Terror in the Shed

So, if you read my blog at all you know that I am quite the animal-nature lover. I help turtles and opossums, rescue snakes from the road, let the very back of my yard get a bit overgrown so that little creatures have places to live, let the deer eat all my pants and never complain and take injured birds to the emergency vet. I say this so you understand my dedication to the flora and fauna of Wake Forest. Ok but there are three things I can not abide; spiders, camel back cave crickets and roaches. I am not crazy about insects in general but lady bugs and butterflies are ok. Also, I try not to do anything too damaging to the environment as far as pest control. I use Sevins Dust to keep the ants out of the feral cats food (safe for animals by the way)and to control the hoppers under house. I also keep the grass short to keep the flea and tick population down. Other than that, I don;t do anything.

As much as I hate spiders I leave them alone outside. I have a rule for spiders, you don't bother me, I don't bother you. Period. You stay outside, I let you live. You come inside and depending on the look of you I MIGHT take you outside. MIGHT. Camel back cave crickets and roaches well, there is no mercy for you. Sorry. You get the Scrubbing Bubbles (I will have to explain that later).

So, I am sure you are wondering "what is the terror in the shed"? Well, WAIT I AM GETTING TO THAT!

So, tonight was grass cutting night. I donned my baseball cap, holey t-shirt and stretched out yoga pants and sauntered out to the shed. I throw open the doors to the shed and immediately stop and check for crawling things. I saw one little woodland roach, ok just step over him. No big deal. And then something black over in the corner catches my eye. Upon closer inspection I start to silently freak out. "HOLY CRAP THERE IS A HUGE BLACK WIDOW IN A WEB UNDER ONE OF THE EXTRA KITCHEN CHAIRS"! OMG! HOLY SHIT!!!!" Ok, I stand there at a loss for at least 3 minutes. Which is a long time when you are scared to death to move because the 12 inch black widow (exaggeration) might jump for me while saying in a raspy voice "why are you disturbing me"-think Aragog from Harry Potter or the spider from Lord of the Rings.

Now, if you have been paying attention, you know my issue with spiders. It has invaded my space so it must be destroyed. I have no idea how to kill it because I am afraid to get closer than 25 feet from it. But, I also understand that I have to kill it. My scrubbing bubbles is in the car port so I am defenseless. I grab one of those paint stirrer things but realize if I used that I would have to get closer than I am comfortable with. So I fnd a 2 foot piece of wood and get it on there. Then I squish the hell out if it until there is nothing left. I feel bad...for about 5 seconds where I ask God, Virgin Mary and Saint Francis to forgive me, but they know my feelings on the matter. So I mow the grass and come inside. I shower, eat some cheerios and get on my laptop. And what do I do? I Google Black Widow Spider where I spend the next 10 minutes reading and looking at webpages dedicated to Black Widows and Brown Recluse Spiders. "Ok Seriously, WHAT IN THE HELL AM I THINKING!" I will never sleep now. So, long about 1:00 a.m., feel free to call me. I guarantee I will up!

Now that's Karma

In an effort to start living a simple life (that is a whole other post!) I have been going through all of my stuff one little section at a time. The first section was my jewelry. I don’t have a lot of “fine” jewelry. What I do have is mostly from my ex-husband. So, I decided to get rid of the bad karma and sell it or pawn it. During my lunch hour I went to visit the local pawn shop in the town where I work. The guy was nice and told me he would give me $60 for a garnet bracelet, gold wedding band, gold cladaugh sun, moon, stars pin and cross. All of these are at least 10k gold. I am not doing it so much for the money but for the principle of it, the ridding the house of the bad karma, but then I think the bracelet is worth $75 on it's own! So, I thanked him and I decided to try and sell them on ebay first. If they don’t sell than I will take them back to the pawn shop. At least I know how much I will get. So after that I decided to go get some comfort food (Bojangle’s. YUM!). This whole ordeal has been bringing back thoughts that I don’t want, and in an effort to “get over it” for today,
I decided to do a big Weight Watchers no-no and use food as my security blanket. As I am turning left, I look over at the car in the next lane who is waiting to turn left, and I will give you one guess who it was. Yep, the ex-husband. So, as I sat in Bojangle’s I wondered what it meant. I mean he lives in this area and I have not run in to him in over a year so how odd that I should see him on this particular day. So as I ponder the universe and it’s connections and randomness, let me know if you want to buy a gold bracelet with garnets! It really is pretty!

K9 Mom's Thoughts While Mowing the Lawn

*WARNING* If curse words offend you, please skip this one. And, if anyone from work is reading this, I don't think the "Swear Jar" applies here right? Because, I don't think my pay check will cover it!

Walking to the shed (sigh...didn't I just mow this freakin' lawn?)

Opening the shed (Crap, I hope there are no spiders in here. Ok well I don't see any-something crawls on my shoe-HOLY CRAP WHAT WAS THAT!?! Seriously, beetle don't even think about crawling me. I don't want to scream and then squish you.)

Sitting on the tractor trying to start it ("Look Beast, please start before I start to scream! Oh wait, maybe there isn't any gas...")

Trying to take off the gas cap ("ok did Hercules put the damn thing on here or what?! Oh wait, it was dad...DAD!" (say this like Jerry Seinfield would say "Newman")

Ok look- there is gas in here so start damn you START!" Oh good here we go...

K9 Mom backs out of the shed hitting the fence a bit ("SHIT..Again with the damn fence...")

"So, I did diagonal last time...maybe straight lines? Yes I think so".

Here is where I turn on the MP3 Player and start to get in the mowing groove...

Humming...OH I LOVE THIS SONG!! Annie Lennox you completely rock"! Ok I sing here for a while, I must admit to a hand movement or two..Bunnie doesn't care she is trying catch a cat..who is about 100 feet on the other side of the fence but I applaud her dedication..

"Ok favorite part...And if you're trying to cut me down, You know that I might bleed, Cause if your trying to cut me down, I know that you;ll succeed.And if you want to hurt me, there's nothing left to fear. Cause if you want to hurt me, you're doing really well my dearrrr..." I think I should you tube that when I get in. John Malkovich and Hugh Laurie I think...OUTSTANDING!!

Author's note: Yes, I really think words like outstanding, he is a gem etc. I am a goof ball.

So from here, I pretty much just sing and hum and drive around.

"Oh man I hate the push mower part...but here we go..Bunnie stop trying to bite the lawn mower. Trust me it won't end well for you"...

I mow for a while, sweat A LOT and then... KURPLUNK!!! Mower stops.

"What the hell...oh crap, crap crap I hit that stump. CRAP!!! Please start. Please START!!!! I don't want to have to call dad. "Ok maybe I should go in for a Dr. Pepper and feed the dogs. I will give it a chance to rest".

I get a drink and go back out. It starts.

"Hmmm My hydrangeas are lovely..I should cut some, whoa watch the hose! Um excuse me, person turning around in my drive way-really? Should you be doing that while I am standing right here? I mean go down to the next street and turn around why don't you?" "One day I am going to catch the damn individuals who throw litter in my yard and throw their beer bottles right back at them!!! Littering is against the law DAMN YOU!!" Ok just calm down and keep on mowing...Mowing, mowing and more mowing...

SO, on this outing I almost ran over my croc wearing foot while trying to open the gate and push the mower through without turning it off, I hit my head on a low branch, ran into a bush that had lots of thorns on it and got a blister from holding the handle down.

And the best part, is I get to do this ALL over again in 4 more days! But, my lawn looks super good. Even my mom said it looked nice while she was cutting hydrangeas. Now THAT my friends is quite the compliment!

Adventures in Lawn Mowing

I think a few posts in regards to lawn mowing are way over due! Why? Well, because I want to! And it is my blog.

Let me give you all a little background.

1. I mow my lawn every week. Even when I was married (to...well let us call him Mr. Lazy for this post), I was the one out in 100 degree heat cutting the grass with help from my dad (good ole' dad. The man is an absolute gem).

2. I have a biggish yard (.75 acres)

3. I have become very particular about pattern in the back yard. No idea why. I mean who cares as long as it is short right? Wrong!

4. I THINK I have a mixture of St. Augustine and Bermuda grass. Oh with Wild Onions (the bane of my existence) and weeds. This means when it is hot outside and wet it THRIVES.

So, Thursday was the night I was mowing this week. Now let me mention that I had just mowed the back yard on Sunday and the lawn was LONG.. So the first course of action is to jump on my tractor/riding mower. An orange Husqvarna. Please reference picture above and then imagine one faded orange and that doesn't always start or just stops in the middle of the yard, and you will have mine. It's name? The Beast of course!

Funny aside here-There is this great couple that lives next door to me and the menagerie. They are funny, friendly and always willing to chat when outside on the porch. Great, down to earth, country people who like animals. LOVE THE NEIGHBORS. Anyway, one night I had just finished and was talking over the fence To Lady Neighbor and Guy Neighbor started singing "She Thinks My Tractors' Sexy-by Kenny Chesney only with "he". This cracked me up and now every time I start the tractor up, I think about that and laugh my ass off. Because seriously, there is nothing less sexy than me on my tractor. Ok, maybe you can think of something but you get my point.)

There isn't much to do when you are sitting on the tractor except try not to hit the fence, propane tank, shed etc and keep your mowing lines either in a diagonal (my personal favorite), picture frame or straight up and down. Why so many designs you ask? Because you are never supposed to cut your grass the same direction every time. You gotta change it up! And no,I don't know why. Google it! Oh, and try not to let anything touch you (bugs, grass, limbs hanging from trees) especially the poison ivy growing over the fence that you are extremely allergic to and dad has not killed yet. So, I listen to my MP3 player,sing really loud and with feeling because no one can hear me over the "beast" (At least I don't think so. Oh that would be embarrassing!) and think about stuff. And that is what the next post will be about...

If it is not one thing it's Otto

(I know my deck looks a complete mess but it is clean now. Well except for 100 dog toys!)

This is a well worn statement in our house. I love all 3 of my dogs. I always say they are my kids. And Otto is the "baby" so of course he is spoiled and as much as I hate to admit this; maybe a smidge more than the others. It is not intentional but Otto has a medical condition and so he gets pampered a bit. I call Otto the "million dollar dog" because I have spent so much money on his vet care. Otto has epilepsy and takes meds to control his seizures, and they work pretty well.

I have been very concerned about him for the past several weeks because he has been having some real trouble walking. I have been having scary thoughts of brain tumors, seizures and strokes and basically worrying myself sick. We went to see Otto's vet today (who has to be the most patient, kind man in the universe to deal with me)for some help. I don't know a whole lot more than I did before except that Otto is ok as far as we know. Dr. B said that we could have a $1200 MRI done (I barely scraped together the $50 for the office visit) that would probably tell us what was what wrong but would not change anything. Sigh. So for now, I am going to be happy in the knowledge that I am doing everything I can to keep him happy and healthy and I will just need to get used to his funny walk and stumbling. I also learned that Otto is happy (well as far Dr. B and I know)and not suffering and besides a little arthritis in his right hip, he isn't in any pain. In other words, Otto's quality of life is good. And so I will continue to keep him and Bunnie and Chloe happy and comfortable and love them all way too much. And maybe that is all we can hope for in life. To have someone try and keep us happy and comfortable and love us too much. Well, it is one of the things I hope for.

P.S. Thanks to everyone for all their good thoughts today. It meant a lot to Otto and more to me.

Nerd with a capital N

As I sit here listening to my MP3 player, it dawns on me just how much of a "nerd" I really am. I mean who just LOVES to listen to John Denver's Annie's Song or Rick Springfield's Human Touch? Well, I do! And I feel there are other signs as well. Here are a few:

I only like to use pens that write a certain way. And if they don't, they go to the big pen grave yard. (Ok, really a great big tin bucket. Anyone need a pen?)

I get teary every single time I hear "God Bless America"or "The Gift".

I have to sleep with wrist braces at night because of carpal tunnel. Hey, at least it isn't head gear!

When I mow the grass, I have to wear a hat, long pants and if it isn't 100 degrees a long sleeve shirt. Why? Because if a tree branch, bug, anything touches my hair, arm, leg etc; I have to shower immediately.

I have 3 stuffed animals on my bed right now. I KNOW!! I know what you are going to say, you don't need to tell me!

I love to watch PBS. and not just Masterpiece theater but Nature and Painting with Bob Ross ("OK, lets put a happy tree right here by this big strong mountain").

I collect Children's Books. That is quite the hobby to get the gentlemen calling!:-)

When walking down a sidewalk or walkway I won't step on any cracks or lines. You know in case it "breaks my mother's back or father's spine" Who thought that up and told it to little kids any way?

I sleep with a pair of scissors next to my bed. You know, in case the monster under my bed decides to come out.

I have a scrapbook with an example of every card I have ever sent out at Chritmas for the last 15 years or so..

Oh and the posts on this blog.

So, for the four people that read this, "Welcome to Nerdville. Population, ME!"

Ihasahotdog

I stumbled upon this website (http://ihasahotdog.com/)one night while surfing and I am just in love with it! I liked it so much I signed up for daily updates! If you need a laugh, check it out.

Things I have learned this week

1. You can never have enough paper towels when pet sitting for 10 puppies. NEVER!

2. No matter how tired you are, how hot, how sweaty, how sad, kisses from 10 puppies, 1 golden retriever and my dog tribe will cheer me up in about 10 seconds!

3. If you stop drinking regular soda and drink diet soda and water, you will lose weight.

4. Nothing feels as good as a hot shower after cleaning up after 10 puppies!

5. When someone tells you that you have disappointed them, it stinks. No matter how they say it or how they spin it. It stinks. Period.

6. Sometimes you just have to go out for Bojangles at lunch with a friend.

7. Applying for a new job is scary and kind of exciting! :-) Especially one that seems like it was made just for you.

8. You gotta have friends.

9. And sometimes, you have to stop pretending to be fine and just ask your friends for a shoulder.

10. At the end of day, it doesn't matter how much money you have made, how many things you have screwed up or done right, who you have impressed or failed to impress, how many things that you have or how much work you have done. What matters is that you can say that someone, anyone, loves you. For you.

And I think that (#10) is the most important thing I have remembered this week. Because that isn't something that I learned. I always knew it. But sometimes, it stays buried under so many layers of things like exhaustion, disappointment, resentment, self loathing, anger, jealousy, selfishness, grudges, (add your own here) that we forget. But as long as we can remember than we will be ok.

You know it is going to be a weird day when...

you show up to work on your day off. Yep, that is what I did this morning. We have something where I work called "Summer Schedule". This means that you work 45 minutes extra for 9 days and then you get a Monday or a Friday off. So today was supposed to be my day. I am not sure how I got so mixed up but I did and here I am. So, I am taking my day on Thursday. Not a 3 weekday weekend but oh well. A day off just the same. Never look a "gift day off" in the mouth! :-)

To post or not to post. That is MY question

Have you ever been in a quandary about posting something to your blog? You know, you have to say something to get it off of your mind but you wonder if it is the ok thing to do? You have not mentioned any names or told any untruths, it basically your feelings about a situation, but you still worry about it? Well I just wrote a post like that and I am not sure I should publish it. I mean I wasn't awful, I didn't call anyone names and certainly did not give details, but I feel a little weird. And I shouldn't because this is MY blog. And in my opinion I think I should be able to say whatever I want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone or defame their character. Maybe I will post it. I haven't decided. Maybe I should sleep on it, re-read the post and then decide? So maybe it will be posted here tomorrow. Or maybe not. What do you think?

Things I Am Loving Right Now

Nick and Nora pajama bottoms from Target: I have rubber ducky ones, pink elephants on roller skates ones, sock monkey ones, pink flamingo ones, dogs having a cook out ones and many others. Do I wear them all you ask? Yep!! Just not at the same time! :-)

Pilot Precise Grip BOLD Pens in blue ink: I love the way they write! Nice and bold.

Weight Watcher Double Chocolate Delight 2 point bars: I am not sure why I like these so much, I just know that I do!

Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad: I crave this salad all the time. The Chinese Vinegrete dressing is great, the sliced almonds give it a nice crunch and the little fried chicken pieces are wonderful. I am not sure how good this salad is for me in regards to Weight Watcher points but it counts as veggies right?

Golden Gourmet Peanuts from the Peanut Roaster: Crunchy with just the right amount of salt and they are grown/made right here in NC!

Coca Cola flavored ICEEs: Great on those 100 degree days.

Flip Flops: I was never much a of a flip flop wearer but I made myself wear a pair the summer before last and now I am all about the flip flop!

Candy Land: My niece “M” is all about playing Candy Land these days and I have to say it has awakened my love of board games. I just don’t remember my back and knees hurting so much from sitting on the floor!

My SIGG water bottle: My nieces gave me one and it is great. Easy to clean, doesn’t get funky smelling, just a great all around water bottle.

He is just not that in to you.

So, I have been divorced for almost 3 years. Honestly it seems like 10 years but parts of it have been fairly difficult so that is understandable. But now I am starting to get the "So, are you dating" question. And I just look like a deer caught in headlights and change the subject. I am not sure why this freaks me out. Oh, wait; I know exactly why it does! Frankly, dating is a pain in the ass. I know, I know it can be wonderful and great and birdies and flowers in a field but not for me.

Maybe I haven't met the right person but I am tired of waiting. Not only that but I wasted (trust me, wasted is the right word)11 years of my 38 with Mr. WRONG. Mr. Wrong convinced me that I was unattractive, lazy, inconsiderate, selfish, and well, stupid. Now, I know all those things and everything else that he said wasn't true BUT knowing and believing are 2 different things. Now I am not trying to get sympathy because I am fairly happy with the status quo. But, there is always that teeny tiny part of me that wants a Valentine or dinner (sushi please!)and a movie on Saturday night. But the actual thought of having to go some where with someone I don't know is enough to make me get under the quilt on my bed and not come out for at least a week. I tried the online thing for a short time but it just wasn't for me. I want Fitzwilliam Darcy or Don Hollinger (if you don't know who they are, google please!)and instead I was contacted by Mr. "I'm Too Sexy for Everyone". Which also lead me to want to ask "So why don't you post a picture? It was exhausting. All of my friends are married most with kids so it isn't like I have some pals to go out with. Plus trolling the bars just isn't my thing.

So, if you know Don Hollinger or Mr. Drcy feel free to give him my number. Otherwise, it is another Saturday night with Netflix and 13 Cheese Doodles for 3 points!

Sigh...

That is not a bad sigh, it is a tired one. I just got done with a busy week. Pretty much a 14 hour work day for the past 7 days straight. I have been pet sitting and with a full time job, it is a lot of work. I get a lot of "I just don't know how you do it". Honestly, I don't either sometimes (especially yesterday when it was 90 degrees and I just locked my car keys in the car because I was so tired I wasn't thinking, and my dad had to come rescue me). But, I know WHY I do it, and I guess for me that is the most important part and gets me through the tired bits. And to be honest, I love it. I love getting to love on all the dogs and a few cats and know that their people are on vacation and not worrying about them. Because I can't do that. When I was married, I had no problem going off on a day trip with a friend or an overnight because I knew there was someone home with my guys all the time. Of course I still called and checked up that Otto got his medicine and they were happy, but other than that, I was good. Now, I worry constantly. My dad is the one who cares for them if I have to be gone for long periods of time and he is great with them. Not only that but they LOVE him. So really there is nothing to worry about. As time goes on, I will get better. At least I hope I will.

Sniff, Sniff do I smell biscuits?

Do you ever find that certain smells remind you things? Bring back memories? Well, this morning I was making some biscuits for breakfast (2 for 2 WW points!) and the smell reminded me of my grandma’s house. When we were younger, my grandparents would send me and my brother plane tickets to Chicago and we would stay with them for a month or so during our summer break from school. I loved going! We got to fly by ourselves (weren’t we big shots!), eat whatever we wanted, go to White Sox games and the zoo. But the most fun thing for me was getting to go to work with grandma downtown Chicago. She worked in a huge building in the Loop. My grandma’s boss was Mr. Blevins. He was such a nice man. He used to let us come to work with my grandma every day (if we wanted, and I always did!) and I remember when he would go out to lunch he always bring us some treat back; popcorn a lollipop etc. But the most fun thing for me was I got to play office IN A REAL OFFICE!!! I mean what other 10 year old doesn’t love that! I got to play with the adding machine, and the Xerox machine (the old kind where the copies came out a little wet) and all of the office supplies that there were. At lunch we would go to Weibolt’s Department store, hit the toy section and then back to work.

How this ties in with baking biscuits…Biscuits have been a favorite food of mine for as long as I can remember. And my grandma would get up and make a pan of biscuits (the Pilsbury type) before we had to leave to catch the train. (The train was totally fun and could be a little weird!) I can remember waking up to the smell of the biscuits baking and the radio on in the kitchen. I would always lay there awhile listening to my grandparents talking while my grandpa got ready to go to work at the steel mill. Those summers were so much fun. I always missed my mom and dad but my brother and I had such a good time together. Sometimes I miss those days. Hanging out with my brother on my grandparent’s front porch (it was all enclosed so sometimes we would sleep out there) reading or drawing or playing Connect Four. I always had a collection of stuffed animals with me (yes, I had the obsession even back then!) and my brother always had some comics or some such thing. Sometimes I wish I could go back to that time, just for the day. So my grandpa and I could watch a nature show together or go shopping with my grandma. My grandpa is gone now and my grandma has Alzhiemers so she doesn’t even know who I am. It makes me sad, but I always all the good memories.

Parachute Pants and Swatches

So, today I feel old. This whole thing started because Duran Duran is in town tonight and an old friend contacted me to go. I can’t (tickets are way expensive) but it has been nice to be back in touch and to think about all the things we did. So yesterday at work I was talking about re-connecting with S which led to a conversation about the 80’s. One of my co-workers (whom I love dearly) requested to see pictures of me from my high school years. So, I went home and pulled out a few. I had several thoughts:

1. Why did I always have BIG hair? I am not saying it wasn’t cute or in style, just BIG and fluffy and curly (thanks to a perm I had to have every few weeks).

2. I didn’t realize it then but I was quite stylish! Thanks mom for buying me all those Esprit clothes!

3. What was up with all the necklaces? I wore a lot of them all at one time, not to mention lots of rubber bracelets.

4. No matter what anyone says my black parachute pants were WAY COOL! Oh as well as white nylons with socks and my jazz shoes.

5. Why did I find it necessary to wear more than one Swatch Watch at a time? I mean really.

6. Tight rolled jeans. Need I say more?

7. Popped Collars, so stylish!

8. Big Earrings. That is all.

The weird thing is it doesn’t seem like all this happened over 20 years ago. Where did the time go? I have no idea. But if I could go back I would STILL wear those Esprit paint splattered cropped pants with zippers on the bottom!

I want to give a Shout Out to the staff of After Hours Small Animal Emergency Clinic in Raleigh, NC. You ROCK! (Well, not that they read this, but still, I wanted to give them kudos.)

Not only did you take the opossum that I brought in to you on Wednesday at midnight that my dogs “played” with too much (Mr. Opossum will be fine, but the opossums really need to learn that fences are there for a reason!) but you took the turtle that I found on the side of interstate 540 with a fractured face. You provide and invaluable service to the indigenous wildlife in this area and I for one am grateful. I know that you can’t save all of them but to know that there is someone out there who is responsible enough to end an animal’s suffering or help make them better, well there are just aren’t words. There will be a special place in Heaven for you.

To be or not to be…a vegetarian

Well, I think I am going back to being a vegetarian. Let me start this off by saying that I have been a vegetarian in the past-I was one of the ones that would eat eggs, cheese, shrimp, and drink milk but would not eat “animals with faces”. Seriously, shrimp have no faces. They are bugs of the sea…at least this is how I rationalize it to myself! (and no, I am not a huge fan of fish if I can help it. If that is my only non-meat choice than I go for it, but would rather not). So, I know that I can do it. The problem for me is I actually like meat. I just don’t like knowing where the meat comes from. It makes me sad that a cow who has big beautiful eyes had to die for me to have a cheeseburger. I don’t dislike people who like meat or hold it against them. I also don’t mind that they eat meat in my presence. I do mind if they make fun of me or others who choose this lifestyle. Or those people with stupid bumper stickers that say things like “I like animals, they taste great!” or whatever other stupid thing they say. Keep your personal food habits to your self buddy. But I digress…

The reason for my post today is something that happened to me this morning which got me to thinking. As I was cruising down 540 on my way to work this morning I passed a semi. As I got closer I knew it was a semi carrying some type of livestock. It happened to be filled with pigs. Huge pink pigs, with numbers spray painted on their backs. And they were looking right me as I drove by. I mean right in to my eyes (I was being careful while driving I promise!) And then I started to cry. A lot. Because I knew where they were going.
I just don’t want to be the cause of another living things suffering. And I know there are people out there who say they don’t have feelings blah blah blah. But, animals do feel pain. And I don’t want to be the cause of anything’s pain, physical or emotional. I try not to buy things made of leather or that have fur. I do drink milk but I am going to try soy milk and see if I can handle that. So, here I go again. I would be really happy if sticks this time…but I am still eating shrimp! :-)

Observations and Things I Have Learned This Week:

1. My car is one giant purse. Tissues, change, lip gloss, pens…you get my drift.

2. Trees look so much prettier when a breeze is blowing their leaves and branches around. (Good grief that sounds like a Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy skit)

3. I can not go in to DSW and buy just 1 pair of shoes. There must be at least 3 pairs and one of those must be a pair of Rocket Dogs that are completely impractical but so incredibly cute!

4. Before I joined Weight Watchers, I never thought that much about food. I ate when I was hungry. Period. Then I joined Weight Watchers, and food is all I think about. Constantly. Hungry or not. Wait, I am always hungry now!

5. If you are going to use self-tanner, please read the directions and go sparingly lest you have orange, blotchy legs when it is 85 degrees and you can’t wear shorts. Trust me on this.

6. Same self-tanner subject, just be VERY careful on knees and elbows. VERY careful indeed!

7. Rocking back on your heels in Advanced Microsoft Excel class while wearing high heels will snap them right off. I mean right off, which then prompts an emergency trip to DSW for a replacement… and then see #3!

8. Some days Kohl’s has 100 things that I want to buy, and then other’s nothing. Not even for $1.00. What is up with Kohl’s?

9. Why do designers think that “plus sized” ladies want to wear huge hideous flower prints in awful colors. I mean really. Come on! How about a lovely black or nice shade of green?

10. Why can’t someone make a decent throw rug? One that can be thrown in the washing machine and looks just great when you take it out?

I have really been struggling with updating my blog. Not because I have nothing to say but because I have too much to say. The other day I came across this website:

http://www.petsofhomeless.com/default.htm

I was completely taken aback. Not because I was unaware of the problem, I just didn’t realize how much bigger the problem is getting. Homeless people owning pets is actually a controversial subject to some. Many think that they don’t deserve to have pets or that it is unfair for the pet to have to live this type of lifestyle. I completely disagree. I understand why some might feel like if a person can’t take care of themselves, how or why would they try and take care of an animal. But I look at it like this: in some cases that animal or even that animal’s human is the only living, breathing, loving being that they know. This is their only companion. Most homeless people are not homeless by choice. I don’t think they should be punished or denied companionship because of those circumstances. Would it better to take the animal away, making both miserable and then taking the pet to a shelter only to be put to asleep after 5 days unless adopted? Also, the housing foreclosure situation has compounded the problem of abandoned pets. Honestly, if I had to leave and had the choice of living in my car with my pets or an apartment without them, I can honestly, with all candor, say that I would live in my car. I am lucky that I have family that loves me and would take me and pets in if necessary but the thought has crossed my mind.

Now there does beg the question “if they can’t feed themselves how can they feed a pet or pay for vet care”? Well, it is hard if not almost impossible. I have been asking myself for the past few days, how do I help? So for the next few weeks I will be on a fact finding mission on how to partner with Pets of the Homeless in my part of the US. I don’t think getting food donated would be the biggest task, I think it will be finding someone who knows how to find the section of the population that needs this type of assistance. So, wish me luck and I will try to keep my blog updated in a more timely manner! Also, visit the website if this subject interests you, as they say it so much better than I can.

Merry Earth Day!

Yesterday was Earth Day and of course every one on TV had a story about it. What you can do to save the environment, ways to reduce your carbon foot print…and the like. I am glad that everyone is thinking about it today. The problem is that everyone needs to think about it ALL THE TIME.

I have read over some of my past posts about what I am going to do to help save the Earth. And I have to say that I am fairly proud of the fact that I have kept up with a lot of my “promises”. Of course there is room for improvement, especially when it comes to reusable bags. But I am vigilant about unplugging things when not in use, trying to conserve water and changing all of my light bulbs over.

But now there is a whole other realm of things that I never thought about, that worries me. The environmental safety of my shampoo, tooth paste etc. I mean it all goes down the drain, and thus in to the ground water. So if you know of a good eco friendly shampoo, that I don;t have to buy online, please let me know.

Something else that I never thought about was how to make my pets "green". Here is a cool link to that info:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/03/how-to-green-your-pet.php

Hmm... I wonder how Bunnie, Chloe and Otto will feel about new hemp beds?

The Mystery Guest

My sister-in-law called me the other day and said that she had a story to tell me. When she went to pick up my niece from school, M informed her that she was bringing a Mystery Guest to school. K asked her who the Mystery Guest was…and M proceeded to tell explain. More or less this is what she said:

I am going to hide my Mystery Guest behind some desks and then I will say “ My Mystery guest is 30 years old, with 3 dogs and 11 cats and it is (big build up here) and then Mimi will jump out from behind the desks and say Tada!

I am not sure what credentials I have to be a Mystery Guest but I was thrilled! I mean have never been a Mystery Guest before, plus she made me 8 years younger! :-) I don’t have 11 cats but I do have 3 dogs so not so bad!

I wonder what goes through a 6 year olds mind in order to create a whole scenario about a Mystery Guest. I think it was probably show and tell but the creativity that she showed was amazing! Both of nieces are very creative and I love that about them. They have such great imaginations.

So, let me know if you need a Mystery Guest for any occasion. I am happy to volunteer. You might want to check with "M", my agent. I might be booked!

Happy Trails Oswald

For those of you who read this blog, (all 3 of you!) I have some happy news. Oswald has been adopted by a family! I got to say goodbye to him yesterday and he was as sweet as ever. This is the happy ending to sort of a sad story. Good Luck Oswald! I will miss you but I know you will be happy. I love you and you will always be my fuzzy face!

Well, I have been sitting here for 2 weeks trying to figure out what to write. And since nothing is posted, clearly nothing has come to mind. So here are some random thoughts that I have been having:

*Do you remember when as a kid you thought 38 was EXTREMELY old? I mean you might as well be in a retirement home old? I am turning 38 in a few days and I don’t feel old. Well my knees feel old but you know what I mean. When did my idea of what old was change?

*Why does the NC DOT think it is ok to completely mess up the immediate area that I live in to put in a bypass? Now don’t get me wrong. I understand progress, even if I don’t agree with it but they clearly gave no thought about the people who have to live near it. And I am really lucky because it isn’t in my back yard. Instead, they are going to permanently close my street to thru traffic (which is great) but only leaving us with one way to get anywhere (not great at all). Seriously the saying “having to go around your ass to get to your elbow” really applies here.

*I want to give a shout out to the guy who gave me the finger yesterday on the way to work. I was going straight and he was turning left. Evidently because I did not hit the gas and take off at breakneck speed, he thought it was cool to give me the finger as he was turning in front of me. Dude, you need to lighten up. And I hope you noticed that I slowed down to let you turn in front of me so I didn’t hit you and mess up your day. I hope that made you feel better…jerk. Ok that made me feel better!

*Can you ever have too many t-shirts? I think I am there but not sure. Should I throw the “holey” ones out? I have a weird attachment to the holey t-shirts.
Should I really have driven 10 miles to spend my last $4 on milk chocolate malted milk balls at Fresh Market?

*Can I take a nap now? It is 8:46 a.m. and I have been at work for 46 minutes.

For the love of paper...

If you know me, you know I have a love affair with paper. Which is odd since I am "Don't print that! Save a Tree" at work. For some reason I (selfishly) view my note card, notebook, journal obsession differently. I am not sure why. I mean I know they are made out of paper. I know that paper is made out of tree parts. So, here I am, recycling chip board (IE: cereal boxes, dog biscuit boxes, Little Debbie boxes...YES, I EAT THE SMORE ONES!) writing lists on the back of back of junk mail, going online and requesting that I get all my bill statements via email, taking my bags to the store so as not to use paper or plastic...yet I have stacks of note cards and the like.

As an example, I have been spring cleaning (I know don't pass out from shock) and when I cleaned off the kitchen table I found 7 spiral notebooks (polar bear ones, dog ones and even a plain one), 2 spiral journals, 7 note pads and 2 things of post it notes. Now I didn't buy all of these, some were given to me and some were left over from a function I was at and no one took them (No one took a note pad. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!). I stroll the aisles of Target looking for that clearance sticker on hot pink note cards with green trim. School supply season can send me in a swoon over the latest and greatest Trapper Keeper like notebooks. (Ah...the Trapper Keeper, genius) I love the idea of a blank note book and what it can become...a home for the millions of stickers that I think are too cute to use, or somewhere to write my thoughts and feelings. A place to make my infamous lists: shopping lists, list of groceries, lists of things to look up on the net, lists of books to look for, a place to doodle curlicues in different color Sharpie. I think it is the possibility of what it could be.

So, I guess I will continue my recycling habits and I will try to curb my desire for more notebook, paper and the like. And if you see a cute journal....

Beary Lucky Indeed

As I have stated here before, I have issues with depression (yes, I take anti depressants. Sorry Tom Cruise, you just don’t get it!) And some days my coping mechanisms are off. Monday and Tuesday happened to be two of those days. I won‘t go in to why but suffice it to say, it was several random things that when put together was too much for me. So I drove home from work and pet sitting and was pretty down. When I walked in the door there was a beautifully wrapped box with my name on it! (My dad brought it in when he went to let my dogs out). I had no idea who it was from so I opened it up! The box was from Build a Bear and was beautifully colored. Inside was a note that said this person was “Beary Lucky” to have me as a friend and also inside was a bear covered in shamrocks. It was from my best friend “J”.

I have known “J” since college. We lost touch for a few years after graduation. Then one day out of the blue I got a call from her, and she said that she was moving to Wake Forest. We went out to dinner and it was like we had never been apart! We have been through a lot together through the years. But the most amazing thing about J and I is that without saying a word, we just know what the other person is feeling. We know what the other needs. It might be a card in the mail or a message on the answering machine. It wasn’t the fact that J bought me something, it was the fact that she was at work, thought of me, had her sweet kiddos color the box and dropped it off at my house.

So J, if you are reading this, know that I love you. You mean the world to me and I am the lucky one to have YOU for a friend.

With Love,

Regina Phalange
(And no, I am not going to explain that!) :-)

And then when I thought my day could not get any better, my niece M called me to say that she wanted me to come over! I was feeling pretty special at that point! I mean it is not every day that a 6 year old wants to hang out with you, the old auntie.

So I am beary luck indeed to have my family, my friends, and my dogs. What more is there?

Otto says Ouch!

Don't Tell Bunnie or Chloe but mommy went to do something and I jumped on her computer. I think she went outside to visit our cat Flounder. Flounder is sort of mean. He likes to tease me a lot by walking right up to the glass door so that I think that I can get him. I forget about the glass door all the time. I need one of those post it note things to remind me. Mommy has post it notes everywhere. Maybe she would write one for me.

Anyway, I had to go to the vet this weekend for a check up. I don't like to go to the vet, although Dr. Brian is super nice to me! He always make sure he has all natural treats for me! What a great guy! But I had to have some tests and that involves needles. Ick! I was a good boy though and mommy gave me a special treat. A great big carrot! I am a lucky boy!

This weekend we also got to try and trap the feral cats so they could be fixed. Bunnie thought mommy was going to let her chase them. I swear Bunnie only thinks about that. B: No I don't. I think about chasing the birds in the bushes too! Oh, and I like 2 chase you all over! O: Yes, I know and it is annoying. C: Absolutely! B: Oh what do you 2 know. You just like to lay on mommy's bed all day. Can you say BORING? C: No but we can say COMFORTABLE! O: Good one Chloe. Well mommy is done outside playing with Flounder the cat. B: One day I am going to chase him. O: OH FORGET IT ALREADY! She loves him and she won't let you!

Mommy: I love all of you, now get off the couch and away from my laptop. You are getting fur all over it!

What is in my closet

Catz tagged me with a meme on what is in my closet. This could be a scary post but here is goes:

8 things you have stuffed away in a back closet and tag three people.

1. Assorted shoes in different states. Some REALLY need to be thrown away (like my black polka dot flip flops. YIKES!

2. A big suit case that I bought and only used once to go to visit my grandma in Chicago.

3. Dog hair. And lots of it I am afraid.

4. A box of old letters from the college years. Most from "a boy" that I loved, and who decided he loved me too late. :-(

5. A big basket of clean socks.

6. Lots of clothes that I DON'T wear.

7. 2 stuffed animals that Otto hid in there for some reason or other.

8. Did I say dog hair?

I tag:
"K" of Always Remember That
"M" of A Coffee to go
and
Char of Charlene's Web

So what is in your closet!

Update on Oswald

I just wanted to give you a quick update on Oswald. He had surgery on Monday, and is recovering at the rescue volunteer's home. He had a fractured hip, cracked pubic bone, lots of bruises and the gash on his eye. We are fairly certain that he was hit by a car. MY POOR OSWALD! It is really incredible that he was able to make it back to the laundry room and in to the bed I keep in there for them. He is one tough cat! The best part of this whole thing is that rescue is going to put him up for adoption. He will have a real home! I am so sad to see him go because I love him so much. But, because I love him so much I have to let him go. That is what I always wanted for him...a good home. And I guess that is what being a "good mom" is all about.

Good thoughts for Oswald

My feral cat Oswald has been hurt badly. I think he was hit by a car. I am devastated. It is a long story and maybe when I am not so tired I will blog it. Right now he is in my outside laundry room in a bed I made for him out of blankets and those heat patches you put on sore muscles. I think they are safer than a heating pad and seem to be doing the trick. I think he has a broken back leg. I am hoping that he gets a vet appointment for Monday. Right now he is stable. Eating and drinking and purring like crazy when I go in to see him. He was always the friendliest of the ferals.

What has really been bothering me is that a lot of vets will not treat feral cats. And if you find one that will, without being a part of a rescue group they charge you a lot. Unfortunately, I don't have extra money. In fact each month it is a bit difficult to feed myself, my dogs, my cat and the ferals. (Feral cats eat A LOT!) Ferals lead a very difficult life. Trying to find food and shelter every day in every kind of weather. Avoiding the humans that hate them, avoiding cars and predators etc. But the real rub is that it is not their fault. They did not ask to be let go in an inhospitable world. Again it is humans that did that. And they did not even have the decency to fix them so they did not reproduce and just make the cycle more far reaching. I am doing everything I can for him right now as I wait and see. Checking on him every 2-3 hours, sitting with him so he knows that someone cares about him, bringing the electric heater out there to take the chill out of the damp cold laundry room. Changing his blankets and towels and adding more heat patches to keep him warm, feeding him by hand...But it still feels like not enough. I feel my attempts are completely inadequate.

So, please think good thoughts for us. Even though they are not technically my cats, I love them like they are. And seeing him hurt is killing me.

Dress Code

Yesterday, we received an email from the powers that be in regards to our dress code policy. I completely understand the need for a dress code. But some of the things that they single out just baffle me. For instance:

No bedroom shoes, flip-flops, or “Birkenstock”-style shoes should be worn to work unless medically necessary with a note from your physician.

Hmm…I know, how about if we focus on people wearing shoes that don’t fit properly so their toes hang off the edge like CLAWS. It is unsightly and to me more of a problem for an employee's overall appearance than say a “Birkenstock” style shoe. And, seriously, we have to worry about people wearing BEDROOM SLIPPERS? I understand if you have some sort of foot injury, you might need to modify your footwear. BUT BEDROOM SLIPPERS?

All employees: Denim jeans of any color, 5 pocket pants (with the small coin pocket that look like jeans regardless of the material, including corduroy), t-shirts, and tennis shoes are prohibited unless expected by job requirements. Midriff tops or any tops that show an employee’s mid-section are also prohibited.

Ok several things here. I have a problem with the 5 pocket pants. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?! I mean there are some 5 pocket pants that are a whole nicer than some denim skirts that I have seen! (Denim skirts ARE permitted). And why is it only 5 pocket ones? Why not “more than 2 pockets”. I would never wear cargo pants to work, but they have 6 pockets so does that qualify as permissible? I mean they are not 5 pocket pants and they are not made of denim? And I can’t believe there is a problem with midriff tops or tops that show an employees midsection. Do they even make those anymore? I thought they went out in the early 90s.

Avoid clothing that is too revealing, tight fitting, see-through, or too short.

No visible tattoo(s) or body piercing(s), other than earrings, are permitted

These 2 I completely agree with. I guess what perplexes me is that our company finds it necessary to single out these things. See-through tops? Good grief, when is a see-through shirt ok to wear EVER? Trolling the bars for a date maybe, but work? Please people who wear see-through shirts, use some common sense! And I really do not want to see anyone’s tattoos or piercings. They creep me out. I was married to a man with several tattoos and again, they creeped me out. Especially when I found out one had the name of an old girlfriend on it that was now covered up. So I feel qualified to make this statement.

OK, everyone get out those see-through, midriff tops and your 5 pocket pants and go to work! I mean they can’t send everyone home can they? :-)

Mr. Darcy

(And YES! I am STILL on the Jane Austen thing!)

But seriously, I feel a little crazy. Crazier than usual you ask? Yes, because I have become obsessed with a movie. The movie is Pride and Prejudice with Matthew Macfadyen as Fitzwilliam Darcy. I can't stop watching it. Maybe obsessed is a strong word. I don't think about it all day or leave work early to watch it. But, when I want to turn on the tv, I find myself always turning on that movie. I mean it hasn't left the dvd player in quite a while. I think it is partly because in my mind, it is the perfect love story. And if I am being completely honest, who could get tired of watching Matthew Macfadyen? I think he is just to die for! But he plays Darcy so well. He makes Darcy seem likable, sympathetic, caring, soft and well, human. Colin Firth (whom I love) really shows no emotion when playing Mr. Darcy. In the end, when they (Jennifer Ehl) both profess their love for one another, it is just...flat. But, when Matthew Macfadyen is walking toward Kiera Knightly in that early morning scene where they tell each other they love the other?...Holy Crap! I mean even I get butterflies! I guess in some way, I wish there was a Mr. Darcy for me. Someone who would "ardently love me". It wouldn't hurt for him to look like Mr. Macfadyen either! But I am perfectly happy in my little green house with my three fuzzy dogs, 1 cat and a feral cat colony...oh gee I hope I am not turning into the crazy cat lady! :-) I guess there are worse thing to be.

I am going to be so busy this weekend, I won't have time to watch movies. Maybe that will break the Pride & Prejudice spell. I don't know but I think I have worn out my dvd. It is a good thing I have a back up! ;-)

Too

You know there are times where there just aren't words to describe your day. Sometimes life is just...too much.

One of the definitions of too is: to an excessive extent or degree; beyond what is desirable, fitting, or right.

We are too busy, too tired, too lcrabby, too mad, too emotional, too selfish, too sick, too lonely, too far, too hot, too cold, too whatever...Today is one of those days where everything is just "too". That's it. Just too.

I hope tomorrow is a little less "too".

In every life a tear must fall

I am a cryer. I can cry at the drop of a hat. I guess it is because I have a sensitive nature. I cry over the Pedigree "Help us help dogs" comercials, I cry when someone else is crying, I cry when a classmate is mean to my 6 year old niece, I cry at movies, I cry when I read a good book, I cry when one of my dogs is hurt or sick. So I think you get my point; I am an accomplished cryer. Now that is not to say I am a "faker". I guess I am easily moved to tears. I am usually a silent cryer. Lots of tears and not a lot of noise. I am not one of the those "boo hoo hoo" ers

Today I watched one of my all time favorite movies "Sense & Sensibility (yes, I am still on the Jane Austen thing). There is a scene almost at the end of the movie where Edward Farris (Hugh Grant) comes to tell Elinor (Emma Thompson) that he loves her-he did not marry that icky Miss Steel, his heart belongs now and always to. That is all I need to turn on the water works. But, Emma Thompson as Elinor Dashwood has the best cry I have ever seen. It is so...real. I mean I know she is an actress and all but it is absolutely perfect. So if you want to see or need a good cry go rent Sense & Sensibility.

From the Heart Tag

I have been "tagged" by my blogging friend Catz.. I am not sure what this means but I know what I am supposed to do. "Post a quote that speaks from and to your heart and dedicate it to at least three other bloggers."

So, I dedicate this quote, my favorite one, to Catz and Krista (sorry I only have 2)

"In life it is not possible to do great things. But it is possible to do small things with great love". Mother Teresa (1910 - 1998)

And one more that means a lot to me:

"It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving". Also by Mother Teresa

Ok, I thought you said no one would see us!!

Someone sent this to me in an email. You know the kind, they have a cute little poem, and funny animal pictures with cute captions. Well, I just love this one! So I thought I would share.

The Complete Jane Austen

Every Sunday night I watch Masterpiece Theater or Mystery on PBS. The next day, I call my mom and discuss with her. Right now Masterpiece Theater is showing The Complete Jane Austen. SO far they have shown Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, and Mansfield Park. I LOVE JANE AUSTEN! Well, I should say that I am a huge fan of the movie adaptations of her books. All of them! I have Emma, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride & Prejudice-the BBC mini-series and the new movie that came out in 2006. I have watched all of these about 10 times...yes even the mini series. But, I am ashamed to say that I have never read the books. So, I am on a quest to read all the Jane Austen novels. I am not sure what it is about them that I love so much. I think part of it is there is always a happy ending. The girl gets the boy and everyone is happy. I love that! And Seriously, Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. I am swooning right now! Of course Matthew MacFadyen is quiet swoonable too! (I know swoonable is not a word!) And the women are strong. They are smart, generous and caring. They wear these great dresses. They get to sit around and do needlepoint or take walks, go on picnics, horse rides etc. Of course their lives are not perfect, some have really mean parents, or just stupid ones. Some are poor and have terrible familes. But they are always better for it in the end. They know exactly what to say...Oh to be Anne from Persuasion...sigh

Well I should get going. I have ALOT of reading to do. I wonder if I should get some Cliffs notes?

Otto here

Mommy is dancing around singing with her MP3 player while vacuuming. She does this sometimes. Any way I thought I would take my turn. About our mommy's singing, well lets just say she is not the next American Idol. But she really likes it so sometimes we all bark along.

C: You do, to be ANNOYING!
B: Seriously!

Hey, get off! And that isn't true! I like to sing too. I also like to eat. I like cookies, and dog biscuit and carrots, and bananas, and peas and my dog food, and peanuts, and popsicles (stick and all-that was a not a good moment for me)and just about everything really. I also like my vet Dr. Brian (although I am kind of a scaredy cat about seeing him) I like Bob my "grandpa" if you will. I like to go out to the back yard and run around barking. I also like rolling in dead stuff. This really makes mommy mad. But she always forgives me because I am her favorite.

C & B: NO WAY!

Get off of my blog!

K9mom: You are all my favorites now you 3 get off! :-) And thanks for the nice comments about my singing!

Oh, but I LOVE my mommy and sisters! Otto signing off!

Chloe BumbleBee

Ok, I totally can't believe that Bunnie wrote about chasing the cats. I mean seriously? Bunnie,FYI-Mom is NEVER going to let you chase the cats so WHY did you write about it? Oh and the coyote is not going to help you! Good grief!

B: Um, Chloe why don't you concentrate on your own post instead of mine? And the coyote will TOTALLY HELP ME! Just because you are friends with the cats...

I am not friends with the cats but mommy likes them so I am ok with them.

B: You are such a brown noser. But I still love you big sister!

Oh great! Mommy just said that it was time for bed! Just great! Maybe I can take Otto's turn?

Canine State of the Union

My mom said that we could post to her blog. We are going to take turns and tonight it is my turn!



I want to chase the cats. I need to figure out how to open the door. I need thumbs though. Hmmm... I wonder if I could order something from ACME. Oh I think I need a credit card. I KNOW!!! I will send her subliminal messages. Mom, Leave the door open, leave the door open, leave the door open. I am so trying that tonight! And if that doesn't work I will call the coyote and get that number for ACME. Do you think it will work? I promise I would come back after I chased them. I must practice my subliminal eyes along with my message...

I just spent 45 minutes on my blog post, went to post it and got an error message. SERIOUSLY?! What the #@$&%@@#($*%@! I am so done.

Woe is me

Well, I am feeling pretty low today. The idea of having to find a way to afford a new septic system is well...overwhelming. I live in an old house (built in the
1950s) and I have pretty much had to replace everything from the electrical to the roof to the bathroom. If it weren't for my parents, I would probably be homeless because my cute house would be uninhabitable. So to combat my blues, I am going to make a list of my latest favorite things:

Weight Watchers 1 Point Cakes: Lemon or Carmel. They are small but so good and so worth 1 point!

This is the new puppy available at Build a Bear Workshop. And I love her! Yes, I spent $16 of my Christmas money on her and I am glad I did. She makes me laugh! And sometimes, besides the dogs having to go out, that is the only thing that gets me out of bed!

The third season of That Girl on dvd. This series is just so great. Marlo Thomas had the most amazing clothes, great hair and a perfect boyfriend. Ok, seriously, where is my Donald Hollinger!

Christmas Lights: I have a set of multi lights hanging in my bedroom and I love them. They make the room all warm and cozy looking. I think I am going to leave them up for a while.

The Movie Waitress: My sister-in-law bought it for me for Christmas. Great movie. But have a piece of pie to eat while you watch. No, seriously. You must have pie.

Reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond: Ok, there are certain episodes of this show that I have seen 20+ times and I still laugh like I have never seen them before. The PMS episode-I am laughing just thinking about it.

Well, I am off to watch a movie. Maybe Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Happy Saturday!

My New Years Resolution

And here it is-You said we could steal it Jen (www.jennsylvania.com)-so consider it done!

I resolve to be self-aware enough to spot potential problems within myself and to begin to work on them immediately, without making a public announcement or waiting to start the improvements on an entirely arbitrary date.

And there it is. Happy 2008.

Merry Christmas

We just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Woof woof!

A Gift

So this morning on my way to work I heard "The Gift". This song has become my favorite Christmas song of all time. They don't play it on the radio very much, so it was a nice suprise for me to hear it this morning. And as usual, I cried. Not just a little misting of tears but full on, streaming down my face. I can't pick out one or two things about this song that makes it so touching for me. It is the whole song. The version that is my favorite is sung by a young girl, I don't know her name. So, in case you don't know what song I am talking about, here are the words:

The Gift

A poor orphan girl named Maria
Was walking to market one day
She stopped for a rest by the roadside
Where a bird with a broken wing lay
A few moments passed till she saw it
For it's feathers were covered with sand
But soon clean and wrapped it was travelling
In the warmth of Maria's small hand

She happily gave her last peso
On a cage made of rushes and twine
She fed it loose corn from the market
And watched it grow stronger with time

Now the Christmas Eve service was coming
And the church shone with tinsel and light
And all of the townfolks brought presents
To lay by the manger that night
There were diamonds and incense
And perfumes
In packages fit for a king
But for one ragged bird in a small cage
Maria had nothing to bring

She waited till just before midnight
So no one would see her go in
And crying she knelt by the manger
For her gift was unworthy of Him

Then a voice spoke to her through the darkness
Maria, what brings you to me
If the bird in the cage is your offering
Open the door and let me see
Though she trembled, she did as He asked her
And out of the cage the bird flew
Soaring up into the rafters
On a wing that had healed good as new

Just then the midnight bells rang out
And the little bird started to sing
A song that no words could recapture
Whose beauty was fit for a king

Now Maria felt blessed just to listen
To that cascade of notes sweet and long
As her offerings was lifted to heaven
By the very first nightingale's song

Maybe I like it so much because it reminds me of something that I would do-stop and save the birdie. I am not sure, I just know that I love it! I need to try and find a CD with it on there. Gee, then I would be crying all the time! :-)

So, go sing you favorite Chrsitmas Song right now!

Why me?

I can’t remember if I have written about this before but for some reason this happens to me a lot. Me, finding animals that need my help. My mom says it is because St. Francis knows that I will know how to take care of the situation. Maybe. I don’t know but I was on my way home from church yesterday morning, when I saw a deer on the side of the road. And as I drove by she lifted her head and looked at me. I was taken aback and found a place to turn around. As I passed her again looking for a safe place to pull over she turned and looked at me again. I could tell she was small and not very old. She didn’t have spots but she was small. So I called Piedmont Wildlife Center- they help rehab native NC species. Anyway they told me that if she was injured (she was-looked like a compound fracture of her back leg) there was nothing that could be done but to end her misery. She gave me the number to call for the county I live in. So I called. They said they would send someone and that I did not need to stay. Well, I couldn’t just leave her in the cold drizzle. So I stayed. I kept a few feet away and just made sure that nothing else would happen to her. A neighbor lady came out and stayed with me as I cried. Interestingly, she is a small mammal rehabber. So we talked and wait. And then the Sheriff’s department came. I felt really bad for the officer because he took one look at me and I could tell thought “Oh, great a crier, now I am going to have to explain what has to be done”. But he was always nice and I knew what was going to happen anyway. We ended up talking to a deer rehabber that said there really was nothing to be done, except end her suffering. At least I know that we had exhausted every avenue. So the deer rehabber talked to the sheriff to make sure he knew how to end it immediately. I heard him say that he had only had to do this a time or two. Ok what a completely sucky part of his job. But, I knew that I couldn’t stay for the act. That is the coward in me. The nice lady said she would stay and told me to go. We hugged and I left. But I can’t stop seeing her cute little deer face.

There is a reason for this story. And here it is. (And I will warn you, I am getting on top of the soap box) First, I did not hit this deer. Someone else did. And now I had to “clean up” their mess. Let me re-phrase that, I didn’t HAVE to, however I am a responsible adult. I had to do something. I could not let her suffer. How can you hit something and just drive off? I know that sometimes the deer run off and you can’t find them. I get that. This little girl was right there. And I could tell that was where it happened. I also understand that some people really just don’t know how to handle it. I get that too. But you can always call the police and report it. Actually you can call 911 and they will help you. I also know that some just don’t care. Which I won’t even go into how I feel about THOSE people. So, here is my PSA for today.

In your car, have a list of important numbers: Police Department, Sheriff’s Department, High Patrol and Animal Control. In the age of the internet, these are so easy to find and it might take you 10 minutes if that. If you hit an animal, find a place to safely pull over. If you can, get out and assess the situation; see if the animal is still alive. Do so very carefully. Injured animals can be dangerous. If it is still alive, call one of the numbers on your list. They will send someone. In fact, if the animal is still alive and you do nothing you can endanger the lives of other motorists. If you are going to drive, you need to be responsible for what you do.

Ok, so I am off my soap box. I had a lot more to say but honestly, thinking about the whole thing just makes me want to cry again.

So, little deer, I am so sorry that something so terrible happened to you. I hope you knew that I was there to help you and that I cared. I also hope that I was able to help you stop suffering and also to realize that most humans are good. I am sure St. Francis is helping you settle in up there. I hope you are running and eating lots of good grasses.

Oh, and Saint Francis, if you are able, could you send me some HAPPY animal situations to deal with? Thanks! Your loving servant, A

My Christmas List

I want it to rain. A LOT.

I want everyone to be kind to animals-well all living things really. Human and animals.

I want world peace.

I want a home for every homeless animal.

I want a home for every homeless person.

I want hungry people to have food.

I want stray animals to have food.

I want people who abuse animals to be punished.

I want people who abuse people to be punished.

I want good things to happen to good people.

I want Global Warming to stop.

I want everyone to have a Happy Christmas

That isn’t asking too much is it?

Christmas Quiz

I did this last year and it was fun. Here is the 2007 version although I think the answers are the same:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? No Question-Wrapping paper! It must be the Hallmark Girl in me!
2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial-since I am allergic to the live ones and the scent brings on seizures in my dog. :-(
3. When do you put up the tree? The day after Thanksgiving, but this year I am not putting it up
4. When do you take the tree down? January 2
5. Do you like eggnog? ICK!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? A box of play (dress up) rings that Santa brought me.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? No-but I wish I had a little one.
8. Hardest person to buy for? My Brother at least until gift cards became popular!
9. Easiest person to buy for? My nieces!
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A pair of old shoes from my uncle. It was a joke but still Gross.
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Definitely mail or handed out.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Love, Actually and the Year without Santa Claus
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I try and shop all year.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yep. It is the ULTIMATE recycling. And it was not from or to anyone on this list! 
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cheese Pierogi, my sister-in-laws crinkle cookies, mom’s homemade bread.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Multi Color
17. Favorite Christmas song? Feliz Navidad, Bare Naked Ladies version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, and that song about the Nightingale. I weep every time!
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Sure
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Hmmm I think it is a dog dressed up like an angel!
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Santa’s gifts on Christmas Morning, family gifts Christmas Eve.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Traffic at all the stores
23. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme? I call it the Mimi theme. That means every kind of ornament you can imagine and lots of them!

Yes, Virginia, there is...

I am sure you all know that famous line about Santa Claus. My sister-in-law and her sister have blogged recently about what to tell their children about believing in Santa Claus. So this got me thinking. I thought I might tackle the question as well.

I don't remember the exact Christmas that I stopped believing in Santa Claus and flying reindeer and the Easter Bunny. But, what I do remember is what it felt like to wake up on Christmas morning and realize that "Santa" had come. I mean all the evidnce was there, cookies eaten, milk drunk, gifts left, stockings full. He was real right? Well as I got older (and snoopier) I realized that my parents were the gift givers and I would be a liar if I said that wasn't a bit of a buzz wrecker for me.

But, there is still this one memory that I have, that I just can't help but wonder about... We lived in Indiana until I was 8 and we had many a white Christmas. On this one particular year I remember my brother and I looking out his window very early Christmas morning and seeing reindeer prints on the roof over the garage. Mom told us that Santa had left his reindeer up there while he delivered our gifts. I kept thinking about this today after my sister-in-law's post, so I called my mom. She also remembers the prints. I asked if my dad had gone up there and did it and she informed that no-no one put them up there. She said that she still has no idea how those "prints" got up there but she said she just thought it was one of those Christmas miracles. Something that can't be explained. I said bye to her as we laughed about something else and hung up. But I sat there at my desk and thought about it. How amazing. A Christmas Miracle. Something you can't explain. And then I thought, why would want to? It is a perfect Christmas Memory without an explaination needed. I am 37 1/2 now (and was probably 4or 5 then) so it obviously made an impression.

And that is when I got my Christmas Spirit. Yep, on November 30th at about 2:45 p.m. Right here at work, with tears and a smile and everything. Wow...

So, where did I put all my Christmas decorations...

My Journey to Ernie, I mean Christmas!

Ok, the Journey to Ernie is a reference to a segment on Sesame Street where Ernie goes and hides somewhere and Big Bird goes to find him. It has a catchy little theme song and is a cute show. So, maybe my Christmas Spirit is hiding and I have to go and find it! So here is my plan today. I am going to sing every Christmas song that comes on the radio. We have 3 radio stations here in the area, that have been playing non-stop Christmas music since last Monday. Which if I am being honest here, sort of annoyed me. But today I tuned in on my commute in to work and I have to say it did make me feel slightly “Christmasy”. So Krista, even though I read your post AFTER my Christmas music singing it was good advice!

Hmm…now what to do tomorrow…

Bah Humbug?

I have a problem. A big one. I am totally not in to Christmas this year. Now this is seriously a big deal for me. I love Christmas. At least I always have until this year. Even during the disaster year of 2004 I loved Christmas. This year I am just not in to it. I have not enjoyed shopping like I usually do, I have not enjoyed wrapping like I usually do and I am not even doing Christmas cards for everyone at work like I usually do. I don’t even want to put up my Christmas tree! Oh horrors!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!?!? I hate feeling like this.

Maybe it is because part of my family won’t be here for Christmas and that really makes me sad. I will miss the crinkle cookies that my sister-in-law makes and I will my nieces running around. I know they will be having a great time but I will miss them. All 4 of them.

Maybe it is because I bought a Bah Humbug shirt with Oscar the Grouch on it this weekend.

Maybe it is because I don’t have a lot of money and I don’t feel good about the kind of presents I can afford.

Maybe I will get the Christmas spirit on December 1st.

Maybe it will just hit me all of a sudden.

I hope so because it makes me sad. And no one wants to be sad for Christmas. Maybe I will start a list of all the things I LOVE about Christmas. Maybe that will help. Maybe I will do it tomorrow…

Where am I?

Well sometimes I feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz when she says "I don't think we're in Kansas in anymore". Work has been so busy that by the time I get a chance to go home, I just crash. No energy for blogging! So here is my apology and a promise to blog more in the coming weeks! (I am sure you are all on the edge of your seats! hahaha)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Deep Thoughts

So sometimes I have deep thoughts. Sort of like Jack Handy of Saturday Night Live. But, not today. Today, here is what I thought:

I am hungry.

I am tired.

I have no money.

The dogs need heartworm medicine.

My clothes don't fit. They hang all wrong.

Aggressive drivers who pass me while I am going 10 miles OVER the speed limit piss me off.

Gas costs way too much money.

Why can't the people taking my order in the drive thru get it right? I wonder if they were mad when I drove away. It was just more than I could deal with.

And there were many other negative thoughts. And that bothers me. I have so much to be thankful for. I have a family that loves me, dogs that love me, a house to live in that has electricity and running water, a car to drive, a job to go to, clothes to wear and I could go on and on. But I think it is important to remind myself of all that I have when faced with all of the things that I feel I have to complain about.

Happy Halloweens!

Here are me and my nieces returning from trick or treating. We had such a great time! How cute are they? Mallory was a Fairy and Phoebe was a the cutest girl in a a pumpkin shirt! She informed my sister-in-law moments before we were to go that she wanted to be a froggy. Now Krista (my sister-in-law) had several choices for Phoebe but not a froggy. So, she wore her pumpkin shirt. She was a trooper. she had her bucket and she was ready to go! They were both so cute! I wonder what everyone will be next year?

What a day

I had a bad day today. It started off with a 2 hour commute to work-which really should only take 30 minutes. It went down hill from there. So, in an effort to cheer myself up,I have decided to write about somethings that I love, make me smile or make me happy:

Diet Lipton White Tea-Raspberry: This stuff is so good! And no points!

Pecan Lovers Mix from Planters: This stuff is amazingly good. And lots of Weight Watchers points, but sometimes, you just gotta eat it!

My niece tonight when she said "Mimi let me cova you up wif da blanket...there you go"! I almost cried she was so cute.

My dogs who are snuggled around me.

I got my hair cut tonight and it was GREAT! I got to relax and get my hair washed. Fabulous!

Otto who is cracking me up by running around the living room with a squeaky candy cane squeaking it!

My friend "J". Thanks for being on the other end of the line as I tried not get out of my car and start running and screaming up and down the highway while trying to beat the crap out of the people who were trying to "cheat" by speeding down the median during the traffic debacle of 10/30. IDIOTS!!!!!! I love you!

My friend "A". Thank you so much for being there for me today. I can't tell you how much it meant it to me. Seriously there are no words.

Well, I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween. I will be trick or treating with my nieces. I can't wait!

Parched

This is a picture of Falls Lake. A stones throw from where I live. I found it on our newspapers website. (Can I get in trouble for using it? Oh well!)

We are having a very serious drought here in NC. Our governor asked us to reduce our water consumption by 50%. I have my own well so I don’t use “city” water, but that does not mean that I am not taking this seriously. I am and I have thought of a few ways to personally conserve. Here are a few of the things that I have done:

I switched to paper plates. Now this was very problematic for me. Because I am fairly “eco” friendly I try to use things that can be reused. For this purpose that means plates. I try not to “kill trees” by using needless paper products if I can help it. But when faced with running the dishwater a couple times a week or just once a week, well I thought saving water was more important. The plates use a renewable resource, are biodegradable and are made of recycled paper. That is how I justified it anyway.

I take a “sailor shower”. Ok, I had never heard that term before but someone said it to me while describing how they are trying to conserve water. It means that you turn on the shower and get wet. Then you shut it off, lather up (hair and all) and then turn it back on to rinse. It really does save a lot of water but there are other issues. Like you can get a little cold for one! But it is worth saving several gallons of water so I stick with it.

I save the water from my shower. I have a “bathtub” shower. I plug up the tub and take a shower, thus collecting all the water in the tub. I was using it to keep my plants alive and also to rinse out the sink after brushing my teeth (no, not rinsing out my mouth, just the sink!) I also used it to rinse off plates and cups that I did use before putting them in the dish washer.

I turned off the water to my toilet. I know this one sounds bizarre. Every time I flush the toilet, approximately 2 gallons of water goes down the drain, literally! So, I use the saved shower water to flush the toilet. Yeah the water is a little cloudy from shampoo and soap but who cares. I also don’t flush after every pee. I know gross!!!! Really I do. But desperate times call for desperate measures!

I take my laundry to the Laundromat. Now, someone said that this is saving my water but at the cost of city water. And while this is true there is actually another reason for my going to the Laundromat. The washing machines are bigger than mine so I get more done at one time (saving energy-I think) and the commercial washing machines use less water than most home models-or so it appeared to me. I do one load per week at home and a couple at the Laundromat on Sunday. The Laundromat has other benefits, I get to sit and read while I wait for my clothes. A luxury that I don’t get often at home because the dogs want something or there is something to clean or to put away etc. It is kind of relaxing which makes me feel less stressed.

I know some of these things sound completely weird and not everyone has time to save water in milk jugs (another thing that gets recycled!) to flush the toilet, but these are the tings that I can do. Do a rain dance for us here in NC. We had some good rain last week but they said we need a lot more to fill the lakes!

The long awaited blog

Well, maybe not long awaited. I have no idea if anyone will be interested in my trip but here it is in pictures! Well, sort of...




So, here is the main part of the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. It is the original section that opened in 1913. It was restored to it's original glory at the end of the 20th century. They still have many of the original furnishings which were done in the Arts & Crafts Style(some call it Mission Style)- my favorite! Gorgeous isn't it?



And here is the view from my room. Really fabulous right? (HaHa) They are building luxury condominiums or so I was told. Kinda too close for my liking.



Ok, here is a better view. This was taken from one of the windows in the Sammons Wing.



Cookie had a good time!

All in all I survived and had a bit of a good time, with a little help from my friends. Thanks A and C! Just remember, we stick together and no one gets left behind! Oh and "it is so pretty up there,we had a great time right"? RIGHT!(ha ha) And the Very Berry Tini at Elaine's was FABULOUS!!

The dogs were just fine without me as I knew they would be. But it sure was nice to get home and they were so excited to see me! That made me feel pretty good. There is nothing better that arriving home to 3 very excited fuzzies who just want your attention. Ah...I am loved! :-)

Travelin' Blues

I should be packing. But I am not. I have been doing lots of other things. Like talking on the phone, working on this blog, feeding the cats, making the dog's food for the next 2 days, eating chips...I just don't want to pack. Because I just don;t want to go. Now there are some highlights like getting to ride with 2 really funny guys. Plus it isn't every day that you get to meet a US Supreme Court Justice, other female Chief Justices from other states or the Secretary of State of NC. I mean those are all cool things. The thing is, it is also a lot of work. Checking in 500 people and making sure everyone has their tickets, name badges etc. But I am going to try and enjoy myself. At least at some point. So I guess I should go pack...but I think I need to take out the garbage oh and I think the dog room needs to be dusted...

Random thoughts for today

WHY IS IT 94 DEGREES HERE IN OCTOBER?! Could I get a break please?

Why won't it just rain. A nice deluge-for a couple of hours, is that too much to ask? I mean come on already!

I learned something new today. A mountain lion is also called a puma, panther, cougar or catamount. I always wondered what the heck a Western Carolina University Catamount was. Why not just call yourselves the Western Carolina University Cougars?

Sugar Snap Peas ARE REALLY GOOD!

So are Slim a Bear 100 Calorie ice cream bars!

Morning Star Farms Cheddar "burgers" are not good. But I like their Grillers! Yes, even though it is a soy, meat substitute.

Men in Trees starts on Friday! Yeah!!

Why can't fried shrimp be good for you?

Why does Otto always bark to come in right when I get comfortable on the couch with
the laptop after just letting him out?

Oh good grief this was BORING!

Trips

Well it has been a while since I posted. Mainly, because work is stressing me out. So, when I come home the last thing I want to do is turn on the computer. Even for fun stuff like blogging and ebaying!

Here is my problem. I have to go somewhere for a work function over night. I don’t want to go. We are staying in a very upscale resort and spa-somewhere that I would NEVER get to go left to my own devices. The problem is I am completely freaked out to leave the dogs. Now, the dogs will be fine. My dad is taking care of them and he is great with them. Plus my parents live 1.1 miles away, so multiple trips to my house to let them out really won’t be too much of a hardship. The problem is me. I am having huge separation anxiety. You see, I have never left them overnight in the past 5 years. This is significant. It became worse once I was divorced. The dogs became my “security blanket”. I knew when I got home they would be there waiting for me. And I kind of became a homebody. I mean I am not a hermit. I still go to the store, go my parents, go to my brother and sister-in-laws. I mean I have no problem going out for a couple of hours. But I want to be home, sleep in my own bed with the dogs snoring around me. I guess it is like people who can only go to sleep with the T.V. on or some other “white” noise. The dogs are my “white” noise!

Second, I am pretty shy and just the thought of having to possibly “mingle” with the 500 people that will be there has the potential to send me into an anxiety attack right now! I don’t think that I have anything that these people would be interested in hearing. Maybe we will run out of steak and chicken dinners and I will be allowed to go to my room and order room service! That would be great! But not likely.

Oh well, I will just need to suck it up and try to enjoy my time at an exclusive hotel and spa in the mountains in October!

Wish me luck. Seriously.