i love aaron

My favorite outfit

By Robin Main

Good News for Funky People

Well, gals and pals, it looks like Cosanti is going to work out! Sorry, Jov, it's not Arcosanti but it's still cool - I promise! It's just less driving for everyone if we have it at Cosanti rather than Arcosanti. And, we aren't restricted in food and drink service like we would be at the garden or buildings at ASU. So, all around that will save us money. Plus, they have a supply of tables, chairs, patio heaters and tree lights. Aaron and I were talking last night about making tamales and pozole, and Rachel mentioned chilaquiles (corn chips mixed with chile salsa and lots of oil, sprinkled with queso fresco and cilantro) which sounds divinely delicious. Aaron's mom's side of the family makes the best tamales... really, their masa is key. They make green chile chicken and jalapeno pork among the other traditional recipes (carnitas with red chile sauce). Rachel has a good vegetarian tamale recipe that we can also make. Any thoughts on what other foods you would like to see there? We'll need a salad or vegetable dish of some sort. I make a nice bean salad. Simple: black beans, pinto beans, lemon, red wine vinegar, olive oil, parsley, red onion, spices - yum. I know of a place that makes the best red velvet cake too! So moist and they use cream cheese icing with just a little sugar.

I like my Volvo. It makes a grinding noise when I turn on my AC though. I need to take it to a mechanic but it's really a great car and I'm happy I sold the other.

What else?

I'm excited for the trip to Becka's wedding in Pismo in two weeks. Love the beach.

Extra Extra...

READ ALL ABOUT
it... the weekend. a lot happened.
Actually, the entire week was hectic.
Monday: check out condo in mid-town... it's cool
Tuesday: make empanadas and cookies with Aaron's sister and think about wedding stuff
Wednesday: get blind sighted by stupid frickin' Urban Outfitters with a $650 charge for a couch we ordered three months ago and no confirmation e-mail!!! yeah, and I called the week before to ask when it would be charged and the lady said after July 20
Wednesday night: WTF... Billz billz billz
Thursday: lets sell all of our cars (3 to be exact), buy two 'beaters', pay off Aaron's loan, pay off most of my loan, and there you go = better = something we can afford = we can focus on the wedding
Friday: sell my car
Saturday: buy the Volvo and the VW
Sunday: take it kind of easy and go to Cosanti
Monday: work. fix the mercedes to sell. write on my blog upon requests:)

AUTO UPDATE
Well, it's Monday and we're selling two more vehicles. The goal is the end of the week.


This is Aaron handling a car deal via cell


This is my new, old 1984 Volvo. It's quite cute inside too.


This is obviously the back side


This is Aaron's adorable powder blue 1981 Volkswagon Rabbit



RAINY SUNDAY UPDATE
It was pouring on Sunday and quite lovely, I must say. We went to Cosanti which was a nice retreat after rummaging for cars. It's cool. You should visit. Unfortunately, the suggested donation for renting the space is $2,000. Hmph. Their bells and pots are cool, though, and I recommend them as gifts.


The bells


More bells and pots


Vault with Soleri's work, and Aaron




This is the apse where you can have events


This is the courtyard adjacent to the apse... rentable space


Swimming pool

PUPPY UPDATE
Here's Monster Puppy Wag. Our dear Ilo. He looks nice against standard street signage, doesn't he?


Ilo in the handicapped parking


My photo experiment with Ilo in the mirror


Ilo sleeping with his eyes open and tongue out

Our Possible Near Future

Okay, so we were on a brainstorming freak out last night and stayed up yet again until after 2 am figuring it all out. This, in addition to our constant 2012 epiphanies, has really led to some otherworldly-ability-to-grasp-weird-ideas-and-make-them-applicable-to-the-real-world-quickly development.

We are looking into this teeny house in downtown along the edge of the city that is in a transitioning phase. I mean, right on the edge! Like 50 feet away. It's just a hop skip and a jump away from dozens of art galleries, a funk / jazz bar, a fav dive bar, and a grassroots level music venue, as well as a few cool eateries including our favorite Paisley Violin restaurant. It's approximately 500 square feet, which is monstrous compared to our current 236 sf studio, is along a small stretch of alley and a triangular vacant lot that can totally apply to our alley project idea plus a small community park or garden, and the back yard is huge! Okay, so that and we're selling our three cars and buying two small, old, reliable, fuel efficient cars we found on Craigslist. I'd buy a scooter but it doesn't really meet the mindset of Phoenix life and it's friggin' hot'n'her. And, since this is all cheaper than what we're currently paying monthly for everything we can PAY OFF OUR STUDENT LOANS!!!!!!! OMG THIS IS AWESOME! And, we can still apply for Peace Corps because it's in an artsy part of town and if we fix up the alley and yard I think it will be easy to rent.


The cute little house that Ilo will look so cute in!


One of the cars... 1991 Nissan Sentra. Hell ya!

Away to Arcosanti Perhaps

Well, I'm sorry to keep posting wedding planning stuff. It is what has consumed me these days, though, so here I am writing about it once more.

Planning a celebration at the Secret Garden has seemed a bit taxing because of the alcohol restriction and unobtainable interior space, which includes an ever so necessary bathroom. Renting space at the only building on campus where we are permitted to serve alcohol requires a bit of planning and perhaps more money as well, though the building is quite pretty, dating to the late 1800's.

So, today it hit me... why not do a destination'ish wedding at Arcosanti? Their spaces are actually cheap to rent. $50 to $100. I just need to call about catering prices and options, the number of available rooms (they are also affordable), and figure out shuttle options and time frames because it's 70 miles north of Phoenix. It could be super cool and a little bizarre. Totally Aaron and Robin.