Nashville, Tennessee – Saturday April 24th

I was wrong to think that our trek from Santa Fe to Oklahoma was the longest drive of the trip. This voyage from OK City to Nashville was going to be approximately 11 hours. On top of it all, Jason and Natalie informed me that the next day’s trip was also going to be about 11 hours.  

Even though I can’t really complain, as Jason and Natalie keep me really comfortable with my bed, feed me endless supplies of treats and water and occasionally let me up into the passenger seat onto Natalie’s lap, that’s a long time for a pup like myself to hang out in a car!

Ok, enough venting – this drive to Nashville was actually pretty interesting. Natalie took the wheel for the first time since she and Jason started out together, so, this gave Jason an opportunity to rest and continue playing around with the advanced media system we have in this Ford Explorer.  

Even though I don’t understand all the terms, I do get that the iPod can be played through the system and phone calls can be made through the car stereo – this seems to be Jason’s 2nd favorite feature.  Jason’s absolute favorite feature is getting the SF Giants game through the MLB application on his iPhone, which he can stream through the car radio.

The drive between OK City and Nashville included crossing all the way through Arkansas.  Arkansas was a beautiful state and we did enjoy a very nice drive and lunch in Little Rock.  Little Rock is very green and lush and we had almost forgotten that our 42^nd president was once governor of Arkansas until we crossed through a street named after President Clinton! 

(Entering Arkansas!)

Jason and Natalie dined at Za Za Pizza and Salads and enjoyed prosciutto pizza, shrimp salad and Blue Star beer (which is from Mendocino, CA – one of Jason and Natalie’s favorite NorCal vacation spots.) I got samples of shrimp and prosciutto and can say that the meal was quite tasty. Dessert included some refreshing gelato for the road.

We crossed over the Mississippi river when entering into Memphis and the state line. I was definitely hanging out the window at that point thinking of all the great frisbee that could be played in this large body of water!

On our way into Nashville, a lightning show made for an interesting, yet ominous evening drive and luckily, by the time we arrived in Nashville itself, the rain and lightening had subsided. We arrived into the City at around 10pm and enjoyed a late meal at the Blackstone Brewery in the middle of town. 

Since Natalie ‘got a little too adventurous’ at lunchtime after having the flu, she decided to take it easy and ordered what turned out to be a delicious homemade pretzel and vegetable soup. She also ordered the brewery’s golden ale. Jason ordered pork tenderloin with asparagus and smoked gouda grits and he had the Brewery’s IPA. Since I hadn’t eaten dinner yet, Jason gave me a few forkfuls of grits and a couple pieces of pork to hold me until mealtime.

The hotel we stayed at was in Franklin, Tennessee, which about 15 miles south of Nashville. The hotel is called “A-loft” and is affiliated with the W Hotels.  Jason and Natalie got a chance to do some laundry and again, we all got a very good nights sleep.

The next morning, which was sunny and had perfect weather, Jason and Natalie treated me to a visit to Shelby Dog Park in Nashville. The park was a very large fenced in area that had plenty of room for me to meet other dogs and chase the frisbee.  I had a great time catching frisbee and stretching out in preparation for our final long drive of the trip.

(Some great pictures from Shelby Dog Park!)

Overall, Nashville was an excellent city to visit. Even though our time there was short, it is clear there is much more to explore of Nashville and we look forward to coming back - between the fantastic food, the country music vibe, a beautiful landscape, and the perfect dog park, there is something for all of us to enjoy and we'd highly recommend visiting this great city.

After Jason and Natalie made a trip to Starbucks, we headed out to our next and final destination before NYC - Alexandria, Virginia.

Paws,

Sabrina

P.S. - there are no pictures of entering Tennessee.  Natalie was a little too late snapping the shot on her iPhone - again, if I only knew how to take pictures, this would not be an issue!

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Friday, April 23rd

The rest of the time spent in the very peaceful room at Ten Thousand Waves was not that enjoyable, as Natalie’s stomach was hurting.  We eventually got out of the room and no more than 10 minutes into our drive Natalie was clawing at the passenger side door for Jason to pull over. Jason barely stopped in time and unfortunately, someone’s driveway in Santa Fe, New Mexico now had Natalie’s dinner of enchilada from the night before all over it. Unfortunately, this happened a couple more times, but Natalie was able to find a restroom or use my doggie bags.

Since Natalie and Jason had to keep us moving (my ship deadline of April 29^th in NYC is non-negotiable), Natalie would have to sit in the car for 9 hours with what appeared to be a solid case of the stomach flu and Jason would have to do the driving for the entire 9 hours.

In addition to having an ill passenger in the car, the drive to OK City was less than fun. The New Mexico portion of our drive was scenic; however, the winds were whipping around so fast it seemed like Jason’s car door was going to fly off when he opened it to get gas near the New Mexico/Texas border.

 (Natalie wasn't quick enough to snap a photo when we arrived into New Mexico; however, she did get one of us leaving the state.)

(Entering Texas!)

Going through the panhandle of Texas, I’ve never seen so much dry, and brown flatland (or, ‘plains’ as they call it).  Based on Jason’s comments, it sounded like this was going to be his least favorite part of the drive. The drive through Oklahoma became a bit more green and pleasant. A couple of times I even stuck my head out to get some fresh air and sniff out my new surroundings.

We all finally got into Oklahoma City by about 9pm that evening and never being to OK City, I was pleasantly surprised.  We stayed at the Residence Inn in Bricktown, which is a popular neighborhood in the City. Despite the additional $100 fee for my occupancy of the room, the hotel was quite nice.  We were right next to an enticing canal (for swimming, of course), which apparently runs through the City. 

Our hotel was also next to Toby Keith’s restaurant called ‘I Love this Bar and Grill.’ If Natalie had not been sick, I’m sure they would’ve left me in the room and gone to enjoy food and drink at her favorite country artist’s dining establishment.

After a restful night’s sleep that luckily cured Natalie’s stomach flu, we all checked out of the hotel, made a quick stop to Starbucks and were on our way to the next destination – Nashville, Tennessee.

Paws,

Sabrina

P.S. - We don't have any pictures of entering Oklahoma. Natalie was talking on the phone when we crossed the state line and forgot to take the picture...If I only knew how to take pictures, I would have definitely gotten one.

Santa Fe, New Mexico – Thursday, April 22nd

Our drives, up to this point, were no longer than 6 hours in length. This drive was going to be about 8 hours…that’s a long time to be in the car! Thankfully, Jason and Natalie made a nice set-up for me with my dog bed in the back seat. I was able to curl up in the bed, or rest my head on the console. With a long drive like this, it’s nice to have options.

The drive to Santa Fe was fairly uneventful. Jason and Natalie stopped for a quick lunch at a diner in Holbrook, Arizona. Natalie and Jason both had a stuffed sopaipilla with shredded beef and some very tasty homemade tortilla chips.

We all got into Santa Fe close to 9pm and for the second time in two days it was snowing! This is very strange weather for the middle of April. By the time we got into Santa Fe, it had snowed 3 inches and snowed about another inch throughout the night.

Santa Fe is a very special place to Natalie and Jason as they have vacationed here for almost every year of their relationship, or since the year 2000! I was fortunate-enough to come along with them for their vacation to Santa Fe in December of 2008, so, it was nice to smell familiar scents again, such as toasted pine nuts and roasted chiles.

Jason and Natalie decided to stay at the Ten Thousand Waves Spa and Lodge. Natalie and Jason have received spa treatments from here before, but, never stayed here. The lodging was very nice, even for canines! I came into the room and found a dog-bed (not that I’d need it….I slept on the human bed) and a bowl full of dog treats!

(I very much enjoyed the comfy bed at Ten Thousand Waves)

Since it was snowing so badly outside, Jason and Natalie decided to get delivery and ordered from a very reputable restaurant, La Choza.  Natalie had enchiladas and Jason had tamales. We all slept very well, as the room was quite comfortable; however, the next morning was not so pleasant…

Natalie woke up with a fairly severe stomach-ache. This was definitely not the best way to start our drive to our next destination, which was Oklahoma City and the longest yet, at 9 hours.

Paws,

Sabrina

Phoenix, Arizona - Wednesday, April 21st

On our way out of San Diego, Natalie and Jason had to make two stops before getting on the road. The first stop was at Kinko’s – since Jason could not make it into the Bay Area due to the volcano, he was unable to get his police record for Geneva. Therefore, Jason and Natalie had to FedEx a notarized authorization letter to April for her to pick up the record in SF. April will then bring the record with her to New York when she meets up with us for the ship.

The next stop was the beach – We had about a 6 hour drive ahead of us, so Jason and Natalie wanted to get me out for a quick run. Jason and Natalie also wanted to give me one more run on a Pacific beach. This would be my last time for at least two years playing in the Pacific Ocean. It was definitely a lot of fun – I am going to miss the beach, but, from what I’m told, I’ll have a big lake to play in when I get to Geneva.

(A couple pics of my final frisbee time on a Pacific Ocean beach!)

After the beach and Kinko’s, we were finally on the road to Phoenix. It was an interesting drive – we had a bit of snow in the mountains past San Diego and then it cleared up and got sunny as we crossed the border to Arizona.  For lunch, we all had In-n-Out burger. I always get a hamburger patty whenever we go to In-n-Out, so, I never mind when we make this stop.

(Entering Arizona!)

(Classic Arizona - cactus!)

We got into Phoenix in the early evening and were staying with Natalie and Jason’s friends, Matt, Ruthann and their 1 year old, Wesley. Matt and Ruthann made a great dinner of salted roasted chicken and potatoes and for dessert everyone had brownies and ice cream. I got to try some of the roasted chicken, but, I have issues with chocolate, so, I stayed clear of the brownies.

Natalie and Jason were definitely glad to see Matt and Ruthann before heading out. Their 1 year old, Wesley is very cute and from what Natalie and Jason told me, Wesley has a little brother on the way.

The next morning, though, as we were getting ready to head out of Phoenix, the oddest thing happened. Natalie and Jason had picked up another car and were emptying out Natalie’s Honda Civic into this other car, which was a Ford Explorer. 

I was very confused, but, Natalie quickly explained that they were giving Natalie’s Civic to Matt and Ruthann. I was a little sad, because I have known this car since the day I lived with Natalie and Jason and Jason had previously given away his Xterra to his dad; however, I was happy that the car was going to people Natalie and Jason are so close with….to be honest, they’ll probably care for it a lot better than Natalie did. I can’t remember the last time she washed that thing!

So, after saying goodbye to Matt, Ruthann, Wesley and the Civic, the three of us were off onto our next destination, which was Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Paws,

Sabrina 

Creston, CA and San Diego, CA - Sunday through Tuesday, April 18-20th

While Jason was en-route home, Natalie took me back into San Francisco that Sunday (the day Jason was originally supposed to come home) and we went to the vet (not fun) and the beach (a lot of fun!) We then stayed in a SF hotel that night and started our drive south the next morning.

(Here I am enjoying my last run at Crissy Field for a couple of years!)

(At the Coffee House in SF with Natalie after the beach!)

After a brief stint at the SF courthouse (Natalie needed to get a police record for her entrance into Geneva), Natalie and I started driving to Creston, CA, which is where Jason’s parents live.

It was quite restful and enjoyable when we got to Creston. I had three other dogs to play with and Jason’s parents (Mike and Kathleen) house and backyard is very comfortable. For dinner, Natalie, Mike and Kathleen had steak and potatoes and they were gracious enough to offer me and the other dogs some leftovers.

After Jason called from San Diego (he made it home!) and a very peaceful nights sleep, Natalie and I were off to San Diego the next morning to meet up with Jason and see more of his family and friends.

We met up with Jason that afternoon in San Diego and drove to Jason’s best friend’s home in Escondido. Jason’s friend’s names are Tom and Melissa and they have a 3 year old son named Charlie. They also have an English bulldog, Wilbur.  Wilbur and I had a brief meeting; however, I don’t think he was too keen on another canine in his house (I’m the same way when other dogs are in my house, so, I completely understand.) Needless to say, we spent the evening and next morning apart.

That evening, Jason and Natalie had dinner at Il Fornaio in Del Mar with Jason’s aunts and uncles who live in San Diego. Since Jason and Natalie thought it was best they brought me along, I hung out in the car while they ate rigatoni and risotto and when they got back from dinner they introduced me to their aunts and uncles. They were very nice people and were being quite cordial to me. However, I was a bit shy. I know I should be more outgoing, but I sometimes struggle with meeting new people.

The next morning, after Jason and Natalie had a tasty breakfast of “Papa-Toast” (this is Charlie’s term for pancakes) and great conversation with Tom and Melissa we set off for Phoenix – the next stop along our journey.

Paws,

Sabrina

Jason Is On His Way Home to the Bay Area

The week of April 18^th was the intended start of our road trip from San Francisco to New York City.

Jason was going to fly home to the Bay Area on the 18^th and we would ‘officially’ start driving on the 19^th.

Who would’ve ever guessed that a volcano almost got in the way of our road trip.

A volcano erupted in Iceland on Wednesday of the week prior and a huge cloud of ash from the volcano had gone into the air and was disrupting air travel. Natalie and Jason didn’t seem too concerned as it only impacted the British flights at this point. As the weekend neared, though, it was clear Natalie was getting a little freaked out and she was on the phone pretty late at night with Jason (he was still in Geneva) talking about ‘options.’  I was kind of perturbed, because all this late night talking was interrupting my sleep and I definitely didn’t want to be tired for frisbee play at Fuji park the following morning.

The ‘options’ Natalie and Jason were discussing had to do with how to get Jason home. By Saturday morning, Jason’s flight had been canceled out of Geneva. This volcanic ash cloud was moving south and had covered all of Switzerland.

Jason, being the resourceful traveler he is and the owner of over a half million frequent flyer miles got to work on finding a way home. I can say for sure that Natalie was not too keen on driving cross-country without Jason and based on what I could make of the conversation, I had to get to NYC by April 29^th in order to board this Queen Mary 2 ship. Plus, Natalie (and I) really wanted to see Jason. Therefore, Jason had to get home.

Well, Jason found his flight – he was set to fly out of Madrid on Monday morning, April 19^th and get into San Diego that evening.  San Diego was the first part of our trip (we would be seeing friends and family down there), so, this worked out well. Natalie and I would plan to drive down and meet Jason.

The only issue with this plan was that Jason could not get from Geneva to Madrid.  Since everyone else in Europe was also scrambling to get around, rental cars, trains, buses, etc. were completely booked. To make matters worse, the French were on a train strike and in order to get from Geneva to Madrid, Jason would have to go through France.

Somehow, Jason managed to get one of the last rental cars out of the French part of the Geneva airport. Therefore, we knew that at least Jason would make it to the south of France. Unfortunately though, in Europe, if a rental car is returned in a different country it was rented from the cost is approximately $1,500. This was not an option, so, Jason had to figure out how to get into Spain from France.

When Jason finally arrived in the South of France (it was Sunday evening by this time), he returned his rental car and was waiting for a taxi to get to the train/bus station. Jason happened to meet a very nice, yet frantic, British couple while waiting for the taxi.  The British couple mentioned to Jason that they were trying to return their rented Mercedes in Spain and they were going to be charged $1,500 because they rented the car in France......

Oddly enough, Spain was exactly where Jason needed to go and $1,500 is exactly what the British couple did not want to pay, so, the British couple let Jason drive their car back into Spain and they rented a car to get back to where they were going in France.

Therefore, Jason didn’t need to worry about trains, or buses! He now had a really nice Mercedes, which he could drive right into Barcelona!

(Jason entering Barcelona!!)

Once Jason got into Barcelona, he then got the high speed train into Madrid and made it into Madrid late that evening.

Again, Jason and Natalie were on the phone throughout this entire experience and Natalie was again freaking out because the Spanish air authorities had closed some of the Spanish airports at one point during the day. Luckily, the airports were opened back up and remained that way.

Jason made it onto his flight and he was on his way home. It was now time for my and Natalie’s journey south.

Paws,

Sabrina

Nomadic Times – Frisbee at Fuji, Dinnertime Treats and Opening Day

We safely arrived in Nevada and after a restful nights sleep at Dennis and Karen’s I was willing and ready for some solid Frisbee play in the snow at Fuji Park.

(Hanging out in the snow at Fuji Park.)

The snow quickly melted, the sun came out and I enjoyed daily Frisbee runs at Fuji Park, afternoon walks near Dennis and Karen’s house and sunning myself in the backyard. 

Natalie seemed to think I gained some weight hanging around Tommy the previous week, so, she put me on a BRI (Belly-Reduction-Initiative), which meant lots of exercise and less food.

However, thanks to my fantastic begging skills at dinnertime each night, Dennis helped me negate any BRI progress made during the day.  Natalie has seemed to catch on to my ‘cute face’ and sweet ‘paw-scratching on the human's leg’ tactics, so, I don’t get very many treats from her.  The men in the family; however, are a different story.  Jason can never say no and Dennis did a pretty good job of meeting my treat demands, as well.

The evenings were quiet and relaxing – I needed it after all the exercise during the day! Dennis and Karen were nice enough to give me full access of all their couches, especially since mine had been taken from me a few weeks before. I watched TV, listened to Natalie’s commentary on American Idol and when Karen came home from work each night I got bacon treats!

In the middle of my stay at Dennis and Karen’s, I did head back to San Francisco for one weekend and I got to surprise Jason at our hotel! Jason came home from Geneva for two days to attend the San Francisco Giants Home Opener. He didn't know I'd be coming up from Nevada and I thought it'd be a lot of fun to surprise him.

(Taking a quick snooze while driving up to San Francisco for the Giants Home Opener.)

It was a fun-filled weekend - I got to visit Doggie Day Care one more time and Jason and Natalie went to a very fancy dinner at Coi Restaurant with their real estate agent and her partner.  I, of course, stayed in the hotel while they were at dinner, but, I got a full download when they got back. Their dinner consisted of 11 courses, which included unique combinations such as a strawberry-root beer drink and beef with bone marrow cubes as garnish. Each dish was paired with a wine, beer or both. For one of the dishes, a sherry was combined with a beer - interesting combination, but, it sounded quite delicious!

On Saturday, after the event-filled weekend, me, Karen and Natalie headed back to Nevada. For the most part, I enjoyed yet another restful week and some exciting outings, such as lunch at Karen's work and beach frisbee time at Lake Topaz. It was freezing cold at the lake, but, I just couldn't resist the temptation to jump in and catch that frisbee!

(Playing with my Kong toy from Doggie Day Care!)

(Catching some frisbee at Lake Topaz)

My week would've been completely restful had it not been for a certain volcano that had erupted in Iceland.  The following Saturday I was again heading back to the Bay Area to meet with Jason that weekend to start our drive cross-country; however, neither Natalie nor I were sure he would make it home in time.

More to come...

Paws,

Sabrina

Nomadic Times – Don’t Judge a Treat by its Package

After staying at Amy’s and a quick weekend at my dog-grand parents, I was off to my second destination, Lindsay, Ken, Tommy and Conor’s house in the East Bay.  

For those that don’t know, Tommy is my 3 ½ year human cousin and Conor is my 6 month old human cousin.

Conor is new to the family, so I haven’t spent much time with him, but after staying with him for a week, I was smitten. He might be one of the cutest humans I ever met and he was like the little pup I never had. I licked him all over and hung by his side at every chance.

(This is a very cute picture of Conor that Natalie took!)

I’ve known Tommy since his birth and after spending countless hours with him during this week, I have learned a great lesson...never, ever judge a treat by its package! 

At first, I have to say that Tommy’s enthusiasm for life was maybe a bit much for me. For the first few days of staying at Lindsay and Ken’s, I did my fair share of whining and since I’m not a small dog, I probably scared Tommy a little bit.

However, after playing endless hours of Frisbee, running around with him, going down the kiddie slide at the park and being his best buddy come mealtime, I realized that this little human is so much fun to be around. He has a very loving and kind heart and I was very proud to be called ‘Tommy’s dog’ for that week.

(This is a pic of Tommy and I hanging out at the park!)

While I was discovering new friendships, Natalie was having a thoroughly enjoyable time with Lindsay and Ken.  Each morning started off with a Peet’s coffee and Easter Sunday preparations kept Natalie and Lindsay busy throughout the week. 

Towards the end of the week, Natalie and Lindsay were able to have an evening out (I stayed home with Ken and the little ones) and visited a couple of wine bars in the area. The wine bar Natalie and Lindsay enjoyed the most was “The Vine.” Based on what I could sniff on Natalie when she came home, she had consumed some Spanish wines and one of her favorites, which is called “The Prisoner.” “The Prisoner” is a California wine and is a blend of a variety of grapes, one of those being zinfandel.

The week came to a close (way too quickly I might add) and Easter Sunday was a wonderful day of eating great food, and spending time with family and friends (16 people in all total, plus me J).

On Easter Sunday afternoon, I packed up from Lindsay and Ken’s to leave for my dog-grand parents, Dennis and Karen’s house in Nevada. It was a snow-covered ride, but, thankfully Dennis knows how to drive really well in the snow. Being at the hands of a good driver and in a comfortable, warm car, I slept the entire way….

Paws,

Sabrina

The Start of Nomadic Times

The Plan, as Natalie explained it, was for Natalie and I to live in 3 places over the course of the next month prior to making our way to NYC.

It’s a mouthful, so, please bear with me….

For the week of March 22, we’re living with Natalie and Jason’s friend, Amy. 

The week of March 29^th, we’ll be with Natalie’s sister, her husband, and their two little boys. 

The week of April 5^th and 12^th would be with Natalie’s parents and my dog-grand parents. 

After then (April 18^th to be exact) Jason would be coming home to meet us in San Francisco and the three of us would drive to NYC in time to board the ship on April 29^th. 

Jason would then be traveling back to Geneva and April would be meeting us in NYC.  We will then be on the ship for 9 days and our final destination is Hamburg, Germany on May 8^th. 

Jason will be picking us up from Hamburg and then driving to Geneva….we should be at my new home (with my old couch!) by May 9^th!

So, with that very confusing plan in place, I, Sabrina, the hound-shepherd whose favorite thing to do is sit around, was on the move.

Although skeptical at first, the week of March 22^nd was pretty good. Amy had a very comfortable house in the South Bay and she let me sleep on the bed with Natalie. I also got to go to Doggie Day Care every day while Natalie finished some last minute items with our house.  There was really only once when I got irritated…Natalie and Amy left me at the house alone, so they could go to their friend’s wine bar. 

When Natalie came home, she added ‘salt to the wound’ by explaining all the yummy things she had at the wine bar, which included melted brie with brown sugar and a really good zin (I know what you are going to think, doggies don’t drink, but, I am from the bay area and my Natalie did go to school in the Napa Valley, so, over time, the opportunity to sniff a good wine has become a mild passion of mine.)

Towards the end of this week, it was clear one other source of comfort and familiarity was coming to an end. My official last day at doggie day care was on Friday, March 26^th. I’ve been with Doug, Ashley and the team at SF Hound Lounge for the entire 5 years I’ve been with Jason and Natalie. They are like my second family and I am going to miss them very much.  They did leave me with some wonderful parting gifts, which included a to-go box of treats and a Kong-toy that I haven’t put down since.

The adventure continues into Week 2 with Natalie’s sister Lindsay and her family…

Paws,

Sabrina

The Plan Revealed

After Jason got on his plane on March 22^nd, Natalie and I drove to Sacramento.  On our drive up, Natalie explained to me why we were going to the state Capitol.  At first I thought it was for that marathon Natalie likes to run up there during Christmastime – I still don’t get why she would ever pay money to run 26 miles at one time, but, to each her own, I guess.  

Instead, the reason we were driving to Sacramento was to get my paperwork signed….Papers??! I thought I was a pure-bred mutt!  She told me that although I was really cute, I was silly.  My paperwork was for my pet immigration to Europe and for my excursion on the Queen Mary 2. Now I was really confused.  I don’t know who Queen Mary is and I definitely don’t know 2 of them!

Apparently, the Queen Mary 2 is a passenger-carrying ocean-liner that crosses the entire Atlantic Ocean from New York to Europe. According to Natalie it is a fancy cruise ship and is the only cruise ship that allows cute canines on board, such as myself.

Natalie and Jason weren’t really keen on flying me to Europe (and after I heard that I would be in the cargo-hold of the plane all by myself for 12 hours I wasn’t keen on it either!) Therefore, they chose to put me on this Queen Mary 2.   Natalie told me that the cruise is nine days long and we will get on the ship on April 29th in New York City to start our voyage.  She told me that I will be on the 12^th deck of the ship with other passengers just like me, and, that although I can’t sleep in her room at night, she can visit me on the 12^th deck all day long.  

Natalie also mentioned that Jason would not be joining us for the cruise. Natalie’s sister, April, would be coming along.  Upon learning that, I didn’t realize I’d have a job on this ship….I’m going to have to keep April and Natalie in line for Jason!

Of course, this raised a whole bunch of questions – it’s only March 22^nd, so, what are going to do between now and April 29^th? How do we get to NYC if I can’t fly? All these unknowns really caused my hound ears to perk up with curiosity. So, Natalie took the rest of that long, monotonous drive to and from Sacramento to explain the plan.

Paws,

Sabrina

Getting Ready to Move

Right after Jason and Natalie learned that they would be moving to Geneva this Spring, life got busy for them.  In addition to preparing to move to another continent, Jason was busy with his job, Natalie was in the process of leaving her job and Natalie also had a couple of cakes to create for clients (I love when Natalie bakes….there are always many goodies that fall from the table for me to sample.)

As for me, I wasn’t all that busy; however, my house, my once peaceful retreat in a quiet district of San Francisco, was being turned upside down.  Unfamiliar people that I had never smelled before were in and out of the place painting, repairing, gardening, etc., etc.  I did my best to bark and growl at them in the hopes that they would go away, but Jason just told me to be good and tried to appease me with treats.  I was really excited when my grand dog-parents, Karen and Dennis came to visit, but then they just spent the weekend with Jason and Natalie moving my treasures out of the house!  Finally to top it all off, Jason moved my couch!  I have literally lived on this couch since the day I moved in and I watched it being walked out the front door on a very cold day this last February.

Soon thereafter, there was a sign on the front of the house indicating it was ‘For Sale,’ whatever that means and there was a whole bunch of unfamiliar furniture in the place, including a new couch that smelled nothing like me or Jason or Natalie.

About a month later, after I had started to get accustomed to the new couch, all the new furniture was being moved out again and the house was slowly, but surely emptying out. Whatever was happening, it was clear I would no longer be sleeping, eating, or playing in this home that I had grown to love. Jason and Natalie had told me that they sold the house to a really nice person who would take great care of it, but, that didn’t mean much to me.  This was my house and if I recall correctly, they bought it for me…surely, no one seemed to bother asking my opinion about the home.

To make matters worse, a couple of days after we emptied the house, me, Jason and Natalie drove, in Natalie’s very packed full Honda Civic, to a place with a familiar scent…the San Francisco International Airport.  It was March 22^nd and Jason was flying to Europe to officially start working in Geneva.

Well, it’s nap time again – I need a good rest before I start explaining what comes next…

Paws,

Sabrina

Geneva

Hello,

As mentioned in my previous blog, all of us are moving to Geneva, Switzerland. Jason moved over on March 22nd and Natalie and I will be there on May 9th. I will get into how we're moving to Geneva after explaining our reasons for moving.

This last Fall, a potential opportunity came up for Jason to work over in Switzerland.  Jason works for Electronic Arts (EA) and EA's international headquarters are in Geneva.  Jason was really interested in working internationally and Natalie was equally interested in being abroad. Natalie had recently completed Baking and Pastry School at the Culinary Institute of America-Greystone and was excited about the prospect of working in Europe. 

I, quite frankly, didn't know what all this meant.  In addition to hearing about Jason and Natalie's excitement over this concept of 'moving to Europe,' I would catch tidbits of phrases like 'Queen Mary Cruise Line', 'dogs on airplanes', 'great swimming in Lake Geneva,' Breena is going to be a 'Swiss Shepherd,' etc., etc. Most of this was meaningless to me. so I figured that as long as no one moved my couch I wasn't too concerned about what Natalie and Jason were talking about.

I do have to say, though, that shortly after all these discussions started, Jason brought me to the vet to get a whole bunch of shots - he said it had to do with 'Queen Mary requirements,' whatever that means. Regardless, I can't stand the vet and the visit was less than fun.

As Fall turned into Winter, this potential opportunity turned into a reality. By the time the new year came around, Jason and Natalie were actively preparing for a move to Geneva, which would happen early this spring.

More to come on this...it's time for my morning nap.

Paws,

Sabrina

Hello

Hello -

My name is Sabrina and I am a 6 year old hound-shepherd mix.  I am starting a blog, because I'll be moving to Geneva, Switzerland for a couple of years and would like to share my stories and experiences with you. First of all, though, it is important that I provide you my background...

My home for the last 5 years of my life has been in San Francisco, CA and my dog-parents are Jason and Natalie.

My life prior to Jason and Natalie is fuzzy, but oddly enough, the experiences that led me to my home in San Francisco were captured on two Animal Cops shows on the Animal Planet network!  The first show is all about my rescue on the Bay Bridge (details below!) and the second show is about me in my new life with Jason and Natalie.

From what I understand, I am originally from the state of Washington and the story on how I became Jason and Natalie's favorite (well, only) canine is quite an interesting one....

In 2004, on a sunny autumn day in San Francisco, I ended up on the Bay Bridge - on paw. As most of us know, the Bay Bridge does not have a walking path. Somehow, I managed to be running around on the actual freeway and based on what I learned from the Animal Cops show, I was hit by a car.

The next thing I know, a good samaritan pulled over (on the bridge!), picked me up and dropped me off at Animal Care and Control.  From there, Animal Care and Control kindly took me to Pets Unlimited to get a check-up and it was determined that I had a broken leg and a fractured pelvis.

Unfortunately, Pets Unlimited couldn't fix me until my owners were found. Therefore, I went back to Animal Care and Control and patiently (and painfully!) waited for my owners to come get me and make me better.

They never did.

Animal Care and Control found my owners, but, they didn't want me back. In fact, no one wanted me, not even the SPCA!

At the very last minute (meaning, I was about to be put to sleep), a dog rescue foundation came through - Pali Boucher and Rocket Dog Rescue. Pali heard my story, picked me up from Animal Care and Control, fixed my leg, put me up for adoption, and that's where Jason and Natalie come in.

In January of 2005, Jason and Natalie determined it was time to get a dog.  They were new homeowners in the Mission-Dolores district of SF and were excited at the prospect of sharing their new home with a puppy.

Jason, being the resourceful and technologically-advanced half of the family, found a picture of me on the web with my leg still in a cast and my floppy hound ears perked up with curiosity. Natalie and Jason took one look at me and were sold (or, at least that's what they tell me.)

Natalie worked with Pali to arrange an 'interview' (I had to interview them, of course....I was not about to go to another home that didn't want me!) and the next thing I know I'm at Jason and Natalie's house sniffing out each and every room and testing out the couch and various other napping and sleeping areas.

I decided that, during the interview, I wanted Jason and Natalie as my dog-parents. It was hard to tell what they were thinking, so, I went back to Pali's and waited....

About a week later, on a cold Friday evening, Jason and Natalie came to pick me up near the Jasmine Tea House in the Mission District. They wanted me! Even though I was a bit shy that first night, I was so happy to finally have a family and to have a place to call home.

Since that cold Friday evening in January 2005, Jason, Natalie and I have lived a blessed life in San Francisco.  I have spent many weekends chasing the frisbee at Crissy Field, I have a 'home away from home' in my twice weekly visits to doggie day care at SF Hound Lounge, and most of all, I have loved just exploring (and sniffing!) the many unique neighborhoods and treasures of SF with Jason and Natalie.

Now, starting this Spring of 2010, we are about to embark on another journey to Geneva.

I am so excited to share this phase of our lives with you.

In Paws,

Sabrina