For some reason, I thought when I quit smoking that, if I ever became ill -- then I wouldn't have to deal with chest wracking, hacking coughs. Apparently that is not the case.

I rode bike to work this morning and made it in 25 minutes. What does that mean, per say? It means I made it to work ON TIME. Holy moly. DH had a dentist appointment this morning for some cavity filling work at the crack ass of dawn, so I was on my own for getting myself to work. It was a bit nippy at first with a cool 55 F, but with my hoodie and a competitive biker behind (and then in front of me), I think we boosted each other for record times.

I had some of my favorite cereal this morning. Last night we went a-shopping at the Woodman's and splurged on a few items: pistachio almond ice cream, funyuns, frozen pizza, Highlander Grogg coffee, and my new all time favorite -- Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch.

Oh it was delicious and marginally nutritious for me. ;) My favorite used to be Cinnamon Toast Crunch, followed by the Cap'N, and then Special K with Strawberries (something about the texture of those flakes). But then I over did it on the toast crunch when it became a Malt O Meal bagged favorite. And Special K is still ungodly expensive, so it was okay to indulge in a little peanut butter crunch once in a while. To be honest, I think it's been a few years since I last had it. So good.

Since my camera is broken, I am just going to have to tell you all the exciting things that happen in my life rather than demonstrate them with pixels. I had a friend visit this past week who I hadn't seen in real life since her wedding about eight years ago. She brought her two boys, who very polite and inquisitive. I thought it was funny because the youngest one was crying with every slow step towards my house when they first arrived. His older brother though, was far ahead of them waiting on the front stoop with a quick smile. Once in, I brought out the box of toys which has been recently enhanced with the addition of a few "girl" toys from Hilary. Although not ALL of the toys were girl toys, the blocks and strings were non gender specific.

By the end of the visit, the eldest suggested that they just stay at my place.
"Oh, but Rhyse hates it here!" I exclaimed and glanced over at him scrubbing a slate board with a used tissue. He shook his head quickly and said "No, we like it here!"

Now, I know that Mina likes to visit because of the dogs and cats, Leta likes to visit mostly for the food, Sophie and Hannah liked to cook with me, Caleb comes over for the cable and video games -- so it was nice to know I could sufficiently entertain toddling boys, as well.

The visit with Amy was refreshing as well, although too brief. I would encourage her to move down here, but her life in MN sounds really good too (sans hubby).

Oh. When we visited Callie and Jason on Tuesday, we got to chatting and Jason got to offering to build us a new computer! Apparently it's much cheaper. ;) I can't wait, and I know Tim can't wait for the new video game capability.

This work coffee is giving me a tummy ache. :( I didn't bring any snacks either. Frack it all. Hey! Battlestar is on tonight, awesome. We are having margarita's tonight too.

Then tomorrow I am hanging out with Liama for miniroad trip adventure. First off, garage sales beware, followed by fru fru sandwiches, and appropriate Oohhh and Ahhing at a Bridal Shower, followed by a housewarming BBQ in the afternoon. Sounds like fun -- I might have to bring tums with me. ;)

Taz gets adopted tomorrow. THANK GOD! I didn't think I could be annoyed by a dog who is afraid of everything, but I am. He really hates that overhead fan. In other dog news, the Geneva racetrack is closing and that means the Geneva Lakes Racetracks are closing on November 6th, which in turn means that hundreds of dogs need homes. It looks like we are going to be fostering dogs for quite a while. Greyhound Pets of America (GPA) wants to empty their kennel of the dogs they have right now, and then fill it with Geneva Kennel dogs, and I expect some of those dogs are going to be funneled else where around the country as well. If you were thinking about adopting a greyhound, now would be a great time.

To encourage consideration of adopting a greyhound even more, I am going to leave you with at Tribute to Pluto on his second Gotcha Day penned by my favorite darling:

Two years ago Cindy brought a big black dog into our house. I don't know what you were thinking, but my first thought was 'man, you're bigger than I remember'. Laura and I sat at the table, and you and I cast sidelong glances at each other, wondering what the heck we'd gotten ourselves into.

It was your first time in a house, so you had every right to be nervously panting up a storm. On top of that, you got to meet the little 7 pound feline princess of the house who walked right up to you with an arched sideways display and demanded your fealty. The other 2 cats weren't very friendly either, but you quickly did your best to avoid eye contact, give them their space, and live in peace.

We've had our ups and downs since then: a battle or two with the big D, an ill-behaved dog at the dog park hurting you, the mini-race track you've carved into the backyard, your rather loose interpretation of the game 'fetch', the first day you learned to lay down, and the infamous grassy field turned into duckweed-covered lagoon illusion that had you smelling like a swamp monster.

You're a fantastic ambassador at the Meet and Greets, always calmly eager to have everyone pet you and say hello and always patient and gentle with children of all ages and other dogs, and mindful of those folks who may not be big fans of dogs.

You give the foster dogs a good example to follow when they stay with us. And though I bet it sometimes bothers you that when they first come into the house they often require more attention, attention that is usually reserved for you, you accept it gracefully. You share your toys, beds, treats, and sometimes, unintentionally, your food.

Don't let it go to your head though. You've got your flaws. You might be a little better about letting us trim your nails. Not everyone wants to pet you for an hour, so you've got to give them more space. And, you could be a little less pokey when we go for walks around the neighborhood. But, in my eyes you've still set a pretty high standard for any other dog I meet. I'm sure you'll forgive me for being a little biased.

I know you can't read this and that you are just a dog, but we love you just the same. Happy 2nd Gotcha Day, Pluto. Here's hoping for many more.