Monday, October 29, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
The Benefits of having a Squirrel in the Basement
The benefits of having a squirrel (the real kind, not just one of our cats) in our basement is that once the squirrel has been liberated, just being left with rats isn't so bad.
As I was washing dishes in the kitchen this afternoon, I heard a rustle at our back door. (It leads from our kitchen, down stairs into the basement.) I slowly cracked the door open to inspect what was making the noise. I scanned the floor, and to my relief saw nothing. Then my eye level raised to the back window, and I was startled to see fluffy squirrel tail and one very agitated squirrel gripped tightly on the window screen. That window doesn't have any glass on the top portion, so I give our little guest credit for finding the one spot of fresh air that wasn't actually an exit...
After quickly closing the door again, one coaching from my mother on the phone, and arming myself with a broom...I opened the door to find him nestled behind some of our cleaning supplies on the back step. I shooed him down the stairs, until arriving at the back door of the house. The back door of the house leads to the backyard, which is where Flynn (one of our landlady's dogs) lives. I knew that opening that door was useless to liberate the squirrel unless Flynn was distracted and secured elsewhere. I walked over to the picnic table, pet my pal Flynn, and watched the squirrel stand in the doorway with only a foot's distance from freedom. Just standing there, staring at me and Flynn. (Come On, already...leave!) Well, of course, Flynn locked gazes with the squirrel and I thought that little rodent was just going to turn tail and head back down into the basement. So, I walked further away, with Flynn, and decided the best space to give the squirrel was to stop watching it altogether. -Much more comforting for the squirrel, not so helpful for determining when the squirrel has left the building for me.
After a few minutes, and about 10 bug bites from being in the backyard with the dog, I decided that squirrel had made a run for it back to the great outdoors. In considering going back upstairs to my door, I wondered if that animal had just decided to walk back upstairs. Fortunately, Flynn went running up our stairs to inspect, and returned completely nonplussed by his journey....good sign for me. I said my farewell to Flynn, scratched 3 or 4 of my new bug bites, then carefully walked up the steps.
When Owen and I went for our walk to the park an hour later, we passed many squirrels scurrying around next to the house...and I kept looking at them to see if one seemed particularly familiar, or relieved to be back to his usual routine. But, they all had that nervous, paranoid look... that just seems to run in this neighborhood...
As I was washing dishes in the kitchen this afternoon, I heard a rustle at our back door. (It leads from our kitchen, down stairs into the basement.) I slowly cracked the door open to inspect what was making the noise. I scanned the floor, and to my relief saw nothing. Then my eye level raised to the back window, and I was startled to see fluffy squirrel tail and one very agitated squirrel gripped tightly on the window screen. That window doesn't have any glass on the top portion, so I give our little guest credit for finding the one spot of fresh air that wasn't actually an exit...
After quickly closing the door again, one coaching from my mother on the phone, and arming myself with a broom...I opened the door to find him nestled behind some of our cleaning supplies on the back step. I shooed him down the stairs, until arriving at the back door of the house. The back door of the house leads to the backyard, which is where Flynn (one of our landlady's dogs) lives. I knew that opening that door was useless to liberate the squirrel unless Flynn was distracted and secured elsewhere. I walked over to the picnic table, pet my pal Flynn, and watched the squirrel stand in the doorway with only a foot's distance from freedom. Just standing there, staring at me and Flynn. (Come On, already...leave!) Well, of course, Flynn locked gazes with the squirrel and I thought that little rodent was just going to turn tail and head back down into the basement. So, I walked further away, with Flynn, and decided the best space to give the squirrel was to stop watching it altogether. -Much more comforting for the squirrel, not so helpful for determining when the squirrel has left the building for me.
After a few minutes, and about 10 bug bites from being in the backyard with the dog, I decided that squirrel had made a run for it back to the great outdoors. In considering going back upstairs to my door, I wondered if that animal had just decided to walk back upstairs. Fortunately, Flynn went running up our stairs to inspect, and returned completely nonplussed by his journey....good sign for me. I said my farewell to Flynn, scratched 3 or 4 of my new bug bites, then carefully walked up the steps.
When Owen and I went for our walk to the park an hour later, we passed many squirrels scurrying around next to the house...and I kept looking at them to see if one seemed particularly familiar, or relieved to be back to his usual routine. But, they all had that nervous, paranoid look... that just seems to run in this neighborhood...
Monday, October 15, 2007
A nice weekend
Hello Everyone!
it is Monday morning, and I am just having a pause from the morning activities. Owen was delayed from his morning nap by about a 1/2 hour...but he is sleeping now and Mom can relax a moment!
We had a good weekend, with a couple curve balls thrown in, just to make sure we were paying attention. Saturday morning, I went to my weekly yoga class. We found a Bikram yoga studio in Hoboken that we have been going to on a regular basis for the last 3 months. I have a favorite instuctor, Eddie, who is just the kind of teacher I imagine my friend Jeremy would be if he taught Bikram. Eddie has a wry sense of humor, but he is serious about order and discipline in the class. For people crazy enough to be committed to Bikram yoga in the first place, (90 minutes, 26 postures done in 2 sets in a 105 degree room) Eddie is the dream teacher. He pays attention to what people are doing, offers corrections when needed, and motivates students to push to their edge. He is a no-nonsense teacher for a no-nonsense yoga practice.
Our studio has decided to change their focus from being exclusively Bikram, to offering other types of yoga. But I believe that for a studio to call themselves a Bikram studio, they must practice it exclusively. So, now the Hoboken studio has changed their name, and the owner is encouraging the Bikram instructors to "mix it up" more, now that they are no longer officially a Bikram studio. Sigh. Eddie has a real issue with altering the routine, because he is trained to follow it...and any more would be excessive for the students to perform. Any less, an incomplete work-out. I don't think teachers like Eddie, who don't want to compromise the integrity of their instruction, will last much longer at that particular location...leaving committed Bikram enthusiast such as ourselves out in the cold. --ha, that made a good hot yoga joke, and I wasn't even trying for it--
Saturday afternoon, we met with our friends, Suzanne and Paul, for brunch in the Village. We sat outside and enjoyed the brisk air, and warm conversation. The four of us are discussing buying a two-family house together...because single family housing is just financially out of reach for all of us here in NYC, but a two family; we could make happen. Suzanne and Paul are looking for all of the same things that are important to us in a good home. We want a good neighborhood, close proximity to public transportation, and a washer and dryer in the basement. (Did I mention a rat-free basement yet?) Both Suzanne and Paul work in Manhattan, so a reasonable commute is a must. We all agreed to start looking in the Yonkers/Bronxville area, as the commute to Grand Central Station is just under 30 minutes! Chris's work offices are moving across to the east side of midtown Manhattan at the end of this year...so we are very interested in shortening his travel time when we move. From our current apartment, this office move is going to add another 20-25 minutes to Chris' hour-long trip from home to work.
On to the next rat story...
It was 9pm, and we were sitting watching a movie after Owen had gone to bed last night. We heard a most blood-curdling scream that sent both Chris and myself running to the back stairs. Our Landlady, Leslie, had just opened her back door to come face-to-face with a rat on the landing just above her door. When the motion light switched on, the rat went running past her, (over her feet) and down into the basement to take cover. Both were undoubtedly startled. When Chris went to see if Leslie was okay, she explained the event.
Chris and I were a little surprised by the story, since a contract had been left on our steps a week and a half ago, which seemed to indicate that an exterminator had been in to deal with the problem. Since I had volunteered to arrange the appointment with the pest control company while Leslie was out of town...she had left the paperwork upon her return, assuming that i was still going to schedule the appointment. Ahh...poor communication...so another 2 weeks have past, and our furry visitors have had more time to hunker down and get comfy...in our stuff. This morning, I put the call in, and I am glad to say that the problem is actually going to be taken care of by tomorrow afternoon. Or, starting tomorrow afternoon...
My piano beckons. I didn't even get to the story of Chris accidently running over a purse that was in the road outside our parked car...which punctured a hole right into one of our tires. Owen's nap this morning was delayed while I took our car to the tire service garage, and a kind employee drove us home so we wouldn't have to wait there while our car is being serviced for 2-3 hours. Owen and I are going to have to fend for ourselves to get back to the garage when the car is done...which may just require a cab ride. Our other option is taking a bus with Owen in the baby bjorn, while caring his carseat (so I can bring him home in our car!) but that sounds very cumbersome. We shall see. For now, the piano awaits.
it is Monday morning, and I am just having a pause from the morning activities. Owen was delayed from his morning nap by about a 1/2 hour...but he is sleeping now and Mom can relax a moment!
We had a good weekend, with a couple curve balls thrown in, just to make sure we were paying attention. Saturday morning, I went to my weekly yoga class. We found a Bikram yoga studio in Hoboken that we have been going to on a regular basis for the last 3 months. I have a favorite instuctor, Eddie, who is just the kind of teacher I imagine my friend Jeremy would be if he taught Bikram. Eddie has a wry sense of humor, but he is serious about order and discipline in the class. For people crazy enough to be committed to Bikram yoga in the first place, (90 minutes, 26 postures done in 2 sets in a 105 degree room) Eddie is the dream teacher. He pays attention to what people are doing, offers corrections when needed, and motivates students to push to their edge. He is a no-nonsense teacher for a no-nonsense yoga practice.
Our studio has decided to change their focus from being exclusively Bikram, to offering other types of yoga. But I believe that for a studio to call themselves a Bikram studio, they must practice it exclusively. So, now the Hoboken studio has changed their name, and the owner is encouraging the Bikram instructors to "mix it up" more, now that they are no longer officially a Bikram studio. Sigh. Eddie has a real issue with altering the routine, because he is trained to follow it...and any more would be excessive for the students to perform. Any less, an incomplete work-out. I don't think teachers like Eddie, who don't want to compromise the integrity of their instruction, will last much longer at that particular location...leaving committed Bikram enthusiast such as ourselves out in the cold. --ha, that made a good hot yoga joke, and I wasn't even trying for it--
Saturday afternoon, we met with our friends, Suzanne and Paul, for brunch in the Village. We sat outside and enjoyed the brisk air, and warm conversation. The four of us are discussing buying a two-family house together...because single family housing is just financially out of reach for all of us here in NYC, but a two family; we could make happen. Suzanne and Paul are looking for all of the same things that are important to us in a good home. We want a good neighborhood, close proximity to public transportation, and a washer and dryer in the basement. (Did I mention a rat-free basement yet?) Both Suzanne and Paul work in Manhattan, so a reasonable commute is a must. We all agreed to start looking in the Yonkers/Bronxville area, as the commute to Grand Central Station is just under 30 minutes! Chris's work offices are moving across to the east side of midtown Manhattan at the end of this year...so we are very interested in shortening his travel time when we move. From our current apartment, this office move is going to add another 20-25 minutes to Chris' hour-long trip from home to work.
On to the next rat story...
It was 9pm, and we were sitting watching a movie after Owen had gone to bed last night. We heard a most blood-curdling scream that sent both Chris and myself running to the back stairs. Our Landlady, Leslie, had just opened her back door to come face-to-face with a rat on the landing just above her door. When the motion light switched on, the rat went running past her, (over her feet) and down into the basement to take cover. Both were undoubtedly startled. When Chris went to see if Leslie was okay, she explained the event.
Chris and I were a little surprised by the story, since a contract had been left on our steps a week and a half ago, which seemed to indicate that an exterminator had been in to deal with the problem. Since I had volunteered to arrange the appointment with the pest control company while Leslie was out of town...she had left the paperwork upon her return, assuming that i was still going to schedule the appointment. Ahh...poor communication...so another 2 weeks have past, and our furry visitors have had more time to hunker down and get comfy...in our stuff. This morning, I put the call in, and I am glad to say that the problem is actually going to be taken care of by tomorrow afternoon. Or, starting tomorrow afternoon...
My piano beckons. I didn't even get to the story of Chris accidently running over a purse that was in the road outside our parked car...which punctured a hole right into one of our tires. Owen's nap this morning was delayed while I took our car to the tire service garage, and a kind employee drove us home so we wouldn't have to wait there while our car is being serviced for 2-3 hours. Owen and I are going to have to fend for ourselves to get back to the garage when the car is done...which may just require a cab ride. Our other option is taking a bus with Owen in the baby bjorn, while caring his carseat (so I can bring him home in our car!) but that sounds very cumbersome. We shall see. For now, the piano awaits.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Owen pictures of the week
Time for your weekly fix of Owen pictures. He is a cutie, and he knows to ham it up for the camera!
Owen did successfully put his toes into his mouth yesterday. (Not while seated in the Bumbo Chair...on the changing table...he was done with his toes by the time I grabbed the camera though. Next time!
Who says Owen won't take a pacifier anymore??
Some new pictures of Owen and Mom...who was complaining that all of the pictures from vacation were of Owen and Daddy. I like these two.
Owen did successfully put his toes into his mouth yesterday. (Not while seated in the Bumbo Chair...on the changing table...he was done with his toes by the time I grabbed the camera though. Next time!
Who says Owen won't take a pacifier anymore??
Some new pictures of Owen and Mom...who was complaining that all of the pictures from vacation were of Owen and Daddy. I like these two.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Teething is No Fun
Our poor champ is having a hard time with teething pain. It is waking him up from sleeping at night, and keeping him from napping during the day too. Owen purses his lips, and has started making the Mmmmm sound in the last two days, which has quickly turned into "Ma Ma Ma" when he opens his mouth. I would be flattered that he is saying "Mama" so early, except that he is always doing it in a plaintive cry, as if to say, "Mama...I hurt; fix this!" Thank goodness for children's tylenol; it is the only remedy that makes any difference these days.
I am very excited about two trips we have coming up. The first one is at the end of October, where Owen and I will be making his first journey to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to visit my Dad and Stepmom. I am especially looking forward to the time of year we will be visiting Iowa, since I have usually visited around the Christmas holiday in years past. At the end of October, I expect the temperature will be brisk but pleasant for walks with Owen in his stroller and Coco and Pierre on their leashes. Owen might even be sampling some of the local cuisine, since he will be starting cereals at 6 months, and Quaker Oats is based in C.R.! For those of you who have never traveled to Cedar Rapids, you should know that the nickname for "The City of 5 Seasons" is, "The City of 5 Smells." Fortunately, not like the smells in our neighborhood...you can smell roasted oats when you step out your door in the mornings from Quaker Oats plant downtown. Owen will have complete smell/taste experience there. His Grandparents are really looking forward to introducing him around town.
The second trip we are taking is the following week to Savannah, GA. Chris' sister, Jessie, is having her graduate showing to complete her MFA in painting, and all of the Boone family is coming to see the show. We promise to take some pictures of her paintings...they are wonderful!
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