Together on Tuesday - Black Friday Shopping (or Shame?)

Our topic this week: What do you think about Black Friday Shopping?  Love it or hate it?  Why? Are the deals worth the lines, crowds, waiting in the cold/dark early morning hours?

So, what do I think about Black Friday shopping?  In a word: SHAME!
Shame on people for acting like primal buffoons against their fellow man just to save a few bucks.  Shame on people for leaving home and family behind the evening/night of Thanksgiving to go and line up outside of a store.  Shame on people for being SO FREAKING GREEDY that they'll throw any resemblance of common courtesy out the window in order to get some crappy non-branded electronic gadget at some cut-rate price that still costs far more than its worth.  Shame on people for treating the poor retail store employees in such a horrible manner.  And certainly not least of all...shame on retailers for facilitating...no...enabling such behavior.

So...I guess you've figured out that I am vehemently anti-Black Friday.  To answer some questions that you are bound to wonder as you read this: no, I do not work in retail.  Yes, I HAVE worked in retail (which is how I originally met Katie over at Fun Home Things!  She's a hoot and made working retail WAY more fun than it really was).  I HAVE worked retail on both Thanksgiving and on Black Friday.  I know business, and I can spot a exploitive business model/practice in a matter of seconds.  I know how not to fall prey to those practices.  I am a Christian, and I celebrate Christmas.  For me the the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus and should be celebrated with a giving heart and mind.  I have an abundance of respect for all other religions.  I do not push Christmas on anyone; we should all be free to celebrate the holidays as we as individuals and families see fit. 

Those of you who defend the insanity that has become Black Friday shopping, this is what I say to you:
You are greedy.  There I said it.  Greedy.  I am sure that has stepped on some toes; but you know what?  As I am known for saying: we all need our toes stepped on once in a while.  Its what keeps us grounded; reminded that we are only human and no better than the next guy/gal. 

And for those of you who start shopping in stores that open on Thanksgiving evening/night? I especially chide you. How dare you. If it weren't for people like you who apparently can't live a single day without shopping, those retail workers would be home with their families.  Simply stated, if their revenue on Thanksgiving Day did not add up to Cost of being open + profit, stores wouldn't be open that day.  If you don't feel guilty about pulling these hard-working folks away from their families, then you should. Many of you tell yourselves, "if they had a problem working holidays, then they wouldn't work retail."  Hogwash. That is simply hogwash; and kudos to you for poorly reasoning your way out of having a heart for people who should be able to spend all of Thanksgiving with their families. Some of those people DO have to work retail. Maybe they don't want to, but in order to make ends meet in this tough economy, yes, they do have to. They cannot afford to lose their job by refusing to work Thanksgiving. Their families need food and shelter just the same as yours does. In the current job market, this may be the only job that person could get in order to accomplish taking care of their families. Ask yourself this: would YOU want to work on Thanksgiving? How would YOU feel having to work Thanksgiving? How would you feel if your husband/wife/son/daughter/mother/father/etc...had to work Thanksgiving in order to afford the holiday meal that your family is home having without you? I am sure you'd be angry about it. Yeah, it doesn't sound very nice, does it? It bites a little harder when it is put into terms that hit a little closer to home. 

Here are some ways I suggest you spend your time on Black Friday rather than contributing to this madness which, by design, is created for the sole purpose of lining the pockets of big name retailers:

• Stay home with your family; enjoy that time with them
• Volunteer - for heaven's sake, do something good for mankind instead!
• Read a book
• Watch a movie cuddled up with your favorite cuddle bug
• Put up your indoor holiday decorations...while in your PJs (or not...I just love bumming around in my PJs)!
• Sit around in your PJ's drinking coffee or hot cocoa
• Volunteer - go serve meals to the needy; they get lots of volunteers on Thanksgiving, but we never hear how many show back up to serve meals the next day!
• Do reasearch - pick a different culture to learn about.
• Blog! Hit up us ToT'ers if you need a topic idea; or, just use one of our past topics!
• Work on getting all those holiday cards addressed!  As days grow busier, you'll be glad you got that out of the way.
• Work on a photo calendar project for the upcoming new year; I do one every year, and I love it.
• Volunteer - visit some lonely senior citizens who don't have family to spend the holidays with.
• Pick a fun craft to do from Katie's blog: Fun Home Things (use link on right).  There are TONS of great, fun ideas there.  Not just for your little ones; plenty for us big (older....ugh...older) kids too!
• Read some of our ToT blog entries (links to all on the right sidebar)
• Cook something using an old family recipe that has been around for generations
• Volunteer...did I mention...you could volunteer?  The holidays are really about GIVING.  So spend nothing; but you'll still give in a big way!

Retailers who enable, host, and otherwise create the insanity that has become Black Friday shopping, this is what I (scathingly) say to you:
You are nothing less than negligent in the way that you have crafted yourself a business model around exploiting the general public's willingness to compete/injure/trample/harass/and yes, pepper spray each other over the slim opportunity to score some superstar deal.  You know you are guilty - do not bother denying it.  You advertise some great deals - a handful of which are shockingly spectacular.  Then, you only stock 4 or 5 of these items at said shockingly spectacular price at each store location.  You KNOW full well...as a matter of fact...you bank on our ability not to resist trying to 'get in on it while the gettin' is cheap'.  By now, you fully know that you will have hundreds and hundreds of customers show up each and every store trying to get their hands on one of these highly coveted deals.  Of course people are going to act crazy and fight.  You know this, don't act like you don't.  Your plan is to give them hope that they'll score one of these superstar deals, but by pure numbers, the vast vast majority of them won't but while you've gotten them in the store, you know full well they'll go for the secondary deals (some they think are still great/good deals).   Firstly, I will call out Walmart for this.  You are the most notorious for inciting Black Friday madness.  You seem to set the bar lower and lower every year.  I thought maybe you'd back off once people started getting injured, trampled, pepper sprayed, even killed at your stores during Black Friday shopping.  I'm not sure why I thought that (misguided optimism, most likely), but you haven't backed off.  As a matter of fact, each year you continue to incite more and more bad behavior.  Quite frankly, Walmart, I am disappointed that the rumblings of the possibility that your employees would stike on Black Friday did not come to fruition.  That would have been a much-needed reality check for your management to have to deal with the crazy ass customers of Black Friday in lieu of the associates you normally toss out to the Black Friday crowd with little or no regard for their well-being.  I am disappointed, but not surprised.  I am sure that you had deployed corporate-level boots-on-the ground to each of your stores to squash any talk of this.  Because, well, that's what you do to protect yourself against the cost of improving employee treatment.  Isn't it?  But not so fast Target, Best Buy, and all you other major retailers - don't you snicker too soon over my calling out Walmart.  You are just as guilty.  You just nimbly follow suit behind Walmart and pattern your own practices after theirs.  You also facilitate your own bit of madness on Black Friday. 

Over the years, you have bastardized the holiday season.  Not just Christmas, but all holiday observences that involve gift-giving this time of year.  You have diluted the true meaning of these holidays and celebrations for many.  You are teaching adults and children alike that the holidays are about things.  About spending, spending, spending.  Buying, buying, buying - and subsequently about getting, getting getting.  It isn't about stuff.  Its about giving, love, family, friends, and togetherness.  And one more thing: STOP PUTTING OUT CHRISTMAS STUFF SO EARLY THAT IT IS STILL A MILLION DEGREES OUT IN THE MID-SUMMER HEAT WHEN YOUR EMPLOYEES (EMBARASSINGLY, I'M SURE) ARE STOCKING THE SHELVES WITH THIS STUFF. 

Are the deals worth any of it?
NO.  Correction...make that HELL NO!  I would not pry myself away from my cozy warm bed for a free crappy 'no-name' flat screen TV/computer/DVD Player/etc...let alone go out, stand in the cold, freeze my ass off, subject myself to my phobia of people getting all up in my personal space, and then having to crowd surf my way through the store to buy something.  It just won't happen.  Never has.  Never will.  That is all (as Danielle from My Peaches and Cream would say!).  There is nothing I (nor anyone in my family) needs so badly that this would happen.  It is stuff people.  Just stuff.  Not even life-saving, critically needed stuff.  Just mundane stuff that will inevitibly clutter up your house and eventually annoy you.

Regardless of how you feel about Black Friday shopping, the reality is this: a very small number of you will get the best deals.  The odds are against you; you probably won't score one of those afore mentioned superstar deals.  I don't know the numerical statistics, but I would boldly guess that you may have better odds walking into a casino and putting your dollars on the line there instead.  On the secondary items you may get some decent deals; but was it worth it?  Really worth it?  It has been proven that over the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, most items end up on sale for less than they were on Black Friday.  Further, on things like electronics...you typically aren't getting the product of a well-established brand.  I am NOT saying it is all about brand names, but there are reputable players in the consumer electronics industry and then there are the less than reputable players.  Yes, you are all loaded with stories about a brand name product that failed for you; I am aware.  It happens.  But in general, certain manufacturers are more into overall quality than others.  You may get something like a Blu-ray player or laptop ridiculously cheap, but will it still be working in a year or so?  If you have to replace a cheaply made item, in the end...you've not only saved nothing...you've actually spent more. 

Together & THANKFUL on Tuesday - GOBBLE, GOBBLE!

Happy Tuesday-before-Thanksgiving!  Dog Days of Life has been hit and miss lately with ToT, but no worries, we are still in!  So a couple days out from Thanksgiving, us Turkeys thought we'd list out some of the things we are thankful for this year!

• As always, the thing I am most thankful for is Mark.  He is the best husband in the world!  He's come through some tough times with me this year and I love him for that!  He never lets me down, and he never ceases to amaze me how he can pull a bad situation together and turn it around so we can get through it.
• I am thankful for family - both mine and Mark's who were there at every turn to provide whatever support we needed no matter how bad things got.  Even family from far away put life on hold to travel here, worried, prayed, called, sent cards, notes, texts, FB messages, and many other things just to show their love, support, and care for us.  We appreciate and love every single one of you and every single effort you've made for us.
• Our friends - because like the family, they've been here through thick and thin.  Some of you have really shined in your ability to support us - be proud of yourselves, you've made a difference this year in a good way.  We consider you family because we love each of you just as if you were our very own 'kin folk'.  
• I am thankful just to be around and able to enjoy the so many things in my life that I have to be thankful for this year!  My injury was so horrible and looking back and knowing the things we know now, I am so very lucky to be alive and well again!  Life is delicate people - don't waste it.
• Related to the previous one, but I thought deserved its own, is my gratitude for the Doctors, Nurses, Physical Therapists, Imaging Teams, and every other staffer at Norton Hospitals that not only treated my physical injuries, but their smiles and words of encouragement went a long way to keep me going emotionally as well.  It wasn't just those listed above, it was everyone down to the people who brought my meals and cleaned my room.  Every single one of them had kind words every day.
• I am thankful for the life of a little girl whose family nearly lost her earlier this year.  God literally reached down and put life back into her tiny body so that she could go on to do things like celebrate her 1st birthday and these Merry Holidays with her family.  I am also thankful that her family did not have to bear witness to the tragedy that nearly unfolded that day.  I reiterate: life is delicate - DON'T WASTE IT!  
• Our home - because it isn't just the house where we keep our things and sleep.  It truly is a home full of love, happiness, joy, and laughter.
• Our two crazy turkeys, Eli and Austin!  You didn't think I'd leave them off this list did you?  Surely not...and don't call me Shirley (how about that prime opportunity to throw in a one-liner from the movie Airplane?!!).  These two crazies bring me joy...no matter what I say about them in other blog entries, LOL!  
• The two weeks that Mark and I got to spend together on our vacation this year.  We were blessed to be able to travel around Europe and visit our friends who've moved to Germany in the past few years.  Granted, we spent A LOT of time tooling around in a tiny periwinkle Toyota Yaris, but it was a blast! Not every couple can spend two weeks in a tiny clown car, getting lost, and dodging mopeds at high speeds and still enjoy each other's company at the end of all that!  
• That my good friend Elizabeth Ryan had a safe, healthy pregnancy despite the challenges throughout.  She may be thankful that she didn't end up with multiples like I dreamed one night that she would!
• That Sean Ryan not only made it home safely after his year serving in Afghanistan, but that he also made it home in time for the birth of him and Liz Ryan's third child, Morrigan Sophia!  Now looking forward to, hopefully someday, getting to be thankful that they live closer to me than Alaska! 
• Our jobs - because they provide us with a wonderful life.  Both companies couldn't have been more helpful during my injury.  Both Mark and I were provided with the time off that we needed to deal with my health.  A lot of people can't say good things about the company they work for and the people they work with - but we can.  We've made so many wonderful, caring friends through our jobs  and they've been supportive when we needed them the most.  
• Speaking of jobs & friends - thankful for a cubicle neighbor that cares enough not only to put up with me on a daily basis, but also cares enough that when she gets home and winds down for the day, realizes that I wasn't my typical sassy self that day that she reaches out to me to make sure I am okay.  You know who you are...Stephanie Schoeff!  
• That fellow ToT blogger Tish was willing to share some life wisdom with me that has really helped me deal with some things that were bogging me down emotionally.  She's pretty wise, that one is!
• For this Together on Tuesday blog group!  I've mentioned it before, but its true - I LOVE writing with such a diverse group of ladies.  Every week is like a new puzzle piece of getting to know each of them.  Our posts have been less regular lately, but we'll be back on Tuesdays regularly in 2013, and as far as a group of people goes, we've really got quite an array of things going on lately!  Just a few: new members to ToT (myself included), new babies (even TWINS, in Nancy's case - BLESS HER!), kids starting off to school for the first time, natural comedian even at 4 years old, kids' rambunctious imaginary friends (remember Babe, anyone?) I sure hope that troubled Babe stays contained to Danielle's house (LOL, sorry D!), injuries, new jobs, vacations and much much more!  
• For you, fine readers, who take a few minutes once in a while to read the crazy thoughts I've been brave enough to share with the world!  I hope each and every one of you have a Happy Thanksgiving this week!  Be sure to look around and see the things you have to be thankful for - they are everywhere!

So, one thing I'll ask, before you leave Dog Days of Life this time, leave a comment telling us one thing you are thankful for this year!  God bless!

Together on Tuesday - My Rambling, Meandering, and Hilariously Off-topic Craft Discussion that Includes My Thoughts on 3 Seemingly Unrelated Things: Wine, Sewing Machines, & Mullets and it will leave you wondering...'What?!?' Then Somehow I Use My Fabulous Word-Smithing Skills To Tie It All Together and then Recommend That You Subsequently Consume A Large Volume of Said Wine After Having Read This...

This may be my shortest blog entry yet!  However, in a last minute move, I've made an attempt to have my blog entry title be longer than my actual blog entry itself.  Why, you ask?  WHY NOT?  By the way, I am starting to think there isn't a character limitation on the Blogger title field; after several fruitless attempts to max out, it is still taking whatever I add to it.  

Are you crafty?  Not at all...  If so, what are you good at?  Good at drinking wine...but I guess that doesn't count as crafty, per se.  Bad at?  Being crafty...especially, if there is a sewing machine involved. What are you currently working on?  Making coffee...kidding (but really, I am actually making coffee - its Sunday morning); I am also working on this blog which you are currently reading.  Let's see some photos of your projects!  There are none...LOL!  If you aren't crafty, do you have a hobby that isn't craft related?  If any of the following count: shopping, travel, hanging out with Mark and our friends, spoiling the dogs, and just being generally hilarious (usually inappropriately hilarious, but hilarious nonetheless).  Oh yeah...and mullet watching at Wal-mart (I don't actually go to Wal-mart for this specific purpose; but I DO live in Kentucky...mullet capital of the world, perhaps...so I do take full advantage of the opportunity to scope the hideous mullet scene while I am there anyways).    

The End.

Ha, ha...you almost fell for that 'The End' part...I just heard the panic welling up inside you!  While I am probably the LEAST crafty member of ToT, I do still have to take this opportunity to entertain you...so, here is a visual from the 'Good', the 'Bad', and the 'Ugly' of the above crafting discussion since I don't really have any craft projects to talk about...

The Good:

The Bad:

The Ugly:

The Confusing Confession:

Contrary to ALL of the above, and in the interest of complete honesty...I do have a Pinterest account.  Yep, now you are just sitting there wondering 'WTF???'  I created the Pinterest account for the SOLE PURPOSE  of voting for a pic of a fabulous craft creation that our very own ToT blogger Katie over at Fun Home Things  had entered into a competition.  I logged in exactly one time, to vote for Katie's project.  If she enters another contest that I need to get onto Pinterest to vote for...I'll have to create a new account...I didn't save my account login info and I've long forgotten it by now.

The Wrap Up:

So, now that I have horrified your brain with images and thoughts of Joe Dirt mullets and sewing machines, my best advice is to go drink as much wine as you can get your hands on so you don't have nightmares about all of this tonight!  

The End.  For reals this time!  Go on...get out of here...go get your wine drinking on to keep the above images from being scorched into your brains....and remember...if you are offended or confused about how I got so far off-topic on this blog entry...just remember...I am severely lacking in the craftiness department...so I had to fill the the blog space and your time with something, right???

Together Last Tuesday - (Un?)Conventional Wisdom

Notice what I did there?  I am making up for last week's missed ToT post.  It just occurred to me that at a glance, you may think this is my last ToT post, nope, not the case...I just crafted a little bit of word play into the title.  Put down the Kleenex...Dog Days of Life is NOT leaving the ToT group!  Just being a little tricky...well...because it is MY blog...so, I can do that!  Am I going to get sued for actually saying Kleenex instead of tissues??  Oh well, we'll burn that bridge if it comes to pass!

I typically don't always go back and make up missed posts, but I was really looking forward to this one, and well, quite frankly, I was sulking about missing it.  The only cure was to write it.


Share the life lessons you have learned so far:

1. Bad things happen to good people.  It sucks, but it is a part of life that we can't change.  
2. We won't always understand why we go through certain things in life.  At some point, you just have to accept what you are dealing with and stop spinning your wheels on the 'why' part.  You just have to accept that you may never know - we aren't supposed to know everything about our lives.  Plain and simple. 
3. A good indicator of someone's true character is how they treat those in the service industry.  If I want to get a good sense of someone's true character, I pay close attention to how they treat a waiter or waitress.  A truly nice person is appreciative of the service they get from a waiter/waitress doing a good job.  Someone who gets their kicks or self-esteem boost from belittling, talking down to, or otherwise being a jackass to a hardworking waiter or waitress is NOT a nice person; they are not my friend, and they never will be.  
4. Blaming others for your lot in life only carries you so far.  Get over it.  At some point you just have to suck it up, put on your 'big girl/boy panties' and move forward as a responsible member of society.  You can only blame your parents for the first 18 years of your life...beyond that, you are legally an adult, your choices are up to you.  Own them, take responsibility.  Be a grown up and don't dwell in the past. 
5. Have a sense of humor.  Life is hard, but a good sense of humor can make it a lot less hard.  
6. Surround yourself with people who can make you laugh and love doing so.  Whether it be friends, spouse/significant other, or co-workers find people who love life and laughter to spend your time with.  
7. Stop thinking through the 'what if' scenarios.  In certain situations, you will certainly drive yourself to insanity.  I have always been the 'what if' lady...it is just how my mind works.  Great for analytical thinking that I use at work, but horrible for things that happen in life.  (Somewhat) jokingly, I have referred to myself as the 'worst case scenario calculator'.  But, I have been put in some situations this year that have forced me to stop my mind from going down the 'what if' path.  The 'what if' path contains things that are just too dark and horrible for me to think about.  Thankfully, God has pulled me through these situations with good results, and who am I to second guess the grace He has shown me and those around me?  
8. Don't freak out over the small stuff.  Life is too short for that.  At the end of your days, do really want to reflect back on your life and see that you spent most of it fussing over the insignificant, mundane details?  
9. Take a few minutes one week to meet your Garbage Man (or Woman).  They could be really nice.  We've met ours, and he is really a nice guy.  Besides, those times when you forget and try flagging him down on his way back down the street...he/she can choose to see you, or not see you.
10. Have a pet, at least once in your lifetime.  They bring joy to a home.  We all know I am a dog person, but that is just me.  I have had cats, and cats can be absolutely entertaining - cats are always plotting against you and it can be fun trying to stay a step ahead of them!  
11. Sometimes being a grown-up sucks.  Life can get really complicated and sometimes we have to make tough decisions that have no good outcome no matter what you choose.   
12. It is OKAY to laugh at things society says it is inappropriate to laugh at.  Just choose your time, location, and company accordingly!
13. Listen to your gut instincts.  It is there for a reason, so don't ignore it.
14. Don't sugar-coat things.  Life isn't always sweet, and finding out this reality will feel like having a band-aid ripped off after a lifetime of being sheltered.  Just avoid all that and tell it like it is. 
15. Marry the person you can't live without - the person you would gladly walk barefoot from New York to California just to spend some time with.
16. Be aware of the unconditional love in your life - both those who love you unconditionally, and those who you love unconditionally.  Unconditional love is the best security blanket in the world.  
17. In career/business: everyone is replaceable.  Period.  Of course there are some 'workplace superstars' out there that have convinced themselves otherwise.  I have watched others think this, and have seen more than once the subsequent fall from grace.  The very instant they deem themselves irreplaceable, is the very same instant that big head of theirs has been distracted long enough to be unaware of the target they just put on their own backs.  In business, everyone is replaceable.  Do a great job; pat yourself on the back here and there, but in the end stay grounded.  Why?  Because you are replaceable, and know this: someone out there can do a better job than you, and someone out there wants/needs your job.  If you disagree with me, then you are probably someone who needs to hear this.  
18. Don't be that coworker who over-does everything and is that person who goes so over the top that you cause everyone to lose perks or privileges just because you are an idiot.  Everyone (besides you, that is) knows it is because of you.  People will lose respect for you, no matter how good you are at your actual job, and people are talking about you.  Its true, I'm sorry, but its true.  The same applies to the person who makes the biggest, most drunken ass of themselves at the company Christmas party - so don't be that person either...even if it is the only night of the year you get out on the town.   
19. Don't work harder to get out of work than it would be to do the actual work itself.  That just isn't an efficient use of energy, time, or effort.  
20. You can't fight every battle.  Accept that, then choose carefully which battles you want to fight.  Once you have decided that, dig in...dig in for the long haul and don't give up. 

Together on Tuesday: To Keep or Not to Keep...

Okay, sorry, but I just had to sneak in some cheeky, off-beat humor about this week's topic:  Keepsake or Clutter?  How do you decide what to keep and what to toss?? 

I really believe that as humans we all have at least a slight tendancy to save things, which oftentimes becomes too many things.  We live in a retail society.  It is so easy to find things all the time that we want to buy.  But with the wonderful feeling of finding that great buy, there is also that dreadful feeling of finding a space for it.  For me, this is usually seasonal things like home decor items.  I seem to come across lots and lots of great seasonal home decor and I love buying and having it...at least that year, until I find something seemingly better for that same season the following year.  I have plenty of these items already, but each year I seem to add to it until I just have too much of these things.  That is something that I have to proactively think about each time I find myself meandering the seasonal aisles of my favorite stores: do I already have this or something already to serve as good of a purpose?  Do I really need this?  Where will I put this?  When the season is over, where will I store this? 

Things I Keep

Over the years, especially during the college years, I accumulated things that at that particular moment, felt like life-long 'must-have' items.  However, that stack of things included such ridiculousness as every paper I ever wrote (which is a lot...considering I have a bachelor's degree in English Education), newspapers, magazines, books, coats/jackets, teaching materials, things I could potentially use later, etc...  However, I have since had to take a more critical look at these things and pare down what I keep and what I get rid of. 

Things I have kept from college now fits into a flat plastic tote that would fit under a bed for easy storage.  Except for the books, that is.  Still have a LOT of the books, but as far as other random things, I have really minimized it down over the years. 

Of the things from colllege, I decided to keep only the documents that were of some personal or historical value.  This would include a small sampling of the best of the papers that I wrote (or ones that I put the most thought or effort into writing - because let's be honest, there were plenty that were written in the wee hours before class with the printer ink still drying as I turned them in).  Early on, I also came to the conclusion that there was ablsolutely no logical reason or justification for keeping the notebooks and folders from my college classes.  That just took up too much space from the get-go, so they got tossed.  I have never needed them, so that was a great choice of things to toss.  I also still have a lot of the cards, notes, and such that my mom mailed to me while I was away at IU.  The keeper pile also includes the Business Law quiz that I was taking at the exact time that the September 11 attacks happened.  I will never forget, at that moment before hearing about the attacks, that quiz was the most important thing happening...until I heard.  Oh, how horrible it was to find out what happened while I was taking that quiz.  The very next time I had that class was two days later, so we were all still reeling from the news, and we all awkwardly waited for class to begin knowing that is what we were doing when it happened.  The professor wallked in and tossed them on the table and simply said, "here are the quizzes...not that they are important."  He is right, they became insignificant to what the country was going through, but, I have kept that quiz, if for no other reason to remind me that something you think is the most important thing right now can quickly become the most insignificant thing in the grand scheme of life. 

I also still have the IU Student newspaper announcing the firing of basketball coach Bobby Knight.  I am not even much of a basketball fan, but Bobby Knight was a legend at IU, so since I conveniently have the newspaper from the university from which he was fired, I figure I may as well hang on to it...who knows. 

Now back to the books.  Oh, the books.  Confession: I have a really hard time forcing myself to get rid of any books.  Even at the end of the semester when I could sell them back for fast cash after finals, I still carefully picked and chose which ones I thought I should keep and which ones I could part with for pizza money...literally, I once sold back some of my books because I really wanted some extra cash to order a pizza the evening I finished my last final for that semester.  I cashed in my thick, heavy volume of Shakespear literature at TIS Bookstore, and cleared just enough to pay for the last pizza that Pizza Express delivered that night.  They cut off deliveries very early that evening due to a snow/ice storm that was moving in, and I got the very last pizza they delivered that night.  Shoo...just under the wire!  The irony here is that a couple semesters later I had to REBUY that exact same big, heavy volume of Shakespeare for my second semester of Shakespeare Literature.  Dammit.  But I learned, and didn't sell it after that semester so I would never have to buy another piece of Shakespear literature.  Plus, it had all my class notes written in it and that alone has served of zero value in the subsequent years of my life!  I still have that second copy I got.  I haven't been able to part with it, probably because it reminds me of the cute and funny story of when I really wanted pizza money and sold the first one. 

I also have a handful of things of the dogs' that I keep.  From Watson there are a few of his favorite toys and his collar and tag that I have in a special box that I bought to keep his things in.  Since we don't have our Watson anymore, at least I have a lot of photos and a few of his favorite things to remember him by.  And speaking of dogs' things, I now have a new one to add.  Eli learned to swim this week.  All on his own.  Mark threw a ball out in a stream for him and Austin to go retreive and it went a little farther than they could wade out to get it and Eli was determined, so when it got too deep for him to wade, he kept going and started swimming for it!  It was a proud moment for Mark and I - my heart swelled a hundred times bigger watching him.  He brought that ball back and after playing with it a bit more, I got ahold of it so I could keep it and always have a memento of when we were so proud of him for being brave! 

Things I Toss/Donate

I have recently come to terms with just clearing out clothes that don't fit anymore or that I know deep down that I will never wear again.  About a year ago, after my weight being up and down and up and down, I decided that having the teeny tiny clothes that I could once wear in the closet staring at me everyday was just too depressing; I decided I needed to do a major purge.  So, after bagging them up, I had every bit of three giant garbage bags stuffed full of great clothes that I needed to never see again.  So, I donated them to a better cause than collecting dust inside my closet. 

Coats and jackets are another thing I have way too many of - that is one of my weaknesses; for some reason that I don't fully understand, I LOVE buying new jackets and coats.  Since fashions change from year to year, that is a grand reason to justify getting them...right??  Just agree with me on this.  As a result, I have a ridiculous amount of them, winter coats especially, that I need to donate.  Some of the coats are too small or no longer fashionably appropriate for my "grown-up" life, so I just need to get rid of them.  Seriously.  I could provide coats for an extended family of Eskimos.  Seriously.  I just need to get them to a more useful home.  People in less fortunate situations need coats every year, and it is selfish of me to keep these coats collected up in a closet knowing I will never wear them.  The funny thing is, that even though I buy all these jackets and coats, there is one I still keep going back to.  A grey wool pea coat that I bought in college for $25 off the clearance rack at Old Navy one year.  Yeah, I still love that coat and always default back to it after I grow tired of my most recent coat purchase.  All I have to do is pair it up with a new scarf and glove set each year, get it dry-cleaned at the end of each winter, and voila...its appearance is refreshed, and it is as good as new! 

The Basement

We all know the best parts and perks of home ownership.  However, the slightly darker and more sinister side is that space that most houses in the mid-west have that sits directly under the main part of the house...yes, you know what I am talking about...<insert music from a horror film here>...the basement.  It is just a big space...for stuff, right?  Well, ours has been just that.  There have been times where I avoided going down to the basement because of all the stuff.  But, to our credit, it was also being used as a shop for some things that my husband works on.  At some point, it became abundantly clear that we needed some type of space dedicated to just his projects and tools and things like that.  So, we built a 1500 sq foot shop for just that.  So, out of the basement went all the tools, saws, sawdust collection sytems, shop vacs, lawn maintenance equipment, and dirt bike & dirt bike accessories.  Oh, the open space of the basement once all that stuff got moved!  We even had a little part of the basement we referred to as 'the garage' and it is now almost empty because all that stuff went out to the shop.  So now, we are down to just one corner of the basement that we try not to think about.  That corner of the basement would be a hoarder's dream come true.  I say there just hasn't been time to go through it all, maybe that is true, but deep down, part of me knows that I just don't want to deal with all that stuff and what to do with it all.  Woof.  This part of the basement story is to be continued...

Together on Tuesday - MY Personal Causes!

Today's topic:  Soapbox time!  What is the issue that gets you stirred up?  What is your personal project or cause(s)?  How does this affect your daily life?  How do you try and make a difference?

Rescue Animals
Anyone who has been reading this blog...or has read it only once...or has seen the name of this blog can guess that rescue animals tug hard at my heartstrings.  I have literally stood in the dog section of the Kentucky Humane Society (KHS) and cried because I couldn't take them all.  All three of our dogs have been rescue dogs, and any pet we ever have will be a rescue.  There are so many sweet, sweet pets that needs good, secure, and loving homes.  I cannot urge people enough to consider adopting rescues when they want a pet.   Most states require that all animals be spayed or neutered before adopted out from shelters, so that is ONE LESS HASSLE you have when you adopt!  Adopting a rescue can happen in many forms, most people think they all come from shelters (yes, that is what springs to mind - typically for me too) but it also happens when people take a pet someone can no longer keep or take in a stray they find.

Excuses, excuses, excuses...the Top 3 that I hear from people as reasons why they don't want to rescue:

"You don't know what you are going to get because you don't know what the animal has been through"
TRUTH:  You NEVER really know what an animal has been through, nor can you predict their future behaviors whether they come from a pet store, breeder, or a shelter.

"I don't want a pet that has been/will be/is sick"
TRUTH:  most of the time an ill animal will be isolated from the rest of the shelter animals and unavailable for adoption, most shelter animals are cared for by Veterinarians who either volunteer or work for the organization, their immunizations are kept up-to-date, or just ask...they will usually tell you whether an animal has been sick during its time at the shelter they also typically have Vet/Medical records available to give adoptive parents...just ask to see them.

"I heard some horrible story about a family who adopted a rescue...."
TRUTH: There are always some failures with adoption.  It just happens.  Did you know that there are also failed child adoptions?  I am by no means comparing adopting children to adopting a pet, I realize that adopting a child is a much more serious event, but most people don't want to think about child adoption failures, but it happens.  Some child adoptions have had to be legally unwound and the child returned to 'the system' for various reasons.  Likewise, all kinds of pet/family relationships fail every day.  Do you really think that pets that are purchased from pet stores or breeders never fail to work out with the families?  Really...do honestly believe that NEVER happens?  If you believe it never happens, contact me, I will sell you some ocean front property right in the middle of a desert...(kidding...!)

I do realize that in special circumstances, certain families need certain types of pets such as Physical Handicap Service Pets, Therapy Pets, and Hypo-Allergenic bred pets.  I understand that...I wouldn't argue with these needs for special-purpose pets.  It is the rest of you that I am preaching to!

**If you are interested in adopting or fostering a rescued animal; donating time, pet supplies, or money; or participating in fundraisers, you can contact: Kentucky Humane Society, No Kill Louisville, Louisville Metro Animal Services (LMAS), or PetFinder.**  Or, just talk to people about it.  Someone you know always knows someone who is needing to find a home for an animal.  You can usually find the age and size you are looking for within a short period of time of doing this.  The need is always there, just ask or spread the word that you are looking for a pet!

In Kentucky or Southern Indiana, I urge people to first check at LMAS for a pet companion to rescue or foster from.  That place has a bad history, I feel like they are cleaning up their act now, but only after years and years of mishandling of animals.  A number of people who have worked there in the past should do jail time for the things that went on there.  It is horrific what went on there.  The city and the CURRENT Mayor are working to clean up the mess that LMAS became (in my OPINION which is based on news stories in the local media: the previous Mayor, pretty much IGNORED the reports of what went on there during his reign of atrocity terms in office).  I am so glad Mayor Fischer and his administration cares about the situation, and are trying to clean up LMAS and make it a better place for homeless animals.  I really think the current staff is doing their best to improve the place, but they need our support and the more animals they can adopt out, the better they can handle the improvements they are working on there.  The community, city officials, and local media also need to remain vigilant of what is going on at LMAS so that it doesn't ever backslide into the horrible mess it once was.

If you ever find yourself in the situation of having to surrender a pet, please, first reach out to No Kill shelters.

How this cause affects MY daily life:
I have been lucky to have been/be a dog mom to three of the BEST dogs ever to Watson, Eli, and Austin!  ALL have been rescues.  They melt my heart, we adore them.  Their sweet faces and antics make me smile and laugh every single day!  Sometimes my house feels more like a 'dog rodeo' but I would not have it any other way.

My Loveys: 

Watson: 

Adopted him in December, 2006 when we lived in Indiana.

Sadly, we lost him in October, 2009 - RIP Buddy, we miss you everyday!

Eli:

Adopted him: February, 2009 from Kentucky Humane Society.

He is the diva.  If you look 'diva' up in the dictionary, you will see the above picture of Eli!

Austin:

Adopted him: November, 2010 from LMAS.  

This pic is Austin & Mark watching our Sunday NFL Football the day we got him!

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What is YOUR personal cause?  What soapboxes do you preach to any who will listen?  I would LOVE to hear all about them!

Together on Tuesday - My Gratitude List

List 30 things that you take for granted that you have gratitude for - elaborate as much or as little on each item.

I have been dealing with some very serious health issue for the past few weeks, so a lot of mine will reference that.

• Mark - I always have been and always will be grateful for him. But facing serious health issues and getting back on my feet has made me realize how truly grateful I really am for him. He is THE BEST and has taken phenomenally great care of me. 

• Our family - Everyone just dropped everything to see that I was being taken care of.  My family lives nearby, but they put their lives on hold to be at the hospital and do whatever Mark or I needed.  They were there when I was rushed to ICU and when the doctors came and told me all the scary stuff they may have to do if things 'got bad'.  They held it together while I fell apart and was completely terrified not knowing what was going to happen.  Mark's family also dropped everything and drove hours and hours to get here to see me, comfort both Mark and I, take care of our house, and take care of our dogs.  Other family members have sent cards, e-mails, and notes of concern and filled with such kindness.
• Our friends - we have had so many kind words and expressions of concern from our friends. So many of them have been praying for us and each day we feel those prayers being answered.
• Our co-workers - many, many of our co-workers also fall into the friend category and have reached out to us personally. Both our employers have shown an outpouring of support and have given us the time we've needed to handle this and recover. My department especially, has had to take on my workload on top of their own, with no advance notice - they are wonderful.
• The fact that my recent health crisis was no worse than it was and that we eventually expect a full recovery.
• Our two dogs - did you really think they wouldn't make the list? Didn't think so! They are so sweet and seem to realize that I am not my full self right now.  I sure did miss those two adorable faces when I was in the hospital!

• The three years we had our first dog, Watson.  RIP, buddy - we miss you!

• Our memories & photos of Watson.

• Our home
• Our jobs
• My car - because it is paid off - no more payments!!
• Mark - again!

• The fact that my husband and I have a similar sense of humor - warped?  You bet..but funny!

• Backless, slide-on tennis shoes...how convenient!
• Flip-flops
• Being allowed to wear jeans to work on Fridays.
• Yoga class - especially when I am well enough to go, not these days, but I will get there.  I highly recommend PM Yoga in Louisville. 
• Technology - including, but not limited to my iPhone, my new Netbook, and wi-fi.
• Ink pens with purple ink!
• My ToT blog group & the other ToT ladies, of course!
• Spaghetti & other pasta - my favorite!
• Sushi Tuesday lunch with the ladies at work.
• Driving - I miss being able to jump in the car and drive myself wherever, whenever.  Will get there again, in the meantime it is just frustrating.
• Two weeks of driving around Europe this summer with Mark.

• That I don't actually own the tiny car we drove around Europe for two weeks.
• The fact that the people around me know that I am sassy, opinionated, and that I just tell it 'like it is' and that they seem okay with that.
• The little things in life: those double-walled hard plastic cups with lids and the plastic straws (and how can you NOT love those straw stoppers??!!), Brisk brand Raspberry Iced Tea, my pink Swavorski crystal memory stick, having a TV in my kitchen, our new and hopefully dog-proof garbage can, fingerprint-free stainless appliances for the kitchen, and fall-themed seasonal decorations.
• My scarf collection - yeah, I have a scarf collection!
• Zip-front hoodies and fleece jackets.
• Mark - yes, AGAIN!  3rd time is a charm...right??

 

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What are you most greatful for???  Please share!

Together on Tuesday takes the Gold!!

It is probably apparent from my title that this week we are writing about the Olympics.  Do we watch them?  What do we think about them? What Olympic sport would you do? 

Summer Olympics
Well, I'm going to probably start right off spoiling my entry this week...as I mentioned in a previous entry (ToT: Brain Download!) I just don't care for the summer Olympics...so in the spirit of being honest, I admit that I did not watch one single minute of the summer Olympics this year.  There.  I said it.  Go ahead, hate on me for a little bit...then come back finish reading.  I understand.  I just don't have a Summer Olympic event that I am attached to - it just isn't there.  I would have enjoyed the opening ceremonies, but I was on a plane from Germany back to the U.S. during that...I think...those few days are a little fuzzy because of all the travelling we were doing.  Although, I must say that from seeing some of the news coverage during the Olympics that I was completely shocked at how scandalous the sport of Badminton could be.  Who knew?  Until now, I thought that the only thing that could even remotely be controversial about Badminton was their use of the word 'shuttlecock'...

However, not having even watched the Olympics, and going only by news coverage I still managed, like the rest of the world, to just fall in love with Gabby Douglas.  Be sure you check out Tish's blog over at Just Gets Sweeter to read about her connection to Gabby! 

I actually much prefer the summer X Games over the summer Olympics.  I think the events in the summer X Games are more exciting.  Plus they have motorized sports, like moto-cross races and stunt competitions and things like that.  This year, X Games upped the excitement with the live Hot Wheels Double Loop Challenge.  My mom and I saw this live on TV the day they did it (poor Mark, he kept waiting to see it, then had to leave and missed seeing it live by less than five minutes).  They make it look so effortless, but can you imagine if one teeny little thing had gone wrong??  Whew...and no, I will NOT be trying that one in the Sentra, LOL!

I really had a moment of pride this summer when I realized that my mother who is in her 60's and I were sitting there watching the X Games BMX Bike competition - and we were BOTH really enjoying it.  My proudest moment was when my mother said, 'that kid is just trying to look like Shawn White'...OMG...my mom knows who Shawn White is...awesomeness points for MY Mom!!

Yes...this sweet lady holding her tiny dog in a basket:

really enjoyed watching this:

I was as surprised as the rest of you!

Winter Olympics
Okay...so here is my chance to redeem myself with you guys...I LOVE the winter Olympics...did you hear that??  I LOVE THE WINTER OLYMPICS!!  Everything from the skiing, snowboarding, speed skating, luge, to the curling...YES...the curling!  During the last winter Olympics I had a random day off, and me and Eli (we did not have Austin yet) were fixated on the winter Olympics.  As I mentioned in the Brain Download blog entry...would it be weird, or just wrong to take a day or two off just to watch the winter Olympics??  I think not.  Mark probably wouldn't take a vacation day for that (I get a lot more vacay days than he does), so it would be me and the dogs cuddled up on the couch with our blankets watching.  Can't wait! 

Most certainly if I were going to be an Olympic athlete, my sport would be would be from the winter Olympics.  I think figure skating would be fun and it is a little more artistic than some of the other winter Olympic sports, so I would probably pick that...minus Tonya Harding's bodyguard and his baseball bat, of course.

And yes, you probably figured that I also really enjoy the winter X Games as well!

What about you?  What do you love/hate about the Olympics?  Did you watch? 

Together on Tuesday - Nicknames...line up and get your nicknames - I hand them out daily!

Nicknames: did you have one growing up? How did you get it? Do people still call you that? Have you given your kids dogs nicknames?  Other people?

My Nicknames from Others

Growing up, I hated my name – however, my middle name is Lynn…one of those sort of ‘filler names’ so to speak…no offense to any Lynn’s out there who love their names…but to me some names just seem like filler names that, in my mind, exist to serve as middle names that easily compliment a longer or more difficult first name to match to a middle name. Point being that while growing up I hated my name – but I hated the idea of going by my middle name even more. No win. Especially when you are 7 or 8 and in those days, the only other Charlottes were peoples’ grandmothers, great aunts, or something like that (however, maybe now my name has taken a more trendy turn because it seems to have become a more popular name for baby girls in the last year or two). At any rate – leading us back to the topic at hand, nicknames, did I have one? Well…ish, maybe…I did not really have a solid nickname that everyone who knew me called me all/most the time over the long haul of the years of my childhood. Sure, there are several close friends or family who regularly (and still do) shorten my name to Char, which is fun - I like that they feel comfortable enough with me to do that, but its not like I had the teachers call me that in school. Any nicknames that I had were usually just names that certain people would call me at home. Which seems odd given the above discussion of how I felt about my name growing up.

There was one person that had the special privilege of calling me something that no one else was/is allowed to – Charlie. It seems logical to shorten my name to Charlie, but that privilege was reserved for one very special lady – my Great Aunt Beverly. She called me that growing up – it was a special thing between her and I, and I would very get upset if anyone else tried to get in on that. So, when that wonderful lady passed away in December, 1989 with her went the privilege of being able to call me Charlie. My family knows not to, and if anyone I know or meet calls me that, I will usually correct them that I do not go by that – sometimes explaining why, but not always – depending on who it is.

Now, my Mom always has, and always will, call me her ‘Baby Girl’…I am her youngest, the baby of the family, so she calls me that a lot.

Now – in the college years…I had plenty nicknames, but I won’t go too much into that…most of them were born as a result of inside jokes with my college buddies and some would probably be offensive to those who don’t lend themselves to my particular brand of humor!

A few years ago, our friend Tom started calling me Soot Lady...I mention this one in particular because of the uniquely funny progression from which this name came.  It all started one evening...drinking involved?...Given.  We were all hanging out, and at some point, Tom told me I was being snotty to him...I am sure I WAS...LOL!  So, he decided to start calling me Snot Lady.  Got it.  Check.  We're good.  However, a short time later, I sent him a text, attempting to sign it as 'Snot Lady'...however...that handy-dandy T9 (oh, yeah, back in those days...remember T9 anyone??...crickets chirping...didn't think so!) auto-corrected, changing my signature to 'Soot Lady'.  Tom thought that was so epically funny that I instantly became Soot Lady as far as he was concerned!

Mark typically calls me Sweets.  Just a simple shortented version of Sweetie or Sweetie Pie.  I like that he calls me Sweets.  Neither of us are very super lovey dovey verbally, so this sort of fits us.  I think it is...well...sweet of him!

My Nicknames for Others

I don’t have any children, so as you saw above, I modified it for the dogs – which are my kids. I have no less than ten million and twelve nicknames for my dogs! At the rate I come up with them, Mark is usually a nickname or two behind! Here is a short sampling:

Eli (full name: Eli Robert): Eleey Bob, The Bobber, The Bob, Eli Roberto, Bugaboo, The Bug, Little Dog, Booty Dog (because he tries to sleep up against my booty!), Grumpy Old Man, and Shifty (sort of a word play on him acting a little shady sometimes...you know, those shifty eyes of his - this is a brand new one from yesterday).

Austin (full name: Austin Vega): Austie, Austie Vega, Big Dog, Tall Dog, Crazy Man, Crazy Pants, Stinky Gonzalez, and as of last night...Stilty (because he is just so...dang...tall).

Collectively, I refer to the dogs as ‘The Boys’...but as of last night, I'm also collectively referring to them as 'Shifty & Stilty'.

As far as people…yes, I give out LOTS of nicknames. The one that has really stuck is my sister’s…I have called her Sissy ever since I began speaking – I have friends who probably could not tell you her first name because all they’ve ever heard was ‘Sissy’ and subsequently just started calling her that themselves.

Mark, of course, has not escaped being nicknamed either. His has stuck pretty well too. I call him Bear. I'm not exacly sure of the origin of my calling him Bear, but I believe it started out as something more than just Bear and eventually getting shortened down to just that. He doesn't seem to mind it, at least he's said he doesn't, and he continues to answer to it so it has just stuck. I guess I'll find out for sure - as in whether he gets upset that I've told all of you that I call him Bear!

I also have given (and have helped in giving) other people I know nicknames as well. You just can't sit in an office all day five days a week observing the people around you and not give them nicknames, it just isn't possible - at least for me and my closest work pals...and that is all I will say about that! I also will not deny giving nicknames to complete strangers - which are typically based on stupid things I see them doing. 

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So, my fine readers...please do tell...all of your embarassing nicknames over the years??!!!

Together on Tuesday - Makin' Up for Lost Posts!

Welcome back, readers!! Yep, Dog Days of Life has been on a brief hiatus - but not to worry, we didn't bail on ToT, just took a long vacation! Two week long vacation. It was fabulous! Also missed that Tuesday of the week before we left - life just got hectic and took over, I'm sure you all know how that goes. 

This week is a sort of 'pick your own topic' or 'make up a missed entry' week.  We had tossed around some suggestions incase we had trouble coming up with a topic on our own.  Some of the ladies will be grabbing the bull by the horns and taking on some of the recent controversies in current events.  I very much recommend you visiting their blogs and reading what they think about some of these 'hot potato' topics!  I am going to be very honest, originally, I had planned (and actually started writing this week's ToT last night on one of the recent news controversies - the Chick-fil-A debate), however, today was quite rough and after seeing a friend/co-worker and family go through one of the most difficult situations I could possibly imagine, I just don't have it in me to take on a heavy topic tonight.  So, I am going switch gears and do a make-up from one of the weeks I missed.  I DO plan to finish my opinion piece on the Chick-Fil-A thing, maybe later this week...but not today. 

My Topic (the topic I missed from last week): Brain Download!  Spew out 50 random thoughts currently streaming though your head.  A little peek into the craziness rattling around up there!

1. Mark seems to have transitioned from vacation back to real life much faster than me.  Not surprised about that, it is pretty typical for us.  I AM surprised that I feel a little self-conscious about it this time...but why??
2. I really don't care for the Summer Olympics...I'm sorry!  I just can't find anything to be excited about with the Summer Olympics.  I wish I did like it, I have tried, I just don't.
3. Are people going to hate on me for not loving the Summer Olympics?
4. I LOVE the Winter Olympics!
5. Would it be weird to take a day or two off work during the next Winter Olympics, just to sit at home with the dogs and watch??
6. After reading Danielle's blog from last week, I am slightly embarassed to admit that I am jealous...not of Danielle or Chris, but of their 4 year old Jayna.  She has a GloWorm.  I had a GloWorm.  It was my FAVORITE.  For quite some time now, I have wished that I still had it just as keepsake memorabilia from my childhood (I am clueless as to what happened to it).
7. Note to self: ask mom what happened to my GloWorm.
8. How funny is it that Jayna named her GloWorm Charles Barkley??
9. Frank Caliendo does a hilarious impression of Charles Barkley.  Maybe one day Jayna will find his Barkley bit as funny as I do.
10. Speaking of the Wieland family...do Chris and Danielle eat sushi?  I have known them for a while now, and I have no idea whether or not they eat sushi - we have never discussed this.  I now feel that I need to know this.
11. Today's sushi lunch was GREAT!
12. Did Mark ever read my last blog which was a letter to him?
13. Should I give him a pop quiz to find out?
14. I have a gazillion vacation photos to load onto the computer from the cameras.
15. Crap...my laptop is a POS, the memory is full, and it won't take anymore photos.  Crap.
16. Is the photo thing a financially irresponsible reason to justify buying a new laptop when we have another (albeit unreliable) computer at home, and between the two we make due pretty well?
17. Probably so.
18. Why are so many of my random thoughts in question form?  Including this one.  Dammit.
19. Is anyone still reading this?
20. Did my husband seriously just wire up the kitchen counter tops with invisible dog fence, as a desperate resort to teach Austin to stay OFF the kitchen counters and OUT of the kitchen garbage can?
21. Yes.  Yes, he did.
22. He's not just an evil genious, he's an evil tech genious!
23. I, on the other hand, am just plain old evil.
24. I went TWO WHOLE WEEKS without having to see a car with those stick people families on the back window.
25. I don't like those stick people family car window stickers.  I don't care how many people belong to the family that owns that car...or that car...or that van...or that SUV...or that other SUV...or....you get the idea.
26. I hope no one is brutally offended that I don't like the stick people family car window sticker things. 
27. A little offended is okay I suppose, but I would feel bad if anyone was brutally offended.
28. I think I spend too much time alone in the car churning over my own thoughts about things...things like stick people window stickers.
29. Tired and sleepy.
30. Note came in the mail today, informing me that I may be part of a class action settlement from a case against the parent company of Urban Active Gym. 
31. Sure I won't get any money out of it, but knowing they are paying someone compensation for their horrible business practice makes me smile.
32. Insert happy dance...they really made me crazy when I tried, tried, and tried again to end my membership at their gym.
33. I actually gained weight while I had a membership at that gym.
34. Is there a class action settlement for that??
35. Adele and I enjoyed singing together in the car today.
36. Sometimes I think she just lipsynchs to MY singing voice, LOL! 
37. I wonder how long it took the other ladies to have 50 random thoughts for their blogs last week?
38. Wow...it is only 6:22pm in Alaska...Elizabeth Ryan still has many more hours to her day!
39. Yes, I recently discovered the 'World Clock' function on my phone.
40. Do I have ten more thoughts left in me today, or do I need to pick this back up tomorrow?
41. Hmm...
42. Think I'll just push on and get this published tonight.
43. What if the dogs got sprayed by a skunk when we let them out during the night (or day for that matter, but I think skunks typically only come out at night)?
44. I would die...I would just die if that happened!  That would be horrible!
45. Could I board them until the stink wore off?  Would that be wrong?
46. I bet no one is still reading this!
47. If they are, I'm sure they are convinced by now that I am crazy!
48. Everything on the kitchen counter is now just slightly out of place from where Mark ran the wire along the counter top.
49. I'll deal with putting it all back in place tomorrow.
50. Goodnight, y'all!!

Together on Tuesday...Letter to Mark

Happy Tuesday, all! 

So this week's topic is one that for me (and I am guessing it probably also is for some of the other ToT ladies as well) has been quite a challenge.  So when I sat down to write this week's blog tonight...I used Facebook as my first diversion...then after that, I went over to www.someecards.com for a little cheeky, off-beat humor...I managed to burn off quite a bit of procrastination time there...but now, it is just past 9pm, and I must put my mind to writing this week's ToT entry!

Our topic this week is to write a letter to our husband...doesn't have to be a mushy love letter or anything like that - just ANY kind of letter, whatever we want to say. 

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Dear Mark,
This seems really strange to me not only to be writing you out a letter to start with, but also to be writing out a letter to you that will be published for everyone to read.  Ever since this topic was added to our lineup several weeks ago, I have been mulling over in my mind what type of letter to write to you.  Then, on Friday, after the court hearing over those dogs that terrorized our neighborhood for so long, I was thinking about how thankful I was of how supportive you were through that whole long battle - and that it was as important to you as it was to me.  Then it hit me, there are SO MANY things that you have done, or still do, for me that I am SURE that I have never taken the time to say 'Thank You' for - its not that I haven't always been thankful for everything that you do, its just that I have taken for granted that you know how much I appreciate them. 

Going back through our documentation of Watson's injuries the night before the hearing, I was reminded of the lengths that you went to in order to get Watson and I through that whole ordeal.  I don't know HOW, but somehow I had forgotten that after he came home from his surgery that you spent every night for at least a week laying on the floor with him so that he wasn't terrified during the night when he couldn't sleep.  And the morning that he was attacked by those dogs how you were the one that kept your head together (while I was in complete panic and meltdown mode) so that we could get him to the Vet's office and into surgery - not to mention going back and helping them prep your own dog for surgery while Dr. B drove in from Louisville to see to him. 

Another time that came to mind was when I was completely defeated, and had pretty much given up, on trying to finding the right doctor to help with my specific health problems, and you got on the phone and called as many different doctors' offices as it took before you finally found the one you thought would be the best suited - but not only that...then you REFUSED to accept 'sorry, but we aren't accepting new patients' from them...because whatever you said to them certainly convinced them otherwise. 

You also always support whatever crazy idea I have or whatever sort of situation I manage to get myself into.  Like the time I wanted to invent saftey goggles for dogs - then later found out that someone else already had, LOL!  And I am sure by now, when your phone rings and it is me, that you are never surprised at how the converstation starts on the other end...whether it be the classic 'you are gonna kill me when you see the horrible thing I just did to my car' (remember...the smashed in bumper...or the damaged rim & flat tire...or the other time I scraped up the bumper...or the other flat tire...), or 'I need you to stop whatever you are doing right now in the middle of the day and come get me...someone needed me to come to the hospital with them, and now I need a ride back home'...or whatever other random thing the case may be - but I am sure by now, nothing surprises you anymore - and you always seem to be perfectly okay with that. 

I also appreciate that you let me be as crazy of a dog mom as I want to be to our boys.  You know that I am completely batshit crazy over the dogs, and you are perfectly okay with how much I adore them.  I am sure that you also sometimes get tired of the songs I make up for the dogs, and the endless supply of goofy nicknames that I have for them - but you always just go with the flow and before you probably even realize it, you also typically end up calling them whatever the most recent crazy thing I have come up with for them!

Another thing I love about you is your sense of humor.  No matter what we are going through, you are able to make me laugh and smile every single day.  Like me, you see the advantage of maintaining a sense of humor in most situations, so we are able to laugh our way through things that may otherwise be unnecessarily stressful.  I really do mean it when I have said that my best marriage advice is 'to always have a sense of humor' - as we know, life is hard, but it is a whole lot less hard when you are able to laugh about things. 

I feel like I could literally write for months about all of the wonderful things you do that I truly do appreciate...so, I hope that this very small sampling shows you how much I love and appreciate everything you do.  You are the BEST, and I hope that you know that even though I am sure I do not say 'thank you' often enough, that in my heart I truly am thankful to have you.  And as I often do tell you, but that I always want you to know is that...you are my most favorite person!

Love,
Me

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Okay, readers...so now that I have opened up and shared my letter with you...what type of letter, or what things would you say in an open letter to your spouse or significant other???  

Together on Tuesday - A Day in the Life of Me

Hello Everyone!  You caught me...again...writing my Together on Tuesday weekly post on Wednesday.  Well...the truth is, that we had a very busy weekend, Monday was my ONLY chance to get to yoga class this week, and by last night...my house was in complete shambles and getting it cleaned had to be priority numero uno...which, just happens to be a perfect segue into this week's topic...(which was of my choosing, by the way, because I thought it would be a great way for all the Together on Tuesday gals to get to know one another a little better and to give you - our faithful readers - a chance to get to know us better).

What is your typical 'day in the life' like?  Do you feel like you get most things accomplished that you need to in a given day?  Or do you go to bed pondering over the list of things that you didn't get to?  How do weekends differ from weekdays?  How do (or don't) you keep that balance between less fun things like chores, etc...and more fun things?

Monday - Friday
My weekdays pretty much revolve around work, and then whatever little I can fit in between work and sleep.  My day starts around 6:15am, when the alarm first goes off, then several snooze button cycles later, I begrudgingly throw myself out of bed.  My morning effort to get out the door is typical stuff.  Then I have my commute to downtown.  On a good traffic day it is okay, on a bad traffic day, I feel like I am going to die in my car of old age before I get to work.  Tuesday blogger Tish and I work together (in my first job with our company, I worked under her supervision). 

 (this is where fellow ToT blogger Tish and I spend our weekdays)

I am now a Reporting Analyst for the company, so I pretty much spend my days looking at spreadsheets, data system outputs, etc... I do a lot of number cruching and analytical type work. One of my main responsibilities is the reporting of Assets Under Management.  One of the rewarding things about my job is that I regularly get to see my hard work put to use.  Several of the reports that I generate monthly and quarterly are subsequently used in corporate press releases, shareholder reporting, and things like that.  I have also had the opportunity to see reports that I had produced be used in presentations by senior management.  So, while my job may not sound that exciting to some, I am always happy to see my work contribute to the 'big picture' so to speak.  In addition to the reporting, I also have various other responsibilites involving data system maintenance and account transitions. 

Weekday evenings go by way too fast, with not nearly enough time to get everything done.  In addition to my regular work day, our department has a rotation where we provide an hour of evening support to offices in other time zones - so about every third week or so, I leave work an hour earlier, come home and then log in remotely and provide data support until 6:30pm. 

Typically, by the time that dinner is made, eaten, and cleaned up after it seems like the evenings are nearly over (assuming we didn't decide to bypass all of that and free up some time for ourselves by meeting for dinner somewhere).  We also have to make time to play with the dogs and spend up their pent-up energy so they don't drive us crazy all night!  Dinner is an important time for us, because a lot of evenings, there is so much going on that it is the best opportunity for Mark and I to catch up and talk about our day, things we need to get done, and things like that.  Don't get me wrong, its not like we don't talk during the day or at home in the evenings, it just seems like a lot of times, there are a million other things going on in addition to us trying to discuss things.  For dinner, we try and eliminate as much of that as possible - for example, the dogs are NOT ALLOWED in the kitchen when we are eating dinner.  They know the rules, if we are at the table eating, they are not to cross the line from the living room into the kitchen.  This gives us some peace and quiet from them, but also reinforces the rule that they don't get people food...and not to even try for it.  Also, we typically do not take phone calls or read/respond to text messages or things like that during dinner...phones down!

There are still some things that I like to try and fit in whenever I can in the evenings after work...such as Yoga class.  I love going to Yoga and I am doing my best to make it happen at least once a week.  For me, Yoga is a great way to work out some of the stress that builds up AND it also really helps with my neck problems - which is GREAT!  If you are intersted in a Yoga class in Louisville, I really recommend PM Yoga.  It seems like going to Yoga on Monday works best for me, if I try and wait until the Thursday class, inevitably something will come up and derail my plan.  Then of course, I LOVE doing my Together on Tuesday blogs - it is fun and sometimes a nice challenge!  It is just a great workout for my mind - it has kind of become my 'yoga for the brain'.  In addition to gathering my thoughts for you guys, I have an opportunity each week to get to know the other ToT ladies a little better.  You see, most of them I have just met via e-mail, FB, and blog reading (except for Danielle and Tish, who I actually have known in person for some time now).  So each week is like a new piece of the puzzle of getting to know each of them.  Also, from time to time, I have to fit in going to the Chiropractor.  When my neck problems really flare up, I have to make time to go and get it worked out.  Appointments take almost an hour by the time I get the adjustment and then do the rotation through the physical therapy they do on me as well.  An hour doesn't seem like much, but when I am having really bad neck problems, I will have to go 2-3 times per week for several consecutive weeks.  However, I have been doing well lately, so about once a month has been keeping me in good shape in additon to Yoga which is really helping as well.  As I have mentioned before, we don't watch much TV at all, however, there are a couple shows a week that I like to try and catch.  Mostly I try and remember to watch NCIS and Modern Family.  Toward the end of this past TV season, I also got hooked on Revenge so I am also looking forward to that coming back in the fall as well.  Because of my work schedule, I do not watch any daytime TV at all.  I could not even tell you what is on during the day, other than Ellen's talk show.  I have caught that a couple times on days off - but that's about all I have seen of daytime TV since college. 

Weekends

Weekends are great...but you already knew that I'm sure!  It seems like we usually still have alot going on during the weekends, but we have more of an opportunity to fit in quality time together and more fun things than during the week.  I like to sit around on Saturday mornings drinking coffee for a couple hours, but it doesn't always work out that I am able to do so.  Occasionally, we also like to have a big weekend breakfast - sometimes we make it, but a lot of times we go out for it.  Now that it is summer, we are doing our best to get the boat out on the lake as much as possible.  It is one of the few times where we can really just 'be away from it all' without leaving town.  But, being that it is summer, we also have to try and get the yardwork in before the excruciating heat sets in for the day.  Most of the time we usually also have some kind of DIY home improvement project(s) going on.  We also use weekends to spend time with friends and family and do other fun things as well.  We also try and get caught up on things that we didn't get done around the house during the week.  At some point in the weekend, Eli (little dog) DEMANDS that he and I take a nap on the couch together.  On Sundays, we have Church in the morning, and then after church, we typically go out to lunch.  By Sunday evenings, we usually like to settle down from the weekend and relax at the house.  

Fitting it All In...

Like most of you, I don't even come close to fitting everything into a day.  There is never enough time in the day.  Something ALWAYS doesn't get done, and sometimes this can be stressful and overwhelming.  Honestly, I just try and juggle things well enough to make sure I get to the things that would keep me up at night...and that could vary depending on what is going on.  Most of the time, however, that would be certain things at work that cannot be left undone, spending time with Mark and the dogs, family, and friends.  But, then of course, up creeps the housework that I've neglected for a couple days, yardwork, laundry, and the other 'not so fun' things that still have to get done - so then we juggle those things in and so goes the never-ending cycle of trying to keep the right balance of having everything in the air and catching what I need to at the right time. 

(this is how Mark and I feel most days!)

I want to spend as much quality time with Mark and the dogs as I can squeeze in.  I hate going to bed feeling like I didn't spend enough time with them - but sometimes the day is over before I realize it.  But I do my best at that regardless.  To me, those are the things that are most important - Mark, my boys, our family and friends.  Yes, of course the housework and chores are important.  But, ulitmately, a few dirty dishes left in the sink or doggy nose prints left on the windows aren't going to kill me (trust me on that, because I would have been dead LONG ago if that were the case)...and they will CERTAINLY still be there tomorrow...in fact, there will probably even be a few more!