On Being a Better Human, Being Grateful

One of Bear's last photos... always the ham.

It's been a year since Bear died.

I miss the old guy. He would have liked this new place, even the snow. He would have liked the new people, the balcony, the new home surrounded by lots of places to romp.

I look at my life, the changes that took place over the last year, and mind. blown. I can't even begin to describe how different my life is now. If I could tell myself a year ago what it would be like, I don't think I would have believed it. There's a lot of great. The new and fabulous friends. The realization that I'm tougher than I thought I was. Or that I'm much more of an extrovert than I care to admit. The brilliant sunsets and drenching rainstorms. The wine bar I frequent on Mondays.

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On Dreams, Pups, and Bread: Con Pane Bakery

I wrote this post 6 months ago with the intention of publishing it then, but life, school, and a new computer got in the way. Clearly, I'm not writing much currently. At times, there wasn't much to say, and most times, there was no time to say anything. My story has changed so much in the latter half of 2013. Here's how it started...

Five weeks and counting. The committee usually meets weekly on Wednesdays. Online forums were filling up with information about acceptances and they were coming in like clockwork. It was Thursday morning and I'd just arrived home from class. Bear woke up from his nap and I let him outside to do his thing.

Resist the urge to check. Resist the urge to check. Don't call the admissions office. Don't be that kid.

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On Goodbyes and the Best Dog Ever

I love to tell the story of Bear's first poop in San Diego. At least, it was his first poop under my sole supervision. I'd never had a dog growing up, so I hardly knew the first thing about taking care of one. Due to construction at work, I had a month off to acquaint myself with my new role: dog owner.

By the way, they own us. Yeah, that was lesson #1.

Lesson #2 was picking up poop. No matter how cute a pup is; it poops. It poops a lot. They'll have a schedule, but they'll still poop. And if you're a good human being, you'll pick up the damn poop. Yes, pick it up. No, not with your bare hands! Just use the bag as a glove and bring paper towels as backup. Or figure out what works best for you.

What? That's not enough? You'll still get poop on your hands? Hey, we all touch poop at some point in our lives. Pets, children, and/or incontinence will afflict most of us at some point.

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Terra American Bistro: On Soothing the Soul

Multi-purpose planter is decorative and provides herbs for the restaurant.

Dan and I had an amazing meal at Terra American Bistro as a preview for San Diego Restaurant Week, starting Monday, September 17. As we sat in the warm dining room and watched the people around us, it was clear that Terra's an inviting place with great food that adds to any celebration, helps a first date along, or soothes an aching soul.

We definitely needed some soothing and if food is medicine, Terra was what the doctor ordered.

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Spring Sunday: On Relaxing Weekends

This? Sunday morning here in San Diego. Winter, we hardly knew ye.

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On Sunsets and Old Pups

He reached the end of the leash, the tug on the collar reminding him that six feet was as far as he could go from us. A younger Bear would not have stood for it, straining wildly while one of us hung on tight, the leash wrapped tightly around our hand and wrist. Old Bear, however, accepted the restraint with equanimity. He stood where the leash stopped him and happily barked at the seagulls and sandpipers, looking very pleased with himself when they flew away. We started to trot up and down the beach with him, fully aware that too much running would mean a limping dog later in the evening.

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My Return to Humanity: Doggie Beer Bones, the Mercato, and Another Giveaway

Bear, another customer of Doggie Beer Bones, and Flash, the Nermal to Bear's Garfield.

Ahem.

So... for the latter half of June, breathing was overrated.

At least, according to my body. Remember I mentioned catching Dan's cold?

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Wordless Wednesday: Sleepy Puppy

This week, I didn't forget it is Wednesday. It may be morning here in San Diego, but I already need a nap.

Wordless Wednesday: Weekend Walking

Make that almost wordless. It was a gorgeous weekend here in San Diego and, for once, I did not have a lot on my plate. So, we took a walk.

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Station Tavern: Bear's Day Out

We don't often take Bear out with us, but when we do, it's nice to have dog-friendly options. Station Tavern in the South Park area of San Diego is an excellent place to dine with dogs, with most of the restaurant outdoors in an expansive patio.

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Too cute.

No, we don't spoil him at all.

From Crate and Barrel's new pet accessory line.

Domesticity

One of our wedding gifts: gorgeous new sheet/duvet set.

We love 'em, but apparently Bear felt the need to assert his thoughts. The sheets are a winner.

Mmmm... bread.

Why Bear can never be on the Atkins Diet.

Not blogging much...

...because somebody likes to take over the keyboard and type with his muzzle. I was minding my own business, reading mmm-yoso!!! on Google Reader when Bear came along with his "Hey, pat me, not the computer!" act.

I tried to fix the red-eye, but he still looks possessed.

Anyway, it's been busy week and I haven't had time to blog. The backlog's becoming quite long, so I'll be posting quite a bit over the next week or so. For now, an amendment to my previous post about the Central Coast:

I can't believe I forgot to mention this, but one of our favorite stops is a strawberry stand in Santa Maria. Right off the 101, it carries huge and juicy berries for very reasonable prices. A flat cost $18 and the every berry (not just the layer on top) were plump and juicy.


Strawberry Stand
From 101, exit Betteravia Rd.
Head east on Betteravia
Strawberry stand is next to the Mobil station, just past the off-ramp

A Potentially Useful Recipe

Interrupting the trip recaps with a story that is both tragic and comedic. Here in North Park, skunks are rather common and quite fearless. They roam from yard to yard, making their dens under houses (we've seen whole families slip through an open crawlway). Well, two NP skunks have met their fate in our yard, not realizing that Canus lupus familiaris is apparently one of their predators. To be fair, I think there's only one member of C. lupus familiaris who finds the thrill of victory to outweigh the disgusting stench. That's me trying to be polite and not say that someone is too dumb to learn that black and white stripes with a big tail = stink.

To date... Bear: 2 Skunks: 0

Last year, he went after an adult skunk and all olfactory nerves within a 2-house radius paid for it for a full day. Even after being immediately scrubbed down with skunk wash, dog shampoo, and a full groom the next day, he reeked of skunk for months. The worst died down after a couple of weeks, but the smell lingered in his hair follicles until Thanksgiving (first time was August 2007).

This past Friday, I let him out without checking the yard first. Next thing I knew, that all-too-familiar stink filled my nostrils. This time, though, it was a juvenile who went down fighting. D. went to pick up the body the next morning and found it with its teeth still bared.

Moo: Bear, it's a little one! You're a baby killer!

Bear: *grin* pant, pant, pant *tail wag*

No remorse, that one. You'd think he'd learn. In light of this event, I present a recipe:

Skunk Wash

1 quart hydrogen peroxide
1/2 cup baking soda
1 tsp. liquid soap (dish soap is fine)

Do not add water and do not mix in a closed container. Soak affected areas (since skunk spray is oily, it's ideal to use it on the whole body in case the spray spread) for five minutes, then wash with warm water. Be very careful when washing near the eyes or mouth. Follow with regular pet shampoo. Dry the pet thoroughly.

For best results, use it as soon as the pet's been sprayed. The vet office that gave us the recipe (thank goodness for 24-hour vet emergency rooms) said that the wash will be ineffective if the owner waits too long.

Ideally, if a regular grooming can be scheduled the next day, it helps, especially if the pet was hit full-blast at close range. Expect the smell to linger lightly for about 2-3 months. Since we had leftover wash and our poor little friend had met his end on a barren patch of sideyard, we poured the remainder over and around his body. That reduced the stench and made it easier to bag and leave out for the city's dead animal collection. Plus, the neighbors won't wonder what the hell happened... again.

Random Notes: Good Food and 80's Bear

A ragtag collection of notes from the past couple of weeks. The first thing is that Bear had surgery for lipomas two weeks ago. Has it really been two weeks? Poor thing... he was woozy afterwards, so as he stood next to us in the kitchen the first night, we noticed he was swaying ever so slightly. Always the charmer, the vet staff sent him home with lavish praise about how sweet he was. Not that Bear ever needs to have his ego further inflated.

We fitted him with a cone, just in case:

Ugh, are you serious?!

Turns out all he needed was a t-shirt to cover the stitches. He didn't scratch very much, which was good.

Very cute... way too cute.

Notice the cute 80's-style t-shirt knot. His hind legs were tangling in the hem of the shirt, so we had to pull it back. All he needs is a scrunchie on one ear and a slappy-wrist bracelet.

Food-wise, some items worth mentioning... the first being a new guilty pleasure: Einstein's Bagels Apple-Cinnamon Coffee Cake. Yum. It's probably the baked apples and streusel, but I love it. It's not kind to the waistline, though.

I haven't been overly thrilled with our CSA, which has the smallest parcels during peak growing season. What's up with that? Our veggies rot easily, especially the roots (potatoes, carrots, etc.). One would think everything would be more robust right now, but we're apparently receiving the worst of the harvest. Sure, they should save some for market, but for what they're charging, this is ridiculous. However, the strawberries are good. Organic and picked when the sugars are fully developed, they're fantastic.

Phuong Trang's bo cuon mo chai, or ground beef wrapped in caul fat, is excellent. It's really moist and flavorful. Served with a generous heap of greens, dry rice paper, and warm water, it's perfect because the rice paper is moistened at the table.

At $9.50, it's a generous serving and worth every penny.

Happiness is a warm puppy...

Rump-shot! Bear protecting my folks' backyard from intruders and cats.

...said the ever-wise Charlie Brown.

What to blog about? Food-wise, there's still plenty more to post about our fabulously chow-tastic trip to the Bay Area. We had a great weekend hanging out with D.'s family and I spent some time with Kirkleton and Krazo in beautiful San Francisco.

I could also grouse about wah-ding planning. Oh, if I use the word "w.e.d.d.i.n.g", wah-ding blog bots will link to my blog. I'd prefer to not let that happen, so I'm calling it a wah-ding, like Franck on "Father of the Bride". It's been quite slow (and annoying), all due to the fact that vendors hold their business hours Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm. Gee, that's just dandy, because my company happens to hold the same hours. What could be handled in one day's worth of phone calls and emails is spread out over weeks because I can't exactly plan a wah-ding at work.

With all of that, what's the subject of this post? Bear. Because he's more important than chow or wah-dings. He'd totally agree.

Yes, we all know who the bed really belongs to.

I've been following a few dog blogs lately and I love 'em. I'm not a fan of the overly-cutesy ones, but there are several that give the dogs a great voice with tons of pictures. My top three:

Two Dog Blog (the fabulous doggies of White on Rice Couple)

Nanook and Pooka (I've always liked Newfs, but these two have me convinced that a Newfy is in my future)

Five Happy Hounds (they're a hilarious bunch and I really admire their mom's devotion to rescue pups)

I wanted to start a blog for Bear, but D. thought I was A) insane and B) already too busy to keep up with this one. I disagree with A, but he has a point on B. So, inspired by this post (how cute is that bib with a tie on it?), I thought I'd write a post about Bear, belatedly celebrating his 9th birthday and reflecting on my first year as a dog-parent. It's a bit apropos, since Bear also loves the ocean and is my faithful shadow.

Seagulls, waves, water... oh, my!

Bear's a 75lb. (apparently quite large for the breed) Australian Shepherd who doesn't seem to understand the concept of age. He acts like and has the energy of a puppy. Passerby are often astounded to know he's pushing double-digits. Being a vain pretty boy, Bear is very aware of how gorgeous he is. Turn-ons include cat-chasing, crotch-sniffing, running, supervising (even when you're using the restroom... it's actually kind of cute), snuggling, belly-rubs, herding children, and anything that squeaks.

The handsome charmer.

He came to live with us while D.'s sister, H., was moving. The idea was for him to stay from January until April, then go back to H. Well, that was April '07 and Bear's still here, which I'm thrilled about. It's been an incredible year. I can't imagine life without him nowadays.

On throne #2 (#1 being the bed... ours, not his), where he always likes to have a pillow to rest his head on.

On a cliched and cheesy note, things I've learned:

• Walks and playtime don't get postponed just because I don't feel like it. Let's face it, they're good for me, too.
  
• Old dogs can learn new tricks. Age and bad habits are not reasons to give up on a dog. Or a human, for that matter.
• Love doesn't discriminate and neither does Bear. He'll love anyone who is willing to offer a pat or a few kind words and he will not judge a book by the cover.
• Be happy about the little things, like treats and going outside. Not just happy... enthusiastic, dammit.
• Protect your home and family from any threat, especially that pesky mail carrier.
  
• No greeting in the world is as wonderful as the one from a dog. That's because no human is that excited to see me. Hehe.
• Snuggling makes a good Sunday morning.
• While dogs are not people, they're living beings with feelings and distinct personalities. My job is to understand and respect the dog that Bear is while maintaining my role as pack leader. That includes continuous training, setting him up for success, and understanding that his breeding dictates a great deal of what kind of dog he is.
• Patience. I still don't have a lot of it, but I mysteriously have it in spades when it comes to Bear.
  
• Sometimes you just have to enjoy a good warm day by going outside and laying on the grass.
• Meeting other dog owners means that I'll know their dog's name, but no clue about theirs.
  

Thank you, Bearboo. Life was always pretty good, but having you has made it so much better.

Moo Moment: D. and Moo's Anniversary with Outback Steakhouse and Sage French Cake

I know, I know, first Cheesecake Factory, now Outback Steakhouse? Sheesh, right? Well, Outback is a tradition for us. Back in the day, we realized our first anniversary (March 20) fell during finals week. Obviously, there was no time or energy to enjoy a fancy meal, yet we wanted something that was a little more than our usual fare. Outback, with its steak-dominant menu, was still reasonably-priced, but with a little more fanfare. Hey, we were college students on a budget!

Today, Outback is no longer "fancy," but as D. pointed out, "It's still a tad expensive." More like overpriced. We eat there once a year on our anniversary and, while we've bandied around the idea of changing venues, it's not the same without the Bloomin' Onion. Speaking of...

In the past year, they've revamped their menu to offer a variety of different portions. My usual prime rib now comes in three weights, so I opted for the 8-ounce. Perfect for me. I'm not eating a lot of meat nowadays, so excessive protein tends to sit like a brick in my gut.

Part of the meal was two choices of sides, instead of the old salad-or-soup-plus-one-side. I chose the Asian chopped salad, which must have originally been called the Wasabi chopped salad because our waitress called it that. Guess wasabi didn't appeal to their customers. It was a mayonnaise-y and slightly spicy mix of chopped iceberg lettuce and the occasional cucumber. It wasn't very good.

For dessert, I picked up some goodies from Sage French Cake. It's a great bakery in Kearny Mesa, but the two times I've been there, they've run out of pastries long before closing time. I find that to be excellent, actually. That means they don't make more than they need and the pastries are always fresh. The first time, the case was completely empty by 7:15pm. This time, we were down to a handful of cake slices, so I picked three: strawberry shortcake, chocolate raspberry mousse, and caramel mousse.

The strawberry shortcake was the classic Asian interpretation with eggy and moist sponge cake with fresh whipped cream and strawberries. It was fantastic.

D. loves raspberries, but the chocolate raspberry mousse cake wasn't quite what we'd hoped for. The flavors weren't balanced very well, so it was tart and bitter at the same time and not in a good way.

The caramel mousse cake was really good. It had a burnt sugar crust a la creme brulee.

One last thing... when we arrived home from dinner, we were greeted by Bear playing the St. Bernard stereotype. Interesting bit of useless trivia... the classic image of a St. Bernard isn't true, they never carried brandy around their necks. Well, Bear did have something around his neck.

It looks like D. is going to become Mr. Moo! It is 2008, after all. Hehe.

A Moo Moment: Meet Bear

Here's the "I love my dog" post. I noticed that a lot of food bloggers who have dogs will write a post about them. Sounds good to me.

This is Bear, our sous chef, vacuum, guest greeter, inspector of all bags that crinkle (treats come in bags that crinkle), cheerleader, and kitchen rug. He's a big sweetie and a huge opportunist. Not one to beg for food or steal it off your plate, Bear considers all items that hit the ground to be fair game. Also, if we leave the house and choice food items are on the counter within reach, it's apparently our fault for leaving them out.

Bear is quite the chowhound, appreciating everything from organic peanut butter dog cookies to lemongrass to that canine delicacy: cat poop.

Bread and cheese are two of his favorites. Like many Aussies, he likes to supervise. Dropped bread or cheese would be icing on the cake.

He's a barrel of snuggly fun. I didn't have a dog growing up, so Bear's technically my first dog. Well, he's D.'s family dog, so he's like my step-doggie or adoptive-doggie. Doesn't keep me from loving him to bits.