Chris, Kim and I went down to their parents' place for Christmas festivities. We hunkered down thinking we were going to be trapped in by the snow that didn't happen. We did play in the snow with the dogs though which was a lot of fun. We figured out that the snow was deep enough so Banjo couldn't run far off leash. He was a really could hop through it! Chris will hopefully post some pictures of it...by 2011.
We had the opening of presents this morning and luckily no one turned on the train again. Chris's mom Sue got a train set to put under the tree this year and it turns out it drives Banjo and the rest of the dogs a bit crazy. Banjo was very suspicious and barked incessantly at it, but Harley had some balls and flat out attacked the train - no barking, no warning.
They got me lots of fun knitting stuff, which will keep me plenty busy next year. We also got some Wii stuff and the full series of The Wire (amazing show and I'm crazy excited to watch it!).
Off to watch a movie and continue knitting on Pokey's blanket! Merry Christmas!
25 December 2009
11 December 2009
Puppy does not like the vet
I've been putting off taking him into the vet to get his nails trimmed. So after we discovered how much fun he has in the cold, at Chris's prompting, we took him in. Crazypants gets freaked the minute you go into a place that smells like a lot of different dogs. He gets more freaked out when you clamp his jaws shut with the muzzle - he likes to have the ability to bite! But he was a really good puppy: even though he fought getting the muzzle put on him like a two-year old fighting whatever it is they fight, Banjo didn't growl at Chris or bite him at all, even though Chris had his hands around Crazy's neck and collar and everything. Very impressive.
After Puppy got weighted and stuff, they took him in the back room. Chris and I got to read posters about genetic testing (What mix is your dog?) and care for senior dogs. While we enjoyed the fine literature, Banjo was scared shitless...literally. The tech came back in the room and informed us that Banjo would be good for a while and that we shouldn't worry if his stool is soft for a bit. I can't stop giggling about that!
We also asked about how Banjo handles the cold. We were thinking he had arthritis and were wondering if we needed to give him meds. The vet looked at a video I took of Banjo, and she exclaimed "He needs booties." So I'm going to knit my puppy some booties (although I can't find a knitting pattern online to speak of - so I'm going to modify baby booties...how cute). We'll see if Crazy allows them to be put on his feet. That will be interesting.
We also have the option of giving Banjo glucosamine (just like his Daddy!) or doggy aspirin. Hee hee. Banjo was extremely excited to be leaving the room and was ecstatic when Chris took the muzzle off. Even though he was still in the lobby of the vet's office, Banjo was back to himself and was asking me and Chris if it was time to leave yet. He was a good boy :)
After Puppy got weighted and stuff, they took him in the back room. Chris and I got to read posters about genetic testing (What mix is your dog?) and care for senior dogs. While we enjoyed the fine literature, Banjo was scared shitless...literally. The tech came back in the room and informed us that Banjo would be good for a while and that we shouldn't worry if his stool is soft for a bit. I can't stop giggling about that!
We also asked about how Banjo handles the cold. We were thinking he had arthritis and were wondering if we needed to give him meds. The vet looked at a video I took of Banjo, and she exclaimed "He needs booties." So I'm going to knit my puppy some booties (although I can't find a knitting pattern online to speak of - so I'm going to modify baby booties...how cute). We'll see if Crazy allows them to be put on his feet. That will be interesting.
We also have the option of giving Banjo glucosamine (just like his Daddy!) or doggy aspirin. Hee hee. Banjo was extremely excited to be leaving the room and was ecstatic when Chris took the muzzle off. Even though he was still in the lobby of the vet's office, Banjo was back to himself and was asking me and Chris if it was time to leave yet. He was a good boy :)
09 December 2009
Puppy does not like the cold
We found out something new about Banjo: he does not like the cold. His back legs give into an arthritic bowlegged hop after a minute in the kind of weather we've been having. The poor thing bounds through the snow as soon as he gets out the door, does his business as quickly as possible and crawls up the stairs on three legs as quickly as possible.
I also found out that puppy does not like having things put over his head. In his goody bag that came with him upon adoption were two doggy sweaters (I hate doggy sweaters in general, but I thought it might be a good thing for Crazy). Turns out he doesn't like a person coming at him with clothing. I'm guessing he thinks it's the muzzle (hee hee). He hates when you take away his ability to bite!
I've been trying to think of a solution, one being I knit him a sweater that doesn't require me putting something over his head, but rather something that wraps around his underside, with a buckle or something, so it's more like snuggling in a blanket rather than torture.
Banjo's solution: hold it until spring.
I also found out that puppy does not like having things put over his head. In his goody bag that came with him upon adoption were two doggy sweaters (I hate doggy sweaters in general, but I thought it might be a good thing for Crazy). Turns out he doesn't like a person coming at him with clothing. I'm guessing he thinks it's the muzzle (hee hee). He hates when you take away his ability to bite!
I've been trying to think of a solution, one being I knit him a sweater that doesn't require me putting something over his head, but rather something that wraps around his underside, with a buckle or something, so it's more like snuggling in a blanket rather than torture.
Banjo's solution: hold it until spring.
05 December 2009
Wedding Dress Shopping
If you like to get mostly naked in front of a stranger, get into and out of many different dresses and then parade in front of people and anxiously await their thumbs up or thumbs down, wedding dress shopping is for you!
My mom, my aunts Connie and Maggie and future sister-in-law Kim came along on this interesting adventure with me. We first went to Flutter, a small boutique in Minneapolis that specializes in bridesmaids dresses. For those of you that don't know, I am a non-traditional bride. I have not been dreaming of this day my entire life and I don't look good in white, irovy or cream. Therefore I am looking for a dress with some color (and when I mean some, I mean something bold). I also don't want to spend much money on this dress - I want to look good and I know I can do that with a dress that doesn't cost 40% of our wedding budget.
Back to Flutter - great place. For any of you that like one-on-one attention with friendly and understanding staff who listen to what you are looking for and adapt as you go along, this is a great place to go. They also had a couch and beverages for your little helpers. It had a big and comfortable dressing room that was very well-lit (no crappy dressing room lights).
There is a strong possibility I found my wedding dress there :) Because I was kind of nervous going in there and generally stressed out about the wedding, I wasn't sure at the time. It's also because I can't envision a different color for the life of me (the dress I tried on was a silver color). But after Connie's photoshop skills, she had me in the color it would be and I'm really liking the way I looked in it. Also, every person I've shown loves it. I'm not going to give away the surprise color on my blog just yet, so no telling those of you who already know!
Flutter was a great experience all the way around, which made the second shop I went to difficult to bear: The Wedding Shoppe. There are several people who have talked this place up and down, but I hated it. First off, they put me upstairs with the traditional brides and they realized the mistake when I said I'm looking for a dress with color (hence my response of non-traditional dress). So they shipped me downstairs in the flood of colors and dresses. It honestly felt like a mix between a department store that was overstocked and a warehouse. The woman there didn't help me in and out of the dresses, so Kim was awesome enough to help out (btw - so glad I wore full underwear!).
I felt like I was trying on prom dresses most of the time and the woman that was "helping" me kept bringing me stuff I didn't want to wear, like stuff with ruffles and folds in the front, stuff that was strapless, etc. After about 45 minutes of hell and the smell of smoke, I had enough. I should have left before that point, but I tried to tell myself maybe it's in the sea of craziness. Nope, not there. I'm sure for traditional brides, The Wedding Shoppe was a decent place to go.
After that horrible experience, we went back to my house and I cracked open a beer. It tasted incredibly good.
Just so you don't feel left out, here's a sampling of the worst looking dresses (i.e. those that made me look huge, ridiculous, like a bell, etc) courtesy of Connie:
I've got shell boobs and the dress is expecting!
I couldn't bring myself to show you the back...baby got back.
How to appear you've gained 30 pounds in under a minute.
Kim suggested I store my beer in there.
I'm like a little bell - ding dong.
My mom, my aunts Connie and Maggie and future sister-in-law Kim came along on this interesting adventure with me. We first went to Flutter, a small boutique in Minneapolis that specializes in bridesmaids dresses. For those of you that don't know, I am a non-traditional bride. I have not been dreaming of this day my entire life and I don't look good in white, irovy or cream. Therefore I am looking for a dress with some color (and when I mean some, I mean something bold). I also don't want to spend much money on this dress - I want to look good and I know I can do that with a dress that doesn't cost 40% of our wedding budget.
Back to Flutter - great place. For any of you that like one-on-one attention with friendly and understanding staff who listen to what you are looking for and adapt as you go along, this is a great place to go. They also had a couch and beverages for your little helpers. It had a big and comfortable dressing room that was very well-lit (no crappy dressing room lights).
There is a strong possibility I found my wedding dress there :) Because I was kind of nervous going in there and generally stressed out about the wedding, I wasn't sure at the time. It's also because I can't envision a different color for the life of me (the dress I tried on was a silver color). But after Connie's photoshop skills, she had me in the color it would be and I'm really liking the way I looked in it. Also, every person I've shown loves it. I'm not going to give away the surprise color on my blog just yet, so no telling those of you who already know!
Flutter was a great experience all the way around, which made the second shop I went to difficult to bear: The Wedding Shoppe. There are several people who have talked this place up and down, but I hated it. First off, they put me upstairs with the traditional brides and they realized the mistake when I said I'm looking for a dress with color (hence my response of non-traditional dress). So they shipped me downstairs in the flood of colors and dresses. It honestly felt like a mix between a department store that was overstocked and a warehouse. The woman there didn't help me in and out of the dresses, so Kim was awesome enough to help out (btw - so glad I wore full underwear!).
I felt like I was trying on prom dresses most of the time and the woman that was "helping" me kept bringing me stuff I didn't want to wear, like stuff with ruffles and folds in the front, stuff that was strapless, etc. After about 45 minutes of hell and the smell of smoke, I had enough. I should have left before that point, but I tried to tell myself maybe it's in the sea of craziness. Nope, not there. I'm sure for traditional brides, The Wedding Shoppe was a decent place to go.
After that horrible experience, we went back to my house and I cracked open a beer. It tasted incredibly good.
Just so you don't feel left out, here's a sampling of the worst looking dresses (i.e. those that made me look huge, ridiculous, like a bell, etc) courtesy of Connie:
I've got shell boobs and the dress is expecting!
I couldn't bring myself to show you the back...baby got back.
How to appear you've gained 30 pounds in under a minute.
Kim suggested I store my beer in there.
I'm like a little bell - ding dong.Officially winter
It's been quite chilly - kind of surprising actually. All of a sudden it really is winter. There's a dusting of snow on the ground and the wind's got some bite to it.
I starting decorating for Christmas with the help of my mom. She came down to go wedding dress shopping with me. After some discussion, we decided it would be best to not set up the big tree (which apparently is not eight-foot-tall) and instead, set up the small tree on a table or something. I decided to set up our little tree on the buffet in the dining room to ensure Banjo's inability to eat any ornaments. I decorated the chandelier too and I realized how much I actually like having that.
I also love having our fireplace. Not only have we had a fire at least every other night, I got to decorate the mantel (pictures to come). Banjo got to enjoy a lovely raw bone as we worked since he was in the mood to steal a small bottle of lotion out of my mom's purse to say "pay attention to me!". It kept him out of trouble since my playing with him didn't cut it.
I starting decorating for Christmas with the help of my mom. She came down to go wedding dress shopping with me. After some discussion, we decided it would be best to not set up the big tree (which apparently is not eight-foot-tall) and instead, set up the small tree on a table or something. I decided to set up our little tree on the buffet in the dining room to ensure Banjo's inability to eat any ornaments. I decorated the chandelier too and I realized how much I actually like having that.
I also love having our fireplace. Not only have we had a fire at least every other night, I got to decorate the mantel (pictures to come). Banjo got to enjoy a lovely raw bone as we worked since he was in the mood to steal a small bottle of lotion out of my mom's purse to say "pay attention to me!". It kept him out of trouble since my playing with him didn't cut it.
26 November 2009
Gobble Gobble
Happy Turkey Day! I'm super excited to eat some real food then to taste my not-burnt pie :) I was nervous that I was going to set it on fire again after the blazing incident last year, but I did not! Hooray! What I'm even more excited about is eating my mom's stuffing tomorrow!
I'm also proud to announce that I have completed all of the Christmas stockings I made last year! I gave myself the deadline of Thanksgiving to get all of the yarn ends tucked in (I hate that part!) and I made my goal. Phew! Now I get to finish Chris's hat and start on Pokey's porch blanket. Also, I will be making my mom a lap blanket as soon as the yarn arrives. I'm also hoping to knit myself some wrist-warmers this December since the building I work in keeps the temps nice and cool.
I'm excited to start decorating for Christmas after this weekend. We have the eight-foot tree to go with our nine-foot ceilings, so it will be interesting to see if I have enough decorations! I'm also planning to string some cranberries for the birds out back. I'm guessing they are going to have everything eaten in a day though, so I might just wait until closer to Christmas day.
I'm super excited that my craft room is essentially complete! My dad made me a sewing stand! I of course haven't taken a picture yet because I was too excited to get it set up. I filled the drawers with my sewing goodies and the quilt that I have not gotten anywhere on (project number 534). Thank you Dad! I will post pictures soon.
I'm also proud to announce that I have completed all of the Christmas stockings I made last year! I gave myself the deadline of Thanksgiving to get all of the yarn ends tucked in (I hate that part!) and I made my goal. Phew! Now I get to finish Chris's hat and start on Pokey's porch blanket. Also, I will be making my mom a lap blanket as soon as the yarn arrives. I'm also hoping to knit myself some wrist-warmers this December since the building I work in keeps the temps nice and cool.
I'm excited to start decorating for Christmas after this weekend. We have the eight-foot tree to go with our nine-foot ceilings, so it will be interesting to see if I have enough decorations! I'm also planning to string some cranberries for the birds out back. I'm guessing they are going to have everything eaten in a day though, so I might just wait until closer to Christmas day.
I'm super excited that my craft room is essentially complete! My dad made me a sewing stand! I of course haven't taken a picture yet because I was too excited to get it set up. I filled the drawers with my sewing goodies and the quilt that I have not gotten anywhere on (project number 534). Thank you Dad! I will post pictures soon.
15 November 2009
Weekend recap
I've been working hard on Connie's shawl since I'm trying to get it done by next weekend. It's looking really good and I realize how much I like this pattern. I will post photos when I'm done. I'm also getting ready to start Chris a replacement U of M hat that he unfortunately lost a couple of weeks ago. Of course the local yarn store didn't have the yarn and I had to find it online and of course I didn't know what color number the yarn I used previously was. I took a stab at the color and got it right (phew!). I'm going to write that down.
I finally got out climbing yesterday with Kim - it felt really good and makes me realize how much climbing I've missed out on since we bought the house. Speaking of the house, we're getting a modest amount of firewood because both of us are really enjoying our fireplace (as I write this, I'm enjoying the sizzle of the not-so-dry lilac branches along with some drier wood).
I've embarked on my test two months of being off estrogen. So far so good, but it's definitely still in my system. I realize it's probably not the best time to be shopping for a wedding dress, but I'm not going to get it altered until much closer to the actual date.
Speaking of the actual date, we are going to get married on June 26th next year (save the date!). We will be sending out invitations next year. That's another thing that happened this weekend: Kim is awesome-o and helping us plan our wedding. We went over the general flow of the few days before to the day after. I'm quite excited even though it's going to be a lot of work to get there. I will be asking my family for some help with decoration ideas (simple and inexpensive - preferably something people can take with them so we're not left with a ton of stuff after the fact).
I finally got out climbing yesterday with Kim - it felt really good and makes me realize how much climbing I've missed out on since we bought the house. Speaking of the house, we're getting a modest amount of firewood because both of us are really enjoying our fireplace (as I write this, I'm enjoying the sizzle of the not-so-dry lilac branches along with some drier wood).
I've embarked on my test two months of being off estrogen. So far so good, but it's definitely still in my system. I realize it's probably not the best time to be shopping for a wedding dress, but I'm not going to get it altered until much closer to the actual date.
Speaking of the actual date, we are going to get married on June 26th next year (save the date!). We will be sending out invitations next year. That's another thing that happened this weekend: Kim is awesome-o and helping us plan our wedding. We went over the general flow of the few days before to the day after. I'm quite excited even though it's going to be a lot of work to get there. I will be asking my family for some help with decoration ideas (simple and inexpensive - preferably something people can take with them so we're not left with a ton of stuff after the fact).
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