Friday, December 14, 2007

Wanna see?

Thank you Grandpa.

Meet Bridgette. She's an 8 weeks old Long haired Dachshund. To give you a good idea how totally tiny she is:

Here she is with my favorite beverage.

So anyone who knows me in RL knows that I had strict orders to my husband that when/if my first born furkid, Corky, didn't outlive me he had BETTER have on order, ready to be delivered a new Welsh Corgi puppy. When that fateful day actually happened, and I realized I could still breath without her I told my hubby I never wanted another F****ing dog again EVER. I was done. When ours were gone I never wanted another four legged heart breaker. Then this year we lost 2 of our other other dogs. Ok, I thought, I didn't mean we needed to clear the house all at once.

So about 6 months ago, lord has it been that long, when my chihuahua had to be put down I started thinking, well maybe a little dog would be ok. I looked and looked, and my demands were specific, they were also outlandishly expensive. I went back and forth between Corgi and Chihuahua. Corky was the smartest dog on the planet so this new dog had huge paw prints to fill. Back and forth, back and forth. While researching Chihuahua breeders I stumbled on one who bred Dachshunds too. I clicked over there to look at the pictures, 'cuz really, is there ever an ugly puppy?

The first one I saw was a long haired black and tan with white markings, who when I held Corky's picture to the screen, could have been her twin. I started researching to kill the time. G walked in once while I was looking at pictures and said WOW I like those, they look like Corky mom. Ok ok, hooked. I started scouring around to find one that was affordable yet of good breeding, AKC registered, long haired, female, and NOT Red.

I was looking for black and tan with white markings. I was looking for Corky.

And I had to stop.

So I started looking again. I found local puppies, short hair. I almost settled for that. When I was about to call the woman the second time I came to my senses and realized I wouldn't be totally happy. I like silky coats. It was my favorite feature on both Corky and Taco.

I found Bridgette on-line on Tuesday morning and e-mailed her breeder. When I didn't get an instant response I called her breeder that night. I told him I would let him know for SURE on Wednesday if I was coming on Thursday for her or not. I didn't HAVE to ask Bill, I had planned to use my inheritance so her price wouldn't be coming from any money ear marked for anything, but it was only right ya know? He was like, why the hell are you calling me..... call the breeder dumb ass.

So on Thursday I made a flying trip to Medford to "look" at her. I didn't tell anyone because I wasn't FOR sure going to bring her home. That lastest about 30 seconds after I saw her. Sure? Not Sure? No question.

I spent 30 minutes at the breeders. Long enough to pick up her papers and head for home. 9 hours total trip. 8 hours driving. 30 minutes at the breeders and 30 minutes split between potty breaks for her on the way home and a stop at McD's so my butt could un-numb.

My cats think they should kill her, but no one has hurt her. Just alot of this:

It's OK Mom. I've killed bigger rats. I won't let it hurt you or the soda.

She's all, yeah right CAT, BRING IT.
Funny how serious he looks in that shot, really he was just blinking from the flash. LOL.

So I have to thank my Aunt Jean for this puppy too. When my G-pa died and I found out about the money he's left me, I asked her for advice for investing it. Really I wanted to make sure my dad didn't blame me for doing something "Stupid" with it or "wasting" it. She told me to be sure to do something nice and fun for myself because G-pa would have wanted that. I scoffed the idea at first. He wasn't exactly and "nice and fun" kinda guy ya know? When I think about him, a lot of great things come to mind, but fun isn't one of them. *grin* So I took a small part of what he gave me, bought myself a purely selfish gift, every time I look at her I can thank my grandpa, and a little of him, though indirectly, is always with me.
Ok before I wander around the blogsphere and see all your answers to this I'd better answer it for myself. Or else my answers might sound like, hers or hers or hers or his or even maybe (though probably not) his.



1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Wrapping paper. And I'm really good at it too. Now that I've said that I'll loose my nack for it and everything will look like crap.

2. Real or artificial tree?
Real. Though we have fake because I'm allergic to a real one we've found in the last few years. That blows.

3. When do you put up the tree?
When ever I feel like it. Maybe never.

4. When do you take it down? Ha. This is a joke in my family. We took off the christmas decorations one year and hung decorated blown out eggs on it.

5. Do you like eggnog? No. Good god no. Slime in a glass.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
We got a lot of practical gifts. One year I got a saddle for christmas and that was AWESOME. I also received some really pretty porcelain dolls.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. And the Lincoln logs my dad hand made for me as toys that I've saved to build a manger.

8. Hardest person to buy for? Everyone. I hate shopping.

9. Easiest person to buy for? My pets.

10. Worst Christmas present you ever got?

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. Usually down to the wire too.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? Greg and I found an awesome Hallmark one last year and neither of us can remember what it was called.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Ideally? Jan 1. Reality, the payday closest to the day for those who celebrate on Christmas day, the week AFTER christmas for my immediate family and my mom. Don't hate, we celebrate twice. Long tradition started by my mom to make it so she and my dad could both have a full christmas with me after they divorced. He got Christmas Eve./Christmas day and she did Christmas on New Years Eve/New years day. No hustling me back and forth for half a day here and half a day there.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Why would someone answer this Yes? Every one of your friends is now thinking... hummm.... I can actually say No. But you'd never know that for sure would you?

15. Favorite thing to eat on Christmas? Which one? Crab and tri-tip with my in laws since my mommy doesn't like crab. We usually do a pot roast at her house cause it's my hubbys fav. Only now he can't eat red meat. Ha.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear and LOTS of them.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Christmas shoes (non traditional) Frosty (traditional)

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Both.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s Reindeer? Right now?

20. Angel or star on top of tree? Angel

21. Open presents Christmas Eve or morning. Morning

22. Most annoying thing this time of year? People

23. Do you decorate your tree in any theme or color? Last few years theme. Depending on who's coming maybe I'll pull out all the cool stuff I have from when I was a kid.

24. What do you leave for Santa? An unlocked door. ;-)

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Holy fuck sticks man it's freezing again. Literally.

It's been so cold I haven't had to refrigerate my milk samples, but last night I probably should have, to keep them warm.

I have the little electric heater plugged in the bathroom trying to warm up near my desk. What I need to do is warm up in the living room so I can pack all this milk.

I have an appointment on Friday for the Dr. See if we can't plug the flow of gunk outa me.

Today I'm;
  • packing and shipping milk
  • insect bombing the house (maybe not, it's cold enough that most are dormant or dead)
  • talking to Edward Jones again, getting some money for trip tomorrow
  • working on the house if it's not too cold

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

I'm bad.

I'm very very bad.

But I did it.

And I'm not telling. :-P

Monday, December 10, 2007

Oh screw this.

I don't care it it freakin' kills me I turned on the damn heater tonight. I can always get a blood transfusion right?

I am not going to run it overnight though. Just to get the chill out of this house. BrrrfreakingBrrrr.

Killing me, one breath at a time

Wow, how's that for a title.

SO we think we might have narrowed down what's causing me to cough up copious amounts of blood. See, I've pretty much DOWN played just HOW much blood there has been, because a bunch of worry warts and tattle tails hang out here. :-P And since I've talked about the blood a lot.... this should tell you???

For the last 3 days Bill has smelled something in the house. I think it smells like wet paint, he says it's gas.

I figure while I was gone he cranked up the natural gas wall heater. Which he didn't, or if he did he was smart enough to turn it back down before I got home, which he isn't. That would make it smell stronger than he's used to, because I only have it set at just above frigid.

However, while I was gone I noticed something. I SLEPT for one thing and for another, no blood. None. I took just as much ibuprofen as always maybe more since I was sitting for long periods at a time in the car. This is something I have been cutting back on with the bleeding in my throat/lungs because I didn't need my blood any thinner than it is normally.

So as of last night I had been home for 2 days and 2 nights and guess what? Guess. Yep. It's back.

So we tore into the heater last night and shop vac'd it out really well. We think we see a place where the "exhaust" is leaking out into the house. Good thing hubby works part time for a heating guy. We're going to have them come test the heater for bad emissions. We KNOW it's not efficient, but right no I just want to know it's not KILLING us.

So the heater was off last night. Coldest damn night in weeks and we don't have a heater to "knock the edge off". I grew up with wood heat, o.n.l.y wood heat. Which meant the warm spots on a winter morning were your bed and right next to the stove. Everywhere else your toes froze to the floor. I happen to still like my house like that. Only now, I don't have a heater to have a warm spot!

I know this because I just took a soda from the refrigerator and it felt WARM!