Learning

The puppies are fast catching on to the idea of daily walks at the park. Molly never was a big car fan. She was always anxious, when she got in for a ride and only after us picking her up and putting her inside. After 4 days of walks, she's already connected the car with a good thing. Now, when we go out with her she just hops up into the car, ready to go. On Wednesday, we bought some new puppy walking equipment. Molly was so bad to get her leash tangled with Shingo's, that we bought them a coupler. Casey and I used it for the first time yesterday. They both did really well. Molly tired out a little faster, because her pace is somewhat faster than Shingo's, (and he's no little guy with his winter pounds added on) and she was trying to drag him at times. She was tired after about 1.5 miles yesterday, where she usually walks about 3 miles on her own. The coupler definitely made a difference. We're hoping to get another walk in tonight, but I'm not sure. We need to get a new tire for the car, and we have a gardening club meeting around 6:30. We may just have to skip today. We'll see.

Success!

While Casey and I were out yesterday, we made THE list. This was a list of the last things we needed to get, before the cruise. It included: pick up Casey's suits, purchase dress shirt and tie, dress shoes, sandals, shirts and shorts for Casey, and dress shoes for my formal dress. I'm happy to say that we got everything crossed off the list! There were some fantastic sales going on yesterday. We got everything for under $100.00 too! I can't believe how much better I feel getting so much done ahead of time. Now all we lack is our car maintenace to do. We're going to work on that this weekend.

Our anniversary was just GREAT!! The weather cleared off and turned out perfect too! We decided to have lunch at City Cafe. We went there to eat lunch, right after we got married 10 years ago. We were even able to sit at the same table. I had yummy turkey and dressing with green peas and cranberry sauce. YUM!! Afterwards, we headed off to Franklin and Cool Springs to get our shopping done. We had a lovely anniversary dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Casey and I both had steak and baked potatoes. I was miserably full, when dinner was over! I've got so much running and swimming to do the rest of this week!! I just couldn't have asked for a better anniversary this year!

10th Anniversary!!

Well, today is the the day. The big 1-0! Casey and I have been married 10 years today. It's funny. The weather is nearly an exact repeat of the same too, except a little warmer. This past 10 years has just flown by. I guess the old saying is true, "time flies, when you're having fun." I still feel like we're newlyweds, even though we've actually been together for 17 years. I have to sincerely thank my most wonderful husband for a FANTASTIC 10 years. We've certainly had our ups and downs, but when all is said and done, I can't think of anyone on this earth that I'd rather be with.

Casey:

Thanks for being the best husband in the world. You are my best friend, my cheerleader, my rock in bad times and good. I love you.

We really have no big plans for today, except we are leaving work a bit early to go and have a really nice lunch. Then, we are going to shop around in Franklin for a bit. The big celebrating will take place on the cruise. We have to pick Casey's suits up, since the alterations are done. I have to get some shoes for my formal dress, and Casey has to get his dress shoes. Time is getting short, and we still have LOTS to do!! I can't believe it's nearly time to leave!

Sunny Days Off

Finally, I got that sun I was looking for! Both Sunday and yesterday were absolutely beautiful!! Unfortunately, all I did Sunday was lay around. I pulled something in my neck and shoulder, so I was taking it easy, along with taking a muscle relaxer. Luckily yesterday, I was back to my normal self. Mom had her checkup scheduled with her doc in Nashville, so off we went. She got a good report. Afterwards, she treated me to lunch at Applebees. It was yummy! We stopped at a couple of places to shop around afterwards. All in all, it was a really nice trip on a great day.

When I got home, I cleaned the house and did the laundry. Luckily, I got finished just in time to take the puppies to the little neighborhood park that is close by. Since they haven't really learned to walk together yet, I took them separately. The road into and out of the park is one way road in a loop. It takes 2 loops to make a mile. I decided to take them to the park, because I knew there would be no speeding traffic and, there would be no loose dogs. I took Shingo first, and he walked like a little champ. He seemed to have such a good time. He's still a little skittish around loud noises. I guess that's the chihuahua in him coming out. We ended up walking a total of 3 miles, with a little running here and there. When we finished, I took him the short walk home and got Molly. I've never been on a long walk with Molly, so I wasn't sure what to expect. She has her own ideas about walking on lead. I was suprised to find that she did REALLY well. After the first lap, she calmed down and walked like she'd done this everyday. Molly likes to run, so we ended up running about a mile total and then walked the other 2 miles. She looked like she was having a great time. In fact, she kept acting like she wanted to get on the basketball court and have a go with the guys! I found out that she's not really skittish about anything at the park, just the trip there. It was a good day of exercise for me and the puppies. We ALL had a great time. When we got back home, I gave everyone a pig ear treat. Needless to say, everyone was satisfied and sleeping by 9:00 p.m. Casey and I are planning to take them both back this afternoon together for a few laps. Hopefully, I can get them trained to walk on a coupler soon.

Everyone have a great day and enjoy this beautiful, spring weather!

So Much The Usual

I haven't posted in a couple of days...well...because there just hasn't been much to report. Things are typical. We have had LOTS of rainy weather. I guess I can't complain. It means that we won't go on forced water restrictions in my neck of the woods from last summer's drought. We are just now catching up on our lack of the liquid stuff. I understand that really, BUT does it have to all come in the same couple of weeks. I, for one, would personally like to see the sun NOW. The weather forecasters have told me to take heart, because after today, it really IS going to get better. Whatever. That's what they said last weekend. So, we'll see. I really do hope tomorrow is sunny and warm. I would like to get the puppies out for walks. Molly needs a lot more work walking on lead. I'd also like to start running with Shingo. The winter has left him a little pudgy, so I need to let him exercise more. Eventually, I'd like to run with both Shingo and Molly on a coupler, but right now, Shingo's the only one trained enough not to trip me on the street. :) I went to Yoga class, early this morning. I feel stretched out and relaxed. I've discovered that I always run really well after yoga, so I'll be headed out in a bit to get a couple of miles in today. Hopefully, I won't freeze to death or trip and break something. Shingo's a really good walker, so hopefully all will go well. Everyone have a great weekend!

Cruise Countdown

Happy April everyone!! Yesterday officially started my cruise countdown. We leave out for Miami on May 2nd. We actually get on the boat on May 4th!! WOOT!! As I've said before, this cruise is in celebration of my and Casey's 10th anniversary. Well, our actual anniversary is April 9th, but we can celebrate just as well on the boat two weeks later!

This past weekend was spent getting even more stuff done on our pre-cruise list. We cleared one of the biggest hurdles: Casey's suits. We managed to get him two new suits for around $200.00. I had actually budgeted for much more for just one suit. We were in Franklin this past Sunday and dropped by S&K Menswear. They were having a terrific sale on suites: 2 for $200.00. So, we went ahead and got what we needed. Our cruise is having two formal nights, so we needed to get our wardrobe in order. Luckily, I got my dresses several months ago. Now, we just have a few things left on the list. We still need a new suitcase, and we still have to get our car tuned up. I'm sure I'll think of a hundred other things, before we leave. I'm glad I still have nearly a month to get it all done!!

Addiction

I just got back from my Yoga class a little bit ago. Yoga always makes me feel so good. We learned a really neat stretch/pose for runners today: extended pigeon pose. It was really hard to do, but afterwards, it felt really good. Now I feel really pumped, and I'm itching to go running. My trainer was right. Once you get past that first few weeks of discomfort, running can definitely become an addiction. When I started out, I had HORRIBLE shin splints. So bad in fact, that I had to ice my legs down every night. It took me nearly a month to get over those enough to run more than once a week. I've slowly built up the number of runs I take a week now, and I'm running 1-2 miles at a time. I'm currently up to 3 runs a week, if I can possibly fit them in my schedule. The more I run, the more I WANT to run. I'm fast becoming a firm believer in the "runners high". I've become so addicted that yesterday, when my trainer wanted to run outside in 48 degree weather, that I just ran right out the door with her, shorts and all. That's another feature of running that I'm really enjoying...running outside. It took me a while to adjust to the outside from the track, but it has been totally worth it!

Casey has been nice enough to let me borrow his Zen Stone MP3 player and load up a running playlist. So the past couple of runs, I've enjoyed music with my runs. Here's what's on my running play list so far:

It's a really eclectic list of music from the 80's and today. If anyone has any suggestions for additions to my playlist, leave a comment!! Now, I've just got to call Casey and see if he has any late afternoon plans for us. If not, I'm going to sneak an extra run in today. Everyone have a great weekend!

Earth Hour

Today is the 2nd anniversary of the World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour. Earth Hour is a campaign that is used to promote awareness of the effects of global warming. The WWF is asking everyone to turn out their lights from 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. in their timezone to conserve energy. Countries and nations around the globe are participating. Australia's lights were some of the first out as the Opera House and Harbour Bridge in Syndney went dark. Thailand, Fiji, the Phillipines, and New Zealand were just some of the participants. In north America, the lights will be turned off on the Golden Gate bridge later tonight. Even Google has darkened their main screens today in observence.

Even though I'm not sure if any of Tennessee's major cities are participating, I'll be turning my lights off tonight. It sure couldn't hurt.

Swimming for A Cause

As most of you know, I swim several times a week. Yesterday I was VERY excited, when I got an e-mail from Speedo announcing the World Swim Against Malaria campaign. The World Swim Against Malaria campaign donations raised buy mosquito nets to help prevent malaria. As little as $5.00 buys one net. I figured since I usually swim at least 3 miles a week, that I might as well use that time for good. So if any of you guys are interested, sign up to be a participant or sponsor my swim. Saturday, April 5, 2008 is world swim day. The goal is to have 1 million swimmers swim on or around that day. The good thing is I can swim anytime and add to my mileage! Here's a little specific info from the campaign:

World Swim Against Malaria

I will be taking part in World Swim Against Malaria alongside a million other swimmers from all over the world. We are raising money to buy mosquito nets to help protect people from malaria, which currently kills over 1.5 million each year. 70% of the deaths are children under 5. $5 buys a mosquito net that can save a life. 100% of the money we all raise buys nets. If you would like to learn more about this global grassroots initiative, please visit www.WorldSwimAgainstMalaria.com. We’d love you to join us.

Havin' A Ball!

I've just got to share this GREAT video with you guys. I wonder if I could get this guy to make one of these for me. Talk about CUTE!!! Enjoy!!

Happy Easter!!

Well, time sure flies. It's Easter weekend already. I hope that you all have a VERY Happy Easter with your families, furbabies, and friends. Mom is taking the whole family out for Easter dinner tomorrow at Henry Horton State Park. They are having a FAB-U-LOUS buffet. It's a good thing that I'm working out today!!

Also, please remember that even though we enjoy LOTS of those Easter treats, it can be toxic to our pets. Easter Lilies, chocolate, and that plastic Easter grass is toxic to pets.

Happy Spring!!!

It's finally spring!! It's finally officially spring!! As is the case with our schizophrenic weather around here, the forecast doesn't know it quite yet. We had the coldest morning all week this morning!! I'm officially tired of this now. I demand warm weather!!

Casey's doctor's appointment went well yesterday. Luckily, he has no rotor cuff damage. That means that he can put of the surgery for a while. We are going to try various and asundry other things first, before we got the surgery route. He's got to have physical therapy two times a week for the next four weeks first. Then, we'll see where we are and how he is doing. I think Casey feels relieved that he's at least got a reprieve from surgery for now. I just hope that the therapy works.

Not a lot going on around here again today. My allergies are wreaking havoc with me at the moment. The Bradford Pear trees and the forsynthia bushes are about to drive me over the edge. I'm just one big sneeze, snort, and itchy spot. Oh mighty Zrytec save me!! Well, I'm off to take some Advil. Have a great day everyone!!

Windy Wednesday

WOW!! The wind is really howling out there today. Typical spring weather around here. Not suprising, since tomorrow is the first day of spring. It's been raining nearly all morning.

Not a lot going on around here this week. Casey has been having some shoulder problems, since before Christmas. The first orthapedic doc we went to diagnosed it as just bursitis and started giving cortisone injections. They didn't help. In fact, Casey's shoulder has been steadily getting worse. We were driving all the way into Nashville to an orthapedic group. We realized that they have an office in Mufreesboro too. So, we transferred Casey's records down to a doctor there. He went for his first Murfreesboro appointment last week. New x-rays showed a shoulder spur. So yesterday, he went for an MRI to see if it was damaging his rotor cuff. This afternoon we get the results back from the MRI. Anyway all of this to say, Casey is probably going to have to have shoulder surgery. He's decided to wait until after the cruise. It's getting so close now, and he wants to feel as good as he can. So, this afternoon will tell the tale. Everyone keep their fingers crossed.

In other things, I made a new spring template today. Let me know what you guys think. I like the colors, but I'm afraid it might be too busy. I may let it sit overnight and decide tomorrow. Well, gotta run. Everyone have a good afternoon.

Weird Week

It's been a really weird week. I started off good, but ended up battling with a migraine Wednesday night and all day Thursday. I HATE migraines. I don't have them much, thankfully, but when I do, I make up for it. So, I mostly just lounged around the house with my pillow on Thursday. Luckily, the puppies were more than understanding and kept the crazy to a minimum. They ended up mostly sleeping, when I did. I've got to give them extra treats for that. Yesterday, I just felt thick and foggy headed; I usually do after a migraine. I'm also usually in a very bad mood the day after I get over one. I refer to yesterday as a crisis of enthusiasm. I didn't like anything or anyone. I did manage to make myself go workout, which really helped a lot.

There's not much going on here today. I've just watched the rainy weather all day. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and much nicer, along with Monday. I don't really have anything special planned, but you never know what Casey and I might get into. Since Monday is going to be so beautiful, I'm planning on cleaning tomorrow or tomorrow night, so I can have the day Monday. I may take the puppies for a walk.

Everyone have a great weekend!! I'll leave you with a picture of me, trying to recover from the migraine with Shingo assisting.

OUCH!! That light was painful!!

Snowy Scenes

WARNING!! PICTURE HEAVY!!!

Late Friday night (nearly Saturday morning) it finally started snowing at my house.

This is what I woke up to on Saturday morning.

Well everything, including the street, was covered earlier in the morning.....

After breakfast, we ALL went out to play in the snow.

We had to enjoy it, while it lasted. By 1:00 p.m. it had nearly all melted. I guess now we'll have to wait for next year.....

2 Dogs, 2000 Miles

On March 16, 2008, Luke Robinson will begin a walk that will lead him over 2,000 miles across the country from Austin, Texas to Boston, Massachusetts in memory of his beloved Malcom. His two other dogs, Murphy and and Hudson will complete the walk with him. This walk is to raise funds to benefit the very first canine cancer study by the Animal Cancer Foundation. From the press release:

The implications of this research are even more far reaching. Scientists have discovered that the vast majority of cancers found in pets are the same types affecting humans making dogs an ideal model for study and giving rise to an area of cancer research known as comparative oncology.

Visit the website to follow the journey and to support Luke's walk at:

http://www.2dogs2000miles.org

Waitin' On The Snow

Even though I said that I probably wouldn't check in, seems like I'm not going to have much else to do this weekend. We are waiting on our biggest snowstorm of the last several years to move into our area. In my neck of the woods, we are supposed to get anywhere from 2-4 inches. That's a LOT for my area. We just don't see big accumulating snows in this area. The groceries are INSANE!! It is the end of the world, when it snows here. Us southern folks just don't quite know how to handle snow here. We also have LOTS of steep hills and not a lot of equipment to clear the roads. This is going to shape up to be an interesting weekend. Luckily, I don't have anywhere to be. It looks like I'll be reading a good book and watching movies this weekend. If we do get a good snow, I want to be sure to sweater up the puppies and get some good pictures of their first snowfall. It will be fun to get all of the dogs out in it to play. I'm not too sure that I'll let Shiloh go out in it. She's just now getting over her respiratory infection, so I don't want to jepordize making her sick again. She's home by the way and doing quite well. Dr. K is really pleased with her progress. Well, I'm going to run. It's nearly dinner time.

Much Needed Break

I'm off work for the next several days. I may be away, but I'll be back soon. Until then, enjoy some picture goodness.

Everyone have a good weekend!!

Sunny Sunday Fun!

This past weekend was just beautiful!! It was a true spring day. Jennie, a VERY good friend, from Kindred Spirits Dog Training and Boarding gave us permission to bring the dogs out to play in her large play yard. This was a wonderful thing, since Molly and Shingo are still working on their leash training. So early Sunday morning, we loaded Shingo, Molly, and Fergie up and drove out to the play yard. We just turned them loose to romp and play. We played ball with the Chuck-It and frisby. They had an absolute ball. We stayed out there about 2 hours. We knew they were finished, when they all laid down. We took them home, and they slept all afternoon and all night! Sorry for posting these, but my Flickr download limit has been reached for the month ;)

We came home and had a snack lunch. Casey and I made a run to Wal-Mart to get grilling supplies for Sunday night. Casey had a wonderful dinner of BBQ chicken, Terriyaki Chicken and Pineapple kebobs, grill cooked corn, and baked beans. It was such a good warm weather meal. This was just one of those most perfect weekends!! Today it's overcast, cold, and drizzly. Hopefully, we'll have more days like this past weekend soon.

Snapshots: The Sequel

Well, it looks like the weather may cooperate this weekend. FINALLY!!! It's supposed to be sunny and near 70 degrees tomorrow. Now before all of you get in a twist that are still in the winter dregs, we'll pay for it come Monday and Tuesday. Yes, we are supposed to have more storms and then snow on Tuesday. Casey and I plan on enjoying every minute of tomorrow. The first thing on the agenda is to take all of the dogs out to walk and play ball and frisbee in the yard. Casey and I also want to go to the movies tomorrow night too. Other than that and soaking up the sun, we are keeping our options open. And now....more pictures.....