Today Mr. Giles, Lily, my friend Lindsey and her two Cavs, Abby and Mason, took a trip to Annapolis, Maryland with our friend, and Cavalier group organizer, Anne, and her Cav, Robbie. Phew!

We trouped up the beltway to spend the day at Quiet Waters Park. They have tons of picnic pavilions, a playground, a dog park, and… a dog beach! All the pups were very excited to be out and about, walking the trail and sniffing every leaf and twig that came across their path. Luck for us ladies the only snake on the path was very tiny, bright green, and fast as lightning. Anne and Lindsey didn’t even notice it.

As soon as we were in sight of the Chesapeake Bay Giles went loopy with dog swim fever. He wanted to jump right off of the pilings and sail off with the yachts and the birds that circle their masts. I told him he had to wait until we got to the dog beach before he could take a dip. The dogs were all let off their leashes and off they went! Giles waded in immediately and swam out as far as he could. We called him back to us. We called him crazy. Anne said, “He’s really something else, that dog”.

And he really was! It was exhausting just watching him. After quite a few long laps I made him come out, sit down, and take a break. Dogs can easily become over tired while swimming and run the very scary risk of drowning. This is the number one reason that Fido Floats, or any dog float devices, are so important, regardless of how they look!

I tried to lure Lily into the water and almost got her swimming when a big Portuguese Water Dog leaped into her path and deterred her from coming out any further toward me. She was brave though, and that made mommy happy. Abby was a real sport out there in the bay. She went after the tennis ball with the best of them. It was so funny watching her try, try so hard, to get that darn ball in her mouth! She kept chomping at it, missing it, and swimming around in little circles in order to bring it back to the beach. She was so determined! Mason cried, wanting to go after the ball, but not having the jumping off courage. So Lindsey gave him a little shove and off he went, swimming with his sis, Abby. Anne tossed around a stick for Robbie. Robbie has what’s called a Bully Stick and even Anne says, “It’s like a pacifier. It keeps him busy”. Not to mention it’s his favorite toy. She would throw the stick to the edge of the water for Robbie to fetch and he would splash around the waves, happy as a kitten in a yarn box.

While all this was going on I decided to get out my camera and snap a few. I got a couple of cute pictures and a little video of Abby going after the ball. But when I turned around to take Giles’s picture… he was gone! Oh my God! Where’s Giles? Have you seen Giles? Where did he go? I wasn’t frantic yet, just mad. I knew he would run off without a leash! It’s so Giles!

I walked down the beach, over a fallen tree, under some over grown bushes, and checked out the far side of the beach. Giles had wanted to go over there earlier, but I had told him no. I called for him by his name, I told him to come. Nothing.

I walked back down to the main part of the beach hoping that Anne and Lindsey had found him, but to no avail. My dog was lost.

Dammit!

I berated myself for trusting him so much. This is such a Giles thing to do! I think I just like the idea of my dog sticking by my side, following my every move. But Giles is a parameter dog. He has to sniff out the edges of ‘the territory’ and get lost in the wood. Rather, he gets lost in his own little head and doesn’t answer to his mommy when she’s screaming his name!

I made my way back up the trail on a tip that another dog beach goer gave me. She said that sometimes dogs run up the hill and go to the dog park. It happens. I called his name while I walked, ask some hikers if they’d seen him, then started to cry. Okay. NOW I was frantic. What if he had drown?

I walked back down to the beach with tears streaming down my face, all the time thinking “What if he drowned?”, this awful picture in my head of my little baby, limp and wet, floating up against the pilings.

By now I felt I was making a spectacle of myself, but honestly, I didn’t care. I just wanted to know where in the sam hell my dog was. I made my way across the beach again, over the log, around the overgrown bushes, then all the way down the inlet where no one else was. I called and called. Nothing. But I could hear Anne calling him, trying to get his attention and knew he was found. My phone started ringing and Lindsey gave me proof. He was found. And I was angry.

He had run through the swamp behind the beach and over to a pond to investigate. Anne said when she found him he looked like he was having trouble getting out of the pond and that he was tired. It’s a good thing she found him when she did.

Let me not forget to mention my Lily in all this. As soon as my heart rate went up she began to follow me. She followed my every step up and down the beach, up and down the trail, and when I got the call that Giles was found I made my way back to the log separating the beaches and there she was, standing upon the log, looking out for me like a beacon. She looked like a little doggie angel. I could tell she was concerned for me and would not let me out of her sight no matter how far I wandered searching for her brother. I wish I had been in the frame of mind to snap a picture, alas I was not. I was angry with Giles for deserting me and leaving me to believe him drowned.

Anne brought him over to me. I gave Anne his leash and told her that I was too upset to handle him at the moment, meaning that I could not touch him or hold his leash and command him with rational thought. She reminded me that he’s just a dog and that dogs wander off. Well, this is true, but masters also become extremely upset and are likely to take it out on the pet if not careful. And believe me. I would have liked to give him a good smack for what he did, but I know better. He has no clue that he did anything wrong, so it would be pointless for me to lay an angry finger on him and I really never could.

Anne saved the day! She said, “I risked snakes walking through that mucky swamp!”. I thanked her profusely. We all discussed our fears of him drowning. I eventually reached laughter through tears though when Anne called him “Swam Thing”. I told her that’s his new nickname and that I’d have to get him a new tag that reads “I’m the goddamn Swam Thing” instead of “I’m the goddamn Batman”. After ‘the ordeal’ we took the pups over the the regular (fenced in!) dog park to dry off. I’d tell you about the rest of the day, our crab lunch, the governor’s wife, ice cream, shopping and more, but I’m sure you’ve had enough blood pumping excitement for one day!

Enjoy the pictures that cost me approximately 37 days off the end of my life!

Adam and I had a wonderful time at Sandals Resort in Antigua!  We dined, drank, took in all the sights, and participated in all kinds of activities.  All inclusive is definitely the way to go if you’re looking for a no worries kind of vacation.

We had a good flight from BWI (Baltimore, Maryland) to MIA (Miami, Florida), then on to ANU (Antigua).  We caught a van that took us directly to the resort.  That was one crazy ride!  As soon as we got to Sandals we were served hot towels to clean up with and champagne to sit back and relax with while we waited to be shown to our room.  Classy.

We had a beautiful Garden View room over looking the small pool for the surrounding room’s convenience.  First thing we did after settling in and changing into our swim suits was to grab a bite to eat at a restaurant right in the sand.  Barefoot by the Sea.  It was great!  We hung out with this nice couple from Michigan and got to know each other a little bit.  After lunch we hit The Big Pool.  Adam went right out to the swim-up bar and acquired us some drinks.

The entire resort was just beautiful.  All the pools were clean and a crisp, cool blue.  The buildings and private bungalows were all painted in different Caribbean pastels and the landscaping was overwhelming, but well kept.  A jungle of beauty.  There were lizards and birds galore, one of which landed on my coke can while I was sitting out on the balcony.  It took a sip of my syrupy, sugary drink, looked up at me, then took off.  I found out later that it’s called a Bananaquit.  Very cute little guy with black wings and a bright yellow belly.

On our second day Adam and I had a couple’s massage at Sandals Red Lane Spa.  It was heavenly!  I’ve had several massages before, so let me tell you, this was fantastic.  It was Adam’s first massage and he just loved it.  We were pleasantly relaxed for the entire rest of our stay.

Along with relaxing in the sunshine, lazing around in the pools, sipping our drinks, and swimming in the bay we also found time to do some activities.  We went to The Cricketer’s Pub to watch the Penguin’s vs. Red Wings game 5.  It was awful!  The Penguins played like crap!  (But we won the cup in the end, ha!).  We took a snorkeling trip which, we both agreed, was kind of terrifying, but the Captain of the boat said that it was rough waters out there for first timers and that we did well.  We also went kayaking.  This mostly yielded some hilarious pictures.  The most fun we had was sailing a hobie cat together.  It’s a small catamaran.  Two hulls, a trampoline in the middle, a rudder, and a 30 foot sail.  We were chased from the shore out into the bay by a storm!  It rained while we sailed out toward a marker buoy, but cleared as we came back in.  It was our first time sailing anything and we did it by ourselves!  I can’t wait to do it again!

A few other highlights from our trip would be dancing together in private on the look out tower with Reggae playing in the distance, having wine delivered to our room, having breakfast, lunch and dinner by the blue-green sea, visiting the adjacent casino and blowing $26 bucks, and watching Adam compete in a dance contest in order to try and win me a diamond necklace.  Too funny!

On our way home we were delayed for 2 days due to a flight cancellation.  American Airlines was very helpful and put us up for two nights in hotels in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Miami.  They also paid for taxi fair and meals.  We ended up having a good time in Puerto Rico and Miami too.  Then back home to real life… relaxing by the pool.

Enjoy the pictures if you haven’t already seen them!

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YES!  I have family members in Virginia!  HOORAY!

My cousin Kirk, his wife Amna and their daughter Sarah are only 30 minutes away!  Adam and I went over to their place in Winchester today.  They’re living in a great big house, just the three of them.  It’s gorgeous!  Built in the 1700’s with more rooms that I can count on one hand.  They’ve been Nomads lately, moving from California to Georgia, to London and back, then forth again, and landed smack dab in Virginia.  I’m so happy!

Amna made this amazing home made “Chicken Soup with a Kick” as Kirk called it.  It was spicy with curry and had a sort of Indian cuisine taste to it.  It was fantastic!  She had also made a fresh cucumber and tomato salad and home made hummus.  I was in food heaven.

The five of us… and Mr. Giles… went to the Potomac River near Harper’s Ferry today.  It was gorgeous, though the leaves have pretty much already gone out in a blaze of orange, red, and yellow.  We parked just off 340 and took a little hike down the mountain to the river bank.  Kirk, with Sarah in his arms, jumped across rocks and ventured pretty far out.  They also climbed above the waterfall near by.  Sarah found a dead minnow, a seashell, and some leaves the size of baby elephant ears which she’ll take to Show and Tell tomorrow.  And Mr. Giles had a big old time rustling in all the leaves and digging a hole in the sand.  We had a really fun day.

Enjoy this little video I made!

Made a quick trip to PA last weekend.  I drove up Saturday morning and got to Crafton, near Pittsburgh, in great time.  Of course as soon as I got on 60 I got lost and showed up about 20 minutes late for Matt and Michelle’s wedding.  Gar.  It was a lovely ceremony though, from what I did catch.  I took some pictures in the low light of the church with no flash and some serious zoom, so the exposures are grainy and there’s a lot of movement, but it was the only way to go in such a large space.

The reception was great.  I was seated next to Andy and Allyson and some other friends of Matt and Michelle’s.  We had a nice dinner, an open bar, and some dancing.  Too bad boy wasn’t there to take me out on the floor.

Funny story…. well, I thought it was funny…. one of Matt’s groomsmen was so wasted by the time they got to the reception hall from the church he gave one of those classic drunk toasts.  I just about died laughing.  I hope someone caught that on video and if they did I want it!

It was sort of sad though, because this guy was so inebriated that he had to be escorted to the buffet and later escorted out of the reception hall and to his car.  His fiance was embarrassed and in tears.  I felt for her.  Other than that it was a beautiful day.  Michelle looked stunning and Matt looked elated.  I’m happy for the happy couple!  Congratulations, Matt and Michelle!

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My house is so clean you can lick my carpet.

Yes.  I’ve, without cognitive thought, uttered these words aloud before.  I’m a sick, sick person.  Regardless of my oral disability, my house is clean.  The never ending job of picking up after yourself and scrubbing everything in sight is finished for the week, until Adam dirties another pile of dishes.

I drove out to Front Royal yesterday to visit Juliet, Brandon and baby Brandon.  I took 50 most of the way over and it was one of the most beautiful drives I’ve taken in a while.  The drive through West Virginia was lovely, the road curving around each mountain and the clouds settling down on the mountain’s tops.  But on the way from Leesburg to Front Royal there were small towns crowded with antique shops and people out window shopping, enjoying the sunny day.  I saw amazing homes that could well be centuries old, spread out across fields and forests, hills and side streets.  Every mile was eye candy and pink lemonade for a thirsty suburban soul.

Adam and I are both extremists.  Though Adam may not enjoy living in a city’s center as much as I would, in a penthouse with wall to wall windows and a view to die for, we both have a passion for the country.  I don’t mean those overstuffed palatial homes on 5 acres of land that used to sell for $6 million and are now begging to be sold at $3 million.  I mean the wild, 20 acre, no neighbors for miles, trees and fields abound kind of country.  Adam’s parent’s Farmhouse for instance.  It’s secluded and quiet.  It’s a happy, lived in place where the chores never end and there’s fun to be had in each.  That’s what I want some day.  Peace.  Wide open spaces where my dog(s) can run free and peace.

Of course that will only come about when FiOS is available in the middle of nowhere.  Adam couldn’t live or work without his superior Internet connection.  And I think that’s fine.  Hell, I don’t think I could get by for very long without an Internet connection myself.  A few months maybe.  I’ve done it before and didn’t really miss it.  But then, I wouldn’t be updating this blog and my life would only be interesting to myself.  Heh.  I imagine that this is already true. 

Also, Thai Food.  I couldn’t live without mouth watering Thai Food for too long.  The country may not always offer convenience, however most communities are at least within 30 miles of a grocer.  Convenience is one thing.  Culture is something entirely different.  Major cities and the skirting suburbs often offer a melting pot of cultures.  This means a myriad of food to choose from, besides the interesting traditions and history that surrounds.  Food!  Thai, Greek, Indian, true Japanese and Chinese, Middle Eastern, real Mexican and more.  I love food.  I’ve never been a picky eater and I enjoy the different textures and tastes of cultural food.  I doubt I’ll find that in Podunk, VA.  I suppose we make sacrifices for our ideal home, but being exiled from exotic food may be taking it too far.

Adam and I drove up through Maryland and down through West Virginia today.  It was a 6 hour trip.  I read aloud about half of a book called “The Five Love Languages” on the way down.  We’re really enjoying it so far.  I think we’ll both do great at putting it into practice.

We are currently in Logan staying in a very nice hotel courtesy of Calvin ‘Andy’ Allen.  Andy’s getting married on Saturday here at the Chief Logan Hotel and Conference Center!

Tonight we went out to dinner at Reno’s and had a good time.  We’re a group of eight and I’m pretty sure we were at Reno’s for at least 3 hours.  The service was slow, food was decent, and the company a barrel of monkeys.

Now we’re hanging out in our amazing hotel room, the girls curled up on the arm chairs and the boys taking turns playing Halo and drinking.  I’m tired!

We’re packing and will be on our way to West Virginia shortly.  Rather late, but hey, that’s our charm.  I’ll update once we get settled in about 7 hours from now.  I’m pretty sure even WV has WiFi.