Phish is coming up soon. It'll be nice to put some distance between us and the city for a while. A break always clears my head. Work's busy, but rewarding.

The grapes are coming along nicely. I'm expecting veraison to start soon. The stems are still green, but the seeds are larger and starting to brown. Another month or two and I'll be ready to harvest!

LG and I go to the library sometimes when Yuki is working, generally just to visit. Last night, the library had a program that highlighted Argentinian culture (it's actually a monthly series, with a different country every month). So LG and I went after we finished mowing the lawn.

Just as an aside, our yoga teacher is Argentinian, and Yuki told me that she'd be at the program. So, LG and I come in, and are very pleased to find our yoga teacher singing and playing the guitar. We'd seen her play at clubs or restaurants a few times before, and her performances are engaging and emotional.

It was a very nice treat for us to see her perform again last night. She's been talking recently about recording some of her music. I hope she does, because it really should be captured and given to a wider audience.

It's still quiet at work, mostly. I've got a nice cup of hot tea and a granola bar. Some Sara Watkins playing. Should be a light day today, but lots of loose ends tied up.

We celebrated with C + J this weekend, they got married on Saturday. Only the 3rd or 4th wedding I've ever been in. Yuki looked radiant. LG was pretty well-behaved. It helped that there was an appetizer table in running distance. I found out that he loves harpooning cheese cubes with a toothpick. The ceremony was great, not too long, not to crowded. And the weather was cool and breezy, for a late June in Kansas.

The setting was very nice, an orchard near Edgerton. We'll have to go back when the apples and peaches are ripe! The orchard owners were amazing, very thoughtful and welcoming.

It's so humid at work. Every year this happens. Twice this year, so far. Yuck. I should bring a change of clothes.

The grapes are growing nicely. Little bulbous green berries, about the size of peas. Still way bitter. In another couple of months, hopefully they'll transmute sunshine and water into deliciousness.

Yuki brought me this book, which has me totally excited to try wine this year. The estimates I hear are about 5-10 pounds of fruit per vine, and about 5-10 gallons of juice from that much. I'm hoping for at least half a case of wine. We'll see how it goes.

I'm abandoning Catching Fire about halfway through. It's been ruined for me now. I really liked it. The same thing happened to Harry Potter with Yuki.

It was fun, to be so charmed by the series that I flew through in a few days. I love when that happens with books. Until next time.

In Rainbows is a great album.

It's gorgeous out today.

There comes a point that I just have to shut the door
I can't listen to inane ramblings anymore
Into the peaceful office I withdraw
Until they shut their spewing maws

Didn't know I was a poet, did you?

Been reading some Hercule Poirot lately. It's nice and non-threatening. I've also actually really been enjoying 'How to Win Friends and Influence People'. Very good. Sort of common sense, but very good.

Over a week of gorgeous weather, and now this soggy, boggy mess.

My grapes (and Yuki's garden) are flourishing, though. I think I might actually get grapes this year! O and I try to check on the progress every day.

This morning at work, it feels like someone exploded a giant full vacuum bag of dust and dander and other floaty, scratchy things into the air. Yuck.

I'm almost done with a three-week training initiative. This is the last day. Three more classes. Then, a massage, I think.

this weekend

Camping this weekend. Lovely weather, and a site near the lake, at Lake Perry. We saw:

• a heron
• a vulture (we think)
• an owl
• a pheasant!
  
• some whitetail deer
• opossums (dead)
  
• a fox
• a raccoon

I'm finished with my free reading (Agatha Christie's 'Evil Under the Sun'). I try to alternate an 'easy' book with a hard one (either a concept I don't know about or some kind of professional development). My last 'hard' book was Edge of Physics by Anil Ananthaswamy. I think I'll try either something about Kirkpatrick's levels of training evaluation or How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Carnegie.

lazy sunday

I've got a freshly mowed lawn. The allergies aren't as bad this year (knock on wood) as they used to be. O and I spent the day alternating between naps, outdoors, and the basement. Right now he's having a snack.

We made some delicious sun tea today, with some mint from the backyard. Also, my grapevines have developed some buds, and some of those buds are breaking open, revealing tiny pinkish green leaves. I'm hoping for some grapes this year. It's only my 2nd year, so we'll see what happens.

Yuki's started on the garden. We've got peas and lettuce, onions and potatoes so far. It's 10x10, and I think we're going to double it in the fall. Exciting!

I'm finished with O's blocks, the main part anyway. Now, we'll coat them with linseed oil and they should be ready to go.

I'm reading a book called 'the edge of physics', which is really good. accessible. You don't have to be a physicist to figure it out.

Spring is officially here. On the way home from work, the trees are in bloom. Light green and purple buds are breaking free from their woody winter sleep. Its been warmer than usual, and rainier than usual in the last week. Yesterday, we got 2 inches of rain in 2 hours!

O and I are walking or taking a bike ride almost every night. I've lost right around 60 pounds in the last 8 months or so, and I've got hopes to lose another 10 or so before I'm done. It's amazing how much better I feel!

My sister and her fiance are getting married this summer, and we've got tickets to Phish in the late summer. Hopefully it'll be a nice, peaceful stretch over the next few months.

revitalized

It's a new year. A new spring. And a new blog. With the same name. All of my old posts are somewhere in the internet ether.

O and I took a walk tonight, to the neighborhood park. I love when we have the park to ourselves (which is most times). I'm very happy to report that my former terrible allergies haven't been bothering me as much for the last two years. I was afraid that last year was just a fluke.

Look forward to new posts from me. Hopefully more frequently than every 6 months. Happy spring!