I always feel a little sad bringing little Dixie back from Alabama since she loses her playmate. She and my parent's dog, Belle, just have a blast - running in circles until Dixie collapses into a heap, tongue dragging the floor. But she loves it. Oh she loves it. And she has no clue nor does she care that she's a third of Belle's size.
dixie and belle - back yard frolick from LJ on Vimeo.
If you can endure my switching the camera around (don't want to make anyone nauseous!) you can see them romping around my parent's backyard. Dixie's hard to catch in action, so I've learned to take what I can get. Of course, you'll notice she keeps gnawing on the grass. I think someone forgot to tell her she's not a cow?!?
Dixie and Belle - Circles en La Cocina from LJ on Vimeo.
And here they are running through my parent's kitchen (like five times the size of mine) through their hallway through the living room, and back around. The funny thing about Dixie is she gets tired and she'll collapse - and so then Belle will do the same. But just as soon as Belle gives up, my lil' rascal will go and grab her beard, tugging as if to say "game on". Occasionally she starts to make this ultra high pitched squeal as if she's trying to scream that someone's out to take her life. Yeah Dixie, we're on to you. You're no angel... but I'll keep you just the same.
And so it's no wonder that tonight as I'm trying to study, little one's wanting more. I threw her sheep up and down my little sad hallway, where she flew up and down the runway bringing it back and forth - playing fetch quite well for her actually. She has a tendency to not know when it's time to let go. Sort of makes fetch a tad challenging.
Someday maybe I'll have room for her. Maybe she'll be somewhere that she can have a grass. In the meantime, laps in the narrow hallway it will be. And her source of entertainment? Ta da! Yours truly will have to do. I said I didn't want a boring dog - definitely got what I asked for :)
1.05.2009
today's bits
Today's random comments, you ask? Well, let's see...
- 12:35 seriously freezing. think the powers that be want to make everyone being back to work as uncomfortable as possible.
- 12:52 line at subway? out the door. wow, thought it would be better by 12:45, but no. perhaps post new year's everyone wants to be jarod?!?
1.04.2009
today's bits
Today's random comments, you ask? Well, let's see...
- 23:08 saw "last chance henry" tonight. very good. not best movie ever, but at least not as depressing as other movies out i wanted to see.
- 23:55 whoops. um henry = harvey. just fyi...
- 12:49 on bus stuck on the way to brunch. so wrong to be stuck when i should be enjoying brunch. on well - soon and very soon..
1.03.2009
today's bits
Today's random comments, you ask? Well, let's see...
- 23:22 headache as cranky dix demands attention. love you but i'm watching foooootball. this doesn't happen often.
- 23:46 what the heck is a ute anyway? my point exactly.
1.02.2009
today's bits
Today's random comments, you ask? Well, let's see...
- 21:11 dawson's creek is cracking me up. on second disc of season 1. lolololol...
- 18:17 love how dixie looks at me with helpless eyes when she knocks her toy off the futon. cause cleeeearly she can't recover it.
- 19:15 gave dixie my last piece of chicken from my crepe. that's love there - cause it was a mighty fine crepe...
- 19:19 wow, news saying 25% of retail chains are estimated to claim bankruptcy this year. awful.
- 19:27 almost 40 degrees tomorrow. heat wave! (can you tell i'm watching the news??)
- 19:28 comment on the news though was that people should spend those gift cards before the retailers potentially went out of business. wise words!
- 20:12 sugar bowl-ing and playing fetch, simultaneously
pearly whites
I was playing fetch with Dixie and I *almost* caught her teethy grin she's been busting out as of late. This is as close as it gets. She's super tricky to photograph since she moves around nonstop and if you use flash, her eyes have an evil, empty red Satanic glow. I'd rather settle for blurry than evil! But anyhow, you can get a glimpse of her love to show off her teeth. Perhaps I should be brushing those things daily seeing as she's so proud of them...
1.01.2009
today's bits
Today's random comments, you ask? Well, let's see...
- 12:34 still in bed. yay to that. now if only i could be in bed *with* food...
12.31.2008
today's bits
Today's random comments, you ask? Well, let's see...
- 23:31 yawn. had better sleep tonight. up late finishing my '08 year review post at citygrits.net (with photos)
- 08:23 burning up in my sauna apartment as the fuse has blown just as i need to go to work... so glad i took a shower this morning. really.
- 12:22 reading the new employee handbook so i can be compliant prior to the end of the year. oooops!
- 13:28 still looking for good chat app for iPhone. don't wanna alter general security settings though. beejive looks decent. anyone tried it?
- 19:23 fingers crossed... still...
2008: a moment of truth
As always, the 31st is the proper time to dust off those '08 resolutions and see how I fared. Pass? Fail? Let's see..
1) Keep up with my ballet classes and perhaps even enroll in some at a real dance studio versus the gym.
Oooooh. This is a half-sie if I've seen one yet. I was going to ballet classes regularly at a dance studio I love in the West Village and even another studio on the West Side ... up until Miss Dixie arrived in May, when my schedule became ehem a tad altered. I'd say half credit here. Does chasing around a 5 pound pup count as substitution for full credit?
1) Keep up with my ballet classes and perhaps even enroll in some at a real dance studio versus the gym.
Oooooh. This is a half-sie if I've seen one yet. I was going to ballet classes regularly at a dance studio I love in the West Village and even another studio on the West Side ... up until Miss Dixie arrived in May, when my schedule became ehem a tad altered. I'd say half credit here. Does chasing around a 5 pound pup count as substitution for full credit?
2) Have the initial draft of my book completed by the end of 2008.
I'm giving myself credit on this one. I finished the 50,000 words worth for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I have a little more to fill out each chapter and lots of revising to be done, but that's what my writing group and 2009 are for. Big check here.
3) Make at least two trips down to see my friends in DC. I promise promise promise!
This is funny. I didn't know this was my resolution. Ironically, I did make exactly two trips South inside the District lines. Hope to be able to do the same in 2009, and I've sure been blessed by many of my friends there opting to head North to see myself (and Dix).
4) Sleep more. LOTS more.
Um this would be a big fat FAIL. Unless we count the sleep time in Alabama and don't hold the lack of sleep though that Friday and Saturday against the "Bama induced surplus".
5) Give up, or at least scale back, the amount of Diet Coke I'm inhaling and instead substitute the fabulous FREE bottles of water sitting around our office. (See, not only is it better for me with all the walking one does in the city, but it's a money saver!)
Ooops. Fail. But to be fair, we no longer have free bottles of water at work (hello recession - gracias). I have been pretty good to sticking to fountain soda only, since I have to reaaaaaally want it enough to leave my cubicle and walk across the street - which is a big deal with the evil chilly wind that comes off of the water down by my office.
6) Get back into my photography (especially once winter passes) and build back up my photo site.
Fail. I've gotten distracted in focusing on my writing, and my photography has suffered as of late. I do have some fabulous photos from my trip to Montreal which have yet to see the light of day and I really need to dust off my camera and set off on foot to take advantage of the beauty of the city.
7) Cook more. (It honestly won't take doing too much here to qualify sadly - haha)
Yeah fail, fail, FAIL. I have checked out some fantastic restaurants though!! I need to post a comprehensive listing of 2008 in restaurants. I like that idea... coming soon ;)
Hmmmm so didn't quite fare as well as I'd hoped. 2.5 out of 7. That's a shining success rate of a whopping 35.71%. Glad that wasn't my grade in college... hard to care much when it was a pretty good year overall. And now it's snowing outside. Pretty fluffy flakes (or at least they were when I came in this morning). I'm still thinking on 2009's resolutions. And trying to decide what to wear tonight (a more pressing concern) for a friend's New Year's Eve party.
What are your plans for NYE?
12.30.2008
2008: year in review
Are we really on the cusp of 2009? It seems early. Waaaay to early. But, here we are. I love this, cause this is when I look back through my posts and see what the heck it was I did all of 2008 which kept me running in circles. So let's see...
In January, Tam and I rung in '08 with a bang with a bunch of strangers (including we've since named Vladimir - since he was in from Russia, it works) listening to fabulous songs such as "The Final Countdown" (clearly) at Zum Schneider. Angelina and I went and saw the SNL performers and writers do stand-up during the writer's strike. That Darryl Hammond... dude, you should learn that painkillers and alcohol are not an ideal combo prior to a performance. I'm not lecturing... I'm just saying...
With February, I finally got the chance to hang out with Holl and welcome her to the area. She agrees, NYC is far superior to South FL. Tam and I threw a big brunch in my old midtown pad, complete with Southern faves like cheese grits. Delish. MsH came to visit, and I finally got to see Wicked. Totally worth those way too expensive tickets. We also bid farewell to my middle school band director, Tom Mitchell - a fine man who will be greatly missed. And I went to see a live performance of the ENTIRE Johnny Cash Live at Folsom Prison album - in Brooklyn, of all places.
March began with a lot of familiar faces coming into town for a girl's weekend celebrating Sassy's 30th birthday in style. I clashed with my wanna-be porn star neighbor, who I definitely do not miss, but also made friends with a clothing designer living in my building. And after having read the book back in middle school and listened to the songs for forever, I finally saw Phantom of the Opera - and it did not disappoint. I also saw none other than A. C. Slater (ok technically Mario Lopez). Finally a celebrity sighting I appreciated!
In April, I met Jennifer Weiner, who provided some inspirational words on writing much needed by yours truly. I also made my first return trip to DC post-NYC move. It was so good to catch up and be back within District lines - on the Hill even at that. I got the chance to do some cool ballet partner work. I also started writing a weekly food column for Neighborbee blog. Tam, SB, and I went and saw Kate Nash at Webster Hall, and learned that shoulder pads can still be socially acceptable (perhaps?). I signed up for a memoir writing class through the Gotham Writer's workshop. And after YEARS of waiting, I decided to get a puppy, with my parents snagging me a 10 week Yorkie from Bama.
In May, I met another one of my favorite authors, Jenn Lancaster, and didn't let an allergic reaction to mushrooms (ick!) keep me from staying and meeting her. Her books? Hilarious. If you've never read them, I highly suggest you give them a go, starting with Bitter is the New Black. I returned back to AL to bring back my little pup, Dixie. The Tour Guide came in for a visit from DC.
June brought lots of frustrating and sometimes humorous experiences in trying to get little Dix acclimated. Mag also came up from DC for the weekend for Mississippi in the Park, which meant great live music and fine iced tea from McAllisters. After many trips to Europe and Latin America, I finally made my way to one of our neighbors, Canada. My family and I drove up for several days, pup in tow. Our trip included a stop in Vermont to my favorite, Ben & Jerry's. Drool. And Dixie lost her baby teeth - she's becoming a lady.
The Fashionista came in from DC to celebrate the 4th of July. I went to the first of what wasn't supposed to be two shows (I'm not complaining, much...) of Billy Joel's "Last Play at Shea". Amazing. And at least he apologized. Kudos, William. I enrolled Dixie in "Puppy Kindergarten" so she could become more well mannered. And I won and lost some battles there. MsH also returned for another visit.
I spent weekends for the month of August in Bridgehampton, and learned the LIRR and that so long as it's not South FL, I do like beaches. Beautiful sunsets are a nice complement to the concrete craziness of Manhattan. And little Dix became a proud graduate of "puppy kindergarten" and was excited to meet DrP during her long weekend visit back up.
I made the hike out to Bed-Stuy to visit Angelina's pad in September. I celebrated my birthday in style, hosting a big group of girlfriends in my alcove studio for the occasion. I even managed to successfully ride a mechanical bull that evening. Yeehaw! I put Dixie in doggie daycare to keep her from daytime barking (and us from being evicted) as I found my new place.
October meant settling into my new place and temporarily sending Dix back to AL as I unpacked. Tam and I headed back to Webster Hall, this time to see Duffy. And of course it wouldn't be October without Halloween - my personal favorite. This year I ended up with the award for "naughtiest costume". Miss Alabama here doesn't know why.
November I signed up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) to kickstart the memoir I had hoped to have wrapped up by the end of the year - and had yet to start. And then, of course, there was the election night. No sleep that night - what a night. What a night to be roaming the streets of NYC. I made it out of the city for an Army football game at West Point and was able to see some of that lush autumn foliage I miss oh so much. I made my second visit of the year back to DC and had a lovely low-key weekend of friends and old faves in the Dupont Circle area. I had my housewarming party and successfully completed the 50,000 words to be a "winner" for NaNoWriMo. My family came to my place again for Thanksgiving and this time there were no turkey-related fiascos.
December was busy, as always. So much that there aren't a ton of posts here. There were countless holiday parties followed by Dixie and I heading out for some much needed downtime in AL and the comfort of family holiday traditions. After more than a week, I still felt more vacation time was needed. Spending so much time with friends and family reminded me of what I love so much about the South, and truly made me homesick for probably the first time I can remember since I don't know when. (I haven't blogged much about about the holidays ... more coming)
It's been a busy year. A packed year. Who knows what lies ahead for 2009. But I feel blessed to have met so many great new people, reconnected with some old familiar faces, and of course maintained those strong important ties with those I've met along the way and continue to stay in touch with. Aside from the cold wintry weather of January and February, I can't wait to see what's in store.
In January, Tam and I rung in '08 with a bang with a bunch of strangers (including we've since named Vladimir - since he was in from Russia, it works) listening to fabulous songs such as "The Final Countdown" (clearly) at Zum Schneider. Angelina and I went and saw the SNL performers and writers do stand-up during the writer's strike. That Darryl Hammond... dude, you should learn that painkillers and alcohol are not an ideal combo prior to a performance. I'm not lecturing... I'm just saying...With February, I finally got the chance to hang out with Holl and welcome her to the area. She agrees, NYC is far superior to South FL. Tam and I threw a big brunch in my old midtown pad, complete with Southern faves like cheese grits. Delish. MsH came to visit, and I finally got to see Wicked. Totally worth those way too expensive tickets. We also bid farewell to my middle school band director, Tom Mitchell - a fine man who will be greatly missed. And I went to see a live performance of the ENTIRE Johnny Cash Live at Folsom Prison album - in Brooklyn, of all places.March began with a lot of familiar faces coming into town for a girl's weekend celebrating Sassy's 30th birthday in style. I clashed with my wanna-be porn star neighbor, who I definitely do not miss, but also made friends with a clothing designer living in my building. And after having read the book back in middle school and listened to the songs for forever, I finally saw Phantom of the Opera - and it did not disappoint. I also saw none other than A. C. Slater (ok technically Mario Lopez). Finally a celebrity sighting I appreciated!In April, I met Jennifer Weiner, who provided some inspirational words on writing much needed by yours truly. I also made my first return trip to DC post-NYC move. It was so good to catch up and be back within District lines - on the Hill even at that. I got the chance to do some cool ballet partner work. I also started writing a weekly food column for Neighborbee blog. Tam, SB, and I went and saw Kate Nash at Webster Hall, and learned that shoulder pads can still be socially acceptable (perhaps?). I signed up for a memoir writing class through the Gotham Writer's workshop. And after YEARS of waiting, I decided to get a puppy, with my parents snagging me a 10 week Yorkie from Bama.In May, I met another one of my favorite authors, Jenn Lancaster, and didn't let an allergic reaction to mushrooms (ick!) keep me from staying and meeting her. Her books? Hilarious. If you've never read them, I highly suggest you give them a go, starting with Bitter is the New Black. I returned back to AL to bring back my little pup, Dixie. The Tour Guide came in for a visit from DC.June brought lots of frustrating and sometimes humorous experiences in trying to get little Dix acclimated. Mag also came up from DC for the weekend for Mississippi in the Park, which meant great live music and fine iced tea from McAllisters. After many trips to Europe and Latin America, I finally made my way to one of our neighbors, Canada. My family and I drove up for several days, pup in tow. Our trip included a stop in Vermont to my favorite, Ben & Jerry's. Drool. And Dixie lost her baby teeth - she's becoming a lady.The Fashionista came in from DC to celebrate the 4th of July. I went to the first of what wasn't supposed to be two shows (I'm not complaining, much...) of Billy Joel's "Last Play at Shea". Amazing. And at least he apologized. Kudos, William. I enrolled Dixie in "Puppy Kindergarten" so she could become more well mannered. And I won and lost some battles there. MsH also returned for another visit.I spent weekends for the month of August in Bridgehampton, and learned the LIRR and that so long as it's not South FL, I do like beaches. Beautiful sunsets are a nice complement to the concrete craziness of Manhattan. And little Dix became a proud graduate of "puppy kindergarten" and was excited to meet DrP during her long weekend visit back up.I made the hike out to Bed-Stuy to visit Angelina's pad in September. I celebrated my birthday in style, hosting a big group of girlfriends in my alcove studio for the occasion. I even managed to successfully ride a mechanical bull that evening. Yeehaw! I put Dixie in doggie daycare to keep her from daytime barking (and us from being evicted) as I found my new place.October meant settling into my new place and temporarily sending Dix back to AL as I unpacked. Tam and I headed back to Webster Hall, this time to see Duffy. And of course it wouldn't be October without Halloween - my personal favorite. This year I ended up with the award for "naughtiest costume". Miss Alabama here doesn't know why.November I signed up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) to kickstart the memoir I had hoped to have wrapped up by the end of the year - and had yet to start. And then, of course, there was the election night. No sleep that night - what a night. What a night to be roaming the streets of NYC. I made it out of the city for an Army football game at West Point and was able to see some of that lush autumn foliage I miss oh so much. I made my second visit of the year back to DC and had a lovely low-key weekend of friends and old faves in the Dupont Circle area. I had my housewarming party and successfully completed the 50,000 words to be a "winner" for NaNoWriMo. My family came to my place again for Thanksgiving and this time there were no turkey-related fiascos.December was busy, as always. So much that there aren't a ton of posts here. There were countless holiday parties followed by Dixie and I heading out for some much needed downtime in AL and the comfort of family holiday traditions. After more than a week, I still felt more vacation time was needed. Spending so much time with friends and family reminded me of what I love so much about the South, and truly made me homesick for probably the first time I can remember since I don't know when. (I haven't blogged much about about the holidays ... more coming)It's been a busy year. A packed year. Who knows what lies ahead for 2009. But I feel blessed to have met so many great new people, reconnected with some old familiar faces, and of course maintained those strong important ties with those I've met along the way and continue to stay in touch with. Aside from the cold wintry weather of January and February, I can't wait to see what's in store.
today's bits
Today's random comments, you ask? Well, let's see...
- 22:30 yawn. time for bed. first day back is always rough. night!
- 01:00 why am i awake? sooooo tired but can't sleep. frustrating. gonna pay tomorrow.
- 13:27 productive over lunch break. manuscript is up to 168 pages, but still much to do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
