Here's our puppy!

Please see Puppy Rescue as I don't want you to think this puppy lives with us. This is what the add says about him (I would have named him something else like - Mr. Puppy):

Oreo was found in the road, and brought to our vet's office.Of course we made room for him here! He is NEUTERED and vaccinated and dewormed. He's a very PEOPLE friendly, people oriented dog. He looks like he's part Springer Spaniel and part Labrador. These two breeds are commonly bred these days, unfortunately, and called 'Labradingers'. Hybrids are nothing but mixed breeds, remember, which can be found readily at your local shelter, like this one. Sadly, people tout them as 'rare' or 'exotic' and ask exorbitant prices for them. (Of course if you're considering rescue, I am preaching to the choir but I could go on about how sad this practice is!)He's fine with other dogs and cats, he's young enough to be trained to get used to most animals. $150 adoption fee for Oreo. If interested in adopting this pet please visit http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10132246.

I am so happy! Damon is happy he didn't find him - he said we would have a new puppy. I know this little guy will find a good family and I will be watching to see when he gets adopted. Put good thoughts out for him. We have our hands full with our own munchkins - there isn't room on the animal couch for another - right now.

Flipping

I was flipping through everyone's blogs as I often do before dragging myself to work (I know I should be there right now, but I am letting the roads warm up - Yesterday I barely made it to work since they don't plow the roads in Sunnyside) when I saw the amazing photos on Heather's blog. More importantly, Heather's wish to be a performer. It reminded me of when Heather convinced me to sign up for gymnastics class so that we could learn to do back handsprings. Heather's selling point was, "Wouldn't it be cool if you could do back handsprings to get your mail when you are older?" I don't think I ever mastered the back handspring when I wasn't on a trampoline and I certainly don't bust out a few of them to get my mail. Maybe someday. And what would life be if we hadn't tried. The phote is from a failed attempt to summit Mt. Adams. I wasn't really that disappointed not getting to the top. Maybe someday. As you can see from the picture, the view is heavenly. "Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly," Robert F. Kennedy said. I think if I have a child their middle name will be F.

Today's Group - We had a boring weekend, poor animals.

Guidelines for Accepting Reality: Half-Smiling Exercises (Marsha Linehan, DBT)

HALF-SMILE
Accept reality with your body. Relax (by letting go or by just tensing and then letting go) your face, neck, and shoulder muscles and half-smile with your lips. A tense smile is a grin (and might tell the brain you are hiding or masking). A half-smile is slightly upturned lips with a relaxed face. Try to adopt a serene facial expression. Remember, your body communicates to your mind.

HALF-SMILE WHEN YOU FIRST AWAKE IN THE MORNING Hang a branch, any other sign, or even the word "smile" on the ceiling or wall so that you see it right away when you open your eyes. This sign will serve as a reminder. Use the seconds before you get out of bed to take hold of your breath. Inhale and exhale three breaths gently while maintaining a half-smile. Follow your breaths.

HALF-SMILE DURING YOUR FREE MOMENTS Anywhere you find yourself sitting or standing, half smile. Look at a child, a leaf, a painting on a wall, or anything that is relatively still, and smile. Inhale and exhale quietly three times.

HALF-SMILE WHILE LISTENING TO MUSIC Listen to a piece of music for 2 or 3 minutes. Pay attention to the words, music, rhythm and sentiments of the music you are listening to (not your daydreams of other times). Half smile while watching your inhalations and exhalations.

HALF-SMILE WHEN IRRITATED When you realize "I'm irritated," half smile at once. Inhale and exhale quietly, maintaining a half-smile for three breaths.

HALF-SMILE IN A LYING-DOWN POSITION Lie on your back on a flat surface without the support of a mattress or pillow. Keep your two arms loosely by your sides and keep your two legs slightly apart, stretched out before you. Maintain a half-smile. Breathe in and out gently, keeping your attention focused on your breath. Let go of every muscle in your body. Relax each muscle as though it were sinking down through the floor, or as though it were as soft and yielding as a piece of silk hanging in the breeze to dry. Let go entirely, keeping your attention only on your breath and half-smile. Think of yourself as a cat, completely relaxed before a warm fire, whose muscles yield without resistance to anyone's touch. Continue for 15 breaths.

HALF-SMILE IN A SITTING POSITION Sit on the floor with your back straight, or on a chair with your two feet touching the floor. Half-smile. Inhale and exhale while maintaining the half-smile. Let go.

HALF-SMILE WHILE CONTEMPLATING THE PERSON YOU HATE OR DESPISE THE MOST Sit quietly. Breathe and smile a half-smile. Imagine the image of the person who has caused you the most suffering. Regard the features you hate or despise the most or find the most repulsive. Try to examine what makes this person happy and what causes suffering in his or her daily life. Imagine the person's perceptions; try to see what patterns of thought and reason this person follows. Examine what motivates this person's hopes and actions. Finally, consider the person's consciousness. See whether the person's views and insights are open and free or not, and whether or not the person has been influenced by any prejudices, narrow-mindedness, hatred, or anger. See whether or not the person is master of himself or herself. Continue until you feel compassion rise in your heart like a well filling with fresh water, and your anger and resentment disappear. Practice this exercise many times on the same person.

Table Love

We are having some serious table love. This is our wedding gift from everyone - Thank you so much. Beautifully crafted by good friend Nate from Pine Shop. Thanks Nate. It is so solid and fills the space so perfectly. I was not a huge fan of the whole wedding gift thing, but our bed and table from the Pine Shop have been such huge treats. As I look around the living room there are other fun remains of our wedding. The Himalayan Salt Crystal Lamp from Heather and Jon that generates healthy negative ions. Our gravy boat from Brian and Karen that sits prominently on our mantal along with the photo book my thoughtful brother KC made for our Christmas present. We are anxiously awaiting the painting Janice created that didn't make the trip over at Christmas in our full car.

On another note, I failed at this weeks goal which was to apply for the show Survivor. I sort of half attempted. Never the less, huge failure. My problem was you had to send in a full size video cassette application. I pulled out my parents old video camera from 1989. Then I went to Shopko and got an 8 mm video tape. I tried to dub the 8mm video to the vhs video. Our TV has a million cords that weren't invented in 1989 so despite 3 hours of cord unplugging and plugging I never completed the task -the video was due yesterday. Sorry all - I won't be on Survivor next season, maybe next time.

I don't know what is going on because Sue's housekeeper is calling in sick all of the time and so is mine. Wierd.

Puppy Rescue

Yesterday was a good day and I hate Wednesdays - day of many meetings. When I got to work a coworker recruited me to go save a puppy. It has been really cold. Today it is 11 degrees. So we went and drove along the farm road where my coworder had seen the puppy. We spotted the little black lab/farm dog mix curled up in the long grasses. I scooped up the puppy and got to hold it all the way to Vets. The vet took the puppy and will give it to the rescue people. At the vet there was a little rat dog dressed in two shirts that hopped up on the counter to say "Hi" and accidentally dialed the telephone. All of the happened and I was only able to miss 15 minutes of meetings. Today I barely dragged myself out of bed. 5 AM has turned into 5:30 AM and I did get a workout in this morning. The angel and devil were working overtime - get up, don't get up. I am happy to say the angel won or I won. I always feel so much better. Maybe tomorrow it will be 5 AM.

Snow

I have definately failed at the no animal pics New Year's resolution. Tarn is just so dang cute in the snow. He loves it. He shoves his whole head in the snow just for fun. We went snowshoeing on Blewitt Pass on our way to Leavenworth. In Leavenworth they had a sign the sad Dog sled rides. I asked Tarn if he wanted to go for a ride. Of course, he wanted to ride the dog sled so we walked a way to find it. When we got there, a sign said "No dogs allowed". Tarn got his picture next to the sign and then we bought him a beautiful doll to make him feel better.

Mom and Dad with giant cactus

This photo of my parents and a GIANT cactus was sent my Aunt Sandy. Cacti are crazy. It looks fake. When we were in Mexico we spent a few hours looking for the perfect cartoon cactus. Once we found a cartoon like cactus, then everywhere you looked there was another one. Below is the first one we found and it was a trek to get to it. Watch out for snakes and those other things with a stingy arm that hangs off their back. I can't remember what they are called. Sylv had one on her in Costa Rica. Those things are always in sleeping bags but no one ever gets stung. Same with those rattle snakes, you always see them and I don't know a single person that has been bit. I am not afraid of those things anymore. Anyway, supposedly - this is unconfirmed rumor- the cacus arms fall off. I spent tons of times looking for the arms. We thought maybe we saw one, but that was it.

Onto Roadside Attractions

Everyday on the way to work and the way home I pass the Zillah Tea Pot dome. I used to squeal when I would see it "Yay there is where the teapot dome massacre was". I don't even know what that is but it makes Damon mad. There was something that happened with the teapot dome but it wasn't a massacre. Damon doesn't like it when you call things by the wrong name. He gets especially annoyed if you call a goose a duck. Now I don't even see the dome anymore. It has disappeared into all the thoughts I have on my way to work. You know the thoughts. I stopped on the way to work and took this picture. My drive really is beautiful in the morning. The sun has actually come out the last few days. This day I was late for work (again), that is why the sun is up. Here is my excuse for being late, I was scraping my car, with my car scraper that has no teeth, grumbling and growling about the ice. Then I hit my head when I got in the car. Really how does that happen. Now I have a nice bump on my forehead. Stay tuned for more roadside attractions on the way to work.

Goldfield, Nevada

If you happen to travel through Goldfield, Nevada you will pass by a junk yard. On the left before you travel through town (if you can call it that) are these special cars. This is a special town filled with Shanties and trailors - my favorite things. The reason why these cars are important is because they are an example of how someone has found meaning in their own life. You know, pick up crap, attach it to a car, create a monster. May we all celebrate our lives and our own meaning in some way. Although we all can't be as cool and creative as our friend in Goldfield, Nevada.

Yakima engulfed in fog: Snow Mt. Ranch

"May every sunrise hold more promise, every moonrise hold more peace."
-anonymous

Me and Tarn are partying

First we danced, then we had a bud light, then we laughed when kitty tried to eat Damon. After that we took whale eye pictures of everyone in the house. Can you guess who's eyes are whos? Now Damon and I are laughing at Tarn dream about the hike earlier with Sue. When Tarn dreams his legs move like he is running and his tail starts wagging. He dreams most actively after a hike or a snowshoe.

Elusive Dairy Monster

Meet the elusive Dairy Monster. He lives at my parents house. I got him in college and, of course, as my parents knew would happen, he ended up with them. He loves it at their house where he spends most of his time hunting game. He has caught mice, rats, squirrels and even snakes. Unfortunately he likes to bring them into the house alive. You will never see him unless you are very lucky. He spends most of his time when there are visitors hiding under the bed. He is the softest, fuzziest monster you will ever meet. One of his greatest talents is stillness. If you take him to meet the dog then he is so still, he plays dead. It has served him well since he has avoided the coyotes at my parents house. If you put him on a leash, then he plays dead and you can sweep the floor with him. Today he is going to stay with my 85 year old grandma, Hazel, for week while my parents are out of town. Good luck Grandma! Good luck Monster!

Wishing:

This was my view today, or

I was sitting in Jon and Heather's living room watching her collage, or

I didn't have meetings all day until 2:15, or

All day meetings were interesting, or

I was headed to Phoenix with my parents and aunts so I could see some cactus.

I am not wishing I was Nate,Sue and Harper on a long flight from Germany.

Welcome back! I have loved following you on your adventure.

I guess it is all relative.

Damon has started blogging, I am sure that it will be all about bikes, oh goodie.

My Saturday

1. Tarn and I went hiking at Cowiche Canyon
2. Tarn went to the vet and found out he is a big giant flea bag (70$)
3. I took a picture of my long hair
4. I went and got my hair cut off and it will be donated to the wellness house. http://yakimawellnesshouse.blogspot.com/
5. Tara the haircutter displaying my hair
6. My short hair
7. Dinner at the Julie’s Dome Home
8. Gnomes in the dome home
9. GI Joe getting a makeover by Luke
10. Me taking over the Joes and turning them into cheerleaders

Someone explain this to me!

In the Baja, some of the signs have extra features. Not all, and we were wondering if our eyes were deceiving us. After passing too many with and too many without - we just had to stop and take a picture. My theory is it is a sticker, like the bullet hole stickers you sometimes see around here. Damon's theory is that convicts make the sign, and it is their joke. After I got out to take the picture (the road is fast and not very wide), Damon kept asking, was it a sticker???? I didn't have time to inspect, I just ran up and quickly snapped the shot. What is your theory?

New Years Resolution - No more animal pics.