Archive for April, 2008
Apr
Wow a week since the last blog post, whats going on here.
I have been pretty busy and not much in the mood to blog, plain and simple.
Today I went to see Julia at St Cyr. Salon, she has now cut my hair 3 times and each time she does a wonderful job. I cut it all off today, kept a bit of length in the front and short in the back… the kind of cut where I am in the salon at least once a month again.
But if I can stress Julia does the best damn job out of anyone I have seen in the last 4 years. I have went to Bellsimo, Jeffrey Roberts etc…..And she is simply the best for short cuts.
Anyways I will post pics soon, but with Neil’s camera because mine has shit the bed…….
I feel so much damn better with my cute hair….
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Apr
We are getting our blinds!!!!!
You have no idea how excited I am after last week and feeling somewhat defeated from the Budget Blinds guy quoting me close to 6k dollars for Solar Shades. I was almost convinced I would need to settle to the fate of Aluminum Blinds for our BIG HUGE beautiful windows.
So we decided to do it the longer/different way and get an installer to come and measure the windows for a fee and have them also install the windows once ordered. We ordered the Solar Shades on Blinds.com for 1/3rd of the price that we were quoted. Even less than the price for aluminum blinds.
So we ordered our huge blinds that will hopefully save us tons of money on cooling cost this summer. Last August was well over 400.00 to keep the house cooled. YIKES.
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Apr
Isn’t it grand our planet gets its own day, but in reality we should be celebrating our “home” 365 days a year. This is the biggest year yet for Earth Day Celebrations. But if the country backs this why does the government keep all there money in BIG OIL.
Did you know in Massachusetts gas prices have hit an all time high at an average of 3.45 a gallon, that is up 19% since last week. They have been talking for a few years now about $4.00 a gallon gas and no one wanted to believe it, but here we are.
I could understand if everyone,including BIG OIL was hurting. But Big Oil keeps racking in BIG profits each quarter. We need to say enough is enough.
People with BIG SUV’s need to say fuck this and get a smaller car. ENERGY CONSERVATION people, NATURAL RESOURCE conservation people.
I pray for the day when electric cars become the reality for the mass market, I would be first in line.
As soon as I am back to work and everything is caught up I am buying myself a Smartcar For Two. All gas powered but 60 miles to the gallon, hopefully be working in Worcester no long commute. Summers I ride my bike……..
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Apr
Tonight’s attempt at a good bike ride, left me feeling like a fat ass lard. Seriously, the hills of Worcester are not pretty for someone that wants to start riding everyday like she use too. But it has been a good three years since I was riding on a daily bases. The hills here just kick my ass.. Ode to the Seven Hills.
I need to get back in shape and I need to bring my bike to see why I can’t get it past 14th gear. Because the out-of-shape Crystal would love to at least make it up the hills even if in 21st gear.
Help……
Anyone have some good areas that they think I can do without killing myself. Sighhhhhhhh
Or any really good way to get my cardio up in the next couple weeks….strong
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Apr
You can not be GREEN and still eat meat. Meat production is 18% of all Co2 emissions.
The waste generated by chicken, cow and pig factory farms is far more than a large city.
Just a thought!!!!!!
So go ahead and cruise around in your hybrid and use energy star appliances…
But the biggest thing you can do, is at least try to cut down your meat consumption.
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Apr
So yesterday we went to get our bikes around 4pm…Picked them up, brought them home and went for HELL RIDE. See I am slighty out of shape, last year at this time I could have handled this but with the long winter pulling snow after snow and me to lazy to hit the gym. I am not in the shape of Worcester Hill’s biking. But if I go for a ride each day and get myself back to the shape I was in…I should be golden….What the hell happened to the girl that lived on her bike for years…I was only seperated from it when I was a bitchy teenager that didn’t want to be seen on my bike…lol
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Apr
So about 1 1/2 years ago I sold my bike to make a quick BUCK. I had bought that Shwinn at a cute little bike shop in Englewood CO. It had traveled and moved with me all over the place, at one point I needed money so I pawned it, making damn sure I got it back. Then Neil and I were hiking, rock hopping, playing tennis and raqetball. Hence to busy to ride bike, so I sold it for 250.00 to some guy from the North Shore.
Today we went to
Barney’s Bikes on Chandler St. I had in my head that for the time being I would spend about $250.00, maybe get an entry level, tool around town Giant. But then we were shown two
Jamis Citizens for about $325.00 each and we decided we liked. So we put a deposit and will pick them up this afternoon after they have assembled them for us. That was the quickest, non shop around purchase we have ever made. Now if only we could find a way to attach a trailer with the kayaks we would not need the car at all.
The red is my bike, Neil got his in a Slate color, and much bigger! Mine is a 16.5 inch bike, his is 23. His LONG limbs make for a bigger bike.
Can’t wait to pick them up this afternoon….Oh I can just see it now BIG wicker basket attached to run to the market…
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Apr
So after the 100th time of looking at cute Vegetarian/Earthy totes on Cafe Press, I decided that I am not paying $20.00 or more of anything on a bag and I will just do it myself.
My screen printing skills unfortunately are left to what I learned in Graphic Design in high school. So a few totes from Michael’s for $3.99 a piece and some fun iron on letters from Generation T’s.
I have some shopping totes that cost me 5.00 a piece to enjoy.
oh and on that note, Neil and I do something I am not so proud of, do our grocery shopping at a Super Walmart because the cost is cheap, I get all the basics there and then head to Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Living Earth for other things. But today they gave us another bag for shopping along with our 6-7 totes we had. The bag had “Earth Day Tips” included in the bag. There was a small piece of paper that had Sponge Bob on it but to my surprise it was a Seed Card, that you plant, I am going to try it out…
Apr
Tonight Neil and I get to go see a show at Hanover instead of working it. Back in January when we saw what shows were going to be playing at Hanover, I became a member and bought pretty good seats to see “Stomp”. We both volunteered to work at tomorrows show, with the way my knees feel today I hope that I get to sit thru the show.OUCH
I had a busy week with cleaning and my body always pays for it by the weekend. Yesterday I ran down to Connecticut after I was done cleaning and gave Keyerra her birthday present, she would’t let me leave and I am a sucker for her too cute face. On the way home I stopped to buy food for dinner we ended up having Crystal Style “tacos”. Well I had veggie crumble, corn tortillas, avocado, tomato, lettace and sauce. Then I remembed how much I miss REAL corn tortillas from a Tortilleria, i think that is how it is spelled…. I remember getting fresh corn tortillas, they tasted so good.
Not much going on, glad it is finally spring, we were able to sleep with windows open last night for the first time and I LOVE IT.
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Apr
I do not believe this was sent from my brother…..
So the Keller Williams woman seems to be the only crazy enough person to send this to me in the mail. It came from Central Mass (post stamp) and was in neat woman’s handwriting. It included no letter, attachment or return address just this little “Let God Save You” book…
I do not believe in god and I am pretty sure it is not from my brother because he understands this also, even though he has found god…..Never knew he was hiding…
Craziness I tell ya… Please feel free to send other fun randomness…I like Jewelry!!!!!
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Apr
So this time of year I want nothing more than to clean, clean, and clean. The house has to much dust, but today the guys from Modern Manufacturing are coming to replace the glass in the big window with a foot long crack, then Jimmy from Budget Blinds is coming to measure and quote for some form of room darkening/solar blinds. We need to spend the money now in order to stop the electricity bill from being 400 a month in the summer.
Hopefully this coming weekend along with going to see Stomp at Hanover, then working the Sunday showing of Stomp, I would love to get the garage spots cleaned and organized. Then throw somethings on CL for sale and FreeCycle for free. Maybe start making a pile of things I want to sell at the Yard Sale I am going to have later in the spring/early summer.
I WANT TO CLEAN……my own home
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Apr
Apr
Sorry my interest of other real estate in Worcester does not stop because I live in a building that still has units to sell.
Hell KettleBrook seems to have their own issues, they are almost 5 months behind schedule and with rumors of mold and water from the river below entering units. Stories of people pulling out of their purchase offers and people who were able to get mortgages 11 months ago, no longer can.
So here is another “loft” building squeezing in behind University Park Lofts, Blackstone Lofts, Winter St Lofts that all have empty units for sale. Kettlebrook which lost its place in the loft hierarchy of Worcester Ma. This new building is most defiantly has its work cut out for it. Ok it is located on Adams St off of Shrewsbury, but it is the Rt9 part of Shrewsbury St near the Uhaul and Umass Medical School. But this city of ours is already over-saturated with “lofts” and they are not selling. I see the units start in the 150′sk for a studio, price points may not be the best, but really I need to see what is being offered to make a good educated decision on whether another 28 units will attract people over the already existing buildings….
Welcome the 1st Phase
Adams Street Lofts . I have this thing for old school houses especially when they still have blackboards in the rooms like the ones we viewed at the Elizabeth Street School.
I really think I need to see unit 311 in person. I will be attending the Open House in May and reporting back on my findings…I am curious on what another empty 28 units will do in Worcester.
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Apr
Vermicomposting
This is something I did about 8 years ago while in Americorps, we were working with an at-risk girls school and I was a TA for the Horticulture class. We being the teacher, myself and 15 girls made our own vermicomposting bins. They were a huge sucess and I would love to try one here on a smaller scale. I remeber even 8 years ago we had ordered the worms online and we got like 10 pounds of worms. Always exciting with a group of girls.
Found this great tool on Treehuger for starting a vermi bin.
Vermicomposting Bin-Treehuger
Apr
Even with the new blog that we are working so hard on, I am overly surprised with the traffic that is going there, but also sad the traffic at my own blog is slowing down. All this does is get me to focus on my life again here, versus the devil of homeownership.
Today, we were suppose to head to Springfield for the end all and be all of court hearings,to determine if Brett can keep the building and move forward with rentals (worst case scenerio) or if Strata Bank can move forward with the forclosure auction. I know because so many people are hot and heavy to live here that the auction could be the best thing to happen here in sometime.
But due to a conflict at the court the hearing has been rescheduled for the 22nd of this month.
So Neil and I will do some running around today, I need to go to Whole Foods to get some cleaning products and maybe some food too. Neil needed to go to Wrentham to return a pair of pants that had a missing SNAP. Maybe run to Fall River and so on. I am going to jump in the shower so I can go pay an arm and a leg to have my tires changed.
Tomorrow is Samantha’s Babyshower so I will be down in Connecticut most of the day, should be fun us girls, being my mom, sister, myself, Samantha and Keyerra will all be the princesses for the day. Using the babyshower as a day to look fabulous and aall have shiny new outfits….
So I am off to start a very busy weekend……
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