taking a nap under my desk never sounded so good

I have never been this tired at work before. I haven't gotten a good night's sleep since Friday night. I've also been non-stop stressed out as well. And it's all because of the new pup.

Don't get me wrong, I love the little guy to pieces but he has seperation anxiety. If you leave, even to go to the bathroom he flips out and starts to whine and whimper. We tested out how bad it gets with a video camera when we leave and yesterday I was gone for a half hour. The first 17 minutes I was gone he was freaking out. Running around, barking, howling, whimpering, climbing on the table. By the 27 minute mark he wasn't really making a peep and at the 36 minute mark I came home.

When we walked through the door he once again freaked out, so excited that we came home. And who can blame him. All we know about this guy is that he was a stray then moved back and forth between 4 houses after that. Of course he is going to be anxious when people leave, thinking that he's got to start all over again.

So, I've been reading up on how to break him of this habit and it's not a fun road. The hardest part of the training is that we have to be home. Not so easy when we both have full time jobs. We are determined to make this work, and I'm confident that it can be done but I'm worried that I will lose my sanity before then.


Oh, Happy Halloween! I completely forgot about it. We have no pumpkins and no candy yet. Jeez!

Goofball

Ok, since I am on like no sleep thanks to 2 dogs in the bed the last two nights I don't have many eloquent things to say so I will share another pic of the newest addition to our family.

This photo was taken this morning as Chewy was rolling around on his back having a blast on the couch.

Seconds later the goofball rolled himself off the couch and landed on his back on the floor and the bottom of the table. Like I told numerous people already, I really hope these antics are because he's still a puppy and not that he has a teenie tiny brain ;)

Meet Chewy!

This afternoon went really well. As soon as I saw 'Arthur' I knew he was for us. Such a sweet face and such an adorable personality. We took a short walk with him and Yoda and then went back to the foster and told her that we would definitely like to take him home.

The car ride back was very interesting. Turns out Chewy is quite the explorer. He didn't want to sit in the back with Yoda, no he preferred climbing all over. Jumping down below David's feet, trying to climb onto the dashboard and occasionally he made it onto my lap. Not the safest way to drive!

He definitely is a little firecracker when he wants to be. He's not afraid of anything and will trample whatever is in his way. We've already encountered a few things that will definitely make things interesting for a while but it's nothing that a little training can't take care of. He may be 3 years old but this little guy acts like a puppy!

Yoda is having a little bit of a hard time with this, definitely making it known that it is HIS house, but it's getting better. He's starting to tolerate him in small doses, and can it can only improve from here!

Anyway, onto the pictures :)

How could you not love this face?

The boys, getting to know each other.

This is when we learned he is quite the acrobat!

Poor little guy's lip constantly gets stuck under his teeth, makes it look like he has an underbite :)

Delaying the inevitable...

I hit snooze for an hour this morning. Nope, I wasn't late for work. I knew when I went to bed last night that I would want to delay the inevitable this morning so I accounted for it in the time I set my alarm for. By 7am I knew I couldn't procrastinate getting ready for work any longer.

So, here I sit, going over tons of training to prepare myself for the new area I start to cover today. I want to make sure I have enough information about the process before I start working on anything. The last thing I want to do is look like an ass when I complete something and get called out on how it's wrong. That's it, that's my biggest fear. And I mean, I've worked on this area before, on holidays when it's extremely hectic and I've gotten through it. I don't know why I'm so scared. Change, that's why I'm scared. I've lived in my comfortable bubble for 4 years and now that it's popped I feel lost.

Anyway, on to the good news. Yesterday after work David and I headed out to PetSmart to pick up some goodies for the new pup we will hopefully pick up tomorrow. A bed, leash, harness, toys and a shiny new tag with his name and phone number on it. We are ready. I am just hoping that things go smoothly tomorrow and he and Yoda get along well. I can't wait to be a 2 dog family and that thought is what is helping me through today.

I leave you with another pic of what will hopefully be our new dog!

miserable

I received some news at work this morning that I was dreading. It turns out that the area that I did not want to work on is now the area that I'm going to be forced into as soon as tomorrow.

I have already started to keep an eye out for other opportunities in the area but this news is pushing me to be more active with that. The job they want me to do I would never apply for in a million years. I can't be expected to do a job well that I'm basically forced into.

And the thing is, I feel bad about this. I know there are 9 people who would kill for this job right now but it's just not for me. Maybe I'll get used to it and it will get better. But I can tell you that I was totally not expecting that news this morning. I was told earlier this week that what I'm doing now I'd be doing until at LEAST the end of this year.

I guess I need to realize that things said in this building are not always true. You think I'd learn that after 4 years.

Can I just sit around and do nothing for a little while?

I really wish things would just settle down a little. I haven't been able to relax since we got back from camping. Yesterday after work we went grocery shopping, came home, walked the dog and then we were out the door for yet another vet appointment.

Doesn't sound too bad does it? Well throw in the fact that I locked us out of the house. David was talking to our neighbor outside and I didn't even think before I slammed the door shut. So, there we were, stranded and we needed to get to the vet.

Thank god for our fabulous neighbors. They let us take their car and we remembered that our friends still had a copy of our key. So, we breathed a sigh of relief and headed to the vet.

It turns out that poor Yoda hurt his back during his recovery from anesthesia. So, we came home with meds and were told to keep an eye on him and limit his activity this week. That should be interesting once Saturday rolls around and he meets his new brother. Sigh.

Oh, and this morning I saw the weather forecast called for rain today. So, before heading to work I had to pack up 2 tents, a screened in canopy and a tarp. They had been outside drying since Sunday. I finally got in the car to go to work a half hour after I was supposed to. It was 8:30am and I was already exhausted.

Ughh, and tonight we have to start cleaning the house. It looks like a bomb went off because of all the camping gear and general laziness from the past few days.

Sorry, if this came across as whiny, but I'm so tired and I think I'm getting sick. So, apologies for this vent!

I'll be sick in a week, guaranteed!

I am exhausted! This weekend was great but it was also incredibly tiring.

Friday's weather made me want to pack everything up and head to the nearest hotel. It took us about 3 hours to put up our new tent. And it started pouring, and I mean POURING before we could put the tarp up. Long story short, the rain eventually stopped and it took 4 rolls of paper towels to make the inside of the tent nice and dry.

Then the wind started. And I'm talking serious wind. We were happy that the rain stopped but now we were freezing and hoping that our tents didn't blow away. However, this wind brought clear skies with it. I haven't seen that many stars in the sky in I can't remember how long. It was truly worth suffering through the horrible weather.

Even though I didn't get much sleep Friday night, because it was literally freezing, I got up on Saturday feeling good because the sun was out. Not a cloud in the sky. Once again, suffering through Friday was worth it.

We all got up and ate a fabulous breakfast and then headed out for a hike. We picked a 3 hour hike to a few waterfalls. 1.5 miles straight down and 1.5 miles straight up. You can guess how we all felt after that. If you can't, see picture below.

I'm making this sound like it was a crappy weekend. But it really wasn't, I swear! Even though there were a few obstacles we all had a blast and it was great to hang out with friends. It was definitely a weekend to remember. I know I'll never forget the interpretive dance we were all treated to! Once again, look below for pictures :)

Skyline Drive in the fog.

Yummy breakfast!

Our campsite

A gorgeous view from one of the bazillion overlooks.

The gang, still fresh with energy before the hike.

One of the many tiny waterfalls along the hike.

When we finished the hike, a few of us were a little tired :)

One of the overlooks on the way home today. Once again, beautiful weather!

And last but certainly not least, A's interpretive dance. Seriously, side splittingly funny. Definitely the entertainment we needed on Saturday night. I don't think any of us will forget this!

nature here I come

Tomorrow morning David, me and some friends will be on our way to Shenandoah National Park for the weekend. We can't wait to get away from it all for a while and just chill out with friends.

We've been dying to break out the new additions to our camping equipment. And I can't wait to see what fall has in store for us in the mountains. I love Shenandoah in autumn and it should be a great weekend for it.

I will also be doing the re-shoot of engagement pictures. And I can't imagine a more beautiful backdrop. So, all in all it should be a fantastic weekend. And once again, I'm sure I will have photos to share. Especially since there might be an interpretive dance involved!!

Things are looking up!

Work was rough today but I got an idea of what I will be doing over the next few months and I'm thrilled. So far, there are no plans for me to work on the area that I can't stand. Knock on wood, let's hope it stays that way.

More importantly, the BEST news from today is that we were finally contacted about a possible match from the rescue organization! And we are currently making plans to meet up with the little guy next Saturday. We are so excited and are keeping our fingers crossed that he and Yoda get along well so we can take him home.

Perfect timing...yesterday was hell but this news completely changes my mood. I'm on countdown mode until we meet "Arthur". Yeah, we are changing his name :)

Isn't he adorable? He looks a lot like Yoda (aside from the fact that he's probably about 8 pounds lighter!)


Yay!

...

Went to a meeting for 15 minutes...came back and my coworker was gone. We'll definitely keep in touch but it hurts a little that I didn't get to say goodbye.

the end of an era

Coming to work will never be the same after today.

Most of you know where I work and if you've looked online recently you may have seen what's going on here today. This morning I knew it was going to be a hard day as I drove into work. What I did NOT expect is that it would hit as close to home as it did.

I'm currently listening to one of my closest coworkers pack his stuff up. In a few minutes he will be off to an HR meeting. Then after that he will be gone.

We were led to believe that we were safe. Not so for 10 people on the team I work for. Happy it's not me but I have my own problems now. Yes, I still have a job, but I will soon find out if it's one that I would NEVER even apply for if I was unemployed. Time will tell how that plays itself out.

But for now, I'm sad. I'm sad for the hundreds of people who will pack their belongings up in boxes and leave this place today. They don't deserve it. I can speak for at least 30 people who I know worked their butts off everyday and were handed their walking papers.

Yeah, I know this is how things work in this business but that doesn't make it sting any less. I'm sure I'll have more updates as the day goes on. I need somewhere to vent.

nightmare

My biggest fear as a photographer was realized this weekend. I went out with C and S to shoot some engagement photos for them. By the end of the shoot, 500 images were taken. When I was previewing them as thumbnails on the camera everything seemed to be coming out just fine. However, when I returned home and uploaded the images I realized that the worst had happened. One of the settings was wrong on my camera and the majority of the images were ruined. If I had been shooting at night the images would have been fine. Yeah, not the case, it was completely sunny out. The perfect day for a shoot! So, I had a pity party yesterday and almost convinced myself that I was the worst photographer ever.

However, I was reminded by my wonderful husband that even though I went to school for all of this, I haven't photographed regularly since college and have only recently begun shooting a lot again. So, mistakes are bound to happen. And that I shouldn't let one incident prevent me from shooting again. But still, all yesterday I felt like crap. The last thing I wanted to do was disappoint friends.

But C and S were very understanding and we are going to try a re-shoot later this week. And I will make damn sure that everything is properly set on my camera this time!

There were some shots that escaped the massacre. I've shared a few below. My favorite one though I will not be sharing on here because it is the most intimate moment I've ever captured. And I feel as though C and S should be able to enjoy that one all for themselves for a while :)

I'm famous! (well my hair is anyway)

Ok, so I don't have anything exciting to say but I am so completely bored at work today I need to do something to pass the time, even if it's only a 5 minute post.

Did I happen to mention that my hair is famous? Yeah, if you are bored, check out the whole gallery. Especially if you've been pondering whether or not to get that cool 'as seen on TV' gadget.

And if you have no interest in the products but want to see my glorious hair, skip to page 17.

click me, click me, click me!

Thank you, that is all.

::insert witty title here::

I'm sitting here watching the Yankees game with David and I need something to distract me from how awful they are doing tonight. So here I am, buzzed from a lovely margarita and posting to keep me from watching the TV.

This weekend was nice (what a fantastic, boring word to use). It was great to hang out with my mom and sister. Actually, my sister and I fought a little more than I would have liked but sometimes that's what happens. Regardless, it was a fun weekend, aside from the blistering heat, and I came away from it with 2 pairs of boots, sunglasses and the softest robe imaginable thanks to the trip we took to the outlet mall.

The rest of the week should be an interesting one. Things are brewing at work and not in a good way. I can't really elaborate but it's been hell sitting and waiting for news that is bound to come in the next few days. I also have a vet appointment to look forward to. I'll get to sit in suspense while Yoda is under anesthesia keeping my fingers crossed that they don't have to pull his tooth and empty my wallet.

So much fun! I think I need to drink more of my margarita to help those thoughts exit my brain.

Back to the game :)



P.S. Apologies if this post makes no sense, I have a pretty low tolerance for alcohol lately. And hopefully I won't post tomorrow about hungover I am!

Only 7 hours until the weekend starts!

David and I left the house at the same time this morning. That never happens. He is usually gone and off to work an hour and a half before I even get out of bed. But this morning he was off to the airport for a trip up to Rochester this weekend.

I have to admit, I really liked having him around to get ready with. Makes for a nice start to the day. I wish it would happen more often.

Anyway, since David isn't around this weekend I'm having a full on girls weekend. My mom and sister are heading down for a visit tomorrow morning and they'll be here until Monday. I can't wait. I have no idea what we are going to do though. I was hoping to get to a few festivals in the area but that doesn't sound appealing anymore now that it's supposed to be 90 degrees! (where the hell is fall??) But I'm sure we'll figure out something, it really doesn't matter what we do. I'm just happy that I can get a dose of mom in, I need it.

Because I'm bored...

...and no one seems to care about my blog lately anyway (tear), here are some fun results from quizzes I just took since I'm too lazy to come up with something meaningful to write about today.

You Scored an A

You got 10/10 questions correct. It's pretty obvious that you don't make basic grammatical errors. If anything, you're annoyed when people make simple mistakes on their blogs. As far as people with bad grammar go, you know they're only human. And it's humanity and its current condition that truly disturb you sometimes.

The It's Its There Their They're Quiz

Your German Name is:

Kerstin Britta

What's Your German Name?

You Are 28% Paranoid Schizophrenic

You're pretty grounded, though you have your occasional paranoid moments. Just make sure to ignore those voices in your head!

Are You A Paranoid Schizophrenic?

Warning! **Large photo post below**

I'm exhausted! This weekend was a lot of fun but it was also filled with things to do. My legs are still screaming at me for all the walking they had to endure!

We learned a lot, enjoyed a weekend of fabulous weather and had a great time. I just felt bad because David was suffering with a cold all weekend. This was taken on Friday night at the battlefield and gives you a sense of what David wanted to do next:


But Saturday morning he seemed a little better so off we went to tour the battlefield and cemetery.

Pennies were placed on the gravestones of unknown soldiers.

David and I on top of the Pennsylvania Monument.

Sachs Bridge...apparently VERY haunted. I wasn't about to come back here at night.

Gorgeous Irish monument

David and I at Little Round Top.

At night we went on the ghost tour which was actually pretty cool. Here is a photo of one of the most haunted buildings on the seminary grounds. It was used as a hospital during the Civil War. Our guide says that sometimes photos come back with mysterious things in the windows. No such luck for me!


Sunday we walked around town for a little bit, took a tour of the Shriver House, enjoyed some homemade ice cream and of course bought a souvenir (we buy Christmas ornaments to remember the places we visit together).

And last but not least, we made it to Boyds Bear Country. I made David take a pic of me in front of the Fall display. I'm a dork.


All in all it was a great weekend. Even if we didn't have any ghostly encounters!