Friday, March 27, 2015

Girl Power!

Yesterday, I went to pick up a good friend of mine for a much-needed day of shopping and lunch.  First, though, we had a problem to tackle:  how to jump my dead battery.  As we were chatting getting into my Durango, I put on my seatbelt, turned the key, and huh...nothing happened.  So, I tried again. Nothing...double huh.  I tried the 'third time is the charm' trick...and nothing.  Triple huh. We struck out. But, we didn't let that stop us.  I called Matt and he wasn't at his desk or answering his cell.  I called Keaton and he wasn't answering his cell.  My friend went to the neighbor's house and he wasn't home. We didn't have anyone to help us, so we decided to do what all women should do in a crisis:  WE TOOK CARE OF IT OURSELVES!  My friend got out some jumper cables from her garage and we hooked them up between her vehicle and mine.  I will admit there were some sparks and I'm glad she was holding the cables because I would have screamed and possibly caught my hair-sprayed hair on fire.  We struggled getting my vehicle to turn over.  Matt finally called me and verified that we did in fact know what a battery looked like and we actually did have things connected correctly.  But, we still couldn't get it started.  So, we did what all women in a crisis should do:  WE DIDN'T GIVE UP!  We could have done the easy thing and just pushed my vehicle out of the way and had Matt come over later to take care of the problem when he got out of work. But, we aren't quitters! So, we dug out my shorter, but newer, jumper cables to try, did the Austin Powers wiggle-back-and-forth vehicle move to get the batteries closer, and finally got my vehicle started. Yay for us girls! And we did it without anything catching on fire, blowing up, or breaking a nail!!


Thursday, March 26, 2015

Bathroom Update

Bathroom update:  two down and one to go!

Matt's bathroom, BEFORE:

 


Matt's bathroom, AFTER:



Keaton's bathroom, BEFORE:

 


Keaton's bathroom:  AFTER:
(The walls are teal...much more blue than green.  I'm not sure why they look so green in the pics.




Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

National Puppy Day

Yesterday was National Puppy Day.  Sigh.  I miss our puppy.  Double sigh.

13 years ago this little bundle of fur joined our family.
We'll miss him every second of every day.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

St. Paddy's Day

We celebrated St. Patrick's Day in the comfort of our home and the comfort of our sweats last night.  To get in the spirit, I made an Irish dinner...including Drunken Leprechauns (the drinks, not the tipsy little guys).  Last Saturday, we went up to Grand Rapids for a date...totally forgetting about early St. Patrick's Day celebrations and all the people.  We went to Hop Cat for a late lunch and had a front-row view of the largest St. Patrick's Day street festival in Michigan.  It was over two city blocks long and jam-packed with 20,000 people wearing green and drinking green beer.  They started at 7 a.m. with kegs and eggs.  I don't think most of them will make it to closing.  After lunch and drunk people watching, we went to The Pyramid Scheme for some pinball and I'm happy to announce that I beat Matt in our first two games...and then he warmed up and killed me in all our other games.  Oh well.  We stopped at the casino on the way home and I did have the luck of the Irish when I hit a $60 jackpot and then another $15 jackpot, though!

Shepard's Pie, Buttered Cabbage, & Homemade Bread

Drunken Leprechaun:  sour apple schnapps, coconut rum, & pineapple juice

Yum!  Shepard's Pie:  ground beef, corn, peas (yuck...I picked mine out) topped with cheesy mashed potatoes

Chocolate & Pistachio Pudding Parfaits

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Names

I usually hop on facebook every day to look at recipes and creative craft ideas to borrow.  I can't stand stupid posts people write announcing they're going to bed, how angry they are, or what they're watching on TV.  I really don't care what someone had for breakfast and think most people are like me and really don't care what someone had for dinner either.  I did come across this goofy little name quiz and gave it a whirl and came up with the following:




It's totally true...although Keaton is more laid back than I am.  They forgot to include bossy for me though.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Our Sweet Cyrus

I sadly post that we lost our sweet Sir Cyrus on February 24th.  He had been improving after being on antibiotics for a month.  Suddenly that night, he began vomiting and I knew it was something pretty serious. I had Matt go with me to the vet and after X-rays and a blood test, it wasn't a brain tumor as I feared, but multiple issues compromising his health all at once.  He began to crash and we had to make the heart-wrenching decision to have him put to sleep and it was the most awful, gut-wrenching, sob-inducing, most painful thing I've ever experienced in my life.  He crashed so quickly that we didn't have time to have Keaton come up to say goodbye.  That will always cause me pain because Cyrus was technically Keaton's dog. Matt and I hugged and kissed Cyrus and talked to him while he drifted away. Surprisingly, we did it without shedding any tears...I didn't want Cyrus to be nervous or upset. I was able to lay my head on him and feel him take his last breath, peacefully and softly.  Afterwards, we totally fell apart and I'm still trying to pick up the pieces.

Anyone who has ever lost a family pet knows the anguish we feel.  Anyone who says he was just a dog isn't really a true dog lover.  Cyrus was more than a dog.  He was a member of our family.  I've been his primary caregiver for the past 13 years.  I fed him.  I gave him fresh water all day and refilled his water bowl before I went to bed at night.  I washed his bowls every single day.  I took him to the vet.  I cuddled with him.  I made sure he wasn't ever alone for too long.  I made sure he was never in the dark.  I made sure he was never scared.  I made sure he was warm enough.  I made sure he was cool enough.  I brushed him...even his teeth.  I gave him him monthly medications.  I took him to the groomer.  I dressed him up every year for Halloween.  I changed his collar every month.  I gave him a little plate of people food on holidays.  I gave him baths.  I played with him every day.  I sang to him.  I kissed him.  I talked to him all day long...and I swear he understood every single thing I said.  He slept with me every night.  He was my companion and he filled my heart with love.  He completed our family.  I miss him more than anyone will ever know.

I'll miss his little wet nose.  I'll miss the snorting he did as he pushed pillows around on the bed.  I'll miss him rubbing up and down my legs as he scratched his face.  I'll miss how he'd yodel at me when I came in the house with groceries.  I'll miss his stubby little tail wagging so much that his whole body would shake.  I'll miss his snoring.  I'll miss how sensitive he was and the way he'd lay his head on me and just stare at me if I was upset.  I'll miss his hugs (yes, he actually would stand and put his front paws on my shoulders and lay his head alongside my neck just like a real hug). I'll miss him begging for food. I'll miss taking him for walks.  I'll miss camping with him. (He never liked to sit on the ground and would always jump in a camp chair to sit. He was so spoiled that we even brought an oscillating fan to put on him if it was hot outside or if there were mosquitoes.) I'll miss how he used to stretch and yawn. I'll miss singing to him and putting his name in every commercial jingle.  I'll miss how he would always stand and raise his paws so they could be wiped before he came in the house.  I'll miss how he'd always come trotting in the kitchen as soon as he heard me get out my cutting board. I'll miss his tricks he could do.  I'll miss seeing him lying in the sunny spot on the floor.  I'll miss the way he'd flip throw pillows down so he could lie on them on the couch...because just being on the couch wasn't enough for him.  I'll miss the million of quirky little things he did.  I'll miss him every single day for the rest of my life.

We had a little clay imprint of his paw made and had him cremated.  I made a nice little shrine for him. I talk to his picture and touch his stuff every day.  I still sniff his little jackets and leash, trying to get a whiff of him, but I can't.  That makes me sad.  I miss touching him.  I miss him not being here.  I probably hugged and kissed him no less than 20 times a day.  We talked about having a little memorial service for him and going for a walk and scattering his ashes around places he liked to walk.  I told Matt that I think I'll have him buried with me instead.  Matt asked if he could be buried with me.  I told him that it's simple:  the order of our household has always been me, Cyrus, Matt, & Keaton.  For the most part.  We had an incredible 13 years with Cyrus and we're so grateful for the memories and joy he gave us.  We'll always love him and he'll always hold a special place in our hearts.