3 Day Weekend

This weekend was quite a surprise for us -- neither one of us remembered that it was Memorial Day, so we were quite happy for the extra day off. The weekend only included three trips to Home Depot (you are probably beginning to see a pattern here). We bought some more paint samples and other fun things, including outlet plate covers and door knobs. We successfully sanded, primed, and painted the oak crown molding a white color. We recycled some of the curtain rods that the owners left by painting them black (great money saver), and then we painted the bathroom. And all of that was just Saturday.

On Sunday, Derek decided to make some of his famous guacamole but ran into a problem: we couldn't find the stupid potato masher thing that he uses to smash the avocados. We soon realized (after searching the entire house and every unpacked box) that we were missing some of our kitchen things. We called UHaul to see if we left a box on the truck but no such luck. It was driving us crazy. Well, on Monday, we had to go back to the old place to finish cleaning, and while we were there, we decided to take one last look through the kitchen cabinets and guess what we found? An entire cabinet that we forgot to pack -- oops. So now all is well -- we have our potato masher, our steamer, and all of our mixing bowls!

Rec Room Before -- oak-colored crown molding

Rec Room After

Newly Painted Bathroom


Derek made an awesome dinner on Sunday - Grilled Tilapia & Shrimp topped with cooked spinach and roasted cherry tomatoes and surrounded with grilled zucchini and summer squash (I contributed by making the strawberry margarita)

Random picture of Reggie*

*Reggie went a little crazy with the frisbee this weekend. He was going non-stop for about half an hour and after we got home, we saw that he was limping a little bit. Turns out he cut his pads and now they are really sensitive. After freaking out and checking on him every couple of hours last night, it looks like he is doing better -- guess we will have to put his frisbee time on hold for the next few weeks.

Little Dipper & Cornhusk Green

Well, this weekend was full of home-related activities. Derek and I made our first major trip to Home Depot (insert line from Old School here..."We're going to Bed Bath and Beyond and then Home Depot if we have time..."). We bought garden gloves, clippers, light bulbs, a ladder, paint samples, and all the other fun homeowner type things you are supposed to have. I did some yard work on Saturday and am now paying the price (apparently, I am a little out of shape). We also tried some of the paint samples, but we couldn't quite make up our mind. Another trip to the ol HD on Saturday and we were off and running. We painted the office a blue/grey color called "Little Dipper," and it was quite successful (minus my total clutzo move by walking into the ladder and giving myself a black eye...awesome). We made some pretty good progress by Sunday morning, and I thought we were done with the painting, so I went up to the new office to do some work. Little did I know that Derek and Kirk were working away down in the Rec Room, and when I took a break, they had the whole room done in a green shade called "Cornhusk Green." It looks awesome! We've got plenty of work left to do, but the house is slowly starting to match our style.

We've got some organizing to do, as you can tell

Dancin in the Desert

This weekend Derek and I flew to Phoenix for Derek's best friend's (Josh) wedding. When we left Virginia, it was rainy and cool, so we were quite happy to get off the plane in Phoenix to a bright sun and about 95 degrees! We hit the pool and soaked up some rays and then headed up to see Josh and Jess's new house -- very cool. We met their sweet dog, Fiona and had a good time catching up. Friday was the actual ceremony, and it was gorgeous. Derek showed off his impressive dance moves, and I just tried to keep up.

On Saturday, we met up with my cousin Nick and his wife Marci for breakfast. It was great to see them and catch up (and make fun of Nick for going to an all 80's concert, appropriately called "Desert Invasion," including such groups as Twisted Sister, Warrant, and Skid Row). After breakfast, we drove around the desert and took some cool pics of the cactus and mountains. We then headed to Cantina Laredo for our Tex-Mex fix (we don't get nearly enough good Tex-Mex in Virginia, so we took the opportunity to eat there twice in two days). All in all, it was a great trip!

My Old Kentucky Home

For most kids growing up, the beginning of May represented the same thing -- warmer weather, more playing outside, closing in on the school year, etc. Not so for me. The first weekend in May meant the Kentucky Derby. It took me a long time to understand the big fuss about a horse race, but as I got older I grew a real appreciation for it.

For those of you who have not experienced it, my parents host a Kentucky Derby Party every year, and they go all out. We're talking genuine programs Fed-Exed in from Churchill Downs, mint juleps, Kentucky Country Ham, cheese grits, and most importantly Derby pie (*cheese grits and Derby pie are a close tie for me...with the pie just barely winning...I mean it does have chocolate. and bourbon. yep, that's right, I said bourbon).

But the Derby means even more to me than just great food and "the most exciting two minutes in sports" -- it brings even better memories. Before the race, they play the state song of Kentucky, "My Old Kentucky Home." As a little kid, my Granny taught me the words to the song, and we would always sing it before the Derby. It never failed, with each year, that Granny would cry during the song (the tradition of which she has passed down to my mom). So now during those few minutes before the race, when I hear the song, I get a chance to remember the coolest grandmother of all time. So, I encourage you all to take a few minutes tomorrow (drink a mint julep or two) and enjoy a little bit of Kentucky with the 135th Derby.

"We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home, For the Old Kentucky Home far away"

A Week of Firsts

For those of you who know me well, you are probably shocked to see that I have started a blog. You know me as the person who never, ever reads forwards or responds to those emails asking you to fill out a million questions about yourself. You probably also know that I almost always forget my camera and rarely ever document things that I'm up to. Well, in the last few weeks, I've decided its time for a little change. I'm hoping that this blog will force me to take more pictures and keep in touch with friends and family, since we are so far away. I'm not gonna lie -- this could be my one and only blog entry -- but hopefully, I'll stick with it.

So, onto the purpose of this entry. In addition to being a first-time blogger, Derek and I are now first-time homeowners of a townhouse in Alexandria, VA! It is awesome -- an end unit that backs to woods and a golf course (Derek is very excited about this). Reggie loved it too -- he officially sniffed every room and the deck yesterday and gave his approval. He can still successfully keep an eye on the neighborhood from the upstairs windows and also herd us as we go up and down the stairs. A HUGE thanks to Derek and Kirk, my bro-in-law, who basically moved all of our belongings yesterday (things get done really quickly when you have two guys, both over 6ft, moving your stuff -- I highly recommend it) , and we should have the rest done this weekend.

We've definitely got some work ahead of us (mainly to get rid of a LOT of 80's-style wallpaper borders that coincidentally match the 80's style curtains -- seriously, who ever thought that was a good idea?) and hope to start painting soon. I am going to post some "before" pictures (thanks to Loree for providing the pictures, because I, of course, did not have my camera at the time...please see paragraph 1, above) once we get our internet hooked up. The "after" pictures will take a while, but we'll keep you updated.

That's all I've got for now -- two quick shoutouts: (i) thanks to Kirk, who provided the idea for the title of our new blog. Before Derek and I were married, I visited his family in ND and found a sign that Kirk had built that said "Prosser Country" and it had everybody's name on it, including mine and Reggie's -- it was the first time I realized I was officially becoming a Prosser; and (ii) to Aidai, who got some great news this week and will be experiencing a first of her very own soon -- moving out of my parents house and into her first solo apartment -- congrats!