In Orlando

We finally got to see our new place in Orlando! It's exceeded our expectations so we are pleasantly surprised and happy with our online choice :). I'll have to take pictures when we settle in a little more and get a new digital camera.

We have been busy these past few weeks trying to settle in and see family so we could celebrate the holiday cheer. Needless to say, I haven't been near a computer long enough to actually post something decent. But don't worry! Things here are good and everything should be calmer by the new year. :)

Merry Belated Christmas and Happy Early New Year!! :)

We finally made it!

Goodness-- after, uhhh, 4 (or was it 5?) days in the car, I was soo happy to finally see I-275 and familiar Tampa street signs.

The road trip was overall a positive experience. My brother, Joe, the puppies (Skooter is doing well by the way), the turtles, and I left Tuesday after the movers, the car guy, and the pest control guy came and did their things. We went to the dealership and then tried to have one last meal at the Curry House. Too bad they were closed for that "in between" lunch and dinner period. We ended up at the yummy Dumpling Inn instead. Next stop, Tucson, AZ.

We literally were a mile away from the AZ border when CA decided to give us a going away gift-- a speeding ticket! CA wanted to take our money one last time before we said good-bye as their residents. Damn the Po-Po. We didn't get to Tucson until almost midnight. We checked in the at the La Quinta. They served hot waffles for breakfast :).

The next morning, we woke up as early as one could, hit the road again and made the 12 hour drive to San Antonio. Similar situation, we didn't get there until midnight. Texas is one helluva large state. The La Quinta in San Antonio had waffles too-- but they were shaped like the state of Texas.

So what are we on now, day 3? Yes, so on day 3, we drove only 4 hours to Houston because we have friends there. We decided to spend the rest of the day eating (I love you Tres Leches) and had a wonderful time. We caught up with Jerry, Indu, and Jay.

Day 4 we drove to New Orleans. Stayed at the Sheraton Hotel off of Canal Street. It was walking distance to Bourbon Street and Cafe du Monde. We had jambalaya dinners and beignets and coffee for dessert. My pregnant belly was starting to get really really heavy by the end of New Orleans-- back aches, leg cramps, oiy.

Day 5 was our last day on the road. As soon as we entered the panhandle of FL, we were greeted with heavy rains and bad driving conditions. We drove all the way into Gainesville so I could eat my club sandwich from McAllistor's deli. We finally made it into Tampa last night around 9:30pm.

Ahhh, home sweet home.

Skooter goes into surgery today.

We went to the vet yesterday and he looked over Skooter's paw. He said that there was "healthy bleeding" and some tissue left. They cut off most of his paw pad on his back right paw so we won't know how well his foot will heal until it heals. The vet techs gave him a fresh bandage and taped a heart on it!

I have to drop off Skooter sometime this morning, they're going to gas him and close up his teeny tiny paw. Wish us luck!!

The toughest guy I know.

Awful. Yesterday was awful. It was supposed to be a fun day (read: not packing) running errands around town. We (Joe, Skooter, Benson and I) were getting evacuated out of the house because the pest control guy was coming to spray the house for fleas. Joe and I had decided that our agenda would include Berta's in Old Town for lunch, Hillcrest to trade in some clothes at the Buffalo Exchange, Mission Valley, Dog Park, and then Costco. We chose these places because they were all dog-friendly and the dogs deserved one last fun day driving around dog-friendly San Diego.

Anyways, the day started off kinda rocky. The flea guy arrived to our house and says, "Oh, I forgot to ask if you're pregnant." Apparently, if they sprayed for fleas, Joe and I had to leave the house for 24 hours and not the 4 hours that was initially suggested when I called to schedule the appointment. We had to reschedule for next week.

By this point, I was still itching to get out of the house and we had made up a fun agenda that we decided that we would take the dogs with us anyways and run our errands. Berta's was yummy. Joe got a new pair of jeans at the Buffalo Exchange. Next stop, Mission Valley.

Mission Valley, for those of you who haven't been there, is a mall. The shopping area is directly above the parking garage. In order to get to the mall area, you park underneath and ride up these (slightly inclined) moving sidewalks and viola! You're in the middle of the mall.

As we entered the mall, Skooter's back toe got caught on the moving sidewalk (I guess they're called inclinators). He was stuck. The inclinator was still moving and you could see the endless, black inclinator tiles as they passed underneath his trapped paw. Skooter didn't make a sound, no yelp, no cry, nothing. I was stunned. Joe dropped down really fast and pulled Skooter 's toe free from the inclinator tile. He put Skooter on the floor and Skooter still had his happy and enthusiastic "I'm ready to shop" breathing pant. We didn't realize that he was bleeding until he moved his paw. There was blood everywhere. Joe scooped up Skooter and ran him into the bathroom. We were trying to examine his paw but couldn't see the damage because there was blood everywhere. I called the vet while Joe washed out his paw in the men's bathroom. From what we could tell, Skooter's nail ripped out and one of his paw pads was sliced by the escalator. The next thing you know, we're in the car, hauling ass to the vet.

When we got to the vet, they had to sedate him because the pain was in full force now (mind you, he still wasn't crying but he definitely wasn't letting the vet touch his paw). They took x-rays and cleaned out the wound the best as they could. The x-rays showed that Skooter was missing a knuckle. The force of the moving inclinator pulled out his an entire knuckle on his back right paw. They have to suture his paw pad but couldn't yesterday because there was still microscopic dirt that they weren't able to get to because his paw pad was sliced so badly by the inclinator. So they sent us home with Skooter's foot as an open wound. We have to go back to the vet today so they can change Skooter's bandage and see how much salvageable tissue is left. They might be able to save his paw pad on the toe if they see enough healthy tissue today. If not, then his paw pad will never grow back-- it'll just be a really thin layer of skin. His toe nail is gone forever. He essentially declawed himself. His activity is strictly limited for the next 14 days.

So why is he the toughest guy I know? Well, first of all, he didn't make a peep. He didn't cry bloody murder when his paw got stuck... not one noise. He put on his tough guy face and was still like, "Mom and Dad want to go shopping and I won't stop them because my toe was just pulled off by the inclinator." Secondly, in the car ride to the vet, despite the fact that he was bleeding over everything (Joe's clothes were bloody and the dogs' car blanket was bloody), he would still give you kisses if you put your face down next to his. He's a tough guy with a soft heart! What a combo (and Ladies, some of you didn't think that they really existed). Lastly, in the car ride over, he still wanted to perch his head out so he could see out of the car. Apparently, who feels pain when there is a road trip involved?

The vet techs said that dogs try not to show any signs of pain because it shows the pack that they're weak. Skooter, you are not weak. You may look handsome and fuzzy and you may prance when running from room to room but-- You. Are. The. Toughest. Guy. I. Know.

The Daily Coyote

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a pet coyote?

Goodwill Donations

On their website, they have a list of things that you can and can't donate. On the can't donate list: orthopedic limbs.

Baby Showers R fun!

Yesterday, after attending my last THREAD show as a San Diego resident (*le sigh*), Kacey and Amanda hosted a small baby shower for Baby Russo and I. We made pita pizzas (an excellent idea for any gathering), gabbed, ate cake and opened gifts!! It's crazy how much other people are anxiously anticipating Baby Russo's arrival into this world-- it's not just Joe and I.

Thank-you everyone for all of the gifts!! Baby Russo has got some rockin' new threads :).

Let's compare, shall we?

The top picture above was taken at 23 weeks (before Thanksgiving). The bottom picture was taken at 25 weeks. I feel like my stomach is going to explode soon but I know that it won't. It's just going to get bigger!

Garage Sale Day #2

Today, an old Italian couple wanted the dogs. They also noticed that we had an Italian last name. They said that they knew an old man who had our last name who had just moved to San Diego. Too bad we were moving, they said, because he was rich and didn't have any children.

Then, the little Italian lady pulled our her wallet to show me some pictures that were taken of her before she left Rome some forty years ago. There was a picture of her with a dashing young man. She said in her cute Italian accent, "This was my boyfriend before I got married." I said, "Your husband must love knowing that you have a picture of your ex in your wallet." She said, "Shh... He doesn't know that I have it."

Garage Sale Day #1

As soon as the garage sale signs went up this morning, our garage was flooded with people. We had people from all walks of life going through our junk for hours on end. One couple bought almost every large ticket item we had (small dining table with 4 chairs, exercise bench, weights, this weird glider thing we had, you get the picture). Anyways, I told the wife that we also had a patio table for sale in the backyard and asked her if she wanted to see it. As I walked her through the house, she started to play with Benson and Skooter. She smiled and said to me, "I asked your husband if your dogs were for sale too. He said, 'No.'"