Kitty Deschanel

Sexy Nerd and I have been toying with the idea of moving to Omaha, NE. It isn't actually going to happen, but it's still fun to research a new city and place to live. I found a House Hunters clip online featuring a trendy part of Omaha (even less likely to happen, the condo featured was almost a million dollars!) Still, I shared the link with Sexy Nerd via his Facebook page, daydreaming about our hip, imaginary life "in the big city". Hey, when you live on the outskirts of Albuquerque, Omaha looks pretty impressive. They have so much water and greenery! Anyhoo, here is the response to my urban-living fantasy, posted by Sexy Nerd's mom: "No, no I was thinking farm...barnyard full of chickens, ducks, goats...and a garden to spend hours tilling and weeding... freezers full of the fruits of your labors...at least 3 kids running around climbing trees... just saying." Her comment made me smile, but I couldn't think of a reply. Granted,

I hate my skin! Hate, hate, hate!! This week, at the age of 29, I had my first chemical peel. It was almost painless, but I'm told that my entire face is going to come sloughing off like a snakeskin, probably starting tomorrow. I'm also told that under absolutely no circumstance can I help the icky bits of dead, dried skin on their journey to the floor, where they will undoubtedly and repulsively be frantically gobbled up by Pica and Biscuit. Hands off, no matter how ridiculous and gross my face looks, or I'll risk permanent scarring and discoloration. I hope this is worth it!

The other day, Sprouts/Sunflower Market (okay, technically just Sprouts now, but they were a million times better when they were Sunflower Market) had a great deal on organic apples - only $0.49 a pound! I already had some apples at home, but for that price I figured we could really use another couple dozen or so. You know those wimpy little plastic produce baggies? They didn't stand a chance. Introducing...Frankenapple! EEEK!

Does red light therapy really work? After researching it and reading scientific studies, I tested it at Sun Care Albuquerque and am a believer. It's supposedly the holy grail of beauty and Jennifer Aniston's anti-aging secret. Decreased cellulite, faded dark spots, diminished wrinkles, etc. all while relaxing. It's practically magic! As soon as I figure out a place to put one in our home (extra tricky because it requires a 220v outlet), I'm going to purchase a used tanning bed on Craigslist and reconfigure it with red light bulbs. So, how did my first Red Light Therapy test go? The Premium Shopping Guide had a coupon to try it for free at Sun Care Spray Tan & Skin Care Salon in Albuquerque. I thought the light would be just for my face - I had no idea I would actually be stripping down to use it! Thank goodness you get your own private room or I would have chickened out. That said, I suppose it does seem a bit unlikely that Sun Care Albuquerque would just have

My poor Sexy Nerd. He was so happy to get his Mini Cooper . Although it was supposedly perfect when he bought it, he immediately devoted his time and money to making it even better with decals, new premium oil (though the dealership had just changed the oil), and a clear bra. As a side note, searching online for a “clear bra” made him very uncomfortable. (So he says!) Sadly, Sexy Nerd’s newly purchased Mini Cooper isn’t running. He spent all weekend working on it. Just as he was ready to put it back together, one of the bolts broke. You can just run down to any parts store and pick up another bolt, right? Nope! Mini bolts can only be replaced with Mini bolts. The Mini dealership was closed (of course!) leaving Sexy Nerd out of luck. Now, he won’t have time to fix his car until next weekend. A lot of good your fancy Hella racing lights are going to do you now, Sexy Nerd.   I feel bad for him. Really, I do. My pre-buying research showed that Consumer Reports warned against b

Our original agreement was that Sexy Nerd would buy an automatic Mini Cooper. That way, I could also drive it, if needed (like when he steals my beautiful, superior Chevy Volt). He can't be trusted. Our agreement popped right out of Sexy Nerd's head the instant he saw this Mini Cooper, which is a manual transmission. Compare this photo to the Mini Cooper I posted a few weeks ago . Yep, Sexy Nerd took no time going crazy with the decals. At least I was able to talk him out of painting flames on each mirror! We've made it through driving lesson #1 and are still a happy couple. The car is still working fine, as far as I can tell. No progress toward me actually being able to drive the Mini Cooper though. Why does anyone choose a manual transmission over an automatic? I can't figure out how to drive that crazy thing! After bringing the Mini Cooper to a shuddering, jerky halt for the 5th time, I asked Sexy Nerd if my problem was that I was releasing the clu

Sexy Nerd's dream since before we even met has been to own a Mini Cooper. Yeah...that was news to me too! Clearly, jealousy has been eating away at Sexy Nerd ever since I got my 2013 Chevy Volt . Poor guy. I personally have never understood the Mini Cooper appeal. In fact, I tried to sway Sexy Nerd's choice from a used Mini Cooper S Hardtop to a Scion iQ while we were negotiating a deal at the Toyota dealership. It was brand-new, got much better gas mileage, and cost less than the used car he wanted. It even looked just as goofy! I don't get it. He sure loves his new (to him, at least) car though. "Did the Scion have a sunroof?" smart-alec Sexy Nerd just asked me, knowing full well that it did not. He loved the Mini Cooper even more after removing the stinky air fresheners hidden inside every vent. At first, Sexy Nerd had his heart set on British Racing Green, but he came around on this color after deciding that it complements his hat.

You know when you get the giggles, and it's just impossible to stop yourself from laughing? That happened to me today. Nothing was even funny, but I had to laugh. I would burst if I didn't la ugh. Sure, I tried to move my mind to a calm place. At one point during my point less hysteria, I even said ou t loud "Alright, I ' m going to be serious from her e on". That lasted ab out a minute. The trouble with tr ying not to laugh is that just thinking about not laughing makes the corners of my mouth turn up. Of course, getting the giggles isn't all that big a deal, right? T his happened while I was getting an hour-long full body massage. The super-sweet masseuse laughed right along with me, but I'm pretty sure hers was just the uncomfortable sound one makes when you're locked in a teensie room with a crazy person, five minutes into a looong session.

I'm afraid that I'm the recipient of this year's FAIL award. Remember how Sexy Nerd scored so many points with his Valentine's Day surprise ? I hadn't realized there was more to come. Look what was waiting for me when I opened my car door! Maybe GM could try this tactic to sell more Chevy Volts.   Awww! I love that crazy redneck of mine, Nascar addiction and all. (And Moonshiners.) (And Swamp Loggers.) (And Duck Dynasty, which I'll admit isn't terrible.) I wanted to do something equally nice for Sexy Nerd, but I'd waited too long to plan anything. I pondered what he might like while driving across town to my orthodontist appointment, which was to recement a broken bracket. By the way, it is easy peasy to get a last-minute orthodontist appointment on Valentine's Day. It's extra sucky though because you sit there getting your teeth tortured, thinking "so this is how I'm spending Valentine's Day".   Also,

This morning, I was startled awake by the sound of Pica and Biscuit barking. They bark at everyone, including us, but at just after 7am, I should have been home alone. Sexy Nerd would have been at work for almost an hour by then and our dogs normally sleep until I get up. Panic? You betcha! I bolted out of bed and double checked that the bedroom door was locked (because, you know, those little twisty doorknob locks would really slow someone down.) I heard the garage door open, then close, and the dogs were silent. For a moment, I wondered if maybe it had been Sexy Nerd. Could he have gone into work late because he was setting up some grand Valentine's Day surprise? Today is our 10th Valentine's Day together, after all. Based on previous Valentine's Days though (unromantic Valentine's Day here and here ), it seemed unlikely. I crept cautiously down the stairs. Pica and Biscuit were asleep. Nothing looked out of place. I couldn't see any romantic Valentine&

We're home from vacation! Three days back into my normal routine, there are already four cruise tabs open on my computer. I'm thinking we need to try Celebrity. While waiting for our flight from Fort Lauderdale to Denver, I decided to munch on a fortune cookie that I'd been saving in my pocket. I had just checked my luggage in with Southwest.

When it comes to planning a vacation, Sexy Nerd and I aren't always on the same page. I enjoy things like farmer's markets, antique stores, and botanical gardens. When dreaming of a trip to California, Sexy Nerd shot down all of these activities as being "boring". Disneyland, the San Diego Zoo, and Universal Studios were also considered borderline boring. The beach? "Boring." California Adventure? "Boring." I googled California tourist attractions for nerds. The La Brea Tar Pits came up - perfect! Sexy Nerd was intrigued. His response to this suggestion? "Do you actually get to see the tar?"  Photo from the La Brea Tar Pits site - family fun at its best! *Bonus Sexy Nerd Story Below - Lucky You* The Overachiever Sexy Nerd has enrolled in a second Master's degree program. All I have is my measly Bachelors. This isn't the overachiever part though. He's going to get a jump st

Sexy Nerd started 2013 in his typical way. He cooked up potatoes and a few green chile burritos for breakfast this morning. It smelled delicious and it seemed like a nice way to begin the new year. Then, he asked me if I wanted any. It's just his way . A bit later, (you know, after serving up my own breakfast) I turned on my computer and pulled up my To Do list. Here it was, as of last night: Pack for cruises Clean house Email cruise lines re: blog post Check into cruises. Can I register w NCL yet? Need to call? Download maps to Nexus This morning, I was startled to see that my list had more than doubled in length. Perhaps I'd partied a little too hard on New Year's Eve? I didn't remember adding anything new. Plus, Sexy Nerd and I are old souls, so you know we were both asleep by 9pm on New Year's Eve. Here is my new '2013 To Do' list. See if you can guess who updated it. Get Freaky with S

Sexy Nerd and I are so super smart. You see, with a mere 1 weekend to go before our house guests arrive for Thanksgiving, we had the genius idea to completely redo our upstairs flooring. Super smart! Now, with less than 24 hours before our company arrives, here is guest bedroom #1: You don't even want to see guest bedroom #2! What's that, you say? At least the new flooring is done? Ha! Sexy Nerd worked to a certain point, then decided to pile the already cut up/mangled/destroyed old carpet back onto the floor in several, duct-taped layers. I wish I were joking. Oh, and that damn green dolly has made its way back into the house. It's just going to sit in our loft, being a jerk, until I move it back into the garage. That's how the green dolly is. Very inconsiderate! Sexy Nerd put cardboard underneath his carpet layers. I don't know why. Speaking of jerks, check out what happened to the old carpet padding that was waiting to be loaded into Sex

This story begins simply enough. I made macaroni and cheese for dinner. The leftovers were boxed up for a future meal. With the addition of bacon, green chile, and a handful of cheddar, the macaroni and cheese was especially delicious. This looks like a tasty bowl of cheesy goodness, right? WRONG! Sexy Nerd removed the container of leftovers from the fridge, twirled it around, and exclaimed "YUCK!" Yuck?! "You can have the rest of this," he said, now laughing. Do you see the problem yet? Food fail! It was all one piece, I swear.

I'm told Sexy Nerd and I (okay, maybe it's just me) are impossible to shop for. If there's something we want, we buy it. Didn't buy it? Don't want it! For all you frustrated Christmas shoppers out there, brainstorming about the perfect gifts for hard-to-shop-for bosses, far away relatives, and friends who already have it all, there's a solution. You have to choose a gift your recipient doesn't know exists! (And therefore has not been able to already buy for themselves.) With that in mind, this year's annual holiday gift guide features presents from companies you may not have heard of. I've shopped with them all and highly recommend any of them. There's also a few stores you definitely have heard of, like Cost Plus, whose gift ideas were simply too splendid to leave out. It's my best holiday gift guide ever! Holiday Gift Guide (With Coupons! And Free Giveaways!!) Nordic Tea Light Trough UncommonGoods $40 *Enter below

Sometimes, I wonder if instead of trying to get a grip on my social anxiety , I should perhaps embrace it wholeheartedly. The man at the Royal Garden Inn front desk was quite friendly, chatting with Sexy Nerd and helping us get settled in Waikiki.  He asked if we've been to Oahu before and Sexy Nerd said yes, about 5 years ago, to get married. The conversation and check-in process continued. Hotel Clerk, looking at me and talking to Sexy Nerd: Well, since you've been to Hawaii before, you can show her around the island. Sexy Nerd: She's been here before too. *Awkward Pause* That's who I married. And there I was, my mind flooded with thoughts along the lines of "DUH!" Out on the Royal Garden Inn balcony, my hand to my forehead as I recall that bizarre social interaction.

Day 2 in Perth, WA Heard a concerning sound while eating my cinnamon raisin toast for breakfast this morning. Birds here sound like car alarms and laughing monkeys, but it didn't quite seem like a bird. Was it Lucy, the dog? Was something wrong with her? Whatever could it be?? Actually, it was my Seychellois grandpa ("Papa") singing in the shower. Sexy Nerd also pointed out to me that Papa's ears wiggle when he talks. Bizarre!

Pinterest gold, right here. We broke up our flight to Australia with a few nights in Hawaii, which eased us into our new time zone so gently that neither of us suffered any jet lag. This was much to the surprise of my family members in Australia, who had expected us to be zombies. Traveling home from Australia, however, we went straight from Sydney to Albuquerque. You know, with several hours to kill stuck inside the Nadi, Fiji airport and LAX. 34+ hours without sleep. Home at midnight. Back to work immediately. Add in the fun bonus of a cold I seem to have caught while flying and you have one grouchy, headachey, TIRED space cadet. Plus, don't forget my idiopathic insomnia . That's right. In addition to not being able to sleep on any of our flights, including the 10 hour overnighter, I have barely been able to sleep since we returned home. Over a week ago! Which brings me (finally) to the point of this post. The other night I didn't nod off until almost 4am