I'm BAACK!!

So, it's been awhile. I'm sorry I've been busy/tired/in a bit of a writer's block. I have been doing some scrapping. I have almost completed my honeymoon scrapbook, and I'm slowly adding pages to my wedding scrapbook. It's awesome reliving it all. It was such a great day, and so much went into it, that it feels surreal that it was almost a year ago. I'd give you the exact number of months, but my month math is rough, so I'll spare myself that embarassment!

I have found that having 3 days off is a challenge to balance resting with chores. I tend to rest more than chore. I'm getting better, and I'm not complaining about having 3 days off, nor rubbing it in, just trying to find a balance so I can make sure to make time for all the things I want to do, people I want to see and things I need to do! Like, today, Kahlua got a haircut, and I did laundry. I still found time for a nap, but at least I got things done! Speaking of haircut, checkout my hairless baby! She got a flower today on her collar!! She is such a princess!

I've been starting some projects around the house, and by "I" I mean Dad has been helping me start/do some projects around the house. The big one now, is powerwashing and waterproofing/staining the deck! It's amazing, the difference between a powerwashed deck and a non-powerwashed deck. Check it out! Dad is magical! Who knew my deck was made of wood?! (Did anyone just picture that woodchuck that Joey on Full House used as Ranger Joe? Is that deck made of .....WOOD?)

Let's see what else has been going on. Oh yeah, I'm really doing a good job, of trying to work with less money than well ever before. I've been eating PB&J ( YUM!!!!) and eating what we have in the house for dinner and not going out (weird, but true!) So I had a list of things we needed like toothpaste, mouthwash, dishwash liquid etc. All maintenance type items. So I thought, TARGET!! They make me happy AND have everything I need!! So when I walk out with $111.00 worth of stuff, wouldn't you think that bit of shopping would make me happy?? I thought it would, but I was just pissed I spent $111.00!! I have never regretted spending a dime at Target!! Growing up is no fun, especially if it means I won't get pleasure out of shopping at target anymore. UGH!!

Off to continue cleaning my Friday night away!!

Happy Day!

Lisa

Ode to Grits

I moved to SC 9 years ago, and at that time, I was only eating bagel bites, or something in the pizza family. Seriously, I had plenty of holiday meals where everyone else was having Turkey and stuffing and I was eating bagel bites. Shortly after moving here, I realized I would have to learn to broaden my eating habits or I would be stuck home eating by myself!

I would slowly begin trying items that others ordered. I learned to like, chicken, or as it was called at the time, a chicken snack (which is simply chicken cut up and cooked in italian dressing, simple, but lovely!), I learned to like anything at a Japanese Steakhouse. I learned I LOVE zuccini! I learned Cassie is the only person who has ever made pork chops I like. But most of all I learned that I LOVE grits. I thought I only really liked them in the Shrimp and Grits form, but that is not the case. When cooked right and I'm not talking instant grits here, I'm talking coarse ground yellow and white grits, that are smooth and creamy and fantastically delicious all at the same time. Yes, I do realize they are corn, and I have been able to overcome that. I have always thought that I could only get them when eating out, cause I wouldn't want to learn how much cream and butter goes into them. Not to mention they must take hours and hours to cook seeing as how there is an instant version available. Well I went to the Mt. Pleasant Farmers market with my Mom a couple weeks ago and a gentleman was sampling grits and so of course I had to try them! I then read the instruction on the bag of grits he was selling, and my goodness that is the easiest recipe ever! I thought surely it must be harder to make them than adding water, butter and milk! I made them a couple days after I got them and ate them along with a breakfast for dinner meal we prepared and they were good. I just ate them plain and they were fantastic!! Tonight I got up the craving for grits again and decided to top them with cheddar cheese and bacon!! BEST IDEA EVER!!!! They were amazing!! I took a picture of them too!

I love, that grits are so much of a blank slate. I have yet to try shrimp and grits but I have some recipes ready when I get up the courage to try and remake the loveliness that got me started loving grits in the first place!

I am still trying things to this day. Dad got liver at lunch one day and it smelled great (I think now it was the sauteed onions that were on top!) so I tried a bite. That may be the last bite of liver I ever eat, but at least I tried it. Without trying things I wouldn't know I love Mussels, scallops, Steak cooked medium rare, mushrooms and many other lovely foods that are out there for us to enjoy! So my advice, keep an open mind. You shouldn't judge a food by it's reputation. I have never thought I would enjoy brussel sprouts, but this past month I tried some carmelized brussel sprouts and my goodness that was good!

Happy Day and Happy Eating!

Lisa

What a week!

This was a long week! I only had one day off last week and I don't think I spent my time as wisely as I should, which stressed me out this week. Too much to do, too little time, and too little energy after work! This weekendis going to be more productive. I had Mom and Dad over yesterday to help me out with a few things around the house. Dad got a blind up in the kitchen and it has already made a world of difference. We also completed my bedroom project. A couple months ago I decided it was time to paint the bedroom and rid it of it's bland cream walls. I chose a nice grass green color that I absolutely LOVE!!! I painted and hung pictures and shelves (or well, let's be honest, Dad hung shelves and some of the pictures) and the one last finishing touch was the BEAUTIFUL curtain I found at World Market! I couldn't find a curtain rod that I liked, so I took one from Mom and Dad's house! It came with their house, and they didn't really want them, so it helped us both out! Check out my new curtained wall!! Ignore the unmade bed, Mom.

What else of note happened this week? Um, I'm falling madly in love with one of my kitties at the shelter. Her name is Emily and I'm sure she has hit the adoption floor this weekend and probably already adopted. She is a Red Point Siamese mix, and she is the sweetest, cuddliest little girl ever!! I have tried to get Joe and Mom to get her, but both feel our households are full enough of loved babies! I also learned that the cat I named Chatty Cathy was adopted minutes after being put on the adoption floor. She was a talker, but she was sooo SWEET!! I'm happy she found a forever home. I also got to reunite many owners with their dogs this week, which is one of the happiest parts of my job. I mean a lost dog finding it's Mom and Dad... Be still my heart!!!

So, last week Erin asked for more pictures. I would love to take pictures of the animals I work with, but they are lost babies that are looking for their parents or they are turned in by their owners, and I just feel like that is an invasion of their privacy. I know they are animals, but they are special to me and deserve to be treated in a respectful manner. I once brought my camera in and felt so wrong about it, so sorry I will have to do my best to describe them in the way I see them in my heart! I will try and post more pictures of other things though! I love taking pictures and sharing them so I will do better in my sharing!!

I have also been deemed the medicine giver to my little brother, Cookie (Mom and Dad's cat.) He has a bad case of gingivitis, that he has to take medicine for 5 days a month. I just happened to be there yesterday at medicine time, and using my new knowledge from work gave him his medicine and he stuck around afterward and let me pet him!! Apparently when Dad does it, if he sits still long enough to get the medicine, he runs away right after and is mad at Dad for most of the afternoon. He and I were friends right after!! I like that. I'm happy I can help him get his medicine and not make Dad be the "bad guy." So I'll be heading back over tomorrow to give him his last days worth of medicine for this month!

Ahh... I forgot about how Joe and I spent our afternoon... We were professional ant killers!! We have sugar ants, which are tiny annoying ants that hang out in our kitchen. We finally found where they were coming from, the window! So we put out some ant bait, and when I didn't feel that was working I relied on some good old 409!!! It was an instant solution, and so far I haven't seen another. Joe and I can always fall back on our exterminating skills!!

I bartended the Darius Rucker homegrown concert last night. It rained from the minute the gates opened until the concert ended. WOW!! It was a packed house and we were the only game in town on the upper deck, so we were pouring draft beer all night long!! I had a keg blow on me, and I was scared I was gonna get pulled over on the way home and I would smell of beer! It was a great show, but I think Dierks Bentley outshined Darius a little. Hate to say it, but he can work a crowd!! He's not bad to look at either!!

I forgot about the one downside to my job, fleas. The animals I take in are stray or lost dogs and cats that have been out long enough to get fleas. Well this week was a doozy for flea bites. There was a moment I thought I might have chicken pox cause there are so many, but they are definitely flea bites. As Lauren said today though, if that's the worst thing I have to complain about my job, I've got it good. I really do, and I really love where I work and who I work with and what I'm working for!

Well, I think I'm gonna try and get through a little more of my book and enjoy the rest of my Friday night!!

Happy Day!

Lisa

Seriously?...

So, it turns out, I'm a sore loser. We were playing Five Crowns tonight (a fantastically lovely card game), we being, Mom, Dad, Joe and I, and I lost. I was in first place until the last 2 rounds. That just stings!! I wish I was a better loser, but I guess that's like wishing for it to rain candy!

This was a busy week. I worked my 4 days at the shelter, 2 of which were lacking in the AC department! Fun! Then, I covered phones in the Mail Order Department at Sticky Fingers (that's my old job) on Thursday and Friday, so instead of my nice set-up of 3 days off, I had just one. Not horrible, but I was so tired this week!

I do like, that on Thursday, I spent 30 mins on the phone with one customer, only to hang up and spend 30 mins on the phone with the next customer. One of which ended with an invitation to Las Vegas, but I should go in December when the Rodeo is in town. I love when people just want to call and talk. The guy ordered, but then he told me like 5 jokes and gave me a long comparison of OJ Simpson and Michael Jackson. I thought this too was a joke, but I'm pretty sure he was being serious, and felt that there was some conspiracy theory between the two. Weird, but an interesting way to spend a morning. People really do make me laugh sometimes!

Two Two (the cat) has found a string, or better yet, stole a string off my comforter and is now doing as she has done before, and obsessively carrying it around and meowing at you until you pick up the string and play with it with her (does that make sense?) It's cute at first, but her obsession has no boundaries. She doesn't care if you are sleeping, watching a movie, or eating. Now, my dog doesn't bark, but I think the lack of volume she has Two makes up for. She sounds like she is being tortured when she meows. Needless to say, we give in and play with the string. The hilarity of it all is when she jumps all 4 feet off the ground and wiggles around in the air trying to get to the string. Yeah, she's precious!!

South Carolina is having its Tax Free Weekend this weekend, which is supposed to aid in back to school supplies for parents and teachers. So where do wedding dresses fall into this category? Yes, this weekend, wedding dresses are tax free. I can understand, paper, pencils, and clothes, but a wedding dress is not an outfit that is worn to school, near school, or anything to do with school!! Just a strange thing that can only happen in SC!

One last rant. Kayla came in last on So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) on this week's show. Why? Because she has talent, skill, the ability to take any dance style and ROCK it, but she came in 4th... Evan, who can only do Broadway well, came in 3rd. Brandon, who thought his ticket to winning the show was to show off his body. Yes, he danced in his undies one night. Then Jeanine won... I'm ok with that. She was good, but not the best. I realize SYTYCD is trying to find "America's Favorite Dancer" but I just wish America respected Kayla's skills. And breathe...

I realize these are all random things, but they are my life, random as it may be, I like my life!

Happy Day!

Lisa

You Can Do It!

I have been faced with many challenges at my new job. Working with animals can be unpredictable and with my heart, I assume everyone will love me, so I approach them that way... Apparently not the case!

In my defense I was doing what I knew. I reached into a pet taxi to a kitten (6 weeks old) and it allowed me to pet him/her (you'll see why I have no idea) and decided it was ok for me to take the kitten out of the finder's carrier and put him/her into our carrier. This plan was all gravy til I stood up with the kitten in hand. Well it must have thought my hand was a springboard cause it leaped off my hand and ran round the kitten room. I looked like such an idiot chasing this cat around the room. He/She was so faster than me!! Lesson learned. A: use a transfer cage, less stressful on us both (who knew! You don't tell me I don't know!) B: Scruff a cat, regardless of age, they can outsmart and outspeed even the fastest and experienced of people. C: Kittens have sharp nails...

Speaking of scruffing, so I go home and I think about how I can "practice" what I've learned at work on my animals (I'm sure they love it!) and so I decided to practice scruffing Two Two (cat). First of all, I'm not sure this has ever been done to her. Second of all, she's not the thinest of ladies... So, I grab hold of the scruff and try to lift... I can only imagine what is going through her head right now... no dice on the lifting... So I think, maybe my grip is off and try again... I'm starting to come to the conclusion that tubby cats aren't meant to be scuffed, nor is a prissy Two Two meant to be a practice dummy! Today I pinched a bit of skin like I was going to give a vaccination shot and she got up and walked off... Don't think she holds anything against me

though cause she is coming up for loving now! I haven't really learned a ton about Dogs, so Kahlua has been able to steer clear of the testing, though she has received some extra loving, cause I'm so thankful for her. I'm happy she is who she is, flaws and all.

This week has been a week for special animals. I saw a dog with an extra set of dew claws ( those extra toes that are slightly higher up on the leg) and then I also saw a cat with thumbs!!! I mean it... Regular toes and then an opposable thumb on both the front feet. Super cute. It looked like he had mittens on. None of this hurts the animals, just things that happen. Cute if you ask me. Seriously, picture a cat walking with mittens on his/her front feet! You smiled, didn't you??

Let's see what else... Oh yeah, I finally started my wedding scrapbook. I haven't bought the book yet, but I have about 10 pages done and I couldn't be happier with them!! I thought it would be hard, but it really flows nicely, and it's a nice reminder of a wonderful day! I can't believe it's been almost a year already. Good Times!!

Today I decided it's time to share what my girls look like, for those of you who don't know. Enjoy! These are my favorite pictures of them both!! They are hard to photograph so when the lighting is right, it's nice to get the shots.

So enjoy my girls, and stay tuned for more exciting stories from the Desk of a Blonde...

Happy Day!

Lisa