Zounds, time has flown by quickly, and not just because we lost an hour to daylight savings time.  I am still unable to pack in as much activity into the time I have than I think I should.  Too many things seem to get lost in the shuffle than I would like, this page being but one of them.  Thanks to all who have mentioned how OLD this page was getting.

For instance, we've got a dog now named Pepper.  We've got some pictures currently undeveloped and unscanned that we will have to do something with pretty soon (Now available from our home page).  He's about a year-old, 32 pound Australian shepherd mix with possibly some border collie and probably some English setter (my theory).  Pepper is mostly red merle with facial and leg coloring as you can see.  He is such a sweetheart; he fits into our family very well.  We've got him catching a frisbee, but we think he will stay afraid of bodies of water until we can bear the cold enough to get in with him.  He's got the greatest ears, expressive and funny-looking, that he looks like a cross between a Gremlin and a Jim Henson creation.

The house is progressing apace (and though this list of house accomplishments is impressive, it also hasn't been updated in quite a while).  Our big project right now is wrenching a garden from what was previously an impenetrable tangle of blackberries, windweed, and mock orange.  The land is now cleared, the soil is being sent for testing, and plans are mostly in place for a retaining wall and green screen between our property and our neighbor's.  Once we have seeds in the ground and as weather allows, we will finish painting the house.  It currently looks horrid--we were joking today that we have the best view in the neighborhood from our front window because we don't have to look at our house.  We've got unpainted wood awaiting primer, white primed wood awaiting painting, and old blue paint.  We are waiting to put roses and other sunloving plants in front until we are done tramping across there, and in the meantime we hungrily await better painting weather.

I've been having fun at work with my new responsibilities (I am office manager now) and just this past week marked my fourth year with Dr. M.  Since my hours are more regular, I am taking the bus to work and walking a mile each way between my stop and work.  It's been so wonderful to escape 520 bridge traffic, find time to write, and incorporate a good walk or two into my day that I do not mind the extra time it keeps me from home.  Now if only I could log on from the bus...(not that this is at all likely, of course; I can barely hear Mariner games in that Faraday cage).

We did buy a new computer, though, and networked them together.  It has certainly made it much easier for the two of us to work on the computer when we wanted.  That is to say, we wanted to work on the computer when the other one was working and this is now possible.  Hooray!

I think that is most of the news from these parts.  I will try to keep up with myself better this year.  Y'all keep an eye on me and remind me when this gets old again and I'll appreciate it.

Ciao,
No

Wash drawers Wash cupboards Wash windows Wash walls Wash ceiling Clean fridge Put things away Replace light fixture outside back door Install heat register cover in kitchen Fix sink leak Kill Fly Install coverplate behind refrigerator Wash/scrub floor Rewire Dishwasher Replace lightbulb in oven Buy kitchen towel rack Organize nook shelves Clean windows Wash curtain Dryclean drapes Wash walls Wash ceiling Wash windows Clean fireplace Put books away Put tools away Give away give away box Brush sheepskins Put games away Install ceiling hooks for hanging plants Wash walls Wash ceiling Put china away Wash hall closet Repair entry sconces Replace thermostat with programmable one Buy entry mat Acquire phone table Wash floors Clean walls Clean ceiling Clean floors Replace bolt lock on basement door Adjust kick plate on basement door Organize hall closet Wash ceiling Clean windows Clean fan Wash floor Wash walls Wash closet Replace coverplate Hang clothes in closet Find places for the rest of our clothes Hang jewelry Wash walls Wash ceiling Clean light fixture Install computer Install GFCI outlet and grounded plugs downstream Install phone jack Clean blinds Add house to Quicken Clean windows Hang whiteboard Place futon Wash floor Put things away Wash closet Organize closet Wash walls Wash ceiling Install shower curtain Wash toilet Wash tub Clean tile in shower Wash sink Wash medicine cabinet Wash fan and light Clean window Buy hair screen for sink Replace lightbulbs Install towel racks Repair toilet flushing problem Wash/scrub tile floor Put away toiletries Clean trap in sink Buy bathroom shelving 17x28.5 x 89" max Repair loose outlet Attach furnace vent cover to wall Replace bathroom vent Repair desk lamp Install doorknob Wash ceiling Wash walls Clean carpet Vacuum thoroughly Fix flourescent lights Set up stereo Mend Big Pillow Remove nails from walls Add waterheater pipe Clean walls Clean light fixture Replace laundry tub Plumb laundry tub Clean floor Repair doorbell Fix junction box Install lights (2) Organize boxes downstairs Vacuum rafters Wash storage areas Wash walls Repair garage door Unstick garage/backyard door Replace bolt lock on garage/backyard door Clean garage Clean gutters Have corkscrew willow taken out Take out tree on east side Trim tree away from north side of house Plant bulbs from rental Sort yard waste bin Trim brush to lengths for yard waste Take out holly tree Sweep deck Plant gift flowers from Pam Weed front area Affix loose mailbox Pick up dog doo Weed west side of house Dig out dandelions Plant basil Remove front fence Put up address sign Put up Times Tube Make or buy compost bin Align gate properly Solidify cement blocks Wash moss off deck Put out plants Clean windows Test paint for lead Make wiring map Get Smiths to pay for their water bill Pursue fence repair costs with Smiths Get electrical work inspected and cleared Upgrade bathroom vent to outside Clarify mouse problem

As of July 15, 1997