Snow day - belated

Last week we had tons of snow and wind, so much so that I didn't go into work on Wednesday and Thursday. Neither did Todd, giving us a couple nice snow days at home.

What kept us from going out?

Take a look at these photos and I think you'll understand.

A snow drift hanging from our roof...


Another angle...


Who would think it could defy gravity like that?!

Bird watcher

Todd took Rigby with him over the weekend to check pheasant hunters and came back all excited: we may have a natural bird dog.

I think that's pretty cool too, even though I don't sport any blaze orange.

Apparently, Rigby flushes birds and retrieves them - this from a dog who looks completely bewildered when we try throwing a stick for him to fetch.

Todd thinks, with a little work, Rigby will be really good in the field.

Here he is hot on the trail...


I love this picture! He's just so darn cute here...


What a proud puppy! Good boy!

Good morning!

Look at the AMAZING sunrise this morning!

I just don't feel like the photos do it justice...

Brainstorming

Done: I've decided to change my blog and am super excited about the decision and my upcoming move to Wordpress.

Not done: I can't decide what to name the new space and consequently the URL.

I want the premise of it to change a bit. A friend said it should incorporate the two new loves in my life - Todd and Rigby - and I wholeheartedly agree.

So, I need to figure out a name that rolls love, life, and everyday living into one.

Until then, I'll keep writing here.

Oh, and I'm taking suggestions!

Considering...

I'm thinking about changing up the blog. I feel like it's kind of dark and...tired. And the idea of being a former D.C.ite - which is still true - is now almost two years behind me.

AND (this is the thing that's bugged me the most for a long time now) the URL needs changing. It needed changing a year ago when I didn't land in Colorado like I thought I would.

The idea of migrating all my stuff to a different URL is a little overwhelming though. Unless someone has a quick and dirty way to get 'er done. I would love to hear about that!

So, do I change it?

Suggestions?

Hmmm...

Too many doggone choices

I had to buy dog food for Rigby yesterday and what an experience!

There's a million different kinds it seems for puppies, healthy weight management, skin and coat formula, vibrant maturity 7+ senior formula...

And this was just in the dry food aisle.

What ever happened to the days of some simple Purina or Ol' Roy? I know, I know food science is ever evolving. And yes, I want to make sure Rigby eats healthy, but really, does he need a lamb and rice or salmon based food?

No.

So, he'll be eating a regular formula, but I still chose Pedigree. It's got to be good and delicious with a name like that, right?

Fiesta!

My new happy-maker item?

These dishes:


They are the new Fiestaware dishes I ordered online and that came in last night!

I've always been attracted to Fiestaware at antique stores/flea markets, but never could quite make the decision to just buy them. I don't know why, really. I think it mostly had to do with not knowing what kind of dishes I wanted and I didn't want to commit - and I felt like once you went Fiesta there was no going back.

I was right.

My new Fiesta dishes bring me so much happiness every time I pass my cupboards I wonder how I ever ate off anything else!

Though I've now become a raging fan of Fiesta, I'm not (yet, anyway) the person that has to have the latest color they come out with. And...I may love the way it looks when folks have lots of different colors of Fiesta stacked together, but I've decided not to make that leap either...at least for now.

Instead, I'm going to stick with one color: turquoise. One of the things we got from the previous owners of our house was a set of super cute, yellow-handled silverware (displayed above). I thought turquoise Fiesta would look so good with those and, man, was I right! (If I do say so.)

So, now I'm slightly obsessed. I want - actually need - more sets of the turquoise so I can have place settings for all the dinner parties and guests I plan to entertain. And I'm really intrigued by the different baking dishes and casseroles there are and have been looking at different colors in these. (I don't want everything in turquoise - just the eating dishes for now.)

Another thing I love? They've been made in the U.S.A. since 1936.

God bless America!

Perfect fall day

We had today what I thought we'd skipped right over: A fall day. And it was perfect!

It was so nice out, I spent essentially all day outside - starting with the raking of all our leaves in the back yard. I love the fact I have a yard. I know it means yard work, but that's one of the reasons I love it! I've always wanted a place to hang out, grill, have flowers, veggies - a dog. And now I do!


Last night and today we had three dogs. We dogsat a couple labs of some friends of ours. I'm hoping to get Rigby socialized with these dogs because we're going to leave him at their house when we go to Nashville in November. I think it's working. They were playing and lounging in the sun, having a good ol' dog time.

Here they are in the back of my car for the ride back home. Rigby's on the left...


I also took Rigby on a walk, got a second fridge picked up for the workshop, and went over to a friends house for a deer tenderloin dinner. How fall-ish is that?

I finally got my pumpkins carved today too! We went to a different patch this year in Ft. Collins: The Bartels Farm. They had tons, TONS of pumpkins. Literally, the fields stretched to the horizon!


Here's a new recipe for roasting pumpkin seeds that I tried last night. It is freaking good. This recipe has the perfect blend of sweet and salty. Don't let your Halloween go by without making these!

From Real Simple magazine:

Sweet and Salty Pumpkin Seeds
Place 2 cups pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet with sides in a 300 degree oven until somewhat dried out.

Remove seeds from oven, place in a bowl. Increase oven temp. to 350.

Stir together 2 tbsp. granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon in a separate bowl.

Pour 2 tbsp. melted butter over seeds. Sprinkle sugar mixture over seeds and toss to coat.

Place back on the cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Cook until crisp!

Heart breaker

Rigby just broke my heart!

Usually, he goes for a walk with me in the morning then goes to work with Todd in the field all day.

We had to leave him home once last week because Todd had to be in the office and couldn't take him. It was cold out, so we kept him in the shop, which is nicer, really, than some dogs get - the shop is heated.

He has to stay home again today, but fortunately it's supposed to be really nice. So, being a dog, he needs to stay outside.

Only I'M the one who had to leave him last this morning.

He seemed panicked to follow me, pawing at the gate and trying to fit himself through the part that's not flush with the house. And the sounds he made!! Oh! I've never heard him be so vocal! He was whining like he was desperate to have me not leave.

I know he needs to get used to being left alone. And he needs to be outside more, being a dog 'n all. But I think we're going to have to do this in baby steps. He needs to trust and understand that we're coming back and he's not being dumped again. We really need to focus on this because we have to leave him with friends for a full weekend in November so we can go to a wedding.

So, Todd and I are going to come home periodically today to check on him and show him that we do return.

He'll be fine. Be he still killed me this morning!

Top 'o the mornin'

I hate this time of year because it's so dark when you wake up and when you're eating supper.

But I love one thing about it - the sunrise when you're out on a run or walk.

From mine and Rigby's walk this morning...

The "Suite" life

I am in love with the new martini/tapas bar Suite 1901 in downtown Cheyenne.

L.O.V.E.

Last night, Todd, Don and Annie, and I went to their jazz night. There was a live jazz band and a martini special - the JazzRazz.

The place is just so...not Cheyenne. You feel like you're dining in another city!

The music was awesome, and I think they've got their martinis right. I only had one JazzRazz (it's pretty sweet) then moved on to their Jet Black house wine, which is my favorite.

They have a different theme each night of the week including Cuban, big band swing, and more.

Suite 1901...bless you.

Today's letter is "P"

Remember on Sesame Street how there was always a letter of the day and everything on the show centered around that letter?

Today, my letter was "P".

We're pretty well snowed in. I believe we have about 9-inches of snow out there - and don't think the wind isn't blowing!

Because it was so wintery out, Todd didn't have to go out in the field. So, we spent the day working on the house.

We were so tired ("P"athetic?) Friday night that we went to bed around 9:30 p.m., so this morning, being all rested up 'n all, we were up and at 'em at 5 a.m.!

The morning started with letting the "P"uppy out, which is typical of every morning now.

Then, being in the mood to make a snowy-morning-breakfast I made some blueberry "P"ancakes.


Let me tell you something about the blueberries I've discovered - they're from the frozen food section at Wal-Mart. Yep. WallyWorld has it's own line (Great Value) of frozen fruit that is amazing! Just the fruit too - no sugar, anything like that. I've been stocking up on their peaches, blackberries and blueberries for months now. And, being Wal-Mart, the price is quite good. A bag of fruit isn't over $3.

Here's what they look like so you know what you're looking for. Ok, blueberries and blackberries don't start with "P", but "P"eaches do!


Here's Todd reading the morning "P"aper... "P"lease excuse our mess. The house is getting there...!


Speaking of getting there, we made some real headway on the house today. Our biggest accomplishments were getting the basement nearly put together, and pretty much all our "P"ictures and "P"hotos on the walls.

We also took Rigby to the "P"ark. Poor "P"uppy, we didn't take him for a walk on Friday, so we let him out at the "P"ark on our way home from errands yesterday (using Todd's new "P"ickup, of course!).

The last "P"? "P"ork.

A few days ago I went through my recipes and pulled out the ones I wanted to make over the next few days. Dinner tonight was Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin from Cooking Light. It was a new recipe and, holy cow (or maybe I should say holy "P"ig!), it's a keeper!!

Let's talk about "P"ork tenderloin for a sec: I love it. I love eating it. I love making it. I love how simple it is to make and how it can still make a really elegant main dish...I sound like Martha Stewart now, I know.

Anyway, this tenderloin recipe does NOT disappoint. I highly recommend it!

Here's the "P"ork on our new buffet. So, the buffet...isn't it awesome?! I found it on Craigslist at some sketchy "antique" store in Ault, Colo. The lady only wanted $35 for it. It needs a little work, but Todd makes furniture, so someday it will get refinished. Until then, I freaking love it - and the painting above it. That was one of the things we got from the last owners...


Totally unrelated to "P"-day is this photo...

This is the little outside table we inherited from the "P"revious owners. Doesn't the table all covered in snow kind of remind you of a giant cake stand? Like, if you lifted that big, snowy lid you'd find an enormous, "P"retty cake underneath? :)

Ok, maybe that was "P" related.

New roomie!

It's no secret how badly I've wanted a dog.

Well...

I've got one!

A few weeks ago my mom found a little black lab on the side of the road. She did due diligence - posting fliers, checking with the local vets and animal shelter to see if anyone was missing a pup - and nothing.

So, last Friday I drove to Omaha, Neb., to meet my mom at my sister's house and do the pick up.

He is SO sweet, and cute, and well-mannered! Someone taught this boy how to behave before they dumped him.

He's gotten in trouble a couple of times - once for eating a package of sliced cheese off the counter - and he doesn't listen worth a darn when there's another dog in sight, but overall he's pretty darn perfect!!

He's spent every day working in the field with Todd, and I take him for runs in the morning - which is awesome for me since I've fallen off the running bandwagon lately.

Without further ado, meet the newest addition to mine and Todd's home - and topic of discussion on the blog...

Rigby!

Moving in

We've been in the new house a week now, and though things look MUCH better than they first did, it's still a work in progress. Particularly, the upstairs office, pretty much all of the basement, the workshop and the garage.

Yeah, huge areas.

But here are some pictures, as promised. I'll do some "after" pics when it's all said and done...

Standing in front of the house...


But before we go inside let's go back a step. Here's Todd, signing his life away...


After the signing! Yay!


Alright, back to the present. What's behind door number one...?


These pretty flowers left by Jackie and Roy, the previous owners, along with a very nice card and a bottle of champagne in the fridge...


Ok...here's where the real mess begins. The living/dining room...


What has become the master bedroom...

The disaster of the kitchen. Man, this was a CHORE!


Me at the dining room table at our little "thank you for helping us move" party...


Todd and I slept on the pullout couch that night because we were just too tired to make a bed. Plus, I had no idea where the sheets were. If we'd slept downstairs, however, we would have been sharing the bed with this little guy, left for us by Molly. Yes, it's Todd's. And yes, it's real. He's a game warden, afterall...

5th Avenue livin'

The theme song to The Jeffersons springs to mind right now. Like the Jeffersons, we even live on the "east side." Saying I live on east 5th Avenue just sounds so high society, doesn't it?

So sophisticated, in fact, that I've had to haul all my own boxes in and put my belongings away by myself. Fifth Ave. living is clearly not what it used to be.

This is my excuse for not posting for the last week.

Todd and I have spent every moment we're at home moving things around, cleaning and unpacking that I either a) haven't had a chance to log on, or b) have been too dog-gone tired to log on, or c) have had a drained computer and couldn't log on.

The ol' homestead is coming along though! A couple nights ago we got the living room pretty well done. The master bedroom is put together, and so is the upstairs bathroom. The kitchen, the worst part of any move I think, was done by our second morning here. It is my proudest accomplishment so far.

I just love this house. LOVE. I love everything about it and can't wait for it to be all put together (which will be by the end of this week, by cracky).

When I have a bit more time (and it's not a complete disaster) I'll post some photos.

I'm still here though, just a little preoccupied with "fish that won't fry in the kitchen, and beans that won't burn on the grill."