Dogs, Books, Sewing, Etc

Do Not Adopt Policies

2012-01-27T09:48:00.001-05:00

I've been on a listserv for a rescue group for a few years now. I'm mostly a lurker. I like to see what's going on in the inner workings of the group. A few times a year I'll pitch in to take a weekend foster. Mostly I lurk though.

A secret of hobby of mine is to read the postings for the DNA messages. Do Not Adopt.

These get posted when a home visit goes haywire and the investigation turns up lies or a history of bad ownership. 98% of these are people being selfish, cheap, or unaware. People who keep their dogs in the basement, people who surrendered their pets because the dog refused to be trained, or people who say there are no other pets in the house even though there is meowing behind the closed laundry room door.

It's rare, but there are some DNAs that maybe shouldn't be. People aren't perfect. They make mistakes. There was one family who had their dog 11-12 years. The adoption form requires a veterinary reference. The rescue investigator discovered the dog had only been vaccinated for rabies its whole life. The rabies shot was kept current, like the county requires. But all other vaccinations weren't done.

Okay, that's bad. But fixable, no? A little education, possibly another veterinarian....who's to say these people will do exactly the same with a second dog? This sounds like a case of, "well you shouldn't have done that, but we're willing to work with you on it."

While vaccinations are important, they aren't the end of the world. By putting this family on the DNA list, you group them with the abusers and the stupid and the cruel. In reality, the vet said their dog died of kidney failure as an old dog. So it sure looks like they knew the dog was sick and took it to the vet. That's a start, right?

There are other people who end up on the DNA because they want to surprise their spouse with a dog or cat. Okay, that's bad, but fixable. After all, my dog Colby was a gift. I knew about him just 2 weeks before we got him. Things turned out just fine. Some discussion and education about how living things aren't gifts and problem solved.

Not every home will be ideal. But it's a home. Some adopters need more work and more education before they take a pet home. To put them on a DNA list, forever banning them from a adopting doesn't solve anything.

L.L. Bean

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

L. L. Bean blew my mind away! I went to the store to get some jeans....I wanted a well-built, comfortable pair after my last ones bit the dust. More on that later though.

At the register, I had over the jeans and my credit card and the clerk asks me if I'd like the receipt emailed.

Whoa.

I stare at him for a few seconds wondering if this is going to result in a lengthy "what's your email can you spell that conversation". I don't don't want spam.

However, I already get spam from L. L. Bean so what's the harm. I say yes, email me a receipt.

He swipes my card, looks at me, and says," your email address is [redacted]@gmail.com?"

Whoa!

The invasion of privacy flags fly up, then I realize that information is stored on my credit card. Like my billing address and phone number, of course my email address is on there.

To apologize for the dumb look on my face, I say, "No one has ever asked me if I wanted a receipt emailed before."

And the guy, patient as retailers can be, "Well it saves paper and we can save the receipt in our system for a couple years. If you ever want to know what you bought, we can look it up for you."

WHOA!

Pretty cool. And helpful! I'm glad I did it too because now I want to return the jeans. They were my first pair of Mom-jeans....yeah I bought a pair of normal jeans, not boot-cut stretch denim with rhinestone pockets or anything like that. Just normal, well-built jeans.

And I hate them. I want my silly boot-cut stretch denim back. The mom-jeans sit too snug on the waist, have too much room in the hips, and my husband asked in all seriousness, "Are you wearing my pants?"

They gotta go.

Book Review - Boy Meets Girl

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot is told through a collection of emails, instant messages, voicemails, legal transcripts, and handwritten journal entries.

Not my favorite. It made me feel like I was an observer of the story, like some creepy stalker on the fringes. Like an omniscient God of Media. I can't tell what's happening in real life, but if it occurs over some kind of media, I KNOW ABOUT IT.

And yet again, I'm reading a Cabot story years after it's been published and the technology is outdated. It happened with the 1-800-where-are-you series when the plot would've significantly changed if the characters had cell phones.

They have cell phones in Boy Meets Girl but they don't text each other, there's no Skype, and they have a weird habit of writing diary entries on restaurant menus and napkins, while narrating in real time what's happening. I mean, if a hot guy comes out of the shower when you were expecting a roommate, would you write that in an email to your friend as it was happening? Probably not. You would say, "who the fuck are you?" as you reach for 911.

The protagonist is also too naive. In the beginning of the book, the evil boss writes a damning email that could get the boss in a lot of trouble. Girl should've blasted that around the office, shown the union, and blown that ethics whistle. She didn't even recognize it for what it was and didn't even bother to save it. Maybe I'm jaded though.

Anyway, the format didn't work for me. The story was just okay. Meg Cabot has much better books out there.

Jean Trivet

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Look! I made a trivet out of old jeans.

I thought about posting a step-by-step photo tutorial like I normally do, but this is stupidly easy.

You'll need about two pairs of old jeans. If you only have one pair, make a coaster. If you have more than two pairs, make a mat for your dog's bowl.

Cut the hem off the jeans and the inseam too. Also cut the butt seam. Sew all the ends together to get one big, long piece of jean hem. It doesn't matter how sloppy the sewing is. No one will ever see it. I used a zig-zag stitch with some brown thread.

Get your Elmer's glue and squeeze a line of glue down the length of the jean hem. You may want to do this in increments of 10-12 inches. Then roll tightly. Your fingers should be covered in glue and blue fuzz.

The more you do, the harder it will be to keep the roll even. Occasionally stop and realign the center of the wheel. When you're done, hold the wheel together with three rubber bands. Let it dry for at least 30 minutes.

Now put a hot sauce pan on it.

Yogurt Marrow Bones

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

I probably should've shared my yogurt bone secret long before this, but I never took a picture. So oh well.

You know those thick marrow bones you buy for your dog? Refill them with non-fat plain yogurt (the generic kind at the grocery store) and freeze.

You can add peanut butter or kibble into the mixture, but they are pretty popular just plain. My dog gets a one daily during the summer months; less over the winter. When I give him one in the evening, usually around 8:00, it's the signal that he is to sit quietly and there will be no more playing tonight. It takes him about 10 minutes to get all the yogurt out. For some reason it settles him down.

You can get marrow bones from your locally-owned pet store, but they are expensive there. About $16 for a bag of them. I go to an international supermarket and get a package of 6 for $2.80. Look for bones that are thick-walled so they can be refilled many times. The thinner bones will splinter.

It's the dog's favorite treat to get. And it happens to be the cheapest. By far. Win-win.

Craft Room Tour

2012-01-20T11:34:00.001-05:00

I'm trying something new today....my very first video blog post! And probably the last. This is not very entertaining. It's a tour of my recently cleaned and organized craft room.

Book review - Firelight

2012-01-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

I read Firelight by Sophie Jordan in a few hours. Yup, I devoured this one.

Which is kinda embarrassing to admit. It's yet another paranormal young adult romance. And about dragon shape shifters too. I swore to leave these alone after reading countless Gena Showalter, Shanna Abe, Majorie Liu, and other similar authors' books.

But then it was available on Kindle from my library. I've blogged about the long holds for Kindle books and how difficult it was to get them, so I checked this book out because I could.

So good. At some point in the middle of the story, I thought to myself, "This is how Twilight should have been written!" There was inexplicable attraction between Will and Jacinda, to the point they were obsessed with each other. Both recognized that as strangely unhealthy and eventually had an explanation for it.

There was also a love triangle, but unlike Twilight, Jacinda and Will's bond was clearly developed. They also did more than just stare at each other in meadows. So even though there was this other guy, you knew she'd never choose him. It's not dragged out over 3 books.

(Sorry, Twilight has been on my brain lately. I just watched New Moon and Eclipse this weekend.)

Firelight is a trilogy. The second book, Vanish is available. I was going to buy it immediately and devour this one, but the third book isn't out yet. So if I have to wait, I might as well wait for the library to offer Vanish.

Mortgage

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's true! We are refinancing the mortgage! (The exclamation point is there to make it sound more exciting than it is.)

It is kinda exciting though because we're ditching the 30 year for a 15 year loan. Imagine in 15 years I won't have a mortgage anymore. Freedom! All that extra money per month!

Yeah 15 years is a long time, but I'll still be working when that happens. It also feels like something to look forward to. The 30 year term might as well be a lifetime.

Of course there are fees associated with refinancing and they aren't small. However, we're going from an interest rate of 4.875% to 3.0%, saving us $150,000 over the life of the loan. If I have to spend a few Gs to save 150 of them, I'll take that deal any day.

And yeah, our payment will be almost twice as much each month. As long as we both keep our jobs, it shouldn't be a problem to finagle the budget a bit (knock on wood). I haven't played with it yet, but mint.com lets you manage your budget each money and shows you where you can cut back on spending. As long as we stick to budget and the mortgage plan set forth, I'll be a happy girl in 15 years!

Hardcover Kindle Case

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Boom! Kick ass! So my jeans covered Kindle case didn't turn out well, but this one made from an old hardcover book rocks. It's pretty easy. Here's what I used to make it:

- hardcover book slight bigger than the Kindle
- box cutter
- Elmer's glue
- super glue
- 3 pieces of fabric
- 1 ribbon
- 4 pieces of elastic
- cardboard

First, get a hardcover book that is slightly bigger than the Kindle, and preferably not too thick. Cut the pages out with a box cutter. Lie flat.

Next cut two pieces of cardboard that are slightly smaller than the book. They'll be known as left insert and right insert from now on. If you are starting with a smaller book, change out the cardboard for something thinner, like soda case paperboard.

Measure the outside of the hardcover book. Then cut the fabric to be an inch bigger all around the book. So you are adding two inches to the length and width of the book. I decided to use two pieces of fabric, but you can do whatever you want.

I sewed a piece of ribbon over the seam.

Use the Elmer's to glue the fabric onto the book. You may have to wait 30-60 min for it to dry before proceeding.

Cut a strip of fabric to cover the inside spine. You can glue it right away, but I used some duct tape to keep it in place. I wasn't sure if I might needed to move it around or what. Feel free to glue it though.

Cut out fabric that is bigger than the pieces of cardboard. I actually cut 4 pieces because I like the feel of double thick fabric.

I forgot to take pictures of the next two steps. You want to glue the white fabric to the cardboard and let it dry. Then place the Kindle on the right insert and mark on the fabric where you want the elastic. Cut the elastic and pin it in place. Use the super glue to hold it there. Remove the pins. Let dry.

Use the Elmer's glue to glue the left and right inserts into the book cover.

Use two Harry Potter books and a 7.5lb weight to hold the inserts down as they dry.

Insert the Kindle and you're done!

Jean Kindle Cover

2012-01-15T19:22:00.003-05:00

I made a Kindle cover out of my old jeans. I thought it would be cool to have the jean pocket on the cover so I could tuck the charger in there. And I wanted to reuse the front button as the clasp.

Well, it didn't turn out that fantastic. One, my butt cheek is bigger than a Kindle. Which means the front cover had to be bigger than the back cover. That gave me a huge mess of problems making this thing.

I did take photos as a tutorial, but I'm not going to post them. I don't recommend doing this, unless you have tiny jeans....kid sizes maybe.

Here are some more pictures.

Yeah not the most secure.

Make a Denim Dog Leash

2012-01-13T08:34:00.001-05:00

I have 3 pairs of old jeans that are too beat-up to wear anymore. I saw an idea online to make dog leashes from them. Considering we have Colby on the leash all the time at home, I could use a few more around the house. I ordered some swivel snap lobster claw hooks and got to work.

These instructions will result in a 4ft leash. If you want a longer one, you can cut material from the other leg of the jeans.

Cut the hem off and cut up the inside leg all the way to the crotch. Keep the hem! There's another project with that later.

Cut straight across from the crotch.

And cut down the other side.

The thigh area is going to be bigger than the ankle area, obviously. Find the spot where the material starts to widen and mark it with a pin. I used a cutting board and rotary cutter to take the extra material off. This makes the width of the material 8.5". Well, for me it did.

Fold the material in half and iron.

Open and cut along the seam.

Pin the two pieces, right sides together. Sew to get one long piece of material.

Fold the long edges in toward the middle. Iron flat.

Fold the short edges over, iron, pin, and sew.

Fold in half again lengthwise. Iron. Sew. Feel free to use a thread color that you want to get rid of. I used burnt orange.

Attach the hardware. I really wish I bought heavy duty clasps. This one feels a bit weak. Thus, the dangers of buying online.

Make the handle.

Sew the hardware and handle down with Xs for extra strength.

Enjoy.

Kindle Again

2012-01-12T07:28:00.004-05:00

Last week I blogged about the limitations of the library when using a Kindle. It gets worse.

There is no option to renew a book!! M!th$%fu*!@r!!

My hand still hurts, so I leave you with a picture of what happens when Colby sees a squirrel in the yard.

Hand Hurts

2012-01-11T11:58:00.001-05:00

Sorry I haven't been posting. My right hand has been bothering me. I've been doing a lot of typing and clicking lately. My knuckles hurt, so do the bones on top of my hand. It's quite uncomfortable.

While I heal, here's a picture of me grinding my dog's nails.

Sewing Room Makeover

2012-01-09T12:02:00.002-05:00

I started reorganizing my sewing room this weekend. Yes, I have a sewing room. It has a table for my sewing machine, an ironing board, a few drawers, a treadmill, and a huge bookcase. No, I purposely didn't take a picture because I'm embarrassed by the ~~chaos~~ ~~anarchy~~ ~~complete pandemonium~~ disorganization.

Let's just say a bomb hit it. But instead of shrapnel, it was a bomb of fabric, thread, and books.Therefore, the goals of the reorganization are:

1. Keep the books I might read this year in the smaller bookcase in the closet. Books are fun, yes, but there is no reason for them to take up room. Bookcases aren't used all that often.

2. Organize the fabric somehow. Possibly shelves or bins.

3. Build a pegboard to hold thread, bobbins, and sewing implements. (more on this later)

4. Organize and label my sewing notions - ribbons, dog collar supplies, zippers, piping, bias tape, buttons, etc. Even the scrap fabrics and trims.

5. Improve the lighting, at least temporarily until an electrician can install overhead lighting.

6. Be able to vacuum the floor.

This is what I want. This is also ridiculous. Who has room for this? And who has such great lighting?

Anyway, I started pulling the room apart this weekend. Now it looks like a nuclear fabric bomb went off, but that's okay. I'm getting somewhere. Most of the books are packed up and ready to move to the basement. The big bookcase will be a challenge to get downstairs. The treadmill stays where it is because 1) it's damn heavy, 2) we do use it.

The closet is organized, including all the patterns, pillow forms, and polyfil stuffing piles. The notions are put away and labeled (I got a label maker for Christmas). The scrap fabric has a drawer, so does my interfacing, and the dog collar supplies. The ribbons are rolled back into spools and have their own labeled bin.

That sounds like progress, but still not enough to take a picture. The thread, bobbins, and fabric are still everywhere. I really don't have anywhere to put them yet.

This is what I'd like to do, with some peg board and dowel rods. Seems like a cheap enough project. We did a similar thing in the garage and that wasn't hard.

The fabric is the real challenge. I'd like to do something like this, but instead of shelving, make this about the size of a dresser with a worktable top. And this is where the cost comes in. I either have to find something like it or buy the wood and ~~build it myself~~ have the husband build it.

Though I think half the battle is already done. I know what I want, I started doing it, and I have plans to complete it. And when that day comes, I will definitely take a picture.

Book Covers

2012-01-06T10:25:00.000-05:00

I picked up Mastiff at the library the other day, a book I've been looking forward to for a while now. I just can't get over the ugly cover. Serious Photoshop FAIL here. Beka's head is all twisted around like she's a zombie corpse. And what's with the arm angle? It looks like someone dismembered her and tried to glue the limbs back on. Yeah I get that she wears armor, but seriously? Can't we get something that fits a little better?

Just....damn. It's been a while since I've seen a cover this bad, or this boring. I'm guessing Beka takes a little trip to the mountains with just her cat, dog, and manacles. What a shame.

Movie Review - Crazy, Stupid, Love

2012-01-05T08:33:00.001-05:00

I didn't think I was going to like Crazy, Stupid, Love when we popped it into the DVD player last night.

I loved it! It was so cute. Similar to Love Actually, it covers relationships from every angle. A married couple going through a mid-life crisis, a teenage crush (actually a teenage love triangle), a womanizer, a professional woman with a boring boyfriend, office romance, and a lonely slightly crazed woman.

It was funny, it had unexpected twists, the characters made mistakes, they worked through issues, and everyone turned out as better people in the end. It was very "real" and that's what made it perfect.

I loved the way it was written. Steve Carrell's character, Cal, is the primary focus of the story. The movie shows his different relationships with everyone. The inside jokes with his wife about switching babies in the hospital, playing catch with his son and talking about women, even how he interacts with the womanizer who helps him turn his life around. Each character, each relationship showed a history and depth that you don't often get in romcoms.

Watch the movie, you will like it. Don't believe me? Amazon reviewers currently have it at 4 stars out of 188 reviews.

Kindle Library

2012-01-04T10:01:00.002-05:00

I got the Kindle Touch for Christmas! Hooray!

I have been resistant in getting an e-book reader because I get 90% of my books from the library, 5% from bookmooch, and 5% as gifts. So I couldn't justify the cost.

Until Amazon came out with a Kindle that lets you read library e-books. And I got it! I had high hopes for this sucker. I was picturing me reading book after book, wirelessly downloading like crazy.

Er, no.

1. You have to connect the Kindle to the laptop to download any books. It runs off the library e-lending website, powered by Overdrive. You find the book, click a couple of times, and it takes you to Amazon, where you can borrow the book for 14 days. It's strange.

2. The Overdrive search engine blows. It's terrible. 9 times out of 10 it didn't return the results I wanted. I'm searching for newer books that have come out in the last few months. Maybe my library doesn't carry these (I find that hard to believe because I've never had problems with their selection before). I do three searches just to make sure - the book title, the author, and a random what's available in this genre search. I get a lot of "your search returned no results".

3. When it does find the book, it's not available. I'm sure it's a licensing thing, which is dumb, but okay. I find it hard to believe that every stinking book I want is not available. Even the older ones that have been around for 15 years. Whatever, there is an option to place the book on hold.

4. Books on hold! Ha! I thought this would place me in a queue, that I would enter my library card and password, an it would send it to my Kindle when the book is available. Instead, Overdrive asked me for my email address. They'll email me when the book is ready and I have 3 days to download it to my Kindle. That's better than a free-for-all, first come first serve, who has the fastest internet connection. I half expected that when I entered my email address.

5. You can only put 4 books on hold at a time. This is completely arbitrary. My actual library doesn't have that kind of restriction, so why would an e-library?? I currently have 75 books in my Goodreads "to-read" pile. How do I choose 4? Save 1 spot for a book that'll take forever, 2 spots that have short queues, and 1 spot somewhere in the middle? Sorry but I don't want to think that hard. It would be awesome if I could prioritize my 75 books similar to a Netflix queue.

Now that I think about it, there should be a Goodreads/Overdrive widget to let me do just that. Automatically put the top 4 books of my "to-read" pile on hold, so I don't have to struggle with the Overdrive search engine. Make it happen interwebs!

Overall, the Kindle Touch library lending option is harder than I imagined. I wanted something so awesome that I'd never need to drive to the library again. While I may not need to go weekly anymore, I'll probably still make a monthly trip.

Happy New Years!

2012-01-03T10:13:00.001-05:00

Happy 2012! And so begins another year, the year which many spiritual souls (New Age whackos) believe is the beginning of a new era. For me, it's the era of no trashcan liners. My county has started charging 5 cents per plastic grocery bag. Or maybe it's the era of the tote bag.

Anyway, I don't really have resolutions since I don't put additional pressure on myself, as a principle. There are things I would like to accomplish, but I won't feel bad if they can't get done. In no particular order:

HOUSE:
1. Paint the front foyer and hallway.
2. Fix the fireplace.
3. Build a patio.
4. Organize my sewing room.
5. Keep the garage organized.
6. Hang the bathroom cabinet.
7. Hang the laundry room cabinet.
8. Fix some (or all) of the electrical issues in the house.
9. Get new floors or save enough money to get new floors.

DOG:
1. Teach the dog to come.
2. Teach the dog to not steal our stuff

ME:
1. Lose weight.
2. Get a promotion.
3. Keep track of books read in 2012

The last one is the only fun thing on my list. I'd like to keep a running tally of the books I finish in 2012 because I frequently get asked, "Just how many books do you read anyway?" It also will show just how much I use the library. I'm using the Goodreads Reading Challenge to keep track of the tally. I randomly entered a goal of 100, but it's hard to say. That's about 2 books a week. I don't think I'm that fast. We'll see though!

December Dog Costs

2011-12-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'm including treats we bought for other dogs, because without Colby we probably wouldn't buy other people's dogs Christmas gifts. I consider it a pet-related expense.

December 2011

Food - $81.12

Treats - $29.55

Toys - $0

Vet - 0

Total = $110.67

Old Dog Video

2011-12-22T11:22:00.001-05:00

This is going to be Colby one day, but it'll be a squirrel he doesn't bother to chase. Anyway, how cute is this old dog?

Hobbit Trailer

2011-12-21T07:45:00.002-05:00

Here's the trailer for The Hobbit coming next December. It looks like the story is done right, but also feels like a tribute to the Lord of the Rings movies. I'm not sure why Cate Blanchett is there. I remember Bilbo going to see Elrond, but not Galadriel. And how can you have a Hobbit trailer without showing the dragon? Or the Lonely Mountain?

Leashed

2011-12-20T08:49:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of a stubborn beast. If you see one on the street, beware. He will steal your socks.

I've HAD it with the dog taking my shoes, socks, and whatever else he finds on the floor. Laundry day is the Superbowl of blocking, running interference, and the occasional tackle.

Sunday was the WORST. We took the dog outside for an actual game of football. Ran his little brains out for 30 minutes with the hard rubber football he loves. The dog was tired, I tell you. Perfect time to wrap presents.

Nope. Within seconds, he was ripping the wrapping paper, stealing the packing paper out of the Amazon boxes, popping the air packages, and trying to reopen the gifts already wrapped.

Why were we doing it on the floor? Because, like folding laundry, it's easier to wrap gifts on a large flat surface. Besides, I should be able to accomplish my chores wherever because he is the dog and I am the human! If I want to leave my shoes out in my own house after a long day at work, I should be able to!

He's like a 70lb mouth. A big red mouth that eats anything that hits the floor. Don't drop the mail. Or the paper. Or a pen. Green beans are safe though.

So that was it. The last thing Colby took was a Target bag. Just a stupid Target bag out of the trash, but he wouldn't give it up. The new rule in the house is that Colby is on a leash AT ALL TIMES. No exceptions. He behaves better when he's on the leash, responds to commands, and is less likely to steal things. Even if he does take my shoes, I can grab the leash and parade him around the house doing commands until he drops it.

(yes I recognize how the "drop it" command would be very helpful here. I've tried to teach him that. It's not something the peanut can grasp, trust me.)

It's been two days and he hasn't taken anything. It's even fixing the smaller problems like getting off the couch or bed when we tell him to. Though that's not consistent. I'm prepared to leave him on the leash for years until this stealing thing is done.

Book Review - Farseer Trilogy

2011-12-19T07:53:00.001-05:00

I finally finished the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. These books are generally beloved by all fantasy fans. While I'm happy I read them and really did enjoy them, I can't believe the ending sucked that bad.

SPOILERS AHEAD

It's the equivalent of Frodo having a wife and daughter, yet he never returns to the Shire because she thinks he's dead and found another fellow. So he wanders Middle Earth until he's an old man, then finds a cabin in the woods and writes his story.

Yeah. That would be fine except for the entire fucking last book, all he could talk about is getting back to his wife and sharing a life with his daughter. When the evil was vanquished, he said, "Eh, they're fine. Let's go wander the continent."

Part of the experience as a reader is to see how the character interacts with the other characters. It would've been a hell of a tear jerker for him to show up, grant the new family his blessing, and scrape out some kind of friendship. But no, we were robbed of that scene.

And another thing, there was no final battle to vanquish evil! Instead, it was as if Frodo used the power of the ring to take hold of Sauron's mind and made him do acts of kindness. For months, Sauron apologized and pledged his loyalty and used his orcs to rebuild Middle Earth. Then when Frodo doesn't need him anymore, has a ferret bite his jugular.

Seriously. There was no confrontation. Robbed of that scene too.

Ah!!! So mad!

Car Problems and Work

2011-12-15T14:04:00.003-05:00

Ever since I had the alternator belt replaced, my car squeals like a million fingernails against a million chalkboards every time I turn the wheel. Whatever decibel level you're thinking, nope, it's much higher. Everyone in a quarter mile looks around to see what that god awful noise is.

Oh and the heat doesn't work. Well it does, as long as you have reach a highway speed and held it for several minutes. Then the heat will kick on. As soon as you come to a traffic light, put your gloves on.

This morning at 6:30am when it woke up the entire neighborhood, I officially decided to do something about it. I called the shop ASAP and got an appointment for next Wednesday.

Which brings me to the real point of this post. Flexible working options. I used to have to take a day off was in the shop. Yeah I could rent a car, but someone would still need to drive me to the garage, to the rental agency, and back again when the car was fixed. Plus I'd be out $100. Sure I still need a ride to the garage, but that's easier to ask for.

Now I can take my car into the shop on a Wednesday and work from home. My employer still gets a full day of work from me, and I'm not stressed about getting the rental car back in time. While most people consider me lucky that I can work from home, I wonder why they don't fight to change their own workplace policies. In situations like a broken-down car, it's a win-win for both employee and boss. It wouldn't hurt you to write a memo asking for a telework policy.

In this era of VPN and reliable communications, there's no reason for you to be in the office every single day. So fellow cube workers, don't tell me I'm lucky. Fight for it.

Nighttime Door Scratching

2011-12-14T07:43:00.002-05:00

Every single day this week, Colby has gotten up between 2:00am and 4:00am to scratch at the bedroom door.Usually he quits after 20 minutes and goes back to sleep. Last night, we had to block the door with the spare kennel.

I don't get it. He's an adult dog and should not need to pee in the middle of the night. Especially when we take him out at 11:30pm. He also has rawhides and hooves in the room in case he wants to chew something at night. There's a water bowl too. He must think it's funny to get us out of bed at o'dark thirty, freezing in our skivvies while he sniffs around the yard. We did that the first night, but no more.

There has to be a way to discourage the middle-of-the-night whining and door-scratching fun. He's usually the last one out of bed in the morning, so I don't believe for a second he has a bathroom emergency every night. Maybe he's not emptying his bladder at 11:30. What do I have to do? Squeeze?

Jingle Barks

2011-12-13T13:08:00.001-05:00

Love it!

Macys Hate

2011-12-12T08:19:00.001-05:00

Macy's. I will never shop there again. Fricking Macy's.

Yeah I say that every Christmas, but I really do mean it this year. Once again, I got sucked in by the mountain of coupons Macy's sends. In the mail, in the paper, by email....I think some even come by pigeon.

I got one coupon that was too good to pass up. $25 off $100 ALL sale and clearance items.

Yeah you can see where this is going. But I did read the fine print before I left and there weren't any exceptions that really mattered. I wasn't buying furniture or appliances - just some clothes and kitchen items. The coupon didn't exclude any brands, so I figured I was good to go.

Ha!

I parked a year away and considered myself lucky to get that spot. I fought my way through the mall to get to Macy's just to find the most crowded store in the entire mall. Everyone had the same idea about coupons.

I elbowed my way through the clothes racks. I found 2 perfect shirts for me and a perfect pair of jeans for the husband. Then I fought my way upstairs to housewares get the rest of the stuff I needed.

Then sat in line. It was only 3 people deep, but every single person had an issue with the coupons.

Let me be clear: every. single. person.

It took forever until it was my turn. The total rang up at $114 which meant I could use my $25 off coupon.

Nope. At first the sales clerk told me it was because the jeans were Tommy Hilfiger. So I asked her to show me in the fine print where it says that brand is excluded. She pointed to the "special licensing dept" exclusion. I said no, that's nuts. I got this from a rack in the men's department. Hilfiger is a brand, not a department.

She scans it again and it still doesn't work (no kidding). This time she tells me it's because I'm not using my Macy's card.

Huh? I don't have a Macy's card, don't want a Macy's card. I just want to buy this shit and leave this store before someone bumps into me one more time!!

Again I have her identify in the fine print where it says I need a Macy's card. She can't because it's not in there. Her shift is ending so she offers to take me over to customer service and see if they'll allow me to use the coupon. Well $25 is $25 and we head on over there.

Customer service turns out to be the employee lounge with a couple of chairs and someone working at a cubicle desk. I'm the only customer there; everyone else is an employee.

I wait, and I wait, and wait, and wait. Actually only 5 minutes ticked by, but this was after arguing with the clerk for 15 minutes. No one acknowledged my presence. The woman at the desk was helping an employee figure out how many hours she worked that week and what her pay should be. Which in my opinion, can WAIT until the customer is taken care of.

I chucked my stuff down, threw the idiot coupon on top of it and went to JC Penney's. They only had a $10 coupon, but it worked, the first time, and no one gave me shit about exclusions.

So long Macy's.

Book Review - Chains

2011-12-08T07:12:00.001-05:00

I finished Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. It's historical fiction about a slave girl in a wealthy New York house at the time of the American Revolution. Life is not pleasant for anyone.

Every once in a while I'll read historical fiction. I don't find them as entertaining as fantasy or science fiction. With a few exceptions (Bloody Jack), they mostly read like research projects to me. The author did extensive research on on the period and decided to write about what life was like for a slave during that time. Chains was a good story, but still the product of anthropological analysis.

It reads like 90% research, 10% imagination. I'm sure it required a lot of hard work to bring this book together...the problem is you could tell it was hard work. Most fantasy/sf novels require the author to create a world from scratch, create rules for that world, a society and culture, then figure out what type of characters would thrive in that world....it's hard work. The difference is the end result makes fantasy/sf look like 90% imagination, 10% research.

I don't like reading a book wondering how much time the author spent in the library. So while Chains is an interesting read, it's no different than the majority of historical fiction.

Family Competency

2011-12-06T08:29:00.001-05:00

As I was hanging Christmas lights on Sunday, it occurred to me how little we value our family members' mental capacities.

So there I was, surrounded by 4 sets of working working lights, 2 sets of inexplicably dark lights, 1 wreath with 3 inch cord, 2 indoor extension cords, 1 outdoor extension cord, and only 1 outdoor timer.

Oh, and there is only one electrical outlet outside, yet we have bushes on either side of the front door.

My husband shot me a look that said, "There is no way you are capable of this."

Which is funny considering my employer values my mental capabilities so much that they trust me with over a billion dollars to spend over the next couple of years. I lead a team of 20 people in planning, analysis, documentation, approvals, and all sorts of high visibility tasks. The boss trusts me to put slides together and brief the senior leadership.

Yet I get shit about Christmas lights.

I'm not innocent either. The hubby's employer trusts him to evaluate medical devices, where if a mistake is made in his testing, could potentially kill people. Talk about high stakes.

Yet I entirely doubt his ability to make a dentist appointment.

I think family members - spouses, kids, parents, siblings - show each other the incompetent side. Sure I could hang the Christmas lights by myself, but if I drool like an idiot, I won't have to. Sure he could make a dentist appointment by himself, but if he procrastinates, I'll eventually do it.

It would be interesting to see how the household would run if we both treated it like a job. And treated each other like competent coworkers.

In the meantime, the dentist will have to wait.

How to Make Collars

2011-12-02T20:49:00.001-05:00

As requested, here are step by step instructions on how to make quick release collars. This is a very easy sewing project, excellent for a beginner.

And now for the tutorial! Sorry the pictures are so dark.

First, here are the materials you need:

A lighter, grosgrain ribbon, heavy polypro webbing, buckle, d-ring, and a triglide strap adjuster.

I have a larger dog, so I use 1" standard webbing with 7/8" ribbon.

I buy in bulk to keep the costs low. I also only buy black webbing because it's cheapest and comes in larger quantities. The ribbon is the only variable cost. You can get fancy German Farbenmix ribbon or woven Jacquard. I usually buy grosgrain ribbon from Etsy or go to a craft store. If you get thicker ribbon, like the Farbenmix and Jacquard, you may want to buy wide mouth triglides. One thing to note, DON'T buy the buckles from the craft store. You need buckles where the male end has only 2 openings. If the buckle has 1 or 3, you'll end up sewing the edges to the top of the collar. (It'll make sense later, I promise.)

1. Measure the dog's neck. Add 11 inches and cut the webbing. Run a flame over the edges of the webbing to make a seal.

2. Cut the ribbon slightly longer than the webbing. Make sure it can be folded over the webbing on both ends. I use a pin to make this easier.

3. Sew the ribbon to the webbing. There's a groove in the ribbon that catches the needle. Fold the excess ribbon over the edges and sew.

4. Thread one end through the strap adjuster. Sew it to the back of the webbing. I stitch a box with an X through it for extra strength.

5. Flip the webbing so the black side is up. Take the female side of the buckle, rounded side down.

6. Thread the ribbon through the buckle. It looks like you're doing it wrong, but it's fine. Trust me.

7. Thread the ribbon back through the strap adjuster.

8. Slide the d-ring on, then the male buckle. For the buckle, thread up through the outer most slot, then down through the other slot.

9. Fold the webbing over the straight side of the d-ring.

10. Sew a box with an X on either side of the d-ring.

11. DONE!

Colby hates Christmas

2011-12-02T07:22:00.001-05:00

He's not the brightest bulb in the string of lights.

Book Review - Wintergirls

2011-12-01T08:09:00.001-05:00

I try to stay away from the books-aimed-at-teens-in-pain because they are just too depressing to enjoy. I do understand the importance and the significance of these books, especially what they mean to the reader. It's just that, life isn't all that horrible 24/7. There are moments of laughter and joy, even if it's only found by watching a sitcom. I don't find it realistic that a character doesn't smile through the entirety of a book.

Which is my only beef with Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. The protagonist, Lia, is suffering from anorexia, among other ailments. She also just lost her best friend to bulemia, is the product of a broken home, doesn't have good grades, has no friends, and no extracurriculars. Plus her mom is a pushy Type-A personality that is clearly disappointed with her defective daughter.

There are no funny moments, no happy moments, nothing to break up the terrible depression for the entire book.

With that said though, it was still a great read. I can see how suffering teenagers claim that Wintergirlssaved their lives. Personally, I found being in an anorexic's head was fascinating. I am unable to skip a single meal, so it was completely foreign to me how people can not eat AT ALL. But I get now that depression and extreme low esteem are the main causes of anorexia. If you see food as a reward and you believe that you don't ever deserve to be rewarded, well it makes the food difficult to choke down. So it was an education for me.

It's a really good read, despite it's joyless nature (which I find unrealistic even for someone suffering from depression. Life, generally, is funny.). Highly recommended.

November Dog Bill

2011-12-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

This month is way high because our annual vaccines were due and because we switched his food to a more expensive brand. I bought a 5lb bag to start, then went back to buy the bigger quantity.

November 2011

Food - $20.65
Food - $82.34

Treats - $24.57

Toys - $0

Vet - $326.09*

Total = $453.65

*annual exam = $54.50

Blood test = $80

DHLPP vaccine = $20

Lyme vaccine = $25

Heartworm preventative = $52.20

Advantix = $81.50 + $8 shipping

tax = $4.89

Christmas in November

2011-11-30T07:40:00.000-05:00

We have a banner that says "Happy Thanksgiving" hanging over the Christmas tree.

My fabric pumpkins are next to the wreath on the table.

Is it just me or did people start Christmas a little early? I get that the day after Thanksgiving was unusually warm, making it decent weather to hang lights. But you don't have to turn them on. And I have no explanation on why the hubby dragged all our decorations out of the basement, set up the tree, and put the garland on the mantle. It's not even December yet.

We actually haven't even cleaned the house thoroughly after the massive Thanksgiving crowd.

I've had family Christmas lists since Veteran's day.

The neighbors have a tree in the window with a Halloween decoration hanging on the door.

Even I started shopping already.

This is nuts. Oh well, happy November everyone.

Book Review - Emperor of Nihon-Ja

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Emperor of Nihan-Ja by John Flanagan is the last book in one of my favorite series, The Ranger's Apprentice.

Such a fun series with wonderful characters. Even the horses had personalities. I read The Emperor of Nihan-Jain a few hours on Sunday because once I started reading, I couldn't stop. The stakes weren't as dire as the plots in the other books. It was a kind of tribute to the cast of characters. Put Horace, Will, Halt, Evanlyn, Alyss, Selethen, and Gunthar on a task and watch their enemies suffer. It doesn't matter that the task is a Japanese revolution and they're outnumbered 3 to 1. With the gang working together, it was more like sleepaway camp in the Japanese mountains.

I guess that's kinda the point though. Now that the cast is assembled and have come into their own strengths....well any future novel won't do anything but sell books. Yeah okay, there's marriage, Halt's retirement, and Will training his own apprentices. Even though the books are about The Ranger's (Halt) Apprentice (Will), I don't think the intent was to follow Will through every stage of his life.

I liked the book, even though it had a, "see? we'll be fine without you readers" tone. I wish all series ended so well.

Thanksgiving Aftermath

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Well, we survived hosting our first Thanksgiving. Previously, it had been hosted by the same person for over 30 years. So it was a big deal for someone else to take over. There were 19 adults, 1 kid, and 5 dogs.

I think it went well. People told us we did a good job, but what else are they going to say? The food was hot, there was plenty of it, and everyone had a seat and something to drink. Mission accomplished.

Even so, it's not something I'm looking forward to next year. We spent 2 days cleaning and decorating beforehand. We moved furniture around and had tables and chairs in every nook and cranny. That didn't last for more than 10 minutes after people arrived. I have to admit, the stress and the preparations brought out some OCD I didn't realize I had. Any dirt on the floor drove me nuts. The dishes in the sink had my inner voices screaming, "off with his head!"

Usually, I can live with stuff like that. No, not only live with it, but cause it.I'm just as guilty as anyone at tracking dirt inside or leaving my cereal bowl in the sink.

People moving stuff I already put away, opening my fridge for no reason, standing in my kitchen even though I put the appetizers in the other room....it was a lot to handle. I just couldn't cope as well as I thought I could.

I can take smaller groups WAY more easily. I like having company, and I like being hostess. I think the work of the extra preparations, the ending of a legacy, and the huge group of people overflowed my sanity levels.

The cleanup was insane. So many dishes. So many leftovers too. It's a mental struggle every time I open the fridge and see all the food. It's like the work is still going on - do something with the extra ham! Clean the salad bowl and return it to the owner! But I don't even like gravy!

So while Thanksgiving was a success, I definitely learned my limitations. I can bring in all the help in the world to clean, cook, and do dishes. I just can't handle the stress.

House is nearly there!

2011-11-22T07:29:00.001-05:00

About a year and a half ago, we bought a foreclosure. While it wasn't a fixer-upper, the nicest thing anyone could say about it was that it had "potential".

It was fun hearing people's ideas for the house....what should be upgraded, thrown out, repaired, painted, bought, re purposed. Everyone watches HGTV at some point in their lives. Stuff is bound to sink in.

But now, after we dumped a TON of money into the house, and endless hours of labor, I'm ready for the house to move away from "potential" into "wow". We put in a fence, a deck, cleared the land, added wood chip trails, planted trees and bushes, a vegetable garden. We scraped off wallpaper inch by inch and repainted most of the house. We hung drywall in the garage, added peg boards, 6 cabinets, and a bunch of shelving. Plus we epoxied the floor.

Since we found out we're having 19 people for Thanksgiving dinner, we painted the dining room, bought a table to seat 8, bought a nice rug from Lowes, hung curtains in 10 windows, installed real wood blinds in 3 windows, painted the trim in the foyer, painted the front door, hung more art on the walls, and rearranged the furniture.

Yes, I did say 19 people.

The majority of the people coming have never seen the house before. I'm really looking forward to their reaction. The dining room looks like it should be in a magazine.

But it's obvious the house is still under repairs. We didn't get a chance to fix damage to the window after Hurricane Irene. It's pretty high...a 6ft ladder won't cut it. The kitchen floor is stained and altogether crappy. The rooms upstairs don't have over head lighting, or outlet switches that work.

So this is a pivotal time in our house repair efforts. Has enough progress been made to move us past "it has potential"? Because seriously, after working for three days on the dining room, the last thing I want to hear is, "hey you know what would look nice? you should [insert idea here]!"

No more "you shoulds". I spent way too much time and money for "you shoulds".

Short stories

2011-11-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

In the past month, I've tried to read a several anthologies of short stories. You know, a published collection of stories sold as one novel.

I hate it. I don't know why. I feel like I'm getting cheated by having to start a new plot 5 or 6 times in a book. I don't mind short fiction; I love reading stories in literary magazines or on websites. For some reason, when they are published together in one book, I can't stand it.

When one of my favorites series, The Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan, came out with a short story collection, of course I got a copy. The intent was to answer a lot of reader's questions by filling in some holes with short stories. I thought it was a good idea. The books are about a master ranger, Halt, training the protagonist, Will. But who trained Halt? What happens when Tug retires? What really happened to Will's parents?

I had to pick up a copy, even though the last book, Emperor of Nihon-Ja, hasn't been released yet. (Well, it has in hardcover. Not in paperback.)

I liked finding out what happened to my favorite characters. It was a nice wrap-up to the series. And I liked how Flanagan's next series was introduced at the end. Yet, I still hate the short story format.

Starting a new plot is tough. As much as I read (a book a week), I still don't like starting them. Even if the characters and the setting is known, it still feels like starting from scratch. I much prefer to be 2/3 of the way in, already invested in the book and at the height of the story....you know, when the heroes are in Big Trouble but will find a way out and win the day because that's what heroes do.

I think I'm going to stay away from anthologies from now on. I just don't like them.

Hunger Games Trailer

2011-11-15T08:37:00.001-05:00

Ah! It looks amazing. I can't wait until March 23rd. I have no idea how to embed this trailer, so to watch it, you have to click here. Go. NOW!

Thanksgiving Collars

2011-11-14T11:45:00.001-05:00

It's the last few days to order a collar before Thanksgiving! Now available:

This Thanksgiving Dog Collar is $8 with $2 shipping. I still have enough ribbon for 8 more collars!

The Give Thanks Dog Collar is also $8 with $2 shipping. Quantities are extremely limited....I only have one more for sale.

As always, 10% of your purchase will benefit homeless pets!

POISON IVY!

2011-11-10T14:08:00.001-05:00

ON MY FACE!

AND MY HANDS!

AHHHH!

Potluck

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year when the office potluck usually comes around. There's a sign-up sheet by the admin's cube. It's the usual dishes, plus plates, plastic ware, napkins, sodas, and cash donation.

I can't imagine signing up for anything but the cash donation. $5 to NOT be responsible for anything. YES PLEASE. Eat as much as you want, do some clean-up, and back to work. No cooking, heating, or hauling dirty crockpots home.

Yet, people give me crap about not bringing something. I say the same thing to them as I'm saying here. Why on Earth would I cook or make a trip to the store when I can dig $5 out of my purse?

Don't roll your eyes at me. If you didn't want me to give cash, you shouldn't have put it as an option on the sign-up sheet.

1) I don't cook.

2) I have enough shit to do.

3) I don't want to heat anything up in the microwave that 400 people share.

4) I don't want to be accused of not buying enough napkins.

5) I help set-up and clean-up.

Honestly I think it's because I'm female that I'm expected to bring food. Even if it's cookies or brownies. I notice no one is giving the men a hard time about donating cash. Which just proves my theory that these potlucks, tasty as they are, are just excuses for women to fish for compliments or compare their cooking to others. Why else would you spend hours at home preparing food for 50 people? You want compliments. You want to complain about how long you slaved over the meal and have people gush over it.

Okay great, I'm not judging. I like it when people gush over my latest sewing project. But I'm the first person to tell you my cooking sucks. (well, maybe the second person....the hubby is quite aware of how much my food sucks.) I know where my strengths are. I can clean up, and I can give $5.

Give Thanks Dog Collar

2011-11-08T07:23:00.003-05:00

I have sold 10 of these Give Thanks dog collars since listing them last month.

10 collars in a month is unheard of for me. 10 collars of the same ribbon, plus all the other collars and bandanas sold by the traffic to my site....well I've been chained to the sewing machine lately. 18 items in one month's time.

Has the holiday season struck early? What the heck is happening?

Maybe I should get my Christmas collars listed....

Commas

2011-11-07T11:10:00.001-05:00

Hey gang, just giving another example of why the serial comma is important.

When RSVPing this Thanksgiving, make sure you are clear.

I'm bringing rolls, shrimp and oatmeal cookies.

Yikes that's gross.

I'm bringing rolls, shrimp, and oatmeal cookies.

Yum!

The deck is done!

2011-11-04T10:21:00.002-04:00

It's about time! What should take two weeks ended up taking 3 months. But here's the final product!

Funniest Scam Email EVER!

2011-11-01T15:00:00.000-04:00

Had to share this.....

FROM: AGENT SCOT RAY

SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

INTELLIGENCE FIELD UNIT

2635 CENTURY PARKWAY N.E.,

SUITE 400

ATLANTA, GA 30345 USA

URGENT ATTENTION

I am special agent Scot Ray; from the Intelligence Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). We just intercepted/confiscated two (2) Trunk Boxes at the Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in Atlanta Georgia. We are on the verge of moving this consignment to the bureau headquarters. However, we scanned the said boxes and found out that it contained a total of USD4.7M and some back up documents which bears your name as the owner of the funds. Investigation carried out on the Diplomat who accompanied these boxes into the United States, revealed that he was to make the delivery of the funds to your residence as these funds are entitled to you, been Contract/Inheritance over due payments. The funds were from the Ministry of Finance of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Furthermore, after cross checking all the legal documents we found in the boxes backing you up as the beneficiary of the funds, it became known to us that one of the documents is missing. This document is very important and until we get the document, the boxes will be temporarily confiscated pending when you will provide it. The much needed document is the Diplomatic Immunity Seal of Delivery Certificate (DISDC). This document will protect you from going against the US Patriot Act Section 314a and Section 314b . This delivery will be tagged A Diplomatic Transit Payment (D.T.P) once you get the document.

You are therefore required to get back to me on my private email id (agent.scotray@skymail.mn) within 72 hours so that i will guide you on how to get the much needed document. Failure to comply to this directives may lead to the permanent confiscation of the funds and possible arrest. We may also get the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) involved if do not follow our instructions. You are also advised not to get in contact with any Bank in Africa, Europe or any other institution, as your funds are here now in the United States of America.

AGENT SCOT RAY

SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

INTELLIGENCE FIELD UNIT

2635 CENTURY PARKWAY N.E.,

SUITE 400

ATLANTA, GA 30345 USA

October Dog bill

2011-11-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

At the end of every month, I want to tally the amount spent on the dog. Just to track exactly how much a spoiled, 70lb sock destroyer costs. I'm not making any guesses on the outcome - whether we spend more than we thought or less - just stating the facts. I'm not parceling out how much money his food costs per day, or the number of treats given. If I account for that stuff in the month bought, it won't affect the yearly average.

October 2011

Food - $0

Treats - $0

Toys - $0

Vet - $92.50

Halloween costume - $34.04

Total = $126.54

Book Review - Hounded

2011-10-31T08:01:00.004-04:00

Hounded by Kevin Hearne was a surprisingly good read. I believe Hearne is a debut author.

The main character is a 2,000 year old Druid, but always looks 21 years old. The plot is basically the same as any book....old enemies plot against him....friends join him in the fight....good triumphs over evil. But the Druid is awesome. He has a quiet confidence that gives him a huge amount of sex appeal. Yet his primary companion is his Irish wolfhound.

The druid and the dog can speak to each other telepathically. That is the best part of the book because the dog is darn funny. Actually I was laughing before I got to the first page. In the beginning, there are a few pages of Gaelic pronunciations. The author has a hilarious way of explaining how to pronounce the words.

Another awesome thing about the book is "what is a druid" was never explained. The reader didn't have to read a bunch of backstory explaining the rules, powers, and limitations of a druid. You simply read on and figure it out. There is a great mix of creatures with their own rules and powers - witches, gods, werewolves, fae - that the reader figures out by seeing how the Druid reacts to them. I love the attention and detail put into the worldbuilding, but I love the lack of explanation more.

Hounded was also slightly different than the usual fantasy novel. The common theme is to take an apprentice and let the apprentice ask questions of the master in order to give the reader answers. For example, Ranger's Apprentice, Sorcerer's Apprentice, The Last Apprentice, even Harry Potter. You drop a character that knows nothing into a new world and you figure stuff out as the character does.

The druid was exactly the opposite. He was the oldest thing around except for the gods themselves. In fact, he didn't take an apprentice until the last few chapters.

Houndedwas fresh, funny, great characters, and well written. It's not a classic, but it will entertain.

Halloween Costume

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

If you are scrambling around this week trying to find a costume for the dog, never fear. Here are instructions on how make a generic costume.

Start with an existing fleece coat. I used my dog's green one and a piece of blue fleece. Pin the coat to the fleece.

Cut out a little bigger than the coat.

Don't forget to cut the neck piece.

Sew the edges and attach the neck piece to the coat.

Take some silver satin and cut six triangles. It helps to use a cutting board and rotary cutter. Then iron the edges over.

Pin the rick rack in between two of the triangles. Pin to hold in place. You make have to snip the rick rack so that it bends the way you want it to.

Sew.

Stuff.

Sew it closed. Do this for the other 4 triangle pieces. You should end up with three stuffed spikes.

Cut the jacket piece lengthwise down the spine.

Fold over the fleece edges and pin the three spikes between the fleece. Sew it closed.

Add Velcro.

That's one happy dog!

Robbed!

2011-10-25T07:25:00.004-04:00

Yesterday the cars were broken into. I'll admit that I didn't notice right away.....or ever. I notice the contents of the center console had been pulled out, but I figured the hubby was looking for something. I drove all the way to work without realizing what had happened.

They left my GPS alone but took Luke's. They also cleared out all of the pocket change we keep in the dashboard drawers. They/he/she/it left Luke's driver side door open - which I closed as I was leaving for work, yet again not quite aware something had happened.

Well, it was early and it was Monday.

We filed a police report, but I honestly don't think they care. The EZPass was still there, so were the garage door openers, our registration and insurance cards....the cars weren't damaged at all....it wasn't a great feeling, but it could've been worse.

I'm not sure how they got into the cars. I'm usually really good about locking the car. It's automatic for me. And this crap never happens in our neighborhood; I monitor crimereports.com every few months.

Oh well, lessons learned.

Pumpkin Pie

2011-10-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

This is a chronicle of my attempt to make pumpkin pie. I saw these sugar pie pumpkins at the local farm and had to buy some. They are cute and functional, therefore I must have them. Even if it means I must bake.

First, preheat the oven to 375F.

Then cut the pumpkin in half. This is harder than it sounds...I used a knife but in retrospect, a hacksaw would've worked better. This is not like slicing a watermelon, people. Make sure someone else is home in case 911 is needed.

Pick out all the glop and save the seeds for planting.

Put the pumpkins face down on a cookie sheet. Bake for 1.5 hours.

Okay, maybe that was a little long. The pumpkins got a bit scorched.

The rind peels right off and the nice pumpkin flesh is all soft and ready to go.

I was tempted to use the food processor, but went with the hand mixer instead.

Add 1 can of evaporated milk, two egg yolks, and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground ginger.

Beat 2 egg whites until peaks form.

Fold the egg whites in the pumpkin mixture.

Pour into a ready-made pie crust. I used a 9". There will be some pumpkin left over.

Bake at 425F for 15minutes, then cool the oven to 375 for 30 minutes.

DONE!

Staples Removed!

2011-10-20T10:25:00.001-04:00

Colby's staples from his glass bottle injury have been removed!

The wound is not pretty, but the staples did their job. It's completely closed and didn't get infected. Still, there are staple holes on either side of the cut, and it looks like it'll be a raised scar. Maybe in time it'll fade.

CSA

2011-10-18T09:10:00.001-04:00

I signed up for a CSA membership from the farm by my house. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. The basic idea is this: you pre-pay for a membership for the 2012 season. In exchange, you get a weekly box of fresh, local produce direct from the farm.

It's not about saving money. It's actually the same cost as going to the supermarket. The CSA runs for 20-21 weeks from June to October. The annual membership is around $300. That's around $15 a week in fresh produce.

The upside is you get produce that hasn't been transported around the country on a truck. It's healthier, fresher, and feels like you are doing something to help the local community. It'll also expose us to more variety. The farm offers 30-40 different crops every year. Sometimes they make arrangements with other farms to get fruit and corn for the CSA members.

Not to mention we have our own vegetable garden in the backyard. We can supplement the CSA with tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and cucumbers. Hopefully we won't have to buy any produce from the supermarket next year.

We're only on the waitlist so far. You have to apply for membership every January, and it goes to the people who get their money in fastest. A big email goes out to everyone on the waitlist and we're off to the races for a 2012 membership.

Check your local area to see what the family farms are offering.

Goodreads

2011-10-13T08:53:00.001-04:00

I started using Goodreads a few months ago. I thought I was going to hate it, but it's decidedly useful. Surprising, I know.

Here's my usual trip to the library:
1. I have a few books in mind that I want to get. I checked online a few days ago and they are at my local branch.
2. None of the books are available anymore.
3. I can't recall a single title or author that people recommended to me. The sheer amount of books in the stacks make it hard to remember.
4. I browse the young adult section and get something based off the cover art. I stop reading after 4 chapters.

With Goodreads, I can jump on the library's internet and see what's sitting in my to-read pile. I even set up a link between Goodreads and my library to check if the book is available.

Goodreads also has a really good search engine. Yesterday I typed in "Mastiff" the new release from Tamora Pierce. Use your imagination to think about all the books that might have Mastiff in the title. Yet, there it was, listed first in the search engine results. Impressive.

And it's also really good at letting you know the book is in a series, and if it's book 2, 3, or 4, etc. Something Amazon doesn't do clearly. If the book is part of a series, nearly always there will be gray parenthesis after the title with the name of the series and book number. It's really helpful to add the entire series to the to-read pile and never have to recheck the order. I wish I had used Goodreads when I was reading the Miles Vorkosigan saga.

I also like how it keeps track of the number of books read. For example, I know of several bloggers trying to read a book a week or 30 books in 2011. Goodreads is a good way to monitor progress because you can mark the book "read" with the date finished and provide a review if you are so inclined.

If you want to see my to-read pile, here it is. I'm not sure if you have to friend me or what.

2011-10-12T08:03:00.001-04:00

Because it's a new sci-fi show, I feel compelled to watch Terra Nova and give it a review. I've seen all three episodes so far, and while I don't love the show, I'm willing to keep watching.

First, the name sucks. As my husband pointed out, Terra Nova means Earth Star. It makes no sense to name a colony Earth Star.

Two, the physics are a little funny. They come from a future so polluted that you have to wear gas masks to go outside. No one has seen sunlight or eaten real food in years. They go back in time to establish a re-start for the human race....but it's not really back in time because that would change the future. So it's "back in time" to an "alternate time stream". I'm not sure what that means and I've seen every sci-fi plot there is. I think it's a fancy term for an alternate reality or alternate dimension.

It's not explained how the portal works or why they only open it once or twice a year. Only that they discovered it and don't actually control it. Like a wormhole.

I also don't hate going "back in time" to the dinosaurs. Yes, they are all wiped out by an asteroid, but not for 20 million years. That's a long time to figure out what to do. They will have to worry about super volcanoes and the coming Ice Age though.

And they are damn lucky the colony and the vehicles all work on solar cells, because I was about to jump on their asses for using fossil fuels that don't exist yet.

Three, the plot reminds of me the classic Star Trek episode. People get into trouble, it gets bad, then real bad, the colony turns to the scientists to figure it out, they whip something out of their ass, everyone is home for dinner. Which is fine, tons of shows operate that way. I expected to fall into that routine about middle of the season. The first few episodes should be used to explore.

As far as I can tell, the first three episodes occur in the same week as the main characters arrive in ~~Earth Star~~ Terra Nova. They aren't sure of the currency or where to go or how to assimilate. Instead of working on that, we rescue people stranded in a rover from some seriously nasty dinosaurs, then next episode we cure a mysterious virus.

There are a few cliffhangers to keep you watching, like what are the Sixers up to, why did the main characters break the law and have three kids, and what's with the Commander's missing son? The Sixers were the sixth pilgrimage of people, but all of them went bad and split off from ~~Earth Star~~ Terra Nova. Now they are kinda like terrorists.

The cliffhangers are a great idea to propel the story along, but let's face it, this isn't Lost. I wish it were a little more like Lost, because at least the first few episodes of Lost were, "what do we do? how do we treat each other? what is this place? what's edible?"

Four, the characters are missing something. I like the main guy, Jim Shannon. He is a tough guy cop with a good brain on him. He reminds me a lot of Jack Carter from Eureka, only not as funny as Jack. I wish there were more humor in ~~Earth Star~~ Terra Nova.

His wife is the super-smart scientist/doctor that got them invited to ~~Earth Star~~ Terra Nova. Only like 1 in every billion people are invited to the colony and only from English speaking countries. She's a little too motherly and sweet for my tastes. I wish she were a bit more bad-ass like Dr. Statler from Jurassic Park, more willing to pick up a gun and toast them m&$%f!@#g dinosaurs trying to eat her kids.Or at least more ambitious. With her education, you think she'd be more than an away-mission medic.

The kids are okay. They need to be fleshed out more. The son is the oldest and can be angsty. He just found a job at a bar so hopefully he'll not turn into Quark from Deep Space Nine.

The middle girl is my favorite. She's so awkwardly nerdy, constantly spouting out trivia facts that would make Alex Trebeck's head pop off. She also found herself a boyfriend on the first day, so that's pretty awesome. She better be tougher than her mom though, because I don't want to see more than one episode where the BF has to rescue her.

The youngest kid is a nonentity. Basically scenery. I have a feeling this character only exists in order to get in trouble and be saved.

I hope they add a few more STRONG characters to the group. The show depends on it. Anyway, I will keep watching. After all, it's the only big budget scifi show out there.

Colby has staples again

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

And the dog is hurt again. It's been a couple months since the last injury, and now that it's fall and thus a new season, a new injury.

This time, he was running full speed down a rocky hill. He must've knocked loose a glass bottle because we heard it smash and then Colby's chest was covered in blood. I think the bottle broke on the rocks and somehow Colby landed on it. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but the cut is at the big part of his chest. In other words, the lowest part of his torso. (if dogs have torsos).

It's not a bad cut. About 3/4 of an inch and not that deep. It cut through the skin layers, but not like the last injury where you could see his purple tendon. Man was this one a bleeder though. We left a blood trail all the way to the car, doubled up the towels in the backseat.

We kept the towel on it until we were in front of the vet. Which wasn't that long actually. From the time of the slice to the time we saw the doctor, about 40 minutes had passed. Showing up to the vet with a bloody dog (even if it's a small cut) is a surefire way to jump the line.

"Right this way! Come back here! Don't bleed on anything!"

It wasn't crowded, so we didn't annoy too many people.

The clinic we go to has a whole veterinary staff. We weren't familiar with this doctor, but she is the fourth vet so far to say, "that's a big vizsla." He clocked in at 70lbs but I think the scale was in error. I hadn't fed him yet that day. No way he gained 6 pounds in 5 months. No way. When he gets the staples out, we'll weigh him on our home scale. I don't want to jostle him around too much while he's healing.

So it turns out, we got off really easy with this injury. The cut was a very clean slice, no jagged edges or anything that had to be re-cut. No glass shards, no dirt. The bill came out to be $92 which included the doctor's time, the three staples, and the week course of antibiotics. Overall, it was a decent trip to the vet. No waiting, no giant bill.

I did refuse the cone though. One, we have one at home. Two, I can't imagine any scenario where Colby could lick his staples. They are between his legs at the very bottom of his chest. It's not physically possible for him to do so. I'm willing to concede there might be flexi-dogs out there that can do this. When you get a chance, put some peanut butter on your dog's chest and let me know what happens. If 10% of the dogs out there can get the peanut butter, I will admit I'm wrong. I still won't put the cone on though because it's been a few days of healing and he hasn't so much as scratched his staples.

I'm hoping we can get to at least March before the next emergency trip to the vet. We're still waiting for Colby to develop some sense of self-preservation.

Book Review - Running with the Demon

2011-10-07T07:43:00.002-04:00

Terry Brooks' Running with the Demon from the Word and the Void trilogy didn't disappoint, but it didn't thrill either.

Terry Brooks can write the hell out of anything, but even he couldn't take an old theme and make it seem new. Substitute "Word" for "God" and "Void" for "Hell". Age old battle continues.

The characters were decent. He captures a 14 year old girl nicely. Same with the grizzled old knight. Again, a cliche. Well written, but an underdog knight saving an innocent from a terrible future is not new.

Battles between good and evil in order to stave off the apocalypse have been done, and done, and DONE. DONE. It's not original no matter how good of a writer you are. Frankly, I find it lazy.

Another thing that's lazy is setting the book in present-day, small town America. We all know Terry Brooks is a great world builder. But making fantasy worlds takes a lot of time, effort, and creative juices. There are rules to establish, cultures, people, etc. When you set a fantasy book in Illinois, that feels like cheating. You don't have to describe much or invent much. You say, "small town Illinois" and the reader fills in the mental picture themselves. Lazy way to write.

It's a page turner, but don't expect to be blown away.

Kindle

2011-10-06T15:03:00.002-04:00

I got a flu shot yesterday and feel quite horrible today. It's either that or I'm seriously sore from yoga. Maybe both.

Because we were already paying bag fees, I borrowed a Kindle to take to Alaska. Since it was my first time using one, why not a review? Especially since the new ones will be out before Christmas.

Generally, it was a good experience. I didn't miss the feel of a book (much). And it definitely took up less room than 4 library books would have. Still, there were some negatives.

1. The progress bar.
While it's fun to know I'm 30% through Game of Thrones, I'd still like to know the page number. No good reason why, just that I want to know.

2. Fantasy maps.
I'm big into the fantasy genre, which typically has world maps in the beginning of the book and a glossary of characters or terms at the back. The Kindle doesn't allow you to flip easily to reference these. I'm sure there was a way to do it with bookmarks, but I didn't bother to figure it out. It was not as easy as sticking your thumb in the book and flipping really quick.

3. Battery Life
I was impressed with the long battery life. But like the page numbers, I wanted to see how much battery I had left as I was reading. I don't want to leave the book, go to the main page, just to check on the battery.

4. Airplanes
I hated turning it off during takeoff and landing. I know it's an electrical device, but it's also my book. What a waste of 30 minutes sitting there doing nothing waiting for the pilot to allow electrical devices again.

5. Book cost.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for paying authors, editors, and cover artists their fair share. But let's face it, there's no three dimensional product here. No ink, no paper, no shipping. So WTF. eBooks should be a LOT cheaper than this. I paid $9.99 and $7.99 and got Little Fuzzy for free. I chose Game of Thrones because it's 831 pages and is not a quick read.

The negatives aside, when I saw the new Kindle Touch would be compatible with the public library system, I jumped on that. It became item #1 on the Christmas list. Why? Because I can download library books from home. My once-a-week trip to the library is obsolete. I can put up with a whole load of negatives if I can get my library books instantaneously.

Book Review - Game of Thrones

2011-10-04T07:42:00.000-04:00

Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire Book 1 by George R. R. Martin.

Yeah I know HBO has a series made from this book, but the real reason I started reading it was because the author's latest book, A Dance With Dragons, was so hyped when it was released a few weeks ago that I had to check out the fuss.

A Game of Thrones was a great book. Highly unpredictable. It seemed like one awful thing happened after another and left you thinking, but these are the main characters! You can't do that to them! As one character died or was maimed, another rose in his/her place. A true story of the game of thrones.

With that said, it was damn hard to keep track of who was who. Everyone was related or allied or playing both sides. They had family names, titles, and sometimes were called advisor or eunuch. Not only did you have to remember who everyone was, but something about them as well. Since I read this on a Kindle, I wasn't able to easily use the glossary in the back of the book. The Kindle doesn't let you flip like that....well not as easily as putting your thumb in the book and looking.

The book started slow because there was a massive amount of people. Once I got a handle on it though, I tore through the pages. Really long book, definitely worth the read. I can see why it took an entire TV season to get through A Song of Ice and Fire. I'll probably watch the series, but it won't be as much fun now that I know who lives and who dies.

Book Review - Little Fuzzy/Fuzzy Nation

2011-10-03T08:14:00.002-04:00

While I was on vacation, I borrowed a Kindle and went to town on my to-read list. Airports and airplanes will do that to you.

Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper is a free Kindle download. At that price, you have no excuse for not reading this. Little Fuzzy was published in 1962 and has a lot of the themes found in today's science fiction. A powerful mining corporation goes to a jungle planet with vicious beasts with the intent to strip mine it, but finds sentient life instead. Corporate horribleness ensues.

Sounds like Avatar, much?

There's also traces of Star Trek. Little Fuzzy has a few references to a Federation of planets, and has well-established law regarding the rights of sentient peoples. Much like the Prime Directive.

Anyway, it was a great story about what it means to be sentient and how you prove it (or disprove it) in a court of law. There's also some references to using a slide rule and making $18,000 a year as a good job....just in case you forget it was published in the early 60s.

Fuzzy Nation is a John Scalzi reboot of the 1962 classic.

Considering I read the two back-to-back, I was happy it wasn't exactly the same story. Piper's version was more intellectual and was clearly written to make you think about sentient life forms. Scalzi's version was funny and more character-driven. Papa Fuzzy had emotions and Jack Holloway, the protagonist, was more of an enigma. The whole time you couldn't tell if he was motivated by money or for saving the fuzzies. It was a faster, more entertaining read, and I loved the fact Scalzi gave the protagonist a dog. Not just a prop dog, but a separate character that created and reacted to the story. The dog was so lovable, it was a redeeming quality to the protagonist, who was not very lovable at all. Holloway was a good character, but not a good person. Funny though.

Both are great reads; you don't have to read one to read the other. I definitely recommend either of these.

Whale Video

2011-09-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'm not done talking about Alaska, so here's a video of humpbacks. This was taken from a kayak.

Alaska Day 9 and 10

2011-09-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

The last day of the cruise was spent on ship, sailing in the Inside Passage along the Canadian coast. British Columbia seems like a pretty awesome place. This was the last day to see wildlife, so everyone on the ship was scanning the coastline all day long. Binoculars were a must.

We were told to look out for bald eagles, humpbacks, and most especially, killer whales rubbing their bellies on rocks. It was kinda a bust, but we did see a huge pod of Dall porpoise.

The party came to an end when we woke up in Vancouver the next day.

We went right from the ship to the airport, but it looked like an awesome city. We talked to a few people who lived there and they went on and on about all there is to do. I wish we had spent more time in Vancouver, or get the chance to go back one day.

Alaska Day 8

2011-09-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

Ketchikan! So much fun. We started off the day by going kayaking. The water was surprisingly calm, and I thought the constant rain was going to suck. It wasn't so bad actually. We got outfitted in waterproof gear. Totally dry and warm the whole time.

We saw whales! From kayaks! Yes, it was a little scary. The closest we got was 80 yards from the pod. I didn't like it so much when the whales submerged and you didn't know where or when they were going to surface again. The guide said the whales had excellent sonar and would never surface on us....but he said to cluster together to make it look like we're bigger. Seems like a contradiction there.

We saw bald eagles and had a seal follow us for a while too.

The town of Ketchikan is so much fun. There is a great shopping area and restaurants to get CRAB!

They even have an entire street built along the creek, with decking running along the bank. The stores and homes are built on the deck. It's aptly called Creek Street. The shopping was great and watching the salmon swim was a lot of fun.

There was also a lot of culture in Ketchikan. It was a big totem pole area. Great last stop on the cruise ship.

Alaska Day 7

2011-09-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have to say, this day was a waste. I'm not sure what possessed Royal Caribbean to bother with a port like Icy Strait, Alaska. There's nothing there. If you don't pay tons of money for an excursion, there is NOTHING for you to do.

And you don't feel real welcome. We tried to walk the Nature Trail but encountered signs, "no guests past this point." I figure it was probably because of bears, but I noticed the people who paid for the tram tour of the forest go to go past the signs.

About 1.5 miles away was Hoonah - a tiny fishing village that felt more like a 3rd world country. The houses were in shambles. We encountered the same problem in Hoonah - there was nothing to do. So we walked the 1.5 miles back after spending 5 minutes in town.

I can't imagine why ships would stop at Icy Strait Point. A place like Sitka would make much more sense.

See if you can find the blowhole in the below picture.

Alaska Day 6

2011-09-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

Dogs! Actual Iditarod running sled dogs. We did an excursion in Skagway where we got to take a ride with the dogs and talk to the trainer and racer. Totally worth the money.

The dogs run fast. Probably faster than you think. If you are picturing a horse-drawn carriage speed....triple it. These dogs are racers. They train in the summer by lugging cruise ship fattened tourists around to build up muscle. In the winter, they'll run 100 miles a day in -10F temperatures.

There are actually tons of races in Alaska during the winter season, not just the Iditarod. Some are long distance, some are sprints. There are different types of dog teams, breed to win different races. The pictures below are of Alaskan huskies - mutts bred for long distance and extreme cold. However, some of the teams were saw were larger, sleeker, Hound-looking dogs that were built for speed. They nearly lapped us around the track.

Another cool thing about the dogs is because they get constant exercise, an excellent diet, and cross-bred....they live to be 20. The oldest dog in our team was 8 and that's around the retirement age. The retired dogs are used to train the puppies in camp, or are adopted out to the town. 100% adoption rate.

Alaska Day 5

2011-09-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

Yea! We finally get off the boat! And what do we do? We watch the Eagles game all morning. Yup, morning because Juneau is 4 hours behind the East Coast. Another interesting fact about Juneau is that it's inaccessible by car. The only way in or out is by plane or boat. (or cruise ship).

I really liked Juneau. It was a nice place to walk around. The people were very friendly, surprisingly so. I would not be so welcoming if a cruise ship just invaded my town. We hung out with a few locals in a bar watching football. They were nice to us....asked us where we were from, how we thought the Eagles would do, who was on Luke's fantasy team. We ordered beer and soda (at 9:00am it's nasty) and I bought a t-shirt from the bartender.

My only issue with Juneau was the drug store said it opened at 9:00am and it didn't open until 12:00! The bartender just laughed and said they were on Juneau-time. I was not happy because I needed Claritin and some throat drops ASAP. Something about the dampness and constant rain in Alaska had my allergies running high.

Which I think is another reason the locals were nice to us. They only have a few days of clear sunshine a year and that happened to be one of them. One person stopped me on the street and thanked me for bringing the sunshine. Creepy, but I get that you're happy. So the town was in a good mood and we had a good time.

The primary thing to do there is the Mendenhall Glacier. No ice chunks off this one; it's retreating into the mountains. You can hike along the shores of the lake to see it, or take the trail through the rain forest. We did both.

That black and white photo is me next to the waterfall that was next to the glacier. Yes, it is that large.

Alaska Day 4

2011-09-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

The first day at sea we didn't get off the ship. But that's okay because we sailed somewhere awesome. Hubbard Glacier is 75 miles long and 6 miles wide (at the widest point, I'm guessing). The ice is continually flowing into the sea, although it takes about 400 years to get there. Which is why the glacier is LOUD. It sounds like thunder. Chunks of ice calve into the ocean every couple of minutes.

To give you an idea of the height of this, the third picture was taken from our balcony. We were on the 9th deck out of 12. Our room was at the very rear of the cruise ship (we were hanging off the back end) so we got a very good look at the glacier for a long time. It was a pretty awesome day.

Alaska Day 3

2011-09-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

We had to leave Denali in order to make our cruise ship on time. So I booked a bus that took us all the way from the park to Seward, Alaska. It was a 10 hour trip, but it was broken up into 30 minute stops along the way. One of the stops - the best stop- was Talkeetna, Alaska. It was amazingly clear that day and you could see Mt. McKinley from the deck.

The park rangers told us that only 15-30% of visitors ever get to see the mountain, mainly because of the clouds and rain. A clear day is pretty rare. I consider us very lucky to have seen it at all, let alone this good of a view.

Tomorrow, cruise ship pictures!

Alaska Day 2

2011-09-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

Denali was amazing. I could talk about it but why bother. I have pictures.

Alaska Day 1

2011-09-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

We just got back from a 10 day vacation in Alaska. We did part in Denali, part on a cruise ship. Here are the pictures from Day 1!

We got into Anchorage around midnight, local time. It felt like 4am. The Anchorage airport was surprisingly nice...and busy! Seems like the whole city leaves or arrives in the small hours of the night. The shops and restaurants were open, people were everywhere, and there were plenty of cabs to be found. I didn't expect that in a city of only 300,000 people.

The cab ride was a typical taxi found anywhere. A guy listening to Radio Ghaddafi and screaming into his cell phone. The hotel was great though. We stayed at the Anchorage Grand Hotel, right by the rail depot. The room was awesome....huge bed, two sofas, a kitchen, lots of space. My favorite was the continental breakfast. They bring it to your room before 7:00am.

We were only in the room for a few hours because we had to catch the train in the morning to go to Denali. This is a picture of the Alaska Rail Road train at the Anchorage Depot. The train is blue when you look straight on, but when you take a picture along the side, it reflects the scenery.

It was an 8 hour trip to Denali with a couple of stops along the way. There was 2 dining cars and plenty of space to walk around. Even an observation deck and a mini-museum exhibit in one of the cars. Denali is about straight north of Anchorage so we got to see the landscape change into fall colors along the way.

Notice the lack of trees in the last picture. We're getting close to Denali at this point. The trees can't really grow here because of the permafrost - a permanently frozen layer in the ground. The trees can't take root, so they become stunted. A 100 year old tree might only be 10ft high. The area here is mostly tundra or tiaga.

We checked into the McKinley Chalet Resort, which seems to be the place everyone stays. That and the Princess Lodge operated by the cruise ship. Both are right outside the park entrance and both have complimentary shuttle buses to the park visitor center.

Despite that, the room kinda sucked. It had no view and the floorplan was strange. You walk into a sitting area with a writing desk, go through a narrow hallway past the bathroom, and the bedroom had 2 double beds almost on top of each other. There was no room for large suitcases and hardly anywhere to move about. That's okay, we didn't spend much time there. Tomorrow....Denali!

Etsy Finds

2011-09-08T08:10:00.001-04:00

Here are some of my Etsy favorites:

Fortune Cookie Baby Booties are $24 with $5.50 shipping. They come in the Chinese takeout box.

The Eco Pet Bed looks super snuggly. I want one for myself. It's $60 with $15 in shipping. A little out of my price range.

Ah! How cute! The Steampunk Dragon Ring is $69.99 with $5.99 in shipping.

Because Hunger Games is a movie you have to prepare for. You can't just wear anything. This Hunger Games Mockingjay t-shirt is $18 with $4 shipping.

This cool fabric piece, Little Red Elephant on White Cotton, is a $2.49 fat quarter. I'm not sure what I would do with it....potholder? Set of coasters? It sure is trendy.

Book Review - Furies of Calderon

2011-09-07T08:00:00.002-04:00

Wow! I loved this. Awesome, 5-star fantasy novel if you are looking for one. Yes, it's part of a series, but what fantasy isn't?

Jim Butcher is the same author who wrote the Dresden Files. I read the first book but it didn't really grab me. I was expecting the same thing from Furies of Calderon. I'm happy to say my expectations were blown away.

The general plot is about the Calderon Valley in Alera. You have a boy and a landowner living in this harsh valley. Then there's a newly minted Cursor, a young woman on her first mission for the king. There are traitors and villians and strange beasts, and people from another land. There's politics, battles, betrayal, alliances, and death. I love it. This book has everything.

What I love the most about it was the author never explained anything. No backstory. The book started with Amara on her first mission as a Cursor. What the heck is a Cursor? No idea! I don't need to know because throughout the book, I figure it out by people's reactions to her and how she handles situations.

Same with the furies. What's a fury? I'm still not 100% on that, but it's a very powerful entity you can call on to help you with daily chores or fighting flying knights. Everyone has at least one fury dedicated to them. Except for Tavi, the young boy in the Calderon Valley trying to prove to everyone he's not handicapped.

The point is, you don't need backstory to explain things to the audience. I want to figure it out on my own, be shown what the world is like, not have it explained to me. Furies of Calderon did that in a really masterful way; other authors should use this as an example of how to write without backstory.

My one criticism of the novel were the characters. Don't misunderstand, all the characters were well-developed and well-written. There were just too many protagonists. I loved Tavi, the boy who had dreams and determination when everyone thought he was an invalid. I wish we had spent more time in Tavi's point-of-view.

There was also Bernard, the most respected landowner in the valley. He somehow ran a successful homestead in a very harsh land. And he lost his wife and daughters to sickness. I would have loved to spend more time in his brain.

Amara, the Cursor, I didn't really get. I was never really sure how old she was, or what her training was like, and if she could swing a sword or not. You don't discover anything about her - if she has parents or what. I think she could have been written better, but with so many strong characters, there is limited amount of page space.

I would have loved one strong, kick-ass character to carry the whole story. Instead we got 4-5 POVs, all strong characters. I can only hope they will be developed more as the series goes on.

Definitely recommend this one if you are looking for a book to read.

Book Review - Ninth Key

2011-09-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

Ninth Key is the second book in the Mediator series by Meg Cabot. If you want a perfect example of YA pacing and voice, definitely read this series.

The books are getting a little dated. Give the protagonist a laptop and a cell phone and the plot changes greatly. It's making them less enjoyable actually. The protagonist has to wait for her friend to look stuff up, then wait until they are in person again, then she gets the information that would have been helpful two chapters ago....the plot doesn't drag, but a lot of the action scenes could have been avoided if the main character had been more informed (laptop) and could call for help (cell phone).

I like action scenes, but not unnecessary ones.

As for the Ninth Key, not much happened. Sure, there was a plot, but in terms of moving the series along, it didn't do much. Her dead father and her school principal found out about the boy ghost who lives in her bedroom, but the book ended before there was any confrontation about it. We still don't know why the boy has haunted the bedroom for 150 years. She still hasn't talked to him or did anything about the attraction to him. And the whole tarot card Ninth Key symbolism went nowhere.

Enjoyable read, but didn't move the series anywhere. I like Meg Cabot, and I like her writing "voice", but the Ninth Key should have been more thought-out.

Happy Labor Day!

2011-09-05T09:31:00.001-04:00

Hunger Games Preview

2011-09-01T08:05:00.000-04:00

So this is the preview they showed at the VMAs.

Get More: 2011 VMA, Music

Yeah I'm not that impressed either. A girl running through the woods - alone- with firebombs here and there. Hopefully a better trailer is released because that was not a good indication of how awesome the movie will be.

White Dog Bone

2011-08-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

If you haven't heard of White Dog Bone, give it a shot. It's a decent online pet supply store. Most of our dog treats and snacks come from here. The prices on the bully sticks are very reasonable.

For example,

The Red Barn Bully Spring Dog Chews are only $3.25. The price drops if you buy 10 or more.

The 8" Vanilla Braided Rawhide Ring is hugely popular at our house. It's a toy that lasts weeks. I like the braided rawhide because it's harder to chew off pieces; he has to soften it and untwist it. At $5 each, they are half the price of my local pet shop.

Every once in a while, we'll get the Merrick Twin Hoofer which is a big nasty foot. Man, does the dog go nuts for that.

Anyway, give White Dog Bone a try. Sign up for their mailing list; they only email coupon codes. There is a code for a 15% discount that expires tonight at midnight. Use AUGEND2011 at checkout.

Cholesterol

2011-08-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have normal-to-high cholesterol. It means I'm at the top of the "normal" range. I don't have to do anything about it yet, but I probably should prevent crossing into the "high" range.

Which means diet and exercise.

As the diet goes, it means eating less red meat and less shellfish. The doc recommended red meat only once per week - as compared to the burgers we had Monday and the meatballs we had Tuesday and the roast beef sandwiches for lunch....Same with shellfish and shrimp. Cut that back to once a week or once every two weeks.

Instead we munch on more poultry and fish. Increase the amount of Cheerios, fruits, and veggies, and the cholesterol should come down.

Exercise couldn't hurt either. Now it kinda ticks me off to hear that because I feel like I already exercise more than the average 30-year-old American. I go to the gym 3x a week, walk the dog for 45min 4x a week, kayak for an hour at least 1x a week, and sometimes hike on the weekends.

Exercise and lose 8-10lbs, the doctor says.

I don't know how to accomplish that, except jack up the intensity of each gym workout. That makes it less fun. I look forward to my workouts....getting the heart rate up for 30min of cardio really does relieve stress. Pushing it until it hurts is no longer a stress-relieving activity. :(

Oh well, wish me luck.

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

I heard a lot of people say the hurricane wasn't as bad as they thought it would be. Well, for us, it was worse than I thought it would be. Now that the wind has finally stopped, the total damage count is 10 downed trees, 3 uprooted ones, 1 leaky window, 1 downed shutter, and the vegetable garden has to be replanted.

The most noticeable damage was the free in front of our house.

The tree was split in half. We cut up the stuff on the ground and hauled it to a pile in the backyard. I think a wood chipper would be a good investment.

We also had some landscape damage.

That was a heavy bitch. We got it upright and staked, but I think we'll still lose the tree. Too many of the roots were broken.

The tree on the other side of the driveway was uprooted a bit.

That wasn't too terrible to fix. The ground was already wet, which made the tree easy to move. One person would ram it like a linebacker while the other tied knots like a sailor. It took a few tries but we got the tree staked and (nearly) vertical. I won't tell you which job was mine. You'll just have to wonder :)

The willow we planted a year and half ago was also uprooted. We spent the most time on this one because we are proud of this tree. When we bought it, it was small enough to fit in the car.

I think it's going to live because we staked the crap out of it, from every angle.

The biggest pain in the ass is going to be this window.

We had a serious leak. It was the same area we had repaired when we bought the house in April 2010. There was termite damage and wood rot under that window. Now there is a serious leak. We have caulk to do a quick fix, but we might file an insurance claim on this. The drywall will need to be replaced and repainted.

Finally, the trees in the backyard. It looks like one crashed and took the rest down like dominoes. I think they were all dead trees, or soon to be dead trees. Still, now there is a massive clean-up effort. I think we're going to give it a few months when the tree guys aren't so busy. We weren't using this section of the yard, so it's not a big priority.

I realize that we took more damage than most people. Way more damage than anyone else on our street. But walking the dog after the rain finally stopped, I heard at least 4 sump pumps running. So there's that. At least we didn't have water in the basement. And we also never lost power.

Character Names

2011-08-26T08:00:00.002-04:00

Character names can be funny, especially when it comes to remembering them. Sometimes I'll finish a book and can't remember a single character's name, not even the protagonist. Other times I'll remember every single character, first and last names.

Like Jurassic Park. Without looking it up I can name Ian Malcolm, Dr. Sam Grant, Ellie Sattler, John Hammond.

I'm not really sure why some are so unforgettable. They aren't bad stories. I really liked Independence Day yet can't tell you the name of anyone.

I don't really have a theory on this one. It might be the number of times the names are repeated. Like Titanic. Jack! Rose! Jack! Rose! Jack! Rose!

Or it might be the characters are so well written, they become like real people. I'm not sure. I think it would be an interesting study for some PHD thesis. Thoughts?

Earthquake

2011-08-24T08:01:00.000-04:00

Yes, I made it through my first earthquake. I know all you Californians and Alaskans are laughing at us East Coasters, but this is crazy shit we do not have.

At first we thought the rumbling was someone's joke. I work on the fourth floor in a brand new building. The floor has been known to oscillate if someone walks by with heavy footsteps, jumps up and down, or even drops something heavy. It's a little annoying; your monitor shakes then it stops.

It started in the floor first. After a few seconds of shaking, people stood up in their cubicles and looked around to see who was doing it. There were a few jokes, a lot of people saying, "knock it off".

Then shit got serious and all giggles stopped. A huge wave rolled through the floor and the walls shook. Ceiling panels fell down, pictures came off the wall....the scariest part were the sounds. The building rumbled you heard the ceiling panels crash here and there.

Being an East Coaster all my life, earthquake did not immediately jump to mind. You know what did? The tenth anniversary of 9-11. Pictures of the Pentagon on fire. I thought we had been hit by a truck. In the half second after the quake and before the experienced Californians called for the evacuation, I was waiting for the fireball.

And to those West Coasters making fun of us, the transplants were the first people to shout, "earthquake! everyone out!" I didn't see one of them shrug it off and go back to work. Then they scared the crap out of us saying how bad the aftershocks were going to be.

The office building was evacuated; all 4000 people out in the parking lot. We were out there for an hour while inspectors checked for structural damage. No one had thought to grab water or anything intelligent as we waited on the hot asphalt. Cell phone service wasn't working, but you could get a text out if you tried a couple of times.

There wasn't any structural damage, but they decided to let us go home early anyway. Just to check on loved ones and our homes. Plus, it was distracting to see the ceiling panels on the floor. No one was hurt luckily.

Actually the evacuation is something we're good at. We drill evacuation procedures pretty regularly. At the start of every work day, every employee logs onto the system and indicates whether they are "present for duty", "in training", "teleworking", etc. Supervisors are supposed to print out the roster, so they can grab it in case of an evacuation drill.

Each organization has a designated rally point outside the building. Supervisors are supposed to have that roster and check off names as people arrive. Our supervisor was in the gym when the earthquake hit and therefore didn't have our roster, but as a group we identified who was at home, who was on leave, who was supposed to be there, who as missing. In a few minutes, we had 100% accountability. Top that, West Coasters!

In conclusion----big scary stuff, no injuries and little damage. I'll take earthquakes over terrorists any day.

Dog Food

2011-08-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking about switching Colby's food for a while. He currently gets Verus, which is a good brand at a good price. It's not grain free, but he's done really well on it and has been very healthy.

However, he's also stopped eating it. I've been mixing chicken broth, yogurt, milk, and sometimes boiled chicken into his food. I think he's getting bored with the Verus flavors and maybe it is time to buy the top brand, grain-free stuff.

I found this website online that grades the current pet foods. Dogfoodadvisor.com looks to be the best resource for information that I've found. It looks at the ingredient list in detail and the meat content, then gives the food a rating. 5 stars is the best.

Verus ranks as a three star food. I thought it would do better, but there you go. Apparently it doesn't have as much meat as it should.

I think after this next bag, I'm going to switch to Before Grain by Merrick. It's more money but at least it's 5 stars. And available on Amazon. I recommend you look up your brand of pet food on dogfoodadvisor.com and see what you are really feeding your pet.

Deck Progress!

2011-08-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

Hooray! Deck progress! Last week we actually had a break in the rain and the construction crew managed to get a decent amount of work done. On Wednesday they put the support beams in concrete. I am impressed they manged to make everything level because that slope in the yard is as severe as it looks. They put the beams in first, then cut them all to the same horizontal plane. I imagine that is harder than it sounds.

Actually, they aren't all to the same plane. There is an upper level and a lower level to the deck. See where the line of three windows are? We didn't want to look out and see ankles, so we asked for a step down in the middle of the deck. It decreases the functional area but will look more normal.

The next day, the crew came back and did the frame work.

It's actually starting to look like something. The plans had to be changed somewhat. Instead of having the deck flush with the kitchen door, there will be a 3x3 box right outside the door. So you step out onto the 3x3 platform, then take another step down to get to the deck. Not the safest thing ever, and it cuts into the useful area, but apparently there was a problem with the placement of the existing electrical outlet. It was right in the way. The crew made an executive decision to change the plans, mainly because they wanted to keep working. Kinda sucks because I would've hired an electrician to move the outlet higher. But it's a working solution and this crew was a good deal cheaper than everyone else. I can live with a 3x3 platform. If people fall off, we can always put planters or stuff around it to make the step more obvious.

I think that's the end of the wood....well, except for the staircases. Should be all composite material from now on.

Career Crap

2011-08-17T07:37:00.000-04:00

I had to do something unpleasant yesterday. I found a problem at work, wrote a memo about it, and sent it to the boss with a recommendation to fix it. You can guess what happened next. I have 1 week to complete what it would take a team of people to complete in 6 months.

Not awesome, but I have no regrets.

A few of the junior members of the office had questions about what I had done. That's fine, they probably weren't ever put in that situation and wanted to know how to handle it. So we went out to lunch and I told them a few horror stories.

Then it occurred to me...I have an endless supply of horror stories. In fact, my career seems to be comprised of one crappy event after another.

I have reported people for ethics violations.

I found live ammo packaged in a carton of blanks.

I was at a demonstration for a prototype robot when it turned and aimed a loaded weapon at the crowd. I was in the front row.

I worked for a boss so openly hostile, I still refer to him as my arch-nemesis. I did that for a year.

I watched the intern I was training be lead away from his cubicle by the cops.

There have been difficult people, combative people, stupid people, lazy people...I've worked with them all.

I struggled to think of stories that had a happy ending. There are a few of them, but they are vastly outnumbered by the bad. I've only been doing this for 8 years too. The bright spot is 2 years in the middle; I liked the people I worked with, liked the work, and didn't mind getting up in the morning. Then I got married and had to move.

Dog Training Update

2011-08-16T11:35:00.000-04:00

My training Colby not to steal our shoes has taken a different track. I originally thought bombing the house with toys would work. He'd choose a toy instead of a shoe to get our attention. Every time he picked up a toy, he got played with. When he grabbed a shoe, he got put on the leash and lost his freedom.

I have no idea why that didn't work. All I know is that it failed miserably. I might as well have been trying to teach Colby calculus. We clapped, cheered, and rewarded him for choosing toys. It didn't help. He still prowled the house for the easy flip flop or open laundry basket.

Then a miracle happened. A few days ago he grabbed my sock. Now, what usually happens is this:

1. Colby tries to run away.
2. I walk in the opposite direction.
3. Colby trots over to brag about the sock.
4. I grab his collar and make him sit.
5. I give him a few chances to drop the sock on his own accord. "Drop it!"
6. That doesn't work. Ever.
7. I tell him to stay and get the leash.
8. I hook him to the leash and give him a few more minutes to drop it. This has a 50/50 success rate.
9. If it's still in his mouth, he gets walked around the house until he drops the sock. This has a 90% success rate.

Anyway, back to the miracle. I got the sock back at step 4.5! He sat. I said, "drop it" only once, and poof! The sock fell out of his mouth and on the floor!

Not only that, but he didn't snatch it back up. We looked at each other in a Mexican standoff. Who's the faster draw?

But at that point, I was so thrilled to see the sock on the ground, I couldn't get all the "good boy"s out of my mouth fast enough. I ran for the fridge to get a whole piece of cheese. Yeah, yeah I shouldn't trade my sock for food, but I don't see it that way. It was a reward for dropping the sock. He didn't know about the cheese.

Well now he does know. He's been taking stuff just to drop them at my feet. Pretty often too - a few times a day. Colby doesn't get a whole piece of cheese anymore, but I do keep boiled chicken in the fridge. Whenever I get a shoe/sock/bra/hat back without a fuss, he comes with me to the fridge and gets his chicken.

It's not perfect, but it's not as big of a hassle either. Our stuff isn't getting destroyed, just moved around a bit. It's an improvement and I'll take it.

Book Review - Martha Wells

2011-08-15T08:52:00.000-04:00

I made it through The Wizard Hunters by Martha Wells and I'm halfway through the second book of her trilogy. I don't hate it; I don't love it. If my library says my books are due tomorrow, I could drop them off without a second glance. But since they are sitting on my nightstand and I made a special trip to the library for Martha Wells, I continue to read them.

She had a few books nominated for awards; The Death of the Necromancer was a 1998 Nebula Award Nomine. Of course when I got to the library, none of those books were available. So I picked up the Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy.

Eh.

My problem is not with the plot, nor the character development. It's with Wells' writing technique. I think she was sick the day her creative writing class discussed Show vs Tell. It's a pretty important writing rule that makes authors "show" their characters' traits, not "tell" the reader about them.

I don't have the book in front of me for an exact example, but here's as best as I can remember.

Stoic person that he was, Giliead's face was unreadable.

Wells told us the character was stoic and unreadable instead of showing us. I believe a more talented writer would have described the character as such:

When he heard the news, Giliead might as well have been a mountain. Tall and formidable, yet completely expressionless.

Okay, a more talented writer would have done a better job than that. For example, take Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter books. The "telling" example would be:

A good student that she was, Hermione ran to her next class to avoid being late.

Instead, we know Hermione altered time so she could attend even more classes. We know she hangs out in the library and always has the right answer. We're shown she is a good student.

It's not easy to always "show" your character. But there is reason for it. When you show traits and personality quirks, it gives your writing a voice. Instead of saying Giliead is stoic, saying he is like a mountain gives personality to your words. Imagine hearing the story being told aloud to you. One is a bland way to say it; the other more interesting.

Deck Construction

2011-08-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Construction has been started! We're finally getting a deck.

Holes in the ground are a good start!

Falling Skies Finale

2011-08-11T07:23:00.000-04:00

By now you have watched the finale for Falling Skies, right? If not, stop here.

Disappointing wasn't it? The first hour should have been battle prep and tearful goodbyes. Instead, they have the commander a drug problem and had him go a little crazy. He already had his breakdown in the last episode when he went to his family home to die. Such a great character and they give him a drug problem too. Shameful.

Then, out of nowhere, he decides the professor is right, tells the fighters exactly what the mission is, and oh-by-the-way already stopped taking drugs. So the past hour was a non-issue. There was no transition from crazy to normal. One minute the commander locks up the professor, the next he agrees with him. Waste of an hour.

The second part of the 2 hour finale starts and you think finally there is going to be a battle. Stuff blowing up, suicide missions, and survival of mankind at stake. There was a battle, but you didn't get to see any of it. Instead, we got to watch Ben and the old guy fuss with old radios until they block the aliens' communication. Really weird the military didn't figure out how to do that when the aliens first invaded, right? Even if Ben does has special abilities now, if all it takes is him some old radios in a high school science lab, I'm pretty sure someone would have done it already. Like waaaayyy earlier before millions of people died.

As for the alien attack on the school, that was lame. One alien mech is sent and the dumb people blow all their ammo on it. Then 6 more mechs show up. They switch on the radio antenna and humans win the day. Arg! I was promised a final battle! Mechs, skitters, aircraft! Total let down.

Then the professor finds the commander, who seems to be the only survivor out of 50 in the battle we didn't get to see. The professor shoots a single RPG and takes out 1 aircraft (there are dozens) and NOW the aliens want to negotiate?!? Because they didn't expect resistance? That's nuts! Surely the military of the world did more damage than that during the first invasion before they were overrun. All that's left are the stragglers of human civilization and suddenly the aliens want to negotiate with them.

How lame. Every single episode was wonderful up to the finale. The finale is supposed to be a climax with a cliffhanger. The professor should have been captured while fighting for his right to live, not holding hands with a future skitter to negotiate with the aliens who "didn't expect such resistance".

Season 2 next summer better make up for that crap.

Float On by Modest Mouse

2011-08-10T07:24:00.000-04:00

I've been listening to this song a lot lately. It came out in 2004 and was nominated for a Grammy in 2005. It's about we have to relax and stay calm and take life as it comes.

backed my car into a cop car the other day
Well he just drove off sometimes life's ok
I ran my mouth off a bit too much oh what can i say
Well you just laughed it off it was all ok

I'm not sure why, but it gives me hope.

And the Stocks Fall Down

2011-08-08T16:23:00.000-04:00

I'm going to make this short. The government exists to protect our future and our freedoms. More specifically, the federal government is responsible for our economy and foreign policy. So when you see the stocks crash today and your retirement investments turn to ash, ask yourself if the government protected your interests.

Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it.

John Adams, Thoughts on Government, 1776

Yet, we the people, do nothing. I don't see anyone marching on Washington do you?

TV Review - Walking Dead

2011-08-04T08:49:00.000-04:00

I rented the first season of Walking Dead from Netflix. I got through the first 4 episodes and I can't stop watching.

That doesn't mean that I love it. It just means I can't stop watching. I like the characters and the stuff that happens to them....I have to know how they overcome. The cliffhangers are the best that I've seen. One episode ended with the main character trapped in a tank with a zillion zombies surrounding him. You know he lives, but how on Earth does he get out of there?

Truthfully, I find the plot a little dumb. Zombies take over the world? It's really gory and hard to watch at times. People die left and right, until you start to wonder if this is the apocalypse or if it's a sickness, as the show's writers suggest. Just when you buy into the sickness theory, the zombies overrun Atlanta, the headquarters for the CDC. The zombies took over the world in about a week. There can't be anyone left to cure the sickness.

So why keep watching if it's not going to end happy? The cliffhangers, I tell you. The writers know exactly how much information to give you and when to end each episode. I appreciate good writing and good acting. Enough that I can overlook the plot and the gory, blood-everywhere, entrails flying scenes.

If you are a zombie lover, I highly recommend this series. The second season doesn't start until October on cable.

Dog Training Woes

2011-08-03T07:51:00.000-04:00

1 Flip flop bit the dust last night.

Colby got 10 minutes of fetch, followed by a 30 minute walk. He stopped the walk, not me. He wanted to go home because it was hot.

Then he took a nap. 30 minutes of fetch after he woke up. He ate dinner, took another nap. Got another 15 minutes of running outside. He was at the door asking to go inside.

Gave him a marrow bone to chew for 30 minutes. Took a nap on the couch. Then at 9:30pm, he slunk off toward the kitchen. I figured he was getting a drink. In total stealth mode, he snuck into the laundry room, grabbed a flip flop, took it into another room, and shredded it.

This is not about attention or exercise. He passed by 3 toys on his way to the flip flop. Colby spent the rest of the night on a leash and lost his couch privileges. It just doesn't seem to matter. Tomorrow night will be something else. Short of putting him on the leash all the time, I don't know how to fix this.

Dog Training Update

2011-08-02T07:28:00.000-04:00

After bombing the house with toys, we're still struggling with Colby stealing stuff. He destroyed a pair of my underwear, grabbed my husband's hat, and got a hold of a blue pen. Now we have ink stains on the carpet and someone has a blue paw.

In other words, it was a usual week at our house.

Except that it wasn't. He grabbed toys all the time, as well as our stuff. It was a free-for-all for grabbing shit. He wanted to play all the time. We are doing our best to reward his choices - playing tug, find it, and chasing him around the house. We go outside for a game of fetch several times a night. Colby still gets his 30-45min walk when I get home and on the weekends he goes kayaking with us. Last Sunday we crossed the lake 7 times, estimating the dog swam close to a mile in an hour timespan.

The dog is getting exercise. I'll go apeshit on the person who says we're not exercising him. I swear I will, so don't even suggest it. I even put Colby on the treadmill several times this week.

Before you haters jump on that, the dog loves the treadmill. I open the door to the room and he goes right to it, sits patiently for the machine to start. When we turn it off, he sits on the belt and waits for a treat. And when it's 10:00pm and he passed over 3 toys to steal your flip-flop, there's not much else to do to drain his energy. I'm not going for a walk in my pjs and I'm too tired to play fetch.

In conclusion, the dog has gone psycho and my training method sucks.

Movie Review - Cowboys and Aliens

2011-08-01T08:50:00.000-04:00

Yes! I waited months to see this and it finally came out this weekend. It is pretty much as advertised - cowboys vs aliens. I was expecting the stunts to be over the top. Cowboys leaping off buildings onto ships, doing a few flips in the air, and no one getting injured.

The stunts weren't that unrealistic and plenty of people got injured or killed. The movie didn't seem real concerned with consistency. In one shot, there are 20 cowboys riding to battle. A quick look back and now there are 40. And about 50 of them died from alien encounters. Plus all the magically reappearing hats from scene to scene.

That didn't really distract from the movie though. For a summer blockbuster, it was very unpredictable. It had several twists that I never saw coming. It still had the generic aliens though. The green-grayish hue with green blood and extremely hard to kill and zero clothes. I haven't seen an alien wearing clothes since Star Trek. No, I don't count the loin cloths in Avatar or the human-appearing aliens in V.

The aliens were pretty much the same as Independence Day, Falling Skies, Alien, and Signs. They are bigger, strong and fast like gorillas, and can take a large number of bullets. Another consistent scifi theme were human bodies as fragile, easily repairable vessels. There are countless ways to kill/injure us, but aliens still choose to take our form because we can be repaired.

I liked the plot and all the surprises; I liked the characters. The aliens were what I expected them to be. The acting? I think Daniel Craig did a good job. He had about 10 lines in the whole movie, but did a lot of acting with body language and facial expressions. I give him a solid A. I didn't understand why he was wearing skin-tight clothing though. It was hard not to look at his ass, and I don't even like butts. Butts are gross.

As for Harrison Ford....well, don't go expecting a Fugitive or Air Force One performance. (Get off my plane!) I was disappointed with him. He was given a great, dynamic character and didn't do much with it. At first appearance he's an old Army Colonel and a above-the-law cattle rancher. As you learn more about him, you see that he's a good person who took in an orphaned Indian and raised him as a son. He has motivation and a kind heart with a gruff exterior. Really good character, not good acting.

Is Cowboys and Aliens worth seeing? I'll tell you what. This weekend I saw two movies: Crazy Heart and Cowboys and Aliens. Crazy Heart won several Academy Awards and Golden Globes. Cowboys probably won't even be nominated for anything. I fell asleep during one of these movies. The other movie, I enjoyed immensely, enough to run to the theater and blog about it. Granted, it's not for everyone. My husband asked several times in the theater if that part was cool and if we actually like this. I answered, "We love this."

Cowboys and Aliens

2011-07-29T07:10:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder, Cowboys and Aliens comes out today!

Dog Training

2011-07-28T07:56:00.000-04:00

I had a couple of people ask how we are training Colby not to steal our socks/shoes/hats/underwear etc. And I've had a few people offer suggestions on how to go about it.

Usually, I love suggestions. But in this case, we've had the dog for 3 years and we haven't made any progress on the stealing. It hasn't been for lack of trying either. So let's get the suggestions out of the way first.

Don't chase him when he steals something. It becomes a game.
No shit, really? We DON'T chase him. When he takes something, he gets a loud "Hey! No!" Then we slowly get up, grab his collar, and make him sit until he drops it. He can't move until he lets it go. If he lets go quickly, we run to the cabinet for a treat. If it takes several minutes, he gets a praise and pat on the head. Often though, he lunges for the sock right after he dropped it and you're back where you started.

Don't trade him treats for your sock back. That reinforces the behavior.
Yup. Although, I will admit that when we're in a hurry, like when we have to go to work, we will show Colby a treat to get him to drop it. He doesn't ever get the treat, not if we show it to him first. Please understand we have been doing this drill for over a year and it gets tiresome. Especially if it's the 3rd time he's stolen something that day.

He needs more exercise.
Well, crap. I already dedicate a huge chunk of my free time to his exercise. He plays in the morning, goes for a 45 min walk when I get home, 30 minutes of running in the yard after dinner, and most days we play "Find it" where we hid a toy and he has to look for it. He gets a solid 2 hours of exercise plus a ton of attention daily.

You should try Sour Apple spray.
Never again. Somehow we ended up tasting that for several days. You spray it on your shoes, you touch your shoes to put them on, and then poof. It ends up in your mouth, like magic. Plus, it didn't stop Colby. He just puked more.

What we're doing differently is bombing the house with toys. There are a plethora of toys in the family room and bedroom, the two main areas where he steals the most stuff. If he picks up a toy instead of a sock, he gets played with. If he picks up a sock, he gets offered a toy instead. If he chooses not to take the toy, we go back to sitting until he drops it.

Yes, it takes longer. It sometimes sucks to stop what you're doing, just to reward him for making the right choice. I searched the interwebs for a quick fix, but there isn't one. I'm hoping having the toys around will encourage him to make the correct choice. Though, it may be too subtle of a message. Wish us luck.

Knights of Badassdom

2011-07-27T13:25:00.001-04:00

OMG I have to see this movie on opening day.

Deck Design

2011-07-26T07:42:00.000-04:00

We designed this ourselves, then got quotes from contractors on the design. It helped to compare prices. The deck is also going to have storage underneath, covered by a white lattice. I'm excited about it. We can finally have a place for people to hang out that's not in front of the TV. We're waiting on the homeowner's association approval and the county permits.

Catch Up

2011-07-25T07:54:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted in a while, so here's the bullet-form update on me.

1. I'm bloody sick of the heat.

2. Colby turned 3 on Saturday! I bought him a birthday treat that he hated. Ended up bringing him bacon home from a diner instead.

3. Found out that Colby really likes kiddie pools. Only he's too large. He kept trying to lay down in a baby pool looking much like a horse trying to lay down in a bucket.

4. We signed a contract for a deck. Construction begins in August and will last 2 weeks.

5. I'm getting more and more nervous about the debt ceiling. If nothing is done, I probably won't get paid. That's an especially bad thing because we just signed a contract for the deck. Income would be nice.

6. My toes are healing, slowly. I have another follow-up appointment next week with the podiatrist. $35 for a doctor to inspect my scabs is a waste of money.

7. I still get irritable when I'm around people for too long.

8. In the past 2 weeks, 3 people have told me they were pregnant. I know deaths come in 3s, I guess babies do too. They are all due around the same time.

9. Saw the Hope Diamond. And Marie Antoinette's earrings.

10. We're starting a new training regimen to stop Colby from stealing socks, shoes, and hats.

Summer Shows

2011-07-20T07:34:00.000-04:00

I have never worked in an office of mostly women before. There are some differences, mainly in the choice of TV shows. It might not sound big, but when it's all they talk about at lunch, it's somewhat off-putting.

Here are the shows I watch during the summer. And I think I have awesome taste, so naturally these are the shows cool people watch.

Breaking Bad
Leverage
Falling Skies
Eureka

I'm trying to give Alphas a chance. I also want to catch Wilfred on FX. Here's the show's tag line: Everyone else sees Wilfred as a dog, but Ryan sees a crude, surly, irrepressibly brave and honest man in a dog suit. It stars Elijah Wood. There have been 3 episodes already but they are online.

So yeah, awesome shows, slightly more intelligent and exciting than Gray's Anatomy. I bet these ladies never even heard of Torchwood or Battlestar Galactica.

Nice Person, Mean Voice

2011-07-19T07:36:00.000-04:00

Did you ever notice that the more you try to be a nice person, the meaner your inner voice gets? It's like a balance that needs to be equalized, until it gets to the point where the inner voice is louder than the outer and the smile on your face is fake.

Like when you're listening to the same story from the same person for the third time that week. You want to be polite and look attentive, but the inner voice is screaming, "OMG not again! Is he senile?"

Or when you ask someone how their evening was, and you get a detailed description of what they cooked and how it tasted....Unless you did something out of the ordinary, like saw a movie or went out to dinner, the correct answer is "nothing". If you went home, walked the dog, had dinner, and watched TV, that counts as "nothing". Just like describing the "crazy" dream you had last night, no one cares what you cooked for dinner. Inner voice - "OMG she really thinks this is interesting!"

The inner voice keeps getting louder and louder until it needs to be unleashed. I'm nearly to the breaking point, and I'm hoping this blog post helps. Maybe it's the heat. I don't know. I'm at the point where everyone is irritating! And I'm pretty sure it's my fault.