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For those of you already signed up for the superbuzzy newsletter, you should already have received our email. But, just in case anyone missed it, we are posting an enormous update tomorrow at 1pm PST. I was ready to post some teaser pics, but my intrepid partner has already done so. I'll be lazy and just send you over there to see some incredible sneak peeks. Otherwise, I hope you have a chance to check out the new goods - there's some crazy good stuff in there!
In fact, he's been here a little while, but I wanted everything to settle in before I posted an update. Huge thank you to all of you who commented (especially you de-lurkers - hi!) with name suggestions. It was a huge help, and it really got us thinking. But, when push came to shove, we finally came up with something ourselves: Miles (applause for those of you who catch the double entendre!).
We are all settling in pretty well, although there are some "puppy issues" we're working out. He's generally very good, but he loves to chew (and has difficulty distinguishing his chew toys from Brynne's toys!), is pretty jumpy - especially when we wake up and get home, and he's still harassing our 2 cats a bit. In fact, the cat situation was getting pretty desperate: one of my cats wasn't coming in at all because she was so terrified (ours are indoor/outdoor). So, we implemented a lock-down and we're keeping everyone inside (except for doggie play and potty outside) until a cease-fire is reached. After all, the cats were here first! Of course, this means I am doing super potty duty: cat box for 2 inside, and dog doo outside. It's like diaper duty all over again!
The nice surprise in all of this is that Miles has become the sibling to Brynne that her parents refuse to produce (ahem). They spend lots of time every day playing inside and out, and I think they're starting to figure each other out. Miles is still used to some rough play, and we're working on that, but I'm optimistic that it will all work out.
And, what's it like to have a greyhound? Well, this might all change as he gets a bit older, but he's completely insane in the mornings! After he goes out to use the potty, he has to run - I mean has to RUN. I've learned this the hard way: I tried to shower first thing in the morning the first couple days we had him, and let me tell you that a greyhound running 40 miles per hour in a modestly-sized suburban home is a bit terrifying! Instead, we wake up, go outside, and he runs at top speed for a few minutes. Then he's totally pooped and comes inside for breakfast. That's my cue that it's safe to shower!
He's much too fast for my digital camera to catch - I've learned this the hard way!
But, let me assure you - this dog is amazingly fast. I know these dogs have been bred to run, but it's quite another thing to witness this in my own backyard!
He's a real sweetie, and he loves to wedge his pointy snout behind or under us to keep it warm. When Jerry gets up in the morning, he lets Miles out of his crate. Miles comes scrambling in, jumps in bed with me, and immediately burrows completely under the covers. At times I wonder what I was thinking to voluntarily take on yet another responsibility, but I think the payoffs for Brynne have already been fantastic, and we're all learning how to be a (slightly bigger) family.
Wow - I guess I inadvertently took a blog break, didn't I?!? Things here have been even crazier than normal, and I also got a bit of bad news which has been quite the blow, so I guess I've been completely preoccupied with everything else...
We went up north to visit with my family this past weekend (holidays, part 2!), and it was good to get away for a bit. We spent Saturday with family, and then went up to the Bay Area on Sunday (grandma was babysitting!) Jerry was interested in checking out a synth/electronics swap meet of sorts in Berkeley, and I was taken down memory lane when I realized it was held at Gilman Street - a dingy, old club I used to frequent. Then we went to find my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in town, The Blue Nile, only to find it gone. But, we did find *another* Ethiopian restaurant, just down the street from where The Blue Nile had been, and we had an amazing lunch! Someone really needs to open and Ethiopian restaurant here in Ventura! I always enjoy being back in Berkeley. As someone said when I first moved there in 1990, in Berkeley, you'll see one of everything you know, plus a bunch of things you never knew existed. So true!
The clock was ticking as we had to get back to my mom's house for dinner, but we had just enough time to check out the Daiso that recently opened in Daly City. (It's located in the Serramonte Mall - take the Serramonte exit from 280 - it's right next to the freeway.) Now, I'm probably biased since I had the opportunity to visit a few 100 yen shops in Japan, but I wasn't as impressed with Daiso as I had hoped. It was certainly huge, and it was definitely crowded, but I didn't find all the "cute" I was hoping for. They had a few cute things that I snatched up (stationery, a couple of Christmas ornaments, kid's toys), but most of the shop was pretty utilitarian. Some sections had promise, like the dishware section, but there wasn't anything particularly amazing when I went. However, I get the impression that the product turnover is pretty quick, so I would definitely check it out again to see if it gets better. I was especially disappointed that they didn't have any Japanese candy! I guess that's probably for the best...
Phew! Brynne started back to preschool today! Even though she's there just 9 hours a week, it makes such a difference in her general mood, and in my ability to get things done! Today was her first day in a new, co-op program, and I'm excited to see how this develops. I think it's a fantastic program, and I expect her to get a lot more out of this than in a standard class. We shall see...
I was over at Costco this weekend getting new tires for our car (oh joy!). I had an hour to kill while they were installing the tires, so I wandered through the store. I was amused to see huge displays of Rosca de Reyes... Does every Costco offer these, or just the ones in Latino neighborhoods? It brought back good memories of the holiday parties we went to when we lived in Mexico.
While at Costco, I also bought QuickBooks for superbuzzy accounting. It's a pretty frightening undertaking, but I'm hoping to get it all figured out. It will be nice if we can get all of our information sorted and organized in a nice format - should make everything run a bit more smoothly. If anyone has any accounting tips for us, I'd love to hear them!
I've been working a ton... both on my regular work and on superbuzzy. We just got a huge shipment in, and we're expecting several more shipments this week. Mariko will be the scanning queen, and I will be handling the uploads. So, keep your eyes on your inbox if you've signed up for the newsletter - we should be sending one out shortly!
Happy New Year! I can hardly believe another year has whizzed by... still trying to get a grip on that! We're back from a true winter wonderland... we spent a week in Colorado for the holiday, and it was probably the white-est Christmas we'll ever have. Despite all of the disasters other folks encountered traveling to Denver, we somehow were able to get in and out as scheduled. It was almost like magic - we were one of the very first flights to arrive in Denver following the first storm, and our departure was timed perfectly so that the snow from the second storm had already been plowed from the runways. Luck was certainly on our side!
We stayed with my in-laws up in the mountains outside Larkspur. The roads were pretty nutty most the time we were there, but we managed to make it into Denver twice to visit some of our favorite spots and tour the new wing of the Denver Art Museum by architect Daniel Libeskind. (The older wing was designed by Gio Ponti!) But, most of the fun was had playing in the snow. It was Brynne's first time with any real quantity of snow, and she was thrilled to have virtually endless snowball fights. Here are some photos to share in the fun:
suited up in snow gear for the first time!
making a snowman with grandpa
snowball fight action shot!
hanging out under the pool table with her cousin (don't they look like brother & sister?!?)
snow on red rocks - totally gorgeous!
eating pristine snow from a custom snow chair!
crazy angles at the Denver Art Museum
the scenery as we *slowly* make our way to Denver in the middle of the second snow storm
My in-laws got about 3 feet of snow in the first storm (just before we arrived), and another 2.5-3 feet in the second storm (all in the space on one week!). It was so wonderful to be back in Colorado again - it was such a great place to live. And, I actually got to see some WEATHER! The week went entirely too quickly, and now it's back to work and the regular routine. I'm full of optimism for the new year - I hope I don't get too behind too quickly!
What are your hopes and goals for the new year?
