Wrig's new Crabby

This dog is OBSESSED with his new toy crab.












Aside from eating, the thing never leaves his mouth.

he even takes it outside when he goes potty...

and again (final update)

Just about to walk out the door when another bird hit the window. This one is barely alive. His eye is covered in blood and he can't close his beak. I wrapped him in a towel and brought him inside to the downstairs bathroom to keep him warm. I don't want to leave him alone.

I don't feel it's right to take a picture because he doesn't look very good. But I want him to be prayed for and remembered.

I'm going back down to be with him.

update:

His eye is no longer red, but it's clouded over. His beak is almost closed and he's moving his head somewhat panicked. I don't want to scare him into a heart attack so I've left him to settle a bit. He's still in the bathroom wrapped in a towel in a box since it's too cold outside.

In the meantime, I've removed the decal to the window upstairs (the only one I'm able to reach) and done this:

I could give 2 sh*ts that it looks like Sanford & Son. I'm just mad at myself for not thinking of this sooner. The back windows are still a big problem though.

Going to check on the little guy. Be back soon.

update:

Little guy's beak is closed!!! He doesn't seem as stunned. I took a quick photo (without a flash of course). He is such a sweet heart! This guy better make it.



update:
The sun is shining brightly so I put him back outside to see how he does. He is looking at me like, "who the hell?" but he looks sooooooo much better!



***(final update)***

Let's just say, miracles can happen:



I did not think this bird was going to make it based on the first few moments after he hit. Who knows if he's going to fly off and die but he certainly did not look like the same bird that was brought into the house. The bleeding eye makes me think he has a brain hemorrhage which could mean his brain is still swelling and then who knows what. But I want to think that he's going to be ok. I don't think he can see out of that one eye though. Do you think the clouding over will disappear in time?

Now I am going to attempt to leave this house without any more animal crisis's. That means no pooping on the countertops Chumley!!!

Chum update w/ videos

So it appears an attempt to use the litter had been made, but then mid way through he abandoned the idea. I spared you all that photo.

Here are my pleas to get Chum off the counter and cleaned up...







I needed 2 hands to do it so I didn't video tape the clean up. But all is good, the counters have been double cloroxed, rinsed with water and dried.

But now Wrigs has this mysterious white goop on his nose...


Anyone care to pet sit???

Chumley's Face

***Update: 3 different attempts to clean up this cat. All, unsuccessful. He also has a poo paw so what does he do??? He heads over to the pile of mail and starts slapping his paw on the papers. I will download some video now.
---------------------------------------------

If you could have just seen Chumley's face! It was hysterical.

Wrigs was on one side, the vacuum on the other and Chum looked straight up at me like, "Im f*cked." Then he bolted through the chaos and sprinted down the stairs.

If I had time to snap a pic I'm sure it would have won some silly cat expression award. It was one of the funniest things I've witnessed in Chum's almost 15 years. He's still really pissed though. I'm sure he'll probably leave another poo-vomit on the counter.

Yeah, I'm real productive today. Still have mounds of paperwork and files to organize before we start on taxes, hence the vacuuming. And now blogging. My Procrastination Planner is working great!

Off topic: Some economists are saying now is the time to invest but what company to invest in? I thought about this today and came up with one:

Nisson Foods, the makers of Top Ramen.

Btw, there's a retirement community in Seattle called SHAG. I'm thinking that's not such a bad place to be.

Like I predicted, Chum is pissed. There was a poo nugget on the counter and he has poop still stuck to his bottom. I took some video of him trying to chew it off. I think I may also invest in Clorox.

I think I'm just going to keep updating this post all day.

For Milo

KBL: I was going to email this to you but my slow ass computer is having issues with attaching photos in Yahoo mail. I HATE EMAIL!!! Thank God for blogger. Anyway...

The animals were rifling through my desk drawer earlier today and then I found them sitting by their hand made signs...

(click to enlarge and read)
(Wrigs doesn't realize there will be no birthday bash this year. Poor guy.)


Now they are both high off the Sharpies.

Get well soon Milo Bear!

(p.s. we updated Wrigs and Chum's tags when we moved and added REWARD to Chum's tag. Thought you would be happy to know that.)

Stupid Rush Limbaugh

For Rush Limbaugh to actually hope that our President fails is repulsive. He is hoping our country fail as well and all its people. You can read about that tight ass son of a b*tch here. It's people like HIM that will cause this country to fail with their closed minded belief systems and ignorant mind sets. Stupid spineless, neanderthal.

Now onto something positive...

This is one of Tom's birthday gifts that he loves. He's in the clothing business so I thought this was quite fitting (ha! pun not intended)

Barack Obama Magnet Doll mix n' match Wardrobe:


I like to dress him up in a wife beater, with a beer. He looks relaxed.

And of course he's got the red phone in hand, just in case.

Lots-o-links.

(my post from earlier today):

Thanks to Wrigley, who sprawls out in the middle of the sidewalk and refuses to move, I made another new friend. Her name is Chris, she also has a golden retriever named Jasper, and she lives just a few houses away. Interesting thing about her? She was relocated here several years ago from LA! She said that it took her about 3 years to adjust. She didn't like it at all the first year, and then each year it got a little better and now she has the option to move back if she wants, but has decided to continue to stay. It's so nice because she can totally relate to my struggles since she's been there. She no longer has any expectations about the weather. Any day without rain is a good day in her opinion but it took a while to get there. This gives me some hope that maybe I'll be able to make it a couple more years. It's only been 4 months and I'd say so far I'm doing ok.

So the past week we've been taking the dogs for walks, hanging out at each other's houses and yesterday we decided to head downtown for a day at Pike's.

Here are my treasures from the day (minus the wine, Zarafa which is from South Africa, and costs only $3.99 at Trader Joe's. I've seen it for $9 at other stores. It's pretty good with a small plate pairing of spicy meats and tangy cheeses with bread and fruit.)

Anyway onto the goodies!



Got the best tasting proscuito ever and polish mustard at DeLaurenti's.

Watched cheese being made and then bought a carton of cheese curds, aka "squeaky cheese" cuz it squeaks when you chew it, at Beechers.

Had féuilletes and coffee and then bought some apricot jam and french bread to go at Le Panier.

Got some gherkins and sampled a variety of German meats at Bavarian Meats. Ending up taking home a bag of landjagers. Ate some for breakfast this morning. And then Chumley hi-jacked my last bite! Ass! (though this could explain the mysterious looking poo-vomit in previous post)

Stopped at Fran's Chocolates for some delicious smoky sea salt caramels. Took home one or two. Or nine.

Also got some "Oh My God" Grapefruit, (yep, that's the name on the stand) at the fruit/veggie market. There's a really sick and twisted joke to be made regarding the cucumbers across from the grapefruits but I shall refrain. I got some oranges too but not sure what they were called but after eating one today I would think it's "Holy CRAP! These are fantastic!"

We couldn't forget the animals so we headed over to Three Dog Bakery and got Wrigs a drizzle pretzel and Chum some Bonito Flakes. Also got Wrigs a new toy crab which he is OBSESSED with. Will upload some video later.

Since "someone" has a birthday, we stopped in Bell town at Macrina Bakery for a little something sweet. Too bad we bought the one with a big bite missing. Sorry Tom.

After all that we hopped on the freeway and headed north to a store that we both love City People's Garden. This store has EVERYTHING! I got some shabby chic file folders and gloves for over 50% off.

Not a bad day out for a couple of S. Cal transplants.

just curious

When purchasing a new home what would you think if...

a) a homeless person was taking up residence under the deck

b) home appeared to have been broken into

c) hillside above home seemed unsafe

d) every toilet was filled to the brim with sH*t yet the water had been shut off

So, I know we can get the geo-tech guy out to do a survey on the hillside (at least $1k out of pocket) before we officially sign off as owners. And though disgusting and messy, we've already taken care of exhibit (d), but the rest of the issues, I believe these are what we would refer to as "red flags." This is just the tip of the iceburg on how I'm feeling about this W. Seattle house.

There is so much more I want to spew about this, but I can't.

We have 4 days until we must sh*t or get off the pot.

I'm feeling constipated.

Warning: Extremely disgusting picture, do NOT eat while looking at this

I've mentioned how Chumley's been rather aggressive around his food. When I feed him his canned food, he goes crazy: puffs out his cheeks while I'm getting it ready and makes this blowfish type of noise and then dives in face first. I tell him to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n because I'm afraid he's going to choke...or spit up...or ????

THIS?!?

After I fed Chum I left the kitchen for just a couple minutes and came back to this sight though I couldn't figure out what it is. Throw up or bottom's up?!? Either way, he did whatever he did out of whichever end he did it out of and went right on back to eating.

Ahhhhhh. The joy of living with animals.

truth be told

When I was younger, (not like really young but old enough to where I should have known better ) I used to think the term "Mergers and Acquisitions" was called "Murders and Acquisitions" meaning, you're killing one company and acquiring it as your own, then turning it into something else. Now every time I hear it on the news the visual of knifed and bloodied employees comes to mind.

Prayers for Milo

Please keep Milo in your prayers. Here is KBL's post regarding his tumor and surgery. Milo is a VERY sensitive soul. I remember how he was at Wrig's birthday party last year. He was always at his mom or dad's side or at the very least made sure he had his eyes on them at all times. Even when he was crowned winner of the "Longest Stay" competition they had to be in his line of sight. He's such a good boy.

Sweet, sweet Milo Bear. You are in our thoughts and prayers. You are the sweetest boy and are loved by soooo many people. Get better ok big guy? There are too many people waiting to spoil you, especially your Momma.

We love you Fuzzy Bear.
Tom, Laura, Wrigley and Chumley.

can't keep track anymore

I was in the middle of downloading pics and happy thoughts from my day yesterday when smash. Another bird. This one hit the upstairs window so very hard. He didn't make it. His poor neck. It's just sort of hanging. Sweet little baby. I know he didn't suffer but I just can't stop crying right now. He looked so mangled. He flew right into the damn decal so I'm not thinking these things work very well. I want out of this f*cking house.

I wrapped him in newspaper and he looked a little more at peace and then said a little prayer. My head hurts.

Happy Birthday Tom!

Even though you uproot us every few years, I still love you very, very much! (How's that for a passive-aggressive birthday greeting?)

But seriously there isn't anyone else on this planet I would want to travel through time with.

So have a Happy Birthday BIG BAD BUG!!!

Love,
your wifey

Chumley bit my eyebrow

About once a month I do full body checks on the animals, feeling for lumps, bumps, nodules, corn cobs, etc. Of course Wrigs splays out like a flying squirrel and lets me go to town, enjoying what he thinks is a full body massage. Chum? Well that's another story. I'm thinking I need to wear one of these from now on, or maybe I should just skip his massage entirely. I'm thinking that's not such a bad idea.

Chum's still pretty pissed off right now. He's huffing and puffing and knocking things off the counter and then hitting my computer. Is there such a thing as kitty roid rage??

He's also becoming more aggressive around food. He even tries to eat Wrigley's food out of his bowl while Wrigs eats! Wrigs isn't a fan of anyone milling around his food so he eats really fast and then starts to cough and make this horrible choking sound. He coughed up a few kernels and Chum ate them off the ground.


And we all know how he hates to share water...


I hate to say it, but I'm starting to think I have a high maintenance cat.

Dilemma

There is a spider on the stem of my wine glass.

What does Obama do?

My girlfriend from Portland calls tonight and tells me that she and her almost 4 year old son, Ely, watched the inauguration today.

She asked him, "Do you know what President Obama is going to do?"

his reply, "He's going to fix the news."

This kid is brilliant.

The Procrastinator's Calendar

I just got this Procrastinator's Day Planner at a little shop in town.

You can order one here but right now, they are out of stock.

Sort of makes sense though, doesn't it?

studying???

I'm sitting at a coffee shop next to 2 giggly college students, each with their lap tops open to facebook, as they post messages, view pics and instant message. One of the girls gets a phone call and after saying hello she says, "We're just studying." I'm guessing it was her mother.

Guaranteed I wouldn't have made it through my freshman year of college if blogging, texting and web camming were around back then. Or maybe I would have started a movement to make them a combined major. A degree in Social Networking? I probably would have been crowned Valedictorian. Do they even wear crowns? Or no that's prom queen. But Valedictorians must have something special on their caps that separate them from the slack asses. I'll check google.

Like I said, it's a good thing this wasn't around back in the day.

drunk on Vitamin D

I just had to capture the animals basking in their vitamin D. They are not moving from their sunny spots and they are staring right into the sun, just like their momma!

Chumley keeps opening and closing his eyes, just drinking it all in. It looks like he's meditating. I can't handle how cute he is right now. I am going to have to take more pictures.





(Sorry for the fuzzy pics. I used my new cell phone camera. Obviously not the best quality but better than my last phone.)

DMV job requirement- must have sh*t for brains

Over a month ago, we received a notice in the mail (forwarded from our old address in CA) to renew my vehicle registration. I returned the notice along with a letter stating that we moved out of state and now the car is registered in Washington. So then a couple of weeks go by, and I get another notice (again forwarded from our old address), stating if I didn't provide proof of registration by the end of the month I would be facing legal action. So I called the DMV office and when I finally got through to the cheerful, customer service oriented DMV employee (yes, sarcasm) I explained that I had been relocated out of California and now live in the state of Washington and had sent a letter weeks ago informing the DMV of this move. She spouted off a list of more asinine steps that needed to be completed, so I asked her, "What's going to happen to me if I don't do these things?" She told me in her ever sweet demeanor that my car would be impounded. I told her that I'll take my chances. Then she barked, "It is AGAINST THE LAW to not have registration in the state of CA." I asked her what part of moving out of state does she and the DMV not understand!?!? I felt like I was talking to a styrofoam peanut so I hung up and a day or so later sent all the crap they wanted: proof of registration as well as insurance, along with our contact information and address and what did I just get in the mail???

ANOTHER vehicle registration notice from the state of California!!!

The best part about this is that the notice is addressed to our house here in Seattle. You'd think that would have tipped off SOMEONE over there, since the last time I checked, it is not mandatory to register your vehicle in the state of California if you live in the state of Washington.

Instead of going back and forth on this issue again, I think I'll just mail back a fecal sample and see what happens.

Why I haven't blogged this weekend

2 reasons:

Karen!!!

(and)

SUN! SUN! SUN! BLUE SKIES ARE HERE AGAIN!

I couldn't have asked for a better combination.

Laughter, conversation, West Seattle house debacle, sushi, SUN!!!, walks, sitting in my garage, wine, more laughter, conversation, sharing our pasts, tears, more wine, Chumley bite (I'm soooooooo sorry Karen, and if you need to go to a doctor I INSIST on covering it), bundled in blankets, extreme chill in my house, Wrig's love, conversation, MORE SUN!!!, delicious coffee and breakfast, sitting in my driveway, (yes my neighbors think we're completely insane) walks, open house, conversation, BRIGHT SUN!! BLUE SKY!!!, saying goodbye. 

Perfect weekend.

My senses are alive and my soul feels nourished.

Thank you dear friend for bringing the sunshine back into my life. 

We love and miss you. 

(Well maybe not Chum and again, I am soooooo sorry and embarrassed about that.)

Wrigley & Chumley & a bowl of water

Wrigley and Chumley REALLY love water:

Let it be known that both of these beasts have their own separate water bowls filled to the brim downstairs. But from the looks of it, you'd think they hadn't had a sip in 3 days:

Thanks to Chumley's water obsession, we have an over abundance of these:

(those are Chumley's pee clumps. 2 days worth.) 

Wrigs says "Ewwww"

...but then decides to lay next to the smelly sack of clumps doing his best amputee impersonation...

Now he says, "Enough with the pictures. Get rid of this stuff!"

one reason I love my new phone...

Because it has a "poo" icon in the clip art file.

Here is a pic I took of Tom earlier today, multi-tasking:

Can you see the poo??? I added it into the photo.

If you look really close there are flies swirling above it. It's hard to see in this picture but it's pretty clear on my phone.

So what if my phone can't hold a charge.

At least there is poo.

(I just looked at this again and realized Tom has a watermelon shaped head that tends to veer left in this photo. It must have been the angle because his head doesn't slope to the left and if you ask me, it's more of a butternut squash shape. Just wanted to clear that up so as not to offend him.)

care to dance?

The music of Guster is happy and hokey and makes your toes start tapping. Just had to put some on to get me outta this funk. It's helping. (btw, the video above was made by a high school English class. Pretty good isn't it?)

And here's a little funny clip for this frigid January night.


Happy Friday!

I smell something

I'm sitting here at the kitchen counter procrastinating the worst possible task of all times: TAX DOCUMENT PREPARATION. For an Independent Contractor, it's a royal pain in the ass and something I dread every year. Anyway, as I sit I start to smell a little poop. I check Chum's litter and it's just the usual monster sized pee clumps so I grab for the animals. After a full bottom search on both Wrigs and Chum (that was fun) still not even a dingle or berry to be found.

I sit back down on the stool (with one foot tucked under my butt) and again I smell the poop. It's driving me mad so I look at my shoes and there is a trace of what I thought was mud from our walk earlier today. Well mud it is not. I've tracked dog crap all through the house as well as smeared it all over my own ass.

This whole time I was the smelly one and it wasn't even my own poop.

Gross.

The sunshine vitamin study

Karen emailed this article to me today: Vitamin D: Lifesaving Supplement

I'm cutting and pasting on here with my personal notes included (in red:)

"Low vitamin D levels have been associated with osteoporosis, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. (as well as spousal abuse, uncontrollable cursing,  foot stomping and spoon throwing) And it gets worse: According to new research, adults who don't get enough of the "sunshine vitamin" are 26 percent more likely to die early. (from suicide attempts???) A 12-year study of 13,000 men and women didn't finger any one cause of death, "because vitamin D's impact on health is so widespread," (particularly in the Seattle metropolitan area) says researcher Michal Melamed, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. (you really need a medical degree from Einstein college to tell me this?) Besides drinking fortified milk, she suggests that you: (drink Vodka for breakfast everyday)

Get a little sun. (Here is problem number 1.) ( Just 10 to 15 minutes of midday sunshine (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) several days a week may do the trick (and how does one suggest we do that here?!) (apply sunscreen after those few minutes). (I'm sorry, sunscreen?? What is that?)

Take supplements. (Or drink more vodka for lunch) Winter rays in northern climates (above a line approximately between the northern border of California and Boston) may be too weak to provide benefits. (No way! I don't believe it) Supplements can help. (again more Vodka) A review of 18 studies showed that those who took vitamin D supplements lived longer than those who took a placebo. (side note: All 18 studies were conducted in San Diego, CA) For adults, 800 IU daily is considered safe. (Liar. I've been taking it everyday and I still want to bang my head into a wall. Next.) The American Academy of Pediatrics recently doubled the amount it recommends for infants, children, and adolescents, to 400 IU. Look for products labeled D3 for greatest potency and absorption." (or buy yourself a big tub of glue and sniff that instead.)

I'm going bat Sh*t crazy in this sunless wonder.

my new toy

***Update: Stupid cell phone will not hold a charge. Rebecca in Chicago if you're reading this: keep your trap shut!!!!***

I got a new cell phone today. Those of you who know me, know that I've had issues with every single cell phone ever purchased. Half of them end up thrown across a room and the other half, I end up keeping until wires have sprung out the sides and smoke signals appear while texting.

My last cell phone was this cute little white Samsung tic tac looking thing. I can't find any pics because they don't make them anymore but what I loved about this phone was that it fit into every single pocket of clothing I own. The downside? It sucked as a phone. There was always a delay while speaking and sometimes I'd hear an echo which was extremely annoying so I basically stopped using it as a phone. Last month I only used 44 of my 1500 anytime minutes and unfortunately T-mobile doesn't offer roll overs. If they did I would probably have a total of 443,672,988 minutes to spare over the last few years.

I'm not very practical when it comes to picking out cell phones. There are only 3 requirements that must be met:

1) Must fit in my jeans pocket.
2) Must have a keypad, no touch screens.
&
3) Must come in a cute color.

So today, while shopping at Costco for a rice cooker, I found my new phone:


It's the Samsung Gravity which came out in November and while it's double the size of my old phone, it can still fit snuggly into my pocket PLUS it has a full size keyboard which is perfect for texting. I text a lot more than I talk. Bonus.

So if you're on the market for a new phone and are curious about this one check out this guy's video demonstration on the Gravity. But I'm warning you now, try not to fall in love with the guy. He seems like quite the lady's man.

I like how he sounds all robot like (at :36) when he says really fast, "It feels-really nice--to text on." And I think he color coordinated his sweater to match the aqua accents in the phone. I'm telling you...this guy is a rock star!!!

Ok I'm going to finish watching the video demo (if I can handle the hotness!!) and learn about my new phone.

Oh My God

My thoughts and prayer go out to everyone affected by this crash. I hope people can get out safely.

The news just said the pilot may have hit a flock of geese and that may have caused the accident???

YAY!!! They just said all the passengers have made it out of the plane safely. Could you even imagine if you had a loved one on that flight??? They must be so happy to know everyone is ok.

Thank God.

Sweet Chum

Chumley lays in weird places...


Like the top of my shins:


It can't be comfortable for him and it's really not too pleasant for me:


Especially when both animals demand to be pet and will squirm or meow once I stop:


But I'll put up with a little discomfort.

These sweet cat moments are few and far between.

You've got to be F***ING KIDDING ME!!

update:

So the bird hit the window and landed on the side of the deck and then fell down below the deck into a pile of leaves. I grabbed a box, towel and of course my black leather mittens, (aka bird rescue gloves) and hiked down the hill, literally scaling the side of the house because it is that steep. I slipped a couple times in the mud, but did not fall, but I'm thinking that is why my back is killing me. Anyway, I get down to the pile of leaves where I saw the bird land off the deck but he was no where to be found. Could he have flown away in the time it took me to gather the bird gear?? Or could a hawk or crow have swooped in and gobbled him up??? I searched and searched and searched through an endless pile of leaves, carefully sliding the leaves away with my foot so I wouldn't accidentally step on the bird but I never did find him. I was even making chirping sounds in hopes that he would answer. I came back inside thoroughly depressed and then surprisingly, my afternoon took a turn for the better. I'll update in a bit. My back is seizing up and it's shooting through my shoulder blades. I'm going to hook up to the tens machine for a little relief...

----------

ANOTHER BIRD JUST SMASHED INTO THE WINDOW.

FLEW RIGHT INTO THE DAMN ULTRA VIOLET CLING.

I'M LOSING MY FLIPPING MIND PEOPLE!!!

Yet another momism

(as we were on the phone discussing Tom's upcoming birthday)

MOM
"Does Tom need rubbers?"

ME
"WHAT!?!?!" (*enter horrifically, disturbing visual, forever ingrained in my skull*)

MOM
"They go over his shoes, so they don't get wet."

ME
"Oh those." (*breathing again) "No. He doesn't need any. But Wrigley does."

This dog is a sopping mess after our walks.

Wrigs is now on a diet so he only gets healthy snacks like fresh fruit and veggies. Here he is today trying a little slice of cucumber for the first time. And then of course Chumley has to make an appearance as always...

not always what it seems

You'd think this picture was the result of a hot steamy sex act in which I flung my bra across the room in a fit of passion.


The reality?

Tom popped a pimple on my back and the bra was getting in the way.

His theory on why I am now getting pimples (pimps as we call them):

"Because you wear 16 layers of clothing all day long and to bed!"

This statement is false. The most I've ever worn is 4. (5 if you include the down vest) so he needs to get his facts straight.

I think it's because my back and shoulders are severely sun deprived and they are protesting by sending in the troops (the pimps). I'm going to try sitting with my back to the sun light this morning. Let's hope my neighbors aren't home.

Ok real quick, did anyone watch American Idol last night? I refuse to get sucked into that show but last night when Ryan went to high five the blind guy I thought, "WTF are you doing!?!?!" Then he tried to save it by reaching for the guy's hand but OMG, sometimes Ryan acts sun deprived too.

Another bird hit the window

(*updates below...including video and final update)

this time HARD.

I got him in a box and wrapped up in a towel. He's such a little guy too. This just rips out my heart. I pray that he's going to make it.

I will update in a bit.

9:30am
Here is a picture of the sweetheart. Not keeping his eyes open very much. I'm going to stay with him for a bit and keep him awake. Please say a little prayer? I know that might sound hokey to ask for prayers for a little bird of nature but we are all God's creatures and have a will and desire to be on this earth. And this guy is struggling but he's able to move his head so he may have a chance. I think pretty much everyone who reads and comments on here is an animal/nature lover so I don't think it's too crazy to ask for prayers. Plus I feel partly responsible for renting this house with all these blasted windows so I am going to do whatever it takes to not lose another innocent soul.



I took some pics of the stupid windows that the birds keep smashing into.

this is the main one in the living room where the majority of casualties occur:



this one is in the study area and thankfully there is covering on the lower part which helps a lot:



this is at the front of the house where we've had a couple birds hit but only lost one (as far as we know):



10:00am
Wrigs is concerned and keeps watch over the little guy.



I really think a career in nursing is in his future. He is being very calm and quiet, as he looks after little bird. (and yes, those are 2 more sun lights in the background.)



10:30am
Litte Bird has perked up and is looking aroud!



Having some issues uploading to youtube but here is some video from 11am:



He wasn't ready to go. He rested for a bit and then as he was sitting on my hand he hopped up my arm and then flew to the ledge:



...where he sat for a bit. Still not quite ready to go.

I headed inside to figure out how to stick on these static cling things because the LAST thing I wanted was for this poor guy to fly right back into a window. The cling things on these tall windows are a disaster, one is stuck on the bottom ledge of the top window so I'll have to wait for Tom to get home and bring in the ladder. And the other I sort of threw half ass on the front window (because I was literally hanging over the balcony, one tip toe touching the ground) but it didn't end up in a great place so we'll try to fix that with the ladder too.

After dealing with that I went back to check on little bird and he was chirping! Such a precious little squeak chirp. The camera was inside and I thought about rushing back to get it but it was too late because after a few chirps he hopped off the ledge and off he flew! He chirped as he soared through the trees and he looked strong and steady. This has made my day!

Thank you to everyone who kept this little guy in your thoughts and prayers. I am grateful for your kindness.

And now, I'm off to finally START my day!

what in the heck?

Tom asks, "Where did you put the pedophile?"

"EXCUSE ME!?!"

"You know, that thing we use for Wrigley's nails???"

"You mean Pedi-paws?"

"Yeah, that thing."

For a minute there I thought we were smuggling perverts.

Marley & Me

So I caved. Tom and I decided to go out for a movie tonight and we ended up seeing Marley & Me. I thought I could be strong and hold it together but after about 40 minutes, the tears started flowing. Big tears. I had to slump down in my seat to hide my ugly scrunched up trying-to-stop the tears face. I looked over at Tom and he wasn't faring much better (though thankfully, he doesn't scrunch up his face when he cries.)

That movie knocked us both on our asses. Especially the ending. Reminded me of saying goodbye to my childhood pet, Taffee - a 17 year old Cock-A-Poo. And then sadder still were the images that flashed through my mind of our sweet heart boy Wrigs in his golden years (hopefully many, many, many years down the line.) That's really when we both lost it. Surprisingly there was only one other couple in the theater sniffling and wiping their eyes. It wasn't a full house but it was weird to see the majority of people sitting there stoned faced, like they were watching a championship chess tournament. I remarked to Tom that maybe these people are already so depressed because of a lack of vitamin D, so a sad dog movie has zero affect on them. We convinced ourselves that maybe the stone faces never loved or owned a dog because we just couldn't imagine any pet owner sitting through this movie without showing some sort of emotion. But then again, we're all different so who knows. But I made a mental note to double up on my D pills, at least until Spring.

We had planned to go out and eat a nice meal in the city after the movie. As we headed down the escalator I asked Tom what he felt like eating for dinner. He said it didn't really matter to him then asked me what I wanted. I told him I wasn't really that hungry. Then he said the magic words, "Do you just want to go home?"

"YES!"

"And hug Wrigs?" he asked.

"Yes." I said, still wiping my eyes. "And Chumley too."

Then he hugged me right there on the escalator and said:

"Let's not get carried away now."


Blessings to you and to all the beautiful beasts in your lives.

Even the "Chumleys."

Nowhere Warm

Since I can't warm up (in 3 layers and a hat) I'm listening to this song. I posted a link a while ago but it's so beautiful it deserves another shout out (even though it makes me cold.) I love Kate Havnevik's music, it's perfect background music no matter what you're doing. And if you have a great sound system, even better. So many different instruments, beats and vocals that all blend together so well.

Enjoy and stay warm!



Oh, one last thing, I found this creative video on MSN's website on How To Be Happy. In case you've fallen astray on your New Year's Resolutions, or haven't made any altogether, the steps mentioned in this little video might be just what you need.

Stay warm and happy!!

Here's todays!

This is now my new favorite thing to check:


I will be checking this site everyday, just for the weather comments.


(it may be cold in Chicago but at least there is SUN!! I'll take "UGH" over "SUCK ASS RAINY GRAY SOG" any day!!!)

This the header on the Chicago Sun Times online news page. Check out the weather:


Someone over there is pretty damn funny!

We're Japanese tonight.

I'm making Japanese Curry for dinner tonight and while making a hot mess out of the kitchen the song Big in Japan comes on Sirius radio. Coincidence? I think not. I think I'm turning Japanese. How awesome were the 80's!?!?

I figured out why the Japanese stay so skinny. It is such a fricking production to cook their food! I am working up a sweat running from stove to sink to counter to triple check directions (instructions?? what do you call cooking steps?) and it's exhausting. I told Tom that if he doesn't ooh and ahh over this blasted meal (that probably won't be ready til 9pm at the rate I'm going) I will sew his lips shut and never feed him again.

After that he started to sing "I like big butts and I don't know why." He made up a few other lyrics that made no sense. Maybe he's trying to tell me something.

OMG the food smells SOOOOOO GOOD!!! Even if it turns out crap ass, scent should count for something, right?

I love this lyric from I'm turning Japanese "I want a doctor to take your picture, so I can look at you from inside as well."

Now I am singing and dancing while cooking and Wrigs is getting worked up. He's turning Japanese too.

Tom keeps calling tonight's meal "Chicken Paprikash." It makes me laugh. Sometimes we're dumb.

Hello Mr. Roboto!

*update: It appears "someone" has been enjoying the Curry. Chumley's little rat face was planted into the saucepan while cooking. How he doesn't singe his whiskers, we'll never know. Sneaky mongrel.

PSA on band-aids

What the hell is the point of buying generic band aids??? You may as well just stick a post-it note on your wound, works about the same.

I got these cheap ass 99 cent bandages from Big Lots and they suck. Well, actually no, they don't suck because if they did, they'd stick! There is no adhesive on them at all so I actually had to use scotch tape to keep it in place. How ghetto is that?

Save your money and stick to the real stuff if you are ever in doubt.

By the way these bacon band aids are really neat:

I've seen toast and egg ones too that I think are quite fun. Depending on how many wounds you have you could have an entire breakfast on your body!

New Year's Resolution Fail

If procrastinating was my New Year's Resolution I'd be kicking some serious ASS in 2009!

From now on I'm blaming everything that does not get done on the shit splat weather.

I am no longer responsible for this lack of productivity.

I feel better already.

President and Mrs. Gluttony

Just another reason our country is in so much debt. $485,000 for CHINA!?!? (I'm talking about plates and saucers, not the country.) Perhaps this "historical committee" should put their funds toward something bit more educational or at the VERY least, practical. This makes me want to spit on the White house steps.

Shoot, I've been deciding for over a year now whether or not to upgrade our tableware. I sure hope the Obamas are a bit more frugal when it comes to frivolous spending.

Tom hates this commercial

I mean, it REALLY bothers him. He gets so worked up when it comes on and grabs for the remote because it upsets him that much. I ask him why and he says in a huff, "Everything about it - the music, the synchronized swimming, the robot faced women and the concept of a ring in the cooch."

He's got a point.

Tara and Bella

PLEASE watch this. There is a brief 20 second intro and then the segment will follow. It left me speechless, with tears down my cheeks. Absolutely amazing. (but not to worry - it's not sad, just incredibly touching.)


Watch CBS Videos Online

by special request

Tom actually asked me to share his latest Target buy on here because he thinks it's the greatest invention in all of mankind. So here goes:

It's these Toilet Cleaning Gels by Scrubbing Bubbles. He thinks these things are so fantastic and wanted me to share his excitement via my blog. We have one in every can and EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. he uses the bathroom he proclaims his love for these suckers with a bit too much enthusiasm. To quote Tom: "These gels are A PLUS!!!"

On a separate note, how do you say the word "apricot"? Is it pronounced App-ricot (as in apples) or Ape-ricot (like ape)? It always bugs me and today while at the grocery store a woman asked me if I knew where the APE-ricots were and I was tempted to tell her that I've never heard of them before but the App-ricots are by the peaches. By the way I did a pronunciation check in dictionary.com for clarification. Click this and hit the "hear" tab. Glad that cleared it up.

After grocery shopping I decided to clean out the pantry and discovered that we had a bunch of expired food. I pitched it and then realized that most of what I threw away had an expiration range of April-October 2009. Wow! How time flies! For some reason I was thinking that 2009 was last year. So now wish me luck as I prepare to dumpster dive.

Oh and tonight the new season of the Bachelor starts and it looks like it's going to be a good one. Did you see how Deanna comes back and tries to woo Jason into getting back together? I have to wonder if the producers had something to do with this or if she genuinely wants him back. Either way, it should be fun to watch.

Snoop Kitty Cat

Chum was on a mission to find a cough drop - he's seriously obsessed with mentholyptus:


(excuse the messy counter tops, still cleaning up after xmas)

Wrigley's Hero

Shoplifting Dog

New Year's Breakfast

consisted of Christmas cookies, gingerman cookies with frosting, cinnamon biscuits, coffee and hot chocolate. This was eaten in bed at 10am and I have remained in bed ever since. Not from a hangover, but still from this bug. So technically, I've been sick for a year.

I'm ringing in the new year with Lifetime's all day romance movie marathon. 

Tomorrow is another day.