Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Spa Day and (maybe) cupcakes...

No, no, no.  The spa day wasn't for me and, truthfully, it wasn't a whole day. 

When I got home from work today I walked over to the management office to given them my check for next month.  I took the girlie with me because she LOVES to go for a walk.  This time was no exception.  Sometimes I think it is difficult to tell who is walking who, though. :)  (oh--and thankfully I remembered to bring an emergency baggie for....well, you know.)

We came back from our little walk and as I was sitting on the couch administering the proper adoration rubbing her tummy, I realized that the little one needed some quality time at the groomers.  Really, I think I should get charged by what they actually have to do to her, not what the whole package offers.  Does she need to be clipped?  No.  Does she need to be brushed out?  No.  She needs a bath, a dry, and a nail clipping.  (She would like me to let you know that a massage would be nice, too.)  I get charged for everything but truly, she is more than worth it.  She smells so good now, too.  Um.  Not that she smelled bad before.  ;)

I have this amazing idea for cupcakes that I have been working on in my mind since my BFF was here in March.  Think chocolate, coffee, and more chocolate.  Sounds good to me.  I'll let you know how they turn out.  I may even take pictures for you.

Speaking of turning out....the vanilla peachberry ice cream is AWESOME.  I think the next ice cream flavor may have peppermint and chocolate in it but I'm not sure yet.

Still no word about the security deposit.  Hmmmm.

miss raven says "goodnight!"

:)

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Ten (random) Things Tuesday!

1.  miss raven is doing much better.  see:
yes, she does tend to sleep alot.

2.  new ice cream flavor:  vanilla peachberry.  i'll let you know how it is. ;)

3.  i like this picture.  what about you?

4.  i am having a rather difficult time getting my security deposit back from my former landlord.  any suggestions?

5.  the world cup is almost over.  'bout time.

6.  here is miss raven again, because i know you love her, too.
(the cookie that started all the fuss.)

7.  i also like this picture.  can you tell i have a *ahem* obsession with the beach?
i have discovered the "fix" option in my picture gallery and have had tons of fun playing with it!

8.  i miss my bff.  alot.

9. my vacation starts in three more weeks.  nine more working days.  not that i am counting or anything.

10.  one more picture of my girlie:
awwww.....look at her sweet little paw tucked under her chin. :)

bye! :) 

Saturday, June 26, 2010

How is it....

that you can pay for one hundred bazillion channels and not have ANYthing to watch on tv except a baseball game?  And I don't really even like baseball, having been forced to watch it ad nasuem  throughout my childhood.  Sigh.

I did have a good day today, though.  I went out with a good friend. (You know, the one who dubbed me the "yarn ho"--oddly enough, she felt the need to tell me about a yarn store that she discovered last night when she went out to eat with a friend of hers.  Isn't that kind of like offering crack to an addict?  Just sayin.) 

Anywho.

So we went to a nice mall in another city.  The one really nice thing about living in the East is that pretty much anywhere you want to go is only a short distance away from where you live.    If I don't like the mall in one city, just drive up the road 45 minutes or so and there is another one, just as nice, or nicer.  We walked around the mall, I got some good deals, and we ate at California Pizza Kitchen.  Yum.  Then we went sort of across the street to the new "Towne Center" to look around.  Can I just say that I think the use of "Towne" is slightly pretentious and only used so that they can charge alot more for the same kind of stuff you can get at Target?  Just sayin.

I came home to a happy miss raven.  Well, at least she seemed happy.  I spent some quality time adoring her and rubbing her tummy all the while hoping that would gaurantee that she would eat ALL her supper.  Alas, it was not to be.  Apparently there was too much rice and not enough chickie.  Well, I had gotten a new can of the nasty dog food imaginable the best stuff ever for the little diva.  I had mixed it with the morericethanchickie to see if she would eat it.  She can't stay on chickie rice forever because it doesn't have enough of the nutrients that she needs.  When I gave her some of just that in a bowl she ate it.  I gave her a little bit more and she ate most of that, too.  That made me feel confident enough to give her the antibiotic (she has to take that with food) and she ate that well, largely in part to the glob of peanut butter surrounding it.  She also noshed on a handful of cheerios before deciding that I wasn't going to spend my evening adoring her so she would huff her way down to the bedroom.

I was a busy baker yesterday.  I made oatmeal/banana/cranberry cookies and banana/coconut/chocolate chip muffins.  Y.U.M.  I also made strawberry ice cream with a fresh strawberry swirl.  Then, I got on the scale this morning.  OMG!  All kidding aside, I MUST lose weight.  I found some of my old "fat" pictures and put one of them on the cabinet with all the temptations and kept one on the coffee table to remind me of how I never want to look again.  I am praying that works.  I had the willpower once, I need to find it again.

I hope you are having a fabulous weekend!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Yes, this is another post about my girl....

So if reading about her is beginning to bore you, please feel free to move on.  You won't hurt my feelings if you leave.  Much.

Just a few updates.  I will even "bullet" them for you so they aren't the marathon paragraphs that I have been writing lately.

The vet called today.  This is what she told me:
  • The fecal test came back negative.  Negative is good.  No parasites, no blood.
  • The blood work was mostly good.  Her kidney function is good and her blood cell count is good.
  • She is slightly concerned about one of her liver levels.  It seems that this particular level is slightly elevated and that could be from two things.  One, her irritated large intestine/colon and two, her plaque-y teeth.  I was again strongly urged to bring her in sometime during the next two weeks to have her teeth cleaned.  If I had the five hundred dollars, I would, dear vet.  I also would if you took payments.  Expecting me to pay it all at once, though, puts a huge roadblock in the way of clean teeth for miss raven.
  • She would like me to bring her back in a month to have her blood work redone to check her liver levels again.  Can you say cha-ching?
How is miss raven tonight?
  • No accidents when I got home.  YEA!!!!!!!!!  Believe me when I say that I heaped the praise on her about that.
  • Very lively when I got home.  Wanted to snuggle and play and kiss me lots.
  • Gave me a hour or so of semi-worry because she didn't want to eat her chickie rice right away.  After about an hour though, she came back into the living room and started eating it.  Once she finished she took her (peanut butter) pill and ate some cheerios as after dinner treats.
  • Just spent some time outside reminding the rest of the neighborhood that she is, in fact, Queen of the Universe and they are merely her subjects and exist only to do her bidding and give her something to bark about.  You know, kind of like me.
  • Fell in love.  What?  Oh, yeah.  All of the sudden she ran around the side of the house.  Of course, I went after her because I don't want her to be where I can't see her.  As I came around the corner, to my utter astonishment, miss raven was at the fence making nice with a rather large shepherd/husky mix.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Not only was she NOT giving him what-for, I swear to you she was making eyes at that dog.  Little hussy!  Move over Buddy, girlie's found a new man!!! ;)
  • Is now sleeping at my feet with her head on my foot and her back legs crossed.  Spoiled little thing.
Thank you for indulging me for the third night in a row.  I will try to find something else to blog about tomorrow.  Maybe I will tell you about the cookies that I am planning to make.  I feel a baking mood coming upon me and need to find someone to give it away to.  I am not lying when I tell you that I CANNOT keep it for myself.  I keep saying this and it keeps being true, but I NEED to lose weight.  I have seriously lost my willpower though and that is frustrating.  I need a goal to work towards.  Any suggestions??

Did you notice that I have a new follower?!?!  Welcome, T!  Nice to have you here!! :)

Have an absolutely wonderfully fantastically awesome Friday!  You deserve it!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Just like a child, only not...

That would be my girlie.  My girlie who cost me almost two hundred bucks today.  Don't get me wrong, she is well worth it.  Here's the scoop:

Since Tuesday she hasn't been feeling well.  Tuesday and today she had accidents in the house which she NEVER does.  I could tell that she was embarrassed and I kept telling her that it was ok, she wasn't in trouble.  She wasn't very interested in her food either, which at first didn't make me too worried because that happens a lot in the summer.  When it gets really hot outside her appetite tends to go down a bit.  She was still drinking normally and, other than the accidents, was going to the bathroom normally, too.  She was having a gurgly tummy day yesterday and that continued until today.

She was due for her regular yearly checkup so I called the vet yesterday and was able to get an appointment for her this afternoon.  She was scared at the doctor, as usual, but fortunately, there wasn't anyone else in the waiting room while we were there.  Phew!  As I have mentioned before, I love miss raven's doctor.  She does such a great job with her and I am so thankful for that.  It doesn't make raven any less scared but it makes me much more comfortable knowing that she will be gentle and kind with her.

They weighed her and I discovered that she has gained a little bit of weight (just like her mommy!) but that isn't a bad thing for her.  She isn't overweight (sigh, like her mommy) and the vet was pleased with that.  Her temperature was also perfect which made me happy because if she had an infection her temp would have been up.  Her coat looked good, her eyes were good, her coat was shiny, her ears were impeccable (she is fastidious about cleaning her ears!), and the vet said she isn't dehydrated which they had been a little concerned about because of the diarrhea.

They drew some blood to do her annual heart worm test and also to do a basic workup of her kidneys, liver, and blood cell count.  They also checked some bottom glands to make sure those weren't infected.  She was a trooper through all of it and I am very proud of her.  After all, she had things shoved up her butt a couple of times and never even flinched.  Just looked at me like I was selling her out.

The only thing that concerned them a little was the sample of her "business" that I brought in this morning.  The vet said that when they did the preliminary look there was a red tinge to it which could suggest blood.  My heart started slamming then because that wouldn't be a good thing.  She didn't seem overly concerned right now, though, because of the normal temperature.  Oh, her heart and lungs also sounded great.

I have medicine to give her.  She gets a protein powder mixed in with her food (boiled chicken and rice for a few days) once a day.  I am supposed to feed her a little chicken rice mix twice a day.  Along with her food she is also supposed to take an antibiotic twice a day and the vet did say I could put a little peanut butter on that (phew!  miss raven LOVES peanut butter so no problem there!)

So all of that cost me almost two hundred dollars.  In addition to that they gave me a "loose" estimate for having her teeth cleaned which they STRONGLY suggested I have done very soon.  Her teeth are horrible but there is some build up on them.  The only problem is that the tooth cleaning procedure is going to cost me close to FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS.  I don't have that.  Not only that, they don't take payments.  They expect the full payment the day it is done.  They told me that, if I have it done within the next couple of weeks, then I don't have to have the blood work redone.  If I wait longer than that I have to pay for the blood work done again.  The way it is looking right now I am going to have to wait and just save up the money to have it done, hopefully by Christmas time.  We'll see.  Right now I am just focusing on getting her better from this little episode.  I'm not as freaked out as I was earlier today especially since she is laying behind me on the back of the couch softly snoring while she sleeps a little.  She is my child...only not and at this point, I will do whatever I can to make sure I have her for a long, long time.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Another (not-so) brief post on friends....

I was the biggest nerd in school.  No, seriously, I was.  In sixth grade I had the "Annie" perm, big clod-hopper shoes, the geeky Tupperware lunch box, and all the very uncool school supplies.  I was the goody two shoes.  Please don't think it was because I wanted to be good.  I was good because I was afraid of my parents. A good, healthy, respectful fear.  I knew that if I got in trouble at school I got it twice as bad at home (May I go on a wee bit of a rant here and say that, if more parents thought that way today I might not have to deal with all the foolishness that I deal with on a day to day basis.  Rant over.)

Anyway, because I was good and very geeky/homely looking, I was a nerd.  Big time.

It didn't get better when I went to college.  No, dear reader, it got worse.  Because not only did all of the above apply, but in college I got fat.  Not just kind of fat but super-duper fat.  I was minus the perm (phew!) and minus the cold-hopper shoes, the Tupperware lunchbox, and the uncool school supplies, but I was a fatty.  And my clothes, most of them, were obviously homemade.  Can you say social outcast?

Extremely important disclaimer:  Please, please, please do not think that I am blaming my parents for any of this.  I had two of the most loving, caring, supportive parents out there.  I honestly with all my heart believe that my parents always did what they thought was best when it came to raising both my brother and I.  I know that this is true because both my brother and I have turned out to be well adjusted, productive citizens.  My parents always did the best they could with what they had and often sacrificed tremendously so that my brother and I could have the things we need and sometimes the things we wanted.

You may be wondering why I am saying all of this.  I am about to tell you.

When I first came up here to the school that I am at (sixteen years ago) I was painfully shy.  A shy, fat, self-conscious, scared teacher.  To my great astonishment the very first person who was genuinely nice to me wasn't my roommate at the time or any of her friends.  No, the first person who was really nice to me, who invited me to do things with her, who included me in things was the coolest person at the school.  The person that everyone wanted to be around.  I couldn't believe it.  I thought it was a mistake.  I really did.  Then I thought maybe she was just being nice.  You know, kind of felt sorry for me.  The more I got to know her, though, the more I realized that she really did like me.  Even with all my above mentioned "faults". 

I never, in a million year, ever dreamed I would be friends with the "popular kid" so to speak.  Real friends.  Not the pity type of friendship.  That year was really nice.  I was still fat, still painfully shy, still self-conscious, but she liked me.  She even asked me to be in her wedding.  Excuse me.  Her WHAT?

I was devastated when I found out she was moving.  I just find a good friend and now she is LEAVING?!?!  You know what I learned about true friendships, though?  It doesn't matter WHERE you are geographically.  What matters is that you are always there for the other person no matter what.

I was cleaning out files last week and came across some letters that I got the first year she was married and lived in Tennessee.  I took the time to read over them because it was too funny not too.  In addition to those letters, I found other ones.  Some had pictures, like the one I got right after I became an "auntie."  Or the ones with pictures of us "hiding" Easter eggs in the freaking cold!  Cards that she made me or sent me when I was down or just because.  Cards that she sent me right after my mom died.  She is the one person outside of my family that I know without a shadow of a doubt I can call at anytime of any day and she will always take time for me.  No matter what.

She is to blame for me coffee addiction as much as I think I am to blame for her yarn addiction.  I'm not the only "yarn ho", Freddie. ;)

Her family treats me as one of their own (well, most of them anyway. ;) ) and I feel that I have helped raise her daughter (even though she didn't like me when she was a baby.  lol!)  I am always welcome at her house, even with my diva girlie.

So I am sure by now you can see why she is my best friend and why, if she was the only friend I had left, I would be more blessed than just about anyone.

Love you bunches, L, and will always, always, always be there for you, no matter what. ;)


On a completed unrelated note.  miss raven is not feeling well today.  I came home this afternoon and there was a mess in the living room.  She NEVER does that.  NEVER.  I had to cajole her into eating her supper tonight.  She ate a little and did eat her cookie so that was good.  She has been outside several times and all times she barked like a little fiend.  She is happy because I FINALLY got the jungle mowed for her so the weeds aren't whipping her in the face.  I feel a little silly asking this, but....please pray that when I take her to the doctor tomorrow, they will find nothing wrong with her.  I am praying that it is just something simple.  Maybe like the heat that we have been going through the last few days.  She has had tummy issues for the last few years but the vet never seemed to think it was anything serious.  I am just hoping and praying that they are still right about that.  I can't bear to think of losing this sweet little face:
She is too precious to me.  I promise to let you know what the doctor says.

Monday, June 21, 2010

My apologies....

to my "religious" blog followers.  I've been told that I am letting you down.  I am sorry about that.  It isn't that I haven't wanted to blog, I just have trying to get some things straight in my mind before I blogged.

It's been said that the more things change, the more they stay the same.  I have been finding that out first hand recently.  Especially in the area of friendship.  People that I thought were my friends I am finiding out aren't, other friendships are changing, and people that I never dreamed I would be friends with I now am.

I am not a huge fan of change.  I find that, in many cases, it is highly overrated.  Sometimes it is worth it and it is easy to see that right away.  Sometimes it is worth it but you don't know that until way after it is over.  Sometimes it just isn't worth it at all but you can't do anything about it.

I've said before that I am not a person who needs a lot of friends.  I just don't; that's not me.  I do highly value the friendships that I have, though, and when things happen to change them it leaves me bewildered and sometimes hurt.  I was good friends with someone (at least I thought I was) but they have made it abundantly clear that they don't want anything to do with me unless they need something.  That hurts.  I made the painful decision to obviously distance myself from that person because I got to the point where I just got tired of being used.

I'm in the middle of another friendship change and, while I don't see it ending quite the way the one above did, I am unsure about the direction in which it is going.  That is unsettling.

Did I mention I hate change?

I don't hate summer, though, and today is the official first day of summer.  It is hot here and I love that.  I love the heat and it is going to be hot the rest of the week.  Yea!!! :)  I always have grandiose plans for the summer and most of the time they don't come to fruition.  I am not going to make grandiose plans this year, but I am going to make some minor plans.  Most of which include the beach.  I love me some beach! :)

I will do my best to blog a little more frequently.  I don't want to disappoint any of you. ;)

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Just a couple of things...

1.  My next door neighbor is OBSESSED with his yard.  Seriously.  And it must really, really irritate him that my yard is more of a jungle than a yard.  I would like to let him know that, if it bothers him that much he could be a real sweetie and just take care of it for me.  lol!

2.  Remember my birdie placemats?
(Stay with me.  This will make sense.)

Check out the new button over there ~~~~~~~~~~~>
Feel free to click on said button and visit that blog.  Funny?  check.  Entertaining?  check.  Enjoyable?  check.  Try it, you'll be glad you did.  By the way, that is where I won the birdie placemats.  Told you I would tie it all together.

3.  I ran some errands today.  As always, I try to please miss raven's finicky tastes.  Currently she has decides that her food can neither have any kind of fowl or any kind of chunks.  Anything beef or pork and in the pate form seems to be what is working for her at this time.  I do my best to oblige.  I had to go to Target to get food for her majesty as well as a few other items.

You may be wondering why I chose to blog about my (boring) errands.  I will tell you why.  I don't want you to wonder forever.  There are two reasons:

     a.  I tried on two bathing suits today both in the size I thought I had worked my way back up to.  To my surprise, they were too big.  WOW!  and yea me.

     b.  As I was leaving the shopping center I stopped to fill up the truck at the new Safeway gas station.  The price listed was $2.47 with members getting three cents off.  That should have made the gas $2.44.  They were running a grand opening promotion, though, and I only paid (are you ready for this???)............................$2.37!!!!!!  WOW! and yea me again!

4.  Ta-Da:

5.  miss raven is snoring in my ear right this very second.

6.  :)

7.  the end.

p.s.  ok, it was more than a couple.  sorry.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

I am (not) old....

It is amazing how one little thing can make you feel old.  Allow me to explain, if you will.

I have said before that I have been a little loose as far as my eating habits are concerned.  I was determined to not waste my summer away, but to get back into some kind of exercising routine.  I also totally regretted not running the Komen Race this year so I wanted to start training again.  I got up early on Saturday morning and went for a run/walk for 45 minutes.  I was so proud of myself for doing that and I felt really good the rest of the day.  I knew I would take Sunday off and was determined to get up on Monday and get myself into a routine.

Monday morning I woke up at 5:15.  I made myself get out of bed and got ready to go out.  I did one full lap around my development as a warm-up and then started my run.  I was doing really well and was on the home stretch when, out of nowhere, I got a horrible pain right below my shoulder blades in the middle of my back.  I am not lying when I tell you that it literally took my breath away.  I made it home, took miss raven out, and then collapsed on the floor, face down.  I stayed that way for an hour because it hurt to move.  Now you know, when I put off coffee for THAT long in the morning, something is W.R.O.N.G.  (I can see my BFF at her law firm in Ohio nodding in agreement.)

Long story short, I am at home for a second day, nursing a back injury.  I'm not sure exactly what I did to it but it is extrememly annoying and is making me feel very old.

I am also REALLY annoyed at the USPS.  I went to the post office a week before I moved to change my address.  I had started getting mail at my new place but now, all of the sudden, the change of address has somehow been cancelled.  My mail is still going to the OLD house.  Now I have to go back to the post office and re-do everything I had done before.  And they wonder why noone likes them there.

I love me some Ikea!  Wanna see my miss raven's new chair?
I LOVE this chair!!!!  Sometimes, like now, I am even allowed to sit in it.  :)

The spare room is FINISHED!  Yea me!!!
I still need a lawn mower.  I am not showing you pictures of the jungle yard because, frankly, I am too embarassed.  It is THAT bad. :(

Finally, here is another picture of my girlie.  Just because I love her. ;)

Friday, June 11, 2010

A note from miss raven...

Today's guest blogger is miss raven.  Enjoy! ;)

i know that my wonderful, adorable, beautiful, intelligent, witty, gorgeous, mommy has told you all about me and how we met.  i know that she is intelligent because, after all, she was smart enough to take me home with her almost seven years ago.

i would like to tell you how i spend my days.  i wake up at the ungodly hour of 6:30 because my mommy wakes me up when she gets out of bed.  don't you think that is rude?!  anyway.  she makes me go outside to take care of me personal business.  i don't think that is very fair because SHE doesn't go outside for that.  do you know how cold it gets up here in the winter?!?  we go back inside and i nibble on a few cheerios while she drinks her coffee.  just when i get all cozy in bed, she makes me get off MY bed so that she can "make" it.  i don't get that, really, because the bed is ALREADY made.  duh!

after she pulls my covers up and puts my pillows on my bed, i jump back up and snuggle on the pillows for my pre-morning nap, nap.  i snooze for a bit then get up and wander around.  i may or may not eat some crunchies at this point.  it depends on how hungry my tummy is.  sometimes i eat some crunchies before mommy leaves for work.  i make her go to work every day because how else is she going to get money to buy things for me?

after that it is time for my morning nap.  sometimes i sleep on my bed, sometimes i sleep on the couch, sometimes i sleep in a sun-spot.  i do love a good sun-spot.  i snooze some more.  just about the time i wake up from this nap, it is time for mommy to come home.

when mommy comes home she takes me outside again.  i do my business and i bark.  and bark.  and bark.  i am good at barking.  mommy and i play for a little while with some of my toys.  then i take my afternoon nap while mommy does stuff to make the house nice for me.  after mommy eats dinner she feeds me my dinner.  sometimes i eat it, sometimes i don't.  it depends on how i feel and if i want to make mommy worry about me or not. :)  i get my treats after dinner and sometimes i eat some more crunchies.  sometimes, if i really feel like freaking mommy out, i won't eat my supper but then i scarf down a whole bunch of crunchies.  hehehe. :)

right about this time i need a good tummy rub.  i will jump up into mommy's lap and make sure that she can't ignore me.  have you ever seen the pictures of snoopy acting like a vulture?  he learned that from me. :)

when it is time for bed i jump up and snuggle with mommy.  she pet me and kisses me and calls me her baby.  see?  intelligent. ;)

well, i hope you enjoyed reading all about my day.   hopefully mommy will let me do this blog thingie again and i can tell you all about how she tortures me by taking me to a house with THREE other dogs!  two of them are icky boys and one of the icky boys is huge and always tries to bother me!  he's scared of me, though, because one time i bit him on the nose because he put his big, wet, cold nose right on my butt!  how rude!

the end.

p.s.  did i mention my mommy is beautiful?? :)

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Thankful Thursday!!!

What am I thankful for today?

1.  Summer!

2.  miss raven

3.  Summer hours!!

4.  Central air conditioning

5.  Peppermint mocha coffee creamer all year long.

6.  Fridays off

7.  Dinner plans with a good friend

8.  Ice cream and Rita's!

9.  Raid!  (I still have ants)

10.  Vacation. :)

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Ten (random) Things Tuesday!

Because I like to be random, that's why. :)

1.  Dunkin Donuts blueberry iced coffee.  Y.U.M.

2.  This is for you, BFF:
3.  Behold, the spare room:

(please ignore the piles of stuff on the desk.  thank you.)

4.  Yes?
or

5.  No?
You be the judge. :)

6.  Since this is ostensibly also a crochet blog (bwahahaha--who are we kidding?  I blog what I want.), here are a few pictures of my most recent finished object:
This is one of standard favorite things to make.  It is so easy and really works up quickly.

7.  I LOVE my new chair!

8.  Behold!  My bathroom:
I so love the shower curtain.  Thank you, Ikea!! :)

9.  I have ants.  I hate bugs in the house.  Any suggestions on how to get rid of the little nasties without harming the little diva?

10.  I love summer! :)

The end!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

WARNING!

This post could be could be in serious contention for the Most Boring Post of the Century Award.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

Today was a good day.  Forget the fact that I am having issues falling asleep at night all of the sudden.  We won't focus on that for now.  Other than that, it was a good day. :)

I rode into the city with my BFF's family for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.  It's something that we do every year and something that I really look forward to.  I didn't run the race like I did last year and I am really, really disappointed in myself.  I am trying not to be too hard on myself because I have had some real craziness the last few months, but I must stop making excuses for my lack of exercise and my lack of willpower to eat correctly.  Ugh.  I am such a stress/mood eater.  I need to work on overcoming that.

Anyway.  We didn't go in as early as we usually do, which was nice because I didn't feel as rushed.  The Metro didn't seem as crowded, either.  When we finally got there we went right to the Survivor tent so that MOBFF (mom of BFF) could get her goodie bag.  Then we went around to the different tents to see what else was being handed out.  The Ford tent, the Komen tent, and The Komen Truck thingie are always high on our list of initial stops.  I have every Ford bandana/scarf for the last several years.  I really like how they make them now because they are much more versatile.  At the Komen tent we look around and sometimes purchase things.  Last year I got a good runners watch, a shirt, and some capris.  This year I got a pink ribbon magnet for my truck (the truck that works wonderfully now!! :) ), some little pink ribbon studs, and a pink water bottle.  At the Komen truck thingie we always get whatever bag they are giving out that year.  This year's bag was like the one from last year but they are such handy yarn bags.  (Freddie-don't you DARE roll your eyes and think what you are thinking.  I am NOT a yarn hoe.  LOL!)

After we stopped at those places we walked around for a little bit longer before resting for a bit.  It was SO hot outside today.  Hot and humid.  Hot and humid and sticky.  Yep.  June in DC.  It's great! :) 

After we rested for a bit and repacked/rearranged our bags we started in the general direction of Ford's Theatre.  When we got to the Metro I split off from them so that I could come back to the house and do some laundry and also help a friend move.  Well, most of the moving was done but I did go over and help put things away and move some furniture around. 

I came home, did some more laundry, and welcomed FOBFF (family of BFF) as they made their way back from a fun day in the city.  They ate pizza, I ate fish and couscous and salad, and now I am blogging for you.

LOL!!  After the last two days I am not certain that I will have too many more readers.  How boring is my life?!?!  Well, if you have stuck with me thus far please know that you have my heartfelt thanks!! :)

Have a Super Sunday!!

miss raven says "woof"  ;)

Friday, June 4, 2010

Oh what a day....

Would you like to know about my last 24 hours?  Silly me, of course you would!  Who wouldn't?? ;)

So.  This is the weekend that my BFF and her family always come to visit.  The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is this weekend and my BFF's mom is now an ELEVEN year SURVIVOR!!!!!  Awesome, right?!  Anyway.  My BFF called me on Memorial Day to tell me that she wouldn't be coming this year.  Her husband's sister-in-law passed away from lung cancer (never smoked, either). 

**side note:  I loathe cancer.  It is hideous and I hope that, someday, a cure is found.  That is why I do the Race for the Cure.  So that more research can be done to help cure breast cancer.  I know that there are many people out there who don't support the Komen foundation because they may (or may not) support abortions.  Seriously.  If we stopped supporting every organization that may (or may not) support abortions or whatever it is that you don't like, we would be Amish.  (disclaimer--that is not meant to be a slam against the Amish.)  If you don't think that the Komen foundation is worthy of support because it may (or may not) support abortion, please keep your opinions to yourself.  Thank you.**

So, my BFF didn't come, but her family (mom, dad, sister, niece) did.  They didn't leave until seven or a little after last night, so they didn't get here until 2:30 this morning.  Most normal people would think "No biggie.  I'll just take a little snooze until my guests get here, then I'll open the door, let them in and go back to sleep."  Notice I said "normal" people.  Did I want to go to sleep?  Yes.  Did I go to sleep?  NO!  Why?  Because I was worried that I wouldn't hear the phone or them pounding on the door when they got here.  Sigh.  So, I was up until almost three this morning.  And then, because the sunlight POURS into my room in the morning, I was up at the cheery hour of SIX.  Can I tell you how many degrees of wrong that was?  I looked at the clock, thought, "Oh, heck no.", wrapped the pillow around my eyes, and promptly went back to sleep.  Until 9:30.  When I woke up, my first thought, I kid you not, was COFFEE.  NOW.  So I quietly went out and made some.

Everyone else eventually woke up and got ready to go out.  I wasn't sure what they were going to do today but I needed to get some things done.  Keep that in mind.  It affects what happens later.  I promise.  BFF's mom and dad went outside and came back in with my housewarming present.  Yea me!  They brought me an Adirondack chair!  I have wanted one of those bad boys for a LONG time and now I have one!  They put it together for me and even stained it.  I can't wait to lounge in it after work this week!!! 

They decided to go out for brunch.  They left and I got ready to go out.  Remember?  I had things to do today. :)  I drove to a shopping center about 20 minutes from the house.  I got new nosepads for my glasses (thrilling, I know) and got my hair cut.  Whoo-hoo--I so needed that!  Then, I headed back to my truck so that I could drive over to the Target and Marshall's because I wanted to look for a couple of pairs of capris and maybe a new dress.  I unlocked the truck, got in, put on the sunglasses, and stuck the key in the ignition.  Turned the key.  Nothing.  Hmmmmmm.  Adjust the wires of the security device (sometimes that works).  Still nothing.  Oh crap.  Call BFF's mom.  They were at Lowe's getting the stain for the chair and a new lock for my back door.  They head my way.  Call a friend.  She is moving but the people that were helping her have jumper cables.  The wife calls the husband, the husband heads my way...with the jumper cables.  Call a friend from work for the number of a garage.  Call the garage.  It's probably the battery.  Say a quick prayer (Dear God, please let it only be the battery!)  The BFF's family shows up.  I am sweating like a pig by this time.  Put the truck in neutral, back into another parking space.  Call the friend, don't send the jumper cables because we are taking the battery out (Say another prayer:  Dear God, me again.  Please, please let it only be the battery.)  and heading to Auto Zone.  (Say another prayer:  Dear God, I'm back.  I forgot to ask you before...please let the new Auto Zone be open now.)  Take battery out.  Go to Auto Zone.  (Thank you, Lord.)  Purchase new battery, other battery-related thingies, and Antifreeze.  Go back to truck.  Insert new battery.  Pray again.  (Dear God, when I turn the key, please, please let the truck start.)  Hold breath.  Turn key......

To be continued.







Just kidding.  TRUCK STARTS!!!!!!  Pray again.  THANK YOU, GOD!!!!.  Go to Starbucks.  Did not buy clothes.  Bought a battery instead.  Can't wear battery but now can drive truck to work to earn more money to possibly buy some new clothes in a few weeks.

Thank God (seriously) for good friends who treat me like family.

The end.

Ok.  There was more to my day, obviously.  We ended the day by going to a really yummy Italian restaurant where I, as usual, ate way too much.  Sigh.  I keep saying I need to eat right but then I don't.  I need to get my will power back.  I really do.

Tomorrow I have to get up super early so I am going to end this mind-blowingly long post.  Have a happy weekend! :)

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Yes...

I'm still here.

I'm all moved in.

The spare room is looking less chaotic thanks to all the work I put into it today.

miss raven and I are walking every night (well, for the last two nights, anyway).

I discovered that I have documents to shred that are from the 90's.

I still love my kitchen.

miss raven figured out how to slip out of the gate.  Fortunately she was firmly attached to the leash at the time.

Summer TV sucks bigtime.

I miss my BFF and won't get to see her this weekend as planned. :(

I eat when I am bored.  Which is alot lately.  That is not good for my wardrobe.  Hence the cleaning out of the spare room today and the walks at night.

I need a lawnmover.

Did I answer all your questions?  No?  Then you'll have to let me know what else is on your mind. :)