 way unpacked. This weekend, we hope to get a little further. It still won't feel like home though until we get some pictures on the wall. And all of those are still packed away. I wonder if we'll make 3 trips to Home Depot like last weekend? It may just happen!

Jason's blog is a reflection of some of the "good times" we've endured this week. The DMV, meeting our neigbors (in their robes -ha!) at 10:30pm during a building fire alarm. The carpet guys cutting carpet in my parking spot, the elevator and garage door getting stuck on the same day at the same time. You know, the fun stuff!

All of it has been mildly amusing, and we've been cool and understanding. I can't say that for some of our neighbors. During the fire alarm, while Jason and I were laughing our pants off on the sidewalk about Jason's famous milk spill, others looked angry and concerned. Figures. Even when there isn't a fire alarm blaring - some neighbors are just down-right grumpy. Whatevar. That's when i turn on my mid-western charm and say "hello". Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes i just say nothing.

I'm looking forward to my second weekend as a homeowner.

Cuts, bruises and finally -we're in!

Whew! It's been a whirlwind week. We packed, cleaned and moved out of the old place - yep- dropped off the keys last night! Whoo hoo! You should have seen how clean we left it! And now we're back to boxes piled to the sky in our new home. Wow. I'm just exhausted. So is Jason. And he really overdid it all last week. I don't remember the last time I've seen him in a dry shirt. He's always sweating from moving boxes. But that seems to be the norm at the new condo...there has been a new unit moving in every other day, I'm so use to seeing sweaty people, dollies, carts, boxes, and DOGS. Yes! Everyone has a dog!

Jason even admitted yesterday that his new hobby was pushing around our dolly. Man, that thing has saved us. We got 3-4 boxes or a large pieces of furniture on the cart and wheel it up to our place, saving us all that carrying and lifting. Just imagine how sweaty Jason would be without it! I never imagined a dolly would save his life, but it has. We loaded the last load on the dolly last night, and will retire it soon. It's in the running for best purchase ever!

And no move is complete without bumps and bruises. My legs have a few cardboard boxtop scrapes, and both Jason and I got cracked in the head. (A stool fell off the dolly and on Jason's head **Crack**and i hit mine head on our new cabinet door! **bonk**) Ahh, the joys of moving.

I'm focusing on the move, because it's what we're doing at the moment, but i should mention that the closing went very well and Jason carried me over the threshold! Then, like magic - Jason professionally installed our new blinds! (Closing day was like our homeowner honeymoon) however, that "new homeowner joy" disappeared very quick when the work set in. Thankfully, we had to take a forced relaxation break and head to Pennsylvania over Labor Day weekend to see Jason's sister get married. It was a wonderful wedding with perfect weather and a very nice break, we'll post our pics soon!

Ok, back to reality and unpacking all our stuff.

"Jas-son Garson!"

It's getting down to the wire. Four days till closing, 7 days till we move. Does anyone even care about this countdown stuff??? Sheesh. I feel like saying "no more talkie talkie...just move in already darnit!" I wish we could. I am being patient, i promise.

Jason and I are really looking forward to or closing on Friday August 24th. It will be filled with pens and paper and emotion (I'm guessing here, but chances are, I'll cry.) Although, for the record, i have yet to get misty eyed about anything.

We have done so much to prepare for our big move, yet, it always seems like there isn't enough time to do it all. I'm trying to keep my head on straight and not freak out about how much stuff I've thrown away (or how much i've kept for that matter.) And for the most part we're just waiting for them to say "congratulations, " - so we can get crack-a-lackin.

Jason has the day off today (he isn't "feeling well" ((wink wink))) and will be doing some small errands to help get us ready. AKA - pick up an order at Blinds To Go. Seriously though, he's not feeling well.

Our current residence is turned upside down. There are boxes everywhere. We haven't cooked a hot meal in a week, and i don't see an end to the "take out food" clause we signed off on. We're trying places we didn't even know exsisted. Even found a pretty good pizza place. It's been right up the road for 6 years. They cook their pizza in a wood fired oven that looks like a fancy fireplace. We'll prolly eat there again this week. Or, there's the frozen pizza we bought. Oh, the variety! On the flipside, Jason has promised that he'll be whipping up gourmet delicacies morning noon and night at the new place. I'm looking forward to that! "Jas-son garson!"

Coming Soon to your XBox 360!

When Jason emailed me about this game yesterday - and said, "basically you roll around and stuff sticks to you." He wasn't kidding! Out October 26th, Beautiful Katamari looks to be loads of fun! I played the demo last night and instantly fell in love :-) And for some strange reason it reminds me of Hayao Miyazaki's animated fantasy Spirited Away!

Check out the E3 trailer chickadee! (they call you that in the game!)

Deadly DHL Drivers

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but DHL drivers are crazy! While driving to work today, my merge onto I 395 was cut short by some road construction. Traffic was swift, and i needed to merge sooner than normal, so I look in my mirror and sure enough there was a DHL van right in my way - he almost ran me over! And this isn't the first time this has happened to me. I've had mulitiple near death driving experiences with DHL vans. A few weeks ago there were three trucks racing each other in the 3rd street tunnel and they swerved around my car like i was an orange cone on a race track. Scary. So now, everytime I see a DHL truck i'm hypersensitive to my surroundings to make sure I stay alive! Just to recap: UPS and FedEX - you're fine - but DHL - they show no mercy! Please drive safe everybody.

It's the Final Countdown!

Moving time is approaching! It's the final countdown!

16 days till our closing date and 19 days till we move in.

(Now i can't get that song from Europe out of my head...)

Ok, you asked for it! It is time to rock.

Super Villian Car Pool

This is the funniest! From the very first Robot Chicken on Adult Swim (which for the record plays too many darn Futurama episodes, please stop!)

It doesn't get much better than this! Click below to enjoy!

1,2,3 We Are Crazy

And then there were three. Recently weened from Prussia...(picured left to right) we have General Zod, Mercedes and Pinky. In this picture, they are all wondering, "when is Patty coming over to give us dinner!??!" Since my last update, the other two kittens have been sent to a new home. What is the fate of the remaining three kittens? Oh they are soooooooooo cute!

OMG! Someone moved in!

Ladies and gentleman...may I have your attention please. This just in...we drove past our new condo tonight after going to the gym...and guess what??!! We saw a unit on the first floor with lights on and dishes in the cabinets and furniture! Someone lives at 400 Cameron Station!! Whoohoo! I guess after a year of driving by an empty building, it was rather exciting to see actual residents. Real people. Living there. Ok, I'm sorry for freaking out.

I am excited to get packing because our move is about a month away! We close on August 24th.

Kitty Watch 2007

It has been a few weeks....and guess who's growing growing growing? The kittens! My sister is still taking care of all 5 of them till it's time to send them off to their new homes. They all have temporary names - here they are in order of how they were born:

1. General Zod

2. Mercedes

3. Nobody (pictured)

4. Scrunch Runt

5. Pinky

All of the kittens are very very cute!!

I'm in New Jersey

Well, here I am - at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel in East Rutherford, New Jersey. XM is covering the Live Earth concert from Giant Stadium, which is right next to our hotel. The flight from DC to NY went well. I've never taken the Delta shuttle, it's popular with the businessmen. Our flight was so quick! I swear we were in the air for like 25 minutes. They served bagels and I got a glass of Coke. (Jason and I always get Coke on our flights :) We arrived at the hotel around 10:30am after getting a car service from a guy who I swear was in the mafia. All he talked about was his grandkids. It was charming and slightly creepy at the same time, but after all he was just a guy making a living and got us to our destination safe. After checking into the hotel we found out that we couldn't visit the site where we're broadcasting. So, a few co-workers and I headed out to downtown East Rutherford for some lunch. Someone picked an Italian place from the hotel sheet with "local resturants" but it ended up being closed, so we walked down the way to another Italian place. We were the only ones in there...i don't know if that's good or bad. I ordered a slice of pizza and a salad. It was fair...you'd think being 20 minutes from Manhattan the pizza would be impressive...sorry folks. Boring as usual. The east coast has a hard time making a pie! Anyways, we're back from lunch and have already made plans to go to Medival Times for dinner. I think we have front row seats. OMG. Someone saw the castle on the way back and now we have reservations. I'm not totally into it...but, hey...i'm also not paying....so I'll go where my co-workers are going. So far my Emerald Nuts have been a hit! But i'm low on liquids. They took my water at the airport, and there's a bottle of water in my room but it's $4 to crack it open. I'm already paying $10 a day for high-speed internet service. But it's a small price to pay to be connected to the world. Here's a pic of my bed (one of two in the room!) and the view of the New Jersey Turnpike from my 9th story window.

This Makes Me Angry!

CBS canceled our favorite summer show Creature Comforts. This makes me so angry. I'll admit, the UK version (that came out a few years ago) is much funnier (Jason got me the DVD) but to trash the American season after three episodes??!! Why?

About a month ago, before the season began, I saw a promo on TV. I can't explain the joy I felt knowing this show would be on every Monday for the summer! I actually got both my sister and my dad to watch this show, and it was something we all looked forward to. First Creature Comforts, followed by Hell's Kitchen. They were both on Monday, leaving the rest of the week free and clear for more "summery" activities, like.....playing catch! (Jason and I got some new mitts!) They rock.

Anyways, sorry Dad, sorry Kris, sorry Jason...I wish CBS didn't cancel our fun show! I thought "the critics were raving"....but I guess it was just us.

Happy Anniversary!

It was 8 years ago today that i walked down the isle in my fancy dress and got married to the best groom on the planet. Today is a Tuesday... our 8th wedding anniversary and Jason and I both took the day off. We are going to go out for breakfast, pick up our anniversary cake, and then do some shopping! Well, not really shopping...daydreaming...for the new house. I'm hoping it will be relaxing. It was Jason's idea :) And believe me we came up with a ton of fun ideas on how to spend the day - everything from kayaking to swimming at the pool near our house. But, we decided to lay low and take it easy. Afterall it's just one day. But it will be a good day. Our day.

They're "Enrobed"

Do they still make Mallomars? I’m suddenly craving one -and I’ve never even had one before!...we’ll that’s not totally true. I’ve eaten s’mores before, and they have the same ingredients: graham, mallow and chocolate. And for the record, I recently purchased Safeway’s “Fudge Marshmallow Cookies”. Same thing? Hmmm…I’m guessing the Nabisco brand below tastes even better. So, after a google search online, I was shocked to learn that Mallomars are “seasonal”…wha???? Can that be true??? A seasonal cookie?

I quote (from a Mallomar fan): “ Mallomars are available only from October to mid-March, because they are such delicate flowers they would melt in the harsh spring and summer months. News of the wonders of refrigeration and climate control has apparently not reached Nabisco's New Jersey headquarters.”

SHOOT! It’s already JUNE!! Have I missed the Mallomar window of wonder? Perhaps.

If you’re curious, here is the official Mallowmars description:

“A circle of Graham cracker is covered with a puff of extruded marshmallow, then enrobed (not dipped) in a hard dark chocolate shell. Mallomars were introduced to the public in 1913, the same year as the Moon Pie (a confection which has similar ingredients).”

I will start my search at the store this weekend.

Good To Know: On a more nutritional note, Jason and I stopped by the Del Ray Farmer’s Market last weekend. Delicious!

Sleeping Beauty

HONK-shoo, HONK-shoo, HONK-shoo…these kittens are TIRED!

It’s been 1 ½ weeks since Prussia gave birth to a litter of 5 babies…and Kristin is quickly learning the kittens are easier to photograph while snoozing. All the kitties are doing well…and just starting to realize they have legs for walkin’! Some are slowing starting to open their eyes too. It usually takes about 3 weeks for their eyes to completely open, and have clear vision – so we’re half way there!

It was a fun weekend, Jason and I saw our new home. It is in the final stages and we were pleasantly surprised at the progress. It looks VERY nice.

Here’s a before and after look from our front enterance…what a difference a YEAR makes!

BEFORE: August 27, 2006


AFTER: June 9, 2007


Good To Know: See ALL the new condo pics we took this weekend by clicking here.

Kitty Watch Continues...

It's the moment we've all been waiting for! Here are some photos of Prussia and her kittens. These kittens are 2 days old!

Here's Prussia nursing all 5!

I'm still waiting to get individual "glamour shots" of each kitten, however, Kristin is reporting that they are very squirmy and won't sit still for a picture!

Here's one who played by the rules.

Good to know: I got my free sample of Kashi GoLean Crunch in the mail!

Grand Total = 5

Yesterday was a success! Prussia had at total of five kittens between 9am and 2pm Central time. Way to go Prussia! Mom and kittens are doing fine. All of the kittens are healthy, crawling around and hangin’ out with mom.

I’m waiting on some pictures to post. Please be patient.

In the meantime it’s VEGGIE time! Here’s the photo I promised of Kristin’s trip to pick up her veggie share. She got lots of cool vegetables…some she’s not even sure what to do with – hello rhubarb!?!!

Here’s the photo from the pick-up location.

I have done some research and found a farmers market in Alexandria…Jason and I are going to try to go this Saturday!

Good to know: If you have 6 cups of fresh rhubarb….check out this Rhubarb Tart recipe!

It's Happening!

Hey everybody! Let the Queening begin! ….this just in from 1109 W. Chestnut…as we speak…Prussia has given birth to two kittens already. All is going well so far, Prussia is calm and relaxed and acting normal….strangely so are Kristin and Steve. They’re acting like pros! The process began around 9am Central time. I will post an update when I get one! Go Prussia Go!

Good To Know: Some queens will have all the kittens within an hour and others will take several hours for each kitten. Expect about 2-6 hours to deliver all the kittens.

Chef Jason

Last night Jason whipped up a nice dinner for us. He just whipped it up! Grilled chicken, green beans and little red potatoes baked golden brown. Yum! Jason is always making delicious meals. He could be a chef! He may think it’s a thankless job, but I am thankful everyday for his cooking. Thank you Jason!

Speaking of food, my sister Kristin has entered into a three way agreement with some friends of hers to get a fresh bin of fruits and veggies from a local farm each week starting yesterday. As soon as she sends me a picture of her goods I’ll post it! I was looking into purchasing my own “share” of a local farm this season…but with just Jason and I, we were afraid we’d have too much food each week. We’re hoping that the petition goes through for a farmer’s market to set up shop in Cameron Station on Sundays. No word on whether that’s happening yet.

Not to mention - no word on the closing date of our new condo. We are spinning with excitement, yet, with no closing date, I feel like we’re hovering in space….just waiting for that day to be set…so we can plan our move! Once again, the general move-in time has been extended. We’re now looking at mid-August! Here’s the latest update from Cameron Station!

~~~~~BIG NEWS!! The fourth floor units are going into drywall! This is a critical component for our final permits and one of the last BIG steps towards completion.

The lobbies and corridors on the ground, first and second floors are well on their way with final paint and trim this week. We have just (today) received the hydro inspection on the sprinkler system which will now allow us to close in the remaining portions of the corridors. Carpet will be installed in the ground floor corridors over the next week. We will be sending pictures of these areas out in the next new letter. We hope you are as impressed as we are with the paint and trim selection. They are stunning!

The exterior grading in hardscape is in the final stages. The hardscape at the lobby entries will be completed this week and is looking great. The irrigation system for the courtyard and the fountain has been completed and is being tested on a timing system and should be up and running soon.

Internal Quality Inspections are underway on the 2^nd floor. (That’s us!) The ground and first floors have been completed and the units are in “lock-down” mode waiting final cleaning and PSO’s.

Highlights from the preliminary walk-through with the city will be shared next week.~~~~~~

AND the waiting game continues….Kitty Watch 2007 is in full swing! Prussia is FAT! But no kitties yet!! Here’s the Mom-to-be.

Good to Know: At this point, people at Kristin’s work think she is making this all up!

Nothing, Nada, Zilch

Ladies and Gentlemen: We have been on pins and needles awaiting a small batch of kittens @ 1109 W. Chestnut! And wouldn’t ya know it – nothing has happened for the last 7 days!!! What are you waiting for Prussia?

Meanwhile, Kristin has been reading how-to info, so she can help Prussia if there’s any assistance needed during Queening (giving birth).

I’ve been told that Prussia is now considered “Wide Load” and walks bow-legged around the house.

Guess that’s what happens when you’ve got 5 or 6 siblings in your belly!

Something’s gotta give!

Good to know: Kristin has now admitted she doesn’t know the exact date Prussia escaped from the porch. Ahhhhhhgggggg….Kris…you’re killing us with the suspense!!!

Oh My Gosh!

Have you heard the news???!!! My sister’s cat is having kittens!!!! Here is the mom to be!! Her name is Prussia.

(If you want to get technical, it’s actually her boyfriend Steve’s cat.)

So, I have been getting daily kitten updates from my sister, and seriously…everytime the phone rings…I wonder if it’s kitten time! How is this all possible? Well, you can thank the first warm day of the year when Kristin decided to clean her enclosed front porch and their cat Prussia accidentally got out for the first time ever. For the record, they haven’t had this cat for very long, so they were going to take it to the vet soon to prevent a situation like this…but it looks like the cat escaped before an appointment could be made!

It’s ok, I can’t think of a better “kitten mom” than my sister. After all, she’s had years of cat practice…including the birth of our cats Mr. Twinkacetti and Balki. (yes, named after Mr. Donald “Twinkie” Twinkacetti and Balki Bartokomous from the sitcom Perfect Strangers (circa 1986)…OMG we were geeks.) These two were born under our Mom’s bed. Sparky was the mom.

Anyways, back to Prussia…the mom to be. On Saturday, May 12^th, Kris took Prussia in for an ultrasound. It was a fair price to pay just to know what was going to happen. And it’s happening!! The Vet said 5 OR 6 kittens are on the way!!!! 5 OR 6!!!!!!!! Kristin will soon be tending to a gaggle of cats !

Here’s the kitten x-ray from her visit on Saturday. Look for the tiny black spines in the photo.

I will write more soon, because it will happen any day now! Kris is nervous AND prepared! Just look at the supplies she’s gathered for this special occasion :)

Good To Know: A full term pregnancy for a cat is 65 days.

Mmmmm.... Cereal.

I signed up online for a free sample of Kashi GOLEAN Crunch cereal today….because who doesn’t like cereal? Plus, it’s morning, and I’m Hon-gry. However, I’ll have to wait 4-6 weeks to eat it. Shucks. I never do stuff like this…sign up for free samples…but I was possessed by a TV commercial on CNN. (I’ve also been possessed by the news coverage on Virginia Tech and have to admit -the commercial came on like a breath of fresh air. It’s been a very tough & grim week.) So, I give the commercial props because the TV is always on MUTE while I work…and I looked up to see this real beachy, sunny and vacationy scene…very healing, warm and inviting…..and it turned out to be a cereal commercial. I’m hoping that healing feeling returns when I chomped into their 7 grain goodness. We’ll see.

And hey – they did leave me with an inspirational quote.
“Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.” – An English playwright
Good To Know: Get your free sample of cereal by clicking here. (Except you Jason -one per household, sorry :)

First Things First

Words by Lynette

Look at this website, everybody! Jason constructed it without the use of a reference guide….(he wouldn’t pay $50 for the book at Barnes and Noble – and I don’t blame him.) So, he set out on his quest to make our website from scratch. He didn’t even want to use a website template…confident his talents would bring him success. I believe I heard him say, “you are a sissy if you use a template!” Anyhow, this past weekend, he spent hours looking for fun pictures of pink record players and eyeing the dimensions…he even created my “Blue Kiss” logo…no, that’s not me in the photo. Safe to say, I’ve got a spontaneously creative husband (as all Leo’s are) who put this all together! Thanks Jason!

Good to know: Richard Buckner LIVE at the Knitting Factory in NY on Saturday April 21^st at 2pm Eastern broadcast on XMU, Channel 43.