Has it been two weeks??

Really?

So sorry! I am still alive, barely. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind... first, wrapping everything up at my old job, taking care of the puppy, then I got sick, sleeping, sleeping, sleeping. Puppy biting everything. Puppy housebreaking. Puppy needs attention. More attention. MORE ATTENTION!! Why are you looking at your phone? I will bite it! BITE BITE BITE! Whine whine BARK! Throw the ball, THROW THE BALL!!!

Loki is living up to his name. Jay says it's all my fault.

No, I will not eat the rest of my food, I want to play. I will grab your pant leg and pull. Don't even think about folding laundry! I will steal your socks.

You will take me outside, I will pee. Then I will come inside and pee again, just to spite you.

It's a damn good thing the little bastard is cute, because I have wanted to strangle him nearly every day. No more puppies. Ever.

I've equated it to having a rabid two year old on crack with ADHD and VERY sharp teeth.

People are like, "Awww, it's just like having a baby."

Umm, no. At least a baby takes lots of naps and wakes up crying every hour or two. You feed it and change its diaper and it goes back to sleep. With a baby, you don't have to keep taking it outside in 10 degree weather and 6 inches of snow. And then wait for it to go potty. And repeat once every hour or two.

This little jerk takes maybe two naps a day, half an hour each, and you'd better nap while he does. I try to wear him down by taking him to the park. He'll take a mile or two mile walk, start to whine when he gets tired. He'll sleep in the car for the five minute ride home, wake up, then proceed to run around like a crazy dog, biting pant legs, fingers, and anything else he can get his sharp puppy teeth around.

When we're home, he wants to play constantly. He will play fetch for hours. He does not have an off switch. After a half hour or 45 minute play session, I will want to take a break. You know, to eat. Cue the whining. And the barking. And the biting. And the chewing. GAHHH!!!

I don't know what to do! I feel bad locking him in his crate, but he just won't sit still and chill out with me. Toys only pique his interest for a few minutes, then he's off on his next adventure of chewing power cords and table legs.

So let's just say that my week off hasn't exactly been relaxing. I've also been studying for my Series 7 exam. Talk about dry material... it's a bit like reading the phone book. Oh well, at least I'm making progress. My test score has increased by 2 points so far this week.

So that's what is going on. I probably won't be blogging quite as much until my life gets back under control. Once the puppy is housebroken and once I pass my Series 7 exam, I will be blogging much more frequently!

Photo Dump

It's been a while since I blogged any photos from my DSLR. Then again, I haven't been taking that many photos.

Tonight I had planned on packing for the DR trip, but I seem to have misplaced my metallic wedges and dive log, so that has me in a funk. First world problems, I know.

So I decided to take a break from my frantic searching and dump some photos from the last few months.

Enjoy.

This year's tree

Open Water Class. We got to help set up all of that equipment when we took Advanced Open Water.

The four people closest to the camera were in our Open Water class at AACC

 Can you tell that Sean is a cop?

 

 Sean visited during Punkin Chunkin... he and Jay spent most of the weekend shooting each other with Nerf guns.

I'm still finding darts all over the house

Funfetti cupcake for Jay's birthday

Make a wish

This is Monkey, the resident dog at Lake Rawlings... he has quite the reputation there. He has stolen everything from fins to Subway sandwiches. He's so freaking cute though, how could you be mad?

Monkey waiting for Jay to abandon our bag of Dunkin Donuts. This was the morning of our Advanced Open Water Class. Definitely the coldest weather I've ever camped in. 28. Brr.

Above the water, a beautiful lake. Below the water, fun things to see.

We finally got the fly right on our tent

Our collective Advanced Open Water Class gear. We didn't want to get it mixed up with the Open Water student's stuff. Well, that and it's OUR gear. I don't want them putting their grubby fingers on my shiny new Aqualung Pearl BCD.

Our dive computers the morning of our second day of diving, warning us of the dangers of DCS. Diving is very safe, as long as you practice your skills and stay within your level of experience. Plan your dive and dive your plan.

We are still loving Fanny the Forester. She is much nicer off road and on dirt roads than Sweet Roxie.

I love Christmas lights

 

And good news... while I was waiting for my photos to upload, I found the shoes that I was looking for and Jay told me that my log book is in his truck.

 

I think it's time for bed! Tomorrow is another day.

Few Words Wednesday

Fall on the shore is gorgeous. This farm is across the street.

Ran/walked a 5k on Sunday

Another fall delight. I have an obsession with all things pumpkin.

Wings. Thank you football season for giving me an excuse to eat you.

Favorite part of my drive to work. Choptank River wetlands by Dover Bridge. Every morning I wish that I could pull over and take photos, but yesterday on my drive in we were stopped, so I was able to snap this with my iphone.

Remember to Breathe

My massage therapist (who is also a Reiki practitioner) said that she's noticed an "energy shift" with people lately.

It's no secret that I've felt a bit unsettled since I returned from Australia. Apart from my deep thoughts about my career and school, there's been a lot going on that I haven't blogged about. However, I've been a little bit better about letting the family drama go these days. 

This week, Kelly posted about some things going on with her. I could totally relate. Lately, I've had so many thoughts about what I should be doing and when I need to be doing them. Being completely overwhelmed with decisions. Not enjoying the moment. Not appreciating now. 

Her post made me think of a quote that I saw on Windtraveler  a month or so ago.

The quote is from a poem, Desiderata, by Max Ehrmann. Go read it.

There is so much wisdom in this poem. It grounds me and brings me back to here and now.

Which is exactly where I should be. I just need a reminder every now and then.

Wordless Wednesdays (because I've been too lazy/tired/sick for a real post)

Wordless Wednesday - kinda

Wordless Wednesday

101 List

My new 101 list has been posted... check it out!

It's been a busy few days... I need a weekend to recover from my weekend. I started Couch 25k yesterday and ended up doing about 2 miles in the time allotted. Not too shabby. Unfortunately I overdid it last night dancing... my legs are killing me today. My fitbit says that I had 18,000 steps for the day. No wonder I'm sore.

Lots of Lists!

So I'm back into making lists... long-term and short term lists. A few years ago, I started doing the 101 in 1001. That list was started in 2007, which seems like an entire lifetime ago.

Well, I'm bringing it back. Go check it out. I've also created a link at the top of the blog for easy access so that you can shame me into doing things.

I'm working on my new 101 list that I hope to have up on Sunday. I arbitrarily chose Sunday July 7th as my start date. It seemed as good a time as any.

Here's how the Summer Bucket List is going:

• Send Aunt Nancy & Uncle Darryl a Thank You basket

I've bought all of the things for their basket... now I just need to assemble it and get to the post office. I also had a wonderful Skype with her tonight... it was so cool to see the background and know where she was in her house. I know that sounds weird. But seeing her sitting at the desk and thinking that I was sitting there less than two months ago is kind of cool. And sad. But cool. We are talking about meeting up in Europe next year, probably in September. Fingers crossed that it all works out!

• Send Sally & Chris (our NZ people) a Thank You basket

Ditto on this one... although I need to find my recipe for shrimp and grits. I'm sending them some grits as part of their thank you basket and thought it'd be cool to include my recipe.

• Find frames for koala and lorikeet photos – then hang them

Done! Well, kind of. They're now framed and on display, but I have to check with Jay on where he wants to hang them. I'm thinking of putting them in the hallway/up the stairs.

• Have rooster for dinner

We were supposed to do this on Sunday, but Jay had a rough day/night at work and slept for most of the day.

• Do the adult ropes challenge course at Tuckahoe

I need to sign up for this - it's on the 27th of this month I think.

• Go fishing

I was supposed to do this on Saturday, but apparently it created an uproar amongst other women and then all of the ladies wanted to go fishing with their men. So now I'm not going. C'est la vie. D'accord, pas vraiment. C'est le poisson! 

• Complete two weeks of Couch25K (I’m aiming low)

I was thinking of starting tonight. That has to count for something, right?

25 Things –Summer Bucket List Edition

Bucket lists have been on my mind lately. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how much I want to experience in life and how little time there is to get it all done. The Trans Siberian Railroad, Antarctica, Machu Picchu, The Great Wall… those are all high up on my travel bucket list.

I’ve crossed a few things off by traveling to Australia (planning to get back there ASAP). However, I realized that I need to stop mooning over vacation and get on with enjoying life here.

Just this week, I’ve read two blog posts on creating a summer bucket list… one over on Trailer Trash Glam and one on Enjoying the Small Things, who also happens to be doing a swimsuit giveaway! 

Perfect timing for me to get my act together and come back to reality.

Since I’m on a list making rampage lately, I’ll offer my own Summer Bucket list:

• Go peach/apple/raspberry/blackberry picking
• Take an impromptu trip to the beach
• Visit a farmers market
• Go crabbing
• Learn how to SCUBA dive
• Send Aunt Nancy & Uncle Darryl a Thank You basket
• Send Sally & Chris (our NZ people) a Thank You basket
• Find frames for koala and lorikeet photos – then hang them
• Clean up front garden and plant perennials
• Re-upholster dining room chairs
• Have a picnic at Martinak
• Make marshmallows from scratch (stole this from TTG – been wanting to do this for awhile)
• Have rooster for dinner
• Do the adult ropes challenge course at Tuckahoe
• Go kayaking
• Climb the rock wall at the Y
• Swim 1000 yards
• Host a dinner party
• Come up with a date, menu & budget for yearly fall party
• Make a plan for the backyard
• Build a new fire pit
• Finish fencing backyard
• Go fishing
• Design egg cartons to sell/giveaway eggs
• Complete two weeks of Couch25K (I’m aiming low)

So that's my summer bucket list... what's on yours? Kelly, I'll be waiting to read your summer bucket list next. :)

101 in 1001 or 202 in 21

Here is our 202 list... the list isn't perfect. I think there are a few things and ideas repeated, but I've managed to assemble things in a somewhat chronological order.

I'll post my itinerary soon with photos from each day.

As you can see with number one, we began our journey in New Jersey on May 10th.

1. Make a left in Jersey
2. Fall in love with Air New Zealand's Premium Economy
3. Cuddle a koala
4. Feed a kangaroo
5. Get molested by lorikeets
6. Be involved in an AFA (automatic fire alarm - this happened in Coolangatta)
7. Watch surfers
8. Walkabout
9. Use a public restroom (OZ has tons of really nice ones!!)
10. Try a flat white coffee
11. Eat beef cheeks
12. Try out SCUBA diving
13. Pet a sea turtle
14. Not get bitten by a carpet shark (Jay thought our dive instructor wanted him to pet it)
15. Find Nemo (found him MANY times!)
16. Watch the sun rise in Coolangatta
17. Pet a fish 
18. Play Apples to Apples
19. Jaywalk comfortably (it's harder than it looks when you're used to right-hand side driving)
20. Stand between two states (NSW and QLD)
21. Find a spot for dad in Coolangatta (he's in the dunes and under a pine tree - I thought he'd enjoy all the lorikeets)
22. Sing with Aunt Nancy (we had a little concert on my last night there)
23. Swallow a live fly (Jay drank a fly in his wineglass)
24. Find Whites Beach (black sand - we found a similar beach in Bayview, NZ)
25. Try Australian pizza 
26. Make a u-turn on the runway (Proserpine Airport is TINY!)
27. Concerns a boat... activity is censored! :)
28. Pee off of a boat
29. Not shower for two days (pact made by fellow Whitsunday Getaway couples)
30. Step in cow poo
31. Walk down railroad tracks
32. Find and try Korean BBQ (AWESOME - in Townsville)
33. Book the last hotel room (at the holiday inn in Townsville)
34. Smash toe in hotel room (seriously who puts a 1" metal lip between the bedroom and bathroom?)
35. Get freaked out in Dimbulah
36. Go over a scary f'n bridge (Destination Truth style!!)
37. Go through the Bismarck Range
38. Share the road.... with cows
39. Drive in the dark
40. Walk in a rainforest
41. Spot for dad in Daintree Rainforest (Daintree Discovery Center - seemed like his kinda place)
42. Eat rainforest ice cream
43. Ride a ferry (across croc-infested waters)
44. Go on a croc river cruise
45. Eat kangaroo (at the Daintree Tea House)
46. Drive windy roads in Daintree (and not die)
47. Figure out how to use air conditioning in hotel room (took us two hours - had to put our hotel key in a slot)
48. Chat with locals (yep, lots of that)
49. See how racist locals are (OMG the racism in OZ was bizarre)
50. Get elfed by a 9 year old (in Almaden of all places)
51. Feel like we were on Destination Truth (so many times)
52. Not see any wildlife in Daintree Discovery Center. $60
53. Have a wine and cheese night
54. Something censored to do with the Outback
55. Take pictures of Australian chickens
56. Steal an Outback newspaper (front page was about the Wheelbarrow Race)
57. Drive over a waterfall (did this several times)
58. See wild crocodiles
59. See a baby crocodile
60. Attempt to sneak into zoo at night (then later find out it was open and we could've gone in)
61. Feed a cassowary
62. Feed an animal prosciutto
63. Feed a wallaby
64. Get eaten by mosquitoes
65. Stay at a hotel in a zoo
66. Finish Kvothe (the Kingkiller Chronicles) - this was super sadface, we enjoyed this audiobook. Hope the author comes out with a new book soon!
67. Draw on each other (I think this happened on the wine and cheese night)
68. Eat strong and bitey cheese (I love what they call stuff over there)
69. Have Cuban rum
70. Enjoy the best mojito ever at Fish d'vine 
71. Boop a kangaroo
72. Pat a kookaburra
73. Pat a dingo 
74. Feed a croc prosciutto
75. Watch croc attack a piece of cured meat
76. Poke a squirrel glider
77. Feed a wallaby (hmm. it appears we did that in 63. oh well)
78. Feed a cockatoo or twenty
79. Taunt a cassowary
80. Something to do with a rainforest
81. Have a wallaby growl at you
82. Have a dingo snap at you
83. Get bitten by an emu
84. Touch a wombat
85. Feed a cassowary (oops, 61)
86. Feed a kookaburra
87. Start a croc feeding frenzy (oops! apparently they really enjoy salami - who knew?)
88. Break tooth on salami
89. Baby bird a croc (see breaking tooth on salami)
90. Boop a quolle
91. Visit the Giant Mango in Bowen
92. Dive 3 sites in the Great Barrier Reef - the Agincourt Reef and Low Isles on Poseidon
93. Learn more dive skills and actually be tested and expect to do stuff
94. Take regulator out of mouth on purpose
95. See a white-tipped reef shark
96. Hold a sea cucumber
97. Nearly get puked on
98. Ride the vomit comet
99. Run into Sally & Chris on the dock having happy hour after getting off dive boat
100. Surf the Bay on the front of the Poseidon a la Titanic
101. Stinky Plastic Couple - Ewww.
102. Get offered free drinks at the Sea Temple because our rooms weren't ready - AND WE WERE EARLY for check in!
103. Have a private hot tub session
104. BBQ our own food at Sea Temple on our rooftop deck
105. Wash a pack of cigarettes and try to hide it (Jay was supposed to quit smoking for this trip, but brought an emergency pack... he washed nearly the whole thing and made quite a mess)
106. Get upgraded to nice apartment
107. Buy souvenirs
108. Stay at Horse and Jockey in at Matamata
109. Have a terrible fried dinner at the Horse and Jockey (pork wontons and curly fries)
110. Hear neighbors in next room peeing because of hole in the wall
111. Leave Horse & Jockey via the fire exit
112. Go from six people in our tour group at Hobbiton to fifty
113. Have a rather obnoxious tour guide at Hobbiton
114. Have a half pint at the Green Dragon
115. Get called a "Little Hobbit"
116. See bag End
117. See Gandalf's limb
118. Discover why the toilet squatting sign exists (in Hobbiton)
119. Hobbiton - where the urinal cakes are hobbit-sized and so are the beers
120. Have an awesome dinner at HuHu Cafe
121. Have awesome dessert at HuHu Cafe
122. Have best culinary experience EVER at HuHu (Waitomo)
123. Sleep in a Hobbit Motel
124. Meet Barry aka Billy Black
125. Abseil 35 meters and not get stuck or die
126. Zipline in pitch black under glow worms
127. Jump into freezing cold water (10C)
128. Ride a tube underground (blackwater raft)
129. Cave slide 
130. Survive double waterfall of death
131. Get invited hunting in Mississippi (and met our first Americans)
132. Stub toe on rock after caving trip and lose a toenail
133. Something about hot springs
134. Go skinny dipping in hot spring
135. Eat good Thai food
136. Something about a trailer
137. See Mount Doom from our breakfast table
138. Simply walk into Mordor (we figure that if we could see Mt Doom from our breakfast table, we were already in Mordor)
139. Have a disgusting cider (Elderflower & Apple and Black currant & Apple)
140. Pass a tractor without incident
141. Visit our new kiwi friends in Bayview/Napier (Sally & Chris)
142. Go on black beach and find cool shit
143. Find a spot for dad in Hawkes Bay (at the end of Franklin Road on the beach)
144. Get a private tour of Napier/Hastings by kiwis
145. Do a tasting at Cidery and TeMATA
146. Learn about scrumpy hands, possum and cone - best drinking games ever
147. Have an authentic kiwi dinner (roast & 3-veg)
148. Get completely shitfaced (7 bottles of wine, 2L scrumpy and a 6 pack of beer consumed by 4 people)
149. Eat a roach (that was all Jay - quite the entomologist this trip!)
150. Draw best map of USA ever 
151. Sleep in a vineyard (they grow Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot & Chardonnay varieties)
152. Spill stuff on our gracious hosts' carpet
153. Go wandering about hosts' house in underwear
154. Sleep naked in another bed from where you initially were sleeping (and wake up with no idea where you are)
155. Soak up spillage with socks
156. Wake up and have no idea where your husband is
157. Black out from Scrumpy (or everything else)
158. Drink 3 bottles of 2004 award-winning wine
159. Exclaim, "What the fuck happened last night??"
160. Puke
161. Consider leaving before your hosts wake up
162. Get invited to stay a second night
163. Try Ginger Beer
164. Drive with one of the worst hangovers ever (on the other side of the road through crazy mountain passes and one lane bridges_
165. Have a good lunch in Rotorua (Mac's Steaks)
166. Walk Lake Trail in Rotorua
167. Watch Asians with cameras feed birds an entire loaf of bread (despite signs)
168. Take a dump in a public toilet
169. See an Indian (presumable American Indian??) on horseback walk down a sidewalk in Tauranga
170. Learn Tauranga is not a place we want to stay
171. Pay a toll
172. Arrive in Mount Maunganui after doubting its existence (drove forever through shipyards)
173. Discover it's difficult to book hotels during the Queen's Birthday Weekend (observed June 3rd 2013)
174. Book the last available hotel in town at Macca's using their free wifi (Baywatch Motor Inn)
175. Develop a disturbing arrythmia (this was Jay, he eventually got better... we think it was due to an electrolyte imbalance from the puking/drinking plus lack of sleep)
176. Have the best pork belly ever (Latitude 37 or Vine in Taupo)
177. See (and play) the FJ Cruiser game
178. Tip a grateful waitress at Latitude 37
179. Find a spot for dad in Mt Maunganui
180. Avoid getting run into by runner (there was some kind of crazy run/walk/bike ride thing happening there)
181. Eat mincemeat pie - delicious!
182. Walk across a CRAZY bridge
183. Start a parking trend
184. Almost get run over by a mountain biker
185. Spot a giant mushroom
186. Successfully drop off rental car
187. Take a weird-ass bus ride
188. Spot homeless people (they're pretty much the same worldwide) - then consider giving them a bottle of wine
189. Mistakenly see Auckland by staying on a bus too long
190. Be surprised by an awesome dinner at Lord Nelson's in Auckland
191. Get a second Skycouch AND be undercharged for it
192. Catch the airport bus perfectly
193. Be test subjects for the egate (I was denied!)
194. Find and buy Cuban rum
195. Debate merits of buying a sheepskin rug at the airport. In hindsight, I kinda wish we had. Even though I have no idea what I'd do with it.
196. Kick a guy off Skycouch
197. Something about Cuban rum. What? You want mojitos?
198. Walk on Manhattan Beach Pier (back in CA)
199. Run into couple from our flight to the US from New Zealand (South Islanders) at El Sombrero in Manhattan Beach. They were heading to the Caribbean to spend a few months on a friend's yacht. You know, since their growing season is over (another vineyard owning couple).
200. Not lose wallet in El Segundo
201. Get Roxie to start (it took some coaxing, sweet girl... she has nearly 300k on her and she was sitting for THREE WEEKS!)
202. Survive the trip, including the drive home

Almost Wordless Wednesday - More trip pics

All of the photos (at least those we are sharing) from our trip are finally up. Check them out on Shutterfly!