Gaggle of Fosters

Another group of girls came up this past weekend. This pic is of Tipper and Isa. We fostered ‘Cm Lil Lady’ & ‘Thrifty Tipper’. Both girls were sweeties. Lady was a bit shy. Not Tipper. She was a little wild child. We referred to as ‘Stella on Crack’. She had the fearless outgoing personality of my Stella with the boisterous energy of a 2 and a half year old that still has a lot of puppy left in her. Two girls, ‘Isa’ and ‘Alice’ were also fostered in town. ‘Ghost’ was fostered in Northern Virginia. The last girl to come up was ‘Fast Ally’, now known as ‘Leah’ since she went to the home here in town where her mom, ‘Ally’ lives. Since neither of my kids went into the breeding program, the best we can hope for is finding siblings. All the new arrivals being fostered in town went to a local Meet ‘N Greet on Sunday. Then we put them in the back of our 4Runner for a trip up to the vet to be vetted (spay, dental, shots...). We also took a previous foster ‘Casey’ to back to the vet.

The Maroma Resort

Just spent the past week with the wife at the Maroma Resort and Spa in the Riviera Maya which is about 30 miles south of Cancun. This was far away from the Spring Breakers. This was a company-sponsored trip, so we only ended up paying for a few gifts to bring back. The weather was sunny and warm all week. We spent most of the time laying on the beds on the beach with a tropical drink in hand. We did manage to find time to go snorkeling and to the spa. I thought spa treatments were overrated, but after a hot stone massage followed the next day by an exfoliation and banana leaf wrap, I am a convert. One day we went to Isla Mujeres for a day trip. On the ride over, we got to see the devastation of Hurricane Wilma. Amazing that entire hotels were demolished. Our patio faced out on the ocean, and the only obstacle to the beach was the bar, so drinks were always handy. The food was fabulous, and the staff was amazingly attentive. We would love go back for another week, but not sure if we could afford it on our own.

New Foster Casey

I got a call while I was in D.C. this morning to pick up a returned dog on the way back home. The family just wasn’t in the right situation now to have a dog. I managed to finish up work, pick up the dog, and still beat the rush hour home. Anyhoo, our new foster for a few days is ‘Casey’. She’s a black grey with white paws and white-tipped tail. My guys took an instant liking to her. She will stay with us through the weekend where she will be in a St. Patick’s Day parade. Then she will move to her next foster home in Richmond to stay with the Stumpf crew.

Getting back in shape

I have been exercising on and off since the beginning of the year. I’m pretty good about it when I am home. Whe I’m on the road, not so much. After spending five hours on the road today commuting up to D.C. and back, I felt I needed to do something besides sit on my butt. I stopped by the Va Runner shoe store and picked up a pair of Asic GT2100’s. They have a bit more cushioning than my last pair of running shoes. I broke them in with a 3 mile jaunt on the treadmill. I can see it now. A 5K, 10K, half-marathon to a full marathon. It could happen. I do need to get back into shape. I promised a friend that we would start riding our bikes starting this spring. We used to ride all the time together back when I was in graduate school. I weighed 136 lbs, ate all I wanted, and couldn’t gain a pound.

Going to Jail!

I am spending the rest of the week in jail. Specifically, the maximum security Corrections Medical Center in Columbus, OH. A new tech needs to be trained on one of my systems. I’ve been there for work before, so now I know the rules of how to get around in there. I no longer try to take my cell phone in :) Since it’s such a hassle to try to leave and get back in, I usually get lunch there. There is a small cafeteria where the inmates cook all the food, then serve the staff. Can’t beat a lunch with dessert and beverage for $1.50. They used to have a greyhound adoption program in the jail, but now they are getting and training dogs from the local shelter. I always love to meet the new dogs when I visit.