Purebred Payback

Oh, Mr. Darcy. I mean, Fluff. He is sick...again. Yesterday I came home from meeting with clients that have such a laundry list of issues that I sat with the mother and talked about the weather for 20 minutes. She said, "Hold on, can we talk about something adults would talk about then we can talk about my family. I feel like I only yell at my kids and I just want one conversation today to be about nothing to do with them. Am I a selfish Mom for that?" No, she isn't.

Anyway, I came home and Fluff has some serious drippy eye. It is like a mini-Niagara. His precious little eye-lids are all swollen and he looks like a pirate because he keeps it closed. Sad story Fluff.

I found a cat-only cat clinic up the road we are going check out since the really convenient one across the street is full of a bunch of crazies, as I found out when Georgia decided to jump a deck while Mama was out of town. Ugh.

Anyway, Fluff is going there today to check what his pureblood-Persian-inbred-self has this time. Wish us luck and a happy Friday to you all.

EP, for some reason the second I have down time and clearing my head, I am thinking of you. Don't know why, but I hope all is well and I am sending every good thought I have left from this week to you. Give the "two" a snuggle for me and lets chat soon. XOX to you.

Here's What's Up.

I don't think I blog enough about how much I love my family. We are a team of ladies. Not just your average ladies, but super-human ladies. We roll with each others punches, we work together, we cry, we laugh, we laugh more, and we love. We treat each other with compassion, we get carried away, we try too hard, and we fumble. But, when it comes down to it, I have no doubt these people are the reason why I wake up knowing I am luckier for being surrounded by them, and I am a happier person because we choose to be a part of each other's lives.

My Mama is our forgiver. At first glance you think it is to her fault, but then you realize it is her gift. No matter what, my Mama can find the good and work harder than ever to make that good shine. When you are around her, she makes you feel like she is the luckiest to be around you. My Mama makes the best parts of me shine.

My Annie is my best friend and my companion, but most of all, she is our

logic. She brings everyone back down from our emotional escapades and puts the facts at hand in the forefront. The best lesson I have learned from her is to stand back, analyze, lead with what you have observed, and stay true to whatever you believe in. I think she is the reason I am a therapist because I loved mastering the art of stepping back and reflecting, as does she.

Awww Sissy. My Mrs. Smith is a force. She is the strength of us and pushes everyone forward. Her strength manifests itself in every way possible. She has strength in her convictions, she has strength in the way she loves, and she has strength in the way she backs you up. Whatever the issue is, you want Sissy's strength behind you because she is a beautiful and graceful ball of oomph. There is a passion to her strength that makes you want to pull up a chair and watch for hours. Sheer brilliance really.

All Thing Related

I didn't get the job at my internship site. Not because I didn't rock the interview or because they didn't love me, because there is currently a hiring freeze on the position I desperately want. Boo. And to make matters worse, everyone at SMH has come up to me saying I would have been perfect and my supervisor said, "Bummer, and we had already decided on hiring you for the job!" Double boo. Anyway, because I don't have a job and I only have my internship for 15 hours a week, I have plenty of extra time to make God knows what from scratch.

What's been cookin' at my house:

Blueberry muffins

French Vanilla Ice Cream

Chocolate Ice Cream

Turkey Burgers

Coffee Cake Muffins

Corn Bread

Chicken Meatballs

Potstickers

(Please give me more ideas of things I can make because I don't think it is a safe idea for me to make my way through the entire frozen desserts section of my Test Kitchen cookbook. Thanks)

When I am bored or have extra time, I cook. When I cook, I get fat. When I get fat, I get sad. It's a vicious cycle really, and I think I will blame it on my internship site because they can't budget correctly, therefore they have frozen a position I am perfect for. On that note, I will continue the vicious cycle and finnish making my chocolate and peanut covered frozen bananas.

Enjoy your weekend and I am sure to return with some entertaining stories as Dave and I are going put-put golfing tonight and hiking Cougar Mt. tomorrow morning:)

A New Kind of Mad

Dude, Dave and I went to work out this morning at 7am...I know right, me? Yes way! Anyway, we come home sweaty and smelling like serious ass when I am blasted by the smell of cigarettes in the apartment. Ugh.

Background information:

For about the last 4 months, since our downstairs neighbor moved in, we have had the distinct wafting nastiness of cigarette smell coming into our apartment. Since it's summer and 70+ degrees everyday, our back slider is always open to let in a nice cross breeze in and let the kitties roam. Unfortunately, at least 3 times a day we have to sprint to the door and quickly close all of the windows so the smell doesn't permeate our lungs and furniture. I cannot do my annoyance level justice. I want to crawl down and freak on these people.

Here's the thing, I made sure we found an apartment where we could have our cats and be honest to our landlord. I would understand if this wasn't a cat friendly complex and someone told on me because they were allergic or just plain didn't like cats (Which I don't understand these people at all, because really, who really doesn't like cats?) Anyway, it would be my own fault if I got in trouble for not seeking out a place to live where cats are allowed and risking getting in trouble because I broke the rules. SAME GOES FOR THESE SMOKERS, IT'S NOT ALLOWED HERE!!!!! I am sure you all can find a place that lets you roast your insides and where you don't bother your healthy neighbors. Why is it that I have to be the tattle-tail (which I don't mind being so long as I get results, which I have yet to see) and these people can't follow the rules? I am, so they should!

Either way, Dave and I have told on them more that a 1st grader tells on the kid who peed his pants. I am just about feed up with this, but I don't know what else to do. Mrs. Smith, can they be evicted because of this? What else can I do?

Meanwhile, I hope you all enjoy your day and think of me as you breath clean air while I consider getting a gas mask.

Youz a liar, Mama

When I was growing up, I would hear one of these three phrases over and over and over daily from my sweet Mama:

1. "Stop biting your nails!" or this variation "Get your hands out of your mouth!"

2. "Oh you are definitely going to college, and grad school too!"

3. "Lucky for you, I don't have a stretch mark on me. You'll be thanking me when you give birth because you will bounce back with not a mark on you."

Well, I stopped biting my nails, thank-you-very-much, and I went to college, and grad school too! But, guess what you big lying jerk face, I HAVE THE STRETCH MARK YOU SWORE I WOULDN'T GET!!!! Ugh.

Today, as I contorted my body in a way that no body should twist to get a better look at the grand canyon on my hip, I quickly did what my Annie has always taught me to do in such desperate, and daunting times: research! I got online and found every bit of research on what to do for my lonely canyon and went on to purchased $40 worth of stretch-mark-blasting-deep-moisturizing-cocoa-butter-lather I could find.

Thus, thanks a lot Mama for lying to my face. I think of you everytime I lather up and have to look at this nasty reminder that we do not in fact, share THIS particular gene.

Home Again.

Sweet EP's pup was lost and now is back with his beloved. I took this photo of him last month and I cannot believe how regal he is and how dignified his new gray hairs make him look. He looks so statuesque in photos, until you meet him in real-life, and he is a body-wagging-panting-bundle-of-cute! Atticus is the sweetest of sweets...welcome back home pup!