Mr Dog is six months old today!
Happy Half-Birthday Indiana!

Well.
I’m still slightly ill but feeling somewhat less cold-ridden and more just tired. It’s not fun to be tired all the time.

We attended the symphony on Saturday and I must say, I really just don’t care for most modern composers. Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony was wonderful, though the symphony was a bit string heavy and everything else light for my taste.

My friend Colleen will be here on Thursday and it will be a crazy busy weekend I think. We’re planning on (in addition to other things I can’t think of right now): Zoo, Body Works, Renaissance Festival, Fuddrucker’s, Angel Sweet Gelato, Shopping in Scottsdale and possibly a show or two (there’s an electronic nudie show at ASU…).

And now, some pictures of Mr Dog vs Mr Cat – pet thunderdome!

Good thing they actually like each other, eh?

And some other kitties besides Mr Cat (aka Zeppo)

27 now.

Have cold.

Yuck.

Must drink more Nyquil-related products.

This week I started a new shift at work. I now get to come in on Monday nights (0000 Tuesday actually until 1030) and I don’t have to work on Friday night (which are actually Saturday). It’s still third shift, but now I actually will be off Saturday and Sunday with my husband.

Supposedly at the end of March I will switch to second shift Monday (1530 – 0200) through Thursday. I will not hold my breath but it had better happen as I gave up a potential first shift for said position. Otherwise, there will be angry Kelly time.

This weekend we took Mr Dog on his first hike and made him wear dog booties. I wish we had video. He kept trying to step out of them.

We also saw Pilobolus – and while it was very very cool – in one word, I will sum up the most distracting part – THONGS.

stolen from here:

SUPPOSEDLY if you’ve seen over 85 movies, you have no life. Mark the ones
you’ve seen. There are 239 movies on this list. Copy this list, go to your own
xanga account, paste this as a note. Then, put x’s next to the movies you’ve
seen and add them up. Have fun!

(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(X) Grease
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(X) Fight Club
(  ) Starsky and Hutch
(X) Neverending Story
(X) Blazing Saddles
(X) Airplane
Total: 8

(X) The Princess Bride
(X) AnchorMan
(X) Napoleon Dynamite
(X) Labyrinth
() Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
(X) Anger Management
() 50 First Dates
(X) The Princess Diaries
( ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far:  14

(X) Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
(X) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(X ) American Pie
( ) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far:  17

(X) Harry Potter 1
(X) Harry Potter 2
(X) Harry Potter 3
(X) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( )  Resident Evil 2
(X) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
() The Village
(X) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far:  23

(X ) Finding Nemo
() Finding Neverland
(X) Signs
(X) The Grinch
() Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
( ) 13 Going on 30
(X) I, Robot
( ) Robots
Total so far:  27

( ) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
(X) Universal Soldier
(X ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
( ) Along Came Polly
(X) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(X) Never Been Kissed
() Meet The Parents
() Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
() KING KONG
Total so far:  31

( ) A Cinderella Story
( ) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
( X) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
() Halloween
(X) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
( x) Flubber
Total so far:  34

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(X) Practical Magic
(X) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
() I Am Sam
() The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 36

( ) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child’s Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
() Bride of Chucky
(x ) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
( ) Gothika
() Nightmare on Elm Street
(X) Sixteen Candles
(x ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(X) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 40

(X) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Seven (Slevin?)
(X) Ocean’s Eleven
() Ocean’s Twelve
(X ) Bourne Identity
( X) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
() Bedazzled
(X) Predator I
() Predator II
( ) The Fog
(X) Ice Age
() Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
Total so far: 46

(X) Independence Day
() Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(X) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
( x) Maid in Manhattan
( ) War of the Worlds
(X) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2
Total so far:  50

( ) Best Bet
( x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
( x) She’s All That
( ) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
(X) Mars Attacks
() Event Horizon
(X) Ever After
(X) Wizard of Oz
(X) Forrest Gump
(X) Big Trouble in Little China
(X) The Terminator
(X) The Terminator 2
(X) The Terminator 3
Total so far:  60

(X) X-Men
(X) X2
(X) X-3
(X) Spider-Man
(X) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
() Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
() Catch Me If You Can
(X) The Little Mermaid
( ) Freaky Friday
(X) Reign of Fire
(x ) The Skulls
( x) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(X) Shrek
(X) Shrek 2
Total so far: 71

( ) Swimfan
(X) Miracle on 34th street
(original only)
( ) Old School
( ) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
() Krippendorf’s Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
() Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
( x) The 40-year-old-virgin
Total so far:  73

(X) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(X)Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(X) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(X) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(X) Indiana Jones and the Temple
of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total so far:  79

(X) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
() Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
( ) Elf
(X) Highlander
() Mothman Prophecies
() American History X
( ) Three
Total so Far:  81

( ) The Jacket
(x ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
() Night Watch
(X) Monsters Inc.
(X) Titanic
(X) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(X) Shaun Of the Dead
() Willard
Total so far:  86

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
(X) Dawn Of the Dead
(X) Hook
(x ) Chronicle Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
() 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
() Phantasm
( ) Waterworld
Total so far:  89

( x) Kill Bill vol 1
( ) Kill Bill vol 2
(x ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
() Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
() Re-Animator
() Army of Darkness
Total so far:  91

(X) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(X) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(X) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(X) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(X) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(X) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 97

(X) The Matrix
( x) The Matrix Reloaded
(x ) The Matrix Revolutions
(x ) Animatrix
() Evil Dead
() Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World
Police
() Red Dragon (both this and Manhunter, the original)
(X) Silence of the Lambs
(X) Hannibal

TOTAL:  103

To Sleep, perchance to dream…

Aye, dream in a big, big bed. A king-sized, medium firm Sealy concoction that is like sleeping on a cloud. A firm, warm, comfy cloud.

That’s what we did this weekend. Bought a bed, I mean. Well, we slept too – but not that much. There was too much furniture assembly and breaking in of the bed….

The bedframe with matching bedside tables we bought at IKEA. Sadly, they don’t have a picture of the frame but they do have one of the tables. I love IKEA. Nice, safe furniture that’s relatively unobtrusive and isn’t insanely overpriced.

The Sealy Posturepedic mattress was a bit of a splurge but…
how often am I really ever going to get a NEW mattress? Every 20 years or so? Yeah, so good mattress = Kelly’s happy back. And it’s a firm mattress. No saggy baggy squishy mattress for me!

And since we got a new mattress and bedframe, we then had a major, major house rearranging party (after the crazy fun furniture assembly party).

My beautiful green office is now our beautiful and slightly smaller bedroom. A king fits in there just perfectly with the bedside tables and leaves just enough room to be comfy without being too much space.

The master bedroom is now a combination office/guest room/craft room. My computer desk, the queen size bed, a dresser, three shelving units full of crafting supplies and a loveseat all fit in there quite comfortably. And, as a positive, whosoever stays with us in our guest bedroom will have their own bathroom in the room so they won’t have to wander in my halls in their skivvies!

******

My friend Hooker was here and got to be the first person to stay in the guest bedroom last night. We also went out and about in Old Town Scottsdale which is just part of the downtown Scottsdale experience that includes about 4 miles of shops (all cute little touristy places and the like) as well as restaurants, art galleries and statues. I’ve been several places to eat down there: Stingray for my first sushi experience the weekend before last, Patsy Grimaldi’s for coal-brick oven fired pizza to DIE for, Frank and Lupe’s Mexican Restaurant and the Sugarbowl – the ice cream shoppe made famous in the “Family Circus” comic by Bill Keane. Today I bought two very cute and comfy tops (extremely soft and lightweight cotton tanks) from one of the little hippie/bohemian/more than slightly overpriced shop.

Yesterday we were a bit more adventurous and after the usual dog park visit we went for an off-road adventure – with our feet of course! We went to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum and looked at the bajillion different cacti species that were there. Well, probably only about 300 or so but it was a lot nonetheless. It was certainly an impressive walk – some of it through a fairly rugged trail with some incredible views which included Ayer Lake. Not an extremely strenuous hike but well worth getting out and doing!

****

Now, for the rest of this week and the following, we’re going to be going through a whirl of gaiety for a staid couple like us. Tonight we have Kodo tickets (a Japanese drum group – looks very driving if that makes any sense). Sunday of this week we have Pilobolus down at the University of Arizona in Tucson. We haven’t been to Tucson yet, so that will be fun and new. Luckily, J. will be off on Monday (I think we may try Yoga together!). And finally, the following Saturday, we are going to the Phoenix Symphony to see Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony. I am very excited about this. I love classical music and I’ve never actually been to a symphony – nor do I know as much about it as I’d like to. Yay for brain edjumacashun!

****

Diet continues. Stalling due to busyness. Must not let fall by the wayside! (eats a dark chocolate M&M) I’m just frustrated to realize that in terms of weight loss, exercise doesn’t really matter all that much. It is good in terms of health and making you not die because your heart is clogged like a toilet after a paper happy three year old goes to town – but in terms of actual weight LOSS – bah. It is like nothing. It’s all about the food.

Which sucks.

Because going to the gym is easy. EASY.

(relative to dieting I mean)

Really, if all I had to do was exercise everyday for an hour (which is what I’m already doing) and my diet wouldn’t matter, I’d be THRILLED.

Bah.

But it doesn’t work like that. Stupid human body that clings to food. I can’t help that through evolutionary history we hairless apes we always starving and had to cling tenaciously to every bit of fat as much as possible. Stupid evolution!

****

At least the weather is awesome – 70 and sunny still.
Ha to all those in the midwest who are very very snowy. Glad I’m here. :0)

I’ve got a spare bedroom now.
And you get your own bathroom.
And I’ll even let you shut the door so the fat kitty doesn’t put her poopy butt on your head.

Tubby the cat just laid on my keyboard and now everything is all wonky and I don’t have my nifty little bottom bar to ALT+TAB through every screen with. And I don’t know how to fix it. Stupid fat kitty who can’t lick her own butt.

My dear friend Hooker is going to be visiting this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am excited! My first Midwestern visitor!

I did the one hour long Yoga Stretch class yesterday. My friend who I met via Craigslist to go walking with who has become my gym buddy as we now both go to 24-hour Fitness was supposed to meet me there stood me up. I went with her last week and that was okay because we are both rank amatuers and it’s okay to be sucky when you are standing next to someone you know looking like a schlub and you can both giggle about it later as you walk carefully down the stairs because your abused hamstrings hurt. But this week, nope, no one to giggle with (though, admittedly, I did some inward giggling at the very awkward man who was yoga-ing next to me) and my hamstrings don’t even really hurt. Apparently I need to stretch a bit more in the downward facing dog. I do hate the mirrors though. I know they’re supposed to help with your form but really – who wants to spend an hour staring at themselves in yoga poses in the mirror? I don’t!

Today I have personal training and then Mr Dog and I are headed to the dog park. I’m very bored of the dog park. I know I shouldn’t be and I love puppies and all that jazz but bugger me if I want to go every day. Blah.

Interestingly though, on Sunday I met a friend (the lady who gave me Indiana) and two of Indiana’s sisters (Sidney and Alice – clever, huh?) at a different dog park. And they are horrible heathens and completely untrained. I felt much better about my dog after meeting them although, I suppose it is a given that I’ve put that much time into making him NOT be a heathen.

There was also a full-blooded wolf at that dog park on Sunday and then a completely different wolf at a completely different dog park on Monday. I don’t like wolves as pets. They freak me the fuck out. The way they look at you…I don’t enjoy being regarded as supper and that’s what I see in their eyes when they look at me. I don’t know, perhaps it’s pure human reaction to a large carnivore that really could kill you and lacks that submissive look as a dog has. I guess certain dogs have freaked me out like that too – usually ill-trained pits and boxer mixes….

Anyhow, back to your Tuesday of fun.
At least the weather here is BRILLIANT (I love my 70 and sunny)

More?

Yup.

I was just browsing old photos.

This is Indiana at 4 weeks.

The other picture below is him at about 5 months.

I’m such a spoiling mama. And so gratiutously proud.

He knows his name. He can sit, wait, stay, come when called, loose leash walk (sometimes) and we’re working on lay down.

Temptation.

Yesterday I bought a soda. I put in my fifty cents and I pushed the button.

I thought I pushed it for the usual Diet Dr Pepper that I consume when I’m tired and I want caffiene to stay awake at 0400.

But I didn’t.
My brain overroad automatically and I punched the Coca-Cola button. And then I stood there looking at that delicious red can laying in the little chute and almost cried.

I wanted it.
Bad.
I still do.
But I put it in the fridge and drank a bottle of water instead.

* * *

Mr Dog was sickly Tuesday and Wednesday. He didn’t eat from Tuesday at 1100 until about 0645 this morning. He didn’t drink from about 1100 Wednesday until the same time. Poor guy. I think his little puppy mouth is teethign and like a baby – he was lethargic, feverish and didn’t  want to eat. I suppose I should just be glad that he wasn’t whiney/crying all night.

* * *

Got measured and weighed officially on Tuesday.
Down 10lbs or so, like I thought.
My favorite stat? My hips/ass have lost over 4 inches but my waist has lots less than half an inch. Which is why my bigger sized pants require a belt to not give me plumber crack but my smaller size pants still don’t button comfortably. Silly irregular weight loss.

* * *

J. leaves for Florida in the morning at about 0600 (or at least for the airport). Sucky weekend with just the dog. Maybe I will have some retail therapy?