Yellow Watermelon

Today we got our first box from our local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). We get a box every two weeks that we are splitting with our friends Lyndsay and Dave. The season here runs from October to May, so we have been waiting a while to see what it is like!

Now I remember reading about Rachel's blue egg, but we were still a little surprised to get our yellow watermelon. When Lyndsay told us it was a yellow watermelon we assumed she meant the rind was yellow. In fact on the outside it was a perfect striped green. I would love to have seen her face when she cut it to find the yellow insides!

(I ate a few pieces when we got home tonight - it tastes great!) The Yellow Watermelon is wrapped in plastic in the picture, but you can see it along with the squash, pepper, cucumber, and lettuce.

Morgan and Lyndsay went nuts when they saw turnips on the list of possible veggies. Apparently turnips are a big thing in Ireland. We have discovered though that what they call turnips are what we call rutabaga.

Black Eyed Peas are on the list of items we'd prefer not to get in our box, so they gave us turnips this week instead. They are not quite what the local Irish expected though, so we are looking up recipes to find out how to use our turnips. (We have mostly greens, but Morg and Lyndsay wanted the bottoms!)

Here are the Not-so-Irish Turnips:

We are quite happy with our box this week and look forward to seeing what we get each week. For now I think this means we will have corn with dinner!

Now I just need to actually plant my Square Foot Garden...

The Irishman's Disguises

The Irishman loves Halloween. He doesn't always claim to like it, and it does not come close to Christmas in his book. Regardless, the costume debate comes this time each year.

His first year in the states he was an ER doc. Complete with County General Scrubs. (Side note the scrubs have since become PJs. They are much loved!)

The next year he was Darth Vader. We bought the mask the Thanksgiving before during a trip to Houston. He was SO excited he wore it home in the car. I was driving next to Darth Vader.

(I'll stop here so you can picture it)

This was bad enough, but then we stopped at Sonic.

With Darth Vader in the car.

The Car Hop didn't even react. Yep, this is my life.

The next year we ordered masks. Morgan is taller than me so he got to be Chewbacca and I was Yoda. We were a hit of the school Halloween carnival.

Last year I'd just had knee surgery. I was walking around with a cane. Halloween was my first day back at school so I went with a seasonal t-shirt. The Irishman had me going around town with him looking for a costume - cane and all. He wanted to be Superman, but was too cheap to pay for it couldn't find a costume he liked.

Here was the homemade version using the top from the PJs I'd given him the Christmas before:

So, now the debate has started. The Irishman is not sure what to do.

Indiana Jones using the whip that plays sounds from the movie complete with leather jacket, khakis and everything...

or

Santa Claus using the authentic 5 Euro costume we picked up on clearance at Tesco last year.

The Irishman requests your help! Please vote!

Lord, Won't You Buy Him a Mercedes Benz

The Irishman called me from work this afternoon. I'd left school before 5:00 (for once) to meet the bug guy at home to treat our ant issues. I'd been hoping Morg would get a ride home, but it seemed something had come up.

His boss got sick and was dizzy and not in good shape to drive home. The Irishman is always looking out for people and called to ask me to drive to his place of employment so that I could drive his boss's car to her house and he could follow me in our car.

I completely followed his line of thinking.

His co-workers (and his boss) were having none of it. They know that we live very close to his boss and I would be making an extra trip.

They insisted that Morgan drive his boss home in her car.

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that she drive a Mercedes Benz.

A NEW Mercedes Benz.

Morgan started to protest and then decided that he (a) wasn't going to win this battle and (b) should probably sound a little more confident before he starts to drive his boss home.

Now he had to drive past our house to her condo on the water (in the Mercedes Benz) so I waited a while at home before I left.

I got to his boss's place with time to call my mom to tell her Morgan was running late and driving a Mercedes Benz.

Then I had time to call Lyndsay (which is never a short conversation) before Morgan drove past with his boss in the car.

The Irishman looked more than a little nervous driving the Mercedes Benz. He drove right past my car without seeing me. He was gripping the steering wheel quite tight. He called back to the office to let them know he made it okay.

So what does the Mercedes-driving Irishman have to say for himself?

After calling everyone he knows to say how great the car was to drive, he spent the evening singing. Loudly.

(My mom could hear him in the background when she called before)

Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz...

I think he needs to learn the rest of the words!

Cleaning Songs, Part 2

Okay, so here is the second part of the playlist

Song #11

Beach Boys - Dance, Dance, Dance

Song #12

Bon Jovi - Living on a Prayer

Song #13

Little Texas - God Bless Texas

Song #14

Put 'em under pressure! (It's an Irish thing...)

Song #15

LYNYRD SKYNYRD - Sweet Home Alabama

Song #16

Paul Simon - You can call me Al

Song #17

Brobdingnagian Bards - The Unicorn Song

Song #18
I am embarrased to admit was a bit of a joke between my husband and me. I will not post the link. (Partly because you can't...and partly because I won't!)
Michael Jackson - Thriller

Song #19

Sheryl Crow - Everyday Is A Winding Road

Song #20

Nelly and Tim McGraw - Over and Over Again

So there you have it! I rarely make it to the second half of the playlist. (That takes a lot of cleaning!)

To borrow a line from Michelle, What are some of your favorites?

Cleaning Songs, Part 1

My friend Michelle posted a blog about some of the songs she loves. At the end she asked the questions, "What are some of your favorites?" I started to comment but realized I had too many to share!

So, I have copied her idea. I am sharing with you today the first 10 songs from my "Cleaning Songs" playlist on my iPod. They are a bit random, but put these songs on and try NOT to dance around the house cleaning.

Song #1:

We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel

Song #2

The Joker by Steve Miller Band

Song #3

Jack and Diane by John Cougar Mellencamp

Song #4

Crocodile Rock by Elton John

Song #5

I Get Around by The Beach Boys

Song #6

Footloose by Kenny Loggins

Song #7

I'll Be There for You by the Rembrants

Song #8

If I Had $1,000,000 by Barenaked Ladies

Song #9

Miami by Will Smith

Song #10

Life is a Highway by Rascal Flats

Use the Force

I have been banished. Morgan has been counting down the days.



He must not have been the only one. The Cartoon Network counted down the seconds until it started.

I got out of seeing the movie...but the Clone Wars are here! I think I'll leave him to it!

May the force be with you, sweetie.

Works For Me Wednesday

I saw the topic this morning and had to take part. I've been reading Shannon's Works For Me Wednesday posts for a while now and decided this was my day.

I have been reading Organic Housekeeping In Which the Non-Toxic Avenger Shows You How to Improve Your Health and That of Your Family, While You Save Time, Money, and, Perhaps, Your Sanity By Ellen Sandbeck. I found it at the local public library and am in love with it. It is the first book on my list for the Fall Into Reading Challenge. I am torn as I read the book. I cannot decide if I want to keep reading or try out the things she suggests!

In the first chapter, she suggests using cardboard boxes to create your own drawer organizers. I scoffed at first. I thought it seemed silly. Then I tried it.

It works for me!

You can see the boxes from the side view.

This WAS that drawer of random kitchen tools. You know the one that you are afraid will cause you to lose a finger as you dig around for one of those tools you do not use as often as others? Yep, THAT drawer.

I am sold!

I Feel Old

While it did turn out to be a great day (see previous post), I feel old. There is an area of low pressure sitting over South Florida that has me hurting. My carpal tunnel is acting up and my knees are reminding me that I did have surgery only 11 months ago. Bring on the wrist splints and the ice packs.

I hate to think about what I'll be like in another thirty years or so...