It's beginning to look a lot like...

A blizzard outside!  Our county was slated for 17-24" of snow and for once the weatherman actually got it right.  We easily have 18-20" in our yard right now after yesterday's storm.  After two dud years for owning a snowmobile it looks like this year will be a good one (and of course I cannot ride).  Justin had a blast last night riding with a few of his buddies while I stayed home cuddled on the couch in my Ski-Doo jersey playing XBOX360.  In a week's time I guarantee the jersey will no longer fit.

Reflections

Friday morning began like any other Friday for me, brimming with weekend anticipations.  Nothing could damper my spirit because I was that much closer to freedom, so to speak.  My sister was graduating from college that evening, a nice Italian dinner awaited, Saturday morning I was going to sleep in, and Sunday we'd be dining with Justin's mother and sister.  Sprinkle in some Christmas music and movies while wrapping presents and it was already shaping up to be a wonderful weekend.  Then news of the CT shooting was released.

Plenty of friends and family immediately began posting condolences on various social media sites.  Then the condolences quickly morphed into debates on gun control and God and ugly statements began flying back and forth.  This is why I've yet to say anything publicly.  It's not because I did not know anyone personally involved in the shooting, nor because I'm heartless, nor do I live under a rock.  I am deeply saddened by the unnecessary violence which has become the norm.  I'm fearful for the type of world my unborn child will grow up in, knowing that as much as I'd like to protect him there are many things outside of my control.  Thankfully all my family and friends were safe enough to begin arguing amongst each other online.   

Furry Friday: Holiday Excitement

This time of year my Rye-guy goes gaga for presents.  He's a like a little kid.  If you bring any packages into the house without allowing him to inspect them, he immediately thinks it must be a present for him and will sit and whine at the spare bedroom's closet door (assuming that's where you hide your presents) because he knows its in there.

Trying to wrap gifts with Riley around is also a feat.  He's only a foot tall, so keeping things out of his reach isn't really the issue.  The issue is that he cries as if you are hurting him the entire time you are wrapping something outside of his reach.  He's mister impatient when it comes to Christmas.  He wants a present and he wants it now.  If you even say the word "present" he gets all anxious and trots off to stand guard outside the spare bedroom's closet door.  Yep, he's one smart cookie and a real pain in the you-know-where sometimes.  But I love him and watching him open presents is worth the aggravation.  Here's a video from last year:

Anyone else have a dog, cat, ferret, etc that loves to open presents?

To eat or not to eat...

That is the question.  There are so many conflicting opinions on what pregnant women can and can't eat.  I have several books at home, two of which are very specific as to your baby's growth and development week by week as well as monitoring your own health and food intake.  The one is "What to Expect When You Are Expecting" which my girlfriend gave me and the other is "Your Pregnancy Week by Week" which my Insurance Company sent me.  I'd been reading right along in the What to Expect one up until this week and then I received the Week by Week one so I decided to play catch up in that one, just to see if there were any glaring differences.

Slugs, snails, puppy dog tails...

That's what little boys are made of and I'm happy to announce Justin and I are having a BOY!  We had our "anatomy scan" yesterday and it appears there will be one more Krueger male walking this earth come May 2013.  Who knew that the baking-soda gender test would be an accurate predictor??  Only twenty-two weeks to go and counting.

Furry Friday: Think Fast

I know in the past I've commented on how Riley was a great little time keeper (Like Clockwork) but this morning he must have been on break.  Justin and I had forgotten to set the alarm and had to scramble to get ready for work this morning in a half hour time frame.  I said to Riley "Oh man, you were supposed to wake us up!" and he just looked at me like I had three heads and rolled over.  Yeah, it was already starting out to be a rough morning considering we had to get two of us through the shower, the dog walked and fed, and I had to eat a little something before running out of the house (pregnancy will do that to you.) 

Furry Friday: Hug your pet

In the news recently has been coverage of a Jack Russell puppy named Phoenix from the Buffalo, NY region.  He had been set on fire last month by two teens who I hope rot in hell.  He is slowly recovering from his injuries but may lose his left hind leg.  This little guy could use your thoughts and prayers.  Fortunately enough kind people have donated the funds to cover his surgeries up to this point.  According to WIVB.com he is currently being treated at The Buffalo Animal Shelter.  If you would like to know more, Friends of the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter are continually posting updates about the little guy, information about the shelter, adoptions, and ways to donate. 

Tis the season to be thankful...

As quickly as the Thanksgiving Holiday crept upon us, it has just as quickly passed.  We hosted again this year for a whopping 26 people.  Surprisingly it seems to get easier each time we do it.  My sister-in-law is a huge help as she is a whiz in the kitchen.  We changed the menu up slightly to add some variety and also to save on oven space. 

Furry Friday: Faux Hawk

As you can see, during his Furry Friday hiatus Riley has been very busy growing out his hair for the upcoming winter months.  His wire hair certainly lends itself to some super styles.  Who else do you know that can rock a faux hawk sans hair product??  This guy right here.

Pregnant Sinuses

This time of year, at least in Upstate New York, is particularly difficult on the sinuses.  The cold and lack of humidity leads to painful dry sinuses, sinus infections, and sinus headaches.  Now add pregnancy into the mix and it gets one step worse.  On top of having dry painful sinuses, you now smell everything 300x more than the average person (I exaggerate with the 300x, however you truly do have a heightened sense of smell). 

Today for instance I will dub Garlic Day.  Everything to me smells like garlic.  Well, I should say everyone.  Kissing my husband goodbye this morning I could have swore I smelled garlic (even though we've not had any meals with garlic all week) and just about every person I've passed in the hall at work had the "ode de garlic" about them. 

Wives Tales

So, now that the cat is out of the bag I'm going to share with you some of the fun Justin and I have had with old wives tales.  Justin is of course convinced we're having a boy, with or without the below results:

Are You A Lefty or a Righty?  LEFTY

So when you sleep, do you sleep on your left? Because if you do, then it’s a boy for you! On your right, a girl is in sight.

Has the hair on your legs grown faster than normal?  FASTER

Or has it grown just like normal? Because if it’s growing faster than it did pre-pregnancy, then you’re said to be having a boy.

Morning Sickness?  HAVEN’T PUKED YET

Did you experience morning sickness in early pregnancy? If you did, then you’re said to be carrying a girl, but if you didn’t have morning sickness, then it’s a boy.

Top Ten Things...

The top ten things I've noticed thus far about pregnancy are:

1. Pregnant women can win any burping competition, hands down.
2. Flatulance... and you can't always blame it on the dog.
3. Bloating - hello?!  Seven pounds for what?  The thing isn't even the size of a pea yet.
4. I'm crampy, not to be mistaken for cranky. 
5. There is no pregnancy book out there that can prepare you for the night sweats.  S-A-T-U-R-A-T-E-D
6. I'm hungry...all the time.  Not much different than usual, but noteworthy.
7. I've never been so thirsty in my life, sometimes waking up at 3a.m. for a bottle of water.
8. Oh, and what goes well with a bottle of water at 3a.m.?  Frequent urination. 
9. Forget "morning sickness", what about feeling car sick with or without a car?  Knock on wood I've skipped over the "vomit" stage, however the queasiness is hit or miss.
10. Sheer exhaustion.  I'm the "sleep 8-10 hours only to have enough energy to shower and go back to bed" type of exhausted.

If you haven't figured it out already, Justin and I are expecting. It appears my aforementioned baby fever has developed into a full scale illness better known as pregnancy.  28 weeks to go!

8 weeks 2 days

12 weeks 2 days

Furry Friday: In Good Taste

It's hard to find things our little Rye-guy doesn't have a taste for.  He will beg for a taste of whatever you are eating, even if it's celery sticks.  In trying to keep in mind that his waist line doesn't exactly love snacks as much as Riley does, we have been purchasing what are purported to be "healthier" versions of his usuals.  For Milkbones, we've been buying the granola based ones.  Rachel Ray offers her "Just Six" snacks, which I've mentioned before, and now we've tried out Beneful's baked versions called "Baked Delights".  He loves their Quacks and their Hugs.  We're now testing out the Snackers.  They're veggie/fruit shaped but are a peanut butter based product.  So far he seems to like them.  

Luck of the draw

So far today is shaping up to be a pretty crappy day.  I woke up thinking it was Friday.  Wished my bff a very Happy Birthday, only to have her say "ummm thanks, it's tomorrow," and then I dive into my lunch pail to find that I had been packed a plain oatmeal packet for breakfast.  My husband's response "sorry, you got the luck of the draw."  Yeah, while that may be true, let's just discuss why the heck they put that disgustingly bland unflavored packet in the variety box in the first place.  Does anyone know? 

Scatter Brain

Let's just talk about the joys of the internet, shall we?  Just about anything makes the cut for a piece of news on the world wide web... and then I read it.  LOL.  Some of the items that made it on my reading list today include the following:

• I'd read an article about some artist named Hirst who killed 9000 butterflies in the name of art.  There was a link to photos of other odd works of art featuring dead animals and the like.  Unfortunately I cannot retrace my steps to the subsequent article but it revealed a technical term for taxidermy used as an art form (think Steve Carell in Dinner for Schmucks).  I was going to say you learn something new every day, however, in my case only if you write it down.

Furry Friday: Halloween Prep

I cannot believe how long it's been since I wrote a Furry Friday post.  I'm also kicking myself that I didn't take any pictures of Riley this past weekend trying on his Halloween costume.  That's right, Riley even gets into the spirit.  One year he was a Hot Dog (creative for a dachshund don't you think?) and another year he was a Devil.  This year we didn't have his hair trimmed in August and so he's a little shaggy, however this would work great for a few costumes on the market right now: Yoda, Scarecrow, and... PIRATE.  Can you tell we went with Pirate?  He's so friggin' cute.  In the past, he wasn't crazy about the other costumes because they were constricting (one was a t-shirt style, the other had to velcro around him), so this year we simplified.  His costume has a skull and crossbones bandana and a pirate's hat.  Surprisingly he sits still long enough to put on the hat.  I should take some photos of him in all his costumes to date to share on the blog.

OTC

Since my husband kept me up until the wee hours of our third wedding anniversary, and not for reasons one might expect, I dedicate today's blog to him.  Last night while he was coughing his head off I began writing this very blog in my head since I was unable to sleep.  I've decided to rant a little about OTC medications.

We all know that the common cold is kryptonite for our big, strong men.  Couple that with all the TV time our big, strong men intake and they are pudding in the hands of the Nyquil/Dayquil media hype.  My husband is a firm believer that Nyquil and Dayquil are the end all of OTC meds.  Unfortunately I tend to disagree.  In my oh-so-scientific study of observation and consumption I've found that Nyquil is known to knock you out in 10 minutes flat, however wears off in about 2 hours (not the 4-6 they purport) and if anyone so much as brushes against you in that two hour time frame you react like a Vietnam War Veteran.  As for Dayquil, you'd be better off taking a spoonful of sugar with two advil than downing their two orange capsules.  Neither seem to touch the "I didn't wear a coat outside all weekend" cough (aka "A-Hole's Cough"), but don't tell my husband that.

Road Cone Math

In Upstate New York there is an upstanding joke that our seasons are Cold, Effin' Cold, Tolerable and Roadwork.  With the recent screw up to our Daylight Savings Time our seasons have apparently gotten themselves mixed up as well.  Normally it is throughout our Summer that the roadwork signs appear and our daily travels are interrupted.  For whatever reason, the roadwork cones are out in full force now and we're well into the start of Fall.  I say the roadwork cones are out as opposed to crews because it's rare you see a worker, however someone put them there so I guess that counts for something.

Set your clock

I don't know about you, but I am having a hard time staying awake at night and an equally hard time getting up in the morning.  This may have a little something to do with the fact that it's dark out.  Apparently some genius thought it'd be awesome to change our "Spring Ahead, Fall Behind" schedules last year, evidently screwing everything up this year.  Apparently the Sun didn't get the memo that we changed things up.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with what I'm referring to, I'm including a link to Daylight Savings from wikipedia.

Scaredy Cat

I really kick myself for being one of those teenagers who loved scary movies.  Now that I own my own house I'm constantly checking that there is no one hiding in the shower, I dread getting up at 3am because it's the "witching hour," and I lock everything including my car which is already in a locked garage.  Well, last night (or this morning, depending on how you look at it) I was awakened by one of the many alarms in my house faintly beeping.  Once I was awake enough to realize that it wasn't some random text message on my phone or something I'd dreamed up, I'd seen the clock said 3:46 a.m.  I'd debated laying there for the next 14 minutes until it was safely 4 a.m., but my opened eyelids had already triggered the urge to pee so I got up.  Side note:  a sheer shower curtain with a clear liner is the way I get around phobia #1 about creepers hiding out in the bathtub.

Show Stopper(s)

This past weekend we had a little bbq with a few friends over.  We weren't really feeling the standard hotdog/hamburger menu, however.  We opted for grilled sausage patties with onions and peppers as well as pulled pork sandwiches.  Side dishes included a pasta salad, summer squash casserole, and tomato/mozzarella/basil salad w/ balsamic vinegar dressing.  DELICIOUS. 

Rehab

What is rehab?  I ask this question because I'm not sure I understand the new-aged concept of rehab.  My impression was that rehab was a place where drug abusers went to forcibly become clean of their addictions.  The visual I have in my head is one of a hospital-gown donning junkie sweating it out on a cot in a locked room.  From what I understand of rehab some instances of are not necessarily voluntary, sometimes court ordered, but for the most part rehab is not something I would categorize as pleasant.

Furry Friday: Shamed

So I've recently been clued into an awesome website known as Dog Shaming.  It is hilarious.  People send in pictures of their dogs with a sign stating something their dog is/should be ashamed of (i.e. humping blankets, afraid of the cat, chewing the furniture, etc.)  The photos are adorable and the sentiments are usually quite laughable.  The site inspired me to create a few for Riley.  Enjoy!

 (click on photos to enlarge)

Dumb quote of the week

“It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare.  If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something: I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child.”  Todd Akin

Furry Friday: Jürgen

Riley has a new friend.  His name is Jürgen and he's an eight month old rescued husky mix.  Our neighbor Bill recently adopted him after some coaxing by his son.  Apparently Jürgen is the spitting image of a dog he'd once owned and so the decision to adopt him came fairly easily when his son brought him by the house.

Furry Friday: Chairman

Justin has this habit of "shopping" at his mom's.  He says it's like American Pickers, but free.  The last time we were over there he decided to take home an ax, an electric saw, a camping grill, a badminton set, and a beach chair.  Fortunately he's not crossed over into Hoarders territory since his garage and basement haven't maxed out in storage capacity as of yet.  I promise I'll keep an eye on him, this could get serious.

Anywho, the one item from his most recent "shopping" trip that I was actually excited about was the beach chair.  I have hunted high and low this summer for a low sitting beach chair for Riley.  He loves sitting outside, even more so in a camping chair, however he has three inch legs so a camping chair isn't ideal for him.  You can understand how a low sitting beach chair would be perfect.  Well here's proof:

No sooner did we get this beach chair set up, he hopped right in.  The colors are a little faded, but dogs are color blind so he doesn't mind a bit.  This is where he now spends hours each afternoon while I'm either making dinner or cleaning house.  What a cutie!

Golden Fork

If there was a Golden Fork Award for "tastes good, looks awful" my baking career would most certainly take off.  As far as I know there is no such award, so I'll just have to stick to my day job crunching numbers and ensuring people get paid.  It doesn't mean I'll forgo baking all together.  I'll continue experimenting and I'm sure the hubs will continue to eat whatever is put in front of him within reason.

A fair, a Wedding, and a Camper

Well hello there!  Glad to see you hung in there while I was on a blogging hiatus.  The summer has been going by so fast and I've been trying to make the most of it while it lasts.  We've had spectacular weather and plenty of fun things filling up our limited weekends.  Side note: yes, I refer to hot and humid as spectacular.  If you had to endure six months of below zero weather accompanied with several feet of snow and darkness, you'd probably agree with me that hot and humid are indeed spectacular. 

In continuing our tradition of partying it up at the Schoharie County Fair we took my sisters not one, not two, but three days this year.  We had a blast.  Day one was full of shows: carriage races, equestrian competitions, the circus, and a stunt show.   Day two was all about the rides.  Day three was tractor pulls, the circus (again), fake tattoos, and a logging show. 

Furry Friday: Chillaxin

It's been a while since I've done a Furry Friday post, and it's not because Riley hasn't been full of spunk and keeping us all entertained.  We've been so busy lately that I've failed to capture most of those moments on camera. What I have been fortunate to get shots of was some of our downtime where we were just chillaxin. Well, I shouldn't take all the credit.  My sister managed to snag two out of three of the below photos.  Just looking at them makes me smile.  I love my little fur buddy.

Sitting outside

Visiting with Grandma Peck

On a walk

Why cheat?

Within hours of Kristen Stewart's face being planted on every news tabloid imaginable with accusations of cheating, very public apologies were issued by herself and Rupert Sanders to their significant others.  This of course was a move planned out by publicists and certainly not for the benefit of those they cheated on.  The damage has of course already been done and by this point I'm fairly confident in stating that neither Rob Pattinson or Rupert's wife Liberty could care less which media outlet published such apology.  I know some people probably view the whole scenario as just another shining example of Hollywood romance down the tubes, but I cannot help but over-analyze the situation.

Blog Swap: Summer Vacation

Today I’m participating in the 20 Something Bloggers Blog Swap. You’ll find me posting over at "Musings of a Girl" about my thoughts on Summer Vacations and I’m pleased to welcome Heather to  Gidget's Two Cents:

"I am really excited to be paired with Christy for 20-Something Bloggers' Blog Swap. We are talking about Summer Vacations this time around. I have a personal blog over at Musings of a Girl. Check out my post below and tell me your most horrifying summer vacation memory."

All fun and games...

It's all fun and games until someone loses a toenail, but I’ll get to that later.  This weekend was chock full of fun.  Friday night was the Schenevus Carnival where we got to catch up with many of our old high school friends, eat some fabulously cheap fried dough, and watch some of the best fireworks in the state of New York.  I also got my baby fix in as we hung out with Jennifer -Marie and her new baby Jocelyn. Saturday we cleaned all three vehicles with Jay's power washer (thanks Uncle Richie!) and then lazed about in our pool for a good portion of the day.  In the evening we met up with Justin's sister Elise and her fiance Dan for some Domino's Pizza and a double feature at a local drive-in.  We saw the newest Batman "The Dark Knight Rises" and "Ted."  Both were pretty good.  The Batman movie was certainly action packed, although a little overkill on the shooting scenes.  Ted was absolutely hilarious.  In typical Justin fashion, a verse from the Thunder Buddies song has become a new catch phrase for him.

Furry Friday: Jumper

Riley is loving that we've moved our bedroom upstairs.  He is loving the fact that the stairwell is no longer gated and that the upstairs is once again part of his domain.  One small problem though, Riley has developed a new bad habit since we've moved upstairs... jumping off the bed.  He never did this in our downstairs bedroom, but I think that had to do with the fact that the floor wasn't carpeted.  He's always been a jumper when it came to getting up/down from the couch, but the bed is quite high and I cringe at the thought of back surgery for the little dude.  Doggy stairs aren't really an option either.  We have a set for the couch and try as we may, he only learned to use them to go up.  Coming back down he apparently enjoys the thrill of a jump.  So now I have to contemplate a solution to this very real problem.  Suggestions?

Moving up in the world...

Drum roll please...

WE ARE FINALLY USING THE UPSTAIRS OF OUR HOUSE.  That's right.  The bathroom is done and now that the carpet is in, we've moved all our bedroom furniture up.  I even have curtains that are from this century.  It feels so luxurious.  And thanks to Pinterest, I will be making a "family wall" going up the stairwell.  Justin and my dad still have to install the doors they made for the hall closet, but that's a minor detail compared to what we started with upstairs. 

Pass the Ketchup

Ok, I am in serious need of catching everyone up on the past week of activities which of course flew by in a blink of an eye.  I don't know where the time went, but it went so quickly I had no time to blog.

At any rate, we had a wonderful July 4th holiday surrounded by friends and family.  Even though it was a week night we threw together a bbq.  The local fireworks are viewable from our front lawn so most of our guests stayed late to enjoy them.  This year we had plenty of activities planned:  wiffle ball, washers, ladder ball, horseshoes, and of course the pool.  I also tried out a new recipe for Raspberry Rhubarb Upside Down Cake which was out of this world.

We bought a...

We bought a pool!  It was a bit spur of the moment.  We were lazing about after breakfast on Saturday wondering what to do for the day when I suggested putting up a pool.  Seeing as how he'd already done some homework on the topic, that's all it took and Justin transformed into a kid in a candy shop.  We decided on an Intex pop-up pool.  It's 14 feet in diameter, 48 inches in depth.  For our first pool and a pop-up at that, it's really not too shabby. It was, however, a bit more of a process than initially anticipated.

Baby Fever

My best friend Jennifer-Marie welcomed her beautiful baby Jocelyn to the world this past Sunday.  I guess that makes me an Aunt, sort of.  It also makes me officially the only one in my circle of friends who has not tried his/her hand at procreating.  Practicing, yes.  Procreating...not so much.  For whatever reason it seems my husband and I have always found a reason not to have a baby.  Either he wasn't ready, I wasn't ready, our bank accounts weren't ready, our dog may not be ready, our home repairs/updates weren't ready, our relationship as a couple wasn't ready, etc.  At almost thirty we're perfectly content to babysit for friends and family and then send the little boogers home.  We'd done our research on local daycare facilities, talked to my doctor, but really we were just waiting for the right moment when the stars aligned before making that commitment.  I know, I know... if you wait for the right moment you'll never have a kid.  There's never a right moment.  I've heard that a million times.  Although now it seems my mindset is changing.

Furry Friday: Stoic

Denture Your Dog

Stoic was the word the veterinarian used for Riley.  Apparently the bump that had suddenly appeared under his right eye was what we feared.  He had an abscess due to a cracked tooth.  While she poked and prodded around in his mouth he surprisingly maintained his cool-as-a-cucumber composure thus prompting the one word compliment.  Although, while having his temperature taken he hid his head in the crook of my elbow like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.  My heart ached for the little guy.  

Advice for future children

No I'm not pregnant, but a few things had me thinking about writing a post like this.  First, a blogsite I belong to (20sb.net) was asking for posts about what we would say to ourselves five years ago, and then there was this little cutie posted out in the online world of Facebook and the Timesunion Blogosphere.  Ultimately I started thinking about how I would have done things differently and how I would encourage my future kids to prolong their youth because before your know it you're grown up and it kind of sucks. 

Furry Friday: Wednesday Edition

So last night Riley was being a bit whiney.  Initially we attributed it to the full moon as lunar cycles tend to affect him, but after further inspection we realized he had a half-dollar sized bump under one of his eyes.  Needless to say I was immediately worried.  Over the past week he had shown signs of what I believed to be allergies (rubbing his face, warm ears, sneezing, runny nose, etc).  Well, now I'm thinking I missed the signs that he was developing a toothache.  At least that's what I'm hoping it is.  After some reading online it appears this isn't entirely uncommon, however if it is an abscess it can lead to infection and possible surgery.

So wish us luck as we're off to the Vet for a 9:00am appointment.  Here's hoping for a simple fix (i.e. draining and antibiotics.) 

Has anyone else gone through this with their dog(s)?  Please share your experience.

Trespassing?

We couldn't have special ordered any better weather for this past weekend.  It was hot and sunny with just the right amount of breeziness to keep you from overheating.  Absolutely gorgeous for Father's Day weekend.  Every opportunity we had, we made sure we were outside to enjoy the weather.  We bbq'd Friday - Sunday, even camped out Saturday night with my sisters who had never tented before.  This was odd to me seeing as how they are Girl Scouts, I thought scouting had a camping requirement but I guess things have changed.  Anywho, we also swam at a friend's pool and even took a drive over to the picturesque Wintergreen State Park in Canajoharie.  This was the only hiccup to the entire weekend.

Grilling, Planting, Welding & Carpet

You read that right.  Last night was an odd combo of events for sure.  The evening started out with Justin mowing lawn and myself putting together supper.  It was gorgeous out so I opted to use the grill.  I made the most delicious chicken last night that I figured I'd have to share. Not a formal recipe, this was a throw together, but it was oh-so-simple and oh-so-delicious.  I'm sure you could replicate it:

The Krueger Version: Chicken & Mushroom Spiedies Sandwiches

Ingredients/supplies (serves 2):

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

2 portobello mushroom caps, cubed

Hotdog or hamburger buns (your preference)

Shredded Mozzarella

Pampered Chef Chipotle Rub seasoning

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Salt

Pepper

Aluminum foil 

1 BBQ Grill

Size Matters

Already a hot topic in the gender realm, it appears the age old "size matters" debate will soon apply to beverages as well.  In an effort to curb the state's obesity, New York's Mayor Bloomberg intends to pass legislation banning the sale of sugary drinks in excess of 16 ounces. (Google search: ny soda size limit.)

While I can understand the facts provided in regards to the detriments of excess sugar on one's health, I don't know as though it's the Government's right to impose restrictions in this regard.  I think if we're not careful about reigning in "Big Brother's" micromanagement of society we're going to wake up one day to find we are no longer a Democratic nation.  It's a slippery slope folks.  Already on the radar are restrictions on the sales of popcorn, milkshakes, and "milk-coffee" beverages.  Where does it stop?

I think we need to flip this scenario around and start imposing more restrictions on those that govern us.  I won't speak for the general public, but I will say that I personally am tired of increased taxes and the out of control government spending.  It really aggravates me that this is what our tax dollars are wasted on (i.e. task force to prevent and control obesity).  I'm especially aggravated when I look at the whole beverage/milk beverage restriction from this perspective: my taxes are essentially paying the government to research how to make it illegal for me to purchase and consume a milkshake.  Yeah, that pisses me off.

Anyone else?  Leave your thoughts below.  You never know, we could be on to something BIG here.

Vi·ta·min

Growing up my mother fed my sisters and I vitamins like it was her J-O-B.  She thoroughly believed in the powers of vitamins and their ability to keep us out of doctors offices and on the perfect attendance list at school.  I may have embellished a little in that last sentence, however, it is true that we took minimally two pills a day with breakfast.  A little red multivitamin and white vitamin-c supplement.  Prior to our abilities to "swallow" our vitamins we did have chewables and I can vouch that chewable vitamin-c is absolutely puke-worthy.  There was also a time when my mom thought garlic pills were the next best thing to sliced bread.  All I can say is they provided for some nasty burps which made an already self-conscious preteen even more so.  At any rate, upon graduating and venturing off to college I nixed the vitamin habit much like I nixed my weekly dose of church on Sunday.  I guess I just needed a break from all things regimented that were either good for my body or for my soul.

One year Later

Not to steal any thunder from Riley's Furry Friday post, I graciously awaited until Monday to announce that the blog has reached it's one year anniversary.  What a year it's been!  I've published 166 posts, 32 of which were Furry Friday posts.  The blog has had over 5700 unique page views to date with readers hailing from the USA, Russia, Canada, Germany, the UK, Australia, the Netherlands, Spain, India, and Italy!  Not too shabby.  I've recently added a translation tool to the site so I'll be interested to see if I pick up any additional international readers going forward.  However, not to bore you with any additional statistics I thought it'd be worthwhile to share the top ten most read posts from the past year:

Furry Friday: Straight Up Cheesin'

So there I sat on the couch, box in hand, still not sure what to make of the flavor combination.  Justin had a craving for Cheese-Its this past week while we were grocery shopping so we'd picked up a box of their new Duoz.  This particular box had smoked cheddar and monterrey jack.  The orange ones tasted like feet, the white ones weren't as repulsive but certainly not the best.  We looked at each other and laughed, neither of us swallowing our chewed up crackers yet.  This box was a dud.  So I went to get up from my position on the couch to put these horrible crackers back in the cabinet and this is what occurred:

Life on Mars

I was listening to Elvis Duran & The Morning Show on my way to a meeting this morning and the topic of conversation was the colonization of Mars.  Yes, the planet.  Apparently a company called Mars One intends to start a colony on Mars by 2023.  It's a $6+ billion dollar project which they hope to fund by creating a reality show featuring the colony of folks they put on Mars.  The disclaimer to anyone looking to sign up for the opportunity to move to Mars and be on Reality TV is that the trek is 7 months long and it's a one way trip. 

Furry Friday: Birthday Boy!

My precious fur-baby turns five years old today!  In dog years that makes Riley thirty-five.  Where has the time gone?!  In honor of the birthday boy, I've put together some highlights of his first four years:

Memorable Memorial Day Weekend

I concur with whoever coined the phrase that there aren't enough hours in a day.  This weekend we had three whole days, aka 72 hours, and boy did we make the most of the hours we had.  We had invitations to parties for all three days and we also had plans to get some more work done at the house as well as vegetables and flowers to plant.

Saturday we were up by 7:00 am to begin ripping out the carpet in the stairwell.  I have a new appreciation for vice grips as they were quite helpful in removing the residual staples from the steps.  Afterwards we headed out to Agway for some plants (banana peppers, zucchini, marigolds and some purple perennial,) a new light fixture for the hallway, and to refill our propane tank for the BBQ.  After dropping the plants at home we headed to Lowes for some paint, doors for the upstairs hall closet, and some other odds and ends (we can always find something we "need" there). Finally it was time to take in our first Memorial Day party of the weekend at the Tefts which included some volleyball, bar-b-q, and Wild Turkey Honey shots.  While we were there we got the call from Justin's sister that she got engaged, so on our way home from the party we stopped to congratulate the happy couple (and scope out the ring- look at that puppy!!)

Furry Friday: 10 Commandments

This little gem has been floating around the internet.  I'm not sure who the original author is, but I've customized it to include a photo of my favorite fur-child Riley.  Click to enlarge.  Enjoy!

Let's go for a "Drive"

Let me tell you how much I love summer hours:

Since graduation occurred last weekend, our campus has enacted "summer hours" for its employees.  This translates to me getting out at 4:00pm this week, which is WONDERFUL.   I feel like I have so much more time to have a life outside of work.  Not to mention that it stays light out until after 8:00pm now.  Yesterday I took full advantage of my extra hour.  I took Riley for a walk around SUNY Cobleskill's campus (he was so excited to get a car-ride and a long walk), got gas, ran to walmart, and made dinner... all before 6:30pm.  This meant I had time to sit down and enjoy a Netflix movie.  Drive has been on my list for some time now, mainly because it features Ryan Gosling.  For those of you haven't seen it but plan to, stop reading right now.  This post will be full of spoilers.

Growing Up...Country

When I was twelve my parents thought it'd be a great idea to move my sister and I off Long Island and into Upstate New York.  I was mortified.  Our block had just been re-paved which meant a summer of premium rollerblading and bike riding.  Well, this was not to be.  Moving Upstate meant adjusting to "blue stone" pavement (aka rocks stuck in tar) and friends who lived miles away as opposed to just a few houses down.  Not to mention I was being separated from my cousins who were more like siblings to me.  There were all the promises of visiting often, however the reality was once a year for a weekend at most.  Our new school was a fraction of the size of the school districts we'd attended.  Our class size went from 500 to 32.   I remember that my upstate NY cousin Nate was excited that a new girl was coming to the school because that meant a new prospect to date in the future.  Too bad it was me.  Boy was he disappointed.  With a class size of 32, the pickings were slim.  Talk about an adjustment.   With summer quickly approaching I reflect back on this drastic change in my life and the stark contrasts between summers on Long Island and in Upstate New York.

Requiescat in Pace (Rest in Peace)

I received some unsettling news today.  A friend and mentor passed away yesterday.  He was an active member of the community, of local associations, and an avid volunteer.  Someone I respected.   Someone who was always upbeat and had nothing but positive things to say.  Insanely successful in everything he did, the epitome of a great salesman.  Someone who just recently wished me a happy birthday. Someone who reminded me of my Grandfather, full of catch phrases and good advice.  Unfortunately, though, his passing was not one of old age but of suicide.  I'm saddened that someone who seemed to to have the world on a string could find the pressures of every day life too much.  It doesn't leave the rest of us much hope if someone as wonderful as him could succumb.

Furry Friday: Riley's State of Mind

For a little fun I've decided to respond to an email questionnaire on my blog, but from Riley's point of view.  He thought it would be fun too.  I asked him this morning.  Doesn't he look enthused?  

Do you like blue cheese?
I heard the word "cheese"... I love cheese!

Do you own a weapon?
Do teeth count? 

What flavor Kool-Aid is your favorite?
I haven't experienced Kool-Aid.  I have been known to drink iced-tea, hot tea, and coffee when you're not looking.  Hey, if you leave it anywhere that I can get to it's fair game.

Summer of Frozen Drinks

Last weekend my friend Danielle and I trekked on up to Albany (aka Awwwbany) to do some shopping for our good friend Jennifer-Marie's Baby Shower.  Danielle, in case you've forgotten, is the mother of my favorite little person.  Jennifer, if you are reading, no worries as I will not disclose the date/time/presents purchased.  I will say that Danielle and I must have looked like two tools wandering around Babies-R-Us trying to find stuff from the registry.  What a hoot.  So that was the highlight of our Saturday morning.  We then treated ourselves to lunch at Olive Garden before heading over to the Christmas Tree Shop in the Colonie Center Mall.  I tell you, I forget how awesome the Christmas Tree Shop is.  I have to measure some windows at the house and make a special trip back over there for some new curtains.  Their home section is rather nice!  

You learn something new...

They say you learn something new everyday.  There's another phrase that says if you don't you die.  I'm not savvy on the exact verbiage, but either way I'm helping you in my own little way to learn something new and avoid death.  Not to mention that what I have to share is not common knowledge, unless you live in Bermuda, and thereby fun factoids you can share with friends.  Or your dog.  Whoever you prefer.

• Bermuda Cedar Trees were stuck by a blight that spanned the 1940's and 50's.  This was treacherous to the Bermuda economy because they're well known as ship makers.  You see, one of the properties of Bermuda Cedar is that it doesn't get waterlogged.

• In light of the Bermuda Cedar blight, Lady Bugs were imported to the Island to eat the pests which infected the trees but this proved unsuccessful.  So they imported a lizard to eat the lady bugs, but these little buggers caused crop damage so a bird was imported to eat the lizards. Well this bird caused more damage to their fish population.  It was at this point that the blight ended naturally and the Bermudians stopped trying to mess with Mother Nature.

• To replace the Bermuda Cedar tree, the Australian Whistling Pine was imported, however it didn't do as well in the soil in Bermuda as in Australia and is now one of the first trees to blow down in any heavy storm on the Island.

• Bermuda has mangrove trees that grow on the Island despite the lack of fresh water.   They are able to filter the salt out through their roots and often will sacrifice a branch or two by concentrating the salt to that particular area, turning those leaves yellow.

• The Bermuda Longtail has no feet.  Much like a dolphin, it can shut off half it's brain at a time for sleep purposes and continue flying.  This bird will nest to rear up one baby at a time, however they do not make their own nests.  They steal them from other birds.
 

• A common misconception is that the Bermuda Longtail is Bermuda's national bird.  It's not, the Cahow is.  When Bermudez founded the Island, he dubbed it the Devil's Isle because of mysterious noises that would haunt him at night.  As it turns out he was hearing the Cahow, which is a nocturnal bird that makes a noise similar to a screeching woman.

• Bermuda, although not technically part of the Caribbean, is known to get a hurricane every 8-10 years. The last hurricane to have any real impact on the Island was Fabian in 2003.  It's a good thing Bermuda homes are constructed to withstand winds in excess of 150 miles per hour!  

• Last, but not least the Bermudians had created a limit on the size of turtle that could be captured and eaten on their Island as a way of preserving the species.   In a further effort to cultivate their declining turtle species, they imported 50,000 eggs from Cost Rica.  However, the sand temperature determines the sex of the turtle which then determines their migratory instincts.  So, based on what our guide told us, 50,000 male turtles were hatched and will most likely return to Costa Rica:  the place where they were laid as opposed to hatched.

Furry Friday: Missing Mommy

While Jay and I were on vacation my parents watched Riley, aka their grandpuppy.  One of his favorite past times is to gaze out any window he can get close to (hence his love to sit on the back of the couch, his love of the pocket windows by our front door, or his love of the three small windows at floor level in our sunroom).  At his Grandparents' house, it's no different.  The girls (my sisters) push the ottoman in front of the picture window in their living room so he can peer out.  While we were away my sister Jessie recorded this little gem:

Enjoy and happy early mother's day!

Bermuda

Back in February I had mentioned that Justin and I would be going to Bermuda as a combo anniversary/Valentine/Birthday gift.  Although I didn't specify the dates of our trip in the blog, last week was our week in paradise.  We were aboard the Norwegian Star for a 7-Night Cruise from the NYC port to King's Wharf Bermuda. 

Furry Friday: Trespassing

Last summer the neighbor in the house up on the hill behind us was allowing their two dogs to roam free which resulted in their dogs terrorizing our fur-child and leaving behind "presents" in our yard.  I'm thinking one of the other neighbors complained, or this particular neighbor moved, because *knock on wood* these two dogs have not been seen for a while.  I will admit that the yellow lab was friendly, but the large Rottweiler was stand offish and always made Riley and I nervous.  Please note, I do not discriminate by dog breed.  My Aunt (shout out to Aunt Lynda!) owned two Rottweilers, Roxy and Daga, who were both wonderful dogs.  At any rate, there is a new trespassing visitor leaving "presents" and burned out pee spots on our lawn this year.  It's a cute little Pekingese mix.  I say mix because the coloring is off.  I guess it doesn't matter if it's purebred or not, either way this dog is crapping on our lawn.  It obviously has an owner nearby because this dog is collared and seems familiar with the area.  One of these days if I can get it to come to me, I'll be sure to call up it's owner and voice my distaste for cleaning up after his/her dog.  

Odd News

• Has eating vegetables always been a hassle for you?  Fear no more!  According to Sara Cann of Men's Health you should stare at a T-Steak prior to eating the loathed item of vegetation.  I must say nothing makes me crave broccoli more than a T-Steak... not.  If this works for you, I'd like to hear about it.

K is for Keurig

I was never a big coffee drinker until my mother-in-law purchased a Keurig for us.  I'd grown up on tea at my mother's house and to this day at least of the stove burners is reserved for a tea kettle.  If my mother's around, we'll easily go through two to three cups of tea just chatting away in the kitchen.  Since options for the Keurig have not expanded to include various teas, I've now turned her on to the Keurig as well.  Aside from the convenience, the variety available is wonderful.  Not to mention it's less wasteful because I'm not brewing up a whole pot.  Plus, Justin's a decaf guy so the ability to make something different for each of us has certainly been a perk.  We're a little hesitant, however, to buy new types because we're not sure if I'll like the whole box.  To date, these are our favorites:

Furry Friday: Sidelined Slumber

Two nights this week are particularly memorable to me.  Monday night and last night.  Monday night was a "slept like a rock" kind of night whereas last night was the "toss and turn, up since 4am" version.  Sometimes my sleep patterns can be attributed to caffeine too close to bed, whether or not I exercised that evening, what I ate for supper, etc.  However, a great majority of the time my sleep patterns (much like my life) revolve around Riley Chance.  One would think that a 15-17lb dachshund wouldn't take up much space in a queen sized bed, but he does.  Especially when he decides to lay perpendicular to you. If you haven't noticed, dachshunds are long!  I have found that my best nights of sleep, like Monday night, are when Riley is also exhausted and stays put the whole evening.  Nights like last night he was all over the place.  First he was by my head, then he decided to sleep by my stomach, then he decided he needed to be under the blankets, then he got too warm and decided to kick the blankets off, and finally he felt it was necessary to hog the pillows after practically stepping on my face.  It's a jarring feeling to be woken up by a dog who's just stepped on your hair, and that's putting it politely.   Needless to say, I didn't sleep well last night.

Diet & Exercise

Let's just say that the closer to thirty one becomes, the more diet and exercise have become a matter of importance.  Maybe that's why I have become oversensitive to anything and everything diet related in the media.  I know the media has been constantly feeding young girls and boys garbage resulting in poor body image and unhealthy habits, but I must say that I never really paid attention before now.  It's kind of like that old adage my parents used to say "it'll catch up with you when you're older" referring to my eating habits as a teen.  I was one of those teens blessed with a high metabolism.  Partner that with participation in sports and I was an endless pit when it came to food.  I could eat anything and not suffer any consequences with my weight.  Those days pretty much skipped town towards my junior year of college.  However, now that I'm just a little over a year away from thirty it's gotten even worse.  I feel like I have to scrutinize every little thing I consume or I'll wake up a hippopotamus the next day.  If you think about it, it's not really fair.  I eat so much more healthy now than I ever did back then and yet it's now that my body decides it wants to store fat?  For what purpose, to hibernate until the apocalypse?  I drink so much more water now, scrutinize the fat content of the leanest meat at the supermarket, shop my yogurt by protein content, and my milk/butter by cardiologist endorsement.  The sad reality is that I just want to eat ice cream and not get fat.  Is that too much to ask for?  Apparently.

Graceful

This morning Justin and I thought there was a deranged bird chirping close to the house.  It was so annoying, it woke us up before the alarm.  I hate when that happens.  Needless to say, upon further investigation it was not a bird but one of our fire alarms begging for new batteries.  So I set out to change them, which required some form of step stool.  Since my handy-dandy step stool is always missing from the hall cabinet (eh-hem, Justin) I decided to use one of the kitchen stools from the breakfast bar.  Well, this was not a good idea. 

This old house

I  feel like I should be hosting an episode of "This Old House."  My house is old (1950s Cape Cod) and for all it's charm, it has become quite the learning experience for the hubs and I. This past weekend was shaping up to be a pretty awesome weekend, but you know what they say about the best laid plans... they often go awry. 

Friday we stayed in and had a movie night.  Saturday we got up, started laundry, and then proceeded to wash Justin's truck, his snowmobile, the snowmobile trailer, Justin's daily driver, and my car.  Normally we wouldn't worry about washing the snowmobile and the snowmobile trailer but this year we got out on it once, some of which could be considered mud-bogging...so, it got washed.  Then we put Sta-bil in the gas tank, loosened the track, and brought the battery inside.  All of this was accomplished before the heavy rain rolled in.  We then ran out to the store for a quick restock of some household groceries and settled down for a relaxing evening in complete with pasta salad and bbq'd burgers.  Sunday was supposed to be a wash-out weather wise, so we intended for it to be a comfy-clothes movie and game day with a side of putting laundry away.  Well, the day started out fine until Justin got out of the shower and said "I think we have a problem."

Furry Friday: Toddler Tuesday

This Tuesday I watched my friend Danielle's daughter Jackie again.  I held off on posting about it until Friday because much of what I wanted to post about centered on Riley.  I must say I was so proud of how good he's been when we've had Jackie over.  You see, he's a spoiled only child.  He's great with adults, dislikes other dogs, and hasn't had too much interaction with anything under 4 years of age.  Crying babies on TV make him go bananas, as do animals, people dressed as animals (i.e. Lola), joggers, and the occasional football/basketball game.  So each time we've had Jackie over, it's been interesting to watch his interactions with her during some of his daily activities.

Backdraft

Backdraft (n): an explosive event at a fire resulting from rapid re-introduction of oxygen to combustion in an oxygen-starved environment, for example, the breaking of a window or opening of a door to an enclosed space.  Backdrafts present a serious threat to firefighters, even those with a high level of experience. (source: wikipedia.com)

The above is a metaphor for the relationship scenario I spoke of in Tuesday's blog.  Myself and the friend are the firefighters, the relationship is the oxygen starved environment, and our breaking of the news most certainly caused a backdraft.  So what to do now?  Let the building burn.  Maybe sell the rights to the story for a new episode of Rescue Me. 

Tangents

I'm all over the place today so bear with me.  Anything and everything that struck a cord with me today is getting some face time on the blog.  

First and foremost, this morning I found out that a very wonderful person has passed away:  Bruce Wilhlem.  I interned under him at Bassett and after my college graduation was offered a temp position within his department.  I learned a lot from him and laughed a lot with him.  He made work fun.  He was an excellent reference provider for me and continued to check in on me with each job I've held.  Bruce, hands down, was the best boss I've ever worked for and is someone I aspire to be like.  My condolences go to his family and his colleagues at Bassett. 

To Be 3 Again

Last night I had the pleasure of babysitting my friend Danielle's three year old daughter Jackie.  Even though I am the oldest of five girls, I still managed to learn a few new things about three year olds:

• It's quite possible that their energy levels could power a hybrid vehicle. It's time for the engineers of Toyota to get on that.  I want royalties if the concept is ever acted upon.
• An energetic seventeen pound dachshund is no match for a three year old child.  By 7:30pm, my dog was sleeping on the back of the couch.  I'm thinking play dates between Jackie and Riley need to be more frequent.
• Three year olds have the attention span of a gnat.  We managed to play fetch with the dog, color in the Carebears book, watch portions of both Bolt and Rugrats movies, eat supper, and snack on Pepperidge Farms Goldfish all in the span of a half hour. 

Bananas

Our Friday night started with a comedy show at Waterworks.  For those of you from the Albany area: yes, I know it's a gay bar.  Truthfully, I find it a little disturbing how many people asked me that when I said that's where we were going.  At any rate, five comedians performed in their upstairs lounge to benefit The Sexual Assault & Crime Victim's Assistance Program of Rensselaer County.   Truth be told, we had a blast.  Afterwards we met up with an old friend over at the Black Bear and shared a pitcher of Blue Moon.  We were in good company since the local Mayor was there along with Jeff the bouncer, Bernie the creepy cab guy, my new friend Lauren (aka Aunt Imelda) and Mary the Clairvoyant.  Mary, who's psychic abilities are limited to her alcohol consumption, informed Jeff and I that we were apparently long lost soul mates.  That got a good laugh out of our group.  It was just about then that she called it a night and asked the creepy cab guy, Bernie, to take her home.  Not long after we decided to head out as well.

Furry Friday: Muttballs

Ever since we've gone to the vet with glandular issues and were told Riley needed to lose 1.5 lbs, the hubs and I have been brainstorming ways to help him with both issues.  For his glands, I've read that increasing fiber in his diet should help.  For his weight we've been taking long walks on the local SUNY campus.  For both, we've decided to change up his food slightly.  

Typically he has half of a Cesar's or Chef Michael's wet food and 1/4 cup of Eagle Pack dry food at breakfast and dinner.  His snack is usually a Dentastix, aka "crack stick".  We'll sometimes intermingle Healthy Favorites Milkbones, and Beneful foods/snacks to change it up and if I have coupons.  The nice thing about all of these items was that none had made it on the dog food recall list and are deemed safe.  However, in further scrutinizing Riley's food for quality for his glands/weight, I must admit that I'm not a fan that Cesar's is mainly comprised of byproducts (aka ground grizzle and cartilage.)  So, last weekend's shopping trip we picked up some Naturally Delish wet food.  We had tried the Just 6 treats before and like them, so now what we saw our local grocer carried the food we thought we'd give it a go.  It's really a win-win because not only is the food made with all natural ingredients and no by products, proceeds go to Rachael's Rescue.