We are bringing them home as we can’t find anywhere to buy them in our city. Hubs is obsessed, and I have to admit they are pretty delicious!
Have you ever found a treat you loved while you were travelling that you couldn’t find at home?
January 29, 2013 11:56 am
Last Day on Maui
Good thing we didn’t have a ton of stuff planned for our last full day. It is completely greyed out and rainy.
I am really looking forward to heading home tomorrow, even if it is freezing and snowing! 
January 28, 2013 9:57 pm
5 Reasons I Love Pugs
I miss my pugs. I know I shouldn’t complain, I get to spend the month in Maui after all, and don’t get me wrong I do love it. But something is missing. 4 pugs to be exact. Without them I really feel a void. They emit the most positive energy, and while the warm sun and Vitamin D are nourishing to my soul, the lack of pug energy is really becoming noticeable to me. It’s hard to explain, but I am sure if you have or have ever had a lovely canine companion, you can relate (and if not, you are really missing out!). I cannot wait to get home and cuddle my little crew. I am missing them so.
Anyway as I was lying in bed last night (unable to sleep) I found myself thinking about them and why they make my life extra special. I thought of many reasons why I love my little fur-babies, and lucky for you, I’m only going to share 5 of them.
1. Pugs are loyal – fiercely loyal (which is probably true of all breeds of dog). They are true to their owner(s) or the person who regularly feeds them, in this case me (or Hubs if I’m not home). The pugs follow me throughout the house no matter how comfy and/or settled in they may be – the only exception to this rule is if it is really late at night, or Hubs is eating a snack that they think they might get a little morsel of. They happily wander from room to room doing chores with me. I have my own little pug posse everywhere I go. I think if they could come in the car and go everywhere with me they would. And I would take them, unfortunately not everywhere I go is pet friendly and I feel badly leaving them in the car. They also wait patiently in their room for me when I am out, and are sure to be ready to greet me as soon as they here my car pull into the garage
2. Pugs LOVE to cuddle – The pugs are happiest when they are cuddled up with a blanket on the couch or on the bed with me. And they watch whatever I’m watching and without complaining (they love Grey’s Anatomy, Breaking Bad, and True Blood unlike some people in my house). While they are content to follow me around all day, they are at their best when we couch potato it up. It might be a little different if they were younger, but they are all seniors now and enjoy a good rest whenever they can get it.
3. Pugs are comical and love to entertain – In fact, sometimes I think they go out of their way to be cute and to make us laugh. Quincie can’t go outside in the winter without getting her face covered in snow. I don’t know what she does out there, but if there is snow on the ground she gets in on her face. Maybe she’s bringing me snowflakes she has collected.
All of our pugs are a bit clumsy, and this results in many comical slips and falls. My favourite is when Quincie forgets where she is and slides off the sofa. It’s hilarious; here’s what she looks like:
Solomon has fallen down the last couple stairs, landed on his face, stood up and looked around to see if anyone is watching, and then pretends like nothing happened, which makes me giggle every time I think about it. And poor Jackie Boy goes up the stairs sideways using a diagonal path. I really need to get a video of it one of these days. Sometimes just watching the pugs just navigate around the house can be very amusing.
They also enjoy dressing up in Halloween costumes for my amusement. I know they look miserable in the photos, but they actually all strutted around in their new digs and I only made them wear them for about 20 minutes. They even went to a Halloween themed birthday party in costume and were a huge hit.
Shanny likes to hide under blankets, and she’ll cuddle up inside of just about anything. The recycle box under my desk, a packed or unpacked suitcase, dirty clothes, a plastic bag, really anything that’s on her level.
4. Pugs are not judgemental – they love everyone, and they love unconditionally. Whether you are 3 years old or 90 years old, fat or skinny, short or tall, pugs do not judge and love everyone the same. Of course it makes you more likeable if you bring treats or share your food. The pugs can be sweet and gentle with little kids and warm and comforting to any older people they meet. They really are extremely affable dogs. I don’t think they’ve ever met any person they didn’t like. All four have very sweet dispositions.
5. Pugs are low maintenance (except for the extreme shedding) – They need very little exercise, especially as they get older. A short walk, or a quick play in the yard will do. Other than that, as long as they have food, fresh water, a chance to go outside occasionally, and someone warm to cuddle they are happy. They also don’t need intense grooming. They do need their nails clipped every now and then, which is best done by a professional, and honestly they do shed a ton, but it’s nothing my friend Dyson can’t handle.
So there you have it. 5 reasons I love pugs, more specifically my pugs.
Do you have a dog? What’s your favourite breed?
January 26, 2013 8:35 am
Do You Pee In Front of Your Mate?
Maybe that’s a bit of a private question, but I can’t help it. I’m curious.
I never pee in front of Hubs. In fact it’s kind of a running joke between us, because a) I have a bladder the size of a pea (no pun intended) so I’m always going to the bathroom and b) because he loves to tease me about it. I’ll be in the bathroom just about to go and he’ll wiggle the door knob or threaten to unlock the door, or just menacingly call “I can hear yoooooou, I’m gonna come seeeeee you too”. I always give a little squeal, and I can’t start until I know he is gone.
It’s been a bit of a challenge for me this trip, as the en-suite to our bedroom here only has a sliding door and it doesn’t latch or lock. (It also provides no sound barrier whatsoever but that’s a whole other issue.) Anyway this non-latching door makes it is very easy for Hubs to just slide the door open as he walks by. He has done this to me a couple of times now, and as I giggle with embarrassment, he laughs because he knows it gets under my skin. I guess I could just let him see and then it would no longer be fun for him, but that means the joke is over for me too, and it’s kind of our thing.
I’m not sure why I can’t pee in front of my husband. Shouldn’t I be more comfortable with him than anyone else in the world? Maybe it’s because I’m afraid it will take the mystery out of our relationship. Although, I think I became less mysterious the first time Hubs saw me snorting and sobbing at the end of Armageddon (there may or may not have been snot bubbles). Or it might’ve been the first time he saw me toss my cookies, I’m not sure. It doesn’t matter, the point is Hubs has definitely seen me at my best, my worst, and everything in between. And guess what? For some reason he loves me anyway. So why does this seemingly natural act hold so much water? (I know right, I’m on the ball with the puns today!)
Hubs pees in front of me, no problem. It doesn’t happen very often, but he can do it without batting an eye. On occasion I am in the bathroom doing my hair, or putting on make-up, or trimming a pug’s nails, and he’ll come in and pee unfazed. I on the other hand, stand there red-faced, averting my eyes, and trying not to giggle like a little school girl.
I can see the appeal and the convenience of peeing with the door open, or with your mate in the room. In fact, I think it’s pretty cool because it shows just how comfortable a couple is with each other. No secrets, love me for who I am no matter how I pee.
But still, I have my apprehension. I am a lady after all. Shouldn’t somethings remain private?
What do you think? Do you and your significant other keep the door open?
January 24, 2013 1:10 pm
The Great Bacon Incident of 2013
Maybe it’s a little bit early in 2013 to start calling it that, but let’s hope we don’t have any more incidents with bacon this year that will constitute a fancy title and a separate blog post.
I’d like to start by saying that this incident was not my fault. I’d like to, but I don’t really want to start my story with a lie…you know what, let’s just not play the blame game here. It was a dark and stormy morning…..in Maui, okay wait, let’s start again:
It was about an hour ago, just after I finished writing my last post. I was hungry, having just cooked breakfast for the men, and I decided I would make myself some bacon and eggs. This has been my staple breakfast this month, and I am really enjoying it. I usually bake the bacon in the oven for about 35-40 minutes, and then just before it’s ready I fry myself an egg or two. It’s nice, because while the bacon is cooking, I am free to do other things like surf the Internet, watch TV, listen to music, blog, you know, stuff other than cooking. I like to call it multi-tasking. My husband calls it not paying attention. But the point is I have cooked bacon this way nearly everyday since we’ve been in Maui. It’s delicious AND convenient. And I have never once even burnt it, let alone set anything on fire.
So I put the bacon in the oven, set the timer, and I went off to blog. By off, I mean about 10 feet away from the oven. It’s a little apartment, I can’t really go that far.
I had just hit publish on my last post when the oven started beeping. I looked at it, and thought “That’s weird, what does F10 mean?”. It was blinking away, and I thought, oh crap I broke the oven. How am I going to cook bacon for the rest of our time here?
I opened the oven to investigate further and smoke poured out. I was shocked to see burnt bacon as it had only been in there for about 20 minutes or so. Smoke billowed out and filled the condo. While I started to choke on the fumes, Hubs and his brother came over to see what was going on.
It was at this point that the oven burst into flames. Apparently “F10″ means get the heck over here, your oven is about to catch on fire! (Thank goodness I was wearing my Aquaman underwear*, although Aquaman is one of the sucky super heroes isn’t he? Does he even have a super power, or does he just swim around with dolphins? Anyway this fire didn’t call for Aqua, it called for baking soda.) I shut the oven door, and Hubs’ brother sprang into action! By that I mean he walked outside mumbling something about ABC something or other, and started looking for a fire extinguisher. They’re usually outside apartments right?
I knew that it was a grease fire and that water wouldn’t do (I’ve dealt with these things before) and yelled at Hubs’ brother, “Can’t we just throw baking soda on it?”. Much to my relief he came back in sans fire extinguisher (I wanted to keep this little incident “in house” and not have to report it to whoever is in charge of that fire extinguisher), and asked me if we even had any baking soda.
I remembered seeing a crusty old box in the fridge, so I grabbed it, but I couldn’t get it open. Damn you Arm & Hammer! I could see Hubs’ brother getting frustrated, so I grabbed a knife and slit the box wide open. Then Hubs’ brother just threw the powder into the oven, and the fire was out. Phew!
Looks delicious doesn’t it?
I’m not sure why the bacon decided to catch on fire this time, but I was grateful to the oven for letting me know. And also grateful to Hubs’ brother for helping me put it out. Oh and also that the apartment didn’t catch on fire. I have lots of things to be grateful for!
The oven is fine, no damage done. I just have a big mess to clean up. I think the only casualty is the bacon.
If you decide to cook bacon in the oven (it really is the best way) keep an eye on it, and be wary of what the bacon looks like before you put it in. Is it really fatty? After about 10 minutes in the oven is it leaving a lot of grease? Just a couple things to consider. That’s why I am here, so you can learn. LOL.
So there you have it, the Great Bacon Incident of 2013.
Have you ever starting a fire in your kitchen while cooking? Do you like bacon and if so, what is your favourite way to cook it?
*they aren’t really Aquaman underwear in the traditional sense. They are actually bright green underwear from Victoria Secret, but as Hubs was brushing his teeth last night, I commented about how I felt like all I needed were some tights and I would be Aquaman. He spit toothpaste all over the mirror and I think a little may have come out his nose he was laughing so hard.
