Part-Time Pup

Sometimes I house-sit and pet-sit for my best friend's parents when they go on trips since my work schedule is so spotty. It is kind of fun for me because I get to "play house" by cooking my own meals and taking care of the pup/cat/fish. I do cook here at home sometimes, but I don't do most of the grocery shopping and I have some particular eaters in my house so I feel pretty limited in what I can make there.

The pup is a half great Pyrenees and half St. Bernard, and so he's a challenge sometimes because I am very opposed to feeding dogs table scraps (but his head is right at dining table height) and this 170-lb ball off fur and slobber likes to think that he's a lap dog. Once you get used to sacrificing five-sixths of the couch, and being pushed out the way every time (and I mean every time) you go up the stairs, he is a gentle-hearted and happy dog.  He also really loves when Adam comes by...

Making time for the Framily

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving and a happy start to their December. I finally had a plan-free day today to focus on getting myself reorganized after the past week. That means putting away all the clothes I pulled out when deciding on outfits this past week, and spending some time on the mat to reflect.

My current job has me working every other weekend, and this year them seem to all be falling on holiday weekends, but aside from that I get most of my hours from filling in for people taking PTO, and whenever there's a holiday, there are people trying to take off from work. So the week before Thanksgiving I was simultaneously dreading my work schedule and getting pumped that my friends were coming home. The tricky part is learning how to balance the two while still getting enough sleep to function and not be a grump.



The friend group I was so excited to see was from high school, and is made up of the 3 guys that Adam swam with on a relay team, and their significant others.  (The one couple couldn't make it home this time.) After going our separate ways freshman year of undergrad, we started to realize that these were the people we wanted to keep in our lives.  In high school it was easy to maintain relationships because we saw each other so often, but when everyone moved in different directions we learned how to work at our friendships, and I think we are probably all closer now more than ever. From weekly Skype dates to political group chats and co-op video games we devote a little bit of time to each portion of the group. I am so fortunate to have such an amazing framily. This is me with Adam and my best friend.

Over this break we welcomed a new addition to the group! Adam's best friend brought home his girlfriend to meet his friends and family, so she flew in just in time to come to our Friendsgiving party the night before Thanksgiving. Adam and I served chili and cornbread and kegged some homebrewed wheat ale for that evening.

Thanksgiving was quiet for both Adam and my families, all the fixings of the traditional turkey dinner with our respective immediate families, and then later on I popped back over to his house to sample the three pies that were there for dessert.

On Black Friday my best friend and her fiancé took me hiking with them out in Hamburg where we took the Appalachian Trail the the Pinnacle. It was 8 miles, out and back, and the views were fantastic. And we made good time so that I could get back and head to work that night. My legs were crying by the time we got back, but I am so happy I went. Morning hikes like this remind me just how beautiful PA can be.

We also got a chance to play board games one night with that same couple, and had an incredible home-cooked meal with Adam's best friend and his parents the night before he had to fly back west.  All in all, I think that I succeeded at spending with everyone and functioning well enough at work, and all the smiles and warmth from these people should be able to hold me over until they're back again for the winter holidays. I'm so thankful for them.


Best,