Kara, J.P. and a little dog named Oden...

New Year, New Resolutions...

2010-01-14T19:05:00.004-05:00

I've been talking with my little first graders a lot about pledges. What they are, why we make them, that sort of thing. We've decided a pledge is like a promise. Well, I've decided to make a pledge of my own for the new year. I have GOT to get better about a)eating out b)cooking more and c)using leftovers. Enough is enough. I can't tell you how many times I end up going into the fridge and just throwing things out because they've gotten moldy or they've been in for longer than either of us can remember. So I'm going to make a pledge: I'm going to TRY to cook during the week. I'm also going to try and use my leftovers in more creative ways. I think that might be my ticket. I'm generally not a leftover person, I get bored. But if I can take leftovers and stick them in another dish, totally different story.

So that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to plan out my menus in advance. I'm going to use my leftovers and freeze what I know I won't get to. I'm also going to try and be a bit more adventurous in my cooking to hopefully cure our desire to eat out ALL the time. Case in point, my first venture into the world of the Halal Grocery Store. Scary at first, but delightfully surprising. The result? A wonderful meal of confetti tabouli, hummus and pita bread (see picture below):

Attempt at recycling? Failed, but only because I overestimated the ability of tabouli to stay fresh in the fridge for 4 days. However, next time, I'll be sure to use it the next day. I was going to stuff tomatoes with it. Would have been delish. Well, off to work on my pledge..Teriyaki Chicken. mmmm....

The "baby" turns 2...

2009-12-01T21:10:00.004-05:00

Yes, I baked him cookies. Yes, we lit a candle for him and gave him presents. Unfortunately, he did not appreciate the pomp and circumstance as much as we did. He just wanted his cookies. Turns out, not only is he a piglet, but he has also developed opposable thumbs. Got home from a lovely night out to discover that he had opened up the ziplock baggie full of his remaining cookies and eaten them all. Not a crumb in sight. The best part? Bag is totally reusable. Not a tear, rip or hole in sight. Now THAT'S a talented dog. Gotta give him props for that.

Oden the water dog...

2009-01-24T15:37:00.006-05:00

In case there was ever any doubt that Oden loves the water, I share this little photo:

Some might ask, did I grab him and throw him in with me so I could get him clean? Nope. Did I dangle treats in front of him because it would make a good photo op? Nope. Here I am, minding my own business, taking a nice hot shower on a cold day. The next thing I know, my puppy is half in the shower, half out. At this point, I begin to wonder, will he actually get it (he often likes to perch on the edge of the tub and try and drink the water)? He leave, comes back, gets half in again and the next thing I know he's all the way in the shower. A little creepy? Yea, kind of. Really funny? Absolutely. So, I took the opportunity to wash him, since he had just had a lovely romp at the dirty, gross dog park. By the end of the shower, however, he was clearly regretting his decision to hop in:

Ahhh....life with Oden the water dog is never dull...

Nope, still not a grown up...

2009-01-11T11:27:00.007-05:00

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, all that stuff that I probably should have said weeks ago. What can I say, this time of year is really busy and I'm just now starting to take a breath. I love Christmas time. It's my favorite time of year, by far. I love the way everything looks, I love all the preparation that goes into the season, I love the way people act toward each other. Everyone seems nicer around the holidays. Probably because we're drunk about 80% of the time, but whatever, I'll take it.

What I learned this holiday season is that while I may be quickly approaching 30 (and as I pointed out to JP yesterday--"You turn 30 this year! Ha!") I am nowhere near a grown up. When I think of grown ups I think of mature, responsible people who don't end up with broken bones because they were too drunk (not mentioning names), pole dance with their fathers (no names, but might have to post a picture) or stay up playing Rockband until 6:30 in the morning (Legal Mustache anyone?). Now, while I personally can't claim all of these things for myself, I can certainly claim to have been a participant in all of them, and an active one at that. I mean, would a grown up give her sister a grill for Christmas?:

And what kind of grown up would inspire someone to give them beer goggles in their stocking. You know, for those nights when you just need to have blinders on:

All that said, I hope I never feel like a grown up. I'm having too much fun feeling like I'm still a teenager. Albeit a teenager with a husband, a dog and a mortgage that has to get up for work every morning, but a teenager nonetheless. So, in the spirit of the holidays, go ahead and stay out all night (yea right, like I can really do that anymore), break some bones while you're drunk (okay, maybe not that one), but at the very least, do something a little bit "un-grownup" like (Wii Hula Hooping anyone???):

Happy Holidays, Happy New Year and all the rest. Enjoy 2009, I think it promises to be quite a big year for some people. Oh, and there's only 15 more days until my birthday. In case anyone was counting.

Oh...

2008-12-04T19:43:00.001-05:00

And for those wondering if I was going to do any sort of political follow up to my earlier post, no. I can't. I just can't. Enough said.

I know, I know...

2008-12-04T19:29:00.005-05:00

It's been a long time. Like, a really long time. And believe me, it's not that I haven't had anything to say. More like, I haven't had the time to say it. First graders are exhausting. Really exhausting. Sure, they're funny. Sometimes they're cute. But at the end of the day, I come home and all I want is a shot of tequila and my TiVo.

Things have been ridiculously busy in the last couple of months here in the Klousia household. Whoever said spring is wedding season obviously didn't know any of our friends, because fall was wedding season around here. We were lucky enough to attend two amazingly fun weddings within two weeks of each other, exhausting for us, but that's always the sign of a good wedding. I definitely want to wish both:
Katie and Chris

and Caitlin and Joe:

a happy wedding. I will also say that Caitlin's wedding, which took place in the Dominican Republic put unlimited alcohol in the hands of people who should NEVER do it again. All-inclusive + mechanical bull + drunk adults who should know better does NOT equal pretty pictures. It does, however, equal a whole lot of fun. I believe the phrase heard most from the bartenders was: Dominican Power, American Flower (referring to their wonderful national drink the Mamajuana and then, of course, the bevy of beautiful Americanas). I think I will never vacation all-inclusive again or I might lose my liver.

So in honor of wedding season being over, Mazel Tov! Can't wait for it to start up all over again. And on that note...bring on Christmas!!!!!

I can see Russia!

2008-09-18T21:27:00.002-04:00

Okay, I'm not looking to start political debate here, but this was just too funny to pass up. I don't care who you vote for or who you like, but you have to be devoid of a sense of humor not to think this is funny. It's also uncanny how much Tina Fey not only looks like, but sounds like Sarah Palin. Enjoy!

Butter Cow on a stick???

2008-08-23T17:36:00.003-04:00

It's been too long, I know, I know. That said, it took several days for the fried goodness to seap out of my pores and actually let me live again. I'm not gonna lie, I don't think I can eat another food on a stick for a very long time. Our trip to Iowa was fantastic, and has provided me with a wealth of visual and culinary treats that I will take with me for as long as I live. My observations and trip notes:

1) Apparently, everyone and everything is nicer in Iowa. This was proven time and time again, by people like the nice officer that did NOT give John a ticket even though he was speeding (quite a lot) and all the wonderful children whose projects were on display in the 4-H tent at the fair. If you ever want to feel like you're just not a good person, walk into the 4-H tent for 5 minutes. You'll walk out feeling like the worst person on the planet.

2) It is possible for 6 people to eat 14 ears of corn at one sitting. Really.

3) Butter can not only be shaped into a cow, but also into various other shapes. Like, perhaps, Shawn Johnson. What better way to show your state's pride in their Olympic athlete than to sculpt her in butter. It's quite a flattering medium--4) It's true, you really can put anything on a stick. And quite frankly, it's much easier to eat things on a stick. Hot dogs, brats, pork chops, cheese, salad (yup, you read that right), snickers. And really, everything I ate on a stick (fried of course, because how else would you serve it) was delicious. I might start putting all our dinners on a stick.

5) No matter how big your family is, go to Iowa and it'll feel small. There are truly very few people in the country who can gather all 15 of their children (oh wait, you'd have to have 15 children to start with) and most of the 57 grandchildren at the state fair.

Oh Iowa. I could go on and on for days. Lovely trip. Check out the photos. Visit the state fair.

Summer Fun...

2008-08-05T12:50:00.016-04:00

Now that summer's almost over, I thought I'd give you all a little insight as to what we've been up to aside, of course, from our wonderful trip abroad. We've had a pretty busy summer and there's still just under a month left with plenty more to go!

Our return from Argentina left us (okay, fine, JP) with a pretty big task ahead: fixing the porch. Basically, what should have been a relatively quick project for JP and Ian turned into quite an ordeal. Apparently when you rip up a 60 year old porch there might be some surprises (like rotting support beams). I do have to give Andrew a shout out, because had he not sat down and put his chair leg through the porch back in April in the first place we never would have rushed the repairs for this summer. So in a way, Andrew, it's good you fell through the porch. While I did provide lots of moral support, the actual work (with the exception of the painting of the boards) was done by JP and Ian (with some help from Jeromy)--oh, and Laura and I each hammered in 1 nail:

We also spent a long weekend in Toronto at Corbin and Meredith's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and a ton of fun. In fact, it's the first wedding I've been to where people have actually been cut off by the bar staff! Way to go guys! JP did his job as groomsman well, and while I'm probably biased, I'd say that he and his partner in crime, Galen, were the best pair up there:

Upon our return, well, you all know about the triathlon, no need for more updates there. But you haven't been updated as to what the puppy has been doing this summer. He's been running and swimming and generally being an ass (but boy is he cute). He's also very smart, and has totally mastered the commands we've taught him. What he's also mastered, however, is the ability to do them at will and ignore them when he feels like it. He also, when he sees a treat in your hand, will run through his standby's in rapid succession hoping he hits on whatever it is you're looking for and can get his treat:

All in all, Oden's having a great summer. He enjoys the lazyish mornings now where he can laze in bed with us and his favorite time is at night when he is allowed to lay in bed while we're both brushing teeth and getting ready--he's a strange dog and has strange "lounging" behavior:
Finally, he also got a "summer haircut". I put this in parenthesis because it is STRICTLY for functionality in the summer. It's not to make him look pretty and it's not because we like it. In fact, I've taken to calling him my little Chinese Crested. Notice the resemblance?

Finally, last evening we had a lovely night out at Screen on the Green down on the mall. We packed up our picnic basket and blanket and headed down to the mall to meet Maggie and Mike and watch The Apartment. The night was beautiful and Maggie and Mike managed to snag some amazing lawn space. It was a lovely evening, and I even enjoyed the movie (I'm not known to like black and whites).
So as you can see we've had a busy summer. Saturday we're off to Iowa for some excitement at the Iowa State Fair--believe me, there will be a post to follow!

A brief pause to get serious (yes, I'm capable)...

2008-08-01T08:29:00.002-04:00

If you haven't heard it already, listen to this song. I'm not a huge music person, but Jewel's new song is simply amazing. It's also some of the best advice I've heard in a long time.

So as a disclaimer this applies mostly to the girls, so sorry if I have any gentleman readers (but maybe you can take this as a "what not to do"). The thing is, listen to her song, because if I had a nickel for everyone I knew that fit this song as some point in their lives my mortgage would be paid off. But the whole point of her song isn't some "whoah is me"/"why me"/"my life sucks" mantra; it's about taking that part of your life and doing something about it. And the "doing something" part doesn't involve anybody else, it doesn't involved that person it's just about you. It's about making a decision for yourself and doing something about it to make you a better person.

I think that's where we so often go wrong. We look at our situation in life and rather than saying "this isn't working for me. What can I do to make my life better and extend myself the same courtesies I extend to others?" we immediately go into helper mode and look at the situation and try and mold and change it to be better for us. But guess what? Some situations can't be changed, molded, adapted to work in your life. So why are you putting yourself second? You'd never think of putting your friends second, so, like Jewel says in the song, isn't it about time to be your own best friend? Love yourself? Believe in yourself? Because fYI there may be times in your life that you're the only one doing these things for yourself. Is it unfair? maybe. Does it suck for you? Yea. Will complaining about it fix the situation? No. When you're bored and laying on the couch does complaining about how bored you are suddenly produce an outlet for your boredom? I didn't think so. So why would complaining about your situation bring about a change for your life? If you want a change, you have to go after it yourself. We all hope that we've surrounded ourselves with great friends who can pick us up when we need it, but sometimes you're the only one you can count on to really take care of you.

This may have all come across harsher than I wanted it to, that's just my inability to articulate what I'm trying to say in the most tactful way possible. Sorry, that's just me. But I'm so sick of seeing these women that I love so much, (and there are a lot of you that have been there at some point or another) who have accomplished so much and who have so much ahead of them reduced to nothing because of some guy that doesn't see all of that. You're all better than that, start realizing that and act on it.

"I'm gonna love myself more than anyone else
Believe in me, even if someone can't see
The stronger woman in me

I'm going to be my own best friend
Stick with me till the end
Won't lose myself again, never, no,
'Cause there's a stronger woman,
A stronger woman in me"

Team DD crosses the finish line!

2008-07-28T11:31:00.008-04:00

Well, for those that doubted, laughed, pointed fingers while silently thanking god they didn't have to partake Lisa and I successfully completed the NJ State Triathlon on Sunday! And really, my only goal was to cross the finish line in under 2 hours and not to be carried off in a stretcher. Happily enough, both goals were accomplished with flying colors! Not to mention that Lisa and I were the prettiest ones there--

us before we started (obviously, since we look so chipper) Who knew one could look so alert at 7;15 am????

On the left we have me, practically crawling out of the water. Suffice it to say, I am NOT a swimmer. This is 13 minutes after I began my little 500 meter swim. Do I look bloated? I may, since I managed to have about half of the water in Lake Mercer kicked into my mouth.

To our right is the lovely Lisa, running her bike up to the timing mat after completing the bike leg. Now, Lisa and I both had some bike difficulties. I lost my chain about 45 seconds into my ride and even after fixing it, lost the use of my lowest gear. Not a good thing to have happen when you're trying to go fast. Lisa's issue was a little funnier, only because she's not hurt. As we arrived in transition, Lisa turned her bike to go down to our station and rack it--at which point the front wheel just popped off. Good thing it waited to do that until she was done riding it!

Here we have us starting the running leg. My least favorite part by a landslide. What one can't tell from this picture is that I'm running and simultaneously shouting out directions to Lisa: "Tree on your left", "runner on the right", "watch the fence!". You see, Lisa woke up in the morning and as she went to put in her contacts, she ripped one. So, poor Lisa did most of the race ocularly handicapped. I'm very proud of her.

All in all it was a good race. Would I train more (or at all) if I decided to do another one? Certainly. Would I take it more seriously? Probably not. Let's face it, I'm never going to win, I'm not even going to try, so why not be the one joking her way across the finish line???? Mmm....hooray beer!
P.S.---and for those of you wondering what "Team DD" stands for, well, quite simply: Team Don't Die.

Viva Argentina!

2008-07-08T17:51:00.008-04:00

Well, we're back on this continent after a fabulous trip south of the Equator. We ate, we drank, some of us even wrestled. We got to see Daniel, taking advantage of his hospitality for a few days, and all in all it was a great vacation. We tried to do things a bit differently than normal; namely, I did NOT check off the sights in my guidebook and I even relaxed a bit...I know, hard to believe. The bulk of the vacation was spent eating and drinking, while trying to take in a few sights at the same time. A few highlights and observations:

1. No matter how old or out of shape you are, if boys drink enough "litros" of vino y cerveza they are prone to stupidity. In our case, that took the form of a wrestling match between J.P. and Daniel's roommate Patrick. Both boys walked away (barely) as their "match" was broken up by the policia who, rather than tell them to stop, just asked that they do it further down the street (perhaps out of his area). Both did have several battle wounds, however.

2. The phrase "a tiempo" ("on time" for those of you that aren't linguistically advanced) is not a phrase used to describe the status of a flight, a boat ride or life, it's just a phrase one can put in the "status" column to fill the area. Sometimes, you can be on time even if you ferry was supposed to have left 2 hours prior. No biggy, people will never notice...right?

3. Taking other countries' castoff liquors and trying to turn them into your national drink is not ever a good idea. There's a reason it's not popular in that country. Not all distilled beverages are delicious, even if you mix them with coke. I introduce you all to Fernet-Branco (or Fernet for short). When mixed with Coke (or Cola) it STILL tastes like dirty bathwater. There's a reason the Italians don't tell you about it.

4. The Zoo. Yea, just about every country has one. However, sometimes it's okay to turn your regular zoo into a laboratory for cross breeding experimentation. Squabbits: good idea on paper, not so good in execution--really freaky looking. Pony-Goats: cute or freaky? You decide. Sometimes the animals are best left caged and in their natural states.

5. Picking up after your dog is for sissies. Who does that? In a country that is SO attentive to their animals (the animals where more clothes than the people), nobody seems to think there's a need to pick up their poop. I mean, is it really pleasant to step in a load of diarrhea?

So you can see that Argentina was a terrific time. It wouldn't have been half the trip it was had it not been for Daniel. He was an amazing tour guide and he and Patrick were gems to put up with us in their apartment for 4 nights and in their lives for 8. Had it not been for Daniel we certainly wouldn't have enjoyed Buenos Aires to the extent that we did. But Daniel: (said in a whisper, as I trip you on the way to the Subte) "until we meet again..."

It's snotty...

2008-05-30T22:23:00.002-04:00

No, not me. This would be a puppy update. We are currently in the throes of our very first illness, and it's a doozy. However, the title is not an accident, our puppy has just crossed the threshold between man and eunuch. He is now minus two little dangly things. Not gonna lie, they were sorta cute, but I'm glad they're gone for the duration.

On to his illness. It seems our poor guy has developed a case a Kennel Cough (vaccines be damned--apparently this strain was just too tough for modern medicine) which then developed into pneumonia. Despite the fact that we've been to the vet every day this week, they just couldn't get him better. Now, as we speak, our poor little pup is lying in the hospital with all sorts of IV's to give him medicine and water. He'll be back tomorrow, but in the meantime, I'm practically dying.

Not many of you blog readers have kids, but I just have to wonder, how do you survive it? I mean, I've been babysitting other people's kids for ages, and I've watched my fair share of sick ones, but it's just not the same when it's not your own. I couldn't barely make it through the school day today knowing Oden was home sick and heading to the doctor, how in Christmas' name am I going to do that when my "baby" doesn't have 4 legs and a body full of fur? It's heart wrenching! I now have a whole new respect for parents who leave their kids for whatever the reason. It's totally healthy to leave your kids behind, and you totally need to do it, but man, it's hard!

Hats off to the few of you who have kids. I'm starting to think I may be the most hypocritical parent EVER when it's my turn.

Here come the brides....

2008-05-14T17:04:00.005-04:00

Okay, before I hear it from anybody, I know, I know, it's been forever. I've been busy, the dog's been needy, and I've been out of town a ton. I apologize. The good news, however, is that I FINALLY got my photo album links working--I think. I hope. Let me know if I'm wrong.

So on to the reason for my post. I think this little quotation sums it up nicely:

John Beckwith: What do you like better, Christmas or Wedding Season?
John Beckwith: Mr. Grey?
Jeremy Grey: Yes. The answer would be, um, Wedding Season?

That's right, it's wedding season. And for some of us, that lovely little season is going to extend all the way into November. Now, some might see this as daunting or even exhausting. I, on the other hand, am a lover of weddings. Really, what better occasion to get drunk with your friends while looking incredibly refined (well, you start that way at least--refined I mean. Okay, some start drunk too).

Since the wedding fever is upon me now, and I've been asked several times for my little pearls of wisdom I thought I'd dedicate this particular entry to weddings. Think of me as Martha Stewart after 2 bottles of champagne.

Important to note when planning your own wedding:

1) First and foremost, whatever your taste, style, budget for your wedding dress one thing should NOT be sacrificed--make sure the girls are secure! There's nothing worse than a porn star bride walking down the isle...or being dipped and flashing Uncle Chester. Believe me, I know.

2) Make sure your girls' girls are secure. You will undoubtedly (or your blushing bride if you're a boy) be the center of attention no matter what--however, if one of your bridesmaid's looks like Jenna Jameson, well, all bets are off. You can be sure that's who people will be talking about.

3) People who say food isn't important are wrong. Food is important, just not all of it. No one will remember what you served for dinner and even if they do, they will have no recollection of whether it was great or just average (and if they do, they didn't drink enough and so do you really want their opinion?). What they will remember, however, is whether the hors d'oeuvres were tasty. Nobody's drunk yet at cocktail hour. They remember things. They're hungry. People like finger food. Remember that.

4) The only other thing that really matters is music. Live music, DJ who cares. What matters is that people are up and having a good time. Know your crowd. If you've got a lot of your parents friends and relatives, then don't have the DJ spinning tons of JayZ and J-Tim. Leave them for the after party and have lots of oldies mixed with some good 80's hairband classics. I'm also a sucker for always throwing in a little Bruce. He has widespread age appeal.

5) This is the best party you will ever throw yourself. Enjoy the whole thing. Get LOTS of pictures (video-shmideo--no one wants to see it, save your money). HAVE THE BEST DAMN TIME YOU'VE EVER HAD AT A PARTY. Get a little drunk, dance a lot, have fun with your friends. If you're having fun, so will everyone else.

There you go. You can all use my little nuggest of wisdom at your own discretion. Anything more than this, I charge by the bottle (of champagne that is).

Puppy Parties...

2008-03-29T19:53:00.003-04:00

Yes, JP and I have become "those dog owners". We take our dog to puppy playgroup, otherwise referred to as "Puppy Party". It's actually not a stupid as it sounds, and it lets us run him around and get him tired with other dogs his age for a whole hour. What we've learned from these little parties is that a) our dog is pretty well behaved b) our dog is the cutest thing ever and c) maybe he's not quite as weird as we sometimes think he is. Our trip today was especially successful because he really started making some friends and playing with other dogs. He made two good friends in particular, a little beagle (don't know her name) and a yellow lab (Tegan)--Oden likes the ladies. We've also determined that our dog likes the chase, however, unlike most males, he prefers to be the pursuee rather than the pursuer. I've included a bit of video of Oden playing with his beagle girlfriend, it's pretty funny, at least to us:

So there you have it. Our dog is a stud who likes to chase....well, you get it. More updates from the world according to Oden coming soon (including a trip to the cherry blossoms) and maybe even something about us too.

Oden travels...

2008-03-24T09:14:00.002-04:00

Well, Oden and I made our first solo road trip last week and all in all it went pretty well. Monday morning we packed ourselves into the car and made the trek up to NJ for a quick visit with Caitlin and Joe WHO ARE ENGAGED!!! Congratulations to them, it's very exciting stuff. Oden also got to meet his girlfriend, Soco, who is actually the size that he'll be when he's done growing (she's 3 months older). For now though, I think she was a little annoyed that he wasn't quite big enough and old enough to play the way she wanted to play. They had a good time though, and Oden even managed to poop on the floor--oops...guess house training isn't completed done yet.

The other exciting piece to our trip to NJ was that Oden got to meet his other "grandma". Unfortunately, mama doesn't seem to understand that he has a mind of his own and that being brushed is not exactly his idea of a good time. She'll learn. He did, however, get to put his feet in the ocean and play on the sand. Looks like he's going to live up to his name as so far he loves the water.

This past weekend brought one more exciting outing: Puppy Party! Yes, such a thing exists. Picture this: a big room with a rubber floor, 15 puppies, 30 nervous "parents" all watching and hovering over said puppies. It was actually really interesting to just sit back and see what was going on, but it really was a room full of nervous hovering parents. It was amazing. I kept thinking to myself "they're dogs, it's okay if they play around a little bit", but apparently JP and I were in the minority on that thought. Oden did have a good time though, he REALLY wanted to be chased by a little dachshund and every once in a while she'd obliged. Interestingly though, he doesn't like to chase other dogs, he likes to be chased BY other dogs. The other dog he really took a shining to was a 65 lb Leonberger who is the exact same age as him. Yes, you read that correctly, he's already 65 lbs. Apparently, full grown, he'll be around 150. I can't even fathom it, but he really is a cutey. His name is Wally and he's pretty much a huge teddy bear--but absolutely huge nonetheless.

So that's what's going on in the Klousia household. I'll post some pics as soon as I figure out how the heck to make it work. Right now I'm completely defeated by it, but I'll figure it out.

Oden the Wonder Dog...

2008-03-10T18:26:00.004-04:00

For those of you that are curious, I thought I'd provide a little background on our wonder dog's name. Here's the quick version (thank you Wikipedia):

Odin (Old Norse Óðinn, also known as Oden), is considered the chief god in Norse mythology and Norse paganism. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon Woden, it is descended from Proto-Germanic *Wōđinaz or *Wōđanaz. The name Odin is also a very popular name these days. His role, like many of the Norse pantheon, is complex. He is a god of wisdom, war, battle and death. He is also attested as being a god of magic, poetry, prophecy, victory, and the hunt.

So as you can see, Oden is a complex dog. He is also the bomb. What other dog can boast that his name sake is not only the God of War, but also of magic and "the hunt". For any of you that can't figure out why his name is Oden Raven, well, you must not have a sense of humor. Go watch a movie.

So Great Oden Raven has been up to a lot of mischief lately. His big thing these days is seeing how many sticks he can possibly eat before he pukes. I'll tell you, his record is almost as high as that skinny Japanese guy that eats all the hot dogs. Aside from that, he eats things, poops, plays and sleeps. He is also quite adept at fetching his new toys out in the backyard. What he hasn't quite realized yet is that the game is more fun if you drop it and let us throw it again. To circumvent this problem, JP and I have taken to playing "Puppy in the Middle". It's a fun little game and he gets really tired.

I also feel the need to announce, with great sadness, the death of both "Duck" and "Duck2". "Duck" was a gift from Aunt Maggie, and, while it was his favorite toy, he promptly bit its beak off and proceeded to try and eat all its insides out. So "Duck" was replaced with "Duck2", only to have it's beak chewed off and insides eaten in less than 3 days. So, goodbye to these fine feathered friends, Oden is still looking for you around the house.

R.I.P.

Enjoy the new pictures of our boy. Back with more at a later date!

Insanity...

2008-03-08T10:37:00.002-05:00

When I tell you what I plan to do, you'll understand the title of this post. I am going to follow Lindsay Krum's theory that if I put it out here, then I pretty much have to do it because I'll be accountable to all of you that read this (okay, so even if it's only three of you, it should still work). So if I back out, you can all mock me mercilessly. I'm counting on it.

I have decided to do a triathlon. Yes, you heard me correctly. Me. The girl who hates nothing more than having to run even a block and can't swim in a straight line even with her eyes open following the line on the pool, is going to run a triathlon. Before you laugh, I beg you to consider my logic:

1. It just sounds so cool to be able to say for the rest of my life: "Yea, back when I did the triathlon"...--who wouldn't want to be able to bring that up at cocktail parties when you're 40 and 20 pounds heavier.

2. I've been wanting to do it for a long time, and I figure, what better time than now? I mean, I'll NEVER be in better shape than I'm in now (not that it would be hard), so if I'm ever going to do it...

3. I think that by July the people in my life will need some entertainment. Come on, don't tell me that you wouldn't come watch me attempt to swim, bike and run my way around Mercer County, NJ? Don't worry, the NJ State Triathlon has tailgate areas.

4. Yup. Tailgate. I feel that in the mid-summer slump between spring horse races and fall football games, I need to provide you all with a reason to get up early, put the keg in the back of the pickup and come drink before you've had your morning coffee. I'm no Redskins/Giants game, but I'm pretty sure that it'll be mighty entertaining. You can even place bets on whether I run, walk, crawl or am carried by stretcher across the finish line.

So there you have it. I'm putting it out there for all to read. I am doing the NJ State Triathlon at Mercer County Park (in good old NJ) the last weekend in July. Hopefully, Lisa will be with me (maybe if I call her out here it'll have the same effect) and maybe even Adriana, but regardless, I'm doing it.

Oh, and for those of you that are really impressed right now. It's a sprint. Yea, that's the wussy version. Look it up, I'm not going to embarrass myself anymore right now.

And now I know...

2008-02-22T11:44:00.006-05:00

Well, it's been a solid 3 weeks since my last entry in which I introduced you all to our new family member, Oden. The reason this next update is so long in coming is that dear Oden has not gotten over his "separation anxiety" nor his constant need to have someone entertaining him. Side note: I feel sort of bad writing this now as he's currently asleep at my feet.

Anyway, life with the new puppy is tiring, but quite good. He sleeps through the night and with only 1 exception, hasn't had any accidents in his crate. We're pretty grateful for that. He's also settled in nicely to our weekend routine of up and out to pee around 7, then back in bed with us for almost 2 more hours of sleep in the bed. It's a nice compromise--he gets to be in bed with us, we get 2 more hours of sleep. This may prove a problem when he's 50 pounds and trying to get comfortable between us, but currently, his 14 pound self has plenty of space.

We've also noticed that, while Portuguese Water Dogs are supposed to be quite intelligent, our boy may be riding the short bus to puppy kindergarten. He has a real love of his tail (sometimes he even catches it and teaches it a lesson), and hasn't yet figured out that when we close him in the kitchen he could get out and join us if he just pushed on the door.

Oden chasing his tail...

All that aside though, he's a really fun dog and we're excited to see him get bigger and be even more fun. Really, I'm waiting to be able to take him up to NJ and get him in the water to play.

I'm going to try and be better about updating this, we'll see if I follow through. That's all for now!

He's Arrived!!...

2008-01-29T19:22:00.000-05:00

We are pleased to announce the arrival of our puppy Oden Raven Klousia. Born on November 27, 2007 he came to us on January 27, 2008 (the day after my birthday). Currently he's 9lbs. 2oz. of black curly hair masquerading as a dog but we hear he'll grow into his big paws. He's a Portuguese Water Dog so we're planning to get him swimming when he gets a little older and are hoping he loves the ocean as much as I do. So far he seems to have a bit of separation anxiety, but we're chalking that up to him being 8 weeks old. If this continues into adulthood we'll have issues.

All in all we're exhausted, but he's a ton of fun and pretty happy-go-lucky (as long as he's with you). He fetches (a little), poops all the time, and still hasn't quite decided if he likes this whole "collar" thing that's been put around his neck. Below are a couple of pictures of our new baby, we hope everyone gets to see him soon!!

We're expecting!!!!!...

2008-01-19T09:57:00.000-05:00

That's right. JP and I are excited and happy to let you all know that we are, in fact, expecting. The new addition should be joining us some time in very early February. Wait? How is that possible? Have I been fooling you all by pretending to act like a drunken idiot? Do I have the metabolism of a celebrity (or the willpower not to eat) and have been able to hide all the signs?

Wrong.

All of you can snap back to reality. Geez. Read several posts down and you'll know it can't possibly be. So, for all of you that are disappointed now, I'll let you in on our newest addition. JP and I are getting a puppy. He was born November 27, 2007 and will be coming to us right around the 1st of February. He's a Portuguese Water Dog, black, and SOOOOOO cute. Well, actually, we don't know exactly which "he" we're talking about yet, but there are 4 boys in the litter and they're all cute. We're hoping for 1 in particular but won't know for a few more days which one we get.

We're very excited to get him and are going to visit all the puppies tomorrow just to play. We hear they've learned to go up and down stairs and are really starting to play with each other. Yes, before you say it, we realize that our life as we know it is soon to "be over" but we're also pretty excited for what's coming ahead. JP is just happy he'll finally have a reason to get out of the house several times a day, thus forcing him to get out of his pajamas. So all in all our new little boy is much anticipated.

Now, puppy sitters anyone?? I'm taking sign-ups for both June and July as we've got some places to be. No pressure. But he's cute, he'll be house trained, and, the best part...he doesn't shed.

Holy Cow...

2008-01-07T11:26:00.000-05:00

It's been over a month since I last posted anything so I figured it was time. Seems like no matter what milestone we pass life is still busy. It's sad when you have to start scheduling in the fun things in your life...but I guess that's getting older.

We here in the Klousia household are FINALLY living under our own roof. We managed to move in the day after Christmas and are still living amongst a sea of boxes and books and god knows what else. What I can't seem to figure out is how all this stuff managed to fit in our little apartment in Seattle, because it barely fits here! But slowly we're getting unpacked and we're loving having our own space that isn't above or below anybody else. As someone who often gets the urge to vacuum at midnight, I'm really starting to appreciate house living more and more.

After spending 3 days furiously trying to get ourselves unpacked and settled (futile attempt) we took a break and went up to New York City for New Year's Eve. Just as we've done the last 3 years we went to the party at Stout and once again it was a smashing good time. From what I remember. Note to self: you are not 19 years old anymore and can't drink like you are. Yup, I'm old apparently. Either that or my body's just tired, because it could not handle what I had done to it. It was great to see people though, most of whom we only see once or twice a year. And if I feel like I'm getting old, I can just look at this picture below and remind myself that old does not equal mature:

So now here we are back to real life...well, sort of. Lucky me has off until next week. I suppose I should be trying to tackle this mess we live in, but it's more fun to play on the internet.

I believe the children are our future...

2007-11-29T20:26:00.001-05:00

Can't you just hear Whitney singing her heart out? In better late than never news, I think I need to call attention to the fact that what was once titled "Ruminations from a Houseless Housewife" is now operating under a new moniker. I felt that since I was no longer "houseless" nor a "housewife" it was no longer accurate. As one can see from a few posts down, we do in fact have a home now (though we have yet to sleep a night in it) and if you haven't already guess, I have gone and gotten myself a job. Yup, I've joined the working world. A full-timer. Totally employed. Huh. Funny how the grass is always greener.
I feel like I need to put in a disclaimer before I continue: I do actually love my chosen profession. I love teaching and I do think this is where I belong. But I digress.

I've learned a few things since starting my new job:
1. While all children are in fact cute, some are cuter than others, and boy do they "work it"
2. If you are cute/pretty, you can get away with far more obnoxious behavior than if you're ugly.
3. In case you forgot about it from your own childhood, head lice is still around and it spreads like wildfire!
4. Apparently a command is actually more like a suggestion: one doesn't need to learn to read, write or add (especially if #2 applies)
5. With enough dedication, one can accelerate the teenage attitude by several years. It's hard to do, and takes weeks and weeks of dedication and practice, but if one is persistent enough, it is possible...imagine if those powers were used for good.
7. Prior to contrary belief, missing the toilet and peeing on the floor is not something men do when they're drunk, they do it from the very beginning and never stop.

So I've learned this and then some. I've also learned that kids are incredibly cute when they want to be and that even the kid who thinks he's sooo tough just wants to cuddle up to you and have you like him. Stay tuned, I'm sure they'll be more.

70%...

2007-10-19T20:14:00.000-04:00

The aforementioned statistic is one that I read regarding your preparedness for child rearing. Basically, they say that most people will never be 100% ready to take the plunge into parenthood. What they advise is waiting until you're 70% ready and that's a pretty good indication that it's time to pull the proverbial goalie from the net. I recently had a very interesting conversation with a friend (you know who you are) about how one knows when they're ready to "pop the question" and I was so sure in my answer there, that it got me thinking about this 70% rule. How in God's name can one attach a percentage to their emotional maturity and ability to care for another human being?!? Being someone who loves lists, I thought maybe that would help a person decide:

The "ready" list:

You are capable of doing your own laundry
You remember to eat close to 3 meals a day
You are able to sustain plant life for more than 6 months
You don't mind noise
The thought of changing a diaper doesn't make you gag like a 6 year old and a plate of spinach
You wipe the sink after brushing your teeth (not my idea, it was on a quiz once and is apparently a sign of maturity)

The "not ready" list:

Diapers or the thought of them make you vomit
You often wonder why it's wrong to have a baby's vocal cords removed (hey, they can do it to dogs that bark too much, why not babies)
You see parents with their kids on leashes and your first thought is to buy one in every color
You still like to celebrate momentous occasions in your life with a shot or 12 beers
You still fight over who has to be DD because NO ONE likes to be at the bar sober
The thought of getting up before 9 without 9 uninterrupted hours of sleep is a fate worse than death

So I guess the way to find out is to check which ones apply--If you've got more than 30% (or more than 3) of the "not ready"'s checked then you're still in the "hell no!" camp. If you're outta camp, well, God Speed. I have no words for you.

If, however, you're still not ready to pull the goalie, I recommend finding yourself a little surrogate child. You know, one you can have for as long as you like but then give back when it's time to go out and take those shots. I, myself, have the best one ever. She's not available, she's mine, she will always be mine. If I love my own kid as much as I love her, I'm good to go. I miss her terribly, so here's a shout out to her (she's learned from me, and, like her Kara, she enjoys seeing pictures of herself): my BFF Mica--I still *heart* you and I'll see you in 2 weeks...

Whoah Nellie...

2007-10-16T22:06:00.000-04:00

And I don't mean the rapper. This has been a big week in the Klousia household and I thought perhaps I'd stray from my usual senseless commentary to give a recap. A play-by-play if you will.

As you all know, JP and I have been living with his parents, in the basement, since moving back from Seattle. Now while I know that sounds awful, it hasn't been so bad. It's always tough when multiple adults are living under the same roof, but all in all it hasn't been so bad. All that said, we have certainly been trying to find ourselves a house. In 1 day we went and saw 16 houses. A few things to note if you're househunting:

1) If you pull up to a house to walk through and there's no For Sale sign and about 7 people hanging out on the front porch, turn and leave. If you ignore your inner genius and keep going, please listen to her when you then encounter a locked bedroom door inside said filthy flop house.

2) When looking at prospective home that appears to be vacated, do not assume that everyone in the house got the memo. Apparently, when the bank forecloses on a house they don't always notify the squatters in the basement.

3) Each home has something unique and different to offer a prospective buyer. Just because you find a part of a house unsightly, impractical and downright strange doesn't mean another person/couple might not think that's exactly what they've been looking for all their life. I mean, just because you don't need a neon green, concrete bomb shelter in the backyard doesn't mean someone else won't. Even paranoid conspiracy theorists need a place to live (and to store their canned goods and batteries).

So there you have it folks. A few quick tips on successful house hunting. And if you follow these simple guidelines, you, too can be the proud owner of your own little "Shangri-La" (please see below).

Denim vs. Doctor...

2007-09-21T22:01:00.000-04:00

Okay, this is going to seem like a strange post to some, a useless post to others (mainly any males that may read this) and highly enlightening to a few. In all the hustle and whatnot that has been my summer I suddenly found myself in DC and in desperate need of a gynecologist. **NOTE: men, you can stop reading here if you'd like** Anyway, I sent around a few emails, got like 3 suggestions and picked the one I felt would do the best job. Now, what was I basing this judgement on? Ummm....I like the girl who recommended him to me, she seems like she's pleased, and...um....yea, I'm out. So basically, I picked the doctor that's going to forever be looking at my nether regions for the foreseeable future because I like one of his patients well enough. Boy, I really did my research.

Now, for a juxtaposition: jeans. I've been in the market for a new pair of jeans for quite some time now. So did I just run out to the store and buy a pair of Paige's because Katie says they make her ass look great (and Katie, they do)? I mean, who doesn't need a little ass boosting? No, of course I didn't do that. I went to the store, I tried on the Paige's (they just don't work for me) and about 12 other pairs, checked my ass in the mirror, stood on tippie toes to see how they'd look in heels, and ultimately decided I wasn't 100% sure so I left---sans jeans. I then proceeded to try on jeans any time I saw a pair I thought I might like, finally buying a pair almost 3 months later. I'm quite happy with them, but it still took me countless hours of fitting room horrors to find them. I know I'm not alone, I could name several of you in the same boat.

This brings me to my question, discuss if you like: why do "we" spend so much more time deciding on a pair of jeans than we do picking a doctor? It seems absurd that I'm willing to just blindly choose a doctor (and one who operates "down there" no less) but I would certainly NEVER do that with jeans. Discuss.

Eat, Pray, Love...

2007-09-02T11:39:00.000-04:00

For those of you that are really astute and perceptive, you will recognize the title of this post up in my "Got Books?" section. As a quick note about that section, I have only included books I really think people should read, for one reason or another. You may not like them all, but they're all good books and all very different, so I recommend giving them a chance.

This particular book, however, was really fantastic. On the outset, it doesn't look like my typical type of book. It's not really chicklit, it's not historical fiction, and there isn't a ton of drama or action going on. It's one woman on a trip around the world (well, to Italy, India and Bali) trying to find her place in the world and in her own head. Seems a little sappy at first, but it's not.

I won't spoil the book for anyone who chooses to read it. But I will say this. When I put the book down all I wanted to do was pack a suitcase and start traveling. All I could think was, "Which will I regret more in 30 years: going, or not going?". I'm sure you can all surmise how I answered myself. Unfortunately, life doesn't work that way most of the time, and even though I want to, I can't just pick up and travel the world. First of all, I'm far too much of a planner to be able to do that and not have it drive me crazy. But secondly, life is too complicated, even when you're at the least complicated time in your life. I don't have kids, I don't have a house (or even really, anywhere to live), hell, I don't even have a pet (not a dog, not a cat, not even a goldfish). But I still feel like it would be wrong and irresponsible of me to just take off and travel for a year, or even just a few months. It's kind of a sad reality when you realize that; especially after reading a book like this.

So the moral of this story is: you'll never regret the things you DO in the long run, what you'll regret is the things you DON'T. Hmm....maybe now I should go pack my bags.

Girls Nights...

2007-08-26T20:14:00.000-04:00

Love them. Never thought they'd mean that much to me. SO lucky that I have people to have them with. If I had told my 14 year old self that was just starting high school that when I was in my 20s I was going to look forward to nights spent with my girls drinking wine and talking I would have told myself I was crazy. I was always the girl that found it easier, and lots of times more fun, to have more guy friends than girl friends. Sure, I had a couple of really good girl friends, but on the whole, I wasn't a "girl's girl".

Wrong. And fortunately for me, I have some of the best girl friends anyone could ask for. There are a lot of times when mixed company is a lot of fun, but sometimes, you just need a night with your girls. You need to sit around, drink way too much champagne and talk about highly inappropriate content. Not only is it incredibly funny, but sometimes you learn things too. Like that you aren't the only one who thought the really hot guy you dated in high school is actually a really bad kisser ;).

So to sum it up. I love hanging with my girls. Whether it's two of them, four of them or ten of them, it's always fun. I'm lucky to have them, all of them, and I hope they're with me for the rest of my life. I imagine girls night will morph many times over the next 40 years, but the point is still the same.

A photo from this weekend's debauchery that was "Girls' Night" with my Peddie girls:

Cute vs. Practical...

2007-08-23T10:15:00.001-04:00

Okay, I have a feeling I'm not the only one who has ever encountered this dilemma, so I feel I should let you all in on it. How in god's name are we supposed to make decisions between cute and practical? It can be something as simple as a headband (the plain black or the cute green and pink plaid?) or as complicated as eyeglasses (hey, I didn't say this was life or death).

Let's take yesterday for example. I'm standing in the eye doctor's trying to decide on my new pair of glasses. Now, to start, they both look really nice on me, as the glasses guy told me. However, one is SUPER CUTE...black but sort of lined in pink so you can't really see it, but it just peeks through around the outer edges, and then some Swarovski crystals on the sides. So clearly not practical, but they were SOOOOO cute. I put them on and could just see all these outfits running through my head where these glasses would just look so good and totally give me that sexy schoolteacher look (maybe not appropriate for 1st grade, but what's a girl to do?). The second pair, very dark tortoise shell with just a hint of gold banding on the sides. Practical. So what did I choose do you ask?...

The practical pair. And this is where the dilemma comes in. I mean, when it is okay to just decide--The hell with being practical! How do you just flip the switch that says--who cares if these will look silly when I'm running around in sweatpants looking like crap, they're cute and I want them! Perhaps it's a dollar amount, maybe it depends on how much you'll need to use something. But all I know is that I think it's time I started choosing a few more of the "cute" things instead of always letting "practical" win.

Walking...

2007-08-21T11:03:00.000-04:00

Yup, that's my title. Walking. We don't do enough of it. And I like it. I have now returned from Stockholm, lovely city, and I have a new perspective on the kind of place I'd love to live. For the last 2 weeks I've been spending my time walking and subwaying around a city that is so easy to navigate that I never once was worried I'd end up in the wrong place or wouldn't be able to get to my destination on time. And this coming from a girl who is severely directionally challenged.

Anyway, what I learned while over there is that I really enjoy the idea of being able to walk, ride a bike or take public transit (preferably NOT a bus) anywhere you need to go. And not only that, but it's efficient and won't take you 2 hours to get somewhere. You wanna go swimming at the beach? No problem. You need to do some grocery shopping? No big deal. Need to pick up some fins and a snorkel for that trip to the Caribbean? Done. No need for a car unless you're going on vacation. I love it. And I've never felt safer walking around because guess what? Everyone else is walking around too!

I'm not saying there aren't places in the US that are like that, New York is a perfect example. But they're few and far between and that's a shame. It's nice to be forced to go out and get some fresh air anytime you want to do something. Oh, and the added bonus is that I ate more pizza that I've eaten in a long time and I barely gained a pound...looks like we figured out how the Swedish bikini team stays fit.

Leggings...

2007-08-14T07:14:00.000-04:00

Okay, I´ll say it: I want a pair of leggings. Here I am over in merry old Stockholm, a.k.a. Land of the Pretty People, and I have finally crossed over to the other side. Last year, I walked around the city thinking, "why on Earth would people wear leggings under dresses and skirts?". Well, a full year later I'm ready to jump on board. I thought I had left them behind in the 5th grade, but apparently not. They're comfy, they keep your legs warm, and according to Cosmo Style they're in fashion again. TRIPLE BONUS! So I'm doing it. And I'll wear them proudly even in the states. And I give you all permission to laugh at me of course, but I thought I'd give you all fair warning that I'm coming back totally Euro.

Before you know it I'll be listening to techno and inviting you over to my flat for dinner.

Okay, enough. That was my big revelation in Europe. Maybe the next week will bring something more insightful. I doubt it, but it could happen.

The Joys of Traveling...

2007-08-07T14:04:00.000-04:00

This is going to be a quick opening entry, a quickie to pop my proverbial blog cherry if you will. I am off to Sweden to join JP in a few hours, but thought I should open this up and get it started. I'm not sure why I've decided I need a blog, but I have and now it's here. Read at your own risk.

As I am a houseless housewife, I'm off to Europe for two weeks to hang out and not do much of anything. Nice life I have huh? Unfortunately, I seem to have caught a nasty cold and am dreading the long flight. While I'm generally pretty lucky in the sickness department, my 2 major illnesses a year always seem to fall right around the time I need to be on a plane. And let me tell you, flying while sick is simply horrendous.

But enough complaining. I'm about to land in Stockholm, "land of the pretty people", and will enjoy myself out there. It really is a beautiful city and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to explore Scandinavia. The people are friendly, everyone speaks English, and if you go in the summer there's lots of daylight.

Perhaps I'll post from Stockholm....

Adios for now!