Reluctance (another name for Chihuahua charm)

I should have know when the morning started this way it would have been an omen for the rest of the day. When you have to coerce the dogs off the bed to go outside - when you have to roll them over to put their collars on - when you have to carry them down the steps, that is when you know you should have just hit the snooze button again. OK - so I couldn't sleep and got up on the first buzz. So it was still dark out. Watching the sun come up is really beautiful. And we were the ONLY ones out. How great was that ?


Reluctant. Yes - reluctant to walk in the wet grass in the dark. Wet Paws!! What was I thinking? Carmel certainly can't poop in wet grass. (She needs to walk on her front paws like Dudley) But it's so much easier to see when she goes on the curb. Something to be said for not wanting to squat in the grass.


Reluctant to walk anywhere because it is still dark and who knows what will pop out at you in the dark? Reluctant to go out last evening - there was THUNDER. Didn't you hear it ? Can't possibly go for a walk - dark AND thunder.


So off to work I go. But I know that the reluctant twins will be waiting for me like two fuzzy bookends on the top of the love seat when I do get home. I'm sure they will have been planted there all day but they will both come running to greet me with so much enthusiasm it will wear them out. And once again they will be reluctant to go out and the cycle will start all over again.

You gotta love it! Well you don't have to - I just love these two neurotic little dogs. They make all the BS of the workday melt away.

Dexter

If you haven't seen Dexter on Showtime I can only say you are missing one of the most clever shows in a long time. I'm actually afraid to say that out loud - or in print - because every time a really good show comes along they cancel it. We don't have enough shows about hospitals or law and order type dramas. Whoever came up with the premise of a forensics expert who moonlights as a serial killer should get a special award for relieving us of all the boring crap that is otherwise forced upon our airwaves. It's the main reason I keep Showtime in my cable line-up.

Michael Hall plays Dexter Morgan - you may remember him as David Fisher from Six Feet Under (another wonderful show that bit the dust) as the troubled Gay son and funeral director. Dexter and David may both be troubled souls, but boy - Dexter is much more interesting!

They have a wonderful cast and fantastic writers - and I want to share with everyone a line from the show last evening which I absolutely LOVED. When the happy pregnancy of one of the characters was announced, Dexter's sister said........"you're having a Roley-poly- chubby-cheeked shit machine??

That about says it all.

The week that sucked

Well that's the only way to describe the week. Murphy's Law every day - if something can go wrong - well it DID. I wasn't exceptionally busy considering we were one person down for the week, but job problems and people problems just reached a peak this week. Like it was a full moon every day. Jobs that don't want to go away - customer who appear to understand english, but don't, and a computer that doesn't want to back up and greets me with a Blue Screen from Hell. Definitely bagged a few people this week. (will blog about the "bag" at another time)



Unfortunately I had few escapes this week- aside from the bottle of wine my dear daughter left behind I looked forward to the season premier of NCIS, Boston Legal and yes - Survivor. Normally I only watch the last 15-20 minutes of that show because most times the people make me want to jump thru the TV and slap them. This season looks like it wont let me down in that department. I enjoy mindless entertainment in the evenings when I can since work fries my brain most days. And speaking of fried brain - did you see the debate? I fell asleep somewhere around 10 PM. I hope they get better.



So as I unwind and relax today, I'm faced with a major dilemma this evening - The Eagles game is on and so are the Season premiers tonight for Amazing Race, Housewives, Dexter and Californication. Are they Kidding ? Do I watch the game and flip flop or do I watch the game and DVR ? Or I can disconnect the computer and hook the second TV up to the cable. That's a thought......

Ike Update.......

Ever since his near death experience we have not seen Ike, and we were getting concerned. I am happy to advise that Ike has been spotted the past two evenings and he is very much alive and well - and staying out of the way. It was too dark to get a shot of him with the phone camera, and needless to say when he saw us he hopped quickly out of our way closer to the bush!

While this doesn't seem like a very interesting blog, we really were quite concerned that we may have scared him to death or that he went off to live elsewhere. The other option was the children upstairs did something foul to Ike. It could happen since they come out and pour salt all over the slugs. Makes me glad I am going to move.

More thoughts on being a Mother

L Casei Immunitas.    WTF ??

How have we as Mothers, gotten along without it?  You've seen the commercial, haven't you?  DanActive.  The working mother who is lamenting that the children are going back to school and her days as Drill Sargent, chauffeur, personal shopper and Mom can only be achieved with her DanActive every day.   Excuse me - first of all - she was all that before they went back to school wasn't she?  Or is this the same woman who sends off her children to camp for the summer?  School just adds some additional activities to make a Mothers life more exciting . But what does Dan Active have to do with it anyway?  Isn't Dan Active a fancy new yogurt style drink to keep you pooping regularly ?   If you're not regular does that make you less qualified to be a successful Mother?

Now I had to look up more info on DanActive since My own Working Mother didn't have access to this  potion.  I wonder now how differently I might have turned out had her intestinal flora been in balance?  I wonder how my own daughter's life may have been altered if I also had DanActive in my life.    The good news is it is not too late to balance your own intestinal flora and boost your body's defense system.  And poop regularly.

I know a few people that could use that......

God is on Vacation

......and He must be in Dallas. ARGHHHHHH - not bad enough to lose sleep. But to Lose to Dallas. So close. Maybe if they called a few more of those facemask penalties against Dallas.?? Maybe if Donovan ran foward a few of those times instead of backwards??? Maybe if he hit his receivers hands a few extra times instead of the turf.....oh well. There's always next time.

And to show just how miserable we are feeling.......

she actually tried to pry off her scarf. Maybe next week.......

Red tape and Adoption

This is Lulu. She is an active little Chihuahua that lives downstairs. My neighbors have been wanting to adopt another dog for some time now - to keep LuLu company since her friend Baxter would be moving and not coming to visit as often. She was very timid and shy when she first came home, but very quickly fell into the role of the dominant female - not afraid to put Gaston in line when he misbehaved. And we all know when he is outside that is often. He loves to protect me, but Lulu puts him in his place.

Anyway - that is not what I wanted to talk about. I did not adopt my dogs - we got them both from the breeder. It is very interesting tho what you have to go thru TO adopt a dog nowdays. I get the impression it is easier to get a foster child and collect money in the process than it is to adopt a pet.

Helen - Lulu's mom - found a lovely little guy online thru a "service" and after contacting them numerous times came to find out that they could not adopt the little fellow. Why? Does she have a record of Dog abuse? (well I do know she has a severe adversion to squirels). The web site goes on to say that - and I quote - Only families with excellent vet references and an installed fenced yard (please do not apply if you do not have a secure traditional or professionally installed electric fenced area in which a dog can safely play without getting out) need apply. That being said us poor Apartment dwellers are screwed.

What these well-meaning people don't understand is that having a fenced in back yard only insures that the dog will have a place to be - most of his days and lots of evenings - especially if you put a little house out there for him. A fenced in yard insures that the dog will hardly EVER get walked. My daughter lives in a community of dog owners and has seen one actually out on a walk.

Anyway - Helen and Crystal found the most adorable little guy and it wasn't required that they have a fenced in yard - or have to have someone at home full time (another strange requirement I couldn't follow). The only requirement was that they want him - and give him lots of love and attention. I absolutely know that he will be getting all of that - and more!

So - Meet Dudley.......

Happy Birthday !!!

Today is officially Gaston and Carmel's 5th Birthday !!

<--------GASTON

CARMEL --------------------->

They enjoyed a dinner with a chicken rice treat in their new bowls - which can be seen on Melinda's blog then went to visit LULU downstairs to share some of their Birthday cookie.

We didn't get a very good photo of Lulu tho - she was eating her cookie with such frenzy that her picture was a complete blur! We did get a miracle picture.

Behold - Carmel being held by Helen with her birthday scarf while I am there......

Football Season

GO E A G L E S !!!

Reluctant Fans. You can't even see Carmel's scarf.

We are off to a wonderful start. Here's hoping we really GO GREEN this season!

Chips and.......

Fish?  Salsa? Dip? Pretzles......how about oil?

As I drive back and forth to work every day I see signs to buy fresh corn,  strawberries,  other produce of the season and flowers - Lots of places to buy flowers.  So naturally when I saw this sign I thought it was another place along the side of the road the side of the road with something new to sell.   I pictured the man who sells corn up on Sugartown road with a side line - making corn oil to go with his corn and sunflowers.  Let's face it - it couldn't be a road sign could it?  Oil and Chips?  As long as I have been driving and living in this area this is not a sign I've come into contact with.  Never have seen a road that has been oiled or chipped. 

Ahhh - but is was a road sign.  All the warnings were up a week in advance. "Drive at your own risk".   They were sprouting up everywhere now - people  in work were talking about them as well.   And we all agreed - no one ever saw these signs before.    I've seen roads paved with tar, but never oiled.  I was getting excited now -   what does an oiled & chipped road look like? If I had to drive at my own risk should I consider chains?  It sounds slippery and dangerous.  

Well  - the week has come and gone and we are into the third week now.  The signs are down and I come to find out that the roads have been oiled and chipped.    My neighbor told me - I drive it 5 times a week and never noticed.  Although anyone that knows me will tell you I would only notice if the road caved in and I had to go around.......Observant isn't my strong suit.

                            

The picture is not the best - but neither is the road.  the darker right side of the photo it the freshly "oiled and chipped" portion.    I had to Google Oil and Chip paving to satisfy my own curiosity.   This is what it says:

• Low cost all weather surface for light to medium traffic
• A waterproof layer to prevent intrusion of water into base material
• A skid-resistant surface
• Short construction time
• New life to weathered pavements

They just neglected to say it looks ugly.  Or maybe because only 1/2 of each lane is done makes an even shorter construction time.    

Penn Dot at your service.  Your tax dollars at work.  

Olympics, Conventions, Hurricanes

WHICH disaster do I write about? ?  I should comment right away that the Olympics were NOT a disaster.  The Chinese Gymnastic team on the other hand is in dire need of an abacus.  And while I might have been a tad interested in the political conventions, the past 4 months of constant chatter about Obama and what a HISTORIC event this is - well - I'm Obama'd out.  How is it tho that the Democrats - who only had the ONE candidate - had a week long convention - covered by every network from 6Pm to 11PM and the Republicans get an hour every evening for what - 4 nights?  (OK - my Republican is showing)

What REALLY got me going was Gustav.  I turned on NPR rather cautiously on the way home since I couldn't take another ride home with political chatter and they were talking to various people who had been evacuated from New Orleans and various other places (I missed the beginning of the broadcast).    I listened to people complain about sitting in traffic for hours waiting to get out of the city.  I listened to people complaining that the facilities that they were evacuated to weren't up to par.  People were sleeping within 2 inches of the other and there wasn't a shower.  They had to be bussed to someplace that had showers.  Complaints, complaints, complaints.   

Are these evacuees expecting to be put up in 4 Star hotels?  Just whose duty is it TO put these people up?     Were hurricans just discovered?  Or are they a recent occurance due to the global warming?  Starting with Katrina of course in 2005.   Is it a duty now of the US Government to put up and pay up to the people after a disaster?  Hasn't any of these people heard about their "Good Neighbor" State Farm?  Or the guys with the Umbrella?    HELLO????  What the hell is the matter with people now days?  Why can't anyone take responsibility for themselves.  Sure - the government should be offering help in evacuating people from impending disasters, but just how much is the government supposed to be responsible for?  

How on earth did anyone survive a disaster before we could blame the government?  Before Katrina there were other hurricanes and on a scale of 1-10 Katrina didn't make the deadliest.  Back then people picked up and took care of themselves and each other.  They didn't expect the Government to do it for them.   If you click the link you will say - but Katrina was one of the costliest.  Yes - but if we take away the money lost to looting......but I digress.

I thought hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes were acts of God.   I guess if you can't SUE God you go after the Government.    Makes me feel like my head will explode.  Good time for a G&T.