Even though a lot of the scenery in downtown seems so very gray with the graffitti and concrete that surrounds us, I can't help but appreciate the odd things that I find visually stunning. For example, there's a big parking lot we often walk by with with red, white, and a blue metal fence surrounding one edge. In the first photo, you can see the blue metal on the left and the red metal on the right. I notice this every time we walk, and today wondered to myself, "Does anyone else take the time to appreciate the way the red, white, and blue repeat themselves in the midst of the neutral grays and tans in the background?

There's also a parking lot we walk by with a stunning vintage neon sign that reads "Parking," along with a red arrow that points you in the right direction. Immediately inside the parking garage, the white and royal blue section of the wall with these sort of fanciful swirls caught my attention today.

Thanks so much for all your sweet comments about Koda. He's doing great! He was very out of it on Thursday after his anesthesia. He's was on the equivalent of codeine for the five days following his surgery, and while I would have been a mess, he was for the most part same old Koda.

On Saturday, I took him for a walk, and you could tell he just wanted to run. We played it cool and walked, though, because dogs just don't show pain or injury the same way a human does. His stitches seem to be healing well. Our poor little guy has a space where his tooth used to be, but luckily, he never shows his teeth unless he's growling at another dog- a very rare occurance for Koda. He's a lover, not a fighter!

We live in a neighborhood full of all sorts of dogs, including lots of little dogs who bark furiously and look like they want to attack as their owners at the other end of their leash try to control them. Koda's always so calm, sometimes a bit curious, but he never barks back. Such a sweet puppy.

my dad...

Happy Birthday to my dear dad, who says he's happy to be turning "51" today. Ladies- apparently 51 is the new 29. Take note!

My dad built a two-story ground level treehouse for us, nestled within a bunch of trees in the second most private corner of our back yard. He'd drive the family's maroon Chevy van down Tuthill road as fast as can be so we could squeal and get butterflies. He not only took us to the carnival, but he'd play games and ride the rides right alongside us kids.

He gave us horse rides on his back, gave us rides around the living room on a blanket, and let us use his outstretched legs as a hurdle as we'd leap over them. I think he even instigated using a refrigerator cardboard box as a temporary indoor slide down our basement stairs- because it was 10 times as fun as sliding on the normal real slide in our back yard.

He can eat a bowl of chocolate ice cream every night and not gain a pound. He's driven thousands (millions?) of miles for work and never been in a car accident. He can still do pull-ups, even at age "51."

My dad.

Our sweet Ko broke a tooth a few weeks ago, so he had to partake in an all-day visit to the vet to have his tooth pulled today. It was a full-blown surgery complete with anesthesia and lots of take-home medication, so our buddy is not himself tonight!

He's been sleeping a lot, and in between naps we'll find him sitting or standing in random spots throughout our apartment. I find myself monitoring his every move, updating Brandon from another room, "Brandon- Koda's standing up on all fours in the hallway next to the closet! He's been there for two minutes now!" as if it's breaking news. Koda really does have his few favorite spots in our place, and it's odd to ever find him somewhere new. Not late-breaking-news odd, mind you, but strange nonetheless.

Anyway, it's kind of throwing me off a bit that my always-enthusiastic running buddy is out of commission tonight. I was scheduled to go on a jog, but spent most of the night laying next to him instead.

Here's a picture of me and my half-marathon training partner-in-crime! Do you know why we look happy? Because it's not Sunday! I declare Mondays as my official muscle relaxation days.

In the photo below, I like to think that she's thinking, "Girl- you are hilarious!," as opposed to, "Sister- you are sometimes just a little too crazy. Seriously. You make me cringe with faux laughter. Please, stop making that face. You're scaring the cameraman with that evil eye of yours. The street psychic you met in California 9 years ago was right."