

We’re still wanting to go somewhere new soon, and I now think we’ve found the perfect place! As we were catching up with one of our couple friends during the show, they told us all about…the awesome, only-two-hours-away road trip they took last weekend to Dublin, TX, home of Dublin Dr Pepper! (J was following a doctor recently named Dr. Pepper, and I can’t stop giggling every time. I want that last name so I can make people introduce us as Dr. and Mrs. Pepper! But I digress.) I think they stopped by the bottling plant, went to a winery, and saw cheese being made. They did it all in one day, so I’m now psyched to shamelessly copy their itinerary for a day trip or a whole weekend stay!
What about you, any quick trips you’ve taken or planned recently?
* Better Bidding is my secret to using opaque hotel booking sites like Priceline and Hotwire. It provides a listing, broken down by the area and star rating, of hotels you are likely to get. If you're using Hotwire, you can also match up the amenities listed, which helped me net a 4* hotel in Boston where a wedding reception we were going to was being held for half off the cheapest rate.
The site also has forums where you can see what price other people got a hotel for in the area you're interested in, which was helpful when I was booking our hotel for Houston last weekend. We got a 4* hotel in downtown for $55...never mind that it was a smoking floor and we're too chicken to ask to be moved, and never mind that when we came home late that evening that neither of our keys worked and I was stuck standing in the hallway listening to a rather loud amorous couple through what were apparently thin doors while J got a new key. I used Priceline for the first time to book it, where I recommend having a backup email and credit card if you don't want to adjust your bid or wait 24 hours to place the same bid.
The spinach went great the first few days. Amazingly, you cannot taste it and wouldn't know it was there but for some tiny green bits.
Fetch Art Dog Lips
I don't know if my dog would grab it properly, but it would make for a funny photo op.
I had some dog drama tongight. J texted me after picking her up from his parents, where she spends her days while we're at work. She had darted out an open door at their house for what I think is the third time in the last few weeks, and then she alluded them for half an hour. And she pulled all of this paper out of their recycling bin to chew up. Needless to say, FIL doesn't want to watch her this weekend when the rest of us go out of town this weekend.Then I came home to find the cutest doggy care package from my friend that included this St. Patty's "Lucky Dog" tee and frog. It was such a sweet surprise, even though this baaaad puppy didn't deserve it.
It's no bueno that she's not behaving, and I think she's acting up more now (she's 8 months) than she ever did as a younger pup. So I had a nice chat with a PetSmart guy tonight, and we are enrolling her in some training classes, something we probably should have done from the begninning. It's going to be great. We will go on Saturdays so J can join, and we will once and for all establish that I am the pack leader.
My hope in 8 weeks that she will:
Respond to "Stay" and "Come here"?
She better!
Stop barking at
a) dogs on TV*, b) doorbells on TV, c) screaming children on TV, d) sketchy people on TV, e) grocery scanner beeping on TV, f) hospital maching beeping on TV?
g) All of the above
* I often marvel to J about how we picked such a good dog because I always wanted a dog that would watch TV and chew ice cubes, something my dogs growing up never did and she does.
At first it was cute when she'd stop playing with her toys to look up at something interesting on the screen, but it quickly became annoying once she started barking and/or growling at it constantly. Who knew dogs and wild children were so prevalent on the shows we watch? Now J and I say things like "Oh yeah, Trixie doesn't like Frasier; there are a lot of doorbells on this show. However, Will & Grace is coming up and she likes it just fine." and "Change the channel, the M&M's commercial where Red's running on the grocery conveyer belt is coming on!".
What about you? Any dog training tips to share? Any pet products you're loving? Any interest in seeing the fun pet collars and tags I've found in search of the perfect one for our pampered pooch?
* We owed the three nieces a birthday shopping trip, which I thought would be a good alternative to the desire for money and gift cards...kids these days. Not the best idea:
I did feel like I was making them get something for the sake of getting it. I told them they could save the money for later instead, but I think they ended up being okay with what they got. I now look back at my birthdays and Christmases with a twinge of guilt. So much stuff! I think I would have rather been told I should pick out only one or two things my childhood heart really, really wanted (and/or needed), and that the rest would be saved for later or used on an experience.
Although I do think they enjoyed the experience of hanging out with their super-cool aunt and funny uncle, who cracked them up by trying on sunglasses and spritzing himself with cologne. Also, when we passed the AAC on our way to the mall, they brought up how cool it was when we took them there to see Disney on Ice for their birthday a few years ago.