This is the first year we've lived in a neighborhood which is suitable for trick-or-treaters. Well, to be honest, we lived here last year but we were in New Mexico over the holiday.
This year in anticipation of the event, we bought 3 bags of candy and a decorative black bowl. Today we put the 2 bags of candy in the bowl and placed it outside on a tray table at the end of our walk. And no, I didn't accidentally type "3" and then "2". We are pigs, we bought the candy too soon, we wiped out almost a full bag.
We put it out as a free-for-all because we have two dogs between 60 and 75 pounds each who launch themselves at the door whenever someone knocks. We wanted to be generous, but we didn't want to scare the kids with the devil beast.
It's 6:30 and has been dark for about 30 minutes. We've had plenty of t-o-t action; however, they keep knocking on the door! At 6:10 we moved the candy up right in front of the door. Still we have knockers. Do we put a note on the door that says, "We have 2 huge dogs that will launch themselves at you if we open the door. Take a few pieces and have a nice night."
Instead, I retreated to the bedroom with my computer and both dogs (who, for the record, have been stuck in the room since this morning and don't really appreciate being kept from the back yard where they can bark and bark and bark at all the passers-by).
Is the concept of "take some and we trust you not to be greedy" too foreign in this day and age?
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Friday, October 27, 2006
Things that shouldn't be cute.
When the puppy turns on then touch lamp with his nose.
When the puppy throws his water dish at you because it is empty.
When the puppy steals a strip of bubble wrap and runs around the room with delight. Pop, pop, pop, pop...
When the puppy picks up one piece of food and throws it around and plays as if it's a tennis ball.
When the puppy comes in from outside covered in mud from wallowing in the hole he dug outside.
When the puppy steals something and rolls on his back and bats at it like a baby panda - completely full of delight that he has stolen it and "gotten away with it".
When the puppy throws his water dish at you because it is empty.
When the puppy steals a strip of bubble wrap and runs around the room with delight. Pop, pop, pop, pop...
When the puppy picks up one piece of food and throws it around and plays as if it's a tennis ball.
When the puppy comes in from outside covered in mud from wallowing in the hole he dug outside.
When the puppy steals something and rolls on his back and bats at it like a baby panda - completely full of delight that he has stolen it and "gotten away with it".
Friday, October 20, 2006
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Yeay, Best Buy service plan!
Last weekend we had an incident in which my (newish) mp3 player ended up getting run through the washer and dryer. It was nobody's fault, just an accident. Today Craig went over to Best Buy and was able to get a new one because we had purchased the 2 year service plan. We will usually only buy the "s.p." on stuff that is over $200 (which this was) and printers. Anything else generally isn't worth it. Glad we did on these!
Thursday, October 05, 2006
AND THE WINNER IS...
Craig just got THE call. We are getting our new car in 2-3 weeks. The color will be white. WOO HOO!
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Public Restroom Etiquette 101
In no particular order I will review the public restroom etiquette for the many women who seem to have forgotten the rules.
1.) If you choose not to actually sit on the seat, clean the pee drips off the seat when you are finished.
2.) Stall choice. If there is a row of 10 stalls and only one is occupied, never choose the stall next to the occupied stall. You have 7 other choices, why do you need to be right next to the occupied stall?
3.) Don't have a conversation with your friend outside of the stall or on the phone. Potty should be private, try to keep it that way.
4.) Never strike up a conversation with the person in the stall next to yours (see #2). They don't want to chat while going potty.
5.) Always check for toilet paper prior to doing your business. You neighbor (again, see #2) does not want to give you some under the stall.
6.) If you must bring your little boy into the bathroom with you, keep him reigned in. Do not let him peek in the cracks or under the stall. Once again, potty should be private.
7.) Flush! Courtesy flushes, when necessary.
This is on an exhaustive list, I will certainly think of other things to add in the future as they irritate me.
1.) If you choose not to actually sit on the seat, clean the pee drips off the seat when you are finished.
2.) Stall choice. If there is a row of 10 stalls and only one is occupied, never choose the stall next to the occupied stall. You have 7 other choices, why do you need to be right next to the occupied stall?
3.) Don't have a conversation with your friend outside of the stall or on the phone. Potty should be private, try to keep it that way.
4.) Never strike up a conversation with the person in the stall next to yours (see #2). They don't want to chat while going potty.
5.) Always check for toilet paper prior to doing your business. You neighbor (again, see #2) does not want to give you some under the stall.
6.) If you must bring your little boy into the bathroom with you, keep him reigned in. Do not let him peek in the cracks or under the stall. Once again, potty should be private.
7.) Flush! Courtesy flushes, when necessary.
This is on an exhaustive list, I will certainly think of other things to add in the future as they irritate me.
EXTRAVAGANZA!!
I am SUPER excited. Craig's birthday is coming up shortly (I won't divulge the date upon his request) and I have an AWESOME surprise gift for him.
This is a big deal to me because I NEVER keep a secret. I usually come up with an idea for something cool and end up spilling the beans before I even buy the thing.
I won't reveal what the surprise is, but I can tell you that it will "unfold in layers" over the weekend.
Muuuaaaaahhhhaahhhaaa!! (That's my "I have a secret" laugh).
This is a big deal to me because I NEVER keep a secret. I usually come up with an idea for something cool and end up spilling the beans before I even buy the thing.
I won't reveal what the surprise is, but I can tell you that it will "unfold in layers" over the weekend.
Muuuaaaaahhhhaahhhaaa!! (That's my "I have a secret" laugh).
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Where have all the leaves gone?
This could be a post waxing poetic on the start of fall, but, alas (ye maties), it is not.
I've been trying (in vain?) to eat healthier meals. For lunch the last two days I have been having a salad at McD's. I admit, I don't ever expect much food-wise from any fast food chain. This is no different, but come on! Where do all the lettuce leaves go? The certainly don't go into their Premium salads! The ruffage in these salads consists of a VERY few green leaves of lettuce and the rest is the white core of the iceberg head. I ask again, where do all the green leafy leaves go?
They put into the salads the stuff that I throw away when making my own at home. So as I pick through my "salad" looking for any edible leaves of lettuce to eat with my 3 cherry tomatoes and shave (for lack of a better term) of carrot, I lament the fact that I am too lazy to go home and make myself a decent salad. Granted, I only have a 1/2 hour and to go home and prepare food while dealing with two needy dogs usually takes 40 minutes at the least.
BTW: Happy "international talk like a pirate day".
I've been trying (in vain?) to eat healthier meals. For lunch the last two days I have been having a salad at McD's. I admit, I don't ever expect much food-wise from any fast food chain. This is no different, but come on! Where do all the lettuce leaves go? The certainly don't go into their Premium salads! The ruffage in these salads consists of a VERY few green leaves of lettuce and the rest is the white core of the iceberg head. I ask again, where do all the green leafy leaves go?
They put into the salads the stuff that I throw away when making my own at home. So as I pick through my "salad" looking for any edible leaves of lettuce to eat with my 3 cherry tomatoes and shave (for lack of a better term) of carrot, I lament the fact that I am too lazy to go home and make myself a decent salad. Granted, I only have a 1/2 hour and to go home and prepare food while dealing with two needy dogs usually takes 40 minutes at the least.
BTW: Happy "international talk like a pirate day".
Friday, September 15, 2006
Sigh.
Last night was a long night. I had two 20 oz Coke Zeros during the day at work so, of course, I couldn't fall asleep. I stayed up until 1:00 am and watched the Jay Leno Show for the first time in 5 years since moving to the Eastern time zone. What happened to his hair!?
This morning I got up at 7:30 when Craig left for work because the dogs were up. I immediately sent them outside to play. It's cool and moist - maybe they'll stay out all day?
About 30 minutes ago, however, I heard the sudden rush of water! Huh? I got up and walked towards the sound which was leading me out to the back yard. I open the back door and discover The Chew dancing in the spray of the spigot - which he turned on. Sigh.
In come the dogs. They rush thru the kitchen and roar into the living room and commence to "bear fight". They are standing on hind legs, swatting at each other with their front legs, mouths open, teeth cracking together, grunting. Sigh.
Out go the dogs. I am again sitting on my recliner resting my eyes. I now hear a tap, tap, tap on a window. Wha?! I open my eyes to find The Chew head in the bathroom window! This might not be a big deal, if the window were not over 5 feet up from the ground. He is STANDING on the air conditioner stretching over to the window so he can look in. I frantically look for the camera which we keep pretty handy. I miss my chance. He is gone from the window. I go into the kitchen to peek out the window to see where he has gone.
This is what I found. Note the wet pavement. Note the bricks thrown from the "garden". Not the A/C which he stands on. Sigh.
A side note. The Black Eyed Peas are "performing" on the Today Show right now. While their music is catchy on the radio, they are a horror show to watch live. Cringe, now Fergi is "performing".
Must go. His Highness The Chew is rioting on the back door. In the come. (only to be sent right back out when they riot in the house). Sigh.
This morning I got up at 7:30 when Craig left for work because the dogs were up. I immediately sent them outside to play. It's cool and moist - maybe they'll stay out all day?
About 30 minutes ago, however, I heard the sudden rush of water! Huh? I got up and walked towards the sound which was leading me out to the back yard. I open the back door and discover The Chew dancing in the spray of the spigot - which he turned on. Sigh.
In come the dogs. They rush thru the kitchen and roar into the living room and commence to "bear fight". They are standing on hind legs, swatting at each other with their front legs, mouths open, teeth cracking together, grunting. Sigh.
Out go the dogs. I am again sitting on my recliner resting my eyes. I now hear a tap, tap, tap on a window. Wha?! I open my eyes to find The Chew head in the bathroom window! This might not be a big deal, if the window were not over 5 feet up from the ground. He is STANDING on the air conditioner stretching over to the window so he can look in. I frantically look for the camera which we keep pretty handy. I miss my chance. He is gone from the window. I go into the kitchen to peek out the window to see where he has gone.
This is what I found. Note the wet pavement. Note the bricks thrown from the "garden". Not the A/C which he stands on. Sigh.
A side note. The Black Eyed Peas are "performing" on the Today Show right now. While their music is catchy on the radio, they are a horror show to watch live. Cringe, now Fergi is "performing".
Must go. His Highness The Chew is rioting on the back door. In the come. (only to be sent right back out when they riot in the house). Sigh.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Farewell Mr. Molly
My sister's cat passed away yesterday. He succumbed to the kidney disease that has plagued him for many months.
"To those that don’t know him well, I can say that he was charming and handsome, slightly eccentric, but always a good friend. He will be deeply missed."
R.I.P. Mr. Molly.
"To those that don’t know him well, I can say that he was charming and handsome, slightly eccentric, but always a good friend. He will be deeply missed."
R.I.P. Mr. Molly.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
A 60 pound cat!?
Today I opened the shades on the window so I could see when the UPS guy pulled up to the house (and be able to send the boys out the back so I could answer the door). The dogs love looking out the window - especially The Chew.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
First day of school
This week marks the first day of school for many students, myself included. I decided to take class at the Kalamazoo Intitute of Art in Kiln Fused Glass. Upon arrival at the KIA, my mom met me in the parking lot with this cute little school bus cupcake.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Oh, the horror!
I like the internet. I especially love google. Google is my homepage at work and at home. I probably search for stuff at least 10 times a day. I've often wished I had access to the tangled web of information back when I was in high school. That is, until I google'd my maiden name a while ago. That is the moment I was thankful that the internet (as it is) did not exist back when I was in high school.
Upon searching, (who doesn't search their own name and everyone they know?) the sites that came up were - shall we say - seedy. Dirty. Often requiring an age verification prior to entry into the site. Specifically, Sir Mix-a-lot has a song about my last name, if he were in the Netherlands. Yes, in Dutch, my maiden name is a swear. Nice.
As bad as high school was...it could have been much, much worse for me if we had google as we know it today. Phew. Dodged that bullet, or at least a plethora of teasing.
Upon searching, (who doesn't search their own name and everyone they know?) the sites that came up were - shall we say - seedy. Dirty. Often requiring an age verification prior to entry into the site. Specifically, Sir Mix-a-lot has a song about my last name, if he were in the Netherlands. Yes, in Dutch, my maiden name is a swear. Nice.
As bad as high school was...it could have been much, much worse for me if we had google as we know it today. Phew. Dodged that bullet, or at least a plethora of teasing.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
May I help you?
This post could be about how cute the Chew is 1) sleeping on his water dish and 2) in front of his vent, but it's not.
It's about the BEST SPILL-PROOF WATER DISH EVER! This thing does not spill. Chewie kicks them, tosses them, and flips them upside down and all he has produced from the full bowl is a couple of tiny drips. Worth every penny of the steep $20 each.
It's about the BEST SPILL-PROOF WATER DISH EVER! This thing does not spill. Chewie kicks them, tosses them, and flips them upside down and all he has produced from the full bowl is a couple of tiny drips. Worth every penny of the steep $20 each.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Tree hugging.
I am sure anyone who drives a vehicle can agree, filling up your gas tank has become somewhat of a painful experience. Gas prices in our area have been averaging around $3.00 a gallon this summer. The recent high (that I can remember)has been $3.19 and the recent low has been $2.89. This, along with our interest in doing our part for a better environment and our love of gadgets, has prompted us to research getting a hybrid vehicle.
We've been talking about it for over a year, but we only just bought a new car about 2 years ago. Our 2003 Saturn Ion gets 20 mph city and 30 mpg highway and we've been happy with it. We noticed that the car is finally worth more than what we owe on it and picked up our discussion again about getting a hybrid. Our two front runners were the Ford Escape Hybrid and the Toyota Prius. While we would like a larger vehicle for the dogs ( soon to be 75+ lbs each), we decided that we really don't need a small SUV until we have kids. Additionally, the Escape gets similar gas milage to our Ion and we are looking for an improvement for a while. So, we decide upon a Prius which gets between 50 and 60 miles per gallon depending on driving conditions.
So, the other night we got online and get pre-approved financing from Toyota and yesterday we went and test drove a used 2005 Prius - the only Prius available withing at least a 50 mile radius. The cars selling price is actually about $1000 more than buying a brand new 2006/2007 model (which was odd, since it really didn't have any bells and whistles other than what comes standard on the 2006). Needless to say, we opted for the cheaper, brand new model.
Unfortunately, the demand is so high for these cars now that the wait is 6 weeks to 4 months for delivery. The dealer said isting several color choices might speed up the process so we chose four, in order by favorite: Barcelona Red Metallic, Seaside Pearl, Magnetic Gray, and Super White. Hopefully that will speed up delivery time. Visit toyota.com/prius
for an interactive look at all the bells and whistles that come standard. (We opted for a pretty simple model, only adding the saftey features such as airbags and vehicle stability).
We've been talking about it for over a year, but we only just bought a new car about 2 years ago. Our 2003 Saturn Ion gets 20 mph city and 30 mpg highway and we've been happy with it. We noticed that the car is finally worth more than what we owe on it and picked up our discussion again about getting a hybrid. Our two front runners were the Ford Escape Hybrid and the Toyota Prius. While we would like a larger vehicle for the dogs ( soon to be 75+ lbs each), we decided that we really don't need a small SUV until we have kids. Additionally, the Escape gets similar gas milage to our Ion and we are looking for an improvement for a while. So, we decide upon a Prius which gets between 50 and 60 miles per gallon depending on driving conditions.
So, the other night we got online and get pre-approved financing from Toyota and yesterday we went and test drove a used 2005 Prius - the only Prius available withing at least a 50 mile radius. The cars selling price is actually about $1000 more than buying a brand new 2006/2007 model (which was odd, since it really didn't have any bells and whistles other than what comes standard on the 2006). Needless to say, we opted for the cheaper, brand new model.
Unfortunately, the demand is so high for these cars now that the wait is 6 weeks to 4 months for delivery. The dealer said isting several color choices might speed up the process so we chose four, in order by favorite: Barcelona Red Metallic, Seaside Pearl, Magnetic Gray, and Super White. Hopefully that will speed up delivery time. Visit toyota.com/prius
for an interactive look at all the bells and whistles that come standard. (We opted for a pretty simple model, only adding the saftey features such as airbags and vehicle stability).
Thursday, August 03, 2006
My Personality Profile, pretty close.
| Your Personality Profile |
 You are dependable, popular, and observant. Deep and thoughtful, you are prone to moodiness. In fact, your emotions tend to influence everything you do. You are unique, creative, and expressive. You don't mind waving your freak flag every once and a while. And lucky for you, most people find your weird ways charming! |
Friday, July 28, 2006
You won't like me when I'm angry.
This is what happens when you take one dog for a ride in the car and leave the other one at home. (Your reasoning may have been sound - the puppy will get to go later when he goes to the vet, so Booker deserves a ride also; however, the puppy did not see it that way.)
Note the bent crate on the bottom and the right side.
Note the deep wounds on the door.
Note the luck that he didn't get electrocuted.
The bright side:
He didn't shred a 2'x2' section of carpet (as Booker did upon escape one time).
We are no longer renting so he didn't cost us our $700 deposit.
Replacement doors are less than $50.00 and I know how to hang them.
The puppy still had the E-collar on, so the damage was less than it could have been.
Note the bent crate on the bottom and the right side.
Note the deep wounds on the door.
Note the luck that he didn't get electrocuted.
The bright side:
He didn't shred a 2'x2' section of carpet (as Booker did upon escape one time).
We are no longer renting so he didn't cost us our $700 deposit.
Replacement doors are less than $50.00 and I know how to hang them.
The puppy still had the E-collar on, so the damage was less than it could have been.
Monday, July 24, 2006
He's baaaack.
The Chew came home from the vet's office today at lunch. He is furious that we have to (try to) keep him calm. All was well with the surgery. He has staples in several spots on his belly (they had to do explorative surgery to find his missing testicle) and staples on both rear ankles from the removal of his 3 dew claws.
We are now in the strugle to keep him from blowing out his stitches in the next 7 days. Good luck to us, since his ankle has already oozed today.
Oh, by the way, the cone is virtually useless. He still manages to get to his belly and feet. Sigh.
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