Tag Archives: maine

City farmhouse?

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We tried a new restaurant the other day which is something I love to do. If it was up to my husband we would go the same three every time we eat out because he’s an absolute creature of habit.

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City Farmhouse Kitchen and Bar in South Portland.

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The description was urban style with farm to table food. Sounded intriguing, so away we went.

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On first glance the cocktail menu looked stellar. Fresh fruit purées, homemade bitters and local herbs.

Yes please!

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I started with the strawberry basil mojito… which was so good I ordered two.

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I could happily have emptied a pitcher with my less than palatable crab cakes. The tiny things came out of the kitchen in a flash and had that hard crunchy coating that screamed frozen.

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On the plus side my husband’s lobster bisque was divine.

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It was an attractive place, modern with a few strange “farmy” touches.

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Like the fake grassy turf above the bar televisions.

🥴

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Sadly the main portions of our meals were disappointing. The husband’s roasted squash ravioli with root vegetables and sage brown butter were hard as a rock and dry….

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While my chicken tagliatelle with spinach, mushroom and pine nuts was dull as toast. The porcini cream had no flavor and the pasta was pasty.

My third cocktail however, the Indian Summer, was lovely.

Bombay Sapphire Gin, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Fresh-Pressed Lime, Splash of Cranberry, Muddled Pink Grapefruit, Splash of Bubbles.

Conclusion?

Go for drinks and not much else.

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The search continues…

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I made the rounds of a few more furniture stores looking for coffee tables the other day.

And because it’s me, and I’m looking for something simple… you know I didn’t find it.

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I don’t need a coffee table with baskets.

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Or one that looks like an old library card cabinet. Though that cat certainly seems to be enjoying it…

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I don’t need a coffee table that Lord Dudley would shred in a hot minute.

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Or… again, one that looks like a canoe.

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Those things are everywhere.

3 more large stores searched and I’m still empty handed.

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Though if you need a telephone booth wine bar I can point you in the right direction.

🤣

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Trench #2….

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Work continued on the second drainage pipe ditch.

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It’s hard work.

Hard on your knees… hard on your back.

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Because my husband didn’t want to damage the lawn any more than necessary the trench was dug by hand…. with a pick ax and trowels.

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And once it was laid, attached…

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And covered over, my husband decided he wanted another 10 feet of pipe.

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Which meant more work and more rocks.

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To be continued…

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The wet test run.

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One side of the drainage trench was dug.

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And the perforated pipe was attached to the catch basin and set in place.

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The hose was deployed to simulate rain…

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And water flowed.

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When installation was deemed satisfactory, backfill was added.

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From the lovely little plywood backed dirt piles .

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Hard to believe this took two men almost 8 hours….

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But when my husband is involved there will be some serious chatting along with the working.

😉

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If the man doesn’t have a project, he’s not happy.

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Working with our contractor has ended for now but will resume in a week or two. And God forbid my retired husband should enjoy himself and do something fun. No…

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He’s decided to lay perforated drainage pipe.

You know, the one I told him to lay last year when he installed that drainage box.

Ever since we had the driveway redone last year water has been funneling down to our kitchen landing/porch and in heavy rain we step outside to a river.

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The catch basin was a good idea, but the husband poo poo’d the extra effort involved in laying pipe saying it wasn’t necessary.

Guess what?

It was.

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So today…

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Trench work began.

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With some help from his cousin.

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Rock and clay don’t make it easy.

🥴

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Random nonsense.

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Lord Dudley Mountcatten is an interactive television watcher.

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Especially when it’s a Nature documentary on birds of prey.

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Summer is coming.

You’re welcome.

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It’s been a weird, cold and wet spring. We still have temperatures dropping to 40 so while the grass is a stunning vibrant green…

Most of the trees haven’t leafed out yet.

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Not that His Lordship cares, there are still mice to hunt.

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The Orioles are still here and eating jars of grape jelly faster than I can buy them. They’re beautiful and hungry.

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A bluebird, just because.

💕

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I was wondering if this day would ever come.

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It’s finally happened.

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My husband put his Harley up for sale.

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After one last ride that almost made him change his mind.

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He bought the bike in 2009, without me knowing because asking forgiveness is easier than asking permission.

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We already had one motorcycle and certainly didn’t need another….

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But his friend Jim’s brother had died and left the bike to Jim who didn’t ride.

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It’s an ‘87 FXLR that was completely stripped down and rebuilt, powder coated, switched from chain to belt, digital instrumentation, extra chrome… custom all the way.

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To the tune of $27,000. We have the paperwork.

Since the owner was a friend who wanted his late brother’s bike to have a good home, my husband purchased it for a quarter of that price.

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Sounds like a great deal but …

(You knew there would be a but.)

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Just because it’s custom doesn’t mean it’s comfortable, which it isn’t. The back seat is tiny… and my derrière is not. I could ride about a half an hour tops, before screaming uncle. And the late brother was a tall man, my husband is not… so shifting was a bit of an uncomfortable stretch.

It’s also a Harley, which means it breaks down frequently. That’s fine if you’re a gear head tinkerer, expensive as Hell if you’re not.

I’ve been squawking about hubby selling it for almost as long as we’ve had it but last weekend, without any prompting from me…. out it went on the front lawn. Miracles do happen.

Of course his asking price is about $3,500 over what it should be… so whether he’s really serious about letting it go is debatable.

🥴

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