Opinions, Please

Hello, friends.

Remember how we're conjuring up some magic to make the outdoor space at Center for Victims a little bit better? WELP ... we've got a ways to go. Right now we've got a little less than half of a patio.

Half of a patio is kind of sad, right?

I mean, we could put grass in some of that space, but I would rather not. Grass requires maintenance and ends up with weeds and generally just isn't as great for a long-term solution.

HELP, PLEASE.

While I'm standing here begging for help, I have another thing I need help with. Yes, I do ask too many favors. It's a fact. ANYWAY, paint is a thing that is happening no matter what, especially at this end of the space.

The storage building on the left is likely going to end up a pale yellow so that it matches the building in front of it. See? These two should match.

So the siding will be yellow and the trim white.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE DOOR? And the door on the brick building? And the door in the middle of that fence? I think they should all be the same color, but WHAT COLOR?

Help.

Google images has lots of ideas for what works with a light yellow house. Check it. Which color do you like best? It has to work with the dark red brick as well.

1. Admirality? (Dark blue)

2. Brunswick? (Green)

3. Dover Gray?

4. Fig Branches? (Brown)

5. Pitter Patter? (Light blue)

Something else? (If you like something else, give me a color name, please. Use PPG color names.)

How about we throw a little money at this game? Make a donation and tell me which color you think would be best in the "Message for Center for Victims" field. Whichever color gets the most money will be the one we use. This little game will end Friday morning because I super need to get the paint color selections into the right hands.

Annnnd go!

 

Annnnd We're Hooked

I'm not generally an early adopter, but sometimes I randomly jump aboard a train just as it is leaving the station. That's how it came to be that I already had the app installed and was up to my eyeballs in obsession by the time Saturday morning rolled around. I decided it was time to spread the love.

"Hey. Alexis. Did you know there's a new Pokemon app?" I asked.

"So?" she replied. "I'm not a Pokemon girl."

"Oh?" I said. "That's too bad because there's a Pokemon across the street." I had just jumped out of the shower and certainly was in no condition to be running around outside. The neighbors already think I'm crazy; there's no need to continue to prove them right.

"What?" Alexis asked. A few moments later, with my phone clutched in her hand, she sighed loudly. "FINE, I'll go get it."

And with that, she was out the door. I stood by a window so I could watch my scheming unfold. As Alexis looked both ways then crossed the street (good girl!), something miraculous happened.

The neighbor. The one that's a year older than Alexis. HE APPEARED. OUTDOORS. To give you a little idea of how amazing this is, I see him once per year. I see him on the first day of school, and THAT IS IT. Sure, he will be at school events like concerts and such, but I do not see him outdoors. Ever. I am by no means criticizing that fact - he's a sweet kid who will do great things in life. He's just going to do them inside because computers and games and indoors. Away from the sun is his way to be.

BUT HE WAS OUTSIDE.

And he had a phone clutched in his hand as he walked the same direction as Alexis. They didn't see each other. He was probably busy focusing on not spontaneously combusting from all that sun and Alexis was already sucked in. She had the Pokemon cornered and was trying to figure out how to use the ball to catch it. With her brow furrowed deep, she took small steps one way then another and very nearly crashed into the neighbor.

Neither one of them noticed.

It wasn't until he was a good ten feet past Alexis that he looked over his shoulder, registered what was happening, and then continued on his way after making the most amazing face because A GIRL WAS PLAYING. A CHEERLEADER, EVEN.

Alexis caught her Pokemon, returned to the house bouncing, and immediately informed me that we would be spending our Saturday catching things because "THIS IS SOOOO FUN!"

So we spent our day catching things.

As an extra special bonus, all that time outdoors meant we not only saw the neighbor outside multiple times, we found out that family has a dog. I think it might have gone for its first, second, third, and maybe even twentieth walk around the neighborhood that day.

Who needs a front porch for meeting neighbors when you can search for Pokemon with them?

Simple Pasta Salad

I have a mission in life and that mission is to put as little effort as possible into all things. Some might call it lazy, I call it smart. Why try to cobble together lunch for Mila all week when I can make something on the weekend that she can eat all week long?

Cold pastas, man. They're the bomb.

This particular one is particularly bomb-tastic because it's a "base," so to speak. She'll eat it exactly as photographed one day, and then the next I can add some veggie pepperoni to change it up.  I can toss in some cucumbers, olives, Italian dressing, or whatever. I can even heat it up and toss in some veggie ground beef.

It won't last long enough to do that, though. Alexis will make sure of that.

Simple Pasta Salad

1 pound cavatappi or penne, cooked per instruction on the box
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in halves
1 8-oz package mozzarella balls
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt to taste

1. Once the cavatappi is cooked, toss in the olive oil and white wine vinegar then refrigerate it until cool.

2. Add in all of the other stuff. Toss.

3. DONE. It's summer; you should be spending time outside, not in the kitchen.