The Flyin Pig

The Flyin Pig is on facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheFlyinPig

You should "Like" their page and check out the photos to see what we've been up to painting wise!  The new HVAC will be in on Friday, which has been the last hold up in getting the "big stuff" done (health inspection, liquor license, etc.).  Once the new HVAC is in and the gas people come, we can start moving in the equipment from our garage (after we clean it, of course).  It will be AWESOME to be able to park AND get out of my car in there =) The Express side is set to open Oct. 1 and the full-service side just a week or so after...we'll have a better idea of the timing for the full-service side once they get to work on the liquor license--it's quite the process.  We'll keep you posted! (get it? posted?  a little blog joke there for ya)

Can't wait to have the family out to The Flyin Pig when everyone is here for the wedding!

Love,
Kate

Our New Tractor

With the type of work that needs to be done down in Tennessee, we realized we needed a bigger tractor.  The John Deere isn't heavy enough, and we can't put a bucket on the Ford.  After looking around for a while we found a good deal on a 1982 Allis Chalmers tractor.

It has a fresh paint job and decals and runs extremely well.  And yes, I took the Bimini top off.  We have the hard top that goes on it, but it need to be repaired and painted.  It is a 40 HP diesel tractor with a 3 point hitch and a rear PTO.

The bucket is capable of lifting around 1,500 lbs and will be able to handle all the tasks we need to accomplish in Tennessee, not to mention it will come in handy taking down trees here in Haubstadt too.

So we hauled it home from Historic Vincennes (birthplace of Red Skelton, but that's not the only reason it's historic).  I was concerned that the trailer would be over-loaded.  I borrowed a trailer from Rusty so we would have trailer brakes, and we made it just fine.  The trailer pulled smoothly and the truck didn't notice the trailer back there.

So now she sits in the back of the house.  We need to get a car tent to put over it.  Tractors can sit out, but they will break down much slower if we keep it out of the sun and rain.

So keep your fingers crossed for us that we are able to sell the john Deere in a reasonable time frame.  The sooner the better.  Meanwhile if you need me, I'll be out on the tractor.

Projects!!

I wanted to quickly share the project I've been working on! A few years back, Kathy Hilleary scored me this awesome jewelry armoire at an auction:

Inspired by the blogosphere several weekends ago, I decided I wanted to spruce him up a bit.  After a quick consult with Granddaddy on best methods for painting, I made a trip to Lowes for 220 grit sandpaper and some semi-gloss mint green paint and then to Hobby Lobby for 3 yards of fabric for the interior, which was originally a forest green velvet.

A few weekends and way more than a few staples and glue sticks later, here he is!

Eventually I'd like to get new knobs, but it just wasn't in the budget for me, and I did like the gold on the mint green.  He kinda clashes with the currently wall color in my room, but fortunately, repainting my walls was the next project on my list!

When the room is painted, I'll show you some pictures of where he actually lives.

Love you!

Kate

The Adventures of Steve & Kate

So it's been a LOOOOOONG time since I posted. Like, Cleveland Street apartment kind of long time. I'm going to try to be better about that! To remedy, I'm going to write a giant, picture-laden post detailing Steve and I's spring/early summer activities thus far.

Steve and I both really like history and visiting historical sites. When I was still working at the YWCA (it was actually my last "work from home" day there) Steve and I took an undocumented trip to Williamsburg.  We wandered; we ate at the tavern; we did obligatory time in the stocks; and we took all the pictures on Steve's phone. So you'll just have to trust me that it was a beautiful day and fun was had by all.

Steve and I work opposite schedules in terms of days off.  His Saturday/Sunday are my Thursday/Friday, and My Saturday/Sunday are his Monday/Tuesday.  So, we don't get full days off together most of the time, unless I am *cough* *cough* too "sick" to go to work...like the day we went to Jamestown(e).



Kristin, please note the patented Brickley Claw creeping in on the left...

 We explored the fort, went on all three ships (getting midly panicky in the crowds below deck), and of course, got Pierces BBQ on the way home.

Meanwhile, Bean Brogley held down the fort at home:



Bean the ever-vigilant watch dog...

Then there came the spring food festivals.  First, the Lebanese Food Festival.  A first for both Steve and I. It was DELICIOUS, even the questionable lamb.  But what took the cake for me (almost literally) were the desserts.  They were combinations of pistachios, walnuts, phyllo dough, and mass quantities of honey. SO. GOOD. (and not pictured...sorry about that...I'll start better planning my pictures for blogging). 




Questionable lamb is pictured.



And then the Greek Festival...where Steve was confused and we sorely missed being there with Kristin and Mike. 



 Meanwhile, Bean layed on the bed, belly up, juuuuuust in case someone might want to stop by and pat her:

Then came the Monticello trip...where I might have been sick again:

but not too sick to REALLY enjoy this rice crispy treat covered in frosting and rainbow sprinkles. or the wine tasting we went to afterwards....

When I figure out how to upload video from my camera, I'll post a fun video from the tour.  There was an 11-year old boy named Thomas who was a.) very excited that he had the same name as Thomas Jefferson and b.) NOT afraid to enhance the tour guide's speech with fun historical tidbits of his own.  At the end of the tour, he regaled our group with a rendition of the National Anthem, sung acapella.

Meanwhile, Bean was at home, looking disgruntled and forgetting to pull her tongue all the way in.

Recently though, our excursions have been closer to home.  Like when we went canoeing on Woodlake (Wood Lake? Woodlake's Lake?). 

Oh Captain, my Captain...AKA Steve

There was one point out on the open water that I really didn't think we were going to make it home.  Steve and I come from very different canoeing backgrounds.  I'll just leave it at that. But for the most part, it was really fun and definitely a beautiful day. One of these afternoons we are going to take it all the way across the lake and dock at the Boathouse for a beer and oysters before rowing back home (hopefully with the current, this time).

This week, we took advantage of anothe beautiful day and went to Rockwood Sport Complex where we went to the batting cages and then played a rousing game of putt putt.  We didn't get any pictures of the batting cages, so I killed two birds with one stone in the picture below:



Loser had to buy drinks at the aforementioned Boathouse (pictured below) I'll give you two guessts who had to shell out...

So that's a little update on what we've been doing.  I'll leave you with one last cute one of Bean...who was a damsel in distress on our walk:

I just can't go on...The heat! The humidity! It's more than any dog should have to bear...

Love to everyone!
xoxo,
kab

Summer Fun!

Wanted to share this picture with everyone.  Taken the weekend of the Buffett concert (AKA: Growing Older But Not Up! weekend).  Fun was had by all, right up to the hurricane that hit the east coast and delayed travel plans. But that just extended the fun by a few days.   

Anyone? Anyone?

We need to start using our blog again. I have started using an RSS feed to keep up with the few blogs I read. I am trying to get this one in there. Using the free reader makes it hard to load new blogs. It won't search, it only works off url's and it is having trouble finding this one.

We are half moved to the summer end of the house. Still need to move the contents of the fridge. Just couldn't muster the energy last night to move everything.

Everyone needs to let me know when they see this. We aren't doing well keeping up!

There are better ways to get attention Grampy...

http://www.ack.net/carfire060811.html

We're really glad you weren't in the car!

I put the article on facebook yesterday and here's some commentary that I got from Kurt "Uncle Toot" Erickson: "Just seems like something that would happen to Big Bob. I'm guessing if the FD hadn't shown up he'd be roasting weenies."