The Daily Pixel: Hot, hot, heat

I don't know about you, but the end of summer has been smokin' around these parts. Literally, Sacramento decided to challenge its record for consecutive triple digit days over the last month. (We didn't beat the great heat wave of 2006 though.) Figuratively, school and dissertation stuff have been heating up to the point that I really understand that overused corporate expression of "putting out fires." Of course I've been keeping cool in various and sundry ways. See...

#226- Aug 13- Watering retrospection

During Sacramento's three-week bid to challenge Phoenix as the hotness capital of the world, I found myself a very grumpy gardener. Before you can water plants in 111-degree weather, you must first run the scalding water out of the hose for +/-7 minutes. Hence self-portrait time.

#227- Aug 14- Spray paint is good for the soul

While working on a garden art project involving vintage frames, I found out how much I ADORE spray paint. Progress for the impatient person. Genius. 

#228- Aug 15- He loves me, not.

Although this may seem like a nondescript, boring picture of our (messy) bathroom counter, it is really a case of early morning sabotage courtesy of Mr. T. Our morning routine involves coffee and banter, and at some point, I realized that my coffee had disappeared. I remembered clearly putting it on the ironing board, but after doing a couple laps around the house shouting "Where's my coffee?!", and noticing T's chagrined face, I realized something was amiss. I found my Life Force-giving mug camouflaged with tissue. The nerve.

#229- Aug 16- Best movie ever

Please tell me you know it!

#230- Aug 17- "Better than Sex" cake

Recipe and reaction to follow!

#231- Aug 18- Painted sky

Spectacular sky during my early morning walk. 

#232- Aug 19- The bedroom revamp continues, with discount furniture!

For the last few weeks I've had my eye on this bed at Costco, right? Reasonable price. Good construction. Elegant and simple design. So after doing some comparison shopping, T and I decide to go pick it up. Just my luck, the bedroom set was marked down and sold out. In the entire Sacramento area. Cue the cursing. But then the manager tells me they have a few in Vacaville, about 45 minutes away. Woohoo! Nothing like a Sunday afternoon drive, right? 

#233- Aug 20- Arizona does sunsets well

Maybe it's the pollution, I don't know, but I always enjoy Arizona sunsets, especially those taken after an evening swim with a dear friend!

#234- Aug 21- Miracles happen

So my office at ASU has up until now been the dirtiest, dustiest, ickiest place I've ever spent concentrated periods of time. And given my poor housekeeping abilities, that's saying a lot! For the last three years, I've begged to have our floors cleaned and after a big dose of spring cleaning last May, I got my wish! Check out the difference!

#235- Aug 22- Hasselback potatoes, sorta

After seeing a post for Hasselback potatoes online, I decided that Mr. T and I must try them. Sliced potatoes, garlic, olive oil, butter, rosemary, salt--I thought it must be an easier way to make Potatoes Anna. Well it probably would have been had we not left the house on a "quick" errand and come back more than 90 minutes later to a smoky house. My wounded pride prevented me from taking the "after" picture of the overly crispy (okay BURNT) spuds. (For the record, the not-singed parts tasted okay.)

xoxo,
shawna

More pixels!
#215-225- Domestic bliss
#201-214- The mostly airplane edition
#192-213- Just a week in summer
#159-191- A month of pixels
#150-158- Early summer in academia
#142-149- Good things, thank you!
#140-141- Weekend warriors