Weekly Puppy Picture!

Oddly Specific

 

I found a website called Oddly Specific.  And it totally cracks me up.

Things to Do When You're Bored At Work Part...

I think I've mentioned this before, but when you look at any Blogger blog, at the very top is a link to "Next Blog" which randomly brings you to another blog.  I just did this for about 15 minutes and in that short time, here is what I discovered:

1. Most bloggers put up their own unique header.  I guess I'm surprised.  You have to know how to at least cut and paste code and where to put it.

         1a.  This fact makes me want to pimp our blog.

2.  One out of every 3 blogs is about a family.  Either an entire extended family (with family pictures where everyone is the same general shape and size), a newlywed couple (with LOTS of coupley pictures suggesting getting married is just one big adventure!), or 2 or more children (again, with lots of cute pictures suggesting parenting is just one big adventure).

        2a. I don't mean to sound annoyed, I actually think blogs are a great way to stay in touch.  Not sure about having a PUBLIC blog, though...

3.  One out of 3 blogs is pretty Christian.  I only find this surprising because it's blatant Christianity--I didn't have to read far before Jesus came up.

4.  Cool blogs have pictures.

5.  I ran across TWO blogs whose personas were named Seraphine.  Weird, huh?

Time for more Maddy pics!

My niece Maddy is adorable and I've been a busy uncle. So I've been unable to post pictures of her. But my brother sent me these a few days ago. Look at her! She's adorable. And FYI, the fauxhawk is her signature look.

Weekly puppy picture!

Home ownership...

... is great, don't get me wrong. But today, we experienced our first holy-shit-we-need-to-do-something-about-this-now episode. I was innocently doing a load of laundry when the washer stopped running. At first, I thought nothing of it and assumed the load was done. I walked over and realized it was in the middle of the cycle. And no, it wasn't something simple like the power outlet tripping. I'm not THAT bad. I fiddled with it for five minutes or so and got it working again. But it's been a horrible machine since we moved in. It's one of those all-in-one dealies (washer on the bottom physically attached to the dryer -- the standard condo type). It's also circa 2002. It also doesn't dry anything very well, and has a buzzer that you can't turn off.

Cut to D & P at Sears. That's right, Sears. The place I pick on my parents for going to. We met a nice salesman (Hi, Dennis!) who helped us with stackables. Interestingly, he advised us against purchasing one specific brand, which also happens to be the brand that stopped working this morning! Everything was fine until he started asking questions that we couldn't answer. In this respect, I AM that bad.

1. Is your dryer vented? My answer: a confident yes. And it is, it's just that what I thought was the vent was actually the drain pipe. The vent was on the back.
2. Is it gas or electric? My answer: I think it's electric. WRONG! It's gas.

To answer both of these questions, we had to come home, look and go back to the store. I'm sure poor Dennis thought we weren't coming back. I actually started sweating in the store when I couldn't answer his questions. But, it's good thing we did that, because we don't have the option for an electric dryer and it costs more to get the gas version.

In any event, we now are the proud owners of a new washer and dryer. Pretty, efficient, stackable and new -- delivery on Tuesday. It even makes this friendly beeping sound when you turn it on, as if to say "Hello again, D! What can I help you with today, good sir?" It's also very quiet, which is good since our current one is not and is just off the living room.

I'm also the un-proud owner of a Sears card. Between that and my itemized deductions for 2009, I feel ancient.

Poll Open!

The poll is now open. We're workshopping five names. Polls close on March 20, the day we pick her up.

Puppy! (continued)

It's official! We've put down our deposit! The breeder provides weekly picture updates here. We pick her up on March 20!

Puppy!

At long last, we're getting a puppy! We've been on a waiting list for a while now waiting for a Boston Terrier. Technically, we probably could have had one by now if not for the fact that we don't want to potty train a puppy in Chicago in the winter. Today, I got an email from the breeder! We have three to choose from, all females. My favorite (not that you can tell anything from a week old lump of a puppy) is "Fergie", mostly because I find that name adorable. Though we probably will still change it to something less appropriate for a dog. Like Estelle or Stacey. We would get her at the end of March, which SHOULD be the tail end of winter.

My big argument with P right now is that I want to do doggy daycare while she's a puppy. He thinks it's a waste of money. I don't want some tiny little baby animal to be locked up for 9 or 10 hours a day. All she'll do is cry, pee and poop. Doggy daycare is not unlike childcare in that it's $$$, but I don't think we'll need to do it forever. Just until she's able to control her bladder and pooper.

In any event, here's my favorite. You're really not missing much by not seeing the other two. They all look the same to me.

Overheard on the train

*Middle-aged white man (MAWM) who looks much older than I assume he is sitting on train. Wearing a "Phat Farm" coat, which I could not get over. And a fuzzy, dirty "Elmer Fudd" style cap, but not checked -- totally covered in fur. This is all making him sound funky and hip. He was neither. He was gross and most likely purchased all of these items at a yard sale or thrift store. Again, not in a funky/hip way. More like in an old way. Anyway, he coughs.*

*[Younger] man (YM) sitting in front of him speaks*

YM: "Dude, cover your mouth!"
MAWM: *grumble* "I did!"
YM: "No. You didn't. Fourth time, man. Fourth. Time."
MAWM: "Oh, like you can see me with your back to me?"
YM: "I can in that reflection in that window right THERE!"
MAWM: "Oh, right."
YM: "Unbelievable."
MAWM: "There's no laws saying you can't cough on buses." [note: we were on a train, not a bus. But even so, his point was stupid. It's not about laws, it's about common courtesy.]

*friendly woman sitting across from YM asks a question.*

"Would you like to switch seats?"

*My thoughts instantly went to, 'WHY would you want to sit next to all that?!' Apparently she's nicer than I am.*

YM: "Naw, thanks. I already got the swine flu from this one."

*YM switches seats when people exit train*

New glasses!

After four years, I'm getting new glasses. Same manufacturer as before. Just four years ago, I would never have dared look at something like these. Thanks to the friendly gay guy at the glasses place for making me branch out with my current pair.

I Have Been Waiting for This: PajamaJeans

 

"We were noticing that people were wearing their pajamas on airplanes and in grocery stores. But a lot of people have mixed feelings about it because they think it's inappropriate and sloppy," Stacey Buonanno, merchandising manager for The PajamaGram Company, maker of the double duty "denim," explained to StyleList.

"A lot of people wear their workout clothes out. But we thought it would be easy to take a pair of jeans, style them similar to a yoga pant, give them all the jean detailing, but make them stretchy and soft so that you wouldn't mind wearing them to bed," she told us.

Cleaning Question

I can't ask either of my blog colleagues this question. P's laundry can't seem to find the hamper, and I'm starting to think he doesn't know how to use a dishwasher. And then J, well... J can barely keep herself clean, much less offer advice in this area. So I look to our loyal readers to help with this question (my guess is that my sister-in-law is going to be the first to answer).

We have natural stone throughout our master bathroom. Annoyingly, there is exactly one cleaning product in all of Target that is safe for natural stone. Believe me, I read all of the labels. Just ask P who stood there sighing the entire time. And let me tell you, that one product does nothing for that teeny tiny spot of mildew in the corner of the shower. I've scrubbed (and scrubbed) and it's not coming out. Does anyone have any suggestions? It's really starting to stress me out, which probably surprises no one. My last resort is to ask via Facebook comment, so you know how serious this is.

And before anyone asks, no. That's not a picture of our shower, but that scenario is the picture my brain paints for me every Sunday when I'm scrubbing the shower 'til my fingers are tiny bleeding nubs.