short update
Aug. 21st, 2005 08:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
likethebeerA short update that apparently took me a long time to finish, b/c I started this last night.
mda grilled for the 1st time this summer on our new grill (courtesy of a local contest). It looks like a big miller sign. Really. It was a cheap-o giveaway that's red and says "Miller High Life" on it.
I would like to know why, when looking for "grill" & the site "millerbeer.com" I saw, on google, lots of sex sites, including one promising me something with "lesibans". But, damn, in the end, I cannot seem to find an image of the cheap-ass grill that we won. well, we've got one anyway. Oh, and then promptly ate too much b/c it was the first grilling we did all summer.
****
One of the new things we've discovered: we have chimney swifts. Fortunately, they migrate, so we should be able to put up a screen on the top of our chimney after they migrate. Currently however, our living room is enhanced by the twitterings of chimney swifts from our chimney. Cute, but a little annoying if you ask me. Well, after a few hours anyway.
****
I gave 2 house tours yesterday. It was a beautiful day for it (a teensy bit humid, though). On the 2nd one, I gave my pre-emptive speech, "I'm going to throw a lot of names dates and facts at you, but in the end, I really hope that you leave here and just remember the feeling of these buildings." And a little ol' lady came back _inside_ after the tour--after she'd already walked out w/her family--to tell me that I did just that. "I have just visions of beauty in my mind," she said (well, to paraphrase). And her family gave me a $20 tip! Made me v.happy to do a good job. I had a big grin when I went downstairs and just a hint of tears in my eyes. I forget how vulnerable giving tours can make you feel. Not just that, it's the putting yourself out there. Oh, and I remembered again how much I hate sitting at reception.
I hate having to be fake nice, and I hate the pressure when someone comes in the door and you don't know whether or not they want anything. I also hate the, as usual, pressure I get at the reaction of "$45 for a tour?!" Yesterday a couple was going to sign up for a 2-hour walking tour ($15) and then found out it didn't go into any of the buildings (that was my fault, really, b/c I didn't screen them--it's the problem of not sitting at reception enough anymore1). Yeah, you could take this 2-hour, $45 tour that gets you into the house, or this 1-hour, $16 tour that gets you into the school; or this tour that's $15 that gets you into... what? you think we have a secret interior tour just hidden around there?
Oh, and there's the other thing about reception that I hate--I call it the front line against the idiots. Plus, if there's someone who's pissy, I'll get pissy, and I'm bad at hiding that; and this person might just end up on my tour.
I give 2 tours today, too. I think that's the first time I've given tours 2 days in a row in years. In a way, it's a total novelty, but in a way it also brings back all these old memories. Body as well as mind memories. I still do get nervous (but I've never had the voice wavering nervousness).
****
And then finally, and of course, the visit by the glorious![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kalimama. It was so much fun, and she was so great.
She brought jewelry for "the ladies" and mix CDs. She has such great taste in music! She got shoved in w/all these people and she was totally comfortable with the whole thing; this was after getting lost on her way out to SW WI, just to make it to Richland Center. Of course, getting lost in the Driftless Area is a nice place to get lost (as long as you have gas in the car). All these rolling hills.
Anyway, she landed 1st atwi_c's & jujupees' home. jujupees had just landed, also, after 20 hours driving for work (and had to take off for 10 days again yesterday--ouch). I left work a little early and bought some supplies to my place for cocktails (well we ended up with the drinks, but the hor d'ouevres were accidentally burnt). Anyway, I was doing the dishes at home, w/perfectly timed calculation for a 6 pm arrival from everyone, when the weather radio goes off--there's a tornado warning. And the National Weather Service guy tells me that a tornado is coming for our town in 10 minutes. Long and short--I go down to the basement (with chips, a flashlight, a radio, and a beer), then I get a call at 5:30 from wi_c telling me that there's no tornado (while the warning sirens are going off), then wi_c calls 20 minutes later and says, yep, there was a tornado touch down (2, actually--there were a couple of areas where trees were down, and the roof was blown off a building that has a retirement community, or home or something).
I mention the tornado b/c, well, it happened; and secondly b/c, well when you have someone visiting from KS for the first time, and you're getting tornadoes in your town for the first time in your memory, it's just hard not to make a connection. She was a good sport about it. I mean, it was so obvious to all of us, it's not like we had to give her maximum shit or anything.
Anyway, she came to our house w/ wi_c, jujupees and their daughter. kalimama was dutifully impressed (I always forget how cool our home is to people--all rustic and full of character). We hung out on the deck and talked; she asks good questions (and well, I can talk when I have 2 beers in me and someone's asking me about FLLW). wi_c was answering a lot of FLLW questions and I wanted to see how much he remembered--he did a really good job! Although he got the date of the Allen house wrong, the 1 in Wichita. It's about 1914, I think? [I checked--1915.] By the way, you can take tours of it by appointment (that's for Kalimama).
We went to wi_c & jujupees' house, and wi_c made these incredible burritoes and fresh salsa. We ate outside b/c it was so mild. Then we exposed kalimama to [Swiss Miss]nadine_a and her husband, B, then off to the local eeestableeeeshment known as the Shed. We got there just as the theater was letting out (the reparatory Shakespeare theater in town), so the bar was soon full of lovely, fashionable people, and we could look like we knew all these lovely fashionable people. Well, wi_c could.2 I knew some.
The next day I took kalimama to Tal. and gave her a 3-hour tour (1/2 hour of which was spent at the gravesite, jeez what's my prob). I finally shut up in a few places so she could, like, feel the space? I think she really liked it, and hey, we like being able to show off the good stuff around here, especially when doing it is as easy as mud. I'm interested to see how the pictures turned out for her (I lent her my work camera and we downloaded the pictures onto a CD, but didn't really look at them).
Then we went to the General Store in town for lunch, which I think she really liked. We ate and talked about anything we could think of and finally it was time to go (she bought me lunch, too). Then I dropped her off at her car before she left to say goodbye to wi_c and drive off to the city to stay atjaaladay's house. It was really great to meet her, I'm so glad she came (she already knows that). I hope to see her again, and I'd love to get her and her family to move out this way.
1 One of the reasons that I have not sat reception v.much in my history at this job is b/c of wi_c. He knew I hated it (probably b/c I told him all the time), so he never scheduled me for it. Cleaning, answering phones, working in the bookstore, relieving someone at tickets--I was fine w/that. Reception, I can't stand. I always appreciated wi_c's decision on this.
2the next night, while out w/my friend M (a new-ish mom who needed some adult time), we were talking about wi_c and she said, "He's so well known, but you know, do you know anyone who doesn't like him? Really?" And seriously, no. I mean I am sure there are people who might not love the guy but that's b/c they don't know him. He's pretty stellar in most ways, as is his wife. They're a powerhouse.
Oh, and I want to say that the necklace that kalimama gave me is fantastic. I'm not a jewelry person most of the time (although I do wear it), but I've worn it 3 times and so far it looks great w/everything.
mda grilled for the 1st time this summer on our new grill (courtesy of a local contest). It looks like a big miller sign. Really. It was a cheap-o giveaway that's red and says "Miller High Life" on it.
I would like to know why, when looking for "grill" & the site "millerbeer.com" I saw, on google, lots of sex sites, including one promising me something with "lesibans". But, damn, in the end, I cannot seem to find an image of the cheap-ass grill that we won. well, we've got one anyway. Oh, and then promptly ate too much b/c it was the first grilling we did all summer.
****
One of the new things we've discovered: we have chimney swifts. Fortunately, they migrate, so we should be able to put up a screen on the top of our chimney after they migrate. Currently however, our living room is enhanced by the twitterings of chimney swifts from our chimney. Cute, but a little annoying if you ask me. Well, after a few hours anyway.
****
I gave 2 house tours yesterday. It was a beautiful day for it (a teensy bit humid, though). On the 2nd one, I gave my pre-emptive speech, "I'm going to throw a lot of names dates and facts at you, but in the end, I really hope that you leave here and just remember the feeling of these buildings." And a little ol' lady came back _inside_ after the tour--after she'd already walked out w/her family--to tell me that I did just that. "I have just visions of beauty in my mind," she said (well, to paraphrase). And her family gave me a $20 tip! Made me v.happy to do a good job. I had a big grin when I went downstairs and just a hint of tears in my eyes. I forget how vulnerable giving tours can make you feel. Not just that, it's the putting yourself out there. Oh, and I remembered again how much I hate sitting at reception.
I hate having to be fake nice, and I hate the pressure when someone comes in the door and you don't know whether or not they want anything. I also hate the, as usual, pressure I get at the reaction of "$45 for a tour?!" Yesterday a couple was going to sign up for a 2-hour walking tour ($15) and then found out it didn't go into any of the buildings (that was my fault, really, b/c I didn't screen them--it's the problem of not sitting at reception enough anymore1). Yeah, you could take this 2-hour, $45 tour that gets you into the house, or this 1-hour, $16 tour that gets you into the school; or this tour that's $15 that gets you into... what? you think we have a secret interior tour just hidden around there?
Oh, and there's the other thing about reception that I hate--I call it the front line against the idiots. Plus, if there's someone who's pissy, I'll get pissy, and I'm bad at hiding that; and this person might just end up on my tour.
I give 2 tours today, too. I think that's the first time I've given tours 2 days in a row in years. In a way, it's a total novelty, but in a way it also brings back all these old memories. Body as well as mind memories. I still do get nervous (but I've never had the voice wavering nervousness).
****
And then finally, and of course, the visit by the glorious
kalimama. It was so much fun, and she was so great. She brought jewelry for "the ladies" and mix CDs. She has such great taste in music! She got shoved in w/all these people and she was totally comfortable with the whole thing; this was after getting lost on her way out to SW WI, just to make it to Richland Center. Of course, getting lost in the Driftless Area is a nice place to get lost (as long as you have gas in the car). All these rolling hills.
Anyway, she landed 1st at
wi_c's & jujupees' home. jujupees had just landed, also, after 20 hours driving for work (and had to take off for 10 days again yesterday--ouch). I left work a little early and bought some supplies to my place for cocktails (well we ended up with the drinks, but the hor d'ouevres were accidentally burnt). Anyway, I was doing the dishes at home, w/perfectly timed calculation for a 6 pm arrival from everyone, when the weather radio goes off--there's a tornado warning. And the National Weather Service guy tells me that a tornado is coming for our town in 10 minutes. Long and short--I go down to the basement (with chips, a flashlight, a radio, and a beer), then I get a call at 5:30 from wi_c telling me that there's no tornado (while the warning sirens are going off), then wi_c calls 20 minutes later and says, yep, there was a tornado touch down (2, actually--there were a couple of areas where trees were down, and the roof was blown off a building that has a retirement community, or home or something). I mention the tornado b/c, well, it happened; and secondly b/c, well when you have someone visiting from KS for the first time, and you're getting tornadoes in your town for the first time in your memory, it's just hard not to make a connection. She was a good sport about it. I mean, it was so obvious to all of us, it's not like we had to give her maximum shit or anything.
Anyway, she came to our house w/ wi_c, jujupees and their daughter. kalimama was dutifully impressed (I always forget how cool our home is to people--all rustic and full of character). We hung out on the deck and talked; she asks good questions (and well, I can talk when I have 2 beers in me and someone's asking me about FLLW). wi_c was answering a lot of FLLW questions and I wanted to see how much he remembered--he did a really good job! Although he got the date of the Allen house wrong, the 1 in Wichita. It's about 1914, I think? [I checked--1915.] By the way, you can take tours of it by appointment (that's for Kalimama).
We went to wi_c & jujupees' house, and wi_c made these incredible burritoes and fresh salsa. We ate outside b/c it was so mild. Then we exposed kalimama to [Swiss Miss]
nadine_a and her husband, B, then off to the local eeestableeeeshment known as the Shed. We got there just as the theater was letting out (the reparatory Shakespeare theater in town), so the bar was soon full of lovely, fashionable people, and we could look like we knew all these lovely fashionable people. Well, wi_c could.2 I knew some. The next day I took kalimama to Tal. and gave her a 3-hour tour (1/2 hour of which was spent at the gravesite, jeez what's my prob). I finally shut up in a few places so she could, like, feel the space? I think she really liked it, and hey, we like being able to show off the good stuff around here, especially when doing it is as easy as mud. I'm interested to see how the pictures turned out for her (I lent her my work camera and we downloaded the pictures onto a CD, but didn't really look at them).
Then we went to the General Store in town for lunch, which I think she really liked. We ate and talked about anything we could think of and finally it was time to go (she bought me lunch, too). Then I dropped her off at her car before she left to say goodbye to wi_c and drive off to the city to stay at
jaaladay's house. It was really great to meet her, I'm so glad she came (she already knows that). I hope to see her again, and I'd love to get her and her family to move out this way. 1 One of the reasons that I have not sat reception v.much in my history at this job is b/c of wi_c. He knew I hated it (probably b/c I told him all the time), so he never scheduled me for it. Cleaning, answering phones, working in the bookstore, relieving someone at tickets--I was fine w/that. Reception, I can't stand. I always appreciated wi_c's decision on this.
2the next night, while out w/my friend M (a new-ish mom who needed some adult time), we were talking about wi_c and she said, "He's so well known, but you know, do you know anyone who doesn't like him? Really?" And seriously, no. I mean I am sure there are people who might not love the guy but that's b/c they don't know him. He's pretty stellar in most ways, as is his wife. They're a powerhouse.
Oh, and I want to say that the necklace that kalimama gave me is fantastic. I'm not a jewelry person most of the time (although I do wear it), but I've worn it 3 times and so far it looks great w/everything.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
a short update,..
Date: 2005-08-21 02:08 pm (UTC)Re: a short update,..
Date: 2005-08-21 02:09 pm (UTC)off to work
Date: 2005-08-21 02:11 pm (UTC)Re: off to work
Date: 2005-08-21 10:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-21 07:01 pm (UTC)about the grill & miller beer thing? it's likely some of that meta-tagging that's done, where the sex/porn sites are taking advantage of people futzing up girl as gril (like they do with first/frist, bird/brid, birth/brith, and on and on)
no subject
Date: 2005-08-21 10:10 pm (UTC)I like your miller grill/girl analysis.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 02:41 am (UTC)BTW, I think when I called the first time, I said that you were not going to die by tornado. And you didn't. But, I called back because right after I hung up the phone w/ you Eric called screaming "get in the basement. NOW. I can see a tornado north of town!!!!!!" Gulp.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 02:49 am (UTC)Besides, it was M who said, "is there anybody, really, who doesn't like wi_c?" I was just being agreeable as always :)
no subject
Date: 2005-08-23 04:09 am (UTC)I had a wonderful time, you were fantastic to hang out with, and I feel so blessed to have been given the gift of Taliesin.
Thanks for everything!
no subject
Date: 2005-08-23 01:00 pm (UTC)