Monday, September 14, 2009

I Think This Will Work

Go ahead. Make my Moving Day.

That was my terrible attempt at angering the gods of Moving. I don't really want them to mess anything up. Especially with me teetering on the edge of madness at this point. But I am feeling so proud of my efforts, and of my breaking my cycle of procrastination...I just feel so good about this.

Famous last words, I know.

We have really got just a little of this and a little of that to pack. Just three kitchen cabinets left, and maybe a stack of clothes. Okay fine- probably another box of bits and pieces in the office. But then we are ready to go. And me- Miss Procrastination Herself- well I feel like i have really turned a corner. I have had this move planned and pre-arranged and I have to say- I just love not flying by the seat of my pants when it comes to transporting all my Worldly Possessions in one day. Utilities are switched, addresses are forwarded, and appointments are set for meeting with various assorted people so I can give them Checks and they can hook Things up.

And then today I arranged for a gift to myself- a most wonderful gift.

We hired movers. I wore BF down. He originally said no way, no how would we pay people. I pouted. Then the case mounted against him. It became apparent that on Tuesday, fortunately for them, all our friends are at work. Especially the strong ones. Then I waved my Noodly Little Girl Arms at him, and asked just HOW he thought these disproportionally short, fleshy, NOT muscular arms would fare in helping shimmy a queen mattress down a set of stairs. He turned pale, but still stood his ground. The last nail in the moving coffin: TMI probably, but it seems as though Wednesday is the beginning of my Lady Time. Monthly Troubles. Womanly Curse. Which means that by my calculations, cramps, fatigue, anger, tears, and frustration should set in around Tuesday afternoon. He did concede that he would rather that all my rage be directed at some cookies and some movers, rather than at him while holding half a couch on a flight of stairs. Ah, the taste of victory- should go nicely with the cookies i have stashed away.

I hope the animals make it through this alright- they aren't coping well. Charlie seems to enjoy all the boxes, and packs himself up regularly. However, he knows what moving is all about, so he is FAR more friendly these days. I think he wants to make sure that we don't have a Home Alone moment, and sit back and relax at the new house, wondering what it is we forgot- then look at eachother agast and scream in unison; "CHARLIE!!!!!" The other two- the dogs- well, they aren't really sure just what to think. Lilly seemed annoyed till she saw Suitcases being packed. That sends off alarm bells in her itty bitty head. Since then she has been more clingy, whiny, and irritating than usual. But she gets a pass this week. Maya- well she takes her every cue from Lilly, so now that she feels she has a good reason to be anxious...well, let's just say it's time to get this over with.

So, the next time I check in with you, hopefully it will be with pics of the new place! And hopefully on Friday, which will indicate that our cable and internet set up went as planned.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Awesome Summer III: Getting Used To Wet Dog Smell

It's not for everybody. Luckily the company makes up for it.




Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Awesome Summer II: The Perfect Cocktail

The Kimmy Gibler

Lemonade
The Berry Flavored Vodka Of Your Choice
Ice

Enjoy.

Bonus Points if you remember Kimmy Gibler and what show she was on. Children of the '80's, show yourselves!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Awesome Summer I: Seasonal Cooking

What with the holiday weekend sort of informally signifying the end of summer (for SOME of you. Till we can get our high temps under 85, fall is just a dream to me), I would share with you a few things that I learned this summer which have made it one of the best summers ever.

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!



Blackberry Tiny Pies


some blackberries
some sugar (about 1/3c)
some flour (about 1/8c)
a roll of crescent roll dough


To Make:
combine flour, sugar, and blackberries.
roll out the crescent dough
spoon berries onto dough
fold dough over and seal (with a fork or your cool Press N Seal if you have one)
bake according to directions on cresent roll package
serve with ice cream, topped with leftover berries
devour

Friday, September 4, 2009

The Most Important Thing You Will Ever Eat

Crab and Green Tomato Quiche

Ingredients:


4 eggs
1/2 lb crab meat
2/3 c green tomato, chopped
1/3 c green onion, minced
1 c Swiss cheese, grated or cubed (i prefer cubed because i love the little melty cheesy pockets they make)
1/4c sour cream
Old Bay seasoning
worcestershire
9 in. pie crust

Make:
beat 4 eggs violently in a bowl
add sour cream and whisk till blended
fold in cheese, onion, tomato, 3 shakes of Old Bay, and 2 shakes of Worcestershire
fold in crab gently
pour into pie crust
bake at 400 degrees till golden at edges and no longer liquid-y in the middle



This is my very own recipe, and I am quite proud of it. It's super tasty, and the sort of things that will totally impress your friends. If you feel like sharing. And also if your friends are easily impressed. Mine are, but I didn't share with them. As for the crab, either lump or claw works just fine. I used claw, but it was because I was experimenting and didn't want to make a $13 in crab meat mistake. Sorry about the approximations on spices. It's just kind of how I roll.

I served this with a waffle with goat cheese and honey on it. You don't have to, but I really just wanted the goat cheese and honey.


Thursday, September 3, 2009

Randomly

I don't really have a whole lot in the way of organized thoughts, but still had a few things I would like to share nonetheless.

::Moving:: We found a house! To rent, not buy- for now. We love love LOVE this house. I even love almost all the colors that the owners chose for every single square inch of space. Wow, are they not afraid of color. It's really conducive to the things I have and want to keep and the things I don't have and have wanted to buy for a while. I'm excited about redecorating. I will have My Own Room. The dogs will have a yard, the boy will have a garage for mannish things, and we will have a big deck, a sunny yellow sunroom, and a huge kitchen and living room conducive to entertaining. I am so, so, so happy. September, I know I said that I would try to live in the moment, but you have to go. Seriously, get out of here.

::Listening::
Oh, how I love this album and this artist. And now, at long last, I will be seeing her in October. Live. With nothing but her keyboard, her amazing voice, and my undying adoration. I. Can't. Wait.

::Knitting:: Although I haven't taken any pics of it in a while, I have actually finished quite a bit of knitting lately. A pair of mittens that are slightly (okay totally) not the same size, some green mitts that were just sort of languishing, and an adorable little white capelet-- my very first wearable thing. I think you would call that a garment. Yes, a garment. I have one now. I'm also working on a baby gift that is so cute you will throw up on yourself when you see it. And now I get the hype of baby knits-- when you make clothes in miniature, it doesn't take so very long at all! Unless you are almost bested by tiny little shoes. Anyway, I hope to finish it over the holiday weekend. Out of things I already had at home, no less. Do you feel smug like I do when you realize that all that hoarding has FINALLY paid off?

::Obsessively Reading:: Design*Sponge online. Not sure if this is telling about how exciting I am, but their before & afters every Thursday are a bright spot in my week. I just love them! I have always loved befores & afters, but it's so cool to see how a coat of paint, a bit of wallpaper, or some upholstery can make something truly gag-worthy into something fabulous. Not to mention, the Design Guides are great. I think it's the re-decorating bug that's got me.

::Loving:: Maya's new trick. Now when I come home, every day she runs to greet me, jumps for attention, and wags her tail. Just like normal dogs do. I'm sure it's terrible and selfish of me, but I like that this joy is only for me, and that I am the one person in the world that she is that excited about. Wonders never cease with that little dog.

::Anticipating:: A holiday weekend, apple season, and the return of Dog Season on the beach. I am ready to do some packing and organizing, make applesauce, and walk my dog on our favorite beach once the tourists go home and she's allowed in the sand again.

What are you doing?

Love is...

...using The Good Scissors to cut off your loved one's emerging mullet flap.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Almost 426 cat testicles...give or take.

On Sunday I was part of a very long, very special day.

It was neuter-a-thon day again!

My day started very very early, and for the first part of the day, I was the person responsible for taking the kitties off the operating tables, and taking them to their recovery rooms. This meant that I was one of the few people wwho actually had a hands on role where I touched every single one of the 213 cats that came through the clinic on Sunday. It also meant that I got to hold them and hug them, and they didn't fight to get away, like my cat does. I can thusly conclude that sedated cats are the best cats.

The next part of the day was spent checking out kitties and giving them back to their owners. That was also sort of rewarding- after explaining to them what they needed to do post surgery while they listened carefully (I just love an audience), several told me that they would not have been able to afford the vaccinations or neutering without the low cost clinic on account of layoffs, the economy, and all that jazz that we hear so much these days. That made me feel so good!

Here's an especially special fact: According to the man from the National ASPCA Office, we shattered the previous record for Southern Neuter A Thons- it was 153 in one day. We had 213! Hooray!

Did you know that a single male cat can father THOUSANDS of offspring? Well, did you? I didn't, but that's what makes this type of work so very very important- that's thousands of cats who won't be contributing to the head count of a feral cat colony, or won't wind up in shelters. Such a wonderful program. I really can't say enough about it.

I also can't tell you how sore I was yesterday. My wrists and shoulders ached, my legs feel like I climbed a mountain, and wow is my back stiff. But I would absolutely do it again in a heartbeat!