One WHOLE Year!

Rejoice! Rejoice! Today is Leia's one year anniversary at the Carlock home. And what a year it has been. From a crate in Florida to the comfort of our condo - I think it was meant to be.

Leia has turned out to be my absolute favorite dog in the whole world. I'm biased, of course...but it's true!

Here's to many more years of fun car rides, cheese, squeeky toys, cool coats and races down the hall!

Happy Anniversary Leia.

Note: Today's morning walk was the coldest yet this year. 17 degrees. (I know, I know - it'd be a heat wave if we lived in the midwest.)

Feature Preeesentaaa-shon: Bailey the Unknown Reindeer!

For those of you who aren't getting enough snow already!

Merry Christmas & enjoy!

Two Big Labs

There are these two big Labradors that live in our neighborhood. One is black and one is brown. Their owners seem nice, maybe a few years older than Jason and I and they live in a townhouse about a block away from our condo building. Back in the spring of 2008, just a few months into our adoption with Leia, there was a random Sunday afternoon Labrador conference that occured in the back of our building. There must have been 8 Labs and 10 owners standing there...everyone exchanging doggy knowledge and whatnot. I forget really.

The funny thing is, the large gathering began with Leia and I running into a new neighbor who has a german sheperd named Ravi. Ravi and Leia are BFF's and get along so well, they actaully acknowledge each other initially then ignore each other the rest of the time. So, imagine Ravi and Leia standing statue as I talked to my neighbor H, and then not less than 30 seconds later, total chaos. Pet owners and dogs kept turning the corner and suddenly there were 3,4,5 dogs plus owners chatting...it's never happened since.

So, from across the street, here come the two big labs, one brown one black and the married couple who own them...they went to cross the street toward us to say hi to some other neighbors I didn't know. (I didn't know any of them really...I was just "in" becuase I had a dog too.) So, this is the part where Ravi goes nuts. The nicest dog on the planet (aside from Leia) starts barking at the two big labs...and in Leia's effort to support her BFF, she chimed in with growls and barks too! At that point, I don't think I had ever heard Leia bark, so I was pretty shook up.

So here we are, almost 1 year with Leia, and this morning we see the two big labs...but they are waaaaaaaay across the street, not even close to us as we round the corner to the back of the building and Leia goes nuts. She growls and gets so angry. I turned us around so she didn't have to even look at them, although, even though she's a sight hound, I'm pretty sure it's their scent. She won't give it up! She gets so flustered when she sees those dogs. Any other dogs, she could care less!...she truly is the most laid back dog I've ever met.

So that's the story of the two big labs. And it's just those two. The other labs, any color, fine and dandy.

After our walk this morning, we went up the elevator with Bear (and his owner)...and I mentioned the two labs outside - apparently Bear (third in line to the sweetest dog evar) hates them too. What is it about these two dogs? So, now I don't feel so bad.

Turkey Trot

I'm in the home stretch at work, so I can have a few days off for the Thanksgiving weekend. Even though work can be unforgiving, I am still very thankful that I got to keep it! In fact, I have many things to be thankful for this Thankgiving. I am thankful for our first year in our new home, I'm thankful that Obama will be our next president and that C had a healthy baby. I'm thankful that my car is still running after all these years, and that we have had our dog Leia for 11 months and she has yet to make me mad - EVAR. I am thankful for our condo gym and how running has helped me manage my anxiety. I am thankful that I have a wonderful husband who loves me and makes me laugh everyday. I'm thankful for the sunshine on a cold walk, and most happy that my family is healthy.

That's a lot to give thanks for, so thankfully I'll have plenty of time to reflect on my extended weekend!

This morning I saw someone getting their Christmas tree out of the back of the car. The pull cart was piled with decorations and boxes of Christmas glee.

I have a feeling our tree is going up this weekend. Why not, right? Christmastime can't come soon enough.

So, I titled my post "Turkey Trot" - no one in our family is participating in the organized run in our town, but Jason and I will be participating in our own version titled:

"The L & J 5k x3 Big Gym Style"

You're welcome to join us at Fitness First!

Morning Briefing: Dog Rescue

I can't believe how cold it's gotten around the outskirts of DC. It was 27 degrees when I took Leia for her walk at 6:30am today. Burrrrrrr. We were bundled up...Leia had her coat on and I had many layers. We went on our normal walk and came back inside and got toasty by the fire. (Just kidding, we don't have a fireplace.) We came in and she ate breakfast, I went to the gym and got ready for work.

___SIDE BAR___ I love my new running shoes. They're called Addidas "Bounce" and my irritated hip is thanking me for spending a few extra dollars on them....I love whatever it is that makes the impact of running less straining on my limbs. I was a bit nervous to not get the Nike brand because I've been so loyal, but these just fit. I knew right away when I put them on they were the right ones for me!

____end SIDE BAR___

So, back to the deep freeze in Alexandria. I brought Leia out out for her second walk and we went down the sidewalk and around the corner to the back of the building. Down at the end I saw two dogs roaming in the grass. As we got closer, I noticed neither of them were on a leash. I got super annoyed. Was the owner standing indoors, watching their dog go, only to call them in from the condo side door??? Dogs off leash always make me angry. So, instead of our normal walk to the end of the block and back, we turned around...which Leia thought sucked so she statued and would not move. Suddenly, I see these two dogs (one tan, very poofy and a about 70 lbs, one very small white dog with brown ears and about 10 lbs) come charging toward us! I was like, "hey, hey, wait....where is your owner???" Leia said her "hello's" and then there were three.

Yep, three dogs following me down the sidewalk. I got down by the small white dog and it seemed very cold...I noticed the name Piper and two phone numbers, but realized I didn't have my cell on me - darnit! I couldn't get too close to the big poofy dog but I did reach in and feel for a collar. So, the three dogs romped down the sidewalk with me until I got to the enterance of our condo. I knew I'd seen the maintenace dude, so I grabbed him and told him these two dogs seemed lost. I know he understood me but there was a language barrier. The maintenance dude tried to approach the larger dog and it barked at him...so I could tell right away he'd be no help. Thankfully, at about this time, I saw a lady walking her weimaraner. She was smiling from across the street...probably also annoyed to see two dogs off leash...and I said, "Hi, I could use some help - I think these two dogs are lost." She was more than willing to help and said, "let me go drop off my dog and grab a leash." Smart lady. I apologized and told her that I had to go to work, and left them standing by the maintenance guy. I took Leia up to our place and looked out the front window to find that weimaraner lady putting leashes on both dogs and taking them back to her place. Phew! Dogs rescued! The maintenace guy said he saw the same two dogs roaming around yesterday morning by the park (at least I think that's what he said!) Could they have been outside all night? I hope they get home alright. And i hope I run into the weimaraner lady. I'm so curious to hear the end of the story. Aren't you?

Let's get to work!

Yesterday I tried to write a blog thanking people for voting...but somehow it didn't seem like it was enough. I deleted the post with the thought that there were no words great enough to express how I really felt. So, I took yesterday to think about it.

Now, I wasn't alive when the Beatles stormed the US creating Beatle-mania and I wasn't there when they declared WW II a victory - but I feel like the frenzy of personal joy may be similiar to those moments in history. Hundreds of thousands of people screaming and crying and praying in the streets! Amazing. Jason just emailed me and said there's a line 4 blocks long today across the street from where he works. The line is to purchase yesterday's newspaper from the Washington Post headquarters. Just amazing.

There is a swelling pride in America that I have never witnessed before in my lifetime. It makes you feel like you're necessary. Like life matters more now. I find myself smiling at strangers and tearing up watching CNN. I still can't believe it's true!

So, I say thank you. And I mean it. Thank you.

5am Wake Up Call

Today, I did my part. I voted! Jason and I woke up real early...although it seems everyone else had the same idea too. When we arrived, the line was down round the corner past the pool and all the way down to the park - about 3 blocks. It took 1 1/2 hours to get inside the building, but overall everything ran as planned.

I remember the phone ringing over the weekend inviting us to this rally which happened about 1/2 hour from our house last night....here's what we missed. Enjoy!

The votes are in! - "Cheese for President"

Leia cast her ballot this morning and voted for "Cheese"!!!

She got up real close and whispered "Cheese for President"!

;) Wink emoticon.

I carved the Carlock pumpkin last night at our neighbor's house. I used a pumpkin carving kit for the first time EVAR and picked the ";) wink emoticon" from the book of carving choices.

****For the record, every pumpkin being carved from now until the end of time will require the $4 kit from the store. How easy and fun! I'm not kidding.***

Our lovely neighbors Max and Chris let me borrow their carving tools and off I went...carving away. I felt bad that I was working late and I wasn't going to bring our pumpkin because I was exhausted, but decided to at the last minute, and I'm glad I did. It ended up being very satisfying.

And my "wink" turned out so neat. I'll have to post a pic.

So far it's been a busy week! Jason and I attended a Baby Care Class with C at Inova Hospital on Monday. We learned some basic baby care skills - most of which I recall from my years of babysitting. Our preggers friend C sponsored our ticket to the 3 hour class so she didn't have to go alone. We have been helping C out here and there along the way during her pregnacy and this class was one of the highlights. The class was very real! It covered everything from swaddling to SIDS to when to call the doctor. I think she enjoyed that we were there. She's been nervous and put on home rest for this last week and we're just glad to help her out if we can. That's what friends do, right?

Our on-call duties have been relieved for now though - C's mom is in town now. She took the train down from NY and is here for the arrival of C's baby. Today, C was admitted to the hospital to be induced. Her appointment was at 7:30am, so she may have the baby today. We're standing by!

While we're waiting on C Jr. to arrive, I will be figuring out my Halloween costume. For some odd reason, we have two Halloween parties to attend and I actually want to go to them. What should I be?

Hey, new couple: Two to a treadmill.

I was inspired to write this post after reading my friend N's post while eating lunch at my desk. Her morning run story reminded me of my morning runs, which occur a minimum of 4 out of the 5 weekdays - in our condo gym. Nothing fancy, just a treadmill, the sunrise and me. ( I aspire to one day be as calculated with the miles and times as N (go N!), but for now I just monitor my heart rate and sweat a lot.)

Early in the morning, I'm usually the only one there. Exept for one other girl and the occasional straggler, I spend my time alone in the gym. No one seems to be on my schedule - which is fine by me - because when I'm pushing myself doing intervals I tend to cough if my heart rate gets too high, and people end up thinking something is wrong with me.

So, last Friday it must have been "gym day" as the lady with the cane showed up (who likes to ride the bike in the dark and asked me to keep the lights off...we finally came to a one light on one light off decision) and then this new couple which have proved to be a bit annoying. So on Friday the new couple occupied the two available treadmills in the condo gym. No biggie, I made a b-line for the elliptical with the thought that my legs were tired anyway (and I usually go for the elliptical on Friday's anyway.) However - as I pumped away I noticed that both people were just walking very slow! THE WHOLE TIME.

A few days pass, and they arrive together on Tuesday morning. But this time, I'm on a treadmill. I noticed their body language and they were clearly not happy with the fact that I was using one of the machines. I couldn't really see, but from glancing over at them I swear I saw some eye rolling - "really?" I thought, "I am pretty sure it's first come first serve." So, I just ignored them and kept running. Today, they came in again. Thankfully, I was a few minutes away from finishing my run - so I didn't disrupt their workout or should I say their walk. I will be monitoring this situation and hope that it doesn't present an issue for the winter months ahead. No doubt some people will move their workouts indoors, so maybe this is the case. If so, I will deal, I guess.

But for now - ALL I'M SAYING IS (and sorry for shouting) - if you're gonna hog both treadmills and just *walk* - then it's two to a treadmill!

Sync up people, you're new!

The chips are here!

You know - THE chips. The one's you cart back from Chicago everytime you visit--no matter what.

Golden crunchy triangles of joy. Yes, those.

El Ranchero Tortilla Chips!

Some of you Illinoians perhaps take these chips for granted as you walk down the snack isle at your local Jewel/Osco. You may in fact give no thought to them at all when you toss them in your grocery cart, however for the deprived east-coast-mid-westerners...each bag and each bite is treasured.

Almost rivaling the mid-west pizza cut in squares, these chips can be dipped or just eaten plain and they are wonderfully delicious.

My mouth is watering just writing about them. Who knew that corn, lime, corn oil and salt (the ingredients) could make my heart swoon! I guess it's just that little "taste of home" that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. So, here's to you Illionois! I love your chips!

So, how did I come in posession of said cheeps? As the story goes, last week my friend P told me he was going to fly to Chicago over the weekend to drive back his new car -so he asked if I needed anything from the Jewel. "Why yes, " I replied, "depending on trunk space, a bag of El Ranchero tortilla chips...two bags if you have room!" P said, "sure, no problem."

So, today, P drove to work in his new car and brought with him a grocery bag from Dominick's - fresh from Libertyville, IL - with two bags of chips for me. Oh, you should have seen my face.

Pave the Way

I've been dreaming of going to an apple orchard to pick apples. Maybe I can talk Jason into going to one next weekend. I just imagine the crisp fall air and the crisp apples and the long day-dreaming drive. I know Jason would say, "we have apples from the grocery store already." But, I think it's just the thing I need this fall. (We've never gone before.) And even though I have these dreams of jetting off somewhere applely, I feel like we can't travel too far - because our pregnant friend C is nearly due, and she could call at any minute. We're her ride for evenings and weekends and I'd feel pretty bad if we weren't there. So, that might be a null plan. I really do want to go though. I helped C on Saturday with her baby shower cards and we went through some donated clothes. There was a bag of "sketchy" clothes that didn't make the cut. But, many were keepers.

Speaking of crisp fall air...it was chilly this morning! Leia and I went out around 6:30am an whoooohooo, it was cold. There was ice crystals on all the blades of grass and Leia crunched down the path without a care, she didn't seem to mind. When we got in I dryed her feet off and tried to toast them up with the towel. I think she appreciated it. I was working on her pink coat last night, and even though I don't like the finishing stitch for the colar, it's almost done. I just have to sew on the belt.

*Sew speak for Mom: you'd be proud, I did all the bias and it looks pretty good! I may try to cover that finishing stitch with some fabric like the red one had. Or just put those two buttons on it and go with that. Do you have an opinion?

The city is paving all the streets around our house this week. It's gonna look brand new!

Waiting game.

I've been waiting and waiting and waiting to find out what the deal is with my job. It's day 2 of the 12th week since the merger talks were confirmed between Sirius and XM and all of us in programming have been wondering what will happen. I believe information is coming this week. Now, I'm not sure what i thougth was going to happen (I did dream they'd make a big XM cake and say goodbye to everyone - thanking them for their dedication.) But, now I have this feeling it will all go down with little grace and plenty of shock. So, I wait.

The thing is, we've been a passionate music loving family of programmers for 7 years - this ain't your corporate 9-5 desk job. People pour their heart and soul in to creating the perfect playlists and catering to the talented musicians who walk the halls of XM each week. We don't sit in corporate cubes, we have studios, and we talk to millions of people and turn them on to their favorite music. Daily. It's a pretty all-consuming job. Most of us don't have a life outside of this place and many (like me) moved half way across the country to be here. So, my question is...will they factor in all of this when they give the news this week? I can only hope.

Soothing Leavetaking

My new favorite album is from singer/songwriter Peter Bradley Adams (one 1/2 of the duo Eastmountainsouth - which is great too.)

His new album Leavetaking came out recently and I am really enjoying it.

Click here to sample it yourself!

Just Keep Swimming

I keep telling myself...just keep swimming. After all, it is week 10. Yes, 10 weeks since the merge at work, and no news on whether or not I am going to keep my job. Please keep wishing!

So, over the weekend I made the Snickerdoodle cookies. I think they turned out pretty well. I think they were good luck - Jason gave them a thumbs up - and then gave the Bears a thumbs up too because they won, so, all was good.

In other news, my friend C gave me these fancy fabrics yesterday. I think I'm going to make some pillows with the fabric. Two for her, two for us. The fabric is lovely and rich and each one has a cool design. She got them as extras from an interior decorator. Free is good!

I am still working on sewing Leia's awesome pink coat. I think I could possible be good at sewing if I had a little more free time. I need Jason to draw some sort of cute robot to applique onto the side of the coat. It's gonna look cool!

Today is game one of the NL division series:
NLDS Game One – Dodgers @ Cubs 6:37 ET on XM 184 (Cubs Broadcast) and on XM 189 (ESPN Radio)
Not sure what TV channel it'll be on.

I got Jason and I NL Champion hats to cheer on the Cubs from out east.

When my hat arrives, it will be my new dog walking hat. Ooooooo, I just had an idea - I could make Leia a Cubs coat. We could put a "C" on the side. Although, people might think the "C" is for Carlock. That works too.

I also just pictured myself in front of the TV, and my tears as they unfold the drama before the game. Good luck Cubs!

Stay home with the family!

I was listening to NPR this morning and they did a great story on tough economic times and how overall - video games sales are up 43%. NPR was comparing playing video games to people who went to the movies 80 years ago during the great depression to escape the harsh realities of their daily lives. Although they did point out there is no game console equivalent to Shirley Temple, you do get more 'bang for your buck' purchasing a video game than spending one night at the movies.

At The Carlock house, we're gamers, and after a recent trip to Best Buy (we didn't get anything...just browsing) I realized the video game section was filled with familes and women...YES! (all checking out the Wii Fit of course) and i was just sort of stunned that people of all ages were in the gamer isle...and then this story! So, maybe NPR is on to something. Check out the story if you get a chance!

Listen or Read the story:

HERE



Current list of games I want to play:

1. New Viva Piniata
2. Little Big Planet
3. The Price Is Right
4. Spore
5. New Animal Crossing (if it ever comes out!)
6. Beautiful Katamari
7.
8.

Fixing the printer.

It's been exactly 9 months.

Today marks Leia's 9 month anniversary. We picked her up Dec 22, 2007 and offically adopted her 1 week later. And I haven't slept in since. Lately - as far as dogs and owners go - we've been doing great. We trust her, she trusts us - and she thinks everything in your hand is a treat. So she'll just "sit" on her own and wait for you to hand something to her. She makes us laugh.

She also likes to camp out in front of her food bowl and check it periodically for cheese. I believe Leia is gracefully moving from alien grey to normal dog in record time.

I write this post with great anticipation. It really seems like the end of this year is going to be a mind-blowing time to witness. With the election, Catherine's baby is due in November and my job is up in the air. I've mentioned some of this stuff before...and now add to that the Cubs clinching the division on Saturday. I ordered two hats for Jason and I - so we'll see what the wind blows in.

What is a snickerdoodle?

Is it a sniglet? A Snicker's bar? What's that you say...it's a cookie?

Yeah, I started an investigation this week on a cookie. That sounds sort of rediculous, but it's true. So, I was offered this cookie at work called a "snickerdoodle" - Yum! I pick up my cookie and quickly realized the cookies do not contain any snickers ingredients at all...nuts, chocolate, caramel...etc.

So why the name?

I took one bite of the cookie and it was delicious. Full of shortbread and cinnamon flavors...but no trace of snickers or doodles...so I began my investigation (thank's Google!)

It seems the actual cookie was introduced to the United States in the late 1800's. And the name? The Joy of Cooking claims that snickerdoodles are probably German in origin, and that the name is a corruption of the German word for "snail dumpling" (Schneckennudeln, or cinnamon-dusted sweet rolls)

Ahh, there it is! That makes much more sense now. Cause, before I read up on these tasty cookies, I was going to boycott them on the name alone. (But I secretly didn't want to boycott them becuase they taste so good!) I think I"ll rename them "The Cinnamon Sugar Cookie"...that's essentially what they tastes like. A sugar cookie, rolled in cinnamon sugar and baked till it's golden. This will be the next batch of cookies I bake. Want one?

Mom says,"On a scale of 1-10, it's a 15."

As far as I'm concerned, I'm just living my life like any normal person would...secretly wishing I was debt free, planning on carving a pumpkin for Halloween and taking Leia for her morning walks. Life seems pretty normal. Normal, but not boring.

As of late - there are a few exciting things afoot. For one, I got a new sewing machine and I'm in the process of sewing Leia a new coat for the Fall. A process which my mom pointed out, "on a scale of 1-10 for a first project it's a 15." Ooops. It's pretty cool though and I'm almost finished! Other projects in the que include fleece hats for Jason and I, a cool bag, and a pencil holder that you roll up and tie. Now, I just need some free time!

Also in the works - Jason and I are now officially "on call" for my friend Catherine's trip to the hospital to give birth. You're thinking - seriously? Yep. She's due in 8 weeks and starting this week we're on call between the hours of 6:30pm - 8am. Yay Catherine! We're just hoping it doesn't happen next week when her mom is out of the country.

And since the BRGA picnic- the greyhound adoption picnic, Jason and I have gone back and forth about adopting a second dog. I know, I know, we decided not to get a second dog, twice. But here we are again, trying to find the right answer in our hearts. Leia is such a good dog, but both Jason and I notice her bored look and think she may need a friend. We are using the force to find an answer to this perplexing question: Does Leia need a brother named Luke?

All this excitement and if that weren't enough - I am still waiting word from my job.

So, if all goes according to this blog - I'll get to keep my job, wear my homemade hat to walk two dogs and wear it again to rush Catherine to the hospital to give birth.

I need to make that Hat!

BRGA Annual Picnic

On Sunday, Jason and I took Leia to the annual Blue Ridge Greyhound Adoption picnic. Whew, it was hot out - but there was so many people and tons of dogs!

We drove about 1 hour north/west to Franklin Park in Purceville, VA and arrived a little after 11am with our pup and our side salad. We got our free ice cream tickets and tee shirt at the registration desk, and after that, we sort of froze in the hot sun. Literally. Jason and I stood there in the blazing hot sun looking for a place to set up our camping chairs and call home - but we were out of luck. There was absolutely no shade! A bit of a downer, but we set our stuff down along side a fence and went into the pavilion. The food looked great and there ended up being plenty of seats to enjoy lunch.

They hired a girl scout troop to look after your dog while you enjoyed the food, but Leia was just laying on the cement like a normal dog, so I kept her.

Highlights from the picnic included:
1. Several trips to the kiddie pool to cool Leia off...it was a popular place to hang out!
2. Finding a square of shade from a signpost that was labled "no dogs allowed".
3. Leia's paw painted paw-print "dog art" - so cute.
4. After an announcment on the loudspeaker that they were giving free ice cream to any dog...(and we had just used our free tickets) I bent down and let Leia lick my vanilla ice cream....and after one lick -she decided it was the best thing ever - so she stole the whole thing (including the cone) and ate it in record time.

The picnic was a success - Leia was crashed out the rest of the night, and was probably happy to see us return to work yesterday so she could get some proper rest!

Mmmm...cats!

I don't think Leia is "cat safe". Within the last 24 hours she's seen three; two house, one stray...and let's just say I witnessed a bit too much lip licking and whining. (I really don't understand the whining part.)

Last night I offered to take Leia around while Jason made dinner. I saw my friend Catherine (who's 7 months pregnant) sitting on her balcony and we were chatting. Leia got a glimpes of her two cats on the balcony and was very interested in them. Then she started crying as she looked at them...like, "I'd like to play with you." Which translates to (and i'm guessing here) "I'd like to kill you." They did look a lot like the brown squirrel we saw earlier in the summer - you remember the time - when i was innocently walking Leia and she turned into the Hulk for 30 seconds as she watched a squirrel cross the road...yeah, it was strange.

Then this morning we were on our way inside after our walk down the path and Leia insisted on passing up the door to go toward some nearby bushes. Sure enough - we saw a stray(?) cat crouched down under a bush with what looked like a mouse in it's mouth.

Standing there with Leia on the sidewalk was similar to a line from the movie ET. Remember when Elliot is showing ET all of his favorite toys in his room?..."Look fish. The fish eat the fish food, and the shark eats the fish, and nobody eats the shark." Only in this case, the cat eats the mouse and the dog eats the cat.

Leia actually reminds me of ET in many ways. She's five years old and she's just realizing how awesome cheese is. She just discovered that people go in cars, and that car rides can be fun...and that crinkle noises from the kitchen may be a good reason to get up.

They say it can take up to a year for your greyhound to go from alien to actually acting like a "real" dog. I'd say Leia is coming right along.

It's Dark In the Morning

Leia and I went out for our morning walk today - and although it was in the low 70's and very nice - it was also dark. Like it was still night. (and it was our normal walking time at a little after 6a.) I'm not use to this yet - considering for the first summer in my life, i was outside walking a dog every morning at 6:30am. I know I've walked Leia on dark mornings before, but i was really enjoying the sunshine mornings. For some reason, the path seems a little bit scarier when it's dark - even if it's the same 'ole guy with the baby jogging stroller and pregnant lady walking her pug. They're the same people!...but somehow seem scary to me because it's dark. Yeah, it doesn't make much sense.

On the other hand, Leia doesn't seem to mind at all. She just goes about her morning walk without a hitch, stopping to sniff every five feet as if to check to see, "Is this what I think it is? Yep!...Is this what I think it is?," sniffing, "yep!" She has to sniff everything!

We are going to an all greyhound picnic this weekend and I am curious to see how Leia reacts to all her fellow greys. If she goes crazy and loves every minute of it - i fear we'll have another dog before you can say Happy Halloween. (then again maybe not...Jason and I go back and forth.) Two may just be the ticket...or just one too many. We're undecided at this point. One alien is enough for now.

Ahh...The Smell of Fritos In The Morning

They say if you look and act cool, no one will ever know you're sweating it out on the inside. I've been trying my best to act cool the last six weeks. Yes, it's been that long since they announced that XM is merging with Sirius. Kind of a long time to go without any information, and pretend it's business as usual - but like I mentioned, I'm remaining cool. It's kinda hard. Lately I've noticed my emotions are a little more sensitive - and it takes a lot more effort to concentrate and focus. Thankfully, I'm running almost every day of the week, so I think I sweat out most of the terror and nerves before 8am. Phew, what a lesson in patience. So, for those of you wondering it's all still wait and see.

Meanwhile, life continues on...and lately I've observed some humorous moments:

1. Jason whispering the phrase "cubs beer" simultaniously with noise of an Old Style can opening ("sput-chaaahhh.") My parents brought some from Illinois over Labor Day weekend.

2. This older guy at work with his feet proped up on his desk with his sunglasses on, chowing down on Fritos before 10am.

3. Jason again, this time at the grocery store making fun of the generic brand name of Oil Of Olay which is simply called "Oil Of Beauty". He said they didn't even try to be creative when they thought of that generic name. He goes, "they could of called it Oil of Okay"!! OMG, he's funny.

4. My coworker, referring to a slice of New York Style Pizza as a blanket. "It's like a blanket," he goes using two hands to mimic trying to get such a large slice to your mouth, "it's so huge you have to use two hands and fold it like a blanket." We both agreed pizza is better when it's cut in squares.

I knew a girl named Rachel, I didn't like her either.

So, I can't believe I'm even taking the time to write this. I'm behind at work because the fire alarm just went off and so I spent my lunch across the street standing in the hot sun. (So awesome!) Perhaps that is what possessed me to write. I'm irritated. Seconds before the fire alarm started blaring, I took my first bite of my peanut butter sandwich. "Delicious!" I said to myself. And to accompany it - some vanilla yogurt. (I know - i eat pretty plain stuff...please don't judge me on my lunch items.) So, why the anger? No, it wasn't the fire alarm...although I think that was the tipping point to write. But the real reason for the anger is the yogurt. Here's my question: How do you screw up vanilla yogurt?!!

I have just discovered it is possible.

To preface the rest of the story: When we went to the grocery this weekend, there were NO Dannon vanilla yogurts (always the first choice)- which is fine, because the "Giant" brand is pretty much the same and works fine - but there was only 4 of those - so to supplement the 5 day week, I grabbed another brand I had read about in of my Woman's Health magazines. "Can't be bad," I thought as Jason patiently waited by the eggs...slowly creeping further away as I struggled to decide what to do. So, i went with it.

Word of Warning: Just because it has 'vanilla' in the title doesn't necessarily mean it tastes like vanilla. In fact Rachel's Lowfat Relax Vanilla Chai Yogurt tastes so strange I can't even pinpoint the flavor for you. It just tastes...well...gross. Thanks, Rachel! It may be "blissfully blended" and "help support the heart, brain and eyes with Omega-3's" but I'm not going to benefit from any of that today. It's going straight in the garbage.


PS. On the same note - I also wanted to publicly apologize for putting celery in the eggsalad this weekend. I am sorry Jason.

Alternate Route

Came up on the bird again today. This time we didn't even make it to the corner of the front of the building as it came flying straight toward Leia and I with a loud squack! "Ok, ok, ok," I said annoyed, "come on Leia, let's cross the street." We hopped the curb and high-tailed it across the pavement. The bird won today.

Across the street and safe from any bird dives, I watched the KJ perch on a tree then dive down into a bush. Then a minute later, some dude with headphones and floppy brown hair walked straight through the King-Jerk threshold without any diving or squacking at all. I thought that was bizzare. So, is it Leia? Or a combo of Leia and I? Seriously, there should just be some orange cones or better yet a sign post......

so everyone knows that you can't get through. I mean, what is that bird protecting anyway?

Leia sniffed a few new patches of grass as I squinted my eyes in search of a nest, but I didn't see one. And to be honest, the other side of the street is much nicer - because it's out of the hot sun. This will be my alternate route for now.

Watch OUT! Tyrannus tyrannus!!!

The past few days out walking Leia, we have been harrassed by a bird on the front of our building. I just did a google search and I believe it to be an Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)...or as I will be referring to it Eastern King-Jerk. This bird won't give up. Each day we just walk calmly down the brick sidewalk around the building and as we approach the front -it begins. The bird start harrassing us and diving down on us. The bird got about 5 dives in today and the last one almost nipped Leia's bum. Sheeeeeesh. I made a lame attempt to shoo it away. (I bet that looked goofy.) So, I read up on the Eastern Kingjerk and here's what I found.


Eastern Kingbird Notes: Fearless, often harasses larger birds. Pairs may defend nest vigorously against people. Timing of breeding appears to be related to insect abundance.

I'm guessing there's a nest close by. I'm going to look. Better yet, I may just find a new route for Leia's walk. It's kinda freaky how close this bird gets!

Speaking of Leia. Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She turns 5 today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

08-08-08 (Happy Birthday Jason!)

Well these numbers only happens once folks! 08-08-08. Today is Jason's birthday! He decided to take the day off from work and I would have to agree, it was a wise choice. As I left for work I saw the Italian Beef and gravy in the crock pot ready to slow cook all day. (It arrived from Chicago yesterday via US Mail.) By the time I get home it should smell really good. And by request, I made Jason a chocolate cake last night. It turned out nice. I decorated the cake with chocolate frosting and used white frosting to write "35" in large numbers on top.

Today, we eat cake. Happy Birthday Jason!

Good to Know: To commemorate his 35th year on planet earth, Jason has compiled a retrospective of his life via photos on his blog. Nice!

Looking forward to tomorrow.

I am really looking forward to tomorrow. First things first, tomorrow is Friday...and the end of week two of me keeping my job since the merger went through. But that's not all. Tomorrow is also a day of celebrating! It's Jason's Birthday!!!!!!! AND the Olympics start AND the pizza has arrived from Chicago!!!! What else could you ask for on a Friday? Oh, yeah...cake. There will be chocolate cake. I am making it right now.

Happy Birthday Eve Jason :)

Birthdays, mergers and meh.

Let's be honest, last week was rough. I was so nervous I couldn't think straight, let alone do my job....or blog. If you've been keeping up with our website, you probably already know that my future at XM is unknown (via Jason's posts.) And it's not the best feeling. I'm trying to stay positive and hope to know a little more before this week is through. As of right now, I still know nothing.

With that in mind, I thought I'd turn to a trusty source for some guidance...and i use the word "trusty" mostly in jest - because I'm pretty sure you can't "trust" a horoscope - but anything to help my worried head is worth a try.

Have you ever read your Susan Miller AstrologyZone Horoscope before? I encourage you to click the link and give it a whirl. I've made Jason read his before and it has been crazy accurate sometimes.

I just read mine. Between the total eclipse of the sun on August 1st and a full lunar eclipse on August 16th - my horoscope states that "this will be a a major, landmark month."

Oh goodness.

It also says "Eclipses always change the status of things, mainly to keep you moving forward. "

Let's hope it's in a positive way.

Speaking of moving forward, I'm really looking forward to Jason's birthday. Here are the things I'm excited for this Friday:

1. Jason has ordered up some Italian Beefs and Pizza from CHICAGO!
2. We're going to eat cake.
3. We're going to watch the Olympic opening ceremonies.
4. Giving Jason his gifts. They're all ready to go!

Keep moving forward :)

Dogs Read Blogs!

Well, that's not actually true. Leia will never read this blog, so, if you see her - tell her "Happy 7 Month Anniversary"!!!! (living at our house!)

As you know, we adopted a greyhound on December 22, 2007 and named her Leia. She has been a pretty awesome addition to the fam. Plus, she's so soft.

I think I freaked her out today though. There are these new sprinklers on the path (that seem to only be watering the path, not the grass -annoying) and I tried to get around them with Leia this morning, but one of them got her on the back side and she jumped sky high. Yow! Yikes! A lady on the path saw us and said, "ooh I bet that felt good, but it looks like it scared her to death!"...I agreed.

Sorry Leia.

In other "hot outside news" I took Leia out for a short walk on Saturday. We turned the corner, she made her peeps, and then we headed down the sidewalk. Immediatly, Leia stopped to sniff sniff sniff - and then without warning, she just laid down in the grass. Like, "I'm done." I was laughing becuase we'd only been outside for 3 minutes. "I'm not moving," Leia seemed to say, "It's waaaaay to hot to go for a walk human lady." It was very hot. She was right. So, we went back inside.

Good to know: August is "Birthday Month" at the Carlock household!!! Jason's is August 8th and Leia's is August 13th! I'm brainstorming a combo cake that's sure to please both!!! Ha. (only joking...cause that sounds gross.)

It Only Takes A Moment

When we went to see Wall-E a week ago, I didn't realize how much I liked it. It is stuck in my brain. Yes, I'm still in awe about the grand message of where our planet is headed - and the hype that Pixar may take home an Oscar for best picture -but that's not what is stuck in my brain.

What's stuck is my favorite part of the movie - the love story. Wall-E's cleaver record application allows him to record and playback sections of the Hello Dolly song "It Only Takes A Moment" and it creates this theme of yearning for love and companionship throughout the movie that put a lump in my throat. And what better way to profess your love for someone - than in a showtune? Right? I do it to Jason all the time! (I'm joking...but sometimes i make up showtune-like songs and sing them to Leia on the path, but they're usually about treats and sniffing.)

In the original Hello Dolly - Dolly is a widow who becomes a matchmaker for all her friends...she was making love connections. I'll admit, Wall-E made a connection with me - and i'm hooked.

I wonder how many people ran out and bought a copy of Hello Dolly after they left the theater? I managed to find the original scene from Hello Dolly on YouTube.





"It only takes a moment for your eyes to meet - and then your heart knows in a moment that you'll never be alone again." from "It Only Takes A Moment" / Hello Dolly.

Sweet Tarts or Smarties?

I'm at work, and I had to go to Billy Zero's desk to address a certian crazy artist who won't stop calling. Billy's taking him off my hands thank god. Anyway, Billy has this candy box - that dispenses a never ending amount of almost every mini candy you can think of. He's always filling it. I know it's there, but I tend to ignore it - I don't want to get into a bad habit. But, he offered this morning, so i picked out three candies. Yum.

He handed me a mini twix, and then I also took 1 mini red Twizzler and 1 roll of Smarties...at least I thought it was Smarties when I took it. Now as i'm sitting here, I realize they are Sweet Tarts in the shape of a Smartie roll. Sweet Tarts are taking over the Smartie signature style? Can they do that?

So, it made me wonder - which do you like better? I vote Smarties (simply because that's what i thought i was getting). But when it comes to candies in a roll - my all time fav is chewy Spree's. All this talk about candies in a roll, you'd never know I'm watching my sugar intake!

So, this is what I thought i was going to eat:



And this is what i got:


Good to Know: Let your voice be heard!! How 'bout a vote? (Voting poll is on the right hand side of your screen!)

Thanks for voting!

Go North!

Jason and I have returned from our short getaway. We went "up north" as they say in the Chicagoland area...although for us it was more like west, south, then north as our flight made a stop in Atlanta before heading into Minneapolis. (lame, but about $300 cheaper per ticket.)

Overall, we had a wonderful time relaxing with friends and family. We saw the fireworks in downtown Minneapolis on the 4th, made a roadtrip to my aunt and uncle's cabin in Hayward, Wisconsin, shopped for 45's for Marx's jukebox, grilled many meats and enjoyed the excellent weather.

Per my last entry - and the top 5 things I was looking forward to - now I've got proof that it happened!

1. Visiting Marx And Elizabeth



2. Spending Time With Jason



3. Pine Trees



4. Grilled Meats



5. Fireworks!



There are many pictures, we'll put them all in an album for viewing.

Good To Know: Leia survived while we were gone. (we missed her sooo much!) - we're so proud of her - she got a glowing review from the people who took care of her. Way to go Leia!

Pre-Dawn

Jason and I have been awake since the wee hours of the morning :) It was 4 something when Leia woke us up crying. Something was up and she was not feeling well. Jason went outside with her and she started eating tons of grass like she'd slipped into a dream and turned into a goat. It was pre-dawn. "Dark," as Jason put it, "and there was no one around."

I wish Leia could talk. That would make it so much easier to figure out what her problem was. We know it was her stomach - it was making these loud gurgling noises. So, after a few hours of getting up to check on her, cleaning up puke and making sure she would live, it was time to get up. "Perfect!," I thought, becuase I was already awake! Surprisingly I'm feeling ok today. But I could have used a few more hours (as I yawn) of sleep.

In other news, Jason and I are getting ready to head out of town for the 4th of July weekend. We'll be visiting family and friends and enjoying grilled meats and fireworks. I can't wait!

Top 5 things I'm looking forward to on our vacation:
1. Visiting Marx & Elizabeth
2. Spending time with Jason
3. Pine Trees
4. Grilled Meats
5. Fireworks

Animal Planet

The starfish is on the glass again today. For some strange reason, we have aquired a starfish in our saltwater tank without ever making a purchase. A hitchhiker! Well, it comes and goes every few months - and when I do catch a glimpse of it on th glass - it's sure to be a lucky day!

In other animal planet news - have you been looking at the "Photo Of The Day" on our blog? Jason has been doing this amazing series with small plastic animal figures. We went to Toys R Us to find the animals for his idea - which all started, strangely - with the "diorama like display" in our condo lobby from one of the HOA condo board candidates. I remember it said - "Vote For No Change!!" The jokes ensued...and led to the dinasaurs/animals photo project. I added the army men idea, which Jason used too. You should check it out!

And finally - the four legged animal - Leia - is in for a surprise. Later this week she's going to summer camp with a whole house full of greyhounds! Should be a pretty fun experience for her. She'll be staying at Greyt Meadows while we are on our trip to Minneapolis for the 4th.

Happy 9th Anniversary!

Don't look at the screen baffled! (It doesn't seem that long to me either.) Yes, today is our 9th wedding anniversary and let me just say for the record (again) that marrying Jason was a good idea. He's top notch! I looked up the "traditional" 9 year anniversary gift - and didn't really like the choices. The 9 year is either pottery or leather. Ugh. So, Jason? - do you want a flowerpot or a belt? Haha! Actually - we ended up upgrading in the Pt Cruiser for a newer model with a few more bells and whistles. Very nice! View the new car in our "Photo Album " section of the blog.

Happy Anniversary Jason and Lynette!

Leia and the Canadian Goose

Sunday was Leia's 6 month anniversary at our house! We brought her home on December 22, 2007 and have been a happy family every since. We gave her a small stuffed Canadian Goose on Sunday - which she destroyed in about 10 minutes. Everytime we give her a squeaky stuffed animal, her goal is to remove the squeak. And she's usually successful.

She's slowly starting to sniff out people food. So far her favorite human food is cheese...but I've also seen her lick up a few stray Cheerios or Goldfish. If you drop a piece of cheese into her silver stainless steel bowl, she'll come to see what it is. Then guard her bowl for about an hour just incase another piece falls from the sky. (We don't feed her from our hand unless she does a trick first.) She is very good at "sit" and usually just goes ahead and "sits" right in front of us so that we'll give her a treat (even if we don't have one to give.)

Speaking of Leia's anniversary - these few weeks seem to be filled with anniversaries. June 11th was my 7 year anniversary at XM, and on Thursday, June 26th - our 9th wedding anniversary. Can I get an Amen!

Thunderstorms

I keep checking my blog to see if someone updated it. Oh wait, that's my job silly. Well, we have learned over the last two days that our dog Leia is freaked out by thunderstorms. She gets all worried and anxious and can't settle down. Poor sprout. We try to tell her it's just water falling from the sky, but it doesn't seem to help. You can grab her attention for a few minutes with a treat, but then it's back to panting an pacing around. When a rumble of thunder comes, she has to go over to the window, get up on the square basket and press her nose to the window. Everytime.

On a normal non-rainy evening at home, she'd rather not be bothered and goes for a nap on her big bed in the other room while we eat dinner and stuff...but for the last two nights she's been following Jason around like he has raw hamburger in his pocket. She's on him like glue during a storm.

Luckily we we've been home for most of the storms, but one blew through yesterday around 3:30pm and Jason and I were at work. Somehow, Leia managed to weather the storm alone. When Jason got home from work yesterday, he said she was extra happy to see him.

Chacun cherche son chat (When The Cat's Away)

This clip reminds me of one of my favorite french films called Chacun cherche son chat ( When The Cat's Away. ) released in 1996 from director Cedric Klapisch. It is sad that I don't own it. Everytime I go searching online I get the same answer Currently unavailable. We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.

I can only dream of it.

(I did see it once on VHS, but what's the use - I don't have a VHS player.)

And while the clip reminds me of When The Cat's Away - the style is more like Amelie from director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, which is one of my favorite films too.


Meet Henri:

Ruby Ring S-G-150

We did it! We painted. It isn't totally finished (we still have a bunch of tape to remove) but here are some before and after pictures. I have dreamed of painting my kitchen for many -o-year, and now that we finally own a home, we're allowed. This is also the first time Jason and I have painted together too. Hey - that only took 9 years. Safe to say, we both fell into our painter rolls (no pun intended) and I was on taping and trim, Jason was on the roller. He did a really nice job.

Here's some pics.

We taped everything Blue.


Behr's Ruby Ring paint from Home Depot (just in case you'd like to paint your walls too) and don't let them try to sell you Ruby Red - yes, that happened. Lucky for us, we hadn't left the story yet.


Mission: Possible! (see Jason's shirt...way to be positive!)


And voila!


Wow, it seems like it only took 5 minutes when you read this post.

Good To Know: This is 4 coats using a tinted grey primer.

Indiana Jones and the Trip to Home Depot

I wish i had a picture of Jason - giddy and excited in his cinema seat yesterday as we sat and waited for Indiana Jones to begin. We arrived at the Kingstowne Cinema 16 at exactly 12 noon ...and let me remind you - movie arrival time is no laughing matter in our house. Yeah, we were 45 minutes early - but honestly we didn't know what to expect. The movie was set to start at 12:45pm. "Hey - we're early" I said mostly joking, "do you want to get something to eat?" Jason replied, "no, follow my lead." That's when I truly realized that he was not joking around. I was only half way kidding about getting a bit to eat anyway (i know the movie drill and i'm fine with it.) Plus, i was looking forward to getting some movie snacks.

I got some popcorn, Jason got a hot dog and we were in the cool dark theater in no time. We talked and ate our snacks and before you knew it the previews were rolling and Indy appeared on screen. I really liked the movie! I could tell Jason liked it too. It was very entertaining and held my attention the entire ride. And it's one of those films you could totally watch again.

After the movie we went out for ice cream at DQ and then over to Home Depot to buy paint. We're doing the total homeowner cliche Memeorial Day paint job on our kitchen. We put up blue tape in the kitchen for about an hour last night and now we're ready to do primer.

I hope you have a fun Memorial Day weekend too! Go see Indiana Jones!

Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites

I'm a huge Survivor fan, but somehow this season seemed to get away from me. After getting 7 episodes behind, i gave up. However, I was on CBS.com and decided to watch a few clips from the show. I was always curious to know what happens to the contestants after they get voted off. Who knew they got to go sight-see surrounding islands, drink and be merry?!! Well, I found this clip interesting and thought I'd share it. My grandfather was in WWII and on this island at this time. Enjoy.

"I lived there once!"..."Hey, me too!"

It's hard to imagine a decade has gone by since my college days. That makes me feel old! So on my recent trip to my college town, it was kinda crazy to drive past the places I lived for what seemed like forever...but only amounted to a handful of years. Hey, and if you're reading this, you probably lived there too (or at least visited) - so enjoy!



N. Evans (white house in the middle - it use to be green, remember?)


1306 - the door is green! AND there's a dog on the balcony!


Remember N. Prairie? That was brief. And it looks a thousand times better now!


And finally, N. East Street!


Thanks for traveling down memory lane with me!

Home This Weekend

It's nice to be back home this weekend (although Illinois was fun too!) I've been looking forward to today for a long time. The farmer's market in our community started today. They were calling for bad storms and rain for today, however - i swear - no one ever knows what the heck the weather is going to be here. It was the best day EVAR. Sun, cool breeze...outdoor farmer's market - it was great. And Leia did so good in the crowd of people as we got a few items (strawberries, cinnamon bread and fresh oregano) - I can't wait till next week.

PS. Leia says Hi!

I'm off to the Midwest

On Saturday I will board a plane to Illinois. This is a solo journey - as I head to my old college town to see my sister sing in her Master Recital. She will be performing in front of a panel of judges who will critique her and "grade" her on her vocal skillz. (In a few weeks - she'll offically have her Masters degree and walk at graduation.) Go Kris!

Since Jason and I moved to the east coast in June of 2001, we have not been back to our college town. It's been 7 years. That's probably just long enough to get lost trying to re-locate our favorite hangouts. Ha!

Oh, and on an awesome whim, my good friend Stephanie called me out of the blue and now will be joining me to face the memories of the past. She hasn't been back in 11 years! Yikes.

Jason has commissioned me to take a lot of pictures and smuggle some specific food items and Cubs gear back with me. Namely bread from Avanti's - he loves that bread!

Wish me luck on my travels! It should be a busy weekend.

Good To Know: Kristin's recital is at Noon Sunday, April 27th @ Kemp Recital Hall.

The World Is Just Awesome

Pope Benidict XVI is just down the street - where the arrival ceremony is underway on the south lawn of White House this morning. They are saying it's one of the largest ceremonies ever conducted at the White House. There were piccalo players dressed in old school outfits, opera singers doing "Ave Maria" (soprano Kathleen Battle), a choir singing "Glory Glory Halalujah" as the entire audience waved little American flags, a 21 gun salute and lots of trumpet players. They also sang "Happy Birthday!" - it's the Pope's 81st b-day today. With so many people on the White House lawn this morning, you'd think there would be traffic backed up into Virginia, but somehow I got to work just fine. Maybe because today is also Emancipation Day?

For those interested:

The municipality mof Washington, D.C., celebrates April 16 as Emancipation Day. On that day in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act for the release of certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia. The Act freed about 3,100 enslaved persons in the District of Columbia nine months before President Lincoln issued his famous Emancipation Proclamation which presaged the eventual end of slavery to the rest of the nation. The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act represents the only example of compensation by the federal government to former owners of emancipated slaves.

It also means that Jason has the day off. Whoo hoo!

It just seems like there's almost too much pomp and observance for one day! They should spread it out a little.

Which reminds me. Did you see this commercial for the Discovery Channel. It's my favorite!

Crispy Grapes

The grapes in my lunch were so crispy that I felt complelled to log-on to tell you. I don't usually comment on my lunch, but today it seemed important. Another important fact about my lunch. Jason makes it. Now, before you roll your eyes, Know this! He likes doing it! ( i think)...i mean...he hasn't said anything lately......shoot...what if he doesn't like to make my lunch? Well, i'm guessing he'll comment if he decides he's done making lunches. (geez...this post isn't very benifical for me)....

Over the weekend, while prepairing some homemade mac & cheese, i set the oven timer and when it went off i didn't hear it right away - and Leia (our dog) went into the kitchen and started going "rooooooooooooo roooooooo" - as to alert us that there was in fact an alarm beeping. Holy cow! Did she use to work for the fire department? We still don't know how many lives she's saved using these skillz. She's got SKILLZ! I'm waiting for her to ask me if she can have a glass with ice for her water. Leia is proving to be very smart.

Good To Know: I hate answering my desk phone at work, so never call me there.

My Arm!

Before the rain started on Saturday night, our weekend was going really well. Jason and I hopped out of bed early Saturday morning and took Leia for a walk down to the coffee shop where I sat outside and waited for Jason to get 2 small coffees. To my delight, he also grabbed two biscotti sticks and breakfast was served! (sort of) We sat outside the coffee shop and people wanted to pet our dog, so we let them. The sun was shining and once again...for like the 5th time...I wore my winter stocking hat for warmth. I ended up carrying it there and back because it was too warm. (We don't have the luxury of stepping outside to check the temperature before we dress, so it's kinda tricky in the mornings.) I learned a lesson. If it's 55 degrees, you don't need a winter hat...unless it is really windy.

After our walk we headed off to run some errands and then back home for a late lunch. We were talking about the new National's ballpark and Jason suggested we should have a catch, because it was so nice out. So, after lunch we got our gloves (not mitts - those are only for the catchers) and the baseball and headed outside. I was against bringing the dog, but Jason said it'd work - so we brought Leia and attached her to the bench with plenty of leash to spare. We put down her small travel bed and after she settled down, she pretty much slept through the entire outdoor activity. Which brings me to my blog title "My Arm!". My arm is very sore from playing catch. So is Jason's. We were having so much fun and it was so nice out, we just kept on playing catch for almost 1 hour. Now we're paying for it. Jason even mentioned that we should play more on Sunday, however, the sun never came out and it was the most dreary Sunday ever. When I was on my morning walk with Leia, I swear the whole town was making pancakes to cheer themselves up. At least that's what it smelled like.

Leia and Lynette in the rain

Mixtape 2.0

Ahhhh....the art of making a mix tape. Back in the day I was really good at it. (FF, RW, FF, FF, wait...go back AAAANNNNDDDD PAUSE...that's where the next song starts.) The cassette (when finished) was an audio archive of your favorite tunes at the time, all mashed together. So, there's a buzz going around about a week-old site called www.muxtape.com where you can upload your MP3s and share your mixtape with anyone. People are saying the website itself will only last three weeks, tops...and at the moment the site seems slow because it has caught on so quickly. But I don't care! This is what the internet was made for.

Now, if I were only at home so I could create my mixtape (er....Muxtape)...I can't do it at work. However, every mixtape must be labeled with a name. I've already come up with that!

Here.

Good Friday's Commute

Have a Happy Easter!

Don't waste it!

Welcome to my new adventure in "doodle" blogs! Inspired by my husband Jason and this rather funny girl who lives in the U.K. - Here's my second homage. I hope to get better at the sizing so it's easier to read.

eHelp at work.

Moon Pie or Pad Thai?

I had both on Friday. The Moon Pie was stale...it was a last resort snack that had been living in the last resort area for a little too long. The Pad Thai was good though! Veggie style for me, Jason got chicken in his. We get our thai food from Thai Lemongrass. It's really close to home. That's good cause I always get home late from work on Friday's.

Oh, and this weekend I made the Strawberry Shortcake (see "Spatula" post below) dessert. Ahhh, not what I expected. This must be a southern style shortcake recipe. The shortcakes tasted exactly like Bisquick biscuits with sugar sprinkled on top. It didn't taste horrible...it just wasn't what I thought it would be. So, even though Jason was nice - and said he liked it, I probably won't make it again. The strawberries and cool whip part were perfect.

I also noticed that my blog includes a lot of references to food. I don't know why!

But, while we're on the subject (and Easter is just a week away) I noticed that I am really into Jelly Belly candy beans at the moment. I'm about to try the Soda Pop Shoppe flavored beans.

First Project

I asked for an embroidery kit for my birthday in January - and Jason got it for me. (thanks Jas) My idea was to embroider a pillowcase for our new dog, Leia. She thinks she's people and uses people pillows! That is comedy! She also loves pizza! (just kidding about the pizza part)

I haven't started the pillowcase project yet - I wanted to test my skillz first. So, this is my first project. It's a kitchen towel using the split-stitch.

And here are the results:

I love the website Sublime Stitching that carries these patterns. They are quick to point out that they're sick of bunnies, teddy bears and geese in bonnets. "This ain't your gramma's embroidery!" The cool patterns resemble tattoos and rock-n-roll - perfect for your hip crafty self!

Git Yer "Spat-CHEW-ler"

Last night I watched an episode of Paula's Home Cooking on the NEW Food Network in HD and Paula was making these danty desserts. The episode is even called "Tea Time". So, she's making these -to die for- strawberry shortcake desserts when she says in her southern voice, "ok, now you get your spatula." But she didn't say "spatula"...it was a her own made-up variation on the word that contained an extra "er" at the end. So it was more like "git yer spat-CHEW-ler" and it was at that moment Jason and I turned slowly towards each other and burst out laughing! I said, "your Spat-CHEW-ler? Wha? Oh, she means spatula...ok."

Don't get me wrong, I love Paula and her southern twang and I totally love her show, especially in HD! But, there was nothing "danty or tea-time-ish" about that phrase! It was just "down-home-made-up!"

So anyway, I think Jason is going to make the strawberry shortcakes this weekend! Yay!

If you want to make them too, here's the recipe.

For the entire menu from the show (cause the pecan squares looked darn good too) click here.

"Cover The World With Chocolate Cake Icing"

On my way to work yesterday, I brought my iPod. I purchased some music (8 songs) over the weekend and created a new playlist. So I listened to it on my way to work. Not bad. A few adjustments are needed...but overall it's ok. It needs to be longer.

Today however, I didn't bring my iPod. I couldn't imagine listening to the same songs again. I'd need to take that first song out and I'd end up skipping through the rest of it instead of enjoying it. So, I put on XM - which what I usually listen to during my drive. THANK GOD I was tuned in - or I may have missed the news! I was almost to work when I tuned into The Loft (XM50) and Mike Marrone introduced a new American Music Club song from the brand new album called The Golden Age. It came out February 19th! Sweet!

Only two of the original AMC members remain, however reviews are glowing and Mark Eitzel is in a melodic phase, so the songs are pleasing to the ear. In fact, the overall sound of the new AMC record is lighter and their website lists three reasons why:

1) AMC refutes the label of 'Emo Pioneers'. For the record they hate Emo and have never been on the soundtrack for any W.B. network show. (yet)


2) Dark music is for people who are healthy enough to take it - and AMC want to appeal to all people - including the sick.


3) Mark Eitzel comments: "What will my neighbors in my retirement community think? How will I charm the nurse that tends to me? I want to fill my mouth with sugar and spit it on everyone when I talk. I want to cover the world with chocolate cake icing."

Well, that pretty much says it all!

You must check out the song "Who You Are".

Good To Know: AMC is touring in the US in April and May.

Food in HD

Nothing beats TV in HD, and coming soon to the HD lineup - THE FOOD NETWORK. That channel is mouthwatering! On Sunday we had the channel on for part of the afternoon, and I just remember Jason saying, "When this channel becomes HD we're gonna get fat!" I laughed. Start date is March 4th!

Speaking of food, I just got over my urge to buy in on a veggie share for the year. Jason successfully - and to be honest (thankfully) - talked me out of it for the second year in a row. It's expensive, none of the pick-up times go with our schedule and the list of veggies are sort of foreign to me. My sister did it last year ( I was jeeeeeeeelous) and she even advised me against it. She said it was the guilt of throwing away veg she couldn't use. Plus, she was sharing the "peck" with 2 other girls and she still couldn't eat it all. Thanks for the advice Kris, I'm not going to do it! However, I have a facination with local produce that won't quit - so I'm going to make it a point to go to our local farmers market on Sunday mornings. I think i can walk there with Leia. And considering Leia's new favorite thing is to wake me up at 7am on Sunday mornings for a walk down the path, no doubt we'll be getting first pick! I'm not sure when the farmer's market opens for business - probably in April.

Just for kicks, I've added the Bull Run Farm blog to my list on the right hand side - the owner and farmer tells great stories. Just click on "Split Honey and Fried Frogs" on the right.

We Made It Home.

"Ice Fangs"
(Grrrrrr....the front of my Camry after the ice storm.)

I know we can't possibly top the mounds of snow that everyone's getting in the mid-west, but yesterday's ice storm in the DC area came pretty close. All day it was dry and then - like all of a sudden - ice started falling from the sky!

On a normal day, I get a call from Jason around 5:30ish when he's made it home and out walking Leia. It's our daily dog update call - to assure me the house didn't burn down or she didn't "accidently open the window and jump out." (Neither of thes have happened.) So the phone rang and it was Jason - still in his car, stuck on 395 in front of the Pentagon.

He said to me, "WTOP is reporting that 395 is closed." So, i asked, "where are you?" He said, "I'm ON 395." Oh my!....well then.....what do you do? You sit, and wait....and that's what he did.

4 hours later...

Jason finally made it home. My pour thirsty, hungry, tired husband who had to go to the bathroom!!! finally made it! In fact - after leaving work at 4:45pm - and several updates on the cell in-between- Jason called me to tell me he was in the turn lane to our street. Yes, the journey was so long, he felt it was necessary to call in to report he had ALMOST made it.

"I am in the turn lane to our street, I'm about to turn in!" he said.

At 8:45pm he arrived home safe.

All the while - i was still at work. There was no reason to leave and to sit in the jam....so I cleaned my desk (I was overdue anyway) and finally got home aroun 11pm. It took me 45 minutes just to get the ice off before i left the parking lot.

Leia got a new toy for being so good, and sleeping through the whole thing.
A green frog.

Early Bird Special

Jason woke me up at 5:20am this morning. Not that I was shocked by that. We planned it. The polling place opened at 6am and I needed extra time to walk Leia first. Leia was confused - as she usually wakes US up...but was happy to go outside early to get in her daily sniffs.

Then it was off to the voting booth to participate in the Potomac Primary. You can hardly ignore politics in this town so it felt good to contribute. Our voter registration card indicated that we vote down at the community center (that has the gym and pool) but there was also voting happening right next door at the elementary school. (So THAT's why all those people were lingering about when I was walking Leia.) It did seem strange to see a bunch of cars "idle" on our walk. And the frantic lady who turned her car around right in the middle of the street. Crazy early birds!

But, I guess I'm lumped into that catagory too. At work they give us a 4 hour "leave" time to vote, but since I'm on the air...it doesn't really work out that way for me. HOWEVER, Jason said he will be leaving early to "vote" (wink, wink) even though he already did this morning.

Speaking of which - the coolest part was getting this "I voted" sticker - and somehow, during our 2 minute car ride back home, I lost mine! What the heck? Jason was so sweet - he let me have his sticker, and it's the one I'm wearing today.

Cocoa O'Clock!

"The Burrrrrrrrd Feeders."

Holy snow! These pics just in from Illinois. (above....the "Burrrrrrrrrrd Feeders"...my dad gets all the credit for that title.) While Jason and I have been enjoying record high temperatures in Virginia (it was 71 degrees on Wednesday) it's was a much different story on Wednesday in the midwest! Back home on Oak Street, my dad worked diligently to remove snow from the driveway that was piling up at over an inch an hour. Snow totals were almost a foot by the end of the day, travel was strongly discouraged, Kohl's closed and my mom was sent packing! She slowly made it back home as no one was driving faster than 20 miles an hour. Yikes!

It was a classic adult snow-day for my parents! How fun!


"Frosted or Flame Broiled?"

Mid-storm, my dad gazed longingly at his grill.

"The Ruler."

Barely visible, a 12 inch ruler sticks out of the snow on top of the spa. My dad religiously uses the top of the spa for "accurate snow totals".

Cocoa anyone?