Life with the Three Crazy Dogs

- Blogging on my life events & whatever that comes to my mind!

RSS Feed

Monthly Archives: August 2010

Make me a channel of your peace

Comments Off

During our don’t-know-what-is-that-class-called where non-Muslim students will gather in the Main Hall of the school. The teacher incharge was Mrs C, the most hated teacher in Main Convent, during my time. Anyway, the students will sit on the floor of the hall, we students will have our song/hymm books and sing.  Some days if there was a new song to learn, we have to copy the words from the chalk board.  If not, we will sing songs/hymms from previous times.

One of the hymms we sing a lot was this: Make me a Channel of your Peace which is actually a prayer to Saint Francis of Assisi. I have always loved singing this hymm and still do.  (That’s what I like about the Convent school then was it still instilled a lot of Catholicism during these classes, and it definitely have sowed some thing into me!)

And here’s the lyrics which I got from here:

Make me a Channel of your Peace

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is hatred let me bring your love
Where there is injury, your pardon Lord
And where there is doubt true faith in You

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is despair in life let me bring hope
Where there is darkness only light
And where there’s sadness ever joy

Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul

Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
It is in giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we are born to eternal life

Back during school days when we sing this hymm, I was more into the “peacefulness” of the tune that goes with the words. I wasn’t much into the words, however, now that I’m a newly Catholic convert, the words are so meaningful, and especially when I meditate on the words, it brings tears to me. 

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

By the way, I’m sure some of my Main Convent friends will know this song! :)

Filed under Faith, Memory Lane
Aug 31, 2010

The weekend shopping

Comments Off

Last Saturday Nadine and I went to the mall. After I picked up my samples and a short chat with the lady at the beauty counter, Nadine and I headed to Nordstrom. She bought what she wanted and soon after I told her I’m going to the cheaper Nordstrom! It is the Nordstrom Rack where the clothes are sold at super cheap prices. I saw couple of sweaters but only bought one style but in three different colors!  I so want to get some pants but I could not find one that fits me.  Oh well, there’s still other department stores to check out next week.

And after the mall, Nadine wanted to go to Lowes out in Shakopee. She wants to check out Moen kitchen faucet for her kitchen. She said Mike was suppose to do it but she took the duty of finding one that suits her like on herself. I know why because I knowing her, her hubby will get the complete opposite of what she wants.  So  yeah, she found and bought the faucet she desired and we headed to Grizzly’s for late lunch.  Great weekend that, again, went by super fast.

Filed under My Weekend, Product, Writing
Aug 31, 2010

My changed of wardrobe

Comments Off

I was looking through my wardrobe last weekend before I went out to Macy’s.  All I have in my closet are tees and more tees.  I counted how many blouses I owned and sad to say only 3 blouses that are decent looking.  Since I started with this company I have drastically changed my dressing style.   At my previous company 12 plus years ago, I had to dress up for work – dress pants, blouses, shirts, skirts and dress shoes.  No jeans, capris, khakis, tees, tennis or anything that resembles comfort like scrubs!  The ex-boss was very adamant that jeans and tees does not look good in their company on Fridays.  Even jeans pair with a good buy sweater is not a go.  Yes, I had to dress up 5 days a week.

When I got to the present company, I didn’t have to dress up because of the scope of my work – working in a dusty file room all by my lonesome.  I don’t have to meet no clients or customers.  If I have to it’s once in a blue moon.  The temp worker who I replaced said her boss said she could wear anything casual as along it’s not shorts or sleeveless.   She said she even came in once in her uniform scrubs after her early morning vet tech job and her boss was alright with it.  As long as it’s clean, that’s all it matters.  She said the scrubs were the best clothing ever invented.  I can’t agree more with her.  Morever, you don’t have to worry about what to wear for work every day, that’s a big plus right there!! :)

I actually bought a pair of women’s scrubs many years ago just to wear it at home for days when I have no where to go just being a couch potato.  Whenever I go to the vet, the vet techs are always dressed in colorful scrubs and some even wore printed scrubs.   One of my future job to work in a vet office so I can wear scrubs and don’t have to fuss with what to wear daily.  So yes, my wardrobe has changed tremendously since 1998.

Filed under Product, Ramblings, Writing
Aug 31, 2010

Another bag

Comments Off

Here I go again, made another bag that I have no use for.  All for the sake of getting rid of fabric.  I got the pattern from here.

DSC03082

Although the pattern did not call for a magnectic snap or a button, I should have put one in.  But, all in all, this bag isroomy for every junk to put in.   It’s easy to make too except for me the rookie, sewing the bottom to the body of the bag was kinda challenging but after getting the one outside body, the linig was a zip.  The pattern calls for heavier fabric but I only used good old quilting cotton for the outside with medium weight interfacing and the inside….it’s actually flannel!  I didn’t use any infacing for the flannel.  The flannel was meant for a jammie pants but I got lazy in making the pants, so I used it for the inside of this bag.  I think I still have a yard plus left of the flannel.

It just occurred to me I forgot to mention in my previous post where I got the pattern for this bag:
DSC03074

I got the pattern from Sew Mama Sew blog.

I really enjoyed sewing these two bags.  Next up, I might get this going or a wristlet.  Will see how the mood is! :)

Filed under Sewing projects
Aug 31, 2010

Nice to get out for lunch

Comments Off

The boss took me out for lunch this afternoon. We had planned to go to one of the restaurants by Lake Minnetonka. She had asked me if it’s ok to have lunch there….I was like “Yes, mam!” Anything to have a meal by one of those nice fancy restaurants that I never go to. Her reason to go to that particular restaurant that is famous for its lobsters was to get a gift certificate for our former boss.

Well, unfortunately that restaurant does not open for lunch. So she and I landed at Big Bowl in The Galleria. It was a good lunch and we chatted about everything except very little about work. The boss is good about separating work and leisure. This lunch is just for fun, nothing fancy. During these lunches we always talk about our families. Her daughter is around my age and I have met and was one of her customers when she was doing her skincare stuff. However, the girl now is looking into a sales job that she thinks will give her more flexibility working from home.  The boss’ daughter is one heck of a smart kid and a good negotiator!  I hope she will get that sales job she is interviewing for. 

The boss said we will do this again next month.  She said she wants to do this kind of lunch every month if possible which is music to my ears!  When our former boss was still with us, she and I had always wanted him to take us out for lunch, not just work and work, but that boss was just not up to it.  We think it’s a man thing – not all man though, to make it clear.  Now that our former boss is retired, just she and I, so she is doing the calls.  It’s really very nice of her and I should grateful for her and what she has done to go all gungho to keep my job.

Filed under Personal, Product, Writing
Aug 27, 2010

Chase the frisbee destroyer

Comments Off

Sometime last month, I had to buy a new frisbee for Chase. His favorite one is a Nylabone frisbee which was once belonged to Cooper. Since Chase came along and horded all of the frisbees that once were Cooper’s, Cooper just didn’t bother….as if to say, let the young-un enjoy them now. :D

However, that fav frisbee is now somewhere in the woods. I tossed it too hard and it landed somewhere in the deep shrubs. I went up and looked and searched but could not find it. I will get back to looking for it in the fall.

Anyway, I thought I had better get another frisbee for this crazy fetcher. So I bought one cheapy plastic frisbee meant for humans and what a big mistake that was. It only lasted 2 weeks or less and I had to toss it coz he was chewing it to pieces and some parts were missing which I assumed he swallowed them!!

This is what that human frisbee turned out after the Chase-abused:
0722001842.jpg

Then I bought another one which the girl told me is super durable and a little more expensive, about $14.
DSC03024

The feel of this frisbee is totally different. It’s not flexible plastic, but it’s like rubber and heavier. It took me a while to get use to throwing it.
DSC03026

Letting Chase smell and feel it.
DSC03029

Chase lives to fetch and “abuse”! :) He really knows how to “knead” those darn frisbees whether they are plastic or flexible ones. He will keep “kneading” them till you force him to let go. The weird thing is he will only start the “kneading” thing after 8 minutes or so of fetching….after he has his “fix” of fetching! :D
downsized_0722001843.jpg
downsized_0722001843a.jpg
downsized_0722001843b.jpg

Now, this is what the new blue frisbee looks like after a month and 5 days:
downsized_0824001822.jpg

The middle portion of the frisbee are tear up and so when he fetches it, he will sometimes comes back looking like this:
downsized_0825001900.jpg

He is definitely a comedian, makes me laugh a lot. The frisbee does not “fly” very far with its “injured” body. DB said we need to get another Nylabone frisbee which really last. The lost Nylabone frisbee we bought was in 2001, and it’s still flying albeit a lot of teeth marks. This weekend a trip to Petco will me on my calendar.

Filed under Chase, Pets
Aug 27, 2010

Shopping this weekend

Comments Off

This weekend I am going to the big mall to pick up some makeup samples. DB quickly chipped in if I can do some shopping for him, to buy some clothes for him. I said why not since I’m going to Macy’s plus every single time I’m there I have to walk through the women’s and men’s even though I am not buying any. I know I need a wardrobe update for fall and winter with sweaters and long sleeve shirts/blouses, I think I will wait till next month when fall is actually here. There might be some big sales later!!  DB is not into sweaters at where he is working. He said he wants some good old T-shirts, nothing fancy, plain colors. He’s simple that way. So, yeah, this will give me a chance to shop! :)

Filed under Product, Writing
Aug 27, 2010

Sewing again, somewhat

Comments Off

I have mentioned earlier in some posts back I want to get back into sewing…..sewing stuff other then clothes!!!  I might have to sew some lounge pants tho since the ones I have now are hole-ly.  I started looking at bag patterns some time ago and I do bookmark those I think I like and think i can do since I’m such a pathetic sewer. 

I finished up this bag on Tuesday.  I started it on Sunday late afternoon, relying on the free light.
DSC03074

I finally got it all done – ironed it too, on Tuesday night, hence the low light in the above picture.  It’s a super simple bag to make.   I’m desperately trying to get rid of the fabric I hauled from garage sale, Etsy, eBay and Joann’s.  I don’t even know why I bought this fabric for this bag.  I guess I liked it when I saw innitally saw it but now, I don’t.  When I buy all these $5 or less/yard fabric, I don’t have anything in mind what to make with them.  Just buy them then figure out later.  I have quite a few fat quarters sitting in my stash plus all the the other remnants. 

Now I, again, surfing the web for patterns, mainly bags and some simple wristlets taht do not require me to sew zippers.  I sewed a wristlet once and it’s not the best…one ugly looking thing, experimenting with zippers. 

0503001401.jpg

Will I sew the above ugly looking thing again or modify the pattern to make me sew it???  I don’t know, depending on my mood I guess, but I do have other wristlet patterns I saw but just don’t have the mood to get her done.  I have to say sewing is therapeutic to me….aAll is forgotten and the time goes by so quick coz I remember I can stay up till 2 am just to complete something, looked at the clock and it was way past my bedtime and it was actually almost time for me to get up!  Crazy I know but guess that’s me….the extremist.

Filed under Sewing projects
Aug 26, 2010

Weekend came and gone

Comments Off

I was looking toward the weekend.  It came and left too darn quickly.  I am thinking of working 4-10 hours which will leave me 3 days off during the weekend.  It could be a Monday or Friday.  This weekend we were cleaning and did some unpacking.  DB was tinkering around with his rust bucket truck.  I bathed the dogs and cleaned the shower stall.  After all that I was spent, didn’t want to do anything else.  Wanted to sit on the couch and waste the rest of the day away but no can do.  Have to vacuum.  Since this is not our house, I vacuum every weekend, just to keep it up with the cleaning in case the landlord/lady shows up unexpectedly.

DB actually put up the ceiling in the bedroom couple weeks ago.  Finally since he had been working weekends he had no time doing anything else in the house.  I told him the good thing about where we are at we don’t have to mow the grass.  If he had to mow the grass he would be dead meat.  Anyways, the ceiling fan in our bedroom is up.

Before:
DSC03038

The industrial floor fan we have been using for many years that drowns every damn noise
DSC03039

My electrician aka tool man at work installing the bracket for the fan
DSC03042

The “spectators” wondering where their dinner was since it was past 5 when we were working on this project. Missing one spectator is in the bathroom snoozing away by the air conditining.
DSC03046

DSC03045

Almost done
DSC03053
DSC03055

And all DONE. Lights and fan working perfect. It does not drown all the outside traffic noise but it sure is better than the floor fan.
Ceiling fan installed
DSC03058

The landlord brought the fan over several weeks ago. I thought he was going to set it up but DB said since we were the ones who requested for a ceiling fan, they bought it at Menards and delivered it for us. So DB said we should be putting it up ourselves.  But guess what???  The landlord and lady came over couple weeks ago impromptu-ly due to the water leakage problem.  They saw the  fan in the room up and apologize profusely saying they will pay us for installing it and also the pantry selves.  They said they should be doing it as landlords.    Thank the good Lord for such great landlord/lady.

Yesterday, Sunday I baked a cake.  I had too much time after I got done cooking for the week.  I made a banana upside down cake, recipe from Gertrude.  No pictures coz when I turned the cake over, it didn’t come off the pan, I had to bang the bottom of the pan, the cake broke loose and broke it did – into a few big pieces and also the coloring was kinda pale compare to Gert’s even though I used brown sugar!  Totally not worthy of pictures!!!  I really have to keep some dark brown sugar in the pantry.  But nevertheless, the cake tasted damn good.  Half the cake gone between the two of us.   Will have to try my sister’s choc mudd cake this weekend.

Filed under My Weekend
Aug 23, 2010

PR card expiring

Comments Off

I received my PR card back in late 2000 and when I saw the expiration date of 02/20/2011, that’s a long ways to go…wonder if I need to renew it.

Well, few weeks ago, I thought of my green card, dug it out and saw the expiration date and did some Googling to check when and how to renew a green card.  I pulled up the information from the US Department of Homeland Security and the renewal info was there.  I was hoping I don’t need to renew it but I need to –  to cya kind of thing – cover your ass. 

Read through the application and the final part on payment.  I have to cough out a whopping $370.  The fee for the application is $290 and and another $80 for biometrics.  KNN, I have already had my biometrics done 13 years ago and they need it again?  Well, I’m assuming they are using a new way for biometrics or whatever. 

I’m going to complete the forms which i can print online, write out a check of $370.oo to the USDHS.  The instructions says I have to submit my renewal application 6 months or earlier before it expires due to USDHS backlog.  I will get them mail out probably this weekend or by next week….I’m a procrastinator, remember????

Every damn time I look at the I-90 forms (PR card renewal application) I’m just hopping mad!!  This stupid new immigration law for state of AZ which is in debate now the politicians are fighting about for the illegal immigrants who cross the border (Mexico to Arizona or Texas).  These illegals settled in the new country, gave birth to kids who are then automatically become US citizens (anchor babies) will be legal immigrants due to their children’s status ….something like that.  So those who came to the country legally and paid all the fees to get to stay, work and pay taxes will just sit tight and watch these damn illegal bastards get their PR status freely????  Damn, that is totally stupid, they should be frigging deported back to Ma-hi-co and come back with proper paperwork! 

It is not fair and no matter how many times I have to tell the folks at my church how I feel, they still think these illegals should have the right to stay because they have kids to bring up.  The churchy folks say I need to feel the compassion for them.  Hah!  I will feel sorry for them to leave their kids behind while they are being locked up and scooted back to their country, but they asked for it. i feel sorry for their kids.  And then since they are now in this country working, get the immigration paperwork done properly, pay the fees like all immigrants do in this country and get your asses back to your children in a legal manner.  AZ, you go get her!

Filed under Uncategorized
Aug 17, 2010

Round up

Comments Off

It’s been a week since I wrote something here.   So much going on but just don’t have the mood to pen them down.  My mood is back to normal, whatever normal is.  At least I know I have my appetite to eat.  Whatever few pounds I had lost in a week’s, is  slowly creeping back!  Good and bad, I guess.  No more anxiety attacks!

Last Friday early morning it was raining crazy, so heavy the ground is not even soaking them in fast enough.  As usual the county we live in will sound the severe weather sirens on while we are asleep.  The numerous thunders work me up couple of times.  When I got up at 3:50 it was still pouring straight down.   No choice have to still take Ranger out for his business.  The other two, they can do it by the yard. 

From all the rain that night/morning, we had water leakage in the walk-in closet in the master bedroom.  Water was leaking from the light that flows right into the globe, onto the carpet and also on the walls to the door frame (door to the walk-in closet).  DB saw it while he was getting ready for work.  And I was still using the switch to turn the light on for the closet room.  Stupid!!!!!

Since DB cannot use phones/pc or anything for communicating to the outside world, I have to call the landlord/lady when I got to work.  5 am to call them was too early.  I called them at 7, left a message, landlord called back right away.  That’s the start of the whole charade of  phone calls back and forth with him.   DB does not get home till 6:30-6:45 pm, I have to take care of it myself.  The landlord had management to call me to arrange for a time to fix it that day but landlord wanted to take a look at it first.  I left work at 12:30, went straight home and straighten the house!  Damn, need to pickup the crap that was laying all over the house, vacuumed and dust!  I was thinking to myself it was good that I vacuumed the stairs every week.  There is not much dog hair accumulated on the stairs from weekly vacuuming tho I bitch about doing it all the time….it’s a back breaker to vacuum the carpet on the stairs.  I have not dusted the house since we moved in in May.  Superb house keeper I am!!

Management and his crew sealed up the leak which was coming in from one of the vents, pulled out the insulation in the walls.  Thank goodness the carpets are spared, they weren’t soaking wet when we saw the leak.  The crew will be back tomorrow I think to install insulation since they said it will take about 3-4 days to get the walls dry up.

I’m hoping they will come in this afternoon or tomorrow since it’s DB’s weekend.  If they don’t show up on these two days, I will have to call the landlord to be there when the maintenance crew come – just for safety sake.

Filed under Just
Aug 16, 2010

< Thinking of sewing again >

Comments Off

I always look forward to weekend but the past weekend I dreaded it. It was just one of those weekend I don’t want to be home at all, I mean I don’t even want to step foot in the house.  But I know I can’t.  I have the boys to take care of.  I did go out to Macy’s at the Mall of America to get what I wanted, went to Joann’s craft store to look around since there was sales on notions. I didn’t get any notions but was quite tempted to check out the Beading Tools that were on sale. I told myself I will not start something new now.   I guess I’m just in a slump myself.  It sucks when one is in a slump, you will drag the another down too.  I sure is thankful I have a job to go to.  I know I complain about my job but I still get up every morning and drive myself to work.  It gets me off whatever I don’t want to think about.   So now instead of huddling over the  PC on FB, I should get my sewing stuff together and start making myself a shoulder bag I wanted to make for a very long time.  Hmmm, maybe that’s what I should do this afternoon.

Filed under Product, Writing
Aug 9, 2010

Randomness

Comments Off

It has been ages since I really posted  something non paid!  Sad isn’t it? 

The only thing that is really worth posting is what I baked during the weekends.  Pretty much every weekend the oven is on.  Last weekend I must have been super hardworking, full of energy I guess.  I baked a banana bread and blueberry crumb cake.  On top of that I prepped for the week’s dinner.  I was tired the morning up till I started working on the nana bread.  Whatever happened, I have no clue.  I was cooking away in the kitchen.

Blueberry crumble cake (PW)
My disgusting looking blueberry crumble. Tasted darn good though.  We have been eating it with vanilla ice-cream.

Nana bread
Here’s the banana bread. Why do American’s call it banana bread and not cake? This nana bread is a favorite of the man, so he does put in quite a few requests a month!

I told DB no baking this weekend.  I need to let my over flowing muffin top a rest.  It’s more like giving my pants a breather.  No joke, my pants are screaming at me for suffocating them.

Since it has been hot and hot and humid and more humid (seems forever), I have shorten my walks with the dogs.  I still walk them in the afternoon after I get home from work.  The temperature is like 89F or higher plus no shady spots.  The boys, no matter how damn hot and humid it is, they still want to go for their CSI walks.  I call it CSI because they have to snoop every 10 yards or less!!  We walk them again in the evening since they cannot roam around the yard on their own, we walk them and get their business done for the evening/night.

Here’s a pic of Cooper after his walk. Catching some coolness in the kitchen tiled floor.  This fella is getting whiter day by day, but still loves his long walks.
Cooper chilling after walk

Ranger at the entryway. Everyday when we come back from a walk, he will lay just like that to cool off.  He is the real crime scene investigator.  Anything that is 5 yards or less he will stop to check it out. 
Ranger chilling after a walk

Chase after his evening frisbee session in 90F temperature. He’s a slob. There’s water on his snout and he is my shadow.  Follows me every where in the house.
Chase after frisbee session

So there, my updates for now till Lord knows when.  :)   TTFN

Aug 4, 2010

 

August 2010
S M T W T F S
« Jul   Sep »
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  



Recent Trackbacks