The Strange Ways of Louloudi

As most of you know, Louloudi is a special dog. She comes from a far away place and indulges in some rather strange behavior that is both laughable and odd.

1. When she meets new people, she generally looks at them once before deciding that they need to pet her. She shows them this by leaning against their leg and looking up adoringly. If it is someone we know, she tends to become even more attached if the person is willing, like the social butterfly meeting the only person she doesn't know in the room and immediately clinging on to them.

2. When we take her to the beach, she goes a little wild, running as fast as she can in every which direction, only to pause momentarily, look around in each direction and then begin tearing at the sand two paws at a time, until she is about a foot deep. Not really sure what she is after, we suspect some deep instinctual desire to dig and to find the fascinating ocean smells trapped beneath the sand. We sometimes tease her by pushing some sand back in her hole and she just continues to tirelessly dig until she either loses the scent or runs out of breath. We usually stand guard and push sand back so that someone might not fall into the holes.

3. Loulou enjoys the attention of her parents, regardless of how embarrassing it might be. 

4. Being on the bed with both parents is pretty much the highlight of her day, as she sits between both parents and gets her stomach rubbed. Being bathed, because of her tendency to roll in the smelliest of park delicacies, is akin to being waterboarded. She absolutely hates having her head wet and tries to run away from the shower head, causing her to sometimes lose her footing and slip a little. It's a pretty sad sight and we don't get any joy out of it, but one perk of the bathing process is a very clean dog. One so clean that even Jen will allow the dog to climb UNDER the covers, the holy grail of bedside permissions. This lends to some serious snuggling and one very happy Louloudi, who will not stir until the morning.

Loves of my life

Hoover Dam & the Grand Canyon

Jen and I constantly berate ourselves for not seeing more of the West Coast since we have moved out here. Being lifelong East Coasters, yet well travelled in most respects, the West Coast remained largely unknown to us. So from tips and pointers picked up here and there, we begin to see more with each passing month, but there has always been the Big Three. These include Yosemite, Tahoe and the Grand Canyon, widely considered the best outdoor experiences within 1,000 miles of our location.

The trip began with Jen flying to Las Vegas for the massive sales conference that Google holds annually. Some 11,000 people descend on Vegas, baby, the only city large enough to accomodate this many visitors AND have a conference room that can fit that many. A week of exclusive events and celebrity appearances filled in the spaces between new product launches and company rally cries! Between a few hours of work, Jen was lucky enough to get treated to a lovely spa day, dinners with colleagues and a couple of concerts.

I flew to meet her on Thursday night and we met at the Aria hotel, a new, dazzling structure that matched the luxury and style of the Bellagio and the Venetian. We dined at Sage, a fantastic spot with excellent reviews and world class service. After a 4 course meal we strolled around the Strip and took in the sights and beautiful weather.

The next day, we made our way to the Hoover Dam and did all the touristy things such as watching the documentary film about the building of the greatest man-made structure at the time (1933) and still stands as one of the biggest engineering achievements of the 20th century.

After the Hoover Dam, we made our way to the Grand Canyon, but were presented with the below sign on the side of the highway. We were definitely curious and took a little road break to check out what exactly they offered. Apparently, they had just above every type of weapon imaginable from the Magnum Smith & Wesson that Dirty Harry carried to assault rifles to the biggest sniper rifle I've ever seen.

We tried out a few shots and they were LOUD. The type of gun that we were told could kill a man from 2 miles away. So we indulged and tried it out, firing off a round of sniper bullets the length of my hand.

Then on to the Grand Canyon, a site so wide and vast that it has taken explorers centuries to document the many corners and species that live within it's realm. Hiking trails line the most accessible parts of the canyon and trips to and from the bottom take at least 2 days to complete.

We didn't have time to make it to the bottom, but we hiked a ways down and turned around when we knew we would be challenged with the two hour hike back up. We continued along the trails and amazing vantage points, each one taking our breath away and making us imagine what the first settles must have said when confronted with such an obstacle. I'm sure it wasn't pretty, but they must have managed somehow.

Braving the edge

The Trail back up

Taking in the view

Pictures don't do it justice.

After plenty of trips to the Grand Canyon at different hours of the day, we finally made our way back to Las Vegas on Sunday morning and took our afternoon flights home. Two down and only Tahoe left to see, but I have a feeling we will be taking in plenty more, lesser known sites as well.

Best Surprise To Date

     After a tough week at work in NYC, I was thrilled to have a night off from team events to spend the night with Stu, who luckily was able to come to New York with me. I knew he was enjoying seeing friends and going to old stomping grounds, but we had not spent much time together since we arrived which was a little sad. I miss New York and get to go often for work, but I don't feel whole in that city unless Stu is there with me, so you can imagine my excitement to get the whole night to ourselves and standing reservations at our favorite restaurant with friends.

     As I was leaving the building, with work friends in tow,  Stu was outside with flower in hand and asked me to walk to Washington Square Park with him. Blushing in front of my friends, who quickly did introductions, we dipped off to walk to the park. The park is a special place for us, because it is where he first told me he loved me so it didn't surprise me when he asked me why the park was important or what bench we sat in on that summer day when we exchanged loving words.

     As we sat down I put my head by his neck and nuzzled up feeling the cold chill. I could tell his heart was beating fast, but chalked it up to the brisk walking and him having to carry my 30 lb computer bag with items only MacGyver could appreciate.
     He then pulled out a heavyweight embossed piece of paper on which was had a written story of how he fell in love with me. I kept thinking how wonderful that story was and that was why his heart was beating so hard; he was nervous to read this story to me.
     Then the moment I didn't expect; he got down on one knee, opened a box with a ring in it and asked me to be his wife. I was so shocked and unable to process what was happening that I didn't say anything for a second. I started to reached for the ring to pull it out because I recognized it as my Grandma's. I then snapped back to reality realizing that I was doing this all in the wrong order and I had to say yes first! I looked him in the eyes and said "Yes, yes, yes, yes" I kept repeating the word out loud and hugged him over and over as he tried to get up from his knee through my grasp. He took out the ring from the box and placed it on my finger as I cried.
     After that moment it was a whirlwind of a night including an excited call to my family, especially Grandma, a quick chat with Stu's father who was welcoming me into the family, an amazing dinner, and champagne with my best friend Carly and her fiancee Dominic. I was so high on excitement I could have floated over the Williamsburg Bridge and kept sneaking off to the bathroom to look at myself in the mirror with a ring on.
     The next day we flew to Lexington and told Stu's mother in person. The look on her face was priceless. She was so kind and threw a party for Stu and myself. It was a bit of a "Debutante/Engament" party with warm and entertaining guests present. Helene even went a step further and treated us to dinner and gave me a bracelet from her collection of jewelry so that I could have something from her side of the family to go alongside my new ring. It will be a piece that I will cherish for years to come and will turn into a family item that will be handed down one day.

Bells in my head

I never truly thought I would be the type to break such news in a blog format, but it is easiest to share the news and pictures better than I can ever tell it. On February 14th, 2013, I asked Jen for her hand in marriage and she made me a very lucky man when she said "Yes!" Here's the rest of the story...

On February 11th, Jen had been on a work trip to Detroit, MI for 5 days and had opted to fly to Buffalo for the weekend before making her way to NYC for another business meeting. It would have been too much to come back to the East coast twice in such a short period. I was invited to join her in NYC, but the evenings were quickly consumed with lots of team events for Jen. I was able to take the time to catch up with friends around the city. Knowing we would finally have a day to ourselves on Valentine's day, the moment that had been in the planning for some time finally presented itself. 

Picked Jen up from work

I took her to Washington Square Park, which was significant to us for a couple of reasons. I asked if she remembered which bench was the one where we first said "I love you" to each other. She remembered well and we took a moment to reflect on those times. I had prepared a little something to share and read to Jen. 

"Dearest Jen,

Just over four years ago, we had our first date that took several unpredictable turns and found us on a subway entrance just before the break of rain. You gave me your first kiss with a diamond smile and all of a sudden, my world was a lot brighter. 

On this day, 4 years ago, you were in Aruba, but I felt you in my heart and nearby. I wished you a Happy Valentines Day for what potential the future might hold. You wrote back and my world was a lot sweeter.

In this park, I first proclaimed my love for you while watching the sun shine and listening to the Beatles cover band sing their stories of love. We later shared some Greek dishes on that perfect day and all of a sudden my world was lovelier.

In this city and across the globe, I am blessed to have someone so amazing to share a journey with for so many beautiful memories  Someone who has brought immeasurable joy, happiness and love in so many ways and all of a sudden my world was bigger. 

All over this world you have shown me new ways to create, reflect, learn and love. I treasure you dearly everyday and my love grows with every new memory. 

All my love, Stu"

When I finished, Jen had already teared up a little and might have even suspected a little of what was about to happen next, but when I finally moved to a knee, she started gasping and crying and smiling all at once. I asked if she would do me the honor of being my wife in this wide world we live in and she immediately said "Yes! Yes, of course!"

Washington Square Park

The ring

After the park and some kind strangers took photos of our recreation, we headed to join our friends Carly and Dominic for dinner at our favorite restaurant in Brooklyn, Sweetwater Tavern. We drank plenty of champagne and called our immediate family with the news. When I called Michelle, my sister, she was very happy and was thrilled to "have another sister." By the time I had hung up and talked for about 30 seconds with Jen before calling Julie, Julie had already spoken with Michelle and answered immediately with the tone that suggested she already knew. News sure travels fast!

The only person we did not immediately tell was my mother, who we were going to see on Saturday in Lexington. This was Jen's first trip to Lexington, KY and I wanted to make sure everything was perfect, but what better way to start it off than to surprise my mother with the good news. When we walked in that morning, I asked my mother that she surely "knows my girlfriend, but have you met my fiancé?" She hugged us both very long and was so very happy. We had a wonderful breakfast to toast the day and we began our trip touring Lexington, KY, but that is for another post.

This is my side of the story and Jen will share hers as well.

Louloudi sends her best

Panoramic Saturday: Marin Cheese Country

On Saturday, Jen and I were seeking a little bit of sun, since the Bay Area seems to live under a cloud in January and February. Jen had heard from a co-worker that a creamery up north, the Cowgirl Creamery, was a simple weekend getaway and would provide lots of tasty choices to bring to our impromptu picnic. One of our favorite pleasures when living in Greece, was the chance to pack a blanket, bottle of wine, book and make our way to a beach for some sun, even if it was too cold to swim.

First, we stopped by the creamery, which is located in Marin county and unbeknownst to us, also doubles as the Normandy of the US and is world renowned as one of the best cheese making areas in the world. Recently, a local cheese maker of camembert and brie was voted higher than its counterpart French originators. I suppose California has a way of always competing with (and often besting) the French when it comes to its wine and cheese.

Next, we took some of our purchases and randomly found a nearby beach called Chicken Ranch Beach, that shares the Tomales Bay Ecological Reserve, a piece of nature conservation that was protected from factories early on and is home to a considerable amount of local wildlife. There, Louloudi could run along the beach, while Jen and I snacked on some fresh brie, raclette, salami and polished off a bottle of wine. 

We made some new friends on the beach who's lovely pitbull took a liking to Louloudi. They were amazed that we would let our dog play with their muscular pitbull, as they were used to being treated as the aggressors at the dog park. Their pitbull was lovely, albeit she did steal the last of the salami from our picnic area when we weren't paying attention. But a small loss in comparison to what I gained, which was a contact that was a CEO of a growing solar company that gave me a number of fantastic names and contacts to get in touch with for possible job opportunities.

After all was said and done, we made our way back home, only to stop for a moment while the sun was setting. Such a beautiful vista and memory of what makes our trips out of the city all the more memorable. We also had a little fun with the new panorama feature of the iPhone. The below picture has no photoshop and is only carefully timed to catch Jen at three different points, as I slowly rotated the camera around. We watched the sun set together and took our tired bodies home across the towering Golden Gate Bridge. A day well spent!