Tony

This is probably only of interest to Annapolitans, but the Annapolis Market House has become a real symbol of local government corruption and inefficiency. The Annapolis Sound has been covering the current saga and I did a photo essay on the all but abandoned market - you can see it here. This photo didn't get included but I love it. This gent's name is Tony, and he told me he lives on a bench outside The Market House. He also told me that if I sell this photo he would like a 10% commission and to be my agent. I told him I'll work on it.

St. John's vs. Navy: Croquet 2010

It was quite something, as usual.

For those who don't know - every year St. John's College challenges the Naval Academy from across the street to pretty much the only sport that they can beat them at: croquet. This year the Johnnies won 5-0. But the sport is not really the point for most of us.

The event draws current students, alums from both schools and townies, this year over 2000 of them, to the Great Lawn at St. John's for an all day picnic with some croquet on the side. There is swing dancing, a Navy band, champagne, cigars and usually a first sunburn of the year. The dresscode is something like "Great Gatsby, seersucker, bowties, feathered hairpieces, and hats."

I was quite enamored with the boys' fashion this year. They really go all out.

Johnnie Boy vs. NavyBoy Style

Johnny vs. Navy Couples Style

Sonora couldn't get enough dancing.

The Navy team wears a traditional sporting uniform each year, only switching out their ties.

The Johnnies change outfits every year and it's a huge secret until the moment they walk out that door.

I'm not sure what these guys are called - "croquet caddies"? They stand around, one for each member of the navy croquet team, holding beer while the players take shots.

Intense.

A pretty face and Mr. Franz...

Johnnie alums.

I made pickled grapes with mustard seeds, black pepper and cinnamon again.

Lucky Middie.

Happy Middies.

Nathan - mathemetician and gentleman hipster.

Another pretty faced Johnnie alum.

And a common scene toward the end of croquet day...

We're always so sad when croquet is over so the only thing to do is start shopping for next year's dress.

Almost That Time

They're practicing on the front lawn every day now...

Monday

School: Now (as opposed to Then)
I finish up my homework around 9 pm instead of starting it

I can study over a glass of wine
I start papers two weeks ahead instead of two days
I line my books up with the edge of the desk
I work harder but don't take it all so seriously
Now and Then Aristotle is not my friend

Another Blizzard

This fellow describes today pretty well (although I think we're over 22 inches and still going strong):

Weatherman Freaking Out Over DC Snowpocalypse
by TheDlisted

Filing...

...is always, always an issue. It's crucial to organization and living life smoothy and basically being an adult since that state somehow comes with loads of important paperwork. Yet it's a total drag. Paying the bills is exhausting enough, the last thing we want to do is unearth the file boxes from the dark front hall closet and cram endless pieces of paper into their slots. So the papers pile up and we forget what's in the pile and then I respond late to my jury summons and it's a mess and I don't just mean the pile of paper (on the bright side, when we finally sorted this stack, we discovered a hefty check we didn't even know our escrow account, whatever that is, refunded us!)

I've thought long and hard about how to make filing if not fun at least easier. I thought if we had some kind of file cabinet/furniture out around the house we might be more inclined to pull open a drawer and deal with stuff as it comes. But if you've ever tried shopping for file cabinets you know the beautiful ones cost two months worth of grocery budget, and the ugly ones are so ugly they're only fit to be shoved in a closet and then we're back in the original predicament. But something had to be done about the stacks of paper around our house. So we improvised.

An antique dairy crate was $10, casters were $10, matchy green file folders were $4 and we have a new file box.


It sits out in the open, because it's cute, and right by Zeb's chair where the finances and 'dealing with stuff' happens.

The mundane made beautiful. We have no excuse to put off filing now, may we never deal with cluttery stacks of paper again.

Blizzard '09

I'm back! I finished school a few days ago (I wouldn't say with flying colors, but at least I finished) and we weathered a weekend blizzard and Christmas gifts are almost in line (I even managed a few handmade gifts) and we had company (Val and her BF) over for the first time since this summer and we're in full holiday mode now.


This school term kind of wreaked havoc on our lives. I have not done laundry for a month, have hardly seen my local friends and haven't called my long distance ones, haven't filed any papers since August and there's a stack on my desk to prove it, I haven't cooked anything, in short I haven't kept up on any of the little mundane details that I've grown to love so much (laundry excepted). Zeb has been a trooper househusband, never once complaining and in fact apologizing if I ever feel the urge to clean the bathroom that he didn't get to it first. But I miss those things like sweeping and writing letters and hosting dinners. When did I become so domestic? Don't get me wrong I love the philosophizing that took over my life, but I wish it didn't have to take over to the exclusion of all else.

I must confess I'm a bit worried about next semester. The work will be more difficult, and yet nothing else in my life can give way any more than it already has yet somehow I'll be needing more hours in the day.

I'm trying to not worry about it, and trust that the resources will be there when I need them. In the meantime I'm going to relax hard, play in the snow, make eggnog and chicken liver pate for Christmas, hold babies who've changed so much I barely recognize them, and read M.F.K. Fischer instead of Freud.

So overdue there's no point in even apologizing, here are some pics from our trip to the Appalachian Mountains a while ago.

Most of you have seen these on Facebook already, but Dad never remembers to check Facebook, so here you go Dad!

Bev and Randy graciously invited us to crash their family getaway, and since the boy and I have been trying to do a cabin in the mountains type trip ever since we moved here were were thrilled to get a chance to tag along.

The cabin was right off the Blue Ridge Parkway, not another house in sight, and was infested with ladybugs. Of all the bugs to be infested with we figured ladybugs were pretty darn charming.

The food and drink were incredible. We had steak, seafood linguine, gourmet cheeses with salami and olives, wine that cost more than our usual $7/bottle, and huge cowboy breakfasts including Irish Coffee with Jameson's.

Bev and Axon make quite a team in the kitchen. And in general.

We hiked the Appalachian Trail. Since some of you (ahem, Mr. and Mrs. London-Gray) have hiked the whole AT I'm not going specify the exact distance we hiked, but let's just say it was enough to tick it off my list of life goals.

These beauties had me dreaming, again, of joining our local mycological association. What say you, Ax? This spring?

See, it wasn't just a random path in the woods. It was the AT for real.

I took a lot of pictures of him. Because he melts me with that look.

Fall is his color.

The view from my seat on the porch.

I took a lot of pictures of him too. Because all of a sudden he became comfortable with a camera right in his face and he gave me lots of cute poses.

I find these weeds beautiful. Someday maybe I'll do a series on beautiful weeds.

Next post maybe I'll catch up on the last month and a half. Maybe not.

Sail Picnic

Axon pointed out that my blog's pretty quiet right now. I'm choosing to not feel guilty about that, but it's hard.
That whole staying on top of things? That went away. But things will slow down again soon, I know it. It's all fun and good stuff, I just have to prioritize. Last weekend sailing was a priority.

It's crazy how, doing Euclid again, I see triangles and angles in everything. I'm pretty sure there's a proof for the Pythagorean theorem somewhere in these sails.

So...I'm really good at choosing recipes, and Zeb's really good at cooking the recipes I choose, I'll share some of those soon. But this is it for the moment.