Flickr

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UPDATE!!

Ok, so I have proven this week that in no way am I a web person. BUT, you must please update your bookmarks and links

**Drum Roll Please**

http://lifewiththedunns.com/blog/

It is still not looking like quite what I want, but it is there, and that's where updates will be taking place from this point forth. I had to kind of take away the rest of the site (well I didn't, but I didn't know what I was doing), but that should be back before too long. It has been a really arduous process to be honest, but hopefully things on the site like design etc. will slowly be rolling out over time!

Web Stuff is Hard

Trying to get a new website sorted out, http://LifeWithTheDunns.com

The goal is to get the blog onto that website with the sub-directory /blog.

It's hard.

I am not a web person.

:(

So the blog for the meantime is going to be ugly and plain till I get it sorted out.

P.S. If anyone knows how to do the wordpress.org thing and get a blog into a subdirectory, I am all ears.

Welcome to the Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, freaky deaky, call it what you want. This is where you exist when within one week a family member unexpectedly loses their long time job, and two others wind up in the hospital for separate, but serious health issues. This is when you head to a different part of the state to tend to family matters, and then fly across the country to tend to others. Here's to hope and faith that all ends in a positive light. Please wish us well on our journey.

Olympics Baby...

Q. Number of times during the next two weeks of Olympic coverage Jon Dunn will say, "Oh, those are women?"

A. 231.



Just said it when the womens road cycling came on. Some tough lookin' broads on those bikes.

I must say, even though I hate a lot of things about China, it's hard not to watch the games. I mean only every four years do I get to see in depth coverage of such popular sports such as Badminton, and Water Polo. By the way, am I the only one that cannot see crap on Water Polo? It's just a bunch of splashes in the pool and then you hear the whistle blow when someone chucks it in the goal.

The other thing that is annoying about some of these sports is the announcers for each. You know, I don't watch a lot of coxed four scull rowing whatever the hell it is. So I know you follow the exciting world of rowing all year, but I, along with the rest of the world does not. An explanation of terms every once in a while might be nice.

In other things I have learned this week? China has a beach volleyball team. And beach volleyball is an Olympic sport, not just a popular BBQ game in the 80's.

My New Love...

Being a vegetarian for over a year now, really has not been that hard. It honestly gets easier all the time as I can't really remember what most meat tastes like. For example, I used to love deli meat sandwiches. Making the switch to Tofurky or other fake "meat" slices was damn near impossible I thought because it just was not good. But as time passes, it gets better and now I really like the stuff. Crave it even.

The other thing too, is that certain stores say, Trader Joe's has some really creative fake meat products.

Exhibit A



Ohhhhh yes. You read that correctly, Soy Chorizo. Really, really tasty actually especially with cheesy hasbrowns and eggs.

So if you don't think you can kick meat to the curb, give some of these products a try. It's really not that hard at all.

And let's be honest, if I can do it, ANYONE can do it.

Back From Salt Lake.....For Now

A great trip up to Salt Lake this weekend. Friday night at the NMHPU event was great, and we had some good quality time with Jaime's folks.

Seems we will have to head back up to SLC though very soon.



,
That's right, we are giving the finger to Verizon, and becoming Yuppie Scum (according to Jaime's Dad). Yuppie Scum maybe, but scum on the cutting edge with iPhones :)

So when they arrive at the AT&T store at Fashion Place mall in 10 to 21 days, we have to head back up to port over, kiss Verizon goodbye, and join the iPhone ranks.

Thanks Babe!!

Canine Casino Night

Jon and I will be in Salt Lake this weekend to attend NMHPU's First Annual Canine Casino Night. Come and see us -- and raise some money for Utah's Homeless Pets!

Canine friends welcome!

Who needs Vegas? Forget Wendover. No More Homeless Pets in Utah presents its hippest high-rolling new dog deal, Canine Casino Night. It all happens on Friday, August 1st from 6:30- 10 PM at the Radisson Hotel (215 West South Temple-downtown Salt Lake City). Tickets are just $35 ($40 at the door) and include signature drinks, hors d’oeuvres and admission for your barking brat pack, too. The ace in the hole is our spectacular silent and live auction and just for fun gaming includes Blackjack, Craps, Roulette and Texas Hold’em. No More Homeless Pets in Utah was recently voted host to “the best parties for the dogs” in the City Weekly’s 2008 Best Of edition, so don’t miss out on this one. Click here to get your tickets now because this promises to be a full house!

An Awesome Weekend

Well, we're back from Vegas -- what a fun trip! Eddie Izzard was even better than I expected -- and I expected a LOT. I have to say I cannot remember the last time I laughed that hard. He is even MORE hysterical in person. I won't reveal too much of the content so as not to spoil it for others, but suffice to say we are really itching for this tour's DVD to come out--a souvenir, if you will. If you have the opportunity to see him in your city (or nearby), I highly recommend shelling out the 50 clams it cost. It was worth every cent of hard earned cash (and we work for a non-profit, so we don't have a whole lot of it to spare).

And with that, I'm off to ignore the bearded guy upstairs whilst listening to my jazz chicken.



[ If you go see him, you'll understand what I mean. :) ]

This is Love

Hummingbird

For the 202nd post of this blog...

We present Ruby Christine Davis...



Just a couple more months before that sweet face sees daylight for the first time. Can't wait to meet my first niece!!!

Pretty sure we will be the coolest Aunt and Uncle ever :)

It was....well....Monky

This weekend was a special treat. Monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery came to Best Friends. They are a band of their traveling monks, hittin' the road and raising money for their monastery as well as spreading their hard to swallow message of peace for all. I mean seriously, who do they think they are?

Kidding!

It was pretty darn cool. For about an hour they ran through what I think was a prayer book, chanting and occasionally kicking up the music.



One of the monks obviously had some kind of voice training as he literally sounded like a didgeridoo. He seemed to be leading the gang, while one played a giant drum that looked like a lollipop.



So every few minutes they would totally go all out. Two monks on some kind of horn, two on what looked like one of those Swiss Horns.



Really pretty incredible stuff. Makes you really hate what the Chinese have done to Tibet.



As if the way China treats its animals wasn't enough to not support the Beijing Olympics, maybe what the Chinese have done to Tibet is?

Our Campaign Has Gone To The Dogs

If you haven't yet heard of our latest and greatest endeavor, then I urge you to visit obamafamilydog.com. The Barack Obama family recently announced that they anticipate adding a canine member to their family. We hope that they will carefully consider their options in selecting the new four legged member of their family.

This is not about politics, it's not about partisanship, it's not about pure breeds versus mixed breeds ("mutts"), it's a conversation about adopting a homeless animal versus buying an animal from a pet store or breeder. (Contrary to popular belief there are many pure breed dogs in shelters that need forever homes). Please sign the petition and pass along to all of your friends and contacts who also support the endeavor of encouraging the Obama family to adopt a homeless dog.

Welcome to the Desert

Hey so in other things that freak me out (not just the UroClub), check out this little friend we had outside the back door tonight.



Yah, a Western Black Widow. Hard to tell from the photo, but insanely large. Looked big enough to kill maybe the entire Dunn family.

We didn't kill it, but we did clean out all the webs it had spun. Hopefully we can make it move at least further away from the back door.

It would be a better photo, but it freaked me out enough that I just could not get any closer.

*shudder*

Cake or Death?

Jon has continued to dominate out on the golf course. This week I discovered my favored summer hobby.

Going to the pool.

Now, you may remember a few weeks back that there was some heavy controversy because the city council implemented some rules for patrons of the Kanab pool (also known as the “Cowboy Water’n Hole”). Well, most of that excitement fizzled, because you can now wear your bikini, although you cannot wear your thong. It’s all subjective though. What happens if I go down the slide and get a giant wedgie? Are they going to kick me out?? And if they do, why are they looking at my posterior in the first place??

All silly rhetoric aside, I am pleased to share that the pool is actually quite an impressive facility. It’s more like a miniature water park complete with a jungle gym for kids (young & old) fountains, water sprayers, a lazy river where the strong current carries you along. While I haven’t actually played in the kid areas, I have observed many children of all ages enjoying it. Mostly I have been hiding out in the lap pool – in the deep end. It’s not typically too crowded with young’uns but the real reason is because I can actually get some exercise if I’m in water deep enough that I can tread. There are designated ‘lap swim’ sessions, but the evening sessions are somewhat limited because there are often private parties on the schedule, which close the pool to the general public. Still, if I’m motivated enough I can swim undisturbed daily from 6-7AM….

Yeah right. I can’t even walk my ass into my shower at 6 AM. But despite some of the time constraints for the pool, I’m still looking forward to jumping in and cooling off, and getting healthy. Win win win.

Another item of interest – Jon and I are getting uber excited to go to Vegas next week. But I thought you hate Vegas, you ask? Well, I don’t hate it, it’s just not my favorite place. We got tickets to see one of our favorite comedians, Eddie Izzard. He’s playing at the Pearl Theatre (The Palms) and we got some decent upper level tix. If you are not familiar with Eddie and his clever brand of comedy, I highly recommend checking him out. Here are some vids of some of his standup – watch them. I guarantee you will laugh.














“But with dogs, we do have “bad dog.” Bad dog exists. “Bad dog! Bad dog! Stole a biscuit, bad dog!” The dog is saying, “Who are you to judge me? You human beings who’ve had genocide, war against people of different creeds, colors, religions, and I stole a biscuit?! Is that a crime? People of the world!”

“Well, if you put it that way, I think you’ve got a point. Have another biscuit, sorry.””

~Eddie Izzard

Haiku Madness

today i laughed much

so hard i started crying

almost peed my pants

The UroClub!

Hey!

Looking for a great gift idea? Wondering what to get the golfer in your life?

Check out the UroClub!

From the website:

Attention Male Golfers! How many times has this happened? You arrive at the golf course, and soon you’re on to 18 holes with your best buddies. After drinking sport ades, water, beer, and whatever, you’re on the 3rd hole with no rest room in sight. There are no trees or bushes around and you just gotta go, what are you going to do?




















This may well be the single, grossest thing I have ever heard of. Maybe save for the Stadium Pal.

Walking In The Dark

The girls and I just got back from our evening walk. Sounds crazy since it’s a little after 10:00 PM but this is the time of year you kind of have to plan things around the time of day & temperature. Today’s high was only 94 degrees, but the next two days will top out around 97. Not as horrendous as it could be, although it still feels mad hot. When we set off it had cooled down to an anhydrous 80. It was a little breezy, but not cool. I thought it would be cool and quiet, and no people would be around so the girls would not bark…. WRONG. It was still hot. It was kind of like walking around a slightly windy oven in the dark. But we experienced a lot of excitement!

A lady around the corner was taking out her trash in her driveway – the girls barked and scared the crap out of her. She made a comment to the effect that the barking scared her (so I apologized), and then she said something about a dog walking this time of night setting off all the other neighborhood dogs. So I’m not sure if she was mad about other dogs barking back to Kona, or if she was just pissed because we scared her taking out the trash. Oh well, we may never know. I tried to usher the two mutts down around the block as Moki had a coughing fit in the middle of the road. I think she inhaled some dirt or sand and got it up her nose. Then a man was walking toward us on the side of the road. Any other city? That might be scary. In Kanab? Not scary to me, but clearly scary to the dogs because they had to bark and yap and carry on until the man went into his house and was therefore no longer a threat.

We rounded the other corner of the block, and a man was pulling a truck into his driveway, and apparently his dog decided he was going to run over to greet us. I promptly turned the other direction and started moving us briskly down the side of the street. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not rude or antisocial, but Kona sometimes gets overly excited when meeting new dogs, which can lead to a an occasional little dust up once in a while. The man finally called his dog back to his own yard, so we avoided any sketchy encounters. We had just approached the end of our own driveway—home stretch! When all three of us simultaneously eyed an off leash yellow lab down the corner on the opposite side of the street. Kona gave out a few final battle cries (whiny barks), then the yellow dog ran off down the road as I steered my girls inside.

Some relaxing evening walk!

Help Best Friends Win!!

Ok, so the LA Times is running a contest in their Travel section. They asked reader to nominate their favorite places to visit in the West. They then narrowed those down based on the descriptions readers sent along with the suggestion. Here's the Best Friends entry...

Best Friends Animal Society
Kanab, Utah
Recommended by: Michele Johnson
What she said: "It's in a beautiful remote canyon with stunning views. If you want you can volunteer to work with the animals there or just take the tour."

So now we are down to the final 12, and the top picks (decided by reader votes) will end up with a nice article! So please, GO VOTE! It will only take a second, just make sure you pick Best Friends Animal Society in the second set!

Click here to vote

A Kanab 4th of July

I woke up with a bit of a fuzzy head (gotta go out to the bar when I don't have to work the next day right?), but decided since I was up in time I would head out to the 4th of July parade here in town.

Best Friends had its first ever representation in the parade, in the form of this:





That's Harley, one of our Pot Bellied pigs. We also had some Equine representation.



One of the groups that was not short on representation, was the local god believers (who make up probably 80 percent of the crowd). In fact, a lot of the floats were branded as such:



**Shudder**

Just to point out, that says, "Honoring Old Glory, and Giving God Ultimate Glory." They did that by chucking tootsie rolls, and Ice Pops off the float.

They also had people handing these out to the kids in the crowd:



Nothing gets teens into God like a starlight mint.

Also this was a good one. This was the float for the Johnson family, who looked like if they had anymore grandkids, they would need a bigger float.



Please also notice the glamor shot of Best Friends Animal Care Division Director, Patty Hegwood. She turned into the photo right as I hit the button.

So after the parade was over, I went back home, and later played golf with Daron. Made a Picnic Caviar (no recipe to be found, it was in our latest Vegetarian Times), and then we went up to the Sanctuary for a party. Good times were had!

Happenings & History

Today marks the official one year anniversary of my employment with Best Friends. Can’t believe it has been that long already – the time literally flew by! This time last year we were living in a roach motel (which happens to be owned by my slum lord boss – and of course I say slum lord with the utmost admiration, respect & endearment)…. The space constraints of the hotel were shadowed only by the fact that it contained only a full sized bed (we are not small people) and we had both dogs and both cats living in the motel room with us. Talk about adventure! The rest of the year to come was no less exciting. What a long, strange trip it’s been. And yet, there’s not much about it I would change. A few things. And well, maybe the heat….

We’ve been blessed with awesome friends. We have no big box merchants, no WAL-ly World within 80 miles in any direction and I’ll tell you, I really don’t miss them. But we do have close proximity to a half dozen or so national parks – not to mention the Grand Canyon, one of the majestic wonders of the world. We have our health (need to kick the cigs dammit!) and of course, the cats & dogs. No human babies as of yet, but the jury’s still out on that one. We are enjoying getting to know our niece Addyson Andrews, and look forward to meeting our niece Ruby Davis this fall.

Kanab is slowly moving into civilization. The summer markets have started. We went Saturday morning early and picked up some things.

Farm fresh eggs and goat’s milk & shea soap – vanilla & lavender scented. We also picked up some smoked salt to add to our spice rack. The soap and salts are made by a couple that lives here locally. We got to the market early, so I’m not sure if it was in full swing. There are not a whole lot of veggies available yet but I look forward to the coming weeks when we can have fresh local produce. I also anticipate stocking up on more yummy soaps & salts next week to keep on hand for gift giving.

Another sign that the town is becoming more civilized: we have a shaved ice shack. Oh, the joy! We went and got a punch card the other night (buy a dozen of these things, get one free). There are few things in this world that make me smile like shaved ice covered in flavored sugar water.

This time last year Jon was in Salt Lake, directing the movers and packing up the semi. He flew down on the evening of the 4th and it was memorable because his plane was supposed to land around 6:30 PM but it was unable to because the surface temperature on the runway was so high. I recall the thermometer on my truck reading 122. St. George usually tops out around 110 but whatever the obscene temp, it was enough to literally fry a farm fresh egg on the pavement. After heading halfway back to Salt Lake, the pilot was given authorization to return to St. Geo to land, but it was still several hours. Inconvenient yes, but better than the alternative of having the thing spontaneously combust from the heat.

So we're here now, and the rest is history. :)

Jon Dunn Is.....

The 2008 Kanab Amateur Golf Champion.

A career round put me at the top. A more detailed (and likely boring) insight into my best round of golf in 10 years, plus the booty that I brought home for it (yes, more than just the prestige of the title) yet to come!

Newsflash!

This is hilarious. Kanab is on the front page of msn.com for being….hilarious.

This has been a hot issue in town over the past few weeks; last week an article appeared in the local paper, this week we’re on the front page of msnbc. Some of my girl friends and I decided we’d like to go to the pool in our bikinis and see if we all get dragged out and arrested. The whole issue is pretty typical of Kanab, and it’s also pretty typical that no one is taking it very seriously – we’re all just laughing.

Another new site of interest – the Dunn v. Andrews blog has hit the web. You can see the link in our blogroll to the left, or click here to enjoy some “From the left…and to the right” where local liberals and conservatives (super local – like sometimes in my kitchen local) hammer (yammer?) it out in a public forum.

Let me clarify that this blog is the JON Dunn v. DARON Andrews political diatribe (not Jaime v. Jen). Jen and I have more important things to do (like play with Addyson).

Foxtail Hell

Our backyard in the new house is....well, it's a frickin' mess.

The front yard was lovingly landscaped before we moved in, and although we don't do what is truly necessary to keep it looking its best, we get by.

The backyard when we moved in was mostly just the red dirt/dust that makes Kanab what it is. It wasn't pretty, but it is largely used as a dog waste depository, so no big deal. But this spring, from what I am told, was very wet for Kanab. The result of that has meant our backyard has turned into a weed haven.

Not all bad, some very pretty Indian Paintbrush has come up (nice for a bit of color), but the worst are the scores of foxtail grass bunches. Exhibit A:














These things are all over the house! I mean, ALL OVER. Kona comes inside after doing the aforementioned job, and before you know it, they are in the couch, all over the floor, embedded into the carpet.

We need to get it sorted out soon. In a couple of weeks someone is coming over to build our cattery, so we need to de-crap the backyard.

No man is an island -- especially in the desert

Summer storms are pretty common out here in the desert. Today is a fine example. The wind is blowing relentlessly, the clouds are grey and ominous, and dust and sand fill the air. The rain is coming now, too. Earlier it was overcast, but the wind was light, and the cooler than average temperature was the only clue that it might rain.

Today I went home for lunch, and on my drive back to the sanctuary I noticed something odd on the highway near the gun range (if you live in Kanab you know what part of the canyon I'm talking about). There was a man in blue jeans and no shirt – he had a deep dark tan, and he was pulling along a large suitcase on wheels behind him up the shoulder of the highway. We're not talking a suitcase suitable for the overhead bin of the airplane, we're talking extended stay Samsonite-type rolling bag. His light scraggy hair was blowing in the wind. Just this guy all by himself pulling this giant suitcase up the road in the middle of the desert. No broken down car anywhere, that I could tell, and he wasn't hitchhiking either -- he was walking on the shoulder against the direction of traffic. Just walking up the highway in the dust. He was a couple of miles up the canyon already, and several miles from any town. So random. During this storm, I hope he has found adequate shelter. Most of all, I wonder where he was going in the first place.

It's True

I got an email from Facebook saying:

Your friends have voted on your strengths and weaknesses:

STRENGTHS:
most reliable
bravest
most loyal

WEAKNESSES:
most fashionable
most popular

Wow, do these people know me or what. I am actually pleased with this. I'm not popular and I'm certainly no fashionista, but I am the things that are important. Yeah!

I'm not sure what is worse...

Coming home from the store last night to find the dogs had knocked over the garbage can and strewn refuse all over the kitchen floor,

or realizing that what they consumed out of the can consisted of a healthy portion of leftover Quarn (meatless mycoprotein “hamburger”) and a gigantic “family size” can of spicy chili beans.

We're Here!

So, as much as I would love to be live-blogging our vacation, I cannot get the wi-fi to work on my computer.  So only my step-brother Andy's computer works so here we are.  No photos, and limited time to do anything online.

But let's be honest, we are here in Florida.  I can find better things to do with my time than sit here blogging away.

Haven't taken near as many photos as I would have liked, but there will be some to post whence we return.

Action Shot!

Out of the crap
Originally uploaded by jon_dunn

Jaime and her very capable photo skills took this!

In Love with my D60 :)

I have a new camera!!

For a while now, I have believed that a new camera was neccessary. We have survived on our trusty old Sony Cybershots, and they have done their job ok. But too many moments in life have been missed sadly, due to their limitations.

After studying online, asking all the professional photographers we have here at the Sanctuary, we finally took the plunge.

They had a deal at Costco for a Nikon D60 with all the bells and whistles, so we did it. Above is a picture I took last night of a storm out over the Sanctuary. I have already scored enough good pictures of the animals, and Jen and Daron's new baby to make it all worthwhile. So hopefully this blog will be riddled with new photos (hopefully good ones!)

How & Why is this happening in my neighborhood??!!!

Police Seek Kanab Dog Sniper in 3 Shootings
By Mark Havnes The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 04/30/2008 07:32:09 AM MDT

KANAB - Jill Simpson was stunned when she went outside to get her dog and found blood gushing from Benika's mouth and a gurgling sound as her pet labored to breathe. The Kanab resident rushed the 12-year-old German shepherd to the clinic at Best Friends Animal Society five miles north of this southern Utah city. There, veterinarians were perplexed by the dog's profuse bleeding until an X-ray showed Benika had been shot in the neck with a .22-caliber bullet that also fractured her jaw. That was April 18. Three days later, J. Sharp was leaving her Kanab house when she heard a shot. Her 4-month-old yellow Labrador, Cowgirl, then limped around from behind a trailer and plopped on the ground. "I ran down to help her," Sharp recalled, "and found that a bullet had left a 4-inch groove along her back, next to her spine." Sharp took her wounded pet to Best Friends, too, and vets again found a shattered .22-caliber bullet in the dog. Benika and Cowgirl are recovering, but an area pig was not as lucky. It was shot four times with a .22-caliber weapon last week and died.

Kanab police Chief Tom Cram said Tuesday that investigators have little to go on, but hope that a $1,000 reward will help crack the case. The shooter or shooters could face felonies for harming the animals and misdemeanors for discharging a weapon within city limits. "We'll throw the book at them," Cram said. "It's not right popping animals." The shootings took place within eight blocks of one another in the Ranchos subdivision. "It's a dangerous situation in a crowded neighborhood," said Cram, who has increased patrols in the area. Simpson is at a loss trying to understand Benika's shooting. "I just let her out in the yard so she could go to the bathroom," Simpson said. "When I went out to get her, I heard this sound like a giant bullfrog that was [Benika] trying to breathe. She had blood all over her face. I didn't hear a shot so it never dawned on me that she had been shot." Benika now is eating soft food and can sleep and breathe easier as her swollen throat heals. As for Cowgirl, Sharp said the vets decided to leave the shell fragments in and the wound open so the infection could drain. "She is a good dog who never leaves the yard," Sharp said. "It was a traumatic day."

Best Friends spokesman John Polis said the society kicked in $750 toward the reward along with $250 from the city. "We encourage someone to come forward," he said. Studies have shown those who hurt animals are more likely to abuse family members. "Suffice it to say," Polis said, "that there is a great correlation that people who hurt animals are going out and doing violent acts on others." mhavnes@sltrib.com

Back in the Swing Baby!

My golf over the last decade or so has been really sporadic. When I was in High School of course, about all I ever did was hit the links. It was much easier when my Dad paid.

Then I went to college for about five minutes where I played more than I went to class. Once I failed out though, golf came to an end for a while. The Army got in the way (not too much opportunity to play in South Korea), and then moving a lot also didn't help. I was pretty poor in Portland, so that didn't help. Then I moved to Salt Lake and met a great group of guys which afforded me pretty regular games every Sunday when the weather was good.

I really got my game into shape, and then of course I stopped playing again for a while.

Now I am here in Kanab, social activities can sometimes fall short. The other side of that is more time to play. I recently ponied up $800 bucks for an all I can play in a year membership at the local course.



It's only nine holes, but as you can see, it's not short on scenery. Most of the course follows those red cliffs. My game is in bad shape, maybe as bad as ever. Haven't broken 40 since I have been back. This is a fairly tough nine holes though, so I don't feel as bad. Pretty frustrating however.

So, open invitation to all, to come play with me in Kanab!

Don't worry America, your vote doesn't count....

...At least according to Hillary Effing Clinton.

Did you happen to catch the Clinton gag-fest of an interview on NPR this afternoon? I almost drove off the road.

The first discussion was Iraq. Meh. They talk hard now, but they won't be able to get out like they think they will. It's a complete quagmire. But that's not what got me.

In a discussion about the primary Clinton thinks she's winning, they talked the number of delegates. Of course the super delegate discussion has been beaten into the ground. Although, if you haven't been watching, Obama has been catching up. Only 27 behind on those now.

What really made me almost barf in my lap was the discussion about pledged delegates from each state. These are the folks that will represent you, the voter, at the convention. The idea is that those delegates are pledged based on the votes from primary votes and caucases (by the way, if I get this wrong, slap my hand. I'm English).

But now Hillary is not only open to the idea, but advocating that PLEDGED delegates change their mind! So don't worry if your state was 75-percent Obama, feel free to raise the middle finger to the voters of your state!

The mere idea that a candidate would suggest such thing is completely abbhorent to me. If this is the way it could be, what's the point with anyone actually voting? Why not have the already inside job become more so? Let's just send the party nominated delegates go and skip the whole, pesky, annoying citizen vote thingie?

Kiss that five mill goodbye Billary. You ain't gonna see that again.

If you could even begin to stomach it, listen to that NPR interview here.

Vegas, Baby

So I generally despise Vegas. In fact, there are usually a million other places I would rather be than the wholly manufactured "city." All that even in the face of my love of gambling. But this weekend, I think Vegas will be fun.



It seems like only yesterday, but as of Monday, Jaime and I will have been officially married for a year. I know, right! Can't even believe how fast the last year has gone. I imagine moving and starting new careers had something to do with that.

So her Mom is in Vegas as we speak for one of her several jaunts for the year. When we found out she was going, we figured it might be fun to go see her. Then on top of that we realized it would be our anniversary weekend. Even the more reason to go.

I secured a reservation for Saturday night at the restaurant at the top of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel. Pricey, but hey, you only have one first wedding anniversary.

Brief

Well, I went to spin class last night and was so not into it. In fact, I’m tired of writing about it, probably as tired as you are of hearing about it. So I’ll switch gears. (Nope, could not resist lame pun).

Random thought: I’ve worked at Best Friends for nine months. Still love Kanab, still love working here, still love our friends…but it’s funny when you’ve been around for a little while how people start to show their true colors. People and things you thought about in a certain way are in reality, not that way at all. And I'm not talking about the sort of obvious ones. But I will say, without going into too much detail, that my lessons in the classroom of life are prolific on a daily basis.

I just came home from the gym tonight and my husband has left me. First for a golf course, and now for basketball game at the Andrews'. Just received a phone call from he who is at Andrews’ that the Steeles are there as well, and that my presence has been requested. So I now abandon word processor for an evening with friends. But you so know I am making it home for episode two of Top Chef Chicago.

Make Mine Chocolate!

Easter is just around the corner, and what is the traditional symbol – the bunny of course! Thinking of giving a rabbit as a gift? Please reconsider. Rabbits can be magnificent furkid companions, but each year humane societies and shelters see a huge influx of rabbits after Easter. So before you give in to temptation and purchase a live rabbit, please consider the following...

Know The Facts:

• Rabbits are not "low-maintenance" pets, and are a poor choice as a pet for children.
• They have a lifespan of 10 years and require as much work as a dog or cat.
• Your home must be bunny-proofed, or Thumper will chew cords and furniture.
• Rabbits must be neutered or spayed or they will mark your house with feces and urine.
• They should live indoors, as members of the family.

The Columbus House Rabbit Society started the Make Mine Chocolate campaign in 2002 to educate on the public on the realities of living with a rabbit, and to discourage giving live rabbits as Easter gifts.

And who can argue with chocolate?! Even our vegan friends have options. Here are just a few: veganfamily.com, katescaringgifts.com, allisonsgourmet.com

Better yet, if you really want to spoil someone, consider making a donation to sponsor a bunny at the Best Friends Bunny House, or donate to the Make Mine Chocolate campaign in the name of your loved one.

As I step down from this soapbox, I sincerely thank you for making compassionate, humane choices during this joyous spring holiday.

Oh Baby!

Just winding down from a long day of festivities. The baby shower was a smashing success and I am pretty sure the mama-to-be enjoyed herself, so my mission is complete. Unfortunately, our camera croaked in the middle of the party, so I will have to get some photos from Jen, Pam, or Laura to post for everyone. But we had a good crowd, and even the boys came for the beginning to share in the fun before heading off to the Buckskin for beers and debauchery. The party is continuing over at the poker game tonight, but I am pretty beat so I am sitting this one out, even though I heart the Crooks and all the poker peeps. Our friends here in Kanab are so great – we are really lucky.

The fitness program is still underway, although I took two days off this week. I was pretty tired, so I didn’t go to the gym Tues or Wed. I was tired like exhausted, not just the regular ‘I’m tired and don’t want to go to the gym’ , so I took a few days off.

Last night Jon and I stayed home and got the house cleaned up and made brownies for the baby shower. The brownies were featured on the cover of the most recent issue of Cooking Light Magazine. We bought Jen & Daron a subscription for Christmas, so they get the magazine too and Jen commented on how yummy they looked so Jon wanted to make them for the guest of honor. They turned out quite nicely. Here is the recipe if you care to indulge…

That’s it for now. I really enjoyed the soiree but am looking forward to a relaxing “do nothing’ day tomorrow. The animals agree with me – I am already surrounded by two crashed out dogs and a cat.

"I was thinking you're new but you're not".

Yeah, I know you’re all dying to know how it’s going. So here’s your fix. I set my alarm clock last night on a whim that I might – might-- get up at an early hour and attend an exercise class. I’m not sure how it happened, but I did. Six o’clock a.m. spin class. Which is really 5:00 a.m. with the time change and all. In my opinion the best part about exercising at such an early hour is that I’m not fully awake enough to realize the full extent of my misery. I had yet a new instructor this time, a guy. After huffing and puffing for the duration of the hour, upon dismount of my bike, the woman next to me said,

“So you’ve been on a bike before”. It was more of a statement than a question.

“Well, this is only my third class, but yeah, I’ve ridden a lot”.

“You did really well. He [instructor] is really hard. Most people don’t make it all the way through the class. I was thinking you’re new, but you’re not”.

I thanked her. Not sure if that was the appropriate response, but I guess it was a compliment. It’s also a little randomly odd that she was keeping tabs on me. I can tell you the least of my concerns during the class was the performance of her or any of my other classmates. I just didn’t want to fall off or pass out.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. I was pretty tired, but it was nice to get the rough stuff out of the way early.

Jon is still in Austin and is not doing so hot. He’s come down with some kind of cold/flu illness. He is pretty well through with his part of the convention but can’t get a flight home until Wednesday, so he’s more or less stuck in Austin. The irony – I would love to be stuck in Austin. He got to have dinner with my aunt & uncle last night, and even went to see my cousin’s band at a hole in the wall bar on 6th Street. I am so envious. That being said, I wish he could come home since his business there is basically done. I know it would be easier if he was feeling better – he’d definitely be down to go see some live tunes or savor some tasty cuisine. Best case scenario would be me, him, and a couple of free days to kill. But alas, I’m keeping down the fort solo and he’ll be home soon enough.

This weekend is Jen & Daron’s baby shower. Should be a lot of fun. I’m pretty sure Jen is over the whole ‘being pregnant’ thing. The other day she told me “I can’t believe that soon I’m not going to be pregnant for the rest of my life!" Better her than me.

Accidents and Inspiration Lead You to Your Destination

Well, I am happy to report that I made it through the week. It’s one of the longest weeks I have endured in a long time. I did manage to make it back to the gym each day, including this morning for another brutal spin class. I hesitate to admit this, but I think I actually liked it. Seems like I am a sadist after all.

I wanted to sincerely thank everyone who has expressed concern about my mom and her health. She has been out of the hospital for about a week now with little improvement, but she is a stubborn fighter (see—I come by it honestly) so I have faith that she will, with time, make a full recovery. So thank you for all of your kind thoughts and well wishes.

Jon is en route to Austin for the SXSW geekville festival. You can read about that in his post below.

I was listening to one of my favorite albums on the way home from work tonight. Mary Chapin Carpenter is quite possibly one of the finest lyricists I have ever had the pleasure of indulging. She is so brilliant in so many ways. I felt compelled to post this song.


The Long Way Home – Mary Chapin Carpenter

You could be this man, he's got it all worked out
To the nth degree, no fears, no doubts
He'll retire at thirty to his big-ass house next to the putting green
Now he's got a picture in his head of the perfect wife,
Their perfect children, their perfect life
Nothing wrong with that, coming home each night to his cul-de-sac of dreams
Funny now how it all went by so fast
One day he's looking over his shoulder at the past
When everybody had to go, had to be, had to get somewhere
How did he forget about what got him there

Now you could be this woman, she's the CEO
She's got her power suits and her IPO's
She punched a hole in the ceiling years ago and she hasn't pulled back since
Now there's a gardener for the flowers, a cook for the meals,
A maid for the laundry, an accountant for the bills
A walker for the dog and a trainer when she feels the need to lose an inch
Funny now how it all went by so fast
One day she's looking over her shoulder at the past
When everybody had to go, had to be, had to get somewhere
Somehow she forgot about what got her there

Accidents and inspiration lead you to your destination

Or you could be the one who takes the long way home
Roll down your window, turn off your phone
See your life as a gift from the great unknown
And your task is to receive it
Tell your kid a story, hold your lover tight
Make a joyful noise, swim naked at night
Read a poem a day, call in well sometimes and
Laugh when they believe it

Funny now how it all goes by so fast
One day I'm looking over my shoulder at the past
Now everybody's got to go, got to be, got to get somewhere
Baby don't forget about
You really shouldn't forget about
Baby don't forget what got you there
I think it's what got you there
Yeah it's really what got you there

I know it’s long and you probably skipped reading the whole thing, so I italicized my favorite part. It’s probably really corny, but here’s me being reflective. Moving to Kanab and of course working for the animals was certainly one way of taking the long way home. The people settling into their cul de sac of dreams; the CEO that punched a hole in the ceiling – these are people I know; people I knew…might even have been me. But now here where I live there is red sand in my house, in my car, in my shoes. And to tell you the truth I really don’t think I’d have it any other way. Don’t get me wrong – this place is not perfect. Hardly! But I will say it’s a far cry from the trite cement jungle I have always known.

I am particularly fond of “…call in well sometimes and laugh when they believe it…” and “Accidents and inspiration lead you to your destination”. So much truth here. So much truth.

Off Again

So I am on the road again, this time to Austin, Texas. I am honored to be going to the SXSW Interactive conference. It's obviously the same gang that puts on the music festival, but this is geared to all things web. Since I am doing the social marketing stuff for Best Friends now, it should be pretty interesting, and I should learn a lot. The guy that invented Facebook is the keynote on Sunday for example.

The more I read about this stuff though, I think probably 90% of the conversations there, I will have no frickin idea what people are talking about. The people there are like the people who are people with today's internet and video games. I should feel pretty dumb for the whole week. Good job I am used to that :)

Back In the Saddle

As we await amid the suspense of the election returns, I will recap for you day number two of the fitness challenge.

Spin class. Have you done this? I have been a gym member for years. Sometimes faithful, sometimes not so much, but in all those years I have never engaged in such an endeavor. It’s by no means a new phenomenon, so I’m not sure why it’s taken me this long but tonight was the night I decided to jump in the saddle. (Bad pun intended, of course).

First off, I heeded many a warning as to the butt kicking potential of a spin class. I have always enjoyed riding a bike—my beloved mountain bike in particular, so this is no new machinery or sensation to me by any stretch of the imagination. But I guess when you combine being overweight and out of shape, it makes things interesting. In my last post I suggested that the instructor might be a sadist. Actually, that is wrong. Not only is the instructor a sadist, but the students are as well. It’s basically a really intense bike ride to jamming music. Simple enough. Right? Wrong again. Last night before the start of my yoga class, I sat next to a very kind middle aged woman, who had not attended the yoga class before. She asked me a few questions about how the class would go and I feel I gave her some good pointers. She mentioned that she, too, is taking part in the fitness challenge.

“Have you done the spin classes?” I asked.

“Yes", she replied. "I started about a month ago. It’s very challenging".

“I haven’t taken one yet”, I told her. “Tomorrow is my first go”.

She then lowered her voice, looked around to see that no one was listening and then leaned toward me and said, “When I first started, I found that my crotch was really sore from riding on the small hard seat”.

Wow! Too much information, I thought to myself.

“Really?” I asked.

She nodded and then added “it does get better after a few classes, but yes, your rear end really takes a beating in the beginning”.

I then recalled many a ride through the red sands of Moab or Gooseberry Mesa and the accompanying soreness at the end of the day. By then class started so our conversation was left at that.

That very same kind woman was in my class again tonight. Before the class began, she asked me, “Jaime, would you like a gel seat cover”. “Yes, thank you!”. Yes, yes I would. And yet, I may as well have had a cold metal rod between my cheeks for the next hour, because that’s about as comfortable as it got. It was pretty rough. Like really tough. But the good news: I made it. I lived through the entire hour. I was asked several times on my way out of the gym, “How was your first class?” to which I responded, “Well, I didn’t fall off, and I didn’t quit”. So there. I didn’t fall off, and I didn’t quit. I would also like to point out that I out-rode the 21 year old gal who was also there for her first class. In fact, she only lasted 20 minutes. That girl is hardly a sadist. I dare say I even felt good in the hour following the class. But then the muscles soreness and stiffness started setting in, so I’m back to hobbling around the house moaning. My poor husband who is desperately trying to be supportive, is ready to rip his hair out. He’s tired of listening to me complain. To my credit, I did forewarn him that I was not going to be pleasant to be around for the next week or so. Lucky for him tonight he went after work and shot nine holes at the golf course and is now slumbering peacefully on the couch.

So I’m off. I’m off to inhale some ibuprofen, and then I’m off to melt into a sudoku puzzle as I chant my new mantra…”I didn’t fall off, and I didn’t quit”.

Fitness Challenge

So I signed up for the "March Madness" eight week fitness challenge at our local gym. First prize wins a free 3 month membership to the gym. I'm already a paying member, so that's not really the goal, but I am "competing" against 20-30 other folks who are also trying to get in shape. The challenge requires that you attend 3-4 spin classes per week, plus 2-3 other cardio classes or workouts on the days you don't spin. Now I've spend a lot of time on a bike in my past, but I've never done a spin class. I'm told the instructors are pretty much sadists. I'm not looking forward to that aspect, but I'm willing to at least try. I was also warned not to be discouraged if I can't make it all the way through the class on the first go. I'm going to go ahead and wager that I'll be making an early exit. But again, the theme...trying.

Friday I went in to have my weight & measurements taken, including my body fat percentage. Let me just say it was not pretty. Actually, it was beyond ugly. So since the weather is really turning gorgeous, I decided I'm going to try & jump start into the hiking season by getting a little better fit. We'll see how long I can hang.

BTW, the guys had a great time in Mesquite this weekend. Check out Jen & Daron's blog for photos from the golf & gambling expo. Also some great pics of "the belly" as well (baby Addyson in her mama's belly).

Jen is an inspiration to me -- she has been such a healthy mom and has religiously been going to the gym. She -- and her belly -- are teaching my yogalates class tonight, so if she can go (and teach!!) I really have NO excuses for not going too.

The Plane, The Plane!

Recently I took a trip to Texas to see my family. Unfortunately Jon was not able to come this time, but he did a good job at keeping the home fires lit. I’m not exactly sure but I think he did a good job at polishing off some beers, too, along with playing a little Golden Tee down at the Buckskin….but I digress.

Living in a small town is both a blessing and a curse. I love that it is so quiet and slow here. I don’t’ even mind being so far from shopping, or a real movie theater. What I really hate is traveling anywhere of significant distance. It’s an hour and a half drive from Kanab to St. George where we can catch a puddle jumper to Salt Lake and then fly direct to most places. But when you have to drive 80 miles, then get on a plane for an hour, then have a layover and get on another plane for 3 or 4 hours, it can be daunting. Plus it always takes a little more time getting home because of headwinds. Anyway, last Wednesday en route to Houston I flew from St. George to Salt Lake in the middle of a snow/rain storm. Which is really no big deal as the crow flies, but in a smaller prop plane you can really feel (and see) the turbulence. Following are some notes from a journal entry of sorts that I composed on the plane.


2/20/08

7:05 PM
Out the window the aircraft’s light shines underneath the prop. I can see the ice & snow coming at us in horizontal sheets only cut by the power of the propeller. Some stupid lady next to me across the aisle in 8C just received (and answered) a phone call on her cell phone. IDIOT. If we go down because of instrument interruption I’m beating the shit out of her. What’s worse is that I think she is a Skywest employee. She was in line before me through security. I was a little taken aback when she commented on some man who was checking in at the kiosk. “I didn’t know you could choose seat assignments at the kiosk!! I’ve never seen that before!”. (Who doesn't know this--an employee no less!) She and her male companion were traveling standby. The final reason I think she’s an employee? She’s wearing a hot pint sweater with “Skywest” and their logo on it. Dumb.

7:35 PM
So I just looked up from my crossword puzzle and noticed our flight attendant “Debbie” has taken a seat behind stupid lady and they are chatting. She is from Dillon, Montana. Aha! Stupid lady in pink sweatshirt does work for Skywest, I was right! She has for one year. Moved to St. George to take care of her parents who are in their 80’s. Is it just me or does an on-duty flight attendant chatting in the seat next to you slightly creepy? Like isn’t there an unspoken rule –like when you eat in a restaurant—the waiter can’t just sit down at your table and start snacking on your appetizer and make small talk. Weird.

Just dug my iPod out of the depths of the bottom of my carry on buried under the seat in front of me. Music will save me. Keane - Somewhere Only We Know.

Dammit! One minute 48 seconds into the song & I gotta turn it off. We’re descending now. @#$%^

Did I mention the drive from Kanab to St. George is longer than the flight from St. George to Salt Lake? There’s something not right about that.

7:55
Someone farted (not me). It’s a horribly confined space and I am trapped. Thank God we’ve landed.

The GOP

The Republican Party, the party of values!

Feb. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Representative Rick Renzi, a Republican from Arizona who isn't seeking re-election, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in an alleged scheme to profit from a land deal.

Renzi, 49, who was first elected to the House in 2002, was charged along with James Sandlin, 56, a real estate investor and one of his political backers, and Andrew Beardall, 36, an attorney who had been general counsel of Renzi's family insurance business. Renzi and Beardall are accused of embezzling money from insurance clients to fund the lawmaker's congressional campaign.

Duke Cunningham, Mark Foley, Larry Craig, and now Rick Renzi. What a bunch of good guys that care and uphold solid family values.

Laf.

New York Times Article

Tomorrow morning the front page of the New York Times will be featuring an article about the Vick (aka Victory) dogs we are rehabilitating at the sanctuary. The article is here. Read and discuss. Insider commentary to follow shortly....

A Few of My Favorite Things

This is a really cute and fun blog that I borrowed (ok, stole) from Teandra. So here’s what you do:

Type your answer to each of the items listed below into a google image search and post a photo from the first results page. Hint: at first I thought you had to post the first picture, but it says you can pick from the first page, so having a few choices made it a little more fun.

Favorite animal:

Working at an animal sanctuary, this is really kind of an unfair question, but I went with cats & dogs. Since I live with them, I figured they better be in the top two.

Favorite place:
My answer is "home". This isn't my home, but it's someone's home. It's from a demo on insulation I think.

Place you would like to visit:

This is Yorkshire, England where Jon is from.


Your college major:

Psychology -- pretty straightforward.

Favorite holiday:

Thanksgiving, of course.

A bad habit:

This goes without saying....

An old pet:

Our first dog was named Poppy....

Age you will be on your next birthday:

(Yikes!!)

Favorite food:
Ooooh yeah, Mexican food!

Middle name:
Elizabeth....

Favorite color:

My fave is blue. I thought this pic was fun.

Where you live:
Kanab, Utah. And yes, it's really this beautiful.