Life Is In The Chaos

The 100 day countdown is on!

2009-04-20T21:45:00.001-04:00

Quick Question

2008-10-12T20:34:00.002-04:00

What is your "binge" food?

You know, the one you get that you just plan to eat a little bit of and you end up eating the ENTIRE THING? Or maybe it's the one you think about briefly in the morning but by the end of the day it's the only thing on your mind and you can't rest until you have it. You know. THAT food. Decidedly evil and divine all in one mouthful after mouthful.

So... fess up. What is it?

Mine, of late, is ridged potato chips with French Onion chip dip.

Uhh... gotta go!

Check out my new "Foodie" blog

2008-09-30T08:42:00.004-04:00

www.bandedfoodie.blogspot.com

Here's a preview of my first time baking with the baker's at Tuesdays with Dorie. I am way out of my league here but want to learn how to be a better baker and thought this would be a good way to get more experience.

This is called Snickery Squares even though I made mine more into a pie since I used a springform pan. If you like Snickers candy bars, you will FLIP OUT over this!

If you would like more information, feel free to contact me. If you'd like a piece of whatever I'm making, come on over!

Just for fun...

2008-09-30T08:38:00.002-04:00

Crazy kiddo.

Sarah Palin - What do you think?

2008-09-02T22:39:00.002-04:00

Well, again I feel as if I am an American without a political party. But McCain choosing Sarah Palin as a running mate got me a little excited. As a woman, I would love to see her in an executive office plus, I just kind of like her.

However, when I heard she has a 4-month old son with Down's, something else kicked in for me. Maybe maternal instincts, maybe something else but my gut instinct is that she just needs to be home with that baby. Not to mention her other kiddos, one daughter now apparently pregnant at 17. It's not that I don't think she can't handle ALL of the responsibility but how well can one person juggle all of that? I can't help but think that baby needs her.

Does it come down to regrets? Which would be bigger - missing out on a big opportunity to be a major world leader or missing out on your family?

Maybe I am underestimating her or overestimating her family's need for her. Like I said, just my gut instinct.

So, what do you think?

Our new friend at Carriage Hill

2008-09-01T18:53:00.001-04:00

The Cows are Messing with Me!

2008-07-18T21:26:00.005-04:00

Okay, so there are these cows that are messing with me. I've never really had an issue with cows other than when Mom and I mooed at a herd of Beeson's cows on a walk to Gramma's and started a stampede - right at us! So maybe these are decendents of those cows or something but I am telling you - they are messing with me.

So these cows down the road that I drive by on my way to work. They seem to me to be living in a bucolic daydream... gently rolling fields rich with dark green grass, the sunlight streaming onto the meadow like it is painted to do so and the cows themselves are simply and bovine-ly beautiful in this field of gold. It's my goal, nay, mission to get THE picture of this pastoral nirvana (can you tell I've had too much caffiene today? But I digress).

I've called Dave on my way home shrieking at him to get the camera ready because I am going to lose the light only to get back there and the cows have gone into the barn. I've driven by the perfectly composed shot only to get back there and have them be all bunched up trying to get shade under the pitiful little tree right beside the road. I've come close to being hit by a truck as I'm trying to get a shot from the side of the road as a hard rain starts and I have to run for cover.

I've probably picked up a tick and have gotten Lyme Disease from this folly as well but just don't know it yet.

I do feel kind of tired. Is that a bite with a circle around it?

So, this is the only picture I've taken even remotely worth sharing from this misadventure that has lasted for about two months now.

I can hear them laughing at me.

I hear you and I am now going to go sit on my large leather sectional and eat a hamburger... so there.

My Child's Eating Disorder

2008-07-18T21:10:00.003-04:00

It's come to our attention lately that a problem Mitchell has had since he was very small has ballooned into a larger issue. The name for this Eating Disorder is Canteaticecreamus Withoutsmearingitallovermyfacia.

We were hoping he would outgrow it but it just seems to be getting worse. Hopefully someday they'll find a cure. Until then, I'm hoping it qualifies us to be on Extreme Home Makeover or at least some kind of telethon (hopefully without an aging comedian).

Look here is our brave boy managing a smile in the midst of a horrible episode

By the way, these are pre-bath pictures.

13 Things I have learned from Mitchell's kitten...

2008-06-25T21:53:00.006-04:00

1. It's okay to amuse yourself.
2. Just because you are the smallest one in the house, doesn't mean you can't rule it.
3. If you cry loudly enough, someone will be there to pick you up.
4. Small whiskers are enough to make a 4 year old giggle endlessly.
5. Small whiskers are also enough to entertain a 45 year old man.
6. Anything can become a toy.
7. With enough attitude, even little kittens can hang with the big dogs.
8. More spunk than sense can acually get you ahead in life.
9. Acting sweet and quiet in the animal shelter will cause adults who should know better to take you home.
10. Just because your name is Lightning, doesn't mean you can't lay around and take it easy.
11. Enjoy some time in the sun even if they experts say its bad for you.

12. Enjoy every day.
13. Take a nap when you need to.

How Does My Garden Grow?

2008-06-25T21:26:00.005-04:00

Pretty well this year. Enjoy the pics.

My Jackmanii Clematis went crazy this year and spread over 8 feet long and about 12 feet high.

.

The Coral Bells that grew in my Grandparents former home for as long as I can remember now grow in my little flower bed. My Papa Wilt dug these up for us to plant at our new house just a few weeks before he died. These are very special to me.

Okay, these hydrangeas did not actually bloom in my garden. Meijer did that work for me but we didn't kill them when we planted them and they are looking great. I was determined to have blooming hydrangea in my garden this year as my 2 others I had planted are being stubborn. Well... much to my surprise and about $60 worth of purchased petals later, what did I spy on one of my former Mother's Day presents but a small, rather pitiful yet glorious gathering of buds. You may have heard me squeal with delight as far away as Troy. Once it blooms you can bet I'll be posting pictures! I can't even remember what color it is supposed to be!

Take Your Dog to Work Day

2008-06-25T20:27:00.002-04:00

A better fake holiday I can't think of. Yes, it was the annual Take Your Dog to Work Day. Luckily this year I have a wonderful boss whom allows me to run loose every now and then and amiably agreed to let me bring my Izzy in to work last Friday. I actually wanted to use this for a press opportunity and contacted the Springfield News Sun as well as the Urbana Citizen but there must have been real news happening that day as I got no return phone calls or e-mails. It's hard to have dampened spirits with your loyal canine companion by your side all day.
She was very well behaved and people who came in to the office seemed genuinely happy give her a pat. We had a great day and I can't wait til next year - unless I can talk Ted into letting me bring her back in sooner!

Fair Worthy?

2008-06-04T23:52:00.005-04:00

I don't know but I'm considering entering some shots I've taken this year into the Champaign County Fair. They are probably mediocre at best but even though we've lived in Champaign County for 5 years now, we still don't know a whole lot of people so my photographic mediocrity can potentially go unnoticed by anyone I might know. What a chicken, I know!

I apparently have no qualms about posting them for the whole world to see but you're not judging me... Right???

This is a picture of red verbena I planted in a large planter on our porch. I used the Macro setting for extreme close-ups. I LOVE this picture, I think mainly because I love how the planter it's in turned out. So much in fact I've ordered a poster size print of it. Anyway, it has a lot of color and contrast that I really like and it's not photoshopped at all. This is simply how it came out. I like the shadows in the back as well. If you saw this sitting on my porch, it would be hard to place it.

This was taken this past Sunday as we took our maiden voyage in our new canoe at Kiser Lake. Don't think I am going to enter this one. I just like to see my guys enjoying themselves together.

This was taken at Carriage Hill several weeks ago. I love the light in this picture but compositionally it's pretty cluttered. I think I am going to try to head back out there again and play around with my Macro setting some more.

In other news - Summer break has officially begun. I'm looking forward to spending a good amount of time with Mitchell at Kiser this summer. Dave, unfortunately, has to go back to five days a week on second shift in a few weeks so I guess he could go with us in the mornings if he's up but all the family time we've been able to enjoy is going to be cut severely. He's pretty disappointed about it as am I.

My job is going well. I really enjoy working only three days a week and I am very blessed to have a boss who let's me have such a flexible schedule. Once Dave goes back to work I am changing my days to working Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. That means a four day weekend every week. I know you working Moms would like to hit me right now.

We don't have a lot planned for this summer. Dave's work gives it's employees free tickets to King's Island every year so we'll be doing that hopefully before it gets too hot. Izzy is going to the groomer tomorrow for her summer haircut. I'll have to post some after pictures. I was hoping to take her with us on a canoe ride but since Dave and I can barely balance that thing (we should have spent the extra money on a longer canoe) I don't think taking her along is such a good idea. We'll have to see if we get better.

Well all, have a great day. I am heading to bed!

It's Official!

2008-05-29T08:12:00.002-04:00

100 lbs of lost weight today!

It's been a bit of a tough time with the band (my own fault) but things are pretty balanced again and I've officially lost 100 lbs. Feels good to finally be able to say that. And down from a size 32 to an 18/20. A size smaller than when Dave and I got married 6 years ago. So let's see, in another 4 lbs. I will also be half way to my goal weight. Not too bad for 11 months out of surgery.

Dave is down 35 as well an doing great adjusting to his band. I'm really proud of him and jealous that he can still chug water (that's the main thing I miss - that and really good sourdough toast but we won't go there!)

90 lbs. Lost

2008-04-25T15:24:00.004-04:00

Yippee!

I hit 90 lbs. of weight loss today!

Somehow I've been losing about a pound a day this week! I've been exercising more (even jogging!) and actually eating more as well. I almost have collar-bones again! I went with Dave for his post surgical check on Wednesday and was going to get another fill that day but told Dr. Mobley I was finally back to losing so I'm not messing with anything right now. Big meany still made me weigh-in though! That's just not right!

So unless things go tragically awry I should be able to easily hit 100 lbs of loss by my one year band-iversary (June 30). I think my goal is 120 lb loss by that date which I am still trying to hit. Having not lost anything in Dec - Feb I was pretty concerned. It's great incentive to stay ahead of Dave as well. Once he gets his first fill I know he is going to start losing a lot very quickly. We have a bit of a Roger vs. Alli (Biggest Loser fans will know what I am talking about) competition going on. I think we are going to compete on percentage of body fat lost (once I figure out how to calculate that!).

Also, there is a walk I am going to do at Carillon Park on May 4th at 1:00 if anyone would like to join us! I'll get more details this coming Thursday so if you're interested let me know and I'll get that info for you. One of the bandsters out of Oakwood is having a little after party everyone is invited to as well.

Mitchell's Dream Vacation

2008-04-16T14:36:00.007-04:00

That's right, this past weekend we headed down to western Kentucky to visit Dinosaur World. Our little paleontologist had an absolute blast as did the rest of us. Here are some pictures of the day. He's taking a nap at the moment so I'm not sure I'll have all the names right. I'm sure he'll correct me about them later if I mess up!
And by the way, I did not mean to dress him like Father Guido Sarduchi (if you don't know who that is I am dating myself) but he sure ended up looking that way!

Father Guido the paleontologist.
This is a Minmi. Mitchell wants one to add to our pet family.
99% sure this was the brachiosaurus.
Mitchell being eaten by a T Rex but he didn't seem to mind.
The voracious Velociraptors.
A family of Chasmosaurus.
A Family on the toe of a Photosaurus. In case you are racking your brain, a photosaurus is a special imaginary dinosaur they created at Dinosaur World so you can get right up to it and get a photo taken.
One of Mitchell's new favorites - the Carnotaurus.
Oviraptors on the hunt.
I forget what this one was called. I call him Big Blue Ugly.
The colorful Dilophosaurus.
Something in the "mimus" family. It's not a gallimimus but a cousin probably.
Spinosaurus trying to eat Dave.
I forget what this guy is. An Allosaurus maybe.
Mitchell will tell you this is Momma's favorite dinosaur because Maiasaurus means "good mother."
Another one of Mitchell's favorites, the Pachycephalosaurus - the thicked headed lizard.
Our little paleontologist on his first "dig." He got a tooth, a fossil and an ammonite that he got to keep after this dig!

Catching Up

2008-04-07T17:27:00.008-04:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted anything. Apparently my psychic power of thinking about writing a post and then having it magically appear on my blog hasn't been developed well enough yet. So here it is in a nutshell We are now a banded couple! Dave had his surgery on Friday the 4th and is doing well. Here he is right before they took him in for his operation. His first one by the way. He's pretty sore but doing well. The big goober lost 25 lbs. prior to surgery. I guess that makes him a not-so-big goober. He had wanted to lose 30 but ended up being happy that he had beat my 22 pre-surgical loss. Things are starting to get very competitive around here with our weight loss which I think is actually a good thing (as long as I win!!!). I am now down 85 lbs and feeling great. Walking a lot and generally being more active. Mitchell got his glasses and looks too cute in them. He has proved to be remarkably responsible with them for a 4-year-old. We are very pleasantly surprised. And now some pics from Easter. It was so nice to have Easter at Gramma Kingery's this year. It was fun to line the kids up against the garage door for pictures after the egg hunt... JUST LIKE WE USED TO! Some things will never change and for that I am very thankful!

What's for Supper?

2008-02-07T06:59:00.000-05:00

Since I've gone back to work part time I am actually making less than I was on unemployment (Aaaack!). So one way to cut our budget even further is to eat at home even more often. We really cut back after I started staying home but this cut is even deeper. BUT it means I get 2 days during the week home with my beautiful boy so it's okay. All of that is getting to this... I'm cooking a lot more with a much smaller budget!
This is what I made last night and it was a big hit! Thought I'd share since a warm, creamy (and inexpensive) soup hits all the right chords on cold days!

Hearty Corn and Cheese Chowder

1-2 cups diced or cubed ham
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups chicken broth or water (I used water with a chicken bouillion cube)
2 cups milk
1 package shells and white cheddar Pasta Roni
1 cup frozen or canned corn
1/4 cup chopped green onion

I sauteed my corn in a little canola oil because I really like how it develops the sweetness. Once the corn was near where I wanted it I added in the onion and then the ham to heat through.

Then add the chicken broth, milk, pasta and contents of packet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, until pasta is tender.

(Actually I tried to get a little more out of this so I added an extra 2 cups of milk and about a cup of leftover mashed potatos to keep the thickness. It still came out very thick and chowder-y)

Serve with green onion garnish. I added a little bit of shredded sharp cheddar as well. This went great with our leftover turkey meatloaf and green beans from earlier in the week.

Hope this will be a good entry for your recipe box. Let me know if you try it and how you liked it!

Thanks all and make it a great day!

Life REALLY IS in the Chaos!

2008-01-27T15:49:00.000-05:00

So, last Wednesday I'm sitting in the living room and look into the dining room and can't stand to look at the horrible wallpaper any more. I get up and start to pull it off. Thursday I pull some more. Now today is Sunday and this is where we are, smack dab in the middle of pulling, stripping, steaming, scraping, patching, redoing and trying to keep a smile on our faces, in other words... CHAOS!
I'm sure I'll keep you posted on our progress. Here are some pics from today.
My wonderfully accomodating and long-suffering husband putting a fake smile on. Actually he made the mistake of admitting to me he kind of enjoyed pulling wallpaper yesterday. He should really know better by now than to tell me that kind of stuff!
An overview of the project.
Izzy helping in her own way. This gives you an idea of how big of a mess we are dealing with right now.
This wall is probably going to have to be completely replaced. Drywall party anyone?
This is just in here because I looked out to the living room and saw this completely new behavior from Ripley. He apparently thinks he's a cat now.

What's On Your Monitor?

2008-01-24T23:03:00.000-05:00

I mean literally... what's on your computer monitor? This is what is generally on mine. I'm glad we don't have a laptop!

And for those of you who haven't met him, this is Loquacious Brown. Loki for short and he's a delightful cat.

Ripley

2008-01-24T22:36:00.000-05:00

Okay, I've been meaning to post about Ripley going deaf recently and how life changes when there is a deaf dog in the house. He is actually adjusting pretty well and we are working on hand signals for communication. For an old dog, he is doing his best to learn new tricks.
Monday, however, I woke up and went downstairs to check on Mitchell then came back to bed. Ripley was laying in the way and I nudged him with my foot a couple of times to get him to move but he wasn't budging. I had a feeling something wasn't right so I turned on the lights and sure enough, he was having a seizure. Honestly, I didn't know what was happening at first but it was enough to scare the hell out of me and wake Dave up to help. I thought he might be dying or having a stroke. There wasn't any thrashing, he was just stiff as a board and looked unconscious but had his eyes open. We weren't sure what to do so we just sat with him and tried to sound reassuring. Eventually he could move his head a bit and the life came back to his eyes. A minute after that he was trying to move and stand up but it took a little while for him to get his back legs coordinated again. 20 minutes later he was running around like nothing had happened.
So now I am on a quest to find out more about canine seizures. What I have found out, I'm not crazy about. Like if a dog starts having seizures after age 5 it's probably a brain tumor. That, coupled with his sudden deafness, has me worried. He has also lost weight recently and now looks like he should probably. I'm keeping a close eye on him as well as journalling anything unusual or noteworthy. Keep your fingers crossed for us that the seizure is a one time thing!
If anyone has any experience with canine seizures, please feel free to share your information with me.

If you know anyone...

2008-01-24T22:30:00.000-05:00

who has a little boy that wants a Dinosaur themed birthday party, send them my way.

I just listed the below ad on Craigslist.

Does your little one have their heart set on a dinosaur-themed birthday party?
So did mine and I bought WAY TOO MUCH!!! Let my overspending help your party budget. Here's what I have:
3 packages of 9" Dino plates (8 per pack)
3 packages of Dino napkins (16 per pack)
3 packages of Dino horn blowers (8 per pack)
1 Dino Happy Birthday banner (used once, looks perfect)
3 packages of Dino Loot Bags (8 per pack)
1 yellow table cloth
2 green crepe paper rolls
2 yellow crepe paper rolls
2 plastic Dino Party banners
(see pics of some of the items)

I stopped adding things up when I got about halfway through the list and hit $30. You can have it all for $20 or make me a good offer. All things were bought from The Flower Factory and are adorable as far as Dinosaurs go. Nothing wrong with them, we just didn't use everything.

If you buy these soon we still have a balloon bouquet with yellow and green balloons along with a Happy Birthday Dinosaur balloon that are in great shape and still flying high. I'll throw them in as well.

Thanks for looking!

How Sad Is This?

2008-01-09T17:22:00.001-05:00

I've joked with Dave that we're going to move to Canada for the healthcare but it looks like maybe it should be France. If you've watched SICKO (which I strongly recommend) you'll understand how good healthcare is in other countries.

The World Health Organization's ranking
of the world's health systems.
Source: WHO World Health Report

Rank Country

1 France
2 Italy
3 San Marino
4 Andorra
5 Malta
6 Singapore
7 Spain
8 Oman
9 Austria
10 Japan
11 Norway
12 Portugal
13 Monaco
14 Greece
15 Iceland
16 Luxembourg
17 Netherlands
18 United Kingdom
19 Ireland
20 Switzerland
21 Belgium
22 Colombia
23 Sweden
24 Cyprus
25 Germany
26 Saudi Arabia
27 United Arab Emirates
28 Israel
29 Morocco
30 Canada
31 Finland
32 Australia
33 Chile
34 Denmark
35 Dominica
36 Costa Rica
37 United States of America
38 Slovenia
39 Cuba
40 Brunei
41 New Zealand
42 Bahrain
43 Croatia
44 Qatar
45 Kuwait
46 Barbados
47 Thailand
48 Czech Republic
49 Malaysia
50 Poland
51 Dominican Republic
52 Tunisia
53 Jamaica
54 Venezuela
55 Albania
56 Seychelles
57 Paraguay
58 South Korea
59 Senegal
60 Philippines
61 Mexico
62 Slovakia
63 Egypt
64 Kazakhstan
65 Uruguay
66 Hungary
67 Trinidad and Tobago
68 Saint Lucia
69 Belize
70 Turkey
71 Nicaragua
72 Belarus
73 Lithuania
74 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
75 Argentina
76 Sri Lanka
77 Estonia
78 Guatemala
79 Ukraine
80 Solomon Islands
81 Algeria
82 Palau
83 Jordan
84 Mauritius
85 Grenada
86 Antigua and Barbuda
87 Libya
88 Bangladesh
89 Macedonia
90 Bosnia-Herzegovina
91 Lebanon
92 Indonesia
93 Iran
94 Bahamas
95 Panama
96 Fiji
97 Benin
98 Nauru
99 Romania
100 Saint Kitts and Nevis
101 Moldova
102 Bulgaria
103 Iraq
104 Armenia
105 Latvia
106 Yugoslavia
107 Cook Islands
108 Syria
109 Azerbaijan
110 Suriname
111 Ecuador
112 India
113 Cape Verde
114 Georgia
115 El Salvador
116 Tonga
117 Uzbekistan
118 Comoros
119 Samoa
120 Yemen
121 Niue
122 Pakistan
123 Micronesia
124 Bhutan
125 Brazil
126 Bolivia
127 Vanuatu
128 Guyana
129 Peru
130 Russia
131 Honduras
132 Burkina Faso
133 Sao Tome and Principe
134 Sudan
135 Ghana
136 Tuvalu
137 Ivory Coast
138 Haiti
139 Gabon
140 Kenya
141 Marshall Islands
142 Kiribati
143 Burundi
144 China
145 Mongolia
146 Gambia
147 Maldives
148 Papua New Guinea
149 Uganda
150 Nepal
151 Kyrgystan
152 Togo
153 Turkmenistan
154 Tajikistan
155 Zimbabwe
156 Tanzania
157 Djibouti
158 Eritrea
159 Madagascar
160 Vietnam
161 Guinea
162 Mauritania
163 Mali
164 Cameroon
165 Laos
166 Congo
167 North Korea
168 Namibia
169 Botswana
170 Niger
171 Equatorial Guinea
172 Rwanda
173 Afghanistan
174 Cambodia
175 South Africa
176 Guinea-Bissau
177 Swaziland
178 Chad
179 Somalia
180 Ethiopia
181 Angola
182 Zambia
183 Lesotho
184 Mozambique
185 Malawi
186 Liberia
187 Nigeria
188 Democratic Republic of the Congo
189 Central African Republic
190 Myanmar

I'm not unAmerican, I just think we can and should be doing a heck of a lot better. This election let's let the candidates know that and vote accordingly.

2007-12-17T22:52:00.000-05:00

Does anyone else find this picture disturbing?

2007-12-16T15:02:00.001-05:00

The Award for My Favorite Person of the Day

2007-12-14T14:44:00.000-05:00

And the Award goes to... Nancy at the St. Paris Library!
Not only did she go out of her way to talk to Mitchell and let us know about the upcoming events at the library for kids his age but, and more importantly, when Mitchell told her what day his birthday was she told him her twin sons were born on the same day but her "babies" were going to be 28 and that was probably older than his Mommy. When I laughed and said, "No, Momma's about 10 years older than that," she believably seemed shocked and said how young I look.
When 40 is looming on the horizon, it's little times like this that make you feel really good for the rest of the day. That and when the lesbians Dave works with think I'm hot, well, let's just say it's been a good week! I'll take a compliment wherever I can get it!

Hoorah for a Snow Day!

2007-12-07T10:13:00.000-05:00

Well it's the first snow days of the year for Graham. I'm sure there are many more to come. Although Mitchell is too young to really enjoy the gift of childhood that is "a snow day" there was no way we were keeping him out of the snow!

When I saw the snow I naively thought, "Oh I'll get a Christmas card picture of Mitchell with the dogs in the snow." Good idea right? Well there was way too much first snow excitement for that to come even close to happening. Plus my horrible digital camera that I want to pitch after every time I use it kept fogging up so there is fog on the pictures. I got some decent ones in spite of it I think.

This is the closest I got to the dogs getting into the frame with Mitchell. You'll notice he's no where to be seen.
And of course my cutie pie husband!
And cutie pie almost 4-year-old. Crazy!
I wish I could have gotten Izzy to hold still earlier in the day. There were snowflakes everywhere in her curly hair and we were calling her the abominable snow dog. She looked absolutely precious! She LOVES the snow.

A Day at the Air Force Museum

2007-11-27T20:12:00.000-05:00

Yep, they finally got me there and I wasn't even kicking and screaming - until I was REALLY ready to go home about a half hour in! Just not my cup of tea but the boys had a great time and Mitchell wanted to go back before we had even cleared the building. It's going to be their "special thing." Here's some pics of the day.

Funniest Thing I've Seen On Craigslist In Awhile...

2007-11-14T05:38:00.001-05:00

Click here

I was attacked by VICIOUS DOGS tonight

2007-11-12T19:34:00.000-05:00

I think they are planning the attack here. It's the calm before the storm.

Oh God! I made the mistake of sitting in between them. It must have triggered their instinctual attack mode.
But it wasn't our Vicious Dog who did the most damage. Our Airedale's tongue is life-threatening!

Actually the scariest thing in these pictures is the wallpaper in the living room. It's hideous. Anyone have ideas on what color I should paint it and when can you come over to help???

My Dog is VICIOUS

2007-11-11T23:20:00.001-05:00

That's news to me but that's what the idiots in office for the State of Ohio have declared. Since Rudy is a pit bull mix he's automatically labeled a vicious dog though he has never growled, lunged, snapped at, intimidated or bitten anyone or anything unless you count the Labrador Retriever that tried to attack our family as we were walking here in the Burg when Mitchell was still very little. Our "vicious dog" positioned himself squarely between Mitchell's stroller and the would-be-attacker and I guarantee that snarling Lab wasn't getting anywhere near us. We didn't realize the Lab was tethered to a long chain at the time and couldn't have reached us anyway but Rudy didn't try to fight him or even pay any attention to him afterward - just continued walking on with us when we had stopped shaking and asked him to.
This Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) against pits and pit-type dogs is an extremely ineffective and discriminatory law and should be fought against - even if it doesn't affect your breed of choice...yet.

The presumed goal of BSL is to reduce dog bites and dog attacks. In reality, BSL rarely achieves that goal.
The following is reproduced from StopBSL.com - Dog bite and attack statistics indicate that dog bites are committed by more than just the so-called "dangerous" breeds. Until 2002, the Texas Department of Health Zoonosis Division put out annual "Severe Animal Attack and Bite Surveillance Summary" reports that summarize the breeds responsible for the most serious attacks. Pit bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and Chow Chows (in no particular order) were consistently on the list. But most interesting of all are the other breeds found on the list, so-called "family dogs". During the studies provided (1996 - 2002), these other breeds included Labrador Retrievers and mixes, Blue Heelers, and Collies. Additional breeds seen occasionally on the list included Chihuahuas and Dachshunds. Remember, this report deals with severe bites and attacks, so that should put to rest the myth that bites from little dogs are not serious.

However, these statistics can not establish which breeds are "more dangerous" than others. As the TDH Survey states, "the number of animals in various dog breeds in the overall canine population is unknown; therefore, no conclusions can be drawn concerning whether dogs of these... breeds [in the study] are prone to bite more often than other breeds or if these are merely the more popular breeds." Taking this into consideration, it's natural that a ban on certain breeds of dogs only means that another breed will become popular in the area - and new breeds will take the top spots on the Severe Bite list.

Personally, I've been bitten by a Cocker Spaniel (our own unfortunately) and a Dachsund and had close calls with a Chow, a Schnauzer, a Border Collie, a Poodle, a Beagle and several Jack Russells and Labradors. Although I would never personally care to add a Dachsund or a Lab to our family, do I think they should be banned? Absolutely not. Do I think the owners should have been more responsible? Absolutely.

Because of this new legislation in Ohio we are required by law to have a 6ft. fence locked at all times which fortunately we put up last year to keep our Springer Spaniel from charging people (they are not on the list) and when we walk Rudy we have to have a choke chain on him and a short leash. I don't allow my dogs to wander from me anyway when we walk since I'm the leader of our pack (a Cesar Milan-follower) so that's no big deal either but the fact that I am dictated to do these things really irks me when other people who have red zone dogs that aren't of the breed under fire right now don't have to do the same thing. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the $100K liability insurance policy we have to take out.

Here is the wording of this law. Jenny if you are reading this you may want to pay close attention. I heard they are also trying to make this effective for dogs over 100lbs.

By State Law all Pit Bull type dogs are automatically termed to be "vicious dogs". It doesn't matter if the dog is a service dog, guide dog, therapy dog etc. If it resembles a Pit Bull it is vicious by default. As an owner of a "vicious dog" you are subjected to specific laws regarding liability insurance and how your dog must be confined.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Confining Pit Bull Dogs
(Ohio Revised Code Section 955.22D)

Dogs that are a “breed of dog commonly known as a Pit Bull” are automatically considered to be vicious under Ohio law. They must be confined on the owner’s property by means of a locked fenced yard, a locked dog pen that has a top, or some other locked enclosure (such as a house). This law applies not only to purebred American Pit Bull dogs, but also to other pure bred and mixed breed dogs that have similar physical and behavioral characteristics. Animal Control Officers make the determination as to whether or not a dog is a “breed of dog commonly known as a Pit Bull.” The maximum penalty for a violation of this section on a first offense is a $1,000 fine and up to six months imprisonment. If the dog seriously injures a person, or this is a second offense of this section, the charge may be filed as a felony.

Insuring Pit Bull Dogs
(Ohio Revised Code Section 955.22E)

Dogs that are a “breed of dog commonly known as a Pit Bull” are automatically considered to be vicious under Ohio law. Owners of these dogs must maintain at least $100,000 of liability insurance coverage on these animals. The maximum penalty for a violation of this section is a $1,000 fine and up to six months imprisonment. If you have any questions regarding these laws, please contact a Field Supervisor at the Franklin County Department of Animal Control’s Enforcement Division at 614-462-3400.

Confining, restraining, debarking dogs.
(Ohio Revised Code Section 955.22E)

(C) Except when a dog is lawfully engaged in hunting and accompanied by the owner, keeper, harborer, or handler of the dog, no owner, keeper, or harborer of any dog shall fail at any time to do either of the following:

(1) Keep the dog physically confined or restrained upon the premises of the owner, keeper, or harborer by a leash, tether, adequate fence, supervision, or secure enclosure to prevent escape;

(2) Keep the dog under the reasonable control of some person.

(D) Except when a dangerous or vicious dog is lawfully engaged in hunting or training for the purpose of hunting and is accompanied by the owner, keeper, harborer, or handler of the dog, no owner, keeper, or harborer of a dangerous or vicious dog shall fail to do either of the following:

(1) While that dog is on the premises of the owner, keeper, or harborer, securely confine it at all times in a locked pen that has a top, locked fenced yard, or other locked enclosure that has a top, except that a dangerous dog may, in the alternative, be tied with a leash or tether so that the dog is adequately restrained;

(2) While that dog is off the premises of the owner, keeper, or harborer, keep that dog on a chain-link leash or tether that is not more than six feet in length and additionally do at least one of the following:

(a) Keep that dog in a locked pen that has a top, locked fenced yard, or other locked enclosure that has a top;

(b) Have the leash or tether controlled by a person who is of suitable age and discretion or securely attach, tie, or affix the leash or tether to the ground or a stationary object or fixture so that the dog is adequately restrained and station such a person in close enough proximity to that dog so as to prevent it from causing injury to any person;

(c) Muzzle that dog.

(E) No owner, keeper, or harborer of a vicious dog shall fail to obtain liability insurance with an insurer authorized to write liability insurance in this state providing coverage in each occurrence, subject to a limit, exclusive of interest and costs, of not less than one hundred thousand dollars because of damage or bodily injury to or death of a person caused by the vicious dog.

Remember this applies to ALL OWNERS - not just those who have had previous problems with attacks in the past.

Some counties in Ohio are forcing pit owners to give them up completely. Again, ALL PITS whether they've had issues in the past or not. Not only is this not fair or just, it's discriminatory. I thought we fought blatant discrimination in America. Not to sound like a NRA fanatic or anything but it will be a cold day in Hell before anyone takes Rudy from our family. I honestly fear that day is coming.

Please help stop Breed Specific Legislation whether you own a Pit Bull or not and thanks for listening to my rant. Remember, when you make your voice heard to help a Pit Bull today, you may be saving your own dog tomorrow.

BSL = Bull Shit Legislation

Since I haven't posted in awhile...

2007-11-08T18:28:00.001-05:00

here are just some random pics we've taken lately. Some are halloween, some are at Boonshoft and others are just from around the house.

Playing Hooky at the Columbus Zoo

2007-11-08T18:00:00.000-05:00

We decided to take advantage of one of the last "warm" days of the year and headed to the Columbus Zoo on Monday. We walked our child plum out of energy (I think that was a first) and Dave ended up carrying him from Australia to the parking lot but I don't think Daddy minded too much.
Anyway, here are some pictures from that day.

The nice thing about going during the week is that there was hardly anyone else there! We had the tiger to ourselves for 10 minutes or so. It was stripping the leaves off of a stick it had found. I thought for a minute it was part Airedale since that seems to be a habit of theirs as well.
This tiger was eyeing Mitchell from the moment he came into the enclosure. I'm guessing he thought Mitchell looked tasty if you know what I mean!
Of course this was one of the more cuddly animals we came across.

This is a three-year-old in their natural habitat. I'm glad he was caged. They can be SCARY!

My Favorites for the new TV season

2007-10-11T22:47:00.000-04:00

Comedy: Pushing Daisies
Fresh, smart, witty and sweet. Just like your favorite piece of pie. LOVED Kristin Chenowith singing Hopelessly Devoted to You on last night's episode. If you haven't seen it yet, at least give it a shot. We were hooked from the first episode.

Drama: LIFE
We thought it looked interesting but missed the first couple of episodes. We caught up when they reshowed them on USA. Luckily for us. Again, fresh concept and smart writing, especially for a cop show. The quote about the universe judging us because it's "insecure" was been my favorite line of anything I've seen in a long time. Definitely try to catch LIFE.

Haven't found any reality shows that interest me now that Top Chef has wrapped up for this season. I nearly stopped watching when my Summer TV boyfriend CJ was eliminated from the competition. OH BIG TIME! CJ is just a tall, muscular, funny drink of water. I hated that Haung won not because he couldn't cook but he was just a jerk. On any other day I think it would have been Casey. I would have even cheered for Dale. Congrats to Casey on being Fan Favorite. I thought for sure that would go to my CJ.

ALTHOUGH I do really like Tim Gunn's Guide to Style but they are already showing repeats after three episodes. That's crazy. And Veronica Webb annoys me. Tim, I just want to hug and talk him into taking me shopping! Carry on, Tim! Carry on.

And while I'm on a roll here, I just have to say that I feel bitch slapped by the producers of LOST. February? We are supposed to wait until February for it to come back on? People, I can't remember what I did yesterday and I'm going to be able to pick right back up after 11 months or so of it being off the air? You are mean and wicked people and should be ashamed of yourselves.
But, I'll be watching along with everyong else when it comes back on. Grrr. Arrrgh.

Who knew...

2007-09-30T09:24:00.001-04:00

that raw onion is a migraine trigger, but I have sure found that out in the last couple of months. In fact, I've had a migraine for nearly 24 hours now after chopping some raw onion into my spinach salad yesterday. Later last night I also made roasted potatos and onions and my migraine pain increased exponentially. And isn't easing up.
I think it's just white onions though, if I remember correctly I seem to do okay with red onions. Whatever the case I think I'll go without for a good while before testing that again. Ouch...

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - A theatrical critique.

2007-09-23T21:07:00.000-04:00

Dave and I went to see the outdoor drama, Legend of Sleepy Hollow on Saturday night. It was a lovely evening. Just cool enough to wear a light sweater after the sun went down. We had really good seats and I sat next to a feature writer for the Greene County newspaper whom was delightful to talk with. Unfortunately, those were pretty much the highlights of the show as some of the parts were so overacted it was comical. To be fair though, some of the actors were actually pretty good but because it was outdoors and the acoustics were pretty much non-existant it really detracted from their performance. I would imagine it's pretty hard to act well and project your voice to the rafters at the same time.

Additionally, the horses were extremely well-behaved and the hot chocolate was awesome!

In the Pumpkin Patch

2007-09-22T07:50:00.001-04:00

Mom, Mitchell and I went back to Young's Dairy Barn yesterday for a little Fall Fun.

Mitchell picked out a pumpkin he named "Pumpkiny." He then got one of the really small kind I think are actually gourds and named it "Pumpkiny 2." Apparently the gene that causes one to name things with odd monikers like Boo Ya and Loquacious Brown has not been passed down to him. Maybe that's not genetic and rather a learned thing. Either way, I'm sure his future pets, and kids, will appreciate that!

Mimi had fun too and we enjoyed looking at all of the spectacular plantings they have at Young's.
All in all we had a really fun time! AND... potty training is really kicking into high gear which makes Mama extremely happy and I've already started planning on what we can do with the extra $100 or so a month we'll get back by not having to buy diapers - not to mention all the "potty toys" we've been going through. I have convinced him that Little Einstein and Diego fruit snacks are just as awesome as a real toy but we'll see how long that lasts. Plus I really don't like the idea of food as a reward and we've always kept him away from sugar for the most part which I would like to keep up. On another side note, I am planning David's and my "Date Night" tonight. We're going out for dinner to The Round Up in Dayton and then on to see "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" outdoor drama where they do Blue Jacket in the Summer. I'm really looking forward to it. I think Dave was hoping for The Renaissance Festival but I was able to get a free ticket for Sleepy Hollow which made it way cheaper than the festival. I'm getting used to living on my unemployment wages budget, plus I just hate to pay full price for ANYTHING! I'm even getting dinner for half price! Oh well, I'm cheap but fun... isn't that what men want anyway? :^)

First Day of PreSchool!

2007-09-04T17:11:00.000-04:00

That time of year has rolled around again... back to school.

Kind of a first for Mitchell since he enrolled after his birthday and only went from February through May last year.

Anyway, he did great today. The kid doesn't know the meaning of seperation anxiety. We just got everything put in his cubbie then he went off and played like he had never missed a day. There were several little girls that looked pretty freaked though. I'm sure they were fine after a little while but that's a tough thing though.

And no, his back pack isn't too heavy and pulling him over, he just started doing this weird tilt thing that grew worse with every picture I took. The only explanation I have is that he is 3.

New Music

2007-09-01T16:50:00.000-04:00

Wow, when I linked over to FineTune from Amy's Blog and saw what it was I actually thought I would have a hard time coming up with 45 favorite songs. Not the case. Isn't it funny how listening to a song takes you right back to where you were when that song became special to you. I just went back to high school, lost my virginity, was on the beach on Block Island and working in Milwaukee all within the space of a 15 minutes or so.
http://www.finetune.com/playlist/1740928
No wonder I am so tired!

I Want to Ride My Bi... Uhm...Tricycle

2007-08-28T23:30:00.000-04:00

The hardest part of raising a child is teaching them to ride bicycles. A shaky child on a bicycle for the first time needs both support and freedom. The realization that this is what the child will always need can hit hard.
~Sloan Wilson

Mitchell got his first tricycle tonight! He made a lot of progress in just one night but still has a little ways to go. The kid just isn't a pedaler. Never has been. He's had a pedal powered tractor for two years or so. Joe's ridden it way more than he has. Mitchell just doesn't like to pedal.

He'll probably pour this story out in therapy later in life but I told him tonight if he didn't pedal his trike it we were going to take it back to Wal-Mart. I know... mean momma. He seemed to try a little harder after that though. I'm justifying it in my head that sometimes they need to be pushed a bit more in order to instill that TRY in them.<

Now that I think about it, I never really liked biking either. Two wheels never seemed like a stable enough foundation for the kind of speeds it could generate. Give me a hayburner on 4 sturdy legs any time. THAT I get. That makes sense.

So he gets it honest I guess. Always the mother's fault...

It's been a busy August!

2007-08-22T22:23:00.000-04:00

Just thought this was too cute not to share.
It's been a busy couple of weeks between my appointments, running to West Chester for fills and Dave's surgery. But things are slowing down and Dave is off for a couple of weeks to recuperate. I am hopefully going to take some classes to get my webmaster certification thanks to Champaign County picking up the tab. I have another appointment to get all of my paperwork together for that. Exciting! I'm really looking forward to getting some more training.

Mitchell starts back to school the day after Labor Day and we'll get settled back down into more of a schedule. And hopefully I'll get back to blogging more!

We had a great time with Mitchell's Gramps and Grammy at Young's Dairy Barn on Sunday. We've been wanting to get there all summer but every time we've gone by it has been crazy crowded. Mitchell had a great time! So did I since I got to pet a Jersey calf for several minutes and had their Strawberry Sorbetto! What a great combination. For me anyway!

2007-08-12T22:31:00.000-04:00

Odd how I despised Blogs and now...

2007-08-07T15:43:00.000-04:00

I have another one. This new one is completely devoted to my Lap Band journey. Feel free to take a look if you like. Be forewarned however, it may contain verbal imagery about unsavory bodily functions and if I'm having a bad day the profanity might run like the mighty Mississippi so...
If you're interested in reading it, leave me a comment and I'll send you the link.

2007-08-05T21:49:00.001-04:00

A Day at Kiser Lake

2007-07-30T21:58:00.000-04:00

I have to say I am really enjoying this unemployment thing. Especially with Dave's new position working three twelve hour days a week. For the first time in our 5 year marriage we have lots of family time and we're trying to make the most of it...without spending any money! Today, that meant a day at Kiser Lake. Only about 10 minutes or so away, the lake is clean and well taken care of and we even had the beach to ourselves for about an hour (the joy of going on a Monday).

I packed a picnic lunch and Mom and two of Mitchell's Great Grammas came to enjoy the day with us as well. I'm glad he has the opportunity to get to spend time with them. He is definitely going to be the better for having stong female role models in his life.

I really like this picture of Dave and Mitchell after they had dried off and changed from their swim.

And this is an artist's rendition of me... actually my legs aren't burnt at all. Please explain to me how I can be completely in the sun and my face and arms burn but my legs remain as white as ever.

More pics of Mitchell.

2007-07-29T13:43:00.000-04:00

Looks like I posted too quickly before. Here are some more.
This is Mitchell at the birthday party of his cousin Morgan whom he adores. Why I put him in a white shirt to go play at the Rush's is beyond me! He always has a great time whenever he goes there.

Mitchell's last day at Graham pre-school with his teachers, Mrs. Mindy (L) and Mrs. Tina (R). He adores them both and he really blossomed at pre-school. He learned so much and is looking forward to returning in September. You can see the hair has grown out a bit.

Mom shot this at their house this morning. He had to stop at "Mimi and GrandDad's" before we went home from the "the Meijer." By the way, I gave him this haircut. I did Dave's and Izzy's as well. Izzy complained the least but took me about 2.5 hours to do! For those of you who may not know - Izzy is our Airedale.

A couple cute pics of Mitchell

2007-07-29T13:17:00.000-04:00

This is Mitchell right before he went into the military (I kid, I just hated the haircut) and his cousin Ethan. After a bit of a rocky start to their friendship they are now becoming pals which I am very glad of. I hope Mitchell's cousins will be as important to him as mine are to me.
This is from this morning. Dave and GrandDad put up Mitchell's new swing set yesterday. At 7:15 this morning I hear "Mom, I wanna go outside. PLEEEEEASE Mom." Of course we go but by the time I got new batteries into my camera he was done playing on it. Gotta move fast with a three-year-old apparently. By the way, the nose scrunching must be inherited from me.

Do YOU know this child?

2007-07-29T13:05:00.000-04:00

If you don't you are probably much younger or much older than me... or possible Amish and don't have a television. I have been surfing the web for the clip of John John (the little kid in the pic) and Herry Monster counting and it's absolutely adorable. If you can find it, PLEASE let me know! I would love to see it again.

Petition for Healthcare for Children

2007-07-29T12:51:00.000-04:00

I came across "the petition site" when I was looking up breed specific legislation targeted at pit bulls but I've really kind of gotten into it now. I'm no activist (yet :^) ) but I do like this site and if something speaks to me, I'll research it and sign generally. Anyway, this is one that I got today. Check it out if you care to.
Just paste this: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/408130689

Another One of my Favorites on YouTube

2007-07-29T07:20:00.000-04:00

YouTube gets a lot of flack about there being a bunch of lewd crap on there and that it's actually making America less creative. As in anything, you'll find what you are looking for.
This is one of our family's favorites. Hope you like it too.

Has anyone tried these 3 ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies?

2007-07-27T23:13:00.001-04:00

Mitchell has been showing an interest in helping me cook so I'm looking for slightly easier versions of some of the things I make (since I love to cook but hate to clean up - even moreso after an accident prone 3 year old). Wondering if anyone has tried these. I think I'll give them a shot tomorrow.

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients:
2 egg
2 cups sugar
2 cups peanut butter

Directions:
Combine all ingredients until mixed. Roll mixture into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten each ball with a fork. Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes. Cool for 5-7 minutes then place on wire rack. Makes 20 cookies.

I'll let you know how they turn out!

My favorite thing on the web

2007-07-27T22:52:00.000-04:00

I never get tired of watching this and it never ceases to get to me.

What happened to Oprah?

2007-07-27T16:34:00.000-04:00

Okay, admittedly, I haven't really watched "Oprah" well, since I was on maternity leave with Mitchell or there abouts so I'm a bit out of touch with daytime tv but what the hell has happened to Oprah? I had to turn it off after 10 minutes or so today. It definitely wasn't because of the guest or topic. I am passionately in love with Mike Rowe who was today's guest (Dave knows and has accepted it) and as much as I adore watching him in anything - even though the topic for the day was "where poop goes" - I just couldn't stand HER. What an attitude change from several years ago. She was very off-putting.

I know there are those that view her as a demi-goddess but wow... does she layer subliminal messages into her show to keep viewers watching her and women over 35 adoring her? I just don't get it. She doesn't even seem like someone I would want to hang out with let alone devote one hour a day to.

Just to make myself feel better: here's a pic of Mike Rowe in case you aren't familiar with him. Dreamy....

Okay, my Oprah rant is done but I'd love to hear what you have to say about it.

A Lazy Day

2007-07-27T11:46:00.000-04:00

Everyone and everything is lazing around here today...

This is an older picture of Mitchell but I thought it was too cute not to put in. When I tried to take his picture as he was lazing today he screamed and ran. Ahh the joy of 3-year-olds.

Izzy the very spoiled Airedale. The dog can fall asleep in any position. It's a gift.

Loquacious Brown (Loki) fell asleep reading Cesar's Way. He'll get these dogs trained yet.

Rudy, my canine soulmate, will get up and come to you if you even whisper his name. No matter how long he's been sleeping. He is the best dog ever. And they say pit bulls are vicious.

BooYa has been in this same position for hours now and will probably continue to be for hours to come.

Ol' Rip came over as I was taking pictures because he thought I had food. When he realized I didn't, this is the attitude I got. He is definitely Dave's dog.

Yes, there is one more cat, Sinny. She is outside at the moment, lazing around I'm sure.

2007-07-20T23:28:00.000-04:00

Another "test".

Your Intrapersonal Intelligence Score: 85%

Your Intrapersonal Intelligence is Very High

You've spent a lot of time introspecting, and it's really paid off.

You are comfortable with who you are, and you have a life philosophy that you are happy to live by.

And you're always re-evaluating what you believe. Because you learn something new about yourself each day!

How Does Your Intrapersonal Intelligence Rate?

2007-07-20T14:53:00.000-04:00

This is my wierd addition of the day. Strikingly close to accurate, although I quite like British people. I prefer to torment holier than though yet hypocritical Christians. Everybody has to have a hobby, right? :^)!

Let me know your Monster names!

Your Monster Profile

Undead Enigma

You Feast On: Lasanga

You Lurk Around In: Wal-mart

You Especially Like to Torment: British People

What's" Your Monster Name?

I really don't understand the appeal of blogging - but here goes!

2007-07-19T14:25:00.000-04:00

Okay...so all of these people I like (and several that I absolutely don't like) have blogs. Honestly, I don't understand the appeal. maybe because in my first real introduction to one I got burned by an entry from my former boss and it's just left a bad taste in my mouth about it. Maybe it's because it seems kinda clique-y - again attributing this to two of my former bosses. It's probably because I don't understand why anyone would find what I want to write about even mildly interesting.

I guess I'll find out.

One reason that I AM creating this blog is that I found a site that offers all kinds of free tests that you can post on your blog and other people can link to and take as well. I've always loved taking tests. Look for plenty to show up here.

Dogs are barking and I need to think about what to make Mitchell for lunch. More to come...