This business of shopping (random)

Plans yesterday were to do some quick shopping while we were in the city, right?  Our first stop after Cliff was through with radiation was Costco, and I got the few things I needed there.  My plan was to stop at Kohl's next, and try on jeans, but the more I thought about it, the less I wanted to do that.  I decided that my two favorite pairs of Lee jeans, the ones that fit me perfectly now in a size 12 L, can easily be reordered at Amazon for $21.99 each.  I know what size and length I need, and that they fit me perfectly.  The two pairs I already have are in good shape, having spent the last couple of years on a closet shelf because they were too tight.  If I order two more like them, I'll have all the jeans I need.

Yes, I was going to look at a couple other things in Kohl's, but nothing I can't live without.  I planned to stop by Home Goods to check out dog beds, too, but that no longer sounded like a great idea either.

And that's pretty much how I shop.  I start out with intentions to go to four or five stores and in the end, just go to Costco and Walmart.  Then I come home and order the stuff I wanted on Amazon.  

I've been surfing the Internet looking for puppy-training tips (not house-breaking, but other basic training), and now I feel like a failure.  The first couple of weeks with Gabe, I could just take him outside and let him play.  Now I have to use a leash.  Like all puppies, he bites and pulls on the leash constantly.  

See, here's a bigger problem:  In this article I've been studying, I'm told to take the dog to a quiet, closed environment outside to work with him.  Well, we're in the country and don't have a fenced yard, so "closed" is impossible.  So is "quiet and calm" from a puppy's viewpoint, because there's a young cat who loves to wrestle with Gabe and I have allowed this.  Now Buttons the cat is able to lure Gabe away from me at the speed of light.  Even if the cats are absent, there are horses on two sides of our yard and two steers behind the house, and that makes it a huge adventure for a curious puppy.  Add to that thousands of leaves blowing around the yard, just begging to be chased, sniffed, and eaten, and... you get the picture.  Anywhere I go, Gabe is likely to see a critter (even a possum, one early morning!) and then, dog-gone.  I know he'll learn eventually.  Meanwhile, a leash is required, and I am the one who has to learn some things and use patience I don't even own.  I'm not complaining.  I love this puppy, and he's good for me.  Inside, he's doing well with house-breaking, "sit", and "stay".  He knows his name and comes when I call.  Outside, he's a loose cannon.  If I remember correctly, a dog is pretty much a puppy at heart until he reaches the age of two.  I suppose I needed a refresher course on patience anyhow.  By the way, Gabe is on my lap as I type this entry, sleeping soundly.

Facebook friends have been mentioning a new show on Netflix, "Ozark".  So I activated my Netflix account to watch it.  After all, it's set at Lake of the Ozarks.  Cliff was born in that area and it's where both of his parents came from, so I was curious.  I've watched two episodes, and am pretty intrigued by the story line.  But when I saw an aerial view of the lake where the story is being filmed, I knew it wasn't Lake of the Ozarks.  The shoreline had trees all along the shore, right to the water's edge, for miles and miles at a stretch, uninterupted by anything man-made.  I've been on that lake in boats and have never seen such a wooded stretch.  It's an old lake and is quite commercialized, with docks and houses and resorts all along the shore.  Google tells me the show is actually being filmed at a lake in Georgia.  I have seen a couple of random shots taken in Missouri, but otherwise, there's little similarity.  I can live with this.  After all, as crowded as the lake area in Missouri is, they wouldn't get any filming done due to local people and tourists lining up for autographs.  But I wonder how many people who have never been to Missouri will decide to visit the pristine wooded shores shown in this series and wonder where on earth they've landed when they get to, say, Camdenton or Osage Beach.  

My problem with Netfix shows is that they're all so dark and depressing.  I watch one or two episodes, find out it's another show where things will keep going from bad to worse and many innocent people will die in a bloody and excruciatingly painful way, and give up.  I don't even care for books like that, which is why I seldom read Stephen King books.  Right now I'm struggling with a book, "Cold Cold Heart", by Tami Hoag, which appears to be following the same formula:  Starts out scary, bloody, and sad, then gets worse.  I even peeked at a later chapter to see if that's how it will continue.  Apparently it is.  Don't bet on my finishing it.

We have a cooling trend going on locally, so this morning is quite windy.  The first hard freeze is forecast for this weekend.  Our propane tank is full, so bring it on.  

I'm still experimenting with my Instant Pot pressure cooker, if anyone is interested.  I've made two roasts in it now (Cliff pronounced them delicious), baked potatoes, split pea soup, and pinto beans.  I still haven't gotten up my nerve to try cheesecake in it, which is probably a good thing for our calorie-counting.  

Someone on Facebook mentioned apples and caramel dip recently:  I have Fuji apples from our favorite orchard, so yesterday I bought caramel dip.  At 130 calories for two tablespoons, I thought I'd be in trouble, but it turns out two tablespoons was just right for the great big Fuji I was going to eat.  So I think I'll do OK with an apple a day.  

Gabe and I bid you peace.