Happy Thanksgiving!

What a beautiful day to celebrate with friends and family.  The sun was bright and the air was crisp and fresh.  A perfect morning for a run.  So run we did!  As part of the third annual Huffing for Stuffing fun run, a fundraiser for the Gallatin Valley Food Bank, and the largest running event in Montana!

Over 2,000 people participated this year, including a turkey, a naked indian, and a wide array of costumed runners and kids in strollers.  I beat my personal best in the 5K (a little bit longer than a standard 5K at 3.5 miles) with a time of 35 minutes 58 seconds and placed 436 out of 858 women.  My sister, cousin and cousin's husband ran the 5K, as well as many of our friends, and my mom ran the 10K with my brother. Harvey, Suka, and Shaun waited for us at the finish with another brother and there was definitely no shortage of people or dogs on the cheering squad!

I have to say it was an awesome way to start the holidays and I am already looking forward to the St. Patty's day fun run, the Run to the Pub!  

So happy Thanksgiving to all and get out an enjoy this beautiful holiday season!

Back to Work

Time to get back to work before the madness of the holidays hits.  I'm sure that before long another snow storm will hit and turn our nights into working days and our days into long naps.  So, before that happens, we decided to bust out a little more work on 'the Nook'. 

We sanded, smoothed, drilled, screwed, and installed hinges for our bench seats. In a rather un-straightly manner, I might add. 
After the cleanup from that ordeal, I decided to make another mess and cut the foam for our cushions.

Four fabulous inches of the most amazing double stuffed squishy foam!

To fill the rest of my time, I made Shaun a hat.  Cashmere, the lucky duck, covered in fishes.

And we bought giant bag of parsley for 50 cents and hung it all up in the window to dry.  Whee!  How much fun it is to save money!  Spices are expensive!

Finally Winter!

Well, as much as we hustled to get finished, our beloved breakfast nook seems to be at a standstill.  It's not that we aren't still interested... It's just that in the past week a few significant things have happened that have impeded our progress.  

First, I got a job.  So I have been working.  (Hooray for me!)  And at one of my favorite places (historically) I might add... The Gallatin Gateway Inn.  Absolutely gorgeous, now and in my memories of childhood, however tragically stuck in a streak of poor business for quite a few years now.

Click here to see the Inn!

Second, Shaun has been sick, recovering from 'The Swine' as I like to joke.  Not sure what it was, really... But I think it was the 'Swine Flu'.  What a joke.  (Unless you're in your third trimester of pregnancy, apparently.  Sorry.)  So, swine is over and a bad cough remains... Bronchitis?   Shucks.

Third, my dad built a shed, so all of our working tools traveled to town in the back of a pick-up truck for the big installation, which seemed to take half a week.  Shed installed, tools home again, and BAM!...

Our fourth major impediment, a snow day.  And a serious one at that...

All that is from one good night's dump.

And just a couple days ago, dad was on the tractor turning the compost.  Crazy weather.

But that's Montana for you.  A post I wrote earlier this year, in April, is another perfect example of big Montana dumps.  Click here to see that one.

More pics of the snow...  "We must document this historic day!"

Now it's time to play!

Home Improvement: Breakfast Nook

Shaun, Suka, Harvey, and I have finally moved into our new home above my dad's house and wasted no time starting our home improvement projects.  Most importantly, first and foremost, a breakfast nook.


These are our plans. 





Very detailed, as you can clearly see...  Lots of measurements... 

And let the work begin!

Installed, trimmed, and ready to stain!  A couple cushions and we'll be ready to start on the accompanying table.  Wheee!

The End of the World as We Know It...

It is 12:30 in the morning...  I can still here the music, the lights are still on, and I can still here the voices in the house below us, even though I am in my bed and ready to sleep.   Now, normally, this would be a normal roommate/apartment situation, but the house below our apartment belongs to my father, and the two voices I hear at present are he and Shaun... the dad and the boyfriend.  Shaun is still downstairs drinking with the dadman... should I be worried?  Is this one of those 'father-in-law' deals? (even though we'll never get married) Are they conspiring against me? my dog? HIS dog? god? dog? ... Oh my... they must be planning something against god... Or else they're conspiring to tear down a wall... or plant garlic... or turn the compost pile...Jesus! (Forgive me.)   I guess a few people would tell me I should be worried about this.  They seem to be getting along well... really getting to know each other, maybe for a few hours too many by now, but getting to know each other all the same.  On the other hand...I'm sure a few people would tell me to be worried about this...they're really getting to know each other... hmmmm...they're probably talking about the garlic...damn.