Lacking Excitement

Killer

I haven't participated in anything exciting in weeks...hence the lack of blog posts.

I did have a recent run in with a 24 hour stomach flu that shook things up a bit.... I will spare you the details.

My dog, Butch, killed my neighbor's bunny. It was the bunny's fault. This riled things up in our household for a few hours. As I was sitting at the computer contemplating the circle of life and preparing to write about Butch v. Bunny, I couldn't stop hearing the rabbit's death squeal of panic, echoing in my head... which is why I will not be reminiscing about the event via world wide web.

My brother graduated from Fuller University, with his Master's in Theology this past weekend. It was nice to see my family and to see my brother in all his pomp and circumstance.

One thing I have been doing that I find exciting and slightly addicting, is attending group classes at Crossfit Excel. I could write multiple blogs about Crossfit and my love/hate relationship with it, but I don't know if people really care how much weight I back squatted the other day, how desperate I am to do a pull up, and how my sternum tried to rip itself in two one day.

In a few days we are going to Philadelphia. I have 3 goals while in the city of brotherly love: Eat as many Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches as possible, run up the same steps that Rocky did, and see the Liberty Bell.

While we are there, I know that many exciting things will occur. Don't you worry, I will blog about them.

30 Days of Blogging: Day 16

day 16- a picture of yourself

 
 
This 30 Days of blogging thing sure does want me to post a lot of pictures of myself.  To mix it up, here is a picture of my brother Isaac and I washing our dog Lady. I was probably in 6th grade here and going through my tom boy stage. I remember the shoes I had on were Nike's. I thought they were the coolest shoes in the world. 
 
Isaac's face is pretty hilarious. He was in 8th grade, if I indeed was in 6th. At this time in our lives we were almost the same height.  Sometime in high school he became really tall and I fell behind height wise. It looks like we were having a lot of fun bathing the family pet.

Lady was a boarder collie mix. My parents got her when I was on a trip to Canada with my cousin. I came home and there she was in all her  cute puppyness. My family had already named her Lady. I thought her name needed a little something more so I decided her full name was Princess Lady Oreo Penelope Grossenski the 1st.  The name never really caught on, everyone just continued to call her Lady. Every now and then I would bust out her full name. Lady was a great dog. She didn't live a very long life, maybe 8 years or so. She had a stroke or got into something poisonous (we aren't sure) and had to be put down. My mom and I cried quite a bit when she died. I'm sure my brother and dad secretly also cried. I still miss Lady. She would have gotten along well with Butch and Tayler. I hope she is having fun in pet heaven and hanging out with the various cats we had throughout my childhood: Daisy, Lilly, Peanut, Big Bird and Tellie as well as my hamster Squiggles and my mouse Stinky.

For the Love of Fall

Inspired by a refreshing change in the weather, this blog is about Fall. Fall gets a 9 out of 10 on my season likeability scale. Like most of my statistics, this doesn’t mean much. By the time a new season comes around I decide I am over the previous one and go on to claim the new season as my favorite. Nevertheless, fall is currently my favorite season. Fall means many things to me…

                                                          It means a change in the leaves

It means my favorite brown suede flats

Fall means a cheaper electric bill

(Cha ching!)

Fall means back to school (as a teacher) for Danny

(Doesn't he look handsome in his faculty picture?)

….Which means a happier me

(I'm kidding about that one...mostly)

Fall means mashed sweet potatoes and cinnamon.

Yum

Fall means less sweaty workouts.

(Okay this is me as a sweaty hiker, no one wants to see me working out...)

Fall = Apples.

(Yes...that's mini Jessica)

Fall means Halloween!

Autumn is a season of joyous celebration because this dog:

Butchie

Sheds less

There's more where that came from!

and this lady....has less sweeping to do!

Hallelujah!

Fall means leggings!

...and cardigans

...and pea coats

Oh my!

Octoberfest

Esme and Jude celebrate...

 

Pumpkin coffee...

Pumpkin candles...

Pumpkin everything...

Fall means turkey.

Tis the season for better sleep for this day time-sleeping, night shift-working, girl...

Better sleep for the dogs too...

More crock pot days...

More reading days...

...For the LOVE of FALL...

Silly Stuff

Butch is also a fan of polka dots.

Pinecrest: Not even half of the Hike to Half Dome

No need to worry, I have not forgotten my bucket list. In fact, I am often thinking about all the things I need to accomplish, along with what to make for dinner. So while my naturally raised leg of lamb is roasting in the oven, I shall write about one of my many preparative Half Dome hikes.

God didn’t make the world in a day and I can’t expect myself to suddenly be able to hike Half Dome in that time. I need to prepare myself by training and hiking and because I am not God, it is going to take me more than 6 days with a day of rest to do so. So besides working out, I plan on going on many hiking adventures before the big trek.

Although it is definitely not my first time hiking, Pinecrest 2010 was my first time hiking with bigger things in mind. I borrowed my friend Lindsey (I like to call her Lindsey #2 as I have two Lindsey friends and it gets very confusing) who enjoys hiking as well as my amazing company and off we went. We decided to take our two little dogs with us. The hike around Pinecrest Lake is a novice hike, that even my out of shape Pugapoo, Tayler, should be able to handle. Lindsey’s little dog, Coco, is in much better hiking condition than Tayler.

Pinecrest reminds me of my childhood. It is close to the central valley in the Sierras. My parents would rent various cabins up there in the summer time and take my brother and I along with a few friends. Even though every time I go to Pinecrest as an adult, it seems to get more and more crowded, I still enjoy the small lake, the lack of water skiers, and the fresh air.

Lindsey and I actually hiked Pinecrest Lake with our friends last year  during a camping excursion so it was nice to have that for fitness comparison purposes. The hike around the lake is only 3.9 miles with minimal climbs in elevation. However, Tayler would probably disagree with the elevation statement. Despite this fact, both Lindsey and I remembered being a little winded towards the end: A sign of my former lack of cardiovascular endurance.

The hike never veers far from the lake. Lindsey, Tayler, Coco, and I started off on the easier side. We passed multiple dogs and fishermen, and to my surprise Tayler was so excited about his first hike, he didn’t even care about the other dogs.

I must have got distracted by one of the many picturesque views of the lake, because suddenly I found myself flat on the ground, hands forward, like I was trying to swim in the dirt or pretending to be Superman. I did not yell or scream…as I just don’t have a very loud voice, but I did say ouch. Lindsey turned around, bewildered, and asked if I was okay. I got up and dusted myself off, not wanting to appear like a pansy and said yes. Both of my palms and my knee were bleeding quite a bit. I decided to clean off my wounds with dirty lake water…. I then remembered that I had borrowed Danny’s backpack and he had some Band-Aids and Neosporin in it. Perfect. I gobbed the Neosporin on my wounds and quickly deemed the Band-Aids useless as they were too small.

The hike had barely begun and my bucket list was waiting, so we continued on. My knee was pretty tore up and the wound decided to start dripping blood down my leg. I decided it made me look either tough or creepy. As I saw it, both are an advantage for two young lady hikers with dogs the size of infants.

We hiked past the half way mark where the bridge crosses the rushing water that pours into the lake. We ventured some more then took a rest to eat a snack and give the dogs some water. While we were munching on apples and salami and the dogs were fighting over treats, we realized we were sitting in about one million ants. They were the gross big kind, so we decided snack time was over and ventured on.

The second half of Pinecrest is the more difficult side, comparatively. There are lots of steps. During our hike last year, we had to stop a few times to catch our breaths. This time was a different story. Although Tayler was starting to drag his head, my head was up. Lindsey and I agreed that we felt great. We made it past the worst part with minor increases in our heart rates and headed toward the dam.

The dam is a special place for Lindsey. Years ago, Lindsey’s brother in law’s dog, Goose, had a fatal accident at the dam. He fell down the steep side of the dam. Lindsey’s brother in law could not rescue the dog because the water was flowing too rapidly from all the snow melt. Once the snow melt had died off, they went back to search for the dog and found that Goose had gone to doggy heaven. Whenever Lindsey goes on the hike she always throws a dog treat down to the spot where they had found Goose. Lindsey threw a treat on our hike, as Coco, Tayler, and I watched in silence.

We crossed another bridge from the dam to the last part of the hike. I had to carry Tayler across the bridge, because it was made of a see through grid-like metal, and he was determined not to set foot on it. I didn’t mind carrying him, as I often pretend he is my little baby. There is a short distance left after the dam with more ups and downs. We finished up the hike feeling good despite my bloody wounds.

Lindsey brought gourmet dog treats for the dogs, and as a reward for our hard work we purchased soft serve cones at the popular snack shack. It was a great day and a great hike.

For my next hike, I am going to ask Danny to pick one that is a bit more challenging. I feel like I am ready for some heavy breathing and sore muscles. However, Tayler is not ready, and he will not be coming on my next hike. Sorry Tayler. I can’t wait to breathe in some fresh mountain air and go on my next Half Dome preparation hike.

Silly Stuff

This is an art piece, in our collection, that we like to call:

 Tayler, the Dragon Slayer.

Tayler, our little dog, is a model in his spare time.

(This painting is actually titled George and the Dragon, by John Meyers)

A Stoked Shampooer

There is something so insanely gratifying about shampooing a carpet, that even on my birthday, a day for relaxation and ice cream, I wanted nothing more than to break out the shampooer. The Bissell Proheat Turbo 2x was one of a few gifts from my dear Danny. (One of them was a Himalayan Salt Stone, but that’s for another blog…) Now before all the women become furious that Danny would get me such a domestically insulting present, let me explain that I wanted it. I’ve wanted a shampooer ever since we lived in our dinky little apartment and I borrowed my mother in laws. I saw it work its magic on my puppy stained beige carpets, and I was sold. From soiled to saintly…my carpets transformed before my eyes like magic. I was in love.

Since that day, I have dreamed about owning a shampooer. Two dogs that are allowed outside and in, as well as a husband who is allowed outside and in, will make most people at least pay Stanley Steamers to come out for a cleaning. But I wanted more, I wanted the ability to clean my sofa when I felt like it, and now I have that ability.

My cotton covered couch and chairs have been around since the early nineties. They survived me, my brother, and the family dog Lady (RIP) and have served us Lehrs for almost 5 years now. It was either time to get new furniture, call Coit, or get a shampooer. I preferred the latter, so I could get a few more years out of the furniture and clean the bedroom carpets whenever I felt like it.

Like Danny usually does, he went all out. He got me a near professional grade shampooer. There is a heat button, so that I can make the already hot tap water 25 degrees hotter. There are about 5 different attachments so that I can get all the nooks and crannies. One of the attachments has a separate solution holder, for those really tough jobs. It also has double the brushes, to really scrub those carpets. No, Bissell is not paying me for this blog, I’m just very excited…

Today I used the cleaner on one of my chairs. This is the chair that Butch likes to crawl into at night (even though he is not allowed to) and get his filth all over. The chair is plaid and is navy blue with white. Let me correct myself, the white had turned to a disturbing off white. I tried all sorts of hand spray upholstery cleaners, with little success. I covered the chair with a blanket, knowing that in the wee hours of the night Butch will get on the chair, yet still the blanket would shift…causing me a great deal of agony.

I attacked the chair with the hand tool labeled “upholstery brush.” I also used the “crevice tool” for the hard to reach places. I used the cleaning solution that it came with and went to town. At first I was just going to do an inconspicuous place to make sure the fabric didn’t bleed, but I just couldn’t hold back my excitement and figured it would be fine. It was. It was more than fine, it was fantastic. The yellowy beige parts are now white. The most satisfying part was watching the yucky dirty water get sucked back up into the vacuum. If I could compare the feeling to anything, I would say it is like when a respiratory therapist suctions one of our baby's nostrils/endotracheal tube and gets a giant glob out. Yes, it was that satisfying.

Now that I have my shampooer, there are endless cleaning possibilities. I can even get an attachment to clean my wood floors! I am not a clean freak, just a stoked shampooer. Perhaps tomorrow I will clean the other chair, or the couch…or the spot that was left over from the previous owner in the guest bedroom. Watch out world, my Bissell Proheat Turbo 2x is on the attack!

Jumanji

The little old lady who lived in the house before us was a gardener. She kept the yard up exquisitely. During escrow, I would drive by and look at the house…out of pure excitement, and see the 70 something old lady mowing the lawn, with her big straw hat on. The back yard was even more immaculate than the front. Neatly trimmed trees lined the fences all the way around to create a sense of privacy, soft clover cushioned the tree roots underneath. The koi pond was clear as day, no algae (no fish either because her cleaning secret was chlorine). The lawn looked like something out of Better Homes and Gardens. There was one plant that the old lady could not tame…in this pristine manicured garden she could not tame Jumanji.

Jumanji is not the actual name of this plant. My mother in law thought it was Elephant Ear, and although the leaves are the size of an elephant's ear, it is actually called a Split Leaf something or other. Jumanji is a tropical plant. Why the little old lady decided to plant Jumanji is a mystery. Everything about the yard was so neat, sort of English gardenish… Okay, I’ll admit I don’t know a lot about gardening, but it really does look out of place. Perhaps Jumanji preceded the little old lady? She probably tried to tame it, but soon realized like the Siegfried and Roy tiger… no one tames Jumanji.

The plant is nick named Jumanji for the movie, Jumanji, with Robin Williams. The movie is about a jungle safari board game that comes to life and the problems that result. The plant is similar to the creepy vines that take over the whole house and try capturing the little children and squeezing them to death. Our Jumanji has a root that grows, not in the soil like a normal plant, but half way down the side of our house on the cement. One day I will be in the back yard and almost out of nowhere another root will be creeping its way toward our house, attempting a takeover.

Every now and then, Danny and I attempt to restore the yard to its former glory. We get out the trimmers and hack away at Jumanji. Within a week the plant will look like it has never been trimmed.

During the spring/summer months, Jumanji blossoms. Its flowers are not delicate, beautiful, or sweet smelling. Instead they are phallus like, and ooze a yellow puss looking liquid that smells like pollen smothered with sour milk. If I am pruning the plant at this time, I always wear gloves….the ooze will probably mutate me into some crazy X Men character.

So Jumanji stays. It is more powerful than pruning shears and at times creates a child like fear in me. The only time when I feel a sense of victory over Jumanji, is when Tayler and Butch are let outside and immediately mark their territory on the jungle plant.

And the Lion shall lay down with the Lamb

Periodically Danny and I will be lounging around, cuddling with the dogs, and I’ll say to Danny, “I don’t want these dogs to die.” I go on to talk about how devastated I will be. I love my dogs very much. They are crazy, but I wouldn’t mind having my crazy dogs around forever.

When I was little I would always turn to my mom for biblical advice. Of course of utmost importance was whether or not my pets would go to heaven. She always told me she thought so, because the bible says, “And the Lion shall lay down with the lamb.” Butch and Tayler kind of look like the dog version of a lion and a lamb. Plus Disney made a movie, All Dogs go to Heaven, and Disney never lies.

It turns out the actual verse in the New International Version is from Isaiah 11:6 “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, and the calf and the lion and the yearling together…” I understand that this is more of a picture of the peacefulness of heaven, but I’m happy that it mentions a wolf, because they are so closely related to dogs.

I’m no theologian, but I’m sure this verse doesn’t promise my puppies will go to heaven. If there is a dog heaven, they certainly deserve entry though. They aren’t the most well behaved dogs in the world, but they are full of love. Tayler loves everyone. He is always a willing cuddler for even strangers. Butch is similar. Butch is too big to sit on someone’s lap, but he will come over and rest his head on your leg if you need puppy love or not. 1 Corinthians 14:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

My thoughts about dogs going heaven, made me wonder about bugs. Bugs are animals too. I wonder if they will go to heaven. I can handle most bugs. Spiders, ants, and beetles are fine, as long as the ants stay out of my kitchen. But I don’t think flies should be allowed in heaven. I hope God doesn’t want them in heaven either.

My image of heaven includes my dogs. It also includes my long gone Himalayan, crossed- eyed, cat, Big Bird, along with my recently passed, sweet black cat Daisy. My Border Collie Lady, who died way too soon, would be there as well. My angora rabbit Rosie should go to heaven. My rodents Stinky the mouse and Squiggles the hamster should go to heaven too, except God will have to tell Squiggles she can’t bite me anymore. The turtle Fredericka, who we still don’t know if it was a boy or a girl, will be there. The frog Larry and toad Lawrence both caught at Livermore Lab by my dad, are heaven worthy. All the rollie pollies that I kept in jars under my bed when I was 5 should go too. Their death was my fault, because I didn’t punch enough holes in their little terrariums. There are others pets we had that should get a pass too.

Presently, all I can do is take my dogs on a walk and try not to feed them too many table scraps. My image of heaven could be way off. Maybe the only animal allowed in heaven will be flies. That seems more like a description of hell though. Tonight I will say a prayer for my pups entry into heaven and for long healthy lives. It may be silly, but in my heart, I really think they will be there.