May 2009

Happy birthday Wendy! This year we actually got to see her on her birthday, it’s been a long while since that’s happened. Granite City (our fav brewery from when we were in MN) was having a tapping party in Omaha that night so we went there for the occasion. Ironically enough, the pregnant lady won the growler of beer, go figure.

Jason Mraz was coming through Omaha, so we snagged tickets last minute and went along with Daniela and Bridget. It seems to always happen to me, but I like singers early on then kind of dead-off when they get popular. He sang mostly new stuff, but it was still a fun night out and a chance to see the Plain White Ts open, who we had attempted to see last summer here in Omaha but was a rainout for us.

The baseball team here, the Omaha Royals, had a night called Bark in the Park. This was crazy shit – you bring your dog to the baseball stadium and watch the game. Funny. Daniela and I had heard about this when we went to the Dog Park Fundraiser a few weeks ago. We took Charlie and met up with Elvis and his family there too. It wasn’t as chaotic as you’d imagine, only a few barks here and there. The dogs were sectioned off so that you couldn’t be seated next to someone allergic or a cat person instead, good planning on their part. And the game was great too, a win in the bottom of the 9th – can’t beat that.

While here, we missed two events we usually go to every year – the Race for the Cure in Boise and Spokane, good thing mom still represented!

While we are getting used to our surroundings, there are some similarities and differences here compared to other places we've stayed. Like the humidity - although it hasn't fully kicked in, I (am the only one who can) still feel it now, and it reminds me of Florida. After all, I did spend the first 30 years of life in the desert. The dampness extends to food - if you don't seal it up tight, it's not crunchy or fresh next time. Animals - there is a beaver or badger or something brown and close to the ground and walks like a fat labored old man here. And rabbits? I wish I ate them because I'd never have to buy meat, I swear I see a dozen a day. It does help that when I walk Charlie, she runs and chases them out of the brush, but they are so plentiful here it's crazy. They don't seem to fear anything either. Good thing they are so fast. The other varmint is not so quick so he's harder to find on a daily basis. My favorite - black squirrels! Seriously, it's a squirrel that is jet black. They still have the typical brown squirrel but I have seen a black squirrel twice. And two animals I haven't seen yet are a raccoon and a possum. One that I have seen that I'd rather not was a snake. I realize while I'm writing this just how easily amused I am. Forget the zoo, sit in a chair outside for a damn minute!

It's been a while, so apparently the universe has decided that ample time has gone by for Cujo to have another accident. This one was the eye, again. He has had issues with his eyes before, good thing they are supposed to heal the fastest. It's true, I believe, as he has had debris and acid in there before and can still see. This time was a shard of metal and who knows how it got there. Poor guy had to actually get his eyeball drilled to reach it. Drilled. With a bit. And a mechanical motor drill. Ugh. His eye was dilated into this huge all-pupil eyeball with no iris color left. Have you ever seen those huskies who have two different eye colors? That's what he looked like. On one hand, it's pretty cool and enchanting; but on the other, it's kinda creepy and unsettling. Even now, it's still dilated two days later. Not the same extent, but definitely bigger than the other. He IS healing though, and that's all that matters at this point. Very lucky it wasn't worse.

They do graduations here. Often. In Idaho, we graduated once - from high school. Here in Nebraska, they graduate from kindergarten, (which people here call kindygarten) sixth grade, and high school. Oh, and throw in eighth grade too, if you go to parochial school. I say, hey, works for me - another reason for a positive get together isn't a bad thing. Congrats to Kirsten, our niece, who will be going into middle school next year. She has been quite the stellar scholar here at her grade school, being the president of her class and receiving awards from the Omaha mayor, we are so proud of her! She also was given a Presidential award, complete with a letter from President Obama. Keep up the great work, kiddo!