Oh I can't think of anything creative

Sorry I haven’t posted for a while—a combination of being busy as always and of being a bit down in the dumps. Before I talk about what has been going on lately, let me speak in more general terms.

I cannot wait until Andrew and I are out in the country. Because of relatives visiting and our side refinishing projects I have been going out to Mom and Dad’s more often—both weekend days and maybe a weeknight or two. I felt as I got off 70 onto 29, wrapping up a pilot test of my commute as if I could finally let the breath I had been holding out of my lungs and with each mile taking me deeper into the country, I felt like an onion, mentally peeling layers to get back to feeling good about life and it’s possibilities. Passing a herd of beef cows in their smooth red and black summer coats, smelling the hayfields and forests through the open window as I whizzed by. I felt like myself again once I reached home. More an more it feels like I treasure every moment outside and working or visiting family and friends and I am using it to inoculate myself the coming week’s stresses and inconveniences—the noise and pollution, the waiting and the feeling of confinement in our around a patch because a ground chickadee had a nest there) working in the doors and hanging out by the pond. All I can think of is that this time next year we will have a clothesline up and lots of windows to air out the house and Kitten can watch all the birds.

Enough poetics. A couple of weeks ago I got into a fender bender in Urbana. No one was hurt. It was my fault and I feel very stupid as it will most likely raise our insurance rate a bit but considering that ten times a week I drive the busiest loop of outerbelt in the city and have seen pile-ups and flipped over cars, I’ll take my mini-crunch going less than five miles an hour in good ole’ Urbana. My rental rides very smooth but takes more gas of course. I’ve been very tired lately—summer reading program and people taking vacations have taken their toll on all of us. I am not really looking forward to going to Chicago this weekend although my schedule is more spacious than the past two times. I will not take any time off before I go back to work and I have decided to take two carry-ons, one for clothes and bath stuff and one for snacks so I don’t starve like I did in Boston. I can pack my suitcase in my carry-on. I am worried about transportation because the convention center is on the other side of the river from all the hotels and most of the evening events. I know some more people though and hope I can meet up with more people to share cabs. Andrew is trying to enjoy his last week of freedom before paramedic school. He is going to try to finish the Canada door. I will try to post pictures before I go to ALA and will email you all if I do so.

Andrew had a good birthday I think. He got some toys to help us lay the laminate floor and some other home improvement things. On father’s day Mom Dad and Andrew and I went out to Buca Di Beppo’s for dinner and I managed to avoid dairy—can’t believe I pulled it off. After running some errands we went out to the house to work on the doors a bit and spent the evening fishing out some of the bass that Dad has been feeding these past few years. They are eating the goldfish and so we are taking them over to the neighbor’s pond. It’s pretty fun to catch 4 pound bass and these are just the small mouth—there are bigger ones yet in there and a friend got a large catfish. It was beautiful weather, cool and dry for June and we hated to go back to the apartment. We are aiming to break ground in July so I will keep you posted. I will be posting more pictures soon and will email. Later, jules

Moving Right Along

Hi, we now have the zoning permit and the floor plans. By then end of next week we should have the contract and the health department test. We may go for the loan as early as next week but most likely the week after before I leave for ALA. The county will sit on the plans for a couple of weeks but in the meantime we can get the driveway put in. We still will break ground in July I think. In othernews Andrew and I have completely taken over mom and Dad's pole barn with out projects so it is a good thing they have the garage built. Andrew and I make a good team because we like doing different things. He is good with the details that normall drive me nuts. I managed to mow half the lot yesterday and then just gave up wtih the heat. We even bought some rubbermaid tubs to start packing. It's a mental thing for me and we are going to be so busy by the time we actually move that I want all the little stuff and books alredy in storage in the barn.

that's it I guess, I gotta get ready for work. jules