Busy Bee

You'll at least be happy to know that while I've been neglecting my blog it's at least because I've been busy. Since my last blog I've been up to San Francisco for dinner; off to Las Vegas for two days; to the doctor for crazy dizziness; and skiing again with Alan. I'm celebrating the fact that trip 1 of 3 to Vegas is over and that I only have an inner ear problem, residual from sinus issues from my last illness, rather than a brain tumor. The doctor said it would go away on its own, which it did, coincidentally, the day I went to the doctor. At least now Alan and I have a doctor to go to out here.

Thanks to a Christmas gift from Lorrie, Alan and I made it up to San Francisco for dinner at the Beach Chalet. It's a cool restaurant right on the ocean. Of course, we went at night so we didn't get the full view, but we did see the fog roll in right before our eyes, which was really crazy. Tons of bonfires were going on the beach, so it made for very cool scenery and a great meal we wouldn't have otherwise had. We walked across to the beach, which was fun, but a tad on the blustery side. Ok, a LOT on the blustery side. It's no wonder there were bonfires every 10 feet.



The view of the restaurant itself looks awesome at night because it's all lit up. Unfortunately, that doesn't translate well for night photography, so I have the obligatory sign shot. We also saw a tsunami warning sign, which isn't something you see every day.



Alan and I also got up to Kirkwood again to ski over the weekend, in fresh snow, and it was a huge improvement over the conditions last time. We had such a good time, although at one point I thought I broke my ankle, and Alan slid headfirst down craggy rocks. We both recovered. All in a day's ski.

Sucker Punched

I think my last blog would have won the Reader's Choice award, if I were to give such an accolade to myself for my blogs. It elicited more emails (and fewer comments) than any other blog I've written. While it'll be hard to top and probably won't be topped, ever, I'm just going to jump write back in.*

Alan and I made it skiing for the second time this year at Kirkwood on Sunday. We went up to stay Saturday night, and rather than pay $199 to stay near the resort we opted to do a bit of a drive the next morning and stay a little further out. The next morning was a little bright, and since Alan doesn't have a decent pair of shades, he opted to drive in his ski goggles.



I never take my camera on the mountain for fear of impaling myself with it, so here's the closest thing I can really get to an action ski picture.



Unless you count this.



We had a good time, me trying out my new skis and Alan ripping up the mountain as always. We're already planning our next trip.

And while we didn't take Martikins on this ski outing, we did check her into the posh PetSmart PetsHotel for the evening. Let me tell you: I fell for the place hook, line and sinker. From the fireplace in the lobby to the hypoallergenic lambskin blankets, I ate it up. Yum. It only cost $5 more per night than the bare-bones, unheated metal-and-concrete kennel we took her to previously, and it saved us a lot of guilt.** And I'll admit it: We splurged so that she could do doggie day camp on Sunday and play with the other dogs. Our rationale was that if she had the best time ever on her first stay at the PetsHotel, she will never be afraid to go back. I take my dog's psychological well being seriously, folks.

And trust me, the splurge paid off. When we saw her Sunday night she was worn out and calm and wasn't following us around like she had been abandoned. And here's the best part: She got a Pawgress Report. Here's how our little girl did:

Meal time
3 out of 3 paws: Dinner disappeared quickly.
Marti says: "Loved my food."

Play/TLC Time
3 out of 3 paws: Had a great time playing at PetSmart
Marti says: "Played with my new friend Daisy-Belle." (Me: Can you seriously hear me giggling?)

Bed Time
2 out of 3 paws: A little tossing and turning
Marti says: "Exciting events & all left me restless."

Potty Time
3 out of 3 paws: Took care of business
Marti says: Champ here!

The Whole Time
3 out of 3 paws: Carefree, calm and comfortable
Marti says: Ran and romped and had so much fun.

Yes, I am officially one of "those people." But I promise, as blog as my witness, I will NEVER call to talk to Marti while she's on "vacation." Yes, you can do that. No, I'm not kidding.


*Yes, the pun was on purpose.
**Seriously, little Marti was shaking and frightened after a week there over Christmas and I will never do that to her again.

Poor Mr. Hedges

So, there has been another serious injury to a friend in Marti’s posse. Mr. Hedges, Marti’s beloved hedgehog, has officially gone to the dog toy repair bin. I think the members in the repair bin outnumber the healthy members of the dog toy family. Mr. Hedges’ severe internal injuries looked quite familiar. He had the same severe head trauma that Goat had, only Marti took Hedges one step further and removed his entire spinal column and stomach (aka “squeaker bag”).



Marti, claiming innocence in the face of nearly irreparable damage.



And an update on Mr. Goat. He now has a severe facial injury and is oozing stuffing. His face is even off-kilter.



Marti knows the damage is severe. She prays.

Orange you glad you're a Jayhawk?

Wow, what a game.

My fingernails may be completely gone, and I may have gotten revenge on the neighbors with all of my cheering, but how often does Kansas win the Orange Bowl? I'm so proud to be a Jayhawk.

This makes sitting through all of those losses in college--in the cold, in the rain, with Natalie as the only one who would stay with me through the end of a losing game--totally worth it.

I knew this day would come. Go Jayhawks!