Monthly Archives: October 2009
Kitten Rodeo
For your viewing pleasure, I present the Kitten Rodeo!
The Kittens Traumatic Week
The time finally came to take the kittens to the vet for their spay and neuter appointments. Nate and I were worried about how they would do -especially Loki – but knew regardless of the outcome we needed to get it done.
I think Loki and Pixel knew something was up. They refused to even get near their carrier. I had to force them into it which was horrible. Luckily, our local pet hospital is great and once I handed the little ones over to them I felt much better. The vet called me after both procedures to let me know how it went and then kept them overnight for observation.
The next day I brought them home in their “elizabethan collars” while looped up with meds. It was very pathetic. They were so sad.
The craziest thing was they didn’t recognize each other. Not in my wildest dreams did I EVER think they would be growling and hissing! My understanding is that cats recognize by scent. Since the kitties just went through these medical procedures they didn’t smell normal to each other. So for the rest of the week, they cried and hissed while trying to walk around with their cones.
The only way to console them was to pet them. For the first time in their lives they became lap cats needing constant attention. They followed us around meowing for attention. I had to make a comforter barrier in my bed so they each could sleep next to me without growling.
Even though they were so pathetic, they were equally adorable. I can’t deny I loved all the attention.
Today they finally started to recognize each other. Boy was I relieved. Loki even tried to groom Pixel with his collar on.
Treasure Island Music Fest 09
The Flaming Lips
There was no weekend DIY projects this week. Nate and I were at the Treasure Island Music Festival instead! We went last year and had so much fun we’ve decided to make it an annual trip.
Highlights included: The Flaming Lips, Girl Talk, Beirut, The Decemberists, The Streets, Spiral Stairs and LTJ Bukem.
It was one of those weekends that was exhausting but totally worth it. We had so much fun walking around the festival, riding the ferris wheel and talking to people.
Our biggest complaint was the stage crowd. Seemed like more people than usual were pushing and shoving. Its one of those things where you can’t let it get to you or you will not enjoy the music. We’ve talked about upgrading to VIP tickets next year so we have less of that. Probably depends on the lineup, but may be time to make that change.
Light the Porch
Our big paint project will be completed in a matter of weeks! Its time to start thinking about the final details.
The front porch needs all new hardware including a modern porch light. Here are some of my favorites from the web.
What do you think?
Above:
1) Roman Coach Wall Lantern w/ Brushed Nickel Finish, Home Depot – $992) Harbor Sconce w/ Bronzed Finish, Restoration Hardware – Sale $99
3) Chester Sconce w/ Bronzed Finish, Pottery Barn – Sale $99
4) Cordelia Wall Lantern w/ Satin Chrome Finish, Home Depot – $49
10 things for this October
Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter.
– Carol Bishop Hipps
This year I want to enjoy fall to the fullest. Here’s my top ten plans for the month.
- Go on a weekend bike ride. The world around us is changing. Time to get outside. No better way than to ride through fallen leaves and smell the autumn air.
- Make vegetarian chili and cornbread. Its not quite soup weather, but BBQ is getting really old. So, I will break out my veggie chili and cornbread as a compromise.
- Plant carrots, beets & chard. Here in California the mornings are getting cool enough to plant autumn & winter crops. I am going to plant Yellow Mangel and Bull’s Blood Beets, Nantes Coreless Carrots and Golden Chard.
- Decorate for Halloween. I don’t plan on waiting until the end of the month to put up our decorations. I want to start early so that I can enjoy them all month long.
- Buy apples at the farmers market or locally. Hopefully I can take a trip into the foothills and pick my own, but if I can’t I will make sure to pick up lots of varieties at the farmers market.
- Go see Where the Wild Things Are. Its my family’s favorite. Is it yours? The trailers promise this to be a entertaining movie with a great cast!
- Hang up a bird feeder. The cats and I love watching birds from indoors. Let’s make sure it happens all winter long with a bird feeder like this Copper Bird Feeder or maybe this Iron and Bubble Glass Bird Feeder.
- Celebrate Oktoberfest. I have never celebrated this German festival. Its high time I did whether it be at an actual event or at home with friends.
- Plant bulbs for Spring. I usually forget, but not this time! I can’t wait to see crocuses, daffodils and tulips in the planters by the front door.
- Start thinking about the winter holidays. The last thing I want to be is be stressed out. I plan on getting my gifts early so I can focus on entertaining and hanging out with loved ones during the holiday season.
Prep before you paint
Our house painting project is in full swing. We’ve worked a full month of weekends on prep work alone.
Let’s take a look at what we’ve been doing.
Step One: Clean & Disinfect
Uncle Terry started by power washing the entire house to loosen any flaking paint and blast away the dirt build up. Once that dried, he sprayed on a bleach solution to kill all mold and fungus.
Step Two: Scrap & Sand
A few days later, the boys (Terry, my cousin Moses & Nate) started scraping flaking paint. As Nate and Moses worked on the walls and shed, Terry scrapped his way around the roof line attacking the redwood fascia boards.
You would think a concrete house wouldn’t have much prep work, but we had some seriously weathered wood.
I started sanding the porch overhang and then followed Terry sanding the fascia boards.
Its hard work and slow going. This weekend we will continue the process. We are about 75% done. Its going to take a few more days to get the prep done.
Step Three: Remove & Transplant
When doing all this work, you also have to take in consideration the landscaping. Our overgrown camellias bushes would not allow anyone to paint. Luckily, it’s the perfect time of the year to start pruning and transplanting plants and bushes.
We removed the camellias along the front of the house last weekend. Unfortunately, they were just too large for the planters. We will replant with something that grows only 1-3 feet tall and potentially hangs over the planter.
Step Four: Prime & Paint
Once the prep is done, we will prime all the raw wood with a hardy exterior primer. Terry will then spray on the house color and trim.
I can’t wait. It’s time to give our house a fresh start. Stay tuned for the big reveal and final color choice!
