Exams are over!!

Finally. Senior year is over. You're thinking, "Oh, you're graduating, wonderful!". 

Not. I'm on the five year plan. Engineering is hard. It's even harder when you have a super uncooperative body that regularly attacks itself for no apparent reason.

Right now, in fact, my right ear is useless. I haven't been able to hear out of it since last Thursday. The ENT says it could take up to six weeks. Wonderful. It feels like I was on a airplane and it hasn't "popped" yet. It feels like I'm super off balance. Not fun to study for and take three exams this way. Could be worse I suppose :-)

Say some prayers for me and my, as yet, non-existent summer internship. I have two that have UN-officailly given me the job...pending budget approval and/or gaining clientele. I really have no idea what I'll do all summer if I don't have an internship. I can't afford to think that yet, it's going to happen. Power of positive thinking!

I'll leave you with a picture of Pogo-this was my view from the bath-tub last night. (Don't look at the mess of blankets of Pogo's "nest" under my bed, photos soon).

PS: Unrelated....but I've been reading a lot of other blogs lately and mine is in serious need of sprucing up! If anyone has any ideas I'd gladly take them!
PPS: I've yet to receive a comment, so if you're so inclined, I'd love to know anyone is actually reading :-)

Unintentional Hiatus

I haven't posted in a while because I haven't really had much to say. I came across an article or something the other day that asked bloggers what the purpose of their blog was and if the blogger had low followers/readers then it was probably because there wasn't a clear purpose to the readers as to why the blog existed.
Well, I had to say to myself, I don't what purpose my blog serves. And sadly, I still don't. However, I find it's a nice outlet for my worldly observations, especially those concerning Pogo and/or dogs in general. That being said....
A picture from a week or so ago, Pogo and I on a bike ride at the American Tobacco Trail.

 The most common question I get when he rides in his basket is "How do you get him to stay in there?" My response is usually "Watch me try to get him out!" He loves this basket, actually to be truthful, he loves being in any bag/basket/box type arrangement. Anytime I pull out a bag to pack, even if it's just an overnight bag, he jumps in at the earliest opportunity. I usually set the bike basket on the ground while I get the bike out the garage, then attach the basket on the driveway. Without fail, he is already sitting in the basket when I wheel the bike out of the garage. I know he's saying "You may pick me up now", in a british accent, of course.


Last pic, nails! If you know me, you know I'm a nail polish whore. I only buy OPI or China Glaze, I also accept Nicole by OPI, in case anyone is ever looking for a gift for me :-)
I paint and re-paint my nails all the time, I think it's become a calming habit. Anyway, this was super easy! It's hard to see the colors but it's pink with navy blue polka-dots. I just painted pink first, let it dry, then used the lead of a mechanical pencil to dot on the polka-dots. Finish with top coat so the dots aren't noticeably raised.

This weekend we're celebrating my sisters 24th birthday! Boy do I feel old....and I'm the baby sister :-)

Pumpkin

September 5, 1995-April 11, 2012

Pumpkin, our beloved family dog, had to be put to sleep on Wednesday. She was 16 1/2 years old.

 This was over Easter weekend 2012, just three days before she went to the Rainbow Bridge. We think she held on until Easter because everyone was home and she got to spend time with everyone together.

 She has been with our family for as long as I can remember, I was only five when we brought her home. Pumpkin was the sweetest dog who put up with so much from my sister and I as we played dress up with her and pushed her around in a doll stroller. She was also a very well traveled dog. In the picture above, Brittney is holding her in Mexico. Pumpkin traveled with us out to California one summer when we were "homeless" (in the middle of moving from WI to NC).

 In her younger days she could keep up on LONG walks/hikes for miles and miles. My mom walked her several miles a day, every day, when she was younger so she was able to keep up with us until she was about 13 years old.

 As she got older she just wanted to curl up and sleep somewhere soft and warm. When we couldn't find her in the evening we had to check each bedroom to see where she had put herself to bed that night.

 Pumpkin joins our other pet at the Rainbow Bridge, Pickles, a kitty we lost in 2006.

We miss you, sweet girl.

Easter Weekend

I'm a little late with this post....but this week has been pretty rough. Another post on that soon.

Camp fire on Friday and Saturday night in the fire pit. Raley still thinks she's lap-sized :-)

 Raley, Britt, Bryan, and me.

 Pogo and I relaxing on the deck on Sunday.

 First try at making Cake Pops!

They were cute but really time and labor intensive-I don't think I'll be making them again any time soon. To get them to stay on the sticks they had to be so small that I could've made at least three dozen! I didn't though, I made about 15 and then rolled the rest of the cake stuff into large balls that I dipped in candy coating and decorated.

After I made them I didn't really want to eat them. The candy coating stuff wasn't particularly tasty and was really kind of thick. I couldn't figure out how to get it thinner-which I tried-to make them less heavy. Anyhow-the cake/icing mixture was good minus the candy coating-which I ate plenty of while rolling them into balls :-)

Overall it was a fun weekend with the family.