Can you spot them?
Monday’s with Hanson
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Author Archives: sorellaaglio
what kind of devil bird chirps at night?
This weekend a mockingbird decided that my neighborhood would be the perfect place to fly around, find a mate, and maybe start a family. As a result, at 4:30 Sunday morning, I was feeling a little like this:
Then, Sunday morning as I walked to the farmer’s market with Jeff, I saw the mockingbird, who had started singing again, a block away. “I will find it. I will kill it.I will get a gun and I will shoot that bird,” I said to Jeff. He laughed. I am pretty sure I wasn’t joking, except for the fact that it’s illegal to kill a mockingbird.
The mockingbird reappeared at three this morning, but it was further away, perhaps widening his search for a love. I read online that this mockingbird is going to continue doing his rendition of every car alarm in my neighborhood until he finds a female that is impressed by his wide range (from Volvo to Hyundai, he’s got them all down.)
It doesn’t help that the moon will be full Wednesday night. It doesn’t help that it’s mating season. Something that also doesn’t help? Scaring the mockingbird away. They’ll just come back. They’re quite territorial, you know.
Hopefully I’ll be finding a pair of ear plugs tonight, or hopefully this mockingbird finds a love before I find a bb gun. Either way, I might have to learn how to nap so that I still can get some sleep while this guy belts his little heart out.
5 perfect days
Summer is here. And to celebrate, I spent some time yesterday day dreaming about perfect days of my life, ones that have mostly happened and ones yet to come, that hopefully will happen this summer…
Perfect day 1: To start, you’re there. Of course. We’re at the beach. We have books, a volleyball, a magical supply of iced coffees, a bathroom so close by we could throw a stone at it, an umbrella, and crossword puzzles.
Perfect day 2: You and I decide to see Third Eye Blind (or insert your favorite band.) In New York City, of course. So we spend the day wandering around the city, iced coffees in hand, walk Central Park, maybe go to a museum, and then head to our concert, where we are in the front row in seats, none the less, and there are Sam Summers to be had by all.
Perfect day 3: We’re at the winery. In Malibu. All of our friends are there, east coast, west coast, middle america, southern, everyone. And our families, if you’d like it that way. Private party, winery to ourselves. Have a set list of Mat Kearney, Jason Mraz, and a DJ. Celebrate all afternoon, into the night when the twinkle lights turn on and we dance under the stars, white wine in bulk, spinning under the clear sky until we’re tired and simply must sit down and eat some birthday cupcakes.
Perfect day 4: Farmer’s market. Then yoga. Then we head home, to our sprawling backyard where we can barbecue on our outdoor built-in grill. Burgers, corn, whip up a quick potato, macaroni salad. We swing in the hammock until our friends arrive, serve sparkling lemonade and pitchers of sangria, sit at our over sized picnic table and laugh while music plays in the background. Later, we all jump in the pool, then enjoy a bonfire in our fire pit, nestled in the backyard surrounded by old couches, and our friends jam for a bit, old 90s songs everyone knows the words to.
Perfect day 5: We get a huge group of friends together, and we hike into a national park that has climbing. We climb routes we can complete for hours, and hours, music blasting on someone’s boom box, shaded from the sun but enjoying the heat, stopping only for bagged sandwich lunches, and iced tea from our water bottles. We don’t hike out, but rather find a lake to camp next to for the night, and take a long swim before cooking dinner over a camp fire and then heading to bed. The next morning we hike out slowly, taking pictures of the flora and fauna on the way.
Don’t those sound delightful? What sounds great to you?
Cat used my flower bed as a litter box. I’m gonna kill it, if I find it.
This is what my neighbor said to me as I walked by his apartment building this morning. (And contrary to what I’ve said in the past about meeting my older neighbors in the street, I was actually running early, if you can believe it.)
It was pretty hilarious, and I did all I could from laughing out loud.
I have found in the past few weeks that as I have started running outside, I have become more familiar with my neighborhood, and extended neighbors. Although I am still waiting on a route that doesn’t include a million lights (the much needed break while waiting for a light to change is doing nothing for my endurance) I am enjoying the path. I basically run to the gym, and back, which is about 1.6 miles, and is a hilarious thing, if you think about it. Running to the gym. But it’s been cool enough out to do so, so I am counting my blessings before I am punished by 90 degrees and have to hop on a treadmill.
The running, by the way, is going. I run a little further each time, and want to kill myself a little less. I have tried to mix up my iPod mix, but I need a little help (mixes? suggestions? anyone? hello?) and I also have tried to make sure I actually stretch before I leave so I don’t get halfway and have to embarrassingly have to stop and stretch in front of the police station that is about halfway. So, we’re working on it. Feet have been hurting less, although I tell you I don’t understand how one person can sweat that much. Also, Nikki, the headbands you gave me are magical, and I can’t believe I lived without them.
In other news, last night I had a salad for dinner that was giant, in the biggest Tupperware I own, because “losing weight for weddings” is officially on. No dressing, just veggies, nuts, and fruit. I am on this diet for the duration. Minus Thursday, when I plan on eating the rest of the cupcakes that Mary and Rebecca made, because I can because calories don’t count on the day of your birth.
Tonight we’re back to yoga, since Sunday yoga was canceled due to the gym reflooring it’s classroom. In the next few weeks, I’ll be venturing to a new yoga studio that I bought a GroupOn to, so we’ll see how that goes.
Crow, here I come. What are you up to?
Gotta get down on Friday…
Friends, here we are, on the afternoon side of Friday! And there is a three day weekend ahead for most of us to enjoy! This weekend brings barbecues, soccer games, sunshine, spring cleaning (as we roll into summer), video tutorials on soup making, and potato salad. Among, you know, other things.
Liz and I headed to yoga last night, where we spent an hour and a half breathing deep and trying not to laugh our heads off. The class was interesting, but like always was a little weird for us for the first thirty minutes and took a turn for the weird for the last ten, too. Too much quiet time makes us laugh so hard.
After yoga Wednesday, my abs were sore, and now the two days in a row are definitely catching up with my shoulders. Which is great for these arms and back of mine, let me tell you. Tonight I may run if I feel like it, probably toting Jeff along for the ride, too. I want to do one more set of intervals in the set I’ve got going to gauge how I’m doing. From Monday to Tuesday I added a tenth of a mile to my 20 minutes of intervals, so hopefully I am doing something right.
This weekend I also have to print invitations for my sister’s wedding shower, mail them off, and make sure my bridesmaid dress for Lauren’s wedding fits. To be in more than one wedding a year is hard! At least I had Barbra’s to get me ready…
What are all of you up to this weekend? The thing I am looking forward to the most (besides not typing because boy does it make these forearms ache! Typing and yoga don’t go together!)
This:
Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
