Family Visit: Scene I

I haven’t posted much this past week as I have been a tad busy with out-of-town guests (my immediate family), visiting my grandparents in Kentucky, picking beans out of the garden, making potato and chicken salad (clarification: potato salad and chicken salad, not salad with chicken and potatoes.  That would be weird.), cleaning up my house, drinking enough water to match the rate at which I am sweating it out due to the triple digit heat wave, breaking up and shelling beans to put up, wrangling my cats, watching the clouds, working at my day job, watering my scorched container garden, sending thank you notes, catching up on recorded reruns of Pioneer Woman, tracking severe weather across the U.S., and remembering my name.

It has been quite a week, but a good one.

I had Mexican food for dinner Friday, Sunday and Monday nights.

I repeat: It was a good week.

It was also nice to see my family.  We tend to have some good laughs when we’re together.

The fun began when my sister drove down from Lexington and we picked up my parents at the airport the Friday before last.

Getting down to business, we drove straight to Mexican Restaurant #1 for dinner.

My Dad ordered a large Margarita, which was served in what seemed to be a punch bowl with a stem.

I had taken a few minutes to decide what kind of drink I wanted and I was telling the waitress that I would like a strawberry daiquiri as my Dad’s water basin of a drink arrived.

The waitress then asked me what size drink I would like.  Seeing my eyes bulge out of my head as they placed my Dad’s drink on the table, she cracked a smile and devilishly asked:

“You want big?”

I was a little hesitant to order a drink as large as my head, but I kind of wanted one.   The waitress was a very perceptive lady and concluded:

“You want big.”

A few minutes later, this is what arrived.

Yes, Eugene, that is my drink.

As you can see, we were off to a great start with the family visit.

We enjoyed a tasty dinner and caught up on what had gone on in the past week.  I was telling my parents about taking my cats, Gus and Scarlett, to the vet for the first time since moving to Nashville.  I had to take them in for a distemper shot and I was going on about how Scarlett had behaved quite badly, per usual. I believe at this point in the conversation Eugene was sort of half-listening as she tried to make a dent in the 4 plates of food she had been served because she looked up confused and asked:

“Wait, she had to get a shot for his temper?”

We all died laughing. Another great “Julia-ism.”

Oh, you crack me up, Eugene.

More to come on the rest of the family weekend.

Y’all come back,

Sugarlump

A Thousand Words

I love this picture because it is so telling.  Here’s what it says:

  1. Scarlett loves shoes, especially platforms.
  2. Scarlett is too cool for school.
  3. Scarlett is thinking to herself as Gus comes into the room, “Oh, not him again.”
  4. Gus looks confused, per usual.
  5. Gus is startled by me lying on the floor.
  6. Gus is cute and innocent.
  7. Scarlett is a punk.
  8. Gus and Scarlett have a complicated relationship as half-siblings.
  9. My apartment could use new carpet and touch up work on the trim.
  10. I have too many pairs of shoes.
  11. Scarlett is plotting her next move.  And that move most likely includes stealing Q-tips from the bathroom closet.
  12. Gus is hungry and searching for someone to serve him some salmon.
  13. I find my cats very entertaining.
  14. I need to get out more.
  15. My cats are spoilt.

Okay, so that was only 139 words.  I could continue, but I think you get the picture.

Y’all come back,

Sugarlump

Flower Garden Withdrawal

While my container garden on my deck seems to be thriving, I miss my big ol’ flower garden at my parents’ house in Boston.  To make matters worse, my dad sent me pictures (which I requested) of my old garden.  … Continue reading

Father’s Day

Happy Father’s Day to my marvelous daddy, the man who I look up to most, who has taught me how to build things and inspired in me a curiosity of how things work.

Thank you for always entertaining my fanciful whims and helping me make my ideas reality.  I couldn’t have done it without you.

And thank you for teaching me that, when all else fails, you need to reboot your computer.

You’re one cool dude.

Love you, Daddy.

Sugarlump

Clown in the Door

When I visited Kentucky in the summer as a child, I spent my time between Granny and Papa’s house and Grandmother’s house.  Because I didn’t have any cousins on my Mom’s side of the family at the time, I often requested that my cousin Lauren come with me to play at Grandmother’s house.

Naturally, we spent a lot of time playing with barbies and babydolls.  Occasionally, however, I took it upon myself to tell my poor cousin Lauren a story about Grandmother’s old house.

One day, I made up some absurd story that there was a clown trapped in this door.  I told Lauren that the clown died in there, which made the glass wavy, and that its spirit haunted the house.

I really don’t understand what my logic (if any) was in crafting this highly plausible tale, but cousin Lauren seemed to eat it right up.

I think it is relevant that the telling of this story coincided with my Nancy Drew phase.

Although it seems my goal here was to freak out my cousin, I was most successful in freaking myself out.

That darn door still gives me the creeps to this day.

I guess it serves me right.

Y’all play nice,

Sugarlump

Country Weekend

This past weekend, my sister came down for CMA fest.   We missed my cousins who weren’t able to come, but there’s always next year!  Eugene and I pinky-promised that we would make attending CMA fest a tradition. Here we are in … Continue reading

The Cowboy Store

A little while back, as I was checking the facts for my Rite Aid post, I consulted my cousin/partner in crime Lauren about when Rite Aid closed and its Cowboy Store replacement opened.

The following is our text conversation regarding the matter:

Me:  “Hey! Quick question: about how long ago do you think Rite Aid went out in Burkesville?”

Lauren:  “10 years probably.”

Me:  “Ok.  I’m still sad about it. :(”

Lauren: “I know!”

Me:  “I haven’t even been in the cowboy store because I’m so sad!”

Lauren:  “I doubt there’s much in the cowboy store you would need anyways.”

Me:   “I don’t know about that!  I might need some chaps. :)”

Lauren:  “Haha well it’s not really that kind of cowboy store.   And who doesn’t need a good pair of chaps? Ha.”

She’s very encouraging of my efforts to be a farmer/cowgirl/crazy lady.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to try to find an establishment nearby that sells chaps so I can get my farmer on.

Y’all come back,

Sugarlump

Eugene, can you take a picture for me please?

Last evening, as my sister and I were headed out to dinner, there was a very pretty sunset happening.  My camera on my phone had decided to black out on me and I didn’t have my big girl camera, so … Continue reading