Sleepless Week

It's been exactly one week since my new bundle of joy has finally come into my life.

 Arriving Home

This also marks one week of sleepless nights. Being a new puppy mommy sure is a 24-hour job. Waking up in the middle of the night to crying, cleaning up accidents, taking him outside to potty almost every hour, preventing him from teething on absolutely everything in sight, and the list goes on. Even so, there is nothing else I'd rather be doing right now. He is truly such a sweet joy. He has already warmed my heart and enhanced my life in a way I couldn't even imagine. 

He's also super smart -- which is a good thing, and also means I'm in for a lot of work ahead. It takes a smart dog to figure out how to open doors, garbage can lids, and cause major trouble! He's only 8 1/2 weeks old and already mastered commands such as "outside" and he knows to sit by the sliding glass door when he has to go potty. Seriously. And I didn't even "train" him. I just said the words when he was doing the actions and praised him. Like I said, super smart -- which is definitely a blessing, and a bit of curse ;)

He's also already had play dates with other dogs. My uncle's Maltese, Casper, and my friend's Shih Tzu, Oliver, have already introduced themselves to Figment. I'm glad to say they've gotten along tremendously and I'm so glad that he enjoys meeting new people and animals. Once he gets completely inoculated, I have no doubt he'll cherish trips to the dog park and puppy kindergarten.

 Figment and Oliver

Anyway, I'll keep posting Figment's progress as he adapts to his new home, makes new friends, and has new experiences. He loves exploring -- totally fearless! That's why he's now nicknamed Figment the Explorer. As much as I chase him around, pull grass out of his mouth, clean up accidents, etc., it is so worth it in a way words can't even describe. I'll gladly trade my sleep for those puppy kisses any day!

 Who can resist this face?

 

Puppy Breath and Babies

He's coming home this weekend. My little adorable, mush-ball, new puppy who I will name Figment. I don't pick out the actual pup until tomorrow but here are my options:

Figment's Litter

It seems like I've waited so long for this day to arrive and now that it's pretty much here, I can barely contain myself. The house is being puppy-proofed, the furniture doused in Bitter Apple spray, and his crate is set up. As I was overlooking my home yesterday, making sure all F's supplies have been bought and ready to use, I couldn't help but feel like I'm going to be a new mother.

Don't get me wrong, I know owning a puppy cannot truly compare to having a baby. They aren't even in the same league. But considering I'm not married and have no children on the way, as a woman of 30, my puppy acquisition may just be kicking in my maternal instincts. 

Make no mistakes, I'm not, and have never been, one of those crazy baby women. I don't want to have kids without first being married, and besides that, I've just never had that "baby itch." Do I want to settle down with a husband and eventually raise a family together? Of course I do. But, I just never go gaga over babies. I don't care about your baby's pictures, I don't see strangers' babies in the street and say, "Isn't she cute?", and I have very little tolerance for babies screaming in restaurants and movie theaters. 

** Disclaimer: I do adore some babies. My niece and my cousin's daughters make my heart melt. Also, I adore some of my best friends' babies. I just don't get all hard up on any little baby that crosses my path. Although I have been known to gush over mini baby sneakers... Adidas size 2 months is just adorable

But I digress... it seems that while I have no concept of how it feels to be an expectant mother, as I await my puppy's arrival, I am having feelings that I can only describe as maternal. First of all, I love this creature before even having met him. I would already do anything to protect and take care of him and he hasn't even spent one day with me yet. Secondly, I am willing to sacrifice for him. I understand that I won't have the usual freedom that I'm used to. But that's ok. I'm willing to sacrifice nights out or certain opportunities to ensure that Figment is happy and is well taken care of. Moreover, I'm proud of him and will love him no matter what happens. There is literally nothing he can do that will make me love him less. I may get frustrated, hurt, angry, or sad, but that will never diminish my love for this adorable doggy.

While I'm not going to walking around my dog in a stroller anytime soon, I am very excited to be a puppy mom! I'm sure all you fellow dog owners out there understand ;)

One week away

I'm pretty sure that one week from now will commence one of the greatest weekends I've had in a long time. Two major events will be taking place. First, my friend will be visiting from New York. This is no ordinary friend. This is the type of soul mate friend that you spent everyday with as a kid and then lost complete touch with for years but once reconnected, it felt like nothing had changed and you were able to speak for hours about everything, like you did back during your middle school slumber parties. Yep, that kind of friendship. Since we literally live across the country from each other and have pretty busy schedules (ok, maybe hers is a little busier than mine.. lately my nights have consisted of takeout and wii), we don't get to catch up as often as we'd like. But next weekend, we'll have all the time in the world to go grab some drinks, laugh till our tummies hurt, and talk (very fast... we speak very fast when we're together, so good luck trying to understand us) about EVERYTHING.  She'll also be here when the second major event will be taking place....

One week from today, I pick out my puppy! He's going to look something like this:

Teddy bear come to life (aka Wheaten puppy)

My home is already puppy-proofed and all his supplies are ready for his arrival in one week.

Anyway, I guess I actually don't have too much to say. I'm sure I'll have a ton to write about after that weekend.. and a ton of pics! But, for now, I'm just so excited that I had to make this post to prevent myself from bursting with happy excitement!

My Three Alter Egos

There are three women who've really made an impression on me. They don't inspire me in a First Lady or Finding the Cure for Cancer type of way. I just really adore their style. Or they have a certain mystique that I dream of possessing. Or something about them intrigues me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if I could acquire a combination of certain traits from the following three women, I'd do really well at parties.

1. Edie Sedgwick

The definition of hot mess and Andy Warhol's signature muse. She had an affair with Bob Dylan. "Like a Rolling Stone" is believed to be about her. Not that that's a good thing, but it's pretty cool that she inspired one of Dylan's biggest masterpieces. She was beautiful with awesome style. Factory Girl is one of my all-time favorite movies. I choose not to dwell on the fact that she became a completely drugged-out mess who ended up in a mental hospital.

2. Brigitte Bardot

The epitome of mysterious sex kitten with perfect hair at all times. She doesn't even need to say anything, she's that intriguing. I would love to look like young Bardot. Seriously, who knows how do my hair like that?

3. Holly Golightly

Yes, I know that this is Audrey Hepburn. But, who I adore is not the actress herself, but the character Holly Golightly as portrayed by her. Her attitude and personality is just so refreshing. She says the most hilarious yet truthful and blunt things. Plus she plays a mean "Moon River" on guitar. One of her mottos: "I'll never get used to anything. Anybody that does, they might as well be dead"


I think I just figured out my Halloween costumes for the next three years!

With friends like these...

Some say, “Friendship is like wine, the older the better.” Others say, “If a person has five friends at the time of their death, they’ve led a good life.” All of that is true, I suppose. But, who is a friend?

Friendship is a funny thing. It can be based on anything. When you’re a child, often times your friends are just based around who else lives in your neighborhood or who you go to school with. Most people’s childhood friends are their best friends, yet the pickings were relatively slim to begin with.

** Disclaimer – I love my childhood friends, who are really my best friends, and would pick the same ones had I chosen them out of everyone in the world. **

As we grow older, we encounter endless opportunities to make more friends. We make friends at work, at college, at various events regarding a mutual interest. We make friends with random people we meet out, that we ordinarily would never encounter. Plus, in today’s day and age, we even make friends we’ve never met before – people we interact with on Facebook or Twitter that we get along with but whom we’ve never actually even talked to on the phone.

Some of these newer friends can disappoint you and I guess it’s not too much of a shock when that happens. But what about those disappointments that you never saw coming? I had a “best friend” that I’ve only known for the past 4-5 years. We spent every day together. Literally. My photo album is full of the best, most insane memories that always bring a smile to my face. We were partners in crime, always together. 

 Just like Thelma and Louise

Although this would be considered a newer friend, I honestly put this person in a category of bests, which included those friends that have known me since elementary school. We had little arguments here and there, but always came out smiling, laughing, and causing mischief together on the other end.

Those are now memories from long ago and far away. Friends do sometimes drift apart, especially one of them finds a new circle of friends that doesn’t include the other person, or one of them starts dating somebody new who takes up a lot of their time. But, isn’t the point of a strong friendship the fact that people can drift apart a little here and there, or make their own other friends, and yet they still take the time to maintain your relationship?

I have a couple of friends that I’ve known since I was about ten years old. Some of them I’ve always stayed in touch with on a regular basis. One of them I’ve stayed in touch with, but she’s now married with a child and we barely have time to see each other. The other, I lost touch with, and only recently reconnected with but I still feel like she’s a sister to me. We actually joke that we’re the same person inside. What makes these friendships so real is that all that time can pass and distance can come between us, yet we’re still there for each other and view each other the same way as before.

This newer best friend, however, has all the opportunity in the world to continue our friendship. I reach out to her all the time, yet she never seems to actually make the time to respond. Instead she’s just moved on to the next group of friends. I always had this person’s back. I forgave her for things without asking, I supported her in situations where most people wouldn’t. Yet, I guess none of that matters. The only thing left for me to do is try not to get jaded by the experience. New friends can be true friends, and can turn into some of your best friends. You just have to expect some disappointments sometimes.

Anyway, I guess I’m just venting… it sucks, it hurts, and I just needed a platform to say all this. So I said it here. At least I have my real friends to cheer me up :)

Do the Truffle Shuffle

Come on, Chunk.. Do it!

This is the image that probably popped in all of your heads the minute you read the title of this blog. Why? Because we all love the Goonies and know that Goonies never say die!

Last night, I watched Shawshank Redemption with somebody who is 29 years old and has managed to never see this movie before.

 Isn't that weird, Red?  I know, Andy, I know.

The way this came to be was that I noticed Shawshank on my TV channel guide and remembered a conversation I previously had with this person, let's call him "S", in which he admitted he has never seen a lot of movies that most of us consider part of our collective culture. Anyway, I recorded Shawshank and finally made this person watch it, to which, at the end of the movie, he replied, "It was pretty good."  Of course it was pretty good! It's the Shawshank Redemption. There's a reason TBS plays this movie on a repetitive loop for 48 hours at least one weekend per month!

S has also never seen, among many other generational classics, The Goonies. I asked him how he has never seen The Goonies at some point while he was growing up. His response, "I played outside a lot. I didn't really watch movies." This is what I didn't get. After all, me and all my friends played outside as children. And when we were inside, we were usually playing interactive games that made us use our imaginations. We played with Barbies, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures, and made up games in which we pretended to be He-Man and She-ra or "Teenagers". Either way, we definitely didn't spend all our time glued to the tube.

Yet, somehow there are just certain movies that you assume everyone has seen at some point. We may not know when we first saw these films, but at some point, we just did. Like the Goonies -- I may not remember when I first developed my crush on Brand or laughed at Chunk, but at some point I just did, and you saw the movie too. It's almost a defining characteristic of my generation -- we love the Goonies.

S has also never seen The Neverending Story or Labyrinth.  He didn't get why I considered naming my dog Falcor.

 Falcor, the most lovable flying luckdragon (or as I call him, dogdragon) ever

Therefore, I have decided to force S to reclaim his lost 80's childhood by compiling a list of movies that I will force him to watch, probably against his will. You can't just go around and not know what someone is talking about when they mention Falcor or One-Eyed Willie. S doesn't know that Jake Ryan drives a red Porsche or that David Bowie is an androgynous goblin king. S can't even finish this simple sentence, "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya.."

 Do I really need to repeat myself again?

So, to all my fellow 80's children out there: What childhood movies have become a part of our generation's culture? What 80's movie does everyone have to see, at least once?

Puppy Checklist

Today I received a weekly update email from my puppy's breeder. The pups are already 4 weeks old, and in a few more weeks, my little guy will be ready to come home.

Since I know that the unexpected can always arise, I want to make sure I'm prepared for the little guy to arrive well in advance. To begin, I've compiled Puppy Checklist. I want to  make sure that I have all the necessary supplies in place for his arrival.

Puppy Checklist:
1. Puppy Food
2. Leash and collar
3. Crate
4. Bed
5. Toys
6. Chewing bone
7. Shampoo
8. Grooming supplies
9. Treats
10. ID Tag
11. Vet appointment

I'm probably missing something (all suggestions are welcome!!) but I feel like it's a pretty good start...  I can't wait to pick him out in a couple of weeks!