Cut a hole in the box...

Put your cat in the box.
(hehehehe)

As you can tell, instant cat heaven! Any given time I look into this box, there is a different cat in it. It is their very own personal sanctuary and I, I have a box in my dining room. (eyes rolling)

Yes, I know. We can buy a cat thingamabob or two that won’t be as nearly as unsightly as a cardboard box, but we’ve tried all those things. They are just NOT interested, won’t even look at it. It is beneath them. But a box!, an average, every day, jo-blow cardboard box with a hole cut in it - TREASURE!

And Emperor Iddle (top) has NO problem reaching a royal paw into *his* royal box and smacking the dickens out of any other cat who has so foolishly dared entering said box when he sees fit.

Coming Home

As we made our way through the airport coming home from DC, gathering luggage and making our way to the car, I felt home again. It was cool (as cool as Florida gets) but not cold, I could smell the salty air and my skin instantly re-hydrated from the humidity. We got on the highway and were greeted by this on our way home. This unbelievable sunset that seemed to say, “Welcome home!, Please enjoy the view I made just for you.”

Cuteness!

This is why I can’t visit Sarah more often. I would die from all the cuteness. I just don’t know how she stands it!

Sid and Klaus snuggling (biological brothers to my Emperor Iddle and Sir Mouse)

SPACE HAT!

HAM!

This little girl, I'll tell you right now, nothing but trouble.

Vacation Funnies

Our first night in DC, Matt and I ate dinner at a cute little Italian restaurant in Crystal City. We had just left the restaurant and were walking down the street when a lady approached us and asked us if we knew if Jeep lights went off automatically. Matt appropriately answered, “No” and I answered (here it comes), “We don’t know, we aren’t from here”.

Yeh.

Sigh.

Apparently, I wasn’t listening - again. I ‘heard’ her ask if we knew if the street lights (thinking the cross/don’t cross lights) went off automatically. If that had been what she asked, my answer would have been completely acceptable. Matt just looked at me funny…and started laughing. I'm sure this lady thought I was insane, but I have an excuse. Being from Florida, I hadn't been that cold in a very long time and I'm pretty sure all cognitive brain functions were frozen solid.

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

And…We’re Back!

Matt and I flew home yesterday. We left “feels like” 11 degrees in DC for 54 degrees in FL. As far as I’m concerned, that is a perfectly acceptable exchange. Right?

It snowed Thursday and it TOUCHED ME! It was a close call, but I survived. I haven’t seen snow in years and it was exactly what I remembered, beautiful when it’s falling and new then quickly turns to a slick, muddy and yucky mess. Friday, Matt and I visited Arlington Cemetery. I never realized how big that place really is. The pictures we’ve all seen just don’t do it justice. I also learned that the absolute, hands down, worse thing about living up North is an OHMIGAWD cold toilet seat at 4am. YOWZA!

Anyway, we had a good time visiting with Sarah and her family – despite the toilet seat temperature. We stayed up late, caught up, played games, drank a lot of beer and ate some good food. Just my type of vacation!

As for Daddy, he’s still in the hospital being all cranky. He was supposed to be released Friday, and then Sunday and then, well, he’s still there. He’s better, but not as well as I would hope at this point in time. Thank you for your well wishes and warm thoughts – please keep them coming.

So, what has happened while I was away, anything good? I’ve got some blog reading to catch up on and a few posts in the works. We’ll catch up soon, I promise!

**Update: Daddy came home later this afternoon and is doing much better. He can wobble around on his knee a little bit, his white blood cell count has stablized (which means his antibiotics are working this time and he's getting better) and his pneumonia is slowly going away. He still has 6 weeks worth of IV antibiotics (at home) to go through, and of course, they will have to remove the pic line when it's all done, but after all he's been through (knee surgery, drain tubes in/out of his knee, IV's in and out, not being able to walk, inserting the pic line for the home IVs, and being just plain miserable) that should be cake.
Welcome home, Pa, I love you!

And...We're Off!

Off to DC to do some work (Matt), exploring and catching up with old friends. I'm leaving warm Florida for freezing DC. I'm trying not to think about it. Bbrrrrrrr...

We'll be back in a few days.

In the meantime, send warm and fuzzy thoughts to my Daddy who was put in the hospital today with Pneumonia. You may also want to send warm thoughts to the Doctors and Nurses taking care of him - 1) So they make him better very very quickly and 2) that he doesn't get too stubborn and sarcastic with them. He HATES hospitals/doctors and LOVES to be a smart-ass!

I love him to pieces!
Thanks!

Things I Should Never Have to Say

"Honey, please stop making the carcass dance. The carcass doesn't appreciate Yellowcard."

Yeh, I know. This would be so much better if it was a video. Just imagine the chicken carcass jumping from side to side to a fast tempo. Not pretty, huh?

Yep. That's my man! I love him to pieces, but when he does these types of things, I'm not sure if I really know what I'm getting myself into. I never, in all my life, thought I would utter that phrase to my future husband. EVER! I'm scared. Very very scared.

Gifts

Anyone have any ideas on gifts for the attendants and parents? Especially the parents!! I’ve got all sorts of ideas. Most are cheap and aren’t my favorites. The things I really would LOVE to do for them, we just can’t afford. I hate being on a budget. Sigh.

(For those of you who want to leave gift suggestions and don’t know how to comment, let me help you with that. At the bottom of every post, there is a ‘comments’ link. Just click on that and it will open a page where you can enter your name, a comment and maybe it makes you type a code or something.)

I'm trying to get a bunch of things done for the wedding while I'm not working. Gifts are one thing I'm stuck on!

Thanks for your help!

Rehearsal Dinner, Check!

Matt and I wanted something casual and cheap for our rehearsal dinner. Frankly, I’m only getting all fancied up one day and that’s going to be my wedding day. So, jeans and T’s it is on the day before. Plus, I’m all about comfort and just having a good time with good people.

We considered having it at the wedding site, but felt that it was too costly and we would only be able to invite about 15 people. We perused restaurants around town, but still couldn’t find anything we liked or could afford or were in the same area of town. I was getting irritated with it (as usual) when Matt’s Mom came up with a great idea.

Pizza and beer! (She knows us so well.)

How could that go wrong? Who doesn’t like that?
Then we decided that his Mom and I will make a huge salad, and those wonderful stuffed strawberry thingies she makes. (If you haven’t had them, I feel very, very sorry for you!) We got everything planned, but the fact remained we still didn’t have a place to throw this shin-dig. Then it dawned on me. My very good friend, Leott (seen below planting a kiss on my cheek), has a house on over an acre just a few miles from the wedding site. So, I shot an email to her to see if we could use her yard. Her response? (I quote)

“You absolutely MUST use my yard!!!! Yeah Party!!!!”

A huge cooler full of beer and wine, pizza, rent a few table and chairs, some table cloths and maybe string up some white lights as an added touch. Just our style. Got to love the woman that will let a friend bring a boat load of people over to wreak havoc on her yard!

The Weatherman Must Be Mistaken...

...because I live in Florida. I like it here. It's all warm and toasty. I like warm and toasty. I very much dislike freezing while I'm sitting on my own couch inside my house - even with the heat on. This just makes me an unpleasant person to deal with.

Apparently, the weatherman doesn't care about my disposition because he posted this on his website.

Do you see what tomorrow mornings low is supposed to be? Hmmmm? I hate cold weather. And yes, I know it's going to heat back up by this time next week. I know that I should be grateful that I only have to deal with a few days of (somewhat) chilly weather. I know that a large portion of our country is much colder for a riduclous amount of time and yes, I know about the recent ice storms. But, c'mon! This is Florida! I expect warm and toasty. If (or when) I move farther north, I'll expect colder temperatures. Although I still won't like it. BIG difference here people.

Fine. I'll quit whining now. I realize I'm just a big wimp.

Tid-bits

I met Matt at the top of the stairs when he came home from lunch today. This was our conversation as we hugged:

Him: Hi, House Wife.
Me: (scowl)
Him: Oh, sorry. I mean, 'Hi, Apartment Financee'.
Me: (sigh)
Him: hee hee hee hee hee hee....

If he wasn't supporting me right now, he'd be in sooooo much trouble.
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I found this T-shirt this weekend. Loved it. Made Matt buy it for me. I love them like I love my own life, but I can't count how many times I've felt this way.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Might as well touch on the Oregon vs. S. Florida game while we're here. Ohmigawd! That was some UGLY game play going on there. Apparently, Bulls are afraid of Ducks. I would never have guessed. The only other explanation for the way S. Florida played ball was they allowed a little league team to suit up and play for them. Take your pick, either will do. The worst part, it lasted FOREVER. I'm pretty sure I've never seen a game last that long. I didn't think it would ever end. It was like they were intentially torturing us.

I hope we get our shit together for next year. I can't handle anymore of this 'choking' mid-season thing they've done this year. GO BULLS!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One last thing, I've got a phone interview tomorrow after with a company in SC. WOOT! I'm keeping my hopes up that something comes along soon (maybe this is it!?). I'm not much of a 'House Wife', uh, I mean 'Apartment Fiancee'.