Accident Prone

When I was about 3, I discovered the ability to jump off of things. You know how excited kids get when they find out they can leap from something on to the floor - it's very liberating. We had just arrived home from the hospital (I don't know why we were there) and I wanted to show off my new skill to my mom. When the side door of the van was opened I attempted a jump from the van to the sidewalk.

I landed on my head.

Back to the hospital we went and that was my first set of stitches, right in the top of my head.

In fourth grade I wanted to be cool like the other girls and do a "cherry drop" from the monkey bars. The idea is to start hanging from the bar by your knees, and by swinging back and forth, gaining enough momentum to flip and land on your feet.

I landed on my back with my left arm underneath me.

I wore a brace and ace bandage for a month for a "green-stick" fracture.

Sadly, I didn't grow out of this problem, it only got worse as time went on.

The summer after my freshman year in high-school, I was staying with my aunt and uncle for the summer. My aunt and I decided to ride our mountain bikes in to town to get the mail, and on the way back our final navigation was to cross a main road and then turn onto the street their house was on.

All I remember was waking up face-down in the gravel with my bike on top of me.

I was rushed to the emergency room in the cab of a truck that had stopped at the "scene", and I withstood the nurses scrubbing the gravel out of my face with a sponge. The on-call plastic surgeon sewed up my lip and I visited a dentist and ear, nose and throat doctor to make sure I hadn't screwed things up too much. It took a couple of months to heal, just in time for school.

During my sophomore year I managed to crash skiing and plant the end of my ski-pole into my face, and then a few months later bounce my face off the sidewalk while rollerskating.

My skull endured several other injuries during my high-school career, from having a friend lift me up to change a lightbulb and running my head into a nail to falling down the stairs carrying a laundry basket and landing with my cheek on a corner of the laundry bin.

I'm amazed I made it to adulthood in one piece, not looking like a plastic surgeon mistake, and un-brain-damaged.

New and Improved

As I enter my 4th decade, I decided to revamp my blog a bit. I've added links to other blogs that I enjoy regularly in addition to links to sites where I spend a lot of time.

My birthday was a fun day - I started the day itself with a trip to the vet for the dog and all three cats. Our vet of choice is over an hour away, and Buster was very good in the car with the three cats wandering around at will.

Chou and Buster had rabies boosters, Minx was diagnosed some antibiotics for a skin issue, and everyone was weighed and groped. Buster needs to lose about 7 pounds, and we need to start brushing Chou's teeth. Everyone else is in good shape.

I have always been able to trim the toenails on the boy cats, but Minx becomes a kitty-demon as soon as I try to hold her down at all. It took the vet, the tech and myself with a towel to wrestle each paw into position.

After arriving back home I took a nap, and Scott stopped at home between jobs long enough to give me my present, a video ipod! YAY!

I had many birthday cards and calls, and Scott and I began the skunk negotiations last night as well. I began the process of applying for a Class III Wildlife license today, since it is required to own a skunk and even if we don't keep her, it will look good on my resume as I am store manager.

RWC #4

It's 1:06am where I live... so here you go:

"... The winds of change are always blowing
And every time I try to stay
The winds of change continue blowing
And they just carry me away..."

And for those who are counting, the leader board reads:
Lou aka Mandy: 1
Jim: 1
Jill: 1

It's neck and neck and neck. That's a lot of necking, people. Let's concentrate on the music, shall we?

Birthday Bash

Just a quick rundown on my birthday celebrations so far...

Last night the bosses took Scott and I to dinner at a very nice restaurant in Key West - pics to come. BEFORE we left our house (they picked us up) they gave me my present.

I opened the very large gift bag to see a cardboard box. I opened the box and there was THE SKUNK!!! My boss GAVE me a birthday SKUNK!!

I'm thrilled and yet not jumping up and down yet because my boss didn't actually TALK to Scott about it first, so there's still some negotiating to be done.

In any case, Squirt has to live at the store until I get my Class III Wildlife license which would allow me to have her.

More soon...

Glamour Skunk

We have one skunk left at the store, I'm hoping the owner keeps her. She has been named "Squirt", despite being de-scented.

Every day in the afternoon I take her from her cage and snuggle her for an hour or two. She's usually pretty sleepy about that time and is very pliable. Yesterday she napped in the toy dog-bed on the counter while I ran the register. It was pretty fun to have customers place something on the counter and jump when they realized she was real and not battery-operated.

Skunk fur is much softer than it looks, I initially expected it to be wiry and somewhat coarse, but it is very thick and lush. When she is in her relaxed state, she is very happy to be stroked and scratched behind the ears. When she is hungry, she is on the prowl and a little sharp and pointy in the teeth department.

Since the store was slow and Squirt was amiable, we took the opportunity to "pimp her out."

A leopard-print bow in her hair and a faux-pearl necklace made her a very fashionable picture, indeed.

Scott has told me that I cannot bring home a skunk, and I know she wouldn't get along with the cats, but I love her none the less.

RWC #3

"...the happier we'll be."

There you go.

Rather Domestic

I'm feeling very responsible.
Since the end of my shift at work (at about 7:45pm) I have:

• Bought enough dog food to last for about a month AND kitty litter
  
• Took out the garbage
• Went grocery shopping
• Made and ate a sandwich
• Made about a 1/2 gallon of salsa
• Made filling for enchiladas
• Emptied and refilled the dishwasher
• Fed the dog and cats

I'm planning to get up early (for me) tomorrow and put the enchiladas together. Maybe I'll thrown in some laundry folding if I'm extra-motivated.

Drawing a Blank

I haven't had much to say these last three or four days, I've been getting lots of wedding stuff done. I found dresses for the flower girls and ring bearer (yes, a girl) at Ross for $9.99 and $24.99 when I was prepared to spend upwards of $50 on each!

I've also been going ahead with plans around the house since it looks like we won't be moving anytime soon.

RWC #2

It's almost 1am... technically Friday...

Song phrase for this week:

"dark behind it rose the forest..."

Hints to come in comments if needed, I'm off to bed!

List This!

I am a list-maker.

At the moment I have countless lists going. I have an Access database of all the movies I've ever seen complete with the year they came out, lead actor and/or actress and director.

I have another Access database of our guest list for the wedding. An Excel spreadsheet for the wedding with several pages - budget, wedding party, locations, etc., a wedding planning book/filer with more lists and magazine cut-outs, and still another blank book for making random wedding lists off the top of my head that I don't think are ready to commit to the computer.

Over the years I have started several databases to catalog the books and cds I own, having to re-start them from time to time as I have had new computers.

In order to accomplish anything on my days off I have to make a list of things I want to get done. If I don't, I will wake up in the morning and honestly have a blank mind as to what to do for the day.

Awhile back I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish in my life. I've actually crossed many of them off, and such progress caused me to add to it.

I have to have a grocery list, or I will go to the store for lasagna noodles and come out with cheese, veggies, ice cream, toilet paper, milk, bread, garlic, veggie crumbles and no noodles.

I have a blank book for budgets, which I've also found easiest to keep my checkbook register in as well.

I have lists of all the states I've been in and all the states I have yet to visit. Last night I actually wondered if it would be possible to list all the people I know, personally, as aquaintences, whatever - just because it would be interesting.

When I'm at work I'll make lists of things I want to make sure get done before the end of the shift. I make lists from other lists. A list of books people have requested that we carry, a list of dogs people would like us to get, a list of things to go back later and make more lists from!

If I go on a trip, I start about a month before hand making a list of what I need to take. On two occasions I have decided to skip the list and pack "on the fly" and have forgotten underwear, socks, toothbrush (although I remembered the toothpaste!) and other various necessities.

I even have a list saved on my desktop of things to blog about.

Meet Mr. Fleabus

This is Buster.

Buster is a VERY good dog. He turned 9 on July 30th this year and has a few grey hairs in his muzzle and on his back.

Scott inherited Buster as a two-year-old. His previous owners could no longer take care of him and Scott was fortunate enough to have the right connections to take him in.

I met Buster when I arrived in Key West last year. He accepted me very readily and it was easy to teach him that although he had been trained to chase cats up until this point, the NEW cats are "babies", which translates into "something not to mess with."

He is very respectful and knows that when we are eating dinner he needs to be in another part of the house and not beg.

Buster is the picture of loyalty. If Scott or I even joke about chasing one of the cats, Buster gets between us and the cat and barks. It's far worse if we even joke attack each other - he gets up on his hind legs and boxes us.

He will never look the cats in the eye, he knows not to intimidate them. On the other hand, he will also let the Hamster sit on his head.

He is known as Buster, Duster Boggie, Buddy, and Brown Thing.

I am officially a member of the Boxer party.

I Wish I Were a Cat

Sometimes it's hard not to be jealous of the fat fluff on my couch. Everyone loves him. He has won over people that don't even tolerate cats.

I would love to have people feed me, pet me and give me treats, be able to snort kitty weed, and watch the Hamster for entertainment.

His only concerns are if he is going to be allowed under the covers at night, and if he can commandeer the top roost on the cat tree.

He is fed a mixture of Eukanuba Lamb & Rice and Solid Gold Katzenflocken. Good stuff.

The Life of the Chou.

Reese's (New) Weekly Competition

I'll give you a phrase from a song and you name the song and if applicable, setting.

Here's the first one:

"...I'll never know what made it so exciting..."

And So What We Have Learned...

Today I learned about the lolrus and his bukket.

It's a fascinating saga, really. I had no idea.

My journey began on Slate, in an article about lolcats, which then led to the lolrus entry on urbandictionary.com and then on and on from there.

Poor lolrus.

Move!

Sometime in the next two to four weeks we will be moving. Our lease for the condo is up tomorrow (15th) and a friend of ours that has been renting a house is moving to D.C., so we're going to takeover the house.

I hate moving, but I'm excited about this one. The house has a fenced back yard which is FANTASTIC for Buster, and the house itself is very nice - the whole front room area is painted a dark red (which I love) and feels very open and modern. The only downsides are that there is only one bathroom (the condo has 2.5) and a very small kitchen. And no pool.

The condo is about 10 blocks from my work, and on the same street. The house is three streets behind the store and 2 blocks over. I won't have to tackle ANY main drag traffic to get there!

I suppose I'll live without the pool, I'll just have to go to the beach more often!

We'll most likely be in Key West for another year at least, unless something unexpected happens in Scott's job field and we are facilitated a move that is worth it. When that happens I would like to drive, as I enjoyed the cross-country trip before, but Scott wants to fly us and all the animals.

I'm hoping to rent a big Suburban or Van and just toss everyone in it.

The Battle Rages On

Today, Buster had a date with Bernadette. I found 4 fleas on him yesterday, and the saying is that for "every flea you see, there's 100 you don't see."

I suspect that ratio is a little exaggerated when it comes to Buster, since he has short hair, but I didn't want to risk it.

I am washing all his bedding, our bedding, and the couch cover.

I don't have any fresh bites, yet.

So, Buster got groomed today and came home with a "Jazzy Dogs" bandanna. Bonus!

Smelly.

Working at a pet store I encounter many different smells on a daily basis. Some are pleasant (clean puppy fur, dried fruits and nuts) and some are potently terrible (skunk poop, dead fish).

In the last few days I have had several transportations into my childhood thanks to smells in the store.

• Cedar bedding: reminds me of the summer I spent in Mt. Shasta riding horses with Meriah and Jason. At the beginning of the summer I couldn't stay on a horse even with a saddle, and by the end I could ride bareback on a horse that was trying to escape fireworks.
• Scratch (chicken feed): takes me back to spending time on my cousins' farm in eastern Washington. The house was in the middle of wheat fields and was a true old farmhouse. We passed the days wrapped in our imaginations, putting on plays and circuses in the hayloft, and avoiding fire ants while exploring the drainage ditch.

What smells transport you to another time and place?

Make Me a Samich!

My favorite food is cheese, and my favorite way to eat it is a grilled cheese sandwich.

I love sandwiches. I can usually find something to eat at any restaurant by choosing a sandwich.

When I was briefly attending Walla Walla College, the majority of my meals in the cafeteria (few, since I was a village student) consisted of a deli sandwich. Usually I chose Rye bread and slathered it with mayo on one side and cream cheese on the other. Then I would add cheese, tomatoes, sprouts and avocado when available. Tasty.

As a child, my parents would make hoagies and I learned to love Provolone and Pepperoncinis at an early age.

Last week Scott and I enjoyed lunch at Goldman's Deli, which is primarily a bagel shop and diner, and I had the veggie sandwich pictured above. It definitely ranks as one of the best I've ever had.

Fun Fotos of Feathers and Fur

I've decided to share some of the pictures I've taken at work over the last few months. Click on the thumbnails to see a larger version.

The first picture is of BamBam (a Blue and Gold Macaw) and a baby African Grey parrot. The owners of the store decided to keep BamBam once they realized how snuggly she is, even with their three dogs.

The bunny on the right is a half Dwarf rabbit and half Lop-ear rabbit. He was a rescue rabbit and was so docile you could hold him on his back cradled like a baby.

We have a fish department that has both freshwater and saltwater fish tanks around three sides of the room. Here is a Fantail Goldfish in one of our freshwater tanks.

Every couple of months we get baby Ferrets. This is a Panda marked female ferret. If Scott hadn't already had 3 ferrets before we met and sworn never to have them again, this little one would have joined the menagerie at home.

On the left is yet another picture of BamBam. Before working at the store I was never very interested in birds, but seeing BamBam and Q-Tip go from small prickly chickens to beautiful birds with a ton of personality has made Scott and I both fall in love with them.


Every week or so we bring in Betta fish. I brought home one and named it Won-Ton, following in the tradition of my previous Bettas: Hi-Ya, Kung Pao, and General Tso.

In addition to big birds, we have canaries, parakeets, and many varieties of finches. These are Owl Finches.

I have many more pictures of the baby skunks, but I really like this one. Even though they've been de-scented, they don't know that they can't spray, so their defensive reaction of tail-lift is still automatic.

Doing My Part

Do you know about Blackle?

Since I was using Google as my home page anyway, I've changed it to Blackle. Not tooting my own horn or anything, but I also try to keep lights off in rooms when I'm not in them, and I turn the thermostat up when I leave the house so the AC isn't running while we're not here.

I also walked to work today, but that has more to do with the fact that my car is dead.

8/10/07...It has been pointed out to me by Jake that it's all for naught.

"I Left My Heart... In Van-couv-er-o..."

I miss my house. I miss Andy. I miss my job at Clark County Title.

I miss my mom and Lou, Monica and John Paul and all the kids.

I miss rainstorms and Starbucks on every other corner.

I miss making more money.

I miss Bridge City, Kevin Brussett and EVERYONE there.

I miss Tim and Jim and the opportunity to record music.

I miss throwing dinner parties.

I miss Karaoke with Bob and Chelsea and Jared and Ivan and Rachel.

I miss "the silent game" in the pool.

I miss the rest of my books.

I miss Mt. Hood, the Columbia River and the Oregon Coast.

The Right Stuff

I am listening to the New Kids On the Block. Why? Because I have come to the realization that if I am not interacting with music in some way EVERY DAY, I am nothing.

I don't know how I let myself get into the rut forgetting that I act like I'm a stoned zombie stumbling through my life if I don't have music.

I have trouble getting motivated to write (blog, music, whatever), clean, anything but sleep.

I take an anti-anxiety and anti-depression medication, which helps, but if I listen to music, I'm actually better off than if I had the "best day ever" medicated or otherwise.

I'm not going off my meds... I'm just realizing that in order to kick my own butt into gear, I have to be listening to or making music.

My laptop is sitting on the kitchen counter hooked up to some external speakers (thanks, Dad!) and itunes is running a shuffle through my "old school" playlist. Consequently I've been cleaning and cooking nonstop for the last two hours.

Sounds like the Right Stuff to me.

One Week of Cousintude.

Carrie left this afternoon.

We crammed a lot of fun and excitement into one week...starting with the arrival (read the previous post).

Friday night after my shift was over I got cleaned up and we drove down to walk the Marina. We ended at Damn Good Food To Go and I had a deli sandwich while Carrie enjoyed a Boca Burger. Our hunger satiated, we walked up to Duval and surveyed the scene for a few blocks, long enough to buy souvenirs at Hard Rock Cafe and admire the "wildlife" (tropical birds and lizards that you can pay to have your picture taken with) on our way back to the car.

Saturday I had to work from 8am to 4pm, so Scott took Carrie to the Waterfront Market for sandwiches. After I was done at the pet store, Carrie and I went to Salsa Loca for dinner and then to the Blonde Giraffe for Key Lime Pie (dipped in chocolate and on a stick).

Sunday morning we all slept in a little and then Carrie and I went to IHOP for breakfast. We took a short drive around the island and then found a parking spot a few streets over from the Green Parrot, where Scott's band was scheduled to play at 3pm. Right as I was parallel parking the BMW, a torrential downpour started and we had no choice but to brave it. Carrie found shelter under an overhang while I plugged the meter, and then we ran the two blocks to arrive just in time for the first song.

Butcher Hollow featuring Tyvek Velvette rocked the house, and a great time was had by all. Carrie and I walked Duval and shopped a little while Scott and the band packed up, and then we met up at Kelly's for some beverages. Our stay at Kelly's wasn't too long, as we decided to make homemade pizza for dinner.

Monday I worked a split shift - 8am to 11am and then 4pm to 8pm. Carrie and I managed to squeeze in a little pool time in between and then after the later shift the three of us went to Virgilio's for dinner and drinks, both of which were fantastic.

Tuesday we hit the pool again for a little while and then enjoyed lunch at Goldman's Bagels before I went to work. We enjoyed a quick meal of appetizers at Outback with Scott and Justin and then retired back to the house.

Wednesday morning we spent more time poolside before I had to go to work at 2pm, and then headed out to the Sunset Lounge to sing Karaoke.

Thursday I had the day off, so we set out for a drive up the Keys at about 10:30am. We stopped for coffee at Baby's Coffee before setting up on the beach at Bahia Honda. Turquoise water the temperature of bathwater, overlooked by blue skies. We waded for about an hour and a half to build up an appetite and then shared a Gardenburger at Rob's Island Grill on Big Pine.

On the drive back to Key West we stopped at Boondocks to play a round of mini-golf. Fortunately there are misting poles throughout the course, or we would have broiled to death.

Once back in Key West, we napped and then went to El Siboney for a fabulous dinner of Cuban rice, beans and plantains, followed by a piece of Key Lime Pie from Kermit's.

This morning we slept in and then joined Scott for lunch at The Cafe. I dropped Carrie off at the airport just before 4pm where she managed to get on a 4:55pm flight to Miami since her 4:17pm flight to Tampa had been delayed to around 5:30pm.

Welcome to Paradise!

Carrie is here for a week as a college graduation present from Scott and myself.

Friday as I was clocking in at work my cell rang and it was Carrie.
"I'm in Orlando..."
"What?! Why? Why aren't you in California? I'm confused!"

Scott and I booked Carrie's flight online. She told me she had the 21st through the 27th off and we managed to snag a 12:30am flight on Friday the 21st for her.

Thursday night around 9pm Dixie asked Carrie what her plans were for Friday and what time her flight left. After checking her itinerary Carrie discovered that the flight left in 3 hours and she had not packed yet.

I'm not a dummy. Scott is not a dummy, and Carrie is certainly not a dummy. But we all assumed that 12:30am on Friday meant "Friday night just past midnight" as opposed to "Thursday night just past midnight."

Fortunately she had already run a load of laundry and it was in the dryer, so packing hastily wasn't as chaotic as it could have been. Dixie sped Carrie to the airport and she barely made the flight. The connecting flight in Houston went as planned but on approaching Florida, the cabin was notified by the crew that they were diverting to Orlando instead of landing in Tampa due to bad weather.

Once on the ground in Orlando, the flight de-planed and then re-planed and went to Tampa. Since her original connection to Key West had already left, the airline managed to find a flight from Tampa to Miami to Key West.

My cell rang again at about 4:20pm and I assured Carrie I would come pick her up right away. I managed to find someone to cover for me at work for about 15 minutes and I hurried to the airport. After the hugging we threw the luggage in the trunk and drove back to work where Carrie was entertained by the Dutch Shepherd puppy and I finished my shift.

"Here I Am... at Six O' Clock in the Morning..."

Scratching the back of my throat with the back of my tongue. Ick.

It doesn't hurt, or burn, it just itches uncontrollably. I came downstairs in search of some lozenges and haven't found any yet, so I am drinking ice water with a hefty squirt of lemon juice in it. It helps a little.

Now is NOT the time to be sick! I'm two days away from the end of a six-on-one-off-six-on schedule and Carrie is coming to visit for a week on Saturday. NO SICK. NO.

I won't subject you to a photo of the back of my throat. Unless it gets really interesting.

Hoedown!

Anyone that has known me well for any length of time knows that my favorite TV show of all time is Whose Line Is It Anyway?.

At one point I had 5 VHS tapes full of American and British versions of the show. I can watch reruns of it many times over and still laugh hysterically, even when I know the punch line that is coming.

Some of my favorite games on the show are "Props", "Scenes From a Hat", "Greatest Hits", "Hats", "Whose Line" and "Song Styles". My favorite performers and of course Colin Mochrie and Ryan Stiles, Wayne Brady and Greg Proops.

Wayne Brady is a very talented performer, comically talented, but very musically gifted as well. He was responsible for a "Song Styles" game dedicated to a Lunch Lady named Lee. Wayne has to perform the song in the style of a "Strip-O-Gram" and makes up the entire song on the spot. I don't think I have every laughed so hard at anything on TV in my life.

For those willing to risk the risque...

(rings doorbell) Do-dooo. Do-dooo.
I'll let myself in!
Are you Lee?
These words come right from me,
They're to you and your name is Lee,
Can you fix me a treat?
Maybe some mystery meat.
I love you girl, I sing this song,
You have the shower cap on,
When you're servin' all that food.
Hey!
Do you like it when you spoon out the food,
Do you like it, Lee?
Oh Lee, aiiyeah Lee,
Would you like to serve me? (unbuckles belt)
On Monday - meatloaf. (pulls back shirt)
On Tuesday - steak. (touches butt)
On Wednesday - pork. (poses)
On Thursday - chicken. (acts like chicken)
And Friday,
It's the best day of all,
Because you get to have a little spaghetti,
And two great meatballs...
(cracks up)
Oh Lee!

Two years running I was fortunate enough to see "A Night of Improv" live in Portland. The cast of this tour consisted of the majority of cast members and guests from WLIIA, and the first year had Drew himself as a special guest. Greg Proops opened the show with about 15 minutes of stand-up directed particularly at the Northwest audience, to great response.

Ever since, I have searched for this tour, but haven't seen the full group performing anywhere together. If you have the opportunity to see improvisational comedy by any of the cast of WLIIA, do not miss out. You will laugh until you pee.

Cooking Spree!

It's 12:24 in the morning and I just sat down on the couch to relax. In the last 3 hours I made lasagna, salsa and smoothies.

The salsa was by request of my boss, Jennifer - after she tasted the last batch. I don't generally measure stuff unless I'm using someone else's recipe for something. Following are approximate quantities for the evening's creations.

Salsa
(made a LARGE bowl)

• Balsamic Vinegar about 3/4 cup
• Garlic 5 or 6 cloves, finely chopped
• Large White Onion finely chopped

Mix above ingredients in the bottom of a large bowl.

• 2 Large Yellow "low acid" tomatoes, chopped
• Large handful Cilantro

Blend in food processor and add to bowl, mix.

• 3 "on the vine" Tomatoes, chopped in small pieces
  

Add to the bowl, mix.

• 4 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
• 2 Large Beefsteak Tomatoes, chopped

Blend in food processor and add to bowl, mix. Add about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and about 3 teaspoons salt. Cover and refrigerate overnight and then add salt or lemon juice as needed.


Lasagna
(made a 9x12 pan)

• Large container of Ricotta
• Package of Feta
• Chopped Basil
• Chopped Garlic

Mix in bowl and set aside.

• One package of burger crumbles
• Chopped Basil
• 1/2 cup water

Brown in pan on med/high and set aside.

Boil about 15 lasagna noodles, drain and rinse under cold water.

Spread about 3/4 cup of your choice of Sauce in the bottom of the pan, place one layer of noodles over sauce. Spread a level of ricotta mixture, then noodles, then burger mixture, then noodles, then sauce, then ricotta, etc. until pan is full. Top with sauce, cover with tin foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove tin foil, top with shredded mozzarella and return to oven for about a half hour or until cheese browns and bubbles.

It's now 12:45am and I'm going to try the lasagna.

How Many Cats Do You Have?

I have three.

So far, that's the most I've had at one time but some people think it's too many. One of these people is my friend Sue, who very kindly sent me the action figure seen at right.

The back of the box asks the following questions:

1. Do you get excited when you hear a can opener?
2. Do you think cats are smarter than people?
3. Do you feel Tom is more talented than Jerry?
4. Do you have more cats than ex-boyfriends?
5. Do you bring new boyfriends home so the cats can meet them?
6. Do you later break up with them because the cats weren't impressed?
7. Do you spend more on doctor bills for your cats than for yourself?
8. Do you buy the ice cream your cats prefer instead of the kind you like?
9. Can you tell your cats apart by the roughness of their tongues?
10. Have you ever warned a guest not to sit on a specific piece of furniture because it belongs to the cats?
11. Do you own more than once piece of clothing with a cat on it?
12. Do you have a website devoted to your cats? Do you have a website for each cat?
13. Do you spend more on Christmas presents for your cat than for your family?
14. Do you buy more than one kind of cat food because a few of your cats are picky eaters?
15. Have you ever had to explain to a police officer that the stuff in the bag really is catnip?
16. Do you feel that the ancient Egyptian tradition of cat worship is the one true religion?
17. Is the sheet of instructions for watching your cats while you're on vacation longer than a page? Two pages? What vacation?

If you answered yes to 7 or more of these questions, you may be a crazy cat person.

Sue very kindly checked off the questions she felt applied to me.

At the bottom she kindly inscribed "Sorry Marisa, you're screwed!"

The truth of the matter is

1. No, because I only have a manual can opener and it doesn't make any noise.
   
2. Sometimes, depending on the cat and the people. Minx is smarter than a lot of people.
   
3. No, Tom was a dummy.
   
4. No. I only have 3 cats and I have about 4 or 5 times that many ex-boyfriends.
   
5. Yes.
6. Yes. Ok, not really, but if my cats don't like someone I usually don't end up liking them in the long run, either.
   
7. Yes. At one time I spent about $450 on a cat to have his teeth cleaned. Twerp had some nasty teeth and required anesthesia to have them taken care of.
   
8. No, but they aren't too picky about the kind of ice cream they like, either. Chou will eat anything. Chips, ice cream, corn, peas, and beer. Maui eats anything humans will eat and loves dog food. Minx eats plastic bags.
9. No, but I can tell which one of them has jumped on the bed in the dark by the weight of their step.
10. Yes. I don't think the cat tree would hold very many people, anyway.
11. Yes. I have several pairs of socks with cats on them.
12. Yes. Thanks to Catster.
13. No. I spend way too much on my significant others and about half as much on my cats.
14. No. I only buy one kind of cat food because they all eat out of each other's dishes.
15. No, but it would be fun.
16. YES. Minx is the queen.
17. Yes, No, and we go on vacation!

Still, I have had 3 cats at a time consistently for the last 7 years. Before that I had at least one cat as far back as third grade, and I know that we had cats when I was a very young child, as well.

I admit that I talk about my cats a lot. In my defense, they are pretty great cats. People that don't like cats fall in love instantly with Chou.

Wouldn't you?

(R.I.P. Smudgie I, Ajax, Smudgie II, Mocha, Scamperoo, Twerp, Jackson, and Crispin)

Duh...

You Are Ernie

Playful and childlike, you are everyone's favorite friend - even if your goofy antics get annoying at times. You are usually feeling: Amused - you are very easily entertained You are famous for: Always making people smile. From your silly songs to your wild pranks, you keep things fun. How you life your life: With ease. Life is only difficult when your friends won't play with you!

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

I'm a Nose-Picker

I'll bet you think I'm going to explain that title away with some clever pun or story. I'm not. I'm a nose-picker "for real."

I didn't ever pick my nose until high-school. I'm not sure when it started or why. Well, I guess the why is because I became very sensitive to having anything poky IN my nostrils. I can't stand the feeling of something in there, it seems alien.

I'm not a pick-my-nose-in-front-of-a-crowd sort of picker, and also not a shirt-wiper (unless I'm en route to throw the shirt in the wash).

I have known which of my relationships were "good" ones by the fact that my significant other was ok with the knowledge of my pickitude.

Sorry Mom, I'm sure you're horrified, but you can rest in the fact that it wasn't bad parenting that caused me to have such a disgusting habit. I'm also pretty sure I didn't get it from my Dad, while I do fuzzily recall him "cleaning" with a pinkie once or twice, I wasn't living at home when I took it up.

Sign me up for NPA, "I'm Reese, and I'm a Picker."

Customer Lack-of-Service

Our journey home started with our cab ride from the Paris to McCarren airport. Once in the cab we realized that our driver had no intention of taking us the fastest route, and didn't even ask which way we wanted to go. He was also talking on his cell phone the entire time. No tip for ACE cab #6663.

We tried to check in using the self-service kiosk, but the computer could not find my itinerary. We persuaded a clerk to help us and managed to off-load our checked baggage at the security drop-off without further hassle. We had a little time for hi-jinks with the lizard statue on the way to our gate. Our flight boarded on time and we each took a Dramamine before take-off.

We both managed to sleep most of the 4+ hour flight to Miami and stumbled off the plane at about 6:30am EST. Our connecting flight to Key West was scheduled to depart at 10:10am, so we again found a corner in the airport and fell asleep, setting an alarm to wake us in time to board the plane.

Right on time we boarded the bus to take us out to our small plane. Instead of stopping at the plane, the driver continued in a circle and dropped us back off at the starting gate. Our bewildered bunch of comrades piled OFF the bus and back in to the terminal. Soon the helpful intercom voice announced that our flight was canceled due to "maintenance issues" and to "please see the help desk located across from the escalator."

The next flight to Key West was at 1:10pm and was already full. We managed to secure seats on the 2:15pm flight and were given a $20 voucher to use upstairs in the remaining 3+ hours we had to wait. Back to the nap zone.

About 20 minutes before we needed to be back downstairs at our gate, Scott spent the voucher at a Starbucks, loading up on teas and juices since it was a "use it or lose it" $20.

We also got a call from Katie and Kevin, who were still in Vegas after having their flight to Seattle canceled, being bullied and nearly kidnapped by a psycho cab driver, booking and canceling a room at one hotel, finding a room at another hotel, and scoring free tickets to come visit us for their trouble.

It seems that all the luck of 7-7-07 caused a distinct curse day on 7-8-07.

The Bellagio Tolls for Thee

DAY FOUR

Saturday morning we woke slowly and groggily, having been out on the town until rather late. We packed up and checked out of our rooms, leaving our bags with the baggage service outside the front of the hotel.

Carla set up a post at the pool and held all our miscellaneous stuff while the rest of us returned to the Miracle Mile to shop for about an hour. Gary also purchased Scott some clothes at Ben Sherman as a birthday present, while I hit a shoe store and a sale at the Gap.

We returned to the pool to collect Carla and then walked to the Bellagio to have lunch at Todd English's Olives. Our table was on the veranda overlooking the fountain, shaded by an umbrella with built-in misters. I ordered the Butternut Squash Tortelli, which turned out to be the favorite dish at our table. Just after our food arrived, the mister right above me started spitting great drips of water into my hair, my food, and my wine-glass. A quick-thinking busser wrapped a cloth napkin around the pole, covering the errant spout. We relaxed and enjoyed our lunch and several fountain shows, topped off with a bit of an impromptu family haiku battle.

Scott enjoyed a Chocolate Fallen Cake as a Birthday treat and then we were off to Bally's. By this time I was exhausted and I curled up on a bench in the lobby and took a short nap. We took refuge in Le Burger Brasserie and quenched our dehydrated throats, followed by seeing Gary and Carla off as they left for the airport.

Katie, Kevin and Scott took seats at tables in the Poker room and I made the most of the Tabasco and Wheel of Fortune slot machines nearby. Eventually it was time for Scott and I to head to the airport, so we said our goodbyes to Katie and Kevin and caught a cab.

"Your Mother Was A Hamster..."

DAY THREE

Friday morning started out with an appointment at the Salon in the Paris. I got a haircut and then met up with Erin in the lobby. We enjoyed some tasty crepes at La Creperie and then sat by the pool for an hour or so.

Once cooked sufficiently, we went back upstairs and napped until Scott returned from the poker tables. Erin gave us a ride to Caesars Palace so we could stroll along the Forum Shops. Surprisingly, I didn't find anything I wanted to purchase that was anywhere NEAR my price range, so we walked back to the Paris - much relieved to arrive back in the air conditioning.

Scott and I found sandwiches for a late lunch at the Boulangerie, then rested upstairs until it was time to get ready for the evening.

Dressed in our best, we met in Gary and Carla's room before acquiring two cabs to take us to the Wynn for our evening event.

We arrived with about 10 minutes to showtime, which was just enough for a bathroom break and quick stop at the souvenir table where I purchased an official program and Killer Bunny hand puppet.

John O'Hurley stars as King Arthur in SPAMALOT - "a musical lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail", joined by The Lady of the Lake and the Knights of the Round Table. Whether you have seen the film that inspires the musical or not, SPAMALOT is chock-full of laughs, insults and elderberries. Scott is a HUGE Monty Python fan, and the rest of us are MP appreciators at the very least, so the show brought us much enjoyment.

Just outside the Grail Theater is the restaurant Corsa. I ordered side dishes as an entree as I wasn't very hungry, and enjoyed the potatoes very much. The Broccolini was nasty. We finished off dinner sharing a Tiramisu before taking a short tour of part of the beautiful Wynn casino.

Two Pianos, Aparte?

DAY TWO

We slept in until about 9am on Thursday, and would probably have slept longer if it wasn't for being woken by Scott's mom letting us know she was on her way to the pool. We managed to throw ourselves together and stumbled down to find deck chairs. In the water we were able to withstand the blistering heat, but only for about an hour and a half. Gary came down and took us to lunch at the poolside cafe around 11:30am.

After lunch we cleaned ourselves up and braved the strip long enough to cross the street and head into the Miracle Mile shops attached to Planet Hollywood (previously the Aladdin).

The ladies enjoyed the wonders of Sephora and then Scott whooped for joy when he saw the Ben Sherman store. I bought him two pairs of shorts and some shirts as an early birthday present, we then re-joined with Carla, Kevin and Katie and had a "snack" at P.F. Changs.

We napped for a bit and then headed downstairs to Napoleon's Dueling Piano bar. The ladies had drinks while the men had cigars and then we proceeded to a late night dinner at the Boulangerie/Patisserie nearby.

"It's Like a Heat Wave, Burning in My Heart"

DAY ONE

My second (ever) trip to Las Vegas began on the morning of July 4th. We managed to pack and finish cleaning our house within about 2 hours, then threw our luggage into a taxi and headed to the airport.

Our plane from Key West to Miami was on time, and while we waited, Scott took a Dramamine and I took a Benadryl. I managed to stay awake long enough to snap some great shots of the water and then crashed for the remainder of the half-hour flight.

Touching down in Miami we were met by a bus to take us to the gate. After off-loading into the terminal, we prepared for the 3 hour layover by eating a personal Pizza Hut pizza and finding a spot to nap. As the boarding time grew closer, we collected ourselves only to be notified by the P.A. system that due to the thunderstorms in the area, the American Airlines ramp was closed.

Our original departure time was 3:30pm and we watched the announcement board change to 4:00pm with disgust and then hope, as we boarded the aircraft at about 4:30pm. Sadly, once on board we sat at the gate for about another hour, waiting for the ground crew to finish loading our luggage. Apparently the union has a rule that if there is any lightning, the ground crew is not allowed outside. Why they think lightning would strike a person as opposed to any number of the other much LARGER objects nearby is beyond me.

Touchdown at McCarren airport was about two and a half hours later than anticipated, but we managed to get our bags and a taxi to the hotel by 8:30pm, despite the 114 degree heat.

Scott's parents, sister, and brother-in-law met us at the front door of The Paris, swapped us our bags for beverages, and we made our way to our room. We took about an hour to decompress and then took off walking for The Venetian.

If you've never been to Vegas, you don't realize how big it is. Not just that the buildings are big, or that everyone is "over-the-top", but that The Strip is several miles long. Just because you can see another casino/hotel from your own quite clearly, does not mean it is a ten minute walk.

We dodged slow tourists and finally arrived at our goal, only having to wait about 15 minutes for a table at the Grand Lux Cafe.

Dinner and drinks down the hatch, we walked at a much more leisurely pace back to our hotel, where I went to bed and everyone else went back downstairs with the intention to gamble, although Kevin was the only one that really managed to stay up. It was to his fortune though, as he won about $775 playing poker.

Out of The Desert

We have returned from our vacation in Las Vegas.

My brain is cooked.

I will regale you with tales of our escapades after a nap.

Let the Battle Begin.

I have a confession to make. I have been boastful. I have been downright holier-than-thou stuck up and proud of it.

Every day, customers ask for recommendations on how to combat the flea and tick infestation of the lower Keys. I dutifully tell them which products are the most popular, which sell out quickest, what the groomer recommends, but I invariably come to the end of my knowledge and admit that we "haven't had a problem" at our house with fleas or ticks at all.

About a month ago we took Buster to a local dog park and within about 5 minutes, I had about 30 flea bites on my legs. The next two weeks saw me covered in hydrocortizone cream during the day, and a baking soda & lemon juice paste in the middle of the night. I had to take Benadryl to even get to sleep.

A few days ago I started getting bites around my ankles. I was assuming this was due to the fact that I take the dog out, and there must be fleas where I walk with him.

Last night, I found a flea on the duvet. Tonight I found a flea on my arm. As we were dozing off, Buster spooning with Scott, Scott said "Buster has a tick." I was really hoping he meant that Buster had developed a head jerk or leg kick, but the truth is out... It was a real Tick. Gross.

The bastard was extricated and flushed. Buster will visit Bernadette for a dip tomorrow, and I will take advantage of my employee discount to purchase combative products.

The worst part of all is that I can no longer hold my head high and declare that we "don't have a problem with that." My naivety is crushed, much like the tick between folds of toilet paper.

Crafty!

As far back as I can remember I have loved making stuff. I was a footwear designer at an early age, manufacturing a ballet-style shoe from a single sheet of paper and about half a roll of Scotch tape.

Another step in my fashion design career was creating clothes for my Barbie dolls. The ribbed portion of a sport sock makes a lovely tube dress with holes cut in the sides for the arms. My mom was less than enchanted with the idea, primarily because they were her socks. Further exploits for the benefit of Barbie eventually became what my parents referred to as "the Pueblo Community", stacked cardboard boxes on their sides, each box a room that had been treated to my early stabs at interior design.

I stayed for days at a time with my maternal grandparents growing up, and my grandmother taught me to bake, sew, crochet and gave me many opportunities to make something out of something else. My cousin Josquin and I once created an entire "Macaroni Ranch" from uncooked noodles of all varieties. Last summer we brought the ranch down out of storage and after about 20 years, it still looked pretty good!

I always enjoyed clay, I remember sculpting a bust of my father that was about 3 inches tall and yellow. I painstakingly made his beard with the help of a thumb-tack.

During elementary school, the walls of my bedroom were papered with drawings of everything from the Portland, Oregon skyline done in Mr. Sketch to abstract portraits of imaginary characters - heads in triangle shape.

While in high school at a boarding school, my amateur sewing skills came in handy when girls wanted to make shorts from their jeans. Cut-offs were outlawed for their raggedy hems, but I was able to hem them easily.

A few years later I took up embroidery and my canvas of choice was denim. I covered the entire right leg of a pair of hand-me-downs with yarn and floss flowers and vines. A few friends would bring me a pair of jeans and some floss and I would return the jeans to them with the design of their choice (usually more flowers and vines).

I took up painting with acrylics about ten years ago and will complete a painting (usually an abstract of swirls and lines) every couple of years.

About two years ago I remembered that I had learned a method of finger-crochet sometime during my Pathfinder career, and started making scarves just in time for winter and Christmas that year. I then realized that several scarves side by side is a blanket and have since been crafting blankets with my hands.

I also dove headfirst into the scrapbooking rage and have been scrapbooking for about 5 years now.

When my ADD kicks in, I switch projects, which generally results in 4 or 5 ongoing projects around the house at once. At the moment I have 3 different scrapbooks started, a blanket in the works and a pair of shorts that I'm getting ready to embroider.

I'm a Lame-O

A friend of mine has started a blog. I commend him on his ambition to blog daily. I suspect that he is more focused with his "free" time than I am, seeing as my posting is becoming fewer and farther between.

If anyone is wondering (I know you aren't, just play along anyway) here is a rundown of how I spend my time...

5 Days a week I work 8 hours at The Pampered Pet, a local pet store here in Key West. Work at a pet store entails organization, cleaning, stocking, re-stocking, re-organizing, answering questions, catching fish, turtles, mice, birds and rats for sale, feeding and watering, cashiering, making signs, taking messages and special orders and a lot of running back and forth. My usual shift is from noon to close. I usually wake up around 10:30am and manage to get to sleep by about 1am. Between coming home from work and going to bed I often update the web page for the store, uploading pictures and information for new arrivals. (Pampered Pet Web Page)

The two days I don't work (usually Wednesday and Sunday) I usually sleep in until around noon, then try and spend time outside for awhile before catching up on laundry and miscellaneous house cleaning. More often than not I spend a few hours online every day, splitting my time between a forum that I administrate (BW Refugees), checking my email, checking my Myspace accounts (Personal, Music, Senior Class), catching up on the Young and the Restless since I never have time to watch it, reading various other blogs (Jim, Jake, Defective Yeti), updating my family website, updating our wedding website, and now Catster accounts for my three cats (Chou, Minx and Maui).

We are also home to a Boxer (Buster) that needs love, attention, food, water and walking, a Hamster (Tempura) that requires a cage cleaning once a week, a Betta (Won-Ton) that gets fed daily and a water change once a week, and several outdoor plants that need watering and dead-heading.

This week two baby raccoons took up residence on the porch, one of them is blind. Scott says I am running a furry soup kitchen.

Clearly, I am ready for a vacation, which I will be getting in just a few days, as I get to travel to Las Vegas with Scott for a family vacation.

Did I mention I'm planning a wedding that's taking place in 294 days?

ACK.

Not All Appetizers Are For Eating

I never had a Hamster when I was growing up. I had cats, and in 8th grade I got a dog that ended up being my mom's when I went to boarding school, but I never had a Hamster.

Working at a pet store has brought me new respect for many types of animals. I never thought that birds were anything special until I met a baby Macaw about two months old. I've also learned a lot about many types of fish, reptiles and rodents.

Something I learned about hamsters is that there are many varieties, and they don't all get along. One of the hamsters that arrived in our store is a solitary type and couldn't be kept in the habitat with the other hamsters. I watched this hamster climb the sides of the small bird cage she was in and admired her acrobatic abilities. Every night when I was doing my closing duties I would take her from her cage and carry her around with me.

Finally I decided that this hamster needed to join our menagerie and I brought her home. Scott's statement (after commenting on my insanity) was "We already have a Betta named Won-Ton, is this ANOTHER appetizer for the cats?"

It therefore pleases me to introduce the newest member of our family: Tempura the Hamster.

7 Months.

I arrived in Key West on September 18, 2006. In these last seven months I have become accustomed to living on a tropical island.

In some ways, Key West reminds me of the island of Maui. Similar weather and wildlife, but not as many volcanoes. The local wildlife is primarily chickens, which are protected.

We have settled into somewhat of a routine, spending the majority of our time together on weekends. The marina in downtown Key West is our favorite place to walk, and we often start the journey with a meal or drinks at Dante's or Pepe's, make a stop at Kermit's Key Lime Pie Shoppe, and end up by A&B Lobster House or even Island Dogs on Front street.

We make it to church up the Keys about 3 times a month and like to hit the beach at Bahia Honda in the afternoon.

The best Thai restaurant is on Key Largo and the best Grilled Cheese sandwich is at Bobalu's Southern Cafe.

We have been honored to have guests in the last few months, the first being my cousin Giselle, followed by Kirk and Denny the following week and Scott's parents a few weeks ago. We really enjoy showing off our favorite spots in the Lower Keys and finally purchased dining room chairs so we were able to make dinner a few times with Gary and Carla.

I have made the trip to the west coast twice; once with Scott in December for Christmas and then again alone in early March to sing back-up for Megan's CD release concert and finish recording my first song.

We made some friendships initially that have kind of fizzled out over the last few months, but friendships we felt were pretty shallow to begin with have proven themselves much stronger.

I have changed jobs and am now really enjoying my time at work daily and having a wonderful time working with the wide variety of creatures at the store. I am excited to be learning about many different animals and their environments, and testing myself on my knowledge of freshwater and saltwater fish.

Scott and I's relationship has only become stronger in the last seven months. When we moved here to Florida, we had only ever spent about 14 days together and that was spread out over 5 months. Our drive from Washington to Florida was the longest consecutive time we had spent together up until that point and was a real test of our friendship as well as our relationship (and our tolerance of felines). Since our engagement in December we have been steadily growing together and enjoying our family of animals.

And most importantly, the cats don't hide on top of the refrigerator from the dog anymore.

Fun With Birds

Working at the pet store has given me the opportunity to learn about a lot of animals I knew nothing about.

This is Bam-Bam... a Blue and Gold Macaw, of the parrot family. To his left is an African Grey Timneh, also a parrot. They are both about 14 weeks old and came to the store at a few weeks old when they still looked like a cross between a porcupine and a plucked chicken.

Another of the baby birds was a Green-Cheeked Conure. I called him Squik and tried not to get too attached, but he was a character and easy to love. He went to a wonderful home last week and I miss him dancing around in front of the door of his cage lecturing me to let him out to play. I don't miss him climbing up onto my head and pooping on my back.

The next day my other favorite animal - a white chinchilla - went to a great home. I am very happy for him, especially considering that he used to escape out of his cage every night at the store and would run rampant until we could extricate him from under the shelves of pine bedding.

This week we welcomed more baby birds, a few Conures, two more African Greys and an Umbrella Cockatoo.

Pet Food Update

Please go to Menu Foods website for their press release info: http://www.menufoods.com/recall/index.html

Also, please go to Science Diet's website to see info on the type of dry cat food that has been recalled. http://www.hillspet.com/menu_foods/md_Recall_03302007_en_US.htm

CNN Is Retarded.

The recent crisis over contaminated pet food has been a big pain to our store, and all stores across the country.

It was confirmed by ALL of our suppliers immediately following the initial debacle that the DRY FOOD IS FINE. It is made by a different manufacturer than the canned/pouched food (Menu Foods, Inc.).

This week CNN and several other news programs aired footage of a camera sweeping the shelves of a pet store and included dry food in that footage. DUMB-ASSES. The dry food is NOT contaminated.

After several concerned calls and visits from our patrons, I myself have spoken with our suppliers AGAIN and confirmed this.

I don't watch CNN anyway, but I'm certainly not going to start. Another good reason for that is that since I live in Florida, I get all the Anna Nicole news I need on local television. Gag.

Chinchilla Loving Rock Star

My new job is going very well. I am working full time at a local pet store in Key West and really enjoying the animals and my coworkers. I'm learning a lot about all our animals every day and tempted constantly to take home a Chinchilla or the female yellow lab currently in the store.

We dealt quickly with the national recall of some canned/pouched foods and all our animals are safe.

This past week I spent 8 days in Portland, Oregon. I was flown out courtesy of Kevin Brusett to sing backup for Megan's CD release concert.

I arrived on Tuesday afternoon in Portland and was fortunate to spend the afternoon being pampered at The Colour Authority before celebrating Lou's birthday with dinner and a cake from Jaciva's. Two of Lou's sisters and some other of his extended family joined us and we had a very enjoyable dinner.

Wednesday I finished the first song for my album. Jared and I spent time at The Pulpit with Jim Walker getting the electric guitar tracks done. The finished product turned out GREAT.

Rehearsals for the concert were Wednesday night and Friday night, so I interspersed them with visiting with lots of friends and my mom. We got some wedding stuff accomplished, I tried on the dress I love on Monday and Mom bought it for me! She also took Monica, Connor and I to lunch afterward at Claim Jumper, which is a fantastic restaurant, and we then proceeded to Piece Of Cake in Milwaukie to taste wedding cake flavors.

Megan's concert went very well, she was backed by Tim Ellis on 2nd guitar, TJ Arko on drums, Mike Lee on bass, and myself as backup vocalist. The audience packed the venue and screamed enthusiasm between each song. Megan's writing style is very honest and has an easy flow to it, without being at all trite or predictable. I really enjoyed learning and performing her music.

The current extra-curricular activity is preparing the household for Scott's parents visit on Saturday. Buster enjoyed a trip to Bernadette the Groomer today and smells very good. He wasn't too sure about the cleaning out of the ears, but didn't mind having his toenails trimmed at all. The cats won't be subjected to the same treatment, but we ARE trying to keep them from anointing the couch with more fur than necessary.

B.Y.O.T.

One of the first things we did after arriving in Key West was buy plants. We started with a beautiful Yellow Hibiscus tree, two pink Mandevilla and two "house" plants. One house plant has been outside for the last 3 months, and the other is dead - both due to Minx thinking they were her own private salad.

A few weeks later I decided to try my hand at container gardening for actual edibles. I had purchased a tomato growing kit for $1 at Target several months before I moved, and decided it was time to try it out. The kit included a 2-inch clay pot, some soil and some seeds. My first attempt is now 4 feet high, has several flowers and even 1 baby tomato growing.

At that same time I started seeds for lettuce. They have since grown up and been eaten.

We also purchased baby plants for oregano, basil, jalapenos, early girl tomatoes, rosemary, cilantro, italian parsley and catnip. We can't use the basil and oregano fast enough, but are enjoying cooking with fresh herbs. Scott made homemade cornbread last week with one of the first jalapenos.

The picture above is the first early girl tomato and we are anxiously awaiting it's maturation!

Life Is Rough

The weather in Key West since we returned from our Christmas vacation has been the coldest I've felt yet. The skies are often grey and it drizzles now and then.

Last Thursday was an exception. Sunny and around 80. Donna, Ray and I stopped on the way back to the office to have lunch at a pub on the Boca Chica Naval Base.

The view is beautiful and I enjoyed my grilled cheese sandwich in serenity.

I feel like I work with a Bunch of Animals.

I started a 2nd job this last week at a local pet store helping out in the office. I'm having a lot of fun and getting a few extra hours in which helps since my main job was cut to 30 hours right after Christmas. On Friday when I went into the office at the pet store, I got to hang out with a beautiful red and blue parrot named Abigail.

We spent the last two days madly cleaning our condo as the realtor had an open house today for a couple of hours. Our condo is for sale and if it sells and the new owner does not want to rent it out, we will have 30 days to move. Fortunately for us, there were no offers today.