Riddle of the Day:

What does it take to be able to walk across the street in 27 degree weather with nothing but a long sleeved shirt and simply feel refreshed by the cool breeze?

Answer: Living in below zero temperatures for a month straight. Seriously, I'm ready for spring, so let's hurry it up!

Okay, so that wasn't a great riddle, so I'll give you one for the road:

Why do people who work in customer service find it too much to ask to shower and deodorize themselves before coming to my house to look at my pipes? Mr Plumber finally made his appearance yesterday after standing us up two nights in a row, and now we're wishing he wouldn't have. The shower in our master bathroom not only has a leak, but also the lowest water pressure I've ever experienced. Is being able to wash more than just my left foot in any given position in the shower too much to ask?!

So, back to Mr Plumber. He smelled as if he left his ham sandwich sitting in one of his fat rolls too long, and he was so big that we had 911 on speed dial in case he went into cardiac arrest after making it up the stairs. Not only did he have to walk upstairs to our bathroom, but also down two flights to check out the pipes in the basement. To top it off, I'm convinced that he had no clue what he was doing and only took Chris' word for it. I wanted a professional opinion and estimate, not an agreement with someone who doesn't know what he's doing. I guess we should have known when he went to the wrong house to begin with. We have big house numbers sir, how hard can it be?! Needless to say, we won't be going with Mr Plumber for his services. However, I don't think he'll be disappointed because frankly, those stairs were just too much for him.

Oh crap. That wasn't a riddle either...

We have a great room?!

We spent last night watching Ratatouille in the great room (I'd tell you if the movie was good, but I fell asleep before the end). It's one of the first times we've used the space since we've moved here, but in our defense, it's darned cold in there in the dead of winter. We cozied up on the sofa with a nice fire going and attempted to watch the movie while Lola proceeded to interrupt us every five minutes to play. Anyway, all this talk of the great room made me realize that I haven't posted pics of the mantel since after the Christmas decorations were on them!


So, it's not a professional quality decorating job (or photography job, for that matter), but it's homey and cute. AND everything was a "holiday" clearance find. I sure do love raiding the holiday sales for things that can be used year round! Also, Chris and I learned a valuable lesson in the process of getting those pictures printed for use in the frames. After going to Walgreens to try to order an 11"x14" picture, we learned that not only must you order those online, but they'd cost around $15!! But we want our pictures now!! So Chris and I one-upped Walgreens and took them to Office Max. They have normal color printers that do such an amazing job that the end result looks just like a matte photo paper version. And the best news? They count it as just a normal color copy, so it cost us a mere 69 cents! I couldn't believe it!

Self-Proclaimed "Jon & Kate Plus 8" Biggest Fan

Recognize this place?

I know. You're too embarassed to admit that you indeed watch Jon & Kate Plus 8 marathons every weekend. I don't watch the show either (wink wink), so of course I don't recognize that this is their kitchen! They shoot pretty much every scene in here, so how could you not catch it? Their house is for sale and sitting empty, which shows that even "celebrities" can be hurt by the current credit crunch. That's right folks, you can be proud owner of a little piece of history. And I thought that someone would've snatched this baby right up given who previously lived there. The place even comes with their two sets of super nice washer and dryers! Now, I know that they're pretty much gajillionaires given their numerous years of agreeing to let audiences around the world watch Kate belittle Jon every episode, but I still would've taken those babies with me!

30 Degree Heat Wave

I didn't know -34 degrees existed - at least not in Iowa. But alas, it does, and I have become the queen of layers. Waiting for the bus every day at 6:30 in the morning never sucked so badly. I try to rough the weather by piling on leggings, dress pants, knee high socks, and fur-lined boots, and I top it all off with a pair of sweatpants. No amount of wind is able to cause so much as a single goosebump on my protected legs. The downside? That would be removing the sweatpants at the precise moment that Brent, a VP, walks by my desk.

"I thought I told you no stripping in the office," he says.

Of course he's kidding (well, at least I hope), but if the outdoors didn't make me wish I was hanging out in a freezer instead, then maybe I wouldn't be in this predicament to begin with. And neither would the creepy Hannibal Lector guy on the bus. I get that we have to be warm, but at least be presentable enough that the entire crowd on the bus doesn't want to run off screaming than to sit next to Mr. Lector. He was bundled from head to toe - literally. He had some ski mask on that had four small holes near the mouth, and that's about all I could see of him. At least take off the baseball cap so I can see your eyes and know that you're not thinking of eating me for dinner.

Perhaps now you get just how cold it is. One would imagine that our uninsulated master bedroom is just as frigid as the arctic outdoors. Well, it is. Chris thinks the wall behind our bed is so cold that if his pillow touches it, then it becomes too cold for use. So, today we took advantage of the "nice" weather to go out shopping for supplies for a headboard. Hopefully this will prevent his pillows from giving him the chills, as well as to provide a cushy back rest while enjoying a good book in bed.

As our bedroom is desperately needing some texture - or really any decorations, come to think of it - we decided to go a little bold and make the headboard 8 feet long. Many of the bedroom walls are too short to hang anything on, so we figured that we needed a big statement piece. After far too long at JoAnn's Fabric, we finally settled on a striped fabric that brought in some more colors to the room.

We're still in desperate need of lights on the bedside tables, and many other accents, but it's a good start! Now that we're pros at upholstering, we're going to tackle my amazing chair next! Once recovered and moved to the bedroom, it'll provide the perfect spot for a tea and the Sunday newspaper.

Pick Lola! (Please?)

All three people who are reading my blog, immediately click on the "Vote for Me" button on the righthand side!! Bissell is having a contest to find their next pet model, and Lola would be perfect!

Grand Prize:

-Pet's photo placed on a future Bissell package

-One Bissell product of winner's choice

-AND a $10,000 donation to the pet cause of my choice

So why choose Lola? I'll give you three good reasons.

1. She's pretty darned adorable. And I know the for us people with dog children, that we all think ours is the cutest, but she really is. Seriously. You know you'd buy something just because it had her face on it!

2. Contrary to popular belief, Shiba Inus shed like crazy. I mean crazy! One pass of the vacuum in the great room and it already needs emptied due to being full of dog hair. And she does her fair share of getting into things. I'm eyeing the Bissell ProHeat 2X® Select Pet as my prize, should I win.

3. Upon researching the Shiba Inu breed, I was introduced to an amazing organization. Midwest Shiba Inu Rescue is dedicated to helping the poor little ones left behind by puppy mills and owners who didn't know how to handle them. There are a lot of great Shibas up for adoption. If you think a Shiba Inu would be right for you, then go check them out! I know that a $10,000 donation would help them provide the care that many of the incoming dogs need to survive.

So, what are you waiting for? Click on the Lola button and vote away! Lola thanks you.

My Brand New Ride

The harsh wind and crisp air of winter make me lazy, not unlike the warm air and gentle breezes of summer, come to think of it! In hopes of battling the winter 15, I surprised Chris with a gift for both of us. He has been wanting to have an indoor bike trainer for a very long time, but with the hefty price tag, I politely declined. However, after racking up some credit card rewards points from wedding spending, I was able to afford a super nice free one! Basically, it's just a fancy contraption to ride your bike in place. I spent a whole five minutes on it yesterday while watching Color Splash on HGTV. In my defense, I had worked out at the gym prior to the 5 minute ride, so I was a little sore! Nonetheless, I figure that if I can ride five minutes a day (okay, I'll try to last a whole show) during my half hour of tv, then I could be in pretty good shape come spring. I'll head out to the mall in a bra-top and cut-off shorts that'd make Britney (Spears) proud!

Spousal Arousal Syndrome (It's not what you think)

Remember the days when you could go to bed and sleep like a baby until eight? Well those days are no more. Who would have thought that sharing a bed could have lost it's luster after years of removing the screen from my bedroom window to sneak out and stay the night in someone else's bed? Okay okay, so maybe that wasn't me at all. I'm not that rebellious and definitely didn't have a guy in which to share said bed. However, I did have my share of sleepovers with Chris after I had moved out on my own. Maybe it's because it was something new, or because I didn't stay that often, or perhaps it was just my love for cuddling that made me not notice the lack of sleep after staying. Too much information? Visuals?? Okay, I digress.

Four days from now marks the day that I can etch the one year notch on the prison room wall that I call my bedroom. No, it's not because my husband is evil and I already want a divorce. It's because I suffer from Spousal Arousal Syndrome. Yes, it's real...see here. Upon first glance, this sounds like a term to describe someone who wants some "activity" 24/7. Quite the contrary (and I have a roommate who I don't think would appreciate that!).

Spousal Arousal Syndrome - being awakened by your partner's snoring, having your sleep disrupted many times throughout the night, and having your concentration at work being negatively affected by the resulting fatigue

I like it cold - Chris likes it hot.

I prefer an open window - Chris turns on the space heater and electric blanket on high.

I sleep with my arms by my side - Chris sleeps with his elbows in my face

(One false move and it's an elbow to my face and a black eye the next morning!)

I apparently grind my teeth at night, but that's quiet, right? - Chris snores.

All in all, this makes for a competition of who can disturb the other the most. So perhaps neither of us is a good partner to share a bed with, but I still can't help but dream about the days when I could sleep undisturbed. Perhaps one of these days we're going to go the ways of I Love Lucy and get a few twin beds. Every night would be a sleepover - the way they're meant to be!

Happy (?) New Year

Chris and I decided to do something out of the norm for New Year's Eve. What normally would have been spent by staying in, watching movies, and falling asleep before midnight, was instead spent partying it up at Embassy Suites on the River for their Rock the New Year bash. Our friend Lisa came up from St. Louis, and we joined eight other friends for a party at the hotel. We had a blast! There were two live bands, a DJ, and a mad game of Beer Pong going on in our hotel room. It was a lovely end to a great year.


The next morning started off with a bang. Our house has all hardwood floors on the first and second stories. For some reason, the silly previous owners decided to carpet the stairs going up to our bedroom. Chris was coming down the stairs wearing his slippers and fell down the stairs. He thought he broke his ankle, and try as I might, he couldn't be convinced that it was just a sprain. The Starostka in me wanted him to stay home and walk it off. If it were bad the next day, then he could go in. Instead we ended up here:


Mercy Medical Emergency Room. Lisa and I passed the time in the waiting room by attempting to solve a rather difficult crossword puzzle while Chris was wheeled back and forth between rooms. It took two hours of xrays, tests and more waiting for them to tell us that it was just a sprain. They proceeded to wrap his foot in an ace bandage and gel splint while I about fainted after seeing the $40 price tag for just those items alone. Not only did I have an ace bandage at home, but it also costs maybe $8 at WalMart had I not. After the $40, plus whatever ungodly amount it actually cost to go into the ER, I wasn't about to buy crutches from them either. But after not being able to borrow them from anyone, I finally had to splurge this morning and go spend yet another $40 so Chris didn't have to hop around.

Hopefully he got it all out of his system and the rest of 2009 is smooth sailing.