The New Indiana Jones

Last night was date night and Andy and I went for sushi and to see the new Indy flick. We both walked away from it feeling unsure. If this movie was a stand alone film, we probably would have walked away saying it was great. But it isn't, so I don't think I can say that. The other three movies (ok, the first two in particular) were OUTSTANDING. This one, while a decent movie, pales in comparison. I was happy that while that they easily alluded to the fact that Indiana was older, they didn't get into those "I'm getting too old for this shi*t" jokes that Danny Glover used throughout one of the Lethal Weapon sequels. That would have just been over the top. And, I LOVED the return of Karen Allen as Marion. OK, that gives enough of the movie away. Despite being slightly underwhelmed by the experience, I would still recommend seeing it. The first part of the series left some big shoes to fill and I feel like this one just leaves a little space up at the toes. After you see it, let me know what you think...

Continued Excavation of Monkey Grass

Today I spent another 3 hours attacking monkey grass. My project was a little delayed by the birth of my neice, but I'm back on the wagon now and I am about halfway finished. Here is what it currently looks like.

As you can see, there are tons of roots still sticking out of the ground, but I will be working on some of those tough ones when I mix in some topsoil and start working on the planting. I'm going to have to dig around the crepe myrtle roots, as I don't want to hack away at them so much that I damage the tree.

This is what I took out of the ground today. Mind you that this is what I pulled from roughly half of the spot in the picture above.

And, this is what I still have to tackle.

I do think I'm getting better at it and the process seems to be accelerating a little. Hopefully I can get most of it finished this weekend since I have two more days left. However, I know I will have to take a break and tackle the piece of bed where I want to put in the vinca. Even though I have been taking care of them, I don't want them to stay in the flats much longer. I also have a basil and pineapple sage I need to get in the ground soon. Maybe I bit off a little more than I can chew here...

The End of American Idol???

For me, I have to say it is.

I will watch tonight to see which David takes it, but it may very well be my last time. I haven't even watched their performances from last night yet...but I will before the finale.

This year has just not done it for me. I have to admit, at first I was semi-interested. But by the time Carly and Michael were done, so was I. David Cook is really just a watered down version of Chris Daughtry and David Archuletta...well, he's David Archuletta...bubble gum and teenybopperness.

I think it is just time to give it a rest and let the show go. I think it had a good run, but I won't be disappointed if they decide not to do another season.

More pics of Sara!!!

Sara!!!!

After a seemingly endless journey I finally made it to the Virginia Hospital Center where my new niece, Sara, awaited my arrival.

My sister took a great pic that shows exactly how excited I was to meet her, but her camera is still at the hospital. I'll download to my computer later and add it...

In the meantime, here is one from my camera.

I hate monkey grass with a passion

I had a brilliant idea as to how I should spend my weekend. Underneath a beautiful crepe myrtle in our front garden is a patch of what I have considered my least favorite vegetation for some years. I thought, "Oh, I'll just pull it up and plant some hosta there instead." Yah, bet?!

This demonic infestation of the aforementioned monkey grass has one of the most intricate root systems I have ever seen. After five hours of hard labor, I have cleared what may be a 3 foot by 4 foot patch of the green stuff. There are still roots sticking out all over the place. I can't tell which roots belong to the monkey grass and which belong to the tree (yes the monkey grass roots are nearly that diameter) and ivy that are growing there.

The big surprise is that hidden among the monkey grass I found two hostas just beginning to poke their way through the earth. I have been extraordinarily careful not to mess with those!!!

Now, it is raining...which means that the earliest I will finish this project is next weekend. Meanwhile, fighting through the warzone known as Colfax on a Saturday morning after a tornado just to go to the farmer's market could have been delayed another week. I have 6 hosta, 2 flats of vinca and 2 more herb plants waiting to be put in the ground...

The bright side of the rain is that after all of my digging and bending over yesterday, my body feels like it has been hit by a truck. I need not to do that again today. Vacuuming and laundry never sounded so welcoming!

Semester is almost over!

My take home final is due Thursday night. I am finishing it up and I promise I will undertake a renewed effort at blogging. I've missed it, but haven't had any spare time to do it...

An update on what has been happening in the Doyle household over the last six months should be expected by the weekend!