Schubert (flea) Dip

I always thought the guy on that EMF album cover looked like he was suffering from fleas....



Aaargh! There is a plague upon the Hoogestraat household, and it comes in the form of fleas. Yes, those icky, biting, jumping, nasty little bugs. I hate them. We first noticed it when we got back from Hawaii. The dogs seemed especially itchy and scratchy, and poor Adora's tummy was looking threadbare and raw. So we promptly gave them flea baths, sprayed down the furniture and bedding, and administered preventative drops.

The bathing process was not even remotely enjoyable for either dogs or humans. Spanky seemed to be used to it, because he stood fairly still and gave me a soulful look the whole time. Perhaps his previous owners had him frequently groomed? When I mistakenly fondled his empty man pouch, thinking it was one of several hair mats near his rump, he turned to me and stared. I apologized and let go of the droopy parcel.

Adora was no less thrilled, and she actually jumped out of the tub when we first started. I had to haul her back into the tub, both of us struggling and wet and covered in loose dog hair. She settled down after that and let me wash her, and Pete came upstairs to assist me. But she was pouty and mad the entire time, and would not look at either of us, but instead fixed her eyes on the shower faucet and sulked.

The same treatment was necessary for the cats a week later. I noticed Max was looking rather thin and lethargic, and upon closer inspection I saw tiny black bugs in his soft white fur. Yuck. So into the tub Max and Dollie both went, howling and hissing and not being very happy. It's interesting that when we bathed the cats they stood up and clung to the soap bar like little wet people. Max was the better behaved of the two, and he just kept looking back at Pete and me with sad green eyes. I think he actually welcomed the attention though, because he looked like he had a really bad case of fleas.

Dollie, on the other hand, was a screaming and clawing nightmare, which shocked us. We expected her to practially frolic in the water and do her usual goofy hijinks. But instead she was like a bar of wet, furry soap, slipping and sliding out of our grasp each time we tried to lather up the flea shampoo. Finally I think we just wore her out, and she submitted just as Max had, paws wrapped around the soap bar and a scowl on her face. She definitely did NOT enjoy the attention as he had. When her bath was over, her attitude change was like night and day. She became the sweet and playful Dollie once again, and she went about drying herself on the furniture and nonchalantly observing the dogs, who were captivated by this weird, damp creature before them.

Well, we thought we had everything wrapped up, and that we would only need to distribute the medicated drops once a month, which was easy enough. But oh, no! Adora has begun scratching and biting at herself again, and Spanky has recently been looking a little too itchy too. So now we have to go through this process all over again. Tonight we'll once again round up the dogs, sequester them in the bathroom, scrub them down while fighting to keep our patience (and footing), and release them to the living room, where they'll both immediately roll their soggy bodies around on our nice, clean couches. Yay. I only pray that we don't have to bathe the cats again. I don't think I have it in me to endure another session with a frantic, clawing bundle of moist anger.

And now for something completely different...

Kodachrome

They give us those nice bright colors

They give us the greens of summers

Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah

I got a Nikon camera

I love to take a photograph

So mama don't take my Kodachrome away

Every time I hear the song "Kodachrome" by Paul Simon, it makes me all happy and cheerful. It makes me want to go outside and chase all the colors with my camera.

(Photo courtesy of Olivia)

Give us this day, our daily dread

(I'm writing this at 9:33 a.m. while I sit at my desk at work...here's me looking longingly outside.)

I dread going to work. No, seriously, I do. I can't begin to describe the sick feeling I get every night as I get my clothes ready for the next day, and I set my alarm for the butt crack of dawn. Sunday nights are the worst. At that point I've been home all weekend with Pete and the furry children, doing fun stuff, or even just house cleaning, but I'm not HERE. The sense of panic and despair begins to set in around 4:00. I start to have a vague sense of apprehension and my mood begins to shift to the darker end of the spectrum. At first, I'm always mystified as to why. But as the hours roll by, I begin to realize why, which sets off a cycle of anxiety and irritation that never fully stops once I'm asleep. Of course, the next morning is a continuation of this depression, and right off the bat I've already ruined another glorious start to the day by feeling scared, uneasy, and gloomy. Sometimes the fog never quite lifts, and I don't fully escape my doldrums, even after I've left work for the day. Other days I'm more able to shake off the negativity, and I think of all the wonderful things in my life that are going on. Fridays tend to be the best day for obvious reasons, but I'm also usually humming with creative energy on that day, and my mind is a blur of possibility.

Well, if there's one thing I can take comfort in, it's that the day always ends. I get to go home with my wonderful husband, see all of our animals, and be happy again, if for a little while, at least.

Toothpaste in the eye

I accidentally splashed (shot? splurted? splooshed?) some toothpaste in my eye this morning while brushing my teeth. I think it should replace "slap in the face" as a negative expression. Then people can say, "Boy, that was sure some toothpaste in the eye, huh?" and people would nod knowingly and tsk tsk. It really burns, that's for sure.

(Image courtesy Jupiter Images)

Uh oh...

My Dodo's in heat (Dodo is our nickname for Adora). We've been meaning to fix Adora since we got her last fall, but it's been a nutty roller coaster called life that we've been riding lately, with the wedding and honeymoon and all. And I know she's in heat because she is starting to jump around more on the couches, hump her brother (Spanky), and bark and ar-ar! more than usual. "Ar-ar!" is the sound she makes when she's agitated and horny, and when she wants us humans to wake up! go! jump! do something! because she's in heat and can't think! Adora is particularly annoying when she's like this, and not much makes her settle down, unless we send her to her cage.

I tried to sit her down and explain that ladies must learn to control their desires, that they can't go humping everything in sight and roam the neighborhood in search of a good time. Adora didn't appear to be listening at all, and her eyes bounced around wildly in her skull. When I finished my little speech and told her to chill out and sit down, Adora promptly jumped onto the couch next to Pete, wiggled around madly like she was on fire, and kicked at everything in her vicinity, including poor bewildered (and irritated) Spanky.

Well, we plan on taking all the animals to the vet this month for their annual exams, and I think we're also going to investigate some places that spay dogs. The procedure can cost a fortune, so we want to try to save money and find a fairly inexpensive place. But on the other hand it's our furry girl Dodo that we are sending to the operating room, so we want to be safe and choose wisely. Hopefully this will be the last hormonal wave we'll all have to ride before we have Adora fixed. Spanky will sure be pleased. No more being humped by Adora or getting kicked in the head by her spastic legs. And after all, Spanky had to visit the chop shop too, so it's Dodo's turn.

To create a children's book

I have this nagging idea in my mind that won't go away...I keep thinking about creating my own children's book, and I think I might actually go for it. You can publish your own work online at sites like lulu, and there are all kinds of options you can choose from for printing and binding your book. If anything, now is the moment for me to hop on this task and get things going creatively. I have time now that I'm on hiatus from my freelance job (which makes me nervous, I'll admit), and my 9 to 5 work is slow (as always). And the wedding is long over, so my free time has suddenly returned. Yay, what a concept!

Anyhow, I've had some ideas bouncing around my head for a while now, so I know I should just go ahead and get started. Although the sweetness of doing nothing but watching tv keeps calling to me, and my body and mind are tired from the summer's activities, there is still the desire in these bones to do something creative and fun and interesting (beside blogging). So there you have it. I'm leaning toward a story that involves my furry children in some way, perhaps focusing on the dogs—we'll see. It's exciting to me just thinking about the concept for the book, so that's a good sign, eh?

Well, I looked over what's for sale at lulu, and I certainly think I can crank one of these out on my own (write and illustrate). And I know a lot about printing, since I have worked for a prepress house for over ten years now, so the nuts and bolts of the book won't be rocket science to me. I just need a good kick in the butt (and lots of encouragement), because I'm not seeing myself reaching for that pencil or firing up Photoshop as I sit here and propose all this upcoming work. I'm good at the talk, but not so much the walk.

So what's making me hesitate? Laziness? Yes, I'll admit that. Fear? Maybe. Uncertainty? Perhaps as far as where to start. Yes, I have an idea to use my dogs in the story, but what style do I use? Do I work in a traditional format (pen and paper) or create the drawings on the computer? What age group do I aim for? How many copies do I make? Hey, that would sure be a neat Christmas gift to give out to my family. But that's a tall order, thinking I'd get all this done and printed by Christmas.

Sorry, just thinking out loud here and babbling quite a bit. I'm sorta giving myself a mental push and thinking through stuff in the form of blogging. Who says blogging isn't good therapy? Reminds me of why I enjoy it so very much....

Well, I'll start on the book right after I watch the "Sex and the City" movie that Pete brought home today. I need to unwind and brainstorm and formulate a plan. I know, it sounds like the lazy way out and like I'm not being very proactive, right? Oh, contraire!  This is how we artists work. We watch a little tv, goof around on the Internet for a while, blog, read some fashion magazines, raid the freezer for some Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie, blog some more, and then, ONLY then, are we ready to unleash our creativity upon the world. 

It's a very grueling creative process we go through, let me tell you.

(Book covers courtesy of lulu)

Beauty in the mundane

For some reason, everything is very vivid to me today. Not sure why, it being a normal Tuesday and nothing spectacular happening in my life right now. But I noticed that everything I've eaten so far tastes very rich and flavorful. My coffee was extra creamy, and the brew lingered on my tongue after every sip. My hash browns were extra crunchy and salty, and even my cereal this morning was sweet and delicate and crispy, with the milk enveloping the mix of grains in a smooth white blanket.

The intensity hasn't been limited to the palate, however. For instance, I just threw on an average outfit today, complete with flip flops and jeans, but Pete seemed especially entranced by my appearance (must be half asleep!). Pete, of course, looked handsome as always. There were several misty lowlands along our route to work, and each one was more breathtaking than the previous. The sun was gloriously rising, slicing through the thick fog, and my mouth hung open at the stunning vision before me. I wished I had a camera with me so I could snap a photo or two, but it was not meant to be. The fact that I was doing 50 mph in rush hour traffic probably would have stifled my attempts at photography too.

And even coming in to work, which, I know, is bearly tolerable on the best of days, seemed a sun kissed and bright activity. My desk was bathed in shifting shadows and beams of light, and the pink daisies scattered across it gave me a silent but cheerful greeting as I started up my computer. Even the traffic outside was beautiful, with the sun streaming through the trees and the cars quietly whisking to and fro. The leaves on the trees outside my window were backlit and gleaming, and the plants on my sill looked perky and green like never before.

So what do I attribute this to? I don't even know where to begin. But I do know that I will sit back, enjoy the sensations I'm experiencing, perhaps try to take a picture or two, and hope that I remember this day for years to come. What a blessing.

(Photos taken with my iPhone)

Whaaa...?

Thanks, Dollie, for accurately illustrating how I feel this morning.

First stabs at macro

I took these the other day while goofing around with my Sigma on the macro setting. I'm rather fond of the mirror shot. Nothing special or particularly sharp—just feeling out the lens, I guess. And I know there's a decidedly yellow cast to the images, but oh well. I actually kind of like it. I'm really itching to get outside and take some botanical pix.

Rainy days and Mondays

Couldn't resist the Carpenters reference—sorry.

It's a good day to curl up with a book and snuggle with the furry children on the couch. I'm currently reading "Compulsion" by Jonathan Kellerman. I know, I know, it's not some ground-breaking piece of work, but it's good, suspenseful writing, and I happen to enjoy the Alex Delaware novels. Wow, I sound a bit defensive, don't I?

Hmmm, where's my fuzzy leopard print blanket? My toes are cold, and this is a good part that's coming up in Chapter 4....

Is this weird?

I bought this wee little t-shirt yesterday while I was at Target with Izzy. We found it on the clearance rack for $4.88, and something about it nagged at me. No, I do not have a baby, and yes, it is a garish green color. Of course I love the Beatles, and this cartoon was always a blast to watch, but there was more to it than that. For some reason I could see our future tot wearing this shirt and a diaper, and the image stuck with me as I stood in line to pay for my stuff. 

And so I brought it home, somewhat sheepishly, and lay it out on the enamel table in the kitchen, waiting for Pete's reaction. And when there was none, I asked him what he thought about it. He said it was cool. And, surprisingly to me, Pete didn't think it was at all weird to buy this little shirt so far in advance, just because I saw it and it spoke to me. I think he "got it" too.

Cake Wrecks

Found this blog called Cake Wrecks while checking out the Blogs of Note at Blogger. As a somewhat proud baker who takes special care in cake decorating, I can appreciate all these cakes gone oh so wrong. LOVE the Tom Selleck cake! (Question to family: Can I have one for our group birthday party at the end of the month? Awesome!)

(Photos courtesy Cake Wrecks)

How do I look?

I was in my bathroom a few minutes ago, and I happened to glance at the mirror on the vanity. This cheeky little bird was peeking back at me, admiring itself draped in pretty baubles.

Welcome to The Think Tank!

Izzy just created her own blog called The Think Tank. She's already been bitten by the blogging bug like her ol' Aunt Chris. Poor thing!

And a special thanks to...

Hey, thanks to Kat at anything goes for helping me set up my Flickr badge. You and your blog rock!

The Cloud Appreciation Society

Georgia introduced me to this website that's all about clouds. There's lots of interesting stuff about clouds there, and if you have a photo (or two) that you'd like to submit to the online gallery, go here. I just submitted two photos of my own, and it was super easy.

(Photos courtesy of Jochun Ho, Obby, and Vanessa Sonnabend via The Cloud Appreciation Society)

Kitler sighting at Petco!

I was at the Petco in Wheaton last night with Nicole, Izzy, and Amelia, and I spotted this kitler for sale. I think he's adorable, and the urge to adopt was strong, but I resisted and left only with his photo.

Bill Campbell pottery

Remember how I mentioned the unique pottery of the Eschelman Pottery Studio the other day? Well, I'd like to bring to your attention the gorgeous pottery of Bill Campbell. I discovered his work while vacationing in the Adirondacks last year with Pete, Jeanette, and Olivia. I happened to be shopping in Lake Placid and I stumbled into a neat little art gallery that sold pottery, statues, and other unique gifts. And let me tell you, I went a little nutty in there. I'm not usually one to buy up a bunch of artwork. Something has to really speak to me in order for me to want to shell out money for it (like Bird Nerd's work).

So when I walked in and spied his pieces on display, my mouth fell open and I went into a purchasing frenzy. I had to limit myself to only a few pieces, since they are rather delicate and would not travel well being jostled in the back of the car. There was a little space in an antique trunk that I had bought, so I figured whatever I could fit in there, I would buy. 

I ended up selecting a lovely vase, dish, and some serving pieces. And they are quite beautiful. Of course I can't show you any pictures of the pieces I bought, since they are still packed away in my trunk. But I can tell you that they are shimmering, irridescent little drops of hand-fired eye candy. I'm drawn to Campbell's work like a blackbird is drawn to shiny bits of tin foil.

The best thing is, I checked out the availability of his pottery here in Illinois, and there are plenty of galleries that carry his work! So I'm already twitching and formulating excuses to visit a few local galleries and perhaps snatch a piece or two (or three) of my version of shiny tin foil.

(Photos courtesy of Jeff S. Willis)

Olympus Stylus 1010

I'm seriously wanting to go purchase this little blue gem any day now. I keep telling Pete that I picked out the camera I want, and can I please please please go buy it this weekend, but I just get a distracted "Sure." Maybe I should ask him when he's trapped in the car with me and I can drive us right over to the store to go get one.

Update: I just mentioned it to Pete for the 48th time this weekend (mind you, it's only Saturday night) and he said "Sure, sure, wanna go get it tomorrow?" But I can't find it anywhere in the stores around here. There might be one available at the Bolingbrook Target, but I can get it for over $30 cheaper (shipping included) at B & H, which is a fantastic online photography store. Every time I order from them I get the best prices, the stuff is well packaged, and it comes super duper fast. Anyhow, Pete's totally cool with me buying the camera online, so it's just a matter of getting the moolah from him and placing my order. Oh yeeeaaaah.

Macro photography

Since I'm planning on getting a new compact digital camera (I'm seriously thinking of the Olympus Stylus 1010 in blue), I'm particularly interested in those with macro capabilities. My Sigma 28-135mm macro lens is wonderful, but it only has macro capability at the 135 focal length. I like the dedicated macro capability of the Sigma Zoom Super Wide Angle 18-50mm lens, but it costs a pretty penny, so I have to save up for it.

Anyhow, Georgia has been a little shutterbug since she got her Canon A470 a few months ago (just as I knew she'd be!) and has been producing some very lovely macro photography. Check out the flower images she captured. I love not only that she got such close up photos, but also that she composed them in such a unique and interesting way. The colors are so vivid that they pop.

The green caterpillar was shot by her brother Nate's recent lady friend, whose name I have forgotten at the moment. It's a truly stunning image, and I'm sooooo jealous! She also has quite the eye for photography.

Well, I can't wait to get my new compact camera so I can start playing with the Macro and Super Macro modes. And yes, I'll definitely be outside this weekend taking tons of flower and bug pictures with my Sigma-enhanced Alpha....

(Photos courtesy of Georgia)

Photo of the Week: "Dollie in the Bathroom Sink"

I'm starting a feature called Photo of the Week, which will appear every Friday. I have a crapload of photos that never quite make it to my blog for various reasons, yet I'd like to highlight them in some way. I'd like to be ambitious and call it Photo of the Day, but I know myself too well and don't think I'll be all that consistent in posting daily photos. So, I figure a week is good.

Anyhow, here's this week's photo. This one is called "Dollie in the Bathroom Sink" because that's exactly what it is, our cat in our bathroom sink. I'm featuring Dollie this week because she's been staging a silent but effective mini cat revolution for the last several days. The cats have been upstairs for a few months now, but they tend to shy away from the living room, or what I call, "Dog Central." It can get crazy in there with dogs jumping/barking/eating/sleeping/etc. and it's a scary place for a dog-shy cat to be.

But Dollie is persistent, if nothing else. She had been hanging out on the kitchen counter for a while now, which put her in the middle of most of the action (and food), but she still missed out when we'd all go watch tv or snooze on the couches. So she has been staking claim to spots in the living room, and be damned any dog that tries to drive her out! Dollie has a couple of key strategic locations that she has frequented, such as the back of the big puffy chair, on top of Pete's guitar case, and strangest of all, smack dab in the middle of the coffee table. You would think this would be a bad spot for a scaredy cat to set up watch, but not for Dollie, it seems. The dogs circle her like hungry sharks—with me Dog-Whispering them to shoo them away and break up the bad energy and staring contests—yet she holds her ground and acts like she's casually hanging out, with not a worry in sight.

So I'm giving props to Dollie for having the balls to face our cat patrol team members, and hang out with mama and papa in the living room. And yes, this is a picture of her in the bathroom sink, but it's so darn cute I couldn't resist. She lost that little pink collar that matches her nose eons ago (somewhere in our murky basement) but it lives on in this photo.

Okay, there you go. I can't say whether there will be this much of an explanation for future Photos of the Week, but as anyone who knows me well can tell you, I love to babble about my furry children.

Vanity plates

I noticed a lot of vanity plates on my way in to work this morning, so I thought I'd share some with you. Of course, once I started actually looking for them, they were suddenly scarce or not that funny/interesting.

Here's some of what I saw today:

PINHD 1
FIESTO
SHOW ME 2
SUGA 3 (my favorite)
BCUZ 789
GOBACK 1

Ah, these are sorta lame, so I'm going to keep my eye out for better ones this afternoon, if I can remember. My brain becomes a finely ground mush by the end of the work day, especially on a Friday.

How about you? Seen any good ones lately?

(Photos courtesy of elbowsdecidedlyakimbo, tagteam.com, msmail's Flickr page)