I wanted to post, to the best of my recollection, the events that occurred between June 26th and July 5th.
( You've seen the photos, now read the drama )

We got an absolute ton of work done yesterday. onandonlymatt, our friend Chad and I went up to Mt. Matt on Friday night and set up camp. We got up early on Saturday and Matt and Chad went into Asheville to rent a DR Brush Mower from a rental place. They brought it back and got right to work. They cleared the entire meadow behind the barn. It looks soooo good. Then the mower broke (the battery died and the guy at the rental place just told them to jump it when they called him to tell him it was dead). We borrowed jumper cables from our neighbors and used the battery pack that we use for our power up there to jump it. It worked and they took it up to the Tumbleweed Clearing to get that prepped for building. They wanted to do two more spots (the lower clearing and the ridge) to make camping areas but since they had to deal with the battery they ran out of time. But we are very happy with the progress that did happen. And we can clear the other two spots with our chainsaw and weed-eater, it will just take a little more time. Then we came home last night instead of staying in Marshall. Today, Matt and I are not doing much of anything.

Enough babbling from me. I'll let the photos do the talking. I took a million of them and they are now on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13073825@N07/

We went back to Asheville this weekend. We have been there three weekends in a row and are going back next weekend, too. The good news is we have made a lot of progress on the barn. Moving forward, we are stopping all work on the barn to concentrate on the tumbleweed house and then we can get back to the barn. So, that means the wall cladding will have to wait. I am okay with that decision.

This past weekend we went up with mtn_hermit for a birthday extravaganza and work weekend. He helped Matt finish the ceiling, which was pretty quick. We also delivered the ATV up to the land. We started on the wall but a miscaluclation will cause us to start over. Luckily, we had only started a small test wall.

Here are some Photos of our adventures this week.
( Photos! )

We also went into Asheville to celebrate our birthdays, since all of us had one coming up. (Mine was Sunday, of course. mtn_hermit on Wednesday and oneandonlymatt on Thursday.) We had dinner at The Thirsty Monk, which was divine! Steak Frites! I can't stop thinking about them. Then we ended at Sante for dessert. Yum.

oneandonlymatt and I were back at Mt. Matt this weekend. We got a little behind earlier this year so we are working on catching up. Our friend, Chad, helped us get a lot of the insulation started in the barn room two weeks ago. We had to stop only because our batteries ran out. So, Matt and I brought extra batteries and got to work.

We left early on Saturday morning. Even though it was going to be a little chilly, we decided that we would camp. When we got to town we stopped at Ingles to get sandwiches and stuff for breakfast. As soon as we got to the land, we got started with the project. It didn't take long to knock out the rest of the wall insulation.

Then we put all the tools away and got out the air mattress and sleeping bag and such. We also had a thermometer in the room to see how the insulation was helping. The floor isn't done at all so a lot of the cold air still comes in there. However, it was much warmer than before insulation.

After we got camp set up, we grabbed a bottle of wine that we brought with us and walked down to our neighbor's house. They live there year round and we want to get to know them. They seemed genuinely thrilled to hang out with us and truth be told, we completely lost track of time and were there for almost three hours. It was about quarter to nine when we realized that we still needed dinner and the tiny town of Marshall "rolls up it's sidewalks" pretty early, as they say. We had forgotten our flashlight so we borrowed one to get back to our barn. I forget how dark it gets without a city around.

We went into Marshall and caught Bacchus Bistro still open for another 45 minutes. The food there is fantastic.

We finally made it back to the barn. We tried to watch the final episode of season one of BBC's Robin Hood but the disc was having issues. So, we put the heater on low and went to bed. It ran out in the middle of the night, but it stayed pretty warm in the room. The next morning the thermometer read 60.

We slept in to about 9:30 and then made some eggs. Then we took down the bed and stuff and started on the ceiling. We decided to do the ceiling with metal flashing. We thought it would be an easy and still rustic solution. It is a barn room that was tacked on to an old barn with no real rhyme or reason and walls are crazy crooked, so rustic is still the best look for it. We did three panels (which puts it at about a third of the way done).

Then we went to the nearby town of Weaverville for lunch at a Mexican restaurant. Then we drove home. We didn't get home last night until about 7:30. Then we downloaded that last episode of Robin Hood on iTunes so we could see what we missed.

Here is a link to flickr to check out the latest photos of our progress:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13073825@N07/

We are going back to Asheville this weekend. Hooray. I am so excited. The weekend can never come fast enough.

These are our current plans. I like to make a record so I can see just how different things actually went. Kind of like the weekend we planned to get a ton of stuff done but ended up with a Budget Truck in a ditch.

Anywho, the plan is currently as follows:

I want to leave on Saturday before crack of dawn o'clock. Convincing oneandonlymatt of this time frame will probably not happen. I would be prepared to leave the house by 6am, but I'll be lucky to compromise at 7.

If we leave at 7 we should get up there around 10:30. We can stop and pick up some subway to hold on to for lunch. Then we'll head to the barn and finish up the insulation. The two of us should be able to knock that out pretty quickly. Then we can break for lunch. Then we can start on the ceiling. We are doing silver metal flashing across the ceiling that will eventually be "finished" with batons across the seams. This will give it sort of a rustic industrial look. It is a barn, after all.

Sometime during the day we'll pop in on our Neighbors. They invited us over for some wine the next time we were in town. I wanted to stop by and suggest we get together in the evening if they are avaible. That way we can work on finishing the ceiling. Then we need to go get dinner. I want to go back to Bacchus Bistro in downtown Marshall. Then we'll need to stop at Ingalles to pick up something to eat for breakfast the next morning, assuming we will decide to camp. We are fully expecting to have that be a game time decision. It'll be a little chilly, but we'll have just finished insulating the barn so it will help a bit. I've camped when it has been colder, that is for sure.

I am so looking forward to it!

I don't really have much to report, actually. I just felt like checking in so you all didn't think I had disappeared.

Haven't done much since the trip to Asheville last weekend. Mostly just worked. Work is going all right, considering the economy. We had a couple people leave. They were in sales and they felt like they were Sisyphus. Actually, neither of them would have felt like that since I am certain they didn't know what that would mean if I said it to them. But, if your heart isn't into selling temporary help then you aren't going to be very good at it. We are actually feeling all right about them leaving. It cuts some expenses and we can focus on getting our office in order and get back to profitable. We are aiming in the right direction. I love my company.

On the home front, nothing too spectacular. Matt and I have been designing our Camp Toilet solutions for the land. There is a book called The Humanure Handbook by a guy named Joseph Jenkins. It is about composting toilets and such. Excellent solution for our building project since we are looking at being self sustaining. If you are into that sort of thing, check it out. He is considered a near saint among people in the alternative building movement.

On Tuesday we played Lord of the Rings on line with mtn_hermit and only one of our Michigan friends. He has not experienced the force known as BJ yet. I am looking forward to that.

Today, I got my emissions test done. My car is certified for another year.

I also decorated for Easter/Spring (depending on your religious preference). It is going to be in the 70s all weekend here in Atlanta. Hard to believe it was snowing just last weekend. Welcome to the south.

Tonight we are going to reikimaster and thunder24's house for dinner. reikimaster is promising the best lasagna ever and we are bringing an antipasto and some Italian wine. Then we are going to see Watchmen at the IMAX. The movie isn't until 10:30 so I had better get a nap in this afternoon. I fell asleep watching Dollhouse last night and that is on at 9pm. Woke up at "Grr...arg!". I'm pathetic. Well, truth is I am just more of a morning person and the world needs morning people too. The real question is, how come I never meet any other morning people? Is the world just full of night people and I am the only morning person in it??? It is lonely from 7am to Noon.

We are back in Georgia after a lovely trip to Michigan where we saw all of our favorite people and enjoyed the holidays. I wanted to record the events here so I could remember:

( One week of Wintery fun! )

And now that we are home we are going to Mazzy's to watch the final Lions game of the year. Wish us luck!

I had a great thanksgiving trip up to Detroit. I wanted to post the recap here so I didn't forget.

( here is the story, if you care )
I am rather looking forward to Christmas.

We are about the leave the house for Hartsfield Jackson Airport in Atlanta. We will then board a plane and fly to Detroit. There we will be celebrating Thanksgiving with both of our families.

As the most wonderful oneandonlymatt summed it up so beautifully:
"Omelettes! Mimosas! Lions! Beer! Thanksgiving! Possibly Aunt Elaine! Frankenmuth! Some sort of Dinner! Dragonmead! Walking Mall! Probably Jim Perkins! Maybe Sunday breakfast! Hairpain*!"

*Hairpain is a term used on the TV show "Jon and Kate Plus 8". It is a guilty pleasure of ours. When they were traveling once all the little kids were saying "Hairpain" and we've co-opted it ever since.

Some of the other events are self explanatory. We will have omlets and mimosas for breakfast tomorrow. Then we watch the Lions V. Titans Thanksgiving day game. We will need beer to get through that. Then we have Thanksgiving dinner, then maybe going to Matt's Aunt Elaine's house for dessert. On Friday we meet my sister and her family in Frankenmuth MI for lunch and shopping then we go to my folks for dinner (the "some sort of" dinner has since been determined). Then we are going with my brother to Dragonmead Brewery. On Saturday we are going to this walking mall with Matt's mom. Then we will be going to see a favorite local artist of ours. Then if we have time on Sunday we'll grab breakfast and then it is back on the Hairpain for Atlanta.

Phew. See y'all on the other side.

On Saturday morning, I was questioning the wisdom in going to a beer festival only a couple of days after my trip to the ER. However, we had the plans and the tickets for a long time so I thought "Wisdom be damned" and we went anyway.

( And I am super glad that we did! )

Today we went to the Atlanta Falcons v. Detroit Lions game at the Georgia Dome. You probably know the outcome. If you don't know - we lost. We were hoping to win, but what are you going to do. However, the day was mighty fun.

( our football adventure in Downtown Atlanta )
It was a fantastic day. We got home around 7pm. The only thing that would have made the day better was a win for the Lions. Oh well, there is always next Sunday.

So, here are the events as I remember them. My report won't be as good at dreamsidhe's account, so feel free to refer to her page as well. We did pretty much spend every minute together, so it is an accurate description of my weekend as well.

( Dragon*Con 08 )

The weekend was fantastic. Truthfully, it was one of the best weekends I have had in recent memory. I can't wait for D*C 09. We are even planning some new costumes. We're hooked!

If you want to see some of my photos you can check them out at my flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13073825@N07/

I will post some Dragon*con goodness soon. For a great account of the weekend, do check out dreamsidhe's report.

However, in the mean time...please watch the awesomeness that is oneandonlymatt. Thanks to reikimaster and thunder24 for getting this video, since I wasn't there.

( Not only can he play drums...the boy can SING! )

I can't believe Labor Day weekend and Dragon*Con are finally here. dreamsidhe will be arriving in Atlanta tomorrow. It is the first time I will have seen her since Christmas! Super Squee!

I am all packed up and ready to go. I just need to pack a few last minute things tonight. Then I just have to make it through the work day tomorrow. I will be by myself, so that will be hard without any distractions.

Yay for DC. I will see you all there!

I have already begun packing for Dragon*Con. I have my two costumes and the dress part of dreamsidhe's costume in a garment bag hanging in the closet. This is going to be such a long week. Piglet is sharing my lap with my laptop, making this terribly difficult to type. Silly cat.

I don't really have anything else to say. I guess I'll go do something useful for now.

Oh, and I put my costume on today for no reason except to prace around for a few minutes. It makes me feel pretty.

I sent a CD to dreamsidhe to get her into the Dragon*Con spirit. She just received it, so now I can share the mix with my adoring fans.

( my mix is better than yours... )

Also, I received dreamsidhe's costume via UPS. It is crazy complicated!

I cannot wait until Dragon*Con! Whoo hoo.

Dragon*Con is in only 16 days. The most exciting part for me is that dreamsidhe is coming to visit.

That being said, I wanted to mention that if any of my Atlanta friends are interested in hanging out with the wonderfully fun dreamsidhe let me know and we can work out a meet up. Such meet ups may be subject to change based on the actual Dragon*Con schedule. We will be at the con from Friday evening until early Monday morning. And if you are not going to be at the con proper, maybe we can meet you for a meal somewhere downtown.

anybody?
anybody?

you won't regret it!

Yay. My little laptop that could is back up and running and fully recovered from its virus invasion.

That means I am back on LJ and other assorted on-line places. If I owe you any email or anything that isn't email but relied on electronic devices for communication of any sort, I will be sorting through those things soon.

That means, telynor your pen will be in its way pretty soon. I am going to get the shipping price this week and I'll send you all the necessary information.

Also - Mom, I promise I will get some money to you for the Alzheimer's Walk before the deadline.

And dreamsidhe - we can start obsessively planning for DRAGON*CON now! Yippie.

Oh, and a belated *Thank you very much* to the hospitality King and Queen, thunder24 and reikimaster for having us for dinner. The salmon and potatoes were fantasic. We eventually recovered from the vanilla cake and muscato wine induced sugar comas we were in.

A post of substance coming soon!

I missed you all.

I am sorry I haven't been around for a while. Here is quick recap.

1) the reason I haven't been around for a while is because my laptop has a rather insidious virus. It has been rendered useless and will require major surgery to correct. We have tried a number of things in the hopes we wouldn't have to start over from scratch, but we have to start over from scratch. The real bummer is that I have 7 months worth of a book I was working on sitting on a thumb drive that I can't do anything with until I have a way to scan it. That'll teach me to not back up stuff. I don't know when this situation will be resolved. My time on the PC is limited to right before going to work, generally.

2) we saw The Dark Night on Friday with reikimaster and thunder24. I will not go into details of the movie or the interesting movie experience here, just because I don't have the time. Overall, I loved the movie and the company.

3) this weekend was my company summer party. We went to Brasstown Valley Resort. We had a great time.

4) one of these days I will recap our 4th of July weekend.

5) we are going back to Asheville this weekend for Bele Chere, the city-wide music festival.

Thanks for listening. I will be back eventually with a lot more details.

I am eager for this week to be over. With the long weekend ahead, I am ready for ( 4th of July at Mt. Matt in Asheville )

In honor of the holiday I have made a fun Mix CD for everyone as a party favor. It features songs about US States and Cities. The track order is based on where the city/state is located North to South.

( here is the playlist, if you are feeling like patriotic music to listen to... )