Playing hookey....shhhh
Mood:  hungry

I really should play hooky from work more often. We had such a great day yesterday that I hated for it to end.

 

Lennie and I slept in a bit and then got up to have a couple cups of coffee together before pushing him out the door to go get some work done. He had a job a Duke to finish up and then he needed to pick up some equipment he left at NC State. I told him to hurry and get his stuff done because we needed to leave the house at 12:30 to go see Harry Potter.  I don’t think he quite understood how this IMAX thing works. I tried to explain that even though the movie didn’t start to 1:45 we needed to be there early to get in line so that we could get Center/Center in the theater. This is the best spot to be for 3D movies. He sort of blew me off and came strolling in at 1:10. I was PISSED!!! It takes a good 20 minutes to get downtown. Then we have to find a place to park and then stand inline to pick up our tickets. We got there at 1:35 and had to settle for seats on the side. I was not amused but decided I wasn’t going to let it spoil the movie for me. The movie was AWESOME!!!!  I love to watch movies on IMAX because you feel like you are in the film. There is a 20 minute portion of the film that is in 3D whish was amazing. It starts at the point where the kids get on the flying horse like things (can’t remember their names at the moment) and went through the big fight scene with Dumbledore and Voldemort. Of course I cried when Sirius died and the part when Dumbledore tells Harry that it isn’t how they are unlike but how they are different. Such a good film. I want to see it again.

 

After the movie we headed down to the SPCA to look at some puppies. We went into the meeting room and they brought in Anderson, the black border collie I had seen Saturday. Just as before he walked in and immediately worked on our hearts. Lennie fell in love with him and wanted to take him on the spot. I suggested we look at a few more dogs. Reluctantly he agreed. After playing with several more dogs Lennie told me that he still liked Anderson so we went up to fill out the paperwork. The counselor came over and proceeded to run through Andersons papers and we learned more details about him. One of which is that he tends to be aggressive. Then came the one thing I dreaded to hear…he doesn’t do well with cats. After talking more with the counselor we agreed it wouldn’t be a perfect match. I looked over at Lennie and I could see the disappointment on his face. He walked back and said goodbye to Anderson and my heart just broke for him. The good thing about this shelter is that it is a no-kill facility and Anderson will stay there until he finds a home. He is a great dog and I am sure he will be a fit for someone. They put me on a wish list for a Golden Retriever who the counselor and I agreed would be a perfect match for me. But I could still tell Lennie was devastated.

 

After the disappointment of not bringing a dog home we decided to treat ourselves to Café Luna which is a great little Italian place downtown. I had this great seafood pasta dish and Lennie had veal. We sat there and talked a great deal about our relationship and getting a dog. As much as I would love to have a dog I know I can not afford it on my own. Lennie has offered to take on a lot of the finances because he REALLY wants a dog but knows his lifestyle isn’t a good fit. My worry is that we will get this dog and then he will decide he is done with me and I will be stuck with a dog I can’t afford. I know he keeps telling me that he isn’t going anywhere but I still worry. I think in the end I was convinced that getting a dog would be okay. It is too bad we don’t have a dog right now because this weekend is going to be perfect hiking weather.

 

Well I will end it here. Except for a hike, this weekend will be quiet. Lennie has drill so I will only see him in the evenings. I hope everyone has a great weekend planned. It is going to be a nice one weather wise.

This weekend went to the dogs
Mood:  hungry

What a long weird weekend.

 

My friend Tanya emailed the foster woman  to tell her that we was appalled by the way the woman was running her organization and that according to the online description of Andy, I would have been a perfect match. The woman’s response was slightly more irritating than her original message.

 

I appreciate your concerns regarding this matter, but truly, this does not reflect Best Buddies practices.  I am Andy's foster mom, and there's nothing I'd like more than to place him in a wonderful home.  I'd also like very much to help your friend, Rebecca, find just the right dog for her, but to be honest, I don't have any foster dogs, nor do I  know of any, that could be left home alone for 9 hours a day without getting bored and developing destructive behaviors.  Because I didn't know of any foster dogs that could be left alone for so many hours, I did not have any alternates to suggest to Rebecca. 

 

The facts of the matter are that Andy's description for the website was written only a few days after he came to live here when none of us knew very much about him.  It wasn't until last week when he was adopted to a very kind and loving family that we learned that his separation anxiety was as serious as his thunderstorm anxiety.  When he was left at home for just 30 minutes, he destroyed wooden blinds and a window facing in their new home.  Of course, he was returned to me.   We learned  through that experience that he's going to need a home where he's not often left alone.  My husband is retired and I work part time, so someone is here with Andy nearly all the time.  In a situation like ours with the other dogs and us here, he doesn't exhibit separation anxiety.   Because we are home nearly all the time, we can be on the lookout for approaching thunderstorms, and can get him inside in an interior room, and can sit with him until the storm is over.  I can't imagine what he would do at home alone all day if it was storming.  I'm sure he'd be terrified.  Andy's description on the website should be changed, and I will submit those changes to the webmaster as soon as I have time, but with a house full of foster dogs and hospice dogs to care for, I have to prioritize what I do. 

 

Rebecca, I sincerely apologize for not going into more detail in my response to you.  I wish I had a foster dog that would be a good match for you, but I honestly don't.   Most of the adult foster dogs I have are dogs with "issues" and dogs who have special needs, medical or otherwise.  Then, I have puppies who are still much too young to be left alone for many hours.  If I can be of any help at all to you in your search, please let me know.  Again, I do sincerely apologize for not elaborating further in my email to you.  It's been an extremely long day, and I'm just very very tired.   I should have waited til tomorrow to reply to your email, but I thought you were probably anxious for a response.  I really try to do the best I can at accomodating people and helping them find what they're looking for.  I'm sorry I disappointed you.  I've been doing this for seven years, and this is the first time anyone has complained, believe it or not.  Please don't give up on adopting a foster dog or shelter dog because of this unfortunate incident.

 

I admire this woman for what she is attempting to do but it is obvious she hasn’t the first clue on dog training and behavior. Andy is a PUPPY and will display puppy behaviors. Every puppy I have met has some separation anxiety and it takes time to train the puppy to know that it will be okay if it is left alone. My question is…why isn’t this dog crated? It can’t tear up the house if it is in a crate. The dog doesn’t need to be crated forever. Just till it learns the rules of the house. As for the fear of storms…her part about taking him into a room and sitting with the dog until the storm passes is only strengthening his fear. Dogs look to the pack leader (YOU) for guidance in scary situations. If you act scared or nervous the dog picks up on that and will act the same as you. In this case the dog should be provided at safe place to go (a crate with a blanket over it) and you act as normal as possible. Hasn’t this woman ever watched the Dog Whisperer? I was going to write her back but decided to leave it alone. It breaks my heart to see Andy living this way because he could be a great dog.

 

Saturday afternoon I drove down to the local ASPCA... I sat in the parking lot for about 20 minutes just getting up enough nerve to go inside. All sort of thought ran through my head. What if I am rejected again? Can I really afford a dog? I know Lennie said he would help but what happens when he goes to Iraq? Am I really ready for the commitment? One of the animal control officers was going to his car and came over to see if something was wrong. I told him that I was thinking of going in and that I was just wondering if this whole adoption thing is something I should do. He said that it wouldn’t hurt to check the place out. So I got out of my car and went on in. I sat with a counselor for about 30 minutes. We discussed my wants, needs, and concerns in owning a dog and she was very patient and understood my apprehension and even stated that it was good I was being cautious. She stated that I had done a lot more research in owning a dog than half the people that come in. She then took me back to see the dogs. If you live and Raleigh and have never been to the center it is actually some place you should check out. It is one of the best shelters I have seen. The dogs are color coded for age and personality type. This is an attempt to steer people away from just selecting a pretty dog instead and go for a dog that will suits their lifestyle. My color dogs are the Purple – Teacher’s Pet and the Orange- Busy Bee and Goofball. I went through the dogs with the counselor and selected a few I thought might be a match.

 

Meet Buck!

 

Buck is a golden retriever chow mix and is a beautiful dog but was too interested in chasing his tail and was easy distracted by other things. This is not a good thing when you are out hiking. You need a dog that can focus. These are traits that he can be taught but just didn’t get the feeling he was for me. This is good because another couple had fallen in love with him and planned on putting in an application.

 

Then came Sampson.

 

Sampson is a Shepherd Akita mix and was a great dog. I was talking to the counselor at one point and Sampson got in my lap and rolled around. He definitely needed to be the center of attention. Might not bode well for a cat who also needs to be the center of attention.

 

Next in was Linus...

 

 

Linus is a Shepherd/Hound mix and was just a goofball. He came in with a dumb happy go lucky look on his face. What a sweet heart and was very gentle. He is very eager to please and loves attention. He pulls on the leash a little bit but I am sure with a puppy class or two he would be a great walker.

 

Lastly…Anderson

 

 

 

Anderson is a 5 month old Border Collie Mix and probably my favorite dog of the day. The volunteer brought him in and he immediately started worming his way into my heart. He went over and pick up a rope toy and brought it to me so we could play tug of war. When he was done with that he went and got a ball for me to throw. He would bring it right back and curl up in my lap for a belly rub and then wanted me to throw the ball again. When he got tired of playing he came over and got in my lap and just wanted me to snuggle him. Anne it was sort of like Bilbo lying in your arms like a baby.

 

I told Lennie we would go over when he got back into town. I know he is excited but I am still a little unsure about owning a dog. We will see. There might be a dog out there that we just can’t do without.

 

Hope everyone had a good weekend.

 

 

 

Broken Hearted
Mood:  sad

Well I just got the following email back from Andy's Foster Mom....

 Hi Rebecca.  Thanks so much for your interest in Andy.  I've been fostering him for a couple of months now, and have learned a lot about him.  He is a sweet boy, but has thunderstorm anxiety as well as a little separation anxiety.  He's not the happy-go-lucky guy that Goldens usually are.  I think he's going to need a home with someone who's going to be around a lot.   I'm sure sorry he's not the one for you.

Am I the type of person that owns a dog?
Mood:  bright

Well I talked to Lennie last night about Andy the Golden Retriever puppy I wrote about yesterday. He of course was all for it seeing as he has been after me for months to get a dog. I told him I just wasn’t sure if I could handle a dog right now and he informed that that he would help with the finances and care. So this morning I put in an application for Andy. It was 3 pages and very detailed. I am nervous they won’t find me a good match. It is sort of like adopting a child. Now I just have to wait for a phone call.

 

The one thing that worries me is that my yard isn’t fenced in. That is a huge plus to these adoption people. I wasn’t planning on doing it till next year. My boss suggested an invisible fence but I just don’t know if I could shock my dog. I am sure if I was going with a normal pound I would pass just for having a pulse, but this dog is being fostered and I have dealt with a lot of foster moms and they can be very strict on the types of homes they send these dogs to. I figure if I don’t get selected then it is just not meant to be. But I know in my heart of hearts that I could give this dog a great home. I mean just look at Fenwick and Merlin. Have you ever seen two more spoiled animals?

 

I also worry about Fenwick. He has never been around dogs before and doesn’t do well with change. He also doesn’t like sharing his toys and I can just image the fight that would ensue if the dog went to pick up Fenwick’s cat puppet. (shudder at the thought).

 

I was also thinking that if I did get Andy I would have to change his name. What do you think of Potter? Goes with the whole wizard theme I got  going at the moment. I just realized I am getting ahead of myself.

 

We will just have to wait and see.

I am in love...with a dog!
Mood:  happy

A friend of mine knows how much I love Golden Retrievers and how much I long to get a dog. In searching for a dog for himself he came across Andy.

 http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?&petid=8517251&mtf=1

I only wish my yard was fenced in and I was a little more financially secure. God I would love to have this boy. Doesn’t he have the sweetest face? 

I hope he can find a good home. 

 

 

Is it Friday yet?
Mood:  caffeinated

What a week it has been. Thank God tomorrow is Friday.

 

Monday we had the General’s visit. Tuesday we had a field trip to Clayton which took all day. Then Wednesday morning I came in to a notice that I have been “randomly” selected for a drug test (2^nd time this year). Today I have 3 conference calls and a credit card to reconcile. The only thing I have to look forward to is the fact that Supernatural comes on tonight and my plan is to grab a glass of wine and drool over Jensen Ackles for an hour.

 

Lennie called me last night and said he wasn’t sure if he was going to be coming home this weekend. There is an office they are supposed to be working on and they can only get into it on the weekend. He said he will find out today if he will have to stay to help. I miss him like crazy but I am trying to use this experience to prepare me for his departure to Iraq in January. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Congress gets their act together and override Bush’s veto to bring our troops home. Shhh don’t tell the General I said that. I will be accused of being un-American.

 

I still haven’t seen Harry Potter. I told Lennie I would wait and see it with him. I guess it must be love if I am willing to torture myself with not seeing the film so that he and I can see it together. The plan is to take off a weekday and go and see it on IMAX.

 

This weekend should be fairly quiet. Tanya is in town visiting her brother and getting the rest of her things out of storage. We will have dinner together tonight and that will probably be the last I see of her for awhile. I am in the process of planning a Girl’s Night Out for later in the month. I am hoping I can get a good turn out.

 

Well I better get going. I have to grab some lunch before my next conference call. Take care everyone and have a great weekend.

 

 

Kitty Alarm Clocks
Mood:  a-ok

I totally forgot to set my alarm clock last night before going to bed. Today WASN’T a day for sleeping in. Our Brigadier General is visiting today and there was still a lot to get done.

 

Thank God Fenwick can tell time. I woke up this morning to him frantically meowing outside my bedroom door. I yelled at him to be quiet that the alarm hadn’t gone off yet. I rolled over to see how much time I had left to sleep when I noticed that the clock read 5:45 AM. I normally wake up at 5:30. I got up and gave Fenwick lots of hugs and kisses and promised that I would buy him a present on the way home tonight. He proceeded to prance around the house like he knew he had done a good job. Now if I could only get him to realize that I don’t have to get up on the weekend.

 

Normally Lennie spends the night on Sunday and there is some discussion on the wake up time so I usually remember to set the alarm. Well he left yesterday afternoon for a two week trip to Charleston, SC for work so it just totally slipped my mind to turn the damn thing on.

 

We had a small argument Saturday night. Well it was more of a misunderstanding really. Even through we had worked through the issue before we went to bed. I was still a little pissy with him Saturday and part of Sunday. At brunch I realized how stupid I was being. I mean we had worked through it so I should be mad…right. So I decided to cheer up a bit. I didn’t want him leaving town thinking I was still angry. He commented later on how cold the goodbye was on both our parts. I told him I missed him and he told me he thought about me the whole drive down to SC. So I guess things are good. We still haven’t had a knock down drag out fight but I am sure it will happen before too long.

 

The General’s visit today went well. He was only here about 2 hours. He seems like an okay sort of guy. He believes that if you don’t pull your weight you should go which is good because there are a lot of people in our district that are just place holders. Another thing I noticed is that the man LOVES to tell stories. I thought he would go around the table and talk to each one of us about our jobs and some issues we have but instead he asked the group what their concerns were. A few people would answer and then he was interrupt and say, “That reminds me of a story.” And if he could find some way to tie it into a war story he would. The only thing I didn’t like was at one point he said if we were against the war or if we tried to encourage others not to serve in the war that we were un-American and should get the hell out of the country. One thing that makes this country great is that we can disagree. I may not like the war and I may not want Lennie to go off and fight. But I support our troops. And I think that most Americans feel the same way. Granted those who stand in front of a soldier’s funeral with picket signs with Anti-war slogans are tacky and retarded. But I should be able to say to whoever will listen that I hate the war and think we should bring our soldier home now without fear that I am going to be called un-American.

 

Okay enough ranting for one day. I have a ton of work to do. Till next time….

Perfect days should be savored
Mood:  hungry

Yesterday was absolutely perfect. Well except for the fact that I woke up with another wine headache. But I am in much better shape than Lennie who drank wine then switched to beer later in the night.

 

We woke up Wednesday and had coffee and breakfast out on the patio sitting at my new patio table and chairs. The weather was perfect. It was cool with a slight breeze. We sat there a little longer than I would have wanted but it was just so nice we hated to get up. Lennie drove back to his place to change clothes and I packed a lunch and we headed up to Eno River State Park for the day. I had never been there before but my boss raved about it so we decided to give it a try.

 

We got there around noon and grabbed a picnic table and ate our sandwiches and fruit then glanced at the trail map for a hike we could do. We opted for the Coal Mountain Trail which was about 4 miles long. It was a beautiful hike. And we had most of the trail to ourselves. I even managed to spot a Scarlett Tanager (It’s a bright red bird) which was a thrill for me because I had never seen one in the wild. I got some pictures and when I have a chance I will upload them.

 

Once we finished the hike we head home so I could get started making dinner. I was so excited to use my new cedar planks. We had a minor mishap with the first one. It went up in flames and couldn’t be saved so I went in and soaked another one. Thank God the salmon wasn’t on it.  I sent Lennie outside with the second plank to keep an eye on it. Which I am sure he would have preferred to watch Eddie Izzard instead. Dinner was fantastic. The sauce I made for the salmon was very tasty. Lennie stated at one point that he would have paid for a meal like that. I just wish I knew that before I served him. I could have made a few bucks. LOL After dinner we spotted my neighbor Dave and Lennie invited him down to enjoy the new patio and to have some pie. We sat there eating pie and drinking wine and just chatting up a storm. It was such a nice night. My other neighbors were all setting off fireworks. At one point it sounded like my complex was being invaded. It was coming from all sides. Every once in awhile one of the fireworks would go high enough for us to see them.

 

So all in all it was a great day. I need days like that just to recharge. I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable 4^th.

Weekend Update
Mood:  a-ok

It was a fairly quiet weekend which is just what I needed. I got up Saturday and cleaned the house never once getting out of my pj’s. Well that was until Lennie showed up to take me out to dinner. I had actually already eaten and wasn’t really in the mood to leave the house because it meant I had to put real clothes on. Lennie was suppose to help a friend with his AC. I assumed that they would hang out when they got done because the friend’s wife is in Ireland for a couple of weeks. So I decided I would try to finish off the party leftovers and watch a movie. Lennie showed up stating that his friend wasn’t ready for his help so they were going to wait till Sunday. He was hungry and wanted to go eat at this place called Ted's Montana Grill. This is not one of my favorite places to eat. The food can sometimes be very bland. I figured I would just get an appetizer. Well they only have 4 appetizers and none of them were appealing so I got soup and salad instead. The salad consisted of lettuce, tomatoes, and croutons. That’s it…no other veggies. The soup was New England clam chowder and was so thick that my spoon, when inserted in the center, stood straight up. It also has absolutely no taste.

 

Sunday morning we got up and Lennie headed over to his friend’s house. I finished up my laundry and then headed over to Lowes. I needed to get some planters for the jasmine I got at the housewarming. I also managed to pick up two more plants to try to hide the cord from the fountain. On the way home one of the plants fell over sending soil all over the car. So I spent most of the afternoon cleaning it up. Who knew so much dirt could come from such a little plant.  When I was finished I grabbed a shower, a glass of wine, and some candles and sat outside on the patio enjoying my new plants, fountain, and wireless speaker. At 9PM I went in to watch my new favorite show, Supernatural. I have just recently started watching it. I don’t know why I never gave this show a chance before. It is about these two hunky guys who hunt demons and ghosts. What could be better that that? Lennie said that he is almost positive that it isn’t the show’s content that I like but rather actor Jensen Ackles. *sighs blissfully* Maybe he is right.

 

The only downside of the weekend was the fact that Aunt Flo decided to make an appearance. I should have known…it was a full moon after all. So this morning I woke up extremely bloated, crampy, and tired. All I want to do is curl in my bed with Fenwick and sleep for a week.

 

Still trying to decide what to do for the 4^th. Hiking was mentioned as well as working on Lennie’s house. He is trying to get it ready to put on the market. Not really looking forward to doing manual labor on my day off so I am hoping to convince him to do something fun. . I think I have decided on the dinner menu though. How does cedar plank salmon with a Dijon, lemon, dill sauce, steamed green beans, roasted red potatoes and my famous Red, white and blueberry pie sound?

Patio Furniture and Bidding wars
Mood:  hungry

I am starting to get frustrated with my search to find decent, inexpensive patio furniture. The stores are still charging $200 to $1000 for items that will spend their existence outside in the elements. I just refuse to pay that much. Harris Teeter has a set on sale for $199 with your MVP card but it isn’t really what I want. Maybe Lennie and I can ride over to take a look at it tonight.

 

I finally got rid of the extra bed that Overstock sent me. I posted an ad on Graig’s list on Monday and the gentleman came over to pick it up last night. I had a little bit of a bidding war going on between the gentleman and this horrible aggressive woman. Even though the woman offered me more, I ended up letting it go for $140 to the gentleman. My ad was very detailed and included all the measurements and a picture of the bed. The woman kept emailing me asking me questions about the bed that was already listed in the ad. At one point she asked me to measure he bed diagonally. WTF! I finally told her that the bed was spoken for and pending pickup but she still kept asking questions. She tried to get me to lower my price and finally when I got through to her that I was giving it to someone else she kept upping her price. She told me that she could come and get it RIGHT NOW! I told her I work and would not be home until 5PM. She just kept saying, “I can take it off your hands right now. You don’t need to wait till tonight.*Sigh* I finally just ignored her and went with my first choice. The gentleman emailed me this morning thanking me and told me how much his wife loved the bed. I am glad they will enjoy it.

 

This will be a quiet weekend for me. I am going to do some yard work if the rain holds off as well as try to make a dent in my laundry. Lennie will be helping out a friend Saturday and possibly Sunday. I don’t know if we will see each other in the evenings. It will just be so nice to have a weekend where I don’t have to build or paint something.

 

I hope everyone had a great weekend.

I have "Wine Head"...someone pass the advil...PLEASE!
Mood:  caffeinated
I am feeling like CRAP today. UGH!

I got off work yesterday and ran over to the mall. My plan was to hit Charlotte Russe and if they didn’t have anything I would wander over to NY& Company then on my way out of the mall I would check out Dillard’s. Charlotte Russe always has some cute stuff so I was pretty sure I could find something. I found 2 dresses and a top and ran into the dressing room to try them on. I didn’t like either dress but I loved the top so I bought it. Headed over to NY&C and they had nothing. So I stuck to my plan and hit Dillard’s. They had some really cute dresses but I refused to pay $60. So in the end I only got a top. A quick call to Lennie on the way out of the mall assured me that it would be okay to wear pants. The plan now was to wear my sexy black pants and my new top which is a little strapless number that is white with black roses.

I ran home, said a quick hello to the animals, called the recycling center to inform them that their guy skipped my recycling bin AGAIN, and stepped into the tub for a quick shower. Annie was to pick Lennie up at 6 and then they would head to my place. So that meant I had till 6:20 to get ready. I was making good time. Make-up on…hair done…and about to slip into my clothes when the doorbell rang. F***! I glanced at the clock and it read 6:15 PM. This can’t be Annie and Lennie. I threw on some clothes and ran to the door. I opened it up and there stood Lennie (I need to get him a key) with a not so enthused look on his face. He said that Annie was still at the pub and that her daughter Roxanne was supposed to pick him up. He waited but she never showed so he came on over to my place. We were hoping that Annie would drive so that we could drink but now Lennie would have to be DD. He was not happy.

We drove over to Andy’s (woman cooking the dinner). She just moved into to a really nice apartment complex. It has a pool, weight room, garages you can rent for your car, and a movie theater. Andy informed me that she had reserved the theater so that we could watch a movie. She brought out appetizers and Champaign while we waited for the other to arrived. Finally Scott and Roxanne showed up but still no Annie. We decided to eat dinner without her. Dinner was great! It was salmon over rice served with a curry pineapple sauce and fresh baby carrots. We must have gone through 3 bottles of wine. After dessert Annie finally showed up. She works WAY too hard at the pub. I sat there and chatted with her while she scarfed down some food. Then we all headed over to the theater.

The movie for the night was called Acid Nation (I think). It is a Scottish film and even through they are speaking English, their accents were so strong that the whole movie was subtitled. It was totally bizarre. I think Lennie and Scot were worried that my view of Scotland was now tainted. When the movie ended I glanced at my watch 11:30PM. WAY past my bedtime. We headed home and I immediately crashed.

I woke up this morning feeling like someone took dump on my brain. Why did I drink all that wine? I could really go for something greasy right now. I may have to make a Bojangles run.

Tonight should be quiet. I have a guy coming over to buy that spare bed that has been taking up space in the house. Then I am going to run to Lowes to get pots for the jasmine and maybe a palm plant of some kind. Just looking forward to a night at home.

Why aren't jeans considered fancy dinner attire?
Mood:  don't ask
Lennie and I have been invited to a dinner party tonight. I was excited about going because the woman cooking the food is a gourmet chef. She owned a Restaurant in SC and worked as a chef on cruise ships and private yachts. The excitement dwindled last night when I got a call from my old boss at the pub. The message on my voicemail said that the dinner was going to be dressy. UGH! At the moment I don’t own a dress. Okay that is a lie. I have my Marine Corps Ball and my Renaissance dress but don’t think either of those would be appropriate. So now after work I have to run and buy a dress. DOUBLE UGH!!!!

It is not that I am opposed to being “girly”. It is just that my legs are usually riddled with bruises, cuts from briars that I have to walk through at work, mosquito and tick bites. Not to mention that I am a pasty white girl who's legs are so white that I am sure the glare could guide Santa’s sleigh.

Why can't fancy dinner party attire consist of blue jeans and a nice top? Now I will have 30 minutes to get to the mall, find a dress, and get home in time to get ready to go to dinner. If Lennie was driving I wouldn’t be so stressed because Lennie is ALWAYS late so I know I would have a few extra minutes to get ready. But Annie has offered to drive so time will be tight. Maybe I can leave work a little early tonight.

At least I shaved my legs this morning.

What the hell is a Pergola?
I heard the question a lot when I talked to people about my plans for my patio.
A pergola is a garden feature forming a shaded walk or passageway of pillars that support cross beams and a sturdy open lattice, upon which woody vines are trained. It may also be part of a building, as protection for an open terrace. The origin of the word is the Late Latin pergula, referring to a projecting eave.
So my Pergola is finally finished after a week of nail biting and near arguments. On our first attempt we found out that the concrete below the corner posts was only about 2 inches thick in some spots. Apparently the previous owners had laid down cinder block and then just pour concrete over the top of it. So there were open spaces underneath the concrete. It was hard to get the posts secure because there wasn’t much for the lag bolts to connect to. After 2 hours we finally secured the posts but it was still a little shaky so we had to put up braces to keep the whole thing from falling over in the middle of the night.

On the second night Lennie decided to use bolts instead of the wood screws the plans called for. While drilling the holes for the bolts, he leaned too much on part of the pergola we already had up. In doing this he pushed the whole structure over to about a 45 degree angle. We couldn’t get it to stand back up again so we had to take down everything we had just put up. We were now back to the beginning with just the 4 corner posts standing. Lennie saw how upset and stressed I was because I feared it wouldn’t be done in time for the house warming. So he showed up at 3PM the next afternoon and worked till 10PM to get the structure up. I spent the rest of the week staining it. All we have left to do is paint the lattices that go on top and plant the vines that will eventually cover the lattice. We went about $50 over budget but I love the final product.

Here is a before shot of what the patio looked like when I bought the house.

Here is what it looks like now.

I have some more decorating to do. I need to find a table and chairs and get some plants to hide the cord from the fountain. I purchased so cool oil lanterns on Sunday. I can’t wait to fully enjoy it.

The House Has Been Warmed
Mood:  lazy
I know I have been MIA for awhile and I apologize for that. Things here have been so busy I haven’t had much “me” time. First there was getting the pergola built before the housewarming. It didn’t go well at first but it is up and looking great. Then I got word that I would now be responsible for planning out next year’s budget. I must have had 3 mental breakdowns the last two weeks. This budget preparation is a HUGE deal and they gave it to the lowest paid employee at the project….me. The manager from another lake came to my party on Saturday and said that he was working on his budge. WTF!!! Why isn’t my boss doing the budget? Why has it been given to me? The other manager agreed that I shouldn’t have gotten the brunt up the work. That I should have just pulled the contract and utilities amount and given it to my boss to stick in the budget. The other two Admin Rangers are in the same boat as me. It just isn’t fair and I plan on saying something at my evaluation. In between the budget and the house I also had Corps Day to plan and had 2 VIP visits to deal with. I just need a break.

Having 2 extra people in my house this morning (Mom and Lennie) that both drink coffee, I wasn’t able to have my normal 3 cups of coffee so my body is a little sluggish. Maybe I will make a run to Starbucks.

The party on Saturday was a great success. Out of the 23 people who RSVP’ed…19 showed up. The new patio was a hit. Lennie strung white lights on the pergola and it looked awesome when the sun went down. Mom bought me a fountain at Target. It was originally $99 but since it was a floor model and the last one they had they gave us 30% off. It was so nice to sit out under the light with soft music playing and the water from the fountain in the background.

The food was also a big hit. We had shrimp, meatballs, cheese and crackers, zippy olive dip, veggies and dip, sandwich rolls, mini quiches, mini cheesecakes, and miniature versions of my famous red, white and blueberry pie. There were very few leftovers. I did hide a couple mini pies in the fridge for Lennie who guarded the pies all night making sure that people only ate one. LOL

Mom left this morning. She was such a big help. I don’t think I could have gotten it all together in time without her. I think she enjoys the new patio. We sat outside every morning drinking coffee and listening to the birds and the fountain. I just need to find a table and chairs to stick out there and some more plants and it will be great. My real estate agent brought me 2 jasmine plants and I am anxious to get them into pots. They will grow up and hopefully cover the pergola and fill the air with that wonderful scent next spring.

I will take me awhile to get my house back in order and to put away all the stuff Mom and I bought this weekend. I also need to catch up on some much needed rest. I hope to get some pictures uploaded tomorrow so keep an eye out for them.

The weekends are never long enough
Mood:  hungry
I don’t think I have fully recovered yet from the weekend. I am sore and a bit crabby today.

Friday night Lennie was going to come over and acid wash the patio but he didn’t show up till 8PM and it was getting too dark to do anything so we went out in search of some food instead. Being a new homeowner I am getting a bunch of coupons and gift certificates from local businesses. I had gotten a coupon for a free meal at this new place that opened up behind Triangle Town Center called the Bakehouse Bistro. We tried it a couple weeks ago and although the service was a little poor the food was great so we decided to head back there for dinner. They have this man made pond there and the businesses surround it with plenty of outdoor seating and a stage at one end where they have live music. Friday night they had a jazz/blues band. We sat outside eating our skirt steak and just relaxed…enjoying a night away from working on the patio. Once the music stopped I could hear bullfrogs calling. Upon closer inspection I spotted 5 fairly large frogs in the pond. I also noticed a female mallard with 5 little chicks in the pond as well. The bad thing about the pond is that is surrounded by a concrete wall.

There is no way for the frogs or little ducks to get out. The little ducks were all huddled on the fountain platform getting wet from the fountain mist but I guess it beats trying to swim around for hours on end. Our waitress said that people have been feeding them and that they may call animal control to try to get them out. Poor little things.

Saturday Morning we got up and Lennie headed over to help his friend Todd fix the AC in his car. The plan was that he would work on the car then come back to acid wash the patio. Well the AC repair took longer than expected. It was almost 4 by the time he showed up. I read the instruction for the acid and it said we needed to wear rubber clothing. Well I don’t own any rubber clothing so we decided to nix the acid and just wash the patio off with some water and a broom. It got most of the dirt off. When we finished we got cleaned up and headed out for the Irish/Scottish Ex-Pat’s meeting and Kilt Night at Tir Na Nog. But first we had to stop by and pick up a friend’s camera from here brother who was hanging out at the Ale House. Of course we couldn’t just run in and grab the camera. Lennie made us stay for a drink. The only thing I had eaten all day was a bowl of oatmeal so the glass of wine I had went straight to my head. We finally arrived at the pub…an hour late… and sat down to chat with friends. They had free beer and appetizers so I was content. Lennie made his rounds and left me to chat with the girls. We finally got home about 1:30AM.

Sunday morning I got up and felt like someone had cut open my skull and took a dump on my brain. In other words….I felt like crap. I just can’t drink like I used too. I made us some breakfast and then drove Lennie downtown to pick up his truck. He went home and put some scruffy clothes on then cane to pick me up so that we could load up the cement mixer to take back over to Todd’s. I absolutely adore Todd and Maria. They are such a nice couple. Maria and I laugh that we were separated at birth because when we go out people think we are sisters. The plan was just to drop off the mixer and head to Home Depot to pick up some concrete stain. Well they had other plans for us. When we got in the house they put some lamb on the grill and we sat around and ate and chatted for a few hours. They have a really sweet Jack Russell Terrier named Dempsey and I spent a lot of the afternoon tossing the ball for him. Almost made me wish I had a dog…almost. At one point this Pitt Bull wondered into the yard. We were all panicked because Pit Bulls have a reputation and didn’t know if it was there to attack Dempsey. They sniffed each other for a few minutes and then started to play. I noticed the Pitt Bull had a collar on but when she finally allowed me to approach her I saw that it didn’t have any tags. She was very skittish and when you went to pet her she would cower and shake. I am pretty sure this comes from being beaten. She also had an injured hip and you could tell it hurt for her to sit down. She didn’t seem to have a desire to go home and spent the whole afternoon hanging out with Dempsey. We finally left about 4PM and headed over to get the stain for the patio. Both of us were stuffed and tired but we were determined to get this patio done. Of course nothing ever goes according to our plan but finally at 8:30PM we had the paint down. It looks really nice. I love the color. Lennie wants to put another coat down but I fear it will make it too dark and I like the way it looks now. Tonight, as long as the rain holds off, I am going to get the edging and soil for the flower beds as well as the sealant for the patio. Lennie is going to drill the holes for the support beams for the Pergola. Hopefully everything will come together before the house warming. *keeps fingers crossed*

There is this one item that I want to get but I just can’t decide if I want to spend the money. Todd and Maria have this really cool wireless speaker that they got at Brookstone. It is $150 but it would be so cool to have it out on the patio the night of the party. *sigh* I just can’t decided.

Letting go is hard to do
Mood:  happy
Well the little bird has flown away.

After a weekend of constant feeding and care he had put on some weight and his feathers had come in nicely. I took him to Dr. Mark yesterday and he said other than the broken rear toe on his left foot he seemed to be doing well. He gave me some exercises to do with him to see if maybe I could get him to fly. We practiced last night in the backyard but the little bird didn't seem to really want to go anywhere.

This morning after his 10 o'clock feeding he was very active so I took him out into the woods to practice some more. He finally flew up into a tree and refused to come back. A very good sign. I was worried that maybe he was starting to imprint. He still wasn't eating on his own so hopefully he can figure that out. I released him in the general area the woman had picked him up from so hopefully his mom can find him.

Good Luck Little Guy!!!!

I just want to remind everyone out there that this is the time of year for fledglings. They are anxious to try out their new features, but just like when we learned to walk, they may stumble. They are not in need of rescuing. The mother will continue to look after them. If you do see one on the road side try to chase him back in the trees. It is important that they remain in the wild. Their mothers teach them important skills they will need to survive. Even though I can hand raise baby birds I can't teach them these skills.

Remember that nature has a way of taking care of itself. I know it is hard to watching them struggle but it is important for their development.

Some of you have asked me about how to attract birds to your backyard. The answers are simple and cheap.

You can buy an inexpensive feeder at Walmart or Target (If you are trying to attract a variety of birds avoid the long plastic tube feeders. These are mainly for finches). If you don't have a tree to hang it from you can purchase a Sheppard’s hook. Just make sure it is high enough to avoid cats on the prowl. You can purchase straight sunflowers seeds but I found that Kaytee's Nut and Berry Blend attracts them in droves and will also attract small woodpeckers.

A great craft for kids is to take pine cones or empty paper towel/toilet paper rolls and coat them in peanut butter. Some suggest the chucky but I think it works best with the creamy style. Once it is coated rolls the pine cone or roll in the bird seed of your choice. Once again I like using the nut and berry blend. You can also stick a few dried cranberries to it as well. Attach a sting to your creation and have the kids hang them in the tree. Buy a bird ID book and have the kids identify the birds they see. This is a great way to get them into nature.

Now for humming birds. You don’t need to buy the expensive nectar from the store. You can actually make it at home. It is 4 parts water to one part sugar. Boil the water and then add the sugar and stir till it dissolves. Once the mixture has cooled, pour it into the humming bird feeder. You can store the remaining mixture in the fridge. Make sure you clean the feeder and put fresh nectar in ever other week or so because it does have a tendency to mildew.

Humming birds also enjoy flowering plants. Some that I found not only attract humming birds but butterflies as well are; butterfly bush, purple cone flower, trumpet vine, and oregano.

Hope these ideas work for you. Good luck and happy birding!

I'm a Mom!
Mood:  not sure
Of a bird!

A visitor came into today and brought me a baby bird that she found while on the trail. I wish people would just leave baby birds alone. They are not orphans. I asked her if she could show me where she found it and she said she really couldn't remember. The poot thing doesn't have its flight feather yet so I am going to attempt to feed it for a few days until the feather develop a little more. I don't know what kind of bird it is but it has some BIG feet. It is spunky and is eating very well so it might have a good chance. So wish me luck.

Concrete tears us apart...Karaoke puts us back together.
Mood:  lazy
Last night Lennie showed up with a grinder for the patio. The thing weighed 235 lbs which made getting it out of the back of the truck an adventure. We got the grinder pads on and the water hooked up and Lennie went to town. I was not at all prepared to resurface the patio last night. Actually I was looking forward to a relaxing evening. No such luck. Things started out smoothly until he stopped to check his work. He got so into making the surface level and smooth that he forgot that in some places the concrete we put on was only ? inch thick so when he grinded he went clean through to the crappy concrete below. Then he went to brush off the water and grit and pushed it off the side of the patio that borders my neighbor’s yard. This sent red water and grit right down to my neighbor’s house. I ran down to try to stop it but he just kept pushing more water. STOP!!!!! He looked at me and said “What?” I yelled that this was not my yard and I am pretty sure my neighbors don’t want red concrete in their yard. So I had to then dig up and throw it back over onto my yard. I mentioned that had I know we were doing this tonight I would have gotten plastic to put down to catch all the crap. He then said under his breathe that he was about sick of this project. I stated it was fine if he wanted to quit. I would just call a professional in to fix it. Well I think that made things worse so now he is determined to do it himself. He now wants to buy 4 more bags of concrete and mix it up tonight and put it down. UGH!!!! I am so not looking forward to it. But I just keep telling myself that it will look nice in the end. I probably just should have stuck with laying tile. Is there an Idiot’s Guide to Laying Concrete? Because this idiot (I mean me not Lennie) needs something.

Once we finished we sat on a rock and just stared at the patio. Neither of us spoke much but you could feel the tension. We didn’t really have a fight. It was more that we were both fed up with the other at that point. He finally looked at me and asked if I wanted to go for a beer. I asked if he brought a change of clothes. He shook his head no and said he would go home. When he left I wasn’t sure if he was coming back. I got cleaned up anyway and sure enough I see Lennie pull up in the driveway.

We decided to go to Piper’s Tavern for dinner and a beer. When we got there the place was packed. This is an unusual site for a Wednesday night. We got a booth along the wall and I ordered crab cakes and he got wings and as we ate I saw some people setting up a bunch of equipment near the stage. When they finally put the TV monitor up I realized…OMG its Karaoke Night!!! I didn’t even thing this still existed. Our moods started to uplift with the thought of being able to snicker at the poor Idol wannabe’s. By the time they finally got everything set up we only stayed long enough to hear two people sing. It was getting late and I was early ranger today so I had to get some sleep.

We made a promise early in the relationship to never go to bed angry. We definitely were in a much better mood when we laid down last night and quickly fell asleep.

We will see how the final attempt at the patio goes tonight. I will keep you all informed.

The next project after this….Build a Pergola.

Even the best laid plans....
Mood:  hungry
What a weekend!!!

Saturday morning Lennie and I got up to start work on the patio. The plan was to put in the frame and then on Sunday pour the concrete. Lennie said the hardest part of the whole process would be the prep work. Man he was wrong. That was actually the easy part.

The concrete slab that was in place was in really bad shape. The top had large stones sticking our and the edges were all wavy and uneven. Lennie decided that we should build a permanent frame around the edge to even everything up before we started pouring the concrete. We had purchased 10 inch wide treated lumber which meant we would have to dig a trench around the existing structure. Lennie started digging and immediately had trouble. The soil was so compacted it was like trying to shovel through rock. He handed me the shovel and ran to Home Depot to pick up a pick ax. I proceeded to dig. I figured I would get as far as I could then he could get the rest with the ax. I managed to make a nice trench on one side and had started to other side before he finally returned. The pick ax made quick work of the rest. When we finished that part Lennie’s friend, Todd showed up with his cement mixer. He proceeded to help Lennie sure up the wood frame At this point I ran to Lowes to pick up some cement to fill in the large gaps where the concrete was uneven. I also stopped at the store to pick up stuff for lunch.

After feeding the boys it was time to head back outside to finish up the frame and patch the holes. I think Todd left about 5PM and Lennie and I worked till 7:30 but were finally able to get the frame completed. We came in and showered and I cooked us a steak and potato dinner. We were both so tired that even chewing food was a chore. LOL Lennie assured me that Sunday would go much smoother. I only wish that was true.

We got up Sunday and drove to Knightdale to pick up more concrete and the dye to make the concrete red. When we got back I realized I had left the bag of dye at the register and had to drive back to Knightdale to pick it up. Ugh!!! Lennie said he would start mixing the first batch and start pouring while I was gone. But when I got back he apparently had just gotten of the phone with his Dad and had started. It was almost 1PM at this point and it was starting to get very hot. So we headed out and started the first batch. We mixed 80bls at a time. Then we would pour it into a bucket and Lennie would start troweling it on. This process wasn’t nearly as easy as he and Todd said he would be. My theory is that we didn’t make the concrete wet enough in the mixer. We would start smoothing it out and it would get hard and we would spray water over it. I read the box of dye later and it stated that doing this could cause uneven color and white spots. Whoops! At 8 o’clock we finished up the concrete and cleaned everything up. I wish I had gotten a picture of what I looked like. I was covered from head to toe in cement dust, dirt, sweat, and red dye. I think Lennie was surprised I lasted as long as I did. We decided to get cleaned up and grab a bit to eat. Once again I was too tired to even chew but I managed to get down some cheese fries and Salmon.

Monday morning we got up to take a look at our handy work. Neither one of us were too happy with what we saw. It was all patchy and different shades of red. I knew there was a reason I don’t lay concrete for a living. I suck at it. LOL We started to discuss what we could do to fix it. My plan is to rent a sander and sand down all the rough patches. Then I can sponge on some color paint or glaze to even out the color a little. Then carve in the grout lines and paint them black. I think this will make the patio look like stone. Because stone isn’t always one color…right? Lennie wants to mix more concrete and pour it over the top. I am sooooo not looking forward to mixing more concrete. I think I got him to agree to try my idea first. We will see.

We both decided that Monday would be our day away from the patio. So we went downtown and had lunch at Napper Tandy’s and then headed over to see if there was an IMAX movie playing that we wanted to see. The only thing playing was Spiderman and neither of us have a desire to see it, so we drove up to the mall to see Shrek 3 instead which I thought wasn’t too bad, I know my sister and two other friends hate it but I laughed. There were come cheesy, campy moments that I think were funny and I loved Merlin who was played by Eric Idle. I found out from a friend of mine who used to work at DreamWorks that there is a TV Christmas Shrek called Shrek the Halls as well as Shrek 4. I really think they should just stop with 3 but hey it’s their money.

After the movie we came back to my place and Lennie got in his truck and went home. I think he had hit is “Rebecca” limit for the weekend. I wish I had been more enthusiastic yesterday but I was just feeling so lousy. I was sore from all the work and I think dehydrated as well. I am really surprises that we didn’t fight or argue once.

Last night I slipped into my PJ’s, order a pizza and watched a movie. I LOVE having Lennie there but it was nice to just relax on my own. I can’t wait till the patio is finished and I can start enjoying it. I will post pictures when it is complete.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

What a girl won't do for $100
Mood:  hungry
Yesterday I logged online to pay a couple of bills. When I pulled up my phone bill I was shocked…$140.00. I had signed up for this Triple Choice plan because the women at AT&T told me it would way cheaper than what I was currently paying. The deal was for phone, DSL, and Direct TV and was suppose to be around $99 a month. So when I saw the $140 I just about lost it. I knew it would be a little over $100 with taxes and fees but $140? This didn’t even include the $48 I just paid for Direct TV. I was also supposed to get $100 in cash for switching whish had never arrived. I picked up the phone to give AT&T a piece of my mind.

The first guy I talked to wasn’t very helpful. He said that by signing up for the plan I had switched from unlimited long distance to the 5 cents a minute deal. In looking at the bill my long distance charge this month was only $6.50. Still don’t see where the $140 came from. HE assured me that next month I should see a drop in price. He tried to tell me that the extra fess was to set me up on this service. I asked about my $100 cash back and he transferred me to the reward department. The woman there was not helpful at all and kept saying I was not eligible and that I was going to have to call customer service. I was just speaking to customer service and they transferred me to you. Frustrated I hung up on the rewards lady without even saying goodbye.

I called customer service back and this time got this woman who seemed to know what she was doing. She pulled up my bill and was shocked by how high it was. She decided to see what she could do to lower it. She was so nice. We discussed how we had both just bought new houses and she said she knew having a mortgage could leave you strapped for cash. An hour later not only had she lowered my bill but I am getting DirectTV free for 6 months including all the premium channels (HBO, Showtime…), I now have the fastest internet speed they offer, unlimited long distance with discounted international rates (I mentioned Lennie being from Scotland and so I guess she figured I needed to call overseas), and I am getting $180 cash back. She even tried to give me 4 free Razor phones but I already have a cell phone I like. She assures me that my bill next month should be about $80 without DirectTV and when the 6 months end my rate will be a little over $100. We will see when I get the next bill if what she says is true.

To add to the glorious deal day I was having I get home to find two checks in my mailbox. One for $120 from my mortgage company. Apparently I had money left in my escrow account for the month. The second check was for $75 from cancelling my renter’s insurance.