Furnace

So our furnace is down, as I eluded to in the last post...

Last fall, it never came on. My husband tried to fix it but he needs a part that can only be purchased by a certified heating and cooling expert. I asked him if he wanted me to call someone but he said no, that he would take care of it. I told him there was no hurry, but I would like to have it fixed before the 2 degree weather froze the pipes in January.

Now it is January and it is 2 degrees and the furnace still sits idle. Not too big a deal because we only set it at 60 or so anyway (so Bailey and the pipes don't freeze when we aren't home) and we use the fireplace for the majority of our heat. I haven't complained, though. I haven't nagged or said "I told you so."

So it was kinda funny the other day when I commented that it was cold. "I know, I know, I'm sorry, you were right..." I look at him, shocked. First because it practically takes an act of God for him to admit he was wrong, second because I had no idea what he was talking about. Then I remembered our conversation last fall about the furnace.

"I wasn't complaining... it was just an observation."

"Oh"

Cold

It is so cold.

How cold is it?

It is so cold that Bailey has taught herself how to crawl under the covers on our bed.

It is so cold that Bailey has learned that warm air comes from the blower on the fireplace and stands there to keep warm.

It is so cold that when Bailey got slimed at the dog park, it was frozen before I could wipe it off.

It is so cold that the 3 of us sleep in a heap cuddled close, both my husband and I in hooded sweatshirts, under a sheet, 2 blankets, and a comforter.

It is so cold that my husband is starting to feel guilty about not having the furnace repaired before January...

Resolution

Happy New Year!

After all the crazy hours I put into work last year, I resolved to relax more and spend more time with my family.

My husband's schedule recently changed and now I see him almost every day. My SIL is expecting our first niece or nephew in March and, though they don't know it yet, I plan to take some vacation time to help her and my little brother out once the grandparents have exhausted themselves. And Bailey and I are spending a lot of quality time together.

Just yesterday, she followed me around while I cleaned the house (yes, I do clean every once in a while but my husband was shocked about this as well) and then we cuddled on the couch watching movies together most of the afternoon and evening. It was nice to just hang out at home and enjoy the warmth of my cuddly dog while we relaxed in front of a fire on a very cold day.

I hope you all have a happy and blessed new year!

Quirks

One of the best things about having Bailey around is the funny things she does daily to make me laugh.

She loves squeaky toys. Unfortunately, she destroys them within 30 seconds of play so she doesn't get them very often. The funny part: she carries the toy around in her mouth, making it squeak. Then she whines in response. It's like she is having a conversation with the squeaker, or maybe singing along with it... Whichever, it's the only reward we can use to get her to "speak" on command.

She is also very observant. She knows what her world looks like and when something is different. It takes her a bit to adjust to any changes. Early this fall, I found her looking out the window near her kennel. Her hackles were raised and she was growling and barking like there was an intruder in the house. I looked out the window to try to figure out what it was. I saw nothing. I figured it was a squirrel or something that was long gone. So I let her out. She ran full speed to the center of the yard and barked and circled a spot on the ground like it was the most offensive thing she had ever seen. So I went to investigate. Here is what I found:


A mushroom, people... seriously... apparently it popped up over night...

This yesterday morning, she did it again... hackles and all. I couldn't figure out what she was so upset about. I let her out and she flipped out, barking and growling... I bought a new brand of trash bags and there was an unfamiliar color sitting at our curb... a black trash bag, people!

I guess that's a guard dog for ya.


I wonder why she wasn't phased by the Christmas Tree....?

Plagiarism

After that month of daily posting, I am suffering some severe writers block... so here is a cute e-mail I received from "Nancy" a while back. Hope you enjoy:

Where do pets come from?

A newly discovered chapter in the Book of Genesis has provided the answer.

Adam and Eve said, "Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us every day. Now we do not see you any more. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much you love us."

And God said, "I will create a companion for you that will be with you and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves."

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve.

And it was a good animal.

And God was pleased.

And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail.

And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal."

And God said, "I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG."

And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them.

And they were comforted.

And God was pleased.

And Dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, "Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well."

And God said, "I will create for them a companion who will be with them and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration."

And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve.

And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings.

And Adam and Eve learned humility.

And they were greatly improved.

And God was pleased.

And Dog was happy.

And Cat didn't give a hoot one way or the other.

Oops

My MIL and FIL were sitting at their table chatting. During the conversation, my FIL got a pill out for Geronimo and laid it on the table to wait for the dog to walk by.

My MIL looked away for a minute. When she looked back, my FIL tossed a pill into his mouth and took a drink. She figured he had grabbed an aspirin and didn't think anything of it.

About 30 seconds later:

FIL: Did I just take that pill?
MIL: You took something...

They called the vet to see if there would be any problems or if they needed to visit a doctor. They were told that the meds were the same used on humans.

Vet: Keep an eye on him. If he starts barking, call me back.

So they laughed about it but my MIL still kept an eye on him just in case.

A few hours later, they were driving up the road. My MIL asked if he was feeling ok. In true FIL fashion, he turned to her and barked...

Ornament

A lady at my church is expecting her third child. She and her OB/GYN are on very good terms and easily joke about all kinds of stuff throughout her exams.

She decided to get him a Christmas gift but was not sure what would be the most appropriate. So she did some digging on the web and found a brand new speculum pretty cheap.

When it arrived, she added some pipe cleaners, a small red poofy ball and some googly eyes and transformed the boring piece of medical equipment into a reindeer ornament... I wish I had a picture...

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Bailey's weight has been fluctuating lately. We switched her food to the adult formula right after her first birthday so that may have something to do with it. She was 78.5 on the 7th.