Doggie Exchange

on October 6, 2011
in All Posts

Over the mountains and through the bumper-to-bumper traffic…

IMG_2199

Our afternoon and evening was eaten by driving to and from Asheville, North Carolina to give the dogs to MomHTP – she’s amazing for meeting us halfway! 

 

I always feel sad saying goodbye to the pups.  Plus, they don’t know what’s hitting them until we stick them in someone else’s car and slam the door.  One of those moments that I wish animals understood English.  “We’re going on vacation but DON’T WORRY!  We aren’t abandoning you!  We’re coming back!”

IMG_2196

I’m glad they have each other.  And I’m glad I’ve gotten to the point where I can leave them with someone else without bawling.

 

Crazy dog lady monologue aside… I’m making an effort to balance protein, carbohydrates,and fat in my afternoon snack (instead of straight carbs, like a single piece of fruit), as I think the combination is so much more satisfying and keeps my testy blood sugar from going nuts.  On the drive over, I had cashews and Panda Puffs.

IMG_2193

Very satisfying indeed! 

 

We met Mom at this cute little bistro right outside of Asheville.  Black Mountain Bistro was a diamond in the rough – I can’t believe we just randomly picked such a great restaurant.

 

Started off with cream of vegetable soup:

IMG_2204

And, in an attempt to eat green things, I also ordered the spinach salad.  In the mix:  mushrooms, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, red onions, boiled egg, and balsamic.  Mmm mmm.

IMG_2206

While the Husband got a lot of work done on the way to Asheville (dontcha like his serious work face?), I drove and fought the traffic…

IMG_2197

Which means I got to ride shotgun for the dark ride home.  Wahoo! 

{ 45 comments }

 

  • Allie@LiveLaughEat October 6, 2011, 11:21 pm

    Vacation!!! Have fun, Caitlin. Love the new site design, by the way.

  • Vanessa at Swift as Shadows October 6, 2011, 11:27 pm

    “And, in an attempt to eat green things…” Haha, that sounds like me. I keep buying bags of spinach or kale and forgetting about them. This week, my solution was to make a big batch of kale/cannellini bean soup to have for weekday lunches. It’s so good — and perfect for the chilly weather.

  • Rachel October 6, 2011, 11:42 pm

    I always hate leaving my dog behind when I go out of town and I worry about her all the time while I’m gone. So, you’re not the only “crazy dog lady” out there. 🙂 Have a great vacation!

  • Mary @ Rabbitsand Runs October 6, 2011, 11:48 pm

    If you’re a “crazy dog lady” then I’m a “deranged rabbit lady”. You don’t even want to know what I’ve gone through to call my bunny-sitter and check on them while I’m on vacation!

    • CaitlinHTP October 7, 2011, 7:48 am

      Awww rabbits are so fun. I love them.

  • mi-an d. October 7, 2011, 12:28 am

    have a great vacay!! p.s. i wanted to ask you…i have a bunion on my left foot so it’s more prone to getting calloused up. everytime i reach mile 3, blisters start to form causing me to stop…so when i get home i use pumice stone to scrub it, exfoliate it, pedi-eg it. is there anything you recommend i can put over my bunion to prevent it from callousing when i run? thanks girl!!

    • CaitlinHTP October 7, 2011, 7:48 am

      Yes! Try moleskin – look for it at the footcare aisle of the pharmacy.

  • Carin October 7, 2011, 12:41 am

    Happy holidays sweetie!

    If you REALLY want to get nasty vibes from pets, put them in kennels then fly ’em halfway round the world – their relief to see you lasts…. oooh… a few minutes before they do the sulky thing!

    Well done for choosing pre-vacation healthy eating choices – they look yummy. My 4 year old was coveting your raw mushrooms!

    • CaitlinHTP October 7, 2011, 7:48 am

      I can’t believe your 4 year old likes mushrooms 🙂 I wouldn’t touch them until I was a teenager!!! LOL

      • Carin October 9, 2011, 2:45 am

        Yep – Freya sneaks them (shoplifts/ shopcnsumes?)at the fruit & veg store and charms freebies from the mushroom grower at the local farmers’ market!

        I wouldn’t touch them either… or any veg really – sad to think back, now I’m a vegetarian and I LOVE veggies!

  • Khushboo October 7, 2011, 12:51 am

    Enjoy your vacay..I’m off in two weeks for a 3-day trip to a resort with some friends, cannot wait!!

  • Corrie Anne October 7, 2011, 1:00 am

    Awwa… your dogs are getting all grown up. I’m getting my dog back next week! I can’t wait!!!!! We had to wait for a chance to make the long road trip from Denver to Minnesota. I’m not exactly looking forward to that but it will be qt with my husband!

  • Amy @loveAmyx October 7, 2011, 1:59 am

    I love spinach and rocket in salads, one of my favourite ways to get greens. Randomly spinach stirfried with garlic, then add beaten egg but keep stirring so its like scrambled egg is gorgeous!

    Raw mushrooms however are wrong lol

    Amy x

  • J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) October 7, 2011, 2:43 am

    Your new blog design + rotating header looks fantastic! Love it. 🙂

    Enjoy your vacay!

  • Mahealani @ Beauty, Brains, and Balance October 7, 2011, 3:09 am

    Yikes, look at that traffic! I always drive first too so I can ride shotgun on the way back! (I fall asleep too easily in the car if I am a passenger.)

  • Marijke October 7, 2011, 6:01 am

    I feel like I struggle with my blood sugar a lot too! I used to pass out a fair amount when I was younger but now I’m better at keeping it in check now. Regular snacks help, and avoiding too much sugar at breakfast time!

    • CaitlinHTP October 7, 2011, 7:49 am

      Agree, agree! I need to work on less sugar at breakfast. I love sweet breakfasts.

  • Deva at deva by definition October 7, 2011, 8:10 am

    Your dinner looks amazing! I hope my pets understand me when I tell them when we will be home.

  • LMN October 7, 2011, 8:27 am

    oh Black Mountain Bistro is worth a comment. The place is incredible. must.go.again. 🙂 Black Mountain is the cutest mountain town-must stay if you ever have the chance!

  • Stephanie October 7, 2011, 8:27 am

    I wanted to know if you ever flown with your dogs. I am going home for thanksgiving, and I have a 3 month old golden retriever. She will be 4 months or so by the time we are going to fly. We are flying from Texas to Boston, a direct flight. Its a four hour flight. I dont think she will fit under the seat because it looks like shes going through a growth spurt. Have you, or anyone else here or any of your friends, had your dog fly under the plane? My puppy is my baby, so I am just really concerned!

    • CaitlinHTP October 7, 2011, 8:34 am

      I have never flown with the pups but I tweeted your request so hopefully someone else has!

    • erin October 7, 2011, 8:56 am

      i would never fly with my dog under the plane. there are just too many things that could go wrong, it’s not climate controlled, it’s soo stressful on a dog. if you are just going for a short time, i think it’d probably be easier on the dog to go to a sitter/kennel/daycare.

      either way, they have temperature restrictions and boston may be too cold to even consider the option.

    • Rosi October 7, 2011, 12:14 pm

      I agree with the previous comment. I couldn’t bear to put my pup in cargo. I paid to have her travel in with me, but she was small enough. If I couldn’t have her in with me, under the seat, I would have tried to find someone to care for her while I was gone.

    • Kristen (inspiredbydooce) October 7, 2011, 1:20 pm

      Heard back from my brother in law who is a baggage handler (and dog owner) and he stated that unless ABSOLUTELY necessary, he wouldn’t fly with his dog. It is very traumatic for the dog. That being said, sometimes it can’t be avoided.

  • kathleen @ the daily crumb October 7, 2011, 8:33 am

    have a great vacation!! we are gong to london and leaving the dogs for a week!! they love where we board them… but it still breaks my heart 🙁

  • Tessa @ Amazing Asset October 7, 2011, 8:38 am

    I haven’t been to your site for a while but I wanted to say that I love the new design! Very pretty 🙂
    Have a great vacation!

  • Kristen (inspiredbydooce) October 7, 2011, 8:41 am

    My brother in law works as a baggage handler. I’ll send him an email to see if he would fly with his dog and report back!

  • Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife October 7, 2011, 8:42 am

    YAH for vacation soon! SO exciting!

    Your snack really does sound and look delicious—I too make sure I balance all of ’em out to make me satisfied and happy!

  • Molly @ RDexposed October 7, 2011, 8:53 am

    Maggie would make a cute flower girl for a destination wedding…no?

  • Errign October 7, 2011, 9:06 am

    The drive from Asheville-Charlotte is GROSS. I’ve done it a few times to fly out of CLT and I am not a fan.

  • Stephanie October 7, 2011, 9:47 am

    My husband’s in the military, so he leaves a lot…but he always comes back. Chase is SO excited after a long absence…it’s so funny to watch! The only time that I feel really awful leaving my pup is when I have to leave him at a boarding kennel. I much prefer when family can look after him.

  • Ashley @ My Food 'N' FitnessDiaries October 7, 2011, 10:01 am

    Our pups always get all sad and are attached at our hips when they get a feeling we’re leaving them. It amazes me that they just know! Like you said, I wish they could understand us when we tell them that we’re not abandoning them and we’ll be back soon!

  • Jen October 7, 2011, 11:06 am

    I’m glad your dogs have your mom to stay with instead of being put in a kennel. Their little faces are so adorable!

  • Katie @ Peace Love and Oats October 7, 2011, 11:15 am

    I ALMOST bought panda puffs today in the grocery store. I decided to come back around and grab them last to stick in my basket since the box was big, and I forgot! Ugh. And I looooove being the driver on road trips. I actually love road trips alone too, I just love driving and thinking!

  • CJ @ http://healthy-happy-whole.com October 7, 2011, 11:22 am

    ok this may sound really silly but i have never had a cashew! they look yummy and sound good mixed with some panda puffs so perhaps I should pick some up this weekend when I make my trip to TJ!
    have safe travels!

  • lauren October 7, 2011, 11:35 am

    That’s great that you can drop the pets off at your mom’s when you go away. I always have to find relatives to stop in and check on my cat, and I love it when they can stay awhile and hang out with him a bit. He’s a people cat, needy and hates to be alone! I don’t blame him though.
    I’m with you, eating greens and having balanced snacks is important – but kind of hard sometimes. I usually just grab a piece of fruit in the afternoon, I try to stick with something that has fiber in it so it’s not just sugar.

  • Dynamics October 7, 2011, 12:22 pm

    Guide Dogs fly all the time and they do just fine. The question is what the airlines weight restrictions are. If they let the dog fly with you get the bulkhead area seating or the emergency row as there is more room. If he has to fly below in cargo, a few trips to the airport to get him used to the sounds and all the commotion would be helpful. I agree with Erin, find a puppysitter and leave him at home.

  • Amber K October 7, 2011, 1:10 pm

    I have found that when I balance my carbs/protein/fat in a snack it makes my tummy sooo much happier. Glad you’ve found a good combo!

    I wonder what I would do if I had to leave without a pet. I don’t really have anyone to leave them with, and I’d feel awful sending them away. I definitely have time to think it over since I don’t have any pets yet, but it doesn’t sound easy!

  • Sonia (the Mexigarian) October 7, 2011, 1:14 pm

    I hate leaving my cats behind. I feel so bad about it and they make it known to me that they’re not pleased.

    We used to take them to my mom’s house, but they’re not too nice to the kitten my mom has so now we just leave them at home and my mom checks up on them. Chloe can eat a mammoth . . . i really should get them the automated cat feeder on timer. lol.

  • Dynamics October 7, 2011, 2:28 pm

    Amber, they now have a lot of people who will come to your home and feed/visit/walk/play with your dog. They even have people who will stay in your house. Vets now do boarding. People do boarding in their homes. Pet hotels are amazing, expensive but amazing. Leaving a pet behind can give the pet a vacation also. I watch pets in my home and they have a blast.

  • Jenn October 7, 2011, 3:17 pm

    Asheville is the halfway meeting point for passing off my dogs to my parents for me too! I love them but it’s nice to get a vacation from them as well! I sure don’t miss picking up poo when they’re gone.

  • Jolene (Homespun Heritage) October 7, 2011, 5:08 pm

    Aww! Cute doggie faces and your husbands serious face is super adorable!

  • Blackwood Lady October 8, 2011, 2:54 am

    It seems so hard to have to travel so far to get your babies to a trusted carer. It must be such a challenge for so many people.
    I have the good fortune of having family members nearby who look after my boy when I am at work so he is safe and has company all day, and sometimes he gets to stay for weekend sleepovers when we go away.
    Sometimes I worry he’ll forget where he lives and who his real owners are, but everytime we pick him up he is SO excited to see us and come home… dogs are great aren’t they? So unconditional! 🙂
    Enjoy your holiday!

  • Megan October 8, 2011, 10:17 am

    My mom lives in Asheville – we’ve gone to the Black Mountain Bistro! It is indeed very yummy!

  • Sophie @ threetimesf October 9, 2011, 11:40 am

    Ha, I get so sad everytime I have to leave my pup somewhere too – I don’t think we’re that crazy..?!
    Have a great holiday!

Previous post:

Next post:

Search The Blog

Read by Month:

Read by Topic:

Healthy Tipping Point