Count Your Blessings, Come as They May

My grandma (Ma B) hated funerals. Hated them so much she refused to go. "They are too damn depressing," I remember her saying. I tend to agree with her. When she passed away we had a small lakeside gathering with family only. I never really understood her deep dislike of funerals until I attended a few and realized that they bring up all sorts of painful memories not only for the person being remembered, but for those who have passed before. She lived to the old age of 87 and frequently complained that "everyone I know is dead." She had a lot of people to mourn during her lifetime so I suppose it was just her way of surviving the pain.

I thought about my Ma B a lot this weekend. One of Gene's good friends passed away over Thanksgiving. He was incredibly close to her family; he dated her sister in high school and they have remained good friends. Doolittle, as I will call her because of her profound love of animals, struggled with sobriety for a long time. Tragically, she lost her fight at the very young age of 29. Her family is completely devastated. It's hard enough to lose a loved one who lived a long and full life, it is unbearable to lose one who barely had a chance to make her mark on the world. But make a mark, Doolittle certainly did. She was loved by so many and will be missed every day. I remember visiting her and Noah (Doolittle's former boyfriend and Gene's best friend) in Durango and talking for hours about animals, her love of Durango, and her plans for the future. She never met a stranger.

Her service was an affirmation of her life. Friends and family stood up and told their favorite memory of Doolittle. She had friends from Canada, Arizona, Durango, Denver, etc. who all came together to pay tribute to a wonderful friend. Without a doubt, Gene's speech stole the show. He spoke elegantly of how Noah and Doolittle's friendship-turned-love was responsible for bringing most of the people in the room together. He spoke of her love for animals, her wonderful family, and the good times they shared in Durango. He also talked about grief. Gene's brother passed away in a car accident when Gene was in college. Through tears he promised her family that it would get easier; that the memories that bring so much pain will one day bring them comfort. It was a beautiful speech and there wasn't a dry eye in the room. His mom cried for Doolittle and the son she'd lost years ago. I think it was especially difficult for her because her son is buried in the same place where Doolittle's service was held.

The whole experience was heartbreaking but also inspiring. It inspired me to try and make the most out of every day; not that all days will be good days (hello, Mondays still exist) but I should try my hardest to make every day meaningful. It also inspired me to look out for the people in my life more. I think I'm often too nervous to ask people how they are doing, in the fears that it will make them uncomfortable. Or I assume that they will get better and I shouldn't meddle in another's business. Unfortunately, they don't always get better. Some people need to be meddled with to realize how important they are to you and their loved ones.

And, Ma B, I learned that funerals have their place. From Doolittle's programs:
To Every Thing There is a Season - Ecclesiastes 3. 1-8

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Big Move's a Comin'

Last night it dawned on me that I have approximately 17 days until I head back to Austin. I am not at all prepared. I have a bad habit, since my campaign days, to just wait until the last minute and then fill my car with as much crap as possible. I also tend to not stress out about moving much since I was a nomad for a good 9 months. Gene, on the other hand, does not share my same philosophy towards moving.

Mainly, I just can't believe how fast it's approaching and how quickly are lives are going to change. I have all sorts of worries about things that I can't control, like: What if he hates Austin? What if he can't find a job? But I know at the end of the day that this will be a great adventure and we all need more excitement in our lives. I guess I'm putting off planning the move part in order to avoid all the anxiety associated with it.

So, maybe today I will put on my big girl panties and clean out my car. This, according to Gene, is step one in the preparation for the big move. Then we can have a better idea of what we can keep and what we will throw out or sell on craigslist. Mind you, my car is about the size of a golf cart so we won't be taking much stuff with us. Mostly my clothes; that's all I brought to Colorado and pretty much all I'm taking back. I can't believe it's been a year and a half since I arrived back in Boulder. Crazy. I'm becoming one of those annoying people that says, "Can you believe it's already been a year? Seems like just yesterday.."

All in all I'm really excited about moving to Austin. I will start grad school and move back to my beloved condo. I'm really excited about going back to school for something I love and the opportunity to meet new people. And, I think I've mentioned this before, but I'm really excited about the football. Really excited. I will, of course, miss my friends back here, Robbie's family, and four distinct seasons. Austin really only has 2 (summer and fallintering (fall, winter, and spring all rolled in to a couple of short months).

Well, it's going to be an eventful couple of months! I'm looking forward to the new changes. I think.. :-)

Adventures in Cooking

My Dad is an excellent cook. Before reality set in and we had to start eating healthy (big fat "Boo" to that crap), my Dad would cook the most amazing New Orleans-inspired dishes that could rival the best restaurants in NOLA. From mussels with white wine sauce to shrimp etouffee to cheese soup, those wonderful years solidified my love for all things culinary. And butter. Mostly, all things butter. Sorry, I think I hallucinated. Where was I?

Ah yes, butter. Well, his Thanksgiving feast is legendary (remember the time he and my Uncle Tom dangled a frozen butterball from a basketball hoop to deep-fat fry it and in the process almost burnt said uncle's garage down? Anyone?). He's made 3 turduckens, complete with three different types of dressings. My favorite is still the oyster. Who would have thought? He's spent the last 20 or so years refining his Thanksgiving meal down to an art. He starts cooking at least a week before hand. Yep, that's right-- a week.

Well, this Thanksgiving will be slightly different. I am having my first holiday celebration with Gene's family and I'm pretty excited about it. I'm always looking for new holiday traditions and I'm gearing myself up for some new treats. One tradition that I MUST bring with me is the twice-baked potato. My affinity for this particular spud was started when my grandma prepared them every Thanksgiving and Christmas. In spite of all the magical food listed above that my Dad works his butt off to prepare, the crowning glory for me was always the potatoes. My grandma would make extra because she knew I'd eat at least 4 and wanted another plate to take home with me.

So, because I'm not with my family this Thanksgiving I am making my own twice-baked potatoes. I got the recipe from my mom a few days ago and had a small panic attack when I noticed bacon wasn't one of the listed ingredients. After a quick IM to my mom, she reassured me that she always adds bacon from the recipe following the basic one she sent me. Phew. I almost overreacted. Almost.

Tonight I will attempt to make enough twice-baked potatoes for 20 people. But there's only 10 coming to Thanksgiving. That's right. I want to maintain my own separate stash at home. They're that good. If anyone wants the recipe, here it is. Since my grandma passed away a few years ago we had to taste test quite a few different recipes and here is the best one we've found. Enjoy. Happy Eating!

Let the Torture Begin!

I'm not an athletic person. My finest moment of athleticism occurred when I was 13 years old and I set a new record for the backstroke at the pool where I swam. I received a paper plate award for this monumental achievement that still hangs in my room at home. I have avoided exercising at all costs for my last 25 years. I have ignored the snarky comments from doctors, friends, and family who told me that there will come a time when I need to start working out. Well, my friends that time has come. GROAN.

After definitively ruling out the dryer as the reason that none of my pants fit any more, I realized that my expanding waistline must be the culprit. Finally, last week, after having to lay on the floor to zip up my reluctant jeans and seeing Gene's snarky face I realized that something must be done. Note: Gene wasn't really snarky but when you're upside down fighting with pants that are probably 2 sizes too small, the whole world seems snarky. I made a pact with myself, the puppy as my witness, that I would start exercising TOMORROW.

Well, after a few days of making lame excuses, "Oh, I lost 1/2 a pound today. Guess I can start tomorrow" and "I feel a cold coming on, better not push it," I finally started a week late. Yesterday, I actually was sick but after spending a weekend laying on the couch I felt gross enough to get up and head to our apartment's clubhouse. I did a solid 20 minutes on the elliptical machine (shut up, I don't exercise, remember?) and thought I was going to pass out when it ended. Probably not the smartest decision but I did it. I finally broke my boycott on all things health/health related and got my ass to the gym.

I was pretty sure I would be paralyzed from my over-exertion yesterday but to my pleasant surprise I feel no pain. This means, all excuses are null and void and I will be heading to the gym after work. Yay?!

Note: In addition to being exercise-adverse, I'm also incredibly clumsy. Therefore, I'm sure my new adventures in exercising will at some point land me in the Emergency Room. Stay tuned.

Night on the Town and Reflections the Morning After

After re-reading the title for today's blog it sounds much more scandalous than it actually was. Sorry, folks. Last night, P, K and I met up for drinks at the Samba Room before heading over to a friend's party celebrating her recent passing of the CO bar. The Samba Room was fantastic, cheap mojitos, good mini-cuban sandwiches, all around deliciousness. I walked out of there (maybe stumbled a little) after 2 mojitos, yes, I'm still a light-weight, and one and a half mini-Cuban sandwiches for right around $20 including tip. Not bad at all. It was great to see P and A, law school friends who had the wedding of a lifetime back in September. Seriously, guys. Why can't you have one every year? And Miss K looked FABULOUS with her new short do and fantastic black dress. I wish I had taken pictures. Next time. Dammit.

Confession: I'm always a little (ok, very) hesitant to attend law school functions or events with a high ratio of law schoolers to non-law folks. It's always a strange and somewhat uncomfortable situation. Ever since I quit CU law after my first year of law school, still the best decision I've probably ever made, it's awkward to be around large amounts of my former classmates. It is, however, entertaining. Inevitably I will be introduced to a significant other, or a CU law student from more recent years, and I'm always amused at how people choose to define me. "Oh, uninterested person, this is Katie. She and I went to law school together until we didn't." Think that's my favorite so far. Most of the time it's not nearly that awkward, and I have gotten better at handling the situation.

Right after I dropped out, quit, moved along, made an alternate life choice, fled, whatever.. I felt it was really important people didn't assume I couldn't hack it at law school. For some reason or another the idea that people would assume I left because I failed out or was forced to move along really bothered me. I'm sure it is the over-achiever in me rearing its ugly head. Truth is I just HATED law school. But I didn't hate law school like one hates going to the doctor. Uncomfortable, but necessary to achieve future health and happiness. Okay, that metaphor was horrendous. The point being I realized that while I could survive law school, doing so would not get me any closer to doing something I actually enjoyed. A lot, if not most, people hate law school. And those who don't, I seriously debate your sanity. That's right, I'm looking at you Hersh. But they do it because they know that it will be worth it in the end. People really do love being lawyers, my mom is a prime example. However, I knew that once I got through the shitastic experience that is law school, that would mean I'd be a ....lawyer. Shit.

So, I bucked the system and quit. I had no idea what I wanted to do in my life but I sure as hell knew it wouldn't be law related. While this caused a lot of angst and hardship, thank goodness I bailed. I wouldn't be nearly as happy right now if I had stuck with it. I feel like a completely different person than the 1L I was, and I have no desire to change that.

Anyways, the point of this long tangent is that I've become more comfortable with my choices. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I've been accepted to my new graduate school program and I no longer answer the question, "So, what are you doing now?" With a bunch of awkward sighs and stammers. But, I think most of it has to do with age. I'm come to appreciate that hardships and veering off path is a natural part of life. And the people who have everything in their life planned down to the age at which they will marry, have kids, etc. are bound to be disappointed. There's a really funny magnet at the Tattered Cover that says, "Have you noticed 'What the Hell?!' is always the right decision?" Makes me laugh every time.

Blogger Nation

I've become quite addicted to a few blogs, not so much the political or opinion ones but the blogs that are about real people struggling with a variety of issues. I've always been fascinated with people's successes and struggles (guess that's why I'm going into social work, huh?) and I find it inspiring when people can articulately express what they're feeling. A couple of really great ones are redneck mommy, dooce, and from this point forward. All these women struggle with complicated issues, from depression to the loss of a child. I especially admire these bloggers for being so open and honest about all they are experiencing. I'm especially addicted to dooce.com right now because it chronicles, among other things, a woman's struggle with depression. She's very honest and open about her struggles which is refreshing due to the stigma attached with any sort of mental illness. Depression is a very misunderstood disease due to a variety of factors, like over-diagnosis, over simplification of the symptoms (why can't you just feel better?), and the general feeling by those afflicted with it and those not that if you have never experienced depression you cannot ever really understand. All in all she does a great job talking about her struggles with a healthy dose of humor. If you're looking for something fun and meaningful to read I highly recommend it.

Because it's Friday..

And I've always wanted to dye the puppy's hair. Here's a good reminder that I should let some ideas go..

Smurf Costume FAIL

more Fail Dogs

Dear, Car

You are making it very difficult for me to pay off my credit cards when you keep getting sick. First the tires, now the brakes. I understand that I need to take better care of you and I will do better in the future but your ability to drain my bank account with one clanky noise at a time is not inspiring me to do so. It makes me want to drive you straight into a lake.. Just FYI.

One year..

I'm sitting here trying to figure out exactly what I want to say to commemorate this monumental occasion. It's been one year since President Obama was elected as the first African American president. One year since all of the chaos, crazy shenanigans, and not being able to sleep from all the excitement of election day. I know there will always be questions such as, "Is this really the change we hoped for? Is he doing enough?" But I don't care about any of that right now.

A year ago was much more than the story of one extraordinary man who defied all the odds to become the leader of the United States; it was the story of hundreds of thousands of people who came together to demand change and devoted their lives to fulfilling that goal. I met more wonderful people on the campaign trail than in any other point in my life. I will be forever grateful to President Obama for introducing me to such wonderful people. As our state director often said, there are few times in life when you find yourself surrounded with people who share the same ideals, goals, and hopes that you do. From the outside, people (eh-hem, Republicans) might view it as a cult mentality or simply a bunch of kids doing the "hip" thing and working for then-Senator Obama. I guarantee you there is nothing "hip" about working 14+ hour days, 7 days a week. Regardless of your politics, you can't deny the dedication and sacrifice shown by the thousands of staffers and volunteers who worked tirelessly for change.


There are so many memories, important life lessons, and just overall crazy times I will forever hold in my heart. The campaign was a time of immense personal growth for me, it showed me what I could do and what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The campaign forced me out of my comfort zone and I will be forever grateful. Because of the extreme working conditions, my fellow staffers instantly became family and although I don't speak to most of them as often as I should, I would drop anything in a heartbeat if they needed it.

I will always be proud to carry the title, Obama Field Organizer/Volunteer Coordinator, and I am blessed that I met so many people who share the same badge. Congratulations to you all. Team Granola forever!
Pictures (from top): Senator Obama and me after the debate in Austin; County Convention in Austin; View from our office in Clarksburg, WV; Taking down the West Virginia Headquarters sign after our loss; Team Granola at the Democratic National Convention.

Halloween and such..

This weekend turned out to be very fun and eventful. We spent most of Saturday with Gene's family celebrating the baptism of one of his little nieces. All of the family was there, including Gene's 3 sisters, their 7 kids, and a bunch of cousins with their kiddos. It was a good time hanging out with his family and seeing his cousins who I don't see that often aside from when we run in to each other at comedy shows (his cousin E is a HILARIOUS comic who performs at comedy shows all across Denver). Any-who, my favorite was hanging out with his little niece, Cindy Lou Hoo who only ever wants to eat (we have this in common). I looked over from the living room and saw the little two-year old on her tippy toes trying to get a handful of chips off the counter. I made it there before she dumped the whole bowl on her head.

After hanging out with Gene's family we went over to P and A's house for some Halloween cocktails. Ever the perfect hostess, P had created some awesome cocktails complete with dry ice and orange food coloring. She even dressed up her incredibly pissed off cats, one was tigger, the other was a devil. Tigger was pretty hilarious to watch because whenever the hood with tigger's head on it was placed over his head he freaked out and starting running backwards to escape. He also sat in the corner for some time peering out of the corner of his eye at the tigger head that had fallen across his shoulder. Poor thing, he was convinced he had somehow grown a head over night. The devil kitty just sat completely still and refused to move, until of course Lola (their golden retriever) would walk by and then she'd swat the crap out of her. She seemed to like me which Gene thought was hysterical because I am not a fan of cats (they scare the poo out of me, you never know what they're going to do and all of sudden they attack your face--true story, and no, I don't want to talk about it). I think she liked me because I had a really sweet cat costume on. Pictures to come.

After P and A's we headed off to our Devotchka concert at the Boulder Theater. It was a lot of fun and a great show. My favorite costume was the guy dressed up as lego man. Gene half-assed the costume portion of the evening, all I could convince him to wear was a pair of mouse ears to go with my much more elaborate cat costume. Oh, well.

Sunday we spent most of the day watching football (Boo Broncos, Yay Vikings) and just relaxing. Hope you had a Happy Halloween!

R.I.P. Easy Bake 2.0

Well, that didn't last long. Last night Gene was toasting some tortillas for our dinner and I heard a very loud, "Sh#t, Sh#t, Sh#t" coming from the kitchen. I rush in, immediately thinking he had chopped off a finger or maimed himself when I saw our beloved new easy bake engulfed in flames. Okay, maybe this part was a slight exaggeration, but the easy bake was definitely flame-filled and our poor tortillas were reduced to ash. As I stood there trying to comprehend exactly what was going on, Gene said, "Open the balcony door, quickly!" He carried the exploding oven to the porch and I just kept thinking, I'm not sure if this is a smart idea.. Anyways, after a few intense seconds the fire was extinguished and the apartment complex did not go up in flames, whew. As we walked back in to the apartment Gene asked, "Can I have my old oven back? It never did that." So, we're back to using the grease-covered easy bake of old. However, this incident made me grateful that I bought way too much renter's insurance. You never know when you're easy bake is going to explode..

Casa de Case

In addition to attending a top ranked social work program, moving back to Austin also means moving back to my condo. I have lived, cumulatively, about 2 months in the place since my parents bought it almost 2 years ago. I'm starting to get super pumped and I need decorating tips. It's one big room and I need to figure out a way to divide it up effectively and most importantly, cheaply. I'm thinking book cases on either side of the wall to separate the kitchen/dining from the living room. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who cares about this, but I'd like to pretend this blog is interactive so if you have ideas let me know. Also, I'm thinking of curtains to block off the bed. The living room is the space right in front of the windows.. hard to tell from the pics.

No longer a Texas Ex

Exciting update! I received news that I got accepted to the University of Texas Graduate School 'o Social Work this week. WOOHOO. And by "received news" I mean that I got a cryptic e-mail from the financial aid office that said they were beginning to process my FAFSA. This seemed odd because I just got an e-mail from them saying that they could not process my financial aid until I was accepted in to the program. I started getting excited because I thought maybe this meant I got accepted so after a LOT of digging on the Texas site I found out I was accepted. Seems a little odd since I received a status update e-mail every time something changed in my application (letter of reference was received, transcript issues) so you would think that they'd send me an e-mail saying p.s. you got in. Whatever, I'm thrilled regardless. The program starts in January so I will be Austin bound in no time. It's a little bittersweet to be leaving Denver, mainly because Gene isn't thrilled to be moving to Austin but it's going to be a nice change. I'm really looking forward to no longer being a Texas Ex and starting (another) grad school. I'm also excited about the football. Really excited about the football. WOOHOO.

$40 oil change != $400 bill

I took my car in to the shop today to get the tires rotated and my oil changed. I had a panic on Friday when I couldn't remember the last time it had been to the shop. Oops. Any-who, when I took it in of course I couldn't just get a simple oil change and be on my way. Of course not! Apparently, I had 2 large bubbles in my snow tires (note: not meant to be driven all year long, I'm just that poor) which required that I get two new tires. I was pretty sure they were trying to rip me off until he brought them in for me to see and there they were, two big dents in my tires, which according to the shop man, "Isn't good." So, with few options other than replace the tires or buy 4 new but maybe cheaper tires I bought the damn tires. $300 for two tires. Dammit. I also had to pay for the oil change and the labor on the two tires (um, if you are rotating the tires, don't they all have to come off any ways? Apparently not). All in all a very expensive Monday. As a result, I am pinching pennies for the next two weeks. It's going to be a long two weeks. Grr. Guess this should teach me to take my car in regularly and not drive around on snow tires the entire year but it probably won't...

Better than any lame joke..

All the Sooner fans!

http://ballhype.com/video/all-the-sooner-fans-1/

Let the trash talking begin (or just get a little louder).

There are few things in life I love more than my wonderful Texas Longhorns. Queso, fajitas, and puppies notwithstanding. Any-who, it's that magical time of year again, time for the Red River Shootout. Now, it may come as no surprise to you that I utterly despise all things Oklahoma. It was a point of pride that I had never actually entered the state on my own free will (I can't be blamed for my parents' poor decisions) until this last year. I only broke my boycott when a dear friend and co-worker needed a ride home from West Virginia to Tulsa (bless her heart). It was just as craptastic as I imagined. Whoever said Norman was the nice part of Oklahoma must have very low standards.

As the excitement for the Red River Shootout continues, here is one VERY lame joke. All of the funny ones were not appropriate..Hook 'EM!



***Q: How do we know that the tooth brush was invented in Oklahoma?


A: Anywhere else, it would have been called a "teeth brush".

P.S. The poster says Reality: Realizing that win or lose, you live in Oklahoma. :-)

An Ode to The Brave Little Toaster

So, while I was Facebook slacking this morning, I came across a post about one of my favorite childhood movies, The Brave Little Toaster. To my surprise, after taking a quick snap-poll of my friends, I realized that most people I knew had not seen this movie. WHAT?! It's a seriously cute movie, with somewhat dark, foreboding undertones about advances in technology, but whatever, it is a damn cute movie. It all centers around a toaster, "Toaster," a lamp, "Lampy," an electronic blanket and my personal favorite, "Blanky," "Radio" (I think you get the idea), and a grumpy vacuum cleaner "Kirby." They all set out on an adventure to find their owner after they are forgotten in a house that has been put up for sale. A lot of adventures ensue along the way and it is a very entertaining movie. I don't want to spoil it because if you haven't seen it you really should. All I will say is that my love for this movie as a child might have something to do with why I have a hard time throwing things away..

Another favorite? Return to Oz. Who could ever forget the Wheelers? The Wheelers still scare the heck out of me today; they are evil characters with wheels for hands and feet, this movie's version of flying monkeys. This is a MUCH darker movie than the Wizard of Oz and much more similar to the books, even though it's a combination of Ozma of Oz and the Marvelous Land of Oz. No ruby slippers (in the book they were silver slippers, bummer) in this version. Instead there's a mental hospital, Jack Pumpkinhead, and a taxidermied moose head strapped to a couch. A strange but really enjoyable movie.

Lots of Football and a Swanky Wedding..

This weekend was quite exciting. First, I was supposed to attend a work conference in Evergreen on Saturday morning. However, when I ventured out in the freezing cold (it was about 18 degrees when I left) I should have guessed that this was not a smart decision. About 3 miles in to my trip I came across 5 different accidents, 3 roll-overs, and almost got smashed by a skidding SUV all within a stretch of about 1 1/2 miles. C-470 was fine until we came across a patch of black ice. Thank goodness for the apprehensive Prius in front of me that was driving about 30 when everyone else was driving 60. As we were all slowing down for yet another accident up the road, not the one that was right next to us with an overturned car and 3 cars off in the shoulder, I saw a SUV screaming down the shoulder towards all of the wreaked cars on the side of the road. He slammed in to one of the cars and spun out, very narrowly missing my rear bumper. I think everyone was okay but there were at least 5 accidents in a very short stretch of C-470. Luckily, when I called my boss to say I was going to be very late, C-470 was hardly moving at this point, she gave me the okay to turn around and head for home.

Following that morning adventure Gene and I headed out for a swanky wedding at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church followed by a reception at the Denver Art Museum. After a last minute dress exchange, the dress I bought was appropriate for an October wedding in Austin NOT Colorado (old habits die hard), we headed downtown for a fun night of celebrating, dancing, and a little bit of drinking. :-) The church was absolutely gorgeous and it was a very nice abbreviated Catholic service. The bride, a friend of Gene's from work, looked gorgeous and I loved how all the groomsmen wore custom converse sneakers. Following the ceremony we headed to the Denver Art Museum for a very swanky reception, filled with good food and an awesome 80s cover band. My favorite part was when the bridesmaids/groomsmen all entered the reception hall by dancing down some very dramatic stairs. All in all it was a great night. Congrats to the happy couple!

Yesterday, we spent the day watching football with good friends. Always nice to see the Broncos doing well! And of course, Hook 'Em!

Squirrels, Squirrels, Squirrels!

Recently Gene and I moved in to a new apartment. It is a huge upgrade from the haunted house we lived in that had a kitchen so small you couldn't put the dishwasher door down and open the back door at the same time. The stove also tilted. In addition to this being a serious fire hazard (I'm pretty sure gas stoves aren't supposed to tilt) it made cooking very cumbersome. Any-who our new place is great, it has a washer/dryer, garbage disposal and even central air! Oh my. It is hard to move from a house with a backyard to a big box apartment but the amenities (or basic living requirements, however you look at it) have made it worth it. That is before the squirrels. That's right, squirrels. Rats with cuter outfits.

The second or third week we moved in we started hearing rustling noises above our bed. Let me be clear, not scurrying across the roof noises, but living behind the dry wall noises. There's a big difference. Anyways, it was weird and a little gross but I didn't mind it so much until last Friday night. As Gene says, "It sounded like they had a raging party and managed to fit themselves with teeny-tiny tap dancing shoes." It was bad. Really, really bad. They scurried around all night and at one point the leader, I presume, started barking. The barking was followed by incessant chirping for about an hour, I assume they were telling each other how to be as loud as freaking possible. It was so bad, after pounding on the ceiling at 3am (I'm sure the neighbors enjoyed that), Gene went to sleep on the couch. I didn't sleep all night.

So, the next morning in his sleepy stupor, Gene called and left an urgent message with the management explaining the tap dancing squirrels and his inability to sleep. We didn't hear back for a couple of days, and after their crazy Friday night feista the squirrels seemed to quiet down. After three days of no response, I called our super friendly (insert loads of sarcasm) management staff and inquired about the status of the squirrel relocation or eradication program. The woman replied, while hanging up the phone, "Terminex is on it." Great, Terminex is on the case.

We came home last night to a note from a Terminex technician informing us that "after thorough inspection of the attic there are no rodents present." He later went on, I think rather mockingly, to suggest that the squirrels were probably in the trees above our roof and we were simply mistaken to believe they were in our apartment. Excuse me? Again, I repeat-- this isn't a little bit of scurrying rodent noise, these guys sound like they are 3 feet from our bed. So, after harassing the management staff, and waiting for Terminex for a week, the verdict? We're crazy.

Of course, Gene was not content with this answer, neither was I but what can you do? Gene's response was to put on a headlamp and crawl in to the attic to investigate for himself. For the record I was against this idea as he hasn't had a rabies shot in quite some time. Naturally, he ignored me and I served as a spotter as he attempted to crawl in to the attack. After realizing that he couldn't lift himself up there he just poked his head around for a few minutes and reported no squirrels. Our new theory? They live in the space between our bedroom and our bathroom. I drew the line when Gene suggested hoisting the puppy in to the grate to see what she could find. I think he was kidding, at least I hope so.

So, after all that we still have squirrels. Gene said something about implied warranty of habitability. I just want them to go away or at least have quieter parties so I can go back to enjoying my dishwasher and central air.

P.S. Gene looked absolutely hysterical in his squirrel-seeking attire. He ran away when I brought out the camera, though. Damn.

Football Season NOT Snow Season

It's currently snowing. That's right. It's October 8th and it's snowing. I'm not ready.

Easy Bake Magic

So, when I first met Gene he was obsessed with his toaster oven. I, of course, had never met anyone who relied so heavily on what I stupidly believed to be an outdated piece of technology. He proved me wrong. He cooks everything in this tiny little machine, including salmon and tamales which is really a sight to see. Any-who, after years of overuse his original easy bake was on the verge of crapping out. Much to my delight, and Gene's of course, our friend K saved the day by delivering her unused easy bake this weekend. It is a much fancier version than our old machine and even has a separate "toast" function. In celebration of our new* toy, we made toasted roast beef sandwiches. They were quite delicious. Thanks, K for the great toy. Expect a batch of teeny-tiny brownies in the near future!

Onion Attack

I'm on this new cooking kick. I've long been an admirer of all things food and I am FINALLY inspired to start making it myself. So, last night I decided to make Julia Child's French Onion soup. I learned a couple of valuable lessons from this adventure:

1. Read the recipe BEFORE you buy all the ingredients. Only after I got home did I realize the cook time was 2 hours. Good to know. We ate a very late dinner.
2. The puppy is also allergic to onions. After cutting three pounds of big yellow onions I thought she was going to make a run for it off the balcony. She sneezed for a good 30 minutes straight.
3. I'm extremely anal about following recipes exactly. I can't eyeball anything. If they had a measuring spoon that equaled a "pinch" I would buy it. Is it a big pinch or a little pinch?
4. This causes kitchen conflict with Gene who scoffs at recipes. He came home and immediately starting throwing things in to my beloved pot of soup. He also objected to my use of fat-free beef stock. They didn't specify the type of stock in the recipe, how was I to know? See above.
   
5. The soup tasted much better after Gene tinkered with it. This irritated me immensely.
6. After it was all said it done it came out pretty good. Even Gene said it was really good, and he normally only likes food that he cooks. I consider this a success.
7. I'm pretty sure my house is going to smell like onions for a week.

If you would like to try the recipe you can find it here, or just google it. Happy eating!

Testing, One, Two, Three..

Hello, out there-
This is my first time blogging. After reading all of my friends' wonderful musings I decided it might be a great way to keep in touch with family and friends. So, here goes nothing. A few things about me to get this thing kicked off:

1) I hate the word "pop."
2) I have the most charming dog on the planet. You can try and argue, but once you meet her you will understand.
3) I am originally from Austin, but due to a crazy set of circumstances I am currently living in Denver.
4) After three years of living in Colorado I am still surprised that school/work doesn't close when it snows.
5) When I moved to CO the only shoes I owned were some variant of "flip-flop."
6) I often read the end of the book first to find out who lives or dies.
7) I eat a ridiculous amount of Mexican food.
8) I am obsessed with UT football.
9) The only crime I've ever committed (besides speeding) occurred when I bribed a gate official to let me in to the Texas/OU game. Totally worth it.
10) I love food and I don't understand picky eaters.
11) My Texas grandmother used to tell everyone that I would try any food once. This is true to this day and I take great pride in it.
12) I think a good sense of humor can get you through most things in life.
13) A glass of wine can fix almost any problem.