Fierce!

In the old days Megan, Dustin and I had office hours at the same time. This meant, lots and lots of youtube. Lately, we don't see each other in the office, only outside of it when we have dates with one another. This is totally beat and doesn't happen a few times a week, like office hours used to. I hate it!
However, we still try to do the youtube thing. SNL's skits were faves, as well. Just because I am in the mood to keep this skit going (we-Dustin and I-get into kicks where we'll get stuck quoting one skit for a few days and we're on one full day of this, so it's still fairly new) I'm posting it here for you all to enjoy, you hot trannie messes! Perhaps I will write a future blog in this voice, as well (alla-gossip girl blogs...no news on A Parker lately to share, sorry lovelies! More GG to come soon, though. Promise!)...hope you laugh!

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Clean Dogs and a Happy Fi

Everyone is home, now, and by "everyone," I mean Dustin has arrived and well-groomed dogs have come home. I wonder if today resembled the life of a domestic who stays home while the fam is away for the day: the husband at work, the kids (dogs, in my case) at school. Now all hell has broken loose. Dustin incited them by howling like a coyote (though we've taken to pronouncing it "kai-oat") because he thinks Byz is part coyote and that Bogey is a "polar squirrel." What is a polar squirrel, you ask? Well, we have the answer to that...just skip to the next post entitled "What is a polar squirrel, you ask?" for more information from our polar squirrel expert. It's like a footnote, only in its own post :) Anyhow, here is a picture of my beautiful, clean, wonderfully smelling fur-babies. Both D and I were impressed and happy with what a wonderful job they did with the babies! AND they sent home a report card telling me how great the dogs were, how well-kept they were before I dropped them off. Overall, everyone was great, but she suggested that, perhaps, Bogey might need to be muzzled for grooming in the future. He's great for me and my mom, so I never expected he'd be nippy, but otherwise, it went off without a hitch! Yay for our awesome dogs. The house was super quiet and lonely without them all day. I'm so glad they're back. Here is a pic of them in all their clean glory!

Last night I made egg salad with tofu. I know, sounds weird, right? I'm kind of just experimenting to see exactly how necessary things like eggs, milk...etc. really are. I really love eggs so being entirely vegan would be a huge stretch for me (mind you, we're not vegan, we're merely dipping our toes in-me more than D; he's just kind of along for the ride because he loves me and eats whatever I make. You're the best, honey!). Whenever I'm hungover, I always want scrambled eggs. I started doing the egg-white thing cus it's loads better for you--most of my family has a problem with high cholesterol and I've managed to avoid it so far, but don't want to take any chances--and two of my family members are allergic to eggs (mom and sis). Generally, I'm told it's the yolk that causes allergy problems-which is all the more reason to stick to the whites (my reactions are anaphylactic, friends, or I'd probably be more risky with things like that which seem to run in my fam).So here was my attempt at tofu "egg salad." I found it on a website and was pretty impressed by the reviews, but needed to see for myself. I liked and so did the Fi. Mine is the above photo-on a Flatout Wrap with kale, mushrooms and 'maters. I love my veggies! If you're interested in the recipe, you can find it here: Post Punk Kitchen.

And because Fi is being such a good sport, I decided to bake some delish chocolate cookies from Veganomicon, and to cut them into Heart-Shapes, since I'm already in the Valentine's Day spirit with all the mental planning and the reservations to Hemingway's being made (we tried for Les Bourgeois Winery like last year, but they only took six reservations this year for large tables! What??? So this place seemed like a fab second try since we've never been for dinner but it had a super cool atmosphere when we went for drinks).

Below is a pic of the awesome, tasty, filling and, probably, super fatty cookies I made for D. He enjoyed them and I'm going to make some vegetarian Indian food for him tonight that I know he loves. He deserves it.

Hope you all had a super fantastic, warmer day than we did. It's been cold and I've been lazy about running in it...back to the grind tomorrow. Perhaps more later.

xoxo

N

*What is a Polar Squirrel, you ask?

What is a polar squirrel, you ask? Luckily, we asked our expert environmentalist, Dr. Phinnaeas "Frosty" Freisenbern, to chime in on the matter and, perhaps illuminate on this little known creature that is invading our society.

Q: Dr. Freezer, um, burn, can you explain to us what precisely a, um, "polar squirrel" is?

A: Freisenbern. It's all about danger, really. A polar squirrel is a denison of the frozen wastes of the arctic. Often mistaken for a dog, polar squirrels are large rodents of the sciurus frostnipicus family. It is believed that the sciurus frostnipicus is a leftover from the second ice age whose range once included large portions of North America and Europe, but is now relegated to the most barren reaches of the frozen north.

Q: The second Ice Age? Now, is that the movie you're referring to?

A: Um, no, but an example of the sciurus frostnipicus can be seen in both versions of the cartoon you refer to. 

Q: Oh. I see. I'm sorry. Please continue.

A: This creature can be recognized by its squirrel face, black mouth, bushy tail, crazy googly eyes, puffy white fur and psychotic twitch--which scientists believe to be a defense mechanism meant to shake predators from their hides. 

Q: (Interrupting) Did you say..."black mouth?"

A: Yes. Like sin. Black.

Q: Ok. Well, um, where can these creatures be found? Are they dangerous? What do they eat?

A: Ho, ho, ho...slow down, my dear. When in their natural habitat, polar squirrels subsist on a diet of eskimos, seals, polar nuts and snow. Polar squirrels, when isolated and kept for extended periods in captivity, may exhibit quasi-domesticated behaviors, including docility, and what sometimes passes as loyalty (it is not uncommon for the polar squirrel who is treated as a dog to respond by becoming aggressively protective of it's master/mistress). However, when in a pack--which came sometimes number in the thousands--the wild polar squirrel represents the Arctic's deadliest predator and the its biggest threat to humans. As many an unfortunate hiker has stepped into safety from a blizzard only to find 7-8 polar squirrels attached to each ankle. 

Q: Really? That many on one ankle? Sounds absolutely terrifying.

A: It is. It is. In fact, Inuit legend tells of the dreaded 'Bogeynactum' or "night of one thousand black mouths" when a young warrior crested a snowdrift to behold only a field of snow white and a multitude of snarling black mouths that researchers believe to have belonged to a pack of polar squirrels. Their white fur makes them almost indistinguishable against the snowy landscape, but an incessant, high-pitched yap is a sure-fire giveaway that a polar squirrel attack is imminent. 

Q: So, if I'm getting this right, I should be prepared if hiking or exploring the Arctic to, possibly, come across polar squirrels? In the event that a civilian is attacked, what precautions or steps can he or she take?

A: I'm glad you asked! Some resourceful hikers advise that, if confronted by a pack of polar squirrels, a useful defense is to lure them away with alcohol from your pack. The very scent of alcohol and the polar squirrel can be distracted. However, new studies show that alcohol, while distracting to the polar squirrel, stimulates the urinary impulse, which brings rise to the question: Which is worse--to be devoured by a pack of polar squirrels or to die, slowly of hypothermia due to exposure to polar squirrel urine?"

Q: Thank you Dr. Frozenbrows. Please join us again next time for expert info with our expert scientists.

Dr. Freisenbern and a domesticated, yet deadly, polar squirrel

It's 7am...Do you Know Where Your Fur Babies Are?

I know where mine are and it starts with a: G-R-O-O-M-E-R-S! But more on that in a minute...

It's been a long morning at this menagerie as I rose to NPR discussing some President Obama setbacks in choices he made for two different positions he filled. No big. I appreciate that he apologized by not knowing certain things about his choices and I hope, in the future, he continues to do so when he makes a mistake. I really dig people being able to see when they've messed up  and take responsibility for it-accidents happen, yo! 

After the stories moved on, then circled back to the headlines about Obama, I decided that it was time to get out of bed-5:15am, on the dot. At this point, I didn't have much of a precise plan, I just knew I was awake and it could, theoretically, be breakfast time so I whipped up some "Fronch Toast" from Vegan with a Vengeance and added some vanilla extract, nutmeg and a few shakes of cinnamon for a slight kick. D thoroughly enjoyed it-despite it being a bit on the soggy side-and I did, too. Lately when I go to bed at night, I start to get super hungry out of nowhere. It's awful. My belly will growl on occasion, though I refuse to get out of bed and eat something, and I end up falling asleep thinking of all the wonderful foods I will make and eat the next day.

(Note D's work and keys scattered on the kitchen table with his breakfast...this boy is waay to busy this semester!)

Since I have yet to locate "vital wheat gluten," which I need for a number of items I would like to make from my new cookbooks, I am venturing forth and experimenting with recipes that don't call for it. Last night, for example, we had a delish herbed potato and greens (kale, in this case) soup from Veganomicon, which I finished prepping in the slow-cooker while I took a nap and D went to the rec (still sick...it's an unshakable cold, I tell you!). It was oh-so-tasty and full of healthiness. Yum! We both enjoyed it before hitting the books again!

I should mention that we don't have a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's or anything nationally chained in our town, unless Clover's counts, but I've never heard of it before moving here (this is not to say it doesn't exist as a chain, just that if it is, I never heard of it so I'm skeptical about believing that it is). Anyhow, this limits my resources for making things from scratch (which I am starting to prefer, really, so I can tailor the food to our taste and healthiness level). Certain products, like the vital wheat gluten (vwg), are tough to find...at least for me. There are about ten different grocery stores in town, none of which are close to where we live, and none of which are particularly close to one another. Therefore, if one doesn't have something, I can drive around from store to store all afternoon looking for it or give up on the recipe I'm attempting and try a different store a different day. I wanted to make chickpea cutlets (also from Veganomicon) but the vwg was absent and I didn't think to check Clover's the other day, but will have to check again. Any other ideas as to where I might be able to locate this essential, "vital" if you will, wheat gluten? Maybe it's a simple element to find and I'm just looking in the wrong place. Advice?

Once coffee and breakfast were complete, I threw on some warmer clothes since the temp has dropped back down to teen-age-digits and leashed up the puppers, but not before snapping these photos of them for a "before" reference:

They're cute little buggers and look strikingly well-behaved (and bored in the top one which demonstrates Bogey-my oldest on the right-yawning at me as if to say "Mom, this sitting game is tired. Give us the damn treat already!" He's hilarious.) in this phot with Bizzy sitting very pretty for the camera, as well. It took years for her to hone that ability. Trust me, for Byz, it was no small feat.

Cute, yes, but you can't smell them from the pictures. Boge is ok, really. He just smells like a dog, but not strongly. Byz, however, lounges around in the backyard in the dirt and debris they leave when they play out there. It's fenced in and she completely loves lazing around out there. As a result, she's a stanky foolish puppy. I love her, but she's not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree and definitely not the prettiest smelling potpourri in the bowl, if you get my drift.

I loaded these two happy clams into the car and dropped them off at, what is supposed to be, one of the better groomers in town. I say this with a little skepticism, as well, because I used to take dogs to a "respectable" place until a year ago when Bogey came home with nicks, gashes and a cold. Seriously. He was at the groomers for, maybe, five hours and he got a cold? They kept him in a cage that was way too small and they nicked him so badly he was bleeding in one spot. I chewed those bastards out and never took my babes back there again. This place seems great so far...very inviting and excited to get to know the doggies. The groomer is going to call me personally when she gets in so we can discuss the fur-babies and what they're like, what they need, if they're sensitive about anything (i.e.: Bogey hates his tail being brushed, but neither wouldn't even dream of biting a human-they'd rather die!)...etc. And dogs seemed cozy when I walked them in and handed them off to the super sweet woman who greeted us (yes-"us," not just me) rather than intimidated or shy or clingy. This is a good sign. These two know a good place when they come to it. It took me a while to find a vet here in CoMo, too. Bogey was clearly unhappy and uncomfortable with the first one-the Vet hospital, actually, which I find is good for emergencies, but wouldn't take my fur-babies to regularly-while they mostly knew what they were doing, they handled my dogs strangely, as if unsure as to what they were looking at. They weren't always confident (I think they were in their last year of vet school, some of them, and were being observed frequently). Boges just wasn't comfortable and it was evident the moment we walked into the waiting room.

The next vet we found, though: Pet Ctr Lmtd. is pretty great, too. They know Byz and Bogey well. I like the way they talk to them and know them and me by name when I call. When I board them there (which I hate to do!) it gives me such a peace of mind to know that they're being watched by people that know them and their medical histories and can check them out and update shots...etc...if necessary.

I think "All Creatures" (the grooming place I've taken them to today) has an even better rep (and I'd be lying if I said I didn't find their name aesthetically pleasing and symbolic, of course!). If what they charge is comparable, I might be switching my dogs to them for vet-services, too. Reason being: although I've checked out the boarding area before and it was quite clean at our current vet's, pups are starting to come home smelly from their stay and usually with a cold or hoarse voice of some kind...Also, they're gaining weight while on their boarding retreat. I haven't boarded them in a while (really, I hate, hate, HATE to do it unless absolutely forced to) and they're totally up-to-date on their shots and vaccines, but we'll see how things go here. Plus, I think I had forgotten (up until about two minutes ago) that I could get them groomed at their current vet. What? What do you guys think? How do you choose a vet/groomer/boarder for your pets?

But so it goes lately...too much to do and too little time. You have no idea what the lists of things to do I've been making look like! Especially wedding stuff! We ordered favors last night, which was exciting. I got the adorable flower girl baskets in the mail (handmade from etsy), as well as part of the BM gifts. Working on Valentine's Day surprises that I can't share incase Fi reads this blog entry...ugh! Just lots to do before the day is through and the 7am hour is, seriously, the most useless: nothing is open yet! Not here and not on the east coast...no businesses usually open until around 9, so I'm SOL for, at least, another ten minutes...but writing this blog helped me kill about twenty, so-thank you for reading! What hour do YOU think is the most useless?

129 days til the wedding! Aaah!!!!!!! I'm starting to feel the pressure.

More later...have a fab day...will have "After" photos of the fur-baby lineup later today!

xoxo

N

Problems in Teaching

I was completely excited to go teach my two classes today. When I finally forced myself out of bed and pushed past the piercing pain in my right shoulder (one student suggested it is the rotator cuff that's ailing me?) and after my first two cups of coffee, I thought about my fresh, shiny-faced students, the possibility their minds possess and the creativity just dying to be harvested and felt motivated to get my act together (namely, to shower) and get to school. I was so excited to see them and teach their eager minds that I arrived at school over an hour before my first class.

I'm slightly sad to report, however, that I don't think they were nearly as excited to see me. My first class, fiction, is full of older students-just one freshman-and they are all ready to roll, even when feeling a bit lethargic. They make me happy, even though they probably don't know it. They're quick-witted, go-with-the-flow (or my whims, I should say) and able to keep up. They recognize what's important and what's not. They trust me and that is what I have learned really does make a difference in a classroom, but they're not afraid to ask questions or for clarification. So rare, so wonderful! Today, at the last minute, I asked them to please write a short scene or paragraph using the word "gank" defined as "steal" example: "Dude, you ganked my last pair of socks!" They did it and they did it well. This is, of course, kind of a random activity, but I wanted to see if they could create a character based on the character's language. Some of them expressed concern that they were too involved with their individual characters (the ones they were using in their first stories), so I wanted to throw a literary wrench at them by giving them a random assignment having to do with NONE of their characters. They did well, but, truly, they always do.

My second class, full of youngsters, is really quite good, too, for a required class. They don't sit and stare at me until I get paranoid and they really do read the homework and participate. I did this class differently than usual and am starting off with the topic "Problems in American Education" (which I've never done before, but suddenly felt the need to be able to discuss intelligently...gee, I wonder why!) and they've been pretty awesome about that, too. Over the last few weeks, this class has discussed what makes education and where we (the U.S.) rank in it internationally important, why our education system is lacking, various scholars' suggestions as to what's wrong with our education system and how we can fix it...etc. I asked them to come up with their own reasons for what is wrong with our education system based on their experience for class today and they came up with some good ones and had quite an enthralling convo kicking about "cheating," "lack of discipline"...etc. I was impressed by their ability to be honest. Most of my students admitted to cheating on a test. Most of them admitted that they didn't care if they got in trouble in high school. Most of my students told me, this one was painful for me to hear, "I'd rather take an easy class in the subject I like most than take a class in the same subject that will challenge or stimulate me." What!?! I nearly fell off the desk.

For me, a lot of what got me through school was a sense of competition. Mind you, not all my teachers instilled this feeling in me and, certainly, not all subjects. Today, I wondered whether competition is individual and inborn or instilled by teachers/classroom atmosphere...or what. I have had the privilege of teaching at least two courses at Mizzou in the last four years where my students were competitive with one another. I never pit them against one another, I just made the material harder and harder based on their ability, forcing them to work harder. To their credit, they were all really into the subject material and, many of them, even went so far as to change majors to English when the semester ended (makes my literary heart flutter!). They were motivated and invested in the class. I felt lucky to have them.

Since then, it's sort of been my goal to have students as engaged and hardworking. I want them to feel that sense of satisfaction when they've worked really hard and earned a good grade, like I want them to work harder if they don't get the grade they wanted and NOT because it wasn't an "A" but because they know they can do better. This is how they learn and this is what I love about teaching.

It broke my heart a little that my students weren't as excited to see me today as I was to see them, but it killed me, at least a small piece, to hear that they didn't care, (even about their most favorite subject and what they could learn in it), about anything but the grade. Like they pointed out: teacher's shouldn't teach to the test. What I think they didn't recognize, and what I left them to ponder as they headed out of my classroom for the day was that "students shouldn't work toward just the grade."

Peace out, my loves. I have some potato and kale soup on the stove (I love the cookbook "Veganomicon" and will post a blog about it soon) and a Fi that just got back from the rec. Does life get much better than a Fi that will try my every whim? I'm a lucky, lucky girl and I hope you are all just as lucky...

xoxo

N

Save-the-Dates are GO!

Dustin here.  Today was a big day, ladies and gents. Save-the-date cards are in the mail!

That's right. After hours of addressing, stuffing, stamping, and licking, those winsome little magnets with the photo of our adorable faces are winging their way to mailboxes near you . . . or, more likely, your mailbox! Make room on your fridge!

Seriously. Go. Do it!

Also, Neesh is trying her hand at vegan pizza. I think it's ready! Expect pictures!

I missed you guys,

--D

Ladies of Hazzard aka Cody's Saloon

Happy Sunday, friends! And not just any Sunday, but Superbowl Sunday! I'm a Steelers hopeful-I lived there for two years, plus my brothers, for whatever reason, always loved the Steelers. However, this is not to say I actually care much about the game or football, for that matter, because I'm not really into that sport. Or basketball. I love every other sport, just something about those two that bore me to death. This is all well and good, considering we may have a snazzy little t.v. but we don't have cable or any stations, for that matter, so we're not missing out.

Anyhow, I'm long-winded this afternoon. It was a crazy night with the ladies and there were a few casualties (the pole in our backyard that holds our windchime, for example-someone fell on it when she lost her balance running to the house to use the bathroom). But, at any rate, last night was declared "Cowgirl Night!" My friend Meg really digs Western-ware...etc...and mentioned a while back that she wanted to go to a country bar. This was no easy "Make a Wish Foundation" task in our town, but we located a bar called "Cody's Saloon" with linedancing and cowboy hats and a mechanical bull. When I suggested "Ladies Night" (thanks to my Fi suggesting it might be time for us to have another this weekend-I secretly think he enjoys seeing us be ridiculous almost as much as we enjoy the night itself) this weekend, cowgirl attire came into play, as well. 

The problem is, I don't have any cowgirl attire. I've got some kick ass, nearly-knee-high brown boots with a sweet buckle near the bottom, a wide brown belt (so wide no pants have loops it'll fit into!), but I lack other essential cowgirl equipment: a shirt, turquoise jewelry, a hat (preferably ten gallon)...etc. I suppose this comes from being a "city" girl, if you will. Thankfully, my fi is from the midwest where, it turns out, everyone can dig up some "Western-ware" when called upon to do so. At the last minute, before caving and heading to the local Western-ware store, I casually asked D if he had any cowboy shirts and, without hesitation or surprise, he, just as casually, responded: "Yeah. I've got a red and white checked one at home...you know, with the two pockets and buttons..." What??? Where has this been hiding and why haven't I seen it yet?

Problem solved. Now all I needed to pull off my outfit was a hat. And, although I knew just where to find one (top of the coat closet by the front door), I had some reservations about wearing it. On foolish, really just comical, principle, I decided I disapproved of this straw, cowboy hat a while back when I saw pictures of Dustin's most recent ex-girlfriend wearing it. (Now that I think of it, she would have had TONS of Western-ware for this event.) It's not that I totally hate this chick or anything, I just don't dig her. Let's just say she wasn't super nice to me (not like I blame her) and any time we've happened to be at the same place at the same time, it's always been kind of awkward and we all avoid each other. At any rate, we had this hat, but all my thoughts of the hat had her in it...and I hated that idea. Dustin suggested we buy a new hat, but that was clearly just sill given the fact that we already had one. So I decided we could "deskankify" the hat, which he agreed to. 

Together, we FeBreezed and disinfected the hat. It took some time, but we let it dry out and, VOILA! Deskankified!

(Note the red and white check shirt...I went for the "Daisy Duke" look as much as possible last night.)

Problem solved, again!

I cooked up a Spaghetti Squash Casserole with Tofu "Meat"balls which I half made-up and half found on Post Punk Kitchen's website (a new foodie-find I am fairly in love with for their fab vegan recipes!). This was my first time working with Tofu in crumbles (I dried it out, like usual, but then crumbled it up like chopped meat, just using my hands, to make the recipe). I was pleasantly surprised by how it came out. You can find this wonderful recipe here.

For the Spaghetti Squash Casserole (or "Spaghetti Western Squash Casserole," as it were), I did this:

Ingredients:

1 Spagh Squash

Half a jar of tasty pasta sauce (I didn't feel like making some from scratch)

1 C. vegan cottage cheese (made of tofu)

As much chopped spinach as you like, cooked (or just heated in the micro til it wilts)

Half a block of vegan Mozzarella cheese (can find in Clovers and other natural stores)

1 big clove of chopped garlic

1. Cook that spagh squash. My usual method is in the oven, but I felt pressed for time last night, so I nuked it, which worked wonderfully! To do this, take a casserole dish, put a fourth of a cup of water in it, saw open your squash (those suckers are ROUGH!) and put both sides face down in the casserole dish. I heated mine for about fifteen minutes, stopping at ten to see if it needed more time. I find this also made it super easy to get the seeds out-by just stripped them off the top.

2. While that's happening above, I mashed together the cottage cheese, spinach and garlic in a bowl (I treated this like I would've treated ricotta cheese for a lasagna filling). So you can add some other spices (basil, oregano, pepper, salt) if you so choose. I try not to cook with salt. This way people can add it as they see fit.

3. When the squash is done and cool enough to handle, I scooped out the top layer (which is the seeds) and tossed them in the garbage before using a fork to pull out the spaghetti-looking innards of the squash into a bowl. You can flavor the squash during this phase if you want, too. And, you can even make a meal of it at this point if you don't want a casserole. That's up to you. If so, you're done. If not...keep reading.

 

4. In a clean casserole dish, start layering it up like a lasagna. Put some sauce on the bottom of the dish followed by a thin layer of cooked spaghetti squash, clumps of the cottage cheese/spinach mixture, the tofu-balls, more sauce, then squash...etc. When finished, top it all off with the mozzarella cut into slices and placed over top.

5. Pop in the oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted at 400.

Tasty! My friend Niya (aka-Jolene for last night) wants to start working toward being a vegetarian. While I have had to explain this a lot lately, because I like to let people know what I'm feeding them before I expect them to just dig in (for example: "This is a spaghetti squash casserole and if you don't like it, I won't be offended. It's vegan). I find that people like to know that and can avoid it if it's not their thing. Anyhow, Niya dug this recipe and it was so nice to hear since I just toyed with the casserole part and had never made the tofu-balls before, but I can proudly say I will be making all of it again in the future.

Meg brought an oh-so-tasty lasagna; Niya brought in the all-important salad (there seriously should be one at EVERY meal), and Steph brought one of my favorite veggies: cooked spinach! YUM-O! (I should point out. I do NOT dig uncooked spinach without anything on it. It leaves this weird filmy, uncomfortable feeling in my mouth. Not cool.)

We ate and talked and took pictures and hung out...then went on a quest to find Cody's Saloon. When we got there, we payed our $5 cover and entered a giant building with wooden floors and tons of cowboys. The linedancing was incredible. So much so that Meg and I discovered they do free linedancing classes on Tuesday nights from 6-8pm  (which we will obviously be attending...certainly there will be blogs on that in the future). Here is a photo-description of the rest of our night:

Niya Tames the Bull

David Teaches Meg the Two and Three-Step

Me and Meg Fake-Linedancing

Whiskey-What Every Country Girl Drinks

Steph was the only one who could not ride the mechanical bull-for health reason. She has a bad back and we decided her chiropractor would kick our asses if we exacerbated it. So she mosied around making adorable faces like so:

And when the night was coming to a close, my incredibly fabulous Fi came and picked us up, then drove us home. Meg and I hung out on the couches and watched part of Mean Girls. I got into a fight with our DVD player and accidentally attacked the windchime near our frontdoor. D cleaned dishes so the dogs wouldn't try their hand at cleaning them for us in the middle of the night (that Byz is a sneaky one!). When Meg went home this morning, she demanded a cheeseburger from BK at 9:30am and, when told it was too early for one, she yelled (and I quote) "What do you mean you don't have cheeseburgers? I thought I could have it MY WAY here." Then said "Whatever, I'm out" and drove off. She has "no time for no cheeseburger serving places." God I love my friends.

I'm gross and need to finally take off my Western shirt from last night and try for a short, and I mean SUPER short-one-mile, that is, run before throwing in the towel and calling it a wasted day.

Hopefully, you smiled, and maybe, next time, you'll join us!

I leave you with this:

From left to right: Loretta, Rubyjane, Jolene, Patsy

(To clarify any confusion: the Confederate flag and all that it stands/stood for is NOT, by any means, something we support or encourage. It is in the photo to merely serve as a "timestamp," Dukes of Hazzard-style. Please do not take it offensively. We certainly left it at home.)

xoxo

N