06 January 2008

Weekend update

Some newly scanned old family photos up at Flickr. I am having a blast scanning them and looking at them.

*********
I'm a bit worried about the new neighbors.

I met them Saturday out in their front yard and talked to them about their new house. They bought it at auction for $220k, which is good in this neighborhood, since most houses have been selling around here for about $350-$400k.

It is, however, only 400 square feet. Yes, you read right. They said the bank papers call it 690 SF, but they bought it largely sight unseen and that number includes a semi-enclosed back patio.

These houses were built between 1930 and 1940 and were mostly for single oilfield workers or newlyweds - people who could live together in a 20x20 space and not kill each other.

While I was talking, I noticed that the woman, Laurie, had a paint roller at her side. I could have sworn that it was coated with orange paint, but I was so busy talking that I didn't have much time to think about the implications.

When I walked by today, I saw inside. Yes, ever single wall of that 400 square foot dwelling is painted International Hunter Safety Orange.

I am not the most interior designy of people, but this just seems like a baaaaad idea to me.

*********
My friends and I are going to the Fancy Food Show this weekend and I am getting so excited that I feel a little nauseous, which is sort of ironic, no?

It is open to "the trade only," so we are representing a friend's catering supply firm, but to tell the truth, we are really going mostly for the food samples.

The show is amazing. How amazing? Last time I went, I narrowed my sampling down to four items. You really have to, otherwise you will pop like a tick from trying to sample everything. My four items? Chocolate, cheese, coffee and olives. Of course: the four basic Suebobian food groups.

There are like 7000 vendors and the aisles are laid out by country, so you can stoll down the rows of Italian food, French food, Chilean food...oh yeah, it goes on and on, hallways of gourmet fare of every sort.

Last time, by the end of the day I had sampled so much chocolate that I walked by the Godiva booth with a dismissive wave of the hand. They were handing out full-size samples of all the Godiva flavors. I thought "Eeh, who needs it?"

I still remember the best thing I sampled all day: A six-year old cheddar cheese that made my knees buckle and that brought tears to my eyes. No exaggeration.

Ooh, I can hardly wait.

funny pictures
moar funny pictures

12 comments:

Suzanne said...

Lesson learned. Thanks.

super des said...

My new man is the King of Computers.
I bet he could fix it.

tNb said...

very very curious about the orange paint ... i can't think of one room where that could be a good idea.

Juliness said...

I did just paint a wall in my daughter's nursery orange...but it was the orange sherbet version, overlayed with ballerina slipper (uh, pink) accents. Totally non traditional, but I think it works. That said, I can't imagine safety orange inside the whole house though.

And I am WAY jealous of the food show trip! Love the stinky cheese. Can you get Fiscallini (sp.?) cheeses where you are? The cabernet-soaked kind is out of this world.

SUEB0B said...

Juliness - I met the Fiscalinis last time and we bonded over some of their cheeses. I can't get over the phrase "bandage wrapped" though. It just sounds nasty.

lizgwiz said...

I remember now why I have no desire to move to California, lovely weather notwithstanding. I think a 400 sq. foot house would cost you about $20,000 here. Heh.

Stephanie ODea said...

woah. I needs to find me a food show like that!
-steph

CrankMama said...

There is a time and a place for "International Hunter Safety Orange" and the interior of a shoe box is neither.

And I can't wait to read all about the show. Your food groups sound like excellent choices to me. Yum!

Suzanne said...

The thought of all that food is making me drool, especially the cheddar. I'll have to satisfy myself with plain yogurt mixed with lilikoi jam (which, thanks to you, I know is passion fruit).

Count Mockula said...

400 square feet?! The last time I lived with another human in a space that small, I almost wanted to stab myself in the eye with a fork.

Incidentally, my friend Althea went once to a show like that that was for convenience store folks, so they had all the candy/gum/sport drink kind of stuff. Not as fancy as yours, but it still sounded super-fun.

TheyDHD said...

You lucky thing. You simply must tell us about all the delights you encounter (and the not-so great, so we can avoid them).

Have fun!

Denise said...

I like orange well enough as an accent color but I think all orange walls (400 square feet or not) might push me over into psychotic ax murder territory. Way too much visual stimulation!

Just out of curiosity, what color were the ceilings?

Back to top