let us grow lettuce and other outdoor excursions.

so i made a deal with myself. this year, i would try to grow one edible thing in the backyard. if i succeeded--if i was able to create something that could be safely ingested, i would retire my it's-too-hard attitude when it came to the garden. if it didn't work--if nothing grew and we were stuck eating produce from california for yet another summer, then i was off the hook and would never have to feel guilty about not gardening again. 

the vegetable that will determine the fate of future summers is...lettuce.

i was unsure as to which result i was really hoping for. on one hand, i'm good at most things that involve time and patience: owning animals, baking, being married to an academic. on the other, i'm terribly lazy when it comes to physical activity outdoors. don't get me wrong, i love to be outside. but on two conditions: there's a chair and a drink involved.

on day eight, it seems that i am winning. or losing. whichever. 

like i've mentioned, we've been spending a lot of time on the porch now that spring seems to have officially arrived (knock on wood). being ever so handy and ambitious in the out-of-doors (he's the fisher, camper, canoer, and all-around windows-down person in our family), paul has made some upgrades to our little space.

a while back he brought home a fire pit, which was sort of a revelation for me. i've always loved sitting around a fire (the perfect third to a chair and a drink) at other people's houses but never thought it was something i could do on my own (this was way before the ego-altering experience of growing lettuce, mind you).

and you may find yourself in a beautiful house with a beautiful wife. if you're this guy, that is.

turns out, burning stuff is easy. and really fun. things were good.

but then our indoor-outdoor stereo went kaput. to be fair, it wasn't technically an outdoor piece of equipment, we just pretended like it was. also, we left it outside in a thunderstorm. or, like, 7 thunderstorms. so, i guess we sort of had it coming.

until, that is, paul came up with a scheme that i admit at first i wasn't so sure about. outdoor speakers seemed like something only rich people have. and swimming pools. and sidewalk cafes in warm-weather states. and bars.

well, thanks to pgc (and his sometimes-frustrating array of hand-me-down stereos and speakers), our patio is now as cool as a bar. well, maybe cooler because we have fire.

          

the alternate title of this blog could be: awkward photos that paul will be unhappy i posted. yes, i totally made him pose with his ladder and drill.

while we're getting comfy on the porch, the animals are also assuming their own spring-time positions. can someone please tell franny that even though her litter box is in the sun, that it is not sanitary to sleep in there?

and gus's life basically consists of alternating 15-minute periods of frisbee/ball/running laps in the backyard and this flattering pose.

anyway, you're all invited to come sit on our hgtv-worthy porch with us. byob. we'll provide the tunes. and the lettuce, of course.