Finally Friday

Wow, what a week!  Sophie is finally feeling better and her crazy energy level is back to normal.  Last Friday, she was so lethargic because of her fever, it scared us.  She found a winter hat somewhere in the house and insisted on wearing it all day.  Even when she's sick, Sophie knows exactly what she wants and won't stop until she gets it!

Thanks to my mom, who flew to Nashville at the very last minute to help take care of Sophie, Jason and I got a bonus date night last Friday.  It was so nice to enjoy a few hours out, alone, without watching the clock and thinking dollar signs as the minutes passed!  We made a stop for a cocktail before dinner, and I had my first caipirinha.  It was delicious and refreshing.  And a great reminder that I have no tolerance!

Mom flew home early Tuesday morning, but she and Jack (my stepdad, aka, D2) are coming back 4th of July week for several days.  She and Sophie were like two peas in a pod and, despite Sophie not feeling well, they enjoyed being together.  The extra treats from Grandma (ice cream, slushes from Sonic, getting to watch Bubble Guppies) probably didn't hurt!  One of the highlights of her visit was teaching Sophie to work on saying "airplane" and waving bye-bye to all the planes that flew overhead. 

Sophie spent a lot of time loving on Sparky this week and chasing both Sparky and Lucy around the yard.  She loves imitating them, even chewing on sticks when they do!  She and Sparky have an especially close bond and it's so sweet to watch them together.  Sparky is such a sensitive soul, he howls if he hears someone cry.  He has always loved Sophie and been protective of her, and as she gets older we love seeing them interact more and more.

Powell for Tennessee had a fundraiser on Wednesday night at the Waller office downtown.  I've attended quite a few events there over the years, but I'm always awed by the view from their 27th floor offices.  The fundraiser was really successful and Sophie was quite the family ambassador.  Early voting starts in just a few weeks, so things are really heating up now.

My only alone time these days comes with my early morning runs around our neighborhood.  I have a few different routes, one alongside the Nashville Zoo, another winding through the streets of Caldwell-Abbay, and third starting in our neighborhood and meandering through parts of Crieve Hall and around Ellington Agricultural Center.  This is my most peaceful run and I often spot deer and other wildlife, despite being in the city.  I was fortunate to see a deer this morning and most mornings see the Metro Police Mounted Patrol horses grazing in a field at Ellington.

We have another busy weekend ahead, with a political event tonight and hopefully a trip to the zoo, maybe the park, and maybe more for Sophie and me tomorrow and a hectic day of campaigning for Jason and his team.  I hope you stay cool and have a great weekend!  Until next week!