Lily Lily: Biding Time

It's blooming!  This plant has been on my back porch for at least two years (it was my neighbors, she moved) and I never knew what it was. I think the plant was sad; now it's so happy, it's literally exploding from the pot.  We will have to see what happens -- I know little about caring for lilies, so transplanting it makes me nervous.  If you have any tips, let me know!

I can't wait until the flowers open! 

Stairways: Hearts

My sister sent me this photo today.  "Christmas is Coming!" she says.  We are sitting at the top of the stairs per tradition, per ritual, on Christmas morning, waiting for our photo to be taken and waiting to come down to tree and presents and croissants.  Usually, we are feigning sleep at the top of the stairs; I think Buddy was interrupting that part.  

Santa, I miss that dog.  

Hanging Dry: Holiday Shift

Fall is officially here.  I know September 21st marks the 'first day of Fall' but this year, with all this wonky weather, the last few weeks were just a medley of mild summer and cold winter: confused.  Now, there is that familiar crisp air in the morning and low fog gives way to high clouds or cold clear days.  Soy Nog is for sale at Safeway.  Libby and her pumpkin have invaded stores.  Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations are already battling it out.  My scarves are back in rotation.  Tights are required with skirts.  I love it. 

Last night, I met up with Meg at Ikea and we perused the Christmas decorations.  In 2010, I was almost scrooge-like with my decorating; I'm not even sure I got my standard Trader Joe's potted tree (perfect to the studio-scene), so for 2011, I purchased a few fun things to get things all festive.  Behold:

Love: Poem

Brain:Explosion

Too long a Monday, too much powerpoint, too much meeting, too much training.  And then I read this:

Accuracy is a statistical measurement of correctness of a measured value, and includes components of random error (variability due to imprecision) and systematic error. It reflects the total error associated with a  measurement. A measurement is accurate when the value reported does not differ from the true value of a known concentration, spike, or standard.

boom.

Birthday: Gif

Happy Birthday Mom!

At Desk: At Lunch

Reading an article about the loss of BioDiversity and

That genera will disappear--

My coworker walks by with a paper coffee cup;

Same time,

Everyday.

I think, with guilt, of my years at Starbucks and coffee kiosks,

And how my paper cups could fill a room

An apartment

A building. 

Then I think of that plastic whirlpool in the Pacific and the

Packaging my Amazon order came in

The truck it traveled in

The place all of it was made in

The energy that took...

The windmills on the hill (birds dead at the base).

(Windmills are bigger now.  Slower.  Bird odds increase)

I drive by them, the windmills,

In my 30 milepergallon car

With hopefully more than just me in it

But not always

Because people aren’t always going the way that I am

And sometimes I leave early (or late)

Or forget my travel mug in the car, on the counter, both very far

And my carbon footprint won’t carry me there.

I turned off my space heater.

Maybe that will help. 

Back Porch: Counter Active.

A couple of months ago, I started to redo my porch. The mini-project of cleaning up the mess left by negligent renters (including myself) and dead plants turned into a quest to make the back area more usable and welcoming.  Enter: Home Depot, an 8-foot piece of lumber, and some brackets.  Viola!  Back porch counter where wine may be enjoyed and dinner may be shared!

We had to declutter the porch as per the fire code.  Also, the landlord tried to tell me that our plants caused the entire back stairwell to require replacement.  I call bullshit.  Faulty gutters, rain, and fog had more a hand in that.  All the same, I made sure plants are elevated and have trays under them.

That ceramic owl is a relic from my grandfather's house.  I never really thought of it as creepy until visitors mentioned it -- to me it's just chock full of nostalgia and will be in my gardens forever.  Until my potential future kids break it with a soccer ball like I broke my mother's.  :)

Taking advantage of the vertical space!  During my perusal of small garden ideas, it became obvious that vertical gardening is hugely popular right now.  These are hanging planters from Ikea with violets in them.  The chain is from Home Depot and just attached to hooks that screw into the wall-- you can see that there is a lot leftover.  I wasn't exactly sure how this idea was going to work out and I was determined not to measure anything.  

This 8-foot pre-primed beauty fit just perfectly in my wee Matrix -- thank goodness that front seat folds down. I used brackets to hold the counter to the railing; the pressure (it's a snug fit) keeps it from wobbling and no holes were made in the railing wood (which I'm sure Mr. Landlord appreciates).   I also repurposed and slightly modified the shelving so that it fits flush to the wall, gives more space, and provides a place to put empty pots.   Although you can't see them in this picture, there are two folding bar stools hanging next to the pots. Choosing the wrong size brackets for the counter was a lesson learned, but the leftover edge made for a handy place to hang planters will daffodil bulbs!  I can't wait until Spring!

Worksation: BSG EXCEL

me: indeed4:31 PM for the life of me, i cannot copy and paste this table from excel into word and have it fitand all of it survive the journey4:32 PM it's like in battlestar galactica, when they fire up the FTP and all jump, but not all the ships make it.it's like that4:34 PMMatt: really. could be a problem with the singularity being created by your right clicking. me: i pasted it as an object4:35 PM Matt: it is not easy. in the instant before it pastes, that table essentially exists at all points in the known universe.

Sometimes you just have to stop

NorthEast Vista Point at the Golden Gate Bridge, this morning.  Last night, it rained.