thebeckybug

We’re walking to the school to collect the kids as we call them (the younger siblings.) I turn to J6 (let’s call him Jacob) and say, “Mmmm, smell this,” as I offer up a handful of a mountain laurel bloom from the tree. It smells like purple fun-dip or grape gum and brings back fond memories of being a kid. I wave him over, pretty certain it will trigger some kinda of sensory connection for him, as well.

Jacob was cautious, wary of what I was trying to torture his nose with. He sniffed it in, and reeled back with a scrunched-up face. He’s at the stage where everything that tastes or smells nice to most people will revolt him to no end. I call this the punk-teenager stage, except he’s only 6. This yummy grape-smelling flower was one of those things. I was still a bit surprised with the scrunch face.

I inquire, “What does it smell like?”

His answer, very definite. “It smells … Jurassic.”

“Jurassic?” I attempt to clarify, “like dinosaurs.”

“Yeah. Jurassic.”

What I learned about my family history during last night’s dinner:

• My great-grandmother played piano at the nursing home. She would help the other elderly residents by wheeling their chairs to wherever they wanted to go. The staff asked her to stop, and she couldn’t understand why.
• My great-aunt was a missionary in South America. Her son had polio because of it.
• My grandmother and her sister shared a bed when they were young and act the same way now toward each other as if it were the case now. However, they currently live a thousand miles away.
• My grandfather likes any food prepared for him by anyone in his family. His exact words are “How did you know this was my favorite?”
• But even more than that, he LOVES coconut cream pie. My Grandmother doesn’t eat it, but makes it for him once a year for his birthday. He would have eaten the whole pie after dinner, but I had a little slice.
• My great-aunt is the most opinionated person I’ve ever known. She only half-heartedly doesn’t mind when you don’t agree with her.
• My great-aunt remembers everything as if it happened yesterday, The War, growing up on a farm in Kansas, and college.
• My paternal side of the family has musical abilities, but no vocal abilities.
• My grandfather loves puppies.

While hanging the last shelf in our living room, I’ve decided that this room is officially re-did. Over the past year or so, I’ve been attempting to make our living room more “homey.”

Because we rent this duplex, it was difficult to conjure the energy to put any work into it, at first. We ended up living in a bare space, except for the loads of couches, and how there were loads of couches! I think we ended up giving away 3 couches and 1 oversized chair with matching ottoman.

The living room was difficult to tackle because the shape and size of the room. The room is more like and oversized hallway, being much longer than it is wide. Some other challenges we faced were: getting ample amount of seating for the gatherings (where someone always brings a keg) we tend to host; the fish tank we swore we would never move until absolutely necessary; the large-in-so-many-directions TV; the placement of the front door, and lack of natural light. I added the additional pressure on myself to make the room into the most use-able space in the house.

It took months to come up with a layout that had any potential, it took even more time to find furniture that could fit. Ikea showed the most promise, being able to cater to the small, unique space we have. Once I found/customized the couch to fit, everything started falling into place. Once I got over my fear of putting holes in the walls, the place gained some real character.

Here are some random pictures that show what the room looked like before, through a few re-arranges (I forgot to take formal pictures, so don’t mind the people in the ‘before’ shots.) Today I took pictures from about the same angles.

Before: Yes, I purchase that painting, and paid for it, with money. And no, I didn’t like it, it just went perfectly with that ugly couch. Yes, that is an inflatable corona bottle hanging from the A/C vent.

After: The painting is replaced by some tasteful rodeo art drawn by my brother.

Before: Same wall as before. This picture screams: “we need storage!” Also of note: how to turn your TV antenna into wall-art.

After: We have storage! I’m thinking about taking the middle door off the cabinet. Option A: deal with big white panels throwing off the symmetry. Option B: have an open-shelf that acquired dust. I think I’ll take Option A. I don’t like dusting.

Before: Notice bikes in the background, and lack of place to put beers (besides own crotch.) This is also before we acquired a million couches.

After: Places! to put drinks! And who knew the back wall was useful for things other than a place to lean bikes. Artwork on back wall also by my brother.

Chairs purchased for $140 from Room Service Vintage. Table purchased for $20 from Room Service Vintage. The desks and bookcases are from Target, purchases from college.

Before: Here is when we had a long room full of couches. Only one made it into the picture. Also note coffee table in the middle of the room, yet we still put our bud light on the sofas. That corner with the TV was so dark, like our own little black hole.

After: Couch from Ikea. Wall shelves from Ikea. Lighting from The Home Depot and Ikea. It took lots of little lights, but that corner is now less depressing.

Before: Yeah, we really needed some storage. and some stuff on the walls.

After: Viola!

I have some goals for this website:

• Start running ads
• Find/design a template that I’m in love with
• Design and post a new masthead every month or so
• Create a “projects” section and update regularly
• Assemble a survey-less “about me” page

Time frame: this month

Suggestions: welcome

Dear Boyfriend,

Please note I am aware that I have been a psychotic girlfriend as of late. There is basically no excuse for my actions. I want to thank you for not shooting me in the face this past week.

I realize that my obsessive behavior about furniture can appear as a serious psychological problem. However, I realize this and apologize for trying to get rid of most of the furniture you own; including but not limited to your couch, your coffee table, your TV stand (both of them,) your desk, and hrmm, I’m sure there’s something else that inadvertently got thrown to the curb.

Your sense of style (if mis-match furniture was ever a style) is debatable, but I know I should respect your need to keep the stuff you purchased less than 2 years ago (even if it doesn’t match or have a use in this house.) After all, I’m one of those things you’ve acquired since moving into this house, and it’s nice that you want to keep me around, even when I seem useless. Thanks for not inadvertently throwing me to the curb.

Also, thank you for understanding and being flexible. Thank you for loading and squeezing box after box of collapsed furniture into your beloved car. Thank you for trusting my sense of style and helping me install the shelves to the walls. Thank you for responding to my screams (with ample amounts of alcohol) as I continuously battle with the meaning of “some assembly required.”

You are truly a gem.

Love,
Becky

P.S. Would you like to join me at The Ikea on Sunday to pick out a new headboard?

My small saltwater fish tank (video link) houses a little collection of fish and other living things.

Fish
(2) percula clown fish
(1) coral beauty angelfish
(1) striped hawkfish

Corals
(1) frogspawn
(1) trumpet coral (candy cane coral)
(1) Pulsing xenia
(50) various colors of button polyps
(1) dying flowerpot coral
(1) mushroom
(1) torch coral

The Kite Festival happened this windy weekend at Zilker park. I, however, did not participate in the kite-flying festivities as I was already engaged with The Scandinavians and Their Furniture.

As I was driving home from the Ignoring Kites Emporium Amazingness I spotted a kite flying unusually high, and unusually far away from the Kite Fields.

On my way to work this morning I spotted the same solitary kite still flying. I was watching it in wonderment. It had swam through the tumultuous weather that pounded our skies last night.

That brave kite was still sailing high through the cloudy, windy, very cold front that landed on us through my lunch break. I started to wonder what the story behind this lone kits was, whose it was, and what was anchoring its tether. How would someone go upon looking for a lost kite. One that just flew away and tangled its kite string through a tree. How on earth could someone find what tree was holding it captive. Maybe it was caught in some power lines. I wondered if it’s family missed it. That navy blue kite with two long tails.

On my way home I hoped that the kite had not fallen or been found. I hoped that, though it was dark, I would be able to see it once again today. I could have sat and watched it all day. I had a furniture delivery to wait around pointlessly for instead. But the kite, it was waiting for me on the drive home. Its blue matching the impending darkness.
The tree, being blown around and frozen all up in this awful weather must be having some fun flying that kite. I hope it never realizes the festival was over last night.

I spent 5 hours at The IKEA today acquiring the following items:

TV stand with storage for DVDs

Bookshelf to match TV unit (with doors)

2 DVD towers to match bookshelf

Wall-mounted shelf to match DVD towers

Lighting for other wall-mounted shelving (3 fixtures)

Two matching vases for empty spot on shelves

Three small matching vases

Breadbox

Two swiveling desk chairs

Grumpy attitude

45% discount for damaged furniture

Free drinks

Less than $600 charged to my debit card

A love-hate relationship with the enormity that is The Walanavianmart

A love-hate relationship with the boyfriend who endured the trip to International Killers for Entertainment Association

We’ll see if I can post a list every day for the next month. The first list is of things I could spend my $20 etsy gift certificate on.

1. Feist Handprinted Silkscreen Poster - Limited Edition
by HeroDesignStudio
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2. Tuscany Print
by JhillDesign

3. Vase Gray Porcelain Black and Caramel
by Shoshonasnow

4. Eleanor Elephant on Grey Key Fob
by BungleBearDesigns

5. Take the Dog For a Walk, Tumbler Set
by mepottery

It’s rare that there’s still light outside after dinner. I ask the kids if they would like to go outside and play before we have dessert. M (4 yrs) replies “But it will be cold! Without any pants!” He looks down and has only superhero undies on. I ask him where his pants went, and he says he forgot. I ask where he put them, and he says he forgot. I ask where he wore them last, he says he forgot. I tell him if he wants to go outside with us, he’d better find some pants to put on.

He searches around the house frantically. First he looks under the couch. Then searches behind the couch. Lifting up the top to the toy box, he finds nothing. The Lego bin people are not holding his pants hostage, either. Then he looks in the kitchen cabinets. He proceeds to the trash can. He tearfully exclaims to me “THEY MUST HAVE DISAPPEARED!”

I walk to the bathroom as he continues scouring the most unlikely places in the house. Like the dishwasher. Of course I find his pants lying on the bathroom floor. After all, he had spent half of his dinnertime in the bathroom, reciting the Iliad and the Odyssey. I call to him that I have found his pants. He rushes in and relieved, says “Oh there they are!”

Halfheartedly, I tell him that he needs to remember some things, like where he put his clothing and his toys, if he wants to have them later. I tell him that I’m worried that earlier he couldn’t remember why he was in time-away at school (for the 3rd time this week.) I suggest he use his Odyssey-reciting brain to remember other important things. I know this advice will just ricochet off his hurricane-child-like-mind.

As he puts his pants on, he looks up at me and offers “Oh I know! Maybe the reason I forget things so much is because from when a black cat crossed my path.”