Celebrating the arrival of autumn

WINTER IS COMING!!!  No, seriously.  Officially, autumn arrived at 10:46am on Saturday.  The significant, life altering temperature drop of 2012 occurred this week.  Which was also not-ironically synchronized with a heavy sigh of relief from me.  Summer really sucks the life out of me.  I lay around lifeless wishing that stepping outside didn't mean that I would require a shower or at least a change of underwear... swamp ass is just ick.

To celebrate, this weekend was packed with activities!

Recap:
Erin brought Kody and Moe (her 2 greyhounds) over at 0630 Friday morning.  She also delivered a Pumpkin Spice Latte.  That's definitely sufficient repayment for dog-sitting.  Moe has stayed with me before, but I was warned that Kody could be a bit crazy, was "broken" (broken as in, he likes the furniture), and is a snuggler.  He made sure to prove all those points to me, in order.

Friday included a burger burn at work, which equates to free lunch for E5 and below.  Sometimes, it pays to be low on the totem pole!  But usually it looks like this:

Someone at NAVCENT once made this better, I wish I had that one.

Friday also included a little drama that put a tinge of Negative Nancy on some of my weekend, but I tried to be the adult and suck it up and move on.  I'm not so good at the last part of that.  Anyyyyways.  Friday evening included a run with ALL THREE DOGS (holy moly) and a broccoli cheddar bread bowl from Panera because I was tired of eating leftovers.  Dessert was smores over the campfire on the beach!

Moe was helping me clean my plate from breakfast.

Kody was le tired after almost a mile jog.

So tired he was cooling his tongue on the floor!

Moe and Kody getting situated.

Thanks Moe, that's exactly how that looked when I left!  

"I knows, you're welcomes!" - Moe

Due to some dinner feeding logistics, Phil got in-room service Friday night.
He ate his entire meal laying down and when he was done he flopped over and glared at me to remove his bowl.
SPOILED.

Every spot shall be covered in greyhound!

A perfect night for a fire!

Graham cracker + marshmellow + Mr. Goodbar/Reese's Cup = Exotic Smores = NOMNOMNOM!!!

"Its mah bedtime.  Dis a gud place to snuggle yous?" - Kody

Saturday was a lazy day.  Kody ensured that I was properly snuggled all night, but he also ensured that he gave me kisses at 0515, used his voice as my personal alarm clock around 0600, and expended his Tigger-like qualities on my bed around 0700.  I finally succumbed to his will around 0720 and took all the beasties on a walk in the woods.  I don't know who said that 2 dogs is as much work as one, but... I don't feel like that is true.  3 dogs is a CRAZY extra amount of work.. and 2 dogs was definitely extra work.  I did learn this time around that all dog leashes on one wrist is easier than trying to keep them separate, but that didn't stop the three of them from all going in different directions when they smelled the most perfect bush that needed to be marked.  My favorite pee time was when they all peed in the exact same spot.  By 0830, Kody was peacefully snuggled up against me on the couch.  I tried to pay him back for my morning torture session, but he didn't really seem phased.  I gave up and decided I needed a nap by 0900.  Kody apparently felt like he needed to make up for his antics by back spooning with me (meaning we slept back to back).  Around 11 I had to physically move him so I could get out of the bed.  Not that I couldn't get out of the other side, just that.. well, I have habits.

"Yous haz enouf rooms?  Cause dis whole corner and da side is mines.  Sweets dreams." - Kody

My pumpkin bagel with cheesecake cream cheese....
that I had to literally take from Kody's mouth (pre-cream cheese)...

Morning nap spooning.

After a few episodes of Weeds and a short chat with Teh Bear, I decided I would give the pups their beef knuckles.  I had picked up 2 extra for Kody and Moe since they seemed to love the bones that I had laying around the apartment from Joey and Phil.  The bones were a definite hit until someone snapped at someone else and everyone had to be separated for a few minutes.  Eventually, it was time to get ready to go to a cookout for a birthday celebration for Teh Korean.  I brought Moe and Phil with me to the celebration, where they were out drooled by Max the English Mastiff.  After the cookout, I got lazy and decided not to go to the fire on the beach, where I apparently missed out on a coworker proposing to his now-fiance.  It's probably for the best since I really don't need anything else to kick my Wedding Fever in it's sore spot.  The dogs and I spent the evening watching Weeds and being generally boring.  It was pretty nice.

NOMNOMNOMS!

Sunday morning was another delightful walk in the woods with the dogs all pulling my leash arm in different directions.  After a little bit of scolding, the pups decided that they could smell/mark more if I wasn't having to stop to untangle them every few seconds, so we were able to march on.  While I was at church (and any other time I left the apt), the visiting dogs serenaded the neighbors.  I picked up a Pumpkin Spice Latte after church and stopped at the Commissary to pick up some things, then came home to talk to Teh Bear for a little bit before meeting my Coast Guard friends (there were legitimately more Coasties in the group I was with than Navy people twice this weekend, it felt bizarre) at the St. Mary's County Fair.

I hadn't been to a fair since middle school.  Not even the North Carolina State Fair when I was in Raleigh, which is apparently an awesome fair.  I watched a few tractor pulls (really, what is the point of that?),  sampled a fried Snickers bar and signed up for so many free giveaways!  I also saw Teh Singing Cat Lady and Teh Guitar Playing Podcaster.  Teh Singing Cat Lady had entered photos into the competition and she won 2nd place and 3rd place on 2 of her 5 photos!  YAY!  I did look closely at one category that I would have entered and saw a 2nd place that shouldn't have been a winner in any way and a 3rd place that should have been a first.  I'm not sure the criteria or the subjectivity that the photos were judged/based on, but that particular category made me doubt the subjectivity for sure.

It was a little hot, but ooey-gooey-melted Snickers wrapped in breading and fried is really delicious... FYI

Then....  I'm almost embarrassed to admit this on a public forum...  but I watched pig racing.  Which was followed up by a duck race.  I can't even make this up.  The part of me that thought NASCAR was cool when I was little was outdone by my adult redneck decisions.  My soul is still weeping.  Teh Responsible Coast Guardian was selected to be a cheer-dude during one of the pig races, which definitely made the St. Mary's Fair awesome.  In other news, Greyhound racing definitely is faster, although not nearly as ridiculous.

We are still trying to figure out what "down back" means.  A google search came back with no definitive results, and if its not on google, it's not a thing....  except in S. MD... apparently.
Learn to use prepositions people!

Apparently, pig racing is a popular thing?

The Responsible Coast Guardian cheering on the piggies during the 2nd race!

3rd pig race.

The duck race.

Just FYI, pigs are apparently motivated to race by getting an Oreo in their pen after they win.  The faster they get to the pen, the more Oreo they get... said the lady with the mullet and the microphone.

Best quote of the day goes to Teh Responsible Coast Guardian after the crowd "awww"-ed when the baby pigs came out for the 3rd race:
"THERE IS NO AWWW-ING!  We are in a competition people!"

After the races we all headed home.  Erin came over to pick up Moe and Kody and I was able to clean up the toys and dog bones that the dogs had redecorated with.  After a week of saying I was going to make it, I finally made Taco Soup.. still too much chicken!  Nonetheless, there were no complaints from The Responsible Coast Guardian who came over for dinner while his wife (nickname to come) stood us up for a haircut!  Since I'm awesome, I sent him home with a bowl of soup for her.  After a few episodes of Weeds, it was time for Teh Phil and I to call the first weekend of autumn a wrap!

I feel like this post should be followed up with a photo of fall foliage, but I don't have any current ones!  I shall remedy this.  But I will give you an old fall photo to make up for my shortcoming..

From last fall when Teh Bear and I visited Historic St. Mary's City.
YAY FALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!