.: zoe456 :.

That 1) I've not blogged since last September - shame, shame; 2) There's yet more snow approaching our area here in Southern Maine - and if we get the anticipated snowfall in the next week - we *could* be pushing 100 inches (yikes!) for this winter season; and 3) I once again watched the "Mother's Day Miracle" Red Sox replay of 5/13/2007 for the 5th time now in the winter where the Sox scored 6 runs in the bottom of the ninth to overcome a 5 run deficit against the Orioles.

Absolutely, my only hope right now is watching the NESN spring training updates, and donning my recent birthday gift - a replica Pedroia jersey!

Some of you may already know this...and some may debate the merits...but I've recently discovered that a solution that keeps my cut flowers fresh just a little bit longer:

1. A few teaspoons of sugar in very tepid water
2. A few eye droppers of bleach

Stir... and wash the flower stems (after cutting off the last 1/8 - 1/4 at a 45 degree angle)

So far my first fall bouquet I recently purchased at Hannaford's about 17 days ago looks good as new. It's closing ranks on the gladiolus bouquet I purchased over the summer at Whole Foods that lasted about 3 weeks.

So, here are some baby gourds for your entertainment!

baby-gourds

I (ahem) finally finished the "Half Blood Prince (HBP)" tonight (saw the "Order of the Phoenix" this past weekend at the theater and started HBP on Sunday). Eagerly awaiting the UPS delivery on Saturday - I'm too lazy to battle crowds at the local Borders at Midnight on Friday night...Good thing the weather around southern Maine this weekend calls for scattered shower/thunderstorms! Good reading weather!!!

Here's some really clever Ikea hacks. This seems fitting after last Sunday's run to the closest Ikea from Maine (Stoughton, MA; which is only about a 2.5 hour drive from southern Maine). I gave my mother the Ikea catalogue a few weeks ago and she wanted to take a drive to furnish her summer home in down-east Maine). We had 4 of the warehouse push-carts filled, along with a shopping cart full of accessories. The 'ol suv was filled to the brim with assemble-it-yourself furniture. It was quite a sight! On the way back through Burlington off 128, I noticed a West Elm (gonna have to take another drive south shortly). We have very few resources for modern/contemporary furniture here in Maine.

Here's a good way to spend a work day: My team and I went out to Peaks Island (a 20 minute ferry ride from mainland Portland downtown) for lunch today. The weather was absolutely wonderful! Low 80's and sunny. These are the summer days in Maine that you wish you could bottle up and release come mid-February.

We ate at the Cockeyed Gull. Good crab cakes.

What do you absolutely refuse to eat?

The recently cut rhubarb that's in our back patio (left over from the prior owners that I trim back at least once so far this year and it's grown back already 3 inches); Steamers- (yes, although I live on the coast of Maine and resident of a town that has a "Clam Festival" that I love so much) I find this  bivalve disgusting ewww). Gross. Lamb Fries are obviously included in my list of foods not-to-be-included. Oh - and anything licorice-based!.

Ouch. I hate it when this happens (9:31 pm eastern time on  6.18.2007):

Digg-outta-service