To Victories

Small...

... like finally replacing the buckle on Amy's super portable wheelchair foot rest.  To the basement to measure the strap, to the army surplus store for new buckles and webbing.  Scissors, a screwdriver, and lighter.  DONE.

And less small...

... like finishing the Illinois half marathon.  We weren't the fastest -- 2 hours and 11 mintues -- BUT WE DID IT!! And had the best cheering squad on the route!

Built for Two

California Laura had a fantastic wedding present idea for Pennsylvania Karen -- a vintage Schwinn tandem bicycle from Goodwill.com, in Indiana -- and invited me, in Illinois, to be a part of this multistate mission.

Illinois Shawna and I picked up the bike in Indianapolis while Pennsylvania Karen was in town and staying at our house.  It added an extra bit of fun to know that we were rolling the bike right by her under the cover of night.

 

Illinois Eric came over and offered diagnostic advice to Califoria Laura via Google Video chat.  For as much as was wrong with bike -- I was relieved.  Repair was possible.  I hoped it was clean up decently.

The next day, Illinois Shawna and I sanded into the night getting the sloppy white coat of paint off.  Then Illinois Dan paid a visit to CUT the wheel with bent axle free from the bike.  The next day, the bike got a wipe down in the shower, then had it's newly shined chrome taped up.

And then for painting.  The first coat shone like the sun.  I was so excited.  I gave is plenty of time to dry.  Then I applied the second coat.  Shiny and luxurious.  And then, the weather changed, and the coat began to crackle as the humidity rose.  Fast-forward -- two days later, the day before I need to leave for the wedding.  The bike has dried, been sanded, been wiped clean, and is ready to once again be painted while I kicked myself over the whole ordeal.

California Laura and Diane flew in to Ohio with bike tools, new tires, ribbons, and handcut decals to give the bike a Katamari theme.   Nothing goes as planned, and the California troops labored over the bike until just before the ceremony.

The wedding service ended and the officiant asked that everyone join Karen and Adam in front of the house, where their getaway vehicle was revealed to them. 

In defense of paper flowers (photo heavy)

I have a confession.  I don't really care about flowers.  Especially cut flowers.  W doesn't have strong feelings either  -- other than concern for disappointing the owner of the farm.

I told this to her -- that we just were not into flowers -- and she worked very hard to convince us that we should have SOME flowers -- her hope being that that we would buy flowers from her and have her arrange them.   We talked flowers, and I got briefly excited, but man, they do nothing for me.  I've look at so many flowers on the knot website, and I like some of them, but not enough to exchange currency for them.  She would still like me to tell her what I'd like, and my "flower budget", and let her draw up an estimate to look over, but the whole idea of a "flower budget" is so outside of the kind of wedding W and I have in mind.  I guess we could spend 100 dollars and call it the "make/keep-the-farm-owner-happy budget."  That is in line with what we're going for.  We would like everyone involved to feel good about the whole affair. 

Ultimately, all I really care about is having a lot of very very bright colors around, and that the things at our wedding be things that were envisioned and labored over by us. I feel like I've met the wedding industrial complex halfway --- I'm making centerpieces, for pete's sake!  

We are growing an herb garden of rosemary, mint, basil, and sage this summer, some of which will be clipped and some transplanted for centerpieces (and bouquets and boutonnieres).  Our centerpieces will be clusters of jars, caraffes and milkglass receptacles full of herbs.  So we want to throw in some color. 

Option I:  I wrested with growing flowers to cut and add to the arrangements, but then remembered what a hassle flowers are, and how you can go out of town for just a few days and BAM, those plants are angry.  At least that was my experience.  The swiss chard and peppers were just so much easier, and so mild mannered by comparison.  And the herbs!  Every summer they have a wild party and take over the whole garden (I always overplant, out of fear that I will ever be without enough basil). 

Option II: We could buy an armful teddybear sunflowers, from the farm, or online.  This is feasible -- I just don't want it to get out of control and we end up ordering full flung wedding flowers.  There is a whole industry out there working to make this happen, but I've got my defenses up.

OR!  Option III: behold, the paper flower:
Peonies 
Roses

Roses

More Roses 

Poppies

Black Eyed Susans

Daffodils

Tulips

Daffodils with tulips

Poms

Or chrysanthemums made from tshirts...

Or origami...

More Instructions (for my own reference as much as anything):

• Roses
• The most elaborate arrangements ever 
• Rose directions, more rose directions, calla lillies and spider chrysanthemums, a bouquet, and a variety of projects, all from Martha
• Orchids, poppies and magnolia patterns, available for purchase a tthe Paper Source (although I think you can figure it out from the photos there)

Papel picado has me in its clutches! Python programming grinds me under its bootheel.

This weekend was LEEP weekend, when our classes that typically meet online meet in person -- for eight hour sessions.  People travel from across the country and schedules are jam packed.  I had two LEEP sessions, plus a 7 am "help session" for my programming class that was only helpful at taking away my precious sleep.

Walker is without LEEP classes this term, but hard at work on his text mining project.  I'd tell you more, but his project is so beyond my capacity.  I know it involves SQL (love it!) and millions of records.

The next two or three weeks--the lead up to spring break-- are going to be rough.  Really rough.
_____
On a lighter note, these beautiful banners are from Mexican Sugar Skull, and made by a 74 year old master artist in Puebla, Mexico.  I can't explain, but they make my heart warm and my feet want to dance with happiness. 

Can I learn to do this?  I know -- bad idea. There is a reason these personalized  strings are made by a master artist.  This is not something to try to accomplish while drinking beer and watching Ugly Betty reruns on Hulu. 

Thankfully, non-personalized banners are available all over the place at a fraction of the cost, and still do the trick.    Though, part of me feels bad, like I'm wrong the 74 year old artist in Puebla ... There are fair trade stores also selling them for a good price.

What we know is that there will be strings of lights, lanterns, and garlands, music in the air, and a whole lot of love. Today it is rainy and cold here in Illinois, but these pictures make summer (or at least late spring) feel so close I can taste it!