Mash Up

Not much going on here, so I thought I'd do a little mash up of the week. Well, I guess what is really going on here is Downton Abbey. I figured out I can watch the current season on PBS.com so I've been overdosing. I'm thinking it's not as good as the first two seasons, but I do love the dowager countess Violet. I love the fact that she is called a dowager countess. And I love everything that comes out of her mouth, she is so polite, while being so very rude and straight to the point all at once. I want to be just like her when I grow up! Maybe I'll start calling myself a dowager countess.

Oh, Hello!!?

In other news, look at the excitement occurring right across the street!  Fireworks!!  Well, actually it was someone sawing metal rods. I'm getting a new neighbor. But first they are building the house.

Fortunately, the house is being built on the east end of the property, so I will get to have trees across the street from me and not a new house! I am sure they will be extremely nice and perfect neighbors. Currently, all they have contributed to the hood are a lot of trucks and an excess amount of dirt.

This other excitement this week????

Ack.

Somehow I developed the MOST UNFORTUNATE cut on the end of my nose (it looks worse in real life). I have no idea how or why this showed up, but I can't say it did much for my week. I spent most of the week wanting to place a paper bag over my head and worried that people were staring at me. 

What a week. What else? 

See, it just gets better and better. Plumbing.  My kitchen faucet keeps dripping! After an hour or two, only one trip to the hardware store and lots of swearing, I think it's better. But I have also managed to strip the screw holding the handle on, so that's a bit wonky at the moment and may never come off again. I do realize that something like this should make me all warm and fuzzy with a feeling of self reliance and achievement. But instead, I just feel frustration. I will spent the next six months waiting for the drip drip drip to start again, because I'm sure I did it wrong. Plumbing - like car repair - is something I never should, nor do I want to do.

And finally, there was some good news!  The sun came out!

And although Otto was bummed because I am not letting him outside (he keeps jumping the fence in the back yard), we all got to cuddle on the window sill and pretend it was warm!

Onto next week and more excitement..............

Day Off

I love taking days off in the middle of the week. In fact, I think it would be just about perfect to work four days per week and take every Wednesday off. Fortunately, since I have worked at my company forever, I have lots and lots of vacation time. And, since my company stops giving me more vacation after I reach a certain limit, sometimes I take days off just because.

Today was just because!

And not much has happened. There has been some (very small amount of) house cleaning. Cooking. Bad television show watching. I went to the grocery store, which was only even remotely interesting because I forgot my wallet and had to go home and go back. What else, oh, I let Otto out in the back yard and he decided to escape, so that was fun.....

Well, as you can see, the point is not that I have done anything productive. Nor have I done anything that has expanded or improved me as a person. The point is that I got to spend a day just doing whatever. And that's pretty awesome!

(Oh, and I went to the gym and we did Cindy (as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, and 15 squats) and I got 16 rounds plus 5 extra pull ups doing it as proscribed (full pull ups and push ups)!  Which is pretty awesome for an old lady!

I tried to get the animals to help take some celebratory pictures. They weren't nearly as ready and willing to celebrate as I was (please excuse the hair, I actually just got it done and it looks quite cute, but this was post workout/post nap and not at its best!).

Daisy was almost willing to celebrate!

Otto was really not willing to celebrate, especially since celebration meant trying to get him on my lap.

Just what I was looking for...... how did you know?

I don't think it would be much of an exaggeration to say that EVERY time I step foot in a drug store I see something that blows my mind a bit. It is amazing the things that are packaged and delivered to Americans for consumption. A few months ago, I actually took an entire set of pictures at a drug store that had high hopes of turning into a blog. Alas, that was another brilliant blog that formed in my brain but never made it onto the page.....

Anyhow moving onto today's gem.......  Can you guess???

(No, I am not making this shit up, how could you. These were hanging out at the front, right by the register, ready to be someone's next impulse buy.)

Did you guys guess?  PICKLES! Not only pickles, but one portly pickle named 'big papa' and one sassy pickle named ' hot mama'.  Just hanging out. Brined. In their little bags. Waiting for what?  One to crave pickles so badly that you scoop it up as you're buying your prescription drugs, crappy candy and toiletries?

Au Currant

It i s so very hard these days to stay abreast of current trends. Technology is changing so quickly that even if one was interested in staying up on the newest and latest (which I'm not), who has the time, energy or money.

And really, for those of us who are Apple snobs, Apple is no help at all. When the latest product become obsolete six months after you purchase it (my Ipad), well, one is likely to just become downright grouchy.

But today, I am happy to announce that after a year of trying and a weekend of matching, merging,  upgrading, and LOTS OF CURSING I am as up to date as I can be!  (Well, there is still the issue of the Ipad that become old six months after I bought it, but we'll ignore for now.)  I finally have a new computer. This I have been trying to purchase for TWO YEARS NOW! I will save you all the very boring details of my two year attempts to buy a computer. Suffice it to say that my old computer had gotten so very slow that it was essentially unusable. The new one is fast and pretty and all the pictures are crisp and clear. Though I will mention that it does NOT have a disc player nor does it have a 10 key, both of which are not things that should go away yet!!!!

And, although I am sure the computer will become obsolete in another week or two, but I'm going to enjoy while I can!

Anyhow, this blog is a little dull, but I'm sure you all were sick of looking at the sauerkraut, I know I was. I wanted to make sure you knew we are all alive and well .....

Okay, actually, we're all a little bored here (hence the lack of blogs), off to vacuum.

Hello Sauerkraut!

The sauerkraut and its many bacteria move to their new home.

 For four weeks we have all been patiently waiting for the sauerkraut to do its thing. I guess we were essentially waiting for the cabbage bacteria to go forth and multiply. And tonight was the night of the great sauerkraut unveiling!  Whoop whoop.....!

(I would say life doesn't get much more exciting on January 23rd EVER,  but January 23rd is also my mom's birthday so it's a pretty exciting day every year!)

Anyhow, that aside, aside. It's tasty!  I'm not sure I've ever actually had sauerkraut, so I can't really tell you it's good sauerkraut. But I'm pretty sure I can choke it down!  Go gut bacteria! Hello symbiosis!

So many bacteria, I'm surprised it's not moving.

 And happy birthday mom!!  If you were here I'd give you some sauerkraut.           

Best in Show!

Somehow it seems I have reached my extremely advanced age without ever attending a dog show! So, when our friend Penny was being shown near Seattle, Otto and I jumped at the chance to attend.

BEST. THING. EVER. 

Truly. And words are hard to describe it. If you have ever seen the movie Best In Show,  it does not exaggerate! All the dogs (and bitches, dogs are only male) are primped, fluffed and posed. The people showing the dog wear lots of pastel polyester (green was very popular). The male judges have orange skin, puffed died hair and pinky rings. Everywhere I turned there was a photo op more exciting than the next!  I apologize for the huge number of pictures. But let me just promise  you that even with all these pictures you're still missing some key highlights!

Showing off his/her hairdo.

Stay!

I wasn't sure how these dogs could see with their fur carefully cut and combed over their eyes, but it seemed to be a thing.

I'm not so sure these are canine.

 

 I thought these were some of the more self respecting poodles (you'll see that less self respecting poodles below). But, in truth, I think they were non self respecting Portuguese Water dogs - who I didn't recognize because they usually look much less poofed.  Note the polyester costume.

There are no words.

In case you missed the full impact above. 

To show a german shepherd it seems you have to wear lime green polyester.  The shepherds were beautiful, but their hind legs were just damaged looking. 

 Otto and Penny!!!!  Otto was the one and only mutt in the place. Someone asked me what breed he was? Why, an exclusive Von Beacon, of course! Nicola's boots (upper) and my shoe (lower) were much too styly for the event.
 

Hair!

Hi!

 This dog's hair was poofed, fluffed, teased, and combed. Then I guess it wasn't working so when I last tuned it in was being wrapped in plastic lavender, in preparation to be repoofed, reteased and recombed.
  

Hi!

I'm so sad that this picture doesn't do justice of the headwear of this Afghan and the booties too.

But, let's not cry over spilt milk, it's time for the poodles.

 This entire blog could (and perhaps should) be poodle pictures.

And there may be no ......

words......

necessary. (Except to mention that yes, that is hairspray.)

They come in black too!

Sequins were big!

This dog was beautiful. I think it's a Tibetan Mastiff. His owner, inappropriately clad in blue jeans, wasn't very forthcoming.

Okay, we're almost done here. I notice as I'm looking at these pictures, that they don't really do justice to the true insanity of the event. Sigh. Well, I want to end with a few pictures of the main event, Penny!  She won a blue ribbon for bitches in the Staffordshire Bull Terrior category. Even, it seems, with an inappropriately arched back!

 Thank god Nicola wasn't showing Penny, she doesn't own enough polyester!

       Strike a pose.

And finally, this isn't from the show but I wanted you to see her true beauty!  Congrats Queen Bitch!

Twelve!

Just like this, though I had my shirt on.

 I have been doing Crossfit for 4.5 years now. Back in the day, every other workout felt like I had achieved a new milestone. But these days, there aren't many days when I leave the gym feeling like I have attained a new goal. My strength and ability to do various exercises or weights ebb and flow. Frequently, I am at or close to a PR (personal record). Sometimes I just suck. Most of the time I leave feeling like I worked hard and had fun. But yesterday, I was proud of myself.

Every few months we have a workout with rope climbs. They frequently involve two rope climbs then a bunch of other work. Usually a couple people in the gym do both the rope climbs, but most members just do one or a substitution. For a couple years, after I got over the terror of climbing 20 feet in the air, I have been in the camp of 'try 2, but settle into 1 after the first round' or so. I think September 2011 was the first time  I did two in a row. We did a workout with 5 sets of two rope climbs. I got half way up my second climb in the second round I got really shaky and gave up.

Well, yesterday's workout was.

6 Rounds - 7 Minutes each

2 rope climbs

5 deadlifts (85k)

15 push ups 

30 double unders

When I got there, only 5 people all day had done the full workout. And i was dead set on getting all twelve rope climbs. AND (drum roll please), I did!  It wasn't hard until the 2nd climb on the 5th round. Then the second climb on the 6th round was a bit touch and go. I almost called it quits a couple times. And I later found out pretty much everyone was watching me and wasn't sure it was going to happen. My biceps basically started giving out. When you rope climb. You make a ledge with your feet. So, when your feet are on the rope you can actually stand there and rest. BUT, at some point you have to hold on with your arms only and place your legs higher up on the rope. That's tough when your biceps decide to call it quits. 

Anyhow done! And my time per round was actually pretty good (until the last round).