Goodbye Kirby Bing

Kirby Bing was a good dog.
Rescued from the mean streets of Henderson, he was not a cute little puppy at Petsmart that day, but Aly and I saw a frightened dog that needed a family to rescue him. And even though Aly picked him out, he was Daddy's boy.
He was the king of the sammamammers, chasing them around the patio, and occasionally catching a tail. He was an escape artist and a runner - open gate, open door, he was out! He didn't mind the cats and put up with his baby brother Charlie's constant herding.
Now he's crossed the rainbow bridge, reuniting with Cricket and Snowy, with Scrappy and Nana. Be free, Kirby. Free of the sickness that was breaking you down every day. Free of the insulin shots you bore without flinching. Enjoy treats again! Run all over! Know that we will love and miss you always. Rest in peace, my friend.

You were a good boy.

When my husband is away...

Mike took Aly on a summer adventure - the second one since we returned from Jamaica, and this means I've been home alone and in charge of the house, and by extension, the dogs. Every time I move they jump up and follow me. I'm like the freakin' Pied Piper in my own house. Then there was the Kirby escape incident while I paid the pizza man. He's part whippet. Kirby, not the pizza man. That means he runs fast and far. But here's the latest.

I could not fall asleep. Part of it was the three Excedrin for my headache and part was excitement for my scrapbook trip with the girls Wednesday morning. I listened to white noise. I got a cold pack. I turned the tv off. I drank water. Then I had to pee. And for the first time EVER I peed in my bathroom in this house without turning the light on. No, I didn't miss the seat, but I tripped over the dog on the way to wash my hands. I could've cracked my head open, I told Charlie the border collie as he waited by the bed. But seriously, I dozed off finally around 1:30. And the dogs went bat shit crazy and woke me up soon after. I don't know why. Charlie acting like an axe murderer was in the house, and Scrappy yipping because he woke her up. I just yelled for them to shut up. Ugh.

More white noise. More water. So 2:00, finally asleep. Until 4:00. Charlie barked so loud I was in the living room before I was even awake. What is it boy? What's wrong?? And he brings me an effing hedgehog toy while Scrappy runs around him and yips. So I start to go back to bed, but realize Kirby isn't barking. Or running around. And I hear a whine.

I check to see if his fat butt is stuck under the bed. He likes the darkness under the bed, but Mike has been fattening him up so he can't run so far (not working, by the way), so his butt sticks out. No. The bathroom. I open the door and the stench of anxiety-crap hits me in the face. The trash is everywhere. Travel Yeti has been chewed (because I put my overnight bag in the bathroom to keep it away from the dogs). And there's a pile of crap in the middle of the floor. The carpeted part, not the tile.

So I clean up, thankful that it wasn't Charlie, because Yeti would be disemboweled and the cabinets would be chewed off. I head back to bed, and they're having a party. Reunited and it feels so good. It is like six tap dancing midgets in the living room. And they want to go out. Outside. At four in the morning. So I let them out. And in.

And then I get up at 6:00 and there's a pile of crap in the dining room.

This is why I need a vacation with the girls.

We Got Skunked

No, I do not have a third grader that just got shut out in softball, soccer, or some other sport. My kids are grown up and they didn't play many sports anyway. Plus, I could fix that with ice cream. The kind of skunked I am involves two nosy dogs and something that LOOKED like a black and white kitty but WASN'T a black and white kitty.

Also, the border collie - er, long-haired border collie - made it in the house and onto MY bed before I could catch him. He also hit the dog beds, cat beds, couches, and assorted carpets before I coaxed him back out the front door to the hose. Dogs who have been skunked run around like psychos and rub their fur on anything not moving. The cats and the little dog took cover immediately. Luckily Mike answered my call on his way home and we tackled the problem in tandem.

My Facebook friends stopped laughing long enough to tell me to "run," "sell the house," and "google it." Thanks people, for being there in an emergency. I remember someone saying boiling vinegar was a good way to rid the house of smells. It helps. The Humane Society says if you don't have dishwashing liquid and hydrogen peroxide, dilute vinegar and add some baking soda to bathe the dog. The chemist in me paused before I dumped the box into the bowl Mike was holding. Yeah. Vinegar (acid) plus baking soda (base) equals chemical reaction. "We'll clean the floor later," he said.

Both dogs got a shampoo bath, then a vinegar/baking soda bath, then into the garden tub for one more shampoo bath. I'll officially never use that thing again, btw. I finally made it to the shower. My bathroom smells like vinegar, apple (shampoo), coconut (body wash), sugar (scentsy), and spring (Febreze fabric spray and room spray). And skunk. Lots of skunk.

And that is why I'm finishing last night's Moscato, straight from the bottle.

And why is this suddenly blog-worthy when I haven't posted in months and months? I'll tell you. One, it is funny -- or it will be in a few days. And two, because I was wallowing in self-pity today. I have a head cold. I've been traveling too much. I miss my mom. In fact, yesterday I even gave an ultimatum. If you are really watching over us, Mom, why haven't I heard from you? Why didn't you help us find Lucy? Can't you send me a sign?!?!

And then came the little black and white not-a-kitty. My sinuses are clear. I was home to live through the experience (I'm pretty sure Mike would have moved away by the time I got back if I had been on the road). And, what do I have to whine about in the grand scheme of things? Why do I think my mom would be in Heaven, helping me with menial tasks, when she's got rejoicing to do? If she's going to help someone, I'd be at the bottom of the list. She gave her girls the skills to live, and I haven't been.

So, yes, I do believe Mom is watching over me, just like I believe Isaiah met her at the Gates (mostly to give St. Peter the heads up). But I also know I should be doing, not asking. Seeking, not expecting. Living, not sulking.

So, maybe this gave you a laugh. Or maybe it gave you a message.
Get floodlights for your backyard.
Straighten up and fly right.

And maybe some ice cream would make this night a little better.

Our new baby!

Chevy -- the biggest kid we ever had :)
He is about four months old and very smart.
Zak loved him at first sight.

Still Scrappin'

Aly and I worked on this one today. Old photos are so fun! If you would like to know what supplies I used (I know there are some die hard scrappers out there), see below.



paper -- DCWV pet stack
die cuts -- sizzlits
punches -- EK Success paper shapers (square and tag)
paint pens, twine, label maker, card stock
foam tape to "pop up" some of the photos and the die cuts

Since I'm working from home this week, I'm seriously considering taking over the dining room table so I can scrap every night and spread out all over. I just have to watch Cricket as she likes to steal adhesives. I'm also thinking about a trip to Michael's tomorrow for more supplies. :)

Happy Holidays!

The Phillips Family Christmas Eve was held at our house this year, simply because we can barely all squeeze into mom's living room now. Lots of food (I'm still eating leftover ham), fun (the gift exchange was a hit) and family. Aly and I made some yummy brownies, and we had the usual cheese and crackers, little smokies, chips and dip, etc.

Since we were leaving for Gatlinburg on Christmas morning, we surprised the kids a day early with their Christmas presents. Actually, the boy already took his driving lessons, so he didn't get a lot of things to open. Aly was very surprised by her netbook. I got a beautiful turquoise bracelet and moose sheets for the bedroom. LOL, I told Mike we are definitely an old married couple when he buys flannel sheets for Christmas and I love them. I got lots of other stuff too, and it was all thoughtful and fun. Our family does gift giving right, with love in our hearts.

Of course, before Christmas I got my new Canon camera. That means all of my photos totally rock. I took some great shots in Gatlinburg and have ordered 5X7s to see how they look. I'm thinking of getting some larger ones to hang in the living room. This one is from my trek (part of the way) up the mountain in Gatlinburg and one of my favorites. I'm thankful that Zak didn't have the camera as I slid down the mountain on my backside in classic Tonya fashion. Christmas Day we went to the Black Bear Jamboree for dinner and actually had a pretty good time. The food was great, there was plenty of it, and the show wasn't too corny.

The day after Christmas, we went to the Gatlinburg Arts and Crafts Community to Alewine Pottery for Aly to have a pottery lesson on a real pottery wheel. It was very cool. For $5, you can have a lesson and for $20 more, they fire the piece, glaze it and mail it to you. We should have Aly's bowl in about 6 weeks. We can't wait to go back again. I think we'll schedule multiple visits since Aly really did enjoy it. I got some great action shots, and we plan to scrapbook them together this week while I'm off work. {The partners gave us two extra holidays and asked that we take two vacation or floating holidays this week so the firm could be closed. Even on days off, many of us end up working, so to completely disconnect is really nice.}

Uncle Johnny came to our house while we were gone, to keep an eye on Lucy. We took Scrappy with us to Gatlinburg, but Lucy is getting old and can't do such a long car ride, or hang out in a place she doesn't know. Scrappy was in her element, sniffing everything she could get her nose on, and looking cute. Lucy was pretty happy too, snuggling with Uncle Johnny all week along with Graycie. Cricket was not pleased and let me know about it when we got home. Snowy, of course, went with the flow, although she did follow Aly everywhere for the first day home.

Plans for the rest of the week include catching up on magazine reading, taking naps, scrapbooking and watching movies. No big plans for new years eve, seeing as how I'm old and probably won't make it to midnight anyway. Here's hoping you had a merry Christmas and a great 2009.

P.S. Facebook let me make this cool collage of my 2009 status updates. It is a neat little snapshot of my year.

Our Moving Adventure

The only thing I was looking forward to about our move, besides the actual "getting there" part, was that I could tweet all about it real-time. Except Friday and Saturday were the two days that Twitter was down, so all of my updates showed up on Sunday over a period of five and a half hours.

Let's see if I can recreate it for you anyway.

We left Friday and we weren't on the road for 20 minutes before we had to stop and rearrange the van. Putting two kittens in the front seat in a cage and letting the dogs roam wild while the kids were wedged between suitcases was not a good plan. Graycie moved to the front and the kittens to the back. Soon they were loose, but we'll get to that a little later.

Mile 37: Stopped for food. I swear, Mike can't get in a car for a trip without stopping for soda and (gag) Corn Nuts in the first 30 minutes. The kids have apparently inherited this trait, so we stopped.

Mile 166: Stopped for a potty break. For the dogs. Small dogs come with small bladders. So do Mike's children.

No road trip is complete without a wrong turn. We missed the exit to I-64. Probably because I was shrieking at the children to wrangle the pets.

Mile 236: Goodbye, Virginia.

Mile 314: We almost run out of gas. Mike always fills the van so I never look at the gauge. This is a problem on a two-day road trip. You can't drive halfway to Indiana on a single tank of gas. The van has a 16 gallon tank. Also, gas is expensive in little po-dunk West Virginia towns.

Stopped in Charleston, WV for the night. Remember how I said the kittens were loose in the van? Picture me laying on the floor of the van with my feet sticking out of the sliding door in the hotel parking lot. Dragging Cricket from under Zak's seat by her head.

Mile 419: Goodbye, West Virginia

Mile 435: Wild turkeys on the side of the highway. We must be in Kentucky.

Mile 438: Stopping for breakfast at McDonalds. Zak thought we were at Burger King. Attention to detail, kid.

Mile 531: Lexington.

Mile 553: Traffic on I-64 is completely stopped. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

Mile 607: Goodbye, Kentucky!

Mile 627: Stopping for lunch & gas. For the car. Gas for the car!

Mile 638: One lane construction & I'm a semi sandwich. Anyone remember this tune ... "We got a little convoy..."

Mile 677: Goodbye, Eastern time zone!

4 minutes from home and the cat poops. :gag:

Mile 703: Picked up the house key from Dad.

Mile 706: Home!!

Goodbye, Buttercup

Okay, so this post has runny poo and a dying cat in it. Don't read it if you can't handle that stuff.



For the past several weeks, Buttercup had looked a little rough. Maybe she wasn't getting enough sleep (only 18-19 hours instead of 20-22?) or maybe she hadn't taken a bath in a while. I thought it might have to do with the two new kittens wearing her out. For the last three days, we kept finding barf and poo --runny poo-- and I still didn't make the connection to Butter. I thought the barf was the kittens eating too much canned food too fast and the poo was probably Scrapping eating out of the trash when no one was looking. Turns out, it was all Butter.

This morning she squatted in front of Mike and poo-ed everywhere. He wasn't pleased. But by the time Zak had it cleaned up and went to the bathroom to wash, the cat was in the hallway, on her side, not moving and breathing very shallow. Zak put her on his bed and came to get us, tears in his eyes.

You see, Buttercup has always been Zak's cat. We got her and Graycie as strays when they were about four weeks old. Their mom had been run over in a parking lot and the mini-mart attendant was calling someone to come get the kittens and drown them since they couldn't live without her. Mike to the rescue. I remember bringing them home and giving them a bath and then introducing them to Lucy, our shih-poo. The vet said as long as they had teeth, they could eat soft food, and they did, but they still needed a mommy, so Lucy nursed them. Yes, really.

Since I can remember, Butter thought she was a dog, or maybe human, but Zak was her boy. He could say, "Butter, bedtime" and that cat would dash off to his bed. She was smart, but stupid and dorky at the same time, skittering through the house and crashing into walls. She would lay in his lap for hours while he watched a movie or played a video game. Butter was also the kitty who caught mice in our house here in Virginia.

Mike looked for an emergency vet while I went to check her out. As I petted her, she purred, but she didn't lift her head and great handfuls of hair were coming out. I knew she wouldn't be alive for long. Scrappy licked her on the nose, we wrapped her in a towel and the boys left, promising to call asap.

The first call was to let us know that she had low blood pressure, they didn't know what was wrong, but she needed to stay the night and it would be at least $2500. Mike started filling out the paperwork for financing and called back for my SSN and drivers license number. Then Zak asked to talk to the doctor again. They were pretty sure it was lymphoma, which is incurable. Zak asked that she be put to sleep. Mike called again to let us know they were coming home. Zak buried her next to his shed out back. Aly and I are happy to think that Buttercup gets to meet my Minny Kitty and Aly's big brother Isaiah. And, Aly says, "Just think of all those strings from the balloons we've sent to Heaven."

I'm sure we have a ton more photos to share, but they are on the other computer, so I'll post them later.

Goodbye Buttercup!

Some other stuff from the weekend

Cricket likes to climb the Christmas tree, but only after she and Snowball yank the lights off the bottom branches and ball up the tree skirt.

Snowball tends to leap as high as she can onto whatever surface is closest to you: dining room table, TV tray, cooktop, breakfast bar. If you are sitting she jumps to the middle of your chest and wraps herself around your head.

It is hard to find waterguns at any store in the winter.

Aly has lost five pounds since she got braces. Not so many chips and other snacks throughout the day. She's had to tighten her belt all the way.

Zak's bruise is greenish yellow. Still can't get a good photo though.

I scrapped. The page looks pretty good, just have to figure out the title letters. I used some new paper and chipboard letters I ordered on Black Friday from Scrapfreak and flower brads and ink.

Joined a scrapbooking meetup group that meets a few blocks away.

Cricket's collar (which fell out of the cart at Petco and we had to go back and pick it up after agonizing that I couldn't find it in the shopping bag) :gasp: is MIA. She either finally twisted out of it, or caught it on something (it has a safety release). It's probably hanging off the Christmas tree.

I ordered some things on line, which cannot be described in a public forum. ... Because my family reads my blog, you naughty anonymous lurkers!!!

I'm in the office all week this week, but hoping to come home at a reasonable hour each night. I do have to work late Tuesday, and will probably go to dinner with the team, then this Thursday is my last ASL class till mid-January. And next week is the week of Christmas!!!

Hope everyone has a great week!

More Kitty Antics

Well, you would never know it by these photos, but Cricket is an active little thing. Here are some more cute things about her.

1. She climbs all over my desk during the day, knocking over scrapbooking supplies, stacks of work paper, bills.

2. When I lean over the desk to stretch my back, she climbs up it. My back, not the desk.

3. She sniffs EVERYTHING. Any time she finds a new place or thing, you can hear "sniff sniff sniff sniff". I should have named her Snoopy.

4. I put her in the bedroom by herself the first day (after my exciting morning with them) and she immediately started to cry. When I opened the door, out she flew, toward the stairs. Sniffing.

5. Mike got her a new litter pan that is extra deep and has a lid. He's tired of stepping in litter too.


Not to be outdone, Snowball jumped into the first shot I took of Cricket. She is such a loving kitty and so smart.

She was the first to make friends with Scrappy (Cricket still hisses once in a while), the first to explore the downstairs, and still the one who bounds into the room and can attach herself to your face in less than 2 seconds.

She is the great explorer and never hides under beds and couches like Cricket.
And she must be super smart too. When I wanted to take a photo of her, she posed.

So much to tell!

I don't think I'll ever be able to remember it all! Cricket is a trip. Here are some fast fun facts she'd like to share:

1. I love my little bed from PetCo. Mom thought I'd ignore it, but that is where I hang out till Mom comes in the room.
2. Putting a bell on a cat is a good idea. Unless I find the catnip mouse at 3 a.m. That will teach you to put a collar on me.
3. Litter is not for play. It is for POOPing!! Mom says "sssssst" when I kick it all around and track it in the bed.
4. The big scary cat in the mirror is gonna GET me! Unless I run at it sideways with my tail all bushy.
5. There's a lot of stuff outside this window thingy. And you get a better view if you climb the curtains.
6. Mom does not like it when I climb up her clothes in the closet.
7. Or the ones she is wearing.
8. Dogs barking cause me to climb up Mom's leg and wrap myself around her head.
9. Kitties with claws need a scratching post. Or mom's chair. Whatever.
10. I can type on the computer and insert tables and change formatting and Mom will never figure out how to reset it all.

So much to learn! Can't wait till tomorrow!

I think cats might be nocturnal ...

Yes, Aly, they are.
Both of us had exciting adventures with our kitties overnight.

Mine (currently dubbed "Cricket") likes to play in the litter. Not just cover her poo, but play in it. Rolling around, jumping in and out of it. I finally got the 'cover' off the old cats' box and put it on. At least that kept her from spreading it all over the room.

Snowball (that is Little White's new name)likes to climb all over. At 3 am. At least Aly will be prepared for babies some day.

I'm going to put them both in my office with me this morning and see how they do. This is where I might say "What's the worst that can happen?", but I know better than to tempt fate.

The Name Game

Pooky Pooky bo Booky
Banana Fanna Fo Fooky
Fee Fie Foe Mooky
Pooo-keeee!

Nope, not that name game.

If you've been paying attention to my Punkymood or my Tweets in the sidebar, you must know what we've been up to this weekend. After weeks of stalking craigslist and the humane society, we finally went to the shelter yesterday. I called about a baby named Sugar before we left and she was adopted by the time we got there. Her brother Spice was almost a sale but my heart was set on a baby girl.

Yes, we got a kitty. I suppose the surprise is that we got TWO kitties.
And they need names. Feel free to chime in.

This one is mine, currently named "Little Dino", as in Dino-mite! Because she's so frisky.
When I knew I wanted a little black and white kitty, I was going to name her Evey after the leading lady in V for Vendetta. Natalie Portman, meee-owwwww!
Since meeting her, I think I'm going to have to spend some time with her before I commit to a name. In the 20 minutes we were there, she warmed right up to me and was nipping at my hand and letting me rub her belly. She's petite for her age and will be a small cat. I think she's sleek vs. a fat cat.


This little addition, currently named "Little White" -- yes, the woman was fixated on "little" since she had about 50 cats in her basement and there were only about 7 that were little.
Anyway, this one jumped in during checkout like those darn packs of Bubbalicious bubble gum or those little pine tree air fresheners. She jumped in Aly's lap the minute we sat down and kept coming back, even though Aly was trying hard to like Dino better. By the time we got to the car, Aly was in tears and by the time we drove to the corner, her daddy was already telling me to call back and get this one too.
When I was thinking of my little black and white kitty named Evey, I thought her imaginary sister (surprise, it's twins!) would be named Ivy. Aly's thinking of the name "Snowy" since it started snowing as we left. Reminds me of the Bumble in Rudolph.

So, leave us ideas for names in the comments (yes, another shameless ploy to have folks comment -- c'mon you are anonymous if you want to be!!).
We pick our new babies up tomorrow sometime.

Pumpkins and Pups

Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I just figured out why this year.
It is the costumes. I haven't enjoyed it as much the last few years, and it has been because the kids don't want to dress up anymore. Oh, yes, Zak rubs some dirt on his face and wears a holy shirt to be a hobo, but I'm talking about the fun stuff. Like when Zak was a vampire with a cape and a headband that had a bat on it; or when I was a rabbit and Aly was a carrot (her first halloween); or when Zak was a fireman and Aly was a Dalmation. So I realized I was excited this year because I can't wait to see what Ryder and Nick are dressed up like!

So, since my kids won't dress up, here are the pumpkins Aly & I painted, and the puppers. They left the hoods on long enough for the photos only.

This was the first pumpkin. It had a really long stem and we wanted to incorporate that into the theme. We were going to hang baby spiders from it, but couldn't find any. So, we decided it was a horn. That makes this a


one-eyed
one-horned
flying (those are wings, not ears)
purple people eater.
With a ribbon on her horn, so its NOT the one from the song (I said-a "Mr. Purple People Eater, don't eat me!")

We were so tired after that, we needed something easy.
This is the mummy.


And the pups. A bat and a spider.




We didn't get our first trick-or-treater until just before 7 pm. I'm watching the LIVE Ghost Hunters marathon on Sci-Fi anyway. And working a Pooky jigsaw puzzle with Aly (have I mentioned you can find anything on eBay?).

Picnic in the Park

Last month, when Mike and I took a trip to Georgetown, we ended up driving through Rock Creek Park. I had no idea that such a large, lush park existed in the District, but this afternoon, the kids and I went to a PwC VA account team picnic there. Today was the 118th birthday of the Park, and it was an amazing drive. Being a PwC event, it was catered by Red Hot and Blue, and it was yummy. One of the best potato salads EVER (sorry Mom). Since I wasn't sure the kids could be cute enough to earn me points with co-workers, we took Scrappy. She had a fun time too.

And now, I need a nap.

Timmy's in the Well!

Um, kinda.

We don't have Lassie, but a Supervisor Kitty (that's Graycie). She came to me this morning telling me something was wrong, and since we don't have anyone named Timmy around here (or a well), I had to translate.

It turned out to be "The boys are on the roof"

Worse than Timmy in the well. They are cleaning out the gutters. Muddy, sticky, grumpy and at least two other dysfunctional dwarf names. At least they started early, instead of waiting for it to hit 98 degrees today.

The hot, sticky weather is supposed to last through Tuesday. On Wednesday, our high will cool down to the upper 80s. The 10 day forecast is noting thunderstorms only on the weekends. That's nice.

I'm going to do some work today to get ahead of all the meetings I'll have this week. I won't get a break to actually do any work till Friday, and next week, I'm in Florida. Then two weeks vacation. Have I mentioned that? WOOT WOOT

Well-rested, and that is a good thing

I had a very relaxing weekend. Mike took the kids to King's Dominion on Saturday and Six Flags on Sunday. He and I did a little Walmart shopping today, and he grilled out for dinner. We got Butter a collar and leash and Zak took her out in the backyard for a while. We're trying to figure out something to make her happy so she'll quit peeing on the floor. Speaking of the floor, Zak completely cleaned his room, including hand scrubbing his floor rug. It's unbelievably clean.

Zak has converted the yard barn into his space. Today, he and Mike found a free desk on the sidewalk. Well, they told me it was a desk. It was a double cabinet with a table top between. Beauiful, great condition, and a perfect scrapbook surface (storage + three work surfaces!!). Unfortunately for Aly and me, finders keepers. Anyway, he's got that set up, ran an electrical cord out there and has his boom box, a scavenged TV (yep, it works) and a scavenged computer monitor. He's hung up the garden tools, and built a plastic tent/hood for spray painting assorted wood. I gave him permission to tear down the arbor in the side yard. We have miles of ivy but none of it growing on the arbor (isn't that what you call that wooden arch-type thing?).

My schedule for the next two days is unbelievable. I have meetings 8:30-4:30 both days with 30 minutes for lunch Tuesday and no break on Wednesday. I'll be in the office both days, running late I'm sure. Thursday and Friday should be better, but I have to finalize the file reviewer comments (I have five annual reviews to complete for the firm. Next Monday is the meeting where all staff are discussed and rated for raises/bonuses.)

We're counting down the days to vacation. I'm taking two weeks vacation while the kids are at Mom's at the end of June. Mike and I are going to the beach for a week (NYC was too expensive this year) and then we'll drive to Boonville to get the kids and celebrate Independence Day. Seems odd that we'd leave the nation's capital on the anniversary of her independence. Hey, it's all about family. :)

Sleepover Success

Zak and the boys had a great time playing Wii. I can't believe how polite they all were. Scrappy only stole about a half dozen pizza rolls. There was some excitement. Some neighborhood boys found out Zak was having the party and ding-dong-ditched us (that is ringing the doorbell and running, for those of you not hep to that lingo). On the second time, Zak bolted out the door and caught up to the guys but they got away. Zak proceeded to talk to one of the boy's mom, and she wasn't happy. The other exciting event was when Butter caught a mouse in the basement. Oh, and then there was the next morning when I cooked. Yes, eggs, sausage and toast. Four teens (plus Aly) ate a dozen eggs, twenty sausages and 8 pieces of toast. Plus milk and juice.

Zak got a gift card, a Wii nunchuck (for boxing) and a Wii game. And deeper friendships. Priceless.

I am alive. I think.

I have a house, but the moving boxes are stacked 8 ft tall in the living room.
I am done with work travel for a while, but the other Project Manager quit, so I'm back to double duty.
I have the cutest puppy, but she's sick. The vet gave her drugs and doesn't think it is serious.
I have a teenager, but he won't live much longer, because I'm going to kill him.
I have a daughter, but she's turning hormonal. I probably can't get away with two missing children, so I'll need another plan for that one.
I have a husband, but I never see him since he's pastoring AND coaching (and basketball practice is about to start).
I have a family, but they live in Indiana and I miss them.
I have internet friends, but they've probably forgotten me since I haven't been around.

Yep, I have issues, but I also have Jesus.
GWP: God will provide.

I think I broke my

finger.
Ha! You thought it would be my foot again. Well, I thought I would mix it up a little. Yesterday morning, as a 12th Birthday Present for Zakary, I walked the dogs at the 8 o'clock hour. I even gave them treats for a job well done, but Scrappy stole Butter's treats so I gave chase. I thought I had her, but it was a handful of carpet. My middle right finger did not fare well. Scrappy was apprehended and spent one hour in the crate.
Mike got me an OTC splint at Walgreens but the knuckle really swelled up over night. It was a great story in church this morning. I never went to the urgent care, because by this afternoon it was feeling better, and now I'm typing. The good news is that the middle right finger is used very little. only I (which doesn't hurt OUCH the left parenthesis does though!), K (no movement required) and comma, which i'll skip from now on OUCH. you don't mind runon sentences right?

soooo i'm off for a week in dc then home for a week. i'll post my schedule for the next few weeks soon so you can see what a world traveler i am. :)