The Happy Place I Live

I am going to pretend that the lapse of writing these past (many) months didn't happen. Instead, I am going push through and continue. Especially since I still think in blog posts. It is a lot more rewarding to get those thoughts down than allow them to meander through the brain while you are supposed to be sleeping.

So, yes, I am saying I hope my sleep improves. But I digress.

Big changes in brief:
- Husband got an opportunity to be the digital guru/assistant director for a movie. A REAL MOVIE.
- We moved to San Antonio, TX.
- My parents moved into our "old" house.
- I gave my cat to my best friend.
- I drink more Starbucks coffee.

Currently, Dustin is out of town scouting locations (HE'S MAKING A MOVIE!!!!!!) in Michigan. He will return tomorrow but in the mean time, I had the opportunity to watch a "girly" movie I have been wanting to see for some time: Julie and Julia.

Since moving, I have been less than enthusiastic about cooking. My new kitchen is.......smaller. By like, half, at least. I have done a lot of complaining but that kitchen is still smaller. It seems it doesn't want to change it's selfish ways. Regardless, I watched this movie tonight and thought about how lovely it would be to know how to make a truly good beurre blanc (white butter sauce). I had one once, in New York, that would make you weep with wonder. I must make this. Also, a life goal is to make amazing chicken. AMAZING. The kind people sigh over. And bread. I am terrified of bread but I yearn to create crusty bits of heaven.

So, okay it is a movie, but it is supposed to depict this woman's life. She lived with a tiny kitchen and she boned a duck in her living room. So, surely I can figure out a simple butter sauce, chicken and bread, right? I mean, I have SO MUCH TIME and access to amazing ingredients, now that we have moved.

No, I don't want to go through Julia Child's French cook book. Though, I would like to have it for reference and to make some of the items. But I also love Indian food. Mexican food. Greek food. And the ever popular Food food.

I just wonder if I give myself the opportunity, could I be a truly gifted cook? I am not so much a baker (though, I love baked goods!) but cooking comes naturally and I crave the hand crafted meal. Even better if I made it myself.

Anyway, these are just late night thoughts. Wanted to get them out so I could, you know, sleep.

Bacon and Felines

For anyone who follows my Twitter or Facebook updates, you are well aware of my recent obsession with bacon. If you didn't, well, um, now you know! So, about a year ago I realized I actually LIKE bacon! Before I really couldn't stand it. Often it is limp and chewy or over cooked and crunchy. I discovered baking the bacon (400 degrees, 9-10 minutes) and the joy that is crisp bacon. Neither limp nor crunchy. Also, I love the crispy, fatty bacon. Do not judge.

The bacon is perfectly paired with a lovely almond latte. Something I can make for myself at home with my handy "Barista" machine I got while still working at Starbucks. (sorry for the bad pic) I have been getting into the groove of using my machine more lately but only for myself. Because, to be honest, making more than one hot latte is kind of a pain in the butt!


Also, remember that mouse update I gave a few weeks ago? Uh, yeah......


Hopefully we got THAT problem taken care of! This is Jones. She came to us a few weeks ago. My Uncle Steve was running on the dirt roads by my grandma's house and passed a shoe box with her inside. Now I know I have mentioned we live in the boon-docks (about 5 minutes from Gram's house) and I should be used to animal dumping. But I never am. She was so tiny, maybe 4 weeks old, dehydrated and famished. So after some discussion with Dustin (including pleading, begging and bargaining) I got a kitten.

She is pretty amazing. She only had a few small accidents within the first week but now is fully litter box trained. The first night she was here, she began forging relationships with each of us, including Jesse and Brea. And, undoubtedly, I am "Mommy". She tests my limits, respects my authority most and comes to me when she needs a good cuddle or nap. Also, I am the main feeder/waterer/litter scooper. So, you know, I do all the mommy things.

However, 9:30 at night seems to be her bewitching hour and man-oh-man is that cat CRAZY. Biting, clawing, racing around, growling and generally being wild. Dustin thinks it is great fun, when we aren't watching a movie!

And to answer to unspoken question: Her name is Jones because we have an Alien theme. Ripley is our dog (the heroine of the movie) and Jones is her cat. Ripley and Jones are the only ones that survive at the end of the movie. For those who think I am crazy to name my female cat something sort of masculine, take heart. We normally call her Jonesie.

Wook at da Widdle Bay-beeeeeeeee!

This is a lame-o post but I could not help myself!!! Please just enjoy:


I see you, holding up your finger to see how small it really is. Don't worry, we all did that!

Good News!

Aside from the fact that today is a Saturday, I don't have ANY PLANS WHATSOEVER and Dustin can't mow the lawn because the lawn mower is out of comission for the time, today is a good day because we don't have a mouse in this house anymore! w00t!

We tried traps in the laundry room (the entry point) but, infuriatingly, I think the little bugger found shelter in the house and stopped using his old haunt. I did a daily clean up of poos found and discovered that with predictable rodent regularity he hit up the base of the trashcan. So we set a trap there and had wild success!

Okay, maybe not wild because that would entail a whole mouse family, found in one trap, each holding a fifty dollar bill in his dead little jaw. So we had good success.

I really hate the mouse in the house conundrum. You don't know what is safe and you feel like everything is dirty. When I discovered that two nights in a row it came by my side of the bed, I felt betrayed by the safety of my bedroom.

And then there is the guilt with setting the trap. You hope there is no suffering but feel that some justice is necessary. Plus, what if one explodes? I mean I know that is something right out of an Urban Legend but what if??

We are taking measures to keep this from happening again but (in my opinion) the best measure would be a good cat. Won't you join me in convincing Dustin of the same? Please?

The right tools

Perhaps this would have been a better approach when returning to my blog? Regardless, good fun had by all! An Ad Lib style lazy blog post generator!

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Holy Blog Of Doom, Batman! I just had a cup of tea and realised I have not updated this since they invented sliced bread... You would not believe the fairy dust I have to clean up. Stupid Global Warming!

I am lost in a sea of pseudo-olde-english while setting fire to people wearing Crocs, being distracted by the shiny, just generally being Snow White to anyone unfortunate to cross my path, my day seems to be a litany of stuff and giggles from the second I am woken by murderous Teletubbies to reef break. I am avoiding recapture. life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.

I swear on the bones of my ancestors I will make more of an effort to blog more often until the nice men in the white coats come back. Well, I'll try. This is for my ever faithful, devoted public..

3 Months of Guilt

I haven't posted in almost 3 months. That is a lot of needless guilt! The worst is that I THINK in blog posts! "OMG!! This would be so funny as a post! I could start out with the IV story and lead into the soup! HAHAHAHAHA!"

And then I don't do a single thing.

This is sort of an apology but mostly me just coming back. Proving to myself that I am not lazy.

So, right now there is a mouse in my house. See, the kids went off to Texas for two glorious weeks, visiting Dustin's parents. Then we traveled to Austin, Friday, to get them and visit some friends.

I should say, that in the two week time frame the house was not disrupted in any way. Meaning, I was gone a lot and when we were home we were in the main living area or our bedroom. We were never in the spare room, front bathroom or kids' bedroom.

After being gone almost 48 hours, I was using my bathroom when I discovered a trail of mouse droppings. I think God has a sense of humor when it comes to rodents. I mean, they leave a poo every six inches and a pile whenever they eat. You ALWAYS know where they have been, when they were particularly interested in something and when they were running scared (poos are further apart).

I am a notorious rodent lover but I have to tell you, that when I woke this morning with poos next to my bed I was sincerely unhappy. Deeply and profoundly unhappy. And the traps set in the laundry room had not been successful. So tonight? More traps. IN MY BEDROOM. I will not allow this rodent to mock me as I sleep!

Perhaps I will have happy news of death and dismemberment tomorrow! One can only hope...

Save Mar

Well, I have a little Do Goodery for anyone who is interested! Dustin works with a guy named Mar. He is from the Philippians, went to school here in Arkansas and worked in New York (I am told) before returning to AR and joining the RockFish team. But now, America is not going to renew his work visa! This makes us all sad and we want to help!
You can:
1) Electronically sign a petition. http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/SaveMar/

2) Write to your senators/representatives requesting they hand over the goods! ....I mean visa.

3) SHARE!! With everyone you know. Even the grouchy ones! Because a grouchy voice is still a voice!

I will keep you all posted!

Edit:
Mar's website is up and running. He has a video and I am proud to say, most of the footage is at MY house! That is right, that gorgeous scenery is mine!