Saturday's are perfect for birthdays.

Just look at that cake folks! (and it's just as delicious on the inside!) Jason whipped it up Saturday morning :-) on my birthday. Yummmmmm!

It was a very nice birthday weekend in Virgina. And the weekend seemed looooong too....that's always a good thing! I couldn't figure out why until, yes, it dawned on me. Leia (our new dog) woke up kinda early both Saturday and Sunday morning - and since i have morning walk duties, I was up too. It's ok, I didn't mind getting a jump start on my birthday. On our Saturday walk, I told Leia it was my birthday, but she didn't seem to care.

As far as birthday weekends go, everything was great! It was cold and gloomy on the outside (no birthday would be complete without a grey sky and frigid temps) and on the inside we were decorating cakes and eating chocolate chip Eggos! (Which for the record - were not very good.) We also made a trip to Best Buy to get my laptop serviced - it seems to have a cold.

Then it was off to dinner at my favorite sushi place. AKASAKA! Now that we have moved, we could probably walk to it - we live that close to the best sushi in northern Virginia. Jason was saying it's the best kept secret in our town. I'd have to agree.

It was delicious as always - and we topped off our meal with green tea ice cream! Yep! It was a two dessert day! (remember...the cake....)

When we got home it was time for presents and more dessert! Jason got me a jewelery box. I've always wanted one :-) Thanks Jas. He also got me this cool-crafty stitching kit. I am going to embroider designs on a pillowcase for Leia. Comfort is mucho important for that dog - so why not make it stylish too?! I got four patterns - on of my fav's is the retro spaced-out pattern. Plus, everyone knows it's funny when pets use a pillow like it's people. Not sure I know how to stitch yet, so I'll keep you posted.



Good to know: If you ever come to our house, Jason can make you a cake too.

File under: Disturbing

There's nothing more peaceful than an early morning walk with Leia. She walks very well on the lead, so we glide down the sidewalk like two peas.

Today - like any other morning - I put on my coat, put on Leia's coat (it's cold!) and headed out. The south elevator is currently getting an upgrade to marble flooring, so we took the stairs. I'm so proud of Leia - she can go down the stairs like a champ. Jason taught her. And she learned them so quick! (Considering she's four years old - and before we adopted her, she had never seen stairs before)...but i digress.

So, Leia and I headed down the stairs and out the door...then took off down the boulavard on our walk. The normal amount of stopping and sniffing occured - and even though it was a little brisk, our walk was enjoyable (yes! so far so good.) We got about half way down the boulavard and it was time to turn around to head back home. On our way back - I noticed a man about 10-15 feet ahead of us - pop out of his home and grab the paper. The thing is, he wasn't wearing shoes...or socks....or pants...or UNDERWEAR!!!! WHAT???!!! Dressed in just a tee-shirt, Leia and I were sure enough briskly walking toward a half naked man. He saw us, (thankfully, I didn't see his you know what - thank god) as he pulled his tee shirt down in an attempt to cover up.

Now - let me recap for a minute. It was COLD this morning. Like in the 20's. You would think this dude would take precaution just for climate sake. Guess not.

So he hops down his two stairs out to the sidewalk, bends down, picks up the paper - and I immediatly look down to avoid the fact that we just made eye contact. I thought I had been looking down long enough to let the uncomfortable moment pass, but as soon as i looked up again - i was graced by the back of his bum heading inside. Yech!!! EEEWWW. Did that just happen? "Leia, did you just see that?" I asked as we picked up the pace back to our house -in an attempt to avoid any more sudden nudity. I continued in shock, "Leia, I swear I just saw a man with no pants getting the paper. What he heck?" Leia did not respond. We quietly headed home in a state of wonder and disbelief. We got back inside, greeted Jason with our chapless, tee-shirt wearing ghost-man story and then had breakfast. I think we'll take the path tomorrow.

Creature Comforts: Fluffy The Hamster

Poe Poe, Zeta and Ravi

Leia has been collecting a few new dog friends in the neighborhood since she's been with us. (It's been 26 fun days so far.) Today we went for our morning walk and saw the labrador that lives on our floor - I believe her name is Zeta. Then she met up with the little one Poe Poe - not so friendly today, Poe Poe started barking and Leia jumped back and let out 1 bark. I think it's the first bark I've heard. And just before we went inside, a short hello to her friend Ravi - i think she licked Ravi's cheek. All in a morning's walk, and just enough dog interaction to leave Leia dreaming all day about her friends on the sidewalk.

There was also a Leia moment last night that had me puzzled. I was talking to Jason and said the words "went to the car place" and Leia jumped up and stared at me - like "Yes! let's go!" So, I said it again "I went to the car place" and once again - she whipped her head around and stared me down. She is four, and very smart - she knows many words...but i'm trying to rack my brain on what would rhyme with "car place" that would make her react that way. It means something to her. Just not sure what.

Also, Leia is learning the stairs! (which really helps when the elevator breaks down...which it did AGAIN this morning.) Luxury condos, eh? Tell that to the 4th floor dwellers, as I'm guessing there's nothing luxurious about hoofing down 4 flights of stairs to leave your house.

PS. Isn't Jason the best!? He added some fun new features and updates to our website yesterday! (Including a birthday reminder! Ha! Jason, you didn't have to do that!) My favorite is the Monkey pic.

Normal is good.

There's something to be said for a normal week. This was the first full week of work that was somewhat normal, compared to December. Last month it was never-ending Christmas specials, working weekends to take time off, voicing spots for the Marketing department - you name it, and it sucked up my time! It feels good to get back to the almost-normal routine. (It is never "normal" at XM.)

Speaking of routines, we are getting back into routine workouts after a holiday/dog- with-seperation anxiety-break. Jason and I recently found out the gym in our new condo is ready and usable. I enjoy the variety. We now have a couple gyms we visit, and just becuase we can go for free in our building, I'm still keeping our memberships at Fitness First. Something tells me that I should keep my options open for now. Sure enough, the power to both treadmills was out last night.

Not sure if you believe in this stuff, but every month I visit http://www.astrologyzone.com/ to see what Susan Miller has in store for me. Yes, take it with a grain of salt...not everything she writes relates exactly to your life, but more than once, she's been pretty accurate about stuff. Like I said, you may not believe in this stuff, but it's fun to read.

Good to know: It was the first full week at work with Leia (our dog) staying home alone. She did great and seems to like it at our place. She is so sweet. I'm looking forward to spending more time with her this weekend.

PS. OMG - did you watch "I am John Daker" (below)??? A friend of mine sent this to me and I almost peed my pants. Listen, it's no fun forgetting a few words onstage - I've done that - but this guy, he's....well.... you be the judge. So so sad.

My name is John Daker

Welcome Leia!

I am so happy to announce the news! We have a dog! It was something of a Christmas miracle really...and after a couple of fosters that didn't quite work out - we've found a match, and we're all getting along like one small happy family.

Born on August 13, 2003, she's 4 years old, very cute and extra well behaved. Her given racing name is Cold B Ageless, but her adopted name is Leia....yes, "as in Princess." Come on - I only live with the biggest Star Wars fan on the planet! Plus, it all makes sense. Leia's dad is named Star Wars.

Ageless was quite the runner! She raced 110 times and won "1st Place" 18 times. Then "2nd place" 20 times...and "3rd place" 20 times...and on and on...she was GOOD! That's probably why we're adopting at an older age and it could have something to do with her perfect manners too. She is so smart and patient.

Now, just remember what Cesar Millan preaches: Dogs need excercise, discipline and affection in that order!

Do some good in 2008.

Happy New Year! It's day two of the new year and I've decided to set a goal for myself. I am going to do my part in 2008 when it comes to recycling. Jason and I get a ton of recycling down to the trash room each week- which i can only HOPE is ACTUALLY being recycled (I'm pretty sure every sheet of paper I put in the recycle bins at work just get put in the regular trash at the end of the day. Nice.) But, at least i'm doing my part!

So, Jason and I started watching the new season of The Biggest Loser (Couples) on NBC last night and the show has done away with using plastic bottles to help the contestants reduce their waists and their waste. Everyone was carrying around a green Nalgene bottle! Nalgene teamed up with Brita for the FilterForGood pledge. Check out the webpage for more info on these reusable Nalgene bottles. You can get one too!

Now, most of us already own a couple Nalgene bottles for camping - and we're way ahead of the pack on this idea of "filtered water in a reusable bottle." So, it's second nature to incoporate a Nalgene bottle into our everyday activities. Especially if you're my dad - he's been filtering his drink out of strange bodies of water for years (using his ancient white plastic first edition Nalgene bottle with a blue top and blue lettering.) He'll be the first to tell you "it's important to stay well hydrated!" Right Dad? Or perhaps you're my sister who fills her pink Nalgene bottle (with a sylish white flower on the side) from the tap each morning. Or me, I have a dark pink 32 ouncer i'm fond of at the moment. It's chilling in the fridge at work as we speak. Which ever shade (or method of filtration) you prefer - just know you've been making a difference all these long years! And keep up the good work!

Reader Warning:

A while back, a friend of mine started hating on the Nalgene bottle because of an article he read. You can make your own call, but the evidence was enough for Patagonia stores to pull Nalgene from their shelves. Yikes! I guess my advice is to not put them in the dishwasher, since the ultra-hot water can cause the polycarbonate to break down and leach Bisphenol A. Which I read was a bad bad thing. Also, you should replace the bottle around the time the print wears off the outside.

Looks like I need a new one! (Dad, you should get a new one too.)