the wisdom's in the trees, not the glass windows - j.j.

cuteness

2009-12-29T20:16:00.002-05:00

Adam surprised, and I mean SURPRISED me with a teeny tiny ball of cuteness for Christmas.

We call her Lily (aka, Lil, Lilith, Lilian (when she's in trouble)). I know it may seem weird for a grown adult to have a bunny for a pet, but, I gotta give a shoutout to bunnies as pets. Lily is already litter trained, she's only in her cage at night or when we're not home and she is sweet, sweet, sweet.

Corporate America

2009-11-30T18:32:00.002-05:00

Here's an email that was sent to everyone in my office today. Seriously? Really?

Someone had fish today for lunch...and here was the consequence. Sigh.

--

This email is being sent on behalf of the Senior Management team as a reminder to be sensitive to others with lunch time meals or snacks. As we know, certain foods have stronger smells than others, such as garlic, curry, fish etc. Please keep in mind that some may be more sensitive to these types of smells than others and try to pack your meals accordingly.

Please let me know if there are any questions or concerns about this issue.

Pretty Boy

2009-11-09T18:28:00.003-05:00

Just Curious

2009-10-08T23:48:00.002-04:00

It's 11:48 and I am not tired. So, I am listening to Brandi Carlile's new cd (so good!) and looking through my itunes library. I clicked on the "Top 25 Most Played Songs" and the results follow. Just out of curiosity, what's yours?

--

1. Public Broadcasting stream
2. The Greatest Sum (Acoustic) (Avetts) (this surprises me)
3. St Joseph's (Avetts) (this doesn't surprise me)
4. Paranoia in B Major (Avetts)
5. What You Thought You Need (Jack Johnson)
6. Tear Down the House (Avetts)
7. Murder in the City (Avetts)
8. Bella Donna (Avetts)
9. Black, Blue (Avetts)
10. Souls Like the Wheels (Avetts)
11. Matrimony (Avetts)
12. Nothing I Can Do (Ben Taylor)
13. Let Me Touch You for Awhile (Allison Krauss)
14. Hope (Jack Johnson)
15. Walking on Air (Kerli)
16. Wasted (Brandi Carlile)
17. The Greatest Sum (Electric) (Avetts)
18. Late Morning Lullaby (Brandi Carlile)
19. Again Today (Brandi Carlile)
20. Die Die Die (Avetts)
21. Have You Ever (Brandi Carlile)
22. Keep Breathing (Ingrid Michaelson)
23. I'm Alive (Kenny Chesney w/ Dave Matthews)
24. The Weight of Lies (Avetts)
25. In the Curve (Avetts)

Big Changes

2009-10-04T11:39:00.002-04:00

We have some major changes on the horizon. I start a new job on Tuesday in NH. I'm pretty excited for a few reasons:

1. The position is going to be challenging. I will be dealing with content that I don't know a darn thing about. My new job is in medical publishing, mainly dealing with dermatology, more specifically acne and psoriasis. I'll be applying all of the skills I've learned over the last few years in project management to bring the latest research findings to physicians across the globe in various formats: interactive websites, webinars, symposiums, and of course, print.

2. The people I met during the interview process for this gig seemed smart, focused, down-to-earth, and fun. I'm looking forward to being part of a team again.

3. I get to work in one of my favorite places on the planet! The NH seacoast.

4. The location is only 30 minutes from the barn. :-)

Adam also has a job on the horizon, but I'm not going to mention specifics until it's a done deal. We're not exactly sure where we're going to live yet, but are grateful for family offering up places for us to stay in the meantime. We'll settle on the seacoast somewhere. Settle...That's not a word I've had in my vocabulary for a few years. Looking forward to parking it for a little while.

Some Good News

2009-09-23T08:54:00.002-04:00

I can't believe I'm actually typing this, but Adam has completed his training. He passed his CFII checkride yesterday just 18 months after he began. He is now a Certified Flight Instructor with the ability to teach Instrument flying. It took a lot of hard work and determination and weekends upon weekends (and weeks) of studying. He is now ready to dust off the kayak and go have some fun for a little while. No more tests to prepare for. YES.

We're not really sure what's next for us, but we've learned over the last couple of years to expect the unexpected. I'll keep you posted.

Life

2009-09-22T09:16:00.005-04:00

Yesterday we received some terrible news from a friend of Adam's out in Oregon. Adam's first flight instructor was killed in a crash while instructing on Sunday. The student died as well. We both sort of stared at each other for like 5 minutes not really knowing what to say when we first heard. Then admitting not knowing what to say, it started a dialog about life and risks and reflection about a man with a wife and a baby and how precious our time here is.

My heart hurts today for Doug's wife and his baby boy who will not know his father. I have that sick feeling in my stomach because I know that someone on the other side of the country got the phone call or the knock at the door that we all dread.

The reality is that people die flying helicopters, paddling rivers, riding horses. Although it's tempting at times like this to stop doing the things we enjoy because of the risks involved, it's also true that people die slipping in the shower and I'm sure as hell not going to stop taking showers! Instead, I think it's important to remember that life is unpredictable. To honor those we've lost, we should do the things we enjoy. Don't sweat the small stuff. Don't hold grudges. Treat people in our lives with love and respect. Because you just never know.

Time to register

2009-09-19T11:22:00.002-04:00

Casey is a registered American Saddlebred and it's time for me to name him and submit it to the registry. I decided since music is one of my other passions, to go through my library and pick some song names that I thought were cool, then I went into the registry and did a search and had to eliminate some, because they were already taken. Here's what's left. Got a favorite? Let me know in the comments section. So far, the leader is Who Knew.

--

Colorshow
Hey Baby Hey
Move You
Gimmeakiss
Sanguine
Wanted Man
Nothing Short of Thankful
Please Pardon Yourself
Someday Never Comes
Out of My Hands
Right Here, Right Now
Business Time
Ooh Ahh
Go On
Have a Little Faith
Bold As Love
Would You Go With Me
If You Only Knew
I Told You So
Lookin for a Good Time
Last Call
Keepin’ It Real
I Love to Move In Here
Who Knew
I’m Movin’ On
Gossip in the Grain

Sunset on the lake.

2009-09-08T19:31:00.001-04:00

Whoa, boy...

2009-08-13T10:36:00.004-04:00

I got the chance to ride Casey this past weekend, for the first time since I bought him. It was awesome! It wasn't all that pretty...I had an almost unplanned dismount, which Scott caught on video, and I will be sure to post as soon as I get it from him...It was pretty funny.

Casey is young and still has moments of "baby-ness" but when you say "whoa" he will. He had one of his baby moments this weekend, sorta took a leap through the air and caught me off guard...and when I said "whoa" he slammed on the brakes and I almost went over his neck. Haha! Havin' a great time, I love him! Here's a photo from that first ride...It's from Adam's phone, so the quality is not the greatest, sorry.

Avetts Rocked It (duh)

2009-08-05T20:39:00.006-04:00

We had a fantastic time at the Avett Brothers show Sunday night.

Marc was SOOOO embarassed because I made him play tourist...

The show was at a beautiful little theater in Northampton and we were in the front row! Setlist:

Weight of lies
A Gift For Melody Anne
Shame
Down with the shine
At the beach
Tear down the house
Paranoia
Signs
Salina
I and love and you
Love like movies
Wanted man
Black, blue
Never been alive
November blue
Walkin for you
Colorshow
-------
Hand me down tune
Laundry room (the absolute best hoedown ever)

--

Good times! The Avetts brought it, as always, and we were on our feet the entire time. I can't wait for the new album to come out this fall. Love those boys from North Carolina...Time to go check their tour schedule obsessively until I see that they're coming around here again. ;-)

Welcome, Casey

2009-07-25T09:03:00.006-04:00

Doesn't get much more random than this!

2009-07-17T07:03:00.003-04:00

I decided to make a little mix for myself for my ride north today (I'm not cool, no fancy mp3 player for me...I still use cds.) Anyway, it's so random, I chuckled when I read it...

Could You Be Loved, Marley
Fireflies, Owl City
Would You Go With Me, Josh Turner (hubba hubba, love his "old" country voice)
Fearless, Taylor Swift
Hello Seattle, Owl City
Out Last Night, Kenny Chesney
The Climb, Miley Cyrus (the one and only Miley song in my collection)
Laundry Room, TAB
Stir It Up, Marley
Folsom Prison Blues (Brandi C. cover)
Road To Joy, Bright Eyes
Fifteen, Taylor Swift
Madly, Tristan Prettyman

This mix is all over the place! Anyway, I'm off for what could be a pretty exciting day...Will let you know if I have some news to report. Have a good one.

Money, Honey

2009-07-10T13:25:00.003-04:00

Curious about where all of my money has been going, I decided to go through my bank account and total up the amount of money I'd spent on food in the last month. I was ASTOUNDED when I saw the total. It was a real eye opener...$733.98.

Those quick trips to Subway and the occasional night out to dinner really add up. I was compelled to take a look at my account because one afternoon, I decided to take an Oprah break and it was a day that Suze Orman was on the program. As usual, Suze was discussing how we could all save money and she issued the following challenge:

1. Pick one day a month and spend no money at all. (no problem)
2. Do not use a credit card for one week. (no problem)
3. Do not eat out for one month. (problem!)

That's what we do, we meet friends for dinner or lunch or beers or we grab a sandwich...How can I say 'no' to a friend who calls up and asks me to go grab a bite? Well. After crunching the numbers I'm going to take Suze's challenge and total my food tab on August 10th. I'll let you know the difference.

Mildred Moose

2009-07-02T12:45:00.001-04:00

A moose in NH has decided that she's just one of the girls.

West River Fun

2009-06-29T13:08:00.002-04:00

We dusted off our paddling and camping gear and headed to Jamaica, Vermont this weekend for some good times.

It was GREAT to sit around the campfire, sleep under the stars, and hit the river again. The last time I paddled (I'm pretty sure) was last fourth of July weekend. I definitely was a little nervous when we put on the river, but after we went through the first rapid, I felt much more at ease - remembering that I know how to do this!

We paddled the West river, which was a super treat. Normally, they only release water from the dam two weekends a year - once in April and once in September. But they had to test something-or-other at the dam and we got to reap the benefits! :-)

We're hanging up the gear to dry now in preparation for another great weekend coming up. We'll be going to Northern NH for some more camping/paddling in one of our favorite spots. With all the rain we've been having in the Northeast, there's sure to be lots running.

8.2.09

2009-06-24T08:06:00.003-04:00

I had an email in my inbox this morning from Marc with the date above the subject. And a smile came across my face...YEAH - almost a month to go before we go see the Avetts again. Marc and I agreed to come up with our dream setlist. Hey, maybe the Avetts will read this and my "dream" will come true? Stranger things have happened.

Amy's wishlist for 8.2.09

At the Beach
Laundry Room
Left on Laura, Left on Lisa
Ballad of Love and Hate
Color Show
Swept Away
Solomon
My Last Song to Jenny
Talk on Indolence
St. Joseph's
I and Love and You
Matrimony
Paranoid in B Major
And It Spread
In the Curve
Backwards With Time
Please Pardon Yourself
Pretty Girl from Cedar Lane
Nothing Short of Thankful
Salvation Song

Compelled to act

2009-06-19T09:37:00.004-04:00

About six months ago, I decided that when the time is right for me to have a horse, I am going to adopt one from an organization called Saddlebred Rescue. Saddlebred Rescue attends a sale in Pennsylvania every Monday called the New Holland sale. There are several meat buyers that attend this sale and many of the horses bought at this sale end up on a truck headed to the slaughterhouse. Many good, usable, young, healthy, horses. I have my eye on one particular horse that I'd like to snag, but I'm not quite ready, since we don't even know where we'll be living in a couple of months (check him out!).

Even though I can't quite afford my own horse yet, when I turned on my computer this morning and went to my homepage, I saw an image (below) that compelled me to write a small check for the care of some horses in desperate need. Times are tough. Folks have gotten in over their heads. I feel like it's my responsibilty to help out, in whatever way I can. In this particular case, there are 20+ older mares and their foals that are starving in Kentucky. They are in good hands now, but any help we can give will be greatly appreciated. If you'd like to contribute to the feed/care of these guys:

ASHA
Equine Welfare Fund
4083 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, KY 40511

(Please indicate Mercer County horses in memo)

Dear Mother Nature

2009-06-12T15:14:00.001-04:00

I think it's time that you and the sun stopped fighting.

Please.

Let him come out and play, he's been cooped up behind those clouds for long enough.

Whatever he did, I'm sure he's sorry.

Love, Amy

Don't count your chickens until you sign the lease

2009-06-05T16:55:00.002-04:00

After entirely more drama than I am comfortable with, we will not be moving into the little red house. We were unable to reach an agreement on lease terms and decided to let it go. A little bummed about this but know that everything happens for a reason.

Little red house

2009-06-04T08:27:00.003-04:00

I apologize for not updating this much, but truth is, I haven't had much to say. Our life is slightly monotonous right now...

Adam is studying/flying his ass off finishing up his training. He has his commercial check ride on Monday and then moves onto the final stages of training, his Certified Flight Instructor and Certified Flight Instructor Instrument ratings and then he will be done. Should be another 2 months.

As for me...I work, look for new work, ride when I can, go to horse shows to cheer on my friends, and scoot up to NH for visits. We did have one weekend of excitement, went on a cruise to the Caribbean, which was a super fun time! There, you're caught up.

I'm writing today, because I do actually have some news...

We're moving. Again!

We've really hemmed and hawed about what to do when our lease ends in August. Really, we would like to buy...Now is the time, everyone is saying. But after deliberation, we have decided that now is not the time for us and we will continue renting for another year or two. However, we do not want to stay in our apartment. I just don't like it. The only thing going for it is that it's relatively inexpensive.

So, I broached the subject with our landlord. She said that she has several properties that she'd be happy to show us. We looked at a couple yesterday and found one that I think suits us pretty well. It's a small red house with a basement apartment. We will be living in the house part and there is a UCONN professor that lives in the basement apartment. He only spends two days a week there during the school year and he goes away ALL summer. Score! OH, and heat, hot water AND electricity are included in the rent. Double score! OH, and it has a lovely backyard, prime for bbqs. Triple score! OH, and we can walk to the new place from our apartment, so moving is going to be a breeze.

As you might be able to tell, I'm excited. We're moving this weekend...So, if you're in the area and looking for something to do, I can keep you busy for a few hours, with payment of a bbQ and beers in our new back yard!

Brandi Carlile - You Belong to Me (w/ opener Gregory Alan Isakov) - Portland ME - 04-03-09

2009-04-06T20:23:00.001-04:00

Here's a clip of the show I went to see on Friday night. If you ever get the chance to go see her, please do!

Connecticut is...Wine Country?

2009-03-31T08:45:00.004-04:00

This weekend we went for a little hike and spied some vines on the horizon, we decided that when we got home we would google and see if we could find a winery in Connecticut.

We found the CT Wine Trail site and figured that what we saw was the Sharpe Hill Vineyard. So we decided to head on over and check it out. Glad we did!

As you can see, the setting was beautiful and the wine was delicious. We walked away with a couple of bottles and decided that we should check some of the other vineyards around here soon - good times!

Update

2009-03-27T10:14:00.005-04:00

Wow, has it really been over a month since I've added a new entry? Time flies. It's been a busy month or so. Let's see. We celebrated our three year anniversary last week, Adam took me to Seapoint Beach, which is where we had our first date...I'm not sure how great these pictures are going to come out, because they were taken with the cell phone, but it's all I've got!

In other news, Adam earned (and I mean EARNED) his instrument rating and he is now onto his commercial training. What a difference a year makes...I hope you are all well.

From the air

2009-02-18T10:43:00.006-05:00

Here are some photos that Adam's instructor took, while Adam flew on their way up to Keene on Monday.

Mt. Monadnock

A little closer.

Even closer!

A reservoir in CT.

Not just another Monday

2009-02-16T14:24:00.004-05:00

On my way to the museum this morning, I found myself in the middle (well, not THE middle, but off to the side about 200 feet) of a standoff on I-84. All was going well, and I thought to myself just before we came to an abrupt halt, that I was going to be early today.

Then. Well, I was in the lefthand lane and traffic came to a stop. Then, I look at the other side of the highway, the eastbound side of I-84 and see a barricade of police cars, with all their lights flashing. Oh, and then a handful of police with their guns drawn and some with those SWAT shields. I soon realized this wasn't a car wreck.

There were no cars between this police barricade and the next exit on the eastbound side of the highway, where there was another police barricade. Then, I see some more police cars enter the highway and get out of their cars, place those spike strips on the highway - you know, like the ones you see on COPS? Anyway, at this point people started getting out of their cars...And, the officers yell at everyone to get in their cars and stay low (this definitely puts me into scared mode). While all this is happening, I am on the phone with Adam as he is trying to figure out what is happening on the news websites.

I'm not really good at describing the scene and it is frustrating Adam as he is at home freaking out because there is nothing that he can do to help me. And we don't know what on earth is happening. I am one of about 30 cars that is stuck in this limbo situation on a bridge - where police stopped traffic in front of us and behind us. It's definitely a bit eery.

After about an hour sitting on the highway, I notice that cars behind me have started backing up and I see police officers directing them back to go the wrong way on the highway, finally I am breathing a sigh of relief that I am going to get out of here. Honestly, the most horrible thoughts were going through my head - was I going to get shot? What was that going to feel like? Was someone trying to blow themselves up? I know, it sounds dumb, but it was freaking scary.

Meantime, Adam has found the news about the situation. It was a man who stopped his car in the middle of the highway and put a gun to his head. They finally apprehended him about 3 hours later. And I was never in any real danger. Tell that to my insides though. I still have this icky uneasy feeling and it sucks. The not knowing part was really the scariest.

Here's the news story if you care to read about it.

Catch Up!

2009-02-04T17:56:00.004-05:00

The thought of actually having to shower daily and get dressed for work are two things I haven't had to think about for two years...That may well be changing. I interviewed for a position at the University of Connecticut today. I'm not sure how I did - usually after I interview I know if I'm in or not. Not this time. But my fingers are crossed that I did well. If you could all think positively for me, that would be super.

Adam is moving right along in his training. He took his instrument rating and certified flight instructor instrument rating written tests yesterday and passed both with flying colors. He's worked hard and I'm really proud of him.

I've started volunteering at the Hartford Children Museum's Wildlife Sanctuary and am really enjoying it. I've learned a lot in the brief time I've spent there. Did you know that snakes are deaf? And that when they shed, their eyes get cloudy and they can't see too well either. I guess that's my wildlife fun fact of the day! I'm really enjoying the turtles, of all things - believe it or not, those critters have quite the personality. When my duties are done, I like to just sit and watch the cats (a lynx and a jungle cat).

For Cody, mostly.

2009-01-14T15:15:00.004-05:00

I remember Cody telling me awhile back that he especially enjoyed this Avett song. I came across this version today and it's simply beautiful. I thought you would like this, Cody and am posting for anyone else who might be an Avett fan.

Ballad of Love and Hate

Bathtime and other Sunday fun...

2009-01-11T12:29:00.002-05:00

Kobe and I went out and played in the new snow for quite awhile this morning. He got wet and I realized just how bad he stunk. Too many trips to the barn without a bath...So I decided that today was just as good as any for that long over due bath.

Kobe is a good dog. But Kobe hates baths. It's always a little bit of an ordeal getting him into the tub...Today he tried to hide behind Adam, rookie mistake on Kobe's part, as Adam is my partner in crime. Eventually, I wrangled Kobe into the tub and mission accomplished, we have a nice smelling, clean dog. At least for a day or two!

Adam is studying right now and I am about to write some thank you notes. As soon as Adam is done studying we're heading out on another Sunday mission: to find some sleds. A couple of years ago, in one of our issues of LVM (our kayak video magazine that we subscribe to), they had this segment about the Mad River Rocket sleds. We looked them up at the time and they were $60...A little pricey we decided at the time and opted not to purchase them. Recently, we had a change of heart and decided it could be really fun to do a little hiking with the Mad River Rocket and sled the way down. So, we went to their website a couple of weeks ago with the intent to buy one for each of us. That is until we noticed that they had been on ABC World News since we last checked them out and their price had DOUBLED. OUCH! We can't bring ourselves to spend that much on a sled...So, we're off this afternoon to the local hardware store in search of some cheapy plastic $10 sleds that we'll have just as much fun on!

5 things I intend to do in 2009

2009-01-02T10:15:00.005-05:00

1. Visit Mag in Steamboat.
2. Visit Jeannie in Philly.
3. Visit Jackie in Phoenix.
4. Congratulate Adam on becoming a commercial helicopter pilot.
5. Get married.

Happy New Year to you from us.

RIP, Bump.

2008-12-26T21:59:00.002-05:00

I have to say, it was pretty weird driving through Exeter today knowing he wasn't there. I'll miss his spirit and have many fond memories to hold on tight to.

Looks like it's gonna be awhile yet...

2008-12-16T14:32:00.003-05:00

FYI...From the Union Leader Blog:

STRAFFORD, 10:15 a.m. About 70 percent of town remains without power, police Chief Scott Young said.

"As of yesterday we saw several crews, both tree cutting and the power company working in town, but not today," he said.

Power has been restored to the Crown Point area and parts of Route 202-A and parts of Center Strafford, including the town offices and the police station, which is being used as a shelter. Water is also available at the police station.

Between Friday and yesterday, about 10 people in town have been sickened by carbon monoxide, Young said. Strafford Fire and Rescue EMT Chris Dustin said none of those residents was seriously hurt and there have been no fatalities.

--

For those that don't know the Ladies of the Lake and Scott, for that matter, have been without electricity since Thursday evening's ice storm. All are fine...I would say, understandably getting a bit frustrated.

I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you correctly.

2008-12-11T13:32:00.003-05:00

Does anyone else think it's ridiculous to be charged $21.00 for a dog nail trim? I just called the local vet in town and that's what they quoted me.

Because Kobes has long tufts of hair on his feet, I didn't realize how long his nails had gotten until I peaked at them yesterday. They are WICKED long and I was horrified...But sorry, not horrified enough to pay $21.00.

I'll just wait until I'm up north next week and have it done at the vet up there for $7.00. What a rip off, $21.00!!

G.N.O!

2008-12-10T10:48:00.005-05:00

Tonight I am having a Girls Night Out with an old friend I reconnected with through Facebook. I'm pretty excited about this, as we discovered that we only live about 40 minutes apart. We're going to meet 1/2 way in Sturbridge for some shopping and din din.

I was reluctant to join Facebook...But I'm pretty glad I did. At the risk of sounding a little lame...truth be told, I'm a little lonely in CT and could really use some girl time! It's not all that easy to meet people in a new place when you don't work outside the home, or have kids or whatever.

Should be a good time! I'll bring the camera along and will post some pics for folks who might remember Robyn.

Bring it on (the end of deer season)

2008-12-04T12:25:00.003-05:00

Kobe and I are just about ready to jump out of our skin.

One of our favorite past times has had to go on the back burner for a bit: walking in the woods. Since we now live in town, in order for Kobes to have a little off-leash time, I take him to one of a handful of state parks nearby. Unfortunately (or fortunately - depending on which way you look at it) they all allow hunting. And they close the trails to walkers. I didn't know this until I went to take one of our daily walks on Monday and there was a big sign: Trail closed to walkers due to deer firearms season - 11/19 - 12/9. Boo.

I'm always a wee bit uneasy walking through the woods this time of year anyway - there's always some wacko mistaking a person/dog/horse for a deer every year...So, for the next week, we will settle for city walking. Bleck.

A little piece of heaven

2008-11-13T08:27:00.001-05:00

A bunch of us on the beach this past weekend.

Thank goodness my brother is a computer geek.

2008-11-06T19:28:00.003-05:00

Marc...for all those times I picked on you for doing math equations during summer break...I apologize.

For the past 12 hours. Yes, 12 hours. I have been trying to remove a NASTY virus from my computer. One that would automatically shut my computer down, take me to random web sites, and flash annoying pop-ups, telling me that my computer was infected.

Marc was able to finally come up with a solution for me and got rid of the virus.

Computer geeks rule!

Thanks, Marc. I owe you one.

2008-11-05T08:05:00.003-05:00

Cross the country they went-
Hugging babies and schmoozing ladies,
All to be our next president.
Now we can all breath a sigh of relief,
Glad the...
Election is over!

A whole lot of love!

2008-11-03T13:44:00.002-05:00

If I didn't live in an apartment with a large breed dog already, I would scoop this big guy up in a heartbeat!

If anyone is looking for a large breed and I mean LARGE breed dog, consider Pokey. Scroll down until you see the pointer/great pyr. mix and have a gander. I bet he's one super cool dog.

Bernie does regular transports to New England, the Midwest, and the South...I'm just sayin'.

Parking Wars

2008-10-29T22:44:00.003-04:00

Has anyone else seen this show? Adam and I have watched some episodes in the last couple of weeks and for some reason, I find it so funny. Parking Wars is a show on A&E, chronicling the Parking Authority in Philly.

Annnyway, on their website, they have a really fun game. If you're looking to kill a little time, give it a shot. I'm not very good. Yet. I'm up to 15,000 points. Give it a shot and let me know your score!

Parking Wars Game.

My first ride

2008-10-20T13:57:00.003-04:00

I had the opportunity to try my first show horse out this weekend. What a hoot - I haven't wiped the smile off my face yet.

Lots of work to do, but I'm totally up for it and hopefully I'll be able to show him in the spring.

Octoberfest

2008-10-09T10:59:00.002-04:00

Today marks the beginning of the last big Saddlebred horse show of the year in New England. Lucky for me, it's only 25 minutes from where I now live - enabling me to pop over for a session or two.

I got some pretty cool news last week at the barn. After my ride last Thursday, my trainer told me that a girl who has a couple of horses in training at the barn is going to let me ride one of her horses after this show and see if I like him. If we get along, I may be showing him in a few regional shows next year. A nice compliment. This horse is pretty game. His owner is an exceptional rider and I've enjoyed watching them at a couple of shows this year. Not an easy horse - and it will be a fun challenge. His first class of the show is this evening, I'll be watching him with a different eye tonight. Basically, holy s&%t - how am I going to ride him? Haha.

I'll bring the camera along and will post photos if I get some good ones.

A funny news story

2008-10-08T12:53:00.002-04:00

I read this article in the Portsmouth Herald this morning and chuckled...Until I got to the last paragraph.

My advice, for a mid-week laugh - read the article - but skip the last paragraph!

Hopefully Bullwinkle is just a little confused and isn't sick.

Some Photos

2008-10-06T09:18:00.022-04:00

Here are some photos of our new apartment in CT...Let's start off with the view from the deck:

Moving indoors, here's our kitchen, this is where you walk into our place - you can see the front door on the far right of the picture:

From the kitchen, you walk into the "dining room" or where Adam studies most of the time. You can see his boat in the lefthand side of the photo, um, it hasn't seen any water since July...

Because, he's had his nose in these...

Moving on, here's our livingroom, we call this the "cozy corner" - Mag, you may recognize the plant in this picture - she's still going strong!

Here's Kobe's spot, I just bought him a new squeeky toy yesterday, and already the guts are everywhere. So destructive, that Kobe...

I know that you have no interest in seeing our bathroom. But, I'm throwing this in here so that Grandma can see, the jade's DO get sun in the bathroom...

And, here's my office...

We have a couple of state forests with lots of acres to explore within a ten minute drive. I take Kobe to one of them, once a day, so that he can remember he's a country dog - even though we live "in town" now. I took the camera along one day last week. When we jumped out of the car, we were being all loud and apparently, the resident coyotes did not like that, because we were greeted by lots of howling, not too far away from us. I was scared...

It's pretty out there...

Finally, here are the boys, enjoying a nice fall day out in the woods. I hope you all have a great week.

OK, what is your first reaction to this headline:

2008-09-24T09:36:00.003-04:00

"Seals removed from North Korea nuke plant"

--

Am I the only idiot that actually pictured harbor seals being plucked, one-by-one from the exterior of this structure?

Please tell me I'm not.

Getting there, one ride at a time.

2008-09-19T08:46:00.005-04:00

Last week when I was riding, I fell off the horse. No big deal - it's part of the sport. Right? Not so fast.

Of course, I got back on, finished my ride, and cooled off the horse. Unfortunately, due to my insane schedule right now, I'm not able to ride as much as I would like. So, I thought about that ride. All weekend. Into this week. What did I do wrong? What could I have done differently?

I know exactly what went wrong: the horse I was riding is spooky in general, I had been able to stay with her up until that point...And then, that one time, she happened to spook, I reacted incorrectly by leaning forward, instead of sitting back and pushing her through it with my legs, and BAM, she caught me off balance and off I went. So, I know what I need to work on.

I was finally able to ride again last night. I almost didn't go, because I have been battling a sore throat and general icki-ness for the past few days. But, I had to basically drive by the barn for my sojourn back to Connecticut anyway, so I decided to go.

Admittedly, for the first time in awhile, I was actually nervous to get back in the saddle. I was riding a different horse this week...One that came to the barn earlier this summer, after being turned out to pasture for the previous two years, not ridden. Guess who got to ride him that first time? Yours truly. That was a wild day! Anyway, he's come a long way since then. My trainer wanted me to work on his canter leads and so we did. It was a great ride, by the end, he was doing everything I asked him to do and I even stayed aboard - bonus!

I know many people think that horseback riding is not a sport. P-shaw, I say to that. Riding a horse is challenging, both mentally and physically. When you work at it. I have good days and bad days, but I learn something every single time I ride. Right now, I'm enjoying riding a different horse all the time. I like that I'm riding horses that won't just take me around the ring and make me work for just about every stride.

They're preparing me for that ultimate challenge. I'm determined and have a plan in place to make it happen. I'm not one of those rich girls that will be able to afford a nice, finished horse...That would be boring anyway. No, the horse that I will be able to afford will either be a baby or come with baggage to fix. Thanks to the horses above, I'll be ready.

Just cute.

2008-09-17T08:59:00.002-04:00

After much speculation about how Abby, my friend, Jackie's pit, would react to her new little sister, Jackie can rest easy. One happy little family.

Foreign Territory

2008-09-10T10:48:00.001-04:00

When a friend of ours passed away last year, he left a couple of musical instruments to Adam and me. Me, a mandolin and Adam, a banjo. We've carried them around with us from place to place. They made it across the country, and back, without coming out of their cases.

Last night, though, we made a pact that we are going to dig them out, tune them up (well, learn HOW to tune them up) and start taking some lessons.

I love music, especially blue grass. The mandolin is one of my favorite instruments. But, I've always been totally intimidated by learning how to play it, well play anything. Reading music is like a foreign language, I look at the page and have no clue what it says.

Other than the recorder, in third grade, I've never mastered an instrument. For the record, I could play Hot Cross Buns with the best of them. I'm ready to step up my game and give it a shot with the mandolin! I'll let you know how it goes. When I start to get frustrated, I will listen to a little something like the above video for inspiration.

We be commitin', officially!

2008-09-02T09:48:00.002-04:00

It was an eventful weekend in our world...Adam actually got down on one knee and asked if I would marry him. With a ring and everything. After I picked myself up off the floor from shock, I said that heck yeah, of course I would. It's been a crazy three years together, ups and downs and everything in between - I can't think of another person I'd rather continue on this adventure of life with. There are no guarantees, but I do know one thing, a life with Adam is not going to be boring.

Speaking of adventures, we moved into a new apartment over the weekend...complete with three barking Rottweilers and domestic disputes next door - should be quite the year. Funny how all was quiet when we came to view the place. To balance out the dogs and insane neighbors, there is a lovely town with plenty of parks for Kobe and I to walk to and a state forest with over 6,000 acres to explore within a ten minute drive. I'll be busting out the camera and will share photos soon of our new surroundings.

"Take it, LeRoi!"

2008-08-20T13:25:00.003-04:00

While I was out running some errands today, the radio station I was listening to played "The Proudest Monkey" a song by the Dave Matthews Band as a tribute to LeRoi Moore, the band's saxophonist, who also co-wrote the song. LeRoi died yesterday as a result of injuries he sustained in an ATV accident back in June.

As I was listening to the song, I was surprised to find my eyes welling up a bit with tears. Why the hell this occurred, is beyond me. I didn't know LeRoi, his death won't affect my daily life - shoot, I didn't even know of his accident until I learned about his passing this morning.

Maybe tears came to my eyes because when I hear DMB, I'm immediately brought back to being an undergrad at UNH when times were way less complicated. My best friends all lived within a couple of miles of me - we partied, went to shows - many of them headlined by DMB. There wasn't a time in those days that you wouldn't find a DMB tape - that's right - TAPE in my car's dash. LeRoi, and the rest of the band brought me a shit ton of joy back in those days - they still do.

In tribute, let's all throw in a DMB album and crank it up.

Small town girl in Asia

2008-08-11T21:28:00.001-04:00

My sister, Kim is over in China for the Olympics...She is there as part of a class at Southern NH University. She and her classmates are blogging for one of the local papers, click here if you'd like to read about their experience!

Lalalala

2008-07-21T08:21:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow the Avett Brothers release their new record, Gleam II. They've released the first single on their myspace page. This is one I've been waiting on for awhile and I'm really looking forward to hearing the entire album.

Less than two weeks till Shangri-La. Yeehaw!

A Funny Video

2008-07-14T08:49:00.002-04:00

Randomly, Scott sends me some videos that he *thinks* are funny. Sometimes, I'm left scratching my head wondering when the video is going to start getting funny.

This one however, I laughed through the entire thing.

If you are offended by profanity, do not click. If you're at work, use some headphones, or just wait till you get home.

This is a good history lesson.

Lexington Junior League

2008-07-09T08:46:00.002-04:00

Monday night marked the start of the Lexington Junior League Horse Show, the first in what is known as the Saddlebred Triple Crown. The other two shows being the Kentucky State Fair (Louisville) in August and the American Royal (Kansas City) in November. For the second year in a row, the American Saddlebred Horse Association is providing a live webcast of the event. I decided to tune in on Monday night, because...

My barn brought down two horses this year. One of whom is undefeated so far this season, "Naughty" is a gorgeous five gaited horse and she and her owner make a beautiful team.

Naughty did what she does best on Monday night...and won her first class. She will show back in the Championship class for that division on Thursday night and I'll be tuning in. If you have any interest in seeing the absolute best of the best, check it out here. It does cost $15 to register...As Adam said, "Is anything in your sport free?" - but if you have any interest at all - it's worth the mula.

A hardboat isn't for everyone.

2008-07-07T16:10:00.003-04:00

This past weekend was the last one that Adam and I will be spending together for a while, while he transitions to going to school 4 days a week and working the other 3. We decided to do it up in style.

We headed north for some sleeping under the stars, paddling, and and mt. biking. Good times. The best part of the weekend for me, was discovering the inflatable kayak. I have never had so much fun on the river before and I'm seriously considering selling my hardboat and trading it in for a "ducky" as they are called.

We rented this one from our paddling club for the weekend because I just haven't been having a good time in my hardboat. It's far from comfortable and I just don't go enough to be able to control my turns without flipping it over - hoping I make my roll, and ultimately, doing a lot of swimming in whitewater - meh - not so fun.

But this weekend, in the inflatable - it felt like a completely different sport. I LOVED it. I was able to catch eddies that I was too scared to try in my hardboat - for fear of flipping. I was surfing waves that I wouldn't have caught before. It made the river seem a lot less scary and a lot more fun. I'd take any of you out in one and you would have a blast - for sure. Let me know if you'd like to take me up on it.

I came home to news in my inbox, that the Avetts signed with a major record label. Glad I decided to get tickets to the festival...this will probably be their last year of small venue shows. I'm really happy for the boys - no one deserves it more, and I hope this increases their audience.

That's all for now.

My weekend, in a nutshell

2008-06-30T16:26:00.004-04:00

Why do the fun ones always go by so fast?

Maggie, you may be jealous of this first part, just a warning...My dad bought my sister a brand new scooter to take back to college with her for the summer. Friday night, after Scott put the thing together, we went for rides. Oh man, are these fuuuun! They're having a sale on them, Mag - I'm just sayin' it might be time for you to get yourself one.

Then on Saturday, there was mt. biking here.

Sunday, I spent the day with the Maine Rowe's - hanging in the back yard - swingset and a sandbox? Do you really need anything else?

Finally, there was internal debate...Should I go here or not? I always like to go see the Avett's when they are near - and this looks like a good time. But, as Scott said, gas prices could be $5/gallon by then, and maybe I should just wait till they come around again, but closer. It's kind of a haul - 3+ hours each way. Still undecided.

D-O-Gs

2008-06-25T21:44:00.007-04:00

There are a lot of lessons to be learned from a dog, if you stop and watch. Here are just five that I've learned from mine:

1. Don't hold a grudge. Watch dogs playing - if one pisses the other off, they let the other know. And then they move on and continue playing.

2. Love every day. I have yet to see Kobe wake up and not be excited to get up and go out for a stroll in the woods. Or go for a car ride. Or have a treat. Or simply loaf around the house. Just be happy to be here.

3. Devotion, love the one you're with. Dogs don't really care where they are, as long as they're with their person.

4. Live with abandon. If you want to chase that squirrel, stick, or ball - well, you go for it, man!

5. Adapt. Things change, roll with it.

What have you learned from your dog?

I've got a secret...

2008-06-19T08:41:00.003-04:00

...and so do you. I think that's what makes PostSecret so compelling. We've all got them - some funny - some not.

What started as an art project - people making homemade postcards and writing a true secret that they had never told anyone else, has turned into an international phenomenon.

I used to check this site fairly regularly, but had forgotten about it until recently. If you're looking for some online reading, I recommend you spend a couple of minutes here.

What a bunch of Monkey's!

2008-06-11T11:47:00.001-04:00

Last night we watched a new kayak flick and here is a clip from my favorite part. These jokers purposely throw themselves into a NASTY hole on the Salmon River...and pay the price.

Check out the carnage and have a laugh at their expense.

P.S. These are professional boaters...I would highly recommend not trying this at home.

Getting lost is not a waste of time.

2008-06-11T08:41:00.002-04:00

I'm not about to lie and say that the last few months were easy. There ain't nothing rosy and sunshiney about moving across the country. For three months. Only to turn around and come home. But, it was not a waste of time.

I learned to go for something. If there's something you've wanted to do...move across the country, start a new hobby...Whatever it may be - just do it. I mean sure, you may end up living in your mother...and grandmother's basement...at 32 years old...But f it! It's temporary.

I learned I like mountain biking!

I learned I'm an East Coast Kid - straight up. Some may say the West is Best...and I would not argue that point - it sure is awesome - beautiful landscape - great people. But, when we were driving back across the country and the first person cut me off on the highway, in NY, I think it was - I let out a big sigh and said...Ah, home.

Most importantly...

I learned about commitment to someone, even when times are so dark, you can't see the damn light. If you stick it through, eventually the light will shine.

I hesitate to say things are going well, because the last time I said that on this blog...well, we packed up our shit and came back...BUT, Adam's training at his new school seems to be going really well and we'll see. We've even gotten back to our old ways of adventuring...I will dig out the camera and start taking it along again and will post some pics soon.

Wild!

2008-06-09T13:19:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, we (Grandma, Loni, Jackson, and me) were sitting around and I asked everyone what their favorite New England wild animal was. When I shared that mine was a porcupine, I was chastised.

Seriously? Watch this video and tell me that the porcupine is not adorable, I dare you. I discovered that the porky was my favorite about a year or so ago when I was driving and spotted one up in a tree, enjoying a snack. I pulled over and watched him for a little while and was hooked.

A glimpse into my weirdness

2008-05-28T08:16:00.002-04:00

In NH, you must register and have your car inspected each year in your birthday month. I'm not sure if that is the case in every state, in fact, I know it's not in Oregon. In Oregon, you register your car every two years, but you're not required to have it inspected (you should see the bombers driving around out there!). May is my birthday month and I always dread this task.

I dread it, because in years past, I have had to depart with a lot of my hard earned cash. Either because my car was newer (the first year I registered my new subi wagon, it was $600) or because it failed inspection and I needed new brakes, or tires or something else expensive before it would pass.

Anywho, I've built it up in my head that it's a big deal. May is my birthday month and as of yesterday, I hadn't done either. I decided it was time to bite the bullet, head to the town hall and the car shop. It was fine. My car is old enough now, that it wasn't too much to register it and the old girl passed inspection.

If all of this isn't weird enough (seriously, who gets worked up about such things, but me?), I had forgotten about my little OCD-ness AFTER I register and inspect my car each year. I'm now obsessed with checking everyone's sticker on their windshield to see if THEY'RE overdue with theirs (for those of you that don't know, we all have stickers on our windshield with the number of the month you have to inspect your car, and the color of the sticker changes every year - last year it was orange, this year, blue). And, I get all excited when I see someone is overdue, for some reason. I saw one on my way home last night and I was all (to myself in my car) "gotcha" to the person passing by. Like I'm the police and going to pull them over?

If I remember correctly, this will go on for the next month or so, and then I'll calm down about this.

An uneasy feeling

2008-05-21T08:27:00.002-04:00

This is the first time in my adult life that I've really felt the affects of a struggling economy. I'm not a fan of this. Not one bit.

My job? Not too secure right now. You may recall that I am a freelancer. There are layoffs occurring at my company. We are meeting today to discuss the viability of our publishing line. When people are worried about putting food on the table, adding books to the bookshelf, just isn't a priority.

Gas prices? Adam is spiffing up the truck today and taking it to a dealership to see about trading it in for something with better fuel economy. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is a sign of the times. Just doesn't make sense to hold onto something that is costing you $800/month to operate when you're working part time and going to school. Even though you LOVE it.

That $600 I'm getting from Bush? "Bush Bucks" as Scott calls them...That wouldn't even pay for rent for a month in the Northeast. I'm not sure how the $600 I'm getting is going to stimulate the economy...I can tell you that I am not going to use it to buy a fancy new anything...It's going in the savings account. So that I can eat, when I don't have a job. Thanks, Bush!

Although I didn't agree with everything that Gary wrote in his post about the Presidential Primary (I happen to want Clinton to fight to the end, because I think she is the one that can get us out of this mess - but that's my selfish opinion! I realize this!). He is right, we're in a real mess in this country and I sure hope our politicians wake up, stop being selfish and start fighting for us.

I'm lucky. I have a family that I know I can count on to help me out if I do happen to find myself out of a job and unable to find another. But, I read a story yesterday about how several middle-class Americans are being forced to live in their cars because they can no longer afford their mortgages or rents. The lead story in my local paper this morning said that local Humane Societies are seeing a huge influx of family pets for this very reason.

I sure hope we're seeing the worst of it, and times start getting better. Has the slumping economy affected you yet? If so, what are you doing to adapt? Have you started cutting back?

Other than worry, it hasn't necessarily affected me yet. I'm still riding, etc. But, I'm not buying anything that I don't "need" for fear that I need to hold onto any extra penny at this point. OH, and I haven't broken my promise to myself to not step foot in a Walmart...So, it can't be all that bad. I guess it's just that the thought of what 'could be' is very real.

Tuesdays!

2008-05-13T08:09:00.002-04:00

Tuesday is the day of the week that new albums are released and one of the first things I do on those days and check and see what the goods are for that day. Some days I'm pleasantly surprised by what I find, some days, nothing does it for me...and then, there are the days I am longing for.

July 22. That's the day the new Avett Brothers album drops. I have a feeling it's gonna be a good one.

I'm not sure who else has anything new coming out soon...but there are some artists I wish would share some new stuff...

Brandi Carlile
Dixie Chicks
Classified
Ben Taylor
Ray Lamontagne
Postal Service

Who are you waiting for?

Hey, this is fun!

2008-05-12T10:03:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure if I've written about this before, but I have this odd hatred for road bikers. It's a problem, I acknowledge this. I hate "Sharing the Road" with them. Not all road bikers, not your average Joe biker...But, the ones who think they're biking the Tour de France in all their spandex glory. Especially if they're in groups.

However...When we were out west, we each got a used mountain bike and yesterday, Adam and I went on our first "real" mountain bike ride. Marc told us about an old logging road that he used to ride on when he was in high school and we decided to go check it out. Lucky for us - the thing hasn't been built up yet. What a freaking blast this is...and a whew, what a workout.

There was mud. There were rocks. And, there was falling. If you haven't ridden a bike in awhile, I highly recommend it - you will guaranteed feel like a kid again.

Roots and other things

2008-05-08T13:18:00.003-04:00

The other day I was talking to Marc and I happened to look in the mirror realizing it was seriously time to get the roots done, and I thought it, out loud. "You dye your hair?", he responded. "Uh, yeah...since like for forever." "No kidding, I had no idea..." I was pretty shocked about this - how could he not know that those blond streaks come from a bottle? And then I remembered he's a boy and they are clueless about such things.

Anyway, I did just that this morning. And caught up with my hairdresser who I've had for at least ten years. I found out that she is also the hairdresser for the NH astronaut (Rick Linnehan) who recently went up in space - she has his autographed picture on her mirror. In case you were wondering where his styling 'do came from! Who knew my butt sat in the same chair as an ASTRONAUT? I wonder if that makes me smarter somehow, by association?

I've packed a lot into the few days that we've been home. In addition to catching up with my trusty hairdresser, among other things - I've run around with Jackson; gone for a bike ride; taken the dogs to the beach; smiled like I haven't in quite some time; cruised through P-town; oh and, I've had a Tuckerman's or two. Mmmmm.

Got a lot more to do and am looking forward to a summer packed full of good times.

One person's trash is another one's treasure...

2008-04-25T21:55:00.004-04:00

In prep for our move back east, we're getting rid of a lot of the stuff that we shouldn't have brought with us in the first place...A friend of mine told me to check this out, and I'm so glad I did. We've been able to unload lots of our stuff!

If you've never heard of freecycle, I would definitely recommend looking there before you buy something new. You can get some good things for free.

Happy. And a little scared.

2008-04-25T10:41:00.005-04:00

One of the many things I learned when I went through my divorce several years ago was not to judge people. And, I don't. Everyone has a right to happiness and to live the life that they choose, who am I to say what's good for anyone, but myself?

But, I've spent a lot of the last few days worrying about what people are going to say about me and my situation when I tell them that we're packing up and moving back east. Silly, really. I know. And, a little self-centered. So, I'm not going to worry anymore.

The past few months have had many ups and downs. Admittedly, more downs than ups. But, I don't have any regrets about my decision to come out west. It sure has been an experience and I'm really glad that I came along for the ride. And, I don't have to think about any 'what-ifs' down the road.

Not really sure what the future is going to bring and part of me is freaking out slightly. But, I'm happy that we landed on this decision - it's been a struggle reaching it. Adam is transferring to a school in Connecticut. We're going to be a little smarter this time - he's going by himself and I will follow if/when he knows it's the right sitch.

As for me, I'm looking forward to taking a deep breath, sitting on the deck at the lake, to going for bike rides with Marc on his new-found trails in Maine, to walking the dogs with Scott, Lon, and Jack, strolling Portsmouth, lunching with old friends, and figuring out what my next steps will be.

It's all good. This is what life is all about, finding your way. See you on the east coast.

Random Friday News, Cause It's a Slow Day at Work

2008-04-18T10:59:00.005-04:00

1. I just did something monumental (for me). I ingested a dairy product past the 'sell by' date on the container. I have a problem with throwing - most likely - good food away, because I'm certain it can no longer be good - because the container said so. But, this morning I needed half and half for my coffee, the sell by date on mine was yesterday - I smelled it and then just went for it. And guess what? I'm still alive!

2. We're supposed to get snow tomorrow. Go ahead all you New Englander's let me have it.

3. I had a 'celebrity' sighting yesterday. The "Little People" from the TLC show, live in my town and I passed one of them on the road yesterday. I promptly called Loni to report this, as it's her mom's favorite show.

Most importantly...

4. Adam is taking his stage check test on Tuesday, he should be soloing by the end of next week. A big, big deal.

I hope that you all have a fun weekend. Wish you were here having that fun with me!

An Elder Statesman

2008-04-16T11:38:00.004-04:00

Such a good ole boy. Taken this weekend on the Columbia river up in Woodland, Washington.

2008-04-11T11:22:00.001-04:00

"12:30, I'll miss Letterman's top ten, but I'll make it home in time for my meds." Said the crazy guy standing next to us as we waited for the train to take us home from our big night out in the city. "That's good," I replied. Thinking I wish I had some "meds" at that point. Crazy Guy continued to talk our ears off until the train finally (thank God!) came. He was harmless though. And I did learn some interesting facts from him.

All in all, it was a fun night out. The best part was catching up with Brita. Love that girl!

I hope you enjoy this song from Scott Avett. They haven't recorded it yet, the first time I heard it was when I caught them at the Stone Church and it gave me chills. If you make it to the end, you won't regret it.

"It costs nothing to be honest, loyal, and true."

2008-04-10T10:54:00.004-04:00

As I said in an earlier post, if I could quit my life - it would be to follow these boys around. Whoo hoo - they're here tonight and we're venturing into the city to see them.

As an extra added bonus Brita is in town and she'll be joining us tonight for the show. It's been a long time since I've had the chance to spend a couple of hours with her, and I'm really looking forward to seeing a friendly, familiar face.

Happy Day!

Designer Dogs

2008-04-08T16:33:00.004-04:00

We've been toying with the idea, for awhile now, of adding another pup to our family. Ultimately, the decision for now is not to. We're going to wait until we're "settled" - who the heck knows when that will be. If it was up to me, I'd have a couple of dogs. The thing that has prevented me from doing so, is the rental situation. So far, I've had no problem finding a place with one, mellow golden retriever, but two big dogs would probably be a lot harder. And, also...because my +1 isn't crazy about the idea.

Adam is allergic to dogs. And cats. And basically any type of plant, tree, dust, mold, etc. For some reason, Kobe doesn't bother his allergies. Lab hair though, that's entirely different - he's crazy allergic to labs. It's weird. So, when the time comes that we do add a dog to the family, we have to be really careful. In the search for our potential new pup, I stumbled upon this whole "Designer Dog" movement.

You know the one, where breeders cross two different purebred dogs and come up with a new "breed". But here's the thing: they're mutts. And, these people are charging a disgusting amount of money for them. And, they're getting it. I found one breeder in Oregon who is charging $2,200-$2,500 dollars. $2,000-$2,500 DOLLARS. For a "Goldendoodle" (a Golden Retriever crossed with a Poodle). Does anyone else see something wrong with this?

I'm all about these dogs, would love to have one. They'd be perfect for us, because many end up being hypoallergenic (not a guarantee) - plus they're still a cool dog. I don't know, with so many dogs in shelters - especially here - it seems insane to spend that kind of money on a mutt. Because, if you do a little research, you can probably find that "designer puppy" in a shelter - get what you want and save a life. I hope this is a trend that is just that, and ends soon.

The new hood

2008-04-04T16:07:00.014-04:00

Since I gave you a tour of the surroundings at the old place, I decided to take you along on our walk this afternoon...

This is a picture of our street, Kobe has finally figured out that, no, he can't pee on all of the well-manicured lawns...

Our destination on our walk is this field...the only place we've been able to find within walking distance that Kobes can go off-leash and run around...

Which is right across from the airport, where Adam goes to school...

Here's our view on the walk back from the field...

This path connects the main road to our road...We like to pretend we're in the wilderness...

Here's our backyard...

Which contains the coolest birdfeeder in the world...

To be fair

2008-04-02T10:18:00.002-04:00

The company which we do not speak of in this house anymore, did the right thing. Read about it here.

We're still not shopping there. But, good for them.

Mmmm, tuna-noodley

2008-03-31T15:08:00.004-04:00

Recently I resurrected a dish from yester-year and it's become a big hit in this house. So much so, that it's made its way into our weekly rotation. Thought I'd share...and if you've got a casserole, I'd love to hear the recipe. Casseroles are great: easy, cheap, great leftover.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

8 oz egg noodles (we use a bag of the No Yoke Dumplings)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (low sodium, reduced fat - it tastes just fine)
1/2-3/4 cup of milk
2 big handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese
1 can of tuna, drained
1/2 cup chopped red onion

--

1/2 roll of Ritz crackers
1 handful of shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons of butter, melted

--

Cook the egg noodles according to package instructions and then combine the first six ingredients in a casserole dish. In a small bowl, crush the crackers and then add the butter and cheese. Top the casserole with this mixture. Bake, uncovered at 375 for 25 minutes or so, till it's all bubbly and the top is browned.

The Fight for Charlie!

2008-03-28T10:52:00.003-04:00

After a rocky start, Adam is coming along really well with his flight training. So much so, that he's flying patterns at the actual airport and not having to go out in the boonies in the test area. Sometimes, I feel like I'm enrolled as well because I flashcard him all the time and I'm learning quite a bit. I had no idea that there was a military alphabet, but I have fun trying to remember it. Anywho, now what I look forward to when he walks in the door is how it went in the fight for Charlie, pattern, that is.

Charlie pattern is the most popular heli flight pattern at the school. It's popular because you can usually fly it even in iffy weather (for some reason) and the weather hasn't been good for the last couple of weeks. So, if you don't get Charlie - you don't get airborn. Students are only allowed to sign up 15 minutes prior to a flight block and they start lining up way before that, as it's on a first come, first serve basis. Adam has had the 7:30 a.m. flight block all this week and has left the house at 6:00. He's been the first one there all week and of course, he's pretty proud of that. It's kind of turned into a game for him.

He won't tell anyone exactly what time he gets there...Someone asked and he told them 6:25, a whole twenty minutes later than he actually does, because he doesn't want to be beaten there the following day. Additionally, one day this week while "flying" out of the house, he forgot his log book. A huge 'no no' - you have to carry it with you at all times when flying. He figured it out as he was sitting in the lounge waiting to sign up. Of course, the first one there.

So, he decided to leave his backpack there (apparently you can do that) and run to the truck, speed home, speed back and hope people thought he was just in the bathroom. Between the 10 minutes that this took him, a couple of other people trickled in to the school, and when Adam walked back in and sat next to his backpack, eyebrows were raised..."You were here?" one kid asked. "Yeah, bathroom..." Adam said, rubbing his belly.

"Liar! What has Charlie done to you?" I responded when he recounted the story to me. "But, I was there...Amy, it's getting brutal, I gotta do what I gotta do." was his response.

Fair enough. Gotta log those hours.

Gorge Games

2008-03-27T10:45:00.001-04:00

So, this looks like it could be a pretty good time. We're going to head out to the Gorge and check it out this summer. Anyone want to join us?

BTW, how fun does kiteboarding look?

Anyone?

2008-03-27T02:43:00.003-04:00

Does anyone know who the song in this video is by? I love it and want to download it. Maggie and I have been trying to get to the bottom if it. No luck yet. Hoping someone will know.

Amy's little dream world (in which she sounds like she's gone off the deep end)

2008-03-26T10:39:00.004-04:00

I was pretty emotional yesterday when I wrote my post. In the words of the great Jack Johnson...sometimes it feels like a heart is no place to be singing from at all. I probably should have taken a deep breath before I spewed my thoughts to the Internet.

However, for the most part...I stand by them. I won't step foot in Walmart again. It's not just because of their paltry health care benefits for their employees. And, yes, I know - Universal Health care is not the answer - but jeez, we gotta do something different. It scares me to death that, being on my own, with no company benefits, if I get sick - really sick and can't work and can't pay for my health insurance anymore, then I'm f-ed. That's my reality.

I'm trying my damndest to be a smarter consumer. Maybe it's being around all these dirty hippies in Oregon, I have no idea. But, as I sit here, I'm drinking my stupid fair trade coffee, because I can't bring myself to buy anything else anymore. I may be a total sucker, but I'm buying it.

Anyway, I just feel like we're on the wrong path in this country and the Walmart story is just a symptom of a greater disease. It makes me really sad to know that a lot of people have stopped caring. And instead of sitting around and asking myself what I can do, I'm starting to do little things. I pay a little more for my groceries, I don't buy as much "stuff", I vote for people who I think have the same beliefs I do, I volunteer for organizations that matter to me.

I've got nieces and a nephew who I want to see a better world. I know that's hokey, and I'm sure you're all thinking I'm a little lulu at this point, but I don't care - it's true.

2008-03-25T17:07:00.003-04:00

Sunday evening, we watched an hour-long special about Walmart and their questionable treatment of their employees and suppliers. And we all know that they're taking out the Mom and Pop shops town by town. Here's the thing though...they've got us - because no other company can afford to charge as little as they can for products. Who's going to fault a struggling family of four for trying to get by and in doing so, shop there? Not me.

However, I do have a choice. I'm not rich, but I don't have mouths to feed other than my own and I can afford to shop elsewhere at this point in my life. I was pretty disgusted with that company on Sunday evening, but a story I just read has outraged me and I vow to never step foot in another Walmart.

It's complex. I've struggled with this, because in the past I've looked at it from the employee's perspective...If everyone stopped shopping there, they will be out of a job and of course, I don't want that! I'm sure that there are people who would argue the opposite: that Walmart has saved struggling towns and provided hundreds, thousands of jobs for folks who would otherwise be unemployed. But does that make it OK to charge someone making minimum wage an outrageous amount for their health care coverage? You're telling me, that this corporation can't adjust their bottom line to take care of their own?

How long can I stand by and hear story after story about their inadequate employee health care plan among other things and then continue to walk through those doors and spend my money there? I can't. Please read this story, and if you agree with me, don't shop there.

Maybe if enough of us take a stand, they'll step up.

Quenching the thirst

2008-03-24T17:26:00.000-04:00

Adam made us grilled cheese’s for lunch today and while we were eating…

Amy: Can I have a sip of your drink?
Adam: [picks up his can of ginger ale to feel how much he has left, and then puts it down.] Nope. [smiling]
Amy: Why not?
Adam: I ask you at the beginning of every meal if you want a drink and you always say ‘no’, and then in the middle of eating you ask for a sip of my drink, and you drink most of it. It’s annoying.
Amy: Is this your way of teaching me a lesson?
Adam: Yep.
Amy: You’re an ass.

Then, as I got up to get my own ginger ale, I started laughing, because it is so true, not five minutes before, he asked what I wanted to drink with lunch. My response? Nothing.

Make it stop.

2008-03-21T10:52:00.002-04:00

In the middle of the night, I heard what I thought was the bass of yet another suped up honda civic. There's lots of those around here. Why do people think it makes them cool to blast their music in their low-rider? Does it make them cool? Maybe I'm the uncool one. Highly likely.

Anyway, I thought I heard another one...parked outside in the middle of the night. The sound was so distinct. Bah bah, BUMP, bah, bah, BUMP. Usually, this can be heard briefly, as the car passes by. But, this time, someone was parked right outside.

"Make it stop." I said to Adam, who then got up to investigate where the car was. He walked around the house, looking out all of the windows and couldn't see the car. But, he heard it too.

Finally, he walks toward the back of the room and starts laughing, quietly. "If I tell you to come and put your ear up to the wall, you have to promise not to bust out laughing and bang on the wall." he whispered.

The culprit was our neighbor (we live in a duplex), snoring. Snoring louder than I've ever heard anyone snore in my life. But, that's what it was, for sure. And it was funny, and I did laugh out loud. Adam gave me the other side of the bed, with the fan and I slept like a champ for the rest of the night.

I love me some bluegrass, and boy do I love this

2008-03-20T14:23:00.002-04:00

I was disappointed when I learned that Nickel Creek was breaking up, I've always really looked forward to what they were going to come up with next. There's something soothing, to me, about Chris Thile's voice - and that mandolin - wowza. I was however, far from disappointed when I downloaded his newest effort, Punch from the new ensemble, Punch Brothers.

It's simply beautiful.

I recommend that you grab a beer, or a ginger ale, get comfy and spend some time with this album. Only if you want to. I won't make you. I just wanted you to be aware that this album exists, if you weren't.

High of 53 degrees and a 70% chance of rain

2008-03-18T10:44:00.002-04:00

That pretty much sums up the forecast for spring in Oregon. In case you were wondering what you should wear on your visit here. When you come visit me. Really that seems to be what the weather people say every single forecast that I happen to catch.

What I find really funny is that one station even does a check of itself...Like...let's see how I did forecasting the weather yesterday: 53 degrees, check. Rain, check. I'm a genius at my job. Give me a break dude, I could have told you what the weather was going to be today. Do you really deserve a pat on the back? I don't think so.

The weather in Wallagong, Australia was quite lovely yesterday...I can tell you that because I saw it for myself. That's right...All thanks to my handy-dandy webcam. Chia, who is studying abroad this semester, showed me around her apartment which ended with a view off her deck...which I couldn't really see because the sun was so blinding.

Although, I didn't get a peek outside at all the snow they "supposedly" are getting in New England...Suuuure, it's snowing again...I was in Maine over the weekend, attending my niece's 3rd birthday. Thanks, webcam! It was really cool being able to watch her open her presents and eat the cake and it was also funny that she still has no use for Adam, even though he's 3,000 miles away.

Although many of us are living several miles apart, thanks to the webcam it doesn't really feel like it. It makes my heart happy to see everyone. I can't explain it, but it's different than seeing a photo or watching a video...It literally feels like we're in the same room. It's a familiar face when nothing around me is familiar.

If you don't have one, get you one and then I can see for myself the weather where you are - and your smiling face.

Switching it up

2008-03-14T10:52:00.004-04:00

"Just out of curiosity, how much would I have to spend on a horse to just do some local shows with?" I asked my riding instructor. I tried really hard not to look shocked when she responded with $20,000-25,000. This got me seriously thinking about my riding goals. I said to myself (in my head, not out loud) Amy, it's time to re-evaluate here.

What's important to me about riding, why do I love it?

*exercise
*the challenge of riding a horse that's difficult and eventually figuring him out (I say him because I really don't like mares, sorry to all you mares out there)
*it's fun

The thing is - I love Saddlebreds. So, I started doing some research and discovered, really to my surprise, that they do other things than just prance around the show ring. They're a versatile breed - cool! They jump, they do dressage, they're great on trails.

I started talking to one of my friends who has always ridden hunt seat and she had the same reaction to that high price tag. We've always banged heads on our riding styles. Apparently, I can get what I'm looking for without having to take out a loan!

So, I looked around and found a hunter/jumper barn close to my house. My first lesson is next week. THIS is seriously going to be hilarious...Me, going over fences - never thought I'd see the day. And yes, I'll be wearing a helmet.

My new goals?

1. Learn how to do this hunter/jumper stuff on lesson horses for the next couple of years.
2. Find me an awesome Saddlebred to team up with.
3. Have some freaking fun!

If you're interested:

American Saddlebred Sporthorse Association

Harry Callahan, a pretty famous horse outside of the typical Saddlebred showring.

2008-03-13T13:29:00.000-04:00

Love it.

2008-03-12T10:27:00.003-04:00

101 year old man to run a marathon.

This guy is cool.

Could it be the devil?

2008-03-04T10:26:00.004-05:00

Before moving out west, we did not have cable in our little cabin. We had the rabbit ears going on...and could get three channels...it really was enough. Some days, the tv would even come in so good that you could believe you did have cable for a minute.

Well, our little friend, cable, is back in our lives and I'm not so sure this is a good thing.

I'm finding myself staying up late, for sure losing brain cells on shows like My Big Redneck Wedding...Which, for as funny as it is - if you haven't seen it and the opportunity presents itself, I highly advise that you indulge - especially if the bride and groom are Gail and John. Anyway, I can't get that 1/2 hour back.

I wish that cable companies would allow you to choose which channels you wanted...I'd probably only want a few, I'm thinking...the Discovery Channel - I love Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe, the Food Network, Animal Planet and maybe one local one for the news. That would be it. Right now, there's just too many choices and it's so tempting to keep flipping, late into the wee hours...Maybe it's time for a little self-restriction on the old tv.

Giddy-up

2008-02-29T18:22:00.003-05:00

So, here's some video. I screw up right from the start, thought you'd get a kick out of that Scott.

Happiness

2008-02-29T11:07:00.005-05:00

The thing that I absolutely love about riding is that when I am in the saddle I think about nothing else but that moment. Yesterday, I had my first regularly scheduled lesson at my new barn. I had the opportunity to ride a show horse who gave me a nice challenge.

He is a 6 year old American Saddlebred gelding - big and bold at 16.2 hands and there ain't nothing "push-button" about him. I had to work for every nice gait and it was so damn fun. His trot is so big that I thought a couple of times I was going to end up down on the ground...16.2 hands wouldn't have been so nice then. But, I managed to stay on yesterday.

The first way around the ring was a little ugly. Actually, it was a lot ugly. I was humbled by how much I suck at riding and how much I still have to learn. But, by the second way I started to figure him out a bit and we had a couple of nice passes. Adam got it on video and I will try to upload some later. I know, I know - you're all on pins and needles.

Anyway. Yesterday was the first time since we arrived in Oregon that I felt completely at ease. All of this new-ness has left me feeling vulnerable and a little scared at times. I've had to push myself to leave the house to run errands in all of this traffic and craziness and I am very happy that I have a place to go to where the people are chill and into the same things I am.

Kobe was a happy boy too. He came along and got to run around with all of the barn dogs. The ride home was killer because in addition to having an ear to ear grin we got to listen to a cd changer full of new music thanks to Gary and Loni.

Yesterday was one of those days that I felt very lucky to be alive and in the place that I am. For your viewing pleasure, a view of Mt. Hood with the sun setting, taken on our way home last night.

First Day of School!

2008-02-27T15:02:00.003-05:00

We've been waiting for this day for quite some time...I can't believe it's here.

I am crazy excited for Adam and very proud. They don't mess around at this school, he's going up today. It's a beautiful day to fly.

Off he goes...

A lovely little diddy

2008-02-25T15:17:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, a song catches my ears and I just can't let go until I find out who the heck it is and then play it obsessively over and over and over again.

So, I heard one such a song on a darn Mac commercial and found it on (cough, sorry Maggie) itunes last night.

If you heard it and wondered who it was too, her name is Yael Naïm and the song is New Soul. If you have no idea what song I'm referring to, have a listen here - I bet it'll put you in a good mood. A catchy song.

Day Trip #2

2008-02-24T12:15:00.012-05:00

Yesterday, I cracked open one of the books that Jen and Marc gave me before heading west, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Portland. This book kicks ass. I found a hike that looked pretty cool, showed my partners in crime and they agreed. So, off we headed to Mt. Hood National Forest to hike the Clackamas River Trail.

Along the way, Mt. Hood is staring you right in the face...This is about two minutes away from our house. Looks like a big cloud, but it's not - it's a freaking mountain...

Before we arrived at our destination, we found some kayakers along the road and stopped to take some pics. Here's one at that spot, without the yakers first...

Along our hike...
We thought we were getting out of the way of the branch...Not so much. Nice one of Kobes though. Kobe, what do you think of this hike?
I love how emerald green the water is...

So, there you have it...Thanks Marc and Jen for the book. I think we're going to try another one today. And, this is day trip #2 for all of our visitors.

Let the exploring begin...

2008-02-18T13:33:00.003-05:00

We went on our first mini-adventure yesterday, out to the coast. It sure is pretty, but Kobe said that the sticks on the West coast taste the same as the ones on the East coast. He's not as easily impressed as we are. I did take some pictures, but we don't have the camera transfer-thingy set up yet. I should be able to post them tomorrow.

On our way to the coast, we had the awesome experience of driving through the Tillamook State Forest and stopped several times to check out the Wilson River, just beautiful emerald green water. So, we found our first day trip for you know, all of our visitors...Hint, hint.

So, all is well. The trip across the country was mainly uneventful and we are settling in. Although, our stuff isn't here yet and we've been here for almost a week now. Thankfully it is arriving tomorrow, the novelty of "camping out" in the living room is quickly wearing off.

Road Trip!

2008-02-05T08:27:00.000-05:00

What tunes do you find essential to a road trip? Fill me in...I'm about to go on a long one and need to start getting the all-important music together.

Reality is such a buzz kill

2008-01-30T21:15:00.000-05:00

It's very easy to get caught up in the excitement of moving across the country for a little bit. That is until, you inquire about registering your car - among other things.

"Hey, there's one thing that's cheaper in Oregon," I said optimistically.

"It's only 54 bucks to register your car and that is good for two years!" I said.

The optimism lasted for about two seconds. Literally. Until I read the second line. I won't bore you with the details, but I will just say that it includes having to send a PACKET to my bank (who owns my car until I pay it off) for them to fill out along with sending the title to the DMV. The process will literally take a month.

So, along with beautiful waterfalls and mountains and unicorns (Scott) - there's the DMV, water and sewer bills, state income taxes and a whole slew of things that we've never had to deal with.

We're getting there. As soon as we can get all of this reality bs out of the way, there will be fun to be had in this magical place they call Oregon.

Heaven on a plate

2008-01-25T08:52:00.000-05:00

Meat. I really do not like it. If I go over to some one's house and they're serving meat, I will eat it to be polite. But, I could do without it for the rest of my life and not miss it. It's not for any worthy cause, I just don't really care for the taste.

Loni and Scott are aware of my "dirty little secret" however. Up until a few months ago...I had this serious issue with eating cheeseburgers from of all places, the Golden Arches. That was until I saw the movie Super Size Me and I promise you, it completely turned me off on that type of food.

Foods I could live on...

Basil/tomato/mozzarella - this is THE best combination of ingredients on the planet. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and balsamic and it's downright heaven. I could eat this every single day.

Pita/pepper slices and hummus - I really dig lemon hummus with the pita and some type veggie hummus or garlic with the peppers.

Portabella Burgers

Black bean/avocado/green and red pepper/jalapeno/tomato/with a little bit of Italian dressing salad...yum.

Annie's Mac and Cheese - any variety will do.

Pad Thai, without the chicken

Sushi...not REAL sushi...I like the avocado/shrimp maki

--

If you had to plan your favorite dinners for the next week...what would they be?

Ben Taylor makes a funny

2008-01-24T10:57:00.000-05:00

About a year ago, I went to hear Ben Taylor play and you know, it was one of those serious/singer-songwriter/mellow shows and then he busted out this song. Have a listen and a laugh.

Click on "My Wicked Way"

http://www.myspace.com/bentaylorofficial

I immediately wanted the song for my own collection, it's not available for purchase yet...But I'm glad it's online.

A little preview of what's to come...

2008-01-21T13:10:00.000-05:00

We returned last night from our whirlwind trip to the Pac Northwest and things are officially in motion. We put a deposit on a little duplex within walking distance to Adam's school...so, that will make it nice and cheap while he's a student. We've resigned ourselves to living in suburbia for a few months.

In addition to touring the school (which was great - phew!), we found a farm for me to ride at and I went out for a lesson one morning. They were all very nice people there, with lots of horses - I think I will be in for some good times there. Here's a view looking out from one of the barns:

The one day we did go exploring, we decided to head out to Hood River through the Columbia Gorge. There was a waterfall like every couple of miles - we did lots of stopping and walking.

No good mountain pictures, as it rained the entire time we were there. We were told by a lot of locals that this is probably the worst time to visit, weatherwise. I didn't really mind it all that much, but may be singing a different tune after a couple of months of it. I'll let ya know.

So, we depart in about three weeks...We've got a place to stay, a barn to ride at, many mountains and rivers to explore...oh, and one of us has a school to attend too. A little scary to move to the other side of the country where I know no one...But, it will be good for me to step out of the old comfort zone for a bit.

I sure hope these pictures will entice you to visit while we're there...we've got an extra bedroom and will be happy to have you.