Stella & Roo

Stella & Roo Episode 1: Rufus Gets Hosed

2010-12-19T12:52:00.000-05:00

Contrary to popular belief, not every Wisconsite calls people "hosers." In fact, I have yet to hear the term of endearment up here on the frozen tundra.

Rufus saw more hosers down in Ohio. (These pictures are from back in August...hence the sunshine and lack of fluffy white snow)

The biggest hoser looked like this:

Hey little-human-that-smells-like-playdough, whatcha got there?

Rufus has finally realized that the water tastes better coming out of a hose than it does the faucet. I probably should be thankful Rufus hasn't figured out that there's even better tasting water in the Giant White Porcelain Dish With A Matching Lid.

Little Lexi Loo had no problem sharing in her Waterworld fun.

Also, Rufus got a marriage proposal.

He said no. He's saving himself for Winnie.

Rufus and Stella ~~are~~ were settling in nicely up here in Wisconsin until the snow came. Stella tried to revolt and Rufus tried to revel in it. We are in an apartment so Roodypoody has to stay on a short leash and can't frolic in the snow as well as he used to. It kinda goes something like this:

FROLICchokeFROLICchokeJUMPchokeLOOKSADLYBACKATMOM

Pictures to come when I actually remember to take them.

In the meantime, here's Rufus with his toy in our apartment hallway...does it look familiar?

For Those of You Who Didn't Already Know...

2010-10-11T22:49:00.000-04:00

The poochies and I have crammed all of our junk into UHaul boxes and settled into our new apartment in Madison, Wisconsin. Now, I'm just waiting for my hubby to sell the house and join us. I will begin pecking away at the computer keyboard this November when I participate in NaNoWriMo again. My new job is keeping me busy and pretty soon, it will keep my busier, but this year, I'm dedicated to writing 50,000 words in 30 days.

Other exciting news: in 6 months, I qualify for an interest free loan from my employer that I can use to purchase a computer. Hello MacBook Pro, love of my life! That means tons more pictures of Stella and Rufus. My hiatus from the wonderful world of photography was partly due to our old Mac Mini deciding to run superslow and me receiving a PC for school. (I quit school, by the way...teaching is not in the cards for me, no sir!) The PC crashed constantly and I didn't bother downloading my pictures to Andy's MacBook because I'm weird about keeping all of my picture files in the same place (currently on the mini) and Andy is weird about organizing his files and his network and all that junk, so I just took a break. When I get my MacBook, though, I will have all of my pictures in one place, I will no longer have to share a computer, and I will be able to download and use GIMP again! Hooray! In the meantime, I may venture out to take some pictures of Madison...it's beautiful right now with all of the leaves changing color.

Get one! (or two or three!)

2010-07-26T21:07:00.000-04:00

Who would have thought, "Hmmm...antique silver spoons...I know! They'd make great fashion rings!"?!? Plus, buying one helps the Gulf Coast...

BUY ONE HERE

Hey Peeplz

2010-07-07T20:41:00.005-04:00

It's Rufus.

Sorry my lady is such a lame-o and hasn't updated you all.

Not much going on, except...well, I've been banned from having a doggie bed in my doggie crate.

Not even my get-away-with anything face could save me.

The snow was pretty deep this winter. Check it out...I about froze my weiner off.

But the fetch was way worth it.

When I gave my dad this face,

he wrestled with me and we had good timez.

Sadly, I must report that Stella gets the Beeyotch of the Month award. Check this out:

What kind of dog needs both bones AND my stuffy!?!
Don't worry. I beat her up later.

Oh yeah, and this past Christmas, my lady gave my cousin Yogi Valentino a doggie Snuggie (TM).

(You tell anyone about this lady, and I keel you!)

(And I am FOR SERIOUS!)

Seems I'm Not the Only One

2010-06-02T21:25:00.002-04:00

With one year of teaching middle school (almost) under my belt, I am finally able to return to some semblance of a normal life. I just recently checked back in with blogger and was relieved to find that I wasn't the only one neglecting the online community of fellow dog-and-photography lovers. Lots of "I'm baaaacK" posts out there...

We've got lots of catching up to do. Like Rufus has started drinking--I mean, STEALING--coffee, and Stella's turned into quite the bully and had her first experience with diapers. There's way more than that, but I don't want to give it all away.

See you soon...and way more often!

Back on Track

2009-11-11T19:34:00.003-05:00

Phew! Technology for Educators is over. *sigh of relief*

Back to Stellabutt & RufusDoofus...

I'm proud to introduce...

(Puffs out chest & waits for drumroll)

THE INDESTRUCTIBLE TOY I MENTIONED EARLIER!

(ZOMG! MOMSAVEME!)

Chill out, Roo. Stella's a big baby...what's she going to do?

(BITE ME!)

Oh, geez, Stella!

(Fine, meaniehead, you can have it anyway)

(I've got a bigger, better toy to play with anyway...wink wink)

This toy has lasted more than two weeks. That's gotta be some kind of record or something. Srsly.

Back to the future...

2009-11-09T21:43:00.002-05:00

Here's the question for class: As emerging technologies continue to affect education, there is little question that the role of the teacher will change. Imagine yourself teaching a class in the technological future. How do you think your role would be different from the typical teacher’s role today?

Here's my answer: Although I agree that technology changes education almost daily, this prompt also makes me think of what Dr. Osborn pointed out at the beginning of the course-namely that if you compare hospitals 20 years ago to hospitals today, the addition and use of technology and therefore, the machines you find in hospitals today is vastly improved and different. However, if you compare schools 20 years ago with schools today, there is little change in the amount of technology we use. In the future, if money was no longer a brick wall standing in the way of financing tools for education, I feel that my role would change in the following manners:
1) I imagine part of my day would be spent using technology to correspond with students who stayed home either for health issues or because they are distance learners.
2) I would also have fewer actual books and rely more on e-books or digital copies of books on computers for students to read.
3) Parents could instant message their concerns and correspond using technology rather than the phone.

Rufus and Stella update: We have reinstated the rule of the tie-out because Stella and Rufus both decided that running away in the morning while I was frantically trying to leave for work was a good way to get dad out of bed early. Dad=not so happy about that.

If I had a million dollars...

2009-11-02T18:54:00.003-05:00

...to spend on educational technology, I would first buy a set of laptops for every student in the classroom. I would also buy a printer and scanner. I would have the students use the computers to complete WebQuests, research, and other on-line, interactive activities. The students could use the scanner and printer to complete projects and in-class on-line activities.

I would also hire a full-time computer fixer so that it would minimize the number of technological problems students encounter on a daily basis. If a student's computer is not working properly, it reduces the amount of learning time a student has in the classroom.

***Rufus & Stella update***
Hmmm...well, no pictures this week. The majority of my free time spent with the pooches was either giving baths (Stella gave me the evil stare of death right before I turned on the water **Don't do it, lady! You'll regret it** and she did shake ALL over me) or playing fetch. Rufus has finally met his match with the great Unconquerable-Fire-Hose-Dog-Toy. He's had it for over a week now and has yet to de-stuff it. The edges are frayed and some of the rubber of the hose is missing, but the stuffing is still inside. This is a great accomplishment and I will be buying many UFHDTs in the future...

Also, Rufus celebrated his BIRTHDAY on October 25! He is one year old...Here's a look back at the good ol' puppy days. I traded the puppy smell for no pee on carpets.

Aaaaaand...Stella celebrated her Gotcha Day on October 27. She's been drooling on our walls and floors for two whole years now!
The first picture I ever took of Stella:

I love Educational Technology...NOT!

2009-10-26T21:21:00.002-04:00

While I truly have an appreciation for technology and I understand that technology is going to be the next era, I still don't have the love for it that I ought. Why not?

Although I am generally a patient person (cough, cough), if something technological does not go my way and I have made multiple unsuccessful attempts, I get to the point where I don't even want to bother with that technology anymore. Technology is supposed to save time, money and effort, and yet sometimes it doesn't. I get to the point sometimes where I get so frustrated that I just use whatever I used in the past before that technology came around. How do I overcome this challenge? I am largely dependent on asking my husband, who is a technology enthusiast, or my sister who is a database guru. Either way, I must say that my life has become more complicated the more technology I encounter, but communication is by far easier!!

Oh yeah, and Rufus says "Hey"

Uh....hey

So does my garden spider.

I'm baaaaack!

2009-10-19T21:19:00.003-04:00

Well, sort of, anyways. I've been lagging in my posts because, even though my wedding is over (whew!), I am still tackling my first year as a 7-9 grade English teacher (ummm, yay hormones?) and taking classes to obtain my MAEd in Integrated Language Arts. This includes taking separate undergraduate classes in English-y stuff.

So...I am currently taking a Technology for Educators course which requires me to update my blog! So, in addition to updating you on the Stella & Roo situation (which is hunky-dory-thanks-for-asking), I will be posting edu-ma-cational stuff that has nothing to do with my fluffy pooches.

Here is a brief photographic recap of the past 3 months of my life:

From our last day in Vancouver, right before it was back to The Real World...

My husband (eep!) over-looking the drop off on Grouse Mountain.

The Great Bear Adventure:

Hey there, folks! Come on down and visit me. Breakfast is served...

Aw, shucks, Mr. Ranger man. What do you mean the humans aren't for breakfast? Is it dead fish again?!?

Either way...GET ME MY BREAKFAST! kthx.

Le sigh...where is ze breakfast?

Shaking bears are just as cute as shaking dogs.

The End (of The Great Bear Adventure, anyway).

Victoria @ night.

Our hotel on the bay...and although it was waterfront property, I didn't dare go swimming...

Neglected...

2009-07-23T09:45:00.002-04:00

...my blog that is. Not my dogs, although they may argue with that.

Rufus's last words were not his last words, so for all of you out there who thought that I might have stopped blogging because Rufus ate another shoe, you can stop worrying.

I have been extra busy. Two years ago, when I graduated from college and joined the real world, I was super-disenchanted. Working 5 days a week, even though the paychecks are nice, is not all it's cracked up to be. However, it did allow me time to have hobbies like photography, writing, blogging, and generally wasting of time.

Sadly, I have not left the real world, but I rejoined the school world. So I am working AND going to school full time. Whatever time I have leftover is devoted to entertaining the pooches. I will try to keep posting, but I hope you all will be patient with me!

I'm also planning my wedding. (09.19.09) I should have eloped.

I'm also getting ready for my new job as a teacher, which means planning lessons in my free time rather than blogging and not getting paid for it.

Rufus's Last Words...

2009-07-05T13:30:00.002-04:00

...before he gets kicked out of the house might very well be "Mmmm...tasty!"

Last night, I was in my best friend from high school's wedding. I wore my high heel strappy sandal thingies, my go-to pair of shoes for formal events that require strappy heels. It took me a long time to find these shoes, and I liked them because, even though they were uncomfortable, they didn't look like the Sunday-church-shoes I wore in 6th grade.

Now, Rufus may be a doofus, but he has always known what he can and cannot consider chew-toys. He has never chewed on furniture, pillows, books, etc. He instead focused his destructive energies on demolishing tennis balls and stuffies in a matter of seconds.

Until now.

I was doing homework this morning and heard the familiar rip of teeth on stitching and thought, "Uh, oh. Rufus doesn't have any stuffies at the moment. I better go see what that is..."

Hiding behind the office chair did not save Rufus from the wrath of now-shoeless-mom.

Luckily, I am a firm believer in positive reinforcement, and after I screeched my rage and waved my destroyed heel in Rufus's face, I simply threw them away. Rufus better not take a bite out of Andy's shoes, though, if he wants to preserve his life.

On a positive note, Rufus came to work with me on Monday. My coworkers are all dog people and Rufus was spoiled and well-loved.

Brittany of Newark's WILD KINGDOM

2009-06-28T23:14:00.003-04:00

This has been one wild week for us here in N'erk. First, there was the turtle that I rescued...

You can't see me, scary camera lady. I iz hiding.

You may have to blow it up to see him better. He was an odd duck, er, turtle. Rather than a cute little turtle beak, he had a crocodile snout. His shell was soft and flimsy. One of his eyes was blue (blind). He was just sitting alongside the road, and I bravely (turtles are GERMY!) picked him up and moved him to the creek. It was scurry!! He was wiggling his little turtle legs, and I didn't want to break his shell.

He looked more like a prehistoric swamp creature. (Side note: I just happened to think...I don't like the word prehistoric...what is pre-history? Isn't that history, too? Anyways, here's the photo)

Then, I fell in LOOOOOOVE! With a goat.

Meet Oreo.

See that grass over there? On the other side? It looks greener.

Andy's brother got his kiddos a goat (one of his students from school gave it to him...the goat, not the kids). He dropped the goat off at his parents' farm. Which means, I may get shared custody!!! (jk) I never considered myself a goat person until Oreo. He loves people, he's got the cutest little goat nose, and he thinks he's a dog.

He bleats when cars come and go (such a good watch-goat). They are sad little pathetic cries that make me want to scoop him up and take him home with me as I drive down the driveway.

Please! Take me on a car ride!

I thinks I haz goat fever...

I want a GOAT (sung to the tune of (I'm On A BOAT!)

They're Really Pimpin' Now

2009-06-20T11:39:00.002-04:00

Stella and Rufus got new collars this week, thanks to the quick and wonderful work of 3 Pooches!

The one I got for Rufus is no longer Rufus's. We gave it to our friend Winnie, because apparently (according to Andy, anyways) manly dogs like Rufus (*cough*) don't wear polka dots. Which means, I get to buy another collar for Rufus. Oh darn.

I love my new collar so much, I could eat (in) it!

I love my new collar so much, I could take a nap in it!

Oh, yeah, and Rufus learned a lesson today. Never wake Stella up from said naps. Note the EYEBALLS OF FEAR.

FAIL

2009-06-13T08:45:00.002-04:00

Wow. I'm majorly sad right now. I realize that mourning doves are a dime a dozen, but I'm an animal lover. (Okay, so I may not like birds up close, but still...) Last night, when I was watching a movie, I checked on the birdie only to find a cat trying to reach through the cage to get to it. I scared the cat away and put bricks in front of the cage door.

This morning, I went out to get bird seed, and walked right back into my house. That stupid cat got my bird! Feathers and blood on my porch and Stella's old cage and on the blanket inside. I'm grossed out and a bit sick to my stomach. What makes my stomach really churn is that the cat had to have pulled the bird through the skinny wires in the cage. Blech. I hate thinking about animals in pain. Grrrrr!

I just wonder if had I let free, would it have had a better chance against the multitude of stray and feral critters in the area? *sad sigh*

Shame On Rufus!

2009-06-12T20:25:00.002-04:00

This is bad. Real bad. Worse than rolling in poo. Rufus has really done it this time. Perhaps all of his practice with fetch has improved his speed and agility. Either way, he is in TROUBLE!

Rufus's Victim:

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Rufus caught a bird. He also ripped its tail feathers out and bit it on the head. I caught him with the poor thing pinned to the ground fluttering frantically to get away. I think it is a mourning dove. Right now, the bird is in a dog crate on my front porch. Andy said to shoot it. I said no. I will call the Ohio Division of Wildlife come Monday when they are open.

Every now and then, its mate flies down onto our porch and walks around the cage, cooing to its partner...breaks my heart, especially since these guys are monogamous.

That's right, mister! You put on that sad/guilty face. You are GUILTY AS CHARGED!

After Rufus's bird-catching incident, we went inside for portraits...

...and had some major FAILS!

You is squishin' me, Lady!

I lick you in the face for squishin' me.

OMG gimmetreats!

Nom Nom

Grrrrrrrreat Success!

With Stella's session, there were some minor FAILS on the part of the operator...

But, ultimately, Stella is perfect...

Why you not rub mah belly, lady?

Rufus got right to work keeping an eye out for more prey.

Aaaaaaand...this is my newest infatuation...

I Can't Stop Pulling Up This Blog Post

2009-06-10T20:39:00.005-04:00

And laughing.

Bogie is the cutest and funniest pug I have EVER seen!

You have to click on the two pictures to make them big. Give that dog a knife and fork...he looks like he could use 'em!

I have another picture of a HILARIOUS dog I'll have to put up here later because it's on my work computer. It'll be up tomorrow.

I cannot take credit for this photo. It was a dog up for adoption at Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue, where we got Rufus.

Going 'Blue'

2009-06-06T21:20:00.003-04:00

So, in addition to going green, Stella and Rufus have decided to go blue, too. "Why?" you may ask. Sue over at The Portugese Water Blog is why. Check out her blog to find out more!

Always the drama queen, Stella had to play it up.

Oh, the HUMANITY!

Uh, 'scuse me, lady, but I think you better come take a look at this. My chew toy is having a nervous breakdown.

Rufus, she'll be fine.

Well, I guess this can't be worse than the Christmas sparkling reindeer antlers.

The end result...

All this posing makes Roo a sleepy boy.

Once Upon A Time

2009-06-01T15:21:00.006-04:00

There were two unsuspecting humans named Andy and Brittany...

Yay! We've been tagged by both Rufus & Indie and Coulee & Lacey to tell how Stella and Rufus came home!

Stella's Story
Since I was little, I wanted a dog. Sadly, because they drool, shed, pee outside, and the upkeep is $$$, my parents always said no. So, when I moved out on my own, one of the first things I did was look into getting a dog. Back when I was in high school, a TV show I really liked had a shar pei in one of its episodes, and I knew that one day I wanted one. I looked mostly online...I was obsessed with www.petfinder.com. I also knew I wanted to rescue a dog.

Lo and behold, our local small-town shelter had a shar-pei on petfinder one day. She looked rather sickly. Her eyes were runny. Her nose was runny. She was a squat little thing, and didn't look like she'd live much longer. After work, however, I thought I would swing by the shelter and check her out. The shelter was closing, but they said I could quick check around. I stopped by her cage and fell in love. She just looked up at me like, "Hey, lady, how's it going?" and wagged her tail. She wasn't jumping or barking like any of the other dogs. Just laying there like it was a lazy Sunday and she had nothing better to do.

I went back the next day (not mentioning anything to Andy) and took her out for a testwalk. My feeling of love changed to OMGihavetohaveher. I called Andy up, explained the situation. ("I found the dog I want...can I have her?") and Andy, warily, said, "yes." When I brought her home, she was covered in fleas and her nails hadn't been clipped in weeks. She had bald patches behind her ears from scratching. But, she knew sit and stay; she never begged at the table; she didn't have accidents in the house; she was incredibly polite to visitors. Stella is my soul dog. She has a knack for understanding me and knowing just how to be there for me.

First picture of Stella:

The crate she never slept in. She whines like a dying seal and I couldn't bear to put her in a crate at night. So into bed she hopped.

Stella and her first (now world famous) drool:

Her first trip to the pumpkin patch:

Stella and the love of her life...her dog bed.

Rufus's Story

I wanted another dog to keep Stella company during the day, but we knew we had to get a male puppy. We had previously tried to adopt another female dog from the shelter, but Stella avoided her like the plague, and they did not get along. We figured with a puppy, she would be more inclined to accept him. We wanted our next dog to be on the small side...around Stella's size, so we looked at Boston Terriers. Andy really liked a female puppy from Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue, and I thought maybe a female wouldn't be too bad as long as she was raised with Stella. So we filled out all the paperwork, and when they contacted us, they informed us that the female was taken, but would we like one of the males?

Andy and I figured why not? So the day after our New Year's Eve party, (with Andy still semi-hung-over) we drove two hours to look at "Beau." Andy was expecting some little ankle-biter puppy, but what the lady brought out was what looked like a black and white lab puppy. Andy was overjoyed. The lady told us that Rufus was rescued from a puppy mill. From what I gathered, the animal cruelty people found a woman who was hoarding animals. She had over 40 horses on her property, and the ones who had died were just covered with tarp and manure. They removed all animals from her property and told her she could no longer own animals. When they went back to check on her, she had acquired more dogs and was running a puppy mill with BT's, chihuahuas, pomeranians, and other small dogs. There were no male dogs on the premises, so we have no idea who Rufus's daddy is. Rufus was only a few weeks old when he got rescued from the puppy mill, so he is not traumatized by it, unlike his mother, who had a lot to learn about humans. Now, he is a happy 7 month old terror.

Stella nicely shared her doggy bed, even when Rufus got it all soggy with icicles he brought in from outside.

Probably one of my all time favorite pictures of puppy Rufus.

Who's the cutest puppy in the world?

I am!

(Rufus began hittin' the bottle at an early age.)

The End.

I pass this along to anyone else who wants to write about their dog's beginnings!

Rufus's Fun Times

2009-05-26T21:28:00.005-04:00

For which Stella is the bouncer.

You lookin' at me, punk? Cuz I will knock you into next Tuesday.

As you can see, lines were out the door. And behind that door....

FUN TIMES COMMENCE!

ATTAAAAACKKK!

That poor ball never stood a chance.

Rufus's Easy-Three-Step-Fetch-Process. (The instructional video can be purchased now for five easy payments of $19.99, plus S & H)

Step one: Launch self at ball.

Step two: Get as low to the ground as possible for maximum ball-scooping potential.

Step three: Miss ball entirely.

(Hey, no guarantees that this fetch process actually WORKS)

Proof this happens often:

(If you look closely, you can see that Rufus could pick his nose with his back toe if he so wanted.)

I WILL EAT YOU FOR DINNER, BALL!

Look, ma, no legs!

I wish I looked this happy when I was exhausted.

Rufus in a fetch-coma:

Random picture of the day: this is what Roo would look like with no ears.

Also, I learned this on TV a while ago, and I put it to the test. When you fill your gas tank, and you prop the little lever thing on the nozzle, do it on the lowest notch possible. This will fill your tank VERY SLOWLY, but you will get quite a bit more gas for it. When you fill your tank quickly, there are more air bubbles in it. I actually tested this on my Subaru. The Suby lets me track my MPG & how many miles I get per tank of gas. I can usually make it about 400-425 miles on one tank of gas. However, since I've been filling my tank slowly, I've been getting around 476-500 miles per tank of gas. Rock ON!

Totally Pawesome, Dude!

2009-05-18T23:21:00.005-04:00

Rufus and Indie gave us another award!

“This award is presented to those dog bloggers out there who know the meaning of GREATNESS. Their blogs are consistently interesting, funny, or informative. Their KINDNESS is extended to others without expectation of it’s return, and their FRIENDSHIP inspires others to do EXTRAORDINARY things. These are the blogs you can’t wait to read everyday.
In short, they are AWE-INSPIRING, full of wonder, and simply PAWsome! Pass this award on to 4 others who you feel exemplify a “Paw”some Blog, and leave a note saying why you think they deserve the Pawsome Award!”

So hard to pick just 4! Rufus, can you help me out, buddy?

Gosh, mom, always saving your boo-hiney. I ought to get paid for this kind of work.

Laney - For being an awesome, hard working, charity-minded Shar Pei (Or, should I say Sharp Eagle)
Coulee & Lacey - For doing such a great job with photography
Big Red Dog Blog - Because Red is an awesome rescue dog (yay for rescues!) with superb goggles (Rufus is insanely jealous and wants a pair of his own...)
MargeBlog - For coming so far as a rescue dog, and for Sam for working so diligently

Why Rufus Is Not Allowed In The House At The Moment

2009-05-14T21:28:00.003-04:00

It all started out innocent enough. Rufus and I were outside having a grand old time playing The Best Game Ever.

When out of the corner of his eye, he spotted IT.

Ooooh, I may look sweet and innocent...

He tried SO HARD to resist the temptation.

Must....not....give...in

But, alas, Rufus has the self-control of an eight-year-old child, and the poo was CALLING HIS NAME.

Poo is to Rufus what catnip is to kitties. See the possessed-Rufus-eye?

Ahhhh

I think it's safe to say he was very pleased with his new cologne.

Where was Stella during all of this, you might ask?

Off somewhere being stoic.

Why, It's A Major Award!

2009-05-12T11:52:00.005-04:00

Two, as a matter of fact. And both of them are from our good friends at DOUBLE WOOF!

The first is from about a week ago (oops, my bad about the delay!), and it's...

The rules are:
1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2) Pass the award to up to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I pass it along to:
*Pooches For Peace
*Life With Dogs
*Two Dachshunds and a Puppy
*Dughallmor Beagles

Now for Number Two:

Here are the rules attached to this award:

1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Copy the image above, the rules and the questionnaire in this post.
3. Post this in one or all of your blogs.
4. Answer the four questions following these Rules.
5. Recruit at least seven (7) friends on your Blog Roll by sharing this with them.
6. Come back to BLoGGiSTa iNFo CoRNeR (PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS LINK) at http://bloggistame.blogspot.com and leave the URL of your Post in order for you/your Blog to be added to the Master List.
7. Have Fun!

Questions & Your Answers:

The person who tagged you: Rufus & Indie
His/her site’s title and url:DOUBLE WOOF! http://doublewoof.blogspot.com/
Date when you were tagged: May 12, 2009
Persons you tagged (see below)

...and my little dog, too!
Laney
Crazy Coulee & Little Lacey

An Apple A Day...

2009-05-10T23:15:00.002-04:00

Keeps the doctor away...too bad doggies can't have apples. It would have been a double bonus for Stella, too, because apples keep dentists away, too. I'm a clean-teeth-freak. Yeah, the rumors are true--they exist.

Stella's getting a bit, er, less young, so I took her to the vet on Friday to get her first dental done. I signed all the necessary paperwork, and as I was leaving...

Stella gave me the most desperate "Don't leave me!" look I have ever seen, and then she was scrambling on the linoleum floor trying to follow me out. I felt like the most terrible doggy-mommy on the face of the planet.

You know what they say about payback, though.

When I went to go pick Stella up, the vet tech brought her out from the back room. Stella hustled up to a complete stranger who was paying at the reception desk, and she was wagging her butt so hard and acting like she was going home with this lady.

The vet tech was like, "Uh, no, Stella...Your mommy's over here."

I couldn't believe how much of my dog they shaved just to clean her teeth. I can just imagine all the tubes and things poked and prodded into my dog just so she can have nice pearly whites. I'm glad the same process isn't used on humans. Her teeth are nice and sparkly white, now, and I was relieved to find out everything is in good shape. I don't know about you guys, but I have one of those dogs where it seems like every time I drop her off at the vet's office, they call me halfway through the day to say that she has some other thing wrong with her. Le sigh.

Stella with her patches:

Please Help

2009-05-07T17:32:00.001-04:00

Please help save these dogs!

♥ from Stella & Roo

Fights 'N' Floods

2009-05-01T20:52:00.003-04:00

We'll start with the fights. Play fights, of course. Cuz doggy-mommies are against real dog fighting, right PoochesForPeace?

Poor orange birdy had a bad night.
Rufus was rather concerned for his well-being.

Stella, don't hurt him! He's my fave!

Um, I think I better hang on to him for you. You know, just in case.

Stellers tried to make a break for it down the hall, but Rufus wasn't having any of it. Check out his rebound off the wall.

IF YOU COME ANY CLOSER TO ORANGE BIRDY I WILL EAT YOUR HEAD

Stella has no shame.

And then our street turned into a sewer. Oh, the joys of living in the country. Not.

All of this will basically end up in our basement in the next few hours, and let's just say, it's not JUST rain water.

Hey, mom, my dream came true! A giant doggie swimming pool in MY OWN FRONT YARD!

Um, Rufus, try no.

Fantastic Fridays

2009-04-24T13:10:00.003-04:00

Today is absolutely Gorgeous with a capital "G"--the sun is out, the wind is keeping it breezy, not a cloud in the sky! We went outside to work on my Flickr 52 Weeks For Dogs Challenge, which was to capture one of Stella's smiles, a near impossible feat sometimes. She always looks so serious.

Rufus, OTOH, loves to smile, especially after a tasty snack of grass clippings.

Oh, hai!

Ooooh this ball tastes so good.

Ever since Rufus got, er, snippered, he's been obsessed with balls. It's the only thing he fetches consistently. I caught him thinking wishfully about balls.

Oh, balls. I missez you.

bwah hahaha! That makes me laugh!

He's lost his family jewels...priceless!

To get a real StellaSmile, I bringded out da COOKIEZ!

Uh, Rufus, I think you forgot something. (note the ball in background)

You bringded out da COOKIEZ, lady! Here I come!!!

I can haz cookiez?

Plz?

Then I got the Cookiez Stare Of Death until I relented and gave her what she wanted.

But...but...it's so LITTLE!

She eated her cookiez anyway, and got all old-person-missing-her-dentures on me.

Hey, Stella, did you leave any for me?

Up Close & Personal

2009-04-17T10:16:00.002-04:00

This week was a bit hectic for me. I was a wee bit sick at the beginning of it, ants laid siege to my kitchen in the middle of it (shudder), and I'm pumped to do landscaping at the end of it. And now, for the dogs.

Rufus tried to help me get rid of the ants this week by sniffing them to death. Not so great for his sinuses.

Did I get one stuck up there, mom? Can you see it?

And if Rufus gets a booger check, Stella wants one, too.

Rufus has requested that I show you his picture of his rollover. He is quite proud of it, and an exuberant roller-over-er. In fact, he usually does the first half of his rollover in midair as he is throwing himself down onto the ground.

Yay for sunshine finally :)

This Easter, Watch Out For Posers!

2009-04-11T17:40:00.003-04:00

They can be very sneakyz lying in the grass and all, ready to pounce.

They will steal your Easter eggz and your groovy little yellow Easter bucket and say it's theirs.

What...you think this basket is YOURS? Psh! I dare you to try to come over here and take it. Just try.

So this Easter, make sure your Easter bunny is real.

I leave you with a rose from Andykins. (And it wasn't even from messing up!)

Pretty Little Angel Eyes

2009-04-06T23:06:00.004-04:00

This entry was semi-inspired by Crazy Coulee and Little Lacey's blog.

Before.

After I auto corrected white balance & increased the levels.

After I duplicated the layer, desaturated new layer, added layer mask (white), and painted Stella's eye black.

After I added a filter (artistic->softglow)

I put the coolest one first, because I'm still trying to get the second set right. This second image was also shot from the hip.

Before.

After I desaturated the image, added a new (transparent) layer, and painted Stella's eye blue with a round brush. I also changed the layer settings to "burn."

I highly recommend GIMP. It rocks. Yeah.

Sticky Situation

2009-04-05T23:16:00.006-04:00

Every day, I learn something about my dogs. Today, it was the extent to which Rufus LOVES sticks.

ZOMG MOM I FOUND A STICK!

Sticks give Rufus super-hero-flying powers.

Sticks make Rufus look like he is high (on life, of course).

Dun dun dun...

You lookin at my stick?

It's mine. Go get your own (so I can steal it from you)

I said "my stick!"

(Rufus, I do not condone violence.)

This week's 52 Weeks For Dogs Challenge on Flickr was to shoot from the hip. It was a blast, I tell you! You should definitely try it sometime.

And as always, Stella gives me the best come-on-lady-are-you-serious expressions ever.

You want to see my sexy face? Do I get a stick?

And now, for a little shameless self-promotion. I started a new blog because I felt like I was imposing on Stella&Roo's space by putting up wedding pictures. This is my StellaStar Photography blog where I will post non-doggy picturage from now on. With captions, of course.

In other news, Rufus has officially learned "roll over" and "high five." Roofy, you do mommy proud.

Ps. Does anyone know if dogs should not eat sticks? I'm thinking that some trees are probably poisonous to dogs, and I'm almost positive I caught Roo actually eating the stick. I can teach him not to eat the stick, if it's bad for him...

Way Out In Left Field

2009-03-29T16:46:00.003-04:00

So yesterday, I had the joy of shooting my first wedding...which means today, I haven't done a darn think except load pictures and edit them. I have come to the realization that we need a new computer, though. Andy's pretty excited.

So here are some of the photos I've been working on. BTW, (in case you haven't already noticed) for some reason, my blog template cuts of a good 1/10 of the right side of all of my lanscape pictures. Drat. So if you want to see the whole picture, clicking directly on the photo should link you to my flickr site.

Meet Lesley.

Her MoH is a former model.

And her BM was a cutie!

The ceremony was beautiful. (The lucky man's name is Ed)

And the bubbles were a blast!

Mmmm. I love cake.

The reception hall was gorgeous...overlooking the Scioto River.

And we went to my alma mater for some fun post-ceremony pictures.

Total, I took over 2500 pictures. I almost used up an entire 8GB memory card.

Don't worry: Stella and Rufus did not feel neglected. Andy stayed home and cuddled with the PS3 controller and (Matt &) Winnie came over to visit Rufus.

Blindsided

2009-03-24T22:51:00.003-04:00

Today started off great. I got home and took the doggies to the park...lucky them.

Rufus's good friend, Bentley was there.

Run, Bentley, run!

Commence WWF-Style Smackdown:

Ima gonna slap you!

Did we get him?

Yup, I think we got him.

Hahahaha! MadeYaLook!

There was definitely some Post-Smackdown-Spooning.

Stella was her usual stoic self.

And after a shot like this (note Rufus), I should have known it was coming.

So we went home, la de da. I decided to plant my raspberries and let the dogs play in the back yard. Stella quit after a bit and laid down on the back porch. We went in and ate dinner. Toward the end of dinner (a wonderful stir-fry prepared by my wonderful Andy), I noticed some fluff was coming off of Stella's back/side. So I leaned over to investigate. Rufus had ripped a hole in her skin.

I went to Walmart.

Rufus is lucky that Stella is such a forgiving dog. And I can add another one to the long list of Stella-Injuries. I'm hoping we won't have to take her in for stitches. xxxx :/

I'm also thinking about investing in doggie health insurance. Any recommendations?

***note: I think I should mention that, as a shar pei, Stella is prone to skin problems, so although I was a bit peeved at Rufus for playing too rough with her, I can't really blame him because he doesn't understand English (so I can't really tell him "Sissy has skin problems...no biting!"). Sadly. Any tips on getting a dog not to play bite other dogs, or is that just part of being a dog?

And So It Begins

2009-03-22T22:47:00.002-04:00

Today was our first trip to the dog park.

Rufus loved it.

Oh, hai! I'm at the dog park. Kthxbai.

Stella was actually social, but only with people. She usually patrols the perimeter snuffling everything and marking it. But today, she played just a wee bit, and hung out with the humans talking in groups.

R: Whoppeeee!
S: Hmmm...to join or not to join, that is the question

(Note to readers: Check out the slobbery goober above Rufus's eye.)

Catching flies:

I think he got one. Tasty. (Not surprised...Rufus will eat anything)

I was also appalled every time Stella got a nice foamy beard of drool. She would trot right into the middle of a circle of people standing around and shake. Nice, Stella. Real nice.

Pre-shake:

I wasn't sure of the unspoken Doggie Park Rules, so I refrained from taking pictures of other peoples' dogs, with the exception of...

KOALA DOG!

And as a side note, RIP Sweet Potato Porcupine. Rufus loved you to bits.

How Much Is That Dog In the Window?

2009-03-14T01:06:00.002-04:00

OoOoOoOo, purdy.

Hey there, hotstuff, watcha lookin' at?

Hey! Mom! There's nothin' out there! What the heck is she lookin' at?

This is boring. Guess I'll just lick myself.

A Walk In the Woods

2009-03-12T11:13:00.003-04:00

Just running through a typical walk for the doggies and me.

Rufus always hits the ground running.

Come on, lady, time's a-waistin'!

And Stella gets truckin' as soon as she's peed on the signs by the path.

*Singing: Hum-de-hum*

She also insists on snuffling every leaf, clump of grass and rock along the path...just in case some other dog has peed there first.

Gotta snuffle everything

Snuffle, snuffle

Oops! Almost forgot to snuffle that rock

Hey! I'm not done snuffling!

Rufus likes to find other dogs' brown rocks and eat them. Lucky for you, I spared you the graphic photos and am substituting Rufus eating a stick instead.

I like sticks.

Nom nom nom. Tasty.

You want some? It's reeeealllly good

We usually stop by the railroad tracks for a few photos.

What do you mean "sit"? I don't do "sit" on rocks. I snuffle them.

I like my walksies on the pathies

See? It's right over there

Come on, let's go.

Right across from the railroad tracks is a path to a farmer's field that we kind of hang out in sometimes.

Gotta snuffle the field, too. You know, just in case.

I'm a workin' dog, can't you tell?

(Pshaw! Rufus, you are NOT a working dog. You march to the beat of your own drummer, and that drummer looks nothing like a human)

I can't figure out what Stella's doing in this picture, but Rufus is ready to go!

And I leave you, friends, with the lovely view I get all during walksies. Enjoy!

Randomnesses

2009-03-03T09:01:00.003-05:00

So, the weather in oHIo pulled a total fakeout on us oHIoans. It was 60 degrees and sunny for a few days a while back, but lately, it's been cloudy and/or bitter cold. Too cold for this chicken to go outside for more than 20 minutes to take photos.

At least, that is my excuse for this post.

I've been GIMPed. I can now do cool things like this

Granted, it's an old point-and-shoot photograph that is a little underexposed, and the composition isn't the best, but I had fun coloring in apples and my niece Alexis. (Check out the butt-shaped apple in my mom's hand. Totally Rad.) And I would have totally done this with one of my doggy pictures, but my dogs are black (and white) already, so adding color wouldn't make a lick of difference.

GIMP does, however, make these kinds of differences

BEFORE

AFTER

And, in my lone venture outside with the little ruffians, I did manage to get this shot

You can get GIMPed, too, if you are interested in an application that acts a bit like photoshop but is about $400 cheaper (that is, free).

Portrait Time!

2009-02-22T12:51:00.002-05:00

What?

What you mean, Lady?

I mean get your cute little tooshies over here so I can take your pictures.

Okay. We're here. Now give us food.

Who is going to volunteer to go first?

I guess I will.

Because Rufus is a Loser with a Capital L.

Hey! Be nice, Stell.

Okay, now hold still.

Done, Lady. Now give me food.

It's right there. I can see it.

Seriously, Lady. Give. Me. Food.

Listen, Stella, if you're going to be all greedy about this, I'll move on to Rufus.

I like sniffing chairs.

I want food, too.

I'm bored.

You suck, Mom. We quit.

Portrait Session is over, I guess.

Woe is my dog

2009-02-19T22:06:00.004-05:00

A chronicle of Stella injuries and surgeries in the 1 yr 4 mos that she has owned us.

For those faint of heart and squeamish of doggie owies, you may not want to scroll down...

This was when we learned Stella had skin like a cats (at least that's what our vet said)...and nine lives. Basically, her skin bubbles up and sloughs off, so she has no skin at all sometimes (I know cats don't get this, but dogs aren't supposed to have cat-like skin). They can't staple this shut because the skin is just gone. This is mid-healing-process.

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This was when Stella had *Canine Cosmetic Surgery* aka Botox for her eyes (translate:entropian surgery) and a nose job (translate:nostrils widened so she didn't foam at the nose on walks and snore like a freight train anymore). Le sigh.

This was when we let Stella outside to pee and she came back with both of her eyebrows split open and a gash on her nose. At midnight no less.

See, I steek my tongue out at you, you foolish person!

It was a bit bloody even after stitches.

Shar peis are supposed to be expensive dogs to get from breeders (bad idea anyway)...we got ours from the pound for $65. She ended up costing many dollars anyway in medical bills. It's a good thing we love you, Stellabutt.

My Dogs Have Mad Skillzzzz

2009-02-16T19:45:00.004-05:00

They started off with some synchronized running...

Rufus knows the hokey-pokey...(you put your right arm in)

And he excels at pushing invisible shopping carts.

And some wacky ones for the road:

Last, but not least, the poor dog who watches us play from behind a neighbor's fence:

Hey Doggies, what's wrong?

2009-02-11T18:26:00.004-05:00

We hate snow in February.

Well, that's too bad because Mr. Groundhog called for six more weeks of winter...

WHAT?!?

Where can we find this Mr. Groundhog?

Groundhogs live in holes.

Like this one?

Don't worry, we'll find that little jerk and make him pay.

HELLLLLOOOOO...MR. GROUUUUNDHOOOOOOG!

I don't think he's in there, guys. You'll just have to talk to him some other day.

Yeah, well this is what I think of Groundhog's Day!

STELLA!

HMPH!

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Rufus decided that I was doing a bad job of walking Stella and he could do it better.

International Day of Running

2009-02-04T15:19:00.005-05:00

Today was the International Day of Running

You didn't get the memo?

Stella did.

Rufus did.

Rufus had a great day of running.

He ran up Stella's butt.

He ran so fast he flew.

Stella boycotted the International Day of Running.

She stood still.

She made faces.

Rufus yelled at her for it.

I took pictures.

Snow Day

2009-01-28T19:38:00.002-05:00

Today, everyone in the house had a snow day. Andy's work was cancelled, and I couldn't get down the road without sliding on the snow covered ice. I felt like an olympic bobsledder as I tried to make my way back into our driveway.

How thick was that ice under the snow, Andy?

Aaaanyways...on to more important things...like the dogs.

Speaking of Olympics, they were champs in the snow...

Events included interpretive dance

the 400 meter dash

and tug of war.

Of course there was some trash talking

and even maybe some threats.

Rufus tried to win over the crowds with his charm

and good looks

but ultimately, he lost.

Stella celebrated her victory with a snow face.

War

2009-01-26T23:25:00.002-05:00

So, yesterday, there was hope. Despite several attempts to eat Rufus, Stella was at least giving him a hug. Today was a different story...

Once upon a time, there were two dogs, Stella and Rufus. Rufus was afflicted with a strange disease called Wonk Eyes.

Sometimes, Stella had no eyes.

They beat the crap out of each other.

The End.

Discovery Channel

2009-01-25T22:51:00.008-05:00

Today, we travel in search of an animal so rarely seen in its natural habitat because of its unique ability to be so incredibly lazy that it never moves, and is therefore hard to find. We have been fortunate enough to stumble upon this keen animal known as the Chinese Shar Pei. These animals have excellent camouflage, and they will lay in wait for hours waiting for a meal to appear. Watch closely as this specimen keeps an eye out for her prey.

Once the prey has taken a few nibbles out of the Shar Pei, she, in turn, takes a few nibbles of it.

When the timings is right, she pounces, catching the poor animal by complete surprise!

(Who are we kidding? This was a rare moment caught on camera. 99.9% of the time, it's Rufus taking the bites out of Stella. See below.)

Who would have thought that this...

...could be responsible for this?

Happy (late) New Year

2009-01-19T11:58:00.003-05:00

Wellll...it's the new year, which means new beginnings. I think I'm going to start working on a new story here in the next few days as time allows.

Updates:
I'm taking a class at OSU, so I'm super busy.
We adopted a new dog (Rufus). He is a puppy, so we are working on housebreaking, which keeps us very busy.
I got a DIGITAL SLR CAMERA FOR CHRISTMAS!!! So I can start doing real photography :) which is going to keep me very busy.

Despite all my busy-ness, one of my NY Resolutions is to try updating this at least once a week to keep things fresh. My other resolution was to be on time to everything, and that's already gone out the window. Still, I have high hopes for this one (posting, that is).

This and that

2008-12-12T22:30:00.005-05:00

So, I won NaNo! Yay for me! I finished a day early with 50,030 words. My first victory! I even did it in way less than thirty days, considering my cruise.

I am still working on my time travel piece, and I am gathering tips for revising my NaNo piece. Meanwhile, here is a picture or two from the cruise.
Sunset in Cozumel

Dune buggies buddies

update on NaNo

2008-11-25T09:49:00.001-05:00

I know that is all I have been doing here lately, but I can't help it.

Besides, this time, my word count is a fan-freaking-tastic number:

34443

Isn't it lovely?

(wipes sweat off brow)

2008-11-20T23:48:00.001-05:00

I just passed the halfway point of NaNo.

25,156.

That means I have 24,844 words left to write in 10 days.

i am so pumped

2008-11-18T09:49:00.003-05:00

i am so pumped i didn't even capitalize this first sentence.

Actually, I am having a terrible day so far. It included all the regulars: no clothes to wear, had to scrape the ice off my car with the lid of a plastic container, late to work, tired as all get out, and to top it all off, I have a full body scan at my dermatologist's today. So I get to get naked in front of other people so they can make sure I don't have any funny looking freckles. Whoop-freakin-eee. The joys of being a pale person.

Buuuuuut, I am excited because it's November, and I am chugging along with my NaNo novel. 17,800 words or something like that. Last year, I only got to around 23,000, so this year is going phenomenal. Shout out to Andy who, despite his complaining last night a little, has been relatively tolerant of my reclusiveness this month as I spend as many waking minutes as possible in front of his computer.

Also, Stella ran away on Halloween, but she came back at 4 in the morning. Bad dog. I still love her.

Oh, and I submitted my application for MVNU...even though I'm drop-dead poor, I'm going to school. (Yay school!)

SYOTFS

And the race is on

2008-11-11T17:48:00.005-05:00

November has begun and is almost halfway over, which means that so is Nano. I'm WAYYYY behind because of the cruise. Not that I'm complaining, because I had a blast on the cruise (photos to come later), mosquitos and all.

My other novel came pretty far. I got to over 32,000 words before the end of the October. Our writer's group is turning into a revolving door. One week, certain people will be there, and then the next week, different people will come. Last week, I didn't go. Who knows if they even had it. I'm excited for this week :) I've missed everyone.

So I've begun a new novel for Nano, and so far, my word count is around 3,000. Plus, I handwrote about five and a half pages while I waited in the airport and on the plane. I'm waiting until the end to enter those into my word count, just sort of as a last hurrah.

50,000 word novel in fewer than thirty days, here I come.

Pages 4 & 5 of my October novel.
Uncle Henry wasn’t around, so I skipped dinner and headed straight for my small eight foot by eight foot bedroom to work on homework. My room was similar to my office in that there were more books than anything else in the room. I did have a small desk with an ancient computer and printer for homework, and my twin bed, which I made every morning before I went to school. The rest of my room was filled with books. I had them categorized by subject, and my favorites were organized neatly on the bookshelves I had. The rest were stacked neatly and accessibly.
I made my way over to my desk and plopped down in my chair. It was time to attack calculus.

I didn’t work at the library on Tuesdays. Instead, I pedaled my bike over to the hospital to visit my mother.
“Hey, Janey,” I walked up to the receptionist window.
“Good to see you, Anna. Your mom is doing well today. She had her hair curled yesterday, and she’s still talking about it.”
I smiled and nodded and picked up the pen to sign the register.
That was all that ever passed between us, and I was content with that. Janey was chatty, but she had long ago gotten the message that I was not a talker.
Janey buzzed me through the security door, and I gave a little wave as I walked past the metal bars. My mom’s room was the third room on the right after the small reception area. Some days, the reception area was eerily quiet, with some people staring idly off into space or at the television in the corner. Others played card games silently at a small table. Other days were chaotic. It only took one person to set everyone else off. I had walked in on several occasions when orderlies were doing their best to restrain the more jubilant patients, and once, I had even seen an orderly jab a patient with a needle, whereupon the patient collapse almost immediately, out cold. I believe it had been the ornery Mr. Johnson, the man who believed that the mice in his closet were slowly eating away at everything, and soon there would be nothing left in this world except mice and their feces. Mother told me one day that there wasn’t even a closet in Mr. Johnson’s room. Nobody had closets.
Today, the reception area was nearly empty. I like it best when it was like that. Plenty of chairs for my mother to choose from if she decided to get out of her room.
I knocked on her door even though it was slightly ajar.
“Come in, Anna.” The voice from the other side of the door was soft and even. It was the voice that had sung me back to sleep as a child whenever I had nightmares. I swallowed. No matter how many times I visited her, it was always hard to see her like this.
I sat down on the bed beside her. The room smelled like disinfectant and old people, but it was clean and straightened—stark, bare of any decorations—very dark. I couldn’t understand why she liked it that way here. Our house had always been so light and airy. She couldn’t stand a summer day with the windows closed. The fresh air, warm breezes moving through the house and shutting doors unexpectedly. But her room at the hospital was always dark, the shades drawn over the closed windows. I felt closed in, claustrophobic almost. And definitely tired.
“Hi, mom,” I said as I gave her a hug. She did not hug me back.
“Don’t ruin my hair, please, Anna. They curled it for me yesterday.”
I smiled faintly. “It looks lovely.” It did look rather nice. Her hair had once been a glorious golden chestnut that fell in waves down her back naturally. She had never used an ounce of product or any tools to shape it. Her hair had turned dull in the hospital and had been cut to just above her shoulders. It was flipped out at the bottom, as the last of the curl clung to her hair. I had inherited her hair, only mine was less wavy and a little darker. We also had the same almond shaped brown eyes and the same high cheekbones and round faces. The only thing I had really inherited from my father was my long, slim nose, which turned up just slightly at the end. I only knew that I got it from him because my mother’s nose was small and dainty. She said she didn’t have any pictures of him, which was fine by me, because I harbored just a smidgeon of a grudge toward him for leaving like he did.
We sat in silence. The light had gone out of her eyes a month before they admitted her. She never really talked anymore, which was difficult for me because she had always done all of the talking. I struggled to come up with something to say.
“I’m almost a third of the way through organizing Mr. VanWauld’s collection,” I said as brightly as I could fake.
Mother shook her head. “Please don’t talk about the library. You know it upsets me.”
Well, I hadn’t until that point. I’d never really talked about the library before with her. Not since I had gotten the job. The only reason I was hired was because my mother had worked there before everything went wrong.
I changed the subject. “I got another ‘A’ in English,” I said.
Nothing.
No response.
So I plunged forward again clumsily, “I’m still having some problems in calculus, but that’s only because I didn’t figure out until two days ago what a derivative was.” I was no good at this small talk thing.
We sat in silence, I was lost in thought, and I had no idea where she was mentally. She seemed okay, smiling slightly, as if she knew something the rest of the world didn’t. I didn’t watch her for very long. It made me feel sick to my stomach to see her so different than the mother I knew and loved. I still loved her, but it wasn’t the same as before, sometimes, I think because there was a bit of pity mixed in.
As much as I loved my mother, the days with her often depressed me, and I went home feeling morose and sorry for myself. It didn’t make the dumpy brown house any more inviting.
As I trudged up the walkway, I noticed the lights were on. My step father, Henry, was home.
“Someone called for you,” he said to me as I rummaged through the refrigerator. “It was a boy.” He walked in and settled himself into a chair at the tiny kitchen table.
I froze. “A boy? Called on the phone?” I frowned slightly, puzzled. “Are you sure he didn’t have the wrong number?”
“He asked for you, Anna. Said his name was Ethan or Edward or something.” Henry pulled a small vial of alcohol out of his pocket and took a sip before screwing the cap back on and slipping it back in his pocket.

The First Three Pages of my October novel

2008-10-20T01:02:00.002-04:00

“May I help you?” I asked, finally finding my voice. I could feel the familiar heat rushing to my cheeks, and my armpits broke out in a sweat.
He gave no indication that he heard me, so I cleared my throat and said it again, a little louder.
“May I help you, sir?”
The stranger turned from the shelf and looked at me, a little surprised. He was no older than twenty. His dirty blond hair was cut short, and there was a splash of freckles across his nose.
“No, thank you,” he said and returned to examining the books on the shelf.
I faltered. I had no experience in how to handle this situation. I considered going back downstairs and pretending like I didn’t even know that there was anyone else in the library. But policy is policy, and drat that Crudley for being nowhere in sight.
I licked my lips and started again. My voice came out weak and shaky. “I’m afraid I must have you fill out a card before you can handle any of Mr. VanWauld’s collection. If you’ll just follow me, please.” I turned and started for the front desk, glancing over my shoulder to see if the stranger was following me. The sooner this was over, the better, and I could return to cataloging.
With a smile on his face, he dropped his hand from the shelf and followed me to the front desk, arms behind his back, as though he were enjoying himself.
I handed him a card and a pen. “We’ll also need some form of collateral, should you choose to borrow a book.” The words came out in a rush, and he lifted a bemused eyebrow.
“Very well.” I watched as he wrote his name down on the card. His penmanship was impeccable, not at all like the chicken scratch most boys scribbled down, and he scrawled each letter with finesse. E-D-W-A-R-D. Next line. V-A-N-W-A-U-L-D. I gulped.
“Oh,” I squeaked pathetically. I stood there dumbly as he finished filling out the card, too surprised to say anything, and too dumbstruck to stop him and tell him he had access to anything he wished, my apologies.
“Now,” he said, handing me the card, “You were saying something about collateral?”
“I didn’t realize—Crudley said you were—I mean, not that I know where you go, or anything—I just didn’t expect…” the words stumbled over themselves in a rush to get out of my mouth, and all the while, my face grew redder. Inside, I was smacking myself on the head with a hardcover book. Idiot! Dolt!
Edward interrupted me. “It’s all right. You couldn’t have known.”
I stopped my babbling abruptly, ears and cheeks on fire, wishing I could sink through the floor. If my calculations were correct, I would have landed on top of my desk, or somewhere in the vicinity, somewhere safe.
At that moment, Crudley appeared by Edward’s side. He had a habit of doing that, vanishing and appearing out of nowhere. It was surprising considering he was a portly fellow, who didn’t look like he could move anywhere in any sort of hurry. He poked his glasses a little higher onto his nose and said, “Ah, the young Mr. VanWauld. I’m pleased to see you have arrived safely back from the Wakhan Corridor. Come, you must tell me all about it! I heard some explorers were eaten alive by the inhabitants several years ago.”
Edward smiled apologetically to me as Crudley took him by the elbow and led him to the back office. I sighed and let my shoulders droop. The moment was over; I could return to my work and not do any more talking.
As I sat in my cramped office, surrounded by stacks of worn, dusty books, I couldn’t concentrate on the list of books in front of me. I had to reread several titles before they sunk in. Focus! I told myself. I was in my element, for crying out loud. I could deal with books. They didn’t talk; they didn’t require verbal conversation, and yet, I felt that I had a…well…relationship with each one. Each book was different. They spoke to me in a way that nothing and no one else could. I could focus on what they were trying to say, and even though I kept my responses to myself, I was given time and space to formulate them.
But the encounter with Edward VanWauld lingered in my mind, and I could not shake it off. It replayed itself over and over in my mind, like a record that had gotten stuck on the worst line in the verse. I imagined that I looked like a bafoon, bumbling and blushing like a lovestruck teenager. I hoped with all the hope I had in me that he did not interpret it like that. I tried not to think about the things I had noticed about him. His sandy blond hair and easy smile. I shook my head. I was such an idiot.
There was a knock in my doorway, and I looked up. My door had been removed from its hinges long before I started working at the library, but it never bothered me because nobody visited my office anyway. My office was the home to Mr. VanWauld’s under-the-radar-yet-highly-controversial collection on the unexplained, but I had since been assigned to organize the stacks of books into some semblance of order.
I froze. Casually leaning his forearm on the jamb was Edward. Panic time. I opened my mouth, but all that came out was “uhn—.”
He didn’t seem to notice. “I apologize for interrupting your work. It’s just that, well, I didn’t catch your name upstairs.”
I pulled myself together as best I could and choked out my name. “Anna.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Anna. I didn’t realize we’d hired anyone new. It’s been a while since I’ve been here.” Edward looked at me as if it were my turn to speak.
Nothing came to mind and an uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Well, it was uncomfortable for me, anyway. Edward seemed completely at ease gazing over the stacks of books from his spot in the doorway. I thought for a moment that I should invite him in, but decided against it. There was nowhere to invite him into. The room was almost floor to ceiling occupied by books, leaving only a small pathway to my oak desk and antique chair. Besides, if I invited him in, that would obligate me to have a conversation with him, which I was hoping to avoid.
Edward spoke again. “By any chance, have you come across a leather-bound book, where the title is a tree? No words, just a tree?”
I thought for a moment. I had a knack for remembering detailed information about every book I laid my hands on. Nothing popped into my mind.
“No,” I said, shaking my head for emphasis.
“Well, if you do, would you mind setting it aside for me and giving me a call?”
“Sure,” I said. I felt the end of our brief conversation approaching. Edward dug into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper, which he handed to me.
“My number’s on there if you need to reach me. Thanks. And, again, it was nice to meet you, Anna. I’ll see you around.” He gave a little wave before turning and heading toward the spiral staircase that led to the ground floor.
I collapsed in my chair. What was wrong with me? I wished that I was like every other sixteen-year-old girl who could talk to boys—or anyone for that matter. I wished that my cheeks wouldn’t turn the color of Washington apples anytime anyone acknowledged my presence verbally, be it with an attempt at conversation or even a casual hello. I was cursed to live a lonely, lonely life. As much as my books kept me company, I sometimes felt like I was missing something. But that was only sometimes. Awkward conversations, like the two I’d had with Edward, reminded me how much of a social klutz I was. I dropped my head into my hands watching my brown hair brush the desk. Time to get back to work. Focus. I picked up a book. The title was in some language I did not recognize. The symbols were short, choppy, and boxy, and I’d seen them on only a few other books in Mr. VanWauld’s collection. I placed it on the stack of books that were similar. I still had not figured out how I was going to categorize them without knowing what the heck they were about.
I did not notice the time passing by, and before I knew it, the cuckoo clock on my wall chimed eight o’clock.
“Crap,” I mumbled to myself. I had skipped the dinner I had packed myself on accident. Oh well, Uncle Henry might have made dinner and had leftovers. I grabbed my jacket off the back of my chair and slung my backpack over my shoulder before I rushed out of the office. I still had calculus homework and an English paper to write.
My bike was locked to the railing that led the way up the steps to Mr. Van Waluld’s library. It was an old racing bike with bullhorn handles and spots of rust on the body. I didn’t mind it because it got me from point A to point B, but I often got looks of disdain from my classmates.
The bike home was quick. Eight blocks north, five blocks south. I drove past million dollar estates, which gradually gave way to smaller homes, which gave way to apartment complexes, which gave way to abandoned lots and liquor stores with bars on the windows. I parked my bike in front of the small brown house. One of the shutters hung at an odd angle and the front yard was overgrown with weeds and dandelions. I sighed. Home at last…if you could call it that. My Uncle owned the liquor store at the end of the block. The house was flanked by condemned houses, so Uncle Henry didn’t bother with keeping up the house. It wouldn’t make a difference in the property value, so there was no reason to waste the energy was what my uncle always said whenever I sighed as I looked out the window. It was a good thing I didn’t have any friends, otherwise I would have been mortified to have them over to my house.
When I lived with mom in the house on Baker Street, she always had the yard beautifully landscaped with hostas and dahlias and a veritable mix of other colorful plants and flowers. She used to work in the garden when she was stressed out. If I closed my eyes, I could still picture her kneeling in the garden with a floppy hat on her head, working methodically and tirelessly pulling weeds and spreading mulch.

Fotografia

2008-10-18T16:30:00.010-04:00

Images from the photo shoot in Newark.

Alexis being cuuuuute :)

I think I'll hang a copy of this in my bathroom.

After he wrote this, Andy wrote "POOP" in the sand.

The deceased horseshoe crab

Such a tragic story...looking out to sea, where he wishes he was. Tear.

Oh, and just as an update on the word count...23,436 as of right now. I'm taking a quick break to post this. My goal is 25,000 by the end of the day.

The Return of the Queen

2008-10-16T09:43:00.004-04:00

I love fall. I've eaten about three bags of candy corn so far, and it's not even November. I have a bag and a half waiting for me in the cupboard, too. I'm mad I can't find my Halloween decorations, but I'm not willing to brave the spare room in search of them. (As much as I love Halloween and all things scary, I HATE HATE HATE spiders.)

I got a new job. I'm a Suicide Prevention Coordinator. No, I do not take phone calls from people who are suicidal. No, I do not do counseling. My job is to educate, advocate, and something else I forget. But anyway, I like it so far. My schedule is flexible, I get to dip my toes in teaching now and then, and my coworkers are pretty cool.

In my next post, I'll put up some pictures I took of downtown Ne'rk. Sarah and I had a photo shoot and it was fabulous.

Oh, and I've reached 19,000 words in the novel I am working on. My goal is 50,000 by the end of October, but I am being flexible with that deadline, because I do not want to exhaust myself before NaNoWriMo. I'm already cooking up some ideas for November. The only thing I am not looking forward to about NaNo, is that I will be out of town the first week of November, which is going to mess with my schedule a bit. On the bright side, I will be in Mexico. So I'm not complaining in the least.

Photos: Round 1

2008-05-21T22:09:00.001-04:00

I took Stella for a walk today. It's the first one we've gone on since her surgery last Thursday. On the plus side, people walk on the far side of the path from us because she looks like a rabid raccoon (the area around her eyes is shaved and she slobbers worse than Beethoven). On the minus side, my beautiful shar-pei dog looks like a freakin rabid raccoon.

These are some of the pictures I took with my point-and-shoot digital camera. It makes me really excited to get a digital SLR, whenever I may get that lucky. Ahem, Andy ;O)

I was completely entranced by the funky bubble seedling things on these trees.
And the fern (I know it's not a fern, but I like calling it that) that was bigger than my foot...in NEWARK! How vedy, vedy interesting.
Okay, so they're all out of order on here. This is an older one of my Stellykins cuddling on the couch with me.
Take that PETA. Ugh! That group has good intentions, but boy does it just grind my gears that they think killing pets is a good way to "free them from their misery". Take a look at Stella, and tell me that she isn't completely one hundred percent happy. (you'll be lying if you ever do tell me that, by the way.)
Ahhhh, and back to the funky seedling things

FLOWERS!

And below, I was messing with the exposure settings on my camera. The purple turned out rather nicely, don't you think?

P.S. This movie is great

2008-05-17T13:07:00.000-04:00

***WARNING***This review is in the prewriting stages. We'll see if I ever get back to it. Part of me wants to be a movie reviewer when I grow up, so I'm giving it a go. But it is harder than it looks, so I've decided to move on.

I always have to roll my eyes when I find on the back cover of a movie "Heartwarming tale that will make you laugh and cry," or any other variation on the expression. Ninety-nine percent of romantic comedies boast their ability to evoke these emotions. Last night, however, I watched a movie during which I did BOTH AT THE SAME TIME! Even my trusty rarely-laughs-during-a-romantic-comedy sidekick Andy really enjoyed the movie. It will make you laugh and cry, and probably both at the same time.

In the opening scene, the dynamics of their relationship are summed up in the fight they have. Holly, played by Hilary Swank of Million Dollar Baby fame, is the stressed-out worrisome responsible wife, matched with the funny, easy-going Irishman Jerry (Gerard Butler with the remnants of his smoking hot 300 body). Holly cannot exist without a plan, and Jerry never has one. Despite their differences, they are very much in love. Jerry is smitten with Holly, and Holly cannot live without Jerry's ability to put humor into life. And then he dies, leaving Holly to try to live her life without him, a feat she finds impossible with everything left behind, his clothes in the closet, his voice in her head. Holly holes herself up in the apartment she hates until her friends arrive on her thirtieth birthday to cheer her up. Arriving shortly after them is a message from Jerry. Her friends, played by Lisa Kudrow and Gina Gershon, each have their own humorous sidestories. Kathy Bates is excellent as always playing Holly's tough-as-nails mother, whose own husband left her.

It is a movie of beginnings and endings, layering Holly and Jerry's life together with her mourning process. Jerry stays with Holly after his death by leaving her letters in an attempt to help her get over him. It really makes me excited to read the book, which will be different enough from the movie, partially because it takes place in Ireland rather than New York City.

Here...have some graham crackers...

2008-05-08T21:58:00.000-04:00

Okay...so this is my first blog post, and I think I'm just going to do a general welcome. My name is Brittany. I am engaged (love you, Andy). I was born in New Mexico, raised in Ohio, but my roots are in the wonderfully cheesy state of Wisconsin. I have several projects, art and otherwise, which I hope to bring nearer to completion (true art is never "finished"). The biggest of these is the house project Andy and I have undertaken. Maybe I will post before and after pictures sometime. I can't get enough cereal. I'd eat it for all three meals every day if I could. I'm trying to go green, but that's difficult since I live about an hour away from where I work.

I don't understand this: I love my job. I don't mind going to work in the morning, and even though I count down the hours and minutes until I get to leave, I don't have that heavy feeling weighing on me that I had at several of my other jobs. However, it is the most mind-numbing repetitive job I have ever had. I change peoples' addresses and perform maintenance on investment accounts. So here is my dilemma: do I try to find a better, more challenging job with the chance that I may hate it and may want to tear my hair out with the stress, but also with the chance that I may grow or expand my horizons? Or...do I stay at my job and hope that I get hired on and move up at a place of employment that I really don't want to work for the rest of my life, even though I enjoy the safety and comfort that it affords me? Decisions, decisions.

On another note, Andy and I watched The Illusionist with Edward Norton on Sunday May 4.

I saw that it was based on a short story and looked the author up during my break at work. I decided to read some of his work that was published in The New Yorker. It turns out that I really really enjoyed reading this guy. It was kind of a throwback to my college days--it seemed like it could have been pulled out of a college textbook because it was a work of fiction in which I could actually pull out arguments and a thesis. Steven Millhauser is his name and weaving intricate narratives is definitely his game. He begins with the observation of a small event, which leads him to recall a slightly larger event, which leads him to recall an even more significant event, all of which seem random, yet nagging at the back of the mind is the thought that these are going to be connected somehow. I think the character in his novel feels the same way at some point. I was inspired by the story's main point, and it gave new meaning to my concept of the English language. Someone once told me that language is the currency of thought, which gives words value and weight. Millhauser argues the opposite, that words diminish the meanings of things, that the sun becomes less when we try to describe it, that words do not have the power to compete with the beauty of nature. In this, I could see why Wikipedia called Millhauser a Romantic. It reminded me of William Blake and the rest of the British Romantics who called for people to turn to nature to find peace and understanding.

I could go on for hours, but it is time to snuggle with my one and only favorite dog, Stella, who is curled up on my side of the bed, snoring softly, and waiting for me.