Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Semi-Annual Anniversary!
So today marks our 2½ year wedding anniversary. It’s hard to believe that Eric and I have been together for 7½ year already! It really doesn’t seem like it’s been that long. Since it’s only a half-year anniversary, it wasn’t that big of a deal, but we thought that we should do something fun to celebrate nonetheless! So we went to Claim Jumpers (or Clam Jumpers, as I like to call it). Huge portions and cheap prices! Can’t beat that.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
One Kitty Hotel for Blake & Penny!
Shhh!! They don’t know that their new “hotel” is simply two enormous dog training crates linked together… So, we’ve been thinking more and more about the possibility of selling our condo and looking for an affordable house. We met with the same team of realtors once again (Liz and Nancy) and I’ve still been keeping busy with all the cleaning and organizing that need to be done in the meantime. However, we’ve been at a real loss when it comes to our kids! What does one do with their beloved pets when their house is on the market? I’ve done some research, and the overwhelming conclusion is that pets distract and even scare away potential buyers. It seems that the sheer sight of a pet dwelling in a home for sale serves as a warning sign for a number of unpleasant things, such as carpet stains, odd smells, damage to walls and fixtures- the list goes on. Needless to say, I’ve been stressing myself out over what can be done with our kids when the place needs to be shown.
Our options were few to begin with- there is no way that I could even think about boarding them at a kennel. Aside from the ridiculous cost, I just couldn’t cage my pets in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people in tiny crates for who knows how long. And I would feel awful if they contracted some sort of kennel illness. So that option was scratched immediately. Then we thought about the possibility of leaving them with a friend or family member. But, that option presented another collection of problems. First, most of our family and friends have their own pets. Then, there’s the fact that the house might be on the market for quite a while, who knows how long! Is it really realistic that we cart our kids to and from another house on a daily or even weekly basis? That would not only be stressful for them, but for us and for the family or friend that would be required to care for them in our absence. So that idea was thrown out too. Next, our realtors suggested that we simply leave the kids to roam free around the house and when it was being shown, we could post notes on doors and windows warning the visitors not to allow the pets to escape. A viable option, but could we trust strangers to ensure that our kids stay inside where they belong? And what if a potential buyer has a fear of cats or severe allergies? That would be an instant deal breaker.
So, one day while I was at work, I was browsing on amazon.com and came across a dog crate for sale. This made me think- could we put the kids safely away in a crate in a corner of the extra bedroom for an hour or two during showing appointments? I talked to Eric and we thought that it just might work, if the crate was large enough. So I went out shopping and eventually landed at Ross (of all places for pet supplies!) and happened to stumble upon 2 big dog crates. I bought them both. Since each crate had two doors, we simply linked the crates together, put a food and water bowl inside, and I made a little cushion for them to sleep on. And so far, so good! We’ve left the contraption open for them to play in and out of and I’ve even found Mr. Blake sleeping in it on my way out the door one day. We figure that once they’re used to it, it won’t be an issue for them to take a nap or hang out in the “hotel” when we have appointments or an open house. Not a perfect solution by far, but we won’t have to worry about them escaping, bothering agents and buyers (not that they would!), burdening a friend or family member, or being uprooted from their familiar home.
Problem solved!
Our options were few to begin with- there is no way that I could even think about boarding them at a kennel. Aside from the ridiculous cost, I just couldn’t cage my pets in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people in tiny crates for who knows how long. And I would feel awful if they contracted some sort of kennel illness. So that option was scratched immediately. Then we thought about the possibility of leaving them with a friend or family member. But, that option presented another collection of problems. First, most of our family and friends have their own pets. Then, there’s the fact that the house might be on the market for quite a while, who knows how long! Is it really realistic that we cart our kids to and from another house on a daily or even weekly basis? That would not only be stressful for them, but for us and for the family or friend that would be required to care for them in our absence. So that idea was thrown out too. Next, our realtors suggested that we simply leave the kids to roam free around the house and when it was being shown, we could post notes on doors and windows warning the visitors not to allow the pets to escape. A viable option, but could we trust strangers to ensure that our kids stay inside where they belong? And what if a potential buyer has a fear of cats or severe allergies? That would be an instant deal breaker.
So, one day while I was at work, I was browsing on amazon.com and came across a dog crate for sale. This made me think- could we put the kids safely away in a crate in a corner of the extra bedroom for an hour or two during showing appointments? I talked to Eric and we thought that it just might work, if the crate was large enough. So I went out shopping and eventually landed at Ross (of all places for pet supplies!) and happened to stumble upon 2 big dog crates. I bought them both. Since each crate had two doors, we simply linked the crates together, put a food and water bowl inside, and I made a little cushion for them to sleep on. And so far, so good! We’ve left the contraption open for them to play in and out of and I’ve even found Mr. Blake sleeping in it on my way out the door one day. We figure that once they’re used to it, it won’t be an issue for them to take a nap or hang out in the “hotel” when we have appointments or an open house. Not a perfect solution by far, but we won’t have to worry about them escaping, bothering agents and buyers (not that they would!), burdening a friend or family member, or being uprooted from their familiar home.
Problem solved!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Chick-fil-a!
I was first introduced to Chick-fil-a when Eric and I traveled to Texas for the first time, back in 2005. It’s nothing more than a fast-food restaurant that serves all kinds of chicken options, but I do have to admit that it is rather enjoyable. It was founded in the South some time ago, and is rare on the West Coast, but we recently learned that there is one in Fairfield! So of course we had to stop in on our way up to Sacramento over the weekend to visit with friends (Happy Birthday Kaleb!!). I had chicken strips and Eric had a chicken sandwich. Even though Eric said that it wasn’t quite as good as back home in Texas, he was satisfied (he will get to enjoy the real thing back home in Texas when we visit in July for his cousin’s wedding).
We started heading home from Sacramento around dinnertime when I remembered another fine eating establishment that I particularly enjoy- BJ’s! It’s a brewery/grill chain restaurant and there just so happens to be one right off I-80 in Vacaville. My colleagues at school are always raving about BJ’s (there’s one in San Bruno, near SF) and some crazy dish called a Pizookie. So, we just had to stop in and try it. I ordered a basalmic chicken dish with cheddar mashed potatoes (very good) and Eric had a steak sandwich with wedge potato fries. We made sure to save enough room for the Oreo Pizookie- a huge chocolate deep-dish cookie topped with vanilla ice cream and a cookie mousse. It was great! So, after a big day of driving, visiting, and eating, we spent the next day detoxing from all the food we ate the day before… it was well worth it though!
We started heading home from Sacramento around dinnertime when I remembered another fine eating establishment that I particularly enjoy- BJ’s! It’s a brewery/grill chain restaurant and there just so happens to be one right off I-80 in Vacaville. My colleagues at school are always raving about BJ’s (there’s one in San Bruno, near SF) and some crazy dish called a Pizookie. So, we just had to stop in and try it. I ordered a basalmic chicken dish with cheddar mashed potatoes (very good) and Eric had a steak sandwich with wedge potato fries. We made sure to save enough room for the Oreo Pizookie- a huge chocolate deep-dish cookie topped with vanilla ice cream and a cookie mousse. It was great! So, after a big day of driving, visiting, and eating, we spent the next day detoxing from all the food we ate the day before… it was well worth it though!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
