Summer Theme

Oh yes, this summer has a theme. It's just not a theme that I'm telling the internet about yet. And, to be perfectly honest, I'm not exactly sure what the theme is just yet. I mean, I know what the theme revolves around, I just don't know if this summer will be just about focusing on this goal, or if it will actually be attained in the next few weeks.

In other news, I've been incredibly lazy so far this summer. I've been on vacation for almost 2 weeks and I've done very little that is useful. I've watched lots of movies. I've been reading a little bit. I've spent a ridiculous amount of time on Facebook. I have started running again, but only a few times... I don't think I'd classify it as having gotten into a routine yet. And I've been sleeping really late. Like until noon or later most days. Today I got up at 9:30. I've beyond impressed with myself. Of course, just because I've been up for an hour and a half doesn't mean I've done anything yet. Except post on my blog of course (long overdue).

I'm having my annual summer gathering next Friday so I have quite a few things I want to get done before that. Some of them I'm sure won't get done, but most of them should be doable. They are relatively minor things like getting flowers planted and cleaning. I had hoped that my dad would be able to get my back door replaced before the party, but he got hurt a couple months ago and is moving a little slower. He and Mom will be up before the summer is over, though, so I just have to be patient. Perhaps I should make a list of the things I want done... I do love to cross things off a list!

I'm also planning a trip home for Father's Day this weekend. I haven't been home since... Easter I think? So it's time. It'll be the first trip since I got the wireless invisible fence, so I'll be interested to see how well it works there. The beagles have been pretty good with it at home except for one mishap involving a neighbor's collie. I guess Eddie decided the shock was worth it to make a new friend. That's why I don't leave them unattended in the front yard... it's just there so they can be up there with me. And at Mom and Dad's I intend to still go outside with them, but it will be really nice to not have to leash them.

Okay, starting my day. Time for a run, then a little flower gardening perhaps.

Caffeinated Blogging

In an attempt to eat a little healthier I've been reducing my caffeine intake a bit over the past few weeks. But today was a fundraiser for one of our school groups at Barnes & Noble and I had to support them. I didn't have a list of books to buy (for once), so I though the least I could do was to have a frappucino from the cafe.

Six hours later I still feel like I'm on speed.

It's all good. I've been meaning to post anyway. I can't touch on everything because I do need to make an attempt at sleep tonight, but here's what's been on my mind tonight.

• I stopped at PetSmart to pick up filters for our library fish aquarium and stopped to look at invisible fencing products. Turns out they are 20% off right now, so I came home to do some research. I'm pretty sure I've talked myself into purchasing a wireless system that will reinforce the backyard fence, allow Copper and Eddie to be in the front yard with me if I'm washing the car or mowing, and will be portable so I can take it to my parents' house with us when we visit. It's a lot of money though, and I know I shouldn't be spending it, but it really seems to be a great system with some excellent reviews.
• Another stop tonight was at Target where I finally bought my DVD of Twilight. I wanted the Target version because it included a free download of the movie from iTunes. I will be able to take Bella and Edward wherever I go. I now realize exactly how big of a fanatic I am. The only thing is that it takes something like 6 hours to download everything, so I will have to leave my laptop on all night tonight.
• Over the course of today I went from feeling like something I really want was never going to be possible, to thinking that I might be mistaken, to wondering if it might not be already happening.
• Only 27 days of school left. The library closes in two and a half weeks.
• I don't think I've typed this fast in years.

Football Victory, Fire, Fights with Boys, Copper's Ears and Butt, and Other Forms of Procrastination

1. Football Victory: My Spartans didn't let me down (for once). Yesterday they defeated our arch-rival Michigan Wolverines in the Big House for the first time since 1990. We hadn't beat them at all since 2001. I watched the game over at a friend's house with some others from work. We were supposed to go to another co-worker's anniversary party after the game, but apparently cheering on our team left us too tired. I was home and in bed by 10:00.

2. Fire: When I got home from work one day this week and logged onto Facebook, I found a friend's status message about a fire raging in his apartment and how the status of his cat was unknown. We exchanged a few texts over the afternoon, but he didn't hold out much hope for the kitty; his apartment was a total loss along with 9 others in the building (he says the fire started in his apartment, but I'm not sure of the accuracy of this as a cause has not been determined). Good news came later as his cat was found... wet, scared, and a bit singed, but no sign of smoke inhalation, so she should be fine. Also good news that he was insured, although it will not cover his losses completely, and, of course, nothing can replace the things of sentimental value.

3. Fights with Boys: All this week an argument has been brewing with my friend Richard. There's a lot of things that figure into it, but basically I'm sick of him not respecting me. It seems he can find time to spend with pretty much anyone else in his life, but not me. I know... it sounds like I'm being petty, but I swear there is just more that I'm not willing to discuss publicly. The thing is... it's now been three days since I talked to him and I'm just sad. I know I'm right in this, but I just wonder why boys have to be stupid.

But that's nothing compared to the news I got a week ago from my mom... My older sister is divorcing her husband after nine years of marriage. Apparently she's been unhappy for years and has just had enough. This also makes me sad. While he can be a bit of an annoying oaf, I like my brother-in-law, but I'm not the one who has to live with him. I know it's got to be hard for my sister to admit that her marriage is over. She's not the type of person who likes to admit failure in any area.

4. Copper's Ears and Butt: Copper had her routine vet appointment this week for her vaccinations, so I had budgeted in the expected $100 or so. Once her double ear infections were diagnosed, "excessively full" anal glands were expressed, and hookworms and tapeworms were treated (Eddie got a dose of treatment, too), it cost more than double that. She goes back in a week for a recheck on the ears, so that will be at least another twenty bucks. Did you know that the monthly heartworm preventative that I thought also prevented all those other worms actually only controls an infestation until it can be treated? Yeah, neither did I.

5. Other Forms of Procrastination: Yeah, I have papers I should be grading. I have sat on my ass most of the day watching shows on the DVR instead of grading them, or even cleaning the house (my typical form of schoolwork avoidance). The one bit of work I did get done is the laundry (although there is still a load waiting to be folded in the dryer).

I also stepped on the scale today. Holy crap. I did actually go running yesterday, which was a good start, but I guess I'm going to have to start watching what I eat again, too. I was really hoping to avoid counting points again, but I think it might have to happen. I'm at my heaviest weight ever. No wonder my jeans are so stinking tight.

Wake Me Up When September Ends

Another month has flown by, but this time I can't say that a whole heck of a lot has happened. It's been just back to work as usual. The year is going well so far. There haven't been any particularly notable events, either good or bad, as of yet. I think I like things that way.

On the home front, I still haven't finished my kitchen. I really thought I'd get started on the trim work this weekend, but I spent all day yesterday working in the yard and today was a house cleaning day. Two weekends ago I was laid out on the couch with the flu and last weekend my folks were at a local antique tractor show, so I went to visit them. I think next weekend is still open, so maybe that will be my chance.

The fur children are adjusting to me being back to work. I think that getting Eddie was very good for Copper. She is no longer confined at all when I'm not home and she doesn't even cry nearly as much when I leave. Eddie, on the other hand, must be confined still, at least for long periods. I've left him out of the crate for an hour or two and he's usually okay, although I sometimes find the recliner tipped over in front of the front door when I return. And sometimes my slippers go for walks. It's very mysterious.

Off to bed. Another exciting week begins tomorrow.

Running Out of August

So many things I could have posted about this month, but I've really lacked ambition. So let's recap. Since I last posted:

• Kitchen remodeling continued with a vengeance. My parents ended up spending one more night after I last wrote because I got an outrageous quote ($479) on tearing out my kitchen floor. They decided they would just stay one more day and we would do it ourselves. Does that mean I owe my parents that money? At any rate, this left me with only one day to paint (and it needed three coats to cover... I always thought of my kitchen as light blue... until I wanted to cover it) before the cabinets went in. Then I had a couple more days to get the laundry room painted before the flooring went in. The new appliances arrived a couple days later. Now there's been a bit of a lull for the past couple of weeks while I wait for the counter top and sink to arrive. That is scheduled for the day after tomorrow, when Mom and Dad will also return to install the dishwasher, hook up the sink, garbage disposal, and water line to the refrigerator.
• I attended my very first major league baseball game, but I can't say that I watched very much of it!
• Eddie, while still a very sweet little boy, has revealed his very deep naughty streak. If I leave him uncrated when I'm not home, I typically come home to trash strewn throughout the house, and my shoes tend to go for walks on their own (he doesn't seem to chew them, though, thank goodness). The baby gates that easily keep Copper contained mean nothing to Eddie and he happily travels from room to room hopping over them. I also have yet to find a place to put Coal's food dish where Eddie cannot reach it. Perhaps once the counter top is in... So now Eddie is crated whenever I leave the house. He didn't mind going in the first few times, but once I started being gone for more than a couple of hours, he stopped going in willingly. I try to praise him as I put him in, but it is still a somewhat forceful situation.
• The Def Leppard/REO Speedwagon/Styx concert we were supposed to attend in April was finally held on Saturday... a great time was had by all. But I couldn't help thinking about how sad it was that groups with as big of names as REO and Styx have been relegated to being "just" an opening act. I was actually more excited about seeing those two groups than the main event.
• Today was the big day... our first day back to school. Well, kind of. The kids don't come until a week from today, but it's still hard to face the fact that my summer vacation is over and it will be nine and a half months before it comes again. So what was the final theme? Well, I think it remains to be seen what will be the dominant memory for me, but I know of two contenders for the title. It might be all about the kitchen, but it might also be simply the summer of fun. I attended three concerts (and have one more next month) and a Tiger game, read book after book just for fun, watched lots of movies, and just generally enjoyed myself. It was great!

So there it is in a nutshell. Off for another fun-filled school year.

Meet Eddie

This is my new baby, Eddie. He's a year and a half old and weighs about 27 pounds.

I've been thinking about getting another dog for a year or two, but it's one of those things that I had always put to the back of my mind. Some conversations and events this week caused me to start thinking about it a little more seriously. I was looking on Petfinder.com last night for dogs that the local rescues had for adoption and saw this picture that looked so much like Copper that it was uncanny (I'm not sure how long this link will work since he is adopted now).

The rescue that was caring for Eddie is usually at PetSmart on Saturdays, so I took the chance that he might be there and he was. He instantly came up to me wagging his tail when I walked up to his pen and he just stared at me the whole time, no matter where I walked to. The man who was fostering him was there, so I was able to ask him all about Eddie. He assured me that he is great with cats and kids and is just a sweet little boy. We walked around the store together and got to know one another. He was very easy to fall in love with, so he came home with me.

I brought him into the backyard first and let him check it out and get the message that it is where he needs to do his business (he is already housetrained, but I figure that it doesn't hurt to reinforce!). After a few minutes I brought Copper out, too, so they could sniff each other over. Copper had the hair sticking up on her back for a few minutes, but she quickly got used to him. For the most part they seem to know that the other is there, but they aren't too interested.

When we came in the house, I braced myself for the real scene... how would he react to Coal? And how would Coal react to him? I still remember the first night with Copper. She was in her crate in the living room while Coal and I were in the bedroom. Coal refused to even stay in the same room as Copper, instead opting to sit in the bedroom and hiss (and he is really not much of a hisser). It took four days before he would be in the same room with the puppy.

Luckily, this was not the case this time. Coal was a little wary of Eddie, and Eddie just carefully sniffed at Coal, but neither of them made much of a scene. They've both had numerous opportunities to check each other over and it seems to be a non-issue... what a relief!

I had to go back up to PetSmart after a call telling me that they forgot to give me his rabies vaccination certification, so I took both dogs with me. After dinner I took them both for a walk around the neighborhood and now we are all sacked out for the evening.

Afterall, it has been a very long, exciting day for the whole family!

I Never Thought I'd Be So Excited About Cat Pee

Sorry for the silence. I'm not sure if anyone out there has been anxiously awaiting an update on Coal, but he is fine. And happy to be home.

I was able to pick him up Monday afternoon, which was actually ahead of schedule. He is now on a diet of canned cat food and prescription dry food, and we had to revert back to the old-fashioned clay litter box for a while. I have to monitor whether or not he is peeing and the amounts, so the automatic litterbox had to go into storage for the time being.

He looks a little funny with his shaved patches on his leg (from the IV) and his tail (that's where they had to tape his catheter), but I know it will grow back. I also have to give him a pill twice a day for a few more days. Anyone who has ever had to give a cat a pill knows that's not a whole lot of fun. It wasn't bad the first few times because he was also getting a syringe with a tasty pain medication at the same time, but now it's been the pill alone for several days and will continue for a few more.

Copper didn't really seem to miss her brother much, but she was all over him when he got home. I suppose it helped that it was primarily over the weekend when he was gone and I was home all day with her.

He has to go back in on Friday this week to run a follow-up urinalysis, but hopefully that will be the end of the doctor's appointments for a while.

I'll Take Random for 500, Alex

Seeing as it's been nearly four weeks since I wrote a post of any substance, I thought it might be time. The days have been packed, so there's lots to report on.

• My movie viewing has dried up since Spring Break got over and the new shows have begun again. In fact, I think that all I've watched since I made my last list are the three titles I had sitting here at that time. I have three more waiting for me now (Elizabeth, The Sixth Sense, and The Bourne Supremacy), but haven't gotten around to watching them.
• I'm a really lousy friend. Drew has been in Iraq since December, and I've only sent him a couple of care packages. I've been promising to send more cookies since late March, but still haven't gotten to it. You'd think, with all the sacrifices that men and women like him are doing, I could find an hour to bake some cookies.
• The stressful television situation at work finally worked out. A huge thanks goes out to Ryan at Best Buy for Business for his patience and coordinating pickup at five Best Buy stores. I had to do a lot of driving, but I was able to borrow a truck from a co-worker, use school time to do it, and I was paid mileage... very important with gas prices as high as they are!
• I'm back to counting points for Weight Watchers again. I've put on nearly 20 pounds this school year. I need to lose at least 10 of them just to comfortably wear my summer clothes again, so I figured I better start now.
• Next year's master schedule is all but finalized and I am scheduled for the media center full-time. I am so excited about this prospect that I'm still not allowing myself to fully believe it. No more papers to grade... Ten more hours a week to do the full-time job I am currently trying to do in only 20 hours. While I'm sure I'll still bring work home on occasion, it should be the exception, not the rule.
• I took Copper to the dog park yesterday for the first visit of the year. She gets very excited with we first pull in the parking area and get out of the car, but as soon as we are in the actual park, she gets very intimidated by the other dogs. She's usually the smallest dog there, so I think that she thinks they are ganging up on her. She prefers to hang around the people. Not necessarily me... she does socialize, it's just with people, not dogs!
• Coal's birthday was two days ago. I can't believe he's 10 years old. He's been with me for the majority of my adult life and it's hard to believe all the things that have changed (and not changed) in that time.
• I paid my Jeep off two months ago with my income tax refund. Now that money is going toward credit card debt. I should be debt free (except for student loans and mortgage) in under a year.
• A personal project that I've been planning for may be underway soon. That's all I'm revealing at this point.
• Friday will be the two year anniversary of the MySpace incident. I'm not quite as frazzled as I was last year at this time. It's rather ironic that on Friday I will be attending an information session with district bigwigs because they want my input on a new technology related system for the district.
• In August, I'll also be done paying for the days without pay that I agreed to as a result of the incident. That will free up another chunk of money to put toward the debt payoff. I'm hoping that, at that point, the board will be willing to remove certain paperwork from my file that could make it difficult for me to ever get a job in another district.
• I mowed the lawn for the first time of the year this week. Spring is finally here.
• Only six weeks until summer vacation. Enough said.

Thankful

I'm thankful for:

• The cuddly kitty-cat currently nestled up in the chair behind me.
• The world's cutest beagle dog who went back to bed after going outdoors.
• The first accumulating snow of the winter... it's so pretty out!
• The health of my family... I know many people who aren't so lucky.
• The love of my friends... I have more offers of things to do while I'm home tonight than I can do!
• A friend who is willing to go way above and beyond if I ask him to.
• Being able to see Drew again last night before he leaves for Iraq.
• Having my own home where I can do whatever I want.
• Rejuvenating old friendships with people I had grown apart from.
• The possibility of something more developing from one of those old friendships.
• Finally being in a job that I truly love.
• The support of colleagues in that job.
• The freedom to live as I wish (and all the men and women who are fighting to keep it that way).

I guess I have things pretty good. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

You Know You're a Blogger If...

You wake up on a Sunday morning to find a pile of beagle puke on the other side of the bed and you consider taking a picture of it to post on your blog.

Aren't you glad I reconsidered that photo?

Copper had been acting like she was about to throw up last night (walking around licking everything) so I put her outside, hoping she would take care of it out there. I watched her eat grass for a minute (another sign she was getting ready to throw up) before getting ready for bed. I let her in a few minutes later and thought no more about it until 8:30 this morning.

I can't believe I slept through my dog puking in the bed (under the covers, no less) right next to me.

Here's hoping she's feeling better tonight.

Where the Heck Have You... Oh Wait, That Was Me...

Yes, I realize I've been MIA lately. I've been swamped. And exhausted. That's it, end of excuses.

Nothing real special going on, just very busy doing my new job. And half of my old job. I love the stuff I'm doing for my new job. I just wish I had the whole day to do it. Which really seems reasonable to me, seeing as the previous person had all day to do it. I really hope things change in that direction next year.

B.'s class was in for their library time yesterday, but he had a sub. The kids told me he had to take his daughter to the doctor and then he had to go renew his driver's license because it was his birthday. I had forgotten it was his birthday. I did get a little tinge of sadness when I realized it was yet another special day we wouldn't spend together, but I also think it's a good sign that I forgot it was his birthday. I'm very good at remembering birthdays. Maybe it's another clue that I really am getting past him.

It's been a very expensive couple of weeks around the home of the beagle. First was the unexpected car repair a couple weeks ago, then the very next day I ordered my new glasses. I have vision insurance, but it doesn't cover the thinner lenses for practically blind people like me. Or at least my eye doctor's office says it doesn't. A co-worker of mine says differently, so I have to ask them to re-check my coverage when I go to pick them up. I also had to order more contacts. And then, last week, it was yearly check-up and vaccination time for Copper and Coal. I think it would be cheaper to have actual children... at least then my insurance would kick in!

Speaking of the fur children, they claim that both of them need their teeth cleaned. They've been telling me this about Coal for about three years now, but it's the first they've mentioned it on Copper. This is a pricy procedure because it's done under general anesthesia. While I will conceed that Copper's breath is NASTY, I still think teeth cleaning for pets is a bit of a scam. We had dogs and cats for years growing up that never had their teeth cleaned and it didn't seem to affect them.

And Copper has ear infections again, too. This time it's both yeast and bacteria, so I had to get new medicine to treat both (last time it was just yeast). So that was some extra cash. And she just loves being held still while I stick something in her ear twice a day, too. Damn her big cute floppy beagle ears!

And one of the kids keeps throwing up on the backroom carpet everyday while I'm gone to work (three days in a row this week). Why can't the guilty party puke on the kitchen floor? Why the carpet? Neither of them ever acts sick when I'm home, so I can't tell for sure which it is, but I think it's Copper because it's never on the living room carpet (which Coal can get to, but Copper cannot). So tomorrow I have to sequester Copper to just the kitchen and see if there's any difference.

My metabolism seems to have finally caught up with me. Ever since I went to Hawaii, it's been out of control. As in, no working out and eating whatever I want while still dropping pounds. And then I was still maintaining while I ate out several times a week and sat on the couch. But now it's started to creep back up, so it's time to start running again. I just hope that alone will do it because I really don't want to go back to counting points. I'll do it if I have to, but the last three months without it have been so nice.

How's that for a random recap?

Aloha Means Both Hello and Goodbye

Monday morning came early, but not as early as Sunday. Once we were ready, we walked up to IHOP for breakfast, then returned to the hotel to pick up the car. The major plan for the day was to drive to Diamond Head Crater and then hike to the top.

When we arrived at the parking area we were turned away because it was full, but given directions back to a nearby community college where we could park, then walk up to the entrance. Sure, we thought, as long as we are here to hike, what’s a little more distance?

Once we returned to the entrance, we began the steady climb to the top. It wasn’t a difficult route as hikes go (it’s known for its accessibility), but we did have to stop periodically to catch our breaths and get some water. We were rewarded at the top with a spectacular view.

And then we came back down. A much easier hike than going up for certain!

After returning to the hotel, Heather went out to do a little more souvenir shopping, while I headed across the road to the famous Waikiki Beach.

Now, I am not the world’s strongest swimmer, and I seem to have this irrational fear of drowning, but I was not about to travel all the way to Hawaii and not swim in the Pacific Ocean! So I found myself wading out into the gentle surf and riding the swells with the best of them. Of course, I rarely allowed myself to be carried to where I couldn’t touch the bottom if needed!

After my oceanic experience, I stopped by the pool of our sister hotel (our hotel’s pool was undergoing maintenance that day, so we had passes to the much swankier pool across the street). It was a beautiful setting, and there were people wandering around offering me ice cream bars (now you know I’m easily amused).

Soon it was time to return to the hotel to clean up because Heather and I were meeting two ladies from her program at their hotel down the street for a luau. It was nice to see Judy and Jean again and we were very interested in seeing a luau. It was a fun evening, the food was fabulous, and our drinks were pretty (and yummy).

With Tuesday came our final day in Hawaii. In the morning we ventured out to find the Honolulu Hard Rock Café and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. so that we could add to our collections started in Kona. Then we returned to the hotel to finish packing and check out. Leaving our bags with the porter, we walked up to the Cheesecake Factory where we were meeting a friend of mine from high school for lunch.

After a delicious lunch, complete with cheesecake, and time catching up with Karen (and making faces at her adorable little boy, Nick), we walked back to the hotel to pick up our luggage and our rental car. It was time to head for the airport.

I dropped Heather off at the terminal with our luggage, then attempted to return the rental car. I followed the signs to rental car return, but, unfortunately, our particular rental car company wasn’t listed on the signs. After making a few extra laps around the airport and several wrong turns, I finally found myself back where I had rented the car in the first place and was able to get the shuttle back to the terminal.

As we waited in line to check in, we discovered that the time of our flight had been changed… not by much, only ten minutes, but it was a good thing we were there in plenty of time. We checked our bags (Heather’s had gained too much weight during the trip so she had to pay extra) and looked at our boarding passes to discover that we would be much closer on this flight than on the way to Honolulu. I was directly behind Heather. This proved to be convenient as we could actually communicate during the flight.

And before we knew it, we were boarding our flight and taking off for Minneapolis. No delays this time and a smooth ride the entire way there. Neither Heather nor I could sleep though, which made our arrival at 6:00 a.m. (1:00 a.m. in Hawaii) a little miserable. We checked the departure board and found that, while my flight was leaving from the very next gate, Heather had a bit of a walk, so we hugged and said our goodbyes. Less than an hour later I was headed for Grand Rapids.

After my arrival at 9:15 a.m. (eastern time), I found Mom and went to baggage claim, hopeful that my bags had made the entire journey, and they had. I am, however, still cursing the moron who parked his baggage cart right behind me so that I fell over it and bruised my shin badly when I turned around. If he had only apologized, I would not be cursing him.

And then it was time to see my babies again. Copper chewed me out for about three minutes straight upon her release from her crate, but then she was ready to go sniff out some cats again. She and Coal both stuck to me for a four hour nap this afternoon, though. I don’t think they’ll let me out of their sight again until we are home, which won’t be until tomorrow. I’m not about to undertake a two hour drive at this point.

It's Hard Work Being a Murderer

Copper may have committed her second murder in a year and a half. The first could have been deemed accidental (how was she to know that chasing that bunny rabbit around the yard might cause him to keel over from stress?), but there is no mistaking this one was cold-blooded murder.

The only thing is... I didn't witness the attack, so I only assume. Her accomplice was the one actually found with the body, but said accomplice is used to baby kitties, so I doubt she is the guilty party. I believe that she was only an accessory after the fact in her attempt to hide the body.

It's my own fault... If I had known there were baby kitties at ground level, I would have been watching her more closely. I keep joking about how the boarding kennel is like doggie prison (as opposed to her crate, which is just doggie jail), but maybe she's headed for incarceration for real!

And We're Off!!

Personally, I think it is a testament to my blogging dedication when I am sitting here typing instead of packing up the Jeep with my suitcases and pet paraphernalia like I should be. I was just afraid that, if I didn't update now, I might not get a chance again for a while. See, in the next hour or so, I will be departing for my parents' house. Tonight is my fifteen year high school class reunion, and tomorrow, I am headed for Hawaii!! I'm really hoping to have at least occasional internet access on my trip or else I will be having some serious withdrawal issues. You probably wouldn't know it from how infrequently I post, but I am majorly addicted to the internet.

At any rate, a brief recap:

• My iPod chose this week to crash on me. It pretends like it is syncing to the computer when I plug it in, but, when all is said and done, it has no music on it. Or rather, the files are there (because it shows that the correct amount of the hard drive is being used), but it is not recognizing them as music or something. I tried everything to get it to work again, but to no avail. It might be fixable, but I can't spend 20 hours on a plane over the next two weeks and not have my tunes, so I bought a new one yesterday. I can't believe how much money I have spent this month.
• Speaking of money, at least I avoided this purchase... not that I wanted to. I found the cutest sundress yesterday and it was on sale!! But do you think they had one that fit me? No way. Lots that were one or two sizes too small and one that was a size too big, but none that worked for me. I hate that.
• I joined the midnight insanity at Barnes and Noble last night to buy my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I originally intended to just go pick it up this morning, but decided that I would still be up packing anyway and it would save me a trip this morning. I haven't started reading it though due to lack of free time... maybe this afternoon. But for now it is packed in my laptop case and will be cracked open no later than tomorrow morning on my flight to Minneapolis (and then on to Honolulu after I meet up with Heather).
• Copper is going to have her first boarding kennel experience while I'm gone. She and Coal will be at my parents' house the majority of the time, but Mom and Dad are going to a tractor show next weekend and we don't think she'd handle that kind of stress very well. They take their own dog, but she has gone to them since she was a puppy and is used to them. Copper was a wreck after watching a small town parade a few weeks ago. I'm just glad I'm not the one who has to drop her off there... I think I'd cry!

So, I may be posting next from the Big Island of Hawaii... or Oahu... or my parents' dining room... or maybe right back here at home! Only time will tell.

Oh Yeah... The Party

The party (last Saturday) was a lot of fun. A couple people we were expecting didn't show, but it was okay because they weren't people from work and almost everyone who was there was from work. They probably would have felt a little lost anyway. The one person who wasn't from work that did come didn't stay very long. She swore up and down that she was just tired, and I'm sure she was, but I also know that, if she'd been having a good time, she would have stayed longer than an hour. I feel kind of bad about that.

But overall, it was a great time. There was booze, there were snacks, and there was a whole bunch of gossiping over work politics. This allowed us to laugh a lot!

I was concerned that Copper was going to end up in her crate (where she would cry and howl) due to bad behavior, but she actually was pretty well behaved. There were a few who nearly lost the food on their plates because they put it a little too close to the beagle, but I don't think she actually got anything. And, as I had hoped (but didn't actually expect) she only barked at the first couple people to arrive. After that, I think she decided there were too many people to figure out who had been there awhile and who had just arrived. Even Coal ended up coming out of hiding and became social after a while. This surprised me greatly as he is not a fan of crowds. He's a weird enough cat in that, if one or two people are over, he is all over them wanting to be petted, but I didn't imagine him coming out from under the bed the whole night!

Lots of pictures were taken, but, being the paranoid one that I must be, I cannot post them here. It would be kind of a dead giveaway seeing as, not only am I in them, but lots of others from work as well! But those of you who are my MySpace friends can check out the group photo on there if you want.

All Better

I didn't post about it at the time, but last week we had a little carpet catastrophe here in the home of the beagle.

Last Sunday, Copper and I had gone over to the neighbor's to laze around the pool (they have two of the "best rafts ever" as coined by Pigs). All went well until Copper started smelling the bunny rabbits that reside under the neighbor's deck (all bunny rabbits seem to have vacated our own yard since the beagle developed her highly attuned sense of smell). This led to digging at the base of the deck, so Copper had to go home while I returned to the luxury of the best raft ever.

A short time passed and my neighbor invited me to stay for dinner. I accepted said invitation, but returned to my own home to put on a pair of shorts and a tank top, only to find that I had been locked out of my own house! Now, this is not unusual. Copper has a habit of catching the lock with a toenail when she is jumping at the door (although usually it is the door into the garage that she does this to, which is why I keep a spare set of keys in the garage). Luckily, the garage door was already open, so I went around the front and entered through there. And that was when I realized that Copper probably locked the door in a meager attempt to cover up her crime.

At any rate, after I was able to get over my initial shock, anger, and yelling (during and after which Copper walked around with her "I'm so sorry" face all night), I was able to take a closer look at the damage. I found that it was actually a pretty clean tear that could probably be fixed quite easily. A visit to the carpet store a few days later confirmed my suspicions and we scheduled the repair for today. I think it took all of twenty minutes.

If you look very closely, you can see that the patch is a bit cleaner and newer looking than the surrounding carpet, but to the casual eye, it is unnoticeable. So the $95 lesson learned is when I go to the neighbor's pool, Copper goes in her crate!

Bummer

I got a call today from one of my co-workers. She wanted to know if I would be able to dog-sit her sister's basset hound this weekend. Sure, I agreed, and we made plans for them to bring Norman over tonight to make sure he, Copper, and Coal all got along (they assured me that he has no issues with cats).

All afternoon I've been waiting to hear from them to see when they were bringing Norman over. When the phone finally rang I was almost giddy. But, alas, they have made other arrangements for Norman.

I was really looking forward to seeing how Copper would react to another dog being in her house. One that stayed for a few days. I really think she'd like having a brother or sister, but it's hard to tell. Perhaps she likes being the only dog.

But I guess we won't find out this weekend.

Numbskulls, Fat Beagles, Running Away, and Internet Piracy

First, the Numbskulls:

A little over a month ago, I received a notice that repayment would begin on the student loan I took out to pay for graduate school on March 7. I logged onto the loan company's website and registered for automatic payments, and was told that it would take 30 days to process my request and the first automatic payment would not take place until the April 7 payment date. A few days later I got a letter in the mail thanking me for enrolling in their automatic payment program and stating again that the first payment would take place on April 7. I knew that I needed to send a check for the March 7 payment.

Fast forward to March 9 when I cruised through the ATM at my credit union to make a quick cash withdrawal. Except I was told that there were insufficient funds for the withdrawal. Huh, I thought, I could have sworn I had well over $100 in that account, but maybe I paid a bill that I forgot about. When I got home I checked my checkbook only to find that, indeed, I should have had $138 in my account, definitely enough for my measly $50 withdrawal. So I logged onto my account to discover the problem. Not only had my check to the loan company cleared, but they had also taken out the automatic payment!

I didn't think they could do anything about it, but I wanted to make clear to the loan company that I was pretty annoyed that they had overdrawn my checking account, so I called them. They swore up and down that it always takes 30 days to process the automatic payments, but I was living proof that, this time, it only took about a week. In the end, the loan company offered to redeposit one of the payments back into my checking account, but it would take 10 days so they could be sure my check cleared (uh, did I not mention that I KNOW my check cleared already... hence the problem?). But anyway, I checked my bank balance every couple of days to see if my money was back, but was always disappointed. I logged back onto the loan company's site last week to discover that I was no longer credited with the extra payment, but still no deposit to my account... where the heck was my money?

Finally, yesterday, there was a check in my mailbox. Oh well, I thought, must be they couldn't do it automatically. And then I opened the envelope. They refunded BOTH payments to me. And yet they are still crediting me with one of them. Is it any wonder that these companies go bankrupt?

Next, the fat beagle.

For the last few months, whenever anyone has come to the house, it seems they have commented on my little girl's chubbiness. I knew she had put a few pounds on over the winter, but didn't think it was any big deal. Spring is here and we'll be going on more walks and running around the backyard a lot more soon.

And then we went to the vet for her heartworm test yesterday. She walked on the scale and I gasped... 41.4 pounds! On a dog that should max out about 35! She has put on seven pounds since she was there in September. So I guess the denial is over. She's not just a little chubby and it's time to go on a diet. I guess it just runs in the family, but I feel so mean when I deny her the extra treats.

Next, running away.

I was worried late last week when I hadn't been to the gym in nearly two weeks that I had lost all the ground I had gained in becoming a runner. The day before I got sick I had run nearly two miles and was quite proud of myself. Luckily, my illness and absence from the gym didn't hurt me all that much. When I ventured back on Sunday I was still able to run a mile in quarter-mile increments. Then, yesterday, I couldn't get to the gym due to Copper's appointment (I refuse to go after dinner... it's far too busy and I can't get on any of the machines), but it was a fantastic day (76 degrees), so I went running outside. Knowing that it is more difficult to run outside than on a treadmill, I would have been happy with a half or three-quarters of a mile, but I still managed to get in the full mile! Then, today I was back at the gym and I did 1.25 miles (plus three-quarters of a mile of walking) before getting on the elliptical machine. Oh, and I finally got my heart rate monitor fixed so I can keep track of calories burned again, too. Turns out it really was just a dead battery, so the lady at Walmart who told me the battery was fine was wrong. Plus I didn't know there was a little reset switch to hold down after changing the battery, so thanks to the nice guy at Timex who helped me when I called.

And finally, Internet Piracy.

That was where this post was supposed to end, but when I turned on my laptop, it failed to connect to my wireless network. I looked at the available networks to discover that my own network has somehow become a secured network since I used my laptop all of two days ago, and I have no idea what the key is to log onto it. Guess I've got some investigation to do. In the meantime, it's a good thing that one of my neighbors also has an unsecured network that I was able to connect to. What's a little sharing among friends? I'm sure more than one neighbor has used mine at some point.

Tradition

The milestone has been reached. We have completed the first 100 days of school for the year. Kind of anti-climatic seeing as we didn't have school Monday or Tuesday this week. See, when the wind chill reaches below -20 degrees, they don't like to make the kids stand outside to wait for the bus. Relatively silly reason to cancel school if you ask me, but at least I got a nice four day weekend out of the deal.

In other news:

• I've actually been getting my lazy butt to the gym fairly regularly. Six days out of the last nine. I figure that's not bad for just getting back into it. To reward myself, I intend to use my Best Buy reward certificates (that I got when I bought my new TV) toward a new iPod Shuffle. I already have an iPod, but since I've started running somewhat regularly, I think the new Shuffle will be quite handy.
• Heather and I are planning a trip to Hawaii this summer. Yes, I know, we should make this trip in the winter, but we are teachers, so we don't have the vacation time then. Plus, Heather's trip will be paid for entirely by her school because she will be attending a science conference while we are there. I'm not so lucky, but it will still be worth it. All the more reason to keep working out... want to look good in a swimsuit for the beach!
• And speaking of the trip, my portion will be paid for using a portion of my income tax refund. I finished filing when I had the day off on Monday and, due in great part to my tuition credit, I'm getting over $3500 back. The rest will pay down some debt.
• Coal has been driving me nuts lately. He wants to be a night owl, which is unusual for him. He gets behind the dresser and bats at the electric cords. He bangs on the closet door until it opens enough for him to get in, then he knocks stuff around inside. He jumps up on the dresser and knocks off everything that isn't nailed down. And all while I am trying to sleep. So he gets shut out of the bedroom, but then Copper can't get out when she wants a drink of water, which happens way more often than I ever thought.
• My friend Sue and her two girls will be in town this weekend. The girls (9 and 13) are competing in a cheerleading/dance thing in the town where I teach. They are staying in a hotel Friday night, but will likely be staying at my place Saturday. I guess that means I have to get the rest of the Christmas stuff cleaned out of my spare bedroom so there is room for the air mattress.
• And Lost is back on tonight. So that will be all

Caught Ya!

I've known this scene existed, but I've never been able to capture it. Ah, another advantage of the snow day.