Knochers for Knockers IV

So tomorrow is the first Saturday in May and for the last four years, I have spent said Saturday down on Freemont Street Racing for the Cure.

My plan this year was to rollerskate it with Gordie, however, a bone got thrown in that plan (lol get it??) so I will be walking it with Kid Sister and a more than likely, a few other friendly, familiar faces.

And once again this year, I was able to exceed my goal thanks to donations from family and friends. I set my goal at $125 and am currently at $170. What was that? You want to help me reach $200 before tomorrow? Great. Go here.

This is such an important cause and you know that I always appreciate your support. Which can also include taking me out to breakfast tomorrow at Cracked Egg. Thanks!

An Update in the Life of Cheese

So it's been crazy.

Crazy busy at work, which is awesome actually. I've been feeling really re-inspired lately and am feeling more and more excited by my job on a daily basis.

This semester of school is slowly but surely wrapping up. I'm pretty sure I have finals next week, should probably look into that.

Kickball has been great. Do you know who had the BEST KICK OF THE GAME two weeks ago? This girl, this girl right here, did. I couldn't believe it. I made it to second with a forced out before I got to third (does it sound like I know what I am talking about?). I also caught (then dropped) a fly ball that hit me pretty hard in the face. So I figured I got the worst stuff out of the way. Plus we were playing one of the toughest teams ever with a GUY THAT DRIVES IN FROM CALIFORNIA TO PLAY. Some say that's a rumor but he was pretty f'ing serious out there on the mound. The game was followed by good beers, food and conversation with my teammates at Shucks. Loving this already.

Yesterday, Kid Sister and I attended our very first Bikram Yoga class. When we walked in the room, we both immediately almost PUKED ON SPOT from the smell. Have you been to a class? Do you know the smell I am talking about? It's like a gym locker but OH IN 105 DEGREE HEAT WITH 60% HUMIDITY. Disgusting. Kid Sister turned to me and said, "Girl, I don't think I can do this." But guess what? We did. There were only about six or seven times in the 90-minute class that I thought I was going to faint. My dear Chad (and yoga guru) had told me the most important thing about your first class is to just STAY IN THE ROOM. Yeah, that sounds a lot easier before you're inside said room. But we did it and let me tell you, that feeling when instruction is finally done and you're in Savasana....EUPHORIC. Seriously, better than most...OK, I won't go there since my parents read this but youknowhatI'msayin. Simply blissful. In order to get the full bang for my buck, we'll be there three times a week for the next two months. So if you see me, offer me some water, I can guarantee I'll be thirsty.

I can tell Summer is approaching because I'm falling in love approx. 3-4 times a week. This happens every Spring/Summer.

So if I'm not too busy falling in love, here is what is on the books:

• The Hunt, which is waayyy past due.
• An introduction to Club Monster Curtis.
• Kid Sister and Katie go to Crystal Palace Skating Rink. This one includes....VIDEO.

And I am very happy to tell you that Gordon is finally home and recovering well. He is in the cone of misery whenever he is unsupervised, which I keep telling him is for his own good but he just looks at me like this.

I know, what a little heart-breaker. Good news is, his staples from his 4-inch incision come out one week from today and yes, we will be headed straight for the park.

Get Well, Gordie.

So for those of you who haven't seen my gazillion posts on Facebook and Twitter throughout the week, our favorite pup, Sir Gordon Snacks A Lot is in the hospital.

Here is the story....

Gordon started throwing up Monday morning and for the first time in his two years, turned down food. I couldn't him to drink any water or eat any ice cubes so I came home at lunch to find that he had thrown up five more times so I took him to the vet Monday afternoon. He stayed over night on fluids and they took some x-rays but couldn't find anything. Tuesday, they still couldn't get him to eat so they had me come over to try to hand feed him but as soon as I got there, they told me not to give him any food but brought Gordie in to see me and told me the doctor wanted to talk to me. Gordon was definitely happy to see me but certainly not his normal, puppy-like self.

So we hung out and he was puking just yellow bile (sorry) and she came in and told me they took more x-rays and were concerned with what looked like a dilated intestine which could be from a virus or a foreign object that they couldn't see in the x-ray. So we had two options, the first being exploratory surgery (with a $1200 - $1500 price tag), the second being to rush the x-rays over to radiology to see if they could see anything. So we did that and the radiologists were on the fence, too, just like all the doctors at my office. Do we go in and chance cutting him open for just a virus OR do we wait and chance something being inside of him that is causing damage? So we decided to give it 12 hours and I signed papers for him to go into surgery while I was at work if that's what needed to be done the next day.

They took more x-rays yesterday (Wednesday) and things looked worse so they said they couldn't wait any longer and went in. So he was in surgery for a few hours yesterday, they called when he was waking up. They found the end of a bone in that intestine and removed it. When they were in, they found some abnormal fatty hardened tissue at the end of his liver, before his stomach that was a really dark purple color that they didn't like the looks of, so they removed that and have sent that off to be biopsied. So maybe this whole thing was a blessing in disguise to get out something that could have caused more damage down the road that they would have never even seen without going in.

So right now, we're still kinda just waiting. Hoping everything is going to be OK. He is still at the vets' office. When I talked to Doc Yach this morning, he said Gordon is still real lethargic but that is to be expected after major surgery. He said the only thing we are really holding our breath on still are his intestines. They were pretty affected by this whole fiasco. BEST case scenario, he gets to come home tomorrow night. I am going to visit him tonight after work and I am packing along lots and lots of hugs for the little guy.

Oh and do you want to hear the cutest thing? Sir Gordon was featured in this week's editions of the View News with his sister, Sienna Miller. I guess one of the techs at West Flamingo Animal Hospital saw it, cut it out and hung it on his little kennel. Is that not just the sweetest thing? I want to buy that tech a coke...you know what, make it a rum and coke.

So I am asking for all of your well wishes, happy thoughts, prayers, whatever gets us by, for Sir Gordon Snacks A Lot to pull through and get back to his normal, Bieber-loving self in no time.

Thank you,
HSCOOC

Hot Air Balloon

So I know that going to the Hot Air Balloon Festival in New Mexico is on my 100 but what I failed to mention on that list was is how desperately I want to RIDE in a hot air balloon.

I mean yes, I get excited at the thought of attending the festival and OH THE PICTURES but I want to be a part of the action.

For as long as I can remember, I've been just fascinated by these giants in the sky.

Saw this one on my way to work this morning, pulled over in a parking lot and snapped away. Afterward, my head was in the clouds all morning thinking about a ride and researching how to make it happen.

Do you know they do rides with champagne? SOLD. Who's with me?

Kickball.

Tonight I will be doing something I never thought I would.

I am joining an organized sports team.

Ok, ok....pick your jaws up off the floor. It's KICKBALL, people. This is the kind of team where you go to the website and it says Your Field is: Desert Breeze. Your Bar is: Shucks II.

Yeah, $65 got us a shirt (!!) AND three hosted parties throughout the season.

And, let me tell you, I am as excited to play tonight as I was in fifth grade. And I am totally serious right now. Kid Sister keeps asking me if I'm nervous and I'm like "Hell no! I am so PUMPED for this!" And then she reminds me, or more informs me, since I've never been on a team TEAM before, the PRESSURE of bringing your A game.

"What if we miss a kick?"
"What if we are the LET-DOWNS?"
"What if we lose the game for the team?"
"What if they make fun of us?"

The only difference between 5th grade and now? We can make up at the bar over ice cold beers after the game instead of a handshake on the playground.

We play Wednesday nights at 7 and 8 p.m. and are always looking for cheerleaders. Would love to see your face. I'm fighting for Sir Gordon to be our team mascot and he could use the company on the sidelines.

Game. On.

A Good Friday, Indeed.

This past (Good) Friday night, I ventured out Downtown with a few of my co-workers. My friend, Sally, is about as Louisiana as they come. So as we are making plans for the evening, she throws out the suggestion of going to Lola's (a Louisiana Kitchen, downtown) for Crawfish. Apparently, that's the Good Friday tradition "back home" since they aren't allowed to eat meat that day. So, immediately, I am like CRAWHELLTOTHENOFISH but I am sure there is something on the menu there that I will eat.

Well wouldn't you know it...these little guys showed up and I was like HEY, oddly enough, you look like something I would eat. So the gentleman sitting next to me walked me through the process and since I am an old pro at eating Blue Crab, I caught on pretty quickly. In the mouth you go and DELICIOUS.


The rest of the night just led to more shenanigans around the Freemont East area. The SK+G crew (old and new) headed to Don't Tell Mama for a few good songs and drinks. This is where Kid Sister met my old friend, Patron, for the first time. Look how happy.

The best part is, as soon as she was done, she was like ANOTHER! I told her, no, no, young stallion, trust me, that is all you need. So you know after a round of shots like that, we had one hell-of-a time.




The night led to The Griffin where Kid Sister ended up abandoning me (kidding, my love!) with boys that equal trouble. It had been a minute since I was the only girl hanging with my old bestie crew and I am proud to say that I (kind of) survived.

Now if you would have asked me Saturday morning as I was getting ready to go to a work-oriented baby shower if I had survived, I would have told you 'No, I am dying.' But, we bounce back. Sometimes it just takes a day or two. Afterall, I had to be in healthy shape for The Hunt (post to come).

Martha Lies.

So every year, Pep and I get together to dye Easter eggs for the annual hunt. Since we are now on year 26 (give or take the first two years), we try to get creative. Correction, I try to get creative. Pep is perfectly satisfied with bold colored eggs. I want to make them fancy! And sparkle! So who do I turn to? The master, Martha Stewart, of course!

So I fall in love with two - well really all - of the designer eggs but there are two in particular that seem do-able. In Pep's kitchen. With supplies that you don't have to special order. There are the lace eggs, found here and then the swirly eggs, found here. As we are in JoAnn's looking for lace, Pep is telling me, "Kate, I really don't see how this is going to work." "No Ma, Martha said we just need to rubber-band the lace around the egg and BAM beauty." "Ok..."

Well, come to find out, Martha lies. The lace eggs turned out to be not-so-lace like and the swirly ones using electrical tape worked on a FEW (meaning the ones that my mother did). Here are the results...