So life is happening, we live in two places but mostly stay in one, its a lot of work though for right now. Still moving a little bit, but not much left.
Dog life is good, Dottie likes the commute to work almost as much as I do now. From home, thru Church Hill (M Street is the ticket!) to the interstate for a fast second then in Carytown. Not too shabby, ESPECIALLY since I don't have to go near VCU. Eff that, students there are real dummies, they walk into the street without looking at all. Drivers are so mad that they act like fools too, rushed and crazy. I'm so glad to avoid that.

So life is life, we are busy and tired and it is good. The dogs are happy, and thats good too. I haven't been cooking big meals cause I don't have time, but I'm pretty sure things will begin to be more normal after this weekend.
Til then, heres a picture of the dogs!

So. We bought a house! And it really happened, nothing went wrong!
We spent the last four days moving, and still have more to do.

For now, we have a huge yard for dogs and a radtastic house to get cozy in.
Very eggcite.



there are even daffodills coming up already! suprise!

dag, we even found a range in the backyard!

mostly the dogs want to run and play. chase sticks, and fight each other in bloody horrible battles. just kidding, they are not bloody or horrible, just funny.
also, there are lots of slugs and other exciting bugs in the backyard. i dont think i'll like the slugs after i start a garden, but i am not afeared to put out delcious beer for them to get drunk on and drown in. stupid slugs.

we made a very special first dinner in our new home, we were so so tired but couldn't resist the chance to make it very special.

we also have a large fancy new fridge, it is full of all kinds of delicious things to eat.
now we are at that part of moving where you are very tired, but need to unpack. mostly we just want to sit around with the dogs, well i do at least, but we have to be brave and keep moving loads of the stuff we haven't moved yet that i wish would just disappear. obviously, if it hasn't made it to the new house, then it can't be that important anyway, right?

The dogs were getting used to the yard, their new kingdom, when lo and behold up from the earth came a rouge tree root, right out of the gravel, and thirsting for blooooooooood!!!!!

thank good ness the dogs were there to save me.

It really only takes three ingredients to make delicious barbecue...

Oh hey yesterday was Tuesday, which means CHILI POTLUCK!!!

Things look a little somber, don't you think?

Everyone was clearly very sad.

JUST KIDDINGS! Everyone was happy, there were lots of jokes, we laughed and laughed...really!

Chili was delicous, coleslaw was so good, and it turns out that Chad found the phone number to a lady we all used to prank call in high school. Me and Andrew and Chad all used to call Edna, who was crazy and said the nastiest things. Its funny, we went to different high schools, so I can only imagine the volume of calls this lady used to get.
I'll have to tell you in person what she would say, its too gross and dirty to put on the internet.

This weekend I had my fancy work dinner party in the dark. No pictures, so sorry.
After the work dinner I went to a Fancy Party, a party so fancy, in fact, that it had THREE fireplaces. You heard it, a Three Fireplace Fancy Party.



See? Three.

We spent our time lounging in various comfortable chairs.


There was dancing involved, but not on our part. I couldn't take a picture, it would not have gone unnoticed and I woulda been so embarassed.
Anyway, the party, it was great, we ate snacks and had beverages until we had to wobble our way home dangerously.
We took a lot of naps Sunday, consequently.

Lets talk about college some more. When I was 19 and in college I moved into an apartment in the "hell block" of Grace Street. I moved in with two dudes that I didn't know but that had posted a hilarious ad in Punchline. Derek Gordon and Alex Nixon, two friends that would make my life hilarious.
Derek was vegan

and Alex was vegetarian (i think.) and he loved to eat raw spaghetti noodles with nutella.

Derek used to deliver pizza for Dominos and Alex worked at VCU, both were in school, and they were both the funniest people I think I had ever met. There were jokes on jokes on jokes all day, everyday.
We had a hobo that lived in our backyard, Bill, and a possum that used to terrorize us. One day I found a motorcycle in the alley and dragged it into the backyard, when we would have cookouts the motorcycle would be a serving tray. It was pretty trashed.
Oh man, and we had rats in the most horrible way. We would trap them and keep a tally...us versus rats.
Alex used to cook this spaghetti all the time that had feta and onions and mushrooms and lots of olive oil, and I loved it. Over the years I changed it a little (by baking it and sometimes not adding mushrooms) and still think about those dudes when I make it.

Get your ingredients out.

Go ahead and start some water boiling in a big pot. Add some sea salt and some Almond Oil so your noodles don't stick.

Now chop up an onion while your water is heating.

Sautee your onion over medium heat, use Almond Oil or a little mid-grade olive oil.

I like to add spices to the onions while they are cooking. I like even parts Rosemary, Parsley, and Basil.

Hey! That water is boiling! Add your pasta and let them soften their way into the water.

Watch your onions like a HAWK! You want them to be translucent and lightly browned, but not burned or crispy.

Once they hit that point, I take about two tablespoons of sugar and sprinkle it all over them. Let it sit and sizzle for a minute or two.

Add a little bit of water.

Cover it for a second or two to really let the onions soften and steam.

Uncover it and let the onions cook until the water is gone (hey that's called reducing!) and you are left with shiny, delicious, sweet onions.

Dude, your pasta is done! Strain the water out and dump it in a big mixing bowl. Pour in some Extra Virgin Olive oil and mix evenly.

Add your onion mixture.

Add about a cup of feta cheese.

INCORPORATE IT! Isn't that a funny internet video, the special guy that cooks food and salad???

Grease a large baking dish.

Add your pasta mix.

Cover it in smoked provolone.

Cover it with foil and bake it at 400ish for a while, I dunno, maybe 20 minutes? Then take the foil off and bake it uncovered for five minutes or so.
Let it cool for a second then eat so much of it that you have to go right to bed!

Hey! First Friday was last night and I actually went to it! HA!
Chip's new shop on Broad Street opened up so I had to go check it, plus there was a cool show at Books, Bikes, and Beyond. Hippy was in town for his last day here, and it was tight to catch up with everyone. Mostly, they talked about their amazing vacation in NOLA, and I totally could not be more jealous.
Let me share with you some photos, they make me feel crazy that I missed the exploring.

i mean, does this not give you magical chills? seriously, it looks like such an amazing friend adventure. abandoned theme park, camping in a teepee, city bonfires, new years fireworks on the river bank with fog so thick you couldn't see your friends...and there was also a bike event. next time i'm going, for serious.