Do you have any questions?

Another wedding. Another room to fill. 

Wanted: new housemate.

Seeking sweet bonhomie.

Has it been two months since I've sat in this seat asking these same questions?

Things to tell potential housemates about:
*Kitchen area is shared
*Cars in garage switch off each month
*Plenty of street parking
*Laundry machines in garage
*Utilities, internet, and household bills split
*Chores assigned
*Local transportation
*Gardening allowed
*Warn the house when bringing others over

Do I have any questions for you?
Blank stare.
What should I know?

Sleep/wake habits?
Lifestyle?
Current career?

What do you ask potential house(apartment)mates?

Stuff and Now

Here are pictures from my future garden (aka French Laundry's garden) mentioned before.

What is Yacon? Is it pronounced like bacon?
The roots are the featured food. Did you know peanuts do not come from trees?

I wish I could grow strawberries that I got to each before the birds and insects get to them.

Yum! Peppers! Last week I threw a chilli together in the slow cooker but misread the recipe- "1 or 2 canned chipotle peppers" was misinterpreted as "1 or 2 cans of chipotle peppers." Spicy mistake!

My favorite garden presence had to be the chickens. They were so fluffy and had funny tufts of feathers on their feet, like they were prepping for winter and already wearing their feather booties.

Other than that....

Congrats to the SF Giants who won the world series last night!

My brother challenged me to a duel... in weight loss. 

I'm not quite sure how to go about losing weight because I've never had to deal with this issue. Growing up I was always encouraged to gain weight. I suppose things change as you age.

The dream garden

A few months ago I ventured into the realm of gardening with a now half-dead peonies named Alex and now a few sprouting tomato sprouts. My old housemate successfully planted a large potful of basil that is now sagging from the weight of its giant-and-still-growing leaves, incredibly convenient for the occasional omelet and Italian dish. One day I hope to eat from my own garden. A trip for ingredients to make dinner would consist of a few steps into the yard with a pair of shears.

A few weeks ago I visited a home in San Jose to purchase some plant pots from a Craigslist posting. Just to give you an idea about the seller... I inquired if he had a compost bin for sale and he responded that he had just sold six and was now only down to one. Excuse me... when will you be selling your house? His garden boasted several fruit trees that looked ready for picking, a vegetable garden area (he decided not to plant this year), Hawaiian ginger (I've never seen ginger outside a grocery store before!), and plant hanging fragrant limes used for Thai curry. Oh how I admired his garden. I couldn't stop telling everyone about it and envisioning it as my dream backyard.

But then this past weekend, my brother took us to the French Laundry garden. Thomas Keller's garden has definitely taken the dream to new heights.

Snapped with my phone. 

I'll post more pictures later. 

Oh this thing

Oh yes, I have a blog...

A few months ago my brother took me biking in Calistoga. We pedaled through local neighborhoods and a vineyard while belting out showtunes without a care without a person in sight. A picture of happiness. ... In high school, my family rented bikes for a day and biked around Stanley Park in Vancouver, Canada. It was quite the adventure when our path was cutoff by a festival and we found ourselves wheeling and carrying our tandems through a busy shopping area of the metropolitan town. Upon return from the trip I begged my parents for a bike and received one for my birthday. We lived on an intimidating steep hill. ... One morning I came downstairs for breakfast and asked my stepdad if the craigslist inquirers purchased any of the furniture and other posted items my parents planned to sell in preparation for their long move. He fiddled with his response in his head. Cautiously, he chose to responded in a jovial manner. They didn't purchase what we had intended to sell, but my bike was sold for $20. ... I have since spent many years without a bike in my life.

Guess what has finally arrived today?

I'll give you a haiku clue...

ring ring goes my bell
to fro the farmers market
pedal fast and brake

A BIKE!!!!

(the picture is a bike I saw in Taiwan, not mine)

New additions to my shopping list: bike basket and bell. :)

Oh happy happy. 

I have high hopes for a new exercise routine incorporating my bicycle (hopefully this one will not involve injuries). Seeking biking buddies. I am very slow, but we all have to start somewhere, right? Have you seen this article? Click.