Another New Family Member

I would like to introduce you to Luna.  Our newest member of the family.

Luna

It took two months of pleading with Cave Man to get him to agree to let me have her.  And 4 months later he is just warming up to her.  But how could he not?  She is irresistible, lovable, a goofball, and a royal pain in the a$$. 

I picked her up from the airport (yes I had to have her shipped in) the day after Thanksgiving.

The day we brought her home she was SO EXCITED that when my friend tried to get a picture of her, we ended up with THREE of her in the shot.  We are still trying to figure out how this happened.  She was using her phone camera that has NO special affects (or at least none she knows of).

Originally I wanted a boy but Cave Man put the brakes on that one.  He said that he was worried of the "Alpha" thing and we didn't want to go through another issue with a dog bite like we did 7 years ago (with a different dog).  I had found one I liked (oh man he was beautiful) and we were going to name him Loki (Cave Man said that would have been appropriate because of me), but I was not going to push my luck.  So I went in search of a girl.

From the look of her markings we almost named her Bandit.  But I really wanted a "Wolfy" name.  

Besides "Luna"tic fits her to a tee!

Her favorite thing to do in the back yard is act like the pool cover is her own personal trampoline.  Then again I'm not going out there and get sopping wet to get her off of it either and this she knows.  So now I keep a 10 foot leash on her so I can convince her to get off the pool cover when needed.

With as cold as it has been outside, I just don't have it in me to take her for her MUCH NEEDED daily (x2) walks.  So I trained her to walk the treadmill (hey at least someone is using it).  At first it was a little tricky, but now she runs to the basement and stands on it until someone comes down and gets it going. 

We walk her a mile twice a day (at least).  That seems to help burn off some of that Husky energy.

She hates sitting still for pictures so that means to get just one good shot of her I have about 10 others that are a mess.

On our last (and pretty much only one) monster snow fall we just had at the end of March she discovered snow........................... and fell in love with the stuff.

While Cave Man and I knocked the snow off all the trees (so they didn't break) she was tearing up paths all over the yard.  When she tried to get on the pool cover I threw snow balls at her.  Never seen a dog jump so high and then barge after me like she knew I threw it.

All that play did wonderful things to Luna................she slept without having to be in her kennel!  This was the first time ever that she just pulled up a spot on the floor and went to sleep.  Looking forward to her swimming and burning off some more of that energy this summer.

Cave Man and I have never owned a pet that we didn't have fixed.  So two weeks ago it was Luna's turn.  We thought that MAYBE she would be calm for at least a few days.............................nope didn't happen.  She was calm all of one night, the night we brought her home from the vet's office. The cone didn't last long either thankfully.

The only way we could get her to go to sleep at night without keeping us and all the neighbors up was to put a kennel right beside my bed.  But it doesn't fit her with the cone on.  So the first night she was home she woke up around 2:30 in the morning and started whining..... loudly.  I got up went to the living room (where we keep her bigger kennel) and laid on the floor (yes laid on the floor) next to her kennel and put my had through the side.  She maneuvered herself so that her head and paw would rest on my hand and went back to sleep.  So there I spent the night freezing (I forgot a blanket) so that Luna was calmed and no one else in the house got woke up.

I anticipate many adventures with this crazy animal.  But it is like having a toddler in the house again and that is very tiring.

When I am at home she goes everywhere with me.  And I do mean everywhere.  Go to the bathroom, she lays under my legs.  Take a shower, yep right in there with me.  Doing laundry, she is there doing her own version of sorting.  In the kitchen making dinner, right next to me with paws on the counter trying to taste test everything. 

 I was doing some yard work this past weekend, pulling weeds in the planting beds and such.  Well Luna saw what I was doing and decided that she too wanted to do yard work.  She came up behind me (yes the areas already cleaned out) and decided I didn't "mix" up the dirt enough.  she was digging up and tossing dirt everywhere.  I finally found her ball and convinced her that that was more interesting.

Cave Man says that when I leave a room or the house she goes on the hunt trying to find me or if she is in her kennel she starts howling trying to get me to come back.  Needless to say Cave Man doesn't work from home much anymore.

Alice's Wonderland Close To Home

Back in October 2012 Devin and a few of his friends went camping.  I can only assume they had a good time as he came home and went straight to bed (LOL).  But while there (and I don't remember where they went) he sent me these pictures:

Seriously!  Doesn't that look like Alice's worm from Alice in Wonderland?



That boy can find the oddest things!

A Thanksgiving "thankful for" Post

On FaceBook I have seen tons of posts throughout November of people telling what they are thankful for everyday.  I don't do this.  I guess I should I really do have tons to be thankful for.  But I just cannot seem to bring myself to post this every single day.

I did however post an "I'm thankful for" post on Thanksgiving.  Because this is  the one the one thing I was most thankful for and seemed appropriate seeing how it was Thanksgiving and all.

I am thankful for my Cave Man.  My best friend, my worst enemy, my confidant, my Lover, my mate.

He is truly the love of my life, even when I want to maim him.  I can't keep a secrete from him, no matter how small or who asked.  Just can't seem to do it.  I tell him things I know will make him mad, or get him grouchy with me.  But I also know he cannot ever stay mad at me.  We tried that once, lasted about 5 days.  We both felt lost in the end.  But the make up is always good (snicker snicker).

Arkansas Road Trip

The Wind was ridiculous!

This past weekend some friends and I took a road trip to Arkansas to give support to another friend whose mother just passed away last week.  I would have to say it was the hardest thing to watch Vicky cry.  This gal NEVER EVER cries, never shows any anger; she always has a smile on her face. 

We all felt helpless.  We wanted to do something to make it better.  Of course there was nothing we could do but hold her and/or her dad Leo.  They were both so glad that we drove down there to be with them.  Leo kept telling us that when he gets up here he is going to take us all out to dinner…..on him.  We told him we just wanted to take him fishing (but he has to clean the fish).  That got a giggle out of him.  May of the people in attendance were surprised that we took the 5 hour trip down.  I could not for the life of me figure out why they were surprised.  What else are friends for?

We did get her laughing when we got to her father’s house after the visitation.  That felt good, it felt normal.  I hope that she felt some relief also.

Carolyn (V's sister) and V taking a much needed vise break.

It took us 5 hours to get to Paragould Arkansas from St Louis.  I guess with the fact that it was storming when we left didn’t help.  Sue got board and took my camera and stuck it out the window (when it stopped raining) and just started clicking.  Got some interesting shots that is for sure.

The trip home was a quite one, after sitting through the visitation then the next day sitting through the funeral service (we opted out of the graveside service due to the length of the drive back).  On one particular part of Hwy 67 there is a beautiful new long stretch of highway that was just begging me to take my sassy girl new car for a “special” ride.  As it was I was cruising at about 85 miles an hour.  Sue leaned over saw how fast I was going and asked to take if higher………….so I did.  We got it up to about 105 miles an hour before the back seat realized what was going on.  I was debating on going even faster yet, but the backseat was requesting loudly that we NOT go so fast.

HUMP party poopers.

Michelle and Alicia threaten to tell Mike that I was driving that fast.  Ha I beat them to the punch.  I told him, he laughed and asked why only 105.  I told him I had already past one state patrol and was worried of passing another.  He said I was already going to get arrested if stopped, why not make it worth it and get her up to 150.  I laughed back at him and said why not the 180 the tack shows.  He said that it will do 150 without a hiccup but not sure of the 180.  He then said an Audi was made to go fast.

Of course I didn’t try it again.  It was a nice thought though; maybe I will get the nerve up again next time to try it.  Oh and the trip home didn’t take no 5 hours it took only 3!  Guess you could say I drive fast.

Our last Stop

If you ever go to Chicago then a stop to Ed Debevic's Diner is a must.  

You want "rude" service, be made fun of?

Then this is definitely the place to visit while in Chicago

And the food was not bad either.

(Felicia's newest boyfriend, Brian)

Look closely, way at the back.  The servers stopped occasionally to dance on counters and such.

Freaking Hilarious!

The service on the left... the gal... she was an absolute riot!  Her interactions with the customers was a show in itself.

Signature Room

A spectacular view is a given from almost any part of the Signature Room on the Hancock's 95th floor or Signature Lounge on the 96th. 

The theme throughout is elegant Art Deco, with dark wood, marble tile and accent lighting. Ascend the stairs and stroll back to the Lounge, with its incredible south and west views of the city. 

Back in the dining room, the views are primarily of the lake and of Navy Pier, in all its illuminated excess.

View from south side of the lounge.

The following views are primarily from the Ladies room on the 96th floor.  It was actually better than the view from the lounge we were in.

The nice thing about the John Hancock Building's Signature Room .... it is a free attraction.  Though most people at least purchase a drink and sit to take in the views for a while.

Unlike going up in the Sears building where you pay $25ish dollars to go up and stand in a glass room overlooking the sidewalk.

though the Sears building and Observation Deck is taller than that of the Signature Room in the John Hancock Building.  But at the end of the day and at those heights who is going to tell the difference?

Sites of Chicago

Walking the streets of Chicago you will never know who or what you are going to run into or see.

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The Bean

Another stop in Chicago was to Millennium Park to see "The Bean" or rather Cloud Gate.  I personally call the the Mercury Drop for obvious reasons.

The "official" description is:

Cloud Gate -- referred to by locals as "The Bean", for obvious reasons -- is a public sculpture by talented British artist Anish Kapoor. Cloud Gate weighs in at over 110-tons, and is 66 feet long and 33 feet high. "The Bean" was created using a huge number of individual stainless steel plates -- Cloud Gate's seamless surface is the result of thousands of hours of polishing.

Picture from underneath the Bean looking up.

The sculpture has the appearance of a giant drop of liquid mercury, and the mirrored surface offers an amazing reflection of the city skyline, even more breathtaking on a bright, clear day. Visitors can walk underneath the Cloud Gate, which is surprisingly concave. Kids especially enjoy the fun house mirror effect that this creates.

People get in all kinds of positions to take their picture in the different angles of the Bean.

Mikayla had us lean against the inside of the Bean for this one.

Walking Men

In Chicago at Grant Park there are numerous sculptures and gardens.  The one I wanted to see in particular this time was the AGORA or "Walking Men".

Located along the southwest side of Grant Park, Agora is one of Chicago’s most recent and important sculptural installations. Comprised of 106 nine-foot tall headless torsos made of cast iron, the artwork derives it name from the Greek word for meeting place.

The figures are posed walking in groups in various directions or standing still. Internationally renowned artist Magdalena Abakanowicz donated the sculptural group along with the Polish Ministry of Culture, a Polish cultural foundation, and other private donors.

 Born into an aristocratic family just outside of Warsaw, Abakanowicz (b. 1930) was deeply affected by World War II and the forty-five years of Soviet domination that followed.

In her journals, she writes that she has lived “…in times which were extraordinary by their various forms of collective hate and collective adulation. Marches and parades worshipped leaders, great and good, who soon turned out to be mass murderers. I was obsessed by the image of the crowd… I suspected that under the human skull, instincts and emotions overpower the intellect without us being aware of it.”

The sculptor began creating large headless figures in the 1970s. Initially working in burlap and resin, she went on to use bronze, steel, and iron. Although Abakanowicz has frequently exhibited in museums and public spaces throughout the world— Agora is her largest permanent installation.

I knew there were a lot of them but 106....... I didn't count that many.  Hummmmm

As you can tell the girls like to play in them.

We felt like Dwarfs.

Not sure what this was or stood for, but Felicia HAD to have a picture of it.  Graceful and Angelic at the same time, no?