The good life?
Gauss displays the find of the week: a fresh porcini mushroom, fated to become risotto this evening.
New bedroom curtains
Gauss cleared out the guest room and has set up his computer there.
Gauss returned after spending the week working in L.A., so we worked on setting up the cottage. I biked to the local Ikea (3 miles) and found some heavy curtains on sale for the bedroom. When winter comes, we will need the insulation, as the cottage is cobbled together from plywood and single-pane windows. We unloaded a few more boxes, and he got his office set up.
We also purchased a washing machine on Craigslist, the source of all things cheap and wonderful. This week the plumber hooked it up in Robin’s garage, an odd concept for this Minnesotan who is certain that it will freeze in the winter. Now we no longer have to drive to the laundromat carrying our grungy clothes and enough quarters to sink a small boat.
We are on Rat Patrol here—we had heard the vermin running around in the attic when we first moved in and decided to declare war. Our weapon of choice was D-Con, and apparently it has been working. We followed our noses outside to one of our decomposing victims and Gauss bravely picked it up with two sticks and tossed it in the trash. Now our yard smells better but our garbage can smells worse. But it will be taken away in two days, hurrah!
No photo of the rat, aren’t you glad?
The cottage has a little storage room at one end where the former occupant, a Catholic priest, worked as a counselor. We’ve dubbed that the “Therapy Room” and the little attic above it—accessible from an outside stairway—as the “Rat Room.” Our ultimate goal is to clear the attic of vermin so we can store stuff up there.
After de-Ratification, we took a practice run to the Redwood City Caltrain station—4.5 miles. Gauss is considering biking there to pick up the train to work some mornings. It was a 30 minute ride at a relaxed pace, and from Redwood City it is only 9 minutes on the train to San Mateo where he works.
Along the way we passed through a Mexican neighborhood. It was getting close to lunchtime, and the aroma of chiles nearly kept us from completing our mission. As soon as we reached the train station, we we turned around and stopped at the little taqueria that had smelled the best. Yummm! And so reasonably priced! Gauss said it was the best Mexican food he’s had since arriving here.
Between the taqueria and home, we stopped at Sigona’s farm market, where we found fabulous mangoes, ripe, yummy peaches and nectarines, and FRESH porcini mushrooms. We purchased half a mushroom and plan to make fresh mushroom risotto for dinner tonight. Earlier in the week, I bought four chairs on Craigslist, so we can now sit at the dining table and eat a proper meal.
New bedroom curtains
Gauss cleared out the guest room and has set up his computer there.
Gauss returned after spending the week working in L.A., so we worked on setting up the cottage. I biked to the local Ikea (3 miles) and found some heavy curtains on sale for the bedroom. When winter comes, we will need the insulation, as the cottage is cobbled together from plywood and single-pane windows. We unloaded a few more boxes, and he got his office set up.
We also purchased a washing machine on Craigslist, the source of all things cheap and wonderful. This week the plumber hooked it up in Robin’s garage, an odd concept for this Minnesotan who is certain that it will freeze in the winter. Now we no longer have to drive to the laundromat carrying our grungy clothes and enough quarters to sink a small boat.
We are on Rat Patrol here—we had heard the vermin running around in the attic when we first moved in and decided to declare war. Our weapon of choice was D-Con, and apparently it has been working. We followed our noses outside to one of our decomposing victims and Gauss bravely picked it up with two sticks and tossed it in the trash. Now our yard smells better but our garbage can smells worse. But it will be taken away in two days, hurrah!
No photo of the rat, aren’t you glad?
The cottage has a little storage room at one end where the former occupant, a Catholic priest, worked as a counselor. We’ve dubbed that the “Therapy Room” and the little attic above it—accessible from an outside stairway—as the “Rat Room.” Our ultimate goal is to clear the attic of vermin so we can store stuff up there.
After de-Ratification, we took a practice run to the Redwood City Caltrain station—4.5 miles. Gauss is considering biking there to pick up the train to work some mornings. It was a 30 minute ride at a relaxed pace, and from Redwood City it is only 9 minutes on the train to San Mateo where he works.
Along the way we passed through a Mexican neighborhood. It was getting close to lunchtime, and the aroma of chiles nearly kept us from completing our mission. As soon as we reached the train station, we we turned around and stopped at the little taqueria that had smelled the best. Yummm! And so reasonably priced! Gauss said it was the best Mexican food he’s had since arriving here.
Between the taqueria and home, we stopped at Sigona’s farm market, where we found fabulous mangoes, ripe, yummy peaches and nectarines, and FRESH porcini mushrooms. We purchased half a mushroom and plan to make fresh mushroom risotto for dinner tonight. Earlier in the week, I bought four chairs on Craigslist, so we can now sit at the dining table and eat a proper meal.
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