Newt's Muse

light at the end............

2010-08-19T20:44:00.002-06:00

Well, after 4 weeks of travel for work the hubster is coming home on Saturday. I didn't know it was possible to miss someone so much. I have carried on just fine and accomplished a good deal of "stuff" while he was gone. But life just isn't the same. He's my best friend, the person I laugh with, share my day, my thoughts, my dreams with. He's the one I turn to when I am happy, sad, angry...........I know that I am lucky to be married to my best friend. I have girlfriends, don't get me wrong, and I love them dearly, it's just different with him. I guess because I share my life with him so completely.

I think this is the longest amount of time we have been apart in 12 years. We came close at 3 weeks when I was in Europe for work, but this is 4 and it's been way too long. He was only expecting to be gone less than two. Neither of us was prepared for him to be on this extended trip.

I have plenty to do that will keep me busy between now and then which is good. I really don't want to climb the walls for the next day and a half.

Switching completely, my little man is sleeping on the couch and he has to be running in his dreams. His little legs are just kicking like crazy. For those of you that remember me always talking about Caleb, he's our most skittish dog. The one that really doesn't know if trusting a human is a good idea. But in the four years we have had him he has made amazing progress.
He is so attached to us. He sticks to us closely and loves to be part of our family. He has even decided that snuggling with mom on the couch is ok. I can now get him to jump up into my lap. It's huge for him. He's become so loveable and playful. We get such a kick out of all the goofy things he likes to do. Every morning he and I play fetch. He's finally gotten to the point where he will bring the balls back to me so I can throw them again. He's gone from one messed up little dude to a total love sponge. It's awesome.

Lily is the other half of the adoption duo. And she is my princess. She's gotten to be so social and such a little love that our friend Kel has told us several times she plans to steal her. And to think when we got her she hid under the coffee table and barked non-stop at strangers. And if they got up and moved anywhere in the house she would charge them and try to bite their ankle. Yes, I am ashamed to admit, for a while there, I had an ankle biter. She has a small mouth, she can't really do any damage. And she never got more than pant cuff anyway. But those days are far behind her. Now she is social and loveable. Actually she has become something of an attention whore. She'll cuddle with anyone now a days.

Max and Sophie continue to be amazing dogs as well. Sophie is still the toddler that hubster and I adore. She makes us laugh so much. Not too long ago we imagined what she would be like if she was a human child. Weird, maybe, but it was the funniest conversation we have had in ages.
And when we told our friends about it they agreed 100%. They said that she would totally do those things.

Well, it's past my bedtime. Sadly, that is 10pm. Age will do that to you.

Today was my birthday and it was a good one.

A Most Wonderful Weekend

2010-07-26T15:25:00.006-06:00

We had a perfect weekend.

First, we went up to the lake. We pretty much just relaxed. Read a lot and watched a movie we gave up on half way through. Inglorious Bastards. It was too slow. And we got bored.

But we did take some time to do some portraits together. We had a great time. The weather was perfect. And the rain held off till we were done!

This was our favorite one.

When we got home we started to get Hubster ready for his trip to Ireland (still jealous) and then we went off to see Boy J and his new Baby G. Isn't she just the cutest lil peanut!

We also got caught up on some of our favorite shows. Eureka, Dr. Who, Being Human.

Now I am sitting in a very empty house missing the hubster way too much. He just left 3 hours ago. Sigh................I am quite pathetic.............

What the???

2010-07-23T12:04:00.002-06:00

On the way home from work we had to stop by Target. As we were driving past Lowes we noticed a tow truck, a police car, a group of people standing around, and a car with it's front right tire up on a rather large landscape boulder.

How do you turn into a driveway, immediately jump a curb, and manage to put the front of your car up on a boulder?

We would love to know the story..................

11 and still hugging

2010-07-22T14:57:00.003-06:00

Hubster and I celebrated 11 years as hubster and wife last month. Of course we went to Mama Maria's in Hudson Wisconsin to celebrate.

I am thankful for all the wonderful things we still are.

We still hold hands
kiss each other good night
call each other to say I love you
save messages just to hear the other's voice
email each other for no reason but to say Hi
laugh together
support each other
work together on projects
work together to make decisions
play

I'm a lucky girl and he tells me he's a lucky guy.

And we are thankful for every day we spend together.

Sum up

2010-07-20T08:16:00.002-06:00

So, it's been a while, here's a quick recap:

All the dogs are great. Lily and Caleb are awesome. I even get Caleb to jump in my lap and snuggle now. They are far more social and accepting of strangers. When our friends come to the cabin they will hang out with them, snuggle in bed, and cuddle on the couch with them.

The cats are all doing just as well............

The hubster is at a new job as of this spring. He's enjoying the new opportunities. And is in fact headed for Ireland for two weeks. I am quite jealous...

Last fall I had the opportunity to travel to Spain, Italy, and Germany. It was a dream come true.

We continue to enjoy life in Minnesota as well as our lake house in Wisconsin. Up at the lake we have a bald eagle that lives on or near our lake, and we have spotted the black bear that we were told lived on or near our land.

We also have a family of Loons on the lake. Mom, Dad, and baby happily swim around all day long.

The list of books I have read is much longer. But the list of books I want to read is still even longer. My newest author that I adore is Brandon Sanderson. He's been hired to finish the Robert Jordan series and deservedly so. He's fantastic. I have gotten three other people completely hooked on his stories.

My family is all well. My friend Boy J recently became a father. His baby girl Grace was born on July 3rd. And we are so very happy for him.

For better or for worse life has been wonderfully, peacefully quiet during the hiatus from blogging.

I have of course added to the shoe collection. Would you expect anything less?

That's about all for now. Happiness to you all.

Catching up

2010-07-19T08:40:00.002-06:00

I realized over the weekend that I miss blogging. It's been too long.

I haven't been up to much but the usual. Work, puppies, the lake.........

I have decided to enter a photograph in our fine arts show at the fair. I only have a 1 in 10 chance of being selected for the exhibit but you never know till you try.

It was an interesting process to choose the photograph. I sent the photos to my parents as well as a few friends and asked them to pick their favorite. Everyone picked something different. So I expanded my viewers. I narrowed down the choices to the favorites and then printed them so that the next group of people had the actual photos. Two of the people I asked were avid photographers themselves. Their feedback was very helpful but also a little difficult. They were my first true critics of my work. They were very supportive and they gave me great feedback. But it was also a little humbling.

I have the photograph chosen so the next step is framing. I found what I hope to be the perfect frame so now it is a question of matte, no matte, etc................

Regardless of how this turns out I am so glad I did this. I put myself out there like I never have before. And I feel like I can be a better photographer for it.

Much like any target shooting I have to learn to breathe, I have to learn to be patient. Quantity is not always quality.

I recently took family photos for some close friends of ours. I got some great shots but I know I could have done better. I learned a lot of things about my style when I reviewed the shots. And I know I need to work on my staging. I don't do a good job of taking my time and waiting for the perfect framed shot. I just shoot like crazy and hope that one of the shots is a good one. That for a good photographer it does not make.

A few of the photographs that I am not entering for the fair I am going to submit to the Smithsonian photo contest.

More to come......................

Pitching anxiety

2009-01-02T09:29:00.003-06:00

I am a collector. My parents are collectors. And we attach sentimental value to everything that touches our lives.

Proof of this hoarding habit became all too apparent when I decided to start cleaning out the attic.

I had major anxiety. Still do.

10 tall kitchen garbage bags worth of clothes are waiting in the garage to be donated to Joseph's Coat in St. Paul.

5 bags of garbage are piled in the garage to go out on Tuesday.

And I have been using a paper bag to keep my breathing steady.

Why so much anxiety?

I think part of it is that all those little mementos remind me of my life. They let me know that I have lived. That I have been places and done things. That other lives intersected with mine and we shared something together.

Some of the things that I found:

8 track tapes of the Flashdance soundtrack, Air Supply, Kenny Rogers, The Turtles.
A Rubik's cube with scenes from the movie ET
Empire Strikes Back trading cards
ET trading cards
A stuffed Gizmo
Peace Frogs t-shirts and bumper stickers
The napkin from Patrick's something or other in New Orleans
Subway token from my 1988 trip to New York for college
Bullet casing from when I learned to fire a rifle at the range
Richard Scary books I had when I was a little girl
A raggedy Anne doll that looked more Raggedy than Anne
My Brownie guidebook and badge book
The medals I earned from the Reading Olympics
My old wedding ring
A Chevron collectible car
Beanie Baby happy meal toys
Darth Vader case for Star Wars figures
Dagoba play set
A gun for one of the Star Wars figures.
An R2D2 and C3PO necklace
The sign for my high school locker that said "Tater Tot"
A Doll with a stuffed body and hard plastic head
The sweatshirt I colored on the drive from California to Michigan 1977 which lists each state we drove through and a pictorial representation of that state.
Keychains
My sticker collection
A unicorn pillow
The bandanna a roommate brought back from Japan Disney
The jade horse my dad got me when he was in Spain
The bells we put on our shoes to greet my dad at the airport

I didn't throw it all out. I couldn't. Ok, the 8-tracks went into the garbage. As did some of the above stuff.

I also collected a bunch of stuff to take up to the cabin. Kitchen things we can use up there.
Mugs, bowls, measuring cups, etc........

I don't need to have the stuff. I don't use so much of it. But I am not ready to part with it all either.

It is silly. They are just things.

Ultimately I know the only things in my life that really matter are my pets, my husband, and our health.

And I really could walk away from it all. But to make the permanent break when I don't have to I am just not read for.

One of these days it will happen. A little at a time. Maybe a year from now I'll do the same thing and chuck even more.

It really does feel good to get rid of things I will never use/wear/read.

Baby steps.....................

Happy Winter Solstice

2008-12-19T09:26:00.003-06:00

Hey there everybody.

December 21st is my absolute favorite day of the year. Why you ask? Why does Newt go out and dance around a bonfire and worship mother nature?

Cause from then on out the days get longer. The sun shines just a little bit longer and hope springs eternal.

In honor of it being lazy winter days. And even more importantly, in honor of the ASPCA and all the wonderful things it does I have decided to start another walk-a-thon. Yep, that's right.

Allow me to introduce to you "Paws of Promise"

Much like with MS and Feets of Fancy this summer I will walk and walk and walk all season long.

I realize that the purse strings are tight for everyone so if you can't donate money contact your local shelter and see what supplies they need. Even old blankets and towels are helpful donations for a shelter. Or pick up a few things for dogs/cats at the dollar spot at Target. Leashes and collars and toys are always needed. They also need volunteers. I don't know of a shelter that doesn't need folks to come over and walk a few dogs.

But if you can donate, now through the end of the year there is a challenge grant and every dollar donated gets doubled. How cool is that????

I will update weekly on progress. I will not be tracking donations as I just put a direct link to the ASPCA on the site so that they can get credit for the challenge grant.

If you want to comment and leave what you did that would be awesome. I'll post the list on the blog page. My goal is to have things like: Donated cash, donated time, donated collars, donated blankets on the sidebar.

Thanks everyone! Happy Winter Solstice. Spring is just around the corner!

Best of 2008 - oops I totally forgot

2008-12-15T11:32:00.002-06:00

I totally forgot this when I did my 2008 best of.

Best Album in 2008

It's a tie, I can't pick between them:

One Republic

From Newt's Muse

Mat Kearney

From Newt's Muse

Not much else for a Monday. I am working from home today. Today's windchill is minus 30. Yes, that's right! MINUS 30. The actual air temp might get up to 0 today. Oh happy joy joy.

Over the weekend I baked sugar cookies. When I was a kid my mom made batches every year for the neighbors as a holiday gift.

We only got to eat the burned or broken ones.

I made a few cookie sheets worth that were nice and golden brown. They didn't taste right so I burned the next batch. Ahhh, that's more like it.

Hubster came in to the kitchen "Uh, forgot to set the timer hon?"

I replied with "Nope, just used to them that way"

he didn't get it.

Anyone else only get to eat the burned and broken cookies?

No swearing and no one died.................

2008-12-14T08:35:00.002-06:00

So, along with a relationship/marriage comes the art of dealing with difficult situations. If any of you are like hubster and I we tend to get a little cranky at each other while trying to complete big projects, heavy lifting, etc.

Problem solving tends to be done with a little snapping and snarling.

I was amazed at how well we managed to deal with getting the couch into the living room.

First we had to take the topper off the truck. This thing is heavy. Too heavy. And it gets heavier the older we get.

It's probably upwards of 18o pounds. And big and awkward to try to maneuver. And even though we have a pretty good system to remove it from the truck I still managed to hurt myself. I still don't know how I did it but the topper started to tilt and I think it took part of the palm of my hand with it while the rest of my hand remained upright. Basically my thumb and wrist went completely numb. Which made it interesting to try to get the thing down on the ground. Somehow though we managed.

We ran a few errands including stopping at Trader Joes for some fresh bread and wine. Their 3 buck chuck now is available in White Zin. Pretty good too. Most excellent with cheese and crackers.

Ok, so we got the couch without a hitch. A nice gentleman helped us load it in the truck.

We pull up to the curb, the hubster had already removed the door stopper/slider thingy from the screen. We bunjee'd the storm door open and we were set to move the couch. Damn, it looked awfully big for our tiny doorway. And it was wrapped in all sorts of protective stuff. Wrapped so well you really couldn't hold on to anything. So we basically carried the couch by the plastic. Wad some up in our fists and lug it to the door.

Which of course it wouldn't fit through. Ok, back up a bit and take off the couch legs. No problem. Then we get it 2/3 of the way in but it got wedged because of all the cardboard protection on the one side (this end up). No biggie, hubster goes out the back door and comes around the front. I go around to the back door and appear inside the front door. Push, shove, push, shove, angle, tilt, push, shove and whoosh, the couch is in the living room. Hurray!

We remove all the packaging, put the legs back on and there you have it, a nice couch. Lay the blankets on it. I sit down and up comes Sophie, Lily and Caleb. Yes, Caleb had his little front paws on my knee and he wanted pets. (that is the true reason we got a couch - Caleb is braver on a couch).

Ok, so we take all the packaging material and bring it out to the garage for Tuesday's garbage. Then, sigh.........we have to put the topper back on.

My hand has recovered somewhat. I now have minimal feeling back in my whole hand. But there is a nice dark bruised area.

Getting the topper on is actually easier than getting it off. I was able to keep the majority of my share of the weight on my good hand. When the hubster needed me to lift higher I ended up having to use my shoulder because my hand just couldn't do it. But, we got it up and on.

A few advils and some ice and all was mended shortly there after.

Today it hurts like the dickens but I can make a fist and there is strength back in my hand.

So no biggie. And we never once swore or yelled at one another.

After this last incident though hubster has decided he is going to put up a pully system in the garage so we can raise and lower the topper easier. Without so much reliance on our own strength.

Best of 2008

2008-12-11T11:16:00.008-06:00

The best of 2008 according to Newt:

Best Book: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Best Movie: P.S. I Love You

Best WWC Photos:
Or should I say My favorites:
I couldn't pick just one.
Bright:

From Newt's Muse

Espieglerie

From Newt's Muse

Peek

From WWC Dirty and Peek-a-boo

a-Boo

From WWC Dirty and Peek-a-boo

Best new thing in my life for 2008:

From Newt's Place

Though I should say that having my job still at the end of 2008 is pretty incredible as well given the current economy.

Most exciting thing to happen to me in 2008:

MEETING TINK!

Best new food discovery for 2008:

Trader Joes frozen dinner: Gnocchi with Gorgonzola cheese

Best TV show in 2008: Primeval

From Newt's Muse

Favorite shoes for 2008:

From Newt's Muse

The older I get

2008-12-10T13:37:00.002-06:00

The older I get:

The less patient I have become with the younger generations.
The less time I can take to wait to pee
The more set I have become on what I like and dislike
The more willing I am to try new things
I watch less television
The more I read
The more I cherish time with family
The more I cherish the peace and quiet in just petting my dog
The more I look forward to retirement
The fact that I am even thinking about retirement
The more I wish I had invested in my 401k's at a younger age
The more seriously I would have taken school
The more I am thankful for how my parents raised me
The more my parents become my friend
The more my parents friends become people I want to spend time with
The younger 20 somethings start to look
The more I appreciate a nice glass of wine
The more important comfort becomes when picking clothing
The less I worry about what other people think
The less time I spend worrying about how clean my house is
The more time I spend just being with the hubster
The louder the music seems
The dumber the young people of this world seem to be
Or is that just more innocent?
Or inexperienced?
The more I look for timelessness vs. trendy
The more I appreciate the arts

WWC stuff, and one of my weirdest dreams yet

2008-12-09T09:01:00.006-06:00

Mature

sending out Christmas cards

Immature

or young at heart
Mature

Immature

Reason to love living in Minnesota #5: Life here is like living in our own little snow globe.

I can't take credit for that one. One of the hosts on NPR said that last night and I loved it.

Naughty Monkey of the day:

Newt on Entertainment:

We finally got to see Iron Man - not bad. I enjoyed it. But I think my expectations were too high. Downey did a great job. I love his screen presence.

We also are about half way through Hellboy 2. We LOVED the first one. We have it on DVD and we watch it somewhat regularly. But 2 so far is a big disappointment. It's as if the actors were so uninspired by this film that they just went through the motions and didn't care. Maybe the second half is better???

Random Newt:

Last night I had a dream that I was at a work event. It was a dinner and concert and other things. Anywhoodle, one of my co-workers, who looked like a cross between Keith Richards and Steven Tyler had really cool tattoos and was a ghost (go figure on that little addition). And he could change the tattoos at will. (I guess it pays to be a ghost). I kept naming off things and he would change his tattoos to match. I told him Hello Kitty and he changed his tattoos to be a giant claw with scratches all down his chest. I guess he went "Bad Ass" Hello Kitty. He also did this naked.

So, anyone want to analyze THAT one? Cause I woke up thinking I might need some couch time with a shrink.

Butts in seats

2008-12-07T17:56:00.005-06:00

Hubster and I went to Hom furniture on Sunday. This summer we took our three legged couch (the fourth leg was 2 2x4's) up to the cabin. So since June we have only had two chairs and a rocker in the living room. Which has been fine since we are anti-social and don't ever have company. However we discovered that a couch is more than just butt in seat space. You can snuggle on a couch, lie down on a couch, stretch out on a couch. So we have been thinking about getting a couch but it wasn't something we felt a big need for. This morning the hubster found himself sitting on the floor reading his paper because the kids were all sleeping in puppy/kitty piles on the chairs. Ok, so we could have told them to get down but they looked so cute and were sleeping so nicely.

Thus while we were out running a few errands we decided to check out couches. Couches on sale plus an additional 10% off. Well, why not? So the hubster and I started looking at leather. Then we went on to fabric. We decided to stick with leather since the animal hair will stick to fabric like glue. We put our butts in a lot of seats. It was fun trying to figure out what mattered to both of us. This was a first for us. We had never couch/chair shopped together before.

We learned a ton of things about leather couches from Joe the fantastic salesman. Seriously, if you are local, go see Joe at Hom Furniture in Woodbury. He's the bomb. (Email me if you want his last name) We had a pleasant experience and he was very helpful. We were just about decided on a couch when he came over and told us that he didn't think the couch was the best choice for us because the type of leather it was. It was a fantastic nubuck leather, gorgeous color, soft, warm, and totally comfortable. But, he said with animals we would honestly not be happy with how the couch would look in a few months. Nubuck leather apparently turns darker when it gets wet and the dark never goes away. And since dogs like to lick, which ours do, we would probably have dark spots really quickly.

Ok, one down, 4 left. Two were recliners and two were regular. The difference in price would be an additional 400 or 700 bucks if we went recliner.

So, since we were getting serious about this couch thing I had to get serious about picking one out. So off went the boots. And a sock footed Newt went PLOP. I always curl up on a couch while the hubster likes to sit with his feet on the floor. Couch 1: Not very good curl up comfort. Couch 2: Perfect. Hubster thought it was adorable that I was now running around the store in my socks trying out couches.

We are now down to 3. So, sitting on couch 2 we discussed the pros and cons of getting a recliner. Pro: Comfort comfort comfort. Con: Comfort (we'd never go back to work), distance we would have to put it from the window/curtains thus taking away already limited living room space, cats could crawl under couch and get stuck. Another point we thought about was at 4-7oo bucks difference we could actually buy a couple single recliners. Especially since Hom does a lot of Buy 1 get one free recliner chair sales. So, sitting quietly on the comfortable couch we decided quite logically and agreeably to go for Couch 2.

So, let me introduce you to our new couch:

Trainwrecks

2008-12-06T16:55:00.004-06:00

Also known as Movies on Cable that you watch no matter how many times you have seen them, where you are in the movie when you flip to it, whether or not you have it on DVD.

12 Monkeys
While You Were Sleeping
Italian Job
Breakfast at Tiffany's
North by Northwest
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Spiderman
X-men
13th Warrior
Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Snatch
Notting Hill
Men in Black
V for Vendetta
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Timeline
Rear Window
Young Frankenstein
Abyss
Princess Bride

And many more I can't think of

WWC and Stuff

2008-12-03T15:09:00.008-06:00

Thanks

Thanks Honey for the cool shoes!

Ok, this is probably not in the "spirit" of the intended words for WWC but you have to admit they are some sexy shoes :-)

ABUNDANCE
There is an abundance of love and cuteness in my house and I give THANKS for that every day.

(Ha! See, I can redeem my selfish "thanks")

Speaking of an abundance of Love in my house. My hubster sent me an email the other night.

It had a link to a video and lyrics to a song. We've been married 9 1/2 years and he still manages to take my breath away.

There's something that I can't quite explain

I'm so in love with you

You'll never take that away

And if I've said it a hundred times before

Expect a thousand more

You'll never take that away

So expect me to be

Calling you to see

If you're okay when I'm not around

Asking if you love me

I love the way you make it sound

Calling you to see

Do I try too hard to make you smile?

To make a smile

[Chorus]

I will keep calling you to see

If you're sleeping, are you dreaming

If you're dreaming, are you dreaming of me

I can't believe you actually picked me

I thought that the world had lost it's sway(It's so hard sometimes)

Then I fell in love with you(Then came you)

And you took that away

It's not so difficult

The world is not so difficult

You take away the old

Show me the new

And I feel like I can fly when I stand next to you

So while I'm on this phone

A hundred miles from home

I'll take the words you gave me and send them back to you

I only want to see

If you're okay when I'm not around

Asking if you love me

I love the way you make it sound

Calling you to see

Do I try too hard to make you smile?

To make a smile

Turkey Coma and Humble adventuring

2008-12-01T09:37:00.003-06:00

Ok, so a turkey coma is no big surprise after Thanksgiving.

My darling and wonderful sister-in-law made a chocolate pecan pie.

Need I tell you I died and went to heaven after the first bite?

We braved the crowds on Friday to go to Target to get an X-box. And then we went to several other stores. We bought a case of assorted wines from Trader Joes, I got some sexy shoes at DSW. We bought some tools at Northern Equipment. And we got some munchies at World Market. All in all a fun and selfish day together.

We spent the rest of the weekend swearing and yelling and wondering how a game designed for kids was completely defeating us.

It's a very humbling experience.

But Lego Indiana Jones is a fun game.

We also got the Kung Fu panda game - the name is escaping me. That game is also super fun. However it made me sick. Too much camera motion leads to vertigo.

Oh well. I'll play it in very short bursts.

We have a very good friend coming to stay with us tonight.

So we did clean up the house a bit.

Good excuse to pause the game when we were getting too frustrated.

I also braved Mall of America on Saturday night to get Hubster a light from Sears that he liked.
And to use my free undies coupon at Victoria Secret. Black cotton boy shorts.

Don't let anyone tell you the economy is suffering THAT badly. Holy crap. There were more shoppers at MOA than there was space to walk.

And MOA didn't have the door busting sales that the big box retailers had.

The line at Old Navy was probably 50 people deep.

Initial reports say that retail sales were better than last year.

No shit.

We could have told them that at 6:15 Friday morning.

Considering one guy said his brother works for Best Buy and they had hundreds of people camped out on Thursday afternoon in front of the store.

Who does that?

Seriously?

Anywhoodle, it was a great long weekend. We had fun together. The puppies were besides themselves with glee having us home so long.

And they thought the snow we had on Sunday morning was AWESOME!

Only about a quarter of an inch but hey, they were happy pups.

Giving Thanks

2008-11-26T12:16:00.003-06:00

I am thankful for (in no particular order):

My family
My dad calling me every day just to chat
My love of reading
My job
That I love my job
Having the Hubster in my life
Lily
Caleb
Sophie
Max
Hobbes
Tinker
Cassie
Socs
The shelters that rescued them and let us take them home
Max the bird
My camera that let's me capture those special moments in my life
A roof over our heads
A cabin by the lake
Warm food on the table
Heat in my home
Gas in my car
A car that runs well
The chance to go to Florida
The opportunity to meet Tink
All the Homebloy bloggers out there
The friends I have made from blogging
The Simpsons for always making me laugh
Our friends
Our health
Our happiness
Our contentment

WWC at Castillo de San Marcos

2008-11-24T16:08:00.008-06:00

Today's pictures and yesterday's picture of the day were taken at Castillo de San Marcos in Saint Augustine Florida.

This picture would have been a PERFECT canon firing shot but it is blurry so it is FLAWED

Flag that flies at the entranceEntrance guard

Walls of the Castillo are very cool

We had fun wandering around the monument grounds and even took some time to relax on the wall that runs along the water. We read our books in the sun with the water lapping at our feet. It was fabulous. The picture below I took when I looked up from our little spot and thought what a cool image it was. The monument is right behind and to the right of this tree. But looking at it from our perspective made it look like this tree was in an endless grassy field.

Monday Mania

2008-11-24T07:38:00.004-06:00

Reason to love living in Minnesota #4:

The other morning I let the dogs out. One of them started barking so I leaned out to tell them to be quiet. The wind blew and my freshly showered wet hair froze to the door frame. Only in Minnesota can your head actually get stuck to your house!

Ok, so some of you might see that as a reason not to live in MN but personally, I find it kinda funny and kinda cool.

Naughty Monkey of the day:

Newt Photo of the day:

Puppy Talk for the day:

Hubster brought in a pile of towels and linens he had forgotten in his truck from back when he closed up the cabin. He threw them on the floor in the living room intending to wash them when i was done with my laundry. Sophie and Lily informed us otherwise and turned the pile into their own little puppy beds.

Newt on Entertainment:

I am watching a movie called YPF (Young People F'ing) I'll let you know how it was tomorrow.

Random Newt:

I have had a cold for over a week now. Which is getting a tad annoying. I got so desperate that I bought a tub of vic's vapo rub. I forgot how much I love that stuff. I haven't used it since I was a kid. But man does it work. It helped to calm my cough and made it easier to breathe. I'm not sure why I filed it away as a childhood remedy. But from now on there will always be some in the house ready for use the next time a cold starts to come on.

Damn Itunes

2008-11-22T13:36:00.004-06:00

I got sucked into the stupid ITunes void this morning. I only wanted one song. But then I browsed. And found 20. And then, to make matters worse I sampled a bunch of songs in the top download list. And I liked a singers voice. So I checked him out. And I liked his whole album.

New Music pick: Gavin Rossdale (from the band Bush)

So 30 bucks later I am still waiting for all the downloading to finish.

Sigh.................

My Ipod is my greatest friend and my pocket books worse enemy.

Actually, all told I haven't been too naughty.

I have had my Ipod for several years now and I have downloaded less than 100 songs. Not including the U2 collection my Ipod came with.

I have over 2000 songs on my Ipod. You would think that would be enough.

But obviously it's not.

But then again, everyone needs Katy Perry's "I kissed a girl" on their Ipod.

Did I tell you I saw her at the Viper Room in LA? She was fantastic.

What have you downloaded lately? Dare I say it..........I'm always up for wonderful new music.

Friday Fantasy

2008-11-20T19:50:00.003-06:00

Let's see,

A long weekend curled up on the couch under a big fluffy blanket with a good book

Taking a little time out for some hot lov'n with the hubby

A cup of hot cocoa

A puppy snoring in my lap

Some kind of yummy hot dish cooking in the oven

Do you say casserole or hot dish? Or something else?

Back to fantasy...............

A new years eve spent with all the bloggers I love

How cool of a party would that be?

I think we would all see it through a camera lens though

it would be a very interesting WWC that next week

Especially the one with Jay dancing in his boxers on the table

Just seeing if you are paying attention

But I digress.

What's your fantasy?

Thursday Newt

2008-11-20T07:27:00.002-06:00

Reason to love living in Minnesota #3:
The little towns that pop up on the lakes during winter. All the ice fishing huts erected on the lakes start to look like small villages.

Naughty Monkey of the day:

Newt Photo of the day:
Looking up outside a church in downtown St. Augustine

Puppy Talk for the day:

Lily slept curled up in my lap last night for several hours. She usually doesn't stay that long. And if I stopped petting her she would look up at me sleepily, with eyes half closed, and stare at me till I started petting her again. Then the head would drop back down and the snoring would commence.

Newt on Entertainment:

Hubster and I watched Bladerunner last night. For a while the only version you could get was the "director's cut" which we didn't like. But now they have a DVD out that has the original theatrical release, the original international release, and the directors cut. Personally we loved the Harrison Ford voice overs.

Random Newt:

I listen to a lot of classical music. I am amazed at how many times Bugs Bunny cartoons run around in my head while I listen.

Wait..........What?............

2008-11-19T11:22:00.006-06:00

The holidays are coming!

Holy crap!

The holidays are coming!

Where did the year go?

Anyone know?

Reason to love living in Minnesota #2:

Mama Maria's - best Italian food in the world. Ok, so it's in Wisconsin, but it's right across the river. It still counts. We got engaged there. We go there every year for our anniversary. And when Mom and Dad come to town they make that one of the must stop at places.

Naughty Monkey of the Day:

Newt Photo of the Day:

Puppy Talk for the Day:

We have to give our kitty Socs wet food. So every morning after I get his bowl ready I call in Caleb to lick the spoon clean. (He's our skinniest dog) This morning I turned around to call him into the kitchen and he was already standing right behind me waiting for his treat.

Newt on Entertainment:

I just started a new book. It's actually the 5th or 6th book in the Simon R. Green Deathstalker series. I love this author. His books are like putting on comfortable clothes.

I also got my co-worker hooked on Eureka. He and I were out in Dallas together to kick off training so each evening we sat down with a cold bottle of Shiner and watched an episode.

Random Newt:

This summer and fall I have had what I called my Daily Trifecta. First, in the morning while driving around an on-ramp there were these three Canada Geese always nibbling on grass. Their feathers would often reflect the colors of the rising sun and it was just a serene and beautiful scene. Secondly I would also see a turkey that I affectionately named Benny nibbling food by the side of the freeway. There are actually several wild turkeys that hang out together in that area but Benny had a broken feather that stuck out at the top of his back. So my buddy Benny was easy to spot every morning. And lastly, on the way home we had Young Hippie Surfer Dude hanging out at the freeway on-ramp holding up a sign that said "End the War" He was out there every night without fail. Holding up his sign, smiling and waving to all the cars that passed by. Wearing bermuda shorts, long sun bleached blond hair and wrap around sun glasses he looked so out of place for the prim and proper neighborhood he chose to express his views in. I adored him.

Alas, now that it is winter time my three friends are no longer around. They have gone elsewhere for the cold season. But I appreciate how much they would make me smile each and every day.

WWC and Some New Newt

2008-11-18T08:09:00.007-06:00

WWC - courtesy of vacation in Florida:

Sunset from the Public lighthouse

Sunset from the Private country club

Ok, well, after a long and painfully lonely hiatus from blogging I have decided to start a-newt. I mean, there will still be WWC and plenty of puppy talk. But I want to add a few newt things.

Like, since it's winter, how about reasons I love Minnesota. Trust me folks, for the next umpteen months I NEED reasons to love living here. Or at least remind myself why I live here.

Ok, so

Reason to Love Living in Minnesota #1:

When I go grocery shopping during fall, winter, and spring my ice cream won't melt before I get it home.

I know you love the shoe pics but I can't always get a shot of my daily shoe choice. So, I have decided to have a little day dream section to cover my non-shoe days. I call it the

Naughty Monkey of the day:

Newt Photo of the day:

And here is a picture from my vacation in Florida:

Puppy Talk for the day: This morning Lily fell asleep in my lap while I was having my coffee and reading. She had her little head resting on my chest and she was just snoring away.

Newt on Entertainment:

Finally watched Spiderman 3. Wow, was that a slow moving movie. Not bad, just painfully slow.

Reading a book I found while killing time at the airport. It's called "The City of Dreaming Books" by Walter Moers. How have I never heard of this guy before? He's brilliant!

Random Newt:

I received this as an email:

I rescued a human today

author unknown

I rescued a human today.

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels.

I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.

I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.

As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage.

I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today.

Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past.

I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me.

I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her.

Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.

A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well

Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms.

I would promise to keep her safe.

I would promise to always be by her side.

I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved.

At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.

She's Back!

2008-11-17T10:24:00.003-06:00

It's been awhile. A sad, sad, long while. I have been quite negligent in keeping up with the blogging world.

Part selfish, part crazy busy, part travel, vacation, and getting in the last moments of fall.

I hope all is well with your world.

I'll be catching up today.

I can't wait.

What have I been up to?

Work first and foremost.

We closed up our cabin last month.

That was a VERY sad day.

The most exciting news: well, I finally got to meet Tink And yes, she is as beautiful and amazing as she seems.

Even more so really in person. She's, well, she's Tink.

The pups are all doing well. They are happy and waggily tail'd as ever.

I have read lots of books. And enjoyed them all.

I've traveled to Florida and Dallas recently. And had fun in both places.

I learned that I can travel pretty easily with my BFF.

We didn't kill each other, no hair pulling, bruising or cat fights.

That's good right?

Ok, I'm off to catch up in the blog world.

Love to you all.

WWC - playing catch up

2008-10-14T06:38:00.008-06:00

Greetings from Dallas! Ok, first, at the hotel we are at, there is NOTHING plain. But there is plenty that is adorned.

Plain

I got nothing!

Adorned

Funny story this elephant. There are not enough tables and chairs for all of the conference guests to sit at so my team had breakfast leaning against this pillar on the right. And we had a lovely view of this elephants behind for scenary.

And now for some catch up!

Them

Clear and Distorted

Modern

Primitive

Bonus

2008-10-06T15:52:00.002-06:00

A Newt Dilemma:

How can I keep my job, do housework, play with my puppies, spend time with the hubster and still keep my nose in a book?

Any suggestions?

Dad made me, I repeat MADE me go out to the bookstore and buy a book called The Little Book by Selden Edwards.

He called me at least twice a day to see if I bought it yet.................

Now he calls me at least twice a day to find out where I am at in the book.

Yes, so far, it is THAT good.

I read the first 100 pages on Saturday up at the cabin. After I clean up the kitchen tonight I plan to read as many as I can. But then he has another book lined up for me that I HAVE to read. (The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski) And NOT because Oprah said to read it but because Mike said to read it.

So, please tell me, how can I be a functioning adult AND read a book non stop 24/7???

Cause I kinda want to..........................................

WWC - and bonus shots

2008-10-01T12:16:00.005-06:00

The Place we go when we don't have Time to make dinner

Tells Time
My happy Place to spend my Time
Helps me find the Place I need to go to
BONUS SHOTS

Sunrise?

Nope, building reflecting the sunrise

And, SUPER cute Caleb #1

And SUPER SUPER SUPER cute Caleb #2

Say it with me now......"Awwwwww"

Happy Autumn

2008-09-29T10:29:00.004-06:00

The shoes are back! I think this is one of my favorite pairs yet. The don't get much sassier.

So, here are some pictures of fall as it heads our way. I love this time of year because everything is still either green or turning. Nothing has died or fallen off the branches yet.

I can't wait to see how much things have changed when we head up North this coming weekend.

On the drive up to the cabin last week I saw two bald eagles on the side of the road enjoying some tasty fresh road kill. They were so beautiful. There was also a hawk enjoying dinner with them. By the time I stopped doing the "that is soooo cool" dance another car had driven past them and they had flown away. I had no time to pull over and take pictures. *sigh* but I was thinking about you all. And I decided that my one big wish is to have a camera put in my brain so I won't miss any more perfect blogging opportunities like that one.

Tomorrow: The cutest puppy picture EVER!!!!!

Walk'n for MS

2008-09-25T11:09:00.002-06:00

Summer is over *sigh*

But we raised $475.00 for MS!

Do the happy dance!

Today I made the contribution to the MS Society in honor of our blogger friend.

Donation tracking code: 1638-13181-1-2920223-2936704.

I can't get the stupid screen shot of my payment confirmation to post.

(I swear to you I made the donation)

You know how I much I respect the Karma Cow. No WAY would I lie about this one.

The dude would totally shat on my life if I was lying.

But seriously, if you want a copy of the screen shot let me know and i will email it to you.

I will also attempt to get something to load that shows proof of donation.

*update* Ha! I got it!

Insert evil laugh here

2008-09-12T13:48:00.003-06:00

Happy Friday Dance!

I'm going to hell here for this one. But I would have LOVED to have been able to add the commentary "Don't let the door hit you in the ass" when they escorted one of my co-workers out of the building yesterday.

I should feel bad but I don't. Finally, one of those people that make everyone else's life miserable actually got what was coming to them.

It got to the point that I was starting to wonder who she was sleeping with or blackmailing that allowed her to stay employed.............

Hats off to my new boss. She started a month ago. She recognized we had a very serious problem on our hands and she took care of it.

And now, my entire group will be happy people all getting along.

It's like the sun is shining again. Like a big weight has been removed from our shoulders. It's like we can breathe again.

Yes, I'm a bit callous here. I admit it. But sometimes, hey, you gotta calls em as ya sees em.

A Book that made things a little clearer

2008-09-07T15:28:00.005-06:00

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson was getting these massive write-up's and nods of awesomeness for a first time author.

Costco had it for $14.95 which I couldn't say no to.

The first 50 pages of this book are hard to read. Not because they are badly written but because of the focus of the first part of the story.

The main character is in a car accident, is trapped in his burning car, and suffers severe burns. The author goes into great detail the accident and then the initial medical care. Trust me, it's hard to get through.

At least it was for me. See, I've been there. Not the trapped in the car, or the cooked alive part. But the 3rd degree burn part. The skin graft part. And maybe, having to read it, was a little too close to home for me. But on the other hand, it made several of the things I went through make more sense. I never read up on burn treatment because I really didn't want to know any more about what happened to me. But this book sort of forced the issue. And so, now, many years later I understand a lot of the things I went through.

Thankfully, I was not burned the same way, or any where near the extent this poor character was. He's burned on like 90% of his body. Where as I just had the lower half of one leg suffer 3rd degree burns.

Anywhoodle, the book is excellent. He deserves the attention he is getting. I found myself caring about all of the main characters. And LOVING the stories that are woven throughout this book.

I had no expectations for this book. Other than curiosity. I almost gave up in the first 50 because it was so hard to stomach. But then, suddenly, we turned a corner and from then on it was sweet sweet literary music to my mind.

Last year I found a way to turn my ugly burn memory into a beautiful symbol of rebirth and survival.

This story, in and of itself is a beautiful story about life, pain, loss and love. And finding a way to be okay with who we are.

The last sentence in the book, when I reached it, was bittersweet. I didn't want the story to end. I wanted to stay with the characters a little while longer.

I still am not ready to let go.

I LOVE when books have that effect on you.

What do JFK, Roosevelt, and Nixon have in common you ask?

2008-09-03T18:41:00.006-06:00

My father recently got some pictures from his aunt that we hadn't seen before. Which lead to a story and the realization of an interesting odd habit in my family:

So, my family has had a few odd brushes with former presidents and their families.

When I was young I went to a friends beach house. While riding our bikes I managed to collide with a limo. The passenger happened to be Nixon.

But ladies and gents, that is not all.

Back in 61 my father got the chance to be a runner for the Kennedy campaign. See back then they needed people to run film to get developed. Well, my Aunt was dating a gent named W who was with the A/P. He helped my dad score the runner job. And then he got him a special pass to be out on the main floor. And then, the big score. Access to the Shrine auditorium on the night of Kennedy's acceptance speech.

So Dad was running film down a hall and managed to run into a sweet lil' ol' lady. Who just happened to be Eleanor Roosevelt. And then he had the honor of arranging all of the Kennedy children (cousins, nieces, nephews) for the big family photos.

The below photo is the one that started the conversation. From left to right, my Uncle Gary, My Father, his mother Flo (my grandma) my great grandma, W, and my great grandfather.

My aunt and W parted ways and shortly after she met my uncle G. They had 62 years of beautiful loving bliss together. On the night of the Kennedy acceptance speech W told my dad his biggest mistake in life was not marrying my aunt. Dad wasn't sure what happened to W but he was a good man who hopefully found true love.

Dad said that he spent a great deal of his childhood with my great grandparents. He said that Great Grandad was a good man. Not the typical old world Italian. He helped my GG in the kitchen, cleaned, and treated her like a queen. She was worth it. I wish I could have met him though.

WWC - This, Last, and bonus photographs!

2008-09-02T10:05:00.014-06:00

Sorry that it has been a while. Lots of work to do. And we had two teenagers living with us for a week. They kept us very busy. But we had the most wonderful time. And then their folks and their other two sisters met us up at our cabin for the holiday weekend. It was a perfect couple of days. 8 people, 5 dogs, and 2 cats. Not to mention the bats in the garage :-) Our lil' house by the lake was filled with so much love and laughter. Simply wonderful.

Moody

As in Moody Girl we adore

Bright

Bright morning sun through our woods

And last weeks WWC:

Salty

Edamame

Sour

Sour gummi bear race

Bonus photos

River Otter

LoonSpider webs at dawn

Lil' Frog

Dew on Evergreen

The World Needs the Pack Rats

2008-08-21T07:22:00.004-06:00

Many years ago I read The Agony and and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone. It is the fictionalized biography of Michelangelo. I loved it. I was thinking about the book a while back and thought I would see what other books Stone had written. Which proved to be my downfall. I wanted to read several but all except one was out of print. So, I started trolling the used book stores on line.

I found everything I was looking for at a used book store in St. Cloud, MN called Books Revisited. I have ordered books from them before. And one day I will head out there to check out the store. St. John's University is there and it is one of my favorite college campuses. Not to mention the best college football games in the nation. It's an all boys school so the cheerleaders are boys. And the monks that live there sell amazing bread.

Anyway, back to the point of all this: If it wasn't for the pack rats of this world we may not have the ability to find some of these out of print items. The book I am currently reading is Lust for Life which is the tale of Van Gogh. The book that I ordered is a beautiful hardback printed in 1953. It has wonderful illustrations through the book.

And because I am now curious to see more of Van Gogh's work I went to my book shelves to see if the art books my parents gave me included his collection. Sure enough:I also picked up Origin - A biographical novel of Charles Darwin. And Passions of the Mind - A novel of Sigmund Freud

Both the hubster and I are pack rats which gets to be a problem as I see my house fill up more and more. But it's times like these when I am glad we don't chuck everything. With the internet we could easily have decided to donate the art book collection to the library but since I am of the age when we still looked information up in books and used a library card catalog I just couldn't bring myself to toss such beautiful reference resources.

WWC

2008-08-19T18:42:00.004-06:00

Bitter

Bitter Lemon - my favorite treat from Germany
and a Sweet glass I found for the hubster

Sweet

Sweet Pup

The new camera takes Sweet pictures of the moon

Weekend Recap

2008-08-18T13:30:00.004-06:00

We went to Renaissance Festival on Saturday. The Hubster added to my collection of works by Randal Spangler. This one is titled "So many books So little time" I have 4 prints now from this artist. All of them are from his dragons and books collection.

This is a shot I took a few weeks back and forgot to take off the camera. It had such a dreamy quality to it.
We buy a vacuum and look who enjoys the packaging:

Just Scattered

2008-08-15T15:35:00.002-06:00

I have a deadline at work that might kill me

I feel like summer is rapidly approaching its deadline

I haven't seen my front yard in weeks let alone watered it or weeded it

Lord knows if I have any plants left

My house hasn't been cleaned in months

I don't even know where my dining room table is

Rumor has it we own one

For that matter, I'm not sure where any clean underwear are either

There is something in the fridge that smells really bad

But considering there is nothing but condiments in there I don't even know where to start looking

I have several WWC pictures on my computer

Somewhere

For what week I no longer know

I have stuff I would like to blog about

Blogs I would like to read

But deadlines are looming

Like big ugly monsters with giant sharp teeth

If I didn't love my job

I'd be playing in the freeway right now

The children are coming

There is no bed for them to sleep in

Gotta clean

Gotta pick up and put away

Gotta gotta gotta

I must sound scattered

Maybe a little stressed

A little over a month from now I will hit my deadline

Will I coast into it?

Or do a head on at 70?

I guess we will see..................

But also

I have a print out on my desk that tells me that 82 days from now

I can breathe

I can relax

I can spend time with a very good friend

I can meet a very good friend for the very first time

And we can celebrate

Our weekend up north and a question

2008-08-07T06:42:00.002-06:00

Monday I had an email from my boss. Tragically he lost his son during labor. We had been receiving messages from him updating us all on the progress but late Friday the messages stopped. We all assumed they were celebrating the arrival of their son and hadn't had time yet to update us. I mean, we are after all just the co-workers. But sadly we learned why there was silence for so long.

On Wednesday they had a beautiful service for him. Their church is huge, modern, and absolutely beautiful. The congregation resides in the wealthiest 20 mile radius in the state. And the size of this new church and all its amenities shows it.

Which leads me to my question. At what point in modern times did it become acceptable to wear shorts, flip flops, and dirty stained t-shirts to church. Actually to a funeral for cry'n out loud???

Where has our sense of decorum gone? Is it simply a case that if we can get the freak'n kids into a church we don't care what they wear? Just so long as they are there? I mean seriously folks. Would it kill them to put on a pair of pants and a button down shirt for 1 lousy hour? Or for the girls to wear a skirt that actually covers her underwear????

What am I missing? Am I that out of touch? What happened to Sunday best?

And what is wrong with parents these days?

I'd love to hear from you.

WWC

2008-08-05T18:26:00.004-06:00

So, it should have been a no brainer, but it took till I was loading my pictures for the week for me to come up with the ultimate High and Low. Well, at least as far as this chick is concerned. I mean, true Newtness would allow no other picture:

High

Low

(Oh, wait, I don't do low)

**********

And now, the pictures I took before it dawned on me the Newtness of this weeks WWC

High and Low - balance of nature

(ok, this didn't come out as good as I planned but there is a bird on the roof and a cat in the grass)

High

Low

Newt the Bookworm

2008-07-31T15:26:00.004-06:00

It's crunch time at work. Big time. So my brain is going 20 million miles a second. And nothing I do distracts me from all the spinning my mind has been doing. For some reason the only thing lately that has helped me relax and not be one giant stress ball has been reading. And I've been reading a lot:
The glorious and beautiful Tink suggested Twilight.

Thank you very much, not half way through and I had to run out and purchase New Moon

This is a really fun vampire series. It is Laurel K Hamilton without the hard core porn getting in the way.
These books are the epitome of beach blanket reading. Simply fabulous.

Next up was Soon I will be Invincible. A pretty funny take on the world of super hero's and super villains. I thought this book was a lot of fun to read.

And lastly, I just finished I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak. This is the same young author who wrote the heart wrenching "The Book Thief". He's an amazing author! The best part is, he's still young. And I can look forward to what I hope will be many more years of fantastic books from him.

I have not had a chance to post WWC or even get out and admire all the photography. I'll get there, I will, I promise.

Some times life goes by at the speed of sound.

Avoiding the heart

2008-07-24T05:52:00.002-06:00

I've had a movie sitting next to the tv for over a week. I think it's called movie denial. Or maybe the fear of feeling to much. Getting too emotional. Or maybe too reflective about our lives. But something told me that the movie was going to effect me in ways I wasn't in the mood to deal with.

Damn I hate it when I'm right.

Five minutes into the movie the tears started and they haven't finished even though the movie is out of the player and back in the red envelope for the mail.

And that is the amazing power of movies, books, music. When they make us feel something. When they open up wounds, or dig into our hearts and find our hidden desires. Or when they make us face our greatest fears.

We can get so wrapped up in our daily lives that we forget to take time out to explore what makes us human. Let our emotions out. Set free our dreams, fantasy's and wishes.

So here are some of the movies I watch for mood. Be it to make me happy, to make me dream, to make me laugh, or to make me cry.

While You Were Sleeping

Love Actually

Notting Hill

Bridget Jones

Pirates of the Caribbean

Men In Black

Lara Croft

Resident Evil

13th Warrior

The Ref

Someone Like You

Practical Magic

2 Weeks Notice

Italian Job

Eastern Promises

Dead Like Me

and now, my newest:

PS I Love You (This is the movie talked about above)

So what are your mood movies?

Weekend in pictures

2008-07-21T09:54:00.004-06:00

Not too much excitement. But enjoy:

Paradise on Earth

2008-07-13T21:14:00.007-06:00

Some things are worth the wait. We've talked about it since we met. We explored the posibilities, but we never found anything that made us get serious. But then, out of the blue, we found heaven. 12 wooded acres and 450 feet of our own shoreline on a small private lake. With an absolutely perfect cabin to top it all off. It's located in a rural part of NW Wisconsin. The dogs absolutely love it. We have even discovered that our little Caleb is far more bonded to us than we thought. He's been off leash and he sticks close. In fact he's my little shadow. So this cabin has been good for our whole family.

There are a ton of pictures. But I had a hard time sorting through.

Pictures of Texas

2008-07-13T19:40:00.007-06:00

Texas was beautiful. Here are a few shots.

Flower at the hotel garden

Same flower from the back
and close up This is our Plano office
Snowy Egret at the lake behind our company facility
I wouldn't mnd working at this facility if this is my view every lunch

This little guy was a surprise to see (it is a ferret)

This waterfall is at a restaurant we ate at

Duck in the pond at the same place
This interesting guy kept coming into the eating area begging

Deep in the heart..........

2008-07-10T07:41:00.002-06:00

So where do you go when you are in Texas for a week? That's right, an Irish pub. What did you expect?

I spent just shy of 6 hours there with two guys I work with and I don't think we stopped laughing for more than 5 minutes total. Our waiter sat with us for a while. As did the host. Apparently we are the "fun" type of customer. We talked baseball and Minnesota, Favre and KG.

The weather was beautiful. A few drops of rain. Some fantastic lightening. And great company.

I have had barbecue and steak. But I have also had a philly cheese steak. And shephards pie.

Tonight we are heading to the cowboy boot mecca and a great barbecue joint.

Hopefully. Our fearless leader is sick as a dog. I just hope he lasts long enough to lead us to the promised land.

WWC

2008-07-07T22:13:00.000-06:00

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

You can tell my AGE by the fact that I own one of these and know how to play it
This crystal door knob and key are from a different AGE
A fungus or a man of great AGE

Lone Star Newt

2008-07-07T06:21:00.004-06:00

I don't own a pair of cowgirl boots. Dang it. But if I did they would TOTALLY look like this. Speaking of this, I found these shoes at this place. And actually they have pretty cute stuff. I would have ordered the boots but they are sold out. Sigh..............

See the trouble one can get in just searching google images for stuff. Now I want to shop at their site.

Anywhoodle Homebloys, I am off to Plano Texas. Which is right outside of Dallas.

Barbecue and Shiner baby!

And probably some work as well.

But We'll focus on the ice cold shiner waiting for us at the end of the day.

I don't know how much internet time I will get but WWC will be posted tomorrow. I actually think I got some good shots for this week.

Giddy Up!

Then and Now

2008-07-02T09:12:00.011-06:00

Then:

Career: Zoologist, Marine Biologist, Astronomer, Astronaut, Photographer

Car: VW Bug (old school) with rainbows and unicorns painted on it.

Boyfriend: Shaun Cassidy

Food: Peanut butter and Marshmallow goo, oreo cookies, and ice cold milk

Clothing: Geranimals and sneakers

Movie: Star Wars

Book: Harriet the Spy, Little House on the Prairie, Winnie the Pooh

Color: Green

Dream: To hold a Koala Bear

Music: Air Supply, Shaun Cassidy

Now:

Career: Art Historian, Photographer for National Geo, Museum Curator,
Archaeologist, Astronomer, Marine Biologist, Zoologist

Car: 67/68/69 Cherry Red Mustang Convertible, 2008 Cherry Red Mustang Convertible

Boyfriend: Johnny Depp , Gerard Butler

Food: Mama Maria’s in Hudson Wisconsin

Clothing: Jeans that make my butt look good, a top that shows the cleavage, and fabulous high heel’d pumps

Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean

Book: Shantaram, The Book Thief, The Last Days of Summer, In the Electric Mist
with Confederate Dead

Color: Pink

Dream: To see Florence (still would like to hold a Koala bear)

Music: Bruce Springsteen, Classical Music, One Republic, Sarah McLachlan, Enya,
Jesse Cook, Marc Cohn,

My Lil' Buddy

2008-07-02T06:51:00.001-06:00

WWC

2008-07-01T06:29:00.010-06:00

Happy WWC everybody! My toes were looking a little raw so early this morning I finished putting on some fresh pink nail polish.

Anywhoodle Homebloys: Here are my WWC's for the week.

And don't forget to check status on our MS walk for the summer!

The hubster and I were up exploring a state park area and I got the inspiration for this weeks WWC:

Raw

Finished

Washington Lottery - Birds

2008-07-01T06:29:00.001-06:00

I have to confess, this made me cry. Pathetic, I know. Bt the penguin looks so happy. Little wings flapping.

What No Shoes????

2008-06-30T19:03:00.002-06:00

Shoe pic's are on the work computer.

So here's some random stuff:

I hate bugs. All of them. I become a pathetic fearful dork around bugs
Suddenly a bug no bigger than my pinky finger nail can completely defeat me.
I suddenly become 2 years old crying for my daddy.

Ok, I like butterflies and lady bugs. But that's it.

It made me feel better to know that a friend who is a fire fighter freaks out about bugs. If he does and he doesn't fear going into burning buildings? Is my fear so illogical?

Ticks are going to be my downfall.

I am becoming a Trekkie. It was only Star Trek Next Generation but I have expanded to Deep Space Nine and Enterprise.

I'm a geek, what can I say

I am a Target whore. I admit it. Addicted. I get lost inside.

That and Target gets a ridiculous amount of my monthly income.

I have decide that the Ipod is the answer to corporate cube farm

I noticed today that 9 out of 10 cube monkeys were working away with their Ipod's going.

This cube monkey included.

Chicken stir-fry from Trader Joes is another good meal in a bag.

I'm already in love with their Gorgonzola Gnocchi

Among other things.

I can't wait till I get old enough for a house coat to be ok.

They have pockets.

Perfect for my Ipod.

WWC

2008-06-24T19:23:00.005-06:00

Front and Back

While drinking my coffee this morning I realized my mug showed the front and back of kitties

My Front........My Back.....
My front againAnd yes, Back.......

And last but not least:

The Front Cleaning the Back

Monday, Monday Monday

2008-06-23T13:05:00.004-06:00

Happy Monday everyone!

My weekend was quiet, peaceful, and relaxing. I read a lot!

Ok, I know that I avoid politics for the most part in this blog. But I noticed something this weekend.

A satelite television provider is running a commercial that features Bush - or a comedian impersonating him anyway. And he makes the usual idiot ass of himself and his vocabulary.

So, I have to ask you: How bad does a presidents ratings have to be that a huge corporation that is service based isn't afraid of alienating enough customers to affect their bottom line?????

In celebration of summer!

2008-06-19T12:19:00.004-06:00

Hey gang.

One Daisy and I have come up with a great idea for summer! In celebration of the Summer Season we are going to try to raise some money for MS research in honor of a friend and fellow blogger.

So stop by our "Feets of Fancy" site, watch our progress, and if you would like to donate we would love it!

The shoes go on tomorrow!

*****************************************

And please go wish OneDaisy a very Happy Birthday. (It's on Friday the 20th) I love her for her humor, her smile, her ability to laugh. I admire her for her strength, her family, and all she has overcome. I look forward to years of laughter, shopping, and shoes. She's the best there is. So go wish her a happy one!

WWC

2008-06-17T05:32:00.002-06:00

Chaos

Mystery

I have always found mystery walking through the woods

the bend in the path, the secrets in the forest.

Weekend Recap

2008-06-15T08:13:00.004-06:00

In celebration of our anniversary we spent Sunday morning weeding and cutting up brush. Very romantic.

Then we headed off to one of our favorite spots, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. It's disney land for gardeners It's a giant lab for the U of M. How can we take the beautiful plants around the world and make them Minnesota hardy? The arboretum has all types of gardens, wildflower, rose, dye, herb, vegetable, fruit, formal, english, shade, hosta, woodland, bog. You name it, they know how to grow it. Which is wonderful for gardeners. No matter what your soil or landscape the arboretum will help you make the most of your gardens. And there are miles of trails to walk and explore.

Hubster suggested we go to the arboretum because we love to go there, we can get ideas for our back yard, and because I was itching to use the new camera more.

We even had a picnic lunch. We brought the fixings for chicken cole slaw salad. Which was marvelous.

Recipe:

1 bag of coleslaw

1/2 cup of sunflower seeds

1 cup shredded chicken

1 package ramen noodles crushed up (the seasoning packet will go into the dressing)

Mix these ingredients well so they are evenly dispersed amongst one another.

Dressing:

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup oil

I packet seasoning from Ramen noodles

Combine the dressing ingredients - we use a small plastic container with a really good sealing lid. And shake the ingredients till well blended.

Pour over the cole slaw mixture.

Mix well and enjoy.

This is a fast and easy meal.

It serves 4.

And now for the slide show of our trip:

The Potter Asks, the Potter shall receive

2008-06-12T14:43:00.007-06:00

My shoe shot from the other day had Gary the Potter asking what my tattoo was. Some of you have seen these so bear with me..................

Well, let me tell ya, there isn't just one that peeks out :-)

It all started 9 years ago. Yesterday was our wedding anniversary so I guess it's also appropriate to tell the tale of the tats.

My most special girlfriends, T, H, and E went on a little excursion with me for my bachelorette party. We went to Doc's tattoo in Medford Wisconsin. It's one heck of a drive but he is the best tattoo artist in the midwest.

For my first tattoo, I chose what I call my cave art jack rabbit. He is on the inside of my right ankle. And yes, I did get the tattoo the day before my wedding. But he is pretty harmless and small. I chose him because for one, I love bunnies. And for two he became my guardian spirit. Alerting me to any dangers in this world.

Then, because you can't stop at one. I decided that I wanted a fairy. So I spent months looking for the perfect one. I also was determined to work daisies into the design. So once again we headed out to Docs. The fairy is part of a beautiful illustration for a children's book. I looked at that fairy for over a year to make sure she was the one. And yes, for me, she's perfect. Doc, in his infinite artistic wisdom thought the mountain and clouds would give the scene some perspective. And he was right. I love the little background he added.

Then, last summer I decided to get my phoenix. I was burned when I was young and had to have skin grafts. To most people they aren't noticeable but to me some days it is all I see. So, I wanted to put something beautiful there. And I decided that a phoenix was perfect. Rising from the ashes to be reborn stronger and wiser. Much like a lot of the things we experience in life. I look at some of the things I have done and been through and I am proud of how far I have come. Now, grant you, I have had a very blessed life with a wonderful family always there to lean on. But some things we have to do, we have to face, alone. My divorce was the biggest one. But even something like moving to Minnesota was a huge change in my life. I took a leap of faith and a leap of heart that I was doing the right thing. I knew I loved Hubster with all my heart, he is my soul mate and best friend. But, still, I left behind my job, my friends, and my family to be with him. I went from being surrounded by safety and security to a complete unknown. But I never looked back, I never doubted what I was doing and I jumped, with eyes wide open. And so I marked those moments of my life with my phoenix.

So there you have it. My art. And the stories behind them.

#9

2008-06-12T10:13:00.003-06:00

Thank you for 9 years of Love and Laughter and for making all of my dreams come true.
I love you honey.

Wednesday ramblings

2008-06-11T15:59:00.003-06:00

First, I owe you a pair of shoes from yesterday. My apologies. I totally forgot to start the WWC post with my Peek-a-Boo shoes. Shame on me.

And, since this is a new post: Here is another pair of shoes. Also with a Peek-A-Boo toe.

Ok, let's see:

We have been promised storms, thunder, lightening, hail. And I'm not complaining mind you. I'm grateful we aren't flooding or being plagued with tornado's. But come on! I would like one good thunder boomy this spring. We haven't really had any to speak of. At least not at my house.

I love the thunder storms so loud the house shakes. I love standing out in the rain with the hubster watching the lightening flash all over the sky.

What else.................
oh, here's a few more pictures from my trip to Como. Sorry for the repeat of the sloth but dad wanted to see what other pictures I took so I figured it was easy enough to put him in the slide show.

I am hoping the weather is nice and I can head to the Minnesota zoo one day. Call in sick to work and go spend a day with the animals. Right now I'm avoiding the place because they just opened a huge new exhibit. Russian Grizzly Coast or something like that.

We have family stuff planned for the weekend. Well, it IS father's day. Oh crap! That reminds me, I have to mail my brother's First Father's Day card. I mailed dad's and my Uncle's but totally forgot his. Dang..............

Today at work I was working on a presentation. And the word "City" looked wrong. And the more I tried to figure out how to spell "City" the more the rest of the words looked wrong. Has this ever happened to you? Hell, at some point "the" looked misspelled. I hate that.

I think we will have chicken chili and cornbread for dinner. Trader Joes makes a really good chicken chili. They also have this fantastic gnocchi dish. WOW! Best gnocchi I have had since my Great Grandmother's homemade stuff. It's in their frozen entree section. It's Gnocchi al Gorgonzola. YUMMY! Oh, and their new vanilla wafers aren't bad either. Bits of vanilla bean right in the cookie.

Can you tell I skipped lunch????

Though my co-worker did bring me a piece of her homemade rhubarb pie. That was mighty tasty as well.

Not a very good lunch though.............

Ok, I've rambled enough. Cheers!

WWC and a new toy

2008-06-09T20:53:00.009-06:00

Newt has a new toy! Isn't she beautiful?

A warm and heartfelt thank you to my Aunt Betty and Uncle Phil for such an amazing gift.

So to break her in I went to Como Park. And over 100 pictures later I got a perfect WWC picture and then some. So the first slide show is WWC and the second is the camera's first shots.

My new musical love affair

2008-06-06T14:19:00.007-06:00

There are only two radio stations I listen to on any regular basis. The Classical Music station or Jack Fm which pretty much plays nothing but 80's hits.

So to say I am not hip on the latest music is an understatement.

I find my music obsessions in the oddest place. Not the radio like most of the world. No, I find them on TV and in movies. You know, those songs they throw in the background when they want you to "feel" something. Or set the mood.

So I jot down as much of the lyrics I can and then do a lyrics search till I figure out who it is.

A while back I discovered: Mat Kearney because of the song Breathe In Breathe Out being used on some show I was watching.

Then, while watching Bionic Woman I fell in love with Sia's Breath Me.

Hmmmm, I just realized both have "breathe" in them. Coincidence? Totally.

And now for my latest Love Affair: Thanks to Graham Norton.

Last Friday night he had One Republic on. From the second they started playing I was in love.

So Saturday I headed to Target and picked up their album.

It's FANTASTIC. I love it. And the more I listen to it, the more I love!

They have a Coldplay sort of sound.

It's been playing non-stop on the iPod. The hubster laughed when he saw the cd sitting on my computer downloading to my itunes.

Really, this is one of those rare albums that I can honestly say doesn't have one bad track on it.

Hair and Beyond

2008-06-05T10:58:00.004-06:00

Happy Thursday!

Not much going on in Newt Land. We have cloudy skies, warm air, and the threat of rain. For the next several days. Sigh.......

Oh, I totally forgot to tell you guys! On Friday the hubster and I were heading home and I said that we should take the dogs to play ball on our walk. The hubster said, "oh, I was hoping you could clean out Pearl's kennel" I of course say "Ewwww, I don't want to do that, there is so much hair." The hubster than dropped the news, "Oh, well, B is coming to get her at 7:30. They sold their house" Well hot DAMN. I have no problem staying home and cleaning out the cage of chaos. So, bless her big black lab heart, Pearl is now home where she belongs. And my house has returned to what little semblance of peace and quiet we had before the "Pearl Years". At least it seemed like years................but actually only a little over two months.

And now for some pictures for ya!

Caleb being cute (which is what he does best)

My view while reading on Saturday
And --- drum roll please --- the hubster cut hair

WWC

2008-06-03T20:53:00.007-06:00

I went for a celestial version of this weeks WWC. And then, I was inspired to go a little more homeward.

Pot.....Kettle........Black

2008-06-01T11:52:00.004-06:00

So the hubster and I were out in the backyard on Sunday. And we were discussing how weird our neighbor is. See, our bizarre and annoying neighbor was once again mowing his lawn. Unlike normal people the guy will mow two rows and stop. A couple hours later mow a few more. And then a few hours after that he will mow another couple. We are convinced that chores interfere with his beer drinking. Our fine upstanding neighbor collects unemployment and thanks to the generosity of ourselves and other tax payers we reward his lazy ass with lots and lots of free beer. He then decided to blow up the brand new kiddie pool he bought. Again, thanks to our generosity. Of course, much like mowing, he did it in increments over several hours.

So, as the hubster and I were discussing the oddities of our neighbor, this is what that very same neighbor witnessed on our side of the fence.

Me, with wet hair and a vinyl table cloth wrapped around me.

Hubster, sunglasses and cabana hat cutting my hair.

After doing a fine job on my hair the hubster then decided that the best way to get rid of the pesky hairs still sticking to my back and shoulders was to use the air compressor and blow all the hair off me.

As I titled this post: That would be the pot calling the kettle black. Don't ya know.........

And yes, the hubster does do a fine job with my hair. Honest. It's even on both sides and actually pretty darn cute. Rather than going to the salon and spending 30 bucks + to have her trim less than an inch off my hair I have the hubster do it. Why not? He already colors it. And he does a good job at that.

Brave? Maybe. Cheap? Definitely.

It was a perfect weekend. And I have perfect hair to prove it...............

Whole Lotta Nut'n Go'n On

2008-05-28T16:14:00.004-06:00

So, let's see............................

We watched "We Own the Night" which has a great cast, wasn't a bad flick. But had its slow moments and a few things that made the NY cops seem more like keystone cops. As in - they had the place surrounded but apparently not so much so that the bad guys couldn't jump out 3 different windows/doors and get away. HELLO! Not even Reno 911 cops are THAT stupid.

I have been on a reading craze. I finished The Nature of Monsters. And while not a bad book I wouldn't tell anyone to run out and get it. I also read The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. And WOW!!! This is the authors first book. It's going to be a series. And I am very glad for all of it. I actually picked this book up on impulse when I ordered a few other books at Amazon. This was a recommendation that popped up as I was ordering. It sounded good so I thought I'd give it a try. And I am very thankful I did. If you like George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan, or any of those HUGE epic fantasy stories you will certainly love this one. Talk about a book you fall into. This author really does deserve some kudos. A co-worker read it after I was finished and we both agreed that this series is going to be a more mature Harry Potter. It's not a copy, please don't get me wrong. It just has the same feel as Harry but written at the adult level.

In addition to those I have started The Age Of Unreason series by Gregory Keyes. I am currently on Book 3 of 4. And I LOVE this series as well. I was going to only read book one and then move on to something else and then eventually read 2, 3, 4. But this has been such a fun read that I am going to run through the series without stopping. Something I almost never ever do.

Aside from reading a ridiculous amount we have been planting stuff in the yard. Putting out our yard furniture and in general enjoying whatever spring we get. The weather hasn't been too terrible but it hasn't been too great either. Thankfully we were far far away from the tornado's that hit over the holiday weekend.

I will leave you with a few shots:

Socs, Sophie, and Lily enjoying a cuddle

A visitor to the neighborhood
Visitor takes flight
To try and join his friends -

but he sort of landed on the wrong side of the fence

Good thing our neighbors dog wasn't out in her yard

WWC

2008-05-28T14:51:00.003-06:00

Penultimate

Entrance (to shoe heaven)

Murphy

2008-05-23T11:12:00.007-06:00

Murphy made this set of laws and right now I'm a little resentful of the dude.

If life is going smooth you will hit a bump..................

See, that is why I called my last post The Calm Before the ??? - rang true. Life was peaceful, serene, happy. And then WHAM! All kinds of little tiny things piled up until I was buried.

Now being the positive person I am I do try to follow the "if life gives you lemons" sort of philosophy but when life seems to bury you under lemons it gets a tad hard to free up a hand to squeeze some lemonade out.

If you remove the flannel sheets from the bed it will get cold again!

and if you really want to screw yourself:

The day you change from the winter wardrobe to the summer one the temperature will drop a good 20+ degrees.

Let's just say we had frost alerts...................................grumble grumble

There are a few other piles of lemons right now in my life but I won't go into detail. It will bore you even more. Including the best boss ever has announced she is leaving.

I am however thankful that all my piles of lemons are things I can handle and get through. Nothing earth shattering has occurred. But I had enough stresses that I crawled into my shell and have not been seen since. .

And I apologize for that.

I am like an ostrich, i put my head in the sand at the first sign of trouble.

But enough already. I'm sitting up again. Face towards the sun.

I have way to much to be thankful for to let the little things in life get me down.

I will leave you with some pictures of all that is beautiful in my life:

Lily found the drippings under the grill - and got a little dripped on

Tulips in my yard

My apple tree
ground cover
A few views of my front yard

The Calm before the ????

2008-05-15T12:34:00.007-06:00

I am at one of those peaceful times in my life. Everything, right now, at this moment feels utterly and completely perfect.

We have health, happiness, love, and good things on our horizon.

Maybe it is just the promise of spring. Whatever it is, I don't want this moment to ever end.

My yard is really starting to grow. Below is the boulevard. Not a lot of flowers yet but they will come.

Only tulips and daffodils at this point but more to come...........
Beauty in Hosta
Beauty in my hubster and our babies. I could have stayed frozen for all time watching this.

WWC

2008-05-13T10:21:00.003-06:00

Earth

Earthworm

Beauty from the earth
Seven fingers (the red lines are fingers covering the lens)
Seven fingers

Weekend Recap

2008-05-12T13:15:00.004-06:00

Read a little

Weeded a little

Took Caleb and Lily for a longish walk

Lily snorts the whole way - she has the breathing problems like a Pug does

Caleb was pretty good. He only got scared and dropped to the ground twice which for him isn't too bad

Watched the birds at the bird feeder

Went to the MIL's for Mother's day

Debated getting some flowers

Didn't progress beyond debate

OH, and got the most amazing package from Gary the Potter! My "corkers"!!!! They are so cute!
So, these pictures wouldn't load a few days ago: Here is proof that all of Mike's patience was worth it. I have birds on the feeder. The seed is actually about half way down now.

And this little rock duck I got at the Minneapolis Farmers market last year. I just love it. And I loved the shadow it was making the other morning.

Zippitty Doo Dah!

2008-05-08T16:08:00.009-06:00

It's been a quiet week in Newt's world. Work is still wonderful. Still LOVE my job. Yippee!

And the weather has been incredible.

First, I will tell the story of this picture:

I was with Mike at the Cathedral of St. Paul and we took tons of pictures of the place. There were maybe 3 other people in there as well. But of course, in Newt fashion I turn a corner and see the set up of candles. I don't know what the correct term is for them. Anywhoodle, of course what comes out of my mouth, not too loud, but not in my head was "Holy Shit, FIRE! What an awesome picture for WWC" I then did what I can only describe as a duck and hide just in case any lightening bolts headed my way.

On that same Mike's Visit note - he was with me when I purchased a bird feeder for the front yard. For the next few days the poor boy spent more time than he wanted to watching out the window for the first customers. Well, a week later the birds have finally figured out the feeder exists. And I have a photograph to prove it. However it wouldn't load in this post so I'll have to try it again tomorrow.

However this morning I did go out and take a few shots of the Spring that is Sprunging in my yard:

You saw this flower a few days ago but it was so pretty I had to take more pictures.

And this is up into the Maple tree. It's a spring show tree so we get these pretty groupings of flowers. The tree is crap for fall but we don't care. It's a beautiful tree. And look at that sky will you! It's BLUE. Clear, beautiful springtime blue!
And lastly, here is the little guy that was on the bird feeder but then flew off to sit in our beautiful maple tree. I liked the backlighting on this shot.

This and That

2008-05-06T06:25:00.008-06:00

Dreamt This:

A football player that I liked and respected was going to quit and had disapeared. I can only assume he was with the Colts as Dungy was in the dream as well. Anywhoodle, I was out with my boss at an outdoor shopping center getting coffee when I spotted him in the crowd. I then proceeded to beg and plead with him to come back to football. He told me to leave him alone and started to walk away. So I did what anyone would have done, I tackled him. So there I am hitting the pavement with a very large linebacker using me as cushioning from the ground. And I still managed to squeek out all the reasons he should be back in football. Something about me being a vikings fan but that I was also a fan of his. Blah blah blah. And that when Tony came into the picture and joined me in trying to convince him to play.

So apparently we succeeded because then I was on the team bus traveling around. And I was leaning on his knee as we were looking out at some local landmark.

And despite the sound of it there was nothing sexual about it. I mean, he was all muscle, big, lean, and beautiful but it stopped there. Don't ask me. I woke up a little disapointed that my dream was so innocent. Oh well.

When I went up to bed the hubster was watching a football game on ESPN classic. So that must be where this all came from. And my friend that just visited lives in Indy.

***

Thinking That:

On the drive into work I heard this song:

I went to a Hooters concert in 86 or 87 at Hershey Park. It was a really fun concert. Night time, lot's of open space. Thousands of people dancing and having a great time. Much like in the video. Just lots of people with big hair having a total blast. This has always been a big feel good song for me. Love the Hooters.

***

Doing This:

Yesterday was another perfect weather day. As soon as I got home from work the dogs and I played in the yard. Then I curled up in a chair and read. The windchimes were quietly singing away, the breeze was softly blowing. The dogs stretched out on the porch and slept in the sun.

Took this: (Courtesy of the Muttprincess)

You Are 24% Evil

A bit of evil lurks in your heart, but you hide it well.

In some ways, you are the most dangerous kind of evil.

How Evil Are You?

The Muttprincess has promised to help corrupt me more. Phew, I'm relieved. I don't like being so little evil.

However, I do have a bone to pick with the survey:

SO, let me get this straight. I am evil because: I don't believe in God and or I hate kids.

Seriously?

SERIOUSLY?????

Excuse me, but the historic records prove that the most violent attrocities were committed in the name of God. HELLO people. I think there is some potential evil in the whole belief in God thing there. Regardless of where you stand we can't deny that great evils were committed in the name of religion.

And have you ever tried to relax in your backyard, read a book, listen to windchimes, even nap in the warm sun and had the moment completely destroyed by the screaming hyena of a child next door.

Or those nice dinners at a restraunt completely ruined by either A. the child jumping up and down on the booth seat behind you, or B. the screaming banchee throwing a fit and spitting out peas?

Please, we all hate kids once in a while.

WWC

2008-05-05T18:04:00.005-06:00

FIRE

Three
Three white stripes, three red paws, three yellow paws and one Lily tongue

groups of three windows

Three prong snake

Three little puppies all in a row

Gratuitous bonus shots

First flower of spring in my yard

Super cute Caleb

Mike's Visit Recap

2008-04-30T14:43:00.005-06:00

Friday:

Mike arrived.
Drove him around St. Paul
Ordered Wongs Chinese take-out
Watched Dr. Who and Graham Norton

Saturday:

Went to the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis
It is the site of the former Gold Medal Flour Factory
The Pillsbury factory is right across the river
The Mill blew up once, was rebuilt, closed, and then burned down
Surprisingly a flour museum is a very cool way to spend an afternoon
Even got to see an explosion – what happens when you mix flour, air, and a spark.
Damn – who’d have thunk

Stopped at Surdyks to get some wine
Porky’s for really good burger, onion rings, and shakes
Then on to Como Conservatory and Zoo
Beautiful, green, and warm
Lasagna for dinner
Then we watched Beowulf

Sunday

Mall of America with Girl J

A grad party
Then a night of chatty craftiness
That ended up being pretty much devoted to watching Eureka

Monday

I had to go into work
So Mike watched more Eureka (he’s addicted)
Then I got off work early, picked him up and off we went
First stop: Mickey’s diner.

Dad wanted me to take him there for the experience
It's quite common for a state senator to be sitting next to a homeless person at Mickey's
In other words, the whole world goes there
And the people watching, the interaction, and the "life" is totally awesome
Very yummy lunch
On the way out we got stopped by a woman in the street
It went something like this

Woman: Are you going to the west side?
Newt: No
Woman: Can you go to the west side?
(note: it’s about 40 degrees and she is in a thin cotton dress and flip flops)
Newt: Sure
Woman: Thanks

She gets in – she smells of pot

Woman:
I need to go see my counselor
I have to get meds for my schizophrenia
You guys must be vampires
Cause you are nice
I am going to start a website about vampires
And I’m going to make lots of money
And I’m going to fast for 70 days
Like Jesus
And I’m going to take a picture of myself every day
I don’t know why meds have to have side effects
I mean, they might cure what you have but then they make you sick
You know, like cancer
Your hair falls out and stuff
They could cure everything with herbs
And if I could only take two medicines at once I could get better
But my doctor says no
He’s lying
Ok, maybe he’s not lying but I really want this other medication
But herbs are just as good
And there are Mexican werewolves
They are moving into the area
Which is good
Because they are going to take care of the black werewolves
And the white and Asian ones
It’s good that we are getting more Mexican werewolves
We need them to take care of the bad black werewolves
And the Asian and white ones
But you guys are vampires
And I’m going to start a website really soon about vampires.

About a mile later we dropped her off at her clinic. She said Thank you and went inside.
We drove for a bit before we cracked up
I swear the poor woman never took a breath from the moment she sat down
And I barely got a word in edgewise while trying to get directions from her

And all Mike and I could think was Blog Fodder Blog Fodder
And I know Dad will be proud because we have one more story for "Adventures at Mickey's"

After that we went to the Cathedral of St. Paul

Then some shopping on Grand Ave
Then dinner with The Mutt Princess and Grasshopper
Which was totally awesome
Best three and a half hour dinner I have had in YEARS!

authors note: Please don't send hatemail about making fun of the mentally ill and homeless. If I was an ass I wouldn't have picked her up in the first place. It was obvious she was staying at the shelter across the street. I gave her a ride because she was cold and it is a pretty long walk. So get off your high horse and just enjoy the humor in the situation. It's not every day I get called a vampire.

WWC

2008-04-29T09:28:00.004-06:00

Water

We got the wrong kind of water on Friday

Just ask Socs, he's NOT happy about this type of water this late in the spring

Water on leaf
Water in reflection
Water - too cold
Learning about water a Bromeliad "vase" filled with water

looks like baby chicks doesn't it?

tubular water

Playing with water -

a museum exhibit let you play around with little table top cities

ONE

Their recipe was number one

Number one cook

Step 1
One bunny can eat a lot of flowers

Tomorrow: Weekend recap and I get called a vampire.........................

Sunday Funday

2008-04-26T18:24:00.002-06:00

Friday Happy Dance

2008-04-25T10:13:00.003-06:00

Happy Friday!

Mike arrives any time now. Yippee!

A whole weekend of chatty crafty fun! Some exploring Minnesota, and just some all around fun.

Of course when we planned this we were a month post go-live at work. And yes, you guessed it, we got delayed so this weekend they are turning on SAP at work. So, basically I am on call 24/7 for the next three weeks. Sheesh. But, since I am a lowly trainer and can't really do anything at this point I don't anticipate a whole lot of middle of the night phone calls. All of the end users just have to practice practice practice. All the training in the world won't help them now. They just have to do it. Some times it's good to be a complete nobody in the great scheme of things.

It's raining here. And they said we might get snow tonight. And there is snow in the forecast for the next week. What's up with that? I mean seriously. It's not funny anymore. Not funny at all.

I have plant growing for goodness sake. And trees budding. It's just not right. Not at all. No!

Oh well. Life goes on. Right? What's another week of cold and snow?

I'm gonna go cry quietly in a corner now.

I'm such a drama queen.

WWC

2008-04-22T22:24:00.007-06:00

Five

Five Newts

5 Puppies, one cat, and one human

absence of 55 blades to move Wind

Feathers in the Wind
Makes very stinky Wind

Friday etc.

2008-04-18T14:22:00.004-06:00

You know you are a geek when:

You email a co-worker to add a trainer to the database:

Newt: Please add Jack Burton to the list of trainers

Co-worker: We don't have a Jack Burton

Newt: Oh, I mean _________ __________

Co-worker: Oh, ok, that is what I thought you meant

Newt starts to giggle. And think how proud the hubster would be at this moment. And how much geekier does it get?? My team mate at the next desk starts quoting lines from the movie.

Sigh............

So, how big a geek are you? Without looking it up, what film has a character named Jack Burton?

***

I shared my PFC's with my dad. He called and told me they were wonderful. And that he actually got a little teary eyed. He was very proud of his daughter. And wanted to read more of them to see what other people had come up with. He was getting a kick out of the whole thing.

And he thought it was a really cool idea. He's already enjoying the WWC and always wants to know what the words are and what photographs I take. And then what other people have come up with. He's too funny. I really have to get him blogging.

And, lastly, a long promised picture of the chaos:

My Funny Father

2008-04-17T12:23:00.005-06:00

Conversation with dad:

Dad: Hi, I got some new sandals today.

Newt: Good for you dad.

Dad: Well, I needed some advice so I figured I would call my shoe expert.

Newt: Ok, ask away.

Dad: If I have on jean shorts do I wear black socks or navy blue socks with my sandals?

***dead silence***

Dad: Cause I don't want to embarrass myself.

Newt: Well, actually dad, do you have a pair of grey and blue striped socks?

Dad: I might, should I wear those?

Newt: Yeah, or wait, wait, do you have argyles?

Dad: I might, but if not should I get some?

Newt: Yeah, argyles would be perfect. And if you have those little bands you can put those on so your socks stay up.

Dad: Oh, I don't think I need those, the socks I have stay up pretty good.

Newt: Dad, don't ever have this conversation with Nettie. She will hyperventilate.

Dad: Oh, don't worry ***giggle giggle*** I wouldn't do that to her.

Newt: So it's just me you torture?

Dad: Yeah, and it's kinda fun.

Newt: No socks dad, please no socks. If you put on socks I'll have to personally fly out there and take your sandals away.

Dad: Well in that case I'm wearing black knee high socks with my sandals.

Newt: **sigh** I love ya dad.

Dad: Me too, River pooped so I gotta go clean up the you know what.

Click.

Newt then calls up Nettie

Newt: Hey, so, how do parents give their kids heart attacks?

Netttie: Do you want the list alphabetically or numerically

Newt: Dad just called to see if he should wear black socks or navy blue socks with his new sandals.

**Sounds of hyperventilation coming from the phone***

Nettie: What???? What???? Oh god tell me he's kidding

Newt: He was, as soon as he didn't ask me black socks or white socks I knew he was actually messing me with.

Nettie; Oh good, I wasn't breathing there for a moment.

Newt: I told him that was how you would react.

Nettie; Oh, that dad of yours............

Authors note: Nettie isn't my sister but my parents have always considered my close friends their kids. So to Dad she is a daughter.

And River is my dad's dog. And he calls me when he is out walking the dogs. Our conversations always end as soon as one of the dogs poops.

PFC #3

2008-04-16T13:17:00.002-06:00

A little bit longer this time around. PFC is brought to you by the madman! If you haven't tried it you should. Makes your brain hurt. In a good way. Hope you enjoy my interpretation of the pictures.

Taking her home

You try to be hard, distant, you can’t start to care. You do that and before you know it you find yourself looking down the barrel of your own gun. It’s one of the first things they teach you. But every once in a while one of them gets in. She did.

It was Billy, her drummer, that called me. Rule 1 of being an inner city cop; make some connections, give the good ones a break and they’ll trust you. They will tell it to ya straight. SO when Billy called me I listened. He said she missed the gig; she’s never missed one before.

I knew where she lived. I’d helped Billy get her home before. These kids were small time, a little dope, a lot of booze, and late nights screaming out their music to other wasted kids. My interest was in their dealers, not in them. I did what I could to keep them safe, helped them out once in a while with a burger, or pizza. In her case I called in a favor and took her to a good rehab clinic just a little north of the city. But three weeks into treatment she checked herself out. Some things not even god can fix.

My hand hesitated at the door and that’s when I knew I had broken the golden rule. I actually cared about this kid. And I hated like hell the idea of finding her in there. A deep breath, a half hearted prayer and then I knocked.
Silence.

The lock was a simple one. I had it open in seconds. No chain on the door. Damn her, I always told her to use that chain. A sweet kid like her in this neighborhood, a run down part of town that contained too many guys that thought they had a right to get in her pants. A chain wouldn’t stop the really determined, but it would deter a few at least.

The place smelled of sweat, grease, and cigarettes. But it was tidy. Looking around I could almost see the little girl she once was. Smatterings of flowers, the color pink, and a few stuffed animals told me that once she was someone’s daughter.

The bedroom door was ajar. I nudged it with my foot. And there she was. The needle still in her arm. Damn her. God Damn Her.

I blinked, once, twice, and took deep breaths. I called it in. I took the needle out of her arm. Brushed her hair back and said a silent farewell.

John Morley, the coroner asked me about next of kin. I didn’t know what to say. I checked her purse but it gave me no clues. I dug through the desk, nothing. As I scanned the room for any sort of clue I noticed a picture on her dresser. The photo was of a much happier, healthier girl smiling and holding up a fish. A man, with similar features, was hugging her. The pride so evident in his face. I opened up the drawers and there they were, tied with ribbon, letters from home.

I don’t know what made me say it, but I told John I would take her home. It was out of my mouth before I had time to think. He shook his head as he zipped the bag. I asked him to clean her up a bit. He patted me on the back as he followed the stretcher out of the apartment.

Before I left I took the picture and a funny little sock puppet she had sitting right next to the frame. I don’t know why I grabbed them both. But something told me they both meant something to her. That they should go home as well.

Two days later I was on the road and heading north. I was out of the city and into unfamiliar territory. Peace, green hills, and kindly neighbors. I was out of my element and my comfort zone. These were folks with families, history, who gathered for celebrations, for births, and deaths. These were people that brought sick neighbors dinner. This wasn’t my world. My world was dark, ugly, violent. Where neighbors would rob you rather than look at you. Where no one seemed to celebrate life and everyone seemed to glory in death.

The road was long. But the hills were pretty. I’ll never forget the silence of that trip. Just me and her and miles of road. What I wouldn’t have given for her to be carrying on some sort of conversation. Even if she was arguing and fighting the return home, at least she would be doing something.

I pulled into the town her folks lived in. I spoke with the Sheriff and he directed me to the funeral home. He said he would go with me out to the farm. That the news shouldn’t come from a stranger but from a friend.

Her dad was leaning against the fence watching the horses run. He waved at us as we pulled in. The sheriff took off his hat and told him we had some news.

“She’s gone ain’t she”

“’Fraid so Harvey”

The father stared off toward the pasture. He seemed to follow the flight of a little yellow warbler across the field.

“She was my little song bird that one”

I handed him the photograph and the sock puppet. He nodded and a smiled touched his face.

“Funny you should bring this son. I guess that means she got the last laugh.”

I guess I must have looked a little funny because he chuckled again and continued,

“See, I got this silly thing at a craft fair, you know the kind that have nothing but old lady stuff. Anyway, I got it for her and she said it was really ugly and that I must not love her very much if that was the best thing I could think to give her. Well, father’s day rolled around and she gave me that same little sock puppet and a pack of lures. And from then on, everything we ever gave each other always included this silly thing. But I never expected to be the one stuck with it in the end. Man’s not supposed to outlive his baby girl. Nope, that’s not how it’s supposed to happen.”

We stood there in silence for a while and then he said his thanks and headed back inside. The sheriff told me he would do what he could to help the family and that they appreciated what I had done.

As I headed back to my car the sheriff called out to me, “Ya know, if you ever want a change of scenery I could use a good man like yourself.”

I nodded to him, got in my car, and headed home. The city is where I belong. I understand the city. I understand the people that move within it and they understand me. And besides, what would I do with all that quiet, that peace, the greenery, and the stars in the sky?

Maybe some day I’ll remove one too many needles and I’ll take that sheriff up on his offer. But for now, the city is my home and there will be other kids that will get under my skin. And maybe someday I’ll even be able to save one of them.

WWC and Speaking of shoes............

2008-04-15T07:57:00.007-06:00

So, Dianne asked if these were my reading on the couch with Lily shoes. And now that it is spring they will be on my feet a lot. These little sneakers I picked up last year because of the cute gold/pink, floral patches all over them. Not to mention they are hella comfy.

But I digress. I actually always wear sneakers, winter boots, flip flops, or whatever is comfy to work. I don't wear my spectacular shoe collection to or from work. I always change my shoes when I get to my desk. I do this for a few reasons. 1. I don't get my dress shoes wet, muddy or snowy that way. 2. It cuts down on the discomfort pumps can cause. 3. I tend to bend/twist, destroy my ankles less if I don't have to traverse parking lots, cobble stones, and grass.

Anywhoodle. Life is good. They are telling us we might hit 70 today. I plan to be outside as much as possible.

The temps go back down after today - sigh................

But, the good news is, the tulips are peaking out. As are the daffodils. And our big maple is starting to bud. It's a spring showing tree, so we get these yellow/green flower like things on it in spring. It's not impressive in fall. But spring, it's just a beautiful tree.

And, for those that asked, Nature of Monsters is good so far. But a little uncomfortable. I am worried about where the story will go. The monsters in the book are 18th century men. Not monster monsters. But according to reviews it is a beautiful book. Well written, historically researched, and very vivid in the telling. So far so good. Though I hate reading about scientific research during that time since so many cruelties were committed against dogs, cats, farm animals, and even humans all in the name of "science". I often find it hard to stomach the thought that it was acceptable to do the things they did. And being the sensitive animal lover I am, well, I don't do very well when I have to read about it.

But, I'll let ya'll know how it turns out in the end.

WWC

Background

You almost don't notice the chainlink fence in the background

Close-up

I love to take photographs of flowers close-up

2008-04-14T11:15:00.002-06:00

Happy Monday!

I finished Life of Pi. Good book. Didn't LOVE it. But it was an interesting tale. I don't regret reading it. Not at all. It just wasn't one of those life changing books.

But it deserves the hype and attention it has received. It is well written, creative, fascinating, and educational.

I started a book called The Nature of Monsters by Clare Clark. It was one of those impromptu purchases off the clearance rack at Barnes and Noble. I'll let ya know how it goes.

In other news, well, not a whole lot has been happening. The hubster and I had a nice weekend together. We went to Ikea for a meatball lunch. And went on a quest for a few new lawn ornaments since the builders broke a whole lot of mine last year when they fixed the garage. I love to find little creatures to hide under the plants we have growing. So as you look at all our flowers you'll notice a tiny frog, or a bird, or a turtle hidden amongst the growth. I'm not just all about the pink flamingo. I have a subtler side.

Well, after I get ready in the morning I have some time to have a cup of coffee and read a little. This is how I spent my morning: Lily makes life perfect.

Casual Friday

2008-04-10T19:25:00.005-06:00

When Life gets you down

Just Breathe

And Dance

Christy did this so of course I had to as well

You Are a Banana

You are mellow, easy going, and a total softie on the inside.
People find it really easy to get along with you. You suit most tastes.

And while you're very sweet, you're not boring or ordinary.
You have an attraction to the exotic, and you could show up anywhere... doing almost anything!

You are spirited, energetic, and a total kick to be around.
You're also quite funny. Your sense of humor is on the goofy side, and it fits you well.

What Type of Fruit Are You?

So we have seen lots of rain, snow, sleet, wind, thunder and lightening. Good times people! Good times.

Sucks to live here

2008-04-10T08:21:00.004-06:00

So, apparently we are getting snow today thru Saturday. We have storm warnings and blizzard warnings for the state. Um, so, it's April?

My tulips are just starting to come out. I have like, three tiny little leaves beginning to peak out of the dirt.

And now this???????

So so very very wrong. I'm going to go sulk now. If you didn't catch it, my post yesterday was dedicated to Tink and Jo.

Random Wednesday

2008-04-09T10:21:00.002-06:00

I'd like to dedicate this post to Tink who somehow knew my newest musical obsession months before I did.

Ode to Tink

Roses are Red

Daisy's are white

One moment reading Tink

Makes everything right

Here's to you Tink. You are adored more than you will ever know. And I want to thank you for all that you have brought into my life. You are so very far away but so very close in thought. And my life is better for having met you.

Thank You!

So, I'm done with the bad poetry. Honest. That will not win me any awards. But it was written from the heart.

I also would like to dedicate this post to Jo for her E award that she presented me. She said the darned nicest things about me and several other well deserving bloggers.

Jo has a style of writing that I am very drawn to. She says a great deal with very very few words. If she was an author I would be her most dedicated fan. She conveys an entire world of information with so few words I am always blown away as I read her posts. And don't even get me started on the excellence of her PFC stories.

And her photography. Recently she posted a picture of a tiny pig walking across a wood floor. I would actually buy that print and hang it in my house. Again, she captivates on film the same way she writes. Simplicity that speaks volumes.

And hopefully the next time I get sent to Sylmar CA we can hook up. I think DSW and dinner are calling...............

Anywhoodle...........

I started reading Life of Pi. I always hesitate to read the big much talked about books. Most of them disappoint me due to high expectations. It's not the books fault, it's unfortunately the hyped up media on the book that ultimately do it in for me. But the jury is still out on this one. I'm not very far into it. But so far I am a little wiser about Hinduism and Zoology.

And there is a great paragraph in the forward:

"If we, citizens, do not support our artists, then we sacrifice our imagination on the altar of crude reality and we end up believing in nothing and having worthless dreams."

I finished Count of Monte Cristo - 2nd time around. I read the abridged version originally so I re-read the full unabridged version. It's taken me several months because I just pick it up off and on but I figured I might as well just finish it up.

Fantastic line from the book:

"Live, then, and be happy, beloved children of my heart, and never forget that until the day when God shall deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is summed up in these two words, -- `Wait and hope.'

Your friend,"Edmond Dantes, Count of Monte Cristo."

If you have never had the pleasure give the book a try. It's ok to read the abridged version. You'll still get the full story - just not all the little details. It's a fantastic read in either version. My favorite all time classic novel.

***

The hubster and I are looking at vacation property again. We do this every so often. But with the market where it is, and interest rates so low we figure it's a good time to grab our little piece of hide away heaven. Maybe someday......................................................

WWC

2008-04-08T11:17:00.005-06:00

Patent leather is rather smooth, and my feet feel a bit rough after a long day in heals. But, Here's this week's WWC:

Espieglerie

(even though we know she was kidding)

Monkeyshine

Diamond in the Rough
Smooth cup a joe

takes care of those rough mornings.

The Bishop walks into the room and says:

2008-04-07T14:07:00.004-06:00

So, this weekend we went to our nieces Confirmation. It was held at the grand, majestic, and incredibly beautiful St. Paul Cathedral. We had to park a zillion miles from the place so I took a few photos of the mansions on Summit avenue before we got there.

Anywhoodle, you know it's going to be a strange event when the sermon starts out with "We live in a violent society. Children are going to school and being shot..............."

Hmmm, interesting choice in topic. Don't even get me started on where he went with this. The sound was very poor and we could only make out about every 3rd word. And so what I think I heard, what his point might have been or implied I would rather not say as it would lead to an ugly rant.

So, since I don't wanna go there here are the photos of Summit Ave., the cathedral and the interior.

Freaky Friday

2008-04-04T09:34:00.004-06:00

Happy Friday Homebloys!

All is well here in Newt Town. Just looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Well, sort of. We have a confirmation to go to Sat. morning which personally, I'm not looking forward to. However it is at the St. Paul Cathedral so I will be taking lots of pictures. It is a beautiful church.

I also have a date planned with Girl J. We both got our DSW rewards in the mail so those 10 bucks are burning a whole in our purses.

I went shopping yesterday to find things for my niece. And got a little freaked out when I was in TJ Max and saw this:

Talk about weird moments. No other name plate in the store except Ava. There are actually two of them. But I didn't buy it because it's not my brother's style of decor and because they wanted 15 bucks for that silly thing. I could go to Michaels and get all the letters, paint it, and decorate it for less. Yes, I am cheap.

Then at Old Navy I found these:

I probably shouldn't be extending the flamingo obsession to the poor child but Dad will be so proud when I tell him that Ava has a flamingo outfit. And of course my brother will put her in it since he's a sentimental old sap and knows all about our flamingo joke.

I also have to confess that the shoe picture took me some 25 photos to get right. Something about the color in the shoes that wouldn't photograph very clearly. But, I can't let ya'll down so I kept working at it. I'm not super pleased with the clarity but I didn't know what the heck else to try.

Anywhoodle. Have lovely weekends! And stay out of trouble. Ok, I won't spoil your fun, just stay out of the illegal type trouble!

This and That

2008-04-03T14:26:00.005-06:00

Went with my co-workers to a place called Snuffy's. Sometimes a burger and malt is the best thing in the world.

But so is good conversation between friends.

So maybe it was the combination of the two that made it a fantastic lunch.

Personal quirk #1: I have to cover a public toilet seat before I can sit on it.

Personal quirk #2: I won't touch the door of a public restroom on my way out. I have to use a paper towel.

Personal quirk #3: At home, I'm a self confessed slob and my home is probably a health hazard and that doesn't bother me in the least.

Nettie sent me an email with buttons - here are my favorites

Personal quirk #4: When someone is on the phone in a restroom I have the greatest urge to make the loudest and rudest noises possible.

I owe ya'll pictures of "the chaos" also known as Pearl and of my niece. I gotta get on that eh?

Cheers!

31 Things

2008-04-02T09:38:00.002-06:00

1. Hubster and I got in a big fight
2. It’s ok now, I let him know we needed gas in the car
3. He said that’s why he loves me
4. Don’t ask
5. Long story
6. I’m typing this in the car
7. Waiting for the hubster to get out of a meeting
8. It’s warm and sunny out
9. Well relatively speaking since there is still 8 inches of snow on the ground
10. Damn does my mocha taste good
11. Well, now I am in his office
12. And he liked the latte I brought him
13. My jewelry is amber and silver
14. Doesn’t go with much but I like the warm feel of amber
15. My friend is coming to visit at the end of the month
16. I can’t wait
17. I think this will be the fourth time we will have spent time together in person
18. We’ve known each other for over 10 years
19. I think of him as my other soul mate
20. And the hubster is ok with that – he’s glad I have a friend like him
21. I finished the spring poop scoop
22. Now it’s just regular maintenance23. Though the recent snow is going to set me back a bit again
24. But from here on out it’s just cleaning up the new stuff
25. If we re-do our back yard this year as planned they will get a much smaller area of the yard in which to do their thing
26. We want to make a little over half the back yard a living space
27. And then the other half will be just a lawn area for the dogs
28. But that means we can have dinner and parties in the backyard and not worry about where we step
29. That’s gonna be nice
30. Our garage doors were frozen shut this morning
31. When is it going to really be spring????
32. I should stop now
33. But I’m on a roll
34. Actually I brought a roll to go with my spaghetti O’s.
35. OK, I’ll stop now.

WWC

2008-04-01T08:43:00.005-06:00

WWC brought to you by the amazing, beautiful, funny, and talented Tink.
Words for the week were: Era and Shiny. So, today I wore my Victorian Era inspired boots.

And now for the rest of the WWC:

Trilobite from the Paleozoic ERA

Shiny

And yesterdays snow - oh spring where for out thou?

Weekend Recap and a Welcome

2008-03-31T10:38:00.005-06:00

Our very good friends from Milwaukee came to visit us on Wednesday. It was WONDERFUL to see them all again. D&K and their four girls ranging in age from 16-6.

The two oldest girls Mo and Mal stayed with us. And they are wonderful!

Mo and Mal accompanied me on my lunch with Nettie. And then we walked around downtown St. Paul for a while. Which was followed by a trip to the Mall of America. And boy did we have a great time.

We had a big get together for dinner Friday night and then Saturday everyone came to our house for breakfast. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, and coffee cake. It was simply fabulous.

We have also discovered that Lily and Caleb have come a LONG LONG way. And they were SO good about having all the people in the house, and they were SO good with the little one that we know that D&K can stay with us the next time they visit. We only limited the number of people because we weren't sure how the puppies would do with a crowd and with a little one. But they were fantastic. So, good to know, we can have company!

And the BIG BIG news for my family: I am an Aunt! Ava Marlene was born on Friday. Isn't she beautiful????? I will have better pictures tomorrow. It was one of the funnier phone calls. My dad called in tears and all he choked out was "She's perfect" I think he also managed to tell me E was ok and he hung up. Only to call back about 10 minutes later: "Ok, let's try this again but with less emotion"

I love my dad. He's the proudest Grandpa ever.

Today it is snowing! We drove in to work in blizzard conditions. Oh goodie. What the heck happened to spring. This is SO wrong. So very very wrong. Sigh........................

Put on those BLue Suede Shoes and Listen for a change

2008-03-27T13:19:00.004-06:00

So, be honest now, how many of you have had this kind of conversation?

Airport Security: "Oh, California eh? Nice to get out of the cold for a while.."

Newt: "It sure will be."

Airport Security: "Ok, well, you just need to keep out your boarding pass for the security line you can put your license away. Have a great flight."

Newt: "Yeah, you too."

I have become SO lazy in my listening skills. In my courtesy skills. And in putting some thought into what comes out of my mouth.

I hang my head in shame.

It's not a hard thing to do. Just slow down a bit. Actually listen. And actually put some thought into what we will say next.

Why don't I listen? I mean REALLY listen?

So, that folks is my new goal. I'm going to work on my listening skills. And I'm going to take an extra split second or three to formulate a truly polite and truly sincere courtesy response.

Cause right now, I'm a slacker and it's gotta stop.

***

OH OH OH - on a totally different topic.

We brought the girls home last night that will be staying with us. They walked into the house and got through the ENTIRE night without Caleb or Lily fear barking.

AND THEN - when their mom came to get them this morning there was complete silence in my house. Kelley actually got in the door. And even got to pet Lily. And not one peep, not one bark.

I can't begin to tell you how good that made me feel.

Puppies are making progress. Big progress. I was so proud of them I could've burst.

WWC

2008-03-25T12:33:00.004-06:00

I don't have a picture of the place but we grew up with a store called Treasures and Junk just down the street a ways. We would go there as a family and wander around. This lamp has been in my family since I was just a wee lass. My dad saw it in one of the little stalls and thought it was really ugly. And each time he passed it he thought it just got uglier. But at some point it went from ugly to sold. And it has been a treasure for my family for over 30 years. It is the single most valued, treasured, and sentimental item for our family.

Another piece of Junk that was turned into a family Treasure

I got this piece of junk for dad one year and now it is considered a treasure.
Here we took two pieces of junk and turned it into a treasure. A flamingo tree topper for a plain glass tree.

Chaos Reigns

2008-03-24T06:54:00.003-06:00

The house that Newt built was turned on it's side yesterday. Ok, not literally but something new passed our threshold and let's just say that chaos is a mild description of our life right now.

Her name is Pearl. She's a 60+ pound black lab. She's well behaved, well trained, and sweet as pie.

My dogs are not. They are noisy, barky, territorial, and not well trained or well behaved.

I told my brother in law he was risking getting his dog "broken" but he brought her over anyway.

They put their house on the market today.

The hubster offered to house her while they try to sell their house.

So, she's trying to deal with all this strangeness. She's trying to cope with having four dogs barking at her, all of them capable of walking right under her.

She's trying to figure out what a cat is but they won't stick around long enough for her to find out. So they take off, and she gives chase.

As I said, chaos.

Before I head home I will take a couple or 10 of tylenol, I will grow some patience. And I will head into the house with a smile on my face. And if all goes well, no one will die tonight.

Ok, I kid. Honest. No dogs will die. Or cats for that matter.

We just need to adjust.

The following photograph is of Lily before her world got upended and Pearl came to stay.

So, I ask you, is she not the cutest puppy in the world????

Spring is here - NOT

2008-03-21T08:12:00.006-06:00

So, I'm working from home today because we have snow. Blowing, gusting, falling snow. I tought I saw on the calendar that yesterday was the first day of spring. But someone forgot to mention that to Ol' Mother Nature.

So, needless to say my shoes are slippers and my company is dogs not co-workers.

If the weather gets better I'll be meeting Girl J later on today. But until then, I'll be working on some training materials and watching Dresden Files on DVD.

So first, the cute pictures, and then we'll follow it with some snow.

Before she flipped belly up they looked like a mirror image

Sleeping Beauty
Sophie being too cute
Awww mom, no more pictures.........
The snow is sticking to the screen

The front yard and houses across the street
Our backyard - snow is sticking to the power lines
Snow is sticking to the telephone pole out back in the alley
And snow is sticking to the neighbors fence - kinda pretty eh?