Extreme makeover
www.brianandlibbyhowe.blogspot.com has a new look. Mostly because, as my friend Jon so often tells me, blogger is not so great and I was having trouble with the format, but don't know enough about html to fix it (I guess that means I am even worse than blogger, and I shouldn't complain because I am useless without blogger...). So instead of figuring out what was wrong and how to fix it, I have resorted to starting with a new template. Anyway, hope you like the new look.
ps - today is Brian's Birthday! He is old.
I love the 80's
At work, our
"fun day" this summer (please hold your laughter) is going to be 80's themed (you may laugh now). A recent survey requested by the 80's event planners brought back a lot of great eighties memories for me...I hope it does the same for you
(my answers are included below...don't hate, appreciate). Keep in mind that I am probably one of the youngest people on my team, and the average age is probably in the mid-high 30's (just a rough guess), so when they were all rocking out with their feathered bangs, I was being potty trained.
What is your favorite 80's song?We Belong, by Pat Benatar
What is your favorite 80's 'guilty pleasure' song (the song you love but are ashamed to admit to)?Video Killed the Radio Star
In 1985, you were:_
X__ just recently born
____ in elementary school
____ in middle school
____ in high school
____ in college
____ out in the real world
In the 80's what type of music did you most listen to?____ hair bands
____ hard core rock
____ 70s/disco
____ bubblegum pop
_X__ Disney sing-a-longs
____ showtunes
____ classic rock
____ other __________
Who in the Breakfast Club are you most like (refresh your memory at www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/)?____ Andy (Emilio Estevez)
____ Claire (Molly Ringwald)
____ John (Judd Nelson)
_X__ Brian (Anthony Michael Hall)
____ Allison (Ally Sheedy)
____ Principal Vernon (Paul Gleason)
Were you alive and conscious when Princess Diana and Prince Charles married? If so, did you watch the wedding?____ Yes, I watched it live.
____ Yes, I watched a recording
____ Yes, I watched news clips of it
____ No, I didn't watch it.
_X__ No, I wasn't alive and/or conscious
Are you still angry with Sting for breaking up The Police?_X__ Yes! What a jerk!
____ No - his solo career is a gift to all music lovers.
____ Who?
Which side did you root for?____ Larry Bird and the Celtics
____ Magic Johnson and the Lakers
_
X__ What?
What is your favorite 80's memory?When I was born!
What was your favority activity during the 80's?When I switched over to solid food.
Which character from an 80s movie or TV show would you most like to be?Fergie when she was on Kids Incorporate, because she was so cool.
Now, which character from an 80's movie of TV show are you actually most like?Probably Stephanie from Full House...possibly even Kimmy Gibler (yes, it was that bad).
What is/was your favorite 80s TV show?KNIGHTRIDER! (Did you hear that they're going to make it into a movie?)
In the 80s, what was your favorite or most commonly-used slang term?"awesome!" ties with "radical!"
What is your favorite 80s movie quote?(Both quotes from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
Short Round:
Hey, lady! You call him Dr. Jones!or...Short Round:
Feels like I step on fortune cookie!Indiana Jones:
It's not fortune cookies. Let me take a look.[Indy lights a lighter to find bugs crawling all over the place] Short Round:
That no cookie!
What was your favorite hangout spot during the 80's?my backyard, because it is the only place I was allowed to go; other than my best friend Erin Wilson's house because her mom let them eat white bread.
What is your most memorable 80's current event????
What was your favorite candy in the 80's????
What was your favorite party game/activity during the 80's?Pin the tail on the donkey because it brought with it the promise of birthday cake.
In the 80's, what kind of car were you driving (if you were driving) or what did your parents drive?Mazda MPV - only the best, with the wood paneling.
Join in on the 80s-licious fun. Feel free to post a comment and share your answers!
Progress
What can I say? I am usually a glass half full kind of girl, but I've been what I have sugar-coated as "realistic" about all the home improvements on our list, citing two key enemies to progress: time and money. We obviously can't afford to do EVERYTHING we want to do at once and even if we could, when on earth would we do it?
Enter Brian's parents. They got to our house on Monday, and by the time I got home from work on Tuesday afternoon, all of the old landscaping we didn't want had been stripped from the front yard, the railings had been removed from the back deck, the lawn had been mowed, and the deck and patio had been powerwashed. These outdoor projects have made a world of difference in the appearance of the house, and I honestly didn't think we'd have a chance to tackle them until next spring. Not only is all of this done, but as of now, we have a beautiful new patio set on our newly stained deck (all set up with some torches and our grill to complete the picture), new lighting throughout the house (electrical work courtesy of Rev. Bill Howe) and a new A/C downstairs (whew, just in time for August). Brian's parents have been so, so helpful and generous this week and I am amazed at what we've (they've) accomplished.
Now when I drive home I see a beautifully landscaped front with beautiful black mulch (I never thought I would think mulch was so beautiful), a new wreath on our door (courtesy of Karen Polsinelli...thanks Karen!), and a nice little hanging plant on the front porch (can I tell you how long I have wanted my OWN hanging plant?!?)...it's a lovely sight! Yes, progress is good. Not to mention, we've had a lot of fun, even if it was shoveling 3 cubic yards of mulch in 92 degree heat for 2 hours. Now that's what I call bonding!
Props due
Well, the big move was a huge success and Brian and I have a lot of props to give out, so I will jump right in:
God: First things first. And actually we should take this back and say there is no way we would even be in our house if it wasn't for God. He really does do exceedingly abundantly more than we could ask or think, and this has been a perfect example. With regard to moving, He was certainly working our favor. The average temp over the last 2 weeks or so has probably been about 90 degrees with a lot of % humidity. But somehow the 2 days we were moving and working it dropped down below 80 and rained so it was refreshing and cool. And although moving in the rain is never ideal, the rain just "happened to" slow down when we needed it to. Coincidence? I think not.
The Erndt Fam: What would we do without the Erndt fam? Walt showed himself to be a seasoned moving helper, jumping right in and doing things he knew we needed done without waiting for us to ask. All day I saw him grabbing random things (many of which I had put off packing), packing them up, labeling them (I heart labels), putting them in peoples' cars until they were full and then I'm pretty sure he emptied like 6 cars by himself too! Thank you Walt!
Val took care of all my fragiles, most notably the 12 place settings of very expensive Lenox china that was under our bed (I know, it's ridiculous but don't tell Brian that I admitted it). More importantly, she helped keep me under control b/c I was a ball of stress, and would just stand around and say "what do I do?" Thank you Val!
Jeremy was in rare form on Saturday. Not only did he wake up at 7:30, he was extremely chipper and was even found rapping on numerous occasions during the day. He even sustained a minor injury after slipping down the back stairs, but got his game face back on, and didn't even complain when all I had to bandage it was a paper towel and some packing tape (his game face may have expired when he took the tape off and lost the majority of the hair on his arm, but I made sure I wasn't around for that). Thanks Jer!
Chad: Chad was a stellar helper all day long, even though we know that some of his efforts can attributed to alterior motives - the fact that Chad is moving in about 8 weeks and his furniture is much bigger and heavier than ours! Not to mention he has a lot more stuff. But seriously, I knew all along that Chad would be an asset on moving day. He in fact drove the UHaul when it was filled with all of our earthly belongings, and even backed it in to astoundingly close to our front door, clearing the gutter by about 1/2 inch. Well done Chad, well done. (Sidenote: This weekend I learned that Chad used to drive a mail truck, and it was the worst job he ever had.)
Jon: Usually you can only ask people to help you move if you know that you have been friends for long enough to subject them to such a horror, or if you have a significant amount of favors to cash in. Jon however did not fit into either of these categories. Jon volunteered to help us move. We're not sure why yet, but we hung out with him and his wife last night so I'm pretty sure he still wants to be friends with us. In all seriousness, Brian and I couldn't be happier that Jon and Nic are our friends. They're just the kind of people that want to jump in and help because they're genuinely kind and they genuinely love people, and want to serve God by serving others. Very cool. We are glad that they have chosen to work out their desire to serve in ways that directly benefit us, like working with Northway Student Ministries and helping us move. Thanks guys! (I must note that Jon is also my unoficcial blogging mentor.
His website rocks and someday I hope my website is 1/16th as cool as his.)
Dave: Dave was the surprise mover in the crew; I didn't know he was coming but I am glad he did. Not only did he sing/rap throughout the majority of the day, keeping my attitude all cheery and the like, he also contributed very significantly to the successful moving of one rather large piece of furniture. I don't even care that his significant contribution was realizing that if only the wall would "give" a little, the couch would clear the angle and make it's way out the door (note poltically correct language that interprets: there is a large hole in that wall now). All that matters is that our little couch made it safely home (anyone who was there is probably laughing...nothing about that couch is "little").
Will: Let's just start by saying, we love Will! He gave us his Saturday even though he was supposed to be bringing chickens to the Saratoga County Fair or something like that (did you know there are chickens that lay green eggs??? Will taught me this). All he asked of us was one chocolate milk, which we gladly supplied, and he helped us all day! It is a treat when you get to hang out with the students at your church, an even bigger treat when they're generally awesome, like Will, and an EVEN bigger treat when they're willing to give up their Saturday to help you out. Thanks Will!
I'm sure I'm missing some people, like the nice lady at Dunkin Donuts who made 8 bacon, egg, and cheese bagels in about 3 minutes (perhaps that should make me nervous?!), but the point is, we could not have moved all of our earthly belongings with no (major) breakage or (major) injuries in less than 5 hours without some help from our friends. Thank you!
"Blogworthy"
Well, I have been blogging intermittently since January now and more consistently in the last couple of months. While I still consider myself a novice, I was thinking about what I consider blogworthy. Because I am slightly obsessive-compulsive (ok, VERY obsessive compulsive) it is impossible for me to answer this question without first considering the larger question: Why do I blog? Here are my personal reasons:
- I don't journal (although I wish I did) so this blog is creating a little bit of a virtual archive of my life for me.
- I like the idea that someone is actually reading this. Although there may only be a handful of you out there (hi mom!), know when you close your eyes at night that you made me feel good when you said "Hey, I saw your blog." Having always aspired to publish someday, every time someone reads my blog, it's a large mini-victory for me.
- I have come to enjoy blogging a lot. I think its because I enjoy writing and have lost almost every platform in which to do so (I do not count writing research papers or e-mail as actual "writing").
- I am obsessed with pictures and, like love and food, I believe that pictures are better when shared.
- Communication...this blog was started as a platform for Brian and I to communicate with friends and keep them posted (pun completely intended) on what's going on with us. Although it has evolved into a hobby for me, I still consider these updates as one of the key functions of our blog.
So considering the above, below is a very haphazardly constructed list of what I consider blogworthy:
- Current Events- we will always blog about what's going on with the Howes.
- Pictures - we will continue to post an exorbitant amount of pictures and sleep peacefully at night knowing that we have subjected our friends and family to these large virtual albums.
- Things that are funny
- Things that are unusual/ironic
- Things I have on my mind that day, that I happen to care about (like why I blog)
- Things I find interesting that someone else may find useful or interesting as well
- Useful information - although very little (if anything) on our blog thus far falls into this category, be assured that if we ever come across any information that would benefit you in some way, we will blog it up.
That was fun. I wonder which category this one falls into.
Closing Time
At long last...we have closed on the new house! We are officially homeowners and HSBC officially owns us now. Haha. It's been a fun weekend. Let me give you a quick recap:
Friday, 3 pm: Right after the closing, Brian rips up the carpet in the family room in about 5.3 seconds.
Friday, 5 pm: We start to paint the family room
Friday, midnight: The family room is painted and ready for the floor
Saturday, 9 am: Walt and Val come over to coach us through laying the floor.
Sunday, 9pm: Floor is done!!! WOO-HOO!
Our goals for the weekend were to paint the family room and kitchen and get the floor done and we did! Did I mention that Brian learned how to use a power saw? Oh yes, he did. And simultaneously, I became a very, very prayerful wife. He did great though, and he still has all of his fingers :) By Sunday night, we were very proud of our work, and also extremely tired and astutely aware of every single joint in our bodies. We still managed to haul over (thanks Rob W.) our mattress and enough stuff to get us through the week staying in the new house. The official furniture move isn't until Saturday but we have plenty to keep us busy until then.
In closing, here are some things I learned this weekend:
1. "EasyLock" laminate floor is not so Easy to Lock into place
2. Easy Lock would be easier if certain people read the directions :) haha
3. Brian and I have a lot of fun painting together
4. As it turns out, I am not all that good at painting, but I enjoy it.
5. I am however very good at taping
6. Taping is really not that useful when painting (I think that with #'s 4-6 combined, I just deemed myself useless in the realm of painting)
7. I love my new fridge...it is very clean and when I moved all of my food over, it looked so much yummier. AND there was much more room leftover in the fridge. More food!
8. The China City in Milton is hands down the best chinese food I have ever had.
9. Painting and working is much more fun with friends and family. Brian and I would like to give a shout out to my mom, Walt and Val, Scott and Rachel, Rob, and Chad. Without you we would have no floor, less paint, less food, no truck, and no A/C.
10. Some cockroaches fly...right into your kitchen in fact (oh the joys of homeownership)
11. Going go Lowe's may be more addictive than any street drug I've heard of. It provides a quick rush, is instantly addictive, and leaves you penniless in the end....and I still love it
Ok that's it for now. Gotta go bring another load to the house!
More pictures here.
Eat at Friendly's, Save a Life
So it's Saturday morning, June 24th, and Brian and I are off to have breakfast with his very nervous friend Kevin, who is getting married at 2 pm, and another one of his groomsmen. My idea of a good vacation is very heavily weighted on the quality of the breakfast I eat, and although this wasn't a true "vacation," and although I much prefer local diners to national chains, I must say, I was very delighted to see that there was a Friendly's nearby (high on the breakfast scale, even for a chain). So we stroll in around 10:30 am and as we walk by this row of booths, this kid in a bright yellow tank top just flails out into the walkway, as though his feet were connected to the seat and his head was just flying out of control. Brian instinctively swoops in and catches the kid when his head is about 6 inches from the tile, and voila - a hero is born.
Ok so maybe he didn't save his LIFE but he definitely saved the kid a trip to the emergency room...that would have been one heck of a headache...or minor concussion. It was kind of wierd. The kid just kind of looked up at Brian, then he sat back in the booth, and I'm pretty sure the kid's mom was laughing ?@#(*&?!
So about 20 minutes later we're sitting in the booth and I'm like...shouldn't she at least come over and say "thanks for saving my kid from a lifetime of minor brain damage" or something? I didn't really sense that she cared too much. And about 10 minutes after that, the kid walks over with this big yellow balloon tied to his arm, stares up at the four of us, and quietly asks "Which one of you saved me?" It might of been the cutest thing I ever saw...or the funniest. So he gave Brian a Friendly's giftcard and we took his picture and history was made. Fun times.
And the moral of the story is, if I hadn't let Brian hold the door for me when we walked into Friendly's, I would have been in the kid's path instead of Brian when he came flying into the walkway, and I would be a hero today. Either that, or my slow reflexes would have resulted in a child with no short term memory, and an entirely different story. Probably better that it was Brian!
Independence Day?
Last November, Thomson (my employer) announced their 2006 holiday schedule and with it, the news that all of its employees were getting 2 less floating holidays but an extra holiday on the Monday before July 4th (as if that somehow balances out...???). So since then, and especially since the "purchase" (I use that term very loosely) of our new home, I have been anticipating this extremely rare 4-day weekend. I am sort of a busybody who never has enough time to do everything I want around the house so a day off with nothing planned is like a total playday to me, and knowing that by this 4-day weekend I would have just moved into the new house...well 2 days off and a bunch of yet-to-be-unpacked boxes is pretty much like Christmas to me, so you can imagine my excitement.
Well, as time rolled along, we realized that Brian would be at Jr. High camp that week, so I would be reveling in the joys of unpacking alone. It put a damper on the plans, but still, nothing a whole bunch of empty kitchen cabinets couldn't fill. Well, since we have neither closed on nor moved into our home this long weekend held no unpacking at all. It just held me and 2 full days of absolutely nothing to do.
Let me frame this scene a little bit...from September to June, with very few exceptions, my weeks look like this, in addition to my daily work schedule: Monday - class, Tuesday - homework, Wednesday - band practice, Thursday - Vertical (youth group), Friday night - free, Sunday night - church, Sunday morning - church, Monday [repeat]. This summer I had a couple more free days each week as Vertical ended for the school year. And last week I finished my 6-week summer semester...the end of which brings with it the most wonderful thing I have been able to preserve in "my-so-called-adult-life." That being, of course, my version of summer vacation...7 weeks in which I am only busy one night a week, if at all. Seven glorious weeks in which I do not do homework, I grill almost every night, and I eat an uncharacteristically large amount of ice cream.
Back to Independence Day: This 4-day weekend was to be the kick-off of my 2006 do-nothing (or should I say, do much less) summer. But I have learned a very valuable lesson in the last 48 hours. Something funny happens when you get married, and you may not even really notice it...I didn't. When Brian left for camp, I was really, really lonely. Not like "go home, watch soaps and eat Ben and Jerry's" lonely, but definitely "this is not as fun as I thought it would be" lonely. In short, things just aren't as much fun without him. Yes, I am guilty of not knowing what I've got till it's gone, because I constantly complain about the little things, like Brian not hanging his shirts up, or using a new towel EVERY day...but as it turns out, by about noon yesterday all of that was cleaned up and it only magnified his absence.
I consider myself a very independent person, and any of you newlyweds out there know that when you get married you learn how to balance your independence with an interdependence you share with your spouse. Over the past 3 years Brian's been away dozens of times, and I've been fine with a few days on my own...even enjoyed it. But during this holiday weekend, I've learned a few things. Independence is great, but having someone to share your 4th of July with...that is truly spectacular.
