Sunday Morning Starbucks

Sunday morning and the sun is finally out -- it's been raining and cool around here on and off for the past week. I decided that Tahoe, Ashley, and I needed a little treat so, we walked to Starbucks this morning. (Tahoe and Ashley were treated to a nice long walk and I was treated to some tea).

Yay for sunshine!

Both Tahoe and Ashley were happy to be out and about in the sunshine after a wet week. Starbucks is about a mile and a quarter from our home. I don't drink coffee but I do like a good cup of tea - a nice cup of Earl Grey was just the ticket this morning... Of course, I couldn't leave Tahoe and Ashley outside by themselves (they don't do well being left tied to a tree) and I certainly couldn't bring them in the Starbucks so what did I do? I've mentioned that Tahoe and Ashley are always attracting a lot of attention so, I approached the first person that came up to me and told me my dogs were gorgeous: I gave them $5 and asked them to buy me tea.  Guess what? It worked!

Tahoe would not stay still for pictures

Ashley, outside of Starbucks

My morning tea

After getting my tea, I settled down outside the Starbucks with Tahoe and Ashley enjoying the nice weather. I hope that you've had a nice start to your Sunday as well...

Ladybug we encountered on the way home

Happy Friday!

Tahoe and Ashley have been getting on my case recently...
Apparently, I have not featured a story about the two of them in days. Well, this is their blog so, point taken.

So what have those two crazy weims been up to? Sleeping, eating, walking, and a lot of dog napping.

Ashley, queen of the couch

Hypnotized by the television

Tahoe and his blankie

Happy to be back on the blog!

Weekend Re-cap and J.J.

Warm summer temperatures have settled in our area making it difficult for me to stay indoors (and update the blog!). Actually, there were other projects (in addition to the great weather) that kept me quite busy this past week and weekend. After returning from Tucson, AZ on Tuesday, I returned to work on Wednesday and struggled to catch-up. In addition to work, I had another extracurricular project that I'd been focused on... creating Chinese zodiac-themed centerpieces for a Bat Mitzvah for our friend's daughter, Megan. I'd actually been working on the centerpieces for a couple of months.

Well, Saturday was the big day - I successfully assembled all of the centerpieces, just in time. Phew! The Bat Mitzvah dinner and reception was amazing and Megan was beautiful and glowing. I'm honored that I was able to participate and help create a fun and festive atmosphere for Megan's party.

Centerpiece with table cards

Ballroom and centerpieces

Dancing the night away!

While I was away in Tucson, Georgetown University (my alma mater) announced a new addition to the campus community. Meet Jack, Jr. or J.J., Georgetown's new bulldog mascot-in-training. I'm sure that Jack the Bulldog will ensure that J.J. gets all of the training he needs. (He sure is a cute little guy!)

J.J., Georgetown's mascot-in-training

Tucson Sunset

For the past few days I've been in Tucson, assisting Babu as he recovers from surgery. The weather in Tucson has been terrific during my stay - sunny and in the 90's! Perfect weather for cruising around in the hot red car that I rented.

Red Camaro convertible

Strolling at West Lambert Park

Snapdragons near Babu's home

Since tonight is my last night in Tucson, Babu and I decided to take a drive and catch the sunset over the Tucson Mountains. It was truly a special sight.

Sunset over the Tucson Mountains

In keeping with tradition, I colored a batch of hardboiled eggs for Easter. It's just not Easter without colored eggs! I hope that the Easter bunny was good to you and filled your basket with jellybeans, peeps, and chocolate eggs.
Have wonderful day!

Speedy Recovery

I finally arrived in Tucson last night at 10:00pm. I made my way to Babu's hacienda but unfortunately, Babu was not there. As planned, he was at the hospital, with orders for an overnight stay to recover from surgery.

UAMC treated Babu's healthcare needs

He's back at home tonight and I'm happy to share that the surgical procedure went well. He does have a couple of other issues that have surfaced as a result of the surgery but I'm sure that with proper rest he'll be able to have a speedy recovery.

Tucson Bound

I decided earlier this week that I needed to take a trip to visit an infamous outlaw of the West...

Tucson bound!

Babu - Infamous outlaw of the West

I'm still en-route (currently in Denver) awaiting my final flight. I can't seem to get Tahoe and Ashley seats on a plane so they had to stay at home with Brian. Too bad because I know that Tahoe would love to clean his tongue on the outlaw's scruffy chin. (Sorry Tahoe, maybe next time).

True Friendship?

Have you ever heard about the story of Lily and Maddison - two Great Danes who formed a heart-warming friendship? If not, here's a quick summary: Lily has been blind since a bizarre medical condition required that she have both eyes removed. For the last 5 years, Maddison has been Lily's sight - helping her get around by leading her. The two are, of course, inseparable. Lily and Maddison made national news last fall because their owner became unable to continue caring for the two big dogs and a dog welfare organization (Dog Trust) was working to place the dogs with a new owner. Social media helped their story go viral.

Lily and Maddison

Well, I was going to write a nice warm and fuzzy post about how wonderful it is that dogs (and animals) can form unbreakable bonds and nurture and support each other. (I like to think that Tahoe and Ashley are friends for life and that they enjoy each others company.) Unfortunately, a little more research revealed that Lily and Maddison are no longer together.

Tahoe & Ashley = Best buddies

So what happened? Lily and Maddison were eventually placed with a new owner but the stress of the move and the change in environment caused Lily to attack Maddison. Animal behaviorists were brought in to evaluate the situation and they concluded that the two dogs were unable to reconcile and live together. So, Maddison stayed in the new home and Lily went back to the dog welfare organization and was eventually placed in a new home too.

I suppose the real moral of the story here is that change is difficult.... for everyone. It is not unusual for behaviors to change when the circumstances change. While Lily and Maddison didn't prove to be friends for life, the separation has allowed them to spread their doggy-joy to not just one but TWO loving families and in the end, that's a happy ending.

Distracted

"What in the world has happened to our blog?" That's what Tahoe and Ashley asked me today. (Yes, Tahoe and Ashley are special talking dogs). I had to admit to them that I've been a bit distracted lately - sorry guys! The good news... after a few sloppy kisses and a game of catch, I was forgiven.

What's going on?

Update the blog!

So what have we been doing...?
Over the weekend, we attended a Bengali Spring Showcase - an event that work-study students in my office organized. It was a great event. There was dancing, music, and entertainment... and the costumes and sarees that everyone wore were very colorful.

Posing with Tasneem and Tahsin

We celebrated Earth Hour by turning out the lights at 8:30pm on Saturday, March 31st. Of course, this coincided with the Ohio State v. Kansas Final Four basketball game. I knew that I couldn't turn the tv off but I did make Brian watch an hour of the game in the dark. (Who are you rooting for to win tonight's Championship game?)

At 8:30pm on March 31, I turned out the lights

Tahoe and Ashley also enjoyed our usual daily dog walks. The weather was clear and mild - perfect for extra-long weekend walks.

I hope that you had a restful and relaxing weekend.