The menagerie in C

Crikey! The count of critter-containing contraptions crowding the kitchen counter is quickly climbing. Crap! The crystal clear cube with a cobalt cover contains caterpillars, cleverly captured consuming copious quantities of crops. Cads! Karma: creeping curtailed; confined cocoons! Comments?

Why, no, Martha hasn't been here, but thanks for asking!

This is our new tropical-themed living room and deck area. When we moved in, there were vertical blinds over the patio door, but they kept falling down, so we stashed them in the laundry room. I found this fabric at the thrift store and we had the curtains finished downtown. The rattan mats around the deck cost 9,000 won (about $9) and Lloyd fastened them with plastic zip-ties. Now, we can walk around in our underwear, and the kids sit out there and eat chalk and dirt and pick their noses and no one will be the wiser!

Insect Safari

Happy 6th of July from Korea! We had a nice 4th but missed all the usual festivities. We went back to the park with the hiking trails in the morning. Weston took his binoculars and bug jar, and collected a few specimens, along with 4,763 mosquito bites. There were a bunch of school kids out for a hike while we were there and they were so cute! They were little, maybe about five, and there were dozens of them. Later in the day, the base had a 'Liberty Fest' with performances, bouncy castles, food and displays. Weston and I went while Lloyd and Shane rested. Weston was especially interested in the EOD bomb disposal robot. When it got dark, there was a nice fireworks display and we were able to watch it right from our windows.

I can't believe I missed an entire store!

We have been here over eight months now. I have been to the BX approximately four billion times. The BX is not large. Today I was in the BX for the four billion and first time. I saw a man wheeling a dolly filled with salmon oil in the opposite direction. I whipped around and followed him, because salmon oil is one of the things I haven't been able to get here. I followed him all the way to the GNC store I had NEVER SEEN, a total of about 200 feet, where there is a whole shelf of fish oil, including the very brand of children's DHA that I have been buying online. While the store mostly stocks body building powder and various not-yet-banned weight loss concoctions, it also has vitamins and natural remedies. Tomorrow I plan to poke around in the ladies room- maybe I can find a Target.

Will someone please poke me in the eye with a sharp stick?

Please, I beg of you! Someone, anyone? Lloyd is buying 'art'. Yeah, yeah, yeah, blindness is no joke, blah blah blah. My apologies to all the blind people reading my oh-so-popular blog. Now, if I may continue. Lloyd and I have TOTALLY different tastes in, well, everything. We never, ever like the same furniture, housewares, decorative items, clothes or anything else. Marital fealty prevents me from fully exploring my true feelings about Lloyd's taste in art here, so let's just let Lloyd's own words speak for themselves.

But first, a little background: Lloyd has commissioned a local artist to paint a picture of an epic naval battle, circa 1700's. He has been down at the gallery at least twice a week, giving direction: A little more tattering on the sail, please, and there's not quite enough orange in the cannon fire, and so on. The artist doesn't seem to be annoyed by this, but I guess when you are a big-shot art patron paying over a hundred smackers for a custom piece, the sky's the limit, right?

A word about the gallery- outside, as advertising, they show paintings done from photos. The paintings remind me of the 'King of Queens' episode where Deacon and Kelly give Doug and Carrie a hideous painting of themselves (Doug and Carrie, that is) for their anniversary. Doug's teeth are huge, and Carrie's arm is freakishly misshapen. Doug and Carrie hate it so much that they stage a robbery to get rid of it.

And now, here's Lloyd:

"The artist used to paint in New York and he said this size painting would sell for $19,000!" So I guess we're getting a real bargain. I didn't know paintings were sold by the square inch.

"I told him that it had to be just right because we're going to hang it in a place of honor and pass it down from generation to generation!" Forget the sharp stick; just put me out of my misery entirely.

And, the absolute worst, the one that sent chills down my spinet: "I'm going to get him to do another one, this one of a New England scene!" When I suggested maybe we get a New England scene from a New England artist, he said, "But do you know how much that would cost?" Umm, no, let me get out my measuring tape and calculator and figure it out!

On sharing

I am really impressed with how kind and caring and generous Weston can be. Not with the ponies, of course, or chocolate, but with other things: rutabagas, lima beans, toenail clipping, and shots. He's so eager to share with Shane! I must be a really good parent to instill such great values in him.

No, I am totally kidding. But he is such a sweet kid! He has a mouse nest that Grandpa and Grandma sent him, and he loves it. He says he is going to keep it until he finds some mice without a home, and then he will give it to them. And last night he was helping me make salad. He washed and spun the spinach, and then washed the cherry tomatoes and took the stems off. He left some in the container and when I told him to put them all in, he said we were saving those to share with people who didn't have any. It was so sweet it brought a tear to my eye. And then he pushed Shane down and ripped a truck out of his hands. And that's not the worst part. The worst part is the little teeny smirk and the evil glint in his eye.

Update on Romeo

Romeo is named Theodore Bear. 6 lbs 12 oz, 19 inches and perfect! He looks just like his big sister did when she was born.