the long road home

Tomorrow can't get here soon enough! I am not sure how I am even going to sleep tonight.

Out of Office Message...check
Way to much that has to be done on vacation packed....check
Chicken Salad Sanwiches...check
Oil Change...check
Dixie's bath...check
Presents Wrapped...check
Playlist made...check
Winter clothes....check
House cleaned....check
Christmas Jammies...check (two pairs :) )
Love...check
Luck...check
Blessings...check
My Cook...check
Spending time with Family this year for the first time since last October...check
Happy Girl...Check

The Day I met Bono In Italy....

Ok, some of you know this and some of you don't. But, when I went to interview for my job at Franklin College in Lugano, Switzerland, I met Bono. I was eating in a Chinese Resturant with my soon to be boss, Alesia, her niece and another colleague, Calhoun. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a man who I was sure was Bono. All through dinner I could not help but stare at him. Could this really be true? Could I be in the same place as this mega super star in a little town in Italy? I talked about it with the company at my table. They wanted to me to ask him and I of course was acting shy. But I really wanted to know...

As we got ready to leave, I got up the nerve to ask the man if he was Bono. Calhoun was so embarassed that he was hiding out in the parking lot. I have Alesia my camera to snap a photo, just in case, and walked over to the man. "Excuse me sir, are you Bono?" Bono looked right at me and said, "Are you drunk?" Me, "No sir, I have only had one beer. Can I take a picutre with you?" And that was that. He never responded yes or no, a whole entourage of people came close when we took our picture, it was Bono and I met him in  a small Chinese resturant in Italy. I went back and emailed the photo of me with Bono to my Aunt Pat, the resident Bono expert, and she really could not confirm or deny either. I will always remember that day as the day I met Bono.

A year later I went back to the Chinese resturant with some friends. We reminded the owner who we were and that we had been there the night that Bono came in. He told us that Bono had just been there the week before. Confirmation, that was Bono and me in the picture.

Fast Forward three years...yesterday, December 17, 2009. I got this email from my good friend Laura in Lugano....

Rachel,


How are you? I received your Xmas card. THANK YOU! I hope all is well and happy for you in Georgia. Some day, I really want to go there! I got a call from Nathan a week ago...what a surprise! It was fun to hear from him and felt like we had talked just days before. Same ol' Nate.

So, here's a funny story. I was at a dinner party a few weeks ago. U2 was playing and we started talking about them.I proceeded to tell them the story about how my friend was interviewing here and met Bono at the Chinese restaurant past gandria. How you went up to him and Said, are you Bono? He said, ARe you drunk? etc etc.
So a few days later, one of the guys, Robb, emails me and says, guess what? A colleague of mine at work was Just talking about how her friend looks like Bono and that they were in a restaurant one time and people came up to them and asked to take a photo. I told robb, no, that we were in the restaurant a year later and that the owner had said that Bono had been there again the week before. So, I'm sure this was a different case.

Well, I forgot about the whole thing, and YESTERDAY out of the blue, I get the below photo!!

I almost fell out of my chair!

Anyway... I had to share!
:) Hope you have a great Xmas..

Love, Laura



The Email she is referring too...
Hey,
If I don't see you have a great time in Vietnam!!

Happy Holidays!
I hope this is your friend.....probably not, but funny!!!


Robb

I almost fell out of my chair too! I laughed so hard on the phone with my aunt that I was crying! There is my camera in the picutre and you can see my picture on the camera screen! The world is so small...so so small...

Remind me to blog about another "It's a small world afterall" experience soon. But for now, I hope you get a kick out of the picture too!

angels...

I have been a little overwhelmed and a bit disappointed with the holiday posts of some of my friends. People seem so worried about what gifts they need to buy, the shopping they need to do, the items they need to be comfortable on trips and all of those other commercial things that Christmas brings. Not to get on a soap box but I am wondering if they have taken the time to look around them to realize that everything they need is right in front of their eyes.

This has been bothering me for the last few weeks. It hit especially hard when I stood in front of the Angel Tree in the lobby at the Y last week. There were angel cutouts representing 450 children that were part of our yearly angel tree program. 450 children. Double the number we had last year. I felt overwhelmed as I stood there and chose three angels. There were some children that were only asking for t-shirts and socks. T-shirts and socks. Let me say that again...T-shirts and socks. I can not remember a year as a child that I wished for Santa to bring me T-shirts and socks. Struck a chord. I took three angels, chose gifts for them and brought them back to work to be distributed at the party.

I just got home from the Angel Tree Party at the Y. Imagine the gym, filled with children and parents celebrating the holiday season. There were not there wishing for fancy trips, North Face jackets, Ugg boots or jewlery. They were there to see Santa, and recieve their gift from the Angels that looked out for them. 450 Children that would have gone with out. 450 children. I was assigned to the check-in table where the children game to get their gifts. With each passed out present, each saucer sized eye and excited squeel upon seeing their gift, my heart got heavier. There is so much need out there and I have everything I need. There is not one thing that I could honestly say I am suffering for not having. All these kids asked for was a transformer, a baby doll and t-shirts and socks. Wow. If that does not ground you, bring you back to reality, I am not sure what does.

My heart is heavy for those who are cold tonight, those who are hungry and don't have a safe place to lay their head, those that will never go on fancy trips, wear Ugg boots or North Face jackets, those who only wished for T-shirt and Socks this Christmas. This holiday has gotten out of control. Since when does the birth of Jesus Christ require store decorations to be put up in October? Expensive Christmas presents? Fancy holiday parties? Am I missing something here?

I am blessed to have been given a special gift. I go to work every day to make a differnence in the life of someone else. In the end, the one who recieves the biggest reward is me. Tonight grounded me. Shook me. Made stop and Thank God for all of the blessings I have in my life. I urge you to take a look at what you have around you. Hug your husband's neck just a little harder. Call your Papa and tell him just how much he means to you. Drive home for Christmas, no matter the distance, to spend time with the people you love. Take the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life. And please, stop putting up a Facebook status about how stressed you are about the holidays and how much shopping you need to do.

Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons."
- Ruth Ann Schabacker

My horoscope says to leave work behind and have fun with friends and family. Done. Peace out Savannah...you are sucking the life out of me! See you next week...

Well I can't tell you where I'm going...

I'm not sure of where I've been


But I know I must keep travelin' till my road comes to an end...
 
 
I am planning a trip. Well, we are planning a trip. This morning I woke up early, no alarm clock needed. As Aaron stayed sleeping in our warm and cozy bed, I made a pot of coffee and headed to the computer.
 
It's trip planning time. I have my notebook, my pen, my notes from previous journies, my coffee mug from Istanbul...
 
Suddenly my fingers can't keep up with my brain. So many thoughts, so many ideas. I want to go tomorrow, I can't wait until next year. I am consumed with the desire to travel someplace right now. I ordered some new references. I made some new notes. I opened five search windows for plane tickets. Ok wait, I am feeling out of control. Five windows? Let's try one at a time.
 
The point is...we are planning a trip. Our friends are coming along. It's going to be so much fun! I can't hardly wait...they are going to fall in love with places we have been and want to go back, over and over and over again. So, I am planning, coordinating, concieraging (Is that even a word?)! So fun!

Tweet Tweet

An old friend from high school sent me this today. Carlo Riolo....one seriously funny dude.

He thought this was funny and I did too. Check it out:

http://twitter.com/shitmydadsays

Thanks, Carlo! Its great to still count on you for a good laugh :)

september skirt

Feel Good,
Do Good,

Love life.

so true

a friend had this quote as his facebook status today. there is so much truth in this statement. i am sure those of you who read my blog and are far away from the Holy City will find the truth in it as well.

can't wait to head to spend the weekend in my home city away from home this weekend...

"You can never completley escape the sensuous semitropical pull of Charleston and her marshes"

--Pat Conroy

some reasons why...

the harbor

the triple threat

girl time in the river

good friends

the halloween championship

little spencer rockers

family

a day dream in my padded cell...

So...work has been OFF THE CHAIN for the past few weeks. I am too busy to even accomplish a task on my to-do list. All I want to do is go somewhere, anywhere but my office in the morning lately. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job...I just wish my office had a window.

Instead of a window, it has a beautiful wall hanging I purchased in the Egyptian Bazaar in Istanbul. I look at it all the time. It makes me think of all of the adventures I have already had in my life. Some people only dream of leaving the country, taking a jaunt across the pond. I dreamed. I did. I saw. I lived. I am sad I can't go to Turkey for a weekend anymore.

I have bits and pieces of my travels all over my house and my office and even in my pool bag. I love it when I pull out a Swiss Franc instead of a dime or say Scusi instead of excuse me in a hurry in Ulta. The memories are rich, the memories are alive. My two year adventure is far from over...

So in the spirit of living life and taking that jaunt across the pond, where ever you heart desires, I am bringing back one of my favorite travel emails to share on this rainy Monday night.


April 10, 2008

Merhaba!

I hope this email finds you all well. I just returned from a weekend trip to Istanbul , Turkey and it was such a rich experience that I am bursting to share. If you have never been to Istanbul or to Turkey ?GO!!!!
My fascination with Turkey started in the third grade when my teacher, Miss Walcott would talk about her time living and teaching English in Turkey . It always seemed so far away and incredibly interesting as she described her experiences as an American woman living in a Muslim country. My young mind raced with images of an American woman on a bicycle with rocks being thrown at her as she rode along the rode to work. Now in 2008, in a much more progressive world, I just had to see it for myself. So my adventurous friend Laura and I set off for Istanbul to celebrate my birthday.

The city of Istanbul is a unique mosaic of distinct neighborhoods, each one unlike the other. You might feel like you are walking in any European city with a system of trams and old cobblestone streets until you hear the call to prayer echo through the city air. As the sound of the Adhan is broadcasted from the minaret of the mosque you can not help but feel that you are experiencing something truly beautiful and peaceful. I was stopped dead in my tracks and stood to listen each time the call began. The most special time was in the morning at 5:30 a.m. at the first call when the call is the longest.

The people in Turkey were incredible and precious all at the same time. We were greeted warmly by so many interesting characters, all wanting to talk about their country. We were made to feel like special guests in their hotels, shops and restaurants. As women travelling alone, we had been warned that we might encounter a lot of unwanted banter from men and also a lot of stares. We did get a lot of looks but never found ourselves in an uncomfortable situation. Everyone referred to us as ?lady? which I found quite amusing and they were always wanting to get our attention by saying, ?Yes, please lady? when they wanted us to enter their shops.

We had some very cool shopping experiences in the Grand Bazaar where any currency was accepted. A kind shop owner named Mustafa hosted us in his pottery store for over an hour, ?My shop is your shop? he said as we drank apple tea and perused the beautiful hand painted Turkish pottery. In the Egyptian Bazaar we met another salesman who took a lot of time to show us some people window coverings that he was very proud of. He wanted to make sure that we were truly happy with the purchase we were making. Then we got a lesson in tying scarves the Turkish way.

On my birthday we ventured to a Turkish Hamam (http://www.cagalogluhamami.com.tr/) for a very traditional Turkish cleansing ritual. We decided to do it up and order the Sultan treatment, exfoliation, a dry massage, a soap massage, and a head and face massage. The bath we chose to go to was built over 300 years ago and is listed in the 1000 places to see before you die book. It was truly on the most unique experiences I have had in my entire time travelling. The women who work at the baths were so sweet and they led us by hand over the slippery hot rock and even sang songs in Turkish during the massage. I would highly recommend this experience to everyone! We were so relaxed and refreshed afterwards.
We experienced as much of the city as we could take in on our short visit. Our feet took us to the Blue Mosque, The Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, The Grand Bazaar, The Egyptian Bazaar, Galata Tower , Taksim Square , and Ortakoy. We ate fresh fish caught right from the Sea of Marmara and drank just enough Efes Turkish beer to leave us wanting for me.

I hope to be able to visit Turkey again one day. For now I will have to settle for the memories of the beautiful country and incredible people and a very cool visa and stamp in my passport. As my European adventure comes to a close, I am soaking up as much as I can as I am fortunate to have been able to have had such an awesome experience.
Here is the link to my photos. I hope you enjoy them!

http://picasaweb.google.com/rmmeuser/IstanbulNotConstantinople
I miss you all and will see some of you in 7 weeks!
Love,

reg

not to brag but...

In the month of August, I swam the English Channel.

Ok, I admit, not the real English Channel but the distance of the English Channel. Its 21 miles across and tomorrow I will finish my 22nd mile in the pool this month. I have been tracking my distance day by day in a spreadsheet on my computer. I get so excited to add the day in when I finish my morning swim!

Where should I go next? Should I attempt to swim the real English Channel? I would do it but look at the details I discovered...


Step 1
Start training for your swim months in advance. (DONE) You can start this at your local pool. Most Channel swimmers, however, acclimate themselves to local conditions on the beaches of Folkestone or Hythe in England. (HMMM)

Step 2
Obtain a "standard swim costume" for your attempt. Basically, you cannot have a swimsuit that covers your arms or legs, provides buoyancy or gives you thermal protection. (DONE)

Step 3
Experiment with different ways to get the food and drink you will need during your swim. Since you are forbidden to have any physical contact with another person during your swim, you will have to be creative in thinking up ways to get your nourishment. Other swimmers have used squeeze bottles and bags passed to them with a pole, strung along on a string to them, or even passing larger-than-normal-sized cups to avoid personal contact with a swimmer. (THIS COULD GET INTERESTING. MAYBE I COULD EAT A HOT DOG ON A STICK??? USE A SUPER SOAKER TO GET LIQUIDS DOWN??? CATCHING CORN DOGS WHILE DOING BACKSTROKE???)

Step 4
Decide if you want to "grease" yourself up before a swim. (UMM...WITH WHAT???) Most swimmers do use some of it, especially on areas of the body that may be prone to chafing (neck, shoulder, arm pits, groin), while others slap it all over to provide a little bit of warmth during their swim. Expect to make up your own blend to suit your needs.

Step 5
Prepare for swimming at least part of the Channel in darkness or twilight. Most swimmers attach chemical glow sticks to themselves to help their pilots see them in low-light conditions. (STEFANI...YOU BETTER STOCK UP ON THE GLOW STICKS!!!)

Step 6
Bring your passport and a visa to enter France at the end of your swim. Sure, you may not be planning to stay over, but you could change your mind or require medical assistance at the end of the swim. Besides, if any authorities request to see proof of your identity before, after or even during your swim, it will be a convenient document to have on board the pilot ship. (CHECK)


It sounds like I am on track for a successful swim across the channel. This could get interesting!

a funny friend who really should write a blog

aaron and i have a funny friend named jay. jay should write his own blog. he is hilarious in person and hilarious on paper too. he is my featured writer this week. check out why...

Gentlemen,

I write this letter hoping that it may keep you from making the same mistake I did. Please keep in mind this is a true story that occured last night. My wife and I went in to Carolina Wings last night for some wings, obviously. Upon scrolling through the menu I saw the flavor deemed 'Beyond Blistering.' Furthermore, there were three asterisks beside it. Naturally I glanced down to cross reference and noticed the phrase 'requires a signed waiver.' However, my brain translated that for me. Translation as follows: Get one.....get one now......you'll be the center of attention if you eat one.......yes, there is no choice now, you must....you must....... and so it was.

I requested 7 regular wings and one of the 'beyond blistering.' As I waited for my waiver to come, I began talking trash about the wing and those who prepared it. As the news got around about my endevour my trash talking increased exponentially. Finally the waiver arrives and reads as follows: (paraphrase) I__________________ , understand that I am about to eat a very hot ass wing. It may cause intense oral burning, throat closure (no lie), intense abdominal pains, nausea, vomiting, and the runs. I eat this wing(s) willfully being of sound body and mind. I sign, and Brittany signs as my witness. Yes, they actually require a witness.

Ok, Im still in. I want the wing now so I can personally tell it what a lame ass texas pete job looks like.

It arrives. My regular wings were in a basket, however my special wing had his own bowl. It also had an aura of something, like it was trying to either talk to me or stab me in the eyeballs. The wait staff glances nervously in my direction. Im the center of attention.

First I touch the wing then touch my tongue. Hot, yes. Painful, no. Immediately I consume the entire wing in about 15 seconds, getting it all so noone can call bs. It was nothing - let the trash talking restart.

30 seconds later I had a mild tingly feeling in my throat, followed closely by intense sweating. Soon to follow was a burn that I cannot describe, but let me try. I thought I had a squad of small gnomes in my mouth trying to burn an armadillo out of a tree stump. the tears came next. Uncontrollable. Pain. Waitress one brings water. No help. I take handfulls of fries and dip them in ranch and shove them in. No help. The tears are now collecting on the table. I begin to panic. Should I run? Should I call for help? I begin making deals with Jesus about never cussing again should he be so forgiving to heal me. I spoon in some ranch, followed by more water and maybe a jelly packet - i cant see anymore, but I assume jelly packet. 15 full minutes later my symptoms begin to subside. I have been reduced to a shirt stained w/ ranch and jelly, snot that can reach my shoe strings, and I look like i am a 12 year old girl who has been told hannah montana will not be coming out w/ a new movie.

As previously said, I tell you all this so that you will not make the same mistake. If one person is helped this email will not be in vain.

Jay

thinking about the weekend...

the cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea
— isak dinesen

can't wait to spend some quality time with the triple threat this weekend!

flip the switch

as many of you, i have been a devoted swimmer for most of my life. my mom took me to water babies when i was an infant and i would scream as soon as i got the first sniff of chlorine, now i crave it. i swam on the grand rapids gators until i was old enough for the middle school swim team and then swam all through highschool. even in college i swam for fitness and then continued to use it as my preferred exercise through life.

when i lived in lugano there was a beautiful pool at the lido, olympic size. i would jump at the opportunity to catch a ride down there to swim outside surrounded by the mountains. i felt so fancy in that big shiny pool.

i have recently gotten back in the pool. it started out when my heart started acting funny and my doctor told me to stick to the bike and the pool. first it was thirty minutes and 1000 meters. it felt good, but not good enough. then it was thirty minutes 1200 meters, better but still not great. then last week something happened. i stetched my warm-up to 500 meters and accomplished 1500 meters in forty minutes. it felt great! i vowed to try my hardest to arrive at the pool by 7:15 so i could swim just a little longer. and then, this morning, it happend. i flipped the switch. by 7:45 I had already completed 1500 meters in thirty minutes. just when i was about to take off my cap, something flipped on in my head, what is 20 more laps. so, i kept going! 2000 meters before 8:00! it was awesome!

the other day someone asked me how many "up and downs" i swam before work in the morning. when i said 60, they could not believe it. this person told me that they could do "four up and downs" and that was good for them. this morning i swam 80 "up and downs". i hate to brag but that was pretty good! i can tell i am getting stronger and that is something to be proud of! i have to research some new workouts for 2000+ meters because before i know it, 2000 is going to be to short for me! i may not be a fast runner, a fast biker or a weightlifter...but i dare any of you to swim with me one morning!

299.5 grams of fat!

i found this picture on the facebook page of a friend of highschool. her husband recently ate the burger at Fifth Third Park where the Whitecaps play near Grand Rapids. the burger was 1.66 lbs and had fritos, nacho cheese, salsa, sour cream, lettuce, and tomato. look at the calorie count....4889! WOW!!!

spooooooky!

can you think of anything better then a ride in a 1970's Lincoln Hearse through the streets of savannah with cold bud light and eight of your closest friends? i can't!

thanks to abby's planning, we went on a ghost tour last night! i was a little hesitant of this idea because as you all know i am terrified of the dark. abby assured me that it really was more historic then scary.

we loaded up the hearse and headed through the dark streets of savannah. i totally enjoyed seeing all of the sights and learning about savannah's dark history. i mean, who knew that there is a series of tunnels under the city where people were buried alive. the tour even went in our neighborhood...note that this is where i screamed!

if you are planning in coming to savannah...you have to go on this tour. it was so much fun!

This picture was right before we left. Can you see the fear in my eyes?

At first we tried our our smiles!Then our spooky faces!

has anybody seen my brain?

i think i have having a brain malfunction, either that or my brain is MIA.

you see, this all started a few weeks ago. i left my laptop at home on a Monday morning and had to go back home to get it. then, i tried wash my face with my moisturizer. i couldn't figure out why it did not lather. then there was the day i pumped gas and left the cap on the edge of my trunk, luckily it stayed on and i discovered it when i went to leave work 8 hours later. i even fed the dogs dinner twice one night (dixie didn't care) last week.

this morning i got to the pool at 7:15. after my forty five minute swim i headed to the shower. when i went to get dressed, i realized that i had a dirty shirt. the worst part was it was the shirt i had worn when i made fajitas last week and it was a white shirt! there was no getting around it, i had to go home and get a new shirt.

i am not sure what is going on with me. maybe the chlorine is getting to me or something. i need to get my head screwed on straight before i show up to work on accident on a sunday!

amazing parents, amazing friends

you know how you know you are a real adult? besides the bills, the car insurace, the house, the "big girl" job, and all that jazz. it's when your amazing parents become your amazing friends.

it's not like its really a process, it just happens. i mean, they have always been your friends but this is different. the relationship is more mature, the conversations more substantial. it's really special. eventhough growing up sucks, this is a pretty cool part of it.

my parents sure are amazing friends and they sure are amazing parents.

At the beach. Lots of guys playing corn hole, washers and horseshoes. Indigo girls playing on the loud radio. Irony?

long sentences with interesting punctuation

life has a funny way of getting out of control sometimes. i paid bills today, the payment will be processed on july 15th. july 15th? where has the year gone?

the last two weeks have been out of control busy. i get up, i swim, i work allllllllllllllllll day. i go home. i feed the dogs. i make dinner. i chill with aaron. i got to bed. i get up. where does the fun fit in?

the weekends are great. punctuation. fun, filled, energy, sun, friends, wine. the weekends are gone.

so. this morning on my way to work i got stopped by a train. ten minutes later, i came to a conclusion:

life is full of long run on sentences with interesting punctutations. trains, babies, celebrations, emergencies, rest, weekends, KaBOOM! grants, shifting priorities etc. but very rarely ended with a period.

life is good. life is busy. life is lived. period.

welcome to the world little lyla!

i had the great pleasure of meeting little miss lyla frances hancock yesterday. her mama, ashley, is one of my very best friends from college. she is also one of the best mommies i know.

little lyla is just too pretty for words so i will share her photo instead.

congratulations ashley, rodney and neil! can't wait to see you all again very soon!

world food tour

you have to love atlanta! there is a restaurant for every single one of your greatest food desires.

i was in atlanta for work last week and had the pleasure of staying with my aunt pat. she is very adventurous like me and we had a great time trying out some new places to eat. this was the first time we had gotten to spend time together just the two of us since we went to paris three years ago for thanksgiving. you know, that thanksgiving we ate chinese instead of turkey!

so here was our line-up:

monday: kima: greek-we ate halibut and snapper and yummy yummy kale

tuesday: rose of india-indian- we ate chicken sag, chicken tikka masala, naan and very yummy
taj mahal beer.

wednesday:holeman and finch-very interesting british southern fusion-we ate bresola, mussels
with a fennel sauce (yummy), heirloom tomatoes and wait for it...bone marrow
gratin served in a bone. i also had a brooklyn brew and a very yummy chocolate
stout.

thursday:gimza-polish-take me to the motherland goodness! pierogi, capusta and kielbasa! a
polish girl's dream.

sadly, i had to leave atlanta on friday to head back to savannah. i got my last dunkin donuts treat and headed down the road. however, aaron and i did round of the week with mexican on friday night and pizza on saturday night! not to shabby for american living!

i can't wait for my next trip to atlanta for more ethnic goodness. y'all try out these resturants the next time you are there!

5 years

ok...our computers are acting up at work today so i have decided to take a brain break. i was poking around on some friends blogs and came across a post an old roommate of mine had posted. the post was about what she had done in the last five years of her live and it made me think about mine in a nutshell....here it goes.

graduated from college. got my first real job. became addicted to development work. raised close to a million dollars. got a promotion. met the man of my dreams in a bar in charleston (go figure). built a web of friends that are too good for words. got a new job. moved to switzerland for two years (MOVED TO SWITZERLAND). traveled with every penny in my bank account. got engaged. traveled some more. ran out of money from travelling so much. moved home to michigan for a month. moved to savannah. got a great job at the Y. made some new friends. got married! became a wife. made thanksgiving dinner.

just like my friend, i too wonder what is going to come my way the next five years. i can't wait to find out!

club cranium!!!

everybody plays!

have you ever played cranium? good times, let me tell you! we had a cookout with some friends on saturday night and we all decided to play cranium. after a few orange dream drinks, and many rounds of questions, ed and abby found themselves in the victor's circle. check out the final clue, a cameo. ed had to act out an action with out any sound.

here is what happened....

the answer was parachute!

we had so much fun! i am pretty sure i have not laughed that hard in a seriously long time!

for the birds...

i hate to add another post about something birdy but...i think i have a bird stalker.

i replanted our hanging baskets on the porch the other day. i had done three and when i got to the last one i discovered there was a nest in the plant. i felt a little torn. i had already replanted three baskets into their new prettier wicker homes and the last plastic basket had a nest. should i leave it? should i replant anyway?

i carefully took a spoon and lifted out the nest. i felt really bad. the nest had some of my hair in it, like she had gotten it from our vaccuum leftovers. man. the mama bird had worked so hard and here i was destroying her masterpiece. i get so mad when someone moves my cheese.

i meant to put the nest back but forgot. so yesterday, when i went home for lunch, i noticied the nest on the porch. shoot! i went inside, fixed a sandwich and sat down on the love seat. from my perch i had a great view of the top said hanging basket. suddenly i saw a beautiful red breasted bird arrive at the basket, she stopped, took a look down and then as if she knew i was on the other side of the glass, cut her head at me and gave me a death stare! i felt awful! all i could say was, "i'm sorry mama."

i finished my lunch and got my stuff together for work. as i was leaving i carefully placed the nest back in the basket. she might not use it but at least she knows i did not destroy it. poor little bird!

man!

i just had this great post written about how a lady flipped me the bird this morning on the way to work.

went to post it....internet error!

damn.

what a way to start a thursday.

so, i am flipping blogger the bird!

simple acts of bird flipping

i have to vent for a moment.

my drive to work is fairly simple. turn left, turn left, turn right, turn left into the parking lot. my office is 3.6 miles from the house and the traffic is usually minimal. there is one area of my drive that includes a strip shopping center on either side of the road. there is a grocery store on the right hand side, which i frequent quite a bit because they have great prices and great produce.

the parking for this store is tricky. there are spots on both sides of the road as well as a small parking lot. the spots are easy to pull in to but can be tricky to pull out of because of uncoming traffic. because i go there a lot, i understand the tricky parking. if i am driving by and i see a person trying to exit the lot, i yield and let them out into traffic. i mean, after all, it could be needing to get my groceries home before they get to hot.

so there i was this morning, on my way to work. crusing down habersham street in front of the store, i see someone trying to reverse. i slow down, and patiently wait for the person to back up. as the person is backing up, i took a peek in the rear view mirror. the woman behind me throws her arms up in the air and flipped me the bird. what? flipped me the bird...i was just trying to me nice.

at the light she tried to pass me as fast as she could. little good it did her though, we were sitting side by side at the next light. i was totally tempted to flip her the bird too but instead i just smiled and waited patiently for my turn to go. brats never win, so take your BMW suv and your crappy gas mileage and shove it!

you spin me right round baby right round

i just got back from my first spinning class since working at the Y. this was not my first spinning class, and although i am almost postive my crotch is broken, all in all it was a good time. it reminded me of the first time i tried the painful sport of crotch breaking back in lugano with my dear swiss friend jennifer. so, i am bringing back and oldie...but goodie... an email i wrote to my girlfriends after my first spin class in switzerland, for your reading pleasure!

ok girls....i have to share a truly unique experience with you.... tonight, my super swiss friend, jennifer and i attended our very first class at our gym....spinning. if you know me and you know jennifer, you know this was a big stretch for us. jenn is not a big fan of the bike and i certainly don't like to wear shorts in front of people, especially not black spandex biker shorts.

this is not just any spinning class, this is emotional cycle. when i hear emotional cycle, i think more about the few days before that lovely time of the month not a fitness class. basically, there is a big screen that plays a movie of the country side and the road passing through it while you cycle to the beat of the music. sounds fun, right?

so we get in there and first off we have to put these heart monitors on. of course, knowing me and jenn and every time we try to do something for the first time, we could not figure out how to put them on. after some yanking and adjusting, we were ready for the bike. paolo was the teacher. he was the same guy who helped us on our very first day at the gym so we feel comfortable with him. the big plus, he speaks english. he got us all situated on our bikes and as soon as we sat on the seats of the cycles, as if we were riding the same brain wave, jenn and i looked at each other and knew we were in for an experience. not to mention that fact that we most likely won't be able to walk in the morning. it's a pain something similar to falling down on a balance beam and horseback riding combined. ouch!

anyway...the music starts, we peddle and we peddle and we peddle. paolo is motioning for us to peddle faster, then slower, then steady...sinistra, di destra...left, right. then a new word...saldo (basically stand up and peddle like a crazy person). we of course don't really know what the words mean so we are cycling standing up while others are sitting down and naturally we are in the front row. i am sure that the people behind us thought we were insane. my heart was beating so hard in my chest and sweat was dripping from my face like a waterfall. then we rest...well peddle slower and to nice relaxing music. then the beat picks up and we are off again....20 more minutes of this madness. all of a sudden, we were done. 45 minutes of emotional cycling in south africa summed up with the sound of pachebel's canon in d techno style.

paolo shook our hands...we looked at each other...i think in a little but of shock that we actually did it. we stretched, cleaned our bikes and then walked with jello legs back to the locker room. not to bad for a night's work. it makes it even better that we conquered a fitness class taught all in italian.

we ran into my trainer on the way out the door and he said that the class was a great way to melt many many calories away so i think i will try the class again. i hope jenn will too...i mean afterwall, two people walking like they have a stick up their butt is better then one :) cheers!

*i just laughed out loud reading this again! good times! now all i need is jenn to walk around with me tomorrow :)

permed mullet...in the flesh

ok, after last week's post about the permed mullet, i have been on mullet watch.

a group of friends went to the sand gnats game on saturday to celebrate aaron's birthday (pictures to come later) and it was there that i spotted the prize.

A PERMED MULLET!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Aaron! Hope you have another year full of exciting opportunities, interesting adventures, incredible memories, tons of laughs and ice cold beer!

we pray for the children

for those of you who know me well, you know i am very passionate about my work as a fundraiser. after a couple of years of feeling lost and unmotivated in a position, i found a new home at the YMCA. the Y is an incredible organization, doing so much for so many and changing people's lives on a daily basis.

i was at a board meeting this morning and one of the program staff shared a "mission moment" about a family at one of our branches. the family is really struggling. there are four children, the oldest is 11 and acts as the caregiver for her younger siblings. the mother is very sick with depression and battling a substance abuse problem. because of our scholarship program, the Y has been able to help these kids out with a full scholarship for sports, day camp and childcare and give them a safe place to go and be kids.

after the story was shared, she read this poem. not a single dry eye in the room.

We pray for the children who sneak Popsicles before supper, who erase holes in math workbooks, who can never find their shoes. And we pray for those who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire, who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers, who never "counted potatoes," who never go to the circus, who live in an X-rated world.

We pray for children who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions, who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money. And we pray for those who never get dessert, who have no safe blanket to drag behind them, who watch their parents watch them die, who can't find any bread to steal, who don't have any rooms to clean up, whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser, whose monsters are real.

We pray for children who spend all their allowance before Tuesday, who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food, who like ghost stories, who shove dirty clothes under the bed, who never rinse out the tub, who get visits from the tooth fairy, who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool, who squirm in church and scream in the phone, whose tears we sometimes laugh at and whose smiles can make us cry.

And we pray for those whose nightmares come in the daytime, who will eat anything, who have never seen a dentist, who aren't spoiled by anybody, who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep, who live and move, but have no being.

We pray for children who want to be carried and for those who must, who we never give up on and for those who don't get a second chance. For those we smother and...for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.

thank you, God for giving me the skills to do what i do.

i just permed a mullet...

ok...mullets have always been on my radar. for as long as i can remember, i was aware that the mullet was a strange cut, spotted them on strangers and even sported one myself once.

the other day i was posting something on a friend's facebook page and i came across this comment:

" i just permed a a mullet... and it was a woman!!!"

PERMED A MULLET!

i guess it's good to know that even those who have mullets want to make their hairstyles better. i mean a perm and a mullet, what else could one person need?

and i found this website...you have to check it out! its like a collection of the best mullets out there uploaded by people just like you and me.

just saying...you might want to check it out!

http://www.mulletjunky.com/

50 degrees in may

woke up to another rainy morning in savannah. it's monday...gross!

this week is going to be hard to top after the excitement of last week. a deep sea fishing trip, the arrival of an extremely cute baby, my sister graduating from college and my mom coming to savannah. what a week!

instead of trying to beat last week, i guess i will just start off this new week with high expectations for a good time. when i was dreaming last night, i kept hearing hank williams songs. that means that when my alarm clock went off this morning, i thought it was just hank williams on the radio in the car i was driving in my dream. interesting....

that being said...have a great week!

some hank for the road:

if heaven ain't a lot like dixie
i don't want to go
if heaven ain't a lot like dixie
i'd just as soon stay home

dear spencer...

dear spencer,

happy birthday! welcome to the world little man! i can't believe you have finally made your appearance. it seems like just yesterday your mommy called me to tell me that she was going to have a baby and now, here you are and man are you cute!

your mommy looked so pretty today. she couldn't keep her eyes off you! she loves you so so much already. but seriously, why did you have to give her such a hard time the last nine months? i think all of her bad memories and sleepless nights went away the moment she set eyes on you. your mom is a rock star and one my personal favorites. you are one lucky boy!

your daddy is pretty extreme too! he was so helpful to your mommy while she was waiting for you. he even got to tell mommy that you were a boy. how cool it that? i think your nose looks like him and i enjoyed watching you take a look at his face yesterday. i know he has got all kinds of plans for you!

all of your aunts and uncles in charleston were super excited to see you at your birthday party last night! everybody wanted to hold you and look at you...you are loved so much! we have all been waiting to see you and learn about you! you can bet that we will all be there to watch you grow and celebrate life. plus, since you are the first kid, i bet you will be pretty spoiled too!

i close this letter with a thought from me. the first time i saw you, you were just about only 20 minutes old, brand new and beautiful. i have never seen such a brand new baby before. you are so tiny! i was so honored to be there! when your daddy called me at 3:00 in the morning to tell me you were on your way, i could not get to the hospital fast enough! the security guard told me to calm down but i told him not to worry, that i was calm. i told him "sir, this is just how i live my life." so i hope that as you grow and evolve and become a person that you live your life too. i live mine with passion, energy and fun which, as your aunts and uncles can attest, leads to a lot of tears! i cried when i saw you but i couldn't help it! i knew how excited your mommy and daddy were to finally meet you! you have two amazing parents!

I'm so glad you are finally here and that i was one of the first ones to meet you! please don't grow too much before i get to see you again. your uncle bowman will be coming next time too and i know he can't wait to see how cute you are.

we love you so much!

love,

aunt rachel

your birthday party

look how precious you are!

Being sick is for the birds. My nose is too stuffy to even breathe. I got a B12 shot in my rear end, a bag full of medicine and a seriously chapped nose. Yuck!

six months of a lifetime

aaron and i recently passed the six months of marriage mark. ok, i know, we are well beyond the need to celebrate mile marker anniversary days like first kiss, first date, when we met etc. however, i can't believe that six months have flown by since our beautiful wedding in michigan.

see here's the deal. i love aaron. i have always loved aaron. a few short weeks after we met, i had a dream about our wedding. i knew he was the one from just about the moment i met him. he never fails to amaze me with how much he loves me back. i mean, the man waited for me for two years while i pursued my dreams abroad. he just waited and supported me. i can not imagine how i would have done it with out his support.

i have always loved aaron. i will always love aaron. i can't believe how overwhelmed i am with how much i am in love with aaron. we are so lucky that our worlds collided and we found each other. i can not imagine what that love will look like and feel like as our life together continues to grow. what a blessing!

aaron and I are at the airport and on our way to dallas! Longhorns and steakhouses and oh yeah armadillo races, here we come!!!

See you sunday!

a new day on the horizon

all my belongings at the airport on my way home from switzerland

Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life. --Jack Kerouac

hmmm

i am feeling rather blah today. i do my best to be positive. upbeat. energetic. i guess i have to hit a wall sometime.

a mistake on a project at work. small. but big.

rarely happens.

i was hot while i was getting ready. it showed all day. pony tail by noon.

rarely happens.

pissed of a friend. on accident. small. but big.

rarely happens.

half-assed workout. small. but big.

happens too often.

i think i should just throw in the towel on this stupid day and try again tomorrow.

concentration....motivation

i am in serious need of a big shot of motivation today. as the day as ticked away, it has gotten worse and worse. man! i hope this lull is short lived because i have too too many projets to work on!

a left my heart in charleston

its the second time it has happened. on the way home from charleston, my heart was missing again. the lump in my throat grew and grew as we clicked the miles away on I-95 south.

yes, we are making in the most of our time in savannah. we are giving it a solid try. but there was something about charleston again this weekend. the birthday party with friends for dan, the beautiful easter service with jon and heidi, the yummy easter brunch at the windmueller's. we don't have our family close, but yesterday, even i did not notice. it felt like we spent the weekend with family.

dixie and rex were waiting patiently for us when we got home. their wagging tails and warm face licks helped my heart. but man, i wish i knew my plan for our charleston return.

here are some pictures from the weekend.

fun times with the horse race

the girls chillin' in the man room

Dan loves his cake!

i had a cake too but i did not like the picture!

yesterday morning we went to church downtown. it was such a beautiful sunny day!

da...da...da...dentist

so yesterday, i went to the dentist. i typically don't mind the dentist because i want to make sure my smile is fresh and ready to be used at any time.

i had not been to the dentist in about three years. i know that sounds horrible but dental insurance can be hard to come by as can extra cash for a cleaning and when i was living in switzerland, dentistry was out of the question. i went to the dentist one time in lugano. the dentist cleaned SOME of my teeth and she informed me that i had FOUR cavities. i asked her to send me an estimate in the mail for the work to fix the cavities and when it turned out to be 1400 CHF to do the work, i declined.

so...having this knowledge in my head and a recent root canal right after my wedding, i knew i was in for a real treat at the dentist yesterday. i prepared myself for the possibility of some fillings and the expense that would accompany them. i waited patiently as the hygienist cleaned my teeth, flossed and took a half a million x-rays. then the dentist came in...(start the horror movie music now). he took a look, poked around, took a look some more...ahh the suspense. i mean how many cavities are in there? i have a super cool electric toothbrush, i floss and rinse with a peroxide solution everyday! i kept thinking...c'mon doc...tell me the damage.

then, he turned off the light. adjusted the chair to its upright position. took of the bib. i sat there, a bit puzzled. "how many cavities do i have?" his answer. none.

NONE!!!!! zip. zero.nada.niente. NONE!!!!

that swiss dentist said i had four.

good thing i declined her service to fix my "cavities" and used the money for more useful things like wine, trips and nights out with friends! What a scam! i am thankful to finally have great dental insurance that includes two free cleanings a year by an American dentist where all my teeth will be cleaned!

until next time...brush em', brush em', brush em'!

my husband rocks

ok. so just so you all know this, my husband rocks. after lots of pretending that he was planning nothing for my birthday and making me clean the house on friday so we could relax for the rest of the weekend, he whipped out a suprise party! a big fat suprise party that included a suprise visit from my two best friends from charleston!


the party included dinner at carlitos with my favorite savannahians, yummy beer at the distillery and a big time at savannah smiles! i loved my party! thanks to everyone who came to play!


check out these pictures. i worked my other job all morning on saturday in the hot spring sun and i guess the sunscreen did not make it to my nose. what a way to look in a picture!

rockin' my birthday margarita

2:00 a.m. and still rolling two deep

the triple threat hanging out in savannah!

you know i love a birthday and a boa!

my main squeeze! what a great husband!

man...this keeping in touch thing is so much harder then it looks! i have been so so super busy that i have forgotten to make time for keeping in touch and returning phone calls.


here is the deal. the campaign is over. we reached the goal and i can breathe again at work. my job will always remain busy but the storm cloud that was hanging over my head has moved to a new zipcode and life is good. raising over a half a million dollars in eight weeks for children and families is a great feat!


then..i went to charleston for five days. that's right five whole days! life is good! i stayed with jon and heidi (they have the coolest coffee maker), went grocery shopping and hung out with stef (visions of my future life danced in my head) , had dinner with the triple threat (nothing has changed), spoke at a conference (rockstar. period.), had a big time at stef's birthday party (you know i love a party) and threw a baby shower with some friends for the first mommy of our group! whew! that is a lot in five days! i had such a super time that the car ride home was so depressing. i wanted to cry the whole time and realized it was because my whole heart is in charleston. my whole heart. aaron and i will get back that way...it just might take a little while.


and, to top it off, my birthday is next week! i usually L-O-V-E my birthday but this year i have neglected those feelings. last year i went to istanbul and it was AMAZING, the year before i was in Greece and it too was AMAZING. this year, i am in savannah....S-A-V-A-N-N-A-H. my birthday is on a tuesday...T-U-E-S-D-A-Y. what am i going to do? there will be a deep sea fishing trip happening as part of this event which will be A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. i guess i will have to wait and see what aaron has up his sleeve.


so me, the busy bee, i'm buzzing around alright. and...now that life is a little more normal, i hope to keep in better touch.

here are some pictures from the last few weeks:

st. patty's day in savannah

the "aunts" at stef's shower

all the boys at stef's birthday party

the triple threat...man i love those girls!

for my mom

i found this when i was reading the paper today. it's definitely something to aspire to. it reminded me of my terrific mom!

Success

You can use most any measure
When you're speaking of success
You can measure it in a fancy home,
Expensive car or dress.

But the measure of your real success
Is the one you cannot spend.
It's the way your kids describe you
When they're talking to a friend.

just in case you all did not know, my mom rocks. period.

lost and found

ummm...has anyone seen the first two months of two thousand zero niner? i seem to have misplaced them and all i am left with is march.

hit the road jack

mother nature and jack frost need to work out their issues. it's like every fall they gravitate back towards each other, hook back up, fall back in love and stay that way all winter. then late january, early februrary, things start to get rocky again. she kicks him out, he makes his way back in. flowers start to bloom and then we get a hard frost. i feel like screaming, "give it up jack, she's just not that into you!"

then summer comes. mother nature breaks it off. who needs a man? she becomes more interested in summer flings with mr. thunder and lord lightning. i mean can you really blame her? there is nothing better then a summer thuderstorm. she enjoys those hot muggy charleston nights spent on the docks with cold beers and great friends. however, every now and then when you feel a cool breeze in the air or a cold front comes through, it's probably jack frost making a booty call.

but seriously jack, isn't it time for you to hit the road? my allergies are killing me.

ding dong, ding dong

i thought i heard them this morning. wait for it....

was that really what i thought that was?

reality check.

i used to live around the corner from two churches with lovely church bells. good morning, good night, it's noon, it's time to go to church, hurry up church is starting church bells.

this morning when i was getting ready, i thought i heard them. then i realized i was hearing things. i live smack in the middle of downtown savannah. those were not church bells. the noise i heard was a combination of sirens and construction noises.

a girl can dream right?

sophia, sophia, sophia

after living in "Switaly" for two years...I have made some observations about Italian/Switalian women.

1. Age is never an issue when it comes to clothing. If the outfit fits (or kinda fits), wear it!


2. If it sparkles, put it on.


3. Tan. tan, tan....TAN, TAN, TAN...go to the tanning bed.


Don't get me wrong, there are some fabulous women out there (Italian and my lovelies in Ticino) to whom these observations do not apply. Some of these fabulous women are very dear friends of mine.

But, let me just say...Sophia Loren at the Oscars, my observations exactly.




Cara Sophia......molto grazie!

"VDH"

hair has always been a challenge for me. curly, thick, unruly hair...not fun.

while i know that some people would kill for naturally curly hair, i would trade it in for straight hair on most days of the week. recently i cut six inches off my hair in an effort to try out a more professional look. my shorter, more manageable do is my most favorite haircut i have ever had. people have stopped me on the street to compliment me on my hair! wow! a couple of weeks ago i had to do a live television shoot for our annual campaign. after the spot, the host said.."I love your hair!"

the funny part about all of this is that the one thing that is making my hair so great is the fact that it is dirty. i fix it every morning but only wash it a couple of times a week. people in my office have been asking me for product advice, shampoo consultation and styling tips. i have to laugh because the honest truth is that its just dirt.

so...i decided as i was getting ready this morning that next time someone asked me what i was using in my hair that i would reply "VDH" short for Very Dirty Hair. The best part about VDH is that it is free and it gets better as it gets stale. With the economy like it is and expensive hair products left at the store to save money, give "VDH" a shot. You just might find what you are looking for.

Have you ever witnessed a real diva in action? I'm not talking about a sometimes high maintenance sort of diva. I'm talking about an all out, don't mess with me, I rule this place kinda diva. The kind that stops traffic, has their own private lair, and for lack of a better description...a diva who is basically just the HBIC.

Well, I have witnessed this type of diva. I know I wrote about my special Dixie girl the other day but today the world lost one of the most real divas that I have ever known and it would only be right to use this space to pay her some final respects. My family lost our beloved cat today at the age of 14. Aurora was one hell of a diva!

We brought her home when she was so tiny. Lizzie and I had always wanted a cat but my dad always played the "allergy" card. When we finally got him to give in, our prize was a jet black, spunky little kitten which we promptly named Aurora because of her love of lights. She was the kitten who, when she had her front claws removed, retaliated with more intense attacks with the back claws. Needless to say, the back claws had to come out too. However, she must have sharpened those "claws" at least once a day. She was chased and cornered by our family dog Tucker and would make noises like something that one would only expect from a lion until we came to her rescue.

Our sweet little kitten continued to grow. One day, the once tiny kitten who would dance across the ceiling tiles in the bathroom found herself on the bathroom floor after she fell through the ceiling. Whoops! I guess she had not realized how much she had grown.

This was the same diva of a cat who used to get so mad at my mom when she would yell at me. When I was in high school I had a room in the basement of our house. My mom would come to get me in the morning for school and if Aurora did not like the way she talked to me, she would chase my mom up the stairs pulling at her tights or sometimes biting her skin. She always had my back. She and my mom were pretty close after I moved out though...lots of nap time for bonding!

This diva of a cat was also a lover of reptiles and spiders. We once had a lizard named Spike. Whenever he was visiting our house during a break from my mom's classroom, she would keep him company by laying on top of his cage.

For the last few years of her life, Aurora spent a lot of time in a basket on top of the refrigerator at my parents house. This location kept her safe from the dogs and allowed her to keep watch of all the comings and goings throughout the day. I told my mom that if she could have talked, we would have never wondered who left the surprise on the floor or who stole the sandwich from the counter ever again.

This diva of a cat took a couple of strolls outside each year. When she was little, I remember Liz and I thought we would get a leash and walk her outside in our neighborhood. We tried the leash and Aurora just would not have it. We dragged her for about a minute before we realized it might be easier to stick to walking our dog instead. She started taking these strolls on her own after awhile. She would wait for the right minute when the door was open and no one was looking and then dart outside to roll on the concrete. This secret darting got her in trouble a couple of times when no one realized she was out and she was forced to spend the night outside.

She might have been the only mammal, animal or human who really tolerated Shout. For those of you who know Shout, you what a challenge that can be. I am sure he will miss his day time napping buddy!

I could go on and on about Aurora. She was a great pet, a lovely animal who even has an older cat, never got fat. The fact of the matter is that we got Aurora when I was 12 and now I am 26. She moved in with us when we lived in our tiny little house on Auburn street. We have long since moved from that house but Aurora has been the constant in both of the houses we have lived in since then. This is the kind of stuff that makes growing up so tough.

I know that Aurora and her diva soul found peace today. There is a special place in heaven for pets...I am sure of it. I know that Lady, Bridget, Taff, Whisper and all of our other buddies who have since passed on will show her the ropes. After all, they owe her one. She never ate cheese on them when they stole snacks or left surprises.

Rest in peace sweet Aurora. You were one cool cat who will be sorely missed.

dixie marie meuser bowman

miss dixie has been a big part of my life since the day i brought her home from the shelter. she was a needy, sick and hurting dog who needed a mom and i was a needy, hurting person who needed a buddy. it was love at first sight!



i have always loved dixie's quirks. she is half rottweiler, half lab and each half of her body displays these traits in an obvious way. the dog has a big ol' butt butt and loves it shake it like its her J-O-B! she is compassionate, caring, and very understanding. she will hug you when you are sad, lick your tears when you are crying and shake her tail feather when you are celebrating! she is patient, very patient and will wait for you by the front door until you finally come home from switzerland two years later. she's a real good girl.


ok...sometimes she stinks. she is actually stinking up the room as i am typing this. she also loves to play in the dirt in our backyard. she can't help it, she's a dog. she has been known to get into the trash any time she has a chance. just last week she came out of the bathroom with a Q-tip hanging out of her mouth like a cigarette. she has no shame and never hides the evidence. we had to purchase a trashcan with a motion censored top in order to help keep her out of the trash in the kitchen. a dog in the trash=a smelly dog with an upset tummy.


she's also a bit sneaky. last week she discovered that with out knowing it, i had left a bag from a trade show that was not mine (they got mixed up in the car) on the floor in the dining room. the bag contained 5 loaves of very fancy bread. as aaron, and i and i guess rex (our faithful german shepard who swears he didn't do it) slept in the room next door, dixie had herself a feast leaving only a couple pieces of plastic as evidence. to top that, right before christmas she used a step stool at the end of the buffet in the dining room to help launch herself on top of the buffet to carefully eat the chocolate kisses out of a very special glass bowl. she ate all the kisses, wrappers and all with out tipping over the bowl or breaking a thing. i would have loved to have seen her in action on that one. she's a pro.


you can see the step stool she used and its location in this picture.







despite all of her quirks, i love her the same. this week i have been very sick and she has not once left my side. she is such a loyal friend and companion. i decided to reward her with a trip to Petsmart to pick out a new toy. She enjoyed the ride in the truck on the way to the store, smelling all of the smells her little nose could take in. She proudly pranced her funny, full of confidence, mutt body past some hoity toity thoroughbreds on our way in the store and made her way to the toy aisle. as we were standing there checking out all of the options, a lady stopped to admire my smelly, sneaky, big booty friend. she said, "Your dog has the prettiest coat." I thanked her, patted dixie on her side and kept looking for the perfect toy. But, it made me happy that someone besides me saw the beauty in my special little friend!