Dogs and Black Diamonds

I haven't posted anything substantial in awhile...no particular reason why, but figured I'd at least pop in and give an update on my life.

I've been enjoying the last good skiing of the year (I even skied my first couple of black diamonds last weekend!) and started volunteering at a local animal shelter. I've really enjoyed volunteering! It's been a great way for me to get my fix of animals without actually adopting one (my lease doesn't allow that and I'm gone far too often for a pet - it wouldn't be fair to them!). My favorite at the shelter so far is a 10-year-old pug named Edgar. He's just a big cuddler who wants nothing more in life than to have his belly rubbed. Although I really want him to get adopted by a loving family, I also really love having him at the shelter to play with!

I've been watching the TV show The Taste. For those of you who haven't seen it, it's a cooking show take on The Voice where the judges (Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Ludo Lefebvre and Brian Malarkey) sample dishes blindly. Each of the judges has a team and can eliminate their own team member since it's a blind taste. I've really enjoyed it - particularly the banter between the judges! During the last episode, I posted something on Twitter and got tweeted at by Nigella!

Not gonna lie - I was pretty excited! I've enjoyed Nigella since before The Taste, so it was definitely cool!

I'm headed home for Easter in about 10 days...pretty excited to see the fam, check out Aly's wedding dress and get fitted for my bridesmaid dress!

So, now I will leave you with a photo of my first black diamond. Sad to see ski season end :(

Leo and Josh

As I do many evenings, I'm watching some old episodes of The West Wing. I figured I'd share a scene from my absolute favorite episode of the series, Noel.

Leo McGarry: [after Josh finishes an intensive therapy session set up by Leo with a trauma therapist, Josh walks past Leo in a nearby hallway of the White House] How'd it go? 
Josh Lyman: Did you wait around for me? 
Leo McGarry: How'd it go? 
Josh Lyman: He thinks I may have an eating disorder... 
Leo McGarry: [bemused] Josh... 
Josh Lyman: ...and a fear of rectangles. That's not weird, is it? 
[pause] 
Josh Lyman: I didn't cut my hand on a glass. I broke a window in my apartment. 
Leo McGarry: This guy's walking down a street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep, he can't get out. A doctor passes by, and the guy shouts up, "Hey you, can you help me out?" The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along, and the guy shouts up "Father, I'm down in this hole, can you help me out?" The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by. "Hey Joe, it's me, can you help me out?" And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, "Are you stupid? Now we're both down here." The friend says, "Yeah, but I've been down here before, and I know the way out." 
[pause] 
Leo McGarry: Long as I got a job, you got a job, you understand?