Springs on Her Feet

I just finished telling Natasha that Cali has developed springs on her feet... all four of them. She's started doing this thing where she jumps straight up. We call it "pick me!" from Donkey on the Shrek DVD's features, he jumps up and down saying "pick me! pick me!"

So I just walked over to her and was talking to her telling her that she does not belong in Pellet's cage (because she likes to invade his personal... or dog space) and she jumped straight up and head budded me. She jammed her nose right on my nose. My nose tingles now. I hope it doesn't start turning colors...

Family Time

Our moms have been visiting for the past few days! We've been enjoying relaxing days. Here are some random pictures:

Here are the moms fixing dinner - Cali is checking out the action


This is how she goes about it... usually she lays right behind (whoever is cooking)'s feet...


Not sure what's going on with him - he randomly took over Cali's food bowl and stuck his foot in it


Norm fixed Pisco Sours today - so good!!


Me and my pups!!

Bad Bad Weather

We are having a very eventful night - as we speak. I got home at around 7:20 and there was heavy rain... I debated on whether or not to let the dogs out or leave them in their cages... so I checked the weather channel and decided to go ahead and let them out because there were severe storms on their way... little did I know that the severe storms (we had 2 tornado warnings, one had been spotted about 15 miles east from here) were going to hit in 10 minutes! Poor Pellet and Cali barely had time to pee before I rushed them in the bathroom along with the cell phone and flashlight and then the power went out. We miserably waited in the bathroom - Cali was crying because she hadn't finished her "business" outside, Pellet was restless because he was hungry and I had no idea what to do but pray. I was trying to listen out for loud noises but couldn't hear a thing.

Power came back 30 minutes later and regular life resumed until about 10 minutes ago when Norm called to tell me that power was out - again - at all of Reynolds Plantation and that all the restaurant staff (along with dining members) were moving to the basement of the clubhouse... So we are back in the bathroom (this time with a camera and power!). Here are some aides to help you visualize: me, a 100+ pound dog and a 65 pound dog in a spare bathroom:


Cali just walked underneath Pellet - this is a common practice around here, but in a small bathroom it's nothing but obnoxious.

Cali is fascinated by the bathtub. I think that getting her head stuck in the curtain might have something to do with it...


Here she jumped on him - this is also an every day thing, but again in a small bathroom it's unnecessary behavior. She likes to put her front feet on top of him and then she walks along with him as he walks. It's actually very funny. One of these days I'm going to catch it on video.

She is the instigator -


Finally they learned to co-exist in the small space.


UPDATE (since the time I started typing the post): everyone is fine. Norm is fine - he's on his way home. Craziness has ceased for the moment. Apparently these spurts of storms stretch all the way to Alabama, but thankfully they move very very fast... I think we might have a long night ahead of us.

Accomplishment

We can finally announce that: Cali has stopped eating poop.

Go ahead, say all the thoughts that are rushing through your head right now... we won't be offended.

75 Degree Weather

This is some of the sort of stuff that goes on around here when it's nice and warm outside...
We refinished two large pots that sit on the porch


Here are the before and after:


We also went ahead and got paint-happy and painted the herb garden buckets!

Ridiculous

There are 20 mile per hour wind gusts and the temperature (including wind chill factor) is about 33 degrees and Pellet is loving it - he's spent the last 3 hours outside, doing this:

I also took a mini video - I couldn't handle the ridiculous cold weather, so that's why it's a "mini" video:

What's in a Date?

There are specific dates in our lives that are pretty significant - birthday, wedding anniversary, the purchase of a new home, the purchase of a new car, the first time visit to a foreign place and so many other important milestones in our lives.

It's amazing how a simple date can bring back so many memories - memories which, for the most part, remind us of something that we're proud of, or something fun. But what happens when the date in question brings back memories that are more along the lines of bittersweet and sad? We can ignore it, pretend whatever the memory is did not happen and try to erase it from our past. We can put up our shields and fight back all the feelings that date brings along. In the end we only fool ourselves - do we forget that this date, regardless of what it signifies, comes around every year?

So what's there to do? Well, I think we have to face the memories head on and be accepting of the fact that whatever happened has happened for a greater reason that we currently cannot understand. It's tough, oh so tough. Today is five years since my dad passed away. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him and miss him and day dream about what life would be like if he was still around.

Today marks one more year of healing and a reminder that I am not in control - at all.