DC's own coffee klatch

[Alix]

I'm in a soup and biscuits mood. I'll put a pot of beef barley on to simmer while I start refinishing these awesome bookshelves I found at a yard sale. Maple - 8 ft tall 4 ft wide, but they need sanding and staining. I'll be out back if you need me. Where's Bubba working today?

 

[vitauta]

yoohoo, lexi! aren't you the hard-working girl today! are you celebrating national homemade soup day? is that the reason for you making the big ol' beautiful bubbling pot of soup i just tasted? the flavor is so rich and meaty--you have this whole house smelling just like a popular, upscale french bistro!

that's some lovely solid maple wood you are working on there, alix--nice and heavy, too. did you see the cartons of books left on the front porch again? it's become something of a drop-off site for unwanted books. tin has been working like a busy beaver all last week, trying to keep up with the steady stream of the incomings....you may need to think about slowing or shutting down the continued donation of books too, alix--our volunteers have been dwindling lately, both in numbers and time, you know?

your soup is probably ready to eat. let's fill a couple of mugs, and take them over to your bay window station, right? aww, the kitties have taken over your window seat--they always find the best places to curl up, and a patch of sunshine. happy homemade soup day, lexi....

 

[forty_caliber]

Bubba and the brothers D are helping the sheetrock crew. Most of the upper story is done. They should be finished floating it out sometime Wednesday.

I've got to go pick up Tim and Al at the airport on Wednesday afternoon. I'll bring them by for a meet and greet.

Somebody asked how I know all these peeps. My cousin Beth Ann twice removed on my mothers side was married to Earnest P. Worrell (know what I mean Vern). After his untimely demise she sort of inherited his position on the Screen Actors Guild governance board. I've meet a bunch of SCAG members over the years. I miss Earnest the most. He was some kind of fun at a BBQ.

.40

 

[Alix]

Soup is sooooo good! Glad you liked it vit. I made homemade granola today and dinner was pork chops, smashed taters and salad. I just felt like being in the kitchen. I never did get any baking done, but the house smells like granola, so that counts.

I went through some of the books. There is a PILE of old cookbooks. Some are even handwritten. I'm quite excited to try some of those recipes. The bookcases are stained and are drying out on the covered veranda. No chance of precipitation in the forecast tonight.

Did you see the lovely shelves Bubba put in for us?

 

[vitauta]

that sure is a pretty wall of bookshelves, alix. turns out bubba puts up some real quality work. i think he's got what they call 'natural abilities'--looks can be deceiving, alright. i haven't seen bubba since the bbq--i swear, that boy, every time i saw him saturday, he was fixing himself another "everything plate". i lost count after the fourth one, but he was far from done then, and helpin' himself to the darrell's vittles too!
.40 said tim and al will be flying in here on wednesday. other than that, i can't keep track of what work is going on in this place. i know .40 makes a real effort to keep us advised of every job installment, as well as upcoming events, but most of the time, we get these cryptic notes from him...you can't make hide or hare out of 'em. half the time, i don't know if he's serious or just pullin' my leg about something--he has this peculiar sense of humor about things. i think he likes poking a little fun--putting people on, you know, all the while going off, having a little chuckle to himself....

 

[tinlizzie]

That is a beautiful set of shelves, guys. Do you suppose Bubba could put one of those little ladders-on-wheels in for us? While some of us could probably reach the top shelves, we need to provide access for anyone who might be height-challenged. I just love to see home libraries, wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling books. Sounds as though we might have a whole wall of cookbooks - quite appropriate for DC. I know I'm not the only one who likes to just read them, if not use them to cook by/from. I'm afraid the computer has usurped that duty.

I've forgotten - do we have a computer desk?

 

[vitauta]

here kitties, here kitkat, here dommie, oh there you are! have you been good kitties while i was away? yes, yes, i know you're hungry--aren't you always? wait a minute while i fix myself some coffee. gimme a minute, will you --look, you have food in your dishes, what're you cryin' about? i know, i know--you don't like when it turns dry around the edges. here, i'm giving it a stir, there, there--good as new. now what's wrong? what? don't you two beat all! how did you get spoiled so fast! you remember how we saved your furry little butts and whiskers last week? you were sooo happy to leave that old spca, remember that? and now what--friskies not good
enough for you any more? aw, it's done gone and gotten too stale for kitties of your stature, has it? here, here, have a little fresh milk, you two little ingrates! i'm going to relax and have a nice cup of coffee, myself. hmm, i don't see or hear any signs of the workers today...oh, i wonder if al and tim got into town today, as .40 had in his plans....they're probably catching up on old times at some cheers-type pub, trading some tall stories, and bouncing off one another with mischievous fraternity....

 

[taxlady]

I think the kitties are a little miffed 'cause I gave 'em what for. They had been playing with the toilet paper. There was none left on the roll in the washroom. And someone had also attacked the paper towels - I found the roll behind a chair and it had teeth and claw marks.

 

[forty_caliber]

Tim and Al were stuck in Chicago O'hare for several hours when their connecting flight had mechanical issues. They caught another flight and their plane is still in the air and I'm waiting at the airport for them.

I'll keep you posted.

.40

 

[Addie]

Thanks Vit for lifting my spirits. Delightful. Give those kitties anything they want. If they want to learn how to be spoiled brats, I can send Teddy there for the weekend. He is a master of getting all the attention he wants. Spike thinks he is teaching him who the alpha is. Teddy doesn't think about it. He knows!

 

[Alix]

What did you name our wee beasties vitauta? Domino and ??? I like Domino. Perfect for him. Our little girl is a bit of a heathen but Domino is quite the lap sitter. He snuggled me right into a nap this afternoon. I MAY have drooled a bit on my book. Sorry.

 

[forty_caliber]

Hey Everybody. Let's give a warm welcome to Tim and Al. Al is the one dressed in a plaid shirt .

On the way over we had a chance to chat about the project and share some ideas. Tim suggested that we ask the group for their suggestions since this is a community project. The floor is open for suggestions. This whole thing is about and for all of us so let us hear from you.

.40

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Hey Everybody. Let's give a warm welcome to Tim and Al. Al is the one dressed in a plaid shirt .

On the way over we had a chance to chat about the project and share some ideas. Tim suggested that we ask the group for their suggestions since this is a community project. The floor is open for suggestions. This whole thing is about and for all of us so let us hear from you.

.40

The floor is open??? You didn't let Tim have a pry bar did you?

 

[Addie]

Vit, my daughter has a calico cat named Cookie. There was a round black area rug in front of the couch. Now Cookie stays upstairs on the second floor most of the time. Even her food dishes and litter box are up there. Occasionally she comes downstairs and jumps up on the couch. But when she wanted to get down off the couch she would start howling and raising cane. She was afraid of the black rug. She thought it was a hole. My daughter would have to go and pick her up and put her down on the floor far away from the black rug. Silly cat! My daughter had to get rid of the rug.

 

[vitauta]

well, what do you think, alix? what is your expanded vision for this coffee palace, now that tim and al have brought the special "tools" and their unique skills completely at our disposal? we're talking beyond the library, veranda, and firepit/stonehenge setting, now. what do you see happening with the up-to-now undeveloped spaces, lexi?

and what about those four walled-in fireplaces? that central chimney seems a natural starting point for a new direction and expansion of our dream project, no? i hope we don't uncover a dead body or two, hidden away behind these walls, hehehe....

oh, domino has come looking for us. he doesn't suffer being ignored for long. actually, i haven't named either of our kitties. it's just what i'm calling them. domino, dommie, dummy. and little sparky, i call her whatever comes to mind--mostly boxxi or just kitty...i figure these two will come when they feel like it, or when they are hungry. they will ignore whatever names i, or anyone else chooses to call them. they are such sweeties, tho--they claimed our hearts, and carved a place here that now belongs to them exclusively.....

i would so love to have a formal dining room...after all, this is a place inhabited by a variety of dcers, born and branded foodies. we could throw parties, have banquets and food festivals, contests and bake-offs here. celebrations of all kinds--weddings, even. the possibilities are endless, really, when you think about it....

 

[Alix]

Well lets see...

Kitchen/Dining room - I can see us having a lovely reno in here. Pass through counter with stools tucked under to be used as a breakfast bar. I'll let you guys discuss the actual dining area. The kitchen needs to have room for at least 3 of us to work. An island with deep pot drawers and a sink is a must. 2 ovens, because you just KNOW its going to be a gathering place for holiday meals and there is nothing worse than trying to juggle all the sides, main and desserts in one dinky oven. I'd love to see sliding doors out to the deck and patio too. That covered deck is so lovely. I was thinking something like this...

ffor the outdoor chefs. That fireplace on the left would actually be more like an ooutdoor pizza oven. I think we could incorporate a smoker section in the middle tthere too.

The kitchen, outdoor area (Did the hot tub ever get finished?) and the library are going to be my primary haunts, but if there are going to be bunches of us around maybe a really big ballroom for parties might be a good idea.

I think the library could be expanded into a couple of rooms too. Its grown exponentially in the last little while. Do you think Tim and Al could do some of those movable rolling bookcases? So they sort of stack on top of one another to conserve space? Then we could convert that room where we've been sorting books into a reading room. Do the fireplace wall in river rock, put in a few more chair groupings and maybe a big squishy couch? We're right next to the kitchen but I don't think it would be out of line to have a counter with all our coffee supplies in here.

What do you think .40? Can the boys do any of that?

 

[Alix]

Nevermind...I just found the kitchen I think we need.

 

[taxlady]

Nevermind...I just found the kitchen I think we need.

Oh yeah.

Room for lots of folks to sit and, chop, gab, stir, mix, julienne, whisk, etc.

 

[vitauta]

Holy Moly, me oh my, alix!! i think you missed your calling. you have my vote for being appointed our official events planner. our party-planner--the team leader who organizes all of our functions, alix, and you get to select your own staff. what do you say? isn't this some crazy s---t though? i love it!

 

[Alix]

That glass wall at the end of the dining area needs to be sliding doors to the patio. I can see the covered veranda off to the right of that so that there is room for sun lovers and shade needers.

Do you think the area to the right of the dining area could be expanded to be that area for parties I mentioned?

Thanks for the accolades vit. I just know what I like when I see it!