Linoleum and Old Newspapers
We are putting bamboo floors in our living room, after our radiator turned into a dripping disaster! Well, this time we hired our friend, who is a carpenter to do it. You may remember that we installed bamboo floors in the attic 3 years ago, but for the living room we wanted it done professionally. However, we did prepare the room.
First, we moved everything out of the living room, with the help of our friend Derrick. They put the couch on its side in the corner of the kitchen and I think Levon found a new favorite place to sit:
First we ripped up the carpet and the foamy stuff under it. (What’s that stuff called?)
Then we learned that there was linoleum beneath the carpet and foamy stuff. The linoleum was kind of funny…it was composed of fake wood and a fake area rug. Maybe this was the style back then?
And then, underneath the linoleum were well-preserved newspapers from 1945! (Also found: a puzzle piece and a playing card…7 of diamonds, to be precise.)
Iced Tea
I’ve written about my diet cola addiction. I’ve been working hard not to keep diet cola in the house. If I’m out somewhere, I’ll order it (especially if I am eating pizza) but if I need a cold caffeinated beverage while at home, I will have to drink unsweetened iced tea.
Usually I’ll just make a pitcher of plain iced English Breakfast tea. If I have fresh lemons, I’ll slice them up and put them in there, too. But lately, I’ve been trying to get more creative. Usually I do this using the fruit teas from Trader Joe’s. I’ll blend fruit tea with English Breakfast tea, and make a delightfully fruity iced tea, without it being too overpowering. An iced tea made with only fruit tea might be too much for me, but if I make a pitcher using 4 teabags of English Breakfast and 2 teabags of a fruit tea, it’s the perfect combination.
Here are some that I’ve tried and enjoying:
1) Trader Joe’s Blackberry Fruit Infusion Tea. This is very good.
2) White pomegranate tea from Trader Joe’s. This actually stands pretty well on its own as an iced tea, without the black tea. However, white tea is lower in caffeine than black tea, so it’s not as much of a pick me up as it would be if it was blended with the English Breakfast…
3) Trader Joe’s Raspberry Fruit Infusion Tea. Also very tasty. I think I might try mixing this with the blackberry.
So far these iced teas have kept me from buying Diet Coke. BUT, I enjoy them so much that if I’m home I can drink almost an entire pitcher a day! I suppose it’s better than drinking an entire bottle of Diet Coke, though.
Let’s see what else I come up with in terms of iced tea! I’m going to see what other kinds of fruit teas Trader Joe’s has and do some more experimenting.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (0)Project 365: 02/28/09
Matt and I at the 3rd Annual Beerfest…we can proudly say that we’ve been every year. Bottoms up!
Filed under Photos, Project 365 | Comment (0)Project 365: 02/27/09
Matt and Karl. Wondering why Matt is wearing shorts in New England on a February evening? It was in the 60s! (But we didn’t hold our breath…stay tuned for some inevitable snow pictures.)
Filed under Photos, Project 365, weather | Comment (0)Project 365: 02/26/09
Bluebird rockin’ out at The Draft in Allston. It was a great show!
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