This photo was taken in 1984. My sister and I are with our grandmother, Mammie, at our grandparents' house. I'm the clown.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween!
This photo was taken in 1984. My sister and I are with our grandmother, Mammie, at our grandparents' house. I'm the clown.
This photo was taken in 1984. My sister and I are with our grandmother, Mammie, at our grandparents' house. I'm the clown.
Justin, I'm sorry I broke the handle on your car door.
The photos below are of the passenger side interior door handle that used to be on Justin's car. I am apparently stronger than I realize because I grabbed the handle yesterday and heard a little crack. I sheepishly turned my head and looked at Justin and he was looking at me with his jaw dropped. I smiled at him, but he didn't respond with a smile. I mentioned that it got cold the night before and that might have made the plastic brittle. I didn't buy that excuse and I know he didn't either. In my defense, I didn't completely break the handle off the door. These photos were taken after Justin removed the damaged part so he could find the part online.
I had to ride with my hands in my lap because I was afraid of touching anything else. I was also afraid I might grab the handle and completely remove it from the door. Justin didn't kill me, so I was happy. Surprisingly, he wasn't mad at all. I love him!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Dog Training: Week 3
We completed our third dog training class last night. Pete and Annabelle are doing well. Pete still won't participate in class, but she's getting better.
I arrived at Petsmart about twenty-five minutes early. I gathered our stuff, got leashes on the dogs, and headed inside. I carried Pete since she refuses to walk in the parking lot. We wandered around the store for a few minutes (I was still carrying Pete) until we ran into our instructor. He let us go in the room early, which was nice so Pete and Annabelle could explore without the other dogs and people and without leashes. That's probably a big no-no, but I did it anyway. They really enjoyed it and sniffed everywhere! They spotted Justin when he was walking toward the classroom and they were trying so hard to get through that glass wall.
Last week, we practiced the "down" command. Their underbelly is supposed to be on the ground. Annabelle does really well with this. We haven't gotten Pete down, yet. She sits, but when I move my hand down lower and say, "Down", her rear end pops up and her head goes down. We're working on it. They both have "sit", which is really good.
We began working on "leave it" this week. The "leave it" command is to get the dog to stop any undesirable behavior, like barking or sniffing things while walking. Justin worked with Anne during class and I think she obeyed the command a few times in class. I got Pete to actually take a treat from me this week. She immediately spit it out, but she did take it. She does much better at home.
We also began working on loose leash walking. Your dog is supposed to walk beside you, not in front. Your dog is also supposed to keep your pace and not try to run ahead. This isn't a huge problem with Pete, but Annabelle will drag you when we take walks. We practiced this in the store last night. We took our dogs to different aisles and were supposed to teach them to walk beside us. Pete wouldn't walk, as usual. Annabelle walked, but it was to the shelf so she could try to see Pete underneath the shelf on the next aisle. It was great. I eventually got Pete to walk with me around the store. I didn't stop and give treats like we were supposed to. I was just glad she was walking.
We also began practicing the "stay" command. The instructor introduced this at the end of week 2, so we started working on it last week. They're getting better.
He also taught the "come to me" command. Anne did this very well. When it was Pete's turn to come to me, she just sat and looked at me. I joked that she was practicing "stay". She eventually started walking, but it was toward Justin and Annabelle.
I arrived at Petsmart about twenty-five minutes early. I gathered our stuff, got leashes on the dogs, and headed inside. I carried Pete since she refuses to walk in the parking lot. We wandered around the store for a few minutes (I was still carrying Pete) until we ran into our instructor. He let us go in the room early, which was nice so Pete and Annabelle could explore without the other dogs and people and without leashes. That's probably a big no-no, but I did it anyway. They really enjoyed it and sniffed everywhere! They spotted Justin when he was walking toward the classroom and they were trying so hard to get through that glass wall.
Last week, we practiced the "down" command. Their underbelly is supposed to be on the ground. Annabelle does really well with this. We haven't gotten Pete down, yet. She sits, but when I move my hand down lower and say, "Down", her rear end pops up and her head goes down. We're working on it. They both have "sit", which is really good.
We began working on "leave it" this week. The "leave it" command is to get the dog to stop any undesirable behavior, like barking or sniffing things while walking. Justin worked with Anne during class and I think she obeyed the command a few times in class. I got Pete to actually take a treat from me this week. She immediately spit it out, but she did take it. She does much better at home.
We also began working on loose leash walking. Your dog is supposed to walk beside you, not in front. Your dog is also supposed to keep your pace and not try to run ahead. This isn't a huge problem with Pete, but Annabelle will drag you when we take walks. We practiced this in the store last night. We took our dogs to different aisles and were supposed to teach them to walk beside us. Pete wouldn't walk, as usual. Annabelle walked, but it was to the shelf so she could try to see Pete underneath the shelf on the next aisle. It was great. I eventually got Pete to walk with me around the store. I didn't stop and give treats like we were supposed to. I was just glad she was walking.
We also began practicing the "stay" command. The instructor introduced this at the end of week 2, so we started working on it last week. They're getting better.
He also taught the "come to me" command. Anne did this very well. When it was Pete's turn to come to me, she just sat and looked at me. I joked that she was practicing "stay". She eventually started walking, but it was toward Justin and Annabelle.
They've been hanging out with me in the guest room this afternoon. They're behaving so well.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Grilled Halibut
About a month ago, I visited my aunt and uncle and I was sent home with some fish my uncle caught while on a fishing trip to British Columbia, Canada. I cooked the salmon fillet shortly after the visit and it was delicious. I decided to cook the halibut last night. I think it was the first time I've had a halibut fillet and it was very tasty.
I sauteed some squash and zucchini as a side dish.
After chopping the veggies, I heated a little olive oil in a pan and added a little minced garlic. After that cooked for a few seconds, I added the squash and zucchini with a little more olive oil and some salt and pepper. I sauteed that for about ten or so minutes and it was done.
After chopping the veggies, I heated a little olive oil in a pan and added a little minced garlic. After that cooked for a few seconds, I added the squash and zucchini with a little more olive oil and some salt and pepper. I sauteed that for about ten or so minutes and it was done.
I thawed the halibut in some warm water and then removed it from the pouch. I cut it in half (Like I said last time, cutting through fish skin gives me the heebie jeebies.) and patted it dry. I splashed a little lemon juice on it then added some olive oil and salt and pepper.
I preheated the grill for about ten or so minutes and then I added the fish. I used grill-safe aluminum foil so that clean up would be easy. I started the fish with the skin side up and cooked it like that for about three or four minutes. I then flipped it and finished grilling it skin side down for about five or six minutes.
I served the fish and veggies with rice pilaf with almonds. It was all very yummy!
Thanks Uncle Frank and Aunt Susan! Justin and I enjoyed the halibut!
Lenox Cupcakes
I mentioned that I purchased some cupcakes for the eye doctor and his staff after the "incident" last week. I'd seen some reviews of Lenox Cupcakes online and wanted to try them. I love cupcakes! After I ate lunch, I headed to Phipps Plaza, which is where Lenox Cupcakes is located. I parked in the parking deck and just happened to park pretty close to the escalator that took me right to Lenox Cupcakes. Yay me!
It looked like they had gotten in a shipment of new boxes or tables or something because the store was kind of a mess. It wasn't dirty, but a little messy. That didn't bother me at all. I've worked retail and know that you will get in the middle of something and the entire town decides to come shop. The lady behind the counter was finishing up with another customer, so that gave me some time to pick out the cupcakes I wanted. I chose two caramel vanilla, two red velvet, and two chocolate/vanilla cupcakes as my gift. I also purchased a caramel vanilla and a pumpkin spice for me to share with Justin. The cupcakes are $2.50 each, which is about what other bakeries charge. These are standard size cupcakes with lots of icing.
I dropped off the box at the doctor's office and headed home. I waited a few hours before I tried some of the caramel vanilla cupcake. I was actually slightly disappointed. The cake was a little dry and the icing was nothing special. The cupcake did have a gooey caramel filling that was unexpected and good. I didn't hate the cupcake, but in my opinion, it wasn't anything special. When Justin got home, he tried a bite of the pumpkin cupcake and then moved on to the caramel vanilla one. He said he liked the caramel vanilla one better. I tried the pumpkin one and loved it! It was fantastic! The cake was moist, but not too moist, and the icing was perfect. It was light and fluffy cream cheese icing. Mmmm... Justin actually preferred the caramel vanilla cupcake and I preferred the pumpkin cupcake.
I'll probably visit Lenox Cupcakes again in the near future. Maybe they'll still have the pumpkin cupcakes.
It looked like they had gotten in a shipment of new boxes or tables or something because the store was kind of a mess. It wasn't dirty, but a little messy. That didn't bother me at all. I've worked retail and know that you will get in the middle of something and the entire town decides to come shop. The lady behind the counter was finishing up with another customer, so that gave me some time to pick out the cupcakes I wanted. I chose two caramel vanilla, two red velvet, and two chocolate/vanilla cupcakes as my gift. I also purchased a caramel vanilla and a pumpkin spice for me to share with Justin. The cupcakes are $2.50 each, which is about what other bakeries charge. These are standard size cupcakes with lots of icing.
I dropped off the box at the doctor's office and headed home. I waited a few hours before I tried some of the caramel vanilla cupcake. I was actually slightly disappointed. The cake was a little dry and the icing was nothing special. The cupcake did have a gooey caramel filling that was unexpected and good. I didn't hate the cupcake, but in my opinion, it wasn't anything special. When Justin got home, he tried a bite of the pumpkin cupcake and then moved on to the caramel vanilla one. He said he liked the caramel vanilla one better. I tried the pumpkin one and loved it! It was fantastic! The cake was moist, but not too moist, and the icing was perfect. It was light and fluffy cream cheese icing. Mmmm... Justin actually preferred the caramel vanilla cupcake and I preferred the pumpkin cupcake.
I'll probably visit Lenox Cupcakes again in the near future. Maybe they'll still have the pumpkin cupcakes.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
My niece turns fifteen today!
I cannot believe my niece is already fifteen! I feel so old!
She is only a couple of months old in this photo. She was a tiny baby and had actually put on some weight in this photo.
I think she was eight or nine months old in this photo. She had filled out nicely by this age.
She was four in this photo. She was as sweet as she looks.
She was seven years old when she was my flower girl.
Doesn't she look angelic?
This was taken last December at our cousin's wedding. She is fourteen in this photo.
She is only a couple of months old in this photo. She was a tiny baby and had actually put on some weight in this photo.
I think she was eight or nine months old in this photo. She had filled out nicely by this age.
She was four in this photo. She was as sweet as she looks.
She was seven years old when she was my flower girl.
Doesn't she look angelic?
This was taken last December at our cousin's wedding. She is fourteen in this photo.
She gets to take the driving test to get her learner's permit on Tuesday (The DMV isn't open on Mondays.). I can remember how excited I was before I turned fifteen and I know she is, too.
Happy fifteenth birthday!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Optometrist visit and a vasovagal episode
I last saw the eye doctor just under two years ago. I wasn't having vision problems, but figured I needed to find a doctor in Atlanta and get my eyes checked. I researched optometrists that are in our insurance network and decided to make an appointment with Optique Atlanta. Their location is good and they are open on Saturdays. They also had good ratings at various websites. My appointment was yesterday morning.
After filling out the usual paperwork, I waited for minute or so before one of the ladies took me to the room to do the pretests. It was painless and over in a few minutes. I then waited for about five or ten minutes to be taken back to the doctor's exam room. He chatted with me about my eyes for a couple of minutes and then got to work. After the usual stuff, he asked about dialating my eyes. He recommended it since I hadn't had it done in the last few years. I agreed and he said first he was going to do the glaucoma test. He doesn't do the "puff test". The puff test is when they have you look at a light in a machine and then a quick puff of air is shot into your eye to check the pressure in your eye. My previous doctor had lots of trouble catching my eye open for this test. I was anticipating the puff and blinked very rapidly. I'm not sure that he ever got an accurate reading.
This doctor uses a different method for the glaucoma test. He puts a couple of numbing drops into each eye and then uses a device that's about the size of a writing pen with a rubber tip to touch each eye and check the pressure. It was completely painless and actually much quicker than the puff test. Within a few seconds of him putting the numbing drops in my eyes, I began to feel super anxious and knew what was coming. A vasovagal episode. This happens every time I have blood drawn, but it has never happened at the eye doctor. I was embarrassed but there was nothing I could do about it. Once it starts, it has to run it course. The doctor sensed that something wasn't right and asked if I was ok. I mentioned that I had just gotten very nauseous and didn't feel well. He said he's had a few patients who have had this reaction to the numbing drops. I don't think my body is reacting to the actual drop. I think it's more of a psychological reaction to them.
He very quickly (maybe two seconds) finished the test and got me to prop up my feet. He leaned the chair back and turned off the lights. He turned down the air and it got pretty cool in the room. After getting me some water, he said he would leave me in the room for a few minutes while it passed and would check on me then. I sat there for about five minutes and eventually calmed down. I never passed out, but I was close. My lips were numb, my hearing got muffled, and I was freezing. He returned and said that he didn't think dialating my eyes would be a good idea and I agreed. He said he's had people slide out of the chair and onto the floor at the foot of the chair after he dialated them. I didn't want to be that person. We finished up and I went out to pay. I was mortified. After about ten minutes, I began sweating profusely and I felt just awful. I spent a few minutes in the waiting room while the lady finished up the paperwork and that helped me get even better before I left. When I got to my car, I turned on the air to cool me down. After a minute or two, I was freezing again.
I took it easy for the rest of the day. I was ok, but I didn't feel 100%. On a positive note, my prescription appears to be nearly the same. He did find astigmatism, but said it was minor and he wouldn't recommend any corrective lenses for it. Woo hoo! On a another positive note, they no longer make the contacts I was wearing so I'm trying out a new brand. So far, they're great. I did not realize how much my last contacts didn't allow my eye to breathe. These feel like I'm not wearing anything. Naturally, these cost more. Not a lot, but more.
Georgia Power was doing some work across the street from our house, so we didn't have electricity when I got home. It wasn't too bad, but I ate in silence and in slight darkness. After I ate lunch and allowed some of the lunch traffic to die down, I headed to Lenox Cupcakes to treat myself and to buy a thank you treat for Dr. Moresi and his staff. Anyone who can deal with my freakish reactions to eye drops is great in my book and deserves a cupcake or two. I'll tell you about Lenox Cupcakes later.
After filling out the usual paperwork, I waited for minute or so before one of the ladies took me to the room to do the pretests. It was painless and over in a few minutes. I then waited for about five or ten minutes to be taken back to the doctor's exam room. He chatted with me about my eyes for a couple of minutes and then got to work. After the usual stuff, he asked about dialating my eyes. He recommended it since I hadn't had it done in the last few years. I agreed and he said first he was going to do the glaucoma test. He doesn't do the "puff test". The puff test is when they have you look at a light in a machine and then a quick puff of air is shot into your eye to check the pressure in your eye. My previous doctor had lots of trouble catching my eye open for this test. I was anticipating the puff and blinked very rapidly. I'm not sure that he ever got an accurate reading.
This doctor uses a different method for the glaucoma test. He puts a couple of numbing drops into each eye and then uses a device that's about the size of a writing pen with a rubber tip to touch each eye and check the pressure. It was completely painless and actually much quicker than the puff test. Within a few seconds of him putting the numbing drops in my eyes, I began to feel super anxious and knew what was coming. A vasovagal episode. This happens every time I have blood drawn, but it has never happened at the eye doctor. I was embarrassed but there was nothing I could do about it. Once it starts, it has to run it course. The doctor sensed that something wasn't right and asked if I was ok. I mentioned that I had just gotten very nauseous and didn't feel well. He said he's had a few patients who have had this reaction to the numbing drops. I don't think my body is reacting to the actual drop. I think it's more of a psychological reaction to them.
He very quickly (maybe two seconds) finished the test and got me to prop up my feet. He leaned the chair back and turned off the lights. He turned down the air and it got pretty cool in the room. After getting me some water, he said he would leave me in the room for a few minutes while it passed and would check on me then. I sat there for about five minutes and eventually calmed down. I never passed out, but I was close. My lips were numb, my hearing got muffled, and I was freezing. He returned and said that he didn't think dialating my eyes would be a good idea and I agreed. He said he's had people slide out of the chair and onto the floor at the foot of the chair after he dialated them. I didn't want to be that person. We finished up and I went out to pay. I was mortified. After about ten minutes, I began sweating profusely and I felt just awful. I spent a few minutes in the waiting room while the lady finished up the paperwork and that helped me get even better before I left. When I got to my car, I turned on the air to cool me down. After a minute or two, I was freezing again.
I took it easy for the rest of the day. I was ok, but I didn't feel 100%. On a positive note, my prescription appears to be nearly the same. He did find astigmatism, but said it was minor and he wouldn't recommend any corrective lenses for it. Woo hoo! On a another positive note, they no longer make the contacts I was wearing so I'm trying out a new brand. So far, they're great. I did not realize how much my last contacts didn't allow my eye to breathe. These feel like I'm not wearing anything. Naturally, these cost more. Not a lot, but more.
Georgia Power was doing some work across the street from our house, so we didn't have electricity when I got home. It wasn't too bad, but I ate in silence and in slight darkness. After I ate lunch and allowed some of the lunch traffic to die down, I headed to Lenox Cupcakes to treat myself and to buy a thank you treat for Dr. Moresi and his staff. Anyone who can deal with my freakish reactions to eye drops is great in my book and deserves a cupcake or two. I'll tell you about Lenox Cupcakes later.
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