Raining Cats and Dogs

Today we had a family dinner out and then made an impromtu stop at the Humane Society. Oh lord. This was my first time, and Husband kept asking me if I was sure I could do it. I have had serious dog envy for awhile now...and have a serious soft spot for beagles or similar hounds. But I have been known to attach to random dogs for adoption at pet stores. If the landlord allowed, a rescued greyhound named Missy would have been mine a few months ago. A dog looks at me, and I melt.

So I went in, knowing it would be tough. We started with the cats, which was sad enough. So many! Husband made his way to the dogs, and Brandon and I followed. When we stepped in, Husband was standing in front of a kennel and giving me that look that says, "you need to see this dog, but I'm not sure you should see it because you'll want it." Needless to say, I am a glutton for punishment. A beautiful coonhound named Emmy captured my heart. And if her big brown eyes weren't enough, she stuck her paw through the gap in the gate and tapped my hand!

Damn this duplex. More reason to buy a house, quicker!

There Are No Words

I'm Willing to Skip North Dakota for Now

So I'm thinking of taking a long weekend trip this fall with a friend, and was daydreaming today about where to go. I'd like to go somewhere I haven't been, so I put together a map of the states I've already visited:

(Make your own map here)

This doesn't mean I've seen all there is to see in these states, obviously. But it does mean I've spent a fair amount of time there, not just a drive-through or an airport layover. Anyone have any good ideas for where to visit in the gray states, around September or October?

I Almost Forgot!

Today Husband and I were out on our deck, sitting there talking, and suddenly he says "Oh my god!" and springs up from the bench. From the way he said it, I thought some bird was on a suicide mission and headed straight for us, so I ducked and headed for the door. But he said "a pileated woodpecker!" He pointed it out, and sure enough, a huge woodpecker with a bright red head was in a nearby tree...a pileated is a rare sight. Husband had seen one only once before, and I never had. It flew down to the ground into some brush, and we got further confirmation that it was indeed this unique bird.

I have heard a woodpecker quite frequently lately when taking walks around the preserve, I wonder if it was our pileated? I've also seen another woodpecker though, probably a sapsucker, going to town on the utility pole out front. But we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for our new friend. Pileateds also mate for life, so maybe there's another around too.

We've had a lot of bird action around here lately; the field guide and binoculars have gotten a good workout. We frequently have chickadees, red-winged blackbirds, grackles, cardinals, mourning doves, plus a lot of other birds I haven't been able to identify...today I also saw a pair of bluejays. Last Saturday night I heard two owls and could see their silhouettes in the trees. Not sure from their calls what type they were, but I love listening to them.

Quick Update

I know I've been a little slow on the blogs lately...adjusting to a new schedule and just some busy nights have kept me from it, but I intend to do better. Just a couple of quick updates from the past week:

IT'S A BOY! For those of you who know my friend Tina, she had her baby on Thursday night! Henry Reuben was born around 7PM on Thursday evening. I got to hold little Hank on Friday afternoon when Jacquie and I visited the hospital - he's a sweetheart. He and mom are doing great!

We just had dinner with my mom and dad and Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Tony tonight...they are off to Mazatlan, Mexico tomorrow! This is the first big trip for my parents, and essentially their first time on a plane no less. I wish them a good trip and a great time, can't wait to see the photos!

That's about it for tonight. More tomorrow and more next week, I promise.

On the Road Again

I finally made my trip to Des Moines with success! I was very anxious to get down there and see my friend Amy A., who is expecting a baby any day now (due March 29). They have not found out the sex of the baby, so we are all excited to find out if they will have a little girl or boy.

I drove down Friday and met Kristy, Laura and Amy V. for dinner. We had a great time catching up and consequently, all of us have had recent changes or upcoming changes in our lives. I am 2 weeks into a new job, Kristy just quit her job and found another one, Amy was laid off recently and now has 4 job offers to choose from, and Laura's husband is looking for a new job. It was nice to sit down and catch up, and we continued at a bar called the High Life. This was a unique place, modeled after the "typical" Iowa basement, complete with fake wood paneling and carpet (it's not everyday you see plush carpet in a bar). It was a pretty cool place. My brother Justin also joined us there for awhile, which I'm still getting used to, because he's only recently 21 and being 10 years apart...it's hard not to think of him as a little kid! Same for all of my friends, most of whom have know him all of his life. But I think he had a good time with us.

Saturday Kristy and I drove over to Amy A's house in Newton, and Laura joined us there with her two kids, Maggie and Owen. This is the first time that Kristy and I had met Owen, and what a little cuddle bug! He's adorable, and Maggie is always a kick. Maggie developed a fascination for Kristy's high heels, and had a fun time trying to walk in them:

And here's Owen:

Amy looks great, and has everything in order for the baby's arrival. The room is very cute (an M&Ms theme, all primary colors). After she opened some gifts, we went to lunch and enjoyed some more girl time (with Owen adding a little testosterone to the mix). Again, a very nice opportunity to catch up with friends. Following lunch, I went with Amy to Des Moines to get a few more things she needed from Babies-R-Us, which was fun. I actually put a few items in my brain's "future mommy file"...so many things to consider with kids! I also ran into a friend from college while there and met his wife and little girl, who is 7 months old. Babies everywhere!

After my time with Amy I went to Justin's apartment to check it out. We spent about an hour or so chatting and sitting on the floor (as he currently has limited furniture...) watching and playing with his pet rats, Gidget and Ratchet. Yes, that's right, rats. And I never thought I'd say this, but they were kind of cute, or at least interesting. The tails still kind of gross me out, but I have a long line of history with rodents; I've been hostess to gerbils, hamsters and a spectacular guinea pig named Mr. Wendall ca. 1997-1999. Anyway, it was particularly fun to watch Gidget get excited about Milkbones...apparently she's quite fond of them. Justin laid the box on its side, and after a while she figured out a direct route from the box to the cage, and started to go back and forth, toting treats to her corner stockpile, clicking her teeth and prancing all the while. Such a happy little girl, and then of course, Justin put them back in the box!

All in all a nice trip, and by coming back lastnight I was able to spend the day catching up on sleep and spending time with "my boys." Hayley also came over for a little while this afternoon, and that's always fun. Here was my favorite Hayley-ism today:

"Hey, there's kids in that car. Two boys."

"Are they cute, Hayley?"

"No, they're just boys."

March Madness

Basketball rarely gets me excited anymore, except if I'm watching the Hawkeyes (and we all know how well that went this year). I HATE NBA basketball (traveling, double-dribbling egomaniacs), but I've always had a soft spot for college, especially at this time of year. It's exciting! Close games, heartwrenching stories. This is sports, America.

For the past several years I have filled out an NCAA bracket and participated in a pool, typically run by my brother Josh. Husband does not pay in, but he fills out a bracket just to compete with me. This year there was a big pool that my new office is participating in, so Josh and I joined that one. 65 people in at $5 each; I could stand to make a little pocket change. Thought I have to say, the guy I gave my money to looked thoroughly confused and didn't say much. I figured out later that I was the only female in the office that is participating. Like that's never happened to me before.

Historically I have done pretty well in "bracketology." There is limited rhyme or reason to my selections. Occasionally I may read a little bit about teams before I pick, but generally I have these tendencies:
1) Lean toward Big Ten teams
2) Always pick Gonzaga to win at least the first round, because I just like to say "Gonzaga"
3) Don't pick Oral Roberts because c'mon - say that 5 times fast
4) Of course, always count on some upsets. At least one 5/12 seed game is usually a lock.

I don't feel like I'm giving you all any secrets, because really it's just a crapshoot. And may the best woman win!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KRISTI!!
Blast from the past ca. 1999 (?) Right before you moved to Austin. And no, I have no idea what you were doing....looks a little like jazz hands to me! Love you!

Spring Has Sprung?

Well, my first week at my new job is over, and it was a little overwhelming at first, but by today I really felt a lot better. Part of that is because my new work schedule is four 9-hour days with a 4-hour day on Friday, and today is a lovely day. The sun is out and the snow is melting!

Also, I've received some lovely flowers last week, in addition to the ones I posted last week. So, in celebration of warm temps before the inevitable next March snowstorm, here are some symbols of Mother Nature's finest season.

This is the spring basket that Husband gave me on Monday...













...and today!

















Also, Mom and Dad sent me some congratulatory tulips to work this week, which really helped brighten up my new office. It's pretty bare in there, so these made it feel like "home."

ENJOY THE WEATHER!

Like the First Day of School

Well, today was Day 1 at my new job. I am tired, but it was a good day. Lots of orientation and getting toted around to meet everyone (office of about 48 people), lots of reading up on policies and procedures, and lots of figuring out how to use a new email system, voicemail, etc. It was nice to see a few familiar faces and they all seemed happy to see me too. There's a very good vibe at this place, and I'm looking forward to learning more what the company is all about.

Aside from the warm welcome from my new co-workers, I had some other warm fuzzies today. Emails from friends throughout the day, and at the end of the day, a very nice surprise...a call from my dad (thanks Dad!) My friend Kristy called on my way home, just to see how the day went and to tell me that perhaps I have inspired her to make some changes as well (I'm glad you are feeling better about things, Kristy!) And then, the cherry on top...when I walked in the door tonight, I was greeted by a card and a "spring mix" basket, which is all sprouts right now, but will soon burst forth with all my favorite spring blooms - compliments of Husband. A very fitting gift for a new beginning.

More Truth Than Meets the Eye

While playing the card game "Blink" with Brandon, he was making fun of a weird noise I had made in the heat of the game.

"Do it again."

"I can't!"

"Come on, do it again!"

"I can't do that crap on demand."

" 'Crap on Demand,' is that a new cable channel?"

The kid gets a little more sassy (and taller) each week...but we certainly laughted A LOT tonight. Who knew that having a 13-year-old beat you at cards about 8 times out of 10 could be so much fun?

Welcome, March