A few more turns of the earth.....

Well, leave it to me to leave a few days worth of "life in the land of Jen" unaccounted for......

Perhaps you don't care, or maybe you do, but I am going to fill you in anyway!

On Saturday evening Nate and I went to the north side and joined Amber and Reese to go to Conner Prairie. We went to an evening program that Conner Prairie puts on called "Follow the North Star." It was am amazing "immersion" experience in which you get to "play/pretend" to be a fugitive slave in 1836. The actors/historians involved portray attitudes and people in Indiana in 1836. In one word, I would say it was "intense....." It was an experience I would recommend to anyone, but I would never want to do it again. And to think, I knew it was "pretend" and I could barely stand it.....for more people in our nations history than I would like to even think of, this was a true and real experience, but not with the knowledge that it wasn't real..... Let's just say that it was a great experience to have right before Thanksgiving...perhaps I will have a few more things to be thankful for this year...... (This is a program that Conner Prairie does annually, but no children under 12 are allowed at any time, and at the later evening programs, no one under 18 - in case that tells you what the content and experience are like).

Sunday Nate studied all day and I got to be "an elf" (you know, one of Santa's) and did some Christmas shopping. I took Hans with me in the car which led to an "evening of B-A-D dog!"

So while I was out and about I decided that I wanted some dinner (on another note, it is just not really fun to cook or make dinner just for myself, and Nate was at school). I had gone to Target and had gotten some food, including but not limited to a box of Mrs. Fields cookie ice cream sandwiches. After Target I had to run to Wal-Mart, and it is really my fault that I left Hans in the proximity of the ice cream sandwiches. I came out to find that he had gotten the box out of the bag, tore it open and ate one ice cream sandwich (you know, I am actually QUITE lucky it was only one, because the box contained 5 - but I was none to pleased with that little dog). In searching the car, I was very concerned that I could not find the plastic wrapper for the ice cream sandwich. I hoped he had not eaten it, because I just didn't see that feeling too nice, but I looked around the car and couldn't find it. About 30 minutes later I wiped my hands on my thighs and found the wrapper sticking to my butt! Haha! Whew - what a relief. He must have left it on my seat and I sat on it, since it was covered in vanilla ice cream it adhered nicely to my bum!

As I ate dinner, he wanted treats. I didn't really want to give him any. He had already eaten an ice cream sandwich, but those of you who know me know I am a sucker for that little dog. I went out in the kitchen and got him a few treats. I gave him a few, and left the rest of them sitting on the table. I took my plate to the sink and he polished off the rest of them......what a stinker, I am telling you!

However, as if he hadn't pressed quite enough of my "buttons" yet, then he did the worst thing of all. I came home and was cleaning. All of my cleaning supplies are underneath the kitchen sink, as is a small trash-can that we put the stuff we don't want Hansy to get in to. This weekend, I had made chicken wings.......you could probably fill in most of the rest of this story yourself if you really test your brain.

It went like this:

I got out shower cleaner and went in to the bathroom to spray down the shower. In my stupidity I left the cabinet doors open. I came in to the kitchen to find him eating chicken wing bones! BAD NEWS PEOPLE, bad news. This above most other things, really can hurt dogs. Oh good grief. I gave him a "spanking" which I really don't do - EVER. Oh, I was SO MAD, you have no idea. I smacked his butt, I yelled, then I yelled some more - I was going to put him in his cage/pen to punish him - however, it was buried in the closet and seemed like too much work to "dig" it out. He went to the chair and looked like he had been beaten to within an inch of his life. I can assure you, this is not true, at all - but he KNEW he was in trouble. I got a slice of bread to give him (this can help cushion the bones, so they don't hurt their belly) and he wouldn't even take it. So I talked nicely and ripped it in to some pieces. That was well over 24 hours ago - and no worries, he is fine - but WOW, he was so BAD!!!!!

Also last night I cleaned the kitchen better than it has ever been cleaned. I swept, mopped, cleaned the counters (including taking everything off them), cleaned the coffee pot, scrubbed the sink.......did the dishes. Really, the whole she-bang!

Today I steam cleaned the carpets - mostly because I have needed to do it for a while, but also my mom owns a rug doctor, which I had borrowed - months ago......and I wanted to send it home with the g-rents when they leave.

So, that is really now. I hope this hasn't been boring. Goodness knows it hasn't been boring for me at all! I have been cleaning like a crazy-lady. I already have the house decorated for Christmas and even have the Christmas shopping done and the presents wrapped. You know, I think I am nothing if not prompt and on top of things!!!

Love to you all and Happy Thanksgiving!