A Video For Book Lovers

This Is Where We Live from 4th Estate on Vimeo.

They even mangaged to use a Spike Milligan book!
(I found this at Craftzine.)

Snowpocalypse (or Snowmageddon) in Iowa

By the first official day of Winter here in Iowa, we already had snow and below-zero wind chills. This week we are getting more snow and more cold. When will it end!?!? I've lived in the Midwest most of my life, and I'll never get used to the snow and ice and cold.

This is Christmas week, which usually involves stress and lots of sugar for me, and this year is no exception. I've been rushing around trying to buy last-minute gifts and wrap them. I bought a bunch of holiday-themed cookie cutters a year or two ago and I haven't had a chance to use them this year. I think I'm going to bake some dog cookies tonight and use them for that. Of course, only one out of the two dogs will probably eat them, as Mr. Beau doesn't really like biscuits. I've been researching recipes online for cookies involving mostly cheese or meat in the hopes I'll find something he'll eat. I found a couple involving large amounts of cheddar or bacon, so that might work. He's very picky. Buddy, on the other hand, will eat just about anything.

On the subject of dogs, this cold weather has made it nearly impossible to walk them. It doesn't phase Buddy too much, as walks are not his raison d'etre, but Beau looks like he might resort to drinking. Tonight might be the first in two days that is mild enough to walk him. Buddy, though wearing a sweater or coat, still has trouble walking in the winter because of the snow and salt getting into his paws. I'm looking into getting him some booties, fully aware that he won't like them, but he's gonna wear them anyway. We get about halfway down the street and he starts limping and licking his little paws, so they're kind of an evil necessity.

This video is absolutely adorable to me. This doggie is owned by the blogger of Offbeat Bride. This gives me hope that Buddy might "warm" to wearing booties.

Snowpocalypse 2008 from arielmeadow on Vimeo.

We are off to Storm Lake tomorrow to spend Christmas with Sean's parents. Pray for us that the weather is OK on the way there and back. We are both absolute chickensh*ts when it comes to driving in winter weather anymore, and we'll have the dogs in the car with us, so we'll be doubly nervous.

I hope everyone has a happy holiday weekend!

Crazy Weather and Christmas Procrastination

This week, we had a day where the weather went from the upper 40's in the morning to -1 degree that night. I am happy to report I walked the dogs before it hit zero, but it still wasn't very warm. We had -25 degree wind chills yesterday, so the dogs did not get their walk. I'm sorry, but if they don't want to spend more than 2 minutes in the back yard, I'm certainly not taking them out for a 20+ minute walk, no siree. They don't seem too depressed, though I wonder how long I can keep this up. It is snowing like crazy right now AND in the teens, so I'm not sure if it will be walking weather tonight, either.

The dogs found the Christmas pile stash this week and have already absconded with two presents. We got smart and put the rest in a safe location, but with this weather, I'm sorely tempted to open the rest of them just to keep them entertained. Someone needs to invent a Wii for dogs or something, because I have a feeling the big one will start a muntiny soon.

I have not sent out any Christmas cards yet. I haven't bought a single gift yet, either. I don't know if it's really procrastination or just being too busy with other priorities. I know I'm not alone in this, either, as people I've talked to have found a kinship with me when they reveal that they, too, have not bought anything yet. I think a lot of gift cards will be given out this year, not that that is a bad thing. E-cards, anyone?


I've tried to update my sidebar links today, but the Amazon books would load properly. I just finished reading Coraline (the novel, not the graphic novel) by Neil Gaiman. It's the first book of his I've read, and I enjoyed it immensely. I can't wait to see the movie in February.


A bunch of light bulbs in the house have gone out this week. They were compact fluorescent, too. Coincidence? Nothing like changing a porch light in below-zero weather at night!


I just downloaded two Christmas albums off iTunes which I am enjoying: A Colbert Christmas and The Hotel Cafe Presents Winter Songs. I have to admit I downloaded the Enya album (And Winter Came), too, and it's pretty good.

If I don't blog before then, Happy Holidays everyone!

Getting a Cold, Going to Minneapolis, and Remembering Road Trips

I've had a headache for about two days now, and after waking up with the sniffles, I know why: it's cold season! Yes, I'm getting my first cold of the year. I fought off the beginnings of one last week using Zicam, but it's coming back stronger this time. I really need to get rid of it because I'm going to Minneapolis this weekend. Last time I was there, which was either in a January or February a while back, I got the flu, so I'm determined to stay relatively healthy this time.

Speaking of road trips, USA Today's Pop Candy Blog posted a neat link to this guy's flickr set of photos from his new pop culture road trip book, and I am spending waaayy too much time checking them out. As someone who greatly enjoyed having their parents take them on road trips to historic landmarks across the country each summer growing up, these photos made me want to do some road trippin', too. Maybe after it stops being so freakin' cold.

Today is Leslie's 28th Birthday. She's the sister that did not enjoy our road trips, mainly because she spent them trying to avoid using porta-potties at the campgrounds and puking in the car. My dad's favorite Leslie quote was when we visited Mesa Verde National Park, "You see one ruin, you've seen them all." She must have been around 6 years old then. She hasn't changed much. :) Happy Birthday!

My newest obsessions: Blip.fm, Etsy, and Twitter

Have any of you tried Blip.fm? It's great if you're the type of person that really likes to share music with others. Kind of a music Twitter, if you will. Check the link on my sidebar if you wanna make me one of your favorite DJ's.

I've been going Etsy-crazy for the past couple of months. I'm planning on opening my own shop there sometime in the future, but for now I'm enjoying looking at other people's stuff and buying gifts for people. I'd tell you about my most recent purchase, but the person who I bought it for hasn't received it yet, so shhh! I've also been Twittering (Tweeting?) a lot with people on Etsy (see sidebar for my link), and that has been super-dangerous as I've discovered some really amazing artists. Some of my discoveries are on the sidebar, so scroll on down and check them out. Buy handmade this Christmas! I am!

President Obama

I was relieved to wake up this morning and see that it wasn't just a dream. Hurray!

Making Tough Choices: What I'm not watching on T.V. anymore

I consider myself a loyal viewer of many television shows. I have a hard time not watching a series I've stuck with because of the fear that I might miss something. This season I have actually STOPPED watching two of my favorite shows: Heroes and Dancing With the Stars.

This has been a difficult decision for me. I have watched Heroes since the first episode. I even watched the second season, which was a bit of a disappoinment. By episode two or three of the current season (Season 3), I stopped watching the episodes I recorded on my DVR. I had lost interest in the characters and the storyline completely, and watching had become a chore. When I read on Pop Candy that others were feeling the same way, I finally gave myself permission to break up with Heroes. Heroes, it's not me, it's you.

I have only watched Dancing for a few seasons, but I really got into it. I love dancing and I love watching non-dancers become champions, but I just don't have time to watch several hours A WEEK of the show. Last season I just watched the competition show and FF'd through the results shows. This season I couldn't find the time to even watch the competition episode. Also, weirdly enough, once Ted McGinley was eliminated, I really didn't care any more. I don't know why. Cloris Leachman, whom I loved in Mary Tyler Moore and Young Frankenstein, was scaring me, too. (Florence Henderson, I agree with you on this one!) Maybe next season, DWTS.

It's very liberating not having so much stuff on the DVR to catch up on. I can actually read a chapter or two from a book once in a while. I've decided to only watch TV shows that I look forward to seeing: The Office, The Amazing Race (still amazing),  30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother, Mad Men (which ends its season on Sunday!) and Project Runway, which is now between seasons and has a questionable future. I have also been Netflixing like crazy, catching up on Monarch of the Glen, Season 7 and movies that we missed in the theater. I guess it goes to show that once you start eliminating things from your schedule, you can always find other things to fill those empty spots.

Watch These!

I enjoyed this today:

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

If you're feeling bad about the economy, I prescribe this video as a cure:

See more Natalie Portman videos at Funny or Die

The Economy and Haircuts, plus Twittering with Mad Men

This economy is causing me to consider growing my hair out so I don't have to get those $50 haircuts every month. Yes, you heard me, $50 every 5 weeks. This whole thing started years ago with a $30 haircut, but my stylist has raised his rates faster than inflation, and I've finally got him trained on how to cut my hair (which is cowlick city), so I fear going to anyone else. No Fantastic Sam's for me, thankyouverymuch. I really don't like having long hair. My hair is very thick and wavy, and once it gets longer than my shoulders, a ponytail will weigh so much that I get headaches. I actually got my first professional haircut, at the age of 9, for that very reason. Still, I am considering it. Damn you, Suze Orman!

Thanks to TwitKit, I have a nice little updating sidebar on my Firefox browser, which makes Twittering a breeze. I have found a lot of interesting feeds to keep up with, including "michael_bay" and pretty much all the characters in Mad Men. Yes, I know these are just average schmoes pretending to be the characters, but it's fun to see their interpretations.