Dogs and Middle Names

We have officially made the addition of a new little puppy to our family, which is why I am awake early and lucky enough to have time every day devoted to working on my blog. Lucy is a ten week black lab who looks just like CJ did when he was a puppy. In other words, freaking adorable. She does have floppier ears which drag in her water bowl while she drinks...even more adorable.

In talking to my mom, she asked all the good questions a grandmother needs to know about her new grandpuppy. Crate training going well...check, going to the bathroom outside...check, playing well with her new big brother...check, freaking adorable...check, check. But then she asked what Lucy's middle name is and I made a I-don't-have-any-idea face into the phone. I had forgotten about giving her a middle name.

Little Lucy

CJ when we brought him home

I realize we do give dogs a phrase as a name, and I know I'm not the only one. My brother and sister-in-law have Zoe who is really Zoe Bananas. Is Bananas her middle name, I really don't know?? In that case Lucy would be Lucy's middle name because she is know as Little Lucy. But what kind of horrible puppy parent would I be if her first name was Little? What a complex she'd get? And God knows she won't end up being little in the end.

I am in the south now where people have numerous names: Billy Bob, John Ray, Carly Sue...Honey {my hubby who wants to remain nameless} even has friends named Redneck Phil and Uncle Jerry (no relation to Honey or to anyone else). I guess Little Lucy could be her full first name.

So what should her middle name be? Suggestions?

Big Brother teaching Lucy to tug.

The Good, Bad, and Ugly of My Drive Through the US

It takes 3 days to drive from Colorado to North Carolina. 28 hours--ish. Well it took us 6 weeks. Of course, we took some side trips down to Pensacola and then up to Chicago. Along with several weeks hanging out in Tennessee. We drove, and drove, and drove.

This drive was so fun, that I decided to drive back to Denver for the holidays. It is funny how a few weeks of boredom in a new town make your forget how terrible it is to drive across Kansas. So 1900 miles back to Denver and then again back to Fayetteville.

In this time I made note of some peculiarities in our country. Some are awesome, some are just weird, and some suck.

1. For some reason, the state of Missouri hasn't caught on that using numbers for state roads rather than letters, gives more options. Instead you come across signs like this:

Really? Yes, Missouri there is an easier way.

2. St. Louis has the best radio station in the country. You must check out GenX Radio (at least if you are a GenX'er!) Singing along with Tubthumpin, Ace of Base, and Pour Some Sugar on Me, got me through looking at the alphabet soup of signs. If you are into the I Heart Radio app or website, you must add 100.3 GenX radio. You won't regret it.


3. Don't drive through Tennessee with expired license plates...or even kinda expired. In Colorado if your plates are expiring in December (like mine were), you have until the end of January to get your registration done and new stickers (you gotta love a state that is so laid back that they give you 30 days extra). Well in Tennessee, as of December 1st you are a wanted criminal. I was surrounded by 8 cop cars including an undercover and a drug squad car on a deserted county road. Was it the gun in my car? Nope, just my license plates.


4. If you are a banker, move to Columbia, Tennessee. They work from 8:30-3:00. Nice, huh?


5. The state of Kansas sucks. Beyond the obvious fact that it is flat and long and boring, the state of Kansas actually makes you pay to drive through it. (No I am not talking about the speeding ticket I got outside of Hays). The main route through Kansas, and the rest of the middle of the country, is I-40 and hoity-toity Kansas make you pay to drive on it. Randomly in the middle of Topeka you have to pay a toll. Because driving through the state isn't payment enough somehow.