Why I do what I do...

My co-worker shared this video at a recent advising meeting. It's awesome, even for you non-higher ed folks. And it was even more special because it was of students from San Antonio College, so they look like my first students in Texas. I am so lucky to have a job that I love and find so much fulfillment from everyday!

Leavenworth and A Spring Day

Part I: Leavenworth

This past week, I went to a work conference in Wenatchee, Washington. Six of the advisors were able to attend and do some fabulous bonding...which may or may not have included 4 mixed drinks in a 2 hour period for yours truly as well as jumbo margaritas at a local Mexican restaurant for all.

The weather was gorgeous, as it tends to be on the east side of the mountains, and Friday was sunny with a chance of good times in Leavenworth, WA on the way back to Seattle. Since I had never been, the others opted to take this Texan on a tour of Leavenworth, which is basically Little Germany seated in the middle of Washington state. See for yourself...

Note: The mountain is real.

Downtown Leavenworth

Das Sweet Shop
Anna, me, and Felicia with our delectables

"Hat Shop"..."Wood Shop"...serious creativity going on here.

The six advisors: Judy, Felicia, me, Anna, Joy with Rina in front
I had so much fun getting to know them OUTSIDE the office!

Saying goodbye to Leavenworth...

Of course, I had to buy Boss a little something from Leavenworth. At the town's pet store, A Paw Above, they sell all kinds of German pet clothing. Not one to overdo it, I decided on this simple hat. I think it suits him rather nicely.

I know it's blurry, but you can still see how CUTE it is!

Part II: Finally, a Spring day!

In other Earth-shattering news, the temperature in Seattle SOARED today to...64 degrees! It was that first truly sunny, spring day when it feels like there is a glimmer of hope that you aren't going to die because in late April, it has STILL been cold enough to need your coat and gloves whilst your Texan friends are fine-tuning their tans. That first day of Spring hope is also when the Seattleites come out of the woodwork and load up the canines and babies for a day outside.

Leah and I took Sophie and Boss on a 2.5 hour walk down Fremont to the Burke-Gilman Trail and GasWorks Park (remember the paintball scene in the movie 10 Things I Hate About You? that was at Gas Works).

What happens when I take Boss, a 16 week old Westie puppy, out in public:
1. Approximately every third person stops to say hi, ask what kind he is, what his name is, and compliment how adorable he is. Let me be honest: I LOVE IT. I take it as a personal compliment to ME and love the attention. It's moments like those that erase his finest moment last night, which involved peeing on my down comforter at 8:30 pm, requiring me to stay up until 11 pm cleaning it after returning from the above work conference.

2. At Gas Works, a few college kids (I'm guessing) sitting on a blanket 10 feet away kept commenting on how cute he was. Boss kept pulling to go towards them, so I just let him go. He played for several minutes with the college kids. Who by the way, read his name tag which says "BOSS" on one side and "Peggy, cell#, SEATTLE, WA" on the other, and wanted to call him Peggy. Seriously? The future of America right there.

3. Walking back to our place, a guy backed out of his driveway and into the street, then takes notice of us. While in the middle of the street, he yells out his car window, "Is that a Westie?" So I say yes. We do the usual--how old, what's his name--and THEN he asks if he can take a picture of Boss for his girlfriend who loves Westies. I am so not kidding. So, Boss took his first celebrity photo. In the middle of the street.

4. Boss crapped out on the walk about 10 blocks from home, so I got to carry him the rest of the way. I'm sure he looked more than slightly spoiled. But at least he wasn't like one of those dogs in a stroller. (Or apparently, a Moby wrap is the new thing.)

Makes you want a Westie, right?

Boss & Peggy's Big Day

So, yesterday was supposed to just be Boss' Big Day. However, it turned out to be a big (and crappy) day for me too.

Boss' First Day of School--Doggy Day Care
Boss had his first day at doggy day care yesterday. He's been slowly becoming BFF with Sophie since they are roommates, and Soph is a BIG girl. So, who did Boss make friends with at day care? A Doodle (labrador-poodle mix) and some other big dog named Balzo. Oh, and a pug. When I dropped him off, he kept pacing...to the gate where I was standing then towards the other dogs playing...then back to the gate...then back to the dogs. Apparently, he finally stopped pacing and started playing after I left.

The Great iPhone Theft of 2011 (aka A Jerk Stole Pegs' Phone)
So, I left doggy day care and decided to stop at Jimmy John's on the way to work and pick up a sandwich for lunch. Jimmy John's is incredible, if you've never had it. And usually near a college campus for some reason...so I've always had a JJ's nearby which has always made me very happy.

On the way, I talked to Jesse on the phone. After I picked up my sandwich, I wanted to check the time on my way in to work. I looked in my purse. No phone. Looked in my pockets. No phone. Looked in and around the car seats as I was driving. No phone. I decided I just couldn't find it while driving. Once I got to work, I looked in all those places again. No phone.

Panic started to set in. I called JJ's where, by the way I had been at 9:45 am. Needless to say, I was the only customer in the restaurant or parking lot at that time. The JJ's guy said there was no phone in the restaurant or parking lot. I decided to drive back there because he didn't know what my phone looked like or where I was parked. No phone.

So, how many customers were at JJ's between when I was there at 9:45 and when I called JJ's at about 10:05? Probably not many. Yes, I am implying something here.

I started calling my phone every 10 or so minutes. No answer. THEN.

My call went straight to voicemail. As in, the phone had been turned off. As in, someone had found the phone and turned it off. As in, someone stole my phone b/c what idiot would turn off a phone they plan to return to the owner.

I went to the AT&T store, where they informed me that:
1. My "Apple Care Protection Plan" doesn't cover lost/stolen phones.
2. I wasn't due for a new phone until September.
3. The iPhone 4 is $650.

So I bought a piece-of-crap phone that depresses me when I look at it.

Not to mention, I lost all pics of Boss taken so far b/c I hadn't moved them to my computer. And I live by my calendar...which is on my phone. This Type A girl is in a frenzy.

What kind of jerk doesn't return a lost phone?

Okay, rant over.

Boss' First Day of School (continued)--Puppy Kindergarten
Four puppies showed up for Boss' first kindergarten class. Cooper, a very shy 14 week old Havanese pup who rarely steered away from owner's lap. Molly, a crotchety 16 week old Havanese who growled when the other puppies, and sometimes the other people, came near her. Wendell, a very sweet but also shy 14 week old supposed dachsund-chihuahua mix...though Wilbert was that mix and he looked NOTHING like Wilbert. So we're not totally sure.

And Boss.

Now, these other 3 puppies pretty much just stayed right by their owners' sides and looked shell shocked to be at puppy kindergarten.

And then there was Boss. He was:
1. Sniffing the others (you know where)
2. Chasing Cooper (who dove back to Owner)
3. Locating treats all over the room and scarfing them down like I don't feed him.
4. Making friends with the other dog owners, trainers, etc.

The trainer called Boss "Mr. Confident". I love Boss. He is hysterical. He tried to play with the others, and had no idea why they were so freaked out. He got excited for his treat, but waited like a good boy. I was very proud of him.

Then he fell asleep about 10 minutes before class ended. I think Boss' motto is "Take-off and Landing." He has little concept of normal energy. He's busy, busy and then zonked out.

And that was Thursday.

pilates and kickball...a combustible combination.

Even though I haven't been "working out" (as in go to the gym, hop on a treadmill or elliptical, do some weight machines, etc), I've been working out...

Kickball--it's Spring season with Underdog Sports and our team is 1-1! Yesterday I was in some serious pain, and felt ridiculous that it was due to kickball. But I take my kickball seriously, and so it became true...no pain, no gain. But I pained (slid into a base and scraped my knee, dove for a fly ball) and then I gained (we won 13-2!). Here's our fierce team:


Pilates--my friend Kelly is a Pilates believer. I mean, believer. She's been taking Reformer Pilates classes, which is totally different from mat pilates, and convinced Roommate and me to join her for an intro series.

We walked in and the "Reformer" looked like it should be named "Torture Device, the thing which can kill you in 1,000 ways". Here's the Reformer:


The first class? Snooze fest. We practiced breathing. Breathing is a work out? We also practiced contracting kegels. Do you know what kegels are? The instructor told us to pretend like we had started to pee, and wanted to stop mid-stream. Now, that's an odd way to teach an exercise. So, I thought about it and decided I needed to go home and practice to make sure I was doing my kegels right.

We did our sixth class in the series of seven last night, and whew. We are doing all kinds of crazy things with this machine, including some of the moves you can find here. Seriously, click on it. You have to see what we are doing on these machines...all the while contracting our kegels.

So, I've been working out without working out. And believe me, it's a work out.

Also, Jesse & I should be having our flying trapeze class at Emerald City next weekend. Yep, for our 3 year anniversary, I told him I wanted us to take a flying trapeze class.

On residency and roots.

As of one week ago, I am officially a Washington state resident. The most immediate benefit of this was watching my tuition for 2 credits go from $2,600 to $1,089 in a matter of hours. :)

Letting go of my Texas residency is hard, but easier when I realize that I will always be a Texan. My roots go deeper than voter registration, license plates, and bank accounts. My roots go to a place where the heat is a comfort, the Gulf Coast is familiar, flip flops are a fashion staple, and country music runs through my veins. So I will always, always be a Texan.

But I decided in light of my new residency, I wanted to reflect on the things I have come to love about my new state:
1. My best friend and love, Jesse
2. Looking out my living room window to see Mount Rainier and the Cascades in all their glory.
3. August and September, when the temperature averages 75-80 degrees.
4. The evergreen trees.
5. Delicious food--organic, local, Asian, breakfast specialties
6. Playing adult league kickball
7. Dogs, dogs everywhere...including my own
8. My job and the people I work with who have quickly become friends
9. Best Roommate Ever
10. Being able to walk one block from my place to a coffee shop, yoga studio, pizza place, or a fabulous Caribbean restaurant that was featured on the The Food Network
11. Amazing things to do--incredible plays, trapeze lessons (coming soon!), pro sports, national film and improv comedy festivals, and more!