A clothes line

After reading an Op Ed piece about how much electricity a clothes dryer uses, and the virtues of hang drying your clothes outside, I am seriously considering this lifestyle change.

In 1989, when we moved into our new -- but old as it was built in 1964 -- house, a clothes line was attached to the back of the house. In the summer, you would pull the line out and attach it to a pole at the opposite end. For a long time, my mom dried her clothes on that clothes line, sheets and underwear alike hanging in the breeze. I think the line broke a few years back, because on a recent visit her clothes were hanging over the railing of the deck. New location, but she still hang dries her clothes.

We bought our new washer/dryer only last year and the washer's spinning mechanism is so fast that the intent is to ring out so much of the water that you don't need to dry your clothes as long. So I doubt we'd be saving the $100 the Op-Ed's author is saving; however, there's something about it that makes sense nonetheless.

For instance, when it's 80 degrees outside, does it make sense to dry your clothes in the dryer?

Off our kitchen, we have a utilitarian patio with the hose and shed, as well as my pots full of tomatoes, onions, and peppers. That spot seem's ideal to sun dry our clothes. My only question is would any of our neighbors complain -- the clothes line isn't seen much these days and our backyards are pretty close together.

And I would feel a little bit embarrassed having my undies hanging in the breeze, not to mention that I highly doubt Matt would let me even get close to the doorway with any of his unmentionables. This may turn into a covert operation.

15 years later ...

Over the 4th, my best friend from High School got married.

At 15, we were as thick as thieves, as only pals in high school can be. Perched on the kitchen counter, I would be on the phone (no cordless then) talking for hours, even though we had just seen each other all day in school; our conversation peppered with gossip about boys, boys, and more boys -- mostly public school boys because they were cooler. After school would mean track practice (before the driver's license) or driving around town looking for boys (after the driver's license).

Prom 1993: Fancy dresses and big hair

15 year later... better hair and more wisdom

Somewhere in college we drew apart, then we grew back together after college, then I moved and our lives went their separate way again -- different jobs, different friends, different lives ...

In May for Matt's graduation party, she showed up and talking to her again was like talking to an old friend who just got back form a long vacation. We were too comfortable for chit chat, thank goodness, but I felt there was so much I didn't know.

So maybe we're not the best friends we once were and we don't see each other as often as we should, but I always know she's there. If we were to fall back into each other's lives, it would be like discovering a whole new friendship, but with someone who knows some (but not all ) of my dirty secrets.

Ravinia

Last week, Matt and I went to Ravinia to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra play with guest violinist Joshua Bell.
If you've ever seen the movie The Red Violin (which I highly recommend), he was the principal violin soloist for all the music. We were sitting in the grass so I had to go up to the pavilion to see how he plays -- and of course I took a few pictures before the guard yelled at me. There was no sign about photos, I swear. And this was the best photo I could get so honestly, why make all the fuss.
Last month, I bought a new (well, old...very old) viola so I've been all "violin/viola this, and violin/viola that." So when I saw JB was coming to Ravinia, it was a no-brainer that I needed to be there and dragging Matt was easy when I said it meant eating 4 varieties of cheese and drinking wine in a park.

Of course, after hearing him play and then having to go back to my Suzuki Book 2 --I'm starting from scratch after my 12 year viola hiatus-- I felt like a kid... and like a loser. I've recorded some songs, but blogger won't let me upload songs directly like Typepad does -- for it to work I have to put it on another website that hosts music and then link it. So I might just take a video instead (except that my camera doesn't have sound because it's sacre bleu 4 years old!) I'll borrow my mom's...

I turned 33 and there was no fanfare

Once you pass 30, birthdays get innocuous and people seem to care less. When you’re young, your mom bakes you a cake while you put on your fancy party dress and prance around the house. The novelty just seems to wear off when pink clashes with your self tanner, prancing would cause things to shake and come crashing to the floor, and you find yourself at the bakery buying your own birthday cake…

“Just put a big 33 on the cake,” I told the baker.
“What color would you like the writing in?”
“I don’t really care.”
“Well who’s the cake for, a girl or a boy?”
“It’s for me.”
“Oh.”


On purpose I went to two places on my birthday where I had to show my driver’s license. Starving for some sort of menial attention, I pointed out to both disinterested cashiers, “It’s my birthday.”

“Um, oh, Happy Birthday.”
“Yeah, thanks.”

But at 10:28 p.m., like my mom used to do, Matt sat up with me until the digital clock rang out 28 after and he planted me a big kiss. “Happy Birthday, honey.”

Fort Myers Beach

My mom, my brother, and I went on vacation together to Fort Myers Beach, FL, and we just got back last night after 8 days and 7 nights of family bliss... I mean it, we actually spent all this time together and we didn't get into one fight; instead we had a great sun-filled, beach loving week.

My brother, if you don't know, suffers from psoriasis. Every treatment he tries works at first, and then his body learns to fight it. Recently, he's been on embrel shots and they have really improved his skin condition, but now his body is fighting it and it's losing it's effectiveness. So my mom has this theory about the healing power of salt water -- which in fact is a remedy for psoriasis, but maybe milder cases -- and she's beginning to take Tony to salt water locales.

She's never really traveled alone, she's either with my grandparents or my dad in tow, and I don't blame her because traveling with Tony is not a vacation. So for this trip she asked if I would join along and give her a hand -- both as chauffeur of the rented car, as companion, and as general comedian. Of course I would go!

We were so late checking in because we couldn't figure out the self check in, and we had to wait in a huge line. Then another line for security. As we were sauntering to the plane, I looked at my watch and said, "We gotta run." We were the last people on the plane and we sat in the last row. Ugh, no reclining seats and my view out the window was .... The engine. So I couldn't see anything and there was a constant BRRRRRRR I had in my ears for three days. I started to get claustrophobic... And do you know you have to PAY for a snack on the plane now? $4 for chips. No joke. So my advice, stock up at the mini mart ahead of time.



So how did we like Ft Myers Beach?? We loved it! You cross over the bridge into Estero Island and all of a sudden everything is in pastels. The island is one very long street with small streets and waterways veining east. The island can't be more than a mile wide. And every view is filled with water but the main attraction is the beach. It's just a long cool stretch of white fine sand, blue umbrellas, and sunshine. The water is shallow and warm, no riptides or huge waves and Tony could just lay in the water without any problems. It was low season so there were no spring breakers, only families and nice people. No show offs, no skinny minnies, no one looking at my brother as if he were an alien. Everyone was nice, from the people on the beach, to the hotel staff, to all the restaurant people (especially when my brother has to ask them "Do you have kids?" "Do you like Bonanza?" "Do you like Sean Connery as James Bond the best?" "My hair was blond like yours when I was a kid." -- these are all actual statements made to all different people).

It's summer, so it's hot. Everyday was 91 and 3 nights we had horrible rain storms (70 mph winds). My mom will tell you about me glued to the Weather Channel. I was panicking in case of a hurricane, but nothing happened. But back to the hot sun ... I got so tan and I was wearing 45 spf and sitting under an umbrella with 15spf. So that's how hot the sun is down there -- but you get used to it and now I'm freezing here!!

We stayed at Diamond Head Beach Resort where all the rooms are suites - 1 bedroom, living room, and kitchenette. It made it so easy with Tony because we had the fridge stocked with water and pop, we made sandwiches for lunch, and then ate all our dinners out. I say it was good for Tony, but really I love this concept, it made it feel more like an apartment rather than a standard hotel. And you can't beat being ON the beach and every room has a view. From our huge balconies (we had 2 suites with an adjoining door in the balcony) we viewed the water, from our front door we had a panorama of the island.

We spent 1 day at Sanibel Island, but only for swimming and eating -- we swam at Bowman's Beach (we had to stop a biker to ask for the best beach) and we ate at the Lazy Flamingo (Nicole's recommendation and it was great). The island is so pretty but really secluded and it costs $6 to cross over the bridge. You can't see the water unless you're at the beach or at a resort. I wouldn't mind spending 2-3 days to explore the island.

My friend Nicole used to live in Fort Myers so she gave us some dinner recommendations -- we went to Parrot Key Grill (bad on Monday, really fun on Saturday-- see my mom's video), Gulfshore Grill (best of all the key lime pies, and good priced specials), Beach Pier side Grill (I loved my grouper ceasar and the view), and we ate at our hotel 2x and that was surprisingly good.

We drove into Fort Myers one afternoon because I was on the search for Matt's gift and I found an art gallery with local artists, and they donate some of their proceedings to a woman's shelter. On the way back we stopped at Edison's Summer estate and took some pictures of these awesome Banyan Trees.

I can see how this place is a madhouse come Jan-April (which we heard were their worst months for crowds), but on the off season, the kitschy pink and feel of the island are actually charming when you don't have mobs of drunk 20-year olds hanging about. I would most definitely go back, spend more time on Sanibel, and also hit Naples and Marco island -- this time the trip was all about the beach for Tony.

When I get my mom's photos, I'll post everything on Flickr.

1 years old

Happy Birthday Guinness!

Matt's Graduation

It's been a while since a post. Mainly because I've been so busy /tired to even get on the computer, unless for work.

Last weekend was Matt's graduation weekend and his parents were coming to town and we were throwing a big MBA graduation party in the yard. At last count we had over 30pp coming - more than we've ever entertained and more than we had in chairs. I was pretty stressed out.

Matt's parents arrived the Thursday beforehand and that night we had dinner with both sets of parents at Adelle's - a restaurant down the street from our house. This was my dad's first time there and my dad is kind an Italian meat and potatoes man. The first thing he asked me was, "What are these numbers next to the food... 22, 18, 36..." He eyes bugged out when I told him they were the prices.

Matt's graduation party was on Saturday and there was still so much to do, so we spent all day Friday running around picking up stuff, only making it home in time for me to get dressed and get into the city for my great uncle's wake. Yes, a wake. These things come unannounced as you know. It was my grandpa's eldest sibling.

Saturday, while the rest of my family were at the funeral, Matt and I ran around some more -- this time we took his mom along to share in the craziness that is "party planning." Getting last minute food, lawn games, and setting up the yard, cleaning the house...

But the party was awesome. People trickled in and by dinnertime, we had over 30pp in attendance. Only 2 of our maybe's didn't show, it was incredible. I had the yard all cute with tables and potted plants, we got cornhole for the occasion, and I made a signature drink (lemonade + blueberry vodka); the day started off nice. Then is got so cold that everyone (I mean everyone) piled inside and we got all cozy in the kitchen eating ribs and pulled pork. Some people played the Wii, others were out in the garage playing darts. Friends I hadn't seen in so long came, and so did new friends and co-workers and neighbors. It was so nice and Matt cried after everyone left (midnight).

The next day, we honestly didn't move from off the couch . We were so tired (and hung over)and that night we went into the city for a Sox game. Monday morning, his parents left and we went to my parents for memorial day.

It was just such a busy weekend, we woke up at 7AM almost every morning, that the rest of the week was just us crying for more sleep and wishing work would go away. Last night I passes out at 8PM.