33

33 days 'til vacation....

Big-girl panties

To quote the Dolly Mama, "Put on your big-girl panties and deal with it!"
However, I don't think what I discovered last night was what the Dolly Mama had in mind.
I decided it was time to purchase some new underwear. Now, I'm not into fancy, frilly panties. No lace, bows or days-of-the-week panties for me. No: boy-style, low-rise, g-string, hi-cut, low-cut, or female-boxers. Just good ol' fashion cotton briefs! White, colored, patterned, whatever. I just want them to fit. And by fit, I mean cover my arse cheeks without crawling into my crack as the day progresses so that I spend half my time trying to discreetly dig them out. There's nothing I hate worse than getting my panties in a twist over nothing! I'm a Fruit of the Loom or Hanes Her Way kind of girl. Nothing exciting there.
So as I sought out the size I needed in either of those brands, I noticed another brand hanging next to them that I hadn't noticed before. They were made of the required material, they were briefs, and they had a nice variety of colors in the package. I started to grab a package of my usual size when I noticed, printed next to the size, it stated that if you wear "this" dress size, this is the size underwear you need. Oh dear! That wasn't the dress size I wore. Not even on a good day. So I looked for the correct dress size and once I found it, I was horrified to see the panty size was 3 sizes larger than what I'd normally wear.
Hmmm, I guess this company just sizes there stuff differently. I reluctantly picked up the larger size, and for good measure, picked up a package of Fruit of the Loom in my usual size, just to be on the safe side.
This morning, I opened the package of brand "X". Holy moly they looked huge!! I put on a pair and there was room enough for another person in those drawers along with me. Talk about putting on your big-girl panties!! Good grief!, how on earth does this company justify sizing their clothing like that?? Good thing I bought a back-up package.
So that package will be relegated to the back of the drawer... as undies aren't exactly the kind of item I'd return to the store.

Weekend in review...

Friday evening I arrived home to have the husband nagging me that his cell-phone had no service. I checked my phone, and it too was lacking service. When we tried to call out, we received a message that our service had been cut off for non-payment... nice! I wonder if everyone who tried calling us got that same message? I had mailed the payment in the previous tuesday, but apparently they hadn't received it. Oh well! I guess it was going to be a quiet place around our house this weekend.
Saturday morning, the phones were working again. Guess they must've received that payment after all. Olivia had graduation from obedience school (again). It wasn't one of her better performances. The only thing that made me feel better was that the other dogs acted up too. She just seemed totally distracted. I finally got up the motivation to change the decor on my Festivus Tree. I got all my shamrock lights wrapped around the tree, then plugged them in, only to find out that two-thirds of them don't work. grrr. I've no patience for trying to find the defunct light bulb or changing tiny fuses, so I took them all off and started over with just plain green lights and the shamrocks that did work. I plugged it all in, only to discover that the plain green lights didn't work either. #%*&^*!!!!! I again unwrapped the tree and started over. The 3rd time was the charm. The Festivus Tree now sports a combination of Mardi Gras & St. Pat's. : )
Saturday evening, we went to Fazoli's and stuffed ourselves shamelessy on their bottomless bowls of spaghetti. YUMMY!!!! Afterwards, we went shopping for new light fixtures for the outside of the house. There's a project I can't wait to see get accomplished, if it ever does get accomplished. I'm sure it'll provide fodder for a future blog. My husband and electricity isn't a good combination.
Sunday morning, laundry day. I threw the first washed load into the dryer, turned it on, managed to get 2 steps away from it before it started to make an awful noise and the distinct, offensive odor of burning rubber assaulted my senses. I rushed back and opened the door to stop the cycle. **Blech!!**, it was stinking. I wondered if the dryer was on fire, and quickly unplugged it. Then stood there wondering why the washer had suddenly quit working, only to finally discover that I had unplugged the wrong appliance. I knew the chances of getting a repairman on a sunday was nil, so I just resigned myself to calling someone on monday (mental note to myself, call someone when I'm done blogging). I finished washing all the laundry, and waited for the husband to arrive home. We then loaded up the car with the wet clothes, picked up dinner for my parents who were celebrating their 39th wedding anniversary, and headed for Indiana. We arrived at 4pm, and I quickly threw the first load in the dryer. Two hours later, that same load was almost dry, but I couldn't wait any longer. I still had 3 loads to go! I don't know how my parents ever get their laundry done if it takes that long! 45 minutes on low, and my clothes dryer is finished. We hauled the laundry back to Kentucky, where I begged use of the neighbors dryer. I combined two small loads into one & went back in an hour to retrieve clothes that were 100% dry. The husband took the other load to the firehouse to dry while he watched "The 'L' Word" on cable.
I'm back at work and glad to be here so I can get some rest.

Hidden Treasures

My house is cluttered, but I don't care,
I find hidden treasures, most anywhere.
As I dig through our house and all the rubble,
I'll find a hidden treasure, some forgotten bauble.
Perhaps a misplaced cd or an old pair of shoes,
I find hidden treasures, which I'm sure to again lose.
This place is a mess, organized I'm not,
I find hidden treasures, amongst all the stuff I've got.

One nation...

I know we are 50 indiviual states, but we're all under 1 nation, ruled by one el Presidente, so I just don't understand why some things have to be so darned different and complicated from one state to the next!!!
One state's definition of "Murder 1" and what qualifies as a death penalty case may differ greatly from the next state. Let's keep it simple, why not make it the same across the board??
Same thing for death certificates (D/C's). We've had some complicated funerals of late. Four out of the past seven have been for people that have died out of state. This means the body has to cross state lines. Some states are lax and have no regulations about this, while some wont' let the body leave the state without the death certificate already being signed. I actually like those rules. Kentucky is so lax about death certificates, it's ridiculous. After the funeral, I type up a D/C, mail it to the attending physician. Supposedly, the doctor has 5 days to get it back to me. A few docs are good about this, many are not. Some take their sweet time, even up to a month to return it to me. When I get it back, then I send it on to the state capital to be certified. If I'm lucky, this only takes a week to get back. So all in all, it takes anywhere from 10 days to six weeks to get death certificates back in the state of Kentucky (as a general rule of thumb). Also, irregardless of which county you die in in Kentucky, all d/c's are sent to the capital to be certified. The cost: $6.00 per copy. In the state of KY., anyone, and I do mean anyone, can order a copy of a death certificate on anybody else. Even a perfect stranger. Anybody with $6.00, no questions asked. Also, death certificates are printed on standard-letter sized paper.
Now in Indiana for example, death certificates are filed by individual counties, and the cost varies from $5 - $10, depending on the county.
Some other states, such as Ohio and Florida, print their d/c's on 8 1/2 x 14 paper, some print front & back. How is it some of these states need so much info about the decedant and others don't? Some get very, very specific about contributing factors of death: was the person a smoker?, did they have diabetes?, etc. etc. Also, they cost $19 & $18 a copy, respectiviely. Some other states cost even more!!
Also, in Florida, they won't allow just anybody to request a copy of a death certificate. You have to have a specific reason, such as the immediate next of kin, or the executor of the estate. A grandchild couldn't even request a copy of a grandparent's d/c for family-tree purposes!!
So again I say, we're all a part of the same nation, why can't we just standardize these forms, it would make it so much simpler for those of us that have to fill them out?!?! And come to a happy median on the cost and then charge the same, all across the country!! Life (& death) would be so much simpler.

McDonald's follow-up

This is a follow-up to a blog I had a week or so ago regarding McDonald's acceptance, or more precisely, non-acceptance, of multiple coupons.
After I arrived back to work that day, I sat down and fired off an scathing email to McD's corporate head-quarters. I laid out the whole incident, and explained that I was attempting to purchase lunch for 2 different people, yadda, yadda, yadda.
A few days later I received an emailed reply from them, apologizing for my inconvenience, but standing by their policy.
I felt that was the end of the story, and just put it behind me.
So needless to say, I was very surprised when I arrived home yesterday and got the mail, only to discover a letter from the LaGrange McD's, also apologizing for my unpleasant experience, and enclosed with the letter, several coupons, good for free food.
Okay, I got my apology, that was good enough for me.
I'd be almost afraid to use the coupons though... I'd probably hand them to the order-taker, they'd see what they were, and somehow send a coded message to the food prep person, and that person would probably spit on my sandwich or something equally disgusting... "we'll teach her to complain".
Maybe I should give the coupons to some unsuspecting person. Hmmmm....

Temporary insanity

Last night, I apparently had a brief moment when I lost my mind and honestly expected one of the dogs to speak up and answer me in plain English.
Before going to the grocery, I had hand-washed a couple of cross-stitch pieces, clothespinned them to a hanger, and hung them from the tension rod that goes across the front of our laundry room.
Upon returning from the grocery, the husband was gone (presumably on a fire run). At first, nothing seemed amiss in the house. Then, when I went to walk into the living room from the kitchen doorway, I spied the hanger, sewing still pinned to it, stuck to the couch. Obviously one of the children had somehow gotten it down ('though at that point it was a total mystery to me as to how they could've accomplished this) and carried it to the couch, where the hook of the hanger got entangled with the fabric.
As Olivia was in her crate, I felt she was blameless of the crime (I later learned just how wrong I was). So I stood there shaking the sewing that was clutched in my fist, and looked at the two older children. I started demanding to know who had been playing with my sewing. Who? WHO?? Why were you playing with this!!!????
The whole time I'm ranting and raving, Eliott basically ignored me, and Bootsy just sat in front of me with a wide-eyed expression. I suddenly realized what I was doing and that I was standing there actually expecting one of them to speak up and answer me, if only to point a finger (or paw in this case) at one of the other children. At that moment I knew I'd gone temporarily insane!
I washed the sewing out again and hung it back up.
Once the husband came home, I put the same question to him. It was then he told me that the "white thunder" (as we often refer to Olivia) had pulled the curtain down, tension rod, sewing and all. She must've carried off the sewing.
I really would've been waiting a long time for her to answer my question.

Greetings!

I may never buy another greeting card again. Maybe.
On saturday, I attended a scrap-booking/stamping party/demonstration, and learned how to make 2 different styles of greeting cards & book marks.
I've always wanted to do these things, but have always lacked 3 of the necessary items: #1) money, as it can quickly turn into a pricey hobby, #2) the space to work on the projects/store the supplies, & #3) the creativity to put these things together.
What I "created" at the party turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. Of course, it helped that I had an instructor guiding me every step of the way.
I stopped at Michael's craft store that evening, to pick up a couple of cross-stitching supplies, and while there, was browsing at the x-stitch design/pattern books. While looking at the books, I came across one that incorporates x-stitching and the very card making I had learned earlier in the day. OOooh, the ideas started running rampant in my head!!
I've got gobs & gobs of mini-projects, some completed, some yet to be done, just lying in boxes & bags, waiting to see the light of day... at last, I may now have a use for these little projects.
So yesterday I dug around and found the little projects I'd done over the years and then never done anything with. I washed them all, and this evening I'll iron them flat.
They are now ready to be turned into greeting cards. Ooh, I can't wait for the first occassion to try out my new hobby! : )

Proper tipping

I'd seriously like everyones input on this subject. Feel free to post a comment or send me a direct e-mail.
When tipping a waiter/waitress in a restaurant, what do you typically allow?
As a general rule of thumb (or so I thought until this week), the husband and I usually leave 20% or $2.00 per person, generally whichever is higher. Now, if the service was bad, sure, we'll leave less. And if it's a restaurant we frequent and a server that we request because they provide excellent service, then we'll go 25% or $2.50/person.
But that's it, that's my limit!
I mean, I don't even think the restaurants expect more do they? After all, most places clearly state that if it's a party of 8 or more, they automatically add on 15% gratuity. It's a shame that they do so, because I'm telling you right now, whenever a restaurant does that to me, than I leave it at that. That's all the server is getting, and it's generally their loss, as I'd have left more if allowed to calculate my own tip.
All this having been said...
The husband went to lunch earlier this week with some fire dept. buddies, and the next morning stuck the receipt in my purse. When I looked at the receipt later in the day, I nearly went through the roof!
He had left a 42% tip!!!
FORTY-TWO PERCENT!!!
The bill was only $10.58, which I feel should have warranted either a $2.oo or 20% ($2.12).
When I saw what he'd left I couldn't help but wonder if the server had provided sexual favors along with the meal. I mean, what warrants at 42% tip?
After I finished jumping up and down and hollering at him that evening, I asked, "What, was she pretty?"
He replied, "No, she was short and chubby, and she had 3 other people helping her. The service wasn't that great, and I think it might have been her first day on the job."
Okay, so again I ask, 42%?????
His response: "I'm just stupid I guess."
Well, you'll get no arguement from me on this subject.

Caught in the act

I came dangerously close to committing mayhem last night on two of our cats and John. After we'd gone to bed, the felines decided it was time to party. The boys chased each other around the room, wrestled, hissed & spit at one another, and basically got on our last nerves. They antagonized the dogs, and tormented me to no end.
John of course finally fell asleep after a few minutes, but I tossed and turned for over 2 hours.
Once the cats finally stopped fighting with one another, our eldest then decided he wanted to sleep in the bed with us (yes, I did move back into the bedroom a few weeks ago, and yes, my back still bothers me in the morning).
I didn't want the cat in bed with us, or anywhere on the bed for that matter. So whenever I'd hear him jump up on the bed, I'd shoo him away. Then he started getting sneaky, and quietly climbing on from John's side. I'd know the cat was up there though because of his loud, distinctive purrring. I'd reach for a pillow, but as soon as he saw me move, he'd flee the scene, only to return again a couple of minutes later.
Finally after several of these cat-and-mouse games (pun intended), I finally got up on my knees, grabbed the pillow and prepared to haul off and send the cat into outer space. At that very moment, as I was leaning over John with pillow in hand, he chose to wake up. I don't think he came fully awake, but he did lift his head and look at me with an inquisitive expression. I'm sure it probably appeared to him as if I were about to suffocate him with the pillow. I quickly put the pillow down and returned to my side of the bed, hoping he'd think it was just a dream he'd had.
He made no mention of it this morning, so I assume he has no recollection of the deranged wife trying to kill him with a pillow.

Pleasantly surprised

A week & a half ago, after searching the local stores high & low for blank cross-stitch greeting cards, I finally found a place in Tennessee that carried them. I called them and placed an order for 50 of the blanks. The girl told me they'd be shipped out on monday (I assumed the 6th).
As of yesterday morning, I still hadn't received them, so I called the company back, spoke w/the same girl, and she told me they'd been shipped out on the 13th (grrrr). Okay, fine, I'll wait a few more days.
When I arrived home yesterday, there sat a box on our front porch. I saw it was from that company and got excited. Once I got inside and opened the box, my excitement turned to confusion. Instead of sending me 50 blank cards, they had sent me 48 kits of various Christmas designs. I then opened the packing slip and looked at my invoice. The correct order was printed on it... 50 blank cards. But then I realized there was another piece of paper stuck to the back of my slip, and it was to a woman in Minnesota. The order printed on her slip matched what was in the box.
Hmmm. What to do, what to do?
Do I keep the order and not say anything?
Do I just assume that they didn't have blank cards, and just sent me these kits instead so that I could just use the parts I needed?
Do I call the company and ask what's going on?
Tempting as it was to just keep the order and not say anything, I knew that wasn't right, so I called the company and explained the situation.
The girl I spoke with didn't know what to do, and said she'd have someone call me in the morning.
First thing this morning, my phone rang. I again explained the situation, and the girl on the other end finally told me this: she would get my corrected order sent out, and for me just to keep the order I had received, as it would cost more to ship it back than what it was worth.
Wow! I was shocked!
I thanked her profusely.
See folks, honesty does pay!!

Stess-Stress

I looked back at a previous blog about stress, and realize I type-oh'd... that "stess" should've been Stress.
See, I told you I was under stress!!

McDonald's SUCKS!!

I am sooo not happy with McDonald's restaurant right now... more specifically, the one in LaGrange, KY.
This past weekend, they had coupons in the Sunday paper.
As we sat around the office and tried to decide what to have for lunch today, we both remembered the McD's coupons. I dug them out, and we each clipped a coupon. I offered to make the food run, so with both coupons and money in hand, off I went.
I pulled up to the drive-thru and told the faceless voice I had 2 separate orders. Once I was given the go-ahead, I told the girl I had a coupon for such & such, she gave me a total, and told me to go ahead with the 2nd order.
I again told her I had a coupon, and proceeded to place my order. Instead of being given a total, I was told to wait.
The faceless voice finally told me that I wouldn't be allowed to use the coupon with the 2nd order, as I'd already used a coupon.
I said, "Even though they're 2 separate orders?"
"Yes ma'am, because you are 1 customer."
Needless to say, at this point I became LIVID!! I've used 2 coupons there before, on more than 1 occassion. I'm thinking to myself, so I guess if I drive around the building and go through the drive-thru again, I could use the 2nd coupon. Oh this is just STUPID!!
So I said, "Well then, just cancel the 2nd order, I'll take my business elsewhere."
I'd have loved to have cancelled the first order as well, but since it wasn't for me, I didn't have any idea what the other person would want to eat instead.
Once I got up to the window, I made sure the girl received my most hateful glare. After I got the food, I roared off and went across the street to K.F.C.
Do these restaurants not think? They'd rather lose a customer &/or an entire food order, than to honor a coupon for one free food item.
And they were 2 separate orders, rang up separately for Pete's sake!! It's not like the computer/cash register couldn't compute it!!
I think I'll just start taking all my business to Long John Silvers and Arby's, as both of those places definately allow 2 coupons per person... for that matter, Arby's usually allows multiple coupons for a single order. They're just happy to have your business!

70's flashback!

For the past several years, the husband has "tended bar", so to speak, for the St. Albert the Great's Valentines Dance (except for last year when they didn't have one for some unknown reason). And for the past 4 years I reckon, I've been doing it too.
Now when I say "tending bar", all we really do is pour sodas and beer. That's it. There's no mixing involved. No hard-liquor.
The party-goers purchase their tickets to the dance, and the cost of admission provides them 4 hours of dancing to music by a great band or d.j. (I've yet to hear a bad one at these functions), and unlimited beer or soda.
This years party had a theme, unbeknownst to us. The theme was "the 70's", and oh my!, the costumes were unbelievable!! I so wish I had taken my camera.
Many people went out and rented costumes. I couldn't help but wonder how many of those people still had these things hanging in the back of their closets, and didn't need to rent anything...
There was so much polyester, leisure suits, tye-died, black afro wigs, and platform shoes, it was truly a flashback!! I hated those styles then, and don't like them now, but they were good for some giggles to be sure!!
The evening was a success. The tips were great, 'though had it not been for about 3 of our faithful, very generous tippers, we might not have faired so well.
Looking forward to next years party. I hope they let us know if there's a theme... I think we'd like to get in on the fun and dress up too.

A new kind of Stess!!

I've been introduced to a totally new kind of stress in my life!
It's the "soccer mom" in me that's coming to the surface.
Okay, my kids don't play soccer, but not-unlike those moms & dads that sit on the side-lines, rooting their child (child's team) on to victory,
I've been aggressively encouraging everyone I know and beyond, to vote for Eliott in the My Pet Rocks competition. We even hung "campaign" signs at the fire houses. I went door to door the other night, encouraging some of the neighbors to vote. It's become an obsession!!
The voting was supposed to have ended at 12noon today, and the husband and I were on the phone with one another as the minutes wound down, anxiously watching the polls. Our stomachs were in knots!!
The morning started off and he was ever so slightly behind by about 25 votes. As the morning progressed, he finally pulled into the lead and stayed there. It's been nerve-wracking to say the least.
As of 1:17pm, he was ahead by about 22 votes. I'm beginning to wonder if they meant 12noon Pacific time instead of Eastern. grrr.
Or maybe their "official" voting ended at noon, but they still allowing voting beyond that for the heck of it.
Either way, I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone that helped out.

Little threads

As I'm cross-stitching, whenever it calls for a particular color of floss, I measure out several inches from the bobbin and proceed to sew. Sometimes, I may only need that particular color for one or two stitches, and that's it. Then I'm left with several inches of perfectly good floss left-over. I hate to waste it, so I usually wrap it back onto the bobbin, or tie it to the hole on end of the bobbin.
Eventually, I'll need that color again for something.
When "eventually" comes, sometimes many projects later, and/or years later, I'll take that left-over floss and use it first.
Lately, I've become amazed at just how short some of these left-over pieces really are, and I ask myself, "now why on earth did I bother saving this little bit of thread?"
The other day, I was having a discussion with an acquaintance, and somehow I got on the subject of my great-grandmother and the fabulous hand-made quilts she made, and how fortunate I was to have some of them.
Then I suddenly remembered a story she told when I was a little girl, and I suddenly realized that maybe that was why I saved little bits of thread.
This was her story...
When she was a little girl (in the late 1800's & early 1900's), she was one of several children. They were a farm family, and money wasn't plentiful. When the womenfolk (I assume her mother/grandmother/aunts) got together, they sewed. Now as my great-grandmother was a young girl, she wasn't given thread to sew with, as they feared she'd waste it. But my great-grandmother wanted to sew too, so she would pick up the little snips of thread off the floor, at the women's feet, and she'd tie those snippets together, using very fine knots. She'd tie enough of them together until she finally had a length of thread that was long enough to sew with, then she'd gather up the scraps of material, and that's how she started creating quilts.
It was an amazing story to me then, as a child, and now it's an endearing one.
So maybe because of her salvaging little snips of thread, that's why I've been loath to throw mine away.

My Pet Rocks!!!

My pet(s!) do ROCK!!!

Anyone interested in voting for my baby boy, Eliott,

can go to the paper's website: www.courier-journal.com

click on the Neighborhoods section, then click on the

My Pet Rocks article.

When it brings up the choices, click on Eliott, then click on Vote.

Help us win Bragging Rights!!

Thanks!

The Other Woman in our Marriage...

There is another woman in our marriage. I don't like her very much. I think I've mentioned her before, though probably not by name, or in this reference.
Now I'm going to tell you a little more about her and why I dislike her so.
As many of you know, my spouse is a volunteer firefighter, serving on 2 different volunteer departments.
Tuesday night is training night, and I can always expect an evening alone. This is fine. We all need our space and guaranteed "alone time".
Unfortunately though, ours turns into more than just tuesday nights though. But I've gotten used to it. After 18 years together, I've come to accept it. That's not to say I like it, but I accept it.
The fire departments do provide an important service to the community, and they couldn't do that without the volunteers like my husband that are so dedicated.
Yes, I admit, I hope if I ever have need of their services, that they'll be there in short order. But gimme a break!, there comes a time when they need to realize that these firefighters have families at home too.
One tuesday a month, all the officers have an officers-meeting. This drags on as things turn into a bitch-session. The rest of the ranks just have to sit and twiddle their thumbs for the most part until the meeting is over. They can't leave the firehouse they are training at, until the officers are done with their meeting. Hubby drives to station #2, where he rides a fire truck to station #1. And there he is stuck until the meeting is over.
Last night, shortly after 10:30, I took the pup out for a final potty-break before going to bed. I shuffled out in my house-shoes. Once she'd finished, we were heading back into the house and I tripped. My shoe came off and I took a header onto the front porch. I missed hitting my head, but fell hard to my knees and stubbed my now bare toe on the aggragate step. My knees were hurting, but fortunately, not skinned up. My toe didn't fair so well.
I grabbed my shoe, hustled the child inside and went to the bathroom to check my injuries out. Upon looking at my toe, I became light-headed. There was a flap of skin hanging loose on the end and bottom about as big around as a nickel and as thick too! I cut the flap off and had to go lie on the bed 'til the dizziness passed.
When I tried to get up, it returned. This wasn't getting me anywhere. I called hubby on his cell phone, crying and begging for him to tell me he was on is way home. But no, he wasn't. He was stuck at station #1. Literally stuck. The only way he could come assist me is if one whole squad came, via firetruck. I didn't need or want that.
I finally got myself pulled together and bandaged up. The husband finally arrived home after 11:30. He apologized for not being able to come home, I told him it wasn't his fault.
He said it would never happen again. I said, "sure, until the next time that is."
He then swore that from then on, he'd start driving his own vehicle to station 1, so he wouldn't be at their mercy. And if I needed him, he'd be there.
While I was touched to hear this, I can't help but wonder if he'll remember his resolve come next tuesday.
One of his departments holds their officers meeting before training, so it doesn't interfere with actual training. The other department (which I'll leave nameless), doesn't have that kind of consideration. They'd rather waste a trianing night and keep their firefighters out later than necessary, keep them away from their families, and not take into consideration that these men/women have jobs they need to go to the next morning.
I really don't like "the other woman" very much!

C.G.C.

While at obedience class Saturday, our instructor advised that she'd be holding testing the following day for Canine Good Citizenship. I asked if I could come and watch. She told me yes, but that she wanted me to bring Olivia and give it a try, as I might be surprised at what she was capable of. I just shook my head and told her that Livvie (nor myself, mentally that is) were ready for it. But she still insisted I bring her along
So we showed up along with 3 other dogs that were being tested (they all passed), and one other dog that was a spectator, same as us.
I was amazed as I watched the three dogs that were being tested. Not that those dogs were in anyway "awesome" in their behavior, but at how actually "lax" and simple the test was.
I did however decide that there are a couple of things we'll definately have to work on.
#1 being grooming. It's a major struggle to brush her. I easily spend 10 minutes trying to get her calmed down, as she wants to chew on the brush and spin in circles.
#2 being the meet & greet when someone else has a dog with them. I know she'll want to lunge at the other dog, if only to play with it.
Everything else I think will be a piece of cake for her.
And things I might have worried about before, I really don't need to be focusing on.
The dogs aren't required to necisarrily sit when you stop walking, they only have to stop walking too. They don't have to heel perfectly next to you, just so long as they don't strain at the end of the leash, either ahead/behind/away from you.
If you tell them to sit/stay, it's okay if they get up or lay down, or even turn in a circle, just as long as they don't leave the immediate area they're supposed to stay in.
I now have much higher hopes that we can reach our goal. They are supposed to test again in late April or May.
After that, we'll start training towards getting her Delta certified.

Look at me!

Upon arriving home yesterday and allowing the pups a few moments to relieve themselves (outdoors of course), they then proceeded to run amuck through the house, excited that their momma had arrived home.
I proceeded to get Eliott even more riled up than usual, and he stood up on his hind legs to give me a hug. In the process, he managed to scratch my face with his over-sized paw, hard enough to draw blood.
This scratch (the bloody part) was on my chin. However, there was a definite raised whelp that ran down the length of my neck.
The husband arrived home a short time later, greeted me with a kiss and some conversation. After about 10 minutes I finally asked him, "aren't you even going to comment on this mark on my face? I mean, what, did you think I did it while shaving this morning?"

So I ask you folks... after umpteen years of marriage, do we stop even looking at our mate and noticing when something is amiss?

Happy Anniversary...

Happy anniversary to me...
Happy anniversary to me...
Happy anniversary dear Pita-woman...
Happy anniversary to me.

Yes folks, I've now been at my current place of employment 3 years as of today.
I'm so depressed.

Rainbow of color

As I desparately search through my 4 boxes of DMC floss, trying in vain to find a match to the floss I've run out of on a small project I'm working on (which of course doesn't tell me the brand of floss it provided), I can't help by marvel at the various shades. Some have such a subtle difference, that they are almost discernable from each other... that is, until you try to substitue one for the other.
When we use the expression, "every color under the rainbow", I don't think we truly appreciate the actual number of colors there really are in existense. It's infinite.