Yeah, I'm Picky...

Recently, I went on a date.  Yep.  I hate dating.  Once a year or so, I have momentary amnesia about how awful it is, and try again.  This date was probably in the top 10 list of most infuriating dates that I've ever had...probably right behind the guy from the Peace Corps a couple years back.  I remember that I used to like dating in college...when it was easy to meet people...when there were dozens of guys in classes and hallways and buses and bars to choose from.  Where you could chat with someone in the lobby while you were skipping class without all the fuss of planning an actual date, so you could actually decide if it was even worth HAVING an actual date.  Now, I work...and work some more...and live by myself...in a town I'm unfamiliar with...and to be honest, I'm over it.  Not that it wouldn't be nice to have a guy around...it would be nice.  But I don't NEED to have a guy around...it just so happens that I'm pretty damn good at being single, so if the options are go on a million miserable first dates or stay home...at this point, I'm staying home.  Here's the other problem...I've been single for a full four years now...and I LIKE not having to bite my tongue about someone leaving their dirty dishes laying around.  I LIKE not having to ask before I make plans for the weekend.  I LIKE doing what I want to do when I want to do it, no questions asked.  I LIKE being as OCD as I want to at my apartment without getting an eye roll from anyone.  So yeah.  That said, I don't think my expectations are utterly unreasonable...and I feel like theoretically, the guy I'm looking for should exist, but who knows.  And now, I'm going to provide you with my non-negotiables, for entertainment's sake, and also so I can look back on this with some perspective someday and see if I really AM being a demanding lunatic ;)  lol.  Here goes:

1)   Must love dogs.  Yes, that's the name of a movie, but it's also one of my biggest dealbreakers.  I'm up to three little rescue monsters now, and I have significant time and money invested in their happiness.  If you don't like my dogs, we're going to have a problem.  If they don't like you, we're going to have a problem.  Such is life.

2) Must have their shit together.  I'm 31...it's fine to be a wreck when you're 22...I get it...but I'm not 22 anymore.  I have my shit together, and you need to have it together too.  There are probably a very few, highly unlikely scenarios that may earn you a get-out-of-jail-free card on the following list, but in general:  I do not want to date someone who is "trying to find" himself.  I do not want to date someone who lives with their parents.  I do not want to date a career student or someone who can't manage to hold down a steady job.  I do not want to date someone who doesn't have a car and/or cannot legally drive.  Seriously...get it together.

3) Must not have a victim mentality.  Bad stuff happens to everyone.  Nobody is singling you out.  How you handle the bad stuff is important to me.  If I hear one more "nice guys finish last" sob story, I swear it'll end with a punch in the face.  If you're unhappy where you are in life, with your circumstances, do something about it.  Take a class, get some counseling, apply for a new job, get a new hobby, whatever...don't just sit on your butt and complain about it, hoping it'll magically change without any effort on your part.  Nobody is going to help you if you don't help yourself first.

4) Must respect my career choice.  I work retail.  The hours suck sometimes...of this, I am well aware.  But you know what doesn't help?  Having a guy belittling my job and constantly complaining about me having to work on weekends.  This scenario is my trifecta of irritation.  First, you had to work on Tuesday when I was off, and I didn't complain about you going to work.  Second, unless you're planning on paying all of my bills, you don't get a say in whether or not I go to work (you don't get a say anyway, but DEFINITELY not when I'm paying my own way).  And third, and most importantly, I like my job...my job is important and I'm freaking good at it...so shut your trap!

5) Must NEVER use the word "allowed" in reference to something I may or may not be planning to do.  Oh.My.God.  This may be where years of singledom and not having to answer to anyone is working against me, but I swear...when I hear women say "I'm not allowed to go out without my boyfriend/husband," "I'm not allowed to cut my hair short," etc...I literally CANNOT suppress the cringe.  I can understand that some people are cool with this "allowed" concept...if that's your thing, more power to you.  However, in my case , there is absolutely no faster way to ensure that I WILL do something than to say I'm not allowed to do it.  Which is weird, because I'm very much a rule-follower...I'm very good at following rules...at work...in society...in pretty much all places that have the right to make rules for me.  You...my friend...do not have that right.  We can talk about it, we may reach a compromise, you may certainly voice your opinion and/or preference...but please do not use THAT word...ever.

6) Must be ethical and have a strong belief in personal responsibility.  That means no stealing office supplies from your work.  That means not wasting peoples' time by being chronically late.  That means doing it right the first time instead of taking the half-ass shortcut and hoping nobody notices.  In a round-about and old-fashioned way, that means if a bear comes after us in the woods, you should not be thinking of a strategy to outrun me.  That means, just because you can, doesn't mean you should.  And that means doing what you say you're going to do, when you say you're going to do it.  Period.

7) Must realize that in an age of cell phones and instant gratification, I expect a response to a call or text in a timely manner...that means the same day, folks.  I don't care if work was crazy.  I don't care if you're tired.  I don't care if your best bud from college dropped by unexpectedly.  A text takes 30 seconds.  If you can't set aside 30 seconds for me in an entire day, then we're going to have a problem. 

8) Must not smoke.  I don't like to smell like smoke.  I don't like my car to smell like smoke.  I don't like my things to smell like smoke.  I don't like to freeze my butt off in the car while you roll down the window to smoke.  I don't like to sit by myself at the table while you go outside to smoke.  If you want to bum a cigarette once in a while when you're out drinking, fine.  If you want to smoke a cigar with the boys while you're golfing, no problem.  But if you HAVE to buy a pack...if you're going to be crabby if you DON'T smoke...that's not gonna work for me. 

And that's it.  It's a pretty reasonable list, I think.  And even if it's not, it's my list...and it's not changing.  The grass is pretty green on the single side of life right now...I don't need to be jumping the fence unless it's ACTUALLY greener on the other side.  Man, I'm a pain in the butt, huh?  :)  Back to crafty stuff on the next post, friends...have a good one!

Weird Iowa...

It's funny how you don't notice regional things until you move somewhere else.  Take, for example, the use of the word "sack" here in Iowa.  The word is used here in place of the word "bag".  Unfortunately, six months after moving here, it still makes me want to giggle and/or cringe (depending on who is saying it) almost every time I hear it.  In Illinois, the only time I really recall anyone using the word sack, it either involved getting some action or a potential anatomy lesson, if you know what I mean (or way back in the 90's when hacky sack was a thing, I guess).  Sack.  Pshhh.  How silly. 

That's just a funny little quirk though.  Much of the bizarre behavior I've noticed from the state of Iowa revolves largely around winter and/or snow removal.  Most notably, they don't seem to believe in snow removal here.  I lived in Illinois for 30 years, and I'm pretty sure I haven't owned a pair of boots since about 8th grade...I really didn't need them...by the time people were going to work in Illinois, roads and sidewalks were clear (I know...novel idea, right?).  And if they weren't clear right away in the morning, it was because we got a foot of snow overnight, and things are opening late or not at all for the day. 

You may wonder why on earth I'm bringing up snow in May.  Well, allow me to enlighten you.  It snowed here in Des Moines this past week...for two whole days...in May (only 2 inches, but still...ick).  Completely uncalled for, if you ask me, but alas...mother nature did NOT ask me.  So anyway, this particular snowfall has led to my greatest revelation yet of bizarre Iowa-isms.  All winter long, when I was driving back and forth from Illinois, I wondered why the HECK people (who have run off the road) here leave their cars in the ditch for days and days.  Dozens upon dozens of them were strewn all over the ditches along I-80 every time it snowed, and stayed there for a ridiculously long time. There were semis flipped over in the ditch for literally a week after one of those snowfalls over the winter.  A WEEK.  That's a lot of lost money.  Anyway, I guess I decided maybe people in Iowa are just waaaaay more laid back than people in Illinois or something...whatever.  So, during the snowfall this past week, a gal who is from here explained that when it's snowy and road conditions aren't great (like during our whopping two inches of snow last week), they issue a STATEWIDE towing ban.  Like...you are not ALLOWED to get your car out of the ditch...apparently, it impedes on traffic.  To which I have two things to say:

1) If you think there's a single place in Iowa that constitutes using the word "traffic," you have obviously never seen traffic.
2) WHAT?!?  What kind of ridiculous, insane regulation is THAT?!?  No freaking wonder this state shuts down when we get 4 inches of snow...nobody wants to leave the house, because they don't want to accidentally wind up stuck in a ditch and be stranded without a car for a week!

In conclusion, Iowa is weird, and I need to get some sleep so I can be at work early in the morning.  I feel much better now that I have that rant off my chest though...I've been saving it up since I made this discovery on Friday, because I haven't had time to get to a computer since then.  lol :)  Goodnight all...more soon!

It's Playlist Time...

Ah yes, the season has changed, and it's time for a new driving playlist...here's the rundown!

1) Madness - Muse
2) We Come Running - Youngblood Hawke
3) Six Degrees of Separation - The Script
4) Lego House - Ed Sheeran
5) Just Give Me a Reason - Pink (feat. Nate Ruess)
6) Daylight - Maroon 5
7) Restless Heart - Matt Hires
8) Grace Kelly - MIKA
9) She Got the Honey - Mat Kearney
10) Best Day of Your Life - Katie Herzig
11) Change - Churchill
12) When I Was Your Man - Bruno Mars
13) Just a Fool - Christina Aguilera & Blake Shelton
14) Devil's Been Talkin' - NEEDTOBREATHE
15) Lessons in Love - Neon Trees (feat. Kaskade)

Enjoy :)

The Big Move...

Yeah, so it may seem like I gave up on this blog.  That's not actually true though, so hooray for that, right?  :)  In actuality, I literally haven't made any new food since the last menu plan.  And on top of that, that last menu plan was made three weeks later than planned...in Iowa...because I moved!  So yeah, the last two months have been crazy.  There's really not a less convenient time to move than the weekend after Thanksgiving.  You end up right smack dab in the middle of family time, Christmas chaos, and oh yeah...I work in retail too...so not a great time for taking off a week or two to move.  Sooooo...I took off 5 days.  Yep.  5.  To move 7 hours away to Iowa.  And let me tell you, by the end of that 5 days, all boxes were unpacked, pictures on the walls, groceries in the fridge, and furniture delivery was scheduled for the new couch, AND the new bed (because I now have a SECOND bedroom...that's right folks...you know you're movin' up in the world when your guests don't have to sleep on an air mattress in the livingroom anymore!).  Why on earth would all of that be done in five days, you ask?  Because I'm just that crazy.  It took a week and change to pack (because I actually PACKED this time...like, put stuff in boxes...with bubble wrap and everything.  I know, right?  Normally, I'm throwing shit in laundry baskets and garbage bags the day before I leave).  And let me say, I literally cannot focus on my day-to-day life when all of my worldly possessions are in a pile of cardboard in my diningroom.  So it was priority number one to not start my new job (actually, the same job I already had...just 7 hours away from where I had it before) before that cardboard nightmare was eradicated.  So yeah.  Unpacked.  The saving grace for this move was...drumroll please...I hired MOVERS to load and unload on either end of the move.  It was a-ma-zing.  I'm never carrying my (excessive amount of) shit by myself again!  I drove the UHaul myself, which was pretty miserable, but we made it (Note to self:  Get a boyfriend before you move again, so he can drive the UHaul). 

Anyway, so yeah...I live in Des Moines now, which is actually pretty great, if you ask me.  It's sort of weird...it's like a real city, with tons of stuff to do, BUT it's also sort of country.  People like, say hello and hold the door for you instead of avoiding eye contact and thinking you're a suspicious character for waving at them.  There's a mansion of a house right in the middle of everything...that constantly has a tractor sitting in the driveway!  That's what you get when you move out of Chicagoland, I guess.  As a girl who's from a farm just outside of the middle of nowhere (I know it's hard to believe with how anti-outdoorsy I am, but it's true), I can appreciate that.  I'm from the land of waving at strangers you meet on the highway on your way to work...and subsequently wondering what their problem is if they don't wave back.  Yeah.  So Chicagoland was a bit of a disconnect for me.  I obviously made great friends there and loved my apartment there and it was a great experience and I will DEFINITELY be going back to visit.  However, Des Moines just feels more like...home, I guess.  Oh yeah, AND it's a college town, so there's actually young people here and nightlife (ha...like I'm part of nightlife anymore!), which is cool.

Soooo...it's been crazy, but things are finally all settling in.  Cooking begins again today...I apologize that I'm only making one new recipe.  I literally have not had time to browse Pinterest for new recipes and figure out calorie counts and all that nonsense.  So...one newbie, and the rest of the plan will be old favorites.  NEXT month, my intent is to get back more newness.  No promises though.  I've got a lot going on here, people!  lol :)  Anyway, that's all for now!  Hooray Iowa!  Recipe plan coming shortly...  :)

I Love the Internet...

I love the internet.  I'd say at least twice a day, I thank my lucky stars that it exists.  Besides the excessive amount of Googling I do, there's also Facebook, Pinterest, and a whole host of other social networking sites that I look to for inspiration, creativity, and communicating with people who I don't often get a chance to see due to scheduling and/or distance.  I do a lot of online shopping around the holidays too, because as someone who works retail, my patience with the holiday insanity wears thin pretty quickly if I don't.

So anyway, on to the point of this "I love the internet" rant:  I ordered my groceries from Peapod.com for the first time ever this week.  If you know me, you know that I positively DESPISE grocery shopping (which, incidentally, was part of the incentive in my once a month cooking escapades to begin with).  All other forms of shopping I pretty much love...grocery shopping is like hell on earth for me though.  Sooooo, after talking to a friend of mine who's husband delivers for Peapod, I decided to just do it.

So I typed up my list in the little quick list thing and clicked through to select the items I wanted from the list, all of which took about...15 minutes.  I selected sale items when I could, and after I totalled everything up, I realized it pretty much costs exactly the same as my normal in-store grocery shopping, if not a little less.  I set my delivery time for 8pm-10pm, they texted me about 10-15 minutes before they got here, and when my groceries arrived, they were brought right to my door and unloaded in the kitchen in the span of about 6 minutes.  I gave the delivery guy a $20 tip (it says tipping is optional on the website, but personally, when people deliver stuff to my house because I'm too lazy to go get it myself, I think they deserve a good tip). 

Anyway, it was AWESOME...all in all, including the time to unpack and put groceries away, it was about a 30 minute time investment, as opposed to the normal 2-2 1/2 hours.  The produce and everything looks even better than what I usually buy at the store.  PLUS, even AFTER the tip, I came in $25 under my normal monthly budget.  Winner!  Yep, love the internet.  :)

Two Kinds of People...

First, I'd like to say my blog has been woefully neglected.  Second, I'd like to say I'm making no promises to do better anytime soon...I'm BUSY!  Work, Christmas gifts, holiday cards, and now I'm working on getting my own jewelry making business started...so yeah...you see my dilemma.  However, I'm feeling inspired today, as the particular topic of this post has played a theme in at least a half a dozen of my conversations in the last week.

I think most people would prefer to avoid wasting time AND money.  However, in all practical terms, you're bound to waste at least one of the two.  The question is, which camp do you fall into?  People who would rather waste time than money?  Or people who would rather waste money than time? 

I fall solidly into the "rather waste money than time" camp.  And yes, it probably makes me come across as a total bitch sometimes.  But I can't help it!  My time is valuable...I fill it up with things that make me happy, that make me feel like I'm accomplishing things, that make me feel like I'm making a connection with friends and family. 

I DO NOT have time to be digging through clearance bins to save $3...I'll spend the extra so I can be on my way and off to doing something I actually LIKE to do.  I DO NOT have time to look through dozens of circulars, clipping coupons, filing them, and remembering to use them appropriately in 17 transactions at the grocery store!  I DO NOT have time to wait in line for an hour to check-out at the sale of the century (in fact, I've been known to get to the front with my purchases, realize there's a huge line, and then decide I don't need any of it that much, and just walk out).  I certainly DO NOT have time to learn how to change the oil in my car or to do minor car repairs to save a few bucks.  In fact, the only reason I learned how to change a tire, is because it takes too long to get somebody from AAA out to change it for me...I don't have that kinda time!  I also DO NOT have time to argue about things that don't matter.  I DO NOT have time to make excuses for people who constantly cancel plans or show up hours late. I DO NOT have time and energy to invest in people who refuse to invest time and energy in themselves.   And over the years, I've discovered that I DO NOT have time to chase people down who claim to be friends, but don't invest THEIR time building the friendship. 

On the other hand, I DO have time to text or call people back within 24 hours of when they call or text me.  I DO have time to find the perfect gift...or to make something personalized to show how much I care.  I DO have time to make cards to send out so the people I care about know I'm thinking about them.  I DO have time to stay up too late to see friends, or karaoke, or have a much needed phone conversation.  I DO have time to make a three hour drive, stay for an hour, and then drive back so I can be at work in the morning, if it means making someone feel better after a horrible day.  I DO have time to be on call 24/7 for work, so I know things are running smoothly and my people feel supported.  I DO have time to plan something special when my family visits, even though I know I don't have to.  And I DO have time to do the things that make me happy, even if it means being short on sleep sometimes. 

I think it's just about making your time "Quality Time."  After all, money is just money.  You're never going to have enough of it anyway.  You can't take it with you when you go.  Do what makes you happy!  And if money IS what makes you happy...then by all means, spend all day clipping coupons, and hunting down the latest, greatest sale.  Just don't be surprised when I totally don't get it.  And for the love of God , please don't try to bring me along...I'd rather pay you the $50 you might save, so you can just pick it up off the neatly organized, non-clearance rack and we can be on our way to do something I might actually enjoy :) 

A Few Things...

Yes, I'm still being horrible about posting on my blog.  No this isn't going to be a real post.  I just wanted to get a few things off my chest.  Here goes:

1) I really want to like The Glee Project, but I just can't.  Those kids are so damn unlikable. 

2) I a-dore Ryan Reynolds, but seriously?  Green Lantern?  What the hell?  I could not be less interested.

3) The Voice has really made me dislike Blake Shelton, which is disappointing. 

4) I'm completely stuck on watching whole marathons of Top Model lately.  How embararssing.

5) I've been sitting here for 15 minutes trying to think of one more thing, because it would irritate me to no end to have a list of 4 instead of 5.  OCD what?

And that's all for this evening...apologies for the crankiness :)

Oh, I'm Roaring...

I'm having an "I am woman, hear me roar" kind of week.  And I've gotta say, as much as it goes against my laid back nature, it's feeling pretty good.  Monday morning, TCF Bank tossed me the straw that broke the camel's back.  I went in to do our deposit and get change only to find that they don't have any quarters.  Now, being a bank, one would assume they would have quarters.  However, that's not even the worst part of this scenario.  When I asked when they WOULD have quarters, the lady informed me that they wouldn't have any until Thursday.  Thursday.  Yes, I said it.  THURSDAY.  WHAT?!?  You're a freaking BANK for god's sake.  Do you not have other businesses that bank here?  Do people not need quarters for laundry and tolls?  And you're telling me like it's no big deal...NO BIG DEAL.  Somebody should be getting FIRED for that crap!  Sooooooo...anyway, I pretty much yelled all that right at the girl (with people in line behind me), because I've had more than enough TCF ridiculousness for a lifetime.  Anyone that knows me knows it takes a lot to get me mad enough to yell...like...seriously mad.  You've really got to be trying.  And once you get me mad, I'm even more mad that you had the nerve to go there.  So anyway, after storming out, I proceeded to plead my case to home office yet again, where I finally started getting some traction...and then I called and yelled at the bank some more till they gave me the regional manager's phone number.  (All of this EXTREMELY unlike me.)  And then I called and yelled at him too.  Sooooo...yeah...all that yelling that is very un-Megan-like turned out to be a great stress reliever.  It was like I just flipped off every jerk tailgating me for the last six months in one fell swoop.  And THEN, I came home and quit my part-time grading job.  Woot!  Between being short-staffed at work, me being sick, Millie being sick, etc., etc. the extra 20 hours a week of grading was almost killing me.  But I felt like I had made a commitment and I should stick to it.  But after my little outburst at the bank, I decided it was time to just think about what I WANT for a little while instead of what I SHOULD do, or what other people want me to do (also, very unlike me).  So I quit!  And I feel better already...no more crushing guilt over not spending every waking minute that I'm not already at my full-time job, working at my part-time job.  So following all that madness, I spent a lovely day today...slept in, got a massage, went shopping, cleaned my apartment spotless, cooked some meals, and did some crafting (forgot to take a pic before it made it into the envelope though...brain fart!).  All guilt-free...what a lovely concept...spending my one day a week off of work actually NOT WORKING.  Who knew it could be so liberating?!?  *sigh*  So here's to taking care of business, blowing off some steam, taking some time for me and getting in some well-deserved relaxation time.  Back to work tomorrow!  Goodnight!  :)

Smile Like You Mean It...

As anyone who knows me is aware, I'm obsessed with music.  I was a music major for a couple of years, and looking back at it, I sometimes wonder if I went with that subconsciously so I would have a "valid" excuse for all the music I bought.  Anyway, I often identify songs with particular people or events in my life, and sometimes I find it easier to express myself through a song than in my own words (Glee's got it right on that one).  So anyway, I was in the midst of making a happy little play list for car rides and whatnot, and decided to post a few songs that always make me smile no matter what else is going on in my life...

1) Great Day to Be Alive by Travis Tritt
2) Doesn't Remind Me by Audioslave
3) Say It Ain't So by Weezer
4) Vegetable Car by Joshua Radin
5) I Gotta Feelin' by Black Eyed Peas
6) Hey, Soul Sister by Train
7) She Hates Me by Puddle of Mudd
8) Don't Stop Believin' by Journey
9) Big Time by Big & Rich
10) King of Everything by Sara Bareilles

And that's all for now :)  Have a great day!

It's the Thought that Counts...

These are the flowers I bought myself for Valentine's Day (otherwise known as Remind-The-Singles-That-They're-Still-Single Day...as if we had forgotten):

As I was standing in line at Jewel after having picked out this bouquet, I noticed the hordes of men indiscriminately grabbing whatever neon-tinted wildflower bouquet was on sale for $6 directly in front of the register and running out the door.  I heard one guy casually explaining away his sad and battered looking bouquet with an "It's the thought that counts..."  And I thought...EXACTLY...and you didn't bother to think about it AT ALL! 

I'm not saying I'm looking for a $50 bouquet of roses...I spent less than half of that on these, and these are probably nicer than any flowers I've gotten from any of the guys I've dated (a disappointment for another blog post entirely).  I'm saying, if you're going to pick up the $6 neon-crap-thrown-together-for-cheap bouquet, just cuz you're too lazy to take a two minute walk to the other side of the store to find a decent one...or because you're too cheap...just freakin' SKIP IT.  Make your girl dinner...or buy a $2 card, and actually bother to WRITE something heartfelt in it...or clean the kitchen spotless before she gets home and give her a backrub for pete's sake! 

Talk about making someone feel like an afterthought..."Here, these are for you...I got them for less than I spent on my pack of cigarettes...but only cuz they were already there at the counter...love ya!" Yeah...it's the thought that counts...I totally agree.  But for the love of god, please remember that means you actually have to THINK about it.  *sigh*  Men...Valentine's Day...blech...I'm off to have my Ferrero Rocher chocolate and make myself a moderately labor intensive dinner.  And then maybe having a nightcap with The Captain...we'll see.  G'night!

An Indoor Kinda Gal...

So, one week ago today, in a blatant act of insanity tied to unseasonably warm weather, I opened the windows of my apartment for nearly an entire day...for exactly the third time since I moved here a year and a half ago...and the first time was just to get the couch in through the window.  I am still wondering what on earth I was thinking, as I get home from work every day to walk into my apartment and enjoy a prompt and violent allergy attack.  When will these miserable allergens filter out of my house again?!?  Blech. 

I am not an outdoorsy girl...at all.  Aside from the fact that I'm incredibly Irish and sunburn in about 10 minutes, I don't particularly like it when it's too hot, too cold, wet, dirty, buggy, windy, etc, etc, and the fact that I'm astonishingly clumsy (which seems to be a bigger issue for outdoor activities than indoor ones)...I'm also allergic to practically everything under the sun.  Dust, mold, pollen, ragweed, carpet, cats, a wide variety of flowers...you name it, I need a Zyrtec for it.  You say let's go visit the flower gardens at the Bellagio in Vegas, and I say, "What, are you trying to kill me?"  I spent almost a week in a hotel room in Virginia with allergy meds and an inhaler, wheezing and gasping for air, and wondering why the hell we needed to go on a family vacation to Williamsburg with all their damn beautiful gardens.  Hell, I spent the better part of my youth drinking juice boxes, because I was allergic to milk...MILK for pete's sake!  Miserable.  And while I love my Zyrtec and adore Visine for allergies, they can really only do so much.  At some point, there's some sort of diminishing returns thing that happens, and I'm a lost cause for the rest of the day.

This summer, in a similar moment of memory-lapse, I decided to be a good pet parent and take Lucy outside to hang out for a while.  I brought a book out, sat down in the grass with her...and she promptly had an allergy attack...and then so did I.  lol :)  It's good that my dogs share the same weird quirks as me.  So now we all remember to go outside and then come right the hell back in to our temperature-controlled, mostly allergen-free (except when I lose my mind and open the windows) apartment, where we can all be happy without sneezing or watery eyes. 

So yeah...I'm that girl who doesn't like to go outside if she doesn't have to.  And I'm unapologetic about it.  And most people who have witnessed me in the middle of one of my debilitating allergy attacks understand why.  I'll do the laundry.  The house will be spotless.  There will be a five course gourmet meal on the table promptly at six every night.  Just please, oh please...don't ever ask me to do yard work.  lol :)

That's all for tonight!