Albany of the West

Well, That Was Fun!

2009-08-13T05:58:00.000-07:00

The wedding reception is done, and my job of playing the new bride is finally over. Chris and I enjoyed our time back east with friends and family. I am happy to be home, cleaning up the mess that became our house in the weeks before the trip, and settling back into the swing of normal life. It continues to amaze me how much of my time was taken up by the reception in the months leading up to it, and it was NOT like it was some big fancy affair with ice sculptures and 300 guests, but it was still a big undertaking.

I am continually stunned by what my garden is doing, and really will take pictures of it soon. We have squash, beans, tomatoes and herbs a plenty, and it is so amazing to me that I grew food! There is a plant out there called Squashzilla, and it is so amazing, it will get it's own post on here someday soon.

We are cleaning, clearing out and organizing the house because somewhere in the last year or so of being here, it has become about as cluttered as our gross Albany apartment and I can't stand it. part of the problem is my inability to stop buying craft supplies and Chris' lack of impulse control when it comes to buying hunting and fishing supplies. Well, at least I make things with the stuff I buy, he has yet to get anything while hunting or fishing in the time we have been here (I am smart enough to not bring up that argument to him, trust me! Hunting in Idaho is hard, you can't just hunt off your parents' back porch like he could in New York).

I also need to start spending some time to get my massage practice out here organized and streamlined...to say my office is a bit of a hot mess is a major understatement. I have had to start making decisions in the past few weeks about what I want my practice to be like out here and how much effort I want to put into it and what I expect to get out of it. I would like some things to change, and as they say, you gotta be the change you want to see in the world.

All of the reception pictures are up on Facebook and the wedding website. If you don't have the link to the site, let me know and I can email it to you. Here is my favorite one of the day,

Because if you can't dance on the picnic tables at your own wedding reception, where can you?

Oops

2009-06-25T06:41:00.000-07:00

Didn't realize it has been over three months...sorry! Things have been hectic, I've been sick (I am getting better now, thank you) and this "wedding reception" planning has been such a pain in my arse that I could just about scream.

Oh well, I am trying to just be grateful for the fact that I have a wedding to celebrate, people who do care about me that will be there and that we can even just have the party. Its all about focusing on the positive, right? Well, it is from here on out.

The gnome still does not have an official name, but he does have a home outside and is covered in cobwebs (there are a lot of spiders in Idaho, and a lot of ants...really just a lot of bugs in general). I have found the camera, but now the batteries are low. This weekend I hope to get some pictures of the gnome and the garden which has exploded and is continuing to amaze me on a daily basis.

All in all, things are well here, we are getting ready for our trip back to New York and making plans for what we will do while we are there. I am very much looking forward to this weekend as there are a ton of projects I want to work on and things I need to do. On the list is a longer, better post with pictures, but for now, we all get to practice being grateful for what we have with this short picture-less post. See...I'm helping you evolve : )

Everything I Had Hoped For and More

2009-03-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

I went to the new Joann's store in town yesterday intending to only use the gift certificate I received from my mother for Christmas and my 20% off total purchase coupon to get some Pattons Classic Wool at a grand cost of about $3 a skein (for my non-knitting readers, it is normally around $7 a skein and I am making a blanket, therefore I need a LOT of it).

I walked out two hours and a full shopping cart later, and it wasn't just yarn that came home.

oops.....

I did get a lot of picture frames so we can put some photos from the wedding and some nature shots from back east up on the walls. Everything that I bought was usable, except for the gnome.

Yes, I have fulfilled my life long dream of owning a gnome. I would put a picture of the new gnome (try saying THAT three times fast) but I can't find my camera anywhere. Suffice it to say, the gnome for my home is cute and he is holding flowers and Chris thinks he needs a Viking name. Not quite sure what Vikings and gnomes have in common, but apparently, in my husband's head, they go together like pork chops and applesauce.

Any one out there got a suggestion for a Viking gnome name, because I am pulling up blanks on this one??

Let There be Joy!

2009-03-12T06:06:00.000-07:00

In the mail yesterday, I received the notice that the new SUPER JoAnn store is opening here in town in about a week.

I did not cry tears of joy, but I did literally scream - ask Chris if you see him, it is true.

Also, I have a 20% off my entire purchase coupon, and its valid from 5-8pm on three different days, so I don't even have to worry about getting up at the ass crack of dawn to go stand in line to do some crafty shopping (people out here are crazy about their crafting - a sale that would have only been mildly annoying in NY is made into something I can't deal with in Idaho since there are so many people at the store and lines so long I start to have a panic attack). Seriously, I went to the craft store for a sale once, and then left when I saw the line out the door stretched for almost a quarter mile.

I am so glad I didn't use the gift card my mom got me for Christmas yet. There is going to be some guilt free yarn procurement in massive quantities.

Oh, SUPER JoAnn, how I love and miss you...we will be reunited once again - you and me, bonded together in crafty goodness and joy.

Insert contented sigh here.....[sigh].......

Bust Out The Sharpies!

2009-03-09T05:57:00.000-07:00

We got the place we wanted for the day we wanted....Mark your calendars with Sharpie please, because Chris and I will be celebrating our marriage with friends and family back East on August 1, 2009.

Whoo -hoo!

Of course, I still need to do a butt-load of picture uploading and make several changes and updates to the wedding website, but it shouldn't take me that long to do once I sit down and actually do it...sigh...perhaps that would have been a good endeavor to undertake whilst I was home on the couch for three days. Retrospect is great!

Hope you all had a good weekend. I have felt like crap and haven't really done anything for the last three days except for go to the eye doctor Saturday. I can't believe my vision continues to get worse, we are talking about over 25 years of continued annual vision decline here, I am practically blind! The bright side of the coin is that my vision insurance is great, and my new pair of glasses was the cheapest (and nicest) pair I think I have had since I have had to start paying for them myself. Of course, it takes more than twice as long for my glasses to come in as it does for Chris', but that's because little tiny magical elves have to make my lenses - super ultra-light poly-carbonate lenses, they are the shiznit!

Anyway, happy Monday and email me if things aren't working right around here since the template change. There are a few more changes I want to make, so keep an eye out for 'em. I am now starting to label my posts, so there is a new change right there....not sure how that will show up in the blog though, so I'll have to check back tonight and make any necessary corrections. Peace!

Few Minor Changes

2009-03-07T13:29:00.001-08:00

Just tweaking things a bit around here. I decided the old layout was pretty boring. More changes are probably on their way, so stay tuned! Let me know if any of the links don't work or if you have any problems navigating around.

I Want a Garden!

2009-03-03T06:03:00.000-08:00

For starters, lets get the fact that I stayed up waaaaayyy too late last night out of the way. We don't watch much TV, but last night there were three shows on that we liked (four if you count that Chris insists on watching Glenn Beck every frickin' day), and by the time we were done watching them all (from the DVR box so we didn't even have to worry about commercials) it was almost 11:30...Well, we did go grocery shopping and by the time we got home, it was almost 7:30....

Moving on.

I want a garden. I want one real bad. It already seems like winter is completely over and Spring has started. I have bulbs coming up in the front yard. My rosebushes have new leaves on them, the creeping plants I put on the side of the house have started to flourish and spread out with new leaves.

I found this nice article that talks about planting a Victory garden for our times, and I just have the urge to get out there and make my garden happen. Like I want to stay home from work today and weed and till and plant stuff (I think it is probably still too early to actually plant anything, but you get my idea). I want dirty fingernails and hoes and rakes and shovels and stuff. I want to go to the garden center and get a bunch of veggie plants and some fruit bushes and just start my own farmer's market on the cul de sac.

I would also like chickens, but both Chris and our neighborhood association say I can't.

Bottom line is apparently this is what "Spring Fever" is when you are old.

I am old, and I am okay with it.

Also, if anyone in the Boise area wants some zucchini in a few months, let me know : )

Why Is Being Healthy So Expensive?

2009-02-25T05:22:00.000-08:00

I haven't been taking very good care of myself lately - not working out (lets be honest, I never really did), not doing yoga, not taking time for myself, etc....and there has been A LOT of stress around here (see previous post about Chris almost getting laid off and deciding to elope to Vegas). Also, I live in frickin' Idaho. 'Nuf said.

It is also very hard for me to be an effective massage therapist when I am not taking care of myself, and it becomes a vicious cycle - I don't take care of myself and I don't get any clients. Maybe the universe sees clear to send me one or two when I don't have enough money to pay all the bills that month (and you would be surprised to know how many times that has happened), but those clients never re-book. Well, right before we left for Vegas, I had two clients call me within two days of each other. One I am seeing this weekend, and the other I have already seen twice before. They are both for the specialized massage technique that I do, so we spend a long time going over the intake paperwork and the session is just much longer than a "normal" massage.

Anyway, last week when I saw my new client for the second time, she said she had been to get acupuncture, and the woman she saws specializes in the helping the same type of health issues that I do. I didn't have an acupuncturist to be able to refer people to, and her office is on my way home from work, so I decided to make an appointment to check things out.

I went last night and she was great! She has a much lighter needling technique than the guy I used to see in New York and was very knowledgeable. She also has an entire wall full of books in her treatment room that I got to look through while she was going over my intake paperwork. I left with the same light, peaceful feeling that I was used to (I rented space in an acupuncture clinic for my massage practice in NY and getting free acupuncture once a month was part of my "lease"). Problem was, and I am by no means a cheap person - the initial one hour appointment was $145.

Yup, $145. Some of you who know me will say "Well, your initial appointment costs $135." Yes, it does, but it is also for two and a half to three and a half hours and I come to your house. I show you how to do the massage for yourself (which is where the real healing takes place) and I don't tell you that you need to come back twice a week for the next month (at least!) at $80 for each session.

Also, she "strongly" recommended that I start taking some herbs and supplements, which I totally understand are a good thing to do. I am already taking some herbs that are from the massage technique that I do that I know are safe and will accomplish my goals, and are also rather inexpensive - $40 and you have enough to last you an entire year. The stuff she wanted me to take would have ended up costing about $150/month.

Who has this kind of money?? Do I have $1000 a month to spend on this stuff? Um, no. And seriously, does she have people that are spending this kind of money?? Maybe they can give some to me : ) Aren't we a Bailout Nation know? lol

I don't want to come across as being a penny pincher; when it comes to my health I understand that prevention is the most important thing and I would rather pay $150 for herbs if it means I wont have a $10 copay for a potentially harmful drug from the pharmacy. All I am saying is , it was a bit much, and when I made an appointment for two weeks, she really tried to get me in sooner.

What it all boils down to though, is I know that I can't let anyone else be responsible for making me healthy. I can't rely on an acupuncturist or a yoga teacher or a doctor to do "the one thing" that is going to make me whole and healthy. They can help, they can make suggestions, but when it comes down to it, its about me making the time and the decision to be healthy, and working towards that goal. Its all about taking care of myself with my end result in mind and making changes to help me get there. No one can do this for me, no herb is going to be the magic thing I need. All of these things can help me, but in the end, my actions and decisions will matter most.

With that being said - I am not sick or dying or anything like that, just a little off balance so to speak; in need of a little adjustment. I don't want anyone thinking I am out here in Idaho dying of some horrible disease and not telling you.

Now, to end the post on a happy note (and to help me clean out my photo files), here are some pictures of all the socks I knitted for Christmas.

Dad's socks
Brother James' socks

Mom's socks
I also knit a pair for Chris, but I don't have any pictures of them. Oh well...they were cream colored with reinforced heel flaps and toes. He loved them even though they are more a slipper sock than a pair of boot socks like I was hoping they would be.

And, just because I can, here is a picture of Ursa in her new favorite pose - she sleeps like this almost every night and I find it supremely entertaining.

"What? I'm pretty!"

What is it About Mondays?

2009-02-23T05:04:00.000-08:00

I just realized I pretty much get on here and blog every Monday morning about how much I don't want to go to work...what's up with that? I love my job - see previous post about Red Vines, sheep toys and Sunkist orange soda in the vending machines. Don't know what it is about Mondays....

I did pretty much nothing all weekend. I had a client on Saturday afternoon and then met Chris at work for a bit, ended up the day with a little shopping at Bed, Bath and Beyond. The day we left to go to Vegas, all of my co-workers chipped in and got us a very nice gift certificate to there and threw me a little party (complete with cake I couldn't eat because I was so nervous and nauseous I could barely stand up straight). I got some stools for the bar/counter so I can sit and watch Chris cook...he is so cute when he cooks! We still have a good chunk of change left over, and I have no idea what to spend it on, any suggestions? There isn't really anything we need, I just have that terrible "I want to go shopping" urge, and it is driving me nuts!

I do have some exciting news to tell you - we may have finally set a date for the reception back in New York. Keep your fingers crossed for August 1, 2009. As soon as we have confirmation that we get that date (in about two weeks) we will let you know for sure. As many of you know, things tend to get mucked up as far as this wedding and reception have gone, so I urge you to mark your calendars with pencil and not Sharpie. We will definitely do a party in the Albany/Middleburgh area, and are looking at the possibility of having one in the North Country as well. Not sure about that one though as our time off is limited, and depending on what Chris' work schedule is, we might not be able to go home for two full weekends, which would make having two parties kind of impossible.

As always, check the wedding website for details (I would wait until tomorrow to do that since I am now running late for work and don't have time to update it) and if you don't have the address, just email me and I will get the link out to you. Have a lovely Monday!

Dear Blog,

2009-02-19T06:02:00.001-08:00

I haven't forgotten about you baby, I promise.

No, its not you...its me. Really.

Its not that I'm just not that in to you...I promise that I am.

I'll be back soon. You can count on it. Its just that, for right now, I am spending all of my free time on Facebook, BUT it doesn't mean that I love you any less.

xxoo,

Karen

PS - All i am knitting are secret presents and a giant sweater of no obvious design or interest (but that I love nonetheless), so you guys aren't missing much. Valentine's Day was nice - I made an ass kicking lasagna and some darn good meatballs (thanks for the recipe Celia!). Chris got me a super sweet card and we snuggled when he got home from work. All is well in Boise, except for this darn Facebook thing : ) Be back soon - promise!

Argh....

2009-02-11T05:38:00.000-08:00

It snowed last night, maybe an inch, maybe an inch and a half.

You get no blog post today because this means it will take me AN HOUR to drive to work.

I am sorry for your loss.

Pacify yourself with wedding ceremony pictures received in the mail yesterday. Also, how my husband did not call me at work and tell me they came in the mail as he was downloading the CD to his hard drive so he could email me all the pictures while I was still at work, is beyond me. Men...sheesh!

Quick comment on this last picture - Why hasn't anyone told me that Kim Kardashian's ass is following me around and apparently is attached to my body?? Seriously, that thing is outta control, and yet ironically, it is in control top stockings! If we can't laugh at ourselves, who can we laugh at?? I love the look on Chris' face though, so I had to put this one up.

If you are in the Boise area, safe driving this morning, and if you are in a place where people actually know how to drive (i.e. NOT Boise) feel pity for me this morning please.

And my ginormoius ass.

That is all.

Thank you.

Not in the Mood

2009-02-04T05:37:00.000-08:00

I am just not in the mood to go to work today. It isn't snowy or cold or anything like that (pretty sure Boise winter ends in February - anyone want to correct me on that and slap me out of my delusion??), I am just have zero desire to go. Also, not feeling 100% but that is neither here nor there, I'll feel the same if I am at work or home and I am not contagious so we don't have to worry about me spreading cooties.

However, I am trying to be in a very Zen mind frame about the whole thing since I should be grateful I have a job (which I love) where I get to work with really nice people and do the kind of work I enjoy doing. There have been a lot of layoffs around here, including the place where Chris works (he still has a job, thank goodness!), and it seems that there is just a funk that has descended upon Boise.

But seriously people, how could I not want to go to a place where the vending machines have Red Vines, and on my first day, I got a squishy sheep stress ball thing!!!
The previous mascot for the company was a sheep (why in the hell did they change THAT I wonder??!!) and we all got to pick a free "present" for completing our new hire orientation. When I saw the sheep in the basket mixed in with the dental floss (seriously) and company pens, I was like - Wowza, this is the happiest place on earth! - I should go get myself showered and get there, huh?

Red Vines and sheep toys, what more cold a girl ask for??

On a side sheep note, I had errands to run at lunch yesterday, and I passed a small farm with a small flock of sheep on the way, less than a mile from my office...and it made my freakin' day to know there were real sheep so close to me!! Do you think it would be inappropriate to ask them if I could come over on my lunch break to help them with the sheep. I mean, that's how you make friends right? Ask people if you can help them with their sheep? People with sheep would like that right? Not weird at all. Right???

The Story of the Dress

2009-02-01T10:36:00.000-08:00

My apologies to anyone who is on dial up or has a slow Internet connection.
This post is very photo heavy and may take a while to download, but I think it is worth it ; )

It all started before we were even engaged. In the two weeks from the time Chris went to Boise for his interview and when they called to officially offer him the position, we were both pretty sure he would get the job, and I was pretty sure we would be getting engaged if he did. I saw the Spring/Summer 2008 issue of Vogue Knitting at Joann's and it contained the most beautiful knitted wedding dress that intrigued me as both a knitter and a potential new bride. I knew from the beginning that I didn't want a big frilly dress and that I wanted to do as much crafty stuff for the wedding as possible; this dress seemed a great way to combine the two.

Needless to say, I purchased the magazine before we were even engaged and started making arrangements. Never let it be said that I am one who lacks patience (snicker, sneer, snort - hahaha!). So I bring the magazine home and hide it with the other (only!) bridal magazine I had purchased, and felt like I was hiding porn in my parent's house or something, but we ended up getting engaged very shortly afterwards and it all worked out okay.

Then the move to Boise got under way, and due to an error in communication, all my knitting needles and the magazine containing the pattern got shipped in the moving truck and I was not able to access them until we had been here for about two months (after we bought the house). The pattern required five different size needles, some circular, some straight, and I just couldn't justify spending the money to buy all new knitting needles when it wasn't absolutely necessary. This decision was mostly influenced by the fact that I didn't have a job for almost two months and money was tight.

So, we buy the house, I get a job, and I can look at the pattern again and afford to start making plans. About the same time, I also heard about the Ravelympics (a competition that happens during the Summer Olympics and involves knitting something ridiculously hard during the time between the opening and closing ceremonies) and thought "Hey, that sounds like fun!" and so, I ordered the yarn to make the dress.

I waited patiently for the yarn to arrive, and then waited patiently for the opening ceremonies to cast on the dress. I swatched before hand and had all my needles and supplies and a time table all planned out. Then came the opening ceremonies and below is what I got done the FIRST day - it was looking good!
Things continued to go well the next day: Look! Progress!
Then there were a few days where I forgot to take daily progress pictures, but still: Look! Progress!!
Then, well, Christoper happened. All of this knitting was taking a very long time, and when I told him I needed private time for a knitting project, he couldn't see it or know what it was, and he couldn't come in the craft room, well, it made him want to stand outside the craft room door and ask me what I was doing. Repeatedly. Frequently. I started to get a little frustrated, both with the ridiculous quantity of knitting, and with my fiance (and the fact that the carpal tunnel syndrome started acting up didn't help either).

I realized this was not the state of mind I wanted to be in while I worked on the dress, and that I had plenty of time to finish the dress (we still had not set a date, but I knew it wouldn't be for at least nine months - HA! wrong on that one!), so I decided that once the skirt was done, it was time to be happy and spend time with the handsome man that I love and that being together with my needy little fiance boy was more important than finishing the Ravelympics.

So, I took a break from the wedding dress knitting. We took a trip back to New York, Chris' parents came out to visit. Then it was Christmas knitting time ( still owe you all several posts on that). Through all this, the dress sat, wrapped in tissue, in the closet in the craft room. After all, I had plenty of time, right? The wedding plans had fallen through a total of five times (no kidding), and while we might not have had things figured out, I knew the wedding wasn't going to be any sooner than May 2009

Well, I finished all the Christmas knitting, and had a few days off after Christmas to use kmy new spinning wheel (which has sat lonely and un-spinning since that time).

Then Chris got the message from work that he had to take all of his personal time off in the month of January. A plan was hatched since we also noticed SouthWest was having half price flights to Las Vegas, and we decided to elope without telling anyone. Suddenly, the wedding was less than a month away, and I needed to finish knitting my wedding dress!

So I began work on the top of the dress. The knitting of this part was a lot harder to me than the skirt knitting, and I really struggled with it. Mistakes were made, but I said "No big deal, I can't fix it and I can't start over, I don't have time!"
And so, I continued on like this until the pattern became second nature and I knew how to do it pretty much with my eyes closed (bit of an exaggeration there). As I came to know the pattern and what it looked like when it was adding up correctly, I realized that my attitude of "No big deal, I can't fix it and I can't start over, I don't have time!" was no longer going to cut it. The lace looked like crap, I wasn't getting gauge since the pattern was so off, things weren't lining up and I was not happy and would not be proud to wear this on my weding day. So, ONE WEEK before the dress had to be packed in a suitcase and anticipating its journey to Las Vegas, when all I had done was a skirt without the yarn ends even wove in - I started the top over again.
Its a good thing Chris went snowboarding that night because it was not pretty around the house. To say there was crying would be an understatement. To say maybe the neighbors heard some painful screaming would not be an exaggeration.
So, in the matter of one week, I managed to finish knitting the top and the waistband, seam the whole damn dress and weave in a zillion ends, crochet the armhole edging and the closure on the back, sew on the buttons, decide that the waistband seaming didn't look so great and come up with the brilliant idea to add a crochet edging to the top and bottom to cover the seam, and block the whole thing three times. I also was trying to knit my bouquet and a purse and also make my own veil (more on those later this week - none of these things ended up working out the way I wanted them to and in the end they were abandoned in favor of sanity). Basically, I did this:

Vogue Knitting, Spring/Summer 2008

Detail of the skirt lace

Detail of the top lace - this is what it is supposed to look like!

Look Mom (and Mother in Law who was going to have to help me with the crochet parts until I put on my big girl panties and did it myself out of necessity) - I can crochet!

One of my favorite things about the dress is the button band that goes up the back...wish I could see it while I am wearing it though - that's how much I love it!

Look how delicate and lovely it is!!

And, in the end, the hardest thing was not showing the dress to Chris when it was finished. There was a triumphant howl of joy when I made the last stitch and had it on the floor blocking into shape, but the one person who I most enjoy sharing my knitting triumph with was dead set against seeing it until the wedding - which is understandable since he wanted that piece of tradition since we would be forgoing so many of them with eloping to Vegas. In the end, the look on his face when I came out wearing it was worth so much to me, I am happy I waited.
And that my dears, is the story of my wedding dress. I am excited that I will get to wear it again when we have out reception party back in New York this summer. Even though there were some problems and things didn't go exactly as I had planned, it was wonderful wearing something that I spent so much time and effort on while I married Chris, and I think it made the night even more special.

On a purely Knitter knote (with a touch of bride thrown in) - I think the best way ever to show the hand knits a good time is to knit your own wedding dress and wear it to Las Vegas. Not only do people look at you because you are wearing a wedding dress (or maybe its because you are walking around with a cutie pie fiance/husband), but when they see it looks like it is knitted, they look a little confused. Either way, lots of people staring at your beautiful handiwork, and I think the dress itself enjoyed the tour of the Las Vegas Strip, especially after spending so much time in the craft closet!

Hope you all enjoy the Superbowl - I will be making enchiladas and we are just going to chill at home and watch it here. Chris ate all the Funyuns already, but somehow, we'll manage to get through it! The salt and vinegar chips might help with that, lol. Go Steelers!

Does This Picture Give it Away??

2009-01-29T05:59:00.000-08:00

If you guessed Chris and I went to Las Vegas and eloped, give yourself a gold star!!

And, if you guessed that the super secret knitting project was my WEDDING DRESS, double gold stars for you my friend!

This picture is of us at the Bellagio in front of their water fountains, but we actually got married at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. It was short and cute (just like me!) and we had a great time. More details to follow, but it has been a super hectic few weeks around here with lots of exciting developments (one of which is not that I am pregnant, just in case anyone was wondering). Also, I only took two days off work to go do this whole wedding thing and , lets say re-entry into normal life has not been super easy on me.

I plan to get detailed shots of the dress up to the blog and the wedding website as soon as I can, but it probably wont be until this weekend. Hope none of you are too shocked - so far everyone has taken it well and that makes us eternally happy.

That's it for now, hope you are having a lovely week, and wait until you hear the story about the dress. It definitely means the capital "K" in my new last name stands for Knitter (with a capital "K")!

Guess Where We Went This Weekend!!

2009-01-27T06:02:00.000-08:00

Extra points if you can guess what we did! Also, the super secret knitting project will be revealed here tomorrow...and here's a hint: He loved it!

Official Upstate New York Temperature Conversion Chart

2009-01-19T05:42:00.000-08:00

I am too tired to write anything this morning, so all you get is this little ditty that my future sister in law Patricia (aka PJ) emailed me over the weekend. We New Yorkers are a tough bunch, lol! I didn't see an author's name listed on the email, so if you wrote this and I didn't credit you, please don't sue me, just let me know your name and I'll update the post. Thanks ; )

Official Upstate New York Temperature Conversion Chart

60 above

New Jersey tries to turn on the heat.

People in Upstate New York plant gardens.

50 above

Californians shiver uncontrollably.

People in Upstate New York sunbathe.

40 above

Italian & English cars won't start.

People in Upstate New York drive with the windows down.

32 above

Distilled water freezes.

Sacandaga Lake gets thicker.

20 above

Floridians put on coats, thermal underwear, gloves and woolly hats.

People in Upstate New York throw on a flannel shirt.

15 above

Pittsburgh landlords finally turn up the heat.

People in Upstate New York have the last cookout before it gets cold.

People in Miami all die.

Upstaters lick the flagpole.

20 below

Californians fly away to Mexico.

People in Upstate New York get out their winter coats.

40 below

Hollywood disintegrates.

The Girl Scouts in Upstate NY are selling cookies door to door.

60 below

Polar bears begin to evacuate the Arctic.

Upstate Boy Scouts postpone "Winter Survival" classes until it gets cold enough.

80 below

Mt. St. Helen's freezes.

People in Upstate NY rent some videos.

100 below

Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.

Upstaters get frustrated because they can't thaw the keg.

297 below

Microbial life no longer survives on dairy products.

Cows in Upstate NY complain about farmers with cold hands.

460 below

ALL atomic motion stops (absolute zero on the Kelvin scale).

People in Upstate NY start saying...."Cold 'nuff for ya?"

500 below

Hell freezes over.

The Buffalo Bills win the Super Bowl.

Happy Monday everyone!

Stone Cold Killer

2009-01-13T05:09:00.000-08:00

I ask you, ladies and gentlemen, is this the face of a cold, hard, killer?

The answer my friends, is yes.

Apparently, in addition to killing several small deer on a semi-annual basis, and frequently depriving countless bottles and cans of various beer of their "joi de vive," my fiance also has pretty nice mouse killing skills.

I first noticed the mousy evidence in the garage where, quite a bit of recycling sat for quite a period of time. I was putting the Christmas decorations away on Saturday, and saw what looked like egg shells and coffee grounds on the floor of the garage. Suspicious, I took care when emptying the Christmas storage containers, and there I found the turds.

Well, this prompted an expedited return of said recyclables, followed by a plan of action that brought all our books and pictures back into the house (they have been in the garage since we moved in since we didn't bring any bookcases with us from NY and had no place for them). This all required moving the living room furniture around and "making creative use of space."

Then, my sweet little muffin of a man and I went shopping and got some mouse traps, hair color and roast beef. We had sandwiches, I got rid of the gray, and he set the traps (he didn't bait them, this caused some debate, but I figured this was his party, he knew how to invite people to it).

When we came out into the garage to leave for work yesterday, he said "Get in the car and I'll be there in a minute."

So of course my response was "Don't tell me what to do, I'll get in the car when I am good and ready - you are not the boss of me! I choose NOT to get in the car right now just to spite you!!"

To which he replied "I think I caught some mice and I didn't think you would want to see it."

My response "OOH, dead mice...I TOTALLY want to see that!"

Yup - he got two of them. They were tiny little field mice, very thoroughly dead and he handled the traps and got rid of them like a good little boy. It can be so nice having a guy around the house - not that I couldn't have done all this myself, but it was really nice that I didn't have to.

The point of this, besides don't leave your recycling in the garage for three months, is that you had better watch out. The man I am going to marry is dangerous - you never know when he might go off and break your neck and not even leave you a little peanut butter or cheese to entice you with.

Mice of Boise beware, Chris K has your number, and your number is up!

An Open Letter to the City of Boise

2009-01-05T05:22:00.000-08:00

Dear Boise,

Hi. Its me, Karen. We've been together for a while now, almost eight months, and there is something we need to talk about.

No, no, it isn't that - I like you a lot more now that I have a job I enjoy and get paid well for. No, I have gotten used to all your overtly religious people telling me about their personal views all the time. Yeah, I even got used to the fact that I am surrounded by Republicans (Chris is really happy about that one!). No, those things are all fine. I've adapted.

What we need to talk about, is the snow.

"What?" you say, "The snow? What is wrong with the snow?? There is a lot less than you had to deal with back in NY. The snow in Idaho is pretty. You are a whack job."

Well, Idaho, City of Boise in particular, I don't have a problem with the snow, per se, my problem is your residents do not know how to drive in it. Now, before you say anything, you know its true baby. I understand that not everyone drives like they have some place to go around here, if you know what I am saying. Its like a Sunday drive with the AARP club every day under good conditions. What I am talking about is the fact that you only have five plows, FIVE PLOWS, to work a 130 mile stretch of interstate and and entire City. Also, not to bring up a sore issue, but one of your plows caught fire recently so now we are down to four plows. Sigh...

This just brings me to the fact that you are not doing your part to help out with the snowy problem, which, mainly is the fact that no one in this frickin' city seems to know how to drive in the snow.

There, I said it.

People will go 30 miles per hour on the highway (speed limit 75), 20 miles per hour while in a 45 zone. Now, when conditions warrant this type of lame-ass winter driving, I am all for taking it slow and getting where I need to be safely. The previous examples were not actually noted while it was actively snowing...this was just when there was snow on the side of the road and people could see it. No snow on the roads; the roads had been chemically treated and sanded (they don't use salt around here because all the runoff ends up in the river and then we have dead fishies). They were clear. Fine. Safe. Imagine how bad it is when there is, GASP!, snow falling form the sky!!!!!

Now, I hear a lot of people talking about back ice - and I understand it is a problem as well. I had an uncle die in an accident because of that and it is something I take seriously, so I feel it fair to mention that the above examples were when the temperature was well into the high thirties.

All I know is it is going to take Chris probably close to an hour today to drive 30 miles - if he is lucky. There is 1" of snow on the ground. That math don't add up.

So, City of Boise, in closing, I love you baby - don't doubt that. Maybe some winter driving classes for your citizens would be an idea, perhaps you could work out an arrangement with one of the local news programs to have it broad casted for all to see (theres not much else going on around here). Maybe another plow or two would help. Or we could just keep the snow up in the mountains where it belongs...Christmas is over, I don't need no frickin' snow now.

Love,

Karen

PS - happy new year and happy monday : )

About #9....

2008-12-30T20:08:00.003-08:00

You didn't really think I would be back here to blog on Christmas day, did you?? LOL

How about a picture of the tree and roaring fireplace??

I was so excited to have a mantle this year, but we never did get around to hanging our stockings off it. The tree you see is my tiny little 4 1/2 footer that was a Blue Light Special at K-Mart a zillion years ago when I lived by myself. I find it works well with the dogs and also we decided not to spend money on Christmas decorations this year. It looked cute and worked well and it made us both happy.

Christmas morning, I made cinnamon rolls that were beyond fantastic. How was I able to control the present opening and giving urges long enough to make cinnamon rolls - well, we opened our presents Christmas Eve, of course!

I did not receive a sheep or a puppy, but Chris did get me the next best thing!!

Yeah, there was some screaming involved.

Actually, the box had the spinning wheel manufacturer's name all over it, so as soon as I tore off the first piece of paper, I knew. He is such a good present buyer, and has been getting me progressively deeper into the yarn-y arts since last Christmas. He got me a ball winder and a 16" size 7 knitting needle (Perfect for knitting hats, and even better because the reason he got it was because he remembered me looking for one a few weeks before Christmas last year). For Valentine's Day, he gifted me with a swift. I joked with him that now he has procured me all of these things and the spinning wheel, the only thing he can get me for the next holiday is a sheep. Although, after I said that, I realized there is still the option of a loom....hahahaha!

Not that it is all about me. Chris loved his presents too. I got Ursa DNA tested to find out what breed of dog she is. It was not an IQ test, so she passed, but we did find out that she is mostly Siberian Husky, with just a smidge of West Highland Terrier and Borzoi (scroll down on the end of the Borzoi page and then tell me if anything looks familiar to this picture). Surprisingly, no German Shepherd in the mix.

Ursa - your Borzoi is showing!

Hoping you had as lovely a holiday as we did. I'll be posting about all the crafty stuff I did for everyone over the next week. And thank you to those of you who have emailed me, especially the members of Chris' family. It is so nice knowing that you are reading the blog and keeping up with all the varried goings on in Boise, Idaho. We keep it pretty exciting over here, what with the knitting, spinning and dog wrangling ; ) Gotta keep the readership up, 'ya know??!!

Have a safe and enjoyable New Year's Eve tomorrow everyone!

Hows About a List??

2008-12-22T05:18:00.000-08:00

1. The new job is GREAT!! I love it in ways I can't even describe. Details to follow.

2. Christmas presents are all purchased, finished, wrapped and shipped (with the exception of one gift for Chris). I have even finished shopping for Chris' birthday. All of this makes me happy, and I love the way the tree looks with all the presents underneath it.

3. I can't wait to open my presents (and give Chris his) because apparently I am still a three year old. For some reason he doesn't want to believe that in my family we really do open our presents on Christmas Eve, sigh.....

4. Also, I am not getting a puppy or a sheep (I have been told these things but kinda refuse to believe them. Its Christmas man! Anything is possible. Keep hope alive.).

5. When it snows in Boise, everyone thinks they are going to die and drive similarly. Details to follow on this one also.

6. One Christmas party down, one to go.

7. I am making four types of cookies and chex mix tonight. I'll let you know how that all turns out tomorrow...

8. Wedding plans. On hold. Again. Hitting head against wall with nails sticking out of it. Don't want to talk about it. Don't ask about it.

9. I am out of ideas and need to get in the shower. Happy Monday and Merry Christmas if you don't get a chance to pop back before then. Full Christmas disclosure to be made on 12/25 in the afternoon for our friends and family, and really, anyone else who wants to read the blog. There might even be pictures!!!

Drum Roll Please

2008-12-15T05:13:00.000-08:00

This Monday morning, unlike sooooo many before (for the last six months anyway), I am in a good mood.

"Why?" you may ask.

Well the answer my friends is because today, I start a new job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I went for the interview last week, had the very comical drug test done Friday morning, and when I got back to the car after that thoroughly hilarious affair, I had a message form the hiring manager on my phone.

Basically, I will be working for the same company that I was at before we left NY, in the same department doing something a zillion times better and getting paid well to do it. I am pretty much going to now be in the same position financially I would be in if we never left New York, AND I will have set hours which means that I can finally start getting my massage practice going out here and it will hopefully help with me not feeling the smurfiest lately. My new boss told me I had to start Monday, and it was the most wonderful feeling calling my boss at my old job and telling her on Friday that it was my last day. Truthfully, I was hoping to get hired at my interview, but they do need to do a background and reference check and a drug test, so this really was the quickest that it could have happened. Whatever, I don't have to go back to that awful place I have called work for so long, so I just don't really care!!

Also on the bright side, Christmas is finished, baked, wrapped, stuffed into five boxes and going to the far reaches of NY and Florida. I think Chris is shipping it all UPS since we figured out last night that is way cheaper (who knew??!). So be on the lookout for Santa's Brown Truck and lots of pictures posted after the holiday of all the goodies that were made, I might even put some tutorials up about how I did some stuff, we'll see.

At any rate, have a delightful Monday, only one more left till Christmas! I am going to go start a new job and put on some makeup since I will need to get my ID badge picture taken. Details tomorrow about how fabulous it all is!!!!

Wish Me Luck

2008-12-12T05:07:00.001-08:00

For reasons you can probably imagine if you think hard and read back through my most recent posts, I must go pee in a cup this morning before I get final confirmation to tell you all my **big** surprise. Wish me luck that I pass the test ; )

Again, I realize this post makes me sound all preggers and what not, but they are checking for drugs, not babies, in my system.

Looks like Santa is bringing me what I wanted most for Christmas (besides a spinning wheel and a new puppy, but I have given up hope on both for this year)! Also on the Christmas front, packages will be in the mail Monday courtesy of Christopher since he still does not have his Jeep up and running and we are still carpooling every day with him dropping me off and picking me back up. What a shame I wont be the one waiting in the line at the post office Monday, teeheehee. It almost makes the last month and a half of not really having my own car worth it. Also, ironic: we weren't carpooling when gas was $4.40 a gallon, but now that it is down to $1.43 here (yes, you read that right!) we are.

Have a delightful weekend, Mine will be filled with putting the finishing touches on presents, packing up some boxes and making cards. We also have Chris' work Christmas party tomorrow, and that is really going to cut into the crafty time, BUT it will be nice to get out of the house and be around fun people. The sacrifices we make, lol! See you soon....

How Does June 6th Sound For a Party??

2008-12-10T04:45:00.000-08:00

Please mark your calenders with pencil (cough, ahem, throat clearing) not pen (seeing as the date has changed about eleventy billion times), because my handsome boy and I may have actually set a date. Details to follow. I have my future MIL (Mother in law - Hi Celia!!) looking at the location site sometime this week, and hopefully a final decision will be made later this week or over the weekend. Sigh...we've only been engaged since April, about time we had a date, don't ya think?? lol!

At any rate, we'll get it figured out and there will be minimal details posted to the blog about it, but as always full wedding disclosure is at the wedding website (email me if you don't have the link). We promise it will not be a fancy pants sort of affair, although pants are required (they just don't have to be super fancy), shirts and shoes will also be appreciated. It will be in the general location we were thinking of, although not at Chris' parent's house and we will be reserving blocks of rooms at least two different hotels for the weekend.

While I realize this is in deed exciting news, it is still not the news I was speaking of earlier this week. That news will have to remain secret for just a bit longer while we get some things figured out - again, I reiterate that I know this all makes it sound like I am "con bebe" but that is not the case - as soon as I hear, you will all be told, the mountains will be shouted to and all will be well in Boise. Until then, keep you eyes on the prize and have a great day.

Oh, and clear your calenders for 6-6-9, cause you might get to party with these cool kids!!

This picture was taken at Chris' brother's wedding in September, after a lot of Jim Beam and some impromptu moonwalking. Notice the plastic fedora and the manner in which he is absolutely rockin' it out, my boy has some style, I tell you what!

Probably Not What You Were Expecting...

2008-12-09T04:48:00.000-08:00

...but I haven't found out about my big news surprise from yesterday yet, so it will be another few days. In the meantime, entertain your selves with this, and laugh at the irony!

I, apparently, am a Bran Muffin.....

Bran Muffine
You Are a Bran Muffin

Some people have accused you of being all work and no play. And that does describe you most of the time.

You are very career oriented. When you're not working making money, you're working to improve yourself.

You have very little room in your life for fluff. You want to live as good of a life as possible.

You are competitive and driven. You like to surround yourself with other motivated people.

While you are a go-getter, you are by no means self centered. Quite the opposite.

You are a caring, together, and stable friend. You are grounded enough to be there for people.

What Kind of Muffin Are You?

Sunday Quickie

2008-12-07T06:25:00.001-08:00

Hey kiddies, I might not be able to post my usual-as-of-late Monday morning blog entry, so you are getting this a day early.

Super funny video from the Colbert Report, that yes, involves knitting. I'll have to remember to be careful the next time I cross the border at my parent's house! It is work place appropriate, just in case you were scared, lol.

Nailed 'Em - Radical Knitting

Also, it has been brought to my attention that my last post could be construed to mean I am "expecting" something in about nine months or so, and I promise you, that ain't it! I'll let you all know as soon as I know for sure what the big surprise is. Until then please keep your fingers crossed for me - I am so busy with the holiday knitting, I can't stop to cross mine for myself ; )

All is Well

2008-12-05T04:55:00.000-08:00

Greetings from the not-so cold yet West!!

Sorry for the lack of blog posts, but there has been a plethora of crafting around here, a bit of carpal tunnel problems, and a recent development that may bring good news for Christopher, me and my sanity (details on that next week).

For now, just know that I am up to my elbows in yarn, wrapping paper and trying to not hurt people at my job that I love ever so much. I had my first Swedish massage client in Idaho last week, and I have my first abdominal client this weekend, and I am super excited about both of those things.

I am still finalizing details for the wedding, Little things like the date and the time, you know, just the small stuff. I plan to speak to the facility where we are hoping to have it this weekend to try and firm up a date and get some more information on them. They require permits and insurances from our vendors, and I am not sure that the vendors we were going to use will have that stuff. Look to the wedding website for details, and if you don't have the web address, please send me an email and I will forward you the link.

Hope you all have a delightful weekend, I have to go get myself to work for the ass-crack of dawn! Good times.......

When Kendall Met Ursa

2008-11-24T05:24:00.001-08:00

Aw, don't they look cute??!! Before you all get your panties knotted up, this is not an actual photo of Kendall meeting Ursa, although I see how you could be confused. Lets just say their first meeting involved a lot more unintentional nervous pooping, face biting, whining and a dog sleeping on my head...long story!

No this is my future sister in law PJ's pup HarleeAnne (the Ursa lookalike) meeting her cousin Kerri's baby Boston Terrier Hank. I emailed the picture to Chris at work to show him 1) how cute these puppies are ,2) how much they look like Kendall and Ursa, and 3) to try and get myself a new puppy (I was promised a new dog both for getting a house and moving to Idaho, so far I got nothin'!).

His response, and those of you who know him may be guessing at what I will say, was "Wow, thats a really sexy Geo Tracker in the backgound!"

Sigh...this is what I'm workin' with. For those of you who don't know Chris, he got the Tracker from one of his friends in NY for $1, it came with lots of cute accessories, including a mirrored set of tops, a white set of tops, and a whole lot of pennies and electronic junk in the car, lol! When he got the job in Idaho, he decided not to take the Tracker out here because he thought, rite fully so, that it probably wouldn't make it. The Tracker is now in the capable hands of PJ and Mikey (his brother), but he still misses it. And apparently thinks is is "sexy."

Have a good day everyone, and remember, cute puppies grow into dogs which, may get even cuter!

Look! No face biting or nervous pooping...see how far they have come!!

No Words

2008-11-20T05:26:00.000-08:00

This is the place I have been moved to, and that's all I have to say.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

With The Holidays Coming And All

2008-11-17T05:31:00.000-08:00

I woke up in bed yesterday and asked Chris if it could be Christmas time yet. He grumpily said "no!" and rolled over and farted on me. We are very classy in this house!

What I took away form this encounter, besides the fact that I am marrying a Scrooge (he admits he isn't a huge fan of the holidays, but the excuse has always been because he doesn't like the shopping or the commercialism associated with the season - I have taken care of those two things for him, not sure what his problem is now), is that since I am up to my elbows in Christmas craft projects for our nearest and dearest, I feel the need for it to be Christmas time NOW! Like break out the tree, the tinsel and the nog, I want to get this party started! Sigh...if we were back in Albany, I already know there is a radio station playing Christmas music 24-7.

Anyway, the reason I am posting about this now is that one of my favorite knit blogs Mason-Dixon knitting created a Hee-larry-i-ous You Tube video that you simply must click on and turn up the volume!!(as a side note many of the presents I am making y'all come from their new book!). So if you see me knitting something this holiday season, don't just assume it is for you ; )

Happy Monday Folks, and Merry Christmas crafting to all, and to all a good day at your crappy job, oh wait, is that just me????

Oh Wait...I Have a Blog??!!

2008-11-11T19:08:00.000-08:00

Did you guys miss me, lol?? Sorry for the radio silence, I didn't realize it has been over a month. Chris' parents were here visiting, and then I just got out of the habit of posting. Add to that my work schedule has changed and I need to be there at 6:45 am (yeah, thats not a typo!) and you get a whole lot of me being too sleepy/busy to blog and NOT posting.

Things our here in Idaho are good. I have stopped answering the question "So how do you like it in Idaho?" with a pause and the reply "Um...Its different," and have started saying "Its nice!" I am making the effort ; )

Sunday marked six months since we got here, can you believe its been that long?? Also, speaking of that long, (get ready for some vomit inducing cute-couple-ness) today is our semiversary which is the name we have given to our half year anniversary...eighteen months ago today, I was sitting at Lynne's Uptown tavern in Albany, NY, three apple martinis deep, waiting for someone who was described to me at 6'4" and "huge" to walk in. Chris came in and the first thing I said was "Wow, he's really cute - what's wrong with him, why is he single??" LOL!!! Its been all uphill from there.

There has been lots of crafting going on here, there will be all sorts of crafty pictures and goodness once I know everyone has received their Christmas presents. This whole living in Idaho thing is kind of a pain in the arse since my Christmas present crafting timeline has been pushed from ending December 25th to December 1st to allow for shipping time and what not. Oh well, for the first time that I can remember, I wont spend all December crafting instead of enjoying the season. But, I can tell you, I sure as fudge am looking forward to the four day Thanksgiving weekend - break out the knitting needles and the sewing machine, its going to be a looooong weekend! Oh, and lest you worry there will be post Christmas craft letdown, the list of DIY wedding crafts grows by the week - I'll be busy until at least April, lol! Anyone want to tell my why making 120 handmade paper invitations is good idea - I think I might have forgotten the reason....

Anyway, have a great day everyone, and I promise it wont be another month until I post!

Idaho is Cold

2008-10-10T06:15:00.000-07:00

Last week, it was in the 90's.

Today, it will snow.

Idaho, where is your Fall season??

On a brighter note, the reason for my long blog absence is because I have been working on our wedding website - it sounds so incredibly dorky to me that I have a wedding website, but with most of our guests coming in from out of town, and the two of us living very out of town, it made sense to do it.

I will get a mass email out this weekend about the new site (I don't just want to put a link to it here because you never know who is reading this site and I am a security conscious person as I tend to attract strange old men and stalkers, of which Chris is neither).

If you don't get an email, that means I don't have your address, so feel free if you want to know all about our wedding (!!) to send me an email at albanyofthewest (at) gmail (dot) com. Just be sure to replace the (at) and (dot) with the appropriate symbols.

I am off to another lovely day at the office (argh!), but at least I might get done early today. Enjoy your weekends and I hope it is warmer wherever you are than it is here.

Conversation. Perspective. Discuss....

2008-09-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

Whilst working today, I was privy to the following conversation:

Office worker 1: Have you seen Rent? Its a movie about people with AIDS in the 60's?
Office worker 2: No, but I hear it's really good.

There are no words that I could even use to respond.

Also whilst working, I came across this story on MSNBC, it kind of put things in perspective for me in a nice way, and made me smile, thought you might enjoy it too.

Things in Boise are well. We had a good weekend and I got to see some sheep and some hippies. The sheep smelled better, the hippies over-did it with the patchouli, but I got to meet some of the local midwives and gave them some information on my massage business. I haven't done any massage since we got out here, and I think it is contributing to my general crankiness as of late. Chris has been having motorcycle battery problems, so we have been sharing the car the past few days, its kinda nice being chauffeured to work, lol. We have started going to the gym together at night, and (drum roll please...) I rode 12.6 miles on the bike yesterday!! The holiday crafting has begun in earnest, and I am having a blast (talk to me again in the first week of December and ask me how I am doing then). The house is reasonably clean, and the garden is doing well (we now have a pepper AND a squash), all in all, things are good in the City of Trees. Hope things with you are as good wherever you all are (I saw that someone from Australia and Canada were reading the blog, apparently I am international now!), until next time....

We're Baaaaacccckk!!

2008-09-10T05:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Internet Friends! I am back. Actually we are back as we spent all of last week back in New York seeing all of you, lol.

Most of you know, sadly, that I didn't get a chance to finish my Olympic Knitting. Since it was something that Chris couldn't see and I had to work on it in my office with the door closed - it didn't work out so well. The project will be finished and photographed extensively (heeeheee...foreshadowing), and will be absolutely lover-ly.

We had a fantastic time back home. I got to meet a lot of people in Chris' family that I had never met before at Scottie and Danielle's wedding, and it was just a great time (even if it did rain all day, and the only picture I have that is blog-worthy is coming up - no pictures of the bride and groom unfortunately).

We went to see my parents and brother, and got to catch the end of James' football practice. He did so good, hitting the other kids and grabbing their jersisies to pull them down while he was trying to tackle them...good times!

We also spent a lovely afternoon visiting my BFF and matron of honor Erika (sorry that makes you sound old Rik) and her two little cuties, Benjamin and Loren. Coincidentally, as far as our wedding is concerned, I went for the "package deal."

You are not only looking at the Matron of Honor, but also the Flower Girl and Ring Bearer. Yes, I realize he can't even walk yet, but take a closer look at those cheeks and tell me that he isn't the cutest thing ever!

Anyway, enough about cute babies. Lets talk about cute adults, or rather drunk boys at the track in Saratoga.

And a happy drunk couple at a wedding - don't ask me why I am making that face - every picture I have of us from some wedding that we have been to I am making that face - I assured you I was smiling the while day. My future sister in law has some good pictures of us that she has yet to share, and I think there are good pictures of us in there. Also, there is video of Chris doing the moonwalk...can you say YouTube????

So thats where I have been. I need to get my stinky self in the shower. I promise it wont be a month until I post next time, lol!!

I've Been Gone For a Good Reason

2008-08-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

Yeah, things have been a little crazy. I continue to be amazed at the sheer volume of cleaning that this house requires. I mostly blame Ursa and her inability to keep any of her hair attached to her body. Chris brushed her over the weekend, and it looked like an entire family of bunnies had been slaughtered and left as fluff balls in the backyard. My theory is that come spring, we are going to have lots of happy little birdies making nests all over our yard out of her fur- and probably pooping on our cars : )

The real reason I have been busy is that I am participating in the Ravelympics, which is a knitting contest that takes place during the time of the Olympics: you pick a challenging project, and agree to knit it in between the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics. There are no real prizes, only the glory of accomplishment.

You may be surprised that I am not coming right out here and telling you all what it is I am knitting, but it is a surprise. If you want to know, just email me and I'll tell you, unless your name is Chris in which case you have been told you can't know what I am knitting and that you need to stay out of my craft office and should not be emailing me because it takes valuable time away from what I am knitting.

In other exciting news, I got a very nice new bike today for $45 at the Salvation Army. It needs a new tire and handle wraps and could probably use a new seat that is more, um, butt shaped, but overall it was a great value and I am looking forward to getting my money out of it.

Speaking of money, we had our first home owner disaster yesterday. I woke up early, tinkled, flushed, and noticed the flush didn't sound quite right. I went to let the dogs out and fill their dishes, and when I went to fill their water dishes, there was very little water pressure. I looked out the kitchen window, and saw a river of water flowing down the driveway. I thought maybe Chris had left the hose on, and went to go shut it off.

Then I realized it wasn't just the hose, it was the irrigation system for the sprinklers, and it was leaking like crazy. I went in and woke up Chris and we came out to discover it was on both sides of the driveway, and our front lawn became a ginormous swamp. Chris, being the big strong not afraid of gross things kinda guy he is, reached his hand into some awful kind of ick and shut off the main line for the irrigation system.

Fortunately, this just shut off the water to the irrigation not to the whole house. We will have to wait a few days for the "irrigation specialist" to get out to the house to do his thing, I just hope the yard doesn't die in the meantime. Oh well, I guess if it did, we could always just cover the brown grass with Ursa hair, right?

I probably won't be back until after the Olympics - and remember if you want to know whats on the needles, just email (unless you are Chris!).

I am a Slacker

2008-07-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

Hi all - sorry for the lack of garden photos as promised, there has been (GASP!!) rain and thunderstorms here all this week and we haven't gotten a chance to get out there and finish planting and take some pictures. Good news is all the "humidity" has made it easier for me to breathe, but lets face it, we still live in a desert. Also, the plants that are in the ground are doing very well, and the rose bushes Chris got for me are doing well with still being in their pots; hopefully the mere act of me taking them out of their pots and putting them in a hole in the ground will not cause them to die ; )

On a brighter note, we got the invitation for Chris' brother's wedding yesterday, and we are both super excited to be going home for that. I am meeting the other massage practitioner who does the same type of massage that I do next week for coffee and am really looking forward to meeting her. Work is going well for both of us, I have about three hours today with NOTHING to do while I am there, which will drive me bonkers, but maybe I can get some wedding planning done.

Pictures soon, I promise! Hope everyone has a happy weekend and I'll see you on Monday.

The House is Finally Clean!

2008-07-20T21:23:00.001-07:00

So you get to see pictures!! Here is a view of the living room. Chris is hiding on the couch (you can kind of see him in his orange shirt lying there).
A nice view of the kitchen and our little "nook" area. I had so much trouble figuring out what to put in there, but it seems to have come out okay, it is my grandmother's sewing machine and we have turned it into a mail sorting desk - you can see our paper shredder underneath and the giant stack of mail Chris still needs to go through from last week, lol. There is no picture of the dining room so to speak because it is the same small table we had in Albany that hasn't been painted and clashed terribly with everything in the house. Getting that table painted is on my to do list for this week.
And here is a picture of the whole great room if you are standing in front of the fireplace - the couch was left out because Chris was on laying on it and, as previously stated, he did not want to be part of the picture taking fun. BUT you can clearly see what my latest knitting project is since I left it on the coffee table.
Here is the guest/hall bath.
And this is the guest bedroom.
And here is my craft room/office with my super comfy knitting chair.
This is our bedroom, view from the right as you walk in the door,
And this is the view as you are lying on the bed, to the left is the giant blue chair from Albany (thanks Dan!), the closed door is to the closet and the open door is for the bathroom

As you can see, we don't care about having towels that match each other or the bathroom, lol.

Hope you had as fun a weekend as we did. Tomorrow, there will be pictures to show you all the gardening we have been doing. Here is a bit of a teaser: it involves roses!!

Its Official...

2008-07-16T06:14:00.000-07:00

...I can no longer use my New York license plates as an excuse to drive like a New Yorker, because I now have both an Idaho state driver's license and Idaho plates (same goes for Chris). I guess we are now potato heads for sure. The lady at DMV said we should/could now be called Idahoans, but that just sounds dirty to me.

Sorry there still aren't pictures of the house up on here. I really haven't been feeling that great (stupid plants in Idaho and their stupid pollen) so I pretty much collapse when I get home from work every night, and by the time Chris gets home and makes us dinner, it is usually at least 8 and I'm kind of ready for bed (or already sleeping on the couch). Also, I would like the house to be clean when the pictures are taken, and um, yeah....same reason I haven't been able to take the pictures also keeps me from having the energy to clean the house so I can take the pictures. I have even been too tired to knit, so you know its bad, lol. Its really all just a vicious circle of pollen based sleepiness.

On a more awake note, you'll never guess what I have at work - an intern. Yup, I've been there all of three weeks and I have some poor woman following me around learning from me, how funny is that? She is super nice and I like her a lot, and it is going very well for both of us. Speaking of work, kinda gotta go there now, to um, you know, work, lol. Maybe pictures of the house tonight if I get done work a little early (which I should). Until then......

Happy Birthday LIttle Brother!

2008-07-14T06:01:00.001-07:00

Today, this handsome little man turns TEN YEARS OLD!!! Double digits baby! This is the first year I haven't been able to be there for his birthday, and I feel pretty bad about it. But I did get him what he has been asking me for as a present for months (!!!), so I don't feel quite so bad....so happy birthday little brother and be good, your present will be there soon. I love you!

And yes, those are underwear on his head.

My mother's birthday was yesterday. The reason I didn't post a happy birthday blog salute to her was because the only pictures I could find were of her holding a beer or in a pool riding a little kids float (you know what I am talking about Mom - also, it isn't that those are the only things she does, its just those are the only digital pictures I have of her), and I figured she probably wouldn't appreciate that very much. So happy belated birthday to you too mom, love you guys!

Boise Stinks!!

2008-07-09T06:01:00.000-07:00

Well, not really, we both still love it here, but I have some allergies going on that are making me pretty miserable if Chris does say so himself ; )

We have been busy this past week. We went to fireworks for the 4th of July at a park downtown, and while the display itself was pretty nice (they had it set to music, with the exception of one Rascal Flats song, Chris thoroughly enjoyed it too), their "finale" lasted about 15 seconds, and wasn't even really what you would consider a fireworks finale in New York. When we got home our neighbors who share the driveway were setting off their own fireworks in the cul de sac (and our driveway) so at least we got to listen to that until 1am.

Saturday and Sunday, we just kind of lazed around the house. Ursa tried to kill Kendall by digging a giant hole in the yard, chewing through one of our irrigation piped, and then waiting for the hole to fill with water. The little dog is cute but not smart, so its a good thing Chris found the hole when he did. He was pretty mad, but it only ended up costing $4 at Lowe's to get the stuff we needed for a repair.

This week, we have both working and having fun with that, lol. My new job is going great, I am pretty much done with training for now and know how to do almost everything by myself, which is a super nice feeling...AND I got my first paycheck which was a really nice feeling! Chris had kind of a rough week at work - there was a template he was trying to make that wouldn't come out the way they needed it to, and it turns out someone had mislabeled a box and he was trying to make the template out of the wrong material. All I know is his phone rang at various hours of the morning usually reserved for sleeping, and I felt bad for him (he never did have to actually go in to work though, which was good).

The house is great, and we get the new living room furniture this weekend (pictures of house to follow). Speaking of houses, big shout out to Chris' brother Mike and his lovely lady PJ for buying their first house on Monday - wish we could have been there to help you move!

And speaking of happy news, we have decided for a host of reasons that our wedding will be in March of 2009 in Las Vegas, with at least one reception to follow next summer in New York. Now that everyone who needs to know does know and we are sure our families and Matron of Honor and Best Man can go, I feel free announcing it to the world. Obviously we aren't "eloping" in the traditional sense of the word, we are just opting for a smaller wedding at a fun destination. So that is my exciting news for this week - thanks to one of my friends from my former NY job, I have a hot tip about a wedding chapel that has a monkey who faints when you take his picture with flash photography, and I have to go investigate that venue, lol! Have a great day everyone!

Why Sprint Is Bad

2008-06-30T06:11:00.001-07:00

Sorry I didn't actually call all of you I promised to over the weekend, my phone is all goofed up. The phone number I was given by Sprint for Idaho is in the same area code as Boise, but apparently the entire state of Idaho only has ONE area code, so the phone number they gave me is for a city five hours away from Boise, and that wont be cool when I get my massage business started. Add to that the first time activating the new phone didn't work, and I couldn't use it for most of the weekend, and you have a recipe for a no call no show Karen. Super sorry to all, don't think I don't love ya!

On a brighter note, I did manage to get my craft room/office set up this weekend...boy do I have a lot of yarn! This is not a bad thing, just so you all know. We went to the Lowes and got a lawnmower and weedwacker Saturday and the to Target to get a vacuum yesterday - super home owner-y fun! And, I discovered this weekend that my handsome fiance looks really cute pushing a lawnmower, lol! More details later, this is kind of a post and run...catch you all on the flip!

All is Well

2008-06-27T05:35:00.000-07:00

My first day at the new jobby-job went VERY well...I met a lot of really nice girls that I will be working with, and all of the Doctor's I met were pretty nice too. It seems kind of easy as far as what my job duties will be, and they said they are going to cross train me right off the start so I can do all the front end duties no matter which office I am in...sounds like the beginning of something loverly.

The move went well. The house needed a lot of cleaning/servicing of the major things (heating, air conditioning, all the ducts, the carpets), but we got that all done, the cable/Internet turned on (obviously!) and we went last night to get a new TV (you should have seen the twinkle in Chris' eyes - super cute!). The TV and the new living room furniture will get delivered some time next week, and then I think we are all set with everything we really need for the house.

With the exception of our books and DVDs, everything is unpacked (we have no place to put them yet, don't worry, I went through and separated all the important books from the rest for easy access). All the rooms are pretty much set up except for my office, and the linen closet needs some work. Still need to figure out a landscaping design for the yard, but we need to wait a while on that. Other than that, we are pretty much set - might need to get some bookcases and bar stools, but those can wait too.

The house is great, it looks even better with our stuff in it, and the dogs seem to like it which is very important ya know! Well, I have to go get in the shower...the thing about having a job is I guess they expect you to be there on time and not smelling like yesterday when you get there...its been so long since I had a job, I almost forgot ; )

Sorry for putting this at the end, but my phone number has changed. For obvious reasons I am not putting it on the blog for the world to see, I wont be able to call everyone today, so if it is an emergency, call Chris' phone and I am going to try and get an email out to as many of you as I can. I'll be calling everyone tonight and tomorrow with the new number.

Now, how about a tragically ironic tale of mystery to top off your Friday. This is the first bag of potatoes we purchased when we moved here (the only bag of potatoes at the store, mind you)...notice anything funny about it???? Did I mention we live in IDAHO??!! Have a great weekend everybody!

This One is for The Cute Guy Who Bought Me a House Last Night

2008-06-20T10:36:00.001-07:00

nataliedee.com

"I'm an otter, I lay on my back and do cute little human things with my hands."

Sorry for the private joke. This is something Chris and I were talking about last night. The cartoon is from a great comic artist called Natalie Dee - if you have some free time, you should go check out her site...super fun! The words are from a comedy show that Dennis Leary did that Chris quotes all the time (he did it last night as a matter of fact). I'll have to ask him tonight if there is a YouTube video of it so you guys can see. Its all about different animals and seeing if they should be saved from being hunted/killed/eaten. An otter, since it does cute little human things with it's hands, should be saved and protected. A cow on the other hand, should get in the slaughter truck because it is just a baseball glove, waiting to be made. It sounds much funnier when Chris says it, and I am sure it is even funnier when Dennis Leary says it, because Dennis Leary is way funnier than my fiance ;)

The closing was yesterday, and it went great. It only took thirty minutes. In Idaho, you don't need a lawyer, maybe that is why it was so much faster (ha, ha Nicole and office staff of Albany, NY law firm that shall not be named, lol!). Just kidding, but seriously, the closing was quick and you don't need a lawyer in Idaho.

I am just waiting for the real estate agent to call to tell us the deed was filed with the clerk's office so I can get the key and start weeding! This will be the first (of many to come!) weekends of home improvement projects because, who just bought a house?????

These Kids Right Here!

Enjoy your weekend everyone, and if anyone wants to come to Idaho to pull some weeds, give me a call!

30 Ain't So Bad

2008-06-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I turned thirty, not twenty nine again as I had been previously promising everyone. It wasn't so bad. I got a Slurpee and went to the pool in the afternoon. Chris got done work a little late, but then we went to dinner. I had Elk Chili and it was fantastic. We also had this dessert that was an almond toffee shell filled with fresh strawberries and ice cream with strawberry and white chocolate sauce and home made whipped creme....yum! And the best thing was that my wonderful fiance got me yarn spinning lessons for my birthday!

Saturday, we went to Nampa, Idaho which is about 20 miles from Boise. It is a cute little town with a nice downtown area which they use for a Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings. Not much there, but it was fun to walk around. I went to the two yarn shops in the town, Puffy Mondaes (which is my new favorite yarn shop...if I can't be at Trumpet Hill, it is the next best thing) and Ewephoria (best name for a yarn shop I think I've ever heard, but I didn't see any yarn there that I liked). We had lunch at this great Italian deli, we both had very tasty subs! Then it was off to look at furniture and go to the pool.

Sunday, we went for a motorcycle ride and then to the pool again. We also got some bad news about one of Chris' friends being in a car accident, but the blog is not really the place to talk about it.

Yesterday, I gave blood and then spent the rest of the day feeling like I was looped on drugs because of it. I went to the Fred Meyer store near the new house to get groceries, and then Chris and I went to buy a new bed and living room set. We got a great deal on them and I can't wait to sleep on the new bed. It is a king size, so I won't get clocked in the head anymore during the middle of the night as Chris rolls over.

Today, I need to call to get some stuff scheduled for the house - locks changed, carpets cleaned, cable turned on and air conditioning/heating serviced. Closing is on Thursday afternoon, so we get the keys on Friday! Probably not going to be moving in until we get a refrigerator which we are going to look for on Craigslist. Lets just say we have a lot of yard work to do this weekend and fence mending to do. I might be a little absent for the next week or so, nothing personal. But just think, the next post might be pictures of what the house looks like with all our stuff in it, or maybe me rolling around nekkid' in my yarn....till then!

Guess What I Got!!!

2008-06-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

I have a job!!! I start in two weeks as a receptionist at a local Orthopedic practice in downtown Boise. The pay is a little less than I was making in Albany at BCBS, but they pay for my benefits entirely so it works out.

It also works out because the closing on the house is next Friday! After that, we are going to get the carpets cleaned over the weekend or on that Monday, then the movers are coming Tuesday to bring us back all our stuff! Hallelujah! We will take that weekend to do goofy little fix ups around the house and start the gardening. I'll have all day Wednesday to get things put away and organized, and then its off to work for me!

Thanks for you comments from yesterday - you guys rock! As a way to say thanks, here is a cute doggy picture, just because!

"I'm Ursa, and I'm pretty!"

The Inside!

2008-06-11T12:32:00.001-07:00

This is the view as you come in the front door. The door straight ahead goes to the patio in the back and the fireplace is gas, there is a super nice mantle too. The coat closet is the white door to the left.A better view of the full living room, I love the giant window on the right hand side of the fireplace - it will be so nice for the dogs to look out and bark. You can't see it but there is a ceiling fan hung up off the cathedral ceiling.
Speaking of the cathedral ceiling, don't have any ideas what to put up there, but I have told Chris that whatever it is, it will not be mounted and/or stuffed ; ) This is to the left as you come in the front door, and the hallway goes down to the rest of the house. To the right is a gigantic linen closet and to the left, a good size laundry/mud room and a door out to the garage. The open door you can see goes to the spare bedroom.
This is the view if you are standing right underneath where the last picture was taken. You can't see it that well, but the window above the window with the red curtain goes all the way up to the cathedral ceiling and lets in a lot of natural light. This is where the dining room will be. To start, we are just going to get some bar stools for the little breakfast bar off the counter. The only thing we ever use a dining room table for is to throw all our crap on anyway, so that is an investment that can wait for a while. And how much do you love the red kitchen!!!!!! It almost makes me want to cook. Almost....
The pantry is the door to the right, and the refrigerator will go next to it closer to the windows once we procure one. The sink looks out to the front yard.
And this is a view of the whole living room/dining room/kitchen from the sink. You can't really see it, but next to the pantry (white door on the left here) there is an alcove thingy and a curved ceiling above it that is open to the cathedral ceiling. It is a cute little nook and there is room to put some nice plants up there. Not sure what we will decide to put there, but I like it!
This is the guest bath. Down the hall, to the right as you are on the way to the master bath. There is a sink too, don't be concerned if you come to visit you wont have a sink to use, lol!
This is the closet in the guest bedroom (the open door from the picture before). Apparently the owner's mother has left some of her stuff here - she left her giant honking SUV in the garage too. The real estate agent said she dropped the car off and went to the airport but isn't actually staying there...Um, yeah...not so happy about that.
And this is the view from the door way. I forgot to take a picture of the other bedroom, but it is the same size, except the door is on the left side instead of the right, and the closets are flipped too. The other room is blue, and will be the office/craft room.
This is our master bathroom - double sinks, LOTS of storage space (which is not normal for Boise). The toilet, is to the right, close to the window. There is a medicine cabinet hanging on the wall behind it (kinda weird, but there is a giant mirror that goes over the whole vanity). The tub is immediately to the right. All nice new metal fixtures.
This is a view of the master bedroom - the bathroom is to the right and the walk-in closet is to the left. There are two sets of hanging rods (a high one and a low one) on both sides of the closet, then there is one tall bar that goes the length of the closet. There are also shelves and room for a dresser or two in there. The only thing we will need to put in the bedroom will be the bed and nightstands.
This is the view of the master bedroom from the master bathroom door.

And that's our new house! The inspection went well, no major problems but a few minor repairs do need to be made. Most of it is stuff Chris and I can do ourselves. We are so excited. Now that the inspection is done, we should know when the closing will be - it might be as soon as next week!

On the more good news front, I have THREE interviews tomorrow. Figure I have to get one of them, right? Oh, in case anyone wants to comment, I fixed it so you don't need to register and you don't need to play the "Lets Identify These Random Letters Written In A Bad Font That You Can't Read" game. Just in case anyone wants to leave a comment, or something ; )

It Is Time I Told You...

2008-06-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

... I am also probably going to be using this as a "knit-blog" also. Those of you who used to read my previous blog will enjoy the lovely pictures and yarn, those of you who didn't read the old one will have to learn, lol ; )

Anyway, all of my knitting needles are in storage, as is the majority of my yarn. Lets not talk about it anymore, it makes me sad. I told Chris when we get everything out of storage, I am going to put all of the yarn on the floor and then roll in it. I can't tell if the laugh I get when I tell him that is because he knows I will do it, or because he thinks I won't....

Anyway, our friend Nicole (who coincidently is partially responsible for introducing us) sent me this joke today, and it made me smile, thought you might enjoy it too:

A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway. Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see that the blonde behind the wheel was knitting!

Realizing that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled, 'PULL OVER!'

'NO!' the blonde yelled back, 'IT'S A SCARF!'

Happy Monday!

Look What We Bought!

2008-06-08T22:24:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is, our first house! I found it while out looking with the Realtor on Tuesday, Chris came at lunch to look at it kinda quick. We went back over on Wednesday so Chris could thoroughly inspect the house with a big flashlight, and we put the offer in and it got accepted on Thursday! The owners want the closing by the end of June (!) so our stuff will soon be out of storage. The house is currently empty, so they want us in there as quickly as we want to be in there!

The basics are - 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car garage. The living, kitchen and dining rooms are all open to each other, but clearly defined. There is a gas fireplace, and the floors are a beige-ish carpet or stone tiles in the dining room/kitchen. Lots of nice colors, earthy but still bright. The master bedroom is HUGE, and has a ginormous walk-in closet. There are cathedral ceilings in the main living area and what I think is a pretty large attic storage space over the rest of the house (its one story). Its on a quiet cul de sac on the west side of town on a dead end street - super quiet.

The pictures got loaded up backwards to the blog, so sorry for the inconvenience. This is the backyard, the nice side with the curved concrete border (which apparently is a very nice and an expensive upgrade to have around here - I dunno). I'm thinking we can put some flowers in there once we get settled.

This it the other side of the house, the side the garage is on. We have an idea to fill this area in with concrete and have this be where Kendall and Ursa go potty so they don't ruin the lawn. Apparently, also a popular thing to do here in Boise. Word is it makes picking up the poop easier, then you just clean off the pee with a water and bleach mixture every few days or so.
This is the back patio, the door goes to the back of the living room, right next to the fireplace.
Here is our view of the foothills! Oh, did I mention that our back yard neighbor is an elementary school? We are going to put up some privacy wooden fencing so the dogs don't spend all day trying to eat children through the chain link fence.
Here is the front of the house, you can see the yard work has been neglected for some time. I told Chris he should get me some gardining stuff for my birthday, lol.
No idea what to do with this area. It separates us from the next door neighbors, so I kinda want to maintain some height with the landscaping for privacy. The front yard will probably be where we will spend the most of our time since it is much nicer than the back. Plus, lets be honest, the dogs are going to probably ruin the back yard no matter what we do. Also, we do have ideas to maybe do some gardening back there, and there isn't much room.
The front of the house as you look from the right. The right side of the house, the bay window part is the kitchen (the sink looks out the main window). Pretty much everything growing with the exception of the overgrown bush is a weed - I kinda wanted to pull them while we were there today, but technically, I guess the house isn't ours yet.
And one last picture of the front of the house.
We'll start taking reservations for August in the next few weeks, so let us know when you want to come out for a visit, we'll get you on the guest list!

What a Difference a Month Makes

2008-06-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone - sorry I am a super slacker and there hasn't been more on here lately. Most of you know how I am: the less I have to do, the less gets done; the more I have to do, the more I get done...tales of tragic irony as Christopher would say : ) The good news is, we are now only half unemployed and uninsured, but still fully homeless (in that we haven't bought a house yet sort of way...I assure you we are not living on the streets of Boise!)

Anyways, things are great in Boise! We both really like it and the more we explore, the more we find to like. For anyone considering a trip out here (!) we have LOTS of great restaurants to bring you to. We took a motorcycle trip up to the local ski mountain, Bogus Basin, this week, and it was a nice trip (Chris went very slow up the mountain) and we got to see lots of wildflowers.

Over the weekend, we took the dogs to a very nice dog park and let them run around for a while - they loved it. It was just like being at Grandma's house in Middleburgh except there weren't any chickens to kill for Ursa, and instead of Jordan trying to hump Kendall, another little dog followed him around all day trying to mount up...is it wrong that it made me laugh?? They came home tired and slept for the rest of the day, which was nice!

I have been sending out a zillion resumes, and have had two interviews so far - nothing concrete but I have a second interview with a chiropractor for today in about an hour. It seems like it would be a good fit for me, he is looking for a receptionist, but I think I might be able to get some massage clients from him, maybe even at his office...we'll see! Think happy thoughts because this not having a job crap is driving me nuts - ask Chris, he'll tell you!

We also have been looking at a lot of houses. A great number of them smelled terribly and I walked out as soon as I walked in (I am looking at houses during the day while Chris is at work, ruling out the yucky ones, and then we have been going back to look at the good ones together later). I don't want to say too much in case it doesn't work out, but we may have found something that would be just about as close to perfect as it could be for us. Again, please think happy thoughts!

Well, that about it for now, I have to go get pretty for my interview! Pictures soon, I promise - Idaho is beautiful and there are all sorts of funny local things to show you. Happy Wednesday everyone!

Long Stange Trip....

2008-05-15T08:32:00.001-07:00

Well, we left the Albany apartment on April 30th and went to stay in Middleburgh. The next day, we all went on a hike up Vroman's Nose (apologies to anyone who knows how that is actually supposed to be spelled). Here is a what happens when you try to take a picture of Chris and the dogs.

After the hike, we went back to Chris' parent's house and played in the yard for a while. Here is Ursa looking pretty while she was playing with Rocky.

Say it with me in the Ursa voice everyone: "I'm pretty! Chris, look how pretty I am! Chris, I am so pretty, look!!"

We finally got the dogs to play tug of war together. Ursa didn't let Kendall win, but I think she eventually just got sick of playing with him and gave up. That little dog just doesn't like to give up during a tug of war! You'll notice in the background all the stuffing on the ground, before the tug of war, Kendall decimated a little stuffy toy as only he can do.

I don't remember what event at the Beer Olympics this is called, but Chris said instead of pails next time, maybe you guys could use dogs. Kendall thinks it is unfair that Ursa gets to go to the Olympics because she is a girl and since he is a boy, he should be the one that gets to go. It does kinda make sense....

So we hung out in the Burgh for another few days, saw lots of friends and family and of course, me being me, didn't take out my camera. Same things goes for when we went to Ogdensburg. Although I can tell you we had a great time and it was so nice to see everyone, I have to pictorial proof to show you all. You'll just have to trust me.

So on Sunday, we got on the road and managed to get all the way to Toledo, Ohio. The only thing in Toledo was a nasty old lady at the Motel 6 who yelled at us because the dogs were barking. We decided not to stay at Motel 6 anymore. Highlight of Toledo...having breakfast at Waffle House on Monday morning.

On Monday night, we managed to make it all the way Tomah, Wisconsin. We drove through Chicago and saw the Sears Tower and Wrigley Field.

Once we got outside the city, Chris said "Why don't we stop at Arby's for lunch?'"

I said, "okay, why not." Yeah, well the why not was because we both got food poisoning and I spent all night (and I mean ALL NIGHT) in the ladies room. Seriously, at about 3am I gave up and just tried to go to sleep in there. By the next morning, I was felling better, the evil had stopped, but Chris was still sick. We drove, well actually Chris drove and I slept all the way to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Sioux Falls looks like it might be a really cute little town to go explore, but there was no exploration to be had. I crawled into bed as soon as we got there and didn't really crawl back out until 6am the next morning. Chris was still feeling sick, but he had dinner and went to bed early too. We woke up the next morning feeling MUCH better and got on the road for our first real day of exploring.

Wednesday was full of stops. First was the Corn Palace, seriously corny fun, get it corny..HaHa! Don't ask why I am holding a stapler, it is a long story.

Next we stopped at the Badlands Petrified Rock Garden, very interesting and worth the $5!

And then, we went to the Badlands!!!!! It was amazing and we had such a good time.

They call these the yellow hills, I think. Breathtaking!

And we saw LOTS of animals...there were prairie dogs:

Mule deer:

And buffalo, Oh the buffalo!

This one was actually hanging around inside one of the parking areas they have to pull over and see some "scenic view." Just walking around the parking lot, it was wacky!

Then, we got stuck waiting at an impromptu buffalo crossing.

This is Chris' face after seeing all the buffalo...I like to call it his "buffalo twinkle." He was so happy.

We stayed in Gillette, Wyoming on Wednesday night after stopping to have dinner in Sturgis, South Dakota.

Thursday we drove through the Rockies and they were huge!

And then, on Thursday, we saw this sign!

We stayed in Idaho Falls on Thursday and then woke up and drove to Mountain Home, Idaho so Chris could get his motorcycle. Then we drove to the new apartment and ran a bazillion errands. And that is the story of our trip!

Chris' first few days at work have gone really well. He likes it and has made some friends. The dogs are still getting used to the new place. The sliding glass doors continue to be a challenge for them because there are a lot of free roaming cats in the neighborhood; Kendall ran right into the doors three times already this morning. I am looking for a job, doing a lot of online applications and yesterday, I went to City Hall to get my "massagist permit," how dirty does that sound?? Well, that's about it for now, new post soon, I promise!

We're Here!

2008-05-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

We made it safe and sound and without even fighting! Besides a little scuffle between Kendall and Ursa as we were leaving Middleburgh, it was smooth sailing (except for the food poisoning, but more on that later!).

I decided the easiest way to get all the pictures up and tell the whole huge story is to break it up into pieces. Today, I'll post the pictures of our cute little apartment, and then in the next few days I'll get all the vacation shots up.

Boise is great, Chris wasn't lying, lol. Everyone is super friendly and nice and we both really like it here. The mountains are literally our backyard and the views are amazing. We spent most of the weekend driving around town trying to figure out where everything is and looking at houses, but we will be taking the dogs for some hikes so we can take some pictures and show you all how beautifl it is out here.

But first, how about a tour of our new apartment???

This is the view as you walk in the front door:

The kitchen is off to the left and the laundry room (!!!!!!!) is immediately to the left with a door by the fridge (which didn't make it into the picture either, but is right next to the microwave). Chris is very happy with the quantity of counter tops, not so much with the quality of the knives they had here, but don't worry....we went Saturday and he got a new pan and knife : )

To the right, there is the dining and living rooms. We have a little patio outside the sliding glass doors. We are thinking about getting some plants and starting a container garden next weekend...I need to see how much sun the porch gets during the day so we know what types of plants to get. Chris wants to plant heirloom tomatoes and some herbs, I would like some pretty flowers and strawberries...we'll see...

And yes, that couch is as comfy as Kendall makes it looks and is SUCH an improvement over the last "couch" we had. For those of you who have as "fond" memories of that couch as I do, please be advised that the majority of the couch is now in the Albany City dump, but, believe it or not, the night we put it on the curb for the garbage people to take away, someone actually took part of it home...what is wrong with people???

Anyway, back to the nice new apartment. Down the hall, to the left is Chris' bathroom,

which does have a bathtub and shower also. I was standing out in the hall while I was taking the picture so that you couldn't see me in the mirror.

To the right across from the bathroom is the spare room. Ursa thinks it is her bedroom and is happily modeling her particualr brand of cute for all of you.

At the end of the hall, is our bedroom (view from the door):

and view from the bed:

Where I stood to take that picture is about where our bathroom is, and it is HUGE!

Its just a walk-in shower stall, but it's the size of a bathtub. Kinda weird, but whatever!

Well, thats it for the apartment. Its a really nice apartment community, the dogs are still barking at everyone they see, but we have hope that will stop soon (let me live in my delusion please). We are less than 1/4 mile away from a shopping center that has everything we need for pretty much everything. For the most part, we are settled in here and have everything we need to make it feel like home.

For tomorrow - pictures of the trip!

Unemployed, Un-insured and Homeless

2008-05-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Greetings - Chris and I have begun our trip to Boise. All our stuff is packed and on a truck heading to our new storage unit, and today is our first day where we are both officially unemployed, homeless and un-insured. Cheers to us!

Today we went hiking with the dogs and had a big bonfire and decided to start a new blog - Whoo hoo! We figured with all the moving, new jobs, wedding plans and what not, it would be easier to have a central place to point people to for updates rather than having to email everyone (and this way if you don't care about what is going on with us, you don't need to stop by, lol).

Not sure how internet access is going to be while we are traveling, but I will do my best to keep the posts current. Feel free to leave a comment or not. Hoping you are well and here is a gratiutious doggy shot because, well, why not?