Okay, after finding out some friends are getting iPads for Christmas and being constantly visited at work with “can I play with your iPad, do you like it? Is it heavy?”, I decided it was time to make a list: a list of my favorite apps.

Now, you can probably find a list out on the internet somewhere else if you really want to. But rather than give the spiel 80 times between now and the first of the year, I figured it better to have something I can email with links embedded (I’m so clever).

First things first: just like all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares, all iPhone apps can be used on the iPad but the reverse is not true. So if you have both, might go for the iPhone version instead of the iPad version. The key difference being the little 2x button on the iPhone apps. After you blow them up full size, you rarely (in my experience) can see the difference. I still have a full page on my iPad of apps that are really iPhone apps.

Okay, divide and conquer time. What do you want to DO with your iPad? What is its purpose? I use mine a LOT for work. So nice to not have to have pen and paper in meetings. Or to prop it up in his case and download powerpoint slides directly from the website into Keynote. I look awesome when I do that as well. And you CAN buy the cables to hook your iPad up to the projector, which also makes you look awesome, BTW.

Evernote for iPad

For work

EVERNOTE EVERNOTE EVERNOTE. I cannot say this enough. Evernote syncs notes between all your computers you set it up on. All of it’s clients are free, it’s the service you might end up paying for. But there’s usually a deal where you can get 3 months for free somehow. But it’s worth it. You’re gonna want to upgrade. I can access notes from my work machine on my iPad in a meeting. SO NICE. And as soon as I’m done taking my notes on the meeting, they are already on my desktop. They have an iPhone, iPad, mac and windows version. There’s also a browser version and you can email or tweet updates.

Don’t hate me for this: Keynote’s worth the money. I mentioned that I can pull the slides directly from the internet onto my iPad.

Bento for iPad

Powerpoint slides that is. Straight into keynote. I haven’t used the spreadsheet and word processor apps in iWork nearly as much

as Keynote. It’s 9.99 but when you forget those slides for that meeting and can pull them in while you’re sitting there (discreetly), it will pay off. Plus, I hate paper. I’m all about being paperless.

Bento. It’s 4.99 and works with the existing Mac Bento software. It basically amounts to a flat file database. But it works out quite well as a catalog of sorts. When I was managing a schedule for a conference it was GREAT to have everyone’s information tied to what panel they were running. Really only worth it if you have the desktop version. It’s pretty too. Also, for the crafty types like myself: you can keep up with patterns and fabrics and Christmas decorations so you don’t overbuy!

Plants vs Zombies for iPad

I won’t say why this is next, you can interpret it however you like. Games:

ANGRY BIRDS. It’s fun, it’s addictive. My sister enjoyed it immensely and she’s usually non-techie. You catapult birds into structures to kill all the pigs. Remember that flash game a while back that catapulted a cat for points…it’s kind of like that.

Plants vs. Zombies. There’s 2 versions of this, one for the iPad and one for the iPhone. I have both. I find no shame in this. You plant plants to keep zombies from coming in your house. Simple as that. And addictive. Zombies don’t really want brains, they want your time.

There’s also a good mahjong game, good solitaire suite and some sudoku to be had. I use those a lot when I get stuck in a problem and need something to suck the A.D.D. out of me. Keeps your mind active but not really focused so you can let it sort out the problem you originally got stuck on. Think of them kind of like a marinade in that regard. (No, I’m not gonna explain, if you don’t get it, you don’t know me well enough.)

Marvel Comics App for iPad

A little light reading:

It’s meant to be an e-reader for the most part. I really do like iBooks, especially now that it reads PDFs. There’s also a kindle app, a nook app, an AP news app, a Reuters News app. But, you’re geeky, I can tell.

So what you really want is the DC app, the Marvel app, and the Comixology app. Plus, they usually release a few comics free each week. SCORE. All of Astonishing X-Men and most, if not all, of Captain America’s recent moments are up.

Several magazines are getting into the foray, but none well yet. Glamour, Newsweek, Time, the WallStreet Journal and a few others. I don’t know why they needs apps and don’t just do a digital subscription service where they send you a PDF copy of the magazine, but not my deal. If they are reading this though, can I just have that? A pdf copy is all I need, SOUTHERN LIVING (who doesn’t have an app)! The biggest drawbacks of magazines is that getting the digital version saves you nothing and is frequently more expensive than a paper copy.

And for a handful of you at least, and to please my dad: you can download the Bible. Here’s the deal with this though: download one of the copies. If you get to a church in backwoods Alabama that doesn’t have wifi, you can’t read it if you didn’t download a copy.

Media Streaming:

Netflix, if you have an account with them, has a great free app to stream your list to. ABC also has a streaming app. Air Video (2.99) will stream from your computer (after you set it up). There’s also a flickr app for the picture folks. And there’s a Pandora app for folks that like to stream radio.

Social Media:

There’s great debate over the best Twitter app, but I like Twitterific. Yes, there’s a Tweetdeck, but last I checked, it wasn’t getting as good of reviews. There’s also AIM for iPad, though I couldn’t tell you when or if I actually used it. Facebook has no iPad app yet and it’s one where the iPhone version doesn’t translate well. Miso (for the tv checkin junkies) has an iPad version.

OTHER

And now is the moment where I scroll through my iPad looking for more apps that I love that don’t really have a categorical place.

Deliveries. Love it. Particularly on my iPad. Tracks shipments. I shop a lot online.

Draw. Simple and free I believe. Lets me get my doodle on. And I can tweet drawings of chicken soup to may far away friends when they are sick J

Dropbox (which could sort of go in the work category). File syncing. Again, works with your desktop, laptop and iPad to sync all sorts of things. And there is a web version. No messy thumb drives (since there’s no usb port).

Remote: can control your itunes library playing from your computer. It’s free from Apple.

Wikipanion: Wikipedia. Man how I wish they had “Don’t Panic” instead of a W on the icon.

Almost left out Dragon Dictation, mostly because I’ve never used it. But it pops up on everyone’s favorite list. So I guess I should. I have it, I just haven’t ever done anything with it.

And that’s about it. Some tips before I leave:

• There’s a button on the side by the volume that controls the tilting. Flip the switch and you’re locked.
• Hit both up and down volume buttons to mute.
• You can change the wallpaper to one of your pictures just like an iPhone (even behind the icons)
• You can have 6 icons in the dock that will remain there for all pages
• You can have multiple pages of apps. I think I have 6. I divided mine into categories: 1^st page: frequently used. Page 2: streaming media and business like stuff. Page 3: reading. Page 4: games. Page 5: stuff I rarely use and stuff from my phone. Page 6: games from my phone.
• Flip backwards from the home page to get a search box.
• You can use it a digital picture frame. It’s in settings in the side bar.
• If you are like me and at a job where they change the wireless password fairly frequently, make sure it doesn’t SAVE the password.
• Set a passcode up for it. Especially if you are using it for work.
• Go through the settings. Get familiar with them. I’m sure there are tricks I haven’t found.
• TO TAKE A SCREENSHOT (like there will be at the top when I can figure out why it isn’t emailing me, bad internet!): hold down the home button (round button square logo at the bottom) and then hit the button at the top that normally locks your screen. It will flash white. The picture will be in your saved photos in Photos.
• a lot of stuff goes on sale. I don’t know that I would pay full price for some of it. I think I got all the plants vs. zombies for half price.

Full discretion: I stole my pretty screenshots from Gizmodo’s list. They have a LOT more reviews over there. So I’m not gonna feel bad because I”m gonna tell you to go over and check their lists out. One of you in particular should check the list of GAMES as it is FAR more extensive. And for the one friend that does a lot with pictures: check this list out. It’s all for photographers. No idea about any of those apps though. And there’s always this: the iPad camera connection kit. Note, other things will plug into that usb port.

Also, if you need to use your iPad as a credit terminal, see if Square can do what they can do on the iPhone. You have to order the little dongle piece, but it’s free.

Busy busy busy. Mostly I’ve been at my parents’ house it seems. Thanksgiving + the weekend of my birthday. Combine that with work parties and Auburn’s run at the BCS championship and something had to slide. It was the blog. That’s becoming a trend though; I find myself apologizing for dropping the ball on the blog a lot. So maybe I should make a new goal: once a month. Once I’ve gotten comfy with that, I’ll move forward to one a week.

I’m also thinking about starting a new blog for all the craftiness I’m getting into. Since Thanksgiving I’ve acquired an Accuquilt AND a Cricut. So that’s taken some time. Since I brough them home, I did test cuts with the accuquilt, but I have no cool dies yet (Christmas!) so we shall see what the future holds. I’m getting into quilting I think. It was a lot more fulfilling to make a quilt than a shirt or a dress for some reason. And I really love patchwork.

I’ve also been making gifts for everyone for Christmas. We’ll see how that goes. ALMOST done with the majority of them. Just need to add zippers. Then it’s on to Dad’s gift and maybe another for my niece.

This is supposed to be a blog about Ichi, so I should probably mention her. We’ve had a LOT of bad weather down here lately. The temperatures got really really low. There was a weather channel video of a local radio personality being unable to walk a parking lot. It also snowed Sunday. Fairly unusual for Alabama, but not SO unusual for Huntsville. We just have wacky weather up here so it doesn’t ever really surprise me. I tell you this to justify why Ichi has been a completely inside dog all week. Yes, she probably COULD survive outside in the temps we’ve had, but I don’t want her to have to try.

She loves to just lay on my bed all day. But when I finally let her outside (she’s good about her schedule, except Tuesday), she just bounces around because frozen grass is so foreign. I guess she doesn’t remember the snow storm I had to wait for in Ohio to get her here when she was a pup. She also does not care for me cracking the ice in her bowl so that she has drinking water. Whatever, she can get stuck like the kid in a Christmas Story if she’s gonna fight me over it.

And in an attempt to get me to blog more: here’s an article for you. Maybe I’ll give you one I like a month. The White House Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, is considering making the White House Toomer’s Corner North if we win in January.

So I guess that’s it for this update.  Sorry for the no pictures.  Maybe later.

It’s no secret that Ichi is unique (to say it more politically correct). She does get all scared and goes a little nuts. But beyond that, people that first meet her ALWAYS think she’s still a puppy.

Why you may ask? Because she’s still a little scared of people (after 2 years now) and she has the energy of a puppy. They just don’t realize she’s on anti anxiety meds to keep her THIS calm. But the point of this is to share a few more interesting tidbits of Ichi, as we approach her 3rd birthday!

I can’t help but think that a small child might be easier at times. Granted, half the things you can do with a dog people would take a kid away for (can you get away with alpha rolling a kid?). But in a lot of instances, a kid wouldn’t just stare at you as you say “no”. They would at least talk to you. A kid would be able to TELL you what they want without hoping you are just bonded enough to figure it out. A kid would understand (hopefully) why you choose not to take them on a walk when it’s 97 degrees in September (still). And most importantly, a kid would not race out the door every time you opened it to get pizza. At least Ichi is easily bought. She loves treats more than me I think. And I do mean that in a “Ichi would sell me for her weight in cheese”.

But we do understand some language. Ichi understands “no”, she just often doesn’t abide by it. She will come to a complete stop on the stairs when I tell her “no”. She will then stare at me to, I presume, guage my seriousness. This goes on until I stand up like I”m going to go up the stairs and get her. Then she comes down.

But one of Ichi’s more cat like qualities is that she HATES water. She barks at the rain. She bites at the rain. She attacks the hose pipe. She, however, is very protective of her pool. But I don’t think she thinks it’s a pool, I think she thinks it’s just a giant water bowl. Whatever she wants. I bought it to keep her cool in those 97 degree temperatures and if that’s how she chooses to use it, so be it. I can lead the dog to water, I can’t make her lay in it.

So it occured to me today, as I waited for my shower to get warm (takes like 5 minutes) and used that time to pull some of the loose fur off my baby girl: how many of these activities would be completely different if I was dealing with an actual daughter and not a dog. Like brushing her fur. I have to hold onto her collar and often the back of her neck to get where I can brush her while she’s blowing her coat (which is happening now).  One would presume that a 3 year old would see their mom brushing her own hair and want to mimic that behavior. Ichi turns away when she sees me brushing my “fur”.

And bath time. Ichi is a handful at the least (but managable) when it’s time for her to get a bath. It’s coming this weekend, she needs to prepare. But if I go to run a bath for myself, Ichi RUNS to the sound running water. She barks her head off. It’s a big deal to her. And I think it’s scary to her. She clearly does not want to get in the bath. But if she was scared of getting in herself, why run to it? I think she doesn’t want ME to get in the bath. She wants to protect me from the evil water.

But, it’s that fear of water that I think gives her the oddest like of all (even weirder than her love of the Vet and the Mailman). She LOVES to have her fur blowdried. She will stand there, lifting her head in a “no, get this spot” kind of way. It’s pretty entertaining. If I”m blowdrying my hair, Ichi runs to me. She loves it. I think it is because it is the only thing she knows of that removes the evil water quickly. She will squirm in a towel. But a warm breeze that dries her fur, it’s like heaven to her. Well, maybe if there was some cheese.

She also thinks that sweeping is a game where she must catch the broom. We’re busting out of that though. Now to resolve her hate of the vacuum. I don’t think she thinks that one is a game. I think she thinks it’s an intruder. And to make matters worse, it takes away her scent and all the fur she’s conveniently left around the house. How dare it! War is waged every time it comes out.

So there you go, my weirdo dog in a nutshell.  One last thing: she outsleeps me in the morning. And she HATES the alarm clock.

I’m gonna hijack Ichi’s space to post quite a few pictures of my latest Anthropologie trips. Anthropologie is pretty much where I go to feel better. As I have gotten older and farther removed from college, I’m getting mroe and more comfortable with spending money on clothes. It always makes me feel good to wear a new top to work, afterall.

Back in November, I took my first job at a software company that had a dresscode other than “jeans and a tshirt”. So Black Friday involved way more clothes than normal for me. But the bright side is that I have a thing for cashmere (oh so soft), so I didn’t really have to worry about tops.

But now it’s summer. Back in spring I bought several dresses, skirts and cardis from Old Navy. And I think that I began to really like dressing like a girl. OMG. Yes, I sometimes wear dresses. And I really started to get back into jewelry. Remember those days before I started playing basketball where every finger had a ring? Not quite there yet, but I’m more frequently wearing earrings, necklaces and bracelets.

But the point of all this: anthro. I have found a lot of excellent blogs that do dressing room reviews. It’s better than just reading a review because they take pictures. So you know what it actually looks like on a normal person with no style team backing them to get one nice picture. They also do OOTD (outfit of the day) to showcase styling and give you an idea of what it looks like in a regular situation.

So, Anthro is having a huge sale (and free shipping with an Anthro card) and I need summery work clothes. Match made in heaven I tell you. The above picture is the Rising Vapors dress in a dark grey which was cheap! (Even by regular standards. And yes, I’m starting to learn the names of things.)  Not sure how I’m gonna work it into work, but I’m gonna try.

More pretty after the cut!

Beth is my buddy who is also into Anthro. So much so that we now have 3 matching outfits (we aren’t protective of our clothes): the “Lobster dress” (also known as the Salty Seas dress), the Free Flowing tank (not available on the website, but it is available in the stores), and the corset who’s name I can’t remember. Woot. All of it is identical except she got the navy free flowing tank and I got cream (which I”m wearing today!). It matches the cheesecake I brought to work.

So I thought I would try my hand at some dressing room reviews last night as most of the reviews you can find are for small girls and I’m not a small girl. Also, I should mention, I’m very into ruffles and owls right now. NO idea why. Maybe it’s because I have that ruffler foot that is of the devil, so I appreciate them more.

First up: Breeze Along Cami

The biggest size they had it in was an 8, which fits, but not well. It’s also kind of see through, which I don’t really like. Still, it could be good with a skirt and cardi as the bottom isn’t as embellished. Doesn’t overly do much for me and kind of makes me think “puffy shirt”, but still. We shall see.

Next: Daring Dart Blouse

LOVED IT. Work appropriate FTW. That is the point afterall. On sale, so not a huge investment. Could go with a skirt or pants, not navy, but not pale either. I totally bought it.

Next: Chantico Tank

So, it’s on my wishlist, in green, but when I tried it on in white the other day I think it looked better. It kind of looks like I’m not trying to hard but I still look nice. Unfortunately, it also makes me look like I’m pregnant. Sad day because I love all the draping. And the straps are wide enough to hide a bra strap. Sad times.Still full price too, not helping it’s case.

Horseshoe Falls Top

Good little Auburn fan. The more I look at the picture, the more it grows on me. It’s a good color and I don’t hate it. I seem to recall it being full priced though, so i may put this on the wishlist and wait for another day. Seems more fall too.

Needle and Thread top

I look like a cross between my mother and a hippie. IN fact, I think my mom has a similar shirt from Ecuador. Plus, it’s see through. Pass.

Graces Tank

Again, with the see through! I would need this in a different color, which would be disappointing because I want it for skirts. It will stay on the wishlist, but not a high priority. I kept thinking of Sharon and her “I do not like extraneous fabric” when I tried it on. It feels like there’s just random fabric (because there sort of is). Plus, it’s not really doing anything for me.

Decanted Dress:

I liked this more than I do in the picture. The straps feel nice and heavy while the dress doesn’t, so they aren’t going anywhere. But they are kind of oddly spaced, as you can see one bra strap, but not the other. It needs a belt. And a cardigan. So it’s a maybe, a maybe that’s on sale.

Rising Vapor Dress (yep, I know the name)

This is pretty much what I came for. That and a price adjustment on another item. Dark grey was definitely better than taupe. This, oddly enough, didn’t feel like extraneous fabric. What it felt like was a really big tshirt. Who doesn’t want a dress that feels like a tshirt? Crazy people, that’s who. Again I state: CHEAP. So, it’s bought. I do have an extra image though:

This is the side of the dress. LOTS of reviews talked about the lack of ruffles on the side, but no one took pictures. I have rectified this problem. You can’t tell from the front or back that this is happening and it’s perhaps that way to make the dress seem a little less bulky. Imagine having ruffles all the way on your hips? Us hippy girls would not like. Besides, your arms reside on your sides most of the time, so I don’t think anyone is gonna care.

2 for the price of one: Ambling Twist tank and the Rock Slide skirt

What? I said I like ruffles. It reminds me of my Lili skirt. But in blue! The shirt is still $88 and it is way too similar to the one I got 2 years ago, so PASS. Looks good though. The skirt I am IN LOVE WITH. I was so tempted to go ahead and buy it at $88, but I was good and put it back. (Restraint? What’s that?) It’s cute and feminine and makes me want to do the chacha.

Also in the background (forgot to get a picture) is the cardigan I am also in love with (Falling Tiers). Yes, it has ruffles. BUT, Anthro cardis aren’t always shaped normal. It’s longer in the front than anywhere else, which makes the ruffles look cool. Plus, it’s fairly thin, so good for summer when it’s just slightly too cold in the mornings and evenings. I’m grabbing that as soon as I see it on sale. It and the skirt. The skirt actually looked really good with my bright orange Old Navy tank. Weird.

So those are the reviews. One last shot: Beth demonstrating how to acquire an item (lobster dress) no longer in the store or on the website. At Connors. During dinner. Well, before and after the food. Still, I found it hilarious. If you didn’t know, if you can’t find it in the store or on the website, you can call Customer Service and they will help you find it. Which is awesome.

In the past few days I’ve also bought the Farmhouse Skirt (linen!), the lobster dress, Force Field Corset, the Geometic Cluster Blouse,  the Climbing Cowl Neck Tank and a belt. More later when all of that arrives at my door or I finally pull the lobster dress picture off Beth’s camera.

And here’s my wishlist, if anyone feels like getting me something. You might have to look me up by name though.

I probably haven’t written too much lately. What can I say, I’ve been busy. I made a new cosplay site, got stuck in Nashville’s flood and bought an embroidery machine. The embroidery machine has really taken me away from the general sewing because I keep wanting to use it and there’s just not enough hours in the day.

So since I’ve done a few things now, I figured I would show off my progress!

My first attempt was a set of dragon wings. The first one worked with no problems. But the bobbin thread ran out and I didn’t catch it like I should have on the second. So instead, I just act like I only made one! (Shh..don’t tell.) Lesson #1: pay really close attention.

Next up was a simpler design with some lettering for Sharon’s shower. Ran out of bobbin thread on the “us” portion of the word. I caught it, but I didn’t know how to fix it. Last time it ran out at the start of a color and I figured out how to go back to that. So off to hancock’s I went for more learning.

Tuesday I fixed the towel for Sharon and caught up with tv (well, some of it). But Wednesday was the big project.

I decided to put a pair of steampunk wings on a hoodie to make myself perk up a bit. I confess to thinking “this will take me an hour” because all the others have taken about 30 minutes, hooping and all. So 2*30 = 60, right? Yeah, not so much. The silver on this took me over an hour and 4 bobbins. I finally psuedo solved my bobbin problem, but I still don’t like it (it winds all wobbly).

The thread caught (silver) at least twice through the plate and that had to be cut off. Ugh, I HATE when that happens. But, while you can tell exactly where that happened, it’s not all that big of a problem (yet). Everything when relatively smoothly for the next HOUR, getting all the other little details in. I’m not too thrilled with my gold thread as it looks like the bobbin thread is coming through or it’s just losing some of the gold color. Then I moved on to the “rust” colored gear. That spool of thread kept getting tangled around the bobbin. I’ve used it before and it was fine, so I have no idea what the problem was. Regardless, when I finally decided to finish (finally got to watch Lost despite being spoiled) I switched the thread with a slightly different color. From there, it all went fairly smooth.

This was my first time using the sticky kind of stabilizer and doing something that sat on top of the hoop, and constantly having to remove it from the machine was ANNOYING! But at least it turned out okay.

I’ll do the other wing tonight and then this design is not getting made again by me for less than $100. Maybe more.

Those are not meant to sound linked, although they could be.

In Ichi news, she would NOT go in her kennel this morning. So she stayed in my room. I checked on her at lunch (and put her in her kennel) and she was sound asleep in my bed. No damage (that I’ve yet to find). That bumps her up to 4 hours by herself in the house that she can stay. I frequently leave her in the house while I go grocery shopping these days. It’s just getting too hot. If she’s not going to destroy things, I have no problem with her being inside.

And while the vet doesn’t like her being on my bed at all, she seems to recognize that it’s mine. Every night she gets off it so I can get in, get settled and then she MIGHT hop back on. Increasingly, she’s sleeping in her own bed. Most days she starts sleeping in her own bed and I wake up with extra weight on my legs (she likes to rest her head there).

Click for more information on MY NEW SEWING MACHINE.

So, last Friday, i decided it was time to STOP “dealing” with the skipped stitches, the jams, and the squeaking of my now 3 year old $89 singer. (Funny story, it wasn’t supposed to be $89, it was supposed to be 129. Yay for Target screwing that up.) I got a lot of use out of her and will probably keep her around, as I have a lot of random feet for her. Like a ruffler foot that is about 50/50. I need to go back and watch the youtube videos on that again, I snapped a needle trying to make a pleated skirt this weekend. 4 pieces. Remember: always switch back to a straight stitch for that, NOT ZIGZAGGED. This si what I get for sewing multiple projects at once.

ANYWAY, my new sewing machine is a Bernina 440QE. I’m very excited. I got the embroidery module as a part of the special. So, I’ve been trying to think of all the embroidery things I can do. So far I have:

• patches
• fleece blankets
• baby bags
• baby bibs (my sister is pregnant, can you tell?)
• onesies.
• totebags
• shirt cuffs

I have found good deals on patches, blankets, baby bibs and totebags thus far. I’m thinking of putting geeky sayings on blankets and totebags and selling them at conventions. I’m gonna be there anyway, and aimlessly wandering sort of loses it’s charm after you’ve been to that hotel 5 times. Thoughts (and yeah, I’m only doing that until I pay for the machine and only once I’m more confident in my skillz)?

I’m just so excited for automatic needle threading, separate bobbin winder, embroidery, quilting feet, and it comes with the stitch regulator foot! Not sure how the bobbin loads (please be easy!)

So, I have kind of slacked on this. But for relatively good reasons. Be they taxes, new sites coming up, helping friends with their sites and projects, redoing an armoir and convention season kicking off.

So after the jump I’ll go through some of it.

Little snippets (in case you aren’t following me on twitter)

• Made a bailey’s irish coffee cheesecake. It was so well liked that people apparently stole the ones I made for my family the next day. (grr).
• Started working on 2 new costumes. One is almost finished with the dress while I wait for the fabric to ship for the other one. Both are for MTAC. One was originally for AWA and it just kept getting pushed back.
• Went to Momocon, pimped Seishuncon. Worried about Ichi being boarded (since she didn’t do so well the last time). They know her though. Someone at the vet called her HER FAVORITE. I was amazed.
• I did wear a costume at Momocon, I didn’t get any pictures. But that will change in less than a month.
• Went to watch Mom’s lasik surgery. I don’t advise watching it before you get it. I think even Dad was a little grossed out.
• Been working on a new site that will be all about the costumes. I don’t really care about having a site that’s all about the costumes, I just wanted to make a new site without destroying this one. Plus, I got to play in photoshop a lot. I’m getting much better at it.
• Played viral marketer a bit making various social networks for Seishuncon (facebook, twitter, thinking about foursquare).

As far as Ichi goes (since this is supposed to be a blog about her): She’s doing well in my opinion.  Last week some friends came over with treats for her. We each took turns giving them to her with them starting. After I gave her the same treat that she had watched me give them some, she would then take it and eat it immediately from them. It was a big moment. She was then well behaved (but still kennelled) around them. No barking. She was acting with a level of eagerness, like she didn’t want them to leave (as their presence now means treats and everyone in the house took time to be with her specifically).

Next up, I bought her a new leash to use as a house lead. We’ll see if she can be in their presence, on it, but unkennelled. I hope so. It would be a huge step in her recovery from last year. Either way, the process of visitors greeting her with treats will continue until she realizes that visitors = treats and petting.

My parents are planning to visit in April, so I think it’s finally time to get the outdoor kennel for her. That way visitors that are afraid of her can be in the house and others can have more ease of access to her to comfort her. Eventually, I would LOVE for her to get to the point that we have a cookout and she’s out and about in the backyard enjoying it too. I can dream.

I’ve been sick a fair amount in the last month. The picture is of Nurse Ichi. When I’m sick she will plop on top of me making it difficult for me to get up. She will also huff if I do get up. She developed all of that this time last year when I had surgery. For some reason, she thinks putting her whole body across my stomach will make my stomach ache go away (it didn’t). At least she’s a cute nurse.

Huntsville is on it’s 3rd straight day of snow on the ground. It melts, then it snows a little again. I think most is actually melted this time but the sunny skies have turned all snow-cloud again. Most of us are really unhappy about it as it’s just 1/2 an inch to an inch every time. Just enough to be dangerous, not enough to play in. Even the weatherman sounded sad last night.

But I thought I would share some pictures of the latest bout and Ichi finding out why the Shiba 500 is not a good idea in snow and ice. You can’t tell from the pictures, but the patio was like a big sheet of ice as was the side walks. Even Ichi is getting tired of the snow, I think. She wanted to come inside and sleep in the nice warm house.

No video yet (although it’s loaded, just not in a very convienent form). But here is Ichi around the time she started SHIVERING. That’s what happens when you decide to lick all the snow off the ground (pictures offered as proof of my weirdo dog).

She did indeed have fun and despite the record low temperatures, demanded to go outside with siginificantly irregular frequency. And then I would have to bribe her to come back in. She particularly enjoyed running back and forth across the patio because it kicked up snow as she turned. No snowball fight this time. It was too cold for me to stay outside much.

I do have more frozen pipes (laundry room) and I figured out why (they are exposed!). Ichi has thoroughly enjoyed being an exclusively inside dog this week due to the freezing temperatures. We are supposed to go up to 47 degrees today! Yesterday we got barely above freezing for the first time all year.

There is still snow in my driveway and the pool is still frozen over (or at least it was this morning). When I drove to work there were still patches of snow on the edges of the road. So, it’s been an adventure. Didn’t get as much snow as we though but did get plenty of icy roads.

Since we are supposed to get 2-4 inches of snow tomorrow, flurrying through Saturday, I was reminded that I never posted the pictures from the LAST time it snowed. It was the weekend before my birthday and I awoke to snow, so Ichi and I went out and played.

For all your northern folk, though I was able to get out on the roads by noon to go grocery shopping, this was enough to close the interstate and other major roads (like Memorial Parkway). Needless to say, they are already prepping those two to be closed for the rest of the week.

And if you are wondering how Ichi did on her first instance of snow sans leash, she had a great time. First there was the attacking, then the investigating. All day she tried to figure out what the wet stuff was. ANd I threw snowballs at her which she quickly learned to duck (and then eat). So I look forward to my pup getting to really enjoy the snow this time. I’ll remember to video tape it.

In other wintery news: I dealt with my first instance of pipes freezing on Sunday. Luckily they never burst and I got them working about 3 hours after I discovered it. It’s been below freezing for the entire week so far, so my pipes since then have been dripping. Ichi’s been very much so an inside dog all week.

In true Alabama Snow style, I already have bread and disliking milk, I opted for Coca-Cola. I can snuggle up to Ichi for warmth.

Lastly, HOOK ‘EM HORNS!