Because everything else in my life at the moment stresses me too out too much to blog about, I’ve decided to write a fluffy entry about my birthday gifts for your personal enjoyment. 
Crocs Hanalei sandals. Check these suckers out. Aren’t they hot? Plus, they have (almost) all the comfort of crocs, but you totally can’t tell they are Crocs! Sure, they ARE a heeled shoe, but the most comfortable heeled shoe I own. Definitely a new summer favorite. Thanks mom and Dave! ding!
With a red polo shirt, and the sandals, hello stylish nautical look! Hotness!
A foodie read. Oak found Under the Table for me on Amazon. I’m a few chapters in and so far it’s very enjoyable.
A fancy candied apple from Rocky Mountain chocolate factory. I got a piece once as a free sample when I was browsing at the mall like 2 years ago (or more, I don’t remember), and Oak has had to hear me mention how tasty it was every time we’ve walked by that joint on our mall visits. Lucky him. I think that my heavy hinting can subside for now… drool.
An electronic yogurt maker. Who knew you could MAKE yogurt? I’m already picturing my cute little homemade yogurt pods in my future lunch boxes, flavored with multitudes of Oak’s homemade jams. Sorry Harris teeter, someone else will have to enjoy your yogurt from this day forward.
Luxurious spa robe. With my initials! Hellow Luxury. Excuse me while I go take a bath …
OK, so our townhouse is under contract. Yay!!! If all goes as planned we’ll be out by the end of the month. Anyway, we just got our home inspection back, and of course the buyer wants “everything fixed” that is on the freaking report. Sounds reasonable enough until you realize the ridiculous things that are itemized. Here are some of the most random and minor:
- The oven light doesn’t work. We never realized it because we almost never turn it on. Um – open the door and LOOK AT the food? Fix included a new appliance lightbulb for $1.19.
- The outdoor outlet in the front is apparently wired backwards. We’ve used this outlet multiple times and never experienced a problem, nor was it found when we had our home inspection.
- The pull-down stairs for the attic are installed with screws instead of with the prescribed 16D nails. The last time I checked, screws were stronger than nails ?! Also not noted from our home inspection.
- There are no plugs for the bathtubs. We keep them under the sink. Oh brother.
- There needs to be new weatherstripping on the door.
The only issues I would consider somewhat major are some termites that are covered by our HOA and a window that needs new some new glass. Anyway, it’s all worked out/ordered now so there we go. Exciting!
I’ve had an on again/off again relationship with hot dogs. When I was young, I loved them. Then something happened (maybe too many burned dogs on the grill?) that made me not so excited about them during my teens. Well, it’s pretty obvious that the relationship is back.
One of my life’s goals is now the pursuit of the perfect hot dog. We’ve had the Chicago dog, the Pink’s Hollywood dog, the Carolina dog (mustard, chili, onions, bright red hot dog), the Nathan’s dirty-water dog (Oak has perfected the famous red onion sauce at home! ding), so I felt it was finally time to go back to my hot dog roots, the Zweigles dog.
Zweigles are a uniquely Rochesterian brand of hot dog – I’ve never seen them outside that region until we discovered that a Wegman’s is now open off the Woodbridge/Potomac Mills Mall exit on I-95. So, when we found them, of course we had to get some (along with the delicious Chinese food buffet! mm! ).
Now, one of the charms of the Zweigles dog is that they are a “pop-open hot” (oh yeah, in R-town you call it a “hot” instead of a “hot dog”). For some reason, I had remembered a vision of a hot dog splitting clear down the middle, but when Oak cooked them they were more like blistery split open. Maybe we got the wrong kind? Or, my parents cut my hot dog in half? I have no idea.
Either way, that was a good dog. We even had some Nick Tahou-esque hot sauce on them (which, is basically the “chili” that is put on hot dogs in the South, but more spicy). Next we need to try to make a Chicago dog at home… any sources on neon green relish??
