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The Sunday Salon #19

The Sunday Salon.com

High Summer Readathon at Seasons of Reading starts tomorrow!!!  Have you signed up?  Get on over there and get going.  I'll be posting my goals early tomorrow morning and then diving into the reading.  Hopefully I will knock out one of my reading challenges during.

Listening To: Alex Clare -- god I love his voice!

Book finished: The Sweet Far Thing; 12th Night; Carole's Christmas; Blood Promise

Reading: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead -- the last book renewed my interest in the series.  I am sure I'll be speeding through this one and the last book.

On the Nightstand: Last Sacrifice; Hater; Dogblood; Restoring Grace; Jemima J; The Wizard of Oz

MakingLists: Shopping lists; To do lists; Job Lists

Crafting: The boys and I did a scavenger hunt around the apartment complex this week.  I used one of my favorite stamps sets to crate cute clue cards with classic typewriters.  The boys just didn't fully appreciate my craftsmanship.

I also squeezed in organizing my crafting area on Saturday and make a few cards.  For the two floral ones, I used the new Stampin' Up 2012-2014 in colors and a sheet of some random paper that cordinated perfectly.  For the red and blue card, I wanted to try out a border punch I purchased months ago, but never tried.  I love the art deco feel to the pattern.  I need to figure out some other ways to work that in.

Watching: The boys and I almost finished series 2 of Doctor Who on our DW marathon day.  I did finally finish Weeds S7.  Crazy cliffhanger, like always.  And I picked up some girly movies at the library while J was away.  See I'm a super considerate girlfriend who doesn't make him watch my sappy love movies.

Wondering: What to do about dinners next week?  I really really really hate cooking.  But we need to eat.  Must figure out meal plan.

Shopping Scores: Amanda Palmer just released her fall concert tour dates and she's coming to SF in September.  I really really want to go.  The tickets just went on sale.  So now I'm off to get the credit card and buy me entrance to an outrageous night with Amanda Palmer!

From Nature: Chilly temps on the coast meant no beach trip this week.  It's been beautiful here (like always).  I hope the coast warms up a bit.  I know the boys would love to head back to the beach before they go back.

Project: I'm try to finish planning the summer (only 2 1/2 weeks until the boys go back) and think about Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Plane tickets are already outrageous!

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 07.15.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #18

The Sunday Salon.com

Book finished: Persepolis 1; Persepolis 2; Sandman Vol. 4; Sandman Vol. 5; Adrianna's Fairy Tales; Rebel Angels; Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher

Reading: Mythology by Edith Hamilton

On the Nightstand: Rest of the Vampire Academy series; A Sweet Far Thing; Hater and Dog Blood by David Moody

MakingLists: The usual... grocery, general to-dos

Listening To: New music borrowed from the library.  Alkaline Trio, Howie Day, Coldplay, Brandon Flowers, and Glee Soundtracks

Around the house: My goodness we have a mess in this house.  There's just living bits everywhere.  Thankfully I started on the cleaning.  It's getting better slowly.

Farmer's Market Finds: A quick visit had me snapping up some beautiful nectarines, a ham and cheese croissant, and a blueberry custard danish.  On the way back to the house, I finally visited the other coffee house on Murphy Street for a peach smoothie.

Watching: Way too many episodes of Mythbusters (the boys' favorite show right now)

Wondering: How am I going to participate in Once Upon a Readathon this week with everything going on?

Shopping Scores:  I found a cute summery top on the Target clearance rack.  Only $6, I couldn't resist.

Project: I took on two crazy large projects this week.  I am going back through  my blog fixing broken links (mostly images).  And I started to go through my various TBR lists (computer and notebook) to consolidate.  I might just be crazy this week.

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 07.08.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #17

The Sunday Salon.com

Book finished: Shadow Kiss; The Lost Hero; Intentions of the Earl; The Sandman Vol. 3

Reading: The Sandman Vol. 4

On the Nightstand: The Sandman series; Persepolis; His Dark Materials trilogy

MakingLists: Things to do for the rest of the summer.  Hmmm.... maybe Winchester House...

Around the house: Nothing.  And it is a mess.  We've been out and about all week.  I haven't had the chance to clean the house, do laundry, or wash the dishes.  Everything is in a bit of disarray.  I really need to get back into a routine.

From the kitchen: Nothing new made.  Although I did download Paprika on the iPad.  I'm slowly pulling down some interesting looking recipes to try.

Crafting: Had a fun class of fast and fabulous cards.  The last one pictured is actually a card that my new demonstrator made for me as a little thank you note.

Watching: Stargate, Parks and Rec, and Doctor Who.  Love them!

Wondering: When this 3+ day headache will go away?  I'm really getting tired of it...

From Nature: Beautiful 60s-70s weather.  Back in my previous city and in my home city, it's been hovering around 100 degrees all week.  Crazy weather!  And then Wednesday and Thursday, my home city experienced some nasty storms complete with tornado high winds.  Scary stuff!  Thankfully everyone is okay.

Shopping Scores:  My Stampin' Up order came in.  Look at the pretty new colors (pads and card stock).

On our San Francisco adventure day, I picked up a pretty new Alcatraz print and a metal cable car.

Project: Enjoying the crazy week of outings.  Now I need to starting planning next week and the week after that.  J is off until Thursday.  Hopefully we will be able to get out and about.

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 07.01.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #16

The Sunday Salon.com

Listening To: Into the Js, but now we have a problem.  The music was taking up too much of my hard drive.  So J pushed it onto the server to free up space.  I can access it from the server anytime.  Unfortunately that means that my plan to go through my music a to z is going to be much harder mixed in with all of J's music.

Book finished: Mayflower; Frostbite; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Reading: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

On the Nightstand: Rest of the Vampire Academy series; Persepolis; HP 7; Mythology

MakingLists: Grocery lists (big surprise!) and possible freezer meals.

From the kitchen: The boys tried thai food.  Not a big hit, but we'll try something else next (maybe Japanese).  With the boys here eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner at home, we are going through a ton of food.  I really hate cooking.  Thank goodness the freezer meals method works great.  Speaking of, I need to have another cooking day.

On the Web: There's been a huge amount of contest blog hops and I've entered them all!  Plus, I've found some other great bloggers to follow.

Crafting: Attended a great "step it up" class.  We made two different cards and then stepped up each card with some extra bling.  I signed up for another class next week.  Very excited!

Watching:  I finished Chuck and I wasn't impressed.  I feel like the series could have ended with the season 4 finale.  J also started me on Parks and Recreation.  The first season was a bit rough, but it got a whole lot better in the second season.  Ron and April are definitely my favorite characters.

Wondering: How did I miss sunscreening two little spots on my chest?  I now have a ridiculous tan line and mild sunburn.

From Nature: It's been a bit cool here lately.  Very sunny but still great.  Thankfully the pool is always heated.  Very refreshing, but getting out the pool is a bit chilly.

Shopping Scores: I put in my first Stampin' Up order in California.  I can't wait to try out some of the new colors.

Project: I'm going through all of my cds.  Finally we have gotten around to them.  I'm only about 1/6th through it.

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 06.24.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #15

The Sunday Salon.com

Listening To: Still in the Gs.  However the boys and I have been rocking the Pandora Mumford and Sons channel all week.  They're really getting into it.

Book finished: Vampire Academy; The Boys Vol. 11; Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life

Reading: Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick

On the Nightstand: The Sandman series; His Dark Materials trilogy; HP 6; Vampire Academy series

MakingLists: Of what the boys want to do this summer.  We've got most of the major things tentatively scheduled, including two weeks of summer camps (magic, engineering, and animation).

Farmer's Market Finds: I convinced the boys to go with me to the farmer's market this week.  We got popcorn, potatoes, cherries, chocolate croissants, apple strudel, pretzels (German style soft), Quiche (for J and me), and fresh squeezed lemonade.  Yummy!

Watching: Chuck S5; The Daily Show; Stargate SG1 and Atlantis; Monty Python and Mythbusters with the boys.  Thinking about starting the boys on the new series of Doctor Who...

From Nature: Gorgeous weather although yesterday it got a bit hot (90 degrees!).  Thankfully we spent a lot of time in the pool to combat the heat.

Shopping Scores: Bought things for the boys (bathroom decor).  Plus we got another box of wine in the mail (like we need more wine).  And J ordered a new MacBook for himself.

Project: Adjusting our schedules for the boys.  Planning out future trips.  The usual...

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 06.17.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #14

The Sunday Salon.com

Listening To: Made it into the Gs...  but have slightly stalled.  I did really dig rediscovering Garbage and Gin Blossoms.  They take me back.

Book finished: Beauty; Anna Dressed in Blood; Sandman 2; Boys 10

Reading: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

On the Nightstand: HP 6 and Scott Pilgrim

MakingLists: Summer to dos.  Trying to get a list of things to do with the boys ready for their arrival.  Plus, I reconnected with a friend who lives about 3 hours away.  Hopefully we can find time to see each other soon.

Around the house: We've gotten most of the things put away.  But we still need to get pictures framed.

From the kitchen: More and more freezer meals.  Pretty soon I'm going to make some more.  And I tried making a 2 minute chocolate cake coffee cup thing in the microwave.  Next time I need to adjust the cooking time, but they were pretty good.

On the Web: Catching up on some more blogs in my GoogleReader.

Farmer's Market Finds: First week back to the market and I woke up really late.  The market runs 9-1 and I did get there until 11:30.  By that time, all the yummy pastries were gone.  I did get some great nectarines, strawberries, broccoli, and a ciabatta loaf.  I must set my alarm for next week.

Crafting: I got to go to a card class today and meet some lovely ladies.  I already knew one of those ladies, but of course she's lovely.  Look at the pretty!

Watching: We've made it to Stargate Atlantis.  Halfway through season 1 and it is intense.  I'm still working through Chuck season 5.  I also started my DZP actor item (Dwayne Johnson!).

Wondering: Why does the Goodwill one block from my house have to be the worst one that I've been too?  I am thoroughly disappointed!

From Nature: It was 65 and rainy on Monday. You would have thought that it was below freezing by the way everyone was acting.  I was dressed in a tshirt and jeans.  Everyone I passed had sweatshirts and/or coats on.  I had to laugh at the silliness.  After the one day of some rain, it got back into the 75 degree range for the rest of the week.

Shopping Scores: Finally found a clearance everyday dress at Target.  It will be worn this week sometime.  And I received my first StitchFix box yesterday.  I'll be posting my results soon...

Project: The bookshelf we ordered came.  J graciously put it together while I rearranged the office to make room for it.  We are short on wall space, so we took down the shelf and put it in the closet.  I managed to empty four boxes of books into it.  Unfortunately, we still have ~7 boxes of books in the closet and the office floor.  I think we need two more of these babies to get them all put away...

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 06.10.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #13

The Sunday Salon.com Listening To: I'm through the Fs.  Only 20 more letters and thousands of songs to go...

Book finished: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; The League fo Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century 1910; Starship Troopers

Reading: The Sandman series

On the Nightstand: The Sandman series and Anna Dressed in Blood (downloaded on my new iPad!)

Making Lists: The usual, grocery lists and house to do lists.

Around the house: Working on putting crap away.  I swear this stuff multiplies while we sleep.

From the kitchen: I made some awesome blueberry buttermilk cake.  Delicious.

On the Web: The usual, cleaning out my Google Reader.

Farmer's Market Finds: No farmer's market this week because of the Sunnyvale Food and Wine Festival.  Lots of arts and crafts stuff that I would never put in my house.  And the alcohol was definitely overpriced.  At least it was free.

Crafting: I haven't done any individual crafting.  However, I did join a great group of ladies for some meet and greet and the Stampin' Up catalog launch.  We made a cute little card using some of the new products.  But more importantly, I think I found my scrapping group.  Can't wait until the next event.

Watching: Lots and lots of Stargate.  We're into the seventh season and my goodness is it suspenseful!

Wondering: How I have never seen Michael J. Fox in The Secret of My Success.  J was flabbergasted and we immediately stuck it in the dvd player for movie night. Loved the 80s music and crazy clothing.  I could have done without the montages.

From Nature: Sunshine, sunshine, and more sunshine.  The usual.

Shopping Scores: I got an iPad!  Yep, that's right, I got an iPad! Woo hoo!  I already downloaded my most used apps, plus four books that were free on iBooks.  I can't wait to start using it.

Project: Checking out my new Stampin' Up catalog.  So many pretty stamp things that I want.  Now I need to limit myself.  So hard...

Picture: No pictures this week.  I really need to take some pics of the surrounding neighborhood...

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 06.03.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #12

The Sunday Salon.com

Listening To: More iTunes.  I'm currently up to the Es.  This is going to take awhile.  But on a good note, I am rediscovering some great music that I already own.

Book finished: Something Borrowed, Wonderland, Kick-Ass, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

Reading: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

On the Nightstand: Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein; The Sandman GN series by Neil Gaiman; Sirena by Donna Jo Napoli; Beauty by Robin McKinley; Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

MakingLists: The ever growing house needs list.  It just never seems to go away.  We got cord covers for the cables hanging all over the theater, but can't reach the ceiling.  So we had to order a ladder because one wouldn't fit in our car.  Argh!  

Around the house: More things are getting put away.  Now we're down to the nitty gritty and wall decorations.  We really need to decide what goes on the walls, what doesn't, and what needs to be framed.  At the last place, I lived there for almost a year and nothing was ever put on the walls.  Sad...  I really want this place to be different.

From the kitchen: Eating freezer meals as J spends most dinners at the office.  It is saving us food money, but I can't stand cooking and eating alone.  I did try a new recipe this week: chocolate avocado muffins.  I got the recipe off of a blog I follow and they were disastrous.  I have no idea what I did wrong, but they were inedible.  tasted just like flour.  Gross!  J got really excited that I was going to make them.  He came home and the first words out of my mouth were "don't eat the muffins!"  Oh well.  Better luck next time.

On the Web: Continue to follow the blogger plagiarism scandal.  I am just disgusted by how the plagiarizer has handled the whole affair.  Just disgusted!

Farmer's Market Finds:  None this week.  We slept in and did some house stuff.  With J eating at the office, I don't really need any extra food in the house this week.  And we won't be going next week as it is closed to make way for the Sunnyvale Food and Wine Festival.  It will combine my two favorite categories: food and wine.  Really looking forward to it!

Crafting: I'm still getting everything organized.  But I did manage to scrap about 16 pages for the boys' books.  Now they're up to January 2011.  Getting there...  Next week, I am going to a Stampin' Up catalog launch party Friday.  Very excited to see the new stuff and meet some area scrappers.

Watching: We've caught up on most of the episodes that we missed.  So, one to new seasons, new stuff, and some old stuff, but never seen, for me.  Episodes series two started.  I love me some Stephen Mangan.  I finished Chuck season four and started season five (the last season).  We moved through Stargate SG1 season five.  Goodness that got crazy at the end...  On to season six.  J also introduced me to the musical and comedy stylings of Tim Minchin and Bo Burnham.  I am so in love!  And I managed to convince J that I needed to rewatch Casino Royale so we could finish the James Bond Month(s).

Wondering: When our bookcases will arrive?  Had to order off of Amazon as they wouldn't fit in the car.  Once they get here, we can finish the boys' room and take care of most of the disaster that is the office.

From Nature: Cooler breezy temps (60s - low 70s).  Thank goodness the pool is heated year round.

Shopping Scores: Ordering pictures through iPhoto is friggin' awesome!  I finally got around sorting through the pictures on the computer to figure out what I needed to print for scrapbooking.  I ordered on Tuesday, they came on Friday.  The turn around was amazing.  Now I am closer to scrapping time.

Project:  Putting the office together.  I only took pics of my half of the office.  J's half is just a disaster zone of epic proportions.  Believe it or not, but my half is looking very neat and organized.  And I really need a chair.  That conference chair nonsense just won't cut it very longer.

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 05.27.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #11

The Sunday Salon.com

Listening To: Continuing with my iTunes collection.  I'm up to the Ds now.

Book finished:  The Frog Prince; Paris in Love; A Great and Terrible Beauty; Murder on the Orient Express; Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

Reading: Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

MakingLists: Projects for the house.  The spice racks are up, but there's really nothing else on the walls.  And we need to finish putting away the all the knick knacks, books, etc. 

Around the house: Waiting for my desk to arrive to finish putting together the office.  Supposedly it will arrive Tuesday, but we'll see.

From the kitchen: Last Monday, I made a huge number of freezer meals to last us for the next month or so.  I spent all day created at least 12 main dish servings, 10 dessert servings, and a complete farmer's casserole.  We are set.  And it is looking good.  I've already eaten one serving of the salsa shredded beef over the course of two days.  Delicious!

On the Web: Blog surfing.  I had a backlog of blogs to check out that's been sitting in my notebook for at least a few months.  I finally started getting to them,

Crafting: Nothing until my desk arrives and is put together.  I did join a few crafting Meetup groups.  Looking forward to some new ideas and encouragement.

Watching: The theater is up and running, so we've been catching up on a ton of shows.  Psych, New Girl, 30 Rock, Community, How I Met Your Mother, Once Upon a Time, and Eureka.  I also started to finish Chuck (I'm in season 4 of 5).  I finished the Pierce Bronson James Bond movies so now we only have the two Craig ones.  And J started me on a fairly recent show Fairly Legal.  I love it!  We're almost to the end of season one which will catch me up with J.

Wondering: Why the DMV is like what i imagine Purgatory to be?  I had to go get my California driver's license. After waiting almost 30 minutes I finally got my question answered.  What documents do I need?  Only be told a birth certificate or passport.  Unfortunately I do not have a county approved bc, but a decorative one.  I had to call my mom, ask if she had it, wait, and finally my dad went to get a copy.  It should have been sent yesterday.  I should be able to get my license next week.  Yippy!  More purgatory fun!

From Nature: It's been a bit chilly (for here) in the 60s, but sunny every day.  Just gorgeous.

Shopping Scores: I found a crazy dragon skull box for the boys' room for only $8.  It is going to look so great in their room.  I also ended up buying Ticket to Ride after watching the TtR episode of TableTop with Wil Wheaton.  Check it out on Geek and Sundry on YouTube.com. And finally I got a bike. It's a beauty and will be great to cruise around the neighborhood.  Very excited to break it in this coming week.

Project: Getting ready for the boys.  Plane tickets have been bought.  I'm making a list of camps to sign up for.  I've looked into taking them to Great America; it's only 10 minutes away.  And planning out a few San Francisco/beach days.

Farmer's Market Finds: J joined me this weekend at the farmer's market and I'm pretty sure he enjoyed it. We picked up some lettuce, broccoli, sour baguette, white bread, duck sausage with figs (J's pick), fruit tart, and chocolate cake.  We ended up grabbing lunch while there. I had The Trinity (sausage, sauerkraut, onions, and mustard) and J had the Seoul Sausage (sausage, kimchi, and wasabi).  Yum yum!

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 05.20.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #10

The Sunday Salon.com

Listening To: My entire iTunes library of 9400 (nice round number!) for my Day Zero Project of 101 Favorite Songs.  It's so hard to pick and not get confused.  So I decided to systematically listen to all 9400 songs in alphabetical order.  I'm up the Cs and already have ~50 songs notated.  I will definitely have to par the list down before finalizing.

Book finished: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Reading: None -- prepping for Bout of Books starting tomorrow

MakingLists: More house crap.  We had a lot of progress on the first list, but I've since made a second...

Around the house: Unpacking...  and starting to put everything together.  I would say we are over halfway there.  But the office still looks like a disaster zone.

From the kitchen: I'm ready to get back in the freezer meal mode.  Our fridge and freezer are giant (like you could fit a full grown adult in there large) and I can't wait to get some meals together.  J's work caters in breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Since he's playing catch up this week, I've really been eating alone.  Now the trick is to not overcook...

On the Web: I've been searching for a writing/crafting desk.  I found one I liked at Ikea, but the box didn't fit into the Mini and the delivery charge wasn't worth it.  So I turned to Amazon.  I think I finally found one that is wide enough for my crap with an uncomplicated design.  It should be delivered sometime this weekend...

Crafting: None until the desk gets here and put together

Work Observations: None as I don't have a job.

Watching: The people on Murphy St.  I'm so excited to live in an area where people are out and about and not in their cars all the time.  I think I'm going to like it here.

Wondering: Why I am so tired this week?  Oh yeah, I started working out every day!  Currently I'm trying to alternate doing laps in the pool and walking on the treadmill.  My body still hasn't acclimated yet.

From Nature: I love this weather!  Not too hot, not to cold, and tons of sunshine.

Shopping Scores: I ordered the boys their Egyptian plush dog and cat they saw in Pittsburgh (those were overpriced, plus they had already got something that day).  They're sitting on the bunk beds just waiting for two 9-year-olds to come and play.  I also got two new pairs of trainers for my new walking/exercise life.  Both are Dr. Scholl's (weird, but they're comfy and cute).  I also am a huge Ikea fan now.  And it's only 15 minutes away on the 101.  Plus my haul at the Saturday Farmer's Market!

Project: Getting a collection of summer activities ready for the boys.  Next up: need to actually enroll them in a  couple of camps and possibly plan a trip to DisneyLand.

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 05.13.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #9

The Sunday Salon.com

Listening To: Alt Nation driving across the country.  That goodness for sateillite radio!

Book finished: The Radleys; Allison Hewitt is Trapped; The Picture of Dorian Gray; Bad Doings and Big Ideas

Reading: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

MakingLists: Summer camp options for the boys.  Sunnyvale has so many great looking ones. I hope the boys enjoy their camps!

Around the house: Unpacking, of course.  It is still a disaster zone, but slowly some of the rooms are coming together.  Master bedroom is basically done.  Boys room is almost done.  Kitchen, office, and living room to go.  Of course those are the hard ones to finish...

From the kitchen: Nothing exciting.  Trying to cook around the mess is difficult.

On the Web: We don't have internet in the apartment yet, so I haven't really been online much this past week. I did spend a ridiculous amount of time on Ikea's website sitting in the coffeehouse (1 1/2 away from the apartment!) reseraching desks.  I get a desk!  Finally!  Now I just have to pick one.

Weekly Quote: "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming." -- Dory from Finding Nemo (I know I repeat, but it just seemed so appropriate!)

Crafting: Nothing until I get a desk in the office.

Work Observations: None until I get a job

Watching: Nothing until we get the server and theater up and running

Wondering: Where I put those canvas bins?  I really want to find those soon...

From Nature: North California weather = perfection!

Shopping Scores: I found some great trainers for all the walking I plan on doing around Sunnyvale.  After trying on about 10 different pairs, I finally settled on two paris of Dr. Scholl's.  I feel like I'm 50 with these, but they're incredibly comfy and pretty cute.  I'm enjoying them.

Project: Unpacking the house...

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Monday 05.07.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #8

The Sunday Salon.com

Listening To: Finding some new and recommended music on YouTube.  Some of those selections will be featured in my next New Music Monday post.

Book finished: The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson; The Walking Dead: Book 4; The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg

Reading: Bad Doings and Big Ideas

Making Lists: Of what to pack in the car for our big move.

Around the house: Boxes, boxes everywhere.  We're getting down to just a few rooms left.  Good thing because the moving truck comes on the 27th.

From the kitchen: Slowly emptying out the freezer, fridge, and cabinets.  And I'm really doing well.  We only have a few meals left in the freezer to eat.

On the Web: I've decided that I'm not a fan of author interview blog posts.  It's not that I don't like learning about new authors.  It's that I see the same ones over and over and over again.  Those blog tours are killing me.  I just speed past them in my GoogleReader.  I would rather read someone's review of a book than announcements of the book coming out.  *End rant*

Crafting: None.  Everything is packed in boxes and ready to go.  Unpacking my crafting supplies is going to seem like Christmas because I haven't seen them lately.

Work Observations: After some honest conversations with coworkers this week, I've realized that all the issues that I was having at work are felt by others.  Validation!

Watching: The theater is packed so I have rediscovered the beauty of Netflix instant queue.  Specifically I've been rewatching The IT Crowd.  Goodness that show is hilarious.  And I started watching The Bitch in Apartment 23 on abc.com.  James Van Der Beek you are a genius for playing a douchebag version of yourself.  Kudos!

Wondering: How many more boxes we need to pack?  Hopefully not very many...

From Nature:  Overall we've been having beautiful spring weather here in the Great Plains.  I just hope the weather holds out for our half country drive next week.

Shopping Scores: None.  I don't want to pack anything more, so I haven't bought anything.  In fact, I've gotten rid (Goodwill, Half Price Books, trash, Craigslist) of a ton of crap.  I love this feeling of cleaning out.

I did finally get my glasses and they are beautiful!  And I love being able to see.  It's a miracle!

Project: Duh! The move.  Although I have also spent some time this week (at work) researching summer activities for the boys.  I have a small list of summer camps to check out and run by them.  And I want to research the way out west.  We will be spending a few days on the road and it would be nice to have some interesting stops planned.

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 04.22.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #7

The Sunday Salon.com We have a place to live!  J secured our new apartment in Sunnyvale, CA yesterday.  Now every time someone asks me, I can say I live in Sunnydale CA.  Oops, too much Buffy the Vampire Slayer on the brain.  Sunnyvale, Sunnyvale, Sunnyvale...

Listening To: I finally got around to downloading the Gotye album and Hunger Games soundtrack.  I am thoroughly in love with both of these albums.  I especially am loving the Arcade Fire and Punch Brothers song on HG.  Random just found out: the Punch Brothers singer is none other than former solo artist and one-third of Nickel Creek Chris Thile.  I love him!  Now I must look them up...

Book finished: Everneath by Brodie Ashton, Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos; Beastly by Alex Flinn

Reading: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson

Making Lists: Moving to do list.  We still don't have an exact date of moving, but it will be before April 30th.  I currently have a list a mile long of errands, things to take care of, and things to pack before we can move.

Around the house: Making piles for moving.  One for trash, one for Craigslist, one for Goodwill donations, one for giving to friends, many for keeping.  I feel a bit claustrophobic will all these piles and boxes.

From the kitchen: While J is already out in California, I am trying to eat everything in the house.  We have many freezer meals sitting there.  My plan is to make something every night and take the second portion to work for lunch the next day.  So far it's working well.  And I basically have a $0 grocery bill.  Extra score.

On the Web: Trying to catch up with all my GoogleReader blogs from vacation.  I still have some to get through.  And I really should clean it out, but that sounds like too much work...

Weekly Quote: "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming." -- Dori from Finding Nemo

Crafting: None.  But I am packing all my crafting this week for the big move.  So I won't be doing any crafting until we get settled in SJ.

Work Observations: Again with eating of supplies!  Really people!  How many pads of post-its do you need?

Watching: J took down the theater so no server for me.  I did and will continue to have access to Netflix, Hulu, and various other tv show sites.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, I haven't had time to watch much with the other tasks.  I did manage to catch up with The Vampire Diaries and Once Upon a Time before the big move.

Wondering: How many boxes it will take to finish packing?

From Nature: Typical spring storms rolled through the area.  Although it has stayed fairly warm so that's a plus.

Shopping Scores: Saturday morning I finally made it to the eye doctor to get some new glasses. Because of my prescription it can take up to two weeks to finish, but at least they're ordered.  The everyday frames are Tory Burch.  Very cute, but understated.  They were a no brainer pick.  And drumroll please,  I ordered prescription sunglasses.  I figured I have no excuse with moving to Sunnyvale California.  The sunglasses are Coach.  Definitely glam, but perfect.

Project: The move, of course.  My current packing task is the garage.  When I moved, many boxes were regulated to the garage.  I've forgotten what's even in some of those boxes.  The task is to sort through the boxes and condense to what I actually want.  Then I can start on the inside of the actual house.

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 04.15.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #6

The Sunday Salon.com

Obviously this post is a little late...  This weekend ended up being crazy busy and I just didn't get to sit down and write this before now.  So, one day late, but still relevant.

Listening To: Rediscovering Panic at the Disco's second album Pretty. Odd.  The cd's been sitting in the basement for 6 months, I grabbed a handful going out to the car the other day and fell in love again.  I just really like that album.

Book finished: Rise Again by Ben Tripp; The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance; Henry V by Shakespeare; Timeless by Gail Carriger; Eat, Slay, Love by Jesse Petersen

Reading: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling and Doctor Who: The Forgotten

Making Lists: Vacation Packing list.  I am that dorky that I always list everything we want to take/pack and then pack accordingly.  It helps me stay organized.  We're leaving on this Friday and I am about 50% packed.  I think that's a good percentage for the time.

Around the house: The reason that I didn't post a Sunday Salon last week was because J and I were in San Jose for an interview and possible relocation.  This week J took the job and started making preparations for moving at the end of April.  Yep, I said end of April.  So much to do, so little time.  We started packing this weekend and now the house looks like a disaster zone.  There's crap everywhere.  But on a bright spot, I did feel 5 garbage bags for Goodwill!

From the kitchen: I redid the meal plan to use all of the freezer meals before the big move.  If we cook from the freezer everyday, we use everything but four pork chops.  I also reorganized the freezer and passed off some chicken nuggets and mini pancakes to some friends with little kids.  Now we need to organize and then start packing the kitchen.

On the Web: J and I are huge fans of Community and Doctor Who.  So when they introduced Inspector Spacetime, we almost died laughing.  A few entrepreneurs on Etsy have made Inspector Spacetime t-shirts.  I am really tempted to buy one... Intarsia Design

Crafting: Absolutely none.  Though my Stampin' Up order came in and I am itching to use my new stamps.  The pile is probably one of the next things to be packed.

Work Observations: For whatever reason, it's been really slow lately.  It has given me some time to clean out computer files and prep the receptionist handbook for my departure.  I really hope my boss can find someone before I leave. 

Watching: Catching up on all of our currently running tv shows.  Psych, Modern Family, Community, 30 Rock, Castle, Dirk Gently (must see! from the BBC!)

Wondering: How many books I currently own?  There are boxes and boxes in the garage.  I am not looking forward to moving those, but I don't want to get rid of them before they're read.

From Nature: It's been absolutely beautiful lately with temps in the 70s and sun. 

Shopping Scores: Went to Old Navy, spent more than I was going to, but found a great summer dress and a few cute shirts, plus shorts for the boys.

Project: Relocation house hunting.  I hate house hunting and really hate it when I am physically distant.  We've found some possibles, but have to wait until J flies out there to see the insides and get specifics.  With the cost of real estate and tiny lots, it looks like we'll be moving into an apartment complex or condo.  On the bright side, that means we get access to a pool and fitness center.  Yeah for me! 

This past two weeks have been crazy busy with all the changes.  I did manage to fit in a spa day (J's bday gift) with a pedicure, facial, and massage.  Very nice!

On the reading front, I have way too many books to read this week before leaving for vacation.  I have some library books to care of and giveaway books to read.   Speaking of giveaways, there may be more books added to the birthday giveaway.  Or a separate giveaway later this month as I pack and purge.  Stay tuned!

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Monday 03.26.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #5

The Sunday Salon.com

Listening To: Random cds from the basement.  I have a huge pile of cds just sitting in the basement waiting to be put into our server.  This week I randomly grabbed The Dresden Dolls and Flogging Molly.  Haven't heard these cds in awhile.  Bonus note: we bought tickets to Flogging Molly on June 1st!  Very excited!

Book finished: Palace Circle by Rebecca Dean -- only one finished this week and it was a bit of a struggle.

Reading: Rise Again by Ben Tripp -- Back to zombies

Making Lists: Stampin' Up March order.  We have our meeting this coming Wednesday, and I have no idea what I want.

Around the house: I feel like I got so much done today.  Laundry, dishwashing, clothes organizing, Goodwill collecting.  Today I was very productive.  I just wish I had this type of motivation every day.

From the kitchen: Made sour cream cornbread muffins and poppy-seed pound cake muffins to add to the freezer haul.  I finished making our meal plans through vacation.  We should just about empty the freezer by then.

On the Web: I am in love with a few new blogs: The Mary Sues and GeekMom.  Lots of fun going through their archives.  Plus, the big announcement was the release of the iPad 3 gen.  Of course, J ordered his and it will be here on Friday.  That means that I get the iPad 1 for e-reading.  Very exciting.

Weekly Quote: "This is just the switchboard, I can not tell you called you."  You don't even know how many times I say this every day at work.

Crafting: No actual crafting, but I did reorganized my scrapbook supply explosion.  I got it under control and in a few neat piles on the floor by the dining room table.  Looking forward to Stampin' Up class on Wednesday.

Work Observations: Somedays I really wonder about the future of our country...  I see and hear way too many depressing stories at work.

Watching: Stargate Sg-1 (we're into season 4 now), James Bond movies (into Pierce Bronson), The Vampire Diaries (finally caught up), The Daily Show, and Logan's Run.  What?  You've never heard or seen Logan's Run?  Crazy talk!  It is one of the best 70s scifi movies ever.  Trust me.  And it was my 30th birthday on Monday and it was required watching.

Wondering: When my new sandals will be delivered...

From Nature: The temperatures have been great.  And this week's forecast is in the 70s.  I pulled out the spring/summer clothes bin to start the transition.

Shopping Scores: I got an Old Navy gift card for my bday and bought some cute summery clothes.   I just love finding good deals.  Unfortunately, I did not find any brown shoes or brown pants.  Darn it!

Project: No biggie, just spring cleaning and organizing.

Picture: Completely forgot to take a picture this week.  I really need to put reminders for this.

Extra notes: If you love books, make sure to check out my month long birthday giveaway.  I'm really itching to giveaway some great books to deserving people.  Also, I was invited to join a book club from someone at work.  Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend March's meeting as we will be on our road trip.  But I will be joining in April.

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 03.11.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #4

The Sunday Salon.com

Listening To: More iPod shuffle.  Somehow I didn't listen to much music beyond my commute to and from work.  I am liking Of Monster and Men's new song.

Book finished: You are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay; Undead Much by Stacey Jay; The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan; Evermore by Alyson Noel; Blue Moon by Alyson Noel; Shadowland by Alyson Noel (DNF)

Reading: Palace Circle by Rebecca Dean.  I haven't really read much historical fiction yet this year.  Since this was going into my giveaway, I thought I should read it first.

Making Lists: Trying to update my giant TBR list and spreadsheet.  I haven't done a check for a few months now.  It really needs to be updated.

Around the house:  I hate cleaning (bathroom, dishes, laundry, floors), but somehow whenever I finish I feel better.  It's a catharsis.

From the kitchen: Eating from the freezer.  It's my goal to finish the freezer before leaving on vacation.  We still have many many great meals in there.  I absolutely love this process.

On the Web: Anonymous (group of anti-establishment hackers) have called for a media buying boycott for the month of March.  J and I have joined in spirit.  I think (wink wink) that we have enough media sitting around the house that we don't need to buy anything this month.  My only problem was the release of The Hunger Games movie on March 23rd.  I'll just have to wait until after our Spring Break vacation.

Weekly Quote:  "What is a weekend?" Maggie Smith as Dowager Countess on Downton Abbey

Crafting:  Making cards for March birthdays.  Just finishing them up, no real new projects.

Work Observations:   Apparently wishing people a Merry Leap Day kinda creeps them out.  Hee hee.

Watching: Downton Abbey (season 2), Castle, 30 Rock, The Guild (season 5), Bond, and some Stargate.  We watched a lot of tv in the past week.

Wondering: The design (or lack there of) of point of sale systems at various food service places and retail stores.  Guess what J's new project is?  Now he's got me noticing all of them every where I go.

From Nature: While states east of the Mississippi experienced severe storms and tornadoes, we've had beautiful, if a bit windy, spring like weather.  

Shopping Scores: I went shopping for my birthday and came away fairly disappointed.  I did find a pair of jean shorts and jeans for cheap.  And a couple of tops, but nothing too exciting.  I was really hoping to find brown pants and shoes.  Oh well... maybe next time.

Project: I spent some time getting my blog back in order (loose ends, updates).  I also got my scheduled posts for March all ready.  Now I just need to wrap up a few posts before going on vacation at the end of the month.

Picture: Completely forgot to take a fun picture...  Oh well, next week.

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 03.04.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #3

The Sunday Salon.com

Listening To: Just my giant iPod shuffle.  Nothing specific, going where the shuffle takes me.

Book finished:  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; Macbeth; Doctor Who: Through Time and Space; The Year of Living Biblically

Reading: You are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay

Making Lists: Getting my birthday month prizes ready for my first ever blog giveaway (check back on March 1st!)

Around the house: Does anyone else get this great feeling when all the towels and sheets have been washed and put back in their place?  I do.  I love that clean and orderly feeling.

From the kitchen: I was going to bake some muffins this weekend, but it seems we don't have any room in the freezer to store them.  So baking will be next weekend.  We are slowly working through our freezer meals and I have to say I love it.  I don't have to think as much about dinner.  We just eat whatever I pull from the freezer the night before.  Speaking of...  I need to pull something out as soon as I finish this post.

On the Web: I'm feeling the temptation of Pinterest...  It's calling my name.  But I know that if I join, it will turn into a new time-sucker.  I must resist.

Weekly Quote: I absolutely adore my Quote Wednesday post from Persuasion by Jane Austen.

Crafting: Absolutely none.  I was going finish my Disney scrapbook, but needed to get my blog in order for March.  Hopefully next weekend.

Work Observations: How can people use this many supplies in a week?  Are they eating them instead of their lunch?  Sometimes I really wonder.

Watching: More Bond (we're on to Timothy Dalton) and Stargate.  The server went down a few days ago and it's currently in the rebuilding process.  So we had to make do.  And by make do, I mean we had to rely on our ~1500 dvd discs physically sitting in the basement.  How have we survived the week?

Wondering: How dedicating the month of Lent to reading, reviewing, and blogging counts?  Isn't Lent supposed to be about giving something up, recognizing the sacrifice of the Hebrews under Egyptian rule?   Apparently some book bloggers (I won't name who) have decided that reading and reviewing is a sacrifice...  just another ridiculous "I fit religion to how I live my life" moment.

From Nature: We've been having very warm temperatures for being the end of February.  I'm a little scared that this means we're going to have multiple late freezes or a drought this summer.

Shopping Scores: I've been planning our Spring Break road trip and so have been on the hunt for lap desks for the boys.  I have a laptop desk, but it has ridges.  J has a smooth one, but it's way too big for 9-year-old laps.  I searched Amazon, but the bad pictures didn't give me an idea of relative size or ridge or no ridge.  Amazingly enough, I found perfect flat with bean rests at Hobby Lobby.  Search mission accomplished!

Project: Preparing my blog for March birthday madness.  I have posts scheduled for every day in March on top of my usual memes and book reviews.  I have just a little more to finish before it's completely ready.

On Friday I made myself a little list of weekend-to-do.

  • Library crawl — I made it to the newly remodeled library.  They have a much better adult fiction selection than the one I usually go to, but I didn't see a Young Adult section at all.
  • Prep my huge collection of March posts —They are 90% done.  I just need to add a bit of writing here and there and it will be done.
  • Finish my Disney trip scrapbook — Nope, not done at all.
  • Catch up on Downton Abbey — Nope
  • Catch up on The Vampire Diaries — Nope
  • Laundry/dishwashing/bathroom cleaning -- I did get all of the laundry and dishes done.  The bathroom was Swiffered, but that's it.  I think that's enough.  We don't make huge messes, so it was just a bit of tidying up.
tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 02.26.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #2

The Sunday Salon.com

Listening To: Florence + the Machine's new album Ceremonials.  I'm especially loving the haunting "What the Water Gave Me."  She makes such mood music.  I love it!

Book finished:Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Reading: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Making Lists: Adding to my never ending TBR list.  I might just have an addiction to reading...

Around the house: I finally got around to putting away the box of Christmas decorations.  Unfortunately,the Christmas tree is still up. To be fair it just really doesn't look like a Christmas tree.  It will probably be left up for another few months yet.

From the kitchen: We've started using the freezer meals.  Unfortunately we had a bit of a mishap with the honey pork chops.  The recipe said to defrost and then bake for 1:15 hours at 350 degrees.  This turned them into burnt hockey pucks.  So next time, not so long...

On the Web: Not much news...  There was a great announcement about Mountain Lion.  Finally, Apple is getting around to integrating all the messaging services into one iMessage.  Looking forward to this.

Crafting: My Stampin' Up order included a paper trimmer.  I absolutely love using it.  So much better than scissors.  Yesterday, I continued working in the Disney vacation scrapbook.  I'm over two-thirds through mine... making progress.  I also managed to reorganize a bit of my crafting stash.  Now it's less of an explosion of supplies than a couple of untidy stacks of supplies.

Work Observations: My boss returned from maternity leave and things are slowly getting back to normal.  However, that also means that I don't have a huge amount of projects to complete at the moment. Kinda bored until we decide the next big project.

Watching: More Stargate SG-1.  We got through season 2 and on to season 3.  My one big comment: What the hell happened to Daniel's hair?  Argh!  I finally started watching Downton Abbey and am officially hooked.  Love it!  And I caught back up with The Vampire Diaries.  Unfortunately it doesn't come back until March.

Wondering: How we managed to eat a hubcap (yes a hubcap) of sushi the other night and not die of overeating?  So good...  but good gracious that was a lot of food.

From Nature: All week we've had fairly moderate temperatures for February.  It's been an odd winter with wild temperature fluctuations.  

Shopping Scores: Randomly Half Price Books had a Booklover's Weekend with a 40% off coupon.  Of course, I had to use it.  Here's my scores for this week.  Notice half of the House of Night series that I snapped up for $1 a piece.  What a bargain!

Project: More Spring Break road trip planning.  I sent inquiries to the bed and breakfast association for a reservation.  They won't get back to me until Monday.

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 02.19.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

The Sunday Salon #1

The Sunday Salon.com

Listening To: Giant iPod shuffle, but especially Gotye "Somebody That I Used to Know."  I really need to get that album.

Book finished: A Gentleman Always Remembers by Candace Camp, An Affair Without End by Candace Camp, The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore

Reading: Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Making Lists: Grocery lists (an every week occurence), Stampin' Up wishlists (I want the entire catalog!)

Around the house: Trying to clean my crafting mess....  See it's just exploded everywhere.  Part of the issue is that I don't have a dedicated area for crafting.  Everything gets thrown into bins in the theater and if I want to craft, I have to drag everything upstairs and use half of the dining room table.  We need a new system.

From the kitchen: Freezer meals!  I finally did it!  I bought a few books off Amazon, bought tons of meat, and made a ton of food (enough to fill most of the freezer).  The hope is to ease the burden of cooking when I get home from work.  Now I just have to defrost something in the morning and reheat at night...  Loving this idea!  So far, I made breakfast burritos (2 minutes in the microwave to eat), Honey Soy Pork Chops, Italian Beef for sandwiches, and Salsa Shredded Beef for tacos.

On the Web: Blog stalking.... Reading past posts of some of the blogs I follow now.  I love getting to know other bloggers.  I really need to do better with starting a conversation instead of just stalking.

Crafting: Stampin' Up club this week.  We made some pretty Valentine's/spring cards.  I wonder who will get these?  And I made more bookmarks and some upcoming Birthday cards.

Work Observations: People are slobs!  I had kp duty this week.  Yup, we have kitchen duty rotations.  I am disgusted at people leaving food, crumbs, dirty dishes around the break room.  This isn't your house and I'm not your mom!  So annoying!

Watching: Continuing with Stargate SG-1 Season 1.  J has me hooked!  Good thing he has the entire series on dvd and Stargate Atlantis on dvd.  Rented Cowboys versus Aliens.  Not amazing, but not as bad as everyone said.  More James Bond movies for my Day Zero Project.  We're over halfway through now!

Wondering: Why do the majority of people in Omaha feel the need to go 5-10 miles under the speed limit?  It baffles my mind.

From Nature: Snow on the ground and cold temperatures.  I think it's finally winter.  After the 50 degree temps in January. the cold actually feels like we're back to normal.  I could do without the just-because-there-is-snow-on-the-ground-I-must-drive-like-an-idiot people.

Shopping Scores: A friend took me to her favorite thrift store in town.  They were having a huge Super Bowl sale with pieces up to 50% off.  I found this amazing brown leather jacket for $25, a cute riding style jacket for $11, and a crazy blouse for $11.  The store is an interesting mix of trendy pieces and old lady clothes.  They even have high end handbags (my weakness!).  I will definitely have to check it out again.

I also bought a few Heartsy (Groupon for Etsy) deals.  I'll show them off when the pieces arrive...  Some of them might even end up in my big birthday month giveaway (coming March 1st!).

Project: J and I decided to do a spring break road trip with the boys.  We're going to pick them up in Indiana and then travel to Dayton, OH (Air Force Museum), Hershey, PA (Chocolate World, of course), Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh before returning to Indiana.  So, I'm trip planning this week.  I'm a bit OCD when it comes to trip planning.  I love making itineraries and booking hotel rooms.  So far, I've booked us at the Red Caboose Motel near Hershey.  We get to stay in real cabooses!!  Alex is going to love that!  I'm exploring bed and breakfasts in the Philadelphia area...  More plans cemented soon!

tags: Sunday Rambles
categories: Weekly Wrap-up
Sunday 02.12.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 
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