What a Pain

My roommate's dog Ruckus bit my face -yes I said face- this weekend.  He has truly lived up to his name, and although I am a lover of dogs, I am coming to terms with that fact that my admiration for this particular four-legged friend is not reciprocated.  There was no provoking, no foul-play, just the dog's sudden disinterest in me (half of my face to be exact) that led to this traumatizing event.  In my own impromtu "It's Me or the Dog" scenario, my roommate and I discussed our options.  Not one to break up the bond between master and pet, I suggested my roommate take the devil dog to behavioral classes to see if his temperment could be changed.  Tomorrow as I apply Neosporin to my injuries, Ruckus will be at doggy boot camp.  Stay tuned for the results....

On a different note, the rest of my week has been spent searching for reasonably priced airfare to the Canary Islands, a task that I thought would be simple but has turned out to be nearly impossible.  As a graduation present for Jessica, my mother rented us a condo for the week of March 12-18.  I chose the Canary Islands since Jessica and I have never been but have always wanted to visit. Flights into Europe are a dime a dozen but flights from Europe to the Canaries are few and far between.  As time ticks on, the prices are going up, but with limited vacation hours, Jessica and I are unable to find round trip tickets for less than $2000! 

In the past, I have relied on RyanAir to hop between cities, but they only offer one flight a day at 6AM to Tenerife.  Jessica, we may be canoeing to our resort come March!  If anyone reading has a suggestion, please let me know, I feel hopeless! 

.....Must Have.....

We all have been in line at the grocery store and have reached for a magazine to pass the time.  Many, like myself, flip directly to a specific section to browse our favorite column.  In Style readers scan the "Deals & Steals" page, Cooking Light followers peruse "The Hungry Traveler" column.  But my all-time favorite go-to read is Real Simple's "New Uses for Old Things" which offers easy and creative ways to get maximum use out of everyday items that can be found around the house.  In celebration of their 10th anniversary, the writers of Real Simple released 869 of their favorite new uses for old things.  Some of my favorite ideas are:  

An old picture frame as a vanity tray

Life Savers as colorful candle holders

A jumprope as a playful ribbon

The book is chock-full of great solutions to life's little problems like where to store all those loose buttons (an ice tray) and how to properly portion your pancake (squeeze the batter from an old ketchup bottle).  So crack open this book, pour yourself a glass of wine, and enjoy. But don't forget to save the cork, the material is perfect for emergency earring backers!

.....Must Hear.....

"What You Wish For" Guster