http://www.bennettbungalow.com/index.php Everything Bennett Mon, 28 Feb 2005 14:22:34 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss092 patrick@bennettbungalow.com patrick@bennettbungalow.com en Our daughter, Abigail Rose Bennett, was born this morning, February 28th, 2005 at 4:02am. She is 5 pounds, 14 ounces, happy, healthy, fully fingered and toed, and a joy to Mom and Dad already. Mom was a champ, is doing well, and is resting at St. Joseph's Hospital in Stockton. The first photos [1] are in. Spread the news, and say a little prayer for our little one. Daddy needs some sleep. -p [1] http://www.bennettbungalow.com/gallery/arb/ http://www.bennettbungalow.com/index.php?p=20&c=1 Whenever our birthdays or holiday comes up, we're always at a loss when we're asked what we want. Now that it's Christmas, it's happening on a huge scale. So, by popular demand, and for our sanity, here's our wish list [1]! Not that we don't already have everything we could ever want.... Thanks in advance! -p [1] http://www.bennettbungalow.com/wishlist.php http://www.bennettbungalow.com/index.php?p=19&c=1 As many of you know, I've been studying for my California Real Estate exam for several weeks. Most of my study consisted of watching a painfully boring video tape over and over and over. Well apparently some of the information must have stuck with me. I just found out that I passed the exam! Thank God... I don't ever have to watch that video tape again! -s http://www.bennettbungalow.com/index.php?p=18&c=1 On our way home from a short vacation at Monterey Dunes, we got to pick up Jedi and bring him home! Pictures of his first romp in the yard, et al, can be found here in Jedi's Puppy Picture Album [1]. [1] http://www.bennettbungalow.com/gallery/album04?page=1 http://www.bennettbungalow.com/index.php?p=17&c=1 Yes, it's true. I've been lusting over the Honda Accord Coupe for several years now. In fact, when I purchased my Honda Civic Coupe in 1999, it was the Accord that I really wanted. Alas, it was not meant to be. :-( Well, either Patrick is even sweeter than I thought, or he really got tired of my belly-aching. Here's the story... Towards the end of June, Patrick had to take his car into the service department at the local Honda dealership. While he was there he hunted down the salesman (Junior) that sold us the Element in February. He told Junior that we might be interested in buying a new Accord Coupe. So, being the good salesman that Junior is, he started showing Patrick around the lot. A few days later, Junior called Patrick on his cell phone while I was with him. The conversation sounded quite strange to me, so I asked Patrick who he was talking to. He just said, "It's a client." So I let it go. A couple of days after that, he got another strange phone call. This time he decided to tell me what he had been up to. On the following weekend, I cleaned out my trusty Civic and we headed down to the Honda dealership. It took me only a few minutes to pick out a new Accord to test drive and it was one that Junior had shown Patrick before. After test driving it, I LOVED IT, of course. How could you not love a car that is San Marino Red with Tan Leather Interior and Wood Trim and Dual Climate Controls and Butt Warmers!! Need I go on?? So we worked out a deal with Junior and drove off the lot with the new car that same day... which has never happened to me before!! It seems that I've always had to wait a few days before I can pick up the car. So do I have the bestest husband ever??? I think so. :-) Thank you My Love. btw: for anyone that's taking notes... my next dream car is my father-in-law's 2003 Porsche! LOOOOOL -s http://www.bennettbungalow.com/index.php?p=16&c=1 She's hiding from the world, so it is my duty to "out" her. Hopefully she'll swoop down in a day or two and tell everybody the story here... for now you'll have to be satisfied with the picture. -p http://www.bennettbungalow.com/index.php?p=15&c=1 Or will it be "Logan"?! Hhhhhhhmmmmmm.... -p http://www.bennettbungalow.com/index.php?p=14&c=1 We've collected many puppy pictures of K.C.'s litter by now and I've put them all together in a special photo album. You can find them here [1], or browse through all the photos [2] for them (you'll find them in misc/doggie pics/K.C.'s Litter). -p [1] http://www.bennettbungalow.com/gallery/album03 [2] http://www.bennettbungalow.com/gallery/ http://www.bennettbungalow.com/index.php?p=13&c=1 We're back from seeing the puppies. Oh my! What adorable little balls of velvet. {Sigh!}. I was very good. Sarah was practically whipping out the checkbook before we were out of eye-shot of the pups, but I told the "puppy lady" that we'd sleep on it and call her tomorrow with a decision. As fate would have it, our friends William and Stacey went with us to see the puppies and meet the couple that bred them (Benny and Debbie Bozzelli)- I wanted to get an unbiased opinion from William and Stacey before we comitted to anything. So, after the four of us spent an hour and a half or so, we bid farewell to the puppy dawgs and the Bozzelli's for the evening. We went in search of dinner. We drove around Lodi aimlessly looking for a restaurant and quite accidentally wound up at Strings. During the drive and over our soups and salads, I pumped Sarah, William, and Stacey, and every one thought we had a green light: this looked like a good litter of puppies! We'd call Debbie first thing in the morning. Or should we go back over after dinner? Damn! It just might be a little too late to drop by unannounced by the time we finished dinner. No kidding now. I was not three bites into my entree when the Bozzelli's walked in to have dinner at Strings. This time I commanded Sarah to whip out the check book. We signed the puppy contract (yes, there is a puppy contract) and handed over the check right there on one knee in the middle of Strings. K.C. is a delightful, attentive, and gorgeous dog. She has the deep red coat of a hunting golden, and the pedigree to match. When we arrived she greeted me by springing out of the box where her eleven progeny lay sqrwiggling around her belly. She wagged her rear a few times, smiled in my face, and layed at my feet until I'd had my fill of petting her. As soon as I'd stopped she scurried over to Sarah for the same routine. When one of the pups whined a little too loudly she hedged over toward the puppy box, then finally got in and snuggled with them all. K.C. comes from a long line of fine hunting dogs. There are some, but not a lot, of show dog "champions" in her lineage. She has many "GRC Outstanding Sires" and such, however, and her ancestors are just delicious. You can see several of them here: Sungold Kennels [1]. Take a look at the link for the "foundation goldens" and keep your eyes open for K.C.'s grandpa "Howdy Pardner", , her great-grandpa's "Sidekick" and "Major Motion", and her great-great-grandpa, "Shilo". The father is Ivan of Foxfire Goldens [2], the birth place of Liberty (the First Pet), and Jack Nicklaus' goldens. (Liberty was the pet of President Gerald Ford, and is largely responsible for the explosion of popularity for the golden retriever breed in the U.S.). Check the above link for info. about Ivan (a.k.a. "Foxfire's Name Your Poison") and his kennel, and pictures of him and his fellow Foxfire's. Ivan is himself a Canadian Champion and successful show dog. He has no less than 13 AKC champions in his lineage in just the last four generations. After Benny and Debbie, we have pick of the litter! Oh no! That's going to be a tough decision. We'll be bringing our new puppy home on the week of July 13th. We're registered at PetsMart, PetCo, Target, and Macy's. No, just kidding, not really. You'll be sure to get new pics as they are available. -p [1] http://www.trieven-sungold.com/sungold/ [2] http://www.foxfire-goldens.com http://www.bennettbungalow.com/index.php?p=12&c=1 Sadly, we will not be bringing a new puppy home on May 31st as planned. We received an email from the breeder last Friday informing us that the puppies were diagnosed with Cheyletiellosis which is caused by Cheyletiella Mites. Apparently this condition is not dangerous or life threatening but it is highly contagious and requires three weeks of treatment. :-( Instead of bringing home the puppy at 11 or 12 weeks of age (those goldens grow so fast!), Patrick & I decided to contact a breeder closer to home that had a litter born this past Monday. We are going to visit them tonight! I'll be sure to take the camera and hopefully have some pictures posted by tomorrow. -s http://www.bennettbungalow.com/index.php?p=9&c=1