What's that about people in glass houses?

Every year there is a Dog Show at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. It has been something we have attended for the past 5 years or so and we've had a great time. It's fun to see the "best" of each breed and to hand out with really cool... dogs.

Now this is a tough event to attend with others. It's one thing to go and be a "weird dog person" if noone knows you or you are with the one person who accepts your dog-ladyness, but to go with people who think they are your friend... can be tricky. Anyway, we arranged to go with another couple who said they go every year, they love it, and they hope to get a dog soon. I know the him in the realtionship better than the her. We get to their house, they have the baby in the car and she is just getting one last thing from the house. "I'm going to lock up, OK?" she says to him, then she puts her foot down on the edge of the cheery welcome mat, rolls her ankle quickly and severely to the outside, tumbles to the ground with an unbelieavable wince and smashes her head on the large pot to the left of the door. I, being the jackass that I am, start laughing. I mean really laughing - out of control. Her husband starts laughing (not good) and she starts laughing and sort of crying. It was a mess. She ended up being fine, a bit of a sore neck and a bruised ego. We went to the dog show and had a good time. I came home with an embarassing amount of samples and toys for Sophie and Sammy.

The next morning, I leash up the dogs for our walk, open the door, put my foot half on and half off our dog paw laden welcome mat and twist my ankle. In the process of falling I throw my back out so as not to land on Sammy before landing squarely on my hip and elbow.

What do they say about people in glass houses throwing stones? I suppose it was pay back for laughing so hard the day before...

Babies, Babies and MORE Babies!

I suppose I am in that stage of life where my peers are becoming parents. My niece and her husband welcomed thier first baby, a girl, to the world on Christmas Day 2005. Hannah is very healthy and clearly is enjoying her parents and new home. The best man at our wedding and his girlfriend are expecting their first child this week, also a girl. They, being a bit older than the average parent, decided to use a surrogate to carry thier daughter to term. She, Mia, is expected to show her face this Thursday. A good friend from Boot Camp has a 9 month old, another good friend and her husband are working on their first pregnancy. There might be something in the California water supply...

No need to wonder, Roy and I STILL don't want to be parents to anyone other than our furry children. :)

Midwesterner in California

My cousin Tom came out to ole CA for a work related jaunt. He was here for all of this week (leaving as I write this). He has some surveys to complete and feedback to discuss with the managers at Albertson's in the area. As far as all that goes, I think the trip was a sucess!

It was a blast to have Tom around. Since he lives in the midwest and I live in the far west, we have not had much opportunity to get to know one another. It was fun to just hang out and learn some key phrases. "Aw ish" for one...

Holiday Wrap Up

On Christmas Day, 2005, Roy's niece (and my niece too) gave birth to her first child, a girl, Hannah Beth. That makes me a Great Aunt. Of couse since Owen's arrival I have been The Greatest Aunt (as in fabulous) but now I have the official title of Great Aunt. Hannah Beth was acutally due to be a New Year's baby, but she had other things in mind. She arrived happy and healthy and handed to two very happy parents with practically their entire immediate family at the hospital.

New Years Eve. Rain, rain and more rain. We had unbelievable rain and wind come through in the early morning. Mom called to tell me that her street was flooding and the police and fire department were calling for voluntary evacuations. Yikes. The creek was at 15', the bridge at my parents' street is at 16' and the creek's banks are at 20' - not to mention high tide was just starting. We go sand bags on the grates and the cats upstairs. Luckily, the water never got highter than the curb on their side of the street. on the south side of town, our in-laws had a 300 year old oak tree break in half and land on their house. Again, luckily it only punctured the roof in 2 places. No injuries and tarps were a quick fix.

The family came over for dinner. My nephew was feeling much better and was back to his old self. He had a ball playing with MHP and the dogs in the "Hanging Room" (this is where we hang out). They all left quite early (by 8pm) and we went straight to bed knowing what was in store for us... 11:30 came around and the first fireworks began. Sammy freaked out. She paced and paced, jumped in and out of the chair, wadded the bath mat into a knot. There was nothing we could do for her. She finally wore herself out at 12:30. Poor Bear.