Wag more. Bark less.

A bit of a kooky message, yet with a good innocence behind it. I see funny things all the time on my commute around town. In Scottsdale I saw a pristine woman in her white jogging suit having her dog walk her along the sidewalk. Now I said walk her, not drag. In his mouth he held the leash that was also clipped to his collar and kept turning back with his happy little trot to make sure his human was following. Then when I ran an errand in Paradise Valley, a lawn trailer passed me on Tatum...that was being pulled my a chromed out Hummer! Um, yeah--I blinked a few more times to make sure I saw that right.

It is the road-ragers that I have no respect towards. Great example was last week in my morning commute. I had to switch lanes for a city truck that was blocking off the curbside lane. I signaled, made sure I had room and changed lanes. As I pass the workers, I look into my rear view mirror to change back to the curbside lane, I see the Dodge Dakota still there and now with a very angry man flipping me off, repeatedly. Sheesh, I really did not cut you off mister! [shrug it off and switched back to the curbside lane] Angry, irrational, middle age man comes tearing up to the side of my car where he proceeds to swerve toward me, leans over his passenger so that he can ride along side of me and continues to shove his middle finger forcefully up in the air to tell me "what for"...the what for I don't understand and am not going to get in a pissing match with this guy. Instead I answer with my own brand of sarcasm --throw him a kiss and shrug my shoulders. .

...Damn, I really am going to get shot one of these days on the road!

Kinda like WebMD

Simple nature of being, the hubby and I are just content sitting in the same room together even if we aren't talking. Last night as we clicked along on our separate keyboards in the computer room, checking our separate emails and looking at totally opposite web pages. Think Hello Kitty on one screen and a technically-laden, engineer jargon filling the other monitors on his desk to get an accurate contrast of our lives. Then, in came Lenny clapping his jaw together, wagging his tail and getting down in the play position with furry booty sticking up in the air. He wanted to play fetch (or his version of you throw it...there is no retrieving really involved).

I returned to the office, dog thoroughly tired, swiveled back into my seat and went back to typing. There was a moment of pause in talking about our network connection and then I realized we have a lot of separate things. Email accounts, bank accounts, hobbies, etc...hrmph, was really the summation of that thought when I said it out loud. And then we really self-diagnosed ourselves as if we were on WebMD for relationships...that, hm...yup...

...we're healthy and very thankfully still happy being together doing anything. And still both bringing new ideas and dreams to the table.

Comfortable in my own skin

Lately I have been interacting or observing younger people in my daily life. Man they are fidgety! For what exact reasons they flail and shift their weight from one foot to another--I don't know. I will tell you it is a parallel universe to try and have a conversation with a nervous talker.

The opinion is there, but they are afraid to voice it. The tone is shaky and full of pauses. They look for approval from a voice they don't know. Hair is pushed to and fro, there are glances instead of actual eye contact, there may even be a nibbling of the lip.

Some people say that they wish they could do it all over again, growing up...changing those experiences or just re-living them. For me, oh gawd no. I went through this same awkwardness once and I am glad to be over it!

Now onto the next unknown stage of life...

Haiku

Ode to the workout
Grunt, pull, push, sweat, muscles ache...
Do I look hot yet?

Don't Bite Yourself

It sounds like simple advice to not bite yourself, but what if you can't feel your lips? your cheek? your eye socket?!? Yup folks, I just got back from the dentist's office and I don't think I have chewed on myself this morning, but one can only tell after the sensation returns. My metabolism complicates things at the DDS since I process the shots/numbing agents so quickly. Today, like any other filling session--I had to have a double round of shots as we started to get through the procedure.

Not being able to control your own face is just plain weird. Why do people voluntarily get Botox?!? You can't control your expressions and that totally goes against nature, plus it lasts for more than a just few hours. I look like I am 1/2 scowling because I cannot control the right side of my mouth and the left cheek is puckering in (I think). If I stick a cold glass of water up to my face I can feel pressure, but not the coldness of the cup that I can feel in my hand--creepy! Talking is also very cumbersome and this is where I fear I may go against the good dentist's advice and accidentally give myself a little nibble.

Weekend Warp

This weekend started out with Pizzeria Bianco on Friday night, yum. Our friends got there early to get our names on the list for a table...and miracles of all miracles...it was a "short" 2-hour wait and we ate in the daylight hour of 6:30P (weird). Normally we wait till 9:30, 10PM--and it is worth it. It is a small restaurant in Downtown Phoenix's Heritage Square that seats maybe 45 people and there is a whole other cottage next door that serves as the waiting area/bar. I don't know if you know who Chris Bianco is...but he is kinda a big deal. Google him, trust Food & Wine or go to a best pizza ever website, he will be on there. All factors contribute to the wait for these wood fired slices of wonderful that he makes. So good that when you eat the magical combinations of meat and cheese, you can't help but make some sort of sexual moan. Yeah, that good.

Saturday I think my other set of friends tricked me. They dropped off their adorable 5 month old baby boy who's cry is only the equivalent of what some kids use as a warm up vocal sequence. He didn't give me a poopy diaper, just giggles and snuggles. So I am in love and again feeling "guilty" for waiting to have kids.

Japan. Sushi. You best be worth the wait!

Nom, nom, nom

So I have been a ravenous eater and trying to load my face with only good stuffz...it doesn't always work, there are moments of discretion. For example we went to Lake Pleasant this weekend and had jet ski rentals. Totally a kick ass time, Curtis' co-workers are great and it was just an overall awesome time. My sit bones are bruised and my sodium intake consisted of 3 hot dogs! We will just deem that as protein and sodium replacement.

Let me share the good moments; I went to the gym all last week even though my gym rat buddy was gone. I lost another pound, acquired some compliments and today had a fun ol' time noshing all day.

• Breakfast - Pumpkin Raisin Flax Seed Cereal with Soy Milk
• Snack - 15 raw almonds (equates to a 100 calorie snack)
• Lunch - delicious green mix side salad and Japanese eggplant/red pepper/zucchini/artichoke sandwich on toasted wheat from Taylor's Cafe
• Snack - 15 whole wheat, Wheat Thins
• Dinner - Wing it/Recipe time
  - Side salad with carrots/no dressing
  - Steamed zucchini and yellow squash topped with fresh Parmesan and Toni's Creole Seasoning with the main dish being
  - Pan cooked pork stuffed with sliced red apples/seasoned with thyme and pepper

nom, nom, nom....I am always so happy after the gym! Tonight was cardio/warm up of 10 minutes and 50 more of Pilates!

Oh yes and don't forget the fun of pairing this with a glass of Chardonnay!