A Sniffling Wreck

I am the worst when it comes to being sick.

Yes, me. The girl who jumps out of airplanes for fun. When I get a cold I'm the most whiny, pathetic sight you've ever seen.

What can I say, I just don't take being sick well.

And because of this, I'm doing a cop-out weekend recap post - my head is too stuffy to think of anything else.

Friday I decided, since it was going to be nice, to take the day off for some skydiving. So after sleeping in a bit, I headed out to Cleveland Parachute Center around 11 a.m. for my first jump of the day.

Success!

A quick 'chute repack and I was right back up in the sky for a second successful jump. 

The best part about it - I passed my AFF courses and am now a SOLO SKYDIVER!!

Friday night I headed over to the Nautica Pavilion for the O.A.R concert with the SO and his friends. I'd never seen them live before - they were good, but the show only lasted just over an hour. I'm not sure that was worth 40 bucks, honestly.

After, given that I missed the Stanley Cup Finals, I headed home to watch it - thank you, TiVO! 

And no, I don't want to talk about the outcome of that game, thankyouverymuch.

Saturday I was able to sleep in for a change before heading to the zoo for a pet adoption event. Going in, we knew there was no chance we'd be adopting a dog, so we pretty much went just to torture ourselves.

But I did get to talk to a golden retriever rescue group so I know where I might be adopting from in the future!!

From there we headed to one of my favorite Cleveland destinations - the West Side Market - to pick up some staples.

That night we went to the movies and saw The Hangover. Highly recommended, by the way. It's freakin' hilarious. 

We finished the night with another movie, Transformers, since the new one is coming out soon.

Sunday was spent at the drop zone again, after making breakfast tacos in the morning. YUM!

Then, last night, as I was winding down I realized I was getting sick. So here I am, feeling miserable with a cold that most people take in stride. 

I'm not too proud to admit I'm a baby when it comes to being ill. I just wish there was time to sleep it off.

Oh well, back to work.

How was your weekend?

Cheers!

-A

My Favorites 'Ms'

Earlier this week Ang posted a "few of my favorite things" and it seemed like a great idea! So, in telling her I wanted to play along, she used a randomizer to assign me the letter M.

Whew! That could have turned out bad...I don't know anything that starts with the letter X. I would have had to make it a backwards game - your favorites that end in this letter. My list would have been one word long. Oh!

So here are my 10 favorite 'M' things, in no particular order. Most of which, I'm sure will not surprise you.

1. Microbreweries: Lucky for me, Cleveland has some of the best. Between Willoughby, Great Lakes, and the Rocky River Brewing Company I'm in heaven. Can't beat a fresh Dortmunder on tap.


2. Manhattan: No surprise there, eh?

(Yay for one of my favorite pics shot from Brooklyn!)

3. Morning: As much as it completely sucks sometimes, I love getting up early and taking advantage of the day. And nothing is better than a relaxing cup of morning coffee, brisk morning run, or watching the sun rise over the lake.

(Let's just pretend this is what Lake Erie looks like, okay? Thanks.)

4. M&Ms: Peanut are my favorite, and for some reason I prefer the green ones, but I'll take just about any candy coated chocolate. Yummy!

(I ate all the green ones already...)

5. Massages: In college I was religious about getting the monthly massage - I've been slacking lately. Though I do use my charm to get them from the SO from time to time! And honestly, I like giving them just as much as I like getting them.



6. Mini Dachshunds: Again, this should not come as a shock. And though I truly believe Otis is the cutest pup on the face of the planet, this one takes a close second. Her face is just so adorable!

7. Mary Janes: Who doesn't like a comfortable shoe, right? The heal still helps elongate and accentuate the legs, while the rounded toe gives your toes some extra breathing room. I'm wearing my favorite black pair right now.



8. Margaritas: On the rocks. With salt. Poolside, if you don't mind.



9. Michigan State University: I love everything about this place. The ever expanding campus, the sports teams, the school pride, everything.

(Good ole Beaumont Tower)

10. Michael Symon: Again, this goes back to my obsession with The Food Network. He's not only a phenomenal chef, but his restaurants here in town are very cool, and he's not all that bad on the eyes, either. Besides, who doesn't love a man who can cook?


So there you have it, my top 10 favorite 'Ms.' I'm sure there are more where that came from, but you get the idea.

If you're interested in playing along, let me know in the comments and I'll send you your own letter.

Cheers!

-A

Visit to Amish Country

When I was a kid I remember driving through Amish Country on the way to Florida for a family vacation. This was back when gas was 75 cents a gallon and teal Astro vans were all the rage - or something like that.

Anyhow, we never stopped, it was more of a quick pass through, look at that horse & buggy rolling down the street on the way to the beach sorta thing. And this weekend I realized why...

Now don't get me wrong, I did grow up in the country - what I like to refer to as the middle-of-nowhere Michigan - but it's been a while since I've experienced this type of country setting. It was a little startling, to be honest.

But once we arrived at our destination and got to step foot inside the house it was all worth it. For the first time I got to meet my little Otis. Oh, he makes me melt.

(How precious is he?!)

Oh, and you can ignore the audio. There are lots of dogs that were roaming around and a canary on top of the fridge that loved to hear its own voice.

Honestly, I couldn't believe how small he was. I'd guess four or five pounds, max. And I guess I was expecting him to be a little more rambunctious, like this little dude named Copper. He's the bigger of the two that would not stop licking my hand. Even getting him to quit running for this video was quite the challenge.

(The little speckled dog is Steve...he's a sweetie too)

As a recommendation from the breeder, I'll be bringing him home sooner than expected. This Friday to be exact.

Oh. My. GOSH! am I nervous. Mainly, because I know he is, too. This really showed as he shook on my lap. Oh...makes me sad just thinking about it.

But, the breeder said it'd be good for him to come home now, get to know me, the SO, my friends. And then, sometime before the big vacation I can bring him back to the breeder and have the final pick up in April.

I know, I know. But at least I didn't take her other recommendation of adopting Copper as well. One I can handle, but two...yipe!

So there you have it. The first video of my mini dachshund. Many more to come I'm sure.

Cheers!

-A

The Love of My Life

Okay, so I know what y'all are thinking - first Valentine's Day and now love...WTF? But it's not like that, I promise.

Sure, there'll be some sap involved, but on a whole different level. Keep reading, I promise you won't be disappointed.

.................................

So I've mentioned in the past that I'm not much of a cat person, and since that time I've managed to remove demon cat and her sister from my life completely.

No I didn't off them, my roommate just moved! C'mon people, what kind of person do you think I am?

And you've heard me say numerous times that I'm planning to get a puppy. Well my friends, that time has come. And I'd like to introduce you to my mini dachshund Otis.

(See, I told you it'd be worth your time to keep reading!)

He's an 8 week old smooth coat doxie with what I'm told is the sweetest temperament. And he's already the love of my life.

He'll get to be somewhere from 8-10 pounds, full grown. I don't get to bring him home officially until April, but you best believe I'll be visiting in the meantime.

Honestly, I can't remember the last time I was more excited about anything.

I'm destined to be one of those dog owners who puts her pup first. Hell, I've already decided that he'll be sleeping in my bed - now that's love.

And I'm certain you'll be hearing lots more about him on this blog, too!

Cheers!

-A

*Thanks to Maryann at Mom's Dachshunds for the picture and my wonderful little man.

Dog sitting

I got up at 7 a.m. today. On a Sunday. And I was excited to do so.

Why on earth would that make me excited, you ask?

Well, it's all because of a little guy named Toby. He's a big, beautiful black lab mix.

(See, how adorable is he?)

While a good friend of mine is off looking for apartments in the new city she's about to move to, I stepped up to the plate to puppy sit. Though it's not as if she had to twist my arm.

So I got up and greeted Toby, made some coffee and popped in a movie (Must Love Dogs -- cheesy right?!), but what can I say, with a dog by my side it's the perfect Sunday.

The best part is, I'll be getting my dog in early April upon return from a much needed vacation in the Caribbean. Once my deposit has gone through I'll post some pictures of the little guy...he'll make you melt.

For now, it's back to a lazy Sunday with Toby.

Cheers!

-A

The positive side

Well it's Friday, which means you should be looking at some beautiful pictures that I took or found, however given that I inundated you with imagery from NYC last week, I've decided to switch it up a little today.

Mainly because I'm lazy and don't have the energy to find and analyze photos today. It all comes down to my lack of motivation.

So I'm expecting this post to be pretty random - though I'd like to focus on the good things that are going on right now. Having come back from my recent travels, I'm finding myself in a little slump without a big, exciting trip to look forward to, so this is the perfect time to remind myself of all the great things life has to offer.

For instance, my job. Not only do I have one, but I love the work that I do and the people that I'm surrounded with everyday. A girl couldn't ask for much more than that. Needless to say I completely agree with this post from one of my favorite 20-somethings. Thanks, Playful, for the inspiration.

Here are some other things I'm happy about:
-Amazing friends, those scattered across the country and my girls right here in town
-My health, which I recently found out is improving!
-Red Wine Thursdays
-Free speech
-The warm weather we've been experiencing in the Midwest lately
-Traveling
-Progress toward getting my puppy
-Discovery of some new Italian recipes that I love
-Yoga, running, and spinning
-Lazy weekends on the couch watching football with the man friend
-Taking on new accounts and new challenges at the office
-Preparing my photography for a show in December

So tell me dear readers, what are some of the things that are making you happy right now?

Cheers!

-A

Puppy Love

Recently I've been thinking a lot about something that seems to be missing from my life - the unconditional love and affection from someone in your life who is always there for you when you need him most.

That's right. It's about time I commit myself to the man of my dreams: a dog.


Next summer I will be moving out of my apartment and will be looking for a place on my own. Between now and then I have a big decision to make - what kind of dog do I want to get?

My whole life I've been a lover of big dogs - labs, huskies, golden retrievers, love them all.

The BFF is getting a husky this fall, but with his house and decently sized yard the space is sufficient for a rather hyper breed.

I would love nothing more than to get a lab - they are big, smart, loving, and you don't have to worry about the long hair like you do with a retriever.

(Just look at that face)

But as a city dweller, it makes me nervous to have a dog of that size and keep him cooped up in an apartment all day - that's just not fair.

I'm looking for a little advice on this one - I don't want a tiny, yappy dog like a shitzu (that's just not my style), but I'd like a smart pup who's willing to cuddle up and watch some football, or go for long walks on the beach...yes, I am looking for a dog.

So tell me dear readers, what is your preferred breed of dog? Any recommendations for this 20-something single, city dwelling girl?

Cheers!

-A