Monthly Archives: January 2011

Here, kitty kitty

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I finished reading a really good “cat” book the other day called ‘Homer’s Odyssey’ and couldn’t help but marvel at Homer the Wonder Cat. If you already own cats, you know just how special and unique they are, and this just confirms it. I’ve never had a blind pet or known anyone with one, and it was kind of amazing to see how Homer lived and got by (granted he never saw anything – his blindness was from kittenhood, so this might have made a difference in his attutide and resilience). Still, I can only imagine this blind streak of lighting running around and jumping onto high shelves and whatnot.

Our own cats have been feeling a bit neglected lately since I started school. Uzi can’t seem to understand why I’d rather stare at a screen than him and why I won’t let him sleep on my keyboard while I work. Then he wanders about the house yowling in distraught. Sometimes I forget just how much attention he needs. Ziggy, can usually take you or leave you, but even she has been extra cuddly lately. That could be due to cold temperatures, however. Aren’t cats funny?  Such incredibly distinct personalities.

We may actually be adding to our pets this weekend, as well. Josh has been wanting something reptilian in nature, so we may go take a look at different options this weekend, something like a smaller sized chameleon perhaps.

          

 

Okay Winter…

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Can’t we be done now?  These cold temperatures are sucking the life out of me!  I know, it could be worse, but how many days of highs in the singles can a girl take?  Well, this girl anyway.

I think the weather is responsible for our extra fervor in getting our summer trip planned, though. Florida beaches here we come!

We’ve got all of our hotels booked, and we’ve narrowed down what we want to do, so most of our planning is done. I’ve heard a few mixed things regarding safety in Daytona and other areas – apparently property theft is really prevalent?? So, I guess my cameras will be glued to me the entire time, and hopefully our non-flashy car will deter any would-be criminals. Too paranoid?  Yeah, probably, but I just like being prepared.  The only times I worry about are when we need to lock stuff in the trunk of the car so we don’t have to schlep it everywhere. My guess, is our car won’t be a target, though… it isn’t new, it isn’t flashy, has the stereo that came with it, and there’s an alarm. Probably just fine. (That’s me reassuring myself). 😉

Now… to get through the rest of the winter!

Trumpeter Swans

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In this cold weather it seems especially hard to get outside, but we got out for a bit (despite single digits) this past weekend. There was a nip in the air that drove us back to the car after about 20 minutes, however. I was not made for these constant cold temperatures!

Anyhoo, last Saturday, armed with hot beverages and bundled up, we drove to Monticello to see the swans. The second we opened our doors, we knew we were in the right place, and not just because of the sign. No it was the cacophony of hundreds of swans, ducks, and Canadian geese that filled the air – feeding time was on. There’s not a large viewing area, and there are some ill-placed trees and bushes, but we managed to get some shots of the massive gathering, and will most likely go back with my tripod to get a panoramic view of the river and just how many birds can actually be there on any given day during the feeding frenzy.

Unfortunately… I’ve checked the forecast and it looks like more singles and teens are in the future and potentially more snow, so probably not this weekend. Which is all right because we’re going to be combing our offices and turning my office into an official guest/game room, which in turn could be easily converted into a nursery, but it’s unlikely we’ll still be living there when that time comes. We’re going to throw the giant love sac in there for now, but will be on the lookout for a futon or something inexpensive that can serve as seating when needed and then turn into a bed for guests.

Not really resolutions

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I have New Year’s Funk. I think it must be the cold weather, and now that the holidays are over and the festive decor is stored away, I feel a little glum. Granted, I was sick for most of the holidays, and getting sick always messes up routines and plans. When all is said and done, we had a good 2010, and we’re in for an exciting 2011, so I just need to stay focused on the positive. Sure, I’m uncertain as to what I want to be doing for a job right now – all I know is I need a change soon. It’ll be a while before I can use education to get more interesting jobs, so in the meantime – what to do? Still figuring that out. Anyway…

So, let’s stay focused on what I/we plan on doing in 2011:

*Start our family – We’ve been planning this for a while, and are very excited the nearer it gets
*Have the most awesome summer road trip ever (even though I found out we’ll have to cut it a bit shorter than we wanted).
*Start investigating where to move to when we leave Minnesota – definitely in the year of 2012

and other little goals for the year:
*Take more photos
*Try my best to get a 4.0 GPA (or near to it)
*Pay off a huge portion of our debt
*Start going to the gym again
*Blog more
*Declutter our lives a bit
*Combine offices and create guest bedroom/future nursery
*Go on more weekend adventures together
*Start a pot garden on our back deck and grow some healthy food!
*Do more sewing/crafting
*Work at de-stressing – handling it better

and just because… Uzi with his new toy: