Our latest trip to the breeder

We went to our breeder's on Saturday to spend some more time with the now 4 week old Great Dane puppies. They're much more playful and mobile than they were just last week, and we had a lot of fun. Here are a few entertaining (and short) videos of our time there.

This little guy is already showing some Alpha dog personality...



When she puts down the newspaper, they know that it's almost time to be fed, and they get very excited...



It's a feeding frenzy, dirty paws and faces all around. Right now they have to be washed after every meal because they are such a mess when they're done...



After being fed and washed, they are ready to go to sleep. Here they are anxious awaiting their kennel so that they can go to bed...



It's amazing how fast they fall asleep after eating. They literally eat, run around for 5 minutes, and pass out. Since we didn't let them in the kennel right away, they decided to go to sleep on the floor, one at a time...

But this little girl decided Kristen's arms looked more inviting than the floor...

This little girl likes to spend time to herself...

Right now I think this little girl is our favorite...

Notice in this picture the Harlequin (black and white) male "socializing" with the Merle (gray and black) male...

Since their personalities are still developing and they're so different from last week, we're going to wait one more week, come out again, and then pick out our puppy. That way we'll be able to really tell their temperments and pick out the best puppy for us. Next week we'll be able to take them outside...we're very excited!

One Small Step

At 10:56pm on July 20, 1969, 39 years ago today, Neil Armstrong first set foot on the surface of the moon. It's easy to forget the terrific accomplishment that this was and the incredible price paid for this moment. Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee had given their lives just a few years earlier in the Apollo 1 fire, and thousands of others had worked tirelessly to make this day a reality. It was a moment of solidarity for all Americans, and for the world.

Where will we go from here? Certainly luner exploration was the capstone to a Space Program that since the Apollo missions has ventured humanity no further than a low-earth orbit. It's time to, as President John F. Kennedy stated: "throw our caps over the wall" once again and having no choice but to follow, begin again serious exploration of our solar system. Returning to the moon through the Orion program and then continuing to Mars is not just an option, it is our destiny.

Why?

"Because it's next. Because we came out of the cave. And we looked over the hill, and we saw fire. And we crossed the ocean, and we pioneered the West, and we took to the sky. The history of man is hung on a timeline of exploration, and this is what's next. Why? Because it's what's next."

If we're not about discovery, then what are we about?

Back home again in Indiana...

This week Kristen and I went up to spend time with my family who were up visiting my Grandmother in Indianapolis. I like Indiana...I'm actually rather fond of the midwest in general. In my mind, it really is the heart of America.

Anyway, we were up there for a few days, and the second night we played some poker...notice in the background my cardshark wife, serious as a heart attack. She looks all nice and sweet, but she can play some Texas Hold 'em! We also enjoyed some of Kentucky's finest, consuming multiple bottles of Ale8. Notice here one of my spectacular hands that, if I remember correctly, lead to nothing whatsoever. Nonetheless, I triumphed, calling Benjamin and Kristen all in and winning with a pair (or something equally less stunning).

Our other big event was a trip to the Indianapolis Zoo. I have a fondness for zoos, I even kind of like the smell. Zoos in the midwest are different from zoos in Florida. For one, they tend to have more aquatic animals: we prefer to give them their own parks in Florida. Also, Florida tends to have herds of african animals and fewer from colder climate areas, while I find the reverse is true in the midwest. One thing all zoos have in common however, is lemurs. People love lemurs, and it seems the lemurs hate water, because it's all that separates them from us, yet they never swim over to say hello.

Here, Andrew and Benjamin are pretending to be Sea Lions- Mom's proud of these two...

Before I go any further, I have to give a shoutout (one word?) to Miami MetroZoo. There are many fine zoos in the country, but I have never been to one that has more animals than MetroZoo. Though you have to walk several miles to get through the zoo, it's well worth it to see four kinds of gazelles, two types each of rhinos, elephants, zebras, kangaroos and three types of bears. That's just a small sample of the amazing selection MetroZoo has to offer. Plus, they have a monorail straight out of the '80s. Tangently related to this topic, my brother Matthew had this to say tonight about elephants: "One of the best moments of my childhood was riding an elephant...They don't really attack anyone, they don't have an axe to grind, they're peaceful, yet large."

Matthew forgets the dark side of elephants- these zoo workers are using a pitchfork to clean up elephant poo...

At the Indianapolis Zoo they have sharks you can pet. Here's a video of Kristen petting a shark.

Right after this was taken the shark bit her hand off. Okay, maybe not, but I had you going for a minute. Also, I think sharks and I may be related.

Andrew once had a mean run-in with a Portugese Man-O-War. Consequently, he now has this reaction whenever he's anywhere close to anything with tentacles:

We went to the "dolphin show." Now, I like dolphins, and Kristen is crazy about them. They seem pretty smart and do great tricks, and seem to be enjoying it the whole time, so more power to dolphins and dolphin trainers. Unfrotunately, we were duped into believing that this was a dolphin show. They were very tricky at the front gate when they asked, "Do you want tickets to the free dolphin show?" This wasn't however, a dolphin show. Think about it like this: if you watched a commercial for a new car, and the car was floating on the water and dolphins were jumping over it, and maybe there was a dolphin the driver's seat or something, and the commercial ended, would you call that a dolphin show? No, you'd call it a commercial for a car with dolphins in it. This wasn't a dolphin show, it was a 30 minute commercial for Compact Florescent Lamps, or CFLs with dolphins in it.

I'm all for conservation, and I'm not going to rehash how I think it's ridiculous that he government has mandated what kind of light bulbs we can buy, but when I come to a dolphin show, I WANT TO SEE DOLPHINS! Instead the dolphins jumped around a little as we heard about some little girl who dug through her neighbor's trash so she could recycle the things they threw away. There was no mention of the fact that recycling is currently as energy-inefficient and pollutes just as much as not recycling, instead it was all a ramp-up to CFLs=saving the world. I am now under the impression that for every CFL I install, it will save one dolphin. I feel this equation roughly expresses what I was taught at the CFL show: CFL=dolphin. Therefore, the inverse must be true ~CFL=~dolphin. I had no idea I was killing dolphins with my incandescent bulbs. At least I can dim the lights in memory of my mammal friends.

Before I go on, here are a few comments from my environmentally insensitive family. If these offend you, really, you need to find something more serious than light bulbs to get offended about. Like I said, I'm all for conservation, not numbskull environmentalism.

My father: "Okay, we'll let's break a CFL in the dolphin tank and see how much they like it then!" (Note that my father is not actually threatening aquatic mammals, simply using hyperbole to get his point across.)
Benjamin astutely (and maybe a little sarcastically) observed: "Jonathan, that show was lit very well. I wonder how many of those lights were CFLs?"
Andrew said, "Less green, more dolphin."
Kristen said we were all ridiculous.

The Indianapolis Zoo also has a very nice desert exhibit with many lizards and deserty animals that I always enjoy. Here's a great picture that I took...

After our most excellent visit to the zoo, we went back to spend some time with Grandmother before departing for Louisville the next day. We all traveled down to see my Aunt and Uncle, cousin and cousin's son (my second cousin?) and then some old family friends, Susan and Jack Moss. Susan was my Mom's college roomate, and they have three kids: Elliot, Wesley (hiding on Elliot's lap) and Rhodes, possibly one of the cutest children I have ever seen. They also have a Portugese Water Dog named Socks- the dog's very friendly and I like him very much. I never thought I would actually see a Portugese Water Dog (there's not one in this picture, by the way).

So ends our trip. Sorry if I left anything out, but to make up for it, here are some amazing pictures:

Don't kid yourself...the gift shop is a dangerous place.

Andrew's default position when in a moving vehicle:

This post is dedicated to Stephen Castle Farrior, because he was upset that I have been posting so much about Great Danes. The next one's going to be about our puppy, sorry Stephen. Also, I have in the past incorrectly referred to the Bednar's Blog as George's Blog. I apologize for the error and it has been rectified. Also, I support George in his ongoing blogfight to eradicate racism and discrimination when it comes to baskets.

Play of the year...

Great news for fans of great television. Shout! Factory has announced that they will be releasing a 10th anniversary edition of the television show Sports Night. From their website: "The 8-DVD collector’s box set contains all 45 acclaimed episodes, a special 10th Anniversary book with introduction written by Aaron Sorkin, and 2 full discs of exclusive bonus features that reveal the genesis, life and afterlife of the series with all-new interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and commentaries featuring the principal cast and creative team, and Real vs. Reel: ESPN employees compare their real-life experiences with the characters on Sports Night. You don’t have to know sports to enjoy Sports Night."

Sports Night was quite possibly one of the best shows on network television, combining quick and witty comedic writing with dramatic themes to create a mix arguably not seen before or since. Starring now-famous Felicity Huffman, Robert Guillaume, Peter Krause, Josh Charles and a host of notable others (including Joshua Malina), Sports Night had a deep pool of talent and coupled with creator Aaron Sorkin's genius, this show is a perfect example of what television can and should be. It's "a comedy that doesn't pander" and explores serious issues with a very real mix of personal drama lightened with witticism and comedy. The fast-paced conversational style of dialogue is a welcome departure from the drab dialogue of most television, and it is both engaging and entertaining.

I will be purchasing this DVD box set as soon as it is released, despite the fact that I already own the original release. My reasons for this are obsessive as well as practical: not only are the additional special features something that I have always wished were included in the original, but I have literally worn out several of the DVDs in my original box set, having watched through the series more than 20 times. Yes, it really is that good. Sports Night was voted by TV Guide "the best show you're not watching," and I implore you, don't make that mistake. Check out the 10th Anniversary Edition of Sports Night, to be released September 30th, 2008. It can be purchased or pre-ordered here.

The Great Dane is coming...

This is why we're getting a Great Dane (it's titled Hope the Great Dane and the Scary Banana):



On Sunday, June 22nd, our Great Dane puppy was born, along with her 5 littermates. We have yet to go out and pick her out, but she'll probably be one of the 4 girls (three are black, one is a brown fawn) We're very excited to come out and see them, but until we can, we have these pictures to tide us over. Enjoy!

Here's the mother, Bella:


The puppies at feeding time:


The Merle and Harlequin Males:


And finally, the surprise Fawn: (they tend to be born dark, then lighten as the grow)