Being Silly

 This past week was stressful for Mike and me.  We had a lot of responsibilities to take care of for work and family.  It was so nice to spend our free time with our silly Lunatic.  She always knows how to make us smile.  Here are just a few photos that capture the spirit of our bonding time with the puppy.

Walkies in the afternoon.  Cold, but very enjoyable.

Luna knows how to make us laugh with her silly antics.

Bet you didn't know Luna is a lap dog.  It may not look comfortable, but she was enjoying the attention.

Run, run, run!

It is amazing to me to see how much Luna has improved physically over the year and how much she has opened up since we adopted her.  Her walking and running has sometimes made me forget about what we went through last December.

At this time last year, Luna was just starting her career in LGRA racing.  She was getting the hang of going into the starting box and chasing the lure.  I remember how much fun she had on those runs.  She was so excited to let loose and get that lure.

While Luna doesn't hit those incredible speeds anymore, she does move pretty quick.  I took a video of her running back in October, but unfortunately the video did not transfer well to my computer.  I will have to take another soon.

Now that she is back to running like a maniac, I have been reinforcing her recall.  She learned that "eh eh" means "stop what you're doing" so it easily transferred over to "stop moving forward" when she is exploring the ball field where we go running.  She will turn towards me and make her way back to my side when she hears the "eh eh".

We have also transitioned the standard, "Luna, come!" to a whistle.  I don't like shouting commands at dogs, especially when I am in a quiet area.  By using the whistle, I can ask Luna to come back without making a big scene.

Luna has been thoroughly enjoying her runs and I enjoy watching her take joy in something so simple.

Mixed Feelings

It's hard to find the right words to describe what we have been experiencing.  We certainly have a lot of blessings to count, but we are reminded of how many other families were affected by Sandy harder than us.

Yesterday, I went to the memorial service for the two people I knew where were killed during the storm.  The large home barely contained over 700 people who came out to show their support.  It was a very moving experience and I was glad for the opportunity to connect with friends and co-workers.  I finally felt like it was ok for me to cry a little for what this storm has taken out of my life.

When I returned home, I discovered that the power had returned to my neighborhood.  Again, I cried this time with relief.  Luna was so happy to have power back because she could finally take off her sweater which she had been wearing 24/7.  She was finally warm. :-)

Unfortunately, there are still a lot of people who do not have power (our parents' for example) and we are now in week two.  We've heard some rumors that the power companies won't be able to return power for 2-3 more weeks because they are low on poles for the wires.  Ugh.

On the plus side, we are all able to find warm shelter, good food, places to recharge our batteries, and the company of friends and loved ones.  Not every one is so lucky and we keep that in mind.

Hurricane Sandy's Effect

This is just a quick post to let you all know what's happened in the last two weeks.

I was gone for a week for a work conference and was all prepared to come home and write a post about how Luna handled my absence.  Instead, I came home to find out that we had Hurricane Sandy on the way.  Mike and I spent the weekend getting the house ready for the storm and any guests that may need to move in with us when their power went out.  On Monday, my parents and my brother moved in when they lost power and by Monday night we also lost power. 

We do not have power, heat, or the ability to cook hot food.  However, we do have running water, although it is very cold.  My parents do not have power, running water, or heat, but they have a gas stove and a gas fireplace.  Mike's parents have a generator so they have all the comforts of home, just rationed.

We've been spending our nights at our house and then traveling between the other houses for food and warmth.  Luna has been with us through it all.  We haven't left her for a moment and she in turn sticks right by our sides.  She's done very well with the crazy storm, the unusual schedule, and the increased stress we are all under.

We've experienced some loss thanks to this storm.  Two friends I work with were killed during the storm when a tree landed on them.  Many of my parents' neighbors have trees through their homes.  Not to mention, the entire coast has been washed away.  However, we have been lucky with everyone staying safe, healthy, and well fed.

We hope to get our power back soon so we can get back to some normalcy.  Until then, stay safe and we'll update you again when we have power.