...and no birds sang

I have new neighbors. Loud (very loud) and wicked neighbors. If you ask the woman in the clock shop next door. If you ask the man who lives in the basement on the other side, and who likes to smoke and drink beer on his stoop at 9am on a Saturday while wearing tiger slippers, he would probably agree that our new neighbors are indeed loud. He seems to appreciate our their charms a bit more. As do I.

A family of American kestrels (aka sparrowhawks) has moved in. Mom, dad and baby. It is incredibly cool to watch raptors sitting on your roof, eating what I hope are mice from the slummy house behind me. More likely they gobbling up the local population of songbirds. Which, while it makes me a tad unhappy, is nature.

This morning I got up at 5:30 for yoga. As I was laying in that fog (you know the one) I realized that there was silence outside. Two weeks ago, it would have been madness, as all the little sparrows sat in the trees yelling their heads off. And that really did make me unhappy. Getting up is so much easier when the birds are busy outside. Getting up to nature is so much better than getting up to an alarm.

But since I have no choice in my new neighbors, I'm prepared to welcome them and enjoy their company. As long as they don't try to make off with my cat.

new wheels = two wheels

Sold my car for $500. To my next door neighbors, an older couple who run a clock repair shop out of their home and whom I've never actually seen drive any where. They have some sort of SUV that has been parked for the better part of the nearly 4 years that I've been living next door. And now they have a Golf to keep it company. I'm a bit sentimental about the car, so I'm glad that it hasn't been crushed, but it is a bit weird to see it parked in their driveway...So, $500 richer, I blew the whole wad on some sweet new wheels. Let me just say, bike technology has come a long way since I purchased my Trek Antelope killer-mobile back in 1990. Shocks! Wah? Some kind of new fangled breaks?!? Thankfully, I had the nicest dude helping me chose a suitable bike (Aaron at A&L) and came home with a Norco Vermont. Women's version, so I can ride to work in skirts. And complete with removeable basket. So now I'm proof positive that one can look really cute on a bicycle while wearing a helmet!

10 things I've been up to lately...

1. Storm chasing (near Elie, June 22. My pics aren't as good as these though...).
2. Gardening like crazy. But obviously not weeding the roses enough.

3. Hanging with good friends.
4. Trying to make it to yoga at 6:45am two days a week. Ugh. But it’s good for me, right?
5. Cheering my mom on when she dragon boats.
6. Drinking cocoa (I know, it’s like 30 degrees out…)

7. Riding my new bike everywhere. 8. Whippin’ O’s butt at crib (and while he might not like me bragging about it, doing so pretty much guarantees the my 2-game winning streak is over).
9. Surfing for cowgirl boots. But not buying any. Yet.
10. Reading. Reading. Reading. Reading. Reading. Reading. Reading. Reading.