Goodbye!

So today, after a year and a half, I said goodbye to one of my jobs.  I worked at California Baptist University as a part- time international recruiter.   Here is the building I worked in.

  

The whole campus is beautiful and mission style.  Here is my office.  

I never really settled into it.  It too is a 'working office'.  Here is my desk looking pretty clean if I do say so myself. 

 

I didn't really get much of a send off though...  Half of my department left before I had a chance to make my goodbye rounds.  Then my boss 'forgot' that it was my last day.  The ESL director was really nice though.  She remembered and expressed regret that they hadn't planned a farewell anything.  As I told my mom, I feel good, bad, AND indifferent about this farewell.  Good, because I have the time that I desperately need to devote to my ESL directorship.  Bad, because I like CBU and all the people there.  Indifferent, because it wasn't the career path that I want to pursue long-term.  Well, anyway.  Farewell.....

The Dog Whisperer Technique

So whenever I have watched the dog whisperer, I notice that he walks the dog while wearing rollerblades.  He lets the dogs pull him so as to tire them out more efficiently.  Mosey is never tired so I decided to try this technique with him in the parking lot next door.  After dark it is mostly deserted.  It was quite scary at first but once I realized I had SOME control over his movement, I became a lot more comfortable.  Here we are about to embark on our experiment.

 

Peaches 'n Cream

We bought another batch of peaches from Costco.  This time we paired them with leftover whipped cream from the strawberry pie I made.  VERY good!  But good without it too of course!

Our New Daybed

We found this outdoor $750 daybed online for $150!  We couldn't really pass it up even though we don't really have the space for it.  We assembled it last night.  Here it is as a couch.  

I can't wait until it cools down so I can sit out here and read.  For now, we have it set up in a little area so it can be out of the sun more.  Here it is as a bed!  

And look, you can shut the mosquito net so nothing gets in.  

This will be great if Jason does his residency in a place that has mosquitoes.  

A Full Day

Today was very full.  We went to eat at the Spaghetti Factory with Jesse and Louisa, sat around our house playing Tap Tap Revolution, then headed to Forest Falls.  Forest Falls is about 25 minutes away and is quite nice.  Here is Mosey jumping through the clear water.  

He is quite a different dog than before he went to Oregon and went retrieving with the big dogs in the pond everyday.  Now, he just jumps right in the water without any hesitation.  

Here is a nice family shot of us on a log.  Yay.

Here is Jesse and Jason with Trouble and Mosey.  It was a beautiful day!  

On the way home, Trouble LOVED sticking his head out the window into the wind.  

Mosey was a little more timid about the rushing wind and tried to bite it a couple times while making sure his head was mostly inside at all times.  

On the way home, we stopped at Nubi, a new serve yourself yogurt place nearby.  Here is my frozen yogurt.  

Yes, there is some under that fruit.  Then we watched "As You Like It" a very good movie version of the Shakespeare play.  Then we assembled our new outdoor daybed which you will see pictures of tomorrow.  Good night!

Dissecting a Golf Ball

Mosey is a chewing machine.  Today, I was resting on the couch and Mosey was chewing on a golf ball.  Suddenly I heard this crackling, exploding, snapping noise.  Mosey ran behind the couch with his tail between his legs, and I jumped off the couch in a daze wondering what heck was going on.  The golf ball's center had come out and was flipping all over the floor by itself spewing green smoke...... or something.  When I got a closer look, I realized it was not green smoke but strips of green rubber.  The inside of the ball is made of tightly wound green rubber that is wound under pressure so that when it is chomped on by unsuspecting doggies, an almost explosion occurs.  

After Mosey and I got over our shock, we spent the next 10 minutes trying to get the ball to dance again.  It did several times but alas, we finally got tot the end of the rubber.  Here is the master chewer Mosey and his creation.  

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Tonight, Lousia and I went to the Redlands Bowl Summer Music festival.  They have a couple performances each week.  There is only one play performance per summer so this time I was sure I didn't miss it!  This year was the Wizard of Oz.  SO GOOD!  They sang wonderfully and the acting was great!  

Here is Lousia and I with the stage barely visiable in the background.  

That is right, it is outdoors!  

Last year when I attended a play during the Shakespeare festival at the Redlands Bowl, I noticed a woman eating an artichoke.  Only in California, I said at the time.  That is actually one thing I really like about California.  :]  Inspired by that sight, this year, I decided to bring an more exciting snack than last years, which was nothing.  So I brought some edamame beans.    Louisa brought some homemade Greek salad.  YUM!

Off With Mr. Winter Hair

So here is the hair I brushed off Mosey in about 5 minutes. I brushed off more than this 4 days ago. I am thinking about making pillows with it. What do you think? I could call them 'natural' and tell people it would help reduce their carbon footprint. You think there would be a market?

Why the Big Dog Park?

I feel that the above question is answered thoroughly enough by showing just two pictures:

A passel of pooches playing rough-


A loving atmosphere-

'nuff said.

Well, He Tried.....

Jason tried hard to study tonight. Somehow, it just didn't work very well.


And even though Jason was persistent in his studying,


so was Mosey in his quest for attention.

Flash Flood!

Today we woke up to an overcast sky with a promise of rain. All us girls sat around on our inflatable mattresses and talked while I scarfed down homemade caramel corn from the night before. I ate WAY too much and before I knew it, my tongue and one side of my mouth was totally raw. I have no discipline.....

We got up and took a picture of all of us on the couch before they loaded it into the moving van.

Then we sat down to an amazing breakfast. It included fruit, homemade oatmeal, pudding pie (leftover from last night), and homemade cinnamon rolls. WOW! I didn't think I would be able to get to the cinnamon rolls. But luckily I was able to eat a whole one. Every time I thought about food for about 3 hours after that breakfast, I gagged because I was so full!

As we were driving into town, Ceri suddenly slammed on her brakes and gasped. Because of the 15 minutes of rain earlier, there we were crossing a flash flood! Ok, so maybe that is a little dramatic,but there was a lot of black inky water swiftly crossing the road out of nowhere. I managed to get a picture as we were driving out of it.


For the rest of the day, we were able to point out the cars that had taken that road because they were covered in black mud.

I have never really thought of Palm Springs as beautiful but something about this scene struck me as beautiful.


I think it is the clear mountains. So pretty!

When I got back to the house today, Jason and I went on a date night to Thai food and a movie. We saw "Wanted". It was amazing! However, it was very violent and bloody. There were definitely some parts where I had to cover my eyes. It was a style Jason and I would usually NOT appreciate so don't say I didn't warn you. But it definitely kept you guessing and the acting was amazing. When I saw the previews, I thought that James McAvoy was very inappropriately cast in this flick but after seeing this movie, I realize it would have been really forgettable without him in it. He was excellent. He made the movie. Angelina was very good too.

Anyway, a great weekend!!

Slumber Party!

I haven't seen Ceri, a dear friend from my year in Italy, since she left Florence 5 years ago. Her family lives in Palm Springs and she invited some of her friends from the area and I to a slumber party! Her parents are moving tomorrow but tonight we got to party!

First we went to a really good Mexican restaurant that had a live band. I was glad that all of us girls burst out in song together when a song that we knew came on. It built camaraderie. Here is Ceri and I before stuffing ourselves.


After that, we went back to Ceri's house and settled in to watch Chocolate. That is a good movie. I really liked it better the second time for some reason. We ate some amazing homemade caramel corn and pudding pie.

Here we are lazing about getting ready to watch. From right to left, it is Louisa, Deanna, Jenny, and Ceri.

Just Cute

I was going to set up the baby gate when Mosey had the stroke of genius to crawl into my 'lap' to try to talk me out of it. It didn't work. :] Even with these puppy dog eyes.

Yup.... A Barrette

So my life is so boring lately that I am actually posting a picture of a barrette I bought the other day.  Pretty huh?  Actually, we did go to eat at a friends house tonight and had AMAZING Peruvian food.  Really, it was SO good that I am in a food coma.  But I didn't take any pictures because I am lame.  So here is a picture of the first barrette I have bought since having long hair.  These things really come in handy......

Woe is My Couch....

So SOMEONE didn't put up the second baby gate when he left for class (in all fairness, he thought I would be right home) and Mosey took that opportunity to massacre a couch cushion and my new burt's bees chapstick.  Very annoying.  At least he didn't chew our shoes...

The Big Moment

Jason took his boards on June 12 and has been waiting for his scores ever since.  Today was the big day when the scores came back.  Here is Jason nervously logging on to see his scores.  

I would show the after picture of him throwing his arms in the air with a big grin, but he insists that picture is too girly.  So I will just let you imagine it (with a tutu).

Book Club

So one of my mom's friends sent me an invitation to be in a book club.  I send 1 book to a person provided in the invitation and then send the invitation to 6 of my friends.  They do the same as me and I should end up with 36 books if everyone does it.  So far, I have received 2 books!  Actually, I am pretty excited.  Especially since one is a New York Times bestseller.  I am very excited to see which other books I get.  

Summer Cleaning

Today Jason and I cleaned all day.  We vacuumed, and organized and washed etc.  The dogs helped us by sleeping mostly out of the way under the desk (that is Pierre, my mom's dog).

  

An Almost Pictureless day

Today we went tandem biking at the beach with some of our friends (different ones than before).  It was a perfect day.  We went biking from Santa Monica to Venice Beach, then to Malibu to  swim, next out to eat at Native Foods in Westwood, and finally finished up with a ice cream sandwich from Diddy Riese.  Yum!  All that and none of us took any pictures!  I remembered when we got home and Mosey greeted us with a car wash sponge that he had found in a cupboard (got to get some child locks!).  

Our New iPhones

So Jason and I decided to shrug off our "normal people" persona and  stand in line for an iPhone for 5 hours...   When we arrived at the apple store, the line curved around the entire building.  The apple people made us comfortable, giving us iced coffee and tea (neither of which we like) and showing us the iPhones we would soon buy (look, no touch).  Here is Jason waiting in line.  

The new iPhone is pretty cool.  Jason could tell you a lot more about it.  I just like the fact that I have the internet with me all the time.  I think I can even blog from it!  I will try that soon.  Oh by the way, I had to change my cell number so if you know me, email me and I will tell you the new number.    

A Rant

To all the snotty "playground moms" at Loma Linda small dog park:

For the last 5 months, I have been bringing my puppy to play with your dogs.  By all the regulars, Mosey has been treated with nothing but disgust.  I am sorry that he has so much more energy than your dogs and that he actually wants to play with them.  A word from the wise: Mosey cannot understand English, therefore all your petty little comments do not actually hurt him, but me.  I know that you are trying to get back at all the cliquish girls that picked on you in high school by being the same way as adults, but I was never one of those girls. 

To the lady who screamed at Mosey when he wanted to play with her yappy little brat dog:

If your dog can't handle a puppy running in circles near him, you had better just parade your dog somewhere else.

To the woman tonight who warned new people coming into the park to stay away from Mosey because he has "been attacking other dogs":

Your 50 lbs dog has been growlingly pinning my 20 lbs dog by his neck every time that we come to the park, and I have always graciously said that I didn't mind.  How about showing that same respect when my 20 lbs dog gets rough with another 20 lbs dog.  

A tip to all of you self-righteous dog freaks at the Loma Linda small dog park:

If you don't want my dog to play with your dog, don't kick or hit my dog, PICK YOUR DOG UP.

Mosey and I get the hint, we will never grace your lawn again.     

Playin'

Here is Mosey on one of the rare occasions that he finds a dog at the small dog park that really wants to play hard like he does.  These two were quite the pair.

'Fraidy Cat..... er Dog

At first, Mosey was very excited about his own private drinking fountain. 

 

But when the water decided to maliciously attack him, he decided to get out of there fast!

A Nice Evening

So this evening, I sat on my bed, watched an internet show, ate nectarines, and snuggled with Mosey.  Can't get much better can it?  Here is Mosey noticing my nectarines.  

And then him noticing me saying "Moooooooseeeey!"

Fruit......

Today, Jason and I went to Costco.  We must have been in a certain kind of summer mood because we picked out a plethora of fruit.  This picture below is what we came home with.  Keep in mind we decided to put the cherries and grapes back.  Probably a good thing right?

This fruit is amazing.  We have almost finished all the nectarines which are perfectly ripe and juicy.  We haven't started on the peaches yet because they are still a little hard.  We have been having fruit plates for every meal.  Yum!

Rafting

Here we are approaching the last major rapid of the day.  "The Troublemaker".  

Here we are hitting a rock and dumping 2 of our boat members.  

It was an extremely fun day.  Can't wait to do it again.