this might bore you

• yesterday i finally got outside to do the terrible duty of picking up the dog poop that has been collecting all winter. somehow with the snow on the ground it becomes justifiable to just leave it there and wait until all the snow is gone before you really take the job on. well the time has come and gone a few times now over the past month and everytime i think i'm going to get out there and do it a freak snow storm hits or its raining . . . or some other perfectly fine excuse pops up. well, no more. you know those 50 lb. bags of dog food . . . i save them because they make good poop bags. this is a little horrifying so brace yourself. i filled up almost 2 full bags. grooooooooss!!! Luckily all the poop was nearly petrified, so that made the job not so bad. blahhhh. if it was just duke it wouldn't be quite so awful because he prefers to do his business on our walks, but rosco, erik's dog, who spends a lot of time here, seems to save up and let loose when he gets to his bathroom paradise, my backyard. and besides that, the boy goes 6 times a day, no joke. anyway . . . the backyard is clean and i'm looking forward to working back there this weekend . . . raking, spreading more grass seed in patchy spots, and maybe starting some plants in the greenhouse. its going to be a new adventure for me in there.
• i can't keep my beta's bowl clean. i think he must use the bathroom a lot too. anyone have any suggestions on how to keep the bowl clear a little longer than a couple of days?
• my trainer worked me out hard today. i seriously thought i was going to throw up. it seemed amusing to her. what is that about? she doesn't keep very good count by the way. when i'm supposed to do 15 reps, she always seems to be distracted and i'm on like 26 before she realizes it and tells me to switch. if i stop before she tells me to, because for damn sure i don't lose count, she barks at me that i'm not done yet. 'yes i am' i scream inside. sometimes i actually want to kick her. i have increased my weights in all areas 5-10 lbs. over the past 2 months though so i guess i can't complain too much about her. if there wasn't so much fat covering up my newly developing muscles, i'm certain they would be lookin' pretty good. unfortunately they aren't really reaching the surface yet though. ugh. the thought of that is even grosser than the dog poop. moving on.
• if you don't read my mom's blog, you should. she doesn't always keep it updated, but when she does, its worth wandering through. she puts up great pictures and has fun stories from the farm. most recently she posted pictures of her new welcome arbor (that she built all by herself i might add). its awsome. you rock mom.
• i bought a click-clack couch for really cheap from someone at work. its an old style from the 50's that is making its way back into new furniture lines. it was pre-futon era, but is a similar concept. instead though, it clicks one way and then clacks another to lay out into a bed. can you picture it? its pretty cool and makes my office complete. perfect for a spare room that needs seating and an occasional bed. i just found out that two couple's, friends from Nome, are going to be in town on the same weekend in a couple of weeks, so now i can accommodate them both. yay. i knew i bought this big house for something.
• i'm trying to start a side business, but its a slow process. i'm hoping to be rolling by july. we'll see? my brother is my graphic artist and web designer. you rock too dillon.
• my health insurance has authorized a consult with my breast surgeon of choice, which is a good sign that they will likely authorize the surgery from her too. the surgeon is in san francisco and i'm hoping to get down there for a consult sometime in july or august. i'm really excited about it and it feels so good to have finally made a decision and be completely confident about it. there has been so much that i have felt powerless in over the past two years. and now, reconstruction is on the horizon, and i actually get to feel powerful and strong. its very cool and very unexpected. this is the surgeon i met at the young survivor's conference in february. she alone made my trip worth it. if you're curious about her or reconstruction, she is a great resource. her name is Karen Horton and she is in a plastic surgery practice with two other women. its the only plastic surgery practice in country that is all women and is appropriately named, women's plastic surgery.
• i'm almost done knitting the blanket for nikki's daughter, coming this july. i'll post pictures before i send it off just because its turning out so darn cute.
• i went to erik's tonight just so i could watch the office. haven't been watching all season, then saw it last week by accident and had to see it again. i love that show.
• i don't know why i'm typing all this . . . and its way past my bedtime, so goodnight. happy weekend to you . . .