Okay, so I realize I've been bad at this, keeping up with the blog and all but, but I just haven't felt like it. I actually read through a lot of my old posts recently and was reminded of things I haven't brought up in awhile that I should update you on.
1. Remember that CHECK ENGINE light? Well, it's still generally ON. Which hasn't bothered me much at all, except that on Monday I went to get my Emissions checked and...Failed! I hate failing tests. As it turns out, the check engine light is an automatic fail, although I have some other issues, too. Luckily, tomorrow is Car-in-the-Shop day for the 90,000 mile tune-up. $$$
2. Also on the topic of car, you know the nice little silver keyhole on car door-handles--you know where people used to have to actually put their key in and turn to make the door unlock? Well mine is now inside my car door! Yup. Came out of work the other day to a big open hole in my car handle. Weird. Thank goodness the auto lock/unlock remote works! Hopefully that won't cost too much to fix. It's kind of funny hearing it rolling around as I open and close the door and take turns...I know, at 90,000 miles, it's all downhill from here, but dammit, I paid off that car and I'm gonna drive it for free for as long as I can!
3. Oh, I forgot to tell you that Trav and I saw Natalie Merchant several months back in NYC. The tickets were a Christmas gift from Trav. I had never seen her in her hey-day, but quite enjoyed her now. It was in a small standing room only type place so rather intimate and she told lots of stories. Quirky gal she is...I never knew;) But a beautiful voice to be enchanted by:)
4. Moths. When I read about my friend Becky's trip to Whole Foods and about how she bought food from the bulk-bins, all I could think (which I didn't tell her...are you listening, Beck?) is FREEZE EVERYTHING FIRST OR EAT IT QUICK!! Not that you will likely have a problem because I've been buying food from bulk bins for years, but last summer, I don't know how this never was a blog entry, I had an all out battle with Moths in the Pantry...UGHHHHHH!!!! Little blackish/grey moths with a whitish strip on the wings...a centimeter long...it started with one, then a few, then a larva in a teacup, and another larva in the rice (all I could think was of the Chinese Food scene in Lost Boys...anyone recall that?) several moths in the cabinet. I read up on where these pests come from and the most likely culprit was from these bulk bins. The other more processed prior to packaging foods don't have this problem because the eggs get zapped in the process somehow...but not with bulk foods. But if you freeze them for several days first, the eggs will not hatch and you'll be good to go...Gross, eh? I learned that these larvae could make holes through plastic bags and cardboard and can wiggle their way into all kinds of containers. I invested in a bunch of Ball Jars with the rubber gasket as was recommended. We threw out most of the contents of our cabinets including tea, couscous, lentils, rice, grits, oatmeal, chocolate chips and who knows what else. I scrubbed the crap out of the cabinets and put bay leaves on each shelf. I found their cocoons in the corners of kitchen ceiling...It was an all out war! And since then, we've been moth free...until the first two were spotted two weeks ago; none since. Gross. Please wish me well in not having to go through that drama again...We're clean people for goodness sake...it's just yucky to have an "infestation" of anything...And Beck...freeze everything first!
3. It's take out the trash night and Bo is driving me NUTS barking at every freakin' person who brings their trash out to the curb. Back in his crate he goes.
4. On the topic of Bo...Ummm...this is my week off from school. I'm home. I'm in and out. He gets more walks, more trips to the park, more chances to play ball, more chances to be naughty. Bo has more recently become more and more naughty with his attention seeking behavior. The plants had been doing much better as he had stopped eating leaves off of them when he would get excited. But alas, everyday, there are more spider plant babies lying on the floor. Yesterday, I was working in the kitchen and poked my head in the living room to see the quiet dog in his "hiding spot" on the other side of the coffee table, with a trail of half eaten philodendron (?) leaves strewn about and a guilty dog trying ever-so-quickly to chew swallow and digest the leaf in his mouth before mean mommy pries open his mouth to reach in and extract the remnants. Grrr....He was doing so good for awhile. He just can't occupy himself long enough unless he has something he can chew apart or someone giving him explicit attention. He's no good at just relaxing yet. He was good for awhile with this super hard, condensed kind of bone...but that is now gone (actually two of them are gone)...I had picked up this Enormous rawhide bone at the grocery store to hold him over awhile and in three days, gone...and that only lasted three days because we would take it away from him so he didn't eat the whole thing in one sitting. I guess this weekend we need to buy stock in those bones that last awhile...he has also peed in the house TWICE in the last three days! He doesn't pee in the house! We take him out regularly...The only thing I can think of is that since the weather's been warming up, he's been drinking more...and therefore needs to go out more? But he has to somehow let us know he's gotta go out...UGH!!
5. Trav and I finally opened and IRA...hurray for retirement...just in time to meet the April 15th tax deadline...We've been meaning to get one in place for awhile now so this is a good thing...build the "portfolio." I have to share that I read the Get Rich Slowly blog now and then and it keeps me motivated to be thinking about investing, budgeting, planning ahead, but enjoying your money now, too. It began as this guy's personal quest to learn more about investing himself and has now turned into his full-time job. I came across it probably a year ago when I was looking in to high interest savings accounts for us to stash our savings in...(unfortunately that high-interest account went from 5.25% down to 2.5% given our slowing economy...oh, well, still beats the 0.8% or whatever the regular savings account offers). Here's the link if you want to check it out for inspiration or motivation:
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/ Okay so today's entry is about Warren Buffet which doesn't make me want to read it, but if you scroll through various posts, you might find an article or two of interest.
6. I go to the dermatologist for the first time ever on Friday. Thanks Amy for the motivation. I've been meaning to go for years now with my fair skin and freckled shoulders/back and history of sunburn...just need to keep checking in to get the one-time-over...see what needs to be monitored/removed or whatever. But alas, I still love the sun and it is still the only surefire way to keep the vitamin D stores up in the body, so while sunscreen is great, I will still always spend some time outside screen-less since the body doesn't absorb the D through the sunscreen. We'll see what the Doc has to say...
7. I have been really bad about just finishing up my report cards this time around. It just stunk that I knew I'd have my vacation week to finish them up...they're due on Monday and the goal was to have them done BEFORE vacation so I didn't have to think about them. BUT, my procrastination gets the best of me yet again!! Tomorrow when I'm stuck home all day I'll finish them. Maybe.
8. Met Tasha today in Essex for lunch. Well actually we drove up to Chester for lunch. It was a gorgeous day to be able to just stroll around outside. It was a good visit for us AND we had yummy ice-cream cones to top things off. And yesterday I visited my friend Vanessa and her little guy Reilly for lunch, which was also a nice visit. She was a former jogging buddy from school, now a stay home mom for awhile. I have to say, one of the biggest perks of my job for the past 8 years has been the after-school jogs/vent sessions with Jenn and Vanessa. That was a really special thing...the roaming through the woods/trails, jumping in the lake, challenging each other (them challenging me, really) with longer runs, finishing stong, yadda yadda...
9. I was a good wife yesterday because Travis really really wanted Dairy Queen and he was in his PJs already so I went to get it and waited in a long line in the cold to get it...I must really like him because a) I don't even really like DQ; b) did I mention the long line and cold air?; c) it's no fun to get ice-cream out to bring home...the whole point is the Going Out for ice-cream and enjoying it out, unless it's the regular ice-cream that you just keep in your own freezer, then it's okay to just eat it in; and d) I forget.
10. Now that you've read this far, do you think I should finally let the cat out of the bag once and for all??? Nahhhh...not yet.
I take the lettuce out and wash it so it's out and ready as a "must have for dinner" eat a tortilla chip thinking "I don't want this" and instead popped a big bowl of air-popped corn sprayed with Bragg's Liquid Aminos (which is kind of like soy sauce and fat/calorie/guilt free)...ate that while checking in on everyone's blogs...then decided that after the crunchy and salty snack I needed something chocolately...luckily, I never gave my mom the finishing touch of her birthday present in January and had her "Andes Candies" mint/chocolate candies on hand so had a few of those...good job, Lis... I guess maybe I should read the newest "Skinny Bitch" book (as per Becky's recommendation)..."Skinny Bitch: Bun in the Oven"...oops, wait, I didn't mean to say that! I WILL have salad for dinner!!
I take the lettuce out and wash it so it's out and ready as a "must have for dinner" eat a tortilla chip thinking "I don't want this" and instead popped a big bowl of air-popped corn sprayed with Bragg's Liquid Aminos (which is kind of like soy sauce and fat/calorie/guilt free)...ate that while checking in on everyone's blogs...then decided that after the crunchy and salty snack I needed something chocolately...luckily, I never gave my mom the finishing touch of her birthday present in January and had her "Andes Candies" mint/chocolate candies on hand so had a few of those...good job, Lis... I guess maybe I should read the newest "Skinny Bitch" book (as per Becky's recommendation)..."Skinny Bitch: Bun in the Oven"...oops, wait, I didn't mean to say that! I WILL have salad for dinner!!