Cute Puppeh!
Originally uploaded by Phisch

A few more photos/videos here.

We hung out in the back yard last night making soccer videos. Someone---err, somedog---was really happy about that.

Note the dead and dying grass. Our temps have been quite high lately! We're only allowed to water 2x a week on designated days. I cheated and watered a day early because the trees were looking a little worse for wear.

J was so tired last night. We'd make a video, he'd insist on watching it and then he'd laugh, and laugh and laugh so hard he was red in the face. We had fun!

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Oh no, not at all.

The collar? Meh. It's itchy but that's about it.

But the leash? Oh, my heavens, the leash. It was and will be a power struggle for a long time, I think. She hates it. She fell asleep resisting it, get that one. I have no idea how she did it.

From here on out, it is going to be a lesson in the pack hierarchy for Sprocket. Sprocket of the soft laps and front-and-center of the alpha male's desk. It's hard because I want to play with her and to puppies, that means "we're even" and not at all "you're in charge." It probably didn't help that she saw me cleaning up her poop, yet another hierarchy issue. The sight of that kind of startled her, I think.

I have to get hubby to help me remember how we trained our first dog together. After all, that one set up a dog run on her own, could fetch a toy from several when we named it and was class valedictorian of the doggy training class.

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In honor of the upcoming Olympics, what could you win a gold medal in?
Submitted by TheFiercestCalm.

Most consistently spacey brain. It's hard work, but I forget I how I do it.

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How do you travel to and from work - personal vehicle, bus, subway/train, pedal power? What does it cost you per week in gas or fares?
Submitted by Jan.

I have to make the grueling trek from my bed to the kitchen. To the computer upstairs. Downstairs to make breakfast. Outside to bring the dog inside.

No gas used. Such is the WAHM life!

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It went very well! J went with me even though he really wanted to stay home and watch the other boys (NM and a friend) play Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii. He's a good boy :D

When he saw her, the vet said she reminded him of his favorite patient. I mentioned to him that I didn't think she was a full-blooded corgi and that, he said, was intriguing. I told him her father was a herding dog and he said that she's probably just like his favorite patient, a heeler/corgi mix because of Sprocket's markings. His favorite patient's name? Widget. Tooooo funny.

She did well with the shots, not even a whimper because she was going gaga over the treat instead. She had two of them since the vet wanted to help her get over having to take two jagged pills. Normally, they get one but since I told him we have NM and chemical sensitivities, they opted for a pill instead to help rid of fleas.

We go back in a month. In the mean time, I will get her a leash and collar so we can go hang out with neighbor dogs to help her learn how to be social. Supposedly, that will help with all the biting and nipping since the other dogs will help her learn by putting her in her place. We'll see! The boys like to run and jump and get her to chase which is, of course the exact opposite of what they're supposed to do to prevent the nipping-at-the-heels.

"But it's fun!"

"Mama it's so cuuute!"

I wonder how much longer the fun will last?

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Pinwheel Baby Blanket No. 2
Originally uploaded by Phisch

Made for someone at church and knit up very quickly. There's something to be said for mindless, easy, no-pattern knitting :D

Lily Sugar n' Cream cotton confetti colors in blue (400 g, one BIG skein)
Lily Sugar n' Cream cotton 2 oz. skein in denim for border
Size 8 needles

I almost used up both skeins. I may have had a yard of the small skein and maybe three yards of the big one left over. Unfortunately, the yarn had a knot in it. Boo! But otherwise it's ok. I would go for 2 small skeins for the border next time.

Speaking of border, I just did 4 rows of garter stitch and then a picot bind off (cast on 2 using cable cast on, then bind off 6 stitches).

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Directly lifted from Alton Brown, published on Foodtv.com.

Cocoa Syrup Recipe courtesy Alton Brown Show:  Good Eats Episode:  Art of Darkness II: Cocoa

1 1/2 cups water 3 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups Dutch-processed cocoa 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons light corn syrupIn a small pot, bring water and sugar to a boil and whisk in cocoa, vanilla, salt, and corn syrup. Whisk until all of the solids have dissolved. Reduce sauce until slightly thickened. Strain and cool to room temperature. Pour into squeeze bottles. Squeeze into cold milk and stir for delicious chocolate milk or serve on your favorite ice cream. And, hey, it's fat free! I made some yesterday and it's a hit. It thickens quite a bit upon standing and even a little more upon cooling so it's thicker than the stuff in the brown bottle. We've had it on ice cream (yum) and yogurt (not so yum) and later I'll make chocoberry shakes with lots of strawberries. You need to make sure you really like the cocoa you're using because its taste will become more pronounced in the syrup.

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I just found out that a former coworker passed away. She was diagnosed with cancer and had a stroke a few months earlier. I have great memories of working with her. I will never be able to look at American primitive paintings or see anything hockey and not think of her. Or brown carpet. Or New York. Or Patsy Cline (real country).

She left three grown kids and a husband. I have an idea of how they feel.

LK, I missed my marzipan pigs at Christmas time.

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