Breaking in the New Rig

We took a trip down to the river in my new rig this weekend. That means driving 5 miles down a dirt road into a canyon. We went over huge ruts and big puddles. The truck was covered with mud and dust on the the inside and outside! At one point we were graphing (making chart to keep track of what we found) the animals and plants that we spotted and when going over a bump, my pen got out of control and I wrote a great big mark on the roof! Ooops! (In case you wonder - butterflies won the game - we spotted over 30 of them - squirrels came in last - only saw one!)

Then we used it to pull the pontoon boat all the way home to SJ.

Let's just say we use the "U" in SUV (Sports UTILITY Vehicle)

Falling apart - the tale of an old lady

This is a story about the injustice of someone wanting to stay in shape but having nature work against her......I got a cortisone shot in my shoulder on Thursday. It has been really bad - so bad that my neck and shoulder blade were killing me from compensating. I have an impingement injury which basically means the tendons in my shoulder get smushed everytime I move my shoulder. That causes pain and swelling. This is the second bout that I have had with it. The doc, basically said she feels bad for me because I am so young and so active and will have this shoulder issue my whole life. She said there is a surgery they can try but it is not likely to work. I just need to manage it by changing my behavior (ie not doing push ups, lifting weights, kayaking, washing windows, not helping load the kayak onto the top of the truck, using poles while snow shoeing, etc) and treating with pain/anti inflammatory meds. Not exactly what I want to hear. My strategy is to just get it under control again and then go from there. It makes me grumpy!

Happy Feet

These are my new shoes and they make me happy! What could be better than red shoes with a big jewel on the front! Sort of a Dorothy meets Hollywood!

Chef Chris

OHHHH - I have been making yummy dinners lately. I was tired of the same old thing so I was quizing friends on what they make and came up with the following two new dinners this week and they were yummy!

* pork chops coated with Dijon mustard and bbqed, asparagus with browned butter/soy sauce/balsamic vinegar, artichokes and macaroni and cheese casserole.
* stuffed shells (stuffed with fresh spinach, basil, oregano, garlic, onions, mozerella and ricotta), garlic bread, turkey italian sausages and salad.

But I do have to admit that last nite, after we ran out of good stuff abd I was tired from the week, we had turkey hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls and baked, baked beans, corn and carrots with dill.

Next weeks menu is meatball subs, turkey tenderloin, pasta pesto, ribs and burritos.

A Future Attorney?

Gracie is beginning the fine art of negotiations already. Plus, like a true attorney, she wants the deal to be put in writing. Here is how it all went down: Gracie and I were in the bathroom and I was talking to her about making sure she picked up after herself, including putting away dirty clothes on the floor and picking up toys she had all over the bathroom. She told me, all while brushing her teeth, that if I wanted her to do that then we needed to put together a contract!!! I kid you not.....she told me that! I asked her where she heard about contracts and she said, "I don't know but sometimes Drew and I need to have contracts to get things done."

I better save money for law school....

Thief

I was getting packed up to go to work late yesterday morning and went to pack myself some home made lemon bread that I made the nite before. I was looking forward forward to having a slice for an afternoon snack. Boy was I shocked to find out there was a lemon bread thief in the house....that's right - the big guy took the whole loaf to work and left me high and dry. Boy was I bitter!

I have made another loaf and have it hidden away where he can't find it!

No Junie B for me....

I have decided against getting the French Bulldog. I had a long talk with the breeder tonite and she has lost 3 of the 4 pups to some type of respitory problem. The one left does not seem to be afflicted as she is thriving. I also found out the the mother dog has behavioral problems - aggression. She has actually removed the mother from the remaining puppy for fear that she will hurt it and/or teach it aggressive behavior. With the mother's history and the known health issues of the siblings, I decided this puppy is high risk and I am not willing to take the risk.

We discussed it as a family and everyone agreed that it is not a good fit for our family. I was proud to see the kids working thru the data we had and not making an emotional decision. I hope it is a lesson that they will take forward in their lives and apply to other situations.

So we are sad but pleased that we made the right decision.

We will continue to keep our eyes peeled.....

Spud Launcher

As promised....pics!

Bazooka zooka spud gun...

You know you are married to a red neck when you go away on a business trip and your husband and kids make a potato launcher when you are gone. Pics will come as soon as I get a chance to down load them, but the story could not wait.

Picture this - a 4 foot long bazooka style gun that shoots whole potatoes out of it! It has a bbq ignitor and it uses aquanet hairspray as the fuel! The kids spray painted a target on a piece of plywood and they shoot it across the yard at the target - causing the potatoes to explode and disinegrate upon impact! All while the dog hides inside behind the couch and the neighbor comes running over to watch.

Hockey pics

These are some recent hockey pics. That is Drew and his buddy Jared. They are on the same team and in the same class at school. The other pic is of Drew in front of Cheechoo's locker - my favorite Sharks player. Drew and his hockey team mates were given a tour of the Sharks locker room. Grandpa Tom went with Drew on the tour.

Lucky Dog

Daisy Mae is one lucky dog! She is getting home made dog food these days. Because of the pet food recall, I have started making her food. It is clear that we do not yet know the depth of the contamination in the pet food market. I just heard yesterday that there are now dog biscuits being recalled. And it makes sense - how many wheat gluten suppliers could there be in the pet food market?

So I have been making gourmet food for Daisy for almost 10 days now. The food looks good enough to eat. It often looks like jamablaya or a pasta meal! I use brown rice, pasta, eggs, ground turkey, deer sausage, carrots, peas, cottage cheese and fake meat. And I season it with beef broth. She has gotten to the point that when I take out the rice cooker, she starts drooling!

Happy Easter

So this isn't exactly "easterly" language - but like my friend who sent it to me said...."it is too funny not to pass along to a chicken person.

New Rig

What do you think about my new rig?

Sure beats the big beast I have been driving. It is fully loaded with every bell and whistle and is like driving down the street in your living room. It has an entertainment center (dvd), navigation system (a lady who comes on and gives you directions where you need to go), heated seats, dual air conditioning/heat, automatic folding seats so you can get into the back seat, bose sound system, etc.....

What a bummer it will be the first time the wet dog gets into it! Or we fill up the back with wet snow shoes or sandy towels. Or we four wheel thru brush.

Oh well! You gotta live!

Tina the Sporty Chick!

This is Tina, our daycare provider, which is not a title that even comes close to describing the value she adds and role she plays to our family. She is like a second mother, aunt, personal chef and friend all rolled into one. Really --- the perfect combination of personalities and skill sets! She enriches our lives beyond explanation. And the lives of other children too! A real gem!

This is another pic of our full moon snowshoe hike -- Only in California do you snowshoe at nite wearing only a sweatshirt!

Junie B or Cheechoo?

Got some info from the breeder late last week. She lost one of the female pups. So now there are two female and one male. She is going to keep a female, which leaves one male and one female available for adoption. She said she thinks only the male is going to be pet quality. The remaining female will be show quality. We are going to continue to keep in touch and I may go up and see the pups in late April. But it is not looking as good as it was. If we do decide to get a male, his name will be Cheechoo - which is the name of my favorite Sharks hockey player.

Road Trip Canceled!

We did not go pick up Lucy today. One of her siblings had a reaction to the shots they received on Friday so the vet wanted the breeder to keep them and watch them for 5 more days. Darn!

Hockey - Go Sharks!

This is Drew and couple of buddies at the hockey game today. They tied 3 to 3. I think that thi is Drew's "I am a big tough guy" face! We all know the truth - he cries while watching "Cheaper by the Dozen" and if a pet dies in a movie - even if it is a cartoon!

He had a couple good checks - including one that was an exact replica of the check he put on me in the kitchen yesterday! He hit me so hard I was sure I broke some ribs. I actually felt my ribs compress. Of course him and Jim called me a whimp! Next time there is a checking clinic at the ice rink, I am signing up!!!!

Anerican Idol Potato

Just in case you did not think that Gracie was a nut, this will prove it. Today she made a potato woman and then said she was an American Idol Potato - complete with stage! She used sticks for arms and eyes, paper clips for a nose, paper for skirt and the gardening plastic used to tie up plants for a scarf. This was entirely her idea and she worked on it for a good 45 mintes.