More Doggie Talk!

It's official!  Echo is officially adopted!  Yesterday, we took him to the vet and learned of his story.  One of the vet technicians was on his way to work when Echo ran right under his car!  The vet tech thought that he had killed him, but instead found him shaking underneath!  My heart broke trying to imagine how he must have felt in that instant.  He took Echo to the hospital where he worked and found that he was instantly loved by all.  Everyone recognized him at the hospital and took turns showering him with affection while we were waiting to be called in.  That's the thing about this little guy...he loves everyone and everyone loves him.  When he got his microchip inserted, he yelped for a few seconds which made me so sad.  But right when the Doctor put him onto the ground, he ran right over to me, tail wagging and all.  That made me smile.

Playing with his stuffed pig

Pooped after a 5k jog around the Rose Bowl

Staring at my laptop while I am working

Curious as usual

Meet Echo!

Now, now...let's not get too excited just yet.  We're currently in a trial period...

My friend brought him home from the vet one day because he was on his way to the shelter.  =(  J and I went to visit him, then the next day, he was on my lap on the way home (shedding all over me, might I add).  I'd like to think that we are currently fostering him with the possibility that we might end up keeping him.

I have always been someone who wanted a dog, and believed that I would be the best dog owner ever.  Now that I have to put my money where my mouth is, I am surprised at how much I have to learn about owning and raising a puppy.  I have been independent for so long that it is a huge adjustment for me to contemplate the possibility of rearranging my life in consideration of a living and breathing thing who relies on me to survive (so much pressure!).

Seriously, though.  Can you resist this face?

The Phoenician

I wanted to get out of town for Memorial weekend, but plane tickets were outrageously expensive given that it was a last minute decision.  Thanks to a few of my girlfriends, I was introduced to the idea of going to a local resort and spoiling ourselves with rest and relaxation.  I decided on The Phoenician in Scottsdale, AZ.  The service was exceptional and the weather was perfect.  It was a wonderful weekend full of good food, sunshine, and pool time. 

View of the resort

Cactus garden where there were huge lizards running around!

View from the resort room

St. Petersburg

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to Russia for a week for work, and as luck would have it, I had more personal time than professional hours during my trip.  We were based in Moscow, but flew to St. Petersburg for a couple days to explore the sights there.  The architecture was beautiful and full of history and the people were very friendly.  I loved that the days don't end until after 10PM during this time of year.  We made sure to hit all the tourist spots!

Standing in front of St. Isaac's Cathedral

Inside St. Isaac's Cathedral

Climbing up the 300 steps to the top of St. Isaac's Cathedral

View of St. Petersburg from the top of St. Isaac's Cathedral

Bronze Horseman

On the path to The Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood

Inside the church

Outside the Hermitage Museum

A photo with one of Da Vinci's finest pieces

Just a glimpse of how beautiful it was inside the Hermitage Museum

Cinnamon Twists

I felt inspired after watching Giada At Home one afternoon and decided to try my hand at making her Cinnamon Twists.  The recipe called for carmamon, but I decided against it when I found out that one small bottle costs $15!  I also didn't make the dip and decided to use honey and Nutella instead because a lot of the reviews indicated that the dip was not very good.  All in all, such an easy recipe and delicious treat for dessert!