Two Week Vow of Silence

Well, not really a vow so much as circumstance. Sorry, y'all. I am alive; although, I also am buried up to my ears in copy editing. I've literally been working on it for the past two weeks all day, every day that I have off from my "real" job (and many days that I don't have off). So I haven't done anything that felt blog-worthy, and I'm afraid today will be more of the same. I do, however, have high hopes of finishing by this weekend and getting back to our semi-regular semi-scheduled posting then. Bear with me.

Perfect Fit

It's been a long day in the ol' sewing room. Lots of washing and ironing and folding of the fabric stash (using the method recently mentioned by Stardust Shoes here and its innovator here). I'm not nearly done. Also accomplished much mending of dog toys, some random towels. And finished the dog bed. Remember that random little cubby in our living room? I think you're meant to put your tv in there, but that didn't work for us. But a couple of days ago, the husband saw Chewy crawl in there for a nap. It always looked conveniently dog-sized to me, but Chewy had never shown any interest before. Lo and behold! The foam we'd bought months ago for the bed fit perfectly! Chewy seems to approve.

Shave and a Haircut (or, "Holy Crap, That Doodle's a Poodle!")

Oh. My. God. I had no idea a haircut could be this traumatizing. A haircut on someone else. On a dog. I have spent the weekend stunned. In utter shock. I have a new dog.

(old, familiar, fuzzy Chewy)

Let me begin with the Tucson heat, which picked up last week into the 80s already. During one of our walks, earlier in the evening, Chewy threw up when we got back to the house. Poor little guy either had some mild form of heat stroke or just drank too much water too fast or something. I felt awful. A fur coat in 85-degree heat is no fun.

So we decided it was time to shave him for the summer, which we'd always planned to do. Most people with remotely long-haired dogs in Tucson shave them for the dog days [pun intended]. We thought we'd give it a go ourselves first, see if we could save some money, though we knew it probably wouldn't work. If it were that easy, no one would pay the groomers.

(sorry attempt at home-grooming; we didn't dare touch his face)

We were right. It did not work. Chewy was pretty well-behaved and tolerant of our attempts, but his fur is so dang thick the clippers kept getting stuck. We tried trimming him with scissors first to reduce the bulk before clipping. No dice. We finally gave up and made an appointment at the groomers.

The husband wanted him to get a mohawk, an idea stolen from a friend of ours, whose terrier Duncan rocks his own mohawk regularly. He also wanted a goatee and the feathers on the backs of his legs. I was fine with whatever. He's a dog. It's just fur.

We dropped him off and as we left I jokingly said to the husband, "I hope I recognize him when we get back." (FORESHADOWING! FORESHADOWING!)

When they called us to pick him up, I started getting really nervous. A feeling that only increased as we got closer to the groomer. We walked in and I saw a huge pile of his golden fur all over the floor. I knew it was going to be drastic. He came out and I swear to God I did not know my own dog! As the husband was trying to tell the groomer she forgot to leave the beard, I kept hissing at him, "Who is this dog? This dog is a stranger!", meanwhile, trying desperately to act normally toward Chewy so as not to freak him out, too! I didn't want him to feel he'd gotten a bad haircut. I was floored. I felt I didn't know him at all. I felt like I'd been given someone else's dog. I arrived with my fluffy, golden, sheepdog-looking goofball and got back a poodle. A poodle!

Yes, I know he's half poodle. Yes, I know we've always said how poodle-y he looks when wet. But do you see his face? That is the face of a poodle! I had no idea his face was that long and skinny and poodle-y. I had no idea he was such a poodle. I have a poodle. He was hiding in sheep's clothing (almost literally! Friends have called him a sheep!) for six months.

Poodle. Poodle. Poodle. The word has lost all meaning.

And I knew the second I got him home and got down on the floor with him and played with him and cuddled him that I'd know he was the same old Chewy. And of course I did and he was. But, man, what a shock. And now that I'm used to it, I think the mohawk is cool. Fits his goofball personality. And I think he's much cooler temp-wise, and more comfortable, which is the whole point. I've been threatening the cats with a mohawk next.
And, incongruously, here's a shot of Puck rolling in the carrot bits that Chewy started to eat, then abandoned. Maybe the heat's getting to him, too. He's lost his head completely. Mohawk for you, too, Puck!

When a Role in the Grass Turns Deadly (or, Growing Up Omega)

No sewing today. Very disappointing. I got caught up in my own personal brand of cleaning, which is very disjointed and impulsive, usually involving ranging from one room to another, dropping tasks mid-completion as I am distracted by new disorder. What started out as folding laundry ended with reorganizing the kitchen and plans to make curtains for the bathroom. The laundry remains half-folded. So, Chewy's bed and the dress remain half-sewn.

Chewy graduated from his intermediate training class today. By the skin of his teeth. Which is my fault, not his. We missed last week's class. Just completely spaced it. So I had no idea what to prepare for graduation and instead chose wisely to do nothing with him for two weeks so as not to overtrain him. I did a good job of that and he was very convincing in his role as he pretended to suddenly not even know his name, never mind "go to bed," "roll over," or "settle." Whatever. He had fun. Won a couple of balls. Got some treats. It was doggy heaven. No graduation picture this time, though, sorry.

I do have some new kitty pictures. Here's a frame-by-frame of a feline drama I recently witnessed:

I know...I was scared there near the end, too. I hear Lita's up for leading omega, while Bob has been nominated for her cameo. I'm so lucky to have two kitties in the biz.

Who out there is as in love with the Target dollar racks as I am? I scored a couple of major finds last week:

The pirate headband goes with the pirate ring, the pirate necklace, and the pirate earrings I also bought. I am a fully accessorized pirate. It's never too early to plan for Halloween. And I've already worn the camo headband twice and gotten compliments. Compliments, people! On a camo headband! That cost $1!! I didn't know I could pull off such a feat. Soon I'll get around to doing something with the tote bags other than stare at them. I'm not sure what because they're too nice to put with my grocery tote stash, but I don't know how well they'd work as actual purses. Maybe they'll tote someone's gift to them in lieu of wrapping paper? Come on, who's due for a gift? Speak up. The best score of all from the most recent Target spree has yet to be named as it is Easter-related and I don't want to break out the Easter blogs before St. Paddy's. That would be so Christmas 2006. You'll have to wait.

Try This!

Hey peeps. I've offered my dear friend hijacking privileges on my blog once per month to post her new endeavor: a spin-off of Martha Stewart's Good Things, but from all the real people she knows, not just Martha. And probably not all the real people she knows, but the smartest ones. Who returned her email.

And she's hoping for her own blog one day, but is currently without the high-speed Internet.

Anyway, we're working out some formatting issues, so bear with us.

In other news, pictures of a Chewy bed forthcoming soon! My dress is on hold.

Without further ado, here's her first installment of Try This!

Try This!

March 2007

RECIPES:

Pan-Seared Tilapia with Sautéed Green Beans and Grape Tomatoes

1/4 lb green beans, trimmed
4 tilapia fillets (5-6 oz each)
Wegmans Pan Searing Flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp chopped shallots
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 pkg. (10 oz) grape tomatoes, halved

1. Blanch green beans 1-2 min in large pot of boiling, salted water. Drain; set aside.
2. Dust tilapia with pan-searing flour. Pat off excess.
3. Heat oil in skillet on MEDIUM-HIGH, until oil faintly smokes; add fish.
4. Turn over when fish changes color one-quarter of the way up and seared side has turned paper bag-brown, 2-3 min. Reduce heat to MEDIUM. Cook 3-5 min, until internal temp reaches 120 degrees; check by inserting thermometer halfway into thickest part of fish.
5. Add butter, shallots and thyme to pan. Swirl. Baste with spoon, 1-3 min, until internal temp reaches 130 degrees. Transfer to clean platter; let rest at least 2 min.
6. Add green beans and tomatoes to pan; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Serve over tilapia.

This Tilapia dish is super simple, quick to make, and so good!

-Melisza Campos

Easiest & Tastiest Nacho Dip Ever

8 oz. softened cream cheese (nonfat works fine)

2 "good" cups shredded cheddar cheese

½ jar of pineapple salsa (or regular salsa with pineapple chunks added)

2-3 chopped scallions

1 small jar sliced black olives (optional)

Put all together in a casserole dish of some kind and heat at 350 degrees for 15-20 min. Stir up and serve with corn chips. YUM!

-Kary Fronk

Easy Baked Ziti

1 pkg. (16 oz.) ziti pasta

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 container (15 oz.) POLLY-O Original Ricotta Cheese

1 pkg. (8 oz.) POLLY-O Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. MIX spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese and reserved 1/2 cup pasta cooking water in large bowl. Add pasta and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese; mix lightly. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Cover. BAKE 30 min.; uncover. Bake an additional 10 min. or until heated through.

This baked ziti is a perfect low cost dinner and a great dish to pass at a pot luck.

-Melisza Campos

CHICKEN CURRY STIR FRY
2T Chicken bouillon
3/4 C water
1/4 tsp Garlic powder
1-1/2 tsp Curry powder
2T Cornstarch
1/4-1/2lb Chicken, cut into thin strips
1 Pkg Frozen Stir Fry Vegetables
2T water
1C grape tomatoes, sliced in half

Dissolve bouillon in water.
Add garlic powder, curry powder, and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside.
Stir fry chicken to cooked through.
Add vegetables and water. Cover and cook over medium heat 7-10 minutes.
Add sauce, cover, and cook until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
Add tomato, and heat through.
Serve over brown rice.

This recipe was successful in getting my husband to eat vegetables – a rare thing!

-Sommer Pearson

Cracked Chocolate Earth with Whipped Cream (Flourless Chocolate Cake):

1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces

(I used 1/2 bittersweet, 1/2 semisweet)

1 stick unsalted butter

9 large eggs, separated

3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon

1 cup heavy cream, cold

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter/spray a 9-inch spring form pan.

Put the chocolate and butter into the top of a double boiler (or in a heatproof bowl) and heat over (but not touching) about 1 inch of simmering water until melted. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a mixing bowl until light yellow in color. Whisk a little of the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs - this will keep the eggs from scrambling from the heat of the chocolate; then whisk in the rest of the chocolate mixture.

Beat the egg whites in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form and fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared pan (spray the bottom with nonstick spray) and bake until the cake is set, the top starts to crack, and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then unmold.

While the cake is cooking, make the whipped cream. Whip the cream until it becomes light and fluffy. Dust the cake with confectioners' sugar. Serve at room temperature with the whipped cream.

I made this cake last weekend and it was still completely delicious. I cut shapes out of index cards (hearts/snowflakes) and put the shapes on top of the cake and then sifted confectioner's sugar on it - then I took the cards off. It was pretty. I also think that REAL whipped cream is a must. The textures were wonderful together.

-Leslie Drescher

DRINKS

Pomegranate Martini

• 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice

• 2 oz. Absolute Citron vodka OR white tequila

• 1 oz. Cointreau liquor

• Cup of ice

• Optional: Splash of sparkling water

• Optional: Squeeze of lemon

This drink seems to be all the rage right now and I made them for my New Year’s Eve party. I got the recipe from Oprah and they’re super yummy!

-Megan Fargione

GREAT PRODUCTS

Method Glass and Surface Cleaner - Mint Scented

Get it at Target for about $3 (I think). I like it because it smells so refreshing and it doesn't leave that awful ammonia smell all over the place. And it's all natural, so no harsh chemicals!

-Lori Strong

ECOver (Whole Foods)

Another great surface cleaner for about $4. Smells like citrus

and also made of all plant oils.

-Lori Strong

Scotch Delicate Surface Tape

If you are painting I highly recommend using the blue scotch "delicate surface tape" which has an orange stamp on it. It's the perfect thing to edge and accent with.

-Marissa Parisi

Annie's Homegrown Cheddar Bunnies

http://www.annies.com/products/healthy_kids_snack.html

-Sara Strong

BOOKS

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

My all-time favorite book. – Sara Strong

Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs

This book is amazing. It goes to show you that truth really is stranger than fiction.

-Marilyn Anderson

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

This book was on the Oprah Show about a week and a half ago along with a panel of people who practice its methods and helped put the book together. It is an easy read with examples that just about anyone can relate to. What it is about? Life! How you can make the most of your life, get the things you want, be where you want to be. It is all in your hands and you can find out why!

- Angela Bucci

TV SHOWS & MOVIES

Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet

-Sara Strong

Lost

If you like a show with twists and turns, I highly recommend LOST. It is an awesome show and you rarely know what's coming. The DVDs make it easy to catch up--it is one of those shows you can't miss an episode of...not that you'll want to....

- Kary Fronk

Drowning Mona

Hilarious! - Leslie Drescher

The Illusionist

-Leslie Drescher

WEBSITES

www.wholesomebabyfood.com & www.wholesometoddlerfood.com

Yummy info about food for babies and toddlers, along with simple recipes. I used the baby food website for quite some time and am now moving on over to the toddler site. -Lori Strong

www.vitacost.com

If you are looking for a good site to buy any kind of herbal remedy or vitamins, this is a great site. The cost is a fraction of what you would pay at the health food store.

- Carol Berry

www.funkymart.com

Fun website with lots of great magnets and novelty stuff.

-Leslie Drescher

HOME IMPROVEMENT

How to Fix a Garbage Disposal:

If something went down it that made it not work anymore try these steps.

1. Underneath you sink on the disposal unit there should be a reset

switch.
2. If something is still stuck in it or it's making a loud noise there is a

place on the unit near the switch

where you can place a small L wrench.
3. Turn the wrench which turns the blades until the item it unstuck. Try

to reset it again.

My husband and I just learned how to fix our garbage disposal, it may be an odd recommendation, but it was a lifesaver for us!!

-Marissa Parisi

VACATION SPOTS / HOTELS

http://www.premiereonline.com.mx/

This is the hotel is Puerto Vallarta, Mexico my husband and I stayed at for our 1 year anniversary and LOVED!

-Melisza Campos

Grand Canyon Skywalk

The Grand Canyon Skywalk opens at the end of this month. This horseshoe-shaped walkway juts 70 feet into the canyon, is 4000 feet above the canyon floor, and has a glass bottom. The skywalk was built as part of the Hualapai Tribe’s Grand Canyon West destination-in-development, an effort to get visitors to the West Rim and increase economic livelihood. I obviously haven’t seen it yet because it isn’t open, but it looks amazing!

-Sarah Anderson

Meditation Gardens at the Self-Realization Center in Encinitas, CA

If you're ever in the San Diego, CA area a must-visit spot is the Meditation Gardens at the Self-Realization Center in Encinitas (located about mid-county). The gardens are so serene and peaceful. They are green and lush, full of beautiful foliage with the sound of running water trickling into little carp filled ponds. But, beyond that is the view, the magnificent view! The Gardens are located on a cliff overlooking the ocean and the view is truly breathtaking. You can see up and down the coast, and out for miles. If you're ever there, you can't miss seeing this. It is a hidden gem that most tourists (and many locals) would never know about otherwise. Plus, Encinitas is a great little surf town in itself. For lunch, I recommend Swami's Cafe for a smoothie or wrap. Named for the local beach and the local monks, it's located within walking distance from the Gardens. When you do visit the area, feel free to email me and I can give you lots of other great local places to go that you might otherwise miss! phreegirl01@hotmail.com

Self-Realization Center - http://www.yogananda-srf.org/temples/encinitas/index.html

Swami's Café - http://www.swamis.signonsandiego.com/

-Valerie Consiglio-Nickerson

ARTISTS

www.jaylongstudio.com

My new favorite artist. –Sara Strong

LIFE TIPS

Never, ever be afraid to be the only one laughing;

most of the time, people join in anyway!

-Kary Fronk

ANY recommendation you have, we want!!

Send in your tips for the next installment of Try This!

* Books * Movies * Websites * Recipes * Drinks * Craft Projects * TV Shows * Cleaning Products * Parenting Tips * Organizing Techniques * Snacks * Artists * Vacation Spots * Make-up Products * Great Ideas *

Send tips to: sanders492@yahoo.com

Ugh

Just spent a good hour of my time trying to figure out what widgets are, how to get them on my blog, got one on my blog, decided I didn't like it after all, and finally figured out how to remove it, thus eating up nearly all of my blogging time for tonight.

Still working on the dress; although, I didn't do too much on it this weekend. The husband was nice enough to stick pins in it, and himself, but not me, in order to help me take in the bodice. I stopped there, but am planning another marathon sewing day this Tuesday.

I tried out a new Weight Watchers shepherd's pie recipe that I quite liked. I don't think I can share it though as I'm sure the copyright gnomes will come and sue me in my sleep.

The only other news was the disaster we inadvertently subjected Chewy to on Saturday morning. I've been going to the gym at about 5:20 every morning and the husband has informed me, after the fact, that Chewy has been whining in his crate every morning after I leave. According to the husband, he's learned through trial that Chewy doesn't actually have to go potty; he just wants to get up.

So, Saturday morning when the pooch started whining at 4:30 am, which he never does, the husband thought he was crying wolf again. Turns out he wasn't. At all. In a nutshell, the new crate liner has been thoroughly broken in by a large puppy accident. Poor baby. They hate getting their beds soiled in that way. We knew the mistake pretty fast though once it happened because it stunk up the entire house in a nanosecond. Then Chewy accidentally stepped on it on his way out of the crate, so he had to get a bath while the mat was washed, the whole crate bleached, any nearby toys sanitized, and all the windows opened. The husband went back to bed at about 7:00 when the whole ordeal was over with, but I was traumatized into a wide-awake state. Chewy had come home from doggy day camp that day so exhausted we think he just forgot to tell us he needed to go before bed, and we didn't notice because he's usually so communicative about that. Ah well. This is life with a dog.

The flip side of that day was much more positive. A couple we're friends with have a new puppy, 10 weeks old, a mix. We brought Chewy over for a puppy play date and it was really fun to watch them together. The puppy is adorable, of course. And Chewy is much bigger than she is, but they soon settled into a happy game of Chewy lying on the floor, the puppy standing on him, sinking her teeth into anything she can. Mostly his cheek. But they both loved it. And the human company was fabulous as well. We played that movie trivia game: Scene It. I learned many interesting things that everyone else probably knows, but the most astounding was that Jack Nicholson only discovered as an adult that the woman he thought was his sister was really his mother! I'll leave you to ponder that one...

Tomorrow's Another Day

In addition to learning in the past few months that The Muppet Show is finally out on DVD, I am ecstatic to see that Newhart seems to be debuting on the DVD scent soon as well! I've been checking that one on Amazon over and over for months. I'm so excited! That was one of my favorite shows as a child, which was great because my parents liked it, too. In my browsing, I've also discovered Fraggle Rock and All Creatures Great and Small. Thank God for wish lists. I'm still trying to catch up on the series I have, though: the first seasons of Alias, Lost, and Veronica Mars; although, I did see the latter two in their original airings. But I'm more excited about all the old favorites showing up. After all, I can still watch Lost and Veronica every week.

Enough TV. The other thing on my mind today is cookies. As most of you probably know, it's Girl Scout Cookie week and there's no escaping them. I ordered three boxes, the first time I've ordered any in years. One of the PTs in my department has a daughter who sells them. My mom used to drive me around for hours after school and on the weekends, schlepping me all over rural Upstate NY, in the freezing cold, so I could be a top seller (and I was). So it's hard to turn those girls down. But the aforementioned father also continues to donate free boxes to the rest of the department as fast as we can scarf them down. I'm actually a little sick of Thin Mints now, impossible as that sounds. Today I managed to avoid the little boxes of temptation by staying out of my office completely. This was a successful strategy in that I got out of there in record time today, having seen all my patients by 2:00, but I was foiled by a nurse wielding a box of bakery cookies right under my nose. There's just no winning when it comes to cookies. I succumbed.

Sew-Sew

Quick post this morning. I had planned to post yesterday, as it was a day off from work for me, but I made a vow to myself that I was going to spend the whole day in my sewing room. I've just been longing to be able to do that for so long now and after being at work six days last week, I decided yesterday was the day. So there was no time for blogging. And now I'm getting ready for work again, so only have time for a quick post.

I finally finished Chewy's crate mat. I didn't take a close-up picture, but it's just straight line-quilted. The back is the same as the front. I inserted ties so it won't get all bunched up in one corner as he wiggles around in there. He may, of course, eat the ties. There's just a single layer of low-loft batting in there, so it's not that padded, but I'll be making him a real bed for the living room soon.

My current WIP is a dress for die Frau's wedding in April. This is the first dress I've made that wasn't a halloween costume. The first real clothing I've made at all, now that I think about it, because the pajamas I've made were not really on the same level as this. Here's a shot of the fabric I'm using. It's actually a home decor fabric, kind of heavy, so I'm hoping it won't be too heavy. The pattern I'm using is a Vogue, can't find the pattern on-line and don't have time to run and get the number for you right now, but I'll try to remember in a later posting. Anyway, it's supposed to be an easy one, an a-line with princess seams, strapless with boning, which I've also never used before. I've gotten as far as sewing all the panels together with the zipper in. My first invisible zipper and it turned out really well! And the thing mostly fits. Perfect in the hips, a little big in the waist and bust, no surprise to me there. So I still need to put in the facing and boning and struggle with the adjustments which will be the hardest for me, I predict. I understand how to take in the panels that are otherwise done at this point, not so clear on how to adjust the facing to match...

Okay, have to get going to work.

Rodents Of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist.

Ahhhh....so good to finally make time to blog some of the things that have been going on lately. Not that there's been anything oh-so-exciting, but it's exhausting to have partially composed blog entries running through your head day after day.

My mom was here visiting for about a week and a half. It was wonderful to see her and we had a very relaxing time. She accompanied me on many an errand, took us to dinner, babysat the dog so we could sleep in...It was heaven. I definitely missed her when I came home from work to an empty house the day she left.

One highlight was a trip to the Tucson Botanical Gardens, where they're currently displaying a butterfly exhibit. It's supposed to be one of the better collections in the country. The temperature inside was about 90 degrees with 87% humidity. I felt like my skin was melting off and actually didn't last as long as my mom did. You get spoiled by the lack of humidity in Tucson. I also was kicking myself for forgetting my camera, but I remember that the Blue Morphos, from South America, was one of the species most aggressively flying around. Several landed on me. It was very cool. We also paid a visit to the Phoenix Zoo, where all the animals were sleeping, despite the fact that it was not a particularly hot day. I can't remember what this animal is called. Something that starts with a "C," according to the zoo. But I defy you to tell me that this is not an ROUS.
These turtles were really funny. The were all sunbathing on various logs in the pond, and everytime another swam up and tried to climb onto the log, the log would roll and they'd all fall off into the water. So cute.

After some initial shyness, Chewy fell in love with my mom. And his grandma spoiled him in traditional fashion. She bought him a duck before she left, complete with duck-call squeaker inside, which he has been loving non-stop.

In sewing news, there are a few pictures of things I'd made in December that I never posted because they were Christmas surprises. I think it's safe for the big reveal now that it's February. The first is an apron I made from a pattern--can't remember which at the moment, but leave a comment, if you'd like to know and I'll go find it. I made a couple for friends and one for myself. However, my BFF's SO commandeered hers for laundry folding. In his camo hat, pajama pants, and Ithaca is Gorges sweatshirt. It's a look.I would have sworn that it was Stardust Shoes from whom I got the idea to stitch scrapbooking ribbon onto onesies, but now that I'm looking for the entry with which to credit her, I can't find it. I'm so sorry, whomever I borrowed this idea from. If you think it's you, leave me a comment, and I'll credit you. Anyway, I made some for both Baby J and Baby S. Sorry the second picture is crappy. It took me a while to figure out how to do it well, and I fear, as first borns are always required to do, that Baby J is suffering through the crooked, far from perfect, prototypes whereas Baby S, being the second infant to arrive in my life, got the mastered versions. It ended up working best if I fused the ribbon to the onesie first with interfacing, then used a zigzag stitch on the border. I think Baby J grew out of his about a second after wearing them anyway, so that's alright. Although, Baby S has had some incidents with her as well, so what can you do?

Chewy's crate mat is still coming along, at a snail's pace. I'm just sewing on the binding, but, man, me and hand-stitching. It's painfully slow. As a parting shot, here's his best shag rug impression:

What I lack in frequency, regarding blog entries, I make up for in length, no? Not really the way I intended this blog to be, but that's my reality for now. Thanks for your patience, dear readers.

The Clock's a'Ticking

Ach! Quick post.

First off, Ouiser had her baby! Beautiful, lucky girl. So many people love you already.

This is a lame post because I've been so busy cleaning and copy editing and otherwise nesting. My mom is coming into town Tuesday night, which I am so excited about, but there's a lot to get done. We had the carpet and couch/chair cleaned this weekend. The furniture hadn't been cleaned ever and is about three years old, so it seemed overdue. And we've lived here with a puppy about six months now, so the carpet was ready, too.

The guest bedroom and bathroom are not quite ready yet, but won't need much because we're rarely in those rooms. I need to go grocery shopping. I'm excited that I actually have some meals I can cook now! I don't think I've ever cooked anything more complicated than macaroni and cheese for my mom. God, I'm turning into Ouiser. Thank God. :)

The husband has been a huge help this weekend while I've been up to my ears in copy editing. He's supervised the aforementioned cleaning, done laundry, washed Chewy, made some phone calls on my behalf, etc. He was a good investment, turned out to be quite useful.

I've sewn the binding strips for Chewy's mat to each other, but haven't pressed it yet. So I don't think the progress there could be any more minimal. But he had a great Saturday at doggie day camp. We had a free coupon and needed him out of the house for the carpet cleaning.

I must to bed now. The 5:00 am wake up call looms and there's a spinning bike with my name on it. By the way, strongly recommend this book: The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine. It's great if you're remotely interested in neurology. It's at a layman's level, don't worry.

Mom, care to join me for all the errands I won't be able to get done before you get here? Oil change, Bob to vet, old clothes to thrift store, birthday present for friends' girl, grocery shopping, return curtains to Linens 'n' Things, etc...

What's Cookin'?

I know, I know, it's been two weeks. A new low. But I was out of town for a dear friend's wedding last weekend and it's been impossible to blog on weeknights lately.

The wedding was in Philly and it was lovely. We had a big ol' 'Gate reunion after over a year of not seeing my dozen or so closest friends (and spouses/SOs) from college, and my best friend from high school, who is an adopted member of the group. And old and precious friends from Philly. And did I mention two of the above people are also my B- and SIL? We all partied like it was 1999 and it was fabulous. Tragically, Ouiser could not be there, as she is busy with a bun in the oven, who should be showing her face any day now. We're hoping to see them both in April at another 'Gate wedding.

Upon my return, I launched headlong into spinning and water aerobics classes every morning and cooking (yes, cooking! Moi!) dinner every night. I ditched the old, within-walking-distance-but-without-classes gym and joined LA Fitness after all. I don't know what I was thinking before when that seemed like such a bad idea. It's actually slightly cheaper, I get to have classes, which are my favorite workout strategy, and I have an hour to kill by the time I've showered and dressed for work before I have to show up at the hospital. So the new routine is to head to Starbucks for breakfast, where I spend the zillions of dollars in Starbucks giftcards I have*, and sit and read for an hour. This has turned out to be very treasured, valuable me-time that actually helps get my butt out of bed at 5 am for the gym.

I think my hesitancy with them stems from having been burned by Bally's (who don't deserve a link) in the past. The big corporate gyms make me wrinkle up my nose. But everyone at this gym is very friendly. In fact, the old ladies in my water aerobics class (because those are the only people who take water aerobics, really: old ladies and chumps with busted up knees) have tried to become my new best friends and invite me to breakfast with them and want me on their e-mailing list so we can all share birthday wishes and sing to each other in the pool. It's a bit much, but sweet.

As for the cooking, I've already tried three new recipes, two of which we'll keep. All from Weight Watchers, so they're so not gourmet, but I find they're actually quick enough for me to manage before I starve to death upon getting home from work. And the husband and I have agreed that it's nice to be eating real food for once. He, until now, has mostly lived on quesadillas and I on crackers and peanut butter or Costco chicken meatballs. It's been a sad existence, so anything requiring actual ingredients is an improvement.

On the crafting front, I've made very little progress. I decided I needed some cotton twill tape to tie Chewy's mat to his crate, to hold it in place. Why don't they sell that stuff in the big fabric chain stores? I had to order it online. So I've cut the fabric to make the binding and ordered the ties. And that's about it. But I also finally hung the bulletin board above my sewing machine. The next patterned project I tackle will be made easier, I hope, by hanging the instructions right in front of my face. Then I'll have no excuses.

Everyone send healthy, speedy, easy birth thoughts Ouiser's way!

*I don't quite have a zillion dollars to spend at Starbucks. But I do have a couple hundred. The husband's company holiday party this year was a casino night at the boss's house, where a blackjack dealer tutored me all night and helped me turn $500 worth of chips into $6,000. These were then cashed in for raffle tickets with gift cards to various restaurants/stores as prizes. I won all the Starbucks ones. And then got more from friends for my Birthmas (that's SIL-speak for birthday/Christmas, as those with December birthdays will understand). Anyway, I have a lot of money to spend at Starbucks.

Pampered Pets

I've started the lining for Chewy's crate. The husband thinks I am mean and heartless because it's not fluffy enough for a proper crate lining. I love Chewy, but he's a dog. I think he'll be fine. It's just regular, low-loft quilt batting straight-line quilted between a couple layers of some home decor fabric from JoAnn's. Lita tested it out and she thought it was very satisfactory. In fact, I won't be surprised to see the cats sleeping in there once it's in place, when Chewy's not using it, of course.

I need to figure out a way to insert some ties on the four corners to secure it in place. The husband thinks, otherwise, it will slide around and get bunched up in one corner of the crate. I'd like to use some twill tape, but JoAnn's and Hancock's both came up short last time I was looking for some. They had the thin kind that's carried in the section with the thread and scissors and binding, etc. But I want that heavy-duty cotton stuff. May have to be ordered on-line as I'd rather just suck it up and pay shipping than search all over town. Then I think I can just stitch it in with the binding and be done with it.

Okay, I know this is weird lighting, but I hope you can make out these little ornaments the husband's Aunt L gave me for Christmas. I love them. They're the tiny little Advent calendar-sized ornaments, all wooden and smiley and primitive looking. They're so perfect and mini. Christmas has otherwise ended around here. The lights came down yesterday. The indoor decorations and gifts are not yet 100% put away, but are disassembled enough to no longer resemble decor so much as clutter.

Chewy decided long ago that he loved to get into the shower with us. Now it's apparently a second den, too.

Happy New Year, from Bob

New Year's/30th Year To-Do List

...decidedly not to be confused with resolutions, which are generally doomed from inception. I turned 29 last month and decided to set forth some goals for this year. I tend to be a pretty goal-oriented person (do y'all remember the shape I was in at my wedding? Eh?), so this has a good chance of working out well for me. Especially after making it public.

1. Go to the gym at least four days per week.
2. Walk Chewy once per day, when knee is not hurting.
3. Post something I am working on sewing-/crafty-wise once per week. Which means I must therefore be actually working on something at all times and I must also post once per week. See how clever I am with my two birds?
4. Eat one fruit and/or veggie per day. Those green superfood veggie powders you mix with juice count. Regular juice does not. And the husband has to do it, too.
5. Make "mattress" for in dog's crate.
6. Make crate cover.
7. Make beds for cats.
8. Make quilt for bed.
9. Make curtains for bedroom.
10. Make advent calendar for next year.
11. Learn five simple recipes that don't require a lot of special trips to the grocery store or complicated preparation instructions.
12. Make Christmas stockings for next year.
13. Make Christmas tree skirt.
14. Make Christmas ornaments/decorations.
15. Go camping three times.
16. Go hiking three times.
17. Do a real spring cleaning.
18. Make the husband help.
19. Get my Amazon wish list down to only 100 items, whether it's from reading books at the library, deleting old books I don't really want to read anymore, or actually buying the damn books.
20. Learn to alter unisex t-shirts to fit women.
21. Complete five more scrapbook pages for my wedding scrapbook.
22. Frame and hang pictures of our families.
23. Finish my clinical fellowship year and get certified by my professional association.
24. Get my front teeth fixed. I've already started this by getting a retainer in December. The left front tooth has creeped forward over the years, slightly overlapping the other one. It's not that bad, but has gotten worse with time and I fear that it will bother me increasingly as I age, so better to take care of it now while it's not bad enough to need full-blown braces again. I have a lisp with it, though. Can't wear it at work. It's really a bad joke: a speech-language pathologist with a speech disorder...
25. Make more summer skirts.
26. Tackle a shirt.
27. Tackle the freezer-paper method of fabric painting.
28. Work on posture at least once per day.
29. Sew the cover for the back roll that I'm supposed to be using to improve my posture.

That's 29. An appropriate place to stop.

A Chewy Montage

The dog park/spa. Yeah, right. This is our attempt to clean him up at the dog park after he spent the morning rolling in a mud puddle. The husband calls it the "power wash."

Pajama pants made for the husband. He was the only one not in pajamas Christmas morning, mainly because I had the fabric sitting around the house for about a year now waiting for me to make them. Hey, better late than never.

Did I mention he's fond of the mud? This is his abstract/impressionist self-portrait. Made by carefully jumping up just so on the patio door, after covering himself in a very special mud mixture designed specifically to create an opaque film on the glass. It's a technique he's honed.

A couple of roses from the bushes in our yard...

Chewy and a Christmas present...

Before we got the collar (that he's laying on in this pic--not sure why), Chewy spent a few hours in some comfy boxers to keep him away from his surgical site, post-"fixing." He didn't seem to mind much.

An action shot: Chewy in pursuit of ball.

I'll try to write a real entry tomorrow. For now, thought some pics would suffice.

Home Again

We arrived home this morning, after traveling on about four hours of sleep. So catching up there was the first order of business. We got in too late to pick up Chewy at the kennel, so had to wait until 5:00 pm. He seemed pleased to see us, but in that way where I'm not really sure he noticed we were gone until he saw us again. Which is good. That's what I wanted. He stank like a mo fo, though, so he got a bath as soon as we got home. He's been pretty chill tonight. We're reminding him of the household manners he forgot while we were gone.

Austin was awesome. Awesome Austin. Lots of family, food, fun, and baby time. I've got permission to post a pic of my nephew, so I will as soon as his mom is able to send me some. She's considering a blog herself, but would like to get on the beta version. Ouiser, die Frau, and I had no problem with this, but she doesn't seem to have the option, even though she has a blogger account. Is it invite only? Anyone have any tips for her?

Ooh, by the way, there was a hawk sitting in the tree in our front yard when we got home. Very cool. We reached for the camera before pulling into the driveway, but he flew away. Then we saw a huge gray cat rounding the corner. His flight may have been more about that than us. At any rate, it was a nice welcome home.

Merry Christmas!

Sorry I've been gone so long. I'm not quite back yet. The holidays overtook me and I am woefully overdue on blogging. I'll be home on the 27th and will aim for a real entry then. Happy Holidays everyone!

Treeless in Tucson

I got the lights up. All roughly 1,800 of them. And, while I'm not afraid of heights, per se, I do tend to be afraid of things that will kill me. Like falling off a ladder. So I bought this pole that was supposed to be specifically for clipping lights to shingles without having to get on a ladder, but it was useless. The clips were too weak. So I ended up borrowing a ladder from a neighbor and got all the lights up without loss of limb.

I also go the Thanksgiving decorations put away and the few indoor Christmas decorations we have out. I have all kinds of ornaments that I've never yet used because we've never had a tree. This year we have a house, so we have room, but I'm too worried about the puppy. I also have a lot of large pinecones I'm not sure what to do with. Ideas?

I made this jingle bell wreath. In case anyone else wants to try it, it took 75 bells. I used 16 gauge wire, but would recommend something even sturdier. Apart from the fact that those bells are a lot heavier than they look, it was easy.
And here's a gratuitous Chewy pic, from his first trip to the dog park.
Got some time on your hands? Let it snow...
(And thank domesticali for the fun.)

Light It Up

Say what you want about the suburbs, but they're a great place to walk your dog at night this time of year if you're a Christmas lights fan. I love it. In fact, we have tentative plans to see the Winterhaven Festival of Lights in Tucson this weekend. Our own lights are still in a sorry state. This is the first time ever that I've had a house to decorate. We currently have 5 snowflakes on stakes near our front door. A couple of strings of icicle lights will be added this weekend, along with a jingle bell wreath. And maybe 5 more snowflakes. And I think we may have some red LED lights that the husband's aunt gave us a few years ago...I'll have to hunt those down, too. Oh, and I just realized that we'd better celebrate my birthday this weekend as I work the weekend after my birthday...better get on that.

By the way, everyone saw this last year, right? Worth an annual look, I think. I wonder if he's got new choreography this year?

Holy Holidays, Batman!

Is December always this busy? This is ridiculous! I don't remember this. Well, the last three years were this busy because December meant the end of the semester, which always came with lots of papers, presentations, and exams (not to mention report writing with indecisive clinical supervisors..."Change it to this; no, I mean this; never mind, change it back the way you had it; and did I mention it's due yesterday?"). But before I went back to school, was December always this way? I think when we were fresh out of college we didn't do much of anything because we were always headed home for the holidays. When the husband and I were in Philly working for the publisher, December always meant lots of fruit baskets and cookie tins and two-hour lunches. Now I'm working in a hospital where things seem to have just kicked into overdrive, I'm doing ten-hour days, and told not to expect a let up until May.

I can't believe tomorrow is December 1. I wanted to have pictures taken for a Christmas card by now. I wanted a two-ft tree to fit in the strange little cubby in our living room, too high for Chewy to reach. I wanted a Christmas wreath. I wanted a plan for what to do with all those pine cones I collected on Mt. Lemmon. I wanted to have sewn Christmas presents for everyone (or at least every woman; men are hard to sew for). I wanted to make a Christmas bandanna for Chewy. I wanted to make beds for the cats for Christmas. My shopping is on time, but that's because most gifts are a mouse click away. But I wanted to be well on my way to hanging lights and baking cookies by now. How did you do all that, Mom? I just need to not have to work. Problem is, I still want to at this point.

Anyway, aside from the seasonal mayhem, Chewy had his first trip to the dog park last weekend. I have mixed feelings about those places. So many stories about dog fights there ending with someone's throat ripped open. On the other hand, this dog park was much nicer than I imagined. Lovely people, great dogs. There was one pit bull when we first got there that was being nerve rackingly aggressive with Chewy at first, despite the fact that he was plastered to the ground on his back being the epitome of submissive. But the pit bull left and Chewy had the time of his life with a whole slew of dogs. I've just got to start him in the next level of classes at Petsmart and let him get his socialization that way. It's safer.

I'm desperately trying to clean up the house a bit tonight before our friend house/dog/cat sits for us tomorrow night. I'll be in Mesa at a Logemann workshop for MBSs. The husband is making a quick trip to CA for his auntie's 60th birthday, which is apparently being enthusiastically celebrated by the fam. In fact, I think I'm the only nephew/niece/in-law not attending. A little sad, but I'll see most of them at Christmas. My first Texan Christmas. I wonder if the tree will be in the shape of Texas, like a giant Texan topiary. Or maybe it will be topped with longhorns. I'm sure they'll think of something.

Happy Graduation!

Chewy graduated from puppy kindergarten tonight! It wasn't that hard. Not even a real test. A little anticlimactic actually. Although, he did win the puppy push-up contest. That's how many times he can go from a sit to a down to a sit, etc., in 30 seconds. In practice we'd only gotten up to 10, but when it counted he made it to 18. All the other dogs had scores like 2 or 4. He's a pressure player. And he won the Heisman squeaky ball. Now he's going to Disney World. He also accidentally bit through the husband's ear this morning while wrestling (no stitches needed). Yup, a real pro athlete.