Destination: Europe!

So David and I officially booked our trip to Amsterdam and Belgium in late May 2009! My good fried Torrey and her husband Dave are living in Amsterdam for one year while Dave completes a post-doc at a Dutch University. And we're taking advantage of their offer to visit them and stay at their cute little apartment for a few days! We're also taking a weekend trip together to Bruges, Belgium, just a short train ride away. David and I went to Amsterdam back in 2004, but we were only there for a couple days. So this time we look forward to spending more time exploring the canals and the beautiful city, interacting with the locals, and soaking up as much Dutch culture as we can. I can't wait!

And this is the B&B we'll be staying at for 5 more days in Amsterdam once we get back from Belgium...



And in Belgium with Torrey & Dave....

Entertainment...

Last night there was a little fruit fly buzzing around our living room, and Aimee was on a quest to catch him! She was chirping and meowing at the lil bug, and then chased him up to the light and jumped on top of the bookcase. It was too cute....my little hunter. :)

Back to Reality..

Well today I am heading back to work at the UC Berkeley Career Center after a lovely 2 week vacation.....sigh....

It's tough because even when you like your job, it can still be very hard to adjust back to "reality" after such a long, relaxing, fun-filled vacation.
But on a positive note, I am excited about what 2009 has in store....lots of exciting stuff to look forward to this year!
1) David and I are both celebrating our 30th Birthdays!
2) Our trip to Amsterdam and Bruges, Belgium in May to visit our friends Torrey & Dave! (We just booked our flight yesterday!)
3) Traveling to St. Louis, MO in July to present at the National Career Development Association Annual Convention, with a side trip to Branson, Mo to visit David's brother Alex. (and we'll get to celebrate the 4th of July there too!)
4) Leah & Lukasz are getting in married in September - and all the planning and fun events, showers, etc. leading up to the wedding in late summer/early fall!

I know that 2009 will be a great year.....so I am staying positive today as I adjust back to work and get ready for a new semester and a new year. :)

Monkey Helpers!

We've all heard of guide dogs who help people with disabilities, but have you heard about helper monkeys? This organization, Helping Hands, trains Capuchin monkeys to serve as assistants to paralyzed individuals. They can learn how to open refrigerators, change CD and DVD players, open bottles and jars, put glasses on their owner, picking up dropped objects, and turn the pages of a book. So cool!

Check out the Helping Hands website for more info, and watch the short video below about the training process at "monkey college."

Thirsty Kitty.....

Kitty Update

So although having 6 cats in our condo is a tad insane, we are SO glad we took in these foster kitties! Misty, Cali and Shadow are all doing quite well - they have our 2nd bedroom all to themselves, food and water to their hearts content, plenty of toys to play with, a soft chair for napping in the sunshine, and lots of love and snuggles from us. I am calling SPCA tomorrow to setup an appt. for Misty to get spayed, and we'll be getting vaccinations for all the cats very soon.

We are still looking for homes for all 3 of them - we would love to keep the kittens together as it would break my heart to separate them. A couple of people have expressed a possible interest in adoption, but nothing solid yet. Please let us know if you hear of someone who's looking to bring a new kitty into their home.

The Biggest Leaf Ever....and Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I have a feeling that 2009 is going to be a GREAT year and I wish nothing but happiness and success to all!

Last night David and I had a blast dancing and celebrating out in the city at a party at Le Meredian Hotel. We were so happy that BART was offering extended holiday service until 3am, so we decided to take public transit out there...and I am so glad we did. Yes the BART ride home at 2:30am was quite interesting indeed, and I think we were the most sober people on our train, but it was definitely a comical experience. What an adventurous way to start off 2009. :)

On our walk back to BART from the hotel, I saw this leaf on the ground and I just had to pick it up - is it not one of the biggest leaves you've ever seen?! I am calling it my New Year's souvenir. ;)