Well, I am finally HOME!
It is nice.
We drove for a total of over 24 hours... with stops for food and naps and bathroom breaks... and pet care. I drove the Camaro, following Carrie in the truck. I had Vladimir, Taz and Little D. Carrie had Rocco and Luna. I had asked her if Luna could ride in the truck so she would have more room than the backseat of the car. Luna was a very good passenger and I told her how proud of her I was once we got home.
I love Pittsburgh. However, it is indeed to be back... in my own home, our own bed, AND I got to see Kevin and the nephews this evening, plus my awesome grandmother... they ROCK. That was awesome. I love my family and those are some of my favorites in the flock.
Good night
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Life in Six-Burgh
Yep, that's what they're saying around here since the Steelers won the Superbowl. "SIX-BURGH"... because the Steelers are the first team ever to win the Superbowl six times. Pretty cool! I swear to you, the folks up here are actually a good bit more devoted than LSU Tiger fans! And I thought that was impossible, heh! Live and learn...
Here is Luna, the day of the Superbowl, graced in her new favorite piece of sportswear... the TERRIBLE TOWEL!!!!!!!
(she's so patient with me, heh...)
Bobby, of course, thinks Luna is so cool and awesome, so of course... hehe...
We're having lots of good times with the pets. They are so sweet. I'm really glad Carrie brought me and all the kiddos up here with her.
Here's Taz, being his sweet, loving self...
This is funny... Vladimir has declared a "favorite spot" (he has several; this is one...) in the upstairs kitchen window. How cute is this...
Here's me, looking lovingly at Rocco... who is looking curiously at Vladimir... who is looking at Carrie like he knows who she is and what she's "up to," heh...
Vladimir likes to look out the door window downstairs. I thought this was cool... check out the reflection of his eyes in the glass... kinda eerie! haha
Yeah once, Vladimir excaped out of that door and disappeared into the night before I could apprehend him. I was scared for him and glad when he decided to show up again; it was in the single digits that night and the little guy just isn't that insulated... crazy kid.
So the cats have been getting lots of rest on this vacation away from their day-to-day... not that they don't rest just as much at home... haha...
Here's Taz...
And Vladimir, in the downstairs kitchen...
And Little D, in the upstairs kitchen!
West Deer Township has definitely grown on me.
Believe it or not, the snow has finally decided to begin MELTING! The meteorologists up here call it the "January Thaw"... just happened a little late this year. I suppose it will be kind of soggy around here for awhile... in the afternoons, at least. The temperatures will still (for the next few nights) get down below freezing after dark. Which means thick, slick ice in the mornings! WEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
Here's the yard... where, last week, my foot would go down through snow 4-6 inches when I walked there... hey look, GRASS! heh...
We should be heading back to Baton Rouge this week... tomorrow or the next day, depending on how much we can get done in the meantime. I have enjoyed my time here, but I am ready to get back down south.
(and see my nephews!!!)
LATER!!!!!!!!!!
Here is Luna, the day of the Superbowl, graced in her new favorite piece of sportswear... the TERRIBLE TOWEL!!!!!!!
(she's so patient with me, heh...)
Bobby, of course, thinks Luna is so cool and awesome, so of course... hehe...
We're having lots of good times with the pets. They are so sweet. I'm really glad Carrie brought me and all the kiddos up here with her.
Here's Taz, being his sweet, loving self...
This is funny... Vladimir has declared a "favorite spot" (he has several; this is one...) in the upstairs kitchen window. How cute is this...
Here's me, looking lovingly at Rocco... who is looking curiously at Vladimir... who is looking at Carrie like he knows who she is and what she's "up to," heh...
Vladimir likes to look out the door window downstairs. I thought this was cool... check out the reflection of his eyes in the glass... kinda eerie! haha
Yeah once, Vladimir excaped out of that door and disappeared into the night before I could apprehend him. I was scared for him and glad when he decided to show up again; it was in the single digits that night and the little guy just isn't that insulated... crazy kid.
So the cats have been getting lots of rest on this vacation away from their day-to-day... not that they don't rest just as much at home... haha...
Here's Taz...
And Vladimir, in the downstairs kitchen...
And Little D, in the upstairs kitchen!
West Deer Township has definitely grown on me.
Believe it or not, the snow has finally decided to begin MELTING! The meteorologists up here call it the "January Thaw"... just happened a little late this year. I suppose it will be kind of soggy around here for awhile... in the afternoons, at least. The temperatures will still (for the next few nights) get down below freezing after dark. Which means thick, slick ice in the mornings! WEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
Here's the yard... where, last week, my foot would go down through snow 4-6 inches when I walked there... hey look, GRASS! heh...
We should be heading back to Baton Rouge this week... tomorrow or the next day, depending on how much we can get done in the meantime. I have enjoyed my time here, but I am ready to get back down south.
(and see my nephews!!!)
LATER!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
In My Fuzzy Orange Slippers
In my fuzzy, orange slippers I sit here once again, on this loveseat with Luna lounging to my right. She looks tired and a bit homesick. I promised her we would go home soon and I would take her to see Ma-Ma. My grandmother loves Luna. When we go over there, I usually unlock the door and let Luna walk in first. She's my creative little intro, heh. Sweet puppy dog.
TODAY I went sledding in the snow for the first time in my life! It was silly fun. Carrie and I on two little plastic sleds... mine had a steering lever on each side. The slope wasn't that steep and the first time down was a little slow. Once we'd gotten the snow smoothed down a little, we were going GOOD! I told Carrie I love her and thought she was so cool because we can have little kid fun together and it's cool. Carrie rocks.
Remember this kid? The little brother on The Christmas story?
Yeah well that's how it felt in the layers and layers topped with a puffy ski jacket that I put on today! Carrie too... it was funny.
And so we went sledding. Here is Carrie:
...and here is me, heh!!
We had lots of fun and laughed almost the whole time. Carrie looked so cute. *grin*
And aw, gosh, we are so darn, freakin' cute together... hehe...
Anyway, we had a great time on the pool road behind the volunteer fire department building out here near Monroeville in Pittsburgh.
Here are some pictures of the footprints we see in the snow in the mornings in West Deer. I just got a couple of decent shots today; the variety is different every morning. This looks like some kind of cat or something, and a big deer or moose or... antelope... heh...
There is a really cool area out toward West Deer, near Blawnox, called Fox Chapel. It's a little nicer area with some cool shopping centers and stuff. Carrie and I found a Petco so we could get bird food.
While we were there, we visited the birds they have for sale and totally fell in love with a handful of conures. We've even been back to visit them when we were in the area. Our favorite two are named Mickey and Minnie and they are so friendly and sweet. If we had the $600 apiece to buy them both, we'd do it in a heartbeat.
This is what those two look like:
This little guy is named Joe Too. He's cute but pretty shy; wouldn't let me pet on him or anything and would back away as soon as I moved close to his cage. But her was a sweet little soul. Look at this cute little guy:
This was a sweet little bird. Don't remember this one's name, and it had a particularly sharp beak. Sweet though.
This other bird was my favorite besides Mickey and Minnie. This is a great picture, too. If you look, you can see white wrapped around some of the short feathers around his head. These are new feathers growing out that have not yet unfurled and are covered with wax. I really like the detail you can see in this shot.
And that is my lately. Tomorrow (well it's late now; probably now I should say, "today"...) is the superbowl, and the city of Pittsburgh is literally bug-eyed with excitement over their Steelers. Honestly - a lot of the stores I've been in have signs up saying they are closing early on Sunday for the game! Crazy. I'm looking forward to this too; I have a good feeling about the Steelers.
Sleepy... Carrie is asleep with a bunny on her shoulder. Carrie and Bugs. Too cute.
TODAY I went sledding in the snow for the first time in my life! It was silly fun. Carrie and I on two little plastic sleds... mine had a steering lever on each side. The slope wasn't that steep and the first time down was a little slow. Once we'd gotten the snow smoothed down a little, we were going GOOD! I told Carrie I love her and thought she was so cool because we can have little kid fun together and it's cool. Carrie rocks.
Remember this kid? The little brother on The Christmas story?
Yeah well that's how it felt in the layers and layers topped with a puffy ski jacket that I put on today! Carrie too... it was funny.
And so we went sledding. Here is Carrie:
...and here is me, heh!!
We had lots of fun and laughed almost the whole time. Carrie looked so cute. *grin*
And aw, gosh, we are so darn, freakin' cute together... hehe...
Anyway, we had a great time on the pool road behind the volunteer fire department building out here near Monroeville in Pittsburgh.
Here are some pictures of the footprints we see in the snow in the mornings in West Deer. I just got a couple of decent shots today; the variety is different every morning. This looks like some kind of cat or something, and a big deer or moose or... antelope... heh...
There is a really cool area out toward West Deer, near Blawnox, called Fox Chapel. It's a little nicer area with some cool shopping centers and stuff. Carrie and I found a Petco so we could get bird food.
While we were there, we visited the birds they have for sale and totally fell in love with a handful of conures. We've even been back to visit them when we were in the area. Our favorite two are named Mickey and Minnie and they are so friendly and sweet. If we had the $600 apiece to buy them both, we'd do it in a heartbeat.
This is what those two look like:
This little guy is named Joe Too. He's cute but pretty shy; wouldn't let me pet on him or anything and would back away as soon as I moved close to his cage. But her was a sweet little soul. Look at this cute little guy:
This was a sweet little bird. Don't remember this one's name, and it had a particularly sharp beak. Sweet though.
This other bird was my favorite besides Mickey and Minnie. This is a great picture, too. If you look, you can see white wrapped around some of the short feathers around his head. These are new feathers growing out that have not yet unfurled and are covered with wax. I really like the detail you can see in this shot.
And that is my lately. Tomorrow (well it's late now; probably now I should say, "today"...) is the superbowl, and the city of Pittsburgh is literally bug-eyed with excitement over their Steelers. Honestly - a lot of the stores I've been in have signs up saying they are closing early on Sunday for the game! Crazy. I'm looking forward to this too; I have a good feeling about the Steelers.
Sleepy... Carrie is asleep with a bunny on her shoulder. Carrie and Bugs. Too cute.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
MERNIN'
A contemplative smile rests on my face as I consider, not for the first time, how the beginning and ending of a day are barely distinguishable from each other. In a comfortable, warm bed in this old mine home in West Deer Township, I was looking through the window's curtain gaps at the greys and blues of yet another Pittsburgh daybreak. I like it here.
We're supposed to get a break from snow over the weekend. Up here, in the winter, they call it "warming from severe cold to just a little chilly" when it gets up into the mid-30's. In Baton Rouge, this same temperature range is referred to by meteorologists as "dropping down into the 30's" and "cold, cold, cold - bring in your plants and pets tonight!" haha Of course, in Baton Rouge, I never spent a week in temperatures ranging from the teens to single-digits.
I'm thinking I like extremes. I like Dallas summers and Pittsburgh winters. Anything in-between seems like a waste of weather. Baton Rouge is totally a "middle" zone. It gets pretty hot in the summers (as well as humid...), and a little cold in the winter but maybe for a consolidated two weeks if you're lucky.
Dallas had summers that were much more dry and had patches of time where the temperature was above 100 degrees. However, the winters there were a bit lackluster... it would get cold as hell, a biting cold, but seldom produced a respectable amount of snow.
There is plenty of snow here. ha ha ha.................
And this is REAL snow... not the wet, soppy kind that plops to the ground every couple of years in Louisiana.
Maybe that's just an attitude problem for me... where I am is always better than where I've been. Or maybe that's a good thing; I am able to embrace and appreciate what is new and different instead of pining away in the mire of longing for what used to be.
Carrie is still asleep. She took a sleep aide last night and I'm letting her get as much out of it as she can. Her back has been hurting, she's had a lot of stress to weather, and her sleeps have been fitful at best. I'm glad she's resting.
We do have a lot to do today, though, once she is ready. Characteristically, I have a list in a notebook... that is so "me," heh...
I am very proud of my having cleaned out the refrigerator downstairs. The power was shut off here for a good bit of time and the inside of the fridge coated itself pretty well with a black mold. Mr. Clean and I dove in there and I handled it just like Rosie the Riveter would have. I still have a sink full of shelves and door-compartment-pieces in the sink, but the inside of that rig is CLEAN... "lickable," as I put it to Carrie. ha ha...
(Though she would not lick the refrigerator... but then, I wouldn't have, either...) *grin*
I have washed and replaced the bottom shelf and the two crisper drawers that hang beneath it. I do a little at a time. All toughness aside, it is pretty damn gross... hehe
Well, enough about refrigerators.
I'm sitting at the table in the upstairs kitchen. My computer battery was running out of juice and there was not an outlet (to my knowledge) near enough to the bed for me to type in there. I'm in here, cats traipsing in and out, and I'm looking at Rocco... and I'm thinking to myself, I better get out of here before he decides to start screaming. I know him well by now, heh... he's picking through his feathers now, much like a cat would lick all over to clean itself. Once he's done, his mouth will be free for noise-making... he would not understand that I'm trying to let Carrie sleep in. Little turd. hehe
Let me get going. Just needed to write for a few.
Signing off,
Your Newly-Declared Official Steeler Fan
ps.... here are a few more pics
Luna at Carrie's mom's house a few evenings ago:
One of Vladimir's favorite sleeping spots here at Baba's:
Nic & Rocco partying in the morning light (yesterday):
Vladimir in the bedroom window:
Rocco & Carrie kissing goodnight...
Vladimir, up-close and personal:
Little D watching Carrie in the upstairs kitchen...
Check out this groovy DJ station in the upstairs living room!!
Vladimir looking out the living room window:
And, finally, deer tracks in the snow that I saw this morning. Don't have those where I'm from!
We're supposed to get a break from snow over the weekend. Up here, in the winter, they call it "warming from severe cold to just a little chilly" when it gets up into the mid-30's. In Baton Rouge, this same temperature range is referred to by meteorologists as "dropping down into the 30's" and "cold, cold, cold - bring in your plants and pets tonight!" haha Of course, in Baton Rouge, I never spent a week in temperatures ranging from the teens to single-digits.
I'm thinking I like extremes. I like Dallas summers and Pittsburgh winters. Anything in-between seems like a waste of weather. Baton Rouge is totally a "middle" zone. It gets pretty hot in the summers (as well as humid...), and a little cold in the winter but maybe for a consolidated two weeks if you're lucky.
Dallas had summers that were much more dry and had patches of time where the temperature was above 100 degrees. However, the winters there were a bit lackluster... it would get cold as hell, a biting cold, but seldom produced a respectable amount of snow.
There is plenty of snow here. ha ha ha.................
And this is REAL snow... not the wet, soppy kind that plops to the ground every couple of years in Louisiana.
Maybe that's just an attitude problem for me... where I am is always better than where I've been. Or maybe that's a good thing; I am able to embrace and appreciate what is new and different instead of pining away in the mire of longing for what used to be.
Carrie is still asleep. She took a sleep aide last night and I'm letting her get as much out of it as she can. Her back has been hurting, she's had a lot of stress to weather, and her sleeps have been fitful at best. I'm glad she's resting.
We do have a lot to do today, though, once she is ready. Characteristically, I have a list in a notebook... that is so "me," heh...
I am very proud of my having cleaned out the refrigerator downstairs. The power was shut off here for a good bit of time and the inside of the fridge coated itself pretty well with a black mold. Mr. Clean and I dove in there and I handled it just like Rosie the Riveter would have. I still have a sink full of shelves and door-compartment-pieces in the sink, but the inside of that rig is CLEAN... "lickable," as I put it to Carrie. ha ha...
(Though she would not lick the refrigerator... but then, I wouldn't have, either...) *grin*
I have washed and replaced the bottom shelf and the two crisper drawers that hang beneath it. I do a little at a time. All toughness aside, it is pretty damn gross... hehe
Well, enough about refrigerators.
I'm sitting at the table in the upstairs kitchen. My computer battery was running out of juice and there was not an outlet (to my knowledge) near enough to the bed for me to type in there. I'm in here, cats traipsing in and out, and I'm looking at Rocco... and I'm thinking to myself, I better get out of here before he decides to start screaming. I know him well by now, heh... he's picking through his feathers now, much like a cat would lick all over to clean itself. Once he's done, his mouth will be free for noise-making... he would not understand that I'm trying to let Carrie sleep in. Little turd. hehe
Let me get going. Just needed to write for a few.
Signing off,
Your Newly-Declared Official Steeler Fan
ps.... here are a few more pics
Luna at Carrie's mom's house a few evenings ago:
One of Vladimir's favorite sleeping spots here at Baba's:
Nic & Rocco partying in the morning light (yesterday):
Vladimir in the bedroom window:
Rocco & Carrie kissing goodnight...
Vladimir, up-close and personal:
Little D watching Carrie in the upstairs kitchen...
Check out this groovy DJ station in the upstairs living room!!
Vladimir looking out the living room window:
And, finally, deer tracks in the snow that I saw this morning. Don't have those where I'm from!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Life in Layers
Hello. I am still in Pittsburgh, it is still freezing, and it is still snowing off and on. Were it not for the fact that I am just pretty damn happy these days, I would surely be miserable. I am, though; happy. Life is good. I miss some of my family, definitely... but I am making it. Overall there is far more to be happy about than there is to stress over. I like this new place I am, and love being here with Carrie.
So, more pictures... I love photography as a means of documenting life.
Last Thursday night, Carrie and I went to Moondog's to see the Sauce Boss! Awesome musician with a band called the Ingredients. He plays blues/rock and cooks a huge pot of gumbo as his show progresses. At the end, we all got to eat and it was GOOD, except for the shrimp and crawfish weren't peeled. But it was GOOD now, cher! Das right, yea!!
He's like a crazy twist of Justin Wilson, heh!!
Le cuisine:
Notice the unpeeled shrimp and crawfish on the napkin. Hadta let 'em cool. haha I had two bowls. The crowd was actually kind of small thandat night because it was extra icy out that night... and, because Carrie's friend Mary was working the bar that night, we got to take home a HUGE container of left over gumbo! I told Carrie we made off with the LOOT and she agreed! Yes indeed.
Ooh, but it was SOOOO cold....
Yeah they pronounce that "ying-ling." I'm actually working on one right now; they're good; kind of like Dos Equis a little.
After the show, Carrie and I went to her Baba's to stay the night and check on the kids. Here's Little D. Such a sweet girl...
Vladimir and Rocco have established a sort of understanding, I suppose. It still amazes me that Rocco just lets him chill on top there and never bites at him.
I think it's so funny the way that cats look like turkeys when they're all curled up and cleaning themselves.
And, that night, it SNOWED like crazy. Here are some pictures from out in West Deer the next day:
Here we have my amazing, boot-clad foot, nestled down in the accumulated snowflakes..
This was as far as Carrie could get her truck up the driveway the night before... and the tracks leading downhill are where I rolled two huge trash bags down to put them in the back of the truck. We had to take them to a dumpster because we had reached the legal maximum weight limit of pounds of cat shit contained in plastic bags in one household. heh...
Back at the ranch in Monroeville, Luna reclined in her 5-star accomodations as she enjoyed multiplicitous dog treats, frequently-displayed affection, and the beautiful convenience of a doggie door enabling her to shit at will. She is loving the hell out of it here and is going to be so bummed when we go back home...
And finally, here is my newly-acquired Steelers hat! Got it just in time and watched a great game Sunday... STEELERS GOIN' TO THE SUPERBOWL!!
( I miss my nephews... )
So, more pictures... I love photography as a means of documenting life.
Last Thursday night, Carrie and I went to Moondog's to see the Sauce Boss! Awesome musician with a band called the Ingredients. He plays blues/rock and cooks a huge pot of gumbo as his show progresses. At the end, we all got to eat and it was GOOD, except for the shrimp and crawfish weren't peeled. But it was GOOD now, cher! Das right, yea!!
He's like a crazy twist of Justin Wilson, heh!!
Le cuisine:
Notice the unpeeled shrimp and crawfish on the napkin. Hadta let 'em cool. haha I had two bowls. The crowd was actually kind of small thandat night because it was extra icy out that night... and, because Carrie's friend Mary was working the bar that night, we got to take home a HUGE container of left over gumbo! I told Carrie we made off with the LOOT and she agreed! Yes indeed.
Ooh, but it was SOOOO cold....
Yeah they pronounce that "ying-ling." I'm actually working on one right now; they're good; kind of like Dos Equis a little.
After the show, Carrie and I went to her Baba's to stay the night and check on the kids. Here's Little D. Such a sweet girl...
Vladimir and Rocco have established a sort of understanding, I suppose. It still amazes me that Rocco just lets him chill on top there and never bites at him.
I think it's so funny the way that cats look like turkeys when they're all curled up and cleaning themselves.
And, that night, it SNOWED like crazy. Here are some pictures from out in West Deer the next day:
Here we have my amazing, boot-clad foot, nestled down in the accumulated snowflakes..
This was as far as Carrie could get her truck up the driveway the night before... and the tracks leading downhill are where I rolled two huge trash bags down to put them in the back of the truck. We had to take them to a dumpster because we had reached the legal maximum weight limit of pounds of cat shit contained in plastic bags in one household. heh...
Back at the ranch in Monroeville, Luna reclined in her 5-star accomodations as she enjoyed multiplicitous dog treats, frequently-displayed affection, and the beautiful convenience of a doggie door enabling her to shit at will. She is loving the hell out of it here and is going to be so bummed when we go back home...
And finally, here is my newly-acquired Steelers hat! Got it just in time and watched a great game Sunday... STEELERS GOIN' TO THE SUPERBOWL!!
( I miss my nephews... )
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