Some artsy pics from the Abbey

Quick Takes Friday

**Oops. I wrote this and forgot to post it on Friday... here it is a little late...**

1. I somehow managed to schedule myself to do something every single evening this week. Now at the end of the week, I'm just weary and ready for the weekend and catching up on some important stuff at home, like throwing the ball for Suze, clipping Maggie's horribly long toenails, opening my mail and paying some bills, cleaning out the fridge, doing laundry, etc. The exciting stuff :)


2. This is not to say I didn't enjoy what I was doing, it was great to catch up with various groups and friends, next time I just need to not do it all in the same week.


3. I am definitely in the thick of the winter blues. This is the toughest season for me, and with everything else going on in my life right now, I better come up with a darn good project to keep me distracted. Though I have thousands of projects I need to do, none of them is really inspiring me right now as something I want to do. (Clean the garage, purge the storage room, paint the hall / stairwell, hem a bunch of chair covers... all so uninspiring...) Ugh. Suggestions?


4. I got the info for softball yesterday. It doesn't start until the end of April, but it was at least a sign of hope, that someday it will thaw and we will be outside playing ball. I want it to be now.


5. I made it to morning Mass 4 out of 5 days this week, yay! It's good to be back in the swing of things. and I am soooooo grateful for the gift of Mass and the Eucharist. I am always amazed at how much more peaceful I am if I start my day with Jesus.


6. The more I read by Pope Benedict 16th, the more I like him. We're currently reading some of his Weds audiences. He's got such great stuff to say and teach and in all of it, there is this tangible sense of the love of Jesus. Good stuff, I highly recommend it.


7. Babies babies babies... One good friend is now a week overdue, come on baby! My sister is due in a few weeks. I also need to brag that I saw a friend a couple weeks ago, hadn't seen her in awhile and I looked at her and instantly knew she was pregnant. This is her first pregnancy, so I can't claim to "recognize" it like I have in other friends, but somehow I just knew. I told my sister in law my suspicion, who told my brother and both claimed that I am insane. Last night I found out I was right, she is pregnant. Awesome (both that she's pregnant and that I was right)!! Though I have no idea how I developed this "gift" I am pretty good if I do say so myself. :)

Funny

This sign was in the restroom of a Wendy's/Tim Hortons I stopped at on my way home from retreat. Seriously people, grammar!!! Is there only one employee? and why the quotations? Just wash your hands already.

Prayer Request

A good friend of mine starts radiation treatment today (combined with chemotherapy) for his brain tumor. Please pray for Nick and his family during this time. Thanks!!

Local celebrity

I just got home from my weekend retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani in KY... more on that later, if I'm so inspired. On the way down, it took me a nice 6 hours to reach the monastery, no traffic to speak of, awesome. On the way home, it was snowing and the roads were icy for awhile in Ohio, so that slowed things a bit. And then I almost died of boredom in Ohio... I think on the way down is better because you hit the most boring stretch (Ohio) early on in the trip and the last hour and a half is in KY, which is considerably more scenic. Not so on the way home... ugh... and, incidently, usually talk radio gets me through really boring stretches and keeps me alert, but apparently Sunday afternoon the only talk radio in Ohio is sports, which doesn't help keep me interested or alert. Oh well. I made it fine, stopped to refill the gas tank in Saline and bought a Sunday paper. And lo and behold, look who made it on the front page!!!

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/01/ann_arbor_area_residents_unive.html

Clean is clean, right?

It was Thursday last week. I stayed home sick from work and spent the day on the couch (and refusing to let Maggie outside every hour). Blah. I looked like death warmed over- no shower, hair in pony tail, no make up, purple sweats with spills on them, yeah, nastified. Planning to spend the remainder of the evening in the same fashion, I was surprised to hear the doorbell ring around 7.30 pm. It was one of those bitterly cold nights, I think it went to -7 F and it was bone chilling. At the door was a college age guy and behind him, his boss. The kid enthusiastically offered to clean one room of carpet (or area rugs) and he really needed a few more appointments before he could call it a night, big promotion, etc. I think before anything else happened I said something about not feeling well, etc. but that didn’t slow them down. At least I felt better having an excuse for my appearance. Feeling bad about him being out in the cold, I agreed (thinking in my head that it was a bad idea, but what could it hurt and besides, getting the area rugs cleaned would be worth it, right?) They came in and checked out the rugs and said they’d send the cleaning team over sometime between now and 9 pm and would just take a half hour. Okay, that seems pretty harmless.

I did go put on mascara and change my shirt. I know, ridiculous, but it really was bad and though not “presentable”, I did feel a little better. 9.30 rolls around and I’m wondering what happened and why I said this would be okay. They arrive a few minutes later, the boss from earlier and Isaiah “one of his best”. As Isaiah gets set up in the living room, the boss asks me to just keep an open mind, not be deterred by price because they can help, etc. He also explains the big promo his boss is doing so they’re trying to make a big goal or something. Okay okay. He is about to leave and then says he’s got a new guy he’s training and could he come in and watch the presentation? I’m thinking it seems harmless, uh okay.

Anthony comes in. Wow. He’s a middle aged black man, wearing white pointy-toed leather slip on shoes. And (wait for it) light blue pleather pants. Oh yes my friends, light blue pleather (or maybe real leather) pants. Wow. He sits down to watch the demo. The dogs are in the cage in the dining room, very unhappy about strange men in the house. And at some point it occurred to me that here I was, sick, with 2 strange men in my house, invited in by me, and my protection was locked up in the dining room. I figured if they tried anything, I’d dash into the dining room and let Maggie out. And I know Maggie would give them what for.

Isaiah asks me to bring out my current vacuum (a cheap hoover that I bought for $60 about ten years ago). I myself know this is not much of a vacuum but considering most of the house is hardwood floors, it’s not that big of a deal. As Isaiah assembled the mighty Kirby vacuum, he told me that NASA has recently redesigned the engine for it, added a transmission (I think) and some other cool stuff. Okay. The demo proceeds- we vacuum the rug with my vacuum and then Isaiah proceeds to vacuum with the Kirby and pulls out the black cloth filters to show me just how much dirt was left in the carpet after vacuuming with crappy hoover. He does this numerous times, all the while asking me if I’d say a clean house is a priority. Confirming that all the way clean is better than not all the way clean. “Clean is clean, right?” Yes sir, clean is clean. He then dumps a box of baking soda and rubs it thoroughly into part of the rug, vacuums with crappy hoover, and then goes on to prove just how much the hoover misses that the Kirby cleans. “Clean is clean, right? You don’t want to waste time cleaning when it doesn’t get it actually clean, do you? Think about how much faster your rug and floors will wear out since you’re not actually getting them clean. Think about how much money you’ll spend getting them professionally cleaned, instead of just buying a vacuum that does get them clean. Think how much money you’ll save…” It goes on and on.

Once he asked me if I was ready to buy the Kirby, I had to be honest and tell him I can’t afford it. He went on to convince me that they’ll work with me to make it affordable, whatever payment I want, etc. I told him flat out I won’t finance because I don’t believe in going into debt, other than my house. Little did I realize this would start a long conversation / argument about the glories of debt, the ease of small payments, etc. Isaiah: “Wait, I know your type, you read Dave Ramsey don’t you?” I do, but my reticence to go into debt is more than Dave Ramsey. We argued (in good fun) for an hour. My favorite comment- “I don’t believe you. If your refrigerator dies tomorrow, you’ll go buy a new one and finance it zero percent interest without even batting an eyelash.” Me: My refrigerator did die, and I went and bought a used one for $250 because I had the money in my account. Isaiah gasped at that one and then tried to tell me that was a terrible investment and why would I keep buying used, etc. I was adamant about not going into debt. Isaiah: So you’re telling me I need to sell you a used Kirby? Me: Sure! That sounds great!! Isaiah: “We don’t sell used kirby’s, they have a lifetime guarantee. Think about how many cheap vacuums you’ll buy in the next 60 years and how much you’ll spend… you might as well just buy this good vacuum now since it will actually clean your house and will be cheaper than buying all those other vacuums in the long run.” I won’t finance. I could and should save up to buy one and pay cash for it, but I won’t go into debt for it. (What I didn't tell him is that I am saving up to replace the kitchen floor long before buying a very expensive vacuum...) He then tried to tell me that zero percent interest is the same as saving up… blah blah blah.

Meanwhile, Anthony the pimp is watching the whole thing, fascinated, and grinning through much of the exchange. Isaiah finally calls the boss, explains the situation, that I won’t finance, Dave Ramsey, etc. He hangs up and tells me the boss is offering me the whole package for $1300 (half the usual price) and with 0% financing for a year!! Surely I can’t turn this down!! I did, of course. It’s still financing it and I won’t go into debt for it even though i will acknowledge it is an awesome product. Isaiah finally starts disassembling the vacuum and cleaning up, obviously disappointed and thinking I'm crazy. Meanwhile it’s nearly 11 pm- definitely more than the half hour promised. I’m exhausted but loving how clean the area rug is now.

On their way out, Anthony stops and says “I tell ya, I learned sooo much just from listening to you. You’re okay, you are O-kay!” He reaches out and gives me a huge hug. The awesome vacuum and the salesmen leave. Reenie wonders how she gets into these things… but figures she’s got material for a good post. And a crappy vacuum. And a hug from a man in light blue pleather pants.

Tired

He looks how I feel right now: TIRED.

Collin and Beth bought a new house in Milan. It was a foreclosure so they got it for a steal of a deal, but it was cheap for a reason and there's a lot of work to do on it (think total remodel, one room at a time probably). There's also a lot to do to get it liveable in the next two days. Last night I went over to help paint and helped move a truckload of stuff too. Tonight I'm also painting, moving, packing, etc as needed, probably quite late again. In a case of truely bad timing, C&B have to be out of their townhouse Sunday (I think) so the big move is this weekend, when everyone in my fam is either going on retreat to Gethsemane monastery in KY (the ladies), or the CTK Men's retreat, or watching kids because the wives are gone. Since help is limited over the weekend, we're trying to help them as much as possible before that. But there is a lot to do, packing the old place, painting, refinishing floors, and other endless stuff at the new place. Also, being an extreme "J" helping extreme "P's" move is tiring, even without all the projects!! We do things very differently, J's and P's... (I'm referring to the myers briggs personality styles, in case you have no clue what i'm talking about).

Then I've got a stressful meeting first thing Thursday morning. Then a friend is coming to chill Thurs evening while I do laundry and pack so I can go on retreat first thing Friday morning. Ahhhh...

I predict a lot of sleeping on this retreat. I usually sleep a lot, but I also usually go in the spring when it's gorgeous outside so I spend most of the retreat outside. I've never gone this time of year, but it definitely is winter there. So I imagine it's less conducive to my outdoor retreat...

Also funny: We are taking my sister in law Lindsey for her first silent retreat. If you know Lindsey, you know silence isn't really a regular part of her life or her personality. Her co-workers are predicting she won't survive. I think it'll be tough but she'll enjoy it at the same time. I had to kindly tell her I can't possibly ride home from retreat with her- talk about an abrupt end to the silence that I like to prolong for as long as possible. So we will have the talking car and the quiet car... and I will be driving the quiet car.

Quick Takes Friday

1. I took the Christmas tree down last night. I think last week was the official christmas tree pick up at the curb, but I didn't get it down in time. I was quite relieved to arrive home from work and see that they took it! Although I got the tree undecorated and down, the rest of the house is still decorated. I had to do the undecorating, unlighting, and taking down of the tree in steps with naps in between- thanks to being sick and without energy- so nothing else has come down yet. Maybe tomorrow...

2. Now that Christmas and Owen/Suzie's birthday is done, I'm looking at the bleakest part of winter... and time to take on some serious projects to keep from going insane. Right now I have so many that need to be done it's hard to pick... and none are really creative or fun, they are more along the lines of declutter and organize. Maybe I'll have to make it a blog-event like last year's laundry room project. Although decluttering and sorting old boxes in the basement isn't nearly as fun as painting stripes on the wall. Stay tuned.


3. It is incredibly cold here in Michigan. As in sub-zero cold, which we don't get too often. Tomorrow we're supposed to get more snow. There is this adorable little bird that seems to like the spot right outside the patio door, perched on the dog runner. He flutters at the patio door a lot and has reappeared numerous times in the past few days... he's so cute. I wish the pic showed his red head/chest better. Last night I scared him away to scatter birdseed in case he's hungry... but then he didn't come back. Oops.


4. Speaking of birds, thanks to the above bird-visitor, I suddenly realized I need a bird book. I was having a conversation with someone a few weeks ago and they mentioned some bird they keep seeing, my first question: "Oh cool, did you look him up in the bird book?" She looked at me like I was crazy. Is the bird book really so crazy? I grew up in a homeschooling family. A bird-book family. Any time we'd see a bird, someone would run and get the bird book and we'd look up what it was, where it came from, what it ate, what birds it was closely related to, etc. I remember pouring over the gorgeous pictures in the bird book just for fun. When Lisa lived with me, she had a bird book and we'd look up the various birds that ate outside the dining room window. Currently, I have no bird-book housemates and apparently I need a bird book of my own... maybe I can get one with my borders gift card. Along those lines, come on... any other bird-book people out there? Is the bird book really so crazy?

5. Although it's cold, it is very beautiful!! Here's a shot out my dining room window- playing with the filters in my awesome new camera.

6. I'm reading a book called "Pack of Two" about a woman and her dog. It's kinda cute, she talks about the relationships people have with dogs and how intimate and hidden those relationships are, how foreign they are to people without dogs, etc. At the beginning of the book, I really enjoyed the connection and thought she had some interesting and true observations, but now I'm bored. Apparently she's going to continue making those same observations over and over again and never really get anywhere with the book. On a positive note, the book is confirming for me that I'm not an insane dog-person. I am certainly a dog owner and love my dogs (and blog way too much about them) but I am not an over-the-top dog person. Whew. That's a relief.

7. Alan continues to thrive in the Cous household. He enjoyed Owen's birthday party at my place last Saturday and got quite good at the paddle/ball game. He's so cute! He is always just delighted with life. Apparently he insisted on wearing the pants I made him for Christmas when he found out he was coming to my house! What a cutie! Not only does he have physical therapy several days a week, he also has Ken Cous, ever practical, at the helm, teaching him to crawl, and do all sorts of non-traditional exercises to help him function better in the real world. His surgery on his arm is coming up next week, say a prayer for a successful surgery and quick recovery.

Sick

I am sick. Don't worry I'm not dying. It's winter in Michigan and after weeks of family events with sick kids where I escaped illness, I finally succumbed. It's just a bad cold, but I called in sick feeling awful on Monday- stuffy head, splitting headache, sore throat, chills, man-voice, ya know, typical bad cold stuff. I worked 6-7 hours both Tues and Weds and then spent all of yesterday on the couch. Ugh. Today I'm finally feeling like I'm on the mend, hurray! The energy returns!!

Things that strike me as funny when I'm sick:

1. I am gone from approximately 6.30 each morning until around 5.30 pm most days. I do occasionally stop home at lunch, but typically the dogs spend around 8-10 hours a day at home, alone, and do not have accidents in the house. When I am sick and on the couch, Maggie wants to go out approximately once an hour. If I refuse (which was about half the time) she then picks a fight with Suze because when they fight, I inevitably say "Not in my house!!" and make them go out. Instead I made them both lay down and stop fighting. Nice try Mags.

2. I never think of being sick as something to get "good" at but I've decided I'm decidedly not good at being sick. It makes me feel rotten physically (duh), not to mention weepy, out of control, and frustrated at being both weepy and out of control. (Note: I was only weepy day 1, the others I was just frustrated and exhausted). And I kept laying there thinking about all the things I wanted to get done and didn't have the energy to do. Like I said, I'm not good at being sick.

3. Suzie is also not good at me being sick, but provides an excellent companion anyway. At least once every half hour her cute face pokes up over my pillow, as she tries to lick my face, checking to see if I'm okay, and usually attempts to climb onto my lap to cuddle. And though I always refuse to let her join me on the couch, it's strangely comforting to have someone checking in on you and wanting to make it better. She spent most of the day napping next to me when Maggie wasn't picking fights. For the record, other than using me as a means to go outside, Maggie doesn't give a crap about me- she checked on me exactly twice all day, and both were after I refused to let her outside.

Puppies

Lassie with the kiddos

As you may know, I am mush for babies... especially of the human or fuzzy varieties (baby fish, baby lizards, etc. don't hold the same appeal). Puppies are a particular weak spot for me.

A few days before Christmas, the neighbor who walks our archnemisis dogs (two big long haired fluffy white ones) walked by with a new puppy. I wanted to run down the street after him, but thought that might be strange. I think it's a husky pup and soooo stinking cute!! On New Year's my aunt and uncle brought their new puppy to the family party, soooo cute! Lassie is a baby collie and just beautiful. They held her like a baby for half the time and let her wander around the rest of the time. Then I stumbled across some pictures of Baby Suzie... I want a puppy!!!!!

On the other hand, here's a list why I like not having a puppy right now (yes, you are right, this list is for me more than anyone else):

-I can sleep through the night without interruption

-I can sleep in on weekends without worrying about accidents in the crate

-I can wander freely through the house not worrying about a potty training accident lurking in some corner

-I can work a full day and not be worried about accidents waiting for me

-I can leave things out at puppy level and they (usually) won't get chewed or destroyed (with the exception of an occasional kid toy, which Suze thinks are for her).

-Adult dogs are more peaceful and we can just chill together (sometimes) without all the activity of a puppy

There are probably more reasons too, but that's enough for now. I really do appreciate having adult dogs... But just look at how cute she was!!!! Why can't they stay like this forever?

Baby Suzie - cutest puppy ever

And now for a short mundane post...

...about my favorite topic, homeownership and the random projects I never dreamed existed... last night I walked into my laundry room to hear a weird squealing / fan dying sound (and I know that its sad that I able to recognize sounds like that). I have one of those whole house humidifiers connected to the furnace and it was making this distinct sound. Hmmm. I removed the cover by just sliding it over and the fan is apparently just going in spurts, on for a few spins, then apparently sticking on something. I don't think the actual motor is the problem, but I think I should remove the fan, clean and grease it and put it back and see what happens. But I'm also nervous to do anything because these projects always seem to escalate...

Add that to the project list...

Belt Tightening

It's going to be season of belt tightening, in every sense of the word.

At home, I've needed to actually budget and pay off some debt (not a huge amount -other than the house) but debt nonetheless... and just keep better track and save more. Sometimes being single makes it easier to not be good about budgeting which is not a good thing. It's time to get my butt in gear and January is the month to begin it all. It's a good challenge for me.

Not to mention things at work are not looking good, the economy here is terrible, all the jobs we typically compete for have a dozen more companies in the runnings because they are all hungry for work... yeah, it is not looking so good lately. I'm starting to look around to see if I can pick up a part time job to supplement while things are so bad... but it's also harder to find part time work these days since so many people are out of work and companies aren't hiring as much either. It's not pretty... say a prayer for the whole thing if you think of it.

It's interesting to weed out unnecessary expenses... A few months ago I cancelled the home phone and internet since we didn't use it enough to make it worthwhile. I now use my cell phone for everything, which is fine, I have internet access at work and sometimes at home when the free wireless works. I was splitting a netflix subscription with a good friend, last night I decided I should cancel it, especially since I don't get that much use out of it. And today my friend said they're cutting out extras and could we cancel it, perfect. So netflix is out which is a few bucks a month. And now the next decision: Cable. What should I do? I'm not a TV addict, but I do enjoy it, particularly when I'm doing laundry, paying bills, and stuck inside because it's winter. I already have the cheap cable, but is it really that important? Necessary? certainly not. Should I get it turned off for a few months and put that $15 somewhere else? I would certainly be more productive at home... on the other hand, there are other places maybe i could trim the $ from and keep the cable... Why is this such a hard decision???

I should also be looking for another roommate... which is probably the biggest struggle for me. I've lived with sooooo many people, some really terrific housemates, some really crazy irresponsible ones, and some in between. I don't know of anyone immediately looking who I'd like to live with... and I am at the point in my life where I'd rather be totally broke or get a second job to help pay the house payment than live with someone who makes me miserable at home. So for now I'm keeping my ears open and trusting that God has a plan...

As if that wasn't enough, I'm determined to lose some weight. Again it's something I've needed to do, but struggle to get motivated about it. Thankfully a friend is doing the same thing so we're going to help keep each other accountable. My biggest struggle is the exercising in the winter. In the summer it's much easier because I love to be outside and the dogs and I like to do stuff where we get mutual exercise. In the winter I'm a wuss because it is so cold and dark and miserable and my motivation goes out the window. Sigh.

That's my rant. Thanks for listening, say a prayer for all of the above if you think of it :)

And to clarify, I'm not despairing or freaking out... I'm actually dealing with all of it pretty calmly, even though it looks rather bleak right now. I don't want to give anyone the wrong impression or worry you unnecessarily.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:4-7

Quick Takes Friday

1. I feel that I should do some sort of New Year's post... but that feels too labor and brain intensive, so I'm going to settle for this. For the record, I do not like new year's resolutions because I prefer failure in smaller doses. I do have several resolutions / goals rattling around in my head, but will take them one month at a time.

2. It has been a very busy break, lots and lots of visiting and parties with intermittent stretches of being home alone and totally unproductive. I'm really glad I got to see and hang out with a bunch of people over the course of the break: Novecoskys, Mitzels, Archibalds, Pannings, Brad, Sara, Garrett, Katie and Killian, Fiona, and others I'm sure I'm forgetting right now. Not to mention a Mary Kay party with Anne B and some of my sisters :) And seeing lots of family at various family events (but never enough one on one time with far away cousins...). Whew. The unproductivity has been a little extreme but kinda nice at the same time. Besides, I've got 3 months of the dreaded winter to be productive and get projects around the house done.

3. I think I'm finally getting sick after numerous exposures and many escapes in the last couple months. It's nothing serious, but yesterday I got a sinus headache and by the end of the Kennedy family gathering my head was throbbing and feeling stuffy. I took nyquil, snuggled / dozed with the pups for awhile, and then dragged myself to bed. Today I'm still congested, but the headache is gone and I can't really complain, it's pretty mild so far.

4. I love baking. I've been baking a lot over this Christmas season, mostly stuff for one party or another. but I really do love it, it's so satisfying and relaxing and makes the house smell great. And then I pawn off said baked goods at whatever party so hopefully it doesn't go straight to my hips... I have a new favorite bread recipe and I also tried a new recipe for homemade creamy tomato soup. Usually I'm not a huge soup fan, but I've realized that might have more to do for my dislike of mushy vegetables and canned soup than an actual distaste for good soup. Tomato soup made with homegrown and canned tomatoes can't even be compared to the canned stuff at the store.

5. New Year's Eve was fun, a nice small-ish gathering hosted by someone else that included several of my good friends. And some snuggle time with a favorite godson of mine... he's pretty cute, although the noisemakers and shouting at New Year's did scare him. How on earth is it 2009 already though???

6. Next up, dinner tonight with friends, projects around the house Saturday, Epiphany celebration with my immediate family on Sunday. Owen's birthday is Monday so I think we're doing his (and Suzie's) party the following week. A murder mystery birthday party for a friend. Then a retreat weekend at Gethsemane later in January and a few more family birthdays thrown in there too. Maybe I'm not going to get any projects done until February... and I definitely need some more vacation after all this celebrating!!

7. Somewhere in the craze of the past week, I had to take Suze to the vet for extreme scratching, swollen eyes, oozing and bleeding (again). The vet was concerned that Suzie's seasonal allergies may be expanding if she's reacting in January. She went over lots of things it could be and said if I'd like to rule out food allergies, I can put her on a diet of homemade dog food made with sweet potatoes and ostrich for 6 weeks, and if her allergies clear up, we'll know it's a trace of something found in dog food. Awesome. I don't actually think I want to know. I opted for our usual round of prednisone and Suzie's back to her normal happy self and has stopped scratching. Ostrich and sweet potatoes? Are you kidding me?? We'll stick with the cheap and easy steroids for now, thank you.