Twenty-Something Florida Wife

Traveling with Friends

2012-09-13T17:33:00.001-04:00

In the past year, we've done a couple of trips that involved friends. One went pretty well, and we had a lot of fun and enjoyed our company thoroughly. Another wasn't the most horrific experience I've ever had in my life, but it was less than pleasant, not nearly as fun as we planned, and not long after we reevaluated friendships and adjusted accordingly. I've learned a couple of important things that need to be considered when planning trips with friends, and thought it might not be so bad to share. They helped us feel far more comfortable and content on our trip to Chicago, and we were able to thoroughly enjoy ourselves more than the previous vacation.

Know your friend, and know him well, before you travel together. You can learn so much about someone by living with them, even for just a few days. Make sure you have plenty in common, make sure that you trust him/her, and try not to go with someone who can take care of him/herself. If the person can't be left to do things on his own and you have different interests/sleep schedules/etc., or if the person struggles with self-control and moderation and you're going anywhere other than a dry county, maybe you should rethink traveling with them. You don't want to have to parent someone older than you on vacation.

If you're staying with a friend, be flexible, and/or being willing to be independent. I'm a morning person, and usually when I'm traveling, I want to be up early and going, going, going all day. I may only have one chance to be there and see the sights, so I want to take full advantage. Many of my friends, however, think vacation is about sleeping in, relaxing, and doing activities in small doses. Don't be a crazy planner (hour by hour planning only works when it's just me and hubby, I usually even schedule in "flex time" to do something spontaneous...), and if you want to be able to do things in smaller groups, be prepared to be independent.

Have the ability to get out. Sometimes, even if you don't think you'll have a problem, you might. Have a way out. If you need to get a different hotel room or find alternate transportation because things have gone sour, make sure you can make this happen. Traveling with friends can sometimes be cheaper financially, but there can be other costs. If you're stuck in a miserable situation, you need a back up plan that's ready on the fly. If you never have to use it, all the better.

If you keep these things in mind when planning, chances are your trip will be successful. If vacation with a friend ruins the friendship, the trip ends up a bust for everyone involved.

Our trip to Chicago worked out pretty great. Because it's our friend's new(ish) home base, we didn't have to do much work, just followed our awesome tour guides. It was a way better way to experience our first big city together!

Chi-Town Trip!

2012-08-21T17:20:00.003-04:00

Hubby's best friend (and best man) moved away not long after our wedding in 2010. He decided to pursue a PhD at a little school you might have heard of, called the University of Chicago. And he left a big Jimmy-sized hole in our hearts when he did.

So last winter, we decided to start planning a trip to visit him. At the beginning of August, we made it a reality! We only were able to spend 3 nights in Chicago, so it was a short trip, but oh, so sweet!

Reunited!

Drinks at Villain's

Lincoln Park Zoo

Goose Island

Wandering the Magnificant Mile

Visiting Sue at the Field Museum

All of us at Navy Pier

Chicago was fabulous! To be perfectly honest, I've never been a big city kind of person. I could live my whole life without seeing New York City or Los Angeles, and be totally fine with it. We went primarily to see our dear friend who we love so much, and figured we had to be able to enjoy ourselves in the city outside of that primary goal. But Chicago surprised me, and I loved it so much I think I'd like to visit it again.

Despite being a short trip, I have much to say about it, so stay tuned for more Chicago action.

For the Love of Dog

2012-08-21T16:59:00.000-04:00

Dear Siren,

The first time I saw you on Petfinder in November of 2011, I knew you were trouble and a half. They couldn't even take a half decent photo of you.

Back then, you were Lindy, and you were wandering Chiefland with a ratty pink collar. Your previous family didn't care to come looking for you. When we got to the shelter, we were hard pressed to choose between you and another sweet little brown dog named Carrie. You both passed all of the tests, but we already agreed to "foster" Guinness (then known as Gator), and Daddy would've killed me if I brought all three of you home. I asked the gentleman working at the shelter who he thought would have a harder time getting a home. He pointed at you, so you became ours. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't wondered a few times if we picked the wrong dog, but we love you very much and wouldn't trade you for the world now.

You tested our 6 food wood fence the first day, but we watched you like a hawk and you never made it over. You had to learn how to be a house dog, but started to get the hang of it (not before tearing up carpet in our spare room, destroying the blinds, eating two jackets of mine). Then we went on vacation, and boarded you at a kennel that partnered with the vet we hired to spay you. They didn't tell us until we came back, but they traumatized you by keeping you in a small airline crate the entire time. I promised you I'd never take you back there. We then had to work on overcoming your fear of the crate. You did so well for such a long time.

And then this summer, you got batty. You started panicking in the crate again, and chewed your way through it. You turned my down comforter into a pile of feathers. I made a deal with you that you could stay out of the crate as long as you behaved alone in the house. You've done mostly well - as long as it's our house. But you really, really need to learn to be a better guest when we visit Gramma and Grampa.

Then you started trying to escape. You never tested Gramma and Grampa's fence before, but suddenly, finding new and interesting ways to get out of the yard became very exciting. Again, you've become a very terrible house guest.

But Siren, last Sunday took the cake. You're used to regular weekend trips out to the cabin. You have 2 entire acres of places to run, things to sniff, and between 2 and 3 other dogs to wrestle and chase. Sunday, you decided this wasn't enough. When I heard you baying off in the distance, I knew instantly you were no longer on the property.

Daddy and I took off over the fence in different directions. Daddy had sneakers and jeans. I, on the other hand, had flip flops and shorts. Not ideal for racing through heavily wooded areas. Just then, the rain started pouring down. We ran, calling for you every few seconds, and listening for you. Whatever you were following kept you baying for awhile, but then you stopped. I envisioned you stuck in a sinkhole, bitten by a rattlesnake, attacked by a hog or coyote, shot by a neighbor. And I lost hope. I called to Daddy that we needed to head back before we got lost. But Daddy wasn't ready. He kept looking, and minutes later, he caught sight of you frolicking through a field. He jumped over the barbed wire fence to get to you, and I raced through the woods and waited at the fence for him to put you in my arms. You were tired, but happy and healthy, and I simultaneously was infuriated and relieved. We took turns carrying you back through the woods to the cabin.

My flip flops will never be the same. Gramma got mad at me, because she was afraid that I would be bitten by a snake. Daddy and I were soaked to the bone, and exhausted the rest of the day. I don't think many people are stupid enough to take on a dog like you.

But you should know that we love you, you stupid little dog, very much. Especially your daddy, who never quit on you.

Now, knock it off and age 5 years tomorrow, please.

Love,
Mommy

Scalloping Success!

2012-08-08T17:50:00.001-04:00

Our most recent adventure more than made up for our first lousy attempt... we limited out in about 2 hours! A friend was turning 45, and we were invited to go out on his boat in search of tasty little shellfish.This time, we went out of Hernando Beach - about as far south as you can still legally collect scallops.

We came up pretty victorious after our first drop. Scallops were everywhere! Each person is allowed 2 gallons, with a maximum of 10 per boat. We collected 6 gallons easily in the first spot.

We celebrated with lunch - including fresh scallop as an appetizer. I don't usually do raw fish, but it was way too fresh to really be dangerous. Raw scallops are weirdly sweet. I expected it to be much more salty, given that it lives in salt water.

Then we moved about 50 yards to some different grass beds (scallops need sea grass and very specific salinity to thrive - which is why there are only a few locations in West Florida where they exist in high enough numbers to be harvested). More scallops!

We hung out for awhile enjoying the water and the boat, and then headed back for a couple hours of shucking. My parents invested in scalloping tools that really beat the old fork and knife way of getting at the meat. The dogs watched with hopes of being tossed a tasty morsel. No such luck, pups.

I can't wait for our next scalloping trip, whenever that might be. Has anyone else been scalloping this year?

Hear This One Out

2012-08-01T22:49:00.000-04:00

"And the second is like, namely this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is none other commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:31

"Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are that judge: for wherein you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you that judge do the same things." - Romans 2:1

I normally have a little more fun reading the less observed bible quotes (the mean ones that your pastor might not like emphasizing on Sundays), but I think these are fitting reminders for a lot of folks right now. You know, people who aren't Jesus, or God, or Deity X. People who, if they are Christian, claim to live by a book that contains (among other things) the above words of advice.

The restaurant I'm not going to name here has been one that I've actively avoided for at least a decade (and my family never really were huge fans anyway, though maybe not necessarily for philosophical reasons). I avoided it because for that long, I knew that the CORPORATION donated money to a cause that denies human rights. Based on a single religion. One of many. In a country that supposedly stands for religious freedom.

I'd like to remind everyone that the scandal currently at hand is not about attempts to stop someone from practicing their religion. If Mr. CFA opposes gay marriage, I recommend he not marry a man. He has the right to think whatever he'd like. People also have the right to dislike someone based on something as absurd as the color of their skin. But I, then, have the right to tell that individual how wrong they are. And if he uses CORPORATE funds and the name of the establishment to donate to causes that impinge upon the rights of other human beings, I absolutely will not spend my money at such an establishment.

I don't require that private churches allow gay couples to be married within their walls. But religion has no place in the U.S. government. Why can I, an atheist, be married without protest for violating the "sanctity of marriage" while loving couples of the same sex cannot?

If you want to eat a chicken sandwich, I'm not going to stop you. But I hope that before you jump on the "Support-People-Who-Want-To-Violate-Human-Rights" Bandwagon, you remember what your book and your deity tells you.

Which side of history would you like to be on when your grandchildren ask you what life was like in the early 2000s?

Seahorse Key

2012-07-30T22:25:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday, my parents celebrated their 28th anniversary (on the 28th!). Coincidentally, Seahorse Key, a small island used by the University of Florida for research, was open to the public that same day. They only open twice a year, and we didn't know if we'd ever be able to coordinate it.

The scenery is gorgeous. Typically, the island is a bird sanctuary and nesting ground. Parts of the island also have 33 water moccasins (snakes) per acre. Human foot traffic is pretty scarce, so the wildlife is pretty exciting.

After a quick tour of the lighthouse (it's pretty tiny), we headed out to see the beach. The driftwood was so beautiful.

After our trip to Seahorse Key, we had dinner in Cedar Key and then headed back to the cabin for the night. Sometimes things just work out nicely.

Hope everyone else had a nice weekend!

My Latest Obsession

2012-07-27T15:52:00.002-04:00

I've officially become obsessed with painting. This is still a new hobby for me, because although I always wanted to paint, I never felt like I'd be able to. I told myself I wasn't artistic, and that it would just be frustrating and a waste. Then I finally took a couple of painting classes, and loved every second of it. Finally, I bit the bullet and decided to go for it on my own.

Here's what I've done in the past week:

My parents' cabin

Neon Seahorse

He fits right in with my neon turtle (I even made the shelf back in February).

Mangrove Roots

Hibiscus

Sheep

I've learned a lot in the process:

No one knows how to do anything the first time they try. Just do it.
Sure, it might look like a 10 year old painted these. But who really cares anyway?
This little hobby makes me feel pretty darn happy. So it's worth a little investment for childlike attempts at art.

I'm a little sad I didn't try it sooner, because for years I've wished I had the talent. It took me until now to recognize that I don't need to be a famous painter, and I don't need to have anything worth attempting to sell. I just need to enjoy it - and I do! I've never been a hobby person (unless animal hoarding counts as a hobby), but having this is a great way to come home and unwind after a long day.

Happy Weekend!

Scalloping Season

2012-07-23T17:02:00.002-04:00

Scallops, in case you aren't aware, are delicious little shellfish that are extra wonderful if you catch them yourself. Which is possible if you happen to be near the gulf coast of Florida in the summer.

Hubby and I got our fishing licenses and were ready to join my parents for a little scalloping adventure a couple of weekends ago. July is when the season opens - and it gets busy! By the time my mom tried to make arrangements to rent a boat, they'd already been booked (for the whole month!). Not to be defeated, she found some recommendations online to try Hagen's Cove, just north of Steinhatchee. From there, we would be able to wade in and find scallops close to shore.

Hagen's Cove was gorgeous: pure, natural Florida, and can make you feel as though you've stepped back in time to pre-Disney Florida days. Apparently, it's a favorite spot of former President Jimmy Carter, but no presidential sightings were to be had that day. The weather was perfect, the water had high visibility, so we grabbed our snorkles and jumped in.

Unfortunately, former presidents weren't the only thing we couldn't find. Scallops were nowhere to be seen. We did see some fish, an eel, a stingray, and plenty of fiddler crabs.

In spite of coming home empty handed, we did have a good time. It was nice to be back in the saltwater again. Scallop season doesn't end until September, so we'll have to give this another go-round again soon.

Farewell, Tyson!

2012-07-21T14:53:00.003-04:00

Our foster baby, Tyson, found his family today. I have to admit to crying just a little when I heard the news. Part of it was selfish, because I sure did fall in love with that sweet shepherd boy, but part of it was because I hope he knows that we weren't trying to abandon him, and that we didn't get rid of him because we didn't love him. My heart hurts knowing that there's no way to explain to him why things have gone the way that they have for the past couple of months of his life.

I don't even recognize the dog in this picture anymore.

Tyson spent an entire month at the shelter in Levy County after his owner relinquished him. I brought him home on July 3rd. A home where he got several baths, fancy dog food, a soft place to sleep, and an abundance of cuddling and love. A home with a bunch of other puppies to play with and weekend trips to a 2 acre doggie paradise. A home where he didn't have to worry about much, but a temporary home.

When we dropped him off at Petsmart, I could tell he was nervous. He curled up in the back of the kennel, and looked intimidated at all of the bright lights and loud noises. I said goodbye to my boy, torn between wanting to get a call that was going to his real home, and wanting to be able to pick him up tonight.

What a difference a few weeks of love can make!

I got the call, and was able to hear a little about his new mom. She's had and loved German Shepherd dogs her whole life, and has a female GSD at home for Tyson to play with. Recently, she lost a 15 year old dog, and decided that they had room to share with someone who needed them. I'm going to miss him so much, but it sounds like such a great situation for my sweet boy.

Tyson, we'll raise a glass for you tonight. We wish you a long and happy life with your new mom and sister, and nothing but the best of everything. We'll love you always. You've left some pretty deep paw prints on our hearts.

Neon Turtle

2012-07-20T13:10:00.002-04:00

Some of the lovely ladies I work with got together for a painting and pizza party. I discovered this year how much I love painting, and I was super excited about our girls' night. One of the girls is already a fabulous artist, and got a bunch of 6x6 canvases for us to have fun with.

I spent some time thinking about just what the heck I wanted to paint anyway. Our house is filled with all sorts of artwork, including houses and buildings, African wildlife, classic rock, landscapes, and sea life. I'm not an artist by any means, so simpler sounded better. Naturally, I decided a sea turtle sounded simple...

After google image searching for awhile and feeling like perhaps this was a bit too ambitious, I discovered this little inspiration piece:

It seemed reasonable, so I went for it, but added just a little of my own flavor. Including plenty of bright, neon colors. What I lack in finesse and talent, I make up for in enthusiasm.

At the end of the night, with bellies full of pizza and our clothes surprisingly clean of paint, we came up with these:

I love that we all came up with such different ideas and paintings. Shockingly, I was the one with the animal. Maybe the next painting night I should try something not animal related...

Ah, the Joy of Grad School

2012-07-16T19:27:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time, I had dreams of vet school. Then the reality of six-digit loans while my husband and I both worked on doctoral degrees hit, and I realized I'd rather have a family someday. But my BA wasn't going to cut it for anything I was remotely interested in doing, and the business I started in 2007 had worn me down. On to graduate school I went.

I have a pretty sweet deal, actually. I'm earning my Master's degree on an assistantship (which means I have "free" tuition and a paycheck in exchange for working for the department). My department is phenomenal, and filled with the most wonderful people - they've really become like a second family to me. I'm totally excited about the opportunities I'm getting in the process, and my future career. But some days, I scratch my head and wonder what the heck I was thinking.

I decided several months ago that I'd be graduating in the summer of 2013, as opposed to spring. The reason behind this is that it was the only way I'd be able to write a thesis, because during the spring I'll be doing an internship. I did have the option to not do a thesis, but I plan to only be a graduate student once, and I may never get to write a book again. Not that anyone will actually read this book, but maybe people will take on bits and pieces here and there. It's nice to think someone out there will find my research interesting.

This summer, I'm taking a course where the whole goal is to get the first three chapters of one's thesis/dissertation at least 80% done. It's ambitious, it's a whole lot of work, but it makes the rest of the process much smoother. The department head (and one of my committee members) teaches it, and he gives awesome feedback. But shoot, am I tired of writing.

I keep telling myself that this is going to be so worth it - and it totally will be. But I'll be excited to put away these first three chapters for a little while and get to data collection this fall. This time next year, I'll be preparing for graduation. One more year, one more year, one more year...

Has anyone else done something that, while completely worthwhile, made you wonder what you were thinking when you signed on the dotted line?

Help Save Cali

2012-07-11T18:31:00.003-04:00

I think I've made it pretty clear that I'm hopeless when it comes to critters in need. But this video had me in tears (just ask my poor husband). If your a dog lover, or a kid lover, I can't imagine you'll be able to hear this family's story and not turn into butter.

If you don't have a dollar to spare, at least consider passing this along.

http://helpsavecali.chipin.com/cali

New Goals

2012-07-07T10:59:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago, I thought losing a pound a week would be no sweat. Perfectly safe, and perfectly easy. I went from a fairly sedentary lifestyle to working out for an hour a day, 5 days a week. And being more conscious of my already not-so-bad diet was surely bound to help.

But after launching my new fitness plan, I gained 5 pounds. Yes, it was muscle. Yes, I know the number on the scale is less important. But here's the deal: in addition to adding muscle, I would like to lose fat, which wasn't happening. Not what I count as success in my book. So I've ramped up my cardio, and I'm going to try my hardest to keep pushing on instead of throwing in the towel.

Fortunately, I was noticing results in my strength and endurance. Overall, I feel better after having exercised, my body feels stronger, and I know that in the long run this is good for me. This morning I weighed myself and I'm back to my start weight. I'm not going to get too excited, because weight fluctuates and who really cares what the real number is, because it's definitely not lower and it, thankfully, hasn't skyrocketed either.

My new plan is to embrace the idea that I'm going to be hovering on the overweight line for a while. Maybe this time next year, I'll have managed to drop the 10 pounds. But even if I don't, eating decently and exercising consistently need to be a part of my life plan, because the fat is only going to pack on easier as I get older.

Has anyone else reached this point?

Meet Tyson

2012-07-03T12:29:00.001-04:00

I remember a time when this blog used to be about things other than animals... oops.

For the past month, I've been watching Petfinder.com and seeing this guy keep popping up at Levy County Animal Services.

Tyson was listed as a 2 year old male Aussie mix, and was an owner release. Someone decided to give up on this guy. He spent a month stuck in a kennel filled with barking dogs at Levy County Animal Services waiting for someone to take him home.

Summer is bad for shelters. Puppies are being born like nobody's business, and as much as they'd like not to (animal control workers, believe it or not, hate what they have to do and really want to see happy endings), a lot of animals are destroyed due to lack of space. Tyson's time was running short, so I contacted a friend and with some help from Helping Hands Rescue, I was able to go pull him this morning.

I brought my trusty old Remy dog to temperament test him, and he passed with flying colors. We got home and he fit right in with the pack. After a bath and some time to meet his foster brothers and sister, he was ready for a long nap. Based on the condition of his teeth, he seems closer to the 4-6 age range than 2, but he's got plenty of pep and playfulness left, and I'm guessing quite a few years. He's sweet as pie, and I know he's going to make a family VERY happy!

If you know someone not too far from Gainesville who might be interested in a very sweet, very dog friendly pup, Tyson would appreciate you passing his pictures along!

Bad Words from Your Vet

2012-07-02T21:32:00.003-04:00

There are a few words you never want to hear from your vet. "Expensive," "surgery," "come back in two weeks to give me more money," and "lymphoma." Or cancer of any type, really.

You may know that ferrets are sickly animals. The U.S. has one major producer of ferrets - Marshall Farms. The gene pool is small, and as a result, pretty much every ferret in America is going to have adrenal disease set in around middle-age (ours got it just before they turned 4, right on cue). No big deal, you're just going to have to shell out some pretty pennies every 6 months for implants to re-balance hormones. We've so far avoided insulinoma, which is over production of insulin as a result of high glucose levels. Keeping grains out of their diet seems to have helped thus far.

But not long ago, Belle's lymph nodes swelled - and fast. Either a nasty infection was wreaking havoc on her little body, or she had lymphoma. Given that her activity levels and appetite were unchanged, and the fact that she is 5 1/2 years old, infection didn't seem likely. We went to the vet, did the blood work, and she was put on a 10 day course of antibiotics, along with some medication to help her kidney values improve, and a steroid. After 10 days, her lymph nodes were still swollen, and her liver function wasn't ideal.

We haven't confirmed that this is lymphoma, because to do so conclusively would require removal of a lymph node. I'm not interested in killing my ferret to prove what's killing her. So, the vet said to be happy if we get 4-6 months. She's on the kidney medication and steroids, as well as milk thistle for liver support twice a day for the rest of her life. We're not going to do anything crazy like chemotherapy, just so we might be able to get an extra month of life. For now, she's happy, and enjoys playing and eating and doing ferret things. When that stops, it will be time to say goodbye.

I'm not ready to say goodbye to another of my critters so soon after Taz, but this is part of the deal.

Fitness Update

2012-06-30T09:27:00.001-04:00

I've decided to stop weighing myself, at least for the time being, because the scale reads the highest number I've ever seen, even higher than when I first started working out again, despite only having better diet choices since I started my little weight loss plan. I want to point out that I was moved into a very sedentary lifestyle from my previously active job , but was stagnant at a weight for a loooong time, until I started trying to lose. Thanks, Universe; I guess no good deed goes unpunished.

I've been mostly good at working out a minimum of 4 (but usually 5) times each week, for at least an hour each time. The total body and core classes I go to are specifically about building muscle, not burning fat, but I also go to Zumba twice a week for some cardio. When I'm feeling really ambitious, I can convince myself to hop on the exercise bike for a little while or do some floor exercises at home, on average less than once a week. Let's face it, sitting on the couch, playing with critters, cleaning, writing my thesis, ANYTHING sounds better than exercising.

This week my exercise plan went out the window. We went to visit my parents over the weekend, got to drive home on Sunday in Tropical Storm Debby, I spent all day Monday working on my thesis, and then spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Orlando for a convention. Thursday I did my usual Zumba class, and Friday I was a big slacker.

So this morning I decided to try running again. I used to run track when I was in middle school, and loved it. I ran the half mile event, the mile, hurdles, and occasionally the mile relay. In the middle of 8th grade season, I broke my leg in a horseback riding accident, and that ended my track career. During college, I tried running again, but my knees swelled and ached whenever I did (unaffected areas of my accident - probably due to inappropriate shoes).

Today - no knee problems. I have no idea how far I ran, I just ran from my driveway to the park next to our neighborhood, did a loop around the park, and back to my driveway. Maybe a mile or a mile and a half? I don't honestly have a clue. Point is, I did it. Maybe if I can run a couple of times a week I'll start noticing a difference.

In the meantime, I guess I really should be doing a dietary overhaul. Help? What are your favorite low-carb, low-fat meals? Keep in mind that I hate tomatoes (including sauce) and beef. Because I never grew out of obnoxious 10 year old behaviors, apparently.

Happy Father's Day

2012-06-17T18:46:00.000-04:00

I have always been Daddy's Little Girl, and I'm convinced I'll never be too old for that title. Daddy taught me so many important life lessons. Whenever I pouted and exclaimed that something wasn't fair, his response was always, "Life isn't fair." True that, Dad.

He taught me how to fish, ran with me when I was training for track seasons in my middle school years, treated my boyfriends nicely (especially the one that became my husband), helped me fix up my first car and didn't yell at me when I accidentally blew it up less than a year later (I still SWEAR that oil light didn't come on!). He's always good for a laugh, a beer, and he celebrates all of my little victories.

Thank you, Daddy, for always being my cheerleader, my knight in shining armor, my Mr. Fix-It, and so much more. I love you!

Getting Fit - Or Not

2012-06-13T08:34:00.001-04:00

Alright people, remember when I said I was going to start getting fit? I've been doing purposeful, sweat-my-hiney-off exercise at least 4 days a week since then. And guess what I have to show for it? Big fat nothing.

Here's the situation before: I always led a pretty active lifestyle. When I walked dogs for a living, I wasn't purposefully exercising, but hey, it was my job to walk dogs all day. Then last year, I decided to start grad school, and phased out my business. Since last August, I've been spending my days at a desk, with my exercise consisting of the 10 minute walk each way from my car to my office. And walks with my own dogs, but that barely counts either.

I don't eat like a super health freak, but my diet isn't bad, either. I have yogurt for breakfast every morning. I'll munch on snacks throughout the day - almonds, raw veggies, wheat thins or triscuits, granola bars, stuff like that. Then I come home and have half a plate of vegetables of some sort, and more often than I probably should, some sort of pasta. I get it, I should cut the pasta. After dinner, I'm bad about snacking, and I like popcorn or Italian Ice. But seriously, how terrible is this? Do I need to be doing an extreme diet makeover here?

My exercise routines since May 21st have consisted of Zumba classes (usually once or twice a week), a Total Body class (once or twice a week) and a core class (once a week). Clothing isn't looser, I look a tiny bit more toned, and the scale is actually telling me that if my weight has changed, it's only gone up. If one more person tells me "muscle weighs more than fat," I might explode. The number on the scale is one way to measure, and since it's the only measurable change I've seen so far, I'm getting irritated. I'd be thrilled to have the same number on the scale for the rest of my life if the fat burned away and left muscle in it's place. Not happening here.

Any advice, or words of encouragement? Someone tell me that this is a normal part of the process.

It's Kitten Season...

2012-06-10T20:31:00.000-04:00

Every summer I get myself involved in some sort of cat drama. Exhibits A, B, and C. Guess what, friends! It's summer!

We took the dogs out to the cabin on Saturday to hang out with my parents. After dinner, we sat around chatting by a campfire. We started hearing my parents' dog, Dingo, barking at something by the "barn." I'm always a little worried about snake encounters, so we went over to investigate.

I could hear a low growl coming from behind a few sheets of plywood, so we put the dogs back up in the cabin. At this point, I didn't know if we were dealing with a cat or a raccoon. We had been hearing kitten meows all day, but thought they were coming from the neighbors and hadn't paid much attention. Low and behold, one tiny kitten was peeping out at us.

Catching him was significantly easier than I anticipated. Rob backed him toward me with a rake, until I could reach out to scruff him. He didn't even struggle. My dad drilled some holes in a spare bucket lid, and my mom found a can of tuna fish. The poor little guy was starving, and wolfed down the tuna.

On the way back home, he sat in my lap purring and being thrilled about being cuddled. I gave him a long bath that tested his tiny kitten patience to get all of the fleas off (this was no small task, people, and they were huge compared to him). I dried him off, fed him some cat food, and we cuddled.

Today, he saw a vet for dewormer and a quick exam. He'll go back in a few weeks when he's old enough to be vaccinated.

In the meantime, he needs a name. We're down to Banjo, Bongo, and Echo. My mom insists she's just going to call him Catboy. To be continued...

June and Blueberries

2012-06-06T18:37:00.002-04:00

This time of year, the blueberries are ripe and ready to be picked. In North Central Florida, there is never a shortage of "U-Pick" places to go to get delicious, fresh from the bush blueberries. If you've never done this, you're missing out big time.

When I was a kid, my grandfather had some blueberry bushes, and I loved eating them straight from the plant in the summer time. It's every bit as delicious as I remember. Now if I could only get my blueberry bushes to fruit - maybe next year?

Dinner with a Side of Tropical Depression Beryl

2012-06-04T08:07:00.000-04:00

Even though we had a pretty killer anniversary party, hubby and I decided to do something for just the two of us on our actual anniversary. So on Tuesday night, we braved Tropical Depression Beryl and headed downtown for dinner at Emiliano's.

We managed to only get a little wet on our way to the restaurant. The weather just reminds me of our wedding day, so I'll be happy if it rains every year on our anniversary.

In keeping with last year's anniversary, we ordered tapas, and we weren't disappointed. Stuffed artichokes, shrimp and yucca, a fruit and cheese plate, chorizo, and a vegetable medley.

As we were getting ready to leave, the rain started coming down hard. After attempting to wait it out, we decided to make a run for it. We drove home just a little bit soggy. After drying off, we spent the rest of the evening cuddling on the couch with our puppy dogs and some glasses of wine.

I can't wait to see what Year 3 has in store.

Second Anniversary - Lowcountry Boil

2012-06-02T11:12:00.001-04:00

Memorial Day Weekend, we invited family up to hang out at my parent's cabin to celebrate our anniversary.

Shooting was at the top of the list of activities enjoyed by all.

Except for possibly this guy. Old, busted plastic flamingos make for great target practice

We planned a Lowcountry Boil for dinner on Saturday night. If you've never been to a boil, it's corn on the cob, potatoes, shrimp, crawdads, and (in our case) venison sausage. I also fried up some okra to go with it. I would eat this every weekend...

The kids enjoyed playing with my dad's "tractor."

It was a weekend I wouldn't mind repeating again soon.

Did anyone else have a fun Memorial Day Weekend?

Husbands and Hair

2012-05-31T21:09:00.003-04:00

Hubby and I have known each other for a stupidly long time. He's never had "short" hair, but when we were kids, it was significantly shorter.

Riding a horse for my 14th birthday

But then Pirates of the Caribbean came out, and I told him how much I liked Johnny Depp with long hair. Honestly, it wasn't a hard sell to a rebellious teenage boy with a love of classic rock and a New York Italian grandmother.

Xmas - age 15?

Since he started growing it out, he hasn't looked back - and he happens to have pretty awesome hair (I'm only a little jealous...). But a few months ago, he decided it would be nice to donate to Locks of Love. I thought it was a super cool idea, but I insisted he grow it out as long as he could stand it first.

By Monday night, he was ready. So I pulled out the scissors and a ponytail holder, and we did it. Oh. my. heavens.

Before

Plenty of hair to spare...

O.M.G!

Here's a little secret guys: I've never been to beauty school. I can barely blow dry my own hair and apply mascara. I do normally cut his hair, but trimming a few straight inches is a different animal. So after about an hour and a half, here's how we ended up:


Who is this guy anyway?!

He was okay with it. Long hair is definitely his preference, but I was the one to have an identity crisis. I'm getting over it, and it helps to remind myself that I'm being a jerk, because some sweet little girl is going to love his hair. But, whoa.

How did I do?

Two Years

2012-05-29T08:25:00.001-04:00

Two years ago today, minutes before the skies opened up and the rain came pouring down, we said "I do." Tropical Storm Beryl is keeping it rainy now, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

In two years, I've finished my undergraduate degree, completed post-baccalaureate courses, bought a house with my husband, closed a business of 5 years, and spent a year in graduate school. We've said goodbye to our sweet, old dog, and hello to our two wonderful pound hounds. With so many changes, plenty of other struggles, and the fact that we're both grad students with grad student bank accounts and an uncertain future, the past two years haven't always been easy. But we're here, together. And today, I'm feeling really lucky to be his wife.

Wedding Day

Year 1

Year 2

I love you, Rob. Happy Anniversary!

Getting Fit

2012-05-21T17:58:00.001-04:00

I've been wanting to drop 5 or 10 pounds for the last few years... but I'm lazy. I'm not a fan of the idea of going to a gym and getting sweaty for an hour a day in front of beautiful people. And I figure that since I'm not extremely overweight, I don't need to worry about it.

Except that I'm really sick of the way I look. Since I quit walking dogs for a living, I've had a pretty sedentary lifestyle. My weight has stayed pretty consistent in the past couple of years, but I'm all flabby and have no muscle tone. I've got lumps and bumps I'd rather not be toting around everywhere. And I'm not getting any younger, so this problem isn't going to get any better.

My diet isn't terrible, but it's not the best. We eat a lot of carbs - bread and pasta - because they're cheap and easy and delicious. This is my biggest problem. I'm a snacker at night too, which is an issue, and it's an overly common theme for us to share a bowl of popcorn after dinner and before bed. But we do eat a lot of vegetables, and I've managed to cut down on my sugar intake. But I'm not going to be able to eat my way to a thinner, more muscular, less flabby self. It's time for an exercise overhaul.

This is the most recent picture of me, taken at a picnic with friends on Sunday. I'm not terribly embarrassed to admit that I'm 5'2" and 135 pounds at this point. This puts me right at the upper limit of a normal BMI, and when I say I want to lose weight, people around me tend to scoff and say they wished they were my size. I'm sorry for all those who are heavier, but this isn't right for me, and I'd like to not get any bigger. It's go-time.

Here's the plan: 10 pounds by August. I went to a Zumba class last Wednesday, and I'm about to head out in a bit for my second class. I have at least 3 girlfriends who have fitness routines, and I'm going to go with one of them every day 5 days a week. I think if I can stick reasonably close to that goal, 10 pounds is do-able. Or a pant size. If I drop to a size 4 and am all toned and fit looking, but I haven't hit 10 pounds, I'm going to shut up and smile.

Today is Day 1. Wish me luck! Any tips to make sure I do this for real this time?