Bookcase #4

My dad assembles desk with some of the irections issing

Dear Instruction Printing Company,

I would love to use your instructions to assemble my own furniture, and I would appreciate it if I could get all the instructions printed on the standard 8.5"X11" page with all the text within those parameter.

You had one job, seriously.. Im assembling after all...

Fail

Washington DC

My dad flew in to visit today! It was cheeper to fly him into DC so we did some sightseeing and spent the night!

Washington Monument 

My two best boys!

The White House

Doggy School

We took Penny to Dogtopia Daycare today. She has really been lonely for other doggies lately. There are dogs at the apartment, but they are mostly too old, or not friendly to other doggies. She just wants to play so we started looking for a place we liked. We found this place by accident and really like it! They have web cams so you can watch the dogs whenever you want!

See, Web cam :)

Penny's Report Card for her first day of school!

Birds at 4am

Stray

Michael and I had a very special Date night planned tonight. It was actually cool enough today to leave Penny in the car after her "swimming lesson." We went to a nice dinner and were heading to a movie (AT THE THEATER NO LESS!!!) Its Saturday night and we decided to take a 30 second detour to drive past the church we want to try tomorrow, kinda get the lay of the land a bit. As we were taking a swift pass through of the parking lot I looked in my rearview mirror and see a large black and white dog following us at a gallop. I drive to the other side of the parking lot and he still is following us. I park and lean out the window; no collar. I grabed Penny's extra leash and easily looped it around his neck. He was such a sweet boy.  He was panting hard and I quickly got out Penny's ice water and gave it to him. He drank the ENTIRE bowl in a few seconds. 

He was obviously someones pet. He was beautiful, clean, trained, social, and neutered. He was gentle and friendly with me, Michael, and Penny. We tried to call our vet but it was already closed. We found an emergency vet in the area, they told us to call animal control. We called animal control and there was only one man working the ENTIRE county today. We assure the lady on the phone that the dog is not being aggressive and is under our control. She tells us it might be a while before anyone can make it to help us. 

We walk around for about an hour. Michael and I just fall in love with the boy, we decide to call him Buddy. 

The truck comes pulling up and an older gentleman in the tan city uniform gets out. Buddy decides this man might not be as cool as Penny and her human parents but he is willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt and gives him some kisses and wrestles a bit. 

The animal control guy says he thinks he must be from the neighborhood around us cause he looks too good to have been a stray very long. He scanned him for a microchip, nothing. 

He put a new leash on Buddy and tried to get him to the truck. Buddy decides that is not cool. He puts up a gentle struggle, tries to slip his collar and back away. In the end the man has to scoop the large (I'd say 80 lb dog) into his arms and lift him into a small cage and then close him in. All Buddy did was one terrified and piteous yelp. I LOST IT. 

Not going to pretend I was brave and held it together. I SOBBED. To see such a sweet creature get so scared and then make that tragic little protest. He didn't fight or growl or snarl at all, just one little yipe. TEARS FLOWED!

Michael asked the man how we could check in on Buddy, what would happen if they couldn't find his owner and how long he had before he was.... you know... (the door at the end of the hall at the pound where no dog comes out of.... you saw Lady and the Tramp, you know what I mean...)

The guy handed us a flyer circled a phone number and said to call on Monday. They keep an unidentified dog five days before they go for adoption. 

As he was driving away he told us he would cruise the neighborhood to see if anyone one looked like they had lost a dog.  (fat chance I thought)

I sat down on the back seat of the van and just cried. Michael, ever my gentle-man, soothed and comforted me. But I really just needed to sit for a while. We had missed the last showing of the movie and I was feeling heart sick about Buddy. 

All of a sudden Michael got a really intent look on his face and said "Listen!" I stopped sniveling and listened. In the distance, across a field, behind some trees, past some houses in a street we heard someone calling. We couldn't really hear what they were calling but anyone whose ever lost a dog knows the sound of someone calling their lost puppy. We JUMPED up and ran to the edge of the parking lot and into the field. I shouted as loud as I could at the general direction of the calling. 

"Did you loose your dog?"

YES

"Was it an akita?"

YES DO YOU HAVE HIM?

"He was just picked up by animal control!"

DID THEY LEAVE YET?

"Yes! But I have their number here!"

At that exact  moment,  I look left and there, on the street curb was the animal control guy! He had come to the end of a cul-de-sack and was making a U-turn. I shout at him and wave and start heading to him. He gets out and walks toward me. I shout back to the Owner.

"He's right here. He's safe"

IM COMING

and we saw a young man (20-23ish if I had to guess) running towards us. 

The dog had slipped his collar and gone exploring. He'd been gone for three hours. 

The Animal control guy happily released his prisoner to this owner who was so grateful to get his dog back. 

Happy Ending for All!

So get this, his real name was BUDDY!!!!!

Penny Swimming!

Huzzah!!!

HUZZAH!

We have furniture! Delivered on time by two very friendly guys on the HOTTEST DAY since we've been here. In and out. And now look what we have!!!! The morning after the delivery when I first walked into the living room I laughed, it feels like were grown ups now that we have a real couch. Haha. 

Is it summer yet?

So this is my first official weather/temperature rant. 

So they say it's not the first day of summer yet? 

I'm sorry. They are SO WRONG. 

 
ANYTIME it's 1am, 82°, and 76% humidity with a forecast for 102 for the next two days it doesn't DESERVE to be any season but summer. Even the weather man said it was going to "cool down" to 90° this week. 

This is not good at all. ICK!

When someone says "cool down to 90°" they need to reconsider what they define as cool cause to me that's BLISTERING. 

If I had my way every summer day would be 75° and cool off at night to 65°. That would be perfect. I looked at the forecast for the Bay Area this week, their Highs are lower than our Lows. EAK! 

Today, as I told you, we went out to Lynchburg and Appomattox to "avoid" the 103° for the 92° and though the next two days WILL BE HOTTER, we must stay home in HOPES of furniture and BEDS being delivered between X & Y o'clock. 

Though we will be "stuck" in the apartment for the next couple of days I am happy to say the AC in the apartment is AWESOME, and very effective and easy. The windows are double panes, and it must have very good insulation as I don't feel heat through the walls and can't hear basically any sounds from outside. I think Penny can't either cause she doesn't even perk her ears when UPS puts packages against our front door. 

It's a very peaceful place. 

I'm PRAYING our electricity bill isn't astronomical this month. We've basically had our AC set to 72-75 for the last week and a half constantly. (And as I say it's "NOT" Summer yet) 

What we saw today

We were out driving around today, as it was 103 degrees and 80% humidity at home. We were on our way to see Liberty University in Lynchburg and accidentally found The Appomattox Court house where Lee surrendered to Grant! WOAH! 

Froggie again

Just chillin under the light catchin bugs :)

Go Froggie Go!

More pics

Froggie

So this is a frog. He is outside our door on the wall. I hope he eats lots of bugs. He's cute :-) just chillin there.

My Hero

My mom left today. We got up at 4:30am to get her to the airport for a 7am flight. We'd slept from about 12:30am till Penny woke us up during a thunderstorm at 4am. We got mom dropped off on time.  I was so tired, have a chest cold (woo hoo) feel cruddy and just had to say good bye to my MOMMY; I kinda lost it on the drive home. :(

I've been pretty good about not crying and keeping it together (Mostly), but today was kinda the grain of rice that tipped the scales. 

Michael is WONDERFUL and I'm sure the best husband IN THE WORLD. 

When we got home he put me to bed, AND fixed THE TIVO so I could watch TV, (specifically  I Love Lucy. ) He also brought me my favorite breakfast in bed and proceeded to sit and watch TV with me till I fell asleep. He's my hero. (PS Penny nested in with mom too)

Don't judge the wires, were not officially set up yet. 

My Mommy

My mom came and helped me set up my kitchen. We got to go to tea in this cool old historical building in Petersburg. 

When we finished the kitchen (mostly) she cooked my FAVORITE dinner for me and Michael. 

View by our place