Yay! New Header!

One of my very best friends, Marie, made my new header graphic - all a part of her strategy to get me into digital scrapbooking (okay, and I asked her to do it). Do you love it? I love it!

Thank you, Marie, for contributing in such a special way to my little corner of the world. :)  Love you.

I'm Lame

So yeah, I know... I'm lame. But I've been listening to these songs over and over for about a week. Sometimes it's hard to get something off of your mind, you know?

"Missing You" - John Waite
"You Make Me Lose Control" - Eric Carmen*
"I'll Never Get Over You" - Expose
"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" - Starship
"The Search is Over" - Survivor

*By the way, this is one of my favorite songs, ever.

One can only hope...

...that my stupid neighbor is moving. Yeah, that's her enabling boyfriend. I am crossing my fingers, although according to her drunken monologue, her "dad bought her this house" so it would be quite strange. What a blessing to the neighborhood (and the safety of our vehicles) if she leaves. Is there a saint of something I can pray to for this?

Progress with the Baby Blanket

Guess which one is mine?

Friday in Review

Our vet appointment went well today. Antonio lost weight (yay!) and weighs a trim 10 lbs 12 oz. He was on his way to 12 lbs about six months ago so we were very happy to hear it. Everything is well with him, with the ever-so-slight- exception of his teeth, which, at eight years of age, look great compared to most dachshunds. I just brushed his teeth for the first time ever, and honestly, he didn't seem to mind at all.

Cipriana (Ana) also did very well. The vet can't say for sure if she has had kittens or if she has just been through a few heat cycles in her life, but at four years old unspayed, our bet is kittens. Today Ana weighs 9 lbs 3 oz which is up from 7 lbs 8 oz when I adopted her. This is excellent! But now she's at her ideal weight, so I was given a scoop to make sure I don't overfeed her. Overall, Ana is in excellent health, too, which makes me ecstatic and relieved.

(And, of course, all of this made me miss my Elliott.)

After the vet I worked eight hours from noon until not too long ago... so now I am tired again. At this point, I think maybe I have an ear thingy and not a sinus infection because although I don't have pain, I think the clogginess is in my ears. I'm wondering if the ringing that I heard for a day or two after the NKOTB concert started this - think: concert, ear ringing, headaches and nausea - the symptoms all start to make sense. Now the questions are: Do I just need healing time? Or do I have a problem? I don't know.

All of this speculation, of course, means that I am now going to have a lame weekend. I intend to be lazy, stay in, and - with exception to seeing Delilah and Rilee tomorrow - do nothing. I need to kick this ear thing and hydrate and rest.

Oh... and I need to watch On the Waterfront and The Grapes of Wrath. Jealous yet?

Like My Hair?

Hmmm... couldn't think of a better title, but my hair stylist just gave me her web page, and I like her, so check it out!

http://www.spellboundtwistedandwound.com

Sinus and Sighs

I am sick. Not terribly so (not the flu), but I have been in and out of headaches and nausea for a few days. I've taken my temperature, and it's normal. No new medicines or food. So I've come to the conclusion that maybe I have a sinus thing going on, and I'm determined that I'm right (like that matters... I know).

So a netty pot has been purchased and used. Vaporizer is plugged in and warming up. I am going to eat and settle in with the kids (both of whom have vet appointments tomorrow), and I will try desperately to avoid turning my apartment into a messy sick person's apartment. It's hard, though... because once the vaporizer comes out... it's impossible to turn back.

Wish me luck. Wish Antonio and Ana luck at the vet. Weekend... here we come.

Good People

My head hurts for some reason, so I'm going to cuddle with my kids and crawl into bed, but I couldn't help but share some pics from last Thursday. I love my friends - they are good people. And seeing NKOTB for the second time in six months was a great choice because it allowed me some unparalleled time with my girls. Love you, girls...

There's Something Not Right...

...about this picture. Any guesses?

Weekend

I slept great Friday night and then horribly last night. I'm grateful that I had enough good sleep to enjoy the baby shower and visit with my grandpa yesterday, but it's unfortunate that I'll be sleepy today. My dad and I are going to Cleveland to visit my other grandpa and grandma, then we'll come back to the house and I'll hit the road to get back to Baltimore. I've missed quite a few people I wanted to see - the kids, brother-in-law, Jessie, Jodi, Cassie - but there's never enough time, is there?

Oh well. Now it's shower time...

Antonio's New Toy

My mom bought Antonio this new toy... we are bit concerned about him though - his tail was down Thursday, yesterday and again today, and I worry that his back is acting up. His annual vet appointment is on Friday, so I've started him on muscle relaxers (2x per day) in the meantime hoping they will relieve any pain or tension that he's feeling.

Ugh. Poor puppy dog.

NKOTB: Live from Bawlmer

Girls #2 @ NKOTB

Girls#1 @ NKOTB

Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning...

Let's see how much I can do and still get some sleep. Live blogging while cleaning... I'm such a nerd.

- Launder blankets - done
- Collect/take out trash - done
- Load dishwasher - started
- Clean cat box - done
- Sort dirty clothes - done
- Eat and watch Casablanca - started
**Side note: Humphrey Bogart is not an attractive man. Just sayin'
- Tub and toilet cleaned - done
- windows/mirrors - done
- Pet cat and dog - done
- Watch some Ghost Hunters - done
- Launder sheets - started
- Enter Paw Points - done
- Dust apartment - done
- Start regular laundry - started
- Watch more Ghost Hunters - done
- Remove nailpolish - done
- Fold laundry - started
- Swiffer floors - done
- Let out dog - done
- Watch more Casablanca and make bed - done
**Side note: Ingrid Bergman is gorgeous.
- Finish Casablanca - done (that's 46 of the 100 top movies!)
- More laundry - started
- Vacuum - done
- Put away sweaters - done
- Paint nails - done
- Start watching Religulous - started
- Run dishwasher - done
- Fold laundry - done

Waiting for last two loads... it's midnight. Ugh.

Ten on Tuesday (the Early Edition)

1. I am so excited for my girls to get here. Even though we'll be together for only twenty hours or so, I can't WAIT! NKOTB, here we come! (Again!)

2. I'm driving home to Ohio on Friday morning. I drop the girls off at the airport at 6:30 AM, then I'll pack and hit the road. Baby Shower and grandparent visits are planned.

3. Ana. Sneezes. At night. In my face. I don't like it.

4. Ummm... weird question: what are girl cat nipples supposed to look like? Ana has funny looking nipples - I'M SORRY! They're skinny and long-like. Weird, right? But maybe I just don't know girls.

5. I realized on Sunday that I'd seen 44 of the 100 American Film Institute's top movies. Make that 45 because I just finished watching Bridge over the River Kwai. Wow. I think I saw it as a kid, but I'm glad I watched it again as an adult - it's a great movie. Really, really great. Next up: The Grapes of Wrath.

6. On that note, if you don't have Netflix, I highly recommend it. While I'm waiting for one movie to arrive, I watch one or two more on the Internet. Next on Netflix online: Casablanca.

7. I need to finish Jeanne's blanket. Like... pronto.

8. Marie wants me to start digital scrapbooking. Hmmm... another hobby.

9. Oh! Ana has a meow. Barely. It is even more pathetic than Mariah's meow. She's tried about three times, and each time I know that she's meowing more because I can see it rather than hear it.

10. I almost forgot: READER POLL. Where can I get decent crab cakes to go that will last the drive (chilled) to Ohio? I need something easy and local, but not cheap-o. Help. It's for my grandpa.

Like My Mom Says...

... maturity is overrated. :)

Sea Monkeys!

Day Seven

Okay... I need to stop giving Ana nighttime love. She's keeping me up, and I'm exhausted. If I limit the lovin' she gets during the night, maybe she'll venture out more during the day. I've also decided that I'm not going to separate them while I am at work today. Ana hasn't growled or hissed at Antonio in days, and she's been very close to him a number of times... I'm going to trust that she can keep herself away from him should she feel that she needs to.

I need caffeine...

The View from Slainte in Fells Point

Day Six

Ana seems more comfortable at night... she has been sleeping on the bed with us, looking out the windows, and begging for neck scratches all between 3-8 AM. Lovely. After I let Antonio out this morning... back under the bed she went. Weird.

Last night I had one of the worst dreams I've ever had. I dreamt that I was stood up at the alter. I didn't actually wake up crying, but I've never felt so awful waking up from a dream. It was bad. I distinctly remember the church, the family, the guy... but not so much the dress. Bad... really bad.

More Movie Reviews

I've been staying in with the kids this week (minus work and lunch with Jill), so I've ramped up my movie watching. Here are some quick and dirty reviews from me... and yes, it's true: I'm home on St Patrick's Day. I absolutely hate Baltimore on this day, so I bought a twelve pack of Modelo and settled in to watch the tube. Antonio and Ana are the best dates ever. :)

I Am Legend
Liked it. Was freaked out by the rabid monster people (ew!), but overall it was enjoyable to watch. As discussed with Nicole, I only wish they would have expanded more on the craftiness of the darkseekers in that they were obviously setting traps, etc. They weren't dogs... there was still some humanity there, and I wish there would have been more on that. Oh well, I only paused the movie twice to avoid being freaked out... and I thought it was a very touching story. Four stars.

Win A Date with Tad Hamilton!
Cute, but predictable. I always enjoy Topher, so it was easy to watch, but it certainly wasn't very deep. Just cute. Luckily it was nowhere near as bad as some other "cute" movies that come out (ie Glitter). It wasn't tacky or too corny either - just easy. And cute. (Did I say cute?) Three stars.

W.
Sooo... I expected to enjoy this movie, but I just didn't. The acting was wretched. I hated the portrayals of Condolezza and Cheney especially. Watching scenes with them was painful because they were really bad imitations. I sorta got the point of the movie and all (how and why Bush became the person he is - his struggles, pressures, blah, blah, blah), but so many of the scenes were just reiterations of things that happened publicly during speeches or press releases ("Fool me once...") applied to fictional scenes. It was painful. I'm sorry. I hate it for the EXACT reason I hate playing video games based on movies - I completely know the story. This movie didn't enrich my life at all. What a waste.

Bowling for Columbine
Ah... Michael Moore. The movie is certainly filled with a lot of (not so fun) facts, but as much as I do like MM, I wonder about the spin. His spin is that he has no spin... but everyone has a spin. When you say 11k people die by handguns every year in the US, and that's compared with lower rates in other countries... I wondered: how many is that per capita? Is the percentage of deaths still radically different? Now this isn't to say I don't believe in his message. I do feel that gun laws should be tightened tremendously, but I just wonder what the data looks like behind the data that he shares. This one got me thinking. Three stars.

Fracture
Goooood one. My second Ryan Gosling movie in a week or so, and with the bonus of Anthony Hopkins, too. Great twisting plotline... clever turns... good acting. I've found that my new flatscreen's high contrast makes creepy scenes especially creepy; and Anthony Hopkins is the king of creepy. This is a keeper. Or a watcher. You should see it. Four stars.

Day Five

MAJOR progress. Ignoring Ana drove her to come out from hiding looking for love. Last night she walked the apartment once, and by 3 AM she was lying at the foot of the bed while we slept. This morning she slept next to me and then on a pillow. No growling at Antonio. YAY! Still a little skittish, but SUUUUCCCCEEESSSSS! :)

Antonio Is Legend

Day Four

I woke up at 3 AM to the sound of someone scratching in the litter box. Yay! That means that Ana came out from under the bed to do her business without any help from me. Of course, she still didn't cover up her poo - a problem we'll have to deal with soon - but I am quite happy that she was responsible enough to come out of hiding to take care of business.

At 5:30 AM, I woke up to the sound of Ana eating (double Yay!), which means she came out on her own yet again to partake in food and water. I stopped myself from getting up, because it's important that she be able to do these things without it being a production, and even better yet, Antonio didn't react to the sounds either time so he stayed put, too.

All good signs. I'll still keep them separated while I am gone, but I think the days of dragging her out from under the bed are over. Now that I know she'll come out as she needs to, I'm going to leave it to her to come out when she decides she's had enough of her alone time and needs some momma love.

"Who's your doggie?"

I think it's appropriate that "Who's your doggie?" is on my t-shirt, don't you?

A View from the Momma

Ana's Home

Ana's home.

I'm very happy. It's rather unfortunate that she peed on me in the car, but it certainly explains her being so fidgety. And she has already pooed in the cat box - and didn't cover it up - but we'll give her another pass on that. The formal introduction with Antonio didn't go so well (lots of growling on her part)... but that's natural, too. Currently she's way back under the bed and Antonio and I are hanging out "as usual" so as not to overwhelm her. I have to admit that it's sad we all couldn't be on our best behavior at such an important moment, but this is all quite normal for these situations. And I am very proud to say that Antonio is on his absolute best behavior. What a gentleman.

All is well, but we certainly have a lot of work to do. :)

LOVE

Nicole and I are in love - and not with each other. We spent an unimaginable amount of time at BARCS this weekend, and after all of the stress, sadness and time, we both have new family members. It's just THRILLING. I wasn't at all prepared to get a cat this weekend, but Cipriana (Sip-ree-ann-ah) is one of the most gorgeous cat's I've ever seen, and she won my heart. She's 4 years old and was surrendered by her owner for financial reasons. I have no idea why you'd surrender this cat, so time will tell if she has any bad habits. :)

One cool thing about Ana is that she's actually a rare Siamese breed called Snowshoe. It's rare because the traits that "make" the breed arerecessive traits making them difficult to breed. So although at first I thought she was a Siamese mix, I now have a full bred Siamese cat on my hands - that's sure to help my insomnia, right?

Anyway, she's getting spayed on Tuesday so I pick her up Tuesday night. I am overwhelmingly distracted by my excitement, and I think after she settles in and gets comfortable, she should be a great companion for Antonio - and possibly even a playmate.

Here are a few photos:



On the flip side, Nicole found a dog she liked on Saturday, only to find that the new dog and Delilah didn't have the chemistry we all hoped for. Delilah was almost intimidated, and as much as we loved this dog, it wasn't going to be a good fit. While I started paperwork on Ana - Nicole, Gina and I walked through the shelter again and met Jackie (new name TBD), a dog that just arrived at the shelter on Friday. She was so timid at first, but after some playtime outside she started coming out of her shell so we felt comfortable introducing her to Delilah. Result? Success. Nicole decided to move forward with the adoption, and as long as no previous owner comes looking for her tomorrow (she was found as a stray), she'll be spayed and start a new life with Nicole and lil' d later this week.

I'm exhausted and excited. I can't wait to bring them home!

Photos of the new pup:

Nicole's New Dog, Whitley! (Update)

Update:
So... Delilah and Whitley did not have the meet and greet we were all hoping for. I think Whitley is a little too much of an alpha for lil' d. But don't fret... we found Jacqui. Photos to be posted soon...

My New Cat, Capriana (Ana)!

The Plan

This is our plan for tomorrow. It involves brunch, BARC, Hampden and Mt Airy. It's clear, right?

Nigh Nigh Times

She's Back!

No more fretting... my neighbor hasn't suddenly learned how to park... she's still around. So do I call the cops, or not call the cops? I can't decide if this is ticket-worthy or not. (Stupid-worthy, yes.)

New Windshield!

I

I... am tired. I am beat. I am working a lot. I am looking forward to the weekend already. I can't believe it's not the weekend yet. I am actually excited to go to work tomorrow because I have some good ideas. I only had two glasses of wine. I had a lot of water. I am positive the good ideas are actually good... and not just the result of wine. I had calamari. I had steak. I had mango sorbet (yum!). I am in pjs. I am ready to go to bed but feel guilty that Antonio has received so little play time. I am grateful for what I have. I am contented. I am a good person, and I give 100%. I am getting off of the computer. Goodnight.

Towson at 9 AM

83 North @ 8:45 AM

Fayette St at 8:40 AM

Patterson Park Ave @ 8:30 AM

Are you kidding me?

Why is something always happening to me? I went out to move my car and there's a 3 foot crack in my windshield. Have I earned bad karma or something? F'ing ridiculous.

Karaoke

So... I've never seen PoncaBird so busy. Our little secret has been exposed, I'm afraid. Good for the bar, of course, but not for my opportunities to sing. But last night was a blast. So glad everyone came out.

(More pics on Facebook.)