Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. I love the chance to spend time with family, cook, play, eat, drink and just have a good time. I also like the opportunity to just remind myself of all I have to be thankful for. Really, no matter how tough my life feels, things are truly good. I have a wonderful husband, a loving and supportive family, a home to live in, clothes and shoes, a well paying job, a healthy body and mind. It is good to remember all the positive things in life all-year round, but it is especially sweet to have a day to celebrate them.

Difficulty Committing to Myself

Over the past year or so I have noticed a change in my body. I am 30 now and while I am not overweight, I have definitely allowed myself to get out of shape. I have made several attempts to get on track with some sort of exercise routine that I enjoy and will do regularly...with less than stellar results. I will pick an activity and do it regularly for a while, then things come up, or I get home really late, or I feel unmotivated and allow that to win, and then pretty soon I am sitting on the couch again. I am making another attempt to get on track. I own two yoga DVDs that I have done in the past and really, truly do enjoy. The instructor lady on the programs is really positive and there are a variety of programs to choose from. So tonight when I got home I did yoga for a half hour. I really like it, it makes my body work and I can feel the working without it being painful. I am sweaty when I am done and I know that my muscles will feel worked tomorrow. I am in a good place right now and feel like I can commit to doing yoga a few times a week. I just have to maintain and keep it up. I am not sure where the problem comes up. I care about myself and my health and I want to be healthy and feel better about myself. I just need to work at honoring this promise to myself and do the best I can.

No Plan for a Rainy Day

Well, it is wet again this morning. We were expecting a dry morning and somewhat dry weekend. Don had planned to do the lawn and get a bike ride in. That would give me time to do some yoga (without an audience) and work on a stitching project. Now we are not sure what the plan will be, no yard work or bike ride for sure. We do have to make a trip to the grocery and then are going to J's house for supper. Until then, who knows.

Summers End

I have gotten out of the habit of posting and am making an effort to choose to find the time to update more regularly.

We certainly had a nice summer this year. The definite highlight was a trip to Colorado to see my sister and brother-in-law, nieces and nephew and quite a lot of my extended family. It was also the first time Don and I traveled together on a plane and taken a vacation to see family. It was a great trip, we had many great adventures and loved seeing everyone. It was a good chance to catch up and have crazy fun family time. We especially enjoyed visiting the cabin, summiting pikes peak and just spending time with everyone. Our flat-land lungs did appreciate coming home though!

Once home, it was back to the work grind and despite the calendar telling us, it sure didn't seem like September out. We had many sunny warm days and were certainly enjoying the extra summer. This past week the rain has come back. Living here it is a given that winter will come and the rain will start. It is the trade off we have for getting to enjoy the beautiful green. It can be a bit daunting though to wake up to rain, have rain all day, and fall asleep to rain for days (ok, months) on end.

We did take advantage of the extra summer and participated in a new event in our town this year called The Draggin' the Gut Festival. In our little town the common vernacular for "cruising the main drag" was "draggin' the gut." 20 or 30 years ago the town decided this was a bad thing and passed an anti-cruising law, complete with road signs: " Driving up and down this road more than 3 times in a one hour period between the hours of...." You get the idea. So the festival was sort of a return to the golden years of draggin' the gut as well as a benefit for the local food bank. There were bands playing 60's era music on several side streets (closed off to traffic), a sock hop and live band at the McMennamins, free movies and of course a group cruise for several hours at the end of the night. We got our Ghia all shined up and headed out. It was a BLAST!!!!! We danced to some music, looked at all types of cars and dragged the gut ourselves! It was a huge turn out and seemed a success. We are looking forward to next year already!

Now we find ourselves nearly falling into November and are beginning to plan for Thanksgiving, on the hunt for good recipes with new and interesting flavors to try...we will see what we can come up with.

Things That Go Bump in the Night

Last night as Don and I were laying in bed, settling for the night when we heard a thump noise. At our house certain types of thump noises are not unusual (Rye jumping off the counter, Barley jumping on the cat tree, Barley throwing her baby off the cat tree, you get the idea), but this was unusual. It sort of sounded like a meaty thump, like a cat body hitting something.Hmm, better check it out we decide, right as we hear it again. I rush out of bed to the living room to see what is going on, hoping it is nothing terrible. There at the sliding glass door in the living room stand Rye. And he is HUGE. I mean totally puffed up, his tail. his body, his back. And he is very.very.very. mad. huffing and puffing and pretty quick he goes THUMP. Right into the sliding glass door, hissing and spitting. Barley was half puffed, hunkered down on her pillow, wide eyed and watching. I could not see what had gotten them so worked up, until it came a little closer. An extremely large raccoon was literally face to face with Rye with only the glass door in between. And even puffed up Rye looked small compared to this 'coon. Rye was determined to attack, kill, or chase off this potential attacker and kept up thumping into the slider.I was a little scared to try to pick him up since he was so angry, so Don went over and turned on the outside light and whacked on the glass to encourage the raccoon to go away. He finally did but it took about another hour for Rye to settle down. It was pretty amazing to see the huge raccoon so close to the house, but a little scary too.

Open Letter to People Trying to Sell Stuff at my Door

Dear People (or Person) trying to sell stuff at my door,
When we have just gotten home after a long, long day at work, and a quick stop at the grocery to get supper ingredients; we are not going to answer the door. Especially since we saw you walking the neighborhood when we were coming home. Also, we are currently making above mentioned supper and are truly not interested in whatever you are selling. In addition, it does not matter how many times you ring the bell, ring the bell and knock, ring the bell and knock and "hullooo" over the course of a few minutes....we are still not going to answer. Our home is our sanctuary, our castle and our own private place, and currently we.do.not.wish.to.be.disturbed. This is not to say that I do not appreciate your trying to work and earn your pay and make your own way in the world. It it simply that some people (me) do not feel the need to respond to each and every doorbell ring and your rude attempts to get us to answer were not appreciated. In the future, unless our home is on fire nothing more than is simple doorbell ring is required...we will answer if we are so inclined.
Sincerely,
The K-B family

Attack of the Hormones

We have had a pretty ok weekend through this afternoon. Don did some riding and I did a little shopping for myself and found a new dress and shoes for our first anniversary celebration. We visited our friend J and had a nice time talking and drinking wine and snacking. This morning I woke up not feeling as perky as yesterday. Don had made some blueberry pancakes for breakie and then he headed out for a ride. I hung out and did some laundry, then when he got home he was getting ready so we could go to the store and the sink plug in the bathroom fell off again and got stuck in the drain. This has been happening in some form or another for a few weeks and usually I can get it out and back on its stick and fixed pretty quickly. Not so much today. My attempts ended with me throwing the plug at the sink followed by a few choice words. Then we headed to the store and I cried in the car. At that point we decided it would be a good thing for me to have moon lodge time this afternoon. We had subway for lunch and then Don headed out for yard work and I laid down on the couch. I napped most of the afternoon. Now it is time for supper prep and then bed again. Oh, the joys of hormones.

The Fine Art of Saving Money

Recently I had a new "Grown-up Moment". I am now the proud OWNER of my very own car, having paid off my car loan this month. It was very exciting to get the title in the mail and at the same time a little strange to realize that I am really a grown person. I suppose that most people would be saying "Sure lady. At 30 you should be well aware that you are a grown person!" but some how I still find myself amazed that I am. At any rate, not having to make a car payment has certainly allowed a little extra freedom in the budget this month, but never the less we are still being conscious of our spending and tucked away some savings too. In our on-going effort to save versus spend, we have been exploring new options for grocery shopping. As much as I hate shopping, we do occasionally get really good deals using sales and coupons...even if it means going to nearly all of the grocery stores in town. The new first choice for grocery shopping on canned and frozen goods is a place called Grocery Outlet. It is a very strange place to shop. The stock changes every few days, and just because you got something there before doesn't mean you will ever see it there again, but the deals are unbeatable. For example frozen edamame (whole soybeans) can be close to $5 at some stores, at the Grocery Outlet they were $1.27 a bag. The deals there allow us to get items that we maybe would not normally get, simply because the cost versus need ratio was so off at other stores....like frozen curly fries. A purely luxury item in our house, not something that we NEED at other stores, but when the large bag at Grocery Outlet is only $2.25 it is hard to pass up for a treat. Last night we had chicken on the grill and freezer veggies and I decided to break out the curly fries. Why not? I thought. We deserve a little treat, right. I pre-heated the oven, prepared the baking pan and got the fries out of the freezer. I opened the bag and began to pour out some fries...and I quickly learned why they were so inexpensive. The "curly fries" were really curly fry fragments, the little pieces that fall to the bottom of the expensive bags were what filled my bag. I had a good laugh, filled the tray and cooked them up. And while they were certainly not glamorous, they tasted just fine...and it was kind of fun to eat them with a fork!

Ages and Ages Ago...

Alright, I know it has been far far too long since my last post. I had gotten out of the habit of writing....So now there is updating to do, or rather " there is too much, let me sum up."

Our little Ghia is still home. Shortly after her arrival to her new home and a trip to a local mechanic to assure us she was healthy and drivable (which she was not...more work, money and time passed...with lots of frustration on my part), we went out for a little drive on a sunny day. After parking the garage and feeling pretty please with ourselves, we settled in for some couch time and a little nap. As I was dosing I thought I smelled something faintly smokey....a few minutes later Don went out to the freezer for a skinnycow and the smell of burning filled the house. After getting the garage door open so we could actually breathe, Don discovered that the alternator had caught fire and while very self limiting (nothing else was damaged), the alternator was now partially melted. This means that the car can not drive and is confined to our garage. Don did some online searching and purchased new parts, but neither he nor I feel comfortable/confident enough to do the work ourselves. But since the car can not drive....argh. Don spoke with the mechanic we used with her before and as it turns out they are able to tow the car back to their shop to repair and replace. Now it is just a matter of scheduleing a time that will work for all parties...execpt the car...she doesn't get a choice! And somewhere in the far reaches of my mind I keep remembering the echo of an earlier post..."life rarely goes as planned".

Getting the Ghia

Our little Savannah is finally home! It certainly was an adventure getting the little Ghia home too. The plan was for our friend G to pick us up and drive us to House of Ghia, so that Don and I could ride home in the Ghia together and not have an extra vehicle to deal with. I was really really excited about getting the car home and being able to ride home together. Unfortunately, life rarely goes exactly as planned and G was unable to drive us (due to no fault of his own, and we really appreciate his agreeing to do it for us even if it fell through! Thanks G!). Further compounding things, the owner of House of Ghia was going to be out of town for the weekend, so it was Thursday or not until next week...and Don really wanted to get the car. So on Thursday after work Don and I headed to Salem. We made great time and had a chance to talk with the restoration guy and get a little familiar with the car and all the little quirks. Pretty quick we were ready to go, Don in the Ghia and me in the truck. I was feeling pretty disappointed about not being able to ride home in the Ghia with Don and having to drive the truck home, following behind...and then Don lost me at a stop light. Rar. I knew he would be stopping at a gas station before too long, but I really don't know my way around Salem, and it was a bit of a battle to keep calm and not get angry. I mean, he knew I was following him, right? Plus I realized I had both phones. Nice. I was not feeling better. Luckily for me, there is decent signage for the road home and the Ghia is pretty distinctive, so even a longish way off I recognized it turning into a gas station and was able to get there before he finished gassing up. The rest of the drive home was very uneventful and the Ghia did great. Once we got home I was still feeling a little bummy and Don was really not understanding why. I explained that I was not mad, just really disappointed because I was so excited to be able to ride home together and it just didn't get to work out. We agreed that there would be lots of opportunity for other rides and eventually we let it go. Friday came and so did the rain, so no chance of a drive. Today we both worked the morning and it was a beautiful day. Sunny and blue sky, not too cold, so after I got home from work I called Don (he was still working) and asked if he thought we could go for a drive when he got home. About an hour later he came home and we headed out for my first ride in the Ghia. We had a great time. We took a drive in the country and stopped at a VW mechanic to get acquainted, then headed home. It was really fun and I love the car. It is very different from modern vehicles, it is noisy and low...and very very cool! I am so excited for more sunny days for Ghia drives and shows.

Yes, But How Much Does it Cost?

I hate the Costco. Really really. Like H.A.T.E. the Costco. I believe that this is due to several factors...I am not a good shopper (I go in, get what I need, get out, no browsing), I do not enjoy crowds of people, and chaos really gets to me. Don loves the Costco. He can go in there and walk up an down all the aisles looking at everything. He also does not get flustered by people with unruly children driving their carts the wrong way down the aisle, or parking in the middle of it. Yesterday we went to the Costco after getting up early to go to breakfast (a good thing) and see the Ghia (also a good thing) and I was feeling less than stellar about going. I was working really hard on not having the Costco trip mess up a perfectly nice morning...reciting my mantra as we pulled into the parking lot "I will not be cranky at the Costco, I will not be cranky at the Costco..." Don chuckled a little as we headed in. It was a mad house as usual, but I did my best to stay calm and not be cranky. We had made it almost all the way through, getting what we needed, when I spotted some chips that we both really like and are super expensive for much smaller bags elsewhere. "OOooooo! The multigrain ones!" I said "Can we get them?" This was met with a huge sigh and a quasi stink eye look and an "OK I guess..." Argh. "What is the deal?" I asked. "Its just money." He says. Double Argh. The chips are $6.29 and I know I can live with out them if it is going to be a big deal, which I calmly relay to my partner. He huffs but decides they can stay in the basket. At check out I pay the bill (about $85, we had coupons and also purchased some tax software) and we head out of the store....my mantra...I will not be cranky on the way home, I will not be cranky on the way home...We get safely out of the parking lot and on our way home. "Why do you go to the Costco if it just makes you angry about money? (typically we go in for a few items and our bill is around $100) I know why I hate it and that is why I don't go." I asked. "It seems to me that no matter how good a deal we are getting on spinach and laundry soap, it is not worth it if we are just going to be pissy at each other. I admit that I hate the Costco, but your being angry about money while there doesn't make me hate it less. The laundry soap is a good deal, I can not get it cheaper anywhere else....but what does it cost? We do not need more cranky in our lives." That was all it took to break the tension and I could see him relax and feel me relaxing too. We had a wonderful rest of the day. We went to a cool boutique that is going out of business and had some good deals, and went to the farm store to look at boots and get birdseed and suet. Then we had a quiet afternoon, a little nap and a tasty supper. I am still not sure if we will let the membership lapse or continue going, but at least we are both aware. No matter how good a deal it is, sometimes it is just not worth the cost!

What Time do we Close?

Oh Boy was today a long day or what? We were very busy and despite "closing" at 5:30, I walked in the door at home at 20 to seven. Our kennel helper is out right now on vacation so after all the other work is done, we still have all of the cleaning to do. Blargh. At least today is Friday. Tomorrow we are getting up early early to meet up with the Ghia guys. I am not sure why we have to go so darn early, but I know better than to complain. I am sure I can find time for a nap later on if I need one. Not much else on the plan for the weekend. This is a good thing.

Girly Morning

After yesterday I was feeling the need for some relaxation today on my day off. Just some down time for me. I got my hair cut this morning around 9am (waaayy early for me on my day off!!) and then went for a pedicure. I have never gotten a pedicure before and it is not something I would normally do, but at my work holiday party I got a gift certificate for one. It was actually really nice and I liked it! I picked out a soft minty green color and the lady painted a tiny flower on each big toe...complete with a tiny gem in the middle. Very girly. I plan on keeping the experience in my "back pocket" for another day when I need a pick me up!

Crummy News

Yesterday I brought our little kitty Rye to work with me for a check up. He has been over grooming and had stinky breath and I figured he could use a dental cleaning. After the exam, we did some routine pre-anesthetic blood work and got some unexpected and unwelcome results. At not quite 5 years old my little kitty is in the early stages of compensated renal failure. This is very overwhelming and depressing news. There is no cure, only management. And he is very very young to have this disease. We were able to do his dental cleaning with fluid support for his kidneys, and he had to have two teeth extracted. Blargh. Right now he is not showing any clinical signs or symptoms of the disease, which is good, but he is already anemic, which is bad. He has started on a special diet to help ease the burden on his already hard working kidneys. We will give him lots of fresh water and love and just wait and watch. Renal failure is a very complex disease with many factors including anemia and high blood pressure and can have many complications like bladder and kidney infections. It is basically just really really really sucky. He will go in for regular blood checks and we will have to monitor him for changes in urination and water drinking. For right now his body is managing and he is sort of balanced on a fence, hopefully it will be months or years before his balance fails and he falls...until then we will love him and care for him as best we can.

Year End:New Year

It is well in to 2010 and I am finally sitting down to do a post. The end of the year really flew by. Holidays came and went and pretty quick New Years too. The end of the year did bring a big surprise...namely the best wedding present ever (even if it was really late) and I feel hopeful and positive for the new year ahead.
Now for the best wedding present ever....it is a bit of a long story, so bear with. Back in May of 2009, just a few weeks after Don and I got married, we went to a place in a nearby town that specializes in VW Karmann Ghia parts and restoration. Now, Don LOVES Volkswagens and especially the Karmann Ghia...and I must admit they are pretty cool and I have found myself falling for them too. While we were there, the guy showed us a '67 Ghia that was in remarkable shape and was slated for restoration...all it needed was a family to love it and pay. The price was very reasonable and the car was just in fab shape. All the way home we talked about the car and whether or not it would be a viable option for us to go ahead and get it...in the end I told Don that it was really his choice, since he is the one who knows what he is looking at, and I felt comfortable and would support his choice either way...and that was the end of it.
Ok, now fast forward to the second to last week in December. I was feeling awful, I mean terrible, like crawl in a hole and pull it in after me bad. Don came home and told me there was an open house at the Ghia place later in the week and the owner really wanted us to be there to see the new expansion and some new cars he had been working on. I agreed, hoping I would start feeling better by then...or at least be able to not be so cranky. The designated day arrives and Don comes rushing home to pick me up on the run to head to the Ghia place. I was still not feeling well at all and I really just wanted to stay at home, but I could tell that Don was really excited and I just needed to buck up. We get to the place and get out of the truck and the Ghia guy says, " you guys can start over here and then we will get to the new stuff" and points us in the direction of the old shop. After a bit of looking and admiring the new cars he has us head over to the new shop area (it never occured to me that there was no one else at the open house). By this point I was really feeling crappy so when they opened the doors to the shop and I could see someone holding a camera I was really confused. Don sort of pushed me in and there were all these people there...and a car...with a huge red bow and ribbons on it...and a tag that said From Don To Hilary. I was absolutely blown away and still very very very confused...until Don said "That's our little car Hon!" and I just lost it. I started to cry and kept saying "are you kidding me??" It turns out that a week after we saw the car the first time, he went back and bought it. And for 6 months got all the restoration work done and managed to keep it a.complete.and.utter.secret. It turns out that all those weekends of being "sneaky" and "doing holiday shopping" was a little more than that. I had no.idea. We still don't have it at the house, there is still a little more work that needs to be done in order for us to have it....but it was a pretty darn cool surprise. So the car is a '67 Karmann Ghia and it is restored to nearly original condition. There are a few custom things that we have done, but overall if you could go back in time to 1967 and ask for this car at a dealership...its what you would get!!! Now, don't get me wrong...I fully understand that this is a wedding present for him just as much (or more) as it is for me...but it is still pretty cool. We are very much looking forward to cruising around in the summer and taking trips to the coast in our new litte car!! I still can not quite believe it...maybe it will all make more sense when the car is in our garage!