I have been looking for an online tool which would allow me to map out my garden area.  Not only the veggies but also the flowers and basically the whole layout of our property.  Allow me to introduce you to Plan Garden.  You can map out just your veggies or you can do it all.  Either way it’s cool and fun and pleases my OCD greatly.

You can click and drag the layout above and move around (similar to google maps) or you can view the map larger. The veggie garden is in the top left.  I’m still figuring out what to plant where. It’s a science trying to rotate everything, plus I have a lot of new stuff that I didn’t grow last year (corn, brocolli, cauliflower, carrots) and I want to pick the right spot for each.  Oh good times, fresh veggies!

Plan Your Garden With Plangarden

Why would anyone say “Happy Tax Day”.  It’s just so moronic.  I’d punch them or stab them in the face if they were in front of me. But since they aren’t I’m just going to tell all 3 of you how much it pisses me off. *shakes fist*

So, I just finished filing.  I was going to do an extension but something about that I didn’t like.  Like the fact that MY TAXES WOULDN’T BE DONE!  That doesn’t sit well with me. Because I have the crazy brain!

But, we owed this year, which is the first year I think I’ve ever owed taxes.  However every other year include w-2 income.  2008 brought a full year where neither of us received a w-2 and I underestimated our taxes.  Or underestimated our income I guess.  Which is good in the sense that, hey, look we made more money than I thought we would.  But fuck, now I have to come up with a couple grand. 

The IRS apparently offers a nifty little installment plan.  They still rake you over the coals with interest and penalties, but they’ll allow you to make payments.  So I did that.  And wouldn’t you know, they charge a fee on top of the interest and penalties to use an installment plan.  Where is the logic in that?  Oh, I know, they can do it and so they do it.

I promised myself that I would take better care of our finances this year.  Once upon a time I used to file my taxes on February 1st - the days when I wasn’t a small business owner and things were simpler.  I’m setting a goal to file next year no later than March 1st.  And to also more accurately estimate our income.  I don’t ever want to be in this position again.

So, did you have a Happy Tax Day? *groan*

Three weeks ago we started an obedience class with Frosty.  I really wanted to do it so he could socialize with other dogs.  He had started to display some “Dewey Signs” (barking at strange dogs and people, separation anxiety, uncontrollable barking at anyone/thing outside the house) and the last thing I want or need is two crazy ass dogs who I can not control.

I have to say, he’s at the head of his class.  What else can you expect really?  He is an Aussie after all and them dogs are SMART!  

I thought that I would find out that we were doing a lot of things wrong, since we have the crazy Dewey as proof of all that we have done wrong. However, I was surprised to learn that I was doing a lot right.  I just needed a bit more guidance and homework.  I love homework.  It gives me a definitive goal to work towards.  It’s like having a list of items to check off and complete.  It totally feeds into my obsessive-compulsiveness.

There is this one dog in the class, a wee little dachshund.  Frosty does not like her at all.  Or he wants to hump her, I can’t really tell.  The first week Frosty would just sit and bark and whimper and bark at her.  I had to actually pull him to the side of my chair so he couldn’t make eye contact with her and so that I could actually hear the instructor.  I was thoroughly embarrassed by my anti-social puppy.

Last week he did the same exact thing within minutes of arriving.  However, I was prepared because the week before I learned about “targeting” which Frosty picked up quickly.  When he started to bark at the dachshund in class, I quickly grabbed a bunch of treats in one hand and asked Frosty to touch his nose to the palm of my other hand.  And he did it.  And he stopped barking!  And it was easy and fun.  Plus, our instructor didn’t have to yell over Frosty’s high pitched bark throughout the class.  I was pretty impressed with this simple technique because it really forced Frosty to focus on me and not the other dog. 

We have another class tonight and I’m so excited.  Sean and I both look forward to it because it really helps keep us on track and gives us great tools for both dogs.  Plus Frosty is wiped out by the end of class.  I wish I could take him everyday!

As for Dewey, he wasn’t ready to be in a classroom environment.  His fear and shyness would not have mixed well. And not to brag or anything, but the dog has sit, down, leave it, roll-over, high five, targeting, etc. etc. down to a science; he just completely loses it when there are any distractions because he becomes so scared and fearful.  Once Frosty is done with class, our instructor will be working with Dewey one-on-one in our house which I think will really help him a lot.

Perhaps by the time summer rolls around, we’ll have two well-behaved and highly trained dogs.  I can hope anyway!

Okay, maybe not fooled…but do check and recheck and reread your bylaws and covenant.  Some HOA’s can and will restrict you from planting a tree or gerber daisies.  They’ll send nasty grams when you put your garbage pail out the day before pickup.  They’ll threaten to fine you a hundred dollars a day if you put screens in your front windows.

It’s a riot really.  And had I known just how crazy the “rules” were, we never would have purchased a home in a development.  I know that not all HOA’s are like this and ours is probably so strict right now because there are more vacant lots than not.  None the less, I hate them.  But I also can’t go back and I love my home.  I am so totally in love with my honey but everything else…as they say, the honeymoon is over!

If you don’t take care of yourself…you can’t take care of anyone else.

1. Get Fit!  I’m not worrying about numbers on the scale or the size I wear.  I’m worrying about my health and celebrating more anniversaries with my husband.  I joined Weight Watchers again and I’m excited about it.  I lost the most amount of weight doing Weight Watchers a few years ago and I look forward to it being just as helpful this last time. 

2. Stop Smoking!  I used to be a heavy smoker.  Then I quit when we were trying to get pregnant.  Then somewhere between not getting pregnant and moving to another state, I started “lightly” smoking.  Since our trip to NY, I’ve stopped completely.  I don’t miss it except when I’m driving, which isn’t much of an issue since I rarely drive these days. I don’t want to ever smoke again and if I wish to be successful at number one above, then I really need to be successful at number two.

3. Make more time to pamper myself.  In the last year I feel like I’ve gotten so far off track in this department.  It can be so hard for me to put myself first but I realize that I have to in order to live a calm and enjoyable life with my family. 

4. Make a budget and stick to it.  Period.

Oh wow, the holidays got the best of me this year and I’ve been pretty quiet all over the internet these past 2 or 3 weeks and now back to the regular day in schedule starts tomorrow.  I can’t wait.  Really.  I need my regular routine back or I might run away.

I hope you all had a great New Year and wonderful holiday season.  We were lucky enough to spend ours with family and friends.  We went to NY for a few days after Christmas and I got to see most of my family.  We brought Frosty and Dewey with us.  We thought we would have issues with Frosty but he was a gem.  I almost left Dewey back in NY, the little bastard has some major separation anxiety. We will be giving him a major attitude adjustment this year.

After our trip to NY, we found ourselves sick.  Some god awful stomach virus was/is going around.  That wrecked havoc for a few days and we’re both still not feeling 100%.  Our New Years Eve/Day was quiet. We napped a lot! I love napping  

Not to bring this whole update down, but over the New Years holiday our two nieces lost their mom to cancer.  We all knew it was coming but that somehow doesn’t always make it easier.  I don’t know.  I wish life made more sense sometimes.  eh.

Yesterday we drove down to South Carolina and met up with my mom.  her 14 year old dachshund is vacationing with us while my mom goes on a cruise.  Trudy is a doll.  And she’s been trying very patiently to put up with my two crazy puppies.  They will try desperately to play with her and all she wants to do is nap all day long.  Today will be her first full day and I can tell it’s going to be easy.  All she does is sleep and occasionally eat.  I’ve yet to hear her bark or make any sound other than snoring.  Sean has totally fallen in love with her.  There is no way my mom would give her up though and really, our pet quota is full.  Not that I’m complaining, I knew what I signed up for when we decided to get another puppy.  At least this time, I know there is an end in sight.  While Dewey has his separation anxiety, he is a wonderful and loyal dog.  I didn’t realize how grown up he was until Frosty came along. 

Anyway make any New Years resolutions?

I’ve decided this year to make “Promises to Myself” instead of resolutions.  I’ve never been into resolutions and “making a promise” sounds so much more doable.  I’m actually excited about it.

This morning I woke up to the sound of little whimpers.  The puppy was ready to start the day.  As I go down the stairs, I hear the stirrings of some of the other furry creatures living here.  Misty greeted me with a big meow and rubbed against my legs, as I stood near the back door getting Frosty’s harness and leash attached to his wiggly body.  By the time I have everything hooked up, Windy is sitting patiently in front of the door, waiting for her chance to escape.  She is the only one that wants to go outside and occasionally we’ll put her on a leash and walk her in the backyard.  She loves it.

When I get outside I notice that the ground is wet and there is a layer of frost over everything, giving the entire yard a wintry feel.  And under Frosty’s paws, he felt a wetness that meant: “I WILL NOT POOP ON THIS!”  because apparently pooping on anything that is wet is WRONG WRONG WRONG!  He hasn’t told me exactly what makes it so wrong but trust me, I know it must be wrong by the mountains of shit I’ve cleaned up in his crate and on the floor.  Once it dries up though, he’ll do his business outside like a champ.  We’re waiting…

Since Frosty refused to go, I brought him back in and put him right back into his crate. Now that the dogs have been taken care of, the trio of kitties start to meow.  Meow and rub and meow and rub.  This morning it was only Misty and Windy.  Which I thought was pretty odd, since The Chub (aka Twister) wants food constantly and if I left the food out all day long he would gorge himself.  I thought maybe The Chub had a rough night and might still be sleeping (he tends to party hard!).  So I start to put up a pot of coffee when I hear this scratching noise.  Then Dewey started to freak out at the pantry door.  Then I saw a little paw come out from under the door and when I opened it, The Chub squinted his eyes and let out a huge purr-meow (that’s what I call it.  I don’t know what it is and my other cats do not do it but he can purr/meow at the same time, making this really strange and almost humming like noise)  and then jumped out into the kitchen, where he joined the other two cats for their morning sing-a-long. 

Twister getting stuck in the pantry is cute and all but it could have turned out badly.  He was laying on a gigantic pile of grocery store plastic bags, that I store on the floor in there.  He could have suffocated or he could have gotten into some of the food as well.  I’m so thankful that nothing happened.  And we will definitely be doing a head count before bed every night from now on.

I’m sitting here now, enjoying my first cup of coffee…Twister is sleeping right under my feet and Dewey is laying to my left nibbling on his stuffed sheep.  Frosty has passed out in his crate and Windy is snoozing on the back of the couch, in her regular spot. Of course, Misty is nowhere to be found, though if I had to bet, I’d say she is up in the kitty room hanging out in the cat tower.  The Crazy has been replaced by a quiet peacefulness.  The house is so still, I’m almost tempted to go back to bed. 

I have cleaned up poop, pee and vomit this morning…all before 8am.

Who says we don’t have kids?