Sunshine in My Eyes

What in the world is that noise? And, why won't it stop?

That was my sleep-befuddled reaction to the dulcet sounds of Interlude, coming from my cell phone. I'd set the alarm** the night before, just to make sure I'd get up in time to get to the Master Gardener Mentor-Intern Breakfast (all the way across the county) by 9:00. Good thing I did 'cause I'd probably have slept into next week at the rate I was going on Wednesday morning.  Made the mistake of staying up late, knitting and watching the Sugar Bowl on Tuesday night; had to watch to the bitter end, thinking that the Hogs would pull it out over the Bucks...no joy there, however, as hopes died with an interception with a minute to go.

**RE:  an alarm clock.  I gave up both my wrist watch and my alarm clock when I left the corporate life for consulting.  I do have to make meetings and scheduled sessions, but I find that my computer, my cell phone and wall clocks keep me on time...most of the time.  Additionally, I've always had this internal tick-tock that is generally reliable.  But, getting my bedtime off can get my internal clock "off."  So, I resort to a back-up.**



Sun shines on intersection of
Skeet Club/Wendover and NC68/Eastchester

 I had no idea what traffic on Skeet Club/Wendover...which I have to take all the way through Greensboro to Burlington Road...would be like around 8:00ish.  Since living in Atlanta, where it once took me an hour and 29 minutes to drive the 17 miles from our house in Duluth to my office in Dunwoody (!), I do not complain about traffic.  It's NOTHING now. Piece o' cake, compared to the Big City down I-85 in Georgia.

One thing I didn't count on was the sun (photo, left).  Good grief!  They must have laid-out the road-bed for Wendover by following the arch of the sun.  Right in my eyes...or coming through the passenger side window at such an angle that I couldn't escape it.  Painful.  I may have to re-think those prescription sunglasses (which I've always avoided by having transition lens...which have some limitations while driving).

Oh well. 

I got to Burlington road with about 15 minutes to spare, so decided to go through the Dunkin Donuts drive-through to get some coffee.  Now, I'm a Krispy Kreme gal. Love me some melting-sugar-coated lighter-than-air yeast-raised doughnuts.  Makes my mouth water just writing about them.  Because I'm in the Krispy Kreme kamp, I have very strong, negative feelings about Dunkin Donuts.  Ugh is the nicest word that comes to mind.  Their donuts are better used as weights for a fishing line, I'm thinking.  But, there was no KK in sight, only a DD drive-through.  What harm could it be, since I was only going to get some coffee?

As I've said before, I like strong...but not boiling hot...coffee.  Also, I drink milk in my coffee.  I detest powdered creamer in my coffee.  Hate. It.  Nor am I a fan of cream.  No, I'd much rather have milk.  Real, cold milk.  So, when I go through the Krispy Kreme drive-through on Main Street in HPNC, I always order a coffee and a carton of milk (2%, since they don't have skim), along with that big box of a dozen Hot Now doughnuts.  No problem.

Here's how it went at Dunkin Donuts:

Me, into the squawk box at the drive-through:  I'll take a medium coffee and a carton of milk.
Female voice on the other end:  We don't got no milk, 'mam.
Me, after looking over the menu again:  Well, I guess I'll try a medium Latte, then.
Female voice:  Do you want that with whole or skim milk, 'mam?

Took every ounce of willpower not to laugh hysterically...or to say something snide like: well, they do got milk at Krispy Kreme.  I certainly didn't want to tick someone off inside while they were preparing my Latte with Skim milk...which cost me about a buck more than my coffee and my carton of milk at KK, I might add.

Anyway.



It's official!  I'm a Master Gardener Intern
Class of 2011!!

At the Breakfast held in the auditorium of the Guilford County Agriculture Center building on Burlington Road, we got to meet our mentors and some of the other members of the Class of 2011 interns.  We paid our dues, got our nametags (photo, right), and picked up our binders, one of which weighs more than a few pounds.  Guilford County Urban Horticulture Agent and Lead Instructor Karen Neill told us that each week's topic was like a college-level course...so be sure to read the material prior to coming to class on Wednesday mornings.  [Uh-oh, what have I gotten myself into??]

One of the mentors seated at our table said not to worry.  You can't learn it all...and they won't cover it all, anyway.  The main thing was to get a well-rounded introduction to all the topics, and to know where and how to research the topics.  Good advice from a veteran.


Simple Kneads in Downtown GSO

After a tour of the Legacy Demonstration Garden, which is maintained by the Master Gardeners (and which will be one of the required volunteer activities for Interns), I was still feeling a bit stunned, kinda like the sun was still in my eyes...and also more than a little happy to be so close to Gate City Yarns in downtown Greensboro (photo, below/left).  Yarn therapy!  That's the ticket!!



Yarn therapy at
Gate City Yarns in downtown Greensboro

Ahhh.  After an hour in the yarn store, petting all the fibres, preceded by a side-trip to the nearby bakery (photo, above/right) called Simple Kneads where I enjoyed a yummy, spicy Jalapeno-Cheese Focaccia pastry and a Diet Coke for my lunch, and got a loaf of Spelt bread to go, I was right-as-rain again.  And, ready to return home to begin reading my chapter on Botany.

Well, maybe I'd better swing by Krispy Kreme...just in case...