Bossy

Here's another thing I saw online today that made me laugh.  (And it's absolutely true...just ask my husband and my sisters!)

Math

I saw this posted online yesterday and laughed and laughed because this is EXACTLY how my mind works:

Sleep Deprived

I'm happy to say that Cyrus seems to be feeling better.  But, unfortunately, all the storms we've had over the past 24 hours have left him shaking and quaking...making it impossible for us (and by us, I mean me) to sleep.  Cyrus and I were up all last night.  ALL.NIGHT.  There's not much on TV in the wee hours of the morning.  I can happily say I was strong and didn't buy anything on any of the infomercials we watched.
   



Luckily Cyrus was able to catch a nap between storms yesterday.  
(Oh, and this isn't a posed picture. He uses a pillow like we do. 
I'm really not kidding when I say he doesn't know he's a dog.)




Holy hail!

 

Poor Puppy

Our poor puppy had a rough day at the vet yesterday.  He had five teeth removed that were cracked/chipped and a cyst removed in his neck/shoulder.  He had a rough night with lots of fidgeting and squeaking.  That means that we also had a rough night because he sleeps in bed with us.  He's not supposed to jump, so we pulled the mattress out to the living room as we all tried to get some sleep.  Tried.  Today, he's been cuddling right next to me and has followed me around the house.  I was hoping to get another room cleaned in my spring cleaning blitz, but I think it's better if we just cuddle on the couch instead so he's still.  If we're lucky, we'll even be able to take a little nap.  Yep, I think a nap is on the agenda...especially with the stormy forecast tonight and tomorrow.  There's absolutely no sleeping if it storms.  At least he doesn't squeak when he's scared...he just trembles and makes the whole bed shake with him.


Poor, pathetic puppy.


 

As a scrapbooker, I had to bring some of his shaved fur and teeth home for his scrapbook...his fourth scrapbook.
 

 Hmmmm...I wonder how weird the vet will think I am when I ask for the staples for his scrapbook.



Five pulled teeth + twelve staples = mashed potatoes for dinner!



Luckily the mattress fit in the living room, so he was able to cuddle with me...squeaking and fidgeting all night long.




Someone's ready to take a nap with me on the couch.



Pinball and Even More Pinball

It's been a busy week at the Adams' Homestead.  Let's see...

Matt and I headed over to the Detroit area for the annual Michigan Pinball Expo.  It was...interesting.  There were lots of pinball machines and lots of people.  That meant waiting in line to play every game.  While waiting, I had lots of time to study the people around me.  I found some very interesting people.  There is an entire underground world of over-the-top pinball enthusiasts...and I think some of them only come up above ground from their parents' basements for the expo.  Seriously.  Some of them reminded me of meerkats.  They'd bob their heads around, do a lot of blinking while looking for an open machine, twitch their noses, and then dart across the room.  I had a hard time not telling them to untuck their pinball t-shirt from their khaki pants and never, ever wear white socks with black shoes.  Ever.  Then, I really wanted to find them a girl to talk to.  But, there weren't many girls at the expo and those that were there might have frightened the guys with their multiple tats, piercings, and neon hair color.  Matt and I still enjoyed ourselves, though, and played the new games this year:  The Avengers and The Wizard of Oz.  Matt is a conservative pinball collector, not spending much money on his machines.  But, I have to say, The Wizard of Oz is incredible and might be worth selling a kidney to purchase.

The Wizard of Oz was incredible...definitely my favorite!!
The flippers were ruby slippers (sparkly, of course).  Who wouldn't LOVE that?!

The Avengers was fun to play. 
These games are MUCH brighter, faster, and louder than ours.

We have this game at home, but not all pimped out with the colored LED lights.
Guess what Matt's next project is?



On the way home, we stopped at a restaurant/bar that had lots and lots of pinball machines.
We had dinner and did what else...played even MORE pinball!

 



Matt and his "partner" (adventure racing/training partner, not the other kind...I just need to clarify) took their kayaks out for a nice workout at Yankee Springs.  They enjoyed the sunshine and came back dry, so it was a good day on the water...especially for Matt's maiden voyage in his new kayak.



No water inside the kayak is a good sign he picked a good one!

We watched the national championship basketball game last night from the comfort of our couch.  While we were disappointed to see Michigan lose, it was still a great game!  None of us won any money in the brackets this year, but Matt did pick the winner...Louisville.  Oh well, hopefully one of us does better next year!

 

Cyrus wore his lucky jersey, but it didn't work so much last night.

Spring Break at Home

We enjoyed a nice Easter dinner on Sunday...and a nice pile of dishes to wash.  I think we did so many dishes that not only did we use up all the hot water for Sunday, but I also didn't have any hot water on Monday.  That meant a cold shower for me.  Freezing cold.  Freezing cold that made me shudder and swear violently.  The good news was that Matt was able to reset the hot water heater that night and (knock on wood) we were good to go.  Well, until Tuesday night when we got home late and discovered we didn't have hot water AGAIN.  Ugh.  Luckily, Matt was able to reset the hot water heater again (and knock on wood) and we were good to go.  I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.


Glazed ham, asparagus bundles wrapped in bacon, mashed potatoes, corn bread, salad with strawberries, and a Mounds cake for dessert. Yum!

My sister and two of her kiddie-poos came for a visit.  We hung out, went shopping, and saw the new Wizard of Oz movie.  My review:  wait for it to come out on video if you want to see it.  My mom and step dad stopped by and then we all headed over the casino in Battle Creek.  The kids enjoyed the pool and we enjoyed some gambling.  I won a little...enough to cover Matt's losses and I made a new friend.  There was a really, really, really, really (and I mean REALLY) drunk guy at the casino who found me twice and wanted to be my friend.  After we left, my sister hit a jackpot on my favorite slot machine, Sex and the City, and won $600!!!!!!  Yay for her! 


Cyrus enjoyed having people visit...especially when my nephew put his pillow on the couch.

Matt got a new toy this week:  a kayak.  I'm holding out for a pink one.  Preferably one that is sparkly!


Cyrus jumped right up on Matt's lap in the kayak when Matt unwrapped his new toy. It looks like we're going to need a doggie life jacket now!

Chocolate Influence

His Aunt Karie is totally to blame for his love of chocolate.

Sir Cyrus Sitting by the Sill

Every morning, Cyrus sits and looks out our bedroom window while I make his bed.  Yep, I said 'his' bed because he thinks it's his and he begrudgingly shares it with us...not the other way around.  After the bed is made and the throw pillows are neatly placed on the bed, he likes to jump up on the bed and then rearrange the pillows to his liking.  It's a good thing he's so darn cute because he's definitely opinionated and strong-willed.  Oh, and notice the white light coming through the windows in the above photo.  Yep, that's snow.  Happy Spring!  Ughhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

Sometimes Cyrus leaves the pillows alone and only flips one down to use. 

Sometimes he just likes a pillow flipped down on him for a bit.

Mmmmmmm...

Matt brought me home a shamrock shake tonight.  Mmmmmmmmmmmm...
He just might make it in the 'Top Ten List of Best Husbands in the Whole-Wide World'.  Maybe.  If he'd bring me home a puppy, he'd definitely move up in the standings. 

50 Rocks!

Our good friend (a.k.a. Matt's 'partner'...as in his adventure race partner, not the friendlier kind of partner) is turning 50.  We're going to celebrate with him and his wife by having dinner at The Melting Pot (YUM!!!!) and then listening to a band at the casino on Friday night.  I made a little gift bag for him...all done at home on my computer (and a little help from some store-bought items because I don't know how to make vodka...yet).  I'm happy with how everything turned out and I'm full of ideas for Matt's 50th birthday celebration!

I made labels with his name so he'll remember just in case he drinks this bottle in one sitting.




I made a CD with the Top Ten Songs of 1963 for his trip down memory lane.
(I didn't even know some of these songs.  This was WAY before my time!)



The #1 song of 1963 was 'Sugar Shack' by Jimmy Gilmer.
I'm not a fan.

 



I made some cute little candy bar wrappers and put them on fun-size candy bars (100 Grand).
I was very nice with all references about turning 50 because I know how bad his payback will be...years and years and years from now.

Ta da...the finished project!
I just bought a vase, put 50 rocks in the bottom, and loaded in the vodka bottle (with cute computer-made charms), added the CD, added a sheet loaded with fun facts about 1963, threw in the candy bars, and finished it off with a cute little sign.

 

The Good Sportz

Matt, his brothers, and a couple of his friends participated in 'Bowl for Kids' Sake' (a fundraising event for Big Brothers Big Sisters) on Tuesday night.  The team name was "The Good Sportz".  I think the guys were good sports for letting Matt talk them into wearing wigs.

Another Project...with Minimal Bleeding and No Falls

Keaton doesn't like having so many pictures of himself around the house...especially baby pictures.  (I don't know why...it's not like I put the naked-baby-butt pictures out in view.  Those are all tucked safely away in the scrapbooks for his future embarrassment.)  So, to help him like me, I decided to replace the baby pictures going up the stairs with a reminder on how to spell his last name.  This should earn me a really nice card and maybe even some candy for Mother's Day!

 

 

Cyrus enjoyed a long, leisurely nap on his beloved pillow while I tried not to bleed all over the frames as I hand-washed all the glass in the sink or tried not to fall down the stairs while putting the frames back on the wall.  He decided to nap only on one pillow today, but still used the other pillow as a back rest.

Name

Yesterday's project.  Plus, a helpful reminder of who we are...

Decisions, Decisions...

Cyrus couldn't decide which pillow to use yesterday, so he decided to use both.

Puhlease People...

Modern technology is wonderful.  It gives us shortcuts, puts the entire world at the tips of our fingers, and helps to make life so much easier.  It even helps to make life more pleasant by allowing us to avoid interacting with unpleasant people (for the most part).  But, it also is going to be the downfall of polite society if people don't remember a few simple rules:

1.  Take the cell phone away from your ear once in a while.  If your ear is numb or turning purple, you're probably on the phone too much.  Better yet...just stop talking on the phone while driving altogether.  You can wait until you reach your destination...and you may even be able to stay at a constant speed on the highway on your drive and not annoy the hell out of the people trying to pass you!

2.  Turn your cell phone off while at a school, play, speech, movie theater, or funeral parlor.  Seriously.  If you're at a venue where you need to hear what is being said, then so do others around you.  Turn it OFF...not to vibrate...but completely OFF!

3.  Stop texting at the dinner table, in the car, at the doctor's office, in the grocery store, or anywhere else where people are trying to engage you in a conversation...or trying to get around you.

4.  Return a message.  Any message left on your phone (either voicemail or text) or on your computer (email) needs to be replied to relatively sooner rather than later.  C'mon people, that's just rude to ignore someone.  Even if you don't have time for a lengthy chat, text, or email, it's just the right thing to acknowledge you received the message.  A simple email or text is better than nothing.  Give them a quick reply...even if you just tell them that life has you swamped and unable to breathe at the moment, but your message was important and you'll get back to them when you come up for a breath.

5.  If someone gives you something or does something nice for you...say thank you.  It's that simple and really does make a HUGE difference!  I'll even concede that a text or email saying "Thanks!" is better than nothing at all.  Not acknowledging something kind someone has done for you is inexcusable.  Always.

The world is definitely moving faster than it ever has.  I guess I'm just old-fashioned and believe that manners and common courtesy still belong in our world and separate us from the animals.  Animals at least have an excuse:  they don't have thumbs so it's a little more difficult for them to type or dial.

Breakfast Begging

Our dog knows how to work it.  Every morning, Cyrus joins Matt at the table and strikes his poor, sad, I'm-so-hungry-I-don't-even-have-the-strength-to-hold-my-head-up pose.  This forces Matt to share his breakfast fruit with Cyrus every morning...unless it's grapes.  Cyrus doesn't like those mornings and has to really bat his big, brown eyes and sigh a lot so Matt will pity him and give him a bite of something else.  Yep, he sure knows how to work it.

 

 





The Joys of January

Basketball, snow, more basketball, more snow, my birthday celebration, and a little pinball pretty much sums up our past month.  Keaton continues to battle stomach issues and isn't practicing or playing much basketball this season.  Doctor visits and testing isn't revealing anything concrete...but we're hopeful they'll find something and be able to help him manage the pain.  In the meantime, he'll continue to try to manage his discomfort...and I'll be outside shoveling the snow.

 

We didn't make the drive for a game and watched it instead on the iPad. 
Even Cyrus watched for a while...until he fell asleep.

We took Keaton up to Grand Rapids for a little pinball and the best burritos in town!

We went to Matt's brother's wife's sister's house (can you follow that?) for some pinball.
I was especially happy to cuddle with their super-adorable dog for the night!!





We went to a Mexican tapas (not topless) restaurant for my birthday.  We tried some different tequila and discovered it was actually really good.  It was really smooth and nothing like the stuff we put in our margaritas that scalds your throat or puts hair on your chest.



We headed over to the Allegan Game Area for a little snowshoeing.
It was gorgeous!!




We did some hiking up and down some hills. Since I have creative control over all photos, I'll spare you all the shots Matt took of me scooting down the hill on my behind or crawling under a tree.



I did have one mishap snowshoeing...and Matt was sure to snap a picture. We took a break and I decided to sit on a log. It was covered in snow...or so I thought. When I sat down, it turned out the log was in front of the pile of snow...so I decided just to rest in a reclined position for a bit.



Guess what we woke up to this morning? Yep, more snow!

 

 



ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!

That's it...I've finally reached my breaking point.  I made a sign to hang above my doorbell, begging people to PLEASE stop soliciting and making religious queries.  I don't need a new vacuum.  I don't need laundry detergent.  I don't need magazine subscriptions, a time-share, cleaning services, or an energy audit.  I don't need a new hot water heater, a new provider for our cable, or meat.  (Seriously, who buys meat out of a U-Haul truck?)  We believe in God and don't need to study the doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses and/or The Church of Latter Day Saints during the day while trying to work from home...or, after being on hold on the phone for an eternity, finally being exulted to the eagerly-anticipated status of being able to talk to a real-live person.  Ugh!  Enough is enough!!

Of course, we'll gladly support all school fundraisers...especially those involving candy, cookies, and popcorn!  We love to support schools...and our cravings for munchies!!

14 Crazy Days

The holidays are over and the Christmas decorations are all neatly packed away for another year.  It's been a busy, crazy couple of weeks...full of pinball, yummy food, games, movies, shopping, photos, fun and laughs.  We're looking forward to lots more fun and laughs in 2013!



Our new record: three Christmases in one day!

Cyrus is always eager to help unwrap presents.



Cyrus's Christmas Breakfast: bacon, eggs, pineapple, and monkey bread.




After unwrapping many presents and enjoying a yummy breakfast, Cy was ready for a nap.



'Cards Against Humanity' Game: $25
Dinner out on New Year's Eve with good friends: $50
Having our friend try to take our picture with the camera set on continuous-shoot mode: PRICELESS!



Yum! This may be my new favorite drink (judging by the finished bottle on the second night).
 It really does taste just like red velvet cake!



This one tastes like whipped cream. It's good, but I like the Red Velvet better.

 

Matt made me a birthday cake: white cake with cotton candy frosting and cherry-flavored hearts that tell my true age. ;-)



Happy birthday to me:  birthday mimosas for breakfast!



And another drink for breakfast. We were just trying to finish up the leftover champagne from New Year's Eve...and we did!