A Swedish Kitchen Party

Everybody knows that here in the East we like our Kitchen Parties. Face it. Traditionally the largest, warmest, most comfortable room in the house is the perfect location for a party. Plus, that's where the beer is, and by the time you walk back to the living room you need another beer so this is why the party always migrates even if it doesn't start out there.
On Friday, Studyboy emerged from the lair bleary-eyed from too much reading and we set out for a Swedish Kitchen party at our friends, Malin and Pablo's house. What made this different from the average kitchen party first became clear when Studyboy morphed into Carpenter Man and instead of taking a case of beer and a guitar, he grabbed the screw gun and a set of hex keys.
Malin, being Swedish ordered her new kitchen from IKEA, and on Friday night, several people were invited to assemble all the bits in all the boxes. In fact there were four couples. And here is what I learned from that experience:
Somehow, I initially ended up in the wrong room, and found myself in a speed competition with two men I had only just met. Just for the record, it only took me 2 minutes longer to assemble my cabinet alone than it took two of them, together. (with much discussion)
Next, I realised that Carpenter Man and I were the only couple to attempt an assembly together. Ever. All night. All other teams were strictly gender based. And segregated into separate rooms. I think this says something significant about Men, Women, and Couples. Don't you?
Also, while the men were racing each other, and trying hard not to follow the directions, or use all the bits, the women worked as teams and gave helpful solutions to each other. In fact, after a couple cabinets we broke tasks down into our strengths so we were much more efficient and finished sooner. Then we retired to the living room to drink while the men were still working.
Finally, I learned that if you don't live with a carpenter, IKEA is an excellent way to get a new kitchen. Even with the men 'helping' we got all the cabinets assembled and hung in three hours. But if you do live with a carpenter, then just buy the melamine and DIY, because hex keys are not fun.
I think next weekend is the doors and drawers party.

Big Grey Clouds-Not all weather related

Welcome to fall. I know that the season doesn't officially start until Sept 21, but the weather and many events have ganged up on me this year and I feel like it is here already.
Studyboy isn't exactly in classes again, his classwork is complete and his next hurtle is writing his comprehensive exams beginning in November, but he did make an appearance at grad orientation on campus last week to welcome the newbies. (Translation: He went to the pub)
I made a last ditch attempt to see all the summer theatre in the city over the last three weeks. Summer festivals and events, and pretty much all the tourist attractions pretty shut down here August 31st. I saw 4 plays in three weeks, but missed two others that I wanted to see.
The nursery is slowing down, and we are doing all those fall chores to winterize the plant stock and the facilities. Plus most of the production crew has been laid off, so the farm seems awfully big and quiet now. Surely this means I'll get my notice next, and then off to the job bank I go again. EEK.
It got dark. When did that happen? Last week I woke up in the dark to go to work and a few nights it was dark before Jake and I got home from our evening walk. And sometimes I needed to wear a jacket.
I made soup last weekend, and again this weekend. A stockpot full of soup is a sure sign of fall.
I went blueberry picking with the dog on Signal Hill last weekend. I'm not sure what the etiquette about picking berries on a National Historic Site is, so I was pretending to walk the dog if anyone happened by. The blueberries are wild, so it took about three hours of clandestine picking to get enough for blueberry buckle.
Turns out that was the last really good day we had together. Jake stopped eating about three weeks ago, and after tests and trying various things, the vet was still uncertain as the acute cause, although since being diagnosed with cancer last fall we have been expecting a decline to start. After three very bad days, we had the vet put him down Sunday afternoon. When we got home the skies opened up and it poured rain just like in a Gothic novel.
For once, our mood seemed to be affecting the weather instead of the other way around.
Hurricane season is here but the grey skies aren't all weather related.