We got snow!!!

Jo Stafford – “It Happened In Sun Valley”




Lyrics:

Howdy folks, let’s go for a ride
Get your favorite one to sit by your side
Cuddle up in a sleigh, gitty up, Nellie Gray, and away we go
While you listen to the sleighbells ring
You‘re yodeling to your baby
You’ll feel nice and warm
No matter how cold it may be
Take a look at little Jack and Jill
They ski down a hill
That‘s a snowplough turn
And look, there’s a spill,
There‘s a spill on a hill
When you’re down it’s a thrill
To go up again
Ev’rybody ought to learn to ski
For that is how we first met
We were that Jack and Jill
That came down a hill
When I looked at you
My heart took a spill
Took a spill on a hill
It’s a thrill that I can’t forget...

It happened in Sun Valley
Not so very long ago
There were sunbeams in the snow
And a twinkle in your eyes
I remember oh! so clearly
That you nearly passed me by
Then it happened in Sun Valley
When you slipped and fell, and so did I...

It happened in Sun Valley
Not so very long ago
There were sunbeams in the snow
And I fell in love when I saw that
Twinkle in your eyes
I remember oh! so clearly
That you nearly passed me by
Then it happened in Sun Valley
When you slipped and fell, and so did I...

Now ev’ry year we go back and then
We recall that fall and that moment when
We were there on a hill
So we both take a spill
And we’re Jack and Jill
Again!

Letters

Letters
by Lynette Carlock

I moved to Washington DC 3 months before 9/11.
I will never forget driving home from work that day
Smelling
the burning Pentagon.
I met my husband when I joined an improv group
15 years ago.
We fell in love via snail mail during his season at Yellowstone.
He’s the most amazing person I’ve ever met.

I'm torn.

Maybe it's because I haven't spent enough time looking at it, ironing out the kinks...etc....but just this weekend, Jason moved his blog from Blogger to Tumblr, and I fear my blog jump will be soon. I like Blogger, but I've been having issues with it for many many months. If you can believe it, I post more than you ever get to read. (these posts that were never read by another soul, somehow vanished into thin air when I clicked the "Publish Post" button after writing. Never to be seen again!) My posts have vanished so many times that for a while I just didn't post at all. So, I think with Jason's move to Tumblr, I will join him.

My blog hasn't moved yet. Don't worry!

Self Sufficient Living, In My Next Life...

...or whenever we move out of our condo.

I'm gonna need someone's help, MAX?

Bunny Love - OMG SO CUTE

I realize it's unheard of for me to post two times in one day - but it's happening!

One of my favorite websites on planet earth is www.cuteoverload.com which, if you have some free time I highly recommend. This video sent me over the moon with pure joy. Please enjoy!

Halloween Vampire Capes

Last weekend, Jason and I were invited to a vampire themed dinner party for Halloween. The entire party was very festive and well thought out. The week leading up to Halloween was scary in it's own right with Jason in the hospital so we were looking for vampire costumes in a pinch. When I went out looking for vampire capes, I felt as if Halloween was already over and Christmas was next week. There were NO Halloween costumes left at Target. Christmas had moved in and I was in trouble. That was until I forced myself to get creative. I wasn't going home empty handed. So, I kid you not - these capes were crafted out of tablecloths and placemats I found on an end-cap at Target. I found the ribbon in the Christmas isle. Yep. I was pretty pleased with how they turned out!

Happy Halloween!

My first quilt - for Leia

What’s more comfy than a dog-themed quilt. Leia seems to really like it!

Here's a few photos of my first quilt.

Full View:


Up close:


Flip view:


Jason helped pick the colors, and I was shocked at how well they all went together!

(sing songy)

(sing songy) "I always feel like somebody’s watching me.”

Why does that song get stuck in my head? It’s a lame Geico commercial. Ugh. Well, I have Geico so that’s at least good.

So, do you honestly want to know why I don’t post that much? The reason is simple. My blogger account has a glitch. It has happened time and time again that I’ll spend quality time on a blog post only to have it erased and disappear forever. It’s discouraging. And when I write my blog in “Word” it just doesn’t seem the same. So that month that went by…I was rebelling. Not that I vowed “never to post again” – I was just avoiding being annoyed.

Speaking of being annoyed – I was sure someone was out to kill me on my commute today. Toxic fumes from two different trucks nearly caused me to slump over in the driver seat knocking me unconscious. I actually exclaimed out loud “are you trying to kill me?”

Speaking of kill me…(everything is flowing together today) I’m averaging about an hour a day at the big gym this week. Today, I gave some thought to a personal trainer. I’m not sure if that’s something I’d really enjoy though. I have plenty of discipline, but some of the time I’m just not sure if I’m targeting the right areas.

Jason and I got DJ Hero. Those songs are infectious too!

Broccoli Soup!

Started a new gym routine today. Well, not new exactly. I have been going to the condo gym forever and well, we all know how that story goes. So, I’ve turned the page in my gym book and have decided a few things:

A) I can’t stand the morning people in the condo gym. I just can’t.

B) For whatever reason, it can’t be the was - with Jason and I going to the big gym in the morning together. This is mainly due to his accelerated work schedule and taking the metro because parking at work was no longer an option. I’ve come to terms with this, however – I still enjoy going with him so some days I plan on doing doubles.

C) After last week’s scarier than Halloween trip to the ER, the stress on both of us was enough to keep you up at night. Therefore, I am trying to set a good example to live a healthy lifestyle.

Overall, the big gym rocks. It wasn’t very cold this morning either, so that was nice. Leia didn’t budge when we both left out the door at 6am, so all seems to be clicking into place.
Next up, cabbage juice. Don’t tell Jason, but this is one of the number one natural healers for his stomach ailments. I told him I’d mix it with carrots and add some mayo and he could drink some coleslaw. Which, I have to admit sounds disgusting. Ok, well, maybe we’ll just EAT coleslaw. How’s that? Thankfully broccoli is on the list too, and I make a mean cream of broccoli soup!

Things I love:

Things I love:
1. That Jason is going to be OK.
2. Jason
3. My iPhone
4. Good friends.
5. Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
6. Where The Wild Things Are, Karen O
7. Windows 7 movie maker free download
8. DJ Hero
9. Honey Nut Cheerios
10. Regular Cheerios

I'm "Earthy Casual"

I took the HomeGoods StyleScope quiz and you can too! Here are my results :-)


Lynette, you are an Earthy Casual:

You're interested in creating a welcoming home where people feel comfortable and happiness flourishes. You appreciate the warmth and individuality of natural materials and handcrafted things and are inspired by colors and forms from nature. You love mixing up different textures and are sensitive to the tactile qualities of objects. Your style is grounded and solid, not flighty or frilly. And you are never taken in by the trend of the moment.

You value serenity. While there are probably a lot of interesting things in your home, they are joined by your taste or a certain palette that keeps them in harmony. You appreciate the beauty in simple forms. Whether fancy or plain, you appreciate things that are well made and function as well as they look. You also have a strong respect for the environment and craftsmanship. You care about how things are made, and how they are used.

They forgot, "...and with that said Lynette, you seem to have a lot of items from Ikea in your home. How thrify of you!" Ha!

I love you, Trader Joe’s.

It’s been some time since I’ve set foot into a Trader Joe’s. No reason really. There isn’t one very close to us and I haven’t had a reason to go. However, over the Labor Day holiday…I wanted to head to Trader Joe’s to look for a certain yogurt I read about online.

First, let me go back. I like yogurt. But I hate chunks. So, that leaves me with two flavors. Vanilla and plain. On my never ending quest to rid my day of sugar, I have decided that my daily Dannon Vanilla yogurt snack is on the outs. I figured, Leia eats plain yogurt so why can’t I? Upon purchasing a fresh tub of Giant brand plain yogurt (and before it became “dog only”) I dipped my spoon in and took a taste. Bleckha!!!! Gross! It was super tangy and disgusting. (…and I suddenly felt sorry for our dog.) “You eat this?” I yelled to my dog from the kitchen. But, I know it’s good for her digestive track, so I’ll keep feeding it to her. Me, on the other hand…the Giant brand was not my style. So, to the googles! I researched plain yogurts online to find that Stonyfield was a popular choice. And then there was this greek style yogurt everyone was talking about. “Greek style?” That sounds so intriguing. So, off to Trader Joe’s we went. I put a few in the cart that were labeled Trader Joe’s Organic Greek Style Nonfat Yogurt 0% Milkfat Plain. God, how boring does THAT sound? I was willing to try it though. I also picked up a slightly larger tub that was 1% milkfat.
So, last night around dessert time – I thought I’d try it. I scooped out 2-3 tablespoons, added strawberries and a sprinkle of honey granola and voila! It was delicious. It was LIKE ice cream. In a bowl, with toppings…etc…but it was w/o the sugar! I loved it. I can’t stop thinking about the creamy thick spoonfuls of Greek Style goodness. AND it’s good for me? This never happens.
So, it’s my new favorite snack.

America's Best Idea

America's Best Idea
A 6-part film on America’s National Parks from legendary documentary filmmaker Ken Burns begins airing September 27, 2009 on public television. A childhood visit to Shenandoah was part of Burns’s inspiration. To hear what he has to say about Shenandoah and his new film, visit our partner Shenandoah National Park Trust, online.

I am looking forward to this!

Support your local green market!

Thanks for sending me this link, Jason!

Back from the midwest

I wrote a nice long post about our vacation, and blogger ate it for breakfast.


So, now I'm putting up a test post after getting Google
Error


Bad Request
Your client has issued a malformed or illegal request.


I'm back. That's about all I have to say at the moment.

Burgers n Things and Bee Stings

Well, the anniversary cake was a success! I kept it simple and I think I’ll be making more cakes as the occasions arrive. As far as occasions go, our 10th wedding anniversary was wonderful. Sushi, ring shopping, cake and champagne! It was a really great day.

That was last weekend, then for the 4th of July weekend, we left out of DC to escape the fireworks for a daytrip to Shenandoah National Park. It was a perfect day for a picnic. Jason packed the sandwiches and snacks and we loaded up the car! Leia seemed extra excited to go on a car ride. You know how dogs are.

On the way into the park, Jason and I decided to stop at Burgers ‘n Things. It’s a small building on the side of road in Sperryville, Va that sells burgers, fries and drinks for those hungry travelers coming out of the park. Even though we packed food, we fell victim to the smells and got lunch. Yum!

We drove to Elkwallow picnic area off Skyline drive (at about mile 25) and instantly wanted to camp overnight. However, with the state of the economy, it seems “camping” is the default family vacation and the campsites were full for the weekend. (All of the reservation sites were taken.) We’re going to try to go camping later this summer though.

We stopped near the small supply store at Elkwallow before finding a picnic area, and while Leia and I waited for Jason to come out of the bathroom, Leia got stung by a bee. For the rest of the afternoon, she tried to gnaw off her back leg – poor pup. We still got a bit of relaxing in, and both can’t believe we haven’t been back in so long.

The drive home always seems longer than the drive there, but it was a really enjoyable daytrip and I hope to go back very soon.

"Attempt" is the key word.

I ordered a book today...albiet a cookbook. Well, not even a cookbook, a "cake"book. Yes, a book filled with instructions on how to bake, frost and decorate your own fancy cakes. I can't wait for it to arrive. I have no idea what special tools I'll need, how many eggs will be required or how fat I'll become from taking up this pipe dream of mine, but I've always wanted to bake and decorate a real fancy cake. Ordering this book was the first step.

Over the years, I've perfected many recipes. (Some are still in stages of perfection, like the perfectly frosted cut-out cookie, and lemon cookies.) But, etched in stone are: my perfect chocolate chip cookies, a darn good pumpkin pie...and recently (thanks to C.H.F.) the fluffiest pancakes in the world! Yes, my secret baking quest will always be there. I'll always want to buy more powdered sugar than I need at the store, and I will always have the dream of filling my kitchen with the smell of something sweet and delicious.

So, in an ATTEMPT to say aloud "Let them eat cake!" and be "oh so crafty" and also edible... I am going to try my hand at a fancy cake. I hope. I have to read the instructions first. And if it doesn't become a fancy cake, perhaps fancy "cupcakes" instead. I also got the new Martha Stewart cupcake book that just came out. The funny thing is, I don't really want to eat the cakes, I just want to make them and take pictures of them (chance are I will be eating some though - who am I kidding.) I only wish I had the recipe of the cake that Jason and I had for our wedding. That cake was delicious!

Goodbye Goldie and other signs of change.

Had to say goodbye to a longtime fish-mate of mine. The Golden Severum we named "Goldie" who swam like a grump for 10 years in our 55 gallon fish tank. We bought those two golden severums way back when we were in Illinois. I think we got them at a pet shop in Champaign, IL. They always had better shops and eataries there - and Jason and I would make roadtrips to get homebrew supplies, shoes, pet supplies and eat lunch at this wonderful resturant called The Great Impasta. God I miss that place. Remember the noodle salad? To DIE for. So, Jason and I estimate that fish was around 10 years old. And from some quick research, thier life span is 5-10 years, so that fish lived a long time! As I mentioned, the other severum died a long time ago. The funny thing is there are fish in that tank even OLDER than the severum. Two silver dollars and a sucker fish. Plus this little (well now it's pretty big) red-eyed tetra which has managed to survive somehow. For the first time ever, I witnessed that little tetra swim out into the middle of the tank. Funny - he'd never do that with the Goldie in it's path for fear of being eaten. So, that big yellow fish is off to a better place, leaving my 55 gallon very empty!

The strange thing is, we were just about to move that fish tank and put it behind the couch. That plan is still in the works, and now it looks like I will be revamping the entire tank. I was thinking of just taking it down all together, but Jason talked me out of it.

On another note, I'm feeling all grown up and sophisticated these last few days. We painted our bedroom over Memorial Day Weekend and it's looking great! We went with a brownish/bronze called Tiki Hut. We also got two new bedside lamps. So for a total of two cans of paint and two new lamps, our bedroom has a whole new look! I really like the way it turned out. I'll have to post some pics.

Speaking of change, the construction on the 14th street bridge hasn't started yet. Meaning, the nightmare hasn't started yet. Jason now uses the metro to go to work so I'm using his car for my commute - it is awesome! However, I'm not looking forward to the construction. It will begin any day now. Ugh.

Thanks to the following things that make me smile:
1. Pretzel Goldfish
2. Leia
3. Coleslaw
4. Strawberry shampoo
5. Arctic Bars
6. Jason's car
7. new paint
8. Kung Fu Panda
9.

Snickerdoodle Bundt

I don't know if I mentioned it, but Leia is better now. There was a two week period..actually the last 1/2 of April where we were trying to figure out what was up with our sick dog. But, it seems we are back to normal now. Only one vet visit. Thank goodness.

Last weekend the farmer's market opened down the path from our place. It was pouring rain, but there was still a lot of people there. Not enough veg though. My favorite veg place seemed to be missing from the lot and we had to accept a damn dog treat from that lady who makes them from scratch. Please tell me she's not going to force dog treats on us all summer long. It wouldn't be so bad, but Leia doesn't really like them :) Which makes me laugh. We did get some fresh cheese, hummus and strawberries. The strawberries went well with a Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake I made last Saturday night.

Painting!

Before: The walls were white before we painted!

After: I really like the new paint in our house. It makes it feel more like home. The color is "Outerbanks" by Sherwin-Williams.

Gettin' a jump on the day!

I thought I'd get a jump on the day and get rollin' early, so I woke up at 3am! Well, not by choice really- Leia was squeeking from the livingroom and had to go outside. She's sick. Usually Jason goes outside with her, but with only an hour or two till he had to wake up for work, I figured I could go this time. (I wake up at the same time he does...so I don't know what I meant by this.) Just trying to be nice I guess.

It's very peaceful in our neighborhood at 3a. I didn't see a soul. And becuase it was 90 yesterday, it was nice an warm out still. Not a horrible experience at all.

I just can't figure out why Leia is so sick. It's been this way for 1 1/2 weeks. We've been to the vet (Friday), we're taking medication, changed her diet, eliminated all treats, and still, no results. I started calling around to the two different specialty dog food shops where we get a brand called The Honest Kitchen. Did they change their ingredients? The food is a dehydrated raw, and you add warm water to make the food. I did notice some extra chunks in this batch (purchased about 2 weeks ago) - so that might be it. I am getting worried that this is carrying on.

We were busy this weekend painting. Yay! We picked a color called "Outerbanks" from Sherwin Williams and spent the weekend with paint brushes in our hands. I was on trim, and Jason used the roller. We make a great painting team and are pretty happy with the outcome. It looks good (we think!)

Next up, our bedroom walls. That will require moving our bed - ugh. It's so heavy! It's one of those 1/2 mattress, 1/2 memory foam NASA beds. But, there's no other way to paint unless it's out of there. I'm sure Jason can't wait to move it :)

"Excellent Bus Service!"

I was driving home yesterday from work on NY Ave. in DC and saw a transit bus coming my way in the other lane. Instead of an electronic "destination" above the windshield to indicate the next stop, it just read "Excellent Bus Service" - I thought that was odd. Can you personalize that destination screen now? Does the driver have access to a keypad in which they can type out ANYTHING to scroll across that screen? Or is that just one of the default liners they use when the bus isn't actually in service? I was so curious, I rubbernecked to get a look at this most excellent bus and it's driver as we passed each other on the street.....only to find a 40 something dude with a trucker cap on using the scroll wheel on his blackberry while simultaniously trying to watch the road!!! He might have been surfing the internet for all I know! I suddenly questioned if "excellent" was the right word choice, given he didn't even have two hands on the wheel. All I can hope is that everyone got to their destination safe.

In other news, life in the world of packing lunches just got more awesome. All I'm sayin' is:
FOIL SHEETS!

Oh for goodness sake, 5 weeks have past.

Seriously, who uses Friendster anymore? Do you? I keep getting emails from Friendster - and I just have to laugh. I signed up for it at some point...but never used it. Although I will admit, I can't even keep up with Facebook. I can't. I seem to miss all the funny refrences and have yet to complete a "Top 5" of anything. I'm such a bore.

So yeah, it's been 5 weeks since my last update, but in those five weeks I've been eating some amazing meals. No more take-away here. I MUST post pics of Jason's cooking...he's been making some wonderful dishes. Lasagna rolls, empanadas, risotto and fish. All of these awesome meals - using normal ingredients you can find at the store. He's managed to find some excellent recipies online and everything he's made has turned out delicious. All of this yummy food has been inspired by our new cooking pans. They are a wonderful update to our kitchen. I can tell you that Jason's experience working at The Dairy Mart in Huntley, IL has given him a lifelong supply of knowledge in the kitchen and he can chop onions and mushrooms like it's no one's business. Hungry yet?! I had no idea I married a secret chef! He could be one in a heartbeat.

In other news, Leia has been sick for almost a week...5 days to be exact. So, we made an appointment to take her to the vet tomorrow. I hope she just needs a little medicine.

My blog always ends up being about food and dogs. I guess that's not a bad thing, right? Work is off limits and well, I'm not much good at complaining.

In the last week I've watched Wall-E a few times. I love that film. It won the Oscar earlier this year for best animation and it truly is great. It's one of those movies you can watch over and over again. I soooo love all of the Hello Dolly references, especially the opening credits! And as much as I love this movie, there are so many people who I've talked to that haven't seen it. (aka - my sister - who will never read this so I could say just about anything right here...but I won't)..... And then there are those that have seen it, and have dissected it. Ahem...Max....(although there's nothing wrong with that.)

Speaking of M and his wonderful wife C - they invited us to see a broadway musical last Friday! How Cool! I have never seen Ragtime before, but was totally entertained. It was great! And M's dad played bass in the orchestra. Double cool. Those two have a knack for inviting us to do fun stuff :) And if you two are reading this - Jason and I are so thankful that you think of us!

Watching that broadway show reminded me of all the theater I have done over the years. One whiff of the make-up and lights and it really takes you back to the Woodstock Opera House stage. Or better yet, the WHS stage where I played they loyal, traditional wife Meg Boyd in a production of Damn Yankees. Meg's husband Joe Boyd is in love with basesball and especially the Washington Senetors! Who knew all these years later I'd actully be working in DC and they'd start a new ball club. I never could have planned that.

Pizza night!

Thursday's are always pizza night at the Carlock household. And it's not delivery. Gosh, I can't name one good pizza place near us. (But I don't want to dwell on that!)

There is, however this place right by our house called Burger Delight. It's been open for years...but we've never been. It sort of scares me and makes me sad. It has so much potential!!!It has that Huntley Dairy Mart feel, but it's missing something. The other day we figured it out. They don't sell any soft serve ice cream. In fact they don't sell any sweet treats. I wish they did. Jason just said the other day that if they sold ice cream - they'd be millioniares. No one sells it around here! Plus, there's a park right next to it, so it would make sense to sell ice cream treats, don't you think? Maybe we should leave an anonomous letter on the door.

Dear Burger Delight,

Why don't you sell any ice cream?? And why do you close at 3 O'Clock? You should install a soft serve ice cream maker and start chargin'.

Yours truly,
The Neighborhood


I'd make the letter a little nicer than that, but you get the idea. I think you can build a community around a good ice cream shoppe. I really believe that.

Roam-ants.

"Love, poetry & marriage. The order is correct."

~unknown.

My life, The Newspaper Headlines

My sister won't read my blog. She told me that on the phone yesterday. There are no real juicy details as to why. She just made this "ugh" noise when I mentioned it. And that's all I have to say about that.

So, for the rest of you with eyes, and a heart...I thought you'd be happy to note that this morning I did a double take while driving down I395 - I swear I saw a guy on a "car phone" - yeah - one of those huge "as big as your shoe" phones with the thick black curly cord. Don't worry, he knew he looked dumb. I could see it in his eyes.

Today seems to be a world of difference from yesterday. Let's recap the joys of my Monday real quick (in the style of Newspaper Headlines):-) yes, if there were actual stories to follow the headline, they would all be about me.

a. Driver Caught Off Guard: Didn't Have $8
b. Sister From Illinois Admits "Won't Read Blog"
c. Newbie Kicks Veteran Voicetracker Out Of Studio 20 Minutes Before Check In Time
d. Girl Crushes Sunglasses, Crushes Her Own Heart
e. Girl Stuck In Tunnel, Survives

So that was yesterday! Whew!

Today's headlines would read MUCH different as none of those things have happened. What a difference a day makes.

If you already read Jason's blog, you would know that today we headed to the Big Gym really early. Jason's been going back and forth about doing the morning gym routine again and finally decided to try it out. Not too shabby. Plus, now that it's warming up, not too cold either.

I miss the big gym and I'm glad to be visiting it again. (We both like the condo gym...but realize the big gym offers more options.)

Falling in the catagory of it's not what it seems...you may encounter an older woman on the path near our home walking her dog. This dog is in a green stroller. Leia and I met up with the older woman yesterday to find that the 11 year old dog was going in for leg surgery - today. The dog tore something and needed to be medicated - and the woman was told not to let her dog walk. To that, she said, "well then, we need to get you a set of wheels...cause I still need to get out and walk!" You go Grandma! At first sight though...the whole dog in a stroller thing seems absurd. I never even thought of surgery.

I'll be writing today's Newspaper Headlines later on...it was kinda fun.

That'll be $8.

I didn't have $8 for the parking attendant this morning.

Why you ask? Because ever since I've been parking in that lot it's been FREE!! (contracted by my place of employment of course) So when the parking attendant asked me for $8 I looked at him as if he was speaking a different language. I suppose he (sort of) was. I mean, I have parked here, there and everywhere around my work and hardly spent a dime. Eight dollars suddenly sounded like a rip off!

So, I told him in the kindest of fashions that I park here everyday and I can either pay double tomorrow or walk back over with the cash in about 20 minutes. (Duty calls at work, and I had to get on the air.) He agreed to the latter and I was on my way. No biggie fries, I'll just stop by the ATM, walk back over to pay the man and get on with my busy morning. And that's what I did. I'm just glad he agreed to this arrangement, or my car would have a few tickets on it by now.

About an hour ago HR announced that they apologize for the inconvenience and if you take your receipt back to the attendant you can get your $8 back. Really??! That never happens!

Whoohoo!

Things to celebrate:

1. Orange Tic Tacs
2. Fixed printers
3. Online shopping
4. Saturday adventures
5. Getting $8 back.

Three nights only, please!

I'm begging you. Please let me go home tonight without having to sit in the tunnel for a lame 1/2 hour of construction. It's keeeeeling me. Tonight will be night four, and I can't do it again.

In other news, I'm back on the blog. That kinda sounds gross. But, three days in a row ain't bad....considering I really don't have too much to say in the first place. Let's see, what's going on in our world? Well, Jason is growing his hair out while I've been meaning to set up an appointment to get mine cut.

What else? Oh yeah, we had to throw away our waffle maker because of the harsh beeping noise it makes to indicated that the waffle is ready...this "beep" (which sounds more like the fire alarm on your ceiling) sent Leia into freak-out mode, so last weekend's Sunday waffles were a tad more dramatic than we planned. I had to take Leia outside and walk around the block to cool her off. She was shaking. Bad. Like her whole body was vibrating! She get's that way durning thunderstorms too. Poor girl.

All the snow melted already and I'm ready for spring. It's suppose to be in the 70s this weekend and tonight it's taco night! I'm concentrating on getting done at work to meet up with our neighbors. I hope I don't get stuck in the tunnel!

This post is much shorter than I planned, but I had to go to a meeting.

Things to celebrate:

1. Friday night taco nights
2. New beginnings
3. Learning to knit
4. United States of Tara
5. A clean bathroom

No Biggie Fries

Did you see Bigfoot on Jason's blog? OMG. I think I beleive in Bigfoot. Or at least that's what the TV wants me to believe. Why does everyone have to be so skeptical? There's weird stuff everywhere, can't it be in the woods too?

I stole that "no biggie fries" line from Jason too. He says it and honestly it melts away any thought of stress. Try it out. You'll see. I recently used it in an email to my boss to look cool - and it seemed to work.

Speaking of Jason, he's doing great! His sweatshirt fits after I washed it!.... and I saw him leave for work wearing it this morning. About that. Jason leaves for work the earliest a person should ever leave for work. And he wakes me up :30 seconds before he walks out the door...so it's like a mirage/dream/what the hell just happened? moment that happens to me every morning. What happens next? Well, after the door shuts, I beg myself to stay awake and get on my gym clothes and head to the gym. It's not a pleasant feeling, but ever since Leia's decided to sleep in, I have had to rearrange my morning to fit the dog's scheduled outdoor time. She refuses to get up any earlier than 8am. Lazy! So that makes 6am out of the question. Fine by me. Gym first, then get ready for work, THEN take Leia on a walk.

Things to celebrate:

1. Special Titles for things
2. Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan
3. mini pretzels with no salt
4. pink sweatshirts
5. 3 year anniversaries

I hope it didn't shrink a thousand shrinks

My blog is going to be delisted if I don't write anything! We got a big snow storm on Monday...or as the sign by the 395 bridge said "Snow Event". Which I didn't mind. What I do mind is the sign that keeps flashing "AVOID THE 395 TUNNEL"....but you only get to read that part cause you're driving really fast...and just before you pass the sign in a panic and are making alternate driving plans in your head, the sign switches to say, "13 FOOT MAX FOR TRUCKS"....Ohhhhh.....so only trucks taller than 13 feet have to avoid the tunnel. Got it. Phew.

Back to the snow. Leia sort of likes it. We have walked on the path this week and she stops and sticks her nose down in it...and then sneezes. She will, however, b-line for a patch of grass. Thankfully it'll be in the 60s this weekend and most of it will melt. And it has been COLD! Which brings me to my next thought. I was going to blog about this subject alone, but keep forgetting to tell you...in the mornings when Leia and I are on our walk, it's usually between 15-24 degrees out. Cold! Or...er....at least too cold to "hang out on the deck" if you ask me. So, each morning this week, as we pass the backside of condos...there's this lady "hanging out on the deck". She's sitting at the deck table. I've never seen her before, but she's old...perhaps in her 80s? I'm guessing. So, every morning this week, she's sitting outside. Very odd...especially when it's 17 out. Isn't she freezing?

Things that worry me at the moment:

1. Where is the oil leak coming from.
2. I washed jason's sweatshirt after he helped our friend Ross move, and I hope it didn't shrink a thousand shrinks. He likes that sweatshirt.

Things to celebrate:

1. Tomorrow marks 3 years quitting smoking for me!
2. I got to park in the lot twice this week.
3. Jason + pancakes
4. Saturday Feb 28 was Jason's 3 year quit smoking anniversary!
5. Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
6. Excel spreadsheets
7. Oren Lavie, The Opposite Side Of The Sea
8. Design Sponge
9. Birds on tree branches.
10. Spa services

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It's quiet, keep working.

It's really quiet at my new desk assignment. And it's quiet here at work in general after letting go half the building, ugh. At my new desk assignment I sit around ladies who make lunch plans and work 9-5, so not radio programmers! I think they work in finance. When I take a bite of my carrots, I feel like the crunching sound is so loud, like it will jar them at their calculators and they'll accidentally add another zero. This is probably just in my head though. I wish I had better time management skills so I could ask someone to go to lunch. Then again, I hate eating out. I really do. I loath it. There's too many times I've been fooled. You think it's going to be this wonderful meal...then, it's a total east coast letdown. The only place this doesn't happen is Akasaka. Worth every penny. Any other resturant, I'd rather bring my own peanut butter sandwich and call it a night.

Lunch was good today: Peanut Butt-her Sandweeeech, care -otts, celloooorrrie, YO yo mtv-gurt, and some fancy Lucky Charm cereal....with too few mallows....although have you seen the new "hourglass" marshmallow shape? It's pretty neat.

I'm saving some grapes for a 4 o'clock snack.

Lunch is over, back to work.

Happy Birthday, Love Cake.

It's offically my birthday week...my bday was on Monday...and up to this point, none of my "get home early from work" wishes have come true. But other wishes did, like cake. Jason made it me a three layer devil's food cake with white frosting and it was delicious. I dream about eating that cake when I'm at work. Jason also got me some fun gifts! Thanks Jason! Aside from my birthday, it's been a cosmic week. And for every strange occurrance (my car getting stuck on a cement parking block) there's been an eye opening surprise to level it out (like, I may actually have a chance to take real vacations in the future without killing myself by working ahead to get the time off.) I guess you never know what the wind will blow in.


And it snowed! Finally, we're in the club. That hasn't happened in so long!