Read after eating.

Indie turned 7 months yesterday.

He's come a long way since we got him. He's no longer afraid of us. He understands commands to sit, lay down, roll over and leave his treat (thanks to Ben's fine training skills). He also understands his name. He regularly poops and pees outside.

But there are days when Indie's inner demon comes out and says hello.

On Thursday, he wanted to hump. I had trouble folding blankets because he latched on to them and humped like he had just run into a poodle in heat prancing down the sidewalk.

Ben came home Friday to find Indie had gone potty in his exercise pen. Later that night, he bit me -- and broke skin -- when I tried to pull my sock from his chomps.

And then this morning, minutes after I had confined him after eating, he pooped. And he got rid of the evidence -- for the most part. The stank gave him away.

It's hard to be mad at my little poop eater. Just look at his face.

They're baaack

I heard them tonight. The scurrying back and forth in the wall behind our bed.

Don't bats hibernate? Don't they have a season when they leave humans alone?

Seriously. I thought when our landlord forked out plenty of cash to remove our friends this summer, we'd never hear them fluttering around again. I was so wrong.

Now, I'm not only worried for Ben's safety and mine. I have a puppy -- my baby -- to protect. When I heard the sound of the bats -- or maybe a new creature? -- all I could think of was whether my editor would mind Indiana joining me at work for a few days.

I don't want to leave the little guy exposed to an infected bat. I'm certain he has his rabies vaccinations, and I will check his records tonight to be sure.

Damn those bats. And why did they have to return while I'm reading a fictional book about vampires and love and danger?

Creepy.

I loathe my car

It appears that my car cannot go more than two months without having something go wrong with it.

On Election Day, it had a flat tire. Today, it's a window that went off track. And I don't need to re-hash what else happened in 2008.

I've been a good girl about not using my power window (the passenger window is questionable, hence, I can only use the one window) during the frigid weather we've had. I just got a new motor and window this fall, and I don't want to risk anything happening to them.

But today I used the window for two reasons: 1.) it was warm (20 degrees) and 2.) I was pissed off because I couldn't find my key card -- which I swear I never remove from my car -- and had to pay $7 to get out of the ramp where I already pay $110/month to park every day.

In almost any other car, its windows would work perfectly. Not mine. So I got to look forward to a 45-minute drive home -- in the middle of winter -- with my window stuck open.

I went to my mechanic, who doesn't do body work but who I hoped would have a heart and store my car overnight. I don't have a garage. He had a heart. And he's going to fix the car tomorrow. And he can tell the body shop, which is located next door to his shop, that just a few months after fixing my window, it's broken, again.

When I sell* my car, I'm going to have a party to celebrate its absence. I will invite friends, and the champagne will flow.



*I'd give it away, but I need the coffee money.

This and that

Domestic diva report: I put on my cape and was super woman again yesterday.

I made dinner for my man and me. It was nothing special, but still, I cooked. Then I cut all the vegetables for today's sequel of potato soup. And I baked a loaf of banana nut bread. I used wheat flour. It's healthy and tastes good.

The men in my bed: These days, I'm sleeping with two guys. At the same time.

Indie lasted in his cage a few weeks. It's not that he whined when we left him in his kennel. He barked when one of us got up in the night. So middle-of-the-night bathroom breaks weren't allowed. And once we started having him sleep with us, we couldn't put him back in the kennel.

So now, if I don't go to bed early, I get to listen to two snoring men.

Mall rat: Those who've ever shopped with me know I'm terribly indecisive. I pace. I analyze. I sweat a little. I move on to another store before choosing whether to buy the product from the previous store.

Today I can add stalker to being an indecisive, anxious shopper.

I was at the mall, and I found a purse that I loved. Now, I used to have a problem with purses. I bought them often. I'm much better these days. I get one, maybe two a year, if that many. I got a purse this summer, though, that I had already grown weary of. And this purse that I found today fit more with the winter season.

But I'm indecisive. So I left it behind, knowing I'd walk through the store again on my way out the parking lot. If it's still there, I told myself, then I was meant to have it.

I stopped by the clearance bin that had my purse on my way out. But another shopper had it in her grasp. And she was discussing with her man whether she should buy it, and whether it would go with her wardrobe. I was tempted to tap on her shoulder and tell her that beauty she was holding was mine. So if she would please kindly back away from my handbag.

She continued looking at other bags throughout the store, discussing every one that had potential with her man. I followed closely, eying whether she still had my purse. About five minutes in, she settled on a different purse. Then the search was on. Where'd she put my bag? I found it in a section with other Franco Sarto bags. And there were plenty. Its brothers and sisters were on sale, too. They just weren't in the clearance bin.

Today I was a bit of a materialistic freak who followed another shopper. And I feel bad about that. But my bag makes me feel better.

I signed up for this?

I'm having one of those moments when I'm questioning why I signed up for the Fargo Marathon.

Today is officially Day 2 of training, and the race is 123 days away.

I had planned to run 10 miles yesterday, but it wasn't in the cards. When the wind chill was negative 23, I knew I'd be putting on my shorts and running the belt of doom instead of wearing tights and carefully jogging along icy paths. Instead of 10 miles, I ran 3.

This Minnesota winter has been a real downer. I pride myself in being a runner who braves the outdoors in the winter. But when the temps dip into the negative digits, I'm a big wimp.

I have to remember why I signed up for the marathon in the first place:
--I love the challenge.
--There's nothing like crossing the finish line and knowing you put everything out there for 26.2 miles.
--I want to look extra trim for my sister's wedding.
--It's time to try a new marathon.
--I hear Fargo gives out kick-butt T-shirts.

I'm the (wo)man!

I'm a pretty big deal in the kitchen.

Yesterday, I made potato soup and, with Britt's help, apple crisp. Both turned out well. Actually, they turned out better than well. Both dishes were awesome. Or, dare I say, kick-ass.

Considering I have more misses than hits when I try new recipes, successfully making two dishes in the same day was like winning the lottery. The chances of doing either are very low.

First, I made a new potato soup recipe from the Cooking Light slow-cooker recipe book. If you like healthy foods that are easy to make, you should try this Cooking Light book. It's out-of-stock on Amazon.com, but I recommend buying it as soon as it becomes available. Or you can order now, and it will be shipped once more books are in stock. (I really should get paid for this advertisement.)

The soup included four cups of potatoes; one cup of onions, celery and carrots; and three garlic cloves. For liquid, I used vegetable broth. I threw in a few dashes of pepper and salt. A few tablespoons of butter. After simmering in the slow cooker for about six hours, I added a flour-milk mix to thicken the soup. Twenty-five minutes later, we had a hearty bowl of potato soup -- perfect on a cold winter night. We added shredded sharp cheddar cheese to give it an extra kick. When I make it again, I'll double the recipe. There wasn't much left over.

Britt came over and we made a not-so-healthy version of apple crisp. We topped it off with vanilla bean ice cream. We both ate a heaping bowl of the stuff, and went for a second helping of ice cream.

I know you want to come over and try all of this good food, but it's almost gone. Next time, my friends.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great, safe new year. We were blessed with a low-key, but fun evening with another couple. We had appetizers here, followed by dinner at a new Italian restaurant and an hour of watching drunk people at an Uptown bar. My cousin, Stef, who lives in Florida, was back in Minnesota for the holidays and joined our toast at midnight.

As I write this, I realize a lot has happened in the last few weeks, and I have not written about it. Ben was a culinary king in December, mastering toffee (which involves stirring non-stop for 20 minutes) and cooking steak in a cast-iron skillet. My dear friends, if you like steak, you need to learn this method. It's better than the grill. We also planned our meals -- all from the Crock Pot -- this week: Monday was pork with butternut squash, dried plums and apricots; today we're feasting on barbecue chicken; and on Saturday we'll make potato soup.

We hadn't been home since Labor Day, until we had a wedding in mid-December. We returned home two weeks later for Christmas.

OK...so I maybe exaggerated when I wrote that a lot happened in December. It wasn't an incredibly significant month, but it was filled with holiday parties, baking parties, travel, hanging with friends and family, etc.

As I reflect on 2008, we've had a big year.

--I landed a job at a newspaper I love with terrific, talented colleagues. I seldom grumble about work. And I've made many friends. I am also blessed with an editor who seems to have confidence in me and who makes me be a better journalist.

--I ran four half-marathons, one 20-mile race, one marathon and more than 1,000 miles. That's a lot of running.

--We got a dog, who we equally love to pieces. Indiana relieves our stress and brings us joy.

--We traveled to California.

--We learned how to salsa dance.

--Ben got accepted into graduate school.

--My sister got engaged to her long-time boyfriend. They're getting married July 11.

I'm excited about the upcoming adventures in 2009. This year, I want to run two marathons. I've already signed up for the Fargo Marathon, which falls on May 9. Ben registered for the Stillwater Marathon on May 23. We plan to both run the Chicago Marathon. I also want to journal at least once a week for my eyes only. I kept a journal in Thailand, but have not done any other personal writing with the exception of the blogs.

Goodbye 2008. Hello 2009.