Bike Crashing 101

When clipped in to your bike pedals in heavy traffic at 6 pm here are some words of advice:

-wear bike gloves

-don't travel right on the wheel of your biking partner

-think of a plan before you need to cross 2 lanes to make it to your turn

-DON'T and I repeat DO NOT brace the entire weight of your fall with your hand/wrist as you smear along the pavement

-unclip very fast and remove your self and your bike from on-coming traffic

-walk home, it hurts too much and the frame of your tire might be bent

Yes, I had my first bike crash this past week.  

Besides a very sore thumb muscle and wrist, a leg and hand with road burn, and a bent front wheel, I think I pulled through rather well.  

Gotta get my bike fixed for the warm days ahead. 

House on Hycliffe

Johnny and I did it!  We put an offer down on a house in St. Matthew's and the sellers accepted our second offer!  The pictures that were posted on the real estate website were already taken off the web, so unfortunately I can't post any pictures to our blog.  The house is a neat little brick cottage with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. The kitchen is my favorite part of the house...very open and inviting with plenty of windows.  Our closing date is set for April 24th but we probably won't officially move in until the end of May (our lease on S. Bayly goes through May). 

The new address (pending everything continues on smoothly) will be:

3404 Hycliffe Ave

Louisville, KY 40207

Shopping for homes

It has been a busy two weeks for Johnny and me.  We are starting the process of looking for a home. There is a lot to learn about buying a home...and getting a loan.  We meet with our first loan officer tomorrow after work.  Once we can get an idea of what kind of loan we can comfortably afford, then we will be able to look more realistically.  It's pretty neat to think that sometime this year, we will own a home!  Saturday we are going to look at a house on Hycliffe Ave in St. Matthew's.  From the pictures on the internet it seems like a great home...we'll see after we get a real look.

Little Charlie

Last night I got to hang out with our neighbor's 8-month-old for 5 hours.  I am not calling it babysitting because it was anything but "sitting".  Charlie is the cutest little thing ever.  He is mostly all smiles and big brown eyes.  For the first 30 min I was there, Courtney (mom) showed me every little detail and went over Charlie's typical routine.  Feeding him was pretty easy except he really did not like the mashed up cauliflower Courtney picked out (it smelled pretty bad I must admit) and his face turned really red when I gave him the first bite.  Then, it looked like he was choking and he got it half way down and I frantically started patting his back in within seconds he chucked the bite of cauliflower out on to his tray, still coughing a little. Scared the crap out of me. Needless to say I didn't make him try anymore of that.  He did get down the organic carrots, baby soy food, and his bottle. His dessert was pink Amoxicillin for his ear infection. He loved it!

Next came a little bit of play time. Johnny brought over his banjo and kept Charlie's attention and wide eyes for quite some time. It was so cute. 

Bath time was most interesting. "Have you ever given a baby a bath?"---Courtney asked during my training...Huh? She wanted me to bathe him?  pep talk to myself...Okay, I could do that.  Charlie splashed and splashed, heels slamming the bottom of the tub...me trying to protect his heels while trying to wash him at the same time... And then drying him off was a process.  I grabbed him with both hands and picked him up out of the water, but then didn't have a hand to grab the towel.  So I am holding this dripping, slippery baby and I can't figure out how to get the towel around him. Somehow I let go of him with one hand, grab the towel, and swaddle him up.  He was probably thinking, "I'm cold! Why the heck didn't you think about what you were going to do BEFORE you pulled me out of the water. Mommy does such a better job".  The crocodile tears were gone as soon as I dried him off and put on his lotion and got his nighties on.  We dimmed the lights and turned on some soothing music that was pre-set by Courtney and in 5 minutes I had rocked Charlie to sleep in my arms. 

Ahh, success. And not a peep the rest of the night. 

I did run back upstairs before they got home to make sure he was still breathing. (i guess i felt this huge weight of this tiny little helpless being in my care). 

8 month olds are a lot of work..I really didn't realize it until last night. 

But, I can't wait to have my own someday.

And, I figured out (with the help of Courtney when she and Jeff got home) how to bundle a baby up after a bath while still holding them with two hands :)

here we go

well..the big moment is in approximately one hour:)

i'm getting my hair cut

its been long since freshman year of college...

oh, and today we also get to see bela fleck play with the abigail sparrow quartet at ear-x-tacy (a music store near our house)

we'll get there early to stake out a spot in the front row

i love intimate, free shows...acoustic of course

they are playing today as a warm-up and preview to their big show tomorrow at UofL, which JB gets to attend (I have to work).  i'm just glad to see them today.

Lights, Power, Action

YAY! We finally got our electricity back today.  It is such a novelty to have lights and warmth and to not have on 2 layers of pants and 3 sweaters plus a down coat inside your house. 

Hopefully this will be the last power outage for some time now. 

Johnny will finally go back to work tomorrow...so hopefully not all of June will be eaten up by make-up days....as we head out for the Grand Canyon on June 12 and have backcountry reservations at the bottom of the canyon (Bright Angel Campground) and meals at Phantom Ranch on June 16. 

 

Burrrrrrrrrr......

I'm sitting in Heine Brothers Coffee shop right now, finally without a coat on, and I am warm.

A medium hazelnut cafe au-lait down has warmed my spirits, and my cheeks. 

We woke up this morning and could see our breath in the crisp air- 39 degrees.....inside our house, and a whopping 12 degrees outside. Our neighbors have graciously extended power cords to us, one is powering our refrigerator and the other, whatever we so choose.  Space heater for a couple of minutes, coffee pot, space heater again....

Our transformer box caught on fire, we called the fire dept (who could do nothing because it was an electrical fire), the fire dept called LG&E, who did fix the transformer...but could not turn our power back on because it wasn't high enough priority...we didn't have a live wire down, others were in more danger than us...

darn...so close, 

LG&E was in our backyard but we still are in the dark and cold, maybe for up to 2 weeks they think. 

this shall be an adventure

off to a Mexican restaurant tonight

Ice and Snow

Somehow I have made it in to work and back for 2 days now...no side streets have been plowed yet and trees and power lines are down.  My typical 10 min drive took me almost 2 hours on Tuesday. We still have power at home, which is better than the 100,o00 people in Jefferson County who don't...it's going to be a long, cold, dark night for a lot of people. Mom and Dad don't have power in Lanesville, but they do have a wood burning stove to keep them semi-warm as long as supplies hold out (and of course there is an extra bedroom here if they so choose).  We woke up last night multiple times to loud cracks and bangs, one sounding like a cannon had been shot outside our window, as trees and large limbs came crashing down, bringing power lines with them. It was not a restful sleep to say the least. 

But, it sure does look magical outside. Johnny and I took a long walk in our neighborhood when I got home from work today. Trees are heavy with ice and snow...a white, wintry wonderland.  

Johnny's school has been called off the rest of the week....ahhh to be a teacher:)

More Birthdays!!!

This was one full birthday weekend!  Mom and Dad took Johnny and me to El Mundo for Johnny's birthday on Friday night.  We walked there, of course, and enjoyed fabulous authentic mexican food, a cozy atmosphere, and margaritas that will knock your socks off if you're not careful. 

Saturday, we went to the Margaret and Gary's and had Johnny's 2nd birthday celebration complete with Margaret's famous homemade cheesecake and a marathon viewing of "The Office"...and we laughed the night away...

Tonight (Sunday) we had Johnny's homemade Birthday Eve dinner on Bayly (because this meal was way too involved to make on a work night).  I made pork chops and sour kraut, mashed potatoes, and stewed apples with cinnamon and brown sugar.   It was tasty, tasty.  

Tomorrow we will walk down the street to one of our favorite little pizza joints, Fat Jimmy's, for Johnny's birthday meal...which should be fun and will save us from cooking and cleaning up. There is a 2 layer chocolate cake with vanilla icing for when we get back....yum.

We sure do celebrate birthdays around here:)

Birthdays galore! 

And Bob's 30th is Tuesday. 

Happy early birthday Bob!!!!!!

First Snow

Today was our first big snow of 2 inches:)

I love waking up with a blanket of white covering the earth. Everything was quieter, still, crisp...and the moon was illuminating the surrounding clouds. Our normally busy street seemed vacant, like I was almost out in the country again.

Winter has finally set in for good. One more good snow and I will be ready for spring. The long anticipation has begun.

Catching up from the holidays

Wow, the holidays were busy, but wonderful!!  I think we are still trying to catch up on sleep.  Johnny and I have been going to bed each night around 9:30 pm (and staying up to 10 pm on the weekends is like a big deal.) It was so wonderful with the whole family in town.  We only wish Megan and Bob lived closer...especially since there will be a new addition to the family in July!!! 

I worked today (Sunday) and am taking a comp day this Wednesday to go with Johnny and his class on their first field trip!!  The kids are excited to meet (Mrs. B) and I can't wait to meet them and see Johnny's classroom before we leave.  We are headed to an IMAX presentation of the Grand Canyon as they are studying geology and rock layers right now. It will be especially neat for Johnny and me as we are planning a trip to the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park for this summer!!!

Aunt Anna

I found out on Dec 23 that I am going to be an aunt!!!!!  Megan and Bob are going to have a baby!!!! Well, Megan is going to have the baby:)

She is 10 weeks pregnant and is due on July 28, 2008.  

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, the birthday weekend was fabulous.  I don't think I have ever celebrated any other birthday so thoroughly as 26.  Johnny took me to a fabulous little restaurant in downtown Louisville called Artemesia.  We sat outside on the patio and the outdoor space-heaters and fireplace kept us warm on the 30 degree night.  A jazz trio played and white Christmas lights gave a warm glow to the tree and garland. We finished off the night with my favorite...fun-fetti cake with strawberry icing...Johnny's very first attempt at baking was a great success. Saturday we celebrated in Lanesville.  It was so wonderful to have everyone there...except for Megan and Bob who we can't WAIT to see in a couple of days.  Renee and Mom made a fabulous veggie lasagna and caesar salad.  Cake: yellow with chocolate icing....had to change it up for all of the cakes this weekend.  Very good too.  The night was complete with a wood-burning fire.  Sunday, we went to the Brinkworth's house and Grannie and Grampies came too. Margaret made a great dinner and a homemade, out of this world, cheesecake. 

Must head to the gym soon.

Oh, and if I wasn't deserted out enough this weekend, my supervisor at work brought in a german-chocolate cake today for a belated-birthday gift. 

Christmas cookies ahead...yay for sugar:)

Grandma Clark will have her open heart surgery tomorrow at 7 am in Nashville, TN at Vanderbilt Medical Center.  Please keep her in your prayers.

And the seasons, they go round and round.

Well, I had to work today...but it was worth it because I get to take a comp-day this Friday...my birthday! If Mom isn't in Nashville for Grandma's surgery recovery, then Mom, Renee, and I will all get to hang out during the day on Friday.  Johnny is taking me out Friday night to a surprise restaurant for more birthday celebration. Yay!  I can't believe I will be 26 in a couple days. That kind of sounds old to me...yikes. 

Flecktones, Tuvan Singers, and some folks from Indiana

                                  

                                           

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones

December 6th, 2008

The Brown Theatre

A night to remember...

We gave Mom and Dad tickets to Bela Fleck and dinner out for their 30th Anniversary.

And of course, if Bela was in town, we couldn't miss out.  So Renee, Ben, Johnny and myself all purchased tickets as well.  Everyone met at our house to hang out before the show.  Mom and Dad left early to enjoy a dinner at Pat's Steakhouse, and Renee helped me make pizza rolls and a spinach salad.  We all met up at the Brown Theatre before the show and made our way to the balcony in plenty of time for Bela to hit the stage.  The Brown is such and intimate theatre, I don't think there is a bad seat in the house. 

If you've never seen Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, it would be hard to imagine how amazing this show was...it was the opening night of their holiday tour and they played with Tuvan Throat singers from Tuva on select pieces. "Testing the limits of vocal ingenuity, throat-singers can create sounds unlike anything in ordinary speech and song...carrying two musical lines simultaneously." Amazing. This was Christmas music like you've never heard before...jazzy, folky, classical...all mixed together.  It wasn't over-kill either, because it was so different from regular Christmas music.  And, they opened with "Big Country" one of mine and Renee's favorites (not a Christmas tune). 

They were surprisingly funny too.  The entire audience was literally laughing out loud....every face had a smile on it. They were kind enough to stick around after the show and we got to meet each one of them...see above pictures!

Stuart Spartans

Johnny has done it again!

Today it was announced over the intercom at school that not only has Mr. Brinkworth just received Teacher of the Month, he was this week's "Notable Spartan of the Week" and his classroom went up in cheers.

What a good week.

Oh, and I am free of cavities....(just went to my cleaning today)....LOVE getting a clean bill of health from the dentist. Yay!

Off to a Christmas party for work tonight at The Bristol downtown.  Should be a fun night.

Teacher of the Month

Johnny brought home some very exciting news today.  He was selected out of ALL the teachers at Stuart Middle School as "Teacher of the Month"....very well deserved I must say. Some of the veteran teachers told him that they have never seen a first year teacher perform so well. The principal of the school summed it up pretty well: "If I could bottle up all of what Johnny brings to Stuart Middle, to his students, and to this field and give it to all of the other teachers, amazing things would happen."  

The kids that have Johnny are lucky and are learning and experiencing science in ways I never could have dreamed of when I was in 6th grade. 

Congratulations Mr. B!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving

Well the pecan pie turned out great!  And much easier than I had imagined (although I did cheat a little as the crust was not homemade).  The day was great too.  We ate with Johnny's side of the family at Grannie and Grampies first and then spent the afternoon and into the evening with the Wahl/Clark side in Lanesville.  It was a crisp night and we toasted ourselves by the bonfire while Dad gave us a lesson on the constellations.  The only ones I can ever seem to remember besides the Big and Little Dipper is Orion and  the 7 Sisters.  I'll have to keep relying on Dad until someday I decide to study the night sky and remember for myself.

A big THANK YOU to Derek for taking such amazing wedding photos.  We just received all (4,356) of the originals this past week and the "highlights" already put in an album for us.  You can check out the highlights at: http://dbrittonphotography.com/gallery/annaandjohn/highlights/

Preparing for the Holidays

The holidays are fast approaching.  I have the essential supplies purchased: flour, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, plenty of cinnamon, pumpkin, condensed milk, pecans, and whip cream.  Yay for baking! I will be making my first pecan pie this year for Thanksgiving and am searching for a great recipe.  

I also stopped by Actors Theatre after work today and picked up 8 tickets for "A Christmas Carol".  This is a play I have seen multiple times as a Wahl with the Wahl family...and this year I go as a Brinkworth.  A long-time Louisville holiday tradition, we will be attending this year on Dec. 23, and I'm already looking forward to it. 

The Smell of Fall

Fall on Bayly Ave is so much different than fall in the Lanesville woods.  Yes, there are big trees on our street, whose orange and red leaves are spattering the sidewalks and our tiny front yards.  But the intensity of color and smell is muted in the city.  I am looking forward to my next smell of the woods. 

A Prayer for Uncle Lou

We pray for Uncle Lou and the Kennedys

On Monday, may God guide the surgeon's hand

We pray for a successful surgery

and for a swift recovery

We hope for the best

Uncle Lou has helped heal so many people and has dedicated his career to serving others

We pray now for his own healing

Free Range Humans