PPOTD

Since I've taken to posting random pictures of my dogs in posts that have nothing to do with them, I've decided to implement "Pin Pic of the Day".  It's sort of like "Headline of the Day" but much cuter. 

It's not going to be a daily thing so don't get your hopes up.  But it's an excuse for me to post pictures of my adorable baby dogs and for you to roll your eyes and mutter something about me being a crazy dog lady.

Get over it.

Happy Tuesday!

~SG

New Family Member!

Introducing.......

"TRUCK" Gish!!!!

(I asked Joey what it's name was, and that was the answer!)

We went out this weekend and got Joey a new truck.  Goodbye Suburban, Hello Silverado!

For once, there is no crazy story.  We went to four different places, looked at lots of options, and signed on the dotted line.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! 

~SG

HOTD: Not about animals!

I like all the dance puns in this article-

“What made the ballet dancer jump?”

“The world is spinning!”

…. I found this article interesting on many levels.  A) He owns a tattoo parlor?? B) I wonder why he quit! I bet he got a better paying job somewhere else... What do you think?

Royal Ballet star's resignation shocks dance world  

And just for fun, here’s a picture of me from my ballet days:



~SG

Something else for me to worry about...

It's never a good thing to get a text alerting you to the presence of a Fox in your backyard. It's doubly unnerving when your husband is happy about that fact. 

Got this picture on my phone while I was at dress rehearsal Saturday morning:

The next text I got said: "We have 2!!!! Rewind foxes" 

me: What?

Joey: "Sorry, I'm excited we have 2 foxes!! I just shot at one it was walking down the retaining wall I shot it over in the pines walked over towards the fence and there was another one standing by the ac unit"

WAIT. WHAT?!

a) There are TWO foxes

b) YOU SHOT AT IT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

When I got home that evening the bb gun was sitting by the back door.

Seriously I cannot make this stuff up. We live in a NEIGHBORHOOD. And he's shooting pellets at foxes. Great.

Not to mention the whole I-have-2-small-dogs thing. Now that I was just starting to feel comfortable about them not escaping through the chicken wire, I have to worry about foxes attacking/killing/eating them.  Because we aren't 100% fenced in- because the retaining wall is high enough that the pins can't jump over it.   But a hungry fox might jump off of it, maybe?  UGH.

Oh, and I'll leave you with the e-mail I got after sending Joey some information I found from the County about what to do if you encounter a wild animal on your property:

"I like the clap your hands or stomp your feet to make them run off, OR if that doesn’t work, shoot them in the butt with a pellet gun.  They left that part out.  These foxes definitely don’t have mange.  The big one is actually a very pretty fox, huge bushy tail.  He would look good mounted."

Sigh....

~SG

Success!

What a weekend!  And I didn't take a single photo. Not one. I am so sorry!!

Here is a quick wrap up:

Friday after work I headed to the theater where we had our tech rehearsal from 5 until 10pm. 

Saturday morning I woke up bright and early- it was finally time for the show!  We've been rehearsing since October!  Call time was 9:30, and we did three run-throughs (the third was the actual show). It was exhausting but so much fun. 

I am not trying to be mushy but I am so glad I got this experience.  I am grateful that I even MADE the show in the first place (having auditioned with a bunch of kids who are freaking amazing), and that I ended up being in two pieces- one of which I was originally slated as an alternate for.  I worked really hard on that piece- it was a new style for me (contemporary) and I had ALOT to learn.  My director and company-mates were so helpful. We met every Tuesday night in addition to Sunday rehearsals to work on the piece.  I learned how to do things I never thought I could do. I couldn't walk for weeks, I got tons of bruises, my pinky toes separated from my feet.... but I did it. And I made alot of great new friends!

Now that the mushiness is semi- over, I also want to shout-out to my cheering section!  My Mom and Dad were double booked for the weekend so I told them not to worry- I ordered a DVD for them to watch!  But I did end up having a pretty fabulous cheering section- Special thanks to Gage, Charlie, Kristy, Jeremy, Jackie, John, and Joey!! And also Heather and Lindsey, who were there for others as well but it was great to see them!  I'm lucky to have such supportive friends!

After the show we all went out to a bar close to the theater and had a few celebratory drinks.  But the weekend was far from over!

Sunday morning I got up bright and early (again) and headed to judge a dance team competition for a former teammate, coach, and America's Got Talent contestant.  Yep- anybody remember West Springfield Dance Team??  It was another long day, but a great competition.  These kids are so talented!!

After such a long weekend, it was nice to go home and watch a bit of football with Joey, Doc and Chloe. 

More to come later on the backyard foxes (yup.) and this week's cooking escapades.

Make it a good one!!!

~SG

Bonus pic of the devil dogs...

Wherever the wind may take us!

Joey and I are having a serious debate about where to go for our next big vacation.  Now, I don't want to cause any unnecessary commotion, but this will likely be one of the last big vacations we have before we start making little Sarahs and Joeys.  So we are really trying to weigh ALL of our options!

As Disney enthusiasts, we are obviously looking into the options Disney has to offer- Disney World, Disney LAND, Disneyland PARIS, a Disney cruise to Alaska, Cruise to the Western Caribbean, THERE ARE SO MANY OPTIONS. And that's just Disney.

What about our dreams of seeing IRELAND, or LONDON... or France, Germany (hello Oktoberfest!), or a Mediterranean Cruise?!?!

So, per usual, I'm making a poll and you can help influence us on where to go next.  Feel free to leave comments about what you think we should do. and why.  (See the poll on the right side?? --->)

Keep in mind that budget is somewhat limited as well as time off from work. So there will be no "backpacking around Europe". Plus, who would watch the Pins while we are gone?!

Ready?? GO.

~SG

Penn State

Nope. It's not what you think!

It's almost February. Which means Penn State is going to be in the news again. But this time it's for a POSITIVE reason.  Every year, PSU students raise thousands of dollars for pediatric cancer.  And this year is no different.

Students stay on their feet for 46 HOURS STRAIGHT dancing, singing, playing games, etc. All in the name of raising money FOR THE KIDS (FTK!)

I'm the proud sibling of a past dancer, past moraler, and HOPEFULLY another dancer this year!

If you are so inclined to make a donation, please credit Independent Dancers Laura Davis and Kristen Kelso so their names can be added to the lottery.  They would love to be able to have this experience!

Check out http://www.thon.org/ for more information about THON, to make a donation, or to watch the live feed on February 17-19th.  It truly is amazing to watch. 

While we are discussing pediatric cancer, please also take the time to check out www.getwellgabby.org.  I came across her Facebook page by accident, and followed along her journey until she lost her battle with cancer, and her family's journey since then.  Their goal is to get 30,000 Facebook Fans by Valentine's Day in order to raise awareness about Gabby, childhood cancer, and support others who are battling the same disease.

Together we can help kids like Gabby overcome their cancer with knowledge, research, treatments, and prevention.  BELIEVE!!!

~SG

So, How'd we do??

If you were looking for an exciting blog post, you should probably look elsewhere. I'm just here to recap the weekend and talk about some house updates we've made lately. 

FRIDAY
Wine Club!
What a great idea! I'm definitely going to host a wine club night at my place soon. We had yummy appetizers and various types of wine.  It was great to catch up with some girlfriends I hadn't seen for a while :)

SATURDAY
-8 mile training run.
I did it! AND not only did I do it, I KILLED IT! Well, in comparison to last week's 7 mile run, anyway.  I improved my pace by 1 minute and 8 seconds per mile. Holla!

-Working on the house!
Ummm... I didn't really get anything done. But Joey did a great job with:

Installing our Over-the-range Microwave!

Just in case you didn't remember what it looked like before...

Putting chicken wire around the fence to keep the dogs IN.

....buying a toilet. And that is all we did with the basement. Fail.

SUNDAY
7 hour dance rehearsal. The show is next weekend!
Done and done! New bruises and sore legs, yes. But I am ready for the show!

MONDAY
No work! Thanks, MLK!
Today we did alot of laundry, grocery shopping, and hung out with the Pins.

Here's a bonus picture of the living room, now that Christmas is over and the tree is gone.  We still have no clue what we are going to do with this room....

AAAAAAND a bonus picture of the Pins, for good luck.

HOORAY for a 4 day work week!!!!!

~SG

Weekend Plans

I have nothing exciting to report so instead I'm going to get myself pumped up about the weekend by writing about it!

FRIDAY
Wine Club! 
What is wine club?  Great question! It's a group of girls who like wine. Duh. We take turns hosting a girl's night in, where everyone brings a bottle of wine and/or some treats.  It's a good way to unwind and get ready for a three day weekend!

SATURDAY
-8 mile training run.  You read that correctly.  Last weekend I did 7 and I didn't count the half mile walk each way to the front of the neighborhood/back to my house. So technically I'm doing the same thing as last weekend, just turning my watch on earlier... Is it going to suck any less? Nope. It was pretty terrible. Woodbridge is actually very hilly. Who knew?  But you know what isn't hilly? FLORIDA. 41 days to go!

-Working on the house! Yes, after a small hiatus we are back to work.  Plans for this weekend include: chicken wiring the fence so Chloe doesn't escape (again)..., basement bathroom reno, basement painting, carpet estimate, etc.  We are starting on the Man Cave! Get excited!

SUNDAY
7 hour dance rehearsal.  The show is next weekend!

MONDAY
No work! Thanks, MLK!  Taking the day to clean up the house and get ready for the week ahead.


I would also like to shout out to the GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY MASONETTES DANCE TEAM who are competing in the UDA National Championship this weekend.  This is the first year I've ever missed the competition since 2003. GO MASON!!!  Bring home a championship!!!!!

And... because there always should be a picture, this time last year I was in Disney World.  So here's a throwback pic from that trip:

It's Tough to be a Bug!

Have a great weekend!
~SG

OMG... I'm posting a recipe.

Seriously... it's happening. And don't expect it to happen again any time soon.

I've been getting a little more adventurous in the kitchen lately. I've been trying to actually COOK dinner, and trying to throw in new recipes every now and then.  I recently discovered BettyCrocker.com which is pretty awesome- you can create a profile, save recipes, and make a shopping list. 

I tend to go for the easy meals since I'm still pretty intimidated by my cool kitchen toys.  (But I will say that I did use my food processor tonight!) (...with supervision).  But here is the recipe for the meal I made tonight. It was a huge hit. I'll definitely be making this again!

20-Minute Thai Peanut Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb) (I had 3 large chicken breasts)

1/2 cup Progresso® plain panko crispy bread crumbs

1/2 cup finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts

1/4 cup purchased peanut sauce

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Fresh cilantro, if desired

Additional purchased peanut sauce, if desired  (yes, absolutely used as a dipping sauce. delish.)

PS: don't read the nutrition information on the peanut sauce.

1) Heat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray. Between pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper, place each chicken breast smooth side down; gently pound with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/2-inch thick. (I did not do this part)

2) In shallow dish, mix together 1/4 cup peanut sauce and mayonnaise. In another shallow dish, mix together panko and peanuts. Dip chicken in peanut sauce mixture, then dip in panko mixture. Place on baking sheet.



3) Bake 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (165°F) and coating is golden brown. Garnish with cilantro. Serve additional peanut sauce as a dipping sauce.

YAY

~Top Chef

Chloe's First 2 Weeks

I was going through my blackberry photos last night and realized I need to clean out the folder because it's almost FULL of pictures of Chloe since we got her.  What better way to do that than to share them on my blog??

So here are a bunch of crappy resolution blackberry photos from Chloe's first couple weeks as a Gish:

Snug as a bug in a rug

I got up to go to the bathroom and when I got back...

She's still a little scared of Joey...

PS: She is wearing a harness and a fleece. Both of which are necessary. Even though I love dressing up Doc, I can't bring myself to buy anything "frilly".  At least not yet.....

Radar ears. Never be at home alone without them!

My FAVORITE picture thus far.

Mom. STOP taking my picture.

The first time they both laid down at once. SIGGHHHHHHHH.

The couch seems to be growling...

The moment we walked in the door. She found Doc's window...

No, that is not a diaper. It is a bandage from her spay. She only sported it and the "cone of shame" for a day or two.

I love it when they snuggle.

Well, there you have it! Chloe is fitting in very nicely. She is wary of Joey because he is the one that tends to yell louder if she has an accident... but she's starting to warm up to us all and is just the same ball of personality that Doc is.

I can't wait to share normal, camera pictures....

~SG

Which side do you sleep on?

Which side of the bed you sleep on matters

I'm a leftie!

Princess in Training Update!

Well, as of New Year's Eve I'm halfway there. Well almost halfway.  A half marathon is 13.1 miles.  Half of that is 6.55.  And I ran 6.2 on NYE.  (*Technically my GPS watch said it was 6.33 so I'm pretty much halfway.) 

I wasn't able to run the entire thing :(  Training has been SO FRUSTRATING thus far because I'm SO SLOW, but I did have one of those rare moments where I could tell I've been training.  I ran the first 3.20 before I walked.  I was mad at myself, frustrated, and felt defeated.  Running is very much a mind game.  You have to be mentally strong and I, thus far, am not.  I know walking is okay and allowed and not a big deal.  The cool thing was that when I started running again, instead of feeling like death... I felt refreshed. I was able to run for another mile and a half or so before I stopped because I actually ran by a friend's house and she was outside with her daughter!  What a coincidence!  I stopped for water and walked up a hill (or two)  and then finished the race in 1:13:38.  My goal for this race was 1:15... so I met my goal! YAY.  Sadly this is far from a PR for me... but I am going to try to focus on the positive!

At that pace, I will finish the half marathon in roughly 2:35.  My goal is approximately 2:30, although if possible I would like to beat my PR of 2:28... but my pace has been much slower this go around than it's been in the past.

Sigh. 

I guess it's not really my pace that matters. It's that I'm doing it. And since November I've only missed one run, because it was the day we got Chloe and she was more important!

Here's a picture of me finishing the race on Saturday.  I always finish with a smile :) As a dancer, you learn to perform through the pain!  I was rocking my "Princess in Training: Earning my crown on 2/26/12" tee shirt. I made one for me and my sister for Christmas!

Halfway to the half! With 51 days to go... right on track!

~SG

Christmas Card Reveal

As promised, here is the final product!  I didn't buy nearly enough, so we weren't able to send them to everybody. Please don't be offended if you didn't receive one!

This was obviously pre-Chloe.  Next year we'll have to get her a Christmas sweater too! *evil laugh*

Happy New Year!

*Insert blog post about 2012 being the end of the world here*

We opted to host a little soiree last night instead of going out.  It worked well with Chloe's arrival so we didn't have to leave her alone. She has been SPOILED this week.  She is really going to hate it when we have to go back to work.  The bonus however, is that since we only have one crate, the dogs go to the "Pin Palace" (aka the master bathroom) when we don't want them underfoot. It's pretty sweet. 

Anyways, we had a small but lively crowd.  I got to wear my party shirt and bake some goodies and we drank champagne and played adult games like beer pong and X Box... a few things got broken but hey, what's a good party without breaking stuff?

Me and new pal Jackie in our party shirts!

Goodies

Champagne

Breaking Stuff

We truly had a blessed year.  Buying our first house and getting a little sister for Doc were two of our favorite moments, but we were blessed with many more.  Thank you to all of our family and friends for being in our lives.  We love you!!

The Gishes

**The above photo may have been taken after consuming copius amounts of champagne. BUT it's the only one we got. So sorry.**