I've finally seen what Heaven looks like...

As many of you know by now, my beautiful nephew was born this week. Maximo Ballado Salviejo III was born on 4/26/07 at 6:07 pm. He weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs. even and was 20 inches long. He's so adorable too (of course, I'm biased). : )

So many people have waited for so long for him to arrive that it feels sorta surreal now that he is here. The few times I've seen him already I couldn't stop staring at him. It's only on rare occasions that I'm at a loss for words (or as Craig would say, "That would be never."), but there are none to describe how happy I am for Angie and Max. I feel so lucky that I could be a part of this experience with them, and so grateful that they let me share it with them...

I used to think that I knew what love at first sight was. Until I saw my nephew I realized how wrong I was. The very first time I looked at his little face, I knew that I loved him more than I thought possible when meeting someone for the first time. I'm so excited to think of all the things to come: his first smile, his first laugh, his first steps, and the first time he calls me Auntie Roxanne. Although no kid can say my name correctly (hence Kathy's daughter calling me "Auntie Rocket") so it'll be interesting to see what he comes up with.

Anyhoo, I've got to go now and upload my pics from my camera to my computer. You can be sure that I'll be gushing about my nephew in many posts to come.

P.S. To be pre-emptive, I don't know when mine and Craig's turn will be. : )

A Sad Anniversary

It was 2 years ago yesterday when my life, and the lives of so many other people, were changed forever. That was the day that my brother-in-law Mark, Craig and Brian's brother, died. I normally try to keep these posts funny and upbeat but that is a day that will always be tinged with sadness. Plus this is my blog so I can do whatever I want with it. : )

Mark was one of the nicest, funniest, and most caring people I'd ever met. His death definitely made the world a less bright of a place. I struggled a lot after Mark died since I considered him to be my brother, not an in-law. I've gradually come to a place where I can appreciate everything he was, like being a great son, brother, and friend. I also can remember the things that made me laugh: his unique sense of humor; his mental acuity at scoring a dart game (or telling you what you needed to hit to win); how many cigarettes he could smoke in a day (he probably would've put Joe Camel to shame) and his ensuing smoker's cough; his fondness for coffee; how he could fall asleep with a drink in his hand and not spill a drop; and how whenever we heard "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks he and I would dance together no matter where we were. : )

In short, although his time with us was way too brief, I wouldn't trade the years I had with him for anything. If I would've known 10 years ago that I/we would be suffering like this, I still wouldn't change anything, since knowing him was worth every laugh and tear. I've learned so much from Mark and I truly believe that these life lessons were the greatest gift he could've given us besides his love (and I know that he did love all of us). It comforts me to think that when it's my time to leave this Earth, one of the first faces I'll see will be his. Until then, I'm comforted in knowing who my guardian angel is. Below is a poem (author not listed) that I found that I can envision Mark saying to all of us. I hope that it brings comfort to anyone who needs it.

I love you Mark.

When I am gone, release me, let me go;
I have so many things to see and do.
You mustn't tie yourself to me with tears,
be happy that we had so many years.

I gave you my love, you can only guess,
how much you gave to me in happiness.
I thank you for the love you each have shown,
but now it's time I traveled on alone.

So grieve awhile for me, if grieve you must.
Then let your grief be comforted by trust.
It's only for awhile that we must part,
so bless the memories within your heart.

I won't be far away, for life goes on.
So if you need me, call and I will come.
Though you can't see or touch me I'll be near,
and if you listen with your heart, you'll hear
all of my love around you, soft and clear.

And then, when you must come this way alone,
I'll greet you with a smile and say "Welcome Home."

Are you there God? It's me, Milo...

*sigh* Yeah, so I've been sorta bad lately. Moms and Pops don't know what's wrong with me, meaning why have I been acting up more than usual. Maybe it's the weather. It was so nice and warm for a couple of days...Mom took me for walks and I would joyously play outside. Lately it's been pretty chilly and gray so I've been stuck inside. I've been reverting to some of my old bad-puppy behavior, like chewing blankets (but not the cashmere one Grandma Perry got for Moms...I'd be in a shelter if I got my paws on that one), getting up in the middle of the night, and being more aggressive than usual.
B-E A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E!

But Moms seems to think that once it gets nice again I'll be a good doggy again. And I would like to brag that I haven't touched any of the shoes she has left out while she's at work. Man, I must be getting old if chewing shoes isn't fun for me anymore. Moms is the disciplinarian...Dad's the fun one. He gives me leftovers, plays really rough with me, and makes sure that I am comfy on his bed (even when I scoot up between him and Moms) at night. Moms is nice too, don't get me wrong, but when I piss her off and she yells at me, man do I get SCARED. All she has to do is threaten to put me in my cage and I run to Pops, lay next to him and give him kisses to make it all better. Like this: Then they forget about whatever I did to make them mad in the first place (well, at least Dad does...Mom's not that gullible). Brilliant!

So anyhow, I have some pics that Mom took of me...she says that even though I'm a little sh*t I'm still pretty cute. I'll be providing a commentary on each one.

See, here's an example of how smart I am. Moms and Pops leave the keys in the side door so when I want to go outside I just go to that door, jump on the keys and jingle them. Just like ringing a bell for my servants. Sometimes I fake them out though. Like for this pic, I jingled the keys so Dad came to let me out. Only when he turned around I was gone. I had run back and laid on what was formerly his spot on the couch! It was all warm and comfy, and all Dad could do was look at me in amazement. Sometimes my genius even amazes me...

When I cross the line though all I have to do is snuggle up to whoever is on the couch at that moment..usually it's Pops who's there watching a movie or playing video games. When I cuddle up to him like this how can he stay mad at me??

This is how Pops and I spend our Saturday afternoons (Editor's note [meaning Roxanne]: Seriously, this is what I see almost EVERY Saturday from 2-5. Men.). Look at how much room I have on the couch to spread out...Dad has to lay on whatever area is left over. He's so whipped.

After our nap I need to stretch. Sometimes if I stretch juusssst right I can slap Pops in the face. "What did the paw say to the face? Slap!" For those of you who don't know, that's a variation of a Chappelle Show skit (Moms LOVES Chappelle show...I think she has each episode memorized. God, I'm sick of the Chappelle Show.).

Some of my most favorite things in the world are blankets. The one on the left is an old doggie blanket I've had since I was a puppy (don't I look kingly? Forget King James, it's King Milo all the way). The one on the left is this nice, big, soft one Moms and Pops got that I've already put a few holes in (Moms was SUPER PISSED). And before you think I was posed, I really do gather up the blankets myself to get warm and comfy...this is how they find me. I TOLD you I'm brilliant.

If you're around now then you are a witness to the Milo Davis era. Don't let the Cavs marketing people fool you...those shirts were made for me. They're even black and white like I am!

So that's it for me for now. I guess I'll just hang around and wait for it to get nice, and watch some TV in the interim. "They're ain't no bugs on me, they're ain't no bugs on me, there might be bugs on some of you mugs but they're ain't no bugs on me!" That's the kind of crap that's on TV now. And that commercial is crap for 3 reasons: 1) ain't is not a word...my Moms taught me that. Every time she hears that word she yells at the TV "AIN'T ISN'T A WORD!!!!" 2) if that dog's parents bathed him like my parents do (and his are supposed to) he wouldn't have bugs on him in the first place; and 3) he really rubs it in that he doesn't have fleas...if I were the other dog in that commercial I would've mauled him by the second sentence. Chump.

OK, I'm done now. Peace out!

We cannot choose the things that happen to us. But we can choose the attitude we will take toward anything that happens. Success or failure depends on your attitude.
--Alfred A. Montapert

Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, this time more wisely.
--Unknown

The view from the top...











Greetings from gorgeous Cleveland, Ohio! It's such a beautiful day that I had to take some pics from my office. I work on the 39th floor of the BP Building and when it's nice outside here's what I get to see (for those not in Cleveland it's Lake Erie):

It's really cool because from up here you get a bird's eye view of what the weather is like (or what it's going to change to). I've seen the lake freeze over, I've seen blizzards blowing in off of the lake, I've seen a wall of rain coming in, and I've even seen a black cloud that was freakishly close to being a tornado envelop the building and turn everything pitch black. So in all it's a pretty cool place to be. :)

One of the coolest things I've ever seen while up here is when fog rolled in on a sunny day. The fog was so low that we could actually look down on it; it looked like fluffy cotton balls blanketing the city. Here's some pics and yes, even though they look professional they were all taken by me. : )




So when people ask me if I get nervous working so high up on the 39th floor (especially after 9/11), I just think of all the things I've seen and say no. I get more nervous on the elevator ride up than working up here! That's because I've gotten stuck on an elevator before and it FREAKED ME OUT. Ever since then I really don't like elevators. Plus I heard a statistic that more people die in elevator accidents annually than those who skydive. And since I've skydived successfully...

Anyhoo I must get back to work. But before I bid adieu I have one last picture to share. I hope everyone can get outside at least once today and enjoy the weather!