I love it here

I always go for walks with Echo through these meadows along the Truckee River with the Sierra mountains all around. Sometimes I stop to look around and breathe in the mountain air and I remember how hard I worked to get here.

When I first moved to D.C. from New York I used to spend 4 hours commuting every day. Now Echo and I usually walk 2 or 3 hours every day. I think it's a much better use of my time. I think she agrees.

Sailing in Tahoe

A couple of boats in the fleet. Notice we're taking this picture from behind, not so much in first place.

An Olsen 30.

Our fearless leader.

We still haven't made it to the mark. But spinnakers are beautiful.

Expressway. They kick our butts every time.

Turuff

Six and a half months

I got a new zoom lens for my camera. I took it out of the box and started using it immediately. It's sweet. And also, Echo is beautiful and definitely not camera shy.

She loves our walks in the woods. She bounds around chasing squirrels and birds. And every minute or so she looks to make sure I'm still there. Sometimes I hide behind a tree to see what she'll do. She usually books for home thinking that's where I've gone. But I don't let her get far.

It's a little shocking how much I love her.

Poor puppy

Echo is six months old now so I took her to the Vet to have her spayed. I really didn't want her to have to go through the surgery but I also really didn't want to have little baby Echos running around. She's still just a baby herself.


During the few days leading up to her surgery I would just start crying randomly because I was so scared for her. And of course I cried when I dropped her off. But she made it out fine.. And now she's just the saddest thing you ever saw.



The vet recommended I have two of her back claws removed because they can get infected. So now she has her belly scar and her poor little back feet are stiched up.

It's only the second day and she's already found a way out of her collar to chew off the bandages on her legs. I had to go get a bigger collar tonight and it's even more pitiful than the first one. It's enormous! Poor baby.

I have to laugh when I look at her. I think she hates me.. but I can't blame her. At least when we go for walks she doesn't have to wear the collar. Only when I have to leave her alone so she can't chew out her stiches. What a sweet girl though.

The vet says she has to "be calm" for the next two weeks. No jumping, no running, no water, no excitement. TWO WEEKS?! Echo has never been calm for more than two minutes!!!! This should be interesting. Wish us luck.

Patriotism at its Best

Belle of the Ball

Everywhere we go Echo is the center of attention. It's so good for her to meet people and other animals so I try to take her everywhere with me. We went to the last hour or so of an outdoor concert on Sunday. It was pretty nippy out so I figured I would zip her up in my coat. Woah, she uh, grew a bit. She just barely fit into a coat she used to have plenty of room in. It was so funny, I had this huge bulge and people were looking at me like "is that a baby under there?" It was really cute though, she had her head tucked in the sleeve and her little tail would hang out the bottom. And when she wanted to look around she's tick her head out and I'd unzip my coat a little. People were totally won over. Shocking, I know. I have a lot of fun with her. And I've met more people that way.


"aww.. what kind of dog is she??" "she's so cute!" "healer right?"

Different is good

I have sort of abandoned my blog lately. I post pictures, and some fleeting thoughts, but nothing really substantial. I was reading back on some of my old posts tonight and realized how traumatized I used to feel. I have been so much more relaxed and positive since I move West. Tahoe has made me a better person, literally. If for no other reason than less time spent in the car and more time spent outdoors. Oh, and my puppy :) She makes life wonderful.

I'm sad that I haven't been inspired to write as much, though. I still write occasionally, but struggle and pain were always such compelling reasons to write. It always forced me to organize my thoughts enough to get them down. I suppose if that's what it takes then I don't need to write so much anymore. Maybe not at all.

Tahoe is like a dream. You wouldn't believe the amazing views in every direction. I took a short walk up to the highschool the other day and was simply awe-struck at the view from the football field. You look out at layers of trees and beyond that, mountains covered in snow. I just stood there staring with my mouth hanging open in wonder at the beauty. I can't imagine what it must be like to grow up here.

When I used to live on the Outer Banks I remember one of my friends was from Crested Butte, CO. She would say that she wanted raise her kids somewhere cool so they would grow up to be awesome adults. I figured Colorado had to be just about the coolest place on earth and envied her childhood. I think Tahoe would be right up there. I haven't talked to her much since then, but I bet if she has little ones they'll be hitting kickers and riding "pow" by the time they're 3. Just like the little Tahoe kiddies.

I guess the point is I'm happy. And from what I read tonight I didn't always feel this way. One of the goals I set before I moved a year ago was to "have an awesomely different life by this time next year". I think I can safely say my life is diffent and awesome. Mission accomplished.

Btw, this was the coolest day ever. It was when Steph came to visit. It snowed a bunch and the road was closed heading out to Emerald Bay where it tends to avalanche. So we decided to park and hike out to the overlook. It was totally surreal. In places along the road there's a complete 360 degree view. Completely amazing.

I love this face so much.

Confident Dog

One thing I've noticed about having Echo is that I do more things on my own. I never used to feel comfortable being out and about by myself. Aside from a trip to the grocery store or the gym, I always needed to have someone with me. I would rarely ever even mountain bike by myself, I always recruited a buddy. I guess she makes me feel more motivated. There's really no option to go home and be lazy when she stares at me like "when are we leaving?"

Since we walk three times a day, I'm always looking for new and exciting places to explore. Today we took this amazing trail up a gully with a stream running through it. It was very cool. I had to go slowly because it's a lot of effort to hike uphill in the snow. She's really good about sticking around and usually won't wander more than ten feet or so. She'll stop and look at me like "come on!!!" It was very cute. On the way down she knew the way so she was running 20 feet ahead and stopped to wait for me. She makes me so happy when she's content and doing what she loves.

Look how cute I am mom!!!

I could just watch her all day.

It's funny because her sisters have these cute little floppy ears. But Echo's stand up on end. They're much bigger as well. Her dad had these big stand-up ears. I guess that's where she gets it from.

Ghetto doggy

I couldn't help it. She whines and shivers when we walk on cold days. So I thought maybe she needed a coat. She doesn't hate it, but I wouldn't say it's her favorite thing ever. But it makes me feel a little better about taking her for walks in the cold.

Update:

It's only a month later and this sweater is already almost too small. I knew it would be before next winter, but she's growing so fast!!!

Mixed feelings

Sometimes I love my puppy so much I wonder why I ever waited to get a dog. She cuddles at night and rests her head on my neck. She's really cute in the morning when she stretches all out on the bed and licks my face and she's all shy and sweet and quiet. When I get home from work she's so happy to see me, her oversized ears lay back and she crouches and licks me while her little tail wags back and forth. She barely ever leaves my side. She'll follow me upstairs even if someone else is playing with her. She sits on my feet while I wash dishes and wants to be in my lap if I'm sitting somewhere. When we were riding in the car today it started raining and she was watching the windshield wipers go back and forth, kind of biting the air each time they swept by. The first time she discovered the mirror on my closet door I thought I was going to die laughing. She ran full speed at the puppy reflection and licked and licked the face. Then she tried to get past the puppy in the mirror but couldn't figure out why she couldn't get by. Finally she saw my reflection and kept barking until I walked over and pet her.

Sometimes though, I feel completely exhasperated and seriously cannot figure out why in God's name I felt compelled to let a wild animal live in my home. I don't mind getting up at 1am and then again at 4am in case she just woke up because she has to go to the bathroom. But I don't understand why the other night after we get home from a long walk she proceeds to do laps around the couch and launches herself off of anything she can manage to climb. I can't figure out why she won't come to me when I call her, especially when we're about to go for a walk. I get really frustrated when she bites my lip or my toes so hard I want to cry. She's usually really good about going to the bathroom outside but last night we stood outside forever while I froze my butt off. Later I walked through the enormous puddle in the bathroom. And today I finally found the pile of poop under the dining room table. I know she's just a baby and she's going to grow out of a lot of the annoying puppy behaviors, but I can't help getting upset with her.

When I'm good, I'm good

It's tough to wear a puppy out. But when I do, it's awesome. I wanted to go somewhere and Echo was tired. So I picked her up with the blanket she was on and put her in a bag. She woke up for a minute but then she was out like a light.

Puppy love

My best friend Stephanie came out to visit. I lived with her for a year in Virginia and in no way did I appreciate what I had until I lost her. Four of us all lived in a townhouse and at the end of the year I announced that I wanted to move to the West Coast. So everyone packed up, got jobs elsewhere and moved. Except me; I stayed in Virginia. I hadn't found the perfect job yet and I was willing to wait until I did. Finally a year later I moved to Tahoe. But I miss her like crazy! I love it when friends come to visit. No matter how long it's been, we're still the best of friends.

7 weeks

Echo is such a good puppy. She had her first shots last week and didn't cry once. She sat on my lap like a good girl and just waited patiently. There is no shortage of energy either. Just one more week and she comes home with me for good. She loves me too. I know that's funny to say, but she curls up in my lap when she wants to go to sleep and when she's nervous. I think we've really bonded. I was there when she was born and I've seen her just about every other day since then.


The kitty is still her favorite toy. She's getting much better about chewing the kitty and not my fingers. She still loves to chew on my hair though. I'm not sure I'll ever break her of that habit.

She might be just a little jealous of her sister River. But they love to play together and cuddle together. It's seriously the cutest thing you have ever seen in your life.

She's getting bigger...

I decided to name her Echo. Two reasons. She looks just like her mom. And her mom's name is Angora. Angora is a lake here and so is Echo Lake. So I wanted to stick with tradition. She's so, so cute. And she loves attention. I'm so excited!!

I started to buy her things. This is dangerous but oh so fun. I got her two green ceramic bowls for her food and water. I wanted pink but they didn't have it. I got her a cute little green fleece blanket that she loves. She chews on it when she's up and sleeps in it when I take her places. And she has this tiny little green collar. So adorable. And I'm perpetually buying her toys. She's going to be a very spoiled dog. My favorite is this miniature kitty stuffed animal. She loves it because it doesn't weigh much and she can drag it around with her. The other toys are still kind of big for her. But she tries.

I also went to the bookstore to read about her breed and how to care for her. I got a couple of Australian Cattledog books and one called "The Complete Holistic Dog Book". It's very interesting. Talking about things like what kinds of supplements to give your dog after they have shots to help them counteract the negative affects. I wanted to buy more books but I tried to exercise at least some restraint.

She sleeps a lot and pees a lot. But I think this is normal puppy behavior. It's kind of nice when she sleeps, because then she's not whining and she's cute when she's sleeping. Today she played so hard that she crawled up into my lap and fell asleep. I love that.

Four weeks

Whiners

You know how when you're by yourself and you get hurt, you tend to be tougher than you would be if you were with someone you know? Or if you're with people you know won't be sympathetic you're tough and sort of just pretend not to be hurt?



Since I've been sick I noticed I'm way more whiney when other people are around. But when it's just me, I sort of just plow ahead and deal. I once was mountain biking and did a header over the handlebars and busted myself up pretty good. But I was alone with nobody to whine to. So I pealed myself off the ground, got back on, and kept riding.

Weird.

Moments of weakness

I've been sick for two and a half weeks now and I'm really starting to get frustrated with it. I think I have a sinus infection, first one I've ever had. I'm supposed to be in Florida next week for a conference and I really don't want to be sick while I'm there. Also, the usual remedy of sleep, vitamin C, echinacea, zinc, and chlorophyl aren't working. I mean, maybe they are, but I can't really tell. And there doesn't really seem to be an end in sight.

On Sunday around 5am when the coughing wouldn't stop and I was seriously fed up with the whole thing, I decided I would go to the doctor when they opened. This was not an easy decision, but I really didn't know what more to do. I sort of pride myself on being in control of my body and knowing how to care for it without the intervention of much in the way of pharmaceuticals.

So I break down and go to the doctor, and of course, there was an hour wait. But an hour turned into four and as I'm still sitting there the manager, who I know through work, comes in to tell me about the people ahead of me with some rather serious injuries. I completely understand, my little cold will not kill me, but lacerations and chest pain might kill those in front of me. But the four hours leading up to this point could have just as easily been spent in bed. So I leave, and to my surprise I'm fairly exasperated with the whole situation, thus the uncontrollable tears being excreted from my tear ducts. I hate crying. Seriously, lots of passion and dislike. Unfortunately I do it with rather annoying frequency. What can I say, I'm a girl.

H'enyway. Monday, I felt better. My mom told me about some other vitamins I could take that I happened to have, so I took those and kept up with the rest of the vitamins. And I went to my chiropractor and he made me feel quite a bit better. Did you know they can adjust your head? My sinuses have been draining all day. It is truly awesome. I mean, God or whomever must have been trying really hard to tell me not to go to the doctor. I think I'll listen.

Today I went to the healthfood store in search of a Neti Pot. My dad recommended it and I am up for just about anything at this point. A Neti Pot is pretty much the strangest thing I have ever experienced, but it is awesome. It's this little ceramic teapot that holds about a cup of warm salt water. You literally pour the salt water in one nostril while tilting your head to one side, fill up your sinus, and it runs out the other nostril simultaneously. It's totally bizarre, but feels absolutely wonderful when you're done. It's the coolest.

I had a moment of weakness but was saved at the last moment. I am happy to say I am "through the woods" and on my way to good health. :) No doctors, and no drugs.

Good times...

I've been in this super bad mood lately. And it's really starting to annoy me. I'm not really much fun when I'm in a bad mood. I'm kind of quiet and I sort of slump around. I've been doing a truly insane amount of shoveling. That could potentially have something to do with it. Although, the mega snowboarding I've been doing should more than make up for it. Maybe it's the winter blues? Can you have winter blues when you live in Tahoe? I sort of have this nasty headache too. Blech..

I'm getting a puppy, that should be good. Oh man are they cute. I think I might be switching puppies. Can you do that?? My little girl is the one always brawling with the other pups. That doesn't seem cool. And she's not so fond of being held on her back. Supposedly that's not a good sign. She's also going to be red, and I kind of had my heart set on a blue heeler. "Sorry honey, but you just weren't quite what we had in mind so we're taking you back.." Poor little thing.


So I think I'm going to try to shake this whole bad mood thing. I'm going to Florida in a couple weeks for a conference. The beach has got to cure some of this right? A little sun? Time with the family? I have been supplementing my diet with hot cocoa which makes me happy. Warm chocolatey goodness.. yum! And my cold is wearing off. What else could a girl ask for? I think this is the new baby..