Month: May 2017

Memorial Day Weekend

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Friday was cleaning day, although I had to go into work for a couple of hours to make up some time I missed earlier in the week. I got to partake in the Friday treats they bring in weekly, though, so that was nice, especially because they brought in cinnamon rolls from a bakery that were so delicious I practically inhaled mine.

Friday night Joe and I had dinner at Noodles & Company since they just opened one near us. I had a gift card so it only cost a few bucks out of pocket.

Saturday we did a little grocery shopping at Target and then headed to my parents’ with Wookie. On the way there we stopped at K’s apartment to drop off our old printer and some glassware. Her guinea pigs have gotten so big! She had them in a playpen which is cute.

I purchased a booster seat for Wookie from Amazon earlier in the week and it seemed to help her motion sickness as she didn’t throw up on the car ride to my parents, or on the ride home. In fact she was so relaxed at one point she fell asleep.

She had a lot of fun running around the yard most of the afternoon and evening. My mom had gotten her two toys which she really liked too.

We put her in her crate in the garage with the big door (yard side) open a crack to get fresh air while we ate or played a game. Being the paranoid person I am, I kept checking on her out the window. We finally played the Logo Trivia game I had gotten at Savers awhile back. It was interesting, although hard. We only played one game as by then Wookie was getting restless in her crate and we decided to head home (at 10 pm). It was a fun night and we had tasty Long John Silvers amongst other things, although I feel guilty that my mom spent so much money on food.

Sunday we went over to Savers for their Memorial Day sale and I ended up with a tank top and Joe got a pair of shorts. I pretty much hate most of my summer clothing so it sucks I can’t find any t-shirts I like. I don’t feel comfortable wearing tight clothing since I’ve gained some weight and feel self conscious. After a few more stores we spent the rest of the day at home. We let Wookie run around out back secured to the tie-out. I need to find a shorter tether since she gets into too many things with the 15 or 20 ft cord we have now.

Monday we planned on taking advantage of a local Asian place’s lunch specials but they weren’t offering them due to the holiday so after a walk at the park with Wookie we got Taco Bell. I wanted to try their Naked Chicken Chips which I really enjoyed, but not the bean burrito I also decided to try. They stuffed one half with just beans and the other half mostly rice so the ratio was all off. I could make a tastier burrito at home and for cheaper. I really like making my own burrito bowls, in fact, even without any meat. I just add some beef stock to the rice and top it with black beans, cheese, rotel, and sour cream. Probably not very health conscious since it’s high in calories but it’s very yummy, not to mention quick and easy!

I grilled burgers for dinner… and that was our holiday weekend. The end.

2017 Pet Promenade in Westmont

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Saturday this upcoming event came up in my Facebook feed so we decided to check it out on Sunday.

It was ok, but nothing too terribly exciting. It really tired Wookie out, though, so that was a bonus!

Mother’s Day

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Sunday Joe gave me the cutest mothers day card from Wookie.

Later that afternoon we took Wookie to my parents so she could run around the yard. It was great other than her puking in the car twice when we were only five minutes from getting there. I’m still not sure if it’s the time or speed that upsets her stomach since we usually take the expressway on longer rides. We got off the expressway early on the ride home and despite her not looking well most of the ride she didn’t puke.

My mom bought her a Chewbacca toy which she got weirdly aggressive over when we got home. She snapped at me when I took it to remove the tags and was growling at both of us if we came too close. She’s only acted that way two other times, one of them a week ago when she managed to remove some double sided tape from the bottom of the rug and didn’t want us to take it out of her mouth. She bit Joe! It’s kinda scary to see her act like that, not to mention infuriating because I’ll be damned if I have a pet that is going to harm me. We need to figure out how to stop that behavior before it gets worse.

Anyway, other than having to leave my parents early since it was a Sunday we had a fun time. Got lots of leftovers so I don’t have to cook again for another day.

Car Shopping

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Car shopping has to rank up there in aggravation with mattress shopping, although at least test-driving cars can be fun.

Saturday afternoon we headed to the Subaru dealership so I could test drive the Impreza. I was really liking the looks of the Crosstreks too so I decided to test drive one of those first. I didn’t care for the Impreza’s handling so I asked to drive the Crosstrek a second time and was sure at that point that I liked it better.

Originally I thought something was up with both vehicles because when we were at a red light I felt some strange shaking. Turns out it was the sales guy shaking his leg up and down! I proceeded to give him shit about it after that.

The main problem – they don’t offer the color combo I want. Of course they don’t because I’m picky and apparently what I like doesn’t align with the general public. It was bad enough when I learned only the Impreza has the larger touch screen and ability to link your Google maps via Apple Car Play, but when I learned I wouldn’t be able to get the color I wanted I was really bummed. Why oh why do manufacturers do this? I want the Quartz Blue Pearl with black cloth.

Nope, can’t get it. They only offer an ivory interior (cloth on the Premium or leather on the Limited) unless I want the basic model with a manual transmission. What the heck does the transmission have to do with the color combination? Getting an automatic is considered an upgrade anyway so why can’t I get the automatic with black cloth? I was ready to concede to the sport cloth, which isn’t my fave thanks to the orange stitching, if needed, but that’s not even an option in the Crosstrek, only the Impreza. But you can get the black interior with the ugly turquoise exterior. Ew. Why would people prefer that shade of blue over the one I like? Is my taste really that different? I don’t get it.

Needless to say we left without purchasing anything because I have to do some serious thinking. I really hate the idea of settling again. I did it with my Jetta (I wanted silver, not navy blue) and while it worked out, I’m kinda tired of not getting what I want especially when I’m going to have this next vehicle for at least ten years if not more (my Jetta is 17 years old). The Dark Silver Metallic isn’t terrible by any means, but the blue really pops with the moldings whereas the dark gray does not. Plus the blue is different enough that it would stand out in a parking lot and be easier to find.

To be honest, the whole experience turned me off to the idea of getting a new car at all. My Jetta’s air conditioning isn’t working though, so it’s going to make my (thankfully only 10 minutes) summer commute pretty uncomfortable. This is a huge decision, however, and I’m feeling overwhelmed.

I was even happier I didn’t settle when the following morning we were doing some research and learned the 2018 Crosstreks, which are being released this summer, will have the upgraded touch screens and Apple Car Play. We had asked the salesman about that and he feigned ignorance about what the 2018 models would have or when they were coming out. Considering all the info is on the Subaru website, however, I think he knew. That really pisses me off. He’d rather get a sale immediately than be honest and ensure we get what we want.

The only cool thing about the experience is that the city of Naperville built a test track for all the surrounding dealerships (at a steep monthly cost to them, we were told) which was very fun to drive. I enjoyed testing the car on that because otherwise you can’t get up to a decent speed on the streets in the area. I wish every dealership had access to something like that.

I think we’re going to look at Ford again just so I cover all my bases. I really felt like Subaru was going to be it but now I’m not sure. Even with the upgraded technology in the 2018 models I doubt I’ll be able to get the color combo I had my heart set on and that sucks.

Tails on Trails

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Saturday morning my friend and her dog came over and after a quick breakfast of donuts we headed to the arboretum for the Tails on Trails event. Dogs were allowed the entire day but at 10 am they had tents from different organizations, some of which had free stuff. We ended up with small sample bags of food and even a free Kong toy. Too bad it’s meant for bigger dogs and is labeled as free or I’d try to exchange it for a more appropriate size. I put Wookie’s regular kibble in it and she likes that, so at least it’s serving a purpose.

I tried to get some nice photos of Wookie at the event, but as usual she wouldn’t sit still for anything. I need to remember to bribe her with treats next time.

The event had a good turnout and the weather was warmer than predicted which was nice. The grass was wet in some places since it rained earlier that morning so the dogs got a bit muddy but their paws dried it from a walk around the lake on the cement before we got back to the car so it worked out. We were there about two hours I think. Then we came home and I grilled burgers for lunch. My friend ended up leaving around 2:30 since we wanted to go car shopping. More on that in a separate entry.