What a relaxing day off

It started with the FP waking up before me.  I wanted to sleep in a little - say 30 minutes.  But shortly after the FP left the bedroom, Rudy started whimpering.  So, I had to let him out in case he had to poo poo pee pee.  So, I was up too.

I took the FP to work.  Then I went home and let Rudy out for a little while.

Then I nervously drove the Element to the auto repair shop hoping it wouldn't stop.  Luckily it didn't.  So, I waited about an hour to find out what was wrong with the car.  It was the alternator, as suspected.

So, I went across the street and waited for the Number 7 bus for about 20 minutes before it showed up.  I was going to transfer to the Number 6 to get a couple blocks from home, but I decided to walk rather than wait in the sun.  That was a good choice, since I did not see one bus pass me in the 20 - 30 minutes it took to walk home.

When I got home, I dragged Rudy to the park for a pull on the leash.  Then we went back home and I fed him.

I realized that there was no food in the house, and I couldn't bring food back before 30 minutes to an hour after he ate, because he would think he was boss.

Well, he already thinks he is.  He definitely gets more aggressive if we feed him first and then try to eat shortly after that.

So, I had to go out to eat.  I went to a nearby asian fast food place, called Go Bento!  Then I went home and went swimming.  I tried to entice Rudy to go swimmies, but he wasn't having it.

So, then, it was time to pick the FP up.  I left at 3:40.  We then went to pick up the car, which took 45 from the FP's work.  Then we stopped by the asian markets on the way home to get dinner stuff.

Finally, we got home at 5:45.  I jumped in the pool a bit.  The FP cooked dinner while I dragged Rudy around the neighborhood.

Then we ate.  Then Rudy ate.  Then we watched Locked Up Abroad.

Sometime during Locked Up Abroad, I heard the screen door slam.  I went out and found Stinksy outside chasing a gecko.  I picked him up to bring him back in, but he didn't want to go.  He is strictly an indoor cat, by the way.

Then the Fuzz went poo.  Then Rudy went to eat the Fuzz's poo.  Then I went to grab him out of the litter box and get the poo out of his mouth.  Then he got angry and tried to fight back and tried chomping on my arm.  Then I got angry and yelled and turned him over on his back and in the process woke the FP and scared the shit out of him.

Then I sent Rudy to bed.

But now, I think I need to brush his teeth... all I can think of is the poo germs festering in his mouth all night long.  Gross!

Delivering a package

Is still not as easy as it should be.  I sometimes go to the post office, but I have nightmares of waiting in line for 30 minutes, so I don't go there unless I have to.

There is a UPS store right near our house, but I'm still a little damaged from the horrible deplorable and shoddy UPS service in New Orleans, that I'm still scared to use them.  Even though, the UPS people are great here.  They deliver generally between 12pm and 5pm all the time, and if we aren't home, they try to cover it with the door mat, or put it under the chair or something.

So, the place I go to is Fedex on Hollywood Circle.  I went there today to mail a package to my bff.  That was bad timing.  When I walked in, one man was being helped.  I filled out my form while I waited.  But this other woman who walked in after me was acknowledged first.  She was picking up a copy order.

That order wasn't ready.  And the guy was all by himself.  His associate was on her lunch break, so of course, no way she was helping.  And people kept coming in.

But this guy had to punch holes in the packets and then bind them.  But there were other packets that he hadn't stapled yet.  So he started stapling.  The lady finally said that she would start stapling some of them.

Then the guy finally acknowledged me.  I needed an art box.  He looked at it, said I could probably use a small box.  But he didn't get the box.  He finished with the lady, which took another several minutes.

Then he got my box out.  He had to take it apart.  Then he needed the item I was sending.  It was a painting I had made for my BFF for her birthday.  So, he took it out and inserted in the plastic film attached to the box.  He was having trouble assembling the box, so he was on the floor trying to fold it, and everyone was watching.  They were all looking at my silly 5th grade ability painting.  They were staring at it.  It was embarrassing.

I was embarrassed.  I'm not the best artist....

Finally, he got my package all packed up.  Then we did the computer work.  He asked if I wanted to declare a monetary value for it.  I kind of smirked and said no.  Monetary value.

Well, it's a painting.  It's priceless.  Or rather devoid of monetary value.  Anyway.  I sent my package on it's way across the great United States.  So, hopefully my package finds it's way to my BFF's front doorstep.

It sucks because, I want to share it with you, but I don't want to risk her seeing it before she gets it... what if she sees the picture of it and doesn't like it?

Another Lazy Post!

I love just posting photos or videos and calling it a blog post!

But, you must understand... we left home at 7 am, and we got home at 6 pm, so I'm a little tired from the day.

Here's Rudy in one of his favorite spots:

Here's Stinksy being cute!
http://youtu.be/XmFejCSlpsg

Here are the two laying on the lanai floor very close together:

It did not last for more than a couple minutes, but it's a big deal because sometimes Rudy seems like he wants to chomp Stinky in two, and sometimes, Stinky seems like he wants to slice Rudy's face to shreds.  So, I appreciate any fleeting moments of "harmony" even if it is' them laying in Rudy's clutter...

The First Taste

Is always the best.

Rudy got his first taste today.  His first taste of Hebrew National hotdog.

6 of them.  By accident, of course.  Although I know that some people feed their dogs hotdogs.  This is something I didn't think that he needed to taste.  I googled "my dog ate a pack of hotdogs", and found lots of threads.  One dog ate a pack of hotdogs, a baguette and hotdog buns.  So, that was way worse.  Rudy didn't even touch the buns that were sitting next to the hotdogs on the counter.

So, judging by the empty plastic torn up packaging on the floor, the first taste led to a second, and a third and a fourth and a fifth, and then a sixth.

Six hotdogs.  In one 50 pound dog.  Damn.  That's a lot of fat and salt for one dog.

And now he thinks he's top dog.  He's trying to lay on the bed, not wanting the cats to be on the couch with us.  The FP was trying to sleep, and he jumped on bed with him and was biting and growling.  

This guy can be a real PITA sometimes.

Sorry... I know you're busy

I know you are watching the Olympics opening ceremonies...

I don't mean to be unpatriotic to planet earth, but I wasn't impressed with what I was seeing...  I missed the whole opening Pink Floyd or whatever, but I just saw... to use a britishism - a load of shite.  It was a bunch of wankers prancing around on stage poorly choreographed in old timey outfits, taking forever to "transform" the stage from a green hilly shire to a map of London.

Sorry to be such a downer.

But the Beijing opener was, to use a britishism, brilliant, just fucking absolute fucking brilliant.

End of my negativity.

I must try to cut my poor cat's dreads out and go to bed!

Lazy post

Mini Cooper S and Clubman buddies!

adulthood!

When I last took Rudy to the vet over a month ago, the vet told me to stop feeding him puppy food.  I had just bought a new big bag of puppy food, so he told me just to run it out and then start him on adult food.

So, today was the day.  We stopped at Petsmart on the way home and got him his big bag of adult food.  He was so excited, that he wanted to tear into it on the way home.  He kept trying to get at the back, which is a very small space in a very small car.  So, he could have if he had tried hard enough.  Luckily, we were only about 10 minutes from home.

So, you know, they (who they is, I really can't say) say that when you introduce a pet to new food, you want to slowly integrate it in with their old food, so that after a few meals, they will be eating only the new food.

I didn't do that.  The FP put away the huge bag of food, and he dumped the new onto the old in the Rudy's daycare food box.  So, I did try to scoop some of the old stuff from the bottom for his dinner, but I couldn't get at it, as those are little kibble and the adult large dog food is big kibble for the big mouthed dog.

They also say that your pet might refuse the new food at first, so the slow introduction might help.

Not a problem here.

The guy was so excited to eat this new food that he got all bark yappy while I was scooping it out.  And then he was even more ravenous than usual after he had his recommended portion.

I've never given him dog food or a dog treat that he turned down.

Never.

I've never knowingly or purposely gave him human food.  I don't need to unleash that can of worms - well, it would be more like unleashing an oil barrel of anacondas, really.

So, I think today, 2 days after his 6 month birthday (the day he bit his daddy), the day of my bff's birthday, is another momentous day for Rudy.

It's like when kids start drinking out of a sippy cup and start eating with a fork and knife or something.

Rudy's got his big boy pants on.  And they are pretty big pants at that!

tree

So, when we bought this house, it was like, ooh a big oak tree in the front.

Now, it's like, oh a big oak tree in the front.  We have to fucking get it trimmed.  It needs a haircut very badly.  Especially if there is a big storm.

So, a couple weeks ago when I was walking the unruly dog, this guy in a van or something that advertised landscaping stopped and asked about Rudy.  Then I said I needed to get a tree cut, so he gave me his card.

So, I finally called today.  The first number listed was the wrong number.  The cell phone was accurate.  Red flag #1.

The guy said he would come over later.  So a few hours later he called and said he was 5 minutes away.  So, I got ready to get out the door without Rudy.

I waited.  And waited.  About 20 minutes had gone by, and he called again.  He said he couldn't find Wilson Street.  Red flag #2.  I like to do business with people who are technologically up to date.  Clearly the guy didn't have GPS or anything, or he didn't mapquest the address.

He pulled up sideways behind the cars.  Red flag #3.  I don't like diagonal sideways parkers.  It's just weird.  There was enough room to park straight behind the cars.

He got out, and he said, oh yeah, I think I've seen you before.  I told him I saw him when I was walking the dog.  He said, oh, yeah, I was probably flirting with you.  I fake laughed.  Big Huge Red flag #4.

So, he looked at the tree and talked about what he would do for like ... like forever.  I don't know.  5 minutes, 20 minutes, it was a long time.  He said how he could build a tree swing.  How we could swing on it, make out, not take our clothes off because it was in the front yard.  Big Huge Red flag #5.  I wanted him to leave, but he kept talking about his ex-wife and how she left him for a woman and he didn't hold it against her.

I told him it was up to my husband.  He said, what does your husband do?  I said we cook.  He said, oh, do you know how to cook lasagna?  He gave the estimate with or without hauling away all the shit.  So, he said it would be a lot.  He wanted to look at the back alley, so, I had to go inside and get the gate key and open it.  We went through, and he thought maybe it would all fit, or we could put some in the neighbor's space.  Then he had to tell a story about how he once gave the bulk trash man a $50 to take all of the stuff away even though it was more than allowed.  Then he asked about lasagna again.  Red flags #6, #7, #8, etc.  

I told him that I would talk to my husband and let him know.

So, later, when I talked to the FP, I said, the guy was weird and creepy but if he wanted to book it, we  would schedule it when the FP was home, because I definitely didn't want to be here alone when they were working.  I felt like it was such a trial talking to the guy that I wanted that time in my life back.  So, the FP said, no, let's find someone else.

All I can say is, I sure am glad I have a soon to be big, black, menacing looking dog!  Then again, I wouldn't have had a stranger come over (even if he weren't going to enter the house) if I didn't have this dog.  This is one situation in which I didn't mind that he barked.

3 words

Locked Up Abroad.

The first season was amazing.  The second was also amazing.  At some point, the seasons seemed to be waning thin.  We wanted more episodes than were being produced.  I'll admit there have been a few duds - probably because the narration isn't as compelling or the story just isn't as exciting.

But the episode, Hasidic King of Cocaine, takes the cake.  I don't care how unrealistic it sounds.  I loved it.

The thing about these episodes, is, you always have to wonder whether to believe the narrator's story. But I like to believe in conspiracy theories that are interesting, and I like to believe in locked up abroad stories too.  Not all of them.

But, I also believe in supernatural occurrences (I had to google how to spell occurrence, lol).  So, does that make me guilable?  Maybe, but maybe it just means I still have an active imagination.

Reasonable or over the top?

So, I love our new Mini Cooper Clubman, but, I kind of am always afraid of messing it up.  And I do things that might seem obsessive.  I try to remember the way my dad was when he got his brand new blue Mercedes Benz, and I would like to think that I'm not as anal as he was with that car... I would like to think that.

Here's some things that I do.  You decide, reasonable, or over the top?


                                                                                                                               reasonable   OTT
1.   I told the FP to please close the doors while holding the handles,
rather than pushing the glass or door body.  I can't stand looking at the smudges.        ___           ___


2.  I admire the car a lot, and I pick off leaves, or scratch off any pollen or bugs
I see stuck to it.                                                                                                             ___           ___

3.  We drive the Element to work because I don't like to have Rudy in the car
if it's not necessary.                                                                                                       ___            ___

4.  I try to wash the Mini every week if needed.  I wash the Element once every few
months... and that used to count going through the auto car wash.                               ___            ___

5. I sometimes find myself polishing the keychain with the mini logo on it.                 ___            ___

6.  I have car seat covers, and another dog car seat cover for the back seat so that the back seat is double covered.  I'm still trying to figure out how to completely cover the floor too.   ___             ___

7. I wince every time I hit a pothole or a speed bump or speed hump in the road.        ___            ___

8.  When I went to the plant nursery one day, I was so happy that they had sheets of plastic that I could lay on the back so the plants weren't directly on the trunk floor.

9.  I have to buy premium gas, but I don't want to go to a discount gas station to buy it. ___        ___

10.  When I get home from work every day, I'm relieved to see the Mini still sitting
in the driveway.                                                                                                           ___            ___


So I guess if you answer with 50% or more OTT, then maybe I'm being obsessive?

No Way

With the kids.  I came home today, and I was tired.  I was exhausted.  I don't know why.  I had almost enough sleep last night, but it was restless sleep with vivid dreams.

I just wanted to relax.  No chance.  This guy, Rudy was restless when he woke up from his afternoon nap.  He's been getting into everything.  Every sock, towel, plastic cup, shred of paper, cat, everything has been a play toy to him today.  And he wants to go in and out all day long.  It's like that little puppy we had 3 months ago is inhabiting this bigger puppy's body.  He even got bitey at one point today.

Yes, I know he was restless and didn't expend enough energy today.  But, it got me all wound up and I'm even more exhausted.

No fucking way I can handle kids if I can't even handle this dog.  Really.  That's it.

No patience here.

Not Much

to post today.  It's late.  I'm working on something I should have finished a long long long looooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnng time ago!

Stay tuned to find out what it is?  How's that for a teaser?

Sometimes I Believe

that there is a god.  Ok, this isn't really a blog about religion, so don't question me, just play along.

Anyway, sometimes things happen that make me wonder.  Like today I had the day off with the FP.  This was our second day off together since he started working.  We went to the beach this morning, and Rudy seemed to be enjoying the little jog we had.  He was well behaved and seemed to enjoy it for the most part.  He did start barking when we were by the car and these women went up to their car next to ours.  But then the second time he saw them he was better.  Then we went to eat a really nice lunch, and then we went home and did chores before floating around in the pool.  We later cooked dinner.  Then we had a good training lesson with the dog trainer.

All this after the stressful day off I had on Tuesday.  If you didn't read that blog, I went up to Orlando because my sister was having surgery to remove cancerous cells.  It went well, but I was still worried beforehand, and I did have to drive all the way there and back in one day by myself, with the fear of getting into an accident. ( I am an anxious paranoid overly cautious driver.  So, the FP worries about me driving, which in turn makes me worry about me driving.) My sister still has to heal, and we still have to make sure that the cancer is all gone, and doesn't come back.

On that same day that my sister was having the operation, my BFF received the news that she wouldn't be buying the house that she had been hoping to call her own.  Big bummer.  I didn't know how to cheer her.

And then after our nice day off, I get a text from my good friend from way back when.  Her dog is dying.  So sad.  She had a horrible day today, when I had a good one.  That makes me think there must be a god.

When I have gone through rough patches, I've thought about how other people were having great days, while I was having a shitty awful day.  And I thought about how other people's lives were going on and progressing, while mine was standing still.

That's how life is.  That's how the god I grew up being taught about runs things.  So, sometimes it seems like that god is sitting there, multitasking, directing all our lives.

Heidi Ho

You know, some people say how I am good at hiding my feelings, how it's hard to tell from my facial expression - but I think those people are stupid.  

Because today at my job, I thought I was acting the way I always act.  I don't really talk much at work.  You know, compared to how I am when I am completely in my element.  At work, I just keep my head down and.... work.

But today, as I said, I thought I was being normal.  But the chef came in, and after a while he asked me if I was cranky.  So, I told him I was just tired.  And he asked if I was out partying all night.  So, I blurted out how I had to drive up to Orlando and back yesterday because my sister was having surgery having a tumor removed, so it was 7 hours driving and 8 hours sitting in the waiting room.  

I just didn't mean to say it like that, but, like I said, I was very tired.  And it showed.  I was unprepared for service, and we got busy.  I was slammed!  On pantry.  That should be cake.  But, oh well, service was never my strong point.  Neither was prep.  Or breaking down.  Hm... maybe I'm doing the wrong thing?  I think my strong point is fucking around with recipes and purposely or by accident discovering something delicious.  

Anyway, I just think people who think I'm good at hiding my feelings aren't very observant, or are dumb.   In the case of one person I am thinking of, it's probably both.  

So, that's all I have to say.  I'm not good at hiding my feelings so, you probably know what I'm thinking anyway.

Exactly the same but backwards

So, I drove to Orlando yesterday.  My sister was having an operation to have cancerous cells and lymph nodes removed.  We are hoping that this procedure will be the only treatment she needs.  If so, that would be great.

So, I left yesterday morning, a little before 8 am.  I got gas and a big water, then I headed up the turnpike.

Can I say how nice it was to drive the Mini Cooper Clubman?  I mean, it was a smooth ride, it handled nice, and I had to watch the speedometer constantly to make sure I wasn't going too too fast - like trying to keep it under 85.

I stopped at the Fort Drum Service Plaza for a pee and a coffee coolatta.  Then I was on my way.  I made it to the hospital around 11:20am.  Her friend and her husband were there in the waiting room.  She had just gone into surgery when I got there, so I didn't get to see her.  Not until 4:50pm.  She was in the recovery room, and she was still out of it.

So, we waited some more.  They were waiting for her room assignment, and then once that was done, the room had to be cleaned.  So, finally at about 7:20, I asked how long it would be, because I had to drive back home.  They said not too long, but we could go back to the recovery room to see her.

She was much more awake then.  And thirsty, very thirsty.  After not drinking or eating all day long, I would be dying of thirst.  So, the operation went well, and the surgeon was happy with the procedure.  Now we just have to wait and see.

So, I said goodbye and I got back on the road a little before 8 pm.  I drove until Fort Drum service plaza.  I went to pee. I got a big water.  I wanted shitty dinner from one of the fast food places, but everything was closed, so I got some peanut butter crackers and some cheddar crackers from the vending machine.  Then I got some gas.  And I was on my way back south.  I got home around 11:20pm.  I had a teeny dinner of one meatball and spaghetti with barely any sauce.  Then I woke the boys, and we went into the bedroom and crashed.

Now, it's the next day, and I really don't feel like going to work!

Yeah, I know

I didn't blog yesterday. I didn't have anything humorous to say, so I thought it best not to write anything at all.

I was tired.

From putting seat covers on the car. It took over an hour.

I swear. There were so many different parts and no space and I didn't have the strength to tighten shit and stuff!

Oh, and the Mosquitos were all up in the car biting the shit out of me. And I was sweating like Osama bin laden in the white house.

Oh wait, I still don't have anything funny to say.

I've got a big ass dog

laying under my chair.  And I keep being told by dog people that he's going to be much bigger!  What were we thinking when we picked him out?

Ok, he's still got a cute face.  But the barking at other people, dogs and the cats is driving me nuts.  The only time I want him to bark is when he is out back and is ready to come in, or if an intruder has broken into the house.  Those are the only times.

When I picked him up from the more hippie less posh daycare today, the lady said he has definitely grown a lot from the previous week!

When he is full grown, he will have outgrown our teeny little backyard.  He will have outgrown our little house and definitely, he's already too big for the Mini Cooper!  He tries to sit behind my seat on the floor, and there is no room for him there.  He's going to have to learn that he has to sit on the back seat (with the dog cover on).  Maybe if we don't have stuff in the car that will tempt him, we can just put the back down so he will have more room.  Although we will still try to keep him out of that car as much as possible for now.

Anyway, he's still a nice dog besides when he's barking or growling.  I guess other people have worse dogs that are all grown up.  I was looking at a facebook page for squishable.com, and I saw that they are working on a shiba inu squishable.  As some of you might know, a shiba inu is the ultimate doggie that tugs at my heartstrings... I was looking at the comments about how cute this shiba inu puppy is, and one person commented about how they had a shiba inu but he or she was not cuddly and sweet. :(

Awww... the FP just reminded me of why we got a puppy that was going to grow into a monster... because he was such an adorabs (yes, I feel this abbreviation is appropriate in this case) little cutie when he was a baby!!!  I mean ubercute (once again, appropriate adjective in this case).

How could anyone not adopt this sweet looking little guy?!?

It's In The Air

When I got home, the smell of poo was everywhere.  Somewhere between the kitchen and the bathroom/laundry room, I smelled shit.  Like cat shit.  There was no visible poo in the litter box.  I slowly sniffed the area to the bathroom.  I didn't smell it again.

Later on, I went outside.  I smelled shit by the side of the pool.  I didn't see any poo, but Rudy could have laid a log somewhere around there.  He doesn't have a special area like a good dog.

Then I smelled shit when I was cleaning the pool filter.  I didn't see any.  Once again, he could have dropped the kids off by the pool and I wouldn't necessarily see it.

There was a plastic bin outside that was full of dead plants and weeds.  Since it had rained, it also had about 4 inches of water in it.  I thought I should dump the water out, but I didn't feel like dealing with the plants, so I left them there.  Later on, after the container had settled, there was still an inch of water in the bottom.  So, I went to dump the rest of the water out.  When I dumped it out, a familiar smell emanated from the bin.  The rice paddies of my grandfather, and the smell of caribou shit.  It is a very distinct smell, different from horse shit and cow shit.  I haven't smelled that smell since I was maybe 7 years old, I believe.  I need to smell that smell again.  We need to go to the Philippines and bury my mom's ashes.  Maybe the smells were a way of my mom reminding me of my priorities... saving for plane tickets and a week or so off of work?

I don't feel it

I don't feel like blogging today,
it's not because I want to play,
it's not because there's no hooray,

I just don't feel like blogging today.

I don't feel like writing this blog,
I'd like to make a cat condo out of a log,
I'm later going to eat some hog,

That I cooked yesterday.

I don't want to rhyme anymore,
stupid uninspired rhymes can be such a bore,
I once heard a white tiger roar.

But no one else was there.

I don't want to tell you
what I don't want to do,
I don't want to tell you
that I'm through,
but I really don't know
what else to do....

Life is a TV show

You know how people always say, "I should have my own reality show!" because they think their life is so quirky and interesting?   My TV show would be really boring.  And then people who think my life is so exciting could see that it really isn't 2/3 of the time.

So, what are the highlights of my day?  Let's make a list, shall we?

This morning, Rudy was rooting around in the bedroom, then he came out to the common area and he was chewing on something.  That something was part of a frog skin.  Where he got it from, I'm not sure.  I'm hoping it's from the shit looking lump on the driveway... and I'm hoping it wasn't from inside the house.,

We went for a walk at a nearby park.  I saw a teeny little black snake cross the sidewalk.  It was like a quarter inch thick and maybe 4 inches long.  Ah, the call of the wild!

I paid almost all of the rest of the bills!

I went to Big Lots today.  They have these cute little papasan chairs that are for dorm rooms.  They come in purple and blue and black and a black and white design, and they are only $25.  I think I contemplated why I needed one or two of these chairs for about 10 or 15 minutes.  Luckily, I walked away from them.  And then I got a coupon for 20% off on Sunday.  So, maybe if I feel the need to get one or two, I could get them on Sunday?!

I bought a dog cushion for Rudy at Home Goods store, and he hated it.  I cleaned out his crate and put the cushion under the sheet in there.  He went right in and pulled up the sheet and started pulling at the bed.  So I took it out.  Maybe he can use it in the car or something...

I sat with Rudy on the porch for almost 2 hours today, trying to break him of this barking thing.  He just barked and barked at everyone who got in or out of their cars by the houses near us.  I would say "no" and pull his leash back, but he didn't care.  He kept barking.  I don't want a guard dog, I want a pet.  I mean, he's going to be a big black dog anyway, he's going to scare people without the bark.

I went to the grocery and I cooked dinner today.  It was pretty good, but it was kind of a long process.  I slow roasted a pork shoulder for 6 hours, and then I forgot to start the rice when the pork was resting, so the FP was starving by the time dinner was ready.

The biggest highlight of the day?  Finding out that the new seasons of Wilfred and Breaking Bad are starting!!!!  Yay!  DVR set to record!!!!!

Old Friends

I miss my friends.  My old friends.  I have to tell you the truth.  I like making new friends.  I hate the inbetween phase after you've met and you establish that you like each other when you are getting to know each other.  I like already knowing what people are like.  I like being comfortable.  I like friends like I like my pants, comfortable, gives you breathing room, not too clingy and elastic.

I got to talk to a good old friend tonight.  A friend from junior high.  One of my best friends from childhood.  She has been going through rough times.  It was good to talk to her.  Hopefully I will get to talk to her more often in the future.

I'm ready to make new old friends.  And I'm ready to get more in touch with old friends.  I'm not good at nurturing relationships.  I kind of let them go to the wayside for so long, that it is awkward to contact them.  But, there's always facebook and text messaging and emails....

Speaking of old friends, my friend didn't give me hope for the future that the cats and the dog will ever get caught snoozing together.  Maybe they will never get along any better than like cats and dogs.  I guess the best we can hope for is no physical contact.  Which for Rudy is a feat.  He's so challenging lately.  But I'll reel him in, well, with the help of our trainer - if I ever get around to scheduling another appointment with her.  I think he's big enough where you can still tell he's a puppy, but it probably looks ridiculous as I try to drag him around and he resists.  Everyone looks at us in a laughing way.  The two of us look ridiculous.  I just hope that some day, it will just look like natural, and we will just look like two old friends, taking a walk down the street.

perfect day

You know that Lou Reed song, "Perfect Day?"  Love that song.  I believe it is in the movie "Trainspotting".  I think it's playing when the guy overdoses.  Great movie.

It felt like our day off today.  We hadn't had a day off together since the FP started working over a month ago.  Sure, we've had evenings off together every night, but the whole day off is way different.  So, we totally took advantage of it.  This morning, we slept in until about 6:45am.  That was so luxurious!  We had coffee, then the FP mowed the lawns.  I picked up the dog poo from the backyard.  Of course, while I was picking up the old doos, Rudy decided to make a couple new doos.  So, I admit, I use a glove to pick them up because it's gross.  Especially his are like the size of human doos.  Well, when I had to pick up his big warm steamies, I gagged.  I almost dry heaved.  I mean they were warm.  And they smelled gassy and grassy.  And it was already muggy.  Man, I thought I was going to puke, but I didn't.

After I almost dry heaved, I washed the Element.  It was pretty damn dirty and the paint finish is thin.  Anyway, I washed it.

Then we took Rudy to the beach.  I took him for walkies while the FP went for runnies.  Runnies just means he went for a run, not like he had the runs or anything.  Anyway, Rudy did ok with the walkies, I guess.  He kept trying to trot ahead of me to assert dominance, so I kept having to jerk him back.  Everyone kept passing looking at us with a knowing smirk, like "cute little disobedient puppy!"  Which he is, but he's getting pretty big.

And then we got to the street where the car was parked.  Some guy was crossing from the beach to his car, and Rudy started barking.  That's when I realized that all his barking is definitely protective.  So he's protective around the house and the car.   Which some people might like in a dog.  But I don't.  It's scary.  I don't need him to protect me from every single person that walks by our car and house.  Plus, him being a big black dog when he grows up will be scary enough without the barking.  So, that will have to stop now.

After that, we went straight to the doggie daycare and dropped his barky ass off.  Not to punish him, because he loves it anyway, but because we decided to drive the Mini down to Coral Gables to have a nice lunch at the FP's favorite place, The Local.  It was funny though, because when we were driving, the FP asked if Rudy barked at women too, or just men.  Then when we parked to drop Rudy off, this little old woman with a laundry cart was walking by.  Rudy went crazy and started barking at her, and he wouldn't let up until she passed.  So, Rudy pretty much answered the question for the FP.

So, after getting the FP's contacts in Pembroke Pines, we went and had lunch.  Then we picked up Rudy's ass again.  We were in the Mini, so he still hasn't figured where his spot is.  He tried to bury under my seat, which is too small of a space, so he was poking my ass from the back of the seat.  It was like I was sitting on a boulder.  Luckily, the drive wasn't that long.

After we got home, we put his ass in the crate and went to the Thai store and then Publix.

We got home, and the FP started dinner.  I started blowing up one of the pool loungers that we got.  It was taking forever.  The FP went to find the pump for the air mattress.  He found it, but Rudy had chewed on the attachment, so you had to hold it in.  Finally, the loungers were inflated, so I put them in the pool and floated around.  The FP eventually joined me, and we just floated around the pool with beers in our cup holders.  It was nice.  I mean, that was one of those moments I had been anticipating when I had my mind set on a house with a pool.  Floating around in the pool in a lounge chair bought from Publix with a beer in the cup holder (actually I had just water at first for most of the time) with the sky overcast so that it was actually a little chilly to not be fully submersed in the water.  Anyway, it was nice.  Whoever said money can't buy happiness has never bought a $10 pool lounger with 2 cup holders from Publix before.

Then we ate dinner.  It was fucking delicious.  And we had dessert too.  It was delicious.  This isn't the food blog, so I won't divulge too much about it, though.  You can hear about the food on my food blog in about, oh, let's say three months when I have already totally forgotten about this day.

Nah, I don't think I'll forget about today.  I feel like one of those Ernest Hemingway characters.  If I died tonight, it wouldn't be a bad time to go!

Upgrade!

So, it's been almost 2 years since I've had my cell phone?!  I guess so, because I am finally eligible for an upgrade.  And I remember I got my phone the year my mom passed away, so almost 2 years.

So, I'm trying to surf the AT&T web to window shop for a cell phone, but I keep getting signed out.  Something is wrong with the website.

So, here's the big question - to iphone or not to iphone?

Do I need an iphone?  Do I need the higher monthly payment?  If I could get on the website I could figure out how much more it would cost if I got an iphone.

Should I even get a smartphone at all?  There are some cheaper non iphone options, which aren't nearly as appealing, but I guess I could look at them.

As substandard as my little blue tween phone is, I've gotten so accustomed to it.  It's a sturdy little fella, and I really like the qwerty keyboard, which is the main reason I got it.  That, and I had an internet data plan for like $10, which has basically been good enough.  Although there have been many times when I've been pissed that I didn't have an iphone....

And there always is the refurbished phone option.... I could even get an impractical white iphone...

Oh, decisions, decisions.  I just don't know.  iphones really are the shit, but I like a tactile keyboard....

Sunday Funday

Naaaaaaaht!  I really don't like working brunch.  It's tiring and long and hot and crowded, and people get stressed out.  It really sucks.  I don't know if people who go to brunch understand how horrible brunch can be.  They are just sitting there getting a buzz on overpriced mimosas, or underpriced bottomless mimosas that have barely any champagne in them.

So, here I am, it's almost bedtime, and I'm still worn out from work.  Man I'm getting old!  I'm watching this Dog Whisperer show about this overactive bulldog.  Watching her when she gives up and just plops down reminds me of how I feel.

Am I going to get myself into a situation ever again where I'm off Sundays?  I realize that I had so much time off prior to starting this job, but I want my Sundays back.  You people who are off Sundays, I hope you cherish that time.  Enjoy your Sundays.  Go to the beach.  Go to a festival.  Go to a farmers market.  Just don't go to brunch at my place of work.  Enough people already know about the place!

Adolescent Phase?

Should I be worried that all of a sudden Rudy is barking a lot at people, sometimes growling, and that he almost attacked Stinksy last night?  Or is this normal 5 1/2 month puppy behavior?

He's become posessive so that sometimes if we are just on the couch and one of the cats jumps on the couch, he starts barking at the cat.  And then last night we were eating dinner on the couch.  He was sniffing around and stuff.  Then, Stinksy walked into the room, not even near us, and Rudy started barking and went after Stinksy.  Stinksy jumped up on the shelves.  I grabbed Rudy, but I just couldn't help wondering what would have happened if Stinksy didn't get to the shelves on time?  Would Rudy have tried to bite him with his big huge pearly white teeth?  I hate to think of that.

Then a while after I got home today, for no reason, Rudy started to bark at Stinksy again.  And then he turned the aggression on me and started to bite me and bared his teeth at me.  And a couple times after, he was going into bark mode, but we nipped it in the bud before he started.

We don't plan on leaving him roaming around the house when we aren't home, but it's worrying.  Why is he getting worse?  I mean probably because we have been working a lot and not taking enough time to train him after work.  But it's scary because he's bigger.  And our big fear was having a big dog that was scary.

Well, we are due for another training session - it's been several weeks since our last because of work, and going to Michigan and 4th of July, etc.  We gotta get her back to whip him back into shape!

I don't want to have a big scary dog.

The FH is out of the office

You know everyone else is taking the WWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLE week off for 4th of July.  So, I feel like slacking today.  I already wrote a food blog today, which I never do anymore, and that really drained all the blogging energy out of me.  So, instead I will just show you my photo composition from about a month ago.  I think I want to blow up this picture and hang it on the wall up there in the dining room!

Gargantuous pile

This is why my post tonight will be very brief.

Messin With Mother Nature

So, my plan was to rest today and to fold the laundry.  I didn't do the laundry.  I did take a fifteen minute nap, which was nice.  

So, instead of taking it easy, I went with Rudy to the park at 8 am.  It was hot and muggy.  And a lot of families had already claimed their shelters and had their grills rolling at full blast.  I was bathed in sweat by the time I left.  Bathed.

So, of course, I was so sweaty that I had to go home and clean the pool  The automatic cleaner wasn't functioning properly, and the skimmer wasn't on yet.  So, I nudged the skimmer, and it turned on.  It's solar, so, sometimes if if hasn't turned on and the sun is out, you can just nudge it and it starts paddling away.

As for the automatic cleaner, I had gorilla glued the leaf canister last night, so I reattached it to the hose line.  And then I cranked the pump.  And the cleaner started working again the way it was supposed to.  

I also had to adjust the ph of the pool.  I probably should have waited several hours before going in, but I went in after an hour or so.  I didn't get burned or anything, so that was good.

While I was waiting for the pool chemicals to take effect, I took the one dead potted plant out of the pot.  I replaced it with a weed from the lawn.  There are these weeds that look fernlike.  I thought that maybe they are the baby plants of those exotic looking trees that I see in other people's yards.  So I dug one up and put it in the pot.  I figured by looking at weeds, that some of them come from plants that we buy at the Home Depot or the nursery.  So, the plants spread seeds and stuff, and they end up in other people's yards as weeds that they pull.  Then they go to Home Depot and spend loads of money on the same plants that they just spent hours pulling and throwing away. 

Then I took a larger potted plant, a Hawaiian Ti plant that Rudy chewed down to the stump, and I planted it in the ground.  I don't know if it will grow, but it has a better chance in the ground than in the lanai with Rudy sharpening his teeth on it.  

In that pot, I planted the catnip that I had gotten yesterday.  I left it on the lanai, so between the cats and Rudy, I don't know if it will last.  But really, I buy the catnip for that cats, so if they want to destroy it, that's really their prerogative, isn't it.

Then, I took some wheatberries and soaked them and put the in the garden and covered them with soil.  

After that, I did some weeding.  I took one big weed that looked like a flowering succulent, and I put it in the hanging planter that I had already put a flowering succulent weed in two days ago.  

So, yeah, I pretty much toyed with Mother Nature today.  Then I picked up the FP and went to the boss's party.  He happened to be directing parking when we pulled up, so he saw the new Mini.  I didn't necessarily want him to see it.  Because, on my salary, how am I affording a brand new Mini?  But he saw it.  He complimented it.  Who wouldn't.  It's the awesomest car I've ever had and probably will ever have.  So, we stayed a couple hours, ate some good food, then came home to tend to the puppy.  We were hopeful that he wouldn't be scared of fireworks.  No such luck.  Luckily, we still have an old rawhide to soothe and occupy him.  I don't really like rawhides, because that was the first thing he got a hold of that made him posessive and growl and snap at us.  But in an emergency like this, I'm glad we have it.  I'm sure Rudy is glad we have it too!

Then there was the pigeon problem to deal with.  These pigeons have been building a nest in the outside beam of the lanai, and I had been chasing them out, but they keep building.  So today, I was way more aggressive.  I put a glove on, I got the step ladder, and I cleaned out all the sticks that I could reach.  But, I knew they would just keep getting sticks.  There was a whole pile of sticks on the ground below that either had fallen or I had pushed out.  So, I needed to put something there to deter them.  The first thing I saw were beer cans.  So, I flattened them slightly so they would stay in place, and I put them in the nook.  

There's Nothing Like

watching mind candy like the Twilight movies to take a mental vacation.  So, this morning, after Rudy cut our walkies very short, I found a website that I could stream Twilight Eclipse from.  I hooked the computer up to the TV, and I had to hook up the ipig too for sound.  And I closed the blinds and watched a teen vampire movie at 10 am.  It was the worst of the first three, but I watched it and I was riveted for the first hour and 45 minutes, but then it got kind of long.  I totally enjoyed all the melodrama camp though.  I mean what girl wouldn't want to be caught in a love triangle with an overprotective gentlemanly pale golden vampire and a tanned shirtless passionate werewolf?

Anyhoo, I was able to pretty much blow off the whole morning and not do one productive thing before 12 since I actually am off tomorrow as well!

So, yeah, tomorrow is a holiday, and there are things that I won't be able to do, like get the car fixed.  But, I can still fold the neverending laundry pile.  Basically, we stopped folding laundry about 2 weeks ago, so we just pick through the clean pile and then wear clothes and add it to the dirty pile, wash it and add it back to the clean pile.  The closet is a mess, but it's so overwhelming to think about folding the laundry and organizing the closet too.  So, I really need to at the very least, fold the laundry, I guess.

Oh, and go to the boss's party in the afternoon.  And that's it.  And celebrate our anniversary.  Oh, and figure out if I am working on Thursday or not.  And that's it.

So, I'm going to watch some more mind candy before hitting the hey.  Goodnight.  Happy 4th.  Don't blow your fingers off with firecrackers.

Sleep already

So, I had one Stella Artois, and one glass - about 10 oz of Rogue Chocolate Stout.  And I'm tired.  So... hopefully that will help me sleep.

Yes, I am using alcohol as a sleep aid.  Because I don't want to get back into my Nyquil addiction.

Of course, I could just stay up and watch my guilty pleasure Monday night show, Lost Girl.  But, no, I'm taping it.  The responsible thing to do is to go to bed now and not get sucked into it anymore.

So, I will most likely stay up and watch it.

Anyway, technically, I don't have to do anything for two days!!!  Besides when we went away the other weekend, I haven't had two days off in a row... since... I think since I started my job.

Although, my boss, the cult leader, is having a 4th of July party.  So, since I've been such a nonparticipant, I HAVE to go.  Not, that it won't be a great spread, I'm sure.  It's just, I'm so out of practice with socializing, the thought of going to a work party makes me uncomfortable.  This company is so large with so many people.  What if I am introduced to a bunch of people and quizzed their names later?  Seriously, they might do that!!  Anyway, even if we are enjoying ourselves, we can only stay a little while because I can't bring the doggie to the party anyway, and we can't leave him all cooped up too long.

And it's also our 20th anniversary.  20 years since the first kiss.  Actually, to be technical, I think today is the anniversary of the first kiss, but we just use the 4th of July - kind of like the way they do federal holidays on Mondays.

So, yeah, we didn't discuss it, but today is our anniversary.  Damn.  I was 18.  So young and hopeful.  My life - our life - didn't go exactly as I expected or planned.  But, no regrets.  I'm happy to have shared over half my life with my Food Pimp, the love of my life.  So, happy anniversary, my love - and sweet dreams.

Bad Call

Those sleeping pills last night were a bad call.  I took one and a half generic Tylenol PM last night.  And the drugs were thwarted mainly by my cat, The Fuzz.  I guess she felt better after we scrubbed her stinky poo butt clean and shaved off her big tangled clump of fur.  So, she came to bed and stood right next to me and meowed loudly in my face - at 12 am.  It startled me awake from a deep sleep.  And then she kept doing it every couple hours.  

Also, Rudy made his normal restless dog noises.  He is so loud, it sounds like a grumpy old man or some kind of monster or something.  

And then, some of the FP's friends called at 3:30 am!!!!  His phone was on vibrate, but when I heard the buzz, it woke me up (again from a deep sleep)  and I thought it was my phone alarm clock going off.  I jumped out of bed to turn it off, when I realized it was the FP's phone next to the bed.  

Anyway, I want to go to sleep early tonight, but I don't want a repeat of last night.  So, I'm thinking I should just go au naturale - and hope that I can get a good night's sleep for once!!!!