tonight

Tonight I am going to sit on our patio with husband.

And I am going to sit very very VERY close to this candle so that the mosquitoes do not bite the crap out of my legs. Or arms. Or crotch. Don't even get me started.

Tonight I am going to play fetch with my dog.

And breathe a sigh of relief.
It's the weekend. And I don't have to go back to work until July 5th.
Hip hip hooray!

a translation

Translation: 

You know when you first lie (lie/lay? I was half asleep when I wrote this) in bed at night and you think about everything you could do and everything you should do? You think about everything you would be good at and everything seems to fit.

You slow down.

And then the alarm clock goes off and the sun comes through the windows. And you go to work and go through the motions.

And you forget about what “everything” was ...

Blah blah blah blah blah (something about rain and snow).
Huh???

This post is not about the words above. It’s about my awesome penmanship.

And about how my mind does not.  shut.  off.  (thanks mom).
Husband can say he’s going to bed at 10. By 10:06 he has brushed his teeth and has fallen sound asleep.
Six minutes! That's all it takes him.

People say there is a button.
Where the hell is that button?

 I wrote the above at 2am a few nights ago. Then found the piece of paper and decided to take a picture of my lovely boyish handwriting. Who knows what I was thinking I would get out of these random thoughts.

2am.
Poor husband.


P.S. You better not comment on this one. It's really not that great of a post anyways {now is the time to comment and tell me "you're wrong Tiff, it's a wonderful post"}. But really, I'm not sure if my gmail will hold another comment (I love it). Just a little behind. Not to mention, a whole ton of you shared what your passion was yesterday. Ummm, this is heaven for a nosy person like me.
So ... I'm off to catch up.
I'm off to spy on you.
And you. And you and you and you.

what I do for moolah

this is such a nice kitchen, but it's not my kitchen

Well, I don't cook.
You all know that by now.
And if you didn't know that, where the heck have you been?

And although I do love to eat, I don't do that for a living either.
I have thought about it. I can put down a few hot dogs, but my friends tell me that I'd have to put down more than just a few to make any real money.
So, that idea got scratched too.
And I definitely don't blog for a living.

*gasp*

I know, it’s crazy {but it's not}.
So, what the heck do I do?

Personally, I think it's fun to read blogs and know what those amazing bloggers do for a living {I also check out the neighbors' homes if they leave their shades open on our evening walks. Husband gets really mad when I do that}. Anyways, so some of these people do actually blog for a living. But as for the other 702 million of us ... what we do for 40+ hours a week ... where we go, who we work with, what our passion is ... I am interested in that.

So, I figure you guys should probably know just a tad more about me.

Let’s start with what I thought I wanted to do ...

there's that dang hat again

I always thought I would be a veterinarian.

Surprised?
I didn't think so.

Yep, as a little girl I always wanted to work with animals. All I can say is ... thank goodness I was not smart enough for pre-med. I used to cry when I saw flies struggling to escape from 'fly glue traps'. Do you remember those traps? I would seriously get upset as a little girl because their wings were flapping and they could not escape. I now cry when Sherman tries to "play with" baby bunnies. And I cried for three days straight when I heard about THIS dog just last month.

So, the whole vet thing … never going to happen.

But I always knew I had a strong desire to help.

And if not working directly with animals, then maybe working to help people.

this is such a nice office, but it's not my office

Human services/counseling/career counseling ...
somewhere along those lines, you will find my degree.
Basically helping others figure out what the heck they want to do with their lives. The funny thing about this is … most of them already know. They do. They just need a little push (sometimes a shove) to realize their potential. And guys, let me tell you … everyone has potential. Everyone.

Except for maybe those serial killers and rapists.
Sorry guys, you're out.

So, there you have it. I’m an animal-lovin' counselor/career counselor something-or-other. And if you want to know even more about me (Lord help us), I'm doing a little blogger interview over HERE today. This crazy girl sat my butt down and asked me a million and two questions. I just hope I passed.

So, tell me ... what is your passion?
I would love to know.
And if you say blogging ... YES!

call us crazy ... or maybe just cheap

So, I'm kind of obsessed with old barnwood.

Mainly because it's free. Free!

But also because it's rustic. And awesome.

Husband and I have an older house. Ok, we have an old house. I told you just how old a long time ago in a post that I wrote here. With an old house comes an old basement. And with an old basement comes an old yucky bathroom.

So, we decided to fix up this old yucky bathroom. I showed you that here.

But what to do with the outside walls of the bathroom was a big mystery.

Well, why not put up some old, free barnwood?

So that is what we did.

Ok, ok ... that's what husband did. Geez.
I don't know why we have to be so honest on blogs.

Anyways, the point of my story is that old barnwood is awesome.

And free.

And I'm over here today talking about another way you can use old barnwood.

In case you missed the barnwood potting table that Dan recently put together, go check it out. And don't stop there. Check out the entire blog.
This blog is amazing.

And speaking of amazing blogs, if you haven't checked out my 42 friends over there to the right ... you should. I read these blogs daily. 42. I mean really, who wants to work anyways? And I'll show you some more amazing blogs come July. Man oh man are you gonna love me. I mean them. Them.

There are a lot of "here"s in this post, huh?
Three to be exact.
Four if you count the "here" that I just wrote.
Crap, Five.

Guys, it's 5:30am.
I'm baaaaaack.
How long do you give me until I get sick again?

my ride

googleimage

Ha. I'm kidding.

But how awesome would Sherm and I be if we pulled in to the dog park in one of these beauts? Man oh man. And yes, I am totally that girl who thinks people are awesome if they drive expensive cars. Oh I'm just kidding again. But really ... tell me you wouldn't love me more.

So no ... sadly, I do not drive the LR4. But I did promise you guys here that I would show you my car. I'm not exactly sure why I told you this. You guys are gonna laugh at me. But it's not like you weren't laughing before.
So, I guess I'll continue.

This is my car.
A Pontiac Sunfire.
I got this car in high school. It was really cool then. But after high school, I went to college. And then after college, I went to grad school. And then I got married. And then I got a dog. And even after all of that ...
I am still with high school car.

It's not the car itself that is bad. I'm sure a lot of people drive two-door Pontiac Sunfires with crank windows and automatic nothing. Please say that you do.
But honestly, it's really not the car that's bad ...

It's the paint.

The paint is completely peeling off.
Oh and the fuel gage does not work anymore. So, I have to keep track of my mileage. 250. That's how many miles I go before I fill up (just in case).

So why not buy a new car, you might ask? Ummm, do you guys know how much new cars cost? Ridiculous. Oh my no. Not me.
I will be driving this sucker until it dies.

So, the next time you see a black Pontiac Sunfire with the paint peeling off ...

think Tiff.

Better yet ... think awesome.

baby gated

You eat our couch ...

you get baby gated.

not an easy subject

 I started the draft for this little ole' post in blogger almost four months ago.
And then I forgot about it.
Ok, that’s a lie. I didn’t forget about it. But I did try my very best to ignore it.

I’m not exactly sure what my hesitation was. Call me scared, call me insecure, call me beautiful (I kid). But for some reason I never posted it. And then one day I came across a fellow blogger who has oh, I don’t know, about a million and five followers and you know what her post started with?
Divorce.
Her parents were getting a divorce. And she had the guts to talk about it with her million and five readers. So, I decided I should probably try to find some of these guts that she owns. And so yesterday, as I was plowing through my sickness with too much time to think, I brought up my drafted post.
And you know what it started with?
Divorce.
Crap, I thought. I’m going to have to change my post. Why? Because this famous blogger has people. And her people have lawyers. And I didn’t want to get sued.
So, I began to think of other ways I could write “Divorce”. Ha. Come to find out, there is absolutely no other way to write “Divorce”. It’s just that ... Divorce. Period.
So, without further ado ...

Divorce.
Not an easy subject. Not easy at all.
Not an easy thing to deal with. Not for anyone.
But it happens. We all know that it does.
My family consisted of dad, mom, big sis and myself until I was 16. My life changed that year. My parents went their separate ways, my sister went off to college, and I was still trying to figure out who the heck I was and who I wanted to be in this big, crazy world. It was tough.

And maybe someday I will tell you just how tough. But for now, I just want to say that if anyone is dealing with a separation in any way, shape or form, I know ... we know ... that it’s not an easy thing to deal with. It’s not an easy subject. And most importantly, you will get through it.

My family once consisted of four.

Now my family is compiled of amazing step-parents and crazy fun step-siblings.

I miss my home.
I miss the family that I once knew.
There is absolutely no denying that. And I now know that there is no reason to deny it. It’s a fact.
It’s normal and healthy to miss something that you once loved and that no longer is. I miss our home, our land, my bedroom, my dogs (imagine that). I miss the place that we spent so many years and gained so many memories in.

It was tough.
But we are still a family.
Just a little bigger and a little crazier.

And now, I have Dan.
And I have Sherman (love you Sherm!) Ha. Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood a bit ... I'm getting a little choked up over here. Not to mention, I have all of Dan’s amazing family members that I now so proudly call my own. And we have our own little home to spend so many years and gain so many memories in.

And that is what really matters.
The present. And the future.
Yes, it was tough. It was hard. But we got through it. And we moved on.
And we remember and we miss, but we look forward to the new.
And we love the new. The amazing and exciting and unpredictable new.

Now, can we please talk about Bridesmaids?
Holy freaking hilarious.
(I'm a tad bit late, I know)

cheers to friday

It's Friday.
I am still trying to get my body to cooperate with my mind. My mind says 'I feel awesome. I feel great. I have gotten more sleep in the last 72 hours than I would normally get in an entire week'. No joke. It's true. Some of you have witnessed my early morning emails. And if you haven't and you want to ... just let me know. They usually start with the number 5, sometimes 4.

But my body ... my body says, 'forget you positive thinker, I'm going back to bed'.

It's Friday.
I hope you all get to go have a few brewskies after work like husband.
Or if beer isn't an option, a bomb pop like me.
I have eaten nine and a half bomb pops in the last 24 hours. Sherman got the other half. And Dan had one.

It's Friday.

May the weekend bring us all a whole lot of health.
And a little wealth.
And a lot of happiness.

I'm off to have my tenth (and a half) bomb pop.

Breakfast of champions.

our little canoe trip

19 people

6 dogs

9 canoes

1 cabin

several coolers

constant laughs

But, you want to know my favorite part of the trip?

At one point during our final day of canoeing, the sun had just started to lower and I had just started to relax enough to close my eyes and listen. I heard Dan paddle against the calm current. I heard Sherm snoring with his big head hanging out one side of the canoe. And I had a little moment. I can't really explain it because it was too quick and too private. But, in that moment I saw my life as it is right now. Right at that very moment. And I took it all in and I didn't let go.

And then I got sick and lost my voice.

Tah-Dah!

Gosh I love the river.

And Sherm swimming. And husband paddling.

And me sitting in a lawn chair not burning a single calorie. Not a one.

And I love the fact that I am lucky enough to enjoy these little moments with husband and lab.

So very lucky.

a birthday month

I love my birthday month so very much.

I love presents. I love cake. I love when people sing happy birthday to me. You know those people who blush and say "oh no, don't sing, please don't".

I'm the opposite of that.
You know those Mexican restaurants that slap a sombrero on your head, sing and clap and take a picture of you, complete with an obnoxiously bright flash?
I used to go to those restaurants. And lie and say that it was my birthday.
Free fried ice cream? Yes please.

But now they check your driver's license.
Why in the world would they start doing that?

Unfortunately, this month is not my birthday month.
However, it is for THIS crazy girl ... who has the most adorable little boy I have ever seen. Except for Jack. And Sherman. But he is definitely up there on my list of cute boys. And, because she knew that I was high on codeine and the other 24 drugs that I am currently taking ... she decided to give away my Feature Ad space for July. The nerve.
Ok, so I told her she could, but still.

So, go on over to see how to get hooked up. And trust me, you want to check it out. I'm not the only one doing this. There are other bloggers. Awesome bloggers. Bloggers who aren't sick and who actually post real posts.

I promise ... river recap tomorrow.
I promise ... as long as I feel better.

today I am thankful for

Amoxicillin
Codeine cough syrup
Nasal spray
Cough drops
Claritin-D
Medicated throat spray
155 lb dogs

And finally ... you guys.
For allowing me to count this as a blog post ...
so that I can get some much needed rest.

currently

Currently Sherman is passed out on our half-eaten couch. I have checked on him 16 times now to make sure that he is breathing. He is that tired from our little canoe trip.

Currently I am on a cough drop/ice cream diet and can not talk above a loud whisper. No voice. None at all {I feel like now might be a good time to do one of those vlogs that I've been wanting refusing to do}. Anyways, apparently drinking liquids for three days straight does not cure a sickness after all. Instead, it makes it worse. Oh what's that? I was supposed to be drinking water and orange juice? Do lime-a-ritas count?
Has anyone else been sick since February like me?

Oh and husband? He's great.

Dan is the only one currently not wanting to rip out his eyeballs from pure exhaustion. So, maybe I'll have him blog for me tomorrow. In the meantime ... I'm off to look at some more river pictures like the two above. And find a whistle so that I can call Dan when needed. And then I'm going to the doctor to see if I can't get my voice back, because I know that both Dan and Sherm are just dying to hear me "talk" again.

Oh and if you didn't know husband was hairy ... he is. Very hairy. I'm pretty sure he had chest hair when he was four. I'm not kidding.

thank you

Thank you for playing “wrastle” with me and letting me dance on your feet.

Thank you for sitting through all of my volleyball games and softball tournaments and attending all of my graduations.

Thank you for giving me away on my special day.

Thank you for always being there, Dad.

I love you so very much.

Happy Father's Day to you!

floatin' down a river

Well, I'll be taking another little trip ... starting now.
It's summer. You can't blame me.

This time I'll be floatin' down a river ... with husband and lab.
And a cooler.
In a canoe.

Oh man are we excited.

Last time we went canoeing, Sherm was just a little pup and about 40 lbs. Now he's 100+ (yes, he's put on a little summer weight). We'll see how this goes. The Joneses might be in the water more than in the canoe. I have a feeling Sherm will be tipping us over once or twice. Hey, you only live once, right?

So, off to the river we go.
Life is good.
Just don't remind me about that leather couch.
Don't do it. Don't you dare do it.

Ok, I'll do it.
So, I'm still a little mad. But, you know what made me a little less mad?

Seeing this in my gmail account.
Oops.
For a girl who loves her dog as much as I do, these are the last words that should be flooding my inbox.
Sorry, Sherm ... I'm really not going to kill you.
But I may dunk you in the water a few times.
Just to show you who's boss.

I am going to kill my dog

Seriously.

That's it.

That's all I got.

a few highlights from the weekend

Sherman reuniting with his aunt.
And by "reuniting" I mean, knock her over and lick her ears until she giggles.

Sherman meeting Jack for the very first time.

I was a little worried about this. Not because I was scared that my dog would eat my nephew. I knew that he wouldn't. But, that tail ... the tail has a mind of its own.
However, Sherm did good. Ok, great.
It was pretty amazing to watch the two of them. Dogs just get it. They do.

Jack hanging out on a sleeping bag in the grass.
I die.

Our humble little home filled to the rim with great friends and family ... and multiple {adorable} kids.

Bottles.

googleimage

Tim in white pants.

Ok, I have to be honest here. I'm still not sure how I feel about Tim's whitey tighties ...
I have a pair just like this. The same size and everything.
I'm not lying. You can check them out HERE.

But, until I figure out exactly how I feel about this, I will be calling it a "highlight".

Inflatable microphones.

Awesome.

An extra long weekend filled with lots of laughs.

Definitely a highlight in and of itself.