Blog/Picture-failure … 1/2 puppy 1/2 goat … Our house … August 11, 2011

Well … I am going to go ahead and say that my resolution to write a blog every month … You guessed it, FAILED … I was super pumped about keeping up with my blog and keeping all you posted! I think the saying “keep you on your toes” would mean you would have a killer charlie horse and amazing calves if you were anxiously waiting for another blog.

I get texts and fb messages all the time when I post my blog and I love to read them! I really need to keep up on this. So … I am asking all of you who read my blog to make sure and keep on my ass about posting another blog … Also, someone needs to give me a crash course on how to make my page more efficient … I do not understand how to change it from a note/comment page, to a blogging page. I want to blog my de-lish recipes to all of you, but I can’t figure out how to do it … Oh, jeez, look at that … Another FAIL! Good lord I am sucking at this! How long have I been blogging?
OK. So, let’s talk about what has been going on here at the Galt household. Our sweet puppy has officially destroyed 14 pairs of my shoes … FOURTEEN! (May I note that as I am typing this she is carrying around a new box of lighted branches … man, oh man.) She has also chewed the straps on 4 bras, eaten countless, COUNTLESS pairs of socks, destroyed 3 Bare Minerals brushes, chewed on the caps of 3 body sprays/7 shampoo and conditioner bottles/6 bottles of hair product, and that doesn’t even get into it.

I think she is part goat. No lie. It is insane to see what she is going to, pardon my french, shit out or throw up. Today at lunch, came up and sat on my lap, looked like she was gonna be sick and I instantly moved her face to the side of the chaise chair w/o the rug, and she threw up one of Alex’s socks … The day my best friend, Lauren got to meet Kansas, Alex was telling her how she eats everything. Not even ONE minute after he spoke that sentence did she throw up something, still not sure what, in her driveway. She chews on beer/pop cans, boxes, hangers- oh, the hangers … She has  a stomach of steel and a mouth with no nerve endings. I know I make her sound like a terrorist, which she can be, but she is also one of the cutest dogs I have ever seen! She is extremely cuddly, she knows the difference between the names of all of her toys (everything is a toy mind you, so that is impressive), she hates being left alone and will sit in a vehicle for hours if the door is left open just incase she thinks we are going to leave and she is the best guard dog! I love her to pieces even though she has destroyed so much of my stuff.

I think having a puppy trains you for having kids. Poor Alex couldn’t even snore before we had Kansas. Since we got her, I don’t know the last time I woke him up from snoring. I can be up for 10 minutes taking her to the bathroom or getting something away from her and I can instantly fall back asleep. That was most definitely not possible before. I don’t get upset about my things being destroyed or getting stained. OK I still get upset, but before, I would’ve cried if I lost as many cute shoes as I have. Now, it has taught us that nothing, NOTHING can be in Kanas’ reach, which she is not much shorter than me when she is standing on her hind legs, so the house has to be kept neat!

Speaking of keeping the house neat. I LOVE our house. I don’t think I will ever stop having a “honey-do-list” for Alex. Sorry honey. You heard it here. I love having projects or deciding how I want to paint, decorate or accessorize a room. And we most definitely have enough of them. Let me do a walk through of our house. you walk up the front steps and there is a front porch wrapped around the 1st half. You enter the house and to your right, is the living room with the original fireplace- I am thinking a new rock surround … It is painted an amazing coconut tan with deep red satin curtains, to your right is the awesome wooden staircase and straight ahead is the hallway leading to the office. From the living room you walk into the dining room (this is pretty open to the living room) and it is painted an olive/hunter green with deep tan satin curtains … Perty, huh?! The office is a deep burnt orange and we re-did the trim and it is amazing. That is filled with  some of Alex’s deer and my super fab IKEA desk. We haven’t done the bath/laundry room off of the office, yet, but I love my LG front loaders! A must-have for sure. The doors leading from the office to the dining room are insane. If you have ever watched an old movie and seen the wife walk into french doors and push them open (hydraulic style) and they can stay in either room, that’s what we have and they are original 1926 doors with lots of window panes. The kitchen is so big, but blech! Who decorated and designed it? It is screaming for an update. That is a fall project, Fo’ Sho’. I can’t decide on a deep red, golden yellow or a navyish blue for the walls. I want to redo the white tiling with a more rustic rock tile  and it is perf for an island with fab lighting above. OOOH I can’t wait! Our house is a mix of garden gate decore/ scheels and cabellas home decor. Did I mention I love it?

The upstairs has not had alot done, yet. Wait … Is tearing a bedroom wall down and making a bedroom a closet, completely redoing the trim, ceilings and walls and painting much? Oh, yes. LOTS has been done to our MASTER BDRM! My closet is basically done! Alex has become even handier than before. I have an awesome room. The 8 foot 2 shelf unit on the one wall and then the laundry bench are PERF. My bdrm is blood blue, an earthy toned down turquoise. I can’t explain it. The closet is a creamy yellow suede and goes so nice with the bdrm and doesn’t make my clothes look crazy. Yes people I am going to get pictures up soon. It takes time to get all this stuff done and especially organizing the photos alone … I should just hire someone … We all know I JUST put up pictures from my wedding shower and that was well over a year ago … Is that another fail?

This is a long one and exactly why I need to blog more often. I didn’t even get into my other thought-blogs. Here is my reminder list: Shopping habits, pissed off cleaning moods, growing up, and much much more. Until next time! LATA!

Puppies, horoscopes, Can I get a hot-tub?! April 6, 2011

We wanted a dog, FOR-EVVERRR … So, on our 3 day trek- thanks a lot, mother nature- to Iowa, to close on our house- which by the way, I don’t even want to get started on. Our Loan Officer can suck it. We stayed the night at the Fargo house. Jess was reading the classifieds, job searching and what-not, when she stumbles upon an ad that says ivory labs for sale. PERF! I’ve wanted an ivory lab ever since I knew they existed! After an hour of myself and Jess jumping in to plead with Al, that we “just go look. it never hurts to look.” little did he know, I planned that he couldn’t resist a cute puppy. I WIN! We found Kansas. The perfect sweet little ivory lab and she just turned 7 weeks!

Insert, Kansas. Maybe her name is perf, since she literally leaves a path of destruction, like a tornado. Lordy … However, this crazy Marley-esque pup, is the sweetest and smartest thing, ever. She loves the tub and recently learned that she can swim in water, so, paddling and making rounds in the tub are her fav thing.  And just drinking water in general. You might notice that this puppy isn’t ivory anymore. And she isn’t. She gradually keeps getting darker (yellow) but, still has her stripes of white on her shoulders. It’s like a little zebra design, which for all of you who know, I Love Zebra.

I have always been a horoscoper and firmly believe a portion of it is always accurate. Facts and situattions don’t lie! Don’t judge me. Read your horoscope and then I bet you will say “Shit, Jer was right.” Yup .. I am. Don’t doubt me. WELL … I read mine almost every day and the hubby always makes fun of when I tell him what my horoscope is and what the day before was and how I can relate it to a situation. He’s a believer. I know it. He might deny it. I don’t buy it. Not one bit.
Anyways!  I have been spending the last couple of weeks studying for an insurance license. No one lied when they said its one of the hardest tests there is. I am going to go straight ahead and compare it to MCATS. Take that Med Students! It’s tough! It should be. You don’t want everyone to know how to sell insurance. PLEASE! Could you imagine?!
Anyways, my head about exploded with all the information I was learning and I like my sleep, so terms and studying for a dream, is not my idea of sleep nor is it my idea of a good time. So, yesterday, the day of my test, this is from my horoscope: “Follow your hunches. Don’t let your ususal logic get in the way! Your mind is especially receptive to messages from the other realms now. Make the most of it.”
Oooh, creepy, huh? Ha. Well, I had to think my ass off, but I couldn’t think too far into the question because of those damn double negatives. So, I had to go with my first guess/hunch/thought. I am a big over analyzer, so I just gave in and took the test without over thinking. Annnnd I PASSED. Whoo-hoo! Fuck Yea, Biznetches!

I have started at State Farm and LOVE my job. Yes, LOVE it. I love everything about it so far. It doesn’t hurt that it is a block away, either. That’s my new excercise. Walking a block one way and the other a day. Bahaha. Again, Don’t judge me. It’s a great opportunity to work there and I am so happy. One thing I’m wondering is when I get those magical powers to respond to a jingle. According to Kirk, he has said it numerous times, and I have Not popped in the room. Ooh, big surprise, right? Well, I am bound and determined to find a time machine or a zapper thing like on Star Trek … Or was that Star Wars? Whatever, you get the idea. I am going to do it someday, and for now, I just need to get a flying vacuum like the chicks from Hocus Pocus. If you haven’t seen it, rent it, and if you haven’t read my blog, What is wrong with you?! Go read my Hocus Pocus, McGee, Whaaa?! Post.

 Alex is incredible at his job and loves his job. He is a fountain of knowledge and has found his calling. I love it and I am so happy for him and for us! Port Louisa doesn’t even know what’s coming! Currently, he is at Refuge Academy with the big dogs in West Virignia, and is having a blast. He is in Jersey tonight, and guess who got a JERSEY SHORE, from Jersey Store T-shirt made?! THIS CHICK! Beeee jealous! I would be. =)

Other than all this craziness with becoming homeowners, buying a incurable sock-theif of a puppy, starting new jobs, moving to a new town, being DIY’ers and HGTV’ers, and whatever else I am missing, WE LOVE LIFE. Life is good! We might be stuck here for a while, and I am having no problems with that. So, for all of you who want pictures of this house and reno’s … I might hold off and make you come visit, first! =) Yep, that my friends, is a bribe.

Keep posted! We aren’t going a million miles an hour anymore, but we still have a million things going on!

Food for Thought & Grandma knows best … Top Secret Recipe included … February 1, 2011

I love cooking, baking and anything in between. I’m not sure if I could even tell you what my favorite thing to make is. I love trying new recipes or making something I’ve eaten and making it better. Food Network has to be my favorite channel to watch. I always get the best ideas watching any of their shows.

We recently bought a house and I finally have a big kitchen and it fits all of my bake/cook-ware. Not only does it fit all of my stuff, we are adding an island and completing changing everything from the floor up! Which means … I have more room for my cooking and baking extravagnazas.
In the kitchen I’ve always wanted a tv. Mostly because I am constantly in there, but also so that I can watch Food Network while I’m cooking. The tv is perfectly placed in my “baking corner.” Next to our patio doors, I have an entire corner, 2 upper and lower cupboards and 2 drawers, that are strictly designated for all my baking stuff! Yes, I have that much bakeware … I need shelves added into my lower cupboards, because my ocd is kicking in and I can’t handle things being stacked too high. My flour, sugar and etc are all in their own tupperwares and will be labeled, once I get my hands on a label maker!

I love that my Grandma taught me a lot of what I know for cooking and baking. Almost every memory of my Grandma includes us doing one of the two. Her house always smelt like fresh bread/buns and if there wasn’t bread or buns in the oven, there was most definitely something cooking. The only thing that I don’t have in my kitchen is a breadmaker and that will be the next thing I buy for the kitchen fo’ sure. If you haven’t had fresh bread/buns out of the oven/maker, you are missing out! It is completely different than deli bread, which is almost the only kind of bread I buy, unless the hubby goes shopping =).

Luckily, what I didn’t get a chance to learn from my Grandma, she taught my dad. My dad has in turn, taught me. It’s like she is there when I eat/make something that she made for me and I know her recipe. I love how it tastse just as if she made it. If I don’t know how she made something, it is most definitely something I strive to recreate. I am not sure how it happens, but Grandmas are truly the best cooks. I can’t name one thing of my Grandma’s that I didn’t love.

I miss her everyday and it hits me the second I think I should call her if I need to substitute something or how she would prep what I want to make. Bah … I can’t even type this without getting teary-eyed. Every time I would talk to her she would answer “Hello” but it had a hint of “Yellow” which I loved. Then, when I would say, “Hi, Grandma!” She would always, always respond with “Oh, well hi, sweetie!”

It’s crazy how almost everyone you talk to, you can connect with based on talking about food. Whether it is their favorite restaraunt, how they make something, their favorite desert, literally anything regarding food. I am connected with people I don’t even know, because I’ve done an email recipe echange. It’s like this little world of cooks!

So, consider yourself very lucky, because I am including my famous “French Dips” recipe. (There are two ways for the meat.)

For 4 People
1 lb of deli roast beef, sliced with 1 (The fast way)        OR
1 lb of roast beef shredded (you can use left overs or make fresh, either are fab)
4 deli hoagie rolls (You have to use deli. Not only are they better tasting, they hold up better with the juice and au jus.)
1 medium onion thinly sliced
1-2 green peppers thinly sliced
8-12 slices of deli Provolone cheese (2-3 slices per sandwich)

Au’ Jus Sauce:
2 cups of water
6-8 beef boulion cubes
…. boil water in same pan as sauteed onions and peppers.

Cook beef to your liking.
Saute the onions and peppers in butter with light salt and pepper.
Once beef is cooked add it to the au jus sauce while you are toasting the hoagies.
Toast hoagies with butter and garlic salt/powder until lightly browned at 400 degrees.
Divy up the roast beef on each hoagie and top with provolone cheese.
Broil and brown sandwiches until cheese is melted.
Top with onions and green peppers.
Use a small bowl or sauce bowl for au’ jus sauce.
ENJOY! Or as Julia Child would say, “Bon’ Appetit!”

Thought-blogs, Lake Superior and Diners, Drive Inns and Dives. January 11, 2011

It has been MONTHS since I have posted a blog. Trust me, I want to write blogs and I have ideas for them all the time! I bet I have written 20 blogs in my head. Seriously. Whenever an event or situation happens, I now find myself creating a blog about the event in my head. (This never happened before I started blogging.) Now, if only I could get them all onto my site, you would have read all of my thought-blogs.

Since I last blogged, I have gone to Duluth, Minnesota for the first time and it was beautiful! Beautiful, but FREEZING! I am almost positive if Lake Superior was about 100 feet bigger they would consider it an ocean. It is huge! While we were there I was so sick of going out to eat. Trust me, I am all for going out to eat, but I love cooking and I am not a big fan of fast food. I would rather eat at a restaurant. As we are driving, debating whether or not we are staying the night, we are searching for a new place to eat. (I am the most difficult person when it comes to food. I love it, but I am Picky! ) So, we are driving around this town looking and looking and finally, we are about to give up and go to Applebees. We’re just about to get onto the freeway, when I say “Ughh I just want to eat at a diner or cafe.” Of course since I watch Food Network all the time, Diners, Drive Inns, and Dives is one of my favorite shows. How cool would it be to go on a road trip and hit up all the places that are on his show?! I always say it would be a good time. Enter Alex. He responds and says, “or a drive inn, or dive?” ha. ha. ha. YES! That is exactly what I want. Witty little husband-man. THEN! We are about to turn and to my left I see Duluth Grill. Hey! What about that place?! And it is right next to a hotel, which we had called and everywhere was booked, so this couldn’t just be a coincidence. We park at the restaurant and walk to the hotel to see if maybe they have an opening. They do! They had a cancellation! I was ecstatic. I believe everything happens for a reason and this just proved to my loving husband that spontaneity is fun and there’s no way this place could have just had a cancellation, is right next to a diner and we are in Duluth looking for some fancy bird out on Lake Superior. C’mon, hunny! Roll with it! So, we decide to stay the night. =)
As we walk in … BAM! Right next to the door is a poster. Guess whose on it? That’s right, Guy Fieri and his Diners, Drive Inns and Dives logo. YOU’VE GOT TO BE SHITTING ME! This was the coolest thing, EVER! I had to get a picture with the poster of course.

I am beyond ecstatic as we walk in and I see his spikey haired spray paint logo inside with a wall full of pictures while he was there.

On the menu, I had to try something that he ate! Anything that was on his show had his spray paint logo. I tried the hot bison sandwich and I learned it does not taste like beef. It is good, but much to rich for me. Alex had something he tried, too, but I was too into what was going on inside the restaurant to pay attention to that! This was the coolest thing ever. Usually, when you go to a diner or cafe you expect a ton of food, nice people and cheap meals. This was all of that except not cheap. It was more than Applebees! And I’m not talking 2 for $20, I mean each person getting a whole meal and drinks. Whatever, though! I got to fulfill my Diners, Drive Inns and Dives experience and I highly suggest it to anyone else who watches the show.

A LOT more has happened since October, but that is for another time and another blog.

Keep posted!

Hocus Pocus- YAY! McGee? … Whaaaa?? October 20, 2010

OH … EM …. GEE …
I found out that Hocus Pocus was playing on ABC Fam and instantly got as excited as I did when I was 6. Who would’ve thought a 20-something would act like a little kid on Halloween when this came on … I expected this and nothing less … Hence the 2 bags of halloween candy that seemed oh-so necessary to buy in order to watch this movie. Along with my fav pop, EVA, Ruby Red Squirt. (Which is THE hardest pop to find and makes me crabby when I can’t find it, but gives me Pure delight when I finally do, then stock up on it because it is so hard to find, then spend a good $15-$30 on it to stock up as if I will never find it again or I have to go into hiding or into a cellar for some kind of nuclear war. This would be my go-to pop incase anyone was wondering …)
Of course I noticed a few things that I didn’t notice when I was a kid. Like the amazing special effects and “TUBULAR” outfits they wear. Did people seriously dress like that?! Good god. But, I never thought I would mix my outfits with a hint of the 70’s with my flowy big shirts, 80’s with my leggings/jeggings and skinny jeans and the now,  Kardashian hairstyle …
Did you notice that Max’s room is purple? … I did.
Or the fact that in the beginning, Sarah Jessica Parker’s shadow over the forest and rivers is the size of a house? …
Trust me I still enjoyed watching this movie! But, now I realized alot of things that you totally don’t notice as a kid.
And why did people call themselves “Ice” back in the day? … That is so not cool. I want to punch those kids square in the face for picking such stupid names.

BUT!!!!!! the most important thing I noticed (that I probably wouldn’t have,  if I wasn’t extremely addicted to NCIS) … THACKERY BINX isssssssss … DUN DUN DUN …. wait for it …. Sean Murray= MCGEE!!! True story! He has not changed one bit! HOLY SHIT. As soon as I saw it I literally did a Snookie “Whaaaaaa?!” I had to pause it and inspect him. Then watched more and had to google this shit. It is him! Who’da thought!
This may take some time to get used to … McGee sports a fake, what I think is English accent, and turns out, is a 300 year old cat! Who reminds me so much of my ‘lil sweetie Tipsy. I hope she lives until she is 300 and I would be totally cool with it if she was a witch of some sort  and could have full fledged conversations with me. Then the ones I have with her wouldn’t be so ridiculous. She would need a sweet accent too, of course … Yup.

I totally want to go to Salem Massachusetts and scope out this place. I have decided that this is going to be a road trip for the hubby and I. Halloween would be the optimal time to go of course … I wonder how I can pepper this into a conversation … hmm … “Hey hunny … Whatcha wanna do this weekend? … Oh, hey, by the way I planned a roadtrip to Salem and we are going to the Puritan state and watch Hocus Pocus on the drive to get into the spirit, listne to the soundtrack and all that jazz … MAYBE I CAN GET HIM TO DRESS UP WITH ME!?? Super sweet costumes, zappy electricity fingers and  a vacuum of course, I mean what else does a witch fly on? Brooms? … Please. That is so old school.  Oh … Now I totally want to go …
Keep posted people … I will somehow do this someday.

Give ’em the god-damn pickle … October 4, 2010

Why is that people think they can be rude to a server or associate?

PUH-LEASE! This shit is getting old … If you are going to come into a store and already believe the person who is going to help you deserves your shitty attitude, think again … I would love to say to someone, “I’m sorry, did someone piss in your wheaties today?” Do you realize how frustrating it is to have to be as nice as possible to someone, when they are extremely RUDE?! Ugh … I could scream some days. This is how I do not understand how someone can work in the retail or food service industry as their job for years or for their life. This shit is stressin’ me out!

“Kill them with kindness” … It either works great or just pisses them off more. Then, if you are quiet and ring them up as fast as possible, they are mad you aren’t talking or pissifily ( I might have made that word up … ) grab their shit and walk out. Obviously, today was one of those days where everyone was in a piss-poor mood and stressed me the f out.

I admit there are days when I am in a bad mood, but I can’t be mean to them just because I am in a funk, so what the hell?!  … There are those exceptions when you walk into a store, no one greets you and the associate at checkout is a complete asshole or your server is a bitch (and you want nothing more than your hot soup you ordered to spill all over her) … Then, I will say that you can be rude right back! But, don’t go into a business and automatically assume everyone is going to be rude to you. Some people may surprise you.

Sooo for all of you who have been in this situation, whether you were the customer or the employee you may just learn something …. Here is my Favorite Customer Service video. This old man is so dang cute!
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/give-em-the-pickle/aeb2a0c2650bf025e70faeb2a0c2650bf025e70f-196639065595?q=give%20em%20the%20pickle&FROM=LKVR5&GT1=LKVR5&FORM=LKVR7

Creating this blog … September 30, 2010

Who in their right mind decides at 12:00 at night, to create a blog? Me. I have been wanting to make one FOR…EV…ER. and apparently its the cool thing to do, so, here it is!
This shit is tricky … I am most definitely going to be making numerous changes to this thing as I go, because I have no CLUE what I am doing … If you know me, you can probably hear me talking as you read this. Which, is one of my favorite things about me. My texts, emails, FB posts and now Wahla! Blogs, can easily be identified as me. I have the unique ability to ramble.
First … don’t judge my writing technique. If you have a pet peeve about people using incorrect spelling (other than their and there and to and too, those sort of things) or run on sentences and things of that nature, do not read this blog. You will not enjoy my random typing. I am doing this because I have always wanted to and I find blogs interesting and fun.
Second … I don’t really have anything else to say, yet except I am very, very unaware how all of this is going to come together the first few weeks or months, but bear with me this should be fun!