November 12, 2007 by samantha.

Today was a fun day. I made cookies for the first time. And real cookies… not meringue or forgotten cookies. Monica kinda freaked out when I mentioned to her that I never had made cookies. It was just something we never did in my family. My mom believed in making dinner. Baking was frilly and that was just not her thing.

So Becky and I gathered at Monica’s house to do some serious baking. And boy was Monica serious. I thought we would make chocolate chip or sugar cookies. Nope! We made pumpkin layer cookies and pineapple layer cookies. I even got to use a Kitchen Aide mixer. I want one so bad! I have had my eye on them forever. I think I need a pink one. Pink is a girly color and a Kitchen Aide mixer is a girly thing. Anyway, we made the dough and the mix from scratch. It was great! I asked Monica was we were going to make next time and she said tortillas. Yippee!!!

I was on a cookie high until I came home. Val is limping. I think she just twisted her paw funny, but I am not taking any chances. Tomorrow she will have a day of rest. Ophelia will be going to Monica’s house to play. If Val is still limping tomorrow, it will be another trip to the vet. Hopefully, she will be better and ready for a walk soon.

Before I forget, the cookies were delicious!!! I am ready for more!

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November 11, 2007 by samantha.

Today started off like any ordinary day. I was in a good mood and looking forward to a rainy Sunday. To spice up my usual Sunday errands, I decide to take myself out to Applebee’s for lunch. I was craving soup and Applebee’s has good soup. I was seatd immediately and was even served a drink before I could make myself comfortable. That is where the pleasant dining experience ended. Now I need to mention that I am not exaggerating one little bit. This is how my lunch went.

After I was brought my drink, by the hostess, I was perused the menu. I waited for a good ten minutes before I began to get a bit frustrated. I caught the eye of the manager and she came over and asked me if I was ready to order. I told her yes and she left to find the waitress. All of a sudden, this waitress runs over and takes the orders of two other tables and completely ignores me! The manager came back over and finally took my order. I started to relax a bit and started to look through my magazine. I wanted to make the most of the lunch and enjoy myself. Ha ha! It took about 15 to 20 minutes for my soup to come out. Of course, my Veggie Patch Pizza came out about five minutes later! Did I mention that the manager and the girls who brought me out my soup and pizza were a bit short with me? Everyone knows that I need my drink refilled every five seconds and that did not happen. Finally, a waitress that I think was supposed to be mine came and asked me if I was ready for the bill. How funny that my bill was brought in record time! I left no tip. I did leave a message, “Horrible Service, Horrible Experience.” The icing on the cake were the two people screaming on their cell phones and the Applebee’s employee vacuuming!

Will I go back to Applebee’s? Of course! I have been to Applebee’s numerous times and had great service. Today was just not one of those days. And I have mentioned that I like their soup?

P.S. It never rained today! Damn it!!!

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November 10, 2007 by samantha.

This morning, I noticed these “little” paw prints all over the floor. I knew who the culprit (Ophelia) was, but I could not figure out were the paw prints come from. I tracked the paw prints to my bedroom and then they stopped. I was so confused. It was not raining outside and I knew that Ophelia had not jumped into in puddles. I had a mystery on my hands and I was determined to solve it! I walked around the house looking for evidence, but all the clues led back to my bedroom. There were no visible paw prints on the carpet, but I knew that if I ventured further into my bedroom, I might find the crime scene. I read enough Nancy Drew books to learn that the obvious answer is not always the right one. I went into my bathrom and found this in the shower!!!

What could I do, but laugh. At least her paws are clean!

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November 5, 2007 by samantha.

Val is always in my thoughts. Especially since I got the puppy, I have been concerned about Val. Is she happy? Is she pissed off? Does she really care? Overall, I think Val is happy with Ophelia and actually enjoys having her around. Val still has to put Ophelia in her place every once in awhile. Ophelia learned pretty fast that Val is top dog. Val does have her bratty moments (blocking the door so Ophelia cannot get in or out, stealing Ophelia’s toys to name a couple). On the flip side, Val and Ophelia wrestle all the time and Val instigates the play just as much as the puppy. I think one of the hardest things for Val is that Ophelia has stolen her bed. When Val wants to come inside and sleep on her bed, she finds it taken. So Val has had to find a new place to sleep. Somethings tells me she is quite happy with her new bed.

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November 4, 2007 by samantha.

How time flies when you are having fun! So much has been going on and yet I feel like nothing has been happening. I will not give you all the boring details, but it involves movies, books, and friends. My favorite holiday has come to an end. Halloween was fantastic! I went to a friend’s house and passed out candy, did the Chicken Dance a hundred times, and judged kids on their costumes. I think one of the many reasons why I love Halloween is that it is one of those holidays that always live up to my expectations. I don’t think you can be disappointed when it comes to Halloween.

School is going well and I even got to miss a day to go to a conference. The conference was a lot of fun and I got all sorts of good free stuff. I am counting down the days until Thanksgiving week (there are two for those of you who are interested).

The dogs are doing well also. Ophelia is about the size of a horse for the time being. Today Val and I took her for her first hike. It was a short one, but I think Ophelia is hooked. She came home and slept for most of the afternoon. All the new smells and running around wore her out. I found a great new park in Redlands to let the dogs run around in. There are hiking trails and a grassy field to roll around in… the dogs are rolling around, not me.

Yesterday was my Mom’s birthday. I will let her tell you how old she is. I, of course, gave her the best gift. I know that I do not have much competition, but at least I am proud of myself.

All in all, things are going well. I am no longer in a poopy mood. It is nice to be out of the rut. I tend to obsess on one thing and let it overtake me. Does that make me OCD? I do wash my hands a lot. Anyway, life is good. I have many plans, goals to reach, a puppy to train, and the visitors to prepare for. I will not complain about being bored!!! Promise!

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