Julie & Julia

Today was a GREAT Saturday! I first woke up and headed out to McDs with the dogs for a morning iced coffee and egg biscuit. I always try to justify my trips to the drive-thru as it's all about the dogs and their enjoyment, but really its just because I'm lazy and don't want to make eggs myself.
After breakfast was consumed by all, I started to pick up around the house, as I knew my mom was coming down and wanted to keep the doghair tumbleweeds to a minimum. But it turned out the dogs was dirtier than the house and gave them a bath (see Doggy Spa Day blog).
My mom got to the house right on time as usual and we headed out to go see the movie Julie & Julia. I had just finished reading the book and I was hoping in this case the movie would be better than the book. I really guess I was expecting the book to be more like the movie, where their lives seem to be intertwined just at different decades. But in the book it was more about Julie trying to cook her way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking yet the food seemed to take a backseat to her whining, fits and weird flaky family and friends than anything. (and yes her husband really was a saint to put up with all that)
So the movie was more what I would have liked to read in the book. I also finished reading Julia Child's My life in France, which I loved. You could almost see and smell what she was writing about and gave you great insight to her time in France that changed her life for the better. Plus it was a great love story between her and Paul.
The movie definitely captured the best of both books and made them into a very enjoyable movie. It made me want to really become an accomplished cook and get off the couch from watching Food Network and actually try some of these exotic and French meals.
Afterwords, we headed to my favorite store Target for a quick errand. I think that was the fastest $30 I've ever spent in Target on more than one item too.
The off to another store that loves to take my money, Home Depot. My mom needed new paint and door knobs for the updating she is doing around the house. We even picked out new flooring for her bathrooms. Can't wait until we (yes, my mom loves to say we a lot, as in we can put this in) get to install it along with new toilets. Got to love home improvement when you get excited by a new toilet.
Back at the house we packed up Maggie's goodies as she staying the Nana spa for awhile to give my mom some company and me a break from her midnight potty runs. Charlie and I will kick it at home alone and he quickly forgot there is usually another dog sitting next to him as we took off for a ride to the ice cream drive-thru, but it really was all for Charlie's enjoyment.....

Doggy Spa Day

This morning I let the dogs out for their morning potty and greeting of the neighborhood wildlife. Maggie and Charlie stood at the door waiting enthusiastically to come inside and get their morning cookies. I noticed Maggie looking more brown than black and thought this is a good time to give them both a bath as I stood with the hose in my hand from watering the the plants.
Now I don't know how other dogs do with bathtime but mine don't seem to enjoy it that much. First is the ritual of getting the leash and shampoo outside without them thinking it's time for a walk. Usually though when I attach the leash to one and walk them over to the grass they seem to catch onto my plan.
First up was Maggie as she was the dirtiest. The water was nice and cold and she did not appreciate it at all. What happened next looked like a scene from the movie Silkwood as Maggie acted like I was scrubbing her down with a wool brush and chemicals (it was actually my hands and lavender scented shampoo). As she tried to make her escape I turned the hose on her and tried to take as much soap off before she broke loose from my grip and ran free, shaking off the excess water and soap.
Charlie watched in horror, knowing his time was next, luckily he gets more humiliated than terrified. He just stands there and takes it like a man (ok, more like a mama's boy). I think he puts up with the bath just to get the rub down from the towel afterward. This seems to be his favorite part of the bath and almost chokes himself as he tangles himself in the towel trying to get dry.
The bad part for me is that I usually have to let them air dry in the house because if I leave them outside Maggie will just end up rolling back in the dirt and come out dirty than before. So then my house smells like wet dog for the day, but I get one day of pretty clean pampered looking dogs.

Nightstand

My mom had picked some roses from my backyard bushes when I was gone this weekend. She had done it before when watching the dogs and it always reminds of the beauty that lies outside my bedroom window.
Tonight as I let the dogs out for their last potty break I started to stop and smell the roses, literally. I know cliche of me, but it was true. Sometimes they smell like vintage roses that take you back in time and other times no smell at all. Tonight they had a soft old fashion smell to them and I decided to pick some in the dark for my nightstand.
As I was closing up the house I just saw a nice little vignette that I thought I would try to capture. I think between the roses, orange notebook, Julia Child book and the photo of my beloved Frankie in the background, it makes me feel very french and vintage while reading by my pretty pale blue lampshade. And it will remind to stop and smell the roses more.

Charlie plays hide and seek

As I was in the office one night, probably looking on Facebook or making a new blog, I heard Charlie snoring, but I couldn't see him. I looked around the room and started to call his name as I could clearly hear him but couldn't see him. Then his little face poked out from under the chair and he revealed his new favorite sleeping spot in the office. Too cute I had to share.

Safari West - Sonoma's Serengeti

This weekend I went to visit my friend Andi in Rohnert Park, who invited me along with her family on an outing to Safari West (http://safariwest.com/). I have heard of the place before and always wanted to go as it's known as the the Sonoma's Serengeti. It definitely is an unique animal preserve, over 400 acres with over 500 animals. Unfortunately there was a big absence of my favorite African animal, NO elephants, as they said are too costly to keep, but over all there was a ton of unique animals to view.
You first start with a walking tour of the grounds where they have a huge aviary with all kinds of unique birds, then another enclosure with 4 cheetahs in with a couple HUGE tortoises, there is lemur island with beautiful black swans, porcupines and a couple of silly monkeys who entertained themselves.
Then you load up on an open jeep with an upper seating deck for up close and personal look at the animals. On the 2 hour ride you'll see a ton of different antelope, giraffes, white rhinos (who they think is pregnant), big horned cows, zebras, water buffalo, wildebeest, and more antelope with big antlers. And the end you feel as though you were on the Indiana Jones ride in Africa and got to see animals you would have never seen without an expensive plane ticket.
I highly recommend it for a great day trip out to the wine country and something different and educational. Below are some of the photos I took on our 3 hours tour of the perserve.

I did have to look up some of the animals on their species list, but I did get an A on the quizzes during the tour.

Lemur island

Black Swans surrounding Lemur Island

One of four Cheetahs

Blue and Gold Macaws
Giraffes

Up close and personal with giraffes
Close up of a Bongo from the Congo
Watusi Cattle named Lena Horn
Baby Watusi
more Watusi
Pretty Zebras
Scimitar-horned Oryx
Water Buffalo also known as the Mafia protecting their baby
(the small brown one)
The Great Mighty Kudu named Jack
The friendless Wildebeest
1 male, 2 female Ostrichs wait to make their attack
The giraffe come to say goodbye on the way out