Although we have a garden out back, I like to plant a cherry tomato out front, where it can get more sun. There’s also the bit about not having to walk up a flight of sinking concrete stairs to get to the hill that is our back yard. Last year I planted three cherry tomatoes in big plant pots by the side of the driveway. They worked OK. This year I got one good sized seedling and put it in a 5 gallon bucket on the front deck. This has worked great! The thing has grown so much that the plant stakes were falling over, so we plunked a narrow board into the ground. Yesterday, I screwed on another board, so it’s about 2.5 meters high.

(they’re crappy photos, sorry. I took a bunch; the camera apparently didn’t know what to focus on)

Every day I eat a few (DH is out of town this week, and the kid doesn’t like them).

They hang in bunches, like grapes. Even the green ones are beautiful.

It’s a sun gold, from Fedco’s warehouse sale in May. I will be in cherry tomato heaven when they all turn ripe! num num!

So here’s something I’m curious about,

This is along the Rail Trail, and there are several of them. What I’m curious about is the sign, “confined space entry”.

Um, do we not all see that the space to enter this is small? Or that there isn’t much space up there?

Oh, it’s not actually about the size of the entry or the size of the space up there. OSHA has this to say… huh? This sign, Danger, Permit Required, Confined Space, Do not Enter speaks to that OSHA business and is much more sensible (most of us just need to see “Do Not Enter”).

But when does the City of Augusta make sensible decisions?

A couple of weeks ago my car was making an awful noise. I thought maybe something to do with the wheels (like a bad tie rod). I let it go on for a few days before taking it in. The mechanic drove the car around, and after a block, said “I don’t feel comfortable taking you to work in this car, let’s just take it back to the shop“. Because, it turns out, two of the wheels were loose. The lug nuts had loosened (on the wheels they had recently put new tires on).

Today I noticed a chirpy squeak. And then later today I noticed the same clunky noise, so I drove it over before they closed. He checked all the nuts on all the wheels. I hadn’t paid enough attention to the noise to answer any of his questions other than to say “it sounds just like before“. Fourth wheel he checked? Loose nuts!

Now, they had tightened them all the last time. And I’m sure they tightened them when they put the new tires on. What could be going on?

Do you think my 61% bumper sticker is causing some nuts to loosen my nuts?

I just added the “and rising” tonight. The commissioner of marine resources resigned last week. Here’s a great short news video. That’s three commissioners, a top insurance chief, and the governor’s lead spokesman that have resigned already. more….

I am seeing more of these around,

Look what I found tonight!

That’s a black walnut… It’s not fully mature. I’ll return to the same spot along the rail trail in a few weeks to see if more have fallen. It makes a fabulous wool dye.

I’m pretty sure the snowpile must be gone by now… The pile was still pretty big a week ago, but here it is on July 20,

Since the latest guess was July 4, Krysta won! On Thursday, there was just a smidge of darkish (meaning ice) sand. I never actually went down there, but then there was no question who won!

We went to the parade at the Old Hallowell Days. It’s a great small town affair. Here’s one of the more interesting things in the parade,

I mean, who knew there was a Farriers Association for the Prevention of Hoofrot, never mind a Ladies’ Auxilary? Ah…. just a joke. But check out the dancing rubber duckies at the link, they were my favorites!

There was a small craft contingent there, and I fell in love with Julie and her One Woman Studio bags.

Don’t you agree that my friend Alphy Poulin needs this bag?

He’s the ballet master at the Julliard school, and I was hoping to get this to him before he left for Brazil… oh well, it’ll be waiting for him when he gets back to NYC!

My new “purse”:

front, back, and inside… seatbelt strap!

And a couple of totes (one is likely to be given as a gift)

Aren’t they entertaining? And practical???

The elf slippers were a tad big for mom, so they went to a niece (who wanted me to make her a pair just the same). And so,

And they fit her great! Details over on my Ravelry project page.

How do I know? I spent the past two nights with mom, but can you believe I didn’t bring my camera?

The plan, successfully accomplished, was to go into Boston for an appointment for a fitting at Intimacy at Copley Place. It was yesterday, when temps were about 104 in Boston… We were going to take the train in, and the subway through town, but that part of the plan was abandoned in favor of air conditioned car, a parking garage, and air conditioned walking through all the shopping.

And the fitting? O-M-G. If you’re having problems finding a bra, go to this store!

The fitter said “I can’t believe you’ve been having all this trouble, you are an easy fit“. And nearly everything she brought me did fit, was comfortable, and was lovely. I blew a paycheck, but now I have an assortment of bras that work and can throw away the old ones (they are too tired to work for anybody else).

And I got a bathing suit… a bikini! Now I know I don’t have the body I did at 20, but what the hell, right? Now I need to go to the beach… or to Europe!

My personal crusade for a well fitted and comfortable (and attractive) bra may be over, but I will still probably talk about it. So, if you want more info, let me know. I can help you help yourself get into a better bra.

I have pics, but haven’t downloaded them yet… the pile is still bigger than a big truck!

Cortisone shot in the other elbow yesterday. I could brush my teeth and wipe my butt pain-free. So maybe I’ll be knitting more soon.

Here’s something that has made me crazy and baffled me for some time now. We have a new environmentally friendly “green” Hannaford in Augusta. It’s a great store, and wicked convenient for me.

But…

Where do I find Goya beans? Is it in Aisle 1, with the Mexican stuff?

Nope, and not with the canned vegetables in that same aisle either.

It is in Aisle 2, with the International Foods.

I never know where to find curry, beans, rice, “ethnic” noodles…

Aisle 1:

Mexican, meaning Old El Paso and etc.

Asian,


Notice that some rice is considered Asian.

What’s under the Rice sign? (This is in Aisle 1, but you’d never know it from the Aisle 1 sign…)

Primarily rice in boxes, mostly Uncle Ben’s and similar,

but there is some Jasmine here too, and OMG is that couscous under the Rice sign?

Aisle 2:

So, what I want to know is, how is Mexican different than Hispanic? How is Asian not International? Why is Jewish food (Manischewitz is a US company) with the Hispanic/International food? Why is some curry in the Asian section and other curry in the international section? Where is the sense in this???

I mentioned this to one of the grocery stocker a couple weeks ago. He gave me a hard time, and the woman grocery stocker near him told him to watch it or I’d hit him. She has no idea… It was all in good fun, but I was actually serious about it.

Anyhow, today I spoke to one of the grocery managers. He agreed, it makes no sense.

Guess who designs the store layout? Corporate headquarters. Guess who I’m going to send a comment to? Corporate headquarters. My suggestion? Have a section called “ethnic foods”. But then where would I find the roasted red peppers? With the vegetables? With the pasta and sauces? With the “ethnic” foods? I think at this store they’re with the vegetables. At the other supermarket in town, I think some are with the pasta items, and some are with the international foods. And let’s not try to figure out how they determine which go where on that one…

But I’m still uncomfortable segregating the Mexican foods from the Hispanic foods and all of these and the Asian foods from the International foods. And when did Jewish become a nationality? Let’s call it all Ethnic Food? Or maybe something else, but put it all together!