The Interloper

Sunday, December 31, 2006

Brittney was going to a New Year's celebration out of town that Maddy couldn't really go to. Being the great godmother to Maddy that I am, I offered to take her for the weekend. I picked her up from Brittney Saturday afternoon and brought her back to the Wylie house. Eliza was a little mean, but Maddy took it pretty well. Eliza did bark at her, which made Maddy go hide in the bathroom, so I picked Maddy up and she took a nap with me. Awww...

But having three dogs in the house can be very entertaining. One dog goes for a two and the other dogs are running for it as fast as they can. Maddy has lots of trouble running in the house with the wood floors. She runs halfway across the living room, then slides on her side the rest of the way. She doesn't seem to mind, though it does hamper her ability to attack Eliza.

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How Does That Happen?

Saturday, December 30, 2006

I wake up this morning feeling bad - real bad. I didn't get much sleep, just tossing and turning all night. I finally got up at 7:30 to sleep on the couch, thinking that might help. It didn't and around 8:30 Matt woke up and told me to come back to bed since the couch didn't help me sleep anyway. I was still miserable. I would be cold, then as soon as I got the covers on me I would be burning up and throw the covers off. I headbutted Matt which killed my already monsterous headache. Matt got up to get the thermometer, and my temp was at 100.4. He looks up fevers on-line and tells me that 100.4 is precisely the temperature the body will raise itself to in order to kill off an infection. He got me a cool washcloth for my head and the made me cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I finally got about two hours of sleep and my fever finally went down.

I ended up going to my in-laws house for their holiday party, but only stayed for an hour and a half because I started feeling bad again. Driving back I was burning up, so I rolled the windows down a bit, which made me shiver - but was still better than burning up. I stopped at Brittney's to get Maddy. While I was in the apartment, I felt worse. By the time I got back to my car, I had about had enough. I was about to call Matt to see if he could take me home when I decided instead to just throw up. This made me feel better enough to drive home. Whew.

I get back to the Wylie house and decide to try to nap. I am freezing and shivering so I crawl under the blankets and get the dogs up on the bed to provide some warmth! =) Once again I can't fall asleep. I decide to take my temperature every ten minutes until I can fall asleep or until my mom turns her phone on so I can call her. 100.2, 101.8, 102.1, 102.2, 102.5, 102.7 I call Matt, he looks up online that I should be ok until 103 or 102 or 104 depending on the website. My mom finally calls and she asks how I am feeling. I start to tell her and she tells me I should go to the doctor. I finally get around to telling her 102.7 and she says you need to go to the doctor now. (She IS a nurse!) I say ok, but I'll have to go to the ER because I am way out of my network. I call Matt and tell him what mom said - he said ok, I'll call you back.

Matt shows up and we head to the ER to get me fixed up. We go to a hospital in Plano because it is the closest one. I give them my symptoms and they check me in - complete with bands. I am joking with Matt about I have never had bands - my ER in Weatherford just asked you a bunch of questions and presecribed some meds. Little did I know...

After a short wait they take us back to a room in the ER. They tell me to go ahead and change into a hospital gown - do what? I change with Matt laughing about me not being able to figure out the gown without his help. We sit down to wait, I finally decide to lay down since I am still feeling nauseated. A nurse comes in and sticks a needle in my arm to take blood - this is getting way more complicated than I thought it would be. I realize that blood work might take a while and I really ahve to go to the bathroom. Matt checks that the path to the bathroom across the hall is clear and I sneak across. The bathroom is freezing! I get back to the room shivering and shaking - Matt asks me if I am faking or not... not!

A new person comes in the room to take me to get X-rays. All this standing up is making me ill. I get back to the room and they hook me up to an IV - finally giving me some medicine for the naseau. Yay! Apparently my symptoms could be from the Flu, Pneumonia, Mono, or Strep Throat. This means that they also have to do a nose swab (makes me sneeze for almost a minute) and a throat swab (gag!). Though they do give me warm blankets which are heavenly - that IV is making my whole arm cold!

The doctor finally comes in and tells me that what I have, they can't treat - Mono! How in the world did I get mono??? He explains any number of possibilities. He says he still needs to look at my X-rays, but if they look ok, they will let me go home. When the nurse comes in to give me the paperwork, the doctor pokes his head in. Apparently I also have a mild case of pneumonia too, so he's going to write me a prescription for that. SERIOUSLY????

Matt harasses me about having Mono - the "kissing disease" - and claims the nurse is looking at me differently now. She kinda is... do I need to put a scarlet M on my hospital gown? My IV finishes draining and they let me put my clothes on and go home. I read the literature they gave me. I was likely exposed to Mono a month or two ago. I will have flu-like symptoms for one to two weeks. I will be contagious for 3-4 months. I have to avoid strenuous physical activity for one to two months because my spleen might rupture. So there goes the ski trip we were planning. =( What a great way to end this year and start next year. Why couldn't it just have been the flu???

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Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 25, 2006 Merry Christmas to all, and to all a new camera!!! My mom, sister and I all got cameras for Christmas. Dad got the both of them cameras because they didn't have one. Matt got me a small one I could keep in my purse at all times because I always want to have a picture of this or that for my blog - how sweet is that!?!

We went to my parent's house for Christmas Eve as usual. We showed up early so I would have time to make dad's present - Cinnabon rolls - before he would get home from work. He loved them - he is so easy to please for presents! =) We even got to use his chocolate fountain though I could not get the chocolate to melt perfectly the way Brittney did when we used it before. *sigh*

Christmas day we went to Matt's parents. We had to do the celebrations early since Matt had to go to work at 2. Since we had to do a morning Christmas Matt and I volunteered to make the food. I think his dad cringed when I said I was making quiche, so I quickly renamed it to Breakfast Pie! (He later said he might actually like quiche!) We even made sausage - which was quite an ordeal, but really good. I even made them waffles from my grandmom's recipe - it was quite possibly the best breakfast ever! Yum!

We opened presents, but then Matt had to go to work. We bought Noah a phosphorus mat that you flash with a bright light and it preserves the shadows for 30 seconds. We played with it for about an hour... so fun! After awhile, I missed Matt, so I went up to his work and hung out for the rest of the day. I even brought a pecan pie with me for him to share with everyone else had to work that day. I would say that I was the most popular one in the room. Yay!

I uploaded more Christmas pictures here!

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Egg-cellent!

Wednesday, December 20, 2006 Today at work we had a mini holiday party (my doing) and then another holiday party at Bowling tonight. We each are supposed to bring something, so I decided to bring eggnog to both since I am currently obsessed with it. I made eggnog for the first time last year after my hero, Alton, made some on TV. I was nervous, having spent my whole life not liking eggnog - despite never trying it, but it was really good. I only made it once last year, so I decided to make it for a cookie exchange last weekend at my sister's. Then I fell in love with it again - so it seemed like a logical choice to make and share with others. I am a promoter of happiness!

Most people have had eggnog, but most of the time they buy the eggnog. I am a purist so I make mine from scratch. I am also concerned for my fellow man, so I usually make the safer cooked version of it. Last night I decided to make the eggnog - a quadruple batch - and take half to work, half to bowling. This requires 16 eggs and of course I had 15 - which means a run to the grocery store where I also pick up more egg whites. Then I get cracking! Have you ever seen what 16 eggs looks like? The yolks were all I needed, so now I have 16 egg whites to get rid off. The most I could get rid of was 5 in a souffle, so I think I'll be eating scrambled egg whites for awhile...

Then I get the milk to cooking, tempering in the egg yolks and then bringing it to 160 degrees to kill any bugs like Salmonella. He's not a fun guy to hang around with. Once that is all done, it has to cool - the most painful part because it takes forever! I watch TV for awhile, then once it has cooled a bit, I decide to go ahead and add in the egg whites. I buy the pasteurized egg whites because they never get heated by me, so the pasteurized is safer. I had already split the batches in half, so decided to do the work batch first. I whip up the egg whites into all their frothy splendor. Then this gets folded into the mixture. I pour this into two of my nalgene bottles, because that is all I have. Yay, one down one to go.

I pour the rest of this carton of egg whites into the bowl, then pull out the egg whites I just bought and dump them in too. Ummm that's weird. These egg whites are yellow. Hmmm, that's weird. I pick up the box and look at it - it says egg whites. So I go with it - this batch will just be yellower. I put the mixer in and froth away. Ummm they aren't frothing. I use the blender on high speed for a bit but still nothing.

I pick up the box and look at it again. What? 99% egg whites??!?!?! I look at the other box - 100% egg whites! Everyone knows that just a teeny bit of yolk will ruin egg whites - and that is exactly what 1% of non-egg whites will do. I am a bit irritated, who sells 99% egg whites???? Nothing is really ruined - but I can't finish this batch and wasted 2 dollars on 99% useless.

I will have to stop by and buy more (100%) egg whites on the way home to finish off the eggnog for bowling. What a pain. At least everyone at work likes the eggnog - it makes it worth it when people want the recipe. As long as they don't try to bring it next year, I've got dibs on this baby for awhile! =)

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Pecan Pie!

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Last night Matt and I were shopping in Wal-Mart when he suddenly remembers that he has been promising to bring Cassandra a pecan pie because she has never had one. I tell him no problem, I'll make him one when I come home. But no, he told her he would have it tomorrow (ie today!). I said uh oh well. So we look at the frozen pies, but then he decides he wants to get one from the bakery. We go over and look at the pies. Uh no. There is no way someone who didn't think they liked pecan pie would like these. I tell him I will make the pecan pie. I think this worries him - I've never made one, and we don't even know what we need. I am sure if we get pecans then I will have everything else. He asks about a pie crust. I say I have one and if not, I can always make one. Which means he now wants me to make one. =)

Well we go to buy pecans and the unshelled pecans are half the price of the shelled ones. So Matt now has the responsibility of shelling the nuts. Well I had already promised to make dinner, so I am now on double duty. I get the water boiling and get to work on the pie crust. I make it, get it rolled out and throw the spaghetti in the pot. Then I mix up the filling for the pie - I did have everything! When Matt finishes the nuts, the spaghetti is done! We stir the nuts into the filling, which I was worried about, but apparently they float to the top. And voila! Dinner isn't as hot, but we got both accomplished. Matt feels since he helped he can tell Cassandra that he made the pie. Silly boy. We had to cook it, then take the crust shield off, then cook it some more. Everytime I had to check it, I made Matt come to check on his pie. It was finally done, but I wouldn't let Matt try it. I said it always looks better when there isn't any missing. He said, but what if it tastes bad? This earned him a death glare. To which he responded, remember the hot chocolate? Oh he was asking for it alright! But anyhow, it looks perfect, so I asked him to take a picture of it before he eats it so I could blog about it! Yay!

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It's Like A New Car!!!

Monday, December 18, 2006

Yesterday Matt decided to go ahead and put the trailer hitch on my car. This means we can finally move the trailer from in front of Oscar's house to my parent's house. It was getting later than I usually like to leave, but it was pretty productive - look at my new hitch!!!

Well it was so awesome we decided to go ahead and remove the side rails we never wanted in the first place. We tried to remove them awhile back but it was not an easy task. But we had Oscar the Body Man to help us out! My car with the rails - that is Matt working on removing the rails.

And after the rails are removed! Doesn't it look taller???

Buoyed by the awesome-ness already achieved I decide I want the bumper in the front fixed. It has an after-market piece tacked on to the front. When we first got it, we didn't even notice. But then Oscar noticed it - from then on it stuck out like a sore thumb (or lip) and then it started to fade. I hated the fat lip bumper and wanted it gone.

Well we had also tried this before but realized it might leave holes in the original bumper. Well we took the whole bumper off to achieve this.

My poor car looks so sad. Well while it was apart, I cleaned up my radiator a bit. We got the nasty piece off and there were 9 holes. Well I would actually rather have the 9 holes than nasty fat lip. No need! Oscar and Matt found plugs that match it - yay! So not only do I have my better bumper back, I have some fancy decorations that actually look pretty cool!

And from the front...

It's like a whole new car! We should do this every six months! Yipee! Just so you can see the awesome-ness, I made a nice photo of them both.

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The Case For A House Husband, Part 1

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

My sister-in-law, Joanna, is staying in my apartment this weekend. I will be back in Dallas, but she has a friend's wedding to go to - so I am happy to oblige. I've been trying to clean the apartment after work this week. Which would be going great if I didn't hate housework and procrastinated in every way possible. (Like writing a blog)

Well I cleaned the kitchen (mostly) and the bathroom. I already cleaned the sheets - which will get dirty if I use them before this weekend - so I am sleeping in a sleeping bag! =) That meant today was vacuuming!

Let me start by saying I LOVE my vacuum. It's a Hoover that is like the Dyson, but $200 cheaper. Suction for cheaper! Except for today. It was doing ok when I was just using the hose to tidy up in the bathroom, kitchen and entry way. But when I started trying to clean the carpet, the sound wasn't right. Then it start leaving black streaks on the carpet. Umm... not good! I have to closely investigate these strips since my kitchen lights are burned out. They are in fact clumps of dog hair. This is not a good sign. I keep trying to vacuum until I realize I am just moving the dog hair into piles.

*sigh*

I look at the vacuum and realize that the container is empty, the dirt is not getting in. The back has a clear part and I see a very large clump. Great. I try to dig out the clump with a hanger, but to no avail. I end up having to unscrew the back to get the clump out. But that's not all that comes out.

Apparently the hose was chock full of dog hair and dirt. Gross. I fight with it for a few minutes to clear the hose. I finally get it all out and stare at it in disbelief. Eliza thinks that a new little dog has just crawled out of the vacuum. She sniffs it to make sure it isn't Maddy. =)

This is why I am not cut out to be a Domestic Diva or Housewife. Matt enjoys this kind of thing, so he is the much better candidate for house husband. He probably would take the vacuum cleaner apart for the fun of it, not because of the ginormous clogs!

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I'm Not Weird

Sunday, December 10, 2006

I was back in the Wylie home when Matt and I discovered something odd in the kitchen:

We crept up on it taking pictures just to show Oscar about his mouses. Apparently Matt thought the mouse was already dead - a fact he didn't share - but was surprised when the mouse moved when he made a loud noise. The mouse was alive, but barely. He had apparently eaten the mouse poison the guys had put out.

I'm no animal freak by any means. I love animals and I hate to see them suffer - even mice. The poor little guy was struggling to breathe and couldn't even lift his head off the floor to run away. I told Matt to put him out of his misery, but Matt declined. Mainly because the only method we could think of was beyond our squeamish limit. We look at each other - is this what God wants? Sure they are pests and we don't want them in the house, but seeing one slowly dying is a bit much to take. I felt bad for the little guy.

Once I start petting him I feel a little better. I woudl imagine if I was a dying mouse I would want someone to care. Obviously it was too late to save the mouse, he ingested the poison and it was just a matter of time. But I figured since I was already going to have to wash my hands, why not make the mouse feel better?

Yes I know, it looks weird and you probably think I am weird. I was remembering this one time when I was a kid we thought our rabbit had still-born bunnies. This is a bit much for a kid to deal with, so Dad shooed us away. A bit later Dad was walking around the house holding something next to his chest. It was the bunnies and they were alive! They hadn't been dead, and his body heat had helped them pull through whatever was wrong with them. I knew I wasn't going to save the mouse, but I thought it might make him feel better. I wasn't exactly reading to him - that would be silly - I just sat in the chair so he wouldn't fall off my shirt. Then I just happened to pick up the book that was by the chair - one of Noah's.

As if Matt hadn't freaked out enough about me picking up the dying mouse, you should have seen the face when he saw what book I was reading. I thought it was ironic too, but it wasn't like it picked it out - it just happened to be the book sitting there! Well I was shortly banned from making lunch. I got harassed by both Matt and Oscar for a while, which I would agree with if someone else did it, but try looking at a dying mouse no bigger than a dustball and not feeling like you should do something. I cannot help being a softie. I think Matt and Oscar should switch to mouse traps - at least they are mostly instantaneous.

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Bowling Practice

Saturday, December 9, 2006

I drove home last night to Dallas. I know I am a dork, but I packed up some of the bread I made with me. I froze half of it right away, and I didn't want the other half to go bad. I woke up this morning and had to make breakfast for myself since Matt was in a training class. I made Egg's in a Basket with my homemade bread. So Good! I know my hole for the egg is square and is supposed to be round, but square is easier. The little piece in the front is the cut out piece with jam on it. It was the best breakfast all week - not like it had stiff competition though...

Anyway, since Brittney agreed I needed practice, she said she would come bowling with me today - even though she also was graduating today. What a friend! But we had errands to do first. Sha had to run Maddy to the vet because the dog is broken (again!) and then I met her at her apartment around 10. We went to the Black & White clothing store so she could get a appropriate graduation shirt. We got her breakfast at Chik-fil-A (cause I already ate) and then headed to bowling.

I brought all my bowling gear with me, since I knew I needed practice. She had to rent shoes and picked out a meager 8 lb ball. =) We bowled two games, enough for practice. It wasn't great bowling for me, but I got 6 spares in the first game and I need practice picking those up. It soon became clear that Brittney and I have very different styles of bowling. We tried to get pictures of it, but every time the flash went off it kinda ruined our bowl, so we only took two.

She puts her ball down near the beginning of the lane, while I chunk mine a good 6 ft out. Whatever works, right?

After bowling we went back to her place and got her all graduated. I even held my cool when some girl behind me used an air horn right in my ear (ok, I was not as cool the second time, but whatever). I'll post some pictures of her and I posing as soon as I get them from her dad - who is picture crazy. =)

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Bread!!!

Thursday, December 7, 2006

I was really craving some home-made bread today (mainly because I thought it would be cheaper than buying it). I was all pumped about making bread, so I pulled out the cookbook. Hmmm... sounds like alot of work. Mixing, kneading, letting bread rise, punching down, rising again, putting in pan, baking. Whew! I don't know about that.

But then I remembered something I had stored away in the garage! Heaven!!!

So I'm pouring all my ingredients in the breadmaker (so excited!) when I realize I might not have yeast. I scrounge around in the fridge and luckily I have some. But when does it expire???

Tell me, what are the odds of that? And of course I used it, the bread tastes great! Oh and I vaccuum sealed half of it and stored it in the freezer to see how it lasts. Can't wait!

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Bowling Blues
Wednesday, December 6, 2006

I had a really cool blog planned about my dog and getting her toenails clipped, but that plan got scrapped after bowling. It was so bad, I just have to vent.

I normally don't blog about bowling because I have a separate page about it that shows my scores. I'm not the best bowler, my average is only 116, but I usually do good enough that I don't embarass myself. Not so tonight!

The first game was bad. Penny showed up to bowl but she hurt her back this week and bowling was making it hurt even worse. She tried to sit out the first game to go to CVS and buy a heat pack, but it didn't help enough. So she was out - which she was very bummed about. So it was Brian, Elzie and I against the best team in the league. And I bowl an 84 on the first game. I was ticked about it, but everyone has a bad game. 84 is my new low score during league play. *sigh*

Then comes the second game. I suck again, but not quite as much. I manage to get one spare - maybe two. But I can't get over 100 again, I got a 96. I swear that I will make it up on the last game. But the last game is when I almost quit bowling...

I start bowling. I didn't bowl a gutter ball on the first frame - which was nice. I bowl a 9. Then the next frame I bowl 7-2. Ok... In the process I am throwing what is called strike balls - they should be a strike but for some unknown reason the pins refuse to break. I keep bowling 9's. After the first 5 frames, it stopes being funny. The pins break and leave one standing. At one point the one left was rocking so bad it should have fallen, but it didn't! If I have one left standing, the second ball I throw misses it by an inch - every time.

I am now getting irritated. What did I do this week that was so bad to deserve this bad karma? I bowl the first 7 frames with a 9. 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63 - then I throw a 6. Another 6. Then another 9! If you can count, this is the 10th frame. I think every bad and mean thought at the lone pin standing tall at the end of the alley. I throw the second ball and it actually hits! A spare! Now I have a third bowl to throw. And what do you know? It's a gutterball! It's at this point that Brian and Elzie can't take it anymore. They have to laugh.

If it wasn't me it was happening to, it would have been funny. But being robbed of a spare or strike on 7 frames in a row kinda takes the fun out of a person. I ended with an 85. I didn't break 100 all night. I think I am going to try to practice some this weekend so I don't do so bad next week, but I really don't know if that will help - I was throwing the ball right (amazingly!) the pins would just not cooperate! So frustrating!

In case you are curious - my nasty burn from last night blistered up into the world's smallest blister. C'mon! If it is going to hurt that bad, it should leave a nasty blister to show off to everyone... weak!

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Painful Christmas!
Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Making Christmas presents and I burned my finger. I can't say how since certain people who may or may not read this blog may or may not being getting said presents. People had better appreciate their gifts this year!

Anyhow, I spent this weekend in Canton with my friend Theresa. Besides the fact that it was freezing and she made me get up at 5:30 to drive out there, it was really fun. We both spent a bit of money, but spent way more time plotting out what we would buy if we had more money (or if I actually had a house). Matt might be a bit scared to see what happens to his wife when she gets around metal artwork...

This is the coolest fireplace cover ever! I will have it!

There were figures like these two guys all over - in a range of sizes. These two were the coolest since they were robbers - the bandanas on their faces really sealed my love for them. I would have bought both to defend my door if they weren't $80 each. =(

These chicken planters were soooo cute and even cheap! I have no place to put them or I would have bought them. All of my relatives are lucky I controlled myself. I really wanted to buy it for someone just so I could see them every now and then.

Just in case you thought we were the only people around in the freezing weather, I took a picture of but one part of one of the parking lots. We just happened to have good parking because we got there before most of the vendors...

And for some of the goodies I bought. I cannot show all because I may or may not have bought presents for people who may or may not read my blog. I did take pictures though - I can share after Christmas!

This lotion I was initially suspicious of. The lady swore it lasted all day and your hands would not dry out - all day! I didn't want to take my hands out of my jacket pockets long enough to put lotion on because it was freezing, so Theresa tested it for us. By the end of the day, my hands were dry and hers were not - even with washing her hands several times! We were sold!

There were several people there selling tupperware. Theresa and I spent about 10 minutes walking around this one guy's store exclaiming about how our mother had this or that. I ended up just buying these for 50 cents each because I loved them when I was a kid. I asked Matt and he said his mom had them too. I know one of the moms would have probably given them to me, but that is soooo not the point!

After Canton we got to the campsite and dropped our stuff off in Theresa's sister, Sarah's RV. Sister, Carson (daughter of sister) and Father-in-law of sister were all at the dock fishing. They hadn't caught anything all day, but Carson was super excited to point at everything anyway. They decided to put a worm on her Snoopy reel and drop it in again. She loves pushing the button and watching the lure fall in. Well F-I-L went to the bathroom so he told Sarah to watch the pole. Sarah told us to watch the pole. I was watching the pole when I thought maybe it was moving. It could be the current, since it was so windy outside - but I decided to reel it in just in case. There was definetely a fish on the end! It took Sarah and I both to get the fish out of the water without snapping the Snoopy pole. We ended up dropping the pole and pulling it in by the line. Carson caught quite a whopper with her little kid pole:

Too bad you can't keep bass on that lake or we would have had some real fresh fish for dinner. Yum! =)

In other news: The blob of dead LCD's on my phone is growing - it is getting hard to see much of anything. The clock in the corner is gone and it is starting to lose touch screen functionality. *sigh*

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