Camera Crazy

Punkpetual Motion

2011-06-14T02:44:00.001-05:00

I like to think of Punk as a study in perpetual motion... followed by a study in perfect napping. I had this idea of what I wanted the shot to look like... and some of these are close, but he just wouldn't hold still long enough for me to get it right.

He looks out the window for half an hour or so every morning, about the same time. I always wonder if he's watching a bird or someone is walking their dog at that time, but I've looked out and not seen anything. Whatever he's watching, I don't see it.

He, of course, meant "vicariously."

2011-06-08T00:06:00.000-05:00

Me: "Bear Jam for the last two days at Fishing Bridge. Elk Jam at West Thumb."(reading from twitter) ... Is it gonna bother you that I still read Yellowstone tweets? Is it gonna be too depressing since you can't go?

(we found out today that he probably won't be able to get the time off since 3 other TLs quit this week.)

Andy: "No, it's your thing.... I have to live bi-curiously through you."

You know what I hate?

2011-05-11T02:02:00.000-05:00

You know what I hate?

I hate when you have to pee, but you're holding it cuz you're just trying to wrap up whatever you're doing and it should only take about 2 minutes and then suddenly you realize your butt is wet.... And you wonder if you've somehow lost bladder control, along with the rest of the shitstorm of weird things happening to you lately.... but then why do you still have to pee so bad? And then you realize when you sat down on the floor, you sat in the spot where you hosed down the cat with a squirty bottle for being an asshole earlier.

Yeah. I hate that.

I showz you "super bowl"

2011-02-06T17:31:00.002-06:00

I showz you "super bowl", originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

What a wild ride! Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T22:42:00.000-06:00

These last few months have been a wild ride! I'll tell you about it in a few days (after I've recovered a bit) but for now, Merry Christmas EVERY ONE!

(Those are my parents in the back. Obviously that's me, Punk, and Andy in the front.)

Why Kari and I can't be alone...

2010-11-08T23:35:00.000-06:00

My friend Mindy took this photo of my friend, Kari, and I, at the wedding of our friend, Kate. You're better off not knowing what was happening before we noticed the camera... and this is why Kari and I aren't allowed to be alone together. heh.
The best moment of "girl time" was probably as we got ready for the Groom's Dinner the night before:

Mindy doing Kari's makeup: "I feel like I'm doing makeup for Halloween!"
Kari: "Is she making me look like a whore?"

Classic.

Ouch.

2010-10-28T14:29:00.001-05:00

giant fucking block of ice, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

So the 2 suburbs would be....

2010-10-10T02:22:00.000-05:00

Sioux City is just a huge wiener community ~My Father-in-law
(He was talking about food and how we have Coney Island and Milwaukee Wiener House and some other stuff, but I think you know where I went... )

PunkySaurus Rex

2010-10-10T02:19:00.000-05:00

Andy's mom made this for Punk for Halloween and Andy's dad brought it up with him when he came to visit this weekend. Halloween, smalloween. I think we all know that Punk wears costumes anytime I can get them on him! I LOVE it.

Joy in the Mail

2010-10-02T23:53:00.001-05:00

Ok, as promised, I want to show you the lovely package I got from Lori at My Heart With Pleasure Fills. Sorry it's taken so long, we've had some weird issue where our power cuts out? And somehow, I seem to be the only person concerned by this.... Anyway, it messes up out internet when it happens, so all my posts have been on the fly, which sucks, in case you were wondering.

Nothing enters our home without a good sniffing.

Cute little napkins.

Adorable plates!!

*sniff sniff*

This is the cutest darn note, but for some reason, stupid Blogger won't let me upload the picture of the other side!


Punk thinks the box is the best part!

Thanks so much for the awesome package, Lori!

Take Me to PunkyTown

2010-10-02T05:37:00.003-05:00

IMG_6022, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

So the lovely ladies over at Aiming Low have created a nifty new little challenge. "Picture It Outside of the Box" is a series about taking pictures differently than maybe you have otherwise. This week's theme is, appropriately, "Aim Low"

I crawled through the arm of my futon to get this shot, but Punk's pretty used to me getting in his face.
Ick, I didn't even notice the hair on the carpet until I looked at this shot.

A Demotivational Poster, WAITING to be Made!

2010-09-25T02:06:00.000-05:00

Moving.....just going from one dishwasher that doesn't work to another....

~my friend Sharon

A thank you... with Difficulty...

2010-09-23T19:22:00.000-05:00

I got a wonderful package from Lori at My Heart With Pleasure Fills the other day! I can't wait to post pictures of the nifty stuff she sent me! It might be a little while tho--our power keeps going out, something about outages in the area, so the internet is all messed up! (posting via email from my phone now!--I'm not even sure this will work) but Thank you Lori!!

wink

2010-09-23T12:29:00.001-05:00

*wink*, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

It's not as sweet as it seems.

2010-09-23T12:28:00.003-05:00

It's not as sweet as it seems., originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

This is right before he attacked me. He was just gathering all his energy for a full scale ass kicking.

Big Paws

2010-09-23T12:28:00.001-05:00

Big Paws, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Birthday Flowers 25

2010-09-23T00:43:00.002-05:00

Birthday Flowers 25, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

I can't believe I forgot to post this on the day!
(My birthday is Sept 9th)
Josh: So how does it feel to be 25?
Me: I dunno. I'm 24.

Feeties

2010-09-23T00:38:00.001-05:00

Feeties, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Paw Pads

2010-09-23T00:37:00.001-05:00

Paw Pads, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Oh, Andy...

2010-09-19T22:04:00.000-05:00

Are there 31 days in September? Wait, what's the month that only has 28 days? -andy

I love that man. sheesh.

Thanks, WW.

2010-09-05T22:03:00.001-05:00

Quote of the day:

Andy: Hey, you wrote that barbaric yawp thing on the mirror.
Me: Actually, Walt Whitman wrote that.
Andy: You're a jerk.

(In case you don't recognize it, that's "I sound my barbaric YAWP over the roofs of the world," from Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass.) I didn't tell him that it had taken 2 days before he noticed it.

(Thinking I should name all pets after poets from now on, just to confuse Andy when stuff like this happens.
"Hey you wrote that thing on the mirror!" "Actually it was Tennyson." "The cat?!?!")

Sewing projects as of 7-5-2010

2010-09-05T19:33:00.001-05:00

Sewing projects as of 7-5-2010, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

I;m a bit behind on my posting... as well as uploading to flickr... I keep forgetting to re-upgrade my flickr... Andy says he's doing it for my b-day tho! :D

Safety first... or 3rd, whatever.

2010-09-05T19:32:00.001-05:00

Safety first... or 3rd, whatever., originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

This is from a couple weeks ago when water started leaking in my windowsills again. I decided I better wear safety glasses before I accidentally poked my own eye out from being so mad... I recommended them for anyone near me as well!

Coffee Cozy 2

2010-09-05T19:30:00.001-05:00

Coffee Cozy 2, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Practicing these so i can make a few for Andy's dad for Christmas! He looooves coffee and drives a truck (like my dad) so I thought he'd appreciate them!

hex pincushion

2010-09-05T19:29:00.001-05:00

hex pincushion, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Coffee cozies together

2010-09-05T19:28:00.005-05:00

Coffee cozies together, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Build a bag

2010-09-05T19:28:00.003-05:00

Build a bag, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

"Whut? I'm helping"

2010-09-05T19:28:00.001-05:00

"Whut? I'm helping", originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Sooooooo tired, but must do more crafts....

2010-09-05T19:27:00.001-05:00

Sooooooo tired, but must do more crafts...., originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

testing out the first project I made with my sewing machine! Crafting is hard work!

Library Cat disapproves of your book choice.

2010-09-05T19:25:00.001-05:00

Library Cat disapproves of your book choice., originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

I cleaned the space between the futon and the bookshelf (I have my eye on an actual shelf for it, one that matches the shelf in the living room, but that's not at the top of my projects list right now!) Punk loves sitting wherever I clean (ah, fresh cat hair.... goodie!)

I have so much to tell you!

2010-08-11T00:18:00.000-05:00

Sorry I left you hanging! I didn't say anything before leaving because I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to go, but I spent the last part of July (and a couple days of August) house-sitting at my parents' house in Nebraska! (Andy actually wrote a guest post for me, but I'm his editor, so there was no one to look over his post while I was gone! Sorry!) I have a ton of pictures from the trip, I haven't really had a chance to upload most of them yet.

Since I got home, there's been a lot of cleaning and catching up on various things. Things are pretty chaotic-- there's a leaking problem from upstairs when it rains, so all the stuff I put away is out again, to keep it away from the water and such. Ooh! I also won a book from Read It Forward -- The King's Mistress -- which came as a surprise to me today! I haven't started it yet but once I get into it, I'll be sure to tell you all my favorite things!

In case you were wondering what all I did while I was gone, I thought I'd share my facebook statuses, but I did the entire post and then blogger stopped saving and froze and ate half this post! Maybe tomorrow will be a better day for it. :(

That's Why I Love Him

2010-07-14T21:15:00.000-05:00

"I said it in my head and thought 'that's dirty... I better as fuck say it then!'" ~Andy

For the Record....

2010-07-13T16:12:00.000-05:00

I refuse to feel bad for referring to the old bat down the hall as an old bat, just because she had a stroke. In fact, she's a MEAN old bat. I understand that she has limited understanding and mobility, so I let her have a lot more leeway than I generally grant people (before I start to dislike them) but that MEAN OLD BAT tried to run me over with her wheelchair. More than once.

I hope someday (even next week!) someone calls me an old bat.

You can't hear things like this anywhere else....

2010-07-13T03:14:00.000-05:00

Andy: You ok? (I had a pretty nasty bug this weekend {while at Andy's family reunion, of course}so I'm still suffering a few ill effects.)
Me: Yeah. Hungry, I think.
Andy: Yeah, I think I'm about to go cut some cheese.

The spoils of this weekend's "antiquing" trip!

2010-07-12T18:29:00.000-05:00

(The white vase on the left I got a few years ago. I was excited to see the other one (on the right) because it reminded me of the other one! I love them both!)

No pictures of the vase I poured Coke into last night, though! It's still in the sink!

This quote will make more sense when I get the pictures posted.

2010-07-12T01:31:00.000-05:00

Me: "Can I have a coke? I poured mine into the vase."
Andy: "Haven't heard that one before!"

Twat an interesting day!

2010-07-07T22:43:00.003-05:00

So today Andy was browsing and found this photo:

(I have no idea where it originally came from, he sent me an Imgur link, so this is where I got it.)

Andy: This is what we should use to keep Meghan in when she's drunk!!

Me: You ever use those? They are fucking hard to open! I have to use both hands! I don't have big enough hands!
*realization*
Me: I am a fucking toddler.

In other news, Crissy is having a Vajazzling kit giveaway. To enter, you simply have to write comment containing a haiku or a limerick about Down-There-Decorating.

So we all KNOW I had to enter.... He's my comment-- because I think I'm funny sometimes.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, thank goodness I took 3 years of college poetry. I'll have to tell my dad I used that degree in real life today. Maybe I'll leave out that it was a limerick about vaginas...

There once was a man from Rangina,
Who wanted his woman to have a sparkly vagina
"Vajazzle" he cried,
From embarrassment, she died
Although, the doctor declared it was angina.

alternate ending line (because I can't decide which I like better):
From embarrassment she died,
So he had to decorate his own Mangina.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The title of this post makes a lot more sense now, huh?

Quote of the day:

2010-07-06T19:52:00.001-05:00

Me: I'm a genius. That's cuz these *point at boobs* are actually brains.
Andy: Alert the men! Women with big tits actually have brains!

My New Friend

2010-07-05T14:13:00.000-05:00

I have been sorta MIA again. Something arrived this week that should have been instant blog fodder, but I got wrapped up playing with it. Heh, that sounded dirty and I like it. Anyway, the lovely, gorgeous, wonderful Angela from MomVault sent me a new friend! I'd been complaining about how I wasn't sure I could be a "real" crafter without a sewing machine. Sorry, pioneer-style women, but I can't sew everything by hand... but trust me, I tried! Anyway, Tuesday the UPS dude showed up (and of course, since it wasn't the FedEx dude, I wasn't naked this time! But I was taking a nap--how do they always know?!?!) and delivered this sweet baby!

I should have done this post right away, but as soon as it was unpacked I wanted to get started! Just one piece was damaged in the shipping and a little super glue fixed that right up!! I have projects to share with you, but that will be the next post. Since I've been wrapped up in projects (and since Punk has all those packing materials to drag all over the apartment) my home has gotten a little chaotic. I realized I have 2 laundry baskets of clothes waiting to be put away. 2 baskets of socks, undies, towels, and other assorted stuff awaits me. It's not like me to let stuff sit for a week! At least I hung the shirts, folded the towels and paired the socks already. When I get into a new project, it's hard to step away for the rest of the world! I forgot lunch 3 days in a row! Anyway, I better get back to tidying up. I'll try to get what I've been working on up later tonight, but first I need a clean space to take the pictures!!

Thanks again, Angela!!

Punk is enjoying it too!

"Oooh, fresh box!"

"Dis new toy for Punky? How I play wif it?"

"ZOMG! New box and paperz BEST TOYZ EVER!"

Happy Birthday, America!

2010-07-04T14:50:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, America!!

And THANK YOU to all of my soldiers!!

An Excerpt From The Letter I Sent My Dad Today.

2010-06-23T03:38:00.000-05:00

Dear Daddy,
Happy Birthday. You're really old, you know that? Like, older than dirt. There are mountains younger than you.
In honor of your birthday, I've written some things I love about you:

You are ridiculously stubborn. But it works for you.
You have a soft heart for stray cats.
You adopt all my friends.
You re-named Faith "Phooey" and taught her to say "bitch" instead of "beach." I probably wouldn't find that as funny if she'd said it in front of her mom.
You hate to paint and it amuses me since I LOVE it.
You go out and weed the Buffalo grass (by hand!) but you never mow the lawn.
You fix all the crap I can't, like the futon bar.
You do things yourself, so know I know how to install a picture window, put siding up, and build garage doors.
I'm 23 and you still ask if I want to go for a ride in the truck. (he drives a semi.)
You put up the self-portrait I put on my graduation announcements in your truck. You taped it over the boobie calendar. I bet the guys in the shop loooove you for that! Haha, but it took me over an hour to set up the studio to take that picture, so I appreciate it.
You built me a giant cat house so stupid Moki would be safe.
You buy me tools for my birthday, if I don't tell you what I want.
You fall asleep in the recliner. I fall asleep EVERY TIME I sit in my reading nook.
You walk the fence-line for no reason. I miss doing that.
You feed Fluffenstuf oatmeal.
You unplug everything.
You still call me Sweety.
You bought my favorite gift (my camera).
You are "cute, funny, handsome, modest and smart. Oh, and modest. Mostly modest."
You are older than dirt, but you are my rock.

The full letter is 60 things in honor of his 60th birthday. But I didn't think you'd want to read all 60. :P

Crunchy!!

2010-06-07T23:41:00.001-05:00

I made these the other day. I think I'm addicted now. I want to make mini ones and big one and put them everywhere! Although, they kind of remind me of this:

It's one of Punk's crunchy balls. How weird is that?

I also made a couple button-flower headbands. Kate thinks she might like all the ladies in her wedding party to wear them, so I thought I'd experiment with them a little.

(I don't know why that picture is to the left, since it's set to center. grrrrrrrrrrrr.)

And, finally, I spent the weekend with my Mother-in-law and my brother-in-law. Dawn (the MIL) brought me these super cute scrapbooks. (They're empty so I can decide what I want to put in them.)

They have such cute details inside! These are 2 of my favorites:

Of course, Punk loves the fabric on the bindings.

So cute!! Ok, I have to go beat the pants off Andy in MarioKart! Hahahahaha!

"Wayback" Wednesday: Painting Project

2010-06-02T02:40:00.001-05:00

This painting is from the first Valentine's Day that Andy and I dated. I painted it for him in my dorm room, which was totally against the rules, but that NEVER stopped me, hahahaha. I had planned to add another layer of paint (so it was all one tone of black instead of thick and thin areas--you can see right through the paint in a lot of places) but never got around to it. I brought it home with me from my parents' house last month and a couple weeks ago, I put it on the wall. It's never had a home before, it's just always been a project that needed finished. The more I look at it, the more I like the unevenness of the paint. And I love the way it looks on the wall.

I'm linking this to Domestically Speaking's Power of Paint party. Make sure you go over there and check out more of the awesome paint projects for this week!

Hug A Cat Day

2010-05-28T14:17:00.000-05:00

I just heard on Facebook that it's Hug A Cat Day (although Googling it says Hug A Cat Day is June 4th.) Punk just wants to know how this is different than every day.

"Uh, Mommeh? Ure squishin' mah lungz"

Whoops. Overdue Update. It's a Novel. Sorry.

2010-05-26T03:24:00.001-05:00

Sorry I haven't been with you guys for a while. I hadn't even noticed--things have been a bit hectic for a while--until Kristi asked where I've been. I've been here, I guess, just not vocal. Given how much has happened since the last post, let me catch you up:

We had a party (in our apartment--hence lotsa cleaning) for our anniversary. Found pixi stick sugar on the floor and pretzels behind the couch the day after-- pulled a muscle restraining myself from kicking the guest resposible's ass. Had to clean again.
Got a Wii. Spent time unlocking all levels and getting ratings only to discover I have to do it all again to unlock everything.
I hosted a sleepover for my favorite surrogate family. The kids swam in the hotel pool and then everyone had pizza in my apartment and the kids stayed here while their parents went back to the hotel. I figured they could use some alone time because they're moving soon (actually, they move officially tomorrow) and L was leaving a couple months early to set up their house and start work at the new place. So the kids stayed here. Of course, that meant cleaning up before and after them. It's crazy what 3 kids and 1 cat can do to an apartment.
Went mattress shopping to prepare for our tax return so we could finally get a bed. We've been sleeping on a futon for a year.
Bought a bridesmaids dress.
Went to Biolife regularly.
We had Easter at our apartment, just us. Andy got me an egg dyeing kit because I loooove dyeing eggs.

Baked a cheesecake for Andy's birthday. White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake.

Andy's dad and brother, Sam, came up to see Dan (Andy's other brother) run in the Sioux City Relays. Sam stayed with us part of the time. So guess what I did? Cleaned again.
My parents came up that weekend too, to bring our bed frame and a treadmill (the family who is moving gave it to me--the emergency stop thing is technically broken so they can't keep it around with kids--so they bought a new one- this one's been in their storage room for a while and since they're moving they needed to get rid of it fast.) Since they brought up all that stuff, I had to rearrange most of my apartment. The treadmill is in the corner of the living room so the futon, coffee table and lamp had to be moved. Oh, and all of Sam's stuff since he slept on the floor that night. (On the futon mattress-- one of our futon support bars came loose and neither Andy or I could get it back. My dad fixed it while he was here--oh, also, to clarify, we have a futon in the living room and one in the bedroom. We lived in a dorm before here, you know!) I also had to rearrange EVERYTHING in my bedroom. The bed is on the wall where my bookshelf used to be. I pulled all the books off the shelf and Andy took it apart to move it to the other side of the room. The futon was turned the opposite way and put up to couch position. So now one side of my bedroom is a reading nook. Love that. Bed frame assembled to wait for mattress.
Ordered a new mattress! Woo hoo! Put up art that had been waiting for that. Bought new sheets and washed them to be ready. Bought slats for under the box spring. The kid working at Home Depot cut EVERY. SINGLE. PIECE. WRONG. Pulled a muscle restraining myself from rolling my eyes and doing it for him.
Took Punk back to my parents' house in Nebraska to get his shots from a vet I used to babysit for (she trusted me with her kid, so I'll trust her with my baby.) Punk remembered her from last year and got so upset he got himself loose from his harness and crawled under the car. After scratching my face. Took a bit, but we finally got him out from under the car. We were all grateful he stayed under the car and didn't run instead. He's fast, dude. Finally we got the shots done. The only way to get Punk to hold still was for me to hold him and sing to him (Will you take me to... Punkytooooown!!) which impressed the vet. Andy made my day by telling her that Punk only likes me and just tolerates other people cuz I make him. While we were in NE, I packed up some of my favorite books and such to bring home with me.
Our mattress was delivered!

A kid I spent 3 summers nannying for just turned 16 a couple months ago and right before mother's day, she rolled her car. She broke broke 1 vertebrae, crushed another, broke 2 ribs and injured her knee. She is in rehab/physical therapy and seems to be doing well though.
I helped a friend move from Dakota Dunes back into Sioux City. She lives just down the hill from me now. I'm hoping that means I'll see her more. It's been a lonely for me here for the past few months.
Andy's brother's girlfriend stayed here before leaving on a class trip. Cleaned again. Boys are f-ing messy.
Got new internet service!!
Made Mother's Day cards and wedding dvds for the moms and grandparents.

Made recycled magazine coasters while watching season finales of my favorite shows.

Punk developed a lump on his back the size of a marble (right about where he got his shots). It didn't bother him but it bothers me. It's almost gone now, but it drove me crazy for a week. It showed up really fast and shrank really fast, but for a week, there was just a marble sized lump on his back and you could see it, no matter what he was doing.
Punk woke me up by barfing in the kitchen one morning, so I went outside and took photos of dew and such after I cleaned up the barf.

Planted a window garden. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be relocating it to the apartment of the friend who lives down the hill. She loves veggies too and had a key made so I can grow the plants on her deck.

I also painted new pots for them.

I reorganized my closet. It needed it. Every time I needed something from it, I had to drag 47 other things out first.
I checked to see if they'd filled the pool yet. I checked several days in a row. Finally today they started. With a garden hose. Shouldn't an in-ground pool have a system?
Finally, I "celebrated" Chad's birthday. That was by no means easy. In fact, it might have been the hardest thing on me all month. I realized a few days ago that I've now lived more years without him than with him. That sucks. Like, a lot.

Aren't you glad I did that in bullet points instead of paragraphs? You think it's long now? Trust me, it could be worse. So I'm sorry I hadn't blogged in so long, but I guess I was busy living. Thanks for reading, all of you who made it this far. I'm off to bed now. Nighty night.

Being Bodacious: Chapter 3

2010-04-14T18:56:00.002-05:00

I’m a couple weeks behind on Being Bodacious. I’ve been putting off this post for no real reason. I haven’t felt like typing anything, my internet is down, I miss my dad and this will make it worse. Those are the excuses I’ve given myself, but finally I just had to slap myself and remind myself that things won’t change unless I change them.

So, that being said, Edition 3 of Being Bodacious is about NAMES.

As the lovely Janey says, “A name is how you are identified. How you identify yourself. Often times, a name comes with a background or meaning or significance. Names are given with great care and thought.”

My given name is Misty Dawn. Long before I was born, or even conceived, my father was an over-the-road truck driver. (Over the Road is a radio program for truck drivers that I’ve always been fond of… that, actually, will come into play later). My dad used to do long hauls down to Texas (we’re from Nebraska) so he would be listening to the radio late at night as he drove. His favorite DJ was The Midnight Cowboy, Bill Mack. One night, Bill Mack announced that he and his wife had just had a baby, Misty Dawn.

My father was instantly enamored with the name and later called his mother to tell her that if he ever had a daughter, he was going to name her Misty Dawn. My parents had 2 sons first, but then I came along, and my father got his Misty Dawn.

The name turned out to be kind of coincidental… I was born at 6:04a.m. on a foggy day. A misty dawn. (And, in case you are wondering, I DID get that joke a lot as a child. And it’s not as funny as people seem to think it is. Or original. Do people REALLY think they’re the first one to think of that? Really??)

As for how it’s influenced me…. I don’t know. When I was younger, I always wanted to have a name that could be shortened into a nickname. All my dolls had long names so they could have cute nicknames. Other than that, I don’t know it’s had much of an effect on me--Although, when Andy first told his mom about me, and told her my name, she said it sounded “like a 70’s porn star,” Which, if you know me, you know I found ridiculously HILARIOUS—especially since I was in a “dirty girl” phase at the time…

Oh, and Over the Road? It was the first Bill Mack radio program I ever heard. Just a fun fact.

Year One

2010-03-18T16:06:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my (And Andy's too, I guess... whatever... LOL!) first wedding anniversary. The last week or so has just been hectic. We had a party to celebrate with some friends, because, helloooooo, wedding PLUS St. Pat's?? BIG DEAL HERE!! This weekend a family from my hometown is coming to visit us (I used to "second mother" them. I miss them TONS.) That said, I was too busy and too worn down to post yesterday. I was not worn too worn down, however, to torture my boys by making them take a family photo.

I set up the tripod, figured out the lighting, figured out the timer, and got everything ready before I even made them get off the couch. And wouldn't you know-- The SECOND the timer went off and the camera flashed, the cat got fed up and tried to propel himself off my face. Jerk.

So of course, I made them try again.

I gave up after bribery ended up in Punk biting my fingers just as the picture was taken.

Oh, and please excuse my puffy face. Apparently, it's a terrible idea to have Chinese food right after going to Biolife because the salt will make your face blow up like a balloon. And somehow there's a giant shadow behind my head even though I spent 10 minutes while setting up on lighting. I blame the cat.

I also put up my shamrock lights last week (they were a bachelorette gift from my dear friend, Kate. I've never put them up because Punk always liked to try to chew on the wires, but he appears indifferent to them now. I'm glad cuz I love them. I've used them every night since I put them up).

I love how this came out. OK, so much to do before company comes!! Thanks for reading!

With Love

2010-03-09T15:32:00.001-06:00

A dear, dear friend lost his sweet kitty to cancer recently, and if you know me, you know I'm crying my eyes out for him. And given my last post, and the emotional state I'm in lately, you can probably guess that I've spent a huge portion of this week curled up in a ball, unable to do anything but cry.
I've lost a multitude of pets in the past, but Punk is my first indoor cat and I simply can not imagine what I would do if anything were to happen to him.

The Blues

2010-02-27T17:29:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted in so long. Our internet has been total crap lately and can't be fixed at least until some of this snow is gone. Andy told me last week that the news said even if it warms up to 60 degrees and stays that way, with as much snow as we have, it won't be all melted until the middle of April. FML. So until then, I struggle onward.

I have The SAD really bad this year. I get a little blue every winter, especially in December, with the whole Chad thing, but it's February now and I still can't find me. I was contacted for a giveaway/review for a site selling bar stools, as well as cookware and tons of other things that I love, but I just can't pull myself out of the mire enough to even pick an item. YOU KNOW it's bad when I can't pick a piece of cookware! (Could you all click on that link please? I'd like to help the guy out a bit, even if I'm down in the dumps.)

I've taken up going to the gym at night because a) exercise is supposed to release the chemicals that relieve depression and b) one of my college BFFs is getting married and sent me the final bridesmaids dresses. As I am supposed to be the Maid of Honor (actually Matron. That's depressing too. I need a better word. Can I be the "Awesome-ess of Honor"? --Say it like Goddess-- awesomess) I have to get in shape to wear this:

I was actually starting to enjoy the gym and feel better about myself when the temperature plummeted back to -5 degrees. That blew my good mood right out of the sky. I'm still going to the gym, but I abhor the thought every day.

I miss the sunshine and I ache for heat. Are there any readers in the south I can come visit? I got the bluuuuuez.

*Janey at Confessions of a Middle Aged Suburban Diva put up another Being Bodacious challenge over a week ago... I promise I'll get to it, but right now, even writing this has been a strain.

Being Bodacious: Chapter 2

2010-02-11T23:08:00.001-06:00

This week, Janey challenged each of her Being Bodacious girls to pick a theme song for herself. She says:
"A theme song should serve a couple of purposes, the way I see it. First, it should be a song YOU love. Not like, not tolerate, not think is just so-so. LOVE. Second, it should be a song whose lyrics – and even the melody – should represent some part, some essence of you. A song that makes you feel good. Gives you confidence. Lifts your spirits. Highlights your bodaciousness."

It's funny that Janey should choose music for this week. Andy and I have decided that I'm at a stage in my life, where I just need a new iPod. And of course, I want the Nano. It speaks to me. I have 2 shuffles (and I LOOOOOVE them), but I need to see titles and make proper playlists and have my ENTIRE collection on one device. So for 2 weeks I've been going through cds, getting ALL information about my music and getting my iTunes in order. I'm missing A LOT of stuff. But from each of those CDs, I'm reminded of other CDs. I found one with a Carolyn Dawn Johnson song on it. That reminded me of "Complicated" and "I Don't Want You To Go" and tons of others that were, for a time at least, theme songs of my younger years. "Complicated" reminded me of a guy friend I had it bad for. I used to watch music videos while I cooked with my babysitting kids and belt out the songs... They were my anthem.

As much as I loved those songs, and still love them now, they aren't me anymore. I have my husband and I adore him even when I want to kill him. (It's a good thing he makes me laugh!) I don't pine silently for a friend and I don't worry about others seeing that I *gasp* LIKE this boy. Those songs, are the soundtrack of my past.

Then there's "The Good Stuff" by Kenny Chesney. This is what I tell people when they ask my favorite song. It is my favorite, so much so that I put it on my netbook. It was also my "go to" song for this challenge. But as much as I love this song, it's not about me. It's about what I want to be but not what I am now. I want those lyrics to be what Andy thinks of me someday when he scatters my ashes in Yellowstone.

Some of the lyrics fit my life now, they're the ones on my computer. It's the part about meeting your love and getting married and taking care of each other. That's the song of my life.

But if you want the song that I love, the song that lifts me up, the song that reminds me who I am, I'd have to say "God Doesn't Make Mistakes" by Carolyn Dawn Johnson. (I'm not a huge fan of embedding videos on my blog--they take so long to load-- so those are just linked. I hope you enjoy them.) The Lyrics are:

A couple inches taller
Another size smaller
A little curl in my hair
Used to wish I was older
Now I wish I was younger
Back when I didn't have a care
Most of the time I am happy with what God gave me
Once in a while I wish that some miracle would change me

I'm ok with the way God made me
I have my days but doesn't everybody
It's not always easy for me to believe in myself
But I gotta remember
I'm always gonna be a better me than anyone else
And God doesn't make mistakes

Mama says I'm special
Calls me her little angel
Yeah, I could almost do no wrong
But I trip and stumble
Guess that's what keeps you humble
But I pick myself up and I carry on
I'll never be a flawless model of perfection
Nobody's perfect and I admit I'm no exception

I'm ok with the way God made me
I have my days but doesn't everybody
It's not always easy for me to believe in myself
But I gotta remember
I'm always gonna be a better me than anyone else
And God doesn't make mistakes

I'm thankful for the rainy days
They only make the sunshine sweeter

I'm ok with the way God made me
I have my days but doesn't everybody
It's not always easy for me to believe in myself
But I gotta remember
I'm always gonna be a better me than anyone else
And God doesn't make mistakes

And some days--ok, a lot of days-- I need that reminder, that I'm not perfect, but I'm me, and I'm pretty damn awesome.

Snuggle Punky

2010-02-10T00:25:00.000-06:00

I realized today I haven't Punk'd you for a while, so I thought I'd share what we've been doing.

This is Punk relaxing after having his toenails clipped last night. He looks so calm, it's hard to believe he almost chewed my arm off trying to get free. I'll try to add more pictures this week. It seems like I've been constantly busy since the beginning of the year, though I can't think of anything I've done!

Alright, gotta get back to working on picking a theme song for the next Being Bodacious post!

Being Bodacious: Chapter 1

2010-02-03T03:18:00.001-06:00

Citizen Jane of Confessions of a Middle-Aged Suburban Diva has started a new weekly challenge in order to remind us all of how we are all full of awesome and win. She calls it "Being Bodacious" (Isn't that an AWESOME title? I haven't heard the word 'bodacious' used in forever. I'd love to see it make a comeback). What a great idea. WHO, again I ask, WHO couldn't use a reminder that he or she is a wonderful, talented person? Life is busy and sometimes you forget. Maybe sometime you take a hit at your job. Maybe a loved one dies. Maybe you get sick. Maybe you just have a shitty year and forget. This is the challenge: to remember how awesome you are at Being Bodacious. Each week Jane will post a new challenge.

This week's challenge is to finish this sentence: “One thing I love about my body is…”

A few people have posted that they love their breasts. I do too. Just a year or so ago, I would have told you they were my favorite body parts. They were the one source of confidence for me in high school. They've done a lot of "heavy lifting" for me. They've been touched, both consensually and without permission. They've filled sweaters and cuddled babies. They've held my iPod and they've nearly suffocated the cat. They have MANY uses. But as I get older, I realize breasts aren't the be-all, end-all of body parts. They get in the way. They knock stuff over. They get tender for no apparent reason at all. Breasts are great, but if I just define myself as just a great rack, I'll end up BEING a boob. (That's not to say that it's not a great thing to be proud of, just that when I focused solely on my boobs, I forgot about other things that were great about me.)

Some people mentioned their eyes. I have great eyes--well, I have beautiful eyes--without contacts, I'm pretty blind. I can't even wear glasses because the lenses aren't close enough to my eyes and it bothers me. They are beautiful though. A lot of people tell you that they have gray eyes when they're mad and green eyes when they're horny or whatever. Not me. Mine are blue. Always blue. The tint changes depending on how I feel, super pale when I'm sick, sometimes blue-green when I'm really excited, but always blue. I like that.

Some people mentioned their hair. I don't even know how to start talking about my hair. Let's just say it isn't my favorite feature and move on.

My hands can do many things and do them well, and for that they earn my respect but they aren't my favorite.

My husband tells me I have cute feet, but they make me self-conscious in front of anyone but him. I'm still trying to change that, but I don't think they'll be my favorite anytime soon.

Out of my entire body, the thing I love the most, the thing that makes me feel the best, has to be my skin. I have ridiculously soft skin. I am addicted to body butter and lotion in ways I have found not many people understand, not even other girls. I used to have really sensitive, dry, allergy-prone skin. I once broke out from making natural paper in Art class bad enough that my hands and arms didn't heal for almost a month. That year, I began (what I presume will be) a life-long love-affair with lotion.

After each bath or shower, I put lotion everywhere. Nothing makes me feel sexier than being fresh from the shower and then rubbing lotion all over. I am like a sponge. My college roommate used to make fun of me for my addiction until a guy friend pointed out that I had "the softest skin ever."

My husband has told me sometimes when he has a bad day, he just thinks about touching me. That just the idea of my skin makes him feel better. That makes me feel like I am pretty hot stuff. I'll be the first to admit I am probably "over-moisturizing" (I say that in quotes cuz I'm not sure I actually believe that's even possible...) but even now, when I have a rash from my birth control on my arm, that "dry" skin is still softer and smoother than any (other person's) skin that I've ever touched.

So there you have it. I'm passionate about skin. That was wordy and probably sounded boastful, but skin is *my thing*. I've taken a lot of hits this year-- from my job, from my family, from life in general so I'm clinging to that, even if it sounds boastful. My skin is my favorite thing about myself.

**If you'd like to join Being Bodacious, head over to Jane's blog and add yourself to the Mr.Linky!**

JimmyJane Afterglow Candle

2010-01-31T22:00:00.000-06:00

A few months ago, one of my favorite blogs, Toy With Me, ran a giveaway for a Jimmy Jane AFTERGLOW Massage Oil Candle. In order to win, readers had to leave a comment with the strangest place they've ever had sex. I won. My situation wasn't so much a weird place as a weird twist. Let's just say, sheep were involved. But not the way you might think.

Sheep aside, a few days after the contest ended, a package was delivered as I was on my way out. So of course, I walked back inside and wasted no time ripping it open.

Ok, maybe I wasted a little time. It wouldn't be me if I didn't do something ridiculous/silly/stupid. Annnnyway.... My first thought after opening the shipping box was how nice the product packing is.

I love all the little details, especially the "Melt Me" inside the top of the lid. Gorgeous.

They really think of everything. Inside there are instructions for proper, safe use of the candle, as well as a brush for application and matches. Again, the packaging is superb.

The tiny details amaze me.

I picked the Black Currant scent, and even before unwrapping, it smelled heavenly through the plastic.

I had intended to post a review of it right away, but life gets in the way sometimes. In any case, I decided that maybe I should use it a few times before I posted my opinions. So here it is months later and how do I feel? I still love it.

The candle is a simple but elegant design, a glass holder with JimmyJane printed on the front of the frosted glass. The smell is still divine even after sitting on my bedside table for months, getting covered with the occasional dusting of cat hair (no really. Punk likes to sit on the bedside table while I sleep--that is, if he isn't sleeping on my feet. I dust off the top of the candle every time I light it. I swear he picks the weirdest places to leave hair. The carpet is clean but every time I clean the bathroom I come back in to find fur all over. But I digress....)

JimmyJane recommends letting it melt all the way to the edges before using it so that it doesn't get a weird melting pattern. The oil did take much longer to melt than I expected and didn't look quite as nice afterward (when it solidified again), but our enjoyment definitely made up for that. The oil has a low melting point so once it is melted, it stays liquid for quite a while. The included brush is wonderful for applying the oil to skin. Andy and I both really enjoyed being massaged with the oil. I was concerned that when melted the smell would be overpowering or too feminine, but it was fragrant without overwhelming and Andy loves the smell.

Since the oil has such a low melting point, you can also pour it on the skin (be aware that this will change how the candle looks) or dip your fingers in it without burning anyone. I especially enjoyed the heat on my skin. I was afraid it would be too greasy or leave stains on my sheets, but it rubbed in extremely well and the few drips we got on the sheets didn't even show.

I have pretty sensitive skin but I used the candle with no ill effects. Afterward, the brush washes clean with just warm water and some shampoo. I stand it up to ensure the bristles dry ok, but I don't really worry much about it. A few bristles might fall out the first time you wash it, but after that, it's a pretty durable tool.

Overall, I was shocked by how much I do love the JimmyJane Afterglow candle. I don't like overly strong smells and I'm not really fond of open flame, but the pure bliss of the JimmyJane Afterglow Candle has totally won me over. We are currently about 3/4 of the way through our JimmyJane candle and I will definitely order more after this one. I would also put serious thought towards any of their luxurious massage series. Overall, I would say tiny details, like the box of matches, as well as the beautiful simplicity of the Afterglow Candle make it a purchase that is well worth your time.

How My Vagina Broke My Mind

2010-01-04T03:46:00.000-06:00

If you follow me on Twitter, Plurk or maybe even Facebook (sorry, not linking to that... I don't even recognize some of the people I know, I don't think I could handle more friends.) you'll know that I haven't slept normally since we moved into our new apartment. (Yeah, yeah, we've lived here 5 months, it's not really the "new" apartment. Whatever. *This* apartment)

It started slowly, I just had trouble going to sleep with Andy snoring. Once I got to sleep I was fine. Then I started going to bed later than Andy because I didn't have to worry about being up for work in the morning. And I just lay awake anyway, so there was no point to going to bed early. Week after week, I've gone to bed later and later. It got to the point where I went to bed as Andy went to work (6 or 8 am) and slept about 5 hours or so, depending. There was 1 night where I stayed awake until 1pm the next day. Lemme just say, there is a whole other level of weird when you've been up for a day and a half and *then* you clean the entire apartment. There's a pretty high level of crazy to vacuuming your apartment at 8am.

I've complained and complained to Andy that he's driving me crazy. We've tried the nose strips that are supposed to help you breathe better. I've gotten so desperate that I tried drinking cough syrup to put me to sleep. Nothing has worked.

Back in the old apartment, I used to sleep perfectly. I could get up in the morning with little or no problem. I could go to work, come home, take a shower, take a nap and STILL go to bed with no problem. Some days I could even take a nap in my office over lunch and still sleep.

Andy has asked over and over, what is so different now? And until the other night, I couldn't tell him. It wasn't the temperature. It wasn't too loud. It was consistently quieter than the other apartment. But it wasn't too quiet. I had NO IDEA why I couldn't sleep at night.

Then the other night, as I lay awake (we were going to my parents' house the next day, so I was trying to sleep but just laying awake as always--side note: you know the kid who is too excited to sleep before Christmas? That is TOTALLY me the night before we go on a trip-- I was reflecting on what changes have occurred in the last year and I realized I started birth control the week we moved into this apartment.

So of course, I consulted Dr. Google.

Apparently, since birth control tricks the body into thinking it's pregnant, it can also cause the same sleep problems as pregnant women sometimes have--which is probably why half the time I wake up in the middle of the night thinking it is 8,000 degrees in the apartment. And why I've eaten 12 pounds of chocolate even though I normally couldn't care less about it. And the nesting... oh, the nesting. (actually the nesting is kind of normal. haha)

Are you kidding me? My hoo-ha broke my circadian rhythm. Re-fricking-diculous.

So now what the hell am I gonna do? I just got over the really bad side effects of the freaking pill. I don't want to change now.

If anyone has ANY suggestions, I'm open to them. Or tell me your ridiculous vagina stories. PLEASE.

Things I Learned This Christmas

2009-12-27T20:17:00.000-06:00

I learned some important things this year. I feel I should share my new-found wisdom so that you, dear readers, can learn from my Christmas mistakes!

Wax paper doesn't go in the oven. That's what parchment paper is for; if you think it's no big deal to substitute wax paper for parchment paper so you don't have to run out to the store for more parchment paper two days before Christmas, your kitchen WILL SMELL LIKE A CANDLE ON FIRE.
Stained Glass Cookies are NOT worth the effort to make. They are DEFINITELY not worth running out to the store 2 days before Christmas to get more parchment paper. We threw away the dough. Too sticky to use the cookie cutters on, not worth the frickin' effort. I consider it a Christmas gift to my sanity.
If you FILL your freezer with cookies for everyone's Christmas gifts, YOU WILL GET SNOWED IN. And you will be stuck with all those frickin' cookies in your freezer until you can make it to your hometown and give them away. Cuz you REALLY don't want to eat them and have to re-make all those damn things.
If you wait to buy your mom a knock-off Snuggie, (because she refuses to see logic and just wear a robe backwards, cuz let's face it, same thing, except you can TIE a robe!!) they'll sell out.
As soon as you hang your stocking on the wall, the cat will become ENTHRALLED with it, even if he's been sleeping on all of them for 3 weeks. (You know, the 3 weeks between when you dug them out of the closet and found the Command hooks and put the hooks up on the wall and finally got around to putting the stockings up.)
If you give you husband (long and tall) pilsners for Christmas and you aren't sure they are dishwasher safe, buy a bottle brush BEFORE Christmas, so that you are SURE you have one when he tries them out. Because those are a B*TCH to try to stuff your hand down in and clean out.

So now you know how my last week has gone and why I have done pretty much nothing except bag up the trash since Christmas. I took a day and a half off the sit around. Now I should probably get back to work. Blerg.

The Week In Cookies... or something.

2009-12-21T03:09:00.000-06:00

It's been a week since my last post. I'm busy enough during the day that I don't have words by the time I get around to the computer.

Yesterday, my dad bought my birthday present. Dude needs a calendar; my birthday is in September. Maybe that's what I should have gotten him for Christmas.

I am so tired. Getting ready for Christmas is exhausting. I'm making cookies and other baked goods for my friends. If God can't make me thin, I'll make my friends fat, and all that jazz.

I made Oreo Bonbons today.

Tomorrow (well, technically today, it's after midnight) I'm going to my office to turn in my keys. I will no longer be the service-learning coordinator. You have no idea how happy this makes me. I love the title, but I HATE the job.

Tomorrow, I have to have lunch with TheWeasel. I'm not looking forward to that.

Tomorrow, it is also my goal to clean out the rest of the stuff that's still in the van from when we moved. Then hopefully it'll get better gas mileage for the TRIP TO MY PARENTS' HOUSE!!!!! this week. And we'll have room to bring back the bar-stools from my parents' basement. I can't wait to have seats to eat at instead of the floor or the couch all the time.

Tuesday, Andy and I are making Stained Glass Cookies(I use the site she links back to, but it's not loading right now), Snickerdoodles for Jamie, Cake Pops a la Bakerella, and Nutella Turnovers. Hopefully all that stuff will work out. I added food coloring and thinned the almond bark on the Oreo Bonbons so they look kind of different than usual. They still taste great though. I hope everything works out and people like them.

OK, I should post this and wrap up and go to bed.

--Oh! And I made a stocking for Punk. And Andy's aunt made him 2 scarves and they should be in the mail! Punk likes scarves. He drags mine around the house. I'm excited.

Chad Ora Howard-- May 25, 1979-December 13, 1995

2009-12-13T02:16:00.001-06:00

There are some things you never think you’ll have to say. And then there are things you say so often you’re surprised when someone hasn’t heard them.

When I was 9 years old, in fourth grade, I got the flu on a Sunday morning. So I stayed home from church. Monday I felt better but my parents kept me home to make sure I was ok. Tuesday I relapsed and was sick all morning but better in the afternoon. When my brother got home from school, (he was a high school junior) I had been cooped up in the house so long, I wanted to play. He suggested Legos. I refused. I wanted Barbies. We got in a fight and he told me that Mari, his girlfriend in Montana, played Legos, and that was why she was so smart. That, of course, infuriated me, so I yelled that I hated him and went back to my room.

After supper I was so bored and stir-crazy, I was willing to apologize, and even to play Legos. So I went to my brother’s room downstairs. The door was locked. I told him I was sorry through the door and that, if he still wanted, I would play Legos. No reply. So I went upstairs and told my dad. He told me to tell Chad that “he said” to open the door.

No reply.

So I went back upstairs and told him that. He told me to tell Chad that if he didn’t open the door, he would have to do dishes, the most dreaded chore in our house. I went back down.

No reply.

At that point, I had had enough. I didn’t want to tell anyone, but I still wasn’t feeling 100% well and all the running up and down the stairs was making me feel sick again. So I sat on the couch and read the comics from the Sunday newspaper. If Chad didn’t want to play that badly, then he wouldn’t be any fun to play with anyway.

The next morning, I still wasn’t feeling very well, but I had decided I WAS GOING to school. I got up at my normal time, got dressed and wandered out to the kitchen to eat the breakfast my father had prepared for me ahead of time. As I was eating my soggy Cocoa Pebbles, my father remarked that Chad hadn’t come up from his room yet. Normally he beat me to the kitchen table. He was always upstairs by 7:15 at the latest.

So my dad went downstairs to make sure Chad was up. His door was still locked. He usually slept with the door closed, but not locked. My dad yelled up at my mom to get the spare key to Chad’s room. My mom got the key, I handed it to my dad when he came up and he told me I should go wash my hands, I don’t know why. So I went to wash my hands and heard my dad yell up at my mom to call an ambulance.

After washing my hands, I went to the stack of folded laundry in the living room, looking for a towel. As I was leaving the living room my mom was entering and I remember dancing around in a Chip and Dale style dance, arms straight out, half hugging, no touching except the hands on each others’ shoulders. Then she sent me to my room and told me Ken and Dee, the neighbors down the road, were gonna come get me for a while.

I sat in my room, waiting. I didn’t know what was going on; I just sort of felt empty inside. I sat on the floor next to my bed and tried to play paper dolls, but I didn’t have any interest in them.

Ken and Dee arrived in what probably was record time, and I left before the ambulance came. I spent the day at Ken and Dee’s doing various things, making paper crafts, playing with dolls, the usual. No one told me anything until around 3pm. Ken came home, from the hospital, I presume, and told me that Chad had gone to heaven. I didn’t really listen. I thought he must have been confused or something. I don’t know. I just went on going what I was doing. I stayed until supper time. My parents’ actually got home and came to get my while I was having supper with Ken and Dee. All the adults decided that Ken could just bring me home after I had eaten.

When I got home, my mother was looking in the fridge. I asked her how Chad was. She said he was much better. Not getting the answer I was looking for, I found my father in the dark, looking out the picture window in the living room. I asked him how Chad was. He looked down at me and asked hadn’t Ken said anything to me? Chad died. I didn’t know what to do. Ken had to be wrong. Where was my big brother? I don’t remember anything else from that night except that there were more presents under the Christmas tree, without tags and I asked who they were for and my parents said me; who else could they be for?

The one where I talk about Bawls.

2009-11-22T20:47:00.000-06:00

My brother-in-law, Dan, has been collecting energy drink cans since he was in junior high. He was way ahead of the energy drink trend. He's tried at least 100 different types of energy drinks.

The last time Andy and I went to his parents' house, Dan and his friends introduced us to G33K B33R. G33K B33R is a caffeinated root beer made by Bawls. As Andy puts it, it's "a unique taste that is pretty much the essence delicious."

According to the Bawls website, G33K B33R is "the first-ever high caffeine root beer, spiked with guarana! G33K B33R has a smooth, refreshing root beer taste with enough caffeine to make it as strong as a cup of coffee. It’s the perfect drink for any gamer, techie, student or root beer fan in need of a tasty Bounce!"

This all sounds amazing right? Except for the part where the universe likes to screw with us. When we first discovered G33K B33R, Andy and I searched all over town. We could barely find any Bawls at all. (what's a girl to do without Bawls?!?!) In the last month as we've looked for G33K B33R, we've noticed steadily declining availability of Bawls. We used to be able to find it at Target, then they stopped carrying it... Our favorite Casey's stopped carrying it...

Last week we finally found some G33K B33R at a Casey's. We bought their last 4 cans of Bawls....and they informed us they were probably not getting any more Bawls, especially G33K B33R. Are you kidding me?!?!?

After tweeting my dismay, BAWLSGuarana replied that I should look at Kum&Gos in the city. Rabble Rabble Rabble. Like I haven't spent enough time looking for gas stations.

So I present to you, The Quest For BAWLS. Andy has made a custom Google map to go on the side of my blog to map out where we find Bawls. Wish us luck. Cuz every girl needs some Bawls.

Works in Progress

2009-11-17T03:07:00.000-06:00

Hello all.

I haven't forgot about you, don't worry. I think of you everyday. I'm currently in the process of writing a few posts for your enjoyment. They just aren't flowing quite the way I would like.

Here's glimpse of what I'm working on:

~A week or so ago, one of my favorite blogs Toy With Me, ran a giveaway for a Jimmy Jane AFTERGLOW Massage Oil Candle. In order to win, readers had to leave a comment with the strangest place they've ever had sex. I won. My situation wasn't so much a weird place as a weird twist. Let's just say, sheep were involved. But not the way you might think.

~My dad went downstairs to make sure Chad was up. His door was still locked. He usually slept with the door closed, but not locked. My dad yelled up at my mom to get the spare key to Chad's room. My mom got the key, I handed it to my dad when he came up and he told me I should go wash my hands, I don't know why. So I went to wash my hands and heard my dad yell up at my mom to call an ambulance.

~I'm writing a new bio/'about me' section for this blog and for twitter, but I don't have an excerpt of that ready. I guess I have a post about me at the beginning of all of this, but who is really going to go back through the entire blog to find out who I am??

Andy and I are also working on a blogroll and a new header to brighten it up around here. I think there's something else that we're working on that I'm forgetting to mention, but it's 3 am and I'm watching House, MD. I'm probably missing more than I realize, haha. Oh, and a new icon for my twitter feed over there on the right. Yeah. I think that's at least most of what's in the works.

Oh and by the way, Andy and I have been married 8 months today. In honor of neither of us killing each other, I'll leave you with some pictures of the joyous day.

*Stupid new blogger "click and drag" method. I had a cute, meaningful arrangement for those photos, instead of just all left aligned, and blogger kept reorganizing them and making them look even in click and drag version but not in the previews. Annoying. I'll try again later today to fix it, since it seems to be some kind of glitch. (the photos wouldn't post from flickr either. I hope this will fix itself......)

Too Early

2009-11-11T22:38:00.000-06:00

Today would be Madeline Alice Spohr's 2nd birthday. She was born WAY too early. She lived wholeheartedly, but she died WAY TOO EARLY. Her bright smile cheered the lives of everyone she knew and hundreds of people who never got to meet her.

Her parents have founded the non-profit organization Friends of Maddie that "supports the families of critically ill babies by easing the transition into NICU life and providing an ally until the end of their child’s hospital stay." (from their website) They provide Family Support packs to hospitals for the families of babies in the NICU; they help families find lodging while the babies are in the hospital; and they help create a support network for families.
"Not every child’s entry into this world is an easy one, but by supporting Friends of Maddie you can ensure that their families don’t have to go it alone."

Every baby deserves a healthy start. The March of Dimes funds research for the prevention of premature birth and the care of all babies. There are many ways to support the March of Dimes and Friends of Maddie and help every baby get a healthy beginning. Check out their websites to see what you can do to help.

Punk is a Friend of Maddie. Are you?

Dance, Monkey!

2009-11-10T22:59:00.000-06:00

It's good to have stooges. This afternoon Andy and I were talking about randoms things while walking out of the mall and Andy happened to mention something *forbidden*. Realizing he'd something I could potentially get mad about, he turned to me and said "You'd kill me, huh?" To which I replied, "Nope, I'd have Punk do it. It's good to have minions."

You might notice some changes here (for those of you reading in a reader, nothing should have changed). I put one of my groupies to work today adding a better comment feature and a twitter feed. I *think* he fixed the Google Analytics, but we'll have to wait until tomorrow to be sure. Hopefully it's fixed and not broken more... I hope you enjoy the changes.

Minions are awesome.

How to lighten your hair, Cunningham-style*

2009-11-04T04:25:00.000-06:00

Step one:
Wet hair thoroughly.

Step two:
Get out of the the shower and curse at the coldness of the room.

Step three:
Drip on the cat. This serves 2 purposes. 1. It amuses you and takes your mind off how cold you are. 2. It makes the cat run out of the bathroom by himself instead of you having to pick him up and getting cat fur stuck all over your wet body.

Step four:
Shut the cat out of the bathroom. If you don't, he'll decide the lemon juice you are spraying in your hair smells delicious and will try to lick your hair. He will then, of course, end up scratching you as you try to push him away. Then the lemon juice will drip down your neck and burn like a sonofabitch in that scratch.

Step five:
Spray lemon juice throughout your hair and comb through it with a fairly fine toothed comb. (If you feel it is necessary, be sure to curse any and all tangles that get caught in the comb. Luckily, lemon juice is pretty slippery and doesn't seem to make hair tangle. (maybe that's just cuz I have short, fine hair, but I used to get tangles like crazy, so use your best judgment. Curse if you think it will help.))

Step six:
Walk to the bedroom dripping water and lemon juice down to your towel cuz you didn't wring your hair out (or drip on the cat) enough. Remember to do that more thoroughly next time.

Step seven:
Blow dry your hair thoroughly as the heat is what activates the lemon's acid. Make sure you blow dry the cat a little too. He loves it, I promise......

Step eight:
Wait a few hours to get maximum effect and then shower again. Whether or not you wash your hair can actually be up to you, many people shampoo with lemon to avoid mineral buildup. Either way, be sure to condition since lemon can possibly dry out your hair. This can be combated with olive oil brushed on the roots, but then you run the risk of the cat licking you again.

Step nine:
Either repeat in a few days (don't try it everyday, remember the over-drying!) or say "Fuck it" and just get used to the color your hair is.

Optional Step ten:
Wait for your husband to get home and notice that your hair looks different. If he doesn't, spray lemon juice on him and see if he can sleep through the cat licking his nipples all night.

*Cunningham Style: I don't like chemicals on my head, my brain has enough problems. And I'm cheap... *ahem* economical.

A ramble-y type post about self-censorship... and sex (?)

2009-10-30T03:24:00.001-05:00

Ohhhhhhh, the things I could say... And the things I can't say... Let's just say that the things I can't say, far outweigh the things I can say. Or maybe it's that I won't say those things. I struggle to know what I want the world to know and what I don't. I leave a lot of comments on other blogs, comments that track back here. I say things on other blogs that I am afraid to say here for fear that certain people may somehow find this. That sounds like I'm in the CIA or something... In which case I'd be much better at hiding my identity huh? And I'd have a cooler blog name, not the only thing I could think of at the time... ...Anyway, I meant people I know, like my 2nd Mom. For the record, my second mom isn't technically my mom at all. I babysat her kids for years and she taught me pretty much everything I know about being a mom/wife/woman/etc. I sent her the link to a post I wrote last year, and I get paranoid that she'll somehow stumble on this and read something inappropriate.

Except for my husband, she's the only person I know, face-to-face, that I have ever shared this link with. I have a t-shirt that says "I'm blogging this" but no one has ever commented on it. No one has ever asked. I'm not ever sure how I feel about that.

After a couple of fights where I changed my Facebook status, I promised Andy I would never post arguments or things that are just between us online. Not like "fit of rage" posts anyway. Some days, though, I feel like he doesn't know me, know who I am, or what I am about, and I write little "journal" entries to myself. I never post them, but I feel better getting them out. I worry about that though.

I'm really rambling now, especially since I started thinking about the things I say and don't say after entering a contest at another blog. The entry was to post the oddest place you've done the Nasssssty. I entered a story and started thinking about how it is a funny story, but I would probably never share it here. Which is a shame, cuz let's face it, I need all the personality I can get on this blog! And if a friend asked, I would tell them the story. I've shared it online before. But I don't know if I could sleep if I posted it here. Cuz What IF?

I'm going to hell in a handbasket, because my minivan won't start

2009-10-27T15:15:00.000-05:00

I've been really absent lately. I've been tweeting but I haven't had much more than 140 characters to say. I find myself writing things in my head, but when I get to Peasley, I have no words. My fingers don't want to type and I can't string together more than 2 thoughts.
Stuff has been happening, I just haven't had the heart to type up all my thoughts and publish them for the world to see. (And by "world" I, of course, mean my 3 readers. Hi Kris, Sarah, and Analise!)

In August, I finished my year as an AmeriCorps VISTA. The dean asked me to stay in part time until they got a new VISTA. They were hoping to get a new one in November, but they missed the deadline, so the earliest they can get one now is February. At any rate, I was asked to work a certain number of hours at a certain rate. The rate is higher than my time was as a VISTA, obviously. However, due to the time differences (part time vs full time) I make less in a month than I did in 2 weeks as a VISTA. Isn't that a bitch?

The same week I finished my VISTA term, Andy, Punk and I "officially" moved into our new apartment. I say "officially" because we had keys all of August and moved our stuff slowly over, but we stayed at the old apartment every night until we had to check out because I could walk to work. Once we finally slept a night in the new apartment, we stayed all nights there. That was probably best for Punk, but it was really hard for me.

Also that week, we switched cars with Andy's brother.
The first week of both Andy and I commuting to work (we live about 10 miles from M'side now) It rained a solid day and when Andy picked me up from work, the was water inside the dash. As we turned corners, it sloshed around and leaked out, INTO the van in the passenger side foot-well. It wasn't in the glove compartment and it didn't seem to damage anything, and even with several rainy days, it hasn't happened again, But it doesn't make my any happier about the situation. Andy thinks there is just a leaky seal where the wipers meet the windshield or somewhere thereabouts, but who knows. A leak near wiring doesn't sound very safe to me... but no one's died yet.

In the last 2 weeks, the van has refused to start 3 times. Andy had it checked out today and apparently this is a problem with a lot of these vans. (F U Chrysler!) The battery and alternator are fine, the battery just won't start the van.
So Andy bought this thing the Red Cross that is supposed to start the battery when this happens. So hopefully that fixes it.. or I'm gonna sick the CrackCat on someone....

Punk has been a jerk lately. I'm hoping it's just the weather and all the back-and-forth between seasons we seem to be having. He's been biting and scratching a lot though. I'm not sure how to discourage it. He's also developed a fascination with the sink. He likes to jump up on the counter and try to bite the water. Or he'll try to catch it with his paws. Sometimes he'll just stick his head or foot in the water and not even realize he's getting wet. He still gets annoyed by bath time though. I find that super weird since he'll crawl INTO the sink or hop in the shower to lick the water off the walls. He'll also crack-out at weird times, for no apprent reason, or make strange noises and freak Andy out. Punk has never made much noise in the form of meows or whatnot, so it really bothers me when he meows from the literbox at 6am. Is he in distress? What does he want me to do about it?!?! My only theory is this: Boys are WEIRD.

Punk does really enjoy the new apartment though. He loves being allowed to sit in the windows and he's met 3 of the maintenance men and he really likes them. He's met 3 maintenance men because of several bizarre incidents, which we be featured in a later post because this is long and kinda ramble-y and I really need to get something to eat.
Since I'm hungry, I'll leave you with a picture of the Cutest. Lobster. EVER.

Scrabble Cat Challenges Your Word

2009-10-11T18:51:00.001-05:00

Scrabble Cat Challenges Your Word, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

The Birthday Gift: Diagnosis

2009-10-02T09:42:00.000-05:00

Kevin of Always Home and Uncool has asked a whole slew of blogs to post this as part of his effort to raise awareness in the blogosphere of juvenile myositis, a rare autoimmune disease his daughter was diagnosed with on this day seven years ago. The day also happens to be his wife's birthday.

*

Our pediatrician admitted it early on.

The rash on our 2-year-old daughter's cheeks, joints and legs was something he'd never seen before.

The next doctor wouldn't admit to not knowing.

He rattled off the names of several skins conditions -- none of them seemingly worth his time or bedside manner -- then quickly prescribed antibiotics and showed us the door.

The third doctor admitted she didn't know much.

The biopsy of the chunk of skin she had removed from our daughter's knee showed signs of an "allergic reaction" even though we had ruled out every allergy source -- obvious and otherwise -- that we could.

The fourth doctor had barely closed the door behind her when, looking at the limp blonde cherub in my lap, she admitted she had seen this before. At least one too many times before.

She brought in a gaggle of med students. She pointed out each of the physical symptoms in our daughter:

The rash across her face and temples resembling the silhouette of a butterfly.

The purple-brown spots and smears, called heliotrope, on her eyelids.

The reddish alligator-like skin, known as Gottron papules, covering the knuckles of her hands.

The onset of crippling muscle weakness in her legs and upper body.

She then had an assistant bring in a handful of pages photocopied from an old medical textbook. She handed them to my wife, whose birthday it happened to be that day.

That was seven years ago -- Oct. 2, 2002 -- the day our daughter was found to have juvenile dermatomyositis, one of a family of rare autoimmune diseases that can have debilitating and even fatal consequences when not treated quickly and effectively.

Our daughter's first year with the disease consisted of surgical procedures, intravenous infusions, staph infections, pulmonary treatments and worry. Her muscles were too weak for her to walk or swallow solid food for several months. When not in the hospital, she sat on our living room couch, propped up by pillows so she wouldn't tip over, as medicine or nourishment dripped from a bag into her body.

Our daughter, Thing 1, Megan, now age 9, remembers little of that today when she dances or sings or plays soccer. All that remain with her are scars, six to be exact, and the array of pills she takes twice a day to help keep the disease at bay.

What would have happened if it took us more than two months and four doctors before we lucked into someone who could piece all the symptoms together? I don't know.

I do know that the fourth doctor, the one who brought in others to see our daughter's condition so they could easily recognize it if they ever had the misfortune to be presented with it again, was a step toward making sure other parents also never have to find out.

That, too, is my purpose today.

It is also my birthday gift to my wife, My Love, Rhonda, for all you have done these past seven years to make others aware of juvenile myositis diseases and help find a cure for them once and for all.

To read more about children and families affected by juvenile myositis diseases, visit Cure JM Foundation atwww.curejm.org.

To make a tax-deductible donation toward JM research, go to www.firstgiving.com/rhondaandkevinmckeeveror www.curejm.com/team/donations.htm.

*****

Want to participate, but can't contribute? Re-post this on your blog today and leave a comment on Kevin's blog!

Boudoir Bandit

2009-09-20T15:08:00.000-05:00

My little Boudoir Bandit* is stealing my underwear again. I was just sitting alone at home talking to my dad (on the phone) when I looked down and saw Punk digging through my "surplus" underwear. (That's underwear that doesn't fit in my underwear drawer. I'm not sure I've ever had as many clean undies and socks and such as I do now that the laundry is right outside my door.) As he scurried away with his treasure, he somehow managed to get his head through a leg-hole and just ran around wearing it for a while. My poor father couldn't understand what I was trying to tell him because I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe.

*I googled "Boudoir Bandit" to make sure I was spelling 'boudoir' correctly and apparently it's an obsolete slang term for gold digger. I talked to Punk and he's OK with being called a gold digger as long as I pay him in Kitty treats, string, and catnip.

Guess what I did today

2009-09-18T02:51:00.000-05:00

Guess what I did today. Go on, guess. I tickled this "little" dude's tummy. Cuz I'm awesome. And alligators are totally ticklish. Haha. He was one of the "therapeutic" animals to visit M'side's campus today. I also saw a monkey, a snake, a few birds and some other things, but dude! I touched an alligator today! He was so calm. I felt along his tail and across his belly. It's a little different than a crocodile (I felt a baby one at Reptile Gardens a few years ago. it was a baby and had super soft feet.)
He is about 6 years old and probably 4 feet long. So he's twice the size of my cat and 3 times as calm. Haha.

Andy and I have been married 6 months today, by the way. We didn't do anything to celebrate, but it was awesome anyway.

Oh, and I killed either the ninth or tenth wasp of the summer in my office today. Is there some sort of door prize for that? medal of honor maybe? Some days, working in my office is more dangerous than driving the Amazing Exploding Minivan.

Snot Weasels "wanted"

2009-09-15T02:27:00.000-05:00

I need an image of a "Snot Weasel" My "dear" brother has decided that my new nickname upon "reconnecting as a family" shall be "Yellow-Bellied Vomit Squirrel*." Obviously, I can't keep calling him "Douchebag", so I've decided Snot Weasel. But now I need a picture b/c it has to be a "real thing." Help please?

*A yellow bellied vomit squirrel is actually Yellow Bellied Marmot. My dad thinks he's funny... well, my dad is funny. the story is funny. my brother is not funny. but he thinks he is.

Aunt Becky Comes to Visit

2009-09-08T21:08:00.001-05:00

In order to get rid of all her BlogHer swag, Aunt Becky, over at Mommy Wants Vodka started a contest. She challenged her readers to use her leftover business cards in picture posts. For contest rules, see here, because I am too tired (read: drunk) to post them all here. So, without further ado, Aunt Becky Comes to Visit. Also known as "The One Where Aunt Becky Visits and Misty Gets Drunk."

I was overjoyed when Aunt Becky showed up and immediately started taking pictures. I introduced her to the entire family, of course.
Here's Punk meeting Aunt Becky. He's pretending he isn't overjoyed, but we all know differently, right?

And she met the Cunninghams (Andy and Misty):

The original plan was for Aunt Becky to accompany Misty to the pool of the new apartment. However, it has been a DAMN COLD August, so they went to the spa instead. Here’s Aunt Becky enjoying a good massage:

After the spa, Becky and Misty returned home to hang out with the family. Becky promptly climbed the blinds, Punk-style, in order to spend some time with him.

Being an asshole (read: male), as he is wont to do, he took that as a challenge.

Attack!

Just when it looked like Aunt Becky was down for the count, she made a remarkable comeback! And Punk became her love slave forever.

This week marks Misty turning 23, so she and Aunt Becky has tea in sweet new ceramic “take out” cups Misty found at Gordman’s.

After a quiet weekend in, Misty had to go back to work. She left Aunt Becky in bed since she was only working half a day and because her job SUCKS.

But isn’t Aunt Becky cute when she sleeps?

At work, Misty had a REALLY SUCKY day. She and Becky decided that they should celebrate in the age old fashion: They got HAMMERED.
Aunt Becky promptly made a new friend, Rum.

And then Rum looked on sadly as she met Hyde, of Jekyll and Hyde.

Punk looked on worriedly as she made friend after friend:

But Aunt Becky missed her old friend, Vodka. In just the nick of time, some mutual friends came along.

And they helped her reach her old friend.

Drink after drink, Punk looked on with concern.

And like a True Love slave, he took care of his mommy and his Aunt Becky when they had too much to drink.

Even when that meant he had to take one for the team so Mommy and Becky couldn’t drink.*

One last drink and Becky and Mommy were ready to call it a night.

Then Punk pulled Aunt Becky’s head out of the sink (don’t worry, I’ll spare you that photo) and everyone went off to bed. And Aunt Becky got the best sleep of her life. (No one tell The Daver!!)

The End.

(Dear Readers,
Please forgive me if this seems a little ramble-y or anything like that, I’m still a little drunk. Happy Birthday to me!
Love,
Punk’s Mommy/Misty)
*No animals were hurt or real alcohol wasted in the making of this blog post.

The "Amazing" Exploding Minivan

2009-08-17T15:08:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, Andy’s brother moved into the Morningside dorms. Since Dan is still under his parents’ insurance and Andy is not (because he’s not in school and because he’s married) we switched cars. And my heart is broken, because I loved that sweet orange little Reno. I loved the great gas mileage, the audio cable for plugging your iPod right into the stereo, being able to find it in a parking lot. I loved the feeling I got driving it. I loved the security of knowing that if a smaller person got in the passenger seat, it automatically turned off the airbags. (On good days, weight-wise, I loved sitting down and the airbag turning off because I didn’t weigh enough). I loved that Punk’s carrier fit securely between the back of the front seat and the front of the backseat. And I loved knowing that there were the “tie-in harnesses” for extra security when you put a child seat in the back.

But, as Andy’s dad put it, it would cost “exorbitant amounts of money*” to keep it insured for us to keep. (And I am hurt that we’ve been making payments for it to Andy’s mom whenever we could, while trying to plan and pay for a wedding and life in general {and it’s not the cost that bothers me...} and I can’t imagine that they’ll make Dan pay anything for it)

The plan I originally heard, back in May when this came up, was that we would switch and we would take the Vibe and Andy’s mom would keep the Reno. Which sucked, a lot, but the Vibe gets good mileage and (once we got the stench of defeat out) was overall, a pretty ok car. Then the plan changed.

So we switched to the car Dan had been driving for the summer. To a 1997 Chrysler Town and Country van. I’m 22 and I feel like a soccer mom….Except without the security or the kids. But I guess I’ll never get pulled over for suspicion of drugs or something right? (yeah, cuz that was such a problem for me…)

And the very best thing of all? Andy’s dad, in his supreme talent for making every situation worse, telling Andy (in front of me, of course… like I don’t hate the entire deal in the first place already) to make sure to get it insured because “you know the first time you hit something, it’s gonna explode and all we’ll ever see of you again will be pieces.**”

*Side note: that is the most “Englishy” thing {read: biggest words} I’ve ever heard Andy’s dad say, even though he went to school {for seven years!!} for an English degree {which he never got}
** Well that's just great, cuz then I can be either dead or widowed and vehicle-less! .... and possibly the owner of a dead cat... or the parent to a dead child. Best. Car. Ever.

fmfl.

side note

2009-08-13T10:01:00.000-05:00

One other thing.... why does google STILL think I'm in mountain time zone? I've fixed that like 12 times and it still says I posted that last note at 7:52. It's now 10 am here and it thinks it's like 8 or something. annoying.

testing... testing... 1... 2... phooey.

2009-08-13T09:52:00.000-05:00

Soooo... Yesterday I installed Google Analytics on here. At least, I thought I did. Turns out I did it wrong. Who knew finding out how many people read my stuff and how many people look at the photos and what google searches brought them to my page would be so hard? Meh. Anyway, I ust wanted to tell you that so I could add the code to this page and see if it works. If not, I'll have to make Andy work on it. Phooey. More to come on my life in general in a while... I have essentially nothing else to do at work today....

2009-08-12T13:06:00.001-05:00

This move is kicking my ass. First, I caught a cold. Which I can't seem to kick, btw. The cough has my lungs in it's tight achey grip. I am exhausted.

And we have MAYBE half our stuff moved in.... fml.

The one where I catch a fungus*

2009-08-05T12:23:00.000-05:00

I have 16 1/2 days until my term of service with AmeriCorps ends. Because I have housing through the program, that means I had to find new housing. What a terror. You in the mood for a good scary story? I promise it has a happy ending.

We started off over in Ingleside. Or some weird place like that. Whatever. The lady told us to park at the Mexican bakery next door. Is that a good sign? Guessing not... We got there to find a house with paint peeling off the siding, ripped off doors and water standing by the foundation. Hmmmmmmm, looks positive, no? The lady wasn't where she said she would be, but we eventually found her. It turns out she had 3 places in that building empty that she could show us. She kept saying "this just needs a little cleaning" at every apartment. Seriously? One apartment's tenant had left HIS BED behind and there was still porn on the floor as she showed us the apartment. Are you kidding me? There were about a million Q-tips on the floor, GOD ONLY KNOWS what he did with all of those. Sheesh.

She also mentioned she had an apartment in a duplex opening up later that week over on Nebraska Street. That seemed like a little better of a place, both for safety and for jobs ( for me). So we drove past to see what the area looked like. It looked like a nicer place, a slightly better neighborhood, the building looked more structurally sound. The only outwardly visible problem were the (approximately) 47 Hispanic people standing on the front porch. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not racist, but Andy and I kind of got the feeling that we would end up being resented at a place like this because someone had wanted their aunt or their cousin or friend or someone, whomever, to move in there. Granted, I would have gotten to practice my Spanish but I don't know how much I would learn if all I translated was them cursing at my family for taking that house.

That place wouldn't be open til the end of the week, at the earliest, so we decided we should keep looking, just in case. We looked all through CraigsList and the classifieds and various other manners. Andy came upon an ad for a rental agency with several openings. So we went to check them out. This is where things get... moist.

We went to the first place. The neighbors had all the windows plastered with signs for a Laotian Grocery. As we walked across the porch and into the apartment and I could feel the floor moving. When she opened the door, I couldn't even see the kitchen because the kitchen in the "large efficiency" fit BEHIND the door. I walked further in, amazed that they had the nerve to call something this size, smaller than any of my dorm rooms, an apartment. If we put our futon in there, and laid it down, you would have to crawl over it to get into the bathroom. Then I looked up. And a 2 square foot of the ceiling above my was bulging and covered in green mold. Needless to say, I stepped back quickly and tried to hurry the PREGNANT woman showing us the apartment out before we all died. Because I was looking up, I didn't notice what Andy did. He looked down and noticed mushrooms growing on the carpet. That apartment was obviously just FULL of WIN! (and by "win" I obviously mean "spores").

After hurrying our asses out of there and breathing deeply into the (hopefully) clean and air, we went back to the rental office where they showed us the apartment UNDER the office. The walls were light pink... and the pipes and ducts were fuchsia. NO JOKE. It looked like that scene in Dumbo where Dumbo gets drunk and hallucinates Pink elephants everywhere. Just looking at all the colors was enough to give you a headache or make you think you were tripping. Of course, they ALMOST served a purpose, since I was so busy gaping at the walls that I barely noticed the exposed wiring. Beautiful.

After that, Andy and I decided we had better raise our price range a little. What we originally were willing to pay would have been fine if it were just us. But this little ball of love
kind of makes those options a bit pricier.

So we looked at the next range. Woodbury Heights was in the back of our minds but they didn't have an openings until September 1st and that would make things difficult. Somehow we ended up at Glen Oaks. And it's beautiful. But we were torn. It was higher than we were sure we could afford and a looooong way from our current lives (hey shut up, 10 miles is a lot in the city!) but somehow, God and Ceiling Cat must have been smiling (and purring) on us because we worked out a way to live there and they approved us!

And this is where things get amazing:

Told you it was a happy ending :)

*bonus points to whomever can figure out what sitcom I am referencing in the title.
--Oh, and the fungus part is a joke from the fact that Andy and I both caught colds after visiting moldy apartments. At least, I hope it's a joke. It is taking me a long time to kick this cold....

It's 1 am and I have a drill...

2009-07-30T00:38:00.001-05:00

It's 1 am and I have a drill..., originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

You remember when I told you about getting mad and fixing my damn drawer myself? Yeah, I should upload pictures from my camera more often....

toothpicks

2009-07-30T00:37:00.001-05:00

toothpicks, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

getting them from the source now...

2009-07-30T00:33:00.001-05:00

getting them from the source now..., originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

The damn cat is stealing my underwear again. I haven't bought packages of panties in years, but I felt the need since Punk keeps stealing all my good ones. I hadn't even finished putting away the groceries when Andy started laughing and I turned to see Punk stealing these from the bags. Well, at least I know he's not going out for it, right? (ok, he's neutered and can only open the screen door and the sliding doors, not the ones with knobs.... so either way, he's not going out for sex... but at least he's stealing the cheap undies now... I think he had an easier time opening them than I did!)

side note... the re-imaging of ladies underwear is going well... tons of styles and colors and totally not frumpy... Andy and I both like them!

Ch-Ch-Ch-ch-Changes...

2009-07-22T14:36:00.000-05:00

I'm tired of this layout already. You have NO IDEA how hard it was to get everything to work on the letter to Punk... so hopefully, there will soon be a new layout here... we'll have to wait and see if it works tho!! Cross your fingers and pray!*

*I'm not sure if crossing your fingers and praying go together, but I need all the help I can get!

The Story of Punk: a letter that turned into a novel.

2009-07-14T12:13:00.000-05:00

Dearest Punk,
My sweet CrackCat, Happy Caturday! It is so hard to believe you are a year old. I remember visiting you and your brothers and sister when you were just 2 weeks old. Your daddy hadn’t ever had a “real” pet, so he didn’t even know how to hold you. He was amazed when I picked up three of you and put you on my shirt. He was shocked that you could all crawl up me with your tiny claws and that all I had to do was keep an arm across my body so that you would land on it if you fell. He thought your tiny “hello” meows meant you were hurt or upset. He had no idea just how durable those little bodies, tiny things that fit in his palm, would grow to be.

At that time, I lived with your daddy in his apartment, before I was given housing in Dimmit. I slept on the top bunk and threw things down on your daddy. We talked from bed to bed and browsed online and visited kittens at PetsMart and imagined what it would be like to have our own kitten. We lived with 4 other people: your Uncle Russ, Aunt Ashley, Joe and Steph. Joe and Steph snuck Steph’s dog into the apartment and it lived there for weeks and we marveled at how loud and annoying it was. I had always had cats at your Grandma Howard's house, so I knew I would love a kitty. Your daddy was a slow sell, but by the middle of July, he wanted one as badly as I did.

I knew I would eventually get a cat to live with me, since I was staff and could better hide a kitten and I didn’t want to live alone. So we began buying the things we would need for our “baby” to come home. Every time we went to PetsMart, my heart ached to take home all of the kittens there.

When I returned from PSO in August, I had to move from your daddy’s apartment into my own. I really didn’t want to live alone. At that point you were about 6 weeks old. Your family belonged to the ex-boyfriend of our roommate Joe’s sister. After numerous phone calls, we were able to track you down. We went to “Boog’s” house and found you living in an enclosed porch. We were just in time, if you didn’t all have homes soon, Boog was going to have to send you to the Humane Society. (While this was better than just abandoning you, they do occasionally have to put animals to sleep.)

Your daddy and I wanted a ninja kitten, so we chose the most active one on the porch. I picked up all of your brothers and you were the one who climbed my shirt. Little did we know you were just in your “afternoon slow” stage, between catnaps. From there, we took you to daddy’s apartment so we could grab some things. Uncle Coonrad was the first to get to hold you and you beat him up in the less-than-five minutes it took to gather the things we needed. From there we took you on your first trip to PetsMart and everyone oohed and aahed over you. You were still so tiny! After that you and daddy sat in the car as I ran in to Wal-mart to get some kitten chow for you.

We took you back to my apartment and put you in a sweatshirt in the bathtub to nap. I went in to check on you and saw this:

After we had gotten everything set up, litter box and poo rocks, food, water, toys and a bed (the soft plastic crate you still won’t let me reclaim), we gave you a bath. You were not really pleased, but you did grow to like them for a period of time. Looking back at the pictures now, I can see how big your paws were and how I should have known you would be a big kitty, but I overlooked it at the time. You were so tiny, it was hard to imagine you grown up.

After your bath:

It was one of my warmest, fuzziest memories (ever!!) when you climbed up on me, after drying off, and fell asleep.

Little did I know what a terror this sweet cuddly creature was going to turn into! That night, Saturday, I slept in the living room on the green chair for 3 reasons: I didn't have sheets on the bed, I didn't want to leave you alone, and I didn't want to be alone. Dimmit made all sorts of noises when we first lived there, and you were very little help with that. In the middle of the night, just as I was falling asleep, you would crack out. You'd run in circles all the way around the living room and kitchen and I had no idea what you were doing! I attribute it to the fact that you lived in an enclosed porch where the light was always on, so you had no concept of day or night. I'm pretty sure you weren't weaned fully either and were missing your first mommy a lot. You kept me up most of the night and we fell asleep just as daddy was coming over in the morning. He didn't believe me when I tried to describe what had happened that night.

The next night, your daddy stayed in the living room so that I could get some rest before work. The same thing happened as the night before. You cracked out and daddy was aghast. We finally put you in the bathtub for the night and that seemed to solve the issue for a couple months. That's also how you got the nickname CrackCat.

While our first few weeks were quite rough, I don't really regret them, as without them I would have missed out on things like this:

and this:

And things like....
trying on hats:

and playing on the computer:

And teaching you things...
like how to drive... or to stay out of the toilet... (still working on that second one... )

And trying new looks with you... some worked, some didn't....

I would have missed the naps, noms and nesting:

But most of all, I would have missed the love.

Grow as much as you like, you'll always be my baby.
Happy Caturday, Punkerazzi FunkyFace Cunningham

Love,
Mom.

Relative Safety

2009-07-13T12:15:00.000-05:00

Despite his cranky appearance, Punk was quite happy to get away from all the loud chaos that is Andy's family and to be left alone in his cave.

Thursday Thirteen-- The "Surprise, I actually did it --and on time too!" Edition

2009-07-09T18:56:00.000-05:00

Sarah over at There's More 2 The Story did her Thursday 13 on movies she wants to watch since her DVD player is working again. Since I just got home from work and I feel like crap and since we've had such stormy/rainy weather lately, that sounds like a great thing to ponder. So without further ado, Thirteen Things I Want To Watch

1. My Best Friend's Wedding-- the Scrubs episode where Turk and Carla get married... or do they?
2. Fantastic Four, The Rise of the Silver Surfer (still haven't seen it)
3. 27 Dresses -- good movie!
4. Knocked Up -- I think I'm digging Katherine Heigel this week
5. Grey's Anatomy-- pretty much any episode
6. Desperate Housewives -- again, pretty much any episode... probably one of the older ones
7. Zach and Miri Make A Porno -- laughed my ass off and cried in one movie. good show!
8. How to Lose A Guy in Ten Days (Don't tell Andy, but Matthew McConaughey makes me hot!)
9. Failure to Launch (did I mention MM?-- I swear his initials stand for mmmmmmmmmm... anyone know what his middle name is?)
10. 40 Days and 40 Nights -- OK, Josh Hartnett trips my trigger too...
11. Wicker Park -- see above
12. Las Vegas -- and a little Josh Duhamel thrown in for flavor...
13. Top Gun -- He may be old, but Daaaaamn!, Val Kilmer has done it for me since I was a child! I picked Top Gun cuz after The Saint and Batman Forever, it was the first I thought of... and I have those 2!

This post went waaaaaay off track of where I thought it would, but I feel a little better already!

Anyway, happy "watching"! Bwahahahahahahahaha!

Something New

2009-07-07T22:03:00.001-05:00

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Something New, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

I'm outting myself tonight. I'm telling you one of my biggest secrets.

I've never been a painted toenails girl. I've always been embarrassed of my feet. There's just something different about me; I've always had tiny toenails. Like, child-size. And I've always been ashamed. I don't know why. My feet aren't gross or anything, they're just not like everyone else's.

Well, no more feeling shame for something I can't change. There are people with much worse problems. My feet are healthy and fungus-free. They're just sort of like the rest of me: smaller than you might except (except my boobs... those have been larger than expected for years... lol).

The other day, I got the urge to paint my toenails. So I painted them Mango. And then I wore flip flops :)

Tonight I repainted them Lime. And I have Teal waiting for when I'm tired of this color. If I'm gonna be different, I'm gonna go it in style.

Da da da daaaaaaaaa.....

2009-07-06T20:44:00.001-05:00

July 1, 2009 067, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

I'd like to introduce you all to Peasley Slocombe. He is the "replacement" for Sheldon. Sheldon isn't dead, have no fears, he's just paralyzed. There was no way to fix his right hinge and in the efforts to fix him, he was glued in the open position... it's a looooong, traumatic story that ended in my father helping us get Peasley since Sheldon's paralyze-ation was his fault. And being paralyzed in a flat position is quite inconvenient in a laptop.

In any case, Peasley is a metallic blue, "seashell" Asus Eee PC. The picture above is him on my lap. He is quite tiny compared to Sheldon, his keyboard is about half the size of S's. It's actually been much easier adapting to a small keyboard than I thought it would be. His battery life is impeccable and he is incredibly light (just over 2 pounds!) The most difficult thing to get used to has been the trackpad. I have had some difficulty in the last few days with accidentally hitting the scrolling area of the trackpad when I'm trying to move the mouse. For the first day I used Peasley, I accidentally rested my thumbs on the trackpad while typing and had problems with accidentally moving the cursor so I was tying in the middle of things already typed... and man, was it a "curse-or" then! However, I've gotten quite used to the trackpad being where it is, so that is no longer an issue. I'm sure in time the scrolling won't be any problem either.

Peasley's has 160GB hard drive and 1GB memory currently. However, we have ordered a 2gig stick to replace his current memory with, so soon he'll have 2. :D

Peasley is named for 2 characters that stuck in my mind as I got used to him. Just saying Eee PC reminded me me of an old Junior Woodchucks (a Donald Duck spin-off of Huey, Dewey, and Louie as junior scouts) a comic book. The Duck boys are running a race in order to earn a new badge... long story short, there's a character called "Easey Peasley" (either that or Easy Beasley, I don't remember for certain) and Eee PC sounded like Peasley. The Slocombe in his name is after Mrs. Slocombe from "Are You Being Served?", as the actress who played her died the day I got my dear Eee.

Anyway, I look forward to the many adventures with Peasley. And I look forward to telling you all about our adventures!

I haz job interviewz in da morning..

2009-07-06T20:03:00.001-05:00

July 1, 2009 007, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

I haz job interviewz in da morning... mah tie on straight?

Eye Tree

2009-07-06T20:00:00.001-05:00

Eye Tree, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Nap Time!!

2009-07-06T19:55:00.001-05:00

July 1, 2009 036, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

After a long day driving and spending time with my family in Verdigre, Punk, Andy and I went back to my parents' house for a nice quiet afternoon/evening. We all had a good nap. :D

July 1, 2009 047

2009-07-06T19:50:00.003-05:00

July 1, 2009 047, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Punk is so weird. I have no idea why he did this, but it cracked me up.

July 1, 2009 045

2009-07-06T19:50:00.001-05:00

July 1, 2009 045, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

I love it when my boys sprawl all out together the same way. So cute. So masculine.

This is what my future children have to look forward to....

2009-07-06T19:35:00.001-05:00

July 1, 2009 174, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

I hope they have hearty vascular systems to cope with him getting distracted and forgetting to turn them back right-side-up!

Auditioning for KISS

2009-06-23T00:00:00.001-05:00

Auditioning for KISS, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Here's the Weekly Punk'd. Le Punk and I were just hanging out when we heard a bug buzzing around in the window. I got some good shots of him chasing it around the apartment. This shot however, was afterward, as he decided to show his disdain for me and for having his picture taken. I wish I had been able to get a clearer picture, but I feel pretty lucky since I've rarely ever been able to get a picture of him making faces.

Punk loves to be tucked in.

2009-06-16T20:05:00.001-05:00

Punk loves to be tucked in., originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

In the tradition of Dooce.com, I've decided to do a semi-regular pet photo. Heather calls hers "Daily Chuck" (her dog's name is Chuck). In that spirit, I've decided to do "Punk'd".... Hope Ashton Kutcher doesn't sue me for copyright infringement.... Here's today's Punk!

New magnetic curtain

2009-06-14T19:26:00.001-05:00

New magnetic curtain, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Here's the picture I promised you of the magnetic curtain I made for the apartment door. It's really fun to play with... providing you don't get the magnets stuck to any piercings.....

Drunken Oreo fuelled computer fixing tools

2009-06-14T19:25:00.001-05:00

Drunken Oreo fuelled computer fixing tools, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Dr. Screwdriver and Nurse ButterKnife after saving Sheldon's life, partying it up to celebrate!

Dr. Screwdriver and Nurse Butterknife

2009-06-14T19:24:00.003-05:00

Dr. Screwdriver and Nurse Butterknife, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Fixing Sheldon's Hinges

2009-06-14T19:24:00.001-05:00

Fixing Sheldon's Hinges, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

sheldon fixed

2009-06-14T19:23:00.007-05:00

sheldon fixed, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Fixing Sheldon

2009-06-14T19:23:00.005-05:00

Fixing Sheldon, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Sheldon's frame

2009-06-14T19:23:00.003-05:00

Sheldon's frame, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Jeez, it's that nasty inside the case?

2009-06-14T19:23:00.001-05:00

Jeez, it's that nasty inside the case?, originally uploaded by MistyHCunningham.

Inside Sheldon