Pico de gallo and other small irritations

One thing in this world I will never understand the use or need for is pico de gallo. In case you don't know, pico de gallo is a garnish put on Mexican food. It consists of small diced tomatoes, green peppers, purple onions, cilantro and occasionally green chilies. My in-laws love it. My husband and I hate it. And, when it is put in food such as salads, it permeates every bite! Blah! We got grilled Caribbean chicken salads last night at Chili's...and as always, I asked to substitute almonds for the pico. They got the almonds right, but put the pico de gallo on UNDER all the other toppings, so P didn't see it when he picked up the salads and checked them, and it was so hard to pick out. BLAH! I just don't get it! Put it on nachos, enchiladas, chimichangas, but LEAVE MY GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD ALONE! That was my irritation from last night.

My irritation from today was the vet visit with Gabrielle. She's fine. It turns out that she has been chewing her tail, and that is what has caused this tail problem. They gave her an anti-inflammatory shot, updated her rabies vaccine, and did a senior scan on her bloodwork since she's ten years old. I also got a nice lecture on how cats, even indoor ones, are susceptible to heartworm and need the same preventative that we give the dogs (oops), and was told that Gab most likely has a cavity, so she'll have to have a dental cleaning within the next four weeks in addition to the $228 I shelled out today for the vet visit. Bottom line, no Dooney probably until October. Boo. It's okay though...Gabby is my baby and I want her teeth feeling better! Right now she's kind of pooped from her vet visit...she's crashed over there in the corner.

My irritation from Saturday was a phone message from my friend D informing me that she talked to our framer (also D) who moved to Alabama a few months ago, and apparently he has not set up shop again for his framing business like he intended to, and D didn't get the impression on the phone that he intends to. *sigh* So it looks like the days of super-cheap, muy excelente, elaborately hand-cut mats and framing are over, as are the days of having several pieces a year framed. The last piece I had framed before I got the name of this framer from D cost me $240. Unbelievably pricey! And that was almost ten years ago. I shudder to think what framing prices are like now. Oh, well. Good thing I have so many pieces in rotation...it's not something that I have to contemplate at this moment in time.

But, not everything from the weekend was irritating. In case you were wondering, the fast-drying Sally Hansen Dry and Go Protein Top Coat was a hit. It does dry your nails in thirty seconds...and I'm not talking tacky dry. They are bone dry in thirty seconds! Not a bad deal for $4.22, and my nails have never looked this shiny or this glossy. I would definitely recommend it. Give it a try if you are looking for something new! Last night's episode of Six Feet Under was excellent. I can't believe the season finale is in two weeks. I just love that show! P gave me a pedicure last night. His toenail painting skills leave a lot to be desired (I told him not to quit his day job) but he did a great job working on the hard calluses on my feet and toes. What a great man I've got! The lamp is still just a cozy glow in my office. And I feel rested. I got a LOT of stitching in this weekend! I was hoping to have a new picture posted last night, but the pedicure kinda got in the way.

The memes for today are excellent...I can't not do them all!

First is Sunday Brunch...so glad it is back! It is on weddings...

1. Indoor or outdoor weddings? I prefer indoor weddings, but outdoor weddings are lovely.
2. How many weddings have you been in? Only one...my own. My sister eloped a few months ago, so that was my one chance to be a maid of honor in a wedding of a family member. My best friend from North Carolina, S, is still single, so that's still a chance!
3. When you were married (or if there is a wedding in your future), what type of wedding did or would you have? I had a traditional Catholic wedding with a full mass. We invited about 150 people, and I think about 100 came. After the ceremony and mass, we had a reception.
4. Have you caught the bouquet or garter? No.
5. Tell us about a funny, scary or memorable wedding moment. I was so caught up in the mass during our wedding and so focused on making sure that I did what I was supposed to do during the ceremony that I totally forgot about the kiss and then I left my bouquet at the altar. It was kind of funny!

Second, Monday Madness...

Name 3 of your favorite.......
1. Colors turquoise, lavender, and baby pink
2. Pizza Toppings pepperoni, pineapple and breakfast bacon
3. Department Stores Dillard's, Nordstrom's and JC Penney
4. Flavors of Candy strawberry, cherry and grape
5. Scents of Candles angel essence, pine and lavender
6. Days of the Week Friday, Saturday and Sunday
7. Vegetables potato, onion and cucumbers
8. Fruits apple, peach and pineapple
9. Meals to cook Thanksgiving turkey dinner, spaghetti with meatballs, and roast beef
10. Kitchen Gadgets my KitchenAid mixer, my double boiler, and my Tupperware egg seperator
11. Olympic Sports swimming, diving and figure skating

Third, the Daily Dirt...yet another meme on movies!

1. What is your favorite movie of all time? Gone With the Wind
2. What is your most-hated movie? The Accidental Tourist
3. What book would you like to see made into a movie? This is so sad, but I can't think of one that I've read that they haven't made into a movie. That's a very sad commentary on myself...I used to be such an avid reader.
4. What movie has the best soundtrack? Footloose
5. Which movie have you seen more than any other? That's very hard to say without keeping a scorecard, but I'd have to say that the top five most watched movies in my house are Armageddon, Titanic, Gone With The Wind, The Abyss and Alive. I don't own a copy of The Abyss or Alive, but every time either of those movies comes on satellite, I watch it. I'm currently doing the same thing with Seabiscuit.

And in closing, the Stitching Blogger's QOTW!

Do you feel cross stitching requires patience?

In my opinion, I think that learning to cross stitch requires a great deal of patience. You can't rush it or you'll make errors. And I think you have to be patient when realizing how long a project can take. But to actually cross stitch after you get the hang of it? I don't think that requires a lot of patience. I think that it requires a lot of quiet time and concentration, but most of the time when I'm stitching, I'm not even thinking about what I'm doing. I'm just doing it. It's so relaxing and just takes me away!

I suppose I should pretend I'm working today. I don't have much to do...just waiting for a fire as usual. Tomorrow I have a continuing education class on water mitigation which I really don't want to miss. My adjuster's license expires in March, and I only have about a third of my hours that I need for my license to be renewed so far.

More tomorrow...happy Monday, everyone! Can you believe September is almost upon us??