G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S

OR NOT

After working six days strait and Ben being out of town, and both Ben and me being sick for the past 2 days, I have this to look forward to on my day "off." Just in case you were disillusioned and thought that I had a glamorous life with a magically clean house and no dirty laundry or dirty dishes, then you were sadly mistaken. Of course, after reading my post about my dog peeing on my bed, I'm sure that very few of you are actually disillusioned about my life at this point. I just thought I'd make some of you feel better about your chores by seeing what I am currently tackling. Note: this is a family of TWO. Heaven help me when I have kids.

I have, however, managed to keep my kitchen clean by loading all of my dirty dishes in to the dishwasher. I just haven't had enough dishes to make a full load (due to eating out, using glorious paper plates, etc.) so the dishwasher hasn't been run in a while. Yet, I must use spoons at a much faster pace than anything else because I have no regular spoons in my silverware drawer. This is what I used to stir my morning coffee:

That's right folks, it's a serving spoon. The serving spoon was unfortunately too large to fit into my little yogurt cup I wanted to eat for breakfast, so for that I used a full fledged teaspoon. And I mean teaspoon, like the one you use for a specific measurement while baking. You know, it's about 2 and a half inches long.

You probably can't tell from the picture, but Wal-Mart has come out with (drum roll please) the Great Value brand of flavored coffee creamers!!! Yay!!! I'm always looking for more ways to save money... I love off brands. I love off brands in most things, that is. Some things, you just need to go all out and get the real deal. I can't think of an example on the spot, but there are some things that are better in brand name, I'm sure of it! Ugh! Brand name brain freeze.

Anyway....

I have spent most of my morning exploring Google Reader. Most people have probably been enjoying Google Reader for years now, I don't know, but I'm just now discovering it. It's kind of like when I got Shaniah Twain's "new cd" 2 years after it actually came out. I kept calling it her "new cd" and my sister would scoff at me. So I stay a little behind... now back to Google Reader..

It's awesome! I have fallen into blogger land and I love it! However, it is really time consuming to visit each individual website to look for new material. With Google Reader, you can immediately see if each blog has been updated and read the new material without actually going to all the websites. I am literally just starting it today, so we'll see how it goes.

So, that's what's going down in Pike Road today. Don't be jealous.

And yes, I have updated my blog three times today. I don't update often, but when I do, I try to go all out. Thanks.

Doggy Antics

This is Berkley after I asked him to sit. Notice he is laying down. He gets so excited he falls over and ends up like this, or on his back with all four legs in the air.

Today, Berkley lost something underneath the couch.

I watched him for about 5 minutes as he tried to retrieve said object.

It was a valiant effort.

Notice that the distance from the floor to the bottom of the couch is about 3 inches.

Yet, that does not hinder Berkley's attempts to get under the couch.

He eventually admits his defeat.

What was Pete doing? The usual. Ignoring Berkley.

This is Braddock. He is an American Bulldog who belongs to our good friend, Daniel. Braddock is huge! One day, Braddock came to visit Berkley and Pete. While visiting, Braddock thought that he should let everyone know he was there by tee-teeing on the couch. It just so happened that I was home alone with the dogs working while Ben and Daniel had gone to small group.

I sent Ben a text that simply said, "Braddock pee'd on our couch." I got a quick response:

"This is Daniel. Take him outside and hit him with a log as hard as you can. Then yell at him and don't let him come back in the house."

Seriously Daniel? With a face like this?

Oh, and neither I, nor Daniel, hit Braddock with a log. The accident easily cleaned up with no harm done. I've learned that dogs who are potty trained still have accidents when they are in a strange place. It's ok. It happens to the best of us, right Berkley? (Sorry Dana and Katie.)

More of Mr. Tweeters

So, I said I'd put up some more shots of "Mr. Tweeters" when I got them uploaded, so here they are...

He has been at my door and back window again this morning. I promise you, he is looking at me! It is so weird.

Mr. Tweeters on his perch... looking at me.

Mr. Tweeters at the window above my front door looking in at me. I have no excuse for the filthiness of the window other than I can't reach it from the step ladder. So sorry you had to see this. Mental note: ask Ben to clean front window. It is gross.

Mr. Tweeters perched on the house that my mom bought for him. Still looking at me.

Standard Poodle For Sale

Never has this one dog made me so mad. Ok, except the time he chewed up my hearing aids, never has this dog made me so mad! Ben is at the beach with some friends and since I am working this weekend, I am home alone for this one night. I have just settled down into my cozy bed in my flannel sheets, covered up with my down blanket (which happens to be one of my favorite wedding gifts), and I am drifting off into peaceful slumber....

Suddenly, I feel Berkley jump up onto the bed. This behavior only occurs when Ben is nowhere in sight and is typically allowed by me since he doesn't shed and he usually stays just for a minute. So, Berkley jumps on the side of the bed opposite of that which I am laying. He is there for a second, walks over me, and jumps down onto the floor. As his paw brushes over my face and lands on my pillow (he has no concept of personal face and often steps on me, sits down on my head, stands on my lap completely blocking my view, etc..), I notice that the paw is damp and smells funny. In my sleepy state I rationalize that he's been chewing on a giant bone and his paw is probably wet from that. As the seconds pass I cannot rationalize with myself that what I am smelling is a normal bone slobber smell (neutral). I keep telling myself it's ok. Go back to sleep. Just slobber from chewing, nothing more. Finally, the smell gets the best of me and I reach up and turn on the lamp on my bedside table.

To my horror, I find a huge, HUGE, pee spot smack in the middle of my DOWN BLANKET!!!!!!!!

WHAT IN THE WORLD??????!!!!!! I immediately glance over at the guilty party who is sitting at the foot of the bed staring at me as if waiting to be discovered. We make eye contact. He darts to his crate. "OUTSIDE!!!!!" I yell furiously. "GET OUTSIDE NOW!!!!" He makes no move from his crate. I reach inside the crate with my arm extended as far as I can reach but I still can't grab his collar since his has pressed himself against the back of the crate. I finally have to put my head in the crate to grab him and I proceed to drag his 40 pound, stiff, resistant body out of the crate and push him out the back door.

I then proceed to survey the damage. Ruined down blanket, check. Pee spot on silk throw pillow cover, check. Pee seeped down onto top sheet under blanket, check. Pee seeped down to fitted sheet, check. Pee seeped down to mattress cover, check. Pee on mattress?? No. HALLELUJAH! Pee on my pillow case, check. Pee on Ben's pillow case, check. Pee seeped down to Ben's pillow thus ruining it, check. Master bedroom that smells like dog pee, check.

Anyone want to buy a free poodle?

Disclaimer: I have no idea why Berkley peepee'd in the house, much less on the bed. He hasn't had an accident in my house in at least 6 months. I took him out last night before bedtime per our nightly routine. Any ideas what can make a dog act like this? He is otherwise completely normal.

Here, There, Everywhere

I just returned from my "girls weekend" trip with 4 of my best friends from high school, two of which I have known since I was five years old (that's 22 years!) and two I have known since I was 10. Thus, it may go without saying that these girls know me pretty well. Us five friends from 3 different cities all met up at Ashley's husband's family's (say that 5 times fast) beach house in Topsail, North Carolina. The photo above was taken there on the first evening that we arrived. Haley gives a more detailed description of our trip, as well as more lovely photos, here if you are interested. You have to scroll down to get to her beach posts though. Haley is an avid blogger and is actually up to date on her posts, unlike yours truly.

I can't say enough good things about these girls, our friendship, and the fun time that we had catching up with each other. It is amazing to me how much we have in common after all of these years, yet how individually unique our personalities are. I learned so much in the short time I spent with them and laughed my head off in the process!

At the beach I was able to get a little R and R and I enjoyed reading a little "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. I am only a few chapters into this book but I am really enjoying it so far. You can find out more about it at crazylovebook.com.

I haven't mentioned yet that I am changing jobs AGAIN. I resigned from the "back up pharmacist" job that I mentioned a while back and I am going back full time with Wally World. However, this time, I will have a REGULAR SCHEDULE and I'll be at the SAME STORE every day of work!!! I cannot imagine what it will be like to have a routine and a normal schedule after 2 years of craziness. I am so thankful for this opportunity! I have about a month and a half left of floating before I take my permanent spot. Can I get a Halelujah?

And I leave you with this picture of "Mr. Tweeters". (Remember, the title of this blog is "Here, There, and Everywhere.") I mean, I haven't actually named him yet, as I am still trying to figure out what in the world he's doing. He is actually sitting in the window above my front door looking at me as I type.

"Mr. Tweeters" showed up shortly after Ben and I got married. He started out coming to the master bathroom window and tapping on it. He tapped so loudly that it would actually wake me up. I would walk into the bathroom and "Mr. Tweeters" would be sitting there clasping on to the window screen with his little feet looking right at me. Sometimes he'd come to my bedroom window and tap. I couldn't figure out what he wanted. I have bought this fool thistle seed, my mom has bought him a bluebird house for me to hang up (which I did) and a bird feeder (which I put out and filled up with the thistle because I read that is what he likes), all trying to appease him. Over a year later, this guy (who also has a female bluebird that he flies around with) continues to tap on my windows. He comes to all the windows in my family room, kitchen, and above my front door. He taps and then looks at me through the windows. "Mr. Tweeters" and his female companion have actually inhabited the bird house which makes me very excited. I'll post pics of that whenever I put them on the computer. However, he doesn't seem to like the thistle.... I dunno. Why the incessant tapping? What does he want?? Any ideas?