I got a text message from Rachel the other night while I was on my way home, and it read “warning:  crying my eyes out on sofa… just watched Marley & Me”.   Ever since watching that movie, Rachel has been asking me to post something on the blog for Russ, so we have things to remember about him when he’s not around anymore.  She has also been letting him up on the sofa with her all week and feeding him table scraps.  These are the things that Marley & Me does to a dog owner.  Viewers be warned.

Anyway, as an ode to Russ, I dug up an old email I sent to a few friends about working from home – In particular, working from home with Russert.

Oh, and Russ…you were our first-born, you’re the perfect dog, and we’ll clone you when you die.

Working From Home :  June 24, 2010

Working from home has it’s positives and negatives.  One of the positives is that I get to spend a lot of time with my dog.  Maybe too much time.  I’ve caught myself talking to him without thinking twice about the fact that he’s a dog.  Simple stuff like, “that was a good phone call, huh Russ?”  Or, “Soooooo…..what do you want to do for lunch today?”

But lately, his behavior has been causing me to think about getting a second dog.   Not because we need to add any more responsibility to our lives, but simply because he is becoming a very needy dog.  And I feel like he needs a friend to keep him entertained when I’m trying to work.  You see, when I’m sitting at a desk, he either stares at me for hours wondering why I’m not taking him for a walk, or he gets right up in my space as if to remind me that he’s still there.

With the heat today, I put an air conditioner in the guest room and worked up there on a very small desk. Russert was not used to this space, but as you can see in the pictures he found the most obvious spot in the room to get comfortable.  Yes, that’s an elevated shelf under the desk.   I’ll really miss this someday.

For the second time in a year, we’re packing up.  This downtown apartment served us well for 11 months and we’ll miss the convenience & neighbors, but it’s on to the farmhouse.  Russert is really excited about the backyard and wild turkeys.

The 18 Mile Route

Sunday was the longest marathon training run thus far…and I probably picked the worst time of the weekend to do it.  We were visiting friends in Rochester on Saturday and didn’t get back to Ithaca until mid-day on Sunday.  I waited until 3pm to start the run, and the rain began around 3:15.  I ran most of the 2.5 hours in 40 degree rain.  Not the most pleasant experience, but once again, the podcasts were a great distraction.  You might think that listening to a story about the collapse of the banking system would only make the run more draining, but it was somehow invigorating.  For a great 30 minute story told in layman’s terms about the current banking situation, listen here.

Rachel snapped a before, halfway and finishing shot from the run.  She met me at 9 miles with a bottle of Gatorade.  What a woman…

Before

During (Halfway)

After (With Russ & New Ball)

One of the oft-overlooked benefits of marriage is the right to legally adopt a second sports franchise.  It’s important to ridicule friends and strangers that change their allegiance to teams based on a move, a philsophical difference with ownership etc.  You are born into a team the same way you are born into a family name.  I was born into the Giants, Yankees, Knicks and Rangers.  I have problems with each franchise, but I can’t disown them.  It’s like Obama said about Jeremiah Wright….(before he changed his mind on that).  

Anyway, Rachel’s family is from Pittsburgh and they’re pretty rabid fans of the Black and Gold.  So when my beloved Giants put up an uninspired performance against the hated Eagles, I had a justifiable team to fall back on. It’s not the same as cheering for Big Blue.  But it feels real.  It still feels like family.

So congrats to Polamalu’s hair and the rest of the Black and Gold.  Russ was very excited….

Black and Gold and Russ

Russ Plays Terrible Towel

"This is Humiliating"

Slumdog

Slumdog

We saw the much hyped Slumdog tonight…and it was worth the buzz.  It would be hard not to like the movie.  With one exception…the suspense music from “Who Wants To Be  A Millionaire,”   which unfortunately plays a central role in the film.  Couldn’t they have picked another game show? Outside of that, the movie had a great story, acting and cinematography.   I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes best picture at the Golden Globes.  

There was a toilet scene in the movie that left most people in the theatre groaning.  When I got home and looked up the director, it all made sense.  The director is Danny Boyle, the man behind Trainspotting, and ‘The Worst Toilet In Scotland’ (see image below).  What’s with Boyle and toilets?  Read for yourself.

Worst Toilet in Scotland

Snowdog

Today was also the second big snow storm of the year.  Russert must be picking up on my own love of weather.  He sat by the window watching the snow all day until we finally took him out…  

Snowdog

Snowdog 2

Snowdog 3