Visitors and Villas

Happy Monday my Friends!

It's been a very eventful week.  For starters, I began my new job and it's interesting and hopefully will be challenging and fun, even though I have to wake up at three in the morning to achieve the paycheck.  I will soon be learning to operate heavy machinery and trying not to tip over.  I watched about 15 videos of forklifts doing just that this morning.  Scare tactics, people.  They totally work.  Remember that car crash victim video/slideshow they made you watch in traffic safety school?  Kinda like that, without all the dead bodies.  The only carnage I saw was destroyed bags of concrete and shelving. 

I finally got The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo on CD, and it's finally, ten disks in, getting exciting.  I know why I couldn't get through it before.  Thank goodness for that whole recorded books thing because I'd never have read it otherwise.

That's not very exciting though.  Ready for excitement?  My father Ken and his wife Brenda arrived in Asheville Thursday night, and we got together on Friday.  I took them to the botanical gardens and we had a nice lunch in Haywood. 

This was the table marker, in the background you can see the toy guitar.  Cute, no?

We attempted to go downtown but there was a craft fair going on and no room at the Inn (or the parking garages) so we decided to put that off for another day. 

Saturday dawned sunny.  Yes, you read that correctly.  There was sun.  Dad and I went for a hike to Douglass falls and then the sky opened up for a bit.  I wasn't completely sure if it was spray from the waterfall, which had swelled to three times what it had been in May, or actual rain until we hiked back.  Thankfully it didn't last.  We went on to eat lunch at Mela, the Indian place, and since the craft fair was still going on we parked outside of downtown and hiked in.  This worked to our advantage as he got a walking tour of downtown in the bargain.  And we got more hiking in, albeit Urban style. 

We parted ways for a little bit and Molly and I decided we should go check out a band she saw online at a brewery, which dad had mentioned he'd like to do.  We met him at the French Broad Brewery and watched a very fun band called Wasted Wine.  They had squeeze boxes, fiddles, drums, bass and regular guitars, a chime box of some sort, and more.  They had a very gypsy feel to them.  So I asked Dad after the show if I could have five bucks for their CD, and with money in hand I went up and chatted with the band.  I bought the five dollar CD, and then the singer/fiddle player handed me another CD, this one ten dollars, because I was so cool.  We're going to see them again when they come back to town for sure.   

This show being over, we checked out the Thirsty Monk downtown.  They only served beer as well, and I was beginning to think that I would be drinking water all night, when I noticed on the menu that they had Linderman's Frambois.  Yay!  I got to drink beer too!  Our friend David showed up and we all chatted for a bit, then we parted ways with Dad and went on to David's house.  He changed and he, Molly and I went dancing at Club Hairspray.  It was almost empty, so we had the dance floor to ourselves.  They played almost everything Molly requested, although they did not have Die Antwoord.  Don't know these guys?  You should really check them out.  They are something else.  Crazy, I tell ya.  But so good.  Anyway, they also played a country techno song, which we weren't sure what to do with.  So when in doubt, square dance, right? 

We ended up back at David's and had an impromptu dance party in his living room, with his roommate Scott joining us.  And Scott can seriously dance!  Like two step and swing and stuff.  I told him this was a very good thing in this day and age.  Are you paying attention, male audience?

Sunday morning Dad and Brenda and I headed to Biltmore House.  I have to say, it's pretty darn expensive to get in.  (Sixty Bucks) but it was SO COOL!  It's 250 rooms, though you only get to see about thirty of these.  The house itself covers 4 acres.  Want a picture?

 

 

The house tour took about an hour or so, then we went on to the gardens.  Yay, gardens!

 

Carpe Diem

 

Dad

 

Grapes and Sunshine

 

 

The Conservatory

 

Hothouse Bloom

Alligator Shrubbery

Dad and he are both mugging!

 

 

It was really warm by the time we finished with the conservatory, so we left and went to the village on the estate.  (Size of total estate today?  89,000 acres.)  There they had a nice visitor's center where we happened to be during the monsoon of the afternoon.  Handy.  We finished our day up with a BBQ place, 'Bama style, and then parted ways because I needed to get ready for work today.  I did get to see both of them for breakfast after work, and they're continuing on to Tennessee and flying toward home tomorrow.

 

I had such a nice time, even though there were some grouchy moments on all sides.  I was very tired the whole time, but I rallied and it was worth it.  I'm so happy that they came to visit, and that I got to see Biltmore and got to play all day on Saturday.  C'mon visitors, it's fun here!

 

It will be nice to try to find some semblance of a schedule this week, and hopefully I'll figure out when and how long I should sleep for.  I have survived my first week of work coupled with visitors, so I know I'll be fine whatever happens. 

 

Until next I write,

 

Shanti Elena

 

P.S.  I took this one from work the other morning...

 



 

 



Sleep is for the Birds...

It's just after midnight, and I'm still awake.  I've learned in the past few days that I'm actually part vampire, and therefore sleep much better during the day.  I plan to take a "nap" tonight at around one and sleep until three, then crash for about five hours when I get home tomorrow.  This is what happened last night and I feel better today for it.  It's been an interesting adjustment, and I'm hoping it'll all be worth it soon.  I actually get to work on the floor this morning instead of doing endless computer training, so that's very exciting. 

Also wanted to share this little tidbit with you all:

This is Hades with bird crap on his face.  I have no idea how it happened, but it's some funny stuff!

 

 

Also, Molly's tinctures are done tincturing in the dark closet and I documented the process of straining them.  It's video, so it'll have to wait until I upload those little gems.  But definitely cool.

 

 

 

 

 

I am very ready to visit home, ready for sunshine and no humidity.  It's supposed to be 86 degrees tomorrow with thunderstorms and the realfeel is supposed to be 101 degrees.  Super de Duper.  I'm excited to see my father tomorrow, and I hope that we have a relatively dry visit.  Until next I write,

 

 

Shanti



The Not So Exciting Saturday Night Post

Ho hum, it's a Saturday night and there's nothing going on.  Molly's currently making a delicious looking pasta dinner for us, a homemade hamburger helper with holy basil flowers and parsley.  It's 64 degrees out and overcast.  I was so hoping for it to be sunny today because I really really want to go swimming but no luck. 

Some good news among this mediocre posting:  I did get hired at Home Depot, starting Monday morning at 4:00 in the A.M.  Which means I need to be up by 3, 3:15 at the latest.  Because this is my first week of work and because it also corresponds with my father visiting I'm going for the "go to bed early" track for starters.  To get myself on this schedule, the plan is to pull a good ol' fashioned all-nighter tonight so I'll be so tired tomorrow that nothing but sleep will do.  Then I'll be flying by the seat of my pants.  Eventually I predict that I'll be pulling all-nighters on a regular basis but maybe I'll surprise myself and like going to bed at 8pm.  Maybe. 

Last night we met a couple guys from England, an Irish guy, and a chick from Wales.  Sort of.  By the time we'd met these people they were totally tanked and will probably not remember shaking our hands.  Although the girl from Wales told me I have a very firm handshake.  I chose to take this as a compliment, though I'm not sure she meant it as such.  We were out to see a band at a pub called Jack of the Wood and Kate's friend Mark joined us with his friend Nora Jane from Kentucky.  They're camp counselors at a boys camp in the area.  The foreign folk were also counselors.  It was a nice evening out, and I'd just gotten my hair cut so I didn't even have to do it!  Not that I do much with my hair anyway. 

I am excited about starting work, even though I'm a little anxious about the sleep thing.  I'm also excited to see the Biltmore House this week.  Also it might be sunny in a few days so crossing fingers on that one. 

It's a quiet night and mood in the house, with old school 80's videos playing in the background.  Molly can't get enough of these. 

"I got a man."
"I'm not tryin to hear that, see."

 

Peace Love and Kickin' it Ol' School

Shanti

P.S.  If you find yourself awake and wanting to talk tonight, I'm up all the hours!  Gimme a ring! :)

And I had to share this again, because it never fails to make me laugh!

Summertime in Asheville is WET!

Hello there friends and loved ones...

I'm a little late getting this out, but as I'm a faithful albeit not always on time person, here it is.  What should we talk about today? 

Let's start with the fourth of July, shall we?

It poured in monsoon-type fashion all day, and I braved the flooded streets to head to my friend David's house for a BBQ on his porch.  We then decided to play a drinking game with the movie Independence Day.  One of the times we had to take a drink was when someone said "president".  Have you any idea how many times that word is said in that movie?  At least fifty, if not more.  Suffice to say, we were a little tipsy when the movie ended.  We watched the fireworks from the porch, chatted, and I went home.  Probably the most uneventful fourth I've ever had, but at least I was in good company.  This was the second party at David's house that I went to, the first being a couple weeks ago.  That one was a blast, and I got to meet another great group of people. 

A few of them with Molly...

The next day I spent cooking for the BBQ/pool party at Kate's house on Saturday.  I made poppers, of course, and this fantastic dessert which I've dubbed "Sand Pudding."  It turned out marvelously.  And Saturday was actually partly sunny, so that was wonderful.  It did rain too, but at least they took turns.  That was a very nice, relaxing day for sure, and everyone loved my food which is a bonus.  Means I'll be invited back ;)

I have not heard from Home Depot, which is starting to worry me, but I did buy a weed whacker today to start on my jungle of a yard.  I haven't attempted to use it yet but hopefully I do it right, don't break it or myself, and can get started tomorrow (weather permitting).

Also there have been talks of starting a writing group which will be AWESOME if it happens.  It will really help to center me on what I should be doing instead of what I have been doing, which isn't a whole lot in that area, sadly. 

My dad and his wife are coming next week to visit.  I hope to finally see Biltmore House with them and show them around the joint.  I'm driving to Charlotte on Wednesday evening to pick up Molly from the airport, she's been visiting home (Wyoming.)  Charlotte's humidity is different than ours, much closer and dirtier feeling.  Although I'm pretty sweaty right now, I have to say.  But the sun shone for most of the day and I went to Yoga which I always feel so much better for doing.  Rufus and I have been hanging out, he loves going for car rides with me. 

There has only been one mouse incident in the past two weeks, so that is refreshing.  My car did not cost very much to fix and is running beautifully again.  Besides all that, this cool moth was on my car the other day...

He has blue legs!!

 

 

And I took this one on a walk we went on the other day

 

 

 

 

In closing, I'd like to let everyone know that as I was driving back from Charlotte last Wednesday morning at 5am I got through my block on my island story.  So that should be finished sooner rather than later.

 

 

Peace, love, and RAIN!!!

 

 

Shanti Elena