Google

I love Google and use it religiously about 25 times a day, but I have a complaint. WHY is it that when you misspell something, they put “did you mean ….” and spell it correctly? They also do the search for the word spelled correctly. I mean, if they know what you mean why are they asking you? And what if you don’t mean that? There’s no “NO!” button. Go try it – yesterday I tried Carraba’s, and they found Carrabbas, but put “did you mean Carrabbas?” Obviously it doesn’t matter if I did or not Google, because that’s the first link you gave me. I’m glad they correct my spelling, and I’m glad they read my mind, but at the same time it’s a little snotty to put the “did you mean…” at the top. It could be “or ….?” I’m sorry we’re all idiots Google, but you could be nice about it at least!

New Digs

This weekend I moved into a cute little apartment of my own. My Saffy absolutely loves it. That makes me happy. She sat out on the patio all day yesterday, and took her toys out there to nap with. She wanted to go out this morning, but the 30-ish degree weather was too cold to leave the door open for her. The first day there we went out for a walk and when we got back there were 3 deer outside my door. They apparently live in the woods behind the building because I saw them again this morning. It’s sort of funny to take the dog on the walk and find deer droppings. I’ve already met two of my neighbors. Really, I don’t understand because in my old apartment we were there for a year and I only met one of my neighbors towards the end because we both had dogs. Saffy is good for making friends, but being friendly isn’t that hard. One theory I had was that this new apartment complex isn’t as fancy, and maybe the everyday working folk are just friendlier than the more well-off people. One of the women I met even told me to come by if I ever needed anything. I mean, that’s really nice. Anyhow, so in honor of being on my own again, I made a list of all the good things about my new apartment (Of course there’s bad too, but I have to think positively!)
1. I’m free to walk around unclothed whenever I want.
2. I can leave the door open for the dog to go out and not be wasting anyone else’s electricity money (I know Barbara wouldn’t have minded, but I still felt bad when I did it).
3. I can be noisy as all get-out at 6:30 am on a Saturday
4. Vacuuming at 10pm..
5. I can create crazy concoctions in the kitchen and not worry that anyone will wonder wtf I’m doing.
6. I paid the pet deposit so I can get things fixed.
7. The recycling bins are pretty much outside my door.
8. Friendly neighbors.
9. Lots of parking.
10. New furniture.
11. I can paint my walls.
12. Living on the first floor.
13. A patio that Saffy loves.
14. I think I’m the only single girl that lives alone so I get to host all the girls nights.
15. I somehow got the internet/phone bill to be cheaper when I transferred it.
16. Less traffic to and from work.
17. 5 days grace to pay rent instead of 3.
18. I live in walking distance to Melissa, Carrabbas, and PetSmart (and Rudy’s).
19. There’s a lot of lighted places to walk the Saffy at night.
20. Nobody knows when I hook-up! Just kidding – there’s no hooking up going on ;o)

Tradition...start one of your own

Tradition…start one of your own. I used to have a cheerleading t-shirt that said that in high school. We didn’t really start many traditions back then, but I think my little group of friends now is pretty good at starting traditions. This past weekend we had the first annual Friendsgiving, where we do Thanksgiving potluck style and give thanks for our wonderful friends. We had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, Sister Schubert’s rolls, two green bean dishes (one with brussel sprouts), yams, homemade cranberry sauce, wine, and I hope I’m not forgetting anything. We finished off with pumpkin pie and the best freaking ever chocolate pecan pie. It was a really great time. We follow that with our Secret Santa and New Years Eve traditions. Traditions are pretty common now a days. And, it’s nice to have something that will stay the same no matter what changes, because there is a lot changing in our lives at this age. Whether it’s, boys, school, jobs, or dogs (which changes for Sarah about every week now) – we all have a lot going on that leads me to believe our lives will all turn out very differently than they are now. I just give thanks for what I have, and for all the people that have and will help me become what I will.

I’m leaving Tuesday night to go home for Thanksgiving, and then am moving on Saturday, so when you hear from me next there will be more newness. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Another one bites the dust and other funny stuff

If you read the story about the cat puking on my quilt a few blogs ago, this will make more sense to you. But, to make a long story short, cat puke on the quilt forced me to take it off the bed. I have a back-up comforter, which I had put on the bed. Yesterday when I came home from lunch I found that the cat had puked up a hairball and food onto the new comforter. I guess I’m sort of screwed now because the back-up doesn’t have a back-up. I’m going to freeze my ass off now!

Last night I was at Jason’s with Saffy. I took a burr off of her and gave it to him from Saffy to symbolize that it was cold. Get it, brrr (burr)… it’s cold in here… :o) Hee hee…I’m still laughing at my wit.

And lastly, I have a hair fan. This lady in the elevator was like WHO does your hair?! I told her that I go home to get it done. She kept raving about how good it looked and I was tempted to tell her that not only have I not had a hair cut since like, May, but that I had cut my own hair the night before in the bathroom. Maybe I should go into the hair business.

Jack Frost

I was ready for it to get cold as much as the next person – really, I was. And it was such a nice night with the beautiful full moon. Saffy really enjoyed her walks, with the fur blowing out of her face in the breeze. I could tell she was happy. But, I’ll let everyone know that it’s only cold because of a sacrifice I made. I packed all of my winter clothes on Monday. That’s the only reason that it actually got cold on Tuesday, unlike the fake-out from last Saturday when the front just magically stopped above us. If I go unpack the sweaters I know it’ll get warm again, so I’ll settle for looking like an idiot. It’s not like I work outside. Everyone owes me though!

I'm Not Nocturnal

I’m not nocturnal but the animals are working on it. Last night I woke up to the sound of digging in the litter box. OK, normal enough I thought and rolled over to go back to sleep, which is when I discovered that the cat was on the bed. SAFFY! So I started to get up and I saw something on the floor, which I picked up. Stupid move, because it was cat poop! Saffy was apparently litter box diving for the good stuff, which she left all over my bedroom floor. So at about midnight I was up cleaning the carpet and sweeping up litter in the bathroom. I understand that it’s fun for her, but it’s painful for me, so I had to shut the door and tell the cat to hold it until morning. That all wouldn’t be so bad if the night before I hadn’t woken up and found cat vomit on the bed. And what is worse is that I found it by putting my hand in it. So I was up at 2 am cleaning vomit off of the floor and bed. And to make all matters worse, the dog thinks it’s her job to chase the cat no matter what is going on. Can I make it for one more week? I’m exhausted!

Worry

One of the things I’ve done a lot of in my life is worry. I worry about where “you” go when you fall asleep, I worry about my dog walking on rocks, I worry about money, I worry about my friends and family, I worry about dead people seeing me naked, I worry about not being a good friend, and I worry about not celebrating my grandma's birthday in case it’s the last. I have a long list of other things, but to make it short, I’m a worrier. One of the things I’ve always worried about is that other people will think the bad things I’ve thought about myself. One thing that I worry about is that people will think I’m annoying. Lately, since I’ve started taking this anxiety medicine in combination with not going to the gym like I should, I worry that people will think that I’ve been packing on the pounds. Of course I know it – I don’t want you to tell me, but I worry that people think it. I also have been called “laid back” which I don’t think that I am, and I actually worry about ruining the perception. Of course, being laid back and a worrier don’t go together that I know of, so I am left to wonder who I really am, and whether every time someone sees me they think “she needs to go to the gym.”

Weekend Update

The weekend started slowly with me giving the dog a bath and packing some boxes on Friday night. I know, I'm pure entertainment. I also took pictures of Saffy for my phone wallpaper, which I proudly showed off Saturday at my bosses wedding. The wedding was actually a lot of fun. She put the ring on the wrong finger during the ceremony, but everything else was perfect. There was lots of wine and dancing going on, which me and my date took full advantage of. Melissa was my date by the way, and I think people now believe us to be lesbians. We aren't. We took her gifts to her house and Melissa broke one. After that I took the Saffy to see her boyfriend Oscar. Jason says she thinks she's at Club Med when she's over there because of the yard and all the dog toys. Oscar is the most patient dog in the world though because Saffy hunts for his toys - meaning she steals them away from him while he's playing. Silly dog. Today Saffy had a date with Zuni at Emma Long where she actually got to do a little hiking off of her leash. She was amazingly good and didn't take off to Mexico like I expected. In the week ahead I'll be doing a lot of packing and getting ready for our friend Thanksgiving Potluck. Not an exciting weekend, but I know everyone was dying to know what I did ;o)

Super Stephie

I’m feeling pretty kick-ass today, because I rock hard core. Yup. You heard me. Really, it’s just a little work feat, but it reminds me that I must be smarter than about 2000% of the people out there. I’m working on a project as of this week that’s been going on for a while. A developer is doing design, and another developer is doing photo research, so I’m just the liaison for stuff. Pretty easy right? Well, they were having a problem for some reason with a Superman image. To license or not to license? For some reason nobody could figure it out (for the past 3 weeks), and after about an hour of research I learned who to license it by, and had contacted the company and sent off the information that my team quickly gathered for me. Maybe I just got a lucky break. I’m not sure. But it makes me feel smart and it makes me look like I’m superb at my job, so there’s something good going for me even if the company is canceling Christmas this year.

Doggie Biscuits

I found a recipe online for making your own doggie treats. This one seemed the easiest:

Soft Doggie Cookies
* 3 (2 1/2 oz. each) jars of baby food; either beef or chicken
* 1/4 cup Dry milk powder
* 1/4 cup Wheat germ or cream of wheat
Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix well. Roll into small balls and place on well-greased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake in preheated 350F oven for 15 minutes until brown. Cool on wire rack.
Refrigerate to keep fresh or freeze. Great for older dogs with teeth problems.

My only question is how do you know if they’re good? My dog will eat anything really, and I am not about to try them. And how do I decide, wheat germ or cream of wheat? What would be more appetizing to a dog? Cream of wheat is like grits and wheat germ is something totally different. So, everyone with a dog, I’m making them doggie treats for Christmas! Or maybe me and Sarah and Sara can get together and have a dog biscuit baking night. At least I won’t be tempted to eat them all!

Unheard

Lately it seems like everyone I know is getting engaged, married, moving in with a boy, having babies, etc. etc. Except me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for everyone that has found that perfect person, and I’m just as excited as the next person for a good wedding, but at the same time it’s a little sad to know that I don’t even know the person I want to spend that much time with. To make matters worse, I don’t even know how I’d meet that person. It’s almost impossible to be “the single one” and think that you’re going to meet guys somehow. Every time I go out it’s with practically married people. I love my friends, but they aren’t the man-meeting machines they once were. Match.com is definitely out. The first time I tried it I should have learned my lesson when the guy I went out with wanted to take me to a swingers (and I don’t mean dancing) party for a second date. My mom was talking to me about how when you’re with someone and you’re around them so much you say things that don’t really need to be said. Things like “the breeze feels nice” or “man the carpet is dirty” or “does it smell like smoke?” I have no one to say those things to. I mean, Saffy know the breeze feels nice, and I smile and think “she’s cute” but I don’t have anyone to say it to. And I know I don’t need a man to make me me, and I have tons of friends, and things to look forward to, but sometimes it would be nice to know that if you want to say something it won’t go unheard.

Wanted: someone who enjoys licks and ice cubes

Really, that's for my dog. I've been home sick the last couple of days and every time I start chewing on some ice Saffy runs in and gives me the puppy eyes for a piece. Yes, my dog loves ice cubes. I guess that saves money on dog treats, and maybe even wears her little fangs down. She's pretty good company if you're home sick. She has been laying in bed with me watching the first season of Six Feet Under today. But, also in other news, the rugged man toy is no longer, again. What exactly happend? I'm not too sure. Everything and nothing. Mostly nothing. I'm ok with it and I never realized exactly how un-lonely a cute little puppy can make you. Except when they bite.

In Other News

*Note, I'm taking over all the colors since Mel never writes. You'll know it's her because she's really funny and she'll probably have some sort of excuse for being a negligent blogger.

The surprise party for Barbara went exquisitely well last night. We had to wait a little longer than I thought, but we all bonded. Especially after I turned the lights out and made everyone talk by candlelight. Barbara was surprised into tears though, so it went well. The carrot cake Eb made was super tasty and the Nano was of course a hit. Thursday is the traditional Johnny Carino’s birthday happy hour, and Saturday is Chuey’s and downtown so birthday week is in full swing!

In other news, the lumps on Saffy’s neck aren’t life threatening. Just little pockets of meanness like I thought that a little antibiotic and anti-inflammatory should take care of. Meanwhile I’m just paying for her to have friends. $85 for an hour of playtime at the vet’s office. There’s nothing lots of pets and kisses won’t fix. While I was walking her yesterday some guy drove by and screamed “I LOVE YOU” – it’s nice to know I’m loved. Thanks random dude. I register for classes tonight. I’m trying to take Developmental and Abnormal. Even without the running around the gym Southwestern style to get classes it still makes me a little nervous. Oh, and get this – my company is on a firing freeze because they can’t afford severance packages. Knowing that just sort of makes me feel like doing nothing, but I swear I’m working. While I’m not writing this. Yeehaw!

Happy Birthday Mooshie

Happy Birthday to my roommate on her 26th birthday. I wish I had a funny story for every year of Barbara’s life, but instead I’ll focus on the years after graduation since those are the years I’ve known her best. It’s odd that while in college we even sat next to each other at chapter meetings but never knew what good friends we could be. Somehow, being unleashed on the real world has made us into the best friends we are. And for the last two years - roommates. They say to never live with your best friend, but we really haven’t had problems. The first year we lived together it was in the house on Trotwood. We hated that house, but we had a lot of fun. That’s the neighborhood where the big black dog that stalked Barbara conveniently lived. That’s also the year that I broke my foot and Barbara broke her face I think. And it’s also the year that she insisted on celebrating my birthday even though I was ignoring it because I didn’t want to be 25. She baked me pumpkin bread for breakfast even. We built forts out of her bed and had many a drinking game night. Then we moved to Waters Park. We haven’t been quite as crazy in our older years, but we still have fun. It’s sort of like having a sister that you live with, but don’t fight with, which is maybe why we get along so well since we both grew up with one. We have One Tree Hill nights, and happy hours, and I’m going to miss her when our lease is up. It’ll be on to a new phase in our lives. Things will be different and still the same, but I’ll always love my Barbara. Happy Birthday Mooshie!