State of Mind? Pretty darn good. I was a mess this morning though. I didn't sleep well last night, and that coupled with the exhaustion of the week made for one screwed up human this morning. It took me until about 3p to get it together. Iona and I just came back from walking Michael to the gym and running back. Shower and then I am headed out to the market. All good.
Yesterday morning we heard on the Today show that the Statue of Liberty crown was opening back up on July 4th. Very cool.
What made us laugh though, was when we heard all the red tape people will have to go through to actually GET to the crown. They are limiting entrance to 30 people at a time, and they will have to go through two check points and sign a waiver. Don't get me wrong, there are 354 steps, they are steep, there is no AC, and it will get claustrophobic. But a waiver? Seriously? Tell people that it is hot and crowded and get on with it. Ah, but that would not be the American way. We must put our warnings and cautionary tales on paper and post them everywhere and often. God forbid you actually take personal responsibility for your safety and know your own person enough to determine if the hike up the crown is a wise move for you. As a point of contrast, both Michael and I thought immediately of the St. Vitus cathedral within the Prague Castle grounds. In order to get to the castle itself, you need to walk up a pretty steep hill. Once you get there, you would be remiss not to go up the winding and narrow tower staircase.
When we were there a few years ago it was about 95 degrees out and I can say with certainty that there was no AC. I guess they didn't think about that in 1344 when construction started. There are 287 stairs and while it is possible for one person to go up while another comes down, there are places where the ascending person needs to hug the wall and pause. I actually was grateful for this as I took advantage of the cutouts in the stone to take gasping breaths of clean air. You see, it was damn hot, I was slightly nauseous from walking in circles, and many Europeans still don't understand the benefits of deodorant.
The view though was so worth it. You see the most incredible side of Prague, including the famous Charles Bridge which connects the two sides of the city.
Granted I do not speak Czech, but I don't recall seeing major warning posters pounded into the stone walls. Nor did we sign a waiver or go through security checkpoints. Funny that we didn't see people dying from exhaustion or plunging to their death. How on earth did these people know to take precaution?
I guess I shouldn't be so hard on our government and their quest to protect people. In a nation of Octo Moms, Miss California and Jon Gosselins, it is only fair that they think the rest of us are idiots too.
So what's been up with us? Here's a little peek inside our little world here in Raleigh.
We always seem to be watching shows like Bones or CSI over dinner. Just this moment there is a gooey head on the screen while I am enjoying my food. That seems really jacked up, but somehow apropos.
Michael is being really nice to me lately. i expect that it has something to do with the fact that my birthday is in 12 days. Perhaps he thinks that if he is good from now until then, I won't be so bothered when he doesn't remember my birthday. Last Sunday he built me a brick pad linking the street to the sidewalk, because he didn't like seeing me sink into the grass with my heels every morning. I thought that was quite cavalier. He also purchased the wood to finish the shelves around the fireplace and the picture rail replacement pieces. I swear that I haven't even been bitching.
Iona is doing well, except that her barker is still broken and she seems to be getting fat again. I am certain the fat is a combination of surgery aftermath and the introduction of the buggy. She loves riding everywhere now and I need to get better about also letting her walk around the block. She's just so slow. No excuse. It's taken us years to get her to this weight, so we can't blow it now.
Speaking of weight, we are trying to curb ours. Michael is at the gym almost every evening and Iona and I are on a walking/running kick. This is all part of the summer known as "Gettin' it Done". Must get healthy. Must get organized. Must save more money to build more rooms. Rooms with closets.
On the organization side, I have found two things that are making me happy. I discovered this software program that uses the camera from my MacBook to scan in all my books. It recognizes limited editions and let's me mark those that are lettered, numbered and signed. So far I've inputted 190 and I'm excited to get to the other 800 or so that are in storage. As soon as my shelves are built, that is. I also found a program that manages all my recipes well. The plan is to finally get rid of all the scraps of paper and magazine tears. Chaos makes me hurt.
I've started this funny domestic trend that is really working for us. I cook like a fiend on Sundays so that we have food for the week. I chop tons of vegetables, prepare casseroles or soups, and have Michael grill several pounds of chicken. It is fantastic to have good food just ready throughout the week for lunch or dinner. Keeps the bad stuff at bay and helps with that whole fat reduction thing.
The summer of "Gettin' it Done". We'll see how well we keep up when the weather turns hot, the humidity is high and the mosquitos threaten to eat me alive.
That was the headline on WRAL's website last night as I was preparing to leave work. Michael had texted me earlier saying that he and Iona were sitting on the porch watching the storm roll in. His subsequent posts to me looked something like this:
6.24p - Puppy got too scared to sit on the porch with me 6.34p - Pretty crazy thunder and lightning right now 6.35p - No way I am walking to the Y 6.42p - Tornado in cary apparently 6.52p - Just saw a tree get hit by lightning across the street 6.52p - It was crazy 7.07p - I am now sitting near the hall bathroom with the puppy 7.07p - She is all shaky and we're close to the big tub in case we need to take cover 7.08p - The sirens are going off at NC State 7.15p - Be careful on your way home
By the time I left the office, I was met by just a lot of rain and very dark clouds. I basically followed it, while Michael was in it. When I reached the house the storm had passed. This bummed me out a bit, as I LOVE STORMS. It was probably good that I wasn't home though, as there would have been no place for me. Michael and Iona were sitting in the big clawfoot tub and I doubt there was room for another. Poor Iona has had quite the trauma these past few months. I am so thankful Michael was with her, as she was an absolute wreck.
I did ask Michael where Chupa was in all this, as he hadn't thought to bring her with him and the dog. No worries...while she hadn't been invited, she apparently strolled into the bathroom to check out what they were doing and then decided it was boring and went back to bed. Gotta love a cat's indifference to danger.
I didn't take these photos, so I must give credit to WRAL. These were taken by people not in bathtubs.
This was actually a great weekend with lots of things to talk about. Unfortunately I ran out of time last night. I should have been writing today's post, but I was instead cataloging my book library. Trust me, it was more fun than it sounds. So until I get an opportunity today to post more, I leave you with a little bit of Unicorn folly.
What made us laugh though, was when we heard all the red tape people will have to go through to actually GET to the crown. They are limiting entrance to 30 people at a time, and they will have to go through two check points and sign a waiver. Don't get me wrong, there are 354 steps, they are steep, there is no AC, and it will get claustrophobic. But a waiver? Seriously? Tell people that it is hot and crowded and get on with it. Ah, but that would not be the American way. We must put our warnings and cautionary tales on paper and post them everywhere and often. God forbid you actually take personal responsibility for your safety and know your own person enough to determine if the hike up the crown is a wise move for you. 
When we were there a few years ago it was about 95 degrees out and I can say with certainty that there was no AC. I guess they didn't think about that in 1344 when construction started. There are 287 stairs and while it is possible for one person to go up while another comes down, there are places where the ascending person needs to hug the wall and pause. I actually was grateful for this as I took advantage of the cutouts in the stone to take gasping breaths of clean air. You see, it was damn hot, I was slightly nauseous from walking in circles, and many Europeans still don't understand the benefits of deodorant.
Granted I do not speak Czech, but I don't recall seeing major warning posters pounded into the stone walls. Nor did we sign a waiver or go through security checkpoints. Funny that we didn't see people dying from exhaustion or plunging to their death. How on earth did these people know to take precaution?
