Furry Friday: Belly Boy

Over time we have graciously given our little Rye-guy a number of cute nicknames, all of which he answers to.  Bearded-boy, Buddy, Rye-rye, Rye-guy, Bubba, Riley Baby, Love-Bear... the list goes on and on.  Truth be told, he just likes to be talked to so I think if I even called him an obscenity he'd come prancing over happily.  Lately I've taken to calling him Belly Boy because, well, he is getting a little bit of a belly on him.  What can I say? He has his mother's sweet tooth and an affinity for snacking around the clock.  But since he is a "tweenie" (not a standard or a mini) it's really not good to start letting him pack on the pounds.  Dachshunds are prone to back problems already and since he feels the need to avoid using his steps while getting down from the couch, throwing that extra weight into the mix is like a ticking time bomb for an expensive vet visit. 

Snorting Cold Turkey

Ok - bizarre title, I know, but I read two articles today over at The Frisky and couldn't help but blog about both in one post.  It appears the US has become obsessed with Amy Winehouse and self-tanning (has anyone seen Snookie and Pat Sajak lately??) 

First and foremost, we are all well aware that Amy Winehouse has passed. She certainly outlived the death countdown that I'd bet on, but ended up dead nonetheless.  It's really tragic that someone so young and talented wasted her life away on drugs and alcohol.  Although toxicology reports are still outstanding, her family insists she was clean and had attended a doctor's appointment only the day before. According to "Amy Winehouse: Did Alcohol Withdrawl Kill Her?" her family, well at least her father, is asserting she died from alcohol withdrawal because she quit cold turkey.  Now if you wander on over to Wikipedia you will see that alcohol withdrawal can in fact be fatal, however the symptoms are pretty noticeable so if she really had a doctor's appointment Friday then I believe her doctor should be charged with negligence.  But that's neither here nor there at this point since every news report right now is merely speculation.  We'll all know what killed her soon enough.

Kaleidoscope

Today's blog post is going to be a kaleidoscope collection of thoughts.  I couldn't really decide what I wanted to write about, so you are going to be subjected to multiple blog topics all rolled into one.

I've decided that my bad luck isn't going to change itself, so I'm going to change my outlook on life.  Through the power of positive thoughts I am hoping to climb out of this funk I have found myself in.  It kind of hit me last night when in my head I was saying "please God I just need a break" that maybe he's tired of hearing that.  My life's not so bad.  If I want things to be better I need to stop thinking of them as so horrible.  So tonight I think I am going to change up that conversation in my head by really trying to focus on positive things that may have happened today or even this week.  For instance, last Friday I had dinner and wine with two girlfriends of mine.  Then Sunday I had a few of our family and friends over for a bbq, at which our awesome neighbor and my grandfather have come up with a plan to help remove the dead Elm tree in our yard.  All of these were positive things that got overshadowed by all the sucky things that have happened lately.  I just need to be more thankful and less of a cry-baby.

Breakfast.  For those of you who know me, food is one thing I really enjoy in life.  Lately I have become bored with my daily dose of yogurt for breakfast.  I had switched up from Yoplait to Chobani, then to Brach's with granola, then back to Yoplait.  In a nutshell, breakfast has become boring and I need something to look forward to.  Lately I have even taken to skipping it because, well, that strawberry yogurt in the fridge just wasn't appealing anymore.  And as we all know, skipping breakfast is the worst thing to do if I want to keep pounds off my midsection.  I think I need something more savory, preferably healthy, but it also has to be easy.  I have limited time in the morning and I think what was great about yogurt was the "grab and go" functionality it offered.  So, ideas and suggestions are welcome.

Has anyone seen "101 Ways to Leave a Game Show"??  Oh. My. God.  My husband and I watched this last night instead of the Yankees game and we were shocked what they were able to get away with subjecting people to on this show.  Last night I watched one person be ejected from the game by being attached to an enormous anchor and dropped into the harbor, another was shot out of a cannon, and the most shocking of all was one guy was dropped into shark infested waters with chum!  The host is a little bit of a d-bag because he takes sick pleasure in ejecting people this way, but I think that's how his role is supposed to come off to the general public.  So, yeah.  We may be tuning in again just to see what they come up with next.

Did I miss anything?  What would you like to hear about?

Ka-chink

Since misery loves company, I figured I would share my latest sob story.  My Ford Edge had a bearing replaced last week and ever since then it has had a "ka-chink, ka-chink" sound when going over any bumps or divets.  Nice, right?  Only 29k miles on the car, still under new factory warranty and already I am experiencing the headaches of owning a Ford.  This is my first, and probably last, Ford.  I've owned a Hyundai and a Pontiac and honestly the Hyundai was probably the vehicle I had the least amount of problems with.

Furry Friday - Sulking PT

Aside from sulking due to allergies and the massive heatwave that has hit New York, my little guy Riley has other reasons for being so mopey. This past Tuesday his daddy started working a second job on week nights.  With the down economy and our incredibly bad luck (#boatsunk) bills have been getting a little close for comfort.  And although Justin only plans on working part-time for a little while to pay off a few things for breathing room (i.e. snowmobile, student loans, etc,) Riley doesn't quite understand why that should interrupt his routine.

As much as Justin likes to say Riley's my dog (conveniently when he needs to be taken out) he is very much Daddy's Little Boy.  They play fetch together first thing in the morning and again when Justin gets home from work.  He's his snuggle bug on the couch when some logging show or baseball game is on the television.  And Justin is Riley's bone holder when he wants to chew awhile before going to sleep at night.  That's just the way it works.  They do everything together and Riley follows him around seemingly by an invisible leash.

I can remember when we first held Riley in the pet store and Justin said "If you want him, we'll get him.  We'll make it work."  I can remember the first few weeks of potty training/house-breaking and wondering "WTH were we thinking?" But as a blessing in disguise, Riley was just what Justin needed when his Dad died.  The two have had a very special bond ever since.  Heck, when we got Justin's new truck the first thing he did was buy a "manly toy" for Riley to bring along.  That's how we ended up with Moose sitting in the front console. 

So although it tugs at my heart strings to see Riley laying by the back door until Daddy comes home, I have to remind myself that "this too shall pass" and thankfully Justin is not (*knock on wood*) scheduled for weekends so the two of them can reconnect.

Snakeskin

My feet are the only "part" of me that are showing their age.  Seriously.  No gray hair, no wrinkles, no crow's feet.  Not yet anyway.  But my feet...well, at least the heels, they are definitely aging me.  My heels are warping into snakeskin, and not the expensive and desirable Manolo Blahnik kind.  The gross boa constrictor just shed it's outer shell kind.  (I know, I'm sorry for the graphic image.)  I'd complained about this back in the fall to my sister Jessie and her suggestion was the PedEgg.  She swears it works but I'm skeptical.  The damn thing looks like a cheese grater.  Not to mention any commercial on tv has Jess convinced she has-to-have said item.  So guess who got the PedEgg for Christmas as a stocking stuffer?  Yep, this gal.  And I have yet to use it.

#Winning

As comedic as it was having Charlie Sheen make an arse out of himself in the weeks that followed his being let go (#Winning), I for one am ready for the big reveal of Ashton Kutcher to the Two And A Half Men show.  I'd always enjoyed the show as it was, but I'm curious to see how they've written Ashton into the picture.  Obviously he can't come in replacing Charlie.  They don't look anything alike and I'm almost positive Ashton is a foot taller.  Of course I say that even though I've never physically stood next to either of them.  Wikipedia, a trusty source, has indicated "Kutcher will not be playing the character Charlie Harper. Instead he will be introduced as another occupant of the Malibu residence."

Fist Pump!

For all you juice-head, meatball loving fist-pumpers out there: Jersey Shore Season Four premiers August 4 at 10pm on MTV.  I've not yet watched the season premier trailer, but from countless reviews already out on the web I'm led to believe this season is not going to disappoint.  Apparently Snooki and the Situation become an item, Vinny grows a stache, Deena and Paully-D lick (not to be confused with like) each other, and J-Woww continues to duke it out.  One thing I am hoping, although not holding my breath, is that Sammie and Ronnie not steal the spotlight as the typical Domestic Violence Duo that they are.  I grew so tired of tuning in last season to watch their train wreck of a relationship.  The name calling, destruction of belongings, and physical violence was so horrendous that I was waiting for MTV to slap up a disclaimer screen about the effects of Domestic Violence and a help hotline.  Oddly enough they did not.  Thank you MTV for teaching the youth of America how to mistreat each other in the name of love.  Ok...that was me being sarcastic and getting off topic. Anywho, if you would like to get a sneak peek at what's to come I've included a youtube clip for your enjoyment:

Who else is excited to tune in August 4, 2011 for Jersey Shore?  Anyone having a fist-pump party (I hear these things exist)?

10 Years Cooler

This past Saturday was my 10-year High School Reunion.  Like most I'm sure, I had mixed emotions about it.  I wasn't sure how well everyone would reconnect, what people would think of the inevitable 20lbs I'd put on since graduation, and I wasn't particularly excited for the "why don't you guys have kids" question to work itself into every conversation.  Not to mention I ended up planning the whole thing (Megan - you still owe me a perfectly poured beer) and that process in and of itself was a reminder of why I hated being on Prom Committee way back when.  But I digress.  My worries were unfounded because our reunion went off without a hitch.  Better than fifty percent had RSVP'd and actually attended.  Everyone looked the same if not better.  Personalities hadn't changed and the only person complaining about gray hair was Sita, but that wasn't anything new.  She found her first two gray hairs in the tenth grade I think.  Strangely it felt like we'd only been apart from one another for a month's time.  One thing I can say is that in our short time of being apart, our class has certainly produced some cute kids. So here's to another ten years and hopefully those that are local can find time to reconnect more often.

Furry Friday: Space Cadet

After asking around about what other folks do for their pet's allergies, the general consensus has been to utilize Benedryl.  Thank you for all the wonderful advice and commiserating.  I especially loved my friend Kate's suggestion to call the vet and tell them that my 17 lb dachshund ate an adult Benedryl tab and ask them if he'll die.  I got a good chuckle out of that one.  I did end up calling the vet anyway because I am psychotic like that, and they did tell me the adult 25mg Benedryl tabs are just fine.  Rule of thumb is 1mg for every pound of body weight.  So Riley enjoyed a little more than half of an adult Benedryl tab with a cube of cheddar cheese and finally found relief from scratching his poor little face off.  Let me tell you though, about an hour into Benedryl he is a total space cadet.  I found him sitting in the hallway staring at the ceiling.  So, I did what good mommies do and I cuddled him on the couch so he, ahem, so we could take a nap.

Autocorrect My Life

Source

As a millennial I will admit that I use technology to an extreme.  I prefer quick texts over phone calls, I check email and Facebook constantly, and accept nothing less than high speed internet.  One thing which has quickly climbed the ladder on my technology pet-peeve scale would be Autocorrect.  I had not experienced this prior to my HTC Inspire phone.  Prior I had a Samsung Impression and had the option of turning off Predictive Text.  However, I have yet to figure out how to turn off Autocorrect.  In the past few days of casual texting I called my cousin Cindie "Candy" because my HTC's Autocorrect felt the need to rename her, and I apparently refer to myself as "o" instead of "I."    This is minimal.  I was also texting my boss about a file's location in case she beat me in to work, and Autocorrect felt the need to say brat instead.  Fortunately she is a heavy technology user who is well aware of Autocorrect.  Sometimes it can be laughable, but if you check out Damnyouautocorrect.com you can see how it can be downright wrong.

Pet Allergies

My poor pup has developed allergies.  I don't know yet what he is allergic to, but he is scratching his face off.  It's only been a few days, but I am getting concerned.  We haven't changed his food.  He's on Frontline and Interceptor, all that good stuff.  I washed his crate bed (and no, I haven't changed our laundry detergents or anything like that.  We already use additive free stuff for Justin's sensitive skin.)  I am thinking of giving him a bath although it hasn't been 2 weeks since I put the Frontline on him.  It's either that or Benedryl.  

I had done some reading online and it appears plenty of people are giving their pets, at the recommendation of their veterinarians, Benedryl for seasonal allergies.  A family member who also has three dachshunds has told me that her vet has given the ok to give two of the pink adult Benedryl pills (not the tabs/capsules) and it seems to help.  I'm just a little nervous, even though our vet had mentioned Benedryl to us a while back.

When we'd first gotten Riley, he had a little soft pallet issue that would cause him to wake up from a dead sleep snorting for air.  It was pretty scary.  I took him to the vet right away and she said it could be one of two things: a.) a preexisting condition, or b.) a reaction to an allergen.  Of which three things were available: a.) surgery to correct the situation if it persisted, b.) 1 tsp of Children's Benedryl, or c.) make him give kisses or rub his throat when it happens and hope he grows out of it.   Well, we opted for the third option since the pallet thing wasn't happening all the time.  We figured it was a reaction to an allergen but were a little worried as to the reaction he'd have to taking Benedryl.  The vet said it could either knock him out cold or have him bouncing off the walls, which as new puppy parents already getting very little sleep this was not a risk we wanted to take.

So... we have yet to medicate the poor baby and I am *this close* to just mixing it in with his food.  

Anyone else have similar experiences?  Want to share your solutions?

Pick-a-flick

The hubby and I drank the kool-aid and signed up for Netflix not that long ago.  We didn't join because of the commercialism behind it.  No, we joined because our local rental joint closed and it's much cheaper to rent movies via Netflix than to go to a movie once a week.  For about $10 a month we have unlimited access to movies and tv shows through our X-Box and we get a DVD in the mail every so many days, presuming we return the most recently received in a timely fashion.  Not too shabby. 

So while we're on the topic of Netflix, a friend and fellow blog reader asked me what the next five movies are in my DVD queue.  His were Sex in the City (Season 1, disc’s 1&2), Entourage, Mantle, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and The Butterfly Effect.  Now before you get all judgmental, this friend has a wife who is a pretty big Sex in the City fan so I can only imagine how that ended up at the top of the list.  I'm not familiar with Entourage or Mantle, but I absolutely loved Butterfly Effect with Ashton Kutcher.  Monty Python was  silly.  If you haven't yet seen it, watch for coconuts and the phrase “I shall fart in your general direction.”  Yes, I just said "fart" on my blog.

Countryfest 2011

This past Saturday was Countryfest 2011 in Altamont, NY.  This is probably one of largest attended concert collective of country music stars in NYS.  Thirty-six thousand tickets were sold.  The weather could not have been more beautiful and thanks to an SPF level of 50, the hubby and I are not lobsters. We had arrived around 11:30am and did not leave until about 9:20pm.  As enjoyable as it was to be there with friends it can be summed up as one long day of lawn chair sitting, public port-a-potty usage, and wicked expensive concessions.  There were several artists that I did enjoy hearing in a live setting, but unfortunately with how crowded it was our view of the stage was quite limited.  People watching was at an all time high though.

Countryfest Fun Fact #185:  Jägerbombs, extensive sun exposure, and an already pronounced lisp makes for an exceptionally obnoxious Countryfest goer.  This is a scientifically proven fact, we sat not six feet from her.

Furry Friday: Flies

Flies have become an endangered species in our household due to this little guy right here.  Don't let the sweet and innocent act fool you.  He's ruthless.  

The other night when we were eating dinner he began barking and growling at the french doors leading out to our sunroom.  This is not necessarily a unique experience; he barks this all the time at his reflection  in those doors at night.  However, it was still light out so we were concerned he saw someone or something in the back yard.  Upon further inspection, it appears Riley was ferociously protecting us from a fly.  It had perched just above the door handle out of his reach. 

Pickling the Bottom Feeder

So our boat has a new name: "Bottom Feeder."  It sank Wednesday in the boat slip.  The marina called and left this message "Uh, hi, this is Jerry over at the marina.  I'm calling because you have a 21ft Searay, and, uh, apparently it sank."  Excellent customer service right?  No return phone number, no "I'm really sorry, please give us a call at your earliest convenience."  Not to mention that he left this message on the wrong answering machine.  He'd called my mother-in-law's house and left the message.  What happened to that handy-dandy form they had me fill out when I purchased the slip??  Both my husband's and my personal cell phone numbers were listed.  Eh, whatever, all semantics at this point I guess.

Water Rides

I am a huge fan of water rides.  Rollercoasters, as much as I enjoy their thrill, without fail send me crying to the chiropractor with whiplash.  So when I go to an amusement park not only am I packing my swimsuit and towel with high hopes of sticking to the water rides, a bottle of Advil makes it into the mix just in case I venture over to the dry side of the park.  Yeah, I'm cool like that.

Source

Needless to say, Tuesday's adventure to Zoom Flume had me in my glory.  This park is 100% water-based entertainment.  But, yes folks there is a big "butt" in this story, I met my match with the Canyon River Plunge.  This ride is a straight shot down without a tube or a mat.  This ride is serious; it doesn't dump you in some cushy pool where you can adjust your bathing suit with some sense of dignity.  Oh no. This puppy uses your own swim suit, a continued expanse of tubing, and the centrifugal force of water to slow you down.  In Lehman's terms, a painful wedgie assault like no other.  Matter of fact, I believe this ride should be renamed "Major Wedgie" or "Thong Maker" to at least forewarn participants of their impending doom.  Stupidly, I subjected myself to this ride twice.  Apparently the super short line and the pina colada I enjoyed over lunch clouded my judgment enough to forget the results of the first time down.  I can honestly say that the second time was by far the worst.  My suit lodged itself so uncomfortably that I almost didn't share this story out of sheer embarrassment.  I was worried that rather than running to a chiropractor, as mentioned earlier, that I'd have to make an appointment with a proctologist.  I know it sounds dramatic, butt but it's true.

Do you have an embarrassing amusement park story?  Are there any rides that you avoid based on prior outcomes?  I know I can't be the only one...

Wedding Nostalgia

This past Sunday was gloomy and wet, and although I would much prefer to be outdoors enjoying sunshine during these summer months, it's days like these that force me to do the important things like clean house and do laundry (or paint toe nails and watch movies).  I can't say that I don't enjoy a day of relaxation at home.  I have no problem kicking my feet up with a good book or sleeping in until 10:00 (okay, more like 8:00 because the dog has to pee, but you get my drift.)  I started another book passed along from my mother and watched a few movies while the laundry was on.  I also took a walk down memory lane and sifted through a box of old photos and a few of the albums from our wedding and honeymoon. 

 

Four in One

Contrary to popular belief, I did not fall off the face of the earth.  I just took a much needed break for four wonderful days.  Did you miss me?  Well let me get you up to speed:

Saturday - The boat saga continues...

We spent about ten minutes on the boat where it actually ran fine.  We spent the next two hours starting and stalling our way back to the boat slip.  Apparently changing out the antisiphon valve was not the solution.  On a happier note, we walked up to main street and found a cute little place that makes homemade ice cream. The chocolate peanut butter cup was to die for.  The rest of the afternoon was spent helping friends of ours load hay into two tractor trailers.  It was a good amount of exercise which further justified additional ice cream consumption in the evening.

Sunday - Movies, dinner and smore...

The weatherman promised Sunday would not be a total washout.  Just "keep an eye on the sky" he said.  "Spotty showers" was the forecast.  What a load of bologna.  It was a complete and utter wash out until about six o'clock.  So we watched Netflix (Crazies and RED are certainly recommended) and then went out to dinner with Jen and Aaron.  Because it had finally cleared up, we invited them back to enjoy making smores on our firepit.  A perfect ending to an otherwise nondescript day.

Furry Friday: Crack & Manners

I cannot believe my mind has been so boggled with boat debacles (say that ten times fast) that I almost forgot to post a Furry Friday post.  I must admit yesterday I didn't win dog-mother of the year award.  Justin and I spent most of the evening out working on the boat in preparation for this weekend so Riley didn't get a lot of one-on-one time.  He forgave me though when I gave him a Dentastix.  I don't know what it is about them, but those things are like crack to him.  He'll whine and beg and persistently stand by the pantry doors until we humans catch on and give him one for snack.  I try to give him one a day.  On a side note, I think they keep him regular.

If it ain't broke...

Happy almost July 4th weekend!  I hope you have a lot of cool things planned to do.  I know we don't.  It's not that we weren't invited to parties and BBQs, we were just really hoping to get some use out of our boat this weekend since the weather forecast looks beautiful.  However, we'll most likely spend our weekend roasting in the sun muttering obscenities while attempting yet another surgery on the POS.  Last night a simple fix on the boat turned into a big "oh no."

Source

But first let me get you up to speed.  Our boat has been a money pit since we inherited it from Justin's uncle.  There's constant repairs and it spends more time as a lawn ornament than actually running across a lake.  We have bought a boat slip from the marina every year since 2007 and what a waste of money that has been.  This year we decided we were done farting around with it and had a professional do about $1600 worth of work on the lower unit, water pump, the carburetor, etc.  It was promised to be running in tip-top shape.  Although for those of you who have been following my blog, you already know that has not been the case.  We have already been stranded once this season.  

Last night my husband and I went over to the boat to change out the anti-siphon valve, our latest diagnosis for what's wrong with it.  The old valve actually came off real easy, but then my husband did something he really shouldn't have.  You are familiar with the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  Yeah, well he went there.  He went one step further and removed the elbow fitting to inspect the fuel pickup line, just to make sure that wasn't clogged.  Well, it wasn't, it was clean as a whistle. On the return installation, however, it snapped off about three rotations in which bites big time. Now we are on the hunt for a new elbow/fuel pickup assembly as well as an "easy out" tool to help back  out the piece that snapped off.  If that piece doesn't come out we're in for a much bigger expense of replacing a 32 gallon gas tank.  Nice, right?  Not really.  If that's the case I  believe it's time to use the old Searay as kindling for one of the biggest July 4th bonfires you can imagine.  I would just trade it in for a new one, but until I hit the lotto that's just not in the cards. 

*Disclaimer: I have to give my husband a lot of credit for tackling many mechanical projects as of late.  I know they say you learn through your mistakes, but boy are we learning!!