Meet Baby Bear!

This summer I finally fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine - to get a puppy.  I had wanted to get a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy ever since Justin told me about the breed in 2008.  Rhodesian Ridgebacks are an African breed of dog, originally bred to hunt and kill lions.  Bear is going to be about 80 pounds.  He is already awkwardly tall and looks like a small horse.

In July my dad and I drove to Utah to pick up my new puppy from his breeder.  And yes, Bear is Mormon. We were lucky enough to pass Little America - the cheesiest truck stop in Wyoming.  Obviously there was a green dinosaur.  Obviously I had to ride it. 

I finally met baby Bear and all his siblings when they were 2 months old.  

Bear was bred by a wonderful lady, Susan Ralston, who put us up for the evening at her beautiful ranch in Morgan, Utah. 

(small horse)

 

It was so fun to get to know all the puppies in the litter - they were adorable together!...And then I kidnapped him away to never see them again. 

 

 Bringing him home I was a proud (nervous) mama. 

Baby Bear is really incredible.  He is now 4 months old:

 

Like me, he prefers to sleep 10-12 hours a day.  He usually can be found sleeping in this position:

 

He doesn't know how to jump yet, so he usually walks up to things and puts his front legs on them while looking at me pitifully.

(With Aunt Bailey)

He loves pillows!  He tries to sleep between them whenever possible.

He is confused by the concept of getting a bath.

(insert terrorized face)

His ears flip backwards all the time.  Therefore, I often shout "CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?" at him. 

And best of all - he plays well with others!

(With Antoinette and Mike)

I love baby Bear.  Even though he chews on everything and costs me a lot of money.  Here's to the next 12 years together!

(Got your nose, Mama!)

Student Reel, Edition 1

Some gems from my 8th-10th grade muffins.  I have the best job ever. 


* Ms. Broyles: "Today is September 2nd.  That can be written 9-2-11.  Which, coincidentally, is also the time of my party this weekend!"
Student: "Oooo! Ooo! Can I come to your party?"
Ms. Broyles: "No."
Student: "What if I bring napkins?"


*Student: "Sorry Miss, I am really hyper.  I ate too much gum today."


*Student: "So, what I learned from reading my IEP (special ed document) is that Ms. Broyles spends a lot of time stalking me."
Ms. Broyles: "So true."


*Ms. Broyles: "What is the clue from the setting that tell us that Harry Potter does not take place in the past?"
Student 1: "Cars."
Student 2: "TVs."
Student 3: "Jews!"


*Ms. Broyles: "Dumbledore unstuck two lemon drops with his fingers.  What is a lemon drop?
Student: "Ooo! Ooo! A type of alcohol?"
Ms Broyles: "You shouldn't know that."


*Student: "Miss! When I grow up I want to be an assassin killer!"


*Student: "Miss Laniel, can I please please go to my locker?  My shoes are really heavy.  Like, REALLY heavy."
Ms. Laniel: "No, you will be sitting all class."


*Ms. Groettum: "Spell the word 'muscle'.  Muscle."
Student: "I have a HUGE muscle!"


*Ms. Broyles: "So, the wizard boys are staring through the window at really fast broomsticks.  They really want to get one.  What would this be like for our world? What is really fast and desirable for teen boys?"
Student 1: "Cars!"
Student 2: "Motorcycles!"
Student 3: "Chicks!"

My One Night Stand

July 24, 2011


I know, I know, it is the age old question: What airline should I take to Uganda?  We have all been there.  So allow me to clue you in on a little secret:  TURKISH AIRLINES!  Turkish Airlines has a sneaky little ploy to get business - they give you an 11 hour daytime layover in Istanbul.  It is genius. 


Katie's uncle was kind enough to pay for a Turkish woman to be our guide while we explored the entire city in 8 hours.  Her name is Berna, and she loves Turkey.  Like a lot. 

We started off this very ambitious day with a very humongous traditional breakfast, and some very tiny tea. 

(tiny tea)

 Following breakfast, we went shopping at a beautiful outdoor bizarre.  It was not strange at all, so I’m sure what all the fuss is about.

 I bought three massive ceramic bowls.  It turns out that buying really heavy gifts in the first hour of your day really just means that you have to carry it around all day, which is just exhausting.  I told Berna.  She didn’t get it.  Boy, was I right (what else is new?).

 We also dropped by the Blue Mosque:

(Insert picture everyone takes in Istanbul)

I apparently missed the memo about covering my hair.

Berna bought us some stringy like candy wrapped around a stick.  It was delicious.  And don't worry, according to Berna it is both fat-free and calorie-free.  It is made from "juice".

 We also toured Hagia Sofia.  We did the whole place in 12 minutes I think - that has to be a record. 

And just for kicks, Berna brought us to the most beautiful restaurant in the world for lunch.  We ate on a balcony overlooking the ocean. 

Istanbul, it was fast - but you are beautiful.  You were my one night stand.  I would like a relationship, please. 

*                *              *                  *                  

Once we arrived back in New York, I had a day to kill before I flew home to Denver.  I had a delicious breakfast with Ms. Tobin.  Unfortunately, no hard boiled eggs, mini bananas or chipati. 

For lunch, I visited by old friend Justin near his office (aka, his home).

(archive photo)

With that, I packed my very heavy bags, waved goodbye to Katie, and sailed away in a cab.  Which brought me to JFK 45 minutes before my flight left.  Oopps. 

The next day I drove to Utah to get my puppy.  Summer, you were too good to me.