Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Phound Photos

I finally looked at my SD card from Hawaii and the cross-country drive and stumbled across a few other shots that I like. 

Moon-rise over Manua Kea.

Some photos from the cross-country drive:
Dylan looking at corn fields, 80mph.

Sunset in Nebraska.

 
Dylan at scenic overlook.

Picking burrs off of Dylan's face after he hunted field mice.

How To Fail at Business (Without Really Trying)

A few days ago, we were in the park with Dylan and happened to meet some other dogs for an impromptu dog congress.  Turns out that one of the people there with a dog had a dog walking business.  It also turns out that we're looking for a dog walker to let Dylan out during the day and get him a little exercise.

We met the other dog owners and got a business card from the dog walker.  She seemed nice enough: sort of a hippie-type with plenty of wrist tattoos and unkempt hair.  About two minutes had passed after she gave us her card when we heard her suddenly exclaim:  "Where's my dog?  Have you guys seen my dog?  She was right here a minute ago..."

Everyone around started looking around for her dog and calling for it.

"She's across the street!," the dog-walker announced.  She instructed everyone to refrain from calling her dog.  As she ran across the road to her pooch, she kept telling it to stay there.

Winning Run and I made eye contact and pantomimed our disbelief.  We agreed to promptly lose her card.  She wouldn't be getting our business.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Manifest Destination

Last Thursday, we made it to Seattle after a fun four-day cross-country drive.  If you're ever driving cross-country with a pet, you'll be happy to know that all Motel 6 locations are pet-friendly.  You can, of course, find other places that are nicer and more expensive but it's comforting to know that this ubiquitous chain is there and will take you in for a modest little price.  Depending on where you stop, you might have to contend with their progressive, hard-hitting "No Smoking" campaign designed to stop anyone from even thinking of lighting up in the room.

What deters smoking more than an overturned ashtray with a sticker on the bottom?
Hard to say ... an in-room lighter, maybe?

Mostly, we drove 12-hours a day with exception of the 3rd day when we drove a leisurely 7 hours into Salt Lake to visit Big Mike, my college buddy, and his lady. We took in an outdoor concert, had a great time catching up with the two of them, and enjoyed the break from the highway. The next day, we woke, had breakfast, and pressed on from SLC into Washington.  Along the way, we stopped at a great overlook near Pendleton to drink in the horizon and let Dylan harass some field mice.


After a brief stay at my apartment near campus, Winning Run and I headed to Seattle to prepare for moving her into the apartment.  I knew that she'd like the place but it's pretty cool, if tiny.  A few blocks away is a great park on the shores of Lake Union with great views of downtown, loads of people flying kites, and plenty of seaplane watching.  Compared with the weather we left in Atlanta (100 degrees, 1000% humidity), the climate here is amazing (early morning temp in the 50s, afternoon high in the mid-80s).  Dylan loves it.

More pics:
 A windswept rest area in Wyoming.


Overlook near Pendleton, WA.

Dylan in the morning.


Dylan in the afternoon.


Cool kite at sunset.

All in all, it's pretty nice to be in a big city again.  I love the energy of it and the people in it.  After a year with my wife and dog on the opposite side of the country, I can tell you that having them in the same time zone feels like I've pulled off a coup.  It's freaking amazing.

Next, I'm off to move into my apartment and to hear about Winning Run's first day at hear new job.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Good Morning, America, How Are Ya?

In the immediate aftermath of finishing summer semester and passing my finals, I had little time to revel in the joy of officially becoming a second-year student.  Instead, I had to pack my things, move them out of my apartment, and get them into storage before I left for vacation.  As I abhor moving, it was only natural that I'd be spending the majority of my summer break moving myself into a new apartment, then going home and moving my wife across the country to Seattle. 

After an endless week, I managed to shove the last bits of my things (mostly the remaining 300 rolls of toilet paper from a Costco pack) into the storage bin and get the hell to Seattle onto a plane to Hawaii for a week of R&R with my wife's family.  I cannot explain how amazing it was to actually be in the same place as my wife for more than 48 hours.  Good stuff, indeed.  Two vacation shots:
Moon rise from the Joint Astronomy Center at Mauna Kea.

 
Waterfall at our lodging near Hilo.  
Swimming was great but the water was frigid.


After the vacation, I returned to ATL to help empty our house and, once more, drive across the country.  In case you didn't know, the housing market sucks for sellers and we were beginning to really freak out at the prospect of having an empty unsold house.  A few days before we left, however, we found some tenants for our place...big sigh of relief.  The rest of the time, we spent on the "Winning Run 2010 Farewell Tour" seeing friends, visiting family, and eating and drinking too much. 

We began our drive on the 11 JUL with our dog and hope to be in Seattle by the 15th.  Yesterday, we drove 700 miles and have stopped in central Missouri.


 
 Gateway to the West.

I gotta say that it's pretty damned strange and a little unnerving to be in a motel with your dog.  In good guard dog fashion, he's barked occasionally at strange noises which is followed by pleading cries of "Shh!!!! No bark!!!!" by the two of us.  Guess it's not like the first night in any hotel is ever restful, I suppose.