Robert the Neighbor

So it's really not a secret that Shawn and I have raised two of the most spoiled, co-dependent pups on the planet. Oscar is happiest when he's lying down by your side or even better: in your lap. He's a lap dog after all. A 20-pound-sheds-like-a-buffalo lap dog. :-)

When we brought Winston home I was out of work and therefore with him EVERY DAY. I would leave for a few hours at a time but he stayed in his crate. When I went back to work he went to "school" and made friends with Bella the St. Bernard and Gunnar the German Shepard. It was there that he learned the best thing to do while cooped up in a run in between play times was to bark. LOUDLY. LOUDER THAN THAT DOGANDTHATDOGANDTHATDOG UNTIL THEY LET ME OUT!

Well now that we've moved to the other side of the freeway we've built him a beautiful run and has to be on his own for 10 hours a day. Sometimes longer. I knew he barked and whined but figured he'd just grow out of it and get used to some alone time.

Last Friday as I was running all over the house getting ready to leave for the Sharks game work I heard a knock at the front door.

Cares: (looking confused thinking WHO is HERE?) Uhhh who's there?
Robert the neighbor: You're NEIGHBOR
Cares: (opening the door thinking OH CRAP) Hi!
Robert the neighbor: Hi there.I'm Robert I live next door. Hey nice Sharks Jersey, they better win today! So you're renting Louann's place? Wow I bet her boy must be up to here now.
Cares: Hi Robert, I'm Caroline. Oh, yeah my husband Shawn and I are renting from Louann, you know her pretty well then?
Robert the neighbor: Oh YES. I mean I helped her with all that yard back there. Is she still in Sacramento? Yeah I bet that boy of hers is so tall now. Sheesh.
Cares: Ummm well I didn't know she had a son, but I believe she's in Santa Cruz now. At least that's where our checks are going.
Robert the neighbor: Hmm. Well you know that dog of yours sure barks a lot....
Cares: Yeah...I'm so sorry he's not quite used to being all alone and we're working on getting him trained...
Robert the neighbor: ...Oh no, no, no I mean I was just talking to Mike across the street over there who was saying...now what was he saying again...oh something like 'well the poor pup is probably just lonely y'know'. I  mean I hear him at 7 in the morning when you let him out and I'm already up I get up at 5 but I can hear him.
Cares: (thinking she's pretty sure that's NOT what Mike the other neighbor was saying) Wow, well I'll make sure we're much more careful about it and if it gets worse let us know and we'll figure something out.
Robert the neighbor: Oh no no no, y'know I just got divorced...
Cares:....oh I'm so very sorry to hear that
Robert the neighbor:Oh NO! It's GREAT! I mean we're great friends I just bought her a house in fact. No it's great..I've been on 4 dates...coffee dates NOT dinner dates oh no I'm not ready for that yet. Gotta keep it light. Yeah in fact (chuckles) I had emailed this woman I met on one of those crazy online places...a psychiatrist...gotta be careful with those ones...and apparently she responded but I didn't get it for a few days...you know how these computer things work...who has the time all day? Anyway I called her after I finally got it and man she let me have it. Gotta watch out for those psyche people. Jeesh. Guess that was a good sign, not to take her out, huh? Yeah so if you know any single women...well I'll let you go..just wanted to introduce myself.
Cares: Oh, well great. It's so nice to meet you Robert.
Robert the neighbor: Yeah, you and your husband can come up anytime. We'll have a beer and some BBQ. It'd be great to have you guys. Well good luck to those Sharks!
Cares:(Shutting the door)Okay see you soon!
(looking at Oscar) BLINK BLINK BLINK
WHAT THE EFF JUST HAPPENED OSCAR? 

I ended up putting Winston in the garage that day just in case. Shawn bought the bark collar on his way home that night.

We haven't taken Robert the neighbor up on his offer to have beers and many more stories yet, but I will for the sake of this blog and the comedy that I'm sure will follow. All for the writing my friends.

Is This Thing On?

Yeah, yeah, yeah  I get it. I know. My posts are sporadic.

My fun friend and Pilates trainer/Drill Sergent Jenn said it best by calling this weather Bi-Polar. She's right. Two weeks ago I was spending my lunch hours getting a tan as I ran up and down SV Blvd. It was GORGEOUS. Then it rained. Then it rained some more. Then it HAILED. Not only did it hail, but it hailed mini versions of Winston.

Blink
Blink
Blink

I'm not kidding. I haven't seen hail like that in my life. Both dogs thought we were under attack and took turns barking at their loudest levels at opposite ends of the house. One would run north the other south making sure EVERYONE within a 45 mile radius would know that SOMETHING WAS REALLY WRONG AND LET ME AT 'EM!

This is the same barking that takes place anytime Oscar sees an animal/cartoon/Pablo Sandoval on the television. We'll never break him of that habit, especially since most of the time I laugh and egg him on. Poor guy. I wonder if it torments him. I mean how would you feel if you saw something you just KNEW needed your attention and you just.couldn't.get.it.

Wow that was a fun digression. :-)

I've got a trip to the City coming up with Jules. She's taking me to see Wicked and we are staying the night. I'm so excited that every time I think about it I squeal a little bit.

If you couldn't yet tell by this post, I took full advantage of the free coffee Starbucks is doling out when you bring in your own mug. I don't regularly drink coffee and so when I do I turn into a kid who's had too much sugar and has more energy than ever before and has no way to let it out but by acting like a complete and utter lunatic and justcan'tsitstill. I'm not kidding, my right foot hasn't stopped tapping and I finished my coffee hours ago. I've already written 4 reports, had a successful 1:1 with my boss, (success = no signs of an HR rep and termination package) ate lunch, responded to emails, and finished this post. I'm not looking forward to that crash and burn later this afternoon. ;-)

Hope your Thursday is as productive as mine's been!

-Cares

Taking a Compliment

Have you ever noticed that women have the hardest time taking a compliment? It may sound like a really bad generalization or stereotype, but in my experiences it's so true.

Instead of thanking someone for a compliment on our outfit we have to go into this long sordid explanation defending why we wore it, where we got it and how much it cost.

I was getting ready this morning and decided to throw my hair up instead of wash and dry it saving me about 20 minutes. I got to work, greeted my friends and received

"Oooh hi Caroline, I really like your hair like that. It looks good."

I immediately wanted to explain why I had it up and the fact that it was a last minute decision to not wash it...chitter chat chitter chat...As this was going on in my mind I somehow simply said "Hey Thanks" as I kept walking. I couldn't believe I didn't stop and give her a 20 minute dissertation on the matter.

Lesson of the day: When you get a compliment, just say thanks and rock the ish out of it!

P.S. DO NOT tell Charla that I just said "ish" she hates it. 

P.S. The above image comes from Dooce's website. Enjoy!

A few things

I don't have much to report on, but a few fun things have been happening in our world.

1. We've FINALLY got the garage semi-organized. The fact that I can even say we have a garage makes me smile.

2. The dogs are slowly getting used to the new place, though Winston has forgotten his manners and has relieved himself twice in the house. BAD DOG! We're resorting to taking him out every 30 minutes when we're home.

3. A big of Angleson history has surfaced. My second cousin Carlie (Named for the same Caroline Cramer Angleson as I was) found me on facebook. She is my Great Aunt Fifi's daughter. Apparently I met Aunt Fifi in Ventura when I was a wee thing but found it very flattering that out of all the Anglesons on Facebook she asked me if I was part of the Jack and Betty Jane family. I don't suppose it has ANYTHING to do with the fact that we share a name...C'mon that's just TOO obvious. ;-)
It turns out there's also a bit of Angleson drama that stems from oh so long ago ending with the my Great Grandfather Leon cutting Aunt Fifi out of his will. This led to a family estrangement of sorts which is why I've never met my second cousin or her family. Of course I will investigate and hopefully come back with many details.

4. March Madness has me in 2nd place with my Duke pick. If they win this weekend, I could take it all home. So jump on those Duke bandwagons; momma needs a new patio set!

5. I've been running during my lunch hour at work. I'm up to just over 2 miles. Yesterday was my best day yet: I made it all the way up and back and as I was waiting for the light to change to make my way back up the driveway to our building it began pouring. It felt awesome to finish my run it the rain.

6. I'm confessing that I'm super duper nervous to be turning 33. I don't know why this number has me rattled, but it sure does.

Girly Girl Things and ESP

My Mom and My Aunt Dory have ESP that has been passed down to me and my cousin Jules. Some call it Divine Intervention. Whatever. It's a connection of the minds on a parallel level and I love it.

Last week I was heading out to visit Angie's new home and picked up a card and flowers for her because well all girly girls like cards and flowers when you move into your very own place for the first time. Think Holly Golightly if  you will. Anywho I saw a card that I HAD to get and mail to Jules.

I'm always begging, pleading, bribing Jules to come move to Surf City because, well because I'm there and she has to live by the real Ocean not a Bay known for crazy Birds.

Blink
Blink

Don't get the reference? Well chew on it a bit and think hard about where Jules lives. I'll give you a hint: There's a bay nearby that was once overtaken by birds. Mean birds. Whether these said birds are fictional or real is up to you to google. ;-)

Anyhow, I filled something in about how much I want her to move to Surf City and mailed it off on its merry little way. Honestly, I had even forgotten I mailed it until today.

I open my facebook account to see that Jules has posted something to my wall:

KNOCK IT OFFFFFFFF!!!!!! I have had this EXACT card in my card drawer for like.... AT LEAST a year (I'm just like my mother when it comes to mailing cards). And the day you asked me for my address, I thought, I should really get that card out to her. ALSO Your card came in the mail the same day our Wicked tickets did. ...AS SOON as I opened the envelope I said "NUH-UH!" The only reason I'm not texting this to you right this second (trust me, it's taking serious restraint) is that I promised I would never late-night text you again (unless of course, it's a shennans weekend that you have to be vicariously involved in). Oh, I love us. LOVE US!

See?! I told you. Divine Intervention...ESP...Coincidence whatever. Things trigger us on a different level sometimes. Hope this makes you stop and think of the other half of you that will sometimes dial your number the very same moment you pick up your phone to do the same.

March Madness

I have to admit that I think college basketball March Madness is my favorite sport. I love it. I love agonizing over my picks, determining upsets and rallying behind teams I've 
a) never heard of   
2. will never follow on a regular basis.

I love that March Madness truly is mad. So far I've got more red lines than green in my bracket because of all the upsets, but I don't even care! I'm really wishing I had taken the day off to watch games all day long. Gone are the days of having a television in my cube so I wouldn't be interrupted with my pesky work. Next year I'm planning a hooky day and getting as many friends together for a full weekend of this madness. Who's with me?!

I'm also stoked that the only plans I've made for this weekend is to organize the bedrooms. This means that I can watch the games all weekend long!

Good luck to you if you are in a bracket, and if  you aren't, I highly suggest it. It's uh-mazing.

P.S. Did you really think I wasn't going to make a comment about having a television in my cube?!! Yeah, that's when I worked for TiVo and had to troubleshoot for articles I wrote. It's also the year my favorite Basketball coach took his team to the NCAA tournament and I got to watch him live! Ahhh days gone by...

Spring has sprung into a bit of misery...

Spring is here! Some might exclaim this after a weekend filled with sunshine, chirping birds and glorious blossoms. Not I. As a kid I was hampered with Spring allergies. I was also a kid who spent nearly every day out on a grassy, dusty pollen-ridden softball field. Spring is not my friend. Though I love this season since it brings so much metaphorical and physical rebirth I have always had a love hate relationship with the season.

Ever since I moved to Surf City, my allergies have subsided a bit. Until I moved to the OTHER side of the freeway. The one without a beach. The one where you can't hop on your cruiser to check out the waves. The one where Oscar has to be watched like a hawk or else one will gobble his tasty little pug body right up. No over here, my allergies hit me...hard. I was immediately thrown back to my traveling softball days. Anytime we had to go to Livermore or some god-forsaken town in the Central Valley I had to remember to pack what felt like a lifetime supply of Allegra, tissues and the red hanky my dad once gave me in a fit of sneezes.

Anyhow, it was an indeed a great weekend aside from the itchy eyes, sneezy nose and scratchy throat. We managed to move our 1300 sq. ft. condo into our massive new home on the other side of the freeway with little incident.

When you ask where I'll be for the next year or so, I'll tell you that I'm at home entertaining myself. After the shopping experience we had at Costco this weekend I'll have enough to sustain us for the entire Spring season! Come VISIT!!!

xxoo

Full Moon?

I've heard of animals acting nuts during a full moon or just before an earthquake so brace yourselves friends because the moon won't be full for another 2 weeks or so.

If you know Oscar, then you also know that he likes to spin madly in circles just before you feed him, let him outside, or put on his leash. He's conditioned to know that when we turn the television off, he goes outside and then to bed. Last night I turned the television off and he sprung into action. Except this time he spun so fast he lost control and actually fell down.

I looked up at Shawn and we began to laugh uncontrollably. He was fine of course, and even un-phased by his fall and carried on as if nothing happened. He seemed confused by our raucous laughter wondering what was taking us so long to let him out. He was spinning after all, isn't this how he expresses his need to get out?

Oscar spins all the time, everyday in fact, he's just never spun so hard he's fallen. What a nutty little pug!

The next morning I woke up to the disapproving sound of Shawn's voice downstairs:

"WHAT IS THIS? NO!"

I had no idea what Winston could have gotten into, everything in the living room had been packed for our big move. I got my self out of bed to find out what the commotion was all about. Shawn was smiling, amused by Winston's latest shenanigans and just pointed to the ground.

Blink
Blink

When I was finally able to put a string of words together it was of  course silver lining: "Well, we won't be able to use our TiVo at the new place anyway, way to go Winston. You found a new way to discard anything we don't need."

You can call my dog many things, but you can NOT call him a pack rat.I wonder if the shock from the AA batteries did any damage to his brain. Stay tuned...or not if you are like us and no longer have a remote. :-) (Cue drumline)

New Digs

Shawn and I are slowly moving out of our condo and into our new place. This past weekend called for rain but it turned out to be the most beautiful moving weather.

The guest room is completely moved except for the mattresses. We'll move all of the big items this coming weekend with the help of BC and a U-Haul.

In addition to the acreage, we'll have to furnish a "sitting room" by the wood burning stove and a sofa bed for the office/second guest room. Sounds fun, but the budget is tighter than Oscar's "I AM the grandchild" shirt we tried on Winston. On my way into work Monday morning I stopped to let my co-worker and regular lunch date cross the street. I said something full of sass and wit to which she turned, smiled and asked...er shouted "HEY DO YOU WANT OUR POTTERY BARN LOVE SEAT?!" I've obviously over-shared all the goings on with the move, but how perfect is the timing? She even has a truck and has offered to bring it to us. What a great way to start a Monday.

Our new sitting room only needs one more chair, a coffee table and a couple lamps. I love to find a great sale and thought, "well if it's a PB couch, maybe I can check out their sale website". I thought I scored when I saw that they had lampshades on clearance for $15.99. When I went to click on the lamps under the "You also may like" section. I about lost my mind. The lamp, ONE lamp sells for $105.

Blink
Blink

HAHAHHAHAHAHA Don't ever Pottery Barn! Craigslist here I come!