Friday, May 4, 2018

Coffee Talk

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Let's sit down and catch up over a cup of coffee! I'm still using the GLG Collagen in mine--would you like to try it? With half and half?

It's been interesting around here at TTLWH headquarters. It's not all miles and smiles, but it's never dull, that's for sure! So what's new?



First of all, if we were having coffee, and if we were at my houseit would be hard to talk over Cocoa's barking. Yes, my cute little furball does not like "outsiders" coming into my house. I don't know if it's because we didn't socialize her enough when she was a pup--we were dealing with Matthew and his broken leg when we got her--but it has gotten pretty difficult to have people come to the house. This past week my son brought his friend over and she went nuts, barking this high-pitched alarm bark at him. Even after he left, she ran around the house barking and sniffing, looking for him. She's a good guard dog, that is true, but it would be nice not to have her frighten away people we like!

"Mother, I will protect you from all that is evil."
If we were having coffee, I'd tell you that the college decision has been made. My youngest is going to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I'm so excited about this! I absolutely love Madison and I have so many happy memories of visiting and running there. My high school boyfriend went to college there and after I'd visit him, I'd leave wishing that I was going to school there. That relationship didn't last, but my love for Madison, Wisconsin remained strong. My father-in-law has a lake house nearby and we have spent a lot of time visiting the city with the boys over the years. I've run multiple races there. I'd actually live there if I could. Maybe I should so we would get in-state tuition.

My Badger
If we were having coffee, I'd share that I was spring cleaning last weekend and took a carload of electronics to be recycled. It was ridiculous and somewhat embarrassing all that we had in our house. My husband started to panic as I carried the stuff out to the car. I took VCRs, a fax machine, computers, alarm clocks, TVs--you name it. I waited in a long line until it was my turn to unload. When I got home, my son told me that the TV screen in the basement was cracked. Apparently, when I took it off the wall to disconnect the VCR, I broke it. So I ended up buying a new TV and guess what! I have another one to recycle. Then the microwave died...


If we were having coffee, I'd talk about one of the non-running books I recently read, Educated by Tara Westover. Have you heard about this book? The author grew up in a conservative Mormon family with a bipolar, government-hating father. She didn't go to school until much later in her life, spending her time working in her father's junkyard. Her older brother beat on her and ridiculed her while her parents looked away. Tara's story makes The Glass Castle positively idealistic. I couldn't put it down but I had to keep picking up my jaw from dropping. It's a book that is going to stick with me for a while.

ooks

If we were having coffee, I'd have to tell you something that happened after my run yesterday at the retention pond. I pushed the remote key to unlock the car and nothing happened. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to unlock my car, I tried to open the key fob, thinking there was a "real" key inside. I couldn't get it open. I walked over to a man who was loading up his minivan and asked if he had a screwdriver so I could pry open the key fob. "No speak English". Of course not. I walked back to my car and tried the remote again. Nothing. I saw 2 men walking from the path to their cars, so I approached them. They were very helpful but we couldn't get into my car. One of the men offered to drive me to my house so I could get my spare key. I considered this offer. Do I get in a strange man's car? To drive to my house? Or should I just run the 2 1/2 miles home? Or should I call a locksmith? Since I had a doctor's appointment that morning and needed to get home, I let one of the men drive me to my house. I was really sweaty and gross, which I felt was to my advantage. Plus I do have those newly honed self-defense skills. He was actually very nice and told me he was the "Mayor" of the retention pond. He talked my ear off. Once we got back to my car, I thanked him and his friend and drove off. Even though he seemed harmless, I'm still a little unsettled by the whole situation. If I'd been thinking, I would have grabbed Cocoa the guard dog to come back with me.


Ok, so now I've talked your ear off! What would you tell me over coffee? What would you have done in my situation? How sad is it that we have to be suspicious of a person just trying to be helpful? Any advice for an overly protective dog? College financial advice? Do you recycle your electronics? Have you read Educated? Any books that you'd like to recommend?

I'm linking up with the Friday Five at Fairytales and Fitness and Running on Happy and with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date!










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64 comments :

  1. I am curious about the collagen in your coffee. I know you said you have tried Collagen Proteins but didn’t work for you.

    Congrats on your son’s college decision. But I think I already told you that. Well, here it is again. 😜


    Did you find out what happened to the remote key? Has that happened before?

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    1. I'm pretty sure the battery in the key fob was dead. Of course, the dummy key was in there but I didn't know how to get it out. My husband showed me. Doh!!

      If you click on the link in the first paragraph, it will take you to my review of the GLG Collagen. I really like this stuff and I feel great on it.

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  2. It is sad we have to be suspicious but it’s what it is.
    My dog hates people at the house as well!

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  3. Ummmm, over-protective dogs? We need to form a club. Max will not even let the hubby hug or kiss me most of the time. He's also been known to growl at the daughter if she comes too close to me when I'm at the computer.

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  4. Whew on riding with a strange man! In my twisted sense of rationale, I'd say since you approached him for help, the chances for something going awry were reduced. Maybe I'm wrong but it worked out so it's all good. He's the mayor of the retention pond after all. ;p
    I've got a service that can unlock my doors remotely. Thankfully when that happened to me at the forest preserve trails I had my phone and it worked like a charm.
    Ozzy is Mr. Congeniality. Our biggest problem is getting him not to jump all over visitors.

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    1. There's a service for that? You need to tell me more--if I ever get a free day for lunch!

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  5. My dog was the exact same way, lol. He really didn't like "outsiders" and would go nuts. Sometimes we would have to keep him in the basement when guests came to the house so that he didn't scare them.

    Congrats to your son! It's such an exciting time and I have no doubt that he'll love it there.

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    1. I have the guys coming over to install our new AC next week and I'm sending Cocoa to the groomer for the day! But even after people leave, she runs around like a lunatic, sniffing, whining, and barking!

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  6. hmm I don't think I would have gotten into someone's car. I would have probably called an Uber LOL. Did you figure out why your car would not open? I once stood in front of my car trying to open it and then realized it was not my car. Ha that's where I thought your story was going! Congrats to your son you must be so proud!

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    1. Believe you me, this was not an easy decision. As always, I went with my gut and my instinct was ok. Still, I'm uneasy about it--I wouldn't have shared it here otherwise.

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  7. Oh my gosh on the car ride. Wendy! I probably would have run home -- or called an Uber, which isn't THAT much different from what you did. Is the battery on your key fob low? Yeah on the college decision but I have no advice on the financial aid.

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    1. Right? But the Uber is a stranger too, right? Yes, the battery was low. Sadly, when I told my husband he showed me where the dummy key is. doh!

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  8. We've been sent collagen to try and I've been putting it in my overnight oats!
    I have to chuckle at Cocoa cuz our lab is probably 3 times her size and hardly ever barks and is NOT a good watch dog.

    Glad you remained safe with the strange man!

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  9. I don’t do collagen or half and half, but I’d love to have coffee with you!

    I took a ride once from a stranger when I had a flat tire on my bike and my spare tube popped so I was stranded. A guy with a truck stopped. I know exactly how you felt. A weirdly guarded feeling, a little gratitude (I was 10 miles from home and he drove me all the way there!), and a little guilt for not trusting a man who was trying to be a good citizen.

    Congratulations to your son!

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    1. You make me feel a million times better. And yes, how sad is it that we can't trust anyone anymore?

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  10. Congrats to your youngest! So, do you regret getting into the man's car? (I mean, he didn't kill you, so it all turned out okay.) Did you tell your husband? I would never, ever do that but then again all I freaking listen to are podcasts about murdered women and "joggers" who disappear.

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    1. I always say never say never--I never thought I'd get into a car with a strange man, but there you go...

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  11. I don't know if I could have accepted the ride! I'm glad that it all worked out. And I had no idea there are keys inside the fobs!! Good to know :)
    Your story about donating electronics is too funny because it sounds like it could have happened at our house!

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    1. I waited in line for an hour to recycle those electronics. I'm sure not looking forward to doing that again.

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  12. My dogs are the bullies of the 'hood. My new old dog stands guard on the hill out back just waiting for any neighbor dog to come out. I think my neighbors hate us. I have no key, just the fob. The day I dropped it in the toilet at out an out-of-state race provoked sheer panic in me. I went fishing... Hooray for college decisions!

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    1. I just have a fob too, but there's a dummy key hidden inside. So well apparently, that I couldn't find it!.

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  13. Aww... that's such a sweet photo of you and your dog! But I'm sure the barking can get old fast. I hope the key started working again!

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    1. I need to get a battery. I do have a back up key that I'm using.

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  14. I did that with Uber in Las Vegas. I don't know any Uber driver, and yet, there I was, getting in his car to get back to mine.

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  15. We are down to one dog, and if you give him a treat he'll love you forever. If you don't well he looks at you rather suspiciously and tries to look threatening barking while hiding behind me. He's a little bit of a wimp in reality, he talks a good game though. When it was at it's max of 4 it was just such chaos if one didn't like someone the other ones would let them know (generally by jumping on them) that wasn't acceptable. Why? Well treats, of course.

    Your key story reminds me to figure out how to deal with my key fob if the battery dies. A friend has the dummy key they could find BUT they couldn't find the 'goes into'! Seriously!! VW hides it behind a little cover so the door handle looks all smooth and sleek.

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    1. They have to make easier for those of us who aren't skilled at finding those things!

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  16. Barking seems to be a little dog thing. I don't know what to do about that, except get a big dog next time...hehehe. Cocoa is adorable though!
    Bummer about your car. I didn't know there was a key hidden in the key fob until my husband showed me when mine went dead.

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  17. Bandit is a very good guard dog, too. Lola might bark at you when you come in, but she shuts up quickly (more likely to bark outside at other dogs, whereas Bandit doesn't bark a lot outside). He does usually shut up . . . eventually.

    The biggest thing usually is to try to reward them when they actually are quiet. And have strangers feed them treats. But we don't have people over real often and it's hard to work against 8 years of no training.

    Anyhoo . . . I swear I'm never giving up my 18 year old car. Dam new fangled cars . . .

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    1. We've tried the stranger feeding treats thing but she won't take them! She's something else.

      My car is 9 years old!

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  18. I've done that! I ended up just running home (only to realize my house key was also in my locked car and my husband wasn't home) and then ran back to the gym (where I was locked out of my car at) and using their phone to call my husband to rescue me. I guess either way I got my work out in haha

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    1. I had to call my son out of school this year to let me in after I was locked out of the house. Sigh.

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  19. That sounds like a tough situation! I am pretty sure I can get to the real key inside the fob, but I should double check! That was really nice of them to give you a ride but it definitely would have made me nervous. I'm glad it all worked out ok!

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    1. Oh, I was nervous! I think that's why I shared it here. I'm still a little unsettled about it, but all's well that ends well.

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  20. I'm still doing the collagen thing, too. Any little bit, right?

    Damn girl, that's crazy about the strange car. There's no way in hell. I would have just run back home.

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    1. I know (so ashamed of myself and so grateful that nothing bad happened).

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  21. I'm married to an IT professional - oh geez, the electronics! When we moved he got rid of multiple boxes full of old hard drives. Some of them were <1 GB...I mean, when you have flash drives that hold more, surely it's past time for the hard drives to go?

    Could Cocoa be won over by visitors giving her treats? It sounds like she needs to learn to see them as friends instead of intruders...but I'm not a dog trainer, so treats are the only idea I have.

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    1. We've tried the treats and that hasn't always worked. Today my friend came over and she won Cocoa over by just hanging out with me and ignoring her. Soon enough, Cocoa was sitting by her and letting her pet her.

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  22. My dog was/is plenty socialized but still barks like crazy when she hears a knock on the door. She has also started having weird reactions to dogs when we are out and about. Maybe it is an adolescent thing? I know you have practice with that lol

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  23. Ooh, that book sounds interesting! I've got some extra reading time since I'm on a school break. Maybe I'll give this one a go.

    Hmmm....I'm not sure what I would have done in that situation. I have accepted help from strangers before but it always freaks me out. Although, I try to offer help to so somewhere there is someone saying the same thing about accepting help from me. I might have just run home, appointment or not.

    Unfortunately, I have no suggestions on what to do about your dog. Mine is ALL OVER people when they come over. As if she never gets any attention at all. I mean, she's a 60 pound lab and will happily climb in your lap if you sit down on the couch. Ugh. LOL

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    1. Let me know if you read it--it was pretty amazing and would be a fantastic book club selection. There are those naysayers who claim she is making it all up. Very interesting!

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  24. Hmm the car ride thing would have left me in a dilemma - I'm pretty paranoid so I may have run home. I'm glad it all worked out for you. Did you ever figure out why your car wouldn't open?

    Congrats again to your son! Must feel great to have all the college stuff settled.

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    1. Yes and no--we're settled to a certain extent but we still have a lot of things to figure out. Like finances. Ugh.

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  25. I think that is one of those situations where you have to "trust your gut". It sounds like you did and it worked out! Still scary though...

    Also, congrats on your son's college decision! I love UW-Madison! My sister-in-law goes there and runs for the team! She is about to graduate though.

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    1. It was just really unsettling and I'm glad I have good instincts. Even after it was all over with, it just felt weird.

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  26. Oh I would def feel the same uneasiness if I was in the same situation! I am glad you got home safe and it all worked out!
    Yay for your son getting accepted to UW Madison! I loved spending time up in WI when I was in college in the Chicago burbs.
    I would talk to you about some of the dogs in my life who think they can take down anyone!

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  27. Congrats on the college acceptance! It's wonderful that he's going to a school you have such a fond connection to.

    Decluttering feels so good. It must have been great to get all of that stuff out of your house. I can relate to your husband's last minute panic about it. We have a charity that picks up at our house and sometimes I see the boxes going into the truck and think, "Oh no - what if I need something I got rid of?"

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    1. I used to panic like that but now I've come to the realization that I haven't regretted getting rid of anything!

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  28. Congrats to your son. It's awesome that you'll have another excuse to visit your favorite city! I hear you on the out-of-state tuition. One of our sons went out-of-state as well. Thank goodness for 529's and planning ahead!

    I once got into a tractor trailer when my car broke down on I-81 when I was 23. :-( The driver was nice and took me to a nearby truck stop to get help. Thinking back to what could have happened sends chills down my spine... Glad all turned out okay for your, too.

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    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one who did something uncomfortable and it turned out ok.

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  29. Congrats to your son!! I've never been to Madison but I haven't even been to Chicago before...I need to get out more!

    That stinks about your electronics drop...do you have to get a new microwave too?

    The car situation...sigh, definitely unsettling. I'm glad nothing bad happened. I definitely feel you on that one.

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  30. Congrats to your son!! So exciting

    Yeah that car situation would have freaked me too..im glad it was harmless

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  31. Aww, congrats to your son! My friend's fiance matched into one of the residency programs over there, so I'm gonna have to plan a trip out to visit her at some point!

    I'm glad the car situation turned out okay!

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  32. Congratultions to your son! I've been to Madison and loved it there, a place I could see myself living (although as a Brit used to windy roads, the grid plus diagonals street layout confused me a bit). And I wouldn't have got in the car, but I'm not sure what I'd have done!

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