This is hilarious!

It's always 5 o'clock in Pontiac...

Here are a few pics from our houseboat adventure with Gabe, Jess and Aspen a couple weekends ago. Surprise, surprise... they're mostly of the dogs. :-) It was a very relaxing and fun little getaway... that was just around the corner.

A new obsession

About three things I am absolutely positive.

First, I never thought I'd like a book about vampires... this much.

Second, there is a part of me - and I don't know how dominant that part might be - that thirsts for the rest of the story.

And third, I am unconditionally and irrevocably obsessed with the Twilight series.

Thank you, Billie. :)

Okay, so if you've read any of the Twilight saga, or if you've seen the movie, you know I stole (and tweaked) those lines from the first one. Yes, I know I'm behind, as the Twilight fuss is nothing new. But, it is to me! And until about a week ago, a book about vampires - romance or not - did not appeal to me. However, when Matt and I were in KC a couple weeks ago visiting Billie at her new place, I noticed the books stacked neatly on her bookshelf. I asked her about them, and when she gushed about how GOOD they are, I said, okay, fine, let me borrow the first one.

And, I'm hooked.

This weekend Katelyn Phelps (teenage daughter of our friends, Craig and Stephanie) brought me the second (New Moon) and third (Eclipse) books. I still can't get over the fact that someone my age can be this enthralled by a series that also appeals to girls half my age... and women twice my age! Now that I've begun the series, I find myself asking people all around me if they've read the books - and so many have! I talked to a lady last night at the dock - she read all four in 72 hours. She even called in sick to work because she couldn't make herself stop.

I am intrigued.

Why am I typing instead of reading? No idea. Gotta go. :)

Surprise!

We went to KC last weekend for Kate's surprise 30th birthday party. Caldwell and Betsy (Kate's sister) planned the party at the lake, where Kate grew up and where her parents still live. It's called Lake of the Forest. Such a cool place! Matt and I decided it reminded us of the setting in Dirty Dancing... the reception hall or ballroom (whatever it's called) in the club house was set up for a Mother's Day brunch the next day. The room even has a stage. The doors were locked, so we peered in the windows to see if we could spot Baby in the corner... :)

I *heart* sandwiches

Recently Matt and I tried the new torpedoes ("over a foot of Quiznos flavor served on slim, sleek ciabatta bread") at Quiznos. They're awesome - and this is coming from two we-never-try-anything-new-at-Quiznos-because-we-love-our-regular-sandwich-so-much people. He ALWAYS gets the chicken carbonara, and I get the turkey, ranch and swiss with cheddar instead of swiss. However, we both decided to branch out and try something new - I had the pesto turkey torpedo (turkey, mozzarella, chopped lettuce and tomato, basil pesto, red wine vinaigrette), and Matt had the beef, bacon and cheddar torpedo (roast beef, bacon, cheddar, chopped lettuce and tomato, mayo, yellow mustard). Delicious. Next time we want to try the Big Kahuna Tuna (tuna salad, cheddar, banana peppers, chopped lettuce and tomato, red wine vinaigrette).

While we're on the subject, these are a few other sandwiches I love dearly...

Curry chicken salad at Tea Bar & Bites (Springfield, Mo.)
Chicken salad on marble swirl at the Harlin House (Gainesville, Mo.)
Chicken wrap (not really a sandwich, but close enough) at Galloway Station (Springfield, Mo.)
"Adult" grilled cheese at Nearly Famous Deli (Springfield, Mo.)
Blackened dolphin (mahi-mahi) at Islamorada Fish Co. (Islamorada, Fla.)
Blackened wahoo at the Seven Mile Grill (Marathon, Fla.)
Chicken artichoke sub at Bambino's (Columbia, Mo.)
Pulled pork at Oklahoma Joe's (KC, Kan.)

Wicked Weather

The OC has been under two tornado warnings in less than a week. What is up, Mother Nature? Both times we really lucked out - no damage to the docks or to our home. Last Friday morning a wicked batch of weather pushed through the Ozarks, causing lots of damage north of here, but sparing Pontiac Cove, thank goodness. Josh got to ride it out at the marina, while Matt and I were preparing to drive to KC. We waited out the storm, of course, and as soon as it was over, we headed north. There were huge trees literally snapped in half and roofs missing from Ava all the way north of Bolivar. Last night more bad weather moved in, but it was all still pretty far west of us when Matt and I fell asleep. We woke to the phone ringing around midnight - a friend called to warn us that OzCo was under a tornado warning. Then Matt's grandma called to tell us the same thing. We switched on the TV and saw the local weather man was still up and at it, and the line of storms was close. We made a quick decision to load up the dogs and head over to my parents' house - they have a basement, and we don't. (They are out of town, so no one was home.) The storm really didn't amount to much, and as soon as it passed we came back home.

This was so funny, though... the dogs were sound asleep when we decided to go over there, but as soon as we pulled in my parents' drive they both perked up. They knew where we were. Honey and Oscar have special bones they get to chew on at "grandma's" house, and the bones are always lying around the house. Sure enough, Oscar immediately found one and gnawed viciously on the thing through the whole storm. When it was time to go, Oscar dropped his bone - he knows he can't take it with him - and we put the dogs back in the car, drove back home, and went back to bed. All this in the span of about 45 minutes. They both fell sound asleep when we got home. I told Matt they probably thought they were dreaming! Going to "grandma's" house in the middle of the night to chew on their favorite bones. It's a dream come true!

Our visit with Natalie and Paige

I can't believe Paige is about to turn 1! Matt and I went to KC over the weekend, and our first stop was Lenexa for a visit with Natalie and Paige Dummermuth. This was the first time Matt had met little Paige, and I hadn't seen her since October. She has grown so much! She crawls around like a maniac and pulls up on everything. She's about to start walking... look out, mom! She is such a fun and happy baby. Now we need to get her down to Bull Shoals for swim lessons! :)

0 cavities = 1 happy gal!

I had my six-month dental check-up this morning, and I am thrilled to report that I have ZERO cavities. This is really good news for me, as I've had my share of them in the past. I did have to have one tiny filling, something we put off from last fall. It was so small, in fact, that I didn't even need a shot. (Hallelujah! That's the first time I've walked out of there with full feeling in my gums and cheeks in quite some time!) Why would I blog about this? Well, I had a rough go of it with my teeth last year. Some of you already know this, but I had to have a root canal and crown last fall. It was quite possibly the most unpleasant thing I've experienced... ever. It was painful for my mouth and my pocketbook. Big time. I sincerely hope you don't ever need one, and that I don't ever need another one. It was just such a relief to go in today and have a good experience in the dentist chair. I won't say it was pleasant, because, let's face it... going to the dentist is never fun. But, this visit wasn't so bad. :)

Oscar Wade: A year in review

Today is the one-year anniversary of our Oscar adoption. It was this weekend last year that Uncle Caldwell brought him down from KC. He arrived Friday evening, just before dark. Cal dropped him in the backyard with us and headed down to the houseboat with some friends. Without a familiar face around, and just Matt, me and (a very unfriendly and unwelcoming) new sister in his face, Oscar was a little scared. He kept running around, like he was looking for Caldwell. He absolutely refused to go up or down any stairs. We don't have many, just a couple on the deck and a couple in the house. His stair phobia was something the Whites (his first family) had warned us about. He had a crate, and he pretty much preferred to stay in it. He slept in it that first night and never made a peep. Day 2 was a fun one - Jess, Gabe and Aspen came over for an early Cinco de Mayo celebration. Caldwell and a few friends came over as well. Oscar played well with Aspen. (They're now boyfriend-girlfriend.) That night when it was time for bed we put him in his crate again. He was quiet for a couple of minutes... and then he began to cry. That was it for us - we let him in the bed, and he slept all night without stirring. (We now fully regret letting him sleep with us... Honey, too... and we're currently looking for a way to get them out!) He's a doll, and we love him! I think even Honey would agree. The two of them get along fine... most of the time. And even though he turns the trash can over when we're not home, does naughty things to his doggie pillow, tries to steal chocolate whenever possible (bad dog, bad!), and bites at Honey's ears when he wants her to play with him... we can't imagine the Wade house without him!