Lesson 140: YOUR COUPON IS NO GOOD HERE!

To trully appreciate this post you will need to first refer to my post from last year's birthday... Lesson 48 (reference the story of my trip to Baskin Robbins)

My birthday was last week. I got my free scoop coupon for Baskin Robbins in my email. Today is the day it expires and my only chance I have had to redeem my coupon. Probably foolishly, I went back to the Enumclaw Baskin Robbins. Guess what, the exact same guy from last year was working! hooray.... I pulled out my coupon and asked for my free birthday scoop. He informed me that I had the incorrect coupon. He pulled out a print out of an email and said this is what I need to bring in.

I said no, the email has a button that says "print coupon" I clicked it and this is what prints out. He then accused me of copying the coupon which they can't accept. I said NO, I used a black and white printer, HENCE the black and white.

He kept reiterating that my coupon was not valid. I pointed out that my coupon has a bar code on it and the email he is showing me does not, how then is mine not valid? I also pointed out that mine has today's date on it. He said they don't scan bar codes and it is not his policy but the companies.... I told him this coupon worked just fine last year in Buckley, to which he replied that Buckley does not have a store... oh my bad, BONNEY LAKE.... my gosh... 

Bottom line, I did not get my scoop. AGAIN! All I wanted to do was call Jenae who would think this is the greatest sequel to last year's load of crap. I couldn't get a hold of her so instead I called Tyler and while cry-laughing hysterically I tried to tell him what happened. 

I sent an email to the Baskin Robbins company and I just learned that Tyler called the guy to talk to the manager. The man would not tell Tyler when the manager would be in and when Tyler asked him why he did not give his wife her free scoop he hung up on him hahahaha. 

ENUMCLAW BASKIN ROBBINS YOU ARE TERRIBLE

P.S. Do you remember my great story about trying to surprise Tyler with an ice cream cake and Red Robin?  LESSON 5 well it was not the same man but it was the same lame BR that told me I was buying a choc/caramel cake when it was actually coffee. Curses... why don't I learn my lesson?

Lesson 139: The Halloween Post

Happy Halloween :)

Tyler and I were not planning on doing any dressing up... this was mostly the result of not having an plans for the holiday. Then we were both assigned to help set up booths for the church Halloween carnival. When we told people we had no plans to dress up, that was just UNACCEPTABLE! We promised to come in costume and rushed to Party City. If you want to see mayhem, go to a costume shop the Saturday before Halloween.

The end result was bride and groom zombies :)

 Tyler got super into it. He even had the blood capsule that explode in your mouth.... this kind of backfired when the capsule disintegrated in his mouth because he held it there too long hahaha.... but a black and blue mouth is pretty zombie-ish.

I was worried people at church would be upset with our costumes but everyone really liked them :) And this ward had lots of great costumes everyone got really into it. 

This is just Ruby in a super cute sweater.

And here is documentation of where Ruby sleeps at night, as close to on top of Tyler's head as possible. The room is actually dark but the flash from my camera lit of the room. 

 Ruby back in her costume.

 Max in his dinosaur costume :)



Lesson 138: It was a one eyed one horned flyin' purple puggle eater

Ruby is ready for Halloween. I made costume for her today. She is a one eyed, one horned, flying purple people eater. I just took the pattern for Max's dinosaur costume and make a few tweeks. As you can tell Ruby is super psyched. :)

 I also made Ruby try on Max's dinosaur cotume :) Rarr

Lesson 137: New events will pile up really quickly if you keep forgetting to mention them

This has been a super big year for our family. In the past year we welcomed Ruby into our home (or she allowed us to live with her), we got our beautiful new home, and recently Tyler got a raise :) and we just got a brand spanking new car! I have never owned something so fancy. And lots of other big first for us.

Here is Ruby in the harness that she LOATHES.

I love Max's profile hahaha he has the cutest little chin. 

Lesson 136: How to out stubborn a pug part II

We are still in the process of having a dog free bed. I have come to the conclusion that both Max and Ruby are fully aware the rules have changed... they just don't care. But we are staying strong :) Sometimes I miss my furry heated pillows, but then I remember how I can stretch out as much as I want and the feeling drifts away as I drift away into my full night sleep.

I did read a sentence describing pugs today that I thought was fitting.

They can be a bit will full if they sense they are stronger than the humans around them.

(The picture below is on the couch which is still ok for dogs. Ruby is sleeping on the back of the couch with one of the three musketeers.)

Lesson 135: 1 AM is not the best time to change up the rules

The dogs have shifted. Ruby and Max have been sleeping in the double size bed with Ty and myself. It has been fine. I even bragged that these pups were perfect bed dogs. Ruby slept up by our heads and was just like a bonus pillow. Max took the space down in between Tyler's legs. Maybe Tyler did not like this, I don't know, but since Tyler can sleep in virtually any position and does not move once he is out, this arrangement worked nicely.

In the past few nights the dogs have shifted to my side of the bed. They both sleep at the bottom where my legs go. Unlike Tyler I DO move around. If I can't move my legs I go crazy. And THAT is just what happened.

Last night at 1AM, completely incoherent and ready to flip the bed, I went downstairs and grabbed the large Costco dog cushion. I threw it on the floor of our bedroom along with both dogs. Thus began the endless night of keeping the dogs off the bed. Apparently, what I did not take into account was that NO ONE kicks Max and Ruby off the bed. They would jump up, I would throw them off. Max would jump up and at the exact moment I was tosses him to the dog bed below, Ruby would leap up. I must have fallen asleep at some point but only for short spurts. There would come the thud of a dog leaping onto the bed. Before I could snatch them up they would make a dive for under covers. NO SIR! Back to the dog bed you go! Poor Tyler. He just lie there as I waged war against my furry rivals. After hours he did take it upon himself to help in throwing the dogs off the bed.

And that was my night :)

Here is a funny picture. I was walking the dogs last night. Max stopped for a sniff and I looked up to see a cat trying to blend in with the dead grass. Can you find the cat?

Lesson 134: How to out-stubborn a pug

Ruby Kinkaroo is a ball of endless energy. Tyler and I have taken on the challenge of being more assertive with her wildness. She is always excited to go out to potty. When she sees you make your way to the door she begins jumping and dancing around. Then come the high pitched barks. Finally she will, for no apparent reason, attack Max. She also takes on this crazy attitude around dinner time.

In line with Cesar Millan's methods, we are becoming our own pack leaders. She is no longer allowed to go out or eat dinner until she has gone into a submissive state. This can take quite a while as we are attempting to out-stubborn a pug. Both Tyler and I can be stubborn people. I think we are up for the challenge. We are only on day two but I have noticed it is starting to help. Along with being assertive, it is important to be consistent. :)