Complete and Total Domination!

I know I've been blogging a lot lately. However, I could not pass up the opportunity to brag on myself and diss on Mike. See above - I killed him when we went shooting on Saturday. Not only did I beat him (45 to 29), but I beat him with his own gun!!! I used his 12 gauge instead of my 28 gauge. I think I'm going to buy a 12 gauge for myself.

I really think I could have had an even better score. I look to shoot over 50% for the first time the next time we go!!! That is if Mike isn't too embarrassed to go shooting with me again.

Near Death Experience

This morning I took the dogs for a walk. I decided to go a different way than usual. I guess this is really where the trouble started. I should have just stuck to the usual path. Anyway, we turned down this cul-da-sac that runs pretty close to our house. We were about half way down the road when this dog comes running out from his open garage and I can tell this is not going to be good. More preciously, my first thought was "Oh, S*%t!!" Foggy doesn't like other dogs so he was going crazy and Yana was oblivious. We've always wondered what Foggy would do when actually confronted with a real fight. Well, I was about to find out. Let it be known, that we were not in crazed dogs yard and were attacked in the yard across the street.

I, of course, didn't respond correctly. I should have jumped in front of the crazed dog and kicked the crap out of it. But my initial response, other than of course screaming at the top of my lungs like a lunatic, was to try and reel Foggy in on his retractable leash. Well, crazed dog went after sweet, innocent, bewildered Yana. After taking two bites at her rump, Foggy put him in his place. Foggy went after crazed dog and he backed off. By this point, I realized that I may have to kick some dog ass. Luckily crazed dog seemed to be scared of Foggy.

Crazed dog just stood at a bit of a distance and snarled at us while I tried to get Foggy untangled from his leash. Then I proceeded to yell at crazed dog "Where the hell is your owner!!" I waited and no one came running out of the house to get crazed dog or to apologize profusely. So, I started to walk away. Well, I wanted to walk away but my legs were literally shaking like a leaf. Once I got it together we walked away. That's when I realized that Yana's rump had been bitten and she was bleeding. Mind you it was a small puncture wound, but that's when I lost it. I started crying and was super pissed. I was marching home and was going to get in my car and come back and kick some dog owner ass. Then, my knight in shining armor rode up on a white horse (or maybe it was a white Tahoe). Mike had heard the commotion because he was out in the yard blowing leaves. I was really really glad to see him. He went to crazed dogs house but no one was home!!! NO ONE WAS HOME!!! They left crazed dog on the loose while they're gone for the weekend.

This same crazed dog came up to our fence one weekend. This is the exact reason that I wanted an actual fence and not an electric fence like the architectural committe wanted. An electric fence may keep my dogs in but it doesn't keep others out. That would have been really bad if we wouldn't have had a fence.

Anyway, we got home and Yana and I cuddled and I had a good cry over the "what if" scenarios that kept running through my mind. It's not over, we will be having a face to face conversation with crazed dog's owner. We went back later to get a picture of crazed dog outside of his yard.

Thanksgiving

Disclaimer: I realize that this picture is blurry, but it's the only one I've got!

OK, now, let's proceed. Mike and I made the annual trek to Taylorsville for Thanksgiving. It was the usual crowd: Me and Mike, his sister Sharon and her husband Keith and their kids Brandon and Ashleigh. Then there's his mom and dad. Not pictured is Jonie, Brandon's girlfriend. She's the person we can thank for the blurry picture. She's also the one we can thank for the comic relief at lunch. She dumped an entire bowl of corn on her plate and didn't get hardly a thing on herself. Now that's talent!! Also not pictured is Ashleigh's fictitious boyfriend. She supposedly has a boyfriend and they've supposedly been dating for quite a while now but Mike and I have never met him. So, we've jumped to the logical conclusion that he is not real!

Mike's mom always makes almost all of the food and she always goes overboard. But man is it good!!!! I was so disgustingly full at the end of the meal. I thought no way can I eat another bite for the rest of the day. But of course, come about 6:30, I was eating left overs.

Mike and I have a lot to be thankful for this year:

1. Friends and Family
2. A new house

3. My new job (starting Dec 1st)

4. Each other (oh, isn't that sweet)

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was as good as ours!!

Creosote is the Enemy

Never heard of creosote? Neither had I...until yesterday. Mike has a wood burning stove in the basement. It is his baby and he loves it. Mike's Mom said he has always had a love of the fire. So, we just started to burn it 24/7 on Sunday. It is supposed to help heat the house. Well, I was bringing some wood in from the stack in the backyard yesterday and I noticed a black substance on the chimney. Upon further inspection, there was a ton of this stuff weeping out of the mortar and running down the chimney. Come to find out, this is probably creosote. It is a by product of a wood burning fireplace or stove. However, this product should not be able to seep out of your chimney out onto your brick. It should be contained in the flue liner of the chimney.

Needless to say, we called the builder and of course he'd never heard of such a thing. He called the brick mason and of course there is no way under the sun that this could be happening. Mike's parents made an emergency visit to the house to check it out and they too had never seen such a thing before. Great! Well, this must be fixed. The builder is to come by and look at it today. In the meantime, there will be no more using of Mike's beloved wood stove until this issue is resolved.

This is what our chimney looks like:

Baby Shower #2

Today we had a baby shower for my sister Susan. She is due in January. She is expecting a baby girl, Samantha. Her best friend since forever, Lezlie, hosted the shower. She, Kathy, and I planned the shower. We played some shower games (one went well, the other, not so well) and had some good food. I thought her cake was adorable. It looked like her invitation. She got lots of good gifts that should be put to good use soon. Kathy brought Virginia, her two month old baby girl, and she was a perfect angel. It was fun and that should be the last baby shower for a long time!!

Three hot mamas!!! Or, two hot mamas and one hot aunt!! BTW, Kathy looks great so soon after having Virginia.

Diaper cake and real cake - both adorable!!!

Susan and her BFF, Lezlie.

The real star of the shower, Virginia!! She's tired after all that entertaining!!

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

I wish I had my camera now to show you what I am wearing to work today. First of all, I'm not really sure if I match. I'm wearing a sweater and skirt combo for the first time today. The sweater I usually wear with this skirt has now been switched to being worn with a pair of pants. So, I'm trying this one out with this skirt, but I'm not so sure that it actually matches. Secondly, I'm wearing some God-awful pantyhose. I thought my good pair had a run in them, and sure enough, they did. So, I had to break out a pair of hose that I don't even remember buying. And if I bought them on purpose, what was I thinking!! They have a design on them. Yes, that's right, a design. There is some raised stitching in a crisscross pattern, so I have lots of little squares on my hose. But heck, it was either that or no hose at all.

Then, Mike pulled the Tahoe out of the garage yesterday and didn't pull it back in (thanks bunches!). So, this morning there was frost on the windshield and I just couldn't wait for it to defrost. So, I'm driving through the neighborhood with my head sticking out of the window, like a dog, so I can see where I'm going. Luckily, just as my nose was about to freeze off, a nice spot started to defrost right above the steering wheel. So, I closed the window and hunkered down low to see. Don't judge...you've all done it!!!

This is an Outrage!!

No sooner did I blog about my love for the best new show on TV (My Own Worst Enemy) do I read on CNN today that the show is likely to get the ax mid season!!! This is completely insane!!! I have already emailed NBC and demanded that the show be saved. I would suggest that we all start an email campaign to voice our support for this obviously under appreciated show. Are you with me people?!?!?!? I know that given my vast reading audience, we can get our goal accomplished!!!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to pick up the pieces of my broken heart.

It's Not Just Because...

It's not just because I have had a life long crush on him. It really is an awesome show. My Own Worst Enemy is fan-flipping-tastic!! It stars the ever handsome and talented Christian Slater. Ah, Christian Slater. We go way back. It all started with Gleaming the Cube. A movie that is so well respected and such a masterful piece of work, that even Netflix doesn't offer it (I checked). He was such a debonair and heroic skateboarder back then!!

But I digress. You can imagine my excitement when I discovered that he would be on network TV (NBC, Mondays at 10pm). I can now visit with my favorite hottie weekly! This show is addictive. That says a lot coming from me because I am not one to get easily addicted to any TV show, just ask Mike!! (typed with much sarcasm). My dang DVR has not been cooperating lately and it has not taped the last two episodes. Thank goodness for the internet age. I've been able to catch the episodes I've missed on the internet. I just started watching the latest one on the web this morning at work (sshh!!). My excitement over the latest turn of events on the show led me to share my latest addiction with my reading audience.

Since I haven't been able to watch the two latest shows on the TV, I've lost my viewing partner. Mike refuses to watch TV shows on the internet...he's not as technologically savvy as me! So, please, someone help me out here. If you haven't been watching, please watch the episodes online. We're only up to #4. It is a continuing story, so you must watch all 4. Believe me, you will not be disappointed!!!

A Fate Worse Than Death

This morning was utter chaos!! First, I put my sweater on this morning and it had a huge hole on the shoulder. Weird! I was running late and had to get gas, of course. Then, 77 south was backed up at Exit 36 and it was already 6:50. I have to be at work by 7am. Oh well, no one's there by 7am anyway, no one will know if I'm late. Then, the hammer drops...Mike calls and I have both sets of car keys to the Lexus. Now, to the uninformed reader, one may think this is solely my fault. While yes, I do take partial blame, Mike needs to shoulder some of the blame too. The Lexus has one of those smart keys. You don't have to get it out of your purse, it senses the key and unlocks the door and you can start the motor without inserting the key. Well, the battery in Mike's remote is dead...sorry, has been dead for at least a month. Therefore, we have to switch keys out whenever we need to drive the Lexus. Well, I drove it yesterday and forgot to put his keys back. So, I say it's partly his fault.

So, at 6:50, I have to turn around and head back to Troutman. Here's where the 'Fate Worse Than Death' part comes in...I had to drive 77S with all the other mindless losers trying to get to work by 8am. It was bumper to bumper traffic from Exit 28 all the way to work (Exit 10). I seriously contemplated ramming my car into the truck in front of me and ending it all. I would be even less stable if I had to do that everyday. You can't pick a fast lane. You get in the left lane, the right lane is faster and visa versa. It must be the devil at work!!! Now, lucky me, since I got here late, I have to stay until 5pm and experience torture even Jack Bauer couldn't endure twice in one day!!!!

Election Day

Today's the big day. Today we find out who our next president will be. As Dan Ramirez (Charlotte City Council Member) told me at the Edifice Fall Festival, "Vote early and vote often!" If you're unsure of who to vote for, I have a few suggestions: