Dispatches from the home of Angie’s List magazine.
After raising the little guy from five weeks old, my puppy Sherman has begun to rebel. Last week, I caught him drinking from the toilet bowl.
Yes, my dog Sherman has developed a taste for the toilet water. I can’t say this development surprised me. Every dog turns to the flushable water at some point in time, right? (Please say yes!)
At first, I was in denial mode. Continue reading ‘My dog’s love for toilet water’
Au revoir, Blue House Blog. Au revoir, “List-en up!” Au revoir, Angie’s List magazine.
After nearly two years of working at Angie’s List, I’m both sad and happy to say I’m moving on. I’m sad because I’ll no longer be producing content for this blog, the Angie’s List podcast, or the magazine. I’ll be sad to wave goodbye to the wonderful people I’ve worked with. But I’m happy because I’ve been granted a wonderful opportunity at the Humane Society of Indianapolis, where I’ll be sharing their mission with the community and helping homeless animals find families - something very near and dear to my heart. Continue reading ‘Leaving the List’
We held our second-annual Angie’s List Publication Department outing this past weekend. A group of about 12 of us headed to the country to my parents’ house to go camping and much more. Our department now tops 30 people, but many folks apparently prefer to stay within the city limits. Others didn’t want to subject us to their crankiness after a night in a damp, bug-infested tent on the hard ground. I don’t know why that doesn’t sound like fun to them. But, hey, I’m a country girl.
The group that did attend had a great time. Continue reading ‘Dog-driven golf cart nearly causes disaster’
Like Lindsay and YaShekia, I’m house-hunting. It’s for all the usual reasons — it’s a good investment, I’d like to have more space, and after a few years of renting, it’s time to take the next step and buy a home.
I’m not too picky. A safe neighborhood and good resale value are two of my top priorities, and of course I want a home that’s affordable and in good condition. But when it comes to the interior, there aren’t too many must-haves on my list. As long as the kitchen has enough room for a table and chairs, I don’t need a formal dining room. I don’t need a family room and a nicer living room, either — I don’t have that much furniture anyway. I’m not someone who simply has to have a fireplace. No dishwasher? No problem. (Although it certainly would be nice to have one.) But one of the main things I’m looking for has nothing to do with what’s inside the house: I want a fenced-in backyard for my dog. Continue reading ‘A house, a yard, a dog, and a dishwasher: House-hunting begins’
Giant hairballs are taking over my house. In the eight years I’ve had my dog, Buddy, I’ve never seen him shed as much as he has this year. We bought a shearing tool to combat the furry problem, but nothing seems to work. Buddy doesn’t think it’s a problem — he truly enjoys all the attention he gets while we brush him. I, however, am fed up.
Although I’ve considered it in the past, I’ve never taken him to a dog groomer. He is a very high-strung Border Collie and Dalmatian mix, so I worry about the stress of taking him to a stranger to be shaved. Continue reading ‘Shedding dog creates hairy situation in home’
My eyes are itchy, my throat is scratchy and I can’t stop sneezing. I thought my allergies were worse than usual this year, and I’m not the only one in my household suffering. Gus, my youngest Great Dane, is having a terrible time as well. We’ve spent nearly a billion dollars (maybe that’s an exaggeration) in vet bills trying to find out what’s causing his discomfort.
Gus’s incessant scratching has caused us many sleepless nights, and it seems that every day he looks more and more like a Chupacabra (another reason not to sleep at night). Continue reading ‘Aller-gee wiz’
As I was once told by the proprietor of a pet funeral home, “Animals break your heart just once.” Gwenhyvar Pixie-Bob Trouble Pogue never broke my heart until the day she died. (Her name is like that because we nicknamed her “Pixie-Bob” despite not actually being that breed; Trouble is there because any cat owner will tell you that “trouble” is ALWAYS a cat’s middle name.)
It came rather suddenly a month ago. Continue reading ‘A cat-shaped hole in the heart’
I’m by no means rich, which means sometimes I have to settle for less. Like, I’m not really thinking about such grand luxuries as remarriages at this stage in my life. I’m more concerned with convincing the right girl I’m not some sort of waif.
But, alas, that’s the life of an impecunious intern and college student. Once I amass enough wealth, my first goal is to move out of my apartment building, buy it and level it (my second goal is to buy the choice items pictured at right). That purchase might take time, of course, but I’m convinced it would be the best fate for my apartment complex, an edifice of ugly.
I’ve lived in a horde of rentals. I’ve had noisy neighbors and have been the noisy neighbor, both of which are equally stressful. That’s why I’d like to one day become a homeowner. Continue reading ‘Life is rich’
A popular topic of conversation here in the Blue House is our pets. Not only do we talk about them, we blog about them. You’ve seen Conor’s and Mandy’s new puppies on this site, and Brittany’s dog, Buddy, taking over her new patio.
I have a dog, too, but she’s not very playful. At the age of 15, my beloved Cocker Spaniel mix Penny, rescued from the humane society as a puppy, spends her days eating and sleeping (that’s her picture, taken 13 years ago). The arthritis in her back legs prevents her from bounding up the deck steps these days, so she needs assistance when she goes out to do her business. She generally moves very slowly, but there’s still a strong wag in her tail and a shine in her eyes.
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but I now know an old dog remembers old tricks. Continue reading ‘Old dog remembers old tricks’
My chief goal this summer was to rip out my unsightly, peeling and warped deck, and replace it with a paver brick patio. Working at Angie’s List, I’ve learned a lot while interviewing home-improvement specialists for our magazine’s Comparative Shopper column and other stories. Advice on how to improve my home’s resale value always gets my attention. So, that said, I knew replacing the deck with a patio that not only looks lovely but is also maintenance free was the way to go.
My husband, however, chalked the idea up to a womanly impulse to spend our hard-earned money and nearly chickened out at the last minute. He hated the deck, but he said, “I can build a new one… installing a patio can’t be that difficult, I can do it myself.” Now, that’s a manly impulse. Continue reading ‘The battle of man vs. wife’
