Watch What You Search For

You know how you always read about the police searching computers of felons and finding evidence that they searched for certain things on the Internet before committing their crime...things that could further prove they did it? Have you ever worried that when you Google something, "big brother" could be watching and could take it the wrong way? I was afraid Homeland Security was going to come knocking on our office door the other day. I wasn't "with it" at work this week. Since I had to leave early Monday for Abby's vet appointment, I put in a lot of hours over three days so I can leave at my normal time on Friday (noon). I've been pretty tired all week. Anyway, I was working on a tape for a specific doctor, I like to call him Dr. Squeaky, as that's how his voice is. Anyway, he gave initials that I heard as either IAD or IED. I was puzzled by this so I Googled them both to see if I could come up with anything. Apparently, IAD is the airport code for "Washington Dulles Airport." That's the first thing Google popped up with. I then searched for IED...which is apparently short for "improvised explosive device." Yeah. Those two things probably aren't something you want to be searching for at the same time if you don't want to raise any suspicion.

Finally, I realized that Dr. Squeaky was saying "IUD" (intrauterine device), which made a heck of a lot more sense. Duh.

She's Free!

No more cone! Abby had her stitches removed today, so she's back to normal. I'm actually not following the rules because they told me to leave the cone on until tomorrow morning since them disturbing the area might make her want to lick at it. I was so disappointed. Once we got home I just couldn't stand seeing her like that anymore and had to take it off. I knew I would be here all evening and would be able to watch her. She was so happy. I gave her a good neck & ear scratchin' and then she just rolled around groaning and rubbing her face on the carpet. She has only tried to lick the spot a couple of times once she settled down, and left it alone as soon as I told her no. What a relief...for her and for me!


Now we have to just wait for the hair to grow back!

Mexican Train--Choo Choo...

No Scrappin' Sunday today. We spent the afternoon with my friends Cindy and Jerry having a nice dinner and learning how to play Mexican Train Dominoes. They've been wanting to teach us that game forever, so they had us over for a nice pot roast dinner with all the trimmings and wonderful chocolate cake for dessert. I won the game, by the way. (Yea, me!) I beat Paul by 2 points! (Yea, me!!)

Anyway, in the early evening I developed one heck of a headache that I can't seem to get rid of. I took some Advil and fell asleep on the couch when we got home. That took the edge off, but it's still hanging on. Mom was just telling me the other day that she read to drink Gatorade for a headache. I'm wishing I had some now.

Well...I better to get bed. I was planning to go in early tomorrow since I'm leaving work early to take Abby to get her stitches removed. (Yea, Abby!) I don't know if I'll make it, though. I might just have to work out another plan to make up the time.

Simple Saturday

This was for a challenge using the colors chocolate, apricot, and coral.

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Details:
Stamp: Hampton Arts
Papers: Coral (Flamingo) by Bazzil Bling, brown unknown, apricot solid by Stampin' Up, apricot pattern by Gina K. Designs

Food 4 Thought Friday

Breakfast
What do you usually eat for breakfast and what time do you usually eat it?

It varies. During the work week I go through phases. I rarely eat at home before I leave...only if I'm running really early, which almost never happens. I either eat at my desk or at my 10:00 break. If I have bananas, I'll make myself a banana burrito at home and eat it at my desk (spread chunky peanut butter on a tortilla, add a banana, and roll it up). I keep a stash of oatmeal in my desk, so sometimes I'll have that (I was on a maple and brown sugar kick for a while, otherwise I prefer peaches and cream). Maybe about once a week I'll order two scrambled eggs with two slices of wheat toast from the cafe or maybe a breakfast sandwich (bacon, egg, and cheese on an English muffin). On Fridays I allow myself to stop at McDonalds on the way to work and get a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel and either a Hazelnut iced coffee (only in the summer) or a Diet Coke.

Now I'm hungry for breakfast. Why didn't I buy bananas at the store?

Lunch
Have you ever totaled a car?

No...knock on wood.

Dinner
What are you currently looking forward to right now?

Two things:

1. For Abby to get her stitches out Monday afternoon and get this stupid cone off her head.
2. Spring!!!!
   

Midnight Snack
How many pillows do you sleep with at night?

Three. I like to be surrounded.

Recipe for the Week (instead of your recipe for life, what is it just for this week?)

If you're waiting for THAT moment to be happy, then you'll never be happy. Enjoy where you are NOW.

Wordless Wednesday -- Paul's Lasagna (The Best)

Be My Valentine

I only made two Valentines this year, one for Jessica, Paul's 11-year-old cousin (I send her one through the mail every year) and one for Paul. In all honesty, I made Paul's at about 6 p.m. Saturday night after he gave me one. We usually don't exchange cards, but he surprised me with one this year. I wasn't prepared for that! That'll teach me. Always be prepared.

Jessica's

Paul's

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Credits:

Both images from edupics.
Giraffe - F.D. Decker

She's Fine

Just a quick note to let you all know that Miss Conehead is doing fine. She is almost halfway through her sentence in regard to wearing this ridiculous piece of cold, hard plastic. I can't wait until the moment we can take it off. She will be in complete bliss.

We got good news back on the biopsy. The growth was completely benign...nothing to worry about whatsoever. It came back as a fibroma. In other words, just a huge skin tag. I'm so happy!

Can Momma really not see this thing on my head?

I will not be subject to this sort of humiliation.

Scrappin' Sunday

I kept this week's layout easy because I'm tired. We woke up without any heat. I kept waking up thinking that it seemed unusually cold and wondering why the blankets were not keeping me warm. Usually if I wrap myself up, I stay pretty cozy. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and got up to look at the thermostat, which read 58 degrees. I remembered hearing the furnace kick on and off (yes, I'm a very light sleeper) so I turned off the heat and turned it back on again than ran down to the basement (okay...so I didn't run) to see what was going on. It would start, the flames would kick on but then immediately stop, and it would blow cold air. I woke Paul up, who was also wrapped up in blankets (and he never uses blankets) and he took at look at it. It turns out it was doing the same thing it did last time we had to call the repair man. The guy showed Paul how to clean some little part inside that gets dirty. We needed a wire brush, so we got dressed and went to Cracker Barrel...not for the wire brush but for a warm breakfast by their fireplace...and then to Walmart. We came home and Paul fixed the furnace. Yea, Paul! All this took place between 7 and 9 a.m.

Anyway, I "cheated" and used a quick page for today's layout done in honor of Valentine's Day.

Credits: Pink Fusion QP by Lindsay Jane Designs.

Have A Heart

Happy Valentine's Day everyone. Hope everyone is having a nice day. We went to Granite City for lunch. It was okay, but our waitress was horrible so it wasn't as nice as it could have been. Got a free appetizer out of the deal...which we had to bring home because it came after the entrees. Tonight Paul's making us lasagna. Yea!

I thought today would be a good day to post some pictures of the cards that Sheila and I made for the "Have A Heart" campaign over at Dogs Deserve Better. Dogs Deserve Better is an organization devoted to getting dogs off chains and into the home to be with the family. I don't understand why anyone would buy a dog only to leave them tied out back. If you aren't going to give it the life it deserves, a life that involves being a member of the family, then why bother owning a dog. I know a lot of it is because people get their kids that cute little puppy in the pet shop for Christmas, but then that cute little puppy grows into a huge adult capable of causing massive destruction if not properly trained. Because they just don't have the time, or really do not care, these dogs just get chain around their neck and are forced to live their lives within a 6-foot radius, not getting any attention or love of any sort. These dogs are living, breathing beings with feelings. They want to be warm. They want to be loved. They want a pat on the head once in a while. And they deserve it. They bring unconditional love to our lives.

Anyway...let me get down off my soapbox for a minute and explain the "Have A Heart" campaign (if anyone is still reading at this point). The Dogs Deserve Better team sends out thousands of Valentines to homes where dogs are left outside on a chain or in a pen encouraging the owners to bring the dogs inside to be a part of the family or maybe think about relinquishing the dog to a better home. They include with the Valentine a brochure and a coupon for a free or discounted treat. Every year they put a notice on their website that it's time to start making valentines for the cause. Some of the stories on their website are both heartbreaking and heartwarming. A couple of years ago, when I first heard about them, I sent them a few Valentines. Last year I talked to Sheila about it, as she as big of a dog lover as I am, and we decided to work on together. Unfortunately, we missed the deadline. This year we made it a point to get them done on time. We sent them about 26 Valentines. It doesn't feel like much compared to the amount they need, but I know they're appreciated. We received a nice letter and a "Certificate of Thanks" from them this week along with a copy of their yearly calendar.

Here is a sample of some of the cards that we did. They wanted to stress quality over quantity this year and really make an impact with the message. We kept the cards fairly simple but chose sentiments that send a strong message. For the main image on most, we used pictures of real-life chained dogs that they have available on their website.


These aren't the best pictures of the cards themselves, as I was trying to hurry and take the pictures before I mailed them. The cards say things like, "Can you see me. Then please don't break my heart. Bring me inside to be part of the family. Love, Your Dog," or "If you love me, please bring me inside to be part of the family. Otherwise, please let me go to someone who will." I truly hope they make an impact on the people who receive them.

If you know of any dogs who spend their life on the end of a chain, please visit the Dogs Deserve Better website and submit the address and the house will receive a brochure. We have to be advocates for these sweet souls who can't speak for themselves.

If You Think She Looked Depressed Before...

You should see her now.


Look at her furrowed brow. The staff at the vet's office get a kick out of her oh-so-serious expressions.

She is not a happy camper wearing this thing, but the vet says as long as she will eat and and do her business while wearing it, she has to wear it until the stitches are removed...12 days from now. I feel so bad for her. My heart breaks every time I look at her. Her eyes are just pleading for me to take it off. She can't go up the stairs or get on the furniture. Her life is completely turned upside down. One thing that remains the same, however, is her appetite. She was asleep earlier and as soon as she heard me open her food container, there she was. She was only allowed 1/2 of her normal serving of food tonight, and she gobbled it right up. She has been drinking her water and she has been outside, so she's doing good. I hid her antibiotic in a smidgen of cherry cheesecake tonight. That made her happy.


WARNING: The picture below is of her stitches, so it's not for the squeamish.



We'll get the results of the biopsy in 5-7 days. She's on pain medication that she gets every 24 hours. Her eyes are still bloodshot from the anesthesia and she's all teary-eyed. Poor baby.

Well, I better get back downstairs. I just wanted to hop on here for a minute and let everyone know she's okay. I'll keep you posted.

Women Welcome??

Somebody help me understand this. I was stopped at a stoplight on my way home from work this afternoon. One of the buildings on the corner houses one of those furniture stores where you can buy the furniture "bare" and stain it yourself or they will do it for you. On the sign out front it said the following,

"Now hiring.
Sales and stainers.
Women welcome."

Huh???

I read it like three times to make sure I had it right.

Was furniture sales and/or staining previously a men-only profession? Are they advertising that they will hire women?? What the heck is that? Is that their way of saying they're an "equal opportunity employer." I don't know...maybe I'm misinterpreting the sign. It just struck me as odd.

Surgery

My baby girl has to have surgery on Wednesday. Abby has a fleshy growth on her leg that the vet is aware of and that we have been watching. At her last appointment, the vet decided to just leave it be if it's not bothering her. Which it wasn't until last night. It has slowly grown over the past year and last night something made her start licking it. It was all irritated this morning, so I got her in right away to have it checked out. The vet wants to remove it. Because of the size and location, they have to put her under to do it. They're going to send it for biopsy just in case, although she said 90-something percent of growths like this in dogs are nothing to worry about. I'm dropping her off at 7:30 on Wednesday and picking her up after work. Like I'll get any work done that day. I'm going to be a basket case. I worry about her getting anesthesia more than I worried about myself. The hardest part for her is not getting to eat after 6:00 Tuesday night. It's going to break my heart to see the look on her face as she's wondering where her breakfast is Wednesday morning. She is on an antibiotic right now, which hasn't been any problem at all. She'll take anything that she thinks is food. Tonight I wrapped it in a tiny bit of BBQ beef and she gobbled it right up without a thought. She's all about the food! She hasn't been trying to lick the area too much tonight either. I told her no a couple of times when she tried, and she has pretty much left it alone ever since.

I have included the picture below to illustrate the area of the growth. You can't see it in this picture because of her hair, but it will give you an idea of where it's at. The growth itself is probably about the size of my fingernail.


Anyway, I'll post an update Wednesday night to let you know how she's doing. Wish her luck!

Scrappin' Sunday

This will be the cover of Bailey's photo book. The size is going to be 8x8.

The kit I decided to go with is Promise by Shabby Princess. I'm going with one of their free kits, since this is a practice book for me.

Simple Saturday

It sure was nice out today with a record-breaking high of 52 degrees. This has been such a horrible winter that I'm seeing today as a glimmer of hope from the Devil himself trying to lift me out of my winter doldrums only so I can come crashing down again when it snows on Wednesday. This is just too weird for February.

We actually stayed in today. Paul's not feeling good. It's something with his throat. While he was taking a nap I stepped out into the back yard with Abby to breathe a little fresh air. Of course, when we came back in I had to clean the kitchen floor of the mud that she tracked in. Woof!

I wish there was such a thing as "smellinet" so you could smell the aroma of the huge pot roast that I put in the slow cooker this morning. I think it's driving Abby insane. She keeps just keeps staring at me. We're going to have a lot of leftovers off of this baby 'cause we bought it at Sam's Club. I'm envisioning BBQ sandwiches...beef & noodles.... and who knows what else. Yum-o!

Here's a peek at the final outcome...

Food For Thought Friday

Breakfast

What helps to pull you out of a bad mood?

Taking a nap. Taking a hot bath and reading a magazine or a good book. Taking a walk. Watching a funny movie.

Lunch

Who were your favorite teachers growing up and why?

Mrs. Wood. She was my kindergarten teacher. I've talked about her on here before. Mr. Perrone, my History/Health teacher; Miss Schmidt, my Algebra teacher, and Mr. Dredge, my Geometry teacher, were just cool. Hmmm. I'm noticing that some of my math teachers were my favorites despite the fact that I hated math (and still do). I'm sure there are some that I'm leaving out, but that's all that comes to mind.

Dinner
What, in your opinion, is the worst song ever?

I don't know if it's the "worst song ever" 'cause I'm sure I'm forgetting one that I hate even more, but I can't stand the song Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex.

Midnight Snack
What personal activity, when performed in public, bothers you the most?

Swearing. It's just disrespectful and unnecessary. I especially hate it when it's young kids that are doing it. I have an issue with the boys in my neighborhood and their mouths around some of the younger kids.

Recipe for the Week (instead of your recipe for life, what is it just for this week?)

Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome. ~ Samuel Johnson.

Jewelry Showcase

I personally don't have anything to show you today, so I thought I would showcase a few of mom's jewelry designs. Every time I go over there she has like a million new pieces. She already has a couple of shows booked, one in March and one in May. Most of the following, minus the bracelets and the beaded necklace, are her fused glass pendants. These really come out quite amazing looking. Out of these, the blue is my favorite. I love the look of that with the brown suede.

Wordless Wednesday

Sheldon's A Klepto

Look into my eyes while I steal your wallet.

I was at mom's on Friday on the computer helping her perfect her business cards. While we were busy with that, Sheldon got into my purse, stole my earmuffs, and started chewing on them. They weren't just hanging out of my purse either. He had to dig down in there to get them out...and my purse is more like a bag. So mom took them away from him and gave them to me. I sat them down on the desk next to me. Pretty soon I notice they're missing again. He stole them right out from under my nose. That boy is sneaky! No worries, though. He didn't do any damage, and an outfit isn't complete without a little dog slobber.

I'm Back...And It's Scrappin' Sunday

Hey, hey, hey. I'm back as promised. Like my new look? I've been playing around. As I said in my last post, I've been trying to organize and simplify. It's a whole house project, and I soon realized I couldn't do it all at once. In January I concentrated on my office/scrapbook room/stamp room. It's all done except for the closet, but I'm not too concerned about that as it's a small closet and really not that bad. Let me tell you, I'm getting rid of A LOT of stuff. I'm having a garage sale in the spring and whatever doesn't sell is NOT coming back inside. I'm tired off all the clutter. It's cramping my style and stifling my energy. My mojo is getting lost among the piles and I have decided it's time to do something about it. Yea, me! Next up...the master bedroom.

Not much is going on otherwise. My car is in the shop. I think it's on its last leg. It is 14 years old after all. I'm hoping a little checkup and a few adjustments will give it a few more months, but I really think that's wishful thinking. I refuse to put anymore money into it.

Lets see...what else...I'm so sick of this winter that I could scream. This has to be the longest winter ever...and it's only February! That little groundhog better not see his shadow tomorrow because I seriously cannot take much more of this. My electric blanket has become my best friend.

Paul won the first quarter of his football pool tonight. That's $125. Yea, Paul!

That's about it. I'm going to try really hard to get back on track with this blogging thing. Thanks everyone for being so patient and understanding! I'm starting back up my Scrappin' Sunday segment, as I'm trying to learn digital scrapbooking and practice makes perfect. I'm slowly working on three different albums right now. One about Bailey (mom's late greyhound), one about our trips to Door County, and one All About Me book just for something fun to do. Here's my first All About Me page. It's taking me forever to learn all the Photoshop Elements tricks.

I used a template for this (Andrea Gold) and a free kit from Shabby Princess. It took me like three hours to do it, but that's because I still don't know exactly what I'm doing (plus I had to figure out what to write). The journaling reads...

I’m a wife, daughter, sister, friend, coworker, and an overprotective doggie momma. I’m an introvert and think that is just fine. I’m quiet and shy. I am, after all, my father’s daughter. I’m a perfectionist, a procrastinator, and a realist. I’m a wannabe gardener, chef, writer, photographer, artist, and exercise enthusiast, but in reality I’m lazy, overweight, stubborn, and impatient. I can be a grouch. I’m dedicated to my job but yet I’m a homebody. I’m strong-willed, independent, level headed, and responsible. I’m an animal lover. I cry when I’m angry, not when I’m happy. I believe in God and ghosts. I’m a worrier. I’m a blood donor. I’m a law-abiding citizen. I’ve been called a goodie-two-shoes. I’m a good listener. I hate to be the center of attention. I am NOT a people person. I’m not very trusting. I don’t like to talk about my problems. I tend to over-think things. I like to keep the peace. There is nothing fancy about me. I’m extremely fortunate. I am me.

Well, I gotta go. I promised Paul I'd come down after the Super Bowl, and it was over like an hour ago!

Talk to you later!