Time to (rock'n') roll

My iPod nano is loaded up with hours of great stuff to listen to on the road this weekend, including the audiobook of "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult and my 90s music playlist. (Time to practice my air guitar with Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Foo Fighters and Creed.) I'm also looking forward to getting caught up on some of my favorite podcasts, including "Money Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for a Richer Life," NPR's "This I Believe" and MSNBC's "The Body Odd." Let me know if you've discovered other podcasts worth checking out.

We didn't plan this ...

My co-worker Suzanne and I were astonished at how well our outfits coordinated today. My skirt and her shirt were nearly identical colors. And we both chose to pair our spiffy items with black. We were color block twinkies. Weird.

Gorgeous photography by the lovely and talented Denise.

Arkansas or bust

This weekend, I'm headed out on the road to visit my younger sister Amanda, who moved to Arkansas last month to be closer to her boyfriend and for a new newspaper reporting job. I'll tour the lovely area, see her new place and hear all about her new gig. Before her move, we had worked together at The Wichita Eagle for nearly two years.

(Our friend Jaime took this fun photo last month on Amanda's last day as an Eaglet.)

Don't look down

Brian took this photo from the Leap of Faith high-ropes obstacle course that we did a couple of weekends ago. (You can see some of us laughing at him for balancing on top of a 17-foot-tall telephone pole while reaching in his pocket for his camera to snap this photo.)

Welcome to our weary travelers

After 10 days on the road, my aunt Colleen and uncle Dave from Mountain Home, Ark., stopped by our home to visit the pups and say hello. They're en route from my cousin Evan's wedding in Wyoming. Dave & Colleen run a guest house on Bull Shoals Lake. If you ever need a place to stay there, they're your peeps.

We don't just love dogs and cats

Don't let the multitude of canine- and feline-related postings on our new blog fool you: We're fans of a variety of species in the animal kingdom. In fact, during the past couple of years, Brian and I both have somehow found ourselves perhaps a bit too close to a couple of critters. I'll let the photos speak for themselves. (Toothpaste, anyone?)

Vacation, Bahamas dolphin encounter, March '05

Work photo shoot, Sedgwick County Zoo, October '06

Striking a chord

Brian is learning to play the guitar. I love to hear him practice.

And though I don't mind that his musical endeavors mean he's concentrating on learning chords and songs rather than focusing on me, not everyone in our house feels the same way:

Through her forlorn meows, you almost can hear her say, "Play with me! Pet me!"

(She's a very persuasive kitty.)