Two things I don’t know how to do YET: play guitar and drive a stick

My birthday is next month and Lord knows I don't need anymore junk. In fact, I'm still trying to clean up and weed out the junk I already have.

Anyhow, Saturday was the beginning of my birthday present. Matt and I are taking 6 weeks of guitar lessons at Mary's Music. I'm so thrilled about this present. I don't have to wash it, dust it, or find a home for it in my already crowded house. Matt already had the guitars. Our first lesson was good and overwhelming. The strings, the frets, and my fingers screaming at me for making them stretch in ways they never have before. I also quickly learned that my long pretty nails had to go.

So long pretty nails.

I'd love to be able to play a thing or two, and I'm really hoping that I can wrap my brain around all the information. Maybe I'll be able to play myself happy birthday by my birthday!

I also had to practice learning how to drive Matt's stick shift. We went out for a lesson/drive on Sunday morning. I did ok, I'm learning. I'm also learning that people are not very courteous. I had to take off on an incline, which is already a challenge. I had some butthole pull up too close to the rear of the car. I looked at Matt, who was already giving the guy the stare down and said, "I'm not taking my foot off this break, because I'm going to roll right back into the grill of this jerk's truck." That's when the truck driving jerk started honking at me because I wouldn't budge. I rolled down the window and just waved for him to go around, and the occupants of both vehicles all looked at each other with that "you're a douchebag" face.

I did get a compliment this weekend. When I was taking my trash to the receptacle, the older gentleman that is the attendant came up to me and said, that he is always glad when he sees my car pull up. He said, he always knows that when that door opens I'm going to get out with a big smile on my face, and say hello to him. He said, that I make his day when I come because I have such a pretty smile. I laughed, told him thank you, and said that was the point.

Trick-or-Treat! Goats and Sheep!

I Passed! then I worked till I passed out!

There's no other way to celebrate PASSING THE BAR EXAM, like taking on a little home improvement project. That's right! I passed the Bar exam! No more school, No more studying, now begins a whole new part of my life that doesn't have written tests looming in the future.

Well, the party animals that Matt and I are, we decided to rip out the carpet in the front room and hallway and replace it. It's nothing fancy, but it is so much better than the dirty stained carpet that we did have. All the trims haven't been completed, but for the most part here is what it looks like now (Sorry I didn't take any before pictures).

I figured I needed to go ahead and take a picture of it now before I fill the room with all my crap. I'm actually going to try not to put all the junk back in there and weed things out. I figure now's the time.

Here is Hans saying goodbye to the old carpet.

Proud moments from the weekend

Saturday some friends and I participated in the race for the cure in Nashville. We were a part of the team "Myra's Milers" which was formed in honor of a friend from college's Aunt who passed away less than two years ago. I myself have had two Aunts that had breast cancer and have passed away, so I was thrilled to be able to join the team and participate this year. The event was really great, and if I'm correct, "Myra's Milers" was the largest team and ended up raising the most money. I thoroughly enjoyed the Race for the Cure, the weather was a little gloomy but it was nice and cool. I finished the 5K in around 30 minutes. I didn't really time it, but it was in that area. Honestly I haven't been running as much as I used to, but I ran the whole thing, and I'm not too sore today. Now I did tweak my back Sunday, but that is a whole different story and totally un-race related.

A few weeks ago my dad blessed our goats and sheep with a new dwelling.

They absolutely love it. We couldn't even get the roof screwed down before they were in it. This one will be much better in the colder months that are to come. It will keep the wind off of them and give them more protection from the elements. They have already gotten an upgrade on their house.

They got a front porch. Actually this abomination was our front porch up until last weekend. I kid you not, this was actually the unsightly entrance to our house. It looks just fine for goats to stand and poop on, but it did not look very nice on our house. It was old, it had nails that would work their way out of it. It was too small for Matt and I to even stand next to each other.

This is our new front porch, and I love it. We added about a foot and a half to each side. It also comes out much further. Not only can we stand next to each other on the porch, but we can stand next to each other on the steps if we want too. I put the finishing touches on it this weekend by painting the wood framing under the composite decking. We still have a lot of work to do to make the house more presentable, but this is a huge improvement. Another improvement you can see is the tin roof we had put on this summer. Apparently the pitch of our roof is really low, and every time a big storm came through (which we have had a lot this year) I would walk around in the yard and pick up shingles that flew off the roof and of course there was the leaking that would follow. Matt did a great job on porch, and we only yelled at each other once during the project.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

A few weeks ago I got this email from my friend Sabrina that simple said "help". I opened the email and she had a picture of the Halloween costume that she had decided on for her adorable 6 month old girl. Apparently there was a small problem. They don't make this costume in an infant size. And the original polar bear idea had been scrapped by her hubby. I was so excited about a sewing project I really didn't pay much attention to what it actually was. And then as I studied it, it dawned on me. "That's no elf… That's a garden gnome!" and Sabrina confirmed. So project "Garden Gnome" began.

My mother has made my Halloween costumes for as long as I can remember and they have always been fantastic. Much better than the flimsy store bought kind. She said she really likes making them because of how much fun you can have with them. For Halloween 08, she made me a "Little Red Riding Hood" outfit with a red (lined) cape and knee length full skirt. (Click here to read the post from 2008 about it)

So here is the debut of my very first Halloween costume produced with my beginner/amateur skills. I now give you (drum roll)… "Baby Garden Gnome"

TaDaaa!

It is going to look so cute on the baby! And I can't wait to see pictures of her in it.

Awaiting the arrival of the great pumpkin.

Against all odds and to my utter surprise, I have ONE little pumpkin growing.

I'd given up on anything coming of my little pumpkins, but it seems the great pumpkin may show up after all. I'll have my fingers crossed for the next 4 weeks for it.

"Linus: Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He's gotta pick this one. He's got to. I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there's not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see."