Sophia's First Horse Show

Everyone is so proud of Sophia and how well she did in her first ever horse show. She's come quite a long way since the first time she rode Lacey, the little Quarter Horse my mom bought for her this summer. Mom took her into the lead line class at the Crow Wing County Fair this past weekend (August 8th).

Before starting this whole endeavor, my sister had to get her daughter's approval of course. Obviously she didn't want her to get into the ring and freak out at being in a big place with a bunch of other kids. According to Amy, Sophia's only concern was she wanted a "shirt with sparklies on it." Easy enough :)

Participating in a horse show was a big step for Sophia, who'd only ever ridden a horse on the Bernier property inside a smaller arena. At the fairgrounds, she competed with about 9 other kids (plus handlers) in a huge arena and a bunch of spectators. Mom says she chit-chatted the entire time about the rides on the midway, the horse in front of her, the people in the stands, how they both had sparkly shirts, etc. etc. etc.

She did well and Lacey even backed up - barely! - in the line-up. Of course I'm biased and I think she should've won, but she ended up with fifth place...which is perfect since her absolute all-time favorite color is pink! She was ecstatic and grinning like mad, waving the ribbon for the entire grandstand to see. It was pretty darned cute.

During the rest of the riding classes, she happened to notice that a first-place win was accompanied by a trophy. She informed her mother, "Next year I want a trophy. But I need a blue ticket in order to get one of those. So next year, I want a trophy."

Looks like next summer she'll be practicing for her comeback!

My First Time Antiquing

This past weekend a friend of mine asked me to hit the antique shops with her. I said 'yes,' not really knowing what to expect – I'd never been antiquing before! While I didn't need anything before going, I figured the odds were pretty good I'd return with SOME sort of purchase. Little did I know!

The first gem-stone find was this leather steamer trunk. Steamer trunks (sometimes referred to as 'flat tops') were the luggage style back in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Technically this could be a cabin trunk - which Wikipedia says differs from a steamer trunk in that it's smaller, with "inner tray compartments" for storing items. While it's hard to find exact data on them, I did find out that the earliest models sported wood & leather (which this one does), while in later years they covered them in tin, paper or canvas. Another indication it's old is the original Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company lock.


I've always liked old bottles. My granny had a huge collection of antique bottles she often used in her floral arrangements, for which she often won grand champion at the Ramsey County Fair, back in the day. My sister also had found some old bottles on our parents' property and had kept them...so I've inherited some cool glass jars and bottles. When I ran across a couple glass canning jars and an old liniment bottle I figured they could either be used for fresh flowers or just as a simple arrangement up on some shelves in the kitchen.


Another love I have is of old books. Again, I inherited some oldies from Granny, but also my family has been wont to keep EVERY SINGLE book purchase ever made...not in the latter years (with all the paperbacks and novels), but my parents still have many original hard cover books. Of course, if Pottery Barn has taught us anything it's that antique books look super-cool fashionably arranged throughout the house. While I think that's neat, I personally just like the look and SMELL of old books!


Everyone who's anyone in my life knows my love of photography. My first camera was a gift at the age of 7, and some day it'll be considered an antique perhaps. The last few years I've been playing "keep up" in regards to the quality of my SLR and lenses. Who knew I'd fall in love with antique cameras I randomly found at an antique store!

The first 'find' was an antique camera box. I found 2 of them but this one I purchased because it had more character (and was cheaper :). Again, I can't find exact information either on the camera itself or in Wikipedia as to which year it was made, but we're thinking 1940s or 1950s. Kodak came out with the box camera in the year 1900 with the idea that anyone could purchase and use a camera. Since it's hard to read anything on this model, I'm not sure if it's a Kodak Brownie or an Ansco.


And, finally, the pièce de résistance: a 1908 Kodak 3A Folding Pocket Camera. This one I can barely find the words to describe! I never thought I'd be 'into' vintage cameras, but now that I've got this beauty (along with the camera box, still a good find) I think I might try to find other old cameras to have a little collection of antique cameras for display.

This folding camera's in pretty good shape – the leather case is a bit worn, but the lens itself is in great condition and while it might not win any pageants I think it's just neat.

All in all, a GREAT time was had in the antique shops...I'll be returning again soon to continue the hunt for great treasures.

Cash for Clunkers Crash

I find the whole "Cash for Clunkers" program to be somewhat humorous. Granted, since I was looking for a new car not long ago (bought my purty, new Honda CR-V in March) and already went through all the rigamarole of buying, maybe I still have a sour taste in my mouth. I also wouldn't have qualified for this deal, since the trade-in 'clunker' had to only get 18 miles or less to the gallon to qualify for the program. Not so with my old Accord - it was a trooper and got upwards of 30 mpg.

Anyway, since rolling out this Brilliant Obama Scheme (the bill was passed in mid-June) the government's already out of funds - or close to it. Since there was $1 billion at stake, it begs the question of whether or not They did a good job of a) estimating the demand and b) figuring out the qualifications.

In a tight economy, people came out of the woodwork to buy their new, more fuel-efficient cars under this Car Allowance Rebate System. But, again, the requirements weren't that hard to reach in an SUV-saturated market. My husband's Durango only gets ~18 miles to the gallon...all he'd have had to do is purchase an SUV crossover (or whatever they're called, like my CR-V) to qualify for at least the $3,500 cash allowance.

What's interesting is the following statement from today's news:

In a joint statement Thursday night, Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, argued it might be possible to revive the program, but that new vehicles under the plan should face tougher standards.

"The extraordinary reaction to the 'Cash for Clunkers' program demonstrates that consumers do want to purchase more fuel efficient, less polluting vehicles," they said. (from ABC News, read the full article here)

What these obtuse idiots don't realize is people don't give a damn about the environment in this case - they want MONEY, they want cheaper cars! Less poluting vehicles indeed...it's not as if these people were buying up the Prius or Smart Car. Let's be honest - the Cash for Clunkers program wasn't all it was cracked up to be. But hey, at least Obama's starting off on the right foot. Or, is it the left?

Sophia Rides "Princess Lacey"

My mom bought my 4-year-old niece, Sophia, a horse this summer. Ok, so Lacey's not technically Sophia's...she's a great trail horse so I'm sure she'll get used by friends & other family. Sophia rode her for the first time last weekend, and Mom's already planning on bringing her into the leadline class at the county fair. (No pressure!)

With her mom leading her around, Sophia learned how to get "Princess Lacey" to go, stop, turn and she even TROTTED! She was a little too timid for that last summer when we had a different horse for her to ride.

I was in the arena with them - riding Ole - and we did a little "follow-the-leader" for learning purposes. Sophia thought that was pretty cool, and even wanted to race. At a walk, but race nonetheless. Maybe she'll end up being a barrel racer...

Mom's all excited for Sophia to practice to get ready for her first show. Although Sophia's been a little slow to love the horses like the rest of us horse-crazy Berniers, she seems to be pretty excited about her new horse, and also very adamant about wearing a helmet while riding. Believe me, there'll be more pictures after the fair!

Sauk Centre Horse Show

This past weekend I spent all day Saturday with my sister in Sauk Centre for a horse show. She showed; not me. I played the groom and dog handler and had a great time. The show started at 9am, and since Amy's first class was 2nd in line, we had to get there in plenty of time for me to get her gelding ready.





She boards Ben - her National Show Horse - at Grosser's Longview Ranch in Dayton, MN. That meant I had to get up before 5am in order to get there from St. Paul to leave the barn no later than 6:30. It was a smooth drive, and the entire day was sunny, with a slight breeze, and not too warm.

Mom showed up and spent the majority of the day with us, too. She even brought a cooler full of yummy lunch-makings and flavored water. What a mom :)

Out of Amy's four classes - spread throughout the day - she received a 2nd-, 3rd- and 4th-place ribbon. Not a bad day! She showed only in hunt seat classes (Ben's not a western horse) so at least there was no last-minute rushing for tack changes.


In addition to hunt seat, the show also sported saddle seat, western, costume and reining classes. Although I've been around horses all my life, it was still such an experience being surrounded by such high-quality horses and riders.

In between her classes we all sat in the bleachers to watch the other riders compete. The horse world is a fairly small circle, so we ended up seeing a lot of horse people we knew or recognized; it's always fun to see them ride their horses.

At the end of the day, sweaty, dusty, tired and a little sunburned, we were ready to load Ben and Hogan up and get back home to a shower. All in all, it was a fun day and I can't wait for the next show!

Training my German Shepherd

While I've blogged before about how my European working-line German shepherd, Zada, has her shortcomings, I also must admit she's a pretty darned good dog in a lot of ways. Her personality's not perfect (ahem...mostly in regards to other dogs and kids) but it does lend itself towards pleasing her humans.

Even with a "stubborn" dog, it can be relatively easy to train them to perform to cues (not commands :) ... as a dog trainer, you just need to find their sweet spot(s). What's that mean, you ask?

All dogs are motivated by SOMETHING. The majority of the time, like us, they're motivated by many things. The 'secret' is finding out their most favorite things - the scientific term is positive reinforcers - and integrating them into your training sessions. Of course, many different 'methods' of training come into play when using reinforcers: operant conditioning, classical conditioning, the Premack Principle, etc. etc. etc.

Anyway, recently I had a homework assignment for my dog training class - Zada and I are re-taking Level II dog obedience class with my trainer - and it was to make a list of at LEAST 25 of Zada's reinforcers. I learned that positive reinforcers fall into (4) categories: play, food, touch and territory. I remember thinking, twenty-FIVE? She's got to be kidding me, there are only about 4. I was wrong...this list isn't even complete, but just goes to show there are many, MANY reinforcers you have at your disposal when training your dog.

Play/Toys

1. Outside
   
   • Fetch
     
     • Stick
       
     • Toys (Jolly Ball)
       
     • Ball (tennis)
   • Play
   • Stick - chewing
     
   • Jolly Ball
     
   • Chase
     
   • Dogs
     
   • Cats
     
   • Deer
     
   • Turkeys
     
   • Bugs
2. Inside
   
   • Fetch
     
     • Toys (nearest)
   • Play
   • Toys
   • Kongs
   • Chewing
   • Bones (real)
   • Kong
   • Peanut butter
   • Yogurt
   • Soft treats
     

Food

1. Meat
2. Cheese
3. Peanut butter
4. Any other snacks/people food

Touch/Attention

1. Massages
2. Scratching
• Nose
• Rump
• Ears

Territory (i.e., moving towards)

1. Animals
• Dogs
• Cats
• Deer
2. Water
3. Outside (from inside)
4. Toys
• Sticks
• Toys
• Other

This list is by no means complete! Also, keep in mind there is a hierarchy of what your dog wants generally - i.e., what motivates her the most - but when multiple motivators are present, you need to know THAT hierarchy as well. For instance, if we're outside, Zada will ignore treats in favor of a stick. If we're inside, she'll choose a treat over toys, etc.

The list I have here might seem a little far-fetched - how on earth could I possibly use her love of wanting to move towards other dogs as a reinforcement for good behavior? It's easier than you might think. Also, since every dog's different, keep in mind simple, daily tasks - such as brushing a dog - can be a motivator for him!


*PS: Thanks to Elise for helping me out with the code on the bulleted list...yes, that's right, it's hand-coded! Big accomplishment for me, not a big deal for anyone else :)

Acai Berry Diet Products ARE Available at GNC

When I originally started researching the amazing Acai berry products, I was under the impression - as I'm sure a great majority of online ad readers were/are - that these pills were only available via free acai trials. Which of course lead to a continuation of said 'trial,' along with a nice, hefty monthly charge of ~$80.00.

While I merely ordered 2 separate trials and then immediately cancelled, I wondered how I could continue taking these great products after I ran out of my trial bottles without having to deal with a pre-determined monthly supply, charge, etc.

My wedding was the main motivator for trying the Acai berry "diet" pills, but since we got married in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, it wasn't only a dress I had to fit into. I was actually much more worried about being in front of all my friends and family on the beach in a bikini! Thanks to the Acai Noni Burner trial I got, I ended up shedding that last extra baby fat I just couldn't ever shake.

Of course, my sister chalks it up to working out harder, eating healthier and stress, but I'd already been exercising hard and eating healthy for a couple of months, and while I wasn't unhappy with how I looked, I wanted to lose that extra 'padding' around my hips, butt and stomach. About 2 weeks after I started taking the Acai Noni Burner and Total Cleanse religiously (I took them for about 8 or 9 days sporadically to see how my system would react - I haven't had good luck with vitamins in the past) I started to notice I was literally trimming down day by day.

In fact, by the time I slid into my wedding dress the day of, I'd shed so much 'fat' that the dress which had fit me snugly not even a month prior was now LOOSE! It was great.

My sister-in-law commented on how I "didn't have an extra ounce of body fat" and wanted to know my secret - I told her about the Acai products. Long story short, when we got back from Puerto Vallarta she started her own research and actually found a plethora of Acai berry products at GNC: pills, powders and liquids.

Keep in mind these products haven't been evaluated by the FDA, so be sure to talk to your doctor before starting any...wow, just sounded like a commercial. But, you get the point. Enjoy!

My European Line German Shepherd has Patellar Luxation

For those wanting further clarification on why NOT to purchase a German shepherd from Kozies Shepherds:
This past winter my European-line German shepherd, Zada, was diagnosed with luxating patellas. Dogs have "knees" much like we do. In their back legs, the ligament and patella (knee cap) on their legs fit into a sort of "groove" which is their knee joint. It's a fairly common knee joint affliction which can be caused by a traumatic injury or genetics.

When a dog has patellar luxation, the knee cap basically dislocates. While at first this isn't painful to the dog - unless caused by an injury - it does cause them to hold up a hind leg and hop along until the ligament/patella pops back into place (most often when the quadricep muscle relaxes/lengthens again). Over time, in ~50% of dogs this turns into an affliction of both hind legs. Also, the longer the dog lives with the condition, the worse it becomes as arthritis inevitably occurs as a result.

There are different 'Grade' levels for this disease, and while Zada is only a Grade I, she's also less than 3 years of age, and already showing the signs of patellar luxation, which is sure to become a chronic nuisance.

Also, since she displays the classic 'knock-kneed' stance associated with this affliction, and since there wasn't a traumatic injury, this makes me firmly believe it's an inherited condition; not an accident.

Numerous sites I used for reference for this post give the same warning:

"Keep in mind that patellar luxation is a heritable disease and we do not recommend breeding affected dogs. It is also very common for the disease to affect both legs." (Claws & Paws Veterinary Hospital)

"Patellar luxation should be considered an inherited disease." (OFA)

"...in the absence of trauma and breed predisposition supports the concept of patellar luxation resulting from a congenital or developmental misalignment of the entire extensor mechanism. Congenital patellar luxation is therefore no longer considered an isolated disease of the knee, but rather a component/consequence of a complex skeletal anomaly affecting the overall alignment of the limb, including:

• Abnormal conformation of the hip joint, such as hip dysplasia" (ACVS)
  

Just another checklist item to be aware of when researching dog breeds (also, in reading further on the sites mentioned above, you can read a list of the 'most commonly afflicted' dog breeds).

A List of Portmanteaus

The other day I was inspired yet again to search around for clever portmanteau words (words created from the combination of words and meanings, such as smoke + fog = smog) and assemble a list of my favorites:

Afterthoughtfulness: A husband's uncanny ability to ask if his wife needs help with a household task at the exact moment that she is finishing it.

Alcoholiday: A weekend entirely lost as a result of excessive drinking.

Amabergasted: My sister was amazed and flabbergasted I had nerded out enough to assemble a list of my favorite portmanteaus.

Begetcetera: Multiple births.

Brickormortis: A bad housing market.

Cinemaddict: Someone who feels the insatiable need to a) constantly attend the movie theater or b) buy every new movie that comes out on DVD.

Convenieccino: When you don't have time to make coffee in the morning so instead you purchase cappuccino from the gas station.

Ethiccup: A brief, involuntary suspension of one's moral principles.

Euphemistress: One's "niece."

Foxymoron: A perfect 10 in looks and IQ.

Hasbian: She used to be a lesbian.

Leotarp: Plus-sized workout wear.

Malaproposition: "Hey, babe, want to preamble over to my place and copopulate?"

Mantastic: A fantastic man.

Mulligangster: A hit man who is afforded a second shot when his first is not successful.

Orgasmithsonian: A museum of pornography.

Penultimatum: I'm going to tell you this only one more time after this . . .

Prostituition: A whorrible way to pay for college.

Punditto: Talking heads who keep agreeing with each other.

Teatery: A Hooters restaurant.

Slothello: A quick tempered Moor who, overcome with jealousy, wants to kill his wife, his friend and himself, but never gets around to it.

Smirting: Flirting while on your smoke break.

Snatulence: The embarrassing and involuntary event when you expell air from the hind end while sneezing.

Splog: A spammy blog.

Subterraneanderthal: A subway groper.

Swipeout: When you've maxed out all your credit cards.

Tatooth: When someone's adorned their teeth with gold initials, diamonds or the like.

Spring Trail Riding

I realized I forgot to blog about our Girls' Ride this spring. Every Mothers' Day weekend a bunch of us gals head out to Pillsbury State Forest (near Pillager, MN) to horseback ride, camp, and of course eat, drink and be merry.

My mom has been doing this for over 25 years and while the number of women in the group has
fluctuated over the years, there are some core family friends who always come. It's a really fun weekend, normally starting on a Thursday afternoon and lasting until Sunday afternoon.

We ride twice a day normally but one day we'll pack a lunch in our saddlebags and head out for 5 or 6 hours. In state forests, dogs can be off-leash on the trails, so there are at least a couple of dogs with us, too.

It was a tad chilly this year, but still good weather for riding horses, since you never want it TOO hot. Everyone had a great time, and no one got hurt - thankfully! - even though we did have one bucking-bronco episode.

We all leave happy, tired and relaxed on the last day...already looking forward to our next Girls' Ride in the fall at Kathio State Park.

Tucker Gets Brushed

Every dog owner knows that all dogs have a spot. It's a place where if you scratch the dog, he can't help but thump his hind foot in appreciation.

While this happens much easier on some dogs than others - for instance, I have to really hunt to get my Zada to even oblige with an obligatory twitch - I do believe Tucker is giving Dani the definite "thumbs-up" on this brushing session. Watch closely as at one point BOTH hind legs are going at the same time!

A Bit of Country in the City

The wind picked up today. I've noticed - living in the city - this means the trash creeps around. Where I grew up in the country, it's only leaves that move about from place to place when the spring breezes begin to blow. Just one more thing to continue getting used to as I enter into my seventh year of living in the Twin Cities.

There are times when I'm overcome by longing for the quiet countryside...it's times like these when I must needs find a way to bring a little of the country to me - though I might be in the midst of the city.

This early evening, out with Zada, I realized I haven't been up north to relax for quite some time - especially without snow on the ground - and I was missing the solitude and peacefulness of the country. While the sun sank lower in the western sky I plopped on my back - on Wheelock Parkway - with Zada at my side...

Naked tree limbs clack gently together while cirrus clouds scud high overhead. The wind sighs softly through the mostly-bare branches of the trees, as if coaxing the spring buds into full growth. Through my fish-eye lens view I can see the new growth of the nearest tree, golden against the robins-egg blue of the sky.

A pair of geese hails with their nasally honk as they fly overhead; I turn to see which way they've gone but they elude my vision. After they depart, a songbird flies across my heavens. I know not which kind he is, but his happy trilling gives tribute to the dawning season, reason enough for me to remain content in hearing his song.

Even the rapid panting of my German shepherd lying nearby reminds me of lazy country days, when I had nothing more to do than wear myself out in the great outdoors. I breathe in the clean air slowly and revel in the moment - it's as close to religion as one can come these days, and if there's an argument there, then one has never experienced it for herself.

The constant susurration of cars on the parkway reminds me of where I am, but it's enough - right now - to focus on the simpler elements of nature and pretend I'm elsewhere. The slanting rays of the setting sun lengthen, stretching their fingers eastward as if they, too, don't want to see the day end.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath...for now, I've come as close as I will to transporting myself out of the suburbs and back into the country where my life began.

Minneapolis House for Sale

*Updated November 2, 2010*

It's finally time. Time to bite the bullet and realize I cannot put it off any longer – I have to put my house on the market. Even in tough times, there comes a moment of truth when you know that holding onto an extra house and waiting for the market to turn around just doesn't make sense. In fact, at this point I'm willing to GIVE it away – for real.

I'm certainly no green thumb, so while the little Russell Avenue property doesn't have what most would consider to be curbside charm, that's easily fixed and it's really "what's on the inside that counts." Right?

It's a 1927 story-and-a-half house with ~1,100 square feet (finished) plus a basement with laundry, 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths. Hardwood floors dominate the main floor – except for the kitchen (linoleum) and bathroom (tile) – and the upstairs consists of linoleum (made to look like wood), tile, and carpet in the bedroom.

A nicely-sized front porch sits on the East side of the house, while on the West (in the back yard) there's a smaller "mud porch" with carpeting which is excellent for coming in when it's raining, leaving boots, coats, etc.

The kitchen is an eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances (gas stove, refrigerator), space for a small dishwasher, and plenty of cabinet storage.

Along with the kitchen and living room, the main floor also houses two bedrooms and a bathroom. I always used the West bedroom – which is the smaller of the two – as my actual bedroom; using the other as a combined office/study. The bathroom on this floor has a built-in cabinet and drawers which accommodate towels, sheets, bathroom toiletries and more easily.

The roof is new; new windows were installed before I bought it in 2005; updated electrical and plumbing; central air; drain tile and sump pump; entirely fenced yard.

Upstairs there is a space large enough for a home office – easily accommodates computer desk, bookcase, chair, etc – along with a small bathroom and nicely-sized bedroom.

I actually used the upstairs bedroom as a TV room, since it was cozier and then the large TV wasn't taking up space in my cute, "formal" living room downstairs.

The yard is a standard, city-sized lot and the garage is a one-car, detached garage. I haven't priced it yet – though of course it'll be much lower than what I paid for it 5 years ago...sadly in this market there's not much else I can do. In fact, if someone would be willing to take it off my hands I'd make it happen. Just need to get out from under the mortgage.

Click, Flash

I just finished watching the movie Sex and the City...for the 2nd time. Tsk, tsk, I know. Clint's out with his cousin and I treated myself to a girly night. So shoot me.

Realizing I've neglected to blog for almost a month, I decided to snap to it and throw up some more Puerto Vallarta pictures. This post is saved for those images captured by my trusty little point-and-shoot Canon camera, which in a pinch treats me just as well as my SLR. In a different manner, but since I can - and do - carry it with me everywhere due to the small stature, I find it's much more reliable in "quick, get the camera" situations. Yet it still performs just as well under the posed shots :)

It got so I didn't even carry my DSLR down to the beach - my P&S is just so much easier to haul around. Whether taking self-portraits or asking someone else to do the honors, the ease of use and small size wins out in my opinion.







This is especially true for nighttime, when I didn't have a big beach bag to accommodate a larger camera - in fact, the entire 2 weeks I ventured out at night with nothing more than a teeny khaki purse for essentials. Which included, of course, the point-and-shoot camera!

I was glad of a compact picture-taking device the few times we happened to run across something which needed to be documented - if only for future laughs (and this blog). Such as finding a random Blue Heeler on the beach...in Mexico. My sister confessed later she'd seen the same one, but still. Or, speaking of dogs, I had to capture a couple shots of Dani's humongous friend one night...biggest dog I've ever seen in my life, bar none. *Click*

And since my Canon point-and-shoot focuses with much more ease than my Canon 30D, it came in handy to get some cool "swirly" shots of the Mexican bailarinas we happened across one night...I just might blow up one of my myriad shots of this sequence because they turned out pretty well!



It would seem this little contraption is easily pawned off on others to take pictures in one's absence, too...I gave it to Clint to capture the moments when he and the boys were "at sea" on the fishing boat, and although some sunblock or other greasy substance was swiped across the lens, he delivered!

Whale Watching in Puerto Vallarta

Mostly because these are the photos I have done - to date - I've decided to outline a fun day Clint and I had post-wedding in PV: whale watching!

While I've been heading down to Vallarta since I was 11, I've never gone officially whale watching down there. I've only been twice in my life, actually - once in Boston when I was 16 and then last May when Clint and I were on the Oregon Coast.

Each winter there are approximately 300 humpback whales which hang around in Banderas Bay while stopping off on their journey to mate and reproduce. According to some whale watching information I found, these whales are "Californian." Must mean they say "duuuuude" a lot.

We DID see several humpbacks on our 4-hour tour, and although none of them decided to breach, we got the pleasure of seeing that at breakfast one morning, so I consider it a wash :)

Not only did we get fed breakfast, lunch, and all the Coronas and margaritas we could guzzle; the crew was extremely passionate about whales as well as knowledgeable - we found them immediately after we got into deep water and kept seeing them.

The crew also took us closer to a couple of sea turtles resting. Bobbing on the surface of the water like coconuts, it's difficult to tell if they are, indeed, turtles until you're extremely close. They showed off their shells and flippers for us quite nicely.

Later, we tooled across the bay to Los Arcos to see the Blue-Footed Boobies, gulls and pelicans. The water was crystal clear that day - we could see all the way to the bottom just from the boat! Too bad those in the wedding group who went snorkeling didn't have such a great experience :) You know, so they'd have been able to better see killer fish coming out of the depths...

We even ran into a mother humpback and her calf extremely close into shore near Los Arcos - evidently they were recuperating from each getting hit by a boat the week before. We weren't told if it was a whaling boat or not, but either way, both seemed healthy and were taking advantage of the peaceful, warm waters to rest up and do a little feeding.

On our way back to the marina, we saw a couple more whales as a bonus, along with some mating mantarays! Of course, we couldn't really see those - even though they, too, were very close to the boat - because their black bodies made it hard to discern body parts from waves. Still a very cool day!

A Morning in Paradise

It's still dark outside as I sit in the tiled kitchen and listen to the waves rolling lazily onto the beach. The gentle susurration of the surf mutes any noise I create as I slink about heating water for organic tea. My only illumination comes from a wrought iron chandelier, one of the many charming attributes of my parents' beach condo in Puerto Vallarta.

I'm patiently awaiting the dawn, when I can venture out onto the sand for my seaside morning walk. I type alone, since the rest of my family still lies wrapped in peaceful slumber. I myself spent a somewhat fitful night of getting used to a new bed and looking at my watch - "is it time to get up yet?" - whether through excitement of waking up for my first full day in paradise or habit, I'm not sure.

Although I'm eager to start my day, I can't help but feel the inherent peacefulness to this place, as if the sweet nature and laid-back ways of the Mexican people have soaked into the shore itself, or maybe it's the other way around. It's at once a calming and invigorating realization that no matter what fortunes the day may bring, they'll leave me feeling rested and happy.

By minute increments the surf, sky and beach are becoming visible - sunrise is approaching. It's time to wake up the muscles with some exercise...and, speaking of waking, the family is slowly stirring. The day has "officially" begun!

Goofy Dog

We're still doggy-sitting my parents' goofy Golden retriever, Tesa (until tomorrow). Mom went down to Puerto Vallarta in the beginning of February, and Dad followed a week later. Since Daddy-o was working long hours, they didn't want to leave Tesa in her kennel all day, so I offered to take her.

I figured she and Zada could wear each other out and since we're already exercising one high-energy dog, what's one more?

Of course, we figured out quickly we couldn't leave them alone together while we were at work - even with Tesa as company, Ms. Z still decided to chew on stuff and be naughty :)


It went swimmingly - the dogs get along well, and settled in as roommates immediately. Tesa does have a few proclivities, some of which we've been working on:

• Barging through any open door she sees
• Charging up the stairs regardless of the placement of OUR feet
• Taking off after any woodland creature which catches her eye
• Begging for food
• Making weird noises and contorting into seemingly uncomfortable positions

This last one is amusing, to say the least. I'm going to try to get her on video - or at least my point & shoot camera's video option - before we send her off, because it's rather humorous listening to her and Zada play "racecar" style. I can't even describe it well but they lie down on the floor and chew on each other's faces while whining in synchronized pitches that is hilarious to behold.
She also likes to hang out on her back - which is odd, since being upside down normally makes dogs extremely sneezy - and with her soft, mooshy Golden skin it turns her countenance into a frightful-yet-funny display of teeth and wrinkles.

All in all, tho' I think she had fun at Auntie Sarah's, something tells me she'll like to get back to her country-dog existence! Zada will certainly miss having her playmate around :)

Free Trials for Acai

Here's a follow-up to my 'research' on the Acai product free trials. On January 20th, I ordered a free trial of the Acai Noni Burner, which I received a week later and have been taking every day since. Give or take, anyway :) Oh, but so far I've only taken it once a day (wanted to acclimate the tummy).

Since I took the liberty of ordering a different free trial yesterday for Nature's Best Acai & Total Cleanse, I realized I hadn't given myself a reminder to cancel the Noni Burner.

I keep receipts and usually save confirmation emails so I had no trouble finding the website address to check up on the terms. Of course, after the 16th day of the trial, they start billing $79.95 per month for every subsequent bottle of pills they automatically ship.

I wrote an email but then also noticed I could cancel right from the site (verifyyourorder.com). When I attempted to cancel, a chat box popped up and an 'agent' asked if she could assist me. I told her I wanted to cancel and she looked up my account. Before I could even tell her WHY I was cancelling (I ended up telling her "vitamins make me nauseous; this one's no different...sorry!"), she said they'd hate to lose my business, so could she offer me the bargain price of $39.95 per month?

Right out of the gates. Depending on how important this little "diet" pill is to everyone, keep in mind you might be able to get it not only half-price; you possibly could haggle them down even lower.

Seriously, if this stuff works, I wouldn't mind paying $1 a day versus $3. Honestly, I've trimmed down a tad, but who knows if the Acai berry pills are the cause - I'm also working out and watching what I eat. Like right now - I'm watching myself eat 2 cookies :)

http://ping.fm/p/VHLIJ - Sarah Bernierblog: www.sarahbernier.blogspot.com/"Todo el mundo sonre en el mismo idioma."(Everyone smiles in the same language.)

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Social media is cool. But not Cuil.

Acai Berry Product Trials

In this day of Internet-driven life, the old adage "caveat emptor" (buyer beware) has made a switch to "caveat venditor" (seller beware). Why? Because we consumers are researching the heck out of multiple products, services and potential providers online before settling on which one is best for us.

But, scams still abound and for the unsuspecting, trusting or just plain ol' dumb consumer, the venditores can still win.

Take for instance all the hoopla about the amazing "new" wonder-fruit, the Acai berry. It grows in the Amazon and is evidently chock full of antioxidants ("they" say 2x that of blueberries, which is a lot, but beware...*), amino and essential fatty acids.

Sounds great...so what's the catch?

For starters, these berries only grow in the Amazon - they need a tropical climate - so they're hard to come by. In fact, they're full of seeds, which means they rot quickly after being picked*. So, it's downright impossible to get the actual fruit here in the U.S. - unless they're in pill form. This means they're expensive.

Ok, no biggie. Any GNC or health market will have them on-hand, right? Not according to what "they" want you to believe! (However, GNC DOES carry plenty of Acai berry products, available either online or on the store shelves.)

Hence, the online craze. The 'net is FULL of free trials, low shipping offers, and endorsements by big names like Oprah, Rachael Ray and others.

That's all well and good (last time I checked, Oprah didn't have to worry about expensive vitamins) - but the tables have turned...caveat emptor, people! While I didn't get "caught," I'm sure there are many people who have ordered their 14- or 15-day free trial for this product, then have had to deal with receiving more product and of course being billed heavily to their credit card every month thereafter.

I read reviews and learned some about the Acai berry here, and ended up ordering Nature's Best Acai here. Of course I didn't read the fine print until AFTER I'd ordered. No biggie, I have 2 weeks to call and "cancel" my subscription, which is now in their database.

Along with the Acai pills I ordered some Colon Cleanse here - yes, I do believe in detoxification of the body - don't judge me, I'm getting married and I want to lose all of the stomach chub by any means possible :) I'll also have to call this company to cancel the trial - after reading up on the Acai I checked the terms of service on this site to get the information.

There's a reminder in my MS Outlook calendar to call and cancel BOTH trials...before I get billed the "super low rate" of ~$80 per month PER product. Yowzas.

Now, I can totally justify paying money for good products which have a better chance than most of elongating my life and making it a healthier existence: good bed, good shoes, good vitamins. But, some people might think that money can fall from the skies and that free lunches DO exist. For you, I'd suggest reading all asterisks before making a decision.

Keep in mind: just because it's endorsed by cutie-pa-tootie Rachael Ray and Oprah** doesn't mean it won't come back to bite your credit card. They certainly don't have to worry about $100 per month for berry extract :)

Another thing to keep in mind - so far it seems the FDA has NOT evaluated the Acai products. So, we circle back: caveat emptor.

*You can read all about acai fruit at Wikipedia and decide for yourself whom to trust...

**Again, after looking this up (other than on the numerous sites selling the products) I found out this isn't true. According to Wikipedia, each berry - about the size of a grape - contains one large seed.

***Also according to Wikipedia: "In late 2008, lawyers for The Oprah Winfrey Show began investigating potential claims against supplement manufacturers who suggested that frequent Oprah guest Dr. Mehmet Oz had recommended their product or açai in general for weight loss."