Christmas is Here??????

To begin, I honestly can't believe its almost Christmas already. I've been living my life in a haze of stress lately, and the time has just flown by for me. Its almost surreal in a way how I can't wrap my mind around the reality that Christmas is 4 days away. All of my Christmas chores are finished, thankfully. My gifts are bought and wrapped. Updating this blog has been on my list all week, and I'm just now starting on it at 12:06 AM Friday night.

I'm leaving Saturday morning for the six hour drive to West Virginia to spend time with the family. I haven't packed yet, but that's nothing new so no big deal. My Christmas just isn't the same if I'm not in my home state surrounded by family. I am very fortunate to be able to travel to see them as often as I do, but Christmas really is the most important time for us all to reconnect.

To recap my December, let me start with the two shows that I was lucky enough to get to see this month. We were treated by our friends in honor of Daniel's birthday to a performance of the One Man Star Wars Show. It was hilarious, and Charles Ross is a very talented actor. If you're interested just look him up on youtube. You won't be disappointed. I also attended a performance of the Nutcracker with my friend Evelyn. It was magical and I'm so glad that I finally got to go here in Louisville. The orchestra was fantastic as always. I think the best part for me was watching all the little ones enthralled by the performance on stage. It definitely brought back memories of my first Nutcracker performance, and it made me even more excited that I may have the pleasure of taking my own children one day.

We had a wonderful gathering of friends tonight for a Secret Santa gift exchange and a cookie exchange. It was a great time. And we have some good news to share. Our good friends Marie and Anthony are now engaged. He proposed to her at the party. Of course she said yes! They deserve happiness more than anybody I know, and now they've found it in each other. I know they will have a strong and happy marriage that will endure for the rest of their lives.

The cottage is officially a Christmas wonderland. I am very appreciative of my mother in law, as she came over and helped me make some very nice arrrangements to make my decor even more festive. I took the photos with my new ultra cool digital camera. I'm very happy with the way they came out. I'm still learning how to use it with its many buttons and gadgets, so we all can look forward to many more good photos in the future.

One of these days, I'll get to just sit back and enjoy December and relish the holiday season for the joy that it brings. Maybe I'll get this respite when I'm 80, because I don't see it happening in the very near future.

As for updates on the home improvement projects, we have finally finished the painting in the living room. It looks awesome, and I'm so proud of us both for being patient enough to work with each other. You can see the portions of the paint job in the pictures. Also, we are planning something big in regards to the floorplan of the house. Those details will be forthcoming however, as it is very involved. Let's just say that we're finally going to have a formal dining room to appropriately host some dinner parties for our friends.

The picture to the left is not my first attempt at snapping a decent photo of both our dogs together in one shot. Trying to shoot these two is next to impossible. You get one to sit and the other is jumping all over you or vice versa. This was the only shot I got that wasn't blurry. I think they are conspiring against me because they don't want their photo taken. Kind of like those people that always put their hand over their face when you're trying to take a snapshot of them.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas. I hope to have another entry up by New Year's, so I won't wish anyone a happy one yet. If you are traveling please drive safe. We all want our loved ones to arrive safely at their destination.

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ~Norman Vincent Peale

Christmas has arrived here at the Cardinal Cottage

We just couldn't help ourselves this year. The temptation to spoil ourselves after a very hard year just couldn't be contained. My wonderful husband found a very good deal on my gift. A very sweet and gorgeous 8 megapixel Canon Digital Rebel arrived at our doorstep along with a macro lens for about $100 dollars less than the body itself retails for in stores. I am looking very forward to taking some great shots for the blog. I couldn't help myself and started playing with it the day we got it, and of course he insisted on also being able to go and purchase his gift.
I'm currently sitting here regretting the purchase of the xbox 360 for my overzealous sweetie as he sits for the second night in a row "fragging" (gamespeak for killing) 11 year olds in Halo 3 online. The only really annoying part about the whole thing is that each time one of the 50 people in the game dies the game emits this grunt of death sound. It gets old after awhile. One can only hear so many grunts of death before one must leave the room for quieter pastures.

But back to the camera. It shoots so fast, no lag at all. I loved my Fuji and all, but the lag was killer. I've always wanted to go to my favorite place in Louisville, the Architectural Salvage Store, and take some cool photos. Now I have just the camera to do that with. And of course I will need to get back to Cave Hill and shoot some. I just can't shoot that place in the summer, its too cheery I like the backdrop of the bare trees much better.

In other news Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and once again we will be heading to the inlaws for the feast. Daniel will be making his "famous" cherry and italian sausage stuffing, his dad is in charge of the turkey (deep fried this year, maybe?), and his mom has taken on the rest. As most of the people that know me who read this blog know, I don't cook, no one would want to eat my cooking, and so this absolves me of all responsibility. Ahhhhh to be spoiled. Of course I'm the only person I know, that doesn't work retail, that is required to work on Friday. This is what I get for being new I guess. Hope they don't plan on me actually doing anything resembling work on Friday, because they are going to be greatly disappointed.

News of the deck is about the same. We are still working on it. This weekend we may get something done on it, but at the moment our yard is a carpet of maple leaves so that will be on the agenda first and foremost. We will also be decorating the cottage for Christmas. Time for a trip to the thrift store to see if they have any cool Christmas goodies. I will be posting pictures of the new Christmasfied cottage next week along with a revamp of the layout and colors for the winter/holiday season. Until then I leave you with one of my favorite Thanksgiving themed photos from the wonderful people at my favorite magazine Real Simple. Coincidentally, this picture was on the front of the first Real Simple I ever purchased.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The Best Seat in the House

That black lump on my chest impeding any typing at all is my cat Willow. She really does get the best seat in the house.

The Deck! (In progress)

We are finally doing it. We are finally completing our deck on the back of our house. We had and still have some big plans for it. We were going to build a frame around the entire thing, put lattice all the way up on one side to block the ac, and then keep the rest of the frame open with lattice only half way up. We were also planning on building a pergola across the top to plant a very pretty vine on called a purple passion flower.
So far, we have built the frame around the entire deck. We also replaced a very rickety pair of stairs that originally attached to the deck.

Full view of the whole deck. Notice how the frame is finished, but we haven't attached any of the lattice, so it looks a little odd.





A Closer View that includes the stairs. We will be enclosing the entire left hand side of the deck to create an intimate dining area and to block the view of the AC




A View of the Lattice we'll be putting up and the right hand side of the deck that we are leaving open except for lattice on the bottom half.




For the dining area on the right side we are planning a pergola over the top of the deck. On the other side we are planning to leave it open for a seating area, outdoor fireplace, and the grill. I also want to get a chandelier for over the table in the dining area. I'm thinking about something that is rustic and informal. I think it will just look stunning hanging from the pergola over the table.





For the other side of the deck in the seating area. I love this set from Smith and Hawken at Target. Its called the Marlton Collection. I also want to include an outdoor fireplace for those cool Autumn nights. I'm so excited just thinking about it!

They Make Bluegrass Cool

My whole life I remember sitting around and listening to what my family called mountain music. My grandmother would sing it and my stepdad played it. Being from WV I have been around "mountain music" my whole life. Of course, most people know this type of music as bluegrass. As I have gotten older and my music tastes have changed I kind of drifted away from this style of music, choosing to listen to alternative and contemporary folk instead. Then along came Nickel Creek, a trio of musicians, from California of all places, who embody the spirit of my hometown music in a whole new way. Modernizing bluegrass is not an easy task. The technical skill required to play the instruments involved (fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and bass) is tremendous. To play these instruments with such passion and excellence while also transforming a style of music is simply miraculous.
Last week, I had the chance to see this group live and in person for perhaps the final time. I attended a concert in Covington, KY on Friday night, which was a stop on Nickel Creek's Farewell (for now) tour. The show was general admission and Daniel and I spent two hours enthralled by a group that was a mere 10 feet away as we stood with other admirers spitting distance away from the band.
I won't get into a critique of their music here, but go to amazon or itunes and check them out. If you are at all musically open minded you will find them just talented, passionate, and revolutionary as I do.
So, in closing thank you Nickel Creek for these years of ridiculously amazing music and for a great show on Friday. You make me proud to be a mountain girl.
I hope to see you together again one day.

Live Small

My life is small. I am a short person, my house is small, my car is small, and unfortunately my income is small. In short, the old Disney song, "Its a Small World" fits me to a tee. I like it this way, but it seems that for the last years the whole world was telling me that small is bad. Bigger is better. You can never be too thin or too rich, but don't forget about too tall. Suburbia just wasn't complete without its caravan of Caravans and its McMansions sprawling through land that once cradled wildlife and livestock, and supplied nutrient rich produce, at least in this part of the country. In other parts, the sprawl spans across what was once great hardwood forests, which provided shelter for wildlife and a welcome refuge for us city dwellers. And still in other parts it threatens to mar beautiful landscapes, so that those with money can have the best view. Thus undermining one of our county's great national wonders. Refer to
Developers moving in on New River Gorge
As an opponent of sprawl and everything that it stands for, when it came time for my husband and I to buy our first house we decided to buck the system and head for "greener pastures" at least in our way of thinking. Amid the jokes about our move to the "ghetto" as many of our friends call our little neighborhood just on the outskirts of downtown, we found a small little cottage on a great street where we could officially begin our life together. My husband's commute is miniscule...about 5 minutes to his downtown office, and mine was small around 15 minutes to an office just outside the old city limits. We were very happy this way, and as of right now my husband's commute remains the same, mine however has changed. I needed a new job and when one was offered it was much farther into the suburbs than I like and it takes me about 30 min to get there from our house. Unfortunately, that seems to be a phenomenon here now. Businesses are locating themselves farther out instead of closer in, therefore exacerbating the problem of decentralization.
Our house is around 1200 sq ft, which is "small" when compared to the huge 3000 sq ft monsters in the burbs. For us, this house is perfect. Even once we have our first child it will still be managable. There is no excuse for a family of two, three or even four to occupy 3000 sq ft of space on this planet. It is simply conspicuous consumption and it must stop if we are going to survive on this planet for many generations to come. Not only do these monstrosities subvert good architecture (meaning they are ugly), they also use the resources for three houses rather than only one.
In closing, there are arguments for the burbs, such as lower crime and better schools, but urban neighborhoods could be just as crime free and have great schools if people lived here and cared about what was happening instead of "flying" out to "better" neighborhoods. If people just cared and put a little effort in we all could live better, less polluting, and smaller lives.

Life Lately around the Cardinal Cottage

Life for us lately has been crazy. As I have written about before, I just got a new job. So far, I like it, but it is very draining on me physically and mentally.
The next project on the home improvement list is rehabbing the old deck in back. Right now, its just a plain deck with really bad stairs. We are planning on putting up a railing, which is to code as the deck is not to code right now. We are also planning on building a pergola on one side and I want to plant a vine/flower called a purple passion flower to grow up it.
The flower is native to KY and a marvelous specimen can be viewed on the corner of Bardstown Rd beside Ramsi's Cafe on the World. We are also planning on building two new sets of stairs. Then someday we are planning on fencing off part of the yard to make a dog run which will integrate with the deck so that the dogs will have a place to run and not destroy my yard in the process as they have done this year.


Passiflora Incarnata (Purple Passion Flower)





We are heading to WV this weekend for a visit with the family and next weekend will be busy as well with deck work going on and a a mandatory trip to the annual St James Court Art Show held in Old Louisville.
http://www.stjamescourtartshow.com/

Of course I will have photos of all this to show you. That reminds me I also need some photos to liven up my boring cubicle at work. Well, among all the other things I think that gives me plenty to do. Not to mention finishing the painting in the living room! I need to get busy. Until next time!

Goodbye Good Friend

In a few days, my best friend Allison is leaving on a big adventure. Her and her boyfriend Georg are leaving for Vienna, yes the Vienna in Austria. I wish them all the best, but the selfish side of me wishes they were staying so we could share many more dinners and bottles of wine together.
Allison and I are planning on corresponding the old fashioned way, which is so exciting! I can't wait to get started. I have some wonderful things to create and send to her. I also thought of a cool idea. We could decide on a book to read and only talk about it in our letters. We could make the choice a classic or we could just read a modern chic lit, or as per our previous conversations something societally important.
To my really good friends, Allison and Georg I hope you have a safe and speedy trip to your destination. We have thoroughly enjoyed your company and we will miss your witty banter and insights into a world so few of us understand.

An Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Everybody's Gotta Start Somewhere

Today I started something completely new in my life, a new job. I am a bit overwhelmed with all the new information and the overachiever in me is dying to consume it all and show everyone that I am the best person they have ever hired. I keep trying to tell myself that I can't win that race on the first day, and that "everybody's gotta start somewhere".
This advice is applicable to a lot of the things in my life right now, including this blog. After several name and layout changes, I think I am right where I want to be...for right now. I hope that I don't decide to change the name again, because I would like to have a few readers that return and recognize the blog they visited on that earlier occasion. My next goal is to get some people commenting.
Today, I also realize even more the importance of the "everybody's gotta start somewhere" mentality. September 4, 1999 I met my soon to be husband my first week at college. This day marks our 8th anniversary together. Its weird because sometimes it seems that it has been forever and other times it seems like it was just yesterday. Its amazing to me how far we've come from those first years of our relationship.
Tomorrow, September 5th we will celebrate our 3rd year of marriage. Marriage is not easy, and we have more than our share of problems. However, our relationship is stronger now than it has ever been. I love you, monkey and I always will. Happy Anniversary.
There have been so many times in my life when I have felt overwhelmed and didn't think that I would ever get over that feeling of chaos and instability that comes along with starting something new. Now I can see that I just need to tell myself "Everybody's gotta start somewhere".

A New Beginning

In the past few years I have had many new beginnings in my life. First, I got married, whoa, what a new beginning. As a matter of fact, our anniversary is in 4 days. The second new beginning was buying a house, which really pushed me to the limits of new beginnings. And now, I have finally transitioned from a college "job" to a career. Once again, a new beginning for me to journey through until the new beginning pops up, and for anyone that knows me you know what that is...
I had my last day at a job that I love on Friday. The people that I worked for are real gems, and they are blessed with a great life because of it. And this is what finally restored my faith in the thought that nice people really do finish first in this life. I wish them all the luck and happiness this world can provide.
I start my new job on Tuesday, after a long weekend of painting and furniture moving. I'm excited and scared. This is my first real chance to show what I'm made of in a "real" job and make a mark on the company and on the world. I hope I am successful, but with all the wonderful support I've received from friends, family, and my former employers, I tend to be on the optimistic side about everything.
I hope all of you have a great new beginning soon in your lives. Some of us tend to run away when we see it coming, but my advice is to sit down, relax, and enjoy the ride. Now if I could just take my own advice!

Sale Tip: To all of my Louisville readers, Kroger has Hardy Mums 3 for $10! Go out and get some to beautify your house for fall!

Some More After Pics

BEFORE

AFTER








These are a few after pictures I took of my house this afternoon. As you can see from the before pictures we have worked on the front hardscape and landscaping quite a bit in the two years we have been here. First, we pulled out the old sidewalk that had been horribly cracked by our large maple tree. We decided not to spring for actual flagstone for the walk, and so instead we used the pieces of concrete from the original sidewalk. Then we filled in with the cheapest gravel we could find. We lined the walkway with landscaping timbers, and we also made two flower beds out in front on the little hill (that was a pain to mow) with the timbers. Of course, as you can see my plantings in these beds are sparse at best. I have no excuses really. All I can say is that next year will be better.

These last two are just pictures of some of the things I have on my porch, which you can't see from the sidewalk shots. The white chair I got at an awesome yard sale last year, and the blue pot and metal frogs were gifts from my mother in law.




















In other news, as of tonight we have started repainting the hallway and the living room. Repainting you ask, well, its a long story (as all things are with me of course), but to make a long story short, I hated the color of the living room/hallway from the moment we started rolling it on. However, there was no time for new paint, and most importantly no money for new paint. So, now two years later I'm finally repainting. I have been struggling with the color choice for awhile now, but thanks to the trusty Cottage Living Magazine I have been inspired. We are doing a three tone scheme. Its hard to explain so I'm providing some pictures. The first wall is far from finished (the darker color definitely needs a second coat) so this is a work in progress pic. I absolutely love the colors, and I think it will do lots for brightening up the living room and the hallway in the house.

After Pics!

Okay, finally I have some after pics. These are of the kitchen. My new puppy, Ryan decided he needed to also be in a few of the shots.
I cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom for the shots today, and I even made Daniel adjust some of the cabinet doors so that they looked just right. He was grumbling...but it was worth it.
Then we went to Target and got a few things for our bedroom redo. I'll have those after pictures soon also.
To tell you a little about the kitchen let me begin with the fact that the previous owner of this little cottage kept his dogs in the kitchen most of the time. I'm guessing that he left them in there for extended periods of time, because when we pulled up the vinyl along the wall there was dog urine that had seeped into the subfloor underneath the vinyl. We had to sand the subfloor to remove the stains, and then we primed the floor for the new vinyl tiles.
Along with the new floors, we also painted in the kitchen and made some other small changes. We replaced the refridgerator with a much larger one, if you got the space why not use it right? We also placed a cabinet in the corner beside the table which we use as a pantry. Soon, I hope we'll be getting something with a bit more character, but for now this thing works.
We painted the walls SW Clary Sage, which is a color I am absolutely in love with. The previous owner had the walls painted a forest green, and with only one window the kitchen was so dark. The lighter color helps alot, but what I wouldn't do for another window!
Okay, I know you've been dying to see some after shots, so I won't hold out on you any longer.

...While visions of crafty cottage blogs danced in her head..."

I'll admit it. I'll do it right now......I'm a perfectionist. There I said it. Lately, I've been perusing other people's blogs, trying desperately to gain some insight into the way in which they express their ideas and how they establish themselves in this "sphere" that I know little to nothing about.
I feel like I have a lot to say, but the perfectionist in me requires that my blog background, pictures, and banner be perfect before I can really start blogging. I feel as though I will not
be taken seriously without the shiny, slick layouts that I see on a lot of other blogs.
Alas, I am not the type of perfectionist that gains motiviation from my perfectionism. I am the type of perfectionist that is overwhelmed by all the options (I now have approximately 50 blogs in my Favorites folder) and I freeze, unable to move forward and unable to go back to my original plan of something simple and straightforward.
I really wanted to get some after pics for you guys this weekend. However, the house wasn't clean enough for me so once again I will put it off. Maybe tomorrow, or maybe the next day, who knows, but they will come.
Okay, I just noticed something. My blog says that its unlisted. What does that mean? Argh, something else I need to figure out! Blast, this is more trouble that I had anticipated.

Before Pictures -- September 2005

When we bought our house it seriously needed some major rehabbing. We have been working on it for two years now, and we still have a long way to go.
The two major problems at first were the awful carpeting throughout the house (including the bathroom) and the rotted floor in the laundry room. As you can see in the before photo slideshow, we had a lot of work ahead of us!



We didn't know whether the house had hardwood underneath the carpet until we started pulling it up on the first day of work. We were so surprised when we pulled up the corner of the carpet and there they were, the original hardwoods from over one hundred years ago! We can't be sure of what kind of wood they are, but they have a gorgeous red tint to them. The first pictures of the hardwood floors are also included in the before photo slideshow above. Some of the floors were very damaged and our "expert" sanders got most of the imperfections out before we began to polyurethane. We used a natural stain, but the floors are so old that it soaked it up and it became very dark. We still like it though, and we wouldn't have that gorgeous red tint without it.

The slideshow below shows some pictures of the work as it progressed and I have a couple of pictures of the floors after we had finished the polyurethane on them.



I hope you enjoy looking at the photos of the beginning of our cottage renovation. A complete set of after pictures will be coming soon! Don't turn that dial!

About Me and This Blog

This is a photo of my house from last summer. New photos coming soon!

As stated above this blog is dedicated to the community in which I have lived for two years now. My community is a lovely neighborhood of cottages that is all too often overlooked in the great city of Louisville, KY. There is a lot to be excited about around this community. People are slowly migrating back to this convenient neighborhood and revitalizing the neglected shotguns and bungalows that inhabit the area.

In 1905, immigrants from either Germany, France or the Alsace region of France built the original portion of my Late Victorian Style Shotgun. This portion of the house includes the living room at the front of the house, the first small bedroom, the larger than life kitchen, and the second moderately sized bedroom. By our calculations, the addition, which includes the bathroom, laundry, and master bedroom was built somewhere between the 1940's and the 1960's. This ignorance of my house's history is one problem I will be working on in the next year.

For further reading on Shotgun Houses

Wikipedia - Shotgun Houses

The main differences between my house and the houses described in the article is that there is a hallway in the front of the house that allows the front bedroom to be a private space, and the addition in the back of the house, which provides for a fairly spacious bathroom, a laundry space, and a small master, relative to today's standards.

To be continued....

Hawaii Countdown!

We have exactly one month from today until we take off for Hawaii.
I have picked out my dress for the wedding. Its a really nice black and white
strapless dress. I will also be wearing a flower lei. Daniel is wearing a white
shirt and black pants along with a lei.
We're gonna be taking a massive amount of pics so everybody's gonna have to come
over and watch a big slide show of them on the big screen. Of course we'll provide dinner
for everybody that comes!
I'm also very excited about traveling by air for the first time. Excited and kind of nervous actually... :( Hopefully, it won't be too bad and Daniel won't end up with my lunch in his lap. LOL. :)
We are planning on sampling the local fare... spam and eggs all around! No, just kidding. We are also gonna go parasailing! I can't wait to do that.
This is kind of like a honeymoon for us, since we never took one, so we are both extremely excited...
Next is swimsuit shopping....cringe LOL

My Grandpa Turns 80!

My grandfather turned 80 in April. This is a picture of the tough old guy. He has been a farmer, father, sawmill worker, and grandfather. My grandmother died 6 years ago. He hasn't changed a bit. He still plants a massive garden every year. We could all learn a little from him. He says that farming keeps him young, and that when he can no longer farm then his life is not worth living.
This year he has planted 8 rows of cucumbers!!! He is an amazing person, and I think he has at least 10 years left in him. Maybe one day we'll be able to send his bday into Willard Scott!!! Anyway, this post is dedicated to my Grandpa. May he live out his years in comfort and surrounded by family and friends.

EveryDayInMay

I found this on another blog site at http://www.frenchtoastgirl.com/weblog/blogger.shtml
You vow to make a piece of art everyday for the month of May. In my case, my piece of art everyday will be a photo. They have a flickr group if you are a member. The flickr group is called EveryDayInMay.
Would anyone care to join me? I think it would be really fun. The first of May is.....drum roll please....this Tuesday. So, everybody who wants to participate, keep this date in mind.

Photo Blog - April 25, 2007

These are some photos I took one a walk in my favorite neighborhood, Old Louisville. I thought these doors were really cool looking and thought they would make some good photos. I thought about blowing them up and making them the centerpiece of my new possibly red living room. Let me know what you think!

I'm Back!

After several busy weeks, I'm back.
Well the news around here is pretty boring. We've mostly been working on the front yard and on the inside of the house. We pulled out the old concrete sidewalk and we are in the process of replacing it with a "flagstone" sidewalk framed with landscaping timbers. We also pulled out the old stone flower beds around the big tree and in front of the boxwood. I'm gonna use the pieces from this to build some flower/vegetable beds in the backyard.
We finally got a new couch. Our old one was getting really sad, and Leo, bless his heart, had permanently attached his smell to the cushions. We got very lucky and found a 2000 dollar couch on sale at a going out of business sale for 600 dollars. The only problem is....its red. I'm still trying to figure out if I want to completely change my living room...which is now brown and blue...or if I want to have a custom slipcover made for the couch, in blue denim of course.
This past Saturday we went to Thunder over Louisville. What's Thunder Over Louisville, many of you will ask. "Thunder" as its called here in town is the kick off to the Kentucky Derby Festival. Its also one of the coolest airshows...I saw the B2 Stealth Bomber for the second time this year... :) and its the largest fireworks show in the Western Hemisphere. Anyway, the Derby is a pretty big deal around here...its basically the best time of year to be in Louisville, because there's plenty to do.
Well, that's pretty much the highlights of what's been going on lately....
I have some photos from a walk I took in Old Louisville a couple of weekends ago. Those will be coming soon.

My First Sunburn of the Season

Today, Daniel and I took a two hour walk around the Highlands and then we worked on our new front path. Then I worked on mowing the front and back yards. Anyway, I was out in the sun for about 6 or 7 hours total today. Consequently, sunburn! Its not that bad, and I'm hoping to have a really good tan going by the time we go to Hawaii in July.
Okay, mostly I just put this on here to have a first post. I'm sure I'll have a more interesting one in a couple of days.

WE MISS YOU TRACY!!!!!