Found in Fishers

Yikes, squatting practice needed

I guess I might as well start practicing the art of squatting now. I got my briefing book today for my trip to China. I am beyond excited, well except I am not quite sure how I am going to learn to squat in just 6 weeks.
As you can see by the picture, this is quite a different way to take care of business. I am not sure how to do this and keep my hands from hoisting myself back up. Oh ya, and no toilet paper. It was suggested that we bring tissue with us when we need to use a restroom. The 44 pounds of luggage I am allowed to bring will become more and more challenging as I look at the list of things I will need. More details this week. In the meantime, check out a demonstration of squatting. Squatting in Asia

We can rebuild her

Just like the Million Dollar Man, "We can rebuild her". Poor Yellow Hair. She was left in the possession of Sarah's house. She obviously did not take great care in her well being because Charlie the dog mauled the poor thing. I guess all the craziness of Sarah's big move made her well...neglectful. Poor yellow hair. She is in for a face transplant. Stay tuned.

Chinese for a day

Sarah and I decided to be Chinese for a day. Kinda like Chinese bootcamp before my journey. We were fortunate to spend last Saturday with Guo who works with Sarah and his family to learn more about the Chinese culture. First up...using chopsticks. We did all kinds of chopstick sort of exercises before Guo set us free. In no time at all Sarah was flicking food all over the room. Even landed a cashew in her tea cup. I think we finally perfected it before the snacks came. Bo Li made us some traditional bread from Beijing as northern Chinese are big bread and noodle eaters. The snack she prepared was quite interesting. First up, little dried fish. Not much bigger than a paper clip but strong in flavor. Bo Li encouraged us to crunch the little critters in our teeth but we were not quite ready for that so we swallowed them whole. We also tasted some spicy turnips. She cautioned me not to eat the red pieces as I don't care for very spicy food. We were honored to meet "uncle". Uncle Hans was visiting from New York and preparing to go with Guo to China to visit the homeland. Here was some advice from our new friends about China:
    *China is rich with culture and traditions. China has a long history.
    *Buy extra camera batteries in case they blow up in China from the higher powered, less stable electricity.
    *If your computer blows up, borrow a friend's.
    *Try all the food, especially in the markets. If you get sick you will be over it in 2 days with medicine from the hotel
    *Use correct Chinese money in the markets, the vendors like to use fake money with Americans.
    *Don't worry about the 1052 stairs you have to climb to get to the top of the Great Wall, that is like climbing the IITRI tower 4 times, plus the incline is not as bad.
    *Prepare for very hot weather, like a summer in Cuba. (Never been to Cuba)
    *Don't be too worried about eating fish, Chinese also eat lots of pork.
    *Don't practice eating Chinese food in America, not real Chinese.
    *Pack lightly, you can only check in one bag. There is no room to bring home a Chinese New Year Dragon head.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yes, it is my birthday today! Unlike the two birthdays I celebrated since December at Buca, it really is my birthday. It was a great day. Started with breakfast this morning, just me and Juan. We had some time to talk and get away before I have to be back at work tomorrow. Juan, the kids and I went to a local Italian restaurant for dinner. I also got this cake, big enough to serve the entire neighborhood mind you but a great way to celebrate my birthday and the completion of my new flower garden. Before we could eat, I made the family sing Happy Birthday to me. Yikes do they sing out of tune!!! It was a fun day. I did not have to cook a single meal all day long. I also finished up a great novel I was reading while relaxing on the porch enjoying this fine spring day before a winter chill returns later this week.
From the family I got some neat presents for my China trip. Mark got me a beautiful leather journal for my trip. Liz,a snazzy make-up bag filled with items needed for traveling. Juan bought me this dandy looking luggage set. My guide told us he was bringing 3 changes of clothes in a small luggage bag and a knapsack as a carry-on. Yikes, I am in trouble. I had better start thinking smarter about packing. I cannot live for 5 and a half weeks with 3 changes of clothing. My pictures will look boring. Hee Hee. I better get serious about packing lightly. I will be taking my computer so that I can stay connected to you all with my blog, store photos, and keep notes about my photos. Stay tuned for my packing news.

Spring Fever Arrives

Most people take it easy on a vacation day. That was my plan too but I just got something up my craw. I decided I wanted to make a new garden and add to my old flower garden. It all started with a trip to Costco, you know our favorite store. Inside the front entrance were lines and lines of bushes.  It was amazing. I just had to plant a new garden. Mark with the help of his friend Ashton helped me clear 200 square feet of sod and create a new garden on the side of the house. We planted many shrubs, hostas and daylillies. We also planted four large shrubs in front of the house to add some height to my front garden. With new plants of course we had to freshen up the mulch.

So here is the story, we planted 7 Japanese Hollies, 6 tall evergreen types shrubs, 4 azaleas, 4 hostas, 24 daylillies, and numerous other perennials as well as a flat of pansies. Then we mixed 20 bags of topsoil into the clay and covered it with 14 bags of red colored mulch. We also created a little rock garden area for the hose to sit on so that it would not sink in the ground. Finally, after we filled 22 bags of sod, we drove it over to the Hamilton County recycling center to dump it. We had to dump it out of the bags first though because they do not accept yard waste in plastic bags. Besides the cost of the plants and other landscaping materials, the only other expenses were energy drinks, Taco Bell, and KFC for the boys.