"Red, red wine..." - UB40

Spent a nice long weekend with Dirk's parents -- drinking wine, eating good food and shopping like crazy! Well, we didn't shop but lived vicariously through his parent's utter disregard for price. LOL

We also talked about our impending trip to Europe and what some of the plans were. Dirk wants to stand at the top of the Eiffel tower and have a glass of champagne -- so first we are flying to Paris for two days. Dirk's dad has arranged for us to visit the Mellot vineyard in Sancerre before we head to Paul's for the house warming party.

Dirk's sister is going to Germany after the party, not sure were his parents are going, but once we all split up Dirk and I are free to go where ever want in Europe with multi country rail tickets. Dirk's dad suggested we definately see the Black Country Muesum, he said they have the best fish and chips he's ever had. We have to double check to see if we can fly out of Birmingham rather than Manchester, but we're a little at the mercy where Delta is a hub.

At any rate, I'm starting to pack now. LOL

"...call me Mr. No Prints, I never leaves a clue..." - Mr. No Print, Brotha Lynch Hung

I've got all three machines hooked up through the new wireless router to get online.
I've got the desktop set up with a printer and Dirk's machine can print to that printer. I've got Dirk's machine set up another printer and the desktop can print to both printers.

I've got my laptop connected to the Internet....and I'll be damned if I can figure out why I can't see the network or either printer. I've run that stupid Network connection wizard about 83 times and I STILL CAN'T PRINT.

I've screwed around with this all afternoon and completely wasted an entire Sunday that I could have been sitting on the couch while channel surfing through 900 channels of crap...

If you have any suggestions on this whole network boondoggle, I am all ears.

I've tossed in the towel and pulled the connection from one printer directly to my laptop.

"'Cos you're the boss, have a say, Everything must go your way..." - Boss, 7 Seconds

(oooh, that song hit me like a blast from the past....LOL....instantly transported me back the punk scene in high school, the smell of sweaty skinheads in the mosh pit, standing around in smoky clubs looking so goth in our way too short minis, torn fishnets, black hair and bright red lipstick....gads, that was a long time ago...)

Somedays work drives me completely crazy...but other days the boss is the best! Friday morning he calls and asks "Can you come over here to go through the new accounting set up to make sure it's all inputed correctly and that the accounts are all correct?". I've got about a zillion things I need to get done here, but I shower, dress and jump in the car, because, well, he's the boss.

I go over all the accounts with Chris & we fix a few errors and get everything cleared up before it's time for lunch. The three of us pack up to head to Q'doba and in the car we are talking about what would make us more productive. Boss says he'd be more productive if he could just clear his head, I answer "shit, I'd be more productive if I could sit on the couch with my feet on the ottoman while I worked."

On the way back to the office there is a short detour to OfficeMax for some supplies. Chris and I goof around in the stationary aisle waiting on the boss to pick up whatever it was that he wanted to stop for....which he hands to me as we get into the car as says "Can you be more productive now?" In the bag was a wireless router for the house....LOL!

So, now I not only can work at home in my PJ's with my hair sticking up every which way, but I can now work at home in my PJ's with my hair sticking up every which way ANYWHERE in the house...on the couch, in the recliner, in front of the fireplace, in bed or on the deck!

YIPPEEE!!! This morning got the new router all set up and I'm roaming wireless now.

In an effort to make myself work out more, I am going to require myself to post in a blog what I exercise I have done weekly. I started this morning with some Pilates, which looks *really* easy....but don't let that fool you, I know I'm going to be sore as hell tomorrow...off to start an exercise blog for myself.

"Sizzlin' hot hot pants" -- Hot Pants Explosion, The B52's

Had errands to run today. Stopped in Petsmart to get a new flap for the dog door since for the past 6 months it's just been a hole in the screen door -- you've never seen a train wreck like two boxers trying to get out a dog door while the third is attempting to come through it the other direction....LOL

Anyway, had a fun time shopping for nothing in particular. While in Wally World getting a new color cartridge for the printer I found a kick ass shirt for $5.00, it's a little fitted khaki colored shirt with mother of pearl snaps down the front and on the pockets -- very cowboy. I think I'll wear it with my funky cowboy boots and my brown cowboy hat to the Western Stock Show next week (we are going next Friday).

I hadn't been in Old Navy for awhile and they have *the best* sale racks. They had a TON of fitted dress slacks -- tried a few pairs on...best thing in the world I could have done for myself -- one pair fit GREAT and....drum roll, please...in a size FOUR.

(start humming Hot Pants Explosion by the B52's again...."Chokin' on the sizzle you deliver in that outfit so smokin'")

I know that sounds stupid, but this time last year I was standing in the dressing room crying when a size 10 was a little too snug to fit on my fat ass.... I sashay'ed up to the register to find out how much the sweet little black slacks without a price tag were only to be disappointed that they were NOT on sale, but fuck that -- they were a size 4, they fit and looked great...so I've got a $32.00 pair of trousers that I am going to wear with the tag hanging out in the back....LOL

Dirk's mom and dad are coming for a quick visit next week; I don't think I have seen his mom in over a year!! Everytime I've been back to Cincinnati, she's been down at the house in North Carolina. Dirk and his dad are visiting some customers on Thursday afternoon, so I'll take his mom to the little tea shoppe here in town. She'll love it and we can have a proper English tea with scones and Double Devonshire cream - yum! (If you are a tea lover, go to the site linked above and browse their tea selection!)

"The girl is crafty like ice is cold! The girl is crafty - she knows all the moves" -- She's Crafty, The Beastie Boys

I had a wonderfully crafty and fun filled weekend. I spent Friday night drawing out, cutting up and sewing together a little bodice. I had a box of scrap fabric just waiting for something to be made with them....so, out came the sewing machine. You can take a look at how it turned out here. (The dark portion is dark purple velvet and it's lined in black cotton). I got so excited about how it turned out that I started a second one yesterday with the same material, but it's strapless and laces up the sides and the back. I made myself a little website this morning to post my creations (www.GarmentWizardInc.com). LOL, just what I need, *another* website, but , what's the use of having access to web skills and server if you don't use them?

Spent most of the day on Saturday at the tattoo shop being, quote "the shop bitch". They say that now, but ask the guys who showed up on Saturday afternoon with two large pizzas.... All I did at the shop was talk to customers, answer their questions, give my opinion on designs and roll around on a wheeled stool while watching "Donnie Darko" on the DVD player, but it was a nice relaxing afternoon. We are in the process of working on a design for my other foot since Dave told me he'd do the work as a gift to me for my birthday and since I cook for him all the time. I invited him over for dinner last night and I was so flattered when he asked if I would marry him....LOL...I told him to ask Dirk if that was ok....

Sunday morning we watched the Bronco's lose miserably to the Colts -- but, shhh, don't tell anyone I'm a closet Colts fan and really want to see them go to the Super Bowl. Then I got hit with a wave of craftiness again and started making the second bodice right after I made up a Tandoori sauce and started chicken marinating in it (served with a side of creamed spinach and yogurt sauce).

Dirk wound up going back into the shoppe yesterday to help Dave with all the walk-in appointments -- he's not complaining since he made over $300 this weekend for a couple of hours of work.

The only downside to our weekend was when Dirk walked out to his truck on Saturday morning to find that someone had hit it. He was standing outside bitching, while one of our neighbors was looking on. It wasn't until Dirk said, "See ya later, I gotta go call the cops on this hit and run" that the neighbor said, "oh, uh, I think my son did that..." Well, no shit....the tire prints up to the smashed in door lead right back into your driveway where your vehicle sits with scratches on it... stupid fuck...he's just really lucky it wasn't my car or he would have been wearing me on his head like a shreking banshee...

"I'd have time on my hands..." - Busy Being Blue, kd Lang

Well, not really -- I've got a ton of stuff to do to keep me busy. Just taking a little break to ramble on about nothing in particular. LOL

This morning I got out the video camera to get a quick video of Maxwell's eye in addition to some still photos for Dr. Roberts. Let me tell you that there was nothing quick about trying to hold a video camera in one hand, while hanging onto Maxwell's face while using my left leg to keep the other two nosy boxers out of the way...

Want to see the results?

Dirk got Skippy, the boxer that Dave helped out, to the vet this morning for his neuter and to get him up to date on his shots. The best news is that Skippy has a family who is waiting to be able to pick him up at the vet's office and take him home. Really nice family in a really nice home with a big yard. They're both lawyers and Skippy will be living the life of luxury with them and the other dog in the home. Way to go, Skippy!!

"Martini people are happy people..." - Martini People, Chumbawamba

My mom called me in the middle of the day today to tell me that at her doctor's appointment today he gave her the a-ok to have an alcoholic drink -- she called me to ask if I could fly home *right this minute* to have a martini with her....I would give anything stop at the liquor store on the way to an airport to pick up a bottle of Bombay Sapphire (though I definitely prefer Stoli's...) and a jar of big fat green olives.

My favorite martini recipe: Decadent Chocolate Martini

1 Part(s) Stoli Vanil Vanilla Vodka
1 Part(s) Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
1 Part(s) Baileys Irish Cream
1 Garnish Dark Chocolate Shavings

Instructions:
Shake Vodka, Kahlua & Bailey's over ice & pour. Garnish with dark chocolate shavings.

Attributed To: Firefly's, Marlboro, MA

On a different note, Maxwell's eye is still healing...sigh...this can't be over soon enough for me....I'm such a worry wart when my boo-bear is hurt.

I called the specialist's office this morning to see when I needed to bring him back up for a recheck. Dr. Roberts just called me back and said rather than make the 170 mile trip to get some good digital pictures of his eye and email them to him first. I can't tell you enough good things about this guy -- he's got a heart of gold and is *so* good at what he does. But, nothing less than the best for my boy...

Apparently the boxer rescue bug is contagious....a friend of our's called yesterday to tell me about a young male boxer about 2 hours south of here who was living with a friend of a friend's mom who was leaving him OUTSIDE 24/7 -- keep in mind it's been in the single digits overnight. I told him I needed to find a place to put the dog, we have NO foster homes and have 7 dogs in the kennel right now waiting on homes. So he says "I'm not a boxer guy, but I can't stand that this dog is outside so I already sent someone to go get him and he'll stay with me until you can find him a home." Dave called this morning to tell me the boxer is at work with him and having a great time at the shop. ...sniff... Dave's earned his golden wings in my book.

::Just got this instant message from my dad: "your mom had an apple martini - woohoo!"::

Want to hear some crazy numbers?

We adopted out 149 boxers out last year and their care cost us....are you ready??? Roughly $43,000. Yes, that's thousands. Luckily this year our donations just barely covered the expenses, last year we were two grand in the hole that another member of the rescue group covered. She was born with golden wings...

"Way down in the south of France all the ladies love to dance..." - France, The Grateful Dead

(Can I tell you how much fun I have thinking up the song quote to go with my postings? Looking back on them I have to laugh at the range of artists that I am familiar with.)

Anyway, back to the subject of France...

Dirk's previous boss recently relocated back to France and purchased a new estate -- and we have been invited to the house warming party in the south of France, specifically: Bourdeux. Woooo-Hooooooo!!

Ready for the best part??? For our anniversary we received airline tickets to France. :) We've decided to combine our two trips to Europe to best take advantage of our funds by arriving in Bourdeaux and then traveling around Europe from there for two weeks. We've discussed a trip to include passing through Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands (to drop in on Branny & Minette) and then to the UK to visit posh Wolverhampton.

Sound like a plan?

I thought so too, but also knowing that we could suddenly decide that we want to go through Belgium on the way to the Netherlands rather than Switzerland and Germany. Who knows....