happy to be home

kim: i went to san antonio this year, my first warm-weather christmas ever.  i thought it would be really strange, but it was quite nice.  and since st. paul had a brown christmas, i didn't even miss snow.  peanut didn't get to go along, but spent a few days in the kennel (affectionately referred to as jail).

we had a little scare, as i forgot to bring along her vet records, so they didn't want to let me drop her off.  fortunately, i was able to talk them into letting me leave her there in "quarantine" until i could get home to e-mail over images of the documents (how did i survive before i had an iphone?).  and to top it off, i forgot her collar and leash, so i used a bungee cord from the car.  good thing my head is attached...

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peanut:  jail wasn't too bad.  i like being around all the other dogs.  i made new friends in the lobby while mom was talking with the people.  but i'm very happy to be home on my own couch!

making tracks

kim:  the weather has been pretty warm recently - for december in minnesota, anyway.  it was above freezing, which means the ground was soft.  soft ground sticks to little dog paws really well.

guess the dirty dog checkpoint was closed when peanut came through.  must have been break time for the rag (why did i let them unionize?!).

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peanut:  it's like hansel and gretel.  if i get lost, i can follow my tracks home.

fireball!

kim: peanut and i had guests this weekend, all the way from hollywood, to play in the fireball 500 bonspiel.  after we were done playing on sunday (lost in the semifinals), jen and matt went to check out the mall of america, and were very kind to bring back some treats for peanut.

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peanut:  they were really delicious.  there was a peanut butter kind, and bacon and pumpkin.  mmm nummy.  i hope jen and matt come back and visit again!

battle creek dog park

kim:  peanut's favorite dog park is at battle creek.  it's a huge, 10-acre, fenced-in area.  there are two large, open areas and many wooded trails to walk through.

as you can see in the picture, we got our first snow of the season yesterday.  i think we got about 2".  it won't last, though; it's supposed to be back in the 40s in a couple days.

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peanut:  there are lots of dogs to play with in the open fields; but i like exploring the trails, too; and i like darting through the woods.

hipstamatic

kim:  i finally bought an iphone. so many cool apps, hipstamatic being one of them. here's a picture of peanut enjoying the sun.  [ina's 1969 film, john s lens]

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peanut:  they has sunbeams back in 1969?  wow.

new digs

kim: peanut and i have moved from mahtomedi to st. paul (about 18 miles away).  the new place is a fixer-upper, so i've been busy doing fixer-uppering and haven't had much time to post.  however, we're getting situated now, so peanut should be able to blog again on a more regular basis.

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peanut:  we visited the city house a lot before we moved in, so the new home was no big deal.  but i still didn't like all the commotion of packing and moving.  i like our new home, though - it has a fenced in yard, and other dogs walk by all the time, and my furniture and toys are here.  and it's closer to the dog park, so i hope we go more often!

i'm hooooome

kim: my previous dogs were typical dogs - they came running downstairs to greet me when i came home.  peanut's modus operandi is to jump down from the bed, stretch, then meander over;  sometimes, she's still on the bed when i get upstairs, even.

however, if there is another dog in the house, she does come running to greet me.  wonder why that is?

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peanut:  *yawn* are you done with work already?  guess it's time to be done napping.

face paint

kim: peanut took the initiative and helped paint.  she got most of the paint on the intended target: herself.  i spotted some on her face and side and tail.

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peanut: i was pretending to be a warrior.  this is my battle paint.  i didn't get any paint anywhere that it shouldn't have been.  honest.

mears park

kim: one of peanut's favorite ways to spend a thursday evening in the summer is to attend an outdoor concert at mears park in st. paul.  it's a great venue that manages to be kid- and pet- and beer-friendly all at the same time.

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peanut: everybody come out, and bring your dog, too; the more canine friends, the better.  and if you can't finish your hot dog, i can help you out.

ahem!

kim: when peanut wants me to fill up her busy buddy, she brings it over and drops it on the floor, as if to say, "ahem.  did you hear that?  no rattles means it's empty.  this calls for action."

today, she came over and dropped it, but i was doing e-mail, so i didn't respond right away.  not one to discourage easily, peanut picked up her busy buddy, went into the other room, then came back through the doorway and dropped it on the floor again.

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peanut:  i said ahem!

boom house

kim: independence day is not peanut's favorite holiday.  way too many explosions for her liking.  when the fireworks commence, she usually finds a corner to hide in.  at home, it's in the basement behind the water heater.  although this may be a grand way to keep cobwebs at bay in a hard-to-reach spot, i felt bad that peanut didn't have a better safe house.  so, i set up her soft-sided kennel (the "free range" model - she knows how to operate the zipper) in the basement, complete with her super-cool unicorn blanket.

money gone boom:  $3554.42

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peanut:  this is better.  but it would be best if you could ask them to stop making booms.

bicycle touring

kim:  peanut and i hosted two bike tourists, red and rae, for a night.  they are first-time bike tourists from california.  they flew to minneapolis, and are making their way east.

if you're interested in hosting bike tourists or finding places to stay as a bike tourist, visit warmshowers.org.

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peanut:  they were really nice.  now i want to try touring by bicycle, too!  all we would need is a bike trailer for the gear and me.  just think of the big adventures we could have!

portrait of a 3 year old

kim:  i am a terrible dog mom.  i forgot peanut's birthday, which was on the 20th [i remembered a couple days ago].  my little pupper is really growing up - she's three years old already.

i hope this makes my mother feel a little better to know that her birthday isn't the only one i forget.  ;)

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peanut:  i hope this gets me a really good guilt-present.

safe haven

kim:  sometimes, peanut like to cubby up under the desk.  i suspect she thinks it's her den.

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peanut:  this is a really good spot to hide when the weather is bad.  unless it's really bad weather, then i head to the basement.

donut dog

kim: i think peanut looks like a doughnut when she curls up in a ball to take a nap.

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peanut: just don't take a bite out of me while i'm sleeping!

chameleon dog

kim:  peanut sometimes like to play hide and seek.  she sits behind the tree, just where i can't see her when i poke my head out the door.  if i walk out onto the deck, i still sometimes can't see her at first.

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peanut:  nobody here but us bushes.

thawed frozen slobber ball

kim:  when a frozen slobber ball melts, it makes a pretty spat pattern when bounced.

money gone splat:  $3333.54

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peanut:  neat-o!

frozen slobber ball

kim:  in the winter, a slobbery ball takes on a whole new persona.  if it's cold enough, it freezes as it spatters.

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peanut:  neat-o!

february fetch

kim:  cabin fever is starting to set in, but we try to have some fun with fetch in the snow.  this time of year, it's pretty amusing for me, because the ball gets buried in the snow, but peanut dives right in to get it.

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peanut:  i like playing ball in any kind of weather.

twister

kim: peanut can be quite the contortionist.  i think she'd be good at playing twister.

right hand green:  $3056.78

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peanut: ok, the seatbacks will be red, yellow and green, from left to right.  the pillow will be blue.  so far we're at right foot blue, left hand green.  what's next?

one for the road

kim:  sometimes, i go to the dunn bros drive thru without peanut (for shame, i know).  the baristas are usually disappointed when she isn't with me.  but, they still want to brighten peanut's day, and sometimes send along a biscit for me to give to her.

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peanut:  tell them i said thanks, and that i hope to be along next time!

excavation project

kim:  peanut was engaged in quite the excavation project.  digging is one of her favorite pastimes.  at the time of the photo, peanut hadn't found her buried treasure yet, but later on i noticed she had her ball, which had been buried under 19" of snow a few weeks ago.

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peanut:  i'm busy.  it's an important project.  can i come in later?