Trip to Pet Supermarket

Hubby and I spent Saturday running errands, one of which included buying cat and dog toys at Pet Supermarket at New Hope Commons. We decided it would be a good idea to show our pets how much we love them during the baby welcoming transition.
In Aisle 1, between the catnip-filled mice and the feather cat teasers, was a selection of muzzles for cats. In the photo you can see that this particular muzzle covers not only the mouth but also the cat's eyes.
For one thing, who hates their cat's meow so much they wish to muzzle them? But to cover the poor kitty's eyes! I am very saddened by this product. Perhaps it serves a much larger purpose – one that I cannot imagine.

The final photo

Here I am, soon-to-be proud mama, very bloated at 9 months pregnant. The bedroom slippers match the dress perfectly, don't you think?
Hubby and I are hoping to meet baby Caleb within the week. If he decides to be stubborn, which many babies tend to do, we will be induced on Friday, September 4th. It's hard to believe I'll be a mother a week from now. Just when I thought this day would never come, it's about to greet me full force. Excited doesn't begin to describe the feeling. We'll keep everyone posted – probably via text message. A blog post of baby pics will come as soon as I can manage to learn how to cradle a baby in one arm and a computer mouse in the other.

Yoga-ahhhhh

A friend lent me a Yoga for Pregnancy workout video about a month ago. I FINALLY cracked it open this past weekend, fully expecting the worst. I haven’t done yoga in months and was dreading the stretching out of unused muscles. As it turns out, yoga for pregnant women is very easy. We are more pliable than usual; maybe because of the widening of hips in preparation for childbirth...I’m not really sure.
The yoga video was not so much physically challenging, but was more mentally painful. You see, most yoga instructors are very earthy. They speak with hushed tones as if they are attempting to lull you to sleep. They talk constantly about being one with our heart centers and with the earth. It can be wonderfully relaxing and at the same time very obnoxious.
Within the first 2 minutes of pushing play on the video, I knew that the yoga instructor and I were not going to get along. I had made up my mind. Let’s start with her name, Shiva. It’s the name of a Hindu God. I mean, I already knew she was into yoga. Her name didn’t have to be defined by the exercise as well.
Shiva began the workout with a series of inhalations and exhalations, only she mispronounced the word ‘exhale’ throughout the entire video. Instead of ex-hale, she said it eck-sail. Exhale is a word that is used often in practicing yoga. I’ll estimate we use it about every 10 seconds. That makes for a lot of ‘eck-sails’ within an hour-long workout video.
Then there was the wardrobe issue. Each of the three pregnant yoga ladies on the video was wearing a pant-suit unitard in solid colors of burgundy, eggplant, and hunter green. Shiva the instructor wasn’t actually pregnant during filming. She had been pregnant before and was now SUPER skinny. No 9-months pregnant woman wants to see a SUPER skinny athlete in spandex. The other two ladies were very pregnant. So that’s why I can’t understand how the producers got them to agree to wear the unitards. Spandex and I currently aren’t getting along.
Can I end by saying that the other two ladies’ names were Poppy and Britta. There were no Rachel’s, Elizabeth’s, or Heather’s. I was in the company of Shiva, Poppy, and Britta. And of course my ever-supportive hubby, sitting in the background laughing his as$ off.

Pet training

Here is our brand new pack 'n' play for baby Caleb. Hubby set it up last night after much insistence on my part.


Isn't it beautiful?!

Anyway, the goal for us in having baby equipment set up early is to provide time for the pets to adjust to all the new surroundings so that they won't freak out once Caleb arrives. Freaking out for pets usually translates to massive quantities of cat hairballs, ripped pillows, and using the bathroom outside of the litter box. We are really hoping to avoid all that drama.
A friend who just had a baby – and who also has a cat – suggested we put tape inside the pack 'n' play, and other such equipment. A cat does not like tape on its paws. So the hope is that the cat jumps into the pack 'n' play out of curiosity and desire to claim it as his or her own bed, is surprised by the tape on its feet, and then jumps right back out, fearful of re-entry.
I didn't know if it would work or not, but it was worth a shot, and it was a cheap solution.

Here is the tape-lined pack 'n' play.

We set it up by about 9:30 pm, sat back down to watch a little football, went on a late evening walk with Paxton the dog, and returned to the house to prepare for bed. So far, no cat had seemed even remotely interested in the pack 'n' play.
But in the middle of the night I heard it. The noise was most definitely that of a cat jumping into the pack 'n' play, HATING the sticking tape, and launching itself right back out with a thud on the ground. Sheer horror for a cat. I sat in bed and laughed.
The following morning confirmed what I thought, as some of the tape had shifted.
This method just may work. We'll keep the tape in as long as we need to.

My way of cooking

When you are married to a chef, people often ask if you cook at all. The answer is yes. I cook for myself on the nights that my hubby is working. I have however cooked for him in the past. He is always very kind about it, telling me how wonderful the meal is. He is also a wonderful liar. I cannot cook and I am not creative about my dishes. Hubby loves me yet because I bake – usually chocolate chip cookies or pecan pie.
Having said all that, there are plenty of evenings when hubby does not want to cook when he gets home from work, or when he has a day off, which I can understand 100%. Not only does he not want to cook, but he also does not want to decide what to eat. I have learned the art of decision-making in this regard. I have 4 standard suggestions: BLT sandwich, homemade pizza, fried green tomatoes, or a cheese plate. Hubby is almost always game for one of these and we can usually spend time in the kitchen together preparing them.
Here is last night's dinner (and this morning's breakfast):



It consists of three cheeses:
Manchego (Aged 6 months)
Robusto
Delice De Bourgogne Triple Creme

Two meats:
Soppressata
Fra' Mani Salametto Piccante

Seasoned flatbread crackers, spicy mustard, sliced granny smith apples, grapes, and hubby's homemade pickles

See – I am a chef!!!

Photo of the Day

Heaven in Mrs. Field's Cookie Cake form.

Hubby, myself and two friends threw a small BBQ at our house last Saturday evening. Much too our surprise and delight, the guests showed up bearing gifts and COOKIE CAKE!!!!! The icing on top of the cookie pie spelled out Caleb's name. I thought it was sweet that they chose to spell out his full name. More icing for me!!!!

Dog days of summer

Just when I thought I had seen all forms of maltreatment of dogs here in Durham…

Hubby and I were on our morning walk with Paxton the dog this morning. During these humid mornings we encounter dogs in many forms, shapes and sizes. They all have one thing in common and that is their ability and willingness to bark at us.

There is one dog in particular that lives about a half-mile away from us. He has black and brown shaggy hair and is quite cute. He is also still just a young thing, as we noted his arrival as a puppy only 4 months ago.

When he was just a puppy, his owners allowed him to stay outside unattended on the front porch. As we’d walk by in the mornings, he would dart out into the middle of the road into oncoming traffic, terrifying me to no end. It was a very dangerous situation.

Then his owners got the bright idea to allow him into their air conditioned home, or at least I assume so because hubby nor I nor Paxton saw him for a period of time.

This morning he was back outside. Only, he did not run out into the street to greet us. He was instead chained up to, not a tree, not a doghouse, but a cinder block. The poor dog’s only company was a lone cinder block in the middle of the hot yard, not even a tree to provide shade.

It’s slowly sinking in that Paxton is pretty darn lucky when it comes to being a dog.

Photos of the Day

One thing that has made itself very clear to me during this year of gardening firsts is that the sunflower has to be the easiest-to-grow plant on earth. Hubby and I planted a few sunflower seeds in early spring in soil pods. We basically neglected them for a month until hubby grew tired of seeing them sit pointlessly on our kitchen windowsill. I came home from work one evening to find that he had planted the meager sunflower seedlings in a new flowerbed behind the house. Within just a few weeks, they have grown to be taller than I am and have already produced beautiful blooms. I am amazed at their tolerance.

Things that make me say ahhhhhhh

These days it's the smallest of things that make me feel pampered. Maybe it's just because I'm quite happy as of late, or maybe it's because I relish anything that can help take the focus – while only momentarily – away from my ever-expanding waistline. Actually, I don't think it'll ever be classified as a waistline again, but that's neither here nor there.

Below are my Top Five Things that Make Me Say AHHHHHHHH

#1: Tea light candles and yummy wax melts. I especially love when I have one burning and hubby comes home to exclaim, "Oh the house smells wonderful," as opposed to, "Oh, one of the cats must have just taken a $hit."

I buy my wax melts at A.C. Moore. They always have TONS of flavors. Things like Creme Brulee and Banana Nut Bread.

#2: Fresh orange slices. Something about them, aside from the sweet, ripe juiciness, makes me feel wholesome and refreshed. And unlike peaches, another love of mine, I've never bit into an off-tasting orange. They are always perfect.

#3: My Ped Egg. I'll try to spare you the details, but it's a little egg-shaped device that helps my feet feel very pretty. After I'm done using it, I slather on some Curel foot moisturizer and feel as if I've just left the spa.

#4: Skinny Cow Chocolate Truffle bars. Only 100 calories and absolutely divine.
I don't feel that additional explanation is necessary here.

#5: My favorite t-shirt. A good friend of mine gave this to me my freshman year in college. It belonged to her mom. I think it goes without saying that it has been laundered many times, leaving the fabric uber-soft and tissue-paper thin. It feels oh so good. I wear it as often as possible and I miss it during washings.

Icing on the cake

My beautiful niece Madeline (Magpie) turned 1 year old yesterday!! What an exciting day for her!! Her birthday party was this weekend and she was thrilled to see all her family and friends on the big day.

Look at Magpie in her pretty dress. Her mimi is quite stunning as well.

After a change of clothes, Magpie got to open her gifts. She loved the balloons from her Tia Mel and Uncle Jed.

Here is the adult cake. It was chocolate cake with fluffy white and pink icing, served with cookie dough ice cream – they way to a woman's heart.

And here is little Magpie's cake. This thing was like a foot tall.

Ahhhh....the first bite.

I think someone is pleased. (I wonder why Magpie's mommy is holding a shoe in the background...)

Magpie was quite the little cake eater, only she didn't use her hands. She dove straight in, face first.
Then she discovered how wonderful it feels to squish icing and cake in your hand.

And for the grand finale....Mimi feeding one of Magpie's new toys (her very first cabbage patch doll).

Seeing double

The American Tobacco Trail is a wonderful stretch of paved trails that winds its way through Durham and beyond. It provides miles and miles of shaded outdoor hiking, walking, running, and biking activities for nature lovers and athletes alike. Though there are plenty of sidewalks to be found throughout my neighborhood, I really enjoy taking Paxton the dog for a walk at the American Tobacco Trail whenever time allows. He doesn’t complain either, as it provides for him new and improved places to mark his territory.
I went for a nice long walk early Sunday morning to spice things up a bit. I can tell Paxton is bored with our usual routine since he has begun acting out in a most appreciated way – his new ritual includes pooing on the hardwood floors and taking massive dog chunks out of our suede couch cushions. Dogs – gotta love ‘em.
So Paxton and I are about 10 minutes into our walk. We’ve passed dozens of other walkers, some with strollers, others with dogs in tow. We’ve passed bikers, runners and skaters as well.
I can hear a set of bikers approaching behind me. As they get closer, they each ring a little bell on the side of their handlebars to notify me of their proximity. Then they call out, “Good morning. Bikers on your left!”
As they pass by, I notice they are wearing matching, loose-fitting biking attire – long sleeves and pants on an already sweltering morning. Florescent orange reflective jackets, helmets, and knee and elbow pads are really hard to miss.
Now I can’t say that I’ve taken the time to study “the rules of public trails,” but how much of this gear is really necessary for biking in broad daylight?
I think this older couple was simply being overly precautious, but it was absolutely darling to witness. I can only hope that one day hubby and I will morph into a darling couple as well. I hope that there are many matching, reflective outfits in our future. Maybe even a tandem bicycle ride or two. Who knows what the future brings…

Fried green tomato BLT

The problem with reading friend's blog posts about food these days is that I typically immediately crave what they post about. At those moments, I can only pray that the food items are nearby and readily available. I read this post about artisenal bacon at 5:55 pm Tuesday night. Almost instantaneously I decided to make fried green tomato BLTs for dinner. The place that sells these delicious bacons closes at 6:30 pm. I had to rush to get there on time.

I made it to Wine Authorities just in time. I decided on the spicy jalapeno bacon. Hubby and I had already tried (and loved) the peppered bacon and the garlic bacon.

As the bacon thawed under a cool trickle of water in the sink, I made my way out to the garden to select the perfect green tomato.

Look at that beauty! Hubby has faithfully tended this year's veggie garden while I've sat back and enjoyed the fruits of his labor.

Seriously – we have a plethora of tomatoes to choose from.

Destiny fulfilled. Fried green maters, jalapeno bacon atop a bed of lettuce. I sprinkled some vinagrette on top as well. It was heaven.

Spaghetti-O-MY-GOODNESS

My friends Greta & Wes visited this past weekend with their 10-month-old daughter Aubrey. Luckily the following Aubrey spaghetti-fest was not one of the activities that took place at my house, though I did get to experience much messy eating of peaches and potatoes galore. These are some photos that Greta has lent to me for On My Pole purposes, as they were just too good not to share. Enjoy!

Aubrey feeding herself a fistful of spaghetti.
Because a single sloppy noodle would never do.

Aubrey looks at the camera as if she knows this is something worth documenting. Smart kid. I foresee these photos gracing the pages of her senior high yearbook.

"Oh my! Am I making a mess?!"

I wonder if Aubrey can feel that lone, sticky little noodle on her lip...

I call this face the Ooompa Loompa Carbohydrate Coma face.

The full body shot. It's a good thing this spaghetti extravaganza didn't take place at my house. Hubby and I don't own enough clorox to clean up the debris Aubrey left in her wake. But she sure made it fun to watch!