Home Owned

Dine In

2011-08-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

We got a big new dining table recently and it's my dream dining table. What makes it my ideal table? It's solid (oak to be exact) - which means it's not going anywhere or will it tip over when you lean on it; it's round - which means no one sits at a corner; and can be extended to accommodate a bunch of people when needed, up to 8 or 10 (depending on how close everyone wants to be); it has a pedestal stand - which means no outside legs for anyone to straddle. Unless that's your thing of course, in that case don't dine here.

It also came with a table pad shown in the last photo, but I'm not sure what to use that for? Is that for card games? And if so, why do you need a pad to play card games?

I love my new table! I can envision homework sprawled out messily during finals, yards of fabric strewn across it for sewing projects, curtains being ironed (if I actually ironed them, does anyone actually do that?), piles of laundry folded on it, intense rounds of scrabble or bananagrams that couldn't be interrupted, and of course large feasts with friends and family (if they lived near).

And even if none of the above occurs, I just love that I could imagine it. Because it could.

I know that oak isn't really in fashion right now. Or old fashioned, traditional dining tables. Or even clunky wooden furniture. But I love this new addition - makes our house feel more like a home. Do you have a piece of furniture you feel the same way about?

Rotten Apple (tree)

2011-07-13T14:59:00.000-07:00

I'm extremely late in posting this but one of our spring projects was trimming our apple tree. The right side was not sprouting any leaves and when we touched it, the branch nearly fell off.

We decided to use our trusty sawzall to trim up the tree a bit.

Or a lot.

While the beau was cutting, I was chopping the branches into little bits:

Into our new outdoor fireplace.

And our old fire pit.

And the rest we chucked behind the fence :)

(don't worry, it's still our property)

Keep Cool

2011-06-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

It's almost July and we still haven't turned on our air conditioner (except a couple times here and there on rogue hot days).

Our southeast (I think) facing house tends to stay cool and this year hasn't been as hot as last year so far.

But I think these are a big contributing factor as well:

Not the guy, but the window he is standing next to. And 8 others windows like them. We've been using our heater less this winter and less this spring and summer as well. And saving on average about $10 each month on our gas bill.

Keeping this up for several decades and the windows would have paid for themselves!

For Japan with Love

2011-03-17T16:49:00.001-07:00

Images from time.com

Under Foot

2011-02-15T14:47:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since the last bathroom update so a lot has happened. Let me catch you up.

We removed the tile floor, toilet and tub and discovered that the subfloor had water damage. Then we discovered that the floor wasn't even properly supported for tile to begin with. So out the entire floor went:

The pipe in the wall is the plumbing vent. The towel is covering the toilet drain. The exposed wood beams are the joists above our newly remodeled kitchen. See how thin the plywood subfloor is?

This is where the sink vanity was.

This chaos is our bedroom.

The old bath tub standing up in our bedroom.

View into the master bathroom. It. Is. A. Work. In. Progress. Ugh.

New drain pipes for the toilet so that we can reposition the toilet away from the tub. One of them is backwards though. Whoops.

Another surprise was a joist in the way of moving the toilet over. We don't mess with structural beams so we were extremely lucky that we were able to move it over under the joist.

This is what we used to join pieces of the A.B.S. drain pipe that we cut to size. I like to refer to it as "Weld-On Abs". Wouldn't it be great if such a thing exists?

Welding action shot.

New position for the toilet. Moved over about a foot to allow room for the new (and wider) bath tub.

What has not been shown are the countless trips to the hardware store, because of all the times we messed up welding the pipes (third try was a charm though!). Certain pieces are hard to find and eventually were found at a large plumbing specialty store nearby.

Also not shown in the photos is how difficult/scary/frustrating working in a bathroom with no floor is.

Game Plan: Master Bathroom Update

2011-02-01T08:29:00.000-08:00

We made some small changes to the game plan:

Going with a fancy tub spout

Adding a slide bar to the shower

Instead of the Delta Lahara or Addison faucet, we got the Kingston Brass Concord

A hose for the slide bar and shower head

Adding a niche to the tub surround

Adding a handshower to the slide bar

2 volume control valves
Cable drain which you might remember from here (well this one is not a change or addition, we'd have to get it anyway)

Bathroom plumbing is way more complicated (and expensive) than we thought.

Standing Aside

2011-01-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

The current master bathroom project has spilled into the master bedroom:

That is our old bath tub standing on it's side in our bedroom. I've lost count on how many times I've stubbed my toes on this. Or how many months it's been sitting there.

Smooth as Glass - part 3

2011-01-27T08:04:00.000-08:00

(continued from here and here)

Here is the finished product, with windows screw into place, vinyl trim on the inside installed, and aluminum coil wrap on the outside.

Some caulking they used.

Expanding foam they used.

And the empty bottles of caulk they went through.

There you have it. In depth documentation of our window installation. Is it as interesting to you as it is to me living with them?

Smooth as Glass - part 2

2011-01-26T15:47:00.000-08:00

(Continued from here)

More windows screwed into place.

The second crew arrives in the black truck, consisting of 4 guys.

They fill in the gaps between the new windows and the opening (what is this called?) with spray expanding foam.

Here is what they used to cover up the foam around the windows. It's called "coil wrap" which had us totally confused when we signed up for this. I thought coil meant twirled metal like a spring or a slinky. And felt too silly to ask such a naive question. Anyway, I get it now, it's just a big sheet of aluminum that comes in a giant coil.

The older crew guy (that dad I believe) took the measurements for the coil wrap.

Behold! Our old windows. Sayonara suckers.

Trimming the coil wrap. Some cool contraption attached to the side of the truck. I learned that this is not sold to the public, only to contractors. So glad we did NOT DIY this!

Installing coil wrap. This is by far, the most time consuming aspect of the entire installtion.

Stay tuned for part 3!

Smooth as Glass - part 1

2011-01-25T15:24:00.000-08:00

On black Friday, we stayed home. Gladly. Because I hate shopping. So could you imagine a better day to stay in? Especially when said gifts are new windows for your entire house?

The first crew were a father/son duo. Here they are prepping the old windows for removal.

One window gone. See ya!

The window openings look huge when there are no windows in them! Especially ugly old aluminum ones.

Another empty window hole. This alone is a big improvement.

New windows set by their final destinations.

Screwing the windows into place.

Stay tuned for more!

Wrapped Up

2011-01-24T08:09:00.000-08:00

Ok so if I post about Christmas dinner on January 20th, I guess it only makes sense that I post about Christmas gifts on January 24th.

At least I am consistent, right?

Jesse got bathroom parts. You can see how overwhelmed by excitement he is while unwrapping a cable drain.

I got a steam mop.

Rylie got a rubber chicken.

As did Karma.

Eat Away

2011-01-21T08:53:00.000-08:00

Now onto what the humans ate for Christmas dinner:

Pineapple and tofu stir fry

Crab rangoons

And walnut shrimp

We made Chinese food this year, and it was big time yummy. Since it was just us 2, we went elaborate and made these time consuming dishes for the first time. Anyone else have a non-traditional holiday meal?

Hen Party

2011-01-20T14:31:00.000-08:00

January 20th isn't too late to post about the holidays is it? Oh well, it's my blog, so I'll go by my rules.

Here is what the dogs enjoyed as their Christmas dinner:

No, not the meat head - the Cornish game hen he's holding in his hands.

A big 'hen party' for the bitches only. And it continued the whole weekend! Do your pets get special holiday treats?

In Hiding

2011-01-19T08:25:00.000-08:00

Where's the red border collie?

Rylie can't be bothered with being disturbed. Being disturbed = sharing the couch with anyone, even Karma. That means snuggling is automatically out. But yet tossing blankets onto her is totally welcomed.

Weird.

But extremely cute. No?

Out of the closet

2011-01-13T15:20:00.000-08:00

What? No I'm not gay (not that there's anything wrong with that*), in fact I'm all for equal rights. But like the typical New Year's resolution, I'd like to get organized, starting with my entryways and coat closet. And I'd like to get my coats out of it. Or at least try and see how it works.

See these pics?

Inside of front door

Door to garage

To upstairs

There's a lot of blank and unutilized wall space. Space that me thinks might be used for more practical purposes (coats, keys, mail, wallets, dog leashes).

I'd like to get these or these, but they are sort of pricey for just being hooks. Here's some quick photoshop magic to help you envision it:

Or maybe I should go for something like this?

Or this?

What do you think?

*does anyone get this? Popular TV sitcom?

Bit the Dust

2010-12-27T08:11:00.000-08:00

Regular vacuums cannot be used as shop vacs.

Ho Ho Holidays

2010-12-24T17:44:00.000-08:00

A peek into our home for the holidays:

A mini tree in the entryway, alongside a toilet drain pipe.

Peppermint taffy and some nuts for snacking.

Tip: Don't launder the peppermint taffy in your pockets.

Stockings and some fruit and candy canes.

Heavenly Bamboo clippings as the table centerpiece.

Another tree upstairs along with some poinsettia. And a glimpse of our rocking new windows.

Garland up the banisters.

Another garland. With a ton of stockings again. And a Christmas tree scented candle (because we have a scent-less artificial tree).

Paperwhites blooming just in time.

Some bells strung on the console. And a neurotic border collie to go with.

And of course the tree. Decked out with a very obvious bath ventilation fan gift sitting underneath.

Happy holidays everyone!

Sprinkle On

2010-12-23T13:54:00.000-08:00

Here's our sprinkler control system:

See all those sliders? Each represents a zone on our property. One of the reasons we don't use our sprinklers often is because I'm not good with numbers. As in, I don't deal with them if possible. See those numbers all over the sliders? Yeah.

So this is how I can actually deal:

I made a chart to show which numbers are which zones. It's probably an accurate way of seeing how my brain thinks - in colors and shapes.

Do you have the same dilemma?

Buttered Up

2010-12-22T11:35:00.001-08:00

Some indoor entertainment (for both humans and canines) in this dreary weather:

I could use some more ideas, we're running out of peanut butter...

Window Opportunity - Before and After

2010-12-21T13:44:00.000-08:00

We woke up bright and early on Black Friday to spend the most on a project on our house to date. And we did it from the comfort of home. Sans internet. By now you've probably guessed from the post title, that it was new windows for the entire house.

Before:

After:

And we got them just in time. They are awesome and we couldn't be happier. So glad we didn't DIY this project...

Bites of Dust

2010-12-13T08:27:00.000-08:00

Does anyone know how these things get dusty and debris-y?

Annoying.

Set Time

2010-12-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

Remember how Karma did this a few months ago? After spending our evenings with things like this:

And this:

We did much research and test viewing, and decided to take the plunge and get a new TV. We decided to go with the LG Infinia PK950. For us, we had no interest in 3D viewing (at least where the technology stands today). We don't want to have to wear special glasses (when the bf already wears regular glasses), and then only have 2 pairs of glasses, leaving other people watching dizzying fuzzy graphics. I will admit that the 3D technology was much better than in the movie theaters. But frankly, it made everything look too artificial for my liking.

We also decided against LED technology despite all the marketing hype. They are all LED backlit LCD technology. Sometimes you will see it listed as LED-LCD (not to be confused with OLED which is for real and only found on tiny screens like smart phones). Because it's (seems) new, it's expensive - even though it's not new technology. Picture quality is brighter than with plasma, but frankly too artificial for my liking as well. So that is why we decided to go with plasma.

So after our research, we got a new TV but there was a shipping incident which delayed technological entertainment in this household for a bit longer:

We finally got our new TV and a new console to go with it (conveniently taller than the TV attacking dog):

We still don't have cable but we got a ton more channels than we need. And the TV even has a couple of built in video games which is fun to use with our motion thingy remote. And with the wi-fi dongle that is connected to the back of the TV, we are using the heck out of the widgets like Netflix's Watch Instantly.

Thanks Karma, you secretly did us a favor :)

Game Plan: Master Bath

2010-12-07T08:22:00.000-08:00

Here is my vision for our master bathroom:

Behr's "Chinese Jade" paint in semi-gloss
Heater bath fan with light in the shower area
3" recessed lights (the same ones we used in the kitchen) along the long back wall
Big chunky mirror placed over the sink vanity
Sconces to flank the mirror
Possible tall shelving with
Possible resin laundry hamper baskets -OR-
Possible shorter, wide shelving with
Possible bamboo laundry hamper
Marble floor tiles
Natural fiber waste basket
Bath mat, simple and in the same family as the wall paint
Fuzzy bath towels
White fabric shower curtain (like the texture of this but maybe will attract more dust than this one)
Curved shower rod
White subway tile for tub surround
Delta "Addison" tub and shower hardware
Whirlpool tub
Delta "Lahara" widespread sink hardware (although we are also considering the similar "Addison" as well)
Brentwood 42" sink vanity with Italian carrara white marble top

Any thoughts on which shower curtain to go with? Which faucets? Which hamper? Which storage shelf?

Go to Seed

2010-12-06T08:31:00.000-08:00

I collected seeds from my Canna Lily plants:

All you have to do is wait until the pods dry out and just collect them before they fall to the ground. Next I'll have to wait until spring to plant, but will I remember? Will I lose them? Will I remember to not lose them?

Flat Broke

2010-12-03T19:02:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Karma, this is no more:

Ever since we went away for July 4th, she has become an absolute TV junkie. And I don't mean her eyes happen to be pointing at the screen when she's on the couch.

It used to be that she would hear animal sounds on the TV and run up and watch. Or maybe look for the ball during tennis matches, as they whiz across the screen.

Quickly her favorite commercials became: King Kong 3D Universal Studios, Empire Flooring, and Cymbalta. But now it's anything on TV. And her watching habits have become, how do I say, interactive?

She killed the screen in 2 shots. First was the Empire Flooring commercial, where there is an animated cat at the end*. And then the final shot was when a woman was walking her dog at the end of a Cymbalta commercial.

After she slaughtered the TV screen, she would continue to sit and watch the black screen. As if hoping for it to turn on. She's even moved onto watching computer screens now. Her new favorite activity is to Skype.

Anyway.

RIP little guy.

To the TV grave yard you go tomorrow (monthly e-waste collection).

*if we sing "588-2300 EMPIRE" she will run to the TV screen.

Thanks Loads

2010-12-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

Home projects were not the only thing that we did on Thanksgiving. We did manage to make some food and stuff our faces:

Cranberry sauce (made with orange juice)

Stuffing

Mushroom Gravy

Green beans washed for green bean casserole

Breaded and fried shallots to top the green bean casserole

Green bean casserole

Boiling potatoes to be mashed

Buttermilk mashed potatoes

Opening our tofurky

Tofurky (before basting) with veggies prior to roasting

The compost was happy

The dogs were happy
(we found some organic boneless skinless chicken breasts in the freezer).

And the humans were happy.

(This is for you Betty and Dave, my most loyal readers)

Right before we plated our food we popped a pecan pie in the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes.

I failed to get "after" shots of all the food after it was all done cooking. We were so hungry and it was getting late and we ate in record time.

Just as we sat down to enjoy our meal we* knocked over a glass of water. Then we cleaned it up. Then we* knocked over a glass of wine. Then we cleaned that up. Then we finally ate and when we came up for air, there was still 15 minutes left on the timer. Sometimes this is just how life goes. Do you have holidays like this?

*And by 'we' I mean the bf. But he made the pie which rocked so he is forgiven.

Painting himself in a Corner

2010-12-01T12:48:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday. Wanna know how ours was? This is how we spent Thanksgiving day (and into the night as you see):

Here's the 'before' shot:

And here's a view of the rest of the house all festively decked out:

We had home work on Thanksgiving (removing all window treatments and clearing all the areas in front of the windows). I guess it serves us right for leaving it to the last minute. Photos of the new windows soon!

It's official

2010-11-29T21:37:00.000-08:00

Thanks, but No Thanks

2010-11-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all (2) of you reading this! This year, we're saying no to turkey and yes to tofurky:

More accurately, we're saying no to having turkey on the dinner table. But yes to sponsoring one:

And specifically, this turkey:

This is Harley*. He is in Farm Sanctuary's California shelter, you know, just chilling out.

The adoption certificate is on the way! Stay tuned. And have a great holiday!

*no relation to this Harley

Window Opportunity

2010-11-17T16:33:00.000-08:00

We came to a decision regarding our windows...

Here was our list of pros and cons to help us come to this decision:

Pros of DIY:

all money goes towards the windows, which means we can get top of the line windows
top of the line windows would obviously qualify for the energy efficiency tax credit
after this project, we'd know how to install windows
$400 off right off the bat by opening 2 new Home Depot credit cards
rental of truck is pretty cheap (we get first hour free with the Home Depot credit card)
rental of scaffolding is pretty cheap (like $70 a week)

Cons of DIY:

rental of a vehicle to pick up the windows
rental of extra tall ladders and scaffolding
need tons of caulk to seal around the windows, and other finishing touches
disposing old windows
we have a 2 story house
I'm not very big or strong
if we broke or dropped a window, that's a lot of money wasted
if we broke or dropped a window, that's several weeks until a replacement arrives (and see #1 of this list)
we're going into rainy season

Pros of pros (professionals):

the windows they offer qualify for the energy efficiency tax credit
we sign the dotted line and they do everything in 1 day
we instantly free up a lot of time by not having to study up on this and making several hundred trips to the hardware store
we instantly free up a lot of time by not planning to do this on nights and weekends
they guarantee their labor
they have all the proper permits and know all the current city codes and laws
we don't have to source tools or ladders
we don't have to worry about how to get the new windows here
we don't have to worry about how to get rid of the old windows

Cons of pros (professionals):

it costs a lot more
they will see our messy house

So as you can see by my lists above (or by the photo), we decided to get 'er done by the pros.

When they came to give us a free quote, they informed us that our city's new laws require all windows to be tempered glass, and they have all the appropriate permits that are apparently required to do this job. We didn't know about any of this.

We got a quote and it seemed reasonable, at less than double the price of DIY, for better windows (rated #1 by J.D. Power and Associates), with an awesome warranty - a double lifetime warranty. What's that? It means that the warranty carries over to the next homeowners as well. And it covers accidental breakage. And we can use our Home Depot credit card to finance this super blingy job.

This was all music to my ears.

So we offered him leftover Halloween candy, signed on the dotted lines, and handed over our plastic.

Hallelujah.

Window Shopping

2010-11-10T17:17:00.000-08:00

We have been window shopping (literally) because we are getting NEW WINDOWS! I am not sure if I have mentioned before that our windows are original to our 1973 house, which means they have been around longer than my parents have been in this country!

Here are photos of our current windows from the exterior:

And a close up on the interior:

And here's how I've dealt with them for the past 2 years:

Unfortunately the new retrofits won't cover this stuff up so we'll have to finally address it:

We measured all 9 of our windows last week. We are planning to get 3 casements, 7 side sliding, and 1 picture window. So we are replacing all 9 windows in our home. And if you're crunching the numbers you'll see that it looks like I do funny math but we are upgrading our old windows while we're at it - adding 3 casements. And that doesn't add up either because 2 of the casements are going in 1 window. Y'all are keeping me accountable!

Why are we replacing our windows? Why don't we want to stay in the 70's with our old aluminum frames that rock back and forth instead of slide? Well here is the number one reason, but also because there's a Federal Tax Credit for Consumer Energy Efficiency that expires at the end of this year. That's in a little over a month. We love to wait until the last minute (and Rylie breaking her leg last year didn't help the matter either)...

Anyway, with the tax credit, you get 30% of the cost (not including labor and installation) back up to $1500. Reaching that $1500 max is no problem when you're doing an entire house. And if you plan on getting new windows, just go ahead and do the whole house - everything will match and labor will be quicker/easier/cheaper. And you have to get qualifying windows (but why wouldn't you? The ones that don't qualify must suck). Just be sure to file tax form 5695 with your 2010 return, and keep a copy of your manufacturer's certification statement for your records (a signed statement from the manufacturer certifying that their product qualifies for this credit which can be found on their website).

So much research to do - what brand? Vinyl? Grids? Casements? Egress? Tempered? Hinges on which sides? And THE biggest question is - DIY or get 'er done by professionals or a combination of the two? Suggestions?

Accidental Gardening

2010-11-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

Apparently it's not just grass that requires water to grow, it's other plants as well. Here's a surprise I discovered recently:

They are tiny but I didn't even plant these. They probably came from seeds in the compost. I love accidental gardening!

Jump Around

2010-11-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

Look at me!

Wheeee!

Snake Along

2010-11-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

Look what Rylie found on our walk through the area behind our property:

A snake of some kind (not rattlesnake). Any idea what? Something ate off its head, I'm guessing coyote, but why would they leave the rest of the body behind? Maybe it was venomous and died after eating the head and before it could finish? I'm really curious...

On Borrowed Grass

2010-11-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

Since it's been raining a bit, we actually have a lawn now! Who knew that grass required water? Even after nearly depriving it of the wet stuff for 2 years!

Here's a picture of what our lawn looked like before we moved in (and ripped out the evil Creeping Fig):

Here is what our lawn has looked like the last 2 years:

Now add this:

(photo credit: Scott's)

And here is what our lawn looks like now:

The only drawback is that the dogs cannot be near the fertilizer for 24 hours. And I covered every inch of grass on our property.

Whoops.

Looks like we'll be using the neighbor's lawn for the dogs to potty on...

Jerk Around

2010-11-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

Suckers!

Pick Up Our Marbles

2010-11-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

Although we may have lost our minds in any given home project, we've definitely picked up some literal marble for the master bath renovation:

You're looking at 7 packs of yummy chocolate marble tile in the back of Mitsi:

Just look at those tasty veins. I think this is going to be my favorite aspect of the new master bath.

See how those stacks of marble tile are now magically stacked in the garage? Yep, that was from yours truly. You just missed the gun show.

Scared of My Own...

2010-10-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

home? No, I didn't turn my house into a haunted one but if this isn't scary, I don't know what is!

This is the old vanity from the master bath.

This is/was the beau's studio.

Here is his new studio after swapping rooms.

Here is the hallway, still with a toilet tank but now filled with old air vents!

And this ladies and gents, is the master bedroom. Because we might need an old light fixture or $90 worth of wigs nearby right?

Or a vacuum, subwoofer and computer keyboard, no?

This is one of the night stands. And something Rylie hacked up on it. With a bag full of junk mail next to it.

There are no sweet dreams happening here. Only nightmares...

Hit the Fan

2010-10-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

While I was away from home on extended travel, the bf surprised me with installing a new bathroom vent that I had ordered a while back:

We don't have a before shot of what was there, but it was a regular vent with no light. An old vent that sounded like it was on its last legs (and it was metal, which I had never seen before, I had only seen plastic ones, have you?).

Anyway, we love the new fan, it's quiet, it's modern, and it even works as a light fixture. In fact, it makes the rest of the bathroom look outdated in comparison. But there was one big problem I encountered once I got home in person:

That big obnoxious logo right in the center of the glass dome. I wrote to the manufacturer to no avail and then read on some forum where most people shared the same problem, that the logo is not actually etched into the glass.

So I took to some high tech tools:

Put in the tiniest sliver of elbow grease:

And, voila!

If you own the Hunter 90053 Saturn fan, here's your solution!

Tub Thumping

2010-10-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

For a while now, I've been researching tubs, trying to decide which was right for us and our master bath. I wanted a whirlpool tub, 36" wide, with a tile flange, in white, for an alcove installation. And I wanted it around 1k shipped.

Our first foray into tubs a few months ago brought us into Warehouse Discount Center. If you remember from my experiences with them last year, I am not a fan of that store. But I wanted to see if they could ship something for free since we live so close or had some floor model for a steal. Anyway, after being told about a local company that makes every tub to order, and customizing a tub with the standard amount of jets, and some lights thrown in for funsies, the quote came in at 2k. WDC how quickly you remind me of how much I hate you. I will never get those 20 minutes of my life back.

6 weeks ago, I was feeling pretty good that I had our choices narrowed down to 2 tubs:

KOHLER 6036 Whirlpool, White - $960 with free shipping (photo credit: Home Depot)

KOHLER Windward 5 Ft. Whirlpool in White - $1237 with free shipping (photo credit: Home Depot)

Then I went across the country for 3 weeks and forgot all about this. The bf called one day to tell me about his day at WDC (ugh, no!) and how he actually scored a deal of the century on a whirlpool bath tub. This is what he got for less than half of what they originally wanted:

It fits almost all of our requirements* and best of all, I don't have to worry about bath tub research anymore!

*our tub will have whirlpool jets. The only requirement the tub order didn't fulfill was shipping, but we live conveniently close so at least we don't have to pay for shipping (aside from a truck rental).

Sometimes slacking umm I mean patience really pays off!

Congrats!

2010-10-20T15:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't gone MIA or given up on this blog (yet), but I was gone for 3 weeks for a long overdue trip to visit my friends and folks and to celebrate my BFF's big day!

Photo credit: Trudy

Congrats dad*! Love you.

*She is nicknamed dad because she can be like a mom sometimes. But not mom-like. More dad-like. She's even been given a dad mug to make it official.

Ticked Off

2010-09-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

My previous post was a bit of a downer. So this one should lighten things up. Actually, it should down right crack you up.

Around here, we listen to a lot of different music. But I'd have to say that Jackson Browne makes it into the rotation the most. We love him.

So when we discovered a contest he was throwing, we were so in! The only rules were that it had to be an original photo that you had the rights to, and it had to involve polyester. So after hunting around for some vintage attire (which was not easy, since my man is apparently a giant and people were small in the 70's), a parking ticket, a fun photo shoot, and some photo editing, here are our submissions:

This is my submission. I took the photo of the beau and doctored it up.

Here is the bf's submission of a photo he took of me and spiffed up himself.

We thought we had a real shot at winning free tickets to his concert in NYC. We even cleared our calendar for that night. And made sure to submit our photos at the last minute since the submissions were chronologically listed. But we were so disappointed to find out that we did not win. We were not even mentioned.

Well, we had fun creating these submissions and the end results definitely had us in stitches, did you see them? How can you take that stuff seriously?

But we are still bitter nevertheless. So we are boycotting Jackson Browne's music, it's dead to us. As far as we are concerned, JB stands for Justin Bieber in this house. Justin Bieber Down Loads. I guess we now have Bieber fever...

On its Last Legs

2010-09-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

Warning: this blog post does not have a happy ending.

Yesterday, when I let the dogs out first thing in the morning, I saw them not pottying, or chasing woodland creatures up the incline, but instead they were standing underneath the blue spruce tree, tail wagging playfully, watching something with intense curiosity.

It was this little guy:

He was being stared down by 2 border collies and was trying to move away but clearly had a badly injured leg. So the bf and I went on auto pilot and strapped on a pair of gloves, and picked up the rabbit. He was docile. He did not put up any sort of a fight. He looked like he had just given up and was surrendering and accepting his demise. But because we're not cave men, instead of eating him, we put him in a dog crate and made some phone calls and brought him to a local wild life center:

It's awesome that these places exist and all the good work they do. They save so many creatures: squirrels, opossums, rabbits, herons, deer and even coyotes.

I called up the next day to get an update, and it was not good. He was euthanized because his leg had been injured for so long, at least a couple weeks. His bone was exposed and there were maggots all over his leg. He must have been hit or run over. So the only thing they could do was put him down. I'm glad that he's no longer in pain, but I'm sad the little cotton tail I named RabPi, didn't have a happy ending like Hendrix the squirrel...

My Cup of Tea

2010-09-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

Go big or go home!

RIP Bumble Bee

2010-09-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

While on vacation over July 4th, I found this fascinating little critter:

Thankfully, I've never been this up close to one of these guys. They are big! And pretty (I gently flipped him over):

He must have just stung someone?

Cold Shower

2010-09-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

Remember when I removed the shower doors?

I removed them because they weren't doing their job. Or more accurately, they weren't installed properly in order to do their job. See what happens?

You can literally see where the water trailed down the wall and continue on their destructive journey down to the molding:

Luckily, there was no water damage to the studs or the sub floor. Nor any termites.

But now I'm left with the gunky adhesive caulky residue left from the shower doors. I thought about keeping the tub for a future guest bath remodel but I don't feel like laboring over this if it won't even come out. Does anyone know?

Know My Onions

2010-09-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had lunch at The Counter. We ordered burgers and onion "strings". The burgers were good but the onion strings had me disappointed. This is more along the lines of what I had envisioned:

Now those are some onion rings. And I like me some serious onions!

And while I'm reminiscing about unhealthy food, what else do you think I ordered at the same place as the REAL onion rings:

Milky Way Bundt cake all the way!

Fried foods AND chocolate. All in one sitting! Mmmmmm.

Master Bath D-Day 4

2010-09-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

If you remember from previous photos, we have 2 large wall mounted mirrors in the master bathroom. They are not mounted with little plastic brackets, they are held onto the wall directly with adhesive. Well not anymore! Here is what you'll need:

work gloves
contact paper
thick wire
patience

First we covered the mirror with the thickest contact paper we could find. Tape just wouldn't cut it here. It reinforces the mirror and also keeps shards at bay if it breaks.

Then holding the wire taut, slowly run between the mirror and the wall. In our case this method didn't work that well as it just got gunked up with adhesive but still try it anyway.

In the end we just slowly pried and pulled the mirror off the wall directly:

It worked with one mirror but not entirely with the other:

I'm thinking of salvaging the broken mirror by cutting it down to window size and inserting into a window frame. Or building a frame out of molding and attaching to the mirror. Suggestions?

Crack Up

2010-09-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

How can cooking not be fun when you're working with ingredients like this:

Cute little garlic butt.

A Fig Deal

2010-09-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

Last week we were invited to a fig party by my friends April and Hiro. They have 2 mature fig trees and it's fig season! Here's some food porn from the party:

Gazpacho

Bruschetta and crostini

Port and fig reduction with Brie

Fondue cheese being whisked

Bread with yummy melty fondue cheese

Simmering sauce for Moroccan braised chicken

Moroccan braised chicken with turmeric rice and grilled vegetables

Bacon-wrapped fig with jalapeño oil (ready to be popped in the oven)

Bacon-wrapped fig with jalapeño oil (most have been scarfed down)

Bacon wrapped fig with jalapeño oil (the close up)

Freshly fried pork tenderloin egg rolls stuffed with fig jam

Pork tenderloin egg rolls stuffed with fig jam, drizzled with a balsamic reduction sauce (again, most have been wolfed down before I got a photo, see a pattern here?)

Fig tart (dried fig, pecan, and lemon zest stuffed puff pastry, a spin-off from Baklava)

Red velvet cupcakes (store bought, but yummy so who cares!)

And fresh picked home grown figs for guests to take home

I have never seen such creative use of figs. Well done Hiro and April! I don't know much about figs but they are nothing like Fig Newtons that I ate as a kid. This is my kind of party. If you've got ideas for what to do with the figs I took home, please send them along!

Harlequin

2010-09-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

My dogs aren't my only muse:

You remember Harley right? He was posing so dramatically for this photo shoot...

Shedding

2010-08-31T08:06:00.000-07:00

We don't just work on our own house, we help friends as well.

Three men with 2 ladders and more hammers than you can count - roofing on a hot day...

They are building a shed. That looks like a little house. Does that make them little gnomes?

Heading in the Clouds

2010-08-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

Remember how I mentioned there was an upcoming tournament? Well if you don't already know, I am not a morning person. And flyball tournaments and practice seem to happen precisely at this time. But I honestly can't complain about waking up early for a drive like this:

We moved out here thinking we'd hate it because it's so not us. And we moved here thinking that we'd try it for 5 years and then go back to New England. But now we're not so sure... can you blame us?

Hendrix Lives On!

2010-08-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

You all remember Hendrix the squirrel right? Well here's a video that I never posted. It's also the very first video I've posted on this blog. Look how cute and tiny he is and what strange noises he makes:

Yesterday, we inquired and received the last on him:

"...the squirrel made a perfect recovery and was released with three others nearby. Thank you so much for caring.

I may be checking in with you regarding future releases if you have a good yard. I often get squirrels in from Animal Control with no information or from school sites which is not a good release site."

- Squirrelmender

Is that a great ending or what? Rock on Hendrix!

Over Fire

2010-08-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

When it's warm out, we like to be outside as much as possible. When we can, we grill.

But sometimes, we're just simply forced to (thanks Mother Nature for this wonderful heat wave!)...

Yep, you are seeing right. That's a whole pizza being 'baked' on a grill. No, we are not renovating our kitchen again. We actually chose to do this.

How to do this? Just keep the grill on a low heat, oil both sides of the dough one side at a time, and cook until it is a bona-fide crust (be patient, it takes longer than you would expect). Then top your pizza and cook some more.

The result: a tasty deep dish pizza (take note of the meat cleaver in the photo. You'll need it).

Bug Out

2010-08-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

This morning Karma the dog took interest in a flying insect in our hallway. We quickly had to evict him because Rylie the dog has a habit of eating (or trying to eat) these. Or maybe she thinks it's a game and is only playing with them. Which is cute until she gets stung.

After he was caught, we thought "man this guy is large":

And then we thought "man this thing has a weird body":

All while taking photos of course.

After comparing photos with internet research, I've come to the conclusion that it is a Black and Yellow Mud Dauber. See for yourself, here and here.

They are "thread waisted" and "solitary" wasps. Such weird terms. But befitting for a weird looking bug. No idea where it's mud nest is, maybe in the toilet tank sitting in our hallway?

Sticky Legs

2010-08-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

Some great shots of a big spider web on our spruce tree outside:

Anyone know what kind of spider this is?

Great Balls and Fire

2010-08-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

There's a flyball tournament coming up and I'm on ball washing duty. So here's what I'm armed with:

(vinegar, unscented soap, bleach)

Don't forget the rubber gloves if you're lucky enough to have dry skin like me (trust me, bleach and eczema are not a good combo). It also protects my hands from using the hottest water my faucet has to offer. And wash the buckets too. And then dump the dirty water into the toilet (you don't want the grass clippings, dirt, mud, rocks to go down your tub drain).

Then I rinsed like it was going out of style. Then I rinsed again with vinegar. Then again with water. Because if there is a hint of anything on them and the dogs don't take the ball, you know who's going to be blamed!

Then I set them out in the cleaned out kiddie pool to dry out in the sun. The sun also zaps the germs. So plan on doing this on a really sunny day.

The dogs are confused.

The dogs are tempted.

Oh but wait until I take these balls indoors tomorrow to mark our team name on them! These girls will be thoroughly confused. And tempted some more.

And after the back breaking work of washing balls in the tub (which brought back old memories), and then hauling them downstairs, I tried to make some well earned breakfast:

Today is not going to be a good day.

It's Hydrangea time

2010-08-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

Look what happens when you actually water your hydrangea bush? You get blooms.

Purdy.

Anyone else notice how much water these suckers require? Not drought tolerant that's for sure...

Master Bath D-Day 3

2010-08-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

Now that the master bath has been cleared out, we proceeded to the flooring. You see, it was boring white square ceramic tiles with highlights of hideous shades of orange. I like orange, and have nothing against that color but what were the PO's (previous owners) thinking when they chose to put that in a room that received no sunlight with overhead fluorescent lighting?

And so out it went. For this job, make sure the toilet drain pipe is covered to protect it from debris falling in. Also put up plastic drop cloths to prevent dust and tile chunks from flying into any nearby rooms (we didn't have to do this as we just closed the bathroom door).

What you'll need:

rubber mallet
crow bar
hammer or metal mallet (forget what this is technically called)
grout removal tool
metal putty knife
floor scraper
dust pan and broom
dust mask (I know the bf isn't wearing one in the above pic but apparently he doesn't care about his lungs)

I also suggest ear plugs of some sort, this process gets loud.

Take the grout removal tool (which is basically a stack of utility blades with one handle) and run along the ground lines (it will make an awful sound. Like fingernails. Along a chalkboard. A very clean one. Times 10).

Then take the rubber mallet and lightly pound the tiles that you have used the grout removal tool along to loosen it up. Work in sections, like one entire row at a time.

Now take your crowbar and hammer (or metal mallet) and pry off the tiles. They should start to come off. Then use the floor scraper and the tiles should come off in whole pieces (which will make for less dust and way easier clean up).

And if a ton of grout was used, then you've just got to smash the hell out of the tiles. Clean up will suck. But at least you can unleash your aggression on the stupid ugly tiles.

By the end of this, you'll be deaf and your arms will want to fall off (if you are hauling loads of broken tile from the second floor, that is).

Any better tips to this type of demolition? Or tile hauling? Did you actually like the orange tiles? Are you the PO's that picked it out? Care to defend it?

Clean Sweep

2010-08-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

We are cleaning up around here. Our house has become a disaster zone. We have a toilet tank in the hallway and unexpectedly had friends come over and they didn't even ask why we had half a toilet outside our bedroom. Or maybe they didn't notice. Either way, it means we are pigs.

So we decided to clean up a bit. Sell some stuff, donate a bunch of stuff, throw away more stuff. Sure we live in the digital age but sometimes you have to toss out that digital stuff as well. Look at that pile of outdated material. My favorite is the one labeled "CD Music" (I'm tempted to write "CD" on the blank one).

Do you keep a drained toilet in your hallway? Does that lead to cleaning out your discs? And then leaving the toilet in your hallway anyway? Please tell me yes...

Socket Away

2010-08-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

I stopped by Pepboys for a very specific item. A 10 mm socket for a 3/8" drive. This is what I saw when I went there:

Really? Does this ever happen to you?

Keep at Basil

2010-08-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

Why buy basil leaves when you can get the whole plant?

A cheap alternative to floral centerpiece. Fragrant. And think of the possibilities!

I'm going to massacre this guy and make pesto. Mmmmm. Any other suggestions?

Not the Best Medicine

2010-08-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

Included in the removal of the vanities, sink, and toilet, I also removed something really minor:

I just unscrewed the 3 screws on the inside of the medicine cabinet:

Which left a nook with unprimed drywall and wood:

I actually really like this open nook much better. Remember when I did this with the kitchen ceiling?

Does your home have those side medicine cabinets? Are you with me on the open storage nook? Do you want my medicine cabinet? Ideas on what to do with it?

Mending Hoses

2010-08-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

For over a year now, I've had this awesome kink-free hose. The only problem is that I bought a cheapo nozzle and it calcified onto my rocking hose:

So one day the bf and I got fed up and snipped the damn thing off:

Then we slipped on a hose mender (which can be purchased at any hardware store):

We inserted the male part into the hose and put the loosened collar around the hose:

Then we pulled it up to the end of the hose and tightened it with a screwdriver:

But wait the fun doesn't stop there. To prevent the calcification (is that a word?) from happening again, we also installed hose quick connects (also available at any hardware store). One end goes on the hose and the other goes on the nozzle:

And then I installed my favorite hose nozzle back on:

And then hose away! Whee!

I've learned that not all hoses are created equal. Do yourself a favor and skip the medium duty and go straight to a heavy duty kink-free hose, and it should come with a lifetime warranty (I got mine at Lowe's). You can go cheap with the nozzle if you wish, as it's dropped often and won't matter. But make sure you do not store the hose with the nozzle attached for any long periods of time (especially if you have hard water). The best way to go about the hose situation, is to get a kink-free heavy duty hose, high quality nozzle, quick connects from the faucet to the hose, and from the hose to the nozzle, and a hose caddy.

Any other advice to share? Any hose caddy recommendations?

Master Bath: Floor Plan

2010-08-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a floor plan I created for the current layout of our master bathroom (scale 1 cm = 1 inch):

(Like how I incorporated the ugly oranges and yellows from the old tiles? Details people!)

The new floor plan is ever so slightly changed. We're planning for a 6" wider bath tub, moving the toilet over 6", and a 1" wider sink vanity. We're planning to place a storage shelf or hamper where the old pseudo-built in vanity used to be.

I'm also hoping for lush chocolate brown tile floors. But not a gray bath tub or sink...

Master Bath D-Day 2

2010-07-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

Master Bath D-Day 1 is here. Technically it occurred last year so maybe it was more like Day 0.5. But this post is about demolition, so we won't worry about the details ok?

First, we cleared out the bathroom:

Can you believe we stored all that stuff? Are we that high maintenance? I swear I'm not one to use products on my face or in my hair. I just buy things in bulk like toothbrushes and bars of soap.

Then we removed the drawers in the built in sink vanity:

Ready for one of the grossest things you'll ever see on this blog?

Yep, that's about half a decade's worth of hair. Someone ELSE's hair. [Insert shudder here. Repeat.]

Then we unscrewed the pseudo-built in vanity from the wall:

And removed it completely:

Next we removed the sink:

Here's a shot of the under side of the counter top (I think it's original to the house):

Here is after the sink vanity removal:

Then we drained the toilet and removed the tank and eventually the toilet as well (although I only got a shot of the tank removal):

What makes this worse than the kitchen demolition is that it is upstairs. Imagine carrying a toilet downstairs. And a sink with a counter top attached. And the vanity...

Meet: Noe

2010-07-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

Meet my new friend, Noelani:

Here are her legs:

I suddenly want fresh baked doughy Pillsbury biscuits...

Hit a Wall

2010-07-27T15:17:00.001-07:00

Remember this post from last year? Well since so many of you inquired, and I always give the people what they want, here's what we did:

Care to know what it looks like now, nearly 7 months later? Well not that different. Until recently... stay posted.

Done Deals

2010-07-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

If you remember this post and this post, then you know that I like buying food and I like a good deal.

Here's my results from a trip to Vons. If you can't tell what I got, well here, let me list it for you:

A box of cereal
organic milk
orange juice
pomegranate blueberry juice
2 cans of baked beans
2 jars of peppers (jalapeno and cherry)
3 jars of pasta sauce
butter
2 boxes of spaghetti
2 broccoli crowns
3 ears of corn
2 green bell peppers
a loaf of sourdough bread

Total: $32.66

Next up, Ralphs:

8 rolls of paper towels
a bottle of shampoo
24 rolls of tp
a head of lettuce
2 bunches of 'red tag' bananas (but they're still green, see?)
2 containers of organic strawberries
a cantaloupe
2 organic avocados
a bag of organic baby carrots

Total: $26.72

Together that's less than $60. And it includes organic stuff and cleaning stuff. That's a good deal people. Right?

Meat Market

2010-07-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

These bad boys make a great appetizer. What's the secret?

Halfsies (pork and beef). Take that Ikea!

Sprinkles

2010-07-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

We have all kinds of sprinklers on our property. We've got the standard pop up kind:

A slightly taller and older pop up kind:

The really tall stationary kind:

The kind that I mow over:

And the old timey kind:

The last one's my favorite. Because it sprays high. And you can run through it. And so can dogs. Know anything about sprinklers? Do they have more technical names?

Hairs Out of Place

2010-06-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again folks:

When will I learn from my past mistakes?

Joyride

2010-06-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

Rylie and Karma on a car ride...

to nowhere. Sorry girls. Actually, they don't even look disappointed...

Showing Signs

2010-06-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I saw a panhandler holding 2 signs that read:

"Hungry it's summer let's bbq"
"Do black panthers scratch and bite?"

I liked his spirit in the first sign. But what did the second one mean?

Feel your Oats

2010-06-10T16:36:00.000-07:00

Now that it's almost summer, don't you want a steaming hot breakfast in the morning? Well I sure do! Here's how:

Slow Cooker Oatmeal

What you will need:

slow cooker
oatmeal (1 cup steel cut)
water or milk (4 cups)

Use steel cut oat meal, it's so much better. Those rolled old fashion ones are good for cookies but not for breakfast.

Add 1 cup of steel cut oat meal to the slower cooker. Then add 4 cups water or milk (I've tried both):

Cover and turn on low and let it do it's thing for 8 hours. I always do this before I go to bed. Nothing gets me out of bed faster than potentially cleaning out burnt oatmeal from a slow cooker.

And wake up to yummy gooey oatmeal. I've dressed mine up with maple syrup, blueberries, but my favorite is sliced strawberries and brown sugar sprinkled on top:

Yum.

Green water

2010-06-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I love artichokes. And I like to steam them.
But I am left with this afterward:

It happens every time. Is this normal?

Purim Luck

2010-06-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago I found a reusable bag full of these in celebration of Purim (it's a very Jewish area):

The bag has since been lost (I hate when I leave them in the shopping cart) but I did learn about this holiday:

Purim is one of the most joyous and fun holidays on the Jewish calendar. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination.

It's basically a Jewish Mardis Gras. Minus the cause for bead throwing.

Anyway, the recipe above is for hamentaschen. It's a jam filled pocket. I haven't tried it yet but that's what the round cookie cutter is for. The biscotti and granola bar didn't stand a chance.

Have you found anything surprisingly fun and educational and possibly edible?

Anniversary

2010-05-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a great memorial day weekend. Happy anniversary to me and my motorcycle, Saki :)

(2 years and 2 days to be exact)

I shall celebrate by ignoring her.

Opening Doors

2010-05-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

Here is our master bath before we moved in:

And here is after we moved in:

Did you spot the difference? Hint: the ugly orange tiles are still there so it's not that, but thanks for the wishful thinking. It's the shower doors. They're gone.

I took them off because they were filthy and hard to clean. And hard to get in and out of. And most of all, did not hide the ugly orange tiles. But now there's the caulking residue left to deal with.

Did I make the right choice?

For the Birds

2010-05-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

I'm headed for an east coast visit this year which rocks. The last time I was there was about 3 years ago.

That was when Karma was little (er) and we brought her with us everywhere. We stuffed her in a bag and convinced a bunch of people that she was carry on size. It was actually on the way back from this trip that we failed to convince airline folks this and were forced to buy a crate at the airport and put her in cargo.

Anyway, for most of the trip I left her at my parents house while I went off and did my thing. My parents were also bird sitting for my little cousin while he was out of the country with his parents. Karma loves critters. And that includes birds. But before you jump to conclusions, she did not eat the bird. She did however sit by the cage and stare at it. Like a frozen statue. Anyway, when I came back to pick Karma up, the bird looked like this:

This photo was taken by my parents. They put the bird (named Chocobee) in the freezer so they could figure out what to do next. Their plan was to replace him with an identical one and not tell anyone. I also forgot to mention that my "little" cousin is 18. So I lectured my parents that their plan would foil and how ridiculous it is to attempt.

Who sticks a dead bird in their freezer (actually, don't answer that one - is this behavior genetic?)? Who tries to fool an 18 year old? And did Karma stare this bird to death?

Pit Stop

2010-05-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

I love avocados. If you don't, you're insane in the membrane. And I especially love when they are in season and on sale. But what's wrong with this picture?

This specimen was 99% pit.

I was really looking forward to devouring this perfectly ripe, and awesomely green goodness.

Grr.

Clearing Up the Air

2010-05-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

I have a dirty secret. Literally. And it involves this:

(my furnace)

I have never changed the air filter in this thing since I've lived here. I have no excuse because I have pets. And eczema.

So that's where this comes in:

I ordered a 6 pack from Amazon. Not that kind of 6 pack. Or that kind either. Although I would be happy with either. Or both!

First take out 1 filter, and put away the rest. Then cut along the top to access the filter, but don't remove the plastic case completely (you'll soon see why).

Then head to your nasty old air filter located under your furnace:

Remove the old air filter*. And brace yourself:

How gah-rows is that? Big time yuck.

This is when you finally remove the plastic sleeve off the new filter, and carefully slide it over the old one:

Mark your new filter with the date you installed it:

Now slide the clean new one where you pulled the gross old one out.

Now toss the old filter and try to forget you let that happen. And then sit back and take a deep breath.

But before you forget the horror, here's one last look at how nasty mine was. *You saw right, it said '30 Day' on the old filter (and indeed it's been a year and half since we've lived here). Are you horrified? Did we beat the world record for air filter procrastination/ignorance?

Have you any similar horrors? Obviously, I won't judge...

Choking it Down

2010-04-30T08:50:00.000-07:00

I love artichokes, look at these beauties I bought:

Not only are they pretty, they're a power food. If I were a food, I'd definitely want to be a POWER food, wouldn't you? It's in the top 10 detox foods (I think spinach and blueberries are up there as well). It promotes liver health and and soothes digestive issues like nausea (I should have devoured one of these before this incident). And for funsies, here's some trivia: Marilyn Monroe was crowned the first California Artichoke Queen in 1949.

Any good artichoke recipes to share*? Recommended dipping sauces? Recommended cooking methods? I got another pair that needs to be in my belly soon!

*while searching for artichoke recipes I came across this**. The named cracked me up. And it should you as well.

**after looking up what that is, I came across this. Goatfish? Surmullet? And of course that led me to this. Mullidae (great band name if you ask me)? I don't know who named the mullus but it should have been named the rat-tail-growing-on-chinnus. WTF is up with these weird names that crack me up? And to think I started this post with artichokes, the fun never stops! Does anyone else find this funny or do I need to quit my early morning drinking?

Bargaining Chips

2010-04-28T19:24:00.000-07:00

After a trip to the store:

I normally don't get potato chips but these are an exception. They are kettle cooked. And salt and vinegar. And big time yum. And I had a coupon. I am ashamed to admit that these 2 bags lasted less than a week, 99% eaten by just me.

After these 13 items, the grocery bill came to $22.93 which seems pretty good considering a bag of shrimp and 4, count them - 4 avocados.

Potato chips are definitely my weakness. What's yours?

Capsized

2010-04-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

Guess who spent the weekend with us? One of the chillest border collies ever, Cap (short for 'Cool kickin' it Cap' at least in this house)!

This was his birthday weekend so we started off with a nice walk to the pet store:

It's a good thing he doesn't have sharp teeth, he's a snapper! Or just really excited to celebrate his 12th year!

Here he is keeping me from my coffee:

Of all the places to hang out, Cap picks the kitchen. Our very tiny kitchen. And of course in front of the one spot I needed to reach...

Maybe the problem was that he needed coffee too?

The weather had warmed up in the afternoon so naturally - it was time for doggy ice cream!

Who needs cake?

Karma is enjoying Cap turning 12...

Who's 12? What's 12? Who cares, I got frosty paws...

All the pooches enjoying the cold treat. Not sure why they aren't relaxing and lounging?

Cap polished off his treat. And then some. Hey, it's his party and he can eat the cup if he wants to!

I even filled the doggy pool but Karma was the only one to use it. Cap and Rylie just drank from it.

We concluded the pooch party with some ball playing. Here are El Capitan's conquests.

Cap was here.

I think he had a good time, wouldn't you agree?

Runs in the Family

2010-04-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

We often get asked if Karma and Rylie are both from the same litter because they look alike (actually, they look quite different even aside from their colors) because they are the same breed. Imagine that! So here's a list of Karma vs. Rylie:

Karma eats poop; Rylie does not
Karma eats fruit; Rylie doesn't really
Karma does not eat Cosequin tablets; Rylie devours them
Karma eats slowly, 1 kibble at a time; Rylie inhales everything but the dish
Karma drinks a lot, and pees a lot; Rylie poops a lot
Karma marks everything with her urine; Rylie licks everything with her tongue, including interior walls and fire hydrants
Karma barks at men and is weary of strangers; Rylie loves them more than she loves us
Karma has a rat tail; Rylie has a super fluffy one
Karma becomes dead to the world when she sleeps on our bed; Rylie gets pissed when someone breathes and will jump off the bed
Karma is only interested in toys when they include human interaction; Rylie is interested in making anything a toy (socks, blankets, dog beds, pinecones)
Karma hates having her nails trimmed; Rylie falls asleep while hers are being trimmed, even if you hit the quick
Karma only wants to be outside if humans are; Rylie loves outdoor freedom
Karma's licks are gentle and frequent; Rylie gives few licks that take your face off

But after seeing this, I believe these two are one in the same:

What do you think?

Lounging Lizard

2010-04-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

Apparently I am a collector. Of critters. Critters big and small, mammals and reptiles, warm and cold blooded. And squirrels and lizards. Because look what moved in today:

Actually I think he's been hanging around since this weekend but was just too shy to make an appearance. Rylie sniffed him and Karma stomped on him (he was ok because he still scurried around).

What do lizards eat? What does it's poop look like? Does it need a heat lamp? Does it cuddle? What to do with it? And what to call it? He sort of looks like a Jimi to me...

Hendrix Lives

2010-04-13T17:22:00.000-07:00

On our evening walk with the dogs on Monday, we saw a lump in the middle of the road at the end of a cul-de-sac. I thought it was roadkill. I held the dogs while the bf went to check it out. To our surprise, as he got close, the tiny lifeless lump lifted it's head and squawked like a bird. It was crying out for help...

So he (the bf, not the injured squirrel) ran back home to grab a cardboard box and gloves while I tied the dogs to a fire hydrant and stood over the creature (he was in the middle of the road remember).

When we got the furry critter home we discovered a gash under its arm, and we warmed up a heating pad wrapped in a soft t-shirt and put it in with the little guy in the box. Meanwhile, we were calling the animal shelter who referred us to a volunteer wildlife rescue organization and we immediately headed out there.

Here is Hendrix (that's what we named him):

When we arrived, the wildlife rehabilitation volunteer immediately put him in quarantine and in a warm area. She soon delivered some pain medication for the deep wound and fed him some formula. She informed us that he is a 5 week old baby fox squirrel with a deep laceration under his arm (to the bone deep, ouch!). He must have fallen out of his tree nest or was snatched and dropped by a crow.

He's not able to regulate his body temperature yet so relies on his mother to keep him warm. If a baby squirrel is injured or cold, the mother may abandon it. So we like to believe that we saved his life. He would have died of hypothermia, been hit by a car, or eaten by a predator.

We were updated that her* laceration has been mended by a vet, and she is now in long term rehabilitation care with a squirrel specialist. Who then updated us that he's** extremely frightened but is in good care and even has been given a 'brother' squirrel to help with his recovery.

We hope that he can be released on our property when he is fully recovered!

*this made us laugh that Hendrix was a 'she'
**this made us confused. But we believe the squirrel specialist that Hendrix is a 'he'

Park It

2010-04-12T08:56:00.000-07:00

X marks the spot:

My parking spot. In my garage:

Granted, I can park without this indicator but it's just so much quicker this way. I line up the steering wheel up to the mark on the wall and put her in "P" and I'm done.

Without the mark, I just inch my way closer and closer to the spare propane tank until I get too nervous to get any closer. I could move the propane tank but that would be too logical.

Do you guys have some sort of visual indicator as well?

Seven Year Itch

2010-04-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

I have eczema, gross (name that movie). I've had it about 7 years, probably a little longer. Unlike most people who develop this in childhood and grow out of it, I grew into it as an adult.

As much fun as it is to say I'm on the juice and using words like "roids" - I hate using steroidal creams. It makes my skin papery and weird. So I'm always trying out different creams and lotions.

This one came as a recommendation from someone who also has eczema and has worked really well for them:

Unfortunately for me, it didn't treat my condition but it did leave me in the mood for baked goods each night!

This is what I currently use:

I call it my magical goo. If you have any recommendations, let me know!

Raw Deal

2010-03-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to Ralph's and came home with all this:

For only this:

And saved this:

What does one do with all that pasta sauce and black olives and over ripe bananas? Make pizza! And banana bread!

Actually I planned on making banana bread but made Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chunk cookies instead, and they were great. And the rest of the bananas got sliced up and stuck in the freezer.

I mean $11 doesn't even halfway fill up my crappy car's tank. Was that a score or what?

Fish and Chips

2010-03-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

Fish and Chips

Ingredients:

cod fillets
olive oil
potatoes
buttermilk (same amount as cornmeal)
cornmeal or masa (same amount as buttermilk)
lemon wedges
malt vinegar or apple cider vinegar
salt, pepper, paprika

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and cut potatoes and transfer to baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss and bake until crispy, about 30 minutes.

Dip fish in buttermilk until coated. Then dip in cornmeal. Season with salt, pepper, paprika.

Heat skillet on medium with a couple fo'drizzles of olive oil. Place cod fillets in and cook until crispy, about 1 minute each side.

Add a splash of vinegar and serve with tarter sauce. Perfect dish for St. Paddy's. Cheers!

(and yep, I did say "fo' drizzles" shout out to my homeboy Snoop!)

Grout Out

2010-03-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

I scrubbed the grout in the powder room. It was not fun. It pretty much sucked. And I didn't see a huge difference, but enough.

Before

After

Have you done this before? If you know of a less sucky way, please let me know!