Another Airedale Angel

Hello, again! Please forgive my long absence from this; it's been a hectic few weeks. Once again, after my long time away, I come back with sad news - our second dog, Micah, went to Heaven today :-(

He had been struggling for a little while now. His heart had gotten enlarged, so his chest started getting bigger, too. His breathing wasn't the greatest, and you could just tell each day he was a little more tired. So different from the puppy brought home a few months after our first Airedale, Amos.

Micah was a mouthy, mouthy little ball of fluff! The first night we got him, he was just sassin' everyone, including Amos! He was born from a litter of about 3 pups, and he was the only survivor. His parents were also Amos's parents, and this litter would be the last for them. The breeder called us, knowing we kind of wanted another dog, and thought we'd be good for Micah. After that call, it was official - we'd have 2 puppies!

While Amos was more quiet and stable, Micah was a little more energetic. If you threw a ball in the house and it bounced against a wall, Amos would stop and turn around; Micah would hit the wall, THEN turn around. He got excited about EVERYTHING - my favourite was when you'd come home, he'd bound to the front hall: "HI! You're home! That's awesome!" He'd run off...then come back again. "Oh, good, you're still home, that's awesome!" He'd run off again, then return a

 third time. "Hurray! You're home for reals! I'm so happy!" If you walked by him while he was laying down, his tail would just start wagging, indicating he was happy you were just simply there.

While Amos had certain foods that he would beg for and disregard all training, Micah just loved food, PERIOD. Before our kitchen was redone, the counters were just at the right height for Airedales to jump up to and grab anything too close to the edge. Many times you'd hear, "MICAH! NO! DROP IT! Awww, man..." as he'd grab what he wanted, swallow it whole, and be done with it before you could fish it out. One time for my sisters birthday we had ice cream cake - as my Mum sat down in front of her piece, Micah jumped and grabbed the entire slice in his mouth. "NO!" my Mum cried, pried his mouth open, and got the piece of ice cream cake back on her plate. Even in his last few weeks, he was still a fan of food.

While he loved us all, he never liked to be hugged too much, or feel confined. If you were near him and he wanted space, he'd let you know by sounding something like a crazed Ewok. He never bit us, but you knew when it was time to move away from him and give him space.

As weird as this will sound, I'll probably miss his toots at some point. Micah had crazy, super-smelly farts - some you heard, others you did not. Yes, dogs also have "Silent but Deadly" ones, and MAN, were they deadly. You could be sitting in a room, with Micah sound asleep, and all of a sudden "snif snif...OH, Mi-CAH! Geez!" Thank goodness puppies never learn what a Dutch Oven is...

He was a smart puppy, just like his brother, but like all siblings, learned at his own speed and in his own way. He never formally went to obedience classes, but because we had Amos well-trained, Micah fell into line pretty quickly. When it came time to learn to go up the stairs and down, it took him awhile, but the night he finally caught on, he spent 20 minutes just going up, then going down, then going up, then going down.

Both Amos and Micah had pretty accurate internal clocks, but Micah had a VERY finely-tuned one, mostly for feeding times. Right around 3:30, 4:00 PM, he'd start to get restless, knowing dinner was soon. No matter what he was doing, or where he was, he'd just KNOW, and make sure you knew what time it was, too!

Neither of the boys liked being crated, so they eventually started whining in the morning, about 5 AM or so. My parents tried collars that spray citrus to keep the noise down, but somehow Micah figured out the exact pitch he could whine at before the collar sprayed. Of course, Amos wasn't a fan of this because his crate was close enough to Micah when the spray went off, Amos got sprayed, too.

Micah had a lust and zest for life that encouraged me to look for that kind of joy in my life, too - mostly in the simple things, but making them the grandest thing ever. He went peacefully, finally being at rest after being in pain. This morning I saw him laying on the kitchen floor before I went to work. I got down beside him, gave him a pat on the head, and told him I loved him. He lifted his head a little, as if to say, "I love you, too, thank you for being part of my life." I then told him he was a good boy, and he settled down to rest again. My parents took him to the vet later that day, and said he went very quickly, which was a blessing.

The house will be a bit quieter, at least for now. We may get another Airedale, or even two more, in the future - but, for now, it's nice to know that even though both our boys are physically no more with us, they are running around, together again, in Heaven. They left us lessons and love that won't be forgotten.

And now, Micah, I say goodbye and thank you for your life with us. You will always be the Micah Micah Boy, no matter what.

Sweet Sixteen Songs...

If you read my last post, you noticed I was going to do some research into something - well, here it is! I heard on the radio the other week that the music that you heard/was popular when you were 16 has the best memories attached to them, or something along those lines. So, I decided to test this theory out and see what was popular each month I was 16, and remember the feelings I had around that time! (I used the Billboard site to get all the results, using the Top 10 Lists) (...also, please bear in mind, I was 16, and while I was ok with the music I listen to now, mostly Alternative Rock-ish, some pop, and some other stuff thrown in, it was Pop Music Central!)

JULY (the Birth Month, obviously!)
Ok, sooo...pretty Pop-y. Enrique Iglesias (Be With You), Aaliyah (Try Again), Christina Aguilera (I Turn To You) topped with Number 1, 2, and 3 spots, respectively, the week I turned 16. Then there is Eminem (meh, not for me!), Joe, Vertical Horizon, NSync, Matchbox Twenty, Creed, and Pink. To be honest, I'm about 60% with this listing! I have some Christina, Vertical Horizon, NSync, Matchbox Twenty, Creed, and Pink on my iPod, sooo...yeah...probably the one song I'm still most drawn to is Everything You Want by Vertical Horizon, because I'm like that...moving on! Ooh! Absolutely (Story of a Girl) by Nine Days! I really liked that song!

AUGUST
Destiny's Child starting to climb a little...Jumpin' Jumpin'! Obviously I don't know what it's like "in the clubs" but it's fun to have a song to groove to at this point...Ok, NSync will probably show up for the next year, so let's get it out of the way - I went to their concert, it was ok (BSB were better BY FAR!) so that was a happy time! Ooh, at the last week or so, Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down shows up! Score!

SEPTEMBER
Ahhh, Music by Madonna, YES, I remember that and thinking "Awesome!" ...yeah, don't listen to it anymore, ha ha. Country Grammar by Nelly showed up, not bad...AHHH! Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche) by 98 Degrees!! Awww, those were the days of Boy Bands...

OCTOBER
With Arms Wide Open by Creed begins the domination of the airwaves...Come On Over, Baby (All I Want Is You) by Christina Aguilera showed up here, too, and I still like that song; same with Most Girls by Pink!

NOVEMBER
Independent Woman Part 1 by Destiny's Child is on the charts! Ahhh, how I loved that song, even more so being attached to Charlies Angels! Shape of my Heart, Backstreet Boys! Oh SWOON! Yes, happy moments! OH! BARF BARF BARF, It Wasn't Me, by Shaggy. I HATE THIS SONG! Great, just great...

DECEMBER
How in the heck does It Wasn't Me get above Shape of My Heart? You people make me weep...Ok, Ms. Jackson by OutKast, this is good...Oh, He Loves U Not by Dream! Ha ha ha, TOTALLY forgot about that song...

JANUARY
Once again, Attack of the Pre-Made Pop Bands: O-Town with Liquid Dreams hits the charts, and I don't care! J-Lo shows up a little later with My Love Don't Cost A Thing, meeehhh...and to finish the month off, Madonna breaks into the Top 10 with Don't Tell Me, which I liked a lot more than Music...

FEBRUARY
The ONLY new song I liked from here was Angel by Shaggy...moving on!

MARCH
Butterfly by CrazyTown! Sweet deal! Same with Jaded by Aerosmith...not too shabby! ...and that's all for March!

APRIL
Survivor by Destiny's Child started showing up here, and I just loved that song! ...as did Hanging by a Moment by Lifehouse. I liked that song, but then my sister RUINED it by talking about it and playing it NONSTOP for her Grade 8 Graduation. SIGH! It's a good enough song, just overplayed big time. Ride Wit Me by Nelly was fun, but I've never been big on Rap/Hip-Hop...

MAY
Lady Marmalade, with all them chicks! Ha ha ha, still fun to listen to! Oh, S Club 7, Never Had a Dream Come True - my friends and I would croon that to each other in jest during class...I'm Like a Bird by Nelly Furtado comes up this month, and it's good, but not a fave by any stretch of the imagination...

JUNE
Drops of Jupiter by Train, that friggin' song! I loved it in spite of it being so schmaltzy and everyone else loving it... Let Me Blow Ya Mind by Eve feat Gwen Stefani ends out this month!

Strangely enough, this is literally the time when my life changed forever, the Summer of 2001...so, musically, 16 Years Old wasn't anything to write home about; however, the summer I turned 17 certainly was, and in other ways, too...

...but more on that another time!
- Aurora

5 Reasons I Love Arrested Development

I have lots of fave shows, but because I recently (FINALLY!) bought the third and final season of Arrested Development, I'm kinda in that mindset right now...

There's a lot of reasons I love the show, but I decided to write my top five and if you're not a fan of the show yet, you more than likely will be after this!

Yes, sadly, it was cancelled after 3 very enjoyable seasons, and it certainly gives us fans the desire for more!!! One of the big reasons I'm drawn to the show is the attention to detail given to the continuity of plots and jokes. Most shows are pretty good about that, especially recently because (in my opinion) the Internet now allows for fans to get online right after a new episode and discuss why one tidbit of info was wrong, citing an earlier episode. Arrested Development took the time to create ongoing jokes and stories, which maybe sometimes left casual viewers in the dark. Oh well! Here are my top five reasons for liking loving this show! (Please note that none of the following clips were made by me - they were created by other AD fans!)

1 - The Chicken Dance, as Performed by the Bluth Family
Not THE Chicken Dance as performed by your Aunt at every family get-together - no, this is how the Bluth family impersonates chickens to call someone a coward. It started out with Gob's (pronounced like "Joeb" and not "gob" like a "gob of frosting" or something) rendition and quickly became a staple. I find Lindsay's (Portia de Rossi) version funniest, but words cannot express the hilarity of them all at once:

2 - "Come on!"
I'm finding myself saying this more and more lately...it might have something to do with the show...

3 - Tobias' Way with Words
We've all known someone that honestly says things, not realizing that you could easily say "That's what she said!" right after, or any phrase to indicate you picked up the double entendre. I work in a male-dominated job, and JUST as I finish speaking, I'm turning red as about 2 or 3 guys yell "THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!!!" (Don't get me wrong - I'm sometimes the first one to say it with them, and I've even impressed them with my quick wit!)
With Tobias, however, you have to love that he just doesn't get what exactly he's spoken...

4 - Buster Loves His Family
It's kind of adorable, to be honest. I already sort of talk like this, so it was fun to watch someone else be cute (that's right, I'm cute!). I just love Buster!

5 - Stars! Stars! Stars!
I sadly don't have a clip for this part, but I'll just list off some recurring and one-time guest stars on the show...
Liza Minelli, Henry Winkler, Scott Baio, Zach Braff, Charlize Theron, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Lipton, Jane Lynch, Amy Poehler, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Heather Graham, Ed Helms, William Hung, and of course, Ron Howard as the Narrator.

...yeah. Why aren't you rushing off to get your own copy of Arrested Development? :-)

Ooh, Honourable Mention! It's made "The Final Countdown" much more epic and awesome:

Until next time, I'll encourage, "More touching!"
- Aurora

Goodbye to the Best Cuddles

OK, I know I said I'd be better at updating, but you'll excuse me, I know you will, when you read this one...

Not really sure how to start this one, or where it'll go, so I'll just get right into it - at 26 years old, I now have to deal with my first Pet Death :-(

Amos, the Airedale Terrier, went to Heaven yesterday, quietly and peacefully at home around 3 PM. God must have needed a four-legged angel more than we did. He was 12 years old, which is about the right age for an Airedale to pass, and was the best doggie ever. We still have his brother-from-another-litter, Micah around, and that's easier to deal with, but Micah doesn't have a good heart, so that's kinda poopy.

We knew this day was coming, but weren't sure - some days were better than others, and my family and I always knew each day was another blessing to be shared with Amos.

He came into our lives a little puff ball of adorableness and gave us many fond memories - the way in training class he mastered everything except staying still when a ball was rolled past, how he ALWAYS went for my Lisa Simpson doll, the way he'd pounce on my Mum to grab a snack she was eating, and how he became Alpha Male when Micah arrived a few months later. Amos was a "sucky" dog - he was good for cuddles. He was also a little sneak - he'd make sure no one was around, then creep into your unattended room or purse to grab something he shouldn't. There were many times we had to chase him around the kitchen table and try and corner him. Having Micah barking like a maniac didn't help, either!

He stayed young for many years, but the last one and a half to two years really started to show his age. He started going a little deaf and blind, and it got worse - never to a horrible extent, but never getting better. He started having trouble getting up the stairs when before he would go up and down, no problem. He started sleeping more, and not having the energy he once did. He would perk up every so often, but not as often as before.

Finally, yesterday, my Mum came to me before I left for work - she told me Amos wasn't doing very well, and today may be The Day. I made sure to pet him, and tell him he's a good boy. He raised his head, as if in one last moment of recognition, to let me know he knew I loved him very much and wanted him to be ok. I went to work, and my Mum called that morning to let me know she and Dad decided to put him down that night. I was upset, but accepted the fact as the best choice. Around 4 PM, she called my work again to let me know Amos had passed on his own, on his pillow, at home - just like we'd wanted him to, and I'm sure that was where he wanted to go, too. We have a large backyard, and that's where Amos now rests.

Last night was hard - I took all the news in stride, but once night fell, I cried, thinking about him being outside and cold and alone. I had to stop myself, reminding myself he isn't physically outside. He's in a better place, and happier and healthy.

I'll miss giving him cuddles, and having to make sure he isn't sneaking into my things. I'll miss the way he'd nuzzle into your knees in the morning, and how frustrated he'd get at the giant blue plastic ball that he couldn't fit in his mouth. I'll miss the time I cried over my first broken heart and how he quietly jumped onto my bed and sat beside me, and how he whined when he knew we were cooking pasta, hoping to snag some later.

I love Micah as much as Amos - just differently, as if they were my children - but I can say he was and still is the best boy ever, and I'll never forget him. Love you, Amoski Boy, and I know you're somewhere good where you can eat all the pasta you want!

Week of Cupcakes, Part 4

Huzzah! The last post!

After seeing my St. Patrick's Day cupcakes, a co-worker approached me to make cupcakes for her step-daughter. Of course, I agreed! She enjoys "girly" things, and Audrey Hepburn, so this gave me a few things to work with.

Also, got to use Colour Mist for the first time - it's like airbrushing your frosting, super fun!! I used cake decorating tips, too, as opposed to just applying frosting with an offset spatula:

Ahhh! I really enjoyed these - simple, girly, and needing a little creativity. It was fun to JUST decorate and not be totally precise with cupcakes for once. Plus, I mean, I got to airbrush cupcakes! (NOTE - if you decide to use Colour Mist, OPEN A WINDOW! They have a strong aerosol smell!)

Ok peoples, that's all for my week of cupcakes! I'll start posting a little more on a regular basis now, I'm sure!

Keepin' it simple,
- Aurora

Week of Cupcakes, Part 3

Hello, again!

Ok, I'm almost done my posts about the Week of Cupcakes I've had! Last Sunday was Wrestlemania 28, and I was super-excited to be watching it with my boyfriend and his brother. The lineup wasn't all that exciting, but it wasn't horrible and if you're a WWE Fan of certain stars and they ARE at Wrestlemania? You're happy either way!

So, time with the boyfriend, a good friend, and Wrestlemania? How to make this better?

CUPCAKES!!

The idea came to me while making the cupcakes from the last post - it hit me like lightning, and I got REALLY excited and could not wait to make them up! And so, I present my version of Wrestlemania 28, in the cupcake medium...

From left to right, starting with the top row:
Edge, Undertaker, Triple H, The Rock
Sheamus, Santino, WM 28, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio
Natalya, John Morrison, Trish Stratus

I won't lie, these took a bit of work, but were so worth it! My Dad kept teasing me, saying I should add little arms on the sides of each cupcake to flex. Honestly, though? If I had more time and was more confident in my abilities, I totally would have! Maybe next year I'll make a ring out of the cupcakes...I'd just need to get wee little figurines to put in the ring...

Well, that's this post done up - I will say I ate the John Morrison cupcake, and it was just as tasty as I imagine he would be in real life! ...uh, I mean...aw, dang, can't say that any other way, can I? Ha ha ha, oh well...

(Yes, I have a dirty crush on John Morrison. My boyfriend is fully aware, and is ok with it. We each have a Celebrity Pass. I forget his...)

Live each day like it's Wrestlemania!
- Aurora

Week of Cupcakes, Part 2

Sorry I've been lax on posting - this week literally flew by and before I know it, it's Friday night, I'm exhausted, and thinking I should catch this up!!

So, this last week has been FULL of cupcakes, and I'm sharing what I've done with them - this post is from a set I did for another co-workers birthday. I was excited to try this design out, and SO pleased at how they turned out as a whole! All I had to go on was that her fave colour was red:

She loved them so much, she took the large one home to show off to her family! GREAT idea for Mother's Day, too, if you think that far ahead :-) I shall post the rest later this weekend - for now, I'm gonna curl up in bed and watch some 30 Rock and laugh myself to sleep...

Hope you find a flower - edible or not! - in each day you live,

- Aurora

Week of Cupcakes, Part 1

Hello again!

This will be a pretty quick post, but it's something! I was going to wait and post a larger one, but I'm just too excited!

Cupcakes are something I've really gotten into the last few years, and especially the last year and a half or so. So far, I've done up Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's, St. Patrick's, and various other events and birthdays.

When I brought in my St. Patty's cupcakes to work, the newly relocated Accounting Department was SO HAPPY, and one co-worker loved them enough to ask me to make some for another co-worker's birthday, and her step-daughters birthday! I gladly took on the challenge, and was then asked later for ANOTHER co-workers birthday cupcakes! I spent my Sunday evening baking ALL the cupcakes I'd be needing for the next few batches, then making some chocolate decorations that could be frozen, and finally finishing up the first batch of birthday cupcakes I needed. I was pooped, but happy!

These are the first round of cupcakes I made for my co-worker's birthday - I'm also good friends with him, so it wasn't a bother at all. He and I are fans of The Office, and if you are, too, you'll know why these cupcakes are funny:

He loved them, and of course, everyone who ate them did, too!

Now, I have three more batches to make up - one I'm making tomorrow night, then Saturday night, then probably Monday night - yeesh! It's a lot of work, but I've been raised to give of your gifts and share, and that's what cupcakes allow me to do - share my gift with the world, and make it a little sweeter!

May your cupcakes be moist and your frosting piled high!

- Aurora

The Introduction

Alrighty, finally got around to creating a little blog for...about...myself? Not sure which to use, but either way, YAY, I'm blogging!

This is probably the most "annonymous" I'll be online. I'm not telling people that I have on Facebook about this, and I'll post this on my Twitter only because not everyone knows I have that, either, only a select few. Why bother telling you this? Well, I guess so I can show that what I'm saying won't be censored or sugar-coated or anything - you're getting the real deal!

Not that you wouldn't if you knew me in real life, or on Facebook, or any other online way. Just knowing that I have the freedom here to say what I want without having to explain it is really awesome. Is this because I use a lot of foul language or say really contorversial things? Certainly not! Everyone needs a place to vent without judgement or fear and this will be my place.

Not that I'll be complaining and whining all the time! No way, life is too good and too short to waste with negativity!

I'm right now in a pretty good place in my life - I have a steady job, a great family, a wonderful boyfriend, a few close friends, and I love music, cupcakes, and butterflies. That's literally me in a nutshell - I can (and will!) expand on each topic as time goes on...

So, why start blogging? I'm someone who can talk at length - ask anyone that knows me for awhile! However, while I'm chatty, that doesn't mean I'm someone that can easily and quickly express thoughts unless I have time to mull them over. That's where this comes in. I've always been a writer of sorts - just noting things or jotting thoughts down. I've also found that asking for different opinions gives me a better idea of a situation, good or bad, and I feel more confident in making a choice. So, if you ever come across a post from me, and you have an idea or comment, please feel free to share!

I'd keep going, but I just wanted to get started here. For now, I'll post a recent cupcake I made for my boyfriend's birthday - we both use the term "Sad/Happy/Angry/(Insert Emotion Here) Panda" excessively, so this cupcake only made sense. It wasn't easy, but I'm very happy with how it turned out!

It's so cute! My poor boyfriend didn't want to eat it :-)

Take care, and see you next time!

"Don't waste your time, or time will waste you" - Muse, Knights of Cydonia

- Aurora