Category: Family

Pierogi Fest 2017

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Joe took Friday off so we could take my brother to Pierogi Fest in Whiting, Indiana. Since we were going to be gone most of the day I arranged for B’s girlfriend R to watch Wookie. She arrived around 8 am so I could show her where Wookie’s food and water was, how to lock her up in her playpen when she was ready to leave, etc. Joe was teasing me because I had put together a 2-sided care sheet but what can I say? I was nervous having never left Wookie in anyone’s care before.

We all ate some apple fritters Joe brought home the day before before he and I left the house around 9 am.

We were very prepared this time around – I had extra plastic utensils, napkins, and salt and pepper with me in addition to our usual bottled water. The plastic knife in particular came in handy since they only give out forks. We arrived just before the official opening at 11 am and secured parking two blocks away near the church. Most of the main street where we used to park in previous years was already blocked by chairs people were using to hold their spot for the parade later that evening. Most lots were charging $20 to park which is just ridiculous!

We made our way through the fest to our first stop which, of course, was Dan’s Pierogis. They were woefully unprepared and despite getting there early and standing in a rather short line, we had to wait another 30 minutes for our food because most of the flavors weren’t ready yet. As if they don’t know they are the most popular booth there? They couldn’t have started preparing them sooner? Ugh. I ended up getting some taco pierogis from the Mendoza truck to tide me over while we waited. I love them! Even though they charge 75 cents extra for some salsa and sour cream it’s totally worth it.

We located seating in the shade by the nearby elementary school so that was nice since we spent a good hour, if not more, there. I ended up speaking to an older woman in a three person group who shared our picnic table. She seemed nice enough even though Joe indicated I may have offended her later when I loudly remarked that someone must not be able to read since I smelled cigarette smoke – apparently it was her and one of the guys. Oh well. It did say “non-smoking family seating” on the sign there. Ironic considering how she was remarking earlier about all the people who brought their dogs even though online it said no dogs allowed (they probably should have posted signs, though). Honestly, I don’t think she was offended, or maybe didn’t hear me, since when we left she was very friendly saying goodbye and wishing us a nice day and I didn’t detect any sarcasm.

We left the fest around 2 pm and stopped at the grocery store so J could get toothpaste, and then stopped for food at this little place called Chicago Pita Kitchen where we’ve eaten before. I did not care for my cheeseburger but the feta fries were delicious. Joe liked his Italian sausage sandwich but the fries in general there suck because they are undercooked.

My mom put together a birthday cheesecake for Joe.

We played three games of Aggravation at my parents house and got home around 8 pm. At that point Wookie had been alone for maybe three hours so not bad at all.

Note to self: do NOT get the stuffed cabbage from Dan’s Pierogis. It is completely flavorless.

4th Of July Weekend

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Friday evening Joe went out for drinks with a work buddy so I decided to try and get caught up a little on Orange Is The New Black since season five just dropped and we were still only halfway through season 4. Joe is never really was in the mood to watch it so I warned him I wasn’t going to wait for him anymore. I knocked out five episodes but didn’t really enjoy them so he didn’t miss much. I think I might be over that show, and watching TV in general. We didn’t even turn it on at all last weekend. Nothing really holds my interest or gets me excited save for a few Netflix shows which we tend to binge watch within a week because we have no self control.

Saturday we took Wookie to the park to tire her out since we knew we’d be leaving her at home when we went to my parents house to celebrate the holiday prematurely. We stopped by B’s house first to meet his new dog, a nine year old poodle mix he and his girlfriend got from a friend who no longer wanted her. She’s really friendly and R sent me a Snapchat a couple of days later saying she’s enjoying the rope toy we brought her.

My mom decided we were doing Mexican food for the American holiday (lol) so I brought fixings for burrito bowls. Joe and B worked on running another ethernet cable from the router in the basement up to B’s old room where my mom likes to watch Netflix. The WiFi signal is weak in there, plus when we boosted it she was getting headaches, hence the need for the hard line. She wanted Joe to use the same hole that the cable comes through but it wasn’t wide enough so the plan was to cut the fittings off the cable line to remove it, widen the hole, and then put both lines through it. Only problem was Joe hadn’t anticipated needing to do that so we didn’t have any of the necessary equipment. We texted B since he does that kinda stuff for a living to see if he had any in his car (as even though we parted ways at the same time to head to my parents he was still en-route). Well, turns out he had the tools but no fittings, However, he just so happened to pass a Comcast truck on the way over, pulled up alongside to ask the tech if he had any fittings, and the guy gave him four. Hilarious!

Despite being at my parents’ for roughly 5 hours, we never got around to playing any games. Earlier in the day Joe learned that his mom had gone to the hospital with pain in her abdomen and was diagnosed with uterine cancer. She’s already had colon cancer, and possibly breast cancer too, so she’s not really interested in going through chemo again at her age (79). Joe’s sister and mom ended up calling him while we were at my parents’ so he spent some time downstairs speaking to them. Right now we’re not exactly sure what is going to happen until she has a few more tests to see whether the cancer is contained. If so, she can have a hysterectomy and if not, well, I guess that means she may not be with us much longer. Either way we need to make plans to go see her since nothing is guaranteed.

I love Joe’s mom and am sad that this is happening. I realize death is inevitable but I have difficulty accepting it and how it changes our lives. I’m absolutely terrified of dying or having anyone I love pass away. It just makes it feel like life is completely pointless. I’ve been having my own health issues lately and it’s very frustrating. Last night I had two back to back panic attacks. I took a Xanax when the first one started and then just as I was calming down it started up again so I had to take another. I didn’t get much sleep and I’ve spent most of the day just doing my chores slowly and resting in between because I’m afraid of triggering another one. My doctor put me on a low dose steroid for six days to help reduce the inflammation that was causing my neck to be stiff but I’m not sure it helped all that much but it certainly made my lymph nodes swell up and hurt one of the days. In addition, after certain doses my throat would catch when I swallowed and overall I just felt like my body wasn’t cooperating. Also, I’m learning now that some people experience withdrawal symptoms (even if they taper off like I did) which includes severe anxiety. My last dose was yesterday morning so I’m guessing it could be the reason for these panic attacks and the non-stop burning/reflux I’ve been having. Just what I need. I’m so sick of feeling like something is seriously wrong with me but no one can figure it out. It would be nice to just feel normal or get a non-life-threatening diagnosis so I could do something proactive about my health and feel better.

Anyway….

Sunday we went to Savers and I got a cute top I will probably wear to my friend’s party later this month. I always feel like I look like a slob so I’ve been on a mission to find some cute outfits that are also comfortable. I also got this strange little figurine that caught my eye at the mall.

It reminded me of the Skelanimals that were all the rage a few years ago.

Monday I did my usual cleaning since Joe was at work and Tuesday we grilled burgers and had a low-key holiday just the two of us. Wookie was not liking the fireworks on Monday and Tuesday nights and mostly hid under my desk. Unfortunately she will have to deal with them again next week when our town’s annual summerfest shoots off fireworks both Wednesday and Sunday nights.

Sibling Weekend

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Saturday both my brothers and B’s girlfriend came over to spend the day hanging out. R texted me at 11 am to let me know they were on the way and I timed it so Wookie and I were finishing up a walk when they pulled up. She instantly recognized J and ran around him excitedly while peeing. She did the same for my other brother and R. It was so cute and nice to see her not being standoffish at all.

A little while later we went out to lunch to Bulldog Alehouse. Joe and I paid but it wasn’t bad since we had a restaurant.com gift certificate our friends gave us quite awhile ago.

After lunch we stopped at Half Price Books and then hung out at home for a bit before going to a local park. We all piled into Joe’s Escape so I sat in back between my brothers with Wookie on my lap. On the way back B treated us to some ice coffee from Dunkin Donuts. I usually get the Vanilla Swirl but tried the Hazelnut and it was good, other than the fact that I suspect they didn’t give me decaf as ordered. It wasn’t marked on the cup as such anyway.

I grilled burgers for dinner and later that evening we played Jenga and Aggravation before everyone left around 10 pm. The time went by so fast even though we were mostly just talking a lot of the time.

R and B are probably going to come over and watch Wookie next month when we have two day-long events to attend. Since they now have a dog of their own R would rather watch Wookie at our place which is fine by me. I know she’s trustworthy and I feel better about her being in my house than hiring a dog sitter who, while I’m sure is safe, is still a stranger. That’s a load off my mind, actually, because I didn’t want to keep Wookie locked up for 12+ hours two days in a row. I think she would be ok, but it’s certainly not nice.

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.

Garage Organization, Arboretum, Wookie’s Leash Manners

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Saturday (4/22) we finally got rid of some stuff we were unable to sell last year at our garage sale. Since it was Earth Day our town was having an electronics recycling event so we got rid of four old computer towers (but first made sure no hard drives were inside). Then we took two boxes of donations to Savers. I had done a little organizing on “my side” of the garage on Friday so between these two actions it’s already looking less cluttered, not to mention there will be more room in front of my car which is critical since I should be getting a new one in the next few months and it’s likely going to be a longer length than the Jetta which was a little cramped as it was. Some days I feel like chucking everything because clutter makes me so anxious. It doesn’t help when we pass by people whose garages look barely used. I feel like I have way too many boxes of decorations for various holidays/seasons and have been purging the stuff I never use but continue to keep for some strange reason.

We took Wookie with us on our errands since our last stop was Petco to snag a free bag of food thanks to a coupon Joe found online. It was all gone, though, so we walked out empty-handed. Wookie didn’t get to really socialize either since Petco doesn’t get the volume of traffic Petsmart does. After we got home and ate lunch I took her on a longer than usual walk to try and tire her out so she wouldn’t be so bored when we headed to my parents’ house to celebrate Easter and J’s birthday. I love going over there but feel guilty leaving Wookie at home for 8+ hours. It’s weird because I never felt bad leaving Bella when she lived here. I think it’s because she doesn’t really do anything but lie around anyway so what’s the difference? Wookie likes to play and interact with us so I feel like I’m neglecting her when she’s left home alone for too long.

There was much food to be eaten Saturday night, including a strawberry cake I baked specifically for J. It wasn’t homemade, and was originally going to be cupcakes, but after all the cooking and baking I did last weekend I went the easy route and made a 9×13 sheet cake. It came out good, though.

We didn’t get home until midnight and played with Wookie for 45 minutes before going to bed. Despite still being tired we got up a little after 8 am Sunday (4/23) morning so we could get to the arboretum at a decent hour. We stopped by Starbucks to try the unicorn frappuchino that has been all the rage this week but was told the unicorn ran away. That was disappointing since Sunday was the last day to get them. Guess it was the universe’s way of stopping us from wasting our money.

It’s a good thing we didn’t get to the arboretum until 10 am because there was a huge 10k at 8 am and part of the grounds were shut down to vehicle traffic to accommodate it. Luckily we missed all that craziness and for once NOT being the early bird paid off. Speaking of birds, we made a beeline over to daffodil glade on the west side of the arboretum where we spotted some bluebirds.

Bluebird Directing Traffic

That was unexpected since I was actually looking to get photos of the tree swallows that live in the area. I also got some decent pictures of the flowering crabtrees and a couple of the daffodils which was nice considering they were already starting to die. They only seem to last a week or two which sucks.

Crabapples

Purple Tree & Daffodils

On the way home we stopped at a different Petco and were able to snag a 5 lb bag of food for only $1.28 using the “free” coupon (you have to pay tax).

I took Wookie on a walk after lunch and she’s doing so much better on the leash. I didn’t have to stop once because she was pulling too hard. It’s nice to see we’re making progress. We also set up the tie-out in back so she could roam around but she was getting it tangled on stuff and going on the neighbor’s patio, plus eating stuff off the ground. We moved to the front of the house but it wasn’t much better. It was supposed to be relaxing hanging out outside but not with a puppy to constantly monitor. I love her dearly but sometimes it stresses me out having her around 24/7. I feel bad even saying that but it’s true. I give lots of credit to people who not only have a dog but kids too. How they manage that is beyond me.