Lessons of a Home Owner

We have learned a handful of things in our three and a half weeks of Home Ownership:

1. There may be 9+ smoke detectors in the house (don't ask....), but none of them will go off if someone falls asleep on the couch and burns the contents of a pot to smithereens, filling the whole first floor with smoke so much it messed with my asthma.
2. Apparently, if you want to save $20 you need to read the directions on the bag of fertilizer so you don't have to run out and buy a second bag.
3. Hard wood floors are pretty....and cranky.
4. Having a one car driveway means at some point I will HAVE to drive Joe's Accord. Shucks. ;)
5. There are too many hiding places....making you wonder if Tiger found a way to sneak out.

Dr. Who

Last night I went to a friend's house to see the latest two episodes of Dr. Who, a British Sci Fi show. I won't comment on those shows, not knowing who hasn't seen them yet. But I will say.....those weeping angels are not very nice.

What I did want to comment on is the fact that I now watch a Sci Fi show! You'd think that someone as geeky as me would normally be all over it...but I'm not. I don't really do Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. I'm not sure I've ever seen Star Trek. But Dr. Who speaks to me. Maybe its because a majority of the episode is about the story of the main characters or that they are doing good with their time. Loving London certainly has an impact on it. But I have grown to love the show. I get sad when the Doctor's companions leave....loosing the Ponds was extremely hard. I get invested in the Doctor. (Who here still doesn't miss David Tennant?....not that Matt Smith isn't good.)

Another thing that makes Dr. Who appeal to me? I got introduced to it while studying abroad with some of my closest friends. Well, I suppose if we are being literal, I was introduced to a Dalek cake and a few bottles of beer. But the same friends introduced to me to the Dr. Who TV show once we came home. To still be watching five and a half years later is pretty special!

TV Shows That Need A Reboot

With the Boy Meets World remake coming up, and with seeing Sally Field in a movie preview, I started thinking of shows that need to have a reunion.

1. Full House
2. Brothers and Sisters
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
4. TLR
5. The West Wing
6. Six Feet Under
7. ER

What would you add?

AFSP Update

I have blogged about my volunteer work with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in the past. This fall, in addition to being a chairperson for the Community Outreach and Education Committee, I became a Board Member for the Illinois Chapter! I am so excited to help this great organization in a great way!

Fiesta!

Today I received the new Fiestaware I ordered with some birthday presents. As it is every time I get new Fiesta, it was like Christmas! Big dork, I know...but if Joe can do his car thing, I think I can do a dishes thing.

I have a place setting in the new Flamingo, including a bread and butter plate, fruit bowl, ramekin and trivet. The utility tray (a new piece!),  a large canister and a small one, to complete a set I started a few months ago. I also have two replacement glasses....apparently they easily slip out of hands :)

I'm Proud

I am only 27, but in those 27 years I have seen lots of changes in society that I am proud of.

1. I am proud to be alive for the first African American president. This thought is NOT political. I am just proud that society has moved far enough past racism (its not perfect yet) that we can elect a non-white person to lead our nation.
2. I am proud that our soldiers able to talk about PTSD and get help for it. Again, we aren't nearly as far along as I would like to be, but those men and women are willing to give our lives for the rest of us and need to be taken care of.
3. I proud that psychiatric illnesses are being coming less taboo to talk about and receive medical help for.

Yes, at the moment this is a short list. But all of these are very significant to me. I can only imagine what else will happen in my lifetime!

Vote!

Crazy short post today. I forgot about NaBloPoMo until just now...

Please go vote tomorrow!!

Fakesgiving

I decided I wanted to cook a full blown Thanksgiving dinner. Then I realized my fridge is full of food for another party I am throwing on Tuesday. So I invited some friends over to join our celebration and cut down on left overs!

Here is the menu:

Turkey Breast (A frozen cook in the bag thing from Target...it was my only option)
Sweet Potato Casserole--- my aunt's recipe
My Oma's Stuffing
Green Bean Casserole
Butternut Squash
Salad -- with dried cranberries substituting the dried cherries
Cranberry Sauce
Store bought rolls
Store bought apple pie


Slightly over board? Yes, I think so. Oops!

Schedule

I do crazy things to my schedule. People think I'm a little nutty. Example: throwing our House Warming and Joe's 30th Birthday Party within three weeks of each other. In addition tomorrow I am having a small Fakesgiving (basically an excuse for me to cook a huge dinner), having a friend over for a food and tequila filled election night party and having my grandma from Wisconsin come over for a dinner in two weeks. I spent a ridiculous amount of money on food the past three days. I was visiting my grandma and wanted to take advantage of the no food tax in Wisconsin to stock up on party non perishables and the alcohol I'd need for all said events....I'm sure that whatever the Wisconsin liquor tax is less than Crook County's.

In other scheduling news, I also have two AFSP events coming up. Including Survivors of Suicide Day November 17. I will be going back to work a seasonal job in about a week as well. My cousin and I have also set a date for our annual Christmas baking day. Oh! And it looks like one of Joe's friends will be staying with us for the second half of December.

I know this is all pretty boring to read, but my calendar looks nutty! And this is just slightly more chaotic then usual. I don't do bored well.

Tomorrow I will post some of the Fakesgiving recipes I used! Yum!

November

Right after Joe and I got engaged we adopted two adorable kittens. I named our girl tortoiseshell November. It was the month that we started dating and the month we were planning our wedding. Joe named our boy tabby Tiger. They were adorable and curious. They loved climbing and snuggling. They stayed very attached throughout their four and a half years together. They would frequently play, and I'd often seen them cleaning each other.

Vemmy was a pretty typical cat. She had the softest fur I'd ever touched and the biggest paws I've seen on a cat. She liked sleeping, hiding when people came over and permanently claimed one corner of our bed.

She was a big fan of her wet food...but only Mixed Grill. And you should have seen the way she loved catnip, it was absolutely hilarious. Both of our little guys liked to sneak out on our balcony. Vem gave me a heart attack because her favorite spot was behind our grill. On the outside of the railing. And Q-tips! Girlfriend would dig through the garbage or nudge open our cabinet to find them.

She was always a Mommy's girl. When we went to bed she'd come up and snuggle me. One night when I was feeling sick she came and sat with me in the bathroom. The night before we thought and prepared to put her down I was a mess. Sobbing lying in bed. In the worlds biggest example of irony, my baby girl who was struggling to breathe, came and comforted me. She was the sweetest girl.

She was so welled behaved during her final month of doctor visits. For the most part she was calm and cooperative. Eventually we settled into a medication routine. And my family was amazing with keeping an eye on her when I had to be gone for several hours. And my good friend joined me to the  trip to the cardiologist. I wanted another adult there to help me remember stuff and Joe was stuck at work. Joe and I truly grateful for all of the support we got during that time.

Vem was a really sweet girl, and Joe, Tiger and I miss her and her snuggles. I miss sharing the end of my side of the bed and getting middle of the night snuggles. We hope she is comfy in kitty heaven and getting lots of hugs and kisses!

NaBloPoMo 2012

I haven't been blogging lately. I just haven't made it a priority. However lots of happened, so I figured I will use November to get back into the groove with National Blog Posting Month. I did it last year and it was a lot of fun. I have to get those creativity juices flowing again! I hope you hang around to see!