Jasper can't get a break

Jasper has had small scabby spots on his face, shoulders and neck for the past couple of months. They never seemed to bother him, so I figured they were from battling Jacob for supremacy. They usually stayed tiny and healed up just fine.

A few weeks ago we put him on a prescription-only dry food diet (with the regular canned food we'd been feeding him) to see if that would make his insulin more effective. I had previously been giving him the prescription food in smaller amounts because it's so darn expensive.

The scabbing got worse when I started withholding the normal dry food. We decided to wait and see if it would clear up like before, but then over the weekend he scratched the scabs off completely and was licking and scratching himself raw. We had him checked out Monday evening and our vet thinks it must be a food allergy--scabbing and itching around the face and neck are classic symptoms.

Go figure, my diabetic cat is allergic to the food that is supposed to help him stay well. Luckily Jacob and Lola haven't been affected at all, even though they were eating the same food.

The vet shaved and cleaned the affected spots on Jasper's shoulder/neck and near his mouth (and also around his butt so he has an easier time staying clean--sometimes a problem for bigger cats... how embarrassing!), and gave him an antibiotic injection to prevent any further infection. He looks like he has some sort of infectious, flesh-eating disease and a zombie haircut. I have pictures of it, but I'll spare you.

I have seen much, much worse in the course of my work, but I feel horrible that I let it happen. Even though we couldn't have known he'd be allergic to the food, I just feel so guilty. Maybe if we'd been more vigilant about his weight when he was younger he wouldn't be diabetic now, and wouldn't have had to be on a prescription diet. I can't help but second-guess all the choices we made.

We'll go back in a couple of weeks for a checkup and to discuss alternate treatment options. As excited as I am to get out of Massachusetts, I will be sorry to leave this vet practice behind when we move. They are fantastic and so easy to work with in a difficult situation.

Despite his zombie cat appearance, Jasper is still the happiest, silliest, big lovey fat cat I know.

filling up the meaningless moments

Jason is on call this weekend, and got pulled out of bed at the crack of dawn to go to New York. As a result, I've been feeling rather aimless today. I've worked on organizing and paring down my CD collection; baked vegan banana muffins; posted some items on Freecycle; unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher; washed some dishes by hand; cleaned the kitty water fountain; washed, dried, and put away a load of laundry and put away two already clean loads; put clean sheets on our bed; and called my grandparents. (Is that string of comma and semicolon punctuation correct?)

I would share the muffin recipe, but I can't--I modified a banana bread recipe and didn't keep track of my changes. You'll just have to take my word for it that they are delicious.

Despite doing all of those things, I have a restless sense of ennui that always seems to show up when Jason is gone. I have so many things to do, but no sense of direction. I think this is because my world revolves around him and so much of my time is spent making sure his every need is met. When he's home, I tailor my day around him. When he's gone, my actions seem like they mean very little. I guess that is what it's like to be a mother--except I'm feeling like I have an empty nest before I've even reproduced.

I'm going to need to relearn how to get into my own groove. It'll be invaluable when Jason's off doing his Navy thing in, oh about a week and a half.

My husband went to Jamaica and all I got was this picture of him looking goofy.

Here is my man in his Red Stripe beer hat and Jamaican flag muscle shirt. I asked him if he cared if I put this picture on the internets, and he said he didn't care. I guess the lesson to be learned here is that if I take a silly picture of you, don't be surprised if it gets plastered all over this blog. Hey, at least I asked for his permission!

In other news, I've started a YouTube channel. I don't really know what I'll do with it at this point. But to start, I took a video of my very own furry couch monster. Don't let the purring fool you--he's ferocious.

Keyword Roundup, Volume 6

A lot of perverts, fatties, and plain old weirdos visit this blog, I think. Here's what they were searching for and what they found:

how does Wii Fit assess age, Wii Fit one at a time please, and Wii Fit laughs fat - Fatty Fat and the Wii Fit. The freakin' eight year old Wii Fit voice does seem to have a smirky tone when it tells you you're a lard-ass.

mass bunny exodus - The Mass-exodus begins. OK, seriously, is there some sort of problem with bunnies in Australia? Someone, please tell me. How about the person who searched for this, since that's where you are. Speak up!

Renée desperate to pee - Keyword Roundup, Volume 4. Oh, look, it's the same pervert from Eastpointe, Michigan, who visited me in Volume 4 looking for poor, bladder-bursting Renée. There is none of that smut here, you sad little man.

my dress dying to pee - main page. No Québec, THERE IS NO PEEING HERE. Comprenez vous?

mature blogspot, French mature blogspot, and mature.blogspot.com - fourteen different visitors from the United Arab Emirates, Slovakia, Egypt, Belgium, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Finland, Germany, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Mongolia (wait, they have internet in Mongolia?) read Keyword Roundup, Volume 5 or the main page. Let's just clear this up right now: I am not very mature. Nope, not at all.

Heidi fatty - Zurich, Switzerland found me at Keyword Roundup, Volume 4.

mature Renée, foot mature Renée, and mature Renée feet - main page. What is with maturity and feet, you people in Italy, Argentina, and Croatia? Wait, don't answer that.

inches hair gone - Keyword Roundup, Volume 4.

Heidi Renée - main page. That's my name, Portugal. What's yours?

oldschool costumes - Old-school Halloween costume time.

Glinda crown template - main page.

lonely wife - Just another lonely wife post.

my diarrhea looks like oil - Sometimes my cooking looks like baby diarrhea but I promise it is far more delicious. Sorry to hear that, San Jose. What kind? Olive? Corn? Motor?

reneetube - Keyword Roundup, Volume 5. Maybe that means something if you're from Turkey, like the person who searched for it.

vegan shakes and one shot McDonald's shake - Vegan Shamrock Shakes.

chicken and rice from scratch - Soup from scratch: "chicken" and rice.

bigboobs.blogspot.com - main page. Lonely man alert in Tijuana, Mexico! If you're having trouble finding, ahem, maracas in Tijuana, amigo, you must be doing something terribly wrong.

morning is here sunshine is here - Good morning sunshine! Here is my breakfast.

Vej Naturals - main page.

is Mitchum deoderant sold in Abu Dhabi - main page. I wouldn't know, but good luck with your "oder."

I'm expecting Jason to get back from Jamaica any moment now. When that happens I'll stop checking my stats so obsessive-compulsively. I'm sure you'll all be glad.

I can't seem to manage posting at normal hours of the day

Did everyone else totally love watching the inauguration festivities today? I could barely concentrate on working, I was so excited. I even got myself out of bed early so as not to miss anything.

President Obama! It feels so lovely to type that.

I was instant messaging with Jason this evening, and he said that Jamaica is no fun without me and he can't wait to come home. He is either A) an excellent husband, or B) in big trouble for spending too much on fruity umbrella drinks. I'm going to go with option A.

Unless he comes home tanned and smelling of coconut and pineapple. Then he will be in trouble.

Hint: they have a bobsled team

Just a short while ago, Jason left for another work trip. This is not unusual.

But where was he going? Not the usual places. Not even someplace in the United States. No no.

He went to Jamaica.

JAMAICA.

Montego Bay, Jamaica, where it is currently hovering between 75 and 80 degrees. Here in Massachusetts, it is 19 degrees and snowing like crazy. That's up from the 1 degree day we had last week. I guess Mother Nature was feeling charitable.

Don't get me wrong. I love winter weather and don't tend to get tired of it the way other people do. But I could use a tropical vacation right now, especially since I never really got a break at Christmas because I had to work during my trip to Michigan.

Sigh. Someday Jason and I will take a proper vacation. Like maybe when we are old and retired.

Stuff I Like, Volume 3

Remember my Stuff I Like feature? Neither do I, apparently.

These are the things I have been using and loving lately:

• Victoria's Secret Dream Angels Wish perfume: I picked this up in order to replace a couple of perfumes I've used that are manufactured by companies that test on animals. It smells great and doesn't give me a guilty conscience--Victoria's Secret beauty products are cruelty-free. Plus, the etched-glass dandelion on the bottle is beautiful. Perfume win!



• Clinique Happy Heart perfume: I put this on a list of Christmas gift suggestions for my family-in-law, and they came through with a lovely gift set. The scent is mellow, mild, and floral, and like all Clinique products, Happy Heart is cruelty-free. Another perfume win, and proof that not all of my Christmas gifts from that side of the family were colossal fails.



• Krups XP 4030 espresso machine: We got a Bed, Bath and Beyond gift certificate for Christmas from my dad and step-mom, so we used it a couple of weekends ago to pick up this pump-powered espresso machine. I have been in coffee heaven ever since. It has all of the oomph that my 15+ years old completely white hand-me-down steam pressure-powered machine (also a Krups) didn't have, and it has the black/stainless steel design that I love. Bravo, Krups. You have earned my brand loyalty. I like my Krups drip coffee maker, too, but the espresso machine gets top billing because it is just so cool. And because sometimes you just want a soy latté with amaretto liqueur late at night. Am I the only one who thinks midnight is a good time for coffee and booze?



• As Seen on TV reusable dryer balls: I picked these up while Christmas shopping for my family, and they actually do cut down on static cling. Surprised? I was too. I was pretty skeptical at first, but I'm willing to try anything that will cut down on waste. Many kinds of dryer sheets aren't biodegradable and contain tallow--otherwise known as animal fat--and I definitely don't want my clothing coated in slaughterhouse waste. The kind I was using were animal product-free and biodegradable, but I figured if I gave the balls a try it would be one less thing to remember at the grocery store. Bottom line, I like the balls (that's what she said). And they could double as a dog toy in a pinch.



• Samsung SCH-u340 cell phone: I was due for a free upgrade from Verizon, and this was it. I like it because it's small and silvery-blue. Plus, the buttons are pretty similar to my old Motorola, so I think I can get away with not reading the manual (says the girl who can't quite figure out how to use the DVR box). The cute salesman didn't hurt either. And by cute, I mean that his name was Jeremy and he was so friendly and adorable that I wanted to reach over the counter and hug him. We bonded over Navy stories because he was a veteran like Jason. He even talked to my mom on the phone for a little while (about our Verizon plan, but still!).

I admit it: I have 19 bottles of perfume in the bathroom right now. What perfumes do you wear? I must know--I might need to buy more someday!

I'm a winner!

And not just because my mom thinks that I am special, but because Angela thinks that I am special! She was kind enough to give me the Lemonade Award--thanks, Angelika!


ONCE YOU'VE BEEN AWARDED, THE RULES ARE:

1. Thank the person who gave you this award by linking to their blog in your post.
2. Put the logo on your blog or post.
3. Nominate 10 blogs which show great attitude/gratitude.
4. Link to your nominees in your post.
5. Comment on their blogs to tell them about the award they've won.

OK, I'm more of a soy chai or hot chocolate girl in the winter, but let's see if I can come up with ten people who don't have any Lemonade Award love yet...

April - Thoughts In My Tumultuous Brain: April is my favorite pregnant blogger.
Ashley - This? Is Not the Life I Ordered: I love Ashley because she does the things I only ever think about doing, and because she is a fellow Spartan, even though we never knew each other while we were in school.
Emily - I Used to Get Paid For This: Emily is a Spartan I actually did know during school. She's keeping it real back in the mitten, and I'm just a little jealous because I wish I were there, too.
Heidi - Life in Pink: We share a name, so she's obviously cool.
Jess - The Everyday Adventures of Me in the City: She takes all of the things I'm saying in my mind, and then she says them out loud (or at least posts them on her blog).
Kyla - Kyla Bea: I just recently discovered Kyla, and I'm so glad I did.
Liz - Mabel's House: I am so jealous of Liz's funky decorating style, and wish I had her house.
Maris - In Good Taste: Maris can make me a snack any time. Or at least post pictures of her delicious creations.
Molly - The Adventures of Superwife: Molly is my favorite fellow vegan blogger.
Renee - A Beautiful Day in the Reneeborhood: Renee's posts are thoughtful and inspiring.

Phew! I did it. My brain is slow in this 1 degree weather!

Winds of change are blowing...

...and the sky is getting clearer by the minute.

No, I'm not talking about the presidential inauguration, although the same is true in that arena, too.

I'm talking about the winds of change propelling me and Jason to a better life--a life as a Navy family.

Jason got the call today that he's scheduled to report to his transient personnel unit near Chicago by February 2. He gave his two weeks' notice at his current job as soon as he heard.

We couldn't be happier. Well, I couldn't be happier. Jason, while excited to have gotten exactly what he wanted, still has a dark cloud on his horizon: the non-support of a couple of people who are very important in his life. I will never understand the indifference--resentment, even--every time he has an achievement. I'm hoping that some physical distance from this quicksand of negativity and "can't" will lessen the hurt he feels, but I know it's a wound that even I will never be able to heal. It is truly sad. Jason has learned to shake off the disappointment over the years, but it still takes a toll on him, even as a grown man. The biggest lesson I have learned from this is that when I am in their position someday, I will be nothing less than a varsity cheerleader, proud and supportive no matter what.

But enough of that--I refuse to allow their permafunk to affect my life. We are moving on to bigger and better things, and nothing can stop us.

Goodbye, Silly Boy.

My dad and stepmom made the tough decision to euthanize one of their cats yesterday. Darcie was in the final stages of renal failure, meaning his kidneys were no longer functioning properly. Their veterinarian came to their house so he could have his final moments in a familiar place.

My stepmom is a nurse, so she had been giving him subcutaneous fluids for the past year--since his renal failure diagnosis--to keep him in relatively good health. Helping her do that a time or two played a major part in my getting acclimated to giving Jasper his insulin, and for that I'll be forever grateful.

Darcie's nickname was Silly Boy. He was just... so... silly. He would do things that I couldn't help but laugh at, like stick his head into shoes and rub his face all over them and roll around in ecstasy if they were stinky. Or things like in the picture, where he's sitting at the top of the stairs like a pervy old man. And then there were his socks. He had absolutely gorgeous Birman coloring, but the little white "socks" on each foot (typical for Birmans) looked so comical--like he was wearing baby girl socks. Darcie's passion in life was roaming the house, going from room to room, patrolling. He would literally walk from the front of the house to the back, then down one set of stairs to do the basement then up another set of stairs to start all over again at the front of the house. For a long time, he was the alpha kitty. As his health declined, he stopped worrying about it and let the younger male cats feud amongst themselves for the position. Now that he's gone, a new king of the jungle will probably step forward.

My dad and stepmom will still have a house full of cats--they have twelve other ones who share their big house out in the country. But Darcie's absence will leave a big hole that only time will fill.

Goodbye, Silly Boy.

Pricey Pussies

I took poor diabetic Jasper to the vet this morning to have his blood sugar levels checked. I had intended to do this part of his care myself, but after a few times of failing to do a blood glucose curve (testing his sugar every two hours for twelve hours using a meter just like people do) or even get one accurate reading on him at home, I decided it was better to pay someone else to poke him in his ears (apparently the "easiest" way to get a drop of blood for the meter), lest he decide that he didn't trust me enough to tolerate his insulin injections. A fine idea, except for the part where he would have to spend all day at the vet's office. Yeah, he was SO not doing that. When I took him in for a curve day, they actually called me mid-morning and asked me to come pick him up because he was too upset--panting with his mouth hanging open, shaking, glazed-over eyes so wide open they were bulging out of his head... right, not good. So that wasn't going to work, either.

The veterinarians and I finally decided the best thing to do was a fructosamine test. I'm not entirely sure how it differs from a regular blood glucose test, but it only requires one blood draw (much more than the drop they'd need for the meter, but it's done in a matter of seconds). That means we can pop into the vet's office in the morning, be out of there in twenty minutes, and get on with our days with only minimal anxiety for Jasper. In the picture, his foot is wrapped (for the second time in 2008) because he got rug burn or something that left the paw pads on that foot a scabby mess. Luckily, this was not as serious as the first time he was a peg leg kitty. No surgery this time! I have no idea how he managed to rug burn himself--I didn't notice anything was wrong until I found blood on the carpet. It was just a matter of checking three sets of paws to find the culprit.

You might remember my cat costs spreadsheet. Now that 2008 is over, I can report the damage: $4,346.17. If you thought cats were cheap, think again. Granted, we had an unexpected surgery (Jasper's broken claw) and a surprise chronic illness (Jasper's diabetes) that weren't covered by the kitty insurance (and that in itself required a hefty premium)--the surgery wasn't covered because it was before we got the insurance, and they won't cover costs related to Jasper's diabetes because they said it was a pre-existing condition due to a comment in the veterinarian's notes that his blood sugar was elevated, even though it wasn't a diagnosis. Tricky bastards. I've already set up my 2009 spreadsheet, and I intend to keep even better track of every penny we spend on cat stuff this year.

It'll take a couple of days to get the lab results back, so no word from the vet yet on if we'll have to bump up Jasper's insulin dosage. I'm hoping we won't have to. A tiny bottle of insulin is $65, so the longer we can make it last, the better. But we'll do what we need to do to have a healthy kitty.

Keyword Roundup, Volume 5

I wasn't planning to post another one of these so soon, but the keyword activity log in Statcounter has been all abuzz this week.

These searches have brought people from far and wide to this little blog:

Wii Fit assessment - Fatty Fat and the Wii Fit. This IP address was in Vietnam.

mature.blogspot.com - Keyword Roundup, Volume 4. Spain. OK, so that's not even my URL.

cruelty free Hello Kitty engagement ring - main page. Texas. Um, I hope you are eight years old. But bonus points on the cruelty-free part.

mature blogspot - I got this twice, on different days. The first time, someone in Poland got to the main page. The second time, someone in Italy got to Keyword Roundup, Volume 4. Sorry, you Euro-pervs, there is no "mature" content on this blog. As a matter of fact, it's the complete opposite.

see boobs in school picnic - Old-school Halloween costume time. India. I don't know what kind of school you're looking for, but try Michigan State. That's where my boobs came from.

vegan shakes - Vegan Shamrock Shakes. New York.

stupid renee fatty .com - Fatty Fat and the Wii Fit. New York. Too many shakes?

morning is here good morning is here sunshine is here - Good morning sunshine! Here is my breakfast. Poland.

Renée baby name - main page. California.

new the on block kids Renée - As if I needed another reason to love New Kids on the Block... Minnesota. Dyslexic a little?

French mature blogspot - main page. Finland.

ms Renée feet fair - main page. Connecticut, Hartford Public Schools, no less. I suggest not sending your kids to school in sandals.

food that looks like diarrhea - Sometimes my cooking looks like baby diarrhea but I promise it is far more delicious. That entry is the top result for that phrase. I'm so... honored? Disappointed? Grossed out?

diamond Renée tube - main page.

mass bunny exodus means - The Mass-exodus begins. Australia. Another top result. I couldn't tell you what a mass bunny exodus means. Probably that they didn't like it where they were and moved on in search of carrots.

old school outfit - Old-school Halloween costume time. Netherlands.

to get bang-banged... - Sometimes my cooking looks like baby diarrhea but I promise it is far more delicious. Italy. This is all because of Cary's comment.

chicken and rice soup from scratch - Soup from scratch: "chicken" and rice. Next time I make this I'm going to add a dash of soy sauce if I don't have enough vegetable stock.

Why do people search for such weird stuff? Whatever happened to Googling "Britney Spears crotch shot" and such? Doesn't anyone do that anymore?

Soup from scratch: "chicken" and rice

I had some items in the fridge that were threatening mutiny, so I decided to take control of the situation and make a pot of soup--the perfect thing to have on hand while it's cold and icy outside. I had a bowl for lunch, and I'll probably have more later. I'll keep some in the fridge for tomorrow, and freeze the rest.

Jason won't be home until tomorrow evening, and has to leave again (but just for one day) as soon as he can repack, so now is my opportunity to make foods that I like but he doesn't. He doesn't dislike soup, but he refuses to eat the broth. He fishes all of the solid pieces out of the bowl and leaves the rest. It totally defeats the purpose of having soup, but don't try to tell him that--he doesn't want to hear it. (And I don't want to throw away half a can of broth every time he wants chicken and stars... but I can't reuse it because I won't eat it. Oh well.)

For my soup, I cooked a cup of rice (or maybe more, I just eyeballed it) and one quart of Pacific Natural Foods organic vegetable broth in my stock pot. When the rice was cooked through, I added diced baby carrots, chopped celery, chopped garlic, and cubed Yves veggie chicken skewers. I added about six cups of water as the liquid gradually got soaked up. Usually I would have added more vegetable stock, but I only had the one container of it. When everything was cooked through and simmering nicely, I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and basil (because I like basil), gave it a few good stirs, and voilà: homemade vegetarian chicken and rice soup.

Soup is seriously easy to make, so next time you have a good collection of soupy ingredients hanging out in the fridge that you don't quite know what to do with, chop them up and throw them in a pot with some vegetable broth. I promise it is really hard to mess that up!

Unless you cut your finger off while chopping--that would be considered messing up. In which case, I don't know what to tell you.

Spice up your breakfast

One of my favorite breakfasts to make is tofu scramble. It's healthy, filling, and delicious. And Jason loves it. You can dress up the tofu in countless ways, but lately I've been enjoying making a black bean and corn version. I sauté a chopped onion in olive oil, toss in chopped garlic to taste, then add cubed firm tofu. Let that cook for a while, then dump in a jar of Newman's Own black bean and corn salsa. I like to add a can of corn--the burst of sweetness and the kernels' crunch is a nice foil to the smooth and spicy tofu. If we're super hungry, I'll put in a can of black beans for an added kick of protein.

When we had black bean and corn tofu scramble a few weekends ago, I made corn muffins to go with it, using special stone-ground corn meal that my mom got me from the Dexter Grist Mill on Cape Cod. Here's my veganized version of their corn muffin recipe:

3/4 cup corn meal
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup soy milk
egg replacer equivalent to two eggs (I use Ener-G)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in wet ingredients until well mixed. Bake in greased metal or ungreased silicone muffin tray at 425 F for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Just another lonely wife post.

Another work week, another five days without my husband. Such is the life of a field service technician's wife. I guess I'll have to get used to this "single" life now that Jason is going back in the Navy. Those trips are oh, so much longer--and there are no nightly phone calls from an aircraft carrier.

I remember being so relieved when Jason decided to leave the Navy a couple of years ago. Not because he was getting out, but because he wouldn't have to go on the six-month cruise his squadron was scheduled to take. I got an ache in my chest and started to tremble all over every time I thought about him leaving. I'm still not crazy about him being gone for months at a time, of course, but if I have to be left alone someplace for a long time, I'd rather it be... well, not here. And somehow, I feel more comfortable now with the thought of him going on cruise. I don't know why. Perhaps it's only because there's not a cruise looming on the horizon. Maybe I'll go back to my old ways once he's back in and the plans are made. But I also feel more settled in our marriage, and better able to weather any storms that come our way. We've sailed through our fair share of rough waters since we moved to Massachusetts--things that I have talked about on this blog, but mostly things that I have not. I have grown up a lot while dealing with these things, and Jason has too. We are stronger for having dealt with them, and so is our relationship.

I think I'll always have trouble falling asleep when he's not there for me to nestle against, though. Thus the reason I am still awake.

Keyword Roundup, Volume 4

to-drunk blogspot - main page. Are you drunk, Virginia Beach?

Renée en Heidi, Heidi Renée and Heidi Renée back - main page.

engagement stories during Christmas - the best Christmas present I ever got. Now my little sissy has a Christmas engagement story, too!

baby name Renée - main page. Remember to use an accent aigu, not an apostrophe, Averill Park, New York.

Cheesecake Factory Georgia Peach recipe - Keyword Roundup, Volume 3.

big boobs mature blogspot - main page. This is not that kind of blog, Bath, England.

how to give a non-engagement ring - the best Christmas present I ever got. Well, Cinncinati, you can say, "Here, this is for you. But I don't want to marry you." Simple!

I saw him and knew I wanted to marry him - How I knew. He's mine, all mine, Nanaimo, British Columbia.

Renée stuff - Stuff I like, Volume 2.

fatty Heidi - Fatty Fat and the Wii Fit. It's true, Paris, France. I have The Fat right now.

Renée mature feet - main page. No way, Italy. No way.

Vej Naturals - main page. Give it a try, New York, if you're making the trip to Massachusetts.

New Years Eve engagement stories - the best Christmas present I ever got. Good luck, Fort Wayne.

Renée July - July 2008 archive page.

dinner out, his, hers, long weekend coin jar - July 2008 archive page. Ummm... OK, Orlando.

10 inches hair gone site:blogspot.com - November 2008 archive page.

Renée desperate to pee - main page. Pervert alert in Eastpointe, Michigan!

First post of the year...

...and there's not much to say, other than: Happy January, Internet!

Jason and I rang in 2009 with a delicious Tofurky dinner and glasses of champagne on the couch--an excellent way to do it, if I do say so myself. A few short hours later, he was off to the airport to go to Arkansas for work. That man never rests. The good thing about it is that he'll be paid double time for working on a holiday, so he's not complaining. He would have flown out yesterday, but the snowstorms in the Northeast grounded every flight out of Boston and Manchester. We were expecting to miss out on new year's eve together, but we got to do it up right after all, so hooray for that.

Today I'm relaxing in front of the TV with a homemade latté spiked with amaretto, switching between watching the Red Wings play the Blackhawks outside at Wrigley Field and Michigan State play Georgia in the Capital One Bowl. I wish I could figure out how to watch both at once because, honestly, how can I possibly choose? Sadly for me, I can't figure out how to do picture-in-picture on our TV.

In an interesting piece of "small world" trivia, there was a picture of some members of the Spartan Marching Band on the back of the Tofurky box.

WE'RE EVERYWHERE.