Dimple and a Smirk (dot) com

Clouds roll by

DimpleAndASmirk — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:39:26 +0000

It’s funny. While others are pledging to write an entry a day or complete a novel during the month of November, lately my brain can’t manage to crank out more than one entry a week.

Hmm, putting it that way, I guess it’s more disappointing than funny, but I’m all about full disclosure on my blog. Well, except for…[sounds of static].

Though, I’m thankful for the lack of insanity happening in my life at the moment. Spending a Friday night with friends while having a vodka tonic, mac & cheese with bacon and swinging by a chocolate shop before heading home to take my dog on a walk works.

I don’t know if it’s maturity, boredom, or a combination of the two, but here’s to the lull. May we all have those times in our lives where things aren’t at a severe peak or at a severe low.

This post is from Dimple and a Smirk (dot) com. Text written within the blog entries, unless otherwise noted, are my own thoughts and ideas. © 1998-2009 Celestial Muse Productions. Dimple and a Smirk (dot) com by A. L. Venable is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Clouds roll by

Life and how to live it

DimpleAndASmirk — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:30:51 +0000

It’s very early Sunday morning. I’m sitting up in bed eating some of the Halloween candy I bought in case kids knocked on my door (they didn’t) and listening to the latest “Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” podcast as I missed hearing it on the radio on Saturday morning. The reason I missed it was because I returned to the Pixie Project to formally adopt Wilson. My mother seemed amused when I told her she had a new grandson…sort of.

Amazingly, I never thought I’d become a dog parent, but I’m very happy to have this currently-snoring-under-my-blankets dog in my life now. While at the shelter, I met the vet tech who helped clean him up, provided him with some much needed care, and kept him in her home for a few days. She gave me photos of how he looked when he first arrived and it made my heart sink. His hair was out of control and severely matted and he had sores all over. Today, he looks so different that you probably wouldn’t know it was the same dog.

After she showed me those photos, I looked at him wandering around the shelter floor and smiled because those days were over. While at Pixie Project, I got Wilson a new harness, a new collar, some treats, a couple new toys, and a new stylish leash. Well, I guess the leash is more for me than him. His new dog tag is on the way. Oh yes, I’m one of “those” people who pamper their pooches, but honestly, I couldn’t think of a more worthy subject.

I’m continuing to learn more about Wilson’s personality as well as his likes and dislikes each day. He doesn’t seem too fond of fish treats (my attempt to change it up from the usual chicken ones), but he does love pumpkin. After putting a pan of pumpkin cheesecake brownies in the oven, I started cleaning up the kitchen. There was still some canned pumpkin left, so I put a small bit on a spoon to see if he’d partake. He loved it and looked at me with a “More, please?” look on his face. Sure enough, when I mixed some with his dinner, he licked his bowl clean.

Wilson’s had quite a journey to date, but I’d like to think he’ll be happy hanging out with me for the rest of his life.

Any way the wind blows

DimpleAndASmirk — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:25:34 +0000

It’s definitely Autumn.

I know this not only because of the cooler weather or the fact that it’s getting dark soon after I arrive home from work, but because my body has begun to crave my usual roster of autumnal foods. Things with lots of carbs — well, more than my usual intake — like potatoes, Shepherd’s Pie, roasted root veggies, and warm bread fresh from the oven.

This weekend has been filled with lots of comfort food, starting with the crazy-good meat pie I enjoyed while dining with friends at Ned Ludd. I’m sorry to use a cliché, but if loving butter is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

Thankfully, I love this time of year. It’s about spending time at home, being warm and snuggly, while enjoying a mug of something warm…or something that makes you feel warm inside.

For this weekend’s Shepherd’s Pie, I used lamb, carrots, onions, and parsnips. I also had peas, but as I was putting the pan into the oven, I realized I’d forgotten to add them in. D’oh! But it’s OK as I can use them later in the week when I cook up the chickpeas with an Indian simmer sauce.

I cheated on the broth opting for the canned variety and adding in some parsley.

Even Wilson got some non-seasoned lamb…

After topping the filling with homemade cheesy mashed potatoes and putting it in the oven for a bit, comfort food awaits!

Say Please

DimpleAndASmirk — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:45:16 +0000

While walking Wilson tonight, my iPod played a lot of M. Ward. That was no accident as I’ve been listening to his music for the past week thanks to seeing him along with the rest of the Monsters of Folk last week at the Schnitz on their second show of the tour.

I’ve been a fan of his for a while, but it went into overdrive thanks to standing in the front row at a “secret” Valentine’s Day show at the Doug Fir earlier this year. And then, he won me over all over again last Wednesday, especially with his guitar playing that made me wonder if he had extra fingers because it seemed unreal. Or, perhaps it was the amazing rendition of “Paul’s Song” before his hometown crowd cheering him on.

What a great night.

A whole new world

DimpleAndASmirk — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:51:54 +0000

Curled up in a small ball next to my bed is a dog, Wilson, who is about 20 pounds of handsome old mutt wearing an old sweater.

All it took was the relatively simple act of walking into a shelter and saying, “Hi! I’m here to see about adopting a dog!”

After thinking about adopting a dog for eons, I finally decided to stop by a local shelter to start the process. I reviewed their site and saw a couple of cute dogs that may be a good fit for me. Alas, both dogs were already in the process of being adopted, but I was informed of a new dog who would be arriving in a couple of days.

Apparently, he was a stray who wasn’t always that way. His hair was matted, he suffered from ear infections, he had dental issues, and oh yeah, at the ripe age of about eight years old, he still had his boy-bits in tact. When I first met Wilson on Wednesday evening, he was pretty sedate. His hair has been trimmed significantly, he had fewer teeth due to needed extractions, and his boy-bits had just been lopped off. Yeah, you’d probably want to curl up on a big fluffy, over-sized pillow as well.

But still, he raised his head when I pet him and even got up to wobble around the shelter’s office for a bit. He’s been on quite a journey and he remains adorable. We should all be so lucky.

After meeting Wilson, I was asked if I wanted to be a foster “parent” to see how I’d like life with Wilson. I couldn’t say “yes!” fast enough. It would be a great opportunity to make sure this is absolutely what I want — and I’m pretty sure it is — with an escape clause of sorts. However, I’m hopeful I won’t have to use that escape clause.

I definitely noticed how just the thought of having a dog affected my mood and even in my interactions with other people, co-workers and random people in the local bakery alike. I was happy about something that wasn’t really about me. I’m adopting a dog, but it’s the dog who’s the star of the show.

As the hours went by, my excitement of getting over to the shelter to get Wilson grew. I’m also extremely thankful for my friend Curt for providing Wilson, myself and all of Wilson’s food and supplies a ride home. It would have been a bit much for the bus.

Upon arriving in my home this evening, he promptly set forth on sniffing each and every inch of the place. He took time out to play with a couple of toys, but then went back to his very important work. And then, he napped. All that sniffing is hard work.

I’m currently in the foster “parent” phase of my time with Wilson, which will last about a week. If all goes well, I’ll begin the formal adoption process. I’m already looking forward to that process.