Ode to a snowplow driver

For as much as I've been complaining about the weather lately, if it weren't for these guys...I'd be going NOWHERE! Have you ever seen the snowplow drivers in a tiered line (five or six trucks!) one behind the other plowing the entire 4-lane highway? It's quite impressive. For all those plow drivers out there - THANK YOU! If I have to go to work in a blizzard (darn you school teachers!!) at least the roads have been cleared (sort of).

Happy Birthday!

Seems like just yesterday we brought him home.










Tonight, for dinner, we're going to make banana pancakes and let him have some! (because bananas are his fav!)

facebook

I've been a member of facebook since 2003. And, I'd like to think I was one of the first adapters of this new technology. (Yes, I'm that cool.) So why did I just yesterday realize that they've added an instant messaging function to the site? Man...I'm so out of the loop.

Aster the Disaster

Our dog, although extremely well-behaved and generally not destructive, has had some "puppy moments" in first year of life. A fine example occurred this Sunday when we came home from church to find that he had eaten half of a full bag of Twizzlers Pull-n-Peel. Now, I'm a big fan of candy, so I know where he's coming from, but that's a LOT of heavy sugar for little doggie stomach. He did have a sugar high, and then a pretty big sugar-low but managed through the day just fine. Crazy dog.

But that's not all. Over the past year, he has eaten
- An almost-full bag of yogurt raisins.
- An ant trap (not eaten per say, but fully chewed to oblivion)
- Red Apple-Cinnamon Votive Candle (yes, they come out just as they go in.)
- Frozen poop cookies (no, these are not treats you buy at the store, rather real poop found in the back yard!) Gross.









He's also managed to destroy:
- 2 area rugs and a handful of throw rugs during the house-training and teething stages.
- 1 Novel, 2 magazines and any other piece of paper he can get a hold of
- At least 6 pairs of shoes
- Jackson's Batman-Scooby toy
- Numerous stuffed animals and other dog toys

But how could we possibly be upset when our dog is this cute? And, hey, he's just a puppy. : )

Note: All destruction occurred due to owner's lack of proper doggie proofing, and in no way should be blamed on the puppy.

Ouch, that hurts.

Observation: being a grown-up, sometimes sucks.
Yeah, we can do whatever we want. Stay out as late as we want and all that fun stuff. But ... we also have to pay our bills. Specifically, our completely outrageous heating/gas bill. I know it's been a cold winter and I know we could have a better insulated house, but this past month's Dominion bill blew my mind. Almost $300 dollars for a 1200-sq. foot house. Ouch.
Step 1: Pay the damn bill.
Step 2: Insulate the attic.
Step 3: Close off the sunroom with an energy-efficient door.
Step 4: Set our thermostat a few degrees lower. (Hello wool socks)
Step 5: Install new exterior doors that are better insulated.
Step 6: Cry like a baby because we've just spent our entire tax refund.

Being a grown-up is overrated.

Surprise!

This past weekend, we threw a surprise retirement party for my Dad at Silver Park in Alliance. He had no idea we had been planning for months! It was fun having this party in a log cabin in the middle of a snow storm. Thank goodness it had a furnace, plus a fireplace. Conrats Dad - we're glad you finally get to rest. Now, get a job! haha

Opening some gifts. Boy, did the Frank family
have some tricks up their sleeves!

The cake ... John Deere of course.

Cutest dog in the whole word.

The family, minus Laura & Blair who are in Louisiana.

Chili, chili and more chili. Perfect for a snowy, winter night.

Spinach Pasta Toss

Total Time:
20 min

Makes:
6 servings, 1 cup each

What You Need

2 cups rotini or penne pasta, uncooked

1/2 lb. hot or mild Italian sausage, casing removed

1 pkg. (6 oz.) baby spinach leaves (7 cups)

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Make It

COOK pasta as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, crumble meat into large deep skillet. Cook on medium-high heat 10 to 12 min. or until cooked through, stirring occasionally; drain. Add spinach and tomatoes; cook 2 min. or until spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.

DRAIN pasta. Add to skillet along with the cheeses; toss lightly.

YUM! Throw some frozen garlic bread in the oven and you've got dinner in 20 minutes!

Top 10 Things to do when the weather is BLA in Ohio

10. ) Clean the basement, spare room, etc. (you will get a strange sense of accomplishment)
9. ) Weeds Season 3 DVD Marathon (or any other show)
8. ) Dress up like an Eskimo and play with your dog in the backyard
7.) Make soup and/or chili so the warm smell fills the house
6. ) Make a flavored Snow cone (if you dare)
5. ) Burn lots of candles (I seriously think it warms your house)
4. ) Sleep on the couch with lots of blankets
3. ) Buy cool new clothes on the internet and wait for Fedex to deliver
2. ) Bubble bath with lots of bubbles
1. ) Have sexy time (aka practice making babies) under the covers

Show at Musica

After Christmas, Zac's band played a show at Musica in Akron. A pretty decent turnout considering it was the Sunday after Christmas and most people in Akron are too cheap to pay $10 to see 5 bands.
















I'm not sure if Aster was mad that he wasn't allowed to go or that I made him wear that "awesome" sweatshirt.

Christmas

Christmas Day at my Parent's house.

Uncle Steven with his buddy Aster.

Cousin doggies.

My new Moonsparkle perfume from Zac.