It's a Thing Now

While waiting for my prescriptions to be filled at CVS, I did a little shopping throughout the store. I came across some bandanas priced at 2 for $3.00. They came in a variety of colors. I picked up a red one and a hot pink one and purchased both of them.  I am growing my hair out and it has hit a bit of an awkward stage. It appears to be growing in width rather than length. I'm struggling with it in the morning, trying to shape it into some sort of style. When I saw the bandanas I thought it might be an easy fix for my problem.

I love it! It's almost like wearing a hat. I just tie it up and go. after a few days of wearing the red and then the pink bandana, I went back to CVS and purchased the other three colors offered:

So, yeah. I'll probably be wearing these for a while. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to do a little online shopping for bandanas in green, black, white, orange, and any other color I can find.

I'm Probably Going to Die

Ok, I am must assuredly going to die. We all are. But, I got this thing that occasionally appears on my tongue and it's probably cancer or some horrible disease that has yet to be discovered. I don't know what is causing it. I will just be sitting there, minding my own business and BOOM! I can feel the side of my tongue swell up and it's a bit painful.

Want to see it?

I'm showing you anyway.


What the truck is that? Is it another blocked salivary duct? I don't know. I just know that a warm compress helps it go away (temporarily). I have showed my dentist the "mark" and he said he was not concerned. Dentists and oral surgeons are usually the professionals that spot oral cancer, so I feel a little better that he was not worried. The next time it appears, I'm going to try to get into my ENT doctor. This is ridiculous.

I wonder if my neck/back pain, my salivary gland blockage and this odd tongue swelling are all somehow connected?

I wonder.

Right now, my tongue looks pretty normal. But I know when I am least expecting it, that damn spot will appear again.

OUT DAMN SPOT!

That is all.

St. Daleo

Over the holidays, Dale invented a delicious cocktail.



Ingredients:
Prosecco
St. Germain
Prickly Pear


 We called it the "St. Daleo"
It was pretty yummy, but the Prickly pear was pungent.



Still, that fuchsia drop at the bottom of the coup sure was pretty.



Deeeeeerp!

Cards

For several years now, I have gotten very...um....creative(?) with my Christmas cards. When the mood strikes, I pull out all of my markers, confetti, stickers, photographs, pens, pencils, glue. shape punches, scissors, and whatever else I find fitting for a good card. I spend quite a bit of time on everybody's card. Some people get an elaborate letter and  a drawing, some get a nice note, some get pencil shavings and a poem. It just depends on my mood at the time and who the card is going to. If I don't think you will "get me", you get a regular nice note. If I know you relish the weirdness I bring, I bring it. This year, I did not send out cards to all of the people I normally do. My computer screen was broken so I could not pull up all of my addresses. So, if you read this and you did not get a card I apologize. I'll get ya next year.

I did take pictures of some of the cards I sent. Check them out:
Here is the first one I completed. It went to Amy, Will, and their new baby Jack:


That multi-colored odd ball inspired several of the cards that followed:






I had some cards that opened by lifting the flap up instead of to the side (book style) which inspired this dude, Big Mouth Bob:


Then I had a few stickers that said "Warm Blessing" which made me think of puke so I made the odd ball puke...


Then I got involved heavily in spiders;


And facial hair:


And drag monsters:


And back to odd-ball scary guy:


And Krampus for my buddy that likes Krampus:


So yeah....there's that.

NYE 2013 Part IV....it's Really 2014...Right?

The clock struck midnight and we played a few more records. One of the favorites played was Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Schmilsson.  When Coconut came on I turned on my camera and recorded a snippet to send our friends Josh and Tirzah. This song has been featured in heavy rotation throughout many get togethers with these fine folk so I thought they might enjoy knowing Dale and I were enjoying the song. I am cracking up at Dale in the video because he is playing the straight man against my crazy lady.

Gurl, he crazy too. Shoooot. 

Here is the clip (which is banned in Germany for some reason. I'm not kidding, youtube told me so.)

Then Without You came on which prompted Dale and I to turn off the stereo (after the song was over) and play our own music. Starting with Without You. Then we had a photo spree:

What in the hell? Miley Cyrus has invaded every part of our culture. 

For real though?

That's more presentable....I think.

Oh lord, back to this?

We thought we were so funny

I just....

It's over, honey

We stayed up listening to records, talking, laughing, and playing guitars/singing until at least 4:00 a.m. 

We had so much fun. We normally don't stay up that late anymore so we were definitely both in rare form. We spend time alone with each other all of the time and have a great time. I don't want to give anybody the impression that we didn't know how to be alone together. It was more that we had plans, they were cancelled and we wanted to salvage the night somehow.

Turns out, we had maybe the most fun that night than almost any other night of the year. 

So happy new year to you and yours! 

NYE 2013 (Part III)

Dale and I couldn't remember the last time (if ever) that we spend New Years Eve alone. The last 2-3 years, We have had people over for dinner.
Here is our set up from last year:



I somehow don't have any pictures from 2011, but here are two from 2010 when we had dinner at Josh and Tirzah's lovely home:


This is back in 2009 (our first time to host NYEPRD (New Years Eve Prime Rib Dinner).

So young! Also, I cringe when looking at how I was holding Cooper. This is NOT HOW YOU HOLD A DACHSHUND! They are prone to disc disease and need their spine supported. Hold them like a football. 

I know we saw the LIONS play Trophy's in 2008, but I don't have any pics. As far as 2007 goes.......you got me. I don't have any pictures saved from that night either. I'm sure it was crazy.

Here is 2006. Rachel, Lee, Dale and I went to see Basin Street at Old Emo's.

Guurrrl, we cute.

So, while we were always together on NYE Dale and I were also around other people. We didn't have a plan so we sat down with our Sparkling Rose (I highly recommend this) and Lonestar beer and we started playing records:



And then we had some more to drink:


And then it was midnight! We made this video and posted it to Youtube and Facebook for our friends and family:


More to come in the final installment (which I will probably post tomorrow).

NYE 2013 (Part II)

As we rushed home, visions of Charlie suffering filled our heads. In my mind's eye, I could see him staggering around and perhaps foaming at the mouth as he began his descent into a diabetic coma. I began to feel tight in the chest. My anxiety was up and I was scared. I texted my friend Rachel and asked if she and her fella could swing by our place to get Charlie and bring them to their house. They live close to the emergency vet so it would not only ease our mind to know he was with them, but cut down the amount of time it took to get him seen by the vet. Rachel and Larry were very kind and got out on the streets on the drunkest night of the year. They did not have keys to our house so they knocked on the door to alert the dogs and then went to the back gate and called the dogs.  Charlie ran right up to the side gate and Rachel and Larry scooped him up. Poor Cooper must have been pretty confused.

They let us know Charlie looked alright and that they had them. We met them at their house where Charlie greeted us with a growl. Stinkin' dog is in a different house for 20 minutes and he has already turned on us. He looked 100% normal, but we were still scared the Xylitol was doing its damage. Off the the emergency vet we went.

We were told that the amount of Xylitol in the gum Charlie ingested was not enough to harm him. The vet consulted with animal poison control to be sure. They didn't even have to induce vomiting. That was an expensive price to pay for piece of mind, but it was worth it.  The vet told us to keep an eye on him as the gum wrapper and packaging could cause some discomfort as it was being digested. Pu-lease. That I was not worried about. Charlie eats petrified dead frogs on the regular. A  little paper would not bother him. We walked Charlie into the Vet's lobby (which was empty when we arrived but full as we were leaving). Charlie tried to eat a cocker spaniel, which upset everyone in the joint. I made apologies and rushed Charlie outside where we waited for Dale to pay up and obtain the paperwork.

By the time we got home, it was close to 11:00.  We decided to stay home with the dogs at this point. It would be damn near midnight by the time we would make it to the party on the other side of town.



The dogs were happy to have us and we were happy to snuggle them. Both dogs have been through some pretty bad health scares. If you are a pet owner, you know the doom and gloom you feel when they are ill and the happiness you feel when they get better. We were on cloud nine.


Well, at least most of us were:

Cooper was a little pissed that he was left all alone for a little while.

After we hugged our dogs Dale and I realized we would be Celebrating the new year just the two of us style. What were we to do?


To be continued...

NYE 2013 (Part 1)

On New Year's Eve,  Charlie got into my gum:

He almost got into it twice as he made a lunge for the delicious bubblemint while I was taking this picture:

It looked like he chewed the tops off a few pieces. Several pieces were missing from the pack, but I don't know if that was from Charlie eating them or from me chewing them. Anyhoo, I didn't think much of it and continued to get ready for our night. We got dressed and set out to have some sushi at Osaka Monsun before  traveling to the party:

Guuurl, we had us some Udon:

A couple  of sushi rolls, and some nigiri. MMMMM!

(Nigiri is sliced raw fish with a molded ball of rice underneath. More like an oval shape rather than a ball, really. You can taste the flavor of the fish better than it's sushi roll counterpart. I also adore sashimi, which is just the raw fish...no rice, no roll). 

Check out that gal eyeballin' our food. She ordered some cooked teriyaki dish. Pssssh. Amateur!  

After devouring our meal, we drove 45 minutes to Dale's sisters house. We were excited to bring in the new year with friends and family. The minute we pulled up, I began looking for a piece of gum. Then I had a realization, there is an ingredient found in sugar free gum that is toxic to dogs. I remember reading about it back when Charlie ate his weight in macadamia nuts (also toxic to dogs). I did a quick internet search and sure enough, my realization was confirmed. Xylitol causes a rapid release of insulin and a rapid decrease in blood sugar in the dog's system. Coma can occur, as can liver failure resulting in death. It's no bueno. Now, Charlie ate the gum and we were with him for a few hours afterwards. He was fine. The internet told me that normally, you see the evidence of the blood sugar/liver problem within 15 minutes after ingestion. Back when Charlie ate the nuts, it took longer than normal for him to show a single symptom and then it was all BAM! CHARLIE IS PUKING AND HE CAN'T WALK!

I was afraid this would be the case again. Dale and I decided we had to get home and quick! We told the gals at the party that we had to split and then we were back on the road. 45 minutes away from our Charlie. 

To be continued...