Click the following link to find it on YouTube by clicking here, or click on “Read the rest of this entry” below to find the video in the full post as well as to learn more about the video.

Here is the video:

The video was shot with a Canon PowerShot S5 IS still camera. The voiceover was done using a Shure SM-57 microphone and an Apogee One audio input. I shot all of the video earlier today and finished the editing in about an hour. Challenges included holding the camera and recording the voiceover so that it didn’t sound so garbled. Overall, this was a fun project, and I look forward to possibly doing more with video.

Birdie checks out my camera

Kristen and I decided that now was a good time to adopt a dog. After hearing about some rescue dogs, we decided to pursue one of them. A colleague where I work put us in touch with his daughter who recommended that we meet Birdie, a four year old, tricolor female Beagle.

Birdie was a stray that was sent this direction from another part of the state. She was treated at the UW Veterinarian School and kept at the Dodge County Humane Society. Kristen and I drove out there to meet her.

We adopted her on Friday and brought her home right away.

Birdie is small – petite is probably more appropriate. A number of people have mistaken her for a puppy. She has been good so far, with a lot of curious energy, but often very quiet… often, but not always.

Kristen grew up with dogs. Birdie is my first dog, but I had a number of childhood friends that had pets as we were growing up. I have often gotten along with other pets, so adopting a dog was not as difficult a decision as one may think. Still, I knew that my life would change and that, as a pet parent, I would now need to devote much more time taking care of a dog.

When we were first introduced at the Dodge County Humane Society, Birdie ran right up to me. The shelter employee that introduced us said that Birdie was usually a little stand-offish, so she was happily surprised to see her take to me right away. We spent over an hour with her and really enjoyed her company. After we left, we had dinner and talked about what it would be like to bring her home. Beagles are usually pretty needy and high energy. But we were in love, and we liked Birdie’s disposition. What really set her apart for me was that there was another dog outside of our room that barked incessantly as he walked by, but Birdie didn’t flinch or freak out. It indicated to me that she perhaps had some socialization skills. So we agreed to adopt Birdie.

The following day, Kristen and I took the afternoon off and drove the hour-long journey back to the Dodge County Humane Society. We adopted Birdie and brought her home. She was eager to hop in the car and go, and she didn’t put up a fuss about sitting in her new travel crate. I sat in the back seat with her the entire time, and she behaved extremely well. When Kristen dropped me off at my car, though, she said that Birdie howled, as if she missed me.

Birdie has been with us for a week now, and we are happy that we adopted her. She is full of energy and fairly well behaved. She usually doesn’t dig into anything inside the house that she shouldn’t. Although we’ve had a couple of accidents during the first couple of days, she has been very good about identifying our house as her den. She can be a little stubborn when taking her outside to use the bathroom, but she loves to explore and run around. For the most part, she listens very well, except when she’s focused on chasing a squirrel, a rabbit, or another person. Although we still need to teach each other a few things and attend training, Birdie is an exciting new member for us, and we look forward to spending many great years together.

I’ve been told not to compare Birdie to kids – my sister warned me that if I compare our dog to my nieces and nephew, she will not let me live it down. Each present their own challenges, but they both also offer their own rewards. Kristen and I plan on having children in the future, but we are not ready for that yet. But we were definitely ready for Birdie to join our family.

Welcome Birdie to our family.

Birdie lying next to Kristen

Birdie walking into the living room

Birdie approaching the camera

Birdie on a chair

Genevieve, his wife, described him as an artist, an athlete, a Marine, a police officer, detective, and lieutenant. She also described him as a friend, husband, father, grandfather, dog lover, and car afficionado (especially Mercedes Benz). Although Gordon had many facets of his life, he was also an incredible human being and a really good guy, and I am fortunate to have been a part of his life.

Gordon was also a fighter. He was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, and he was given a couple of months to live. I remember how he said he was going to beat the odds and outlive those two months. He was successful for nearly three years, until his health took a turn late last year. Even then, his spirit was not broken; he continued to have a positive outlook.

I had the opportunity to see him during my nephew Charlie’s birthday party. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, other than that he seemed tired. But his spirits were good. I didn’t know that his health had taken a turn, but I think he wanted to keep that to himself.

Only two weeks later, I was called and told that he had fallen and was going into a hospice. He took a turn for the worse not long after that, and he passed away fairly quickly. Although we knew he wasn’t going to get better, news of his death was pretty hard on many of us, including me. Even a couple of weeks later, I am still sad that he is no longer in our lives.

This post is dedicated to all the family, friends, coworkers, and loved ones that were fortunate to have their lives touched by Gordon’s friendship and care.

MoCo Market is also Green Restaurant Certified. This means that MoCo practices environmentally sustainable methods in everything it does, from using energy wisely to reducing waste and clutter, and to providing healthier ingredients in its menu.

The store also carries a number of unique products. Items are either environmentally friendly or promote alternate transportation (like a stylish bicycle basket that doubles as a shopping basket). Although I haven’t really found anything that I would use, don’t let that stop you from finding good stuff for yourself.

I like stopping at MoCo Market when I can. Its good, affordable food and great people make it worth stopping in and saying hi. I don’t usually promote restaurants or stores on my Web site, but this one deserves special mention.

I took the following photos on a recent bike ride from home to downtown. The goal was to stop at MoCo for lunch and say hello to my friend. She was out that day, but I still enjoyed a great lunch.

 Bikes in MoCo Market’s main entrance

 MoCo Market’s Green Restaurant Certification

 MoCo Market’s salad and soup bar

  My lunch at MoCo Market

So this past weekend, I proposed to her. It was something I planned two months ago. I had already told her that I was interested in being with her long term. But I wanted to make our one-year dating anniversary special. So we planned on going out of town that Saturday. But Friday night, March 9, was our anniversary.

It rained Friday evening. We had dinner at the Edgewater Hotel’s The Admiralty dining room. After a very filling and absolutely wonderful dinner, we agreed to walk around up to and around the Capitol. The rain had stopped, but the ground was damp. We walked up to the Capitol, walked around on the promenade, and returned towards the hotel. About a block away, I looked up one more time at the Capitol and remarked about its beauty. Then I pulled a small beige box out of my pocket and stated that I had waited about two months to ask this. I got down on one knee, opened the box, and asked Kristen to marry me. Because the ground was wet, I started to get up.

Kristen said, “Get back down until I say yes.”

“Well, say yes then,” I responded.

She did. It was truly a magical night.

The following evening, we stayed at Tauschek’s Bed and Breakfast Log Home. The owners/hosts Steve and Mary Jane were very inviting. Kristen booked the room the Tuesday before, so our hosts did not know anything about it. When we told Mary Jane about the engagement, she was so excited that she made us chocolate cake. It was absolutely delicious. Tauschek’s was also very wonderful; it’s a log home with large guest rooms. Kristen and I really loved it and would like to return (soon). Steve and Mary Jane really run a great bed and breakfast, so I enjoy recommending people stay there (and I don’t do that for just anyone).

By the way, we haven’t set a wedding date yet. But I’m sure that I’ll continue to write about how happy we are together.

By the way… here is a picture of Kristen and me at Taushcek’s Bed and Breakfast.

Kristen and Brian in front of fireplace in Tauschek's great room.

Kristen and I met at as employees at Lands’ End. She started working there in June 2005, and I began the following August. The following month, she passed the Wisconsin Bar Exam so she could practice law in the state (she graduated from Notre Dame Law School in Indiana). But she was still making retail wages. Around that time, I was given permission to hire two limited-term employees for the livestock premises registration program at the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP, my full-time employer). I suggested to Kristen that she apply, not thinking of anything other than hiring her because she had very good customer service skills and knew the computer systems at Lands’ End (they use a legacy mainframe system that’s slightly less user-friendly than DATCP’s licensing system). After interviewing nearly a dozen candidates, a coworker and I agreed that Kristen was one of our top candidates. She accepted the position and started working for DATCP as an limited-term employee (LTE) in October.

Kristen and I continued to work together at both Lands’ End and at DATCP on a professional level. At Lands’ End, I started asking people that closed on Saturday nights if they wanted to join me for a drink after work. One other coworker, Mike, and I went out a couple of times (no other takers). One night, Mike couldn’t make it, but after sitting at the bar and having a beer, Kristen showed up with her brother David (they share an apartment in Madison). We hung out and had a good chat. Kristen started coming out more regularly after that. By the end of November, Mike had quit working at Lands’ End, so it became just Kristen, one or two other coworkers, and me.

In December, one of the associate managers put in her two-weeks notice. Her last evening was December 31. Since it was New Year’s Eve, the store closed early. I asked if anyone wanted to go out for Erin’s last night, and I had no takers (Kristen did not work that evening). So it was Erin and me. We had dinner and a nice discussion, but we both decided to call it an early evening.

The following Tuesday when I worked at Lands’ End, I mentioned that only Erin and I went out. I felt a little sorry for her because I was the only one that took her out. Then I asked, “so what was that?” Kristen responded that it was a date. I argued that it couldn’t be because we hadn’t thought of it that way. But Kristen explained that because there we assume that certain expectations exist… actually, I still don’t follow her reasoning about it. So, Kristen convinced me that it was a date. The following Saturday, Kristen and I went out after work. I brought the subject up again and asked if we were on a date, but we both agreed that we weren’t dating because she worked for me and that there could be ethical consequences.

But it’s amazing how things may not always be what they seem. Every time I asked people to go out on Saturday night, Kristen always came out. One night, she suggested that we see Brokeback Mountain with another coworker (which, by the way, I thought was a good movie). Saturday night became our night out, and others were welcome to join us. But every time I asked, Kristen was willing to join. Others at Lands’ End saw a pattern, but Kristen and I continued to explain that our professional relationship precluded us from pursuing something more personal. And yet, our discussions every Saturday night were a little more personal (albeit not romantic).

Around the middle to end of February, we started realizing that we may actually like each other beyond coworkers or friends.

On March 2, we had a meeting at DATCP, and I invited both of my LTEs to join and listen to the Dr. John Clifford, Deputy Administrator of the US Department of Agriculture – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service – Veterinary Services. Kristen said she would be able to stop in when Dr. Clifford was scheduled to start; Ashley (the other LTE) was unable to attend due to class. By this time, I realized that I had feelings for Kristen; after all, I was attracted to her, I knew that she and I had a lot in common, we shared the same humor, and she and I could really hold a conversation with each other. But when she came into the room, I felt a rush of emotion that made me realize how I really feel about her. I thought to myself, “Holy crap, I’m in love with Kristen!”

Of course, I perceived this as a problem. Kristen works for me at DATCP, even though she is only here for a limited time. But I couldn’t resist how I felt about her. That Friday, I bought a new cell phone (I was having issues with US Cellular, so I switched to Verizon), and I stopped at Lands’ End to show it off. Kristen was working that evening, and at one point, she asked another coworker to have me talk to her while she was on break. When I talked to Kristen, she merely asked about the new phone. I felt something else was going on, but I was afraid to talk about it (I’m pretty shy about such things, and there is the whole work issue). Kristen and I agreed to go out again after closing at Lands’ End, and we both started sharing some flirtations. It became obvious that we started feeling more to our professional and friendly relationship, but I still felt uncertain about how she really felt. The next evening, Saturday, we went out again, this time with one of our fellow coworkers Lourdes. Kristen sat next to me in a booth, and she started leaning on me. It was obvious to Lourdes that we felt something more about each other (I called Lourdes afterwards to explain how I felt). Of course, we ended up closing the bar, and Lourdes drove Kristen home.

I picked up Kristen the next day and brought her to work. After work, we picked up her car, and she invited me to her place to watch the academy awards with her and her brother, which I accepted. At one point, David left to run an errand, leaving Kristen and me alone to talk. I told her that I really liked her in a romantic way, and she responded in kind. But we both felt that we couldn’t really be together because of our working relationship. But we continued to sit and hold hands (it was really sweet), and it seemed that we both felt more than before.

As the week wore on, we both continued to work as if things were business as usual. But when we had a chance, we shared glances. But that Thursday evening, we planned on joining some colleagues for Karaoke. Kristen and I agreed to get dinner and do a little window shopping before going to join the others. I couldn’t stand the thought of no longer being without her; I just felt it was no longer appropriate to hide it. So I spoke to my administrator Sue about how we felt about each other. She said that she it was great and that she was excited for us; that took me by utter surprise.

That evening, I picked up Kristen to get something to eat and to look at furniture (she was looking for a new mattress). I told her what Sue had told me. Kristen was pretty happy to hear it, and I was happy to report it. We looked at mattresses at one store, had dinner at the local Olive Garden, and looked at mattresses at another store. But we never made it to karaoke because of the weather (it was pretty foggy that evening). Instead of karaoke, we chose to hang out at Barnes and Noble and enjoy each others’ company. This included climbing a big snow bank outside, buying tea in the little Starbucks, and sitting on a couple of chairs and just talking and holding hands. Afterwards, I drove her home; that night, I asked her if it would be okay to state that we were officially dating, and she gave me the okay. That was March 9, which we’ve since marked as our first date anniversary.

 Kristen

 Brian and Kristen