Just So You Know

I've been absent from my farcical posts on account of my having started school, working in the afternoons and (mostly) because Dad has the camera. Things have been lively around here lately.  For starters, the guys downstairs were apparently shooting off fireworks the other night and the neighbors called the cops. Yes, I was home but somehow I slept through the whole thing. Anyways, all of us tenants revived an angry letter from the owner of the realty declaring that one more slip up of the offending party would result in eviction.  Since then, the guys have been hanging out in front of the house, on Broad street, closer to the mansion next door.
Ellen has passed her final test and is an official personal trainer. Now if only she had some clients...
I've started ole stinkin school again and its the same old thing. Do this by then... complete this by thursday.....don't forget to cite your sources...blah blah blah. I just don't care. I feel a drop out coming on.

Oh and by the way, Grandma has been scheming with some "young man" from her church in an attempt to marry me off before my next birthday.  Never-mind about Lukas, this "nice young fella" grew up in the church with them and has such a lovely family....blah blah.  Well this guy showed up at MY WORK the other day, having been "sent there" by Grandma, or so I thought. Turns out these two have talked on the phone about our scheduled run-in.  Frankly I'm offended. This guy is obviously as mentally unhinged as Grandma.

Anywho, in the mean time, some never before seen pictures!! Ha!

Cloudy Days

I don't know if it's because of this hurricane but we've had such lovely puffy clouds lately.  For some reason, they make me think of Sweden. Ha!

Le Weekend

My weekend as "Grape Girl" went as follows: Wake up 6:45, get dressed, scrub teeth. Drive to Mt.Pleasant- avoiding all school-mom traffic. Collect my scale and money box and then hike it down the dirt roads to the tent by the woods. Count the money, bag the buckets. Sit and wait.  Wait, wait, wait, customer, wait. I realized about 10:00 that I had no bathroom. I realized I would have to go in the woods and pray that no one came by to pick grapes. I held it. Wait, wait, wait, saw a cicada, wait, wait. Ari brought me lunch around 2:00 on Friday after I realized I couldn't leave my post. She also stood guard while I ventured into the woods for relief. Saturday was a bit worse. I never got the chance to go to bathroom. I held it until I got off at 6:30. And I also never had lunch. It was hot. At least I'm being paid. They might make me do it again next Saturday. Awe Geez!

In more important news, I've continued my wandering which really means that I meandered down to my mopey bench to brood over the fact that school starts tomorrow. Hmph!

 

In other, slightly exciting news, I've recently been loitering around this place http://theginjoint.com/, so much so that the bartenders and waiters greet me by name when I come in. I'm not sure whether to be tickled or embarrassed by this.  Anyways, I brought them some muskadines to concoct into a drink, which they did, much to the delight of my newly established muskadine palate. They told me to name it and they'd see about putting it on the menu. Ha!! It's called a DeVine Sour. I thought that was pretty clever. Anyways, Saturday, before heading over to my modern version of "Cheers", Ari and I ate here http://www.bin152.com/ and my life is now changed forever. If I ever have to choose a last meal, it will indefinitely be bread and cheese. Maybe a little cookie dough.

Veggies n' Things

I survived the farmers market. It was actually quite enjoyable apart from the influx of picky people. I've learned that you should never give people too many options for they begin to pick and choose. I don't know how many people began haggling me for deals despite my clearly set prices. This isn't the Grand Bazaar, it's Mt. Pleasant.

Anywho, as the summer has come to a close, there are only three of us gals left to stand around selling these marvelous veggies. Everyone else has gone back to school or is moving away. I have been given the dubious title of "Grape Girl" for the upcoming weekends. Meaning, in essence, that I am in charge of the grapes? I don't really know. I do however, get to sit back in the woods again near the blueberries that I liked so much. I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, I took some pictures at work yesterday. Never-mind the red tint, it's my red tent.

 

Also, look at the pumpkins coming up! They only planted them a few weeks ago. I've been watching them come up quite quickly. In the background there, the guys are building a "Haunted House."  Halloween is just around the corner.  From what I hear, the guys enjoy scaring the "white" people.

More Wandering

 

We're having cool weather! And by cool I mean the high is 90- but that's great! It's making my meandering even more enjoyable. 

Today is my first day at the Farmers Market- I'm glad it's not so hot.  Ellen continues to leave at 6:30 each morning in her sporty workout clothes.  Usually shes home by lunch time, where she eats her little chunk of dry chicken, day after day, week after week.  This diet is exhausting me.

In other news, someone (probably Colin, the dude) has knocked over an ash tray. I've been patiently awaiting the removal of the butts however, they are still littering the stairs.

 

Also, I have a new-found and intense love for Muskadine grapes.

Peach Cobbler

I would like to casually point out that I have mastered the art of peach cobbler making. Yes, I am confident enough make such a pretentious statement.  I made one for kicks the other day and it was good.  So good in fact, that I bragged about it to the guys at work and therefore was requested to make one for them. I did. And in the process I made one for us. And then I made one for the guys downstairs (who gave me the sweetest thank you note), and another for Mom and Dad, and a half size one for me. I'm out of control!!  You have to have one.

Marina

 

I've been wandering about in my new neighborhood. It's most exciting. 

I finally have some time off and I just can't decide what to do with myself. Work has been going well (sans heat strokes) and starting next week I'm the new farmers market girl. Ha! I now will be spending my Tuesdays at the Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market selling the Boone Hall goods. Awe Geez! I am enjoying this still but I cannot wait until fall.

Buddy's Big Wash

This weekend was very busy. Between jobs, chores, and the nightly show that takes place downstairs, Ellen and I are just swamped. On Friday I went to visit Ellen at her weekend bar-tending job in the Market.  It was particularly loud in there thus, I did not stay long. While walking up our driveway I heard voices and laughing. A bunch of the guys were sitting out on the porch drinking and telling stories. So of course I joined them. I plopped down and joined in on a girl-bashing discussion. "They whine and complain all the time" one of them said. "My girlfriend nags me to death!" said another. "Girls are impossible to please!" I added.  It was a great time. I sat out in the driveway with these guys until 3:30, when Ellen got home and broke up the party by driving through it.

Saturday we both worked.  Ellen has taken a job as a personal trainer for a company in Mt. Pleasant, though in a few months she will get transferred downtown.  She loves it so far.  Part of her training for the job though is to do the diet she will be putting her "clients" on, so that she will know it well and understand their point of view. Well, I had just gone to the grocery store when she brought home this list of "Foods to Avoid".  Needless to say I am now the only one scrambling to eat my "offensive" foods before they spoil.

Yesterday we went home for some much needed dock time.

 

Dad, Buddy, and I jet skied whilst Mom and Ellen watched from the dock.  It was very nice out and we all enjoyed ourselves, that is, except for Buddy who discovered that he was getting bath. He was most unamused.

 

Then Budds decided to sample the local fare.  

 

Buddy went nuts. He loved the taste of his soap so much. He was trying to lick it off of himself and eat it out of Dad's hand. 

 

Ellen eventually had to restrain him...

 

...until Dad finally rinsed him off.

 

Once inside Dad made a colorful meal that we ate with gusto.

 

After dinner we pestered Dad about anything and everything we could find to get him riled up. We love doing that. Dad sent us gals home with bags of food and veggies and a bunch of meat that he cut into just the size Ellen is allowed to have on her diet and then individually wrapped for convenience.  What a sweet man. Ha!

The Grand Tour

Taaada!!! Ok, it took almost a week but here it is. Our Charming abode. Ha! These picture may prove it to be otherwise. I should point out first that moving into this particular building was much like signing a one years contract on the set of a sitcom.  Other than one woman in the front of the first floor, Ellen and I are the only girls.  The other four units are filled with the Jordans and Alstons of the world. It's really great fun! 

I've found that 3 of the guys in particular tend to sit out on the porch when at all possible.  I trip over their crap on my way in and out and must always stop to say Hello.  The crap either changes places daily or does not move at all.  All 8 of the guys in the 4 units are great friends and rotate between whose unit to hang out in thus, in the evening time when more friends come over, the party spills out onto the porches and into driveway. The driveway is a goldmine of crap.  It's great fun being around all these spirited fellas.  They always have something amusing to say or do.  I have repeatedly found a kitchen knife stabbed into different parts of the tree outside. Also, all of them have 1 or 2 animals- dogs and cats, that run freely in and out of any and all units (including ours.)
Ok. The tour...

The front is mostly covered by lush greenery so here is more of a side view of our crumbly, I mean, picturesque home.

 

Ellen and I are the top front unit.

As one moves down the driveway, you impose oneself to the most popular of all porches, the porch with the most commonly modified crap of all. 

 

The phone book was there when I toured the place months ago and the stash of butts just continues to multiply.  

As you round the corner and go up the stairs you see our personal view of broad street...

And our own personal porch (that we share with Colin, our resident dude.)

 

Dad is begging us to let him pressure wash.

Upon entering our dwelling, one is directly exposed to the living room and a giant mirror that was left here by the last tenant.  We believe this is because it was screwed directly into the wall.

 

 

 The cats especially love this big chair by the bay window. Benny likes to watch the traffic below.

And our little kitchen...

There's then a tiny hallway with our bathroom in the middle and our two bedrooms on either side.  The bedrooms are very small but practical and bright.  Ellen would not let me take a picture of her room but you can imagine it looks like mine, though she keeps hers darker and messier and simply is not concerned about hanging pictures.  Hmph!

 

That concludes the grand tour. Yes, it was brief but had it been too detailed I would have found it difficult to make it seem charming.  Many aspects of this place are less than picturesque but there is so much entertainment about, I'm not sure I would change a thing.

Also, our resident slugs have taken to the place quite well and constantly need affection.  I have discovered that they cry when Ellen first leaves for the day (never-mind that I'm here) and Sadie still joins me the bathroom every morning, noon, and night.

Sadie, in her casual kitty pose.