Christmas Prep

Today has been a day of Christmas prep.  We got the decoration box out of our storage unit and started putting things up.  We have our Christmas swag out, (instead of a tree, we have a swag) fluffed and hung and we have out stockings hung.  I haven't finished Deebo's stocking yet so as you'll see in the picture the small stocking holder is empty.  I'll get it done on time though.  Since it is Deebo's first Christmas with us we are going a bit slower with hanging ornaments on the swag.  We want to make sure he doesn't pull it down while we're gone.  I'm sure it's fine but it's better to not throw too many temptations at him at one time. 

We also took our annual family picture.  It was a lot of fun since we just got a new camera.  It makes a lot of beeps before it takes the pictures which made it easier for Deebo to know where to look.  I love the holiday season and am so excited to spend time with family and friends. 

Scandinavian Design

I have a very specific design preference and have for a long time. I didn't know exactly what it was called until about three years ago when I entered Ikea. I love Scandinavian Design. It is clean and simple and doesn't involve a lot of layers to look good. I know some people feel it is a bit cold, but I think it feels comfortable. Maybe that is because I feel anxiety and an inability to breathe properly when I am overwhelmed by clutter. My favorite stores to window shop are Dania, The Scandinavian Design Center, The Sweden Shop, and The Danish Design Store. I can't afford anything from these shops yet but someday I will. For now, Ikea all the way.

Scandinavian design has a very modern feel. When we went to Sweden and Denmark last summer we went to the design history museums in both countries. It was fantastic to see how Scandinavian design has changed in the last 400-500 years. There was a large Chinese influence in the first few hundred years and then they started moving towards what they are now. It was also fun to see people in Sweden taking boxes from Ikea onto the train.

I think Jason enjoys Scandinavian design as much as I do. He appreciates the clean feeling and currently loves the economical aspect of it. He also has specific design preferences that I don't agree with, but go along with for now. He doesn't like rugs, curtains or throws. I would love to get a white shaggy rug for our living room but I just can't convince Jason that it would make the room seem larger and a little softer. I also don't understand his distaste for curtains. I thought maybe it was the type of curtains he is used to seeing, but after showing him a bunch of modern options I concluded it was just curtains in general. Thankfully he isn't averse to window coverings in general. I do enjoy wood blinds and am willing to compromise on that one. And throws are also another thing I don't care that much about.

I think the hardest part about loving Scandinavian design will come when we have kids. There are a lot of beautiful cribs etc. that would look great with our style but they are incredibly expensive. It's awful. I certainly can't have a modern / Scandinavian house with a very traditional nursery. I guess there's always Ikea. Plus, I've got plenty of time.

Deebo the Metrosexual

Deebo has been described as a metrosexual by his friends and their peeps. It's not a negative thing, in fact it makes him quite proud. He really likes to be clean and doesn't mind taking showers. Okay he actually hates to get in, but once he is in the shower he just stands there and lets me shampoo him with his oatmeal and lavender shampoo from World Market. It's the only shampoo that we've used that he doesn't hate and try to rub off on the furniture. He also likes to be dried properly and completely. He has his own towel that is fluffy and warm (okay, I put it on the radiator heater while he's showering so it will be warm). The other dog owners know this because he is always so soft and they wanted to know his secret. It's all about the shampoo.

Deebo also has quite the bling. You can hear him clear down the block. He likes to keep his name tag, city tag and county tag securely around his neck just in case he gets lost and needs someone to call his ride. He has been asking for a cell phone but Jason and I just don't think he's ready. Maybe after he gets the 'come' command down.

I'm Thankful For...

I'm sure millions of people are making lists of things they are thankful for and posting it on their blogs. One more can't hurt, so here's my list:

Jason: the greatest and smartest husband ever. He is so sweet, patient, thoughtful and kind. I am so glad to be able to spend forever with him. Jason is also very modest. He'll tell you he's just lucky when taking tests. hah.

Our families. They are so great and I can't wait to spend time with them in just a few weeks.

Deebo. He's the best dog ever. I'm not kidding. He's so soft and tender. All the other dog owners in the hood say he is metrosexual. He's swell.

Our apartment. We got really lucky with grad student housing. I love our apartment and if it had a second bedroom and we were staying in Chicago for a while I'd buy it. I feel so safe which is a bit different from our last apartment (I'll blog about that later).

Awesome Fabric. I could go to a fabric store every day. I love fabric. I also love sewing. I've been on a sewing kick lately. It's been awesome. I have stacks of fabric with visions in my head for them.

Summer. I love sunshine and warmth. I can't wait to have continuous summer! Ahhh... San Diego.

The ability to sleep on a moments notice. When I say I'm going to sleep, I'm not kidding. I can sleep and nap with the best of them. Oh, I'm also thankful for our awesome pillows. It really makes a difference when you have a good pillow.

Hot Chocolate, Macaroni & Cheese, Carrot Cake and Water. Those are definitely my favorite foods/drinks. I really like water. I don't drink a lot of other things because they make me thirsty. Weird huh?

My sense of smell. It's so much better than the average. Jason often says I have a super sniffer. I can smell things much earlier than most. There is an obvious downfall to this ability, but for the most part it's been good.

Skirts. I LOVE them. They're cute and feminine and fun. If my legs didn't get cold I'd wear them every day.

Thanks

Tonight Jason and I went out for dinner in celebration of Thanksgiving. We intended to go out tomorrow, but believe it or not it was a bit of a challenge to get a reservation. It couldn't have been more perfect. I can't wait to enjoy Thanksgiving doing things I enjoy. (Cooking a turkey is not one of those things, therefore, I'm not doing it.) We went to Kinzie Chophouse (my choice) and had a delightful steak dinner. We even have leftovers for tomorrow.

Now, don't get me wrong... I'm certainly going to cook some Thanksgiving tradition foods. But, I'm only making the ones Jason and I love. Here's my list of things to make over this long weekend: cornbread stuffing, homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, pumpkin pie, green bean casserole, O'henry bars and mounds bars. Yep, all the good side dishes. Hey, we have leftover steak.

While we were out Deebo took it upon himself to empty both of the purses I had within his reach. He chewed some gum and ate a granola bar. It was an enjoyable evening had by all.

A Bit Sensitive

I am often brought to tears after working with a patient with physical disabilities or who's life has been exceptionally hard. I don't know if I am just more sensitive or maybe I don't understand as much as I should about the whole grand eternal plan. Today I had a patient with severe dementia. He kept squeezing his eyes shut and yelling at me to stop trying to take his eyes out. (No, I wasn't trying to take his eyes out). Working with him made me feel overwhelmingly sad. It was such a tender situation. I feel so bad for him and his wife of 60 years and the nurse who works with him and everyone at the nursing home.

I have a similar but slightly less tear evoking experience when I see someone out and about or on TV with physical disabilities. I get a tightness in my chest and feel like I could cry at the drop of a hat. I don't know if this is a normal response but it really makes me uncomfortable. I know they are equal in all important aspects of life and that they have people who love them very much and obviously God loves them just as much as everyone else.

I also really want to run up to them and see if I can help them. I always offer to help blind people cross the street or give food to the homeless. Then I worry about whether I've offended them or worry they think I'm implying they aren't independent. Maybe I just think too much. You know?

The other day I gave an individual serving cup of peaches I had in my purse to someone asking for money. She told me she didn't want food, but when she saw it she told me she actually does like those, so she'll take it. Yeah, I felt like a dork. Thus the reason I worry I'm offending.

Back On The Bone

Well, Deebo got a Ham Bone yesterday and thought he was king of the world. he was very protective of it. Upon first receiving it he carried it all over the house. We could't figure out what he was doing but eventually it clicked.... he was trying to hide it from US! Yes, the very people that gave it to him. He tried hiding behind the chair in the living room, in the bedroom closet and he eventually resorted to trying to shove it under the radiator heater in the bedroom. Eventually he realized there isn't a good hiding place in our house, so he laid down on the rug in the bedroom so he could see us, but we were in the living room.

At one point Cami went over to pet him and he growled at her. It was clear he didn't want anything to do with us while he enjoyed his tasty treat. Of course we told him that growling was unacceptable and he backed off a little, but he still wanted us in another room.

He carried the bone outside to go to the bathroom and everything. Later, when going out for his longer walk we decided he shouldn't take it to the tennis court where he plays with other dogs. We couldn't figure out how to get him to leave the bone. Eventually Jason just told him to drop in numerous times and then gently pulled it out of his mouth. We tried to offer him carrot sticks (I know he's spoiled) as a consolation prize, but they are still sitting on the back stairs. He was fine without it during his walk but as soon as he came back in he was back on the bone.

Etsy

Well, as many of you know I have an Etsy shop. I LOVE ETSY. Not just because I sell stuff, but because I buy stuff! The sellers are fantastic. Etsy is a place where everything is handmade. Hmm... my kind of place! Check it out at www.Etsy.com.

Cami's Travels

Well, I can't seem to go anywhere without some sort of glitch. Today I flew to Orlando for a work convention and my carry on bag had to be scanned three times and then emptied out in search of 'something round' I was told. I could not think of anything I packed that was round. They did eventually find the apple I randomly threw in while packing. This was a minor setback, but let me tell you about the other problems I've had.

I have slept in the Minneapolis airport and missed work the next day because my flight was delayed getting there. I have had numerous flights cancelled. I was re-booked to Portland, Maine instead of Portland, Oregon. I've also had a speacial search where the woman wanding me asked numerous times what my hips were.

Jason and I don't fly together. Not really for this reason but because of my work schedule it doesn't always work out that we can travel together. Jason has found it quite handy because of all the problems I have.

Still Under The Weather

Well, I'm still fighting this cold. I went to the doctor yesterday and was diagnosed with a COLD! Who goes to the doctor for a cold? Yeah, I'm pretty lame, but it's so convenient when I work next door to my doctor. I was also worried I might have strep throat because a few people at work have family memebers with strep. Okay, it's still lame.

When I was little I hated having colds. Not that it's enjoyable now but for some reason it was so much worse then. Blowing my nose always made my ears plug up and so I would refuse to blow. As you can imagine refusing to blow your nose doesn't end well. It always resulted in a masive sinus headache. Now, I blow, but I still don't like it.

Hopefully I get my voice back soon. It has been the pits at work. I didn't realize how much talking I did. My patients have been so sweet and understanding, but man, it's been hard! Yesterday I sounded like a honking goose and today it was more like a heavy smoker. Who knows what we'll get tomorrow!

Brownies Anyone?

Last night Jason and I went to a Halloween party. We don't go very many places together on week nights because Deebo doesn't particularly appreciate being left alone all day and evening. (we always make sure he gets a walk in between) So, we enjoyed our party and came home to brownie mix ALL OVER THE HOUSE! Deebo had found my large Costco box of brownie mixes and proceeded to spread it out all over.

We could hear him barking like crazy outside the apartment building. As we rushed up the stairs we knew something must be wrong because he doesn't do that. He was spastic dog when we came in. He couldn't hold still. I think he consumed way too much sugar / chocolate. He of course threw up but was still running all over the place. Jason took him for a run around the building a few times to wear him our. (It certainly wore Jason out). It was about 30 minutes after they returned that Deebo came down from his sugar high. He laid on his bed and didn't move the rest of the night. Poor guy.