Happy Thanksgiving!

Today I am thankful for Jimmy, family and friends. I hope everyone has a wonderful turkey day tomorrow.

Daily Dash

Today my post will be about my very favorite doggie, Dash.

We rescued Dash two years ago and although he can get on my nerves from time to time he is the sweetest dog. When you rescue a dog you sometimes know very little about them. Since he is a greyhound we probably knew more about him than the average rescue. For instance we knew that Dash raced in Wisconsin for several years. We knew who owned him and that he was the first in his litter. We only knew that because of the tattoos in his ears - 85A which meant August, 2005, first born.


The other day I was bored and thinking about my retired athlete and was curious about doing an Internet search for him. His real name is Ale Dobber. You can see why we changed it....right?


Well, what do you know....I googled Ale Dobber and neat website came up. It was basically a greyhound data base. You type in the dog's name and up comes their lineage, race results and their picture.


Here is Dash in his younger years when he was racing. He looks fierce!

I also learned that Dash was born on August 3, 2005. He was one of 7 pups. His dad's name was Craigie Whistler and his mom was Rooftop Hiedi Ho. He raced in 74 races, placed 1st in 9 and 2nd in 11. He raced for 3 years. There was not a picture of Dash's mom but I do know she was a larger dog that was fawn and white. Dash's dad was large as well. He is pictured below.

Now I totally see where Dash gets his markings. (Pictures are from Greyhound - Data . com)

It is pretty neat seeing a little bit of Dash's history. Sounds like he was a busy dog. Currently, Dash is enjoying his retirement - lounging in the living room, getting lots of love and attention, going on long walks, playing with his rabbit toy and ball and eating lots of good food. So glad we rescued him!! =)

Rain rain go away.....

Wow, it has rained for the past few days. It is nice to have a little rain but I am ready for sunshine again.

Things here with us are going well. We started our bathroom project and it is looking good. I should have pictures soon of the completed room.

I will say that Anna and Jimmy will never put up a medicine cabinet together again. I am too short and not strong enough to hold the thing up and Jimmy does not have 4 arms and patience. Lessons - I learned how to level the cabinet and work a drill. Jimmy learned that I am too short for the project. After much stress, sweat and severals words the cabinet is up and will not ever be replaced again.

Another lesson - I painted my first ceiling. I need to wear glasses next time.

On another note I had my modeling debut last night. I walked the runway did my little turn and flashed a smile. Probably the closest this 5'1 girl will ever come to Top Model. The Junior League had a fundraiser at Hilldale Mall and myself along with several other lovely ladies modeled Pendelton's outfits and outerwear. It was fun going in for the fitting and picking clothing. I had four of outfits, jewely and shoes. Casual with jeans, cute dress, business and a winter look with a coat. Although a little strange having a crowd of people staring at you while you prance around, it was fun. I really liked Pendelton's clothing especially their coats.....just wish they weren't so expensive. I tallied up one outfit and I had on arond $1000 in clothing, shoes and jewels. Wow!
Someone took pictures and if they make them available I will try to post them on the blog.

see ya later alligator....

Falling for Fall

Wow, it seems that overnight the trees started to change colors. There are little hints of red and yellow here and there and the weather is really nice. A nice chill to the air at night and then around 65-70 during the day.

Things with us are doing well. Dash is good although he is accident prone. While at the kennel he ripped out his whole toe nail and then other night he fell off the bed and hurt his foot. I don't think he realizes how big he is! Swollen and limping for several days he is back to normal now.

We are about to start another bathroom project. The guest bathroom upstairs, so stayed tuned for pictures.

A taste of San Francisco

With all the talk of Hawaii I almost forgot about our little weekend getaway that we had planned several months ago.

Not two weeks after we returned from Hawaii we set out on another journey. Jimmy was invited to be a guest speaker at a few events in the Bay area so I decided to come along. I have never even been to Cali so I was quite excited.

With Hawaii being such a large trip that took planning I never even thought about San Fran.
I love to plan trips. Do the research, find fun things to do. Maybe I have missed my calling...?

Well anyway, I did absolutely no research, no planning, no trip advisor searches, no nothing for San Fran. other than packing my bags and boarding the plane. I even had no idea where we were staying. I found out when I arrived at midnight Friday night and had to call Jimmy and ask what hotel so I could take a cab. Gosh....so not me. It was fun. Everything was a surprise...oh yeah Alcatraz is here....this is where the houses are from Full House, the Golden Gate Bridge....

I arrived when his events were winding down so we could spend the weekend together. Our trip was pretty short so on Saturday we saw the highlights of the city. We rented bikes and rode across the Golden Gate Bridge. We saw quite a bit of the city this way. We did not however venture up into the city where the hills are so steep I can't imagine having a manual car. We rode along the shore and into Sausalito and then took the ferry back to San Fran. It was a really neat way to see the sights. We saw the ever so curvy Lombard Street and trolley cars.

On Sunday we went to Napa Valley and did a few wine tastings. We went to Domaine Chandon (sparkling wine), Whitehall Lane, August Briggs and Beringer. We ate dinner at Bouchon's. Very, very good food!!

Late in the afternoon we drove around the bay area and went through Berkley and Oakland. I can't imagine how expensive it must be to live here.

As you can see the trip was quite short but lots of fun. I can't wait to go back....this might be our next vacation spot.

Favorite Photo

Okay, I lied, one more post......When you love taking pictures it is really a tough decision on which ones to include in the blog and when you have 500+ to choose from it is even harder. So to really end my posts about Hawaii here are my two favorite pictures.

The first one was taken on our kayaking trip on one of the twin islands off Kailua Bay. I was pretty proud of myself that day because we kayaked about 2 1/2 miles to this island and then basically rocked climbed along the side of the island. It was a little scary but really fun! Of course I took my camera and took this photo.
This one was taken after snorkeling at Shark's Cove. We were eating dinner at Jameson's in Haleiwa. The little town is known for sunsets and during our time at Jameson's I ran across the road to take this shot. This one is probably my favorite!


Mahalo!

The last few days of our trip......

Makapu'U Beach on our last day...
Jimmy and I on the overlook near Lanai Lookout
Makapu'U Beach
Me being soak by the waves near the arch in Laie
Looking off the island on our kayak trip.
Taking a break for a picture while on our kayak trip.
Manoa Falls
Fruit stand near Waimea Bay with Courtney and Carrie.
USS Missouri
USS Arizona Memorial
Yokohama Beach

I hope my ramblings haven't been too boring. This will be my last post about Hawaii.

After the dolphin excursion we joined Bill and Courtney at Three Tables for some snorkeling. It was really hot today and we welcomed the rain shower on the beach. After beaching it we headed around the island towards the windward side and stopped at a local fruit market for fresh coconut and papaya.

On our way home we stopped at Crouching Tiger Inn for dinner and then retreated back to our hotel room after a long but fun day.

Friday we visited Pearl Harbor and the USS Missouri "the mighty Mo." It was surreal being on the grounds. I really never expected to visit this place. I learned quite a bit about Hawaii and the attack.

We also saw the Pacific Aviation Museum which was just featured on Ghost Hunters.

After visiting Pearl Harbor we went out for sushi. ironic choice.

Then we decided to just drive around and ended up sight seeing along the Pali Highway which was breathtaking. We stopped along the way at lookouts. The mountains were beautiful, green and did I say beautiful.


After driving around for a little while we decided to visit Manoa Falls. One of my "must see" places was a waterfall and this one happens to be a major filming location for Lost. If you are a lost fan several scenes were filmed around this area.

The next day, Saturday, all six of us went kayaking in Kailua Bay. We had a great time. We kayaked about 5 miles that day and made it to a small island off shore. We packed a picnic lunch and explored the island.

Sunday was our last full day on Oahu. Much of our trip was beach hopping all over the island. One beach by morning and another one by afternoon. This morning we headed to Kane'ohe Bay near Chinaman's Hat. We snorkeled, swam and sun bathed. Then in the afternoon we headed to Turtle Bay to snorkel. We had pie at Ted's Bakery.

For our last dinner on the island we ate at Hula Grill in Waikiki and had after-dinner fruity drinks at Duke's. Ugh....even as I type this I still feel sad to leave.

Since our flights didn't leave until 8:30pm on Monday we had most of the day to play. We drove along the southern shore of the island and saw the beach were From Here to Eternity was filmed. We then decided to relax on Makapu'U Beach. This was more of a play in the waves type beach rather than snorkeling. It was rough and guys were surfing and body boarding. The waves were fun but my swimsuit almost came off so I didn't play too long.

We had plate lunches which are awesome.....lots of choices and they are so big Jimmy and I can split one. Fish tacos and pork, mac salad and rice.

In the afternoon we hiked up Makapu'U Point to see the lighthouse. It literally looked like you were at the edge of the world up there. The water was so blue. We could even see glimpses of Molokai (another island). Several scenes of Lost were filmed here too....like the cliff fight with Lock and Jack. The Lost lighthouse was also here. Not the one we saw....a "set."

At this time I realize we are ending our trip. This was last fun excursion and I am sad...=( Do we have to leave? Unfortunately, we did. Jimmy and I figured out that we can afford what was equivalent to a small shed on Oahu. We could make it work....

You know its funny when I was thinking about it but the trip to Oahu was full of smiles and laughter on the plane. Everyone clapped when we landed. We played the "half way to Hawaii" game. The flight crew was wearing flowers and people were eager to start their vacations. Now looking around the gate area everyone is wearing wilted flowers, carrying their boxed up pineapple from the Dole Plantation and looking at photos of their dream vacation. I was glad we flew out in the dark because it would have been hard flying over Waikiki and watching people on the sunny beach. I never like when vacations end but at least I came, I saw and ate plenty of pineapple.

Sit right down and you'll hear a tale.......

Today was awesome. Jimmy and I along with Damon and Carrie booked a dolphin excursion with the Wild Side Speciality Tours. A half-day boat trip for us to swim with spinner dolphin and turtles.

We headed out to Waianae on the leeward coast for our much anticipated trip. We arrived at the Waianae Harbor and boarded the Alaka'i a 32 foot catamaran. There were 6 passengers and 3 crew. I only say this b/c if you ever go to Oahu this was an awesome find! A small amount of people and personal.

Once the captain spotted a pod we would dive into the water and wait for them to approach us. We were so close to them it was unreal. You could hear their little sounds. We even saw a baby dolphin. Awesome day!!!

The view from above - Diamond Head

Day 5 - Diamond Head - After the conference was over we had much more time to explore the island.

Today we traveled to Diamond Head. A large crater - the explosion occurred about 300,000 years ago.

There is about a mile walk up to the highest peak of the crater rim. The walk starts off pretty easy. There are signs along the way warning people, "Do you know what you are in for?, Do you have the proper shoes and water." It really wasn't that bad....yet.

The pavement then turns to rock, rock turns to grated out steps as we wind further and further up the hill. Next we approach a staircase that acsends so steep you can hardly see the top, next we enter a tunnel and go up another long staircase, through a bunker hole and then viola we are at the top.

We were all of out of breath at the top. The views were amazing. To the left you had a full skyline view of Honolulu and the all around you were views of the mountains and the ocean. Beautiful!

After this we decided to check out another crater - Punchbowl which contains the National Cemetery of the Pacific. Very neat.

Day 2 - 4 - Let the Relaxation Begin

Jimmy at Shark's Cove

Beach near hotel.

Day 2:

During the morning Bill, Carrie and I walked around a little, while our spouses were at the conference. Then Bill and I headed out for snorkeling. I have never snorkeled and was excited to try it out. It didn't go as planned.

Once I had on all of the gear. My eyes were burning b/c I didn't rinse out the johnson's baby soap from my mask and the waves were beating me up and knocking me down b/c I couldn't walk in my flippers...I quit. Let me add....I love the ocean and I normally barge right in busting through the waves and smiling the whole time doing it. With all of the gear on it was almost claustrophobic and really weird. The ocean was pretty rough so we decided to leave and go to a lagoon since it was a better choice for me to learn how to snorkel without getting beat up by the waves.

Second time worked like a charm. It was very easy and I really like it.
I spent the rest of the day relaxing on the beach and trying out my new snorkeling gear. The beach wasn't as crowded as I would have imagined. The water was nice and clear and there was a little reef right off the beach were we could snorkel. You can see Diamond Head from our hotel.
Dinner tonight was at a restaurant called Shore. I had mongchong with tropical salsa and citrus beets. Very good. We later had drinks at Duke's. Jimmy and I walked back to our hotel on the beach and watched the moon set over the ocean. Beautiful moon.

Day 3:
More relaxing followed by more beach time while spouses were at the conference. Today was spent snorkeling at the beach at the hotel. Carrie and I met Jimmy for lunch then we headed back to the beach again. Jimmy headed back to the conference.

Jen Cox - I had a Blue Hawaiian on this day! Tasty. Did you know it was created in 1957 at the Hilton? I took a picture for you. =)

Dinner tonight was at Nobu. A sushi treat. It was a 12 course meal for 8. Glad we didn't have to pay because I can only imagine how much the bill was. It was wonderful. Thanks Frank! We went to the Yard House after dinner.

Day 4:
More relaxing, more beach time. The boys had a break in the afternoon today so Jimmy and I and Damon and Carrie headed to the North Shore for snorkeling. We went to Sharks Cove. Great stop. The snorkeling was awesome. I saw lots of fish and colorful coral. I also saw the beach where quite a bit of Lost was filmed.....so cool! Wish Sawyer was there....haha =)

We drove past the Dole Farm and saw pineapple growing on the side of the road.

All in all it is pretty easy getting around Oahu. We rented a car so we could drive around. The traffic in Honolulu is very congested but once you get out of the city it is fine and much different scenery. Glad we went in the off season b/c we heard traffic can be much worse.

We had dinner at Jameson's (right by the ocean) in Haleiwa and watched the sunset. Really pretty site. I had shrimp for dinner and a few fruity drinks.

Aloha!

We are back from Hawaii. I believe I will post by the day(s), it is just too much to cram all in one post plus I want to show pictures as well. You may get bored from the details b/c this is basically my travel diary. So, from the beginning...

Jimmy left on Wednesday August 3 and headed there for the start of the one of two conferences.

I flew down on Saturday August 6

Day 1: Left for the airport early Saturday morning. Of course my little car had a dead battery so that wasn't the best start to the day. Nervous and excited I headed to the airport. Everything went as planned and flights were on time. There was a little mishap while landing in Chicago, I stayed calm. We were landing, wheels out about to hit the runway and the plan reved up and took off again. Off we went. Weird. Evidently there was another plane on the runway same time as us so we didn't land. It was smooth just a little scary.

I left Chicago at 10am for my 9 hour flight to paradise. I had a window seat and anxiously awaited my traveling partner. I hope he/she was going to be someone nice. Randy from Albany, NY had the seat beside of me. He is in the Navy and was traveling to Oahu for work. He was married, had kids, went on several tours of duty and liked True Blood and did not like flying and had never been in Hawaii, so we had a little bit in common.

In flight movies were Arthur and Thor.

I finally got about an hour or two sleep and woke up while flying over the Pacific. Wow, is it blue! The excitement started when I could see some type of land form...probably a mountain way off in the distance. As we got closer there before us was Oahu, green and beautiful. I made it! I am almost there. We touched down and I almost cried I was so happy to be there.

Jimmy picked me up at the airport and we headed to our hotel. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. I was in HAWAII!

We arrived at the Hilton and it was immense. 5 towers, 3800 rooms. a lagoon, wildlife, 5 pools, shopping - a definite resort. and OCEAN FRONT. Our room over looked the ocean and felt so thankful to be there.

For dinner we met up with Damon, Carrie, Courtney, Bill and the Shews. We ate at Tropics and I had fish with mango salsa...yum.

I also had a Mai Tai and Jimmy had to walk me home b/c - 1. I had been up for over 24hours and was delirious and 2. the Mai Tai was really strong, I mean real real strong.

Where did July go?

Wow, July just flew by.....

July was really a whirlwind. We had company for the 4th and really just relaxed and enjoyed the summer for the rest of the month. We haven't taken a summer vacation yet so our Hawaii trip is MUCH NEEDED. I really need some ocean waves, sunshine and swimming to make my summer complete. I leave on Saturday morning and I am quite excited about my island journey.

We have a few things planned for our island adventure so far- Pearl Harbor, Dolphin/Snorkel boat trip, kayaking and a dinner cruise (conference related). I am sure we will fill in the rest of our days with lots of fun and good times.

Aloha

Daily Dash

We haven't had one of these in awhile.
Not a great one of me but a cute one of him.

Ah...Madison in the summer.

Bathroom Rejuvenation

Well, I won't call it a complete remodel or anything but Jimmy and I tackled the downstairs bathroom a few weekends ago. Did I take before pictures?....NO....of course not. I thought about those well into the paint drying and the new light fixture going up but bear with me.

Picture this....Sicily 1945. Kidding. Picture a wooden oak vanity with no knobs, round lights with gold accents and boring white walls.

The vanity itself is the same. We sanded, painted and added knobs which saved us a lot of money.

We have a few more things to do and it will be complete. We have ordered a frame for the mirror from Mirror Mate.com and it should arrive soon. It is black. I love the new look for cheap.

One month from today....aloha!

In one month I will set out on my dream trip....Oahu. Jimmy and I are headed to Hawaii. This will be our first trip there and really my first tropical trip. My second, if you count Key West. But to me Hawaii is more tropical.

I am so excited about the trip and really can't believe we are going. The only thing I am not crazy about is flying by myself. The trip is half conference/half vacation. Jimmy is going down earlier to start one of two conferences. So me by my lonseome will be flying solo 9 hours from Chicago. I am sure you feel real sorry for me, right? I should be fine. I was thinking about my plane list the other day and realized I am much like a child on a plane. I need lots of activities to keep me occupied. Books, movies, games, camera........I even thought about buying a portable dvd player.....haha.

Well that is all for now. Hope everyone is having a nice summer!!

Strawberry Time!

It's that time of year when my little strawberry patch is going crazy. They just started on Sunday and I must get to them before the chipmunks do. I have it out for those little things. They sit on my front porch and leave half eaten strawberries for me to see every morning. They are teasing me!

Today I came home from work and started to pick before little chippy could get any. Here are a few pics from my strawberry field..patch. Don't you know every girl picks strawberries in a dress....haha.

Happy Father's Day

Adventures with Mom and Dad

Mom and dad came for a visit in late May and stayed for a week. We spent two days in Chicago and went to the Aquarium and Science and Industry Museum. We also rode out to Dubuque and went to the Mississippi River Museum. We also went on a duck boat ride in the Dells and sat on the terrace at the union and enjoyed the scenery.

Happy hour was a must every night followed by nightly games of ladder golf. Fun was had by all.

Plant mystery solved

Several weeks ago I posted about a house plant that I had recently bought at Home Depot. The only indentification on the plant was a label stating, "house plant."

I was in Walgreens two days and ago and found my plant. It is a Banana Croton house plant. It comes in many varieities, lots of colors, loves light and not a lot of water and is poisonous. Glad I know the last part.

I am sure eveyone was just dying to hear what kind of plant I bought....Happy Friday!

Behind again....

I just can't keep up with my blog lately.

Much more happening this month. But first I have a story about...you guessed it...Dash.

Jimmy and I have wondered what would happen if Dash were to accidently get out of the house. We don't have a fenced-in backyard, yet. For those who might not be familiar with greyhounds, you never let them off the leash unless they are in a fenced in area. Their prey drive is really high and if they were to see a bunny they would take off instantly to point they could out run a car going down the road....about 35-40mph. They were trained to chase things plus they are really fast. They have great eye sight but many times if a greyhound gets loose they run so far away from their home they can't find their way back b/c their sense of smell isn't as great. Enough about that....you just can't let them out without a fence.

Well......what do you know, we learned what would happen last week while mom and dad were in town.

Dash loves playing with his squeaky green ball and was chasing it around the house and on the back porch. Suddenly the ball is in yard. It was almost slow motion because Dash chased his ball into the backyard and as soon as his feet hit the grass it must have been a light bulb in this dog's head that said "hmm....this is different, backyard and no leash."

He took off like a bolt of lighting. We are all screaming "Dash come back, come back!!!" He runs around the yard in circles. Back yard....front yard....back yard....front yard. Literally our yard is like a race track. We corner him on the front porch then he takes off again. We are all chasing him...I am sure he thought it was some fun game. I am yelling, Jimmy is yelling, mom and dad are trying to corner him. No luck. It must have looked like a circus. Finally, Jimmy gets his green ball and that gets his attention. Dash is panting and almost smiling while he is taken back into the house........thanks goodness he stuck to the yard!

Should have pictures of stuff about mom and dad's visit real soon.

hello again.

Wow...I am slacking as far as blog posts go.

Lots going on around here these days.

1. Roof replaced on house, check.
2. Saw Jen and Jeremy in Chicago, had awesome time, check.
3. Saw Cake in concert, check.
4. Spring cleaning, check.
5. Waiting for warmer weather....still waiting.

Will post more soon.

Sad day...

WLOS ABC 13 News :: Top Stories - Mills River Army Pilot Dies

Please keep Terry's family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. My sister knew him much better than me. Terry died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan over the weekend. Terry's wife, Casey, was Sara's roommate/suitemate throughout college at Appalachian. I know Terry must have been like a brother to all of them.

Happy Birthday Blog!

My blog is 3 years old today! Wow....can't believe I have kept this up for 3 years!!

Crazy Dash

Name that plant.

Over the weekend I went to Home Depot and bought a few plants for the house. We have been plant sitting for some friends over the past several months and as they take their plants home I realize that I miss them decorating the house. So I bought my own.

I bought 3 from Home Depot and one of them is nameless. On the ID tag it read "house plant" for the plant type. I thought having an "all things plant pathology" husband he would know the type. No luck. So I looked online. No luck. So maybe one of you will know the plant. Name that plant.

The Old North State

It is heartbreaking to see such devastation from the recent tornadoes that ripped through my dear old north state. Houses, cars and trees everywhere. The loss of life. I am so glad my family is okay. Get well soon NC.

Weekend Project

When Jimmy is out of town I tend to take on projects. A few weekends ago I made these. I took wrapping paper. These I purchased by the sheet, not roll. I bought 4 square frames from Michael's and voila...ART!

The pictures were hung above the bed in the guest bedroom.

Signs of Spring

As I sit outside on the porch there are little signs of spring everywhere. Here are two glimpses of spring at the Kerns' home.

Behind again.....

I can definitely tell it is spring aka financial aid season, which means my blog will suffer. Sorry folks, I know you are just dying to hear our latest daily dash or catch up on Wisconsin politics.

Well, for those of you who think Dash is just "doggie decor" he has learned to howl. For those who don't know - Dash is well...lazy and likes to lay around and never barks. We practially wouldn't even know he was in the house sometimes. There was a joke made over Christmas saying Bruno was a real dog and Dash was just decor. Made to lay around and look pretty. He is pretty and he does lay around a lot.

Over the weekend we were at the Mercier's and Jack was playing the guitar for us on the front porch. As soon as Jack started playing Dash would howl. Every time the guitar would make a noise he would howl, the guitar would stop, Dash would stop. This is something special for us because he never barks or howls or really makes any noises at all. Way to go Dash!

I also have a video of Dash that will also prove that he is becoming a real dog. I will post it later. Too sleepy right now. To Dash's credit, he was raised 4 years in a kennel....poor guy!

Now for more exciting news....the lakes are ice freeze. This means it truly IS spring. Sometime between Friday and Monday morning Mendota and Monona both thawed. Bring it on!

Sorry blog, with financial aid craziness in full effect I will try to post the most I can but can't promise much!!

What's new?

I haven't been very good about posting to my blog lately.
Updates:

1. Well Dash had a fun day today. We forgot to put up the gates that secure him only to the living room. Low and beyond I came home to find him upstairs in the guest bedroom IN the bed. Not just on the bed but cuddled up in it! He acted like a kid, he quickly got out of bed and ran down the steps because he knew he was in trouble. The comforter and pillows all messed up. I think he must have slept on every bed in the house. Glad he had a fun day!

2. Just when I thought spring had sprung it crept back into its hole and out popped winter again with sleet and a low of 17. Yuck! Hope spring comes back soon!

3. Jimmy and I had a getaway weekend in Milwaukee last week. With everything going on in Madison and Wisconsin for that matter it was good to get out of town and forgot about this political mess. We had a great weekend. Shopping, dinner and even saw a new band. We just happened upon them. They were playing at a bar we went to on Saturday night. We liked them so much we bought their CD. Funny story - We noticed and older lady (grandma age) sitting on a sofa near our table. She knew every song and clapped to the beat, smiling at everything. At the end of the night she hugged the band members. Upon leaving the bar she came by our table and thanked us for buying her grandsons' CD. We just knew it had to be one of the members grandmother. Espeically for her to be out a midnight singing along to an indie band.
The band name - The Vitrolum Republic www.thevitrolumrepublic.com
A nice group with good music and I hope they come to Madison.

Well that is about all for now. Nighty night.

We have grass!

Yes, I know, grass is normally something you aren't overly happy about BUT when your yard has been snow covered since December you get quite happy to see it come back. The snow has officially melted and it is 60 here today....YES.

Things are going well here. My busy season at work has picked up. Jimmy is traveling quite a bit for his job. We are planning our summer vacation which will be fun!

Jimmy has a conference in....drumroll please......HONOLULU, HAWAII.....and I cannot pass up the opportunity to tag along for this trip. After the conference we are staying for another 4 days to make it a vacation. This is one of my top vacation destinations so I am pretty excited to go, see and have fun.

Signs of Spring

Despite the snowy weather I know spring is on the way.

1. Daffodils are coming up in our backyard.
2. Snow has basically melted.
3. March Madness
4. Long walks after work.
5. Birds chirping in the morning.

I'm just a bill....sitting on capitol hill.....

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind to say the least.
I attended and participated in my first protest!
Our Senate Democrats have left the state to prevent voting on the bill. I believe they have been gone for 3 weeks now.
I was in the capitol when they announced that the democrat senators were absent from the vote.
Assembly Democrats have brought their offices/desks outside of the capitol so they can meet with citizens.
I saw a camel at the capitol (brought in my john stewart's crew)
I saw a guy wearing a dress made out of candy necklaces. Sign reading "I don't look as ridiculous as you Scott Walker."
I have eaten Ian's free Pizza because all 50 states and many countries have donated so much money to feed the protesters
I have stood beside of my co-workers and community members listening to people tell their stories at the rally.

Many of you may have heard about the protests happening here in Madison. If you listen to FOX news you even heard the protests are violent. They aren't. I thought they were actually family friendly. Only Madison would turn a protest into a party with live music, bands and food.

Our Governor Scott Walker (I cringe just typing his name) has decided to make major cuts to our state. These cuts would effect all state employees and attempt to strip the union of their collective bargaining rights. Although I am not in a union the budget repair bill will still affect Jimmy and I. The cuts would effect teachers, classroom size, transportation, nurses.....it effects so much. Stress is fairly high at work. People are depressed and worried.

Despite the worry and frustration it has been neat to see the passionate protesters at the capitol. I have been hesitant on blogging about the protests but tonight on my home computer I believe I will blog away.

All I can say is karma Scott Walker KARMA......

As for the blog title....Does anyone remember this little cartoon/commercial?

Daily Dash

I was looking at my pictures from Christmas and came across this cute one of Dash. This was taken while driving to NC.

It's Melting!!

Today was 40 degrees and sunny!! I know it seems a little weird to be happy about 40 degree weather but it felt wonderful outside today. We went on a long walk around the trail, like I had been wanting to do. It is the little things that are so nice!!

The rest of week is suppose to be above freezing and the snow should melt quite a bit.

I am SO ready for spring!

Dragging the dog outside every morning, huge piles of snow, nose hairs freezing, hands aching, feeling like your waddling around b/c you a covered head to toe in winter gear and that dang tire pressure light on my car.

If you live in the Tundra you know exactly what I am talking about.

The last few days in Madison have been bitterly cold. -20 wind chills and lows around -13 at night and highs in the single digits during the day. I know spring is still way down the road but this cold weather is terrible.

I know it is bad when I am excited about 35 degrees this weekend. That will be a warm spell. Bring it on!!

Daily Dash

Dash is doing well these days despite the cold weather. Growing up with labs on a farm I never thought I would have a coat for my dog let alone two coats. A spring/fall coat and a winter coat. Yes, Dash has two.

Dash hates the cold weather. We practically have to drag him out of the house every morning. I can't wait until spring so we can walk with him around the trail again!

I will leave you tonight with a Dash video. We took this while visiting with mom and dad over Christmas. This is at the Ruffin Dog Park aka the old high school baseball field.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas........