Sunday, September 28, 2014

Warming up to a table-top ironing board

ironing board - image for English lesson with vocabulary
The cover that came with this new table-top ironing board stunk, :-| so we decided to wash it first. This is an old cover.

My wife and I live in a tiny apartment, and every time I BREAK OUT the ironing board to PRESS my shirts, it takes up most of the kitchen area, and she's had to squeeze through a small space just to get to the sink. So, she had been URGING me to SWITCH to a table-top ironing board. At first, I was RELUCTANT to GO ALONG with it; I thought I needed the space of a full-size board and a table-top one would just slow me down. 

Eventually though, I WARMED UP to the idea of using a smaller ironing board, and WHAT DO YOU KNOW! I actually like it! It needs less space for storage; it doesn't really slow down my ironing, and I don't have to block the entire kitchen! HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT! :-)

Friday, September 26, 2014

Morning after the storm


It feels like the morning after a storm. Indeed, a storm went through our area yesterday, but it turned out to be a weak one. It definitely wasn't the SOAKER that was predicted.

  • SOAKER - heavy rain; a rainy, wet day


Sunday, September 21, 2014

Happy first day of fall!

A pumpkin patch at the supermarket where I shop, displaying some fall colors before the leaves start to turn in our area. 

Pumpkin PATCHES are POPPING UP around town once again, especially in grocery stores and farmer's markets. It's one sign that fall is here! Well, it officially arrives tomorrow. The temperatures in NYC have been gradually going down unlike in past years when summer weather sometimes LINGERS even in October. This time the TRANSITION into autumn is smoother, which is nice. I like it. :-)
  • PATCH - a small piece of land used to grow fruit or vegetables; the produce from this land
  • POPPING UP - appearing
  • LINGER - stay longer
  • TRANSITION - change into something different

Thursday, September 11, 2014

A nice time watching the U.S. Open final competition


Watching the final game of the US Open in Brooklyn, with Lower Manhattan in the background.

We THOROUGHLY enjoyed the #AmexTennis #USOpen event at Brooklyn Bridge Park early this week. It was a nice VENUE with the Manhattan SKYLINE providing a dramatic BACKDROP. I even SCORED a nice, free picnic blanket which I'm sure we'll use again. I wish I had also gotten the free picnic basket with the sandwiches that came in it; they looked really yummy, and my mouth WATERED just watching people around us eating. :-| Unfortunately, the line was too long, and we would've missed a big part of the game. Now I KNOW THE DRILL; next time, I'll be first in line. :-)
  • VENUE - place for an event
  • SKYLINE - outline of the buildings of a city; view of a city
  • BACKDROP - view in the background
  • SCORED - unexpectedly, luckily get something #slang
  • MOUTH WATERED - salivated; wanted to eat
  • KNOW THE DRILL - know what to do #idiom