Farewell good friend...

"And (s)he will be loved…and (s)he will be loved…"

     As many of you may know, this week my family lost a very important, loving & adorable member: our beloved terrier mix, Ranger.  This will be very hard for me to write, so I apologize now for its briefness.

     Ranger came into our family in December of 1997.  I was 15 at the time & was spending my Christmas break taking the dreaded "Driver's Ed".  The positive of the class was it's location--next door to a pet shop.  Needless to say, every break we were granted the class would spill out of the classroom, aka post-realtor's office-space, & rush to "ooh and aah" over all the adorable cats & dogs.  From the moment I saw Ranger, I was hooked.  After class when my mom would pick me up, I'd repeatedly bring her to the pet shop & show her my new love.
     By the end of the class, I was heart broken that I wouldn't see my little fluff ball daily, but lo and behold, Ranger came to me as an early Christmas present, sitting peacefully in a "wrapped" box.

Ranger's first Christmas morning & first venture down the stairs!

     He was a very good dog, although quite stubborn.  Training him was hell!  I took him to TWO trainers, & he still was naughty.  Of course I remember the headache of his puppyhood lasting much longer than it probably was, but come two or three years old, he was our little goofball.

Ranger, age 1…Betty, age 11

     Then I left for college & Ranger became my parent's dog, but truly my dad's buddy.  Ranger would do anything to please, which included posing for one of his many photo shoots….

     And being the only child left, Ranger got away with a lot.

You can tell this photo is not staged because Ranger's tail is going a mile a minute…
that was our indicator he was doing something he shouldn't be, but hoping to get away with!

     He was a sweet, sweet boy; always wanting to be by your side either for a good scratch or offering a stinky kiss.  He was, & still is, a well-loved dog & myself, Mikey & Bailey will miss him dearly.

Ranger, Ranger Roo, Uncle Ranger, Danger Ranger Powers, El Toro

October 26, 1997 to February 24, 2011

The Big Night Out...

"My love waits there in San Francisco, above the blue and windy sea…"

     I can't lie here: my last two months on hiatus haven't been all work and no play.  (Because that makes Jack a dull boy…ok, creepy.)  This last weekend Mike and I celebrated our Christmas gift to one another by going to the San Francisco Symphony.  Really it was much more than that…but first, our touching Christmas story.

     Mike and I aren't big on the wrapped gift exchange.  We usually take the money we'd spend on a "true" gift and instead go somewhere for the weekend, choose a great restaurant to eat at, or frankly, not get each other anything.   But, it's more than the materialism of the holiday (which, lets be honest here, there is way too much materialism when it comes to Christmastime); we would rather spend our time and money together, and that usually means an outing somewhere.  

     This (past) year we decided to mix it up a bit.  We decided on a budget, and determined we could not discuss the gift; basically we were going back to the wrapped gift for whatever reason.  So, budget set, wheels in motion, come Christmas morning I had Mike open my first first; I just had this feeling…plus, he forgot my gift at the house.  So, he opens my gift and (drumroll please)...its the same as what he got me!!  Yep, we are already that couple.  We know each other so well we plan the same adventures for one another.

     And the adventure/our night out in the Big City: dinner at Zuni Cafe, a concert by the San Francisco Symphony and maybe some drinks afterwards.  A good night all around.
    Without further adieu, the evening in photos…

The night begins with Mike picking me up from work.
Yes, I know its blurry…but its cute and artistic!

My fruity cocktail.  A perfect start to the night!

Opps…dinner was eaten too quickly to get a good shot.

Mikey enjoying his meal.

The Zuni Cafe kitchen, aka the view from our table.

Davies Hall.  We heard Beethoven's 4th...

Enjoying our drinks at intermission.  Yep, we pre-ordered them--we're that cool.

Our "drinks" after the symphony= diner style at Mel's Drive In….

...coffee, sweet potato french fries and a banana split to share.
And yes, that is how I prefer to hold my utensils; it drives my family crazy by the way!

     Thats it for the night, but there's more to share!  Mikey and I continued our celebration into Sunday.  Bailey, Mikey and I went back into San Francisco to continue our weekend of being Bay Area tourists--we walked the Golden Gate!
     It was gorgeous!!  I am 28 years old, my grandmother used to work for the Golden Gate Transit system, and yet up until last Sunday I had never crossed the bridge by foot, at least all 1.7 miles (each way) of it.  So here are some more photos, taken by my talented husband.  And at the end, our trip to the neighboring Baker Beach--yep, that's what us Bay Areans like to do in January, picnic at the beach…

View from the SF side...

We later learned from the bridge police that Bailey wasn't actually allowed on the bridge.  Opps!
They let us finish the walk because she's so cute.  And because mommy had poop bags.

Yep, this shot was taken January 23rd.  Beautiful, huh?

That photography class paid off Mikey!

She's that cool.

Happy couple.

I'm seriously amazed those things don't fall off...

View from Baker Beach at sunset.

My little love bug, being dramatic of course.

A long weekend deserves falling asleep on the couch at 8:30.

Goodnight everyone!

So, I'm back...

"Oh baby, all I need is one more chance…(to show you that I love you)…Won't you please let me back in your heart…"

     Well, I'm back folks, if you'll have me that is.  These past couple of months have been filled with long days, a long commute and the adjustments that come with a new job, and while I apologize I couldn't write for you, I really needed any and all nightly downtime I had to recuperate.  Now, don't get me wrong here, the job is going great; but with a commute of 20 to 60 minutes EACH way, plus a 9+ hour day in the middle, I hope you can forgive me for my selfish hours spent sleeping or being absent-minded on the couch.
     And the job that has taken so much of my energy is HD Buttercup.  See, its a new store; new as in a new location.  Many of you may be familiar with the flagship store down in LA...well they've expanded and I am the Operations Manager at their San Francisco location.  Yep, I said it before--I landed myself a pretty sweet job.  Tiring, but sweet.
     Now, since this is my first post in a long time, I think I'm going to KISS.  I don't want to overwhelm myself here, because if I do, who knows when I'll be back.  Just wanted to say "hello"…
     So goodnight, have a wonderful day tomorrow, and here is the website for my new gig: www.hdbuttercup.com

Mom & I at the entrance of HD Buttercup, SF

     Enjoy the stimulation of your senses, but remember to stay true to your mom and pop store (and in this case, my mom and pop's store) at www.nantuckethomeinc.com

An oldie, but a goodie…I miss that brick wall at our "old" location!  Such a pretty pic...

     And while you are perusing the great World Wide Web, take a look at Nantucket Home's new blog, www.curatorsoflifestyle.com/blog/

     Sadly I cannot say that I have had anything to do with it's creativity, or its posts for that matter, but I'm pretty proud of what they're doing over there…

     Ok, goodnight again!  Robin

So long, Farewell...

"So long, farewell, auf weidersehen goodnight…I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye…goodbbbyyyyeee…"

     No, I am not leaving Berkeley, nor am I quitting the blog.  Nope.  Today I am saying goodbye to my vacation, aka "unemployment".
     Since August 8th I have had the opportunity to relax.  Ha--thats a joke!  The month of August into September was everything besides relaxing.  If you'll remember, Mike and I were working day & night on completing all the renovations to our home & then of course Mike started grad school.  So realistically we'll say that since September 11th (the day our tenants moved in) I've been on vacation.  And now I must say goodbye.  Sniff, sniff.
     Thats right, folks, the new job starts tomorrow.  And I'm not about to toot my own horn here, but I did get a pretty decent job.  Of course I have others to thank for putting me in touch with the company, but let's just say that I will be doing what I know best--being meticulously organized.  I'll let you know more details as the job gets underway, because this is not a blog post to welcome new stress into my life; no, this post is to dwell on the fact I have to give a tearful goodbye to my days of leisure.
     When I first began this blog, my first post explained how & why Mike, Bailey & I came to find ourselves living in Berkeley, "Ah, the Beginning".  I received an overwhelming amount of responses and emails asking what in the world I was doing in Berkeley while Mike was on campus, studying hard.  I never responded to these questions simply because I was just too tired…I was still recuperating from the stress of moving!  Because I am in "reminiscing" mode, I'll let you into my day to day life for the last couple of months, although I'm making it brief.
     In the beginning there was a lot to unpack and lots of errands to run.  As I am not the type of person to put something away just to get it out of sight, every item needed to have its "home".  So, living in a small space, I did a lot of putting away, then reorganizing what I put away.  And of course, with any move, there will always be trips to Target & Ikea.  Basically you can trust me when I say that unpacking took a lot of time.
     Then of course there was "getting to know my surroundings".  I was terrified I wouldn't find convenient grocery stores, my bank, a library, etc, so multiple times a week Bailey & I would drop Mikey off at school then we'd get lost.  Seriously.  I figured it was the easiest way to learn the lay of the land & to figure out my most-traveled routes.  The bonus to this was that I found some beautiful neighborhoods…
     Side note: does every Berkeley home have gorgeous architecture?  Oh, to own a home here is my newest daydream!
     Back to my life...I worked for Nantucket.  Because technology is that advanced, I was able to log into my work computer & help out with pricing, entering, etc.  All those tasks that take so much time & concentration…well, with my only distraction being Bailey, I was able to accomplish a lot.  Glad I could to, because we hired a few new employees and training always seems to take more time than anticipated.  So, I'm happy to say I took much work off Sara's desk.  
     For those days that I couldn't sit at a computer any longer, I did A LOT of reading, and shamefully a lot of "Netflixing", too--the worse part was that I watched some really bad movies, time I should've spent reading.
     And last, & definitely most important & time consuming, Bailey & I spent many of our daily hours walking the surrounding neighborhoods and discovering new off-leash parks.  She is my absolute joy.  The best companion ever & she is the main reason we are friendly with so many of our neighbors.  In fact, Mike was recently walking her alone & he had some man yell out his car window, "Hey, Bailey".  When Mike looked at him funny, because obviously he didn't recognize the man, the greeter stated, "I know your dog".  Hmmm, Bailey knows more people here than we do.  Well, she is the cutest.
     Funny thing is that my job kind of surprised me, that is my start date surprised me, so I don't feel like I lived today up as I should have…Instead, I spent most of the day wrapping up some Nantucket work.  But once Bailey got up (today it was 1:30, no joke!), we hit up our favorite place: Point Isabel in Richmond.  Part dog park, part walking trail, this park has it all, including a cafe & dog-washing business, all in one.  We typically hit P.I. up 3 or 4 times a week, & as you can see from the photo below, its a pretty special place for both of us.

View from Point Isabel...

     So for the rest of my night, I'm "living it up" by staying at home.  Yep, I turned down my husband's offer to take me to dinner for cooking in.  With an uncertain work schedule ahead with I assume some very long hours, not to mention the commute into/out of SF, this may be my last night cooking for a while.  But don't feel sorry for me, I have a glass a wine within arm's reach, a puppy by my side & a husband who is putting off his homework for the night…I am one lucky girl.


     I will post again when I have the energy…
     So sad to leave my puppy, Bird

A Thriller...

"…You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it, You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes, You're paralyzed...'Cause this is Thriller, Thriller night, and no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike…"

     Call me Debbie Downer.  Mike does.  I don't like to dress up for Halloween.  I used to, but something changed.  Sadly, the last time I truly remember enjoying the planning process of Halloween was probably my junior year in high school when all my girlfriends and I dressed as the Pink Ladies and other Grease characters.  That was fun.  Ever since however, the costume aspect of the night has proven too much work.
     Problem is that I have married a man who LOVES to dress up; Halloween, going out to dinner, babysitting the nephews--you give Mikey an excuse and he will dress to the nines, appropriate of the occasion of course.  So when Halloween rolls along you have me, the anti-dresser-upper & you have Mike, who's extremely "gung ho".  How does such a couple compromise?
     Well, this year I gave in.  We were invited to a couple of Halloween parties, and knowing I wasn't going to get my way, I folded.  And guess what?  I had fun.  Sure the planning process was still as bothersome as ever, and of course the actual costume only came together at the last minute, but we finally decided on an idea and made it happen.  Oddly enough we were a hit at the party--such an easy costume, too!  What do you think….?

Mr. & Mrs. Gerome the Gnome

     And because it's Berkeley, the party wasn't just a bunch of costumed grad students drinking….there were fire dancers!!  Here is what what we experienced at the party: unbelievable!

This is a woman from Mike's MLA program...

     Lastly, I wanted to share some "oh so cute" photos of costumed dogs.  Now I might not like dressing myself up, but Bailey is another story…not that she (or Mike) lets me!  But look how cute these pups are--the best part is how well the costumes replicate the dogs' personalities…

Have a wonderful and safe Halloween everyone!  Love, Bird

Random Thoughts...

"How does it feel?  How does it feel?  To be on your own, with no direction home, a complete unknown like a rolling stone..."

     I'm having a hard time lately with my "creative writing".  Sorry, the quirkiness just isn't coming out, hence my failure at regular or recent posts.  So, tonight I thought I'd post about something that is truly me…randomness.
     If you have ever had the pleasure of speaking with me in a casual manner, you will probably have noticed that I tend to randomly pick up a train of thought while in the midst of another conversation.  Maybe there will be a brief lull in the conversation and suddenly I will pose a question that has nothing to do with what we were discussing.  However, in my mind, the beginning of the conversation has began.  Now please don't think I am crazy…I actually DO understand my proposed conversation wasn't being discussed earlier.  I think it comes down to assuming others will pick up this train of thought and we can thus discuss my topic.  Hummm, maybe that's really just an assumption.
     Funny thing is that the more you get to know me, the quicker you are with my random conversation starters.  I remember in the beginning of our relationship, Mike was always saying, "what are you talking about?…where did that come from?"  Now I don't hear that as much; I guess someone has gotten used to me.
     Anyway, the point of my discussing my randomness is because I'd like to share these thoughts with you.  We'll call them "Random Thoughts with Robin Cook".  I based the idea from one of my favorite SNL sketches, "Deep Thoughts with Jack Handey".  Speaking of which, here is my all-time favorite "Deep Thought" (I couldn't find the actual sketch, so this is from memory)….

     "The next time your child asks you why it rains, tell him it's God crying.  When he asks you why God is crying, tell him it's over something you did."

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

Love, Bird

Don't knock it til you've tried it...

"So I creep, yeah, Just keep it on the down low, Said nobody is supposed to know…"
  
     I'm cheating on Mike.  There I said it.  Now, before anyone freaks out, let me explain.
     I watch Modern Family without him.
     And truthfully, he knows.  I've told him and there's nothing he can do about it.  A few days/nights out of the week I see him for sometimes only 30 minutes.  What is a person supposed to do?  Really?!  Wait to watch the show together?
     No, no one can convince me to stop.  Every Thursday I'm back at it, searching the ABC site for the newest episode.  But where is the harm, really?  I get my laughs, I don't disclose the jokes or storyline early to Mike, then we watch it together when he has time.  I get my kicks--he gets them later.
     And if you haven't watched it, please don't judge.  Watch a hilarious clip here, then come talk to me about not "cheating" on Mike.
     Phew, it feels so good to get that off my shoulders.  :)




     And since I am doing a "silly" post, here is the infamous photo of the "stalkers" and John Corbett.  Seriously, I can't believe I am posting this as I really look like a scary stalker.  Maybe I'll do some editing.  Let me rephrase, maybe Mike will do some editing because I am photo-editing challenged.  Until then, get your laughs at creepy Robin.

Now, take my advice and go to ABC.com and watch some funny stuff.  Laugh out loud and don't feel guilty.  I said so, Bird