One Week of Relaxation

The end of September marked my fifth wedding anniversary, which is just impossible for me to wrap my mind around! Each and every year, as our anniversary approaches, we discuss all the wonderful places that we'd like to go. And, each year, because we discuss such big plans, we decide at the last minute that there's just no time to plan, we probably can't get boarding for the dogs, it's just really not a good time at work, it would be SO expensive, and blah, blah, blah... You get the picture. So, every year since our honeymoon, we've decided to be content with a nice dinner out, but next year, boy oh boy, we're going on the BEST trip ever! And we did that for years 1,2,3,&4. I guess sometime after our last failed trip, we finally realized that we were trying to plan something too big.

This year, we decided to plan a beach trip to our old favorite, Fernandina Beach. I mean, it's only taken five years for me to realize that it's not where you go or how nice the accomodations are (within reason, of course!) but who you spend it with. And, in my case, the company was top notch. We were able to find a house that allowed dogs, so the entire family got to celebrate together...it just wouldn't seem right any other way!

It was so nice to relax with Joe and the dogs and reflect on the past five years. We've matured so much over the past several years. It's just hard to imagine that we were that newlywed couple five years ago without a clue! Since then, we've been through the divorce of parents, the death of a parent, and parents moving hours away. It's really been a trying few years, but the hardships have brought us closer together and taught us how to depend on one another. And, I guess when you get right down to it, that's what marriage is about...someone that you can depend on to be on your side no matter what happens.

I must say that the trip was worth the wait. We had an absolute blast. The dogs love the beach, and they haven't been in several years. We so enjoyed watching them play in the ocean. That alone was worth the trip. This trip was the first full week that I've had off work (except for maybe at Christmas one year) since my honeymoon...I don't think I realized that until just now, and I'm completely depressed! So, it took me about 2 or 3 days to just relax and stop worrying about what was going on at work, but come day 4, I was completely relaxed and stress-free. And, it's been equally as hard to get back into the swing of things. All that playing on the beach has made for some tired pups!

Charlie is very TIRED!

Champ chased the tennis ball until he dropped!

I feel so blessed to have a good job, a healthy marriage, dogs that I love, and the means to go on vacation every once in a while!

Just some things I wonder about

1. I have periods of time where I see all kinds of clothing in the road. And, I find this rather perplexing. A random shoe here, a sweatshirt there, a sports cap, etc… Where are these items coming from???? Why are there clothes in the road?? It really bothers me, in case you can’t tell. I, of course, have to develop theories of how the clothes got there. Perhaps these are clothes that were used to commit a crime and the perp is trying to distribute different articles of evidence all over town to avoid being connected to the crime. Maybe that sweatshirt I saw was one of the infamous “hoodies” that I read about in every robbery report. Then, there’s always the possibility that someone put their gym clothes on the roof of their car while unlocking the door, forgot about the clothes, and drove away, distributing articles of their clothing all over town. Maybe some scorned woman was angry with her significant other, sees that he left a pair of shoes in her car and decides on a whim to just chuck them out the window. Maybe someone was driving a convertible and that hat just blew right off their head. I find these thoughts most entertaining on a run. I might see an article of clothing at mile one, and literally, I can occupy my brain thinking about possibilities for the next ten minutes. Anything to get my mind off of the pain! This is just a small peak into the thoughts that are constantly going through my mind…it’s exhausting!

2. Is there a special class that bums take to help them select individuals who might actually give them money? If I’m in a group of people that is approached by a bum, I think 99 out of 100 times, I’ll be the one approached. I guess I must have a look of shear panic on my face that gives it away every time. The last man who approached me told me all about how he didn’t live downtown…he was just downtown visiting his friends. His friends happen to live downtown in some Section 8 housing that is smack-dab in the middle of the restaurants and bars that people frequent in the downtown area. All he wanted was $1.25 to (and I quote) “catch the bus, and get the f&*k out from down here.” His name was Paul, and Paul had obviously been drinking for some time. After further conversation, I was able to determine that he was downtown visiting his friends only because he’d been to see his probation officer earlier in the day, and she wasn’t there. So, he just had to sign his name indicating that he had been there. With a few hours to kill, what else would you do but drive 30 miles to hang out and drink with your friends? I totally understood where Paul was coming from…it really was his probation officer’s fault for not being there. He also gestured wildly when he was talking, and I kept thinking he was going to touch my boobs with one of his wild gestures (he was coming remarkably close!). So, I’m guessing the angle at which I was leaning during our conversation probably made for an interesting view from all of the bystanders.

3. Do gynecologists get together to discuss ways to make the yearly physical more humiliating? I’m not sure if you’re one of the lucky ones who gets an actual gown, but I am not. I get a “blanket” that is essentially made out of Kleenex material to go over me from the waist down, and a separate cloth that is roughly 8”x14” to cover my chest. Not only that, they give no instruction about what’s supposed to go where, so I never know if I’m using the cloths appropriately or if they’re secretly laughing at me after I leave! I feel like they should teach a class on the appropriate use of the cloths. And, if you’re well endowed in the breast department, I know it must be difficult because the chest cloth barely covers me, and I am the opposite of well endowed in that area! I feel like I might as well go fully nude with no covering and avoid the anxiety that comes with trying to cover myself with the inadequate materials provided.

Good times with Old Friends

Last weekend, we took the whole gang up to a wedding in Atlanta. One of my old college roomates was getting married, and I hadn't seen her since my own wedding almost five years ago. My oldest and bestest friend offered to let us stay with her and bring our dogs. Now this might not seem like such a big sacrifice to you, but it should because she has three cats. Everytime we get our broods together, it's like WWIII. You see, Charlie loves cats, but cats DO NOT love Charlie. And Charlie has a thick skull and just doesn't get it and just won't leave well enough alone! So she actually offered to put her cats in the basement for the weekend just so that we could come up and stay. Before you get upset, let me add that it's a finished, daylight basement, so hopefully the cats didn't have it too hard.



So, we went to the wedding, and I saw several people that I haven't seen in about eight years. It was great to reconnect and find out where everyone ended up. I have to say that I was surpised with who married whom and everyone's career choices. At the reception, I hung out with three of my best friends in the world. All of whom happen to be hilarious in my opinion. I'm that girl that everyone wants to hang out with if they need to feel funny. I love to laugh, and typically, I don't have a problem finding something to giggle about. But, when I'm with these girls, I feel like I belly laugh the entire time. It's just one funny thing after another, and what a great feeling. I ride the endorphin high, and it takes me days to come down. And isn't that what girlfriends are all about? Don't get me wrong...we all need a significant other that we can have a blast with. But, there's something special about just cutting loose with your girlfriends. It's unexplainable. I'm just so happy to have those girls in my life. No matter how long its been since I've seen them last, we have a ball together and pick up just where we left off. In my opinion, that's what true friendship is all about.

The post where I couldn't think of anything interesting to write

I'm a member of a gym associated with a local all girls college. Now, it's not the best facility, but it's not the worst...and it's super cheap with a pool, so it is a perfect fit for me. The school is a little odd. Most of the students seem to be from overseas. I actually haven't seen many that seem like they're locals.

So, the other day, I went to a spinning class, and I left my sunglasses when the class was over. Of course it took me a couple of days to reason through where I saw them last, and I finally concluded that I must've left them at the gym. At lunch one day this week, I dropped by to see if anyone had found them and turned them in. I walked in the front door and approached the young Asian girl behind the counter and asked her "Do you all have a lost and found?" which I'm pretty sure came out like, "Do Y'all have a lawst 'n fownd?". I wish you could've seen the look of utter confusion on her face. It was like I was giving her a really important test and she was failing! Poor thing...and it got me thinking how confused these girls must be by so many of our expressions...dead as a doornail, man alive, three sheets to the wind, dog days of summer, don't beat around the bush, by and large. And, of course the list is endless. And, I'm sure matters are worse in the south, where we don't enunciate very well. It's really crazy how often we speak in terms that don't make any literal sense. If you start paying attention, you'll be amazed! Oh...and I found my sunglasses.

In other randomness, I was watching Champ having a doggie dream last night. It was a particularly active one. He was twitching and moving all over the place. Don't you just wonder what they dream about...I'd give anything to know! And what goes on in those little heads. I think my dogs probably just think about how cool I am all the time...they're such realists.

Sounds like my brother and sister in law are going to take their house off the market and rent it out, so Munson's days at our house are numbered. I will miss him, but I won't miss cleaning up dog hair from 3 dogs. It's out of control right now since it's been so hot. It's been really fun to have him though. I feel a pretty special connection to him since he was my Dad's dog. He's getting a huge backyard at his new house, so Champ and Charlie will have to go over to visit lots!

My First Tri

Last weekend, I did my first sprint triathlon. I was so nervous...I had no idea what I was supposed to do once I arrived. I picked up my race packet, and it had all these stickers in it. I had no idea where all the stickers were supposed to go??? It was so nerve racking just being sure I was where I was supposed to be in the appropriate attire. But, at any rate, with a little help from other contestants, I finally got my stickers on my bike, on my helmet, and on my running shirt. And, I was all set.

The event took place at Lake Tobesofkee, and it included a 750 meter swim, a 15 mile bike, and a 5K. So, around 8:15, off we went into Lake Tobesofkee for the swim. I HATED it. So many people trying to swim. People kept touching me...it was awful, but once we got going, everyone spread out, and I was able to settle down. We swam out from the shore around 3 buoys and back to the shore. Well, somewhere after rounding buoy number 3 and before reaching the shore, I veered off course. I sort of zoned out and just started swimming as hard as I could. When I looked up to see how much farther I had, I was looking at a completely different shore. When I swiveled my head to the right, I saw the finish line at about a 45 degree angle from the direction I was swimming. So, I had to swim like a mad woman to get back on course, and as a result, I think I lost about 5 minutes on the swim...not to mention, swimming is hard and I didn't want to swim 1 second longer than absolutely necessary. But, I made it either way!

After the swim, we had to sprint up a big hill to the "transition area" where our bikes were stored. We threw on our helmets, jumped on our bikes, and we were off. I was riding a mountain bike with slick tires, which put me at a pretty big disadvantage. Bikes like mine are just not built for speed, and I got passed by quite a few girls on bikes specifically made for triathlons. That was frustrating, but there's not much you can do about it. I finished the bike, with my legs feeling great. I jumped off my bike, ditched it in the transition area, and headed out for my run.

Now, there's not much to a 5K. I am able to handle 5Ks pretty easily; however, this is not after swimming about half a mile and cycling 15. I started to feel like I was going to throw up. I was shuffling along at a snail's pace, and it didn't help that the run course was entirely uphill on the way out. I had to stop a couple of times and walk for 30 seconds just to get my breathing under control. The good news about the course being entirely uphill on the way out is that it's entirely downhill on the way home...literally, all I had to do was keep my feet moving. There was one pretty steep hill to climb just before the finish line. I made it over that, and ran as fast as I could (which wasn't very) across the finish line.

Gasping for breath, I was said to myself, "What the hell was I thinking??? That was hard!" My time was 1 hr 50 minutes, by no means a great time. I finished right around the middle of the pack. Exhaustion was starting to set it. I was starving because it had been 5 hours since I ate breakfast, but about 30 seconds after I finished, I was thinking about how soon I could be ready for another one. Someone told me it was addictive, and they were right. There's something exhilirating about being around so many people in such good shape (I'm not including myself in that group, mind you!). I think I may be hooked.

Oh, the other fun thing is that most people compete in the age group division where you're competing again other women within you age group...mine was 25-29. They mark all over your body with permanent marker, which I am NOT a fan of...I don't see how it's really all that necessary. But they write your number on both upper arms and above both knees. The best mark, however, is saved for the back of the calf...your AGE! I was obsessed with looking at people's ages. And there were some that blew me away. 50 year old women that didn't look at day over 35. Women in there 60's still competing. It was boggling my mind. And, it doesn't hurt your motivation when someone who's older than your parents passes you and leaves you in the dust. So, if anyone out there is interested, come on out...I'd love to have some company!

Making Every Day Count

Every now and then, something happens to me that reminds me of how short and unpredictable life is. I can remember after my Dad died literally treasuring each day and trying so hard to make the most of my life. But, as time passes, memories fade, people get busy, work gets stressful, and I forget to wake up each morning and thank God for all of the ways that he has blessed me. Rather than being thankful for a new day on this wonderful planet, I'm moaning and groaning about going to work when the fact is, there are many people in this country who would kill to have a job like mine to go to each day.

Yesterday was one of those wake up calls for me. One of my coworkers named Robby has ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). He was diagnosed about four years ago. At the time, he wasn't working for my company. He actually worked for one of our clients. So, when I first started working, he was the first client that I met and interacted with. He was full of life and personality, and fortunately, he hung in there with me while I learned the ropes and never got frustrated. Robby was married and had a 6 year old son at the time (who is now 10). I can remember going to a meeting with him, and he had lost his voice. Initially, they diagnosed him with a paralyzed vocal cord. But as time went on and they ran more tests, they eventually diagnosed him with ALS. At first, everyone thought it must be a mistake. He was in the prime of his life with no symptoms other than the loss of his voice.

By the time he was diagnosed, he had left his previous job and was working for my company. He has years of experience in lots of different areas of engineering and was a tremendous asset to our firm. He worked up until January of this year, when working just became too much. He can't speak anymore. He has a permanent feeding tube and a permanent ventilator. After he was permanently put on the ventilator, he was confined to a wheelchair because the machine is too heavy to transport otherwise. But the most important thing that he has is the most positive attitude of anyone I have ever known. You see, he doesn't feel sorry for himself. He doesn't question why God would let this happen to him.

Yesterday a reception was held where he was honored by the Georgia Association of Water Professionals for his help with small water sytems in Georgia. At the reception, everyone stood and said a few words about what Robby has meant to them. It was so powerful to sit and hear about all the people that have been inspired by Robby. His wife spoke about her reluctance to turn problems over to God. She said that Robby has always turned things over to God and she has always "taken things personal." I found that so relatable. I know that I don't always trust that God is in control of the things that are happening in my life. I'm always the one asking, "Why me?". But, to sit and hear people who have as many obstacles to overcome as Robby and his family talk about bringing people to God, I felt ashamed. Robby's wife said that driving home from his diagnosis he said that if he could bring even one person to God through his situation, then the entire disease was worth it. And anyone who knows anything about ALS knows the gravity of that comment. It is a horrendous disease that causes muscle atrophy throughout the body, and many times, the patient loses control of all voluntary movement.

So, I am inspired once again to live life to the fullest. Tomorrow is never a guarantee, and I don't want to leave this world with any regrets. I'm so thankful to God for people like Robby who have the strength of character to persevere through difficult circumstances to reach people and make a difference.

A Life I Could Get Used To

This past weekend, we made the short trip down to Lake Blackshear to dog/house sit for my Mom and my stepdad. Now, house sitting for some people might be a drag, but for people who live on the Lake and leave the cooler full and the boat gassed up, NO PROBLEM! We headed down on Friday after work with our two dogs and Munson (our current tenant). We arrived on Friday evening just in time for a short boat ride and some fishing. It was a great way to unwind after a hard work week.

The purpose for our visit was to dogsit for Daisy (chocolate lab), Molly (maltipoo), and Amos (golden retriever). Amos is an outside dog who rides on the truck with my stepdad. He’s an awesome dog, and a miracle I might add. He is 17 years old and going strong. Molly and Daisy are inside dogs, so we had five dogs to keep track of in the house this weekend! I think I got a glimpse of what it’s like to have a lot of small children. If it’s anything like this weekend, you’re doing constant head counts…one, two, three, four, where’s number five??? “Joe, where’s Molly?” “Joe, is Daisy over there?” “Joe, have you seen Charlie?” We made it through the weekend without anyone getting hurt or lost, so I consider that an accomplishment!

Saturday morning, we got up and went to the golf course to play 9 holes together. We had a very enjoyable time on a beautiful morning. The only bump in the road was the snake that Joe ran over with the golf cart. He didn’t see it, but don’t you worry…snakes DO NOT get past these eyes. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell him in time, so we ran over the dirty little fellow. No worries, he wasn’t harmed, just startled. (As much as I hate snakes, it still makes me sad to think that I could hurt one.) I ended up pretty well in Joe’s lap. And, his comment was “Wow, you really are afraid of them.” like I’ve been making it up all this time…I’m no damsel in distress. I don’t have time to play those games. Oh, and of course, “It was just a rat snake.” They always are, honey :)

I finally recovered from the snake incident about the time we arrived back at the lake and were greeted with a thunderstorm. Luckily, we aren’t the type to let a little rain get in the way of a good time. So, when the rain died down, we loaded up the boat and headed out for a three hour tour, a three hour tour. Ok, so it was actually more like an hour and a half, but we had a fabulous time. After about thirty minutes on the water, the clouds cleared out and made way for a beautiful afternoon. What a great weekend…if anyone has a beach house and needs a dogsitter, please keep me in mind because I could get used to this! I’ve included some pictures from the weekend below.

Champ and Mom

Molly the Navigator

Boat rides are old hat to Daisy

So much better than a car ride :)

The fearless captain.

Long Live the Roomba

All you dog lovers out there listen up! Tired of all those dog hair/dust bunnies in the corner?? You NEED a Roomba! It's something I was toying with for a while but couldn't make myself spend the money. So, my most wonderful mother-in-law stepped up to the plate at Christmas and bought us one (Perhaps she was trying to tell me something??). And, let me tell you friends, that IT IS A LIFESAVER!!! Now, don't get the impression that you'll never clean again, but it cuts down on your sweeping so much! I can't comment on what it does with carpet, but if you have tile or hardwood, you will love it.

We are currently housing my brother and sister-in-law's dog. They are trying to sell their house and their dog is a MAJOR shedder. His name is Munson, and he's a yellow lab. So, we're now living with piles of black AND yellow hair. Munson actually sheds more than my two dogs combined...it's crazy! I've attached a picture of Munson with the Roomba's latest load for your viewing pleasure :)

Introductions

So, I'm taking the plunge and starting a blog! I've been reading blogs for a while now, and I've been toying with the idea of starting my own blog because I love them so much. But, I'm really not sure if I'll be good at it or if I'll even have anything worth writing about! But either way, here we go!


I'm a civil engineer. I absolutely live in a man's world! Most of the time it's great but sometimes I miss the female connection. I work in one of the quirkiest offices you could imagine. There's a lot of singing, dancing, and just all around unique and interesting discussions...these are not your steriotypical engineers - and thank goodness for that! I enjoy what I do well enough to keep at it until my dream job comes along. And, since I'm not even sure what my dream job would be, I'm not expecting that anytime soon. I always think it's pretty sad when I find myself saying, "If I wasn't doing this, then what else would I do??" But hopefully I'm not alone in that! I work with some really great people that I look forward to hanging out with each day, so I guess I can't ask for too much more than that. Now, I'd like to tell you a little bit about my fam...


First, there's the husband. We've been together for 7 years and very happily married for nearly 5! Hard to believe...it's gone by SO fast. We have an amazing time together, and apparently, my love for dogs is contageous because he now loves them just as much as me. He's a great catch...I'm not sure how I got so lucky! He sells insurance, so we're a good balance because (1) I don't know a thing about insurance! and (2) I can't sell ANYTHING nor do I want to!

Then there's my pride and joy, Champ! Champ and I have been together for 8 years, so Champ was my main man before Joe came along. Champ and I have been through a WHOLE lot together. And guess what...he loves me and understands me probably more than anyone! One look into those eyes, and I feel complete peace. As you can tell, he's starting to show his age, but I'm not worried because I've made him promise to live until atleast age 20. AND, he still acts like a complete puppy a lot of the time! Champ loves nothing more than being petted, and he alerts you to this fact each time you stop petting him by clocking you with one of his paws.

Our more recent addition is Charlie, our 4 year old female black lab. She definitely keeps us on our toes. She's our sweet little timid lady who still stays in a crate because she lacks the ability to control her jaws around my furniture! We've replaced more furniture than I care to list here. But, she's absolutely worth it (and that wasn't even said through clenched teeth!). She's pretty neurotic. Champ is just laid back and goes with the flow, but Charlie has certain things that she loves that make her obnoxious! For one, she absolutely loves to eat more than any dog I've ever met. Second, she loves to go for a walk. If I even put my tennis shoes on, she starts whining and running for the front door...it's quite annoying when I'm putting my tennis shoes on with another task in mind! And, she's totally a daddy's girl. As much as I try to win her over, she's having none of it! You may also hear her referred to as Choo Choo, Chewley, Nugget, Pickle, etc...she just one of those dogs that you HAVE to nickname.

So, that's my family. Sometimes I think about what life would be life without the pups - an extremely clean house, nice furniture, the ability to wear white articles of clothing, etc., but you know what, nothing on this planet sounds more depressing and lonely to me. The sacrifices that we make to have these two in our lives are overwhelmingly worth it...without question! Hopefully some day we'll have some biological children, but until then, we are loving every minute of the time we get to spend with these two dogs.