Where, Oh, Where?

Sorry for the long absence - as some of you know, my computer was on the fritz and then I traveled up north for a few days. I'm back now and the blog is back up and running! Here are some highlights from the past 2 weeks of my absence:

1 - We had the IG Fundraiser/Playdate and it was a huge success!! There were about 30 dogs and we raised over $500.00 for rescue through donations and a raffle. Although it was a scorcher (over 90 degrees!), we had a great turn-out of folks and dogs from all over the state of Florida. Pictures forthcoming!
2 - We took a trip to Rhode Island to see our pals, Herman and Traci, before we head out to Japan this summer. Although it was terribly sad to say good-bye for awhile, we know that these two will be venturing out to visit us in Oki. They have both traveled extensively overseas, especially in Asia, so going across the world is no biggie for them. It was a fun trip, although it was much too short. I'll put up pics later.
3 - Good news on the job front - I'm being considered for a kindergarten position for next school year. Although it's not a elementary position, this could allow me to get my foot in the door to the DoDEA system and allow me to move up in the following years. I'll keep you posted on any updates.

Well, I think that summarizes it for now. I can't believe it's already the end of May! We are starting to really feel the crunch as we begin to seriously consider what will be staying and what will be going with us to Japan. The next few weeks will be busy as we work to go through all our belongings and decide if we can live without them for the next three years or not. Also, the countdown is on as far as my employment at the bookstore - only 2 weeks to go! Although I like the experience of working in a bookstore, I'm definitely ready to move on.

Keep an eye out for photos. I'll get them up within the next 24 hours!

Weekend Celebration

This past weekend we celebrated Mike's 30th birthday. The weekend was full of events, especially since Mike had some of his guys friends in town from all over the country. The events included paintball for the guys, a BBQ - complete with Dance Party USA - a day at the beach, and dinner out at the Landing. So, you'd think that the party would be over by now, but we've got one more dinner out engagement on Wednesday to conclude the 30th celebration. I'm sure this is one birthday he'll never forget (and thanks to Jess for capturing every moment on film, he won't!).

Happy 30th Mike!

Marley's Dad

Some people want to meet their favorite band or singer. Some people want to meet an actor or actress. Me - I want to meet my favorite author, John Grogan.

And tonight, I did. Ever since reading the book, Marley and Me, I have wanted to meet the man that put this captivating story to words. Orginally I was told that he was too popular of an author for him to come to our store. However, a large event held annually in Jacksonville, called Much Ado About Books, falls on this upcoming weekend, which allowed Mr. Grogan to participate in some local book signings. I got a personal phone call from our store community relations manager about his upcoming visit a couple of months ago since she knew I was a huge fan of his.

Well, tonight was the night in which I would finally get to personally meet Mr. Grogan face-to-face. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself; I was so nervous and excited at the same time. I'm pretty sure my co-workers have unanamously decided that I'm certifably nuts*. Thankfully, when the time came for Mr. Grogan to enter the store, I was able to keep some measure of composure and introduce myself. After signing a mound of books for eager fans like myself (see, I'm not the only one!), he graciously let me get a photo and sign some of my books.

I feel so honored to have met a person who truly touched me through his writing. I still cannot quite express how much I identified with Marley and Me. I'll continue my crusade to keep that book on the best seller list. For now, I can bask in the memory of meeting the author of such an inspiring and heartfelt story.




*There was one guy who was crazier than I - believe it! The guy stopped in Mr. Grogan in the parking lot so that his baseball hat could get signed. 

The Mommycomic

Last night, Noa and I joined some of his work colleagues for a night of drinks and laughs at the Comedy Zone in Mandarin. The featured comic for the evening was Debbie Gutierrez, also known as the "Mommycomic," since her act focuses on her life as a wife and mother. She also referred to herself as the "Naughty Mommy comic" because she says what moms would say if they could get away with it. She was pretty funny and didn't go for the cheap jokes that most comics seem to do nowadays.
Anyway, it seemed that I had a beacon over my head because within the first five minutes of her act, she zoned in on me as part of her program. Looking at me she asked, "Are you a mommy?"
I replied, "No" (it just so happened that she asked me this as I finished shoving a heaping nacho into my mouth - figures...).
She continues, "What's your name?" (also, this was in a crowd of at least 100 people or more).
Me: "Julie"
She continues to ask me my age and then repeats them each time she asks me a question or referring to me in her act. "Well Julie, [my age*], are you planning on having kids?!"
Me: "Um, yeah - someday."
Her: "NO! Wrong answer - here's why you don't want to have kids..." and the act goes on from there.
She continues to use me in this public "conversation" about kids, underwear, boobs, and birth control. This part of the act finished as she shouted for me to take a whole month's worth of birth control pills right then and there. It was pretty funny - and a little embarrassing too.
So, even though I will be a target of discussion for Noa at work today, it was a fun evening and a good show. I'm glad we went. However, next time, I'm sitting farther back.**





*Kept this off the post since this is the WWW and who knows what kind of oddballs and creeps lurk around - I gotta keep some things a secret.
**Not that I was sitting in the front row. We were actually off to the side, but somehow, she found me.

Paw-ty

 
 
 
 

Q: What do you get when you mix 11 dogs, a fenced in yard, balloons and a birthday cake?

A: A puppy party, of course!

Today we celebrated Sadie's third birthday! Mike and Jess graciously offered their yard to be the stomping grounds for the celebration, which was a blast. We invited some dog-owner friends over and celebrated in true birthday style - complete with ballons, hot dogs, and cake! The dogs got to play and romp around the yard, they had tons of treats, and even enjoyed a peanut butter-flavored birthday cake (quite a hit with all the dogs)! There were dogs of all sizes and ages - ranging from 13 weeks to 9 years old! They all got along and it was pretty amusing to see the different antics of each dog, like the Boston Terrier who was a maniac when chasing after a sopping wet tennis ball. Then there was Maya, the smallest IG, who ran around with a pit bull mix and a mastiff mix! She was so funny! Sadie couldn't decide between visiting with her human friends or playing with the other poochies, so she toggled back and forth between both. We all had fun visiting, talking about our furry friends, and watching them play. It was definitely a fun time for all! 

My "New" Life

Sadly, my sister had to leave to fly back to New Hampshire today. We had a great time together and I sent her back with a good sunburn to show off to her friends. I'm usually pretty bummed when I have to say good-bye to family, but I've noticed that today is especially hard. I think that knowing I won't really see much of my family before we head off to Japan is taking it's toll. We are going to make a final trip up north to say our good-byes to family and friends in July. Still, knowing that we are doing that has not made this good-bye easier. I already miss them.

Now, I'm getting adjusted to my "new" life without school. Grad school has dominated my time and energy for the past year and a half. I almost don't know how to live me life without it. I'll still be working at B&N part time, but I've decided to tackle all those things I said I'd work on "when school is over" and now, that time has come. Some things on the list:
-organize an IG playdate/fundraiser (currently in the works! Woohoo!)
-organize, file, and put all photos in albums (as opposed to the usual shoebox)
-organize online/computer photos
-organize school binders & books, keep what's relevant, toss what's not

Gee, can you tell I have a thing for organization? Looking at this list, I am again reminded of how much of a dork I really am. 

Family Weekend

Just thought I'd share a few pics from the weekend with my mom and sister here. We've had a blast!


Mom with Gunnar. She's used to a docile cat back home, so having my two around were definitely a change. Gunnar gets so excited around guests and wants to be with them and kiss them over and over. Even though Mom doesn't like dog kisses, she let them get her one time before leaving.



This pic was taken in St. Augustine. We went there on Saturday for some lunch and shopping. We were going to visit the old fort, but never made it - the little shops were so inviting. We loved the ones that had back patios and gardens like this one.



Noa displays his "medal" from the marathon. I'm so proud of him - he did it in 3 hours and 45 minutes with Mike. They are such superstars.



The "Jesus van" sighted in St. Augustine. No offense to this guy, but why would you put "the Lord kills" on the back tire? That doesn't seem like a very effective method of evangelism.