Allow Me to Introduce...

Meet Carly.

 aka Carly Dog, Bubba, Bubby, Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pants

Isn't she the cutest thing that you ever did see?  I thought so.

Carly is our six year old golden retriever mix.  What she's mixed with, I'm not quite sure.  We adopted her from a rescue when she was three.  We've had her for three years, and I really can't remember what life was like before her.

 

Carly is the sweetest most well behaved dog I've ever met.  When we brought her home, there was really no adjustment period.  It was like she had lived here her entire life.  She fit in right away and learned her routine easy.  She's smart and serious.  All we have to say is, "Go to your house" and she runs up the stairs to the bedroom we keep her in when we are away.  She's also fun and playful.  Her hobbies include watching TV, chewing on cow hooves, looking out the window, playing fetch and licking her paws.

 

For all of Carly's wonderful qualities, she does have a flaw.  She is afraid of thunderstorms.  She feels them coming and she starts to pace.  When it starts she wants to be a close to you as possible.  Last night as I was getting ready for bed, thunder started to roll and she wedged herself in between me and the bathroom cabinet I was standing in front of.  Normally, I don't mind her neurotic tendency because Lord knows I've got some of my own.  The only time this is a pain is when we are in bed.  She insists on climbing into bed.  Again not a problem, except she doesn't want to cuddle.  She wants to sit.  And pant. And shake. Which in turn shakes the entire bed.

After panting for a few minutes last night, she laid down and gave me these sad nervous eyes.  Could she look any more pathetic adorable?

Luckily the storm didn't last long and she eventually grew tired of the photo shoot.

What are you going to do?

Confessions of a Twitter Convert

Not long ago, I scoffed at Twitter.  What in the world was it?  Who cared about giving status updates?  Who cared what other people were doing?  Couldn't you just do that on Facebook?  In short, I didn't understand the point. 

Then I joined because my husband had joined and he would tell me about funny tweets from celebrities and friends.  It seemed like an inside joke and if there is one thing I can't stand it's to not be in on inside jokes.  So I joined.  I started off with just a few people I was following.  Nothing crazy.  My husband, some friends, a few celebrities like Jeremy Piven (because why wouldn't I - have you seen him?)(sorry husband).  I checked it occasionally and every now and then would tweet something.

Then before I knew it, I was checking more and more.  Every time I would get a free minute I would be checking it... obsessively.  If someone tweets me, I have to tweet them back.  I didn't really know why I had become so addicted to it and in such a short amount of time.  I daresay, I almost prefer it over Facebook.  And here are the two main reasons:

1. Facebook has become too mainstream and has become too bogged down with Farmville, Sorority Life, Causes, etc, etc, etc.  I don't care how you spend your time on Facebook.  There is no need to fill my news feed with that nonsense.  And for goodness sakes, my mother is my friend on Facebook.  I remember when it first started and it was only college kids and it was this fun way to spend time, catching up with people you hadn't seen since high school.  Now it's just different.
2. The celebrities.  I'm not one who buys tabloids or checks celebrity gossip websites, but they do fascinate me which I hate to admit.  By following them, I feel like I get a glimpse into their everyday life - which celebrity gossip doesn't give you.  I love when they post a new picture because again it's a glimpse into their life - it makes you feel like you really are getting to know them.  And I love finding celebrities that I liked when I was younger and had totally forgot about.  Of course I follow them immediately.  

 So yeah, I totally just wrote a whole post about Twitter.   What's funny is I just asked my husband if I should be embarrassed about what I write on my blog - I think this DOES qualify as being embarrassing, but I don't care.  I like Twitter and I don't care who knows it!!!

Checking In

I've been working on a post - actually a few, that aren't quite ready yet.  I'm hoping they will be ready sometime next week.  I'm hoping they'll be as cool on the blog as they are in my head.  Do you ever do that?  Plan something out that you think is totally cool only to realize it that in actuality it's kinda lame?

In other news, the C-A-T-S, CATS, CATS, CATS play the Buckeyes tomorrow.

They HAVE to win.  They really don't have a choice in the matter.  Sorry Ohio State, but I'd really like to see some OSU fans put in their place (no OSU blogger fans of course). It would really make the entire month of March worthwhile.

Award Winning

This past weekend, blogger Lyndsay at SimplyLyndsay was kind enough to award little old me with my first blog award!  Thanks Lyndsay!

I've always seen blogs that get awards and I've always wanted to play along.  Now I get to!  So without further ado, here are my seven facts:

1  I sleep with a fan on every night  Even in the dead of winter.  I use it for the noise.  I have to have it in order to sleep  I even take it with me when I travel  If I don't have it, well, let's just say I become a nasty person, and no one is sleeping.  Sorry husband.

2.  I have an addiction  To purses.  I realize that addictions are nothing to laugh at, but seriously, it's a little out of control.  Have a look...

 Exhibit A - Box o' purses that resides in the guest bedroom closet.  I use some of them on a semi-regular basis

These are my "fancy" purses that get a special little place in my closet  Because they cost more than a few dollars I try to take a little better care of them.  Special things to note: the red purse is a Kate Spade from my awesome MIL two Christmases ago.  She knows her daughter in law well.  See the pink/orange one sitting on the brown Coach?  That's a Longchamp I bought at Saks in NYC on our honeymoon.  It was on super discount.  Even the salesperson didn't believe it was that cheap.  That's my "steal".

3.  I have an irrational phobia to throwing up  This means I worry about getting sick and I worry about others getting sick around me.  I don't wan to see it, and if you're sick then you might get me sick.  I'm also really superstitious about it.  I would tell you the last time I actually got sick, but I don't want to jinx myself. 

4.  I spend an obscene amount of time watching YouTube Beauty Guru videos.  They fascinate me and sometimes irritate me all at the same time.  I seem to like things that irritate me.  I keep people my friends on FB just so I can be irritated by them.  Does anyone else do this?

5.  I'm not a confrontation person, but I tend to suffer from road rage.  Things that irritate me:

• When I'm going 20 MPH OVER the speed limit and people still ride my bumper and then speed off in a hurry around me.  Seriously?  If I were going 20 under, then by all means ride my bumper and pass away.  But over?  You're just asking me to slam on my brakes.  It happened to me today.  Some girl got right up on my bumper and I was going 80 in a 65.  She then got over and as soon as she did I speed up aaaand she had to get right back behind me because the person in the other lane was going too slow.  Then I slowed down.  I saw her put her hands up in frustration.  I got a little joy from seeing this.
• When people weave in and out of traffic or try to pass me quickly.  I typically find these people up the road sitting in the same traffic I'm in, one car ahead of me.  I'm glad they were in such a hurry to get one car in front of me
• When people ride a lane that is ending all the way out and then try to cut you off.  Sorry buddy get behind me.  I obeyed the rules and now you will too.
• People that DON'T yield.

6.  When I come home from work, unless I have somewhere to go, I get right into my sweats or PJs  I don't understand how people come home and put on jeans.  What's the point?  I want to be comfortable.

7.  Although I have no children, and no control over anything, I already have certain plans - like  want twins.  When I go to the fertility doctor I'm going to tell him to find a way to get me twins.  Hopefully it will be a boy and a girl because I already have names picked out  I'd share, but I don't want to jinx or have anyone steal  Ok, I'll give you middle names.  For a boy - Philip for my deceased father in law.  For a girl - June.  My dad always called me June/June Bug growing up.  I can think of no better way to honor my father or my childhood than by giving it to my daughter. 

That was fun, and kind of hard to come up with random facts!  I"m now supposed to tag people, but because I'm not really familiar with a lot of bloggers yet, I'm tagging anyone who reads this.  Lame?  Yes.  Do I care?  Kind of, but I'm ok with it 

Confession Session

They say that confession is good for the soul (trust me, I'm Catholic.  I know these things).  With that I have a confession to make, oddly enough about a Catholic tradition - sacrifice during Lent.  I'm sure you are aware that during for the 40 days before Lent Catholics tend to give something up in order to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for us.  By forgoing something, we are reminded each time we are tempted to do that thing we have given up of the sacrifice of Jesus.

Well, ladies,  I must confess that I.am.struggling. with what I have up this year - senseless spending.  Meaning, the only things I am buying are food and products that I already use.  For example, it's perfectly acceptable for me to buy shampoo because I use that on a regular basis.  It's ok to buy foundation/mascara/eyeliner if I run out since I use it everyday.  What's NOT acceptable is buying more eyeshadow (because I have a lot) or nail polish (because I have plenty to choose from).  This of course goes beyond makeup to include clothing, shoes, accessories - you get the picture.

In the short time that I have been doing this, I realized something.

It's hard. 

I'm pathetic.

I'd like to say that this experience is drawing me close to God, but really I'm just kicking myself every time I see something I want to buy.  But I'm sticking with it and maybe every time I feel tempted I should say a prayer.  Maybe that will help me, but it's so hard when I want to buy:

Essie - Topless and Barefoot

Rose Rings from LizHutnick on Etsy

 

Heritage Cardigans from Land's End Canvas

(One in every color preferably)

NARS blush in Orgasm

 

Marc Jacobs Daisy

They tease, they wink, they beckon...

And really that's only scratching the surface.  Oh Easter, please hurry up and get here quickly so that I can buy myself something from this list!  

St. Patrick's Day Musings

This morning I was "driving" into work (I use the term driving loosely here as it was more like sitting in bumper to bumper traffic) when I noticed the car in front of me.  It happened to be an Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight.  For those of you who are not familiar with this type of car, I will show you what I'm talking about:

via here

(Please note, this is not the exact car that I saw, just the model)

Said car was in front me and I noticed it was a particular hideous shade of green.  Like Kelly Green, which is pretty on it's own, but on a car?  No.  Clearly it was not it's natural paint color.  

But what drew me to the car was NOT it's hideous green color.  No.  I could tell that there was something on the trunk.  See the picture above?  See how the trunk is flat?  On the truck there was something attached.  I inched closer and upon further inspection I noticed:

via here

Yes, wooden letters that you would find at a Michael's Craft Store.  These letters were affixed to the trunk of the car with what I can only imagine to be glue.  Inching ever closer I saw that the trunk said:

Do you like my rendition?  It looked just like this only imagine an ugly green background of the trunk of the car.

Which is an Irish saying that means, "Ireland Forever".  Needless to say this car intrigued me and brought on many questions including:

• Is this car the driver's main  mode of transportation?
• Is this car only pulled out once a year for St. Patrick's Day?
• Is St. Patrick's Day really that important to this person that they feel it deserves it's own special car?
• Where was the person headed?  Work?  A bar?
• Was there more to the car that I was missing?

This last question was most important.  I wanted to get around the car to get a good look, but I didn't want to give up my lane position in traffic (we were in a lane that was actually moving so to get over would have cost me time and I wouldn't have really been able to see anyway).  Finally, I HAD to get over and I caught the briefest of glimpses of the side.  In my quick glance I believe what I saw was the Irish flag spray painted on the back end of the side of the car.  I don't believe that a car has ever brought me that much entertainment on my way to work.


_____________________________________________________

In other news, what's better than a KENTUCKY win?

A LOUISVILLE loss!

(I'm not sure where this picture came from, but suffice to say, it is not mine, so credit goes to whoever it is!!)

I hope that the team you are rooting for was just as lucky in the first round on this St. Patrick's Day!

It's Everywhere that you Go

For some reason I feel like a lot of TV shows/movies that I like have a plot line about a couple that is having infertility issues.  Let me first explain that I do not pick these shows because of the plot line.  Generally, I watch the show/movie and then this plot line comes out of nowhere, but that's ok.  I enjoy seeing Hollywood's take on it. 

Most recently the show that has been featuring it that we have been watching is Mad Men (we're only on season 2 so don't ruin anything for me if you watch it!).  One of the characters and his wife have been trying to have a baby and they haven't been able to.  For various reasons we know it's her and not him (I don't want to give too much way!).  The most recent episode that we watched featured the woman wanting to adopt and the man not wanting to have any part of it because those babies are the "rejects".  All I can say is thank GOD I do not live in the 60's or that my husband is not a giant you know what.

So long story short... it got me curious about adoption.  There is a very real chance that adoption will be one of our only options and it's high time I got myself acquainted with the process.  We are most interested in going through Catholic Social Services and per their local website here are some FAQ's that really answered some of my questions I had. 

Q: What are the eligibility requirements to adopt through Catholic Charities of Northern Kentucky?
A: We work with couples who are experiencing infertility, have been married at least three years, are residents of the Diocese of Covington and between the ages of 25 and 45. Couples must be in good health, have a normal life expectancy, and have the physical, financial and emotional resources to attend to the needs of a growing child. Couples of all faiths are welcome to apply. Q: How much does it cost?

A: Our fees are based on a sliding scale according to income. The total expenses usually run between $11,000 and $17,000 before the $11,650 Federal Adoption Tax Credit, which can reduce the total paid to less than $6,000.

Q: How long is the wait?

A: After the home study is completed, the average wait for a placement is between twelve and eighteen months.

Q: Can I choose between a closed and open adoption?

A: Yes. Adoptive parents and birth parents are encouraged to design the adoption plan best suited to their needs and the needs of their child.

Q: What is the typical birth mother like?

A: She is a young woman of considerable maturity and courage. She sees the benefits of counseling and is invested in making the right decision for herself and her child.

Q: How old are the children placed for adoption?

A: Almost all children placed through our adoption program are newborns and are generally placed directly from the hospital.

All looks good, but I'm nervous about the money.  If we are serious about adoption, I think my next step is to research ways to make this a financial option.  One way or another, I will have a child!

Oh Yeah, I Have a Blog

If by some miracle you are still following this blog or reading, I congratulate you and thank you.  This might be popping up in your reader and you might be wondering, who is this blogger?

Ugh.

This is what makes sporadic blogging so hard.  The "coming back".  I really do want to write to more.  I know I say that all the time, but I really mean it.  It's a hobby that I enjoy and I love reading other blogs.  I just get lazy about it.  I know lazy about a habit.  What are you going to do?

So to make the ease back into blogging a bit easier, I'm going to link up with Jamie for a What I'm Loving Wednesday. 

I love that in a few short weeks, we will be heading for the Smokey Mountains/Gatlinburg for a weekend getaway.  I could not be more excited.  I'm so ready for a getaway and this place is perfect.  It's only a few hours away and it's a fairly cheap trip.  Also it has such great memories for me and the husband.  I can't wait!

I love that tomorrow we are going to reach temperatures in the 70's!  This is amazing.  I'm so ready for spring and summer weather.  I can handle fall, but I have absolutely no use for winter.  None.  I do not ski.  I do not ice skate.  I do not sled.  Warm weather will be much appreciated in these parts.

I love that my husband came and met me for lunch today!  I got to show him around my new office and he got to meet all of new co-workers.  It was nice to see him in the middle of the day and share my work life with him.

I love that March is here and the NCAA tournament is underway.  I'm hoping for big Kentucky wins especially against West Virginia and Ohio State.  A win against Ohio State would be perfection.  While I'm hoping for a Kentucky win, I'm hoping for Cincinnati and Louisville losses.  Mostly because I want the people I'm friends with on FB and follow on Twitter to shut it.  Nothing like a little "friendly" competition!

 via here

I love that on Saturday I get to celebrate with my friend and her family the fact that her father is cancer free!  About a year ago a good friend of mine's father was diagnosed with leukemia.  He needed a bone marrow transplant and my friend was lucky enough to be a match and ended up saving his life.  I'm happy that I get to share in the special celebration with them!