She loves it so much, she even chews it when she's sleeping!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Avery and Tucker
It's been awhile since we've had a chance to hang out. They're as sweet as can be (as usual) but aren't quite sure what to make of Reggie yet. She has a little too much energy for them...
Sleeping Beauty
Behold, my younger sister Alicia partaking in the afternoon nap after running the dogs at our local park.
Dear Delta: A Little Common Sense Would've Been Appreciated
There was nearly a massive flaw in my plan to fly home with Reggie and spend the week relaxing with my family. Our plans included meeting Greg, my sister's boyfriend for the first time, as well as letting Reggie hang out with Uncle Tucker and Aunt Avery, my parents' dogs.
Upon arrival at the airport, I checked my bag in curb-side and the Delta check-in guy escorted me with Reggie upstairs to the "Special Services" line to check in. However, instead of putting me in the real "Special Services" line, he stuck me in a line that was intended for people on a flight to JFK that got canceled and everyone needed to be re-booked. After 10 minutes of standing there listening to people complain about missing connecting flights (one woman's trip to Egypt was apparently being massively screwed up), I moved myself over to the true "Special Services" line where I was surrounded by families with children. I believe there was only one representative checking people in, so after about 20 minutes of waiting and not moving at all, I moved myself (again) over to the normal check-in line.
After waiting 15 minutes or so, I was to the front of the line. And this is when the real craziness started. Despite my discussions with several Delta representatives on the phone assuring me I didn't need any special certification for taking off with a dog when the city I was flying to was cold, the lady at the counter tried to bar Reggie from the flight because it was sub-45 degrees in Atlanta (a chilly 39 degrees). I tried to explain to her my prior discussions with Delta representatives, but she wasn't hearing it. She kept saying how it was for the animal's safety, etc., but I wanted to grab her and shake her and tell her that Reggie is a lab that would be perfectly fine sitting in 39 degree weather for 30 minutes while they transferred her from the Atlanta connection to the Newport News connection.
After a 30-40 minute debate with several of the representatives, they decided if my vet could fax in an acclimation certificate Reggie could fly. Thank you Windan'Sea Veterinary Clinic, Dr. Dorian and Dr. Lindsay for your help. After this, we were all systems go. However, this ridiculousness with us checking in made us miss our 9:25 a.m. flight to Atlanta, so we had to be re-booked on the 11:15 a.m. flight. The lady at the counter re-booked me with a first-class seat so then I couldn't really complain too much. I was just happy to be on my way to Virginia, with Reggie safely on the plan, heading home to see our family for the break. Whew.
Upon arrival at the airport, I checked my bag in curb-side and the Delta check-in guy escorted me with Reggie upstairs to the "Special Services" line to check in. However, instead of putting me in the real "Special Services" line, he stuck me in a line that was intended for people on a flight to JFK that got canceled and everyone needed to be re-booked. After 10 minutes of standing there listening to people complain about missing connecting flights (one woman's trip to Egypt was apparently being massively screwed up), I moved myself over to the true "Special Services" line where I was surrounded by families with children. I believe there was only one representative checking people in, so after about 20 minutes of waiting and not moving at all, I moved myself (again) over to the normal check-in line.
After waiting 15 minutes or so, I was to the front of the line. And this is when the real craziness started. Despite my discussions with several Delta representatives on the phone assuring me I didn't need any special certification for taking off with a dog when the city I was flying to was cold, the lady at the counter tried to bar Reggie from the flight because it was sub-45 degrees in Atlanta (a chilly 39 degrees). I tried to explain to her my prior discussions with Delta representatives, but she wasn't hearing it. She kept saying how it was for the animal's safety, etc., but I wanted to grab her and shake her and tell her that Reggie is a lab that would be perfectly fine sitting in 39 degree weather for 30 minutes while they transferred her from the Atlanta connection to the Newport News connection.
After a 30-40 minute debate with several of the representatives, they decided if my vet could fax in an acclimation certificate Reggie could fly. Thank you Windan'Sea Veterinary Clinic, Dr. Dorian and Dr. Lindsay for your help. After this, we were all systems go. However, this ridiculousness with us checking in made us miss our 9:25 a.m. flight to Atlanta, so we had to be re-booked on the 11:15 a.m. flight. The lady at the counter re-booked me with a first-class seat so then I couldn't really complain too much. I was just happy to be on my way to Virginia, with Reggie safely on the plan, heading home to see our family for the break. Whew.
A Christmas Poem
‘Twas the week before break in Southern Cal,
It was warm and sunny as usual, but to improve our morale
Reggie and I boarded a flight back to the East Coast,
To spend time with family and indulge in Mom’s pot roast.
The presents were ordered from Amazon and shipped with care,
In hopes our siblings across the country would meet us there,
Reggie dreamed of napping away the day in my bed,
I looked forward to the family time and relaxing ahead.
‘Tis the time of season for holiday cheer,
And to all my friends both far and near,
I miss you all and look forward to catching up again,
All the best to you and yours, and here’s to 2010!
It was warm and sunny as usual, but to improve our morale
Reggie and I boarded a flight back to the East Coast,
To spend time with family and indulge in Mom’s pot roast.
The presents were ordered from Amazon and shipped with care,
In hopes our siblings across the country would meet us there,
Reggie dreamed of napping away the day in my bed,
I looked forward to the family time and relaxing ahead.
‘Tis the time of season for holiday cheer,
And to all my friends both far and near,
I miss you all and look forward to catching up again,
All the best to you and yours, and here’s to 2010!
Friday, December 18, 2009
All I Want For Christmas is a “Get out of Jail Free” Card
As the holiday draws nearer, the Wall Street Journal is beginning to look like pages out of one of my favorite books, “Den of Thieves.” The lead character in the current edition is Raj Rajaratnam, founder of Galleon Group and hedge fund billionaire. The feds have been circling him and the insider trading ring he (allegedly) orchestrated like sharks in a feeding frenzy over the past several weeks. The allegations (and more recently, indictments) touch employees of blue chip firms like I.B.M., Intel, McKinsey & Company, Ropes & Gray, as well as employees of less known and defunct firms like New Castle Funds and Bear Stearns. The central witness in the case is Roomy Khan, who previously worked at Galleon in the late 1990s, and was later convicted of wire fraud in 2001 when she worked for Intel Corp. I’m sure this will give us finance geeks plenty of interesting reading well into the New Year.
What’s a bit confusing about the case against Mr. Rajaratnam is that apparently the SEC had investigated him as far back as 1990 based on suspicious trading patterns (but apparently couldn’t prove anything). Nineteen years later – Ka Pow! Mr. Rajaratnam is behind bars. Apparently some things just require a little patience.
Add to the Rajaratnam trading ring the allegations that have cropped up in the past few days about associates at private equity firms conspiring with investment banks to leak news to their options trading buddies about deals they’re working on to make a quick profit. And this morning the news hit that Steve Cohen’s ex-wife is suing him for another $300 million, claiming he traded on inside information in the mid-1980s before he left a small investment bank to build his $13 billion SAC Capital. I think his ex Patricia probably just got jealous of the $300 million package Elin Nordegren will get if she leaves Tiger Woods. Why else would she today – in December 2009 – come forward with information about insider trading that occurred 20+ years ago? C’mon, Patricia, seriously?
What’s a bit confusing about the case against Mr. Rajaratnam is that apparently the SEC had investigated him as far back as 1990 based on suspicious trading patterns (but apparently couldn’t prove anything). Nineteen years later – Ka Pow! Mr. Rajaratnam is behind bars. Apparently some things just require a little patience.
Add to the Rajaratnam trading ring the allegations that have cropped up in the past few days about associates at private equity firms conspiring with investment banks to leak news to their options trading buddies about deals they’re working on to make a quick profit. And this morning the news hit that Steve Cohen’s ex-wife is suing him for another $300 million, claiming he traded on inside information in the mid-1980s before he left a small investment bank to build his $13 billion SAC Capital. I think his ex Patricia probably just got jealous of the $300 million package Elin Nordegren will get if she leaves Tiger Woods. Why else would she today – in December 2009 – come forward with information about insider trading that occurred 20+ years ago? C’mon, Patricia, seriously?
The Most Shocking Finale Ever!
I don’t believe I’ve raved about “Dexter” too much on this blog. It is one of my favorite shows, featuring Michael C. Hall as a dark and interesting protagonist that’s trying to keep his secret life as a vigilante serial killer under wraps from his family and his co-workers at Miami Metro, where he works as a blood spatter analyst. As the series progresses, this becomes more and more difficult for Dexter Morgan – he eventually marries his girlfriend, moves in with her and her two children, and they have a child of their own, Harrison. Although the premise might sound farfetched, I highly encourage anyone that hasn’t seen the show to watch the first episode. I was intrigued at once.
Last night Reggie and I were hanging out with our favorite neighbors Jen and Hagar. Jen has Showtime on demand and we had a mini-party to watch the season finale of Dexter. There were a few surprising moments in last week’s episode. However, nothing could’ve prepared me for the ending of this season. It was the most shocking season finale I’ve ever seen. For several minutes after the ending, Jen and I re-counted what had just happened and tried to get the ill feelings out of our stomachs. It’s a pretty graphic series, which makes the level of dread I felt after last night’s episode even more surprising.
It will be interesting to see in which direction the writers take the series next season, but needless to say, they’ll have quite the challenge. I have to tip my hat to the show’s writers – fantastic work!
Last night Reggie and I were hanging out with our favorite neighbors Jen and Hagar. Jen has Showtime on demand and we had a mini-party to watch the season finale of Dexter. There were a few surprising moments in last week’s episode. However, nothing could’ve prepared me for the ending of this season. It was the most shocking season finale I’ve ever seen. For several minutes after the ending, Jen and I re-counted what had just happened and tried to get the ill feelings out of our stomachs. It’s a pretty graphic series, which makes the level of dread I felt after last night’s episode even more surprising.
It will be interesting to see in which direction the writers take the series next season, but needless to say, they’ll have quite the challenge. I have to tip my hat to the show’s writers – fantastic work!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Tar Heel Domination
This post is long overdue. On December 6th, the Tar Heel women’s soccer team claimed its 20th NCAA title in the 28-year history of the NCAA Tournament, topping previously unbeaten Stanford 1-0 in the final on an early goal by Jessica McDonald. Including the 1981 AIAW title, this is the team’s 21st overall National Championship. Woot, woot!
I’m sure many articles have been written about the Lady Tar Heels over the years, but I’m still amazed and very proud to have been a part of such a special program. The downside is that I’ll probably never again be part of an organization that is so completely dominant in its field.
According to Wiktionary, “domination” is defined as follows, “The act of dominating; exercise of power in ruling; dominion; supremacy; authority, often done in an arbitrary or insolent way.” I don’t think there’s much arbitrary about Carolina’s domination of soccer but certainly agree with the “supremacy” part of the definition.
Congrats, girls, on another great year and on bringing the NCAA women’s soccer championship trophy to its proper home: Chapel Hill, NC.
I’m sure many articles have been written about the Lady Tar Heels over the years, but I’m still amazed and very proud to have been a part of such a special program. The downside is that I’ll probably never again be part of an organization that is so completely dominant in its field.
According to Wiktionary, “domination” is defined as follows, “The act of dominating; exercise of power in ruling; dominion; supremacy; authority, often done in an arbitrary or insolent way.” I don’t think there’s much arbitrary about Carolina’s domination of soccer but certainly agree with the “supremacy” part of the definition.
Congrats, girls, on another great year and on bringing the NCAA women’s soccer championship trophy to its proper home: Chapel Hill, NC.
It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
On Saturday, Reggie and I will board a Delta flight that takes us through Atlanta on our way to the Newport News/Williamsburg airport. The little Reg-ster has her health certificate from Dr. Dorian – she is now up to 72 pounds and an all-around healthy pup. She has a new carrier that complies with all the airline standards. We’re just sending out hopes that the weather in the Smithfield area stays mild so she can board the plane with me on the way back home. If it drops below 45 degrees Fahrenheit she needs an acclimation certificate, and it is a definite no-go for her on the plane below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Google Weather says the current temperature in Smithfield is approximately 52, but it gets down to 30 over the next several days. The airlines must make a mint from people traveling with large dogs – Delta charges $175 each way to check dogs as luggage.
Over the past few months things have been hectic at work, so I’m looking forward to spending some quality time with the family and just relaxing for a week or so. My Christmas shopping is all wrapped up and the gifts are ready to be delivered. I’m pretty excited about giving some of this year’s gifts and also excited to meet and spend some time with my sis’s boyfriend Greg. Should be a good time. Only a few more days before the journey begins…
Over the past few months things have been hectic at work, so I’m looking forward to spending some quality time with the family and just relaxing for a week or so. My Christmas shopping is all wrapped up and the gifts are ready to be delivered. I’m pretty excited about giving some of this year’s gifts and also excited to meet and spend some time with my sis’s boyfriend Greg. Should be a good time. Only a few more days before the journey begins…
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