Scribbles and Scrambles ~ NDD Recap

Wednesday = National Dog Day. 

This photo = Gladys's reaction to her day.  Maybe I should've made cupcakes.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Ima Sucka

Though this is probably zero in the surprise department for y'all, I'm kind of a dog freak. 

Let me state that I'm way too cheap to indulge in matching ensembles for the three of us, and I'm way too practical to put cute clothes on Gertrude and Gladys,  (This is what would happen. Gladys would rip a hole in Gertie's outfit by clenching onto a ruffle and pulling. Gert would then get ticked and grab hold and pull the sweater over Gladys's head. Then one or both would find something to roll in, or at least need to dig a hole in the yard while wearing it. Cha-Ching!  $20.00 burnt right in front of my eyes. ) 

But I'm ridiculous none-the-less. 

For example, I have been reading quite a bit lately. Why? Because it's beautiful outside and the girls like to be outside but they like me to be with them. Yep. If I go in to do chores during outside time it usually results in barking at the door. To be let back in. And ringing at the door because they really, really want to bark at...well....anything and really like the echo they get outdoors.  So I do some reading time and more often than not have some furbaby sitting in my lap while I do so. 

I also give way too many treats. I've begun buying smaller and breaking them into tiny pieces because, well, I don't want paint can dogs. (You know the ones who's bodies look like a gallon paint can turned on its side with a tiny peg head and teensy peg legs?) I also talk to them a lot. And feel bad that they are in their room while I'm away. The kennel that they often choose to sleep in. On days I'm home during the day, they nap. So it's not like they miss me. After a weekend where I'm home a lot, they seem kind of relieved come Monday. Like they are thinking "finally, we get to chill and not have to entertain her ALL DAY!" 

I have cut down on computer time as well. Because they prefer to bookend me and since the computer is on my lap, bookending just doesn't feel comfortable what with the cords and sharp angles. And one or both of them might want to get on my lap or use it at a springboard. 

Finally, the pictures. You see a lot of them, but, seriously. I take so many pictures of these dogs. And I used to not even like dogs. Wha?!? 

Scribbles and Scrambles - I Diderot

Recently, I wrote about the Diderot Effective. The one wherein psychologically one purchase leads to more. The new skirt morphs into the shoes and necklace, too. Or the paint for the living room stretches the budget or assaults the credit card because new accessories and decor are a must.

I might be guilty of ignorance of this effect but marketers are not. Slap my forehead. This would be why window shopping or emotional shopping might be the deadliest thing for your budget. Can I just call out the elephant in the room? Who doesn't have their head turned by the ever morphing magical place called the Target $1 area? I can discover a lot of needs while standing and inhaling the scent of cheap plastic and burlap.

Then there is every new season's and holiday display of colors and styles draped on dummies (Of course I don't mean those who buy! And those mannequins aren't dummies....those are effective tools). Each item paired with multiple pieces, shoes and accessories. Hmmm, not an accident that everything goes together oh so well! 

Speaking of colors. Who's the evil genius behind the new it color palettes? And don't forget the creative minions who use those colors to design cute household accessories. Oh, and the off-to-college themes with the clever space saving furniture and organizers. 

I don't want to become a conspiracy theorist but...if the whole industry is conspiring for our hard earned dollars can we say the shoe fits????

I think I need to ponder this more. I may have a bigger issue than I thought. Fingers tapping on the table top.

This hideous Exhibit A photo is my stack of fancy paper cupcake liners. Remember back in the day when you either got plain white or an assortment of pastels and that was enough? 

Do I really need polka dot, leopard print, stripes and plain fuchsia, teal and blue cupcake liners? Apparently I thought I did. 

Scribbles and Scribbles ~ Passhave Aggressive Much?

So I'm going to tell on a co-worker or 2. Wait....maybe it's not a co-worker, actually, let's just say an acquaintance to avoid any unnecessary angst. 

I'll start over. There is a certain person whom a circle of friends/acquaintances know. This person has annoyed said circle. We will now refer to this person as Exhibit A. The circle will be The Circle. 

Exhibit A has something over The Circle but is kinda likeable so #it's complicated. 

Exhibit A loves bubble wrap. One of The Circle members who may or may not have been kissing up...whom am I to judge...left a large piece of bubble wrap on a table within the usual path of Exhibit A. 

Another of The Circle members crossed said path and began popping bubbles. I mentioned I thought it was some sort of peace/love/boot licking offering for Exhibit A. The other Circle member began popping in earnest. 

"Is this a passive aggressive statement you are making? So and so left you bubble wrap....oops I guess someone took all the joy out of it for you like you have sucked the joy from the lives of The Circle!" 

We laughed. The Circle member put down the bubble wrap and we returned to our area. Another Circle member came by.  We told this person what transpired. Hmmm "what if we just put tiny holes in each bubble. Revenge without actually popping?" 

The Circle has a new queen. We will bow to her and watch our backs. 

Scribbles and Scrambles - Animal Love

I just have to share this "Dear Petsitter" letter. I laughed out loud while my Gertie perched on her throne (my lap). This was after convincing her to let go of her persistent pursuit of fake squirrel on the fridge for the possibility of real squirrel in the trees. Fake squirrel is in the near future. But not til we enjoy the fall weather for a spell. And I will enjoy the fact that I only have 2 peculiar pets.

http://m.blogher.com/how-convince-house-sitter-run-screaming-night

Scribbles and Scrambles - aiiyiiyii

So we had a massive rain storm last night. I woke up a couple times with huge thunderclaps. Then I realized the house was silent. No fans blowing. Just the sounds of a deluge and the tiny snores of Beagles. All of a sudden the fan started whirring again and I thought. "Ack! The electronics."

I scurried around unplugging items. Like my computer. Rob's phone and the TV and DVD player.

All was well until I plugged my computer back in and tried to boot up.

The picture is my sad, sad computer cord attached to my sad, sad, quiet computer.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Crazy Talk

Yes. When I repainted my living room....there were a few unnecessary Diderot purchases.

I subscribe to a blog called Becoming Minimalist. This post was a new idea for me. 

I have never heard of The Diderot Effect. I know, of course, that there is tremendous psychology in marketing and sales. So it should be no surprise that there is something psychologically that clicks in when items are purchased. 

Non-scientific and unverified info from my brain so take with a pound of salt...if we use credit cards we spend more than if we use cash. The Monopoly money syndrome? That's what it feels like to me anyway. And I know that is a something I  have succumbed to more than once. It seems odd to use a card for a $2.00 purchase but not at all if using cash. Plus I know the surcharge for credit cards is hefty and that small mom and pop places have a minimum on credit card expenditures. I actually feel guilty if I spend less than $10.00 on a credit or debit card. Hello! If that's not a reason to always use cash, I don't know what is. 

The Diderot Effect is (major summarizing of a really good article so read it above) the extra expenses incurred when one buys one new thing. Example. A new skirt opens the door to the perfect necklace or shoes or both. Soon the $50.00 skirt is $170.00 in purchases. Or the need for new living room furniture when the old is just fine because you replace the carpet that was a necessity. 

You know how many times I've fallen for this one? Sheesh? Yikes! It might be right up there with the "It's on clearance" syndrome that plagues me. 

But. The choices that we made yesterday belong to yesterday (unless we still have the receipt). But we are masters of the choices we will make tomorrow or today. Right? 

Scribbles and Scrambles - A Favorite DIY

One of the favorite things in my house started out as a serendipitious idea for a literal piece of trash.

We have a rental property and the last tenants left it in sorry shape. It's nearly taken me three years to talk about it. Ha-ha! I spent somewhere close to six hours scraping condiments and filth off the kitchen cabinets. Not. Even. Joking.

Anyhoo. They left behind a couple of good things. Two really quality cookie sheets that apparently never left the oven, ever. These suckers were seasoned. After scrubbing the crumbs and chunks off and heating them to kill who knows what, they entered my kitchen. Too much information? Sorry.

They also left a wobbly small coffee table covered in some of the same patina of the kitchen cabinets. I scrubbed it then had an idea. It seemed the perfect size for a chalkboard. We cut off the legs, I sanded it very well and then painted several coats of chalkboard paint. Four coats, each done in opposite direction.

And there we go. It's hanging on one of my unfinished kitchen walls.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Potty Waltz

Ever see a kid do a potty dance? You know the slow do-si-do involving crossed legs, and possibly crossed eyes? Occasionally, the polka version of the potty dance includes the clenched thigh forward tango, the tight turn and the final leap onto the toilet.

Dogs have a potty dance. At least mine do. It is practiced several times a day with varying results. This would describe my reaction.

Anticipation? Watching the "finding-the-sweet-spot" potty waltz.

Frustration? Hoping, coaching, waiting, finally giving up only to be summoned to the door 25 minutes later.

Insanity? Two dogs with unique potty peculiarities and ADHD. 

"Squirrel? Bark!!! What was that? Bark?" 

Tear to the right. Stop. Sniff. Run left. Stop. Sniff. 

"Wait? Is that a squirrel?" Bark!!!!

Satisfaction? Two dogs who go directly out and take care of bizness then tire of sniffing before the mosquitoes come out to feast on the people who wait patiently for the dogs to for-reals go potty.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ What's Your Type?

I don't think Beagle fully fits my personality. But, I like so many breeds. Can I plead eclectic?  

http://barkpost.com/what-does-your-breed-say-about-you/

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Six Million Dollar Man?

Rob had knee replacement surgery a couple weeks ago. He's doing great. His staples are out, he's buzzing up and down the steps on a regular basis. Now comes a different kind of pain. 

THE BILL!!!! 

Thank you, Lord, for good insurance. 

The hospital bill alone (not including the doctor daily visits, the surgery labor, and the reading of x-rays) is pictured. 

The parts (again, not the labor) as in the knee chachinging in at a cool 20K. Just the knee, ma'am. 

Just sayin! 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ R and R

My daughter and her kiddos and I took a kind of spur-of-the-moment trip over the weekend. When I say kind of spur-of-the-moment I mean that she had to move several heavy obstacles and we both had to jump through some hoops to pull it off. But we got it done and it was so, so worth the hoops. 

My in-laws own a little trailer in a park on the shore of one of Minnesota's 10k lakes. It's a trailer from the sixties with a few upgrades and a build-on, and a stackable washer and dryer. Orange and moss green shag carpet was cutting edge high-fashion when it was laid in the bonus build-on bedroom. Paneling was all the rage. And dog gone it if the decor isn't cheesy cabin tourist crapola. 

But we make the trip almost every year. And once my little kids were beyond the toddle-into-the-lake-and-drown phase, this place has become what vacations are meant to be. 

When it's just Rob and I we go and decompress completely. He fishes, I read in the boat, we eat twice a day and wear whatever we want. 

With the kiddos my daughter and I had to be a little more on top of our game. And the lake was the lure we knew it would be. From about 8 a.m. to dinner time the kids were digging, playing, collecting and glorying in the secret treasures and new experiences of the lake. And as an adult along for this experience it was glorious. It was exactly what a vacation should be.