Extra has a new gum out called dessert delights. I can't decide if that is "delightful" or "disgusting" - I am leaning towards the latter.
Trooper got to play with Porter, an Australian Shepherd who is the "son" of one of my old co-workers from AKT. It was great to catch up with her and to watch Trooper run all out with his new buddy. Trooper has a dominance issue, he tries to do mattress mambo with male dogs, which despite me trying to tell him this is not appropriate or wanted by the receiving party, he chooses to ignore and continuously tries to do his thing. Dogs can be so gross.
I find that it gets harder and harder to work the closer you get to vacation. I am 10 days and counting until a 12 day vacation and I find that I will catch myself gazing into the distance, thinking about our vacation, our plans, what we will do, where we will go, what we will see and who we will meet. I can't help myself. Some people work to live (me) and others live to work (my father in-law would be an example of the second type of person). The end of the day is the worst. I will sit there and just imagine my time off - bask in the glory of just thinking about it.
Speaking of trips and time off - Nick and I will be taking the Airstream on a trip to Tumalo State Park just north of Bend (between Bend and Sisters) for a weekend away with the puppy. On the agenda - A walk by the river, dinner at the Tumalo Feed Company, some sisters coffee, relaxation, and definitely some walking around Bend and going into some of the cute little shops that they have all over. I am very very excited about the coffee. Nothing says relaxation to me like a nice cup of coffee (I really like cappuccino's right now) sitting outside (or inside looking outside) and just contemplating life. I actually dream of the day that Nick and I build our timber home on a bluff overlooking our beautiful acreage - waking up in the early morning, sitting on the deck with a fresh cup of espresso, looking out at the beaty that surrounds - wrapped in a blanket, with down booties and flannel pj's. Yes, I have thought about it a whole lot. I, embarassingly, have most of the details ironed out in my mind :-)
The leaves have begun to change and fall with more fervor - and the constant barrage of political commercials reminds me that November is near. Where did the year go? Despite wondering how we are closing in on the end of 2010 (a mere 80 days away!), we are coming into my favorite time of year. I love the cool crisp mornings of fall - the smell of the air as it begins to feel more like snow. I love the color of the trees, with all the reds, yellows, greens and oranges. I love fall fashion, with the tans, browns, long sleeves, turtlenecks. Summer wear has a way of looking trashy and cheap when compared to the rich warmness of fall / winter wear. I love when the sky is bright blue, dotted with puff white clouds - contrasted with the fall colors and the coolness in the air. The grass turns green after a summer of yellow - the gophers stop putting holes in my lawn. People begin to put out their holiday decor. The business of summer begins to die down. Evenings out are replaced with relaxing evenings in. The hustle and bustle of overcommitted summer finally comes to an end. I always feel more centered in my marriage and life during the fall and winter. We have so much more time together - and it is such a cozy, home-centered time.
As for current events in the world - Courtney Cox and David Arquette separated, Christina Aguilara and Jordan Bratman separated - earth shattering, I know. Miners that have been trapped underground in Chile for 2 months are on the brink of being rescued (there 33 of them!) and the DOW is at 11,020.
