Tag: Lily and the Octopus

Book Review: Lily and the Octopus

Lauren1 Comment

A warning about this book if you are A) a person who loves dogs B) a person who doesn’t necessarily love dogs, but likes them or C) a person with a beating heart.  In other words, if this book doesn’t destroy you, you’re a monster!  I haven’t cried this hard over a book since I read Little Women last year.  Also, please know that I was quietly losing it and when I looked over, Joey was scrolling Twitter while eating chips and salsa shirtless in our bed.  We may as well have been on different planets!

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Please note how much that drawing on the cover looks like Huni!

Basically, this is the story of a single man named Ted and the love of his life, a 12-year-old dachshund named Lily, who develops a tumor, aka “the octopus.”  The rest of the book delves into Ted’s past — the ups and downs he and Lily have had, the ups and downs of his now-ended long term relationship — as well as he and Lily’s current situation and all the way he’s avoiding the truth about Lily and her octopus.

I’m not going to lie, there is a fair amount of immaturity and cheese you have to deal with to make it through this book — the lengths Ted goes to put off the reality that his dog is dying are childish and at many points, had me questioning his sanity (“is he actually the one with the tumor?!”) but his characterization of Lily was just so sweet and lovable and amidst all Ted’s crazy actions, you could find moments of relatable grief and sadness.

Just don’t read the end of this one in public, okay?

Weekend Things: St. Patrick’s Day & Other Fun

Lauren1 Comment

I need to begin by telling you I caught a cold last week, so when Friday rolled around we decided to stay in, heat up leftover Shepherd’s Pie for dinner and watch a movie.  I’m not actually sure those two things are related but it sounded like a good excuse for our boringness.  Fridays are weird because we are home by 5:30 and if we don’t have plans, I’m like “what are we supposed to do till it’s acceptable couch and pajama time??”  Feels extra weird now that the sun is out later and being hunkered down for the night while it’s still fully bright outside seems WRONG.

Help, what do you do after work on a Friday?! 😛

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Right when we got home, we went outside and peeped the very beginning of tulip season in our very own backyard!  I don’t know why, but I was skeptical that they’d actually bloom so I was very excited to be wrong.  Anyway, dinner was delicious and Coco was so so good!  Not only is the animation straight breathtaking (ALL THOSE COLORS!) but the story and the display of Mexican culture is so lovely.  We really loved it and I think I sang “Remember Me” for the rest of the weekend.

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I had a semi-early Saturday facial to get to so I ate breakfast, picked up an iced coffee and headed into Louisville.  Felt so good to reset even if traffic heading back into Denver is always THE WORST.  Why??

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Back at home, I found Joey in the backyard reading and we made a spontaneous decision to go grab lunch before forcing ourselves to go to the grocery.  We got caught in St. Patrick’s Day Parade traffic (ugh!) but eventually made it to Call, where we had perfect patio weather and really good (albeit sort of pricey) food.  Ginger-turmeric tonic and mushroom tartine for me, chopped salad to share and a chicken salad sandwich and beer for Joey.  I think we were both in our happy place.

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We were having dinner at my parents’ later on and decided to do like we did last year and stop at Four Noses beforehand.  I got a hybrid IPA and I have no idea what that means, I just know it was damn good!  Mom killed it as usual with the corned beef and cabbage and then she served us Green Velvet cupcakes and I was full like whoa but it was so worth it.

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Sunday started with Joey making me lemon poppyseed pancakes and he somehow timed it perfect with coffee, so everything was ready at the same time.  So I guess what I’m saying is, I give up my weekend pancake-making duties forever.  Oh and we totally went on an outdoor run both Saturday AND Sunday!  I used to work out on back to back (to back to back) days all the time, but I sort of stopped at some point and it’s been just fine.  This is all to say both ways can be okay depending on what feels right for you right now  🙂

The rest of the day was spent making lunch salads, baking a quiche (why don’t I do this more often?!) and finishing Lily and the Octopus.  I was full on crying at the end while Joey was sitting next to me eating chips and salsa, completely unaware of the emotional moment I was having, ha!  We ended Sunday with pizza, family birthdays and SNOW!  What??  How??  Must be spring in Colorado!

How was your weekend?