Four Paws From Heaven

Today we got a call from the front desk letting us know that I had received a package. To be honest, I thought it was a book I had previously tried to purchase for a class I was supposed to take through the UNT Bookstore (at the time, it was "back ordered"). Needless to say, after dropping said class, the book was sent to my previous place of employment, Windhaven Veterinary. "Dang!" I thought, so I emailed the bookstore and cancelled the order, which, unbeknownst to me, was still "active". I had already told the people at Windhaven to do whatever with it, I didn't need it afterall (besides it was cheap lol). So anyway, this evening I go to the front desk and retrieve this package. It's from one of Windhaven's clients, a client I knew would *probably* send me something, well I mean given she said she would. However, this was something unexpected. She sent me a book called Four Paws From Heaven: Devotions For Dog Lovers. She/They also sent a card. This is what got to me. Do not get me wrong, I've always showed the clients at Windhaven the respect and emotion I felt I would want to receive...in EVERY situation. So, I never once felt I was doing anything out of the ordinary, I never once felt I went "above and beyond" anything any one of our clients expected. I just did my job...showing compassion, customer service and, ultimately, affection for those clients' pets. It was never considered a "part of the job", it was absolutely genuine. However, the card, it got me. It made me miss my job. The owner included a picture of her pet, damn...just typing that made me miss my job even more lol. She included in the card that she wanted me to pet Hero for them and that they prayed everything went well with the move. It's actually more than I can handle at this point. Sometimes I wish I had never left, yet I'm happy where I'm at. It's a Catch 22. Needless to say, I'm touched. I've never reaped the "reward" of previous jobs and yet, at Windhaven, somehow, I feel lucky to have worked there. So, that's all I can say right now. It meant a lot and at the same time, it reminded me of everything I've had, experienced and gained while working there. A nice reminder.

The Cave

I've begun affectionately referring to our "home" as the cave. Everyone knows that hotel rooms have those "blackout" curtains, well we've begun actually keeping them closed. It feels like a cave, literally. Well, ok, even more so since I insist on keeping the AC on 70 degrees, hey we're not paying for electricity, why not? I know I'm not alone on that since my sister even said she'd walk around with ear muffs...well, just because lol. So, the REASON we're keeping those curtains closed is twofold. First, they are doing some "remodeling" at the hotel and the storage unit that contains all the "supplies" (I guess) is parked...you guessed it, near our window. It's actually blocking our beautiful view of the adjacent car dealership's service lot...oh yeah. Anyway, people come and go and Hero loves to bark, so it's easier. Second....as they do remodels of the rooms above ours...yeah, they THROW things from the above windows, i.e. rolled up old carpet. At one point, I thought someone had committed suicide jumping from, ok, only the 3rd floor but still. So they're closed for Hero and myself. Without further ado, I've decided to show off (?) our home away from home for the next five months.

Please ignore the laundry baskets in the background and the organized chaos. As I've said before, storage is an issue. Oh and the leather recliner...it's always directly next to the bed. The reason: Hero. He wants up on the bed, so we had to come up with something since his front right elbow...well...it's made of pure gold, about $4k worth (Ok not really, it's fitted with titanium screws and plates...same diff). Besides it's cheaper than buying freakin' stairs for pets...those things cost around $70!! I can deal with the chair next to the bed, it will do. Tangent, I know, I apologize.

So this is my home for the next 5 months. I miss apartment living, in previous posts, I berated it...now I miss it. Funny how things work.

Fall is here....

I'm grateful to be in a place that experiences real seasons. I know Texas is experiencing Fall weather as well this week and I'm grateful for that; however, I took it upon myself to check out the weekly forecast for Wichita and, my real home, North Texas. It turns out we're remaining a good 10+ degrees cooler here in KS. For that, I am happy. Moving on...

So this evening, I had to take a quick trip to Dillon's (aka Kroger) to pick up a few things. When I stepped out of the car, my first thought was...crap, I need to buy some jeans. My second thought, as I walked into the store, was THANK YOU FALL! The smell was almost overwhelming. I could smell apple cider and something cinnamon-y baking in the bakery. It was nice. I LOVE FALL!!!

Who can't say they love it? Oh wait, I know one person I used to work with who probably wishes it was still 102 degrees outside. Haha. You can't win 'em all.

Aside from Fall itself, I must admit I was a failure at something this week. I had fully intended on participating in a Fall Wreath Party contest on a friend's blog. I did not follow through, I came close but only ended up buying 1 thing (incidentally a really nice fall decoration already, which was to be deconstructed and reconstructed onto a wreath). So, I admit it, I failed. HOWEVER, the holiday season is coming upon us soon and I hope to redeem myself...*wink* *wink*....*nudge* *nudge*. Haha.

Wichita Winter

This is something I've been thinking about a lot. Actually it's something I've been thinking about since we knew we were having to move here! Previously in North Texas' winters, I've never really needed a coat, and by coat, I mean a freakin' COAT. I've always used something like a windbreaker or a jacket, but never a coat. I'm bringing this up because we're expected to have the low temps over the next few days in the LOW 50s/UPPER 40s! No, it's not cold "cold" but it's only late September. It's not something I've ever experienced, although, I must say, I'm looking forward to real seasons here(...and that's about it).

Ok so, Wichita generally sees a high in December of 43 on average and a low of 24, and in January...it's even colder. Alright so, generally speaking, it's around 10-15 degrees cooler than what I'm used to. Can I just say...FINALLY!!! I know it's only Kansas but I am SO hoping for a blizzard warning or something of the like...I LOVE COLD WEATHER AND THE PRECIP!! I just don't want to drive in it LOL. We'll see how that goes. As for now, we will be going to Burlington Coat Factory for our coats, I know prestigious but what else is there here? I just keep thinking, dang I need more winter clothing, which means a shopping extravaganza is on it's way. Oh, did I mention how much I hate shopping? Oh well, I think I have one pair of jeans that made it here. I know, awesome planning.

I'm just looking forward to colder weather. I mean what can I say, I'm hot by nature. ;0)

Hotel Housekeeping

Ok, don't get me wrong, it's very nice to have. However, after the time I spend cleaning up just so housekeeping doesn't think we're "dirty", plus the amount of time it's been taking to get Lucy (our cat) out from under the bed AND the inconvenience of taking Hero...somewhere, it's a become a bit of a nuisance. Again, I would totally put up the sign "No Housekeeping Needed" BUT, I think, since we're here "long term" (i.e. 5 more months) they must come in once per week. Alright so it's a one day per week nuisance, I'm learning to deal with it.

Take today...I could NOT for the life of me get Lucy out from under the bed. I only spent 30 mins and decided I'd leave a note for housekeeping. You know, just letting them know she's under there. I wouldn't want them to freak out because some "giant rat" came running out from under the bed. Lucy is very petite. So, Hero and I leave. Generally, I would take him to a park, we'd get me some lunch. He'd beg, only getting his cup o' water. Spend a couple hours, doing not too much and come back to a freshly cleaned room. Today was different. It's raining, so we spent TWO HOURS sitting in my car!!! Granted there was some driving around, but damn, it was extremely boring. We came back, housekeeping had yet to enter...UGHHHHHHHHHHH! I think at that point, I might've cursed them to a life of scrubbing toilets, but I can't be sure. Of course, I can't fault them for it, they're just doing their job and I'm the one impeding it...whatever. So we left again and came back in an hour. It had been cleaned...THANK GOODNESS. They replenished the towels, toilet paper (who cares, I buy my own), Kleenex, trash bags and, oh, wait....paper towels? That's right, they did not replenish the PAPER TOWELS! Alright, so I'm being a spoiled brat, who cares. WHO THE EFF, pardon my language, LEAVES THREE PAPER TOWELS ON A ROLL?!?!?!?! Again, I know I'm being ridiculous, but what did they think..."Oh 3 paper towels, they're good for a week"...huh? Don't get me wrong, I don't mind buying some, it's not the biggest issue in the world, obviously, but c'mon...seriously?

Like I said before, I know it sounds silly, it's just irritating. It's a fiasco just so they can come clean the room...I swear, I don't know what's worse, being a housekeeper at a hotel or me, getting it "ready" for housekeeping....ok, don't answer that, I know the answer lol. I suppose I should be grateful...well, I would be if I had a full roll of paper towels! They even threw away the half roll of toilet paper...ugh, wasteful much? Ok, rant is done.

Kansas State Fair

We decided to attend the Kansas State Fair today. I mean, I'm a sucker for the Texas Fair...or should I say the fair food at the Texas State Fair lol. Anyway, we decided to go today. Hero was taken to a veterinary hospital for boarding and we made our trek. It was a 50 mile drive to Hutchinson, KS. I should admit that, when living in Gunter, the drive to the fair never seemed long; however, I was dreading this drive, probably because I knew it would be filled with nothing but open pasture (see end of post**). Well it was, we got a bit lost once we made it to Hutchinson, but with the help of the iPhone, we made it to the fair. I kept looking for the big things (ie The Texas Star or Big Tex-type things) but I never saw them. We parked, paid and walked in. There were a few things that reminded me of the Texas Fair, the numerous food booths, the smell of cow/pig/goat/etc crap, the ever-present "Carni" requesting you play "their" game ("First one is FREE!") and, well, the exhibitions. However, it was much smaller. I felt like I was at a "shopping mall" carnival on steroids, add-in livestock, beer and a few "retailers"...Hello Sham-Wow! Ok, it sorta fulfilled my addiction to the Texas State Fair. Yes, I admit it, I love the fair...primarily for the food and weather that comes just after the fair, haha. To me, it's like the gateway to a very short fall (in TX), so I always look forward to it. The Kansas State Fair, however, proved to be just a *bit* different. First of all, I didn't know I would find that many toothless people in one place...no disrespect, but I know if I had a tooth (let alone TEETH) missing, I wouldn't be smiling SO big (good for them!). Also, I've never seen a booth at the TX State Fair selling cigarettes...well we saw some today, it was weird. Oh and only one place served sausage on a stick and TWO places served roasted corn-on-the-cob...HELLO? (Ok our annoyance) The only other issue I took with this fair was...in the "PRAIRIE PAVILION" that housed cattle and milking cows...there was a concession stand that sold.........HAMBURGERS!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE HECK! It's like a slap in the face for those cattle...some of which were delivering calves! Sorry, but I took issue with that, granted not a major one but I felt it was a bit, too much...sadistic?


Ok, ok...so this fair gratified a bit of my mild infatuation with the Texas State Fair. I only wish we had pictures. However, Seam left our camera on some weird setting that made ALL of our pictures OVEREXPOSED! Ok, well, some weren't but who needs to see goats and pigs in the petting zoo, geez. By the way, should you be planning to attend the Texas State Fair this year...PLEASE, have a corn dog for me. Do not let me know you had it or describe it to me, just eat one for me! They're just not the same here, then again...nothing is.




**AMISH PEOPLE LIVE HERE! Again, no disrespect BUT I've never actually seen an Amish community. So, on our way home, we continuously saw these warning signs...

...I kept thinking, would it be super disrespectful to drive down those roads AND take pictures? Yeah, probably so, which I understand. However, I'm fascinated and, a bit, jealous. I'm not familiar with the lifestyle, at all, but it would be interesting to experience/see it. Hmmm, maybe I'm alone in that lol.

Recipes...

They're everywhere online these days. I have a few friends that are posting their recipes on their blogs recently. After seeing Keelie's recent post, on her Pass Your Plate blog, regarding enchiladas, I thought, man I wish I had some of my mom's (aka Aunt Mary's) enchiladas. So I decided to join the club (one time only lol) and post this recipe. It was my Aunt Mary's, whom passed it on to my mom, which is how I got it. Take a look, they're easy to make, very rich but delicious...

Sour Cream Beef Enchiladas
aka Mary's Enchilada's

1lb ground round
1tbsp minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp black pepper

1/2c Cheddar Cheese
1/2c Jack Cheese
1/2can Cheddar Cheese Soup
8oz Sour Cream
8oz Rotel tomatoes (drain but reserve some juice)

Of course...Flour tortillas & Sauce (see below)

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a casserole dish with Pam or butter it or go willy nilly and use Dawn later. Place first four ingredients into a pan, brown & drain. Add the next five ingredients and combine. Place as much as you want into a flour tortilla and roll, place in casserole dish. BEFORE you put this in the oven, let's make the good stuff, the sauce that is....

Sauce
1can Cheddar Cheese soup
1 small can Evaporated milk
8oz Sour Cream
SOME Rotel juice
Shredded Cheddar/Jack cheese (Quantity? your decision...see, it is good)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and pour over the top of the enchiladas. NOW, place them in your preheated oven and bake until bubbly.


Last time I personally made these, I used shredded chicken instead of beef...awesome, maybe even better. Oh and incidentally, it's difficult for me to describe a recipe to people because, well, simply put, I rarely follow them lol. So should you opt to try this recipe, I hope you will not blame me if they don't turn out delicious...just means I'm a better cook! JUST KIDDING! =)

Glee

Anyone else watch this show? I love it! I'm not sure why, I can't quite explain it but I love it lol. After seeing them cover "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey in the pilot episode, I was hooked. It's funny, tongue-in-cheek, bright and it includes musical numbers from pop music...who wouldn't like it? Well I ran across this message board where some mother's were saying how they thought it was a family show but after the sexual references in the first episode of the season, they've decided it's no longer to be watched in their homes. Mind you, some of these parent's referred to their children as "tweens"....yes I had to look it up, "WTH is a tween anyway," I thought. Ok so basically these are NOT 4yo kids watching this show, got it. The strange thing is, I don't recall any sexual references in that episode, none. Then again, I'm almost 30 and never had a sheltered life so maybe I didn't think anything of it. That being said, tonight's episode included a cover of Color Me Badd's "I Wanna Sex You Up"...I shudder to think what these parent's think of this show now. What's even funnier, that song was popular when I was a "tween". I guess somehow things are different nowadays...whatever.

Anyway, if you've never seen the show, I think you should give it a shot. It's a nice change of pace and, yes, it's a bit musical.

Riverside Park

Today, while housekeeping was cleaning the room, I took Hero to Riverside Park. It's a very nice city park here in Wichita. We recently found it on Labor Day, the park was littered with people at the time. Some had brought their grills and had a family picnic, others were fishing along the Arkansas River and still others were visiting the very small "zoo" housing wildlife of Kansas. I suppose Kansas doesn't have much wildlife, I mean judging from the size of the "zoo" that is. So, from that day, I knew I wanted to go back, take some pictures and pass some time. It's really nice. The park is covered with Oak and Cedar trees, geese, ducks and children lol. Surrounding the park are old homes, homes that were built in probably the 30s/40s (I think)...you know the kind that are built to last. It's true what they say, "they just don't make 'em like this anymore." I have a fondness for older homes, I would love to own one some day. So I decided to take some pictures as proof that there are nice places in Wichita...this was more about proving it to myself than anyone else lol. So, take a look....

My Dream Kitchen

Ok, so it's close to my dream kitchen, of course this picture represents someone elses "dream", so, needless to say, I would make my own tweaks. However, this is the image I was thinking of as I got everything ready for dinner tonight. The Crock Pot is going to soon become my friend. I took some advice from Keelie and checked out a blog that Lindee follows, A Year of Slow Cooking. There was an interesting recipe for Orange Chicken. I took the bait and decided to make it. Of course, I needed to buy a Crock Pot first, since the lid of the one I had shattered (long story). I had originally tried to get a replacement lid but it was going to cost $20...let me just say, these slow cooker's are not that expensive, so it made more sense to buy a new one. Also, the one I had was a 5 quart...I NEVER cook for that many people. So, I went out and bought one along with all the ingredients necessary for this dish. I prepped, sliced, seared, mixed, tasted and Crock Pot(ted). As we speak it is cooking. However, I decided to add ingredients, I mean what is orange chicken without red pepper and garlic? Seriously. Oh and I opted to add a little onion, I mean c'mon, right? So, now, I'm sitting here, typing...waiting...wondering. Have you ever come to a point when you're making something new and you just have to consider alternatives. I mean, if it turns out not like you planned, you have Papa Johns # on hand...that's the situation I'm in at this point. Oh and speaking of kitchens....without further ado, yeah, this is what I'm dealing with...

Yep, that's our kitchen...awesome right? Literally, there's nothing else...that's it. I've actually thought about creating a blog called...The Culinary Kitchenette. Ehh, it would take more time and effort than I'm willing to give at this point LOL. So for now, just imagine me cooking in this thing. Although I have made....burritos, quesadillas, Chicken Tetrazinni and, now, orange chicken. Finger's crossed it's edible.

FYI: I must add that should the orange chicken NOT be edible, please do not let that deter yourself from checking out the blog A Year of Slow Cooking. See I added my own "flair" so to speak, so if it's bad, it's my fault not hers. Check it out!

Tomorrow...

According to a few I follow in "Blogland"...tomorrow is photo day and, by pure coincidence, I am planning to go to Riverside Park, as well as Oak Park, here in Wichita to take some pics. I just feel some of the houses along the river, the parks themselves and, my beautiful dog Hero, deserve some (more) recognition. So, expect them. If they don't appear, it's because I was being lazy or just didn't have time...I know, "what else do you have to do there Kevin?"...I ask myself the same thing everyday LOL.

So what if I am...

...a snob that is. No one has called me one but I feel like I'm being one when it comes to this city. I'm not sure why though. Well, I'll be honest, there is something to be said for a city where on every street corner, there is a liquor store AND a chiropractor, weird right? Ok and another thing, I wanted some wine the other night, well of course you cannot buy it at a grocery store, instead you have to go to a liquor store. So, I asked why and the answer I got was more info than I needed. The girl replies with, "Politics..." ok, I can deal with that although it doesn't make sense lol. Yet she continues, "...are you from the South?" "Yes, Texas," I reply. The short version of what followed is this...apparently because of the alcohol content of wine, it must be sold in liquor stores. The beer you buy in the grocery store is watered down, HOWEVER should you buy beer in a liquor store, it has the same amount of alcohol as, "[we] do in the South." Let me just say, I don't drink THAT often, but I found this interesting. It made me wonder though, is the coffee or soda I buy in a grocery store going to have the same amount of caffeine? If not, then, in my opinion, this state is pitiful...NO ONE needs to mess with my caffeine, it's uncalled for to say the least.

So far, I know where the Target, Walmart, Dillon's (aka Kroger), McAlister's Deli, um and McDonalds are. Yeah, no sign of Starbucks YET. However, let me explain, since being here, I haven't really been able to leave this damn hotel. Hero is making that difficult. Sure I could just leave BUT I'm not convinced he will be ok alone, he growls and does this whole "muffled bark" thing when I am here. If I'm gone and unable to control that issue, he would go full out screechy/barky/ANNOYING! (2 complaints against him and we're out) So, I'm stuck until Seam gets home and then it's the end of the day and I'm so spent on being BORED all day that I can't make a decision on where to go LOL. Take this afternoon for example, I drove around, literally JUST DROVE AROUND and ended up at the damn grocery store AGAIN. I bought a few things and came home. There is a Michael's just down the street, I said I'd be making crafts (yes I still plan to, hello Sept 22nd comes soon!) and I've yet to even get there LOL. I'm feeling a little lost here to say the least. Tomorrow we're planning to take Hero out with us somewhere, not sure where yet but SOMEWHERE.


Good things to come though, I can feel it...

Wichita, KS

Well we finally made it, albeit on Tuesday...sorry I'm just now getting around to blogging about it lol. So after a few mishaps along the way, well one major mishap, we got here safe and sound. Hero is adjusting, I think, and Lucy, well she's still in hiding. Although she does come out at night, only to wake me up for, what I assume she thinks of as..."Me(ow) time".

Just about everything is unpacked, the things that are left are things we need more space for, I just didn't feel like dealing with it today. My computer is up and running, the wi-fi is connected for Seam's laptop AND Tivo, as we speak, is downloading the channel information (finger's crossed). Some normalcy seems to be seeping into life in Wichita and it's only Day 3, it's a little encouraging. Now I just need to adjust to cooking in a "kitchenette" with no real oven. Hello crockpot and toaster oven, you will be my friends for the next several months. (I even saved a website for a Thanksgiving dinner via toaster over...yeah, can you imagine? lol)

Oh did I mention that this hotel is within a mile of the airport? Yeah, it's not so bad inside, I mean you can hear the planes but it's nothing terribly bad. However, if you are outside and you see a plane coming in for a landing, you literally feel the need to duck and cry. It's serious when you can actually see the plane's windows....pics to come. The company has offered to move us to a different place due to the area (which isn't really bad, just old) and the airport; however, given that the new location would cause us to do more highway driving, we opted to stay in this location. The reason: Winter....I know I can't drive if it's icy and even LESS so if it's on a highway.

More to come...