The search for the perfect home is never easy…and with it being a buyer’s market I was able to be even pickier than the first time I purchased a home. Oh how things have changed since 2004. Apparently they now require your first born along with every piece of your financial history from that pack of gum I bought last week to investments, 401K, etc. I do think changes needed to be made with foreclosures running rampant, however I think they went from one extreme to another. 2004: “So….you wanna buy a house?” I picture a guy opening his trench coat in a dark alley… 2011: “Ok, we’re going to need not only your complete financial history, but also your dogs, your mother’s, your first cousin on your father’s side…oh, and a piece of that gum that we know you bought last Tuesday at 3:42pm”. But, enough negativity…the perfect one was found after looking at over 30 houses and after negotiations yesterday…Offer: ACCEPTED!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Offer: ACCEPTED! Now, cautious optimism.
Friday, May 20, 2011
TGIF. The week goes by pretty slow when you're eating cardboard.
As indicated by my blog post title, a new diet started last weekend. Bikini season is almost upon us people! Nothing radical, no crazy pills or drops or hormones. Just good ol' fashioned low fat/low carb/ low calorie. It must be working to some degree because the clothes do seem to fit a little looser, and I'm feeling a little lighter in my step on this Friday morning. Still, I'm more than ready for my cheat day on Saturday! I am fantasizing about nachos, cheeseburgers, and maybe even steak. The world is my oyster....but trust me I'm not wasting my cheat day on oysters. That's just silly.
Michael being the terrific cook he is, can make anything taste amazing! I think my favorite meal on this week 1 of dieting was the grilled tilapia with homemade salsa. The salsa consisted of pineapple, red peppers, cilantro, jalapeno, and lime juice. Deeelicious. A side of fresh green beans with our very SECRET seasoning (can't give away trade secrets) and an amazing healthy meal came together.
In other news, house hunting is stressful. I think I've seen about 30 houses, and ultimately liked 2 of them. I'm truly able to see potential beyond someones hideous wallpaper, or poor taste in wall color but come on! Can the perfect one just pop up on the market, soon, please?! And if it does can I please be the only person that's interested in it? And, can it please not be located in a flood plane? I'm not asking for much here. Is it or is it not a buyers market?
Lastly, I got flowers at work sent from the best boyfriend in the world. A very pretty pink orchid (I LOVE orchids) and when I inevitably kill it, there is a pink coffee cup and saucer to hang around. Anyone know how to keep these guys alive? It came with some pretty rigorous instructions...and can only tolerate a 4 degree temperature change. I'll enjoy it while it lasts!
| Grill master making healthy food |
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| Aforementioned meal |
In other news, house hunting is stressful. I think I've seen about 30 houses, and ultimately liked 2 of them. I'm truly able to see potential beyond someones hideous wallpaper, or poor taste in wall color but come on! Can the perfect one just pop up on the market, soon, please?! And if it does can I please be the only person that's interested in it? And, can it please not be located in a flood plane? I'm not asking for much here. Is it or is it not a buyers market?
| Orchid |
Monday, May 9, 2011
An Excellent Derby Weekend.

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| Allyson and I |
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| At the track |
This Kentucky Derby weekend was non-stop! From Oaks on Friday, to Derby, to Mother's Day it was indeed an action packed weekend. We attended Oaks on Friday and had an amazing time. Despite the weather forecast it truly turned out to be an amazing day. We kicked off the day at a pre-Oaks party filled with Mimosa's and shrimp cocktail...does it really get better than that? The mint juleps and lady oaks ran plentiful at the track, and the people watching was phenomenal. I just love the pageantry of it all...everyone is dressed in their best and the creativity of the hats is an entity all itself. I got my hat from Macy's, however spiced it up with a vintage broach I purchased the day before (and my first experience with the clip on earrings that matched - ouch!) and some feathers I picked out at Dee's Crafts. That place was a madhouse to say the least. I guess that's what I get for going the day before. After Oaks we returned home, let the doggies out, and then headed to Cafe Lou Lou for some Jambalaya. We closed the day with a fire in the fire pit and drinks on the patio. It was a pretty great day!
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| Twin Spires! |
| Irises along the house |
Saturday was full of recovery and an all out Euchre brawl with Mom and Mike. (For those non-Indiana folks, Euchre is a game similar to Spades, but way better) I'm so proud to report the ladies pulled through with a 4-1 victory! It was heated and lots of fun.
| Roaming Rigby |
Mother's Day itself was full of good old fashion farm fun. Fishing - I caught two! Soaking up some rays outside, and letting the dogs stretch their legs with plenty of fetch. Rigby only fell in the pond once this time...about an hour after she'd had a full bath. Why can't she be prissy? I even bought her pink bows for her hair. I guess I'll never get my foo foo dog.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Gone Fishin'.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Long time no blog.
For any of you iPad/iPhone owners, my good friend Sara turned me onto a new app. It's like Words With Friends, but pictionary! It's called We Doodle, it's free (even the HD version) and I'm addicted. You draw, then someone gets three guesses per drawing. I love it. But seriously, some of these people I'm questioning how they passed Kindergarten Art class. Tip: Turn off the Doodle help mode, and it gets rid of all of those weird squiggly lines. It took me longer to figure that out than I'd like to admit.
Elton John. Quite the performer! We saw him on tax day evening at the Yum! Center. Amazing! There is a reason the dude is a legend. He sounds absolutely amazing live. Studio quality. I've always loved his music and am fortunate enough to say I've seen him live now. It wasn't the grand "show" I might've been expecting, however the setlist and sheer talent more than made up for that. Next on the list...Oaks and Derby. I've got the dress, the shoes, and most importantly, the hat!
"Yes, I destroyed her collar, and the bows are next!" - Pete |
Rigby has been exploring her femine side with a brand spankin' new pink bow I picked up this week during a Feeder's Supply run. It's pretty cute. She has the perfect floppy, fuzzy ears to wear cute bows. They don't even seem to bother her, so it's win/win. Her awesome Bark Avenue (yes, Bark Avenue I love that) pink leather collar bit the dust last week when apparently Pete needed a chew toy when they were in their crate. Thanks, Pete.
We started watching the new HBO series, Game of Thrones last Sunday. Hmmm. I'm not quite raving about it yet. Critics who have seen the first six episodes do claim the first was the weakest, so given my love for the genre I'm thinking of seeing where it goes. If you're into fantasy/medieval/with some Sci-Fi thrown in...watch it on Sunday nights. (I'm still holding my breath for TrueBlood to return!) Warning though, as with any and all HBO shows, gratutitous nudity runs amok. And is it just me, or does the platinum blonde chick look exactly like the star of Coyote Ugly? They have to be sisters right? Is it just me? I need to IMDB that right away.
Elton John. Quite the performer! We saw him on tax day evening at the Yum! Center. Amazing! There is a reason the dude is a legend. He sounds absolutely amazing live. Studio quality. I've always loved his music and am fortunate enough to say I've seen him live now. It wasn't the grand "show" I might've been expecting, however the setlist and sheer talent more than made up for that. Next on the list...Oaks and Derby. I've got the dress, the shoes, and most importantly, the hat!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Well slap me around and call me Sally.
Peyton Manning, my favorite professional athlete and wife Ashley had twins...and no one knew about it! Crazy. When I worked at the animal hospital several years back, Ashley and Peyton brought their pets to us. Ashley was always SO nice, and SO very down to earth. It was a little exciting to know that you're petting Peyton Mannings dogs. Kind of like, he pets his dogs, so technically I've touched Peyton Manning. Ok, not really I know that's delusional. Anyway, Olivia Manning confirmed it today via her hometown newspaper. For more info, go here. Congrats to the Mannings! Oh, and if you're curious, their dogs were Colt and Rookie. Two labs, one chocolate, one black.
In other news it's Friday and pretty gorgeous outside. Rigby and I played a little frisbee after work this week...as we're trying desperately to make her a frisbee dog. We are attending Derby City Disco Dogs tomorrow to watch some real pro's. A lot of these dogs are Aussie's like her, but as you might imagine the majority are Border Collie's. I did learn through their website that they have "Miniature" Aussies too! Who knew. Sure wish we could miniaturize the Rigster...she's starting to be a menace with that tail wagging at coffee table height!!!
I'm ready for a quiet weekend with no plans. We've just been on the go too much between vacation and traveling for work. I think I'm ready to vegetate for a while. I'd also like to give a shout out to my favorite blogger in the world, and also a very talented author. If you're not reading Jennsylvania, you need to be! This woman kills me. Her pet related and Twilight blogs are my favorite. (Don't worry, the Twilight ones are few and far between) She's a riot and any woman will appreciate her writing. She's the preppier Chelsea Handler, with much less vulgarity. Not taking away from my other love, Chelsea of course! I hope everybody has a great weekend and gets to enjoy some fun in the sun. I've been sprucing things up around the house by planting several pots of pansies...a shout out to my Kappa Alpha Theta sista's! (Pansies were our flower for you non-Greek folk)
| Derby Disco Dog in Training! |
I'm ready for a quiet weekend with no plans. We've just been on the go too much between vacation and traveling for work. I think I'm ready to vegetate for a while. I'd also like to give a shout out to my favorite blogger in the world, and also a very talented author. If you're not reading Jennsylvania, you need to be! This woman kills me. Her pet related and Twilight blogs are my favorite. (Don't worry, the Twilight ones are few and far between) She's a riot and any woman will appreciate her writing. She's the preppier Chelsea Handler, with much less vulgarity. Not taking away from my other love, Chelsea of course! I hope everybody has a great weekend and gets to enjoy some fun in the sun. I've been sprucing things up around the house by planting several pots of pansies...a shout out to my Kappa Alpha Theta sista's! (Pansies were our flower for you non-Greek folk)
Monday, April 4, 2011
Vegas Vacation!!!
Inside Love Theatre |
| Dressed up for a night on the town! |
Our big Vegas adventure has came and went. It was an awesome 4 days in Sin City. We couldn't have asked for better weather, it was amazing. Mid-Upper 80s everyday, even stayed warm at night. Perfect. I have to say that the highlight for the trip for me was most definitely The Beatles Love Cirque du Soleil. Were the tickets crazy expensive? Yes. Was it totally worth it? Also yes. Any Beatles fan must see this show! They incorporate actual candid audio from their studio sessions, making a huge extravagent show seem much more intimate. There truly isn't a bad seat in the house, however we had amazing seats. Dead center, less than halfway up. They really brought the songs to life, and the abilities of the performers were amazing! I think "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" was my favorite part. Very simple, there was a trapeze performer on a white trapeze with a diamond leotard on, and everything was so graceful and well done. My favorite part.
| In front of Treasure Island |
We did enjoy some very fine dining at Bobby Flay's "Mesa" restaurant in Caesar's Palace. The food and service were both definitely 5 star. I'd recommend this place to anyone wanting a great meal in Vegas. I had the tuna steak with capers, and Michael had the pork tenderloin cut into medallions. Both amazing! We did lots of walking around, window shopping, and laying by the pool. Not too much gambling. I did end up winning $15, which paid for a cab ride. We saw a pretty cheesy free show at Treasure Island starring scantily clad pirate men and women. I love it when pirates break out into song and dance amidst a huge cannon battle. Love it! Although, can't complain about a free show, right?
| At last... |
Speaking of "fine dining", we also made not one, but TWO trips to In-N-Out Burger. Something entirely new to me. It was pretty good. I already got reemed for saying so, but the closest thing I can compare it to is Steak N Shake. It's better, don't get me wrong, but that's the closest thing. I got mine animal style with grilled onions. Michael got two, yes TWO double double's on our first trip. I seriously don't know how he ate all of that. Insane. Our second trip was on the way to the airport...snuck one more trip in.
| Pool time at Paris (where we stayed) |
Other than that, very happy to be back home. That's what vacations are great for, appreciating the comfort of your own bed. We went to pick up Pete from Mom's yesterday and ended up spending the entire day there. They got a couple of 4-wheelers so we had to try those out. It was actually a gorgeous day here so we didn't have to give up the sunshine so soon! Michael got Rigby from boarding around lunchtime, and boy was she sure glad to be home! They said she was an angel and one of the only puppies to not ever mess in her kennel! We already knew she was a puppy prodigy! Anywho, last week was a great week and today is back to reality.
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| Rigby, so glad to be home!!! |
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