Layla's First Time at the Beach

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while.  Nothing has really been going on!  We're almost completely set up at work, which is awesome.  I can't wait to get started!  But back to the original purpose of this post...

I took Layla to the beach this past weekend!  Technically, I took her to the bay, but whatever.  She LOVED it.  The entire park there in Mission Bay is off-leash, which is really cool.  There were a few people walking their dogs on the trails, but there weren't very many people at the water.  She did make friends with a Doberman mix puppy, though.  While I was talking to the owners, Layla was playing & running laps around everyone, like she usually does.  The owners remarked, "oh wow, she's still a puppy, huh?"  I got to explain, "Yeah, no, she's 4 years old."  She just has a lot of energy, what can I say?

Anyway, that's all I've really got.  Until I do something more interesting, liberty is authorized.  Have a great day.

The One When I Realize My Dad Is A Bammer

Anyone get the FRIENDS reference? Ok, enough joking around, it's time to focus.

I was just talking on Skype to my dad. He asked me if I was going to cheer for Alabama in the national championship game. I didn't even bother answering. Then he said (as all Bama fans like to remind us), "I cheered for Auburn last year..." Honestly, I don't even remember if he did or not. He could've been lying (as Bama fans are wont to do). Then he said I should always cheer for the SEC during bowl season. I replied that of course I would be cheering for the SEC. I think it was around this time he remember who Alabama was playing.

Then the conversation turned to the game of the century, part 1. My dad actually said, "I think we won the game, we just didn't score the points." Now, I have NEVER called my dad a Bammer, as a)he is my father, and b)he actually attended the University of Alabama, but that was a straight up Bammer comment. Could you imagine the ridicule Auburn fans would get if we claimed a "moral victory" like that? That comment is the definition of absurdity, and I rightly told him so.

Liberty is authorized, have a great weekend.

Liberty Is Authorized, Have A Great Weekend

Pretty boring week at work, just still trying to get the lab set up. The Pitt guys are coming out in a few weeks for the final install, after that we should hopefully be ready to start bringing in the instructors and collecting data.

In other news, my neighbors (the Auburn ones) took me to IKEA. I was like a kid in a candy store. I hate shopping for clothes, but I absolutely love shopping for home decor. I didn't even know IKEA had kitchen utensils!! I found the wall ledges I want to display my shot glasses on, but they only had them in white at the store, and considering my dining room wall is red, that's a big no-no. Not in my house. Also, white wall ledges? What is this, a John Hughes movie? I'll put up a picture when I get everything up, but I've been pretty lazy when it comes to decorating the apartment. I'll do it eventually.

The weather here has been amazing. This week it got up into the 80s, but today was a little chillier, around 75 with a breeze. Yes, I can feel you all hating me right now. There are really big waves in San Diego right now, something about some front coming from Antarctica or something, I don't know I wasn't paying attention. Anyway, I want to take Layla to the beach, but I'm a little nervous for her to get in the water. Perhaps I'll just take her and keep her on the leash. I don't want to have to dive in the cold Pacific because my dog got taken away in the undertow, though I totally would.

By the way, Pacific Time is totally where it's at. During the week, when I get up at 6, it's 8 back at home, which means I can call people while they're on their way to work. When I leave work at 1600, it's 1800 at home, when most people are having dinner. So I'm kinda like a telemarketer in that way. Also, on the weekends, if I sleep in until 9, I can turn on the tv and watch football. Awesome.

There's a new class going that just started BUD/S, and we can hear the shuffle as they run in their groups around base. They're already so tired they can barely pick up their feet to run. Right now there's a lot of them. After Hell Week, only 10% of them will still be here. I also just heard an amazing thing over the intercom today, "Liberty is authorized, have a great weekend." I'm pretty sure that just means it's the freakin weekend, but it sounds awesome and I'm going to start saying it.

So until next time,
Liberty is authorized, have a great weekend.

I'm Really Lazy, and Happy New Year

First blog of 2012, everyone. Welcome to the party. So I got back from Birmingham on the 30th. Did I mention my sojourn from the airport terminal to my car with Layla in a crate? No? Let's begin there:

The first thing you need to know is that I took the shuttle from my car to the terminal when I flew to Birmingham. So when I landed in San Diego, I immediately went down to baggage claim, so I could claim my baggage. I pay for one of those carts to take my bags & Layla to my car, the location of which I have now forgotten. Obviously I can't take the shuttle back to my car because I have a dog, so I figure I'll just walk; it shouldn't be that far. So I follow the signs to the parking lot, where I'm looking for shuttle stop #5, so I can have a reference point to find my car. I walked all around the lot, finding stops 1-4, but can't find 5. I ask two men in the parking lot if they know where stop #5 is, and they tell me I have to go back to the terminal, where I will see all the shuttles & can then take the bus to my stop. No, I explain to them, I don't want to ride the shuttle, as I have a dog in a giant crate on my cart. Idiots. They tell me the stop is on the other side of the airport, which I'm pretty sure isn't right, but I don't want to talk to them anymore so I go back into the airport to ask information. The woman at information tells me there's another parking lot past the one I was in, so I have to go back the way I came, & walk further. At least I know where I'm going. So now I'm in the correct lot, I'm even on the row of my car, and Layla's crate fell off the cart onto its side. Somehow, she had flipped herself during the tumble & landed on her feet. The moral of this story is that my dog may or may not be a ninja.

So anyway, jump to New Year's Eve. I hadn't really done anything all day, except for take Layla for a few walks where I see people laying out by the pool. I decide to order a pizza for dinner because I really wanted a coke. I didn't particularly care for pizza, but that's just how lazy I am. I stopped buying soda for the house to drink more water, and it's working, but I just really wanted a coke that night. There's a gas station on the opposite corner from my complex, too. While I'm waiting on my 2-liter Coca-Cola Classic, my neighbor knocks on my door to invite me to her NYE party. How sweet! So I went there & met some of their friends & had a blasty-blast. I also shot a gun. It was a real gun, but the bullet in it shot a laser, so relax, Mom. I shot the doorknob twice. I don't want to brag, but I'm pretty good.

The weather has been beautiful, of course. I'm ready to go back to work though, we'll be starting to collect data soon!