Running Aces Harness Park

On the evening of August 1st (after a day of antiquing with my friend in Anoka) Clint and I met his parents out at Running Aces - the relatively new harness racing track near Forest Lake, Minnesota - for dinner and races. I haven't been to a track for so long it was good to "get to the races" again!

Many people wonder about the differences between harness racing and 'normal' horse racing. At Canterbury Park one sees Thoroughbred racing where jockeys ride astride the horses at a gallop. Sitting behind Standardbreds in sulkies, the jockeys at Running Aces race their horses at a trot or a 'pace' where the lateral legs move in unison in a two-beat gait.

We started with a nice dinner overlooking the track. The service was a bit slow, but the food was pretty good. Immediately upon finishing, the first race of the night was starting, so we hustled out to find a place along the rail to watch the ponies come sailing by. It was a gorgeous evening for it, nice and cool and with a slight breeze.

Clint did some betting, I enjoyed a couple of cold beverages and we all had a great time. I'd never seen sulky racing before, and it was really neat to watch. The horses, although "only" trotting or pacing, were nonetheless very quick and from what I understand they're almost as fast as Thoroughbreds at a full-out gallop.


Since we were right on the rail, we also got to chit-chat with the gal on the lead pony quite a bit as she headed back and forth from the stables to the final turn between races. Evidently, all she did was apply to do that...wouldn't be a bad job!

Although the track is shut down until next spring, I'd say there's a very good chance we'll be heading up to Running Aces next summer to watch the harness racing again.

Nieces at the Fair

This past Saturday (August 8th) was the last day of the Crow Wing County Fair. It was also the day of the open horse show (the 4-H horse show is held earlier in the week) so of course we were all in attendance.

Both my nieces were extremely good. Sophia rode in her first show while Charlotte, Amy and the rest of us looked on. Then for the rest of the day both kids sat on the sidelines and watched Amy, Dani, Max, Tasha and me ride our horses under the sweltering sun.

After an entire day of seeing horses tramp around a hot arena, my sister and brother-in-law took the girls into the fair to see the sights. They started out in the petting zoo and moved on to the malt stand (both of which I missed) and then headed to the midway for the rides.

Sophia LOVES to go on the slide, so Amy took her up - twice - while Charlotte toddled around, agog at all the rides, lights, and sounds. After spending an afternoon in her stroller she had as much fun walking and running around as Sophia did on the rides.

They also rode the merry-go-round twice. It was Charlotte's first time on the ride and she had big sister beside her all the way (and of course her dad firmly anchoring her in place!). She seemed much more interested in the inner workings of the carousel than waving to us, but judging by her big eyes I think she had a couple of good rides.

Riding the carousel was always my favorite when I was a kid...if the animals were bigger I'd have gone, too, but I wasn't sure about the integrity of the ride for "big kids"! Instead Amy, Dani and I rode the Scrambler. Nowadays, that's my ride of choice - I always giggle the entire time (as did the other two!) plus like the leg workout I get from fighting the G-forces.

All three of us couldn't fit into one car, so Amy & Dani had their own while I shared with some poor kid named "Sam" who tried to have a good time but was probably scared stiff of this random, giggling girl with a camera trying to take pictures of her friends in another car.

While most of my high-speed photos failed, I did get one good shot of them and a couple random, abstract shots which I'll keep...you never know which candid photography images will turn out to be winners :)




All in all, it was a great day for the whole family, with lots of entertainment, good food, hard work and a couple of tired kids. A day well spent at the Crow Wing County Fair!

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!