puppy heaven

We went to the Iowa City dog park for the first time today with our friends Kyle and Claire who are visiting us with their dog Joshua. I was pretty nervous since I'd not only never taken Loki to a dog park before, but I'd never even been to a dog park before: I had no idea what to expect.

When we got there what I found I'd discovered was in fact puppy heaven. We went in through the front double gates and took Loki and Joshua off their leashes before letting them into the park. I was worried that Loki would take off and I wouldn't be able to see him or get him to come back if I needed him, but he kinda hung around close-ish to us for a bit, then started to explore the park and meet other dogs and their humans. He was so comfortable and everyone was so friendly! It was like the exact opposite of our dog-filled neighborhood where just the other day someone yelled at me while I was picking up my dog's poop from their yard and I feel like everyone hates our dogs because Liza barks so much. It was sunny and lovely and even though it was my first time I felt such a sense of dog-loving community. I seriously could have stayed there all day, but we'd left Braeden and Liza at home (we weren't sure if it would be Liza's thing) and I wanted nothing more than for all of us to be there together. I'm now determined to take both our pups back every Sunday afternoon for some lovely family outside play time. Just thinking about it makes me feel happy inside.

Loki was having so much fun I couldn't get him to sit still for a picture.
He was so worn out he would flop down next to me,
but as soon as he saw another dog run by he just had to join in the fun!

Thanks, Kyle and Claire, for helping me see the light and showing me that doggy heaven was closer than I ever imagined. And thanks, Iowa City, for having the best dog park Kyle and Claire have been to in all the ones they've visited in over 20 states. Seriously. Great work!

city council

I attended my first city council meeting today for a final presentation to approve our grant application for the bookmobile to buy more books for the library. (I know, I know, we already have like a million books but these would be new and shiny and some in other languages!) It went great! I got a smile and nod from the mayor, one of the city councilors asked for my contact info so she could donate books to the library and someone else on the council audibly said, "Great job." I am high on civic duty and community action!

They stream the meetings live and post the recordings a few days after the event: I'll post the video of me here when it appears online later this week for your viewing pleasure.

I should have blogged about this right when I got home with all my energy and happiness, but now it is late and I need sleep for work and bookmobiling tomorrow, so you'll have to appease all your wild curiosity with these few tidbits:

• Iowa City city counselors really do listen to the members of the community that come in to voice their concerns
• Someone waxed poetic about his daughter's soccer teammate whose mother can never attend his soccer games because she's working and how we should pay our city counselors a living wage so working class citizens can run for office—it was actually great.
• Councilman Jim Throgmorton is just as awesome as his name suggests
• Councilwoman Connie Champion is also incredible (and these names, you guys—can you get enough of them? I can't!)
• I teared up a few times listening to people talk about the importance of supporting reduced bus rates and services to lower-income people and the disabled (differently-abled? what is the pc term these days...?). Regardless, tears my friends. In my eyes. Beautiful moments happened.
• And, most importantly, all the PIN grants got approved that should have gotten approved—including ours!

So yes. I am filled with civic pride. Just thought you all should know.

UPDATE: Here's a link to the video of the City Counsel meeting. I'm introduced around minute 65,

the blue couch

This was one of the first pieces of furniture I acquired when I moved here to Iowa in 2010. I found it on the curb when I was walking back to the house from downtown. It was like new and I couldn't believe someone was just throwing it away! I was in no position to pick it up at the time, so I took the 2 couch cusions off and carried them the rest of the way home with me to discourage anyone else from claiming the it.

Braden was sitting on this couch playing his guitar when I first realized he was in love with me. And we spent much of our courtship on this couch, talking and cuddling long into the night.

When we got the puppies, they claimed the couch as their own in ways that only puppies do. After we were able to replace it with another curb couch (blue crushed velvet and fortuituously just what we had talked about looking for) we decided it was time to finally part with our now rather smelly floral couch. We called the sanitation department to come pick it up and put it out the night before pick up to help discourage anyone from taking it home. No one wants a dog couch, right?

So now, 3 years, one marriage, and 2 dogs later, it's back on the curb. And once again I'm hoping no one picks it up...

matt the electrician!

Tonight we saw Matt the Electrician play at The Mill! He was one of the opening bands, but we left after he played: he was all we came for anyway.

Plus! Bonus! We got to meet him at the bar before he went on to play! He was so gracious and let us take pictures with him and shook our hands. We would have stayed to chat a little bit but the first opening band was playing way too loud for any kind of conversation to have been possible, so we made do with just the photos.

It was fun because we went to the show with Gloria and Jarrod who were our two friends who joined us at The Weepies show last year where we first discovered MtE: it was fun to reunite like this. Plus, we've all been so busy this summer that we haven't really seen each other since the wedding and we miss them.

Also, MtE played his banjolele, our favorite of all his instruments.

We walked downtown to the show which seemed like a good idea at the time but I totally forgot that it is the first weekend before school starts on Monday so downtown was crawling with hoards (literally) of drunk undergrads. Go Hawkeyes.