Mel's Blog...bits and pieces of me...

Shared photo book from Melanie

2011-07-31T18:59:00.001-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

More SD adventures

2010-09-22T23:23:00.000-07:00

Ryan's Birthday in SD

2010-09-08T22:18:00.000-07:00

The pups and I went down to San Diego to be with Ryan for his birthday. We had a nice time cruising and relaxing by the beach. The dogs had a blast and as always we had a great time doing nothing in particular, just enjoying the company.

Mom's Birthday in SF

2010-08-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

We as a family went on a day trip to San Francisco for my mom's birthday. The weather was perfect and the view was clear and beautiful.

http://s827.photobucket.com/albums/zz198/chiarastella79/Moms%20Bday%20in%20SF%202010/?action=view¤t=0febe13c.pbw

Puppy Breath!

2010-08-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

There's no better way to celebrate my birthday then cuddling with 9 newborn puppies! My neighbors' dog gave birth on August 5 and these big guys and girls are already about 2 pounds at 1 week old. I'm in heaven.

Birthday Dinner with family

2010-08-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

I spent my birthday with a typical day at work, except the little "gifts" from a few kids and one classroom singing me happy birthday. I had dinner with family at Outback Steakhouse...yummy! (they were gracious enough not to embarrass me with a song). My man called me and sang me happy birthday.

2010-08-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

Ryan came up for a the week before my birthday to spend time with me. I had the house to myself so it was the perfect time for us to spend together undisturbed. I still had to work during the week, but he entertained the dogs while I worked and brought me lunch a couple days. One day when I got home from work, he suprised me with my birthday gift; a new car stereo! Mine hasn't been working and I have been wanting a hook up for my iPod that didn't require a radio signal.

We had the most wonderful week together and have made a big decision for our relationship during this time together. It was decided that I will begin a job search in San Diego and once I find a job, I will move down there and we will live together. :-)

He had a difficult time leaving on schedule and rescheduled his train departure 4 times because he didn't want to leave. The moment he finally had to leave was tearful for the both of us. I can't wait to see him again. <3

Faux Hawks!

2010-07-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

I'm getting pretty good at these faux hawks and basic haircuts for guys...so long as I have a haircut trimmer with the guides. ;-)

2010-07-24T20:53:00.001-07:00

2010-07-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

Nice day to get out on the delta and swim....and try to ski...My brother isn't the most seasoned ski boat driver, but we had a successful run with Chrissy on the skis and she was happy. :-)

Road trip to Oregon and Washington State

2010-07-16T23:37:00.001-07:00

I had a great time seeing my friend, Pilar. It was like old times and I was so happy to see her after so many years of not seeing her. I enjoyed time spent at her house with her family and had a lot fun playing and goofing around with her kids.

Washington was nice too, although my former college roommate and I didn't get into downtown Seattle until Sunday, so many shops were closed for the day, not to mention it was July 4th. I missed the magic of Pike's Place in action, but enjoyed being there when things were calm so I could see and take pictures without feeling like I was a sardine. I was happy to see a big fireworks show in downtown Seattle, it's been a long time since I've gone to a show.

My one claim to fame in Seattle was a celebrity sighting...although I have no photo to prove it. ;-) While walking through the streets of Seattle, I glanced in a window of a cafe and did a double take. I exchanged a look with the actor, Ron Livingston from "Office Space" and HBO's "Band of Brothers". I was shocked to see him and wanted to badly to sneak a picture or meet him...however I pride myself on not interrupting or invading other's privacy...so my only proof is my memory. No worries. :-)

I did a lot of driving in a short time, but the trip was worth it.

***I'm having issues getting my slideshow to post....so it's in the next blog...it took me a while to get it put together...I've been so busy with work and just too tired to deal with it...I'm not liking some of the changes made to Blogger and I'm not used to it...can't quit figure out how to get it to do what I want....whatever....at least the slide show is up....I'm such a perfectionist and it's hard to let go. LOL

Visting my man in SD

2010-07-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

After my road trip to Washington State and Oregon, I drove down to San Diego to see Ryan and deliver his bed. We had a short time together, but enjoyed ourselves. I gave him a new haircut while I was there...the faux hawk was his idea. :-)

Behind us is the house from the movie, "Top Gun"

Road Trip coming up!

2010-06-26T20:53:00.000-07:00

In my 30, almost 31 years (all living in Northern California) I have never been to Oregon and Washington State. *Unless you count the Portland and Seattle airports. Ha ha. Finally I have reason and time to go see these places. Next week I'm making the drive up to Seattle to visit my old college friend for a few days...then I'm driving down to Eugene to see a friend I haven't seen in over 12 years!! I'm so excited! I'm bringing my camera and a lot of memory cards...maybe even my 35mm SLR for those special shots!

My car is all set to make the long drive...at almost 95,000 miles on my '02 Civic, I got my timing belt replaced, a new water pump and a fresh oil change. Pictures to follow! It'll be a long drive, but a pretty one. :-)

My Baby girl, Jade is 1 year old!

2010-05-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

Jade is shaping up to be a good dog. I have Ryan to thank for some of that I think. He's played a big role in raising her for the past 5 months...Then there is also the help from Timber. He disciplines her regularly...quite funny I must say.

Jade turned 1 year old May 14 and is now weighing in at 70 pounds (closing in on poor Timber who is 73 pounds).

Taking a break on our hike at Contra Loma

Happy Birthday to my baby girl, Jade

Camping in Santa Cruz

2010-04-12T22:37:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've gone camping...if memory serves me, the last time was the trip to Yellowstone almost 2 years ago...then again...my memory isn't what it used to be... Ha Ha!

The original plan was to camp in Yosemite, which it's been way too long since I've been....probably the better part of a decade or more. The weather wasn't cooperative however, there was a layer of snow on the valley floor, not too friendly tent camping.

We opted to go to a spot near Santa Cruz that my family likes to visit frequently, although I've never been. It was chilly at night and the dogs and I were restless most the night...my brother was nice enough to trade me a spot in the RV for the tent, so the dogs and I joined the family inside the RV for my second night camping.

I went to the beach with my folks and the dogs one day to let the dogs run...that was a quite the event. I let just Timber off leash and Jade was not having it and she nearly ripped my hand off to get away and follow him down the beach. She took me down once and I was so wet, I didn't bother to roll up my jeans.

This was Jade's first beach experience and she hates being without Timber. I was so busy managing the dogs, I didn't even get pictures and was too preoccupied to hand the camera off to my mom who was busy chatting with a woman on the beach. Oh well, at least the dogs got a good day of exercise in as did I get a workout....Hopefully next time I will get beach pictures.

One "first time" event for both pups was to try out pulling me on a cart. We rented a Quad-styled pedal bike and I hooked the dogs up to pull me around the camp ground. It went pretty well for a first time experience. They aren't too great at commands yet, so it was good the quad had a steering wheel. It wore the dogs out pretty well. I can't wait to figure out a design for a cart and have it built!

KOA Campground cabins
Jade enjoying the campground's Dog Run

They sure had a lot to look at...

Christian checking out his new cap gun he bought with his own money.

Patryk cooking up something in his head for his cap gun.

Papa is sitting there with something tasty....what a couple of beggars

Couple of worn out pups after a day at the beach...

Pre-storm clouds

Doing what they were born to do....PULL!!

Tired puppies from running and pulling...loaded up to go home....Uncle Ryan will be there when we get home to visit!

Hiking at Contra Loma

2010-03-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

I love the poppies that are in bloom now....

I love my hikes with my pups and my hunny Ryan.

Cirque du Soleil's "Ovo"

2010-03-21T23:55:00.000-07:00

The show, "Ovo" came to the bay area a few months ago and my mom and I made it to the last show before they left the area. I went to a the show, "Quidam" 13 years ago with my good friend and her family and absolutely loved it! I've been wanting to see another show for years. My mom has never seen a show, so we made it a day for just the two of us.

The show "Ovo" was a lot different than "Quidam" but very good. I'm always so amazed at the talent, dedication and strength of the performers. Simply beautiful and amazing. The next mother-daughter outing will be the play, "Wicked" in San Francisco next month.

Jade gets spayed

2010-03-20T23:05:00.000-07:00

The decision to spay Jade was very difficult. I delayed the surgery for months weighing the pros and cons to having her maintain her ability to have puppies. At the age of 10 months (64 lbs) I finally made the appointment to have her fixed.

When the day to drop her off at the vet arrived, I was so grateful to have my dad available to drop her off. I knew that it would have been impossible to walk her through that door, much less drive her to the clinic. Breaks my heart.

Here's my sweet girl on the ride home before wearing the "Cone of Shame"

Rarely does this little girl make a peep, but on the ride home, she was whimpering very quietly...made me want to cry....

The moment we got home, Timber was eager to be by her side and smothered her in kisses...

Awkward and uncomfortable in her Cone of Shame...

Timber and Chico

2010-03-15T01:06:00.001-07:00

Timber and I drove down to Orange County to visit "Auntie" Christy and "Uncle" Dylan and play with Chico the dog. The plan was to breed the two dogs. Chico will be 4 years old in June and if the breeding was successful, this will be her first litter.

Random funny and clever quotes.....

2010-02-22T22:07:00.000-08:00

God gave women intuition and femininity. Used properly, the combination easily jumbles the brain of any man I've ever met.
Farrah Fawcett

Nothing cures insomnia like the realization that it's time to get up.

When you have insomnia, you're never really asleep... and you're never really awake.
Tyler Durden
from the movie Fight Club (1999)

Love is the answer - but while you're waiting for the answer sex raises some pretty good questions.
Woody Allen

Your marriage is in trouble if your wife says, 'You're only interested in one thing,' and you can't remember what it is.
Milton Berle

My wife is a sex object - every time I ask for sex, she objects.
Les Dawson

You know how to tell if the teacher is hung over?? Movie Day.
Jay Mohr

Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar.
Drew Carey

"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."
Marilyn Monroe

What did one saggy boob say to the other one. -If we keep hanging out like this people will think we are nuts!

Modern-day evolution -- take the safety labels off everything and watch the stupid people become extinct.

You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love; the running across fields into your lover's arms can only come later when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip.
Jonathon Carroll

I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.
Jennifer Yane

I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon.
Anonymous

Don't lose hope. When the sun goes down, the stars come out.
Anonymous

I wanted to make it really special on Valentine’s day, so I tied my boyfriend up. And for three solid hours I watched whatever I wanted on TV.
Tracy Smith

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.
Oprah Winfrey

I put a dollar in one of those change machines. Nothing changed.
George Carlin

Alcohol is the anesthesia by which we endure the operation of life.
George Bernard Shaw

Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
George Carlin

Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.
George Carlin

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.
Jack Handey

Here’s something to think about: How come you never see a headline like ‘Psychic Wins Lottery’?
Jay Leno

Dogs are the leaders of the planet. If you see two life forms, one of them's making a poop, the other one's carrying it for him, who would you assume is in charge.
Jerry Seinfeld

I am so busy doing nothing... that the idea of doing anything - which as you know, always leads to something - cuts into the nothing and then forces me to have to drop everything.
Jerry Seinfeld

You have a cough? Go home tonight, eat a whole box of Ex-Lax, tomorrow you'll be afraid to cough.
Pearl Williams

See, the problem is that God gives men a brain and a penis, and only enough blood to run one at a time.
Robin Williams

You have GOT to be Kidding me!

2010-02-15T19:38:00.000-08:00

What the hell is happening to the fashion industry!? First, in January I see the return of leg warmers at Walgreen's....then, today shopping with my mother at JC Penny, what do I see? The hideous display of acid washed jeans and jackets that I tried to erase from my memory from back in the 80's! Give me a break....I am willing to accept that leggings are back, however I won't wear them...but this? Gross.

Jade is 9 months old!

2010-02-14T19:32:00.000-08:00

My silly girl Jade is now 9 months old

*Jade now weighs approximately 67 pounds*

Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T18:59:00.000-08:00

I had a perfect Valentine's Day weekend. Ryan came out the eve of Valentine's Day to come with me to Dan's Bar in Walnut Creek to see the band, "The Bad Beat" play. A couple of high school friends are part of the band and I wanted to see them play for the first time.

When Ryan arrived at my house, he surprised me with a card, box of chocolates and a bottle of champagne (my favorite). I hadn't expected anything since he mentioned he wasn't really into the holiday and we've been dating for about a month and a half.

When we arrived at Dan's, we got a couple of beers and played two games of pool, which was fun despite the fact that I play pretty lousy. We listened to the band play; they played cover songs from various time periods. I must say, they play very well and I liked all the song choices.

We slept in late and then had a late brunch at Mimi's Cafe for Valentine's Day. Ryan left in the late afternoon to take care of things before he had to go back to work tomorrow. Sadly, he couldn't join the dogs and me on a hike like we usually do. I'm so grateful for the time we did have, it was the best Valentine's Day I've had in a long time. Ryan is such a wonderful guy and treats me so well. I'm so grateful to have found a nice man who puts forth such an effort. *fingers crossed* for many more months of fun together.

My Valentines

2010-02-14T18:36:00.000-08:00

One thing I did for Valentine's Day was spend the afternoon with my two furry Valentines, Timber and Jade. I took them on a late afternoon hike to Contra Loma where all the cows were out and about eating and competing for lady friends. (The males were fighting and talking up a storm while we were hiking, getting ready for mating season I gather, but I like to think that they were competing for a female for Valentine's Day lol)

The hike was perfect. Warm sun, cool breeze and fresh air. The dogs had a blast checking out the other dogs and their owners as well as the cows. It never fails, they always find a nasty puddle to get into and end up stinking like a pile of manure! They sure stunk up the Pilot on the way home and got the hose in the back yard as soon as we got home....I was pretty dirty too...and my shoes got the hose as well...these hiking boots I got are awesome! They truly are waterproof! Not a drop of water seeped through despite the pressure washing I gave them when they were still on me feet. :-)

Timber is 16 months old....

2010-02-11T22:38:00.001-08:00

My beautiful boy, Timber.

*Holding steady at 70 pounds*

I can be a leader...can't I?

2010-02-01T19:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know that there are some people out there reading this....so why is it only one person has put forth the effort to "follow me"? Come on people...show a little love.....please. Dang, now you are making me beg! An all time low. Ha! Ha!

Pick-up truck dogs

2010-01-31T23:39:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Uncle Jason, Timber and Jade get to travel in style with the wind blowing through their fur. Works out perfect for me, no more stinky car covered in dog fur!

Serious need for a bath

2010-01-31T22:48:00.000-08:00

After a long hike at Contra Loma, these pups stunk bad! Every time we hike there, they like to go visit the cows and get into puddles and mud. How can I deny them that? Stink or not, it's really good exercise for them and it makes them happy. I can't say they were happy about the baths though. :-) We tried out Pet Food Express's bathing stations and in 25 minutes I had two clean but still pretty wet puppies. Good times.

Disorganized Visit

2010-01-25T18:52:00.000-08:00

Sunday I drove up to see Aimee and her family for a visit and to drop off some things for her to borrow....my attempt to lend her some of my video equipment fell through the cracks due to my equipment bag mysteriously lacking the supplies needed to do what we needed.

My job of searching through my boxes in the garage and in the storage unit will be long and frustrating. Over a year and a half after moving away from Chico, I'm still in limbo staying with my parents and it feels like most my life is still in storage or boxes buried in the garage. I have no desire to establish a studio in one of their spare rooms...that would further my permanence of living here. Yet, getting out on my own feels so far away....I'm hoping within the next 6 months. *fingers crossed*

But on to the point of this blog....

The visit to Aimee's was still worth while. I got to spend time with a great friend, enjoy her two beautiful children and since the weather was pretty harsh, driving up to the snow after the visit to play was out of the question. Thus, my pups got to run around her property a bit, then out on the patio while poor Onyx looked on through the window, unable to play rough and tumble with my crazy beasts. Aimee pulled out her camera and got a few shots while they were still enough to pose.

Jade and Timber, say thank you Auntie Aimee for the nice portraits.

Baby Jade is 8 months old

2010-01-14T19:41:00.000-08:00

Jade is 8 months old today. The time with her feels like it's going slower and she should be older. It has to be a combination of comparing her to Timber in size and temperment. Jade is so much different than Timber was when he was a puppy. She is still a handful and has done a number on the backyard.

She is also almost as big as Timber now. Timber is holding pretty steady at 70 pounds and Jade is about 65-70 pounds. Last time I weighed her she was 60 pounds and it's been several weeks. I will try to get her weighed sometime in the next few days, however, I picked her up then Timber and they felt about the same weight. Jade is also starting to lose her puppy fur, she is shedding a lot lately and the last grooming could have made a 5 lb dog!

Jade is still pretty hyper and impulsive, very much still a puppy. I have not been as dilgent with training like I was with Timber. The key is to separate them so I can work with her. However Timber is very much a people person, his people being Mommy! He really loves his Papa too. So, leaving him alone to work with her would lead to a lot of whining...what ever I do, I can't break him of that.

Day trip to the snow!

2009-12-30T21:11:00.000-08:00

I had two weeks off work for the winter break. It was my hope to get some things done and get to the snow as much as possible......Sadly, I only got to go one time. However, it was a good time. My friend Jessica, her two young kids and their dog Dylan joined Timber, Jade and I for the day trip. Jessica was generous to drive and risk her van to my two furry beasts since I woke with a sinus headache and had to take some sinus medicine that causes drowsiness. She offered to reschedule the trip....I said no way! It had been such a struggle to make the trip happen, I was not about to disappoint her kids and another kid: yours truly. Ha Ha!

This trip was Baby Jade's first time in the snow and of course, she loved it. Timber was exposed to the snow very early on, at about 4 months of age in the same area as well as the extreme winter conditions of South Dakota and Montana.
see posts: http://melanialynn.blogspot.com/2009/12/day-trip-to-snow.html, http://melanialynn.blogspot.com/2009/01/more-snow-january-12-2009.html, http://melanialynn.blogspot.com/2009/01/wyoming-south-dakota.html

I can't wait to take them up again. I love the snow and it's fun watching the dogs enjoy themselves. Timber likes to eat the snow and Jade couldn't stop running. I would eventually like to move a little closer to the Placerville area. I love the mountains and it's a great place for the dogs too.

I'm hoping before the snow season ends this year to experiment having the dogs pull a light sled. Jade isn't full-grown, so she can't pull me despite the help of Timber. However, if I can trust the dogs enough to be cautious, I might have them pull around Christian or Patryk. I will start out with just the sled to see how they react. So far Timber is not particularly fond of his harness. I made him wear it all day and through the night and he was restless almost the entire time. Perhaps a more custom harness for sled dogs with padding would be less annoying. We'll see.

Family Christmas

2009-12-27T20:42:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was my second Christmas back home in the Bay. I'm still having a tough time getting excited about it despite my family's enthusiasm, decoration and the presence of my two excited young nephews. After 11 years away from home and being with a partner who doesn't celebrate...nay, negates holidays...the passion has drifted from me.

Despite the lack of intense excitement and spirit that once flowed through me in my youth, it was a good Christmas. My brother lives around the corner from my parent's home, so this year (as well as last Christmas) he and his family slept over on Christmas Eve. Since I'm the night owl of the family, I offered to stay up and take care of the kid's stockings. My nephew, Christian is a night owl too, so there's no telling how long he'd be awake.

Christian is going to be 8 years old in April and he is already starting to doubt the existence of Santa Clause according to his mother. She wanted to do a little extra to try to keep it alive in him. Her suggestion was to put some dirty fingerprints on the glass doors of the fireplace.

The kids covered the hearth with decorations, so I decided to make it look like Santa knocked over the decor when he pushed open the glass doors. I put my hands in the ash and placed some hand prints on the doors. I was inspired by a Christmas I had when I was about his age. I remember a line of ash tracked from the fireplace to the Christmas tree. I couldn't very well track ash through two rooms since the tree is in a separate room, however I decided to make a small path from the opening of the fireplace and over the hearth onto the carpet for a couple feet.

Christmas morning, I was woken by the excited shouting of my younger nephew, Patryk. All I could hear as he ran up and down the hall was, "A bike! I can't believe it! I can't believe it! Santa remembered! It's exactly the one I asked for! I can't believe it! I can't believe it...." I dragged myself out of bed and threw on a sweatshirt to everyone in the family room. Christian received his own set of "wheels" a Land Shark 4-wheeled kneeboard which he says that he wants to have the dogs pull him.

My great gift surprises: A Bose iPod docking station and the complete series of "Planet Earth" on DVD from my folks and a Chi flat iron from my brother and his wife...and a handmade turtle my nephew Christian made out of polymer clay and cooked in his tiny oven. Coincidentally, I got the "Planet Earth" dvd trivia game for my nephews as a gift. That series rocks. :)

Visiting with Christy, Dylan and Chico

2009-12-24T20:35:00.000-08:00

Two of my best friends, Christy and Dylan came up to visit from Hungtington Beach for a night. They brought Chico, momma Jade's sister and baby Jade's aunt. Baby Jade had never met Chico and the last time Timber and Chico saw each other was a year ago. The dogs got along great and we two-legged friends enjoyed out time too. We enjoyed a late lunch at Qins then relaxed at home for a while and watched a movie. I cooked up a nice dinner and after we ate, we decided to go for a drink in downtown Clayton, my home town. We had a good time and it was great to see my friends. We were too buzzed to really get any photos later that night, so I mostly have shots of the pups playing.

Holiday Work Party

2009-12-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

My work organized a dinner at Celia's Mexican Restaurant in Antioch. The food was pretty good. We had a "white elephant" type ornament exchange....people got pretty crazy over stealing ornaments from other people. The coveted ornaments were those that had a Starbucks card included and the glowing snowman ornaments. I got one with a Starbucks card, and that was immediately stolen from me, then stolen from the person who stole it from me. The glowing snowman exchanged hands at least 3 times as well! The people I work with are great.

Meet Patryk's new friend Steve

2009-11-23T19:55:00.000-08:00

My nephews are off school this week so they are spending their days at my house with my dad and me. Christian is pretty much in his own world most days watching cartoons or playing video games. Patryk on the other hand......

This is how Pat spends his time......creating new friends out of my back roller for physical therapy. Too funny...I'm telling you, you must spend a day with this kid, he will brighten even the darkest days!

Meet Steve and his favorite hats for all occasions.....

His Knight-time hat

Hat for when it rains...
and his hat to keep the sun out of his eyes...

**Steve did have different attire, but he didn't want me taking pictures of him in his boxer briefs!

Celebration with my cousin Mike

2009-11-16T20:12:00.000-08:00

My cousin Mike graduated from college and to celebrate he had a party at his house with the family. I'm proud of my cuz...Mikey is like a brother to me. He worked hard to get there and deserves a post to remember his achievement.

Baby Jade is 6 months

2009-11-14T21:01:00.000-08:00

Jade is 6 months old today. She is approximately 55 pounds and nearly as tall as Timber! I can't believe how quickly she is growing. She is very feisty and full of energy at home. In public and at the dog park, she is very shy and a real push-over. She is just like her mom when Mama Jade was her age. If she continues to be like her mom, it'll be a long time before she calms down, but she 's a good girl.

Mama Jade had her first heat cycle at about 7 months and I have a feeling Jade is about to get her first...she is showing some of the physical signs. I'm at quite a crossroads with this issue. As much as I'd like Timber and Jade to breed one day, it's not easy to find quality homes, raising puppies is a lot of work and keeping the two apart during these times of heat for the next couple years will not be easy. I have a way to separate them physically with the outdoor kennel, but curbing the behavior that will result will not be easy. My quandary continues...

Halloween in San Francisco...one to remember

2009-11-01T20:03:00.000-08:00

After a late afternoon at the Japanese Tea Gardens in Golden Gate Park, Yuliana and I decided on a whim to check out what was happening on Haight and Ashbury. She's never been there and it's been ages since I cruised the streets. There were a lot of people out, some with friends, some with dogs, some with kids, some just too damn old to be out asking for candy from the store fronts!

After checking out a few local shops, grabbing a bite at McDonalds and people watching as we wandered Haight for about 5 blocks...we stopped off at a small local pub. It was quiet, the only bartender was dressed as a serving wench and she had her beautiful Samoyed dog there hanging out at the bar with her.

Sometime after 9 pm, the bar started filling up and Yuliana and my glasses were empty! We met a group of people there and chatted and drank for a while. They invited us to a private Halloween party several blocks away so after a stop at the liquor store, we were headed over to the party where we hung out and met tons of characters.

Here is a glimpse of our fun evening in San Francisco and some of the nice people we met, including a guy I graduated from Chico State with in the same major! Small world, even in a big city.

A pretty cool store front we stumbled across

I had to do it!

Yuliana and I being silly at the pub

Halloween party

I love fog machines! The smell brings be back to all the Haunted Houses I went through as a kid...

And we are headed down the steep, foggy staircase to go home....No worries, I was sober and taking good care of both of us!

Japenese Tea Garden...Golden Gate Park

2009-11-01T19:09:00.000-08:00

Yuliana and I drove out to San Francisco the afternoon of Halloween. We drove the long way over the San Mateo bridge and the Golden Gate due to a closure of the Bay bridge for repairs. We had decided earlier in the week to go check out the Japanese Tea Gardens in Golden Gate park since we both love Japanese architecture, tea and design.

As usual, I had to get a picture of nearly every opportunity I saw...I'm addicted to taking landscape photos. I also have a difficult time sorting through the photos and chosing just a few...so here are twenty-two images from the afternoon out of...oh, over 125 images!

When we saw this sign, we just had to laugh at our good luck! We arrived at the gate at 4:45 pm, Saturday, October 31st! Had we put off the trip to the next day, and arrived at the same time, we wouldn't have made it in time! (in case you can't read the sign, begining in November, the garden closes at 4:45 pm)

I would love to have this as my backyard...although knowing Jade and Timber, they'd destroy it!

The branches of these trees are incredible!

I love bamboo!

Mochi (a Japanese sweet...very gooey, sticky and squishy)

Yuliana and Me enjoying our Jasmine Tea (I absolutely love the smell of Jasmine and now I can comsume it!)

Hiking mixed with a little training

2009-10-18T23:49:00.000-07:00

I took the dogs over to Morgan Territory again for a hike after I left the Osteen Pumpkin Farm today. I decided to work a little on the commands for sledding/carting with them. Right now I'm getting them used to the words, "Gee" for right and "Ha" for left and "Hike" for them to "mush" so to speak.

Timber did most of the work when I had them help pull me up the hills, a few times Jade looked back to check something out but was jerked back to attention since they are attached together at their harnesses. I use one leash and then a "V" shaped attachment at the end that hooks to their collar or harness. I finally bought a new harness so they both have one now.

I also allowed them to run free off leash quite a bit. I'm really proud of how obedient they are when let off leash. They run far ahead of me, but when they loose sight of me, they turn around and run back to me to check in. If I whistle to them to return, they will come right back. I feel really fortunate to have such good dogs, many people with Huskies or Malamutes have trouble with recall and keeping their dogs from running off.

Since the rain last week, there was actually water in the ponds and creeks. They got so muddy and got right into the ponds in the dirty water! My car is filthy, well the blanket on the back seat mostly. I've been looking into getting a beat up truck or SUV for cheap to use when I take them out so I can save my little Civic from getting too much more beat up. Not to mention they are getting a little cramped in that backseat.

Jade is growing quickly and is about 47 pounds. She is almost as tall and long as Timber now. Timber is holding pretty steady and is about 69 pounds and he is pretty strong, yet still so gentle. I love my dogs, they are so much work, but give me so much in return.

A couple of dirty, wiped out dogs

The past revisited with new eyes

2009-10-18T23:34:00.000-07:00

We went to the Osteen's pumpkin farm today to share a little bit of my brother and my youth with my nephews. My brother and I went to school with the Osteen kids and we used to go to their farm to pick pumpkins for Halloween growing up. Christian and Patryk had never been to the farm I suggested we go this year for them to see it. It was a zoo and we had to park pretty far away because there were so many people there. The line to purchase was so long, my mom and sister-in-law opted to skip buying a pumpkin there so we didn't stay long. The boys weren't too impressed...Well, I tried. It was nice to see the farm though, been a long time.

Happy Birthday, Timber!

2009-10-11T20:46:00.000-07:00

My handsome, sweet boy Timber turned 1 year old today! I had planned on taking him somewhere special, like Point Isabel, the dog beach in SF or maybe a really long hike in Morgan Territory. However, as luck would have it, I have come down with a head cold accompanied by body aches and fever. Timber and Jade were stuck at home with me Friday and Saturday night since my friend who takes them out when I can't was working nights.

I felt so bad, I layered on the warm clothes and had my friend, Yuliana come out with me to the dog park in Brentwood. They got to play for a little over an hour and then after dropping their Auntie Yuliana off at her house, we went to "the treat store" aka Petco to get a special treat for Timber's special day.

It's nearly impossible to give one dog a treat and not the other, so I got them a special dinner that they could share; chicken with rice and vegetables from the cold section. Good Lord, I thought Jade was a pig about eating before! She ate that stuff up so fast, good thing I put her on one side of the baby gate and Timber on the other! She would have gotten her head bit off if she tried to get to his food, which he savored just a little more quickly than normal.

In addition, I saw an edible card at the check stand...wasn't sure what it was made of, but I figured, why not? He sure has no idea that it's his birthday, but who cares? I'm a silly mama of four-legged furry friends...so laugh all you want! I don't care! Ha ha! Timber had no idea what to do with the card, I figured out that it was made of rawhide...he had no interest at all....but Jade (as usual) was quick to steal it away!

Waiting for Auntie Yuliana to come out and hop in the car...

Are you winking at your mama?
Here, rip it open! (It's too much for him lol)
My boy and me (Papa had to hold the little brat back, she refused to give him any time with me alone!)

Patiently waiting for his special dinner to be prepared...

Timber is pouting...Jade is back there hogging his rawhide birthday card!

Do you think this is a look of guilt or ignorant bliss?

Finally, he stole it back!

Within about 30 minutes, he devoured it!

Sunsets....at a dog park

2009-10-04T21:54:00.000-07:00

Every day I go to the dog park there seems to be such a beautiful display of clouds that just love to play with the colors in the sky. It seems I never bring my regular camera with me, so rarely do I ever have a decent picture of the dogs, but the cell phone does ok with the sunsets. I'm such a landscape photo junkie, I manage to take pictures of the sunset nearly every time.....but what to do with these random shots? I haven't been blogging lately, so why not put them here? Enjoy.

Playing with the color settings on my camera phone....aqua...

Black and white setting, forgot it was on, but I like it...

Morgan Territory

2009-09-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

A missed opportunity to go to the Tamele festival in Sacramento led to a great afternoon hike in Morgan Territory with my friend, Nikki, her dog Murphy and her neice Reagan and nephew Terry....and of course my pups Timber and Jade. The hot weather we've been having was forgiving and it was cool, perfect for a hike....and with the storm coming in I was able to get some beautiful photos of the landscape and cloud formations. The dogs of course, were in heaven running loose through the trails and exploring all the smells from cows, coyotes and mountain lions. The kids had a blast looking for cow bones and trying to keep up with the dogs...poor Murphy had to stay on leash though...a bloodhound has a one-track mind. Surprisingly, I wasn't sore the following days, depsite the hills and piggy-back ride I gave Reagan. :-) Good times, we all can't wait to go again!

Bella Chiara Stella is 9 years old!

2009-09-11T22:50:00.000-07:00

My sweet baby girl, Chiara Stella is 9 years old today. She was my saving grace 9 years ago when I adopted her from a home full of cats. My friend's mother had too many cats and Chiara was one of 6 new kittens covered in fleas needing a home. I fell in love with the little white fluff ball when I saw her and remember driving back from Oroville to my apartment in Chico in my friend's car. Chiara was so scared, she curled up inside my friend's sweatshirt sleeve! She was so tiny and sweet. Chiara Stella means "Bright Star" in Italian. I had chosen the name prior to even meeting her.

She really has been a good friend and companion to me. Even when she was still a kitten, she knew when I was sick or upset and would lay with me as if to console me and protect me. She is a chatterbox as many Siamese cats are and is still full of energy and spunk! As much as she wishes to go outside more, she is an indoor cat and that has kept her very clean and healthy. I expect to share many more years with her. She sleeps with me at night and can be found hiding under my bed, laying on my pillow above my head in the morning or at my feet. When ever I have a guest over, she has to be involved and demands attention. She is not shy and will gladly walk all over them as they lay on the bed. When I am on a phone call in my room, she demands my attention and talks constantly. She is quite the character.

Timber is 11 months old

2009-09-11T18:35:00.000-07:00

Timber is 11 months old today and in the past three weeks he went from 65 lbs to 69.6 lbs, with more room to grow into his skin. He is finally blowing his coat for the first time and I'm having fun pulling the chunks of hair out...despite the mess, I've always loved that part of the shedding process...don't ask me why....I'm weird and think it's fun! I spent one day during my lunch hour pulling out chunks in the backyard for 10 minutes! LOL

Special Delivery!

2009-08-28T21:50:00.002-07:00

I came home from work for my lunch break today and got a great suprise as soon as I walked in the door! Right in the entry was two packages from UPS! My paintings and Art book have arrived! Way earlier than anticipated, the delivery time was quoted as 7 - 10 weeks, but it came in about 2 weeks! I'm so excited. Now I need to get them matted and framed.
Thank you UPS!

Igor Medvedev

2009-08-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

The other piece I purchased was by Igor Medvedev, I purchased the one named, "Vision Clear".
A link to his work:
http://sales.parkwestgallery.com/results/All/Igor-Medvedev/cArtist/1/Keyword

Emile Bellet

2009-08-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

http://sales.parkwestgallery.com/results/All/Emile-Bellet/cArtist/1/Keyword

Here is a link to Emile Bellet's artwork. I'm usually a photography person, realistic stuff....but I fell in love....after seeing all the others, I want them all!!!!!

30th Birthday Cabo San Lucas Cruise

2009-08-23T21:33:00.001-07:00

For my 30th Birthday, my mom and dad sent me on a 5-day Carnival cruise to Cabo San Lucas. I brought along one of my best friends, Christy. The first we wandered the ship and met many cool people... Christy and I were hard to miss on the ship being the only two young women who spoke in ASL.

First, while getting assistance for our TTY Kit at the front desk, we met an older man on vacation with his friends. He was so sweet, every day when he saw us, he would give me a countdown to my birthday.

During the Emergency Drill, we ran into three ASL interpreters who were on the cruise for a Deaf married couple, one of which was Deaf and partially blind. The first time I saw first hand how to sign to a blind person, very challenging. We made friends with the couple and the interpreters, pretty nice ladies, one of which is from Concord.

Our dinner time was arranged for the later seating, and our table was less than enthusiastic...they didn't open up much until later in the dinner and even then they were less than animate. As we discovered later, the Deaf couple and their interpreters were in the earlier dinner, so we switched in order to attend some of the shows with them so I could enjoy the show more and not interpret the whole time, and Christy could enjoy herself more since I'm a rookie at interpreting for shows and other big events.

The second day on the cruise, first full day at sea was very exciting and memorable. We decided to attend an art auction for the free champagne, free art and raffles. I never expected the outcome of that little adventure....

First, we met one of the Art Gallery employees, a sweet, petite young woman from South Africa. She approached Christy and I while we were admiring some art that I absolutely loved...After she advised me of the reserve price of the paintings and that I may be able to buy them prior to auction at reserve, an older man approached us...he appeared to be in his mid-50's. We discussed our vacations and the art we were interested in. The man was trying to encourage me to buy the collection of three by the artist Emile Bellet. I had told him that I really liked the art, but since I was a preschool teacher and didn't make a lot of money, buying art was not high on the priority list..especially at the price of the art. I planned on buying a painting of green sea turtle since it was inexpensive and of course, because I love sea turtles and it was very realistic.

We went to sit down as the auction began, and as the turtle painting came up, I bought it. After several raffles of spa packages or internet minutes, the next raffle was a print of one of the paintings I liked by Emile Bellet. I was gripping my bid card hoping that the number pulled would be mine and as the numbers were read, I heard a familiar voice call out. I turn to see the man we were speaking with earlier about the paintings! We point to each other, smiling. Minutes later, he is crouching at my side with a proposal, "You can have this free painting if you buy another." Well......what did I do you ask?........

Another Bellet is up for bid...the auctioneer knows I like them, gives it to me for the reserve price, cheap! Yep, I'm nuts! As the auction progresses, I win two more raffles, one entry into the Black Jack tournament, which I pass off to Christy as she is a much better player....and the other?! Another free print! There are 5 different free prints to choose from....which leads me to the appointment later to give my shipping address for the two pieces of art I bought and the two free prints I got; one my winning, one from the nice man.....

I go to the art gallery, the adorable woman from South Africa and I are discussing the paintings and what I am choosing for my second free print...I become very confused when there is dicussion as to what pieces I already have...after several minutes of confusion, it is clear......This man who gave me his free piece of art, the Bellet....has purchased the third piece of artwork by Bellet for me!!!! Needless to say, my mouth was hanging open and I was in shock! This entire time, I was too confused to interpret as we were discussing, so Christy was in the dark and saw my face and was like...What happened?! I tell her...and she is in shock too! As it turns out, the man has told her that his wife is a teacher, he really appreciates what I do for a living and wants to help me out. W-O-W.

Later that evening, we run into the man and his wife. I couldn't express my shock and gratitude enough. He was suprised I knew about the purchased painting, as he specifically told the art dealer that it was to be a surprise when it arrived at my door with my other paintings. He shrugged it off and introduced us to his wife who is a professor of psychology at San Diego State. We part ways for our respective dining rooms for dinner and the night continues. Later that evening, we go to play some Black Jack and there he shows up again with his wife and sits at our table and gambles with us a little. I have lost the money I had set aside for the night for gambling and I was fine with helping Christy and watch the game...Again, this man appears at my side, this time with a stack of chips (about 25 dollars) and sets them down in front of me and says, "Play and have fun." Amazing.

Over the course of the cruise, we continuely run into this man and his wife, as well as the nice group of men we met that first day. The last day of the cruise, my birthday, we pass by one of those men in the group in the dining area and they wish me a happy birthday. As we sit down to eat, one of the other men in that group walks up to us holding a red canvas bag wrapped around a bottle and says, "Um, this is kind of weird, but I won this in the Bingo game this morning and I don't drink wine...so...here. Happy Birthday." I thank him and relay the message to Christy and we continue eating. Inside, was actually Italian champagne! I guess he wasn't kidding when he said he didn't drink, because he couldn't tell it was champagne and not wine...if it weren't for the small amount of bubbles and the top, I would have made the same mistake. What a birthday...so many generous and friendly people.

This very same day, we endulge in another art auction for the free champagne and raffles, with no intent to make any more purchases. There is a whole new set of art, and another artist that I am drawn to....There were no winnings of raffles this time, but I did get suckered into buying another piece for half the cost and I got to take it off the ship with the frame and it is now hanging on my wall.

I got a lot of practice with my signing and even translated a couple shows for Christy; an R-rated comedic hypnotist show and the final show where I signed songs that were sung in a mock "American Idol" where the guests were contestants. I even got enough alcohol in me to get a little bit of courage to embarrass myself with rounds of Kareoke! Despite the alcohol, I was still nervous and awkward....Christy videotaped my two times going up so I can hopefully use them for "Don't Forget The Lyrics" on Fox...that is if I am not too much of a sissy to go through with it! Guess I will need some drinks for that too!! LOL

Christy and I meet a lot of really great people and I was sad to leave the ship. With exception to some confusion with the billing process, everything was great. Our steward was a sweetheart and made us really cute animal towels, our waiter was a crack-up, the people at our new dining table were fun, with exception to a really sweet married couple on thier anniversary, we were all young girls in sets of twos; two sisters from northern California, two friends from Reno and two friends from Arizona, then of course Christy and me. The bartenders in the casino got to know us well and always knew what drinks we wanted, Tiramisu martini, no peach shnaaps or malibu rum...and the occasional white or red wines. Our waiter's assistant brought me a glass of soy milk like clockwork every night with dessert. Hands down, the best birthday I've ever had! I'm so grateful to my parents' generosity towards Christy and me, grateful to the generous man for the art, to the sweet older men and their smiles every day that accompanied their countdown to my birthday and to all the wonderful staff who were so friendly and humorous.

Getting freshened up to wander the ship on the first day...Aug. 8th

Our Room....no window, it's faux...made waking up very difficult!

Second day...August 9th

Headed out to lay on deck in the sun...

First day on shore in Cabo...Aug 10th

The wildlife reserve in Mexico City brought this lion cub out for people to take pictures with for donations to the reserve...We got to hang out for as long as we wanted and take as many pictures as we wanted for $10 total....for $25 we could have held him briefly for one picture.

The staff had a choreographed dance for us each night, third night, Aug 10th was "Apple Bottom Jeans...boots with the fur...she got that whole club lookin' at her...she hit the floor...next thing you know shorty got low, low, low, low...We decided to join them!

Our hilarious waiter...told us not to show these pictures to his, "Third wife" Full of sarcasm! I love it!

Our towel monkey friend...

Second day in Cabo, sweating our butts off! Aug 11th

First night headed out to sea...Aug 8th

Good bye land....

Headed out to lay on deck...

Second night, formal dinner...Aug 9th

Our little elephant friend

I love lions...

third night dinner...silly waiter man...lol

Monkey madness!

Second day in Cabo on Many Deck

Sweatin on the beach

A lil' Froggy...

Just a little Black Jack and drinks...

Aug 12th...the big 3-0 has arrived!

Birthday dinner

Swan towel

Last night, my bday

Babies and puppies....

2009-08-04T22:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight was National Night Out. I decided to take the dogs down the street to the BBQ. This was Jade's first walk, and first time trying out a prong collar. She hasn't reacted positively to the leash during previous trials, so I figured I would try it out to get her started early on training. On the way down the street and around the corner, she hated it. She'd stop mid-walk and I would give her a tug and she would continue. However on the way back home, she trotted along behind Timber with a hop in her step.

The people at the party were loving Timber and Jade, they got a lot of attention! Not to mention there were many children of all ages and babies. It was good social exposure for Jade, she did well.

My neighbor, Marcie's youngest son, Benji has never met a dog before...Timber is a great dog for first timers, he's so gentle...and even Jade did well!

Baby Jade is 11 weeks old

2009-08-02T23:22:00.000-07:00

I took Jade to her first vet visit for her second round of shots yesterday. Timber came along for an update too. When I first got Jade 3 weeks ago, she was 12.6 pounds and now she is weighing in at 19.6 pounds! Seven pounds in 3 weeks! She sure likes to eat! Jade and Timber prefer to eat from the same bowl...which makes it difficult to measure how much each of them are eating daily, but they don't go hungry and the food container is disappearing quickly!

Jade is a little ankle biter and very mouthy. She is so different from Timber when he was a puppy...although, Timber was a rarity, a blessing...very mellow, even still (despite the whining) and never jumped. Jade is improving with discipline from both myself and Timber! If I tell her "No"...Timber will step in and correct her as well with a bite to the neck! LOL So cute!

The BIG 3-0 is closing in...

2009-07-26T01:39:00.000-07:00

My 30th birthday is growing near. I'm not really freaking out about saying good-bye to my 20's as much as I'm in a state of "WTF am I doing?" It's tough to swallow that I'm in such a weird place, nowhere that I envisioned I would be if you asked me 10 years ago, that's for sure. I'm taking it day by day and hope that I will be where I want soon.

I try to remind myself that I'm not alone and many people are in this weird state of flux as well. I have a supportive family, a few close friends I can count on, two adorable dogs and a cuddle-bug cat whom need me and keep me going, a decent job with good people, and a roof over my head (even if it's a shared space and not my own).

Speaking of great things...my parents totally rock! They really want me to be happy and enjoy myself for my birthday...so they are sending me and one of my closest girlfriends on a 5-night cruise to Mexico! We are leaving from San Diego on August the 8th and spending two days in Cabo San Lucas! I've never been to Mexico so it will be fun.

My friend and I are both single, young and I know we are going to have a blast! I will certainly be making use of my language skills on this trip! And this may be an odd opportunity for translation as well...My friend is Deaf, we may encounter Spanish-speaking people as well (but probably not a high probability being that we are going to a big tourist location! lol)....never the less, it'll be fun. I get to talk shit with my girl in sign language and most won't have a clue! ;-)

I'll be back in San Diego with my friend on the 13th, the day after my birthday and I will fly home the next day...just in time to be home for my mom's birthday on the 15th. Good times and a nice week long break from work....CAN'T WAIT!!!!

My new pup, Jade

2009-07-19T23:17:00.000-07:00

I adopted a puppy from my former dog, Jade's litter. I wanted a girl in case I decided to have Timber and the new dog breed (something I'm not positive I will actually do). Jamie kept 3 of the 10 puppies; one girl and two boys. The owner of the sire, Sparta took home a female pup. This left me with 3 girls to choose from. Of the three females, my little girl was the smallest and had the shortest hair. Since I chose the name Jade for the mother when we got her three years ago, I wanted to keep that name; thus I named my pup after her momma, Jade Aurora Borealis.

She is adjusting well and Timber adjusted quickly. His play was a bit rough at first, but he is learning her limits and she is learning to push right back! Baby Jade is a little spitfire and very spunky. She is very different from the way Timber was as a smaller puppy. She is a jumper, a climber and a mess-maker with the water dishes. Jade scales the baby gates and digs in all the water dishes; inside and outside! Between playing in the water and Timber biting her neck and back, she is usually soaked!

My mom loves the new pup and is glad that she has a "granddaughter" finally, even if it's a four-legged one. She will have to wait a while for a human granddaughter or grandson from me. LOL

As for my dad, he's a trooper. He really didn't want another dog in the house or yard...But he's a softie and loves both the dogs. I planned on having Jade live at someone elses house until I moved out, but my dad didn't like that idea and said she could stay here. I am looking for a place to move out for rental until the divorce goes through the courts so I can buy a place, but everytime I mention it, my dad says I have a place to live...here. He's a great dad, very supportive and flexible...but I need to move out and give him some relief and get these dogs out of his house and yard. When I do move, I'm going to hire a landscaper and housekeeper to come in and fix up what my dogs and I destroyed. :-) LOL

So tired...lots of changes for this little girl...

Relaxing in the backyard...

Adjusting to the new home...

The car ride home from Chico...July 12, 2009

4th of July in Calpine

2009-07-16T23:07:00.000-07:00

Driving up to Calpine with my mom after she got off work for the 4th of July weekend for a family party at my cousin Kathy's house. My dad drove up earlier in the morning with the RV.

So sleepy...

Donner Lake

The horses in my cousin's pasture...Timber's first experience with full-size horses...He got daring by getting in there with them, but when Emma, the brown horse decided to chase him, he made a dash for the fence!

Maya, my cousin Bryan's little girl...

She enjoyed "playing soccer" with Timber. When he wouldn't pay attention, she'd yell, "Timmer, Baa!"

Emma and Sprit followed Timber and me on our walk down the private road...

View on our walk down the private road my cousin lives on...

My cousin's view from her backyard...

Emma and Timber...again...they were obsessed with each other!

Spirit got to visit briefly until Emma pushed her way through. Emma is pretty controlling...

Maya and the her "baa"

Some "redneck golf" as my cousin, Mike called it...

Emma always has to be involved...

Searching for tadpoles and frogs in the pond out in the pasture behind the house...

Rosemary and Erin

Timber is on watch...

My tired "little man" after a long day exploring and meeting new people...

My dogs...

2009-07-14T18:29:00.001-07:00

Timber and Jade are getting along well...Timber likes to correct her.

More to come....

2009-07-13T22:55:00.001-07:00

I have quite a bit to post from the 4th of July up in Calpine....Been busy and tired since I went back to work after the time off. Since the 4th I have brought home another puppy! I got one of Jade's puppies as of yesterday. I have quite a bit of pictures of her, I named her after her mom, Jade. Timber and her are adjusting. When I get time, I will post some pics and more info...Until then.....

Last day of play....

2009-06-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

I had two weeks off from work and hoped to get chores and errands done as well as go camping...

I did accomplish quite a bit, appointments, going to the DMV to renew my license and get a new picture in record time! Also getting up to see a couple friends for a visit which were long overdue... I got my half of the divorce papers signed and noterized, then dropped them off for him to do his half. *fingers crossed that he takes care of it ASAP and mails it back to me. I will then take them to the court and once they process it... it will be finalized and back dated to mid July. What a relief.

I didn't get to go camping like I had hoped. It's tough having time off when no one else does. However, I did run off to Clear Lake last Saturday night and hung out on a fishing boat with a couple friends and my pup. I took the highway through Calistoga and Napa, it's been a long time since I've been in the area. It was a gorgeous drive and I saw many wonderful photo opportunities... I plan on going back as soon as possible when I have a lot of time to explore and perhaps do some wine tasting.... perhaps that could be my vacation for my 30th birthday! (I am still trying to figure out what I'm going to do for that week I took off; Maui? Lake Tahoe? Napa Valley? Any suggestions? Donations!? haha!)

Then Sunday morning my friend, Timber and I drove over to Mendocino Lake and rode around in his friend's boat all day. I got pretty toasty, Timber unwillingly swam several times in the lake...all the way to the shore! You think he'd get the idea that being wet and swimming cools him off....but no. He ran around on shore like a crazy dog! He rubbed his head and body all over the rocks, chewed on branches and twigs, and taunted a rattlesnake! (He's lucky he didn't get bit!) I could just imagine his thoughts... "LAND!!!!!" :-)

I didn't get very adventurous with any wakeboarding like my friend, but I did willingly jump in the lake every chance I could get to cool off...a rare occurance for me since I don't like cold water...but the lake water was perfect!

My friend Tage

A wet, less than thrilled Timber...

Randomness of Timber...

2009-06-26T01:51:00.000-07:00

Scent Detector....with his new buddy, Hoover at Brandy's house in Biggs, CA

Couch Potato

Playmate for his "kids" Christian and Patryk

Pick-up Truck Driver

Elevator Safety Inspector....first time on an elevator!

8 month old graduate

2009-06-11T22:52:00.000-07:00

Today Timber is 8 months old. He currently weighs 63.4 pounds. He graduated from beginner's puppy class tonight and we will be continuing on to intermediate in a couple weeks. I'm a proud momma of my four-legged kid! :-)

Timber likes the way his certificate tastes....yes, not exactly proper behavior, but damn cute!

Timber and his puppy class friend, Hunter

Saturday at the Dog Park

2009-06-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

Jasmine, the Mother Theresa Greyhound

2009-06-02T00:09:00.001-07:00

Check out the link...it's a really sweet story.

Jasmine, the Mother Theresa Greyhound

Posted using ShareThis

Loony Toons

2009-05-30T21:52:00.000-07:00

I took Timber to the grand re-opening of Petco in Walnut Creek today. We got some free toys, snacks, photo session with one 5x7 print and a caricature. Then I took him to the dog park after getting him a hamburger and me a Jack's Spicy Chicken sandwich from Jack in the Box. Yes, I'm bad, we both ate junk....And yes...my day was spent doing silly stuff with my dog...but whateva...I don't have kids, so he's my kid! So, blah. Ha Ha!

Serenity

2009-05-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

View of the sunset tonight from Brentwood Dog Park

Bittersweet News...

2009-05-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Jamie sent me a picture text message this morning regarding Jade, the dog we shared while we were married. I wanted to keep her in the divorce, but he would not allow it, much to my despair. When we first got her, we had plans to breed her a couple times, but she was not old enough until now. On June 22 she will be three years old.

While Jamie and I were still together, I had arranged for her a sire with a dog at the dog park who was also a wolf-hybrid mix. He followed through with this person and advised me that he would be breeding her soon. Despite knowing this, getting this message was a big surprise.

Jade gave birth to 10 puppies (they were only expecting 8 puppies), all healthy and loud according to Jamie. He says that she is a good mother and has "snapped back to her slim figure". He said he plans on selling 5 or 6 of the pups and will keep the rest to start a sled team.

Not being able to have Jade in the divorce was painful. After accepting the defeat, I decided it would be good to adopt a new dog. As you know, Timber was a wonderful gift from a special friend for Christmas.

Prior to finding Timber, I had hoped to adopt again from Jade's parents. I had called the family who owns her parents to find that a neighbor had shot and killed Jade's dad. I was devastated for them as well as myself. I have met many of their offspring from various litters and all the dogs had wonderful personalities.

I had decided that maybe later I could breed Timber with Jade's sister, Chico. My close friends in Huntington Beach has Chico and they planned on breeding her. It would be nice to have one of Timber's offspring so he would have a playmate. However, it would be even nicer to adopt one of Jade's female pups so Timber would have a companion and they could breed in the future. I am unsure as to if Jamie would even consider giving or even selling me a pup. In addition, I am not in the position to have a second dog since I'm not situated in my own place yet. Sometimes we can't get what we want...I will just have to keep working towards the goal and hope it all works out.

Here is my first "baby" Jade and her beautiful little pups

5/17/09

Mother's Day at Tommy T's

2009-05-10T23:49:00.000-07:00

I surprised my mom with a afternoon at Tommy T's Comedy Club in Pleasanton for Mother's Day. There were two comedians, the headliner was "Mrs. Hughes"! When I got a member e-mail about the appearance, I had to book some seats. How could I not take my mom to a comedy show on Mother's Day when the headliner had the same last name as my mom? :-) She was rather funny and her comedy was perfect for my mom, they are both grandmother's and have been married for a long time, every joke hit home for my mom!

The opener was a little raunchy for an afternoon show with younger kids in the audience, but he was pretty funny and my mom enjoyed it too.

Mt. Diablo Elementary

2009-05-09T23:41:00.000-07:00

After hanging out at the Concord dog park, I decided to check out my old stomping grounds and let Timber run around the field at my old elementary school. I drove past my old house in Clayton...still looks the same...I sure miss it and the old neighborhood. It's been about 6 years I think since my folks sold the house and moved to Antioch.

Today Timber is 30 weeks old and about 60 pounds!

Memories: Mt. Diablo Elementary

2009-05-09T23:06:00.000-07:00

My "little man" is wiped out...

Today Timber is 30 weeks old and about 60 pounds! At this point, I'm pretty sure he will exceed his dad's weight of 65 pounds.

Triple Birthday 4/26/09

2009-04-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

April is the month of birtdays in the family. Christian turned eight on April 15th, Patryk turned six on April 24th and Chrissy turned thirty-one on April 26th. My dad and I baked a cake for the three of them.

Chrissy, Patryk and Christian

Patryk
Christian

Between the kids; little and big ones....this cake didn't stand a chance!

On the Delta

2009-04-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

April 19, 2009

Trip out to the Delta with my family. Mine and Timber's first time on the family boat!

Visions of Maui

2009-04-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

I've finally taken the time to post some of my favorite pics from my week vacation in Maui. I was so sad to leave, I really feel at home there. I believe that is where I belong and will one day make it so I can move there.

I need to save up some cash before I can make it happen, then do the job search thing as well as get some blood work done on Timber and Chiara so we can wait out the 4 month quarantine period here at home in Cali...I was pleased to find out that this is the way the quarantine works, as opposed to my previous understanding that I leave them somewhere in a crate for 4 months on the island and merely get to visit them during that waiting period.

I understand that they are in need of teachers over there. Another plan is for me to get my sign language interpreter certification, which I heard yesterday during a teacher conference at DVC that I can attain through DVC. Since the island is saturated with photographers and videographers, making money at interperting, teaching and the possibility of working at a horse stable is my best bet. So, I am thinking that moving there may be possible with in the next year or so....more to come on that!

View from my hotel room

Luau on Easter Sunday

Secluded beach near Kihei

Beach in Kehei

My first time snorkeling..just outside our hotel...

Yep, that's my white ass floating above the water!

But this time my ass isn't white, my bathing suit is!! lol

The best vacation gift a gal could get....

Seeing the most beautiful creature of the ocean, Honu

I saw about 7 of them, but this was the last shot in my disposible camera...

...next time I will buy a waterproof encasing for my digital camera!
I'm crossing my fingers that the women that I snorkeled with got my e-mail from the front desk so they can send me the pics that they took of my swimming with my true love of the ocean!

Memories of the booze cruise...my last night in paradise.

Jimmy Buffett, eat your heart out!

Maui pics to come...

2009-04-21T21:50:00.001-07:00

I've been really drained since my return from Maui from the sun, jetlag, time zone change, my mind and heart still stuck on the island...or whatever... So I'm lagging on posting pics... I'm getting there.....I also have a number of pics to sort through to determine which will go up.... I really can't subject any people who may actually look at this blog to over 200 photographs! :-)

So......yeah. soon

An all-nighter, a red-eye...and I'm off!

2009-04-10T01:10:00.000-07:00

It's just after 1:00 a.m. At 4:20 a.m. I leave my house to go pick up my friend from work, Yuliana. Then we head off to the Oakland airport. We are both leaving the airport at about the same time, but headed in opposite directions. She is going to New York and I am off to Maui! Talk about opposites....cold and warm, rainy and sunny, layers and bikinis. Ha Ha!

Since I have to get going so early....I figured I'd be better off not going to bed. If you know me at all, you know getting me to wake up is like pulling teeth! I'd rather just lean up on the window and kink my neck a little on the plane ride than oversleep and feel rushed. Not only is Yuliana a very "punctual" person....but my parents are very scheduled...I'm not interested in getting rushed and hassled the day I start my vacation!

I dropped Timber off at dog day care after work. I decided this week to have him spend a night during the week in addition to his two days of day care. He did really well...so I'm told. Dropping him off, I could see he felt comfortable, so I feel good about leaving him there for the duration. I miss having the big baby laying at my feet as I play on the computer though. I wonder how many times I will be compelled to call and check on him while I'm off the mainland. We'll see...

Two hours until the folks wake up to get started on showering, packing last minute items and loading up the Pilot to get Yuliana and drive out to Oakland....then we will go through the motions of Airport Check-in, Airport Security, blah, blah blah....and then some Starbucks and munchies until we shuffle like cattle onto the plane!

Maui here I come!

2009-04-05T21:14:00.000-07:00

The days are passing by faster now! Only four days of work, then I'm out of here for eight days!!! I wanted to pack my bags 3 weeks ago! But, now I actually can pack! Got my suitcase and now I'm pondering clothing.

Timber will be staying at a doggy day care and will get to be outside playing with dogs the majority of the time, exactly what I hoped for, and he will be going for daycare this tuesday and wednesday for an introduction. He's going to be so pissed with me for leaving him for so long. :(

I'm spoiling him before I go. Today I took him hiking on Lime Ridge in Concord. Then the "treat store"...the pet store and then to the dog park to play some more....yep, I'm a guilty "mom".

Sunday at the Beach

2009-04-01T23:04:00.000-07:00

Sunday, Timber and I went out for the day with some of our friends from the dog park. We drove out to Point Isabel in Richmond to hang out for a while at the big dog park... I totally spaced and forgot my camera in the car...

We decided to drive out to Fort Funston, San Francisco to go to the beach when we found out that it wasn't too windy there after all...Antioch was incredibly windy and we deduced that SF would be the same, so that is why we opted for Richmond...

But...we caravaned out to SF and despite the reduction of wind, we still got blasted by sand until we made it down to the beach where the sand was wet enough to give us a break from exfoliation. lol

The beginning of our walk...and our sandblast facials...

"Battery Davis"

Timber's first waves...

Typical "dog park play" for these guys...Max, Tucker and Timber

Climbing up the cliff side and creating sand avalanches as we ascended...

Timber, Chopper and Kari

The View
I made my way up after the dogs...

Timber ran back down...I had to call him back up...

Tired and Dirty

Back to the water and chasing Jewel, Kari's "sister"

All the dogs...

Headed back to the cars...cold, wind-blown and wet and full of sand.

One last sniff before we go...

Where's the love people?!

2009-04-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning to wonder if anyone but me is reading this blog! I made a poll, but there are no takers...only one vote, and that one was from me! Come on people....I can't be that much of a loser, can I? lol

Timber update: March 28, 2009

2009-03-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

Timber is 24 weeks old today. I took him to Petsmart to weigh him and he is still gaining an average of 2 pounds every two weeks. He is weighing in at 55.3 pounds. When I got him at 9 weeks old, he was 16 pounds. His owners said that his mom weighed about 45 pounds and his dad was about 65 pounds. They estimated that he wouldn't be more than 60 pounds. I think he will exceed his father's weight. Chrissy still believes that he will top out at 72 pounds, she has since he first joined our family in December. I decided I'm going to take guesses from my readers for how much they think he will weigh in 6 months.....if I have any readers! Ha Ha!

24 weeks old

9 weeks old

Looking at his pictures side-by-side for the first time...It's amazing how much he's changed.

A beautiful afternoon for little league

2009-03-28T21:23:00.000-07:00

Today was Patryk's softball game in Antioch. The whole family went, including Timber. Pat played well, he managed to hit the ball 2 times from the pitch (one being a foul ball). He also hit it off the Batting T...since this is "T-ball". lol

The way they play the game is really well thought out for the young group of boys and one girl. There are 2 innings and each child gets a chance to hit with one of their coaches pitching the ball. If they can't get a hit from a pitch, they place the ball on the T and swing until they get a hit. I watched a little of the game and took some pics for my brother. Most of the time though, I walked Timber around and managed the various children at the park as they pet and played with Timber. I think he was the only dog there and he sure got a lot of attention and sticks! He was one happy pup!

Patryk covering 1st base

Pat was more concerned about the dirt on the ground than the ball!

This shot is too cute
For some reason Pat reminds me of Charlie Brown in this pic

Pat hit a foul ball, but ran any way...
Back at bat to try again...
... and again...
...and again...
...until he finally hit it on this swing.

Running to second base...
Don't they look bored? lol

"Give me 10!"
Running home
This little guy, Matthew was consumed with interest for Timber...and staring into my sunglasses....Papa was trying to get a pic of Timber and me, but this little guy came running to pet Timber again. lol
Yep, that's a wooden sword tucked into Bub's shirt. lol

Black Diamond Dog Park

2009-03-24T20:36:00.000-07:00

March 24, 2009

Timber has a couple "girlfriends" at the dog park now. The Husky, named Cari (an older woman lol) was so mean to Timber the first time they met at the Brentwood Dog Park. Timber was so small and she played really rough. He was so scared of her that he ran away from her and hid behind my legs if she came his way. They get along better now.

We go to the dog park nearly every day, when I'm too tired to go on a hike. Not to mention it is nice to get Timber out and playing with other dogs and exposed to different people. I know these "city" dog parks are a lazy dog owners way of exercising their dog...but it works for me for now, and I'm trying to use the elliptical when I get home for my exercise. I sure do miss the Mendocino Tree Farm in Chico. Now that is a dog park! I also got my exercise there too since the area was well over 300 acres! Some time soon, I hope to drive up there and see all my old friends and see how Timber likes it there.

He is always eating something...
A new friend, about a month younger, "Sparky" the boxer.

Too Cute

2009-03-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

Workin' Dog

2009-03-19T23:28:00.000-07:00

I bought Timber a backpack and decided to give it a try yesterday at the Reservoir in Antioch. I loaded it up with a few hand towels, poop bags and two 16.9 fl oz water bottles, one on each side. He did well and the backpack fit nicely. We hiked/walked for 2 hours and went about 2.5 miles total. About 2/3 of the way through the trip, I was pulling him for once! He certainly got tired...and sweaty under that pack. As for me, my feet hurt like crazy! I thought for sure I was going to be hating life the next day, but I woke up with no aching feet or bones.

At this point, Timber was taking me for a walk and everytime he saw a bird, he had a burst of energy and yanked me in their direction. One day I think he may actually be successful in catching a bird, he's determined.

Timber met his first cow. He was fascinated by them when he saw them in the distance, so I took him up a road where this young cow was grazing near the fence for a closer look.
He was pretty calm most of the time, but when the cow moved slightly in our direction, Timber bounced backwards!

Staring out in the water looking for more birds.

Terrible Two's for dogs?

2009-03-17T23:57:00.000-07:00

Timber is now 5 1/2 months old and weighing in at 52.6 pounds! He is becoming more defiant and I can't figure out if it has something to do with his age or maybe because I'm gone during the day at work now and not home with him.

How does the age calculation work with dogs? Does five to six months of age in a dog equate to the "terrible two's" in children? I'd certainly like to think so! If it isn't a stage, then that means he is mad at me and is beginning to favor my dad over me since he is home with Timber during the day! What in the world is going on while I'm gone during the day? I need to get a nanny cam!

Speaking of behavioral issues.....when Timber is left home in the backyard and no one is home, he cries constantly according to the neighbor and upon arrival home, we find him scratching at the back door and wall, scratching his toes raw on the stucco! Thus, he must be kenneled when no one is home from now on to prevent him from destroying his paws......he can only blame himself. Ha! As if he would get the connection!

I suppose it's time to suck it up and go take a dog training class... Ugh.

***Maybe I'll wait until after my vacation in Maui since it's three weeks away! Yeah!!!

Makes me laugh!

2009-03-15T22:52:00.001-07:00

Kid Wisdom - Watch the best video clips here

Quality time

2009-03-09T22:19:00.000-07:00

Today was a bit stressful at my new job. People seeming to be dropping like flys as the "bug" makes its way from one teacher to the next. What a season to be jumping into a new job! I'm learning this new school's processes as I go. I have to say though, the people I work for and with are really great and supportive. I am pretty hard on myself and expect a lot of myself, so things are always a little worse than than they really are in my eyes.

The moment I got home from work, I grabbed Timber and my nephew, Christian tagged along. We intended to find the trails near my house...but with no luck. So back to the dog park at Black Diamond...

Timber, Christian (Bub) and I all needed to get out. Bub is quite the emotional young boy and in great need of one on one time and time to himself. As much as I value my time alone to mellow, I know getting him out, just the three of us does him a world of good...not to mention give my dad a break from Bub's many meltdowns, many of which are a result of his little brother's annoying behaviors that run on an energizer battery! Poor Bub, he starts out so nice and calm when he responds to Patryk, but Pat doesn't let up and eventually Bub snaps!

It's great to see how happy Bub can get around dogs. He loves Timber and today there were a ton of dogs at the park thanks to the nice sunny day....regardless of the chill in the air. Bub was grabbing tennis balls left and right trying so hard to get all of the dogs' attention. Timber sure got a good work-out himself. He was worn out by the time we resigned from the dog area to play in the sandbox.

Our little outing ended up lasting two hours! Bub, Timber and I were the last ones to have dinner when we finally arrived at home about 7 pm

"Play Therapy"
....and he wondered why he had sand inside his socks when we got ready to go home!

Worn out little pup

Yes...I love my dog! Who wouldn't?

2009-03-04T20:55:00.000-08:00

Today after work I took my nephew, Christian out to the dog park with Timber and me. He doesn't get much time to himself without his little brother around. He was more than happy to actually turn off the cartoons and go with me while his brother was out with thier dad for T-ball practice.

After a little bit of time in the dog park section of this community park near Black Diamond Mines in Antioch, Christian was anxious to go play in the sandbox. There weren't a ton of dogs in the park, so it wasn't exciting enough for him I suppose. So here are two of my favorite boys playing in the sand!

***As usual, Timber had give a taste test to the sand!

***Also, to add to his adventurous and "NO FEAR" attitude......Timber climbed up on the play structure with me and went down the big slide with me! My dog rocks! I can't say it enough!!!