1) Do you want to make a delicious five ingredient bake that will make people think you slaved in the kitchen? Diane put me on to these easy Brazilian cheesy bread rolls and they are So Good. I recommend them to you. Egg, tapioca flour, oil, milk, cheese, and salt. I guess that's six ingredients, but do we even include oil and salt as actual ingredients? Regardless, these are easy and delicious and I recommend them even if you don't need to eat gluten-free foods.
2) Jules recently posted a photo of an ad from Facebook with a Hannah doppelganger:
And then our local Humane Society posted a photo of some recently arrived dogs, including Rusty:
If you just glance at these dogs quickly, you might think they're Hannah! But they're not! Craziness. And listen to the description of Rusty on the Humane Society website!
I'm a loyal boy who just wants to be by your side. While you work, I'll chill out nearby, taking naps or enjoying a Kong. But when it's playtime, get ready for some epic zoomies in the yard—I'll run circles around you! I might not fetch balls, but I sure love chasing them. My ears are pretty expressive, too; they go up, down, and sideways whenever I hear something interesting. I'm a bit of an alarm barker, so I might not be the best fit for an apartment, but I'm great with other dogs and I haven't shown much interest in the low-energy cat I've met, but I do like chasing birds and chipmunks outside, so shelter staff isn't sure how I'd react to a more active feline. I'm also potty trained, know my basic commands, and I'm ready to find my new best friend!
Rusty could be Hannah's brother!! Someone please adopt him so I don't make an appointment to go meet him.
3) Speaking of Hannah, guess who got really, really sick on Tuesday night? Like explosive poop all over the mudroom sick? When people ask why we don't give Hannah free roam of the house at night (so many people seem to think the boundaries we set with Hannah make us mean and I swear to you we are not mean to her!), I'm going to share this story with them. Imagine if she had free roam of our entire downstairs!
Here is a photo of what our mudroom normally looks like (taken from the Day In Life of Hannah post earlier this week):
and let me tell you that I would not have said our mudroom needed to be decluttered, but it has been decluttered now. The welcome mat and fringed rug have been tossed. Three pairs of shoes were tossed (one was an old pair of running shoes I used as my gardening shoes and they were already in bad shape, so I didn't even try to salvage them, the other two were leather sandals with cork beds and as soon as we started to clean them, the cork immediately started to break down). We're still deciding exactly what do about my work bag. Everything else from Zelda's bed to Hannah's mat and the mats in Hannah's kennel was washed. I used a Swiffer wet before I went in with bleach and then I got on my hands and knees and used dish soap and then rinsed and it still smelled like gross, so I threw some Pine Sol on the floor and now it smells like bleachy woods and that's not something I recommend, friends.
I refuse to talk about the mopping, the Magic Erasing, and the feeling like Cinderella that happened on Wednesday. I was "working from home," but what that really means is I was cleaning the mudroom.
And POOR HANNAH. She doesn't feel well and I keep taking her outside every hour and she just looked at me in utter misery when she was doing her business. Poor, poor baby. I had a scheduled appointment for Zelda's annual exam that afternoon, so I called and said I was bringing in Hannah instead. Poor Hannah had the indignity of a physical exam, too. It was a tough day for her.
4) So does anyone have a good recommendation for an indoor welcome mat that is machine washable? We really need a mat in front of that door, particularly when the snow starts. [*cue ominous music* Winter is coming.]
5) The end of the quarter is approaching and my quarterly goals are not going well. *sigh* But there are still TWO FULL WEEKENDS in the quarter and surely I can at least accomplish one more goal, which is to go to a museum. I think I'm going to head to Milwaukee and there are a few options.
$27 admission (egads!), open 10am - 5pm Saturday and Sunday
Grohmann Museum
$5 admission, open noon - 6pm on Saturday and 1-4pm on Sunday
Charles Allis Art Museum and Villa Terrace
$15 admission for both locations, Villa Terrace is open 10am - 2pm Saturday and Sunday and Allis is open 10am - 5pm
Has anyone been to these museums? Have a strong preference about which I go to? Which one would you go to?
**yikes face** Beatrix could only be on our wood floors, so she was a main floor dog, and everyone benefited from the boundary. What about a Ruggable rug? I keep getting ads for them on my socials because they're washable...
ReplyDeleteRuggable are so expensive! And the reviews are about the same as other rugs a lot less expensive. I would totally pay the price if someone I knew in person told me that they had a Ruggable and it was fabulous, though.
DeleteOh god, that sounds like a nightmare cleanup. Poor Hannah. POOR YOU. FWIW I don't think boundaries for dogs are mean at all. Rex has free range of the house but not when no one is home, and not at night. I put him in his crate at those times. He's also not allowed on any furniture. I was the same for Barkley and I don't think that's mean at all (I'm not sure why I'm focusing on this! But I am!) Anyway, the poor girl. Hopefully whatever she ate has "passed" and she starts feeling better.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, Nicole, I think we have some of the same boundaries. So many people think "it's mean" that we don't let Hannah sleep with us (!) or be on the furniture. But there are REASONS. Good reasons!
DeleteThe medicine seems to have halted things for now and we'll just wait and see how things shake out. In the meantime, we're just letting her out as often as we can, including a fabulous 1:30am wakeup in the pouring rain in the wee hours this morning.
Oh, poor Hannah!!! And obviously... poor you. Good thing you don't give her free roam of the house at night! I guess any thoughts about adopting a second dog have been effectively squashed by now (but Rusty!!! You'll have to make sure he gets adopted!)
ReplyDeleteHope you have a fun weekend.
I restrained myself from filling out the application to adopt Rusty after the debacle on Tuesday night. But imagine how cool it would be to walk both of them at the same time!
DeleteI went to Grohmann back in May! It's definitely worth $5. I wouldn't rule out the art museum even with the $27 admission.
ReplyDeleteWe got Doggo from a shelter that does animal transports from Tennessee, and every time they do a new transport there is usually a puppy with big Shepherd ears and her coloring so we always speculate that they are related. And we get to see her siblings from time to time! There were six dogs in her liter that were sent up here and sometimes the other owners send updates to the shelter's Facebook page.
Every once in a while Doggo has a "crate blowout" - it doesn't happen very often but when it does it's memorable. I had no clue about crates and limiting dogs to certain areas of the house before we got her, and at the time I would have thought that it was "mean" - now I know that it's a safety thing for the pet/sanity & property destruction prevention for the owner.
Hannah had ONE crate blowout (she had tapeworms and we didn't know) and that's why she is reluctant to get in her crate now. Her crate is in the mudroom and she does sleep in there occasionally, but I feel justified in our decision to not allow her free roam. And, also, she's happy in the mudroom! She spends most mornings there even when she's allowed to go anywhere she wants. I don't know why I'm so defensive about this, but people get really snotty about any boundaries with pets sometimes.
DeletePoor Hannah! Poor You! May I recommend the line of OdoBan products? My husband used to work for a restoration company, and they did work after fire, flood, and other disasters. They used the OdoBan products all the time. We use them, too, to great effect, especially in the basement before waterproofing and when we had TravisCat, who had severe litterbox issues.
ReplyDelete(RIP TravisCat)
My granddog Zydrunas has a lookalike who lives one block away from him! AND! One of his favourite people in the world has a dog who looks alarmingly like him too. Sadly, because Z is so Other Dog Reactive, he has never met his doppelgangers. That trait was the one thing his extensive training just couldn't get out of him.
Oh, great. I've never even heard of OdoBan, but I'm going to look into it. Thanks for that tip!
DeleteZ has a great life without other dogs! He doesn't need to meet his doppelgangers, but it's fun to think about doggy genetics.
Poor Hannah Baby! I hope she's all recovered...
ReplyDeleteI have been to the Milwaukee Art Museum! It's on the lakeshore and it kinda looks like the Sydney Opera House (I think). That said, that museum with the villa terrace sounds quite lovely... I can see you sitting on the terrace with a fizzy drink after you're done with the art.
We've driven by the Art Museum and the building is pretty cool. It's sort of a lot of money, but it's not like I spend a lot of money on entertainment and it goes to a good cause. I'll have to see what I'm up for this weekend!
DeleteAlso, Big A makes that bread and we love it too. It's called "pau," right? The kids always go "pau-pau-pau" (like "pow-pow-pow") when it's on the table. It's not so funny written down--you kinda have to be there :) .
DeleteYes! I guess they're called Pão de Queijo, according to the recipe I am using. According to my friend at book club, they taste like the bread at Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian steakhouse chain that I've never been to. I like thinking I have hacked the bread recipe for a chain.
DeleteYes, "pao." Lol at my spelling.
DeleteI came to say I hope Hannah is all better and you've recovered from your cleaning experience. (And also, I think you're going to have to get a new work bag--n o matter how much you clean, you'll--and here I'm projecting--always feel like you're able to catch a whiff and you don't need that on top of regular work and life stress.)
Awwwww poor Hannah! So sorry she is under the weather and so sorry that you are dealing with the mess and worry! I do think she needs a brother though.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'll let Dr. BB know that you're encouraging my interest in Rusty.
DeletePoor Hannah and poor you! Nobody likes digestive issues. I think it's necessary and responsible for dogs to have boundaries and rules, and it's definitely not mean. Do you ever feel like dogs set some boundaries or rules for their humans as well? And we finally adjust to them without realizing it!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure Hannah has set lots of boundaries for us. Do not make her bathe unnecessarily. Do not make her go by that house with the mean spaniels. We are but humble servants for the dog.
DeletePoor Hannah.
ReplyDeleteI don't see how anyone could see boundaries for a dog as mean?! You clearly love Hannah with every ounce of your being and invest so much in her well-being. Just like I wouldn't leave my toddler wandering around a house at night - cribs are amazing, but they do really resemble a jail cell - what's best for Hannah is to be in a safe and confined environment. I don't have a dog, but I think what's mean is not properly training a dog or making sure it gets walked regularly. Tl;dr - YOU ARE THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF MEAN.
Oooof. The poop blowout sounds epic and truly horrific. I've never had a sick pet, but I've had plenty of sick kids including some epic and truly horrific poop and vomit stories. *shiver*
I know a lot of people who basically let dogs do anything and be anywhere in their homes. They think we're really strict with Hannah. And maybe we are, but we have good reasons for all our strictness. It is similar to parenting in that boundaries are good and create trust and expectations. It is not similar to parenting in that I am not raising Hannah to be a good citizen when she grows up and moves out.
DeleteLike your mudroom, I am afraid that your blog is going to the dogs. 😉😇
ReplyDeleteI should stop pretending I write about anything other than my pets.
DeleteYou almost had me convinced to drive and pick up Rusty! SO CUTE! But then the mudroom. Sigh. Our dog Genevieve had a sensitive tummy and used to get diarrhea behind the TV. We were a Nielson family for a while, and there were a LOT of wires back there, and she pooped all over them. Twice. SO GROSS. I couldn't get it clean, the tech had to come out and replace them, and he was very kind about the whole thing. Mulder was more of a barfer. Nothing gets you out of bed faster than the sound of a pet about to hurl all over your carpeted floor.
ReplyDeleteI like the look of the Milwaukee Museum of Art. Note that access is limited tomorrow due to a fundraising event.
Oh, heavens. Poor Genevieve. I like that she hid it, though. She's not going to get sick out in the open like a heathen!
DeleteThe vet seems much more concerned about barfing dogs than pooping dogs. I think maybe they get dehydrated easier? So I'm glad that's not Hannah's major illness. *sigh*
Nooooo omg what a nightmare. Are these pet owner people who think you're mean for pet rules? Because that would be super weird - pet owners generally know what kind of boundaries their pets need. Lucy has the run of the house at night - when Eve is home she goes between our rooms and then goes down when Matt goes to the couch because of his restless legs, gets let out and sleeps on the couch with him for a couple more hours. She does occasionally pee or poop on the stairs at night when Matt is away, but I put down a towel, and if I locked her in my room she would just do it there, and if I put her in a crate she would cry the place down. You do what works.
ReplyDeleteRuggable rugs are washable, but they're frigging expensive.
YES! Basically every person in my family who has a pet thinks we're strict and mean with Hannah, mostly because she's not allowed on furniture, particularly beds. I mean, people make decisions about what works for their own families, and Hannah is definitely not unhappy with her lot in life.
DeleteYes, Ruggable rugs are expensive. There are some on Amazon for like a fifth of the price, but I guess I just don't know if they'd last as long. I still don't really have an answer!
Oh no, that sounds so miserable. I am so sorry. Can you get a ruggable for in front of the door? I heard good things about them, they're washable and I am sure come in different sizes?
ReplyDeleteYes, Ruggable is an option. They're just so pricey! We'll see. Maybe someone will magically give us a rug. LOLOLOL.
DeleteNothing like poop to help move decluttering along! Maybe I should just poop all over my house! Sorry - cleaning up after sick Hannah sounds tedious and epic all at the same time. I hope she feels better!
ReplyDeleteDo any of those museums have reciprocal memberships? Then you could become a member of one and go to all of them, if the math works out in your favor. I feel so spoiled that most of the museums in DC are free. Your tax dollars at work! I used to think that it was silly to pay to go to a museum because I could go to one for free, but I'm now coming around to the idea that it's okay to pay for a museum visit once in a while...
I remember once having a mouse infestation at my parents' house and that forced us to declutter and clean the kitchen in a real hurry. Poop really is a sort of cleaning motivator!
DeleteI really sort of hope they don't have reciprocal memberships because then I'd feel obligated to try and get to another museum and I'm realizing already that I'm not the type to just wander to a museum by myself. But I'd feel like I had invested the money...I have to be honest with myself and just admit that I don't like to leave my house.
I went to so many museums when I had a semester-long internship in DC. Free is such a good price!!
Poor Hannah, that sounds miserable for both her and you guys! The only washable rugs I really know of are Ruggable rugs but they are $$$. I can't stomach paying that amount of money for a rug, lol. I'm sure there are some other options out there!
ReplyDeleteThere are other options out there! I am just not sure if any of them hold up after repeated washes. I mean, there are going to be repeated washes. LOL.
DeleteI'm sorry Hannah is feeling poorly. She's too cute to feel ill. I, too, would like to find an indoor welcome mat that is machine washable? One that doesn't slide when you step on it, too.
ReplyDeleteOkay, friend, I'm going to do the research and find us the perfect rug.
DeleteArghhh this is no fun at all. What a nightmare. Hope Hannah feels better soon.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed that you can manage to visit a museum and cross of a goal from your list.
Hannah's already feeling better! Yay for modern (veterinarian) medicine!
DeleteOh no! That clean-up sounds awful! I am so sorry! I once knocked a bottle of red wine off the counter in the kitchen of a condo right as I was leaving for work. I thought that clean-up was bad but it certainly pales in comparison to what you went through. And poor Hannah! I hope she is feeling better!
ReplyDeleteAt least it was confined to a relatively small area. Poor Hannah!
DeleteOhh, poor Hannah! That's rough. I WISH so badly we had a space like your mudroom for Charlie. The closest thing we have is my office/laundry room, but it's in the basement, and just kind of... out of the way, I guess. I suppose it could be mostly dog proof, but it can get really chilly down there in the summer (when air conditioning on). I keep a little electric blanket on my lap or a little space heater on, but obviously I would not give Charlie an electric blanket nor leave a space heater on in his reach!
ReplyDeleteWe've chatted on this before, but I really do wish I had a good space for him to be (upstairs!) when we are not home. The layout of our house is not really conducive to good gating options (we had some when he was little, but he could knock them over/ jump over now) and we don't really want to like drill in permanent gates or anything, either. And, even if we did put up gates, it would mean gating him basically in my... newly remodeled kitchen (as of a few years ago, but still). When he's home alone now we just let him have the run of the living room, kitchen, and sunroom and then we close all the bedroom doors down the hall and the bathroom door, and there's a gate at the top of the steps so he can't go to basement. Our main area isn't overly large. He typically chooses to hang out in the living room, sitting on an ottoman looking out the window. BUT, he also sometimes thinks he's a cat and climbs up on the back of the couch. And occasionally, when/if he gets bored, he will start to chew on the couch cushions!! He hasn't done it much lately (well, we have now covered the one couch he goes to with blankets so he can't really access it as well, but it looks pretty oppy in our living room... oh well...). For shorter stints he's usually fine and either naps or just sits and looks out the window. But if we need to be gone for a long time, it makes me nervous. He does okay in his crate, but he really doesn't LOVE his crate at all. I do keep putting him in it most days just to keep him used to it, but I know he often just sits there looking a little anxious/ waiting to come out. (He doesn't seem to fully subscribe to the whole "this is my cozy den!" mentality. argh.) So I feel funny about keeping him in there for like 5-6 hours or something.
Anyway, it's a a bit of a conundrum! I would love to have a big space like what you have that could be truly dog proofed and maybe even sunny/ with a window where he could have a comfy mat and I could feel really good about him being in there for long stretches. I guess I could attempt to get him used to staying alone in our laundry room/ my office, since he should have positive associations with that room since he sleeps at my feet all day while I work. But his fav thing to do is sit and look out the front window, which he can only do in the living room!
We do let him sleep in our bed, mostly I guess bc my dogs growing up slept in my parents' bed so that's what I knew. But I certainly would never ever judge someone else for NOT letting their dog in bed- especially a larger one. Even little Charlie is sometimes a nuisance there, tbh. That said, it occasionally crosses my mind that it's a little gross to have his paws and um, butt, on my sheets. LOL.
It is weird now that I've had a dog I would design a house differently. LOL. I feel weird about having Hannah in her crate, too, if it makes you feel better. I'm happy with it if she goes in there on her own, but she rarely does, so it makes me think she doesn't love it as much as people say she would.
DeleteNot having the dog on the furniture has really been delightful for the cat. She wins the furniture game!
The cheese rolls look SO good!
ReplyDeleteHannah has a brother out there, and his name is Rusty! LOVE.
The shits all over the mudroom? NOT LOVE. Ugh. Poor Hannah. I would never judge you or anyone for having boundaries for their pets; it's for their own good and your sanity.
The cheese rolls are DIVINE. And so easy. They must be eating right away though - the do not hold up to reheating.
DeleteRusty has been adopted. He's no longer on the Humane Society website and I am no longer tempted to stop by and meet him.
Unpopular unsustainable option: Rather than spending $$$$$ on a washable mat/rug, could you go with a cheap one that you can replace as needed? I know this doesn't align with your buying ethics, though. Just thinking that even a "washable" rug might not be salvageable if something similar happens (good grief, I hope not) in the future.
ReplyDelete