I've got that September feeling

September always seems like a time when things start and really get going. Although I should have started on a number of things earlier than now, hence I have a bit of work freak-out. I've got a proposal to get in so we can do some work research with students (proposal needs to be approved before we have money to pay students, and interviews are this week. eek), and a paper to finish for a presentation this week. But, it sounds like we can't even hire our students until a bit later -- so maybe the universe intervened and is giving me more time to get my proposal approved....

My friend Annie comes this week for a conference (same one I'm presenting at) and stays with me for 5 days -- I'm really excited. She is a lot of fun. She's the one whose dad is a prospector in the Kootenays. She has a tote bag from a prospectors' conference. Although I *hate* librarian tote bags, I would not refuse that one!

I think by end of September I will endeavour to have the base coat on all my apt walls, and to have my bedroom painted a nice, clear, soothing green. How do you get that green without sinking dangerously into hospital-colour-territory?

My vegetable garden was a total washout this year. I did get some broccoli and some spindly peas. I take full responsibility: should have been monitoring it and weeding it more.

Hello from my living room

I've painted! My living room colour is silver trophy. Paint chip looks more silvery than this onscreen version. But the nice thing is that it picks up some of the blue I have in the room, so looks a little purply (just nice & subtly so). It took me 5 hours to paint the Killz primer & the colour. Not including the ceiling, which still needs sanding & painting. I better start taking you guys up on your offer to help with this project.

So living room is set up, and now I can actually start to unpack books & put them away. After only 3 months here.

Where the Heroine Deals with Expanding Foam and Plaster Chips

I've been doing some home stuff this weekend: starting to polyfill wall holes & ceiling cracks and caulking in the basement where the dryer vent is. And today I'm pretty crabby. Not sure if this is due to work, or just because it is Sunday and I usually feel morose on a Sunday. It is good to be making progress, though. Even though the ceiling now has a large de-chipped area, it feels good not to see the cracks there.

Our local library association is doing a book drive for the women's prison and for the Bissell Centre; we're hoping to pull together books / money to support the libraries in both places. I did a little brochure using Microsoft Publisher -- although the template looks a bit more 'junior league' than 'library advocacy'. And I realized that I forgot to change the photo on the front -- so it's a picture of a bridge and a city that you *might* be able to mistake for Edmonton if you weren't looking. Oh well.

Typing With Cat On Lap

So please excuse any typos. It is Natasha's fault.

I got my bedframe today. A woman in my office had this, and they had to get rid of it, because they don't have much room in the basement, and she wants a more compact, comfortable couch. It's so awesome! She gave it to me gratis -- but I am giving her & husband a gift certificate for a restaurant they like. This was made by a cabinet-maker; just look at that workmanship! It's pine.

Todd helped me put it together. After we finished, we realized one of the drawers doesn't fit... I think I screwed the middle brace in just a bit off. But I will not fix it til later this week.