"The best laid plans of mice and men..."

Friday was one of those days where everything seemed slightly off.  Due to unforeseen circumstances, we found out that the puppy we thought we were getting wasn't going to be the puppy we were getting.  Hence the quote starting this blog post.  I'd rather not get into the details, so please don't ask.  J and I got the news in the morning and we spent the whole day in a sort of funk at our respective offices.  Then one of his Chinese friend's had a car back into hers (not her fault) so he went to help her navigate the confusion that is filing a claim.  It is a frustrating, whirlwind situation for someone who has lived here their entire life, so I can only imagine how I would feel if I got into an accident in another country.  Then I had a less than pleasant experience as I was locking up the office by myself at 5:00 PM.  It was just one of those days that culminated in overall frustration and weariness.

J and I talked about the puppy situation for a long time, and we decided that instead of passing up on a puppy altogether, we would consider one from a different litter.  We had gone to visit with blinders on, trying not to fall in love with any puppy but "ours."  Still, while talking to the breeder, we had a chance to hold a couple of other puppies.  One of those was a sweet, little girl from a different litter whose color I adored.  We decided on her.  She's a little bit older than the one we would have originally taken home.  Her mom was very sweet and calm, which I took as a good sign.  We briefly considered a boy, but J and I had our hearts set on a girl.  We will still call the new puppy Lily.  Some might think it is odd, since it is a different dog, but we've been calling a second puppy Lily since November, before either dog was conceived.  (I already have boy names picked out for future dogs, when we have a house with a yard.)

Here is a picture of the new puppy:

She is a blue Italian Greyhound.  She shares a lot of family with Ruby, even though they don't have the same parents.  If I understand it correctly, Lily's mom and Ruby are half sisters, so Lily is Ruby's niece of sorts.  When I shared this observation with J, he started singing "I am my own grandpa..."  He can laugh all he wants, I just wanted to be sure that we were getting a dog that will be healthy and pleasant like Ruby.  Now that I think about it, it is sort of funny.

Unlike when we went to pick out Ruby, both puppies were still so young that they had their eyes and ears closed.  So, while it was heartbreaking to get the news on Friday, it wasn't the same connection we had with Ruby, who was attentive and had a clearly developed personality: quiet confidence.

After our emotional flip-flopping Friday, I spent the evening watching episodes of The Big Bang Theory and Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog (DVDs from Netflix).  On Saturday J wanted to grill sweet corn and potatoes again, so we ran errands and he cooked.  I finished a book and updated my Shelfari page.  If you are looking for a way to track your reading, this is a great website.  You can sign in with your Amazon account.  If you want, you can sync your Amazon book purchases to Shelfari (I choose not to because I have bought some books for work that are highly technical and now Amazon thinks I am smarter than I actually am...).  You rate books, you can edit book information, write your own reviews, connect with book groups, and best of all- see how many pages you've read.  If you choose to join, feel free to "friend" me: http://www.shelfari.com/beccaf

Yesterday night we went to Starbucks and I wrote four pages to a story that I've been thinking about.  I read it out loud to J when we got home, took his feedback into consideration, made some edits, reread it to him, and went to bed thinking about how to edit again.  I have had five story lines floating around in my head for months on end now.  I've been painstakingly plotting out one since November of last year.  I want to have it mapped out before I sit down and start writing, but sometimes I just want to write, so I am playing around with the other four stories in bits and pieces.  J and I are taking a free Science Fiction Coursera class starting later this month.  I hope to apply what I learn from that to my writing.

If you are looking for free classes to take, check out Coursera.  You have to participate in the class online and it is graded, but the courses are free and they have unlimited enrollment.  Unfortunately, you cannot get college credit for them.  A lot of the courses are for people in the fields of science and technology who might want to brush up on a topic without having to take college classes for it, so there are limited offerings for people who prefer the humanities, like me.  Still, it sounded intriguing.  I'll let you know how it goes once the class gets started.  I also signed up for an online writing class from Miami-Dade Community College.  I had to pay for it and I won't be getting college credits for this one, either, but at least I don't have to worry about my residency status, tuition fees, segregated fees, prerequisites, and competing for seats in a class.

I shouldn't get too ahead of myself though.  I can plan all I want, but sometimes life just changes the parameters and you can choose to adapt or you can change course altogether.  We decided to adapt to the new parameters and we still believe we are doing the right thing for Ruby.  We want her to have as much love and companionship as possible.  We are ready and capable to take on the responsibility of another little life.  Who knows?  Maybe this will end up working out for the best.  (And now Little Lily can come home on my birthday weekend instead of having to wait an additional week.  Happy Early Birthday to Me!)

All Things American

Happy Fourth of July!

I had the day off so I slept in, cuddled with Ruby, and then I headed to Whole Foods with J.  There we bought steaks (rated 4 on their Animal Welfare Rating System), corn on the cob, potatoes, apple cobbler, and ice cream.  I sneaked a piece of apple cobbler in before dinner, but it didn't ruin my appetite.  J grilled the potatoes, the corn, and the steaks.  It was so nice to have fresh, grilled corn.  After we digested for a bit, we had Sprecher Root Beer floats.  We had bought the Sprecher at the Greenleaf Cheese store in Sarasota when we went to visit Lily last weekend.  It is so wonderful to have little bits of home here in Miami, and there is nothing like Sprecher Root Beer.  (The owner of the shop said he would try to get me Cream Soda for when we go back in August/September!)

While J watched his Brewers, I worked on a batch of magnets to sell on Etsy.  I found some neat supplies at Hobby Lobby in Fort Meyers (again, a stop on the trip to see Lily) that I wanted to try out.  I tried Modge Podge and Modge Podge Dimensional Magic for the first time.  So far I think it is pretty cool, but the only major problem is that the smell (combined with the smell of E6000 glue).   It gives me headaches.  When I make the polished magnets I get headaches too, so it is best for me to work in batches every other month or so.  At least I got things done on my day off!

Tomorrow it is back to the grindstone.  But before then we are going to take Ruby to the dog park and bike to the fireworks.  I love fireworks, but I hate crowds, so I hope that we have a good time and it isn't too packed.  We didn't get to go last year.  Today it was all about America: baseball, apple cobbler, root beer floats, grilled food, making stuff with your hands, and fireworks!

The Sweetest Surprise

Well, it's not a surprise to us, but it is a surprise for my readers and Ruby: we are getting another puppy! 

Ruby, meet Lily!

Little Lily is a day old in this picture. I got the e-mail from the breeder and we dropped everything to drive five hours to meet our new bundle of joy.  Of course we had to bring Big Sister Ruby with us!  After all, she had to see where she came from.  Lily was born on June 28th, almost 14 months to the day after Ruby (April 29th).  They share the same mom but different dads.  Interestingly enough, she and her mom did not seem to have a connection or remember each other, but I'm sure that is because her mother was exhausted from delivering five puppies and feeling rather protective.  (That picture of Ruby above is her looking at her mom and the litter- oh the trepidation on her face as her mom gives her the stink eye!).  Ruby is seal and white and Little Lily is black and white.  Lily will be coming home with us around the end of August/beginning of September.  I cannot wait!

Ruby is 14 months old now and we have been sincerely considering expanding our furry family since November.  We really liked the breeder and we love Ruby's spirit.  We briefly considered a dog of another breed, but deep down we knew we wanted another Italian Greyhound.  Ruby needs a friend who can keep up with her energy and who understands how IGs play.  Ruby gets plenty of crushes on big dogs (and to be honest, so do we) but we have limited space and two mature cats.  After a couple of hiccups, Ruby has managed to develop respectful relationships with Trini and Tashi, the resident royalty.  Trini is older (she will be 18 in August!) and she has earned her days of basking in the sun, enjoying the peace of our office.  Tashi is more of a trouble maker and she and Ruby like to play- as long as it is on Tashi's terms.  Another stipulation we had for getting a puppy was that we wanted a puppy from Ruby's mom, so we had been patiently waiting to find out when she would have her next litter.

Ruby is at a good age for a little sister to come in the picture.  She is potty trained and well-behaved.  I think she will be a great role model.  Soon Little Lily will be able to run and play with Ruby at the dog park.  This is something Ruby desperately needs because she tends to leave other dogs in the dust.  Ruby, unlike some IGs, is pretty social.  She can be a bit wary of newcomers at first, but she warms up quickly.  Ruby likes other dogs (we mentioned her big dog crushes), but there is something that another IG can provide for her that other dogs and humans cannot.  I know that having a new puppy, like a family having another child, will slightly shift the dynamics of our current "pack" but we have had numerous discussions with our dog trainer and we know this is the right decision for us.  Our pets are our family and we love them all dearly.  We have more love to give (in a responsible, well thought out capacity) and we are overjoyed that Lily will be in our lives.  She is another piece of the family puzzle falling into place.

While we wait for her to come home with us, I will continue showering Ruby, Trini, and Tashi with all the love in the world.

(I have to text my parents STAT, they've known we are getting another dog, but I think they will want first dibs on viewing the pictures!)

I O U

I have been mentally drafting a good post about life in Miami lately.  But this won't be that post!  I owe my readers, so it will be sooner rather than later.  I'm sorry about that.

However, I do have progress to post about!  I added more items to my Etsy shop.  I've also tried different ways to photograph my items.  (This is something that will require an amazing camera and an amazing amount of patience and practice...)  I had my first buyer, too!  (Yes- my mom DOES COUNT!!)  One of my items was also added to someone's treasury list.  It's exciting for me because I often look at the treasury lists people curate and I find new, inspiring artists that I add to my favorites.  Hopefully I will get more traffic that way.

Check out my new stuff:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/PhysicksAlchemy

On a sad note, there was a casualty today.  I was diligently adding items to Etsy and my darling Ruby got a hold of one of the felted brooches (she loves fuzzy things) and she did irreparable damage.  I had felted the material by hand- a process I don't think I will do again as I didn't enjoy it, and I embroidered flower beads in a bouquet.  I didn't get mad at my sweet Ruby, I just learned my lesson.  Here are images of my heart felt pin... may it rest in pieces.

Handmade Gifts for the Heart

I finally found a weekend to add items to Etsy. I must say- I am a bit intimidated by shipping, pricing, and other details. I don't know if I will actually sell anything, but I figured I would give Etsy a try! Check out my Etsy shop here:

 http://www.etsy.com/shop/PhysicksAlchemy

Let me know what you think. I am open to feedback. J helped me buy a domain name, so I am going to make a website to accompany the Etsy shop eventually. I already have a Twitter Account for the store too: @PhysicksAlchemy.

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In other news, I know I need to add a blog post about what has been going on in Miami, but one thing at a time...! :)

Hungry Hunger Games

This is just a really brief update from my post this past weekend. I didn't end up getting things on Etsy because I got distracted by doing other stuff- like going to see The Hunger Games. J and I thought the movie was so-so. We agreed that we both liked Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson as Katniss and Peeta, respectively but that some of the other actors were okay. Haymitch, Rue, and Cinna were more characters we thought were acted well. All in all, I think the movie wasn't as dark as the books. I am one of the people who think these books are inappropriate for young children. I wouldn't censor a child from reading the books, but I don't think that children can understand the full impact of the messages. In the end, people who have not read the books will miss the finer points of the story. I was interested to see how they would explain the unique things like tracker jackers and mocking jays, but they could have done more with the sheer horror that was the muttations. If you read the books, you will understand these comments. This being said, it was pretty good and it was the first big blockbuster I've been to in a long time. (The theatre was full! Once, down here, J and I were the only people in a theatre for the latest Morgan Spurlock movie.) J and I had a much more in depth discussion regarding our feelings on the film's interpretation of the book, but this is just my quick blurb.

After we saw the movie, J really wanted Nacho Mama's Nachos from Lime. For $7 you get the largest serving of nachos with the works. As we don't eat meat, we have ordered it with black beans and sauteed onions in the past for added protein (I didn't like it), but the extra beans is so excessive that I cannot imagine loading ground beef, chicken, or steak onto them. I didn't eat much of the nachos, but I ordered sopapillas for the first time, and they were simply amazing. They were also really cheap. For about three dollars you get enough little pastries for you and a friend. I could have eaten them all by myself though, they were really delicious. The only thing was, I felt bad for going up to a counter and ordering food after watching these kids battle to the death for basic supplies. If I was a tribute, I'd probably be the first to die in the Hunger Games because my survival skills are outdated (although I have some OLS lessons in the back of my head somewhere) and I couldn't outrun a turtle. And they don't have sopapillas out in the wild.

Moment in March

For the last month, work has been reasonable. (The co-workers are another story...) I was able to meet deadlines with ease in February, but things are picking up again. I wrote all of my deadlines on my calendar for April and it is going to be a doozy of a month. On top of the work itself, registration will begin on the 2nd, and it will be back to desperate students scrambling to get into their classes. J's family will be visiting right in the thick of it, so I won't get to take any time off of work. I'll have the evenings to spend with them, though.

School for J has picked up considerably as well. I would say he's in the final stretch, but his final stretch is less of a sprint and more of an intense marathon. He's a runner, so I'm sure he appreciates this analogy. I honestly do not know how he does it. He still tries to make time for me and Ruby, he finds time to work out, he completes his school work, and he does a lot to build his resume.

Despite not having friends to hang out with, I'm still plenty busy. I took three baby steps towards selling crafts. I ordered my business cards, purchased a domain name for a website, and I laid out the Etsy page. I hope to list a couple of items tomorrow. If I do, I'll let people know. I've scaled back a bit with volunteering. It is hard to do it every week (J needs me home for the furry baby), but I'm still doing that and my craft night. I've hit a crafting plateau... There are things I like to do, but don't have the money for. There are things I have the supplies to do, but don't have the patience for. And there are things that I've tried to do, but I don't really enjoy. Having something to work towards- like gifts- helps my motivation, but sometimes I just need a break.

I have been using my usual crafting time for reading. I finished five books in March. I don't know if I'll start another right away. I caved and read The Hunger Games trilogy. I finished the three books in 48 hours. I read them quickly because I just wanted to be done with them. I thought they were good. I didn't love them and I found the story line exceedingly disturbing, but at least the violence wasn't as detailed as I thought it would be. That said, it still gave me nightmares. I appreciate the message that the author tried to convey and I thought the social commentary was scathingly brutal, yet truthful. It was also good to be able to discuss books with J. We rarely read the same things. He is much more cerebral in his free reading choices, where I tend to read books for entertainment. I still read plenty of non-fiction, but you won't find me reading history books about hurricanes. :) I also read the book because J kept bringing up seeing the movie. He doesn't usually get to pick what we see (well- we barely go to movies), and since he kept talking about it, I figured I'd see what all of the hullabaloo was about.

The only other notable thing that has happened in the last couple of weeks is that we found a great dessert place. It is called Atelier Monnier and they serve traditional French desserts that are presented in a more modern way. The individual serving desserts run about $5, but you will NOT be hungry when you leave. The first time we went I had a berry tart. It was excellent. The second time we went I tried their eclair. It was very beautiful and even had a small gold leaf detail. I was expecting a regular cream filling, but it was chocolate cream. It was good, but a little rich for my taste. I'm one of the few women who doesn't go gaga over chocolate. I prefer fruity, tart flavors. Still, the eclair was good. J had sorbet both times and it was amazing. They have macaroons. I've never had one and I'm looking forward to trying. They also make bread and sell wine. It's a pretty cool shop. We'll be back.

Well, I figured I'd take this moment to post, because I know things will get busy in April. Here's hoping I have the energy to keep up!