Three Random Things

 Here's just a weird collection of "stuff:"

1. Dogs.  Boy I tell you.  Dogs are smart.  They are so good at training us dumb humans.  Our older dog would get 2 meals a day (before the puppy).  She got dry food, a drizzle of low sodium chicken broth, and a scoop of canned dog food.  It's the highlight of her day- twice a day.  With the puppy I was going to be very disciplined.  She was not going to get all that nonsense, or table food, or extra treats.  She doesn't get table food- unless she steals it (Alexa tends to not pay attention, and I'm sorry if you leave a peanut butter and jelly sandwich unattended a dog is gonna get it.).  A few weeks ago, the puppy started this weird thing.  We feed both dogs at the same time, not in the same place.  But Dixie (the puppy) would sit about 6-8 feet from Gracie (far enough to be appropriately respectful, but close enough to swoop in and check out the bowl when Gracie had completely finished) while Gracie ate.  She would wait to eat her meal, until Gracie was done.  It took about a week, but I figured out she was waiting to eat, so she could check Gracie's bowl and lick any potential residue (although there is NEVER a spot left).  After Dixie thoroughly checked Gracie's bowl, Dixie would eat.  I figured out that Dixie realized Gracie got something a little something extra.  Now Dixie gets canned food in her meals too.  I mean- if you can't spoil your dog, who can you spoil!?  They're meant to be spoiled.  And I do it happily.  

2. I decided to cut all processed sugar from my diet for 21 days.  I'm 3 full days in.  Only 18 more to go.  I do not drink alcohol.  For real.  Throughout this whole quarantine, I've had 3 drinks.  2 of them were on the first day.  I have nothing against it, it's just not what I choose to indulge in.  I choose sugar.  Any form.  Ice cream, cookies, cake, candy, chocolate . . . you name it.  I like sugar.  Surprisingly, I do not eat a lot of processed sugar in my actual food.  My mother has been training me up for years.  I don't drink coffee creamer, or eat bread that has sugar hiding in it. I make my oatmeal from scratch and do not add any sugar or honey to it.  It's sweet enough with the fruit.  I like sugary snacks- but my meals are not full of hidden sugars.  The sugary snacks had gotten ridiculous though.  I ate a family sized bag of chocolate in 3 days.  On my own.  I still ate ice cream on those days, and maybe another sugary treat.  I decided to go processed sugar free the first week of school.  Between school stress, and the fact we discovered a major home repair that needs to be done . . . all without laying on the couch eating ice cream and pouting??  It's going better than I thought, but it's tough tonight.  I'm stressing tonight. I would love some Tillamook ice cream.  Ain't gonna lie.  

3. My school is all remote teaching and learning right now.  When you think about it- this is a super bizarre thing.  I teach in my bedroom.  Doug teaches up in the bonus room.  We run back and forth to each other for tech trouble-shooting throughout the day.  Or we run to Andrew's laptop to see what he sees on the student side. My children come in and flop down on the bed, or up on the couch, and ask us for help.  I jump up and run to my bathroom and worry- "SHOOT!!! Can the students on my computer hear me peeing?!"  It's so weird to be so . . . entwined in each other's day.  That part is not unpleasant. 

Those are my 3 random things.