Alive and Doing Fine

Sarge comes home from the hospital tomorrow. Hoo-ray! The reason that they were keeping him there for so long was that his white blood cell count was very low due to the bacterial infection. So they were waiting for it to go back to normal, just to avoid a relapse or something like that. He's itching to come home in the worst way.

One good thing:
We have discovered the best walk to take Dog on. It's a loop that goes around the back of our house into the fields, and back down our road. It's easy enough that we can all do it and not be exhausted. This included Dog, because she is way out of shape. It is quick enough that we can complete it in 30 minutes, with one short rest half way through.
And we can lengthen it or shorten it, depending on our stamina and time limitations. We walked it twice the first day, but Dog was not so happy about the second outing. Sarge says she's a "one walk a day dog". She would much rather be upstairs sleeping on my bed.

One bad thing:
"Mysterious blue smoke" Yes, it was released from my less than one year old computer, when I plugged it into the 220V socket. And yet, my older than Piko de Gallo computer seems to be working just fine.

Now to find a computer repair shop where English is spoken.

Good Girl!

I know I complain alot about Dog DeGallo. Or well, I complain about her alot to people I know IRL.

But she really is a great dog. Hello, she puts up with my occasionally dressing her up in Piko deGallo's tutus, and stuff like this:


I was a bit worried about her in all of the hotels and temporary housing we were going to be spending time in during the move, but she just makes herself right at home.


I'm making it official and putting out there on the internets.

I love my dog, farts, dandruff, snoring, bad breath and all

Hotel Limbo

We're currently in a La Quinta Inn about 20 miles outside of Baltimore.
Just waiting to catch a plane to Germany.
Sarge, Me, Piko, Dog. One room.

Spoiled

What other sane dog owner would let their black dog sleep on their white couch?
Or, it could just be that I'm *not* sane.
She's sleeping on MY side of the couch as well.

Get Your Bake On!

So the other day I mentioned that I didn't start baking yet. Well, today is "BAKE DAY!!"
I thought that Piko was in school for a full week, but it turns out that they are off on Friday. Whoops, gotta get those cookies done for the teachers and staff!

Now, there is a lady here who's husband used to work with Sarge. Every year she organizes a "cookie swap" with some of the other wives and girlfriends. Back in the day when I used to think I had to be nice I went to the crappycookie swap. I always made my Mom's "secret family recipe" Christmas Kisses, which are basically meringue cookies with mint extract, green food coloring, and mini chocolate chips. I think I have heard this called "divinity" or something like that. Well, they're easy to make, but they take a long time, and I would have to make something redonkulous like 10 dozen.

Anyway, I guess the point of this crappycookie swap is that you'll get lots of different kinds of cookies, and not have to bake a billion kinds yourself. Unfortunately, and you might be able to guess, most of the cookies were pretty crappy. I'm sorry, but if I wanted cookies made from frozen cookie dough I'd go and by some freaking frozen cookie dough!! I would always end up throwing away more than half of the cookies. Even Sarge would refuse to eat them. What the hell do I want with 10 dozen crappy ass cookies in exchange for my awesome yummy cookies?!?

So these days when she asks me if I want to come, I just flat out say no.

This year I made:
Chocolate Chip. Both semi sweet, and white chocolate chip. Here Doge deGallo gets in on some of the crumb action.

Mom's Christmas Kisses

Almond cookies

Sugary ginger cookies


And something new. Sweet Wafers! I really just wanted to try out my new snowflake cookie cutters. These actually turned out very yummy. Not really cookies at all. They're like puffed pastry, I could eat about 20 of them in one sitting.


I also decided to bribe make nice with the secretaries and office staff at Piko's school. I bet they get the short end of the stick there in the office, so I made them a pan of brownies. One half is regular, and the other is white chocolate drizzled with crushed candy cane sprinkles. Sarge gave those a thumbs down, but he's not much for mint chocolaty chip anything.

I love baking. But I have say that it's terribly difficult to bake when every time you turn around you see this:

The Good, The Bad, and the Uuuuglaay.

What a week!

The Good:
More than half of the auctions I had up on E-bay sold successfully, and everyone but one person paid. Yay! Sarge was happy because with some of the money I made I bought him a climbing rope for his home gym. I guess he's going to relive those High school Gym class moments in our garage.

Halloween pinatas are coming along well, finally.

The Pumpkin just needs a nose (Piko made me that great summer teeth-some'r here, and some'r there-mouth), and the spider sack needs some dressing. But it looks like they are ready to stuff and hang. For once I'm ahead of schedule with a pinata. Usually the night before I'm gluing and desperately drying with my hairdryer.

An interesting project I was handed by Piko's school was completed in record time. Make two puppets to help raise awareness of the importance of attendance, was my brief. Huh. Well I found this pattern, which was awesome, and came up with these two.

How they will help raise awareness about attendance is beyond me, I guess they'll be using them in their morning announcements.

The Bad:
UGH, we were sick this week.

Piko registered a fever on Sunday, and slept for 14 hours, so she had to stay home from school. Lucky for her it was a short week with Thursday and Friday off due to teacher grading, and a conference. Her temperature got up to 103 on Tuesday night, fevers freaking freak me out. My sinuses have been acting up this week too, lucky me. So I took Mrs. S's advice and tried out the Musenex, and I'm never going back. That stuff dried me out. Thanks Mrs. S, I'm sorry I laughed at you and your upcoming trip. I'll never laugh at you again!!
Poor Piko, she was finally let out of the house on Saturday for her second to last soccer game of the season. She was so happy that she ran around the field like a maniac, and then coughed up a lung.
Luckily for both of us she is well enough to go to school on Monday.

Sarge managed to piss off one of our neighbors by not paying attention to what Dog deGallo was doing while outside. I guess she went over to their house while Sarge was mowing the lawn and bothered their dog. The guy was seriously pissed off, and I don't blame him, Dog is a big dog, their dog is very little. Nothing happened to the dog, but I bet it freaked the guy out. I feel bad because even though Sarge told him sorry at the time, I still think that he should go over and apologize now that the neighbor has probably calmed down. But Sarge being the jerk that he is won't do it. And what am I supposed to do, go over and say. "Hey, sorry that my husband is such an a$$hole."?

The Uuuglaay:
My first apple pie of the season.

Not only did I put to much cinnamon, the "pour" cap was open, not the "sprinkle",but the crust was too wet, AND I over baked it. GAH!! Lucky for me, Sarge does not have a very delicate palate.

My sewing room is a total and complete disaster!! It has still not recovered from a last minute birthday present project.

I guess that's what I'll be doing with the rest of my day.

de Gallo Family Dynamics

This is actually hilariously funny now, but trust me it was not funny when it happened.

Last night Sarge came home to get his dinner, and after he left I let Dog de Gallo out to do her nightly business. She came back in and then started upstairs as I was making the rounds locking doors, and turning off lights. She waited for me on the landing, and we started up to the bedroom.

I didn't really see what happened next, but caught the tail end of it.

The Cat came out of nowhere, and jumped on Dog. All I saw was teeth and claws. Cat did not actually get Dog, but she sure scared her. I guess Cat is usually in Piko's room when Dog and I go to bed, so Dog was not expecting the sneak attack. Poor Dog runs right into our bedroom and onto her bed. Cat went the other direction into the guest room.

A bit later as I'm settling in to do the crossword in bed (highlight of my day >dorky!<), it smells like poo! What the hell? Why does it smell like poo? I go check out the litter box, but that's not it, I just cleaned it. Get back into bed, must be my imagination. No, it still smells like poo. So I start looking around.

DOG! Why is there a nugget of poo on your bed!! Have you been eating your poo again?! CRAP!!! I stepped in it!!! F**K!!! IT'S ON THE BED!!!!! MOTHER LOVING...$#@**!!!!

So I'm traveling the upstairs scrubbing bits of poo off the carpet, stripping the bed, wiping Dog's butt. I checked her feet thinking that maybe she stepped on a fresh one when she went out. Nope, it was dingle berries, hanging on. Nice.

I had to remake the bed (which I hate doing on a regular non-poo day), set the poo sheets in the wash to soak overnight. Though I'm not sure I'll ever be able to use those sheets again. Wash my feet and hands, and change my clothes. Ugh. And then I was not able to finish the crossword.

Sarge gets into bed this morning, and I tell him that the cat literally scared the shit out of the dog. He can't stop laughing, and honestly neither can I.

Poor Dog, we have got to get rid of this cat.

Day of the Dog

We here at the de Gallo homestead have been watching alot of "The Dog Whisperer". We have a dog, and that dog needs whispering. Because honestly all of the yelling Sarge is doing is not exactly helping.

Dog de Gallo is actually a very good dog. She does not jump up to get to food on counter tops, she does not eat everything in the house. She is trusted to stay at home alone for long periods of time, and can be relied on to not destroy anything. She knows where to poop and where to pee, and she loves to fetch and have ear rubs. She is a great bed warmer in the mornings when Sarge has left for work. Dog and Piko get along pretty well, although I think that Dog de G is a bit jealous of Piko de G, since she was here first, and Piko basically usurped her.

HOWEVER.

She barks. ALOT. OFTEN. She sometimes eats her poo, and then comes in the house and throws up on my feet. Dog de Gallo is also very food aggressive, yikes! She even bit Sarge's hand once...ONCE. She is also an excited pee-er, which is not all that bad I guess. And oh yeah, she weighs about 85 lbs, and the hair, don't even get me started on the hair. What's up with dog hair? How does it get into everything, and it weaves it's way into fabrics somehow, like it's alive! Whenever I take food anywhere, I always warn that there might be dog hair in it, and I'm very sorry.

Anyway, back to the Dog Whisperer. Sarge was watching with Piko de Gallo the other morning, and Caesar was helping a dog that had severe separation anxiety. One of the things that he suggested would help was to get "friend" for that dog. He kept the dog at his dog center and picked out a new dog at a shelter to be the friend. They got along great, and it went a long way to helping that poor dog.

Lately Sarge has been talking about getting a "friend" for Dog de Gallo. I guess he thinks that because Piko de Gallo and I are so busy with school and other activities, Dog de Gallo is alone much more often than she is used to. He thinks that she is lonely. I guess, she might be. So I have agreed to get another dog.

Yes Librarian, I can hear you laughing from your new place in Seattle.

HOWEVER!

I told Sarge that we can only get a "friend" for Dog de Gallo IF, Caesar Milan himself comes to Maryland and picks the dog out for us.



And, I get to name it "Otter". Because then we will have Dog de Gallo, and the "Otter" dog.

A little lobster in my pot

Other than the lack of Starbucks, and over abundance of Dunkin' Doughnuts, Maine was pretty darn cool, fattening, but cool.

The in-laws have a new neighbor who is a (very hot, in that no collar, working class kind of way, plus he is a redhead.)lobster fisherman, and gets them their lobsters on the cheap, $3.50 a pound. Father in Law (FIL) decided that upon the glorious return of his golden boy son a lobster feast was in order. The man ordered 20 lbs of lobsters!! That's right, 20 lbs!!! That came out to about 22 lobsters. 22 lobsters for 5 adults and 2 children!! I think that I ended up eating about 3 tails and 1 whole body, and maybe 4 claws. With about 1/2 cup of butter of course. Surprisingly I did not get the lobster shits the next day.

Food at the in-laws (IL's) is just crazy. I feel like all we do when we go there is eat and eat some more. And that bastard Sarge introduced me to the wonders of fried dough at the Fryeburg fair. I had never heard of such a thing. Whenever we have gone to a county fair there has only been funnel cake, which I am not that big a fan of. But fried dough, it's heaven in hot oil. I was very excited to know that Sarge's grandmother makes a killer fried dough, and that she had plans to make some for us. I had my notepad at the ready to capture her secret recipe. I was a bit disappointed when she pulled a bag of store brand white bread dough out of the freezer. However I was not sad the next morning when she had the Crisco a bubbling and a slab of fried dough with butter, powdered sugar and cinnamon waiting on the counter for me. Deep fried heaven.

Eating out in Sarge's town is great as well. Only 5 minutes from his parent's house is Jordan's Snack Shop. They make the best chocolate shakes, crab rolls, crinkle fries, fish sandwiches, cheeseburgers, and onion strings. The past two times we have been to Maine it was Christmas, so Jordan's was closed. Lucky for us they were open until the end of October this year. And you know we were there just about every other day.

The day that we spent at the Freyburg Fair was a nutritional diaster. Other than the glasses of orange juice that we had for breakfast, we did not eat a single healthy thing. Fair food was the menu of the day. Pizza, Fried Dough, Kettle Corn, Ice Cream, Cotton Candy, Gyro's. My arteries are hardening just thinking about it. And then we went home and had a marshmallow roast to round the day out.

In the end the only member of our family who lost weight on our trip to Maine was the dog. Here she is having a swim at the IL's camp...brrrr that water was cold. Well, there would be a picture if I could get one to load.