How Leo Became a Man

So J's parents' house has been under remodeling construction for a while, as it was a pretty serious reno. The most recent job the workers have been tackling has been the chimneys. The week of Easter, there was an issue with them accidentally sealing a family of baby squirrels into the roof, and J's mom took a pair of garden shears to the soffit when she noticed a mama squirrel absolutely going...nuts. Out popped a baby squirrel, everyone was reunited and happy.

Flash forward to this past weekend. I was so nervous leaving one particularly anxious crazy dog at their house, because they weren't home when I had to drop them off. And the workers were there, working on the roof, AKA banging around hammering stuff and this caused Leo to, well, bark. He also almost gave one of the works a heart attack with his super loud manly dog bark, but we apologized for that and all was well. When I left, Leo, Mary and J's sister's dog were all barking playfully. I felt a little better.

I touched base with J's mom that day when she got home and she said, "Don't you give them one more thought this weekend!" So I decided not to. Until I woke up to a text message the next morning, that as previously posted, stated: "Carnage on the carpet! Leo killed a squirrel in the house -- I'm traumatized! I believe my actual response to this was not very lady like, but it was mostly just annoyance that Leo had done something so bat-brained like kill a squirrel in the yard and bring it into the house. But this is not what happened, friends! The story unfolded via text message.

The exact time line is unknown as J's mom was blow-drying her hair and didn't hear the commotion. But she guesses it went something like this: Leo was minding his own business, watching "Squirrel TV" (what they call it when the dogs sit in front of the back door watching nature in the backyard) when all of a sudden a SQUIRREL pops down through the chimney. We know there was a bit of a scuffle, an overturned side table, and just as soon as it began, it was

over. She walked out in the family room and saw Leo just shake-shake-shaking what she thought was a toy. Until he stopped and looked at her. She said the high-pitched shocked squeals she let out made Leo drop the dead beast immediately (very surprising to me) and she was able to corral him in another room.

One of the workers removed the "evidence" and by this time, Leo had been hailed a hero. Although it apparently made the other two dogs insanely jealous, as Leo walked around with a little more kick in his step the rest of the weekend. J's mom reassured us that the damage a squirrel would've done to the new wood floors, walls, furniture was well worth the shock of seeing my precious boy shaking that squirrel like it was his job. I just hope it wasn't the mama squirrel from before. I hope it was the crazed abusive ex-husband squirrel or something. Either way, he's earned himself what we consider in this house to be the highest honors. A new nickname, bestowed upon him from J's mom and dad.

Behold, Count Leo Kovsnowski, the Russian Squirrelinator.

Skype it up

I don't think it's a secret that I pretty much hate technology. It started with the distrust of the DVD player (or as well called it, "The Devil's Video Device") in college. I don't have an iPhone. I don't even have the data package activated on my blackberry anymore. So when I get lost while driving, I have to call people and ask them to help me find my way. I kind of prefer my simpler way of life.

However, one bit of technology I have embraced fully is Skype. I'd originally joined to keep in touch with a friend who moved to the Middle East, but when it was mentioned by my girl Laura, I jumped at the opportunity to see her "face-to-face" while we chat. And of all the Skype dates we've had so far, this was the first that guest starred Baby Ryan James, Most Adorable Baby Ever. It was great seeing his teeth and his eyes and his ears and his belly (he showed me all of these) and also hearing his sweet voice.

He pulled off his mama's black hat and wore it for the first few minute of our chat. I was able to wow him by grabbing a black hat and suddenly appearing on screen with a similar hat. And of course Laura noticed it was the beret from my Monica Lewinsky Halloween a few years back.

And then last night, two people who embrace technology far less often than me, joined me on Skype. My parents. Why do they have a Skype account? Well, that's because they love Laura more than they love me (I tell her she's Marcia Marcia Marcia and I'm Jan Brady) and they get on there to talk with her and John. I fear they might've hit her up last night, because during our conversation, my mom exclaimed, "Oh! Laura just signed on!" :)

You'll see that Leo joined me for some quality time with his Grandma and his Aunt Ruby. I had to remind my mom that dogs understand less about technology than we do, and so when she kept saying, "Point to Ruby so he understands!" that he probably won't ever comprehend talking to his friends over the internet. Because he's a dog.

Random Factuals of the Moment

- My company's new health plan had an incentive to register for a free pedometer to upload your daily steps, eventually leading them to give you a discount on your plan. Or something. I didn't care because I was blinded by the new pedometer...it's so beautiful. I've worn it every day since...even though it's pretty bulky on my waistband. I love the challenge. Today's count? Over 13,000.

- When we say goodnight to the babies each evening, J insists that Mary needs to hear her name both first and last. As in, I'll say, "Goodnight, Mary. Goodnight, Leo." And J will add, "Goodnight Mary." He says it comforts her. We end up giggling about it every single night.

- I had a work lunch today with a very interesting group of gentlemen, including a foreign liaison officer from Singapore. He was very, very smart and nice. I got to spin class tonight and lo and behold, there he was, on the bike next to me. I wonder how long we've been sitting next to one another without knowing it. He's better at jumps than I am.

- I've finally started reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns." It may be the best book I've read in years. I love it and don't want it to end. If anyone can recommend a book to help ease the pain, please share.

- When we were designing our wedding website, music was a huge decision. We needed one more song to add, and I wanted, "Heard it in a Love Song" by the Marshall Tucker Band. Yes I know it's actually anything BUT a love song, but it was also the first song on the radio when we got back in car after the hike when J proposed. :) Followed immediately by "Power of Love" by the one and only Celine Dion. Both songs now have a very special place in my heart. PS, he'll deny it now, but on that euphoric drive home, we both belted out that Celine song. 'Cuz I'm your laaaaaaaaaadyy......and you are my maaaaaaaaaaannnn.....

- I was heartbroken yesterday at some very, very upsetting work news and spent my evening in a seriously sad funk. Today I came home to a clean house full of good smells and a "German feast!" that J had prepared...and there was no more funk to be found.

- My friend was just certified to be a yoga instructor after a 15-day session in Arizona. She's a vegan now. With crazy-toned arms. So when she offered freebie classes to her gals this month I jumped at the opportunity. It was my first ever instructor-led yoga class and I loved it (yes I realize I'm 10 years late jumping on this bandwagon). I'm still sore from Tuesday night's class. Yay for making it into crow pose!

- I can't stop listening to "Cold December" by Matt Costa. It's been one of my highest play counts in iTunes for a few years now, but I've recently found myself on another kick.

- I'm going to Berkley's second birthday party next weekend. Cannot believe our wee baby niece is turning two...I remember meeting her when she was just a mere 8 days old. She's not really turning two though, since she was born on Leap Day, after all.

- My favorite water bottle broke yesterday at the gym. I mean, it really broke. I went to take a sip and it squirted ALLLL over the guy on the elliptical next to me. There was an awkward moment where we both just kind of slowed down, glanced at each other, and then went back to working out. On the hunt for its replacement, I could not find a perfect water bottle. I have two of the metal ones, yeah yeah, I'm over that trend**. As far as I'm concerned, they always make my water taste awful, I don't like the smell, and they're not easy to open when you're in motion. I think I could make a cool million designing a sturdy liter-sized BPA-free plastic bottle with a easy to open squeeze-y cap.

**No offense to those of you who enjoy the metal water bottles.

Patterns

Last night, we were still completely exhausted from our New Years ski trip. But when the future mother in law invited us over for dinner, it didn't take but a quick glance at our empty fridge to know that we'd suck up our low-energy levels for free din-din.

After we got there, J's mom says that his grandaddy left something for us. Seeing as how he's getting ready to move into a retirement home, there was no telling what this "something" might be. I was completely unprepared for it. He gave us his mother's china. Twelve place settings of J's great grandmother's hand-painted china. It's darling and exquisite and formal. But it is amazing. And now it's our wedding china.

Think, "Warm."

It all came out this weekend.

I didn't know we were keeping it a secret from our parents, but apparently so. During a phone conversation with my dad on Saturday, I mentioned my pact with J. "What pact is that?" Oh just how we haven't turned on our heat yet this year, and how we're holding out for January. "WHAT!?!" asked my dad. The next question was why.

It started in October, when we'd have one week of coldish fall weather, and then a week of 70s. And then in November, where yes, the temps dropped lower yet, but there was always a week of sunshine around the bend. So we layered up, under blankets, stole body heat from dogs. As I write this, it is currently 33 outside and 57 inside. Not the worst we've had.

So after my dad somewhat laughed at us/commended us for our frugality, (my answer to "WHY!?!" was, "It's a matter of principle for us.") I had to get ready for J's mom's choir concert with the symphony orchestra. It was a lovely Christmas concert, made even more special because as I ran downstairs to meet my date (J's dad) it was snowing -- hard! Well, for southeast Virginia at least. Of course by the time the concert ended -- with a carol sing-a-long! -- the snow had only covered about 1/3 inch on cars and that was all. Boo. But it did bring me to mention how chilly it would be at home.

"Why?" J's mom asked. I asked her, hadn't J told her about our wintry weather pact? After she too ridiculed us and laughed, she offered up something that we've been meaning to buy, but have not (which should tell you just how not miserable we have been) -- a space heater. Glorious plentiful instant heat coming out of a tiny box! We picked it up last night after helping them decorate their Christmas tree. I think I've mentioned that his family shares our same tradition of John Denver & the Muppets around Christmas, so there was no better way to warm our hearts with Kermit and Miss Piggy singing songs from my childhood. And then of course to go home and warm our hands and feet by the fire hazard.*

*If I haven't stressed this enough, J is just as paranoid as I am. The space heater is called "Family Safety Space Heater." It has a timer on it. But no, we will use it and then turn it off manually. Golly, I love that man. :)

Turkeys

I mentioned how on Thanksgiving that Berkley decided to confess her undying love for me, which I fully support. After getting there about 2 hours earlier, J and I popped a squat on the stairs. Not a minute after, B ran over and climbed up into my lap (which as a gal without a baby knows, that's the fastest way for a kid to claim your heart...)

On giving thanks

If you were wondering if I cried through the "what you're thankful for" portion of Thanksgiving dinner, your answer is yes. For the second year in a row. At J's folks' dinner table.

I truly think it's one of the best traditions there is, one that my family never adopted. Last year I was so nervous as it got closer to my turn. Partly because I get nervous speaking in crowds larger than 3. But also due to J's parents' home renovations and the fact that the cold temps in the house made cooking longer than normal and we didn't sit down to dinner until 9pm...even though wine had been flowing since 11am. So as soon as J's aunt Bryn starts to say what she was thankful for, she started to tear up, and then we locked eyes and shared a small sob. Because we're saps. I ended up botching my somewhat prepared statement about being so thankful to be accepted into such a wonderful loving family, and it ended up coming out like, "I'm thankful for this table!" Seriously. And J went on to profess how he was thankful that we'd started to build a wonderful life together and we don't need anything else since we have each other. But his girlfriend was thankful for the table!

This year I was determined to ace it. I mean, it's been a great year! I'm engaged! My mom was sitting there with me! I replaced my job (sort of)! We have an amazing place to live and don't have to move anytime soon! I've got a (future) niece who is amazing and wonderful and asks for me by name! And wouldn't you know, Aunt Bryn starts sharing her thanks for her family and its new members, and she named the babies that were born this year. And then she says my name. And I looked over at her and we both started crying. Again. Flash forward through the next 15 family members (including Grandaddy who was thankful for all of God's creatures, big and small...so sweet!) and then it was my turn. I know I managed to say I was thankful my mom was able to come out and visit and I was even more thankful for the reason she was visiting -- "Wedding dress shopping!" Yes, that's what came out of my mouth. What I intended on saying was how thankful I am to be planning a marriage to my best friend, the most amazing person I've ever known. Tables and wedding dress shopping, that's what I'm thankful for! Sigh...

Luckily, I'd managed to give my mom about two minutes' prior notice so she aced her profession of thankfulness. And of course so did J, who made me cry even harder. And Miss Berkley, 20-month-old leap day baby extraordinaire, what was she thankful for? "BOATS!" I kid you not. She apparently also prays for them at night. Smart girl.

Here and there

- Yesterday Mary tripped whilst jumping out of an ivy bed. And skinned her chin on the pavement. And it started bleeding. And J started feeling his first paternal instincts kick in. She's ok, i just can't get over how strange it is that our dog face-planted on the sidewalk.

- When I was getting ready to blow dry my hair yesterday morning, I somehow managed to gouge a strip of skin out of my forehead with my thumbnail. Quite possibly the most randomly attained self-inflicted injury of my life. It looks like I accidently drew on myself with a red pen. Great.

- My car is going to be ready: apparently never. I get daily email updates from the "collision specialist" and I think they're trying to figure out how many times they can tell me the vapor canister doesn't fit before I freak out.

- After finally deciding what to take to Thanksgiving next week at J's folks' house, I did a test run last night of Cheesecake-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes. I don't even like pumpkin desserts, and holy crap these are amazing. And beautiful! I did follow reviews and omit the crazy frosting recipe and used a simpler cream cheese frosting. I'm taking a bunch of them in to work today to disperse of them, which means I'm going to have to actually speak to people today. And you know how I hate that.

- My mother gets here in 5 days! We have appts at bridal boutiques and meetings with caterer to look forward to! While I am upset my dad isn't coming this time, I'm excited because it means we can just sit around and talk and do the down-time things we gals like to do together.

- My back is getting itchy from my sunburn. Yes, we made it to Florida last week. I haven't quite figured out what to say about our whirlwind trip other than: I have the coolest in-laws in the world and I love Ft. Myers Beach.

- It did become apparent to us though that after more than 2 years together, our dogs don't like to be apart. They may not play together or really pay any attention to each other, but both of them had some issues with not eating and umm, other stuff, while we were away. From now on we're going to use an in-home pet service so we don't have to split up these two knuckleheads. Jamie, interested in some travel? :)

Fallin'

Oh man, I know I'm going to regret it later -- say, in a month -- but I couldn't be happier that fall is finally here! Low: 55, High: 60. And while this year has had its share of challenges, a quick look back in my pictures folder reminds me that this weekend last year I had just found our condo. And ohhh to know that this winter will not involve moving! In all likelihood, next year might. Into a house. Where J can plant our dream garden.

Until then, I'll continue to enjoy the fall things I love the most. Walk the dogs around the 'hood in my favorite royal blue trench. Unearth my fall wardrobe and start wearing turtleneck sweaters again. Read more. Drink coffee on the porch before bed -- decaf of course. Just spending more time at home. Carve the pumpkins that we got on this amazing trip a few weeks back (when fall was masquerading as summer). That's when B revealed she could SAY MY NAME. Best day ever.

Future mom-in-law, future niece, future husband, future uncle

New to the fall lineup: My parents are coming to visit for Thanksgiving! Well, my mom for sure, hopefully my dad. We'll be joining J's fam, throwing two more people into last year's already huge event. I'm so excited for my parents to meet the aunts, uncles, NIECE, cousins, and grandparents I've been telling them about for two years. Oh...and there's a plan that involves wedding dress shopping...

Laugh, Smile or Frown

Things that made me laugh in the last 24 hours:

- We bought a new grill this weekend.  The old one belongs to our landlord.  I asked her if we could throw it away since it crapped out.  She said yes.  But she also reminded us not to throw away the propane tank.  What??? You mean those things are disposable?

- There is a serious "sidler" at work.  He normally sidles right up to my desk and scares the crap out of me.  Today, he sidled up to my cubemate and gave someone else a heart attack for once.

Things that made me smile in the last 24 hours:

- At father's day dinner, J's Granddaddy asking me if I wouldn't mind splitting some of my potatoes with him -- he only wanted a small taste.  So sweet, I'd give that man ALL of my potatoes if he wanted.

- Having J tell me that I'd invented his "New favorite chicken recipe EVER!"

- Opening my eyes this morning to see Leo's face about two inches from mine.

Things that made me frown in the last 24 hours:

-  Being told, "At this point people, it's best to go ahead and cancel your 4th of July weekend plans.  You'll be working."

First Gifts

Last night we went to dinner with J's parents and his grandparents.  I know I've talked about them before...in their 90s, they're well past their 70th anniversary.  They're quite amazing.

When we showed up last night, I have to admit that until then, nothing's really changed for us yet.  Other than having a sparkly ring on my hand, it's been life as normal.  So when Grams and Gramps announce it's time for a toast and whip out a bottle of Moet, they toasted to the many happy years in store for us.  And when we were getting ready to leave for dinner, Grams walks over to me and tells me that when any of their grandchildren get engaged to be married, she likes to give them something from their many years together.

She handed me a folded over piece of tissue paper and when I opened it, I saw two dainty white linen tea towels with scalloped edges...embroidered with tiny little flowers.  Very beautiful.  I was just getting ready to open my mouth about how much I loved them, she said, "Those were a gift to me at my bridal shower.  In 1938."  And that's when the waterworks began.

In need of a new camera

When I upgraded last year and bought my dear sweet huge-screened lover, my Mac, I unknowingly took two or three steps back technology-wise as well.

For one, my newish printer does not communicate with Slim Charles (click here for a short summary on my computer's namesake).  So when I do all these great creative graphic design things...they can be emailed to you to print out yourself.  Thank you clients!  No, seriously.  J inherited said printer and uses it to print out crossword puzzles.

Secondly, my camera doesn't speak to the Mac.  Why?  Nothing having to do with the fact I got my camera like a billion years ago (I think it's the first model of the digital Elph).  The screen on it is maybe a 1 inch by 1 inch square.  I love my camera, it's treated me well and it's been reliable.  BUT--what good is it to me now?  Which is why for the better part of the last year I've relied on my friends to take pictures for me.  And they'll gladly do it, but I never seem to see any of those pictures afterwards.  So this past year of my life basically doesn't exist.

When my parents were here visiting, I think we took maybe 2 pictures with J's camera, but since it takes me way longer to figure out how to upload pictures on his computer, I figured it'd be easier to ask my parents to send theirs over.  So far, this is all they sent, a pic of J touching a squirrel monkey through the glass at the zoo.  I think once I get through a few upcoming expenses, I'll be investing in a new camera to get me to through the next 10 years.

ETA: 1 hour

The house has been cleaned.  The dogs have been bathed.  The various decorations that we purchased when we first moved here have finally gone up.  Why?

In preparation of the parents' arrival in one hour!

I picked up the keys yesterday to the apartment they're staying at in the building my friend manages, and they've got a tenth floor view of the city and a few flat-screen TVs to keep them happy.  J's mom just called to find out what we're serving tonight because she doesn't want to serve them the same thing tomorrow night at the great meet-and-greet.  

I almost can't stand the excitement of this weekend.

Fly Me to the Moon

J was off today and decided to go visit his Grandaddy in Moon, Virginia.  It's a little town; I don't know the population, but I'd guess 3.  When we went to visit last year, it certainly felt like it was just us and Grandaddy.  Amazing solitude, beautiful land, breathtaking private coves...simply paradise.  Grandaddy, a young 93, is seriously one of the most amazing men I've had the pleasure of meeting. So learned, when you talk to him you get the feeling that he's experienced everything. From his smooth lines (the first time I hugged him, his hearing aide buzzed and he said to me slyly, "It buzzes when a pretty girl is nearby."), to his knowledge of the outdoors, to his vast collections of just about everything -- he's someone you just want to visit.   So when J told me this week he was taking another trip up to visit, it got me thinking about our last visit.  And just how badly I want to go back.

His huge barn (pictured above) was a treasure trove of all things antique.  Home to many a canoe and kayak, as well as the perfect baby blue life vest he let me borrow, that barn has stories to tell and secrets to keep.  It's where I saw my first Barn Swallow.  It's where I felt such a feeling of peace staring out to the water from the oversized windows on the second floor, surrounded by the best smelling air this side of Tennessee.

Miss Mary knee-deep in mud -- her favorite place to be!

Captain J, master canoe wave-jumper

Canoeing in the middle of the sound, in quite deep water, 

willing Mary to be still and symmetrical so we wouldn't tip over.

Parked at our beach. J loves this picture.

"This is my cove!"

And the ultimate surprise?  Someone else got to go along today.  Yes, while I worked 11 hard hours, Mr. Leo frolicked, played, ran, and sniffed every inch of that land.  I can't wait for my team to get home so I can hear allll about it and see alllll the pictures.  Waiting in their food bowls are 2 bones I picked up tonight at the store, a special treat for my stinky tired worn-out babies.  I'm sure a post is in order.

The light at the end of the tunnel

My parents are coming to visit!  In my four years here, they've never made a trip at the same time; my mom comes every year for her spring break, my dad comes down when he's out here for work.  I'm soooo excited and it's actually just a few weeks away!  By then I'll be done with my work madness so I'll be taking those days off.  J's excited to take my dad to work with him.  I'm excited to show them the new pad.  And of course, there will also be a wonderful meeting with J's parents...that's what I'm most excited for.  Oh, and they'll get to see their grand-dog.

I can't wait!  I officially have something to look forward to!

Home Sweet Home

So after packing up everything we own, a couch being broken (and later replaced) by the movers as it was hoisted up over our balcony, all but one of our fish passed away (bless their hearts), and a few other heart-clenchers of this past week, J and I made it into our new home. So far so good. We love it. We're pretty sure it loves us, too, because it's cuter than ever. The dogs are happy (albeit Leo is still getting used to things. Translation: he barks at things) and they love the balcony, as do we. We worked our tails off this past week trying to get as much nesting in as possible.

Have to admit, it was hard to get myself up at 4AM yesterday for a week away from everything that's consumed my thoughts for the past month or so. I only had to endure a delayed flight from Detroit to Minneapolis which consequently made me miss my Minneapolis to KC flight, which landed me in the Breadbasket at 5pm vice noon thirty. But I was unscathed and luckily, taught well by my father, with luggage in hand since you'd be hard-pressed to catch me checking luggage. Even for a week's stay.

My parents picked me up swiftly, since they had an inkling I might go into shock since it was a crisp 7 degrees here, a sharp contrast from Virginia's 63. Whoa. But they brought me home, fed me, gave me wine, I romped about with Ruby (romp is a funny word, perhaps trampled-on is better--this is the biggest golden I've ever seen!), and watched some hi-def "Cold Case" by the fire with my mom and dad. Bliss. This is what it's like being home for me. Relaxation at its best. Snuggled up inside a warm house, resting above a snow-covered field (J, the back 40 is breath-taking), with my blanket-brandishing father always ready to cover me up, knowing I'm never too far from a nap.

My mother just ran over to Betty Nell's house to take her trash out for trash day tomorrow. The fact that my mother is basically a care-giver to her sickly little old widow friend amazes me every day. My mom is such an amazing woman who gets far too little credit for her enormous heart. We're running around today to help finish her Christmas shopping, and then later my sis and my g-ma are coming over for dinner.

I'll get to see my girls later this week/weekend, but for now, it's about spending time with my family. People who I didn't get to spend much quality time with over my summer trip. Sitting around, possibly playing a game of Mexican Train Dominoes, catching up, and reminiscing. As Ruby snoozes at my feet, I think I can hear my mom pulling into the garage. Off we go.

Ketchup

I've been quite the busy bee lately, so here are the top 10 happenings as of late:

1. Last week we spent Sunday - Wednesday every evening at J's family's beach house to celebrate his g-parents' 70th anniversary. His family, all 45 that I met, is just awesome and I loved spending so much time with them. Apparently that's a rarity in this world, but I'm lucky enough to come from an awesome family as well, so I just think that's normal. They're a really great bunch and I am amazed at how "in" I already feel with them.

2. Once we decided to stay in the Euroloft, i.e. saving money, we decided to schedule a quick weekend camping trip. We went up to the Rappahannock River (about 2 hours away) and camped and canoed. We did an amazing 11-mile canoe trip. It was such beautiful scenery. At one point, I convinced J to "park" the canoe (I'm so not nautical) and just sit in some rapids for a little bit as if it were nature's jacuzzi. We stopped on a little beach and ate our picnic and relaxed in the sun. Saturday night, J made hobos in the campfire (hello Girl Scouts!) and we just passed out from exhaustion.

3. After #2's invoked exhaustion, we coined the phrase "Tennessee Tired." Meaning the happy tired feeling that comes after an extreme hike, canoe trip, etc., that reminds us of how we felt every night in Tennessee. Tired, but content.

4. Work has been so incredibly slow the past 2 weeks that I've wanted to rip my eyelashes out to stay awake. It's a bad slow.

5. My birthday is in 6 days! I got my first bday present from J...a beautiful sapphire ring. He did so well. He was too excited to wait and give it to me later...I love that boy to death. His second gift, that will be blogged about fo' sho', is a trip with the dogs to a pet psychic. I can't wait to ask Leo a ton of questions. Can anyone think of anything really great to ask him?

6. I've been out of Allegra since Saturday. AAGGGH. I'm also covered head-to-toe in bug bites despite my best efforts to stay covered in a blanket of bug spray. However, my religious applications of SPF helped, because neither of us burned despite being in the direct blazing sun on a river for 6+ hours.

7. Heat index in Norfolk today? 105

8. Scratch that, I only had 7 things to talk about.

There's no place like home

My dad took us to a shooting range on Friday to shoot his guns. He's not a hunter or a farmer, he just collects old guns. We took 3 of his WWII guns and an old Smith and Wesson and spent a few hours scaring the crap out of ourselves. My dad and I've been trying to do it for the past few years, but it never seemed to work out when I came home in the past. Now, it'll be a pre-requisite since the men had so much fun.

I took pistol and rifle marksmanship in college, just for fun.

I did not take shotgun marskmanship.

This is me seconds after finding out shotguns hurt.

Justin shooting my dad's M1 Grand. It's a huge, very loud gun.

For never having fired a gun before, J impressed us all.

It should be noted that this picture was J's idea.

My dad laughed more this weekend with J than I've seen in a long time.

He really loved having a boy to pal around with.

Rockin' and Egg-rollin' with my mama...a tradition.

Our fry boy. "My arm won't be sore from shooting the shotgun,

it'll be sore from stirring the wok!"

Ruby is hilarious.

My beautiful friends. :)

The first to arrive to the party, and the last to leave.
Also known as my best friends.
We didn't earn the nickname 'the fun ones' for no reason, you know.

He passed! They loved him!
The Nickels family (minus Ruby)

Missing the boy already

I am supposed to be at a conference right now. The 2008 Joint Warfighting Conference. Why am I not there, you ask? Please refer to the name again. Ugh. I went this morning, had a bagel and some coffee, made some small talk with Bob, ate a cookie, sat through a briefing about health programs for soldiers, and high-tailed it out of there. I did, however, stop by the General Dynamics booth and picked up a gratis red beach mat. Isn't that nice? My employer gave me some tchotchkes! Thanks, GD!

I came home and took Leo to the kennel so I don't get caught in rush hour later taking him out to the beach. There was a new kennel attendant...Leo did not like her. He was shaking and had his tail tucked, and kept glancing at me like, "Don't you dare leave--don't you DARE!" But I did. And right before new girl took him around the corner to go back to the play area (that's what I tell myself it's called) he jumped up at me, like trying to jump into my arms. I reached out and kissed him and touched his swirly spot on his chest, and said, "Bye, buddy. Love you." And I almost choked up. It never gets easier leaving him.

The only comforting factors in this are two-fold: right now Mary is sitting beside me, staring at me with her lovely human eyes and crossed paws. She doesn't get dropped off to J's parents' house until tomorrow evening. Also, this time tomorrow I'll be in KC. And my dad told me that Ruby will sleep with me if I want. Umm...yes, please.

Well their luncheon will be over by the time I get back out to the beach. Ugh. Hopefully they have more cookies.

Exactly what I want

Today is J's mom's birthday. Because he's a wonderful son, we "drove" his grandparents up to the condo his parents rented in Williamsburg to celebrate. So we picked them up, Gramps insisted on driving while being instructed by his street pilot "Tilly" as he's named it, and he told us all about how his kids don't think he should be driving anymore, but by golly, he's a good driver. Have I mentioned yet that J doesn't have one single dull person in his family? They're all as colorful as the rainbow that we saw today after the rain let up.

At one point throughout the day, every single person that was there pulled me aside and said, "You're a good sport for coming to these events," or "I'm surprised you didn't run away after last time we all got together!" or some sort of poking fun at themselves and my willingness to endure their FFF (forced family fun). I seriously fell in love with his family on Christmas day, but it's been sooo much fun getting to know them better, and vice versa. Grams let me borrow some books, and apparently my Berkley alarm (I was the first one to hear her when she woke up from her nap) won me points. We were invited to February's ski trip to Vail, as well as a concert with his sister this summer during the beach house week. I love them, and I can't wait for J to get to spend time with my family in June.

I think I've mentioned it before, but J's grandparents are 92 years old, celebrating their 70th anniversary this year. It's so wonderful and at the same time, hard to wrap your mind around. On the drive up, Grams put it into perspective when she told us a story about how she and Gramps dated in high school, and then he left for Harvard, and she went to William & Mary. In 1937, the year before they married, Gramps saw a new movie that just came out called "Snow White" and he just loved it, so he rode a bus down from Boston one weekend and took his gal to see it. She said that someone gave them a copy of Snow White on tape a few years back, and how they're going to take it with them on their anniversary cruise this year, and they'll watch it again then. It filled me with a feeling of just how important these first few weeks/months/years are, and how I'm really glad that I'm keeping track of memories now.

As we got closer to our destination, she told us a story about somewhere in Jamestown she and Gramps used to drive up to the lake to "watch the submarine races," and then said, "You remember that, don't you dear?" and I saw her give him a wink. And after a moment, Gramps said, "Justin, watching the submarine races is what we would call it when we'd go park up there to be alone."