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.)