Not A Good Monday!

Is any Monday a good Monday?  I don't think so.  The main thing I look forward to when Monday arrives is the stuff on TV for the night.  It's hard to get up and going plus Monday's seem to drag by.  This Monday was worse than other Mondays for me however, I was involved in a 4 car accident.

I'm okay but my SUV is not!  My SUV took quite the hit or crunch!  I was the 2nd car in the 4 car accident.  Therefore I have front end and back end damage. I was sitting in the left turn lane waiting for the arrow, out of nowhere someone plowed into the back of me pushing me into the car in front of me. Myself and the truck behind me were literally stuck together.  The tow truck that was called by police had to hook my SUV up then pull it apart from the other truck.  Let me tell you that was not a pleasant noise to hear the two vehicles being pulled apart.  The truck that was behind me had been hit from the rear by the 4th vehicle pretty hard. The 4th vehicle that caused the entire accident was a large truck.

My cargo door is so smashed in it's not able to open.  My license plate is pushed under the car so far it can't be seen.  The hood in front is not only bent inward it's also bent upward in other places.   We're thinking the hood will have to be replaced completely.  The front bumper and back bumper are done deals too. To help describe the impact, the screen that extends up from the backseat preventing the boys from getting out of the cargo area came unlatched and broke somehow. I also went around picking up pieces of my bumper at the accident sight.

I was able to drive my SUV home once it was pulled from the other truck. However, it's not exactly what I would classify "fully" operable.  It runs but there's no way I could handle driving it around like it is.  Our biggest concern with the SUV is whether or not the framework has been damaged.  We'll find that out when we take it in. I have to take Cody to the vet tomorrow, the vet and then the body shop on Wednesday are the only times it's being driven.  Cody will have to sit up front with me because there's no way to get him in the cargo area.  Trust me he won't mind sitting up front.  Overall I'm okay but I am sore.  I'm a little concerned I'll be even more sore tomorrow.  My back is hurting the most, it was quite the jolt.  

NFL Draft Weekend!

We of course watched the NFL Draft on Thursday night and some of it on Friday night too. I was anxious to see who my Cards picked at the lucky number 7 spot. Brad was of course ready to see whom would become the newest Cowboy. The dorks that we are, we sat on our couch dressed in our fave team's shirts.

I was happy with the Cardinals number 7 selection. They addressed a need. It wasn't a draft class full of the more attention getting positions but yet it was a draft for certain necessary positions to build a good team. All in all I think the Cardinals draft was a good one, they made some great decisions. Not a single pick made me question what they were thinking. The CB and RB kind of fell in their laps...hopefully those will be two successful Cards for seasons to come.

Poor Brad was not as happy about the Cowboys. As soon as it was announced they had traded down in the first round Brad needed some time to digest that decision. We went to Blockbuster for a little bit. We got back right before they made their only first round pick. The pick addressed a need but the guy they chose was a projected 3rd or 4th round draft selection not a first rounder! Needless to say by the time Friday morning rolled around here in big D sportscasters were ripping the Cowboys big time. I must add that as the draft weekend progressed the Cowboys faired better with their picks but it was certainly a rough start. I'm not sure sports radio in our city is ready to look passed the first round selection to give them a decent grade for their draft.

Now the big wait begins! Waiting all the way til August for football!  Good thing tennis tourneys and grand slams are right around the corner to help get us thru! ;)

Experimental Meal Night

Perhaps it's not the best idea to have an experimental meal night when company is coming, but I like a challenge! I jokingly told Brad to have our fave pizza delivery on speed dial just in case my experimental meal was a flop.  Earlier this week I started looking for something unique, different, and fun to make for a small dinner party.  We invited Brad's brother and sister-in-law over for Saturday night.  I decided on creating an entirely Italian themed meal.

The main dish was a cross between a spaghetti and a lasagna.  For an appetizer or what ended up being a late night snack for all of us was a hot spinach and artichoke dip.  Not my usual spinach dip, this one is served warm with lots of oozy cheese.  Yum!  Oh and for dessert....drum roll please....tiramisu.  My first ever tiramisu!  I know it's likely the most famous Italian dessert but I've actually never tried it. Never had a bite. Due to the fact it has coffee in it, it's never appealed to me since I'm not a coffee drinker.  While thumbing through recipes though I read the ingredients and decided it sounded quite good. The coffee flavor wasn't strong or at least it wasn't overpowering in the recipe I used. The meal turned out great from beginning to end!  The only thing I made that was familiar to me was my cheesy garlic bread.  I started doing my own version of cheesy garlic bread when Brad and I started dating in an effort to save calories.  The garlic bread or the cheese bread that the stores offer have a ridiculous amount of calories and fat.  So I do my own thing and Brad really enjoys my cheesy garlic bread. 

There's a few things I would do differently.  That is to be expected when working with new recipes.  One tip regarding the tiramisu, don't dust with cocoa until ready to serve.  The cocoa soaked in to the creamy part, losing some of it's appeal. It darkened in color, melding into the creamy part. So I guess when you see a lovely pic of tiramisu on an Italian restaurant's menu with a pretty dusting of cocoa on top, assume it was dusted with cocoa right before that pic was captured. 

A Post From Cody!

Hello it is I, Cody W. Peterson....oops, nope!  It is I, Cody W. Vaughn!  Cody Vaughn....say it a couple times folks!  I sound like a private spy, don't you think?  Here say it like this...Cody...Cody Vaughn at your service!

The other day when mommie had to come pick us up she accidentally asked for the Peter-Vaughn pugs.  She had Peterson about halfway out of her mouth before changing it to Vaughn.  Our names were officially changed completely, with the vet, county, and groomers early this month.  So it's official....we're the Vaughn pugs!

Now I know what question is likely first on peoples minds....what is it like having a sister?  And not just any sister, a cat sister.  She likes to do a lot of things I like to do.  We suntan together.  The only thing is she gets to the sunny spot by the blinds before me most of the time.  The spot isn't big enough for us to share.  It's a first come first serve sunny spot.  She sleeps in the living room so she's always in that spot before I get out of bed! All in all she's alright with me!

I know she's older than me and she can be a bit cranky.  But she's more cranky towards Simon than me.  She has batted him on the head a few times with her paw.  I think she likes me more than Simon.  Who would prefer Simon over me anyway?  I'm cute. I'm playful. I'm super friendly. I'm nice.  Simon is like an arrogant little French man, no time for anyone or anything but food!  Emphasis on arrogant!  And no offense to the French but we call him little Frenchie, due to his attitude!  Not to mention, he would sell us all for a piece of jerky.  Well except maybe mommie he might hold on to mommie since she is the one that feeds him. 

Oh here's a little dirt on my little bro.  He thinks he's all big and bad.  Mister tough guy that needs no one.  But take him to the groomers and he's jumping up in mommie's arms, acting like the biggest baby ever.  Last time we went to the groomers he had to be pulled away from mommie as he clung to her.

p.s. When is Spring going to arrive and stay?  It's been cold here AGAIN!  I'm still wearing clothes to bed.  Yesterday I wore clothes all day! 

Well I've got to be going.  Time to take a walk!  Cody Vaughn out!

Our Friday Night

Well our Friday night was spent much like most Americans, sitting in front of the TV waiting and watching the police pursue suspect #2 of the Boston Marathon bombings.  I started watching a little after 4 then took a short break to rush the boys through their late afternoon walk.  Once Brad came home we were both sitting on our couch watching.  Flipping from channel to channel to see who had the best camera angle. 

We soon realized that the national Fox News Station had tapped into the local Boston Fox station so we stayed there but turned on to CNN at times too.  Our dinner which was leftovers ended up being rather late because we were so into what was happening on the TV screen.  It took me awhile before I wanted to tear myself away to go turn the oven on and pop dinner in it. 

Never seen a city stalled by a lone suspect.  It truly is crazy how Boston was tormented for an entire week by two brothers.  Tormented to the point that the Governor ordered the city to be shutdown on Friday.  At least it was over with by the end of Friday, that way the public could begin to return to normal life once Saturday arrived.

Parades, marathons, and even Fourth of July gatherings where people come from all different entry points have to be the hardest to police.  At many outdoor events you can walk up to any point on the route.  Here in Dallas we attend a Fourth of July celebration each year near the Convention Center.  Picture a large open grassy area lakeside, there's people walking to it from all angles. There's security barricades to help keep the crowds from getting too close to the fireworks. But it's not like going to a Mavs or Cowboys game where you must pass through a door get your ticket scanned then your purse searched before getting in.  In light of what happened in Boston there's definitely some new security concerns for our nation to address! There's different types of events that have now been exposed to having security issues.

Honeymoon Part 1 Pics

I recently found my camera cord that I use to connect my camera to my computer to upload pics from the camera on to this blog.  I've been going crazy without that cord.  It got into a box that went into our storage area.  

 

As I was looking through the photos I decided to share a select few from our honeymoon suite at the Gaylord and our part 1 honeymoon to Orlando.  The hotel room in Orlando was decent but apparently not exciting enough to take a pic of it because I don't have a single picture. Hmm! So first up are the honeymoon suite at the Gaylord. It was basically like a 2 bedroom apartment complete with an exercise room.  Our view out the large windows was amazing as you see in the pics.  The theme of the suite was Rock and Roll!  Guitars and a jute box were focal points in the dining room. That suite made us feel like celebrities! It was awesome!

 

 view from balcony 1

 view from balcony 2

This is the start of the Orlando pics! 

Magic Kingdom

Brad carrying the world on his back.

 

Our fave restaurant we visited.

 

We found a store that featured Cards gear!

 Driving a boat.

The Bird Problem

We have a bird problem.  We have nicknamed him Squawky!  He's starts performing his stage show promptly at midnight.  He goes and goes for hours!  He seems to take a break around 3 AM or so then starts up again around 5 AM.

One night Brad went down to the ground floor and threw a tennis ball in the tree near where Squawky was perched.  Squawky got the message and shut up for a few days.  I think it was early Sunday morning when Squawky decided to reappear.  Brad then took to throwing grapes in Squawky's general direction from our balcony however that didn't work for long.  It shut him up for only a small amount of time. 

Let me tell you, Squawky has quite the stage show!  He has song after song!  Even a few remakes of popular hits! LOL! 

After listening to Squawky all weekend and all week long we did catch a break last night.  It rained!  Squawky doesn't perform in the rain!  I've dealt with annoying birds that like to sing at night or early in the morning, they usually move on after a few weeks.  Hopefully Squawky will take his stage show somewhere else soon.   

Sad Week for the USA!

Safe to say this has been a difficult week for America.  Such sad events have transpired!  I pray everyday for the families affected and for the investigators.  Hopefully, whomever is responsible is brought to justice.

I'm not the best at keeping up with news events that take place during the day.  Yes, I'm on the computer a lot working but I completely bypass news sites so I don't get distracted.  A friend of mine actually texted me on Monday telling me to turn on a TV if I had one near me. 

I saw it was reported today that an arrest had been made then they recanted that statement.  Even though an arrest wasn't made today it still seems authorities have some great leads.  I saw the images of the courthouse in Boston where people and news crews had gathered anticipating to see police bring the arrested individual for his arraignment. Those images where shown before they recanted the statement about an arrest.  It was a sea of people outside that courthouse, looked like a parade route.  People gathered up and down the streets.  Crazy!

Police and FBI have a tough job ahead of them.  They have to catch a suspect or suspects plus they're going to have to deal with a mob of people.  They're going to have to be clever to get this individual to and from jail when they make an arrest because otherwise mayhem will ensue!  Can you imagine the pressure of the investigators?...all eyes of the U.S. are on the Boston police department and FBI.

The Fire Alarm!

The other night we had a first for our new little family.  In the early morning hours before anyone should be up for the day, the fire alarm in the building sounded!  This was not a low toned alarm sounding.  This was not a smoke detector sounding.  This was an ear-piercing alarm blaring through the house and entire building!  We sprang up out of bed, completely startled for a brief moment before realizing what the noise was.  My heart jumped up into my throat when I first heard the blaring alarm.

We quickly sprang into action getting ourselves ready to get outside.  Brad went to get the boys that were on the opposite side of our home in their beds.  As soon as he got them up Cody began whining until he saw me come out of our bedroom. Here's the difference in the pets....the boys wanted to get outside with us right away.  They were ready to go.  Storm was perfectly calm and quick to ask for water from the faucet as soon as she saw we were up, evacuating was her last priority. Brad was getting the boys leashed up while Storm stood at the kitchen faucet in hopes he'd come turn it on for her.

Out the door we went.  We grabbed coats and left the boys sweaters on them.  In our building due to the long hallways they built double doors to section off the hallways.  Once the alarm sounded those double doors closed automatically. The purpose of those double doors is to hopefully assist firefighters in containing a fire to a certain section somewhat.  A building like this without some type of containment walls could go up in a hurry.  We went down the nearest  stairway to us.  As we were walking down the stairs a fire truck was pulling up alongside the building.

Now here's the difference in the pugs....as we stood outside in the cold, Cody looked around curiously watching the firemen, Simon took care of "business".  He didn't care about why there were firemen or a fire truck.  It wasn't long before we could tell that this was a false alarm.  There was no fire.  We did wait awhile before going back in.  After we got back in our place we evaluated our "performance", it was a good test to see how fast we could all get out. 

Thank goodness we're both quite calm people.  Brad is especially the calm type!  He's not quick to panic!  As we stood outside I overheard stories of other residents that were not as calm in their approach to get outside when the alarm sounded.  That alarm was certainly startling...maximum startling! Once we realized what it was we were both organized with our thoughts.  Organized as in we were not rushing around bumping into each other to get ready to get out.  We were focused and on task.  It was the first time the boys have been leashed up then quickly led outside due to a fire alarm. 

This was definitely an experience! In my past apartment homes I've set off the smoke detector by burning something in the kitchen but I've never heard a building fire alarm sound until the other night!  It gives new meaning to the term..."sound the alarm".  Since the experience I have thought about investing in a fire proof safe sometime soon. I've also thought about how difficult of a job firefighters would have getting water to a fire in this building.  There's so many hallways and so many stairs.  Yikes!     

Winner Declared, Cold Wet Weather, and Chicken Noodle Soup!

We watched the NCAA championship game this past Monday night.  It was a good game that stayed close until about the last 2 to 3 minutes.  The outcome of the game did not phase our bracket competition.  I was declared the winner of the bracket comp days before the final game was played.  Per my win...I get dinner and a movie out...both are my choice!  Once I declared I got dinner and a movie my husband coyly questioned whether or not a movie was part of the original deal.  I can't actually remember if it was or wasn't but I'm throwing in the movie nonetheless!  Ha! Ha!

Guess how cold it is here today?  So cold that the pugs are wearing fleece shirts and huddled up by the space heater.  It feels like January!  It's 40 degrees with a wind chill that is making all three of us shiver in our boots as soon as we walk outside for a walk.  It's a wet cold nasty day!  The type of day that Cody just has the desire to sleep thru.  I felt for my little puggies as they both shivered in the elevator as we came back in from a brief walk. 

Since returning home to big D I haven't been feeling so great.  Today I've taken it somewhat easy.  The 30 degree drop in the temperature outside certainly hasn't helped me any.  I just have that typical creeping crude...as my mom would call it! My sweet husband is doing all he can to take care of me. He drove from his work in the rain soaked day to get me chicken noodle soup then drove to bring it to me and then headed back to work. I'm not the best at letting someone take care of me. I guess I was raised to be too independent.  But if that is my mom's biggest fault of raising a child that is too independent then so be it!  I will continue to do my best though to relax and let my husband help me out here and there until I feel 100% again. 

Back Home in Big D!

Well we made our way home from AZ on Sunday.  We arrived home to Dallas around 7:30 local time.  I must mention we flew to AZ on the Cardinals plane!  Super cool!  Then while walking through the airport to board our flight home who did we see?....Kurt Warner!  So our flight leaving Dallas and our flight home had Cardinal associations.  I know it was cool for Brad to see Kurt Warner.  He's such a football nut. The first time we saw Warner I was a little preoccupied trying to get things back in my purse as I looked up there stood a tall man that looked familiar.  He was looking at me trying to not run into me as I fiddled with my purse and walked forward.  We later saw him at the security checkpoint.

We had a great time in AZ!  It was fun seeing everybody.  We fit in seeing as many people as we could.  Brad wished we had more time to stay.  I have to admit I didn't share that wish.  I was ready to go home when the time came.  I like to visit AZ, I like to see everyone and touch base with family.  However, I like to go home when it's time to go home! 

The hardest thing for me when visiting Phx is the climate issues.  My allergies are crazy as soon as we land.  My skin feels extra dry. I also deal with a constant headache while I'm there.  I've been told the headache is associated with the dryness of the climate and the allergy issues I have.  

Once we landed back home in Big D it was a welcome sight to see the green trees, the Texas State flower popping up all over, the waterways, and the cloudy skies threatening rain. Two days later and the skies are still cloudy and threatening rain. Ah yes...home sweet  home!

Conversation with Simon and his Mommie!

Though Simon doesn't talk with his mouth like the humans do.  He does talk by his actions, his head movements, and his eyes.  He's got plenty to say without verbally saying it. Recently Simon and I had a conversation about his toy box, well his and Cody's toy box.  This is how it went:

Me:  Simon why do feel the need to move the toy box to the middle of the living room entry way?

Simon:  I rummage through it and where I end up after rummaging through it is were I end up.

Me:  Yeah, explain to me why you suddenly rummage through the toy box every day?  Are you looking for something?

Simon:  I'm looking for a rawhide that you might have hidden in my toy box.  Oh I remember the days when Cody's leftover rawhides were magically hidden in the toy box.  How come that doesn't happen anymore?

Me:  Because mommie got smarter and now I let Cody eat his leftovers the next day!  After all it was originally Cody's rawhide.

Simon:  I'm not fond of that answer!

Me:  Back to the toy box...Stop moving it!  Stop tipping it over!

Simon:  Oh mom, you're no fun!  I can't go cow tipping even though we live in Texas so tipping my toy box over is the next best thing! 

Me:  Oh geez, now you think you're a mini-Cowboy!  I thought you were a Rottweiler?

Simon:  I'm everything!  A Cowboy, a Rottweiler trapped in a rough and tough pug body!

Me:  Are you going to leave the toy box in the spot it's supposed to be?

Simon:  Maybe, I can't make promises!  Sometimes I need freedom to express myself! 

Me:  Trust me, you express yourself plenty!  The toy box needs to stay out of the way of the entry path and it needs to stay upright.  Thank you in advance Boo-Boo!

Simon:  Oh that reminds me can we now talk about the fact that you keep drying me off with a PINK towel after my bath.  What is up with that?  I'm a BOY!  I don't do PINK!

Me:  Oh Boo-Boo....man up! Leave the toy box alone and enjoy the cozy pink towel!

Simon: (he scoffs)

Bound for Phx!

I think we are just about ready for our mini vacay to Phx.  We took our animal kingdom over to Brad's parents this evening.  Simon was quick to start exploring the backyard.  He crawls in, over, and under anything he comes across in their yard.  He's a nut!  Cody on the other hand uses the backyard for it's true purpose then heads back inside.  Storm was fast to jump on the counter setting herself right in front of the faucet.

After getting home it was time to turn our attention to packing.  It's always interesting to pack for a trip.  You want to make sure you get everything in, yet you don't want to over pack.  My biggest dilemma is usually how many pairs of shoes to pack.  Do I really need 2 different pairs of sandals for such a short visit?  Well I packed 2 pairs. 

I was laughing at myself earlier when I thought about the fact that I will leave our home dressed for winter.  However, soon after we arrive in the valley of the sun, I likely won't need my winter duds.  On a side note I can't believe how cool it's been here this week.  I've been wearing sweaters and it's now April!  When is Spring going to come and stay?  It's given us brief teasers but hasn't fully settled into Spring temps yet.  Although I kind of thought it would be like this since it took longer for winter temps to fully settle in as well.

The newlyweds will be bound for Phx soon!  

The Antics of Storm the Cat!

Oh it's fun having a cat-daughter.  Storm is the first cat I've truly been around.  I've had zero experience with a cat until Storm came along.  It's definitely different having a cat versus having dogs.

She talks with me more.  Meowing every time something is said to her.  She'll also ball you out with a super loud meow if she feels she needs to.  The loud meow she has reminds us of a lion's roar so we call her our little lioness from time to time.  The boys tilt their heads to understand what is being said but Storm meowing a response to things is fun to hear.

She likes water!  She has a serious obsession with water.  Water from the faucet is her fave. She also loves climbing on top of the fish tank and drinking it out of the tank.  One day she knocked the lid of the fish tank in the tank. The poor fish probably got the fright of their life as the lid came in on them.

One thing I've learned quickly is it's a little harder keeping her out of something or away from something than it is with the pugs.  The pugs can easily be blocked off with a pet gate.  Or if I need to take a toy/rawhide away from the boys I simply raise it up.  No raising things up with Storm.  She'll climb to get it.  She likes eating flowers...yes, I said she eats flowers.  We try hard to discourage it.  My in-laws brought me the most gorgeous arrangement in a vase one evening.  We put the vase of flowers on the highest bookshelf in our home.  We left the room at one point only to return to spot Storm up on the high shelf eating the flowers.  She instantly meowed loudly as she noticed us noticing her.  We didn't have to reprimand her much she knew right away she was committing a wrong.

She's a good cat with lots of personality!  I was quite used to her personality before we got married but I'm now getting fully used to living with a cat.  That's something about all our pets....they aren't short on personality.  There's not a dull one in the bunch! 

Where do we live?

As I was outside walking the boys I questioned where we live.  Dallas?  Seattle?  There are times each Spring when Dallas reminds me of Seattle. Numerous days in Seattle feature cloud cover and a misting rain.  They rarely have actual thunderstorms, just a slight misty rain that is constant all day long.  Today our weather featured plenty of misting rain then the skies opened up for a traditional Texas soaking.

It's kind of weird how the boys do not bark as much at a thunderstorm now that we live in a new place.  I'm not sure what that means. They give off one or two barks that's it.  We had the noisiest thunderstorm this past weekend in the middle of the night, not a peep out of the boys.  Could it be possible they feel more secure and settled now that we're a family of 5?  Who knows! Maybe they've seen how Storm reacts to thunderstorms and realizes it's no big deal.  She sleeps through most bad weather. 

Not only has it been raining the last couple days here but the temp started dropping yesterday.  It's going to be interesting traveling to Phx after experiencing a week where it feels like winter has returned to Dallas. Maybe we'll bring some rain with us. 

The Newlyweds Are Set to Visit Phx!

Yes, us newlyweds are going to be visiting Phoenix this coming weekend.  We decided a few weeks back that we could sneak in a mini vacation when Brad has a three day weekend.  Since he worked this past weekend he has this Friday off.   Therefore, we will be in Phx for a mini vacay.  We'll arrive on Friday.

One of my cousin's recently had a new addition join his family.  He asked when his daughter was born when Brad and I could visit AZ.  That's when we got the idea to make a short visit on one of our three day weekends.  Brad is currently saving vacation days for our "REAL" honeymoon to Europe this summer so that's why a short mini vacation to Phx is all we can sneak in at this point. 

We look forward to seeing everyone.  It is hard sometimes to fit in seeing all but we'll do our best.  My cousin Nick has already called dibs on Saturday night with us. I talked to my mom yesterday, I could have told her we were coming but isn't this more fun to read it on the blog? LOL!