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Thursday, October 29, 2009

Random Post

I was messing with Amanda because she hasn't posted in a few days and she told me "I have nothing to say right now". I was just about to respond when I decided to take the idea and use it for my own post:)

I love my Amanda dearly. She is the most wonderful, caring, giving and understanding person that has ever been in my life. I never truly knew a depth of love and happiness toward anyone that I now know with her. I would not change a single day of my life if it meant that I wouldn't be where I am today.

Thank you Amanda, for showing me what happiness truly is. I love you!

Note: This post doesn't include the love a parent has for their children:)

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Houndini

I should know better, I really should.

I had the back yard pretty well escape proofed. Before we let Hound run outside with no supervision I went around and patched all potential escape routes under fences, through gaps, etc. But of course, I forgot to tell Hound that he wasn't allowed to dig.

My schedule is a weird one. I work days, nights, mid-shifts and a host of other odd hours. Never the same schedule for any given week. It all depends on the needs of the business and my desire to remain employed and effective. So today Amanda left the dogs with me so that she wouldn't have to use her lunch break to drive to where they are kept on days that I can't watch them and let them out for a potty break. I got up about 9 am to get a cup of coffee before I laid back down to nap since I work 5pm to 3am tonight and I let the dogs out (we're babysitting her parents' dog right now) to do their thing. Dora (the parents' dog) came right away and I put her inside. Hound, on the other hand, didn't come when I called.

Now this is not unusual. He likes his outside time and often he'll be around the corner doing his Guard Hound (tm) duties and properly patrolling the perimeter of the yard. Most times I try to call him in he'll pop his head around the corner and lay down to indicate that he isn't ready to come inside yet. I'll then leave him alone until he barks at the door to let me know that the compound is secure and he is ready for his treat.

Today I called for them and only Dora came to me. So I called for Hound and he didn't appear which left me to assume that he was still on patrol. About 15 minutes later I went back out and called for him again, to no avail. I went out and searched the yard only to discover that Hound was nowhere to be found. I was panicked.... Amanda would likely kill me if I lost Hound, or allowed him to become lost.

I got properly dressed and went searching in the neighborhood. After about 25 minutes I finally saw this little blur of brown zooming toward me at the back gate- It was Hound!!! Yay!

Of course, it wasn't that easy. He refuses to let me near him because usually when I bend down it is to play with him or work on his Guard Hound (tm) training which involves me swiping at him and growling at him (which he thoroughly enjoys). After another 5 minutes he finally agreed to listen to the command "down" and laid down so that I could pick him up. After putting him inside I searched the entire fence line and found a spot behind a stand of almost impenetrable bushes where he has been digging out to get the to squirrels in the yard next door. (They often run across the lawn to tease him when he goes out.)

So I then had the privilege of spending the next hour patching any possible dig spots, low spots and other avenues of escape.

A great way to spend my morning considering my schedule tonight:) But it's worth it to have Hound secure at home.

Little mutt *grumble*

Saturday, October 17, 2009

A fossil on fossils...

Today I had the wonderful experience of a trip to "Dinosaur World" to meet some of Amanda's extended family. It was a very interesting day. They have literally dozens and dozens of replicas (most of them to scale) of various dinosaur types. It was very interesting and educational.

They also offer a "fossil dig" for the children. It's a HUGE sand pit where the kids gather at various times of the day to 'dig for fossils'.

Now I don't know about you, but I can't imagine that they could supply enough fossils for the children to find one every time without some real ingenuity. I began to wonder, and then I figured it out.... they use the sand pit as a litter box for cats! That way, the kids will always find a fossil! They simply claim that it's a dinosaur egg or some-such and the children leave happy and the litter box gets cleaned every couple of hours. It's a win-win situation:)

I think I may propose the "fossil dig" idea to the local animal shelters as both a public service for the cleaning of the litter boxes and to assist them in raising additional money for maintenance. It could also help the adoption rate... the child with the most "fossils" at the end of the dig gets to bring home an animal of their choice at no additional charge.

I'm not one to brag, but the term "marketing genius" comes to mind when I think about this plan ;)

Monday, October 12, 2009

Source Identified

Well, both boys and Amanda have come down with Swine Flu. Mild cases, but H1N1 nonetheless.

I was wondering where it started- until tonight. I was feeding the cats and being somewhat sarcastic by yelling "sooooo-ey!" quite loudly so that they would come to get the food. And then I realized that the pig-like actions of the cats stimulated dormant Swine Flu virii in the air and caused the family to get sick!

So not only can you get Swine Flu from swine, but you can seemingly get it from any animal that acts in a swine-like fashion! Darwin would have been proud of me.

Personally, I've opted out of getting sick this season. I simply don't have time nor do I have the desire to do so. Perhaps after the first of the year when I have some vacation time I'll get sick and relax for a week or so but not at the present.

On a side note: If Amanda says that I actually cooked something... she's lying!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Victory!

Ha! I won this one!

There is this weird thing that goes on in the household. The cats all love to eat the dog's food, and the dog would rather eat cat food when given the opportunity.

So tonight, I'm putting the dog in the kitchen for the evening and I fill up his bowl with cat food because he's been good all day and he deserves a treat. Besides, when I fill it with dog food the cats all gather around the bowl and eat until it's gone, rarely letting Hound get in to grab a bite. No sooner do I finish filling his bowl than the cats come running in to gather 'round to eat. I brushed them away and filled their bowls (which are on the other side of the gate that keeps Hound off of the carpets) with cat food..... and they refused to touch it! Instead, they all head back to Hound's bowl. So I put them all on the other side of the gate, only to have them jump back across into the kitchen. I stood in front of Hound's bowl to keep the cats at bay so he could get a bite, but they kept outflanking me since it is three to one and kind of hard to head off one cat without the other going toward the open side.

Now I couldn't stand there all night so I had to think.... and it finally hit me. I put the cat bowls *in the kitchen with the dog bowl*!!

Ha! That really messed with their heads! Now, no matter if they all fed from one bowl or each their own, Hound would still have a bowl to feed from! Ha! Double Ha!!!

Funny thing though.... the cats now refuse to eat any of the food:)

I felt a great sense of pride in outsmarting the cats..... while Amanda seems to think that I'm a wee bit crazy for bothering in the first place.

It's the small victories that can be the sweetest:)

Saturday, October 3, 2009

I really should have said something to her!

You really have to be out of touch if you don't realize how much danger children face in every day life. I saw something a couple of days ago that really upset me and the more I think about it, the more I realize I should have been an "asshole" and spoken my mind.

I went to the drug store a couple of days ago and parked in a space across from the front door. I did my shopping and when I exited I noted two things:

1: A younger woman with an infant in a buggy and a three/four year old girl standing next to her was parked in the space just in front of the door.

2: An older (60-65ish) man was pulled up behind her causing the vehicles to form a "T" and his trunk was in line with her tailgate.

First off, I was ticked because the old man was just sitting there with the car running (probably waiting for someone to come out of the store) and blocking the exit walkway. Anyone coming out had to go around his car to get to the lot... which I did.

Secondly- the little girl walked to the far side of the van where it was impossible for her mother to see her. This put the little girl right in line with the driver's window/door of the old man sitting there in his car.

Having raised quite a few children my parental instinct kicked in and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I went to my truck, got in and started it but did NOT pull off. I watched as the little girl looked curiously at the old man, then wandered closer to his window. He waved and smile and she giggled and waved back, then began to walk a bit closer. She wandered back to side of the van (mom was STILL oblivious to what was happening) and the old man waved and she smiled, waved and walked back toward his door. This went on for a good minute or two while mom loaded crap into the van.

The old man noticed me watching them and pulled his car up about 5 feet, then stopped. The little girl moved toward him once again with a curious look on her face. It was obvious that she didn't know him. The man looked over at me and I'm guessing since I wasn't leaving it bothered him because he freakin' LEFT!

It wasn't until 20 seconds or so after he pulled off that the mom came around to that side of the van, where she could now SEE her child. She opened the door, put the child in and they left.

I may be paranoid, but I don't give a damn. I was ready to slam my truck into his car and pin him against the curb if he made a move to grab that little girl. The situation may have been totally innocent, it may have been nothing. But damn it all! That mother could have lost that little girl in a heartbeat and the man would have had a good minute to two minutes to get away without the mother knowing that something had happened. And in that amount of time given the area we were in he could have disappeared without a trace.

I *almost* went over and said something to the mother. I probably should have.

If nothing else, my paranoia may have saved an innocent child. I could only hope that someone would do the same for mine if I were ever stupid enough to put my child in that kind of situation.

All I can say is that it felt wrong. And I'm glad that I did what I did. I wish I had stepped up and done more. I won't be there next time her mom isn't paying attention.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Recognition...

I'm tickled. I received an award today for being in the top 100 in the nation for positive Customer Service scores in the third quarter of this year.

That kind of made my day:)