Knitting and Committing

I've been working extra hard and extra quick to make sure I finished one thing that I reeee-hee-heeally want to make a tradition of: knitting stockings each year for the fireplace mantle. I started learning the process of "knitting in-the-round" last year before Christmas, but just couldn't wrap my brain around it. It finally stuck this year. I have just finished both mine and Carlton's, and I am sooooo proud of myself! I am now working on a miniature striped version for Vespa. Here are the results!!!




Since our embarrassing trip to PetSmart, there have been one or two other "situations" with Vespa that finally convinced Carlton that we needed to enroll Vespa in a doggie training class. (I had wanted this since the PetSmart situation, but Carlton convinced me that we could work on it ourselves, until he took her for a walk and she encountered the next door golden retriever. Then he was ready to make a small investment in training/rehabilitation classes.)

Vespa was enrolled in a group class that was supposed to start Wednesday night at 6:30. Before bringing her into the store for class, I called to check and see if I needed to bring in anything at all: a certain leash, treats, etc. Turns out, due to the holidays, Vespa was the only pup enrolled in her class. The instructor and I talked for about an hour over the phone, and she talked me in to private lessons... with Vespa enrolled in the "class," she was limited to a specific curriculum, one which she wasn't really in need of. By enrolling in private classes, the instructor can work with both of us on her specific needs, and teach me how to handle her when she starts to get out of control. Unfortunately, Vespa didn't ever get out of control last night, so Trainer Lana, who uses the exact techniques as Cesar the Dog Whisperer, didn't get to experience the horror... or correct it. I did learn lots of great techniques and a few sure-fire commands that Vespa is very responsive to. Leash walking and encounters with other dogs in the store went well over all! She was very shy and submissive, and didn't really want to be anywhere except under my feet. We'll work on that! I'm totally, 100% committed to making this work. She's going to be chill and proud of herself in no time!

A Warning To All "Pup'rents"

Okay, so I understand that most of my blog entries are about this 5 pound pup we love so much... but this one will stand not only as a story of terror and thankfulness, but also as a public service announcement.

Last night was a nightmare I never want to experience again! I was sitting indian-style on the floor, busy knitting, as is the usual these days. Carlton was stretched out on the sofa under a blanket and Vespa was lying on top of his legs, chewing on a peanut butter flavored raw hide. Peanut butter is her favorite raw hide flavor. She has a choice of many different raw hide and other chewing toys, and I have been thinking that we should cut back on her available choices (which are strewn about the house like tumbleweed), but I just hadn't gotten around to picking up all the remains of the discarded chew toys. Never leave discarded bits of raw hides or other edible chew toys around the house.

She was very excited about this particular raw hide because I gave it to her when we got home from a matinee movie... lots of excitement when we got home, plus a new chew toy, equals quick and busy chewing. Apparently, in about an hour, she had gotten this raw hide down to about an inch long (so that the end of the hide was all that was left, the part that was cut to be the shape of a bone), and then just... swallowed. Well, at least, she tried to swallow it.

Neither Carlton nor I knew that she had gotten the raw hide that small, and we definitely didn't really know that she had swallowed what was left of it. Then she started her poodle "asthma attack" (that's what we call it), where her little throat closes in a bit if she gets too excited (like when we come home). It sounds like a snort in her throat. Usually, her throat will get back to normal once she has calmed down, after about a minute or so. But there was no excitement. She had just been chewing and chewing. Then she started gagging. And then trying to vomit. All the while, each breath in she took, she snorted. Breaths got shorter and more labored. Gagging turned to vomiting. This went on for about 4-5 minutes before I began to panic. I looked up the Scottsdale Emergency Pet Clinic. They urged us to come in as soon as we could possibly get there. They could hear her snorting, and said it sounded like she was probably choking even though she was still getting a little air. More vomit. Shorter, more labored snorting breaths. It was getting very scary.

We rushed into the car, sped out of the neighborhood, and drove the 5-minute drive (which should have probably been about 10 minutes) to the clinic. Even shorter breaths. Carlton signed her in while I explained to the doctor what had been happening. No vomit was left, but she was still trying to swallow, and still trying to vomit. It didn't matter which way she tried, it just wasn't moving.

The doctor took her away from us, down a long hall closed off by a door with no window. Pup was gone.

The doctor came back about 2 minutes later and said it seemed like there was raw hide stuck in her throat, not in her windpipe. Her esophagus felt tense while her trachea felt compressed, which explained the obsession with swallowing, and the labored breathing. We allowed x-rays and sent the doctor about her quick business. The x-ray confirmed: her stomach was totally bloated and full of air from swallowing so much, trying to get the raw hide down. Her esophagus was enlarged in a very specific spot, where the doctor could tell the raw hide was stuck, obviously too big to go down or come up.

An emergency surgery was planned, and the doctor left us in the wait room again.

An agonizing 10 minutes later, the doctor came back up front. Gauze in her left hand. A smile on her face. She held out the gauze and showed us the raw hide that Vespa had vomited up in the knick of time, just before they put her under anesthesia. The doctor wanted to make a follow-up x-ray just to make sure that all of the obstruction was out. She said Vespa's breathing had returned to normal, that she was absolutely exhausted, and that they had given her a shot of an anti-vomit medication to stop the urges (since she had been trying to vomit for a good 20 minutes or more, her stomach didn't really want to turn off). Follow-up x-rays confirmed that everything was out and that her stomach had deflated back to normal... lots of burping, which Little One does so well.

Apparently the stomach acid she was vomiting eventually softened the raw hide enough so that she could move it again. But now her throat is pretty tore up from the scratchy hide and the stomach acid. So they gave a copy of the before and after x-rays, and a prescription-strength pepto bismol-smelling medication that we are to give her three times a day for three days to help the healing of her little throat.

The nurse brought her out, with one leg shaved and the other wrapped in a purple bandage. "I tried a few times to get the IV in this leg but couldn't get it in, so I had to move on to the other. So this one will probably be pretty sore." Boo, you mean nurse! Poor pup-a-lup. Poor, poor pup. The whole 10-minute ride home, she rested in my lap, licking her butchered left arm. A few minutes after we had settled in, Carlton unwrapped her right arm's bandage, and she worked on that for a little bit until she zonked out.

We are a happy little household made of two humans and one happy, healthy, "boots with the fur" pup. Prayers answered.

Please, keep an eye on the toys that your pets play with and chew on! Make sure they are safe!!!

The Problem:

The first x-ray. Circle showing blockage, arrow showing inflated stomach:

"After" image. Circle showing normal esophagus, arrow showing deflated stomach:

Happy Poppa and Vespa, too tired to pose:

Sleeping with naked little arms...

Workin' too hard can give you a heart attack-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack...

"Sage laid off employees today from ACT development and QA team. Not me."

I got this text from Carlton this afternoon. I was leaving my $7.50/hr job just in time to drive 30 minutes and enjoy an indulgent pottery class. I had to re-read the text three more times to convince myself that I had read it right. "Not me." Whew!

Then he sent, "Probably not getting dev job."

Turns out, Sage isn't hiring anyone for a few quarters, and some positions are even being cut. Does this mean we will start looking at things back in Georgia come January???

*Clicks heels together three times....*

It was a while back now that I realized my camera was missing. MISSING!!!

The last I remember, I was using it liberally while Saunders and Katie were in town. We visited Tempe (the red and black football game), we went to Sedona (the struggling seagull), and we drove for hours as we enjoyed lots of singing and dancing (the ever-infamous travelling band).

I must admit, I haven't resorted to turning the house upside down to look for the camera. After Saunders and Katie left, I didn't think of my camera again for a few weeks, when it was time for me to make a long visit home to Georgia. I wanted my camera to take pictures at the two weddings that we were a part of, and as I was packing hastily the night before my flight took off, I couldn't find the camera. Anywhere!!! How can a camera just go missing? This one did. I figured I would find the camera once I got home, but it never popped up anywhere. And I still haven't taken the time to turn the house upside down to look for it. It doesn't seem to be in any of our three-or-so black holes in the house, so there's really no telling where it is. Saddest thing of all is, it's got my 2G memory stick in it, chok full of great pictures of our visit to The Grand Canyon with Vicki and Grandmama, our visit to Sedona with Saunders and Katie, and sooooo much more... even Katie Anne's first birthday party! And now, I have nothing.

*pout*

So, how am I posting all these pictures on the blog and on Facebook? The camera on my phone is pretty good. And since my phone seems to be a bit easier to come by on a moment's notice, I haven't really missed the camera all that much. Plus, the camera was trying to crap out on me in Sedona... but that doesn't mean I don't miss it!!!

Here is a random compilation of pictures I have taken with my phone while on the move:

Carlton found great humor in this car tag while we sat waiting in a drive-thru: "O RLY"
See his "proof of humor" in this, this, and this link.

Carlton found it a bit disturbing, but this place was advertised by the local morning news variety show hosted by, I kid you not, Patty Kirkpatrick and Kaley O'Kelley. This $0.99 only store even sells legit bottles of wine, herbs and spices, and even dairy, frozen goods, and fresh veggies! I did quite a bit of Thanksgiving meal shopping here:

Here's Vespa during a hard day's work. This is her absolute favorite toy. We call it The Donut. It's just a meat flavored raw hide, but it's perfect for her to stick her little paw through, and hold it down as she bites and pulls:




Georgia experiences The Snowbird Effect as people from the northern states drive through, and on down to Florida. In Arizona, there is no "driving through." They own their second houses here. And they've started showing up... in brightly-colored, floral-print shirts.

A close-up of the hip-a-pup-a-mus:

Um, really?
You're serious.
You paid, like, $26 to misspell a season???
I had to glaze this as is because the customer was unreachable.

Poor little pup in her Halloween Candy Corn costume.

Gettin' ready to go for a ride!!!




I was flabbergasted when I saw this gas price. And now it's even up to 10 cents cheaper!

Thanksgiving for Two

Today I woke up and got right to work in the kitchen! Because it's finally Thanksgiving, it was time to finally use the Thanksgiving table decor that I recently sewed. I made a table runner which turned out so-so. As I moved the plum purple cordouroy and orange plaid wool fabrics through the sewing machine, I pulled just enough to stretch them both out, so there was a rippled effect on the hems. The runner looks wavy, which is fine, it's just not what I had originally envisioned. I also made some napkins in a black and creamy white damask print. Then came the challenge! While in North Carolina on our trip to Greg and Jillian's wedding, I innocently picked up a Martha Stewart magazine. Inside were ideas and detailed drawings on how to create multitudes of fall-themed sewn decor. I found one thing I couldn't seem to live without: a placemat shaped like a maple leaf. I decided to make the mat two-sided, an orange wool on top with a black and creamy white houndstooth on the bottom. Getting these two maple leaf place mats finished was a test on my sewing endurance for sure!!! The last craft I had on display for the Thanksgiving holiday has been hanging on our front door since Halloween: a paper leaf wreath with accents of silk florals. The paper wreath hanging on our front door wasn't really an issue here since there is no rain in the big desert!

Wreath hanging on the front door:

Table setting for two:

Detail of placemat's underside:

Turkey, potatoes au gratin, sweet potatoes, lima beans, stuffing, dinner rolls. I didn't want to make more than that, becaue we can't even finish what's listed. One vegetable for me (the lima beans, yummmm) and one for Carlton (he's discovered that he really likes sweet potatoes), and a turkey breast (legs and wings removed).

I brined the turkey for 24 hours, and followed these directions all the way through to the end. I can say that I have never had a juicier turkey in my life, unless it was deli sliced from the grocery store! All of the meat was sooo juicy!!! I am very proud of how it turned out. The potatoes au gratin were a little runny and not as soft as I prefer (even though they baked for 2 hours!), and Carlton's sweet potatoes needed a little more baking to crispen up some, but everything was overall a sweet success! I'm very proud, especially since I have never baked a turkey, a sweet potato, homemade au gratin potatoes, or stuffing before.

Carlton and I talked about what we were thankful for, and about the delicious meal as Vespa ate her (very) fair share of turkey on the floor next to the table. Even though we couldn't share this holiday with our friends and family, we had a very happy Thanksgiving together with each other.




Tomorrow night our plans are to meet up with the Cook cousins in Anthem, AZ for a post-Thanksgiving dinner. I'll be sure to get pictures of the whole crew together!


Happy Thanksgiving to All!!!

A Birthday Gift For Sister

A few days ago, I started working on a new sewing project. Vespa's 1st birthday is coming up on December 2nd, and that means that her sister Shiloh's birthday is as well. That's right, my sister has my dog's sister.

Since I got the new sewing machine for my birthday, I've been working on fun little projects. It only seemed natural that I create a birthday gift from Vespa to Shiloh by using my very own birthday gift! I have plenty of fabric left over from a Thanksgiving sewing project (to be pictured tomorrow with the entire spread), and I knew the fabrics would make for some pretty clothes. I just wasn't sure how I would go about getting started. Then I found it! Caes Vadios, a Portuguese blog that I found by the "next blog" tab at the top, posts pictures of little doggie coats that she makes on a very regular basis for her chihuahua, sometimes a bulldog, and even a cat or two! Nothing is in English, so I can't communicate with the blogger, and there were no patterns or linked websites for pattern reference, but I made some intense observations and tried my best to recreate one of her doggie coats that I liked. Why don't you try taking the measurements of a puppy as described in my last blog entry with a tape measure!!! It was a challenge, but Vespa and I both think Shiloh will love her new winter coat!

Once I had everything sewed together, it was time to try it out on Vespa one last time. It took both me and Carlton to get the coat onto Vespa, and we had to make sure we got it over her head while she was pretty much asleep... otherwise, she would just end up biting it and grabbing it from us. Below are pictures of my very first attempt!

The top pattern is a black and creamy-white houndstooth, and the liner (which sort of peeks out from beneath) is a bright apple green nylon. I especially like the finishing touch the multi-faceted black button adds to the wrap-around belt.

Carlton and I approached Vespa as she was snoozing on the sofa so that hopefully it would be an easy fitting:

"What's going on, huh?"

Success! It fits perfectly!

"Momma, are you done yet? I wanna go back to sleep now."

Shot from above, detail of the wrap belt:

Vespa, come. Vespa, sit. Vespa, stay.

One or two nights ago, Carlton decided it would be a good idea to take Vespa's collar off and let her chew on it for a few minutes. I don't know about you other dog lovers, but one of Vespa's most cherished and rare toys is a fresh-from-round-the-neck collar. There's something special about it. She can hardly sit still while you're taking it off her neck! It wasn't five minutes after she had the collar as a chew toy that she bit the plastic buckle in half. It was one of my favorite two collars of hers! And it was ruined. It was all pretty, with green and purple paisley and everything, and now it's all busted.

A little while after Carlton got home from work tonight, we took a trip to PetSmart. The last thing Carlton ever wants to do when he gets home from work is go right back out for errands, but he felt guilty about the collar situation so he agreed to go. Carlton decided that Vespa should have a "Thanksgiving" collar, so I picked out something festive for fall. She'll probably get another special Christmas collar for her birthday on December 2nd, too.

Now, let me preface this by saying that Vespa has been a bit "barkey" lately... meaning, she barks at anyone or any animal that walks down her street in her neighborhood past her window. She barks through the cinderblock fence at neighbors who are cleaning out their pools, grilling dinner, or any other typical neighborly back yard behavior. It has been frustrating me to the point of keeping the door closed, which I hate because she also loves to just lie down in the sunshine and chew on a raw hide. I'm afraid that we are turning into those neighbors with that dog in the back yard. When we were growing up on Remington Drive, my dad named our across-the-street neighbor "Dumb Donny" and his dog "Stupid Sam." Granted, Vespa doesn't hump other girl dogs, but she is starting to bark at everything!

So, back to the PetSmart story. We took Vespa with us just because... that's... what you do when you go to PetSmart. You take your dog with you. In we go. Of course, I was nervous taking her because of how barkey she's been. And I should have been. Walking in was pretty successful. Finding the collar aisle was successful. And picking out a collar was successful for the first minute or so. There was some sort of dog training class in the back of the store, and there was a lot of barking and dog traffic in the store. She started bubbling up.

"Buh."

"Buh."

"Raaah!"

Then she started this new thing she's been testing out at home from the window that looks out at the neighborhood. It's not a howl. It's not a bark. It's a freakin scream!!! She began echoing throughout the entire store, and it sounded like we were stomping on her tiny little puppy feet and kicking her and she was being run over by a truck all at the same time! It was so terrible! A lady walked by with a basket of dog chew toys and looked at us like we were crazy. I gave the hastily-selected orange collar to Carlton to check out at the front counter while I tried to get screaming Vespa out the door without walking past too many more dogs. And, of course, because there was a dog training class going on right then, there were about 4 dogs at the door practicing "sit" and "stay" with distractions all around. Distractions like Vespa, the screamer pup. I mean, the screams were piercing!!!

I got her outside and she started to calm down until she saw a dog in the distance taking a giant poo. And then another dog came out of the store, and she screamed some more. Scream, scream, scream!!! I was sooooo angry. Where did this behavior come from? It's terrible! Carlton came out of the store and we made our way to the car as quickly as we could. Still screaming once we're in the car. Dog still taking a giant poo. Other dogs getting into and out of their cars. It was a nightmare!!!

This was it. I'd had it. As soon as we got home I started looking up ways to train your dog. Tonight, Carlton and I decided to begin with the basics. "Vespa, come." "Vespa, sit." At first, she totally got angry at us. Since I always talk for Vespa at home, I'll translate for you exactly what she was saying to us: "You want me to do something for that cheese stick? I don't have to please you to get food. Are you kidding me???" With a few other choice words here and there, that's pretty much a summary of what she was saying. And as she said that through frustrated bubbling and little growls, she hopped, ran, and bounced around the room. I would hold out the cheese and she would come in for it until I gave her a command. That's when the tantrums started.

Eventually, with Carlton (the dominant male of the pack) by my side, we were able to calm her down and beat her into submission. No, just kidding, we got her calmed down by talking very quietly and gently. And with a peace offering of cheese. Once the "come" command was sticking, we re-taught the "sit" command. Yeah, we are starting all over. She hasn't been "sitting" for us like she should in order to remember the action associated with the command, so we started from scratch. Tomorrow we'll practice with her throughout the day (I'm off work, w00t! and Carlton is working from home, double w00t!!!) so we can get a full day of practice in. Then we'll start reteaching "stay" which she has learned from her total freak-outs when someone rings the doorbell. Barking, according to Caesar the Dog Whisperer, can be stopped/controlled once the pup is comfortable with taking other commands from us. Come, sit, stay, no bark, and we'll branch out from there. I'd like her to be able to "shake" everyone's hand when we come home for Christmas!!!

FYI: During Saunders and Katie's visit to Arizona, Katie made a valliant attempt at taking some pictures of Vespa for her blog. The crazy Vespa pictures in this post are thanks to her efforts!

So, I encountered an honest mirror this morning....

I totally abused my body this morning at the gym. I went in this morning in a so-so mood. I almost didn't go in at all. Since I haven't worked out in about two months, it's like I haven't worked out in two years. And that's what my body was thinking this morning... lets just take a break from it today!!! I trudged out the door, and into the gym, and on into the locker room to leave my bag/keys in a locker before my workout. Then I looked at myself in the very, very honest locker room mirrors.

Eww.

Jiggles here, rolls there, bulges everywhere! But hey, instead of discouraging me, I was encouraged to go out into the gym and work to get rid of it all. I pumped hand weights while I warmed up on the treadmill for 10 minutes, and then went on to the weight machines.

Biceps, triceps, back. Repeat. Repeat. 20 reps each.
("Cruise in May!" I tell myself.)

Butt, inner thighs, outter thighs. Repeat. Repeat. 20 reps each.
("Cruise in May!" I tell myself.)

Top thigh, back thigh, lunges (my enemy!!!). Repeat. Repeat. 20 reps each.
("Cruise in May!" I tell myself.)

Shoulders, tummy, calves. Repeat. Repeat. 20 reps each.
("CRUISE IN MAY!!!" I scream to myself as beads of sweat drip down my back and forehead.)

Progress: Since I started just this Monday, I have dropped 1.8 pounds. Kinda makes a girl wonder why the HECK I don't go in every day of my life if I get results like this!!! Hopefully my personal trainer won't be too hard on me next Tuesday morning.

Oh, temptation!

I woke up this morning to Day 1 of my 3-days-in-a-row of not working (woohoo!) and spontaneously decided that it was in my best interest to start going back to the gym. I was going 4-5 days a week for an hour at a time for a couple of months, but I haven't gone since the first part of September... WHOA! I need to get back into the swing of things! The families (The Joneses and The Lamberths, branching as far as Grandmama and my aunt and cousin) are all taking a Greek Cruise in May of 2009. What a great motivational tool to use against myself! I want to be not only swimsuit-ready for the cruise, but bikini-ready!!! Let's get started.

My morning errands included going to the gym, dropping off check for deposit at the bank, and going to the grocery store.

On my way to the gym:

Oh, seasonal Pumkin Spice Latte, you are a great weakness of mine!

And now on my way to the bank:

Lucky for me, the "Fresh & Hot" sign wasn't lit up.

And finally in the check-out lane at the grocery store:

What a great deal... for such a great deal of callories... and pure bliss!

Rest assured. My buggy was filled only with healthy things:

I have a meeting scheduled with my personal trainer next Tuesday. I'm afraid!

As You Wish!

How can you not have fun working at a place called As You Wish?

I work at a pottery painting place and love my job. You come into the store, pick out a piece of pottery, pick out what colors you would like to paint it, and make your piece of pottery look just as you wish!!!

Tonight the store closed at 7:00 and all of us employees locked ourselves inside the store to paint our own pieces together. It was a potluck painting extravaganza, and I volunteered the lasagna. I had all the ingredients already except for the tomato sauce and cheese, so it was easy and cheap for me! Plus, since I was off work today I had the time to make something from scratch in stead of bringing in grocery store cookies, or Dixie cups. Doors locked, food lined up, paintbrushes ready, GO!!!

The lasagna was a hit, someone else brought Doritos, another brought homemade enchiladas and some "Ay! Ay! Ay!" salsa (yum!), and then, of course, there were drinks and some tasty chocolate cupcakes.

I started by painting my "name plate." Each girl gets a 6" tile to decorate as she pleases, to hang on the wall behind the cash register, so customers know who is helping them. The managers also use the tiles to see what each girl's interestes might be, what colors she likes, her artisic abilities, and so on. Jessika plays volleyball for her high school, and her tile shows a flaming volleyball soaring through space with her name written on it. Haylee is a cute, endearingly preppy high school junior whose tile is a cartoon-y self portrait of herself with a side ponytail held by a hot pink ribbon. My original tile was the profile of a butterfly painted in neon green, purple, and bright red... and the first time I hung it on the wall, the nail gave way and the tile came a-crashin to the ground. So sad. So tonight I painted a new name plate. This time I went with a simple, classic white motif. My name in "puffy paint" in ALL CAPS in white on a white background. I'm playing with shadow and I'm excited to see how it turns out!

There are only two others who are as old or older than me at the store. Patty, my boss, is in her thirties and has a husband and a four-year-old daughter Gabriella. Nicole is a free-spirited retro pin-up model (I know!) 24-year-old with a husband and two little boys. All the other girls are either still in high school, or have just graduated. Sabrina is the next oldest under me, and she's a freshman in college dealing with an overbearing mother and the always unforseen party expenses that always seem to pop up. How did I get so old?!?? When did this happen? And most importantly, how do I fit in with these young(er) girls so well? It was a rare occasion that I got along with so many girls when I was in high school. Maybe my mood of painting a plain white tile with my plain white name in the center means I'm open to the other bright and colorful personalities around me?

/invite you

If you didn't already know, it's probably because I haven't admitted it to you yet. Carlton has finally convinced me that the games he and Greg have played online together for 10 years or so are actually fun. Carlton and I play an online game called "Warhammer" on a fairly regular basis with Greg and Jillian. It's so nice to have regular contact with friends back in Georgia! Jillian and I have regretfully admitted to each other, and to our husbands, that we really do enjoy playing with them. Not only that, but sometimes we are the ones asking when the gaming shall begin! Carlton and Greg actually use a microphone to talk to each other over the internet, so we are among the few and the great Coordinated Power Teams of Warhammer!



Usually, Vespa is pretty easy-going and allows me to break away from watching House, Cash Cab, The Housewives of Atlanta, Project Runway, or any other shows I am currently interested in to play on the computer. Lately, however, she started staring at Carlton and me from her pirch on the sofa. If you haven't seen our set-up, the living room is basically a huge room that we use as the living room/office. The sofa is floating in the center of the room, and the desk with both computers is backed up to the back of the sofa, creating a huge island of cushions and electronic cords (which I HATE!!!). However, since everything is facing the tv, it's pretty sweet, too. Vespa's "pirch" consists of both the back cushions of the sofa stacked on top of each other flat-ways, and a blanket on top (for comfort and warmth, of course!) so that she can lay up high, be comfortable, and keep an eye on us. She peeks up in between our two monitors. The staring was beginning to get creepy! She'd stare at us for a looong time, and just huff and puff that I wasn't dropping everything to cuddle with her on the couch!


The other night, she just decided to start walking straight across the desk (which she never does because it's slippery for her little paws), across Carlton's keyboard, and curl up against his chest. We figure, if nobody will lay down with her on the sofa, she'll curl up with us at the desk! Carlton laid down a fleece blanket on the desk between himself and the keyboard, and Vespa just made herself comfortable! The picture is a little dark, but you can see the screen with many gaming personalities to the left, Vespa's white fuzzy head in the center (just below the lamp on a right-facing sloped drafting table), and Carlton smiling at the camera on the far right.


The table in the background is my drafting table, originally purchased for me to work on my Interior Design homework and projects outside of the studio. Lately I've been using it to sew linens for our "Thanksgiving in Arizona" dinner. Pictures of that project will surface soon!

So it's official.

I have been sucked into the black hole of blogging. Jillian, be proud, you guilt tripped me into it!

I'll make this one short and sweet. I'd rather play around with all the layouts and colors, and let y'all in on the goings on of the AZ Joneses in the next few posts.