Terri

Vox Hunt: Cooling Off

nobody@vox.com(Terri) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:12:13 -0400

Show us something cold.

Frozen Falls

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Dream: Strange adventures on glaciers

nobody@vox.com(Terri) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:24:47 -0400

Glacier View

Practice

It was one of those dreams, when you know that its completely false because it is just too amazing to be real... I had gone to Alaska to play in an orchestra (I'm sure Retta's trip planning had something to do with it). I was flown out to a site in the middle of the most breathtaking scenery I could ever imagine, and landed in the helicopter on a vibrant blue glacier where there had been stadium seating carved into the side of the ice cliff. I brought along my clarinet and walked towards the edge in awe as I practiced my scales, trying to keep my fingers warm in the cold air. I didn't recognize a soul, there were about sixty other musicians there with me, and the air sounded with notes from a variety of strange instruments.

Joanna in Fox Fur

We were dressed in fur, I remember the softness I felt on my neck and the strange feeling I had in my stomach when I realized that the fox who had kept me so warm could have possibly been a mother or a model citizen in the fox world. I never quite got over the strange sensation, I found myself talking to my fox fur coat, apologizing in my own way, though it never talked back.

Only Skin

There was a rush of movement and we were assigned to our seats which faced the ocean and standing a few rows down from the woodwind section was a gigantic harp and at its side, Joanna Newsom. My heart was pounding because at that moment I realized I had been specially chosen to play in her orchestra!

Joanna Newsom

When she spoke, her coy voice echoed over the cliffs and we all watched motionless as she took her place at the harp and began to play. The sound was perfection and I couldn’t stop smiling. We all joined in for a few practice songs when I small boat passed along the water and one by one the musicians stopped playing.

Endangered Dog-Seals

The boat held a man covered in black fur who never once cracked a smile, aside him were what we thought were two Labrador Retrievers, one black and one yellow. The man brutally pushed the two dogs into the freezing glacier water and drove off quickly. All of us helplessly watching the dogs swim towards the shore. We realized that they weren’t quite dogs, they were part seal with lab faces and front legs but fins for the back legs. With a sigh of relief I knew the injured dog-seals would survive. I began to play along once again with Joanna and the orchestra when I woke to Jon brushing the hair from my face with a good morning.

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Vox Hunt: I'd Rather Be...

nobody@vox.com(Terri) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:15:20 -0400

Show us what you wish you were doing right now.

Ask me any day of the week... I'd rather be Kayaking with Jon & Luna.

Photograph © Nick Hall

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BBQ Ka-Boom!

nobody@vox.com(Terri) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:57:38 -0400

Fireworks!

We are almost a week away from the Fourth of July and I have a sudden urge to barbecue! So in slightly last minute fashion I've sent out the word that we'll be having a cook-out in my back yard to celebrate, all friends and dogs invited! Our neighborhood backs the most elite country club in town and they put on a great fireworks show so we should easily be able to see fireworks from our backyard.

Backyard Invite!

We'll have to set up croquet, clean off the ping-pong table and borrow a few cornhole boxes. I've got plans to make Sangria and my grilling menu should a delight my vegetarian friends along with the meat lovers. This will be our first official backyard BBQ at our new house and I can't wait!

Though sometimes I get ahead of myself with planning...
maybe I should buy a grill first?

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Guess What You're Getting

nobody@vox.com(Terri) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:01:08 -0400

Since Jon has taken the big step of registering for fall classes, I'm rushing to get him prepared for his return to college. A laptop purchase was at the top of my list and I had been shopping around for weeks, until I discovered a jaw droppingly amazing deal today. Geeks, prepare to be awed: The newly released HP Pavilion Tx2500z (omg tablet!), AMD Turion 2.2 Ghz processor (puma platform, screams!), 12" High-Def Touch-screen (sooo touchable!), 4GB DDR2 System Memory (count em' four!), 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive (serious space), and ultraportable at 4.59 pounds! It is the ultimate dream machine for an architect and the perfect match for Jon.

Watch this Tablet Transform!

Thanks to the VOX and HP gods, I received a $300 gift card for my banner design and have been hording the winnings until the right deal came along. And the real kicker... I found a coupon code (NB4796) that gives a $500 discount! <squeal!>

Cost          + $1,404.00
Coupon          - $500.00
Gift Card       - $300.00
Shipping    + $0.00
Tax           + $54.24
---------------------------------
Total          $658.24

I was in an absolute panic because the coupon for the $500 discount had been available for almost a week and is scheduled to expire after 2,000 people use it! The Tx2500z is five times the machine we thought we could afford, so I jumped at the opportunity and I made the purchase, without Jon's knowledge! I had planned on keeping it a secret but the laptop is scheduled to ship on July 22nd, which is a whole month away. I just couldn't imagine keeping something like this from him for that long, so this afternoon I set up this lovely greeting message on his computer desktop.

Desktop Wallpaper Surprise

He about fell over in his chair when he saw it!
I'm a shoe-in for the "Best Wife of the Century" award.

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Vox Hunt: In the Neighborhood

nobody@vox.com(Terri) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:49:57 -0400

Show us a glimpse of your neighborhood.
Submitted by [Susan].

Welcome to the Neighborhood

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Luna's 5th Birthday

nobody@vox.com(Terri) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 10:43:50 -0400

Let Her Eat Cake

Carolyn's Cake

We've never celebrated Luna's birthday before, but when our friend Carolyn found out that it was this month she went into party planning mode. She loves our dog, more than any of her own pets or even her boyfriend! I thought it was just adorable that she wanted to do something special for Luna so the plan was set and last night we had a big birthday bash. Carolyn had a special treat made at the Bluegrass Barkery, an all organic dog friendly cake with Luna's name in pink frosting. The cake was an absolute hit and a hilarious event to watch. She went all out and even got a few toys and treats too, including an dog blanket, embroidered with Luna's name. Too funny!

I had cooked dinner for everyone, ginger chicken with veggies and the humans ate outside on our new picnic table, under the shade of our maple tree. A couple of our new friends came over too, and for the first time since moving into our house the driveway was completely filled with cars and we started taking up the street parking, all for a dogs birthday party. The ping-pong table was brought out and the boys started a tournament, the girls sat inside chatting about hair and music, at one point two guitars and a banjo were being played and the girls beat the boys in a game of taboo. We all had a great time and as everyone left in the early morning hours they each patted Luna on the head and wished her a happy birthday.

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My Soaking Mood

nobody@vox.com(Terri) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:27:34 -0400

I'm not quite sure why, but lately I've found myself taking offense and reading into things way too much. Call it stress, hormones... whatever you'd like, I'm in a funk.

In the past when I would feel this way, I would go home, turn up some good tunes, run a warm bubble bath, light a few candles and soak in the tub for a hour. Unfortunately, since moving to my house this past fall I have only been able to take showers, our tub is so small it is nearly impossible to sit in let alone lay down to soak. So my relaxation time has been taken away, without a substitute.

Now I find myself grumpy and shopping for soaking tubs. A dangerous mix!

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Things on Tuesday

nobody@vox.com(Terri) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:01:00 -0400

Things I Loathe:

How much I miss "work from home Wednesdays"
Federal and State Income Tax.
Strange debit charges.
Late weeknights filled with freelance.
The choices she makes in her life.
Weight loss plateaus.
The overly pompous rich.
The fact that the loathes outweigh the loves this week.

Things I Love:

The new PlanetGreen Network, thanks Discovery!
Luna's birthday bash.
The first day of summer.
My economic stimulus check.

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One of the first 1000!

nobody@vox.com(Terri) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:44:12 -0400

Limited Edition Scott Hansen

I'm an admirer of Scott Hansen's work as a graphic artist and truly inspired by Barack Obama. I was thrilled to stumble upon an article that mentioned Hansen would be donating 5000, specially designed, limited edition prints to the Obama campaign. The best of both worlds! I casually went to the online store, prepared to cry over the price I would never be able to afford... when I noticed the prints were an absolute steal at $70! I knew they wouldn't last long...

Less than two weeks later all of the prints were sold out, quicker than I had expected. I count my lucky stars that a few days ago a package arrived with our very own 23 X 40 Scott Hansen "Progress" print!

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