The Niko Era

Meet Niko the puppy! He's a nine week old lhasa apso weighing in at a solid 4 pounds. It took about 20 shots to get a picture of him that wasn't a blur of fur. He moves quite fast!

I live in an apartment building on a "lake" which is really a canal. People living here think the thing to do is get a dog and walk around outside. Sounded good to me!

The most important order of business upon arrival at home was to disinfect. He took this part quite well.

Awwwwww!

Next order of business: grooming! You have to keep him wrapped in a towel for a good deal of the drying process or there will be water shaken in many a direction. Then you unwrap and firmly hold him down as you brush his hair. He acts like he dosen't like this part but I know he does.

Final order of business: what to do with Bobob. On this issue I decided to follow my lovely sister's example and send them to the home we place retired animals...mom's house. Here they are prepared for departure. I've had these guys for six years! A new era indeed.

Chantix Part Deux

Wellll... I'm reaching with this one. Working in the ER last year sent me over the edge in my non-smoking quest. I think it is in the job description because every single person smokes in that place! Call it an on-the-job hazard. So now I am re-quitting. Last year I did great with Chantix. It was actually quite fun because I had crazy dreams every night. This time, however, I think the Chantix is affecting me a little differently. Listed adverse reactions of Chantix: agitation, behavioral disturbances, abnormal dreams, emotional disturbances...

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 proved to be a trying day for me. I was already on the "irritated" side, and was not pleased to have to drive an hour to look up how much money I made in 2007 for the nosey state of California. They are holding my tax refund hostage. Rude! So on my smoke-free drive home I was pulled over by a nosey Grapevine police officer. He gave me a ticket for driving 77 in a 60. Rude!

Then I arrived safely home, behind schedule from my hold up, to find my kitchen floor covered in water. My lovely refrigerator, which started with an internal leak a couple of months ago, had now decided to switch it up to an external leak. Rude!

What must one do to redeem a day like this? I decided a new dress was in order. And shoes... Can I please have my tax refund now, California??? I sortof need it.

Fourth Picture, Fourth Folder!

What do you think about that! Hmmm? BoBob. This is what it looks like to NOT cheat, Reynolds.

The First Supper

In my quest to become domestic, I have cooked an official meal. Pasta Fajioli! This is quite an accomplishment for me, as you well know. I went to the store today and purchased the ingredients, including my very first onion and garlic clove! I chopped the heck out of those onions, so you can't even tell they're in there.

So I got home and started cooking. Step one: brown meat. (I did this in my new red cast iron pot! Shout out to dad!) As I was trying to decipher step two, my recipe fell into the little crack between the stove and the cabinet, lost in an abyss! Solution: freak out. Contemplate abandoning this task altogether. Contemplate calling Missy and have her read the entire recipe, really not liking the idea of having to write it out all over again. Finally, pull the stove all the way out, crawl on counter, skillfully retrieve recipe with little hand-held broom sweeper thing. And for those of you that were concerned, I turned off the burner and put the browning on hold during this process.
I forgot to take pictures until clean-up was complete... But here is my product. Lots of it. One for freezer. I must say I did a pretty good job, although there is way too much pasta in there. Recipe said half pound of pasta. I bought a one pound box and used half pound. Not a whole pound. Little Em is growing up! So proud!

Just In Case You Didn't Know...

So I officially moved into my apartment on Saturday, January 3, 2009. I am still figuring things out... I arrived home from the grocery store approximately one week post move date and there happened to be a little puddle of water on the top shelf of my refrigerator. I can clean up a small puddle. Approximately two weeks post move-in I found yet a larger puddle one day as I dipped into the Diet Coke stash. Now as week three arrived, I opened the refrigerator and found this. The top shelf was completely filled with water, over the lip, and was now into shelf number two, as evidenced by photo 1A.

This is a lot of water people! I was soaking it up with many a kitchen rag. This now required me to beckon the maintenance man. He arrived and found that my problem was with step number one: Turn On Refrigerator. There happens to be a small knob in every refrigerator labeled with "OFF" followed by "1, 2, 3, 4, etc..." If you happen to have this knob turned to "OFF," frozen-ness from your freezer just might melt into your refrigerator. Just in case you didn't know...

Semi Upright Vaccuums and Amputee Piggy

After many months of harassing phone calls, e mails, text messages, and in-person harassing, I am now posting my first blog. I am very disappointed to announce that tech support is not currently answering any calls.

I am officially a Texan again, despite what the license plate on my car says. It will most likely continue to say California until I get pulled over, or I am due for my next oil change, which ever occurs first. I moved into my apartment this past Saturday and I got to experience Christmas with a renewed sense of joy as I unpacked my things that have been stored away for the past year. But in the spirit of blogging let me start from the beginning... There was much preparation for the move: the sanding, priming, painting, and lacquering of many pieces of furniture. All of this I did while looking my best!

Ok so that was all I had for the preparation so lets take it forward to moving day. Amongst the ruckus of putting things in the truck I noticed poor Kenmore in the corner looking a little down. I don't quite feel this picture is giving justice to just how far this thing is leaning forward! I'm not sure what is wrong with her but I'm hoping there is a cure! More cowbell maybe?

Later in the day as I was unpacking some kitchen boxes I noticed a box that I had labeled 'piggy.' Well this brought great joy to my heart. Piggy is my little 16" tall master chef in the kitchen. He looks very professional, and does he hold any small object I require on a SILVER platter? No, no. A gold one. So I opened the box and was extremely disturbed to find that Piggy has had an unexpected amputation this year.

I spent a long time trying to find some other way but seeing that Piggy cannot stand up straight and will no longer be holding anything for me on that little gold platter, I had to let him go. He received a modest service and burial in the trash can, later to experience his demise down a trash chute. I'm sure it was quick. Rest in peace Piggy.

But you will all be comforted to know that my giraffe still has his head. And to think I got him out of the Reynolds' house just in time. I hear they decapitate small figurines for fun. Disgusting.

It will definitely take some getting used to being here by myself. I'll miss those little Reynolds running amok, as I'm sure BoBob will as well...