Eventually, Maybe

Work

2012-01-26T20:54:00.000-08:00

When I have a bad day, I need to remember that this is where I work.

Well, for 2 hours out of every day. The rest of it is driving. But hey, let's appreciate that view, shall we?

Family portrait

2012-01-24T17:59:00.000-08:00

I took this photo with my iphone last night, with the reverse camera function. It is so grainy because the forward-facing camera doesn't have a flash.

Also, don't be mislead...the only reason Luna is on her own bed on the floor is because she was either, 1. chewing on a bone, or 2. sucking on her blanky. These are the only two reasons she is ever not under the covers, in between me and John these days.

Oh, so spoiled! I blame John for it. He blames me. We both blame Luna.

On being so far away...

2012-01-17T19:01:00.000-08:00

3,000 miles is too far.

I miss the east coast. I miss changing seasons. I miss summer heat and I miss snow (crazy, I know). I miss my friends. And I miss my family.

It's hard to not have your people.

I think the thing I struggle with most is being away from my girlfriends. No offense to John and Luna, but who am I going to get manicures with and sit up late having girl talk with? To John's credit though, he did go with me to get the manicure he bought me for my birthday. Yes, he is wonderful. And Luna stared at me the entire time I painted my nails the other day...so that sort of counts as a manicure buddy, I guess. But you know what I mean.

But it's hard being the friend on the other side of the country. And it's not easy to make friends when you work alone, with only dogs for company. And by the way, I don't want to make new friends. I want to hang out with the ones I have, 3,000 miles away.

I'm complaining. But I feel like it.

John and I both agree that this place is definitely not permanent. It's okay for now. We have made our home here, but this isn't going to be home. Two years, then we will leave. I have to stop myself from saying, "then we can leave." It shouldn't feel like a race to the finish. I need to savor this time. I need to find what I like here and relish in it. Why is that so much easier said than done?

Here is a little shout out to my girlfriends who I'm missing so much out here.

Thanks for the skype dates, emails, texts, chats, and the all around love I feel. Until we are reunited...or at least a few thousand miles closer. XOXO

Luna personas

2012-01-10T18:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes John and I can't decide what type of animal/persona Luna looks most like.

Um, no, it's not a dog. You are so wrong.

Sometimes she is a pony.

^ Horsey snout in full effect ^

Sometimes she is an elephant.

Baby elephant wrapped in a burrito.

Sometimes she is a baby. Or "the babieees!"

Only babies suck on blankies.

And one time she tried to pretend she was "the daddies."

Just stick to what you do best Luna.

Being the puppy-pony-elephant baby!

Can you guys tell I was trying to incorporate the last month of Luna pics in one post? You can begin judging me now.

Updates! 2012 so far

2012-01-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long absence, for those of you following along. (Those few family members and friends...)

We have been busy since Christmas, just working and going through the motions, so blogging has been temporarily forgotten.

A few fun things lately:

Christmas was wonderful. Great presents all around. Luna received more than both me and John combined. She has loving Grandmas, and Aunts!

I have been loving that John has been off from school for a month. (He loves it too.) It's been so great to have him home more, and we love having more time to go out together. Luna loves it too.

Currently, Luna's favorite thing in the entire world is "soccer with daddy" at the park. It's a game John invented which involves kicking her orange tennis ball, intermittently trying to keep it from her, and kicking it past her as far as possible. She has become completely obsessed with this game and often takes the ball from it's place by the door to bring it to John, whenever she feels like going out to play. It's adorable. She will also play with me, when John is not an option. Obviously, this makes me feel very loved and appreciated...

We have been going out to the movies more in our tiny window of simultaneous free time. Lately we have seen Hugo, Sherlock Holmes 2, and Melancholia. And there are so many more I want to see! Sigh.

What else?

Oh yeah, we got iPHONES! So much fun!
   #1. I can't believe we lived this long without them. They do everything!
   #2. We are now paying WAAAY more per month, which is sad, but it's worth it for a pocket computer.
   #3. We now have almost NO reception in our own apartment. Thank you AT&T. If you call me I may be standing with my head out the window during our entire conversation. No big deal.
   #4. Who wants to do face time?!

And the big news on the East Coast: My dear friends Kendra and Dave got engaged! So happy for them. She is the first one of us (the 3 best friends) so this is a big deal! It KILLS me that I am so far away and can't participate in all the fun planning :( But I'll stay involved thanks to technology. Yay facetime, skype, and email! They started a hilarious blog complete with updates and vlogs to track the progress, which I'm loving, since I'm on the other side of the country. If you love Kendra and Dave, check it out!

That's about it for now.

Here's a photo of Luna wearing her "Christmas best."

Family photo fails

2011-12-24T11:18:00.000-08:00

I had every intention of sending out a Christmas photo this year...

But we had a hard time finding the time to take one, then the lighting was all wrong, and my crappy camera was doing horrible things with the poor lighting, and the dog wouldn't stand still, and it was too late to try again.

Oh, well. I'll get my act together sooner and make it happen next year!

Here are some of the bloopers we took before giving up (we needed to leave to go to my work Christmas dinner.) Note to self: Don't try to take your family photo right before you need to run out the door. It will not be a quick event.

I hope you are having a Merry Merry Christmastime. We miss you all!

Love,
Amalia, John, and Luna

In her natural habitat

2011-12-10T15:48:00.001-08:00

John and I recently had a fabulous time picking out new bedding. It has been on our TO DO list since we moved, but we haven't had the money until now.

Why is bedding so expensive? Seriously?

After a million years wandering through the duvet section of Bed Bath and Beyond, and waffling back and forth between what we liked, we settled on a solid color for the duvet, and a pattern for the sheets.

We had a hard time deciding because we like this brown, but we are also aware that is the exact color of Luna.

"I like this one."
     "I like it too."
"But you know it's the same color as Luna..."
      "No, it's different."
"Don't even pretend this isn't weimaraner brown."
      "Okay, fine. But is that bad? I still like the color."
"Yeah, me too. I'm okay with it if you are."
     "Alright, let's get it."

Let me tell you, Luna LOVES the new set up. Maybe it's because they are cozier. Maybe it's because they are 400 thread count. Or maybe it is because she is perfectly camouflaged.

Either way, she hasn't left the bed since we made it this morning.

She is finally in her natural habitat.

Lately

2011-12-05T19:33:00.001-08:00

A few updates, list style.

- I made my first meatloaf tonight because John loves it so much. I made it with turkey and pork instead of beef, so I would eat some. He isn't home from work so he hasn't given me a verdict yet. But it looks pretty meatloafy.

- Made roasted potatoes, yams, and onions to go with it.

- John is almost done with this semester. Yay!

- We aren't really doing Christmas presents this year (sorry friends and family, but you understand, right?) because we are pretty broke, and we need to get new phones instead. So we are just getting minimal presents for each other and splurging on a family plan.
(This is proving to be difficult for me because I LOVE buying people Christmas presents.)

- Luna doesn't count. She is totally getting the same amount of presents this year. She's the baby!

- I bought a box of clementines the other day. They always remind me of the holidays. My diet has consisted of predominantly clementines ever since. I have eaten 7 already today. This is a judgement free zone, okay.

- Our car needs lots of random repairs and has become a constant source of stress and anxiety for us. It's just one expensive thing after another. Driving across the country apparently was not the best thing for poor Marley.

- I'm seriously in the Christmas spirit and have spent the last week obsessing over finding:
the perfect ornaments
the perfect star tree topper
the perfect needlepoint stockings
the perfect stocking for Luna
After endless google searches the consensus is: You can only acquire these items in time. I'm wishing there was a festive Wallkill View Farmers Market out here. I bet they have a lot of what I'm looking for.

- I'm trying to blog more. But I don't do much, so there isn't much to post about.

- Gratuitous Luna photo featuring inside-out ears:

This weekend

2011-12-04T19:23:00.001-08:00

We got our Christmas tree, which makes me so so happy :)

It almost turned into a very sad disaster when we finally got to the tree lot after circling for a parking space forever only to find out that they were insanely expensive. Even dinky Charlie Brown trees were out of control above our price range. I was shocked and seriously disappointed. I have come to accept that living in this city is going to keep us poor and humble for a few years, but when it comes to Christmas, I cannot live without a tree.

Luckily we ended up driving out to the lot where we bought our pumpkins, which had slightly cheaper trees. We got a little one, with a nice shape, and paid a pretty penny for it. But it was worth it.

To give you an idea of how little it is. It's as tall as me when I'm hunched over, and it's sitting on a box under that tree skirt. But it's so cute!

We watched Charlie Brown Christmas while I decorated and asked John how it looked at least a million times.

"How does it look?"

"It looks great."

"Are the lights even?"

"Looks perfect."

"Do the ornaments look ok?"

"Yeah, I think it looks nice."

"I think I better go out and get some more ornaments."

"I think it looks pretty like that."

"Yeah, I'm going to go get some ornaments..."

Then later...

"How much do you love our tree?"

"I love it so much."

"Me too."

We still need a star for it, and I would love to have nicer ornaments someday. But that will happen eventually. For now I'm just loving the way our bedroom smells, and how festive I feel. Even if I am so far away from everyone I love.

Except for these two.

I'm so glad I get to spend Christmas with my two favorites.

Some assembly required

2011-11-26T23:49:00.001-08:00

All I can think when I see this is that it looks like Luna is in two pieces. Her body is so long. She is taking up the entire bed, diagonally!

And yes, we should be embarrassed that she is under the blanket, on the sheets. We shamelessly spoil her. We know.

Delicates

2011-11-13T08:32:00.001-08:00

That's a good place to hang your undies. Oh, Inner Richmond.

(Do other people call them undies? Or is it underwear? Or panties?<Eww, I hate the word panties.)

11 pm

2011-11-07T23:35:00.000-08:00

Mel's Drive In. Chocolate malt. Two straws.

Helper

2011-11-06T00:40:00.000-07:00

Now that Luna is 3, I thought it was time to designate some chores for her to do to help out around the house. Here she is helping me fold laundry.

She is a big help.

Next week I'll teach her how to go grocery shopping.

Low key Halloween

2011-10-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

This year John and I kept it low key for Halloween. This was due to a few factors, which involve having no money, and having no life.

Yeah.

John is working tonight, so we wouldn't have been able to go out. But really, we don't have places to go anyway. So no costumes this year, which sort of bums me out since I really love Halloween, especially the making costumes part. I feel like the only way to do Halloween right is to make or put together a costume rather than buying one. But we will do it up next year to make up for it.

Normally I get really into the fall festivities, but since it doesn't feel like real fall out here, I sort of let it pass. I barely realized it was the end of October until just this week. Oops. The cacti and palm trees are throwing me off. I really miss the Northeast.

But John happens to be wonderful and realized that we weren't really into the spirit this year, so he surprised me with an outing to a pumpkin patch.

"Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise."

Then, "Yay, pumpkins!" It wasn't a real pumpkin patch, but it was pretty good for being in a city. Pumpkins displayed on hay bales, Indian corn, gourdes...you know, the things you want to see in autumn. We were a little bummed that we couldn't go to a real farm stand, with cider doughnuts and all that fall goodness, but it was better than getting pumpkins at the grocery story. Never will I do that. Never.

I went for my usual goal, finding the most perfect, roundest one. (The perfection requirement also applies to finding Christmas trees.) John went for a more ovular one. Is ovular even a word? Whatever, you get it. I was so happy with our festive purchases, that I smiled all the way home.

Then we carved them!

Luna did not enjoy this activity and spent most of the time under the table. But she changed her feelings slightly once I gave her pumpkin scraps to eat.

John's ^ ^ Mine

I was done with my simple one at least 30 minutes before John finished his. I spent the rest of the time laughing as he struggled, cursed, and finally altered his more complicated design for something easier to cut. Consensus: "We are buying real pumpkin carving knives for next year!" Our larger knives caused some frustration.

Happy Halloween!

Friday favorites

2011-10-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

These are my two favorite cell phone snaps from this week.

Leo is Vice President of the ears club. (Asha is President.)

That is seriously a face you can love right there.

Bean-Dog is President of the snout club. She has no rivals.

I like that you can see my reflection in her eye. I'm holding up a twig to get her attention.

Umm, you are in my spot

2011-10-28T17:52:00.000-07:00

This is a totally normal sight in our household.

Typical Luna, stealing my cuddles. On my side of the bed. Whatever, that's cool. I'll just remember this when I'm buying your treats.

But really, this is the cutest part of my day.

(My camera sucks, so that's why the photo is so blurry. Flash=washed out peeps, no flash=yellow blur.)

A typical day: Luna edition

2011-10-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

Luna is feeling much better after her ordeal last week. She is back in action and going to "school" during the day. I thought she might be timid going back, but she is loving it as ever. She pretty much loses her mind with excitement every morning as we pull up to work. Her frantic lunges to get out of the car, through the windshield, make it difficult for me to parallel park. She can't wait calmly for me to let her out of HER DOOR. No. She lacks manners.

Once she has barreled through the office door she then spends the next 8 hours being Crazy-Pants-Luna-Exlposion.

I come by around lunchtime to take her out and it's all, "OMG! MAMA! I'M GOING TO JUMP ON YOU*! AND RUN ALL OVER! AND STEAL YOUR TREATS! AND JUMP ON YOU AGAIN! WAIT, I'M THIRSTY, LET ME FRANTICALLY DRINK SOME WATER! SPLASH DRIP SPLASH DRIP. OKAY, LET ME RUN BACK AND FORTH AND JUMP ON YOU AGAIN!"

She repeats this sequence for the 5 or 10 minutes that I'm at the office then it's back to playing with the dogs while I do my second round. I'm not really sure what she does while I'm gone, but I'm pretty sure it's not sleeping.

After my walks I come back to the office and it's the same thing all over again. EXTRA CAPS LOCK Crazy-Pants-Luna-Explosion. Until we get in the car, and she starts to slowly settle down. And by the time we get home and she eats dinner, she is out. Completely comatose.

This is what the rest of our night looks like. She likes to alternate between cuddling on me, and sprawling out like a giant lump of dog. In this position, the length of her body is equal to the length of the bed...longwise.

Cuddles

Lump of dog

*Luna doesn't really jump on me, instead they are more like body checks. She kind of just flails her body in my general direction, with very little motor control.

Rough day for Luna

2011-10-20T23:55:00.000-07:00

Today was Luna's birthday. She is 3 years old! But I am ashamed to say that I totally forgot until about 5pm. I just didn't remember what the date was. I am a horrible Mama.

But that's not the worst of it.

Today, at the office, Luna got attacked by another dog :( I was out walking a group at the time, but my boss was there and she said that it seemed totally unprovoked. Luna and this dog were coexisting fine all morning then all of a sudden Luna was being attacked. And this dog has apparently never been aggressive before, which makes it even more unexpected. My poor baby got so terrified she pooped all over herself. [Sorry, that was TMI.] But it breaks my heart! My boss pulled the other dog off of her and cleaned her up. She made it through with only two small cuts, which are luckily only surface scrapes.

I got there after it happened and took her with me for my afternoon walk to get her out of the office and keep her distracted. She was really nervous and reactive for the rest of the day and has been sleeping ever since we got home. Getting extra, extra cuddles on the bed.

I just feel so terrible that this happened to her and I wasn't there to comfort her. My boss tried to give her love and cuddles but she wanted none of it. In her words, "She just wanted her Mama." It makes me so sad. AND that I forgot her birthday! Not that she knows the difference, but I like to give her special treats on her special day.

And to top it all off, we had 2 earthquakes today. Maybe that has something to do with the sudden aggression of the dog? I have no idea. But dogs sense these things much stronger than we do, so who knows.

All I know is that we had a little too much excitement for one day, and not in a good way.

Tomorrow Luna is going to get a wonderful tasty new treat, I don't care how much it costs. Hopefully extra spoiling and cuddling will make her forget about her trauma today. She has been doing so well at work, becoming less nervous about everything, and she loves it there. It would be a bummer if this set her back.

Let's hope tomorrow is a much better day.

Dirt

2011-10-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

Today Fort Funston was overcast and moist. Not raining, but misty and gray. This type of weather does interesting things to the mud/sand/dirt/dust there. It makes the sandy parts sticky and the dirty parts muddy, and the dogs absolutely love this. Well, most of them do. Asha, for instance, does not appreciate this sort of weather. Though she will choose it over rain any day.

The more rugged dogs prefer this type of dirt and sand because it sticks to them when they roll in it! What wonderful luck. Happiness and joy!

This is what Charli looked like today after she spent at least 10 minutes rubbing only her face in the moist dirt. Why only her face? You will have to ask her. That's just how she likes it.

Leo enjoys the dirt in any and all weather conditions.

"Oh, you know, I'm just digging this hole...with my face."

You don't want to know what I looked like by the end of the day. My job is glamorous. Don't be so jealous.

Updates

2011-10-15T23:31:00.000-07:00

It's been pretty quiet on the blog lately because life has been very busy. Sorry to the folks that are following along.

What's new?

The part time dog walking job I had closed its business last week. I was given no warning, not that it really mattered since I had only worked for them once in two months. I was actually kind of relieved because it was basically a non-existent source of income for me, but I felt obligated to keep my weekends open in case they had a job for me.

So, with my weekends free, John talked to his boss and got me a job at the restaurant where he works. The place is called Terzo, and it's fine dining with a casual feel. I've been training every night this week which has been intense, since I am still working my daytime dog walking job at Pawsitive Tails. I'm exhausted. I will be hosting and food running there. Once my training is over I'm hoping to have about 3 shifts, which will really help out with the bills around here. Plus I like working with John again, since we fell in love working next to each other, I kind of missed that these past few months. AWWW, cheese ball! Shut up.

The dog walking has been going well. I'm feeling much more confident about driving around the city (I hardly have to use my GPS unless I'm walking a dog I've never had before.) I love my little guys and have been having fun with them for the most part. Some days are better than others. But in general, it's good. All the driving is my least favorite part of the job...6 hours of city driving a day is tedious.

Luna comes to work with me now, which is great for her. She can't usually come with me on the groups walks to Fort Funston because she is big and I walk the little dogs, but she comes to the office and hangs out there all day. Occasionally I can take her on a walk if I have a small group. There are usually a few dogs hanging out at the office and she plays with them while I'm working. This arrangement works out well because it keeps her out of the house so the neighbors won't complain about her barking, and she is exhausted every day by the time we get home.

The only issue is that she does not get along with the office cat, so they have to be separated. Basically, she is afraid of him, and being a cat he knows this and taunts her for it. And her response to being taunted is to try to murder him. She becomes a worked up ball of anxiety and fear-aggression, which is no bueno. We are working on that. But she absolutely loves going to work with me. John and I joke and say she is going to school. Which has some truth to it because she is learning how to be more of a normal dog, with a little less anxiety...sort of. She is still crazy.

What else?

John has been suffering from a knee injury which got a lot worse a few months ago. He got an MRI and they found out he has a torn meniscus and needs surgery to remove it. But then that will leave his knee with no shock absorption, which will cause him to develop arthritis. And the arthritis can develop immediately after surgery...or in 20 years. They wont know until it happens. But without the surgery he will stay in the pain he has been in for months and it will just get worse. We are waiting on the quote to come through to find out how much will be covered by insurance and how much we will have to pay. It's a big bummer all the way around. My poor man :(

But other than that, we have been doing well and are happy. I'm starting to like SF more, though I can't say I am in love yet. We just need to get out and explore more, but haven't had the time or money for much of that yet. Little by little I am getting a better feel for this place.

And on that note I will leave you with a slightly blurry photo of my favorite pup from work. Is it wrong to have a favorite? I don't care. We are besties.

Asha!

Video issues. Help!

2011-09-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

Some people have mentioned that they cannot view the video I posted in my last entry. And others have told me they can see it.

I have no idea why this is happening or how to fix it. Anyone have any advice?

Thanks :)

Sucky blanket

2011-09-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

I came across this post the other day about a Weimaraner who has a "binky." It occurred to me that I have never written about Luna's most cute/bizarre habit.

She sucks on her favorite fuzzy blanket, like a baby sucks its thumb. And after reading that post, and subsequently finding lots of other youtube videos of other dogs and especially Weimaraners sucking things, apparently Luna is not the only one.

She has been sucking this exact blanket since she was a puppy and does it anytime she needs a little downtime. When she is tired, stressed, or anytime before she goes to sleep. And if for some reason "sucky blanket" isn't around...we get a very stressed out dog on our hands. Yup, it's like having a three year old in the house. And it's adorable.

A lot of people on the all-knowledgeable internet seem to think this behavior is caused by being taken from the mother too early. But since Luna stayed with her mother for the right amount of time, I don't think that is exactly the reason. It seems to be very common with Weimaraners, but all dog breeds do it. I'm sure it's related to the fact that Weims are so nervous and neurotic...they need to find a way to self-soothe. Either way, it seems perfectly harmless, unless you happen to step on her blanket and get an icky wet foot as a result. John and I are ever careful of the "sucky blanket," especially when wearing socks.

Thank goodness this blanket is so well made because it suffers constant washes. Not to mention, how many quarters I spend on laundry for it. This thing is so thick, it weighs about 10 pounds and takes up almost an entire washing machine. If it ever does eventually fall apart, I better be able to find a replacement.

Nom Nom

2011-09-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

I think they are both a little embarrassed that this was caught on camera.

Then posted on the internet.

Hehe.

Doggies

2011-09-19T18:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a little 'first month' ~~year~~book of the doggies I walk at Pawsitive Tails. I only walk the small dogs, and let me tell you, they are some serious cuties. It makes me want to get a small dog too, for Luna to be friends with. But not really...because 2 dogs is too much in the city!

Get ready for a photo heavy post...all cell phone pics.

Molly (she moved away :( this was her last day)

Hank (she is a girl, don't mind her name)

Charli (also a girl)

Rokko

Jake

The 4 Frenchies:

Cooper

Leo (not to be confused with Cooper)

Belle (^ fatty neck rolls ^)

Matilda (Belle's "sister." She's deaf so we sign to her)

Beandog (Jake's "sister")

John Parker (Yes, it's always John Parker, never John, or Parker, or JP)

Tatonka (and Cooper in the distance)

^ Max and Easy ^

Asha (Hater of water, lover of treats)

Winston (deceptively tiny under all that fluff)

Winston, Mac, Leo

And that's who I spend my days with. Minus a few pups who have been camera shy. I'll get them all eventually.

Reasons why I love him

2011-09-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

I came into the bedroom on Sunday to find John metering light with Luna by his side.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking some photos of the baby."

"Why?"

"Because she's so pretty."

It was adorable so I sat down on the bed and took photos of my own.

This photo makes it look easy. But in reality John had to coax and plead for her to get in the correct position and stay there. It involved a lot of getting her in focus, then doing it all over again after she decided to move. And every time the camera shutter made a sound she would jerk away. Like this.

But he got some really great shots.

In between shots she would come over and tell me her woes. All about how grueling it is to be a model. It's really hard work. Poor puppy.

I love this one.

Then I went to work and there were more Polaroids sitting on my dresser when I got home.

He had taken more while I was gone.

"They are for you."

"For me? Why?"

"To make you happy."

And they do.
This is why I love you.

Weekend fun

2011-09-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

John and I don't get to do much during the week because of our work/school schedules, but on the weekends we are trying to explore a bit during the days before he has to go in to work.

Last week we ventured out to Crissy Field, which is out by the Golden Gate Bridge. It's a dog friendly field/beach area, which was cool because we got to take Luna too. And it was the first time I had even glimpsed the Golden Gate Bridge since we moved here.

Although I could hardly see it through the fog. FOG. All the time.

John and Luna had some ridiculous fun playing fetch on the beach. Seriously, when he is with us, she acts like I don't exist. I guess John throws the ball better than me? Whatever. I'm not jealous. Clearly.

We all had fun.

We also got dressed in our fancies one night and had dinner at Terzo, where John works. The food was amazing and John's manager and the chef were so generous and hospitable. This move has been so stressful, it felt so good to just chat and eat, while sharing a bottle of prosecco. We had a great time.

Then on the very opposite end of fancy, we also trekked out to Fort Funston so I could show John and Luna where I spend my days.

I took them down to the beach and we hiked around on the trails.

John played with Luna. Again, I might as well not be there for all the attention she pays me!

She loved it there. I'm a little bummed she can't come to work with me and play there everyday. I can't wait to take her back.

Those are our most recent SF adventures. Slowly, but surely getting a taste for this city.

Snuggles

2011-09-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

Luna has a nice doggy bed set up in the corner next to our bed. It's her nook. We have it all stocked with her blankets, which we cover her up in when it's chilly (all the time). And when it's really cold we even face the little space heater toward her nook. Most dogs would be happy to have such a comfy space right next to Mama and Daddy. No. Luna needs more.

This to be exact.

This is where she strives to be at all times. Begging, sneaking, and creeping up here any chance she gets. But it isn't enough to just be on the bed...no, she needs to be IN the bed. Under the covers. (It's okay to judge us for this. We know.)

I was doing things around the house the other day and when I came into the bedroom I found these two taking an impromptu afternoon nap. These guys are my favorite, and the way they are with each other is adorable and special.

I'm pretty sure Luna has more of the bed than John does. That's his head up there in the right corner.

And her abandoned nook.

Updates

2011-08-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

In all the business of getting settled in a new city, I sort of forgot I still have a blog. Sorry! Here is what has been going on since we arrived:

On the second day we were here I was offered 2 jobs! One is a full-time dog walking position with a company called Pawsitive Tails. The other is a part-time dog walking and pet sitting job for a company called Canine Crew. I still haven't done any work for CC yet because I was hired to take on their overflow and work some nights and weekends when needed.

Working for Pawsitive Tails is going well so far. It's a lot harder than I imagined, physically and mentally too. And there is a ton of driving involved, which is the most daunting part of it since I am so new to this city. I drive all over the city, and I mean ALL over, picking up dogs. Then we take them to Fort Funston to play, which is a dog friendly beach, then we take them all back home and do it a second time with the afternoon group. I trained for the first two weeks by shadowing the woman I was taking over for, and now I am going solo. I took over for the small dog group, so I can't take Luna with me, but that's okay because she doesn't really enjoy playing with other dogs anyway. She prefers 1 on 1 fetch time after I come home from work. It's definitely not an easy job and I come home exhausted every day, but it's nice spending time with little cuties all day.

Here are a few cell phone pics of those cuties :)

John has also been busy working at the restaurant. It's fine dining, so he gets all dressed up, and it's so cute. Then he comes home smelling like delicious expensive food and I get jealous as he tells me what he had for dinner. This month we have been working opposite schedules, which is a bummer. I feel like I only get to see him on weekends. Oh those precious weekends...I have never known what it feels like to work a M-F, 9-5 job, and let me tell you, I have a new love/hate relationship with weekends.

John starts grad school next week, which is exciting! But it means I will see even less of him :( But as he reminds me, this is the whole reason we are here! I'm really excited for him.

Thanks to my new schedule, I am home for normal dinner hours which means I have been cooking a lot more! I'm loving it. It also helps that I have someone to cook for (although he often eats at work.) But it's nice to finally get into the habit of cooking, since I have been wanting to for such a long time.

What else?

We LOVE our apartment. We have been slowly putting it together between our busy schedules, but it's finally feeling like a home. We still need some furniture, but we have no money at the moment, so that will have to wait. The only problem is there is NO heating system. As in, no heat in the apartment at all. We are making do with electric space heaters, which is not ideal. Especially since it is cold here. It's anywhere between the 50s and 70s here, and it often fluctuates drastically throughout the day and night. But other than that, the apt is great! I'll post some photos sooner than later, hopefully.

Luna has settled in too. I think she likes it here. There is a great park a few blocks away that I take her to every day. The designated dog run is terrible, and the 'regulars' there are unfriendly, but we have found different fields to play in that she really likes. Plus, Golden Gate Park is just a few blocks in the other direction, though we have only explored that a little so far. And on weekends I can take her to Fort Funston and other doggy beaches, so she is getting a chance to see the city too :)

More photos coming soon.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-08-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Daddy!

At the airport, a long time ago. This is your sort of silly face. It's my favorite face you make.

I wish we weren't so far apart so I could give you a big hug in person.

:BIG HUG:

I hope you have a great day.

Love always,
Amalia

Across the country: Part 3

2011-08-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

This is the last stretch of our drive across the country. Salt Lake City to San Francisco! When we drove into SLC we stopped to have lunch at a cafe with outdoor seating (for Luna). After a quick lunch break we got back in the car and drove about an hour North to a town closer to the Spiral Jetty, where we had booked a room at a motel. John really wanted to see this piece of land art, so that is why we stayed there instead of in SLC.

I didn't take and photos of the drive to California...I think I was too burnt out from being in the car all week. But I did take a bunch at the Spiral Jetty. The Great Salt Lake is crazy.

To get to the Jetty we had to drive on this winding gravel road for almost 20 miles! Poor Marley (the car). She is a trooper too.

We got pelted by bugs the entire time...even going only 20 mph.

But it was pretty. It reminded me a lot of Patagonia, when we drove out to see the penguins.

Finally got to the Spiral Jetty, which we knew would be mostly submerged.

Luna enjoyed being out of the car, with room to run.

John loved it. I'm glad we got to see it.

Luna and John walking out.

The water is so salty that this is what Luna looked like immediately after getting out of the water. We were all covered in salt. It was so strong it stung my legs, which had been recently shaved. I couldn't stand in the water for more than a minute.

I was there too.

2,000 miles down, 1,000 more to go.

The rest of the drive went well. It was the shortest stretch of the 3 parts, but we were all dying to have it over with. Driving through the mountains of CA was interesting, though I forgot to take any photos. When we got to San Francisco, the weather was a good 20 degrees colder than EVERYWHERE else. It varies from the mid 50s to low 70s here this time of year. Talk about a shock. I was just getting used to 90+ and sunny in Boston. Sigh. And the city was blanketed in fog, so I couldn't even see it as we went over the bridge.

But so far, I'm liking San Francisco. Minus the cold, damp weather. I honestly feel like I am freezing all the time. It is going to take some getting used to. And it seems that everyone feels differently about the temperature...on one block it is normal to see someone wearing a winter jacket, hat and scarf, while another person is walking in a T-shirt and sandals. I don't understand it.

I'll write more about the SF experience in the next post. The cross-country drive was an adventure and we are all happy to be "home." Well, it's feeling more and more like home every day.

Across the country: Part 2

2011-08-15T18:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry this is so late...we just got internet in the new apartment today! After 3 missed appointments, Comcast is my enemy.

But here is a wrap up of the second leg of our journey: Chicago to Salt Lake City.

This was the longest stretch of driving, and also the most boring. There really just isn't much to see driving on I-80 through Iowa, Nebraska and Wyoming. Plus we spent a lot of it driving through the night, which is tedious.

As night fell, we drove straight into the worst lightening storm I have seen in a long time. I felt like the car was going to be swept up and land in OZ. When it finally passed all John said was, "Well, that was horrifying." He was driving.

Sunrise.

The first topographical features we saw in hundreds of miles. So flat and boring.

We tried to keep busy by recording all the state plates we saw. But we only started after we left Chicago, so we never got some of the east coast ones.

Poor Luna was a trooper. She made us proud.

Wyoming, I think.

Pretty.

And that's it for the boring stretch. Stay tuned for part 3!

Across the country, part 1

2011-08-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

John and I are still making our way across the country, but this is the first leg of our journey. We broke up the trip into 3 parts: Boston to Chicago, Chicago to Salt Lake City, and Salt Lake City to San Francisco. And yes, those are all really long stretches of driving. Taking turns and driving through the night is pretty brutal, but we are trying to save time.

We stopped for a few days in Chicago to see see some of John's friends and family and to show me the sights. Consensus: I really like Chicago!

Here are some of the highlights in photos:

The drive

We drove mostly through the night and slept a few hours in a rest stop. Luna camped out in the back seat full of blankets. She is a trooper.

Showing me his home town.

The Bean.

Our host/tour guide

We stayed with John's friend Fil and his dog Charley. Fil is an awesome host and tour guide. And Charley has ears that rival Luna's.

They took us to a doggy beach

And Luna learned how to swim! Finally!

The butterfly room at the nature museum

I took this photo because it reminded me of this one from last year:

(This one is from the butterfly room at the science museum in Boston. One year ago.)

We did a lot in a short amount of time, but still managed to feel relaxed. We ate amazing food for every meal, went to the zoo, walked a lot, ate Italian ice...a few times, played with the dogs, and had a great time. I was really happy to meet more of John's people, and to see the city. So that was Chicago, part 2 is coming soon!

MIA

2011-07-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

I have been MIA lately because we are in the midst of moving!

John got back on Wednesday night, my last day of work was today, and we have been packing and doing all the errands before we set off first thing Monday morning! The saddest part of leaving is saying goodbye to everyone. I hate goodbyes :(

Luna is so happy to have her Daddy back. She almost wiggled her little tail right off!

We will be on the road for a week, and I don't know when we will be getting internet in the new apartment, so this place might be pretty quiet for awhile. But stay tuned for NEW HOME updates! Wish us luck!

Officially NOT homeless!

2011-07-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

Cue sigh of relief!

Yes, we finally got an apartment, just in time! This entire process has been the worst house hunting experience either of us has ever gone through, and we are so glad it is finally all over.

For those of you unfamiliar with apt. hunting in San Francisco, it goes a little something like this:

-Scour craigslist for apt ads
-Contact realtors/landlords
-Get no response
-Repeat every 10 mins by refreshing craigslist
-Go to open houses posted on craigslist
-1. Become disenchanted with apt. and leave
or
-2. Try to apply: RUN, SCRAMBLE, and STAMPEDE your way to get your application filled out, all necessary documents scanned, emailed, printed and organized then RUSH it to the appropriate office to get it in first. Questions may include: What is your bank acct #? What is your Mother's maiden name? What was your brother's dog's favorite color in 1994? Do you have any identifying birthmarks that we should know about?
-Pay up to $120 dollars to apply...for a studio apartment.
-Get no response
-Get a "no" response
-At this point you are probably crying
-Repeat all these steps for 2 months
-Wait for miracle

Thank goodness John was there doing all of this for us. Yes, we had some big let downs on places we set our hearts on, and it was a serious test of our relationship (I LOVE YOU), but it all worked out and we are so excited to move into our new place.

It's amazing! Here are some sneak peeks: (sorry the picture quality is terrible)

Living room, looking out

Living room, looking in

Hallway, doors to kitchen and bathroom

Bedroom

John says it looks even nicer in person and it was just freshly painted. I can't wait to see it for myself! SO HAPPY! Countdown to August 6th: 15 days!

Harry Potter 7.2, the finale!

2011-07-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

Aleena and I discovered Harry Potter together back when we were 12, and like so many people, the magic continued for us. When we met Kendra in high school, it became something the three of us shared together. With the exception of a few times in college, we were together for every midnight release of the books or movies. Being lifelong fans made this final installment of the movies so bitter sweet.

Aleena, Kendra and I are unfortunately parting ways (geographically) at the end of the month, so I am really grateful that we got to see the last movie together. Aleena is heading to Yale, I'm going to SF, and Kendra is staying in Boston where she just bought an apartment. It seems like childhood has suddenly slipped far away from us when we weren't looking, and the end of this story feels like the end an era for us. I guess this is what growing up feels like. Weird.

The movie was absolutely amazing, obviously! I was sitting with my knees to my chest and my hands to my face the entire time, and most definitely cried more than once. It was an incredible last movie. I can't wait to see it again.

Watching 7.1 with dinner and drinks before heading to the theater.

Hanging out in our seats...an hour and a half before show time!

After the movie. I love you guys!

So sad it's over!

Mom's last Boston visit

2011-07-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

My Mom was here this week for her last Boston visit before I move. It was so nice to have her here, and really sad to know I am moving so far away from her :(

I had to work the entire week she was here because I really need the money, which was a bummer. But we did make it to the Arboretum one day. I love it, and wish I had spent more time there these past 2 years. Aleena is back from Europe, and she had never been to the Arboretum, so she came too. Everyone was blown away. It's just so beautiful and peaceful.

Some highlights:

We went out for Indian food in Cambridge one night. Delish.

Arboretum!

Luna being less cooperative.

I'm going to miss this girl so much.

Luna enjoyed herself thoroughly.

Mom and a Mimosa tree.

I love you Ma and I can't wait for you to visit us in SF. Just remember, the flight is shorter than the multiple bus rides it takes to get to Boston! xoxo

Manipulation

2011-07-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

Luna may be spoiled, but sometimes, once in awhile, she doesn't get exactly what she wants.

Like when I wont let her up on the bed.

This is how she handles it:

Front legs on the bed, back ones on the floor: First she tries giving me a dirty look stare down.

When that doesn't work, she moves on to a more pitiful approach.

She may or may not have ended up on the bed.

Evolution of a snack

2011-07-06T08:01:00.000-07:00

This is how Luna handles getting her favorite treat. Great snacks come with great anxiety.

"Oh my god...peanut butter jar...Where should I eat it?"

"Maybe over by the table..."

"No, no, this is all wrong...Maybe in the kitchen..."

"No...this is a terrible place...I'll try the rug again..."

This goes on and on, but I will spare you all the pacing. Just take my word for it.

"Okay, I was right...The rug is the best choice."

10 minutes later...or when I finally pry the empty jar away from her:

"Mama, please don't throw my treat away..."

Busy

2011-07-06T06:39:00.000-07:00

I wish I have been blogging more lately, but I've been super busy working. Trying to counteract the poorness that will result from moving across the country :(

But it's good to be so worky pants! Last weekend I got my first dog sitting/walking gig...Which is great since that's what I want to do in SF. So I spent the holiday weekend with 2 dogs plus my own. It was a good experience. And this week I picked up shifts on my 2 days off...so that has me working all 7 days. Yikes.

But...here is the drum roll....

My mom is coming to visit today! And she is staying for a week! Yay :)

I've been living alone for 3 weeks because John is in SF and Aleena has been in Europe country hopping and having a grand old time. Jealous with a capital J. So I'm really happy my mom is coming to hang out with me and Luney for the last week I would have been here by myself. I just feel bad I will be working so much while she is here. Sorry Ma! But we will do fun things anyway.

That's all for now. And here is a photo, because it's not a fun blog post without something visual. Right? I don't know.

This is Leen walking out the door for her European adventures. The last big vacay before GRAD SCHOOL! She took my backpack, and I'm jealous of all the travel it is getting without me.

Melting

2011-07-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

What do you do when it is 91 degrees and Mama takes you outside to "play"? You park yourself under the only bit of shade and pant your face off until she takes you home.

Don't worry. There was water too.

I wish we had a kiddie pool. And a yard to put it in.

Laura and Wallace visit!

2011-07-01T05:29:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my friend Laura came from Ithaca for one last visit before I move away, and she brought their new puppy, Wallace!

He's a 3 month old, part German Shepherd and part Rottweiler. And ridiculously cute! He and Luna had a great time together.

And so did Laura and I.

We went on some adventures with the pups, and we all got tuckered out from the summer heat.

Ronan Park, Dorchester MA

Malibu Beach, Dorchester MA

This is just an adorable picture that gives you an idea of how little Wallace is. He is trying to eat Luna's dinner...from under her legs.

Thanks for coming all the way to visit us Laura! We are going to miss you so much.

Where did summer go?

2011-06-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

It has been raining and quite chilly for the past few days here. Pretty much constant rain all week. We are talking, back to jacket-wearing, don't leave the house without an umbrella, wellies all the time, weather.

But before all the rain, back when it was summertime, Shelby and I went to the beach! First we set out with Luna and attempted a dog friendly beach. The life guards said it was fine if we kept her on the leash, but after 10 minutes they decided we couldn't stay. Even though I pointed to the sign that said "dogs allowed on leash..." Whatever. But it was Luna's first experience with the ocean and she loved it. I can't wait to take her to a real doggy beach in San Francisco.

After we got kicked out we took Luna home and headed out to Nantasket beach in Hull. It is such a cute little waterfront town with a boardwalk and lots of beachy type shops and restaurants. We spent the whole day there, moving further and further back as the tide swept in.

We started here, with the rocks behind us...

And ended up on top of the rocks. But luckily we found a big flat one to lay out on. (And that is Shelby's head out there in the freezing cold water. Brave soul that she is.)

Can you believe I haven't been to a beach since I was in FL in 2009? I haven't even been to the Cape since I've been living in Boston! It's tragic.

We had a great day and I can't wait to get back there...if summer ever decides to show its sun around here again.

Comment issues

2011-06-21T19:11:00.000-07:00

Hi guys!

I have gotten feedback lately from some people that when they leave a comment, it never shows up. I want to try to figure out what is going on with that if it is still happening.

So, to everyone who is reading or visits once in a while, would you do me a favor and leave a comment on this post. Even if it is just a "hello!" And if you leave a comment but it never shows up, let me know by emailing me or just telling me in person...since basically just my family and friends read this blog, hehe.

Thanks for visiting and saying hi!

Clothing swap

2011-06-21T17:59:00.000-07:00

Something that I love most about having such close friends in the same city is having access to a shopping buddy. But when you are on a tight budget like I am these days, shopping is not an option. Luckily, the other day Shelby and I did a clothing swap, which is almost like shopping because you still get new [to you] clothes!

Shelby had bought a dress online that she decided she absolutely hated it on herself. Even though I saw her wear it and told her she was crazy and it looked great. But she was convinced she would never wear it again, so she gave it to me. In exchange, she came over to my house and I raided my closet, taking out all the clothes I don't need or never really wear anymore. She went through and grabbed her favorites and we had a little trying on party. I didn't remember to take photos of the stuff she got from me...I think it was a shirt or two, a pair of shorts and a skirt. They are going to love their new home. But this is the dress she gave me. I absolutely love it and want to wear it again already.

It's so light and summery, which I love, but the colors aren't too crazy. I tend to go really bright with all my summer dresses, so I like that this is more earthy. I added the belt, same one from this post, and paired it with these strappy wedge espadrilles. I wore this outfit to Kendra's dinner the other night and loved every minute of it. Thanks Shelby!

Is it terrible that new clothes make me so happy? I think, no :)

Fun fact: Once Shelby and I did a clothing swap in college. Well, it was less of a swap and more of me rummaging through bags of old clothes she had. But I still wear some of the stuff I got that day. One sweatshirt is literally falling apart at the seams. Yay for sharing!

Kendra's Birthday at Cuchi Cuchi

2011-06-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was my friend Kendra's 25th birthday, so we went out to Cuchi Cuchi in Cambridge to celebrate. Aleena and I met Kendra in 9th grade when she moved to our town and we have been besties ever since. She lives up the road from me in Boston, but we hardly ever get to see each other. She has been busy teaching full time and getting her Masters (woot woot!) for the 2 years I have been here, so our hang out time is few and far between. But for her birthday everyone happened to be out of town, so I got to snag some one on one time with her.

I have been to Cuchi Cuchi once before, and it is a lot of fun because it is burlesque themed, with servers in costume. The food is great and the specialty cocktails are even better. Kendra and I enjoyed quite a few, and my absolute favorite was this green one. A Thai..something. It had Thai basil, lemongrass, citrus vodka and champagne. And maybe something else, I don't remember. But it was seriously divine. Not too sweet. So good.

We had a great time blabbing and catching up forever. I think our server wanted to kill us, but at least we kept ordering drinks. It was so comfortable sitting in the back, in these huge throne chairs. Mine had a dog head on the arm.

I'm really going to miss having friends close by when we move to San Francisco...even the friends I never get to see! Hopefully we can plan some good visits. Happy Birthday Kendra. Cheers to being a quarter century old!

Happy Father's Day! 2011

2011-06-19T07:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Daddy,

Happy Father's Day! Thank you so much for being such a wonderful, loving, patient and generous Daddy.

I know we don't get to see each other as much as we would like, but that doesn't mean I'm not thinking of you always.

I can't wait for you to come visit me in San Francisco, even though I'm not there yet!

I hope you are having a wonderful day...I wish I could be spending it with you.

Love always,
Amalia

Hi John!

2011-06-15T16:18:00.000-07:00

This cutie is Riley, daughter to a wonderful couple who used to work at the restaurant. She came in today, and made a special note for John. Look at her impressive penmanship! ;)

Cross-eyed kitty

2011-06-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

John sent me this photo with his phone yesterday. This stray cat crawled through the bars on his window and he found him in his room. Seriously though, have you ever seen a cross-eyed cat? It is pathetic and adorable and too cute for words. Poor baby.

Fun fact: When I was growing up I would only get black cats. I thought that because of the superstition, no one would want to adopt them, so I had to be the one to give them a good home. My childhood cat was named Pitchy...you know, because she was pitch black. Too bad it sounded unfortunately like another word that starts with B. Creativity with names was not my strong suit.

Cheap dress revamp

2011-06-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

This is where I suddenly pretend I'm writing a sewing blog...

With John gone, I have started to tackle the things backlogged on my TO DO list that I never really get around to. Washing a pile of hand-washables, taking Luna to a do-it-yourself dog wash, and apparently this sewing project. Life as a singleton makes me more productive I guess. Sad face/happy face.

Last summer I bought a cheap dress at Target on an impulse, because I liked the floral patters. But when I got home I realized it was pretty terrible and the shape of the dress just did not work for me. So I shoved it in my closet, with a faint idea that I could make it work somehow, someday, but not really caring if I ever did or not.

Today out of nowhere, I decided to pull the dress out and see what could be done with it. It is important to mention that I have absolutely no idea how to sew. I mean, I can sew buttons or mend here and there, but nothing serious. And even when I take on small mending projects, the results are crude at best. But this was a pretty simple project.

Here are the before photos of the dress: (Luna helped, obviously.)

I like the patterns together, but it was strapless, had a tendency to slip down around the bust, and had this dinky ribbon around the waist. No bueno.

My assistant oversaw the process from a safe distance away from the iron.

This is how I changed it:

I took the ribbon from the waist, cut it in half, and sewed them into halter straps. This solved the falling down problem and also gave the dress a better shape. At least I think so :) I like how the sweetheart neckline goes with the halter straps...I think it gives the dress a bit of a vintage look. And I added the belt, which I had already.

I'm quite pleased with myself for finally getting crafty and giving new life to an otherwise poor impulse purchase. (Say that 10 times fast...poor impulse purchase, poor impulse purchase...) Anyway, I can't wait to wear it!

What do you think?

Photo archive: San Francisco

2011-06-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

When I tell people I am moving to San Francisco I also say that I have never been there, which usually is followed by a gasp of surprise.

"Yeah, the first time I go will be when we move."

"Wow, that's brave! But don't worry you will love it."

But this little fact isn't exactly true. Apparently I have been there. My Mom told me that these photos were taken on a short trip my parents took for some reason. Something work related maybe? Turns out I have been to SF, and by the look of these pictures, I did love it. I wonder if the city has the same appeal to a 25 year old that it did to a 2 year old.

Hopefully they still have ducks and sippy cups in San Francisco. I'll be all set.

Tall grass

2011-06-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

"Oh, you know...I'm just eating some grass. You know how I do."

Two months

2011-06-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

John left for San Francisco yesterday (stopping in Chicago for a week first) and I'm already missing him dearly. It's bitter sweet because I know this brings us one step closer to our new life together on the west coast, but I also know it's going to be a hard two months without him.

But before he left we had a great show/goodbye party at Aviary Gallery in JP. On one wall John had framed prints for sale, and on the other he had lose prints for people to take on a donation basis. Everyone who came took at least one and it was a great way to say goodbye and share some art.

The take a print wall. It changed all night as people took their favorites and I added more to the empty spaces.

This one shows both walls, partially.

The show was a great success and we had so much fun. We had an awesome turnout. I know John really appreciated all of his friends who came and we had such a great response to the "take a print, leave a donation" system.

As people chose their prints, John signed each one and told the story behind it.

Not only did John's friends come, but so did mine! AKA :) I'm going to miss these girls so much! At least we have two more months together.

I think these next two months are going to fly by, which is good but also sad. I already miss John, but it's going to be tough saying goodbye to all the people I love in Boston. But the next chapter is set in motion!

The Arboretum

2011-05-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

Today was the first beautiful day, without the threat of humidity and rain, that we have had all season. Seriously glorious weather. To take advantage of it, and John's last days in Boston, we spent the afternoon at the Arboretum with Luna. It was such a great day, and we all got tuckered out from the sun.

(It's going to be a long 2 months without you, John. I can't wait to be in San Francisco together!)

We strolled along the paths and through all the lilac trees, and stopped a few times so John could shoot. After he set up one shot on a hill the landscapers drove a tractor right into the frame, so we camped out to wait for them to finish. But it turned out they were planting a tree, and in no hurry at all. So we just hung out in the shade while Luna ran around with John.

(There is a tractor behind the tree.)

After a few hours there, Luna's energy level was reduced to this. And she has resumed this position in the living room since we got home. Success.

A beautiful sight

2011-05-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love artichokes, but I've been especially jonesing for one lately.

When we were at Wholefoods in NYC this week I almost lost it over this bountiful display. These ones were practically as big as my head. And I have a big head.

If only I were ever home for dinner, then I might actually cook and shop for fresh produce ~~more often~~ ever. Maybe these will be my lunch in the very near future...I like to eat them steamed, dipped in homemade balsamic/maple/mustard vinaigrette. The dressing is my Dad's creation and he has been making it for me since I was a kid, but now I make it for myself. So good.

Related fact: I love artichokes so much that it is a back burner goal of mine to own/make a silk screened shirt of an artichoke stencil. Why? I can't really tell you. I just want one, okay? They are just the coolest looking vegetable. I also wouldn't be opposed to having other artichokey-designed items in my kitchen. Like a dishtowel. Or maybe a framed print. Man, why do I love this veggie so much?

Stop blogging and take me outside

2011-05-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

This is her frustrated face. It's an unwavering stare. It could be mistaken as canine devotion, except I know better.

My favorite

2011-05-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

John snapped this with photobooth on his MacBook, and I am absolutely in love with it. I begged him to make it his FB pic, which he did, and of course he immediately got teased by his artist friends with Wegman references.

But really, how much cuter can these two be together? John and Luna have a serious bond which is pretty amazing. I'm still her #1, but sometimes I worry that he is becoming a threat to that first place status in her heart. Seriously, Luna?? Remember who feeds you, and walks you, and takes you to the park, okay?

If you are in Boston...

2011-05-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

You should go check out the awe inspiring Chihuly exhibit at the MFA. His enormous blown glass pieces are incredible.

Shelby, John and I went last Wednesday to check out the new American wing, and I didn't know anything about this exhibit beforehand. By the way, Wednesday nights are completely free admission, after 4pm. I was so busy being blown away [wow, I should be ashamed of that pun] by the work, that I only snapped a few pictures. But don't take my word for it, go see it for yourself. Good times, for sure.

Buy it. Read it. Yay!

2011-05-09T07:48:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Jess Martin's hilarious memoir, Open-Eyed Sneeze, and this is where I tell you to rush, rush, rush and get yourself a copy. Seriously. Do it.

This is Jess' first book and because I know her and have been playing along as the progress unfolds, I can tell you that publishing a book, on your own or otherwise is incredibly hard. But she did it and all of us who have been cheering her on are very excited for her!

This story had me laughing out loud constantly and on quite a few pages, actual tears streamed down my face from hysterics. At one point Aleena even popped into my room to ask if I was okay, and if I needed to change my sheets. "No I stayed dry, but oh man, you are reading this after me!"

So yeah, for $15.95 you have no excuse not to read it, unless you are illiterate, in which case this post must really be boring you with its lack of pictures. So instead of buying those two beers or that overpriced eggs benedict [cough, I love my job] you should get yourself your very own copy of Open-Eyed Sneeze!

*This post was not sponsored by Jess Martin. All opinions and advertisements come from a sincere belief that you will actually enjoy reading it.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day Ma! I'm sorry I can't be there to spend it with you today. But I'm thinking about you today and always.

Thanks for being such a great friend.

I love you.

Amalia

Smart people

2011-05-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

I took this photo at work. It's our reservations list. Guess how many sheets we have with this white square in the middle? Yeah. Someone else added the "fail."

Haircut, updated

2011-05-06T15:58:00.000-07:00

Oh, and in case you are interested...this is the look I ended up with. My girl Betsy is amazing. I love the cuts she gives me.

Bonus points because you can't see my face...and because I took it on my phone in the handicap bathroom at work. Woot!

If your name starts with A you might...

2011-05-06T15:14:00.000-07:00

Get butt dialed by your friends all the time. Or purse dialed, whatever you want to all it.

It's a serious problem plaguing people whose names start with A. If your name starts with A and people you know have a phone that tends to unlock itself, enter the contacts list, and call the first person on the list, it might be you. And you might be getting random calls from people you know or barely know, at random times throughout the day. It might especially happen late at night when you are sleeping but the unaware butt dialer is partying their little hearts out somewhere. Yes, this happens to me a lot, but I want to know that I'm not alone in this.

I'm starting a support group for my fellow first letter of the alphabet people, who are tired of being butt dialed. Membership includes moral support and a campaign for phones with better keypad locking systems.

The internet is helpful

2011-05-03T22:44:00.000-07:00

Searching for hairstyle ideas by browsing google image search is frustrating.

It's like...Let's see what they have for "short hairstyle for round face shape"...

Internet is like, "Here are hundreds of pictures of actresses and models who don't even have round faces...you know, because they don't eat...but they have short hairstyles! Also, did I mention all these photos are either on a red carpet or at a photo shoot, done by professional stylists? Good luck!"

Thanks internet. I should have known better.

Hair appointment is on Thursday, and I'll probably end up with the same bob I've been getting for 3 years now. Ugg, I'm so bored.

Spoiled

2011-05-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

This is Luna's favorite way to sleep. If we let her, she would only ever sleep on top of me or John. Too bad she's 77 lbs and kicks in her sleep.

She heard the camera click, but decided it was only worth half an eye open.

Moving in progress

2011-05-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

We are slowing making progress on our seemingly never-ending TO DO list for the move!

Things accomplished so far:
John moved out of his apt and into a 1 month sublet, so basically all of his things are packed and in storage. He will be flying out to SF in a month! He will be there for 2 months, then will fly back to drive across the country with me and Luna on August 1st.

We have a moving company!

We are starting to sell the things we don't need...does anyone want a Full(Double) sized mattress/box spring/bed frame? Or a small TV with built-in DVD player?

The important car repairs are done, so the Saab is pretty much ready.

3 months to go and I can't wait!

Photo archive: I miss this

2011-04-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

This archive doesn't go as far back as some of the others, but I have been looking through some of Luna's puppy pictures and I just had to share it. When I lived in Ithaca I babysat for two different families twice a week. They each had dogs and were puppy friendly, so when I got Luna she would come with me to babysit.

After an action packed afternoon, this is Grace and Luna conked out on the couch. I miss those kids so much, and I also miss Luna being such a little baby. Look at that short little snout! So squeezable.

Luna cooperates

2011-04-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

On John's birthday we tried to take some photos, with Luna included, which can be quite challenging. She poses wonderfully for photos when it is just of her. She gets that because I'm holding the camera, I'm talking to her, so she just pays attention. But when one person is posing while the other is trying to take photos, she gets all flustered and excited. John's trying to pose with her while I'm trying to get her to look forward, so she just runs back and forth between us, not wanting to look at the camera or sit still because, "Hello! Mama and Daddy are in different places, I must pace between them until they are reunited!" She also does this any and every time we are in different rooms in the house.

It looks something like this.

"Stay? No I'll see what Mama's doing!"

"Sit? No I'll get off couch"

"Stay? I want Mama!"

"Sit? I don't want anymore."

"Sit? No I'll lay down."

"Hey guys, is the game over?"

Red Velvet Cake

2011-04-22T06:55:00.000-07:00

I made a red velvet cake for John's birthday since it is his favorite and I have been missing doing things in the kitchen. The last time I used my oven was...well I don't think I have ever baked anything in this apartment...and we have been here for almost 2 years. So this was a pretty momentous event for me since I have never made a red velvet cake from scratch...actually, I have never made a cake from scratch, ever. This is becoming a baking confessional.

With all that in mind, I searched for a good recipe and found one that was really helpful. I pretty much followed it exactly except I couldn't find cake flour anywhere, so I used all purpose. I was hoping this would not make a difference but the cake came out a little too dense, so I think that might have been due to the flour. I also did not have three 8" cake pans so I used two 9" ones. The woman who wrote this entry also did not have 3 smaller pans, so she too deviated from the original recipe. In retrospect, I would rather have used the 3 pans, because the cake is really thick, so the ratio of cake to frosting is off. You can't get a yummy taste of frosting with every bite.

I also had a bit of a road block with finding the red food coloring. It calls for 2 oz, which is a TON. And the supermarket did not carry large bottles of just one color. So, I had to buy the boxes that have 4 small vials of different colors. Each vial was only .25 oz, so I had to buy 8 boxes. This was pretty distressing for me, because these effing things were not cheap, and now i have enough vials of yellow, green and blue food coloring to dye Easter eggs every day for a year. The next red velvet cake I make might be green. Whatever.

But considering the fact that I never bake, (not in real life anyway, I definitely watch a lot of baking on TV,) I think this cake turned out okay. I will definitely be using this recipe again, but with cake flour and smaller pans, and also in cupcake form as per John's request. I also managed to undertake this entire operation without making a huge mess, which makes me pretty happy. Nothing was dyed red!

Now, pictures!

Luna camped out here during the process, but ran out of the kitchen every time I turned the hand mixer on. She spent the entire time running in and out of the room, wearing her very best nervous face.

Happy Birthday John!

2011-04-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday John!

Thank you for being such an amazing person. Your kindness, patience, and unwavering love are just a few reasons why I adore you.

I hope you enjoy your birthday, I am so happy to be spending it with you! This year is going to be a huge adventure and I can't wait to share it with you.

Cheers to 31!

You mean the world to me and I keep falling in love with you.

With love always,
Amalia

Three generations

2011-04-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

Actually four, if you are counting Luna, which I always am.

With two days off this week I took a quick trip down to NJ where my Mom and Grammy live. We were so overdue for a visit, I still hadn't given my Mom her Christmas presents! I gave her her Christmas presents and Luna and I got early Easter baskets :)

It was a lot of driving (5.5 each way), but I had a great time. It was so nice to just relax and chat. My Grammy has such amazing life stories, which I enjoy listening to. It breaks my heart sometimes to think about how little I know about my family history. My Grammy is interested in genealogy, so she has been researching her side of the family for years, and it's crazy to think about how much we don't know and how intricate a story can be once you start unraveling it.

Besides sitting around and chatting, we took Luna to the park and took pictures. It was a quick turn around, I was only there for a day, but it was definitely worth it. I don't even want to think about how much harder it's going to be to get together when I live on the other side of the country. Yikes. But we will make it happen as much as we can.

I don't know why these photos came out so grainy...something is going on with my camera.

Photo archive: Race track

2011-04-07T15:27:00.000-07:00

My Dad sent me this photo today through text message, which is why the quality is so bad, but I like it. That's my cousin Corina on the left, with my Abuelito in the middle. I don't remember how young we were.

My Dad and I used to visit our family in FL over summer breaks and my Abuelito always took us to his favorite race track. Being a horseback rider myself, I loved watching the horses, even though I didn't understand the betting aspect at all. I just imagined myself being in the Thoroughbred novels I read as a kid, wishing I could be small enough to be a jockey.

Let's not talk about my clothing, I was fashion challenged. I didn't care about clothes until much later.

Goodbye Maddelyn

2011-04-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

Today I said ~~good riddance~~ goodbye to my dear old Pontiac, Maddelyn. I have had her since sophomore year of college and she treated me (sort of) well. Sorry, Maddelyn, that was mean. She was a good car, but I had to pour a TON of money into her over the years to keep her going. And there is no way she was going to come to San Francisco. So, it was time to part ways.

This was the old girl on one of her last trips, over the Berkshires.

Since I got the Saab, John has been driving the Pontiac, but at great personal risk. You see, the registration and inspection were overdue. It wasn't going to pass inspection, let alone make the drive to NY and back to make that happen. And it was generally falling apart in many ways. John drove it through the winter, covering up the expired stickers with snow every time he parked the car. Sneaky, sneaky. But now that the weather is getting better, John will go back to riding his bike and we can save money by getting this car off my insurance plan!

So I called around and found a company that will take "junk cars" (again, sorry Maddelyn) for cash. She wasn't worth selling for real given all the mechanical problems going on. Also I lost the title, which is another hassle entirely. So they came the same day and paid me $250 cash and towed her away. Apparently MA has strict rules about selling junk cars without titles, but I called about a million places and finally found one that would take it anyway. I didn't ask probing questions about the legality of it. Don't judge me.

There she is getting towed away to be dismantled and sold for parts. This story turned sad.

But it was one more item off my seemingly never-ending list of things to do before our cross-country move. One by one, we are getting there!

Photo archive: Mom and Me photobooth

2011-04-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

John is borrowing my digital camera to take it to San Francisco, so I won't be taking pictures this week. But I do have a few spare photo archives to share!

This one cracks me up because my Mom is clearly trying very hard to get me to smile, and I'm not having any of it. In fact I look like I would rather just have a snack. Or consume the camera instead.

I was obviously underfed as a child.

Remember these?

2011-03-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

Remember in elementary school when you made bird feeders by spreading peanut butter on a pine cone and rolling it in bird seed, then you would hang it in a tree?

Apparently that was the activity for today at the school by my house. But they used toilet paper rolls and bagels instead of pine cones. These things were hanging all over the trees at the park and Luna was intent on getting to them. She was pretty close too.

RELOCATION

2011-03-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

The decision has been made and it's official...We are moving to San Francisco!!!

After the grueling grad school application process and then the nerve-racking waiting-to-hear-back time period, John finally heard back from all of his schools. Both of the ones in San Francisco accepted him (CCA and SFAI), so we are just waiting to get the financial aid packages before he decides which school to attend. But either way, we will be living in San Fran and he will be going to one of the two schools there!

I'm so proud of him for working so hard on the applications and getting in to as many schools as he did. His schools were spread out all over the country, but I'm really excited about trying out the west coast. Woo San Francisco!

Aside from being super excited, I'm also pretty terrified by all the details of making a cross country relocation happen. Packing. Driving. Moving. And the fact that San Fran is even more expensive to live in than Boston, which is already ridiculous. And that we won't have jobs right away. And we need to find an apt. EEK. Breathe.

But it is going to be an amazing adventure, and I'm so happy John and I will be doing it together. With Luna of course :) I hope she likes it out there too.

Fetch!

2011-03-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

In the past year Luna has become seriously devoted to playing fetch. It's all she wants to do at the park. Only fetch. All the time. It even trumps playing with her doggy friends. It's a big deal.

Needless to say, I am really very proud of her when it comes to fetch because it's when she acts the smartest. She listens to me when I tell her to bring the ball to my feet. She gets creative with retrieving it from tricky spots. And she can whip out some serious agility moves. Plus it's our bit of quality time outside each day, which I really like. [Aww, cheese-ball!] Whatever, don't be jealous.

Anyway, I had my camera at the park today so I took some photos of her having a grand old time. By the way, these rubber chuck-it balls are like magic. All dogs are in love with them for some reason. Luna doesn't like to fetch any other kind, and all the other dogs want to steal them. Makes it worth it for a staggering $5 per ball! So spoiled, I know.

She especially likes to jump for them at the catch, so I try to make sure to give it a high bounce.

Fetch makes Luna a happy dog.

Head rest or foot rest?

2011-03-09T05:58:00.000-08:00

Luna likes to cuddle when she sleeps. So it makes sense that when she is banished to the floor, this is how she solves the closeness issue.

She and John stayed like this for a half hour. She needs to get her snuggles in somehow.

By the way, do you like John's socks? They are zombies chasing brains. Santa [cough, me] gave them to him for Christmas. :)

Abuelito's memorial

2011-03-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

This week has been a whirlwind of long days and difficult news, but it also had a lot of good in it too. After finding out my Abuelito passed away on Wednesday, I booked a ticket to FL and was there for less than 24 hours this weekend. I am so grateful that I was able to spend this time with my family, to celebrate a great man. To share our love for each other and for him.

Humberto Camargo

6/20/28-3/2/11

The last photo I took of my Abuelito, in 2009. He was listening to his favorite tango records and weeping with nostalgia and happiness. It was a great memory.

And here are a bunch of photos from this weekend.

Abuelita and me.

Mia and Raelyn.

Sara and Nayla.

The twins. They barely look related but they are twins, I swear!

Abuelita and Tio Orlando.

Sara's 4 girls. Azalia, Raelyn, Mia and Nayla.

I spent most of the day like this, with a baby in my arms. There is nothing better.

Mia is hilarious. Happiest baby ever.

All dolled up.

Corina and Abuelita.

I love it.

Seriously though, who doesn't love a baby. Look at those leg rolls!

Plus there was also this cutie! Corina's puppy, Violet.

Although Abuelito's passing has been hard, I am so grateful I was able to be with my amazing family, even if it was just for a day. Sometimes in during the bustle of life I don't take the time to appreciate the loving family I am a part of. I'm glad we took this time as an opportunity to get closer and remember the most important part of life. Family.

Te queiro mucho, Abuelito. Usted puede perder todos los dias. Muchos besos, Amalita.

High maintenance

2011-03-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

Hey. You. I want something.

Hello? Pay attention.

I guess I need to be more direct.

Um, hellooo? Why are you not moving over?

Do what I want!

Thank you. Finally.

You guys are so difficult. It's exhausting.

All of these photos were taken in 5 minute time span while John and I were sitting on the couch, too close to each other for Luna to budge in. None of the photos are out of order. This is literally how it went down...How is goes down every night. She has standards okay? The floor is SO beneath her.

Sometimes your lip gets stuck to the floor...

2011-03-01T19:28:00.000-08:00

and there's nothing you can do about it...except look pitiful.

My tasty little bunny

2011-02-25T19:47:00.000-08:00

I was poking around CVS today killing some time before I met up with Aleena, and I came across these pretty disturbing Easter chocolates. Can I just also say that I couldn't be happier that the next holiday on the docket is Easter, even if it is a little premature. Easter means Spring time! Winter is on its way out!

Anyway, the creepy candy...

Maybe it's just me but I am slightly disturbed by the implications of having such a life-like bunny trapped in packaging that looks like a cage. And then the fact that you are supposed to eat it. I just wanted to rescue all those chocolaty bunnies and set them free. It was upsetting.

This is more what I am used to for Easter.

It doesn't seem so carnivorous when you are chomping off the ears of one of these cartoonish bunnies.

So done with February

2011-02-23T20:09:00.000-08:00

Hey February! Hey Winter! Hey Cold! I am so done with you.

This has month has been one of the crappiest, crap-tastic months that ever was crappy. I'm so looking forward to a new one.

Who's with me? Say "Aye!"

That's all I really wanted to say. And I haven't taken any pictures in weeks. Sorry.

Little Baby Jamie

2011-02-18T05:45:00.000-08:00

Our friend from work recently had a baby, so John and I went over to visit a few days ago. This is little Jamie snoring on my chest. So cute! Makes me really miss babysitting.

I didn't get a photo of John holding her because she woke up and started scootching.

John with his nervous face on: "Okay she is awake and doing stuff now...I think you better take over."

It was adorable anyway.

Winnie-the-Pooh

2011-02-15T06:57:00.000-08:00

In the last 3 holidays John has seriously proved himself to be an amazing gift giver. I have been blown away by the thoughtfulness, and good judgment he has used in choosing every gift he has given me this year. And apparently Valentine's Day is no exception. Yesterday John surprised me with a First U.S. Edition of Winnie-the-Pooh, by A. A. Milne. From 1926. Amazing!

The back story to this is gift starts when we were in New Paltz a few weeks ago. We were browsing a used bookstore and they had this copy of the book for sale. I went pretty crazy over it, telling him all about how I loved Winnie-the-Pooh, not the new stuff on TV now, but the classic Pooh. We couldn't look at the copy because it was all wrapped in plastic, looking ancient and expensive, but I oohed and aahed over it, then we left. Then that night we found Winnie-the-Pooh and the Very Blustery Day on the Tivo. I had to of watched that movie at least 3 times a week for about 5 years of my childhood and John had never seen it! So we watched it together. It was a sweet memory.

But John, being the wonderful listener that he is, tracked that book down. The bookseller in New Paltz sold it before he could reserve it, but he kept searching and found another copy from a bookstore somewhere else. He gave it to me the night before Valentine's Day and I was absolutely blown away. (Although John is a wonderful gift giver, patience is not his virtue. Once he has a gift he pesters me for days to open it early. If I weren't so stubborn, we would have had Christmas a week early this year.)

It wasn't just a Valentine's gift, but also a "Thanks for helping me with Grad school applications" gift. And I love it so dearly.

Thank you so much John. You are the love of my life. Happy Valentine's Day!

And here's the book!

This is the dedication poem. So perfect. I welled up when I read it.

Planet Earth

2011-02-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

I snapped this photo tonight when we were watching Planet Earth. Luna hardly ever notices the TV, but for some reason she needed to be friends with these polar bears. And it was absolutely adorable. With every squeak from the baby bears she got closer to the screen until her nose was touching the mama bears nose. I died. I took this with my phone, so the screen is all washed out, but I think you get the idea.

As promised

2011-02-08T17:08:00.000-08:00

To follow up on the envelope/tape/stickers story, here is the actual final product I got in the mail yesterday.

I think it's even more ridiculous that the stickers are really just address labels my Grammy probably got for free in the mail. (My Mom lives with her Mom.) Bonus points for the religiously themed stamps. Classic Grammy.

Moral of the story is that my Mom continues to be handy with stickers, and continues to steal them from other people. I chuckled.

P.S. The card was a Valentine with a pair of pretty earrings tucked inside. Thanks Ma!

A few days in New Paltz

2011-02-03T20:12:00.000-08:00

This week John and I took a few days off to head down to my hometown for some car errands and relaxation. I still have NY plates on the cars, so we had to go to NY to renew the inspections. (That was such a ordeal, and it's still not even taken care of.) But it was so great to be home in the country, taking time out of Boston.

When I go home I stay at Aleena's parent's house, which is one of my favorite places to be, so it was special for me to take John there. We decided to make the trip even with a forecast of snow for two days, and it was worth it. I am so burnt out of Boston in the winter, and it's only February :(

We had a great time, especially Luna, who got to play non-stop with Penny, their adorable Goldendoodle. They became the best of friends in two days. I can tell she is depressed to be back home, missing her buddy. (Totally makes me sort of kind of want another dog...but not in my small apartment.)

Here are some of the few photos I took there. To sum up: Penny is adorable and both John and Luna fell in love with her, New Paltz is beautiful even when it's covered in snow, and I miss home more than I even realized.

Doodles!

Luney!

Adventures!

Penny likes to lay down and vigorously rub her face in the snow. Hard to see in the picture, but it was so cute. Looked a little painful too.

Bright and blurry, but it shows how much he fell for her. P.S. She is on his lap.

Watching TV together.

Tuckered out.

Stickers

2011-02-03T11:33:00.000-08:00

This is an actual FB chat conversation from my Mom:

Mom: So I sent you a card in the mail.
Mom: But when you get it, don't laugh at the envelope.
Mom: I was having issues, so I tried to tape it closed. But I used double sided tape by mistake so I had to use stickers to cover up the tape.
Mom: It looks a little special ed.
Mom: Definitely, definitely special.

Now, maybe you won't find this so funny, but I can hear her saying the Rain Man reference in the last line. "Definitely, definitely..." I was cracking up.

Only my mother would choose to cover double sided tape with stickers rather than abandon the ruined envelope and start with a new one. And by the way, why does she have stickers, but not tape? Probably because my entire life stickers have played a role as the "perfect for any situation item," according to my mother.

You don't have birthday wrapping paper? Wrap it in a paper bag and decorate with stickers. Can't find any scotch tape? Use stickers instead, it will be even more festive that way! I remember a few Christmases where she didn't have any new gift boxes so she reused old ones and covered up the logos with old cards taped down by stickers. Gap became the neighbor's Santa card fastened with some jolly snowmen. Can't think of a last minute gift idea for those kids you are babysitting? Get them a pack of stickers!

It helped that as a kid I collected stickers (I wonder why), so I had a giant box of them on hand for any adhesive emergencies. Of course, most of the precious sparkly ones were off limits, we could only use the ones I didn't love.

I tease her now, but I do totally agree about the stickers thing. They really are handy in a pinch, and who doesn't love a good pack of stickers?

I can't wait to see this envelope when it arrives. Pictures will most likely be taken.

Sink kitty doesn't want you to wash your hands

2011-01-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

I was at a friend's house the other day for some game night frivolity, and when I went to the bathroom, this is what I found. It's hard to tell, but this cat has the most amazing bright blue eyes. Of course I had to run and get John to show him the ridiculous cuteness going on in the sink. We both like to "ooh" and "aah" over adorable things like puppies, kitties, and babies.

Needless to say, I washed my hands in the kitchen.

Loving my walls

2011-01-23T15:56:00.000-08:00

For the past year and half that we have been living in this apartment, my room as remained pretty unloved in terms of getting decorated. This is something that Aleena has been teasing me about since the week we moved in.

"Your walls are so bare."
"Why don't you get some curtains?"
"Maybe you should at least introduce some colors into your decor..."

My walls are stark white and all my furniture is black, which makes for a very bland room. Oh yeah, and my comforter is white too. This is in contrast to Leen's jam packed, and very cozily decorated bedroom, which has been completely set up since the day she moved in. What can I say? I would like to feel more set up in my room, but I just haven't put much effort into it. The few framed pictures I do have remained propped against the wall or resting on various surfaces for about 8 months before I took out a hammer and hung them up. And I still don't have curtains. Pretty much never going to happen.

But, I have recently been gifted a handful of pieces from my wonderfully talented man, which gave me some initiative to give the walls some extra love. It also helped that John took the hammer and nails out himself.

Anyway, here is some of that art which I'm loving right now, and always.

Handmade paper heart by John Steck Jr. A Christmas present.

"Game board" by William Wegman. A belated Christmas present from JSJ, (it got lost in the mail first). And I framed it myself, woot!

A JSJ self portrait, with me. A birthday present.

The three together. They aren't perfectly aligned, because I hung them alone and didn't have a spotter standing back to tell me if they were even. Oh well. But I seriously love these pieces and I think they work well together.

On the other side of the room. A JSJ print. A gift from this summer, just because he knew I loved it.

By the way, I'm pretty sure John would like to make it clear that he doesn't only give me art. He does very well in other areas of gift giving too :)

But I absolutely love filling my walls with great art and I'm glad I can feel like my room is a little more put together, and a lot less bland. I also got some new brightly colored sheets. I may not have curtains but at least I sleep in color.

Luna in the blizzard

2011-01-12T12:43:00.000-08:00

While Boston gets dumped on, Luna is having a blast. She loves this kind of weather so much, despite the fact that she has practically no fur to keep her warm. Here is a list of things Luna likes to do in the snow:

Run
Eat snow
Chase snowballs
Eat snowballs
Roll in snow
Shake snow off
Eat more snow
Run faster
Chew sticks (this is also an all weather activity)

I didn't have my camera with me today while we were gallivanting around, but here are some cell phone pictures.

Eating snow.

Just pretty.

Tree carnage. She wasn't sure how to deal with this obstacle and ended up jumping over it.

Running.

Chewing sticks. Left over from all the fallen branches.

I hope you are having a happy snow day!

Better than Chipotle

2011-01-04T10:56:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when it is really cold in the house, Luna likes to snuggle up in her blankets (with a little help from Mama). I call it a Luna burrito. But then I'm stuck in that room for a while, because the moment I move, she is at my heels, trailing blankets all over the house.

Cell phone snap featuring LED eyeballs

December recap

2010-12-30T07:56:00.000-08:00

This month has been crazy busy, but also jam-packed with fun. Mostly I have spent it eating delicious food and spending time with friends who live down the road but I never get to see. Thanks to my birthday and Christmas, we have made the extra effort to get together more often and do fun stuff. Hopefully we can keep that going for the rest of 2011! Since I haven't been keeping up with blogging about it all, here are some of the highlights in photos. I have also been bad about taking pictures, so there is a lot missing from the mix.

My birthday dinner with John. We went to Franklin Cafe, in the South End. So delicious.

Luna has become very attached to John lately. Watching them together is pretty much the cutest thing ever.

Seafood stuffed avocado from Cuchi Cuchi, in Cambridge. It's okay to be jealous.

Not really a highlight...but Luna has a gash in the pad of her foot that just won't heal. This was my attempt to keep it bandaged and clean. Guess how long that lasted. But she is also sporting her new Lands End winter jacket!

AKA dinner at the Melting pot. This photo was taken after 4 courses and 2 bottles of wine...we had a lot of fun.

Christmas with John and Luna. We opened presents (success all around!), went to a pot luck at his friends Brent and Rosa's house, stuffed ourselves all day, then went to see a movie later on. It was such a wonderful day.

And here are some Christmas card bloopers...

I've had such a great holiday month, and I'm looking forward to starting a wonderful 2011!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T13:55:00.000-08:00

Yeah, that's our Christmas card! Don't even ask me how many blooper shots we took before we got it right. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday :) Merry Merry!

Birthday eve

2010-12-19T06:22:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is my birthday and I am super duper excited about it. Not for any reason in particular, except that I get really hyped up for my birthday every year. I'm always like this. I just can't help my unbridled enthusiasm. It's all I talk about for about a week coming up to the day.

"Hey did you know my birthday is on Monday?" Squeal!
"Who's excited for my birthday? I am!"
"I can't wait to be [fill in the blank age]. Yay!" [25 this year!]

Then people ask me if I have planned anything extragavant and I'm usually like, "Nah. Just working. But it's my birthday! Woo! Greatest day of the year!"
This year I'm not planning a party or going out drinking. Just working during the day, then John is taking me out to dinner at night : ) I can't wait!

This archive photo pretty much depicts how giddy I feel right about now.

Please, let's not talk about those caterpillars growing on my face. Good god eyebrows. Glad those are under control now.

And I'm wearing my Daddy's shirt, which is why I'm swimming in it. Cute.

Photo archive: Baby it's cold outside

2010-12-18T06:49:00.000-08:00

I haven't done a photo archive in a while because frankly, I'm running out of new ones to share from the stack my Dad gave me this spring. I need to get my hands on some new old pics!

This one I have had for a long time, but it fits nicely with the weather lately. Burr. It's freezing and yet Boston still hasn't gotten any snow. WTF? Don't you know that the cold is only bearable when you have a festive white blanket to go with it? I don't know who I'm addressing in that last sentence...Jack Frost maybe. Get to it Old Man Winter!

Anyway, look how cute and bundled up I was. Even if I am glaring at the camera.

That outfit looks itchy. Wool turtle neck? No thank you. I look pretty displeased about it, understandably.

Lap dog

2010-12-16T07:02:00.000-08:00

This was taken with my cell phone because it was the only camera I had in arm's reach. This is what I was talking about when I said she sprawls out on the couch, with me under her. All 77 lbs of dog, using me as a personal pillow. But I love when she gets all cuddly.

I like it because Luna only shows affection for a small selection of humans in her life, and all other people might as well be inanimate objects for all the interest she pays them. I like that I'm her #1, and get to have snuggles on the couch...even if my breathing is somewhat impaired. Don't be jealous, okay?

In which I spew thank yous and gush about my baby

2010-12-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

Introducing Marley!

Yup, that's her name! All of my cars have been given M names by Aleena, and this one is no exception. My past cars have been Matilda, Megan, and Madelyn. This time around she was named collaboratively by Aleena, Kendra and myself, and I'm very happy with it : )

I went down to NYC yesterday to get her, see my dad, and also see my cousin, aunt and uncle who happened to be visiting. It was an all in one shot sort of day, which worked out nicely. Unfortunately for Corina, she had to schlep all over the city with me and my Dad while we did DMV type errands...but I don't think she minded much. I've gotten to see her twice this year (which is awesome for us) so we were happy!

I am so thankful for this awesome car, I can't even put it into words. My Dad was amazingly generous by also giving me his GPS and having it detailed for me before I picked it up! Thank you so much Daddy! I love you! And Thank you to my Mom who called to tell me that for my Birthday/Christmas this year she bought me a parking spot behind my building! The present that keeps on giving. This is wonderful because I will never have to drive around searching for on-street parking, and I don't have to worry about where to put my car when it snows. Marley will be safe and conveniently located! Double thank you parents, I love you both!

The picture above was taken on the street, but she is officially in her new parking space now : )

Marley looks so nice and spiffy. I feel like a real grown-up now. Are you a grown-up if you still say, "grown-up?" Probably not. Anyway, I'm relishing in my new found adult-ness, and I plan on taking such good care of this girl.

Here are some family shots too!

Corina and Me

Daddy and Tia Patty

She has a hard life

2010-12-09T06:29:00.000-08:00

This is where Luna sleeps when we are at John's house. It's an old arm chair which he keeps in the kitchen. (I know that sounds strange, but it works there.) Even though we bought her a brand new and very comfortable dog bed for his bedroom, she insists on banishing herself to the kitchen to cram her curled up body into this too-small arm chair. Then she puts on this pitiful face that implies, "There is nowhere comfortable for me to sleep ever, I'm so abused, I might as well be homeless on the streets." Believe me, that's what she is saying. And she will sleep like that for hours, all pretzeled up in a very tight ball of dog-misery. Every once in a while she will get up, circle around, then give up and plop herself down in the exact same position with a very audible sigh.

Because I know her so well I know that she is frustrated the arm chair is not a full length couch. Her highness is used to luxury apparently. Currently, she is so sprawled out next to me on my couch that her upper body is spreading onto to my lap, and her nose is resting on my computer, making it difficult to type. Plus her snores are fogging up the mouse pad, which is now a little moist. But still, I don't move her head. Because she's so darn cute, and I love it when she cuddles.

I take full responsibility for the monster I have created.

A M A L I A....it's phonetic

2010-12-02T07:54:00.000-08:00

My entire life has been plagued by people not being able to say, spell, or remember my name. This is especially frustrating because I really do love my name. (Hey thanks parents!) But apparently once you reach the more than 5 letters, or more than 3 vowels, people's brains just reject comprehension. Come on, it's phonetic, sound it out. No? Okay call me whatever you think my name is.

Amelia
Amailia
Amalya
Molly
Emily
Malia (Thanks Mr. President for that one)
Amalai
and the unbelievably common, Somalia. Where the hell did that S come from? I am not an African country.

My favorite game is played at a cash register, when the person asks for your name for the ticket. I say it first, then spell it (the quicker the better) then see what comes out when I get my receipt.

Yesterday at Panera this is what I got.

It's also relevant to mention that I did not order bacon on my breakfast sandwich, but received it anyway. Marjorie is stellar.