Tap, Tap, Tap. Is this thing on???

Testing. 1.2.3.
Check, check, check!
Hello?
Oh, this is how this thing works...

Uh, hey guys, how are ya?

Sorry, it's been a while, but ya know one thing lead to another and well, I kind of forgot how to type this thing.
I tried to make random, lurky visits to friends, but I really haven't spent much time on the computer. I'm only here now because HP wore himself out and I'm trying to do something quiet since I'm still awake. sort of.

I've read some excerpts of people's summers, I think a lot of people are getting out & doing things that sound like fun.

I'll give you the "Reader's Digest" version of my summer. I've uploaded some pictures to flickr, but then the battery died on the camera, and I have to start over except the camera and the computer have rarely shared the same floor of the house, so those are still to come.

Kiki's Summer Vacation

3 weddings (in 5 weeks)
my sister's birthday. she's 2 years older than I am
The Girl's Sweet Sixteen. Somehow I ended up doing a dinner party for 10 in my yard after I had already started clearing out the kitchen for the great budget makeover that never ended and went over over budget
HP's 40-somethingth birthday
Uncle Dick's 75th birthday
My niece's 7th birthday
HP's adventure on the other coast.
3 weeks of wondering if we were moving to the other coast
2 weeks and a random weekend in the Pocono's. I brought my computer with every intention of blogging, but there were children who had different ideas for me (like swimming and making blueberry pancakes) and for my computer (like barbie.com) and their mother who had different ideas for me (like swimming with her kids so she could get work done, and driving around in the convertible) and for my computer (ebay!) So, I didn't get much blogging done. I did take pictures, but most of them didn't make the great file transfer.
Summer Camp I got a call the day I was recovering from The Girl's Sweet Sixteen asking me to work for an art's camp. starting THAT day. Please! I've been going full tilt since then. I've played with clay with kids, I've fused glass with kids, I've read to kids, I've gotten ice for kids who run in crocs, I've filled out forms for band-aids, I've painted a giraffe, I've had to pull structured-theme-oriented mixed media projects out of my ass, I've tie-dyed, I've had art shows, I've been run ragged...
and finally
The great budget kitchen makeover The idea was to give the kitchen a $500 makeover. New countertop ($100) New sink ($100 (plus $12 for the drainbowls and strainers, sold separately)) New faucet ($70 so far--still need another piece to make it work with our ancient portable dishwasher) Paint (about $100). So far that sounds reasonable, but what about all the $50 trips to Lowe's?? what are we getting there that keeps adding up? Today it was copper pipe, fittings, connectors and things like that to actually hook up the sink.
The great budget kitchen makeover was also supposed to only take about 10 days. 2 weekends plus the days between to do extra coats and things like that. That was over a month ago. Of course, the trip to the Poconos, all of the birthdays and summer camp were all after we started the great kitchen makeover.
And while we have been working on the GKM, HP finished grad school! Yay. I am soo proud. and so is his Ma, who will be coming for a visit. ON FRIDAY. We have a lot to do before Friday! Ma will be here for 10 fun-filled days. I hope she likes to watch paint dry, that's what we have for excitement. I think she wants us to go to that whole commencement thing which will be smack dab in the center of the state. So, we have a visit to my dad (who goes by YOM--Your Old Man) and his wife, who just goes by her name.
And still to come this summer, My birthday (30 somethingth), our anniversary (4th) and getting The Boy back to school.

So that is the abridged version of my summer. At some point pictures will follow. I think. I'm trying to work towards getting back on my computer at least a couple evenings a week (the last couple weeks I've checked email, occasionally visited your blog. if you have one. and looked up the weather.)

Oh, the kitchen? It is a kind of yellow, almost a yellow ochre (brought about by a beer glaze) with white "wainscoting" (ok, it is paneling that was cut down at some point in the house's history, but little oddities like that are part of the fun of an old house). The cabinets are white and the counter top is beechwood. We have a bright white cast iron sink and pewter faucet (I think--the package was mismarked, which was part of the reason it was only $70 instead of $275).
My kitchen was a warm tera-cotta color, with dingy blue cabinets and an icky laminate counter top, now it is bright and cheerful. Or at least it will be when we get all the tools and crap out of it, sand and refinish the floor, and put the shelves and kitchen island back in.
I can't wait to show you the finished pictures, and I can't wait to get back in it!

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On the road with Kiki

I've been gone the past couple weekends. It was a nice change of scenery! First I went to see the cutest kids EVER and got to play with them for a weekend.
Their mom went away, so Auntie Kiki was in charge!

Hmmm what to dress them in?
They weren't so sure about that, until we started doing this

Tie dye is always fun and the Cute Nephew liked his so much, he is wearing both of the shirts he we Auntie Kiki made (with his "help"). Cute Niece made a sundress to wear if the weather ever warms up. She was considering wearing it along with her hat to "hippie day" at school.

The weekend also included a visit to the museum & nature center. We got to see old cars, all sorts of animals, including a very entertaining river otter and an exhibit by this artist. Let me tell ya, as cool as the pics are, the real thing blows them away!

And of course, we had to make ICE CREAM. Chocolate chip mint. It was very good! I also got to see the Cute Nephew play soccer. (football for you Euro types).
And a good time was had by ALL!

Next on the road trip was a weekend away with HP.

We went down to the DC area where The Boy has just completed his freshman year. Yay Boy! Friday night we stayed with Aunt Chirp & Uncle Pablo at "the Nut" where Sarah Louise was doing a weekend visit for Mom's day. It was a great chance to catch up with family and relax. Saturday morning, I got up and made these amazing pancakes. It has been a tradition for many years to eat blueberry pancakes with this family and I found this recipe the day before we left. Which says to me, it was meant to be!

In following the tradition, I added blueberries to the batter as well as using in the sauce, and pancake nirvana was achieved! I will be making these again, want to come by for some?

After breakfast and a self-indulgent trip to Trader Joe's, we went into the city to fetch some stuff from The Boy to put into storage. We called to be sure he was awake before the plan was formulated. We called to let him know we were on the way. We called to let him know we were there, his response was "I'm just getting up, give me a few minutes to shower." I think the only reason that boy lived through his teen years is because he went to boarding school and hid from his parents! After feeding him & stowing the stuff that was staying in the city for the summer (unlike The Boy who came home to work) we left him back at the dorm (so his mom could fetch him & the remainder of his stuff the next day) and set off on our own adventure. First on the plan was try to get out of town. DC was planned out like the spokes of a wheel. Except they threw small monuments, large monuments, one way streets, and random closed streets in the middle of it. We did not plan our route very well in advance, and there was some miscommunication involved between HP & I. (I know you are shocked)

(Sometime earlier this month)
HP: Honey, why don't you find a place for us to go for crabs when we go up from DC and a room for Saturday night in Newark (pronounced New-ARC, not new-werk)
Me: Umm, I'm really busy & really stressed trying to get Souper Bowl together. Plus my computer is acting all cranky and keeps shutting down.
HP: Uh huh.

(Sometime last week)
HP: Did you find a place for us to stay?
Me: No, I told you I was busy and my computer is getting worse. I'm going to try to wipe it out & start over.
HP: ok

(Sometime last weekend while I was in CT)
HP: Did you find a place for us to stay?
Me: (sigh) No, I told you I couldn't
HP: Oh. yeah. Where should we stay when we are in Newark, do you have any ideas?
Me: No, when ever I went to that area it was with friends and we didn't stay the night.
HP: Ok, I'll find something

(Friday)
HP: Did you find a place to go for crabs?
Me: No, but if we go up the Eastern Shore we should be ok. What do you think our schedule will be?
HP: Oh, we'll meet the boy around noon, feed him, stow his stuff, and go. We should be in crab area pretty early.
Me: Ok, I'll ask at the rest area.

So I asked the helpful man at the helpful desk about good places to go for crabs. We got a lovely location that was recommend (and subsequently recommended by the Relatives). We even discussed some alternatives. HP really wanted to do a side trip to Rock Hall (I'm not sure how he heard about Rock Hall, but he thought it sounded cute) and on the road we were.

(Saturday)
HP: Well, it took a lot longer than I thought to get on the road! I think I have spent a large portion of my adulthood waiting for my kids... I guess we'll do Rock Hall another trip.
(a little while later)
Me: We are about to hit Harris, do you want to stop? I'm not real hungry yet.
HP: No, me neither, lunch was late. We'll keep going.
(a little while later)
HP: Wasn't that 213? Don't we want to take that?
Me: Uh, I thought we were taking 301 up to 896, it runs straight into Newark. Since we aren't going to Rock Hall.
HP: No, I still want to go along the Chesapeake.
Me: Ok, there is a rest area up ahead, we can turn around there or figure out a new plan.
(after our rest stop)
Me: There is 405, we can take it North to 213 & be back on our way.
HP: Ok, east or west?
Me: Oh, east to the water.
HP: Honeeyy, the Bay is West. The ocean is east, we want the bay
Me: UHHH, turn around. Sorry.

So that was how much of the trip went. We weren't at our best or most prepared. We had a false start or two getting to the crabs, but I did have plan "C" in mind for our journey and we stopped in Chesapeake City and went to the Tap Room where we ( finally) sat down for a big plate of Maryland Blue Crabs. They weren't cooked to order (maybe I should have asked for that) but they showed up quick and though they were a little scraggly, missing a claw or 2, they still tasted pretty darn good! Nothing like the Maryland Blues!

Here is where I could go into our Hotel Trauma, but I'll just give the cliff notes version.

Me: It's in Newark? The only listing I can find is Wilmington
HP: I thought it was in Newark. I left the confirmation at home let me check the crackberry. Uh, no service
Front Desk Guy: I'm sorry we are booked, and we have no reservation for you

We eventually got a room. In Wilmington. Sunday we got up and drove back to Newark (yes, we had gone there first Saturday night looking for a nonexistent hotel) and saw a performance of Squonk Opera's Newark: The Opera. We had a good time and then made our way back to our little house, where I promptly fell asleep.

And everybody lived happily ever after.

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