High Waters

Me: "Umm.. I sorta have an emergency in our apartment."

So, that was how my yesterday afternoon started out. I was going to post pictures from our early morning hike a few weeks ago, but decided that this was too good not to post. Remember in I Love Lucy, when Lucy and Ethel work in the candy factory and are wrapping chocolates when the conveyor belt speeds up, so they start eating the chocolate, stuffing them down their shirts or in their hats, doing anything to get rid of the candy. Well, that is exactly what happened to me.

Almost.

Kind of.

Not really, but it is just as funny. Now, anyway.

For a few months now, our sink has been gurgling every now and then. Pretty loudly. Nothing would happen, and the gurgling would stop after 30 seconds or so. We never really thought much about it, except for the jokes about the upstairs neighbors flushing their toilets or something. Tuesday, as I was rinsing the dishes to put in the dishwasher, I noticed the sink wasn't draining. I ran the disposal a few times, tried to unclog the sink, but eventually just gave up and walked away. The sink drained. After a bit.

Yesterday, I was in the living room packing up some stuff and I finally hear a dripping sound. Both of the dogs were in their crates, so I knew Jazz wasn't in the middle of a ginormous pee session (You're welcome for that, by the way). I walk toward the kitchen and notice water cascading off the back side of the sink and counter, falling on the carpet. The entire counter had water all over it, and everything was soaked. Half of the kitchen floor was flooded.

It was quite the sight.

It was wet.

It was really wet.

It was gross.

It was smelly.

Let's face it folks.. this was dirty, grimy, grey water.

After making my frantic call to Hubby-kun (who was at work down in the valley), I called the office to apprise them of the situation and get some help. The office lady then told me that the maintenance guys were at lunch so it would be an hour or so before they would make it. (I'm not sure she understood that Niagara Falls had just paid a visit to #12104.) After convincing her that this was indeed an emergency and not just your run of the mill clogged sink, she called the head maintenance dude and he rushed over with a giant vacuum.

A handful of wet towels, 1.5 trash cans filled with water, 1.5 bottles of drain-o, and 45 minutes later.. the sink begins draining again. Part of the carpet was ripped up and fans put in place to dry everything. Of course, Jasper is petrified of them. Poor dog, I'm convinced he is going to have a heart attack one of these days.

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti
(from allrecipes)

1 lb dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped (although I left this out; I hate chopping onions)
1 lb lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese, and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Carpentry

I think it is quite odd that so many people live in LA and never take advantage of all the stuff there is to do.. perfectly good, free stuff! I had been on the waiting list for a few weeks and on Friday, finally got an email saying tickets were available. So yesterday, Hubby-kun and I ventured down to Hollywood to see a taping of So You Think You Can Dance. It was a long afternoon of waiting, waiting, and more waiting. Waiting outside, waiting on benches, waiting inside. But after about 3 or so hours the show began! And it was fabulous! It was pretty interesting to see how they film the show. No cameras were allowed, sorry guys.. no pictures! I won't spoil anything because the show airs tonight, but here are some of my favorites from yesterday:

• Ellen Degeneres was a guest judge.
• She even danced for us during a break.
• Favorite dance: Melissa and Ade jazz routine(choreographed by Tyce Diorio) with one of my favorite songs (This Woman's Work)
• Celebrities! (Portia De Rossi, Roselyn Sanchez, Sarah Drew)
• Favorite quote: "Are you two carpenters? Because you just nailed it!" - Ellen
• Mary's hot tamale train!

Thank you Hubby-kun for coming with me! I know all the standing and waiting was boring, but I had so much fun!

What Did You Call Me?

Dodgertown

Hubby-kun and I were given tickets to the Dodgers game last night. They lost, but we still had loads of fun! We bought Dodgers shirts at Walmart the night before and bought hats at the stadium before the game. Of course, I had to get the camo hat. Of course. I wasn't sure if my DSLR would be allowed into the stadium, so I dug out our old digital point and shoot.

We had awesome seats. Field level, right around third base. Pretty nice for my first major league baseball game, eh? Of course it is no Mannywood, but I'm not sure I could hang with those folks anyway. They are pretty hardcore.I love ballpark food! We pretty much gorged ourselves on hotdogs, nachos, and garlic fries. Yummy! Here is Hubby-kun enjoying our Dodger Dog. Isn't that a fun name?.

iFad

*alternate title: Everything I Know About Money I Learned From My Mother

Yep, that's my new (well, I got her last month) iPhone 3g. Isn't she lovely? Ever since I discovered they were going on sale, I became infatuated. Borderline obsessed, if you will. I began looking up reviews and videos, weighing the pros and cons, trying to remind myself that this new toy was a luxury and not a necessity. Of course, Hubby-kun was of no help. If I upgraded to one, that meant that he would get to upgrade also. He left the decision completely up to me, which is probably the worst possible thing for him to do. Making decisions (particularly ones that require spending money) leave me stressed, second-guessing myself, and possibly even more neurotic than I already am.

The price of the phone was nearly impossibly to resist, but the $30 a month (per person) data plan kept staring me right smack in the face. But alas, I kicked my inner tightwad to the curb and bit the bullet. I'd be lying if I said it didn't send me into a small panic attack when Hubby-kun entered all our information and clicked send. But after having the phones for a month now, I am so glad we got them!

It is pretty sweet with it's touch screen. And being able to check my email and surf the net is hawt. Yes, it is! Not to mention, being able to watch tv shows, movies, and play games while flying cross country. I just had to resist the urge to look at our first bill since getting our new phones. Trust me, it is better for everyone this way.

If you don't already know about slickdeals, you should check it out. We have found many a good deal there. And speaking of good deals, the other day we saw that Southwest Airlines was having a 48 hour sale. I researched all day to be certain it really was a slick deal. Thankfully, Hubby-kun took the reigns and at the eleventh hour bought our tickets to NYC in November. I immediately began having buyers remorse, but Hubby-kun reassured me that it was ok. We are using this as our honeymoon/1-year/2-year anniversary trip. It is sure to be a grand time, and plus.. this will be our first official trip for just the two of us!

BOLO

Extended Family

Here are some snapshots of my mother-in-law's side of the family. I had already met most of her sisters, but it was the first time for some of her nieces. My mother-in-law has six sisters, can you believe it? Sheesh, and I can barely handle one brother and two brothers-in-law.

(Last photo taken by Hubby-kun)

Birthday{s}

It seems like summer is full of birthdays. Two of my very sweet friends have birthdays just 2 days apart. Isn't that fun?

Sunday was Susan's birthday. She lives in Vancouver, WA. We have known each other since first grade, longer than I have known any of my friends. I love, love, love her! I like to think of her as my partner in crime because she is always up for anything! Susan has such a huge heart and is constantly thinking of others. I have always admired the strong relationship she has with her family and her mother. It has been so much fun going through the different seasons of our lives at the same time. Susan, you are such a gift to me and I cherish our friendship!

Happy Belated Birthday, BFS!

Truth be told, I have always looked up to Katie. Although, I'm certain I have never told her. Out of all of my friends, Katie is probably the one least like me. She is incredibly smart and witty. She is creative. She is frighteningly organized and uses her time well. She takes the road less traveled. She loves and loves a lot. She remembers the little and big things. You have inspired and challenged me more than you can know. Katie, thank you for being such an example to me over the years!

Happy Birthday, dear friend!

I love you both!

St. Louis

I am finally getting around to posting pictures from our weekend in St. Louis. One day, the in-laws and I walked around downtown and I snapped some pictures. Mostly of the arch, of course. This was my second time in St. Louis, and this time around I got to see a little more of the city. A few years ago, Hubby-kun and I had driven cross country and we stopped at the arch and zoo on our way to see some relatives. Both times were in the dead heat of summer, ugh! I am much more suited for cooler weather.

*The last picture was taken by Hubby-kun

Worry Wart

I know I have posted this picture before, but I can't help but post it again. There is just something about it. I can't get enough of his wrinkle filled, slightly aloof, puppy-dog eyed face. But the wrinkles, oh the wrinkles! They might be my favorite part. I suppose it is because they perfectly express the tiny little worrier that is our Jasper.

I am convinced that someone at the rescue shelter gave him a copy of The Worst-Case Scenario handbook as his parting gift before we adopted him. He is constantly on the lookout for any dangers that could possibly befall him at any given moment in time. And who knows where his deep-seeded fear of anything with wheels came from. But it doesn't stop with that. Just yesterday, I took Jasper outside. Unfortunately, Jazzy's normal spot had been taken over by some refrigerators maintenance were in the process of exchanging, so we moved on to a more convenient area. Before we had even reached the dirt, Jasper stops dead in his tracks and buries himself between my legs. I know you are probably wondering what evil was lurking ahead.

A huge, ferocious, dog?

A tricycle gang of unusually large toddlers?

Close.. but no.

A paper plate.

What? Yes, a paper plate. In his defense, I am almost certain Chicken Little popped by and warned him about the sky falling. Why else would a lone, paper plate inspire that much terror?

****************************************************************************

Hello Summer! It is hot. And not just outside. Currently, it is a toasty 83 degrees in our apartment. For some reason, our air isn't very cool and consequently the air conditioner runs all the time. Ahh, woe is us and our tiny wallets.

Anyway.. it seems that lately I haven't really been feelin' it as far as blogging, which probably explains my absence the past few weeks, err.. months. But, I am finally getting back into hang of things. Stella got her groove back, folks.