plastic lovah

This crazy cat is addicted to plastic. Every time we replace the kitchen trash bag, he starts violently licking the exposed bag. He especially loves it when presents are around because he loves any type of bow or ribbon.

I was surprised to find this bow still in tact when I got home from work. But Shinji jumped on the table a few minutes after I walked in the door and started licking the bow and going crazy in his plastic loving heaven.

I was talking to Jon a little later and found out that he had smeared the bow with toothpaste to deter Shinji from licking the plastic. Apparently the smell must have worn off throughout the day because Shinji hates the smell of toothpaste and was loving the taste of this bow.

oops

I've got a really bad habit of buying books. It wouldn't be so bad if only I read every book that I bought, but sometimes I just have to read the next crop of books that I buy instead. My new year's resolution this year was to stop buying books and start using the library.

So, last week, I was at Barnes and Noble debating over whether or not I should take them up on their "buy three, get one free offer," when I had the brilliant idea to write down all of the books I wanted and get them from the library instead. I went home, logged onto my library's website, searched for the books I was interested in buying and placed them all on hold. Most of the books were already checked out or were interlibrary loans, so I thought I'd have a few months to get through all of the books.

Well, I got a notice on Tuesday that two of my books were on hold for me, so Jon and I stopped by the library after dinner to pick them up. I had a hard time locating the books on the shelf, but Jon finally found them. I picked up the two on hold and Jon says, "there's two more," and then, "and two more." So, I walked out of the library with six books, in addition to two other books I had picked up at another library earlier in the day. Needless to say, I've got a lot of reading to do in the next three weeks.

her own little apartment

Whenever we can't find Nuku Nuku in our little apartment, we always know to check under the table. She curls up and lays under the table any chance she can get.

settlers of catan

On Sunday, Jon and I finally had a chance to play the game, Settlers of Catan, which has been sitting in the game section of our hall closet for a few months. We bought it online a while ago after hearing such rave reviews, but never had a chance to play it because it needs 3-4 players. We had Luke over and set out to learn the rules of play and arrange the game board and pieces. It took us a bit of time to set everything up and catch on to the rules of play. Once we all got into the game and learned some of the bits of strategy, it made everything a lot more interesting. And I'm happy to say that I won the first game, which makes it even easier for me to like it.

cranbrook...again

Jon and I went back to Cranbrook to see the bog and oriental gardens in all their summer glory. Everything was so much more overgrown and green than before. It almost looked like a different place. We attempted to try a shortcut to getting to the gardens, but instead ended up parking even farther away than usual - so much for my "shortcut." But, seeing as we had a longer walk, we did get to see a lot of the boarding school buildings - incredibly beautiful!

little league all star...

I had the chance to see my cousin, Cal, play in his Little League All Star game a few weeks ago. It was a double thrill day for Cal as it was also his 8th birthday.

Cal playing first base.

My aunt Jenny and grandparents watching the game.

My uncle is a little league coach?!? Where have I been?

My mom and cousin (Cal's sister) Casey watching the game in the shade.

My grandparents during the seventh inning stretch...

Cal playing his favorite position: catcher

a long drink after the game

I think this was the second ever baseball game I've attended. Hanging out with the family and seeing Cal in my uncle Ralph in their element made for a fun evening!

a favorite photo

still my favorite photo of the two of us...one day, one day, we'll buy different glasses...

enjoying...

These pretty roses that my boss gave me the other day.

This good sushi that Jon's been making. According to him, he's "got a ways to go before I can make sushi for paying patrons." - He's hoping to one day quit his job and become a part time sushi chef and freelance motion graphic desiner.

These Rainier cherries. I've never had the non-red, non-tart cherries before. You've got to try them, they're delish!

These cute and colorful office supplies. Gotta have some new utensils to play sudoku with (that's my excuse).

And finally, that today is not as hot as this past weekend was!

nature walk

Jon, my parents and I headed over to Kensington MetroPark for an afternoon stroll on Monday afternoon. We were originally scheduled for a bike ride, but that was downgraded to a walk because my dad's back was acting up again.

We took a quick drive around the park and then decided to walk through the nature preserve. We saw a surprising amount of animals during our trek. A doe and a fawn, three wild turkeys, five or six sandbill cranes, lots of chipmunks and red, brown, grey and black squirrels. I could have kicked myself for not bringing my good camera, so here is my edition of "find that animal"

The one thing we didn't see were Tamarack trees. I thought for sure we'd see some. After all, we saw deer on the "Deer trail," aspens on the "Aspen trail," pine trees on the "Pine trail." Unfortunately, there were no tamarack trees to be seen on the "Tamarack trail."

After our walk, we were rewarded with a trip to Carvel's for ice cream. This place is going to give Coldstone a run for their money. They not only have cake batter ice cream but they also have free sprinkles that you can dispense yourself (just pick a color and turn the nozzle).

happy 4th!

I took this picture at the Red Run fireworks on Sunday night. Our apartment complex just happens to back up to a golf course that has a big fireworks display. We just had to walk out the door to see the show. The pacing was off and the finale was lacking, but there was a good variety of fireworks in the mix. We were glad we didn't have to camp out hours before to see the show.

Jon and I spent this morning on a looong bike ride around the neighborhood (and the one next to that, and the one next to that). Afterward, we headed to the AMC30 to see Superman Returns in the 3-D Imax theatre. A classic all-american movie that we both wanted to see. The 3D aspect of the movie was a bit overrated, but it was a good story overall.

Right now, Jon is making cold soba noodles for dinner. We had hoped to eat at one of our standby Japanese restaurants this afternoon, but they all seem to be closed. This will be the next best thing!

We both have to return to work tomorrow. The busy season officially starts for me, so I am really thankful for this fun and relaxing four day vacation!

rustic camping

Jon and I headed over to PJ Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon, MI for a few days of camping. We left on Friday night during rush hour - not so good planning on our part - but made it to the campsite while it was still dark out. We set up our tent and then headed to the beach for an evening stroll.

The campsite itself was packed - lots of decked out RV's complete with TVs and modern day amenities. Our site was close to the bathrooms, so the glow of the vending machines were a nice nightlight during our stay. It was great to be one with nature again.

On Saturday we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, some reading time and a visit to the Gilette Sand Dune Visitor Center. We walked along the boardwalks up to the top of the sand dune and then down to Lake Michigan. Afterward, we headed back to the campsite for lunch. We made some delicious sandwiches in our new sandwich makers - a nice break from hotdogs!

Jon's newest acquisition is his set of frisbee golf discs. He attempted to teach me how to throw a frisbee (unsuccessfully). We ended up calling our little game of catch quits because the discs (which are not meant to be caught) were bruising my hands and legs.

We succumbed to the vending machines after I realized that I had a roll of laundry quarters in my purse. As usual, we both got the Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars - delicious!

We packed up on Sunday morning and headed back to the east side of the state for Jon's mom's annual 4th of July barbecue.

overheard the other morning

I woke up early the other morning to hear Jon say:

"Move over or I'm going to fall into the Pacific Ocean."

Of course, he was still sleeping, and he apparently thought I was on "his side" of the bed.