Marathon Party

Some of our running buddies hosted a party last night.  Here is a shot of JS and CDW, and one of all of the Pacemakers.

Baltimore Running Festival

Today was the Baltimore Running Festival.  Neither of us ran, but a lot of our Pacemaker friends were out there.  I saw lots of folks at the 6 mile mark, and then at the finish line.  I also saw the Kenyans, which is my fave part of not being able to run (if I had to choose one).  I don't often get to see those fast folks when I'm racing.  It was definitely too hot today for a race, but everyone managed to smile in spite of the heat.

Here are some picts from today:  Chris and Jackson, A few Pacemakers post-race, runners at mile 6, Carol approaching the finish line, and Chris, Jackson, Charles and Carol celebrating her first 26.2!  Congratulations Carol!

Sports Injury

Turns out that sports injuries run in the family.  We think Caele got her injury Saturday after a dip in the cold pool - she then did a few laps at breakneck speed and then she was limping. Sound familiar to anyone?  Like mother like daughter (except for the breakneck speed part).  

The Dr.'s think that she tore some of the fibres in a tendon in her leg - that's what caused the swelling.  They gave her an NSAID injection at the site, and now she will be on an anti-inflammatory for the next few days.  She's also wearing this compression sock.  Please be quiet. She is trying to rest now.

Oh yeah - and I thought the Palin cartoon was really funny.  Thanks Carol!

Dogfest and Kittens Everywhere

Who remembers little Urban Meyer?  Well Urban Meyer (the stray kitten in my parking garage in January 2007) was adopted by a fabulous couple and renamed Huxley (I call him Huxley Meyer).  But I digress when I eat apples.  One of the many cool things about Huxley's family is that his mom is on the board of the Baltimore County SPCA.  Today the BCSPCA had their Dogfest event so we decided to check it out.  It was lots of fun!!  Doggies got to swim, go to the "beach," pick their own pumpkins, and we met lots of other fabulous dogs, some available for adoption.  We also went home with a goodie bag full of treats.

Another cool thing about Huxley's family is that they are fostering a litter of four kittens right now.  Soon these kittens will be big and healthy enough to go to forever homes.  So, if you've been thinking about getting a kitten, consider one of these guys.  They're all seven weeks old, parentage unknown. The marks on their faces are just a result of their initial homelessness & are clearing up quickly - they are all healthy.

Anyone who wants to visit them or has questions about the kittens themselves can talk to Heather - I'll be happy to give you her information.  Adoption applications are required for all of them, and available through Feline Rescue Association: http://www.thecatrescue.org/

Pictured, from top:

Monkey: Fluffy little Monkey is a little bit more reserved, but a cute & spry little sweetie. She likes to play, but LOVES to be pet and cuddled.

Oyster: She's a playful, mischievous girl determined to leave no cat toy unturned.  She's gorgeous, smart, spry & alert; clearly, she'll be a beautiful cat.

Mushroom: The smallest of the four, Mushroom's a darling shy girl who wants nothing more than to curl up in your lap and be held. Adorable and sweet-natured, she might do best in a quieter home. 

Blaze: The one boy of the litter, Blaze is a husky, lovable little scamp! Loves to wrestle and play, but the first to line up for pets - a good-natured charmer.

 

Pictures are here!

I have corrected our technical difficulties.   Top four are of the pool party, bottom two are of CT.

Birthday Girl

Guess whose birthday is October 1?  Caele Armstrong!!  In just a few hours we'll celebrate Caele's 7th birthday.  Ok - we'll probably celebrate it in the morning since we'll all be asleep.  

I can't believe that my little girl is 7 years old.  I remember driving to PA to pick her up (from the mafia), the holes she chewed in walls, pooping on the carpet right before Easter dinner . . . I just can't believe she's been with me so long.  I really don't know if I could have made it all this way without her.  Caele - we love you and happy birthday!

Birthday photo tribute from top: Caele in her snuggle nest - do not disturb!  Caele in her piggy costume with Aunt JJ and Dad.  Caele and Mama on our trip to Niagara Falls in summer 2007.

Doggie Paddling

Today was the much anticipated (in our house) doggie swim at the local gym.  They have an outdoor pool, and on the last day of the season they allow the doggies to invade (god bless them!).  The thunderstorms held off although it was dicey at times.    We showed up with our $10 (donation to the local SPCA) and swam for a full hour and a half!  Here's the deal: Caele is a FISH. We still weren't sure if Jackson was in fact a swimmer.  So upon arrival Caele acclimated quickly.  At first Jackson only ran laps around the pool with other dogs.  When he jumped in, his back legs didn't work very hard, so we usually had to stay close by.  But after some practice, he got the hang of things.  By the end of our swim time, Jackson was a willing and adept swimmer.  We were so proud of him, and of every other dog at the swim.  The gym staff said that there were about 75 dogs there, which meant some great cash raised for the SPCA, and there were no dog fights to speak of - just lots of urban mutts (ok - golden retrievers and chocolate labs) swimming until they just couldn't stand anymore, and gourmet dog treats for everyone.  Yes, there are awesome picts from this event.  No, they are not on the blog.  After some troubleshooting, BF CDW has concluded that we need a new cable from the camera to the MAC.  I hope to work on that tomorrow. When I do convince the camera and computer to speak to each other again I promise you some fab picts of doggies relaxing up in CT, and swimming picts that Aunt Carol took this evening.  

PS - Post swim Aunt's Carol and Amy and Uncle Charles had dinner at Little Havana with Jody and Chris.  A good time was had by all.  Mama had too many margaritas, but she was closing out margarita season (margarita season coincides with pool season which ended today, but daddy is petitioning to extend margarita season to coincide with marathon season - says that the extra salt benefits his training).