Newburyport, MA

Today Julie was gracious to toss me the keys to her Audi A4 when we headed out to lunch in Newburyport, MA with my Father and Sheila. Julie, Sara, and I grabbed a sweet parking spot on Main Street and strolled down to Not Your Average Joe’s for some delicious grub and much needed laughs.

Sheila surprised us with some hilarious cupcakes that will probably create much ado upon my upcoming trip to the dentist. And for the non-sweets section – a plethora of Rao's pasta sauce – she truly knows the way to my heart.

It was a little too cold to leisurely wander the incredible downtown area but we hope to return this summer for some walk about time.

Sheila and Dad, thank you so much for taking us out for a great time and cheering me on into my 29th birthday.

Chuggington

As most of you know, Jay has been busy creating storyboards for a new animated series geared towards pre-schoolers called Chuggington. Although we won't be able to see any of the fifty-two 10 minute episodes until 2009, at least the Chuggington homepage is jam packed with information. I love the promotional animation they included. If you're interested in learning what all those trains Jay speaks of look like and do check out the site.

Mayhausens Pretty Sydney 1995 - 2008

On Monday Jay and I had to say our final goodbye to Sydney (her legal name was Mayhausens Pretty Sydney -- the Kennel came up with it). She had eaten very little for the last week and last weekend she ate nothing - not even the "bedtime" bones that she use to take one after another each night from me.

She was thrilled to see Paulette (her first Mother) on Saturday and Sunday. We spend the time at home, sitting on the floor with Sydney in various rooms of the house - talking, laughing, and petting her. Paulette left Sunday around 4:00 pm. The timing of everything was uncanny. Sid went outside Sunday night with her usual 'need no help' attitude but once she was back inside laid down for the night. The next morning she refused to get up even after Jay tried to lift her into a general standing position -- she would not/could not stand or sit. She cried and whimpered when Jay finally carried her downstairs.

After agreeing that she was experiencing more than dehydration and fatigue we drove her to the vet. Fortunatly, both of us were able to put our obligations at work on hold for the day. It is amazing how much Sid was a part of our life. I don't think I ever knew how many dog toys/treats we owned until we started packing everything up. It's going to take a good deal of time before we can adjust to her not being around. We are just so glad she was a part of our lives. We wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Hippo Is Back!

After purchasing a bright fushia hippo toy (that of course lets out long squeaks) this past summer for Sydney, Jay thought I had lost my mind. Over time the toy became Sid's favorite. This month, Sid's ability to use her back legs has dramatically declined. Her state started to get the better of us this week when her personality shifted. Instead of bringing her hippo to us each evening to play (if we didn't follow her lead she would nag us with numerous barks -- a tune that grew old the moment it began) she now made no effort to engage with us. After her second treatmet of acupuncture last night she proudly came to us with the hippo. Jay and I couldn't be more excited to see Sid back in action with a huge smile on her face.

This upcomming July Sydney will be 14 years old. This last month has been a painfull reminder of the reality that comes with caring for an older pet. All of the little things Sid does daily for us have become "big" things. Each day we realize how much she means to us. We never thought a day would dramatically change if a hippo wasn't squeaked in our face. Since Sydney is constantly on our minds, last night's playtime was a much welcomed treat.

New Photos From 2000

We started to clean the house! Among a number of "mysterious" items were eleven rolls of old black and white film. After waiting a week and paying more than we ever imagined (I couldn't miss a darkroom more) we were ecstatic when the photos returned. Some of our favorite images among the rolls have to be the photos we found from an evening at Faneuil Hall from 2000. The images proved that even though our hair cuts have changed we were as goofy then as we are now.

Welcome to Maine: The Way Life Should Be

One of our new year resolutions included finding more time to spend with our family. Fortunately we were able to escape to Maine this weekend. One of the best parts had to have been spending time in our favorite city with my Dad and Melody. Melody had never been to the area and the last time my Dad took in the sites was 20+ years ago. (I guess that explains why family trips to the area never seemed to happen when I was young). Although the temperature was fairly low, we had a great time downtown taking in the shopping scene.

No trip to Maine is ever complete without stopping by 12 Belmont Street. We were so glad to see Paul and Sheila. What made the weekend all the more special had to have been dinner on Saturday night. Paul and Sheila took all of us out to the Five Fifty-Five for an incredible meal and of course good conversation. We can't thank all of our parents enough for making the weekend so special. We always love the time we spend with each of you but spending it as a group makes it all the better.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

One of my absolute favorite aspects of teaching has to be snow days. The night before a huge storm rolls our way, I find myself captivated by each and every weather report. To my disappointment, last night school had yet to be cancelled. This left me overjoyed when the phone rang around 6:00 this morning announcing school had been cancelled. Nothing can beat the luxury of sleeping in surrounded by a blanket of snow before heading outside to put all the energy you have conserved to good use lifting layer after layer of inch after inch surrounding your feet.

To make matters all the more exciting, upon waking we found the branches of our birch trees in desperate need of assistance. The weight of the snow has left them arched to the ground and finding additional support on our electric lines. After clearing some snow off the branches, we have been preparing for a sudden lost of electricity in the hours to come.

At least we have enjoyed killing the time with Sydney. Watching her prance around in the snow and attack the shovel makes the winter one of my favorite seasons. Our neighbors couldn't have made the afternoon all the more enjoyable. They seem to like shovelling for hours while blasting Britney Spears from their car radio. Could life get any better! I guess there is a new trend when it comes to shoveling. I must say they win the award when it comes to how to encourage those living near by to pick-up the real estate section and start house hunting. I'm sure they will make our life all the more interesting during the snow storms to come.

We couldn't resist including an image of Sydney enjoying the snow as a pup. Although she has gotten a bit more grey over the years, once winter comes her way her level of energy never seems to change. Hopefully Sydney's energy will mirror that of our supply inside and nothing will change today!