90 and counting

It's getting hot in heeeere.

The whole getting dressed like a presentable human being thing has been a little lacking. The sun has been out and we are heating up fast. Which means...

more running
more walks with the pup
more hiking
more rock climbing

A lot more athletic wear and a lot less real clothes. Which really makes me one happy girl.

Here's a rare instance when I decided to get dressed. Here's to the summertime!

Shirt: F21, Skirt: Thrifted H&M, Belt: Thrifted, Shoes: Target

Awkward and Awesome Thursday

Awesome: Matching sock slippers

Awkward:

• The naked rocker we spotted driving to a nursing home this week. Shirtless with a cowboy hat and guitar he was rocking out hard in an abandoned lot.
• A nursing home patient asking if I was married, and getting super bummed about the fact that I was. As we were leaving he says to the doctor, "that's just too bad that she's married". But if I wasn't let me tell you....
• The mentally challenged group were in this morning at work. They use m&m's as a bribe to sit still. Which mean that our office now smells like feet and chocolate, chocolate covered feet. It's even worse than your imagining.

Awesome:

• Getting Friday off :)
• Spending the weekend with Ash and Pat in Montpelier!
• Running a new 6 mile route home instead of the 3.5!
• It's not even May yet and we are pretty tan. Take that Michigan!
• Chad convinced me to try the whole rock climbing thing on real rocks. It was pretty fun. Although don't ask me how high I actually climbed....

Getting High

 

Chad and I both though it was hilarious that he was going to be climbing hundreds of feet into the air on 4/20, getting really high. We're super mature like that. I tagged along so I could take some pictures of the climb, and also because we knew I'd be freaking out until he got home and I knew he was back down on the ground.

It was beyond gorgeous outside. The sun was shining (we've got the sunburn to prove it), the birds were out chirping (and dive bombing), and Chad completed his first multi-pitch climb like the champ that he is.

Awkward and Awesome Thursday

It's almost the weekend.

I am almost done with work. Chad is almost done with school, almost done with the semester. My back is almost feeling better. Chad is almost ready for his crazy climb on Saturday. My kitchen is almost clean. The cold spell that hit us this week is almost gone. But most importantly...

that's right, it's almost the weekend.

Awkward:

• Talking with a patient on the phone who sounded like one of the frog muppets from Muppets Take Manhattan. I may have thought this was waaaaay funnier than it really was.
• A creepy patient coming in to pay his bill while I'm all alone in the office. Worst part? Not the weird staring, unbrushed hair in his face, or smell.....it was his 2 inch long, curled nails. Eeeeewww.
• The freakout that ensued while trying to thaw my feet out. We were up north making a video for Chad's class and I was running around in snow up to my ankles in tights and flats. So yeah, basically barefoot. Numb feet hurt, Un-numbing feet hurt even worse.
• Speaking of making a video for Chad's class, my "acting" in it. The last time I had to do anything close to this was recording a lip sync in my 8th grade English class. I am no natural. Chad was kind though and only made me speak a total of 3 times. He knew even that was pushing it.

Awesome:

• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.
• Penny loves the new couch and the hiding spot it creates for her.
• Watching my crazy husband climb up giant rock faces and scream like a wild man.
• Taking a break from the exercising due to my old lady back. Crippled back, not so awesome. Forced break from running/P90X, kinda awesome :)
• Private Selection ice cream from Kroger (Smith's, whatevs). It's the best.

Had a trashy couch, Bought a trashy couch

For those of you who don't know, our current couch came straight out of the trash. We were going to church one morning and spotted this remarkably clean and decent looking couch sitting right outside the dumpster of our apartments. So we hauled that puppy back into our apartment ASAP, in my heels and everything. We had gone through some pretty iffy free couches/love seats and this new trash couch was leaps and bounds better than all of them.

Last weekend at the DI (St. George's version of an over priced Salvation Army) Chad spotted a couch. Man did he want that couch. But there was no price tag on it. Chad didn't loose hope though, there was one that was practically identical to it sitting right across from his for $25. A worker came over and told us that his couch was $50. We both laughed at him and pointed out the near identical one for $25. The guy shrugged and said sometimes the prices just depend on who priced them. Chad said he would give him $35. The guy replied by saying the best he could do was.... $50. Way to come down guy. So he went and got another worker.

The new worker comes over and prices the couch for.... $30. Chad immediately tore off the buyer part of the tag and we proceeded to talk about the couch, and text people (ok, just Nikki) about the couch. With the amount of people coming to our house (0) and friends that we have out here (0), I thought we really didn't need another couch. Finally Nikki and I convinced him to leave the couch behind.

If you know Chad then you know that just because we didn't buy it Saturday doesn't mean we didn't turn right back around on Monday as soon as I got home from work to see if it was still there. It was. With a new tag, Rachel was written on it and the buyer portion ripped off. Rachel was going to swoop in and buy Chad's couch right from under him! We stood there staring at the couch for a while and then finally decided to measure it and our car. If it was going to fit we would get it. Chad thought it would fit. I didn't. We own a hatchback ford focus people. We can barley fit our dog in the back, let alone a couch. Chad was up for the challenge.

The DI was closing and we had to beat Rachel. We ran up to the register, paid, and then Chad ran back to the couch and ripped of the newest tag, leaving our old matching tag on the couch. Poor Rachel... hopefully she hadn't already bought it and was planning on coming back later for it..... worst couch stealers ever.

We pulled around back and Chad and the awkward boy who helped us before helped get that giant couch in our tiny car. And it "fit", well enough that Chad could finally take his couch home with him.

Don't be jealous.

Awkward and Awesome Thursday

It's almost Friday people.

Awkward:

• Deciding to see if the lid on my cup had shut right by tipping my glass in the middle of the carpeted hallways at work. You betcha that water came immediately spilling out everywhere.
• Writing down a new address for a patient at work. She couldn't write it down herself because she forgot her glasses. Once I'm done she looks at it and asks is that a 3?

"Uh, yeah. Should it be a 3?"

"Well, yes. But it doesn't look like a 3."

"Ok.... but it is, so..... "

"Alright well I guess I'll just have to trust that you know it's a 3."

          Yeah, you probably should since I'm not the blind one.

• I hate when people bring their dogs everywhere. And people here will bring their big dogs everywhere: the grocery store, Target, everywhere. So I was less than thrilled when two patients walked in with their little dog in hand. This is a Doctor's office people, come on. But I like dogs so I decided to get over it and tried petting this little, dinky dog. Tried being the keyword. That dog was pissed, snarled at me, and then tried to hide in it's stupid puffy vest like a turtle. New rule: No dogs allowed at the Doctor's office.
• Some little old lady from church calling to see what my new address is. She left a message telling me my visiting teachers couldn't get a hold of me and the address that they have for me is wrong. Nope, it's right. And yes, I ignored two texts from them. Two you guys. That's it. I ignore more texts than that from family and they know I haven't died, I just forgot. And why the heck did they think I moved? Maybe if they stopped by my apartment, that they have been to no less than 5 times, they would see I was still here. You'd think our bright yellow car parked in front would be a clear sign that we are still here. Gah...

Awesome:

• Finally driving up to Pine Valley, a tiny little town tucked into the mountains. It's beautiful, cool, and has a gorgeous little reservoir with pine trees. We went just before it decided to snow again up there.
• I've said it once and I'll say it again, Skype!
• Clippers made just for dog hair. It's makes things just a tad bit easier. Although that didn't stop us (ok, me) from botching her hair cut. Poor mangy looking girl.
• Sno Cones are officially back in our lives again! YAY!

Wishy Washy, Flip Floppy

So I've been trying to be good. Reeeeeaaaal Good.

I'm trying to get my booty in gear and in shape.

 

This has led to a month of running twice a week. Not super awesome but better than nothing. This month I'm shooting for 3 times a week. Baby steps you guys, it's not like I've run a half marathon before or something.

Oh that's right....

I'm also trying to get back on board with P90X. I really do love the workouts. There's something different everyday... and most importantly it works. It's worked before and it'll work again.

If I can keep motivated to do it.

The problem is I'm all gung ho, balls to the wall one week, running and working out like a crazy person and eating like a champ (who needs sugar!?) and then the next week I'm all "I need sugar, pass me a donut while I polish off this brownie sundae and watch 8 episodes of Castle.

I let you guess what week I'm on right now as I wipe the crumbs from my face. However it's only Wednesday. I managed to do my Shoulders & Arms workout last night at 9pm before falling into bed. I really had to talk myself into that one. I missed my Monday workout and as we all know if you miss your first workout of the week the whole week is shot and you might as well just give up until the next Monday, right? Wroooong. Bad Danielle.

Up on the list today? Run 3.5 miles. I know this will happen only because Chad has class until 5 and if I want to get home I've got to run my buns home myself. The first 2 miles are all uphill, Help me Oprah! Help me Tom Cruise! But that means that the last 1.5 miles are downhill... and I'm a freakin' champ at running down hills ;)

Welcome, Welcome Sabbath Morning

Our morning started bright and early at 5:30. Miss barky pants, aka Rukia, started to whine and cry. Now this is nothing too new. If we both happen to wake up in the morning and she sees this she will start to whine a little. She wants to play, go outside, go potty or just jump into the bed with us.

As for the "hair free zone" Rukia has wiggled her way back into our room. She sleeps on the floor though and it has worked out nicely. Anyone with a golden doodle will tell you that they don't do well if they can't be with you. She follows us from room to room and won't go outside and play on the patio with the cats unless we are there. She's a people dog. Anyways... back to this morning.

So as usual, we petted her a little then Chad kicked her out of the room so she could huff and puff on her own, get bored, and then go back to sleep smashed up against our bedroom door. Instead the lovely aroma off poop wafted into our room 2 minutes later. Apparently home girl wasn't kidding with all that whining. But that's what happens when you've been crying wolf.

So at 5:45 we are cleaning up dog poo, washing the carpet, taking her outside to poo some more and trying to get the poo smell out of room. In all fairness, Chad was mostly in charge of this while I sleepily watched and stood around.

But wait.... there's more. Mad that I was up at 5:45 with dog poop all over our stairs, I decided to sleep in as long as possible. The sun was shining through our windows, birds chirping and the breeze was perfect. Finally I peeled my butt out of bed around 11. I stumbled into our bathroom and stepped into... dog vomit. But not just vomit. Dog throw up that had been covered up by the bathroom rug. Our poor pup feels so bad when she gets sick in the house now (diarrhea, vomit, poo) that if she's given enough time she will try to hide it.

I see her curled up in the corner by the stairs giving me the saddest puppy dog eyes and between the eyes and the cover up attempt I can't manage to be mad at the poor sick girl. So I start a load of laundry and throw in the two rugs from the bathroom, clean up the vomit that's covering the bathroom floor and take her outside to poo some more. Because there's nothing worse than cleaning up diarrhea off carpeting. Or maybe there is, I don't know, I'm not a mom, just a fur-mom. We head back inside where I then have to wipe her poopy butt like a little baby, proceeding to get more poo all over me again.

So congratulations to all of you with kids out there, you can stop laughing now :)  I really don't know how you handle all the sick kids you have... or the potty training... or the bed wetting...  or any of that really. Because I can barely handle my dog.

Awkward and Awesome Thursday

ewwwwww

Awkward:

• My popularity with bees. We were out taking pictures for Chad's class and I had 5 bumble bees following me for the entire time. The buzzing itself was some kind of Chinese water torture. There was flailing, running, more flailing and then short lived acceptance. Followed by screaming, irritation and of course more flailing. It's a good thing his pictures turned out so well.
• Chad's hands. I swear he's been rock climbing on glass.

Awesome:

• In the past week Chad has been compared to Dierks Bently, Dr. Who, and James Bond. 
• Brittany moved out last night! Hallelujah!!! Let me just say it again, Brittany. Is. Outta Here!!! In true Brittany fashion they were moving all night, aka her child was running around all night outside screaming and they were vaccuming at ridiculous hours. Small price to pay to never see/hear them again.Woot!
• Chad's cooked dinner every night this week. Every. Night. He comes home from class with a grocery bag full of fruits, vegetables and a piece of fish and.... wala! Dinner!

Any Awesome's or Awkwards out there? How has the week treated you?

Pinspired: Sugar High

 

Mmmmm Easter, the best excuse to eat as much sugar as you possibly can.

Challenge Accepted.

We made this lovely Lemon Pull Apart Bread for breakfast. It's basically lemon monkey bread and it's basically delicious.

creationsbykara.com

Later that afternoon I started to whip up some Strawberry Cake, then decided to practice the tiniest bit of self control and halved the recipe to make cupcakes instead. By the end I was licking the bowl - both batter and frosting :)

sweetapolita.com

Of course there was the required Cadbury mini eggs that Chad somehow doesn't like?! Which is a-ok in my book because the 2 bags I snatched up at the store are barely enough for me. There were also some brownie sundaes involved too.

So if your in the mood for some lemony and strawberry deliciousness check these two recipes out. They don't disappoint!