Celebrating Two Years of Wedded Bliss

See that photo? -----> This is the photo that peaked my interest in the man who I now proudly call "husband". This photo was one of his profile pics on okcupid, and it made me think, "This man is silly...this is good." It's the photo that made me answer his initial message, and the one I kept peeking at whenever I logged on to see if he'd sent me anything new. Happily, we quickly moved past the friendly banter on the dating site and exchanged actual email addresses. Soon we were talking on the phone (which if you know me, you know I hate doing!) and set up a coffee date. I emailed my friend in Australia to tell how nervous I was to meet him in person. I couldn't figure out why I was nervous... I'd been at this whole dating thing a while, and had pretty much gotten past letting it freak me out. Something about Ames was different, though. We met at Stella's on Pearl on a wonderfully warm and sunny Sept (the 7th) day. I parked about a half a block up and checked myself over to make sure nothing was amok. Deep breath. Concentrate on NOT tripping as I walked towards him. I remember laughing a little because my heart was beating so hard I could feel it in my neck. I managed to make it up the two steps and shake his hand and speak a full sentence without A)giggling like an idiot B)spitting on him C)mucking up the correct order of the words coming out of my mouth. Yay for me! Those hours we sat talking flew by, and suddenly it was time to go and pick up our respective children from their other parental units. He walked me to my car and asked if he could fix dinner for me. No kiss happened then and though I was mighty curious (he has delicious lips), I was happy it didn't happen there on the sidewalk. A couple of never ending/time stood still/what am I going to wear days later, I went to his house for dinner. He gave me the tour and this was in his room. --->

It projects the time on to the ceiling!! I don't know why that goofy Batman clock made me so giddy, but it did. It said a lot about who Ames is. He embraces his inner geek. I quickly grew to love this quirky man- in fact, I fell head over heels watching him recite the lines to The Dark Knight. I looked over at this grown man sitting on the edge of his movie theater seat and sank deep into a rainbows, tweeting birds, butterflies flitting, unicorns and puppy filled love. I didn't tell him for another month, though:) My life since I met Ames has been full of happiness, silliness, long talks, lots of hand holding, laughter and a deep kind of love I really didn't think existed.

Meet Rosie! Our newest foster pup:)

Isn't she just beautiful?? Her big brown eyes just make you melt, don't they? Rosie is nearly a year old, so she's just about done growing. She's roughly 50lbs. and on the larger side of "medium dog". She's house trained, crate trained, up to date on shots, spayed, pretty decent on a leash, will bring the ball back when playing fetch, knows several commands, doesn't have any issues with people, loves other dogs and thinks the cat is mighty fun. She was well loved by her previous owner, who tried their best to keep her, but couldn't due to their living situation. She came to New Hope about three weeks ago. Rosie will stick right by your side and isn't distracted easily. We think she'll be excellent on hikes off leash. She is very attentive and watching her watch our movements is pretty fascinating. I'm sure that if she had thumbs, she'd figure out how to get the fridge open as she knows that's where the good stuff is! Rosie is incredibly gentle with people and loves to cuddle and have her ears scratched. Her ears are so soft:)! She snores when she sleeps, and sometimes hogs the blankets. Rosie is not afraid of loud noises (ie: kids), will bob for ice cubes in her water dish and enjoys being brushed. She loves to chew and will annihilate a rawhide in mere hours... especially if you put a little peanut butter in it. Give her the tree trimmings and she'll mulch them for you.

When you adopt a dog our family has been fostering, you can expect this: A happy, playful pup who's been cuddled and kissed and spoiled a bit. A pup who sleeps on the bed (or wherever they want) with several other dogs, who has been a pillow for children, and knows that when told to "sit" in the kitchen that there's usually a treat coming.

You'll have peace of mind knowing that your new pal gets along just fine with kids of all ages, other dogs, grown ups, knows what it's like to ride in the car and has passed the "dog park test". Your dog will be healthy, having been thoroughly checked out by the vets who work with New Hope, and will have been fed a high quality food during their time with us (we are dog food snobs... just fyi..) Your pup will know basic commands and will have been rewarded for good behavior. Your pup will not have been scolded for things they may have done but we didn't catch them doing, as we know a dog must be caught in the act in order to understand why you are scolding them. Your pal will never have been hit by us. We will ask you a plethora of questions about your daily activity, living situation, family members and other pets. Our job is to make sure everyone will be happy. We will visit your home if possible. We will turn you away should you say things like, "We want a puppy, but have you trained her to not chew on things?". We might tear up a bit saying "goodbye", but that's because part of us has fallen in love with your new pal. The joy of knowing we've just made you and a dog very happy is rewarding beyond words. Rosie, along with many other wonderful Cattle Dogs, will be at an Adoption Fair this Saturday (the 8th) at Petco in Golden--- address is--17132 West Colfax Ave., CO 80401 from 9am until 3pm. Even if you're not looking for a new pup, please share this info with others. Thank you! http://www.nhcdrescuecolorado.com/

How to Not Be a Jerk On the Road

I drive A LOT for my job. I've driven up and down I-70 22 times so far this summer. I feel the need to share my rules for not being a jack ass while operating a motor vehicle.
1- Merging onto the highway. You see those cars you're about to shove yourself in between? Chances are they're all going at least 65. No one really goes the speed limit. Your job is to successfully put your vehicle in the mix, and to do so you need to A)realize that the "Yield" sign is for you, not them and B)accelerate up to that speed! Yes, move faster! Merging while going 32 miles per hour forces others to slam on their brakes, swerve, smash into the back of you. None of these create a positive outcome. The good folks speeding by on the highway should not have to do any of these things. They are busy driving very fast. Let them concentrate on that.
2- Roundabouts. One lane? Signal your off; meaning let people know you're exiting. Two or more lanes? THE OUTER LANE is the off lane! This means you do not cut over into it hoping the car there already knows what you're doing. If you miss your off, CIRCLE BACK AROUND. This is the cool thing about roundabouts... take you about eight seconds, maybe. Merging into a roundabout means you WAIT for an opening and go. Not just go. Those stop and yield signs are for you.
3-Slow moving semis. Chances are if you're on a mountain highway you'll see dozens of semis and other large vehicles with their hazards on going REALLY slow as they are not able to cruise along at 70 while going up an 8% grade. If you are in the lane behind them and want to pass them, DO NOT race up behind them, slam on your brakes and cut over. This is guaranteed to A)piss many people off and B) make you an ass. Get over early! Why wait?? You know you're going to pass them, so do so when you have an opening. Plan on accelerating to match the speed of the lane you're moving in to.
4- Signaling. NO ONE CAN READ YOUR MIND. Turns signals are there for this reason. Use them. We won't think any less of you. If you see someone signaling to get over into your lane, let them! Seriously, is slowing down a touch to give them room going to wreck your day? What is that, like, 1.8 seconds for you? Chances are pretty good they have a reason to be doing so, and you might even get "the wave"!
5- Motorcyclists... I have a lot for you.. Helmets hung on the side of your bike make us all laugh at you. It's not sexy; it's stupidity in one of the highest forms. Lack of proper protective gear is equally lame. We secretly hope you wreck and become one big scab.
Do not expect the two ton minivan you just cut off and stopped abruptly in front of to be able to stop as abruptly as you did. It's not physically possible.
Do not take turns wide on blind curvy mountain roads. This is not a race track. I came upon a wreck of motorcycle vs. boat on the pass to Winterpark... who do you think won? I'm sure when Mr. Motorcyclist started his day he didn't picture it ending with the Hazmat guys hosing down his remnants from the roadway.
Do not ride the center lane if traffic is moving swiftly along. It's okay if we're all at a slow crawl or stand still... 99% of us will be jealous of your ingenuity. If you try to do this when we're cruising along at 85mph, chances are someone will stop you because you're being an ass. Come upon a vehicle switching lanes that isn't using their trusty turn signal and you're one big smear.
Vehicle drivers, you are not to turn in front of a motorcycle unless you have a safe distance to do so! You can kill them! You cannot merge into their lane if they are next to you, either. You can kill them! Do not try to race them up the on-ramp, then cut them off, either. You can kill them! Figure this... anyone who puts their person onto a piece of machinery that offers no protection and can quickly accelerate to over 200mph.. well, they are not like you. They have a bit of an edge to them. They like to jump out of planes and get tattoos and enjoy mosh pits. It's okay to be different from them. Differences are what make us interesting. Just don't hold it against them. Also figure that some of these motorcyclists will not hesitate to beat the crap out of your car door with their armored fist should you have just risked killing them.
6- Texting while driving. NO ONE can safely text and drive. NO ONE. If it's that damned important, wait until you are stopped, or pull over into a parking lot or onto the side of the road. But you trying to text while you drive causes you to swerve, suddenly slow down, not see what is right in front of you... like the tree you're headed towards, or the pedestrian crossing the road in one of those tourist town crosswalks. Tourists don't wait for you to stop... they just go. All sense of reason left them at the airport.
what else...
7-Driving in snow/ice. You have four wheel or all wheel drive... hooray for you! This doesn't mean you won't go sliding off the road into a ravine like the rest of us. Slow the hell down. You hit a patch of ice and your tires lose traction just like ours do. This also doesn't give you the ability to stop on a dime.
8-Your car is fast, right? Do not expect that minivan you come racing up on that's trying to pass the semi going up the 8% grade to be as fast as you. Riding up their ass will cause two things to happen. They will slow down because you are annoying, or they will continue to work at trying to pass the semi and you will become annoyed and start honking or flashing your lights. Neither works at all to help you get your way. Just accept the fact that we know your Porsche engine is far superior to the V6 in the minivan and get over it. They'll be out of your way as soon as they can be, I promise.
9- Slower drivers on curvy roads usually have a reason to be going slow. Perhaps they're not used to the curves and are nervous, or perhaps their vehicle isn't great at cornering, or perhaps they are transporting something fragile such as children or a wedding cake. Leave them be. Go around when you safely can and accept the fact that curvy roads are not everyone's cup of tea. If you happen to be the slow driver, be courteous and pull onto the shoulder or into the slower traffic lane to let others pass you. This is the nice thing to do. Less swearing will happen.
10- Tourists- Colorado is a beautiful state and our mountains are breathtaking. Please pull off of the road entirely and come to a complete stop to take your pictures. Please wait for a safe break in traffic to get out of your vehicle if your car door is close to oncoming lanes. We don't blame you for taking pictures, but we shouldn't have to swerve around your ass sticking out of your door because you are looking for spare batteries. In addition to this, DO NOT hold your camera out of the car window and try to take pictures while going 78mph. This is as stupid as texting while driving, and your pictures will most likely suck.
11- Vehicle on fire? You automatically get the right of way! We will all gladly move for you! DO NOT continue to drive. Exploding is bad. Pull over to the right hand emergency lane asap. We'll help you get there!

if you have anything to add to this list, please feel free to comment!

Kelley's Kitchen: Bear (the Magnificent) the foster dog

Kelley's Kitchen: Bear (the Magnificent) the foster dog

Bear (the Magnificent) the foster dog

We're on foster number five, and so far it's been a wonderful experience for us! A lot of people ask how we can let them go... it's hard, but to be able to place a pup in a loving home is incredibly rewarding. I also facebook stalk the new family:)

So this is Bear, and he's awesome:) He's about a year old, up to date on shots, neutered, crate trained, house trained, excellent on a leash, and not a runner. I'm willing to bet he'll be amazing off leash as well. He's full of energy and very sociable. No issues come with this dog! Like most cattle dogs, he's very cuddly and will happily curl up next to you and rest his head on your shoulder.

Bear gets along great with other dogs and doesn't exert the need to dominate. We now have three permanent furry pals and Bear very quickly bonded with them. He LOVES to play. He's fine with kids, too... our four think he's quite fab!

The general consensus is Bear is part Border Collie, which has made him very soft and fluffy. He has the most beautiful brown eyes, doesn't he?

If you're thinking about adopting one of these wonderful creatures, please feel free to contact me at kelleyinco@gmail.com or peruse the many fabulous furry folk on the New Hope website www.nhcdrescuecolorado.com