The 25th Hour ~karenjcardoza.com~

Yesterday I mentioned that I had something on my mind and today it all came to fruition. My friends who have Bella and Chloe’s parents initially kept one of the puppies from Chloe’s litter. Due to work changes in their lives they felt that they couldn’t give her enough attention so they asked me if I would mind taking her to be with her sisters. Little Miss Sugar came home today and so far so good!  She’s so tiny and pretty much stuck close to me today but there was no major issue when I brought her home. Here are some pictures from our first day together.

I’m posting early today because I’ve got a busy pre-game day ahead.  I already did my shopping and had a very successful trip. I bought lots of things on sale at Shaws and used coupons (turning over a new leaf!) and ended up with some OYNO (On Your Next Order) coupons for next time totaling $33.50!

I’m getting ready to start cooking for tomorrow’s tailgate in a little bit and then we’re going out tonight for sushi at my favorite spot, Ten Prime Steak and Sushi.  But right now, I’m going to spend some time with the girls and give some extra snuggles to my little one, Chloe who is one year old today. <3

5 days old!

11 days old

Homecoming: Christmas Day

Birthday Girl!

Spring is sprung but it felt like summer today! I took the girls on a nice long walk in woods, finished Merle’s Door which I’ve been trying to do all week, and read two shorties, Aquamarine, and Good Dog. Stay. this afternoon.

I’ve got a load on the line and all of my windows open. Just a taste of what’s to come… ahhhhhh, how I love summer! Al and Jake went out into the bay with the boat today and reported that it was just perfect out there as well.

Word is, tomorrow is supposed to be gorgeous too! Overall, this has been one of the nicest April vacations we’ve had in a long time. I’ve gotten to take the girls out quite a bit and it’s nice to shed the sweaters!

I LOVE being home…just in case you haven’t figured that out yet. Yesterday, I went to the gym for a good workout then met Chel for a nice lunch in Providence. This morning, after their bloodwork I took the girls for a beautiful 2.5 mile spring walk at Lincoln Woods while Al jogged and Jake fished.

Today is a good day! My yardwork is done. I’m going to spend 2 hours (1 to make up for yesterday) working on the assessment, run some errands later today, then watch The Biggest Loser finale tonight! Go Ali!! She’s such an inspiration. Honestly, while I hope that she wins, they’re ALL WINNERS on that show. I’m so impressed by how much they’ve changed their lives and worked so hard to achieve their goals.

My calendar booked up quickly this week and while I initially only had plans on Thursday, I now have a commitment every day this week. So, while projects like repainting my bathroom may not get done, I’m going to make sure that I get a workout in every day and keep to my assessment schedule for the week.

I’m so thankful that I’m home… it’s definitely my favorite place to be.
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The weather is still cold and dreary but I’m spending my day in the most perfect way…

New England is in the midst of a huge rainstorm and my front yard is like a swamp. The storm cloud is overhead but not just outside. Sometimes I’m just in a funk… I call it the Funk Fog rolling in. I’m in the midst of a storm right now. Just too many things to do to catch up with in work, and the day to day grind is getting to me. (Note to self: Don’t fall down the stairs and get a back injury that puts you out of work for 6 weeks and still have to get the dreaded Alternate Assessment done on time.) I’ve got lots on my mind, feeling fat, and it’s raining… At least Chloe doesn’t mind the storm..

Early Sunday morning and the dogs are playing while I wait for the coffee to brew. Vacation week went by really fast (as they always do) and it was a good one save for one thing. I was going to post midweek but started to write it then had to leave to give Jake a ride. So, the draft sat there but I decided to delete it because it was extremely negative and re-reading it only dragged me down. Of course, it was about how I was feeling at that point, due to the Assessment. I’m not going to get into it here but let’s just say it was the low-point of my week.

Other than that, it was a good week and I did get to accomplish a lot of what I set out to do.

• I exercised most days and while an hour walking on the treadmill was long and boring it’s what I need to do since running is out. (I’ll be jumping on for the Long, Slow, Burn after this post and my morning cuppa.) I’ve begun lifting weights again (gently… don’t want to re-injure my back) and doing some deep yoga stretching after my walk which is loosening things up nicely. Scott would be proud.

• One of my goals was to get rid of the pee-pee pads and be diligent about taking Chloe out so as not give her the opportunity to have any accidents in the house. While the weather was not the most cooperative and I made lots of trips outside in the rain at the beginning of the week and icy snow at the end, she’s getting the concept that it’s not OK to pee in the house. I haven’t cleaned a puddle all week, and while she’s not ready yet to “tell me”when she’s got to go out, if I keep a close eye on her, I can catch her sniffing and head her off at the pass.

• I did manage to get some reading in, and although I didn’t finish any books, I put a dent in my magazine pile and made progress in The Freedom Writer’s Diary. I also started A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and will be joining in with the rest of the Oprah Book Clubbers for the online seminar beginning on March 3rd. For my final day of vacation, I would love to just lounge out and read, read, read!

• Jake’s wrestling season has come to an end, so by mommycab duties will now be reduced greatly. It’s time to start heading out with him to practice driving since he’s gotten his permit but has been so busy and hasn’t had a chance to get behind the wheel yet.

• Managed to do a closet purge and got rids of lots of things that just don’t fit or I don’t wear anymore. Nice to have room in there! I need to hit up the cabinets this week as well.

Yesterday, I attended NewBCamp in Providence. It was the first un-conference that was geared towards the real beginner. It was a small group but was manageable since most folks were starting from the ground up. I ended up being a mentor in one of the sessions and explained blogging and podcasting and helped someone set up her first blog. Many of the people there were brand new to computing and used it for email and the occasional google search only, so I give them a lot of credit for coming out to learn something that was completely foreign to them and for trying to understand the online world of their children and grandchildren. (Photos tagged Newbcamp are here.)

After it was over, we headed to AS220 where Matthew Ebel played for 90 minutes. As always he put on a great show and gained quite a few new fans along the way. All of the women that I walked back to the car with had never heard him before and raved about his music and stage presence the whole way. I have a feeling that more than one Beer and Coffee and Goodbye Planet Earth CD are being played today for the first time. Here are some great shots by Chris Penn. (I was trying to embed one here but Flickr is not cooperating for me on this computer.. can’t see any embed links.)

Got lots I want to squeeze in to this final day but for now… more coffee!

newbcamp matthewebel anewearth freedomwritersdiary technology todolist

Sometimes things just work out according to plan. Yesterday was one of those days. On Friday, I laid out my game plan for the week and was anxious to jump right in. My day started before dawn as always. After taking the girls out and getting the coffee going, I checked email quickly then bundled them up for a brisk, early morning walk. It was just what we all needed; tiring them out and energizing me for my day ahead. I put them in their crates for a nap and did a thorough cleaning of my house, including washing my floors (on hands and knees no less!) and starting my laundry.

One of my goals for this week was to go back to square 1 and embark on Housebreaking 101. I took Chloe out many, many times yesterday but she didn’t have a single accident in the house. So, we’re at 100% thus far. It really is a matter of being on top of her every move and not allowing her the freedom to play and hang out unless she’s just gone to the bathroom. I’ve been lax in that and was giving her too much freedom. (Of course, getting her in the dead of winter when she was less than 2 pounds didn’t help. It was too cold to take her out and she swam in every sweater, so I used the pee-pee pads which told her it was ok to go in the house. Now that she’s a bit older and bigger, it’s strictly outside from now on.)

With a clean house, I was able to work on Lesson Plans all afternoon and I’m almost done. I’ve just got a little bit to do today then I’ll be able to put them away until I head back to school next Monday. I was even able to read a magazine and a couple of chapters of a book.

At night, we headed over to Twin River for dinner at Fado’s and for drinks and a show at The Lighthouse Bar. Bruce in the USA was playing and it was unbelievably good. The group is a Springsteen tribute band and it was amazing how much they looked and sounded like the E Streeters. The place was rocking and they played for 3 hours straight. It was a great night and perfect ending to a most productive day.