A message in a bottle.

One of my friends, James, and I spent this past weekend seeking out adventure.
We started Saturday morning with a very nice breakfast of veggie filled omelets at the Bayview and conversation with some of his fellow sailors about the good ole times in the races and adventures they had. I learned the difference between starboard and port, and I think it only reinforced that i really want to start sailing. It sounds like so much fun.

After breakfast, we went and picked up a boat, and headed for the harbor. We got the boat in the water only to realize that the spark plugs were not working right. James called up the folks at the parts store, and we waited for a few hours for them to deliver the parts to us in the Marina. While we were waiting, we walked around the harbor, talked to a bunch of folks and looked at the other boats while James told me about most of them in detail, and their owners.

We finally got the spark plugs and because the water was so calm, we headed for Horn Island, and met up with some folks we knew, had a beer, and went off to explore the island. We passed a large group of dolphins on the way. In our exploration we found huge scallop shells and an old bench. We threw the loot in the boat, and went wondering a little more. When we were sufficiently hot, and hungry, we got back in the water, and in the boat and headed back to Ocean Springs, for some burgers at the Inn Zone, and some good music by the May James band. James even got up and played the harmonica with them.

Sunday morning, we went and got breakfast again, this time at the Yellow Mouth, another veggie filled omelet for me and eggs and hash browns for him. We cleaned the boat out, and went back out on the water, this time without the wait, and headed for Deer Island. We started walking the shore of the island, looking for shells, and glass and old pottery, and we found a message in a bottle. I will post the message another time, because i don't have it with me at the moment, but it was kind of a weird poem. I understand that when you tell someone you find a message in a bottle and don't tell what the message says, it kind of ruins the story, but oh well. It is not possible at this moment. I think the most important part of this story is that we found a message in a bottle. A real one, that had floated up on the shore.

We headed back to Ocean Springs, picked up his friend Tony, and went to the movies to watch Harry Potter. By the time i got back home that evening, i slept soooooo well. It was an amazing weekend.

I'm in love....

I'm in love with this composter!!!!!!!!

A few years ago, I was living at this place that had a compost pile. I fell in love with composting. I moved, and it wasnt realistic because I didn't really have a yard. Still, i rent, but i think that this might have just turned me. I dont care that i rent, i think i need this.

This composter can be found at People Powered Machines

There are some other neat machines at that website.... but none as cute as this!

queen annes lace

http://www.ag.auburn.edu/hort/faculty-old/flowerarranging/Flowerarrangingplants/Cut_Flowers/15_QueenAnnesLace.jpg

http://www.tjhsst.edu/~dhyatt/graphics/lace.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fishermansdaughter/3307184063/

Off to Chicago by way of i-65

So, Tuesday, I was talking about my planned trip to Chicago for the 4th of July to go visit my friend Danger. My desk mate at work said she was driving up there on Thursday morning. I have moved my plans up two weeks and i am heading out tomorrow morning at 6am for the 14 hour drive along I-65. I am taking the train back, which i am super excited about. It will be a great beginning to a wonderful rest from the south's oppressing heat.

I do not know what to expect from my time in Chicago with Danger, because he is always unpredictable and i wouldn't want to put any kind of expectations on our time, other that i know i will enjoy it immensely.

I am excited about my 19 hour train ride back south. I look forward to sitting on the train with my books, and fresh veggies i will get from chicago, and cheese, and bread, and coffee and tea(they will give you free hot water) I love the long chugging rides of trains. There is something so nice about the big seats and the great views of America from the dining car. I am even more excited about seeing the central part of the country, which has always held that Jesse James charm for me.

So, with some promises, I will return to this blog with that glowing feeling of wonder from seeing my country, and a few great stories of adventures with Dan.


I

Let the yard games begin!

Saturday night we got to really put our yard to the test, when a group of our friends showed up for burgers and yard games. We started off with horse shoes, then moved to simultaneous games of horse shoes and bacce ball, then, we moved to croquet. This was the first time I have ever played bacce, and I did pretty well. In croquet, however, I kicked ass! I won, so far ahead of anyone else! I dont mean to brag, but I never do that well in games like this.


Anyways, when you mix beer, a few shirtless men and croquet mallets together, only one thing can happen...a sword fight of course! Two of the guys played swords for about 15 minutes and when they finished, there were large welts covering their torsos. They were feeling none of it at the time, well maybe a little, but I am sure they were feeling it in the morning.

A quiet evening at home, and a glorious ride to work.

Last night, I finished cleaning up my camper and said my good-byes to the guards at Salvo. I headed for the house, unloaded my frozen foods, and ran to Rouses to get some chicken and beer.

When I got home, Jeff had the grill hot and ready, and I seasoned the chicken, and passed them off to the Griller! Then I cut up the asparagus i had in my fridge and the zucchini, peas and peppers from my garden, put a little olive oil, salt, and pepper on it, wrapped that up and passed that off as well.

We sat on our couch, with hot, hommade meals and cold beers and enjoyed our first real hommade meal. I put a few things away, took a shower, shared a nice little down time with the dogs and jeff on the screened porch and headed to my bed. (MY BED!!!!!) Oh it is so nice to have my bed back!

This morning, I drank my coffee, read two Odes in the latest Oxford American, and took off west on my bike to my office. The ride is just about 7 miles, and so pleasent.

Now I must get to work.

Mi Casa Nueva y amigos y familia y muchas comedas y muchas cervezas!

So, after eight months of living at the Salvo in a camper similar to a FEMA trailer, I am back in a house and back in Ocean Springs!

Friday, my friend Jeff and I signed the lease, he parked his boat in the front lawn, to match our boat having neighbors, and we started hauling the boxes inside. My mom planed her trip at just the right time, by coincidence, and she helped me and my new roommate get settled in.

Friday night, after moving a load in to the house, we ate dinner at the Grocery, headed back to the house to sit in our new screened in porch and watch Deloris run back and forth enjoy her new found freedom of the fenced in yard.

Saturday morning, we had the inaugural bacon, eggs and bagels, and set out for a day of moving, and unpacking. After we were completely exhausted, we showered up in our bathrooms, which i would like to add, are normal sized which are much, much larger than the bathroom in my trailer. Squeaky clean, we headed for the shed, for the fear not festival to see Greyson Capps and of course some meat.
After a few rounds of 2 for $3 PBRs and some dancing, and a belly full of pork, we headed back to the house, sat around on the carpet in the livingroom( we had not gotten my chairs yet) drinking one last beer.

Sunday, i woke up and made some pancakes and a Buckwheat Cake and got back to unpacking. We picked up a load at my storage unit, including my collection of chairs, and unloaded it. I unpacked my room, put together my bed, and made it complete with my old quilt.
We went to the filling station and ate crawfish, and went back to the house and played horse shoes and baggo!

Sunday night, i got to sleep in my bed... MY OWN BED.... for the first time in 8 months, oh, how i miss that thing.

So now it is monday, and i am ready to start this new week as a resident of Ocean Springs!!!!!!!