Kitty's Okay?

I apologize up front for what I'm about to share if you don't like blogs about pets.  I just want to share this one thing about our cat Bailey.  He's a 12-year-old tabby, and he was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in February.  He was tossing his kitty kibble a lot and losing weight. 

He was put on medicine that has to be given twice a day for the rest of his life, but we didn't believe it was doing the job for him.  He's been tossing his kitty kibble at least 3 times a day within an hour of each episode, and typically even once in the middle of the night every night.

We began to believe that his days were probably numbered, and we were going to call the vet back to see if his time was up.

Rich did a check on the internet, though, and read that the medicine we give him is very bitter and really should be administered with some food or milk.  He started crushing it into milk, and Bailey drinks it up easily. 

Guess what!  No kitty kibble tossing for 2 days straight!!!  You have no idea what a true feat that is in our house.  The little guy seems to even have perked up, too.  I can't imagine what all the wretching day after day would do to a cat's stomach muscles.  No wonder he seems to be in a better mood.

I just had to share that little bit of praise coming from our home.

  

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Woes of a Half-Hearted Cook

If truth be known, I'd prefer ordering out for dinner every night.  I just don't enjoy cooking.  I tolerate it.  That's not to say that I haven't had some good cooking nights and made some delicious meals.  I have.  The prep and the planning is what gets to me.  And the clean-up.

And then there's nights like this....

A couple days ago I had finished lunch and started baking a loaf of bread in my bread machine.  You can be proud of me because I needed white bread for a recipe on my menu plan later in the week, and making this loaf was putting me ahead of the game. 

It was about 1:00, and the thought of dinner came to mind.  I decided to check my menu plan to see what was on the schedule.  It was a crock pot meal that needed to cook on low about 4 hours.

Seeing how it was 1:00 and we eat at 5:00, I decided I better get the food going in the crock pot.  I threw in the ingredients, mixed them up, added the chicken breast tenders and set the crock pot on low.  Done!  All I needed to do after that was cook up some brown rice to serve it with.

Later at 4:30 I remembered I needed to start my rice on the stove.  I went into the kitchen and lifted the lid on my crock pot because I knew it would probably need a stir. 

Wait a sec!  The chicken was raw.  Really?!?  The chicken was raw?!?  How could that...?  OOOOHH NOOOO!!!

It was at that moment I remembered something.  Shortly after getting my crock pot set up, I decided my cell phone needed to be charged.  I unplugged my can opener, so I could use the outlet for my charger.  Only I didn't unplug the can opener.  I unplugged the crock pot.

Um.  Yeah.  I'm just distracted like that.

So you can see how ordering out for dinner every night would really be to our advantage.  Thank goodness, I was able to whip up a whole other meal that didn't take too much prep.  I can't say I didn't grumble some about having to make TWO dinners in a day, though.

Yeah... I can't say that cooking is really my thing.

  

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What Else Could I Say?

The other day Rich was off work, and he was finally going to mow the lawn for the first time this spring. Our mower had died last season, and he had just purchased a rebuilt one and came home to tackle our overgrown lawn.

I was home for lunch, and then I left at 1:15 for an appointment.  When I left he was busily using the blower to clean up all the grass clippings.  I waved goodbye and left.

When I got home at 3:00 with a load of groceries, the yard was all finished, and Rich was relaxing in the living room.  He greeted me with, "When you left, you locked me out of the house.  It's a good thing I know my house."

Oopsy. 

"I am sooo sorry!  It's a habit.  I leave the house, and I lock the door.  What did you do?"

He then proceeded to explain that he knew we had a window that he could climb through to get onto the porch.  He also knew we had another bedroom window that wasn't latched, so he climbed through that. 

Wouldn't you know, our dog who barks like a maniac at everything that moves outside got quiet and ran to her crate as he was trying to "break into" the house.  It's good to know we can count on her to alert us to strangers who might unlawfully enter our home.  (By the way, all modes of entry have since been secured.)

That would all be fine and good if that were the end of the story.  Oh, but wait.  There's more!

A concerned neighbor happened to be watching Rich during this whole scene, and of course, as any concerned neighbor would do, they called the police.  The police showed up at the house and wanted to see his I.D., which he gladly produced.  He then went on to explain how I locked him out while he was doing yard work, and they laughed and went on their way.

I really was so sorry.  What else could I say?

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Dixie & the Doggy Bed

Rich brought home a doggy bed for our Sheltie, Dixie, the other day, and she's not really accustomed to having a bed like this.  The smaller ones we've given her previously she considered to be a big chew toy that she dragged around the living room and tried to eat.  We thought if she had a bigger doggy bed, she might not be so prone to dragging it around.

Whenever she lays on it we praise her saying, Good dog!  Lay on your pillow.  Good girl!  She finally started catching on, that this is something for her to sleep on.  Even as I'm writing this, she's konked out on the floor next to the bed.  {eye roll}

But guess who is trying to lay claim for the doggy bed now... Teddy, the cat!  Doesn't Dixie look so forlorn?  Rich captured this shot last night while I was out for the evening.

Nov. 14, Thankful for...

...my husband taking care of dinner tonight.

Translation = pizza delivery.

I know it's not whole food, but I was tired and starving. And he loves pizza. As far as I'm concerned, that's a win-win situation.

My half was veggie lovers. I only ate two slices, and I had an orange on the side. See? Totally healthy.

Nov. 12, Thankful For Sleep

It has been a really long day, so all I can say for today is that I'm thankful sleep is coming soon.

I had a doctor's appointment this morning. I needed to have some blood drawn, and it took four tries before they got any out of me...twice in one arm, once in the other, and finally after warming up my hand under hot water, they were able to find a vein in my hand. It wasn't a big deal. I've never been queasy when it comes to having blood drawn.

Later in the afternoon I got a call from Rich. He couldn't get the car started, so I needed to go pick him up...after I had just been in the vicinity of his employer only one hour before.

Rather than taking a nap, which was at the top of my list, I decided I could get myself psyched up to get on the treadmill for at least a half hour. Forty minutes later I was off the treadmill and moving on to a shower and the next phase of the day.

Dinner. We have nothing but a roast in the freezer right now, so I needed to run yet another errand and drove around the corner to pick up Subway sandwiches. {I might add I'm thankful for Subway being around the corner, especially on nights like this.}

Oh yeah, then I remembered I hadn't had a chance to start the laundry yet. I forgot and then remembered about three times. The option for having clean underwear tomorrow was riding on my remembering. Don't worry...the load is in the dryer as I type.

By 6:00 it felt like 8:00. It's early bedtime for Liz tonight. I'm zonked.

The Painting Project: Pictures At Last

Alright, I guess the bedroom is as finished as it's going to get... for now.  I still want at least two more items for the walls, like another complimentary picture or some sort of decorative thing in a butterfly motif.  We also need closet door pulls to be installed, but they won't make or break the look.

I think the photos show the paint to be much grayer than it is in person, but this is the best I could do.  I'm sure lighting has everything to do with it.

Love the new curtains and white mini-blinds.  They brighten up the room.

This is a picture that was a birthday gift.  The color choice for the walls was based on this picture alone, and I've been waiting 6 months for the room to be painted in order to hang it.

I think Dixie feels pretty comfortable with the color choices.

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The Painting Project (cont.)

The bedroom painting is finished.  Now I just need to get some stuff up on the walls and maybe some curtains, too.  I won't post any pictures until it's completely ready.  Sorry.  You'll just have to wait.  You wouldn't want to see it only half done.  Right?

Caffeinated Randomness: The Painting Project

It's Friday, and the painting of the bedroom begins.  Rich brought home the three samples of the blues we want to try and brushed them on the wall and trim to see if we can get an idea of how it might look. 

After heavy deliberation, we decided that the Pale Flowers was just too icy of a blue.  We're going with the next shade darker.

Painting has always been such a long, difficult process for us.  I do not have an eye to visualize the finished product, so choosing color is grueling.  As much as I'm tempted to try real color, we always wind up staying safe with neutral tones.  Blue will be a big leap from any color we've previously used.  It makes me nervous and excited at the same time.

Have a good Friday, everyone.

If you'd like to read more randomness, head over to Andrea's.

 

 

 

 

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A Day Off

I'm not at work today because the power company scheduled a power outage.  I guess they're doing some work out at the road and will have the power off until early afternoon.

So instead, I'm at home being leisurely.   I slept in until 7:30, and that hardly ever happens, but it was a good thing for today because I have a sore throat.   It started feeling scratchy yesterday and only got worse.  I think it's a sinus thing, but just to be on the safe side I'm taking Airborne.

I'm taking Dixie to the vet in a little while.  She's way overdue for her shots.  It's always a little disconcerting to take our pets to the vet when we know we're late on the shots.  We wonder if they'll revoke our pet ownership because we stink as pet parents. 

We're getting ready to paint our bedroom. I should take some before and after shots for you.  I think Rich is prepping the walls today, and then he'll probably paint tomorrow.  I asked if I get to help, and he said I can.  I just have a feeling that he'll get it finished before I get home from work, and there will be nothing left for me to do.  That happened with the bathroom. 

I've chosen a light blue (Pale Flowers) for the walls and a darker blue (Summerhouse Blue) for the trim around the door, windows and closet.  Rich is picking up some samples for us to try out, and then I'll make a definite decision.  Yes, I get to make the decision because Rich is color blind. 

I better get going.  I need to dry my hair and finish getting ready for the day, and then we're off to the vet.

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Almost as Good as Shrimp Ravioli

On Monday my husband upgraded our cell phones, and I am now the proud owner of one of these:

                                    

It's a Motorola Krave.  It's got a touch screen, a qwerty keyboard, and LOTS of cool features.  It even has pleasant ringtones to choose from.  I love a pleasant ringtone.  Don't you?

As great as I thought my Chocolate was, this is ten times better.  I discovered you can designate certain contacts to be put on a "favorites" list, which means I can quickly pull up a list of just the people I call the most.  My dialing just got that much simpler.

Not that I'm going to be one of those crazy text-ers or anything, but my husband decided to order me a texting plan, while he was at it.  {Thanks, honey!}  What a guy!

Remember how much I loved my Shrimp Ravioli last Saturday?  I think I love this phone almost that much.  Almost.

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Refrigeration. It's a Good Thing.

You may not care, but this is probably the most Aaaaaah moment of my day, which I can't help but share. 

I just ate one of these....

And drank a COOOOOLD one of these....

It's been days since I had a cold drink of anything.  Thank you, Lord, for my new refrigerator.

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Conquering Dinner!

You must see what I made for dinner last night.  Yeah, I know you're probably wondering, What's the big deal about dinner?, but that's probably because you're new around here. 

Everyone knows that Liz does not like cooking meals from scratch, but rather from a box or a bag with all ingredients included.  But things are a-changin' around here.  Remember the vegetable soup?  Well, the cooking continues.

Okay, so back to what I made for dinner last night.  It was pizza.  From scratch.  Made my own sauce with my own spices.  Spread the dough into a circle with my bare hands.    Applied cheese and toppings.  The only thing I didn't do was make the dough myself, although it was made from scratch, too.

Check this out!

It was delicious! 

(We'll have to work on the quality of pepperoni I use in the future.  I'm not happy with the way it discolors the cheese.)

It's Such a "Man Thing"

My husband has been living on Nyquil for the last month or so.  I hadn't realized it until he ran out two nights ago.  That's his way of medicating himself when he has sinus trouble.  It helps him sleep when he feels... uh... let's just say "ucky poo".

As I always do, I suggested he go see a doctor.  But I'm pretty sure it's a "man thing" to be stubborn about toughing it out and expecting the illness to pass any day.

I didn't realize how bad he was actually feeling until he started up with a dry cough that wracked his chest a couple days ago, and then he mentioned yesterday that he had been running a fever off and on.  Alright, that's it!  Get yourself to the doctor, Mister.   I pretty much ordered him.

He called the doctor this morning and was told they couldn't get him in until Thursday.  Uh yeah, that's a big help.  So off to the urgent care he went.

It's a good thing he went.  He has a mild case of pneumonia - packed sinuses, packed ears and packed lungs.  He can't return to work until next week.  Hopefully, they caught it in time for this not to get too serious.

If there are any men reading my blog, I plead with you on behalf of all wives out there.  Go to the doctor when your wife lovingly suggests it. She knows what she's talking about.  There are reasons why God created wives to be helpmeets, for occasions such as this.

(Alright... I'm off my soapbox now.  By the way, I had permission from my husband to blog this.)

Why I Love My Husband

I'm not one to get all mushy on Valentine's Day or any day, for that matter.  But I always see other bloggers bragging on their men, so this seems like an appropriate time for me to do that too.

Ten (Random) Reasons Why I Love My Husband:

1. He isn't afraid of housework.
2. He takes my dog out at night, so I don't have to go outside in my jammies.
3. He always knows when I'm too pooped to cook and orders a pizza instead.
4. He knows how to research and shop around for the best deal when making a new purchase.
5. He works hard at his job and does it well.
6. He reads my blog regularly.
7. He has always taken an interest in my hobbies and collections.
8. The guy brushes my hair!  (So relaxing)
9. He lets me be me.
10. After 13 3/4 years of marriage, he still loves me.  That's what you call longsuffering.

A Whole New World

I'm hoping I get a few more responses about vlogging ideas.  And thank you, Ronnica, for the vote for a song & dance.  I know you just wanted to get a laugh out of me, and you did.

Moving on to a different topic...

Today, for the first time in 3 years, we have satellite TV service.  Oh. My. Goodness.  I feel like I've stepped into another world.  A world in which I will no longer be subjected to Antiques Roadshow on PBS because nothing else is on.  A new world with really cool commercials that I've never seen before.  A world of Emeril Live, classic movies, and Lifetime.  Do you have any idea how many episodes of Reba you can view in a day?  A lot!  Not to mention my dear, long lost friend, Monk... Oh, how I've missed you.

And do the 3 little letters D-V-R mean anything to you?  I don't know how to use it yet, but whoa baby, am I gonna learn.

Earlier in the week when we were anticipating the installation of our dish, I told Rich that we were going to celebrate by picking out a classic movie to watch.  I've been looking forward to seeing old movies more than anything.  Well, as he avidly channel surfed this evening, as any red-blooded American male would do, he landed on a movie that he knows I like, and we proceeded to watch it. 

Yours, Mine, & Ours with Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda has always been enjoyable to me.  The storyline is funny and never gets old to me.  I really didn't think we'd watch the whole movie.  I assumed he would become disinterested and move on to something else soon enough, but we watched it all the way to the end.

Are you ready for the irony?  Out of all the things he chose to watch on our new satellite TV, he picked a movie that we already have on video.  Yes, that's right.  We ALREADY HAVE IT ON VIDEO, meaning we can WATCH IT WHENEVER WE WANT TO.  Does anyone else do this?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find out when Monk is on....

New Neighbors

We aren't the type of folks who get all in our neighbors' business.  We're more of the observant type.  So we haven't been exactly sure about what's been going on next door.  All we know is that the man who used to live there moved out months ago and then began doing repairs around the house a few weeks ago.  We never saw a "For Sale" or "For Rent" sign, but in the past week we've seen different vehicles out front and a couple we didn't recognize coming and going from the house.  Thus, we came to the conclusion that we have new neighbors.

It's always a tricky thing when you get new neighbors.  Will they be noisy?  Will they treat their backyard like a dump?  Will they be the type to throw parties and play loud music into the wee hours of the morning?  Yeah, it's always a wait-and-see game when new neighbors move in.

So?  Our new neighbors?  They have a dog.  Rumor has it (and that means Rich looked out the window and reported back to me) that it's a Boxer.  A Boxer who barks.  {sigh}

That's bad news.  Bad. Bad. News.

On the west side of us lives a wiry, little yipper.  Some sort of mini pinscher?  Dixie can hear that little guy the nano-second he steps out his back door and starts barking in our living room, which of course, sets the yipper to barking back in reply from outside.  Now on the east side we have the Boxer, who started barking in its backyard last night while the little yipper was on the other side barking back.  Which then set Dixie to barking because that's just what a dog does when it hears other neighbor-dogs barking.

Have I mentioned that we don't like the barking so much?  {sigh}

My Hero

I'm sending a SHOUT-OUT to my husband because he is my hero of the week.  He rescued my bathroom floor.  Let me explain.

We're having company over on Saturday night for the first time since we've moved into our house 2 1/2 years ago.  I've been concerned over my bathroom floor looking so dingy, and I really wanted to give it a hefty cleaning before company arrives. 

I purchased some cleaner and large sponges on Monday. Then I filled my bucket, got on my hands and knees, and began to scrub away at the grunge.  Much to my dismay, the grunge wouldn't budge.  Really.  It wouldn't BUDGE!  That's when my husband told me that he has already attempted to clean that floor numerous times since moving in, and he couldn't make any headway either.

Hence began my temper tantrum.  My adult-like temper tantrum.  I did not throw myself on the floor, kicking and screaming.  Sure would've like to, though.  Hubby assured me he would look for some wax stripper and see if he couldn't get that grunge up in a different fashion.

So while I was out sipping on a latte at Starbucks yesterday afternoon, unbeknownst to me, Rich was on his hands and knees in the bathroom cleaning the floor with pure ammonia.  (Someone at work had suggested this method, and he decided to give it a try.)  When I got home he took me directly to the bathroom and asked, What do you think?  The floor was SHINING.  Absolutely shining!  I could not believe it. 

And would you know that when I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, the floor was even shining by the glow of our little nightlight?  I smiled in my sleepiness.

So thanks, Rich.  You're my hero.

A Storm is Brewing

The tornado sirens are blaring now.  Do you think I should live-blog the storm on its way?  I'm just watching the weather right now to see how close it is to my town.  It's still minutes away. 

I'm not so much afraid of the incoming storm.  I'm more annoyed that I'm supposed to go to the basement.  I'm also annoyed that this tornado warning is in effect until 11:00, and I'm REALLY TIRED tonight.  I just want to go to bed, not stay up for another 35 minutes to see if a tornado is heading for my house.

Rich just got up to see if he was hearing a fire engine or a tornado warning siren.  I told him it's a tornado warning, and he just went back to bed.  You can see we're having the good times here tonight in Indiana.

Woot!  {read that with sarcasm}

So the Police Showed Up...

There is something very unsettling about the police showing up at your door.  At night.  I heard a slight commotion outside last night, and Dixie started barking.  I realized that I was hearing the sound of a radio going back and forth in front of my house.  Then it sounded like it was at the side of my house.  I finally decided to peek through the blinds and check out where the noise was coming from. 

That's when I saw the policemen.  At my front steps.  That's highly unsettling, people.  Highly unsettling!

They were looking for a man in a dark or red shirt.  A neighbor had reported that a couple had been fighting, and someone was lying or was thrown onto the railroad tracks behind our home.  I didn't quite understand the scenario, but again... HIGHLY UNSETTLING.

I told them I didn't know anything was going on, so they continued to walk back and forth and investigating around the tracks.  They didn't find anything, so they left.

Maybe if I put things into a context, you will understand why the scenario creeps me out.  I mean, just the idea of someone lying on the tracks is creepy, but there is more to it than that.  The context is that our neighbor gives me the creeps.  I wouldn't be surprised if he was the one that they were looking for, who had been in the argument.  He argues fairly regularly at the top of his lungs with his various girlfriends, cursing them up and down, out in the yard in broad daylight.  The police have been out here to pay him a visit before over other issues.  Not such a friendly visit, mind you.  More of a slamming-him-up-against-the-garage kind of visit while they searched his house.

Have I mentioned that this is highly unsettling?!?