Lions and Pirates and Bears, oh my!

 


Someone is 7 weeks old today!!!! 

Give the cat a bath

Saw this article in the SBTribune today about bathing cats.
Go to this link and see pictures of cats getting a bath! Can't say I want to try this with our cat, Mao. Sounds like a recipe for a trip to the ER to me!!!

Better start training!

I know Talk like a Pirate Day isn't until September 19th, but it's never too early to start practicing!!!!!!!!!!

Dogs and Shoes

Had a visit from "Aunty Assistant Prof. H" (AAPH) yesterday. She had two reasons to visit. #1 The Little Guy (of course) and #2 Running Shoes. She had found this specialtyrunning shoe store that looked promising. See, she has super thin and long feet...tough to fit. This store lived up to its expectations and AAPH got royal treatment by the manager and we got her into a nice pair of new running shoes. He even made her run outside in the parking lot so he could evaluate her run. The other cool thing about the store was that they had two dogs in there. Cute dogs. One looked like a big shaggy dust mop. Turns out it was an 8-month old golden-doodle. Mix of a red poodle and a 55 lb golden. He looked kind of like one of these dogs...but very red. He was cute

Also, the parents were here visiting last week. Cooking, doing yard work, holding "little guy", etc. They wouldn't stay with us, but instead chose to stay at the Country Inn and Suites a few miles away. They were happy with the place, but I noted this article about the hotel having a carbon monoxide leak this morning in the SBTribune. Good thing they decided to leave on Friday!!!

Gym class

I don't know whyI was thinking about my old gym classes. Perhaps all the news about obesity in kids and the lack of physical activity at school these days.

But when I think back on what we did I don't know how much that helped us in keeping trim. I remember having to do square dancing....a lot...and the boys didn't want to hold our hands. And that dumb parachute game with the ball in the middle. Dodge ball...a little bit. And in high school we had multiple units of golf!!!!!!! yuck! Floor hockey in middle school. That's about all I can remember....

RELAX!!!

  

Reaction to the current political climate

  

What's Isaac thinking?

I've been reprimanded by more than one person that I haven't updated my blog in awhile. well, I've been a bit busy! Thought i'd let you guys do the work and give this photo a caption!

Little Mr. Hulk....circa 1975

  
Please note the vampire teeth....

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.