Squeaky Sheep and Wedding Invitations...Welcome to My Life

Sunday was Day One of obedience school for Killian and I am happy to report that he was the calmest dog in the class. Of course, he had his moments where he'd get distracted by the other dogs and want to go play with them (he's the friendliest dog in the world, by the way) but Lobster and I were very impressed with his chill attitude. The obedience trainer even used him for demonstrations several times! We're so proud.

We've also discovered that Killian only likes toys that make noise. I found this out when, at my wits end, I pulled a squeaky mouse out of the cat toy basket and threw it for him. To my surprise, Killian was intrigued. So I took said squeaky mouse to the backyard and threw it far, far away whereupon Killian raced after it and then ran around the backyard like a lunatic while tossing the mouse for himself.

Of course, within a day of figuring out what toys he likes, I went to Petsmart and bought him several noisy toys. One of them, the squishy, squeaky sheep, is now his baby. Every time I take Sheepie out of his bed and, say, put it in my office so he can play while I work, Killian promptly picks his baby up and puts it back to bed where he then cuddles it and makes sure it's comfy before coming back to stare at me while I work.

Clearly, we still have some work to do so I can work and Killian is still entertained. Dingos seem to be my only saving grace thus far.

In other news, yesterday I (finally) ordered all the supplies I need to make my wedding invitations. I think I've waited so long because I knew that as soon as I ordered the supplies, I'd be in for a huge project. But I can't put it off any longer so I had to commit to colors and a general design and order my stuff. I'm a little nervous (commitment freaks me out) but also ready to get them done and out of the way for all 12 billion other projects I have going on. Ahhh, wedding planning.

Oh, and Lobster and I got our master bed and bath painted and we LOVE the colors! I have avoided posting pictures yet because we are still waiting for our bedroom furniture to be delivered. But now I've grown impatient and decided I don't care if you see my mattress on the floor, so here they are:

Bedroom Before

Bedroom After

Bathroom Before

Bathroom After

So much better, no? I know it's hard to tell what color the room is, but it's a really pretty neutral called Gallery Taupe by Behr. It makes the room feel so much brighter and bigger! And the bathroom is called Wedgewood Grey, also by Behr and out of the Pottery Barn swatch book, but it is really a gray-blue color. It's very soothing. As soon as our furniture arrives and we have things all pretty and stuff, I'll be sure to update the after pics. Next up: guest bedroom and bath. Goodbye, lime green!

Letters

(This is what it feels like in Texas right now.)

Dear BP,

Quit your fake apologies, which we all know are solely for public relations purposes, and freakin' do something. My children and grandchildren do not deserve to pay for your mess. And while you're at it, start working on your drilling safety practices before you start trying to produce again, because your track record ain't looking so good.

Lover of this Earth and the oceans and all God's creatures (that you're killing, by the way),
Me

Dear Killian,

Holy breakthrough! I finally found a toy that you like! Granted, it's a cat toy, but why does that not surprise me. I promise to take you out and throw around the squeaky mouse with you when it starts getting cooler outside. But right now I think we'd both die of heatstroke. Stupid Texas summers...


Speaking of...

Dear Texas Summer,

Cool it, will you? I mean, c'mon! Is it really necessary to be 100 flipping degrees for a billion days in a row with no sign of rain in the near future? Seriously, you're making me question living in this state. I was born in Chicago and I'm sure they'll take me back. Consider this a warning...

Sweaty and not loving it,
Me

Dear Beer,

Why do I crave you so right now? Could it be because of the Texas heat (see above). Is my body deficient in hops and barley? I want to love you, but you make me so bloated. Please stop tempting me.

Thirsty,
Me

Dear Books,

Oh how I miss you! I want to read you again so badly, but there's this dog and this house and they both require a lot of attention right now. I promise I will start reading you again as soon as I can. And something other than books by the Dog Whisperer. Please don't give up on me!

Love,
Forlorn Former Voracious Reader

Dear Wedding,

You overwhelm me. Plan yourself, mkay? Kthnxbye.

Blisters, Dog Poop, and Paint, Oh My!

I have discovered this week that taking care of a new dog is harder than I expected. Especially when Lobster is out of town all week and I'm doing it all on my own. It has made me seriously question whether our decision to get a dog was very smart. Don't get me wrong, I do love Killian, but I think he's trying to kill me. Here are some highlights from our week:

I have gigantic blisters on both my feet because he has to be walked twice a day. Killian doesn't walk at a normal human pace. Killian walks at a super-human pace. Evidently, walking in running shoes does not do favors to your feet. I finally went out and bought a pair of walking shoes and I sure hope they make a difference.

Killian gets distracted by people and other animals and scents in the air and random branches on the ground. He can't even focus when going to the bathroom. For example, we will be on a walk and he'll stop to squat. While he's doing his business, he's looking around, sniffing the air, watching the people. Then when he's done, he forgets where he's done his business and immediately steps into the nice pile he's just created. Upon stepping into said pile, he looks down at his soiled paw, baffled by how this pile got there and why it is now on his paw. And then he looks at me like I'm the one who did it. I thought border collies were supposed to be smart dogs...

I think I may have adopted the only dog on the planet who doesn't know how to play with a toy. Lobster and I have discovered, to our dismay, that Killian has no interest in rope toys, squeaky toys, balls or frisbees. There is literally no way to play with this dog. I try to get down on the ground and play with him and he just flops around like a moron trying to lick my hands. How does one teach a dog to play? Isn't that supposed to be an instinct? The only thing that Killian seems to like are Dingos. Thank God for Dingos. Whoever invented Dingos is my hero.

So...we've had an interesting week. I have to admit that I'm a little worried that Killian might be a little much for me to handle. I want to believe that things will get better because (1) we've only had him for two weeks and it's still new, and (2) he's still a puppy, and (3) once we start obedience and agility classes, he'll start to get easier to handle. This is what I'm praying for. Otherwise, I'm going to keel over from exhaustion.

Maybe I shouldn't have kids.

In other news, Lobster and I bought the primer and paint for our master bedroom last weekend. I am hoping to start painting this weekend. Living with a bright tangerine master bedroom is starting to make me a little crazy. Not kidding, folks. The previous owners painted their master bedroom (and bathroom) bright tangerine. Who does that? Better yet, their baby's room (now our guest room) is neon green. It literally glows into the hallway. What were they thinking?

So we've got a few projects in the works. I'll be sure to take some before pictures of the tangerine madness before we start painting over it. I mean, yikes.

Swamped!

So, I know I'm a bad blogger lately. Sorry. Moving on.

Here's what I've been up to lately:

Lobster and I got the keys to our new house two weeks ago. We got them two days before the mover's were scheduled to arrive. Did we wait for the movers? Heck no! We put as many boxes into my car as possible and drove our happy butts to our new place at 9:00 p.m. on a Wednesday night! This is Lobster opening the door to our first place and reading a note left by the previous owner (very nice people but poor paint color choosers).

Two days later, we moved in and it's been a whirlwind of unpacking and painting and cleaning and arranging (and rearranging) ever since. My first room to paint was my office because I couldn't function without a working office and neither of us wanted to set up the desk and bookshelves only to move them out again to paint. Here's my (delayed) before picture of the office:

You can tell I already started painting before I remembered to take a before picture. Oops!

Here's the after picture:

Ahhh. Very calm and peaceful and conducive to a productive day's work, don't you think? Oh, and by the way, Lobster and I have more books than God. Seriously, folks. We need professional help. We're book hoarders.

Anyhoo, this is Lobster and I driving to Oklahoma last Saturday. Why drive to Oklahoma? Well, we were going to "look at" a border collie. I say "look at" because most people can't just "look at" a puppy without bringing it home. And we are just like those people.

Meet Killian, our new one-year-old(ish) puppy!

Killian was rescued from a shelter that was going to euthanize him that day. The lovely woman who rescued him rescues border collies all over the country and fosters them on her farm until they find good homes. Killian (who was then known as Tip) had been with her since April and she and I had been emailing back and forth about him and whether he'd be a good fit for the Lobster family. She even tested him with cats for us! So we went to "look at" him in Oklahoma and now he's a good ol' Texas dog!

So, besides unpacking, painting, running a new house, working full time and raising/training a new dog, I haven't had much time for anything else. Momma needs a drink!

More pictures of home improvements will be forthcoming as said improvements become improved. Promise!