Updates from Overseas

Just a quick update to let everyone know that Brandon is doing well. He is out to sea right now, they are up patroling the oil platforms North of Kuwait. They stay out for a few days then come back into port for a few. When he is in Kuwait he is able to call on his cell phone and we catch up. They have changed some things from the last time he was there. The phone service is not as good and drops calls a lot. And last time they had internet access a lot easier. Now they have to buy an internet card that is $4 a day to gain access. The machine that sells the cards has not been working for a while so cards are hard to come by. While Skype was awesome to be able to see each other and chat, it hasn't been working out lately until they can get the access cards. He does have a work email on the ship and when that email decides to work I hear from him that way. They will be in the Kuwait area for a few more weeks and then will head back to Bahrain for a while. Pretty much their normal rotation from what I understand. He is sounding pretty good when I do talk to him so that is good.

As for me and Reese, we are plugging along. Thank you to everyone who has been checking up on us through email, calls, Facebook etc. We love you guys! Reese went through a bit of an adjusment period with her buddy gone. But she is doing well (aside from being royally ticked at me for taking "her" tree down!). She has become pretty protective and as I type she has just settled back down from a big barking fest when she heard the neighbors car doors. All the hair on her back was standing on end. I am grateful for that loud bark. I hope that it will scare away anyone who might ever think about hanging around oustide where they don't belong. She has been testing. She is my 4 legged furry toddler!! She has earned herself some time in puppy prison for not behaving. And much to her dismay she has to sleep on the floor on her bed because I am a meany and won't let her on the bed every night. Especially if she hasn't been behaving. She has quite a personality. Her biggest enemy is the Wii Fit right now. She HATES it!! She seems to think that when I am using it she needs to bark at it and me and try and grab my hands if I am running or boxing or whatever. She will eventually learn to accept it. Here's a couple of pics from last night. She really wanted a treat and we went through the routine of sit, stay, etc. And she lunged at me and tried to snatch the treat. So I put it up and told her no. I went into the living room so she could chill and the stinker stood in her dog bowl to try and get to it. I moved it further away. She settled and was calm and we tried again, she did the same thing and the started barking like crazy. That was it, no treats. But I put them on top of the fridge where she couldn't reach them. And I tell you, the dog is persistant! She lay in that kitchen and stared at that bag of treats a good 20 minutes. I love my Reese-Pie!

Hope everyone is toughing out the chilly New England weather!