Dumb Things My Dogs Do - Vol. 4

It's been a while since I've posted another installment of Dumb Things My Dogs Do.  Trust me it is not from a lack of activity, I've just been slow to update you.

I will start off with the best story.  When my husband and I went on vacation for a week this January we left Cooper and Derby at doggy daycare.  It's a place where they don't stay in kennels, but get to run and play in a big room with other dogs.  They love it and have stayed there many many times.  So imagine our surprise, when just a few days into our trip we get a message from my sister-in-law that Cooper got sick. . . and had to be taken to the emergency vet. . . and she was now going to watch Cooper and Derby for the rest of our vacation.  Our theory was that Cooper didn't want to be left for a week without us, and made himself sick to get him and Derby out of doggy daycare and to stay with Aunt Krista.  When we finally got home, the doggy daycare called us and said that Cooper was not the only dog that got sick and something was going around.  Nothing like coming home to some awesome vet bills.  Everyone on vacation with us had a good laugh at Cooper's expense.

It has snowed over a foot here, and to watch Derby walk through the snow is the funniest thing.  He is very careful of where he steps, and if he can help it, he will step in my footsteps so it is easier for him, I have never seen a dog do that before.  Other times he will tear around the yard like it's a game.  He also will pounce chunks of snow and ice and then try to eat them.

When we came home last Friday I parked in the street so I could shovel our driveway out.  The dogs had been outside with me helping.  When the snow plow was coming through our street I went to move my car, and was stuck.  So we put the dogs inside while my husband and I and the snow plow driver and our neighbor all worked to get my car unstuck.  A few minutes in, and both dogs are trotting down the driveway to see what is going on, so we put them back inside.  A few minutes later, and they are coming down the drive again.  My husband finally put them inside and wedged a broom in the door handle so they couldn't get out again.  It really is no longer a challenge for Cooper to open the door, he just does it when he wants out.

We have a big hill behind our house, and with the recent snow, it is a very popular sledding area.  For the past week there have been at least 30 people on the hill at all times.  The funny thing is the dogs will fall asleep in the living room and when they wake up they start barking at the sledders all over again.  Last time it snowed they would run out to just they edge of the hill to check out the sledders, this time the snow is too deep so they watch from a far, preferably from their chairs inside.

Just a Little Sunshine

If you haven't heard, Kansas has been hit by the one-two punch of winter storms Q and Rocky.  I enjoy watching the snow fall, but now I wouldn't mind if it would stop.  The piles of snow are getting so tall I don't know if they will ever melt, and I don't know if my back and arms can take another round of shoveling the driveway.

My husband and I have had the good fortune to spend most of January in much warmer climates like, Phoenix, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and Houston.  So to remind me of sunnier, warmer days, I will share a few of our trip pictures.

First up, Phoenix, Arizona to watch the K-State Wildcats in the Fiesta Bowl.

Unfortunately, the Cats lost, and to top things off I got food poisoning and spent a whole day in the hotel (I won't explain further).

Before we caught our flight home we had a few hours to kill, so we stopped by this old historic house (I can't remember the name) that was one of the first in Phoenix.

Next we were off to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.  We spent a week at an all-inclusive resort with my parents and 8 other family friends.  We had a blast, and I wish I was back there now.

My adorable (and maybe drunk) parents.

The rest of the group (sorry it's a little dark).

Finally, we went to Houston, Texas for a work convention.  It was a lot of long days, but the weather was great, and we got to see a lot of friends we haven't seen in a while.

I hope these photos help Spring to come a little sooner.

Christmas In February

My in-laws were supposed to come stay with us for a few days after Christmas, but stuff came up, life happens, and they weren't able to make it out to our house.  Fast forward to last weekend, and they came up for the weekend to help my sister-in-law plan her June wedding.  We finally got the chance to exchange Christmas gifts with them, hence Christmas in February.

And check out what my mother-in-law got me.

It's a purple scarf with a blingy power cat on it.  My parents will hate it.  I can't wait to wear it to the up coming Big 12 men's basketball tournament.  I think it will look good next to KU crimson and blue and OU crimson and cream.

Worries

Last week a 16 year-old girl from my husband's home town was killed in a car accident.  The driver of the car swerved to miss a deer and then over corrected and rolled the car.

My husband latter told me that his biggest worry is that I will do the same thing, and swerve to miss hitting a deer on one of my many trips back and forth from Wichita.  I promised my husband, that if a deer crosses my path while I'm driving I will hit that deer head on.  Not sure that was the reassurance he was looking for.

I like to think I am a very independent woman, and that I can handle anything.  But sometimes it is nice to know that my husband worries about me.

Wannabe

I enjoy cooking, and I like to write (although you wouldn't know that by the lack of posts on here).  And some days I like to think I could be a food blogger.  I could write funny antidotes about my cooking and show you beautiful pictures of the finished dish.  But then I come back to reality, and realize that I am just a food blogger wannabe.

My favorite food blog is thepioneerwoman.com.  Her writing is witty and funny, and she will easily make fun of herself in the kitchen.  She takes the most beautiful food photos, that make you want to lick your computer screen.  Most importantly, her recipes are all things I would like to eat.

Here are the reasons I will never be a food blogger.

1.  I don't own a camera.  Every picture seen on here was taken with my iphone.  And while cell phone cameras have come a long way, I don't think I will be winning any awards anytime soon for my iphone photos.  I am also not very good at setting up that mouth-watering shot.  I am lucky if I push everything else on the counter out of the way so you don't see what a disaster my kitchen is when I cook.

2.  I don't write my own recipes.  Almost everything I make comes from the internet, okay really it all comes from Pinterest.  I am a little bit addicted to that website.  Now don't get me wrong I will put my own spin on things every now and then, but for the most part I am just remaking what I saw online.  And if you have ever read any of the other wannabe food blogger's pages, if you don't credit back where you found the recipe (and rightfully so), the crazy food blogger women of the world will come after you.  I don't want to run that risk.

3.  It would be a sad, small food blog.  I haven't found the time recently to blog on here, let alone add food.  And the amount that I cook recently seems to be limited too.  Between travel and eating out, cooking is only on the weekends.

After all of the reasons why I will never be a food blogger, I thought I would show you a few of the items I whipped up in the kitchen (months ago) and finally pulled the photos off my phone and posted them to this blog.  Enjoy!

I made Shrimp Bisque from scratch using a recipe from Bon Appetit.

These are cookies I found on Pinterest, I think the plastic container adds to the yummy factor.

www.happygoluckyblog.com/2012/05/cool-whip-cookies-with-sprinkles.html

And finally, Egg Pizza, or the only items in my refrigerator so I threw them on a pizza. 

iPhone Clean Out

Since writing a blog post appears to be too taxing for me.  I thought I would update you with a few photos from my phone (because I don't actually own a camera).

I decided to be a little crafty the other day and made these lovely items.

Derby also decided to be a little crafty with the left over yarn.  

You're right, having the yarn neatly in a ball was boring.

Is this not the most beautiful cake you have ever seen?  Congrats Annela and Marcos!

My dogs made me some artwork on the kitchen floors.  Don't ever buy dark hardwood floors.  

You have been warned.

Check out the new "toy" we got at the office the other day.

I stopped by Baker University, and finally saw the new sidewalk my sorority put in for our 100th anniversary.

Synchronized sleeping is a real event.  Rio 2016!

Derby in is his K-State jersey.

Check out those guns!

Dumb Things My Dogs Do - Vol. 3

My life just wouldn't be what it is without our dogs constantly doing crazy things.

Let's start off with Cooper.  I bought a house when I was single, and we still own it today and are trying to rent it out.  We had some perspective renters coming to look at the house, so we took the dogs with us to show the house.  I am standing on the back patio of the house, showing the prospective renter the backyard and answering questions.  Cooper runs to the middle of the yard and starts throwing up neon green slime.  Thanks Cooper, nothing says "rent our house" like dog vomit in the backyard.

(Cooper is fine, we think he ate something in the yard and then promptly threw it up)

Just in case you were still wondering, Cooper is still crazy.  Don't be fooled by the many times I have said recently that he is much better and can be left alone now.  We were in our work apartment, where we normally muzzle and kennel the dogs so they can't get into trouble.  I had to run back to the office to pick up my car, so we just put the dogs in the kennel with no muzzles on.  I was gone 10-15 minutes max.  In that short time frame Cooper managed to completely shred the comforter that was in their kennel.  Nothing like fiber fill everywhere.  Derby decided to spread the mess all over our apartment.  We are trying to move to a new apartment, and fiber fill clean up was just what I needed.

Speaking of Derby, my husband and I are convinced this dog is part billy goat.  He will eat, or attempt to eat anything and everything he comes in contact with.  Fiber fill from dog toys or blankets, yum!  The other day I saw him eat a sticker/burr; that has to be good for the digestive tact.  We all know he ate razors.  Any and all trash we come in contact with on walks must also first be tasted.  Sometimes I will just see Derby walking up to me chewing something, it's always swallowed by the time I get to his mouth.  If I had a dollar for every time I said "What are you eating," or "Don't eat that." I would be a very rich woman.