BIG Scare

It's 10:15 on a Friday night and I'm sitting on my bed, feeling like I just barely survived the longest 3 hours of my life. It all started after dinner. We all (Doc, me, both kids, Minnie) went outside to our back alley to draw with sidewalk chalk and kill some time before dark.  Wyatt was busy working on a drawing of "Wyattville," I was watching Anna draw a picture of a cat, and Doc was swinging his golf clubs. Minnie was doing what she does best: just laying there.

Doc put down his golf clubs, grabbed my glass and headed inside to refill our sangritas. He wasn't gone long, just three or four minutes maybe. He came back, handed me my glass, and casually asked, "Where's Minnie?"

"Huh?" I looked over to where she had been laying in the grass. "I don't know. She was just right there. She couldn't have gone far."

As if on cue, everyone put down their chalk/glass/whatever they were holding and looked around for our dog. She has gotten much better in her old age about not running after random people or pets as they stroll by (or maybe she's just gotten lazier) so we've been giving her a little more freedom by not keeping her on a leash when we're all outside playing. So, this wasn't the first time she'd wandered off. If you've ever seen Minnie you know that not only does she have really short legs, but she's also a bit of a waddler, so we knew she couldn't have gotten far.

We looked in all her usual places. Nothing.

We called her name inside the house just in case she snuck in behind someone. Nothing.

We looked through our side yard in the off chance that our gate had been opened and she got locked back there. Nothing.

Doc and I decided we should split up. Anna and I headed in one direction and he and Wyatt went the other. We circled our block in no time at all, but still, there was no sign of Minnie.

We split up again and expanded our search to the neighboring blocks. We checked out the parking lot of the apartments nearby. We walked to any spot we've ever taken her to for a potty break. Still nothing.

Doc gave a new set of directions. "You and Anna get in your car. Wyatt and I will get on the bikes and look around here."

So off we went in the car. Now I know my dog and know she couldn't have gotten very far, but why hadn't we found her yet? As Anna and I were driving, I let my sometimes-too-imaginative mind take over. I remembered that I had caught Minnie eating a piece of a rotten peach outside. I didn't think she had swallowed any of it before I took it away. And I also remembered that while I drew with sidewalk chalk, she stuck her nose into my fruity cocktail drink. Could those things have made her sick?

I started getting nervous. Was I looking for my very sick - or worse - dog?

Anna and I drove all over the neighborhood with no luck. When we made it back to the house we searched everywhere inside again, just in case. By this time, it was getting really dark. The boys made it back on their bikes and grabbed the head lamps. I had a flashlight and we split up again, this time leaving Anna back at the house. Where could she possibly be??

Realizing how dark and late it was getting, I finally called my parents. We needed help. As soon as the phone started ringing, I finally lost it. The tears wouldn't stop coming and it was getting really hard to breathe.

"We lost Minnie," was all I could get out to my mom.

"We'll be right there."

My parents were on their way. They always make everything better. They would definitely find my sweet Minnie.

Doc caught up with me on the corner of our block. He had sent Wyatt back to the house with Anna. The two of us, equipped with our flashlights, walked back through the alley to our house, stopping to look under and behind every bush, tree, and rock on the way.

Finally, as we were almost to our garage door, my genius husband said, "Hey, didn't [Neighbor 2 Doors Down] have his garage open earlier?"

"I don't know. I don't remember seeing it open, but I guess it could've been."

We walked up to the garage door and listened. Nothing. I knocked on the door.

"Minnie?"

"Miiiiinnnniiiieeee!"

Nothing.

"Do you think we should ask them to look in there, just to make sure?" I asked Doc.

"Sure. I'll go around to the front and knock."

So we quickly started walking around the block to the front of their house. Even though I was feeling a renewed sense of hope, I still stopped and looked behind every shrub on the way. I fell behind Doc a few feet.

I could see our neighbor open the door, but before I made it to their porch, Doc was already heading inside and closing the door behind him. I took off running back around the block to their garage.

My tears started again as I ran. What if she wasn't there? Then what? I was losing my breath.

And then, as I rounded the corner just in time to see their garage door opening and the motion detector light pop on, out stepped Doc with a wiggling ball of black fur in his arms.

Minnie!!!

I took off in a dead sprint.  As I got close I could hear [Neighbor 2 Doors Down] saying something to me, but all I could focus on was getting my sweet girl in my arms!

I can't even tell you how happy I was. I was sweating and crying and kissing my baby girl and trying not to make too much of a fool out of myself in front of my neighbors. What a happy ending!

As soon as we walked in our house Doc asked if we should call my parents back.

"Oh crap. They're probably already almost here."

Sure enough, as soon as Minnie and I made it out onto the front porch, they pulled up. My dad tried to give me a hard time about it but truthfully, I think we were all just relieved Minnie was safe and sound and back where she belongs.

And then, as if the ending of the night couldn't have gotten much better, I saw this:

Wyatt had come inside and made flyers for us to post around the neighborhood. The picture is from my Christmas card a few years back, and I didn't even realize it was still on the computer that we let the kids use. And I definitely didn't know that he knew about to paste it into a document. In case the picture above is too small for you to read, the small print below "REWARD!!!" says:

Name: Mini Breed: Black Wiener Dog Address: --------------------- (smudged out by me)

How sweet is that??? Wyatt acts like he's not too fond of Minnie most days, but he still spent all evening running all over the neighborhood looking for her and then created this flyer so we could get the word out. That's when I melted.

I still have not figured out why Minnie never once barked, growled, or whimpered while she was trapped in our neighbor's garage. Even when she could hear us knocking on the door and calling her name, she never made a sound. And yet, two seconds after my parents arrive, she's back to normal barking her head off and begging for some food. Weird, huh?

I have to say, I'm really glad this night is over. I'm exhausted! Minnie is back in her bed sleeping soundly. The kids are tucked into their bunk beds. Doc is starting to snore right beside me. I think I'll be able to rest easy tonight knowing everyone in my family is exactly where they're supposed to be.

Headboard Bench

See the stained piece of wood in the picture above? That would be an old headboard. But not just any headboard. No, that headboard pictured above is a ten-dollar headboard. I saw it as I drove past a yard sale last fall and did a quick u-turn to go see how much they wanted for it. I can't remember what they wanted but I talked them down to ten. I probably would've paid more, but the lady took ten! Only problem? It didn't fit in my car.

My mom is the biggest supporter of all my crazy projects and ideas. Probably because she knows that I'm going to drag her through them with me regardless of how she feels about them so she might as well be supportive. Keeping that in mind, as soon as I realized the headboard wouldn't fit in my car, I did what I do when any of my hair-brained ideas get me in a situation like this: I called my mom. Being the awesome mom that she is, she jumped in the car, met me at my house, and we drove to pick up the headboard together. A life-saver, I tell ya!

Then we had a headboard. I had an idea for it, I just didn't have any time. So we put it in the attic of the shop and decided I could drag it down whenever I had time to play with it.

This weekend Doc found some time for the headboard! I have to brag on  him because I gave him my vision and he brought it to life all on his own. And he did a great job!

The plan was to turn the old headboard into a bench. A sturdy bench. Not a bench that would fall apart as soon as someone sat on it.

So he started off building the apron and supports to go between the legs.

And then, because the back was already finished, the only thing left to do was put on a seat! He used three 2x4s to make a slatted seat.

Ta-daaaa! Not too shabby for a quick Sunday afternoon project. And you wanna know the best part? All the wood pieces he used were scraps from other projects which means total cost for a new headboard bench was only ten dollars.

Proud of his hard work.

Now its back in my hands. It needs a cute paint job, but what color? Should it all be one color? Should it be distressed? Should it have a cool pattern on the back? As you could tell from our home makeover, we don't need a new bench on our front porch. Do any of you need a new bench?  If so, speak now or forever hold your peace.

Guest Blogger: Doc

Recently, Lucy has suggested to me that I should write a “Guest Blog” entry.  Those of you that know me well know that I am a much better talker than I am a writer.  That is why my job (which I really enjoy) involves very little writing and mainly consists of talking - conference calls, meetings, conference presentations, more conference calls, more meetings, etc...  When I do have to write (emails or memos), they often revert to a form similar to this:  I appreciate the opportunity to [insert work task here]. After reviewing the [information], here are my thoughts and recommendations:

• Positive Behavior #1
• Positive Behavior #2
• Suggestion #1
  • Positive attribute #1
  • Positive attribute #2
  • Positive attribute #3
• Suggestion #2 (you get the idea).

 Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Best regards, Doc

 Yes, I am a bullet-pointer in my written correspondence.  Quick and to-the-point.  Then I can fill in with words and explanation in a conference call, meeting, etc.

 With that said (or written, rather), I am at a significant disadvantage when it comes to “blogging."  However, I am willing to try.  Here are some observations about the past week of my life.  Please keep in mind that all the following of events are real and did actually occur.  The thoughts and opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.  Some names may be changed to protect the innocent (or the guilty) at my discretion.

 Mulch – The Ultimate Sucker Bet?

I love the positive benefits of mulch – weed control, erosion protection, nice clean look, I even like the smell (is that weird?).  However, mulch does not come without its fair share of hassles.

 This past weekend I had the opportunity to spread a few wheel-barrowfuls of mulch (read: approx 50) at Lucy’s parents’ house.  You may have seen the awesome new swing set – well, it is now bordered with yard ties and the play area is fully mulched.  Each wheel-barrowful took several (read: 30-35) shovelfuls to fill. For those not as geeky about math as I am, that is approx 1750 shovelfuls of mulch that I moved over the weekend.

 The area looks great, but I keep thinking:

• How many more times will we need to re-mulch?
• How long until that fresh-mulched look goes away?
• Did we just open Pandora's Box (of mulch) and will now need to spend many dollars and many hours to keep the thing up?

Today it is definitely worth it, but will we change our minds as we continue to have to re-mulch year after year?

 Mustard Meets Pork Tenderloin

I think you all read about the awesome dinner that I pulled off last Friday, but I tried something new that evening that I want to share. 

Earlier that day, I mentioned to a co-worker that I would be grilling pork tenderloin that evening.  He told me he always rubs the tenderloin down with yellow mustard before he seasons it.  I had never heard of this before.  I decided to try it, and so I rubbed each tenderloin down with yellow mustard before I applied my seasoning rub.  The tenderloin was very moist and flavorful, but no residual mustard taste.  I am a convert!  Dee-lish!  Apparently it works great with chops and ribs as well.

 Running (for your life)

Over the past couple of years I have started to run.  Growing up and as a young adult I never enjoyed running.  As I have gotten older, I have realized some of the health benefits of running (namely, being able to button my pants).  Last year I ran my first (and maybe only) half marathon.

Well, yesterday afternoon I decided to go for a run.  Let me set the stage – 5:45pm, 94 degrees, humid, 10 mph southerly breeze.  I walked out the door and saw our next door neighbor, Will, who was also preparing for a run, so we ran together.  Now, Will is a runner – marathons, trail marathons, 20-mile just-for-the-heck-of-it runs, you get the idea.  I went for a long run at a very quick pace; he went for a short jog at a leisurely pace.  When I finished I was dripping in sweat and gasping for breath.  When he finished, he was a “little sweaty” and was breathing only slightly harder than a sleeping dog.  Key point – we ran together.  4.5 miles in the park by our house. 

I like to think that I am in pretty good shape and physically fit.  However, I felt like yesterday was the first episode of The Biggest Loser and I was the fat guy trying to keep up with one of those personal trainers.  Nice little reality check.  Am I glad that I did it? Yes.  Will I do it again?  Maybe.

 Moral of the story:  IF GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN WITH A SEASONED MARATHON RUNNER – DON’T!

 ­Bad Days – A Necessary Evil

So, last Saturday was a bit rough on me.  I have worked very hard on my golf game over the past 4 years and have really started off the 2010 golf season pretty well.  Well, Saturday morning the wheels fell off the bus.  Trouble driving the ball, trouble chipping, couldn’t putt to save the rainforest – everything was off.  It has been a long time since I played as bad as I did on Saturday.  Now, I am optimistic that I got 4-5 rounds worth of bad shots out of the way so the next few times out should be special.  But living through the nightmare of my golf round was enough to make me want to sell my clubs.

 I guess I tell this story to say, sometimes we need really crappy days to make us understand and appreciate the good days in our lives.  I know that I am very blessed to have a job, to have a family that loves me, and to have a wonderful wife that supports and loves me.  I try each day to have many more positive experiences than negative ones, and carry the good with me and leave the bad behind.  Each day I ask Lucy “what was the best part of your day?”  It is something that she first asked me several years ago, and I thought it was great to spend a few moments thinking about all the good things that happened during the day.  Some days it is something little (I found a Tootsie Roll in my drawer), some days it is something big (I got a bonus), but everyday it is something special.  Lucy helps me see the positive things in my life – I guess because she is a big part of all of those positive things. 

I appreciate your time today.  I tried to not use too many bullet points.  Lucy, thanks for letting me blog.  I love you tons!

Rock Climbing

Last Sunday was eventful. There were so many good picture opportunities, but unfortunately I didn't think to charge my camera battery. So, all I have are pictures of little Parker climbing the rock wall all by himself!

The first step and looking up to see how high it is.

"This will probably be easier without shoes."

Checking to make sure I'm still back there and that its ok to go.

And the little monkey is off and climbing!

Almost there...

And his proud momma was glad to greet him at the top!

And what do you do once you've made it to the top of the fort? Well, you slide right back down, of course!

The end.

Friends, Cupcakes, and Funglish

I'm so behind! I can't believe how long it's been since I posted. My apologies. I plan on making up for that right now. Friday night there was a 5k in our neighborhood that ran right in front of our house. The last two years Doc and I have participated in the race - him running and me walking. This year, we decided it would be fun to invite a few friends over to watch the race and cookout instead. It's much more fun to sit back and watch people exercising than to actually do it yourself, right?

Jenny and Darrin came to watch.

And so did this little princess.

She loves her momma....

...but sometime neglects her puppy dog.

Her proud daddy came over too.

Allison brought her new toy over. Her approach to photography is a little different from mine. I may have to try the drink-in-one-hand-camera-in-the-other style soon. :)

Her husband, Chris, spent some time entertaining Miss Wesley.

The race was fun to watch. It started at 7:00 pm and the pace car and lead runner passed our house shortly after. I think we were between the first and second mile markers. Our neighbors had their water hose out to give the runners a rinse-off as they passed by.

By the time the last walkers were through, Doc had dinner ready for us. Pork tenderloins, cowboy beans, and rolls. Yumm-oh! (I really could not host parties without Doc. I always have the idea to invite everyone over, and I sometimes help with the prep-work, but when the actual party starts happening, I completely forget all of my hosting duties. Good thing he ALWAYS remembers to cook the food and get it ready to serve!)

Here we are after I thanked him for cooking while I sat outside taking pictures and visiting with our friends.

Thursday night I decided to make cupcakes for us to have as dessert. They're supposed to look like cherry and blueberry pies. Can you see it? Sorta?

After dinner, Wesley changed into her pj's and got ready for bed. Doc didn't really help calm her down.

Flying baby!

Later in the evening, we broke out the Funglish game. Who says it's just for kids?

My teammates!

I'm sure you're dying to know so I'll just go ahead and say it....the girls won.   Maybe if the boys are lucky, we'll let them have a rematch one day.