Another Brilliant Idea:

My husband likes to make fun of me on a regular basis because of all the "brilliant" ideas I come up with that never quite turn out the way I plan them to. Among the list of regrettable short-lived occurrences are:
1) planning to have a natural childbirth
2) using cloth diapers
3) not finding out the gender of our second child until he/she is born

And the latest...

I am all about saving money and I'm always looking for new ways to lower our bills and extend our paycheck. I have to admit that over the past two years or so, I have found many great ways to stretch our dollar. I recently had the great idea that instead of buying chicken breasts, which is really the only cut of chicken meat that we ever eat, I would try the more frugal route and buy the WHOLE chicken. I've heard it's cheaper to get your chicken this way because it will stretch further once you get all the meat off of it.

So my plan this week was to roast the whole chicken in the oven one night and eat it with some cheesy potatoes. Then the next night I would take the extra shredded meat and make two batches of chicken enchiladas. GREAT! The all-natural whole chicken only cost $6 and I could get 3 meals out of it.

What I didn't take into account is the fact that I am a major wimp who can't stand the sight of chicken veins. I can't eat wings either because it grosses me out to be gnawing so close to the animal's bone. So, not only was I grossed out when I had to season and throw the entire formed chicken into the oven, but I almost threw up five times when I had to pull the leftover meat off the carcass. It took me 45 minutes, of course, because I had to pick every little shred of meat apart to remove the bloody-looking pieces that didn't make the cut.

In the end, I decided that I would never be buying chicken this way again. We have to pick our battles in life, and I would rather pay the extra $2 than endure an evening of personal torture.

Must Love Dogs

Anybody who knows me well, knows that I am not an animal lover. I don't hate or abuse animals or anything, but I really do not like any types of animals- even dogs. I don't get all excited over baby kittens or puppies, and I absolutely hate visiting pet stores. I'm not afraid of them, but I think they are gross. I'm not sure exactly why this is, but I can think of one traumatic experience I had as a child that may have contributed...

I guess I was probably 11 years old. We were visiting some of my step-dad's family at their house, when their large dog came up to me and put her head in my lap. Just as I was lowering my hand to pet Ginger's head, she threw up the contents of her recently ingested lunch right into my lap. It was horrifying and I still cringe every time I think of it. I can still remember the smell, too. Blech!

Believe it or not I have two dogs- a 60lb mut that belonged to my husband before we met, and a yappy chihuahua that we acquired together in December of 2004 (a regretful momentary lapse in judgment).

They drive me crazy on a daily basis.

The worst part is that they only serve to reaffirm my belief that animals (even pet dogs) are gross. The big one (Buddy) smells really bad, even after he is bathed. And the older he gets, the worse he smells. When I was suffering from morning sickness a few months ago, his stench almost killed me on a daily basis. The little annoying one (Peanut) eats Buddy's poop. And not the old dried up stuff either...he waits for the fresh ones. Then he comes into the house and either burps in my face or throws it up on my carpets. We've tried all the little remedies that the vets suggest. But seriously, if he eats poop, do you really think putting something in the food that "tastes bad" is going to deter him?! He eats POOP!!! Could anything really taste worse?!?!

And it never fails that anytime I am gazing out my back window on a beautiful day, watching the horses graze the surrounding farms and appreciating all the bright green grass, Buddy runs right into my view and crouches to take a dump right in front of me.

So forgive me if you are an animal lover and appreciate seeing people post adorable pictures of their pets on their blogs- it's not going to happen here. :)