The Premise

Food! Wait, I’ve said that already, haven’t I? Well, I suppose it bears saying again. Food!! Food is important, yes?

This new arrangement is entirely based on dinners. We pick a day during the week that both of us can deal with, trading off who has to
plan the meal and cook.

The host picks a theme, usually a country, and then a few dishes to go with a main course. I was lucky enough to get the first go and my sister requested that I go with some Japanese food.

The First Meal

I decided on something fairly simple. A vegetable, an appetizer, and the main course were the order of the day.

For the main course, my sister requested something noodly, but I wanted soup. So, a compromise was in order… niku jaga! Niku is meat and jaga is potato in Japanese. Make sure those and the onions are sauteed in the pot. Throw in some dashi stock, shirataki noodles, and sauces such as soy and sake and you’ve got one tasty soup!

But such a meal would be incomplete without vegetable tempura and gyoza! All in all, the entire thing went so well!

Remove Clutter and Stress

This is working pretty well. My house is staying cleaner than it had been, even if I have a few lapses. Being the only one in the apartment has a few upsides. For one, any messes are mine. Secondly, I now know exactly how long certain messes take. It brightens up certain things in my past interestingly.

The people stress is slowly leaving my life. I’ve successfully cut out most of the negative influences, with only a few remaining. Even those I’ve managed to limit my contact with. This has improved my mood dramatically and my life on a day-to-day basis.

Within a few months, the remainder of my excess baggage should be all gone, and we’ll be ready to have a happier, healthier daily life.

Exercise is Good For You

This is one that I flagged as problematic. I’m very bad at exercising. There’s not much about exercising that I don’t dislike.

There’s the sweaty bit, which is gross and smells funny. I can’t breathe when I run, and that hurts. My joints hurt when I do anything that puts impact on them. I also hate the feeling the day after a “good workout”. Your muscles always feel weak and oddly pliable.

Even with that, I’ve started doing some running with Puck that’s helped keep me a bit more in shape. I hate it, but it keeps the puppy quiet and tired, which is always a bonus. Apparently my physical activity will be linked with Puck’s activity level, at least for the time being. If I have children, my activity level may be designated by theirs.

Ruby on Rails

This has been a complete no-go, which is odd. I thought I’d have this one in the bag, but it requires a fair amount of free time that I apparently don’t have.

Between work and school, my free time to sit down and just work on a project like this has been minimal. When work slows down, I’ll likely get to do it. It’s bound to slow down eventually, right? Right?

Eat More Fruit

I think I can definitely call this one a success.

I’m not sure if I’m eating the recommended serving amount each day, but I’m getting a lot closer with my handy dandy blender. I can say that I’m getting 1 to 3 servings a day with my breakfast. Now, I just need include fruit as part of my desserts for lunch or dinner, and I’ll be all set.

Just Let It Go

I’m not a very good judge of this one, but I’m pretty sure I’m getting better slowly. My ability to just let things slide may be improving because of the people who are no longer in my life. Without that constant stream of stress, it may be easier to just move on than to have a fit about something.

I still get worked up about things that ultimately don’t matter beyond the span of a day or a week. It’s going to be months (and likely years) before I really get more chill about things. But, this is a good start.

What SXSW Is

Getting All Ready

South by Southwest is a convention where computers, the web, film, and music come together to form an interesting harmony. With an international draw, SXSW offers a more diverse crowd of people with similar interests than seems possible to begin with.

It is a place where you can get fired up about current technology. It’s a venue for you to discover new relationships. It is a platform for new technology and ways to view the world.

In short, what SXSW is difficult to explain succinctly.

Who Will You Find There?

The interactive and film sections happen simultaneously, which offers social media dudes, bloggers, programmers, designers, producers, photographers, and film nerds some real face time with one another.

When I say ‘international’, I really mean that. In my time there, I met individuals from Norway, England, France, Germany, and all over the United States. The sheer mix of accents, languages, and slang was fascinating.

The Best Part

One of the Massive Parties

It is difficult to decide what the main draw of the interactive section of SXSW is, even after having been there. The panels, solo speakers, core conversations, and keynotes have wide draws and much to offer. The parties and interactions with other individuals grant those willing to participate an experience not quite like any other.

What really nailed the SXSW experience for me was the people. The convention proper was informative and filled with great ideas, but I’m not entirely sure that’s the point of the experience. The point of the festival is the atmosphere, and what makes the atmosphere is the people.

Without the people being so excited about what they are doing, passionate about their involvement in the community, SXSW would be nothing. Like so many speakers stressed in their presentations, community is what matters.

What I Brought Home

While it’s impossible to keep a SXSW schedule at all times, you can take some of the feel home. And that, unsurprisingly, has to do with the community around you.

We should all work towards building a community like SXSW in our own cities, whether it’s Tucson, Phoenix, or anywhere else in the US and beyond. It is the community that allows us to reach heights we would otherwise never dream of. We, as a team, are more than simply the sum of the parts.

SXSW provided me with an opportunity to really see what a community getting together looks and feels like. The convention is only a fraction of what it can accomplish.

What It Is

One Of My Favorites!

Furikake is essentially little bits of dry goodness meant to be sprinkled atop white rice. This sounds much less tasty than it actually is, I assure you. If you spend a lot of time eating rice, this may be just the condiment for you.

It frequently contains seaweed, bits of fish, sesame seeds, and other delicious bits. The downside is that it frequently contains both a massive amount of sugar and salt. With the proper amount of restraint, it adds some wonderful flavor to the rice.

The Varieties

I cannot even explain the amount of varieties this tasty topping comes in. Some of these varieties are as simple as sugar and sesame seeds. Others are extremely complicated including bits of more than one variety of fish. For the super adventurous, there are even varieties that contain wasabi. Have I mentioned how awesome wasabi is?

What You Can Do At Home

An Example of Deliciousness

If you’re really adventurous, you can always make your own at home.  One of the blogs I follow regularly, known as Just Hungry, has an entire host of easy-to-complete recipes for furikake. One day, I may even be adventurous enough to try to make one of them.

Until then, I’ve got delicious photos, tasty rice, and a spot of tea.

Do you lot have a favorite condiment?

Long, Strange Trip

Not my couch, but the damage is similar.

I want her to stop clawing, but declawing is simply not an option. The only thing good about the procedure is that your cat will never claw anything again. The bad part is that it is equivalent to cutting of the first digit of your finger. They don’t simply remove the nail. The vet clips off that entire section of the toe. That alone makes it inhumane if there are other alternatives. But, what if your cat escapes and can’t defend itself? Would you de-tooth your dog because it chewed on the furniture?

With that out of the running, I’ve tried several other things trying to get Spaz to stop this natural but destructive behavior.

First, I attempted the give-her-something-better-to-claw method. I bought a little corrugated cardboard scratching post that hung on the door. She was extremely interested in licking and rolling over the post while it was covered in cat nip. Once the catnip was gone, Spaz could care less about it. She went right back to the couch.

Second, I tried the spray-her-when-you-notice method. Naturally, I forgot to keep the spray bottle in hand every moment of the day. Even when I did, she started running the second she heard us move. Still clawed… just paid more attention to where we were.

As a last ditch effort, I opted to get her a special cat playground. It’s a tiered, carpeted little bit with a hidey-hole and another sisal claw post. She loves the tiers, sitting up on the top basket and peering at the world through half-closed lids with her condescending expression. The scratching post she ignores, even when covered in cat nip.

They Are What, Now?

Kind of an ingenious design, eh?

I ran across Soft Paws in an advertisement in the Humane Society Shelter. I thought the idea was cute, but wouldn’t work. Cats do not like things on their paws. They’re not even fond of getting their paws sticky, wet, or otherwise compromised. Why would they allow you to put colorful vinyl caps on their claws?

On the other hand, they were a cheap investment. And, $25 is a lot less than the other methods that I’d already tried and failed at.

Each Soft Paws kit contains 40 nail caps, 2 tubes of adhesive, applicator tips and easy to follow instructions. One kit contains enough for 4 front paw applications. Each application lasts approximately 4-6 weeks therefore each kit lasts approximately 4-6 months.

Hmm…. 4 to 6 months? That’s a pretty big promise. Ultimately, I decided to give them a try. Between wanting a new couch sometime in the future and getting a puppy whose eyes are so prominent a blade of grass can cause damage, what can I lose by trying them? The worse case scenario is that I’m out $25 and I have to think of something new.

And The Verdict Is?

Not Spaz... But you get the idea.

Putting the little, blue claw-caps on Spaz was uneventful. For all the hassle I thought it would be, it was easy. I clipped her nails without fuss, learned how the glue went in the caps, and put them on her claws without incident. She got a little grumpy by the last paw, but all she did was pull away a little.

It’s been about two weeks since I first applied the caps. As the warning says, she’ll lose more in her first application than she will at any other time. Her nails aren’t used to it, you’re not sure when she’s shedding them, and she’ll clean them obsessively. In total, she’s lost five of them. Five of them in two weeks and I haven’t had a single scratch on the furniture since.

I think I can start picking out a new couch, unless Puck shows me the error of my ways by chewing the old one up.

Terms and Conditions

Wall-eyed adorableness.

After calling several breeders within Arizona, I slowly discovered that I was going to have to drive to Vegas or LA to get a puppy. All of the breeders in Arizona (even in Phoenix) had gotten out of the gig.

I was walking past another pet store and they happened to have a little boy pup.

When meeting this little bugger, he was the epitome of happiness and playfulness. He played fetch with me for a good twenty minutes, desired nothing but my attention, and was interested in cuddling up with me when he decided to calm down for a total of two seconds. This was a completely different experience from the last puppy I visited, who just chewed on the friend who had come with me.

Already chewing on things.

In fact, the entire store seemed different. The puppies were interested in the people who were coming into the store. They seemed happy, playful, and in general more puppy-like than the other bedraggled creatures we had seen.

The paperwork was not very much different than the paperwork at the other store. However, they were very upfront about the issues they knew he had. For example, one of his knees is a little wonky. The vet says that it’s not bad and should improve with age, but it is something to note.

The Pet Store Puppy Problem

I'm Cute, Right?

Puck came with two free vet visits at a local clinic, which I’ve been to before and appreciate. He also came with a warranty for some common puppy problems and hereditary defects.

Laziest Tug of War, Ever.

Now, the bad part is that he needs this. He had a cold when I brought him home, which was disclosed by the store and by the vet that same day. I started him on his medicate and brought the vet a stool sample, as that’s a pretty standard procedure. Guess what? He’s got two fairly bad parasite infections in his intestines. Awesome. More medication for the poor pup, and likely a case of diarrhea from it.

The vet also suggested that I have two other operations performed at the same time as his neutering. His soft palette should be clipped back, and his thin nostrils should be widened. The warranty may even cover these procedures because they’re hereditary defects. These two operations, the vet assures me, would make him less susceptible to heat stroke, over exhaustion, and other air-flow based issues.

Training

Spaz, however, is very displeased.

Now, I haven’t trained a dog in forever. I taught Kyle (the family Scottish Terrier when I was a child) a few tricks here and there. Tricks, however, are a very different bag from basic behavior and manners.

I’m working on training him to use a special dog litter box. If I continue to live in apartments or small spaces without dog-doors or with lots of stairs, it’ll provide him a place to not have to hold it until I get home.

Then, we have the basic sit, come, and lay down commands. Beyond that, I’m not entirely sure what little oddities I’d like to teach him. I’ve seen some adorable little parlor entertainments performed by dogs like this. I figure, I’ll start with the important basics, and then mix it up with some fun things that’ll get laughs from people.

What Type of Dog?

A dog is a very different type of companion. Toy dogs are bred for just the sort of companionship I desire. They follow you around from room to room, they love to snuggle and be held, and generally they live to please you.

What’s best is that I have the time to commit to having a dog of that type. I have the room for a small dog, and would love the extra exercise that comes with an animal.

Could you say 'no' to that face?

My criteria were simple:

• Under 25 pounds.
• Not a Chihuahua.
• No excessive daily grooming.
• Won’t eat my cat.
• Won’t have the cat eat it.
• Must love people.
• Enjoys being carted around.
• Not a Chihuahua. I hate Chihuahuas.

Squished Face It Is!

Pugs are a natural, wonderful choice. They’re like having a little rancor on a leash. They love people, they love other animals, and they are inclined to be doted on.

What are you looking at?

Like any animal, they have their downsides. Their eyes, while expressive and adorable, are prone to damage. Choke collars that are too tight and sudden smacks on the back of the head can bug out the poor animals eyes. Their face requires special attention as the wrinkles can get infected easily without the proper care. They snore, gads, do they snore…

Despite all this, I think that a pug would be a wonderful addition to my family. Thankfully, Spaz is not prone to clawing people or animals deliberately, and I’ve recently purchased awesome little cat claw caps for her.

How could you say no to a face like that?

The First Attempt

Against my better judgement, I popped into a pet store. This little trip confirmed everything that I feared about pet stores.

There was something wrong with the pug’s tail. That should have been my first cue to walk out of the pet store then and there. Unlike the characteristic tail, she carried hers low. It should have been held up tight against her hindquarters.

Rescue dogs need love, too.

The individual in charge of overseeing me with the pug seemed more interested in leaving me alone with her than a supervised visit. It was their policy that really nailed the “no” for me.

You spend $1400. They don’t care what your home is like… They don’t ask you if you have other pets, if you have children, if you have other pets, or if you will be moving soon. They aren’t even particularly worried if you will keep the animal forever. They give you 24 hours to know whether the animal will be right for you and your home… and keep half of the money if you want to return it.

Is this any way to find a pet?

Off to find a real breeder or to go rescue one from a shelter. Bastards. Now, it’s too bad that I’m torn between finding a pug who has been abandoned or a new puppy.

One of the beauties of the store is the variety of food you can find there. Occasionally, you hit a real gem.Walking down the isles of the food labeled in Japanese, Chinese, and very possibly other Asian languages that I can’t read, I happened upon two awesome finds. These were better than the strange animal body parts. These are items with funky labels.

Made with real house wives!

I bring to you House Wife soy sauce. It provides you all the saltiness of regular soy sauce, but with an added 10% house wife in every bottle!

I would like to know who names this stuff. Who looks at this and goes “this would do wonderfully in an American market”? Do they even expect Americans to buy it? Are they banking on people like me to purchase the item for shits and giggles? I managed to leave this particular item on the shelf.

What I couldn’t get away without buying was a .69 cent can of Hello Boss. Nothing helps you wake up in the morning like a delicious can of iced coffee made in Taiwan. Wait… what?

Taking a closer look at this product, the ingredient list was a good sign. Naturally, my friend pointed out that in most other countries food regulations are not so strict. Every single additive in the drink may not be listed. Still, I was hopeful: Water, coffee, sugar, milk powder, natural flavor.

Good morning, employer.

Just a little below the ingredients, I ran across this frightening little disclaimer:

* Milk fat may sometimes solidify. This however will not affect the quality of your beverage.

Something between the ingredients, the warning, and the cute little title made me buy a can. I was excited to discover how terrible it was.

After two days and much hemhawing, I finally cracked open the vacuum sealed tab and took a swig. Tasty. Hello Boss tasted no different than the Starbuck’s bottled coffee. Way to be anti-climactic.

I feel as though I’m being lulled into a false sense of security. Next time I try that tasty dumpling looking thing on the shelf, I’ll regret my complacency.

The resolutions one sees every year are the type of statements that you just know are going to get swept under the rug when January has run its course. This creates an influx of people into the gym every year that stop going at the beginning of February or March. How is that for sound decisions?

Instead of those types of resolutions, I try to pick either things I intend to do anyway or have already started doing. Forcing myself to get new goals that aren’t in line with the ones I already have is a recipe for disaster. I’ve done that.

So, without further ado, here are my resolutions for the new year:

1. Continue to clear out clutter and unnecessary stressors out of my life.
2. Stretch or exercise every day.
3. Learn Ruby on Rails and build my first application.
4. Eat more fruit.
5. Make a conscious effort to let things go that don’t matter.

At one month, two months, and three months, I’ll go back and see exactly how I’ve been doing with these goals.

Even with her presents all unprepared, my sister had a stone to throw. Apparently, a 2½ foot tall tree is insufficient, particularly when there are no ribbons or ornaments involved. I suppose I should have known that. When she has her seven foot monstrosity here in town, we’ll give that one all the dangly and sparkly things it can handle.

After much Tetris, we managed to get all of the presents under the tree and in some semblance of presentation. The Hobgoblin refused to go to bed for a few hours, but she didn’t seem to get that we were going to open presents when she woke up. When you’re a little less than two years old, Christmas just doesn’t quite make sense.

The only photo of all three of us.

We slept until ten. Had Scarlet been much older, I doubt we’d have gotten to do that. She’d have been bouncing up and down on us to make sure we were awake. It’s common knowledge that kids can’t open the presents until the adults are awake.

The Hobgoblin seemed to love her presents, though she only really understood the balls. The tools Cory bought her were completely awesome. The tiny, motorized drill even had a forwards and backwards. She’s not quite old enough to get how completely awesome that is.

One of my new favorite traditions is taping all of the pretty bows on the present to the youngest person in the room. Naturally, the Hobgoblin ran around with ten or so bows attached to her head. After the big pooffy bows fell off, we finished with a bow-hawk (that’s right, a mohawk of bows). I think that’ll shape up to quite a lovely photo opportunity if we manage to get her to sit still next year.