Lulu Tunnel!

One of the things you wouldn't think a dog like Lulu could do is leap. But leap she can. We have put up little picket fence pieces up on the backyard to keep Lulu out of some of the beds, or from charging the shared fence with our neighbors when they let one of their dogs out in their backyard. However, if Lulu really wants to, she can leap over the picket fence. It's like she is a bunny.

I have wanted for sometime to capitalize on this trick and continue her training so I was able to finally grab a spot in one of Fairfax County Parks and Recreation's dog agility classes. It isn't competitive agility. Just for fun. And last night was our first class. The instructors, Patsy and Karen, were very patience, supportive, and knowledgeable. I really like them. However, I don't really like some of the other owners in the class. There are only four other dogs: Einstein (some sort of mix working dog breed), Ripley (some sort of hound), Spotty (some sort of lab mix), and Theodore (a very interesting standard Poodle). The owners I'm not really fond of are for Ripley and Theodore.

Lulu did very well. While we were working on the tasks. In between tasks she was a hand full. She just wanted to play or charge the other dogs, specifically Einstein and Ripley. Unfortunately their owners couldn't, or wouldn't, see how I was struggling to keep her focused on me and would bring their dogs near us. It was incredibly frustrating.

She has aced getting onto the "table" but that is because she jumps onto the couch, the ottoman, the chair, and the bed all the time. The "tunnel" was more interesting. She will go through but with some coaxing. I am going to see about buying a play tunnel for kids (cheaper than the actual dog agility tunnel) for practicing in between classes.

I'm just very excited about another opportunity to learn with Lulu. And maybe we'll take it to the next level. But we'll see.....

A close shave....

On Friday night I was out in Loundon County helping my dear friend artistically arrange items for a baby shower gift (and I don't think I did that bad of a job) she was giving so I got home rather late. As I was sitting in my car gathering my belongings to go inside the house I heard a tapping on the passenger side window and I saw James starting at me which scared the crap out of me. And then I realized that he had shaved his head!

For those of you don't already know, I fell in love with a bald James. After we met and he returned to Iraq we would instant message almost everyday and he had a photo of himself bald. That was the photo I stared at for months. So I prefer a bald James. However, James prefers to have hair during the winter months. So the compromise is that from April 1 to September 30 he is bald and from October 1 to March 31 he has hair. For the past two years he has shaved a week early. Of course this means the last week in September he'll want to stop shaving.

It is funny about people's reactions to James when he shaves and when he has hair. I much, much, much prefer him bald and tolerate the hair during the winter. But this is yet again another sure sign that Spring is here! My husband is bald again!!! Oh happy day!!!

Spring is in the air...and the touristas are on the ground

Today is the vernal equinox. What is that you might ask? Well....its the first day of spring! And guess what? It came six weeks after February 2nd. So regardless of the groundhog in Pennsylvania, spring is always six weeks away. And quite frankly that groundhog must have been hitting the hooch because these past six weeks have been mild. And I mean mild! As a matter of fact this March is fast becoming the warmest March on record for the Washington, DC area. It hit the high 80s last week and looks to stay in the 70s this whole week. I am not complaining in the least. James and I shut off the HVAC last week and here's to hoping we don't have to turn it back on until June.

The other things that are springing up this week are the cherry blossoms. Oh those beautiful trees. Such a sight to see! They are peaking today through Friday. This is very early and at the very beginning of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. They hardly ever peak during the festival, but as this is the centennial celebration the festival is over a month long. James and I are planning on taking the boys this weekend early one morning to see the blossoms. Once they peak they tend to fall and wind and rain can speed up that process. However, cherry blossoms falling can be just as beautiful because it looks like pink snow!

I've changed the main photo of the blog in honor of the cherry blossoms. The above photo was taking in 2007 during my first spring working in DC. Which was also my first introduction to DC as a tourist attraction from the other side. I call them touristas because it adds a little flare as I mumble under my breath for them to get out of my way so I can go to work or go home. They will be everywhere for the next month while we wait out spring breaks and the National Cherry Blossom Festival. I shouldn't complain...out loud...and I won't. I'll just grin and bear it.

DC is at its most beautiful in the spring.....and if I were a tourista I would want to see it now too....

Moving on UP!!!

After waiting two and half months the promotion list for E-7's (Sergeant First Class) was released....and James was on it!!!!!!

And he has a really great by-number: 80!

So we just have to wait for his number to come up! James is betting on two to four months. But we'll keep you posted as to when the big day happens!

Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

An itch to see some changes

Now that James and I are coming up on our first year in our first home, we have started to finally make changes. I sort of focused on furniture first (bookshelves, pie safes, dressers, etc.) and now I'm ready for paint and updates. Last weekend was the first major change we've made. And it was just because a got a bug up my butt to see something different for a change.

We painted and updated the fixtures in the master bathroom. I'm only talking about two and a half walls so it was really easy to tackle being so small and having paint left over from the old house. I wish I had thought to do a before and after photo. But alas, I'll only be able to provide an after photo....later. We need to touch up the ceiling and clean it first!

I really like it and it makes me feel like we've accomplished something. Especially since we also updated the light fixture over our vanity (which is outside the bathroom itself) from a horrible 1980s "modern" monstrosity to a simple bronze finished beauty. That was an adventure. And one that I hope doesn't repeat itself as we slowly replace the light fixtures throughout the house.I even went a little wild by replacing the switches and plugs with brown units instead of the traditional white or almond color and used bronzed plate covers! My sister graciously helped us out by replacing those outlets and switches, including those in the guest bedroom, guest bath, and in Jaime's room. We haven't figured out which breaker controls the outlets in Joe's room yet so they remain on the list to do. That breaker box is a blog post on its own.

The last new change we made was by rearranging our bedroom furniture so that we have easy access to our sole window. The cats and James absolutely love this new layout. You can now find Benning pretty much on the ottoman under the window catching the morning sun. Alexander loves to look out over the neighborhood.

The updated electrical flare will look really great once we get all the rooms painted. We've picked out all of the colors for the rooms except for a couple that we're still debating about. But that will take some time as the painting supplies are currently being used by Molly and Chris as they update their own house. A couple of years ago Molly and I combined our painting supplies to save on costs, so I'll have to time our projects in between their own painting projects.

Creature of habits....

Routines. We all have them. Some more strict than others I suppose. I secretly envy the strict routine that Sheldon has on "The Big Bang Theory" for the comfort of knowing what will be happening next but knowing that I could never have such a routine. Except for when it comes to the animals. That is a routine that is almost never broken. And it is funny how one house guest can change things.

My sister Nancy is staying with us for a few days and helping James and I out by replacing our 30+ year old outlets and light switches. Gives her something to do and saves us some time. Nancy loves Lulu and Lulu loves Nancy. About as much as she loves our other sister Molly. And it is funny how she loves each of my sisters in a different way. Just like a human even. She knows what she can get away with depending on which sister is around.

So the weekday routine starts at 5:00 AM when I crawl/force myself out of bed to give Lulu a bathroom break, feed all the animals, prepare coffee/lunches for James and I, get James out the door, and then spend the next hour and a half trying to get myself out the door for work. Normally after Lulu has finished her breakfast she'll hang out with me downstairs until I go upstairs and then she is hanging out on the bed having a post-breakfast nap. We always go outside one more time and then back to the kitchen to clean up bowls, coffee pot, and any utensils used to prepare lunch which are the last activities I undertake before leaving for work. Now, Lulu usually hangs out with me while this is happening knowing that as soon as I dry my hands I'll go for the bag of big bones and she knows its time to go in her crate. However, with Nancy staying with us Lulu knows there is going to be a different routine.

This morning as I was cleaning up the kitchen I realized that Lulu wasn't on the first floor. And then I knew exactly where I would find her: outside the door to the guest bedroom waiting to be let in and lifted up onto the bed so she could shower her Aunt Nancy with kisses and settle down for post-breakfast nap #2. And sure enough that is exactly where I found her.

So I opened the door, where she immediately went and put her paws on the bed and looked at me with those "Okay Mom! Lift me up! I get to spend the day with Aunt Nancy!!!" eyes

Such a funny dog.....

This time I mean it....

August? Really? I haven't posted a single thing since August? Why can't I just stick to a schedule and actually use this blog for what I intended it to be? Well two factors come to mind for why I'm not really using it: (1) I don't think anyone really reads it and (2) I have just wrapped up a major project at work that has taken up the last five months of my life.

But as 2012 is shaping up to become a year of changes, why not make one more and actually write in this blog? Even if it is just for myself? My goal is to post something at least every two days.Here are some upcoming topics:

(1) Weekend projects around the house;
(2) How I aspire to be Martha Stewart or an employee at The Container Store sometimes;
(3) My thoughts on the Show Me State;
(4) A weekend trip to NYC;
(5)  How I'm overcoming a 13 year smoking habit; and
(6) What it takes to get a husband off of a medical profile in the military.

Let's see if I can actually pull this off.......