it's official!

i can now call myself a southerner! today i witnessed my first nascar race. my husband evan and i, along with my mother and sister in laws, headed out to lowe's motor speedway for the coca-cola 600. technically we headed out there yesterday for the race, but after 9 hrs of hanging around, seeing the sights, and eating sammies, the race was rescheduled due to rain. so like the nascar troopers that we are, we went back today fully prepared for whatever the day may have in store.

with the threat of rain ever on the horizon the race began. i was told i needed to pick a favorite. someone i could root, cheer, or holler for to make the experience whole. juan pablo montoya was my pick! truth be told, i picked him because he shares a name with my cat... juan. well let me tell you, as soon as i decided that he was my guy i was hooked. i felt the connection of fan and athlete. as though he knew i was a newcomer to the sport, and there pulling for him, old j.p. (i can call him that now 'cause he's my fave) did not disappoint! after starting out in 9th (i think) he worked his way up to 2nd after a short 100 or so laps. i have no idea if this is any good or impressive but i was STOKED! with every pass of a car i cheered, with every caution (of which there were many) i waited with baited breath. around lap 227 the red flag came out. RAIN! my boy juan had just taken a pit stop before the caution so this put him back in 8th place. there in the rain we waited, and waited. the dryer trucks came out and still we waited. well after a few hours it became very clear that the race was not going to continue. it was called, due to rain. the final results, someone else won and my juan came in 8th. i'll never know what could have been. what potential was left unfulfilled. but i can now say, i am a southerner, and i am a nascar fan!

GO JUAN PABLO!

Big Day!

quite a day i have in store for myself today. first on the list is finishing up my breakfast of oats (uncooked), raisins, banana, cinnamon, kashi protein powder, and soymilk... coffee will follow soon after. a great way to start off the day if you ask me. then its off to JMD, the law firm where my hubby works, to meet up with fred. fred is going to help me file all the paper work to become LLC and get my tax id #. how very legit of me! this is apparently the kind of work he really enjoys so he's going to do it for me pro bono. yay! he says its the american dream to be able to start up your own small business from nothing. i am an american dreamer!

after that bit-o-business i'm heading to the social security office with my marriage license to officially change my last name. we've now been married a month and 10 days and i've put this trip off long enough. it's not the name changing that's got me procrastinating you see, its the SS office. i don't like lines. they make me cranky.... naturally.

once the legal and social business is taken care of, i'll run on over to the dog rescue where i work. feed and walk some pups, give out ample portions of love, and by the looks of the rain clouds in the sky, maybe get a little muddy. totally worth it!

then its on to my favorite task of the day. cast iron hunting! about 20 mins from where i work there is the best little salvage/antique spot. my cast iron goodies have been my best sellers on etsy and i need to add to my supply. when i buy them they're all gross and rusty, but i take them home, give them some love (sanding, fresh paint, 2nd sanding, clear coat) and they're reborn to fill their cast iron destiny! hopefully i'll get to paint some of them this weekend and get them up for all to see.

a busy day ahead... now it's on to that above mentioned coffee!

duck, duck,... GEESE!

i was chatting it up with my mom the other day when she told me about the goose in the parking garage. apparently a momma goose decided the 4th floor of the parking garage of the medical center that my mom works in would be an ideal spot for laying some eggs. and so she did, right there in alpharetta GA, with daddy goose right by her side. she sat on those eggs like a pro for days and days while everyone in the building awaited the arrival of the babies. it takes approx 28 days for geese eggs to hatch (as my mom, the now goose egg expert, told me) and they were counting every day. finally the big moment was upon them. the little babies had arrived! even grandma goose came into town for a visit. at least this is what they call the anonymous 3rd goose who walks around the parking deck with daddy and the babies whilst mommy rests. the building manager has closed the entire 4th floor of said parking garage until the babies are old enough to take flight, and quite literally, leave the nest. i was amazed. having grown up in new york, and living my last 10 years there in manhattan, this is something that would never even be heard of. no way would an entire floor of a garage in nyc be closed simply because a bird laid some eggs. so its little stories like this that make me happy i made the move down south. people take a minute to stop and smell the roses, or the goose poop for that matter. so the next time i get angry at the slow southern drivers, or the people who want to start full conversations at the grocery store, i'll remember the momma goose. without this southern way of life she might not have had the 4th floor to call home.

first...

how does one decide what to talk about in the first post....

well i'll start by saying that i never thought i would be a "blogger". it didn't seem like it was something for me. having said that, i recently opened an etsy shop and decided to make a real go at selling my handmade goodies. i keep hearing from other sellers, "do you have a blog", "what's your blog"... and there i was with no blog to be had. so i'm giving it a go.

i'm dedicating "monkey and squirrel" to all the thing that tickle my fancy. this tends to be crafty things, animals, vegan food, and general quirky randomness.

ok... thats enough for day one.