Family

...now browsing by category

 

Goodbye Lunchbox

Tuesday, May 14th, 2019

Shit. I wish I had a good way to start this post, but I don’t. I tried about 10 different things, and they all suck. You’d think that somewhere in the last week (or months) a good lede would have come to me, but nothing has. Pretty much as long as Shae and I have been the Lorigans, Lunchbox has been a part of the family. He’s been with us through everything: the good, the bad, and everything in between. And now he’s not. Shit.

I apologize in advance for the length of the rambling below. Lunchbox has been a huge part of our lives and I have a lot to say. Hard to believe, but Lunchbox is more than just a hilarious name even if that’s pretty much everyone’s initial reaction upon meeting him.

Back on April 28th, 2007, Shae and I were focused on a little event called our wedding. While we were busy with BBQ, beer, horseshoes, and a margarita fountain (and that whole ceremony thing too, I guess), we had no way of knowing that about 400 miles away there was a completely separate event that would also shape the next 12 years of our lives. We wouldn’t find out until three months later, but while Shae and I were saying our vows and partying, the dog who would be named Lunchbox was being born in Ramona, CA.

Like so many other things Shae and I have done, the decision to get a dog was made with almost no planning. From the day we’d moved into our house we had talked about getting a dog “someday”, but were never really serious about it. Then, one evening in July we saw a couple walking their dog and said, “Pretty dog! Screw it, let’s get a puppy!” An hour or so on Craigslist searching for Labrador puppies and a couple of emails later, we had an appointment to look at some pups. We drove to Ramona the next day to look at the Lab puppies and, shockingly, they were adorable. The smallest of the pups was ridiculously skinny, and clearly the other dogs took all of his food. Of course, as we interacted with the puppies the little guy was the one who came up to us and instantly bonded with Shae and me. There was no question, we’d found our dog. I wish there was some great story about the dog’s name, but honestly his name comes from a movie where someone called another character a “Tubby Lunchbox” and I thought Lunchbox would be a great name for a dog.

We knew Lunchie was really scrawny, but it wasn’t until we looked back at photos that we realized just how dangerously skinny he was. It was a good thing we adopted him when we did, or who knows what would have happened to the guy. We started him in training about a week after we brought him home, and our trainer was appalled at how thin he was. Once we explained that he’d actually put on several pounds since we got him she decided not to report us for puppy starvation, but she still made sure to monitor the little guy’s growth. The first puppy class was somewhere between sad and hilarious. Lunchbox wanted so badly to play with the other puppies, but he was also terrified so he hid out under our chair and peed a lot. A week later he realized he was missing out on a great thing and he became the wild dog of puppy class. He’d go on to be a 2x Top Dog and get his Canine Good Citizenship certificate, but I’ll never forget his cowering under the chair the first day.

For the first year and a half of his life, wherever we went the Box went with us. He was well known at Jitters (our neighborhood coffee shop) and Trolley Stop (our neighborhood deli). He was a huge “help” around the house on all of our projects, especially painting. We even took him with us on our annual camping trip to Death Valley. Because the rocks and ground were so hot, we got him some special hiking boots. He looked completely ridiculous, but for whatever reason he thought they were fun and just went crazy running around whenever we put them on him. Back in those days, Lunchbox was an occasional contributor to this blog (with a pretty foul mouth) and had his own Twitter account. Mr. Box would have been happy for things to continue on the way they were, but then in October of 2008 his life was thrown into chaos by the arrival of two tiny little people.

From the day we brought Ella and Jackson home, Lunchbox was obsessed with them; they were HIS babies. He guarded them while they slept, and would sleep by their crib if they were crying. He even got to go on lots of walks around the neighborhood with the kiddos riding in their stroller. Sadly for the pup, over time the kids took more and more of our attention and he got less. Lunchie didn’t get to go everywhere with us like he used to, but I think he was happy with the trade to have his kiddos. Jackson, especially, had a special bond with his yellow dog and we could always count on Lunchbox to calm Jackson down if needed.

We still aren’t entirely sure what happened, but in the summer of 2014 the Lorigan humans made a trip to Disneyland and left the Lorigan dog at his normal kennel. We don’t know if it was bad food, the ridiculous heat, some combination, or something completely different, but when we picked up LB from the kennel he was in awful shape. The kennel spun some story about him being sick when he got there, but that was complete bullshit (we obviously never took him or any dog back there and made sure to recommend against them to anyone who asked). He was severely dehydrated, and had several other issues. We took him to a 24-hour vet and got some fluids into him, but he still wasn’t great. Over the next few days, our pup seemed to get over the initial issues but he was having serious problems. Based on discussions with our vet, we were fairly certain LB had some pretty serious issues and only had a few weeks or (best case) months. We basically decided to just enjoy the time we had left, while also starting the search for our next pup. We thought if Lunchie could hold out until we got the puppy maybe he could pass on some of that great training (did I mention he was a 2x Top Dog?)

Of course, we had no idea what was in store for us when we brought Whiskey into our home. I have no idea why, but bringing home a new pup seemed to completely revitalize Lunchbox. The second we brought her into the house he started jumping around and playing with her like he was young again. Shae and I were both shocked, it was like he jumped in a time machine. Over the next couple of weeks, LB was still our grumpy old man-dog, but most of his health issues just magically resolved themselves. I still have no clue why he turned around, but we have enjoyed the past five years with him.

The move to Colorado was an adjustment for Lunchbox. He loved his new yard, but the stairs were not his jam (I’ll miss a lot of things about the Box, but the barking at the bottom of the stairs until he realized he could just walk up them won’t be one). Then there was his battle with a deer. Well, battle may be giving LB too much credit; the deer went after him while he was…ummm…relieving himself…and gave him a nice puncture in his side to go with bruises from being dragged around the yard. And, of course, the snow…oh the snow. Our San Diego dog had no interest in that white stuff. While Whiskey would run around having the time of her life in the snow, Lunchie just gave us his snow look, turned back around, and ran back in the house.

Several times since the incident five years ago, Lunchbox has seemed like he was on his last legs and then managed to bounce back. About once a year we were prepped for the end and then a few days later he’d be back to his normal grumpy self. This time, he didn’t bounce back. After a rough week or so, last night Lunchie’s rear legs completely gave out and he was extremely uncomfortable all night. This morning, we took Lunchbox into the vet and had him put down. The vet was amazing at helping us deal with things, but Shae and I were still a complete mess.

So, I guess that’s it. Lunchbox was an amazing member of our family and the perfect dog for us. Today is tough: the kids are crushed, Whiskey is confused, and Shae and I are just trying to hold it together. I can’t imagine life without him, but I guess we’re going to figure that out. I’ll miss him running to greet us with a sock in his mouth, even though the sock was buried under 10 of his toys. I’ll miss the looks from everyone around me when I yell out Lunchbox’s name in a crowded dog park. If I’m being honest, I’m even going to miss his stupid barking at the bottom the stairs.

Thanks, Lunchbox. Sleep well, buddy.

Dear Niblick Dr,

Wednesday, May 31st, 2017

To our little house on Niblick Dr:  I just want to say thank you.  Thank you for being the perfect first home for us.  Thank you for protecting us during the storms and keeping us safe.  Thank you for putting up with the crazy kids and dogs and our numerous house guests.  Thank you for teaching us so much about home ownership.

 

From the moment we walked in, 10 years ago, I knew right away that Niblick Dr would be our home.  It was quirky and had a ton of personality, and we instantly fell in love.  Over the years we have added our own little touches and turned it into our home.  Sure, we never got to do some of the projects we had in mind, but that didn’t make it any less “home” for us.  

 

Over the last 10 years, Niblick Dr, has held many firsts for us.  Soon after moving in, Pat and I got our first dog together.  Lunchbox may be a cranky, potty mouthed, old man now, but as soon as we got him, he fit right in!

 

After Lunchbox we found out that I was pregnant!  Pat and I put so much work into getting their room perfect for them.  I like how they have shared a room all these years, but I guess it’s time for them to each have their own space at the new house.  

 

Niblick Drive is the first and only house the twins have ever lived in.  The day we brought them them home it really made our house feel complete.  This is the house they took their first steps in and said their first words in.  The first time one of them got sick and I had to sit in a cool bathtub with them was in this house.  The first time they rode a bike and the first time they fell off their bikes was here too.  Over the years we have marked the passage of time on the hallway doorjamb as we watched them grow taller and taller.  The doorjamb has gotten rather dirty and gross as time has gone by, and I just haven’t been able to bring myself to clean it.  I feel like if I do, and all the markings come off, I won’t remember what it was like when they were at each stage.  I know it is rather silly since I have a million pictures from those times, but I just can’t do it.  I did transfer all those marks to a piece or parchment paper so I can put them in the new house, but it won’t be the same.  

 

 

Our little house on Niblick Dr has seen us at our highest and lowest points.  It is where Pat and I learned what it meant to be married and where we took that marriage and made it into a true partnership.  I almost feel like starting our life in a smaller home forced us to be in the same room together and hash out any problems that have come up.  It makes me feel better about moving into such a large home where we will each have our own spaces.  So again, thank you Niblick Drive for helping us create this amazing life we have and for holding onto so many memories.  You will be missed.

Update From Lunchbox

Tuesday, May 30th, 2017

Hey everyone! Long time no blog. I’d like to blame the humans for not letting me on the laptop anymore, but honestly I’m just too old and tired to be bothered to share my awesome thoughts with the world. Oh, and my toenails are too long. Well, since I recently got a trim and there’s a ton to fill you guys in on, I decided to sneak Mommy’s laptop out of her bag and let you guys know what’s really going on.

A ton has changed since last time I put paw to keyboard, most notably that the annoying babies have turned into even more annoying kids. However, there is one thing that bears mentioning above the rest: the little bitch. The humans scold me when I call her that, but what else do you call a female dog who’s smaller than you? They call her Whiskey, but I’m pretty sure that’s just because they’re alcoholics and now no one can tell if they’re getting drunk or scolding the brown monster. Whatever her name is, a little over two years ago the humans brought home the insane monstrosity known as Whiskey. Sure, she started out cute but that got old about a month later when she chewed on my shoulder so much that I had to go into surgery to get a tiny little tumor removed (fine Dad, it was huge and gross). Anyway, the tumor wasn’t a problem for almost 8 years until she showed up. Since then, it’s been week after week of torture from my new “sister”. She’s always stealing my bed, stealing attention, and getting both of us in trouble. I’m sure I’m supposed to say I love her, so sure. Whatever. If you think she’s cute, you live with her. I could go on for hours about how annoying Whiskey is, but lately there’s more going on I need to fill you in on.

I’m not really sure what’s going on, but there is weird shit going on with the humans. It started a couple of months ago with putting a bunch of stuff in boxes. They were nice enough to avoid any of my stuff, but they did pack up a lot of the small human’s toys that I use when I can’t find my toys fast enough. Then, a weird sign appeared in the front yard. Shortly after, things got REALLY weird. All kinds of new people started coming by the house. You’d think that would annoy me, but it was great! Every time someone new came by, I got to go for a walk (which is awesome, even if the bitch has to go too). Occasionally, we’d even go to parks, restaurants, etc. It was like the old days, before the small humans took over. Lately the visitors have dropped off, but the packing has picked up again. Today, three strangers came over and put everything we own in boxes. They even boxed up almost all of my toys (I’d be annoyed, but brown poop-monster steals them all anyway). 

I’m not sure what’s going on, but the humans keep talking about how we are going to be “Colorado dogs” or “snow dogs”. So, when the humans were at dinner tonight I did a little Googling and figured out that Colorado is a state halfway across the country. Don’t even get me started on this “snow” shit. I watched some videos of dogs playing in snow that look like tons of fun, if you’re three or four. I’m 10! I’m way too old for this shit! I also looked up how long I’m going to have to share the back of the car with the beast. Three days?!? No thanks. Maybe whoever moves into our house wants an awesome, super-smart, well behaved “mature” dog.

That’s what’s going on in the life of Lunchbox lately. Annoying kids, super-annoying sister, and now this whole moving thing. So, basically the humans continue to suck and I continue to pay the consequences.

 

Shit Show

Sunday, April 30th, 2017

Holy.  Shit.  You guys, selling and buying a house totally sucks balls!!  I swear, there really needs to be a tv crew following us around filming this comedy/shit show.  So, lets just start at the beginning shall we.  

After our open house we had a great offer on our house that we accepted.  It was taking awhile to get their deposit in so our realtor finally got ahold of them, only to find out that one of them GOT DEPORTED!!  Like, seriously!!  How does that even happen?  I feel absolutely horrible for their family though.  I mean, I know things will work out with our house, but I can’t even imagine what they are going through.  So in the mean time, we had a trip to Colorado planned, since we were under contract and we would be able to find a house for us.  Well, right before the trip I found a house that we liked so we put in an offer, without seeing it.  We had already seen a house with the same floor plan, so we were pretty confident with the house.  We offered 10k over, plus no closing cost or anything like that but because our house fell out of escrow, it was a no go.  

Fast forward to our actual trip to Colorado. We got another offer on our house (Yay!), but they decided to withdraw the offer before we were able to get under contract again (Boo!)  We had put in an offer on another house we went to see, and they countered back basically saying that they need to see a contract for our current house.  Well shit.  Luckily our agent was able to talk to them and they gave us till the weekend to get under contract before they would officially accept our offer.  

We got lucky and ended up getting another offer on our house while we were in Colorado.  It wasn’t as good as the previous one, but at least it came in time for us to get under contract at the Colorado house.  Now we just need to hope that everything works out with both houses!!

The big problem was having with finding a house in Colorado is that there seems to be two types.  You get the really nice newer homes that need very little work done, but are sitting on tiny little lots or you have the older homes that need quite a bit of work done, but are sitting on the amazing lots that have natural yards, rather than manicured yards.  I wish I was able to just combine the two.  New house on an old lot.  The more houses I got see the more I realized that I will never be happy in one of the places with a tiny little lot.  As I have said before, I don’t want to settle.  

The house we ended up choosing has an amazing back yard and is in a really nice area full of trees and wildlife.  The inside needs A LOT of work and there are a few things that we had to compromise on, but in the end, it was the deck and yard that really won us over.  I can just picture myself sitting out there with my morning coffee or tea, or having friends over for a BBQ while our kids play on the play structure.  Even though we didn’t get everything we wanted, in the house, it will be awesome once we get it all fixed up and I plan on writing about all the “fun” projects!

Big Changes and Big Moves

Wednesday, March 22nd, 2017

Ok, so now that things are official we can finally tell you about our next big adventure: the Lorigans are moving to Colorado!!  This has been in the works for quite some time now and it has been pretty stressful.  Basically, San Diego is just too damn expensive.  Don’t get me wrong, I love where we live and I love our house, but there is no way we could ever move up and we are just outgrowing our house.  The kids are still sharing a room and the guest room is in the attic.  It is a tight fit when we have family staying here and we just don’t have the seating or space to add more.  An opportunity presented itself in Colorado and Pat is able to transfer there.  I’m sure there will be some changes, but for the most part he will be doing the same job and he will be traveling back to San Diego and Lompoc, just as he does now.  

 

In January I tagged along on one of Pat’s work trips and holy fuck!!  Of course we end up being there during a super cold snow storm!!  I was without a car so I had to Uber over to the mall and get some snow boots and long underwear.  It didn’t occur to me until that trip that I have a thing for ripped and distressed jeans.  Who knew those rips let in cold air?!?  At least I had a jacket!!  There was one night we walked over to a restaurant for dinner and it was below 0.  The wind chill was so bad it was actually painful to breath.  The next day it was just as cold, but we didn’t have the wind, so it was actually bearable.  I am used to winter weather being in the 50s and 60s, not the single and negative digits!!  Despite the cold, I absolutely loved it!  The city was beautiful and it had that smaller feeling I was looking for.  That trip really reaffirmed that we are meant to be there.   

 

IMG_9852 IMG_9851  IMG_9837

 

While I was there, I rode around town with our realtor so I could get a good idea of the area and the different neighborhoods.  I narrowed it down to two areas and I got a better idea of what kind of house I was looking for.  As much as I love the idea of walking into a brand new home, I really hated the backyards and neighborhoods that came with them.  I really want trees.  We decided that if we were doing this move to improve our lives in the long run, then we were going to get what we want damnit!!  And I want trees!!!  We do have a house in mind and I’ll write about it if we end up getting it, but since we are just starting to list our house I don’t want to rule out any others that might pop up.  I will say that if we end up getting this house, I will have a lot to write about as we work on doing some fun renovation projects.  

 

So, as long as things keep moving forward and all the timing lines up, we will be Colorado residents at the end of May!!  

 

With all the upcoming changes, we’ll be trying to get back into write about our adventures and misadventures a lot more.  

 

Thankful

Friday, November 14th, 2014

November marks the month when men try to grow a mustache, and our Facebook feeds fill up with posts about what people are thankful for.  Rather than make a post each day, I figured I would sit down with my cup of coffee while I’m curled up on the couch under my blanket and put my thoughts down here.  I am beyond thankful that I can actually do that.  I get to wake up in the morning, get the kids ready for school, and personally drop them off.  We talk about little things in the car and we review any reading or spelling words they have and then I get to say goodbye to them them.  I do not have to put them on a bus while I get ready for a 9-5 job.  I’m thankful I get to sit in the pick up line, sometimes in 100 degree weather, or when it is pouring rain, because it means I am the one who gets to watch my kids run to the car with smiles on their faces (most of the time), I get to hear all about their day and then I get to help them with their homework.  Sure, sometimes homework totally blows, and sometimes they have bad days at school, but I am always there to comfort them.  The point is, I am thankful it is ME that gets to do these things.  I don’t have to drop my kids off an hour early or rely on after school care to do these things.  I am thankful Pat works so hard and has such a great job, that allows me to be a SAHM and be with my kids and watch them grow up.

IMG_7784-Edit

I am thankful for everything we have.  We don’t live in the largest house, or drive the most expensive cars.  We don’t have the latest and greatest toys and gadgets, and our kids don’t get every new toy available.  And you know what, I am absolutely ok with that!  I love my house and my car.  I appreciate the things that we do have and my kids have amazing imaginations and can play for hours without a single toy.  We try to teach our kids that “stuff” isn’t important, but experiences are.  I think they are finally starting see that.  Last weekend I had plans to take the kids up to Palomar Mountain and go exploring with them.  Unfortunately, they both ended up sick and we couldn’t go.  They were more disappointed about that than when they didn’t get everything they wanted for their birthday.  It makes me happy that they value our little adventures I like taking them on.  Hopefully we are all feeling better and the weather cooperates and we can do our little adventure this weekend.

One final thought:  I am extremely thankful for the rain we got last night!!  Hopefully the skies open up and give us more!

Time to try again

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014

Ok, let’s try this thing again.  I’m not going to fill you in on the kids and life and stuff like that since anyone reading this is most likely friends with me on Facebook, or one of our parents.  The only thing I will say is that the kids are now 6 and are in Kindergarten.  Lunchbox is still with us, but is having some health issues, but that is a post for another time.  Our house is still standing, our lawn is still dead, and our cars are still running.

We’ll see how long this thing lasts this time!

Pics on the Bridge

Sunday, August 25th, 2013

So, recently I have been doing some pattern testing for a couple designers (sewing).  I just finished testing the Pepper Dress by Brownie Goose.  Part of testing it means I get to go take some new pictures of the kiddos.  Yay!!  I even dragged Pat along with me to help because photographing my own kids can be a major pain in the ass!  Sure they look cute once they are done, but you should see what it takes to get there!!  I had to bribe Pat with lots of beer and fish and chips from Hooly’s because he knows the hell he was about to be put through.  Anyhoo, I adore this dress pattern and this dress will be up in my Etsy shop soonish.

 

First Week of Freedom

Wednesday, August 21st, 2013

I have officially had my first week of freedom!!  It is still hard for me to grasp that the kids are now in school.

So, what did I do with my newfound freedom?  Well, I can lie and say I got a ton of stuff done, and the house all cleaned up, and the dog walked and all that stuff, but to be perfectly honest, I didn’t do a whole lot.  My first few days I just relaxed.  I went and got a pedi and did some grocery shopping with out the kids and it was totally awesome.  I was able to make it through the store without having to break up a fight, or say NO a million times as we work our way down the snack isle.

Pat had the day off on Friday so we took advantage of it.  He went with me to drop the kids off at school and then we went out to breakfast.  It was kind of nice to be able to do that again.  Actually, I think the last time we went out to breakfast, just the two of us, was back in the days before we had kids, probably hung over.  After breakfast, we headed over to Grossmont to see a movie.  Kind of nice, being able to do that without hiring a babysitter or having to have one of our parents in town.  I don’t see us doing this every time he has an off Friday, but just knowing we have the option is kind of nice.

One of the things I have been working on is the office/sewing room/craft room.  I think I finally have it just the way I want it.  I’ll save that for another post, but at least I got something accomplished while the kids were at school.  Ok, ok, I did most of it on Saturday, but still.

Oh, guess what comes along with kids starting a new school year?  Colds!!  Yup, Ella has her first cold of the school year.  Hopefully it passes quickly and she can get back to having fun at school.  Mostly I hope it passes fast and doesn’t turn into something bad and has to stay home from school because then I kind of lose my newfound freedom.

Jack Quotes

Friday, August 16th, 2013

First thing in the morning:

Shae: Jackson, do you have to pee?
Jack: No. My penis is just sticking up. And big.

After finding Shae’s bra on the chair:

Jack: Momma! I found your boobs!

Upon finding Shae and I snuggled up

Jack: Mommy, why are you guys squished?