6.30.2008

Monday Memes

I'm catching up on a couple of Memes today. Here we go.....

This first one is from AllMediocre, the blog promotion site that lists the web's BEST blogs!
This is the One Word Meme.

1. Where is your cell phone? counter

2. Your significant other? husband

3. Your hair? straight

4. Your mother? quirky

5. Your father? kooky

6. Your favorite thing? sleep

7. Your dream last night? strange

8 Your favorite drink? water

9. Your dream/goal? travel

10. The room you’re in? cluttered

11. Your hobby? blogging

12. Your fear? loss

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy

14. What you’re not? pushover

15. Muffins? no

16. One of your wish list items? camera

17. Where you grew up? Florida

18. The last thing you did? bloghop

19. What are you wearing? comfy

20. Favorite Gadget? camera

21. Your pets? spoiled

22. Your computer? outdated

23. Your mood? sleepy

24. Missing someone? yep

25. Your car? minivan

26. Something you’re not wearing? shoes

27. Favorite store? Target

28. Like someone? yep

29. Your favorite color? purple

30. When was the last time you laughed? today

31. Last time you cried? forgot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was tagged for this meme by my local friend, Irregular Tammie.

Six unimportant things about me:

1. I am in need of a hair trim & highlights.
2. I love taking pictures, and wish I had better skills and a better camera.
3. I'm extremely sleepy right now!
4. I don't usually like the stars that most people like. I'm not a Brad Pitt or George Clooney fan, at all.
5. I love Pixar films and can't wait to see Wall-E.
6. I never watched Sex in the City and you couldn't pay me to go see the movie.

Now, according to the rules I have to tag six more folks to play along. I'm not usually one to tag people, but what the heck. If you don't want to do it, no problem!

1. Chel How about a meme for me?
2. Krissy Take a break and do a meme!
3. Groovy Mom.......You have been MIA lately! How about a meme?
4. Lunanik......do you do memes?
5. Rock and Drool.......have time for a quick meme this summer?
6. Sue...how about you?

The rules are as follows:
1. Link back to the person that tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your entry.

**A couple of updates:
~We ARE keeping Suzie! I read all the comments and knew that you all were right. She is already where she belongs!
~The other foster puppy, Spikes, is being adopted - by the guy who adopted Tebow! The brothers will be together forever.
~I have now lost 77 lbs. Please check out Weighting for Change for my updates!

6.29.2008

What I Love About Camping

Honestly, I think I love everything about camping. We don't go totally primitive, i.e. we have showers & bathrooms at the campsites. But we sleep in a tent, cook over a fire, and don't use electricity. And we have a blast!
I love swimming, I love cooking outdoors, and I love lying in the tent, looking up through the screened skylight at the stars.
I love hiking and seeing deer on the trail, and teaching the kids about respecting nature.
I love the camaraderie among campers.
I love seeing fish in the water, and swimming right next to them.
I love the ride home, still a little wet and pleasantly tired.
I really love the warm shower and warm bed, once you get home.


Putting up the tent.........


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This is where we spent most of our time.

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Deer, directly in front of us on the trail. They're not very fearful and would let us come pretty close. There's a baby in the bushes on the left but it's very hard to see him.

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The river that the spring feeds. There are huge Gulf Sturgeon that leap out of the water and into the air. It's really cool to see.
(that's T-bone sticking his head over the dock.)


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The Princess, posing by a Manatee (we were at Manatee Springs).

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Yum! Sugared up kids = Happy kids.

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My Princess and I

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We had such a great time & can't wait to go back!

6.27.2008

How About You Just Rip My Heart Out, Instead?

As most of you know, we foster dogs for a rescue group. We've done very well about not getting attached to the dogs, for the most part. In fact, the only foster dog we've kept is one that Dysfunctional Dad got attached to. It wasn't my fault! Other than him, we've been able to take these dogs, help them get healthy (in some cases, take them to heartworm treatments, have major dental work, etc), and then lovingly pass them on to forever homes.
Back a couple of months ago, I got an urgent call from a rescue member, asking me if I could pull a dog from my county shelter that day or she'd be euthanized. I got the message too late to go that day, and I panicked; but fortunately she'd talked them in to waiting until the next day. So first thing the next morning, I picked up Suzie.
Suzie was skin and bones, and had liquid poops. She was in terrible shape.
We took her to the vet, and treated her for whipworms, which were causing her bowel problems and her inability to put on weight. She now looks and feels so much better. But she's still very old, around 14 years old. She's frail. And she's very, very attached to me. She sleeps right next to me. She follows me everywhere. She doesn't care about any other person or dog; just me.
Just last week, I said to hubby, I think we are going to have to keep Suzie.
She probably doesn't have a whole lot of time left on this earth, and I don't really know how she'd handle leaving our home at this point. Hubby agreed with me ('cause he's awesome like that).
The only issue is her adoption fee; while it's not much at all really, every dollar right now is going to the down payment for the Ladybug's braces. But I figured, well, nobody's showed any interest in her so far, so we'll probably have time, after we get the braces out of the way next month, to get the adoption fee paid.
What I didn't know was that the rescue group hadn't gotten her bio up on the website yet. But just this week, they put Suzie's bio on the website. And already, TWO people have shown an interest in her.
Oh.Crap.
I know the rescue group would hold her if I asked them to. But I'm so torn. I want what's best for Suzie. What if these people would give her a happy, comfortable forever home? I try SO hard to remember that we are fostering these dogs, and the goal is to let them go. And I've never had a problem with that.
Until Suzie.
I just don't know if they'd understand her. One of them said they're looking for a companion for their other dog. Suzie doesn't hang out with other dogs. Suzie likes people. (Suzie likes ME.)
The other one asked if she plays with toys. Suzie mostly sleeps. She wakes up to eat and go outside. She's not into toys. She's not into playing. She's a feeble old lady. And I love her.
I just want what's best for Suzie, and I want to do the right thing as a foster.
Why does it have to be so hard?


Here's a puppy picture for your viewing pleasure. This is Spikes, the 8 week old pupster. Apparently he likes to sleep while inhaling the lovely aroma of Dysfunctional Dad's toejam.

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6.26.2008

Thankful Thursday

It's time for a Thankful Thursday post!
I'm going to list a few things that I'm thankful for today.

~ I'm thankful for opportunity to foster the puppies. One of them got adopted last weekend, and the same guy who adopted him is considering adopting the other one. They gave us a lot of fun and laughter. Like last week, when they were chewing on the remote control and somehow ordered "Jerry Springer: You Slept With My Boyfriend - UNCENSORED!" from Pay-per-view.
True story!

~ I'm thankful for our health, as I continue to see so much in this hospital that reminds me that not everyone is so fortunate. Like the 22 year old who came in last night, and may have a career-ending illness. The 41 year old who is down the hall, literally dying as I type. Or the 65 year old who came to the hospital yesterday, and will very likely never leave.

~ I'm thankful for the health and dental insurance that my job provides. I'm sure I don't have to explain that...with kids, those things are so important!

~ I'm thankful for my son's mad driving skillz. (giggle)

~ Always, always, I am thankful for my children and husband, more than I can say.

~ I am thankful for my ability to focus on the positive. I definitely lose focus sometimes, but I can always get myself back on track. There are way too many positives in my life to let the negative get in the way!

~ I am thankful for my sense of humor and all of the laughter in my life.

6.24.2008

Cyberstalkers: The Slime on the Web

Is there anyone who thinks that cyberstalking is NOT creepy, obsessive, bizarre behavior?
What would you think of someone who has admittedly cyberstalked someone for years, flushed out every site they post on, knows all of their different screen names, and reads every tidbit their victim posts anywhere on the net?
I can't help but wonder, don't these people have better things to do?
I wondered what other opinions were on cyberstalking, and I found some interesting info online.

At flayme.com, there's a page on cyberstalking. Among other things, he says:
"Not invariably, but usually, stalkers are none too bright; as JR would say, "The Elevator Don't Reach the Top Floor" - few intelligent people would go down the road to stalksville. Some, of course, are severely mentally ill. If you suspect that, then do not engage the stalker in any kind of dialog - just keep careful records and make appropriate reports."
Now, this guy also advises getting back at the stalker, which I think is just a waste of time and stooping down to the stalker level. Not to mention dangerous in some situations.


This site
says:
"The last type of stalker is the vengeful stalker. They get angry at their victim due to some slight either real or imagined. We have all heard of disgruntled employees, these are vengeful stalkers and can be just as dangerous as the delusional. They stalk to get even and believe that "they" have been victimized. Ex-spouses can turn into this type of stalker and violence is all too common a result."

From good old Wikipedia:
"CyberAngels has written about how to identify cyberstalking:
When identifying cyberstalking "in the field," and particularly when considering whether to report it to any kind of legal authority, the following features or combination of features can be considered to characterize a true stalking situation: malice, premeditation, repetition, distress, obsession, vendetta, no legitimate purpose, personally directed, disregarded warnings to stop, harassment, and threats."


I doubt that many people take it that seriously. But in my opinion, it is a serious matter. It is not normal to repeatedly hunt people down via the internet for a period of years and watch their every move, read every detail of their life, and then brood on it for years.
It's sad that we have to watch our every move on the net if we suspect someone is cyberstalking us. There are only so many things that can be made private. And just because you leave out names and try to be vague on details, don't think you can't be found. You can. If the stalker is determined enough, they will find you.
If you're cyberstalking someone......seriously, please stop. If you do it at work....find more work to do. If you do it at home...go play with your kid. Your husband. Your dog. Someone, something. It's unhealthy and obsessive behavior.
Seriously...who is that interesting that they should be cyberstalked? I didn't think I was, but apparently, I was wrong.

To my readers: what would YOU do if you knew someone had been stalking you for years?


**sidenote** This is the last post I intend to post on this matter. I just think that people need to realize that cyberstalking is sick, obsessive behavior and out of the realm of normal, and that they really, really, need to STOP.

6.23.2008

I love rainy days

thunderstorms


Today was a rainy day, for the most part.
I didn't even notice that it was raining when I woke up, so I stumbled out to let the dogs out. I opened the door and the goofier dogs ran right out, while the others looked at me like I was crazy for thinking they were going to go out there and get wet. As if!
I was a little groggy due to a night full of bizarre dreams. So a rainy day was just perfect for the vegging I needed to do.
The kiddos weren't thrilled about it initially, since they couldn't go outside. But they warmed up to it. The Princess brought out her Vet Care table and played with that all day. The Ladybug mostly watched TV. A lazy, relaxing day.
And it was raining on Sunday, too. Does anybody know that song, Raining on Sunday by Keith Urban? "Pray that it's raining on Sunday, storming like crazy, and we'll hide under the covers all afternoon....." Well, that's kinda what we did. The kids weren't here. It was quite enjoyable. (wink, wink)
Dysfunctional Dad and I both LOVE storms. We love to cuddle up on the couch together, cover up and listen to the thunder and watch the lightning. He loves to watch the Weather Channel too, which I totally don't get, but that's ok.
Storms on the ocean are the best. We love it when we go to St Augustine and catch a good storm. And once we were in Cedar Key and watched an amazing storm, from the relative safety of a restaurant that was right on the water.
Waterspouts over the ocean are interesting to watch, too.
I'm trying to get the girls to respect storms but not fear them. We are in Florida so lightning is a very real danger here. But there's usually not any major damage from our typical summer storms. So I want the girls to learn to just get cozy inside and enjoy the show.
So, how about you? Rainy days and storms....love them or hate them?

6.22.2008

15 Years in a Nutshell

Actually it's more like MY last 15 years were in the nutHOUSE. But anyhoo....
I stole a meme from Queen of the Mayhem.

This meme is: 15 Years in a Nutshell

Here's the deal: Think back on the last 15 years of your life. What would you tell someone that you hadn’t seen or talked to for 15 years? How would you sum up your life?

You get 10 bullet points. A list of 10 things to summarize you. At the end of your list, tag 5 more people and send on the love.

Off I go...

* I spent 10 of the last 15 years in a crappy marriage.

* But, out of that I got 3 fantabulous children.

* I worked most of that time in Child Care.

* I lost the last of my grandparents during the last 15 years, a cousin, a dear uncle....too many people. I miss them all.

* The rotten marriage finally ended.

* The kids and I struck out on our own, and we did great. I had a great time living the single life on the weekends when the kids were with their dad.

* Then I met the most wonderful man in the world!

* We got married in 2005 and are living happily ever after.

* We started fostering & rescuing dogs, a life-long dream of mine.

* I gained crazy, wonderful in-laws.

* I got a job in a hospital, another long-held dream.

* We've watched our kids grow up, which is bittersweet.

* We moved out to the country, which we LOVE. Our big yard is the best!

* I've finally taken a major step to lose weight and get healthy, and have so far lost over 75 lbs.

* I've developed wonderful friendships that I will always cherish.

So, only if you're interested, grab this meme. I'd love to read a synopsis of your last 15 Years in a Nutshell!

ETA: I just realized I used 15 bulletin points instead of 10. I had 15 on the brain. Oh well!

6.20.2008

Today, I had a chauffeur.

Today, I had a chauffeur driving me around town. And that makes me want to cry.
Why, you ask? That chauffeur was my 15 month year old son.
How in the hell did he turn 15 when I turned my back for just a moment?
T-bone is my only son. I have a stepson who I love dearly. But he has a mother who loves him. I consider him one of my own, but T-bone is my firstborn baby son. He made me a mother. He made me feel that love that you have for your child, that is like nothing else on this earth. I never knew I could love that intensely, that fiercely.
He and I have a bond that nothing will take away. He and I can yell at each other and get so mad at each other that we're ready to explode! But 5 minutes later we'll be cracking up.
When he was really little, he'd spontaneously say "I love you" quite often. One day in a store, a lady heard him and laughed and said, "Uh-oh, what does he want?" But he didn't want anything. He just liked to tell me he loved me a lot.
And he liked to sing to me. And rock the kitten to sleep singing "Amazing Grace". And a million other adorable things.
And then there were embarassing things. When his sister was only a few months old, and he was not quite three, we were at the grocery store and we saw a friend of mine. Of course, she was oooh-ing and aaah-ing over the baby.
I don't know if he was getting jealous of the attention or what.....but he leaned over and licked the baby.
On the head.
He licked his sister. I wanted to crawl under the cereal display. But now it's hilarious!
So, now my loving little licker is driving around. He takes turns a little too fast and makes me think he's not going to stop in time to avoid hitting the stopped car in front of us. But he's brand-new and learning, and doing a good job.
And I'm learning, too. I'm learning that I've done a great job with this boy, and I'm so proud of him. I'm learning to let go, even though I want to shrink him back into a 2 year old. I'm learning when to give him advice about life, and when to let him figure things out on his own. Because he's amazingly good at figuring things out on his own, when given the chance. He's very perceptive and knows more than people think he does. He's quite mature, as well.
And I'm totally babbling on here because I have so much on my mind, and so many mixed emotions running through me right now. In fact, I have more things on my mind that I'd LOVE to share here, but I can't, because certain people read my blog. And it really sucks that I can't share with you the way I'd like to because of that.
Hippos abound.

6.19.2008

I'm a Weiner!

Oops, I mean a WINNER! Remember my post about the necklace giveaway from Eryn of Snapshots of My Mommy Moments?
Remember how I said don't bother entering because that necklace was MINE?
Well......it really is!
This is my first ever blog contest win and I am so excited.
Here's what I won:



Isn't it beautiful?

6.16.2008

People in Glass Houses Shouldn't Throw Hippos

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Good morning, boys and girls!
Today we're going to talk about hypocrites.
Hypocrites are not these critters:

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They're far less cute.
Let's define hypocrite.

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I think that pretty well sums it up.
I am sure that most of us, at some point in our lives, have done something that could be called hypocritical. We're only human.
But some people seem to make it a full-time job! And I have encountered several of those people lately. So I'm going to discuss hippo-crites today.
The thing I see and hear a lot of recently is people saying nasty things about people for doing certain things. Or, directly confronting someone, telling them they are wrong for doing something. All the while, knowing that they do the exact.same.thing.themselves.
Let's have an example.
Let's say I smoke. (for the record, I don't, it's an example.)
If I were to go around bitching at other people for smoking, that would make me a big old HIPPO-crite. (I like to put the emphasis on HIPPO. I'm weird like that.)
Or, let's say I drive badly and tailgate everyone. Then, I yell at other people for tailgating ME.
What would that make me, class? You're RIGHT! A HIPPOcrite.
There's another point I'd like to make. If you're going to chastise, call out, tell off, or talk trash about something someone does, make sure you:
a. have NEVER done this thing before.
b. do not CURRENTLY do this thing.
c. will NEVER do it at any time in the future.
Time for another example:
Don't make fun of someone for driving a crappy car. One day, you may find yourself in that position, and drive a crappy car yourself. And then......you'll be a HIPPOcrite. Things can turn around and bite you in the butt! So watch your butt, peeps. Chances are, your words will come back to haunt you "in the end".
Don't spread nasty rumors about someone who drinks too much, if you tip the bottle yourself on a regular basis!
Or, if you put someone down for being a circus performer...but unbeknownst to anyone, YOU were a circus performer years ago...you might just be a HIPPOcrite! It's just icky to judge someone at all, but to judge someone for doing something that you yourself have done? That's downright ugly. And karma will get you!
The old saying is true. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
These stone-throwers will soon be surrounded by shattered glass if they aren't careful.

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lol hippo- throw salad

No hippos were harmed in the making of this blog post.

Where I've Been Playing

Well, I'd like to say I've been playing on Plurk. But the truth is, I'm merely a wannabe. Because I can't figure out how to find my friends on there! So, if you're plurking, please request me on there, since I am apparently a plurktard.

Plurk

I even have a useless widget on my sidebar.
My name is dysfunctionalmom, and I'm plurkthetic!


But I'm figuring SITS out just fine, thank you! If you haven't checked out The Secret is in the Sauce yet, get over there and do it now! I have found some of the funniest, most amazing blogs through SITS, and had bunches of bloggers visit me from SITS. I am totally feeling the love! And having a blast finding all these blog treasures.



And finally, I have embraced my mediocrity through AllMediocre. Another fantastic site, where I've found some super blogs that I'm glad I didn't miss out on. After all, mediocre IS the new black!



So, where are you hanging out these days?

Check This Out

Snapshots of My Mommy Moments is having a giveaway. She makes beautiful jewelery and just opened an Etsy shop, so she's having a giveaway to kick it off.
You should totally check her out, but you should totally NOT enter the giveaway, because that necklace? Is MINE.

6.15.2008

Peachy Father's Day

Today is better.
Not because much has changed, (except the a/c is working properly now, hopefully for good this time!). But my outlook is better.
That, and I just ate the most amazingly wonderful peach straight from a Georgia farm. Literally juice dripping everywhere. YUM.
So, it's Father's Day. And I'm going to talk about my hubby.
My hubby was a single dad when I met him. That was very appealing to me. His son was 4 at that time, and had always lived with Dysfunctional Dad. His mom took off when he was 6 months old, deciding she didn't want to be tied down any more. So hubby naturally took over and did everything for his son.
DD had lost his firstborn child. He was born prematurely and only lived for a few weeks. It was devastating for DD. Last night we were watching a show on Discovery Health, and the mother made a comment that burying one child had nearly killed her, and she was going to do everything in her power not to bury another child. I looked over at DD and he was just nodding his head.
He was so protective of Spiderman! He developed a paranoia of choking, and any time any of the kids coughed while eating, he freaked.
So, along came me and my three. He went from having one child to the two of us having four kids combined. Craziness! It was challenging in so many ways. I still can't believe he stuck around for all of it. It was a hard time for my kids; their dad and I had been seperated over a year before I met DD, but they were still dealing with everything. Especially T-bone, divorce is rough on a 9 year old boy. And I had a violent, psycho ex to deal with too. I could ramble on, but suffice it to say, DD was amazing to take on all that he did. When I ask him why, he just says because he loves me.
He is a wonderful stepfather. Truly wonderful. He is very thoughtful of the kids, and never complains about anything. Every morning during the school year, he got my girls up, ready, and took one to the bus stop and one to school. I was still at work and by the time I got home, they were safely at school and I could fall into bed. He also takes care of them two nights a week when I go to work at 7pm. He entertains them and then puts them to bed. He's always thinking of fun things to do with them. If I'm tired, he never minds if I take a nap and he has to watch the kids. He doesn't mind our finances being directed completely to the kids when their dad doesn't pay his share of the support.
He sacrifices for my kids. I love him for that.
He goes to all of the kids' events; school stuff, sports, everything.
This is from the Princess's first day of Kindergarten:



I love that pic!

The kids know they can count on him. They know he's going to be there for him.
I love him for that, too.
He chose to take on all of this responsibility. He could've ran away and found someone with no kids, or one kid. But he stuck with me. With US.
I picked a wonderful step-father for my children.
We are all so lucky.


"He Didn't Have To Be" by Brad Paisley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T5fPXCPUNs

Music video of "He Didn't Have To Be" by Brad Paisley (c) BMG Music

6.12.2008

Thursday Thirteen: 13 Gripes



I try hard to be a positive person. I try to look on the bright side. I try to focus on what I have instead of what I don't have, the good in life instead of the bad. And I try to reflect that here.
But today, I feel like bitching.So here are my 13 Gripes!

* I have a freakin' headache.
* The a/c is crapping out AGAIN. I think the morons didn't put freon in.
* I don't want to go to work tonight. Work sucks lately.
* People owe me money and refuse to pay it. And I think that sucks!
* My old fart dog has barked at the puppies ALL DAY LONG. I think I know why I have a headache!
* I have to work a 12 hour shift tonight. Sigh.
* The kids ate all my Claussen Kosher Dill minis. THE NERVE!
* The a/c morons haven't even returned my call today.
* I had really bad dreams in the short time I slept today. REALLY BAD.
* It's too hot to cook dinner.
* My princess is sad because I have to go to work soon. :*(
* One of my foster dogs isn't acting right and I'm worried about her.
* I've probably just bummed out all four of my readers with this whiney post!

6.09.2008

Fighting Indifference



Laskigal has started a movement, and in my humble opinion, it couldn't have come at a better time.
The movement is to Fight the Shame of Indifference.
I doubt that people realize when and how indifference creeps into their lives. Maybe some people are just raised that way, and others get callous over time.
It is my belief that we are all on this earth to do good things and help others. Obviously, many people do not agree with that philosophy, but I believe it and try my best to live it.
I don't think I have ever been truly indifferent. But my husband has opened my eyes to things that I have never paid attention to.
My husband will jog ahead to open a door for someone, especially if that person's hands are full, or if they are elderly or handicapped. It's not that I'd have intentionally ignored these people before, but I tended to walk around wrapped up in my own thoughts and not notice things like that.
If he sees someone drop something, he's quick to pick it up and return it.
It's the little things, but he is just so amazingly thoughtful. He thinks nothing of it, he doesn't pat himself on the back. It's just natural to him. It's just who he is. And I've learned from him, and it makes me feel good to pay more attention and see people in need, and help them out.
If he finds something that belongs to someone else, he's going to return it. He wouldn't even think of just leaving it lying there, and certainly not keeping it. He's just not that kind of man.
He is your go-to guy if you need help with anything.
I'm very proud to be his wife.

Another thing that many people are indifferent about is the plight of homeless animals, and the severe pet overpopulation problem in this country.
So many people, especially before the Oprah show, didn't know anything about Puppy Mills.
I hear of people getting a popular breed of dog, and talking about breeding that dog, with absolutely NO CLUE about breeding.
People, please stop! We have way too many animals out there and nowhere near enough homes for them all. Only highly educated, experienced, and responsible people should be breeding animals, and only for the betterment of the breed. Good breeders have spay/neuter clauses in their contracts, take any of their pets back no questions asked, and also do rescue.
It is imperative to spay or neuter your pet. "Accidental litters" are NOT okay. "Just one litter" is NOT okay. There's really no excuse.
And please don't turn a blind eye to the neglected animal in your neighbor's yard, or that stray dog running down the street. They have no voice. They need someone to be their advocate. Otherwise, a slow and painful death is a near certainty.
I really love this topic and could probably talk about it for hours. But since it's an ongoing project, I'll save some thoughts for later posts!
Laskigal, thanks for starting this and helping to open people's eyes to the indifference going on around us!

6.08.2008

Puppy Love

We've had a great weekend.
Saturday, Dysfunctional Dad and I played disc golf, ran errands, and hung around the house.
Today, Reh-Roh and her boyfriend came over. We had a blast! We all went to the springs, picked up puppies, and then cooked out.
Did you catch that? The picked up puppies part?
I got an email Friday night, asking if we could foster two puppies.
Heck yes! I have never fostered puppies, and I needed puppy breath in my life!
So Reh-roh and I picked them up this afternoon in a small town north of my town. The rescue group split them up in twos, I think there were six pups total. I got two boys. And they are absolutely the ultimate in cuteness! Check it out.

This is the one who looks like he may be a wirehair dachshund (they're mixed with something else, but nobody knows what). He's kind of a bully, and he's the sleepier brother. He also whines a lot.

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This is the smooth coat boy. He's just total cuteness.

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They are SLEEPING in this picture! Yes, both of them.

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And Sasha, the little girl we adopted from a shelter in December, seems to think they're HER babies! She is extremely protective of them and follows them everywhere.

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We're nearly on cute overload over here! It was a great weekend, and getting the pups was the cherry on top. I know they'll be adopted soon, so we're enjoying every minute with them.
Gotta go, one of them's chewing up my shoe!

~73 lbs, gone forever!

6.07.2008

A Light Shining Through Clouds

My cousin has two sons. They are both autistic, but at different ends of the spectrum, I guess you'd say. Forgive me, but I have very little knowledge about the specifics of autism so I am sure I don't have the correct terminology.
Anyway, her boys are now 17 and 20. They live in another town, and I haven't seen them in years. But my parents are visiting my cousin's parents, and they told my parents a recent story about the youngest grandson, as grandparents tend to do.
Both of the boys are verbal, but they don't talk much, and especially not to anyone they don't know. But lately, the youngest son, "L", has began to come out of his shell. They are very involved in their church, and L's dad has recently taken over the music minister position. To everone's surprise, L joined the choir.
Recently, they were practicing a new song, and L said to his dad, "Dad, I want to sing this song by myself."
L's dad was pretty surprised of course, and said "L, are you sure?"
And L calmly said yes.
So, they practiced and then the night came. The choir sang their songs, and then L's father handed him the microphone.
And this boy, who rarely talked to most of the congregation, took the microphone and sang a solo in front of the whole church.
The congregation wept. I can't even imagine the pride of my cousin and her husband at that moment! I am so proud of them as parents, and so proud of L.
And one more uplifting story; my friend has a son who has cystic fibrosis. As any child with CF, he has battled his health off and on for years. But today, he graduated from high school! His mother never thought she'd see this day. Graduation is always emotional, but doubly so for her today.
So today I say congrats to L and K!

6.04.2008

Sweaty Hot Fun

No, not that kind. For that kind, go here.
This morning I volunteered at the Princess's school. They were having their end-of-year carnival. I had the jump rope and hula hoop station.
It actually went surprisingly well. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but see....I don't like kids.
Obviously, I love my kids. They are a notable exception. And much of the time, I even like them! But Other Peoples' Kids? Notsomuch.
See, OPK? They smell. They have snotty noses. They don't listen, and they tattletale.
The only other exception is kids under 2.5 years old. I love ALL of them.
After that, only if they're mine. Or my family. Or good friends.....
OK so I guess I only don't like SOME kids.
But today? That was an amazing group of FOUR first grade classes. Not one of them was smelly or rude. I had a blast.
Then we got home, and about 3:30pm, the a/c took a big old POOP. Now, in Florida, that's not acceptable. Not at all. And nobody could come out to fix it until tomorrow.
So.NOT.Acceptable!
So we packed it up and went to my parents' house. They are out of town, otherwise I would've stayed in the heat and sucked it up. I love the parents dearly, but I can only tolerate them in small doses.
So, they are extremely paranoid about their home. They warned me about a million stupid things. So when Dysfunctional Dad was dropping me off at work, I asked Ladybug if she'd locked the back door when she came inside. She said she had, but I started thinking about how my parents would TOTALLY flip out if anything happened while we were there. I told them we'd have to join the Witness Protection Program, and make up new names.
DD said he wants to be either Hiram Boheevens, or Shalofeeus McClacken. (I have NO idea where he comes up with this stuff.)
Ladybug wants to be Carrie or Cassie (the latter of which was almost my name), and the Princess wants to be Suzanne, but called Suzie.
I think I'll be Elizabeth.
How about you? What's your Witness Protection Program name?

6.02.2008

Your Parents Must Not Have Liked You Much.

I love to hear about funny names. I have a few funny names in my circle of friends & family. My friend's dad's name is Richard (Dick) Sweat, and he named his kid Peter. My cousin, a pharmacist, married a guy whose last name is Rash. And then she named her kid Madison, which sounds a lot like Medicine. Medicine Rash. Cute!
Of course we all know the ones Bart Simpson used to create. Amanda Hugandkiss, Mike Hunt, Hugh G Rection...
I checked Snopes and the infamous Ima Hogg name is actually real. Another great one is Shanda Lear.
And I still giggle at names like Harry Beavers and Anita Hoare.
Do parents not realize that it's important to pronounce their kids' names aloud before writing them on the birth certificate?
This is crucial, people!
A few more laughs that are supposedly taken directly from the phone book:
Verbyl Belch - my princess can belch the alphabet...
Harden Long - that's how we like 'em!
Bolivar Shagnasty - perfect Austin Powers name
Candy Barr - everyone wants a piece of her!
Ahmet Semen - did you shake his hand?

6.01.2008

Waiting....waiting for my blog to change

I think I'm ready for a change around here.
My blog design, that is.
Even I, the biggest change-o-phobe (new word, I made it up, thanks) on the planet, need updates occasionally. And as much as I LOVE my layout, which the Mombabe so kindly made for me, I think it's time for something new.
So....suggestions? Offers of help? Tips? Anything is welcome.
I think I'm going to revamp the ol' blogroll too, so if you're not on there and you wanna be, drop me a line.
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We camped out last night. This was our first time camping out with the kids, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I feared! They went to sleep early and didn't whine about not having the Comforts of Home. It wasn't hot at all, in fact it got cool during the night. Bug spray kept the bites away. Life was good! Except that I was the last one to sleep, and while gazing out at the stars through our screened roof (which was pretty cool), I started looking at the trees, and starting thinking, what if a branch falls on us? Which lead to, what if a TREE falls on us? Which continued on until I slapped myself around and made myself go to sleep. I bring my OCD everywhere I go, even camping!
All in all it was quite nice, and I wish I had remembered my camera. I did take some fantastic pics (insert sarcasm here) with the phone, but I haven't uploaded them yet.
Hope y'all had a good weekend, too!

ETA: What do you think?