I woke up this morning and was sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes when Andy came into the room. He was all ready and dressed for work.
"I am so ready to kill Winston right now!" he says.
"Huh? What? Why? What'd he do?" I ask. I'm still half-asleep.
Andy says nothing, just holds out his hand, in which lay 3 cute little back keyboard keys.
Now, if I was more awake, I'd have instantly recognized them to NOT be from our computer keyboard, but rather to be from a LAPTOP keyboard... i.e. the laptop that Andy just got yesterday or the day before from work keyboard......
so in my dozy state, I try to calm him down and assure him that I can buy him a new keyboard today -- no problem...
He starts in about he can't work today etc. and that it's going to have to be sent off for repairs and work is going to be angry...
Right about then my brain woke up and it all clicked and I can see why he is so angry.... poor guy.
I still don't know how it happened (whether Winston was on his lap when he was using it and launched himself off or if Winston was playing with the keyboard and pulled the keys up with his paws/claws).
did you ever have a funny story but you weren't sure how to tell it?
here am i.
The other day the most hilarious thing happened...
It was about 5:15pm, Andy had just gotten home from work and we were relaxing on the screened in porch with the cats. Alpine (the dog) was inside lying down.
Earlier that day I'd given the cats 2 plastic milk jug rings to play with (in America the rings are a circle, and they stay intact when you go to open the milk -- in Britain they are a C-shaped ring that you take on end of and pull it from around the milk cap until the other end comes free). Winston and Frankie had spent most of their time on the porch entertaining us by chasing and tossing these rings around. Winston obviously prefers his ring off the big rug in the middle of the porch-- on the bare wood where it scoots quickly and he scampers after it. Frankie on the other hand is a bit of a freak (always has been always will be!) and whenever his ring went onto the wooden boards of the porch, he would retrieve it and carry it in his mouth back onto the rug (but only by about 6-8 inches on) and drop it and start playing again.
Alpine started taking notice of the cats while they play, and he got rather excited -- he really wanted to be out there chasing them (his way of playing) and joining in. So occasionally you could hear him inside whining or even rarely a single bark would come out of his excited lil face.
Well, the first time he did the bark thing, all the cats went flying to places of safety -- Frankie and Winston both went up onto the ledge of the porch and Basil went cowering underneath something hidden.
At this point, Alpine is starting to get all wound up again, and Andy got up to go get a drink. He walked past Winston playing with the ring, opened the sliding screen door and went inside. Alpine was dancing around him so I said something about how to play with Alpine -- he likes to run back and forth from the family room through the kitchen and into the dining room. So Andy started doing that and Alpine began to run.
Okay up to this point -- not so funny...
When Winston and Frankie heard Alpine galloping (and he does make a RACKET when he gallops back and forth full throttle), they absolutely FREAKED OUT -- and bolted. Frankie bolted to the corner of the porch where the fountain was.... and Winston bolted for the porch couch, went straight underneath and continued bolting RIGHT THROUGH THE SCREEN -- OUT INTO THE YARD!
all I heard was a little comical "zzzzip!" sound and the next thing I realize, Winston is trotting around the corner of the porch through the back garden!!
I'm barefoot, but I run out the door onto the deck and down the brick path to the gate that is nearby (there is a small fenced in area for Alpine to go out into) and I call to Winston. His tail is the size of a baseball bat and he doesn't even see or hear me -- just trots right past me.
So I run back into the house and call to Andy to tell him to go out the front door and around the side of the house, all the while I'm trying to catch a very freaked out Frankie, whose tail is about the size of my calf. (okay I'm exaggerating a little bit, but his tail was HUGE all puffed out) I finally am about to grab him and remember what happened the last time I grabbed him when he was freaking out (he bit me twice) and decide to let him run into the basement.
Meanwhile Alpine had been watching Andy from the front door -- just as I let Frankie inside, he comes trotting back to where the basement door is and gives Frankie another scare. Fortunately Frankie decides to stand his ground and hiss and Alpine makes a wide circle and I can get the door open and Frankie downstairs before any other incidents occur!!
Andy shouts to me to go round the other side in case Winston doubles back, so I go out the door and round the other side, passing the screen (which I really SHOULD have taking a picture of -- because it was almost like in cartoons when a character runs into something and you can see the outline of them imbedded in whatever they ran into -- except there is a winston sized hole in this screen.
Andy catches him and takes him inside and downstairs -- I call to Andy to come have a look at the screen -- we both stand in awe for a moment or two (okay -- my awe was desperately fighting some serious giggles) and then we laugh.
Winston is fine -- didn't even get a scratch or anything on his face or anywhere -- which is amazing. We have tried to reason out how he made it through the screen (which is thin woven metal!). Mom offered the idea that he put his paw in front of him and cut through with claws, but there's no sign of that -- it just looks like a single point gave way and broke in a T shape, with the edges of the opening curling outwards.
Again, I really rue the fact that I didn't take a single pic of that screen. It's been replaced now (Dad did it -- I helped!).
The thing that sticks with me is the lil zzzzzzip sound.......
My brother David called me last night...
his birthday present had finally arrived... and he loves it!!
Andy & I went together with my other brother Brian and his wife Ali to buy Dave the dvd of Season One of the Muppet Show!!
he went nuts when he opened it... he said to me on the phone: "Kristen, do you know how many HOURS of Muppets that is???! That's like 10 hours of Muppets!!!"
I said "Yeah I know!!! But wait there's more -- you forgot about all the extras, the bloopers etc.!!"
okay yeah, this pretty much does sound like a commercial. I'll stop now.
Here we are looking all snazzy -- Andy was one of the groomsmen and looked smashing in his tuxedo!!
This is my favorite pic of Bri & Ali & Mia from the wedding reception... so cute!!
is one that I would like to visit at some point this week!!!
argh.
basically I haven't slept well 2 nights now. It is now Friday morning at 5:15 and I've been up since 3-something. I woke up and was trying to figure out why -- I wasn't hot or anything... so I closed my eyes and tried to go back to the nice dream I'd been having...
and then mr. man beside me starts his grumbling and tossing!
THAT is what has been waking me up! Swine husband has decided that his sleep is more important than mine, and has been on a personal mission to prevent me from sleeping!
argh. this stinks.
The worst part of it is that he wakes me up... the next step in the procedure is my body wakes up... and my nose decides it's going to run a marathon... so I end up snuffling into tissues and sneezing and Mr. Grumpy-Sleep-Nazi in the bed tosses and turns again because he's *still* not getting his beauty sleep.
Nevermind the fact that i haven't slept for 2 nights in a row...
swine.
And then later on today... when the rest of the family arrive (the Texas Ciarochis are very intimidating....) and I'm grumpy as a bear with a sore head... he'll be sniping at me, saying "Cheer up Kristen!" and "Stop being so grumpy!!
" and my mind will be turning inside out with frustration (and anger!) because the whole reason I'm grumpy and sour is because I haven't slept for 2 days, and the whole reason I haven't slept for 2 days is because he's been waking me up!!!!!!!!
ARRRRRRGGGGHH.
While we were all poolside (it was dark out -- it was about 9:15 when we went out) Dave & Bri decided to go swimming... even though the pool had "closed" at 9. Nobody told them to leave or anything. Ali had taken Mia upstairs to try and get her to bed.
Unfortunately for Ali when they got back to the room and were alone, Mia got a second wind.
I remembered the diapers Mom wanted me to bring (that Mia had been using when they came on Forth of July) and went up to the room to take them to Ali.
Mia was so cute when I finally found their room (same floor as me -- I was knocking on the wrong door!!).
She is so smart -- a real copycat at the moment... she blows kisses (makes the kissing sound and everything!) and I was tapping on the arms of the chair and she started to do that, then I blew her a kiss and she blew me one back!
Then I started to do my librarian's Shhhh! with my finger to my lips and she copied me -- it was adorable! She didn't get the noise at first... just jabbed her finger up by her nose (practically stuck her finger in her eye at one point!) but it didn't take her long to get the noise too... it was hilarious.
By that point Mom had come upstairs (apparently she was down on the third floor -- they'd moved rooms and she couldn't remember which room they were in!!) and had joined us and she thought that Mia was too funny.
Then just before the guys came back (from the grocery store) I was making Mia laugh with a CLEAN diaper (nappy) on my head, then I put it on her head -- she looked like a nun!! She left it on though -- it was funny! Normally with hats she takes them right off, but she was strutting around the room with this diaper in a point on her head (I wish Mom had run into her room -- adjoining -- to get her camera and get a pic). Just then the guys walk in -- Mia runs over to greet them with the diaper on her head... too cute.
Finally I was beat and went to bed...
So once they all arrived, John & Nettie Dunlap (close friends of Mom & Dad and second parents to David -- he was best friends with their son Ben) turned up and suggested we go to P.F. Changs for dinner.
I knew it was chinese but had never been there. We didn't need to drive because Dave & Dad & John all were. So I rode with the Dunlaps in their beautiful Lexus! First time for me -- it was a smooth ride, beautiful leather interior... very comfy!
Poor Dad.
Once we got there, that's where his fun ended.
He dislikes chinese food. Too much sauce covering the food. So David was on one side of him and I was on the other and we were trying to help him choose foods without huge amounts of goopy sauce on them. It was frustrating for him too because we were at this huge round table (there were 9 of us plus Mia) -- the table was easily six feet. And it was pretty noisy in there already -- you can imagine, a popular restaurant full of folks enjoying their meals, music in the background... Poor Dad couldn't hear anyone but me and David. So he just kind of sat there and watched Mia and answered the questions that Dave & I kept trying to make conversation with...
Good thing Mia is so cute and entertaining!
The other thing poor Dad had to endure -- the waiter said there was this thing called the Supreme Dining Experience, where he asks several questions about what kinds of dishes we like, and he brings out food of his choice, based on our answers. Dad was going to order the most bland dish in the place. But everybody else was interested in the Supreme thing, so he went along. He even said he was going to pay!
In the end, he liked some things (Mongolian Beef) but the experience was spoiled because in his last couple of bites of food, there was something really spicy that set his tongue on fire... but he put on such a brave face...
what a guy! Take him to his *least* favorite kind of restaurant and he buys dinner for 10!
After dinner we went back to the hotel and sat beside the pool (so Mom & Dad could have their cigars) and Nettie did something she used to do a lot but hasn't since I was 16 -- she moved over behind me and played with my hair.
I love that. It feels so neat to have someone playing, braiding and undoing and twisting it up this way and that. I remember that one of the best compliments I'd ever gotten on my hair was from her -- she used to love how soft it was.
When I was 16 I got a perm... ruined my hair for a very long time. When I told Nettie what I was planning (getting this perm) she begged me not to, telling me what it would do... I should have listened! Nevermind... my soft hair is back...
(Cont'd... again)
Yesterday was a strange day. Started with me waking at 3 - 3:30 and getting up 4:30ish and then once Dave & Katie left, Andy was up. He decided to geocaching (only found 1 out of 9 attempted!!) and came home a sweaty grumpy mess.
Katie had told us to just help ourselves to lunch items so we ate the bratwursts leftover from the night before. Tasty!
She actually came home from her errand-running just as we were finishing lunch. We called the hotel while she was out to see what time we could check in and they didn't have any problems with us checking in early.
So off we went, found the hotel -- it wasn't far. It's a really great hotel room -- has a little suite with couch & chair, desk and a kitchenette! I've never been in a hotel room with a microwave in it -- what a clever idea! I just can't believe the price per night (very inexpensive for what the hotel offers!). There's also a pool outside that looks very nice.
We just spent the afternoon relaxing at the hotel -- Andy on our laptop (hotel rooms also have free wireless internet access!!) and me enjoying the nice shower and watching a movie.
Mom & Dad and Bri & Ali & Mia were all arriving together -- flying in and taking the MARTA (Atlanta train/bus transportation system) train to the car hire place and then hiring a car to drive all weekend. They weren't here by 4:30 so I called Dad on his cell. Turns out they were lost! How fabulous. So Any tried to talk him through getting here, but wasn't very successful (Dad isn't great at listening to directions at the best of times, much less when he's driving in rush-hour traffic, lost, tired from travelling all day, with a nice audience in the car), so they got to the furniture store Dave & Katie work at (Jackson's Unfinished Furniture) and got directions from Katie's dad. So they eventually arrived (after sitting through much more traffic.
It was great to see them all -- specially Miss Mia. She's such a lil peanut! A total cutie. She's so clever now -- she knows several words and knows who her Nana is! (Much to my dad's dismay... she doesn't say Grandpa! Not that he really notices... he's so smitten he doesn't care!) She loves Elmo (so I brought the Elmo stuffed animal I have from when I was in college -- huge hit!) and is very independent. She loved my bracelets -- which was nice because I'd worn them specifically for her! Anything to bribe her into paying a little more attention to me!
:)
(cont'd)
The day we arrived (wednesday) here in Georgia was also my brother David's birthday! Andy did a pretty good job of describing the yummy dinner and fun with Trivial Pursuit that we enjoyed, so I won't dwell on that.
It was really neat to finally meet Dave's dog, Zoe. She's really shy at first, but a really sweet dog. I felt really badly -- she was obviously not a happy bunny that we were there -- she was pacing nervously and was extremely jumpy. By the time we were ready for bed, she had just gotten warmed up to us. Katie warned us that she probably wouldn't remember us overnight and that we'd have to go through all that again the next day.
That night I hardly slept. I thought it was because I was too hot (their A/C is on the blitz) but now I'm not so sure -- see my other entry this morning...
Anyhow, in the end I got up and went out into the livingroom to do some Su Duko puzzles. It was about 4:30am when I went out there, but probably 3 - 3:30am when I woke up.
I was wearing my shorts and a white tank top. This becomes important in a minute.
Katie got up and let Zoe and Lily (Katie's dog, a cute lil princess terrier) out. On their way from the bedroom to the front door, both ran over to me to greet me (which surprised me because the day before Zoe had only just gotten to the point of letting me pet her and here first thing she was sticking her head in my lap/hands for a quick hiya). When they came back inside, Zoe wanted me to play ball with her -- she's really good at catching the tennis ball. So we played and played and she kept coming over and letting me pet her and she was starting to like me.
Until I went and changed clothes -- I changed into shorts and my navy blue tank top for the day. Katie had gone into their room to change, so the dogs had gone in with her. I went back to my seat at the table, and when the dogs came running back out, Zoe came around the corner of the hall and simply freaked out.
Meanwhile, as it was only 8:30am, I'm sure the entire apartment complex heard her.
She just went ballistic. You'd have thought I was an axe murderer. Obviously she did!
I'm pretty convinced it was the color of the shirt -- in High School, my friend Karen had a female german shepherd and she used to hate men, but she went ballistic if the men were wearing black/dark blue or other dark colors... which wasn't good for Karen's boyfriend who frequently wore black!
I never got to convince her I was the same person as earlier because Dave & Katie were treating her to doggie-daycare that day. Apparently they take her to this place where they pay $20 for her to run around all day with other dogs playing until she's exhausted. It's great for her because she's around other dogs and people, and great for them because she comes home tired -- she has a lot of energy being still mostly puppy and being in a small apartment most of the day.
No, I don't mean we're now perfect... but I do mean we're in the land of Peaches!!
The drive down here to Georgia was pretty un-eventful and very long. It took us just over 10 hours to get here. We did the speed limit (we were among the minority who did!) and we stopped four or five times. I did all the driving and I was worried about feeling sleepy and I did after about 3 hours, but then we stopped for some caffeine and after that I was fine. We drove 595 miles.
that's a lotta miles!
Just to give my English friends and family an idea of how far we went -- John O'Groats to Land's End is sign-posted as being 874 miles.
So by the time we get back to Ohio on Tuesday, we'll have done that and and half of the trip back!!
The good news is that:
1.) It only took us one full tank of gas to get here (about $50).
2.) We found a place to fill up to start the trip home -- 2.81/gallon (most other places are 2.99/3.09 etc.)
Tomorrow is my younger brother David's birthday.
He lives in Georgia -- and we're going to see him. (not just for his birthday!!)
He's getting married on Saturday to a wonderful gal called Katie.
Andy and I are driving -- most everybody else is flying but we couldn't afford it, plus we couldn't buy tickets without knowing what Andy's job situation would be (which hopefully today will change!! He's supposed to hear today if he got a job here in Dublin). So we're driving the 9-11 hour trip. David says it will take 9 hours, I'm thinking it will be closer to 11.
Gas prices are up more than a dollar since we got here 4 1/2 months ago, but I won't go on about that, because I know that no matter how bad it gets here, the prices are still 3 times more expensive in England!!
So today we'll spend most of the day running around packing things and hopefully we'll be ready to leave tomorrow morning sometime after 6:30am.
First stop will be to buy some donuts!!!
We're really looking forward to seeing everybody though -- that will be fantastic.
My dad is big into Fantasy (american) Football -- the premise behind this is that you create an imaginary league where you and 7 of your friends/relatives become owners/managers of these imaginary teams made up of real NFL players. You have a draft, where each team chooses which players it wants on the team, and then through the course of the football season, you submit lineups of who you are playing each week and when the real players score points, you get points for your imaginary team. It's something he's done for as long as I can remember, and I've even played for a few years.
This year was different -- long story short, there were huge complications because there were 16 people who wanted to play (last year we had 10, the most we'd ever had). So we ended up splitting them into two leagues and having to do two drafts. One of which was on Sunday and the other of which took place on Monday (bank holiday in America -- Labor Day).
I got to be the supreme high draft queen -- I was basically in charge of running the show whilst Dad freaked out most of the time on my right.
But I'm glad to say we both survived, and the drafts are now complete and we shall see how these teams do throughout the season.
check this news item out that I found on Yahoo...
BERLIN (Reuters) - A German woman laid waste to her family home by setting fire to it as she tried to kill spiders in a garage with a can of hairspray and a cigarette lighter.
Police in the western town of Zuelpich said that when the aerosol failed to finish them off, the 34-year-old woman tried to burn them with the lighter. However, this set the area she had just sprayed on fire and the blaze spread to a hedge.
"It was a series of unfortunate events which led to the damage," a police spokesman said Thursday.
"She tried to put the fire out with a garden hose, but couldn't. Instead her semi-detached house next to the hedge caught fire. It's now uninhabitable."
Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze and save the neighboring house, which sustained broken windows and some charring. The spokesman estimated the total cost of the damage at well over 100,000 euros. No one was hurt.
"The family have had to look for somewhere else to stay," he said. "The spiders are gone though -- that problem was solved."