Meet Charlie!

Meet our new kitten, Charlie!!!!!  One of Zeta's cats had a litter and I fell in love with this little guy right away at the father's day BBQ yesterday.  Zeta was ready to let him come home with us...I was ready to take him home...Steve was reluctant.  So I started begging...and batting my eyelashes.  And Ranger and Zeta started talking him into it.  Eventually Steve came to the back yard and picked little Charlie up.  He stated cuddling up to him, and climbing on him, and sleeping on him...and eventually little Charlie convinced Steve all on his own.  As a matter of fact, Steve wanted me to drive the car home so he could hold Charlie in his lap.  It was such a huge surprise that Steve was so reluctant to have a kitty.  Steve, who grew up around cats and loved it!  His main concern was our furniture.  He's been saying that for two years.  I thought for sure he'd want a kitty as soon as we had our own place.  Two and a half years later he's still talking about the furniture...thanks is owed to Ranger for convincing him otherwise!  

Charlie rode home with us last night (we wasted no time!).  We made a little kitten box for him out of an empy shoe box, a towel, and an old T-shirt of Steve's which is now Charlie's safety blanket.  We put him in his little box and rushed to Wal-Mart to get him some kittly milk formula and a small feeding bottle.  We stayed up until 1 AM watching him clumsily walk around our kitchen and refuse to drink the kitty milk.  =(.  I'm a little worried that he hasn't really eaten since he left his mother yesterday.  All he really does is sleep (he's kinda like me on a Saturday).  We're trying to get him to eat solid foods mixed with the kitty formula so we can wean him off the milk within the next couple of weeks.  Any suggestions on how to get him to eat?  We also have to train him to use the kitty litter.  NO IDEA how to do that...any suggestions?  Not sure when is the right time..we think he's around 4--5 weeks old now.  When is the right time to get him neutered and get his vaccines?  And flea medication?  And worm medication?  And...and...and...???  Ugh.  Too much to think about. 

But when I look at this face...

I temporarily forget about all of that stuff!

From Primped and Pampered....to Potatoes and Pans

Yesterday I went to an event at the Newport Beachside Resort entitled 'Teachers Deserve More.'    At 7 PM, the newly renovated spa opened just for teachers, where they treated us to beer, wine, appetizers, fruits and cheeses, and mini-massages.  All for free.  Oh, yes.  The resort is also offering select salon and spa services for only $20.10 for teachers all summer long.  Oh, yes....

I went with one of my teacher-girlfriends to the resort yesterday.  We sat in massage chairs, sipped complimentary champagne, and got manicures and pedicures.  All for just $20.10.   I haven't treated myself to a mani/pedi since the week of my wedding.  Ahhhh....the sea salt scrub made my skin soft and smooth.  I was long overdue.

 Bubbly

 Afterwards, we joined the crowd in the spa for the free event.

Today, I peeled potatoes and made dinner.  With my French manicure and all.  Tonight I blended two different dishes into one meal:  garlic and herb chicken and paremesan-basil potatoes.  Here's the how-to, in case you'd like to try:

Garlic and Herb chicken
Diced chicken breasts
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Sweet basil
Black pepper
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme (just kidding...I couldn't resist the urge...or use them if you want to).

How-to:

1. Dice chicken breasts into small cubes, or strips, or don't dice at all if you don't want!  Season chicken with garlic powder, sweet basil, and black pepper. 
2. Heat olive oil in a pan.  Add chicken and cook until it's...well, cooked...and voila!

Parmesan-Basil Potatoes
Diced potatoes
Butter
Grated parmesan cheese
Sweet  basil
Large Ziploc freezer bag

How-to:
Peel potatoes and dice into small cubes.
Melt one tablespoon of butter (for every two potatoes).
Add the potatoes and butter into the bag and shake, until the potatoes are well-coated.
Add the parmesan cheese and basil to your liking and shake.
Spread the potatoes onto a baking tray and bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 350F.  

Voila!  The chicken looks a lot like the potatoes in the background due to the cubed shaped.