I came up with that on my way to work this morning, but the couch was already gone before I got around to posting. 

Craigslist made me a very happy woman today.  In this whole preparing for mom and grandma visit, my wonderful husband cleaned out the entire garage.  Somehow he took, “make a path so we can walk through,” to mean, “clean the garage to the point where I can actually park my car in there or eat of the floor if I so choose.”  I didn’t correct him, HELLO, sparkly clean garage.

Anyway, after his hard work, the forgotten couch was suddenly looking like an eyesore.  Craigslist to the rescue.  I posted an ad around 9 p.m. last night.  By 11 p.m. we had four inquiries.  By 9 a.m. the couch was loaded and cash was in hand.  (We also had 5 more inquires this morning.)

Suddenly I have the urge to put everything up for sale on Craigslist.  Let’s see what else we can sell!

(Don’t mind the dead monkey in the floor.)

His and Her’s.  Pretty sweet, right?  To quote my friend Kacee, “Did you get a retirement plan with those?”

So they may not be the most glamorous pieces of furniture we have purchased, but they sure are the most comfortable.  Holy cow are they comfortable.  And they are huge!

My feet don’t even touch the ground!  It’s like Alice in Wonderland.

Last night, B and I ordered pizza and watch all our favorite shows.  We didn’t leave the chairs for two hours!  I can see this becoming a serious problem in the near future.  Especially with the snow/sleet mix that moved into town today.  The only thing I can think about today is getting back home to snuggle in my wonderful chair with cozy blankets and hot chocolate.

“Inside goooood, outside baaadddd,” Joey Tribbiani.

Zoey and Servo have already claimed their spots.  They stick to the his and her’s rule as well.

If you need me, you know where to find me.  Bring food and Dr. Pepper when you come.

Most of my readers are probably familiar with the term delurk.  For those of you not familiar with what delurking is, basically it means tell me you are out there.  It seems like every time I get together with friends or family someone says, “Oh yeah, I read that on your blog.”  (Also this means I have no new material to share at get togethers!  Everyone I know already read my good stories here!)  Every time I hear those words I am shocked.  It never ceases to amaze me the people reading.  Old friends that I have lost touch with, family I have never met, even the random big name blogger who stops by once and awhile to leave a comment.  It is always flattering to find out who is reading your rambling.

So as my gift to you, random readers reader, I am giving away a totally awesome prize just for leaving a comment saying you were here today.  What is this totally awesome prize?  A gift of your choice from TH Design, the Esty shop of my wonderful friend Traci (also my blog header designer extraordinaire).  New items are being added all the time so be sure to check her out!

Here is how you play, simply leave a comment with a valid email address before midnight (CST), Wednesday, December 17.  Using random.org (or names in a hat or bowl or which ever piece of paper not eaten by the dogs), one winner will be selected.  You can then pick your TH Design item of choice (any item, any price) and I will have it sent to you!  Easy right?  How could you not want more presents at Christmas?!

Oh, and honey, in case you are reading, I want these…

And to the few men readers (are there any?), I know TH Designs is girly stuff, but think about your wife or girlfriend or mother or the cafeteria lady.  It will save you from having to buy one more Christmas present!  I am thoughtful like that.

Good Luck everyone!

Did I mention the camera is here?  Did I mention I am excited?  I love it!  It is so slim and kicky.  Hmm, I am not sure kicky really describes a new camera, but I feel kicky, so the camera is kicky.  Kicky, kicky, kicky.

Of course I had to try the new camera out.  Of course my best subject are the dogs.  So I present to you, more pictures of Zoey and Servo.

My regal boy.

My, um, not so regal girl.  More like my big-mouthed, drooly-grinned girl.

Aww, thanks Zoey.  You are right, that is your better side.

And Servo is done with pictures.  Or he is done with pictures of Zoey.  Either way, we went inside after this.

Now, about the camera.  I love it!  Wait, I might have mentioned that.  I love the size, I love the large screen and I love how fast it reacts.  It turns on and off quickly and it snaps pictures immediately.  I am still playing with the functions and various setting, but what I saw tonight was wonderful!  This is exactly what I wanted for traveling and various jaunts around town.

Oh, and in case you were wondering the camera is a Canon Powershot SD790 IS.

And because I love my readers, a few outtakes.*  This is what I put up with when I work with four-legged subjects!

This dog does not have breaks.  Especially when she thinks someone is going to play fetch with her.

And, because mommy was distracted while playing fetch, she might have accidentally thrown the ball into the bushes.

Don’t worry, Secret Agent Servo was on the case.

Except Servo is not a very good secret agent.  So he came out without the ball.  I am thrilled the dogs now feel the need to tromp through the bushes.  How long before the bushes are torn apart?

*Don’t judge the camera by the blurry pictures.  It is hard to capture the moment when you are trying to avoid being trampled or you are laughing hysterically at the dog in the bushes.

Case in point, gift buying.  I always know what I am getting for Christmas weeks before the actual holiday.  Last year, B was insisting I open gifts the second he put them under the tree.  I am surprised he even got them wrapped before he told me what they were.  And who am I to deny him joy, of course I opened them right then.

It should be no surprise then (ha, no surprise, literally!) that B told me my anniversary gift within hours of purchasing it.  Our anniversary isn’t for another week.  The actual gift was a surprise though because the day before, B told me I could only have it if I made it an anniversary and Christmas present.  I passed on that idea.  I don’t like having my Christmas decided before October!

So what is this new gift… A NEW CAMERA!! 

Recently I have been lusting after a new point and shoot camera.  Our current one is a few years old, bulky and um, I haven’t been able to find it since the move.  The other day, LauReality posted a delurking contest asking about your favorite camera.  That got us discussing good point and shoot cameras and since she wears a blue shirt, she offered to do a little research for me.  Within hours I had my new camera picked out!  Thanks Lauryn, I am sure B will be sending you a bill for this expense!

I have decided professional photographer is not in my future.  I hate carrying things around all day.  Things like a camera.  Half the time I won’t even carry my purse, that doesn’t bode well for a fancy camera. 

I wanted something small I could shove in my pocket for long outings and trips.  Since we are heading to Vancouver in a few weeks, the camera issue was really weighing on my mind.  I have never been to Canada, but I know it is gorgeous there.  I don’t want to miss this opportunity to snap some fantastic pictures, but I also don’t want to carry a large camera around when I am trying to relax and have a carefree vacation.

Problem solved now!  I can now enjoy a carefree vacation with a new, sleek camera!  Thanks B!

(Camera comes in Thursday, expect a test run then.)

When B and I first started dating, his foolish Yankee-self had no idea the importance of your soft drink choice.  To him, soda was soda and he didn’t really have a favorite.

Then I came along and showed him the light.

Why hello Nectar of the Gods.  How have you been lately?  I know that picture is a little old, but that is how I will always remember you.  (Anyone else notice that is (one of) the former Dr. Pepper logo design?)

Tis true fellow readers, the day B met me is the day I turned him into an addict.

Now, I love my Dr. Pepper too, always have and I always will, but I understand the importance of limiting your soft drink intake.  I try to limit myself to one drink a day, typically my morning pick me up.  Weekends are harder and sometimes I need a boost at lunch, but I *almost* never have a coke (coke=any soft drink.  Texas/southern thing, remember?) after work.  Always water with dinner or else I will be buzzing at midnight while I should be sleeping.

B on the other hand, well I am afraid I only have myself to blame.  The man has a Dr. Pepper morning, noon and night, and several times in between.  He will drink a coke before going to bed!  This still amazes me and I still feel I have to tell him every time that he won’t be able to sleep and then every time he manages to fall asleep before me.

For awhile I managed to switch the family the Diet Dr. Pepper.  It was hard and we all suffered, but I kept reminding myself of my reduced caloric intake.  Several times over the years, Dr. Pepper, fully loaded, managed to sneak back into our lives.  I think this time it is here to stay.

B and I both agree that we don’t love the aspartame we are putting into our bodies drinking Diet Dr. Pepper.  While no calorie is a huge plus, the aspartame gives us headaches and who knows what else.  We are kicking that artificial sweetener to the curb.

So once again we are back on the regular Dr. Pepper road and my only hope is that I can break B’s four-a-day habit this time around.  Any recovering addicts out there have words of advice?  I am not going to have to send him to rehab am I?  Hopefully once we get back the cold chills and hot flashes the road to recovery will be much smoother.

During the week I kept trying to think of colorful things I could snap a picture of. Flowers, nah, mine aren’t very vibrant. Something at work, nah, too boring. Something around the house, nah, I am pretty neutral. Wait a minute! In the nick of time I remembered the most vibrant thing in the house. My dishes!

I absolutely love my dishes. So bright, so colorful, just opening my kitchen cabinets makes me smile.

Aren’t they pretty? Something about primary colors just makes me happy. It takes me back to kindergarten.

Be sure to head over to Exposaroonie and check out this week’s submissions.

My good old standby has been Aussie’s 2 in 1 Volume Shampoo plus Conditioner for years.  I have baby fine hair, but a lot of it so a light conditioner was perfect for keeping the rat’s nest at bay without a heavy residue left behind.  Plus the oomph of volume was much needed.

Well it seems that the water pressure/quality at the new house has completely changed my hair.  The rat’s nest of tangles in nonexistent!  Sweet, right?  Not really.  Now using my favorite Aussie shampoo is making my hair so soft, I can hardly get it to hold any sort of style.  (That sounds pretty pathetic right… wah, my hair is so touchably soft I don’t know what to do.)  Seriously, I can’t even get a curling iron to stay wrapped around my hair!

Here is where you come in.  Instead of blindly going into Target and buying hundreds of shampoos (you know, feeding the addiction), I want to make an educated purchase.  So tell me, what is your favorite kind of shampoo?  While we are trading secrets, tell me your can’t live without hair product.

My wallet and too touchably soft hair is counting on you guys!

That’s Mii!  Big head and all.

I go through Wii phases, as I do with most habits and hobbies.  Right now I am in a Wii phase, in the zone, if you will.  It started the end of April when Mario Kart came out.  For the next three weeks I played the crap out of Mario Kart.  Every night I was playing, and getting pretty good!  I could actually beat B.  Not that I am competitive or was trying or anything.  Not me.

If you do the math, I stopped obsessively playing Mario Kart on Monday.  Nintendo must have some marketing geniuses out there who knew this would happen because what did they do, released Wii Fit yesterday.

Love it!  My only complaint, I have to get up and it makes me sweat.  What?  That’s the point?  Well crap, I guess I should have read the box better.

I am kidding.  It really is pretty cool.  How genius is Nintendo?  They made a video game that appeals to all ages, all sexes and it incorporates exercise!  It might not appeal to you workout/aerobics buffs who will scoff at the simple exercises and claim it isn’t really a workout, but what are you doing reading my blog anyway.  Shoo!  You make me feel bad.

Last night we started off slow, just playing some balance games and trying a few yoga poses.  And you know what, I feel it this morning.  I am not in horrible, uncomfortable pain, but I still feel some tension in my calves and thighs.  According to my Wii Fit bank, I played/worked out for 22 minutes last night.  Not bad, I say.

After my workout (don’t laugh fitness buffs, I thought I told you to leave!) I took a quick break to watch American Idol.  Woohoo David Cook!  And then it was back to Wii!

A group of my online friends were getting together a Mario Kart game.  I ended up playing with them until 10:30!  Time flies when you are getting the crap kicked out of you.  Remember when I said I was pretty good?  Nope, apparently B just sucks and he is the only person I can beat.  Either that or not playing for three days will really ruin your game!  Another genius marketing ploy by Nintendo.

So that was my night.  Wii Fit, American Idol and Mario Kart.  All part of my avoiding and procrastinating.  What, I have 11 days to pack.  That is plenty of time. 

P.S.  To a certain someone out there, B says, when are you going to woman up and play online with us?  Really, he said that.  I can’t make this stuff up.

 It is time to make some confessions around here.  I know this make shock some of you, others are probably aware and relieved I am coming to terms with my addiction.

Last week I told you about my shampoo habit.  There is more.  Much more. 

I am a chapstick addict.

Wow.  That feels better just saying out loud.

I think it started around college.  Maybe it was the lousy dorm air vents.  Maybe it was the Oklahoma air.  Maybe it was because I was on my own for the first time.  However it started, it hasn’t stopped.

I hide chapstick around the house.  I can recount at least 11 tubes hidden around my house.  That doesn’t include the four in my purse and two in my desk drawer.  I need this stuff!  I can’t sleep at night without one last application.  I can’t go long after a meal without digging through my purse to find the right after dinner flavor. 

I am not particular about the brand either.  Sure, I might favor Burt’s Bees or Cherry Chapstick, but I will try anything once.  At the Walmart after Christmas sale, I came home with three holiday themed tubes.  Every time I see a commercial for a new brand/flavor, I have to go buy it.

Do you think I need help?  Can’t this just be my personality flaw?  It’s not like my work is effected.  I am a function addict.  That counts for something right?