Busy Bees

The last two days have been filled with activities and to-dos. It sounds daunting, but it was actually fun. So fun in fact that our progress looks like some new apartment odds and ends, an air canon (for an annual fruitcake fling), a clean car that is ready to make the trek to Maryland, and a packed bedroom full of boxes. I know this doesn't necessarily sound like the most exciting of things, but somehow Pete and I always make our chores entertaining (plus it's an excuse to be together). And yesterday and today have been no exception.

So let me take you back to yesterday about 11:00 a.m. as Pete and I are headed out to accomplish a list of apartment needs. I can't begin to tell you how much fun I have shopping for home goods, especially kitchen supplies and that's exactly what the majority of yesterday consisted of (happy girl!). By the day's end we had gotten so many needed things and as a treat we met up with my sister and wound our way though the shelves of Barnes and Noble. The lasting chill from the outdoors was quickly warmed and swept away with a stop at the in-house Starbucks cafe and it was the perfect accompaniment to our book browsing. (If you haven't tried the Caramel Brulee Latte, I highly recommend it). After our bookstore indulgence we parted ways and Pete and I headed to Lowe's to collect project supplies (by far his favorite part of the day). Even I enjoyed being there, especially the time spent picking out our succulents and herbs for planting.

Once home, we (my sister included) rounded out our night with a puzzle. Not just any puzzle, but a 2,000 piece whopper. And three hours later we had made minimal progress, but were just as entranced with connecting joining pieces as we were at the start (jigsaw puzzle obsessed). The only things slowing us were our dropping eyes that finally won at 1:30 this morning...

...which brings me to today. Pete and I concentrated on packing up my childhood bedroom and we found some treasures, including two lava lamps (that are somehow coming to Maryland with us). Of course, we also had to try them out and make sure that about a decade of nonuse had not hindered their bubble-making abilities. Secretly it was fun to plug them back in and watch the colorful blobs float and split (shhh don't tell Pete). Late afternoon brought a break with the construction of an air cannon for the annual New Year's Day Fruitcake Fling (read all about it in January). Pete was the mastermind behind his design and also the victim of super glued fingers. From our experience not much is helpful in getting it off and that includes the following: salt, hand lotion, lemon juice, Goo-Gone, and acetone-based fingernail polish remover (the most useful). Luckily, time and a little friction did the trick and my fiance no longer has super-glue hands.

This night has been rounded off with a birthday dinner for Mama (she's a Christmas baby so we give her another day to celebrate!), more puzzle working, and now some popcorn popped in my new air popper!