Friday, May 21, 2010

Today's Ponderings


Believe it or not, I can go weeks without chocolate. There are times I NEED it - I'm a woman. But most of the time I can take it or leave it. But my real weakness when it comes to junk food is potato chips. But only plain potato chips. I don't like those 'fancy' flavours like Salt 'n' Vinegar or BBQ. Blech! I tried some one time that was Chicken Wing flavoured. While it was actually not bad, still for me, chips are best plain. But best of all is burnt chips. I LOVE burnt chips. And it it's a folded burnt chip - well it's really worth savouring. I wish they had a Burnt 'n' Folded brand. I figured I was odd, but when just for the heck of it, I googled "burnt potato chips", this site came up. No helpful answers though.

I also like my toast almost burnt too. It seems to have more flavour.

One thing that drives me absolutely bonkers though - and Nath will confirm this, is when I order toast in a restaurant and it comes with butter on the side. The only time toast tastes good is when the butter (or margarine) melts into the toast. I'm normally pretty easy going when it comes to restaurant food booboos. But if they give me unbuttered toast and expect me to butter my own toast - that's cold by the time I get it and the butter just sits there - on top - not melting in, I'm not a happy camper. Ron used to be very leery when we went out for breakfast, never knowing if I'd have a little mini temper tantrum with badly buttered or not buttered at all toast.

Living in a house with 3 males and only one bathroom, I tried to train my 'morning bathroom time' to before the boys got up. Sometimes it was the only time of peace in a house with all that confusing testosterone. But every so often my body rebels and decides 'morning bathroom time' is during work hours. I hate when that happens.

I don't know if anyone remembers or not, but last fall I had the property landscaped. What a difference it made! But I have NEVER been a gardener. I've avoided in the past like the plague. But now I'm going to be forced to learn the basics. Now that the weather is warm and sometimes sunny, the perennials - or is it annual - the plants that come up every year, are starting to come out. I'm also (with the help of the landscaper) planning on planting the ones that only come once a year. But right now the problem is I can't tell what is a plant/flower and what is a weed. I bought gardening gloves the other day, but I need help in telling what needs to be pulled.

And just in case you want to see what they did


The Before






The After





You can't really see it in the before pictures, but I used to have a cement back porch. The ground had sunk over the years so that the first step up was a huge one, especially for those vertically challenged like myself. The took out the cement porch and put up a new, bigger wooden porch with three sets of three steps leading down to the to the back door on either side and then down to the deck. I love it!

They also removed all the half dead shrubs at the front and made it look a lot more open. This year I'd like to have the front porch and sidewalk redone, but I'll have to get an estimate on that first.

And now the mail person has no trouble getting to the mail box - to deliver the mail I still don't really open.

11 comments:

~ames~ said...

Landscaping looks good Kristie!

And I can only eat plain chips with dip. LOL I like those fancy flavors.

Oh and perennials come back every year, annuals are only good once. LOL Kind of confusing, huh? If you don't want rabbits eating your flowers, plant geraniums. :P

nath said...

It looks great, Kristie!! Especially the back and the porch :D Money well spent! :D

and LOL, I agree with you about the toasts at the a restaurant - especially for breakfast. The worst though is when they give you refrigerated butter. I mean, seriously, how do you expect it to melt?!?!?

Kay Webb Harrison said...

WISE plain potato chips. I can eat the large bag in one sitting. I can't remember the last time I did. I haven't eaten potato chips, on a regular basis, in years. Seeing the picture at the beginning of this post started the cravings again. I don't know whether to thank you or to curse you, LOL.

Take care,
Kay

Lover Of Romance said...

Wow looks awesome!!! You must love it!!! I know I would just want to spend all my time outside basking in it all!!! LOL

Anonymous said...

I love burned chips too! And slightly burned popcorn. Too bad I've heard burned food is carcinogenic, because some things are better charred.

Your house looks lovely!

JenB said...

Yep, I love burned chips and slightly burned popcorn too, and I can't eat toast with unmelted butter. Actually, I grew up with a toaster oven, so I'm used to buttering my toast before I toast it.

Cape Cod makes a chip called Robust Russet. They cook it a little longer, so every chip has that nearly burnt flavor. They're good!

Anonymous said...

I really like your new landscaping! I bet you'll really enjoy it, and you'll soon figure out the weed/annual/perennial. :)
Jane A
(I'm clearly an idiot because I've opened a google account twice and it still doesn't work for me.)

orannia said...

Hmmm. I'm sure I read somewhere that burnt toast tastes like it does because of something in particular...whose name I can't remember. LOL!

I love the landscaping. Oh, all the lovely things you can plant. I love bulbs around trees. The flowers look so pretty :)

Taja said...

I can't go weeks without chocolate! But I can't go weeks without chips either! Where does that leave me? - Feeling bad that I can go without exercise for months and years! ;)

I love the new looks of your garden. It looks great!

freestuffforme said...

I'm in a similar situation where my front porch has one huge cement step, and I have no idea whether the things in my garden are "weeds" or flowers. About how much did it cost you to have your porch redone, and for the rest of the landscaping?

Kristie (J) said...

freestuffforme: Altogether is cost about $4,000. I still need to do the front porch and steps - but that's going to have to wait until next year. Then it will be siding for the house