Manjoyment Monday: Mystery Man and Mutt

Dear Sir,
Thank you for proving my point that men can look manly while walking tiny dogs.


Love, Elise

P.S. Your dog is fluffy and adorable.

P.P.S. Your arm veins frighten me.

Kittie Cafe

Just had to share this with all of you.

Mostly Ashley, but seriously, it's hilarious anyway.

I especially love the Cat Menu.

Incredible

From Ashley, via the fantastic Graham Roumieu.
Eeeeee we leave two weeks from today!

Cocks

Today when I got to work and pulled into our parking lot...there was a rooster in my spot.

I shit you not. A rooster.

And for those of you who are like Jason and always shout "pics or it didn't happen" well I'll prove it!

I think I'll call him Pedro.

We're Going to the Zoo Zoo Zoo...

I love the Zoo.

There's just something about it that is fantastic. I love learning about different animals and seeing creatures I'd never see otherwise.

Julibean really wanted to go to the Zoo on Saturday when everybody was in town for her birthday extravaganza. However, since [here I am rock me like a] Hurricane Dan was in town, Saturday was a rainy mess.

Instead we wound up at Dave & Busters and partied hard Saturday and then ventured to the Zoo on Sunday. Mostly everyone else except for le boyfriend Chris and fiercer than fierce Cynthia. Seriously-> She's super ultra fierce.

With my parents in tow (you know because my dad finally had a reason to use his snazzy new toy) we braved the humid August weather and enjoyed a day hiking around the Bronx Zoo.

I'm sad that we didn't get a chance to do the Children's Zoo but it was the weekend and there were a massive amount of children running around so it was probably better that we didn't. We did catch the awesome sea lion feeding and then ventured over to see the penguin feeding. I have to admit that after watching the sea lions do tricks during feedings the penguin feeding where they literally just drop the fish in their mouth as they swim around their feet was slightly anticlimatic.

"Do you think they'll do a kickline?!" was Cynthia's hopes for the penguins, but alas, no, they just honked and swam and that was that.

My favorite part of the Zoo (other than the Children's Zoo) is the Bengali Express. Seriously, I love that stupid tram ride. We saw the new baby rino and elephants and always right at the end is one of the red pandas.

Red pandas are by far superior to any other animal when it comes to cute factor. Honestly, I mean it. They are just so cute and fuzzy and cuddly looking, though I know they could probably tear my face off there's just something about them!

Look at 'im! Just LOOK AT HIM!

Adorableness at it's best! <3

If I could have any exotic animal as a pet, a red panda would be at the top of the list. And then I would buy Jason penguins, two...so they wouldn't get lonely.

Geese and Houses...

On Sunday after our exciting excursion to Hunter Mountain, Chrissy gave us instructions to Kyle's house...he lives in the middle of nowhere and Chrissy isn't known for her sense of direction.

As I overheard Chrissy giving Laura directions over the phone I couldn't help but imagine that we were going to wind up in the middle of the woods out of gas, wondering who we would eat first.

My worst fears were confirmed when I heard Chrissy say, "Take a right on Biting Road...I think that's what it's called..." In fact, it was not, but in the long run that wasn't our biggest problem. Our biggest problem was finding Chrissy's obscure landmarks like the Geese Crossing sign you see at right.

I've never seen a Geese Crossing sign before in my life! It's always a duck crossing sign with a pictogram of a bird, never a specific sign with words written out warning you about the geese!

Anyway, we finally made it to Kyle's and it was well worth it. His house is beautiful. I should have taken more photos, but I wasn't sure if Kyle would understand my need to document everything especially since it was his home and we had just met.

Just to set the scene, the house was an old farm house. Barely two stories, with a gorgeous loft master bedroom at the front of the house where you could wake up and look out the window and see the LAKE! I love lakes...there's something so serene about them and they just make me happy. An extension was put on the house adding another bathroom, a kitchen/hallway, and two bedrooms upstairs. All of which are amazing.

Then Kyle's parents, who apparently owned one of the local breweries, added another extension and a wrap around porch (complete with hot tub) with the money they made when they sold the family brewery.

Now I know this is a horrible photo, but you can see some of the charm of the house. It's painted an old red barn-esque color, right behind Chris on the large porch outside those sliding doors is the hot tub and a few picnic tables and places to sit.

I even love the blue stain glass art. Gorgeous! There's just something so special about a house that creaks no matter where you step, that has no matching furniture, and that has old school meat grinders attached to every flat surface in the kitchen.

My dream house is now a mix between Kyle's hodgepodge of a farm house and the beautiful Victorian house in the movie Practical Magic.

And most fantastic of all was Chadwick, the family's English Sheepdog who couldn't find nacho dip on the table even when it was pointed out to him.

What a good boy!

Ahhh, Nature...

Seriously, I have an awesome manager. T comes running in: "Where is my camera?! You have to come see!"

He drags me outside, telling me that there's this amazing moth on the wall that Denise freaked out over but he thinks is beautiful.

In fact, it was beautiful...

Seriously, how cool is that?! Looks like a leaf!

He then proceeds to explain how disgusted Denise was by it and how he planned on sending her an email with the image attached with some nondescript message in the body. "Who does she like," T ponders, "P-Diddy! I'll tell her it's a picture of him naked!"

Honestly, this is why I love the people I work with...

Ode to the Southern State Bunny

A Haiku:

Southern State Bunny
I sit in traffic alone
Your nibbling brings joy

A Win Well Deserved

I have a confession to make. I LOVE to watch Dog Shows. Last night I caught part of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the Sporting Group to be exact. I was a little upset to find that I had missed the Terrier Group because I love to coo over my cherished Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, but I'm so glad that I caught the part I did. Out come all the beautiful Sporting Dogs, Labs, Retrievers, Spaniels, all of them gorgeous and fast.

Although I am a huge fan, I typically don't specifically root for a certain dog. But last night, I fell in love. I mean no offense but I have never enjoyed Spaniels. A girl I was friends with as a child had a few and they were slightly terrifying to me. They had something called Spaniel Rage and they were constantly fighting with each other and I was not used to seeing that sort of animalistic mentality. Since then Spaniels were not my cup of tea and I barely paid attention to the judging of Spaniel after Spaniel. But then, oh, there he was! He was cute and low to the ground and the announcer described him as somewhat slow but useful in high brush. I found myself squealing with delight as the Sussex Spaniel aptly named Stump plodded across the arena.

There was just something about Stump. Perhaps the way he slowly trotted as opposed to the other Sporting Group Dogs which almost ran. Maybe it was his little nubbin of a tail that constantly wagged to and fro. Whatever it was, I knew I wanted him to win. Plus, he had just come out of retirement, and who doesn't love it when an old dog can show up a puppy?

I was too tired to watch the last bit of the show last night (I've had a cold) but this morning on the radio I heard Stump had won! I literally clapped my hands in excitement. Congratulations Stump!

I can't wait to get a puppy. I have specific dog needs however, and when I chose my dog it must have hair. Because I can't stand fur everywhere and I also have lots of allergic people in my life that wouldn't be able to come visit me. I suppose when I'm an old lady and my husband has died (you know because us women live longer) I'll get a Sussex Spaniel. By then the Sussex's personality will match my own old lumbering one. And by then I'll be so old I won't care about the fur all over my couch.

(Stump photo from reuters.com)