Happy 2012!

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Hope you have an awesome start to 2012! ;D

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May you always have a shoulder to lean on ...

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And plenty of food on your plate.

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May you be able to unleash your creativity, even when resources are scarce.

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May you always be alert and able to find the truth, even when reality gets misleading.

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May you be able to keep yourselves organized, meet deadlines and all the goals that really matter.

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May you always find a reason to smile ...

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And celebrate.

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May you be the best you you can be!

 

Happy New Year, everybody!!!

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Dimitri's adventures in the USA

I was going to include photos of Dimitri in my previous post, but this little guy has been through so much that I thought he deserved his own post here :D. So this is how we got to America ...

I flew on American Airlines and Dimitri, on Delta, because that's the airline the pet shipping company had recommended. After reading about Jack, the cat that AA lost in NY, I'm so glad Dimitri didn't travel with me! If you are not aware of what happened to Jack, let me tell you briefly: AA found Jack's cage open at JFK airport before being sent to California. The company didn't do anything to try to find him; if it hadn't been for the volunteers at the airport, he would have never been found. After 61 days, Jack was found on Nov 6th 2011 but his malnourishment was so severe, he had to be put to sleep :(. I'm learning more about other pets that got lost during flights thanks to Jack's Facebook page. If you're curious, too, check the link.

Anyway, Dimitri's layover was at Houston and mine, at Dallas. After over 17 hours, he arrived safely in LAX (I arrived at Burbank, btw). David picked me up and then we rushed over to LAX to meet my furry critter. It turned out, they hadn't done the clearance in Texas, so we had to deal with that ourselves right before the office at LAX was about to close, oh, my! It took us about an hour until we were finally allowed in the warehouse where Dimitri was. My poor baby was in his cage in the middle of the warehouse surrounded by noisy forklifts! Grrr!  It was such a relief to grab his cage and see that he was fine :D! From that point on, things happened pretty fast and he adapted without trouble.

The photo above is one of the first ones we took (with my cell phone, sorry about the quality). He spent his first days under the bed without interacting with Dante; we didn't want him to meet his brother right away because he had never had to live with another kitty.

He had to get used to wearing a collar, which was no problem at all. Our cats' collars have a magnet that serves as a key to the house. We kept Dimitri inside the house the first week  and then slowly tried to teach him how to use the cat door (David used a leash a couple of times, just in case he felt like running away).

He got used to his new home and neighborhood in no time :). 
Look at how skinny he was when we got here!

  
In Argentina, he was diagnosed with kidney failure, so I fed him with special food. Here, I was told he had been misdiagnosed and so we switched him to regular food (same brand). He started putting on weight and looking healthier after that switch :p.

  

He made himself comfortable very fast, hehe. 
We learned that he doesn't like drinking from a bowl of water, so we bought a water fountain that both cats love.

Even though he's not best friends with Dante, at least he puts up with him now and even spends time hanging out with him.

He's got a few new injuries so far: an alleged bb gun shot on his thigh, lots of scratches on his face (you can see his newest addition on his nose here) and ears ... And let's hope we can stop counting!
:/

He is a very happy, healthy and spolied cat and I'm so happy to have brought him with me! :D

And although he's not the best brother he could be, Dante enjoys watching him and learning new moves from his older brother, hehe.

These 2 brats certainly rule the house! :P

Hope you and your pets are getting ready to welcome 2012! :D 

High five (and paws)!

 

In retrospect

It is that time of the year when we start looking back to see what we have accomplished, what projects we've left halfway through, what mistakes we've made. I don't usually focus too much on the past, but as most of you know, this has been a very special year in my life, so this time, I want to reflect a little on everything that's happened.

* On February 1st, I took a plane to move to California. Saying my goodbies wasn't easy, but with all the happy moments that my future was holding, I honestly left Buenos Aires with a smile. I was very scared for Dimitri's journey ... Oh, my! It was so stressful to know that little guy was struggling in a cage for over 17 hours! :( But I'm so thankful for his safe trip! I can't imagine my life here without him. I know, he's just a cat, but he means so much to me! 

* Later that month David and I got married :D. It was just us and Anthony, one of David's friends; no other friends or relatives, no wedding reception or white dress. And it was still amazing. I'll cherish that day forever. And married life has been, how can I put it? So less complicated than most people want everybody to believe! I know, I know, it's just been 10 months, but so far, we haven't had a fight and living with my better half has proven to be even better than I had expected.

* Since then, we've visited a lot of places :).

Las Vegas

Calico Ghost Town

 Carbon Canyon

Hollywood

Newport Beach

Pasadena ... Just to mention a few.

* I started volunteering at the library.

* I learned how to play Monopoly and Uno.

* We played mini golf, too.

* We went to see the taping of an episode of The Big Bang Theory.

* I took my Mameshibas for a ride.

* I rode at horse ... Well, kind of.

* I baked cookies for the very first time.

* I ate a lot of new food ... Too much, actually.

* We went to concerts.

* We also went to vintage stores.

* We met my friend Cris in person on his wedding day.

We did so many things! I'm so lucky to have had the chance to come here and start a new life with my better half! I'm happy about all the things we've done this year and can't wait to experiment more and see new places in 2012 ;D. I have the feeling this is going to be a great year!

What have been the highlights of your year? And what are you most looking forward to in 2012? ;D

Hope you're all getting ready to say goodbye to 2011!

Resolutions

I think this is my very first time writing down New Year's resolutions. I have the feeling that if I make my goals public, I'll make a better effort to try to meet them ... It'll be like setting them in stone ... well, sorta. I have an extended list of resolutions and ways to attain them in my journal, but that would be too boring, so here is an abridged version of the same list. 

Be a healthier me. Cut down on sugar and fat and consume more veggies. Work out at least 3 times a week.

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Work on the house at least once a month. We have so many decor ideas! But we rarely get down to work. We need to change knobs, paint walls, put wallpaper, etc. I say devoting a whole weekend per month is totally attainable ;).

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Do a better job growing our own spices. We planted all kinds of herbs this year and all of them have died; shame on me :/. How hard can it be to remember to water them every day, right?

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Be more prepared to babysit for our nieces. Every time we have them over we do the same things: watch a movie, play dominoes, Uno and Wii games. I've started a board on Pinterest where I'm collecting lots of original ideas to entertain kids and teenagers :).

 Memory game designed by EatDrinkChic

Via Ce

Keep more in touch with my buddies in Argentina. I have them in my heart and mind the whole time, but I suck at keeping up with everybody (with the exception of a couple). I hate chatting and talking on the phone :(. People tend to keep me longer than I want and my sister is usually in a bad mood (which is totally understandable given that I left her there with so many responsibilities). Maybe I can write more often and send more pics to make it up?

Try not to get frustrated. I get very frustrated because I can't find a job. The same happens when I go through my clothes and find that most of them don't fit anymore. Then I usually freeze, feel miserable and like a slob :(. If anything this has been the most difficult part of moving to this country. Sometimes I don't even feel like myself anymore, you know.

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Look into free activities. There are many museums, art galleries and parks that do not require an entrance fee. Pack snacks or go on picnics to avoid spending money on eating out.

Read more. And spend less time in front of the computer.

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Get my driving license.   

Save money for a trip. We need to put money aside every week. This Thanksgiving we were planning to go to New York or Portland or San Francisco. Guess what? We couldn't afford any destination.

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Get a much needed haircut. Maybe when I lose some weight, as a reward.

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Have you made any New Year's resolutions yet?

How do you keep motivated in order to meet your goals?

Have a happy day, everyone! ;D