Pringle Panoply: They see me rolling

Lauren is breathing a huge sigh of relief after finishing her transition year at Harbor Hospital. The hours at Johns Hopkins are so much more family friendly and on top of that, Lauren finds it much more satisfying. I can tell she likes it better because some days she actually finds time to curl her hair for work. There's a woman who looks forward to her day!

Meanwhile, I get to drive my car, a '98 Honda Civic to the NIH in Bethesda every day. It is 100 miles round trip, and I dread the traffic. On the bright side, I am becoming a much better driver (learning how to advance quickly through backups, remembering where all the potholes are, etc.). I also get through two CDs of audiobooks per day on average. So far, I have listened to (my first) two Stephen King novels: Salem's Lot and 11/22/63. They haven't really made a good first impression on me since they are both about writers from Maine being the hero (flat characters who are willing and able to murder on cue). The books also are embedded in a mystic philosophy of life. These things and more make me not want to listen to/read Stephen King again.

Lauren and I are on an intramural softball team and a soccer team. Since she broke her nose, she hasn't been playing, but we finally got a nose guard for her. It is basically a hard mask that looks like an old hockey mask (think Jason). That means we are back in business. Last Wednesday, I went to play without Lauren (we hadn't gotten the mask yet). I really enjoyed the game (I hit a home run and caught the last out to win the game against an undefeated team). I would definitely say that softball is a fun game for relaxing in lazy summer evenings. How did I not play this game when I was younger? This league this summer is the first time I am playing the game.

On Thursday, I had to stay home while Ryan Homes finished their 10-month checkup. This was their second visit. This time, they had to fix the uneven part of our floor (1 sq. ft.) on the second floor and then they also replaced an electrical socket. Their "fix" didn't actually fix the problem. I would say that it isn't any worse, but the floor is not level like it should be. It seems to me that when you are a home owner, sometimes you just have to live with the tiny imperfections in your home. I'm glad Ryan Homes was able to fix what they did, though, during their first visit. The home is happier because of it.

This is no more! It is back to normal.

GARDEN UPDATE!
Our garden is doing well. The tomato plants are "indeterminate" so they do not have a maximum attainable size. They just keep growing and keep making tomatoes. So far we have let them run wild in their cages, and that means we are going to have a lot of tomatoes. To date, we have probably picked about 80 tomatoes. They look like cherry tomatoes (the actual name is Sweet 100).

Bursting with sugary flavor, Sweet 100s produce scarlet, cherry-sized fruits in long clusters right up to frost. You’ll definitely want to stake or cage these vigorous climbers to keep the fruit off the ground and avoid pests and diseases. These tomatoes need at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water per week and prefer six hours or more of direct sun each day.

According to the above, we have plenty to look forward to.

Our peppers are doing well. As you know, I am mostly concerned with my hot peppers. So far we have two habanero plants and two cayenne. One of each is large and bushy, and one of each is small, barely 4 inches tall. I have about 4 cayenne peppers at full length, but they are still green. My large hab is being attacked by aphids, though, and I still do not have any fruit from it. I plan to bring the great aphid exterminators to town: the Ladybird Beetle (aka ladybug). Lauren's bell pepper is cute, and it is about the size of a large marble.

*** END GARDEN UPDATE ***

On Saturday, Lauren and I joined forces with our friends Curtis and Allison to go on the Great Bike Ride. We rode along the Baltimore-Annapolis Trail, starting about halfway and ending in Annapolis. Then at the end we rode back. It was a lot of fun, and it was also great exercise. It total, we went about 25 miles. Annapolis is such a pretty city, too, so it was great to see it by bike. I am convinced that biking is the best way to see some cities. We rewarded ourselves with ice cream near the Annapolis harbor. While relaxing on Main St. I smelled some falafel and decided we had to get some of that, too. Then, there was some foreshadowing to my future life. A shiny, glimmering, orange, Lamborghini Aventador stood parked next to the falafel shop. That is a $300,000 car!! On the way back from Annapolis, we had to climb some crazy hills. It was a strong workout. Curtis showed me a trick where you ride next to your friend and you both push each other with your hand on the other person's back. This actually makes you feel like the ride is easier. Afterwards, Lauren and I had some major soreness to deal with, but after all, pain is the body getting stronger.