Kisa the Kitten

Why I thought adopting a kitten at this point in Caliber's life was a good idea, I'll never know. I've been wanting a cat for years and Mike has been telling me to get one (especially the free ones at Petco), but it just never seemed right. I was aimlessly wandering through petfinder.com and came across a very cute kitten at my local shelter. I had no choice but to adopt her, if for nothing else, to change her name to anything besides Nicole. Who names a cat Nicole? This little cutie pictured below had been at the shelter for THREE MONTHS! Can you believe it? She came in as a stray, and is believed to be about five months old. We're pretending she has the same birthday as Caliber since he was five months old too!

 

I named her Kisa (pronounced Keysa). It's from the wonderful manga Fruits Basket. Cute as can be, but she's been a real challenge for my little guy. He just wants to play with her and sniff her all the time. I think he's expecting her to play like the dogs at the dog park. Instead she shys (runs frantically) away from Caliber.

 

This is pretty much how the entire day goes...Kisa on her side of the baby gate, Caliber on the other... whining. Nonstop. Pacing. Ringing the bell to go outside. Sniffs around the house for her. I swear he thinks there are two of her. Getting a big gulp of water. Repeat.

 

 

Until she runs across the house and dashes under the bed. Then all hell breaks lose. Caliber isn't quick enough for Kisa's tight maneuvering. His paws thomp on the floor (when did I get a horse?) and his claws scurry--I swear our hardwood floors are an ice rink for him. Of course, when the bedroom door is closed it really throws off her game. You never know if she'll make it back to laundy room in time, or if she'll hideout behind the couch.

 

We have tried everything to get them to be calm around each other. Caliber has never once tried to hurt her, he just buries his nose into her for a good smell that he cannot get enough of (no, she doesn't appreciate it). We had her wear a calming collar that smelled like lilacs and chamomile that was supposed to mimic mom's pheromones, but it didn't seem to calm her. We had Caliber on a leash, but Kisa didn't know that so she still ran away. We had Kisa in the carrier and let Caliber come to it, but she just hissed at him. I even did the no-no thing and held her and put her near him. That actually seems to work the best. I kinda hold her against her will and don't let her swat at his nose. From what I read, it will take a while. It's been over two weeks and let me tell you... I am running low on patience. I can understand why she's afraid of a big thing charging at her, but he's not always chasing her and he's never once tried to bite her or anything.

 

It's extra hard for me because cats aren't energy-based like dogs are, so I don't know how people train them. I think it'll get better once Caliber stops reacting to her presence. Eventually she'll stop being afraid, right? I don't know how anyone, or anything, could not love my sweet baby dog. He doesn't get it either...

 





Damnit

On my last grocery store visit I accidentally bought Halloween Funfetti cake mix and frosting. Then the next day I accidentally baked it. Then Mike and I impressively only ate one piece each after dinner.

I put my Pyrex glass dish cover over the metal cake pan even though it didn't fit--just to cover it up so any random kitchen debris wouldn't ruin my masterpiece. Apparently I hallucinate pantry tornadoes and fridge hurricanes. As I placed it back in the oven for storage I thought, "Mike is going to turn the oven on and not realize this is in here." But, instead of doing anything about it I just walked away. I didn't even caution Michael.

The next day I had a piece of cake for breakfast (best decision ever), and placed the pan back in the oven. I went about my day and when dinner time was rolling around I decided we were having burgers and fries. A few minutes before Mike came home I preheated the oven so it'd be ready in time.

He walks in the door, greets Caliber and me and then alerts me that the cake pan is in the hot oven. Damnit. Damnit. Damnit.

So here's what I pulled out. If you look closely, you can see the black pot holder melted to the top right corner. It was pretty much unavoidable. Why I even used the damn cover is beyond me. You can tell it doesn't fit. It merely sat on top, doing nothing to keep my cake moist and delicious. Everyone knows there's no kitchen debris in the OVEN where I placed it. Le sigh.

Here's what a frosted cake looks like when you bake it...

The worst part is that I had a fork in the pan from when I ate my breakfast, so that was hard to pull off. I almost had to ask Mike to help, but didn't want him to know about it. Thank God I found some muscle! I couldn't save my Pyrex cover for my dish, but I managed to save my fork. Ya win some, ya lose some.

Once the melted cover cooled, it peeled off the pan pretty easily. The pan itself was in good shape. We thought about eating the cake, but the new texture it acquired stopped me. It was hard but spongey at the same time. And of course, I kept recalling when Fred Mertz baked a seven layer cake, but only presented one flat-as-a-pancake layer because he included them all as one! And the frosting was mixed in there too. Pretty sure his looked better than this.

So a few lessons were learned on this adventure--Next time I think Mike will F something up, say it out loud to help me remember so I'm less likely to F it up. And, don't put baked goods back in the oven. Just give up the counter space for God's sake. I have plenty of room! Good thing I'm not a homemaker full time! 

Questions

Here is a short list of questions I often ask myself:

• It is the 21st century... Why can't semi trucks accelerate to 65 mph by the time they reach the end of the on-ramp to enter the highway?
  
• Why don't I pee BEFORE I paint my nails?!
  
• When will Michael hang the curtain pull-backs I bought in June? Why don't I just do it myself?
  
• How do I not get sick of watching reruns of Gilmore Girls, Full House, Frasier and Roseanne no matter how many times I've seen the episode?
  
• Can I just get married now please? For free. Thanks.
  
• Will my walnut tree ever be empty of nuts? It's so scary to stand in my yard without a helmet.
  
• How was I lucky enough to get the best puppy in the universe?
  
• Why does Michael always try to talk to me while I'm blow drying my hair?
  
• Why oh why did I move to a city with no Taco Johns?
  
• When the H will Kraft get their shit together and change their box-opening design. It has never worked, and it never will. "To open, push here" it says. But opening it by a simple press of the thumb is NEVER going to happen. 

Sock Fight

Today I did Mike's laundry, and it reminded me of a "fight" we had a few months ago. You see, he found a "new" white sock in his clothes pile. He declared it must be mine, because it was too white and new to be his. After I looked at it I said, "Michael, that is not mine--it's huge!" He was too stubborn to realize that maybe (just maybe) this particular sock has been hiding at the back of the drawer for a few months. Disgusted by this "mysterious" sock, he tossed it in the garbage.

So today I snuck into his sock drawer determined to prove myself right. And what did I find? A crisp, white sock to match the one he carelessly threw away. Now this lonely sock will be without it's sole mate (see what I did there?).

He obviously has this style of sock in his "used" sock collection...

Just for laughs, here's a comparison of his athletic sock (bottom) compared to mine (top).

My Puppy is Acting Like a Puppy

Remember that cute, little fluffy pup I brought home on July 7? Me neither. I literally have to look at pictures to remember how little he was! It's funny to think how much my life is different now that I have a "baby". Things I can add to my resume:

• Amateur Dog Whisperer
• Typical Worrisome Mom

This morning I brought Caliber in from his kennel and noticed a red spot on the inside of his back leg.  I got a good look at it and saw a thin, red ring with pink shading inside. Oh no. Ringworm. I called the vet and took him in.

The doctor held a black light up to the spot to see if it glowed under it. If it glows, it's a good indication that it is indeed ringworm. It did not glow. :) Whew! She told me that ringworm in dogs is actually more scaley and typically on their face. It's most often picked up by cats who are infected. He was wrestling with another puppy at the dog park, and it could've been a bruise from that. I had no idea a bruise could look like human ringworm, but, I am so glad it does! It could also be a bug bite. Either are likely.

While we there, we also checked to see if his second testicle descended, and it did! Finally! If it didn't by six months, it means it probably will never drop, and he'd need surgery to remove it. If it stays up in him, then he's more likely to develop the cancers that are associated with that area. We also weighed him... My 15-weeks-old German Shepherd is 37.6 pounds of puppy love. Woof!

I haven't noticed any of his teeth missing yet, but he should start losing them soon. In the meantime, my monster has been doing some cliche puppy things I could do without.

So far he's eaten 1.5 rolls of Cottonelle Clean Care toilet paper right off the dispenser.


And he thought eating and scratching the wall next to the electrical outlet would be a great snack.


I still love my little guy. He does me proud most of the time. Today he got into the car all by himself instead of putting his front paws up and waiting for further assistance. He conquered the couch a few weeks back too. His next big obstacle is stairs. The only ones we have are down to our basement (which you access through the garage), so he isn't around them to practice. Last weekend at my dad's house he went upstairs by himself, and then was stuck. It took him a few minutes, but with patience and encouragement he came down all by himself. When I go down to the basement at home, though, he just waits anxiously and lets out a few barks until I return. Those stairs are scary--I'll give him that. No light, and they're not even heights. So they suck for us humans, too!

New York City

I want to visit New York City, but not today's New York City. I want to visit NYC in the 1930s. When it was cool to play trumpets and saxophones, because you can hear the soul of the music through them. When telephone numbers had exchange names, like WEllington 3-1247. When TV would have dead air--on purpose. When people danced for fun, not because they are drunk. When people walked to school uphill both ways with no shoes in the snow. When people traveled by train, and decorated their luggage with stickers. When drug stores sold sundaes. When girls wore dresses and boys were suits. When roads were bumpy, not with blacktop patches, but with cobblestone (I don't know what roads were made out of in the 30s, but in my mind it's cobblestone).

Why New York? I don't know. Maybe city life in the 1930s was the same in all the big towns, but I feel like fast-paced New York is the right city to be in during this era. After all, it's where Lucille Ball was.

DIY Kitchen Art

So I was dying to put up something fun on our white kitchen walls. To kill some dead space when we first moved in, I threw up our coffee clock and my calendar on some nails that were left by the previous tenants. While I was wondering around on Pinterest, I stumbled upon this cute giraffe DIY art. Then I realized that I could do the same thing, but make it kitchen-themed! Hooray! To be honest, I didn't really read her tutorial. All I read was "silhouette" and I took it from there!

So I Googled "kitchen silhouettes" and found some free clipart that I downloaded. I decided to stick with the things we love most--coffee and wine. I enlarged the images in Publisher, and printed out just the outline (to save ink). Then I went to Wal-Mart and bought 4 cheap 8X10 frames and scrap book paper.

I taped my silhouette cut outs onto the patterned scrapbook paper I wanted to use, and cut out the shape. Then I taped the cutout to my backing paper (the silver is foil paper) and threw it in the frame! Simple! The hardest part was hanging them. I hate measuring and figuring it all out. So I sorta randomly hung one and then made Michael do the rest :) He's not the biggest of fan of them--he finds them "kinda plain". But, I like that their simplicity.

I'm sorry for the poor quality photos, I had to use my phone. The camera cord is somewhere in the abyss of my basement... It was impossible to not get reflections in the glass, or the foil paper!

Making Tacos is Hard

To save a few bucks, Mike and I have been buying 5lbs of hamburger and separating it into one 1lb bag and two 2lb bags to freeze for about a month now. The other night we decided on tacos for dinner, so I took out the bag of hamburger from the fridge and dumped it in the frying pan. Mike was trying to get Caliber to take his pill, which wasn't going well for him. I started to think, "Geez, this is a lot of hamburger for this pan... Maybe it's just because it's still in big chunks." Then Mike goes, "HONEY! That's TWO pounds!"

Darnit.

After Michael and I bickered about, "Didn't that look like a lot of meat for the pan?!" "Yes, I was just thinking that..." I removed the pan from the hot burner to prevent any more cooking, and grab a new Ziploc Freezer Bag. I was just about to scoop some hamburger back in the bag when I realized I set it on top of the hot burner I just moved the pan from.

Good Lord.

And now Michael thinks I'll never get that off. Really? You're challenging my cleaning skills? Please.

Before I began scouring it, I simply peeled it off. Yup--that easy! No damage done! There were a few smaller pieces I couldn't get off, so I just used my dish sponge. Voila! So if you ever melt plastic on your stove top, there's an easy cleaning solution!

Welcome to Motherhood... Kind of.

Since we welcomed our puppy, Caliber, into our home, I find myself doing a lot of things I never thought I'd do. For instance, I talk for my dog. A lot. He tends to be very polite this way. I refer to myself in third person (as "mom", "mommy", or "mama"). For example, "Mama loves you! Yes she does! She loves you soooooo much!" I talk to him a lot. It's rather ridiculous. I narrate my life to him, and I doubt he even cares. "Mama is going to the kitchen to do the dishes!" "OK, crazy lady... Thanks for the update. I'm gonna continue to chew on my toy."

He hasn't had his final puppy booster shot yet, so I'm a bit paranoid of him meeting other dogs we don't know. Which happened on last night's walk. A very nice grey poodle named Zoey came out to greet us around the block. We let them hang out for a few moments introducing themselves, and the whole time I was panicking that Zoey had 87 different types of transferable bacterium she was passing to Caliber. They were certainly all fatal. Cesar would not approve of this meeting unless we knew Zoey's medical history was outstanding. We walked around the corner, and I expressed my paranoia to Michael. I suddenly stopped and said, "Oh my God. I'm that person--Oh my God, I'm your sister!" You see, one of his sisters was a freak with her first child. I make fun of her (even to her face) about how crazy she seemed to me. Sanitizing everything, not allowing her apple juice because it would make her hyper, etc.

It's been quite an adventure these past three weeks with Caliber. He makes me so happy, scared, upset and paranoid. All totally worth it. As long as he doesn't chew my valuables that is! ;) He's still doing well with his training. He usually listens, unless he's tired or playful. I'm finding it very hard to teach him to "stay". Sometimes it's hard for me to remember he's just a puppy and still has time to learn. He figured out how to bark a week and a half ago, and he occasionally gets sassy--especially if he really wants to bite your toes that you've hidden under your legs!

Puppy Love

Michael and I brought home a beautiful puppy, Caliber, on Saturday, July 7. I've had his name picked out months before we even bought the house. He's a 9-weeks-old German Shepherd from Jerland Kennels. Mike has been wanting a dog from there for nine years. It's a very reputable breeder from Barron, Wisconsin. The owner trained the German Shepherd in Beverly Hills Chihuahua. He also raised and trained the mom to the German Shepherd who plays Jerry Lee in K9 Cop. They are true German Shepherds, bred on strict Germany guidelines.

Caliber is from the last litter V Kalli von der Werther-Muhle SchH III KKL1a will ever have. Kalli was V10 at the 2007 SV Bundessiegerzuchtschan, on Sep 2nd, in Braunschweig, Germany. This contest is only open to the top 100 dogs via invitation only. He has only good reviews. I typically don't care about any of this stuff (I learned so much about breeding when we went to Jerland). I would have adopted a dog from the humane society, but it's great to know he comes from "good blood" because Jerland guarantees against hip displaysia and other common large breed ailments because of their good, strict breeding. They also offer free training sessions from their German trainer. We're going to take him when he's older, it's just gonna suck because it's a 3.5 hour car ride one way for us! Because of all these things, we spent entirely way too much money on the little guy. We are strapped for cash now, but how are you supposed to choose a different puppy when he puts his paw on your hand? 

Caliber has been doing exceptionally well adjusting to his new home. Only two accidents in the house since we've had him for a week and two days. He has a wonderful temperment, meaning he isn't scared by sudden noises (like when I use the shredder, or drop a kettle, etc.) or charge at you when you come through the door. He already understands a few commands, but he can be super stubborn at times! Definitely a puppy! The only "drr" thing he does is eat rocks and dirt. The dirt I can understand, the rocks I'm annoyed by. He could choke or chip a tooth, or God knows what... Unfortunately our yard has a hard time growing grass because of all the shade we have. We decided to put sod over the portion of the yard that is basically a rock garden to deter this.

The first time I put him in his outdoor pen I thought I was going to die. I felt like the worst mom in the universe. He's getting much better now, and so am I! He still whimpers a bit, but it's not horrible. We give him water, his toys and it's very well shaded! Thank God we haven't had any super hot days that I needed to go to work and leave him in there. We opted to use this outdoor pen, because it was already here when we moved in. It has a dog house that we'll need to rebuild to make bigger in a few months, but overall it's great. It's a 10X10 fenced in area behind our garage. The dog house actually attaches to the garage and there's a door that connects it to the garage.

Michael and I aren't really into the whole kenneling your dog thing. We're gone at work for eight hours a day, and until he's older he can get into a lot that I can prevent while I'm gone. I don't want him cooped up for that amount of time. Our breeder suggested we use the outdoor pen because they enjoy being outside. It's better than being baby-gated into a portion of my kitchen. And I agree--unless it's too hot, then obviously inside is more ideal.






He is such a good boy (most of the time). He really filled a part of my heart I didn't know was empty.