The Honda Meets a Buzzard

My co-worker, Chad, and I had to go to Thomasville today to mesure a building. I was driving along, minding my own business. I saw some roadkill in the road that was being inspected by a large buzzard so I honked my horn a couple of times. That got the buzzard's attention, but he didn't move. I should point out that I was in the right lane and he and his "prize" were in the left lane. I slowed down and tried to anticipate where he was going to go. It seemed that he was just going to stand still while I drove by. At the last minute, the buzzard decides to fly across my lane. I hit the brakes, but he was too slow. My windshield on the passenger side got him.

I was upset, but I tried to warn him and he just stood still. I kept saying that I hoped he died quickly. I'm pretty sure he did.

There was a mark on my windshield that was out of reach of my wipers, so we got to look at it the rest of the drive. When we arrived in Thomasville, I checked that side of my car and there was no damage. I was happy about that, but I really wish the Honda and the buzzard had remained strangers.

Sunroom Progress

This past weekend, we were on the ball. We wanted to get the sunroom cleaned out and painted. Ideally, we would have painted before the wood floor was laid (part 1, part 2, part 3), but that didn't happen. We decided on a color (Oatlands Yellow by Valspar) and Justin spent the evenings last week taping the moulding with Frog Tape. I've seen on several blogs where people have recommended this tape because of the clean lines that remain when you remove the tape. I can now say that Justin and I are both sold on this stuff. It really does do what it claims. The tape removed cleanly and there was no paint bleeding under it. It's well worth the $6 per roll.

This is a before picture. We liked the previous color, but we wanted something with a little more color. I'll address those hideous wall sconces in a minute. That white square on the wall near the doorway used to be the air return. We moved the HVAC unit that was in the adjacent closet to the attic. We got an extra closet, but were left with the hole.

Another before view:

After one coat of paint:

After the second coat and with window treatments:

Not a bad transformation.

The window treatments are from Ikea. We turned the panels on their sides and cut them in half to create four panels from the original two. We removed the original rod pocket and hemmed the raw edges. They look good and block a lot of sun and heat. I'd eventually like to put cushions along the window seat. Oh, the possibilities!

Now to these bad boys. Aren't these just awful? I'm sorry if you like them, but they are truly hideous. Seriously, someone saw these in Ikea (bad Ikea!) and thought they'd look good in this room.

We replaced them with these. In my humble opinion, these are much better. They're contemporary, but not modern. I think they work with the house.

We'd like for them to be lower on the wall, but the holes from previous sconces were high and we had to work with what we had.

We're pleased with the room and will post more pictures when we do more work in here. Justin also replaced the door hardware on the exterior door in this room. It didn't make it into any of these photos, though. We hope to replace the existing windows at some point. The existing ones are original and aren't very energy efficient.

Vickery's

Saturday night, we helped a friend celebrate turning thirty. She requested that everyone meet at Vickery's on Crescent Avenue for supper. This was our first visit to Vickery's and we were both very pleased with our meal.

We had a room to ourselves, with the exception of the table of prom-goers. On a side note: Wow! Prom attire has changed a lot since I was in school. Back to Vickery's...while we waited for more people to arrive, several of us ordered appetizers. Justin and I enjoyed the bourbon shrimp. It was a little different than what we expected. The shrimp were sauteed and served in a tomato butter broth. We spooned the shrimp over the tiny bread slices. It was fantastic! I eyed the warm brie that another person ordered. I love brie cheese and could eat it daily. Mmmm...

For our entrees, I ordered the crab cake sandwich with black beans and rice and Justin had the Caribbean ahi tuna steak salad. My sandwich was very good and the beans and rice were also very tasty. Justin enjoyed his salad and said it tasted a little like sushi. The other food around us also looked very delicious, so I hope we visit Vickery's again. Jusin also enjoyed some wine with his meal. I'm not sure what it was, but it was definitely a cabernet. The birthday girl enjoyed appletinis all night and they, too, looked tasty. Several people ordered dessert. I wanted some, but I refrained and Justin and I visited TCBY before heading home.

A large group left Vickery's and headed to Front Page News. Justin and I had some work to do at the house before we went to bed, so we left after dinner. We had a great time and will definitely visit Vickery's again. The brie and Louisiana fish tacos are calling my name.

Cafe Sunflower

Lately, I've been trying to eat healthier. I controlled my portions and didn't eat any fried food or sweets last week. That was kind of hard, but I'm determined to lose some weight.

A while back, one of my favorite bloggers mentioned that she likes to eat at Cafe Sunflower in Atlanta. I suggested it to Justin, but we never went. Friday evening, Justin mentioned eating there this weekend, so we decided to do it that night.

I should mention that Cafe Sunflower is a vegetarian restaurant. About four years ago, I stopped eating most meat after reading an online news story. At the time, I spent a lot of time on the interstate between Tifton and Valdosta and I saw poultry farmers taking their birds to the nearby plant. This always made me very sad and I would even cry sometimes. I also saw cows grazing in fields off the road and sometimes I saw them being hauled in trucks. I tried to convince myself that they were just moving them to a new field, but we all know that wasn't the truth. Anyway, I still eat seafood, which is probably not "right", but I do. I'd like to eventually stop eating it, too, but for now, this works for me.

Cafe Sunflower was not what Justin or I were expecting. I think I was thinking more diner, but it was so not a diner. The ceiling was lined with these orange lantern balls of varying sizes and each table had a pendant fixture. The service was good and the atmosphere was nice for couples or small groups.

I ordered the spicy pad thai noodles. It included lots of vegetables with smoked tofu on top of noodles with a delicious coconut peanut sauce. It was amazing! I cannot tell you how delicious this was. The portion was very generous and I planned to take some home for later. After eating his own harvest salad, Justin started eating my left-overs. There was actually only a bite or two left, so I didn't get to take any home, which was fine. It was so good! Yummy! Justin said his salad was also quite tasty.

It was very hard to resist the dessert tray, but we managed. I definitely want to eat here again.

Our Journey of Life and Love (242 Miles)

I added a new link to the "Blogs I Follow" section.

Marissa is a fellow designer and co-worker of mine. We counsel each other about our long distance relationships and the baggage that goes along with them. It's nice having someone nearby who understands my feelings regarding this situation and who can relate.

She is getting married in November to Justin (her Justin, not mine!). When we talk about Justin, we always preface the name with "my" or "your". It keeps things straight. I hope she'll blog about her wedding plans.

Another thing we have is common is our fur babies. Addie is her baby like Pete and Annabelle are my babies. They're not spoiled one bit, but I think her Addie is a little more obedient that Pete and Anne. Who needs obedience training!

The Rug Pad

Several years ago, Justin and I installed bamboo floors in our house in Tifton. After the living room was finished, I decided we needed a rug. I found the rug I wanted at Target and began searching for a rug pad that wasn't too expensive. We both looked in stores and online and Justin finally gave up and told me to buy what I wanted.

After purchasing one at Wal-Mart, I was ready to put it to use the next day. However, the rug pad was no where to be found. I searched high and low, but never found it. I decided to return to Wal-Mart and let them know that I never left the store with the pad. They told us to grab one from the shelf. There wasn't one, so we got a refund. We checked at other Wal-Mart stores and they're all out!

A few days later, I found the rug pad in a closet at the house. I did return to Wal-Mart and pay for the pad so we wouldn't feel guilty using it. After all that, we never noticed we weren't looking for the correct pad size. I felt like an idiot, but we were able to cut the pad and ended up with two, so it worked out in the end. Justin and I thought it was pretty funny.

Brad's Birthday and Mother's Day

Justin's family celebrated Mother's Day and Justin's dad's birthday on Sunday. After eating lunch with my family, I joined in the festivities at the McCall residence.

Brad and Janice (Justin's parents)

A new coffee cup for Brad.

I was a good girl. I cleaned my plate.

I was showing off my clean plate. I think this can be described as obnoxious.

Justin and Cortney being all cute.

Cortney and Olivia. She's too cute!

Cortney posing with Olivia and me. Wow! We have proof that I can hold a baby and not make it cry. I don't know why, but most babies cry when they're near me. I guess they can sense that I'm a little uncomfortable since I really don't know what to do with them.

And she's still not crying!

Olivia loves her Aunt Kacky and Uncle Justin. When my niece was beginning to talk, she started calling me Kacky. It stuck and all babies in my family have grown up calling me Kacky. (Note there are still no tears.)

Uncle Justin's and Olivia's picture being bombed by Darren.

I love this one.

Baby Olivia and her daddy. We wore her out. Look at those chubby cheeks!

Honda drivers of the world unite!

I don't know what we were doing here. Justin was taking photos and Cortney, Darren, and I were holding up random fingers.

Happy early Birthday, Brad!

Happy Mother's Day!

I'd like to wish all mothers a Happy Mother's Day, but especially these mothers!

This is Justin's mother, Janice. She is a very sweet lady who loves her family. Janice is a good mother who loves her sons and especially loves her granddaughter. This picture was taken in 2003.

This is Justin's grandmother, Francine (Nanny). Like all grandmothers, she loves her children, but has a special love for her grandchildren. She also has two great-granddaughters that she adores. This picture was also taken in 2003.

This is Mama and her mother (Nana). Both of these ladies are fantastic mothers. Nana earned her angel wings on Mother's Day in 2001 after a valiant battle with cancer. She was such a sweet lady who is missed. She would do anything in the world for anyone who needed help. I'm not sure how old this picture is, but I'm guessing it was taken in the 80s.

This is my sister, Carrie, and our other grandmother (Mammie). This picture was taken in 2003. Carrie is a mother to a teenager. Mama and I think my niece is going to be a handful, just like her mother! Payback! Carrie is a good mother who loves her daughter. Mammie was a good grandmother who spoiled her grandchildren. Mammie always had good prizes for when the grandchildren played Bingo. She was also an amazing cook. Mammie earned her angel wings in 2008.

This is Mama. She takes after her mother in that she has an opinion about EVERYTHING, especially hair! Nana walked around and pushed hair off of anyone's face, even if it was supposed to be that way. It has become amusing to me as I've gotten older. Mama tries so hard to keep her opinions to herself, but I think it's impossible for her. She's a typical grandmother - she loves Carrie and me, but we think she loves her granddaughter more! I love you, Mama!

Happy Mother's Day!

The love of my life

In the past year, I have fallen in love. It was unexpected and sudden. Who is this new love in my life? I'd like to introduce you to Egg McMuffin (without Canadian bacon). You may have met before, but I'm now in love with him, so he's all mine.

I don't know what it is about an Egg McMuffin, but I could eat three or four. I don't, but I could. The one in the picture seems to have some over-cooked edges, which is not good. It also seems to have ketchup on it, which I've never tried, but makes me gag slightly at the thought. It comes with Canadian bacon, but I always order my McMuffin without meat since I don't eat pork.

About a year ago, I decided to switch from the occassional egg and cheese biscuit to an Egg McMuffin to save some calories. A regular Egg McMuffin (English muffin, slice of cheese, one egg, and Canadian bacon) has 300 calories. A bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit has 420 calories. According to McDonald's website, a slice of Canadian bacon has only 10 calories, which is shocking to me, so my Egg McMuffin has 290 calories, which isn't bad for breakfast.

I really wish McDonald's would serve Egg McMuffins all day long because I would be their best customer. Until then, I'll just have to have my love affair in the mornings.

Knock, Knock.

I'm expecting the following conversation to take place soon:

wild animal: (knock, knock, knock)
us: Yes?
wa: I've dug through your trash every night this week. Where's my dinner?
us: Ummm...we haven't been back to the Canton House?
wa: Well, I'm going to leave my grimy little paw prints on your filthy boxes each night until you feed me. (stomps away)

The Grill

Justin and I bought a grill a few weeks ago. It's been in our sunroom waiting to be assembled. Last weekend, we were on a roll and got it put together. Only one person received an electric shock.

10:30 p.m.:

After we had most of the grill assembled, I inserted the battery in the electronic ignition button. We played with this and watched the four main burner igniters spark. For some reason, the fifth burner, which is the side burner we assembled, wouldn't ignite. While Justin was making some adjustments, I decided it would be a good idea for me to press the igniter button. Don't ask me why. I don't know. He received a bad electric shock and jumped back several feet and looked at me like I had just chopped off his arm. He looked horrified and said "What are you doing?!". Justin said his arm tingled for a little while, but he was fully recovered by the time he went to bed. I also didn't mean to hurt him by turning on the mixer while his fingers were inside the beaters years ago. Once again, don't ask me what I thought would happen because I don't know. No permanent damage was done.

1:30 a.m.:

Canton House

We crashed a wedding reception Saturday evening.

Saturday, Justin suggested that we eat supper at Canton House. Canton House is a Chinese restaurant on Buford Highway that is in an area with a large Southeast Asian population. Most of the restaurants in this area are authentic. We've driven by Canton House many times, but had never eaten there. When we arrived Saturday, the parking lot was nearly full. Many of the vehicles were fairly nice (BMWs and Mercedes) so I commented that I hoped we could afford this place. As we walked up the steps, we noticed all the people there were dressed in very formal attire. I felt a little out of place in my jeans and sneakers. I was wearing make-up and had styled hair, so I wasn't totally hideous.

We walked in to find a bride and groom greeting all these fancy car driving, well-dressed people. Did that stop us? Noooo. We walked right in and asked if we could eat. The host said we could if we would do carry-out. We were happy that we were even being served so this didn't bother us at all. I got a quick peek of the dining room and it was stunning with all of the lovely flowers and fresh white linens. The bride and groom made me smile because they were so happy. I remember being like that on my wedding day.

We ordered and made a quick run to Home Depot while our food was being prepared. Justin quickly retrieved our food and we headed home to watch The Office on Netflix while we ate.

I ordered the kung pao shrimp and Justin ordered Singapore rice thread noodles. I must say, I was a little disappointed with mine. It tasted ok, but it smelled kind of weird. My shrimp tasted ok, but there were some things that I couldn't identify in the dish. I think some of it was cubed bamboo and waster chestnut, but I'm not sure. Whatever it was smelled a little funky. I ate until the smell got to me. I stopped eating the kung pao and just ate my steamed rice with some soy sauce. Justin even agreed that it smelled funny.

Justin LOVED his food. I tasted it and it was very delicious. It was much better than mine. His had some shrimp in it, too. Yummy!

I'd like to try it again, but I will definitely not order the same thing. One thing that amused us was when we ordered, the hostess made sure I understood that my dish was spicy and included peanuts. Kung pao shrimp is a fairly common dish in Chinese restaurants in the US. Most people have heard of kung pao (insert meat) and a lot have eaten it. She didn't bat an eye when Justin ordered Singapore rice thread noodles.

The rest of this post is devoted to the wild animal that went through our trash Saturday night.

After we finished eating the Canton House food, we took the trash outside so the whole house wouldn't smell. Sunday afternoon, we noticed the trash can lid was on the ground beside Justin's car. Upon further inspection, we realized the Canton House bag was ripped and the styrofoam tray that had Justin's left-overs was also ripped.

The paw prints left by the hungry wild animal.

These prints aren't as clear as the others. It looks like the animal jumped on this bucket, crawled/walked across the shelf to the box and then removed the trash can lid. I'm not surprised my food was left untouched by the critter. It smelled pretty bad.

We're thinking the animal might have been a raccoon or an opossum. We also could see the prints belonging to a huge squirrel. I think they're too large to be a squirrel, but the animals around our house seem to be mutants. We saw a squirrel and some birds basically attack a hawk in our yard one day. Hawks are birds of prey that usually eat squirrels and birds. It could have been a giraffe or dinosaur. Who knows.

Door Hardware

After we put together the laundry room shelf, we decided to install new hardware on a couple of doors in the house. Our house was burglarized in December of last year so we decided to replace the door knobs and locks on all exterior doors. A couple of months ago, we purchased the hardware, but never took the time to install it.

We have four exterior doors and replaced the hardware on two of them. The men who replaced the door in December put new hardware on it, so we've only got one door with old hardware.

This is the door in the kitchen/den that opens to the courtyard. The old hardware was gold in color and looked really cheap. It also felt pretty weak.

This is what the door looked like after the old hardware was removed. We would like to eventually replace this door, but doors aren't cheap and this one still functions.

When the side door was replaced in December, we realized the cylinder on the new door knob was upside down. This wouldn't normally be a problem, but the cylinder on the dead bolt was turned in the opposite direction - in other words, after unlocking the door knob, you would have the rotate the key 180 degrees to unlock the the dead bolt. This was not going to work for us. Justin contacted the hardware manufacturer and they sent the tool and instructions so he could rotate the door knob cylinder. He did this with no trouble. For some reason, all but one of the door knobs we purchased came with upside down cylinders. Justin put the tool to good use!

I'm not going to try to explain what is happening in these pictures because I really don't know. I know he removed the cylinder and rotated it.

Cylinder is out and rotated.

He is reassembling the knob.

The new hardware is installed! It is a very close match to what is on all interior doors in the house. That plate under the dead bolt is a reinforcer plate that should prevent the door from being kicked in like it was in December.

The front door also received new hardware. Before:

After:

One thing that is so appealing about this hardware is that it can be rekeyed in seconds with a little tool that came with the locks. Easy peasy!