Domesticated

Mr. Monkeygirl married me for a variety of reasons, but my domestic skills were not high on the list.  As the saying goes "I understand the concept of cooking and cleaning, but not how they apply to me."  Today, I did my best to earn my domestic diva badge.  

Dust bunnies quivered in my sight as I launched my attack. There are portions of my kitchen counter that saw the light of day for the first time in months.  In horror, I realized that I still had the Christmas table cloth on the dining room table. I could probably have pulled off a red table cloth for Valentines day, but the green felt Christmas trees were a dead give-away that I was a little behind. (Ooops, that reminds me that I still have hearts hanging on the front door.  Dang, I better get out the eggs before it's too late!)

Now, the bathrooms are shining and you can see yourself in the counter in my office. Heck, it was just a major improvement to even get to the point where you could see the counter top in my office!  Daylight can shine brightly inside now that some of the winter sludge and puppy nose prints have been wiped away from the glass doors.  

Of course, having a 65 lb puppy makes some cleaning chores a bit of a challenge. I can only wipe away nose prints for a matter of minutes before he decides that he wants to lick and smell the reflection of the puppy he sees in the glass.  Ninety seconds after I finish cleaning my white counter top in the kitchen (who ever installed the bright white, textured counter top in this house should be shot!), muddy paws prints were deposited to make sure I didn't forget he existed. How can you miss a huge black puppy rolling around under your feet?

It took me most of the day but I got the cleaning part of my diva badge but I steadfastly refuse to work on the cooking part.  Sorry, Mr. Monekygirl, looks like you are going to still be stuck in the kitchen!

Shine on, Tigger

Perhaps they are not stars

but openings in heaven

where the love of our fur children

pours through and shines

down upon us to let us know...

they are at peace.

God bless you, Tigger.  I will look for your shining star in the evening sky.   

Not PB&J

When I was a kid, I was a picky eater.  I was not adventurous at all.  I'm pretty sure I went through a period where the only thing I would eat was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  I have no idea how long this lasted, but I'm pretty sure it was a long time.  Familiar foods would be ingested, but I was not really willing to try new things. For years we would go to a local Mexican chain and the only thing I would eat was a hamburger.  I could really be a pain in the buttockals when it came to meal time.

A few days ago, I was chatting with MonkeyMamma.  It had been a glorious day, so MonkeyMamma and her foreign exchange students went to a local bistro for lunch on the patio.  B wanted her salmon raw but they insisted on cooking it ever so slightly before they would serve it.  She was not happy.  Sounded like me that B was craving some sushi!  I suggested a fantastic sushi place near my office and casually mentioned that the sushi was awesome.

MonkeyMamma's reaction was hysterical!  She started to respond normally and then about 20 seconds later, she stopped dead in her tracks.  "You eat sushi?" she asked incredulously.  Why yes I do and I love it!  I know, the same girl who had a complete and total meltdown on a camping trip as a child because someone "stole" her PB&J sandwich.  The entire family looked high and low for the missing PB&J.  It was nowhere to be found.  We looked for what seemed like forever.  All of the sudden my dad started laughing at me.  Then everyone else started laughing.  Being a pre-teen aged girl, I was not amused.  I lost my lunch and they were just laughing about it.  Turns out that I somehow stuck my arm in the sandwich and it was stuck on the sleeve of my coat.

Today, the picky PB&J girl got to introduce her mother and baby sister to the joys of sushi.  They seemed to like it and hopefully will join me again some day soon. Now all I need to do is find a way to convince Mr. Monkeygirl into trying it....

Diet Tip

Do NOT go to the grocery store after you have had a couple of Cabo Wabo margarita's.  The junk food switch is turned on at that point and you will find that you didn't buy anything with any nutritional value (except bananas - every monkeygirl trip includes bananas).  Just a helpful hint I thought I would pass along for those blissfully unaware.

Trick of the Light

Generally I like Daylight Saving Time.  It is nice to travel to and from the daily drudgery without the use of headlights.  Taking my black puppy for a walk when there is some ambient light out makes things much easier since he likes to zig-zag when he walks.  Generally, daylight makes me happy!

Today, I got tricked by the light.  Doing research for a morning meeting, I promised myself that I would leave before dark.  Working away, I kept one eye on the window for the impending twilight.  As the last rays of the sun were setting, I made good on my promise to leave before dark.  As I was turning out the lights I glanced over at the clock and realized it was almost 7:30!  I should have know it was late when the cleaning crew wandered through and they were vacuuming the neighboring offices, but it never dawned on me to look at a clock.

I guess I need to start paying more attention to the time since I can no longer rely on the evening sky as an indicator of when I should leave!

Living in a Dream World

Ever since I returned from my sabbatical in the tropics, I have been living in denial. I refuse to accept the fact that I live in the Midwest.  I refuse to accept the fact that it is early March and coats, gloves, socks and shoes are necessary at this time of year.

We boarded the plane wearing shorts and flip-flops.  Good thing because the security line was out the door and fortunately in the shade.  Our lay over in Miami was long but we had a few occasions to head outside while we waited.  It was warm and sunny and I was thankful that I didn't wear layers of clothing.  As we boarded our final flight of the day, the pilot (who sounded a little bit like Sam Elliot - yum!) announced "I hate to tell all of you who are barely dressed, the weather at your destination is overcast and 30 degrees...".  I was bound and determined to not care.  I relented and put on a pair of jeans before heading outside but I kept the flip-flops on despite the 29 degree weather.  Mr. Monkeygirl kept his shorts on all night even when we went out to celebrate a friends birthday at a local watering hole.

The past few days have been taunting me.  It has been sunny and warm.  If it wouldn't have been against company policy, I would have worn shorts to work on Friday.  Saturday was glorious - sunny and warm.  I tried to pretend I was still on a tropical isle. The sun felt wonderful on my exposed, sun-kissed skin.  Even this morning was surreal for this part of the world at this time of year.  If I closed my eyes and just listened, the wind rushing through the naked trees kind of sounds like crashing waves.  

This afternoon, my island fantasy is being tested.  A recent trip outside left me shivering in my shorts and tee.  I'm not sure how warm it was, but the temperature has dropped at least 10 degrees.  The wind has picked up and it feels like it is coming from the north.  So much for warm tropical-like breezes.  I guess I may have to break down and dress appropriately for the Midwest.  It was fun while it lasted!

Going Topless

It was a glorious day!  From the moment I got up, I knew it was going to be a good day.  I could hear the birds singing happily outside my window.  No coat or gloves were required for monster pup's morning stroll.

By lunchtime, it was closer to Caribbean weather so we went to lunch topless!  My BFF and I hitched a ride with D in her cute convertible (shame on you for thinking anything other than that).  Apparently, we weren't the only ones who decided to take advantage of the sun and warmth.  Our chosen diner hadn't put out their patio furniture yet, so we opted for a neighboring establishment who never put theirs away.  I guess we were a little too late to catch an outside table so we settled for a table close to the open doors.  The breeze was awesome and felt so good!

Our waitress was awful - but apparently she was aware of that because she didn't charge us for our drinks -she said "I know my service was really bad today".  I guess the fact that I had to track her down on the other side of the joint to request our bill so we could get back to the office for the afternoon round of meetings was a dead giveaway.

It is days like these that I seriously miss my itsy-bitsy blue spyder.  She was a racy little car that I really loved, until I had to carry anything other than myself anywhere.  The good news is that I can live my convertible dreams vicariously through D and I can still carry people and stuff in my new ride.  The sunroof helps, but it just isn't the same.  I have to get out tomorrow and enjoy the warmth while I can!

From bad to good

Today didn't start well.  I thought it would be ok since I went to bed before the evening news came on last night.  Getting up on time wasn't even an issue - I had plenty of time to take Coal on his morning trash patrol of the neighborhood.  That is were things started to go down hill.

Coal likes to - uhm - do his business when we get about a half block from home. Not wanting to be accused of being rude, I come prepared to remove the doodie and dispose of it properly.  Somehow I noticed this morning that there was dog stuff on the outside of the baggie and all over his leash - yuck!  Luckily I had a spare bag and could remedy the mess at hand.  

Coal learned a new trick this week.  He finally figured out how to get on our bed. This makes getting ready for work a little more challenging.  Consider this:

• He loves the taste of any body lotion.  Getting dressed is a little difficult when you have a dog furiously licking the back of your legs.
• He is a thief.  His favorite thing to steal - shoes.  And I'm a shoe-aholic.  I can't open the closet door without him following me in and trying to steal any shoes he can get his paws on.  Mamma ain't gonna let him steal any of my high-heeled collection!
• He also likes to steal towels, paper on your nightstand and any stray clothes or pillows that may have fallen on the floor.  This means that you have to stop every minute or two to see what he is running off with now. (We gave up chasing him unless it is a precious item or he will get hurt - otherwise it is just a game to him.)
  
• Making the bed is now a challenge.  Straightening the sheets and blankets looks like one fun game to this puppy.  I once had a cat who loved it when you made the bed on him.  But there is a difference between a 6 lb cat and a 60 lb squirming, wiggling puppy!

Once I finally successfully got dressed and was ready to walk out the door, I realized that I had 15 minutes to navigate rush hour traffic before my first meeting of the day.  Have I ever mentioned that I live 18 miles away from work?  I also had a document that was due at 10 that I needed to finish (ok, I needed to start it) and I had back-to-back meetings all day long.  Oh, yeah, and if you don't arrive within the first hour of business in our building, parking spots are at a premium (some days it takes me longer to get from my car to the building than it does to drive down the highway). I was not happy camper!

I got lucky and someone with a premiere parking spot was leaving as I pulled in (only 2 minutes late for my meeting).  With the promise that I would give her parking spot back when she returned, she agreed to let me have her spot.  My meeting was finished in record time so I had time to complete my document and turn it in with 15 minutes to spare!

Thankfully, the day went up hill from that point on.  Good thing because, I was not a pleasant person to be around this morning (ask Mr. Monkeygirl or the poor woman who honked at me this morning - I was redefining road rage!).  After work, I had to return Mickey to my BFF and her daughter.  Fortunately, they live really close to Hobby Lobby so we agreed to meet there so we could exchange the mouse and get some shopping in.

I helped them pick out some great prints for their bedrooms and they helped me picked out some frames for a print I picked up on vacation.  Before we could do any real shopping damage, we were forced to leave because it was time to close.    Starving from our shopping expedition, we decided to grab some dinner.  Mr. M had to work late tonight and since he was close, he joined us.  It was a very good way to end what started out to be a completely horrible day!

Me and the Sea

It occurred to me

that I am happiest

when by the sea.

Deep water so clear,

a great way to relax

and enjoy a beer.

Sun or rain,

it doesn't matter

I can relax my brain.

Surf and sand,

I want to move

but I need a grand.

Island living is out of reach,

but I can wish

that someday I will live on a beach!

Unplugged

I have been unplugged. Partially voluntary, part involuntarily, I was forced to give up my cell phones, cable, and Internet access for more than a week. I have to admit that at first it was hard, but after a day or two, I got used to it and started to actually - like it!

Mr. Monkeygirl and I took a much deserved break from reality and went on a tropical vacation. What better time of year to escape the bitter cold and snow and head off to a sunny and warm location? Sand, sun and tropical breezes and good for the soul - I highly recommend it!

But now it is back to reality (and the cold) and we need to work on slowly reconnecting ourselves to the real world.  I promise to post my February self-portrait soon and I'm sure Coal will have alot to say about his vacation too!