Saturday, I love you.

I love Couch Amanda for so many reasons... this is one of them

Conversation from Thursday night - right after work, 6:30ish:

Amanda: HEEEEY, you wanna go workout?

Me (in a not nearly as enthusiastic tone): I was on my feet all day and my back hurts... I want to, but I can't really talk myself into it.

Amanda:HEEEEEY, you wanna hang out on the couch?

:)

It's Saturday morning... and the husband and I are not traveling... we don't have any plans.... there is no agenda. Hooray!! This isn't the sort of thing that if it happened often, I would devalue it... there isn't that "too much of a good thing" element... I'm not afraid of that ever happening. They are rare because of several outside reasons... but also because I don't let them happen enough.

This time of year (especially) it's easy for me to put too much on my plate... I overwhelm myself with things I need to complete, and when I don't complete them I get bummed.... I'm sure I'm not alone in this.... working out was on my list Thursday. It didn't happen - as you can see above - and you can bet I kind of beat myself up about it.

I make lists. Lots of lists. My boss, at this point, knows that if I don't make a list by 10:30 AM - my day is going to be completely useless. Shot. Not productive. I have to make a list to get things done. Otherwise, I'm just aimlessly walking around the office looking for things to do with a vacant look in my eyes.

This habit continues in my non-work related life: I make grocery lists in order of how I walk through the store, I make Christmas lists, I make house cleaning lists and errands lists. I don't chill until my list is complete. Which is why most of my Christmas shopping is all ready done (hello, cyber Monday). The one thing I never include in a list: laundry. I hate laundry. I'll do it when I'm out of clothes. Then, and only then, will my laundry be done.

My lists are helpful (especially my amazing grocery lists) - and necessary for someone who is not naturally organized (like me... without a list, sooo scattered) - but ending the day with items still on my list makes for a cranky Melanie. And I tend to put too much on my list sometimes... it's a vicious cycle. I need to ease up!

I LOVE scratching items off my list. Luckily my husband thinks it's "cute". Or at least that's what he says

my point... because there is one : I don't often allow myself to just do nothing and not feel guilty about it. So sitting on my couch watching last nights DVR'd Chelsea Lately with my Pete, who is actually laying down beside me... even the dog is relaxing today, and blogging in my PJs at 9:58 AM is a treat. I don't have a list for today. Although the ridiculous part of me wants to make a list that simply says : Relax.

Relaxing Pete and my knee.

Oh, and I just had some really great hot tea. I love not being in a hurry.

Living life on the edge. Ha!

Just a side note: My husband introduced me to an app called EverNote - it's amazing. I can make a list on my mac - and it will be on my phone... it saves everything... you can use it to catalog ANYTHING. You can edit it on your phone or computer and it will save... you'll never forget things because they are THERE.  It's a list makers dream come true.

The other members of our family.

Our dogs are part of the family. And WE know they're awesome and full of their own GIANT personalities....

Why can't they be as awesome when other people are here?!!

I mean, our boys are fun and lovable and precious and even have a sarcastic dynamic to them (okay... maybe I made that part up, but they each definitely have a sense of humor).

When we have company (which is anyone except for Couch Amanda) I feel like we spend a whole lot of time explaining how cool our dogs are... when no one is looking.

Example:

Garage Sale Julie came over yesterday - and in tow she had the two most adorable children on the planet (hers...). Addie is 4 and Jack is 2 (ohhh Jack is SO 2!... poooooor Garage Sale Julie). Anyway - the tots wanted to see the puppies... so, naturally, I cringe a little on the inside because I know the dogs are going to react to our visit outside as if they've never been around humans. It's ridiculous.

I basically had to SIT on Shep (... 65 lbs, or so... gaining every day because he eats his food and Pete's food... and refuses to run with me - a whole different story... He will go about a block, and then he will sit and WILL NOT move... ). I had to SIT on Shep to keep him from plowing over the little ones. And we know he just thinks he is a small dog - he doesn't want to hurt anyone - he just gets SO. HAPPY. He can't even contain himself.... He always looks like a cartoon trying to move (it takes him a while) - his feet move quickly but he doesn't actually make any ground for 3 seconds or so.

I spent the entire time trying to let GSJ know that my dogs are REALLY COOL.... she just won't ever experience the level of coolness that we do.

Pete is just as spastic - but he is only about 12 lbs, so it doesn't quite have the same effect (he thinks it does). Pete loves kids... I think it must be because they're more his size. He can eventually calm down and hang out - but kids don't generally go for all the licking that Pete MUST do. I guess it's his way of shaking hands.

Both of them can manage to chill and bask in their awesomeness - but you're going to have to just trust me on that.

Shep is our rescue dog - we have only had him since May. He spent a long time (poor baby) in a shelter and craves constant attention. We knew going into this that he was going to need this and thus it's going to take a while for him to calm down... that's okay. He knows we love him. He is a Australian Shepard and Rottweiler mix - so he is really strong and so, so sweet. Shep is most definitely the husband's dog. He gets happy to see me - but when he sees JD he runs to him as fast as he can. When we first got him it was 10000 degrees outside every day and we would leave him in... that didn't last long.

Here is a list of things Shep has eaten. Not chewed up. Eaten:

My Sonicare toothbrush (grrrrr)
A bolt to the grill
The grill brush
a plastic bucket
my hot rollers

He has deemed himself an outside dog. It's okay, though - he has a really nice dog-house, plenty of water and he likes to spend time under the deck (as well as chasing squirrels - no squirrel is safe!).

Pete was given to me by JD when we were dating. I was living in DFW and JD was in LR - I was on the road a whole lot (and so was he) - so Pete was given to me to keep me company. My Pete Cardog. I raised him from being just a little potato with legs... he is definitely my dog. Anytime JD tells him to go outside, Pete will just look at me like "Mom, is he telling the truth?". It annoys the husband - but for a long time it was just Pete and me....so it's what he knows. He sleeps under my side of the bed, and as soon as my feet hit the floor in the morning - Pete is there! It's kind of precious.

I suppose I felt the need to go on and on about our puppies because two of my aunts lost their own puppies this week - both really, really tragically and totally unexpected. I just wanted to show my puppies some blog love. I hugged them extra tonight, too. Our lives would not be nearly as interesting without them.