We Bought A Zoo Too

I'm a sucker for those heartfelt movies. The sleeper hits. The ones that make you cry - a happy cry.

A sucker for the movies that are a little sappy. Those that touch your heart in funny little ways you can't explain to people.

For whatever reason, the movie, "WE BOUGHT A ZOO" continues to stalk my life. Or randomly appears in tiny little places to let you know you are on the right track. Or continues to let me know life is filled with magical surprises.

There is a Duncan in the movie. There is a Lily in the movie. There is also a Rosie.

On October 14, 2015 at approximately 1:05pm, Ambrosia II comes to live at our house for a year (or so).

We are going to call her "Rosie"

There are very strict instructions on how we raise and train "Rosie".

The eldest son is refusing to participate in this "concentration camp of a society". He is thinking we can't possibly have any compassion. (This from a kid whom thinks his mom doesn't know anything).

I always knew these last few years were going to be challenging.

I think we are buying a zoo.

When you meet good people

Sometimes, you can see a person in the middle of a crowd. They don't even have to look directly at you. There is aura about them.

You can tell. From across the room - this is person I need to know.

Or I person I need to steer clear. All from a look across the room.

My senior year in college I dated a guy 11 years older than me. He had come back to school to finish his degree. We met on Valentine's Day. I graduated in August.

The first time I went over to his house, I met one of his roommates. He lived with two girls - sisters. Identical twin sisters from outside of the Dallas area. Their birthday turned out to be the day before mine.

My bff tells the story: She came home and said "well, he's a good guy, but I really like his roommates."

The rest is history.

One of the roommates was a bridesmaid in my wedding.

We've never lost touch with each other.  Yes, time passes before we connect, but there has never been a "loss".

They are part of the weave who makes the fabric of me.

Something I don't think I even realized until this past weekend.

Girls weekend. A reunion. In theory, it was a reunion with an old boyfriends former roommate. We meant to stalk him. Find him on Facebook. Send him a picture of all of us.

We never got around to it. Actually, after the first discussion, I'm not quite sure we mentioned him.

As that is not what really mattered.

The people in the room mattered.

When you meet good people, hang on to them.

The Rosie Project

Last spring, or maybe some spring before, I read a quirky little book titled "The Rosie Project". If I remember correctly, the premise is quirky professor whom has not dated much. Very neurotic. OCD. Not sure how he met "Rosie", but he embarks on a quest to date her. The antithesis of himself.

It's a British book. I believe even a movie is coming (already came) out?

What I remember:

• quirky
• OCD
• a woman that met none of the "requirements" for the professor
• a professor whom was a bit odd

Which brings me to today.

We got our phone call. Yes, the "I SAID I WOULD NEVER DO THIS" phone call.

I had requested, ideally, a golden retriever and/or golden lab and/or retriever/lab mix and/or first available MALE. (IN THAT ORDER).

You guessed it.

Your puppy, Ambrosia II will arrive on October 14, 2015.  The pup will be shipped directly to the Denver Airport on that day and you will be responsible for picking her up. I will send you her flight information one week prior to her arrival.

Ambrosia II is a black lab/retriever FEMALE. 

We have our orientation some time during the next two weeks. My friend whom said we could use her kennel (as she is the one whom some how got me involved in this) is in Spain for 3 weeks. Luckily, the pup Ambrosia II comes in a crate that will work until my friend returns.

The CCI puppy lady and I were on the phone. We were going through the details. She did say:

When a puppy has a II or III or on and on, the FIRST one must have been a good one.

We looked up the name AMBROSIA - it's Greek. The food or drink of Greek Gods. Ambrosia was typically reserved for divine beings.

We know she was picked for us. She was supposed to be going to another family and the other raisers had to change their dates.

The puppy lady also said:

When the name is rather long, they usually end up getting a nickname.

We looked up some nicknames:

• Amber
• Amy
• Asia
• Bro (after all she is coming from California)
• Bria
• Rosia
• Rosie
• Si (see or sigh)

As of right now, we are going with "Rosie". The Rosie Project. Only, we are thinking WE are Rosie's Project.

Writers are Crazy

Think of:

• Hemingway  (actually if you are female, read The Paris Wife - you can see her side)
• Hunter S Thompson
• J.D. Salinger
• Virginia Woolf
• Jenny Lawson

When you read their works, my first thought is "these people are messed up".

Then, I started to write......

And, I joined their club.

(And yes, Jenny, when you read this-we can include you with the rest of the list).

I'm an extrovert, whom is also an introvert. I like people. I like to be around people. I also love my alone time. The time, all by myself.

I write. 

Tonight, after having dinner with a friend, I had 14 million 3 hundred and 66 thousand ideas for my articles.

By the time I got home, I don't even think I had one.

If I was one of the people listed above - I would have pulled over to the side of the road and made notes.

This is half the article of what would be half way decent. Of course, if I had pulled to the side of the road.

Thank goodness for editors.

Thank goodness for the people whom keep us on our path.

Thank goodness for the people whom understand at the depths of the ocean, we are totally worth the crazy......

Career Woman

The business trip was fine.

I went shopping with my Granny and bought new clothes.

I flew to a city where I had never been.

I rented a car. I drove to an office with directions from our modern technology.

I checked into a hotel. I had dinner by myself.

I met an old friend - whom I had never "met" before.

I was bored out of my mind.

The office was fine. The people were fine. Everything was FINE.

What I realized though. I don't miss the career  corporate woman I used to be. Don't miss her ONE LITTLE BIT.

I don't miss:

•  the corporate dinners. 
• The fake friendships (Not all corporate friendships are fake, but most of them are temporary). 
• Being in a strange city and it doesn't really matter. You are at an airport, a hotel and an office.
• Needing to "judge" my life by my career.

I am very thankful for my career. Thankful I chose a path that allowed me flexibility. Freedom. And knowledge to know my life is not defined by "what I do".  

Oops, my life IS defined by "what I do" - only it doesn't involve the hours I spend earning a living......

P.S - The Career/Corporate woman doesn't know how to write

A business trip

From 1993 - 2001, I traveled for business a lot.

Well, my definition of a lot.

I got to visit many cities. For many clients. For many reasons.

On someone's dime.

Once again, I GOT TO TRAVEL.

I didn't HAVE to travel.

For me, it was an escape. Looking back, of course, it was something out of the routine. Out of the day to day.

Cleveland. Minn/St Paul. San Antonio. I know exciting cities. But then, Los Angeles. Phoenix. San Francisco. Chicago.

Places I got to go.

It's been 14 years since 9/11.

I was "stuck" in Laguna Beach California.

A place that changed my life. For no other reason than on September 12 2001 I woke up at the beach knowing I had the strength to carry me on to the next chapter in my life.

I arrived back to Denver on September 14, 2001. A Friday night.

An escort from the airport walked me to my car.

Which brings us to Monday. This coming Monday.

Monday, September 14, 2015

I leave on my first business trip since that day. (Yes, I've gone to see clients. Yes, I've traveled.). This is: the company books everything. This is the same place - yet further along.

I guess, I'm picking up where I left off.

Hell of a mid-crisis business trip,  if you ask me......

If you have to brag about it,

I've been trying new places. New restaurants. New "coffee shops". New places to meet.

We are all creatures of habit. It's easy that way.

You go to the same places. The wait staff knows you. You run into regular people you see and like. You know what to expect.

With that, come predictability.

Every once in a while, I pretend to try and mix things up.

Try a new place - on the opposite end of town. Do something out of the "ordinary" routine.

Only after doing this for about 3 weeks now. I had a realization.

This sucks.

The new places suck.

Maybe new places in my same neighborhood would be good, but I've been trying to go to "similar places" in a different neighborhood.

Dallas vs Houston

Aspen vs Vail

Honolulu vs Kona

The Tech Center vs Cherry Creek

What I've discovered about the "same places" in a different neighborhood is that it's the people are different.

Really they should be the same. Both are from the same socioeconomic status. They should be similar? Right?

To me, the cities on the left have "new money" the other "old money."

Not once, in a bazillion years has anyone I've ever met while out in Cherry Creek asked me what I do for a living. Yes, it comes up at some point. But you can have drinks, sometimes even dinner and all you have discussed is current events and what you like to do.

The tech center, it's usually the second question asked. "What do you do?"

WHAT DOES IT MATTER?

I swim. I paddle. I like to eat good food and I pretend to run. "Oh, you mean, How do I make a living?"

WHO CARES

I've tried going to different places.

Places you think you might mean some like minded people. People whom don't want to tell you about how much money they have in the bank or what kind of car they drive.

If you have to brag about it, you probably don't really have it......