Snow on a Friday night?

After several false reports this year, we finally got some snowfall in 2010. Where I live in the Southern US, we don't get much snow at all. It is actually very rare for us to get any sort of accumulation of snow. It is a big deal (and sometimes too big a deal) when we actually get some. People race to the grocery store in a panic to make sure they get their bread and milk before the snow starts falling. And when it does start falling, it is like the world around us shuts down.

It really is comical, especially when you hail from the North where winter snowfall is just a yearly experience.

Well, we got a big snowfall (guesstimating about 4 inches) this past Friday night. Yes, it started about 6:30 pm, once I was home for the day and ready to enjoy the weekend. It continued overnight and even a bit into Saturday. My hair appointment was canceled (I can barely see through my bangs) and we had to forgo our dinner date Saturday night.

On the plus side, fresh snow is always so lovely. The dogs just love it, and it was so much fun to see them run around in the new snow. We all took a walk together on Saturday afternoon, then played snowbound for the rest of the weekend. We always seem to be running around so much, and it was nice to be all together as a family in our home with no schedule. We also had electricity for the entire time, so there is no complaining from my side.

I just wish we had another day snowbound. What fun is it if you can't get a full day off of work? It is like this wonderful free day to just do as you please. I am lucky to work for a good company that decided to open at noon today. My dear husband was not as lucky. He had to go in at normal time, even with the frozen roads.

Soon, the snow will be melted and the backyard will be a huge mud pit. At least we have the memories of the great snowfall and the fun we had. Who know what the remainder of the winter will bring? I hear there may be snow in the forecast for later this week. On Saturday!

New Toy #1

About two weeks ago, my wonderful hubby surprised me. He purchased a gift for me that was from my wonderful girls, Misty and Lily. He said they wanted to get me something nice to remember their first anniversary with us (yes, it has been one year since we adopted Misty and Lily from the SPCA). Inside the box, much to my surprise, was an ITouch.

At first, I was not sure what to think. The ITouch has the same features as the IPhone, yet it is not a phone. It is also not a camera. It does, however, have access to the Internet as long as there is a Wifi signal. So, you can access your e-mails while in a Hot spot, but not where there is no network present. I wasn't really sure how I would use it, but I have grown to love it.

It does have a calendar and all of my contact information in it. I can also load on photos of my loved ones, and well as all of my MP3 music files. It has 16GB of memory, so when I am travelling next month, I can but a movie on the unit and watch it whenever I want. It is small and incredibly compact, but has all of these features. Plus, you have the App Store at Apple where you can download games, podcasts, websites, and much more for free or for a nominal charge.

I have also found it the past two weeks that there are more and more places with WiFi. I have been able to get online at my car dealership and at various restaurants. It is also great to have at home if you need to check your e-mail quickly, but don't want to boot up the computer.

I have to say hubby and the girls did a wonderful job with this gift. I love my ITouch.

A Visit to the Emergency Vet

Last night was a first for Bill and me. We took our bigger dog, Misty, to the emergency vet last night at about 11:30pm.

We noticed that Misty's right eye looked a little strange earlier in the evening. It seemed a little bit puffy, but it didn't look bad. We started to watch a movie. Later, we paused the movie so I could go to the bathroom, and Bill could see Misty's eye was far worse in just a few short hours. There was quite a bit of red in it. We checked online with our normal vet office and a few other vet offices in the area. All suggested the same emergency vet clinic. We called them and they suggested we bring in Misty right away.

Luckily, the office was about 10 minutes from our home. We were also the only ones in the waiting room when we arrived. It turns out that Misty has a small ulcer on her eye from a trauma (we think Lily either got her with a claw or a tooth), but that she should be fine with a topical ointment and some pills.

The staff could not have been better with her. They were very soothing and made us feel very safe having Misty in their care. She may be canine, but Misty is our baby. We love her and Lily so much, and would be so upset if anything happened to either of them. It is good to know there is great around the clock care so close by, even if we hope to never have to go there again.

A Great Day for a Dog Park

Bill and I did something really fun yesterday. Bill took Misty and Lily to our local dog park, and I joined them on my lunch hour. We had not been to the park in years, but I signed the girls up for the park as soon as we got them. It was the right thing to do.

The dog park has grown and changed so much. Now, there are different areas for large dogs and small dogs. Since both our pups are over 35 pound, they can go in the large dog area. There are trees and grass in that area, as well as a gravelled area. The whole space must be at least the size of a football field. There is a water fountain, and an area with water bowls that I was able to fill for the girls. There are two benches for the parents, as well as a picnic table and a barbecue. The girls loved being off leash in such a big area. We were so proud to see them interact so well with the 5 other dogs that came through the area. There were no dog fights, just pure canine fun. Bill and I enjoyed our lunch on the picnic table while all the dogs wandered around. It was also a nice fall day, so you really couldn't ask for anything more.

It was a wonderful lunch - the perfect way to get out of the office for a bit. I know we will be back often.

Two Dogs walk into a bar

Last weekend, Bill and I took Misty and Lily to our favorite bar, The Flying Saucer. What a great way to combine the things I love - my husband, my dogs, my friends, and beer.

Bill and Terry were supposed to run in the Magnificent Mile race downtown. We thought it was scheduled for 2 pm, and we needed to pick up the packets before the race. So, we headed to town at about 12:30. Misty, Lily, and I were going to show support for the guys. When we arrived at packet pick-up, we found out that their race was at 2:40 pm for the non-competitive race. Well, that left us with lots of time to kill. It was also very, very hot. Bill and I had run the day before as well. Bill finished 21+ miles, and I did a little over 14 miles in the brutal heat. Since it was still so hot, and we had time, we wound up at the Sauce.

As you can imagine, one beer lead to another, which lead to snacks. That lead to us sitting at the bar watching the racers participate in the mile. I think we left just after their race would have started.

Still, the girls had a great time at the bar. They socialized with people, and saw a few other dogs that were on the patio. Misty was so cute that she would stand on the bench so she could be close to us and take part in any conversations. It really was a fun afternoon.

So, two dogs walk into a bar and wind up having a great day.

Poopzilla and The Goat

As of today, we have been living together for 3 weeks. The girls are doing very well, and they are definitely learning the rules and schedule of the house. As we get to know our pups better, we are able to give them nicknames.

Misty is now nicknamed Poopzilla. You may be able to guess why. The first time we walked her, we were surprised how much she can eliminate at one time. It is a small mound coming from a dog who is not that big, hence the moniker Poopzilla.

Lily is known as The Goat. Sometimes walking this dog is like walking a goat. She has a tendency to graze. She has also gone through a number of toys - even the ones for heavy chewers. If we gave her a tin can (which we would not do), I have no doubt she could eat it right up. Thank goodness she does not eat furniture or shoes.

Sounds like it would make a good book or cartoon - The Continuing Adventures of Poopzilla and The Goat. Stay tuned.

Sometimes the best things are the simple things

We had a really great weekend. There was nothing special about it - it was just a good weekend.

On Friday night, we ate at home. We made our favorite pizza - a Hawaiian with Canadian bacon and pineapple. Then, we took our dogs for a walk. After the walk, we came home and watched the movie "21" about counting cards at Blackjack. It was a really good and interesting moving.

On Saturday, Bill and I ran our respective longest runs of the season. Bill went 16 miles with his group. I moved up to a faster pace group. They nearly kicked my butt, but I did manage to go the 14 miles I was scheduled to run. We were pleased to find our pups did well and did not destroy anything when we returned home. It was a longest mark for them, too. It was about 5 hours that they were alone. I think they were very happy to reunite in the backyard. After we all ate breakfast, we relaxed around the house until it was time to go to class. It was Misty and Lily's first training class. Both did well, and we have high hopes for each. For dinner, we made a pasta with fresh veggies and chicken. We saw "The Bucket List" - another good movie.

On Sunday, we had our day of rest. Bill did go for a bike ride, while I decided to finish a great book I was reading (Eye of the Beholder by David Ellis - very good). We relaxed around the house with our pups, then grilled steaks for dinner. We watched "The Other Boleyn Girl".

It was not a particularly spectacular weekend. We really stayed around the house most of the time. We did relax, and we did spend time together as a family. I think that is what made it such a great weekend.

So much for best behavior

Well, our dogs seem to be settling in the house. Last night, they were calm and relaxed. We thought that we adopted two chilled out little doggies. Tonight is a whole other ball game.

Little Lily is an instigator. She loved to pounce on Misty. They will go at it and wrestle each other like crazy. They are good about it. They don't really run, but just jump on each other. They have done that several times tonight. We introduced them to their new back yard, and they went at it. They were running and wrestling all over the place. The wrestling continued inside, then a nap, and then more wrestling. We thought they were burnt out, but they started up again. Poor Bill is exhausted, so he and Lily are in the master bedroom. Misty is here with me as I type. We hope breaking them up will allow them to relax a bit. I don't need much sleep, but I sure hope I don't wake up to wrestling at 3 am.

And Then There Were Four

So much has changed in the 5 days since my last post.

When I last wrote, I was still devastated by the loss of Sammy. Things have gotten better. Sammy came home last Thursday. We placed her ashes in her room, on the bed she loved. It seemed that everything cam full circle. Bill and I cried as we sat on the bed with her, but we slept through the night that night. We have been sleeping well ever since. Now, we can remember Sammy with good memories and no more tears.

The house has been so empty, that we decided we wanted to adopt another dog. We looked on line at the local animal shelter and saw many great dogs. We tossed around the idea, but still wondered if it was too soon and if we were cheapening Samantha's memory. We decided to visit the shelter on Monday.

I am happy to report that our visit to the SPCA of Wake County was a wonderful success. The facility was wonderful, and so were the volunteers. We had great dealings with the people in the kennels and the adoption counselors. We just didn't know if we should move forward.

I am happy to report that we now have 2 dogs living under our roof with us. Misty is a 2 year old German Shepard mix, and Lily is a 9 month old lab mix. The girls arrived today, and Bill and I have been amazed at how wonderful they have been so far. They have adjusted to their forever home very well. We will all sleep well tonight.