It's Been A While

Wow. May. Really? It's been May since I've last posted? I almost feel like, "forgive me blogosphere for I have sinned. It's been over three months since my last post." What has happened these past many months? Andrew finished Kindergarten. He left with his Dad on 9 June for 10 weeks of a San Diego summer including, but not limited to, surf & soccer camp (at different times). Some might be wondering if I whooped it up those 10 weeks. Yes and No. The first week, I schlepped down to Jersey for a voicemail class. Figured, even if I wasn't gainfully employed, at least I should keep my skills sharp. It was a great class. The instructor was awesome, and made a couple of new friends. I was even able to hop a train into the city for a couple of evenings. How many people know that Shakespeare in the Park is free? It was a perfect evening even if Macbeth is not one of my favs of Sir Bill. Taking that class the first week Andrew was gone was the best thing I could have done. Instead of moping around the house having pity parties, I learned a valuable skill. AND spent two awesome evenings in NYC.

The self-employment/sub-contractor thing picked up soon after my class. At first, it was just keeping the lights on, but now it actually is paying the mortgage also. Since Andrew has started back to school, things have slowed down, but I am hopeful projects will start pouring in again soon. They better!

June finished up with me working on work, and the house. Actually got a few pictures hung. I was also able to drive solo into Boston for the first time to meet a wonderful friend in Cambridge for dinner. This is one of the fabulous people I met at the Chateau last year in France. Such great times!

July started out with a weekend trip up to the lake house in Maine of my friend Beth's parents. It was an idyllic weekend. Even with two teenagers! Hey, they aren't mine! ;) Beth, you know I love all ya'll! Mid-July was greeted with a freak hailstorm (insurance is still working the claim to fix the siding on the house, and check the roof). Our little town of Exeter made the Weather Channel AND the local San Diego news. It was quite the experience. My car looks like it had terrible teenage acne. Poor thing. It will stay like that unless I decide to give it some vehicular Botox. Not likely. Since we moved here late March, everyone has been saying what unusual weather we've been having this year. Well, apparently, EVERY year is unusual weather. Sheesh. I've stopped saying that I moved away from Southern California for the weather. I'VE HAD ENOUGH!! Two days after the hailstorm, brother-in-law Bill and nephew Jared arrived from KC to build me the best deck ever! It's a beautiful deck. They don't like it because it's not cedar. For me to get cedar boards would have cost me 4x as much as the ACQ that I did use. Cedar is not that common, or readily available in New England as it is in the rest of the country. I stained/sealed the deck in a cederesque tone. It really is lovely. Due to the fact that my yard floods each and everytime it rains, the deck is occasionally referred to as the dock. Beth's son Zach, lovingly donated his buoy to the cause. My first deck/dock ornament. It has a place of honor resting atop the Eiffel Tower. It's heaven having coffee on the deck in the mornings when it hasn't rained or isn't raining. Also in July, due to the sub-contracting work I've been doing, I was able to make a quick trip to San Diego for a few days. It was great to see Andrew, friends, & family. It was also a wonderful vote of confidence that moving out of there was the correct thing to do. TOO MANY PEOPLE AND CARS!!!! Oh, sometime in either late June or early July, I had to purchase and install window A/C units. They saved my tookus. As well as my computer equipment. I had forgotten how hideous the humidity can be.

August started innocuously enough. Hot, muggy, lots of work. The days started to get into single digits for Andrew's return. Mom flew back with him, and definitely earned more Granny Nanny stripes. He was a challenge. I'm SOOO looking forward to the teenage years. NOT! We had a lovely faux bbq during Mom's visit. I say faux due to the fact that I do not own a bbq as of yet. OH! How could I forget one of the most exciting events of the summer. I purchased my very first lawn mower. I think it was in June. Had to. Either that or get a scythe. The crabgrass was getting out of control. While Bill & Jared were here building the deck/dock, I rented a trash dumpster hoping to get most, if not all, of the crap out of the garage & basement. Exeter has really odd trash/recycling rules. I was NOT about to cut up and bundle my 100+ moving boxes into 2x2 bundles. Also, since during the hailstorm, my garage flooded - the basement gained a lovely new water feature (now gone thanks to the deck/dock) - I had to toss a bunch of stuff that was still in boxes. In cleaning out my garage, I found a lawn mower. The general consensus is that it's more of an antique lawn ornament than an actual useful tool.

Andrew stared 1st Grade this year. By day two, he and the principal were tight. Not in a good way. It's hard being in 1st Grade already knowing everything and having to live by the rules. We are hoping (and praying) for exciting reading & writing assignments. Andrew also starts Soccer next week. That should be fun for him. A chance to get out, run around, follow rules, take his turn, and make friends. Oh yeah, and the snacks after the games. School picture day is Friday, so once I have those, I'll make another post, in the meantime, I've attached his first day of school photos. Apparently, I am uable to attach pictures for some reason. I will attempt to update my shutterfly account for all to see. They are quite, um, shall we say "charming"?

September has started and the A/C units are out of the windows. They are on the floor, and not properly put away, but that will happen soon. I hope. They are wicked heavy and need to go down in the basement. Two of the units are upstairs. I'm afraid to take them up the "ladder" to the attic as the "ladder" might break under the weight (the A/C units, not mine....). Less than a month before I head to Paris for the Fab40 trip. Should be fun. I'm really looking forward to it. Mom is returning to lovely New England, and bringing Dad along for the fun. What a hardship to be in New England in the fall. I do hope that Dad will at least be able to smell autumn.

My next post will be less than three months away! ;) Have a great September, and feel free to call, email, smoke signal, etc.

Love to all.
Nancy, Andrew, & Natasha