Anton vs. the NINJA

Anton and I went fishing and hunting on Saturday a little ways out of St. Anthony.  It was nice to get out and do something together.  We didn't catch any fish (which I am thankful for).  It was a very interesting hunting experience, though.
After trudging through snow up to my knees, we made it to this rather large pond--lo and behold, there was a duck swimming on the pond (something I later wondered if I should have kept to myself--Anton didn't see him).  When we start toward the duck, he goes the opposite direction--we change direction, the duck changes direction.  So we split up, Anton goes around one side and I go around the other.  When we get to where the duck is, he's hiding in the reeds in the pond, so Anton puts on his waders and goes into the pond while I wait by the bank.  He's practically on the other side, when the duck comes paddling, nonchalantly on past me, at which point I call out to Anton and tell him where the duck is.  He gets out of the pond as quickly as possible, runs over to me, aims at the duck and shoots.

At the exact moment he pulled the trigger, the duck dived under the water, dodging the bullets by a fraction of a millisecond--the matrix had nothing on this duck, I tell ya what.  Weird.  So Anton reloads, aims, and pulls the trigger again.  By now we realize this is a ninja duck.  Seriously.  He didn't even try to get away, he just dived under the water like he could see the bullets coming toward him and just happened to be faster.  Than the bullets.
Anyway, Anton's a good hunter, and really good shot, so he finally gets the duck... but there's a little problem.  It's in the middle of the pond.  Anton wades in, but his waders only go up to his thighs, and the water's too deep in the middle of the pond (the duck was not in the middle of the pond, when Anton shot him, by the way).  He's just barely out of Anton's reach.  Dead ninja duck taunts us.
So Anton says he's coming back.  Two seconds later I hear, "WHOO, that's COLD!" as Anton is chest deep in the water, and only about five feet from the duck.  But he turns around and comes back because he's afraid of what will happen to the stuff in his pockets.  As he's coming out of the pond--I wish I could have gotten a picture of this--his waders are full of water, he's carrying like 10 gallons of pond water in each leg.
As he hands me his phone, which is completely water-logged, and the keys, he discovers his wallet is gone.  Panic sets in.  His wallet has his driver's license, his green card, everything that could possibly be of value, is in his wallet... in the pond.  Dead ninja duck strikes again.
Well, he wades back in, back tracks, prays (possibly apologizing to the ninja duck in his prayer...?), and eventually finds his wallet.  So we trudge again through the snow, Anton soaking wet this time, back to the car and head home.  We left the duck.

On the bright side, we had pheasant for dinner.  Roasted in the oven with seasoning, strips of bacon, onions, and carrots.  After 20 minutes, we removed the bacon and slathered cream of mushroom all over it and let it cook for another 35 minutes.  It was amazing.  Served with yummy potatoes and a fresh green salad.  I didn't know I would like pheasant so much; it's the best bird I've ever tasted, though.  : )

Sicky Sick

I told Jeri we needed to see more pictures, to which she claimed I have not been reading her blog because she posts hundreds... so I checked and realized it has been a while.

Anton got sick last week, he was sick for like 5 days, all through General Conference and everything. I feel badly because I didn't think it was that bad for him... our thermometer broke and I didn't know all of his symptoms.
Then I woke up Thursday with a fever.  I had a dentist appointment and I still went.  Also, Anton was gone on a hunting trip so I had to ride my bike all over town for school and appointments. (I'm terribly out of shape!) So, the dentist shot me up several times AND gave me laughing gas.
By the time I got home, all the dental drugs combined with my fever and the hormones indicating the coming of a special time of month made me really weird.  The odd sensation of drool dripping down my right side and having no control over my facial expressions only contributed to how weird I was, and I started posting random things on people's Facebook walls.  Like how I wanted to cry for Shantal's baby duck, and something about Neemeepoo to Kallan...
Anyway, I was exhausted.  Every part of my body ached--even my eyes, it hurt to look at anything.  I felt shaky and weak and I didn't really eat because by the time I got home all I think about was sleep...and I really should have paid more attention to Anton when it happened to him.  Luckily for me, he's nicer and he took care of me when he got home from his hunting trip Friday night.

He didn't get anything on his trip, though.  That place is supposedly an area where trophy-sized bucks roam and it's only open for a week, but there were none.  He saw a lot of does but he only had a buck tag.  He was so disappointed.  : (  Maybe next time.

I've decided I want a sewing machine for Christmas.  Or my birthday.  I'm going to sew.  Since the school is giving me 76 credits for free to do whatever I want with, I am going to take sewing, cooking, piano lessons, and some outdoor recreation classes.  I think I'm more excited for these than I am to actually get my degree.

We got moved from teaching the Sunbeams to the CTR 7 class.  I'm going to miss the little munchkins.  Anton said he will miss them too! : )

It's a good thing Anton and I talk about child-rearing practices (mostly I make him talk about it) because we were definitely not on the same page three years ago.  So I come home and talk with him about what I learn in my classes.  Usually he listens to me.  We still differ on some issues, though.  I'll convert him to my ways soon enough.

My hair faded back to it's natural color.  Good thing, because I don't really feel like dyeing it all the time.
All the vegetables in our garden are gone... : (  We didn't get to harvest the watermelons.  We planted them too late and it's already started freezing.
I miss playing night games.  And camping.
I love vinegar.

Lullabies in Rexburg

A couple nights ago, Anton told me that he needs to "come up with a lullaby." He meant alibi.  I think I like lullaby better...

Anyway, we were talking about future plans (mostly he was talking and I was agreeing with everything he said because I was playing chess on my phone--I'd turned it up to be as difficult as it could get), and we've decided to stay in Rexburg for a few more years after we graduate.  Unless Anton finds a higher paying job elsewhere, which is not as likely since he already has an in here.

The good part of that is that I can take any classes I want even after I'm graduated because everything will be free for me.  I'll be able to learn tons of things...sewing, cooking, horseback riding, piano lessons, art, finance, outdoor recreation--I could drop Junior off at the school's baby place for an hour, while I go mountaineering, come home and play with baby--awesome day.  Also, we could take trips without having to worry about school.

Plus, when you work for the Church in one place, you can work for the church anywhere.  We could even work for the church in Ukraine for a while if things work out.  Then I could be teaching my kids English instead of Russian, which would be easier for me, obviously, since I don't speak Russian.

The down side of this decision...staying in Rexburg.  There's an apartment complex that hosts parties quite often.  They use a loud speaker and I can hear it like it's in my front yard.  Why does it have to be so loud?  I know where they are it's not that close to me.  And there are those stupid trains.  Also, Rexburg is the ugliest place I've ever lived.  There's not a whole lot to do here either, except go to school.  I could go on, and on.  I could also probably find things I hate about any place I live.  So, I've decided to try and get to like Rexburg.  Use earplugs at night, maybe.  Find fun things to do that I just don't know about.  Overcome my snobbishness about Rexburg being ugly.  Try making friends...

Creepy, Creepy, Creepy

At 3:30 this morning, I heard footsteps outside my window.  My window was open because it was super hot, and I had pulled the curtains open to let more night air in, and I had a reading lamp on.  Anyway, I'm laying there, reading, about to go to sleep--I wasn't sleepy before and reading makes me sleepy (also it's an interesting book)-- when I hear, very clearly, someone walking outside my window.  Slowly.  Like a creeper.  And then it stops.  I wait for a few minutes, thinking, maybe who-ever-it-was walked away and I can't hear the footsteps anymore...but then I heard him (or her) move, right outside my window!  I was a little freaked out because there is nothing there--outside my window--it's just my house, so why would someone stop and be staring at my house?  I usually don't lock the door because I think it's silly, but Anton made me promise to do it that night and I did, thank goodness.  The creeper is now walking back and forth, pacing right by my window.  I thought about saying, "Honey, there's someone outside our window, go grab the gun!" Even though I was completely alone because Anton was at work.  But then the creeper started walking away.  Good thing, too, because I really did have a gun (five of them).  I haven't told Anton yet, because I'm pretty sure he would freak out and get all excited about shooting some criminal-- who may have even been some innocent person out for a walk...by our house.

And on to less creepy things... This morning I made breakfast--Yay!  I cooked some leftover rice and fried zucchini, and added  real bacon bits, and I cooked an egg--which is unusual for me because I hate eggs.  The only reason I did do an egg, was so I could use my cute, tiny, one-egg pan that Anton gave me like a year-ago.  Unfortunately, it didn't taste very good.  I was pretty disappointed.  And it made my house smell gross... I think I'll stick with pancakes or cereal from now on.

So, here is a picture of me with my black-ish hair (that Anton took), which is also on facebook.

Funny Story

Anton and I went to the store to get some things, but when we got there I didn't feel like going in, so I gave him the list and told him I'd be hangin' out in the car.  When he comes back (with way more than what was on the list) he said, "So, when you said mascara... did you mean eye liner...?"  For some reason I felt like this was going to happen.  "No, if I wanted eye liner, I would have written...eye liner... on the list instead of mascara."
Also, during a special time of month for me when I was feeling particularly depressed, he came home and said, "Honey, I got you something that will make you feel better."  Guess what he had.  Go ahead, you'll never guess.  Was it chocolate?  That's what I was thinking when he said it would make me feel better.  Nope.  Orange flavored gummy bears!  Firstly, I hate gummy bears.  Secondly, I hate anything orange flavored.  But he was so sincere and actually thought that would make me feel better because--this is what he said, "Look! Tiny, little bears!"  I just laughed...and wished I had chocolate.

And now...we are having rabbit for dinner.  For real.  Anton went spotlighting this morning before the sun came up, and he got a rabbit.  And we're eating it for dinner tonight.  I put some veggies, from my garden : ) together and seasoned them to put in the oven and bake to go with his rabbit, which he is cooking according to an Italian recipe he found.  Incidentally, he swears he was supposed to be Italian instead of Ukrainian.  I think I'll wait until after dinner to post this so I can include how it turns out.

Okay.  That may have just been the best dinner Anton and I have ever made together.  Honestly, I didn't think I would like rabbit.  Turns out, there is pretty much no fat or gristle and maybe it was the way Anton cooked it, but it tasted pretty darn good.  And my veggie concoction was a piece of heaven.

I will share what I did:  Cut up some potatoes, carrots, zucchini (those were all the ones I had, Anton used the others for his part), seasoned them with onion powder, garlic salt, seasoned salt, pepper, and some mesquite chicken seasoning, and then I sprinkled olive oil and real bacon bits all over it and baked it in the oven.  Amazing!

P.S.  I dyed my hair for the first time in my life.  It was supposed to be darkest brown...but it turned black.  It was a couple weeks ago, and now it has faded to darkest brown.  I think I like it.  I think I will stay dark forever.

Hello, is it me you're looking for...

So, the blogger layout has changed since I've been away... from writing.  I finally feel like I have time--because I do have time.  And now I don't really know what to do with all of it.  Cleaned the house, bought some books for the next semester, started doing homework for next semester... and I still have lots of time.  I'm going to have to find a hobby or something.  I will be taking a class over the summer break, though, and doing a lot of reading for my literature class in the fall.
Gardening takes time.  A lot more time than I thought.  I spent several hours weeding the other day.  And that was only three carrot rows.  We are learning many, many things about gardening.  Like that we should have planted way earlier, watered more often when we first plated, and thought about what exactly we were planting (we have way too many radishes.  I don't even really like radishes.  I think Anton just discovered they're not exactly his favorite either).  Our garden is looking better than it did.  Before it looked like a bunch of weeds growing randomly throughout our garden space; now it looks like a small, week garden, but still a garden. I think Rebecca and Lavar (our landlords who live in the other half of the duplex) secretly help us with it (their side looks like a tropical rain forest).
Anyway, I like Child Development much better than any of my other majors.  Not just because it's easier (which it is), but also because I feel like it's more valuable and something I would use more.  Took my last Russian class.  Got an A.  Still don't speak Russian... ; (
I think I'm getting better at cooking.  More often, that is, not better at cooking food that tastes good.  Oh, we moved again ( 3 months ago)... not sure if I mentioned that before.  We live in a house now, it's pretty sweet.  We have a back yard, and a front yard, garage, hammock, grill, garden, all sorts of cool, homey stuff.  That about sums it all up.

I despise food.

We did some spring cleaning yesterday...can't believe how much useless crap we had in our closets all this time.  I had been wondering what was in all those boxes in there. We pretty much filled up the dumpster outside.  And gave the rest to DI.  I feel so free now...

I've been kind of obsessed with smelly things.  When I try to put some scented oil or wax in a stone thing and light a candle under it, the smell is too strong, but when I use this thing you plug into the wall with a light to heat the wax, it's not strong enough (to cover up the cooking smell).  I can't find the right one and it's driving me crazy.  I don't want to cook because the smell lingers and I smell it all the time.  And I hate it.  So we only eat sandwiches or pancakes.

Speaking of cooking (or not cooking)... I finally watched "If You Could Only Cook."  Loved it!  I couldn't watch it before because Alan's old X-box wouldn't play it.  It was so funny!  And the main gangster's right hand guy reminded me a lot of Kyle, for some reason.  Maybe it was his smile.

Anton really wants to steal Logan's kitty.  He misses having a fun little kitty to play with (because we would watch Shantal's when she went out of town-- which was often).  I would like to have a baby pet (only a baby one, though).  But I hate animal hair.
That's pretty much everything in our lives.