Last week, Chris and I found ourselves killing time inside a pet store. We visited the pythons and the puppies, the gerbils and the guppies, and then, finally, a big, green $1,200 parrot. “Look at this guy,” Chris said, leaning closer. The bird lunged towards him. “Careful,” I said. The bird stared with his beady eyes.

I turned away, bending down to look at the two white finches in a lower cage, when there it was: a wolf whistle. I stood up. “Was that the parrot?”

Chris burst into laughter. “Yeah, right when you bent down!” The parrot was now bopping around in his cage, still staring at us. Staring at me, more specifically. “I think he likes your butt,” Chris gleefully announced. “Bend over again?”

I obliged—as you do—and the parrot whistled once more.

I know it’s just a bird. But that’s weird.

1. Becoming more frugal.

2. Reading more books.

3. Nice, loud, non-thumping car radios.

4. Shiny green beetles that land on the windowsill.

5. Bright white sand that’s not too hot for bare feet.

1. Crunchy chocolate chip cookies.

2. Lying under a ceiling fan and looking up.

3. Reading before bedtime.

4. The way a good song sounds the second time you hear it. The first time, you’re just giving it the same chance as all the rest—but the second time, you’re anticipating your favorite part. And then by the third, fourth, fifth time, it’s like an old friend.

5. The way I can use my weblog’s Search function to see if I’m ever being redundant in my weekly list of Small Things. I thought I might have counted the cookies before, because really, they’re cookies and they’re always delicious, but not once have I ever mentioned cookies on here! I did mention the Cookie Monster, though.

(I don’t know if anybody noticed, but earlier today my weblog went through an identity crisis. It was completely broken for about three hours, sorry!)

Can you guess what this is?

August 15th is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day, and so I celebrated by baking lemon bars. (Looks like a bubbly cheesy dish, though, doesn’t it? That’d be the eggs.*) I’ve never baked a citrus anything before, but I do love key lime and lemon meringue pies. I’d actually been planning on the bars for about a week previous to my knowledge of the holiday, and isn’t that just perfect timing?

Plus they’re totally delicious.

The recipe I used is from Smitten Kitchen (the version with less filling since the pan I used was super shallow), omitting the confectioner’s sugar. A dusting of powdery white sugar would help these to look more pretty and dessert-y, but I just want all lemon all the time.

* Speaking of eggs, have a look at these.

While I’m in no position to be clothes shopping, I thought I’d do today’s list in the form of a Polyvore collage. There’s something awfully soothing about dragging miniature clothes around; it’s sort of like Cher’s closet in Clueless.

Lots of people own dogs in our new neighborhood. Seeing them daily makes me want my own, but Chris and I are waiting for a better opportunity to own a pet. I’m having a hard enough time taking care of my plants as it is. The one I mentioned earlier, my beautiful Splitrock, has already halfway rotted—likely because of my desire to nourish it with water. Too much water.* What is WRONG with YOU, the Animal Control officer will say.

Anyway, there’s a young boy here who owns a sleek little Chihuahua. Both dog and boy are the same warm dark chocolate in color, and very slender. I’ve never seen the dog on its feet, because the boy keeps the creature slung over his back like a yoga mat. Paws on either side of the boy’s neck, feet propped on the boy’s waistband—the dog simply hangs on, a wayward stole. I’m not sure if it’s out of fright that the dog doesn’t jump down, or if it really is a comfortable position. It looks natural enough to me, like maybe the dog considers the boy his chariot. (With cats, aloof as they are, there is less to guess about what they like and dislike.) Paris Hilton totes her Chihuahuas similarly, but they’re much smaller, and the way she cuddles them under her chin is more akin to the way you’d hold an ice cream cone. While wearing an animal like an accessory is not something I’d advise (same goes for building your dog collection a mini-mansion), this neighborhood boy and his pet look so much like a hero and his sidekick that it seems okay for now.

As for me, I want a bigger dog who will run around on his own four legs and drink lots of water.

* I’ve always erred on the side of too little water with my other succulents, so this comes as a sad surprise. I’m not sure I can use what’s left to grow as a cutting.

1. Drawbridges.

2. Sled dogs.

3. Monocles.

4. Olive green and grass green.

5. Raspberry pink and bright ribbon pink.