Kindergarten report card

 
 
 

Can you see that Chris was graded on "using his handkerchief correctly, moving to rhythms, and staying mostly clean and tidy"...

Working out at work?

Liked this article I read in the SBTribune yesterday about working out at work. I really like this idea of adjusting our workstations (ie treadmill desks) to help us get more exercise at work. It is based on a concept called NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis)...the energy spent on physical activities of daily living. It theorizes that there is more benefit from frequent fidgeting and small movements than from sitting still for days with an occasional hard-core workout.Of course this idea comes the Mayo Clinic in MN.

You're gonna love this post!

I did my first "surgery" today! I removed an ingrown toenail!!! Numbed the toe and pulled the dang toenail out by myself! Not too much blood, either. For those interested in the procedure here it is on the Amer. Fam. Phys. website. You can scroll down and see a quick drawing of the procedure. First time I saw this done I thought I'd vomit, but did it myself today with no problems. Impressive, eh?

The Prez came to MY town!!!!!!!!!

How very exciting that President Bush was in my little town yesterday. Chris said he even saw Air Force One fly over Notre Dame.
Actually, the only interesting thing I took from the news of his fundraising visit was the salsa recipe he apparently enjoys:

"GRANGER -- U.S. Rep. Chris Chocola just thinks he's the reason President Bush comes to St. Joseph County so often. The president's fascination with visiting here actually may have more to do with his taste for Astrid Domenick's "Don't Mess With Texas Salsa."
As everyone knows by now, the president will be at Bethel College in Mishawaka today to campaign for Chocola, R-2nd. It's the president's SEVENTH visit to the Michiana area in as many years.


Don't Mess With Texas Salsa

2 lbs. tomatoes, boiled, peeled and cored
1/2 large white onion, chopped
4 medium jalapeño peppers, toasted, peeled, seeds removed and chopped
2 small, red serrano peppers, chopped (optional)
3 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. finely chopped cilantro
3 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Chop the tomatoes in a blender. Sauté the onions, garlic and peppers in olive oil until cooked down a bit. Put the tomatoes in a stock pot. Add the cumin, salt, black pepper and cilantro to the tomatoes. Add the sautéed onion, garlic and peppers. Simmer for three hours to concentrate the flavor and reduce the acidity of the tomatoes. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve warm.

I may just have to make this and serve it at our party next week......I don't think I'll invite George doubl-yaa, though

My dog

 

Here is Maggs on her "baby" blanket with her pink Teddy Bear. She is such a girly dog! And her report card from doggie day care today said "I love how Maggie sits so pretty for her treats". 

Poll

 

Cast your vote for which onsie the kid wears home from the hospital!!! Outfits were a generous gift from joh3n and WHN 

Summer thoughts

 

Just thinking this picture of green grass, the sun on the lake, and that shiny red tractor might just brighten a dreary February day! 

Great Day

I resisted eating a piece of the yucky left-over V-day cake we had at work and so I didn't have a sugar crash this afternoon, had the confidence to tell the front desk people to reschedule my last patient because she was 25 minutes late and I wanted to leave on time tonight to get home to poor Maggs (we are sans Chris this week), got home in 29 minutes tonight instead of 30 minutes, it was still light out when I got home so I took Maggs for a walk through the Res woods. AND the smoking ban in our county just passed! Welcome to the 21st century, South Bend!
>>SOUTH BEND -- The St. Joseph County Council voted Tuesday to override the county commissioners' veto of an anti-smoking ordinance, but promised to meet soon to begin addressing a variety of concerns that have undermined the popularity of the measure....When it goes into effect April 10, the measure will ban smoking in restaurants and most other public places, including stores, shopping malls sports arenas and stadiums.Bars and private clubs would be exempt from the measure.As it currently reads, the measure would ban smoking in private businesses, including in break rooms and designated smoking rooms.That provision will likely be among the first to be addressed, although there is plenty of time for the council to act, as the measure gives businesses a one-year phase-in period from the effective date of the ordinance.


I guess it's the little joys in life that get us through all the other stuff....don't get me started on those things!!!

Olympics

Has anyone else been trying to watch the Olympics? I used to love watching them but have been disappointed and bored with it so far...except for the men's cross-country ski race on Sunday. First....why does Michelle Kuan get so much press? I suppose because she draws so many people to watch the sport...but really, it's not too surprising she had to drop out. Don't quite understand why she went in the first place and not quite so sure why it's so tragic that she "didn't get a gold". She's had her time in the lime light and did pretty darn good for herself. Be happy with that and move on. Second, WHY DO THEY SHOW SO MUCH OF THE DARN SNOWBOARDING. What a totally boring "sport". Isn't it more of an Xgames sport or am I just dating myself? Ugh....perhaps I like the summer olympics more...swimming, gymnastics, soccer, etc. I think I'll go do my yoga video and then call it a night.

No topic in particular

I just went to my midwife appointment.....I gained 7 lbs in just under 3 weeks! WHOA!!! Can anyone else top that one???? No wonder I'm feeling a bit like a Moose these days...

Home visiting family and friends this past weekend. Chris gave a talk at the U and we went to a GBS concert Friday night. They played at the Fitzgerald theater which is a very odd place for them to play (this is the same theater where I saw Prairie Home Companion as a kid---didn't like it at all! We were glad GBS didn't invite Garrison to sing with them...). We've seen them all over the country (they just happen to play in areas where we have been...Baltimore, Madison, San Diego, Amherst, Mpls). Everywhere else we've seen them has been in a small venue..more like a bar-with-band type place. First time we've ever had seats. Ours were just extra chairs set up on the side and the floor was slanted...so we had to be a bit careful! I was, however, thankful to have a chair for most of it. The first half was more of the serious slow stuff and the second half was the faster festive stuff. It was, all in all, a great concert. Last time we saw them in San Diego they were pretty blah...

Hung out with the niece and nephew...they are hilarious. M said to me "Boy, it must take you a long time to count your freckles when you are in the bathtub". She said she has 23. I told her I bet I have 23 just on my right forearm! Bones decided our kid should be named Sherlock...and had us sign a petition in support of that. Chris wouldn't sign..so Bones whispered to him "I'll babysit if you sign this". Also saw a Great Horned Owl in the backyard. Heard him hooting at night, too. That was cool!!

Back to grindstone here in Michiana....still no snow to ski...sigh....

This weekend is full of projects. But also some fun. We are going to YAPPY HOUR at Maggie's doggie daycare/boarding place. Great news...looks like their webcam is now working! Hilarious!!! Also going to the Carbon Leaf concert at ND Saturday night. DOesn't start until 10pm...I forget how late things start at college!!! I'll have to take a nap. GBS and Carbon Leaf are probably the only bands we keep up with these days...pretty cool that we get to go to both concerts in the same month

Middle names

Currently we are struggling with middle name choices for the soon-to-be kid. We were wondering if my brother-in-laws offer of $500 to name the kid JOHN would convert to $250 if it were a middle name. That might influence things??????? Wonder if anyone had name suggestions. I'm a firm believer that middle names should have some sort of meaning...either a family name or some profound meaning of some sort. Can't just be given because it goes along well with the first name....

Marr-waage....

"Marr-waage....is what brings us together" the famous line from one of the best movies ever.....Princess Bride. Today Chris and I were driving home from the gym and stopped behind a mini-van with two bumper stickers.
#1 No Jesus, No Peace. Know Jesus, Know Peace.
#2 Marriage = (silhouette outline of person with pants) + (silhouette outline of a person with long hair and a dress)

We initially assumed this meant marriage= man + woman, but then got to thinking that the silhouttes could just represent a woman dressed in pants and a woman dressed in a dress or a man dressed in pants and a man with long hair with a dress on. I mean...did you see what THIS KID did just to prove to his school that their dress code policy was unfair to the guys?

Something to think about.

Words of Wisdom for the week: Chris just said "You know what's funny about cats? They don't feel guilty about anything they've done or are caught doing". I said...."yeah....a guilt free life...that's why they live so darn long!"

Weekend Update

A very exciting weekend was had by SDMoose and her loyal husband, dog, and cat. C and I got new *matching* bedside tables. How very adult! No more blue plastic bin acting as a bedside table! No matter that we got them from Target and C made sure that just because we have adult bedside tables it didn't mean that we couldn't sleep in until 9 or 9:30 on a Sunday morning. Of course not! We also made it to the ND gym on Sat. and Sunday. I wanted to walk the indoor track because the weather sucks here. We were supposed to get snow Friday night (enough to ski), but all we got was lots of rain and a dusting of snow. C even got some used XC skis in anticipation of a Saturday morning ski in the woods. C walked with me on the track Saturday. He got pretty bored! We did see the ND football quarterback down on the B-ball courts. He looked small to me from the track, but Chris assured me he was not. Chris had been down there watching a game when he walked by. Guess he only came up to his shoulders or something. And Chris assured me that Brady's upper body was a wee bit bigger than Chris's! Ha! Chris opted to play pick-up B-ball on sunday instead of walk the track. At least he went with me. We watched some football onSunday. According to Chris it doesn't matter that none of the 4 teams were ones we cheer for (out of the 2938 or so that we do)...he said that there are only 3 games left in the season...they are ALL good games. Ugh. I napped during the 2nd one. We also went out to eat Sat. night at a Japanese/Korean place. we had had great Japanese food in LA and I wanted to try and relive that. Wasn't quite as good, but at least it wasn't McDonalds or something....Also heard about this cool medical story about a woman who was blind for over 20 years and got her site back after a heart attack!

 
 

My only talent

Here I am imitating Sasha Cohen (she's an ice skater). My friend Lizard exclaimed that NO ONE could do that leg-in-the-air while skating thing.....well...I can't do this while skating, but pretty darn good to be able to do this whilst in "my delicate condition".

Cute toys

Chris found these on-line at Peace-toys and ordered the elephant. Very cute. Just need to keep it away from the dog! She loves stuffed animals!!! She's already claimed a baby blanket that I got as a hand-me-down.

Interesting blog

Heard about this blog on NPR today about the strange uses of chinese and japanese stuff in American culture.
I'm sick---just a cold--but boy does it make you feel crappy.

Warmest Wishes for the New Year...

 
 

What NOT to say to a pregnant woman....

I'm compiling a list of phrases that people have ACTUALLY said to me that I'm not so sure are the best things you should say to a pregnant woman. What do you think?
1. You'll need to get some new clothes soon!
2. You're HUGE! (although...this was more in jest)
3. When is she due....she's really swelling
4. You're filling out nicely
5. Hard to zipper that coat with a big belly

Instead of saying the above, my advice is to simply say "you look great" to the pregnant woman....even if it's not true!

Addendum to last entry

Check this out: "Time to make the donuts"
Did we foresee this happening? It's a sad day for donut lovers.....

Time to make the donuts

This morning I had to get up REALLY early (like 7am...when I usually get up at 7:30). It was still dark outside. I was struggling to get up and Chris finally said "It's time to make the donuts" (You all remember that commercial, right?). On my way to work I have to drive down this awful road with strip malls and fast food places (I pass by 2 McDonalds and 2 Burger Kings). Just before I turn off that road there is a Dunkin' Donuts. Today the drive-through was packed!!!!!!!! Parking lot was PACKED. I have to admit that their T-day sign a few weeks ago advertising Pumpkin Donuts sure sounded tempting. Then I saw a patient today for follow-up who had lost her job a few weeks ago because of her vertigo (dizziness)...she had a lot of her plate and I was pleased to hear that she had found another job and I couldn't help but chuckle when I heard what it was....making donuts for Walmart. She has to get up at 4am to go to work...TIME TO MAKE THE DONUTS!!!!

Cure for anything

I've discovered that Hot Chocolate can cure just about any ailment. Just thought I would pass on that free medical advice....

Winter Biking

 


Here is my cool new exercise bike! I just bought a bike mount at Play it Again sports and it converts my regular bike into a stationary bike! Now I can bike when I get home from work. I've been having fun using my cross-country skis. We've had good snow over the last few days. They had a few layers of dust on them from sitting in the bedroom in California for three years..... 

Busting at the seams

Well....haven't posted in awhile. About all that I have to report is that I'm feeling like the old belly is busting out. Had to change my sweater this morning to something that would better cover the expanding waistline. ugh. I suppose all the Thanksgiving food and sitting on my ass watching movies all weekend didn't help. I did see a few good movies...one of which is the new Johnny Cash movie "Walk the Line". Also watched Pirates of Carribean (didn't love it), Mean Girls (funny), and Christmas Vacation (classic). And tolerated a few episodes of SOuth Park (14 year-old boy humor)

Spent an hour at the ND gym yesterday walking the track and riding the stationary bike. I know it is a bit irrational but I kept thinking that one of the young athletic students might come up to me and say "hey, I know of some great ab workouts...do you want me to teach you some....looks like you could use it!" Ha ha....wouldn't that be funny. Weather is crap here in Indiana...but at least it didn't rain today. Maggs and I got poured on during our walk yesterday. Nothing like the smell of a wet dog to brighten your day!!!!!!!!

A book and a joke

Saw this article about a book in the NYT and I liked the joke about the Panda.

"Truss, a self-described stickler, a woman incensed by the gratuitous apostrophes in grocery-store signs that say "Apple's for Sale" or "We Have Lemon's and Lime's and Video's," had achieved the not inconsiderable feat of making punctuation hot. She turned the apostrophe into a form of mass entertainment.

"Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation" went on to sell some three million copies in hardcover. It fared well even in foreign languages, including Japanese and Swedish, the go-to grammar book for those studying English as a second language. In America, the book easily held its own against "Harry Potter," diet books and the plethora of pre-election screeds, remaining on the New York Times best-seller list for 44 weeks.

The book's title, by the way, refers to a joke about a panda that walks into a cafe. He eats a sandwich, fires a pistol into the air and then leaves. On his way out, he tosses a wildlife handbook at a bewildered waiter, who understands everything when he turns to the section marked "panda" and notices a grievously misplaced comma: "Eats, shoots and leaves."

IT's WINTER!

It snowed last night and there is a nice white covering on the ground. It is cold. 25 degrees is a lot colder than the 55 degree weather we were having a week ago! Saw this article in the paper...and made me think of "you-know-who":

"How low can thermostat be safely set?" With winter looming and heating costs on the rise, many people will be keeping their homes on the chilly side this winter. It's an effective strategy; it's estimated every degree lowered on the thermostat lowers the heating bill by about 3%. But how low can you safely go? The Am. Coll. of Emergency Physicians says that 65 degrees during the day and 55 degrees at night is the lower limit for most people, provided they bundle up. People taking certain meds or suffering from certain diseases may not be able to tolerate those temps, said Dr..., "The increases in heating costs can have a terrible effect on the poor and elderly", he said.

The Original Dog-Powered Scooter

Check out the dog-powered scooter! Could be the answer to the energy crisis!!!!!

FOOOOOOOODDDD!

Oh, I'm so HAPPY!! We got Thai take-out last night and it was just fabulous. I am currently eating some left-overs. There are a serious lack of ethnic restaurants in these parts and I seriously miss them. I cry when I think about the lovely fish tacos in San Diego or our favorite Chinese and Afghani restaurants in Baltimore, the Ethiopian place in DC, etc. Fortunately there are two Thai restaurants relatively close to us and they aren't bad...so not all is lost. I had cashew tofu stir fry with spicy sauce. YUM. I wonder if people could tell me about the wonderful food they've been able to eat in those REAL cities out there......

At least I've been inspired to cook more. I found a great cookbook...called Simply in Season. It is great. I like that it organizes recipes by season. Lots of good veggie and meat options.

The Old Man and the Sea

I just love this picture. It is of my dear friend Eliza's dog Sebastian (Bas). They sent me this picture to make me jealous of the fact that they still live near the ocean. Bas is getting up there in age and walks slowly and with a bit of a limp. I just wonder what he's pondering there on the beach?  

Three's a charm! or Sympathy for Chris??

This post is not for those with a weak stomach. Yesterday was certainly an interesting day. I woke with quite a headache and just not feeling good. Had to go to work. Sort of gagged before my shower...thought that was all it was going to be...but NO....I had to later RUN back into the bathroom (while Chris was showering) to REALLY barf. Yuck. A tylenol and a glass of milk later had me feeling no better. So ONE MORE TIME before work. Last night Maggs thought she should get into the act and barfed three times in the living room during the Daily Show. Chris had to clean it up. After I went to bed I heard the lovely hacking noises from dear grey cat Mao. She didn't want to be left out...so she coughed up a few hairballs or something in the living room. Chris got to clean that up, too. Poor Chris!!!

Botany Quiz

HINT: It is the only fall flowering tree/shrub that I know. It is lovely!!! Seen 11/6/05 at Pokagon State Park, Indiana: 

Can Maggie pass????

Just read in the paper about a new doggie day care in the area. Remember...this is NOT California and so doggie daycares are not on every corner. This is a new concept for this area. I had talked with someone a few months ago who told me her friend was opening this place. It sounds fun. My favorite thing about it is that the dogs will be "placed into playgroups. There will be one human supervisor per eight dogs, and this leader will play games with the pups, foster activites with toys, and offer snacks and naps to those that become tuckered out" They also have boarding...where "the pooches will be tucked into soft fleece covered beds, inside individual cabins". All this and at Indiana prices. I wonder, however, if our canine will be able to pass the evaluation. They much attend at least a 1/2 day evaluation!!! Yikes!

My Christmas spirit just fizzled

So....I was getting into the Christmas spirit early this year. I think it was because we are having our work Christmas party early (Dec 2nd or something) and we do Secret Santa gifts once a week for the three weeks prior to the party. So....I was actually looking forward to it all until yesterday. Yesterday we picked names for Secret Santa and I couldn't have picked a more difficult person. MY BOSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If any of you have heard me talk about my boss you would understand. A "do-everthing, good at everything" kind of person. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!! What am I supposed to get him?????

The Morning Walk Routine

On the morning walk with Maggs. Walking over the bridge at The Res.  

This is Maggs in an outright sprint. She runs up and down the driveway after her morning walk because she's so darn excited to get back inside to her breakfast which is waiting just inside the door 

"I'm patiently waiting to get inside to MY BREAKFAST...com'on!!!!!!!!!" 

Old postcard

Postcard from my brother one summer when I was away at camp. Found it in a box of junk mom brought me from home 

Watching crane migration

LOTS of cranes at Jasper-Pulaski....the big gathering ground during fall migration. Took the parents there on Friday night. Too bad I couldn't record the noise of the birds! It was cool 

More cranes flying.... 

Cranes flying at sunset... 

A weekend get-away to visit the elusive red-billed Hovis

Going to a hike at Turkey Run State Park...it was lovely 

A peek into the fridge of an assistant professor.....at a big university. Kind of sad, isn't it.  

Ask the Expert

So the other day I was petting Maggs and began to wonder why she isn't ticklish. I, of course, decided to ask an expert....my friend Lizard. She sent back this comment from a memo-board-thingy on dog grooming:

"Hi there,
I'm not a groomer but I am a dog owner and I have a serious question that I'm hoping someone here may be able to answer. You see, my eight year old son (also an avid dog lover) spends much of his free time petting and playing with our three dogs. He has observed that none of our dogs are ticklish, a fact which I myself have since put to the test and found to be true. He asked me, Why aren't dogs ticklish to which I have no answer. I'm hopeful that someone may be able to shed some light on this subject. Are all dogs not ticklish and if so, why is that. Thank you. Dianna.

Posted on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 - 4:08 am:
"They are ticklish..... :o) Your son just hasn't figured out where yet.
Right in front of the ear canal opening - the "guard hairs" that stand up right in front of the hole. Have you son GENTLY and SLIGHTLY flick the hair there. Just sort of tickle the HAIR there. The ear with start flicking because of it.
Also, some dogs are ticklish with their feet. When the dog is laying down, resting - you son can "tickle" the HAIR between the pads. The hair that sticks out above the pads.I would say more "bothered" than ticklish - - but you do get a reaction :o)
Being a surgical veterinary technician for 17 years - - the ear hair flick is a good test to see how anaesthetized they are (are deep they are) and helps them to recover from anaesthetic as well :o) It's like being ticklish, an unconscious response - something you have no control over....

Weekend update

Saw this in a newspaper article: "If you're a new parent, there will come a time when either you or your spouse will say these words: Let's take the baby to a restaurant" Now, to a normal, sane person; this statement is absurd. It's like saying: "Let's take a moose to the opera"."

Well....the husband took the Moose to the South Bend Symphony last night, not the opera. I think I was pretty well behaved. However, I've taken to burping a lot more lately (it's better than barfing, right!!!). Unlike my niece and brother, however, I am not skilled in "burping on command". I thought about apologizing in advance to the ochestra last night...but I did fine and was able to remain quiet through the whole thing. The most hilarious thing about the whole concert was the beginning. The conducter came on stage, we clapped, and then EVERYONE stood up....I mean EVERYONE. Chris and I looked at each other with confused looks. THEN THE ORCHESTRA BROKE OUT IN "The Star Spangled Banner" AND THE WHOLE AUDIENCE SANG ALONG. Can't say I've ever done that before at a symphony concert!!! Sure made it feel a bit like a baseball game. (speaking of baseball...I'm thinking Lizard and my dad are pretty happy about the Cardinals these days)

A walk in the woods....

Another picture of the man and his dog....Maggie had to be at the front of the line. Always!  

OK---now this picture says it all....Maggie is totally obsessed with Chris!!! Here they are on our walk in the woods. We had to go to Michigan to get to a nice woods. It was a beech-maple woods and I saw lots of nice plants! Like hepatica, wild ginger, partridge berry, ferns, etc.  

Quiz of the day

So I got home pretty late from work tonight because my boss has abandoned me for two weeks for a vacation Italy to celebrate his 25th wedding anniversary. Hardly a reason to leave me alone in the crazy clinic so soon! I'm NOT happy about it at all and think that the "crazies" and the "worried wells" with laundry lists of problems are going to send me off the deep end. ANYHOOO.....called the husband at about 6:30 and he was still at work......shit...that means the DOG and the CAT were home alone FOR A VERY LONG TIME. Good thing I got the package from Jeffers with dog toys and treats yesterday so Maggs had lots of new things to play with. We find that during the course of the day she moves all her toys from the family room into the bedroom. The ratty old squirrel toy was up ON the bed tonight. No real destruction in the house....she just tore up an old sock. No big deal. C got home first and apparently had a time with the dog and cat. The cat snuck out (remember she's an INDOOR cat with no front claws and she is grey) while the dog was jumping around crazy-excited because he was home. I had to go out when I got home and find the cat. NOW FOR THE QUIZ!!!! I brought out the cat treats and the flashlight in order to find her. Why do cats eyes glow so much when I the flashlight shines in their eyes (therefore making it easier for me to find her in the dark)? It is one of my favorite words!!!

This was Sunday's lunch for the Husband. "Damn good lunch", he says.  

Cute picture of my friend Liz's dogs Jake and Bailey. I love how their tails wag together. They are outside the guestroom window. Wanting to come in!!!! 

Office space

Here is a picture of The Husband's office. You can't quite appreciate the enormous computer screen from this picture....but it is enormous. Notice only one coffee mug. Must be early in the semester! Ha!  

Weekend update

I'm so happy that it's finally cool and cloudy! I can't believe that I couldn't wait for it to cool down. I guess a whole summer of 90 degree days and a September full of 80 degree days has cured me of the need for sun every day. I think it is going to rain today. Good! Perhaps it's also because I often feel a bit cruddy these days and when the weather joins me in "cruddiness" it makes me feel better! Let's see....went to our neighbor's yesterday for a birthday party for her 90 year-old mother! Lots of family and friends were there....including the couple that used to own our house. They built it and raised three kids here. Obviously they are very proud of this house. We learned a few more tidbits of the history behind it...like how the fireplace in the family room is built like some down in Virginia (I think?) with two extra rows of bricks to keep the witches (!) away! And how some of his students stole a graveyard ornament and gave it to him (! Claims they couldn't find the grave it belonged to)....

Also, of course, watched some of the ND game and saw them sloppily beat Washington.

I take my National Boards this week. Wish me luck. Haven't been too good at studying but I figure that going to work each day is like studying. Dr. J is going to be out of town this week....ugh...I'm a bit nervous about that!!! OK---off to swim at the pool. My goal is to start exercising more now! especially since I"m retired from Ultimate!

Random tidbits

Out walking the dog in The Res last night (the small woods across the street from our house). I take two laps through and it only takes about 20-25 min. I've been craving a nice hour long walk in a fall woods lately. I asked a friend at work the other day about suggestions of where to go around here. Her response: "Go to Michigan".

During my walk I had an overwhelming craving (nostalgia?) for eating fresh peaches and real cream with sugar sprinkled on top. I remember eating this when I was a kid up at the cabin during August. Sitting at the kitchen table,probably in my swim suit with a towel wrapped around my waist and my hair still wet from a swim, reading Archie comics, and eating out of one of those little old white bowls.....Man...that was the life!

I think I'm starting to understand.........

First ND home game was this weekend and C and I didn't quite know what to expect. We got there at about 11:30 because we weren't sure how parking would be. A quick $10 down and we got a spot in a yard near campus. A yard a bit closer to the field was getting $30! The whole campus was full of students, families, alumni, and lots of energy. Everyone was wearing their ND gear. Barbeque stands all over--many done by student groups to raise money. We picked the Environmental Group stand because they had veggie burgers (a very good one!) versus the Ballroom Dancing club (nothing veggie). The game didn't start until 2:30, so we had more than enough time to walk around and experience the traditions. The Marching Band put on a concert and I decided that Marching Bands are kind of fun---if you were part of the percussion section. Something about the drums! Finally it was time to find our way to our seats. We are behind one of the endzones. Not great, but not too bad. The worst thing was that the seats are just thin wooden slabs and people are packed in like sardines. This stadium was made when the average American adult was about 50 lbs smaller than they are now! It was pretty warm, too, so the first half was a bit uncomfortable. C went and got more water and and an lemon icy for us to share during half and the sun wasn't so warm in the 2nd half. The whole 2nd half was so tense that I didn't notice how packed in we were. It was an exhausting experience....final score 44-41 bad guys! Overtime, too! C and I finally made it home by 8:30 and the only thing that sounded good for dinner for both of us was Mac and Cheese (this trend of mine is a bit disturbing). We were both asleep by about 9:45pm!!! Wow! Now I understand why this is such a big deal to ND students, alumni, etc. I now appreciate it, too. Living in SB/Mish where there really is NOT MUCH GOING ON and then 6 weekends of the year 80,000+ people descend onto the town for a weekend is pretty exciting. Anyone want to come down for the next home game???? 

Sorry---more dog stuff

You have to check out Maggie on the petrefuge website. She is listed as the 2nd "success story" on the front page. Also, there are some really cute pictures on the Pets Connect website of the 7 puppies and Mom from a photo shoot they did. Also, look at the extra pictures for Billy the Basset Hound. Get a load of those ears! They really have great pictures on this website.

I really can't keep up with Hobbled Runner in blogging. Sorry.....

Guess the big news is that I quit one of my jobs so I'm down to just one job. And I didn't barf this morning! Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Check out the Notre Dame football game this weekend. Chris and I will be there. Somewhere behind one of the endzones.

Maggie's Adventures

MAGGIE SAYS: "LOOK WHAT I DID TO THE GARAGE"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Early morning humor

The alarm clock had been set early for Friday and Saturday morning. The alarm clock is on the Husband's side of the bed and he forgot to turn it off last night. I am always quite amused by his inability to comprehend and navigate the clock radio in the wee hours of the morning (say 6 or 7 am). Inevitibly he hits the "nap" button or something and about 20 minutes later the harsh "beep, beep, beep" goes off. This morning he was making quite a racket trying to change the settings after the "music" went off for the first time and I asked what he was doing....after he said "I'm resetting it" I said "IT'S SUNDAY....we don't need to get up!" I'm glad I can find humor in all of this...more importantly I'm glad I can fall back asleep after all that commotion!

Out of Indiana!

The husband had a "new faculty" retreat Friday and Saturday up in New Buffalo, MI, a little lakeside resort town. Because I worked Friday morning (probably could have gotten out of it) and the dog, I didn't go up Friday and he came home that night. I did, however, jump at the chance to go along for the Sat. morning session. YIPEE!!!!!! a morning out of Indiana near Lake Michigan. It was only about 50 minutes away....good to know...and it was funny how the scenery suddenly seemed more lovely the minute we crossed the border. It was a much needed morning away and I even enjoyed the discussion amongst the new faculty about "Research at a Catholic University".

Another dog story

I liked this story about the Bau House Cafe in Seoul, South Korea that I heard on NPR this morning...

Me and Lance

Yeah....Lance Armstrong and I have a lot in common. We both were on sports teams named POSTAL and wore yellow jerseys. We're the same age. We know more about chemotherapy drugs than the common person (more than we both really would like to know). AND we've both picked this summer as the end of our big sporting career. He finished out with his 7th win in the Tour de France and I finished out playing with the team that won the South Bend Ultimate frisbee summer league tournament this past Saturday. UNLIKE Lance, however, I've not really been at the top of my game for the last couple years. Oh sure, I'll still play pick-up...but I don't think I want to play tournaments anymore where we play 5 games on hot and humid summer days. The legs just can't take it....because we all know I'm not 15 anymore!