Rest in Peace

I know I am a crazy animal person. But, each of them talk to us in different ways and leave a little piece of themselves with us and take a piece of us with them when they go. I truly believe, that people who take care of those that need it the most are the nicest people. Stray animals really need our help. It's true when our fosters go to furever homes and it's true when they leave this earth. Over the years, we have had many foster dogs in our homes. So many people say they could never foster because it's hard to let them go. It is hard. I cried the first time and I still cry when they leave. But, I keep doing it. Each dog that leaves me to go to a furever home means that I have the space to save one more life.

We have fostered for Eskie Rescuers United because I'm a little biased towards American Eskimos.  Some of them have gone to furever homes and then left the earth.

The first loss was Sierra Snow 

She was feisty and wiggly and so very cuddly. She did think she was in charge and that did sometimes cause some conflict in the house. She was very possessive of me and The Girls were a bit jealous.  More so than some of the others, I didn't want to let her go. She would wiggle when you sang her song. She knew she was special. She went to a family who loved her very much. But, just a few weeks after she was adopted, I got a call at work I never expected. My friend from ERU told me to sit. Sierra Snow was gone. The night before she stopped eating. And for Ms. Piggy, that was a sure sign of a problem. She was rushed to the emergency vet and didn't make it through the night. A lot of hearts were crushed. We still don't know what happened. Sepsis and multi-organ failure according to the autopsy. No one knows why.

Next was Nikko

 He had such a hard life. He lived tied to a clothesline until the family decided they didn't want him anymore. He was sweet and gentle and frail. He had no idea what a kind touch was and wouldn't look at us. He had tear stains that were so crusted. When we soaked them off, his tender skin was raw. He stole our hearts and stole the heart of a true angel also. Susan wanted him immediately. He flourished and was wonderful and happy for a few years. But, he was lost to bladder cancer. His brother Jack missed him, and Susan honored him by continuing to adopt more eskies in need of homes.

 2014 has been a tough year. 

First was Flurry

She was one of my favorites. Probably the smartest eskie we've had. She would have been amazing at agility. And she would have been amazing in the circus. She was so smart, and talented, that she was able to open the lock on the doggie door and let herself out even when we had it closed. Unfortunately, it only worked one way and she locked herself out more than once. She was lucky to be adopted by a great family who was as smart as she was. She was pampered, and loved, and well-trained. She sent me a card at Christmas this year and told me how happy she was. Then, a week later, an email I couldn't imagine . . .she was gone. During one of the only pleasant days in the DC area, she was outside and ate a bulb. 24-hours later she was gone. Poison. She will be missed terribly.

And then it was Wilbur

He  came from a filthy horrible high-kill shelter. So lucky that he didn't have heart worms. He had cauliflower ears and was cute and wiggly. He got his name because he LOVED food and would squeal like an excited piggy when he thought there was a chance for a treat. He was well-loved by his family and they wrote a few weeks ago to let us know that he was no longer "Mr. Fuss and Bluster." The bad days outnumbered the good and everything they did to accommodate his bladder cancer was no longer enough.

I miss them all and wish they were still on the planet. But, I take comfort knowing that I helped them to have a decent life with families that loved them. And I take comfort knowing they are at the Rainbow Bridge and, if I'm lucky enough to go to heaven one day, I will play with them again. 

PopSugar Must Have May 2014

 PopSugar Must Have boxes are like a Christmas stocking in a box every month. Last month my box came late in the month. This month is was earlier. I hadn't seen any spoilers, so I was pretty excited to open my box.

PopSugar Must Have is a monthly subscription box of hand-selected items in beauty, fashion, home, fitness, and food. It's not a box of sample items. I love the variety . . .it's not just make-up or food or whatever.  Everything is full-sized. Price is $39.95 per month, and they have 3-, 6-, and 12-month plans that lower the effective monthly box. Seems that almost every month there is a $10OFF code that can be found on-line. This month it's MAY10. So, you could un-subscribe and subscribe on a regular basis to get the best deal, while not missing out. They also offer single-purchase premium boxes at different times of the year.

Must Have Beauty: Smell Bent St. Tropez Dispenser. 1.7 ounce body spray. I like it. It's fresh and beachy and does make me feel like summer is already here. While the company uses natural products, instead of synthetics, they are not strictly vegan. Some products contain beeswax or ambergris. This scent has jasmine, coconut, and aloe vera . . .and a light breeze over a vintage musk. Retail $45.

Must Have Home: Zing Anything Citrus Zinger. Perfect for me. I always carry a water bottle and I do like a hint of flavor. This lets me flavor  with fresh fruit . . . or cucumber and mint. . .and enjoy the flavor. I'm happy. Retail? $17.

Must Have Home: Kerry Cassill Eye Mask. I have to get up early and often go to bed before it's completely dark . . .or my spouse is reading and lights are on. This helps. I have other eye masks, but this one is soft. I also have a few long and overnight flights coming up, so I'm sure to use this often in the next few months. Retail. $24.

Must Have Beauty: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Pool Boy Nail Lacquer. It's a fun beachy color that I am sure to be using on my toes. It takes me away from my standards reds, so I'm looking forward to enjoying it. Retail $10.

Must Have Fitness: Tone it Up One Day Fat Blast. I will admit I haven't put it in the DVD player yet, and I'm sure it won't work unless I use it. I used to be big into the work-out videos and I hate going to the gym. This might help get me going again at home. Each work-out is 30 minutes and there are 2 on the disc. The pictures on the back look manageable with some yoga-like positions, some strength work, and some aerobics. I need to work on my core and I hope this will do it. Retail $15.

Must Have Food: Hi I'm Skinny Sticks Multi-Grain Sweet Onion. Also tasty, but I'm not a sweet onion kind of girl. Once I got past the sweet onion, the sticks themselves were awesome with a great burst of flavor. My husband likes them and I may try them in different flavors. Retail $4.

Overall, I'm pretty stoked about this subscription. I paid $89.95 for a 3-month subscription (which will auto-renew at $99.95) if I don't cancel and re-subscribe. That comes to about $33.32/box. And, since you know I like a bargain, I was pleased that the box contained $115 worth of items. 

I can hardly wait to see what June has in store.

(This post contains affiliate links. These opinions are my own and are unsolicited. I have not received any compensation for my comments.)

Eating through Austin--Bouldin Creek Cafe

There are exactly 2 vegetarian/vegan restaurants in San Antonio. (Well, 3 but one of them is the same just a second location). Anyway, I’m just down the road from Austin, the Vegan Capital and I keep hearing about great vegetarian and vegan restaurants. I’m weird and Austin is weird, so I don’t know why I haven’t been going up there often. So, I decided to eat my way through the vegetarian and vegan restaurants and share my opinions. On Sunday, thanks to the suggestion of my friend Kate, an omnivore, we went for brunch at Bouldin Creek Café.

The restaurant is pretty cool and funky. They have bike racks outside and patio seating is pet friendly. They will even bring a bowl of water for your dog.

We sat inside at the end of a long table. It was Sunday brunch, so when they offered mimosas, who am I to decline? Kate got 8 ounces, I got 12 ounces. I think the difference is not the amount of champagne, but the amount of orange juice, in the glass. Still yum!!

Service was amazing. The host at the door smiled and acted like he was waiting just for us. The server was cheerful and friendly. And, I loved the eclectic mix of diners. The menu is full of amazing looking items. All egg dishes can be made with tofu scramble instead of eggs.

I ordered the Renedict with tofu scramble. The tofu scramble was very good, probably one of the best I’ve had. It had an “egg-y” flavor. Sometimes, there is a lot of curry or turmeric for flavor and it can be overwhelming. I think this was tofu and nutritional yeast and salt. The vegan hollandaise was really rich. The tofu bacon was smoky. Kate, an omnivore, sampled and said she would order this next time.

Kate ordered the Tamale breakfast.  She had the choice of corn, flour, or wheat tortillas and chose corn. I ate those and enjoyed them. I also ate one of the tamales. We both worried that sweet potato might be too sweet and a lot like dessert. It wasn’t. It had a hint of sweetness, but not a flavor of added sugar. The masa had the nutty pecan flavor. I would say I would order this next time, but there are so many amazing other things on the menu that I may have to try.

We were both stuffed to the gills and happy. Overall, I LOVED this restaurant and will go back. But I do have to eat my way through the rest of the city, too. J  I wonder if I should set up a rating system for myself? Too hard, I’ll just go thumbs up, way up, or down. This place is thumbs way up!!!

After brunch, we drove to 6^th Street. I was awestruck by the Whole Foods mothership. We may have wandered an hour (and my mouth was gaping open the whole time). So many choices!!!

And then, to see some funky little stores.

We found this cute art store, Positive Images, that had art from local artists. I couldn’t resist the bowl (I know I posted already, but I really like it). If I had unlimited cash, I would have purchased a lot more from the store. It will be a great resource for gifts.

 I love that signs like this are plastered on posts in the city. 

Spa Girl San Antonio-2014

I think this was the most fun I've ever had at a "race." It really was a whole weekend affair.  Kate is a friend from my high school days as a Congressional Page. We were friends, but we weren't particularly close. However, thanks to Facebook, we reconnected. She is a bicyclist and was looking for relay partners for Nation's Triathlon a few years ago. We recruited Ingrid and Team 3-Page-Pamplet was formed. I swam (page 1), Kate biked (page 2), Ingrid ran (Page 3).

Team 3-Page-Pamphlet at Nation's Tri 2011

It didn't melt

And we became closer friends. Kate wanted to do her first full triathlon, and a Spa Girl sounded like the way to go. I did this one last year. Great venue at the JW Marriott. She came to San Antonio for the weekend and brought me real New England maple. What a great surprise. The spun maple sugar had directions and I happily obliged.

I have joined a group of amazing women in San Antonio who like triathlons. Tri Moms SA are strong and inspiring and give me courage to ride Vaderette on the roads. They let me be a Tri Mom because I have 4-legged "kids."  And, they are keeping me a bit more accountable in training. Yep, training.  Friday evening, we picked up our packets and considered racking our bikes.  But, it had rained . . .HARD . . .and I didn't trust that it would stay dry. Tri Moms had reserved bike racks, so we figured we would rack in the morning.  

I picked up swag for other friends, too.

We put our stuff together and talked about transition. Tried to go to bed early. Didn't succeed. 

Endymion and Vaderette had a date

I always freak out a little and can't sleep, so up and out of the house early. Racks were FULL . . .people ignored the reserved sign, but no one should mess with a pregnant triathlete (not me), a feisty Puerto Rican (also not me), and an officer with an ego (me). We politely (but firmly) reminded people what "reserved" meant and we made room for our bikes with the group.  Took a picture. 

Tri Moms, with reflective caps

Headed to the Lazy River. 750 women's voices sang the National Anthem, and there was a small prayer. I moved to the back of the pack to hang with Kate for the swim.  We met a pair of ER nurses from Dallas who taught me a new word . . ."douchathlete." I don't have to explain, triathletes out there know what I'm talking about. Anyway, I didn't really freak out because I was just planning to hang with Kate, no matter what. I wanted to celebrate with her when she officially became a triathlete. Wouldn't miss it. So . . .we had a leisurely 400 meter swim in the lazy river and a quick walk 1/8 mile to transition. 11:17

Kate lost her chip in the pool and we had a brief episode of panic. Told the volunteers in transition and they had it waiting for her for the run. Yea!! Great volunteers.  Transition was my usual picnic. Kate considered trying out the transition bucket that I don't use anymore, but even she didn't need to have a seat. 5:40

I screwed up my ride app and didn't try to use my non-functioning computer. For some reason, chip didn't record, either, so the bike and T2 are an estimate from the other times. The Bike was FUN!!! I think it's the first time I've ever had so much fun on a ride, it is surely the first time I've drafted. I followed Kate and she pulled well. The ride was just so much fun. A few little barely climbs, and I didn't get out of high gears until the last steep hill at the end. Even then, I didn't have to grind, just a short spin. I sing 99-bottles-of beer during hard climbs . . .I only went through 3 bottles. There were tight 180 turns and I made the first one, and had to scoot the last 3. Kate waited for me on the second, but dropped her chain getting going again. Sorry, Kate.  I pedaled slowly until she caught back up, but Vaderette wanted to GO GO GO!!! She passed people who were pedaling, even when I wasn't. On the second lap, Kate could tell my steed was champing at the bit, so told me to take off. I sure wish I was recording, because it was awesome!!! I felt strong and happy. Then to T2. Probably also a picnic. For some reason, chip didn't record, either, so the bike and T2 are an estimate from the other times.  There was a bit of a walk with the bike before (and after) the mount (and dismount) lines and that probably added to transition times. At least that's the excuse I'm using. Anyway, the 10 mile bike and T2 56:45. 

I figured I would go my pace and catch Kate after the turnaround.  Quarter mile and my hip flared again. DANG IT!!!! Back to a walk. It's a beautiful course filled with really great happy women. After the turn around, I found Kate and turned around again to hang with her the rest of the way. It added 0.79 miles to my total distance, but I had great company.  We talked, and walked, and FINISHED TOGETHER!!!!  2.79 miles in 47:26.  Total time: 2:01:08

Thanks for the lovely medal, Major Rivera. I love a picture with a handsome man in uniform. Now time for mimosas and food. I really like this event. It's low key, friendly, beautiful swag, awesome food, mimosas (better than beer). What more can a girl ask for? 

We celebrated with naps and pedicures. Next day went to Austin for brunch, and I found (and bought) this great bowl. I can't wait until my next party invite.

Just posting this picture because I think it's funny.