Kitty Deschanel

Sexy Nerd and I are finally,  finally  almost ready to break ground on our mountain dream home outsi de  of Albuquerque, NM . How much longer has it taken than we'd expected? Well, I thought we'd have been living in the house a long time ago! We hiked our lot yesterday, double checking the house placement and making sure the windows are correctly located to maximize the views. We have new neighbors on both sides of our lot and we discovered one of the homes has built a new fence since we last visited, about 10 feet of which is on our property! In the interest of making friends with our neighbors though, we decided not to say anything. There's a tree that has fallen over at the top of our lot. Our plan is to eventually turn it into a fireplace mantle. In the meantime, it has been a great picnic spot, complete with 360 degree views of the mountains. We'd packed a snack and a beer each and up we hiked to the edge of our property, looking forward to resting on that fal

  We had a bit of a drama-filled afternoon today. I stepped out of the shower, only to discover the floor drenched in blood! Somehow, Pica had caught one of her toenails on her baby gate and ripped it right out. If she were a human baby, there'd surely be a lawsuit, right? Still, our poor little furbaby! One gigantic claw I held her steady as best I could. Jack Russell terriers don't really do "steady". There was always something twitching or shaking! Sexy Nerd applied styptic powder , which THANK GOODNESS we had on hand. If you have a pet, be sure to buy some of this. Ours came free with Pica's toenail clippers. In the 10+ years we've had her, we've used it only once before, when a nail was clipped a tad too short, and it stopped the bleeding almost instantly. This time, however.. ...it kept bleeding... ...and bleeding... ...AND BLEEDING... (Ack!) After more than an hour of using my best wresting moves on Pica, and with almost all o

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.

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.

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,

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!)

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

  ***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

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

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

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

Sexy Nerd and I have been together for more than 11 years. Keep this in mind while reading the following conversation we had yesterday: Sexy Nerd: Hey! You know what I noticed the other night? You have sleep apnea. Me: Wha?! Sexy Nerd: You just stopped breathing the other night. You weren't breathing for, like, a minute. Then, you were gasping for breath. Then, you woke up. That must have been the cause of your insomnia problem all along. Sleep apnea! Me: So, you think I've always stopped breathing for dangerous amounts of time, every night that you've known me? Sexy Nerd: Yeah! Me: And...you never noticed...in more than eleven years? Sexy Nerd: ... Me: And how long were you going to wait to see if I started breathing again? A minute seems like kind of a long time, don't you think? Sexy Nerd: ...I...didn't want to risk waking you ...because I love you... So, apparently this is what my (most likely shortened) future holds: CPAP machine - no

Oh no, Ocho! One of your legs wasn't quite level, so Sexy Nerd "fixed" it. If you've ever wondered what it's like to be married to an engineer , this about sums it up. Sure, they can build you cool things, but life isn't all pocket protectors and sexy glasses. In his defense, he had no reason to suspect your leg would snap off entirely. I mean, yeah I told him exactly that would happen if he messed with it and to just leave it alone, but other than that, how was he to know? $200 Octopus Pedestal Stand from Z Gallerie (Well, not $200 anymore, obviously) Your leg! Your beautiful leg!

Sexy Nerd has a new phone that takes excellent photos, so we've been using it exclusively instead of lugging a camera around. We have photos from the Colorado Springs Parade of Homes, our recent trip to Hawaii, and many other blog-worthy events. In fact, we attended the opening weekend of the home parade, making it essential to post on my blog ASAP so it could serve as a resource for people thinking of going. Sexy Nerd agreed. And yet... Sexy Nerd said he would send me the photos more than a month ago. The Colorado Springs Parade of Homes is long over. Sexy Nerd is still saying he's going to send me the photos. ..... Where are the photos, Sexy Nerd?!? An old photo (obviously) of Sexy Nerd. Spend less time giving pep talks to half-dead trees and more time sending me photos!

Shortage, smortage. Sexy Nerd and I will be eating well during the looming eggpocalypse, thanks to our local Sprouts and their overzealous clearance stockers. I spotted these from across the store, knocked everyone out of my way, and, of course, celebrated with a victorious happy dance. Eggland's Best? These are higher quality eggs than I was buying before the egg shortage! And the sell-by date isn't even for another week. Can you believe it?

Let's be honest. The best blog posts are the ones that border on TMI, wouldn't you agree? If you know me in real life, (I'm looking at you, family members) please discontinue reading this immediately. (Seriously. If you have or have ever had the same last name as me, now is the time to scram!) Today started out well. I woke up a little before my alarm went off and got an early start on my morning. I ate a healthy breakfast of oatmeal, yogurt, and fruit. I found just the right outfit to wear to work. I even had time to do some online (window) shopping before leaving the house. It was going to be a great day! Everything at my office seemed fine. I clocked in and started reviewing insurance claims. It didn't take long, however, to realize that something was not quite right. There was a funky smell. And, yes, it was coming from me! I'd had all that extra time before leaving the house. I had showered, washed my hair, brushed my teeth, done my make-up, and al

Hmmm...do I dare risk the job I love to poke fun at my boss? Yes. It's just that funny. Here she is throwing my painstakingly organized charts to the ground, while grinning like a Cheshire cat. I put them away shortly after taking this photo. She has since pulled them all out again, several times. Anyhoo... My boss was trying to tell us about a movie sequel that is coming out, but couldn't remember the name of the movie. She said "They made the 1st one a few years ago. 4 or 5 years, I think it was. It's based on a book." Knowing her, my first guess was correct. Waiting to Exhale. The only thing I remember about this movie was that I snuck out of bed to secretly watch it after my parents rented it. 5 years. 15. Whatever. My boss continued. "It was written by a black author. Oh, what is her name? I saw her on Oprah. Uhh... Toni Braxton ! That's who wrote Waiting to Exhale. And now Toni Braxton is working on a sequel." I laughed so

Monday, June 15 Albertsons grocery store Despite their marketing claim of "3s a crowd", there were only 2 cashiers open at Albertsons, resulting in a choice between a long line and a slightly longer line. I opted for the latter, as it was the express lane. You know those stereotypical seniors who ramble on about everything, Grandpa-Simpson style, just to have someone to talk to? That was the express lane cashier. My ice cream was frozen when I put it on the conveyor, and melted by the time it rejoined the basket. Yes, I do like ice cream. No, I do not want to discuss the other flavor options I passed up or how I decided upon this one. That's a great story about how you won at the casino last year even though you hadn't been paying attention to the slot machine as you played because it was only $20 worth of quarters which you'd happened to be carrying and were just happy to be able to get rid of because of their weight in your pocket and I can believe you wer

So, I went to see Ira Glass speak at Popejoy Hall. He was excellent, but the highlight of the day had to be the man standing in line ahead of me for the parking shuttle. Why, yes, that is the most professional-looking shirt with pigeons that I've ever seen. There is the teensiest baby bunny living in the parking lot at my office!!! I was a minute late clocking in (I'm never late) because I spent so much time adoring him. Don't leave your To Do list where Sexy Nerd can find it.  I was able to cross everything off in a single day of errand-running...except that. It's the wrong time of year, Sexy Nerd. Thank goodness (for both of us!) that my window wasn't rolled down.  This bird will not leave my car alone. He flies up to it as soon as I park and spends most of the day admiring his reflection in the mirror and tinted window. Apparently, my office has morphed into some sort of wildlife habitat. He's cute, but there's poop e

You know those children's books that don't have any words? A favorite of mine was always Pancakes for Breakfast  by Tomie DePaola. I did a little baking yesterday and decided to create a wordless Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes recipe. You can totally figure out how to make this recipe, even without any words. Cupcakes for breakfast, anyone?