Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
the barn project continues
we have decided to go ahead with the Tuff Shed barn instead of building our own. we visited their lot and could not believe how over-built they were--all wood, no particle board either. plus they had so many great deals going and they build it on your lot for you at no additional cost. so instead of it taking months, and many injuries and arguments (and don't think i'm bagging on blake's skills, these words were from his own mouth) we have designed our barn and are on the schedule for march 3rd. its going to be sweet!! but our work isn't totally done, we've spent the last few weekends prepping the site.
thar she blows! the tree falling scared the chickens so bad that one of them layed a shell-less egg a few hours later.
my parents helped us bring down the old chicken shed. it may have looked rickety but it took some muscle to get 'er done! (thank you for helping us, mom and dad!)
its always a shame to cut down a perfectly fine tree, but it had to be done.
thar she blows! the tree falling scared the chickens so bad that one of them layed a shell-less egg a few hours later.
at least we'll have some firewood for next year!
goobie and mama help, too
pretty much ready
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
the kid lens: 1
i have decided to start a new series on the blog called the kid lens. why? because everytime i download my camera, there are mysteriously a bunch of blurry, oddly cropped photos taken from a 3-to-4-foot-from-the-ground angle. those of you with kids, i am sure have the same phenomenon.
this is the first of what i am sure will be many installments. each series will be from one average weekly download. most are taken without my knowledge, so they are all from the eyes of mayan or isadore, and have little to no adult influence. i should have started this a long, long time ago.
so without further ado, i bring you the kid lens: 1....
the tablecloth ghost
papa resting
mama unloading george at nomad
(i love how you can see isadore's reflection in the window while she gets the shot)
georgie plays
chatting with clients at nomad
see you next time!
this is the first of what i am sure will be many installments. each series will be from one average weekly download. most are taken without my knowledge, so they are all from the eyes of mayan or isadore, and have little to no adult influence. i should have started this a long, long time ago.
so without further ado, i bring you the kid lens: 1....
the tablecloth ghost
papa resting
mama unloading george at nomad(i love how you can see isadore's reflection in the window while she gets the shot)
georgie plays
chatting with clients at nomadsee you next time!
Monday, February 16, 2009
the hunt
i have spent the past few weeks scouting out rentals for my sis-in-law, chemynne, who will be relocating here with her husband, michael, and their daughter, athena, from bend. things were looking good early on, houses that seemed to meet the criteria of size, safety, and be in SE near us. but many places were available right away and they needed a place march 1st. so we let some slide by, then buckled down and got more serious around feb 1st as the one month countdown approached. i have visited countless properies in the last three weeks, countless. and the number one thing i can tell you is: things are not as they appear on craigslist. if something looks good, then there is something terribly wrong. like a bus stop outside the bedroom window. or a train depot a block away. or its beautiful, but tiny. or its perfect, but absolutely no cats allowed.
now this has not discouraged me. i love a good hunt, and i am downright happy to do this for them. i think i actually enjoy it, because really finding a good rental, is not much different than shopping for a great pair of boots--constantly checking online to see if something new is available since the last time you looked two hours prior, finding something exciting then getting to see if it mathces you expectations up close, or trying to snatch up something great before someone else does like those exciting last moments of an ebay auction. its challenging, but fun at the same time.
of course this is not merely a pair of shoes we are talking about--its a house for our dear family, who is leaving behind them a beautiful home they've lovingly created over the last 10 years together, and will be the place they take their first few steps in a new city....and the clock is ticking.
what i have found shocking is how many FAKE ADS, there are on craigslist. our first notice was a home in the SE, described as a 3-bedroom home ready for a family on a dead-end street, for way under budget. but something looked fishy about the photos...like they were scanned from an out-of-date magazine. chemynne replied to the ad and the response was weird. they guys email was rev.john86 (sounded religious to me, in an attempt to gain trust I believe) and he claimed he worked for Shell Oil (dropping a well known company name) and explained that reason he was asking so little was that money was not important to him (hmmmm, even so asking so little would attract the wrong kind of tenant.) he further explained that he was out of the state right now and "not to worry" he just needed us to provide some information for his "files"--all of this in very bad english and horrid punctuation, signed "mr, John" (his errors, not mine.) scamola. luckily, we didn't fall for it, but sadly people do all the time. suddenly it seemed that half of the ads we were interested in, seemed to good to be true, and all of our email inquiries were ignored. now i am getting good at telling what is real and what is not right away. something about the pictures, the attempt at using key selling points (like desirable neighborhoods) and leaving out other important information (like sq footage), and most suspicious, not including a phone number. any person who truly wants to rent out their property will leave a number.
only one house so far really passed the test. blake and i checked it out together and we ran home to call C so we could give her the go-ahead...
...but unfortunately, it had just been rented out to another person. damn! especially since it was directly behind The Takahashi, our favorite sushi restaurant.
saturday morning C called, totally pumped about a property that had posted at midnight in the Hawthorne district. a big Old Portland style place, and already 15 people were planning on seeing it at 1 o'clock for its open house. the lady warned that it was "rough around the edges" but they were going to do some improvements like new carpet and paint. my posse and i loaded in the Suburban (the offical rental-scoping mobile) and we were hopeful!
lets' just say "rough around the edges" was a gross understatement. if you have a property that needs this much work, by all means, fix it up THEN show it. here is where someones foot fell through the vent upstairs and tore up the ceiling. nice. that sounds safe for small children!
not to mention this:
and this. i am no electrician but i'd go ahead and bet that shit wouldn't pass code.
these little surprises were around every corner. i had to put the call into C that the place was not acceptable. the search continues. something has to open up, right?
now this has not discouraged me. i love a good hunt, and i am downright happy to do this for them. i think i actually enjoy it, because really finding a good rental, is not much different than shopping for a great pair of boots--constantly checking online to see if something new is available since the last time you looked two hours prior, finding something exciting then getting to see if it mathces you expectations up close, or trying to snatch up something great before someone else does like those exciting last moments of an ebay auction. its challenging, but fun at the same time.
of course this is not merely a pair of shoes we are talking about--its a house for our dear family, who is leaving behind them a beautiful home they've lovingly created over the last 10 years together, and will be the place they take their first few steps in a new city....and the clock is ticking.
what i have found shocking is how many FAKE ADS, there are on craigslist. our first notice was a home in the SE, described as a 3-bedroom home ready for a family on a dead-end street, for way under budget. but something looked fishy about the photos...like they were scanned from an out-of-date magazine. chemynne replied to the ad and the response was weird. they guys email was rev.john86 (sounded religious to me, in an attempt to gain trust I believe) and he claimed he worked for Shell Oil (dropping a well known company name) and explained that reason he was asking so little was that money was not important to him (hmmmm, even so asking so little would attract the wrong kind of tenant.) he further explained that he was out of the state right now and "not to worry" he just needed us to provide some information for his "files"--all of this in very bad english and horrid punctuation, signed "mr, John" (his errors, not mine.) scamola. luckily, we didn't fall for it, but sadly people do all the time. suddenly it seemed that half of the ads we were interested in, seemed to good to be true, and all of our email inquiries were ignored. now i am getting good at telling what is real and what is not right away. something about the pictures, the attempt at using key selling points (like desirable neighborhoods) and leaving out other important information (like sq footage), and most suspicious, not including a phone number. any person who truly wants to rent out their property will leave a number.
only one house so far really passed the test. blake and i checked it out together and we ran home to call C so we could give her the go-ahead...
...but unfortunately, it had just been rented out to another person. damn! especially since it was directly behind The Takahashi, our favorite sushi restaurant.saturday morning C called, totally pumped about a property that had posted at midnight in the Hawthorne district. a big Old Portland style place, and already 15 people were planning on seeing it at 1 o'clock for its open house. the lady warned that it was "rough around the edges" but they were going to do some improvements like new carpet and paint. my posse and i loaded in the Suburban (the offical rental-scoping mobile) and we were hopeful!
lets' just say "rough around the edges" was a gross understatement. if you have a property that needs this much work, by all means, fix it up THEN show it. here is where someones foot fell through the vent upstairs and tore up the ceiling. nice. that sounds safe for small children!
not to mention this:
and this. i am no electrician but i'd go ahead and bet that shit wouldn't pass code.
these little surprises were around every corner. i had to put the call into C that the place was not acceptable. the search continues. something has to open up, right?
Monday, February 9, 2009
keep it simple
i have not felt inspired to blog lately. maybe its that i have not wanted to spend much itme in front of the computer--which is oh-so slow and my hands get really cold when i sit in my office area for too ling. but i think the main reason is that i was on a good roll for so long, doing semi-inspired posts at least once a week, and now i just don't have any great ideas to build on.
but why should YOU suffer because of that, readers? i know who most of you are--close friends, dear family. you don't need me to entertain you or knock your socks off. you just want to know what is up with the Nomad family. so without further ado here are some little tidbits of the week, complete with those faces you love and miss...
thursday, chemynne and athena drove out to stay the night and look at houses (their first night without Michael! or should we say his first night without them...he had to come home to a dark house with no dinner cookin') we had an awesome time, and got a real taste for what it will be like when they relocate here. driving around in the sub together, cookin', getting to know little "Theen-Bean." we are so excited.
sunday was the early stages of shed-demo. this piece of carp has got to go...to make room for the big spring project: the barn!
b and mg get their shovel on.
eeeeew. standing water that has been here at least since we moved in 2 years ago. this was where they raised ducks. i don't have to tell you the stench was pretty awful. when a bunch of leaves and pine needles fell in from cleaning the roof it really kicked its fragrance up a notch!
but you did not come here to see rancid, standing poultry water, no siree. you came here to see beautufl things, like this:
aw, youbetcha, she's a cutie pie but watch out, she's really a ninja:
oh. here's another sweet face to love on:
need more? i gotcha covered:
"is he always this happy?", people always ask about george. the answer is "yes".....
but why should YOU suffer because of that, readers? i know who most of you are--close friends, dear family. you don't need me to entertain you or knock your socks off. you just want to know what is up with the Nomad family. so without further ado here are some little tidbits of the week, complete with those faces you love and miss...
thursday, chemynne and athena drove out to stay the night and look at houses (their first night without Michael! or should we say his first night without them...he had to come home to a dark house with no dinner cookin') we had an awesome time, and got a real taste for what it will be like when they relocate here. driving around in the sub together, cookin', getting to know little "Theen-Bean." we are so excited.
sunday was the early stages of shed-demo. this piece of carp has got to go...to make room for the big spring project: the barn!
b and mg get their shovel on.
eeeeew. standing water that has been here at least since we moved in 2 years ago. this was where they raised ducks. i don't have to tell you the stench was pretty awful. when a bunch of leaves and pine needles fell in from cleaning the roof it really kicked its fragrance up a notch!
but you did not come here to see rancid, standing poultry water, no siree. you came here to see beautufl things, like this:
aw, youbetcha, she's a cutie pie but watch out, she's really a ninja:
oh. here's another sweet face to love on:
need more? i gotcha covered:
"is he always this happy?", people always ask about george. the answer is "yes".....
"yes" .....
....and "yes."
Until next time, dear ones, and I will remember that is is better to keep it simple than to keep you waiting.
Love Mama Nomad
....and "yes."
Until next time, dear ones, and I will remember that is is better to keep it simple than to keep you waiting.
Love Mama Nomad
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
another things i'm into right now
1)irish breakfast, chai:
tea continues to sponsor my day and may possibly, when i am sapped of vitamin D and feel like a less-than-great-mother, be the key motivator to me getting out of bed in the morning. right now my first-cup-of-the-day choice is irish breakfast, black with sugar.
aunt kamla, who is Indian, taught me how to make chai on her last visit and i find it to be a very soothing ritual with delicious rewards. i like mine with extra ginger and a sprinkle of black pepper for a little bite.
2)grapefruit:
ah, winter brings glorious citrus to our markets and a special treat lately has been a half of a grapefruit, maybe a texas red, with breakfast and sprinkled lightly with sugar. also equally great served over winter greens with avocado slices and parmesan shavings--just cut out the slices around the pith and save the juice for a vinaigrette. (Naomi taught me that.)
3)3rd rock from the sun:
remember this show? it is so FUNNY. around the holidays i happened to catch a few minutes and i was busting up. then a few days later John Lithgow was on Bill Moyers' Journal, and i took it as a universal nudge. picked up the first season at the video store becuase i couldn't wait for it on Netflix. aliens disguised as humans--brilliant, stupidly hilarious. one cannot live on Seinfeld alone, you know.
4)finding the perfect pair of boots:
actually, nevermind this one. *heavy sigh*
5)aden and anais swaddling blankets:
i will admit it here and now--i still swaddle George at night, at almost 9 months old. he flails, he will wake lightly and start to rub his own face which wakes him up even more and makes him cry. so i wrap him in one of these special blankets and bind him with my favorite american apparel scarf, and he sleeps by my side so much better--plus he doesn't try and fond my boob. the blankets are special because they are made from a double layer of muslin, extrememly breathable, and are huge, almost 4 feet by 4 feet. i found a two pack on ebay in a cute camo print. it was the perfect answer since this big boy would bust out of traditional blankets by now. they are a little spendy, but worth it and would make an insanely great gift for anyone you know who is expecting. (i happened to run into a Mothering.com mom at the local cloth diaper shop, zoom baby gear, who had her 5 week old wrapped in one, so shout ot to you, mamanurse, for turning me on to the aden and anais wraps!
6)Bi-Mart:
this isn't just me, blake and i are both borderline addicted to bi-mart. since we are in our survivalist mode, bi-mart has everything aparanoid prepared family could want, and for cheap. firearms, ammo, hunting supplies, camo clothing, flannel shirts, thermals, wool socks (surprisingly mostly made in the usa), tarps, tools, batteries...and its employee owned.
and if Blake could not love this store anymore (he goes at least once a week) he met Patrick Stewart's stand-in in the electronics department. Dennis Tracy, turns out his name is, was standing there commenting on George's cute hat, which I told him reminded us of Buck Rogers, and Mayan noticed the man's jacket had a Star Trek logo on it. she pointed it out to Blake who said that the man looked like he could be Patrick Stewart's brother (Capt. Jean-Luc Picard, people, if you weren't following) and the guy said "Actually, I was his stand-in for 15 years" or some length of time...and Blake just about died of Star Trek struck-ness. so they blabbled on for a while about conventions and the new movie, and I mentioned that I was merely a Trekkie-by-marriage. long story short, even though I, too, love Bi-Mart (mostly for the thermals and socks and kitchen items and the $4 Labyrinth DVD we scored) I sometimes tease Blake about his love for Bi-Mart and he says "Hey, if its good enough for Patrick Stewart's stand-in, it must be cool!"
7) American Apparel cardigans:
an extra layer to keep warm and easy to nurse in. the shape is not too clingy but just feminine enough to not hide my curves. easy to wash and the 25/25/50 blend comes in some really great colors. they will be great with dresses come spring.
8) winter salad greens
after reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle this summer I became more keenly aware of what it means to eat a popular produce item out of season. i have known that about tomatoes, how they really do taste more amazing in august than any other time of the year, why not indulge then and abstain during the months were they are subpar and shipped in from who knows where? then i thought about lettuce. a big leafy head of lettuce is not so natural mid-winter but what about salads? am i supposed to no eat salad when its cold outside. i might get sweet potoato and chard poisoning or something. so i began to look closer at greens section at the market--heartier winter salad greens and smaller petite greeens that could be grown quickly in greenhouses with little fuss. i grabbed a box of Epic Roots European Salad Mix and it has become a staple. My new favorite lettuce is mache, which is tender and delicious. Mixed up with frisee and radicchio it downright stomps on any "mixed spring baby greens" i've ever eaten. or i'll grab some baby arugala or watercress. add what ever is on hand--citrus, avocado, nuts, crumbled cheese, grated beets or carrots--and drizzle with a simple vinaigrette. i haven't bought a head of lettuce in months. next year i will be prepared to try growing my own.
What are some things you into right now?
tea continues to sponsor my day and may possibly, when i am sapped of vitamin D and feel like a less-than-great-mother, be the key motivator to me getting out of bed in the morning. right now my first-cup-of-the-day choice is irish breakfast, black with sugar.
aunt kamla, who is Indian, taught me how to make chai on her last visit and i find it to be a very soothing ritual with delicious rewards. i like mine with extra ginger and a sprinkle of black pepper for a little bite.
2)grapefruit:
ah, winter brings glorious citrus to our markets and a special treat lately has been a half of a grapefruit, maybe a texas red, with breakfast and sprinkled lightly with sugar. also equally great served over winter greens with avocado slices and parmesan shavings--just cut out the slices around the pith and save the juice for a vinaigrette. (Naomi taught me that.)
3)3rd rock from the sun:
remember this show? it is so FUNNY. around the holidays i happened to catch a few minutes and i was busting up. then a few days later John Lithgow was on Bill Moyers' Journal, and i took it as a universal nudge. picked up the first season at the video store becuase i couldn't wait for it on Netflix. aliens disguised as humans--brilliant, stupidly hilarious. one cannot live on Seinfeld alone, you know.
4)finding the perfect pair of boots:
actually, nevermind this one. *heavy sigh*
5)aden and anais swaddling blankets:
i will admit it here and now--i still swaddle George at night, at almost 9 months old. he flails, he will wake lightly and start to rub his own face which wakes him up even more and makes him cry. so i wrap him in one of these special blankets and bind him with my favorite american apparel scarf, and he sleeps by my side so much better--plus he doesn't try and fond my boob. the blankets are special because they are made from a double layer of muslin, extrememly breathable, and are huge, almost 4 feet by 4 feet. i found a two pack on ebay in a cute camo print. it was the perfect answer since this big boy would bust out of traditional blankets by now. they are a little spendy, but worth it and would make an insanely great gift for anyone you know who is expecting. (i happened to run into a Mothering.com mom at the local cloth diaper shop, zoom baby gear, who had her 5 week old wrapped in one, so shout ot to you, mamanurse, for turning me on to the aden and anais wraps!
6)Bi-Mart:
this isn't just me, blake and i are both borderline addicted to bi-mart. since we are in our survivalist mode, bi-mart has everything a
and if Blake could not love this store anymore (he goes at least once a week) he met Patrick Stewart's stand-in in the electronics department. Dennis Tracy, turns out his name is, was standing there commenting on George's cute hat, which I told him reminded us of Buck Rogers, and Mayan noticed the man's jacket had a Star Trek logo on it. she pointed it out to Blake who said that the man looked like he could be Patrick Stewart's brother (Capt. Jean-Luc Picard, people, if you weren't following) and the guy said "Actually, I was his stand-in for 15 years" or some length of time...and Blake just about died of Star Trek struck-ness. so they blabbled on for a while about conventions and the new movie, and I mentioned that I was merely a Trekkie-by-marriage. long story short, even though I, too, love Bi-Mart (mostly for the thermals and socks and kitchen items and the $4 Labyrinth DVD we scored) I sometimes tease Blake about his love for Bi-Mart and he says "Hey, if its good enough for Patrick Stewart's stand-in, it must be cool!"
7) American Apparel cardigans:
an extra layer to keep warm and easy to nurse in. the shape is not too clingy but just feminine enough to not hide my curves. easy to wash and the 25/25/50 blend comes in some really great colors. they will be great with dresses come spring.
8) winter salad greens
after reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle this summer I became more keenly aware of what it means to eat a popular produce item out of season. i have known that about tomatoes, how they really do taste more amazing in august than any other time of the year, why not indulge then and abstain during the months were they are subpar and shipped in from who knows where? then i thought about lettuce. a big leafy head of lettuce is not so natural mid-winter but what about salads? am i supposed to no eat salad when its cold outside. i might get sweet potoato and chard poisoning or something. so i began to look closer at greens section at the market--heartier winter salad greens and smaller petite greeens that could be grown quickly in greenhouses with little fuss. i grabbed a box of Epic Roots European Salad Mix and it has become a staple. My new favorite lettuce is mache, which is tender and delicious. Mixed up with frisee and radicchio it downright stomps on any "mixed spring baby greens" i've ever eaten. or i'll grab some baby arugala or watercress. add what ever is on hand--citrus, avocado, nuts, crumbled cheese, grated beets or carrots--and drizzle with a simple vinaigrette. i haven't bought a head of lettuce in months. next year i will be prepared to try growing my own.
What are some things you into right now?
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