all I want for Christmas...

...is a sick puppy.

Ugh.

We spent the past few days at my parents' for Christmas, bringing Henry along with us of course.  CJ had to work Christmas Day, so I stayed at my parents' while he went to work.  My mom had fixed a big ham for Christmas Eve dinner, so I gave the scraps to Henry and their dog, Millie.

One other time when we visited my parents, we gave Henry some leftover gravy and we said we'd never do that again.

So why in the world I would I give our dog, who has only eaten dry dog food, fatty ham for a Christmas treat?

I woke up very early this morning to load up the truck to get back home, and discovered that Henry had thrown up in his crate several times.  I couldn't handle the stench, so the best mother in the world cleaned up his crate for me while my dad -- who does not like dogs -- kept Henry (on his leash of course).  I don't know what I really did, but stand there, halfway wanting to puke myself and halfway wanting to cry.

Henry was perfectly fine the entire hour drive back to Indianapolis.  I beat CJ home by about two minutes and got Henry inside.  As we carried bags in, I noticed that familiar barf smell again and had to go walking around the house to find it.  He'd thrown up in our office on a pile of pictures and magazines.  As I went to get CJ, I looked over and Henry was throwing up in my kitchen.  I started to clean that up and noticed he was starting to heave again, so I managed to grab him and get the door handle just as he puked in the doorway.  I got him outside and he puked in the yard.  Of course I wasn't wearing any shoes -- in the snow -- and of course, Henry started to run away, so CJ had to run out of the house and catch him.

Everything's cleaned up and the house has been doused in febreeze, but I think it still smells like barf.  Lovely.

Merry Christmas.

name that tune

I started singing this tune the other day, completely out of the blue.  I can't even remember the English version.  So, who can give me the name of this song in English?

Mon bonhomme de neige

Il est tres content et gros

Avec deux yeux, un nez, une bouche

Et sur la tete un beau chapeau

a tacky Christmas

I love a tacky Christmas.  Our house will never be the house with matching decorations and twinkling white lights.  I even love the red nose and antlers people put on their cars.  I think it's so tacky and fun (not saying that anyone should go out and buy these for me though).  But, the other night as I was driving around the city, I got behind a car that had a fake Santa hat and arm hanging out the back of the trunk.  And as much as I like the kitchy Christmas decorations, I found this one to be a tiny bit distasteful.  So my question:  can we take a tacky Christmas too far sometimes?

oh christmas tree

Don't worry.  I'm not a complete Scrooge.  The Christmas tree has been up for weeks now.  Just wanted to share some pictures of the process of putting up the tree.  It took at least four -- that's right, four -- hours to put up the tree this year, although it usually takes about six.  I don't help.  Honestly, it's better for our marriage that I don't, because I don't do it "right."

This was kind of cute the first time.  The second, third, and fourth times, it was not so cute and got Henry in big trouble.

vacation!

With the exception of my very first year working in the real world, I've always taken a vacation right after Christmas.  It's really a good deal, because you can really maximize your time at Christmas, since we get three days off in a span of a week.  This year though, I played my cards really well and I get a full two weeks off!  It's been so long since I've had that much time off that I almost don't know what to do with myself.

Minus Christmas, here's my list of things I'd like to accomplish over these next two weeks:

• Get back in the exercise routine, with the idea that I can get hooked on it again so that when I am busy again with work and school I'll make it a priority.
• Study.  This is probably the least-fun thing on my list, but I'd like to get ahead a little bit so I'm not so stressed later.  This may have to wait a week and a half though, because I need to clear my head from accounting for a little while.
• Touch up paint in the master bathroom, living room, and hallway.  Second least-fun thing on my list.
• Finish the dresser.  CJ still has to fix up the piece, so I can't do anything just yet.  And, since it's so cold and I'll be painting it in our garage, I imagine I'll only be able to paint a coat, maybe two, per day.
• Finish the picture frames.  Pictures later.
• Hang up our wedding pictures before our first anniversary (January 3rd).
• Organize the guest bedroom.  Again.
• Read -- a lot!  What's on tap?  I have at least 4 Sookie Stackhouse books, The Sweet Life in Paris, The Flying Carpet of Small Miracles, The Game of Opposites, and The Forgotten Garden.

follow friday

As I've mentioned before, I've become a little obsessed with anything having to do with the house -- blogs about house renovations, home improvement magazines, re-doing furniture, and of course, artwork.  Our house doesn't have much wall space left, thanks to this artwork obsession.  Luckily, our office is our catch-all, where I don't mind mixing and matching artwork.

So it's probably not good that every Tuesday and Wednesday, I have to check 20x200.  The idea behind this website is that everyone should be able to purchase artwork for a low cost.  So each week, the website puts up new artwork on Tuesday and Wednesday, and offers 200 prints for $20 a pop.  Larger sizes are available, and they're still reasonably priced.  I haven't bought anything off of here yet, but there are several pictures on here that I've practically been drooling over for weeks -- and just can't figure out where I'd put them.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

you know it's time for vacation when...

... every night, you dream about grant applications or accounting spreadsheets, or worse, both in one dream.

is she really going out with him?

As CJ finishes up his last few days of undergrad (so proud of him!), I wanted to share two of my favorite stories from this semester -- they're tied together.

At the very beginning of the semester, one of his professors explained that he wouldn't count students absent if they were absent physically.  But, if they came into class and their phone rang or they were caught texting, he would mark them down as being mentally absent, and they would lose points.  To make sure this never happened to him, CJ always turned his phone on silent when he entered that class.

And it worked, up until just a few weeks ago.

I should back up and explain that the alarm on CJ's phone plays that Sugar Ray song -- not sure of the title, but the lyrics go something like:  "Is she really going out with him?"  I've pointed out that maybe this isn't so applicable to him and that maybe he should change this.  He said the song was catchy and he didn't care.

You can tell where this is going.

A few weeks ago, CJ had his alarm set to ring at 1:30 pm.  And of course, that's when he's in class.  He forgot the alarm was on, and he also didn't know it would still go off when it was on silent.  So there he was, in the middle of class, professor lecturing, when his phone started singing, "Is she really going out with him?"  And then of course, the phone was at the bottom of his bag, so I'm pretty sure it made it through a few verses before he could turn it off.  And that's how CJ earned his only mental absense of the semester.

who wants to work?

And we wonder why we can't get anything done around here.

the project

When we were at my in-laws' for Thanksgiving, my father-in-law was telling me about this furniture CJ bought and stored in their barn.  I wanted to make sure it wasn't the same furniture that he lost in the merge, so I pressed him for more details and found out that CJ had purchased the dresser pictured above for $5 at an auction years ago.  So, here it is, our newest project!  I'm taking some time off of work after Christmas, so it's my goal to have this completed by then.  Stay tuned.

follow friday

Young House Love has become one of my favorite blogs.  I first read about this couple in The Nest magazine, and found my way to their blog.  This couple bought a house and is now renovating it.  Sometimes I wish I had their style, but their decorating style is a lot more muted, at least color-wise, and that's just not me.  Hope everyone likes the blog as much as I do!

the stand-off

Guess who won this one?

holiday armadillo

Remember Henry's dragon?  It's still around, and is probably still his preferred toy, but he also broke it in a short period of time.  This was made out of the double reinforced chew guard technology.  In a matter of a few days, Henry had managed to rip open a seam.  I pulled out most of the stuffing, took out the squeaker, and then emailed the company to complain.  I understand the toy isn't meant to withstand everything, but we paid a bit more for this toy because it was supposedly really good for chewers like Henry.  After reading my email about how disappointed we were with the product, the company actually sent us a replacement toy!

Henry was pretty excited to see the UPS man (who isn't?).  I opened up the package and told Henry, "Look, it's an amadillo!  No ... it's an opossum.  Lovely."  (Hey, it's either talk to myself or talk to the dog.)  Since I'm not so keen on having even a fluffy teal opossum toy, I've just been calling it Henry's holiday armadillo.  (Remember the Friends episode?)

Here's hoping Henry's holiday armadillo lasts more than three days.

go, pey-pey!

CJ and I had tickets to the Colts game on Sunday, which was my very first Colts game ever, so I was pretty excited.  As you can see, we had great seats (14th row!).  When we got the tickets before the season started, we picked the Titans game because we figured it'd be a good game.  When the Titans started out so badly, then we thought this game would be a bust -- especially once the Colts clinched the division.  But, it turned out to be a good game after all.

Not only did the Colts win, but we got to sit in front of some obnoxious and fairly buzzed women who felt they were the experts at Colts football and the NFL.  They talked the entire game.  It's a game -- you can talk, yell, cheer, whatever.  But they had comments for everything...

When they showed a woman wearing a Colts tank top on the jumbotron, one's comment was, "It's thirty degrees outside!  Why is she wearing a tank top?"  Okay, I'll give her that.  But she continued:  "She doesn't even know all of the players.  She's not a real fan."  Yes, because apparently if you have to know every last detail about the Colts before you can be a "real" fan.

Then when Dallas Clark got tackled, she started talking about his "durn hips."  Yes, really, his "durn hips."

And my favorite:  "GO, PEY-PEY!"

follow friday

Lately I've become a little obsessed with interior design.  I've mostly got our house the way I want it, and I'm almost out of valuable wall space, so it's not like I can do much but tear our magazine pages that I love and store away the ideas for when we move out and into our more permanent location.

My point today and for future posts similar to this?  To pass along interesting links I've found.

First up:  Shelterrific.  I don't feel like I can even give it an adequate description, simply because they post on a variety of topics -- artwork, interior decorating, furniture, occasionally recipes (a link to Twilight-inspired cupcakes was featured recently).  I even purchased some artwork online that I found through Shelterrific; I'll post a link to that website later.  Anyway, just bookmark it and visit often.  :)

I have to edit this post, specifically to give a big thank you (if they happen to stumble upon my blog) to Shelteriffic for putting up my request to help find some cabinet knobs.  We ended up buying some knobs from an etsy seller.  More info on that to come...

pb brownie cookies

CJ loves brownies, and he quickly discovered a new brownie recipe the most recent Food Network magazine.  I know, just what we need -- more unhealthy food.  But these brownies received an uber-quick seal of approval from CJ, so I wanted to pass the recipe along.

So, if you're still craving some sweet food after Thanksgiving, here's the recipe:

Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies
from Pillsbury, as appears in Food Network magazine
Makes 2 dozen

1 (19.5 oz) pkg Pillsbury Classic Traditional Fudge Brownie
1/4 C. butter, melted
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1 C. powdered sugar
1 C. peanut butter
1 can Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat brownie mix, melted butter, cream cheese, and egg in medium bowl 50 strokes with spoon until well-blended.  Dough will be sticky.  (I don't have patience for this, so I used my electric beaters.)  Drop dough by rounded Tbsp 2" apart on cookie sheet to make 24 cookies.  Mix powdered sugar and peanut butter together until it forms a ball.  With hands, roll rounded teaspoonfuls of mixture into 24 balls.  Press 1 ball into the center of each ball of dough.  Bake 10-14 minutes.  Cool at least 30 minutes.  Spread frosting over peanut butter portion of each cooled cookie.

newest madden fan

CJ loves playing Madden football on his Xbox.  And Henry really likes watching, we've noticed.

Frequently he'll run up to the TV screen and watch intently.

Lately, though, he's taken to actually responding.  In the game, Peyton Manning (CJ) will say, "Hut!  Hut hut hut!"  Henry responds almost identically, in his low bark:  "Woof!  Woof woof woof!"

super sleuth bridget

If you were a colorblind dog, would you be able to find the cat in the picture above?

I've been arguing that as a whole, cats are smarter than dogs.  CJ says I'm wrong.  I really do think cats know what's going on, and then choose to do their own thing.  I've really solidified this belief by watching our pets interact with one another -- but specifically how Bridget is becoming more crafty in hiding.

As I mentioned not too long ago, Bridget used to hide from Henry underneath the bed.  Once he discovered that, she moved to the window.  Once he discovered that hiding spot, she moved to the trunk.  The trunk is usually covered by our comforter, which is too heavy to use on an everyday basis, so I put it on top of the trunk to keep it off the floor.  When it was on the floor, I lost Bridget numerous times when she'd curl up into the folds and would blend right in.  So, with a colorblind dog, it becomes even more easy for her to blend in, even sitting directly on top of it.  CJ said one afternoon Henry ran into the bedroom, and he watched as Henry tried to find Bridget.  She was sitting on top of the comforter facing them, and ever so slowly, she closed her eyes so she would really blend in ... and he didn't find her.

In case the trunk does fail her (sometimes it does), we've found her curled up in the corner of our closet, where Henry never ventures only ventures when he wants to get yelled at.  And she's also set up shop on top of our dresser, where she sits a whole head above Henry and watches as he runs around the room looking for her in all his familiar hiding spots.

My money's on Bridget to win this battle.

design help needed

CJ and I are starting a new project (more on that later), and I'm in need of some cabinet knobs.  I'm not looking for the standard, brushed ones that you might find in any home improvement store, but cute, different ones.  I've already looked online at Anthropologie and might stop at some antique stores.  In the meantime, does anyone know of some websites or stores that might sell some cute knobs?

accounting 101

Only 21 more months of grad school left!  I've finished my first two classes and now am enrolled in my three week-long pass/fail prerequisite accounting course.  I have to pass this course in order to move on to Advanced Managerial Accounting, which I hardly feel qualified for, even with a prereq under my belt.  I was a Political Science and History major, for goodness sake!  I met the math requirement in college by taking the very most basic math course available (which was a joke -- the prof taught us how to decode zip codes, which is hardly useful information).  I haven't thought this much about math since senior year in Mrs. Harris's class!

The downside is obviously that I've never taken anything similar to accounting.  Prior to this first class, I was a tiny bit stressed out, because I couldn't comprehend debits and credits.  To me, debits mean to subtract, and credits mean to add.  Not in accounting!  In accounting, debits are on the left and credits are on the right, and they can both mean to add or subtract, depending on the transaction.  I stressed out for hours over this one little fact I couldn't comprehend, but luckily, the instructor explained everything.  Debits and credits still seem illogical, so I guess I'm just going to have to accept it and move on.

The plus side is that now I feel like I'm in a real graduate course.  I felt like these last two classes were a waste of my time.  I don't need class time to work on my homework, thank you very much.  I'll sit at home and do it on my own time.  So even though I've moved on to the tougher phase, at least I feel like I'm starting to get our money's worth.

happy thanksgiving!

God is good, and all the time.

I won't start a list of everything CJ and I are thankful for this year.  Just know that the list would be lengthy, and that we've been blessed immensely.

I was just reminded of that very important lesson this week -- that God is always good.  Sometimes I think it's easy to forget or ignore.  He always takes care of us, no matter if we think we're on top of the world or if we think the world is crashing down on us.  I knew this of course, but was reminded of this when some friends of ours got some of the best news this week, and I was just reminded once again of His greatness and His perfect timing.

Happy Thanksgiving.

one step closer

CJ finished up his online class this week, and needless to say, he's breathing a huge sigh of relief.

CJ thought this class would be a breeze, simply because it was online.  He should have known by the title -- British Literature Post 1800 -- that it wouldn't have been.  This professor was a little hardcore, and he had more work for that one online class than he had with his three in-person classes at ISU.

His final was the worst of all.  There were fifty-six questions, and he was allowed to cross out six questions he didn't know.  The questions were short answer, and CJ said it looked like the professor had picked random books by authors they had studied and then opened those books up to a random page and picked a random quote.  Then he had to identify the author, book, and some other information about the quote.  Needless to say, he squeaked by.

So he's almost there -- we hope -- so prayers would be much appreciated in these upcoming weeks.

henry & his dragon

Several months ago, I bought Henry this cute stuffed sheep, and he adored it.  He'd carry it in his mouth everywhere and wouldn't part with it.  He loved it so much he started to rip it up, so I had to put it in the trash.  He loved it so much that he kept pulling it out of the trash after I'd throw it away.  I finally disposed of it properly, but I felt really bad doing it, because he'd go around looking for it.  We replaced anything stuffed with hard plastic toys and decided that until he was older, we wouldn't buy any stuffed animals for him.

Anyway, the Greenwood mall recently opened a pet boutique, Moochie & Co.  The woman working there was talking to us about the toys, including the "indestructible" stuffed animals.  At this point, I looked at her skeptically and asked, "Do you have a dog?"  I didn't exactly mean for it to come out that way, but I also didn't want to take advice from a stranger who could very well have a docile, three pound dog at home.

This, in short, is how Henry ended up with a new stuffed dragon.  So far, he's only chewed off a few of its horn things on the back -- the ones we're sure weren't reinforced -- but the dragon is still alive and kicking.  He's already grown quite attached to it, so I'm hoping this one will stick around for awhile.  (Plus, it is kind of cute.)

(By the way, if you live in the area and haven't been yet, Moochie & Co. is pretty cute and it's worth a visit!)

just like kids

Is having both a dog and cat what it's like to have two kids?  Since I don't have any siblings, I think I'm getting a taste of what it must have been like to grow up with a brother or sister.  And I can't say that I like it.  (So, thanks, Mom & Dad, for no siblings!)

Bridget has evolved since we brought Henry home.  I don't think she's afraid of Henry, nor do I think she absolutely hates him.  Really, I think he just annoys her.  A lot.  I don't think he deliberately tries to annoy her, but genuinely wants to play with her.  Usually once a day (or several times a day, if he really wants to annoy me), Henry will bolt into our bedroom to corner her.  When he first did that, she sat underneath our bed in the middle so he couldn't get to her.  Now she jumps out from underneath the bed to swat at him.  I've seen her grab his eyelid with her claw and pull (several times, actually), but this doesn't seem to hurt him -- just encourages him to keep "playing."

On the other hand, Bridget has figured out how to push Henry's buttons.  We've been putting him on his lead in the backyard so he can run and play and so that we can get a little peace and quiet.  Bridget has started to take advantage of this though.  Last week, I put him outside and left the door open.  Bridget then came out of the bedroom and walked right into his line of vision -- and knew it.  He started to go crazy, yipping, jumping, and annoying me and our neighbors alike, I'm sure.  She'd retreat to the bedroom, and then repeat this process.  I finally had to let him back in because he was so loud.  Then yesterday, I had him outside all afternoon.  After awhile, he started barking at the side of the house, so I looked to see what was going on -- nothing.  Thirty seconds later, he started barking again, so I walked outside to see what he was looking at, and sure enough, there was Bridget.  She'd gotten up from her nap and was sitting at the window, looking quite smug.

I find this behavior a tad bit annoying, but I guess I should get used to it, because I imagine it's a lot worse when there are children involved.  Maybe we should push that kid timeline back a little further...

my kitchen battle

Visual aids never hurt, right?

I think many people assume I'm not a good cook.  I imagine most, if not all, of these people came to this conclusion simply because I readily admit I don't like to cook.  Big distinction there.  While I may have kitchen disasters like anyone else (chocolate chili, anyone?), I'm actually not that bad of a cook -- promise.

Eggs, though, are a different story.  Omelettes turn out okay.  They're usually done, they just don't end up looking appetizing.  I can scramble eggs, but that's really not my preferred type of egg.  I can boil eggs, but I usually end up overcooking them.  I think I attempted to fry an egg once, and it was a disaster and I never wanted to try it again.

CJ has recently introduced me to frogs in the hole (I think most other people call them eggs in a basket).  It's almost like his specialty, and because I've taken such a liking to them, we're having them on average once a week.  They're quick and easy to make -- just some bread, butter, and eggs -- so I've been attempting to make them for dinner when CJ has been at work. 

And, it's been a disaster.  The first time, I burnt them.  The second time I overcooked the eggs.  (I threw those in the trash, which Henry promptly dug out and ate.  He didn't seem to mind.)  But, the third time was a charm!  I was so excited I had to take a picture (helps the blog be a little more interesting, no?), and I also had to call CJ at work to tell him.

Maybe this will give me more confidence to try other types of eggs?

birthday presents

I finally got my snuggie!  And it's huge.

It always, always pays to follow the list.  Each year, I put out a joint birthday/Christmas list to save time.  The two dates fall so closely together, that I might as well just write down everything once.

For my birthday last year, CJ got me a framed picture of the Monet painting he proposed in front of.  I'd be surprised if he'd ever be able to top that gift.

I think he knows that too, so he went off the list, and got me a snuggie, a scarf from the Gap (which I had conveniently emailed him a link to back in August), and Wii Fit.

Can I just say how much I love Wii Fit?  (Surprised both of us.)  It's not as good as going to the gym and working up a really good sweat, but it's better than just vegging out on the couch.  Anyone who has already created a mii character on our Wii is on there as well, working out with me.  Several months ago, our minister had a sermon series called "Bii Fit" and the graphics were mii characters of the ministers and then Jesus (since that was the real point of it).  So CJ created a Jesus character on our Wii.  Probably strange, yes, but on the other hand (and this is probably strange too), it's a little comforting having Jesus work out with you -- jogging next to you, doing step aerobics right next to you, cheering for you.  I love the yoga (I feel like I actually do it halfway right with this), and the hula hoops, and even the step aerobics.  So anyway, if you have a Wii, go out and get the Wii Fit and thank me later.

Oh, and I don't want the FCC to come after me, so Snuggie, Gap, Nintendo, or any other company mentioned in this post didn't pay me to say a thing about their products.  In fact, my money paid for these things and like a good consumer, I wanted to share my experience with others.  (Is that a good enough disclaimer to keep me from getting fined?  Ridiculous.)

the joys of homeownership, part 23985

There's always something to do with a house, isn't there? If something's not broken, something needs to be painted, rearranged, changed, ectetera.

Our drama this week was our thermostat. Last spring when we were doing our major renovations, we bought a programmable thermostat because I was convinced that a) it would be a cinch to install and b) it would save us lots of money on our electric bill. CJ was not convinced of either, especially that he would be able to install it himself.

After much persuasion -- rather, nagging -- CJ finally installed the thermostat. We didn't notice much savings on our electrical bill (probably because I like to keep it a chilly 67 degrees in the summer), but he seemed to do it right.

Fast forward to fall.

Up until this week, the indoor temperature remained in the 70s, so I hadn't turned on our heat. I finally broke down a few nights ago and flipped the heat on. Within an hour, it went from 69 degrees to 79 degrees, when I had it set for 70. I figured I probably had it on the wrong setting, but I still couldn't get it to cool down, so I shut it off for the night. We waited a few days, turned it on, and it got up to 81 degrees in about an hour. CJ checked the owners' manual, which said for programmable thermostats with more than four wires (ours had seven), it was strongly advised that you have a certified electrician handle the installation.

Then came the big I told you so.

Thanks to Angie's List, CJ was able to find an electrician who came out this afternoon and was able to install a new thermostat (non-programmable, but he explained with our heat pump, we really wouldn't save much money with a programmable thermostat ... who knew we even had a heat pump?), hopefully saving our house from going up in flames.

Lesson learned? There are just some things you pay someone else to do. We're adding this to our growing list. And maybe through our pocketbook is the best way for us to learn.

weekend in review

Minus CJ having to work on Friday, this has been a good weekend for us -- one of those with the perfect mix of having fun and getting work done.

Henry had a big day yesterday. We toured Barkefellers on the very, very far southside of Indianapolis. It's a new business that does grooming, boarding, and day care for pets. We realize this is partially ridiculous, but we've been considering it as an option for those days when CJ is at work. Unfortunately we wouldn't be able to send him there very often -- maybe only twice a month -- but it'd allow him to run out a lot of energy on those days and it'd acclimate him to other dogs as well. After our tour, we then took him to be groomed. Such little activity, and he was exhausted by the time he got home.

While Henry was at his grooming appointment, we went to the library's book sale. The library has this sale every two to four months to get rid of its extra books. It's a great deal if you love to read -- all hardbacks are $2, softcovers are $.50-$1, and magazines are $.10. I didn't get many books this time around (CJ did), but I did stock up on lots of magazines, including several Rachael Ray and Cooking Light magazines. (Check out the library's website at http://www.imcpl.org/ for dates if you're interested!)

We went to church today and then grilled out, digging into the giant pork loin roast we bought at Sam's Club this week (over 7 pounds for $11!) and eating our first batch of green beans my mom and I put up this summer. I'm pleased to report that CJ fertilized the yard and planted new grass. (Dad, you can quit asking now.) And I spent a part of the afternoon studying for my upcoming Accounting class.

So overall, a good weekend -- just needed to be longer!

bridget

Bridget's typical "pet me" stance

Nothing new with Bridget, of course, but I feel like Henry steals her thunder sometimes and that maybe she was deserving of a little blog love.

julie & julia - the book

Books are, in most cases, far superior to a movie adaptation. I can't think of a single movie, at least not before drinking my first cup of coffee this morning, that was better than the book. But...

I've been really disappointed with Julie and Julia. I loved the movie. I'm inspired to try out Julia Child's French cooking. (Are you reading, Mom? I really want that cookbook I put on my Christmas list!) But this book ... I don't know. I feel like I'm forcing it -- that I have this notion that I have to love every book I pick up. And maybe the problem is that Meryl Streep is a genius in all of her movies and that Amy Adams plays this sweet, earnest woman. In the book, there's very little Julia Child and more Julie Powell, and the Julie Powell in the book is not the same one played in the movie. I can't place my finger on it ... Maybe it's because the real Julie drops the f bomb in her book fairly often? And while I'm sure she's a sweet woman in life, there's just a disconnect between the book and the character on the screen -- so maybe she was portrayed inaccurately?

My recommendation? Rent or buy the movie when it comes out next month, and leave the book at the library.

amish country

On Saturday, I went with my friends Chelynne and Julie to Nappanee to visit Amish Country. Chelynne is really, really into the Amish (don't ask me why), so that's why we went. Nothing like spending your birthday with the Amish. :)

We went to Amish Acres, this antiques/crafts mall (which really didn't have a whole lot), to this cute corner coffee shop, and to Rentown. I'm still not exactly sure what Rentown is. The name indicates it's a town, but it was more like a few "commercial" buildings in one little area, and that was it. The store sold a lot of homemade goods plus stuff we'd find in stores here. Chelynne and I stocked up on big chunks of cheese (I got nearly 3 pounds of colby jack for $4.50!), Bremen-made jams (strawberry rhubarb for me), and some Amish peanut butter for her.

The highlight of the trip (most of all for Chelynne) was visiting an actual Amish family. Let's just say I was a little apprehensive about meeting them. I mean, how awkward can it get?! So here's what happened:

Julie is from Nappanee, so she had her mom do a little reconnaissance work to find some Amish people to visit. We ended up setting up a "meeting" with Ida Mae, Julie's aunt's Amish cleaning lady, at 5 pm. As we drove to Ida Mae's house, we of course got stuck behind a horse and buggy, right before the road we needed to turn down. Of course the horse and buggy turned down that road too, and of course, we passed them. Then we ended up passing the house we needed, so we turned around and drove back, just to find that buggy turning into the driveway of the same house we needed. Not awkward at all. Then we all got out, but not knowing Ida Mae from any other Amish woman in Nappanee, we had to verify that this was actually Ida Mae. Also a little uncomfortable.

I should stop here and mention that also as we got out of the car, another buggy was pulling out of the driveway. It turned out to be one of Ida Mae's daughters going on her first date -- and here we showed up. I kind of felt bad for her. What if he was from a very strict sect and didn't approve of us being there? Not to mention they probably wanted to talk to him before he took their daughter away.

Here's your question of the night. What does an Amish girl do on her first date? The answer: Goes to Applebee's with another young Amish couple.

Back to my story.

Thank goodness Ida Mae was extremely gracious and kind and opened up her home to us. They use natural gas, but no electricity. So there was a refrigerator and a stove, and they use a gas generator to pump their water. Oh, and they do have gas-powered lights -- you flip on a switch and then take a lighter to the bulbs to get them to turn on! They have a lot of normal things in their home -- stamps (like you'd use for scrapbooking), Swiffer mops, Pepsi, and gummy worms. Oh, and they also had an electric coffee maker, but CJ said they've probably rigged it to run on batteries.

So that's it. Can't say it was as awkward as it could have been, but I also probably won't be harassing the Amish anytime again soon.

getting away?

Our 1st anniversary is right around the corner, and CJ and I are in almost the same predicament that we were in at this time last year. Last year, we knew CJ would have the January 3rd and the 4th off, but we weren't sure we'd get a honeymoon or not (we got a short one and we're saving up money for a big blowout trip to Europe in a few years, so it all evens out). Our schedules are wearing down on us, and we're already antsy and are ready to get away from everything. Right now, CJ has to work on our anniversary (it's one thing to be a 9-5 job, it's another to have to work 24 hours), but he's going to see if he can find another time trade. If he can do that, we'd love to get away.

We went on our honeymoon to West Baden/French Lick. The hotel was lovely of course, but there wasn't a whole lot to do outside of that -- plus, it's a bit pricey. And we were just there. But because we honeymooned there, we have fond memories, and I think we'd like to go back again someday. And although we didn't love our Tennessee vacation this summer, we both agreed the best day we had there was the one day we didn't leave the cabin at all. We also liked the idea of bringing our own food and grilling out, not only to save money, but also because eating fast food gets old quick.

So, this is where you all come in, because we need ideas. Does anyone have any cabin recommendations, probably in southern Indiana? If not, maybe you have a place that would be fun to visit, keeping in mind that it will be January? Any suggestions are welcome. :)

happy halloween!

Happy Halloween!

A few weeks ago, we visited CJ's family, partially for CJ's birthday, but mostly we hadn't seen them for several months. For CJ's birthday, they bought CJ a pinata. Apparently when he was younger, they bought him a pinata for his birthday party, but made him go last so his friends could go first. The pinata busted beforehand and CJ never got to hit it. My mother-in-law said she always felt bad about that, but I assured her that CJ has never mentioned it, so it probably didn't bother him that much (he definitely would have mentioned it to me at some point over the past year and a half if it did!). So, for his 27th birthday, he finally got his pinata.



Take 1: My goofy husband refuses to take normal pictures.


Take 2


And, Take 3. We never got a good picture.



My father-in-law was standing behind the tree moving the pinata on him.

On Thursday night, I came home from work to find this gem in my front yard:

For years, I've threatened our friend, Eric, with these inflatables, because he hates them probably more than I do. In the spirit, I didn't deflate it, and it's still up, up until trick-or-treating time is over, at which point this thing is coming down. Payback is coming, Eric, and it will be so much better than this!

Last night, we held our 2nd annual Halloween party. Mostly because I was short on time, but also on ideas, I reused a costume from a few years ago. Instead of going as a firefly with the light on my back, I decided to go as a bug. CJ went as a bug catcher. I think we both suffered from a costume identity crisis though. I think everyone thought I was a fairy, and CJ got everything from a zookeeper to Jack Hanna to an inmate to my dad, who wears khaki-colored dickie shirts and pants everyday.

Henry Potter!

Bridget, who refused to come out for the party.

We wanted to go with a Harry Potter theme for the pets. Henry Potter was logical, and Bridget was to go as Professor McGonagall, who can transfigure into a cat. Both pets were to have capes. I never made one for Bridget, and Henry's was torn up within 10 minutes of our friends arriving. I also wanted to crochet Gryffindor scarves, but that didn't work out either. I started crocheting a scarf on Sunday, but since I haven't crocheted in a few years, I had to re-learn how to do it, and as CJ pointed out, what was completed looked like a triangle. Bridget got into it a few nights too. And then I just ran out of time -- story of my life. Maybe next year.

Leah and Chelynne playing Guitar Hero.

Eric

I didn't get pictures of everyone, but Brad and Chelynne dressed up as a cowboy and Indian, Eric and Leah came as lumberjacks, and Alicia came as a domino.

I've loaded up on candy for trick-or-treaters tonight (and I'll only allow them to take one piece each, because the early, greedy kids last year loaded up and I had to close up shop early) and that'll be it for this holiday.

Updates have been few and far between. For all our faithful readers (like maybe 2 of you -- no one comments, so I don't know!), sorry. Life's been a bit crazy lately. But really, it is for everyone else, so we're no different.

CJ's still busy with classes and work. He also took on a new part-time job at a township fire department on their ambulance. It's slow and it pays more than his other part-time job did, so it's nearly a win-win situation. And, he was accepted into Ivy Tech this week and hopes to begin the medic to RN crossover program next August. After graduation this December, he'd like to get any pre-requisites out of the way before then.

Work is extra busy for me right now, only because we're in a scramble to get our ten million reports into the federal government on time. Class is okay. I'm not thrilled with it, to be honest. Right now, I feel like it's been a waste of my money and even more valuable and important, my time. As soon as I get finished with this next class (on November 12th), I'm hoping it will be better, even if the subject matter is more difficult.

The pets are okay. Henry's been doing a lot better lately. We think a lot of it could be due to his new crate. Plus, CJ's been extra busy lately (last week especially), so Henry and I had extra time to bond and he's been acting better with me -- thank goodness! Bridget still hates Henry, so nothing new to report on that front.

With that, I need to close down to watch TV and maybe do a little homework too. (Yes, I have my priorities straight -- TV first, then homework.)

the pumpkin project

I saw this cute idea on http://www.theletteredcottage.net/ (originally ripped off from Better Homes & Gardens, I think), and decided to mostly copy it.

I found a white pumpkin on sale at Michael's, plus I got the paint, a paint brush, and doilies (used to create the design at the top) all for a few dollars on top of that. And I found some time to make it on Sunday afternoon (all right, I was procrastinating writing one of my uber-boring papers). I cut the middle out of the doilie, glued it to the pumpkin, and painted over it. Et voila!

I bought the same style (maybe larger) of the stick pumpkin at Hobby Lobby (also half off) and the Count Your Blessings pumpkin from the Family Christian Bookstore (25% off, plus I had a 20% coupon on top of that).

CJ says it looks like something our mothers would put in their houses. I'll admit it's a little country for me, but oh well. :)

human training: over

Dog obedience classes are over, primarily for 2 reasons:

1. We realized we were paying people to scold us each week because we had a puppy who wouldn't obey all the time. You know what? I bet if they allowed a bit of optional play time at the beginning of class, the puppies in the class could get a lot of their energy and curiosity out and would obey better. Also, I have better things to do with my Monday nights than to be scolded like an eight year old.

2. It finally clicked that this is not really a basic obedience class, but instead more of a class for future show dogs. What use does Henry have for heeling or doing an about face? I haven't done one of those since high school band, and I'm pretty sure my dog won't need to do one anytime soon either. Also, why would we ever want him to stand and stay?

CJ's new haircut

This week CJ got a Walmart special haircut. He said it was exactly what he wanted; I said it looked like he joined the military. On Friday afternoon he went to the library and later conceded that his haircut maybe did look like a military-style cut.

In the library's parking lot, he noticed a car plastered with bumper stickers. One was "Make love, not war," and the others were similar. As he was walking back to his car, the owners were standing around it -- a few guys and a girl, I believe.

As he passed, one of the guys yelled at him, "MARINES ARE MURDERERS!"

CJ looked at them funny and kept walking.

Then the guy yelled, "YOU'RE A MURDERER!"

I think he was so taken back, plus he didn't want to get into a fistfight, so all he could muster was, "I'M A FIREFIGHTER!"

I really don't even know what to say to that. I mean, who does that? i mean, we all make snap judgements all the time, but to actually call someone a murderer, that takes it a bit too far...

human training, part five

Shame, shame, shame.

In Monday's class, I felt like we were back in school and being scolded because we didn't do our homework.

Monday was a holiday and CJ worked outside most of the day, so Henry sat outside on his lead. Occasionally he'd dig in my flowerbeds (many thanks for that, Henry) and would occasionally play with crickets and grasshoppers, but other than that, he pretty much sat there for six hours. After he came inside, he was utterly exhausted. We thought that for the very first time, he'd go to obedience class and wouldn't want to do anything.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

As soon as he got into the jeep, Henry found his second wave of energy. We ended up at class with puppy who wanted to do anything but obey.

And then came the scolding from the trainer, who chided practically the entire class for not working with their dogs and how the dogs weren't where they were supposed to be training-wise. Henry and this other dog were singled out because they wouldn't sit and stay.

Problem is, Henry will do it at home. He'll stay for long periods of time. We've even gotten him to lay down and stay. But to go into class with 10-15 other dogs and people, he somehow forgets.

So, while we've learned some helpful hints and while Henry has made some improvements, we're feeling like this was a waste of time and money. That, and Henry probably won't even get a little certificate of completion at the end.

fed ex man: mr. obvious

This awaited me at home tonight:



Then there was the post-it stuck to the door. I initially thought something else would have been delivered, but no.



It was just the Fed Ex guy letting me know that he left my package at the front door.

(Yes, I realize for security purposes they probably would have wanted me to know the package was there in case someone stole it. But, on the other hand, if someone was going to steal my package, I'd think they'd take the note along with it. Criminals can be stupid though...)

the pets' day

Look, Mom, Henry is outside!

Always a favorite, laundry day. Also known as The Battle I Just Can't Win (double meaning).

columbus day weekend

I say this every year, but God Bless Christopher Columbus. I love having this random holiday off. And, with CJ working both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, it'll give us a day to spend together, even if we intend to work most of the day.

So, what have I actually gotten done this weekend?

So far, not much.

We went on our weekly date on Friday night. I finally convinced CJ to take me to the Grand Traverse Pie Company for dinner (at the corner of 31 & Stop 11), but turns out, it's less of a sit down restaurant and more of a Panera/Paradise Bakery lookalike -- and not what I had in mind for date night. So we ended up at BJ's, which seems to be our stand-by place anymore. Instead of seeing a movie, we ended up at Target, because our hard water has destroyed our eight-month old coffee maker. Even though we just cleaned it out not too long ago, it takes approximately 45 minutes to make slightly over four cups of coffee. So, it's a good thing that CJ doesn't drink it much; otherwise, we'd be waiting two hours for the full twelve cups to brew. 45 minutes for coffee was pretty much unacceptable, so we got a new coffee pot plus a water filter. And then we ended up a Petco where we priced crates and bought Bridget part of her Halloween costume (which she hates, of course, but it's funny).

Saturday, I finally made it to the grocery store. It'd been at least three or four weeks since I'd last been for a major trip, so we were out of all of the staples ... milk (well, we had 2% for CJ, but that's also unacceptable), orange juice, coffee creamer (almost), butter (CJ grumbled at me this week after he'd already made toast and then couldn't find the butter), and so on... I did save $46 with the Kroger card, plus I saved another $24 with coupons. I really should have kept track of how much I've saved year to date...

Oh -- I also made these "monster cookies" (PB mix, chocolate chip mix, oatmeal, & M&Ms) to take to the fire station and then mini carrot cakes ... which didn't work out, unfortunately.

Today, my friend, Amanda, and I made it up to the northside to try out Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Amanda's on a mostly vegetarian/vegan diet, not really by choice, so she made out with some oddities that her new recipes call for. I made it back with some tortilla soup and spinach artichoke hummus. If I'm up on that side of town in the future, I might stop by, but I won't make a special trip there, especially since honeycrisp apples were $1.49 each!

Since I have tomorrow off, I actually intend to get work done. I need to tackle the never-ending pile of laundry, the growing mess in the kitchen, and the floors need vacuumed. I think CJ plans to finish his workbench and then spray our yard for weeds and fertilize it (Mom, please let Dad know this will be taken care of so he can quit bugging me about it). I think we also want to go see Couples Retreat, and then we're taking my car to get the brakes replaced. And then there's the never-ending pile of homework we both have to do too. And Henry needs some attention (which is part of his problem, I realize). Fun day off after all...

Anyway, I hope people still read the blog and I'm not just spouting off for my own pleasure... :)

on my list

Bridget and Henry's typical relationship: He's either completely ambivalent (seen here) or just wants to play, while she's flattened out, ready to destroy him.

Bridget and Henry are both on my list this morning.

It all started last night. CJ and I went to bed last night around 10:30; I immediately fell asleep and he stayed up to read for a bit. I must've been tired, because I was told I was snoring. Something woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep until well after midnight. At some point, Bridget broke into our room, and at some point, I remember her leaving and me shutting the door again. And then for what seemed to be hours -- it was probably more like 10 minutes -- Henry whined and wouldn't stop, which is unusual for him; usually we put him in his crate between 10-11 pm and we don't hear a peep from him until morning. This morning, CJ woke me up because he couldn't find his keys, and then Henry started whining around 8:30. That, and Bridget got back into the room after CJ left around 6 am, and wouldn't leave me alone. She can't just sit on the bed and be, she has to be right up in my face at the crack of dawn. And why wouldn't she, since she spends her entire day sleeping and her entire night doing who knows what? (Yep, looks about right... It's almost 11 am and she's about konked out on the couch. Such a rough life.) So, it wasn't a good night's sleep for me, and I'm in a tired, sarcastic, grouchy mood.

My problem is that I try to keep Saturday mornings as sacred as possible. I still like to sleep in until at least 10 if I can, and if I can't, then I want to be up drinking a cup of coffee in peace and quiet. This selfishness is exactly why I'm not ready for kids.

So at 8:30, grumpy, I got up and let Henry out and then put him back in his crate for a little while (don't think he didn't give me a run for my money, running through the house, dodging me, knocking out everything in his path). Once I got him in the crate, he whined a little and finally quieted down, and then all of a sudden, he started howling and crying in pain. I don't know why, but it looks like he was trying to bite the crate and got his mouth and teeth stuck around the grates. (By the way, who makes these things and why do they not think that dogs might get stuck in them?) I somehow managed to get him free, and in the moments following, I was still shaking from it, and he was wagging his tail, ready to play.

I discovered this morning that he really likes ice cubes, so I was feeding him multiple ice cubes in an attempt to keep him occupied, but that only lasted so long. He then ran into our bedroom numerous times to mess with the cat. I took a video of it and thought about posting it, but then I figured PETA would come after me or something.

Yeah ... definitely not ready for kids.

human training, part four

Henry and I are slackers -- we skipped obedience class on Monday night. CJ was at work, which meant I'd be dealing with an extra crazy puppy. I had a busy day at work on Monday and I worked past 5, and I wasn't in the mood to deal with obedience class, so we just didn't go. I'm sure it will put Henry behind the rest of the class, but let's be honest -- he wasn't at the top of the class to begin with.

We've been having some behavioral problems with Henry lately too. CJ assures me it's like the terrible twos for children, but he's been assuring me of this for awhile now, and my patience is running a tad thin at times. The biting is sort of under control. We've got to the point where he won't try to bite our hands, but he still likes to nip at my arms and legs. I've decided that anytime he does it, he's automatically going to his crate for a time-out. Some sources say that time-out should be separate, but really, where else do you put a dog for time-out so he won't get into any more trouble?

Speaking of the crate, that's another issue itself. Several weeks ago, when the crate was still partitioned off, Henry finally figured out how to make it to the other side. CJ removed it the partition, and Henry was a lot happier in his crate. But then it defeated half of the purpose of crate training -- to ensure Henry wouldn't pee in the house. Henry is really good about going to the bathroom outside when we're around, but since he had the run of the entire crate, he decided he could pee in the corner or worse, pee outside of the crate. It was gross, and I'd had enough, so CJ shortened the crate again. So now he's rebelling against the partition by peeing on the other side, which is incredibly difficult to clean. And did I mention it's gross?

And on the other hand, he's had hints of turning into a cuddler. He laid down with me on Sunday afternoon -- no biting or anything. And he did the same thing tonight. That's the dog that I've wanted all along.

So week #4 was a bust, but we'll be back at obedience class next Monday, hopefully with some new lessons learned.

happy october

I have to say, this is about my least favorite time of year. I miss summer already. And to kick off fall, CJ and I both came down with colds within a week of each other. Hazard of living together, I guess.

Yesterday was CJ's birthday. He had to work, so I took Qdoba in and had dinner with him. He fell asleep as soon as he got home today and it's after 11 and he's still asleep, so I'm guessing it was a rough night. We're going out tonight for dinner, and that's about it. I like presents, but other than that, we're really not big birthday people.

The pets are keeping us busy. I've decided Henry's specialty is parlor tricks. We're having trouble getting him to stay, but I taught him how to high five in a matter of two minutes. It must be the instant gratification. If he does a trick immediately, he gets a treat. But with stay, he has to wait longer for the treat. Maybe that's where the problem is. And Bridget is still fine, and still hates the dog ... so nothing new to report there.

We're hosting small group tomorrow and the house is a disaster, so I should probably close down and turn off Ace of Cakes and get to work...

human training, part three

Tonight was night three of dog/human training. I don't know what Henry's problem was tonight, even with CJ in charge. He whined most of the time, wouldn't sit still, and wouldn't obey much. The instructor said it was because he was bored. Either way, by tonight, CJ could walk all the way around CJ as we were told, but by the time we got him in the ring with the other dogs, he apparently forgot.

Anyway, not much else to report since tonight was kind of a bust. Stay tuned next week though, because I'll be taking Henry myself, which is sure to be a trip...

one down...

I won't lie -- school has been a struggle. Not necessarily because it's difficult, but because it's completely different as non-traditional students.

CJ's classes are going well. I'm just glad I'm not an English major -- definitely wouldn't have wanted to keep up with all that reading. He's taking an online course from this school in Maryland, which has been more work than he originally thought. But, ISU will only give him a pass/fail when it transfers in, so he'll technically only need a C in that course. (I'm arguing that since my money is helping to pay for this degree too, that I expect an A.) His other classes are fine. It's just been more of a hassle getting his work schedule rearranged and his professors to understand his work schedule.

I'm done with one course -- already! This won't happen every time, but I do get one week off between classes -- which means I have two weeks where I won't have any work to do. I already have next Thursday night planned out -- to Hobby Lobby to pick up supplies for the pets' Halloween costumes (even though we still don't have our costumes picked out), to DSW because I need new tall black boots and CJ needs new sandals, and to pick out CJ's birthday present (he claims he doesn't care, but I can still tell he's excited).

If you've been praying for us, please know we appreciate it. And, as soon as this is all over (or at least once CJ is out of school full-time and dog obedience classes have ended), we intend to see our family and friends again. Time just isn't on our side at the moment, and when we do have a free day or evening, we want to spend it not doing anything -- which is why I've spent my entire Saturday watching DVRed episodes of Ace of Cakes, Say Yes to the Dress, and Jon & Kate Plus 8...

would you like to super size that?

Since when has Subway turned into McDonald's?

I stopped in there for lunch today, looking for something light (which is a good thing, because I'm sure the dinner I fixed has at least 2,000 calories per serving in it). I asked for the ham and turkey on wheat, specifically off of their healthy, low calorie, Jared-approved menu.

Are you sure you don't want to make that a footlong?

Then: Would you like to double the meat and receive a free cookie?

Followed by: Would you like to double the cheese?

Either they're trying to figure out ways to make more money or they really don't care about their healthy menu at all.

Yet another reason why I'm becoming more and more turned off of Subway lately.

human training, part 2

It's probably not the best sign that the instructor remembered Henry's name at the very beginning, is it? Or maybe I'll just tell myself that it's because he has such a cute, memorable name...

Anyway, tonight was the 2nd night of dog obedience class. By this week, Henry should have been better about walking with us, not pulling us (me mostly). And he should have mastered sit, stand, and lay down. We're still working on stand. I don't know why he has a problem with it.

Tonight, we tried to teach Henry how to heel and to stay. I can tell stay will take awhile, but by next week, we're supposed to be able to walk in circles around Henry with him staying put. Soooo, I guess we have our work cut out for us.

At the end, one of the trainers asked us about Henry's biting, mouthing, whatever you want to call it. She asked if he just bit me or both of us -- which, of course, it's just me. Part of the problem is definitely that I don't have a lot of patience and get frustrated with him easily. I mentioned CJ's work schedule, and the instructor said part of it could be that he misses CJ when he's not around (which is true -- sometimes he'll carry a toy, room to room, whining and looking lost, even though I'm right there). She also thought the other part is that Henry likely recognizes CJ as the alpha male, and that when CJ is gone, Henry assumes he can take over that role. So, she told me I need to be more authoritative with him, especially when he starts to bite.

That's it for night #2 -- went much better this time around, thank goodness!

halloween is creeping up

Halloween will be here before we know it, and CJ and I are without costume ideas.

I should stop here and say that CJ has an idea -- to be a paramedic since he was a firefighter last year, but I told him that's lame.

Oh, and the pets' costumes have been picked out for months. I should probably make a trip to Hobby Lobby soon so I can get to working on it. I'm sure Bridget will have none of it. (She's glaring at me right now anyway, and I've yet to make her wear anything.)

Anyway, to refresh your memory, last year I went as a dalmatian (to go with the firefighter), and the year before that, I was a firefly.

I still have those green sparkly wings and the green and black striped tights, so I thought about reusing that costume, and then maybe CJ could be a bug catcher. Does anyone like this, or no?

So, the floor is open. Any other ideas for us?

human training, part 1

Henry started his obedience class on Monday night. And, I've found out it's more like human training, rather than dog training, as we learned the twenty-five plus things we've done wrong with our dog (being inconsistent probably being our top offense).

And of course, to kick off our very first night, CJ had to work, so I was stuck with the dog by myself. Right before we left, Henry managed to knock over a glass of water, spilling it all over the floor, onto some of my new magazines, all over my skirt, and almost onto my new computer. We still managed to leave early, but I messed up my directions and ended up at a gas station asking for directions back to Main Street.

I should stop here to mention that this was in Beech Grove. I had to ask four people -- four people! -- in the gas station before someone could give me murky directions to Main Street.

I ended up at the place five minutes late, thinking that since this was the first night, they'd be taking care of housekeeping items, getting dogs signed up, etc. Nope. They'd already started classes. And Henry flipped out because he was just so darn excited.

For a good part of the class, Henry was the class example. (I have to admit, I was more than happy to give him up for a few minutes.)

I need a dog who likes to mouth (bite). [Looks around classroom] Can I borrow Henry?

How about a dog that jumps? [Looks around again.] How about Henry?

Is there a dog here who likes to pull on his leash? [Doesn't even bother to look around this time.] Can I use Henry again?

This isn't to say that Henry is a bad dog. He's actually very smart, but he's also still a puppy who lives indoors. One of the trainers took a look at him and was like, "He's part Border Collie, right? Those types of dogs like to herd and nip at other dogs to get them to pay attention." Makes complete sense. When Henry was completely ignoring me while I tugged on his leash, she pointed out that the working class dogs like we have may not respond to that type of training simply because they're so strong that a tug doesn't bother them like it would for a smaller dog.

To top it all off, they gave us homework too. That's CJ's big job for tomorrow.

Stay tuned each week for updates -- there will be seven more to come.

are you ready for some football?

Henry, celebrating the kick-off of the Colts season

julie & julia

My friend, Amanda, and I went to see Julie & Julia tonight, the movie based on two true stories -- of Julia Child, and of Julie Powell, who spent a year cooking out of Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

(By the way, Mom, don't be surprised if this book shows up on my birthday/Christmas wishlist.)

I thought it was going to be a bit hairy at first, because Amanda didn't think she could past Meryl Streep's Julia Child voice (which wasn't too off). And despite the woman behind me who felt like she needed to make comments in an outdoor voice ("[Julie] needs to vacuum!") it was a cute movie and actually a little funny in parts. Although I'm not going to rush out and buy the book, I left definitely more inspired to try out French cooking.

Also, can I just say how much I really like Meryl Streep?

labor day weekend, part two

It's been a good Labor Day weekend -- just trying to figure out how we can somehow get a Labor Week enacted.

Saturday was pretty uneventful. I had plans with two separate friends, but other things came up, and it just didn't happen. But I did get some laundry done, my floors somewhat cleaned, and flowers pruned outside. And, most importantly, I got caught up on some of my DVRed shows.

We nixed going to the Home Show this weekend, and instead went to Ikea in Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon. We really just like looking in the store and really only intended to buy a wok and whatever else -- little things, mind you -- might come our way. We ended up with the wok, but also with a new chair, footstool, and light for our living room. We always seem to need additional seating in our living room, and the light actually doubles as a seat (uncomfortable, but a seat nonetheless). So in a few months, we've gone from having seats for four people to potentially nine. Guess we better start hosting more parties.

My vacuum, although only 5 1/2 years old, about gave up on me Saturday, so I decided it was finally time to buy a new one, so we did that this morning. We also went to see Inglorious Basterds, which, despite being a Quentin Tarantino film and being somewhat bloody in parts, wasn't too bad, keeping in mind the main storyline was false...

So now I'm taking a break from cleaning up the guest bedroom and purging our house, which we've needed to do since before we got married. I also have clothes in the dryer, and a husband who should return home soon (I sent him on a trip to the store to find organizing things for me), so I should log off and get to work...

Hope everyone had a great long weekend!

labor day weekend, update 1

Thank goodness for long weekends -- especially for long weekends when CJ only has to work one out of the four days!

I don't even know where to begin for our update, so this will probably be disjointed.

Classes are going well for both of us. CJ's classes just require a lot of reading. And he's still going round and round with financial aid between ISU and this online school where he's taking his one last class. For me, I feel like grad school finally hit in week three -- at least for the amount of work we've been given. We were given our mid-term paper topic last week -- if there is an education inflation and if the MBA is the new high school diploma. Given Indiana's dismal graduation rates at all levels, I'm arguing no on this one. Either way, I've got some research to do. And, I also now have to learn APA style, which is annoying at best. (Clearly Chicago style is superior, so I don't know why we all can't just use that.)

To kick off Labor Day weekend, we had our Date Night last night -- out to Buca's and to see Up at the cheap, janky movie theater. Good times. We recommend Up if you haven't seen it yet (even better when it's $4 for two people).

Henry had his last puppy vet visit yesterday -- or so we think. The vet told CJ that he looks more like a german shepherd each time she sees him. He only gained about 7 pounds since his last visit about three weeks ago, so we're up to 35 pounds now. I guess on one hand she said she thought he'd top out at 50 pounds, and then I guess a little bit after that, she made a comment like, "Well, when you've got a 70-80 pound german shepherd..." The vet called this morning (her usual follow-up call with test results) and said that he has whipworm now. Seriously? This dog has had every type of worm there is, and we can't figure out why. Puppies are notorious for playing with poop -- theirs or anyone's, quite frankly -- which is absolutely disgusting and an unacceptable toy. The vet thinks he's probably picked it up from the environment, somehow. On walks, he usually keeps his nose to the ground, sniffing everything (the german shepherd coming out in him), so I'm guessing that's how he picked it up?? Ugh. I also feel bad because he's been very picky with food lately -- only eating a little bit, going off to play, coming back later to eat more, etc. The vet suggested that we only give him a certain amount of time to eat, and if he doesn't eat, then the food goes away and then he doesn't get to eat until later. She said it wouldn't take long for him to realize that he has to do it on our timetable. So I don't know whether he hasn't been eating because he hasn't felt well or if this is just a stage.

And as for Bridget, she's about the same. We haven't had any incidents lately where she has spit in Henry's face, so I guess all is good on that front.

My coffee's done, I have emails and DVR-ed shows to catch up on, plus our house is a wreck and the dog could use a bath, so I should probably close up for now. More updates later, since I have time this weekend.

mulligan, please.

I can't remember finishing up a weekend and thinking, "Man, I wish the weekend had been shorter, because I'm just dying to go back to work tomorrow morning."

Ideally, I'd like to re-do the weekend. I guess I'll just have to settle for wishing Monday morning was here already.

Friday night wasn't so bad. After my chiropractor visit, we ran to the mall to get my ring inspected (it has to be inspected every six months, or else the warranty expires) and then settled on dinner at Smokey Bones. The rest of date night was spent searching for pet supplies. We had to buy a new litter box, as Bridget has broken hers already (we're guessing by kicking a lot of litter into the gears). Then we also bought a diaper genie for the little presents Henry leaves us 2-4 times per day. CJ was waiting for the cashier to ask us how far along I was. (I apparently married a comedian.)

Saturday morning started off with CJ finding his driver side mirror knocked off his car sometime in the middle of the night. Of course no one stopped by the house or bothered to leave a note on the car. The rest of the day just went downhill from there, so I'll just leave it at that.

I made it to church this morning and had a nice lunch with my friend, Amanda. Then I couldn't get motivated to do anything (I'm really not sure what sort of clothing options I have for the week, actually). I did manage to bake some cookies (out of a bag), pick up Qdoba, and meet CJ for dinner at station (he's been there two straight days, which is partially why I feel like my weekend has been screwy). I was there for three minutes when they got called out on a run, but luckily he was back within ten minutes or so (nothing like eating a taco outside, by yourself, at a fire station). I then went grocery shopping when I got home and got my $142 bill down to $86.

Being stressed this weekend -- unnecessarily, honestly -- has caused a flare-up with my TMJ (which was better, but not solved), so I've taken a muscle relaxer, plan to take a bath, call it a night, and start fresh tomorrow morning.

school days

As many of you know, it's back to school time for the Whiteheads. I can't say we're having the most fun with it -- we can both think of other ways we'd rather spend our time -- but this will help us accomplish our goals and hopefully, move up the career ladder.

I have class one night per week at Indiana Wesleyan. The classes are mostly six weeks in length, with some shorter and some longer, depending on the subject matter. Right now, we're starting out with a basic business course. The first night wasn't a best -- I felt like it was too much like an elementary school classroom with people talking all the time. But the second week was much better, with actual discussion and less chit chat. (Actually, the two girls who talked the most missed the second night, so I'm guessing they decided grad school wasn't for them.)

CJ is finishing up his bachelor's degree in Pre-Medicine and English at Indiana State. It's a drive, but it would have been a hassle to mess with transferring all but 12 credit hours to IUPUI or another school. So he's down there two times per week, just finishing up with his English credits. The only hassle he has had so far (aside from financial aid, of course) is that they changed professors, not classes, so all six used books we bought online are no longer good, and we had to buy a $70 textbook instead. And, before anyone else asks, no, CJ doesn't plan to go to med school, but he would like to get his nursing degree.

Everyone's schedules can be busy in their own way, but I feel like we have a particularly unusual work schedule with the fire department anyway. Going back to school complicates the schedule a bit, so we've decided upfront that we really have to carve out time for each other. So, that being said, if we're scarce this semester, please understand. And say a prayer for us too, while you're at it. :)

With that, I have some work I'd like to get done and a puppy going crazy, so I should close down for now.

lessons learned: garden edition

We've learned a lot these nearly nine months of marriage, but probably one of our biggest lessons was what we shouldn't do with our garden. It turned out looking like this:

These pictures were taken about a month ago, before we gave up. We planted too much, too close, and our garden quickly became a hassle. I spent one Saturday in May de-weeding (not spraying, actually pulling up weeds, roots included) for three hours. I tried to keep up, and then the weeds got the best of me. Then the zucchini plant took hold, and it strangled half of our green beans, most of our cabbage, and actually killed off one rhubarb plant. (And all we got out of it were three inedible pumpkin-shaped zucchini.) And then after that, the summer heat kicked in and we got busy down the line and didn't take as much care of it as we should have. And then after that, Henry got in the garden and dragged his cord through the green bean plants, taking most of the first row with him.

So, lesson learned for next year: less is better.