Slowing down at Year's end

We have finally settled into a routine with having both dogs. It is fun to see Ditto trying to do everything Miss. D does and she tolerates him right now. It still dosen't feel like the holidays to me - am not sure why. Planning for my two week trip to India is taking up a bit of my time right now. Have a whole set of pictures I need to post and send cards off to friends and family. A good way to end the year, i think.

Adding Ditto into the family mix

Its been close to a week and a half and we are all getting used to having Ditto around. More importantly, Ditto is getting used to being around us. The first few days were a bit stressful for all of us. Miss D was certainly interested in the new addition but had no clue as how to react. Ditto was a bit off due to being away from his litter for the first time. but he was a brave boy and didn't let small details like that stop him from exploring every nook and cranny in the house and yard.
He still hasn't understood the concept of not going in the house, but we are working on it.

New puppy

We are terribly excited about bringing in a new puppy into our home. We got a chance to go visit last weekend and meet the entire litter. We had already visited the parents back in September and after the litter was born, came to find out we could get a puppy from this litter. The babies are terribly cute and you can tell their personalities are just forming.
On the recommendation of the breeder, we decided to get a boy puppy. This is meant to help our existing dog, Miss.D, be more comfortable with the addition. In theory, it is meant to be non-threatening for her. Let us see how this will work out for her, in practice.

The Lazy Days of Summer

What is it about summer? No matter how old one gets, there is the tendency to slow down, take things a little easy and soak in the sun. There is something in the air - the perfume of ripe berries maybe? - that fools one into thinking that the days are endless. This year has been no exception. While the rest of the country has been roasting, we have had near perfect days of sun. The few days of rain in between just helped to save our plants. We haven't taken a break yet, trying to clear our schedules for a week away. Can't wait to hit the coast and drive down to CA. Roadtrip - says it all.

Days 2- 7

The remaining days were filled with activities. When we weren't visiting the city and taking in the amazing architecture of the palaces, the sweeping views of the Bosphorous or just the feel of the city, we were in class listening or lounging on the beach. Now, with the space of a few weeks since i returned, it all seems a dream. But there is a whole new set of friends I have to remind me that this time the memories of the beach and the mood-changing water were not just conjured up in the recesses of my mind.

Day One in Istanbul

After a long but relatively painless flight, I reached Istanbul at noon. I had a pleasant flight on Turkish air. The lady sitting next to me gave me some great tips for sightseeing and shopping. The food was not bad, but the dessert was amazing.
A relatively long ride brought us to the hotel on campus in time for lunch. The campus itself is located on the Black Sea coast, north of the city, on the European side. The view of the water is breathtaking. In the horizon you can see a line of ships, waiting to cross the Bosphporous Strait and sail into the Mediterranean Sea.
After lunch, the other participants and i headed off to the beach. The water was wonderful, refreshingly cool but warm enough that you could spend some time in it.
We lounged a bit in the sun. After a short nap, it was a walk on the beach followed by dinner and dessert at the hotel.
I have posted some pictures of the view from the hotel and the restaurant where we had dinner.

The next step forward

I just came out of my thesis defense, which i passed, and feel a real sense of accomplishment. My usual attitude of it is just one more thing seems to have completely disappeared. Did not think that I would feel this excited.
More adventures await tomorrow, I am off to attend a conference in Istanbul, Turkey. Hope there will be some time to actually spend visiting the city and walking in the Grand Bazaar.