Kitty Deschanel

*Quick Update* I just noticed that I have 99 Followers ! Ooooh, it's so close to 100 that I can't stand it! Come on, bloggy buddies! You know you want to follow LambAround! Give into the urge! Okay, on to the real post: Last night, Sexy Nerd was feeling a little bit "lovey". He had candles lit and wine and suggested that I put on a sexy outfit. I changed into something skimpy, somewhat covered by an equally skimpy, see-through robe. Being Mr. Smooth Talker, he came up to me and said in his sexiest voice, "Oooh, you're wearing layers. I'll have to take them off. You're like an onion ." Fail! How does the commercial go? Rich, but not smooth. Shame he isn't rich either. *Update: Sexy Nerd just read this post and pointed out that he had not lit any candles. Take the hint, Sexy Nerd!!! Links to Previous Sexy Nerd Quotes: A Frozen Loaf and Baby Pimping

I'm going to throw a fabulous housewarming party, with all my bloggy buddies , held at the 2010 HGTV Green House. There will be a dessert buffet, as well as lots and lots of alcohol for everyone!  Aren't you excited? You're invited! (Hey, that rhymes!) Plenty of seating for everyone! The only catch, and this is just a teenie tiny, minor detail, is that I have to win the house first.  You can help! It's just like when we all wished for me to win the 2010 HGTV Dream House (except, as proven by that house being awarded to Myra Lewis instead, we all have to wish a bit harder this time, darn it!) Remember our Dream Home chant? ( clicky here if you've forgotten ) Repeat after me: "Sexy Nerd and Lamb are going to win the 2010 HGTV Green Home. They recycle. They turn off the lights when they leave a room. They compost will compost in their new Green Home. Most importantly, they will have a huge-ass party when they win!" Whoops, almost forgot: "

Sexy Nerd has big plans for our yard this year. He also has no shame about being photographed in grungy sweatpants...outside...where all our neighbors can see him. That said, he surely won't mind me posting these photos on my blog, right? He recently installed the wire fence you see behind him. It sections off our yard into the attractive hang-out-on-the-patio area and the garden. The Garden (coming soon, I hope!) Sexy Nerd is hoping to grow an assortment of fruits and vegetables this year, including tomatoes, jalapeños, watermelon, kale, cantaloupe, bell peppers, cucumbers, and strawberries. By fencing off half the yard, he has effectively prevented his crops from being devoured by pests. Garden-Munching Pests For maximum enjoyment of the patio section, we have our handy dandy bug zapper! Betcha didn't know people actually use these. Neither did I. Welcome to Albuquerque! So, what's the best feature of our backyard? Is it that miniature

Before anything else, I'd like to say a great big THANK YOU to all the fabulous bloggers who stopped by to wish me a happy birthday (it's about time, right?)  Oh, and another tremendous  THANK YOU  to everyone who has sent me a guest blogger post. If you're still interested, just email a post (old ones are fine!) and some info about yourself and your blog to lambaround@gmail.com . I'll post it here with a link to your site. Okay, on to today's post! Now that the cake and ice cream overdose has worn off, (we walked a bunch on my birthday and I even exercised, so it's not as bad as it sounds!) it's time to buckle down and plan the details of our upcoming cruise. When you think about it, eleven nights is not really that much time for a vacation, so we've decided to stay 3 additional nights in New York when we get off the ship. Problem? I can't believe how expensive New York hotels are! I'm a $65/nt kinda gal. For $150/nt, we may not even get o

Even though my birthday isn't technically until today, that hasn't stopped me from celebrating all week Last Sunday, Sexy Nerd agreed to play Mario Party with me, which he never, ever  does. In fact, the last time we played was for my birthday last year! On Monday, Sexy Nerd took me to dinner at Chili's after work, followed by a trip to the mall. I used a coupon at Chili's for a free birthday dessert (in case you missed my FREE BIRTHDAY TREATS post, you should absolutely check it out! Oh, the coupons this cheap thrifty girl has received! Life is good!) Tuesday, Sexy Nerd made dinner. It was his turn to make dinner anyway, but he insisted I count it. To be fair, it was pretty tasty Hamburger Helper. What's Sexy Nerd's secret ingredient? Soybeans! Wednesday and Thursday, Sexy Nerd brought home little goodies for me, like cans of Diet Coke, a piece of cake from a meeting he'd had at work, and a candy bar. He also rubbed lotion on my feet!

You know how I know that these allergies are getting the better of me? I had a conversation with Pica and Biscuit this morning. It went a little something like this: "Uuuuuuuugh! My throat is so sore that I'm losing my voice! I can barely talk! How am I going to work all day if I can't talk?" And, of course, upon realizing that I would be wise to keep my thoughts in my head, rather than speak them, I told the dogs: "I should stop talking to you guys and save my voice for work! I'm not going to tell you about my allergies any more or about how I'm losing my voice! You're going to make me useless at work!" C They were concerned. "Mom's gone crazy," they thought, wondering if this meant breakfast would be delayed. You can see it in their faces. I've been taking Benadryl before bed each night. It helps me fall asleep, but I always wake up with the urge to quit my job and simply stay in bed forever. I've

1. Sexy Nerd and I have received our cabin assignment for our cruise. We were upgraded from the cheapest, not-even-a-tiny-window room to a room with not just a balcony, but an oversized  balcony, which is much fancier than any room we've had on a cruise before. Sexy Nerd was quick to point out that it will probably be too cold to ever set foot on the balcony so it doesn't matter. He's such a downer! 2. I've been browsing through the photos of the 2010 HGTV Green Home. I want it! I do have one complaint though. See if you can guess what it is based on this photo: Gigantic, gas-guzzling, Alero-running over SUVS are not "green", HGTV! What's that? It's a GMC Yukon Hybrid that gets 21 mpg in the city? That's still atrocious! The Toyota Echo (my dream car, which Sexy Nerd makes fun of) got over 40 mpg and it wasn't even a hybrid! 21 mpg. Puh-lease! Oops! I just realized that it's a GMC Terrain, not a Yukon Hybrid. Depending on which

What do these ingredients, (minus one kitchen pig and a stack of background junk mail) combine to make? *Reading the title to this post is, of course, cheating, you cheater. Ooey Gooey Rum Cake! Mine is topped with marshmallow creme, which is my obsession of the past few days. This cake is quick, easy, and fat free * ! *The accuracy of this claim has not been verified by LambAround. Until proven otherwise, just go with it! Never mind what that box of Devil's Food Cake mix says in that silly nutritional information column. The folks at Jiffy are crazy! Yum, yum, yum...and perhaps even a little dirty looking. Here's the quick, easy recipe: 1. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, 1/4C rum, 1/2C water, and 2Tbs ground flax seeds. 2. Pour into a greased pan, (I used a loaf pan, but I suppose other pans would work just as well) 3. Bake at 350F for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out only slightly gooey. As this is an egg-free cake, I see no reason at

I'm crushed to report back that, no, Sexy Nerd and I will not be going on a cruise. Nothing about this trip lined up. First, my mean boss said she wouldn't give me any time off. She changed her mind by the end of the day, but by then it was too late. Someone else had scooped up my fabulous cruise deal. We liked the itinerary so much though that we decided to pay a little (lot!) extra to book a cabin with a balcony. Things were turning around. Then, Sexy Nerd went to book our tickets (free because of all the traveling he does for work) but the dates/cities we need are blacked out! To top all this off, our house-sitter is going to be out of town for half the time we were planning to be gone. Aargh! * * * * * * * April Fools! What I would have posted, had this post been any other day, is that yes, we will be cruising! Cruiseaholics have to cruise! Our ship sets sail in less than a month and there's so much to do! We'll be visiting 9 cities (!) and I need

Has this ever happened to you? I was bored earlier and began browsing through cruise sites. I found an 11 night cruise with a terrific itinerary on a great cruise line for only $499. Intrigued, I did a little more searching and found the same cruise for only $399 ($36/night!) While it isn't the best cruise deal we've ever booked, (we ditched everyone for Thanksgiving a few years ago to go on a 5 night cruise for only $150 with a $50 ship credit!) it was great enough to warrant pricing airfare. ABQ to (mystery city) was also a great price. (Why so vague? Sexy Nerd is one of those paranoid people who thinks a criminal will rob us while we're away based on the info I've posted on my blog. Six years together and his paranoia is rubbing off on me. We'll have a house-sitter like always, but good luck getting them to come back if someone breaks in!) Although yesterday I had no intention of going on a cruise any time in the near future, now I feel like I simply have to

These are perfect when you're craving a quick, sugary treat. They work equally well in a toaster oven and a convection oven. Best of all, compared to eating an entire bag of Oreos (something I have never  done), they're quite healthy. What's that, you say? You already know how to make s'mores in the toaster oven? Well then, sit back and enjoy the ooey-gooey marshmallowy photos. (And if you're someone who works with me, please keep the "I've seen her polish off an entire bag of Oreo cookies" nonsense to yourself.)  Step 1: Put desired amount of graham crackers on a toaster oven/convection oven-safe pan.   Looks like it's time to clean this pan, Sexy Nerd Optional 1st step, which is Sexy Nerd's favorite: Spread peanut butter on each graham cracker (I'm not much of a peanut butter fan - WHAT?!? - so I skip this step.) Cover with yummy marshmallows. Top with chocolate chips. Place in the toaster o

One of our favorite changes made during our kitchen remodel was repainting the laundry room door with chalkboard paint. We decorate the door for each holiday. It has had a Christmas tree, fireworks, pumpkins, and all sorts of other holiday designs over the last year or so that we've had it. We've been lazy lately and, up until this morning, it was still decorated for Valentine's Day . I casually mentioned to Sexy Nerd that it's about time we erase all the hearts and put up an Easter design. I was thinking that it would be funny to draw an easter bunny wearing a Pope hat, like on South Park. Surprisingly, Sexy Nerd said that he was way ahead of me and had already updated our chalkboard door. This is not what I'd had in mind: Weirdo.

Woman's Day Magazine Did you know this is a religious publication? You may recall my rant a while back ( Woman's Day Magazine Irks Me ).  For the record, I'm not some crazy devil-worshiper who gets offended easily and tries to censor every little thing. I just don't feel that it's appropriate for a non-religious magazine that intends to appeal to all women to have a bible verse as a feature in every issue. An inspirational quote? Sure! An article where a woman talks about her faith? No problem! But an actual bible verse that says to praise God? Errr...it seems a bit out of place amidst the recipes and life tips.  You want to know how to tick off a lot of women really fast? Mention your beef with Woman's Day Magazine on the Woman's Day Message board! Here is a sample of the feedback I received: " There is so much absolute filth out there. It's even in cartoons and shows, intended for kids." (True, but that really doesn't justify k

First of all, I'd like to say another great big THANK YOU to all you lovely people who left comments for my last post! You've gotten me all psyched up to do some serious blogging! Also, instead of continuing to whine and complain about how my blog's button is way too big, I stopped being lazy for just a few seconds and fixed it. Okay, here is that list: 1. The weather in Albuquerque is bizarre during the spring. We took the dogs for a walk the other day and I was able to wear shorts and a tank top. Less than 24 hours later, it snowed. 2. Sexy Nerd and I have as many fruit trees as we can cram into our cookie-cutter neighborhood backyard. Last year, we didn't get a single cherry on either of our cherry trees because it froze after the trees blossomed. We already have blossoms on our nectarine tree this year. To prevent losing all the fruit, we covered the branches with trash bags. Pica went out her doggy door last night and freaked out , barking and running back

Blogging hasn't seemed very worthwhile the last few days. After all, I thought, does anyone actually read this? I'm not writing this for money. There are zillions of better blogs out there. No one clicks my crappy ads or posts my button (it's too darn big!) or nominates me for a BlogHer award or to be featured on SITS or follows me, and why would they? LambAround sucks!  There are more productive things I could be doing, like working on that book I've been trying to write since...well...too long ago to admit. My house is trashed, (Sexy Nerd's beer brewing doesn't help) my head is congested from allergies, (I hate New Mexico sooo much right now!) and we had an insanely busy/short-handed week at work (spring break at a pediatric dental office is not fun, especially when 2 of the 4 other employees call in because of horrible family emergencies). I was ready to let LambAround sit idle for a few days (weeks? months?). Then, I signed on and read this comment: Amber s

Years ago, Sexy Nerd and I had the brilliant idea to get a dog to keep me company while he was away at school in Michigan. We chose a Jack Russell terrier, which was the worst possible choice considering that I lived in an apartment, was a full time student, and was working a full time job, including a 6:30am-midnight shift every Sunday. Katie had energy to burn, and with no yard to run through and no companions, she put her excess energy to mischievous uses.   Example 1 (just 1 of many!): My Birthday Sexy Nerd was away in Michigan, so he sent me a bouquet of tulips. I set them in a vase on my dining table, then continued to study for a chemistry test I had that afternoon. It's baffling how bad I am at chemistry, especially when you consider the massive chunk of my UNM classes that involved it (including labs, I think I took 10 chemistry classes! I still know pretty much no chemistry whatsoever.) I said good bye to Katie, went to school, miserably failed my test that I

Gosh da rn it! I had an entire post, pre-written and waiting to appear after the 2010 HGTV Dream Home giveaway, complaining about whoever won (you know, just in case I didn't win). It went something like: GET OUT OF MY DREAM HOUSE! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!!! But then they awarded it to Dr.  Myra M. Lewis, a sweet, lovable old lady, who lost her house during Hurricane Katrina. I can't complain about her! I even tried. All Google did was reinforce how awesome she is (she helps the environment!) So, Myra M. Lewis, congratulations! And if you need someone to show you around Albuquerque or house sit, let me know :) Besides, the 2010 HGTV Green Home is more my style anyway! I'll tell you what, Myra Lewis. If you let me visit your 2010 HGTV Dream Home, I'll let you visit my 2010 HGTV Green Home. What a deal, right? :)

Sexy Nerd and I have been looking for new chairs for a while. My old Ashley Furniture glass dining table and metal chairs from college just weren't right in our new house. However, as the old dining set cost $200 for the table and 4 chairs, I was having trouble justifying $100 or so per chair for replacements. So, the glass table is now being used as a desk in my office, Sexy Nerd refinished an old dining room table to match our style, and the old chairs received a much-needed update, courtesy of a $3 can of burgundy spray paint (which looks pink when photographed, for some reason). Now to find cheap upholstery fabric that looks awesome! And learn how to reupholster a chair! And sew more of that upholstery fabric into matching curtains! And sand/paint those yucky cabinet doors! And rearrange all the furniture! And find 2 more chairs that will look good with these because we want to seat 6! And build a window seat in the dining room! Ah, good times. This Post is Blog Ho

I sucked it up and attended jury duty this morning. It was not a pleasant experience! So, how did jury duty go? On my juror application, I stressed that I would not be a good candidate for jury duty due to problems with social anxiety.  I cited the college statistics final where, after being the only person in the class who hadn’t completed their exam, I had a panic attack and sobbed uncontrollably.  When I was in 6th grade, I was called up to the stage during an awards banquet for a story I had written. How I made it up has always been a mystery to me, as the only thing I remember was having the realization that my name might be called and being unable to hear anything else except my heartbeat afterward.  Sexy Nerd can vouch for my anxiety. Five minutes before our wedding, the officiant, Captain Howie, pulled out what I thought was a microphone (it was actually a tape recorder). Not only was I going to have to recite vows in front of everyone – I was going to have to do it loudly?