Elizabeth and Scott Wilder

Snap shots of the day

• Woke up and walked over to the Dentist's office to have my first wisdom tooth pulled. When I got there the dentist asked me to sign a disclaimer in case anything happens, but then he helped me get over my fears by numbing out my gums -- I was disappointed cause the tooth was small -- no fangs... and he didn't have to stick a piece of rubber to ensure my mouth stayed very very open

 

• Took Fleur shopping with Elizabeth. While my wife tried on dresses and got caught in a crowd at the Supermarket, I took Fleur for a walk around the block. I tired her out so much that she fell asleep on Elizabeth's leg when we got back to the car. See photo

 

One more Fleur video

Dinner time @ the Wilders

Fleur Brushing Her Teeth

Video of Fleur

Blue Glove

We went to the hospital yesterday to see Mrs. Abbott who had ankle surgery (She is recovering nicely). And to make sure we didn't pick up any germs, we put on rubber gloves. See my wife's left hand.

Fleur got a pedicure

Tonight, we took Fleur to our weekly puppy training class and she was the star of the show.      Everyone commented on how well trained she was and how calm she was for a puppy. And as a reward, Fleur received a pedicure: she had her fur combed, her teeth brushed, her nails clipped and her ears cleaned.

 

And yes, she even had me as her butler to carry her around San Francisco.....

Fleur on the Floor

Our new house guest

Four on the floor

Our new puppy from Guide Dogs for the Blind arrived tonight. Her name is Fluer, so we have Fluer on the Floor. She is a black lab. Very cute and well-behaved (so far). Pictures to follow.

Why I enjoy working with my team

The Community Team is a great bunch of folks....

Got to love our president

See him catch a fly..

Different faces

A nice way to finish the day

 

Home made and good eating...

Hitting the bottle

Sneak peak of our new house guest --- joining us this Friday

We all have one fear...

As some of you know, I am getting my first root canal next week, and I am already having nightmares about it.

Last night, I had a dream that Elizabeth dropped me off at the dentist's office for my root canal.

The office was really a small tent in the middle of the woods and there were lots of wrenches hanging up on the wall. All big and rusted.

Yikes....

Who let the dogs out.....

Got a lot of great birthday presents this weekend. Nice gift from Mother Nature and Billy. A magical mug from Mrs. Abbott, who also whipped up an awesome meal of scallops, rice and dinner style strawberry pie. 

Mrs. Wilder gave me a wallet -- badly needed since I had used the old one for 10+ years -- a nice shirt, a jacket and a great dinner at Spruce Restaurant. 

But we also had a special guest this weekend. Nordica, a 7 month old Labrador, who is in training to work with the blind. Nordica is one of the most mellow dogs I have ever encountered. And except for a few constipation issues, she has been a pleasure to have around the house. She just lies down in one place all day. (Now, that's how I like to spend my Sundays)

Birthday card

Thank you for all the birthday wishes..

Here's one I thought I would share with you all.

http://www.americangreetings.com/ecards/view.pd?i=491958152&m=5900&rr=y&source=ag999

Puppy time

This weekend, we are getting a test puppy -- we will take care of a puppy for two days to see 'how it feels.' So Mrs. Wilder has been putting in puppy gates and laying down puppy carpets to protect our hardwood floors and carpets. If all goes well, we will be training a puppy for the blind for the next 7 weeks. Stay tuned because I am sure there will be some challenges ahead of us..

.

Wilder in 1980

 

1 out of 13,000 taxis...

Two days ago, when my mother jumped in a taxi cab, the driver said to her 'did you loose a pair of eye glasses here yesterday.'

Turns out Mother Nature got in the same cab two days in a row.

What are the odds of this happening...

There are 13,000 taxis in New York City

Goodbye Mr. Chips

I had a long day today. Lots of interesting things happened, but the highlight was getting pulled over by a California Highway Patrol (Chips) officer for wearing a cell phone head set that had one ear piece for each ear.

According to Mr. Chips, this is against the law.

And...When I whipped out my blackberry and went to the California Highway Patrol website, and showed him that this was not explained on the website under California Vehicle Code [VC] §23123), he was not amused and gave me a ticket.

Virginia, my future lawyer, I need your help to say 'goodbye mr. chips' 

Below is the law --

Hand-Held Wireless Telephone: Prohibited Use

23123.  (a) A person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless that telephone is specifically designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking, and is used in that manner while driving.

(b) A violation of this section is an infraction punishable by a base fine of twenty dollars ($20) for a first offense and fifty dollars ($50) for each subsequent offense.

(c) This section does not apply to a person using a wireless telephone for emergency purposes, including, but not limited to, an emergency call to a law enforcement agency, health care provider, fire department, or other emergency services agency or entity.

(d) This section does not apply to an emergency services professional using a wireless telephone while operating an authorized emergency vehicle, as defined in Section 165, in the course and scope of his or her duties.

(e) This section does not apply to a person when using a digital two-way radio that utilizes a wireless telephone that operates by depressing a push-to-talk feature and does not require immediate proximity to the ear of the user, and the person is driving one of the following vehicles:

Wilder Cooking Tips

Tonight was a first. 

Someone asked for my cooking advice. Mrs. Abbott wanted to know if she should put the sweet sauce on the pork chops. I responded by saying 'you are probably asking the worst person for cooking advice.' After all, I am the person who made himself a frozen dinner at 10 pm last night....

Tonight I had an amazing dinner. Mrs. Abbott made pork chops and a sweet potato souffle. I ate so much that I am now lying down on the couch and can't get up.....

The 1980s

This is what Elizabeth would have looked like in the 1980s......

(Taken from her 1980s party)

I would have still married her.....

Shopping carts to bumper cars...

Last night, we went for a 11 pm run to Safeway (I was hungry).

After our shopping, Mrs. Wilder left the cart by the side of the car and all of a sudden i felt like we were watching bumper cars --- with the cart rolling downhill and bumping into several parked cars.

Shhhhhh

While surfing the web together, Mrs. Wilder and I found the following article:

Couples Corner:
Put an end to your fights about household chores
 
Who does what? And who does more? In most homes, this is a big topic of debate. And during pregnancy these arguments can become even more heated because there's so much to do to prepare for the baby. Among readers who took a BabyCenter survey, chores and responsibilities ranked number one as the cause of fighting for couples in their second trimester. To avoid arguments, try this plan:

Step 1. Sit down with your partner and make a list of all the chores that need to be done around the house. Consider dividing them into daily, weekly, and monthly tasks.

Step 2. Put a star next to everything that's a must-do. It's important to create this list together so your partner doesn't feel like you're presenting him with a to-do list.

Step 3. When the list is complete, take turns choosing from among the must-dos: For example, you do the laundry, he puts it away; you do the cooking, he cleans the kitchen; you dust and vacuum, he handles the bathrooms.

This is a great way to find out which jobs are most important to each of you. You might be surprised that your partner picks chores you can't stand doing. Having a chore list isn't foolproof, but it does help clarify who's responsible for what, and it's a great way to make sure neither of you is stuck with all the unpleasant tasks. If making the bed is your domain, you can stop arguing about whose turn it is.

Final note: Thank god, I do the dishes, start the laundry and clean the bathtub.

31 months ago.........

this picture rocked my world

31 months ago, I went on Match.com, looked at 1000+ pictures

and this was the one that caused me to do a 'double take.'....

and to send an email to EA........

Just call her 'eBay Abbott'

Tonight, when I heard a timer go off in the kitchen, I asked Mrs. Wilder 'what are you cooking?'

She replied 'oh, that's to remind me when the bidding ends for this dress I want on eBay.'

Who would have thought that Elizabeth would become addicted to eBay. That she would be bidding and shopping every night. 

Some of recent winning bids have been for the items below:

The shirt cost $1.50 and after an extensive bidding war, she won the dress for $13.51.

Being married to someone who loves to surf the web and hang out at eBay is like a dream come true!

Now, I will have to convince her to start her own business: Abbott's Attire

Finally....

Elizabeth has been waiting for me to cook for her and after 30 months, 10 days, 9 hours and 11 minutes, I finally cooked a dinner for her. (Note: I did make her waffles a few times). I made her one of my specials

--- burgers, fries and a tomato avocado basil salad.

If I cook, I will become a..................

My wife wants me cook more..... but I am afraid of becoming a Gastrosexual, which according to Urban Dictionary, a gastrosexual "may often dress like a metrosexual, and isn't afraid to explore his artistic side and even feminine side through cooking." It makes sense that a lot of girls would be into that. The guy is so confident in his manliness, he doesn't care about the frilly apron-wearing stereotypes. According to a study performed by the food company PurAsia, 48% of those surveyed said slick cooking skills make a person more attractive, and 23% of men aged 18 to 34 years said they cook to potentially seduce a partner.

 

Maybe I can get away with just taking Mrs. Wilder to a restaurant every night....

Pillow Talk

Elizabeth purchased the biggest pillow I have ever seen. It wraps around her body.

 

Communication in a marriage is important

I woke up this morning and told Elizabeth that I dreamed that I had a bald spot (something most men fear) and her response was "You dreamed that you had a bowl of pot?'