Whew!! Another Christmas holiday come and gone.
Santa visited our neighborhood (the 'Manor), making the rounds on Christmas Eve afternoon.
First stop was at our friends Jeanie's house.
She buried her husband Thanksgiving week so this wasn't shaping up to be a very merry Christmas for her family. So Santa stopped by her house to try and bring a little cheer and lift their spirits.
After leaving her house, he stopped at a few of the homes where some of our senior residents live to drop off some sweet-treats and wish them Merry Christmas.
Next stop on his travels was to the home of my little friend Mimi. She was staying at her grandparents at the time so she missed out on his visit to her house.
Last stop was to our house to get slobber-kisses from our fur-babies. Livvie was quite enthralled with Santa and wouldn't turn to face the camera, instead keeping her eyes on him.
To see all the pix, click on this link.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
The Christmas Jinx
I've come to the conclusion that Christmas is a jinxed holiday in my family. So many years, bad things have happened to completely cast a pall over the otherwise festive day, that it's almost made me dread when December 25 rolls around.
*There was the x-mas when I was 11 and a relative's husband attempted to murder her when he shot her in the back as she was running to the neighbor's house for help.
*Then there was the x-mas when I was 15 and I went outside after opening our presents, to take my dog her gift, only to find her frozen stiff in her doghouse. That was a particularly crappy holiday.
*And of course there were the countless x-mas' when my husband's step-mother went off the deep end and needed to be committed after one of her many, many, holiday breakdowns.
Dealing with a manic depressive under normal circumstances and non-holiday times is bad enough, but throw in the holiday and it's worse!! If you've never had to do it, you can't even begin to appreciate what I'm talking about.
*And this year, well, the holiday goblins struck again...
I was paying bills earlier in the week and actually paid off our credit card. I should've known better as I was just setting myself up.
Christmas day, we were watching "A Christmas Story" and at one point I commented on the old fashioned washing machine in their kitchen. You know the kind with the rollers you had to feed the clothing through to wring out the excess water? I had said, "ah, those were the good old days", as I remembered helping my grandmother do laundry when I was a child, and she used that type of machine. To a small child, it was great fun. That comment apparently was the straw that broke the Christmas-camel's back this year.
When we got home that evening, I put a load of towels in the washer. Now I admit, both the washer AND dryer have had a bit of a death rattle for the past couple of weeks. But that evening, my washer succumbed to it's ailment and died an agonizing death, leaving me with a washer full of wet towels. I was reduced to wringing the towels out by hand, wishing I had the wringer from that old fashioned washer available to remove the excess water. By the time I was done, my hands hurt and felt like they were going to start bleeding they were so rough. How on earth did the pioneer women manage to wash laundry on a scrub board in the creek??
While the dryer is still working, it's death rattle is getting worse.
I could call a repairman, and it might be something simple to fix on both, but considering they were both cheap models when we bought them, the combined repairs would probably cost as much as what I had paid for one of them, or more. So I went out Sunday morning and purchased a new washer and dryer. I splurged and went for the gusto, getting a front-loader. Only one other machine on display had a larger capacity, so I can now stuff those dog blankets in there and get'm clean! Unfortunately, they won't be delivered 'til Thursday evening, so hopefully we won't run out of clean underwear in the meantime. Although my boss said if we turn the dirty ones inside out, we can get another five days out of them. yuck!
These new machines practically require a college education to figure out how to use them, and I dread having to figure them out.
The really bad part is it took me the better part of 23 years to teach John how to wash some of his own laundry using a basic washing machine, I wonder how long it's going to take me to teach him the new-fangled, high-tech machines??
*There was the x-mas when I was 11 and a relative's husband attempted to murder her when he shot her in the back as she was running to the neighbor's house for help.
*Then there was the x-mas when I was 15 and I went outside after opening our presents, to take my dog her gift, only to find her frozen stiff in her doghouse. That was a particularly crappy holiday.
*And of course there were the countless x-mas' when my husband's step-mother went off the deep end and needed to be committed after one of her many, many, holiday breakdowns.
Dealing with a manic depressive under normal circumstances and non-holiday times is bad enough, but throw in the holiday and it's worse!! If you've never had to do it, you can't even begin to appreciate what I'm talking about.
*And this year, well, the holiday goblins struck again...
I was paying bills earlier in the week and actually paid off our credit card. I should've known better as I was just setting myself up.
Christmas day, we were watching "A Christmas Story" and at one point I commented on the old fashioned washing machine in their kitchen. You know the kind with the rollers you had to feed the clothing through to wring out the excess water? I had said, "ah, those were the good old days", as I remembered helping my grandmother do laundry when I was a child, and she used that type of machine. To a small child, it was great fun. That comment apparently was the straw that broke the Christmas-camel's back this year.
When we got home that evening, I put a load of towels in the washer. Now I admit, both the washer AND dryer have had a bit of a death rattle for the past couple of weeks. But that evening, my washer succumbed to it's ailment and died an agonizing death, leaving me with a washer full of wet towels. I was reduced to wringing the towels out by hand, wishing I had the wringer from that old fashioned washer available to remove the excess water. By the time I was done, my hands hurt and felt like they were going to start bleeding they were so rough. How on earth did the pioneer women manage to wash laundry on a scrub board in the creek??
While the dryer is still working, it's death rattle is getting worse.
I could call a repairman, and it might be something simple to fix on both, but considering they were both cheap models when we bought them, the combined repairs would probably cost as much as what I had paid for one of them, or more. So I went out Sunday morning and purchased a new washer and dryer. I splurged and went for the gusto, getting a front-loader. Only one other machine on display had a larger capacity, so I can now stuff those dog blankets in there and get'm clean! Unfortunately, they won't be delivered 'til Thursday evening, so hopefully we won't run out of clean underwear in the meantime. Although my boss said if we turn the dirty ones inside out, we can get another five days out of them. yuck!
These new machines practically require a college education to figure out how to use them, and I dread having to figure them out.
The really bad part is it took me the better part of 23 years to teach John how to wash some of his own laundry using a basic washing machine, I wonder how long it's going to take me to teach him the new-fangled, high-tech machines??
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Some Christmas Memories
Several years ago in the wee, wee hours of Christmas morning, the husband and I snuck over to the home of a couple of our friends and hoped we wouldn't be mistaken for burglars as we tip-toed around in the new fallen snow, trying to hide in the shadows. My friend's husband would never let her decorate for the holidays, not even allowing her to put up a tree or hang lights. I was saddened by his "bah-humbug" attitude and decided to try and cheer her up. We took a small artificial tree, complete with lights and ornaments and set it up on their back deck. The only place to plug it in already had landscape lights plugged in, so I had no choice but to unplug the landscape, and when I did, the cover on the outlet slammed shut with a bang. As the outlet was on the exterior wall of their bedroom, I was sure the noise would have woken them up and we'd be caught, so this caused us to pick up the pace and high-tail it out of there fearing the police would show up at any moment. The squeaking noise our shoes made on the snow-covered steps of the deck seemed amplified in our haste to escape, but I'm sure it was just our imaginations. As it turned out, no one was disturbed by our antics, and when I got a delighted phone call from my friend later that morning, I knew it had been worth it.
Five or six years ago, our friends across the street from us had asked me to come over and take their photograph of them in front of their Christmas tree, as they were dressed up in their finery, preparing to go out to a holiday party. While taking their picture, I was struck with an idea.
After I knew they had gone, I snuck back over to their house (I have a key) toting two long strands of gold colored garland and I don't recall what else. As I worked to pose the family dog and cat in front of the tree, I draped garland over them and attempted to make it look like they'd been into mischief. The cat was less than cooperative and ran off, but the dog was a willing cohort. I took her picture , cleaned up my mess and made good my escape without them knowing I'd been there, ran home and wrote a poem, framed it and presented it to them at Christmas. Surprisingly, they haven't taken away my key-privileges yet.
The husband and I are prepared to make what we hope will be another memorable moment again this Christmas for one family. I'll let you know how it goes next week.
Five or six years ago, our friends across the street from us had asked me to come over and take their photograph of them in front of their Christmas tree, as they were dressed up in their finery, preparing to go out to a holiday party. While taking their picture, I was struck with an idea.
After I knew they had gone, I snuck back over to their house (I have a key) toting two long strands of gold colored garland and I don't recall what else. As I worked to pose the family dog and cat in front of the tree, I draped garland over them and attempted to make it look like they'd been into mischief. The cat was less than cooperative and ran off, but the dog was a willing cohort. I took her picture , cleaned up my mess and made good my escape without them knowing I'd been there, ran home and wrote a poem, framed it and presented it to them at Christmas. Surprisingly, they haven't taken away my key-privileges yet.
The husband and I are prepared to make what we hope will be another memorable moment again this Christmas for one family. I'll let you know how it goes next week.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Home Sweet Hovel
As I look around at the hovel I like to call home, I marvel at the amount of dust that has collected along the baseboards in the hallway in the form of small tumbleweeds. Didn't I just push the broom along the floor a day or so ago? Yes, yes I did. It's simply amazing how fast they seem to find their way out of the garbage can and back to the baseboards, taking on a life of their own, swirling around whenever a door is opened/closed, or whenever someone walks past.
And then I see the ropes gently swaying from the ceiling, attached to the wall or some other object. What started out as mere whisps of cobwebs have accumulated so much dust, they can now only be defined as ropes. Then my gaze quickly flits past the dining room table, guilt filling me if I allow my gaze to linger too long at the piles of stuff that have accumulated there over the years. Apparently it's all important stuff, although I'm not sure how. On the few occasions I've thrown something that was obviously useless into the garbage, my husband rails at me a few days later, demanding to know why I can't leave his stuff alone, that candy wrapper I tossed out had an important piece of information on it that he needed.
Is it any wonder I stopped cleaning years ago?
Okay, so dust and dirt are a large part of what makes up our hovel, er, I mean home.
A couple of weeks ago while at riding lessons, I was waiting for my instructor to show up and I grabbed a broom and started knocking down ropes of dirt from doorways and inside the tack room. I couldn't stand it anymore, but then I realized I was fighting a losing battle and only succeeded in stirring up dust which caused sneezing. I had to laugh at myself, why is it I can't stand dirt in someone else's home, or BARN for that matter, yet my own dust and dirt don't bother me at all? Simply put, because it's my dirt, accumulated by me, the husband and fur-babies over several years.
Then I look at the holes in the drywall, especially the large dinner-plate sized hole by the front door, the bent door-frame in the living room, the chewed-up baseboards, ripped carpeting and peeling linoleum. The Home Makeover people could have a field-day with my house! Yes, these things are embarrassing to look at, more embarrassing to have others see, and yet, we let them be. I used to attempt fixing the drywall holes, 'til they started getting so big they were beyond the scope of what I was capable or repairing. And besides, the dog(s) will just tear it up again, so why bother?
At this point, many people would say, "it's time to find that dog (those dogs) a new home and fix up your house". Yeah, I suppose we could do that, but then what would I have? A like-new home, clean, shiny surfaces and places to sit without getting covered in dog hair or drool, and a place we would be miserable in. Yes, I said miserable.
My house may be a dirty, messy hovel that looks like it's about to fall down around me, but it's filled with warm bodies that wiggle with happiness when I come home, tongues wagging and eyes sparkling as I work my way past the furry, slobberly crowd. They get excited when I mention the simple phrase "go out?". I love when they pause for a moment to rest their head on my chest as they walk past me sitting in the recliner and sigh in contentment before going to lie down. I feel safe and secure in my hovel. I love the life force that lives within, and this is what makes our house: Home Sweet Home!
And then I see the ropes gently swaying from the ceiling, attached to the wall or some other object. What started out as mere whisps of cobwebs have accumulated so much dust, they can now only be defined as ropes. Then my gaze quickly flits past the dining room table, guilt filling me if I allow my gaze to linger too long at the piles of stuff that have accumulated there over the years. Apparently it's all important stuff, although I'm not sure how. On the few occasions I've thrown something that was obviously useless into the garbage, my husband rails at me a few days later, demanding to know why I can't leave his stuff alone, that candy wrapper I tossed out had an important piece of information on it that he needed.
Is it any wonder I stopped cleaning years ago?
Okay, so dust and dirt are a large part of what makes up our hovel, er, I mean home.
A couple of weeks ago while at riding lessons, I was waiting for my instructor to show up and I grabbed a broom and started knocking down ropes of dirt from doorways and inside the tack room. I couldn't stand it anymore, but then I realized I was fighting a losing battle and only succeeded in stirring up dust which caused sneezing. I had to laugh at myself, why is it I can't stand dirt in someone else's home, or BARN for that matter, yet my own dust and dirt don't bother me at all? Simply put, because it's my dirt, accumulated by me, the husband and fur-babies over several years.
Then I look at the holes in the drywall, especially the large dinner-plate sized hole by the front door, the bent door-frame in the living room, the chewed-up baseboards, ripped carpeting and peeling linoleum. The Home Makeover people could have a field-day with my house! Yes, these things are embarrassing to look at, more embarrassing to have others see, and yet, we let them be. I used to attempt fixing the drywall holes, 'til they started getting so big they were beyond the scope of what I was capable or repairing. And besides, the dog(s) will just tear it up again, so why bother?
At this point, many people would say, "it's time to find that dog (those dogs) a new home and fix up your house". Yeah, I suppose we could do that, but then what would I have? A like-new home, clean, shiny surfaces and places to sit without getting covered in dog hair or drool, and a place we would be miserable in. Yes, I said miserable.
My house may be a dirty, messy hovel that looks like it's about to fall down around me, but it's filled with warm bodies that wiggle with happiness when I come home, tongues wagging and eyes sparkling as I work my way past the furry, slobberly crowd. They get excited when I mention the simple phrase "go out?". I love when they pause for a moment to rest their head on my chest as they walk past me sitting in the recliner and sigh in contentment before going to lie down. I feel safe and secure in my hovel. I love the life force that lives within, and this is what makes our house: Home Sweet Home!
A Christmas Miracle?
A Christmas miracle, or just a coincidence? You decide...
I was working on our annual Christmas letter yesterday, addressing envelopes and checking off on my rolodex who I was sending to. With the ever rising cost of postage, our mailing list is getting a little shorter every year. As I scrolled through the list of family and friends, I came across a name that always makes me smile, my friend "Cookie".
Cookie and I used to work together in our former lives. She's the kind of person I'd normally like to slap for being so cheerful and bubbly all the time, but of course I never would, as I truly enjoyed being around her. I was sad when she left me alone at that former job, but we kept in touch over the years.
When I started working at my current job, we were both super excited because initially, I was working less than 2 blocks from her and we felt we'd now see each other more often, grabbing the occasional lunch together. Despite the best of intentions, those lunch dates never happened, and we saw less and less of each other. For those of you that know me, you know how busy I am, and Cookie was a single mother struggling to raise 2 daughters. Cookie eventually left that job and I lost track of her for a couple of years as she bounced around jobs and moved a couple of times. About three years ago, I was more than thrilled to learn she'd taken a new job here in town that kept her very busy, and I once again had her mailing address. We still didn't see each other very often, but it was at least comforting to know where I could find her if I needed a dose of her bubbly cheerfulness.
Several months ago, one of the town's busy-bodies called me up demanding to know how she could get in touch with my friend. I suggested calling Cookie's place of employement but was informed by Busy-body that Cookie no longer worked there and had moved. I was bummed by Busy-body's news, as I'd once again lost track of my friend.
So as I worked on my mailing list yesterday, a moment of wistfulness passed over me as I realized I didn't have Cookie's current address. I mentally wished her well wherever she was.
This morning, I stopped at the Wal-mart here in town before coming into work, to grab a couple of items I'd forgotten at the store last night. As I was going through the check-out lane, I suddenly hear a bubbly "Hey Pitawoman!" I turned to look and sure enough, it was Cookie, smiling brightly as usual.
We chatted for several minutes, and I was delighted to find that she was once again living back in her old apartment, I knew exactly where to find her. Cookie is once again on my mailing list.
I just love those occasions when you think of someone you haven't thought of in ages, and then out of the blue, they appear.
Merry Christmas!!!!
I was working on our annual Christmas letter yesterday, addressing envelopes and checking off on my rolodex who I was sending to. With the ever rising cost of postage, our mailing list is getting a little shorter every year. As I scrolled through the list of family and friends, I came across a name that always makes me smile, my friend "Cookie".
Cookie and I used to work together in our former lives. She's the kind of person I'd normally like to slap for being so cheerful and bubbly all the time, but of course I never would, as I truly enjoyed being around her. I was sad when she left me alone at that former job, but we kept in touch over the years.
When I started working at my current job, we were both super excited because initially, I was working less than 2 blocks from her and we felt we'd now see each other more often, grabbing the occasional lunch together. Despite the best of intentions, those lunch dates never happened, and we saw less and less of each other. For those of you that know me, you know how busy I am, and Cookie was a single mother struggling to raise 2 daughters. Cookie eventually left that job and I lost track of her for a couple of years as she bounced around jobs and moved a couple of times. About three years ago, I was more than thrilled to learn she'd taken a new job here in town that kept her very busy, and I once again had her mailing address. We still didn't see each other very often, but it was at least comforting to know where I could find her if I needed a dose of her bubbly cheerfulness.
Several months ago, one of the town's busy-bodies called me up demanding to know how she could get in touch with my friend. I suggested calling Cookie's place of employement but was informed by Busy-body that Cookie no longer worked there and had moved. I was bummed by Busy-body's news, as I'd once again lost track of my friend.
So as I worked on my mailing list yesterday, a moment of wistfulness passed over me as I realized I didn't have Cookie's current address. I mentally wished her well wherever she was.
This morning, I stopped at the Wal-mart here in town before coming into work, to grab a couple of items I'd forgotten at the store last night. As I was going through the check-out lane, I suddenly hear a bubbly "Hey Pitawoman!" I turned to look and sure enough, it was Cookie, smiling brightly as usual.
We chatted for several minutes, and I was delighted to find that she was once again living back in her old apartment, I knew exactly where to find her. Cookie is once again on my mailing list.
I just love those occasions when you think of someone you haven't thought of in ages, and then out of the blue, they appear.
Merry Christmas!!!!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Pudge & Eliott
2 down, 1 to go.
For those of you that don't know what that means, allow me to enlighten you: we are now down to 1 cat. I took Pudge to the vet on 11/29 to have her put down. She was 18+ years old, had lost a lot of weight (and as she was a small cat to begin with, she really couldn't afford to lose much) even though her appetite had remained strong, had long since stopped grooming herself and her coat was in awful condition. I tried to keep her brushed, but the undercoat kept matting, and she would throw a hissy-fit the entire time. And she would cry and cry throughout the night, often keeping me awake, or waking me from a deep sleep and making it impossible to go back to sleep. She was no longer a happy kitty, so I felt it was time.
I picked up her cremated remains this morning and this evening she will join BJ (our first cat), Smokey & Kelsey (our first two danes) on the shelf. R.I.P. Pudgey.
This now leaves us with just one kitty. While he too is 18+ years old, he seems to be in remarkably good health, so I imagine he'll be with us for a while. I look forward to the day when my home is cat-free.
Today is Eliott's birthday. Happy 7th Birthday, sweet baby boy!!
I worry about him though, he has always had a hitch in his giddyup (a weakness in his hindquarters), ever since he was a youngster, but it's getting noticeably worse, and he's fallen a few times lately. Oddly enough, he does better when he runs, as he propels himself using his hind legs together as one, but walking is more difficult, especially in the house. While I don't see an immediate concern for him, I fear his time will come sooner than later just because of his growing disability. It makes me sad just thinking about it.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Did you think I had died???
I know, I know, I've been away. It's been over a month since I last posted. Did you think I had died??
Lemme tell ya, there were times I think I would've welcomed death, if it had gotten me away from the madness called life.
To say that we have been busy at work would be an understatement. Swamped would be an understatement. Slammed is getting closer. And on top of being inundated with funeral after funeral, we started using a brand new software on November 1st that I was basically clueless about how to use because the recorded classes we had to listen to prior to that were absolutely useless. Useless I say. I took some of the courses multiple times. They were of no help. There were a lot of days worked way beyond quitting time. Needless to say, I've been a bit stressed lately. All that in addition to everyday life.
Okay, so it's been over a month since I last posted, but it's been even longer since I last posted pix. I only just got our photos from our vacation back in October downloaded and other events.
This was 10/16 at the Diabetes Walk. The guy dressed up as Buddy-Bat wasn't the same one we had met at the Hospice Walk, not nearly as friendly. :(
Our October vacation took us to the Smoky Mountains. Olivia made herself right at home in the hotel. The staff was very accommodating and we enjoyed our stay.
We drove over to Cherokee, NC one afternoon. Never saw any bears, but did come across this big guy grazing just off the side of the road. And NO, that isn't either one of us standing there, we're not THAT stupid!
The scenery was beautiful, I would love to live in the mountains.
Thanksgiving week came and went. We spent the Sunday before with my family. T-giving day the husband spent it with his family while I stayed far away. ;)
That morning, John, Livvie and I did a 5k in the rain. Fortunately, the temps were in the 60s, so it was tolerable getting wet. While he went to see his family, I spent the afternoon at the farm, and that evening, I took Olivia to the nursing home for a visit, and despite having her tail run over by a man in a wheelchair, she behaved beautifully.
We were on vacation again last week. A much needed vacation, but not much enjoyed, I still had to go in and work on Tues. & Weds., then was down in my back the rest of the week. Some vacation, huh?
Last Monday though, John and I helped out with testing some new members (2 & 4-legged) for our pet therapy group. The little bitty black poodle on the far end is the one that usually goes on nursing home visits with Olivia, talk about extreme opposites!! But they make a cute couple and get along well.
Winter doesn't officially start 'til 12/21, but this past weekend, you'd never know it was still a few weeks away. Saturday morning, we were blanketed with about an inch and a half of snow. We don't normally get this kind of snow this early in the season, but I liked it just the same.
That afternoon at the farm, I caught this picture of the mini, Judge, "kissing" his biggest, bestest friend, Crazy. They really have become best-buds over the past couple of months, and can frequently be found grooming one another.
Lemme tell ya, there were times I think I would've welcomed death, if it had gotten me away from the madness called life.
To say that we have been busy at work would be an understatement. Swamped would be an understatement. Slammed is getting closer. And on top of being inundated with funeral after funeral, we started using a brand new software on November 1st that I was basically clueless about how to use because the recorded classes we had to listen to prior to that were absolutely useless. Useless I say. I took some of the courses multiple times. They were of no help. There were a lot of days worked way beyond quitting time. Needless to say, I've been a bit stressed lately. All that in addition to everyday life.
Okay, so it's been over a month since I last posted, but it's been even longer since I last posted pix. I only just got our photos from our vacation back in October downloaded and other events.
This was 10/16 at the Diabetes Walk. The guy dressed up as Buddy-Bat wasn't the same one we had met at the Hospice Walk, not nearly as friendly. :(
Our October vacation took us to the Smoky Mountains. Olivia made herself right at home in the hotel. The staff was very accommodating and we enjoyed our stay.
We drove over to Cherokee, NC one afternoon. Never saw any bears, but did come across this big guy grazing just off the side of the road. And NO, that isn't either one of us standing there, we're not THAT stupid!
The scenery was beautiful, I would love to live in the mountains.
Thanksgiving week came and went. We spent the Sunday before with my family. T-giving day the husband spent it with his family while I stayed far away. ;)
That morning, John, Livvie and I did a 5k in the rain. Fortunately, the temps were in the 60s, so it was tolerable getting wet. While he went to see his family, I spent the afternoon at the farm, and that evening, I took Olivia to the nursing home for a visit, and despite having her tail run over by a man in a wheelchair, she behaved beautifully.
We were on vacation again last week. A much needed vacation, but not much enjoyed, I still had to go in and work on Tues. & Weds., then was down in my back the rest of the week. Some vacation, huh?
Last Monday though, John and I helped out with testing some new members (2 & 4-legged) for our pet therapy group. The little bitty black poodle on the far end is the one that usually goes on nursing home visits with Olivia, talk about extreme opposites!! But they make a cute couple and get along well.
Winter doesn't officially start 'til 12/21, but this past weekend, you'd never know it was still a few weeks away. Saturday morning, we were blanketed with about an inch and a half of snow. We don't normally get this kind of snow this early in the season, but I liked it just the same.
We had signed up for the annual Teddy Bear walk, and a few others showed up for the event despite the snow (and at times, sleet) that was coming down on us, but it was officially cancelled. Regardless, several of us got out and played in it. Livvie was dressed up in her winter coat and a hood. The hood kept falling down over her eyes, but she just kept going along as if it didn't bother her.
That afternoon at the farm, I caught this picture of the mini, Judge, "kissing" his biggest, bestest friend, Crazy. They really have become best-buds over the past couple of months, and can frequently be found grooming one another.
Ain't love grand??
The couple of days I was down in my back, gave me time to catch up on my UFC watching. I record the fights every time they are on, but haven't had much time to catch up on my viewing. At least my many hours of MMA-viewing helped take my mind off the pain. This past Saturday evening the fights were on live, the season finale of The Ultimate Fighter. I liked both finalists, but was pulling for one slightly more than the other and I'm delighted to say he won. However, I was extremely disappointed with both coaches and the UFC president.
Normally, whenever there is one of these season finales, both coaches are present to congragulate the winner after it's over, regardless of whether it was a fighter from their team of not. As it turned out, both fighters were from the same team, so I felt at the very least, I mean the VERY LEAST, their coach should've been present. I lost a shred of respect for the man that night. And as for the president, in the past after these fights, he comes into the octagon, congratulates the winner, presents him with the trophy, usually the keys to a new vehicle, an expensive watch, and something else, but this time, he basically handed the winner a trophy and then turned and walked out. I felt so bad for that young man who had just fought his heart out, it was like nobody gave a damn about him. I even felt bad for the loser. They normally interview the loser afterwards as well, but nothing, not one word to him. WTF??? Was everyone too busy that night to take a few moments to honor these competitors that gave their all? There is a payperview fight this coming Saturday between the coaches of the opposing teams for the title belt in the welterweight division. I've always liked both of these fighters very much, and was torn between which one to cheer for in the upcoming fight, and was slightly leaning towards GSP, but after his lack of appearance at the finale, I'm now throwing my cheers of support against his competitor in their upcoming fight. Go KOSCHECK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
18 days 'til Christmas!!!
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Making It Over, too the EXTREME!
Last week, the husband and I spent a day of our vacation volunteering at the construction site for the Make-Over Home about 30 miles from our house. I signed up for the project with mixed emotions, and came away with mixed emotions. Some changed, some remained the same.
Of course we all know that what we see on tv isn't exactly what is taking place (unless perhaps it's live footage), and after having witnessed first hand the taping of the Extreme show, it kinda took the "magic" out of the show.
I am not a regular viewer of the show, probably only having watched a handful of them in their entirety. The only cast member that I know by name or would ever recognize is Ty(sp?). Other volunteers were throwing names out and I'm going "Who?", perhaps I should've familiarized myself with the cast/crew before going out there, then I could've been on the look-out for the stars. But then, I'm not a starry-eyed star-chaser as some seem to be. I was there to do a job, not to get autographs or have my photo taken with a celebrity.
We arrived at 4:30 Thursday morning, got checked-in and given our t-shirt, wristband and hard hat before riding the shuttle to the construction site. Despite the fact that it was pitch black outside everywhere else, it was brighter than daylight at the site what with all the generators and flood lights set up all over the place. It was amazing how many workers were already there and had been there throughout the night, working at a frenzied pace. This was the last day of construction and things had to get done by that afternoon. For the first 2 or 3 hours, it felt like we stood around and waited more than anything. "Tim" was in charge of assigning the volunteers jobs, and periodically our little group would be given a task to remove a pile of trash/scrap to the dumpster, then return to the staging area and wait for the next assignment. We were given strict orders to wear our hardhats at all times while on site and that any/all vehicles had the right of way, and if a worker in a green shirt asked us to do something, even if we were already doing some other task, we were to do whatever the green-shirts wanted. We only observed one nit-wit that failed to wear a hardhat, instead she had a knit cap over her wild mass of curls. I don't know what made her so privileged that she was exempt from wearing a hardhat, perhaps it was because of the short-shorts she was wearing. I did see a few more nit-wits wearing dress shoes/boots or clogs to the site to work in. Really people? Couldn't you wear something a bit more appropriate? I suppose "looking good" in case you get on tv or see a celebrity is much more important than your safety. I know if I were going to be carried away on a stretcher after breaking an ankle, I'd want to have the best looking shoes on my feet... I can hear the other workers now: Poor Pitawoman, it's a shame she broke her ankle wearing those stiletto heels over this rough terrain, but at least she looked good when she fell in that pile of debris.
After about 9am, the production crew finally started emerging from their rvs and started barking orders. We were assigned to work with an Asian woman, Noel I think was her name. We were the "gym crew" and given the instructions to clean the gym. I'm not going to give away details of the home's layout and many extravagant amenities, but suffice it to say this place has all the bells and whistles. I would imagine it's going to take several weeks (months?) to learn how to use all the gadgets this home is loaded with. John and I started off mopping the floor where the work-out equipment was to be placed, only to have a crew come waltzing through that still needed to do some work on the bathroom, thus tracking up the floor we'd just mopped. Can you say "wasted effort, wasted time?" I finally gave up mopping and started to help clean the windows, I hadn't gotten too far into that job when a painter said to me, "I'm getting ready to paint that door" and to which I replied, "so basically, I'm wasting my time here" and gave up in disgust. I wasn't disgusted with the painter, just with the disorganized way things were being done. Honestly, it got to the point there were too many people in too small of an area trying to work, and we were getting in one anothers way. John and I finally threw up our hands, returned to the staging area and asked to be given another task. The rest of the day, we were assigned to work with "Tom" from Boland Maloney Lumber.
We threw out a LOT more trash, stacked supplies and generators on pallets and applied shrink-wrap so that Tom could haul it away with his fork-lift. The thing about this whole project that really disgusted and disappointed me the most is the amount of waste involved. There were nearly full boxes of supplies that were thrown away, simply because they'd been opened. I was horrified beyond belief!! Why not contact Habitat for Humanity or some of the church groups that do fix-up projects for homes in the community to come and take away the excess that would otherwise end up in the landfill? One of our many supervisors throughout the day, whether it was Tim, Tom, Mike, Jay, Brandon or Rocky, informed us that they always ordered more supplies than they needed to complete the project ahead of time, that way the didn't have to worry about running out and waiting for more to arrive, since they were on such a strict deadline. Okay, I understand the over-ordering, but not the throwing away part. It just appalled me to no end!!! There was a portable basketball goal that looked practically brand new, instead of saving it for the kids that would be living in the new house, it was tossed into the dumpster and mashed down. Again, horrified! Several of the volunteers said they'd like to have it, but of course unless you could haul it away right then and there, you couldn't have it.
When it came time to move the bus, we were again disappointed with the reality of how things really happen. Ty gets the crowd all worked up and tells them to yell out "Move That Bus!", so we did, the camera crews filmed it all, only to have the bus back up and do it again several more times. Then the limo pulled up, Ty gets all theatrical about opening the door, only to let us all down because there were no passengers. Several takes later, they finally brought in a limo with the family inside, but not before several film shoots were taken of Ty running up the front steps of the house. The only thing that was done in one take was moving the bus with the family standing there. That's a one-time only filming of their genuine surprise. Even once the family was allowed to run up to the house, that too was filmed several times over.
Of course, what the filming crew won't show is the other side of the house which wasn't completed, and in fact, had cardboard tacked in place to cover the soffets. I supposed they finished it within a day or so and came back to film a little bit of footage to include when they edit all the takes.
Another disappointment, and one that was echoed by several of the other volunteers, was how we were treated once our job was done. We felt we should've had our own viewing-area, separate from the regular spectators, but we didn't and had to mingle with those who were there simply to watch and of course already had the best viewing spots taken. We got lost in the shuffle and could hardly see a thing. We never got the chance to go back to the car and get our camera, and ended up taking a few pix with our cell phones. I'm hoping I can get to Walgreens later today and try to get mine developed, even though I don't think the quality will be very good.
This home, which is beautiful and looks like it should be sitting out on a forest covered mountain somewhere, looks completely out of place amongst the neighboring homes. The next door neighbor's house was a tiny little thing made of concrete-blocks and honestly, I think my office here at work is as big as that house, that's how small it is. Unless a security fence is put up around the new home, I can easily imagine it being vandalized before too long, at the very least, the kids' tree house getting torn up. I know there are donations coming in to help this family with some of the added expenses they will be facing, but eventually, those donations will cease and they are going to have to make it on their own. I just hope ABC and the show's producers aren't setting this family up with a huge burden down the road.
I realize it wouldn't be as much sensationalism and probably wouldn't draw as many viewers, but seriously, wouldn't it be more practical to build a moderate home the family could afford to keep up with and that would not look so out of place in the neighborhood, than to build something so extreme? Oh wait a minute, that would require them to change the name of the show to "Moderate and Practical Home Make-Over". Doesn't sound as special, does it?
Okay, so that was all the let-downs, now on to the feel-good stuff:
In exchange for allowing the builders and crew to park so much equipment on his lawn and for allowing them to disrupt his life, the little old man that lives next door is getting a new roof put on his house, the exterior painted, his fence repaired and some drainage problems he was having on his property will be fixed. We all thought that was very nice that the neighbor was getting some much needed help as well.
I was in complete amazement that everybody seemed to be working so well together. Yes, at times we were in one anothers way, but you never saw anyone lose their cool or composure, everyone seemed to get along, and was eager to help anyone in anyway possible, to help anyone they saw struggling. I can honestly say the only person that seemed to get on the nerves of the other volunteers was a self-appointed "security guard" that patrolled the food tent so that the neighborhood thugs wouldn't steal the food. This moron couldn't wait to brag to anyone within hearing distance how he was just itching to use his tazer on someone if they crossed the line, and about how he was waiting to get a search warrant so they could go search one of the neighbors homes he felt had stolen a hand-carved item that was to be placed in the new home. Turns out, it wasn't stolen, one of the contractors had taken it home over night to avoid having it stolen, and brought it back the next day. Yeah, wannabe cop was the only idiot we really encountered that day.
Best of all, it was fun working with others towards a common goal. We met a lot of truly nice people and even exchanged email/phone numbers with some and have started keeping in touch with them, perhaps we'll have a viewing party when the show finally does air on television.
So the big question is: If the show ever comes to our area again to help another family, would I again sign up to help?
Yeah, I think I would. Only difference is that I'd like to help in at the beginning of the project instead of the end. And if I ever do it again, I'm going to put a disposable camera in my fannypack.
Other moments of interest:
*I learned how to use the toilet on a slant. The port-a-potty I chose to use at the site was sitting on a slight incline but I didn't really notice it until I was trying to let my pants down. I felt as if I would tip over at any moment. When my business was done and I was pulling up my pants, I heard a "SPLASH!" and immediately panicked, thinking my cell phone had fallen into the belly of the bio-hazard beast. A feeling of dread filled me as I turned slowly and peered down into the gallons of human waste. A huge sense of relief replaced the dread as I saw the small bottle of water floating there instead of my cell phone. The water bottle had been in my jacket pocket and fallen out. My cell phone was still safely tucked into my fanny pack. Whew!!
*For someone who is a hand washing freak such as myself, you learn to get over it and just ignore the layers and layers of dirt and grime covering your hands. If you were lucky, you got to rinse as much off as possible in some cold water before eating.
*There were several tall coolers full of canned drinks on ice. With the exception of diet drinks, I don't care to drink sodas unless they are poured over ice. The only ice available was what was in the coolers and everyone had touched with their questionably clean hands. So I discovered that I was able to "get-over-it" and was willing to risk catching a disease in exchange for having ice in my drink. Yes, I poured my Coke over ice that countless people had touched. So far, I've had no ill side-effects.
If you ever get the chance to volunteer at one of these make-overs, despite the few negatives I mentioned in the beginning of this blog, I highly recommend it. John and I both had a great time and enjoyed ourselves very much. It was a great way to end our vacation.
ps (added 11/4/10),
I finally got the photos downloaded, to view them, click on this link.
Of course we all know that what we see on tv isn't exactly what is taking place (unless perhaps it's live footage), and after having witnessed first hand the taping of the Extreme show, it kinda took the "magic" out of the show.
I am not a regular viewer of the show, probably only having watched a handful of them in their entirety. The only cast member that I know by name or would ever recognize is Ty(sp?). Other volunteers were throwing names out and I'm going "Who?", perhaps I should've familiarized myself with the cast/crew before going out there, then I could've been on the look-out for the stars. But then, I'm not a starry-eyed star-chaser as some seem to be. I was there to do a job, not to get autographs or have my photo taken with a celebrity.
We arrived at 4:30 Thursday morning, got checked-in and given our t-shirt, wristband and hard hat before riding the shuttle to the construction site. Despite the fact that it was pitch black outside everywhere else, it was brighter than daylight at the site what with all the generators and flood lights set up all over the place. It was amazing how many workers were already there and had been there throughout the night, working at a frenzied pace. This was the last day of construction and things had to get done by that afternoon. For the first 2 or 3 hours, it felt like we stood around and waited more than anything. "Tim" was in charge of assigning the volunteers jobs, and periodically our little group would be given a task to remove a pile of trash/scrap to the dumpster, then return to the staging area and wait for the next assignment. We were given strict orders to wear our hardhats at all times while on site and that any/all vehicles had the right of way, and if a worker in a green shirt asked us to do something, even if we were already doing some other task, we were to do whatever the green-shirts wanted. We only observed one nit-wit that failed to wear a hardhat, instead she had a knit cap over her wild mass of curls. I don't know what made her so privileged that she was exempt from wearing a hardhat, perhaps it was because of the short-shorts she was wearing. I did see a few more nit-wits wearing dress shoes/boots or clogs to the site to work in. Really people? Couldn't you wear something a bit more appropriate? I suppose "looking good" in case you get on tv or see a celebrity is much more important than your safety. I know if I were going to be carried away on a stretcher after breaking an ankle, I'd want to have the best looking shoes on my feet... I can hear the other workers now: Poor Pitawoman, it's a shame she broke her ankle wearing those stiletto heels over this rough terrain, but at least she looked good when she fell in that pile of debris.
After about 9am, the production crew finally started emerging from their rvs and started barking orders. We were assigned to work with an Asian woman, Noel I think was her name. We were the "gym crew" and given the instructions to clean the gym. I'm not going to give away details of the home's layout and many extravagant amenities, but suffice it to say this place has all the bells and whistles. I would imagine it's going to take several weeks (months?) to learn how to use all the gadgets this home is loaded with. John and I started off mopping the floor where the work-out equipment was to be placed, only to have a crew come waltzing through that still needed to do some work on the bathroom, thus tracking up the floor we'd just mopped. Can you say "wasted effort, wasted time?" I finally gave up mopping and started to help clean the windows, I hadn't gotten too far into that job when a painter said to me, "I'm getting ready to paint that door" and to which I replied, "so basically, I'm wasting my time here" and gave up in disgust. I wasn't disgusted with the painter, just with the disorganized way things were being done. Honestly, it got to the point there were too many people in too small of an area trying to work, and we were getting in one anothers way. John and I finally threw up our hands, returned to the staging area and asked to be given another task. The rest of the day, we were assigned to work with "Tom" from Boland Maloney Lumber.
We threw out a LOT more trash, stacked supplies and generators on pallets and applied shrink-wrap so that Tom could haul it away with his fork-lift. The thing about this whole project that really disgusted and disappointed me the most is the amount of waste involved. There were nearly full boxes of supplies that were thrown away, simply because they'd been opened. I was horrified beyond belief!! Why not contact Habitat for Humanity or some of the church groups that do fix-up projects for homes in the community to come and take away the excess that would otherwise end up in the landfill? One of our many supervisors throughout the day, whether it was Tim, Tom, Mike, Jay, Brandon or Rocky, informed us that they always ordered more supplies than they needed to complete the project ahead of time, that way the didn't have to worry about running out and waiting for more to arrive, since they were on such a strict deadline. Okay, I understand the over-ordering, but not the throwing away part. It just appalled me to no end!!! There was a portable basketball goal that looked practically brand new, instead of saving it for the kids that would be living in the new house, it was tossed into the dumpster and mashed down. Again, horrified! Several of the volunteers said they'd like to have it, but of course unless you could haul it away right then and there, you couldn't have it.
When it came time to move the bus, we were again disappointed with the reality of how things really happen. Ty gets the crowd all worked up and tells them to yell out "Move That Bus!", so we did, the camera crews filmed it all, only to have the bus back up and do it again several more times. Then the limo pulled up, Ty gets all theatrical about opening the door, only to let us all down because there were no passengers. Several takes later, they finally brought in a limo with the family inside, but not before several film shoots were taken of Ty running up the front steps of the house. The only thing that was done in one take was moving the bus with the family standing there. That's a one-time only filming of their genuine surprise. Even once the family was allowed to run up to the house, that too was filmed several times over.
Of course, what the filming crew won't show is the other side of the house which wasn't completed, and in fact, had cardboard tacked in place to cover the soffets. I supposed they finished it within a day or so and came back to film a little bit of footage to include when they edit all the takes.
Another disappointment, and one that was echoed by several of the other volunteers, was how we were treated once our job was done. We felt we should've had our own viewing-area, separate from the regular spectators, but we didn't and had to mingle with those who were there simply to watch and of course already had the best viewing spots taken. We got lost in the shuffle and could hardly see a thing. We never got the chance to go back to the car and get our camera, and ended up taking a few pix with our cell phones. I'm hoping I can get to Walgreens later today and try to get mine developed, even though I don't think the quality will be very good.
This home, which is beautiful and looks like it should be sitting out on a forest covered mountain somewhere, looks completely out of place amongst the neighboring homes. The next door neighbor's house was a tiny little thing made of concrete-blocks and honestly, I think my office here at work is as big as that house, that's how small it is. Unless a security fence is put up around the new home, I can easily imagine it being vandalized before too long, at the very least, the kids' tree house getting torn up. I know there are donations coming in to help this family with some of the added expenses they will be facing, but eventually, those donations will cease and they are going to have to make it on their own. I just hope ABC and the show's producers aren't setting this family up with a huge burden down the road.
I realize it wouldn't be as much sensationalism and probably wouldn't draw as many viewers, but seriously, wouldn't it be more practical to build a moderate home the family could afford to keep up with and that would not look so out of place in the neighborhood, than to build something so extreme? Oh wait a minute, that would require them to change the name of the show to "Moderate and Practical Home Make-Over". Doesn't sound as special, does it?
Okay, so that was all the let-downs, now on to the feel-good stuff:
In exchange for allowing the builders and crew to park so much equipment on his lawn and for allowing them to disrupt his life, the little old man that lives next door is getting a new roof put on his house, the exterior painted, his fence repaired and some drainage problems he was having on his property will be fixed. We all thought that was very nice that the neighbor was getting some much needed help as well.
I was in complete amazement that everybody seemed to be working so well together. Yes, at times we were in one anothers way, but you never saw anyone lose their cool or composure, everyone seemed to get along, and was eager to help anyone in anyway possible, to help anyone they saw struggling. I can honestly say the only person that seemed to get on the nerves of the other volunteers was a self-appointed "security guard" that patrolled the food tent so that the neighborhood thugs wouldn't steal the food. This moron couldn't wait to brag to anyone within hearing distance how he was just itching to use his tazer on someone if they crossed the line, and about how he was waiting to get a search warrant so they could go search one of the neighbors homes he felt had stolen a hand-carved item that was to be placed in the new home. Turns out, it wasn't stolen, one of the contractors had taken it home over night to avoid having it stolen, and brought it back the next day. Yeah, wannabe cop was the only idiot we really encountered that day.
Best of all, it was fun working with others towards a common goal. We met a lot of truly nice people and even exchanged email/phone numbers with some and have started keeping in touch with them, perhaps we'll have a viewing party when the show finally does air on television.
So the big question is: If the show ever comes to our area again to help another family, would I again sign up to help?
Yeah, I think I would. Only difference is that I'd like to help in at the beginning of the project instead of the end. And if I ever do it again, I'm going to put a disposable camera in my fannypack.
Other moments of interest:
*I learned how to use the toilet on a slant. The port-a-potty I chose to use at the site was sitting on a slight incline but I didn't really notice it until I was trying to let my pants down. I felt as if I would tip over at any moment. When my business was done and I was pulling up my pants, I heard a "SPLASH!" and immediately panicked, thinking my cell phone had fallen into the belly of the bio-hazard beast. A feeling of dread filled me as I turned slowly and peered down into the gallons of human waste. A huge sense of relief replaced the dread as I saw the small bottle of water floating there instead of my cell phone. The water bottle had been in my jacket pocket and fallen out. My cell phone was still safely tucked into my fanny pack. Whew!!
*For someone who is a hand washing freak such as myself, you learn to get over it and just ignore the layers and layers of dirt and grime covering your hands. If you were lucky, you got to rinse as much off as possible in some cold water before eating.
*There were several tall coolers full of canned drinks on ice. With the exception of diet drinks, I don't care to drink sodas unless they are poured over ice. The only ice available was what was in the coolers and everyone had touched with their questionably clean hands. So I discovered that I was able to "get-over-it" and was willing to risk catching a disease in exchange for having ice in my drink. Yes, I poured my Coke over ice that countless people had touched. So far, I've had no ill side-effects.
If you ever get the chance to volunteer at one of these make-overs, despite the few negatives I mentioned in the beginning of this blog, I highly recommend it. John and I both had a great time and enjoyed ourselves very much. It was a great way to end our vacation.
ps (added 11/4/10),
I finally got the photos downloaded, to view them, click on this link.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Love and Joy
Anyone who has ever scoffed at the likes of myself who refer to their k-9 furbabies as children, obviously has never had a house full of Great Danes.
The husband and I got several chuckles last night (as we do on many occasions) watching their antics and observing their interaction with one another. You could see the wheels of their thought process turning in their heads as they tried to out smart one another.
Even though Bootsy is my rough, tough and gruff bitch, with little patience for Olivia's antics, and despite Eliott being much larger than my white child, of late I've come to the conclusion that both are either afraid of Olivia, or else just afraid to stand up to her because their afraid of what I might do to should either of them hurt Liv. As a result of their refusal to stand up to her, Olivia has grown rather brazen with her brother and sister and often will block their path, preventing them from entering the house when I open the back door for them, or blocking their path if they try to go to the kitchen (where the food/water dishes are located). The child is becoming a little witch where they are concerned. She's not aggressive with them, she simply stands there, blocking their path, and they refuse to try and walk past her until I intervene and escort them past her. It's kind of like that game of the annoying younger sibling twirling a finger in the older siblings face and chanting, "I'm not touching you", all the while knowing that the elder kid(s) want to clobber the younger for being a pest. The younger pushes the envelope to see what he/she can get by with.
Last night, John was lying in the floor playing with Eliott while Bootsy laid close by, as is her norm to mind her own business and want to be left alone. John would toss Eliott's favorite squeak-toy and he'd fetch it, bring it back and lay by John, chewing on the toy 'til he was ready to have it tossed again. The jealous one (Olivia) wanted in on the attention and came over and squeezed in between John and Eliott. Next time he tossed the toy for Eliott, Olivia wanted to play too. The dogs were having a good time racing to see who could fetch it first and trying to take it away from one another, but I had to put an end to it as there isn't enough room for that kind of rough housing indoors, least of all while John is lying in the floor. I was afraid he was going to get hurt.
So what does Olivia do? While Eliott went to get a drink, she picks up his toy that ordinarily she has zero interest in, and carries it over to her recliner, curls up in the chair and left the toy sitting right next to her foot. She didn't try to hide it, but placed it out in the open, as if to taunt him upon his return and to dare him to try and take it back.
Sure enough, when Eliott returned, he was looking around the floor for his toy. This toy is an orange dinosaur squeaker. He's had it for years and loves it. It's the most unusual squeak toy I've ever found and I wish I could remember where I got it. Regardless of how much he chews on it and plays with it, it has never lost it's squeak, he's never put a hole in it, and it has thus far proven indestructible. He loves it!! We call this toy "Dino" or "Squiggy". So when Eliott couldn't find Dino lying on the floor, he looked around, perplexed. John and I encouraged him to find Dino and Eliott looked harder. Finally I got his attention and pointed towards Olivia and told him to find Dino. Then he saw it and he came to a complete stand still as he accessed the situation. He took a couple of hesitant steps towards her and stopped, decided against trying to reclaim his beloved Dino, and went and sat by John. We encouraged him some more and again he took a few steps towards her, stretching his neck out, sniffing the air as if to confirm that was indeed his Dino. I kept encouraging him to take what was his. He wasn't brave enough. Eliott came over and stood in front of me, leaned as close as he possibly could and touched his cold, wet nose to mine as if to say "Pleeease momma! Get my toy for me!!"
John and I couldn't contain our giggles at his pitiful face. We kept encouraging him to get Dino. After much hesitation, he finally mustered up the courage and practically tiptoed over and stood as far away as possible from Olivia, but still within range of being able to stretch his mouth out and ever so gently take Dino's arm, grip it in his front teeth, and then quickly step back away from Olivia. He spun away and retreated to the safety of his cushion where he quickly tucked Dino into his blanket to hide it from Olivia, should she come looking for it. His fears were groundless, as she did little more than raise her eyebrows at him when he reclaimed his toy.
Yes, for all the frustrations and annoyances they can sometimes cause like when they make a mess, or the fear and worry when they're sick, all those moments are easily forgotten when they bring so much joy and laughter. Last night wasn't a rare moment of levity, but a rather frequent occurrence. Much like human children, they fill our hearts with love and joy.
The husband and I got several chuckles last night (as we do on many occasions) watching their antics and observing their interaction with one another. You could see the wheels of their thought process turning in their heads as they tried to out smart one another.
Even though Bootsy is my rough, tough and gruff bitch, with little patience for Olivia's antics, and despite Eliott being much larger than my white child, of late I've come to the conclusion that both are either afraid of Olivia, or else just afraid to stand up to her because their afraid of what I might do to should either of them hurt Liv. As a result of their refusal to stand up to her, Olivia has grown rather brazen with her brother and sister and often will block their path, preventing them from entering the house when I open the back door for them, or blocking their path if they try to go to the kitchen (where the food/water dishes are located). The child is becoming a little witch where they are concerned. She's not aggressive with them, she simply stands there, blocking their path, and they refuse to try and walk past her until I intervene and escort them past her. It's kind of like that game of the annoying younger sibling twirling a finger in the older siblings face and chanting, "I'm not touching you", all the while knowing that the elder kid(s) want to clobber the younger for being a pest. The younger pushes the envelope to see what he/she can get by with.
Last night, John was lying in the floor playing with Eliott while Bootsy laid close by, as is her norm to mind her own business and want to be left alone. John would toss Eliott's favorite squeak-toy and he'd fetch it, bring it back and lay by John, chewing on the toy 'til he was ready to have it tossed again. The jealous one (Olivia) wanted in on the attention and came over and squeezed in between John and Eliott. Next time he tossed the toy for Eliott, Olivia wanted to play too. The dogs were having a good time racing to see who could fetch it first and trying to take it away from one another, but I had to put an end to it as there isn't enough room for that kind of rough housing indoors, least of all while John is lying in the floor. I was afraid he was going to get hurt.
So what does Olivia do? While Eliott went to get a drink, she picks up his toy that ordinarily she has zero interest in, and carries it over to her recliner, curls up in the chair and left the toy sitting right next to her foot. She didn't try to hide it, but placed it out in the open, as if to taunt him upon his return and to dare him to try and take it back.
Sure enough, when Eliott returned, he was looking around the floor for his toy. This toy is an orange dinosaur squeaker. He's had it for years and loves it. It's the most unusual squeak toy I've ever found and I wish I could remember where I got it. Regardless of how much he chews on it and plays with it, it has never lost it's squeak, he's never put a hole in it, and it has thus far proven indestructible. He loves it!! We call this toy "Dino" or "Squiggy". So when Eliott couldn't find Dino lying on the floor, he looked around, perplexed. John and I encouraged him to find Dino and Eliott looked harder. Finally I got his attention and pointed towards Olivia and told him to find Dino. Then he saw it and he came to a complete stand still as he accessed the situation. He took a couple of hesitant steps towards her and stopped, decided against trying to reclaim his beloved Dino, and went and sat by John. We encouraged him some more and again he took a few steps towards her, stretching his neck out, sniffing the air as if to confirm that was indeed his Dino. I kept encouraging him to take what was his. He wasn't brave enough. Eliott came over and stood in front of me, leaned as close as he possibly could and touched his cold, wet nose to mine as if to say "Pleeease momma! Get my toy for me!!"
John and I couldn't contain our giggles at his pitiful face. We kept encouraging him to get Dino. After much hesitation, he finally mustered up the courage and practically tiptoed over and stood as far away as possible from Olivia, but still within range of being able to stretch his mouth out and ever so gently take Dino's arm, grip it in his front teeth, and then quickly step back away from Olivia. He spun away and retreated to the safety of his cushion where he quickly tucked Dino into his blanket to hide it from Olivia, should she come looking for it. His fears were groundless, as she did little more than raise her eyebrows at him when he reclaimed his toy.
Yes, for all the frustrations and annoyances they can sometimes cause like when they make a mess, or the fear and worry when they're sick, all those moments are easily forgotten when they bring so much joy and laughter. Last night wasn't a rare moment of levity, but a rather frequent occurrence. Much like human children, they fill our hearts with love and joy.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Great article!!!
I found a great article in a local magazine over the weekend. I tried emailing it to several people, but the way the magazine email reads and the subject line, it's doubtful too many people would open it, much less read it. I sent it to myself, and even though I knew what it was, I was hesitant to open it. Oh well.
The article was on what to do and what NOT to do when approaching & petting a dog.
The entire article was good, but it was section 3 that most caught my attention and made me sit up straight and say HALLELUJAH!, somebody else that gets it!!
It should be required reading for all children AND adults. I'm seriously considering running off some copies to hand out to some of the morons I encounter while I'm out walking my dog(s), like the strangers that get nose to nose with my dog or pry open their mouths and look inside. Seriously, not a smart thing to do folks, even if you know the dog.
Here is the part of that article:
PETTING A LEASHED DOG WITH OWNER:
ALWAYS ask the owner for permission to pet their dog. This is EXTREMELY important for children to learn and the safest way for them to learn to interact with a dog. Children are full of energy and exhibit quick motion and loud vocals at times. While this may be normal for people to witness, it can be a little confusing to a dog. It's wise to teach children to practice a softer tone of voice when around not only dogs, but all animal.
Some dogs live (and love) to be petted, such as therapy dogs that are trained to visit hospitals and nursing homes. Their presence alone helps to enrich the lives of people, while some dogs prefer NOT being touched at all. So it's always important to ask the owner, "May I pet your dog?"
If the owner agrees, slowly hold your hand out UNDER the dog's head with palms up. Let the dog "touch" you with it's nose first to see that you are not a threat. Too many times, people mistakenly pat the dog on the top of the head which leaves the dog to wonder... "where did the hand go... and why is it over my eyes so I can't see?"
Direct eye contact is seen by a dog as a threat or sign of dominance. Unless you are very familiar with the dog and have given him a belly rub a time or two, quick gazes or looking away while holding your hand out slowly to give the dog a chance to know you first is a great way to meet half-way. Let the dog sniff you out first, and let it introduce itself to you first. "Hi, how do you do? My name is Dog... what's yours?"
With these helpful "to dos " and "what not to dos", the "how do you dos" can be very pawsitive!
To read the full article, click on this link . The article is on pages 66 & 67.
The article was on what to do and what NOT to do when approaching & petting a dog.
The entire article was good, but it was section 3 that most caught my attention and made me sit up straight and say HALLELUJAH!, somebody else that gets it!!
It should be required reading for all children AND adults. I'm seriously considering running off some copies to hand out to some of the morons I encounter while I'm out walking my dog(s), like the strangers that get nose to nose with my dog or pry open their mouths and look inside. Seriously, not a smart thing to do folks, even if you know the dog.
Here is the part of that article:
PETTING A LEASHED DOG WITH OWNER:
ALWAYS ask the owner for permission to pet their dog. This is EXTREMELY important for children to learn and the safest way for them to learn to interact with a dog. Children are full of energy and exhibit quick motion and loud vocals at times. While this may be normal for people to witness, it can be a little confusing to a dog. It's wise to teach children to practice a softer tone of voice when around not only dogs, but all animal.
Some dogs live (and love) to be petted, such as therapy dogs that are trained to visit hospitals and nursing homes. Their presence alone helps to enrich the lives of people, while some dogs prefer NOT being touched at all. So it's always important to ask the owner, "May I pet your dog?"
If the owner agrees, slowly hold your hand out UNDER the dog's head with palms up. Let the dog "touch" you with it's nose first to see that you are not a threat. Too many times, people mistakenly pat the dog on the top of the head which leaves the dog to wonder... "where did the hand go... and why is it over my eyes so I can't see?"
Direct eye contact is seen by a dog as a threat or sign of dominance. Unless you are very familiar with the dog and have given him a belly rub a time or two, quick gazes or looking away while holding your hand out slowly to give the dog a chance to know you first is a great way to meet half-way. Let the dog sniff you out first, and let it introduce itself to you first. "Hi, how do you do? My name is Dog... what's yours?"
With these helpful "to dos " and "what not to dos", the "how do you dos" can be very pawsitive!
To read the full article, click on this link . The article is on pages 66 & 67.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Catching Up
It's 'bout time I did some serious posting. 'Been away much too long. Finally remembered to bring the camera with me as well.
I've been playing with the etch-a-sketch mode again...
Eliott & Bootsy
Olivia
Eliott
Funny how Bootsy's dark areas appear white, and her white parts appear dark in this mode.
Was it only 3 weeks ago we cooked out with the neighbors? Seems like forever ago!
John, chillin' by the fireplace.
Getting hugs from Mimi...
... and more hugs!
Mimi peeking thru the window of her fort(?).
Cutey patootey!
Mimi had big plans to camp-out in her tent all night, but reality was something entirely different.
Etch-a-sketch "Artie & Millie"
Charlotte's Web...
In the very center of this photo is a spider.
Here's a close-up of Charlotte...
... and her web...
... and her zig-zag design she radiates from the center of her web.
While at the farm this past Saturday, I found 2 more just like her, both of them with their webs woven to the welcome sign. It seems I'm suddenly seeing them everywhere I look.
As much as I love my new camera, I'm discovering it's a bit of a pain in the butt to take everywhere with me. It's too big to toss into my purse and go, and I don't like it hanging around my neck at all times, especially when I take Olivia to our walks/runs. **sigh** Perhaps a smaller camera would've been more appropriate, as there have been so many times these past few weeks I wish I'd had my camera with me, but didn't.
This past Saturday at the Arthritis Walk, I'd have given anything to have gotten a picture of Olivia being loved on by the Crums, not that I'm a particular fan (I've no feelings one way or the other), but my husband was a huge fan of Denny's when he was still coaching and I think he'd have liked having it.
Yesterday, I took Olivia out to the Boy Scout camp near Bernheim. We were s'posed to go back in May, but work got in the way and our plans were cancelled. This time I stood my ground, took the time off and we went. The event is called "Adventure Camp" and is for school children that are disabled (physically &/or mentally) or with emotional problems. The camp is run completely by volunteers, and the kids and adults alike seem to really enjoy themselves.
We arrived early and I took some scenery photos...
There was fishing, boating, karaoke, games, etc. etc. Too many things to choose from for only being there 4 or 5 hours. It's a shame it's only a 1-day field trip for these kids. There were the giant rafts, the giant canoes, and pontoon-like boats to choose from. As we're not s'posed to take photos of the children that could identify them, I had to edit the images to blur out their faces, not that you could really see them from that distance, but just to cover my butt.
There were two other dogs and a cat in attendance yesterday as well...
Blitz the cat, whose picture I failed to take.
Willy the toy poodle, sitting on Emma's lap,
and Aubie the golden retriever w/her "mom", Carol.
Olivia did better than I hoped. She hasn't always done very well around children, but she has come a long way baby! She let the masses of children and adults love on her, whether they were able-bodied or not, of sound mind or not, heavy-handed with the petting or gentle, she took it all in stride and then slept soundly on the ride home and for several hours after getting home.
Liv and Willy are well acquainted, as they have been making the nursing home visits together. It took her a while to settle down around Aubie as she wanted to play with her. I think Aubie reminded her of her friend Kya that recently moved away. But she finally settled down and was content to just lie about and be admired.
It was a good day and hopefully we can participate again in the spring. :)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
I'm still around
Did you think I'd fallen off the face of the earth? It's been over 2 weeks since I last posted. I think that's the longest stretch I've ever gone before. What can I say? Sometimes life just gets in the way. That and the fact that I've been having a lot of technical difficulties at work.
The good, the bad, and the ugly...
The good things since I last posted:
*Last week the weather was FANTASTIC!! The skies were beautiful, the temperatures even more so, and we were able to sleep with the windows open. Honestly, I wish there was a place where the weather was like that 365/year, we'd never need the furnace or a/c.
*We participated in the following walking-events: the Mayor's Hike & Bike, the Old. Co. Humane Soc. walk, and the Alzheimer's walk. As has become her custom, she did very well at all the events. She's even started getting requests for visits to other nursing homes. I doubt we'll fulfill those requests, at least, not all of them, simply because I don't want to drive to the part of town they're located in, but it's nice to be asked.
*The husband had his first colonoscopy yesterday. Everything went very well. No need to go back for another 5 years.
*The season premier of some of my favorite shows starts tonight, I can hardly wait!!
The bad things since I last posted:
*My iPod seems to have died. I don't know if it's a permanent death or a temporary coma. It's on life-support right now, and I'm waiting to find out if I need to permanently pull the plug on it. **sniff**... I dropped it off to a computer-genius friend to see if he could figure out what's wrong with it. Life sucks without it, I've had to resort to listening to cd's in my car. I tried listening to the radio, but honestly, commercials make me batty. I'd rather have silence than listen to the radio. The husband told me just to go buy a new one, but I told him I'd wait. My cell phone, which is hanging on by a thread, held together with Scotch-tape, when the contract is up in a few months, I may bite the bullet and get an iPhone. I just don't know right now. :(
*The beautiful weather we experienced last week has gone away, and the high temperatures have returned. Ugh! At least it isn't quite as humid as before, but still prett toasty out there. Not to mention, it's so very dry, the lawn is crunchy.
*My tomato plants are dead as well. It was a short growing season for my 'maters this year. **sniff**
The ugly:
*Liv's "grandma" commented that Livvie was getting fat and had bad breath. Fat? I think not!! When she was at the vet 6 weeks ago for her check-up, she weighed the same as the last 2 or 3 years. And as for dog-breath, most dogs do have dog-breath. But has she tried sniffing her own dogs' breath? Some of her dogs (1 in particular) will just about knock you off your feet. And I can think of some of her dogs that are carrying (or were when they were alive) more than a few pounds. Please, don't diss my dog 'til your own are in perfect condition.
*The price of gas has gone up again. Honestly, this sucks!! But I realize it's a fact of life. :(
*It seems I spend less and less time cooking anymore. We're either too busy or I'm too tired. Poor excuses. I really need to get back to cooking more, eating out is just too expensive!!
Other things:
While pulling weeds from the flower bed several days ago, I discovered a very large spider sitting in the middle of a web (I don't know if it's a her or not, but I've named her "Charlotte" just the same). I took pix, if I can just remember to bring my camera so I can download them. Her body is big, her legs very long, and she's very brightly colored. A common garden spider the internet told us, although I've never seen anything like her, so how common can she be? Also called a writing-spider (I think) or a script-spider maybe? Anyway, she's the same kind as in "Charlottes Web". My Charlotte puts a line of heavy zig-zag in her web each time she rebuilds it. I really need to finish pulling weeds in that flower bed, but I don't have the heart to tear her web down, nor do I want to risk her jumping/crawling on me. Blech!! So for now, I just stop by her web whenever I take Livvie for a walk and say "hi". I wonder what will become of her when the weather gets colder??
Am planning on taking Olivia back to the nursing home this Thursday. And next Monday, she's going to the Adventure Camp for disabled children. We were s'posed to attend back in May, but I couldn't get off work for it. This time, I've got the day off, so we'll be there. I'm sure there will be much to blog about next week...
The good, the bad, and the ugly...
The good things since I last posted:
*Last week the weather was FANTASTIC!! The skies were beautiful, the temperatures even more so, and we were able to sleep with the windows open. Honestly, I wish there was a place where the weather was like that 365/year, we'd never need the furnace or a/c.
*We participated in the following walking-events: the Mayor's Hike & Bike, the Old. Co. Humane Soc. walk, and the Alzheimer's walk. As has become her custom, she did very well at all the events. She's even started getting requests for visits to other nursing homes. I doubt we'll fulfill those requests, at least, not all of them, simply because I don't want to drive to the part of town they're located in, but it's nice to be asked.
*The husband had his first colonoscopy yesterday. Everything went very well. No need to go back for another 5 years.
*The season premier of some of my favorite shows starts tonight, I can hardly wait!!
The bad things since I last posted:
*My iPod seems to have died. I don't know if it's a permanent death or a temporary coma. It's on life-support right now, and I'm waiting to find out if I need to permanently pull the plug on it. **sniff**... I dropped it off to a computer-genius friend to see if he could figure out what's wrong with it. Life sucks without it, I've had to resort to listening to cd's in my car. I tried listening to the radio, but honestly, commercials make me batty. I'd rather have silence than listen to the radio. The husband told me just to go buy a new one, but I told him I'd wait. My cell phone, which is hanging on by a thread, held together with Scotch-tape, when the contract is up in a few months, I may bite the bullet and get an iPhone. I just don't know right now. :(
*The beautiful weather we experienced last week has gone away, and the high temperatures have returned. Ugh! At least it isn't quite as humid as before, but still prett toasty out there. Not to mention, it's so very dry, the lawn is crunchy.
*My tomato plants are dead as well. It was a short growing season for my 'maters this year. **sniff**
The ugly:
*Liv's "grandma" commented that Livvie was getting fat and had bad breath. Fat? I think not!! When she was at the vet 6 weeks ago for her check-up, she weighed the same as the last 2 or 3 years. And as for dog-breath, most dogs do have dog-breath. But has she tried sniffing her own dogs' breath? Some of her dogs (1 in particular) will just about knock you off your feet. And I can think of some of her dogs that are carrying (or were when they were alive) more than a few pounds. Please, don't diss my dog 'til your own are in perfect condition.
*The price of gas has gone up again. Honestly, this sucks!! But I realize it's a fact of life. :(
*It seems I spend less and less time cooking anymore. We're either too busy or I'm too tired. Poor excuses. I really need to get back to cooking more, eating out is just too expensive!!
Other things:
While pulling weeds from the flower bed several days ago, I discovered a very large spider sitting in the middle of a web (I don't know if it's a her or not, but I've named her "Charlotte" just the same). I took pix, if I can just remember to bring my camera so I can download them. Her body is big, her legs very long, and she's very brightly colored. A common garden spider the internet told us, although I've never seen anything like her, so how common can she be? Also called a writing-spider (I think) or a script-spider maybe? Anyway, she's the same kind as in "Charlottes Web". My Charlotte puts a line of heavy zig-zag in her web each time she rebuilds it. I really need to finish pulling weeds in that flower bed, but I don't have the heart to tear her web down, nor do I want to risk her jumping/crawling on me. Blech!! So for now, I just stop by her web whenever I take Livvie for a walk and say "hi". I wonder what will become of her when the weather gets colder??
Am planning on taking Olivia back to the nursing home this Thursday. And next Monday, she's going to the Adventure Camp for disabled children. We were s'posed to attend back in May, but I couldn't get off work for it. This time, I've got the day off, so we'll be there. I'm sure there will be much to blog about next week...
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Choosing my friends carefully
The husband and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary on Friday. Nothing special, just out to dinner. The real celebration came Saturday evening... watching UFC 118 on pay-perview. I know, I probably need my head examined. Most wives would probably want jewelry, fancy dinner, a box of chocolates and flowers. What can I say? I'm an enigma!! Give me a simple meal and mixed martial arts to watch, and I'm happy. :)
This time around, we went to the BW3's closer to our house. For reasons I don't understand, they don't advertise that they show the fights, unlike other places we've gone to. And unlike other places, not every tv in the place switches over to show the fights. Those in the backroom where we were did, but not in the main dining room.
The manager nearly had a riot on her hands, as she took her sweet time switching the tv's over. In her defense though, she was having to deal with a jerk-customer that thought the world revolved around him and kept bitching about every little thing, finally picking up his food, drink, and moving his family out to the main dining room and sitting at another table. He didn't like the waitress, he didn't like the service in general, he didn't like that he couldn't hear his football game, blah, blah, blah. A football game that was on CBS. Gimme a break, go home and watch it or go stand in the middle of the electronics section of the nearest store.
Our waiter, Jeremiah, was very accommodating and took good care of us. John as usual befriended anyone and everyone within earshot. There was a group of 6 guys (older than teenagers but younger than us) at the large table next to us, and when he could stay awake long enough, he was getting rather chummy with them.
I was ready to clobber the little ditsy blond (who I certainly wouldn't have served alcohol to, regardless of what her i.d. said) sitting behind me. She obviously knew nothing about the sport, but was simply trying to make her boyfriend happy by cheering on whoever he was rooting for, and couldn't understand why certain people were declared the winners. Oh well, I'm getting off the subject here.
Anyway...
The last of the prelim fights was just about over, all that remained were the two co-main events: Randy Couture vs. James Toney (MMA vs. Boxing) and Frankie Edgar vs. BJ Penn.
One of the young men from the large table came over to ours and exchanged names with John, although over the roar in the room, I never caught what his name was. He then asked if we lived nearby and John told him the general vicinity. My curiosity is piqued, if not a little alarmed. He then told us that one of his buddies had a 50" big screen back at his place and they were thinking about going there for the next fight and wanted to know if we wanted to join them.
Now, there were 2 ways that statement could be interpreted, and needless to say, I misunderstood his meaning.
I took it to mean they were leaving right then to go watch the last two fights at home, did we want to join them? John deferred to me, I just shook my head "no" and said we'd stay there. John backed me on my decision, thanked the young man and he said, "hey, no problem" and returned to his seat.
My thought was this: how silly to leave, possibly miss part of the next fight, pay all that money for pay-perview only to watch 2 fights at home. I didn't want to miss a moment of the action. Thanks but no thanks.
I said all this to John who then made me realize I'd misunderstood what the guy was talking about. What he meant was: They were thinking about gathering at the friend's home for the next UFC, #119, coming up on Sept. 25th, did we want to join them?
Oh, now I felt foolish for so quickly saying no. However, I still stood by my decision, just for different reasons.
We knew absolutely nothing about any of these guys. Although I was somewhat impressed that I saw none of them consuming anything alcoholic (as far as I could tell), for all I know, they could all be smokers. I can't handle being around cigarette smoke, and I certainly wouldn't feel right going into their home and telling them they can't smoke while I'm there. Or for all we know, they're dealing drugs or growing marijuana in the basement. It would be just our luck to be there watching the fights and have the place raided and suddenly we're put in a bad predicament. No thanks!!
While it would be nice to watch the fights with a group of friends that share the same interest, I have to get to know my friends better first, before committing myself to such an arrangement. This probably sounds totally silly, but I have felt somewhat guilty that we might have hurt the guys feelings for turning them down so hastily, I somehow feel I should've explained. But oh well, what's done is done.
If they were meant to be our new MMA friends, then our paths will cross again someday. John told them we were probably going to Tinseltown next time to try out the theater seating, maybe we'll see them there.
On the plus side, with the exception of Kenny Florian's fight, all the others turned out the way I rooted for. Yay!!!!
This time around, we went to the BW3's closer to our house. For reasons I don't understand, they don't advertise that they show the fights, unlike other places we've gone to. And unlike other places, not every tv in the place switches over to show the fights. Those in the backroom where we were did, but not in the main dining room.
The manager nearly had a riot on her hands, as she took her sweet time switching the tv's over. In her defense though, she was having to deal with a jerk-customer that thought the world revolved around him and kept bitching about every little thing, finally picking up his food, drink, and moving his family out to the main dining room and sitting at another table. He didn't like the waitress, he didn't like the service in general, he didn't like that he couldn't hear his football game, blah, blah, blah. A football game that was on CBS. Gimme a break, go home and watch it or go stand in the middle of the electronics section of the nearest store.
Our waiter, Jeremiah, was very accommodating and took good care of us. John as usual befriended anyone and everyone within earshot. There was a group of 6 guys (older than teenagers but younger than us) at the large table next to us, and when he could stay awake long enough, he was getting rather chummy with them.
I was ready to clobber the little ditsy blond (who I certainly wouldn't have served alcohol to, regardless of what her i.d. said) sitting behind me. She obviously knew nothing about the sport, but was simply trying to make her boyfriend happy by cheering on whoever he was rooting for, and couldn't understand why certain people were declared the winners. Oh well, I'm getting off the subject here.
Anyway...
The last of the prelim fights was just about over, all that remained were the two co-main events: Randy Couture vs. James Toney (MMA vs. Boxing) and Frankie Edgar vs. BJ Penn.
One of the young men from the large table came over to ours and exchanged names with John, although over the roar in the room, I never caught what his name was. He then asked if we lived nearby and John told him the general vicinity. My curiosity is piqued, if not a little alarmed. He then told us that one of his buddies had a 50" big screen back at his place and they were thinking about going there for the next fight and wanted to know if we wanted to join them.
Now, there were 2 ways that statement could be interpreted, and needless to say, I misunderstood his meaning.
I took it to mean they were leaving right then to go watch the last two fights at home, did we want to join them? John deferred to me, I just shook my head "no" and said we'd stay there. John backed me on my decision, thanked the young man and he said, "hey, no problem" and returned to his seat.
My thought was this: how silly to leave, possibly miss part of the next fight, pay all that money for pay-perview only to watch 2 fights at home. I didn't want to miss a moment of the action. Thanks but no thanks.
I said all this to John who then made me realize I'd misunderstood what the guy was talking about. What he meant was: They were thinking about gathering at the friend's home for the next UFC, #119, coming up on Sept. 25th, did we want to join them?
Oh, now I felt foolish for so quickly saying no. However, I still stood by my decision, just for different reasons.
We knew absolutely nothing about any of these guys. Although I was somewhat impressed that I saw none of them consuming anything alcoholic (as far as I could tell), for all I know, they could all be smokers. I can't handle being around cigarette smoke, and I certainly wouldn't feel right going into their home and telling them they can't smoke while I'm there. Or for all we know, they're dealing drugs or growing marijuana in the basement. It would be just our luck to be there watching the fights and have the place raided and suddenly we're put in a bad predicament. No thanks!!
While it would be nice to watch the fights with a group of friends that share the same interest, I have to get to know my friends better first, before committing myself to such an arrangement. This probably sounds totally silly, but I have felt somewhat guilty that we might have hurt the guys feelings for turning them down so hastily, I somehow feel I should've explained. But oh well, what's done is done.
If they were meant to be our new MMA friends, then our paths will cross again someday. John told them we were probably going to Tinseltown next time to try out the theater seating, maybe we'll see them there.
On the plus side, with the exception of Kenny Florian's fight, all the others turned out the way I rooted for. Yay!!!!
Monday, August 30, 2010
News flash! and A riddle for you
Since I have so much to blog about concerning my favorite subject, OLIVIA, I thought I'd just combine it in to one post.
Part 1:
BREAKING HEADLINE NEWS!!!!... GIANT DOG TERRORIZES NURSING HOME!!!
As I mentioned last week, Olivia was scheduled for her first therapy-pet outing, a visit to a nursing home. Needless to say, I was a nervous wreck, wondering if she would knock some old person over, wag her tail and send a walker flying, or just because of her size, send an already ailing person into a massive coronary.
My husband said, "Either she'll do really well, or else he would be hearing about breaking headline news later that evening: "Giant dog terrorizes nursing home!!"
I called him as we were leaving the facility to tell him there was no need to watch the news.
She did better than I ever would have dreamed, especially for her first visit! I was sooooo proud of her. Even though it's been four days now, I'm still beaming with pride in my sweet girl. I dare say, her destiny has been fulfilled.
Olivia and I met two other volunteers there, Emma and Leesa and their dogs, a toy poodle named Willy and a cairn terrier (like Toto from the Wizard of Oz) named Murphy. As they were all old pros at this, Liv and I just followed behind, letting them lead the way and learning from them.
Heads were turning, even before we got into the building, as those three dogs made an odd sight. After checking in at the front desk, we started down the first of the four wings we'd visit that night.
With them in the lead, their dogs were of course, the first thing the residents saw. As Emma knocked on each door, asking the residents if they wanted to visit with our dogs, some welcomed us all in, some declined our visit. Some said yes to the little dogs, but then when they saw Olivia bringing up the rear, they would say, "not that one". We didn't take offense, some people are leery of big dogs, and her size can be imposing. Some doors that were knocked on, they declined the offer of a doggy-visit and we would start to walk past, but then once they caught sight of Olivia, we were called back. Some people are just "big dog lovers", and they were drawn to her.
Many of the staff stopped what they were doing to come and love on my girl, pet and admire her. Many were quite fascinated with the heart-shaped spot on her side, and some took pictures with their cell phones. A few staff members were definitely frightened of her though, and stepped into a doorway to avoid her. Again, we didn't take offense.
A few residents in wheel chairs even chased us down the hall (I use that term lightly as they weren't moving fast enough to really give chase, but they hunted us down just the same) so they could have an opportunity to pet Olivia, as she was right on their level so they didn't have to bend down.
One lady's room we went into, she absolutely lit up, eagerly inviting us in and exclaiming, "Ooh, I was hoping you'd come in here. I saw you walking across the parking lot and just hoped. I had three great danes when I was younger." Olivia definitely made that woman's day. It was in this woman's room that Olivia made perhaps her only misstep of the evening... she put one paw on the edge of her bed and started to raise herself up... whether to tower over the woman, just to get closer so she could pet her, or to try and get in bed with her, I'm not sure, but I quickly pulled her back down so all 4's were on the ground and apologized to the woman, but needless to say, she brushed my apology aside and said Olivia was fine. I dare say, she'd have been thrilled if I had let Olivia get into bed with her, but that's not a habit I want her to develop.
It was dinner time at the facility, so many of the residents still had their dinner trays on their tables. Liv sniffed the air a lot, but not once did I have to drag her away from anyones food. She never knocked anyone over, I don't think there were any heart attacks as a result of her visit, and she never uttered a peep. She got along splendidly with the two little dogs and just behaved like a perfect angel, even around the handful of children that were there visiting relatives.
Many residents asked us to come back and visit soon. One nurse asked if by chance Olivia was up for adoption. I just smiled, shook my head and told her "I don't think there is enough money in this world to make me give her up."
Have I ever mentioned how much I love this dog and how crazy I am about her?????
Part 2:
A riddle: What's 7 foot tall, fuzzy, purple, and has a head the size of a yoga-ball?
No, it's not Barney the dinosaur.
It's Buddy Bat, and Olivia's latest admirer. (I don't know if this guy was the one actually in costume, but I'll assume so.)
Saturday morning, I took Olivia to Bowman Field Airport, the site of the Hike for Hosparus. As usual, she garnered much attention. Buddy Bat was there to make an appearance and entertain the kids. Like most mascots, he is supposed to be non-verbal, relying on gestures to get his message across. The first time he came over, he patted Olivia and gave the thumbs-up sign, then went off to mingle with the crowd. A few minutes later, Buddy reappeared and put his arm around my shoulders. I thought perhaps a photographer was following him around and he was just stopping for a photo-op. I looked around for the photographer, but saw none. Just then, he leaned in close to my ear (as close as one can when you have an enormous head on your shoulders) and told me how in love he was with Olivia. He said she was without a doubt his favorite dog he had ever seen in his life. Liv took the giant purple creature's attention in stride, after all, her daddy is Sparky the Fire Dog, giant fuzzy things are nothing new to her. I asked him, "didn't you see her when we had her at the ballpark for pet appreciation day?" He said, "I try to steer clear of that area when the dogs are there." Probably a wise decision on his part. I think Buddy was reluctant to leave her, but mingle he must. Of all the times for me to not have my camera with me, I'd have loved to have gotten a picture of them together.
I give both of our outings a "4-paws up" rating!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Random stuff
*As much as I love taking riding lessons, it's become less than fun these past few weeks. I hate confrontations, but it's getting to the point I'm going to HAVE to say something to the instructor. If I don't, I'm afraid I'm going to use my riding crop on a little girl that rides in our class.
*Okay, it's no secret that I'm a HUGE U.F.C. fan. Love it, love it, love it!!! I've even started watching the Bellator(sp?) fights as well, although I have a hard time watching the women fight each other, it just seems like a guy-thing. I know, that sounds sexist or something, but seriously, women beating the crap out of each other? Yuck!! Anyway...
The hubby and I have managed to watch the last three pay perviews (that would be UFC 115, 116, & 117), once at Hooters (never again if I can help it!!), and twice at BW3's in Middletown. That place is okay, but it just about breaks my neck and/or strains my eyes trying to watch it. And forget trying to hear the tv, it's so loud in there. I made some phone calls today and went surfing on the 'net and found that the BW3's by our house now carries it as well. It's been a long time since I've been there, but we'll probably try it this weekend, see if the seating/viewing, etc. is any better. I also discovered, and this sent a chill of delight coursing through me when I read it... many movie theaters are now showing the fights on the big screen. How cool is that?? I called our local theater and YES Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!! Tinseltown is showing the fights. We'll probably wait 'til next time to try that venue. But how great, comfortable seating, a large screen and very loud speakers. I can hardly wait 'til UFC 119!!
*September is just days away. You know what that means: the season premier of
D.W.T.S., Biggest Loser, Law & Order: Los Angeles (can't wait to see how this one stacks up against the other L&O series), L&O:SVU, The Middle, Modern Family, and last but not least, T.U.F.-12 (I'm really going to have a hard time choosing sides for this season. It's so much easier when you dislike one of the coaches. Hmph!!)
*After such a brutal summer, it would appear that fall is trying to sneak in early. The leaves have already started curling up and turning brown on my wisteria and lilac bushes, my tomato plants have all but given up for the season, and we've suddenly started experiencing 60 degree nights. I'm not complaining (except for the end of my tomato crop), as it's been fortunate that the temps are lower and I've been able to open the windows at night. However, our "Meat-Locker 5000" a/c unit that we had put in about 4 years ago went out yesterday. Last summer was the only summer thus far that we've made it through without having to have it serviced at least once. Piece of crap!! I thought we were going to make it through another summer, but no such luck. Seriously, I'll never recommend Bryant Heating & Cooling to anyone ever. Their products suck and their servicepeople (yes, they have women techs)... forget it. Mostly idiots (and I think she was one of the worst)!!
*I read today where scientists recently discovered a new species of frog on the island of Borneo. Full grown, it is no larger than a pea (green pea that is). How cute is that? I miss my little froggers. They were so much fun to watch. :( Wonder how I can get one of them thar little froggies???
*And finally, it's only been forever in the making, but Olivia finally has her first nursing home visit scheduled for this Thursday evening. Wish us luck!! I won't be at work Friday, so you'll have to wait 'til Monday to find out how it went. ;)
*Okay, it's no secret that I'm a HUGE U.F.C. fan. Love it, love it, love it!!! I've even started watching the Bellator(sp?) fights as well, although I have a hard time watching the women fight each other, it just seems like a guy-thing. I know, that sounds sexist or something, but seriously, women beating the crap out of each other? Yuck!! Anyway...
The hubby and I have managed to watch the last three pay perviews (that would be UFC 115, 116, & 117), once at Hooters (never again if I can help it!!), and twice at BW3's in Middletown. That place is okay, but it just about breaks my neck and/or strains my eyes trying to watch it. And forget trying to hear the tv, it's so loud in there. I made some phone calls today and went surfing on the 'net and found that the BW3's by our house now carries it as well. It's been a long time since I've been there, but we'll probably try it this weekend, see if the seating/viewing, etc. is any better. I also discovered, and this sent a chill of delight coursing through me when I read it... many movie theaters are now showing the fights on the big screen. How cool is that?? I called our local theater and YES Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!! Tinseltown is showing the fights. We'll probably wait 'til next time to try that venue. But how great, comfortable seating, a large screen and very loud speakers. I can hardly wait 'til UFC 119!!
*September is just days away. You know what that means: the season premier of
D.W.T.S., Biggest Loser, Law & Order: Los Angeles (can't wait to see how this one stacks up against the other L&O series), L&O:SVU, The Middle, Modern Family, and last but not least, T.U.F.-12 (I'm really going to have a hard time choosing sides for this season. It's so much easier when you dislike one of the coaches. Hmph!!)
*After such a brutal summer, it would appear that fall is trying to sneak in early. The leaves have already started curling up and turning brown on my wisteria and lilac bushes, my tomato plants have all but given up for the season, and we've suddenly started experiencing 60 degree nights. I'm not complaining (except for the end of my tomato crop), as it's been fortunate that the temps are lower and I've been able to open the windows at night. However, our "Meat-Locker 5000" a/c unit that we had put in about 4 years ago went out yesterday. Last summer was the only summer thus far that we've made it through without having to have it serviced at least once. Piece of crap!! I thought we were going to make it through another summer, but no such luck. Seriously, I'll never recommend Bryant Heating & Cooling to anyone ever. Their products suck and their servicepeople (yes, they have women techs)... forget it. Mostly idiots (and I think she was one of the worst)!!
*I read today where scientists recently discovered a new species of frog on the island of Borneo. Full grown, it is no larger than a pea (green pea that is). How cute is that? I miss my little froggers. They were so much fun to watch. :( Wonder how I can get one of them thar little froggies???
*And finally, it's only been forever in the making, but Olivia finally has her first nursing home visit scheduled for this Thursday evening. Wish us luck!! I won't be at work Friday, so you'll have to wait 'til Monday to find out how it went. ;)
Monday, August 23, 2010
The end is coming
It seems like forever since Olivia and I have gotten to participate in one of our weekly 5k's or charity walks, I'm talking all the way back to July 17th!!!
I literally could not find one locally on 7/24.
On 7/31, it was pouring rain when I got up, so I didn't go. Fortunately, I hadn't pre-registered, so I wasn't out any money. I don't know if it was actually cancelled or not, I just know we didn't participate.
On 8/7 I had a family (in-laws that is) function, so I didn't sign up for anything.
8/14, 2 days before the event I got a phone call stating I was the only person that had signed up for it, so it was cancelled. I could've found another event, as there were several in the area that day, but I took the opportunity to get Bootsy to the vet for her yearly check-up.
8/21, despite the pouring rain, thunder and lightning when I got up, I went on and took Olivia down to the site of the event, as I'd pre-registered. The rain eventually let up and it looked like things were going to happen, even if we had to stomp through a few puddles. But then, the clouds opened up again, the thunder and lightning returned and they all lingered. At first the race was post-poned for a bit, but then they decided to cancel it. **pout** Not that I wanted to walk in the rain (even though I was already wet), but honestly, this is getting a bit depressing, so many cancellations.
Next week is the Hike for Hosparus (Hospice of Louisville). Hopefully, the storms will hold off and perhaps the temperatures will even be a bit lower. A girl can dream can't she???
I took Olivia downtown to the waterfront yesterday and we took part in the Heritage Walk, a history tour of the Waterfront Park and it's development. The walk took about 90 minutes and was about 2 miles. It was a very interesting history lesson, and if the weather is a bit cooler when it's done again in September, I may take the tour again. There were a few bits and pieces I missed because of noise from traffic (both auto, river, and aero).
I had thought there would be maybe a dozen people take the tour, but there were probably close to 50. The historian that led the group said it was the largest group he'd had so far, and Olivia was his first dog to attend. She was on her best behavior. It was a bit warm, but the breeze made it tolerable. I carried an umbrella to provide shade for Olivia when we were in areas without it. I'm sure the other participants thought I was either out of my mind, or that Livvie was an extremely spoiled dog (probably a little of both), but I didn't care.
John & I both noticed last night how it was getting dark much earlier of late, and this morning I noticed the sunrise coming later. Summer is quickly slipping away. Not that I'll miss the horrid temperatures we've had, but I know with it, comes the time of year when we rarely see any of our neighbors. This makes me sad. Hopefully we can get in one or two cook-outs around the fire pit before the end of the season and get a chance to visit with friends/neighbors before we all go indoors and hibernate for the winter.
I literally could not find one locally on 7/24.
On 7/31, it was pouring rain when I got up, so I didn't go. Fortunately, I hadn't pre-registered, so I wasn't out any money. I don't know if it was actually cancelled or not, I just know we didn't participate.
On 8/7 I had a family (in-laws that is) function, so I didn't sign up for anything.
8/14, 2 days before the event I got a phone call stating I was the only person that had signed up for it, so it was cancelled. I could've found another event, as there were several in the area that day, but I took the opportunity to get Bootsy to the vet for her yearly check-up.
8/21, despite the pouring rain, thunder and lightning when I got up, I went on and took Olivia down to the site of the event, as I'd pre-registered. The rain eventually let up and it looked like things were going to happen, even if we had to stomp through a few puddles. But then, the clouds opened up again, the thunder and lightning returned and they all lingered. At first the race was post-poned for a bit, but then they decided to cancel it. **pout** Not that I wanted to walk in the rain (even though I was already wet), but honestly, this is getting a bit depressing, so many cancellations.
Next week is the Hike for Hosparus (Hospice of Louisville). Hopefully, the storms will hold off and perhaps the temperatures will even be a bit lower. A girl can dream can't she???
I took Olivia downtown to the waterfront yesterday and we took part in the Heritage Walk, a history tour of the Waterfront Park and it's development. The walk took about 90 minutes and was about 2 miles. It was a very interesting history lesson, and if the weather is a bit cooler when it's done again in September, I may take the tour again. There were a few bits and pieces I missed because of noise from traffic (both auto, river, and aero).
I had thought there would be maybe a dozen people take the tour, but there were probably close to 50. The historian that led the group said it was the largest group he'd had so far, and Olivia was his first dog to attend. She was on her best behavior. It was a bit warm, but the breeze made it tolerable. I carried an umbrella to provide shade for Olivia when we were in areas without it. I'm sure the other participants thought I was either out of my mind, or that Livvie was an extremely spoiled dog (probably a little of both), but I didn't care.
John & I both noticed last night how it was getting dark much earlier of late, and this morning I noticed the sunrise coming later. Summer is quickly slipping away. Not that I'll miss the horrid temperatures we've had, but I know with it, comes the time of year when we rarely see any of our neighbors. This makes me sad. Hopefully we can get in one or two cook-outs around the fire pit before the end of the season and get a chance to visit with friends/neighbors before we all go indoors and hibernate for the winter.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Marveling at nature
Yesterday morning, I had to run an errand for work, taking a death certificate to a doctors office for a signature, before heading to the office. I arrived around 8:20, only to discover the doctor's office didn't open 'til 9am. Great, I had time to kill while on the clock.
This doctor's office was an old house that had been converted, the area that had once been a lawn was now black-topped and striped for parking. This office sat right next to a very busy thoroughfare, with only a few trees separating it from the next property. Not a exactly a place one would expect to find an exotic looking, wild creature.
I was the first person there and as I walked up the steps to the front door (so I could read the fine print sign telling me when they would open), I noticed an enormous moth on the wall. I stopped to admire it's beauty.
It wasn't brilliantly colored, just varying shades of tan with a goldish tint and some spots. The wings were odd shaped, and of course spread open as they were, it was nearly as big as my hand. I looked closer and the front legs and antennae were very fuzzy or feathery I suppose is the correct term.
I wished I'd had my camera (the one time in the past two weeks I hadn't taken it with me), and since I can't download pix from my phone I didn't bother photographing it that way. I just went back to the car and left the creature in peace.
Over the next 40 minutes, a dozen or so patients began to arrive for their appointments. As each of them got out of their car and went to stand on the front porch, I watched them from my vantage point in my car. All but one man noticed the unusual moth and every single one of them stopped to lean in close and admire it. One woman who had simply drove her husband to his appointment and wasn't even going inside, also got out to examine it, just to make sure it was real, and then returned to her car. One man whipped out his camera phone and took several shots of it.
At one point the group of people were all gathered around on the porch, talking in hushed tones and marveling at the solitary creature. I couldn't help but smile inwardly that something so simple and out of nature could get a group of people to stop for a moment and come together in a common interest.
For a short time, they all seemed to forget about their aches and pains, discussions of the weather, politics, traffic and other idle chit-chat topics were put aside and the world was a wonderful, marvelous place.
This doctor's office was an old house that had been converted, the area that had once been a lawn was now black-topped and striped for parking. This office sat right next to a very busy thoroughfare, with only a few trees separating it from the next property. Not a exactly a place one would expect to find an exotic looking, wild creature.
I was the first person there and as I walked up the steps to the front door (so I could read the fine print sign telling me when they would open), I noticed an enormous moth on the wall. I stopped to admire it's beauty.
It wasn't brilliantly colored, just varying shades of tan with a goldish tint and some spots. The wings were odd shaped, and of course spread open as they were, it was nearly as big as my hand. I looked closer and the front legs and antennae were very fuzzy or feathery I suppose is the correct term.
I wished I'd had my camera (the one time in the past two weeks I hadn't taken it with me), and since I can't download pix from my phone I didn't bother photographing it that way. I just went back to the car and left the creature in peace.
Over the next 40 minutes, a dozen or so patients began to arrive for their appointments. As each of them got out of their car and went to stand on the front porch, I watched them from my vantage point in my car. All but one man noticed the unusual moth and every single one of them stopped to lean in close and admire it. One woman who had simply drove her husband to his appointment and wasn't even going inside, also got out to examine it, just to make sure it was real, and then returned to her car. One man whipped out his camera phone and took several shots of it.
At one point the group of people were all gathered around on the porch, talking in hushed tones and marveling at the solitary creature. I couldn't help but smile inwardly that something so simple and out of nature could get a group of people to stop for a moment and come together in a common interest.
For a short time, they all seemed to forget about their aches and pains, discussions of the weather, politics, traffic and other idle chit-chat topics were put aside and the world was a wonderful, marvelous place.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Facebook, a death in the family
I've often mentioned my refusal to jump on the bandwagon with the rest of society and sign up for Facebook. I keep thinking (hoping?) it will become a passing fad, but so far, it's sticking around. What's really sad, is that it seems to be the only way some people communicate in this day and age, even foregoing emails or phone calls, forgetting that there are other people in this world that aren't on Facebook and have no idea what is going on in your life (or that of your family).
Case in point:
I got a phone call from my mother Saturday evening informing me that my cousin (her nephew)had passed away the day before, apparently he's been battling liver cancer the past couple of years. How did we find out about this? My sister was on Facebook and saw where his sister had posted it on her Facebook page about his passing. My sister informed my mother, who in turn called her sister (not the nephew's mother) to inform her (you remember CALLING?, the old fashioned way of communicating with people). The sister replied to the effect of, "oh yeah, I already knew." While I don't think my aunt is on Facebook, most if not all of her children and grandchildren are, so they would've kept her informed.
Okay, really people? Would it have been asking too much for someone to notify our branch of the family with either a phone call or email on Friday? Why leave us out in the dark? A handful of my cousins have our email addresses (or at least they have mine), and certainly they've got our phone numbers (or HAD them at one time). Even the mother of the deceased I thought had my email/phone, at least, she did at one time.
I know, many of you are probably asking yourselves, why haven't we been in contact with that branch of the family in the past couple of years to know what's going on. That's a long story in and of itself that I won't go into here. That branch lives several states away and in recent years has been somewhat reclusive from the rest of the family, but that doesn't mean we don't love them and/or care about them. John and I went down there on our vacation 5 or 6 years ago and had a good time visiting with everyone that was around at the time. I've always missed having them live closer by, as they did for a few years when I was growing up.
Sadly, the cousin that passed, I haven't seen in probably 25 years, my husband never met him. For a long time, he was stationed in Alaska in the military, and when we were visiting a few years ago down south, he was someplace else, so we missed our chance then too.
This just all makes me very sad. :(
Just Saturday afternoon, before receiving the sad news, I had been talking about another of my male cousins with some friends. When I received my mother's phone call, she informed me that that particular cousin was also not doing very well, and his mother feared he wouldn't be with us much longer. Again, this all makes me very sad.
Both of these men are much too young... the deceased one in his mid-50's, the other I believe is in his late 40's.
While I'm still resisting the movement to join Facebook, I suppose if I want to know what is going on in my own family tree, I'll have to cave in and join. I fear the day is coming sooner than I would have hoped for. :(
Case in point:
I got a phone call from my mother Saturday evening informing me that my cousin (her nephew)had passed away the day before, apparently he's been battling liver cancer the past couple of years. How did we find out about this? My sister was on Facebook and saw where his sister had posted it on her Facebook page about his passing. My sister informed my mother, who in turn called her sister (not the nephew's mother) to inform her (you remember CALLING?, the old fashioned way of communicating with people). The sister replied to the effect of, "oh yeah, I already knew." While I don't think my aunt is on Facebook, most if not all of her children and grandchildren are, so they would've kept her informed.
Okay, really people? Would it have been asking too much for someone to notify our branch of the family with either a phone call or email on Friday? Why leave us out in the dark? A handful of my cousins have our email addresses (or at least they have mine), and certainly they've got our phone numbers (or HAD them at one time). Even the mother of the deceased I thought had my email/phone, at least, she did at one time.
I know, many of you are probably asking yourselves, why haven't we been in contact with that branch of the family in the past couple of years to know what's going on. That's a long story in and of itself that I won't go into here. That branch lives several states away and in recent years has been somewhat reclusive from the rest of the family, but that doesn't mean we don't love them and/or care about them. John and I went down there on our vacation 5 or 6 years ago and had a good time visiting with everyone that was around at the time. I've always missed having them live closer by, as they did for a few years when I was growing up.
Sadly, the cousin that passed, I haven't seen in probably 25 years, my husband never met him. For a long time, he was stationed in Alaska in the military, and when we were visiting a few years ago down south, he was someplace else, so we missed our chance then too.
This just all makes me very sad. :(
Just Saturday afternoon, before receiving the sad news, I had been talking about another of my male cousins with some friends. When I received my mother's phone call, she informed me that that particular cousin was also not doing very well, and his mother feared he wouldn't be with us much longer. Again, this all makes me very sad.
Both of these men are much too young... the deceased one in his mid-50's, the other I believe is in his late 40's.
While I'm still resisting the movement to join Facebook, I suppose if I want to know what is going on in my own family tree, I'll have to cave in and join. I fear the day is coming sooner than I would have hoped for. :(
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)