Grrrr...

Dear Reader,

I meant to post this entry BEFORE I made my big reveal.  I could just scrap it, but I drew the pictures, and I really still want to share.  Sorry about that.

Megan


By now, I am sure that I have you all wondering when I am going to reveal the big news I've been talking about for the last month.  Some of you will perhaps be a bit let down or perplexed by the news, but those of you who know me will understand. 

So should I continue to build up the suspense, or should I just let it all out at once?  Tough call.  I think I will give you a hint.

Can you tell what this is?  You have three choices:  a) box  b) brick  c) brownie

The answer shall be revealed soon.

Here is your next hint:

Don't be distracted by the awesomeness of the costume.  It conveys a message.

Big Reveal

I am starting to feel like I need to resolve the big build up that I have attempted to create in the past month or so of entries.  I'm sure that to some it will not be interesting and to some it isn't really a surprise, but it is still very exciting to me. 

It is safe for me to say that at this point in time, most of my good friends are married.  I remain the exception, but that's OK.  The inevitable next step for many of these married friends is to expand their families by having children.  Oddly, many of my friends have been slower in this task.  I will admit, this has not been that bad for me as it has allowed me to ignore any potentially annoying biological clock discussions.

This all changed when my best friend made the announcement that she and her husband are expecting their first baby in July!  Yes, this is the big surprise and I'm sure you're all wondering why I had to keep it such a big secret.  Well, the short answer is that I work for the same company as my best friend and I was asked to keep it a secret until after their 12 week appointment.  Now that this has happened and she has made the announcement at work, I'm free to discuss it.

So now I really need to find someone who can make my baby clothing line dreams a reality - I would REALLY love to be able to dress up this baby in something awesome like my lefse or even my ninja costume.  Any volunteers?  The baby isn't due until July, so you have plenty of time!  Just let me know in a comment or message and we'll work it out.  :)

A Doggy Dog Weekend

My life has been a bit surreal for the past few days.  It all started last weekend when I received a call from my good friend, Jill.  (This isn't an embarrassing story, so I don't think I need to use a code name.)  She and her hubby were going out of state (to Florida) for a few days and their dogsitting arrangements had fallen through at pretty much the last minute.  She was wondering if I would be able to stay at her house and watch her Border Collie, Moko, while they were gone.

I agreed rather quickly to this arrangement.  First of all, I knew that I did not have plans for this weekend, other than doing some dog-sitting for my parents during the day on Saturday.  Luckily, Jill and her husband live about 10 minutes from my parents, so that presented no problem.  Second, Jill's dog has always seemed like a pretty accepting guy and I was sure that he wouldn't have a problem dealing with me on his turf. 

After I agreed to the request, I started to think about it a little more.  Jill had me over the next day to show me where all the important supplies were kept and to go over Moko's schedule.  On my way home that night, I started to think about it a bit more and realized that it might be a good idea to take some time off of work just in case Moko's adjustment time took a bit longer.  Thank goodness I did.

I arrived on Thursday evening, after work and after dark.  The house was in darkness as well, but I expected to be greeted at the door as most dogs I have ever met are quite forward with newcomers.  My reception was the opposite of this.  I opened the door to silence.  No movement, no sound.  At first, I thought that perhaps a neighbor had come and taken him out for a walk. 

Cautiously I started turning on lights and walking through the house, calling his name.  No response.  Finally, I peeked up the stairs to the landing where I knew he liked to sit when he was playing and saw two big brown eyes staring back at me.  I figured he was a bit confused and maybe frightened, so I just let him be while I came in and unpacked.  I assumed that he would come down when he was ready.

An hour later, he remained in the same place.  I had put out his food and tried to ply him with treats, but he wasn't having it.  After several frantic calls to Jill who was almost as baffled as I was at his behavior, I decided to just let him be and hope for the best in the morning.  If he had an accident in the house, I would clean it up.  So be it.

Sometime in the course of the night, he must have decided that he was going to accept the situation because he came downstairs and was interacting with me.  Slowly but surely, we bonded.  Since then, things have gone pretty much as I expected them to when I agreed to the deal in the first place.  The only bummer is that the temperatures have been very low and walking weather has not been ideal.  Jill lives in an area of the city that is adjacent to some awesome walking trails, and I would have loved to take him out on those, but I'm pretty sure my face would freeze off first. 

Instead, we have played HOURS of Moko's favorite game:  Stairball.  What is Stairball?  Well.  Basically, Moko sits at the top of the steep staircase to the second floor of the house with an orange rubber ball.  When he thinks he has the attention of a human, he drops or noses this ball bouncing down the stairs. 

The human on the receiving end of the ball has a few options.  The first and easiest option is to throw the ball back up the stairs to him.  He will catch it - have no doubt about it.  This is one smart and coordinated fellow.  The second option is to throw the ball in the opposite direction of the stairs towards the front door.  Moko will then FLY down the stairs to retrieve the ball before racing back up the stairs.  This is the most effective option if you are trying to wear him out before bedtime.  The third option (and also the least appealing from Moko's view) is to ignore the ball.  He will either come down and retrieve it himself or he will look at you with a forlorn expression until you take pity on him and play.

While Stairball has taken up the majority of our time this weekend, there is one other behavior of Moko's that I find so fascinating, I have to mention it.  In Jill's detailed instructions, she told me to turn on the Golf Channel for Moko whenever I leave the house.  I thought this was sort of weird and assumed that Moko, like most dogs I've ever met, doesn't really watch TV but just likes the sounds and lights.  Oh boy, was I wrong.

This dog LOVES to watch golf.  He lays down on the bed in front of the TV, and when the golfer on screen takes a swing, he leaps to his feet and gasps.  If he has a ball or toy in his mouth he bites down and squeaks it.  He then lays back down and continues to watch.  I really wish I had a video camera to demonstrate it, because it is very cute.  Jill's husband loves to play golf, so I'm not sure how he instilled the love of the game in his dog, but it's definitely a sign that they were meant to be.

I also mentioned that I had to spend some time with my parents' dogs this weekend.  Now, I am far more familiar with their Jack Russell Terriers, but you would have a hard time finding dogs with more varying personalities.  For all the bad rap that JRTs get for being hyper, those two are more than happy to spend hours sleeping on a warm lap than playing endless games of Stairball.  While Moko definitely has his cuddly moments, he is obviously most happy when he is playing. 

Anyway, I am over halfway done with this dog adventure weekend as tomorrow is my last full day.  It has certainly been a learning experience in more ways than one, and I have a new respect for the time, energy and love that my friend and her husband have put into raising and training their dog.  Sadly, at present they are living apart due to a job location change and the fact that they are still trying to sell their house.  This means that my friend's husband is apart from his lovely wife during the week and apart from his dog even more than that.  While I love having them here in MN where I can visit with ease, I am praying that they will find a buyer so that they can be together again as a family in their new home. 

For those of you who may scoff at my taking time off of work to stay home with Moko, I challenge you to find time in your early mornings or evenings before and after work to address the pure energy that exists in a young Border Collie.  I consider it vacation time well-used.  And a good lesson in why I really do not have the time for my own dog just yet in my life - a very important lesson to remember as I find myself browsing animal shelter websites and yearning for my own little pup to come home to at night.

Dreams and Accomplishments

You know that you are pretty lame when you're biggest accomplishment of the New Year is that you have made it to World 4 in Super Mario Wii (with no help from your brother).  Be that as it may, I am still quite proud of myself.  I have also located the warp cannon to get myself to World 6.  It's just a little scary to me right now, so I will perhaps hold off on that for a while. 

In other news, I may be making a cake sometime soon!  I have recently become addicted to the Pioneer Woman blog/website/fount of all knowledge.  I bought her cookbook, but the recipe for this cake is off of the website.  On a side note, I have turned a lot of people on to her recipes as well.  My mother has made her cinnamon rolls, mashed potatoes, potato skins and some other totally yummy things.  If you'd like to check it out, Google "Pioneer Woman."  You can thank me later.

Last night I had a very vivid and inexplicable dream.  Actually, it probably wasn't my only dream of the night, but it is the one I had right before waking up so it was more memorable.  For some reason, I was back in Fergus Falls, the hometown of my youth.  I was running all over the place with a group of people that I don't know from real life.  Why were we running?  We were being chased.  By zombies.

First of all, why zombies?  I am not a horror film junkie.  If anything I am a horror film avoider.  My theory is that by exposing my eyeballs to scary images I am more likely to have bad dreams.  So much for that theory.

Anyway, after running all over town, we ended up in front of my childhood home.  Apparently it was some sort of safe house.  We holed up in there and fought off any zombies that got in.  But here is where it is weird.  Or weirder.  Our weapons were just things like canes and sticks, but we acted like they were machine guns.  When I would point them at the zombies and make gun noises, nothing would happen.  I would then REMIND the zombies that the sticks were actually guns and that I had shot them so they should fall down.  Which they did. 

Finally, I realized (in my dream) that the only surefire way to get out of the battle was to "wake up."  Was this literal?  Not really.  It was just a rapid scene shift that took me out of the Fergus Falls zombie-land and into a regular house.  Shortly thereafter I really woke up, completely disoriented, to my alarm buzzer.

What does it mean?  If anyone reading this a psychologist, feel free to offer your analysis. 

Perhaps I will dream about it again someday and get some closure.

P.S.  Oh yes.  Get ready because my big exciting news will be revealed VERY soon! 

Cupcake Nirvana

I think I've said it before, but I'll say it again:  I love cupcakes.  While I occasionally like to make them, I am much more appreciative of the people who make them for me to eat.  In my version of heaven, I am surrounded by every flavor of cupcake imaginable and I can eat them all without getting sick or gaining 500 pounds. 

With this in mind, I shall direct you to look at my friend's blog: http://simplyinspiredbyliz.blogspot.com/

Look at her cupcake pictures and tell me that you would be able to resist these.  If she didn't live hundreds of miles from me, I would be on my way to her house right now.  She is also a fantastic photographer, so check out more of her blog as well to see what I mean.  Also, as you look at her cupcake pictures, keep in mind that she MADE THEM HERSELF (including the wrappers).  Enjoy!

Raging Hormones

There are days when I really am grateful that there is no one at home waiting for me at the end of the day.  For instance, today.  I realize that it may be due to the fact that my hormones are a bit off right now (and will be for the next few days) but I am really feeling out of sorts and quite cantankerous. 

It could also be due to the fact that I spent most of my morning having to intensely concentrate on a detailed project that is likely to lead to another big mess of a project within the next week.  I think it would have been better for all involved if I had just been able to go into an office and shut the door until it was done, but that wasn't in the cards.

This weekend, my plans do not involve a lot of people, which is again probably a very good thing.  You may be thinking that blaming one's hormones for one's rotten attitude is lame.  I counter with the fact that it is no more lame than most other excuses people use:  headaches, fatigue, caffeine-deficiency, rain or Celine Dion music. 

Most of the time (in my professional life) I try to remain calm, or at the very least polite.  However, every few months I experience a bout of very strong internal displeasure that manifests itself into negative outward behavior.  If you've ever been on the receiving or just the observing end of this rage, you probably know what I mean. 

I would say that I'm sorry for it, but really I'm not.  I've been on the receiving/observing end of so many other people's raging episodes that I really think that I should have a turn at it every once in a while.  The only comfort I can offer is that it isn't personal.  It's just that my ability to turn off my brain and just let things slide gets momentarily jammed.

Why am I sharing this?  Maybe I just need to vent.  Maybe I'm just trying to give you an example of what a "bad day" for Megan looks like.  Maybe I just really need a good night's sleep tonight.  Take your pick; they're all correct.  Will tomorrow be better?  I hope so.  You should too.

 

Proof of Life

Please forgive me.  I feel like a bit of a failure as I have gone almost two weeks without any updates.  To be fair, I have started a couple of posts, but I find them uninspiring at present.  They may be edited and released at a later date, but for now, I can only tell you that I haven't completely forgotten about this blog and will try to do a bit better in the future.

So what have I been up to in these past weeks?  The truth is lots of things and none have been that exciting.  Let's start with my non-traditional Christmas.  As my brother was stuck on-call in Madison this year, the executive decision was made that we would not stay around the house for a replay of the three-person Thanksgiving that we had this year.

We considered different ideas of places to go, and while I was secretly hoping for Hawaii, we opted for the snowy tranquility of northern Wisconsin.  Why?  Well, it just so happens that my aunt and uncle own a lovely little chalet/cabin up in the woods near the tiny town of Seely.  It comfortably sleeps a lot of people and is well heated and equipped for winter habitation.  When my aunt and uncle are in the country, they understandably spend a lot of time there.

However, this year (and next year as well) my aunt and uncle are living the European Dream in Waterloo, Belgium where my aunt is teaching for two years.  Sadly, they had to spend their Christmas break skiing in Bavaria near that big fairy tale castle... Neuschwanstein.  Rough.

Anyway, as their cabin is vacant, we decided to use it for our own cozy woodland critter Christmas.  Unfortunately, this cabin is not on a body of water.  This makes it slightly less appealing in the warmer months, but in the winter it really doesn't matter.  It is, however, situated along some very nice trails that are used for both skiing and snowshoeing.

I believe I mentioned the possibility of Nordic sports in my last entry and the distinct probability that I would not be successful in said sports.  Well, I'm here to say that it remains a tempestuous relationship between me and skiis.  Ignoring my request to just use snowshoes, my father went ahead and rented a set of cross-country skis for me.  Not wanting to disappoint, I agreed to make an attempt to use them.  In my first outing, it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  I stayed on relatively level ground and did not fall.

After my first successful attempt, I went out in snowshoes and definitely felt validated that this method of conveyance is much more to my liking and skills.  After these expeditions, we came back to the house for our Christmas dinner.  It was a simple meal of Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, lefse and rommegrot.  If you're from Minnesota, you probably have heard of the first three items.  You may not have heard of the fourth.  Allow me to explain.

Rommegrot is a Norwegian porridge that is made of milk, cream, butter, flour and sugar.  There are variations of this, but any good Norwegian farmwife worth her salt has a recipe for it.  I know my great-grandmother was an expert.  Or so I've been told.  Nowadays, no one in my family makes it from scratch; my mother buys it from Ingebretsen's in Minneapolis.

Now that I've explained the composition on the dish, I should also tell you that I have a tendency to be a bit lactose intolerant, especially if I'm doing a lot of physical activity.

After we ate, we rested a bit and then decided to get in another ski run before dark.  Big mistake.  I wasn't even 5 minutes on the trail and I knew that I was going to have a problem.  Luckily, we were still by the house at this point, but I decided to go down one hill and then wait for my parents before going in.  I sure wish I had stuck to that plan.

As I waited for my parents, I noticed that the ski trail crossed the driveway.  In order to save time, I moved out into the driveway.  As an inexperienced skiier, I did not realize that ungroomed areas can be highly unpredictable.   Can you guess what happened next?

Instead of gracefully moving across the driveway and into the trail, I completely lost control of my skis and only managed to stop myself by running off the trail into some small trees, completely twisting my skis beneath me and planting my backside into a deep pile of snow.  Oh, and I got a boo-boo on my finger that hurt really bad.

As if this was not traumatic enough, no one actually witnessed it.  My parents found me half submerged in a snow bank, attempting to release my boot bindings so that I could untangle my legs and stand up.

When they finally showed up, they quickly assisted me out of my skis.  Unfortunately by now, the tempest brewing in my GI tract had reached Category 5.  It was all I could do to gather my ski equipment and high-tail it back to the cabin as fast as possible.  After successfully averting disaster I decided to take a break from skis.  Forever.

The rest of the weekend was lovely, but I won't bore you with details.  We did learn a very important non-ski related lesson.  Our dogs are nervous car riders and should probably be sedated for long car rides in the future.  They may be coming to Madison with us later this month, so I'll let you know if it works.

After Christmas, the week of work was pretty slow.  It's a common vacation week as it coincides with most school breaks.  As a non-parent, I simply find that it is FAR easier to make the commute to work with all of the vacationers off the road.

New Year's Eve was pretty tame by past standards.  I will explain the reason at a later time - I promise.  Let's say on January 10th (or sometime thereafter).  Don't worry, it's a GOOD reason!

New Year's Day was nice - my relatives from the farm came in and my brother made the ultimate sacrifice and left his college buddies and their party to be with his family to celebrate a late Christmas.  I received the St. Donatus Church cookbook, for which I am very grateful.  Now if my grandpa would just get me the Big Grove cookbook...

So that brings us up to date, right?  I do have a bit of an adventure planned this weekend, and perhaps I will be able to give you some updates on it as it goes down.  Let's just say that I am going to be "dog-tired" by Tuesday! 

I hope you will all forgive me for such a long break from entries.  I shall endeavor to improve now that the holiday madness is over for another year.  I shall also endeavor to be a bit more humorous in future entries.  Until then, have fun and Google "rommegrot" if you get a chance.