Random thoughts for August 30.

I am ready for summer to be OVER. I am tired of being HOT.

I start week 4 of Weight Watchers tomorrow. Actually, I am doing pretty good. I have lost 6.6 pounds so far. Although I wish I were losing it faster, I realize that it won't happen any quicker. I mean I didn't put all the weight on over night, so it certainly isn't going to fall off of me because I eat a salad every night!

I want to take a nap.

Is it Friday yet?

Grocery store tonight or tomorrow?

I feel uninspired.

My dogs are so cute!

I am hungry and I forgot my lunch.

oh! I think I have popcorn!

Rub a dub dub-2 pups in the tub!

Well, it was bath time for Otto and Bunnie this weekend. Why you ask? Well let me tell you the story.

Saturday was VERY hot-at least 100 degrees so I was very watchful of the dogs going outside. I was checking on them and noticed Otto laying on his side in the yard. This is not normal behavior so I dashed outside to see if he was ok. By the time I got close I noticed he was rolling on the grass so I thought maybe he had an itch. Upon closer inspection, I realized he was rolling ON a dead mole. GROSS! He smelled, well disgusting and I had no idea how I was going to get the smell out. “Dead” is very difficult to get rid of. A few weeks ago I had bought some new dog shampoo. It is Buddy Wash by Cloudstar. I was not sure if this was going to work or not but it was all I had so I had to go with it. I am happy to say that it worked GREAT! No more “dead” smell and it rinsed out easily! I highly recommend it!
You can find it at: https://www9.mailordercentral.com/cloudstar/products.asp?dept=15

I felt slightly bad because they hate baths, but I hate dead smell more!

I seem to have neglected my blog while counting points. Here are my random thoughts for today:

It is funny. I never really thought about food until Weight Watchers. What do I mean by that? Well, before I would just eat. I didn’t think about what or when or if I was hungry. If something popped in to my mind that I wanted to eat well I just ate it. Now I think about “How many points is that” and “How many points do I have left today” and even “Is it worth that many points”? Tomorrow is another weigh in. Hopefully I will add to the 3.2 lbs that I lost last week!

It has been hot here. I mean like HELL hot. I hate hot. Well I like hot French Fries and pizza. Not hot weather. Not 103 degree weather like yesterday. Nothing good can come from 103 degrees.

My dogs are the cutest dogs EVER! Well to me anyway.

My friend has to have her wisdom teeth out. I am glad mine have already been removed.

I am such a nerd for lists. I have lists for everything. I actually made a Master Grocery List. How completely nerdy is that?! Well at least it isn’t laminated…not yet!

Flies are gross.

So are slugs.

The end-for now!

Please Welcome Fred Weasley and other random ramblings

Well, "we" have a new cat. He is a grey tabby. I have some funny pictures of him but have not gotten them off my camera yet, so when I do I will post them. He is another little guy that just showed up hungry and kind of beat up. He has been at the house for a while so I finally broke down, scraped up some money and took him to the vet. I ended up spending $88 which I really didn't have but I did find out that he was a neutered male, about 3-4 years old, and has a notch out of his ear because at one time he was feral. He also got a rabies shot, treated for ear mites and a distemper shot. Unfortuantely, Flounder HATES him. Everytime Flounder passes him he hisses. I try and spend time with both of them so no one is jealous but I guess I am not doing a good job. I really didn't want another cat but he is such a sweetie and I wanted to make sure that at least he was well fed and vaccinated. It is the best I could do. Oh, I named him Fred Weasley as a tribute to a character in the Harry Potter books. He is a pretty cute guy.

Tomorrow is my first weigh in at Weight Watchers and if I don;t do well I am going to be sad. I have not had a Mountain Dew for a week and I have the caffine headache to prove it, so I had better have lost some weight or I am going right out for a big Mountain Dew and french fries with a side of Dairy Queen! :-)

On a serious note, I am feeling a bit down in the dumps lately. Not sure what is bringing that on except that it does happen every now and again regardless of my meds. I just feel like crying all the time and I have to concentrate on not crying. I know it just happens to me sometimes, so I just work through it, but it is a challenge. I don't tell anyone anymore (oh gee except I just told the 3 people who read this!) because I feel a bit ridiculous. Oh well. I think I am over the big hill and on the down side.

Songs on my MP3 player while writing this blog: 3 Is A Magic Number, Slip Slidin'Away, Ashes By Now, High Enough, Different Corner, You Are The Everything and Hey Jack Kerouak. Who sings High Enough you ask? Damn Yankees! :-)

How many points is that?

Well, I joined Weight Watchers (again) today. The last time I joined was in 2003. I did pretty well losing almost 40lbs but I ended up quitting in 2004. Oh and yes put all 40 pounds BACK on. Why you ask? Did it become too hard? Was I tired of going to meetings? Was I bored? Nope. None of those. It got too hard to count points and worry about what I was eating when I was dealing with my ex-husband deciding to leave me for someone he met while playing a fantasy role playing on the internet. Oh, and I was jobless having just been laid off. Can you say “good times”? Yep. Real great. I am finally to the point now where I can look back and not want to crawl into bed and never come out, but I digress. This is about Weight Watchers!

I am not sure what has spurred me to do this now. Well, except that every time I go to buy something to wear I have to get a bigger size and this concerns me. I mean let’s face it. I am fat. Trust me, I don’t overlook that fact. And really losing weight is more about me being healthy than looking good. I am pretty comfortable with myself...NOW! That was not always the case. But I feel ready this time. And to celebrate, I am having dinner at Bojangles. Yep, bring on the chicken tenders, sauce, fries, biscuit and ice tea. It will be a long time before those items cross my lips again. See, I can’t just have a little taste and be satisfied. Which is odd because there are some foods that I can. Like M&M’s. I think you can have 10 M&M’s for 2 points or something like that. Well, I can eat 10 M&M’s and be satisfied but I can not eat 2 French fries and be ok. I HAVE TO EAT THEM ALL! So, I have to cut them out and tell myself I can eat them once a month or something. I have to set limits.

Well, wish me luck. Now it is off to the grocery store with my POINTS calculator for things like grapes, reduced fat cheese and wheat bread. Yeah for me!

How are people this creative?

I am finally done!

So, I finally finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I was so sad when it was over. No more Harry Potter. I am not sure what it was about the books that I loved so much. The magic? The way JK Rowling described everything so when the movies came out you exclaimed “I knew that is what it looked like!” Or maybe it was the loyalty and friendship threads that were woven in every book. My favorite character was always Sirius Black. Of course he didn’t show up until the third book and then promptly died at the end of the 5th one but I loved his character. I also liked Hagrid because I could see a tiny glimmer of myself in him-his love of all creatures even if they weren’t all that cute and cuddle (Sorry Hagrid, I can’t agree with you on Aragog. Yuck!) Dumbledore who was so incredibly funny. And Snape. I always thought he got a bad rap up – well until the 6th book where I really could not believe he was so evil-but in the 7th book we really know what happened and it made me love him. I think I always liked Snape because of the movies, I so love Alan Rickman!

Well, if you haven’t read the last Harry Potter book, you should. It is the best out of the 7. I am listening to it on CD right now during my commute. A great way to spend 45 minutes!

Funny AND cute!

If you watch Ugly Betty or the Simpson's you get this! I thought it was hysterical!

Definition of Jazz Hands by Wikipedia:
Jazz hands is a common gesture often used in theatre and dance. To perform Jazz hands, one's hands are opened with palms facing forward and the fingers are splayed.

The position of the arms can vary. Forearms are usually extended upward, or the forearms may extend forward with the elbows held close to the body, or forearms may extend to the sides or downward.

Note: The hands may then be shaken slightly, as if holding a tambourine. However, this is not a necessary part of the Jazz Hands action.

There is no free time when a Harry Potter book comes out!

Well, I am going to try and be better about posting…I know the 3 people who read this will appreciate that! :-)

But it will have to wait as I am in the mist of reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I am taking forever to read this book. I want to savor every last word because there won’t be another one. At least that is what they are saying. I don’t know how J. K. Rowling could not write another book about Harry, Ron and Hermione. I won’t write anything about the parts I have read, I certainly don’t want to spoil it for anyone. But this book is so different than the rest. So far I have not come across anything funny or light hearted. It is all very serious and sad. But I guess that is what you would expect during a time of war in the wizarding world! So, when I am finished I promise to write other interesting things (am I ever interesting?). Until then, this will have to do!

The Post Office No One Ever Hears About!

I received the following email today from someone that volunteers with the rescue group that I belong to. This story is true, I even checked Snopes! This is the kind of thing that restores my faith in humanity, and some days that is a LARGE task. I hope it is ok to reprint this on my blog. I am not sure how copyright laws apply to this type of thing but oh well.

Warning, this may bring tears.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4
year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed
Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. She dictated and I wrote:

Dear God,
Will you please take special care of our dog,
Abbey? She died yesterday and is in heaven. We miss her very
much. We are happy that you let us have her as our dog even though she got sick. I hope that you will play with her. She liked to play with balls and swim before she got sick. I am sending some pictures of her so that when you see her in heaven you will know she is our special dog. But I really do miss her. Love, Meredith Claire P.S. Mommy wrote the words after I told them to her.

We put that in an envelope with two pictures of Abbey, and addressed it to God in Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith stuck some stamps on the front (because, as she said, it may take lots of stamps to get a letter all the way to heaven) and that afternoon I let her drop it into the letter box at the post office. For a few days, she would ask if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had. Yesterday there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch. Curious, I went to look at it. It had a gold star card on the front and said "To Meredith" in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith took it in and opened it Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers, "When a Pet Dies". Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God, in its opened envelope (which was marked Return to Sender: Insufficient address). On the opposite page, one of the pictures of Abbey was taped under the words "For Meredith" We turned to the back cover, and there was the other picture of Abbey, and this handwritten note on pink paper:

Dear Meredith,
I know that you will be happy to know that Abbey arrived safely and soundly in Heaven! Having the pictures you sent to me was such a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. You know, Meredith, she isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me--just like she stays in your heart--young and running and playing. Abbey loved being your dog, you know. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets!-- so I can't keep your beautiful letter. I am sending it to you with the pictures so that you will have this book to keep and remember Abbey. One of my angels is taking care of this for me. I hope the little book helps. Thank you for the beautiful letter. Thank your mother for sending it. What a wonderful mother you have! I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I am in heaven but wherever there is love, I am there also. Love, God and the special angel who wrote this after God told her the words.

As a parent and a pet lover, this is one of the kindest things that I've ever experienced. I have no way to know who sent it, but there is some very kind soul working in the dead letter office. Just wanted to share this act of compassion.

I have a problem.

I think I need a support group. Everyone who knows me well knows that I have one very serious addiction. I am addicted to bags. Purses, totes, wallets and the like. I can’t have enough. We are not talking expensive designer bags. More like the cute tote I bought this weekend at Target. It is a lovely shade of blue burlap like material (but much softer) with purple and brown ribbon handles. SO CUTE! It was $14.99 and I just had to have it. When I got home I immediately switched out my Planet Dog one that I had been carrying. I like to carry a bigger bag. That way ALL of my stuff fits in it. What kind of stuff you might ask? Here is a list of what is in there now:

Wallet
Checkbook
2 pairs of sunglasses
Phone
Asthma inhaler
Small Notebook
Lip balm
Business card holder
Gift card holder
Small wallet sized photo album
Change Purse
All kinds of receipts, paint chips, pens, postage stamps etc
Keys
A bag of fruit snacks
Rosary

I have smaller purses but I tend to not use them. I like bag that I can throw everything in to and go. I want to make sure a book can fit in there in case I get stuck somewhere I can read. I like to have a snack in there. I mean you never know when you will be stranded in traffic and a ride that takes 35 minutes takes almost 10 hours. (Yes, it really did take me 10 hours to get home from work.) I just like to be prepared.

Hmm…I wonder when the bag with the Victorian dogs on it that I ordered from Orvis will arrive… Purse Lovers Anonymous here I come!

More of my favorite things!

1. Snickers Marathon Energy Bars. These things are so good! Better for you than a candy bar, but not low in calories by any means. Doesn’t matter they are delicious! And they really do have some things in them. Lots of protein.
2. The book “Bitter is the New Black” by Jen Lancaster. This book is so funny. I mean I laughed out loud. Otto looked at me like I was nuts. Her second book is Bright Lights, Big Ass”. How can you not love it?
3. My new Isaac Mizrahi loafers that I bought on clearance at Target. I have not worn them yet as I am “saving” them for something special. I have no clue what that might be since every time I get asked out by someone they end up cancelling due to work. (I think I am developing a complex!)
4. My “new” kitchen table that my friend MC gave me. It is a yellow pine, round table with leaves that fold down so you can put it up against the wall. It is perfect for my little kitchen. Thanks MC! Just LOVE this table!
5. Grape Kool Aid.
6. Fruit Snacks. Yes, I realize that I am not 5, and should like a more adult snack but I can’t help it. I just love them. But they have to be a certain kind. Not just any fruit snack will do. It is hard to explain but let me say that “My Little Pony” fruit snacks fit the bill!
7. My new Conair 2” Wet/Dry Tourmaline Ceramic Straightener with new Straightening Pins. This thing is FABULOUS and worth every penny.
8. Sweet Tea from McDonalds. It really is good sweet tea if you like sweet tea that is.
9. Kettle Cooked, Roasted, and Salted Peanuts from Fresh Market.
10. And finally…my new yoga capri pants from Kohl’s that my mum bought me. Can you say “C O M F O R T A B L E”? And no, I don’t do yoga!

The good old summer time

Well, it is my least favorite time of year. SUMMER. The main reason that I do not like summer is the heat. I can’t stand to be hot. I would rather be bundled up in sweatshirts and jeans than trying to stay cool in shorts and a t-shirt. There are a few things that I happen to like about summer, the longer days, the fact that my nieces are out of school so I tend to see them more and the blooming of beautiful flowers in my yard. What I don’t like: bugs, having to mow the grass every week, being hot, the dogs being hot, mosquitoes, summer tv, did I say bugs? And here in NC, summer lasts a long time. Sometimes all the way through October! Oh well. I had better get used to it. It is going to be a long summer.

Help the Moose

I received an email from one of the animal/environmental organizations that I donate to. It was about the decline in the moose population of Minnesota. In 1985, as many as 4,000 moose roamed the woods and grasslands of northwestern Minnesota. By 2003, the number is 237. Scientists believe that is due to higher temperatures due to global warming. Average winter temperatures in northwestern Minnesota have climbed 12 degrees F during the past 40 years. These warmer temperatures have stressed the moose, making them less healthy and more vulnerable to parasites. If temperatures remain high, moose in Minnesota will disappear altogether.

Weighing nearly 1,000 pounds and standing 6 feet tall, moose are majestic symbols of wilderness in many parts of the country. I am sad to think that one of my dreams to see them in the wild one day won't come true. We have to do something and do it now before it is too late.

There are many people who don't believe in global warming (Rush Limbaugh is one-idiot) and think it is something environmentalists have made up. It is isn't. And we all have to do our part. There are a lot of organizations with websites about how to help stop global warming. Next time you are surfing the net, look at a few. Even very small things will help. Please think about it. I know I do every day. The moose, polar bears and song birds that are on the brink of disapearing will appreciate it. And so would Mother Earth. And so would I.

My latest "weirdness"

Ok. This is going to sound weird but my new obsession is my lawn. First let me say that I hate mowing the grass. I also don't water it. So it has brown sections but that is not what I obsess over. It is how short it is and what pattern has been used while cutting it. Diagonal? Square? Strait Lines? Sometimes I will cut it twice just to make sure that I got it all and that when I stand on the deck, I can see that the rows are even. For those of you that know me at all, you know I am not a stickler for neatness: meaning, I don't care if the papers on my desk are perfectly stacked or the towels in my bathroom are hanging straight and folded perfectly. But the grass MUST HAVE AN EVEN, STRAIGHT PATTERN. Am I the only one like that?

I am annoyed

Ok, so there are a few things that are annoying me. And here they are:

Old Navy has decided to stop selling Plus Sized clothing in their stores. They will only sell it online. Now it is hard enough for me to find clothes that look half way decent and now one of my favorite places won't be a favorite any more. I don't like buying clothes online because I can't try them on or feel them or even tell what color they really are. What a pain! Thanks Old Navy. Thanks a lot.

Slugs. Yes, those gross things that are like snails without shells. They get in my stray cat's food and I have to throw out the whole bowl and give them new food. Gross creatures. What is their purpose anyway? The same purpose that Camel Back Cave Crickets have I suppose! Disgusting!

And while we are talking about them, Camel Back Cave Crickets. My crawl space was full of them and my poor dad had to go under there and spray the heck out of them with bug killer. I swear, if I were a genius I would make it my life's purpose to eradicate them from the earth, or at least my little corner of it.

The price of gas. If I could afford a new car I would get one of those Prius cars that get 40+ miles per gallon. I would have to keep an SUV because of all the dogs but at least I could save on gas to and from work. I mean seriously. Oil companies-give us a freakin' break already!

Mosquito bites. And I get a lot every summer. The mosquitoes LOVE me. And I hate them.

People who run over snakes on purpose. This REALLY MAKES ME MAD. I know people have a huge dislike of snakes, but they can be good and killing something on purpose is just plain wrong (except Camel ack Cave Crickets). So, I even stop and rescue snakes from the road. Well non-poisonous ones any way. And I think the 2 that I have saved so far really appreciated it. One was a Eastern King Snake. They EAT COPPERHEADS. A non-poisonous snake that eats a poisonous one. Hello! This is a good thing. Now I don;t think everyone should run out and start picking up snakes but at least try and avoid running over them while they are stretched out on the asphalt trying to get warm.

Ok, off the annoying soap box for now.

PTO

Ahh...I am on PTO for the next 3 days...What is PTO you ask? Well where I work it means Paid Time Off. Yep, I am off for the next 3 days plus Saturday and Sunday! 5 whole days. Where am I going you ask? HOME. I am hanging out at home. I will do a little cleaning, a little laundry, a little jewelry making and perhaps some hanging out with the family. Oh and A LOT of sleeping! The dogs and I are excited! Of course I have a huge to do list. Very ambitious things. It looks a little like this:

1 Laundry (all)
2 Clean off kitchen table
3 Clean off kitchen counter
4 Clean bath room
5 mow grass (gas for lawn mower?)
6 Take items to Retails (like Goodwill but benefits spay/neuter for homeless animals and low income families)
7 Take books to Mr. Mike Used Books - get store credit
8 Make cupcakes with M & P
9 Caulk kitchen window
10 get bills ready for the 15th
11 Make Dr. Appt. (ick)
12 Dust (everything)
13 go to chelle's
14 vacuum (everywhere)

And it just goes on and on for pages. I probably won't get through half of it,but at least I made a list! Well Mr.Sandman beckons...

Happy Moment

Just a quick post. Saturday we all went to Sesame Street Live, and I had a great time. Here are me and "the nieces" after the event. Cookie Monster was FABULOUS! Also, a bottle of water was $4.00. I went thristy. There was no way that I would pay $4.00 for water. And even though most things were a rip off (parking $8.00, Cotton Candy $6.00), it was so much fun to see the girls have such a great time. If I had to I would pay $80.00 for water just to see them so happy!

7 Things Most People Probably Don't Know About Me

Well, my sister-in-law did a cool thing on her blog called 7 things you don’t know about me. So, I thought I would do the same. Let me clarify that these are not 7 INTERESTING things that you don’t know about me, just things.

1. In High School I was voted “Most Beautiful Eyes”. And to be honest, besides my hair, this is my favorite feature of, well, myself!

2. I am afraid of insects and spiders. Snakes I can handle (literally!). Bats, opossums, etc are no problem. But, crawling things…well I just can’t handle it. If I find a bug on me or one of the dogs, everyone gets a bath, the house gets vacuumed, the sheets gets changed…They freak me out.

3. I love stuffed animals. Yes, I am 37 years old and I love stuffed animals. In fact, I have been known to sleep with a stuffed Cookie Monster every now and again on bad days. It doesn’t happen very often but there is something comforting about it for me.

4. I think my dogs understand everything I say to them. Even big long diatribes about how they should wipe their feet before they come inside and pick up their toys and stay out of the garbage.

5. My favorite thing to drink with pizza is skim milk.

6. My favorite thing to do on the weekends is take a nap. A long 2 hour one with covers, jammies and everything. I know it is self indulgent but I guess that is the point. I guess it is also a little lazy.

7. I don’t like clowns. At all! Ick!

Blog? What blog?

Oh THIS BLOG!

Well for the 4 of you who read this (ha ha are there that many?)I apologize for the many days of no posts. I have been a busy bee the past few weeks. I have been pet sitting a lot for all of my fuzzy friends and I have yet another hobby...making beaded jewelry. I am really having fun doing it. I have no idea if I am any good but I keep practicing. I have 2.5 bracelets made so far. I have had a couple of people ask me if I will selling them and the thought has crossed my mind. But I need a cute name for my business as well as researching what I need to do about taxes, licenses etc if I do start one. But first I need a name. Any suggestions? I thought of Dog*Ma Beads (get it, Dog Ma as in mom?) but my mom suggested that not everyone would get it; that I am a dog mom. So what else?