Home Improvements Start Back...

Close up view

And now you can see how high up he really is...

So summer is officially here, which means that the project master is at work once again. This week, he finished caulking the house, power-washed the whole place, and is now painting BY HAND. Yes folks, my husband is crazy, but I love him for it.

Thankfully, our neighbors across the street work from home, and their office windows face the house. They have promised to "keep watch" during this project and anything else that ensues...

This project will be finished next week. Up next- finishing the upstairs!

Summer Punch Party

Stacey, Me, Alicia, Elaine, and Erica catching up

Impressive set up by our buddy Dan

Keith and I have a busy few weeks. He's been closing out the school year, and I've had lots of work projects going on. We hosted our annual Summer Punch Party yesterday, which is always lots of fun. We had sixty guests in attendance this year, and everyone enjoyed our homemade BBQ, the delicious contributions from our guests, our buddy Dan's homebrew, and the usual SoCo punch. Dan outdid himself this year, providing SIX varieties of brew for everyone.

Doughman Challenge

A few weeks ago, Keith and I read about "The Doughman Challenge" in the Raleigh paper and decided to volunteer for the event which took place Saturday in downtown Durham. The deal is that a four-person relay team eats various delicious foods, then has to run, swim, and/or bike a leg of the relay without "losing" anything. Crazy, huh? (especially considering that the first person had to down mac and cheese with blue crab and a fried egg before a 2 mile run and short swim...)

Go to http://www.newsobserver.com and look for the story. Proceeds from the event benefit Seeds, which is a program that teaches Durham youth how to grow their own sustainable gardens, which they then sell at the Farmers' Market.

Keith with Bruce???

We check out "Bruce in the USA" every time they are nearby. What a fantastic show.... It's the next best thing to the Boss. They played a local club in Raleigh tonight, and we had to take in the spectacle. Now, off to bed!

Good Times

Enjoying drinks at "The Federal" in Durham

Kerri and Keith on their way to the prom!

Friday night, I cooked a delicious dinner for Kerri and Keith before they headed out to the Millbrook Prom. Our friend Stacey and two neighbors came over, and we enjoyed conversation on the deck until the prom-goers returned and joined us.

Saturday, a group of girlfriends and I went to see "The Color Purple" at the DPAC. Wow- incredible show, amazing performances, go see it! We then went to Vin Rouge, a French restaurant near Duke University, and indulged in their early-bird dinner specials (three-course meal for $20.) Incredible and delicious! We finished the night at "The Federal" hanging out and catching up before heading home.

Today, we were supposed to go with a group of eleven friends to the Durham Bulls baseball game. Looks like the weather is going to wash this one out. Oh well... More time for Keith to finish grading his final twenty research papers. Only four more days with his seniors!

Keith's Birthday Week

Keith sporting one of his birthday gifts

Keith's birthday was last week, and per our usual tradition, we celebrated for an entire week. I gave him small gifts each day, but there were two larger gifts that were the highlights of the celebration. We went to The Pit for dinner Wednesday night, and the food was fabulous! http://www.thepit-raleigh.com/ I encourage you to head here on your next trip to Raleigh. It's been featured in several magazines and on several TV shows as of late.

Keith's favorite musician of all time, Bruce Springsteen, was in Greensboro Saturday night, so a group of us ventured out for the show. Noel and Britta hosted us for an afternoon cookout before the show, and, as always, Bruce kicked butt for a solid three-plus hours. Hard to believe that man's sixty years old....

Lovely Wedding Under a Carolina Sky!

Hanging out with our friends Chuck and Donna

Isn't she lovely????

My co-worker Teresa got married in a gorgeous outdoor ceremony Friday night, and Keith and I were fortunate to be able to attend the festivities. Nearly everyone from our office was there, and we all had a marvelous time toasting the bride and groom. The site of the festivities was an old home in downtown Clayton, NC called "The Wagner House." The home was built in 1912 and is incredible both inside and out. http://www.historicwagnerhouse.com/ to take a look for yourself!