I can’t even count the number of times I’ve sat down to write this post.  But every time I have, nothing comes to mind.  What does one say after such a long absence?  I know half of you are thinking that I should talk about my kitchen, and I will, just maybe not in this post.  But truth be told, the kitchen is the last thing on my mind lately.  It seems the two percent of my brain that isn’t currently dedicated to school just isn’t enough, and is going in a wide array of directions, most of which I cannot keep up with any longer.  But we do what we have to do, right?  So I try to keep up.

I don’t think I’ve actually told this to anyone, and I’m still not sure why I am, except, you know, all you people (you know who you are) won’t leave me alone about my blogging absence.  For me, it comes down to fairness.  I write here for pleasure, but I also just write for pleasure.  The five manuscripts collecting virtual dust on my hard drive are just as important to me as my measly blog, and since I can’t take time to give them some words, I find it hard to give my measly blog some.  It may sound stupid, but that’s the bottom line. 

I haven’t come to complete terms with it yet, but I am beginning to realize that I need to write somewhere.  And since I can’t dedicate hours upon hours to my fictional characters, I suppose I can dedicate a few hours a week to the real characters in my life.  I won’t be here often (not that I ever really was), but on the flip side, I also won’t be elsewhere in the blog world very much.

I signed on to my reader account recently and began going through the hundreds of posts that I’d never gotten around to reading.  Eventually, I just bypassed most of them, and will start fresh from now on.  I apologize for everything I missed, and really wish I had the time to catch up.  I’m working on getting into this new routine, but I’m sure you all will know when I finally find my footing.

It sure lasted longer than I thought it would…

Here’s a riddle.  What do you get with a fresh out of school robotic husband and a Saturday with nothing interesting to do?

Boy, do I love renovations.  And if you think this is bad, then you surely haven’t seen the rest of the house.

The U.P.

It seems that whenever there are functions with Derek’s family, there are always just as many kids as there are adults.  It’s hectic and loud, but it’s wonderful.  Whenever there are functions with my family, however, the dogs seem to take over the role that kids seem to fill.  It’s just as hectic and loud, and it’s just as wonderful.

We went up north earlier this month to celebrate my grandmother’s 88th birthday.  And just as always, had a very relaxing trip.

We got there and Derek went fishing with my cousins and their spouses, while I sucked it up and put my toes in the freezing lake to give the dog’s their bath.  Because the last bath they’d received was the last time we were there, and that was two years ago.

They met up with all their “cousin” dogs and played the afternoon away on the beach.  Here’s the beginning of the pack.

My sister-in-law showed up and brought her husky.  Those three absolutely love each other.  And notice how Kirra just sits and watches over her men?

And because eight dogs just wasn’t enough, she had to go and adopt this little creature.

And Derek and I almost left with another.  What a trip that would have been.  I’ve puppy-sat that little girl only a few times and boy, am I glad we didn’t get another puppy.

As far as the people go.  Remember, those human beings?  Well, we didn’t actually do a whole lot of anything.  There was plenty of this going on.

And this.

Up North.  I miss you already.  And I almost kissed the beach before we left, knowing there would be a peaceful ride home.

They didn’t make a sound the entire six hours.  Those are some worn out puppies.

Down in the VA-lley

So, Virginia.  What a lovely place.  Especially when your time is spent with a hoard of wonderful women.

 

The Capri’s (that’s what they call themselves, and I’m still not sure just how that came about) finally decided to allow us young gals into their ‘club’. I’ve officially decided that no matter the reason for the name, to me it simply means good luck.

We shopped. A LOT. As in, we shopped the entire time we were there. It wasn’t a shopathon, it was a completely new word that I haven’t quite put my finger on yet.  Whatever the case, just realize that there was no skimping on the amount of shopping we did.  Have I gotten my point across yet?

When all the shops were closed and we weren’t physically able to shop, we sat on the porch, taking in the view, talking about nothing in general, and just having a great time.

 

And oh yeah, doting on this fuzzball.

 

This is Paddy.  The beaver.  My Aunt rescued her and is raising her until she is able to go out into the wild again.  And let me tell you, I almost died from the cuteness of this creature.  And the sound she made.  If you ever get a chance, please find some audio of a beaver and just listen.  It’s pretty adorable.

 

Among the multitude of animals on Sassy Cat Hill, some of the others include; Mr. Kowalski, the rooster, Cedric, the box turtle, and of course the eight?? cats that live there.

Thanks again ladies for a wonderful weekend!  Same time next year?

Here, then gone again.

So I really meant to find time to tell you all about the trip to Virginia before we left again, but somehow I ran out.  I’m pretty good at that!

We’re off to the U.P. in the morning, and I still haven’t finished packing.  At least I will have plenty to talk about when we get back.

Have a great weekend!

The story behind MC

So, I had planned on telling you the story of my cowboy, but didn’t feel like putting up a post three miles long.  Please forgive me.

To sum it all up, it was a joke.

This past weekend the warehouse where Derek works put on its first annual hi-lo rodeo.  One person from each warehouse throughout the States was chosen to compete.  He was the chosen one from Michigan.

It was held here, at the warehouse where he works.  And since he heard about this months ago, he’s been dreading it all along.  One day a few weeks ago, I was telling my Aunt about it and she offered to let him borrow her husband’s chaps and cowboy hat.  And of course I told her there was no way he would ever do that.

I was wrong.  He did it.  And it was awesome.  Everyone else laughed in the beginning, and a lot of people asked him if that was how he normally dressed.

They had a series of events in which they had to perform using the hi-lo’s.  Some involved moving stuff around, some involved pretty intricate maneuvering.  And then there was a written test at the end.

He ended up getting second place, and later found out it was only by a few measly points.  So someone from California won the five day trip to the Caribbean.  Someone who gets warm weather year-round won the trip.  And us Michiganders, who suffer frigid temperatures half the year didn’t.  I’m not bitter at all.  No really, the guy worked hard for it and deserved it in the end, so I can’t really complain.  I told Derek he couldn’t get another job until he wins me a trip.  He laughed.

It was actually a really fun weekend.  They put us up at Motor City Casino downtown and we ate fabulous food and got to see an awesome Tigers game.  I  think baseball is officially my sport of choice to watch.  It seems to be the one I understand the most.  And by that I do not mean that I completely understand it, because I don’t.  I just seem to understand it a bit more than the others.

They were tied in the ninth inning and the Tigers ended up winning in the extra inning. 

We didn’t have any time to really explore and walk around downtown, which I really wanted to do, but managed to snap some photos from our hotel room window.  This first picture is what you saw when you looked one way. 

And looking the other way, destruction was all around.  Here is Michigan Central Station, which I am so glad they haven’t torn down.  I’m pretty sure there isn’t one window left unbroken.

And here is what’s left of old Tiger stadium. 

In all honesty, I wasn’t looking forward to the weekend very much either, but it turned out to be better than either of us had imagined.

***

Tomorrow morning, I am escaping Michigan and driving to Virginia to spend the weekend with the girls in the lovely Shenandoah Valley.  I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.

If you look straight ahead, you’ll see MC

If someone had asked me seven years ago when Derek and I met if I thought I’d ever see a day where Derek was dressed up in chaps, spurs and a cowboy hat, there wouldn’t have been a breath of air between the end of the question and my firm ‘NO!’

Well, I officially have myself a cowboy.

Minus a horse.  And a saddle.  And…ok, minus a many things.  But unlike many other cowboy’s, mine has a hi-lo!

I made him buy that shirt a few month’s ago in spite of all his whining.  He said it made him look like a farmer.  That’s when I jumped in and said, “Well, WHY do you think I want you to buy it?  You look HOT!”  And I may have used a few other phrases that I won’t repeat on this family friendly blog.  What is it about farmers and cowboys, anyway?

I’d say it did its job well.  He sure had my blood churning. 

All I have to say is…why?

You know, sometimes being curious can be an adventure.  Other times?  Not so much.

Last night, I walked into the living room to find Keiko pouncing around on the rug like a cat, putting something in his mouth, throwing it and then chasing after it once again.  He does this with tennis balls and other toys.  But last night, it looked to me that he was simply being a little insane and chasing after nothing in general, probably a burst of air or something.  Because he’s done that before, too.

Turns out, as I turned to walk away, a small black ball landed near my feet and he was once again pouncing on it.  Well, not so much on it, but next to it.  Then carefully picking it up again and continuing to play with it.

And okay, here goes.  I cannot believe I am about to type this.  Just thinking about it is forcing me to relive the entire experience, and that is one that I would gladly go another hundred years without reliving.  It was THAT bad.  Thinking it was  just something simple, I picked up the black ball, which then decided to do away with it’s protective ball shape and turn once again into a spider.

I picked up a spider.  With my bare hands.  And what happened next wasn’t my brightest moment, I’ll say that much.  To use the phrase, ‘I screamed like a girl’, is an understatement.  Because I didn’t, I threw that thing and was quivering on the couch probably within two seconds of actually picking it up.  And of course, Keiko is thinking we’re playing, so he chases it, picks it up and brings it back to me.  Why thank you, Keiko.  How generous of you!

Anyway, the story doesn’t end there.  I worked up the courage to pick it up with a tissue and put it in a glass.  Only then did I notice how friggin huge the thing was.  I mean, I’m talking the size of a nickel, maybe bigger.  And just for the record, I still can’t believe I am still talking about his, because if you asked me at this moment, I’d tell you that millions of spiders were burrowing underneath my skin, ready to eat me from the inside out for killing their cousin.  So I carried the glass into the office and looked up the spider on the internet.

The internet is no longer my friend.  Not when it can produce such disturbing images.  Images, by the way, that kept me up half the night.  I never did find out what type of spider it was because the thing decided to start crawling around in the glass and I couldn’t stand being within inches of it anymore.  So I put it on a tissue and hit it with my shoe.  Because, hello, I am not squeezing that thing between my fingers.  And then I even thought about throwing the glass away.

After literally half an hour of researching spiders (who EVER thought I’d say that in my lifetime?), I stumbled across a picture of a black widow and it did me in.  But not before etching nightmares into my brain that will probably stay there for eternity.

I think I may have a slight problem.  And I may have to wear gloves for the rest of my life.

You know, just in case you actually were wondering…

Here are some things I am currently loving:

The Uniform Project. I think the idea of this is genius and love looking at the different creations! Not to mention the cause.

Thriving Ivory. I first downloaded their single “Angels on the moon”, and the other day I saw the album for cheap on iTunes, so I downloaded it. And I am loving it!

The Guggenheim Grotto. My sister turned me onto these guys, and their album is great.  I do believe I’ve always had a weakness when it comes to Irish men, though. 

Some things I am currently looking forward to:

August.  The first weekend in August, I am going to visit my Aunt in Virginia.  I can’t even remember the last time I was there!  The second weekend we are going to our cottage in the U.P.  It’s been two years since we’ve been there!  And sometime during the month, Kev is coming in from NY!  And most importantly, NO! SCHOOL!  I’ve got two weeks left of Pharmacology and then it’s free sailing through August.

Landscaping.  My husband is out of control right now with building gardens and I honestly hope it does stop some time soon.  It very well may take me twelve years to fill it all up!  Okay, probably not.

Peppers.  This may sound a little weird, but this is my first year planting anything that was actually edible, and the three pepper plants I have are doing awesome!  There is already about four peppers on each plant.  If you have any great recipes that calls for bell peppers, I beg you to pass them on.

A bunch of my mom’s work is on exhibit at 212 Arts Center in Saline and tonight is the gallery reception. Here is some more info if you’re interested.  She’s a star!

Have a great weekend!

A night at the Castle

We spent last weekend up north for Derek’s brother’s wedding.  It was held at Castle Farms and that place is simply beautiful!

Most importantly, we got to see our niece and nephew from Florida!

This little angel turned one the day before the wedding so we had fun celebrating.

And this little man couldn’t have been more adorable in his tux.  He was the ring bearer, though when the time came he wasn’t nearly this happy about it.

I had to throw this picture of Derek and his dad in there because you really have no idea how rare a shot like this is.  I remember asking them to smile and almost falling off my chair when they actually did.  It’s a little blurry, mainly because I don’t think I was all there at this point, and definitely not enough to remember to use the auto-focus.