Last weekend we got to host some visitors from the cold and icy north: Kc from MI and Kim and Catie from Norway. For some reason, I only seem to have photographic evidence of Catie’s visit. I do recall trying to get pictures of the adults, but perhaps they snuck into my camera and did some deleting. Or perhaps I was using Kim’s camera. Either is possible because I do have memories of using Kim’s camera, and Kc is very devious when it comes to photos of herself.
While these lovely ladies were here, we had lots of yummy food…
Played with the critters…
Fed the bees…
And got concrete…
Kc had to leave on Sunday to get back to work. After we dropped her off at the airport, Kim, Catie, and I … went to the mall. It started out as a simple quest for a garlic peeler (they make those?) and ended up as an adventure in clearance shopping. Kim really knows how to shop the clearance stuff. I was in awe. I was also in awe of the crazyness of people. I saw at least four people take strollers onto escalators, and I think only one of those people took the baby out first. I was also approached by a kiosk lady who faked interest in Anya to try to get me to buy “stretch mark remover.” Uh lady? Look at me. Do you really think pregnancy-related stretch marks are a problem for me? Anya was definitely an attraction in her sling. Even one of the escalator-stroller mommies asked me about the sling. “WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?” In one store, a teenage boy with a few of his friends said, “When I have a kid, I’m getting me one of those!” And at a kid’s clothes store, I surprised the cashier when I turned towards her and she realized it wasn’t me making those weird goobly sounds, “OH! There’s a PERSON in there!” I love that sling. I also loved shopping with the gals even though the Disney store doesn’t sell the glittery green shoes in my size. (When I asked the sales guy why not, he replied, “Honey, they don’t sell them in my size either!)
On Monday, we decided to go to town to hit the thrift store and get lunch. Too bad the thrift store is closed on Monday. I thought perhaps we could try Ray’s for lunch. Ray’s is this place that looks like a biker bar…big sprawling gray building with a rock facade painted on the front. It was voted best burger in Floyd, and it’s always packed on Friday nights when we drive by. It really does appear to be a family joint. Why oh why does it look like that, though? It needs a makeover I think. The locals would probably boo at me for the idea, but really…that place looks scary. Anyhow, Ray’s is also closed on Monday. We ended up at the Blue Ridge Diner…a place I have not yet been. The food was okay…typical diner food. After we ate, we visited the General Store and oogled cast iron cookware, and Catie instructed a fellow about how they speak Norwegian in Norway. Next we decided to visit one of the galleries, but it was…yes…closed on Monday. Instead we went into what appeared to be a little antique shop but was really a huge shop. Kim was on a mission to find a few things, and so we looked through the entire store. I guess two women with little kids raised the proprietor’s shoplifting antenna because we were followed most of the time we were there. The day still seemed young when we said farewell to our watcher, and I went back to the car to change and feed Anya. Kim and Catie went on to visit some other stores. Turns out things close in town around 5:00 on Mondays, though, so we headed home.
Tuesday morning, the gals packed up in a hurry and ran away because I thought Anya had pink eye (and they were planning to leave then, anyhow). It had appeared at daycare about a week ago, so when Anya woke up with goopy eyes I figured she had it. I’m not sure if she did, but she did get a fever and had a sad day. I think she is finally teething.
In conclusion, Kim and her family need to move to the States, and Kc needs to make my mom cinnamon rolls.
I love the picture with the concrete truck.
Sure we were feeding bees! What else could you possibly do with a 25lb sack of sugar around here?
I also have a garlic peeler. It’s called my palm.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Catie is a cutie.
Andy, you are starting to look like that guy from ZZ Top. Digging the beard.
He bought some conditioner today, so he can make his beard soft and luxurious. You shoulda seen him in the shampoo aisle, “Do you think they make beard conditioner? No? Should I get the conditioner for frizzy hair, dry hair, or regular hair?”
Awww it looks like you had a wonderful time. How nice for Kim and Catie to make it across the pond finally.
And my garlic peeler is my palm pressing against the base of my knife – works great! I’ve seen those ones where you put hte garlic in and roll it, and it rolls off the peel, but that seems like more work to me.
My girlfriend Tam and I both carry our babes around in slings, and it always gets lots of attention. They’re not so rare that people haven’t seen them before though, folks you run into seem surprised!
Btw, I noticed that Catie is wearing pink in every picture (and sort of, Andy is too). What a girlie girl!
I’ve only seen maybe three or four babies in slings around here. Whenever I do see one, I do a little hop and dance and point and say, “YAY!”
Catie definitely loves pink. Especially if the pink has to do with princesses!
A garlic peeler….yes, I have no idea why I HAD to have one. I went through the same thing when I HAD to have baby nail clippers while in labor and I needed them before the baby was born. Just something that happens to me, I guess. I usually use my fingers, as I haven’t perfected the knife trick, and I get garlicy smelling fingers. Eww! I guess the peeler appealed to my nose or something.
And, yes, Catie is quite the girlie girl and loves her pink. But, she doesn’t mind getting dirty, either. I always have to remember to clean out her pockets of rocks, leaves and sticks and such, and that doesn’t sound too girlie to me. Heh.
I find that the knife thing can be hard on my wrists. Though, not sure if the peeler would be better. Baby nail clippers are very handy. I like garlicky smelly fingers. YUM. Garlic! HI!