My Plan B

Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 23:28:00 -0500

Map taken from The Audobon Society website.

So, I decided to open my hiking in New England book and tackle one of the hikes. This one is in Smithfield and I think I have only been there once or twice when I was a kid. It was such a nice day and my dad said he would go with me.

So, the trail starts easy enough but there a few hills.

We got to a sign that said we couldn’t cross the construction to get to the other side go the refuge. We never found the ledges.

Overall, it was just a nice day to get out. I think the first week of March I am going to do a trail in Arcadia.

So I got a lot going on right now. Working full time and going to class, while trying to work out...

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:34:42 -0500

So I got a lot going on right now. Working full time and going to class, while trying to work out and lose weight. I have a 5K March 10th, April 15th, and May 5th so far. I am going to volunteer at the Warrior Dash on June 9th which should be fun. I just want this weather to change and get warm. Oh well, off to the JWU library to do my homework and project…

Sentences about Photography

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:29:13 -0500

dailymeh:

Photography is easy. Good photography is hard.

Photographs can be true.

Photographs are made, not taken as if by force.

Photography is about consistency. Consistency is talent, and talent is hard work.

Photographs say things that cannot be said in words.

Photographs and words are not enemies.

Photography is light. Photons, not electrons, are the elementary parts of photographs.

Photographs are enough.

Bob gets mad when I don’t update tumbr.

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:35:24 -0500

Bob gets mad when I don’t update tumbr.

To the guy at the laundromat: Please don’t sing “Hey, Good Looking. What cha got...

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:20:08 -0500

To the guy at the laundromat:

Please don’t sing “Hey, Good Looking. What cha got cooking?” while people are folding their underwear.

2 Months in!

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 19:56:22 -0400

So after 2 months, this is what the stove looks like:

Look at that ~~hat~~ pot on top! That’s right, my stove is happiest when it is being cooked on! And that gas smell was not imaginary. And now that the air is cleared, I am slowly getting used to the stove. I made my first meal on it tonight. I used it to make Pea Soup from scratch. Here was my lovely meal:

Recipe from a magazine (with my modifications):

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2/3 Green Onions, chopped

7 cups Green Peas, fresh or frozen

4 cups Vegetable Stock

8 Tbsp half and half

salt and pepper to taste

1) In a stock pot, heat the olive oil, and saute the green onions a few minutes until softened. Add the peas and the stock, bring to a simmer, and then cover and cook until the peas are tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2) Remove from heat to cool slightly, then process in a blender until smooth.

3) Return to the pan; add the half-and-half, salt and pepper; and heat through. Makes about six cups of deliciousness. Baguette and apple optional although it made it perfect. Enjoy!

Tonight's Menu

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:02:35 -0400

Appetizer: Caesar Salad

Entree: Swedish Meatballs with Plum Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, and Peas and Corn served with Ballet of Angels White Wine

Dessert: Hazelnut Hot Cocoa and Hazelnut Wafer cookies

Yummy!

Random Pictures

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:52:00 -0400

Tropical Storm Irene

My bedroom before I killed it by being me.

After a crazy storm!

Typical Friday night in my apartment. It’s okay to drink alone if you are painting… don’t judge!

The ultra swanky apartments down the street.

This sky had my favorite color of blue in it.

Ingredients for an awesome dinner I am making as I blog tonight.

View from my bedroom window.

This doesn’t say, “please don’t make my gallbladder explode”. How could I have warned them?

This is so accurate,it must be true.

Most beautiful drive through Rhode Island.

Overheard in my Bathroom

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:41:00 -0400

Woman: Oh my God. You won't believe how much hair was shaved off my ass!"
Man: mmm mmmm mmm mmmm
Woman: And that cool gel didn't do anything to help!
Man:mmmm mmmm mmmm
Woman: Oh. mmm mmm mm .

(mm mmm = mumbling I could not understand)

Week 2

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:05:46 -0400

This week started out pretty rough. Friday night, my neighbors witnessed someone coming into my apartment late and leaving even later! Even witnessed me leaving that night at 2 am to return at quarter to 3! Then leave again at 5! Sounds like a crazy night, eh?

The person who came over was my mom. Because I was in so much pain, I couldn’t really think. See, I have one small gallstone. One. Just the one. My mom left at 1 am after I took a Tylenol. By 2, I was in a ton of pain. So, I did what anyone would do. Went online to research home remedies and found out that if you drink with one cup of apple juice with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, the pain goes away immediately. That sounds great! But where do you get that stuff at 2 am. Stop and Shop closes at midnight. So… on to THE CENTER OF NEW ENGLAND or Coventry. To Walmart.

When I get out of the car, there is a guy sitting in a truck blaring what sounds like The Deftones. Something slow with a lot of screaming. There is a couple at the entrance of the Walmart, smoking cigarettes, and slow dancing. Ahhh… young love. Anyway, I go in and purchase my apple juice and cider. And to my surprise, the cashier wasn’t surprised by my purchase.

Get home and drink it. It wasn’t the miraculous wonder drug the inter-web believed it to be. It did absolutely nothing. So, my neighbors got to hear the sweet sound of me… throwing up at 4 am. At 5 am, I went to the emergency room and was asked numerous times what medication I am allergic to. Don’t they have a chart that says that? Can’t one person just write it down??? I was also asked what my religious affiliation is (I went to Kent). I told them to just pick one. I was so tired and in so much pain, I just didn’t care.

So, after an hour of waiting for the meds to kick in (not like on ER at all, more like Nurse Jackie), I had to ask for something stronger. I don’t know what they gave me but I finally got some sleep. They woke me and discharged me after an hour and a half nap. Slept the rest of the day. Been on clear fluids all week. Feeling better, thank you. I need to contact a surgeon… I would be out of work for one week. Imagine that. Getting an organ removed and being out for only one week. Modern medicine…

So, I am deathly afraid of my stove. Here is a picture:

Those green lines are an occasion smell of gas, whether real or imagined. I have used the stove a few times (remember i set off the fire alarm) but have been living out of my microwave recently.

My cabinets smell. My mom and I have scrubbed them and scrubbed them. They still smell.

I need to clean my apartment this weekend and do some significant laundry.

I have decided to find my gym clothes. Sometimes, I get lonely (?) or bored and thought it would be a good idea to go to the gym, when I feel that way, to be around other people. Can’t hurt? I will say that I have lost a total of 10.4 lbs since July 1st. Yay!

This weekend is supposed to be in the mid 60s. Sounds like some hot apple cider and a walk in the woods is in order.

One Week Down

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:57:00 -0400

I have been in my apartment for 7 days now. It has already been quite the experience. I have gotten the chance to meet a few neighbors already. My next door neighbor is a nice woman, who loves to gossip and is not afraid to wear her jacket inside out. She has a small dog, who likes to bark at her door. Her husband likes to cough loudly (I don’t think he actually likes it, though.) She has a friend that lives in a different building who also has an ankle nipping dog. When I moved in, there was no electricity due to the tropical storm. So, my neighbor used the window as her TV. I had to go to the leasing office where another resident informed me that someone almost broke into a car the other night. He went on to say that he had a few weapons if that were to happen again. I asked him which apartment was his so I could park in front of his window.

Fast Forward to 7 hours later:

A sea of boxes… and it is getting dark outside. I still didn’t have power. I got a call from the mattress delivery guy and explained that I didn’t have power. He didn’t seem to care so they were going to come by. About 5 minutes before he got there, power turned on. Everyone in the building started yelling. I heard someone going up and the down the stairs and looked out the window to see a big truck. I opened the door and the mattress guy says, “Oh, it’s you… can I charge my phone… and use your bathroom?” Ummmm… sure. So while he is the bathroom he yells, “Am I in Massachusetts or Providence?” Just as I was going to ask if he actually had a mattress to deliver, his partner came in and explained the other guy’s confusion. They had been driving all day, had tons of deliveries all over New England, and still had 3 more to go. We flirted with each other for a few minutes (he was really cute) then they left but had to come back. The mattress guy forgot his phone.

First DInner?

I tried. It is garlic lemon fish, penne with pesto, and a whole wheat roll. Fish was only half cooked and the pesto wasn’t very good. But! Look at that dining room table! Want a better look?

Haha. I am going to buying a couch this weekend and make a coffee to dining room table from scratch. Very excited about it!

Anyway, after I moved in, the town was so excited, they had a parade… everyday… of Labor Day weekend. Everyday. Right n front of my apartment.

Here is the welcoming committee:

That’s right! Even Miss West Warwick came!

So, I have already set off the fire alarm. Making an omelette. Now I am afraid to cook. Oh, and i am developing OCD. I have to check the door lock, window locks, and gas burners numerous times before bed and leaving the house. I here that never goes away, either. UGH!

Anyway, here are some pictures of the one room that I have completed. The bathroom.

T-Minus 10 Hours!

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:05:01 -0400

In ten hours, I will go, sign the papers, and get my keys! I am so excited! I just can’t wait to get in there and start setting up my stuff… Going to be a long, good day tomorrow. Just getting tv will be nice!

T-Minus 1 Day

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:24:41 -0400

Ugh. I haven’t started packing yet. It’s going to be one of those “just throw everything in a box” kind of moves. Really excited, though. I called to get my cable set up today (yes, I still have to do that) and I have the mattress people delivering a new bed on move in day. The apartment still is smaller than I thought it was and when I go in there it wipes my memory clean every time… With some interesting arranging though, I think everything will fit and be really nice. I think my first night, I am going to watch Barefoot in the Park. Perfect first apartment movie!

So today, I went through my clothes. I felt like an archeologist digging through layers of my life....

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 16:10:54 -0400

So today, I went through my clothes. I felt like an archeologist digging through layers of my life. I found an item that has been in my mental museum. Typically, something I look at and then move on to another item. The shirt is a jersey grey t-shirt. It is unbelievable soft for a t-shirt. At one time, before it was in my possession, it said Old Navy, but now just the faded outline of the O remains… It used to have a matching hoodie but that was given to GoodWill 2 years ago.

What to do with this shirt… one of the armpits is much more worn out than the other one and the collar has seen better days. Throw it out? Tear it up for rags? Make a bag out of it? It’s so hard to let these sentimental things just go…

T-Minus 4 Weeks

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 12:27:00 -0400

So.. I’m doing it! I am moving out into an apartment on my own. This is floor plan.

Nice? Yeah… it doesn’t look too much like that. While the layout is correct, the size of the furniture is inaccurate. No big deal, though. This is my first apartment. That’s right. I am 32 years old and I am finally moving out on my own.

I have some questions about the new space… like where I am actually going to put my furniture, what is going to be on my walls, how late is the biker bar down the street open until, who are my neighbors, and will cooking bacon set off the building’s fire alarm?

Today starts the enormous task of sorting. I am going to make that fat girl at Saver’s who can never find anything but has to go with her skinny girl all the time who walks out with $50 worth of stuff every time and says things like “try that on, it”ll fit”, then “oh… yeah, it’s the color really” ‘s day!