Return from the Fake Vacation

I was going to announce that "I'm back!", but I didn't really go anywhere, so I guess "I'm (still) here!" would be slightly more appropriate... Um, hi!  How've you been?  Apparently ya'll have been busy, since there are currently 75 unread items in my Google Reader and I'm 10 days behind on the sage advice of Dear Abby.  But that's all good!  Once the OMG thank goodness you're back I have ten important things I need you to do right this very second rush dies down, I look forward to reading each and every one of those posts.

I was unplugged for large majority of last week.  I'm not sure if I've mentioned this, but Joel and I live in the stone age.   No, we didn't get rid of the Tivo.  But we still have dial up internet.  I know, I know!  Trust me, I know.  No one has dial up internet anymore.  Except us.  We got by for a long time by "borrowing" our neighbor's wireless high speed, but then they wised up and put a password on their  network.  Fortunately, they didn't wise up too much, because the password was identical to their network name, and we continued to surf the internet for free for a while longer... and then, the password changed, and I've not been able to crack it.  So, now we're all Netscape, all the time, baby.  And it sucks.

I don't know if you've noticed, but Teh Internets cost a lot of money!  Plus, I spend all day in front of a computer, so I really don't need to go home and sit in front of a different computer.  Honesty, that's the real reason I have never pushed for an internet upgrade.  I don't WANT to spend all my time at home on the computer.  Having dial-up is like not keeping any cookies in the house -- it removes the temptation.  It frees up my time at home for more enriching things, like making smooching noises while buffing the Tivo with a silk handkerchief.

So anyway, that's my lame excuse for my internet absence this past week.  I was totally PLANNING to post pictures of my progress on The Wall, to maybe even write a post or two, to check in on my work email and keep up with all my personal emails.  That lasted through Saturday afternoon, when the aforementioned Evil Meeting, which was incredibly boring but at least had a wireless high speed connection, ended.  I was honestly so exhausted from the hard physical labor (I'm not kidding) of working on the wall that I didn't even have the energy to upload pictures from the camera, let alone type letters and make words.

Honestly, it was wonderful to unplug for the week.  I did have a nagging feeling that the world outside my little rowhouse could be ending and I wouldn't even be able to read the blog posts recapping the catastrophe in a concise and witty manner, but I told that feeling shut up and get back to work.  Ain't no breaks for gals on the chain gang.   And I did feel like I was on a chain gang at several points during the week, because I forced myself to keep my sights on the real reason for this "vacation": finishing the behemoth home improvement/art/hard physical labor project that I started on a whim three summers ago.

And I almost finished.  Almost.

This is not to imply that I failed, there was no way that I could have realistically finished the whole thing in one week, but I did get a TON of work done, and if it doesn't rain, I may just finish it this weekend! 

Don't worry, I already have some ideas about my next project.  Because that's how I roll.

Here are a few pictures that are already outdated because I haven't uploaded anything from the camera since Tuesday.  And also, I foolishly tried to post these at home and it took an hour (AN HOUR!) to post these three pictures, and after that I just gave up.  Um, enjoy!  I'll hopefully post more this week after I catch up on the piles of work that people keep throwing at me.

If you say you can't tell what that is, I'll cut you.  Uh, I mean, that's fine! It was supposed to be "abstract", OK?  (Fine, it's a school of fish made from a chili peppers plate, some multicolored coral, and a crab peeking out on the right)

This was my attempt at a signature embedded in the wall, which didn't' turn out quite as well as our address did in another section (which I won't be posting pictures of for obvious reasons).  But hey, it's there.  See, in yellow?  It says "JRS 2007".

Here is a little crab family.  I was really, really afraid that these crabs would look like crap, but I took the plunge because I needed some extra sea creatures, and this is Maryland, after all, so it's kind of a l law that crabs have to be all over EVERYTHING.  I am pretty pleased with how they came out.

And, that's that.  It's kind of amazing to look at that picture and realize it's from only a few days ago, because now that entire portion of the wall is covered. Not a cinderblock in sight.  And after all, that was the whole point of this little endeavor. 

Now if you'll pardon me, I have to make up for all the coffee I didn't get a chance to drink last week.

Comments

[Laurel]

I LOVE the crabs! Your wall does look like a lot of work, but it looks incredible! Wow.

But now I am hungry for crab. I have some Trader Joe's lobster ravioli at home... that will have to do.

[Angela]

That wall is truly amazing--I think the little school of fish is fantastic!

And you know, it's funny, I was just reminiscing about the days when I would sit at my parents' computer for my "30 minutes of internet time per day" and get so frustrated listening the the busy tone from the dial up and then the absolute elation when all of those beeps and buzzes finally came through. I have a sort of Pavlovian response to the sound now. I just get really irrationally excited!

[alyndabear]

It's looking awesome! You're going to have to teach me the basics of this one day, alright? Excellent! :)

(I'm just glad you're back and blogging, stone age or not!)

[janet]

so cute! want more photos! when does the grouting part begin, or whatever you call that.

[Isabel]

I'm glad your (fake) vacation was a success.

The wall, and especially the crabs, look awesome.

Can't wait for more pictures.

(and I just saw your sidebar. I also love Topher Grace. I even wrote him a fan letter one. As a joke. Sort of.)

[Kirsten Aerts]

Love the wall! how exciting that you are i the home stretch! wow! Wish I had enough vacation time to take a "Fake" vacation!

[heidikins]

I want crabs! (never thought I'd actually utter that sentence... please do not EVER quote me on this out of context!)

xox