great start

i got to work this morning feeling rather proud of myself because i *finally* remembered to bring the fancy bottled water i had purchased at World Market to work with me.

i was eagerly anticipating the cold and refreshing taste of the water.

when i got to my desk this morning after damn near slipping on the ice getting out of my car, (stupid high heeled boots – why can’t i just be like every other minnesotan and wear my "snow" boots into the building and then put on my work shoes? i just refuse to give in – yet. maybe when i am 30 i will be more reasonable) i whipped the bottle out and set it on my desk to enjoy the asthetics of the fancy bottle.

i finally gave in and opened it as i was cruising through emails.

and let me just say this, if you don’t hear from me for a few days, it’s because i got really, really sick drinking this water. the first sip tasted like someone wiped their ass and dragged the toilet paper through the water on a string.

yeah. so i spit it out.

and threw it away.

i think it was like $4 for a litre.

i wonder if that has to do with all that plastic stuff i have been hearing about where plastic bottles can cause bacteria and germ growth in water or something? i didn’t pay much attention.

now i am wishing i had.

and i am still THIRSTY.

anyway.

the superbowl. i supose i have to mention it since it’s the morning after. and i think this counts as mentioning it, so moving on.

it was damn near 50 degrees here saturday. and less than a week before it was 70 degrees colder. and now today i think it was 2 degrees or something.

MAKE UP YOUR MIND!!!!!!!

even if you hit me with a steady above freezing temp of 32 degrees, i won’t complain, i swear! 32 degrees feels downright balmy this time of year.

 ruby is continuing to adjust well. she isn’t nearly as apoplectic when we leave or come home. whadduya know…the suggestions on the internet and from the vet and other pet owners actually work. we have been downplaying our arrivals and departures so it’s not nearly as big a production. now she usually calmly sits on the back of the couch and watches us leave and then goes to sleep. when we come home, we find her on the back of the couch sleeping.

it’s funny, she faces the door and sits as close to it as she can on the couch as if to wait for our return. that’s what she does if chewie leaves and i stay home, too.

the barking issue is basically non-existant. i hate to say it but the bark collar worked. we don’t even have to put it on her anymore. she is a smart little thing. she barks at the occaissional person walking by but she is allowed. that’s what dogs do…they bark. and when she does bark, it’s appropriate and minimal so i can’t fathom anyone complaining.

actually, the neighbors to the left of us gave us a bag of dog food they had. they tried to get a dog in november but i guess the dog never adjusted to the cat so they had to take her back. they had an unopened bag of exactly the kind of food ruby eats.

i asked them if ruby had bothered them at all with her barking and they said "not a bit" and i told them to feel free to let us know if she is. this is the first time we ever talked to these neighbors. very nice people. and these people probably have a likelihood of hearing more of ruby since they are next to us and not behind us and they can hear her when she is outside, too.

karma, though: the sheriff came to the door the other day looking for the townhouse on the backside of us. i guess somehow he thought those people walked through the middle of our home to get to theirs? anyway, he had papers. possibly eviction papers.

possibly someone else had complained about their loud surround sound. possibly they weren’t paying their rent.

it’s sad, actually during this time when someone loses their home. but…there is nothing i can do about it.

we took ruby to the dog park. it was hilarious.

i snapped a couple photos. i will post them one day.

i also snapped a couple photos of the ice houses on the lake this weekend and the plowed roads across the lake.

and i took pictures of isaiah’s first wrestling match. all to be posted at some point.

trying to stay caught up with my favorites. even if i don’t note i am reading. it’s just been busy lately for some reason.