Welcome back all!  I have to start by apologizing for my two month sabbatical.  Its been a pretty busy past couple of months.  With a couple of good work projects and some visitors/travel, I haven’t been very good about posting.  Let me give you a re-cap on some of the important events:

Mike & Jersey Jen (from Michigan) and LW (Liberty Wright) visited Spokane.  We loaded up Uncle Greg’s Dodge Mega Cab Pickup and headed down to Walla Walla, Washington.  The ladies sat comfortably in the back and solved all the worlds’ problems, while the boys (Mike, The gUrt & I) took care of both the driving as well as creating some entirely new problems for the world.  We stopped at a couple wineries and joined by The Big Guy and Mama J, we hit T. Maccarone’s for some amazing dinner.  After that, we headed back to Spokane for a tour of the city.  I think they enjoyed it, but I don’t think they’ll be moving there anytime soon.  Mike would have to gamble at The Northern Quest – which is a little low-brow for him.  Jersey Jen (from Michigan) would have to take on a new accent.  LW, on the other hand would probably do very well here.

Scott and Louise Robertson took a 6 month (exaggerating) sabbatical in New Zealand (not exaggerating).  They came back super refreshed and with some amazing photos of the scenery.  You’d better Friend him on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/theoneandonlyscottrobertson/) if you want to see those pics!  I highly recommend you do – the pictures are Frerking (big ups to The Greatest Vet of All Time, Dr. Thad Frerking) Incredible! Here’s a sample:

A New Zealand Local

Tiff and Troy-boy (PEMF) visited from Boise.  We spent the weekend relaxing at the lake and around the City.  Hogan snuck into the shower with Tiff to get a peek (that’s my boy), while Troy-boy hit the neighborhood garage sale event.  He is the proud owner of two Mac computer screens now.  I think Tiff thought he was losing his mind.  I was in full support of his purchase, down to the packaging of said screens for the said return to Boise.  Troy-boy also started guest blogging on Eric Selvig’s running website, One Runner’s Brain.  If you’re into running, there are some good laughs.  I’m not a runner, so I don’t get the jokes.

I took about a 10 day trip to Denver to see family and friends.  I think I saw everyone I probably could have, with exception of The Frameos and Worleys.  Ryan Arnold’s group, The Denver Active 2030 Children’s Foundation put together a great charity event called Keeping Kids On Track.  It was really successful and was co-sponsored by the Denver Bronco’s Cheerleaders.  D-Train and I helped out with the website (www.keepingkidsontrack.org) as well as attended the event and helped out.  We met all the cheerleaders.  That’s a true test of my love for The Wife.  I had some of the most beautiful ladies around me and we’re still together!  I did hang out with Romi Bean a little bit – she’s my favorite!  Ryan’s Dad, Gar-Dog was there too.  We were helping the cheerleaders with their helmets and he kept smacking them on the head to see if the helmets fit.  Only Gar-Dog could get away with that.  Big ups to Ryan and Katie Kosters for their hard work and raising $20,000 from the event!

Denver Bronco's Cheerleader Romi Bean
(My new friend!)

We spent several weekends at Uncle Greg and Aunt Julie’s cabin in Coeur d’Alene and The gUrt learned to swim.  We even took a jet-ski and kayak ride.  He’s a new dog now – loves the water!  I know you don’t believe me, but I’ll post some proof – pictures of course, but I have to get them from Aunt Julie.

Ryan and Taylor visited Spokane.  It was a great weekend.  We trucked on down to Walla Walla, Washington and did some wine tasting.  My new favorite is Rulo Winery.  It was harvest season and crush time and Rulo’s owners, Kurt & Vicki Schlicker were so gracious.  They gave us tours of the property and showed us the crush procedures.  If you find yourself in Walla Walla, I highly recommend visiting them (www.rulowinery.com).  After Walla Walla, we headed back to Spokane and showed them the City as well as Coeur d’Alene.  We took them to Isabella’s Gin Joint (INCREDIBLE) and then headed to Zola afterward.  Zola a great place – it’s seats on the upper level are reclaimed Tilt-A-Whirl seats.  They don’t spin though – probably because of all the drinking.

Rulo Winery - The Best Winery in Walla Walla

Finally the Family visited over Labor Day weekend.  It was a great time – the usual tour to Coeur d’Alene (seeing a theme here?) and the City.  It was a great weekend and I think Bab’s is ok with the move.  I was worried that they wouldn’t like Spokane.  I don’t think Chris (brother) liked it as much, but he like’s traveling anyway.  He’s still mad we left Las Vegas,  He definitely wasn’t fond of The gUrt.  I think that Hogan was a little active for him.  When the Fam left, Hogan seemed to take on some bad habits.  I’m thinking that Bab’s might have spoiled him a little bit.  Imagine what she’d do to kids!  Just kidding, I’m a SAHDiNK!

Finally I did a good dead.  I bought a new pair of shoes.  Now, how is that a good dead?  Well, they are a pair of Tom’s Shoes.  Mama J and The Wife found them in a little store in Walla Walla.  Tom’s Shoes has a nice treat to it – every pair of shoes you buy, they give a pair of shoes to a child in need.  So you’re not only buying something totally cool for you, but you’d doing something for someone else.  I love the idea and the shoes? They’re awesome – so comfortable and travel friendly!  I looked at another pair that I secretly wanted, but when I showed them to the girls, they made fun of them.  They were a sort of slip on shoe, but they had anchors all over them.  It was a nice nautical theme.  The girls thought it was a little bit flamboyant.  So I bought the other pair and I wear them all the time!

Secret First Pick - Nautical Theme

The Runner Up - Still love them!

Well, that’s it for now.  Some good stories to come soon – including Canada. (Sorry about the delay G-Loyal)

We’ve got the most finicky dog.  When he was a young puppy, The Big Guy (my Father-In-Law) told us that he had been feeding the puppies Nutro-Max puppy food because it was high in protein or fat or nutrition or something you want puppies to have.  He’d know because he’s The Big Guy and knows everything.  That’s why he’s writing a book called “Things I believe to be true but aren’t”.  Ok, so that’s not the title but it has something to do with the fact that he says things he believes are true, knowing full well that they “might” not be.  Anyway, so he puts the puppies on this Nutro-Max and at 7 weeks old, low and behold – Hogan wouldn’t touch it.  We took him to the Vet in Las Vegas – My Wife calls the guy Thaddeus Drumm because it’s written on his diploma.  Oh yeah, why don’t you just leave off Frerking (last name) there because so many Doctors like to be called by their first and middle name, not Dr. Last Name.  I’m rambling.

So, Thaddeus Drumm suggests that we serve him a nice helping of Science Diet.  That works out because he loved it!  Except for the fact that the first time we get Hogan together with his brother Vinnie, Vinnie outweighs him by about 50 pounds.  So The Big Guy suggests that we start feeding him this wet food on top of the Science Diet.

That’s all really boring back-story to get you up to the point when I went to buy all this freakin’ food for the little guy.  So, I headed over to the local Spokane PetCo and pick up a nice bag of Science Diet and then I hopped over to the wet food isle and look for the food that The Big Guy had been feeding Vinnie.  It’s in a purple can labeled Nutro-Max and says something about Chicken & Lamb  & Rice.  That’s all I remember – rather that’s all I took the time to imprint on my brain because I have so much else going on in my life.  I found this purple Chicken & Lamb & Rice Nutro-Max Puppy wet food.  PERFECT!  Right under it was a full unopened case, so I slid that one out from underneath and headed up to the Check Stand.  That’s right folks – that’s One Point for Ash!  I’m going to be the hero tonight!

Fast – forward, it’s about 7:00 PM and The Wife has come home from work.  I’m preparing this nice gourmet meal for the HogUrt and as I finish opening the lid on the can, I notice something odd – the food The Big Guy fed the pups was chunky…this one is a ground up, masshed up mess!  So, I start bitching about it and look at the side of the can:

Nutro-Max Chicken & Lamb & Rice – WEIGHT CONTROL

After dropping a few F-Bombs and then fessing up to my honey that I might have grabbed the wrong food, I proceed to get hazed for being the dog owner that feeds his anorexic dog weight control dog food.

Awesome.

Nutro Max - Chicken, Rice & Lamb - For Adult Dogs (What I Really Wanted)

Nutro-Max Chicken, Lamb & Rice - For Puppies (What I thought I wanted)

Nutro-Max Chicken, Rice & Vegetable - For Fatties (What I got - Dangit)