Fat is not Fab

I uncharacteristically took off a couple days this week. While I worked much of yesterday anyway, it was delightful to do so from home and the comfort of my dining room. I also managed to get my oil changed, look at possible replacements for the Touareg, and run a few other minor errands.

Today Iona and I set off to the vet for her first non-cancer related appointment in months. Even before the Pig stepped on the scale, I knew the outlook was dire. My dog has again gotten fat. Granted, she is nowhere near the rotund ball of fur that she was when we rescued her many years ago, but she is plumper than necessary. I blame cancer guilt. And the buggy. Damn, I love the buggy. It is definitely benefiting me more than her though. Again with the guilt. The funny thing is that she looks cuter the fatter she is. Unlike people, animals get fuzzier and funnier looking with weight. Like stuffed animals come to life. Since I want to keep her much longer, and make her pay off cancer debt, she needs to lose the poundage. Guilt be gone.

I think that I am finally getting to the "I love Raleigh" stage. The weather has been phenomenal - hot without the humidity, with bright sun and crystal blue skies. Very unlike the 100 degree+ sauna we landed in last June. We've also been doing a lot of local things. Last Friday we wandered around downtown with some friends and hit up several places. Duck & Dumpling, The Landmark and Sitti are all highly recommended. More importantly, our night of revelry with Todd, Rob and Valerie was just what we needed. We drank, ate, laughed, and COULD have walked home if we hadn't gotten a late start and driven. The 5 minute drive was probably all that Michael SHOULD have gone behind the wheel. His recent 20 pound weight loss has made him a bit of a light-weight.

This afternoon I did walk back downtown to meet Valerie for lunch. My iPod kept me company as I wandered around and peered in shops and checked out restaurants we haven't yet been to. Lunch at the Raleigh Times was divine, as was the company and the summer drink specials. This time I did walk home and didn't regret a moment of it. Sunburned and buzzed, I spent the remainder of the afternoon engulfed in The Terror (Dan Simmons...must read). I love that everything I need is within strolling distance. Now I must figure out how to work in the neighborhood. Could my new Raleigh life involve being car-less? Yeah, probably not so much. Let's not completely de-LA myself. A girl's got to keep the West coast thing going as long as she can.

Full Disclosure

Every weekend I stand in our backyard and sigh. It is such a freaking disaster and no matter how well Michael mows and whacks, it doesn't change the fact that our yard is literally dirt and weeds. The fence fund was used to treat the cancer corgi and the landscaping cash went towards a new roof instead. Yes, even we have priorities.

We have put lots of blood, sweat, tears and money into the house, and I love how it all turned out. But let's be honest here, we live in only 1/2 a house. We have a 1/2 built house, and the rest...well the rest is not yet a house. Some day it will be! In fact I am quite confident that in 2010 it will become whole. In the meantime though, let's disclose. I mean, god forbid anyone think that we are actually done with this whole historic house restoration thing. Here's the dish.

When we were still thinking that we could both mentally and financially afford to complete the whole shebang, we had the covered sleeping porch removed, the deck ripped out, and the concrete slab poured for the new addition. That also meant that the siding along the back of the house was torn off, windows were covered, and doors...well, doors went nowhere.

Our future master bedroom currently makes a fabulous patio. This is where I read and sunbathe most weekends and dream about actually sleeping in this space.

Our master closet makes a divine outdoor dining area. The window you see will someday become a door expanding into the bathroom.


The grill lives in the hallway in front of the "stairs" leading to the second floor and the guest suite. Iona likes to lay in the laundry room, which presently houses our electrical box. Someday that added little room means the washer and dryer will no longer live in our bathroom. Then we can blow out the wall and finally turn it into a true master bath. Don't tell Michael, but I secretly yearn harder for a laundry room than the master bath. There is just something exciting about that little room dedicated just to cleaning clothes.


As for the rest of the yard? Try and try to visualize the New Orleans courtyard that we have in our heads. Fountains, a patio, lots of flowers and greenery. A little deck and french doors off the bedroom. It's there under all that dirt. Somewhere, oh somewhere. It is there.