1 Day to New Year's

Tuesday night we took the Shaggy dogs to Elk, WA to meet Cheryl. She took foster management of them after that. It was very interesting to meet her.

Thru Wednesday, the last few days have been spent cleaning up the Christmas tree and getting things ready to move out of the loft bedrooms. I think I have enough stuff for another garage sale with the Kid this summer. Tim & #3 are coming tomorrow to move everything to the basement, tear out the carpet, & repair the flooring. Hubby & I will be sleeping in the basement for the next week or so.

Greg brought home another flu. So I was quarantined yesterday (in addition to having a flat tire on the truck which the hubby refuses to fix!) and I refuse to work anymore on iTunes. I am so very frustrated at doing that right now.

We watched 28 Days Later & 28 Weeks Later on TV. Quite the unusual SyFy Flicks.

Got all the candies, cookies & holiday food out of the house. Yuck. I feel overfed.

Tomorrow is my birthday. Can't wait. :(

Shaggy Dogs

Because hubby had not worked in the shop on Saturday his usual day, he decided to spend a couple hours working there on Sunday to finish up a couple projects.

Temperatures on Saturday night dipped down to 11 degrees F. It was COLD! After getting lattes in the morning, hubby & I parted ways. He put on his Under Armor long underwear he had gotten for Christmas so that he could work in comfort down at the shop while at home I cleaned out the refrigerator, took care of the new shaggy dogs & started taking down Christmas items. It was depressing.

I sure hope that Cheryl, the rescue rep from Washington comes to take the puppies tomorrow because I feel so sorry for them. They are living out in the garage in a kennel when they really need to be around people. Hazel & Frank are very sweet, loving dogs. Love attention & petting. However. They stink of old barn. They have not been washed or combed in AGES! Poor dogs. Both of them are extensively overweight. Especially Hazel. It looks painful when she walks (waddles). A high protein diet is needed, along with some basic grooming.

Hubby came home at 3PM after putting up my new address sign on the mailbox. One of his honey-dos.

We shared dinner of turkey sandwiches & some play-time with all the dogs inside. Around 7PM, we took Hazel & Frank for a walk around the property. The dogs loved being outside!

Merry Christmas 2009!

Christmas Day-Opened presents, played games, snacked all day. It was very restful & relaxing.

M had to make a hurried trip to Base to reprimand a subordinate. He came back an hour later & took a nap with Isabelle on the couch!

On December 26, hubby puttered around putting things together. Installed our new fireplace blower. Then he worked down at the shop for about an hour, M went to lunch with his mother while K played with her new computer! I cleaned up the house & did dishes.

Later tonight, picked up two new additions to the Saint Bernard Rescue. Frank & Hazel will be staying in the kennel outside until Cheryl can pick them up on Monday. Both of the dogs are very sweet and love attention. Very shaggy, tho. They desperately need grooming. The dogs traveled via friendly transport by Maureen from Missoula, Montana.

Merry Christmas 2009

Picked up lattes & said Merry Christmas to JenBunny, then went to Rathdrum to pick up last-minute groceries and hubby's Tramadol prescription.

Came home to early presents around the tree that the kids had brought by and a wonderful vase full of Christmas flowers & deco. Also Starbucks lattes.

Hubby made a wonderful dog grog for the puppies. Including Bravo. His mommy & daddy had dropped him off before they left to spend Christmas Eve with M's parents.

Wrapped the kids' presents together; then hubby wrapped mine as I sequestered myself in the library on the computer; then I went upstairs to wrap hubby's presents.

Right now, all the dogs are napping. Hubby is also sleeping on the couch.

When M&K return late tonight, we will watch our annual traditional "Muppet's Christmas Carol" and then retire to wait for Santa to arrive!

Nails, Pedicures & Oil Changes

Monday morning found us stopping at the latte stand to discuss marketing with Chyna. Hubby gave her a lot of good ideas. She thanked me profusely for the Tannenbaum Basket that was delivered on Saturday.

We rushed home as I was supposed to pick the Kid up at 11:00 from the Post Falls Jeep dealer. While the service department worked on changing oil & inspecting her broken windshield, we went to get our nails done. Well, I got my nails done. The kid received "The Works" Pedicure. Trying to return some things to Target, we almost got plowed into by some maniac driver who gave us the finger. Honestly, people suck at driving during this time of year!

Decided not to attempt to enter the Target parking lot. It was overflowing with cars. Instead I took the Kid back to her car & went home.

Puppies were overjoyed to see me. Including Tweak. Tweak is the latest in the dog department. Got him on Saturday night. He does bark a little too much. But maybe he is just settling in. Happy little dog. Stymie (hubby's name for him) stank of meth the first night we picked him up. When I bathed him, he seemed overwhelmingly happy to be clean for the first time in the 5 months of his life.

On Tuesday in the early AM, it snowed about 3 inches. Had hubby take me to pick up the kid at Post Falls Jeep dealership for the 2nd time this week. She had her windshield replaced. It was going to take about 5 hours, so she would spend some time with us at home. However, after eating lunch at The Great Harvest Bread Company and stopping at Les Schwab to look for tires for the new MegaMatt it was time to drop me off while Hubby & the Kid went Christmas shopping for me!

Hubby got home at 8PM and we watched a few South Park Christmas specials before going to bed.

Decorating & Baking

Thursday & Friday were spent decorating, cleaning & baking. Also, hours spent slaving over a hot computer trying to upload my entire library of iTunes.

The kids brought over Mega Matt for us to view after their whirlwind trip to North Dakota. They were very tired and refused to even take a nap. Too much excitement! They stayed the night & on Saturday came up with us to Sandpoint to pick up Gaylord/Duke/Spaz/Stymie/Tweak. (more about him later)

We ate at Panhandler Pies - which was NOTHING like we remembered it. The service was fair, but the food was extremely poor.

The kids returned home on Sunday - after hubby & I took the big dogs for an abbreviated walk in the park - too much ice. The park is now official closed for winter.

On Monday, I met the Kid at the Jeep dealer in Post Falls so that they could look at her broken windshield & change her oil. While the dealership worked on her vehicle, we ran to CDA to get our nails done. Found a very nice shop that was playing some cool techno Christmas songs. I liked a couple of them, but the girl did not know the names of the songs or who sang them.

I was exhausted by the time I returned home at 2:30P. Hubby came up early from the shop by 6:30 and we rested in front of the TV for a while.

Really Nice Looking Family

When I was looking at the picture of everybody at the Christmas tree farm, I realized that I have quite a nice looking family.

Either the kids infected us with something or hubby brought a disease home again with him. We were both feeling like crap on Tuesday. The weather brought a winter storm warning and dumped 8 inches on us. I used my new snow blower as the snow was soft & light - it worked quite well. But I had to blow the decks & walkway off several times. In between, I rested on the couch - still feeling like poopy-ka-ka.

During the night, it started to rain. So all the snow on the roof slid off which started the dogs barking frantically all night. Not fun. No sleep again.

I have such weird dogs. Observe Harriet's ear. It is just sticking up.

And Angus on her back. It CAN'T be comfortable to sleep like that. Odd dogs.

On Wednesday there was a 2 foot berm just outside the side door that the dogs had to climb over. I knew that it would have to be removed before it started to freeze, so I shoveled for over 3 hours - - - trying to get rid of it. Then shoveled the front deck, also. Made more peanut brittle for hubby. Cleaned & washed & dried his boots out from yesterday. He walked in muck and snow all day.

We are going over to Cheney, WA to see the lights at the kids' neighborhood, then go to Lenny's for Italian food. Yum. Can't wait.

Hubby rushed in the door at 5:30, after changing and securing the house, we bolted out the door at 5:41. Took 'Lil Bit & Bud with us. They slept most of the way. Listened to holiday tunes on our iPod.

Arrived at M&K's - piled into their car & drove to Cheney to eat at Lenny's Italian Restaurant. Yummy. They had the Bruschetta "special" again. K also ordered a nice red wine to go along with the meal! Then M took us around their neighborhood to see Christmas Lights. Very nice night with the kids!

It takes us exactly one hour each way if we don't stop for lattes, vehicle parts, etc. Home at 10:30. Opened some more Christmas cards. People must be sending holiday greetings late this year. Thank goodness I got it out of the way!

Tree Hunters

On Sunday morning, we arose early to scope out trees for holiday festivities. Made eggnog french toast for the family. Told the husband not to feed the dogs any leftovers, but he never listens to me!

We decided to take the kids' Jeep as it was snowing - might need the 4WD. Listened to our usual Christmas music fare on the way. . .Carol Of The Bells by August Burns Red, Carol Of The Bartenders by Bob Rivers, Baby, It's Cold Outside by Dean Martin, The Night Santa Went Crazy by Weird Al Yankovic. Stopped to pick up lattes in Spirit Lake by the old Hog-n-Jog.

On the drive there, saw lots of wild turkeys. Wooly sheep. At Camden Ranch we rode the hayrack ride, wandered for a while, picked out the perfect tree, hacked it down, carried it to the barn. Visited the gift shop, got K's annual snowflake, drank hot apple cider. Returned to the car & had the assistants pack up the tree.

Drove home & K decorated the tree. M cleaned up dog vomit in the basement. Looks like maybe Bravo had a sick tummy while we were gone. He laid around instead of playing with the dogs. M&G ran to Spirit Lake to pick up steaks & fixings for dinner. They returned & K did her Xmas cards online while M grilled.

Afterwards, the kids returned home while hubby and I cleaned. We fell into bed exhausted later.

On Monday, I was so tired after getting up at 3AM and 5AM with the dogs that I pretty much did nothing all day. Didn't help. Still feel exhausted.

Hubby wants to run over to Spoky-Jo to drop off parts at the "old man's house".

Almost saw a really great wreck while in Spoky-Jo. Some dumb blonde nearly wiped out when she tried to pass a car in town, she sped up fishtailed for nearly 800 feet, then passed in front of the car she tried to pass narrowly missing hitting them by inches, finally ending up bounding into a narrow lot at the side of the road. She also missed a steel utility pole by mere feet & also missed a 4 foot drop concrete retaining wall. Damn. Wish she would have wiped out. Maybe she would have learned something. However, she drove out of the vacant lot and sped away down a side road. Probably drunk. Idiots.

More Baking

Saturday - Arose early with hubby to get lattes, also went with him to the dump as our garage was overflowing!

When I got back, there were dog poo frozen sculptures to pick up; dishes to put away; laundry to put away; and the basement to decorate for the kids. Don't want it to look too dingy & dark for the holiday season.

Plugged all the lights in around inside the house, then turned on the Christmas holiday music via the TV XM radio. Started baking again. Made Rum Balls, Puppy Chow & No Bake Cookies.

By 3:00, I was tired and decided to set everything aside for the day. Still need to vacuum a little bit.

Disappointed that with only 13 days till Christmas that we have 2 cards hanging over the fireplace.

Kids came over to spend the night so that we can go pick up our Christmas tree at Camden Ranch tomorrow.

Christmas Baking

Tuesday/Wednesday - Have been spending time the last week trying to keep from freezing. The heat has run non-stop. Dogs have been sleeping a lot inside the house-maybe hibernating? They only go out to pee for a few minutes. Zeus' eyes are looking lots better! The Vet shaved underneat so he looks very odd. Both Zeus & Bud are on antibiotics.

Last night - Thursday - when hubby got home, we drove to Rathdrum to pick up groceries at the Super One 24 hour sale. We also drove through the streets to see the different lighted houses. Very pretty. Had our iPod plugged in so that we could listen to Christmas music. So fun. Quite the holiday tradition.

Super One did not have all the baking goods, so we had to run into CDA to pick up more stuff at Albertson's. Very disappointing. It used to be the ONLY store we shopped at, but we have not been there in over a year. No decorations like they used to put up in the store - the clerk blamed it on "the economy", but that is such a cop-out because I believe if the goods are there, people will buy. I always used to buy a stuffed Christmas bear with the year on it for my mother. But can't find any of those lately!

Drove through several neighborhoods in Hayden looking at the pretty lights.

We got home at 9:30; got everything put away by 10:30. Fell into bed - so tired!

On Friday, got lots of items in the mail that I had ordered. Just have to wrap them as presents. When the Mail guy brought the post up to the house today, he was carrying them from the tip of his nose to the bottom of his thighs. The stack was THAT big!

Once I finished making the bed, picking up dog poo sculptures, washing dishes & putting them away, doing laundry & putting it all away, I decided to get down to baking at 2:00PM!

All the dogs were taking a nap, so I thought it would be very easy for me to do everything - obviously not! They all got up and decided to help me out in the kitchen!

14 days til Christmas!

Anyway, on my Christmas baking list are:

Italian Sugar Cookies
Christmas Bark
Fudge
Peanut Brittle
No Bake Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Rum Balls
Frosted Molasses Cookies
Chex Mix
Chocolate Snowballs
Haystacks
Rice Krispy Bars
Frosted Cocoa Cookies
Puppy Chow
Sugar Candy Popcorn
Popcorn Balls

Only got 3 of those done today - Christmas Bark, Peanut Brittle & Haystacks.

'Lil Bit Is Back!

On Sunday, we actually slept in until 8:30. Woot!

Made Greg an omelette for breakfast. We brought the fish in from outside as it was supposed to get freezingly cold tonight. Installed them in the basement in a plastic barrel. The white goldfish is now over 8 INCHES long! The gold one is not too far behind him.

Went into town by 11:00 to get gas at Costco and meet kids at Lowe's so that we could use the 10% military discount to order our carpet for the loft. After we finally stood for over an hour getting the paperwork done, K suggested we eat at Mongolian Buffet. It was very good at the new place. We had not been there in years!

We took Bravo with us as the KIDS were going to visit the in-laws. Zeus welcomed a little friend to visit with in the truck! Hubby & I stopped to drop off car parts for the hubby, then mailed our Christmas cards. Paid the electric bill on the way home.

Got home seconds before the trainer pulled in the driveway at 3:00 with 'Lil Bit. Did some practice training in the garage - we pulled the cars out temporarily - because it was just so darn cold & windy out. 18 degrees when we got home. It got down to 4 degrees overnight with a wind chill factor of -16! Brrrrrr.

The kids came over late & stayed for a while. Matt liked "Clown Town" - all the lights were sparkling.

#3 and his friends were down at the shop when we got home at 3:00. They continued working down there on their trucks until 8:00.

While hubby watched some television, I uploaded some music for #3 to add to his iPod.

'Lil Bit was very happy to be home. We were glad to see him back. He did dancing bear for us which was so cute. He slept with us tonight along with Harriet.

Monday was still cold. Nothing wanted to work; the truck was very slow to warm when I went to get a latte. The key would not turn in the tumbler outside when I tried to lock the door. The decks creaked & groaned when walked upon. The door to the garage would barely open. Too cold!

Ordered more Christmas presents online today. Washed clothes. Wrote to my father-in-law. Balanced the checkbooks.

At 4:00pm, took Zeus down for his checkup post-surgery. 10 degrees cold~!

Christmas Music & Bills

After picking up lattes in A-town on Friday morning, hubby decided that he needed to get some parts & assign more vehicle titles. He had taken the last two days off in anticipation that he & the KID would be driving to NoDak.

So we ventured up to Priest River to do the titles, then off to Sandpoint to have lunch at Slates & over to Home Depot to pick up wine barrels for my tulip planting (a little late-all the dirt is frozen!) then off home again.

Saw a bus driver speeding on the highway back home so we took note of the bus number & license plate number in order to report them. In a 55 mph zone; the driver was driving in excess of 70 mph! Not a way I would like to see kids treated.

When we returned home, the mailbox was packed so full by the mailwoman that she had closed the door with a rubber band! The KID's American Eagle order arrived along with a few Christmas presents that I had ordered.

On Saturday hubby came with me to pick up lattes; and he went to work at the shop while I cleaned house, paid bills & worked on mailing out Christmas cards, listening to XM HOLLY music, and purchasing more Christmas music online.

I only purchased Norah Jones' album The Fall because of the beautiful Saint Bernard on the album cover. Saw it as the featured CD at Starbucks the last time we got a latte.

Zeus & Surgery Again

The KID came out to stay with us on Wednesday night. She thought she might be going with her father to pick up the truck in ND, but it fell through. No truck yet. Hubby was exhausted and fell asleep on the couch; Bravo, Harriet & Zeus piled on the couch with the KID while we watched TV; they love her.

KRL & I went to bed early. I was exhausted as I had only gotten 1 hour's sleep the night before-took aspirin & drugs which kept me solidly awake all night. Couldn't sleep at all.

Made Eggnog French Toast for breakfast along with bacon the next morning.

Our problem child had surgery again. Took Zeus into the vet at 8:30AM Thursday morning to have eye entrophy surgery. I cleaned up around the house again. Poop sculptures have now frozen to the ground and it is difficult to pick them up.

The pond has almost frozen over, so I went out & poked at it with a stick. Fish are still doing OK.

Took Bud into the Vet at 3:30PM to look at his cheek - he had torn it while playing the other day. Prescribed antibiotics. Brought Zeus home. He had gotten through his surgery OK.

Susan, the receptionist at our vet is leaving to go work for Dr. Marty Becker of Good Morning America fame at the North Idaho Animal Hospital. I congratulated her & gave her a hug as I will truly miss her.

Lighted clown town up at 4:30. Dinner with the hubby at 8:00 - Chili with cheese & onion topping.

Cold & A New Truck

On Monday, I started decorating inside the house as far as I can with the dogs. Most things have to be kept up high; no Christmas pillows or blankets draped carelessly over the couches! Bud is the only bad boy that wants to chew up everything. Once he gets going, the rest follow.

Tuesday was very chilly and I really enjoyed picking up dog poo. I got to the backyard before the sun had a chance to warm it up, so I was gathering brown "dog sculptures" instead of the warm, gooey stinky substance. Waxing poetic about dog poo-never thought it would come to this! Rented the stupid movie - The Proposal on pay-per-view. Dumb. Thought it would be better. Got hit with endometriosis pains mid-way through the movie. Took too much medication again and drifted in a hazy delusional state up to bed by 10PM.

The cold lasted thru Wednesday and I got to pick up frozen poop again. Matty N had texted & emailed a pic of a truck that he found online that was for sale in NoDak. Hubby called and it was a steal at $18K. He put $500 down on it and said if the kids didn't want it - he did! So it looks like M&K or G alone is going on a roadtrip soon. Matty N should be back on Sat. KRL-N has passed her training at H&R Block - to be a tax specialist in 2010! 2008 Dodge MegaCab Laramie.

Puppies played outside for over 2 hours Tuesday & Wednesday. Somehow this cold snap is giving them a lot of energy! House is looking very Christmas-y!

I have started on Christmas cards. Decided not to do the annual family newsletter. Am going to be lazy and just send a card with our names on it. (including dogs)