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Copenhagen Photos!

Copenhagen photos post 2 of 2 ( Missed post 1? Click here! ) We visited Boston, Salem, Iceland, Denmark, Baltimore, and HEAVEN , all in one trip. I asked Sexy Nerd to take my photo in front of these reindeer. This is the only photo he took. Sexy Nerd enjoyed hearing the stories at the Hans Christian Andersen museum. They're a bit more strange than I remembered. And I remembered them being pretty strange! The World's Largest Collection of Beer Bottles (All unopened and no repeats.) Going through my vacation photos, I came to this one and thought Is that...a swastika?? We never noticed it while we were at the Carlsberg Brewery. According to the Carlsberg website, these elephants were built in 1901 and swastikas used to be a common symbol of the company, as they represented good luck, prosperity, and goodness in India. Sexy Nerd hates raisins, yet he happily ordered his Glogg with added raisins.

Crazy Boss Quote of the Day

For the record, I'm using the term "crazy" in only the most loving of ways, especially if you happen to actually be my boss currently reading this. You are still my boss, right? C'mon, ol' buddy, ol' pal. Also, "ol" is not short for old in the above sentence. Sixties are the new forties, after all. I love my boss. I've worked for her for more than 12 years and am planning to stick with her until she retires. She's a pediatric dentist who gets enjoyment out of treating her patients with compassion and kindness. How can you not love a person like that? Okay, here is the quote: I was walking down the hallway at work and my boss and I crossed paths. I always feel a little out of place when this happens, thinking that because my job is at a desk up front, I must surely be loafering* around if I'm spotted in the hall. But nature doesn't care, so as we walked by each other, I awkwardly squeaked that I was just heading for the restroom.

Email From My Dad

Reading this made me feel a lot better. Also, my suspicion is that the problem with #9 is the cemetery sold my family plots, then re-sold the same plots to double their profits and it's finally catching up to them. I've made the best parts bold . 3:23pm  I talked to Jackie and Andrew today.  They were at the mortuary with Grandma making the final arrangements.  Jackie said she is doing OK, and Grandma is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances.  Here is my understanding of the sequence of events: 1.  They brought Grandpa home from the therapy place on Monday the 28th of March.   2.  Andrew mentioned that he and a hospice worker gave Grandpa a bath sometime during this time frame, and that Grandpa hated it .  He also mentioned that Grandpa wasn't doing well and slept most of the time. 3.  Both Jackie and Andrew said that Grandpa had a really good day on Wednesday, the 30th as he seemed to rally.  Usually he complained about being to

My Grandpa Died Today

I'm not the sort of person who believes in things like this, but my Grandpa died today and when I got in my car after work, the radio was playing an oldies station. Old oldies, like music from the 30s. The radio display said I was still on the same R&B station as this morning, yet it was actually on a different number altogether. Before thinking anything of it, I pressed the button to change the station. The station did not change.

Puppy Trouble

Thank you to everyone for your kind comments about my poor Britney. She was the best dog ever. Looking back on my memories of her, she wasn't the most ideal puppy for me though. At the time, we probably both would have been better off without the other. Right before I graduated from high school, my 26-year-old boyfriend and I rented a cheap, dilapidated duplex together in a terrible part of town. Here in Albuquerque, it's affectionately known as "the war zone". It was really bad - no heat, which is illegal, cockroaches spilling out of the sidewalk whenever we'd walk through the neighborhood, and a landlord who would show up late at night, drunk, when I was home alone and threaten to beat up my boyfriend for not paying the rent (which made me defensive at the time because I'd given him the rent money, but looking back, I'm sure my loser boyfriend had squandered my cash on something else and lied about it.) The house two doors down made it onto the news

Our Plan for Saturday

After seeing that the window place doesn't open until almost noon on the weekend, I told our rep we'd meet whenever was convenient for him. He wasn't supposed to choose 8am! 5pm: We need to meet our Pella rep. to discuss windows and doors. 4pm:   We need to meet our Pella rep. to discuss windows and doors. 3pm: We need to meet our Pella rep. to discuss windows and doors. 2pm: We need to meet our Pella rep. to discuss windows and doors. 1pm: We need to meet our Pella rep. to discuss windows and doors. 12pm: We need to meet our Pella rep. to discuss windows and doors. 11am: We need to meet our Pella rep. to discuss windows and doors. 10am: We need to meet our Pella rep. to discuss windows and doors. 9am: We need to meet our Pella rep. to discuss windows and doors. 8am: What century is this? ANYTHING THAT COULD POSSIBLY NEED TO BE DISCUSSED CAN BE RESOLVED EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH EMAIL. THEY'RE JUST WINDOWS AND DOORS, FOR FRICK'S SAKE.

Kitty Deschanel, Master of the Business World

I've worked in a pediatric dental office for the past 11+ years and yesterday I received a call that stumped me. The man on the line asked me about doing technical writing and my work experience. He said he'd read my LinkedIn profile. Caught completely off guard ( You read my what??) , I said something like "I just work here. There's an opening next Wednesday when we can see both of your children." and then freaked out a little the moment I had him off the phone. Okay, I may have freaked out a bit while he was still on the line too. Where did technical writing come from? There's no mention of technical writing on my site. How did he even find that? Kitty Deschanel is my pen name, not the name parents know me by at our office. And even if there was a profile created years ago that I've forgotten about, it wouldn't be linked to the dental office. Plus, the parents I meet through work only know my first name. I'm stumped. To top everything off,

Every Year. Every &^*@# Year.

Today is our 12th Valentine's Day. I made Sexy Nerd a fancy dinner, complete with roasted butternut squash, salad, and a filet mignon that I began marinating two days ago. It was good, but perhaps next Valentine's Day we can enjoy our meal together? I ate downstairs with roses from my boss, who knew they would surely be the only flowers I received, and a candle. (Not so) Sexy Nerd ate his upstairs, watching a rerun of Gold Rush in his recliner. I'd suggested he join me, but he declined in a "no hard feelings" sort of way. No hard feelings, indeed. He was recently drawn downstairs by the aroma of the from-scratch Devil's food cake baking. However, he was dismayed to learn I'm frustrated with him, so now he's back in the recliner, quite possibly waiting for me to bring him a slice of cake and an apology. Harumph. ***Update*** I can't stay mad at that crazy guy. All is forgiven.

Feelin' Sad and Numb and Empty...for No Reason Whatsoever

Due to an absurd error on my part, where I typo'd DESPRESSION (ack!) as the URL and was unable to change it,  my depression (no S!) blog post has moved here . Sorry about that.

DIY Shoes Idea

Shoe makeover! Before: Darn you, Gold Buckle!I'm not a pilgrim.  Hmmm, which one to choose? Unbuckled (You're enjoying this narrative, right?)    Boring on the back...  Sparkly on the front! Ta da! Like Dorothy, only pink and with some self control. That weird little string is still inside the shoes. Does anyone know what that's for? Surely, it's a sign of a quality pair of luxury shoes. (LOL!) You do all your blogging in your pajamas too. Admit it. Side note: Aren't fuzzy slipper socks the greatest?  Geez! Next to Pica, my size 8.5 feet look freakishly small. Did I ever tell you she is supposed to be a miniature Jack Russell? I guess Pica didn't get the memo. I'm not sure whether the girls at work are going to like my sparkly shoes or make fun of me. I think my shoes look fun! The women I work with aren't the type to put nail polish on their ugly gold buckled shoes though. They probably wouldn

A Special Treat

A special treat for a very special dog. (We've tried to stop her from doing this in the past, but Pica remembers and searches for them until next time!)

Doggy Day Job?

At work a while back, I needed to access an old Qwest bill. However, the Qwest website was turning what I'd expected to be a simple task into a major chore. I selected the button marked ONLINE CHAT and was pleased to be instantly connected. To prove I was indeed the account owner, I told the representative my name, account number, and billing zip code, as requested. Okay, truth be told, my boss is the account holder, and I provided all of their information. It's part of the job! A few minutes passed. "To verify your identity, what is the answer to your secret account question?" Ummm...my what? Usually, I'm asked a specific question, such as the street you (my boss) grew up on. I inquired as to what the secret account question was. Another pause. "If you cannot answer your secret account question, instructions for resetting your online password can be mailed to you." I asked again WHAT IS THE QUESTION?! I was sure I could answer the question

Your Cold-Fighting Secret Weapon

  ***UPDATE: Amerisleep has started a new referral program. If you order your mattress through this link , you'll save an additional $50 on top of other discounts and specials !!!*** You drink plenty of fluids, always wash your hands, and have already received your annual flu shot. Other than that, there's not much you can do to avoid getting sick this winter, right? It turns out one of your best germ defense might be literally right under your nose, in the form of your mattress and comfy pillow. In a recent study from Carnegie Mellon ­University, people who slept an average of only 7 hours or fewer per night were almost 3 times (!!!) more likely to develop a cold than their peers clocking the recommended 8. When bogged down with sinus pressure, aches, and worse, you're bound to lose more than an hour per day in productivity - the perfect excuse to sleep in a little later tomorrow. My boss will totally understand. Okay, maybe it's the perfect excuse

Guess Where We've Been

Kitty's Quote of the Day - Happy Birthday to Me

This is a repost because I'm crazy busy getting our new house set up to host Thanksgiving for a million people. We're so busy, we even have 2 brand-new Amerisleep mattresses sitting in their boxes while we sleep on the floor! We don't have anywhere to sit, even for only the 2 of us, and that's apparently not going to change anytime soon, as SN insists he's going to build all of the furniture himself, sofas and all. Yes, he is insane. There is a checklist of "must do" items before everyone comes over next week and I'm told none of them are going to happen. A place to sit? There's simply no time for that. Setting up a big sink and a pegboard wall in the garage? Top priority...though admittedly one that does not affect our soon-to-arrive guests in any way. Gee, the ramblings above could have become their very own blog post. ***** We've all had harmless fun teasing the ridiculous things Sexy Nerd says on this blog. (Extra emphasis on harmle

Not the Delightful Disney Sort of Frozen

I am a thrifty person. Not cheap , just thrifty. Okay, maybe it would be accurate to say that I'm up along the very border of cheap. Only my toes are over the line. Today I would like to share a story from my college years, when I was working as a Pizza Hut manager, about one of the many times trying to save a few dollars has put me in a stupid situation. I had a coupon for a free car wash. The regular price was $4.99, so without the coupon there was no way I would ever be getting my car cleaned. My car wasn’t dirty enough to justify using the coupon, so I continued to put off using it until the day before it expired. Although it was the middle of January, I took my Alero through the automatic car wash after leaving work, shortly before midnight. It was the last day before the specials changed at the grocery store, so after the thorough washing, I decided to drive next door to do a little grocery shopping before going home. I zipped inside right before the store closed and came

A Mother's Helpful Guidance

I was recently able to get away on a short vacation, which was perfect, but getting there was a comedy of errors. It all started the night before my flight, when I was going to finish up a few last-minute errands, then get to bed nice and early. My mom had even agreed to spend the night at my house, ensuring she wouldn't be late to take me to the airport. I had all my ducks in a row. Errand #1: Order the Shabby Apple Alana dress I'd been eyeing. By ordering it before my trip, I could take advantage of a MyPoints promotion for free United Airlines miles. I'd been thinking about which dress to buy all week, and was finally certain of my decision. My mom was sitting next to me and she glanced over at my computer as I was on the final checkout screen. It's super-cute and flattering, right? "That's the dress you're buying?" my mom asked, making a face. "Ugh!" I'd thought the dress was very me. I envisioned myself wearing it everywhe

The Grump Goes to Santa Fe

Once upon a time, there was a Grump. He didn't always used to be a Grump. Maybe it was his skepticism of the value of a staycation. Perhaps he was frustrated with people judging his water-carrying backpack, saying that he was much too close to home to dress like such a tourist. Some people just don't like Santa Fe. "Santa Fe people," thought the Grump "are a bunch of hippies. I will not smile, no matter how much my cute wife wants a photo of me in front of the Santa Fe sign. You must never smile at a hippie or they will steal your power." When faced with the prospect of walking to Canyon Road to browse the art galleries, the Grump crumpled his oversized hat in frustration. "We have perfectly good art in Albuquerque," he muttered.  Shopping at the Santa Fe Plaza only seemed to create a Sleepy Grump. "We rode the Rail Runner train here," he was quick to point out. "You can't get any of this junk home. It's a