Cromer

This weekend we had our first beach excursion here in England.  Only an hour and a half away, Cromer is a beautiful little fishing village on the east coast in Norfolk.   The weather was perfect, the food was amazing, the service at our hotel was impeccable, and the views were incredible.  It was also the most dog-friendly town I have ever seen.  There were dishes of water outside every shop, and your furry friends were allowed nearly everywhere, with the exception of the fancy restaurant – though they would happily set a place for you on the bar side where your doggies were more than welcome.  Our hotel even had dog beds and dishes waiting for us in the room.  And the dogs here tend to be just like the British. Chill.  It was great. 

On Friday, we got into town just in time to check in to the hotel and head down to the beach to let the babies run around and to catch the beautiful sunset into the sea.  Trying to write this blog now is difficult – there was so much I wanted to write about as it was happening this weekend and now I struggle to tell a decent story.  It was just so relaxing and beautiful, and it was very nice to have high quality seafood again; it’s been awhile.  I did some indulging on desserts this weekend, as there were homemade ice cream shops everywhere (we even took a horse and carriage ride while enjoying our ice cream - the babies thought this was fantastic) and the hotel happened to serve the most ridiculously succulent brownies a la mode I have ever laid my lips on. 

My husband was dying to try his hand at crabbing, which seemed to be the popular thing to do off the pier.  He caught three, and boy was he pumped.  Scarlet, of course, tried to eat one while it tried to pinch her face.  Henry, of course, was scared of it.  I, of course, read my book while basking in the sun and trying to block out the severely spoiled and obnoxious child pissing and moaning and commanding his parents right next to us.  Thankfully, his line broke and he whined his way off the pier.

Did I mention that the food was incredible? Even something so simple as scrambled eggs and smoked salmon was heavenly.  I’m salivating right now just thinking about it.  I managed to hunt down the only art gallery in town, and of course fell in love with not one, but two paintings that are so beyond my price range I don’t even want to talk about it.  I have met many works of art that I enjoy, that make me happy, that I admire and respect, that I think truly make the world a more beautiful place; but there are very few that truly capture my heart and soul and make me feel connected on a level that transcends viewing and reaches pure affection. This love I describe has only happened to me one other time in a gallery, and that is when I met Ceoul, Craic, agus Rinca in Killarney, Ireland.  It was expensive, so with a tear in my eye I walked away – but I couldn’t stop thinking about it days later.  So I called the gallery and found out that there were limited edition prints that were still expensive, but low enough that I could justify making the investment.  I have never regretted it.  In this case in Cromer, there were no prints, no plans for prints, only the very precious originals.  So instead I sat in front of them and burned them into my memory. It will have to do until I make my millions.  On a side note, there was a very cute cat in this gallery whose eyes were the color of the sea.  I have never seen eyes so aqua on an animal before. I was so sad about the paintings, however, that I failed to take a picture of said kitty. 

Scarlet reached new heights this weekend in displaying her cunning and intelligence. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Gentle Leader, it is a leash attachment that loops around a dog’s muzzle from underneath the chin.  The loop expands when the leash is slack, and tightens when the dog pulls, thus pissing the dog off because it can’t easily open its jaws.  Therefore, if the dog wants to use its mouth, it doesn’t pull on the leash. Works like a charm.  Scarlet HATES the Gentle Leader.  When I get it out, she glares like she wants to cut me.  She also likes to ram her face along the ground while walking in an effort to get it off.  But lately, she has realized how to get it to not piss her off (i.e. not pulling) and has been really good about walking with a slack leash.  Anyway, we decided to leave them in the room for dinner on the second night since they were so exhausted from running up and down the beach all day.  2 hours later, we return to the room to find Henry in the corner with the “I didn’t do it, it was all her I swear please don’t yell at me I’m scared” look on, and Scarlet army-crawling toward us, tail wagging like mad with the “I know this place is ransacked but I just couldn’t help it and I’m really sorry but look how cute and sorry I am” look on.  As we picked stuff up, we realized that nothing was destroyed or chewed on, only shoved onto the floor.  It was obvious that it was her, as her little white hairs were all over the couch.  After we got everything back in its place, we found two tiny pieces of black plastic on the floor.  I immediately grabbed the Gentle Leader.  As I suspected, those tiny black pieces were once part of said device.  Scarlet, like a pirate searching for treasure, had dug through everything in the room with fevered focus, until she discovered the tiny strap and chewed off the only thing she needed to to make it unable to function – the clasp.  Not only that, she had done her best to shove it between the cushions of the couch when she was done disabling it.  I was simultaneously pissed and utterly impressed with my little princess and her premeditated murder of the Gentle Leader.  The next day as we headed to the beach, she walked with slack and a sideways glance the whole way as if to say “See, I don’t need it anymore. Beotch.”  I’m such a proud mother.

We frolicked on the beach and had one more ice cream cone on the pier before we departed the lovely town of Cromer.  The pictures turned out fabulously if you wanna looksee! https://picasaweb.google.com/enger.emily

Living.The.Dream.

With gratitude,

Emily

The Dog Blog

Let me tell you about our little babies.  While my husband was in London this last week volunteering with the Olympics, my little soft furry doggies and I had some serious bonding time – meaning I let them sleep in our bed every night – and I decided I needed to devote some writing to my intense love and appreciation for them. 

 Scarlet is my little princess.  On the day I met her, I knew she was meant to be mine.  We were at an adoption fair in Scottsdale, AZ and there were hundreds of dogs, cats, miniature horses, bulldogs in tutus, you name it.  She was the only white puppy in a herd of 9 beige and brown puppies and she was sitting calmly in the corner of the kennel while the others paraded and jumped around her.  I went over to her and asked the woman running the org if I could see her.  Her name was puppy #7.  I picked her up, and she put one paw over each of my shoulders and nuzzled her face into my neck.  It was the best puppy hug ever and I shed a little tear like the sap that I am.  I put her on a leash and she promptly army crawled alongside me and then flipped over on her back for a belly rub.  When my husband met Henry (Wesley in his paperwork), it was love at first sight for him as well.  He was one of the most beautiful puppies we had ever seen.  Red, fluffy, unbelievably soft. He was lying in a woman’s arms on his back like a baby, not moving, so calm and loving.  When she finally put him down, James snagged him.  We introduced him to Scarlet, handed over our cash and headed home.   

Throughout the time we lived in Phoenix and would grumble about how much we hated living there, we would always remind ourselves that we would never have our little family if we hadn’t lived there.  The sticker shock from moving them overseas with us didn’t last very long either, it is now hard to imagine life without them. 

I love the way Scarlet can curl up in the tiniest ball when she is sleeping.  I love how soft she is, what a good cuddler she is, how her whole booty shakes back and forth when I get the leash out.  When she’s in trouble, she army crawls over, squints, bares her teeth and takes her punishment like a real woman.  She is very bendable – one day I came home and she had escaped from the kennel, yet Henry was still inside.  She will sit in front of you and bend her head all the way back to smile at you and make sure you know she is there.  She will gently set her paw on you and throw her head back as if to say, ‘If you don’t pet me I will surely perish.’  She loves to camp, because it means she gets to curl up in my lap next to the fire and sleep on the air mattress – not to mention eat all sorts of tasty new things that she finds.  She is ragingly independent yet such a loving companion.  She cries when Henry is out of sight, and sleeps as close to my side of the bed as she can get, even if she is partway underneath it.  She waits quietly for me to wake up in the morning, and as soon as my eyes open her tail begins to wag and the army crawl toward my face commences.  As soon as I say the word ‘outside’ she slingshots down the stairs toward the door.  She loves to be bathed, loves to be Furminated, and lays on her back for nail trimmings.  If she could be continuously touched all day every day, I’m pretty sure she would sign right up. 

And Henry.  What a handsome boy he is.  A hit with the ladies everywhere we go.  So soft, so fluffy, so innocent and sweet.  The most well-behaved, loyal, calmest and sweetest doggie I have ever met.  The boy who doesn’t even need a leash because he will never leave our side when walking.  Who protects Scarlet when she is being sniffed or harassed by other dogs at the park.  Whose tail wags in a circle like a helicopter rather than back and forth.  Who is the best little spoon ever, and loves his rope more than a fat kid loves cake.  His first 8 months he would play with nothing, chew on nothing.  The day we brought home a rope toy was the day his world changed forever.  The flinging, the dancing, the tossing – it is endless entertainment and joy. And I love how they sleep in tandem.

I know that we won’t have our little babies forever, and I already work myself into a tearful tizzy thinking about the day they will cruise on up to doggie heaven.  But we recognize that, feed them the best food money can buy, give them all the ropes and bones they could ever want, and shower them with love and cuddles and scratches and belly rubs as much as we possibly can.  Hopefully that will be enough to keep them with us for as long as possible.

Cheers to Scarlet and Henry, and to your pets as well, whether they are still with us or waiting for you on the other side of the curtain :)

 

Wireless Festival!

It’s been awhile! I apologize to my adoring fan (hi Mom) to have kept you waiting for so long. I’m sure you’re at the edge of your seat. 

Work has been crazy, as we had our massive 4^th of July celebration last week; carnival, 54 food vendors (the Brits LOVE funnel cakes), RAF Red Arrows, American Idols Tour, etc.  It was a long couple of days! As BMW was one of our sponsors, I got to schmooze and ogle a delicious Mini Countryman, my current fantasy-mobile.  The food was great, as were our vendors and sponsors, the RAF Red Arrows put on a great air show and the event was a 30,000 attendee success. 

Last Friday we had the privilege of seeing some of the most epic guitar playing I have seen since Seattle days – I love the unique joy that quality live music brings me.   

mmmm Rihanna...

Speaking of, we ended up scoring a screaming last minute deal on tickets to the Wireless Festival in Hyde Park in London, a.k.a Rihanna’s deliciously sexy and amazing-self headlining, with some Jessie J, Kaskade and various others to boot.  This was my first experience at one of those music festivals that is essentially a mud bath.  I saw some very dirty things that day that I will spare you the details of. 

People were peeing in this mud. No shame.

I was very glad to have my Wellies.  We got home about 1:30 am last night – London looks amazing at night btw, Big Ben, the London Eye, the tower bridge…glorious – and I am deliriously writing this blog waiting for the chicken to come off the rotisserie so I can shove it in my mouth and pass out.

I have been feeling sad lately about the lack of instant access to my circle of love back home.  When I was in Peace Corps I could Skype for hours because I had the time to do so.  Here, I have a normal job and home life to manage which makes it a tad more difficult, combined with the members of my circle of love having crazy busy lives as well.  We are no longer just a text or phone call away, chats must be scheduled – not to mention an 8 hour time difference.  The only solace I have in this is that I am confident I have some of the most solid and epic friendships on earth and our powerful telepathic connections of love maintain said relationships with force even when we cannot see, touch or hear each other on a daily basis.  At least that is what helps me cope with it.  :)

 

Meanwhile, we continue to grow our wine collection and fill our freezer with delicious clean local meat, research trips to take and generally live the dream.  On the agenda so far: Wales in October, foodie trip to London in November, Rome for Thanksgiving, Scotland for New Years, Iceland in January, and the Norwegian Fjord cruise next summer. WHEEEEEE!!!!!!

With love and gratitude,

Emily