Buckle-up, Buster!

Yesterday I came across a Petside.com article which said "New Jersey is now the only state in the country where driving with pets loose in the car is a violation of animal cruelty law. Drivers who do not secure their pet can face a ticket of $250 to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. Additionally, allowing your pets to hang his head out the window, having him riding in the back of a truck or curling up on the driver’s lap are also ticket-able offenses under the law." Since I'm not looking for a ticket (or jail time for that matter) and always have Buster's health and well-being as a priority, I went out last night on a mission to get my precious pooch a seatbelt.

Buster came with me on the outing so he could try on the various seatbelt models that would be available. The first stop was PetSmart but they were completely wiped out. Next, we ventured on to Target in the same strip mall. I called first to make sure Buster was allowed in but unfortunately we left that store empty handed as well.

Buster's first time at Target

We called over to Walmart but after being on hold for 10 minutes I called over to a local Petco to see if they had any in stock. Luckily they just got a shipment so we were able to try on a few different types before picking out the perfect one.

With all things it will take Buster some getting used to wearing this, but I'll be able to rest easier knowing my little bud is safe and secure in the car.

"But it's a Dog..."

There's a running joke with my family that Buster is "just a dog." Of course, they also love him like he's the baby of the family.. which of course he is.

The joke started back around the holidays when people were showing off pictures of their kids. Of course I love the little babies that were proudly showcased by their folks, but I decided to have fun and bring out some pictures of Buster -- only to my grandmother and great aunt so I didn't seem like a total loon. My grandmother loves Buster but my aunt definitely isn't a pet fan, so when she saw the pictures of Buster her immediate reaction was "but it's a dog?" Yes, he is, but then I flipped to the next picture to point out how cute he is in the other shot and then proceeded to tell her about something funny he did earlier that day.

When I saw this post on Facebook I had to share it because it explains perfectly how a dog is so much more than that to us and always will be.

Lenten Promises

I'm usually not the best with keeping resolutions so coming up with something to do or give up for Lent can be difficult. This year I decided to give up ice cream and coffee - two hard choices for me. I did break down one night with ice cream (more so because I needed the freezer space) but have been holding strong with the coffee. I don't really drink it at home but in the morning and at work is tough - especially when I get a whiff of a brew that smells really good or need a jolt of caffeine. Needless to say, I'm counting down until I can enjoy a cup of coffee again.

He's a Keeper

Yesterday my boss sent me a really sweet note to congratulate me on the major placements I've landed for multiple clients. I shared this good news with Rob who then surprised me with the nice bouquet of flowers. Despite him driving me crazy at times, it's days like this when I remember he's a keeper.

Just another day at the office..

Well, not every day is like St. Patrick's Day, but my company knows how to party on March 17. We have a Cube Crawl Contest, when the office shuts down after 3pm and teams compete against each other for the most festive area. This year the health team represented with "Let's Get Blarney Stoned" which featured the Blarney Stone (a keg for keg stands), Bagpiper Bill, lots of yummy food and specialty drinks. We were in hot competition for the number one team in the office voting contest, but another group that brought in a dance troupe and hired a leprechaun won by one vote. Below are some shots from this year's event:

Bagpiper Bill leads the parade around the office

The little leprechaun waits for his turn to shine

Irish Step Dancer Performance

Kevin kissing the Blarney Stone while Bagpiper Bill provides live entertainment

"The Blarney Stone"

Despite a lot of fun nights in college, this was my first time actually going to buy a keg of beer. Magically it fit in my little Mazda but since we didn't kick the entire keg during work I brought it to a party we went to on Friday night, a St. Pat's dinner party on Saturday, and then another get together after that. I definitely gave people a chuckle when I offered the beer in my backseat, but hey, that's how I roll :)

Fun with Buster

I'm glad he's such a good boy and puts up with my craziness. Don't you love his up-do?

Which one is Buster?

A Week in Killington, VT

A year after we got married Rob taught me how to ski and I've been hooked ever since. However, I will admit that I'm not a daredevil skier; I enjoy the easy and intermediate trails and prefer to ski when the conditions are good rather than sliding on ice. I guess it's because I'm getting on in years and can't afford to be out for an injury.

Any who.. last year I sucked it up my fears of going to a bigger mountain and we took our first big ski trip up to Smugglers Notch up by Stowe, Vermont with some friends. To continue in the tradition, this year we took another Vermont ski trip and ended up at Killington with another couple we're good friends with.

Although they had plenty of trails open while we were there, the conditions weren't the best. When we went to Smuggs there was fresh powder which is awesome to ski on. Since this winter hasn't been that cold or snowy, it was somewhat icy up on the mountain. They'd groom but it was definitely frozen granular and there were even giant chunks of icy mixed up in the snow, which definitely wasn't fun when my ski tripped over one and resulted in me taking my first tumble of my skiing "career."

Despite the conditions we still had a great time and landed an awesome townhouse on the mountain. We had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an awesome kitchen, living room, dining room and fireplace, The appliances were even pretty great - we had all stainless steel in the kitchen and large plasmas throughout the house. The master bathroom even had a jacuzzi bathtub that's bigger than my master closet at home! The house was also conveniently located across from the indoor community pool and hot tub. Since we were there mid-week we had the place all to ourselves, so afternoon hot tub runs were quickly chosen as the perfect way to unwind.

Below are a few pictures from our trip, which was over our birthdays. Yes, we're in our last year of our 20s and it sucks.

Rob, me, Mike and Jacki stop for a picture before heading down the mountain

At the top of Killington Peak - more than 4200 feet up!

Another shot from the top of Killington Peak.

Killington, VT from our place in the Fall Line Condos.

Loved the roaring fires we had going each day.