Augustus

Christmas Pix

2007-12-29T17:29:00.000-06:00

Familiar to Me

2007-11-15T12:38:00.001-06:00

This morning, driving down the high way I found myself stopped in front of a dead deer. Well sort of dead. The beautiful creature picked up his head as I towered above it in my Durango. It would have been OK if I wasn't watching the deer gasping for his last breaths. Deer are common animals found most everywhere but yesterday I saw a not-so-common animal also dieing along the highway. Once again I was stopped along the highway, staring down on a coyote watching his beautiful coat of hair moving in the wind. Coyotes aren't familiar sights everywhere around the country. Sometimes it's just the little things that make you feel at home, San Antonio is much like my hometown in that coyotes and deer are common. I'm not saying dead animals give me a warm and fuzzy feeling just that they are familiar scenes of the landscape.

Assembly Required

2007-11-11T15:59:00.000-06:00

I bought Gus a kids play tunnel. After a couple hours of assembling poles and connectors, Gus easily explored the tunnels. Samantha, who helps me with Gus, has a little boy and I figured the two of them would get a kick out of playing together in the tunnels. Cotton has a similar pop up cube and I thought this would be as easy to assemble...it wasn't. Now that I've got it assembled I have no idea where I am going to put it. It's too big inside the house and It'll blow away outside. I might have to store pieces in Cotton's room and other pieces in the garage. If you click on the picture of the full play tunnels, you can see Gus at the center. The bottom picture is a quick video.

Other than entertaining Dog and Cat, I planted some container flowers and hung out at home. It's amazing how much my weekends have changed over the years.

Update 2

2007-10-24T17:22:00.000-06:00

Don't know if I mentioned this but I caught a cold while I was travelling. I had one day off and my cold wasn't going to stop me. I went to Mount Vernon - George Washington's mansion; Old Town Alexandria and out to dinner with a co-worker. I shopped around the boutiques in Alexandra and eventually got tired of that so I stopped at an Aveda salon and got my hair cut and colored --very relaxing. I was intent on visiting George Washington's mansion because while I often scored an A in history, I'm a bit lacking in historical knowledge. I simply memorized my way through history classes. Recently, someone told me that history helps one understand the people around them. That really struck a chord for me and now I have a new interest.

While I was gone, Gus and Cotton were well taken care of by Samantha who walks Gus; Camp Bow Wow; Carrie our across the steet neighbor and of course Spud. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well it takes a village to help care for my dog and cat so for us it would take New York City to raise a child.

I know i've expressed this a million different ways but I LOVE SAN ANTONIO. I don't know who sings this country song but it is called "There's gotta be something more." When I left Georgia, I really identified with the song. I was very optimistic about our new life in San Antonio and apparently rightfully so. There are honestly moments in my day when I look upwards and quietly thank God for the life I've created. Next to landing the lottery I think I really found an ideal situation here in Texas. I've opened myself up to the possibility of us moving again BUT in the meantime, I am going to enjoy every moment here in SATX. Pessimistic me can't imagine many more cities offering me what San Antonio is able to.

On yet another note...Spud's birthday is coming up -- November 13th.

Travel update

2007-10-11T17:50:00.001-06:00

Today the weather was the topic of conversation for everyone in Virgina because the temperature dropped and truly feels like fall- I love it.

Spud dropped gus off at Camp Bow Wow so he can have other dogs to play with for the next couple days. He'll have sleep-overs through Saturday. I'm sure he'll love it.

Saturday, I'll have my first official day off in what seems like forever so I think I'm going to go be a tourist.

Day 1 - In the big ATL

2007-10-08T19:33:00.000-06:00

I finished my packing this morning as I was walking out the door leaving for Atlanta. I think my husband just figured out that I procrastinate in the luggage packing department. Not sure if or how he missed that fact, but I can even remember my grandfather bewildered at my procrastination. Needless to say when I arrived I drove myself to a Wal-Mart and bought all the things I didn't pack. I also realized that it might be a bit colder when I arrive later this week in D.C. versus here in Atlanta where I am wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I might need to pick up a sweater in D.C.

I rented a compact vehicle with a GPS Navigation system. Took me awhile to understand the directions so I ended up circling the airport at least 3 times.

I decided I wanted German food for dinner, so I relied on my trusty GPS and drove 18 miles one-way to the Petite Auberge Restaurant. The restaurant was exactly what I hoped for. White table clothes and people in suits celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and the like. I was completely under dressed for the dinner...and simply didn't care. The table next to me ordered Vichyssoise...YUCK - isn't that french anyways? My waiter served my entree of Bratwurst, Knackwurst and roast Pork with sides of Sauerkraut and German Dumplings. I'm a huge fan of sauerkraut and this kraut was the best I've ever had. I'm not sure how that is possible because I always thought kraut is kraut no matter where you eat kraut. Apparently I was wrong. The waiter wished me a Bon Appetite then later came back with apple strudel topped with vanilla bean ice cream. The service was impeccable. I think the cost of my dinner was my entire per Diem expense- well worth it.

Driving back the 18 miles from dinner I realized that I'm completely in love with skylines whether big city, remote desert or ocean views. Of all the views held in my memories, big cities are the most anticipated. As a kid, I can remember pressing my nose against the car's backseat window as we drove around the outskirts of downtown Seattle. Even in the daytime, the tall Seattle buildings mesmerized me. In recent years, I've had the absolute pleasure of seeing the New York and Boston downtown skylines displayed in both the day time and the night time. I'm fascinated by the New York nighttime skyline and truly appreciate Boston's Harbor views which seem to make the history of the city come alive. This evening, I was excited to know that I would be driving by downtown Atlanta and could take in the views of the tall ornate buildings, lit against the night sky. I've found, big city skylines to be a pleasure of mine that oddly evoke a sense of both calmness and excitement. The spectacular skyline views hold a special importance in my life that I can't best describe in words but rather only by the vivid memories held in my thoughts and dreams.

On The Move

2007-10-07T16:19:00.000-06:00

This week I'm travelling for work. My first stop is Atlanta then I head to Burke, VA. Should be fun but it's hard for my to get psyched up to pack and get things organized to go.

This Weekend

2007-09-30T16:33:00.000-06:00

Gus and I celebrated the last horray of Summer at the Houston Street Fair in downtown San Antonio. Lots of dogs and their owners were beating the heat with cold fruit drinks and frozen treats. We both got a drink, walked the fair and the riverwalk area. Gus was exhausted by the time we got home. On Sunday, we took him out to breakfast and then took him for a bathe. Fun weekend but I think I need an extra day just to relax.

Omar, the patio guy, showed up to fix his work. I don't know if he was sucessful but he completely stripped down the color and started over. Tomorrow evening will be the first opportunity to see if he continues to be a dough head.

Happy Birthday Cotton

2007-09-25T20:24:00.001-06:00

Bought Cotton some cat's milk and treats as she turns eight years old. She's has really tuned her nose into anything dairy oriented. If we eat cereal she'll stand there and stare at us. If we pop open whipped cream, ice cream ...anything dairy she runs up screaming for it. So now in the fridge, Spud has his 2% Milk, I've got my skim milk and our cat has her own.

A Year Ago.

2007-09-22T12:27:00.001-06:00

Today a year ago, I spent my last day at work, ran to the bank to close on the house, met the upholsterer to have my couches prepared for the move and then I spent my evening at a Restaurant with Tom, Meagan and Stephanie.
I left Augusta a year ago this Wednesday, spent a day visiting my friend in Florida and then arrived in San Antonio a year ago this Friday. A year ago this week...I was really busy.

2007-09-18T19:26:00.000-06:00

Crafty Advise

I'm not crafty. Occassionally, I peruse Michael's Crafts Store and become amazed at all the things someone can create. The store looks fun and offers easy-to-do projects, problem is it's often not easy for someone with my lack of art skill. For those of you who are challenged in the craft world, as I am, I've got a simple Halloween idea. I was bored on Sunday and was trying to take a page from those Pottery Barn catalogs that makes beans in glass containers look like tasteful works of art. Pretty sure I didn't achieve the Pottery Barn finesse but my idea only takes 3 supplies: Black Beans, a pumpkin and a display vessle. Buy a pumpkin about the size of an acorn squash - small and decorative. Fill your bowl with the black beans and press the pumpkin in. Voila a halloween centerpiece! I realize it isn't very Picasso and I'm sure the person who actively shops Michael's would laugh at my display of arts and crafts but hey I believe in baby steps for advancement.

Between pretending I could be crafty, I discovered that no matter how much I puppy proof my home Gus is a little hoodini. He found and ate a roll of travel size fruit flavored Tums. I was a bit concerned so I called my vet and they said the quantity wouldn't hurt a dog Gus's size. He just got an extra dose of calcium in his diet and won't have an uset stomach for awhile.

Tis the end of summer

2007-09-16T11:30:00.000-06:00

Gus spent his summer weekends with Spud and I having Sunday breakfeasts, visiting the botonanial garden, the beach, strolls on the riverwalk and everywhere else we could take him. Summer just didn't seem long enough. I could have enjoyed many more weekend day trips, lazy afternoons, BBQ's and all the rest of the typical summer activities. Now that "summer" is over in San Antonio, I bought some fall foods to get into the spirit: Acorn squash, Cauliflower soup, and Oatmeal has been added to my pantry. Fall means the days are in the low 80's and nights are cooling off. Even if we don't have the northern fall leaves and cooler crisp weather, I couldn't let the season pass without an 'ode. Maybe this Fall, Gus can welcome trick or treaters at our door and if we can find a big pile of leaves to crash into that would be enjoyable for both of us.

The picture of Gus yawning is him laying on a canvas sheet while I was painting the bathroom. The other picture is Gus after a bath in his new robe.

Random Tid-bits

2007-08-30T21:06:00.000-06:00

This summer we built a stamped concrete patio and the disaster is still ongoing. We can't seem to get the guy to remove air bubbles out of the seal. He keeps saying he can't do it because of the rain. Plus, he keeps calling and telling us that he'll be over to do the work and then doesn't show up. Not showing up when promised is typical of the people in this part of the country but never showing up is getting a bit old. I told him I didn't care if it takes till Christmas I just wanted it done right.

Summer is on the verge of being over and Spud is already starting his "busy season". With both of us out of the house 12 plus hours a day, Gus is in desperate need for a dog walker. I've made some fliers and this weekend we are going to distribute them, so hopefully we can find someone who loves dogs and can take good care of Gus.

This weekend, we are painting the house. We'll see how that goes. We may be calling in for back up to save us from our weekend warrior handy man syndrome. Regardless, i've requested malibu rum and mixers for the event.

On a different note, it seems to be a difficult summer for some of my friends. One of my closest friend's husband died of cancer this week and left her with 3 young children including a new born. I feel so bad for her children...it wasn't an easy life for them before and it didn't get any easier by losing their father.

Few phrases that have caught my attention this summer:

You can't be promoted if you can't be replaced.
Life is those things that happen to you that you don't expect.

I guess those two phrases could by summarzed as: Enjoy life and hope to be replaced at work!

Have Fun Everyone...and did anyone else notice that Halloween junk is already out in the stores! AGH!

Adios Amigos.

Camp Bow Wow

2007-06-25T19:23:00.000-06:00

Today, Gus went to a new doggie daycare called Camp Bow Wow. For various reasons, he now has three doggie daycare options....all of which accomodate our schedules. He came home with a full report card, a camp picture, a treat, a yearly calendar and a doggie classical CD.

A year ago this Thursday, Gus was traveling from Wisconsin to GA. It's been a full year with Gus and he really has been a lot of fun.

First 3K Dog Walk

2007-06-24T07:09:00.001-06:00

Gus and I went on a 3K Dog Walk in a local park. He ran around in a water pond as if he had always loved water...little known to the onlookers his delight in the water was a surprise to me too. He played with other dogs inside a baseball field with red clay dirt. At the conclusion of the activities Gus got a blue coconut snow cone. So at different points in the outdoor activities his white fur was red from clay, wet, and blue from snowcones.

He spent most of time since then sleeping.

2007-06-18T11:09:00.000-06:00

Spud is leaving for his annual meetings. When we lived in NY, these meetings would coincide with our neighborhood's annual yard sale. Our friend Tom would come over and we'd spread out our wares and more importantly break out the blender, liquor, mixers and beer. It was always so much fun. In Ga, I was always so busy working I hardly noticed that Spud left for meetings. This year, it's Gus, Cotton and I, holding down the fort. Yipee! Not sure what we will do together this weekend but It'll probably consist of long walks, bike rides and hanging out at the house.
This past weekend Spud and I left the animals home and went shopping up in San Marcos. Stopped in New Braunfels at a German Bakery and a German Restaurant as well. Yummy. We also watched the downtown Spurs Championship celebrations on TV. It's amazing what lengths fans will go to: naming their children after their favorite player, dressing their kids in outrageous outfits, and so much more. This weekend, someone who works in sports said it best..."They pay our paychecks". Well, said I thought. Right down to the money.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

2007-05-20T12:58:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, we celebrated seven years of marriage; funny thing, seven years ago feels like another lifetime to both of us because we've created more life changing events than some people do in their entire life. We've moved and adjusted to various polar opposite cities, found the good, the bad, and the ugly in everywhere we've lived. In order to adjust I acknowledged both the bad and ugly but concentrated on the good no matter how small or insignificant the good may have been. Taking advantage of everything good a region, culture, or lifestyle offers is what keeps me whole. I've always seen myself as able to easily adjust to different people and ways of life; but after seven years of marriage I feel like I've danced longer, harder and have simply become a better dancer at life.

We didn't do alot over our anniversary weekend, but I thoroughly enjoyed it because we explored for the good. We went to the Enchanted Springs Ranch; took Gus to the Gulf Coast and went on a 5 mile wilderness walk. The ranch afforded us the opportunity to see zebras, bisons, antelopes and an asundry of other animals. We also went to North Padres Island, Port Aransas and Mustang Island on the Gulf. Gus was jubilant about the change of scenery and frankly so was I. On a seperate day, we went on a 5 mile hike that almost killed the three of us on the last mile. Exploring for the good was a fun adventure for our anniversary weekend.

Fence Staining

2007-04-30T08:24:00.000-06:00

First of all...for those who know Spud and I well...you would have laughed at us if you saw us cleaning and staining our fence. Our friends don't often see us exherting ourselves in personal handy man type jobs. So anytime we actually accomplish handy work, which is rare, we taut it. Four days, two scrub brushes, heavy chemicals, gloves, snacks and libations allowed us to take these before and after pictures. The gray fence is the before; the unstained clean fence is after HAND SCRUBBING; and the picture with grass is the "after fence". If you've talked to Spud and I lately, you've heard us rant about our horrible grass. I took the after picture in the only spot we have good grass. If I was better at Photo Shop I would have taken a full yard picture and photo shoped grass in...our quickest hope of having green grass. Gus spent the day inside the house watching us work...what a dog's life!

Update

2007-04-24T11:57:00.000-06:00

Gus and Cotton were hanging out together but when I got the camera they both got up. Apparently, they didn't want evidence of cat and dog getting along. The other picture is of Spud and Gus napping. Gus follows Spud around the house. He literally picks up his toys and moves to whatever room Spud walks to. It's very cute.

Gus is celebrating his 1 Year Birthday this Thursday. He has really grown to be the dog we wanted. Gus and Cotton are getting along pretty well, he is house-trained, loves kids, loves other dogs and likes to go out on walks with us. We shopped to find the temperment and we are just lucky enough to have found the dog that meets our lifestyle.

UTEP

2007-04-06T17:53:00.000-06:00

Just thought I'd share a couple cool pictures of the University I went to in El Paso. One is a campus shot and the other is the Sun Bowl.

Saint Patricks Day Weekend

2007-03-19T11:13:00.000-06:00

We took Gus downtown and to the riverwalk area for St Patty's Day. They say the river was dyed green but I couldn't tell the difference.

We also took Gus to his Doggie Day Care, Gus played with the other dogs and they had a catered BBQ and a Band. We met a couple whose wife is from Toronto and whose husband is American. Plus we talked to other people who were overexhuberant about their pets and had some fun.

Mini St Bernard, Mini St Bernards

2007-03-12T13:34:00.000-06:00

Mini St Bernard, Mini St Bernards

Tea Time

2007-03-08T10:15:00.000-06:00

Cotton and Gus at the kitchen table waiting for tea and biscuits.

A Break-through

2007-02-12T17:50:00.000-06:00

Gus and Cotton have made, what I call, a break-through. They were hanging out near the backdoor and Cotton was allowing Gus to lick her head. They hung out for so long they gave me enough time to find my camera and snap some pictures. That is amazing for an 8 year old cat and a 10 month old dog.

Took Gus out for a walk today and there were 6 children outside playing ball. I let Gus off his leash to play with them. The kids were apprehensive at first but quickly learned that Gus was friendly and just wanted to play. He really enjoyed playing ball with all the kids and the kids asked if Gus could play with them again. I also took Gus out on a bike ride. I'm teaching him to run along side my bike while wearing a leash. He's doing a really good job.

NYC Getaway (click on photo to get a full view)

2007-02-01T08:36:00.000-06:00

Gus went to Pawderosa Ranch , Cotton stayed home and Spud and I went to New York City. We stayed at the Double Tree Suites with an awesome room view of Times Square. While we were in New York City we visited the Good Morning America Morning Show and we saw the Today's Show. At Good Morning America we got a picture with Diane Sawyer, met Duke the bomb sniffing dog, saw Mario Batali and Charlotte York (Kristin Davies) from Sex and the City. At the Today's Show we saw Meredith, Al and Ann on the Plaza.

We spent a big part of one day walking around Central Park and going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We stopped by the Gugenheim but decided based on time and interest the Met was the place to see. The Egyptian artifacts and art was just amazing. The amount of history and art at the Met is impossible to fully take-in in one visit. Frankly, I think you'd need at least two years, several lecture series, multiple guided tours, and a few good readings to even begin to intellectually absorb the full history displayed at the Met.

One evening we went to the Phantom of the Opera which is an amazing theatrical production. Another evening we ate dinner at Bubba Gump's restaurant (From the movie Forrest Gump). At Bubba Gumps, I had Clam Chowder and of course Spud had Fries. Around NYC, I had Cheesecake, Lamb Gyro's, really great Bagels and so many other foods that can only be had in the Big Apple.

On our last night, it snowed while we were walking around Times Square and it was just beautiful. We headed up to our hotel room where the Times Square snowfall looked like a Thomas Kinkade city portrait.

When we came home Cotton meowed at a distance, just enough to let us know she was mad at us for deserting her. She always does that when we leave her home. As she's done before, she eventually came around and begged for attention. This morning, I picked up Gus from Pawderosa. They told me that he did really well, ate all his food, and even did great at night. He did get in trouble for, as the Pawderosa put it, terrorizing a 5 month old Whippett puppy. Oops.

Gus came home exhausted, I even was able to snap a few photos of the two of them hanging out near the back door window.

Daily Dose of Gus

2007-01-20T17:13:00.000-06:00

I've decided that the decision to bring Gus in our life is responsible for me not being ten pounds heavier. It's like a built in exercise program. I'm constantly answering his calls to go outside, come inside, play with me, let's go for a walk - the demands are endless each day and keep me moving. Oddly, he makes me laugh and annoyed at the same and is all-around really great company.

When I was moving from Augusta to San Antonio I carried around multiple files every day juggling a file for our Jeep with nearly $10,000 in body damage at the dealership; another file for purchasing a house I'd never seen thousands of miles away; files for home warranty insurance, home insurance, and new auto insurance; a file for moving company estimates; more files for all the new home utilities. From the picture, you can see just the problem I had on my hands with the Jeep. This was just my to do list for those things that required their own files. Even with my burdening schedule and stresses, the downtime I did have was spent with Gus. He kept me even busier and really entertained me. I look back on how much I was handling moving everything we own by myself and am glad I had my dog to keep me company.

Between answering Gus's beckon calls, I'm currently reading the book Marley and Me. The book cover calls it #1 New York Times Bestseller, Life and love with the world's worst dog. I heard about Marley and Me from the TV show The Dog Whisperer. I was only 49 pages in before I started crying with my dog and cat on opposite sides of my feet and only 250 more pages to go. Read about Marley and Me at: http://www.marleyandme.com/

Gus - The tourist.

2007-01-19T19:33:00.000-06:00

Gus had a full day out to be a tourist in San Antonio. One picture is Gus and I on the San Antonio Riverwalk. Spud, Gus and I went to the Riverwalk had a couple strawberry daquiries and some popcorn at one of the bars. We walked all over downtown, including the Alamo area, with Gus and even stopped at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory to buy some doggie treats. We also went to the San Antonio Missions. The Missions were built by the Indians before the United States was even a country. The purpose of the Missions were for the Spaniards to Christianize the Indians. People still attend the catholic church at the mission. http://www.nps.gov/saan (click link to see San Antonio Missions).

This week the San Antonio weather turned the city into an ice rink. Everything was iced over and we had a lot of sleet. Gus loved it. Him and I spent more time outside in the sleet than we most often spend in the sunshine. The second picture is Gus checking out the "ice conditions".

New Year's Eve

2007-01-01T10:08:00.000-06:00

"They", whoever "they" are, say when your a kid the years can't go by fast enough versus when your an adult the years simply fly by. Well, 2006 did fly by for me and frankly I wish it would all slow down. Better yet, I need a remote control with a slow down and fast forward feature. For the most part, I'd take things slow but there are those excruciating moments when fast forward would be absolutely necessary.

I would have used my remote to slow down New Year's Eve Day. We went to Sea World, saw the last Shamu show of the season, rode a water ride, walked around the park and talked about people we missed and who would have enjoyed Sea World.

We needed the fast forard button to get us to midnight. Although, San Antonio had a big downtown celebration with almost a 1/4 of a million people, fireworks and 7 stages of entertainment we decided it was cold and too crowded. Once the decision to stay home was grounded, and the clock ticked on, we came up with the idea of celebrating in East Standard time. Although, we live in the central time zone, we couldn't stay awake till midnight. We rationalized it by saying we've spent most of our marriage living on the East Coast anyways.

When midnight actually applied to our time zone, Gus woke me up because the neighborhood sky was bursting with fireworks. Every neighbor and their child was outside shooting off fireworks. I went outside and gave my neighbor a basket of cookies with hot chocolate and marshmallows. I wished them a happy new year and went right back to bed.

Designing A Cuter Dog, Part Pug, Part Beagle, The Puggle Captures The Hearts Of Dog Owners - CBS News

2006-12-28T12:15:00.000-06:00

Designing A Cuter Dog, Part Pug, Part Beagle, The Puggle Captures The Hearts Of Dog Owners - CBS News

This was the TV show that aired on May 21st which made us hunt down the Kennel and buy Gus.

Stinky Gus

2006-12-16T13:23:00.000-06:00

Someone once told me that when your company you should always leave before your ready to go, usually a maximum of four days. Well I've violated that rule and Gus is telling me. Today is the fourth day, this morning he banned peanut butter and lost his appetite. I actually gave Gus the jar of peanut butter and he stuck his nose in the air at it. As long as he doesn't ban meat on the fifth day we should be fine. The person who gave me the advise actually said the phrase a bit different, they said "company stinks after four days". Well, Gus actually does stink. He's been playing outside so much he's stinky and dirty. The bad part is that Gus is sticking to me like glue and I can't stand the way he smells. Tomorrow, on the fifth day, we'll head back to San Antonio and stop stinking up the place.

Road Trip

2006-12-16T00:39:00.000-06:00

Desert Highway
Gus and I are on a road trip. We left San Antonio on Wednesday and headed West to El Paso. The drive was relaxing and scenic. As we left San Antonio the trees slowly began to diminish and the desert sand showed more of itself. In the far distance, the endless highway seemed to meet the sky.
We stopped about every hour or so at rest stops. At one rest stop, Gus and I met a trucker with an 8 week old Blue Healer puppy. I never caught the trucker's name but he seemed to really enjoy his puppy and I could easily imagine that little puppy turning into a big dog riding alongside his owner in the semi truck. At another rest stop I took the picture of a "watch for snakes" sign. Often one would see "watch for deer" or something sweet like that. "Watch for Snakes" just seems so typical for a desert. At the rest stops Gus learned about desert stickers. I'm sure there is a more formal name for them but basically small sharp pointy things that gets stuck in a dogs paw or any other unfortunate individual who steps on one. I had to dig a few out of gus's paws as we walked around.

The desert has a new addition I never saw growing up..a Wind Farm. The "modern windmill", that creates electricity, dots the desert landscape for several miles. Near the wind farm are oil pumps. Seeing the combination of wind electricity and oil pumps seems odd to me. All the area needs is solar panels and it would be the ultimate diversified energy mix.

Driving the desert highways, reminds me of those people who think the desert is beautiful and those with the opposing view that say it's ugly. Oddly, I understand both sides. I guess it's a matter of what you see in the desert. I see a very untame stretch of land, with beautiful sunsets and land filled with deep history of strong people. I respect it and feel a sense of comfort in knowing that I can see anything from every direction. Driving the desert on my road trip with my dog is simply soooooo much fun.

I took the road sign picture of the San Angelo exit for our friend Tom. He spent a small stint of his life in San Angelo. I'm not sure he'd have much good to say about it except for the great brisquet he got to eat.

Gus since arriving...
has become increasingly dependent on me. He won't leave my side and cries if I leave him anywhere. Although he's become dependent he's taken on a few adventures and seems to be enjoying himself. Today, I let Gus chase a big black bird. Problem was Gus thought he could fly and jumped right off a rock wall. He landed on solid concrete and wan't getting up for a good minute. By the time I ran to him he had already sprung up and found himself disappointed that he lost the bird in his fall.

Electrial Wiring, Do it Yourself?

2006-11-28T12:50:00.000-06:00

Anyone who knows Spud and I, knows that neither of us is very "handy". When I left Augusta, a friend gave us a "home how to" book with a section on electrical wiring. Before I even thought to find the book, Spud and I tore into the light fixture box, turned off the electricity to the entire house and started installing. We got stuck on the wiring because customer service was closed and it was getting dark. This morning I woke up and finished the installation. It required 3 calls to customer service from a cell phone, 2 phone calls to my grandfather, a trip to Lowe's, and reading the wiring section of the book I failed to open before we started the job. I turned the house power back on only after I put the dog outside and checked the location of the cat. I figured if the house caught on fire that all I would need to do is grab the cat, throw her in her crate, and call 911.

The light seems to be working, the animals and I are safe, but I don't think I'll leave the light on unattended for awhile.

Happy Birthday To Me!

2006-11-26T19:49:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm 32 Years Old. Yipee. Last night the girls from the hockey team absolutely surprised me with a nice cake, wine selection, balloons and a card. I brought the balloons home and notice who played with them...Gus.

Spud, Gus, and I spent our day in Fredericksburg, TX which is an hour away. We walked the downtown shops and went to several wineries. The pictures of Spud with Gus are at Becker Winery. I bought wine, sage cheddar cheese, honey, pure chocolate, Jalapeno Jelly, mustards and other assortment of wine condiments. Spud was a sport and just kept handing me more money as I shopped.

Tonight, we finally turned on our outside Christmas lights. As mentioned in an earlier post those red rope lights from Wal-Mart...DON'T BUY THEM. I'm going to get a light-up polar bear to put on the front lawn as well. Chances are I won't be purchasing it from Wal-Mart. The other picture of the skating rink is a close-up of a Dept 56 village piece. You can see the small village set-up in the picture with Gus playing with the birthday balloons.

I had a really great day. Taking Gus on our venture was actually easy and fun. He even scored a new doggie toy and boutique treats.

Happy Holidays

2006-11-24T09:50:00.000-06:00

The holiday festivities have kicked off in the Hamilton household. Gus and Cotton found a common interest in ribbons while I was putting up the Christmas tree. They both enjoyed playing with the ribbons, which as most can imagine, didn't make putting up the tree easy. By the time I was finished with the tree Gus decided it was a great place to nap and cotton retreated to her cat tree.

Spud hung red rope Christmas lights outside the house. Neither of us will reccomend Wal-Mart's red rope lights. The packaging says you can plug up to 200 feet together but your lucky if you can plug 36 feet without the ropes not turning on. The light hanging was so frustrating that I decided if we do this again next year, I'll stock the mini fridge and put out a table with food and mixers for sanity breaks. I'm sure it'll be quite a sight for the neighbors but hey you do what you gotta do. I'm willing to make it a block party if they want to lend a helping hand!

Between getting ready for Christmas and celebrating Thanksgiving, Spud and I went to a Spurs game; and saw two concerts, Brady Paisley performed with Carrie Underwood , we also saw Toby Keith. So our entertainment options and holiday festivities have now kicked off and I'm already looking forward to life's unexpected in 2007.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Completely Off-Topic

2006-11-05T09:56:00.000-06:00

I grew up in El Paso, the locals label it the city most-forgotten in Texas. It's hard to be objective about a city when it's your hometown but I grew up thinking all the other big cities in Texas were just better. I can talk for hours with other native El Pasoans about all the small issues, cultural oddities, and negative ways-of-life that El Paso offers. Notice I said I could talk for hours with a NATIVE El Pasoan. Not so sure, I'm ready to full degrade my hometown with someone from San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Houston, or even worse someone from a city outside of Texas. No offense fellow Texans, remember I already admitted your big city is better than mine. Even though I think El Paso doesn't always meaure-up to other bigger Texas cities, somehow I was fully instilled with a love for Texas.

We are the 2nd biggest state next to Alaska, but really the first, because who wants to live in Alaska. They say everything's bigger in Texas but it's probably just our pride. Many American's have a sense of pride and patriotism in being American. I think Texans have a second identity, American and Texan. We're very proud of our state. Even though I'm not a George Bush fan, it takes a Texan to bring brisquet and cowboy boots to the White house. I understand they even fired their White House Executive Chef and brought it someone who knows how to cook real Texan food.

I'm glad to be back in Texas. I'm constantly looking up at the skyline and being so happy that I can see so much of it. Sunrises, sunsets, nightime, it all looks great. Driving down the freeway on a Saturday night, tuned into a today's hit radio station that's playing 80's music, brings back so many great memories that lead me back to that West Texas Town of El Paso. If you haven't been to Texas, ya gotta visit. Visiting Texas isn't the same as living in Texas; and living in Texas isn't the same as being Texan.

Update

2006-11-04T08:32:00.000-06:00

For Halloween we went to someone's house with Gus. Gus ran around a lot because he had a little girl he could play with a new place to investigate. It took Spud and I as a team effort to keep our eye on him.

Now that Gus is getting bigger he can reach things that before I thought were safe. Things keep getting higher and higher around here...including the cat. She is finding higher locations to run and hide.

One morning, I woke up and cotton was sleeping curled inside my left arm and Gus was right beside her sleeping. The only time they relax together is in a sleepy stupor. Gus still chases her and she hates it. Sometimes she deserves it though because she stands around his food dishes or sniffs him and of course Gus takes notice.

Gus had a hard time this week. I packed his water with one of those frozen ice packs. The pack leaked and so did his water. By the time I processed that fact, Gus had already drank at least a 1/2 cup of blue water. He spent the day naseous as we went to a doggie festival and dog park. I also had to take him to the vet because he caught a viral infection from another dog. He was given a shot and is taking pills twice a day. Little Gus is really struggling. So I'm going to keep him at home for a bit until hopefully he gets better. He's not struggling enough to not chase Cotton though.

Doggie Park

2006-10-22T18:56:00.000-06:00

Gus went to puppy school and barked for an entire hour. He actually did better than I thought because he didn't completely lose his mind trying to play with the other dogs.

On Friday, the Vet took his stiches out. Cotton even made a trip to the vet for a routine check.

Saturday, Gus went to a dog park. There was easily 30 leashless dogs of every size and age playing. Notice the yellow lab in the picture, he needed a bigger water dish for his personal doggie pool. That dog actually put all four legs in the dish and sat down. One large dog obsessed on Gus. He is the big white dog with brown spots. He followed Gus absolutely everywhere and wouldn't let Gus play with any other dog. The owner said her dog has a stuffed toy that looks just like Gus. Hence, Gus was the dog's live play toy. Gus came home filthy and exhausted.

Gus neuter update

2006-10-13T16:51:00.000-06:00

Gus was neutered today and Cotton took advantage of the alone time to play and get attention from me. Gus came home happy but fully annoyed with his collar. I don't blame him, notice in the picture it's a modern style rather than one of those cones. The collar is even camouflaged. Not really sure why it would be camouflaging, Gus isn't going to sneak up on any one with that look. Cotton isn't impressed with the camouflaged circus ring either. She's decided to stay on her tree and avoid Gus. Gus is doing great and I'm hoping he'll be healed in time for puppy training. (pix posted soon)

Gus is getting neutered.

2006-10-12T15:04:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Gus spent the day at his new doggie day care. He found yet another Boxer that he loved playing with. The day care is a really nice one with boarding, grooming and veterinarian services. I've enrolled him in puppy training classes at the day care. Last night was the first class for the owners but I didn't' go because Spud and I went to the Blue Man Group Show. I had no idea what type of show it was but later realized it was more of a concert instead of a show. It's humor was geared towards today's techno society. Good show.
Tomorrow Gus goes to the Vet to get neutered. The veterinarian doing the surgery seems like a great guy but he doesn't have the "modern edge" like our Vet in Augusta. Our last vet had laser surgery services, diagnostic care and stayed abreast of modern treatments. I know Gus needs to be neutered and that it is best for him but I still feel bad for him. I gave him a bathe today and then fed him his regular food with four slices of bacon and a hot dog. Gus doesn't get people food so it was a real treat. I put some extra meet in the freezer for after his surgery.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this but Gus doesn't really understand why he'd want to hang out in the backyard by himself. Furthermore, he isn't sure about the dead grass in our yard. In Augusta the grass was green, springy and soft. Our grass needs ALOT of watering! Gus searches for a green patch to pee on and avoids the brown stuff. Hopefully by Spring we can have some green grass around here and he'll start loving his backyard.

Home Decor & Upgrades

2006-10-04T13:07:00.000-06:00

Betty the homemaker is not really my first name. Tony the handy man isn't really Spud's name either. So needless to say we are both out of our element. As I was out shopping for the necessities of the house such as appliances, toilet paper holders, blinds and more, I decided to approach home decor and upgrades from an advertising perspective of branding. It's really the only approach I knew to apply as I stood in front of the myriad of refrigerators and later in the home depot aisle of bathroom accessories. This morning the last of the appliance deliveries arrived and I began installing the bathroom accessories. Installation is a very big word for someone who doesn't do "home stuff". So I stood in the doorway of my bathroom with the toilet paper holder in my left hand and the screw driver in my right. I surveyed the room for a location to hang the holder based on ease of use and a consistent look between the two bathrooms. I chose the locations and successfully installed the toilet paper holders. No sooner had I hung the paper on the holders did my sweet little Gus make them useless. He grabbed the toilet paper and shredded it across the bedroom. I now have toilet paper holders that perfectly match the towel racks in well-thought-out locations but my paper resides on the countertops. Home decor and upgrades is starting off well!

We're In San Antonio, TX

2006-10-02T15:47:00.000-06:00

Gus and Cotton did great on the trip. They stayed in their crates and didn't complain too much. The hardest part of the trip was unloading and loading the Jeep by myself. It took me an hour everytime. Both the cat and the dog adjusted well to the new house. Although, Gus doesn't understand the concept of a backyard. He doesn't quite get why he'd want to go in the yard by himself. We set up a small room for Cotton. She has a chair, her cat tree, food, litter and her toys. It has a baby gate so Gus can't "visit" Cotton's space. I'm busy unpacking and soon I'll post pictures.

We're On The Move!

2006-09-27T10:25:00.000-06:00

Gus, Cotton, and I are travelling to Texas. The movers finished yesterday around 1:30. Then, we drove to Montgomery Alabama and stayed overnight. This morning we are staying at a La Quinta in Pensacola, Florida. Cotton and Gus are travelling very well. Cotton received some great pills from the Vet that makes her calm. She wasted a pill and a half this morning because she spit it out and the pill dissolved. Perhaps there was just enough to make her calm but she did great driving to Pensacola. We are down to 1 1/2 pills left and two days to go. Hopefully, I can get one whole pill down Cotton's mouth tomorrow and then we'll leave really early and drive as far as we can go. We're travelling with mostly pet stuff. They both have toys, treats, crates and are sharing a suitcase with all kinds of stuff to make them happy. Gus even has doggie ice cream in a cooler on dry ice. Cotton puts up with Gus in hotels just about as much as she puts up with him at home...she doesn't. When I can, I'll blog along the way and post pictures of things we see and do.

Labor Day Weekend on the Savannah River

2006-09-04T07:51:00.000-06:00

We went to the Savannah river at least once -a-day this Labor Day weekend. The pictures above are at the river. They are of Gus near an anchor at the marina; on a amphitheater bench in front of the river; and in the foliage of the walk-way.

Gus had a few "firsts". He learned how to climb up and down stairs...a skill he used to expore the Savannah Amphitheatre. I wasn't trying to teach him he just decided he wanted to get somewhere that required stairs. When we are at the river he listens to my requests and commands; it really shows how much he's learned. At the Savannah, he also discovered birds which I'm sure he just wants to play with...until his instincts take over and "bird" becomes a great snack. He doesn't know that cats, birds, squirrels and other such like animals don't want to play with dogs. He just doesn't understand why. This weekend, in addition to all of his playing at the Savannah river, he lost his first puppy tooth.

Moving to Texas!

2006-08-26T18:34:00.000-06:00

Post by Gus
My mom has taught me about Texas:
The Lone Star State
Flower: Bluebonnet
Bird: Mockingbird
Tree: Pecan
Capital: Austin

She's told me this is important because we are moving to the Lone Star State. I've been told that it's the best state in the Union...not really sure what that means; I've also been told that Texas has the best BBQ! MEAT...now i'm interested. We aren't moving for another month or so but I'm ready with my cowboy boots and all.

Gus with Boxer Puppy at Dog Festival

2006-08-26T13:08:00.000-06:00

Gus is becoming a topic of conversation for people. This morning I took him to the farmers market and someone came up to me and asked me if my dog was THE miniature St. Bernard they've heard about. At the market Gus met a miniature donkey and a miniature horse. The owner let Gus, the donkey and horse investigate each other. I wish I had my camera but maybe next weekend I'll go back and get pictures. We also went to a doggie festival today. He played with all kinds of dogs, got wet in the kiddie pools, watched the police K-9 unit dog demonstrations and had plenty of kids and people loving on him. At the festival, he made absolute best friends with a boxer puppy. Gus and that boxer pretty much ran around the festival together.

Like Father, Like Son

2006-07-15T15:31:00.000-06:00

Gus, Cotton & Hamiltons Update

2006-07-15T15:09:00.000-06:00

Gus and Cotton are tolerating each others existence. They will sit in the same room but that is the extent of it. Gus will chase cotton, which we are trying to teach him not to. At this point, our entire weekend consists of Gus. We basically wear him out so that we can go to a movie or pick up groceries. Today we went to the pet store, park and to a doggie boutique. We found a doggie hockey puck (in picture) and of course had to buy it. We didn't leave the boutique without 3 gourmet doggie treats and we also bought him some doggie shampoo and spray-on conditioner. So today, Gus got his first dog wash. He wasn't exactly thrilled. After his doggie bath he got a smore's treat from the boutique and absolutely loved it.

We are up with him once or twice a night taking him outside and we've decided to just let him sleep with us...it's just easier. We found a doggie walker; a teenage girl who lives in the next building. She won't be able to walk him when school starts but I am sooo going to take advantage of having a dog sitter during the last few "dog days of summer" left.

Happy Holidays

2006-07-04T11:06:00.000-06:00

Happy Fourth of July & to my Canadian Friends and Family: Happy Be-lated Canada Day. (double click on pix to view larger)

Pix

2006-06-29T16:32:00.000-06:00

Click on pictures to see a close-up.

Gus is Home

2006-06-29T05:42:00.000-06:00

Gus has arrived in the Hamilton household. He was a bit scared from the plane flight. On the way home, Spud and I stopped at a gas station to let Gus walk around. Gus played in the grass and following Spud around. Spud held him all the way home from Columbia. We sneaked him into the house without Cotton seeing him. This morning, I moved the crate and Cotton now knows there is a dog in the house; she's decided to hang out in our room. Gus has been sleeping and as soon as I take him outside I'll snap some pictures. The introduction of canine to a husband, wife and feline has begun!

Gus is on his way

2006-06-28T10:32:00.000-06:00

It's almost 12 noon in Wisconsin and Gus departs at 1:30 so he is on his way to the airport from the kennel. YEAH!!!!!!! We'll post pictures tomorrow!

Gus Arrival Date & Time

2006-06-21T06:54:00.000-06:00

Gus is scheduled to arrive next Wednesday (June 28th) on Northwest Air at 11:30 pm in Columbia, SC. That is about an hour away from where we live. We've taken Cotton to the Vet to make sure she has a clean bill of health and after Gus arrives he will have a puppy check up too. The days of having a dog and cat are about here and I am sooo excited!

Picture of Gus

2006-06-05T18:06:00.000-06:00

Augustus Hamilton, brother O'Cotton

Date of Picture: 6/5

Gus Expected Arrival Date

2006-06-02T09:03:00.000-06:00

The kennel e-mailed us and is planning on sending us photos on Monday. We know that Gus was born on April 26th. He is going to fly in on North West Air on either Wednesday June 28 or Thur June 29th at night. The heat makes it impossible to fly Gus during day time hours. We are now exploring the best way to house break a puppy and are deciding on crate training and other methods.

A week ago,

2006-05-28T05:47:00.000-06:00

we were watching the CBS Sunday Morning show and saw a story about designer dogs. They introduced us to a dog called a Miniature St. Bernard. Two days later, my husband Spud and I were doing internet searches trying to find the dog. We had an in-depth conversation about adding a dog to our family that was almost as thorough as the conversation we had when we decided to get married. By Friday, I mailed our deposit and filled out the kennel order form. I wanted a girl and my husband wanted a boy. We negotiated on a boy. When the kennel receives our deposit they will e-mail us pictures so we can pick which puppy we want.

We have been looking at dogs for the past year and deciding on what traits we want in a dog. My husband even earmarked a dog name- Augustus (Gus for short) because we live in Augusta, GA.

Spud has never had a dog. I grew up with a mutt black Labrador. She was a great dog who was always concerned about me, followed me around the house and loved the outdoors. Spud grew up with cats. I never had a cat and was beyond ignorant on owning a cat. We now have a wonderful cat named Cotton who never does anything wrong and is going to turn 7 years old on September 16th. Neither of us has ever raised a puppy and we have been reading everything possible. Our goals are to have a dog who gets along with other dogs, who feels comfortable being around a lot of people and to successfully introduce our new dog to Cotton.

Yesterday, we purchased a Cat Tree to officially say sorry to our cat for our pending purchase of Gus. Plus, Cotton can climb to the top to get away if she chooses.