Hot.

In case you haven't heard, the Pacific NW is in a heatwave. Here, we almost beat the all-time high (not just for a particular day, but since 1890). And we tied the record highest minimum (basically: It didn't cool off at night).

I thought I was immune to all this.

But as I went from REALLY high AC to really hot outside again and again yesterday, my head began POUNDING. No way. I grew up in southern California. I should have a body ready to take on heat. The headache said otherwise.

As I drove home last night (to my non-AC, in boxes apartment) I was feeling better and rarin' to go on packing.

Yea right.

I changed into shorts and a tank top and flopped onto the couch as if I had suddenly become boneless. UGH. When it's 105 outside and your place feels not much cooler than outside, it's problematic.

The other issue is that up here, it gets to the hottest point around 5-6pm. 5-6!!! At 8pm it was still hovering around 100.

Finally, around 8:30, I lugged my sorry butt off the couch because, well, things HAD to get packed! I tackled both storage units. Cleaned out one completely and the other about 80% (the remaining items there are a bit awkward-sized and hard to put in boxes).

Got 3 of the 4 rubbermaid tubs inside and stacked.

Filled up 4 tubs with winter clothing (freshly laundered, huzzah) and one tub with sheets and towels.

Filled up an entire corner of the living room with stuff to be donated.

Filled 5 trashbags and 1 box with trash. No, I wasn't living in trash, but some things just can't be donated. Yes, some of the trash was recycling, so at least I don't feel TOO badly.

Gave the cats a few bits of cold cold-cuts because they were MISERABLE. Nom Nom.

This morning, I emptied out my car. Brought home another 9 legal boxes from work and about 15 flattened boxes. I'm thinking of using the flattened boxes for artwork, mostly because the heavy-box-with-lots-of-frames just doesn't work. It's HEAVY. And I often lose a frame or two (the glass).

Also got a neat desk (which I'll post about in a few minutes). Lugged that upstairs, along with a Costco 12-pack of towels. I love my car. She can sure lug stuff for me.

We're on a blog!

The artist who made my jewelry blogged about our wedding! So neat.
http://silver-soul-design.blogspot.com/2009/07/mermaids-secret.html

Wooo!

Moving update...

I'm always amazed at how many boxes your belongings take up. Yowza.

Now, I don't think I have a TON of stuff, but it's still quite amazing.

The kitchen for example: SO MANY BOXES. Maybe it's because things are pretty bulky in the kitchen. But still: Yikes. I easily used 20+ boxes on just the kitchen.

I'm storing all the boxes in the backroom. At what point do I need to be concerned with the floor caving in due to the weight? I think I may start also putting boxes in the living room.

Boxes remaining to be packed:
Kitchen: Probably another about 2-3 boxes, plus another box for the coffee maker/grinder and another box for the slow cooker.
Bathroom: Haven't really started on this, but I'd say 3-4 boxes.
Back office: Probably 2-4 boxes.
Bedroom: Probably 4-6 tubs (which I have)... I'm using these big plastic bins with lids for clothes because it's just easier.
Outside Storage Unit: Probably 3 boxes. Most of the stuff out there is in boxes anyway.

I also need to:
* Plastic wrap the wood furniture pieces so no scratches.
* Collapse the coffee table and bed frame.
* Deal with whatever is under the bed... I think it's mostly B's climbing gear, but still... Who knows!?!
* Take all pictures off the walls.
* Wrap the pictures in wrap, then package the pictures and frames in flat cardboard.
* Take down all the shelves in the apartment.
* Take down the spice rack.
* Possibly re-box all the canning supplies.

I should also add in here that we're going through a massive heat wave. It's supposed to dissipate come this weekend, but that doesn't help my packing. 105 degrees yesterday, which for the Pacific NW is quite miserable. And, no, I don't have AC. Monday tied a record: the highest minimum temperature of 74 degrees. In other words, it didn't cool off at night.

Luckily, where I am, there's an ok breeze. It also doesn't get too much direct sunlight. And, I own two big fans.

So, my process has been:
Morning: Shut all windows. Close all blinds. Fill 1 small bowl and one HUGE bowl with water for the cats.
Evening: Wait until it's about the same temp inside as outside, then open up all windows and all blinds. Set one fan by the screen of the sliding glass door, and one fan in the bedroom (so creates good air flow).

It's resulted in me not being too miserable. I go to sleep with just a sheet, and come about 2-3am, I need the blanket. woo! I also take a lukewarm shower just before going to sleep, so I'm a big chilled. It's worked.

The cats are miserable. Luckily, I've cleared out all the cabinets and whatnot, so they have lots of little hiding places to try to cool off on. But sometimes, they look like they're melting. I took photos of them all sprawled out and exhausted. I'm trying, guys! Hang in there! Tomorrow should be a little cooler, and the new place has AC!!!

MOVE ON!

WE GET TO MOVE THIS WEEKEND! (and that's a good thing)

I'm so excited. It's pending the green-light from B. He's in a big meeting today, so yea, he hopefully will be able to call and confirm at lunch.

But... basically, the old tenant moved out a little early, there's not much for the landlord to fix, so he's cool with us taking possession on Saturday. Our lease would still begin on 8/4, but we'd move in on 8/1.

This is lovely for many reasons. Best of all though, we get to move and then we get to clean, and this doesn't have to be done in the same day. It is SO tough to move and as soon as you get your boxes on the truck, you have to lug yourself back upstairs and clean clean clean. You end up doing a scuzzy job because you're exhausted, and then you don't get your deposit back.

Not us! We can move 90% of our belongings this weekend, and then pack up the remaining 10% and clean over next week. Deee-light-ful!

Also, it's supposed to be nice this weekend; a high of 88-90. Right now the high is 105 expected today. Yea, it's a heatwave for the Pacific NW. Don't know what the weekend after this one will bring, so it's nice to have the move for a weekend that looks to be nice (and not sweltering or rainy).

Hilarity in a freezer

I called my 82-year old grandmother (Oma) up tonight.

Me: Hey Omala! I have a riddle for ya.

Oma: Oh ya?

Me: Yup. So, you've heard it's hot up here right? It's 101 outside right now.

Oma: Yes. Oh it's hot down here too.

Me: Right, but everyone has AC down there, so here you have to improvise, you know?

Oma: Oh yes.

Me: So. Here's the riddle: You know it's hot when....

Oma: YOU STAY INDOORS!

Me: Nope. Not many folks have AC here. 

Oma: Hmm. What then?

Me: When your husband tells you he needs a change of clothes!

Oma: Oh wow! It must be hot.

Me: Oh, I'm not finished.

Oma: No?! What else?

Me: You know it's hot when your husband needs a change of clothes, and he takes those change of clothes and puts them... IN THE FREEZER!!

Oma: WHAT?!

Me: Yup. In the freezer. He froze his clothes. So they'd be cold when he put them on.

I haven't heard her laugh that much in years. Cackled. She thinks B is awesome. So do I. And genius. 

Desk and rocking chair

I love this desk. It's really similar to ones I used in grade school. No, I'm not 130. But they were well-made desks, and my litte grade/middle school used them! I love it. I can totally see this desk near our front door. Keep some pens, notepads, tape, etc that sort of thing in there.

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I think it has spunk!
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Plus, it has the advantage of not resulting in our home looking like an Ikea store threw up all over it. That's one think I love about craigslist; you can totally find variety, easily.

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I'm really keeping my eye out for a lovely antique table/desk to use in my office. That'd make me very happy. I have a garage now, so I can throw down a tarp and strip a piece to restain it a better color (I heart cherry and walnut) if I need to. So the options are out there. Just looking for the right piece....

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This weekend, we agreed to buy this fabulous teak rocking chair:

I almost cried when I saw it. For years, I've had this desire to get an old, solid, craftsman/mission-style rocking chair. I think it's a piece to grow old with. I can imagine sitting there as a new wife, just married. I can see myself reading there, drinking tea, etc. I can see sitting there pregnant and someday rocking kids. Don't worry B, that's a long way off. But I love this piece. And it's comfortable (something which most rocking chairs aren't).

FISH!!

I have a fish in my office!

He looks very much like this one:

The poor little guy was in a 2.5" diameter cup. Ugh! And right next to other male bettas, which is just NOT cool (males like to fight at the sight of another male betta). The moment I put him in his new bowl (a lovely 8+" diameter, large, nice bowl), he started fluttering, zipping around the bowl. SO HAPPY. His fins are quite nice right now, but I can only imagine that in his new environment, he'll get even finnier. :)
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But now to decide a name! Hm. I originally thought "Bill" (as in billable hours) or the firm's name in an acronym, but I don't know. Maybe Louie or Dexter? He is very exciting. And, I need to buy a fish net for when I clean his bowl...

New chairs

I've never been a huge fan of wicker, but when I saw these, my mind changed. They aren't your typical, too-small-to-reasonably-sit-in wicker chairs. They have padding, so no weird lattice marks appear on your legs. And they're not that bleached white color.

And they are SOOOOOOOO comfortable.

The wicker is really a brownish gray color, and the pads are this dusky gray color. Love them. And SOO comfortable. I sat on one for a while last night, and I swear, I could have fallen asleep. THe funny thing is, the cats ONLY sat on the one that I had sat on. It was like they needed the chair to be cleared by me for safety or something. The two chairs are identical, but they have only touched the one I was on. Crazy nuts.

Our thought is that we'll put these chairs out on the patio, but perhaps also inside too. We need a bit more seating, and this will give us a nice set-up. They're easy enough to move, and this way, we can use them year-around.

more on infusing and wine

So, I'm well on my way to learning about wine and things. I've learned that you can use wine to can stuff up. The canning process creates a seal, which keeps the wine from turning bad. But, if you were to just plop some berries INTO wine, it'd eventually go bad because the alcohol content isn't high enough.

But this is ok, because that means I can still bottle up some lovely blackberries in red wine... Producing this sort of effect:


And we can always keep some berries in regular preserved states, so we can plop them in as garnishment later on.

Actually, I found a lot of good recipes. But, to keep it out of the fridge and to avoid needing to consume it relatively soon after it being made, you have to add alcohol.

In my hunting around, I came across this recipe, which sounds so deliciously decadent that I can't wait for fall so I can try it.

1/4 cup whole almonds

1/4 cup dried apricots, sliced

1/2 vanilla bean

24 ounces chardonnay

1/8 cup sugar

Toast almonds and apricots in 2-quart saucepan for 1-2 minutes or untill you smell aromas. Split vanilla bean down center and add to pan. Add wine and sugar and bring to steady simmer for 5 minutes but do not boil. Turn off heat and allow to steep, or sit, for 10 minutes to let flavors infuse the wine. Add up to another 1/8 cup sugar based on preference.

Yum, and probably not very alcoholic based on the cook time.

I'm still researching lavender water and vanilla water and stuff like that, because I think that'd be neat to make and spray on laundry. Right now we have this rice and shea spray that is so light and wonderful that we use it on laundry. We'll see!

Doggone it, blackberries!

Crud and yay!

Remember yesterday when I said the blackberry arrival date would be around mid-late August? Well, it has been in years past... but this year it's different.

The blackberries are here. NOW.

And they're gorgeous things, 3/4 inch diameter.

They are so good. I guess it rained at the right time or something, but DELICIOUS!

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But now I have to pick them earlier than expected. I'm not going to let a bumper crop of blackberries to go waste. Oh, and they're FREE. Hello!? Of course I'm getting a ton.

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So I think B and I are going pickin' this weekend. Now to find recipes.

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One thing I want to do is make viniagrette out of these just like I'm doing with the raspberries and like what I will do with the currants. here's the recipe:

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1 cup crushed berries

1 cup white wine vinegar

1 tbs honey

1 tbs sugar

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You let it soak for about 4 weeks, shaking or stirring (i have mine in mason jars, so I shake it) once every 2-3 days. I have three quarts of the raspberry mixture right now.

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After 4 weeks, use a cheesecloth to separate out the seeds/pulp from the mixture. Heat it up to the point of HOT but not boiling, ladle it into jars, and water bath it.

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I'm putting mine into 1/2 pint jam jars, that way we can change it up every week or two. I'd hate to have it quart size and then get sick of it after 2-3 weeks.

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I figure 3 quarts each of currants, raspberries and blackberries will give us a good mixture.

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I also want to check out infusing. I've been meaning to read upon this for a while. I really like that idea. Plus, Ikea sells these AWESOME bottles for $2. And, they're reusable (assuming you can clean them). So I'm going to do some exploring as far as making like a blackberry sugar water or vanilla syrup or even a raspberry-infused wine (raspberries in chardonnay?). Plus, I think it'd look gorgeous, all lined up on a windowsill or something. We'll see!

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But doggone it, blackberries. Seriously? 3 weeks early?