Sunday

Turkey meatballs with pasta! Yum! It's a Giada recipe (listed in the kids section of her cookbook, but we love it.) I couldn't find orecchiette anywhere and replaced ground chicken with ground sausage. Still good!


Ina's banana bread. Enough said.


Trooper has been a good doggie about getting in his crate! (It's taken a LOT of treats.) He gets in somewhat willingly about 75% of the time when we are leaving. He also lays in there while I cook. (Probably hoping for more treats.)

Last night I made turkey meatballs and relaxed at home. Jim came home from watching the football game and we watched a little of The September Issue, a documentary about the Vogue editor that The Devil Wears Prada is supposedly based on. So far it's interesting (even with Jim's old man commentary on the fashion industry :) .) Today was a lot of getting ready for Monday. Cleaning, shopping, etc. I took Trooper on a jog. He's still so itchy! We've been giving him antihistamines which seem to make him a bit lethargic. Today we bought lotion to put on him. His rash looks less pink, but he's still itching and seems to have a few scabs because of that. I hear him itching all night, poor pup. If he's not better by Tuesday we are going to call the vet again. In addition to the jog we took him on a long walk, hoping he'll be too tired to itch in the night. I made two pie crusts and Jim is making us quiche right now. The bacon smells so good! Back to work and school tomorrow!

Wedding Blog

The farm where we got married has made a blog to show off their weddings. Here's a link to what they posted about ours: http://checkyourheels.blogspot.com/2010/10/amanda-james.html
It was fun to go back and remember our perfect wedding day!

I'm Back, Readers!

I know, I've been a slacker about blogging lately! Sorry readers! Our days have been busy. On Thursday night we went to our friends' house to eat chili. After dinner the girls went to watch Grey's Anatomy and the boys went for a drink at the Beer Stein (or it may be spelled Bier Stein. Or something like that.) Friday night we went for a drink with some another couple. We are quite the social butterflies, I guess! This morning I went to the Saturday Market. Only two more weeks of it for the season! I think it starts back up in April. Then I went on a long run. It has been drizzly today but not too bad. Then I started my weekend cleaning and laundry frenzy. This afternoon I met a friend at a doggie costume party (see pics above!) It was fun but a bit chaotic. (As Jim said, you thought a bunch of dogs in costumes would be calm?) Trooper liked the attention but was scared by two french bulldogs that were dressed as flying monkeys. I don't blame him; flying monkeys are scary! There's a big football game on this evening but I'm in the mood for sweat pants and a glass of wine. Jim took some Cheez-Its and beer and went to watch it at a friend's house. Right now I have a banana bread in the oven and NPR on the radio and it's quite a relaxing scene. I am hoping it won't rain all day tomorrow so we can take a fall walk. We're getting excited for Jim's mom and Dave to come visit us next weekend. We have lots of fun things planned! Okay, I have to get to those sweats and that wine. I shall try to write more tomorrow, blog readers!

Rainy Days

Today was supposed to be a break in the rain, and it was for awhile, but then more rain came. Trooper and I had a play date with a girl I met and her puppy. At 4:30pm it was pouring rain. We still kept our plans, because it seems like in Eugene you just have to get out and do stuff in the rain. Luckily the rain let up so we walked around on the paths. We didn't go in the dog park since it was really muddy. The pups seemed to get along until the other doggie gave me kisses. Then Trooper barked. He doesn't like any other dog kissing his mom. Trooper seems to be feeling better. He's still itching but not as much. We've been giving him his medicine so hopefully his skin will clear up soon. Not too much else going on here. I made eggplant punjab with chickpeas over rice for dinner with TJ's garlic naan. Pretty delicious on a cold damp evening. Jim's gone into our bedroom to study. Almost the weekend!

Rocky Horror

I forgot to write that Jim has never watched Rocky Horror Picture Show in its entirety. (It was a Rocky Horror Glee tonight.) What did he do as a teenager? (Aside from planning trips to Reykjavik.) Has he never Time Warped!?!

Itchy Puppy

Trooper has been itching like crazy. He hasn't slept through the night and has woken us up at 5am a few times. This morning Jim was playing with Troop and noticed he had a rash on his neck and underarms. Poor pup was all red! So he called the vet and we made a 5pm appt. Luckily my job is really nice and let me leave early. We took him to the vet and he thought it was a food allergy. So we bought some antihistamines and new food. I was worried about him all day. I can't imagine what parents must feel like. But eventually kids can tell you what's wrong, whereas a doggie can't. The vet and vet techs loved Trooper, of course.
In other news, Big Brothers Big Sisters called me today and think they have found a youth for me! I'm really excited! Because of my work schedule, I can't meet with them until next Tuesday evening. They didn't give me any info over the phone.
Tomorrow evening I have plans to go on a doggie walk with a girl I met whose fiance is in law school after work. I think she's also going with me to the Howl-o-ween party on Saturday (a doggie costume party!). Sunday is a mushroom festival at Mt. Pigsah Arboretum. Let's hope it's not raining too hard!

Rainy Day

Tonight I decided against going to the running club. It's been raining cats and dogs on and off. I didn't feel like running in the cold and rainy evening. So I went to the fitness room at our complex and settled for the elliptical and Office reruns. On the days when I don't work out in the morning with Jim, I wake up at the same time and take Trooper for a long walk before work. This morning we made it out between showers. I made Ina's potato leek soup tonight with grilled ham and cheese. Yum! A good cold rainy night dinner. We've been watching Jeopardy while we eat and Jim usually wins. (Wait til I play him in Scrabble.) Then he's back to work! I've been sewing (but I'm stuck on some tote bag straps) and starting a painting. It's suddenly hit me how soon Christmas is and I'm not too far along on my Christmas crafting! Too many crafts, too little time!

Party On!

On Saturday morning I made raspberry muffins from scratch. On Sunday I made challah french toast. (We like to eat.)


Trooper's going to be a Mad Man for Halloween.


Party on Wayne! Party on Garth!

I am taking a break from cleaning to update my blog. The weekend has flown by again and I haven't posted since Thursday. On Friday evening we went to a potluck dinner at a law student's house. Jim made chicken wings with curry butter to take. They were great! We took Trooper, and he was fine until another dog showed up. All he wanted to do was hump the other dog. So finally I took him home since he was making a scene. On Saturday I spent most of the day running around preparing for the Halloween party at the law school. We were Wayne and Garth from Wayne's World. Jim was a sober volunteer at the party. It was in a gym on campus and felt slightly like a high school dance with kegs of beer. Today it's back to business. Jim's at the library studying and I'm cleaning and making food for tomorrow evening. Tonight we're having a fish and chips night. If it doesn't rain too hard tomorrow I plan on going to the Eugene Running Club again. Still working at the mall through the temp agency. I'm waiting to hear from Big Brothers Big Sisters on a youth match. Hopefully they will find me one soon!
I also want to remember my dear doggie friend, Pumpkin, who passed away yesterday. She was the best pug girl and I loved cuddling with her. She belonged to Jim Sr and Judy, my in-laws. She lived to be 16! We will miss you, Pumpkin! Such a sweetheart.

Checklist for a Cozy Home

1. Pumpkin spice candle.
2. Cute doggie. Even if he's not cuddling with me, just knowing he's here makes it cozy.
3. Warm dinner. I made a bag of frozen fried rice and frozen egg rolls from Trader Joe's. TJ's is truly the best for ready made foods.
4. Glass of wine.
5. Nice husband.
6. Comfy jammies.
7. Warm blankies and soft pillows to fall asleep while watching tv.

Blog Post 100!

Sleepy puppy!

I have now posted 100 blog posts! Woohoo!
I wish everyone could witness how cute our doggie looks right now. After work I jogged him over to the dog park. I made eggplant sammies for dinner. Trader Joe's sells frozen breaded eggplant. I cook it, put it on buns, and cover it with marinara and cheese. It's so good! I also made home made pizza puffs for a snack. Jim was fond of them, of course!
It's been getting cold here at night, sometimes down in the 30s. We haven't turned the heat on yet. We don't have a furnace but instead have electric wall heaters. I have already pulled out my flannel jammies and sweat shirts. I made myself a cup of Sleepytime tea and thought how much I love the smell and taste of Sleepytime (and the bear that is on the package.) I was thinking how comforting the flavor is. Kind of an old friend. Like the Paul Simon's voice of the tea world.
We are starting to plan our trip to Illinois in January. It looks like Megan will be coming to Eugene for New Years Eve AND my birthday (yay!!). So if she comes then we're looking at heading to Illinois a few days after Jan. 2. I'm really looking forward to returning to my beloved Midwest. My only concern is where we'll leave Trooper. It will also be nice for Jim to get a long break from school. Even if it's cold and frozen I'm sure Illinois will wonderful.
Jim's working hard on a paper/ memo due Friday morning. There's a Thursday night football game tomorrow and I'm hoping it won't get too loud around here. I'm looking forward to another nice weekend with my husband and dog.

Happy Birthday, Megan!

Today is the birthday of one of my very favorite friends, Megan. This is the tote bag I sewed for her. I made the same one last spring for my mother in law. I hope they both love it. I used a pattern from a library book I checked out back in Geneva.

Running Club

Last night after work I finally went to the Eugene Running Club! Trooper and Jim dropped me off. There were around 25 people there. I even saw someone I knew from Big Brothers Big Sisters. I jogged with two different women who were really nice. Then I had a veggie lasagna waiting in the fridge to be put in the oven, which was awesome. And pumpkin bars for dessert and Big Love on DVD. Pretty nice way to spend a Monday evening. Trooper woke us up at 5am this morning. He's never tried to wake us up, even on the weekends he sleeps in with us. He was pawing at both of us. Jim took him out. I said maybe he had a bad dream. We got him to lay back down until 6am when we woke up to go workout. He was a little playful this morning. I am planning to take him over to the dog park after work.

Autumn Days

This is one of the eggplants I used in my recipe (see below.) There are such pretty veggies at the market.


Trooper even got his paws wet at Mount Pigsah Arboretum. Jim's drinking coffee from the Wandering Goat.


I thought this tree trunk was cool. We all climbed over it.


It's tough being an adventurous puppy.



Jim made roast beef and we watched 60 Minutes and Big Love.

We had a very busy weekend. Yesterday I went to the market and stocked up on veggies and pasties. Then I met up with a girl I've been working with and we took our dogs to a dog park and went to lunch. I came home and cleaned and cooked and we had a couple over for dinner. I made penne with eggplant puree and Italian sausage. So good! It was a really fun dinner. When we woke up today I made bacon and eggs (fresh from the Saturday market!) and we loaded up the doggie and drove to Mt. Pigsah Arboretum. The leaves in town are changing but they weren't quite yet at the Arboretum. We walked around and explored. Trooper was in full hunting mode! He was sniffing and tracking something. (Maybe a cougar?) We were laughing so hard. As usual, he had a good time. When we came home Jim went to school and I was in task mode. Oil change, shopping, cooking, laundry, etc. I felt very productive. I made a veggie lasagna for tomorrow night. I am hoping to finally go the Eugene Running Club after work, so it will be ready in the fridge for dinner. I gave Trooper a bath; he was a dirty puppy! While I worked out Jim made a roast beef (so good!) and I'd made cheesy potatoes, carrots, and pumpkin bars for dessert. We had a really good autumn feast. Next weekend looks busy too. We are going to a potluck on Friday (dogs are invited!) and some Halloween function at the law school on Saturday. Tomorrow I am back at work at the mall office. Another nice weekend wraps up.

Mom and Dog Night

It's been a busy week! Last night I was invited to watch Grey's Anatomy with a few other girls. I haven't watched that show in a few years but was happy to have an excuse to hang out with some nice girls. I was out until 10:15pm! I had a good time watching tv and drinking wine and was told I could wear my sweats or jammies next week. Sounds good to me! Jim went up to Portland this evening to see a senator speak. He left for school at 10am and went straight from there. Luckily he found a ride as I needed the car for work. After work I took Trooper for a jog. It was a long day in the crate for him, poor pup. He loved the jog. We stopped at the dog park. (Last night he had so much fun at the dog park we almost had to pull him home. He mainly wanted to hump a small male beagle, but he was having fun no less. His mommy loves him no matter what his sexual orientation.) Then we jogged home. He has been SO playful all evening. I took him in the car to Chipotle to get a burrito. All he's wanted to do is RUN, RUN, and PLAY! When he wants to play he grabs a shoe or slipper and RUNS with it in his mouth through the apartment. I tried to play with him but I know I don't play as rough as Jim does. He's finally sleeping on his little doggie pillow right now while I type. I did a little bit of sewing. While drinking wine. (Is that a good plan?) I was going to take a sewing class on Monday, but had to cancel due to my current temp job. The store was really nice and gave me store credit, so I am hoping to take a Saturday class soon. Tomorrow morning I plan on going to the market. Last week I bought us a pasty to share. (Short "a" sound, not what strippers put on their boobies.) They are a British treat that's kind of a cross between a pot pie and empanada. I bought the beef and potato, which is cooked with Ninkasi (a Eugene brewed) beer. It was great! We shared one and tomorrow we will have to each get our own. It was too yummy to share! The booth is called Cousin Jack's and they sell them at my fave store here, Market of Choice. During the day (while Jim meets with his outlining group) I am meeting up with a girl I'm currently working with and her doggie. She has a female black lab. We're going to the dog park and maybe a walk. Then we are having another couple over for dinner. They are a really nice and fun couple. On Sunday will be more studying for Jim of course. But he did promise to go with Trooper and I to Mount Pigsah Arboretum. The leaves are really beautiful right now. It should be a fun Sunday walk. I'm sure the weekend will go by too fast as always. I always have a huge list of things I want to do and/ or accomplish on the weekends and on Sunday night I feel that I haven't even gotten to half of it. Maybe that's part of being an adult. Gah!
I also received sad news that my great Aunt Alice passed away. She was 98 years old! She lived in Ohio and was the sister of my wonderful Grandmother, Betty. I have fond memories of staying the week at Alice's in the suburbs of Cleveland every summer. She would take me to Burlington Coat Factory and buy me school clothes or take me to the art museum.
Trooper and I are going to relax together until our favorite guy gets home. Trader Joe's just got in a wine I really like, Well Read. ($6 for organic wine!) We're all looking forward to sleeping in!

Shrimpy Dinner

After work I took Trooper on a jog. He now loves jogging. His tongue hangs out of his mouth and his ears flap in the wind. He likes to run FAST but I pace him to keep control. For dinner I made penne with shrimp. Yummy! Jim's prepping pizza dough for dinner tomorrow. I'm pretty excited about it; Jim makes the best pizza. Another 6am workout tomorrow so that we can take our doggie on a long walk to the dog park after work.

Tuesday

Another fall day. We woke up and it was in the mid-30s out! After work I took Troop to the dog park. He was herding the other dogs and running around like a crazy dog. I was so happy to see him run around. Then Jim rode up on his bike. Trooper LOVES Jim riding his bike. He'd chase him to the ends of the earth on his bike. We had a leftover night for dinner. Jim had an Italian beef with a side of chicken and biscuits! Jim is heading to Portland to see a senator of some sort on Friday evening with some sort of Green Building club. Trooper and I have a wine and rom-com date while he's gone. Okay, must get to Glee!

Fall

Have you ever seen carrots with different color skin? Me either!


I love having people over for dinner.


Please ignore how uncute I was at 8am on a Sunday. Focus on the cute doggie.

It feels very fall-like today. Weather.com says it's currently 48 degrees out. I am sitting here in a thermal shirt and flannel jammies. I know I have a flair for the dramatics, but it's starting to get chilly out. Work was fine today. When I got home, all of the kids were riding bikes in the parking lot and the first question is, "Where's Trooper?!?" So I brought him down to see his kiddie friends. He was nuts. He was in cat hunting mode. I took him for a long walk and he was still nuts. Jim played with him and he was still nuts. I think he's finally sleeping now. I made some TJ's battered fish for dinner and worked on a bit of sewing. Christmas will be here before we know it. I am working on a tote that has curved corners. The curves are a bit hard, but the woman at the fabric store told me to just go slow. Hopefully it will turn out well! Jim's studying away. Trooper was bothering him to play and I was bothering him by setting off the smoke alarm, trying to both cook and gossip with Vanessa at the same time. Sorry, pal!

Sunday Funday

This weekend flew by again! Yesterday I went to the market. I bought purple carrots (will post a pic soon). I also bought a lot of apples. I forgot how good fresh apples are in the fall! The first batch was so good I texted Jim just to remark how good they were. (We both try to eat at least one apple and one banana a day.) Bought some sale fabrics, took Trooper to PetSmart, and went to the mall. I was excited to do a little clothes shopping now that I am making a bit of money. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, because I'm very lucky in life, but it feels like we've been watching our money for awhile, ever since we started saving for our wedding, really. So I treated myself to a little bit of clothes and will now go back to penny pinching again. Then we went out for drinks at the Eugene City Brewery. I've met a few more girls who are really nice and hoping to hang out with them more. Today was my first 5K in Eugene. Of course, it was pouring rain. My slightly hungover husband woke up and took our doggie (in his pink bandana) to watch me run. It was a pretty big run. The timer said just over 28 minutes when I finished, but I think my official chip time will be at least 30 seconds less. I always enjoy 5Ks because I usually get to run in areas that I wouldn't otherwise go to. We ran on trails along the river. I was motivated to run fast to get out of the cold rain. It was great to see Jim and Trooper at the end. I was so cold by the time we walked back to our apartment. After I changed and dried off we went to breakfast at a place called Studio One. I had the french toast meal which was awesome. The french toast was made with challah bread. Just what I needed after my run. Then we went grocery shopping for the week. Jim went to school for more studying this afternoon and I mopped, baked, did laundry, etc. I thought I'd have time for a nap but not so much. I made chicken stew with biscuits for dinner and chocolate chip cookies for dessert. We had a girl who went to high school with Jim over for dinner. She also moved to Eugene this fall to get a Masters in Education. She brought her roommate with her who was from Naples and Sarasota. It was a fun weekend but we are both tired and ready for bed. 6am workout tomorrow morning before work. Hopefully I can take Trooper on a long walk after work.

TGIF

Tonight I made Giada's Carbonara. YUM! Hopefully semi raw egg yolks don't gross you out. I also added pancetta. I think you should too.
Last night I got my first hair cut since July! I went to an "Aveda Apprentice." I was looking for a discount. It was a nice guy and he did a great job except when it came to my bangs. He had to call in back up. He was getting really stressed out. I was very attached to my hair stylist in Illinois. If we can afford to fly to Illinois for Christmas she is high on my list of people to visit.
Back to work at the mall again today. The people are very nice and they have tasks for me to do all day. The only hard thing is how much I miss my doggie all day. It seems like they'll be needing me at least a month or maybe even two. I'm happy to be a productive member of society as well as a financial contributor to our household. I try not to let myself day dream too much about the Etsy shop I dream of starting or all of the food I'd like to cook or bake.
After work Jim and I went to the Breast Cancer run "Pink Up" and I got my race day stuff. They even had youth large tees, which are much better for me than the adult small. Whenever there's a race survey I always write "get X-small tees!" But they rarely do. Jim has promised to take me out to breakfast after my run. That will motivate me to run a bit faster to get to my breakfast!
After the Pink Up we walked Trooper around Skinner Butte park and found a rose garden I'd never visited. It was a nice family walk along the river. Trooper has had so much puppy energy lately. Maybe it's because I've started him on a jogging regimen.
Tomorrow I plan to ride my bike to the farmer's market and library. Jim has a study group at school during the day. I already have a long list of things I'd like to do while he's there. Tomorrow night is a birthday party for one of Jim's friends and on Sunday we're having two girls over to dinner, one of which went to high school with Jim and randomly moved to Eugene this August as we did.
I've got some red wine, chocolate truffles and jammies calling my name.

If you love doggies like me, check out Alicia Paulson's blog today. I think her doggie looks a bit like Trooper.

New job tomorrow

Today was the last day (for now) of temping at the real estate office. Tomorrow I start a new temp job at an office that manages a mall near us. I'm looking forward to working in a new place. This job should last between one to two months. For now I'm pooped. Worked on a little sewing but mostly just watching tv.

More Work

Trooper's allowed on the patio balcony when we're in the kitchen to watch him. He's into it.


I bought these Roma's at the Saturday Market. They were so pretty. I roasted them for a soup.


Grilled cheese has always been one of my favorites.


Another sour dough loaf!

Today I received a call from the temp agency and was asked back to the real estate office I'd worked at before. I'll be going back there at least for a day. They also have a 30- 60 day position at an office in the mall near our house. I had to get a background check and drug test for that. It was my first drug test! After lunch today I made two loaves of sour dough bread using my starter that I've been keeping alive in the fridge. I added a little more salt this time and I felt it was better than last time. I used the bread to make grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. I prefer muenster cheese and put prosciutto on Jim's sandwich. I made a roasted tomato soup that I'd made before. It's a really good soup if you have a lot of extra tomatoes. There's a little crushed red pepper in it which gives it a bite. Another good dinner. Trooper is passed out right now. He's had a lot of puppy energy. I think it may be because it's cooler outside (it's in the low 40s when we wake up.) I took him on a 45 minute walk this morning and to the dog park this evening. He's also growing his winter undercoat and looks shaggier already. If I'm not temping on Thursday or Friday I've made a puppy play date with a law school wife who has the cutest puppy. It looks like half yellow lab half daschund. Gotta go- looks like there are grilled cheesus on Glee tonight too!

Monday

Where did today go? Doing laundry, I think! Not really, but we did spend most of the morning doing laundry. We are still waiting on Jim's GI Bill reimbursement (he filed in July!) and when that comes in we are hoping to buy a used washer and dryer. We are spending over $10 a week in quarters on laundry and have to carry it over to the laundry room. It's better than having to go to a laundry mat, but we are spending a lot. We have a W/D hookup in our closet. Today I helped at a volunteer fair for Big Brothers Big Sisters recruiting undergrads. I rode my bike to campus early and had lunch with Jim in the law school courtyard. It was almost too cold out to eat outdoors. It really felt like fall today. The leaves are changing. I've put out my small amount of Halloween decor and a pumpkin spice candle. When we work our way through the cupcakes I'll think about making pumpkin bars (another one of Jim's favorites.) I received an email reminding me about the Pumpkin Fest 10K in Sycamore. We'll miss running in that one! I love Sycamore because people ask if you're going to fly back for Pumpkin Fest. Maybe I'll run 6.2 miles in Sycamore's honor and have Jim give me a beer at the end like at PFest. Trooper was really nutty today so I took him on an hour walk when I got home. I'm making Ina's mustard roasted fish for dinner and will settle in with some red wine and Gossip Girl a little later. We also have to finish Encounters at the End of the World (or something like that), a Werner Herzog movie. It's interesting thus far though not quite as crazy as Grizzly Man. It also made me realize that our map of the world shower curtain is MISSING Antarctica. WTF? Otherwise I'm still applying for jobs. Today I accidentally applied for one for people with developmental disorders. I was a bit confused when they emailed me back asking what my disorder was. I'm sure I have one somewhere so hire me!!

A Walk in the Woods

Today was the last day of celebrating Jim's birthday. I think I like his birthday more than him. We ran errands this morning. The best part for him was getting his bike fixed. He'd been riding his road bike to school and it isn't quite made for that. He also bought me a bike bell while we were there! The most fun event of the day was going to Spencer Butte, a park in the south part of Eugene. We took a 2 mile hike and walked up to about 2,000 feet in elevation. It was cloudy so we didn't see out too far, but it was a nice view. I was told that when it's clear you can see the Cascades well. Trooper loved hiking! He seems to like to explore. He would've kept hiking had we let him. He just bounces along, happy to be on an adventure with us. For dinner tonight I made shrimp and grits, a family fave here. I was so excited to eat that I didn't even grab the camera! Now it's time for a cupcake and Werner Herzog (if you've ever seen his films, you can bet it will go well with a cupcake.) Also, thank you to my anonymous donor who gave to my Breast Cancer run fund (you know who you are!) If you'd like to donate, see my link in the September post. Thanks!!

Pleasant Friday and Saturday

I have two domestic diva loves in life: my mixer and my sewing machine.


We had a really wonderful lunch at King Estates (see below.) This burger was only $10!


Jim wouldn't pose with me. The scenery at the winery.

I think and hope that Jim had a very nice birthday. We received some very yummy Portillo's Italian Beef from family back home in Illinois. A good present for me too! When Jim came home from school on Friday, we drove out to King Estates. It's about 45 minutes away but a very scenic drive. We were so hungry when we got there! It was pretty quiet and we had a great lunch. Jim was even able to get a beer he enjoyed. They are a neat place because their grapes are organic and they grow most of their produce they serve on site, bake their breads there, and whatever they can't grow or raise on site they buy locally. I had a glass of wine and a burger. In my opinion, a good cheeseburger has all of the components of a perfect meal: melted cheese, beef, and bread. Yum! The fries were really good too. Jim had a pulled pork sandwich and sweet potato chips. We decided not to take the winery tour again even though they were starting to make wine. Hopefully they'll still be making wine when Jim's mom comes to visit in November. We came back home and Jim and Trooper took a very long nap. It was much needed and deserved! We were too full from lunch to do much but leftovers for dinner. We did take Trooper on a walk in the park. Our friends Jason and Sasha met us out at the bar for some drinks. We found out that the Eugene City Brewery gives you a free (giant) beer of choice and a free t-shirt on your birthday! A good treat but may have sent Jim over the edge! He even got the hiccups, which I've never witnessed in our six plus years together. Needless to say he was in bed a bit late this morning. I woke up, went on a nice jog, ate breakfast and then rode my bike to the library, bank, and farmer's market (all while the thirty year old slept). It's a bit crazy around our apartment because of the football game. The phone lines get busy too and you can't text or make a call easily. I made some Italian Beefs for lunch (YUM!) and we went down to our neighbors' BBQ for a bit. We have really nice neighbors in the building next to us who have the cutest kids. Their kids came up and invited us (and Trooper!) down. Then we put Trooper's UO bandana on and walked around the stadium a bit. Trooper LOVED all of the people. He got a lot of, "Aww, what a cute dog!" Which he loves. We rode our bikes to a bar and grill to watch the game with some of Jim's classmates and their spouses. (PS I had at least five people tell me or call out to me as I rode by that my bike is nice. I heart the Manhattan Smoothie.) I realized I may be crazy dog park lady as a wife of Jim's classmate recognized me from talking to her and her dog at the dog park one day! She was really nice though and we exchanged numbers for a puppy play date. I had a beer and rode home at half time. Half of a football game is more than enough for me. I also don't have a bike light. It's a $99 ticket for riding with no light. I bought Jim one for part of his birthday gift so that he'll be covered. And as usual I wanted to get home to our doggie. It's really loud at home from the game and I didn't want him to be crazy in the crate. So I'm home in my jammies with my pup curled up next to me and it feels really good. Hopefully Jim will have a safe bike ride home. Dodging the drunk football fans is similar to playing some sort of version of Frogger.

Happy Birthday, Jim!

I just felt like I hadn't posted any cute pictures of Trooper lately. Here you go!



The birthday boy studying before class.


I'm preparing Jim's birthday cupcakes. He LOVES Ina's chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter icing. If he hadn't married me and there was no Jeffery, he'd be stalking Ina in the Hampton's. The key to a nice cake is letting your ingredients reach room temperature.


This is the purse I won at the Piece by Piece raffle! I'm both jealous of and inspired by this woman's sewing skills.

Today is my wonderful husband's 30th birthday! He's studying away right now. Luckily he only has one class today, so will be a free man around 12:30pm. When he gets home we are planning on going to King Estates (a winery outside of Eugene) for lunch. It's supposed to be 75 and sunny and hopefully we'll get a patio seat. It should be nice! I gave Jim the first part of his gift yesterday. Our car hasn't been washed since we lived in Illinois, so I washed, vacuumed and cleaned out the Yaris. I hate this task and in times of financial prosperity I would take my car and pay to have it done for me. But yesterday I took my quarters and vacuumed up the layer of Trooper hair and other filth. Jim was pretty excited when I told him. Our internet and cable went out yesterday around 1pm and didn't come back until sometime during the night. The cable wasn't a big deal, but the internet was. Jim came home from school around 5pm expecting to finish his paper here, but had to go back to school to use the Internet. Poor guy! Trooper wouldn't come to bed until Jim came home around 11pm. Yesterday I made a veggie strata for Jim's birthday breakfast. That way he could just warm it up when he woke up today. Tomorrow's a big game here (who's winning the match?). I think Oregon is playing Stanford but we were too busy to get tickets to the game or the law school tailgate party. That's okay. Some of our neighbors are having some snacks and we may still walk around the stadium. ESPN Game Day is here, and they start opening the area at 4:30am for a 6am broadcast (it's on at 9am eastern.) I don't think we'll be making that. Tonight we'll probably just get a few drinks and have a nice evening. Jim needs to have some beers and then get some sleep! Oh, I'm also embarrassed that my last post was littered with grammatical errors. Sorry readers. Feel free to send your corrections to me via email. One last final story. The other night I picked up Jim at school and Trooper was in the back seat. When Jim got in the car, I yelled, "Trooper, it's DADDY!" In a much too loud voice, with the windows down, in front of the law school. Poor Jim. At least he's used to my big mouth and embarrassing antics. I told him maybe since it's dark people will think I was really talking to a child and not a dog. Or maybe people will think he has a furry son. Teen Wolf? Teen Infant?