the "-ings" of friday

on this friday, october 22nd, i am....

Wishing: for this mirror above my mantel. 

Thanking: taylor for supporting our family all by himself while i'm a jobless student.

Obsessing: over THIS dress sienna miller wore to some charity event the other day. it's a nina ricci. if i had $5,000 i would buy it. [insert jealousy here]

Planning: on waking up early enough to garage sale it up tomorrow. i'm going for that whole: "oh my gosh, yes, look at all these gorgeous unique accents in my home i stumbled upon for 99 cents and just spruced up a bit". yeah. right. i figure i'll try once though.

Listening: as always, to NPR. this week is the member donation drive, so if anyone wants to donate my share for me, please feel free :) i'll make it up to them one day.

Watching: america's most wanted in criminal procedure today since my professor is out of town. come on man, cancel class instead!!! i wonder how far these re-enactment actors are gonna get in their careers....because i think i've picked out some bright stars.

Craving: that wonderful cotes du rhone from costco. you can crave wine right?

Laughing: at the thought of putting Shamus in this kilt and tam for halloween!! (i know this is Scottish and i advertise Shamus's heritage as Irish, but i think their two great cultures can come together to celebrate my American holiday, yeh?)

Missing: my friends who live near and far! seeing so many a couple weeks ago, like always, was a strong reminder of how lucky i am and how much more i wish i saw everyone!

And Also Thanking: emily griffin for commenting on my post last night, the clapping is working!! i love you!

"leave it!"

well, i have been sick since last saturday, but am finally feeling ok. the highlight of my week, however, has been reading 'to kill a mockingbird' for the first time since it was assigned in 9th grade. it's such an extraordinary book, i can't get enough of it. i will be so sad when i'm done!

in puppy news, shamus has a nipping/biting problem.     :)         (that smiley face was sarcastic.)
i know he'll grow out of it, but we are in a constant battle, and i think he might be winning. those teeth are sharp.

and don't worry, if he can't be chewing on ME, he sneaks in our room to snatch the next best thing!

30 rock live

my fall tv line up was missing a BIG one. 30 Rock!

one of my absolute favorites. ever.

anyways, tonight's episode is live, and here's hoping they will pull it off! i'm so excited. it's supposed to have a John Hughes-themed plot line where everyone forgets Liz's birthday. 

ready, set, DVR!

extra, extra!

http://aldifoods.com/us/html/offers/offers_10_20_2010_ENU_HTML.htm?WT.z_src=main

aldi's special buys as of October 20 are the best yet!
theme: "the italian cook"
lasagna noodles, rigatoni, assorted pestos, nicer EVOO, roasted red peppers, risotto, ravioli, angel hair, pizza crust, marinated mozzarella, cookbooks, and more! all things i had to go to hyvee to get...are now at my personal mecca.

aaannndd, nabisco 100 calorie packs! $1.99. yes.

pointless post about shamus

so, other than going pee in his kennel, refusing to "come", refusing to walk on his leash, jumping, biting, etc. etc. etc., shamus is still getting cuter and sweeter every day!
i know this is all to be expected and more, i just can't wait until he's old enough for real obedience lessons. i'm exhausted!

new collar and new toy!

ok. i promise these boring blog posts about my dog will not become a habit :)

life with shamus

sooo....this is the first time i've been able to sit down and write about my adorable, sweet, smart, hellion of a puppy!
taylor and i had been looking at miniature australian shepherds for about a year off and on, but after an awesome weekend in denver with adam, jamie, liz, and the smith's dog luna, we both decided we were 100% ready. we got home from denver last monday, immediately got on the net to 'seriously' look for our dog, and just couldn't find the perfect one....but pretty much at the same time we both perked up at the thought of getting a full size aussie instead of a mini. it was sort of a 'duh' moment for both of us. since we were so ready to be pet parents, that extra 15-20 pounds really wasn't an issue anymore, and regular aussies seemed like the better choice for a number of other reasons. so i googled australian shepherd breeders in kansas and missouri, and ran across our man! the perfect color, ready the next day at eight weeks old, male, about $400 less than most of the other breeders we were looking at and only 3 hours away! everything on our list! we called and arranged to meet in macon, missouri the next day. i skipped class for the second day in a row, got in the car, and came home 5 and a half hours later with a dog! it all happened so fast but it was just too good to be true! and when we saw him, it was even better. Shamus O'Toole McCue Hartley rode home on my lap, sweetly endured the longest, most indecisive trip to petsmart ever, met my mom and dad, slept through the night in his kennel, and became the love of our lives!!

over the six days we have had him, he has:
 - been taken outside probably 100+ times, and pees EVERY time
- visited three vets to pick out his fave, then made his parents extremely happy by deciding to be painfully tired during his actual vet visit so that he seemed like the best dog ever but really he was just half passed out
- been dragged on about eight walks where his herding instincts run rampant so he runs right into your ankles....and me being the paranoid first time puppy owner seriously thought he was blind....thank god i was just dumb.
- been the pickiest little dude ever with treats, we had to go through four kinds to get it right. snob. :)
- made his mom talk to people in her "dog praise" voice on accident...
- had two play dates with gus, my family's 11 year old moron of a dog who is scared shitless of this 9 pound puppy who herds him around the back yard and steals his kong.
- made an appearance at the UMKC law softball tournament, therefore making taylor and i the most popular people there
- visibly grown. a lot. he won't be small for long at all!
- been liking me and taylor equally!! yes! i was so nervous i'd be second in line to my dog whisperer of a husband :)

he's a TON of work but so worth it!

posing for the camera. really, he does it!

please ignore my strange bang-thang.

p.s. my name is pronounced "shay-miss" or "shay-mus". i'm not a female orca whale named "shamoo". it is an alternate spelling of the irish name seamus, the gaelic equivalent of james. yeah, i'm a bad ass.