My dog is also smart.

So very smart.

My dog is funny.

Seriously. She’s a riot. Even though she’s just under 9 weeks old.

Suuuuuure, you say. Everyone thinks their dog is people. There are some things, though…

Despite not having a tail (it’s docked), Noli insists on chasing it.

She thinks her bed is not, in fact, a bed, but a world-class trampoline. I haven’t managed to catch a video of it yet, but she’s very similar to this dog:

The Trampoline Dog (sorry, wish I could embed)

And the thing she did JUST NOW, that inspired this post, is that she won’t willingly go into her crate (still working on it), but she just sat in front of it and barked at me until I put her in. She tried to run out and I managed to lock the gate. 2 seconds later, she’s passed out. I don’t think she understands the idea that a door is optional. Just because you see one doesn’t mean you have to go through it.

Maybe she’s not as smart as I thought. But she is very brave.

A monster to be vanquished?

Puppysitters wanted!

Noli’s totally got Separation Anxiety, ALREADY! DAMN! How’d I manage that one?

I blame this on the boyfriend. Exhibit A:

No wonder Noli's got problems.

Okay, so otherwise he treats her magnificently but I’m gonna blame all my problems on him anyway.

So between Saturday (2 hours) and today (3 and a half, roughly), it’s clear that Noli’s not ready yet to be on her own. I tried all morning to get her used to the hallway. Feeding, playing, relaxing, etc. But every time I left the hall she freaked. I tried to coax her to sleep before I left and ran out of time so I had to bolt. 😦 But I managed to quickly set up a webcam so I could obsessively watch her at work and not get anything done whatsoever!!! Yaaaaaay!!! It was also my annual review!!!! I DID AWESOME!!!!!! (No seriously I did)

I watched her during my short shift and she didn’t calm down AT ALL. I bemoaned my decision to leave her crate in there instead of her bed. She hates her crate!!! Can you blame her???

Anyway, she might have relaxed for 20 minutes at the most. I feel terrible. But I got home quickly and she recovered almost right away. Go dog! And my friend David yelled at me for not asking him to dog sit. I didn’t know, I didn’t know!! I begged on Facebook, I thought it’d be enough! But alas. But David’s wonderful, volunteering his and his girlfriend’s services. And my lovely mate Becky is watching Noli tomorrow instead of studying. Clearly the responsible decision.

So for now at least, all will be well. She’ll be cared for until Sunday, at least! Yay, one day at a time!!!

By the way….

Vote for me! I want a nice free chair!

Blu Dot Swap Meet

Tell your sisters, tell your mothers! I WANT A FREE CHAIR!

You guys. You guys. (Anyone reading anyway?) You are not forgotten.

But I have since gotten the puppy, and it is HARD!!!!!! I am so tired, and the only reason I have a chance to update now is because I’m at WORK! At 3:30am!!!!

Noli is wonderful. How could this precious angel not be?

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Well, being a big ol’ softy can come back to bite you in the ass. She was a delight Sunday night after we picked her up, and on Monday when my mother came to visit. But on Tuesday? Holy crap, demon puppy.

Demon Puppy?

Don’t get me wrong; she’s SMART. Almost immediately picked up on going on the paper. About 50% of the time she’ll go on her own. Already! It’s the potty training that worried me, but not anymore. It’s the Crate.

CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE.

She liked it at first. Slept in it perfectly Sunday and Monday night. But Tuesday night? NOPE. THAT THING IS SCARY IT IS EVIL AND WANTS TO EAT THE PUPPY OH NOES!!!!! Noli wouldn’t go in it. She’d scream in protest, at 2am. I feared the neighbors’ wrath (though I have since learned they can’t hear her…hurray!). Took her out, took her to the couch, slept with her on my chest. Got tired and annoyed of her waking up, tried to put her in the crate. POOP EVERYWHERE. Nooooooooo! The sheet would be the first in a long line of puppy-soiled linens.  I quickly noticed a pattern develop on Tuesday:

Wake up, pee, eat (maybe? she’s not a big eater), play, sleep.

This I could work with. I’m good with routine and schedules. But every single time I tried to bring her over to the crate, all hell and bowels would let loose. Noli just wouldn’t do it. I had to hold her until she fell asleep, then fussed when I tried to move. I got NOTHING done on Tuesday. Same on Wednesday, but include a pee-tastic trip to and from the vet as well (I was worried about her eating habits. Apparently she only likes the finest of cuisines already. Too bad the Palm wasn’t taking reservations.). The vet said she was manipulating me already. HOW DARE SHE!

Then came Wednesday night, where after a 5 minute crate session ended with MORE POOP!!!, she ended up sleeping in the bed with yours truly. Sigh. I didn’t expect to cave that quickly, but I was so tired. As peacefully as Noli slept, waking up only once to potty, I was up the entire time, worried that either 1. I would crush her, or 2. Alec would try to push me out of the bed, as he is prone to do, and in turn Noli would fall off. Neither happened; I was a stone fortress of Boyfriend Protection.

Thursday was much the same again, this time with a poo-tiful (ugh, I’m sorry I just wrote that) trip to the vet again. On Wednesday she dove headfirst into the A/D Dr. Ansede opened for her, on Thursday she was uninterested. (Cold soft food is not preferred, I guess???? Snobby puppy.) And I was terrified, because for the first time since we got her, I had to work and it’d be just Noli and the boyfriend. About the BF…did I ever mention he is the most AMAZING PERSON IN THE ENTIRE WORLD????  Noli wasn’t happy in the makeshift pen I made for her using a convenient hallway/babygate combo and the BF couldn’t stand her crying any more. He spent the ENTIRE night while I was at work getting Noli used to the crate. He got her to go in (with prompting), sit quietly, and then wait until he said OK to leave. OMGGGGGG she was so good for him. Spent almost the entire time napping. Woke up once and moved around a bit, didn’t fuss, then went back to sleep. I came home and she woke up…Boyfriend showed me how good she was and how to properly let her out. PERFECT. We had her pee and poop (though it was a bit hard getting her to poop – actually just catching her as she started and brought her to the paper. Practiced with the crate a bit, then put her in again for the night. It was lovely, just like the first two nights. It was a Reawakening. Or Reasleeping? Either way it was glorious.

Yesterday, Friday, we had to go visit our families  – they boyfriend to fix his parents computer and I to see my mother’s house renovations (well, I didn’t HAVE to go but certainly wanted to!). We packed up Noli in the TRAVEL BAG (OOOOOOOOOH OH NOES, she hates it there!!!) and got in the car for the 1.5 hour trip. And she slept the whole time!!! There and back! No screaming and crying, no accidents. The boyfriend had played with her around the travel bag (an Argo, btw…very cute but I wish I could see in it better!) while I was at work and got her liking it. Isn’t he the dreamiest?

Anyway, I’m here until 9:30 and he’s got work at 8. So it’ll be Noli’s first time alone, for two whole hours (TWO HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). I’m scared to death, but I trust the boyfriend more than anyone in the world, and I know he already adores the puppy (seriously, it’s so cute). He’ll wake up for her and take care of her and get her settled for her Independence Run. The food will be warmed and mixed. The toys will be strategically strewn about. The computer will play soothing classical. But no Wagner!!! I know what happens when you listen to Wagner.

I can’t believe it hasn’t even been a week yet! Phew!!!!!!

And before I forget!

I went to the previously mentioned Dr. Ansede twice in two days. For the silliest little things, and he’s been an absolute delight, as has his assistant Michelle. She called each morning after my visit to make sure Noli was doing okay, and did not (seem to) freak out when I called asking for feeding advice and started blubbering. Very warm people, very nice, small office. I think it’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

OH! ALSO!

I promise that despite appearances, this is not a food-only blog. I haven’t seen any noteworthy movies and haven’t had anything worth saying about my shows.

But Noli will be here in 5 days and we will have ADVENTURES!!!!

A whole lot of blergh.

So it’s been a busy few days. Not my fault! When the world goes to bits, my own little bubble goes to bits too. But I HAVE managed to get a few bites in between the craziness.

And I must admit defeat, at the hands of this monster:

Ugh. Amazing.

I got these from Backyard Bistro, which is right across from the RBC center. First time going there, but I’ll definitely be checking it out in the future. I’m the furthest thing from a sports fan (just hockey and baseball, a bit), but I love going to and watching sporting events with lots of die-hard fans. So much anger and passion! I guess that’s a bit about what I love about my job, too. That’s a solid menu, right there, and when I picked up the poutine they had a wall of giant screens that made my own home set-up seem inadequate.

Damn you, you Canadian bastards! Damn you for making such a delicious and EVIL dish. French fries, gravy, AND cheese curds??? My blood is probably thicker than pancake batter just looking at that picture. I ate these during the Grammys but they’re much better suited to the Super Bowl, or the Stanley Cup, or as a last meal. In fact, I think Death By Poutine is valid method of execution in Texas. Or Arizona. One of those crazy states.

Cheese curds are awesome, by the way. Just tiny chunks of cheese. Heard them described as “squeaky”. These were, somewhat. The gravy was also good, nice and spicy. Very savory. The fries were…well, fries. Good fries, nice and crispy, good size. Nothing to write home about, but this dish isn’t about the individual parts, it’s about the sinful, wonderful whole. This is not something to be eaten every day. This is also not something to be eaten once a week, or once a month. It’s not something to order and bring home just because. It’s a sports dish, dammit, and can only be eaten while completely trashed, watching sports, and with a lot of people helping you out. Forks optional (though at least in this incarnation necessary – the gravy is very drippy and sloshy). This dish thoroughly destroyed me. I couldn’t finish it, wanted to go to sleep after, and gave me, as one coworker predicted it would, “Bubble Guts”.

Gah. I love you, Poutine. But you give love a bad name.

Also!

The lovely boyfriend took me out to dinner for Valentine’s Day. I picked the restaurant, because I always do the research (though I must give him credit for discovering Pizza Italia, the only acceptable pizza place for me in the Triangle. Their sandwiches and pasta dishes are phenomenal as well. Just like my NY-born Italian mother makes). I browsed for ages looking for a good Italian restaurant. Local-owned only; I didn’t want to go to Cheesecake Factory or any place like that. I eat at McDonald’s far too often but I’ve discovered that there’s no excuse to go to a sit-down chain restaurant in this city. The food is just too good.

But I may have found a weak link. I declare, right now, and may God strike me down if I am wrong, that there is no good Italian restaurant in Raleigh. I’m looking for pure Italian, not Italian-American family style (Gravy looks great, but I wanted something beyond what I cook on a fairly regular basis). So I searched and searched and searched Chowhound, and finally settled on Casa Carbone. The menu got me excited, the fact that it’s family-owned got me excited. So it was decided. We go, I order this (pic from their site):

What is this hot mess?

I was foolish, I should have known. The dish above is the antipasta, which I ordered excitedly. Meats and cheeses! Pickled veggies! How could it go wrong? Well you see that white stuff? That looks like fresh mozzerrella? It’s actually egg. WHAT. THE. FRIG. I’m sorry, I don’t know if it’s just a family thing or a Taylor thing or not a thing at all, but EGG IS NOT A PART OF ANTIPASTA. Neither is lettuce, as is very much visible in the picture above (to be fair, I initially thought this was a salad. AND APPARENTLY THE OWNERS OF CASA CARBONE THINK ANTIPASTA IS A SALAD TOO BUT IT’S NOT AUUUUUUUURRRRRGH!!!!!!!!!). What ISN’T visible, but was certainly included in the dish, were PICKLES.

When I think of “pickled vegetables” in an Italian dish, I think: mushrooms, peppers, eggplant, artichoke. Onions, though I don’t care for them, should be included (and promptly removed). Olives, whatever the hell those are. NOT PICKLED CUCUMBERS WHAT IS GOING ON HERE. I threw them across the room in disgust (not really), not even bothering to taste. HEAVEN FORBID they turned out to be bread-and-butter pickles. I might have set the joint on fire. Those are an abomination, period.

Sigh. Ugh. Anyway. The rest of dinner was fine. And that’s all it was. They had an acceptable red sauce (my #1 biggest deal breaker for a restaurant), and the entrees were fine. It wasn’t bad. But I shan’t be going there again. It was…a family-owned Olive Garden. Mission: FAILED.

Be prepared for a post of epic epicness.

For the most epic post ever.

Too long has this girl gone without the ultimate prize.

Combining not one, not two, but THREE of the greatest things on earth.

French fries.

Gravy.

Cheese (curds).

Oh, okay, I haven’t tried cheese curds but ya know what? I love cheese, I just tried goat cheese and loved it, and I’m sure I’m going to love this. So stop drinking from the haterade.

Later tonight I’m going to try POUTINE.

The Southern assimilation continues

Confession time.

This title post, according to the Boyfriend, is a lie (which makes me 2 for 2). I was born in North Carolina, I was raised in North Carolina. BUT. I was raised by life-long, hardcore New Yorkers. As a child, I spent months and months at a time in New York. I ate pastina instead of grits. I haven’t said y’all since I was 7. The ONLY radio station, in my mother’s mind, was the one that rotated between the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, and the Temptations.

But man oh man, do I love southern food. It’s the greatest thing the South has going for it. The ultimate comfort food.

Which I needed, because after my first post yesterday, Job #1 went to hell. In a totally thisiswhyilovemyjob sort of way. Ended up staying an extra 2 hours (2 hours!!!!!!). But still, I relished being able to sleep in and lounge about this morning, and great news! The boyfriend had the day off, so we could both sleep in together! Yes, folks, we live in sin. It’s lovely.

So we slept in, watched a bit of the Price Is Right, because we are also 80, then headed over to The Flying Biscuit Cafe for brunch. Because brunch is cool.

Yes it is.

For the first time ever I tried f*cking Fried Green Tomatoes. From their menu:

“Dredged in seasoned cornmeal, topped with cashew-jalapeno relish and goat cheese.”

WHOA. WHOA. That is some fancy stuff right there. Goat cheese? WTF? Goats are evil-looking buggers. They’ve got rectangular eyes!

 

Why would God do this?

But let me tell you, Goat’s cheese is delicious. Creamy in texture, nice to spread. Very tangy. Nommy. Perfect with the sweet tomato. The relish? Eh, it was fine, I was all about the cheese. I am almost always about the cheese.

Not the film starring Geena Davis. She's in it, right?

All in all, though….too much fried, not enough tomato. If it were me, I would have fried it in a simple flour batter (keep it nice and light, let the juicy tanginess of the tomato come through. But as usual, the Boyfriend got the best dish of all.

Insert Homer Simpson-esque drool

I’ve had it before, and it is truly Heaven on Earth. Amazing. The most fantastic, buttery, cheesy grits I have ever had the delight of having. The spices in there are sooooo good. It’s savory and tangy (I love tangy!), and the shrimp provide the perfect crunch for the creamy grits.

The best thing about this restaurant is its proximity to our apartment. It’s only a few blocks away. I can’t wait to get Noli, take a walk, and sit for some outdoor snackages. Because let me tell you, parking is a PAIN IN THE BUTT. By the way.

SPEAKING OF FANTASTIC TRANSITIONS. Because the Boyfriend is such a delight, we went next door and explored the new spice store. It will come in handy when we get around to cooking our own meals. But because the Boyfriend does not feel comfortable window shopping, he bought me their official hot chocolate mix. Cocoa, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla. That’s it. Mmmmm. Having some right now, with coffee.

Good stuff

All in all, a delightful afternoon, listening to the Boyfriend play Goldeneye for Wii, cursing up a storm. His one sentence review? “WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO??? >:-O“

So this blog starts with a lie.

I don’t have Nolita yet. T-minus 10 days. But I’m all ready! I’ve got the dog bed and the crate. The nail clippers, the shampoo, the toys.

Oh my God, this fierce puppy right here:

Look at this dog. Her ear is mussed, she doesn't bat an eye. Can't talk, having too much fun.

is getting so many awesome toys. Noli’s getting a DRAGON (doesn’t breathe fire, but cries jelly bean tears), a HIPPO, an OCTOPUS, and a pig. Yeah, the pig’s nowhere near as cool as the others but it’s gigantic and fluffy so whatever, thanks Mom.

And then she’s got one of these stupid things:

The stupidest effing thing ever.

At least it’s stupid according to the boyfriend. The transcribed voicemail reads: “I got your stupid dog a f*cking rope with a knot in it. Are you happy?” And later: “And just so you know the f*cking rope with a knot in it is from Martha Stewart Pets. Bye.”

He’s so excited to get Noli. I don’t blame him. Just look at how cute that dog is. He’s gone from apathetic to super duper excited, I just know it.

But enough about the stupid dog.

More about me! And the blog! Isn’t it shiny?

It’s new! Hopefully it’ll last; I make no promises. But as a still-fairly-recent college grad (2 years out this May), I’m still getting used to a lot of this real world nonsense. Ended up in Raleigh, somewhat surprisingly. I’ve gone from kicking and screaming to ambivalent. Turns out that Raleigh, like other cities I’ve lived in and visited and loved, has a fairly badass food scene. So a lot of the posts here are going to be about different restaurants we go to and get take-out from. I watch a ton of movies so there’ll be posts on that (maybe I’ll do Oscar reviews!). I have a pretty fierce television addiction so there’ll be posts on that (at one point I think my weekly lineup was 15 shows long). Video games too? Sure, why the hell not! Maybe the occasional funny work story…I DO indeed have a job! Two!

And of course there’ll be plenty of puppy posts. Lots of pictures and videos. Puppy play dates, vet visits, blah blah blah.

LET’S DO THIS!!!!!!