My friend at work just got a new puppy. Well I guess Zainey isn’t all that new anymore… Jen got her a few weeks ago and the pup is already 14 weeks. An adorable little border collie-lab mix. Ultra cute. I was super psyched about introducing her to Remy and Martin, so on Thursday, I had Puppyfest at our house. Three doggies, four people, pizza, beer, and Pictionary. It was a good time.

As expected, Remy was a cranky little beotch, but Zainey loved it. And then poor Martin, he got chased by both of the girls. All in all, they had a blast running around crazy. With my two geriatric dogs, I can totally leave stuff on the sofa and tables, so I didn’t think twice about setting my cheese platter appetizer on the ottoman. Forget about it! Zaine was in to that cheese in no time! I had forgotten how fast little puppies dart around. Remy and Martin got so worn out, this morning they didn’t even get up to go for their morning walk. Senior citizens, I tell you.

So today was Halloween. I actually dressed up. I was a punk, meaning, I wore all black, had the fishnets and boots, the spikey belt, the dog collars, a nose ring, and some other silver jewelry. Being the cheap bastard that I am, I limited my costume purchases to just the spikey belt. Everything else was borrowed (like from Remy and Martin) and then thrown together. So I didn’t look totally badass. I didn’t look like some tough chick who was going to kick your ass. Too bad but that’s what I get for minimal investment. So sure, I didn’t go as hard core as I could have, but damn, some clueless dude at work asked me if I was a gypsy. WTF??? A gypsy? Honestly peeps, check out the pics. Does anything about my costume suggest gypsy? Huh? The bummer is, I didn’t win the costume contest. Someone else dressed up as Marie Antoinette with the poofy corseted dress, the white powder face, the white wig, and a bloody neck. Yeah, I have to say, she took the cake. But I wasn’t about to throw in the towel completely. I also entered the pumpkin carving contest. And you know what? John is damn right: the proper tools make all the difference. I carved that fucker in record time. Like 30 minutes. Who knew pumpkin carving could be so easy. I was pretty stoked about my design. If you must know, I was inspired by the tablecloth pattern at our office potluck. I carved a bat. And frankly, I thought she turned out pretty kick ass. But I still lost out. The random retard of a judge opted for the pumpkin that had the innards stuffed in its mouth (as if it were puking pumpkin guts and seeds). Yes, I admit the idea certainly was clever but still… My design required more skill. But I’m not bitter or anything. No. In fact, I’m mighty proud.

I brought the pumpkin home for Bubbey tonight. As proof that my plan to become more artsy/crafty and domestic is working. It’s in me. I know it is. Mind over body. Happy Halloween folks.

John and I headed to Lake Tahoe this past weekend. It was our first time there, and well, the place made a good impression but boy, it sure was dead. something about it being the “shoulder” season?? I don’t know: the weather was great (60s to 70s) but oddly enough, most everything was shut down. And I was prepping myself for some serious shit too, like the ziplines and gondola rides and kayaking. Nope. All of it closed. Damn resort towns.

We stayed at the Marriott Timber Lodge. Marriott never disappoints. Of course the evening temps dipped down to the 30s but leave it to Marriott to maintain the monster heated pool PLUS four hot tubs. Having had my community pool shut down after October 15, I was thrilled to have water access again. John and I didn’t do too much: we walked along the beach in South Lake Tahoe and then did a couple of short hikes around Emerald Bay and Lower Echo Lakes. I sure wish the pups got to come along: they would have loved the cool temps and outdoor adventures.

On Monday, we hit the town of Placerville on the way home. Had a tasty quiche for lunch at Sweetie Pies. We had gone there hoping to get a pie for take-home. Little did we know, their homemade pies have to be ordered days in advance. Total bummer. To get our sweet fix, we hit the Candy Strike shop downtown. Saw candies I hadn’t seen in years. Seriously folks. All kinds of licorice plus Now and Laters. Holy shit, right? Now and Laters bring me WAY back to Clover Hill in Frederick, Maryland. Like concession stands and the Little League ball game. Crazy. There were also taffies, atomic fireballs, banana split chewys… a lot of shit I thought was long banned or deemed dangerous for consumption. Nope, still available apparently in specialty shops. The shopkeeper rang us up, and we were totally done and then he offered us some samples of his homemade fudge. That was our Achilles heel. Ended up ordering a box of fudge and suddenly, our receipt was double. Oh well, that dark Rocky Road fudge was delish!

As much as I am a control freak, I’m learning some tough lessons in life this year. John and I were pet sitting our friend’s two cats, including the one prized savannah kitten. Oscar was a real jewel; I mean aside from his striking ocelot-like coat, he had a wonderful personality for a cat. In fact, he behaved more like a dog. At nine months, he relished the company of people. He cuddled, he walked well on a leash, and they took him everywhere.

Recently, they had noticed he was acting calmer, less rambunctious. They thought maybe he had crossed that threshold from kiddie to adolescence. But then he grew increasingly lethargic and he ran a fever. They took him to the vet on Monday; she thought he had just an infection. She put him on Zithromax. We cat sat starting on Tuesday. He ate, seemed to play a bit, then on Thursday, he was noticeably weak and his breathing was labored. We took him to the emergency vet that night. On Friday morning, I went to transfer him out of the emergency vet and into a specialist’s care. I spoke in person with the vet at 7:40. Oscar was doing better. I went next door to fill out paperwork at the specialist’s office and at 8:15, he was gone.

Honestly, I hadn’t spent that much time with Oscar, but upon hearing the news, I just lost it. Pyothorax they say. Shock, confusion, self-doubt, pity… Our friend is the one with stage IV cancer. He is devastated. Oscar was his best pet ever, his best friend, the one thing he loved most in this world. And he’s gone now.

It’s weird. I think of how lucky Oscar was to be in a loving home, to be taken care of in his short nine months. So many people in the world never experience that luxury. Certainly so many animals never experience that luxury. And yet, when I think of his lifeless body lying there on the examination table, I ache for his pain and suffering. I wish he could have told us there was something seriously wrong. I suppose all this time, despite being a veteran pet owner, I’ve been naive. I mean, what could possibly be wrong with indoor pets? They have shelter, protection, food, love… sure, my dog might limp around (as in Remy’s case) some days, or she might appear a little sluggish. Big deal– humans have our sick days too. But I guess what I’m learning is that animals are not like humans. They hide their weaknesses until they can hide them no longer. Poor Oscar. He tried to hang on, but we failed him. As guardians of our animals, we try to be vigilant but sometimes we tell ourselves we’re overreacting and then shit just happens. They say pyothorax can be caused by a simple bite or puncture to the body. Sometimes by the time the lethargy is apparent, the external wound has already healed but inside the infection grows. The vet removed 100+ mL of pus from his pleural space. They found no wound on the exterior. Our friends never noticed any blood. I don’t know. It’s tough just not knowing how the hell he got pyothorax.

I read that dogs too can get pyothorax, usually from breathing in some plant debris through the nose that then gets into the chest cavity and causes an infection. Wtf? Freak accidents. Sometimes life really is just a goddamn a roll of the dice.

Since John was totally useless in learning the trade secrets from our last professional home cleaning (the ants are at bay now), I decided to stay home today for the visit from our cleaning crew. I thought for sure there was some new wonder gadget or super solvent that would clean like magic. Nadda. Zippo. Zilch. Plain old Comet, Soft Scrub, Pledge, Mrs. Meyers, a floor sponge mop, and a shitload of rags. 100% manual labor. There is no goddamn secret. What a frickin’ buzzkill. But damn my house is clean. The cleaning army is awesome, and I’m cutting our cable to feed my newest addiction: a clean house.

Oh man, it’s 1 a.m. and I can’t sleep. I had a Board presentation this evening (around 8 p.m.) and I’m still totally wired. Of course, like all my other presentations, I obsessed to the point of reciting the talk in my sleep… that’s how I roll: complete OCD. I can’t help it. The good news is that I rocked it, or so they say. I made multiple attempts to add humor, and for the most part, I pulled them off successfully.

So let’s see: what else is happening. Well, a couple Sundays ago, some friends came over for dumplings and football. Yes, you read it right: definitely a random combination but you know what? Who cares. My friend’s fiance is a walking ESPN channel, so he was happy to watch football on HDtv. Meanwhile, my friend and her other friend helped me wrap dumplings, and we had the operation cranking out dumplings at warp speed. Probably folded like 120 dumplings in under one hour. Gotta love the manual laborers. And our little morsels came out beautifully. Super tasty.

In other news, the home projects are continuing. I cleaned up our back patio a bit– disassembled the cheapie plastic chair and tables, made some room for the potted plants and the lazy dogs to sunbathe. I made some additional changes to our dining room. I finally decided to remove our cotton Ikea rugs (which we purchased almost three years ago in Shanghai) and put down something a little less ghetto. I found a cool bamboo rug on Craigslist for $30, and then I accented that with a couple jute rugs from WorldMarket. Yes, my friend Tina has created a monster. And our cheapie Target silverware started flaking, so I splurged on some 18/10 stainless steel silverware from Overstock. Bargain shopping full speed ahead, I tell you. Oh and I just installed a retractable clothes drying line indoors. Yup, can’t take the Shanghai out of me. Like the showerhead, I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of this sooner, but shit, I found a 20′ line off Amazon. Mounted that sucker in the upstairs hallway, and that shit is like magic. And with the wetter, damper winter weather around the corner, this thing is gonna work wonders. Retractable. You gotta get yourself one.

As you can see, I’ve got the shopping bug again. It really does come and go, and right now, I’m in the mood. Last Saturday, John worked most of the day so I hit the local TJ Maxx (it’s my namesake after all) and Ross in search of baby gear for the first-ever baby shower I’m attending this coming Saturday. Man, being a part of the public affairs department at work has made me all crazy about themed gifts. So I spent like 2 hours going through the baby department in search of the right gift. Finally settled on a doggie theme, and now I have the big headache of wrapping the gift still carrying that theme. Sigh. It’s exhausting. Of course the good news is, after I was done with the baby shopping, I got to do a bit of browsing for myself. Picked up some cute clothes and a few placemats (I know, can you believe I would ever drop a dime on that kind of shit?). I think our dining room is actually done now!? Well at least it’s as good as it’s going to get. Who wants to come over for dinner to see?

So Sunday, John and I hit downtown SF. Caught an awesome, awesome show at the comedy club (hurray for Goldstar Events– again!). Seriously, John laughed so fucking hard, he was in tears. Twice. Lavelle Crawford is the man. And the opening act was smooth as butter. A beebop dude named J. Lamont. I swear, in my second life I want to be a performer. I’m just totally enthralled with talent and dedication and polish. These peeps are really amazing. I’m such a wannabe. Sigh.

Bow down to Rachel Ray folks. Seriously. Anyone who can make me look and feel like I know what the hell I’m doing in the kitchen deserves crazy props. Today I got home a bit earlier than normal, so I was determined to have a home-cooked meal ready for Bubbey when he came home. Yes, me and my self-imposed challenges. I’m like in a game show all by myself. Anyway, another winner, I tell you. Leeky Linguine with Shrimp. That’s right: I’m not making your standard grilled chicken dinner; I’m kicking it up a notch with some seafood! All class. 🙂 And can you fucking believe? Another tasty meal! Rachel Ray is the woman! She is like 7 for 7.

Thankfully, my plan is working. Just as I had hoped, these small victories are quickly building my confidence. Could it be that I am beginning to derive some small pleasure from cooking? True, I didn’t really think this was ever possible. But it’s happening! I find myself combing through recipes, preparing extensive grocery lists, psyching myself up to get home and start cooking. 30 minutes, go! And a half hour later, the result is like magic. Hmph! Eating out is so… pedestrian.

Our house is under attack. By ants. People say it’s that time of the year again… I’m not sure whether they’re actually just trying to mask their disgust with our squalor or if they are trying to console us or what. Either way, the ants are relentless. Twice in August, I came home from work to find swarms covering my stove top. Seriously folks, I know John and I are a bit on the cluttery side, but I swear I wipe down the stove top. And I don’t leave shit out. Duh. Then the ants started appearing in armies in the bathroom. I couldn’t take it anymore. Already, I was vacuuming at least once a day (I’m that obsessed with my Dyson). Perhaps I needed to do another wipe down with chemicals? We sprayed Raid all around the outside of the house. Nothing worked. I put down baking soda, borax, pepper. Finally, I sprayed inside the house (hate exposing us and the dogs to that junk); we got some relief but invariably, the ants returned. Finally, I decided this was something for the pros. So I called in a 4-person cleaning crew. Maybe there’s just something we were missing, like between the fridge or around the baseboards. Let me tell you. I was a bit stressed when the cleaning lady first arrived to survey the house and give me a quote. In fact, I cleaned up a bit before she came. Within two minutes, she had me disgusted with myself. She ran her fingers on shelves, window sills, the blinds. Yeah this was going to be a $300 deep cleaning job. Holy cow! But whatever, let’s see what a deep cleaning is all about right?

OMG, the next morning, a crew of four arrived. I headed off to work, but John says they busted butt for like 2 1/2 hours straight. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the smarts to actually watch them work: I wanted to learn all the trade secrets, you know? Like what products, what tools, etc. Anyway, I arrived home later that day and the place was amazingly clean. Holy shit, I didn’t even know this was what clean meant. I ran my fingers over everything in search of dust. Zippo. They cleaned the blinds, the fridge, the oven… but the bathrooms and floors were the best. My feet could even feel a difference. I know, are you grossed out? We’re pigs. What can I say? So now I’m trying to figure out what I can cut (cable tv perhaps) so I can set aside monthly cleanings at $150 a shot. Sigh. It sure was nice to come home to a clean house.

Of course, just as I was all elated and shit living among the clean people, the next day, I returned home to find the goddamn ants all over the stove top again!!! WTF???! People say you have to follow their track. I have tried. This time, I decided to open the bottom oven broiler drawer. To my surprise, I could see a ton of gunk underneath. Why didn’t the cleaning folks get it? It doesn’t appear accessible. After about five minutes of fidgeting around this area, I realized the drawer slides all the way out. Omfg. The horror under the stove. There was frosting droplets, broken glass, dust like you wouldn’t believe, grease, grime. Utterly filthy. But I was determined to get in there. Busted out the vacuum attachments, the wet rags. I was on my hands and knees sweating up a storm and getting all hot and bothered. By the time John got home, I was pissed. These fucking ants!

We’ve gone out and gotten new ant traps. I still see the fuckers around, but I think the situation is getting better. Uh, I really don’t want to get a terminator out here. For some reason, I just feel like that professional strength stuff will give us and the dogs brain damage. I know.

In other homemaking news, I decided the dogs needed a bath. Usually, that’s the only time the guest shower ever gets used. But the stupid shower head has like zero pressure and it’s this odd metal thing that veers to one side (not centered) and can only go straight up or down (a few inches) without any side to side motion. Hard to describe but basically, it’s a piece of shit that makes the shower practically unusable. For some reason, I felt especially motivated that day to optimize the situation. I researched those handheld showerheads online, got the exact model at Target, came home, installed, and voila. Just $20 later and I had a usable guest shower plus dog washer. Who knew problem solving could be so easy! Why had I waited for so long? Too many other projects going on, I tell you. The brain is constantly churning with things to do, how to make me and my things better. I think my insomnia is coming back…

Bubbey finally combed through his shots.

Aw yeah baby, I’m officially off probation. Woo hoo! Yup, I finally made it to the 1-year mark with the treehuggers; I look forward to many more months of fun. Yes, I say months and not years or decades, because come on, I’m not that much of an optimist. Gotta keep that shit in check, otherwise I’ll get burned.

Speaking of getting burned, some crazy crap went down recently with my former employer. I got an email last week from a buddy who left in August. Most of the staffers got laid off, and then the remaining employees were instructed to go on a 2-week vacation (figures the company would insist on calling it “vacation” even though it’s totally unpaid) and reconvene later this month (to re-evaluate). The story is that a lead investor pulled out… I guess it’s yet another example of these uncertain times. Save up for the rainy day folks, because just like that, the deluge begins. I haven’t spoken much to my friends who are still there, but some have changed their Linked In status to “looking for a job.” Still, others don’t seem all that stressed. Guess I’ll get the full scoop when a few of them come over for dinner next week.

As for me, the rest of this week is busy. Tomorrow I’m heading to Milpitas for a Photoshop class. I already use Photoshop regularly, but I’m retaking an intro class as a refresher. I’m sure I’m hacking my way through PS now, so I welcome the opportunity to become more legit. On Friday night, John, Bri, and I are going to see Sondheim’s Into the Woods (Thanks Goldstar!). I’ve only seen this production one other time: freshman year at Duke, starring my crush of the moment. The play was what cinched the deal for him: I was just so enthralled with his talent– the singing, the acting, the dancing. I know, I’m such a wannabe everything– athlete, performer, activist, polyglot… Anyway, the play should be fun.

Then Saturday, I’ll be up again at the crack of dawn, working another event. John and Bri plan to participate, but I don’t know if they’re up for a 8-12 mile hike. After all, they haven’t been on my Olympian training schedule, you know? What else? Work, obviously, is going well. My department hired a new 30-something earlier this month, and she seems really cool. I’m going to invite her out for lunch next week, so I can get the full scoop. Hehe, always doing “research.”

Oddly enough, I have noticed the return of my insomnia in recent weeks. Not sure why– the huge work event last Saturday perhaps? I dunno, I’d hope work doesn’t stress me out that much. I’ve also noticed more brain activity later into the night (thinking about work, Chinese class, home improvement, garden improvement, travel plans, etc.) but still. Something has been waking me every day at about 4:30. I end up returning to bed but then I wake up unrested at 7. I don’t know. Whatever the issue, I need to figure it out, because it’s screwing up my efficiency. 🙂

Oh man, it’s finally over. Though I’d only have to endure the horrors of wedding planning once in my life. I was wrong. Turns out, the public affairs department (of which I am a part) at work puts on a yearly volunteer recognition event and last Saturday was the biggest turnout ever with over 200 people. And I was in charge of the caterers. I also dabbled (reluctantly) in decorations, booz, entertainment… I know, totally NOT up my alley. But, I’m happy to report that the event went beautifully. And now we get to repeat the entire arduous process next year. Yay.

In other news, Bubbey is still sifting through our Oregon pictures. Sorry for the delay. Hopefully, they’ll post soon. Meanwhile, my Olympian training schedule continues. As the weather has gotten colder, we’ve slacked a couple days here and there, but for the most part, I’ve got the system down: walking (morning or night), lunch skate, evening swim. Come to me DB…

A bunch of people from high school have been contacting me through Facebook. Damn, I just cannot get over how adult everyone looks. And what’s with the kids?! Holy smokes, they’re sprouting like weeds. Seriously. It’s as if the human race were going extinct, and everyone made a mad dash to procreate. Whatev. I’ll never understand it. Thankfully, John doesn’t either. We prefer to remain in full control of our lives and our lives only. Honestly, who can bother about a whole other entity?

Btw, are you following the politics? Wtf people, Sarah Palin?? Are you fucking kidding me? She’s gaining momentum AND the support of women, “they” say. Who are these women????? John and I watched Michael Moore’s Sicko last week. How utterly depressing. This country is fucked up. Sure, maybe it’s naive to expect that Obama will turn this screwed up joint around. But really, there are two choices: Option A and Option B. You have to choose one, and puhlease, this is not a trick question. My reasons?

1. I’m pro-choice. Sure, given my barren womb philosophy, you’d be accurate in calling me pro-abortion in all instances (for myself, that is) but look, the bottom line is: a woman’s body, a woman’s choice. Beyond that, fuck off.
2. I’m a minority woman and newsflash: racism AND sexism still exist. The government should acknowledge this.
3. Global warming is real, and humankind (myself included) plays an integral role in trashing the planet and exacerbating the situation.
4. I want government to provide programs for people who need help.

Of course, who opposes fiscal responsibility? Sure, sometimes money gets squandered and programs don’t work. That doesn’t mean the programs don’t deserve tweaking or re-working. All of you who believe the Republicans are fiscally responsible? Wake up and smell the bacon. How much money is pissing away on this unjust war? And seriously, spare me the self-righteous bullshit. If life were so goddamn precious that you couldn’t possibly terminate a fetus the size of a grain of rice, how then could you possibly justify the death of innocent civilians or the torture (not to mention suspended rights) of alleged “enemy combatants”? They say it’s for our protection, but I don’t feel any safer. In fact, US citizens traveling abroad are even more at risk of attacks than ever before. Ugh. Taxes, schmaxes. Look, either way you’re forking over the dough- be it for an unjust war or for the resulting emotional/physical ailments attributed to a deteriorating environment. Think happy thoughts though.