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I'm writing this post with my eyes still half asleep - which brings me to recent event #1.  Evan's daily schedule has definitely changed.  He used to wake up and feed somewhere between 6 and 8:30, and if it was on the earlier end of that spectrum - he'd promptly go back to sleep much to my relief (as I needed the sleep, too!).  But now he's all about being awake after that first feeding, and he'll only put up with being "self-entertained" by the denver bronco mobile for so long, so that means I have to get up after the first feeding, too.  Yawn…

Evan is awake alot more these days…I've only recently started keeping track of exactly how long he's awake vs sleeping - but it's already increased from 9 hours per day to 12-13 hours in the past week.   While it is exciting that Evan is going through a developmental growth spurt - it couldn't have come at a worse time.   I recently agreed to do some work from home (I'm kicking myself for that but what is done is done) - and I had been counting on making use of Evan's nap time to get it done.   The problem is that he rarely ever naps for more than 30 minutes at a time now…and that's just not enough time for me to sink my teeth into the project (which by the way, has a deadline that is fast approaching).   I was thinking that I may be able to get alot done in the evening hours when JP is home - but he's been sick with a nasty cold for the past week - so he hasn't been able to help me with Evan.  Sigh.

So why am I working?   I think I kind of panicked.  I've been out of work for awhile, and so much can change when you are out of the loop.   A few weeks ago I stopped by just to catch up with how things were going.   Before I went on maternity leave, they had talked to me about coming back to work as Regional Manager for Operations in Northern California.  This was a big promotion as I would go from overseeing Operations in our SF office to overseeing Operations for 4 offices in our No Cal region.  Well, when I stopped in back at work that day, they mentioned that they were going to hold off on creating that position for another year, and that they hadn't quite figured out what they wanted me to do yet - but they were looking forward to my return.   In light of this, and feeling the need to do something so that my end of year bonus/salary adjustment was a good as it could be considering I'd been out for awhile - I mentioned that I would be willing to do some work from home if they needed me.   The very next day they called me with an assignment…

But there is good news.   They've finally figured out what they want me to do next year - and in some ways it is a bigger promotion than the Regional Manager position.  They want me to take over Business Development for the entire company next year!  Director of Business Development will be my internal organization title.  I'm a bit scared (it will be a difficult position to fill given the current economy)…but I'm still excited for the new opportunity.

When I'm not working - I expect that I will be spending a little too much time on Facebook.  After months of asking me why I wasn't on Facebook yet - JP finally just signed me up for it.  I have to admit that I'm glad he did.   I've already reconnected with so many people from High School and other places - people I had never expected to hear from again in my lifetime.   I continue to marvel at the internet and all the power it wields. 

Between my promotion, Facebook, JP being sick, Halloween and the election - it's been quite a week.  Fortunately JP is starting to feel a bit better (and hopefully he didn't pass it on to Evan or me).  Evan stayed in his Wonder Bread costume for all of 3 minutes before he had a complete breakdown on Halloween…maybe we'll have better luck next time.   We watched the election returns on Tuesday night.   It was pretty exciting to watch history in the making.   JP was very happy to see that Obama won (and I was somewhat relieved to see that the predictions that America was too racist to ever vote a black president into office proved wrong).   I felt a little bad for McCain but wasn't surprised that he lost (especially given Bush's dismal approval ratings and his VP choice).   I was happy to see that Bob Barr seemed to do well compared to the other independent candidates…it gives me hope that more and more people are starting to discover the beauty of the Libertarian party.   But for now - I must go back to work and make more money so that Obama can tax it all away and give it to the more needy.  Sigh. 

Although just about everyone I know seems to be able to recite the famous Mark Twain quip "the coldest winter I ever spent was the summer in San Francisco" - I continue to be amazed at how many visitors to this great city are completely oblivous to what the weather is like here.   You can always spot the tourist walking around downtown - freezing their butt off wearing shorts and a tee-shirt in the middle of July.   Perhaps inspired by the start of our rainy season - I've decided to create a little cheat sheet for those family and friends that are thinking about visiting us any time soon.   As always - I highly recommend you check out www.weather.com for the actual weather forecast before packing…

End of October to End of March (aka - Rainy Season/Winter).   The days are usually cold, grey and rainy.   It's not the kind of rain that comes with thunder and fireworks, but rather the kind of rain that goes on for days and is often accompanied by a fierce wind that renders your umbrella completely useless and makes you want to sit by a fire under a blanket and eat soup all day.  You have absolutely no desire to leave your house - unless of course you are headed up to Tahoe where the rain falls down as white fluffy snow.   I usually welcome the first rain of the season (as long as I don't have to drive anywhere) because it clears out the air and everything feels so clean.  But it doesn't take long for the rainy weather pattern to become depressing and old.   And just when you think you've had enough - and reminding yourself that folks in Seattle have it worse doesn't help anymore - that's when the sun decides to make a brief appearance and you cherish the golden orb in the sky on those clear crisp winter days more than you ever had before and all is well with the world, at least until the rain begins to fall again.

End of March to Beginning of June (aka - Spring?).   To me it is more of a transition period between the cold rainy winter and the cold foggy summer - but it is usually a beautiful transition.  As the season progresses, the rain becomes more scarce and the temperatures begin to rise.  The hills are still green from all of the rain and all things seem to bloom under the sun that appears more frequently now.   But as is true with most springs, the weather is fickle and you can never predict from day to day if it will act more like winter or summer.  

Beginning of June to Beginning of September (aka "Summer" - ha!).  This is the season that throws most visitors for a loop.  They expect days filled with fun and sun and heat - and instead they typically find wind and fog and cold.  This is the hardest season for me having lived most of my life in Florida.  There are days, however, when the sun does shine and you find yourself pulling out those old sundresses and shorts and celebrating the glorious weather (and sometimes cursing the fact that you don't have any air conditioning)…but those days are the exception to the norm and are few and far between.

Beginning of September to End of October (aka "fall" or "indian summer").  This is my favorite San Francisco season by far.  As if in apology for a miserable summer, the fog disappears to reveal clear blue skies, and the days are filled with a warm sun and a cool breeze - perfect weather for walking the dogs.  If the season has any fault - it is that it is too short.  Sigh. 

JP's sister Kristin was visiting us for a little while…she just left on Monday.  It was really nice to have her around - it reminded me of when she used to live with us oh so long ago.   Just shy of her 3rd trimester, a pregnant Kristin braved my crazy walks with Evan and the dogs; helped try to calm Evan down when he got fussy; changed a few non-poopy diapers; treated us to lunch and dinner; ran a bunch of random errands with us; and let Tucker sleep her bed

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JP and Kristin get along really well - they share a similar sense of humor.  As a result - I heard more Howard Stern in the week she was here than I have in my entire life.   If I never hear or see him again it will be too soon…when is his contract with Sirius Radio up anyway? 

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Last night Evan and I finished reading the final book in the Harry Potter series.  The first few books were entertaining enough - a very quick read - but the last book in particular was exceptional.  I actually cried and found myself consumed with thoughts of Severus Snape all day [I did not follow any of the Harry Potter gossip when the books were originally released, but was happy to discover my initial thoughts about him were correct].   I've been reading those books for so many weeks now - it was sad to come to a close - like saying good-bye to a good friend.   But now we've graduated to the Lord of the Rings, so that will keep us occupied for awhile.

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Evan now weighs over 13 lbs and has graduated to the 3-6 month clothes (the pants fit better in the waist, but he's a bit on the short side so we have to roll up the bottoms).   He smiles and babbles alot now, but we are still waiting to hear a good laugh from him.  He's doing better at tummy time, and I am sure that he'll be crawling in a few months.  He usually sleeps through the night until about 6 or 7 in the morning, but every once in a while he sleeps until 8:30 (which scares me half to death and I keep getting up to make sure he's still breathing).   Always on the lookout for new things to entertain him - JP recently purchased an Elmo Live (a talking, dancing, story-telling, laughing Elmo doll).  Evan seems to be mesmerized by this thing - which is great.   I only wish it came with a volume control…   Now I just need to get working on his Halloween costume.  Sigh.

This past weekend we had my best friend, Kimberly, and her husband, Saul, in town.   It was great to have them around, helping me walk the dogs and change/hold Evan, helping with the laundry etc.   We tried to go to the soapbox derby on Saturday…but that was a bit of a fiasco.   We couldn't find any parking nearby, so after an hour of trying, we went off to park in Noe Valley and take the J Train to Dolores Park.  We waited awhile for the train, and finally made it to the derby with only 30 minutes left.  We got to see all of three runs before we had to head back (Evan needs to eat about every 3 hours or so - and I'm not into breastfeeding in public - at least not  yet).   Trying to get home was a whole separate adventure…never again.

Anyway, Kimberly and I have known each other since 2nd grade…and although we live 3000 miles apart - we always seem to pick up right where we left off.   But it was sad to see them go.  Of course, they couldn't leave without first trying to convert my son into being a Gator fan…

Everytime somebody from home comes to visit - I start creating a mental list of all the things I miss about Florida.  But I know I'm stuck here in California - at least for now - so I also create a list of all the things that are great about my current home.   Here they go:

Top 5 Things I Miss About Florida:

1. Family and Friends.  We've got a good network of friends here in SF - but my best friend is in Florida, as are my parents, and both sets of grandparents.  For some reason - it became alot harder for me to be so far away from them after Evan was born. 
2. Seeing the Sun.  Florida isn't called the sunshine state for nothing.   Granted - we've had some pretty nice weather in SF recently - but (as usual) most of the summer sucked with a cold windy fog that I find to be utterly depressing.  Winters aren't much better…
3. Beaches.   I have yet to find a beach that compares to the ones in Florida.  The sand is so soft and so pure that it doesn't even get hot!  The water, albeit a bit warm, is a beautiful turquoise color and so clear…
4. Lightning Storms.   It's a weird thing to miss, I know.  But after 10 years of a boring grey drizzle, I miss the excitement of watching an approaching storm, the sky turning an ominous purple-black color and the rumble of thunder that follows the crack of a lightning bolt (one-one-thousand-two-one-thousand…)
5. Cost of Living.   There's no state tax (the tourists pay for that) and it's much cheaper to live there - we could have a much bigger house and I could probably get away without having to work…   

Top 5 Things I Like About California:

1. Proximity to Awesome Places.   Tahoe, Wine Country, Monterey…need I say more.
2. Outdoor Activities.   Without the humidity and nasty bugs - you can actually enjoy several outdoor activities that would be a nightmare in Florida.   I'm reminded of this every time I take my dogs for a walk.
3. Dog Friendly.  It is one of the most dog friendly places in the world as evidenced by the fact that most people don't laugh at you when you say that your dogs go to puppy day care
4. Restaurants and Wine Selection.  I've become very spoiled by the caliber of our restaurants and the extensive selection of fabulous wines available in the local grocery store no less…
5. Schools (at least outside of SF).  The Peninsula and the East Bay are home to some awesome school districts that would be great for Evan if we stay here…

Now that all the "man's best friends" blog posts are done, I figured I should catch everyone up on the latest happenings in the Lester household.

Evan Update:

As of last Saturday, Evan weighed 12 lbs 1.6 oz - and that's with a completely empty bladder (he peed on himself - his face actually - three times before we were finally able to get that weight).   He's also started doing quite a bit of standing lately…it's one of his favorite activities.   He continues to do a pretty good job sleeping through the night - the other night he actually went for 9 hours in between feedings!   Needless to say - I still get up just to make sure he's breathing.  Also, as we're always on top of the latest and greatest news - Evan now has a fan in his room to help prevent against SIDS. 

Neighbor Update:

Our neighborhood is a unique mixture of younger families that recently purchased homes (in the past 10 years) and the elderly who've owned their homes for decades - back when $50K actually got you something in SF).  Our neighbor on one side, Pauline, is "the salt of the earth" as JP likes to say.  She's always accepting packages for us when we're not here and is good about giving us updates on the goings on in the 'hood.   Our neighbor on the other side, Anita, is an odd duck…but we've always gotten along with her.   Her husband died a few years ago, and apparently she doesn't have any children, because she's all alone now.   Recently I saw her using a walker.    Well, we found out from Pauline the other day that Anita is using the walker because she's got cancer throughout her body, and that last Saturday, she fell down the stairs in front of her house when she tried to go get her paper in the morning.  She was hurt and called out repeatedly for help.   JP and I - who were only 20 feet away at most - did not hear a thing :(  Fortunately, the neighbors on the other side of Anita did.   She's currently in a nursing home trying to heal.   It's so sad.

In other news:

My 32nd birthday came and went on Monday (by the way, I share a birthday with Margaret Thatcher, Jerry Rice and Paul Simon).  JP and Evan gave me a beautiful necklace with ruby and diamonds in it (rubies are Evan's birthstone).   Bill and Jessica were kind enough to watch Evan while we went to Blowfish Sushi for dinner - it was excellent! 

On Tuesday - we had Lisa (an awesome photographer!) come over to take some photographs of Evan.  I think she actually got a few of him actually smiling - so I'm looking forward to seeing them.   We went off to Chenery Park restaurant afterwards with Lisa and Brad (Tuesday night is kids night - and the restaurant is usually packed with families with their children).

Today my Aunt Gay Rene came over to help me with Evan and the puppies.  It was great having her around.  She helped walk the dogs and played fetch with Tucker (who was psyched because we haven't done that in awhile).   We went out to the Village Grill for lunch and I was pleasantly surprised to find that Evan was very well behaved

I'm looking forward to having Kim and Saul and Kristin out soon :)  

The last entry in this series of blogs relates to the latest canine addition to our family - Madison.  We had been wanting to get a friend for Tucker so he wouldn't be alone all the time during the days when he wasn't at puppy daycare - and when JP found himself in between jobs two years ago - we figured it was a good time to get a new puppy since he'd be home to tend to her needs (i.e., let her out to go potty frequently). 

Madison was the only beagle puppy in her litter - so we didn't really have any choice when picking her out - but she was so cute (still is!) - that it didn't really matter.  Unlike Tucker, who was shaking and scared when we brought him home, Madison was very happy and ready to tackle her new world.   She was absolutely elated when she saw Tucker and immediately ran to him wanting to play.  I wish I could say that Tucker felt the same.   He looked at us as if to say, "What did I ever do to you to deserve this?"   It was really kind of sad.  Madison *loved* Tucker and wanted to play with him and do everything he was doing.  Tucker, on the other hand, wanted absolutely nothing to do with Madison.   

I must admit that it took a bit longer for me to bond with Madison than it did with Tucker - partly because she didn't really seem interested in anything that wasn't a dog.  She wasn't that affectionate (she wasn't a lap dog like Tucker - at least not then), and she didn't really like to be petted that much (Tucker meanwhile will flip on his back at a heartbeat for belly rubs).   But she eventually came around

It's been two years and we've seen alot of progress (well, except in the house breaking department).  Tucker has become more tolerable of her.   He's particularly fond of it when she licks his ears clean and I've seen him actually jump up next to her and nudge her to do it.  Tucker used to get up and move any time she tried to get next to him - but I've caught them sleeping next to eachother quite a few times as of late.   Madison has also started to realize the value of her human family and is just as much of a lap dog as Tucker.   She also does something that Tucker doesn't do - she licks feet!  I know that probably sounds gross - but let me assure you - it's like a heavenly foot massage!

Madison is incredibly sweet and she always listens (unlike Tucker who only listens when he wants to).  She isn't that smart (as Uncle Daan and Aunt Kristin pointed out after spending some time with her) - but Madison can be quite devious.   We have a habit of rewarding the dogs with treats every time they go out and go potty [mostly in an effort to reinforce "potty outside" concept to Madison].  Madison put 2 and 2 together and realized that every time she rang the bells - Tucker would come running to get a treat.  So whenever she wants something that Tucker is playing with - she'll go and ring the bells - and as Tucker comes running to the back door for a treat - she circles back to wherever he used to be and steals whatever he was playing with

Madison seems to do really well with toddlers and little kids…so I have a feeling that she and Evan are going to be fast friends…only time will tell

Having both grown up with dogs - JP and I knew we wanted to get a dog as soon as we moved into a condo that allowed pets.  The trouble was - we couldn't agree on what kind of dog to get.  I had my heart set on a black lab (to be named Mobley, after the famous John Mobley who helped the Denver Broncos secure their first SuperBowl win in a game against Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers), but JP wanted a miniature poodle similar to the dogs he had as a child.   I refused to have a small "puntable" dog, and JP refused to have a big dog…so we turned to internet for help.   After what seemed like months of searching - we finally found a dog we could both agree on - the beagle.  It was a smaller dog, but it was more like a big dog that was packaged in a small dog's body; and unlike the small little "puntable" dogs - the beagle is solid.

When we went to go pick out our new dog from the litter of beagle puppies - I was disappointed to see that another family (a little boy and his parents) had arrived there first - so they got first dibs.  I immediately knew which puppy I wanted.  He was by far the cutest of the litter (and the largest), and when he went over to a hole to do his business - I knew he was meant for me.  I was a bit worried because the boy's parents seemed to have their eye on the same dog - but fortunately the boy seemed to be more interested in an ugly puppy with a swollen belly, and he would not be deterred.  That day we drove home with Tucker

In many ways, Tucker was our first "baby", and I'm the first to admit he's a bit spoiled as a result.  He seems to think that he's a person - just like everyone else - and would prefer to hang out with a group of humans over a group of dogs any day.  As our guests are well aware - Tucker also thinks he's a lap dog (even though he's over 50 lbs!) and that of course everyone wants to pay attention to him at all times.   But he's a very sweet, smart dog - and JP and I have been blessed to have him in our life all these years.  I can't believe he'll be 7 in January!   

Life with Tucker has been quite an adventure, and has left me with many memories that make me smile (even if they didn't at the time).  I remember:

- the first night we had Tucker - he was scared and whimpering in his crate - so JP laid down on the floor next to him and stuck his fingers in the crate; JP slept like that all night (that's when I knew that JP would be a good daddy);

- him (as a tiny puppy) trying to stand up on the bamboo floors in the dining room of our condo and sliding all about like Bambi;

-  the first time he "rang the bells" to let us know he needed to go out and go potty (up until then I didn't believe that JP's system would work);

-  the time Tucker chewed up a blue pen, leaving a puddle of blue ink all over the condo's bright white carpet, not to mention his snout and paws;

-  the diarrhea incident [Tucker was locked in his crate while JP and I were at a baby shower, and he had to go really bad, but didn't want to go in his crate (which was pushed up against the railing of the loft, overlooking the stairs and the living room), so he put his butt against the crate and proceeded to poop over the edge of the loft, down onto the white carpeted stairs, and everything that was stored beneath them!];

- the time Tucker was swarmed by a bunch of little kids when JP took him to the park behind the condo, and Tucker - being scared - immediately jumped into an older woman's lap and peed on her!;

-  the time Tucker was able to sniff out a toy from my parent's suitcase when they came to visit several years ago - somehow he just knew that was his and didn't feel like waiting for them to give it to him;

-  when Tucker was sprayed by a skunk in the backyard of our house…you could literally see the odor circling in a cloud around him, and it took DAYS to get the smell out [this incident taught us to keep lots of canned tomatoes and vinegar in the house as a precaution and is the reason we now have a shower on our first floor];

-  finding out that Tucker is a good swimmer - he jumped right into the freezing cold Lake Tahoe to retrieve a stick that JP had thrown in;

-  all the walks he took with me along the trails in Glen Canyon and Mt Davidson (unlike most beagles - Tucker is very good off leash and we don't have to worry about him running away - he likes to be with his people); and

-  the time he came home with a report card from puppy day care that read, "Today Tucker reminded me just how smart dogs can be" (I never did find out what it was he did).

Yep, that's my dog

Dr. Kennedy (our family vet and neighbor) knew how devastated the family was when we lost Oscar - so when one of his customers inquired about finding a new home for their dog - my father was the first one he called.  That's how Roscoe came to be in the Wark household.

Apparently Roscoe's original owners also had a pig - and the pig and Roscoe did NOT get along.  So Roscoe spent the better part of the first year of his life locked in a crate in the backyard.  Roscoe was also woefully thin - apparently the pig was fond of Roscoe's food - even if he didn't care much for the dog.   To give you an idea of just have thin (starved really) Roscoe was - I don't think he was much over 50 lbs when we got him, and he was well over 120 lbs once he was nursed back to health.  Granted, he was perhaps a bit overweight…but after being starved for so long - he became quite a big fan of food!

Anyway, Roscoe's previous owners finally came to the realization that the situation wasn't working out - one of the pets had to go - and they decided that would be the dog.  Their loss - our gain.  Although it definitely got off to a rocky start.

Roscoe was never allowed inside before - so he was very nervous when my father tried to bring him into our house.  My mother says he stood there shaking, afraid to come in at first - but that it didn't take long before he was making himself comfortable - hogging my parents bed as if it was his own.

Then something happened.  Not too long after Roscoe came to live with my parents - he suddenly went paralyzed.  He couldn't stand at all.  Dr. Kennedy couldn't figure it out…he didn't seem to be injured anywhere…none of the tests that he ran could explain it.   At the time, my memere and pepere (that's what my french grandparents are called) were living at my parents house - so they helped my mother pick Roscoe up with a towel around the belly so he could do his business outside.   Other than that - he could only lay around.  He went on like this for many weeks if not months.  Dr. Kennedy recommended that they put Roscoe down.  My father, not wanting to go through the pain of losing another dog so shortly after losing Oscar, started to withdraw and detach himself from Roscoe.   He just reached the point where he was ready to have Roscoe put to sleep when the amazing happened…Roscoe stood up.   Miraculously - Roscoe was able to make a full recovery in a short amount of time.  We never did find out what caused the paralysis - but it did teach my family to believe in miracles :)

Roscoe continued to prosper under the care of my family - a bit too much some people might say…   At 120+ lbs and tall enough to put his paws on your shoulders - he was quite a dog!  I always joked that he was more like a horse than a dog he was so huge.  He had a pretty mean bark - and all of the neighborhood kids were petrified of him.   This worked out well for us because we never had to worry about any break-ins…  However, the people that were allowed inside the house saw a softer side of Roscoe.  He was very protective of his sqeaky toys - he hated it when they squeaked (it was like he thought they were crying out in pain or something) - and he'd always come running to their rescue when he heard that sound.

Roscoe started to get sick again this year.   He was over 10 years old (9 of those years he spent with our family) which is a good amount of time for such a large dog - but I don't think any of us were ready for him to go.   He died unexpectedly earlier this week

I only got to see Roscoe a few times a year whenever I'd visit home - but my mother, father and brother were all very close to him.  Unlike Oscar - Roscoe was a homebody and never liked to be far from family and the places he knew - and the house just won't seem the same without him in it…

To our amazing miracle dog, Roscoe, we love you and miss you.