So much to report.....

Last week JJ and DD both went to the Bay Area, JJ first went to several training days in various parts of Texas and then flew in to San Francisco late Friday night- Dina arrived on Wednesday in Sacramento and helped PNut put up a fence in her front yard before driving down to pick up JJ.

Saturday we got to see family, including Justine's dad, Aunt Mart, and Aunt Maria Elena, and then DD's sister Gina and family. DD took the kids, Jonelle and Mikey to the Metreon and then to Golden Gate park. JJ met them at the Metreon, and then we all went for a walk in the park by Gina's house. The kids rode their bikes.

Sunday was the BBQ in Rebecca's backyard, celebrating Kate and Zahra, and also functioning as a sort of reunion, with tons of friends and family showing up, including JJ's mom, sister, step dad, and Kevin, and Zahra's mom and dad too! There was lots of baby ogling going on, as the inimitable Rocket, his beautiful new sister Marina, and the brand new and amazing Sophie Rey, Margo and Lynne's baby all showed up.



Gina's new baby, Johnny, must have felt the baby wavelengths in the air because he went ahead and came into the world at about 6 o'clock that night. We had a chance to go by the hospital the following morning on our start down to Los Angeles. Here he is with his family.

After checking into the hotel in Los Angeles (well, South El Monte) and surreptitiously sneaking in the dogs, JJ and DD had an extremely quiet evening. We woke up the next morning, DD started the drive back to Tucson, and JJ went to a training, afterwards meeting up with Kevary. For those of you who don't know who Kevary is, suffice it to say that they were able to dodge the paparazzi, and there are no pictures of the further adventures of these three. Did they have lunch in Santa Monica? Did they try on outfits at the third street promenade? Only they know, and they aren't telling...
See you next week!

Mesquite, JJ's Travels and Julia!!

This past weekend we visited Dina's parents in Mequite, NV. We drove up with the three dogs on Friday, and then JJ took a shuttle down to Vegas on Sunday to fly out for the week's travels. The weekend was a lot of fun, Gary and Arlene loved Rizzo, and Brazzie followed her "papa" everywhere. Bella loves the Mesquite house, and spends hours staring out at the scenery from the edge of the yard. We think she might be watching the golfers, who from far away look like little animals.
The humans spent some time at the casinos, ate some delicious dinners, one buffet breakfast, and spent a great deal of time just lounging around the patio by the pool, and Gary and JJ went for a massage at the spa on Saturday.
JJ flew into Amarillo, and after her training there was able to fly down to Austin, TX and visit with Allisa, Chris and Julia. Julia is at an amazing age, talking, and running about 100 miles an hour. She is pictured here with JJ and her ducks. The ducks are a big deal. There are about 10 of them and she never seems quite happy unless at least four of them are with her. JJ went with Allisa into Austin, dropping Julia off at her daycare, and then worked from an internet cafe on Tuesday, and had another training on Wednesday in San Antonio, TX, about an hours drive from Austin. The airlines were not as bad as we had anticipated, even with the recent security heightening, the summer vacationers have pretty much all gone home now, and so the lines, and security was not too bad.
Wednesday there was a Leo party at Curtis' house. His home is an amazing art gallery, with paintings, and mixed media art covering the walls and floors. I will post a picture or two if I can get them from Karen, because it has to be seen to be believed. Fern, Jana, JJ, and other Leos all converged at this party, and JJ was happy that she was able to get home in time for it! This weekend is liable to be fairly quiet, as we were away last weekend, and going away again next. Dina has to work on Saturday, but we'll have time to hang out with some friends, hopefully Hugh and Patrick, who both started their teaching jobs and got their classes this week.

Danish Danish Danish, Hurrah Hurrah Hurrah!


For anyone who has celebrated birthday's over the years with DD and JJ the title of this blog will ring a bell. For those of you who have not, suffice it to say that the traditional Danish birthday tradition was carried out, as it was JJ's birthday this past weekend. The whole weekend we had anticipated rain, but we got none. Saturday was mild and beautiful, Sunday a bit hotter, and not until late Sunday night did we even get any clouds or wind. We celebrated first by going to the drive in with JJ, Dina, Karen Peter, Bella, Brazzie and Rizzo on Saturday night, and then on Sunday, her actual birthday, a delicious breakfast of waffles and bacon was prepared for her by Karen Peter and Dina. We all had a pleasant day spent hanging out at the house, Dina shopping for, and then preparing the food for the dinner, and in the evening several friends came over for an amazing meal of curried shrimp and rice, and a goat cheese salad. Hugh and Patrick suprised JJ by coming home just in time for the dinner after their road trip to South Dakota. Barbara came to the dinner and brought Zoey, her tiny chihuahua, and Rizzo and she hit it off fairly well. The dinner was finished off with tasty cheesecake, upon which Patrick, artist extraordinaire, drew a rendition of JJ in marionberry sauce, and then JJ taught everyone the Danish song, and tradition of chopping off your own head (on the cake) to signify the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. Our new friends, including Scott, Chris, Jill, Felipe, T.J., and of course, Karen, Hugh, and Patrick, loved the tradition, and are now expecting "Danish" birthday cakes for their own celebrations!

OH NO RISOTTO!

Ok, so call us crazy. But then look at this face, and ask "how can it be crazy to love that face?"
So we went to Berryessa. We dealt with the feral kittens that moved in to the boat when it was parked overnight outside PNut's old house. We dealt with the boat breaking down, the guys pulling out the water pump to see what was wrong, and then finding out it was the thermostat instead. We fixed it, the boat ran, it was fine. The tires on both the trailer and the truck needed replacing as did the brakes on the truck. We dealt with it. But then, while visiting PNut's new house, we heard from her neighbors that the abandoned apartments next door were home to a little abandoned terrier/chihuahua who was trying to make it on her own- checking out the street to see if the family that moved out over a week ago was coming back for her. It was so sad. She was so cute. So when DD said to JJ "if we catch that little dog, can we keep it?" what could JJ say but "of course." She did not want to be caught. But after she ran around the building, got trapped in the alleyway, then squeezed her little body into PNut's yard, what could she do but submit and realize that it was fate and that she had to come back to Tucson with us? So we are now the proud owners of two and one quarter dogs. Here she is, alone, and with the others. Loving life in the town that has come to be called home to us, and now to one little California dog, named Risotto, nickname Rizzo.

Berryessa July 2006!

Last weekend we drove the boat and truck, ourselves, and Bella all the way to Lake Berryessa for the annual camping trip with Dina's High School friends and their families. Although the drive there and back was long and somewhat fraught with peril (bald tires that we replaced, bad brakes that we replaced, feral kittens moved into the boat, and had to be extricated rather delicately) we had a fabulous time, and loved spending time with all the friends, kids, and boating on the lake. Lots of water this winter made for lots of water, and although it cooled considerably over the weekend, there had been a heat wave the week before so the water was perfect for swimming and water fun! Bella was a huge hit, she's pictured here with her new best friend Gracie, Natalie and Gary's younger daughter. After the camping trip, we had a chance to visit PNut's new house in West Sacramento- it is cute and perfect for her, with a big backyard and beautiful, redone insides, including a sweet kitchen with granite countertops, and the best shower I've been in for a long time!