Day 3: Ghost Hunters

Day 3: The Cast of Your Favorite Show

Ok, it's not a complete cast photo. We're missing Steve and Tango. But you get the idea. I haven't been watching GH this last season since we don't have cable.

Ghost Hunters night became party night while Andrew was away at BMT and AIT. We'd make pizza(a delicious gouda and spinach pizza), eat jalepeno popper dip. Brie with crackers and apples. Gin and tonic when it was hot. Which, last summer, it usually was.

As much as I was missing Andrew at the time, Wednesday nights were a Godsend.

When and if we ever get cable again, Andrew and I will be fighting over Wednesday nights. Andrew will want Mythbusters and I'll want Ghost Hunters.

Day 2 In Pictures: Mom

Day 2: Picture of me and the person I've been closest to, the longest.

Well, that would be my momma.

It's pretty obvious, I have been the closest to her the longest. As I've said before she is my best friend. We don't have the typical mother daughter relationship and that is fine with me.

(oh, please ignore the horrible picture of me)

30 Days in Pictures

Day 1: A Picture of Me and 10 Facts

I saw this idea on 20 Something Bloggers and decided to take a stab at it. It will introduce me a little more and encourage me to post every day. I'm struggling with non-boring facts, so I figured I'd go into my food crazy.

10 Facts

1. I have to shake my own ketchup. Andrew can shake the bottle, squirt some on his plate and hand the bottle over but, I will close the cap and shake it myself. Only then can I use the ketchup.

2. Don't touch my milk, or pour it either. Milk is my most sensitive food issue. I can't have anyone pour my milk. If you take it out of the fridge and pour a glass, if I'm not ready for it immediately, put it back. I can't share milk either.

3. Don't touch my yogurt either.

4. I don't like my food to touch on my plate unless I specifically approve it. As in, I pour gravy on my mashed potatoes. But, if gravy slides across my plate into my green beans uh oh. I'm getting better at this, but I still make a huge effort to dam my food so they don't touch.

5. I hate peas. Except in Macaroni Salad. Strange, I know.

6. I love corn on the cob. As soon as it departs from it's cobby home, no deal. I do not eat corn off the cob. It makes me sick.

I'm running out of food crazy, which is probably good because you are starting to wonder if I'm a weirdo.

7. My favorite color is green.

8. My favorite animals are sheep and moose. It's a tie.

9. I'm trying to learn how to knit and I suck at it.

10. My favorite book is The Gift of Asher Lev by Chaim Potok

Life, Lessons...Antiquing

I've been stressed to the max these past couple days. Hopefully I'll be able to share with some good news soon. I'm pretty sure my hair is falling out in not so small patches.

Me and Andrew have been filling our empty weekends with some harmless antique shopping. Who knew Ohio had so much to offer people that love old junk.

Yesterday we went to an awesome store in Tipp City, Oh. It had a nice mixture of antique furniture, primitive decor and other little things. We almost finished the first floor when I saw this painting and gasped...Yes, I actually gasped. I freaked out a little more when I saw it was only $25. I grabbed it off the floor and new it was perfect for me.

My picture doesn't do it justice, the clouds are so well blended that you feel as if you are standing at the foot of that hill watching the storm come in. And I don't like art that doesn't make you feel as if you're in it.

Last weekend, we found this purrty thing. A wash basin and pitcher, stamped England 1890 for $30. Perfect condition. This will be perfect for flowers in the spring and just sitting pretty all by itself.

Oh, did I mention? With a little research we found out our new wonderful piece of art is done by a somewhat well-known artist. Recognized by his barn scenes and is estimated at $500-$1300 at auction. I'd say that's a good pick. Even though I'd never sell it.

Columbus Zoo

Saturday we decided to spend some time at the Columbus Zoo. After spending an hour driving around the city to find the exit.

(Note for travelers from Dayton, it's 270 North. Not South.)

Once we got there, we realized we were going to be cold. For some reason we thought we'd be inside most of the time. We were not prepared. We got a lot of stares from families that looked dressed enough to go to the Arctic.

But, we saw a Moose!!!

And really active Polar Bears. They were so much fun to watch. The zoo had a really nice set up, where you can watch them from upstairs(and outside in the freezing cold)
Or from under(inside, with heat)
Andrew and I were the only ones down there for about 10 minutes and we enjoyed the underwater show.

But, some very(VERY) loud children and their parents came down and we had to get out of there before I started to discipline their children. *

Cutest little Arctic Foxes and two gigantice Brown Bears

We aren't sure about Ohio and these tubes, but we never saw them in Minnesota.

Andrew's graceful exit.

Does Andrew look a little cold. And the sign in the background? That's what we call irony. Since, the only danger would be from licking the Manatee and getting your tongue stuck.

All in all, it was a fun, but cold trip.

*Disclaimer, don't worry, I would never discipline another persons child in public. But, I will complain about it as I walk away : ) I was never allowed to shout at the zoo, indoor voices people.

Otters Love Andrew

We are still exploring our city and trying to find new things to do every day. Yesterday we went to the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery.
And Andrew was eaten by a bear.

Just kidding. While most of this place is geared toward little ones, we still had fun crawling through tubes.

And doing arts and crafts.
I wanted to see the bear too!

Andrew showing off his moves.

And holding up the world.

We circled back to the otters to wait for them to be fed. And they seemed to have quite a thing for Andrew.

It was pretty adorable.

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry

I know I said I was making a new blog. Not ignoring my old one. : )
I've been super busy this last week. Andrew and me discovered that bowling is really, really fun. And it's even funner(yeah, I just said funner) when it's three games for $5 on Wednesdays. Talk about cheap entertainment. So, my whole right side is sore from WINNING. That's right folks, I won.
Not only did I win, I won with three strikes in a row!

Count it, one, two, three!!!

Did I tell you, over Christmas we bought ourselves a pretty new lens for my Nikon. A wide angle. My lens collection is almost complete!

So, pictures I take like this:
Can look better. Or at least wider. : )

I'll try to take some pictures of the crazy mess I bowl next Wednesday.

And, if the weather behaves we might go to the zoo this weekend!

Introducing My New Blog

For some reason I felt compelled to make an new blog, different from this one. Where I feel this blog is more personal: our day-to-day lives, pictures and musings of me.

I started a blog called Hattie's Homemade and like the title says I'm going to feature anything and everything homemade by me.

I love to cook and especially bake, so I'll have recipes I try and like. I'm starting to act more on my craftiness with scrapbooking and even some embroidery projects so you'll see some of that too.

There will be a lot of around-the-home projects and DIY things as well, most of which Andrew will get the credit and I'll take the pictures.

It's just starting, so there isn't too much meat in my posts yet but stay tuned and hopefully my projects will turn out well.

It's a New Year

So, once a year, every year people around the world make these so-called resolutions. We look at the past year of our life and wondered why we didn't do something, did something we shouldn't have or somehow felt we missed an opportunity.

Sometimes, I hate this time of year. Conversations revolving around, "What's your New Year's resolution?" And people answering while considering last years regrets.

Well, guess what? I have no regrets, no forgotten resolutions and I've haven't wondered why I didn't do something or why I did.
Of course, this next year I'll work out more, eat healthier and get straight A's in my courses but I think more importantly we should look back at my blessings and adventure's I'm lucky to have and to recognize that just because I didn't lose 15 pounds doesn't mean my year was a waste.

• Wrote more than 100 letters to Andrew while he was away
• I felt the connection and love of being his rock
• I felt the love and power of him being my rock
• I married my best friend
• I took a road-trip, by myself, for a grand total of 3,572 miles
• Took a vacation with my husband and appreciated every minute together
• Embraced moving to Ohio, a state I'd never even seen
• I never let an adventure pass us up

So try this year to remember your goals or resolutions but don't forget that you can't plan life. Have fun, stress a little less, enjoy your best friend.