The Daily Lott: Where does the time go? (H-Bomb)

I fell behind with posting to the blog this Spring and it's been hard to get back into it. I pulled up my calendar, biking log, class schedule, vet bills, and iPhoto looking for clues to what all I've been doing of late. Here's what I found...

On April 1st I created a .Mac group called Team Dominion Digital & Cycling Friends. The message board and ride calendar were the primary objectives. I loaded the iCal calendar with every local and regional ride I could find. Over the following couple of months I compiled cycling resources and safety info and posted it on the site using iWeb. In the end the invite-only aspect .Mac groups is limiting. We are up to 37 members; I think we'd have more if the process for joining wasn't such a bit of a hassle for some people. I keep meaning to check out Google groups to see if they're any easier to join. Let me know if you'd like to join the site and I'll send you the invite...

On April 20th I joined Jayme and Derek at the now defunct Starr Hill Music Club to see Josh Rouse. Watching him play with so much self assurance and joy reminded me of how determined and confident he was back in 1997 when he was still making overpriced coffee drinks at Starbucks in Nashville. It was thrilling to see how he had succeeded at his dream.

On April 21st Emily, Julia and I took all 4 pups out to PVCC and played with Julia's faboulous new 10 megapixel digital SLR with sport mode. I was able to catch some nice shots of the pups. The next day I gave Izzy her first haircut and she's worn a puppy cut ever since.

May 2 - July 11th I attended a management training class called "Supervision". My friends Grant Tate and Jennifer Till of Bridgewater Innovations taught the class using course materials from the Resource Associates Corp (RAC). The text and action workbook covered:

I learned a good deal and recommend the class to anyone looking to develop their management skills as well as their own personal goal and time management skills. I still have a lot more work to do, but I know where I should be heading now.

In May I met Jeff Erkelens of Latitude 38 - Urban Design Build and fell in love with the modern, sustainable house he built at 1002 Grady Avenue. With super realtor Bob Hughes' help I put an offer in but it wasn't meant to be. It was disappointing at the time, but in the end I'm happy not to be saddled with a HUGE mortgage.

I did take the opportunity, however, to tidy up the garden beds in case I needed to put the house on the market right away.

On May 10th Yay short hair! Thank you Megan!

On the evening of May 14th, Jane and I took Sophie, Lottie and Izzy to PVCC along with Beaker & Milo. All was going well with lots of puppy rough housing until Lottie tore her right ACL while or immediately after running downhill on an asphalt path. Oh, it was pitiful. She wouldn't put any weight on it and I took her to the vet a day and a half later. She was tentatively diagnosed with a torn ACL and that was confirmed two weeks later when she was sedated and xrayed. When I wasn't home with her, I had to keep Lottie confined to the kitchen so she wouldn't use her hind legs to jump on the furniture and risk worsening the tear. Several times a day I carried her down to the back yard and stood guard at the bottom of the stairs waiting until she was ready to be carried back up. She did not like any of it one bit and was clearly in pain. It broke my heart. Two weeks after the injury Dr. Betts was impressed with how her other ligaments were thickening to compensate and felt that surgery was not indicated. Carrie had urged me to be very cautious about proceeding with surgery so I was glad to hear that Dr. Betts felt it wasn't necessary. Since then the stability in Lottie's right knee has continued to improve. Her limp varies from slight to pronounced depending on her activity level. When I know in advance that I'm going to take her for a walk, Betts suggests that I give her Rimadyl to help prevent inflammation, but only if Lottie is well hydrated. It can be deadly if given to a under hydrated dog. Danger zone!

When Lottie was xrayed they saw that her hips aren't so great which explains the stiffness she has sometimes when getting up and hesitation with jumping sometimes. She now takes Flexicose with her meals.

On May 31st: Miss Izzy was spayed. We had a full-fledged infirmary in the kitchen for a few days. She bounced back quickly, of course!

On June 2nd I attended a UVA reunion for the first time. It was my 15th college reunion and I visited with some of the coolest people in town at the WTJU Reunion Reception including Reggie Marshall of Mars Jazz fame with whom I had worked on the Jazz Concert Series in 1991-92 and the very first UVA Jazzfest in 1992. We both missed Timmeny. Good lord, it was hot.

On June 9th and 10th nearly 600 riders converged at the STAB Lower Campus for the Tour de Vine MS Bike Tour. Team Dominion Digital proudly participated for the 2nd year with each of us putting in countless hours on the bike to prepare for the bike ride. Our 11 riders biked 1515 miles and raised $9,575 for Multiple Sclerosis research and services! With the generous donations of 33 sponsors, I was able to raise $3000! Happy Father's Day Jeffrey! I will keep riding and fundraising for the National MS Society until we have a cure and a prevention. A big thank you to Lou for watching Miss Lottie and Miss Izzy all weekend.

On Monday June 11th, my cousin Vicki died tragically. My grandfather called on Tuesday to tell me. I was shocked and saddened. That Friday I met up with my cousins David and Margaret, my aunts Pat and Peggy, my father, and my uncle Jimmy, Vicki's father, for Vicki's funeral near the home of her mother Pin and step father Charlie in Bedford, VA. I met her son Kane and saw photos of her daughter Devan for the first time. Most of us hadn't been in touch with Vicki or Margaret for years and felt at a loss to understand how so much tragedy and darkness could have befallen her. Pin and Charlie were very welcoming and I want to try to keep in touch with them, at least with a new year's card each year.

On June 14th Mom was awarded her THIRD Daytime Emmy in the Creative Arts for Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction / Electronic Camera / Video Control for a Drama Series, specifically for her role as the Senior Video Operator (SVO) for All My Children. Woo Woo! Congratulations Mom!

Mom was out on Short Term Disability at the time and has since been approved for Long Term Disability which is fantastic news. How sweet it is to go out on a high note!

On June 16th Lottie turned 7! We celebrated the following weekend by hosting an impromptu puppy pool party in the back yard with her friends Henri, Lilli, Sophie, and Ruby and my friends Emily, Julia, Hope, and Lisa. Frosty Paws were enjoyed by all of the 4 legged guests.

On June 20th fter several weeks of periodically sitting on hold for long stretches only to then be told that there were no seats available, I succeeded in using frequent flier miles to book my r/t ticket to New Zealand in February! I'm thrilled! I'll be gone for 20 days and actually in NZ for 15 days. I have a night in LA which is great; I'll get to see family & friends. Coming back I go through SFO. For part of the time in NZ I'll stay with Bob & Susan on their sheep farm about an hour north of Auckland on the North Island. The rest of the time I'll be on the South Island biking and maybe white water rafting. I need to scout out my options. Oh, I can't wait. I'll need to line up temporary housing for Miss Lottie & Miss Izzy...

On June 22nd you wouldn't have been able to find a single 80s cocktail dress at local thrift shops. They were all being strutted about at the 80s Prom - a totally radical benefit for Planned Parenthood. What a huge success! Turnout was fantastic and everyone (except me) had fantastic 80s costumes. We danced the night away.

On June 24th I and another 15 or so friends helped Amy & Mike move into their new home, right next door to Emily & Julia on Belmont Avenue. The house is lovely and their kitchen renovation is nearly complete.

On June 26th the brilliant Dr. Sadiq orchestrated Jeffrey going in for major surgery. His Baclofen and Methotrexate pump was due to be replaced with a new model and better battery that should be good for 7-9 years. The pump is placed behind the abdominal muscles and connects directly to his spinal column. We HEART Sadiq. He's been phenomenal for Jeffrey's MS care and so very attentive and caring.

On June 30th Miss Lottie, Miss Izzy and I went up to Alexandria to visit with my cousins David & Jill and their sweet baby Lelah who was about 14 weeks old. We caught up in the house, yard, over dinner, and on a long walk / jog on Sunday.

On July 8th Julia and I brought Henri, Lilli, Lottie, and Izzy to Beaver Creek Lake to cool off in the water. Good lord it was hot! Lilli swam around, Henri & Lottie waded and Izzy was afraid of the water.

On July 15th I left the pups with Lou (thank you!) and went to Deep Run Park in Richmond for the DDIG Summer Picnic. It was scorcher, but a great deal of fun nonetheless. Hamdingers provided the catered lunch and Dark & Stormy bevs, Jason McKown made 90 gourmet cupcakes. Kyra pulled it all together and then some - with the wonderful help of Eric! Thank you Kyra & Eric!

On July 18th Frank started as a new Office Manager at Dominion Digital! Kyra and I have been training him in everything that goes through the Biz Office and he keeps coming back each morning so we're quite happy! After work on Frank's first day we enjoyed some Dark & Stormy cocktails, picnic leftovers, and a game of Carcassone. Al & Julia both liked it so much, they went out and bought copies for themselves.

As I was leaving work on Friday, July 20th to pick up the car from Cole's over next to Mas, I walked right into a Peace Rally at the West End of the Downtown Mall. Cindy Sheehan brought her Journey for Humanity to town on the way to DC to demand Bush & Cheney's impeachment. The pups and I cheered on the speakers and then hustled down the Mall taking photos as the March made its way to the Pavilion.

NBC 29: Peace Activist Cindy Sheehan Holds Rally

The Hook: Victory marchers meet Sheehan singers

Daily Progress: Anti-war protestors' visit, rally spark counter-march

NBC 29: Duel War Rallies on the Downtown Mall

Photos: Rally for Impeachment and Peace - Charlottesville, VA - July 20, 2007

On Saturday, July 21st Blair hosted a fabulous cocktail party as a baby shower for Amy. So much fun! You guessed it... lots of little baby shoes for the wee one!

July 24th: Yay - even shorter hair! Thanks again Megan!!!

July 26th: Today has been great. I was trying to build a wiki page with discussion board and document library on Campfire. In the process I broke a bunch of things (that part is not so great), but learned some pretty sophisticated SharePoint admin tools in the process. After work, I battled the mosquitoes and heat while pulling weeds from the neglected garden beds (so much more to do) and pruning the Ink Berry shrubs. Afterwards, I bathed the pups and sat down with iTunes running and finished up this lengthy post. (It's been in the work since Sunday. Oy!) Friends have given me SO much new music and I'm terribly behind in listening to it all. Me and music were on the outs for awhile, and it's nice to be getting back together.