'tis the season

P-U!

Meet the stripped skunk- native to Florida, super cute, and full of stink! Maverick and his side kick Sheba learned all about the defense tactics of these little buggers. And Henrik learned how to clean up the smelly spray on two big dogs! He found out that tomato juice is a myth and the only real remedy is a bath of Dawn dishsoap, baking soda, and peroxide.

Afterwards, the sweet pups were rewarded with yummy peanut butter kongs... because they are well-loved and incredibly-spoiled :)

Closing his eyes in deep concentration

All gone, ready for more

Clean Pups

They got a good scrub today since Grammy K is coming to visit soon!

Clothesline

Hanging clothes on the line has always been part of my laundry routine- until I moved to a neighborhood where the HOA does not allow clotheslines!  Have you ever heard of such a thing?  With Henrik's help, I think I've outsmarted them- we hung up a retractable clothesline (think old fashioned Italy, where they go from one building to another) on my lanai so I can pull a little "now you see it, now you don't" magic whenever necessary.  Mmm, fresh laundry scent is uncomparable!

Pumpkins!



 On Halloween we sat in the driveway and carved pumpkins, drank wine, had pizza delivered, and handed out about 250 pieces of candy to all the neighborhood munchkins!  Unfortunately, jack-o-lanterns don't last long in the hot Florida weather... after just one week, we have sad, sad pumpkins!

Leak... Leak... Flood!

Being a homeowner is hard... and expensive!  The past few weeks have been a plumbing nightmare!  After hearing a trickle of water in my kitchen for days, the following madness unfolded:
-Henrik seconds my option: I have a leak!

Yes, this is the bathroom that I already remodeled!

-Water meter confirms said leak as it spins out of control.  Water company turns off the water to the house.

-I try to relax on the pre-paid cruise vacation in Bahamas, plumber is scheduled for the day we return

-Plumber says yes, I have a leak, and its under the foundation of my house. He refers another plumber

-The Sleuth detects the leak, marks an X on the tile in front of oven, I write him a check for $300... all in under 25 minutes

-Oodles of phone calls to everyone in the phonebook and many deep breaths later, my plumber-neighbor comes over and gives me option A) break open floor, fix leak, repair cement slab, and retile kitchen

-I choose option B) Henrik helps him bypass the leak and replumb half of the house

I finally am able to flush toilet, do laundry, and sleep peacefully for a few days until:

-I slip on kitchen floor coming in from garage, why are my feet wet?

-Henrik looks at carpet in garage and confims, yes I have another leak- now the spigot behind the washing machine is dripping and the carpet has spread it across floor

-We pick up supplies from Home Depot and soon discover this is a job for the plumber

-Neighbor Bob returns, replaces hardware, gives me the go-ahead on regaining normality in my life

I celebrate by washing an super-size load of whites, in hot soapy water. Hours later:

-On my way to the mailbox, I step over a big puddle at the bottom of the driveway

-My brain (and pocketbook) are too tired to even realize this is not normal

-At 11pm, I move clothes to dryer and notice squishing between my toes as I walk in soaking wet carpet in garage

-Henrik assures me it is not the end of the world and I will survive as he discovers the drain hose on the floor behind the washer

-I panic and pick up everything I possibly can off my garage floor in a fit of rage (45 gallons of water has soaked everything!)

-The next day, I moved everything outside in the front yard to dry off in the sun, and steamcleaned the carpet, twice. Had to tell people who stopped to shop that I was cleaning, not selling!
-Organized everything into Rubbermade bins and built shelves to keep things off the floor

After a week, the carpet is now dry (and clean!) And I can even put my car in the garage!  Even though it was an unfortunate expense, perhaps these plumbing nightmares are what it took to motivate me to tidy up a bit?

November is short for My Birthday Month is Over

As an only child, I have always celebrated my birthday for the entire month of October.  Now that I'm 31, nothing has changed :)  Thank you to all of my wonderful family and friends.  I am so spoiled!



Camping with the pups on Cape Romano

 

Henrik made all the girls at work jealous :)

Brittany and Maria outdid themselves with a surprise dinner party for me :)