Thursday, July 16, 2009
Dear Amanda, by Steve Martin
DEAR AMANDA,
I think we have made the right decision. Thank you for your love these past five months. I want you to know that our time together will live inside me in a special place in my heart. It is best if we do not phone or write.
Love always,
JOEY
DEAR AMANDA,
I dialed you last night because the Lucy "pie" episode was on and I know you'd want to see it. Anyway, while I was leaving a message I accidentally punched in your message-retrieval code. Sorry about that. Who's Francisco? Just curious.
JOEY
DEAR AMANDA,
I realized that I still have your set of Japanese sake cups that I bought for you on our trip downtown and was wondering when might be a good time to drop them by. You can give me a call at the usual number, or maybe at the office before seven, but then try the car, or I'm usually home now by seven-forty-five. I would like to get these back to you, as I know you must be thinking about them. This will be my last letter.
Regards,
JOEY
DEAR AMANDA,
It was a lucky coincidence that my cat leaped on your speed-dial button last night, as it gave us a chance to talk again. Afterward, I was wondering what you meant when you said, "It's over, Joey. Get it into your head." So many interpretations. Oh, I found myself on your street last night and noticed a yellow Mustang that I don't remember ever seeing at your apartment complex. Does this belong to the mysterious Francisco I've heard rumors about? I left one of the sake cups at your front door; it happened to be in my car.
With respect,
JOEY
DEAR AMANDA,
This will be the last letter I write you. I hate to hurt you like this, but I'm seeing someone new. You'd like her. But please do not call Marisa at the Kings Kafe where she waitresses from noon to eight. Incidentally, I heard that Francisco had or is having a tax problem. Should I meet with him? I'm over it all now and would be glad to help. Also, a word of warning: Latins. One woman is never enough.
JOEY
P.S. Do you have my red Pentel pen? I really need it. Page me when you get this.
DEAR AMANDA,
Guess what. I got a weekend job washing windows at your apartment building! The guys in legal think I'm nuts, but it's something I've always enjoyed doing. Remember how I used to love to do the windshield even at the full-service pump? Just wanted to warn you, as I will probably be wearing your favorite outfit of mine: the tan pants, my blue Gap shirt, and my foam "Go Gators" hat. It's so easy to start things back up again, and I wouldn't want to think it was because of my newly acquired stomach ripples. By the way, there's someone named Francisco trying to pick up girls on the Internet. Hmm. I wonder.
J.
DEAR AMANDA,
This will be the last letter I write to you. I'm quite upset that you changed your phone without a forwarding number. There could be an emergency, and I'm still in possession of those fancy upholstered hangers of yours. Marisa questioned them the other day and it wasn't fun. They're probably too dear to you for me to throw them out, as we bought them together at the swap meet the day your mother raved about me, telling you I was "pleasant." Please come by and pick them up; they're seriously damaging my relationship. A good time would be any Wednesday after five but not after seven. Fridays all day except lunch, Monday is good, and the weekend, anytime. Also Tuesday.
JOEY
DEAR AMANDA,
Valentine's Day is tomorrow and I hope you don't mind my throwing this note through your window, as the post would be too slow. The rock it's tied to came from our desert trip! I'm wondering if you'd like to get together for a quick lunch on the fourteenth? I need to get my letters back from you, and could you bring this one, too? I'll meet you at Wavy Dave's, at our old table. I'll be bringing the hangers, and I also want you to have the small photo of me nude skydiving. I don't think I can handle all the sake cups but I could certainly bring a few. You can even bring Francisco if you want; maybe I could help him sort out his heavy urology bills. Can you let me know soon? I'm waiting outside on the lawn.
This will be the last letter I write to you.
Love you always,
JOEY
Friday, July 10, 2009
When I laughed during a very sad song.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
NYC!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Pickled Peppers
You will need:
- 2 1/2 cups cider vinegar
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 5 half-pint canning jars, lids, rings
- Sweet banana peppers, cleaned and sliced into rings (roughly 2.5 larger banana peppers per jar).
- Tongs and other utensils
Sterilize jars and lids in boiling water for 10 minutes. Place pepper rings in bowl and pour boiling water over them; cover them and set aside for 10 minutes. Drain hot water from peppers. Transfer pepper rings to cool bowl; pour ice water over them and set aside for 10 minutes. Combine vinegar and sugar, boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring a lot. Drain pepper rings and put them in jars. Pour vinegar-sugar mix into each jar, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Place lids on jars and tighten down. Boil jars in water bath for 10 minutes. Remove jars and allow to cool - lids will "POP!" and they're pickled!
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, he picked roughly 8 quarts (16 pints) of pickled peppers, I think. This recipe makes around 2.5 pints.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Reading, Walking, Arithmetic
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Roses Are Red....and pink, and orange, and yellow, and purple, and white.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Garden Update 1
Last evening's harvest. There was a sweet banana pepper that was about 5 inches long that would've made this picture SO MUCH COOLER, but mom and I had already eaten it in the garden.
Strawberries! Last time I had some ripening on this bush, some garden varmint stole them from me! I better figure out how to safe guard these sweet babies from theft! (When you only have one strawberry plant, every berry counts!)
Passionflower vine (A.K.A., "Maypop") is growing! We added this trellis last night, so hopefully it will climb, climb, climb, and then BLOOM!
This sunflower sprouted from birdseed. It's finally blooming!
Here's Mr. Don Juan. He smells the best.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Big Birthday
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Mt. Rogers
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Welcome to Our Garden
Cucumbers! These will be plentiful! Homemade pickles make great Christmas gifts.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Patience
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Cactus
Pictured here are the members of my little succulent garden, including moon cactus, alpenglow, elephant bush, Echeveria 'Dondo' and 'Ramillette'? - I could be wrong about these names, but that's what I think they are. And as long as they continue to be so enchanting, I'm thinking it doesn't matter what they're called.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Carolina Chickadee
It's the month of May, I know...but speaking of Christmas...
Friday, May 8, 2009
ChiRunning
I'm tired of having shin splints - pain in my shin so severe that I have worried that my tibia is going to snap (I've seen a doctor about it - a sports medicine doctor, not a psychologist, although that might be the next best step:)). I've also had knee and foot pain, but nothing that compared, really.
ChiRunning teaches you to run with perfect posture and to lean into your run. You lean from your ankles while keeping perfect posture, relaxing your entire body, and using the backswing of your arms and legs to counter that forward lean. It's hard (because I'm not sure I know what I'm doing), but I think it will get better. I do feel like I'm starting all over again from scratch with my running, but I'm optimistic. I'm willing to try this because I really love running and am not willing to give it up without a fight. ...A gentle, prance-like fight, with good posture and a relaxed lean, that is.
I ran 4 miles on the high school track last night. Running on the track is infinitely more fun than running on a treadmill, but it still doesn't compare to Evans Street with it's unique homes, friendly faces, and blooming landscape. There was a couple with their child in a stroller out there with me on the track, run/walking. It was a nice time.
I am pictured here near the finish of the Yuengling Shamrock Half Marathon on March 22, 2009.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Strawberry Escapades
It's not really the wildlife that I'm afraid of; it's being alone and not having anyone to help make decisions that makes me nervous on the trail. The smallest things seem so much more amplified when you're alone, I have found. On this day, I tried very hard not to let myself feel defeated. It's much smarter to hike with a partner, and probably a lot more fun! Sometimes I think if I have to wait around for someone to do something with, I'll never do anything! This is not the type of thinking I want to buy into, but I fall into that trap sometimes. I turned the morning around by driving myself to a nearby garden center (which I wouldn't have otherwise driven to if I hadn't been out that way already) and got some special things that I needed. I also met up with my mom to pick strawberries at a Garner Farms. The morning was not a total wash! But, even without the garden center and strawberry escapades, I still wouldn't have called the morning a waste. It's important for me to test my boundaries sometimes and push myself just a little bit, to really learn where I stand. And I'm OK with where I stand.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Growing Season!
Here is a picture of one morning's harvest last year, probably in late June or July. Once we establish a garden, my morning ritual can begin: I wake up around 6:00 or 6:15 each morning, brew my coffee, and make my breakfast. Then I head outdoors, coffee mug in hand, to water the garden. It's a very precious time before work, when early morning critters are out, and I can observe what's happening on the river and in the back yard at that hour. Also, it is a time when I can see what's new back there....are any of my plants flowering? Are any critters muching away at foliage? Is there anything for me to harvest this morning? Of course, it's not time to harvest anything quite yet (I always get ahead of myself this time of year, starting seeds indoors WAY too early, and sometimes transplanting the poor things outdoors too early, too!).
I shall miss this garden space after I leave.