Onward to Central America

Our flight to Nicaragua leaves early tomorrow morning and I'm finally all packed up.  It's been great being at home the last few weeks, though the highlight was definitely Lisa and Daniel's wedding.  Everything went smoothly and everyone had an incredible time.  The ceremony was beautiful and the reception was the stuff of legends.  Amazing food, drinks and people mixed with a great band and a stunning venue made the reception unforgettable (though things did get hazy at the hotel W immediately after).

It was also great to finally meet all of the other Groomsmen and Daniel's family after hearing so much about them all.  My only regret is that I didn't have the chance to spend more time with them over the few days that everyone was in town.  It's hard to believe that our family has grown and that I now have a brother.  Lisa and Daniel, I wish you all the happiness in the world and I promise I'll come see your new house someday.

This blog has been mostly neglected since my return to D.C. and I'm sorry for that.  I certainly can't say there was a lack of things to write about,  I can only say I'll try to be more diligent going forwards.  But now it's time to sign off; I have full backpack and an alarm set for 4am.

Getting ready for the wedding and welcoming a new family member

Things have been pretty busy since I returned to D.C. a week ago.  Lisa's wedding is coming up this weekend and of course there is still a lot to do.  One of the big tasks over the last few days has been the seating chart.  Lisa, Daniel and my Mom have been agonizing over where to put each and every one of the 320 guests.  They are trying to make sure that everyone meets new people, has people they know at the table, and has something in common with the person they are sitting next to.  They have also arranged it so every table (for the most part) is boy-girl seating.  Needless to say it has been a monumental task.  I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that my little sister is about to be married but she couldn't be more excited about the wedding.  The festivities kick off on Friday and it should be an incredibly fun and busy weekend.  I'm a little worried about having to give a toast but after a fortifying drink or three I'll be ready to go.  

The bride to be and all the pups

As for the new family member, Gigi, she has already been welcomed by everyone else.  Gigi arrived just after I left for Oslo and has been terrorizing my parent's home ever since.  Gigi is our 4 month old Black Lab puppy and is (of course) adorable. There are a couple of problems though.  The first is that she is not completely house broken.  She seems to get it for the most part but if she is extremely nervous or excited she tends to pee everywhere.  Hopefully she will outgrow this soon.  The second problem is that while adorable and well behaved whenever people are around, she will quickly shred shoes, computer cords and any food left in reach as soon as she is out of sight.  My family has had two adult dogs for a long time now so it's no surprise that having a brand new puppy is a bit of an adjustment.  Everyone seems to be taking it in stride though and Gigi even gets along with the cats who aren't nearly as interested to play with her as she is to play with them.  

Gigi, cooperating for a picture.

Findus

Findus is a cat, a Norwegian Forest Cat, and he is huge.  It was strange meeting Findus for the first time since, when I was growing up, my family owned a Norwegian Forest Cat named Smoky.  These types of cats are related to Maine Coon Cats (of which my family has also owned several), have very long thick hair and are supposedly hypoallergenic.  As small animals in my family's neighborhood can attest, these cats enjoy being outside, are able hunters, and are very ferocious.  When I was a kid we had to deal with a lot of dead mice, birds and shrew left around the house as presents.  Fortunately, around people, Norwegian Forest and Main Coone Cats are some of the most affectionate you will find.

Lene cuddling with Findus

Findus' owners are out of town over the holidays and Lene and I are cat-sitting while they're away.  They have a great apartment a short way from Lene's and we were happy to help them out.  Being in the city, Findus doesn't have the luxury of going outside but he still routinely stalks things around the apartment, including people.  He particularly likes to attack hands and feet but fortunately he knows his limits and doesn't bite hard or use his claws when he "attacks" you.  I always forget how much I miss having animals around and it has been great taking care of Findus.  I'm looking forward to being surrounded by dogs and cats again when I return to D.C. a few days from now.

Video of Findus attacking my hand: