The Albatross Is Gone

Have you ever been through something that seems like it will just NEVER end?  Like a major life event, not like bad service at a restaurant... 

I know a few of you have, so you'll understand my relief at announcing the psychological burden that feels like an evil curse has been lifted.  The albatross flew away.

Finally, after almost 2 years, we have EVERYTHING out of Nevada.  Todd had stuff to go get so that he could be DONE with that state.  Finally, he flew out for his very last time today.  It's such a relief to know we'll never be back. 

We have a few close friends in NV who we treasure and will always keep in touch.  But we never have to go back to that state again (unless it's to go play in Las Vegas).  That makes me so happy.  I can't tell you what a relief it is.  It has been a black haze in the back of our minds since we got here, influencing all travel plans we've made since we've been here.

Now we can let it go.

Speaking of changes for the better, I decided at the tail end of my time off last week that I needed to get serious about cleaning my office.  I have two occasions coming up where I need a 2nd guest bedroom.  We have a comfy airbed-on-stilts, but we need space to put it.  And cramming someone in this mess seemed inhumane.

Nightmare of an office, Part 1

 

Oh the horror, Part 2

In my defense, we used the space as a place to PUT stuff.  When we moved in, we just put boxes here and there.  I never really unpacked and cleaned up.  It was always a holding room for STUFF.

 

No more.  I reclaimed my personal space.  Man, do we (Jessie, Joey and I) LOVE it!!

And here is the result:


Joey approved

Jessie endorsed

And now, I leave you with this important question:

 

Did You Know?

It has been a little over a year since my Aunt Linda passed away.  It's surreal to think of how long it has been.  It feels like both yesterday and an eternity ago, all at the same time.  She died from lung cancer. 

We have a close retired friend who lost the love of his life to lung cancer.  We participated in a charity run/walk last fall to raise funds for lung cancer research.  I kept literature from that walk that I didn't want to forget.

I want to document it here, so I can always find it.  Credit for these facts go to www.lungevity.org

• Lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer in the US, accounting for ~28% of all cancer deaths.
• LESS than 4% of federal dollars spent on cancer research are spent on lung cancer research.
• Lung cancer claims ~160,000 lives per year.  It is a devastating disease that can afflict anyone, regardless of smoking history, gender, or ethnicity.
• Lung cancer kills almost twice as many women as breast cancer.  It kills more than three times as many men as prostate cancer.
• Lung cancer currently has no effective, widely used early detection test, yet if found early, it can be treated.
• The 5-year survival rate for lung cancer is currently under 15%.

 
I don't know if these statistics are still accurate, since I got the info fall of 2012.  Even so, it's a sobering thought that these were accurate at that point in time and are probably still accurate.

BnB '13 the Final Edition

I didn't keep up with blogging each day of Tullybird's visit.  There was just way too much fun going on to sit down and type.  So now that I am home alone with time to myself, I can catch you up on all the fun.  Fasten your seat belts (but not too tight).

 

Sunday:
We shopped around my town.  Tullybird found a pair of Dan Post boots that she almost bought.  Now she knows what she is looking for in a pair of boots!

Todd made the best Pork Wellington I have ever devoured.  He covered a pork loin with a finely chopped (via food processor) mushroom, onion and stone ground mustard mixture, covered with prosciutto, and then wrapped in puff pastry dough.  As if that were not enough, he made a sauce with cream and green pepper corns and I don't even know what else.  OMG is all I can say.  To quote our friend, K, it was the best pork he had ever eaten.  It was juicy, hot, tender, rich, and tasty.  It was cooked perfectly.  I guess OMG wasn't all I had to say. 

Pork Wellington

We needed to use the pineapple I had planned on drinking upon her arrival Friday night, so we had pineapple margaritas.  Yummmmmm.

I love fresh pineapple margaritas

We played pinball. Lots and lots of pinball. Last year, we didn't play any, so we made up for lost time.

Lots of pinball action in our basement

This picture is fun, because I know she had no idea I took this:

My photo bomb of Tullybird playing pinball

Monday
We spent the morning sleeping in, and someone may have taken a nap.  It was cloudy and overcast so it was a nice day to be slightly lazy.  We went to my favorite nursery and bought some plants after we ate a Carlos O'Kelly's for lunch. 

That evening, we watched the purple martins fly around.  They are vocal birds with a beautiful song.  Todd evicted a crap-bird from one of the apartments.  Sorry, we just didn't have room at the Inn for this one.  I got some great pics of the eggs that we didn't realize were there.

 

Todd smoked a tasty pork butt and I made coleslaw.  I've got the dressing down to a fine art now.  So does Todd with his pork shoulder!

Todd's pork:  drool!

Pulled pork sammiches with smashed red potatoes

Tuesday We spent the day in KC.  Tullybird used to have an aquarium in her home with elaborate sea life.  She doesn't have it anymore, but when she did, she put a lot of care into it.  So I knew that she would enjoy the (newer) Aquarium at Crown Center. 

The "petting zoo" where you get to touch everything

Tullybird's favorite--the Puffer fish

I've ALWAYS wanted our pic in "the bubble"!!!



There were wormy-snake like "things" going in and out of the sand
-shudder with horror-

Jelly fish!

My favorite--the sea horse

 For lunch, we had an amazing experience on the Plaza at Blanc Burgers + Bottles.



Dirty Pickle Martini
pickle infused vodka with a house-made pickle

Our burgers were I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E!!! 

She had the ALL AMERICAN KOBE:  smoked gouda, mother's brewing apple bacon IPA jam, roasted garlic aioli, watercress, salt + pepper brioche bun. 

I had the INSIDE OUT: bleu cheese stuffed burger, applewood-smoked bacon, onion ring, house-made ketchup + mustard, green leaf lettuce, onion brioche bun.  I asked for it to be cooked medium, and I'll be darned, they not only listened--they DID it!

We had a cart of Truffle fries.  I wasn't crazy about the fries because I couldn't taste anything but oil, so I opted to pig out on my burger.  I had no room left for a Salted Caramel Shake, but man, I will have one some day.

Really tasty burgers, cooked perfectly

That evening, I made pork chimichangas and homemade guacamole.  Todd was craving stuffed peppers (with cream cheese and crab), so he bought some at the store and we toasted them up.  It was a really great meal!

Holy Guacamole, pork Chimichanga, &
crab/cheese stuffed peppers

For various breakfasts we had:

• Ham cups filled with an egg and cheeses
• "Apple Pie bacon" and cheesy scrambled eggs
• Mini Dutch Baby pancakes

Bacon cured with apple pie spices

Wednesday We went to a local restaurant that just opened back up after having been closed due to a fire 2 years ago.  They are known for their fried chicken.  I love their salad dressings, corn and chicken.  I've been there twice in the past week...

Family-style fried chicken dinner

Galvin's leftover chicken

We went home and had a cocktail to celebrate our last evening together.

Toasted Marshmallow Caramel Martinis
Saweeeeeet!

Toasted Marshmallow Caramel Martini:
1    part Irish Cream
1    part Kahlua
1    part Amaretto
1.5 parts Toasted Marshmallow syrup
2    parts Caramel creamer


And now for my very favorite picture from the entire week.



BnB 2013!

Can't wait for next year!

BnB '13 Day 1

Today is the day--Tullybird made it here!  We picked her up at the airport and then we headed to our monthly pinball tournament.  We enjoyed good friends, good pizza, and fun pinball.  Tullybird played!  She even won one of her games!

Then we came home and enjoyed an adult beverage.  Tonight is Adult Cherry Limeades and they are good!  If you find that you have these ingredients, you've got to try this.

Adult Cherry Limeade:
3 parts dark cherry rum (or vodka)
1 part triple sec
Splash of grenadine
Lime juice from half a lime

BnB '13 Day 0

Friday was supposed to include a trip to the airport to pick up Tullybird.  But no.  It did not.  Through some sick twist of fate, her flight was cancelled.  Thanks Southwest.

So in order to console  myself, I went ahead with the drink menu.  Friday was Fresh Pineapple Margaritas.  It was very tasty.  But it would have been tastier with my side-kick.

We Will Not Go Thirsty

I am SOOOOOO excited!  3 more days and then Tullybird will be here!!!!  I think Todd and I are a little enthusiastic about her visit.

We haven't bought all the food yet, but we'll be well hydrated.



I could open my own liquor store...

And that's just the new booze we've bought.  I plan on draining the Patron on Friday night in celebration of her birthday.

I'm sure I'll have a little left over for when Mrs. Irritation and Mouse come to visit, but I might have to restock before Suzie & her gang come for the weekend!  We still need to schedule Ray & Becky.  What a fun May and June I am going to have.

CHEERS!

I May As Well Open Them All! CDP Week

I am very glad that I joined DoingMyBest's Crappy Day Package exchange because frankly, I've needed it this week.

I've opened two lovely gifts.

The first CDP opening was Tuesday evening.  Because I simply did not have time to open one when my day was bad.  I had woken up Tuesday morning, was almost ready for work and found myself ahead of schedule.  That NEVER happens.  I even made coffee and drank a cup.  I know, I know!  I haven't had coffee in over a year.  I've started drinking it again, very sparingly.  Anyway, I walked into our master bathroom to finish getting ready.  I went to take a step, but my foot didn't make it.  Somehow there was an obstacle...  Joey had darted through my legs and trapped my foot from making it's customary and expected migration forward.  I started going dooooowwwnnnnn.  I think, ooooooh no--I can't fall on the puppy.  I will hurt him...  so I grabbed for the wall.  Whew, my hand landed on something.  But it didn't help.  My hand kept going down the wall WITH THE TOWEL RACK STILL FIRMLY GRASPED IN MY HAND.  I realized I have to just try to roll away from where I think Joey is.  My neck and head landed kind of against the glass shower door.  It smarted a little.

The good thing was, the dog bed caught my fall.  The very, very furry dog bed. 

Todd heard the commotion and fortunately came and rescued the dogs, because I don't know if I was more upset at being covered in dog hair while wearing what I wanted to wear to work that day, the fact that my neck hurt, OR the fact that I RIPPED THE TOWEL RACK off the wall.

I went to rest on the bed (OUR bed) to stop bawling my head off because it hurt and I'm pissed.  Todd told me he can fix the towel rack.  That helped a little.  I pulled myself together with the promise that I will open a package later that evening.

I was 15 minutes later to work than I expected.  Ooops.  Later that evening as promised, I opened two cute notebooks with purple pens.  Very lovely, worth the wait, and cheered me up.

And Wednesday was an even worse day, but I'll save that story for later.  I just can't go into it right now.  That evening, I opened a cute single-cupcake carrier so I can take my baked good on-the-go.  With accompanying cute cupcake papers!  I will have to whip up some cupcakes soon.  Thank you Mommyfeather! 

So how about some puppies to lighten up this happy-fest.

Joey, Keystone & Jessie (4/30/13)
My babies are growing up!

Jessie and Joey (3/19/13)
They look SO YOUNG!

Have a happy Friday!  And make it a non-CDP-opening-day.

Balls

It's hard to believe this was only 2 years ago.  We had everything on the patio, because we were about to leave Nevada. 

If the video doesn't work for you, here is the link:  http://youtu.be/qpo6eUnCzGc

This is for Mrs. Irritation.  Enjoy! 

P.S.- we sold the GoDogGo... because believe it or not, the instructions call for CLEAN balls.  I want to know what tennis balls played with by dogs stay CLEAN????