Quality Assurance

Frankie is a little, how do I say this...spoiled. I can't help myself, I love buying him little treats any time I see a toy I think he would like. This weekend while we were in Petsmart buying Frankie some more dog food Jon pointed out a chew toy that looked like a rack of ribs. The toy boasted that they tasted like barbecue sauce. I thought my chubby little pup would enjoy his very own rack of ribs so I snatched them up.

On the way home Jon and I were talking about how we would never know if the toy actually tasted like ribs. I (jokingly) turned to Jon and said " I dare you to taste it"

And without skipping a beat Jon said "ok" and he stuck out his hand for the ribs. And then after a small pause he said, "...and no, you cannot blog about this" (I obviously was able to change his mind).

At the next stop light Jon chomped on the "ribs" and concluded that they tasted nothing like ribs. 

Good to know.

Oldie But Goodie

ahh it feels as though days have been screaming past me. Which can be good when the weekends keep surprising me but bad when I hardly have time to sit down and blog. I have been meaning to post about mine and Jon's visit to one of our favorite antique stores for two weeks! I suppose better late than never.

We were in the market for an old bottle to put the mouthwash in since we got tired of looking at the big plastic bottle.

I LOVE to stroll around in antique stores even if I'm not in the market for anything in particular. It's so fun to take a peak into the past. Even things as simple as bottles of foot powder and pain medicine look interesting when they are old. It's sorta like a museum of the everyday.

And of course it's fun to play dress up.

This matching bag and shoe set was only $20! I really wanted it but the shoes were teenie tiny and I wasn't quite sure where I could display them so I had to leave them behind. I think it's fun to think of where antiques have been in a former life.  Maybe some cute little teenie bopper wear these heels on her prom night...

Jon and I love to get our furniture from antique stores because it's a neat way to recycle, you can get some great deals and I think the furniture has a lot more character than newer pieces of furniture.

Do you have any antiques?

Sassy Sidenote: Easy Ways To Help Out

Every so often I like to make opportunities to help others public on here incase someone happens to be looking for ways they can help out. Here are two ways you can make a difference.

One of my really good friends works for the Make A Wish Foundation and she told me that Betty Crocker is putting on a contest in which they will let people vote for various Make A Wish locations. The location that gets the most votes wins $7000 to make wishes come true. All you have to do is go HERE and vote (and not that I am biased or anything but it would be awesome if you could vote for the Greater Bay Area location in California).

The second do gooder opportunity is through Tide. Tide is selling THESE t-shirts and all profits go to helping out families that have been affected by disaster. And they are actually pretty cute shirts.

Oh The Things They Say

I showed Nani and Papa the picture of mine and Jon's feet and told them how I put up a poll to figure out who had "more normal" feet. 

Papa looks at the picture and says: "Did he get any votes? (I nod)Well he must have bought those people milk shakes to get those votes"

Because that's how the politicians do it...milk shakes

Later that same day I took this cute picture of Rosie, Frankie, Monster and Daisy. When I showed it to Nani she didn't even skip a beat and said: "You have to put this on your blog!"

Happy Friday Everyone!!

Stories From The Heart

I was listening to the radio the other morning and they were talking about how people need to do more to perk their spirits up in "times like these". They continued to explain how every day at seven o'clock they would have a caller talk about a random act of kindness that they recently did and how it made them feel.

The caller that I heard talked about how she was out taking her dog for a walk when she noticed an older man sitting on the porch of a senior citizen home. They smiled at one another and he commented on how cute her dog was (she must have been walking a bulldog). She then brought her dog over so he could pet it. This innocent interaction turned into 2 hours worth of conversation. The woman said they talked about his life and advice he had for some the things she was going through in her life.

The caller said that they both benefited from this kind, random interaction. As the DJ thanked her for sharing he asked everyone listening to reflect upon how good it felt to hear the positive story. It truly started my day off on the right foot.


So the point to this story:
I became inspired by this story. It felt so good to hear uplifting stories. It was just that simple. So I am going to work on doing more random acts of kindness and I encourage you to do the same as well. Then e -mail me your random act and when I get enough of them I will post them here so we can all share in the happiness (yes, I am from California, how did you know?). You can do this anonymously or I can link to your page, just specify in your e-mail. I really hope this works out because I think it will benefit all of us to read some good news for once.


So whaddya say? Are you with me?
Oh and here is my e-mail: Sensiblysassy@gmail.com

And We Have A Winner!

Well, well, well. Looks like I won the "who's feet are more normal" poll now didn't I?

I am glad to be able to put this debate to rest finally. Thanks to all who voted and just know that I will totally bring this up the next time Jon casts a wary stare at my tootsies.

Here are some pictures of my feet...in case you are into that sorta thing.

My feet are on the left:

My feet on the right:

Mine and Jon's feet:


Oh and one final story about feet before I put this topic to bed, because honestly how much longer can I talk about feet? I have told this story on this blog before but I just need to tell it again in case someone hasn't heard it yet.

One time Jon went to our local Subway sandwiches and as he is walking out a random kid (teenager age) walks up to him and says...

Kid: Nice sandals

Jon: Thanks

Kid: You have nice feet

Jon: um thanks

Kid: Can I bite them?

Jon: NO!

Don't worry Jon there is someone out there that finds your feet deliciously attractive!

Playing Footsie

There are quite a few things that Jon and I agree on, politics, music, and that Simon Cowell is that most trustworthy man in television . But as we sat with our feet propped up on our coffee table on  Friday night we ran smack dab into something we highly disagree on.

Me: Your feet are waaaay weirder than mine.

(Back story: Ever since we first got together Jon has maintained that I have the weirdest feet he has ever seen, he has called them "mummy feet" because he thinks they look like ancient feet that have been wrapped up for years or "simpson's feet" because he said if the Simpson's had feet, mine would be it. Granted they are beat down from years of dance (some toes don't straighten all the way, there are some permanent scars etc) but they are really not that bad in the grand scheme of things.)

Him: Um, no your feet are way stranger. 

Me: Well at least my toes decline in order. You have that crazy ass big toe that is smaller than the one next to it. And well at least mine are tan.

Him: I know I am right on this. Your feet are busted.

Me: That's it, the only way to settle this is to go to the internet. 

And that is where you come in. Please look at the picture below and then vote using the survey on the right side bar and tell us "Who's Feet Are More Normal". Be TOTALLY honest, my feelings won't be hurt if you agree with Jon and neither will his. We just need to settle this once and for all.

Chuh Ching!

UPDATE: Frankie is doing much better, he was pretty swollen today but he is now looking pretty close to normal. Last night was filled with constant checks on his breathing, changing the sheets because Frankie peed all.over. the. place.-so Jon and I are pooped today. But seriously THANK YOU all for your sweet words. I read each and every one of them to him ;)

So on to lighter subjects...

I have been high on the fact that I am on Spring break and essentially done with academic classes. Simply euphoric. What do I do when I am so blissfully happy you ask? I shop. Every so often I get in a mood where I find things I like all at once. Not just one or two things, but more like 20!

Now I just got done reading Suze Orman's 2009 action plan (click here for a review and a free copy!) And her book scared me bad. I use scared in the best way possible. I mean I did need a little kick in the purse as a reminder to save, save, save. But lately I have been turning down my inner Suze.

And I bought these. (The pair on the left)

ooh and I bought this cute little Rugby shirt from Target for Frankie. He went to his first BBQ this weekend and he had to look nice. I mean what do you think? He kind of needed it, he can't go to a BBQ naked now can he?

I also bought some dandruff shampoo at Target. They have a huuuge isle for shampoo for curly hair, colored hair, moody hair, manic hair and about 3 choices for us dandruff challenged friends...three! That really makes me cranky.

Other than that I just have a lot of urges to buy stuff.Like this. What am I turning into one of those creepy dog ladies?

And I seriously toyed with the idea of buying these cute Kate Spade shoes. But alas, I didn't follow through even though I had a serious Nordstrom gift card to use on them.

I also want to place a bid on this:

(It's an original Christmas card that Elvis sent out. The bid is starting at $10...) Since I can't buy his shirts, pajamas, or jewelry (in a perfect world I would buy those things), I figure buying his Christmas card would be a cool collectible.

Bought anything nice for yourself lately?

For The Love Of Dog

For the most part today was just like any other day.  I went to work and then came home and hung out with my favorite pooch.

About an hour before Jon came home I noticed that Frankie's eye lid was a little red. I made a mental note to keep an eye on it and then continued to make some corn beef for St. Patty's day. Jon came home and Frankie's eye was no longer just red, it was swollen too. 

This is when I started to freak, Jon assured me he was fine. About ten minutes went by and Frank's eye got bigger and on top of that his whole face started to swell. I made the decision to call the emergency vet and they said to bring him right in.

So we did and they told us that he had an allergic reaction to something (we have no idea what, that is one of the most frustrating parts) and that he needed some shots. They took my little baby away to the back room and Jon and I nervously waited. 

As we sat there I twittered our current location in hopes of some good vibes being sent our way. And just as I needed, so many of you guys sent some good thoughts Frankie's way. As we continued to wait Ashley called me and reminded me that Burrito's face had swollen too and ended up being fine. This was just what I needed to hear, after all they are brothers. I tearily hung up with Ashley and continued to wait. I kept this tid bit as well as all of the well wishes in mind as we sat there.

Finally the doc said we could take our little man home but he made sure we were willing to monitor his breathing for the next six to eight hours, if we couldn't agree to that we were supposed to leave him there. No way. He was coming with us! So now our little guy is home and sleeping, something that Jon and I will get very little of tonight. But you know, sleep is a small price to pay for his health.

Here is Frankie's face after the shots, the swelling is dramatically lessened.

Here is Frankie's bandage. Look at that chunky leg! The vet actually asked me if his legs were swollen or if they were always so big. No Mr. Vet, my baby's legs are always chunky.

25

1. I have trouble watching movies that were made in the seventies. It's something about the film quality that distracts me. (do you know what I mean? It's all yellowish and stuff)

2. On a good day, I look forward to getting dressed in the morning because I feel getting dressed is like putting together a piece of art for the day.

3. My favorite snack is saltine crackers and jelly. Every time my mom see's me eating this she says, "oh my gosh, I used to eat that when I was pregnant with you!" Sorry mom, no baby here, just I just have the hunger of a pregnant woman is all.

4. I can't get to sleep if the sheets and blankets are slightly askew.

5. I can't walk and drink beverages from glasses with big openings (i.e. cups, nalgene etc.), because I will spill.

6. My greatest fear is to be held hostage. I actually have a re-occurring nightmare that I am being held up. Yikes.

7. Having more than ten e-mails in my inbox makes me anxious.

8. My lips swell when I wake up. It probably has something to do with the fact that I have too much salt in my diet I am sure.

9. When I was eight I had a small part (as a school girl) in an opera. Yeah...I sang opera.

10. I always ask for salad dressing on the side but then I don't usually end up using it and keep my salads plain.

11. When I was in high school my group of friends listened to rap. Yes, my dorky friends and I listened to rap as we drove down the street in Erin's little Honda. This is why I know all the words to "Ain't No Fun (If The Homies Can't Have None)" to this day.

12. I hate it when 7-11 year old boys at a party, wedding, (read: any occasion where music and dancing are to be had) feel the need to bust out John Travolta's staying alive dance moves. I have no idea why but it really grates on my nerves. In fact there is a picture in existence of my Jon at the tender age of 7 re-creating these annoying staying alive moves. And I am not going to lie, it was almost a deal breaker...almost. But if our son one day whips out the index finger into the sky and back down to his belt, I will blame Jon completely for that.

13. I also dislike it when 7-11 year olds quote really famous movie tag lines and all the adults are supposed to laugh like the kid is just that witty and totally thought of it themselves. I do not want to be forced to laugh at a regurgitated movie preview.

Maybe I just don't like 7-11 year olds? No that's not true. I love this guy:

and by the way the fact that I laugh at that video makes my mom worry about my future mothering abilities.

True story.And then I just assure my mom that I would never record my son in that condition (not unless I could get him to wear a lobster costume and doing field sobriety tests.)

14. People always call me Miss Sarah. When I taught dance "Miss Sarah" is what the kids called me. But some people that don't know I was a dance teacher call me that too. I guess I just look like a "Miss"

15. I make up words. I made up "felaggin"when I was really little, it means "to relax or relaxing". When things are just right I say that everything is "goldilocks".

16. I once laughed so hard that I spit gum into my best friend, Erin's, hair. I made this mistake on the day of the winter ball. The gum eventually came out but not after some strategizing about how we couldcut that chunk out of her hair and still put her hair in a fancy up do.

17. I don't wear a watch because it makes me anxious and I will always be checking it. But I do want to get an antique men's watch to wear as a bracelet.

18. I once had a rash all over my body because, get this, I was allergic to the changing of the seasons.

19. My eyeballs have been sun burnt but my skin has only been sun burnt once.

20. I am not very good at keeping up with facebook/myspace. So sorry in advanced if you "super poke" or tag me and I never respond.

21. I fall asleep incredibly quickly. I swear that within 5 minutes I can start dreaming.

22. If Psychology wasn't my major I am pretty sure Art History would be.

23. Franklin D. Roosevelt is my favorite President, Theodore Roosevelt is Jon's favorite President and that's how we got Frankie's name; Franklin Theodore.

24. I am so ticklish that I can tickle my own foot.

25. I once had a conversation with a woman that spoke only french (I don't speak french), the bartender acted as our translator.

The Final Final

Last night I took my last final....EVER! (Well there is a good chance that if/when my school gets a PhD program I will go back but anyway...) For the foreseeable future I am done with test taking!! Ahhhh There ya have it, one quarter left and all I have is a consultation class (read: lots of talking no homework, papers or tests) to look forward to.

The test was two and a half hours of pure agony. And no I am not exaggerating. My discs flared up due to the combo of stress and cold weather and sitting for two and a half hours did not help matters at all. So as the pain radiated from my back to my hips and then down to my legs I tried to be decisive, "It's A...no C...or is it all of the above?"

I was miserable.
Had I not been in pain I don't think the test would have been that bad either. It's main negative was that it had 100 questions, but other than that it was ok.

Once I finished I tried to review my answers but I have never been very good at that because I am just so eager to get the test out of my face. Normally I would march myself up to the front of the class and slap my test down on the desk but you see I was done first; I can't ever be the first to turn in my test(weird superstition of mine). So I was forced to decide between writhing in pain for a bit longer or I could turn my test in first.

I decided to break my superstition and be the first one to turn in my test. I walked up to the professor and had the following awkward interaction:
Me: Hi, I am here to turn in my test. Where should I put it?
Professor: Oh here (motions to corner of desk) is fine. Thanks
M: There ya go. (at this point my legs won't work I just stand there)
P: Good Job.
M (still standing there)
P: Congratulations.
M: (still standing there, eyes getting wide)
P: See ya!

Finally my post test paralysis was broken and I walked out of there. I don't know what I was waiting for confetti, a hand shake, Oprah to pop out and give me a new car...I dunno but I just stood there with wide eyes. It was very much like that scene in a Christmas story when Ralphie gives his teacher the fruit basket (anyone know what I am talking about?)

But now it's over and I can finally breathe a little easier.
Aaaand exhale.
Do you remember your last test?

This Girl's Guide To Gaming!

Saturday was my Girlfriend's Guide to Gaming party...Let me back up a bit...

A couple months ago I was contacted by a lovely woman named Justine. Justine was from Brand About Town and she said that she felt like I would be a good blogger to host a "Girls Guide To Gaming" party by Nintendo. She then scheduled a meet up with me after I got out of class at 6:30; and get this, she flew in to meet me and then after a half hour meeting she flew right back out to L.A. How cool is that?!

She informed me that if I was chosen there wasn't any obligation to blog about it. I then looked at her very seriously and said "Justine, if I blog about going to the grocery store, I will definitely be blogging about this!"

So I was notified a couple weeks later that I was chosen by Nintendo and then before you know it Saturday came and it was time to party, compliments of Nintendo!!

So I walked into the party and there were all of my friends gaming at once. Some looked up and saw that I was there and others were, well, engrossed in gaming ;) I mean not that I minded, that was the whole point of the party after all.I will admit I was slightly overwhelmed by all of my female friends in one room. I had good friends, family, and even Steph and her adorable sister Caitlyn. It was such a wonderful mish mash of my lady friends!

People were saying that having so many different people in one room would be good practice for my wedding. And then I thought, shoot, Jon and I should have just got married at the party-great company and food, what else would we need? Oh yeah,maybe some male guests.

So anyway back to the games. And oh boy the games were awesome! Did you know you could play Guitar Hero on a Nintendo DS? Well I didn't. I am sure there are photos floating around the internets of me playing Guitar Hero, tongue sticking out brow furrowed and toe tapping-doesn't sound pleasant but it was quite fun!

And for those moments I needed help there were these wonderful women, in lovely coordinating outfits, to help me and my guests out! Aren't they just lovely?

At one point, under the influence of champagne, I went up to one of these ladies and said "I hope you love your job, because it's awesome!"

Ooh and each one of the ladies was at each game station and when we were done playing the games we each got a cute charm for the charm bracelet we were given when we walked in!...I KNOW RIGHT?!

Here I am wearing my charm bracelet and standing next to an easel that has what all of my guests love about me written on it

And then I requested we all take a group picture and when we all wouldn't fit I suggested that the front row do a cute little cheerleader like stance...and people did it!

Seriously how cute are my friends?

Oh and right before this picture was taken the lovely Nintendo ladies gave all of my friends a Nintendo DS and Brain Age! Now that beats the socks off little plastic goodie baggies filled with candy. It was so great to be able to bring this opportunity to my friends and family.

Thank you sooo much Brand About Town and Nintendo!!

Dude, What Happen To Fun Friday?!

Frankie was staying at my parent's house today because I had a suuuper long day at work. I went to pick him up and when his little face stared back at me all I could see was this big ole' bubble staring back at me. Let me clarify, the white of his left eye was swollen over his lower eye lid.

My parents said he hadn't been acting weird and it started to swell in the last hour...great. They thought that maybe that one of the other pups had scratched his eye. Well I scooped him up into my arms (which is VERY hard to do these days) and had a feeling I should call our vet. The vet said to bring him in right away. Double great.

I brought little Frankie to the vet and immediately asked him if Frankie was in pain, he said no and I breathed a little easier. The vet then had to leave the room and as he opened the door I heard John Mayer's "Dreaming With A Broken Heart" over the radio in the office and nearly started bawling while looking at Frankie's puffy little eye. The vet came back in (I think he noticed my teary eyes but I know for sure he noticed my boobs-shoot whatever, if he could make my baby feel better I would show him my boobs-just kidding...maybe) and he said that our little Frankie was not scratched by another pup but he had cherry eye. Cherry eye is really common in bull dogs and we knew this when we got him but we didn't think it would happen so quickly. Sheesh.

He gave us an ointment for his eye, possible choices we would have to make (to do surgery or not to do surgery) and one more gaze at my boobs and we were out of there. So now Frankie is resting easily and I am trying to unwind from this craziness.

What I need from you is to share some scary pet moments THAT TURNED OUT OKAY. Do not share with me the time your dog had cancer...and died. Tell me about how Fido ate a dictionary and pooped out the alphabet. m'kay?

Sassy Sidenote: Fun Friday!

I had a request from Crafty Baker for some more Frankie pictures to be posted. Since I aim to please, and I am a proud puppy mama I have posted some of my favorites for ya.

Frankie really loves our coffee table, especially the shelf.

Baby loves his sleep

Isn't he getting big?That face!!

Ooh ooh another thing that is making my Friday great, I was contacted my Nintendo a couple months ago to be a Brand Enthusiast. This weekend Nintendo is hosting a party for me and my friends. As you can imagine I am thrilled! And Nintendo was kind enough to send me a Nintendo DS in an adorable pink clutch so that I can get familiar with the DS!!

What are you guys doing this weekend? Well whatever you are doing I hope you have a great weekend. Oh and don't forget fall forward this weekend! (yaaay for it staying lighter out for longer! I can't tell you how happy this makes me)

He Cut Me Deep

While playing with Frankie this afternoon I was tickling his big tummy and then his neck, and then I caught my thumb on one of his super sharp teeth. I instantly grabbed my thumb tightly with my other hand. When I opened the hand that was around my thumb there was blood everywhere. He had gotten me and boy was it deep.

I ran my thumb under cold water and it just.kept.bleeding. I wasn't quite sure what to do so I called my mama; when in doubt call mom. She told me to hold it tightly and  while I waited to see if the bleeding would stop the following conversation took place:

Mom: Do you think you need stitches?

Me: I can't get stitches...I HAVE TO LEAVE FOR CLASS IN TEN MINUTES!

Mom: You can't go to school bleeding all over the place. You should probably clean it.

Me: Good point. (I go into the bathroom and put the cleaner stuff on it...and it hurts...like, bad!)

Mom: Step on your foot right now!

Me: What?!

Mom: It will take the pain away from your thumb.

Me: Um no...

Mom: Well I will tell you something, it's a very good thing you don't have a shark for a pet now isn't it?

Put A Fork In Me I Am Done

I have always heard of senioritis but I don't think I have ever really experienced...until now. The last couple months of grad school have felt like an itch I can't seem to scratch, a finish line just out of site or a, well you get the idea. I calculated today that I have been in school for 21 years of my life. Which, when you consider that I have only been alive for 24 years, is a ridiculously long time.

I know I am often nostalgic on my time in school, and it's true, school has been good to me. However I now feel as though I am ready to not worry about enrollment dates, tuition, internships, grades, tests, text books etc. 

To be completely honest I am burnt out. Working a job, an internship and going to school full time is seriously taking everything I have. oye. I feel like every single hour I spend at any of the above places I am earning every last cent of my paycheck, every  last hour of credit towards my license and class participation point, threefold. In many ways I that is rewarding and I am thankful for it, but wowee, I am only human and there is very little time in between all of that to act like one.

I am going to be shockingly honest and what I am about to tell you is something I am ashamed of but I caught myself nodding off at a stop light today and it really scared me. What if I hadn't caught myself? I feel like this is a big warning sign that I need to take care of myself, somehow I need to fit in some quiet time. As if it wasn't a big enough

 warning sign when I got the flu of the underworld. But sleepy driving, sheesh, I mean, I could have REALLY hurt someone today. Sleepy driving is just as bad as drunk driving in my book. agh. so yeah.

Have you ever been burnt out?

Nom Nom Nom

When Jon was away at school I would go visit him on Friday nights with yummy food in tow. Most of the time my mom was nice enough to make extra of whatever she was cooking for dinner for me to take. One of the times I actually decided to cook I made these yummy chicken tacos from a recipe that I found in the back of InStyle magazine. They are really simple and super tasty so I thought I would share them with you guys.

INGREDIENTS: 

2 tbsp Fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp ancho chile powder

1 clove garlic, minced

2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

2 tbsp canola oil (for the pan)

First you put the lemon juice in the bowl.

Then add the chile powder

And then finally the garlic (I always add extra garlic because I love it so)

Next you are going to mix it all up and then add the chicken. After you cover the chicken in the seasoning put it back in the fridge and let it sit for at least a half hour. Once the half hour is up, put it in a pan and cook it up. 

Once the chicken is cooked place them on tortillas with your favorite extras, like bell pepper,  cheese, avocado, jalepeno etc.

Just When I Think I Have Seen It All

On Saturday I brought Frankie over to Nani and Papa's house so he could spend some quality time with his great grandparents. So there we are sitting, chatting, watching the puppy play when out of the corner of my eye I see a truck drive by, no biggie right?

Only this truck had a dog attached to the bumper! Seeing the dog running for it's life I run outside barefoot and run down the street (as best I can). This is when my mom looks out the window (my parents live across the street from my grandparents), and she comes outside wondering why my grandparents and I are in the middle of the street screaming. I quickly explain that some idiot has his dog attached to the back bumper of his car and that I am trying to get his attention.

My mom hops in her car and chases the guy down. She stops the guy and asks him what the hell he thinks he is doing to his dog-they guy says exercise. My mom is not amused and she says "don't you think that is abuse?!" The guy says no and drives off. Well that explanation didn't sit well with anyone in my family so we called Animal Cruelty and they told us to call the police, so we did and we sent the police right to the front door of this (presumably drunk) idiot.

It is shocking how people can be so cruel to animals. Our pets depend on us to keep them fed, happy and most of all, safe. It breaks my heart that this isn't innate in every pet owner.