Of Mice And Me

Today is such a gorgeous day that I decided to give the front yard a little bit of TLC. In addition to taking down the Christmas lights, I decided that I should go ahead and get a jump start on ridding the garden of unwanted weeds, and give the yard a little bit of a haircut. (Note to self…the next time Hubby decides to jaunt off on an extended stay on the other side of the world, seriously discuss hiring someone to mow the yard and trim shrubs in his absence.)

I opened the garage door and looked over into the corner where we keep the yard care items. Next to the lawn mower is a bin of lawn care chemicals and such…bags of weed and feed, seed, fungicide and ammonium nitrate, all neatly corralled in an extra blue bin that I had lying around. You can imagine my shock and disgust when I saw that that pesky mouse (or quite possibly rat) had gotten into the grass seed and eaten quite a bit of it…leaving the shells and his droppings all over the place. Yuck.

I swear, Hubby is missing out on all the fun of homeownership these days.

So I pull out the lawn mower and other items so that I can get to the bin to clean up this mess, when I suddenly have a flash. It's the night that I discovered this unwanted guest as he scurried across my path in the garage. Apparently, he was abandoning the bird seed in one corner for the grass seed in the other corner. Then I suddenly remember the scream and scurrying that occurred in the general direction of this particular corner of the garage after I returned from the hardware store with my sonic blasters. YES!! They work!! I must have successfully chased the little bugger off that night, and he hasn't returned since. Thus, my continuously empty glue boards.

VICTORY!!

And while I unpack the blue bin and take note of the items inside, I wonder exactly what he might have feasted on in this area. Did he stick strictly to grass seed, or did he sample other offerings in the bin? Did he inadvertently poison himself and then scurry off to his demise? Or did he sample the offerings and wind up in some sort of drug induced haze, stumbling back to his den. "Dudes! Ya gotta go check this stuff out!!"

I can only wonder.

I continued my labor of the day - after several attempts, the lawn mower roared to life and my lawn has been trimmed. I am a good neighbor once again. I've put down a bit of grass seed in the yard in an attempt to combat the brown spots that have crept across the yard. I've weeded my front flower bed, and adjusted some of the new brick edgers that are in place around the border of the bed. I cleaned the bird bath and refilled my feeder. Dying plants have been pulled, thriving plants have been pruned.

The Christmas lights came down, and have been safely packed away along with the other holiday items that were around the house.

A sense of tidiness has been restored.

My labors completed, I can sit in my office and gaze out the window, watching my feathery friends descend on my garden in a celebration of feed and water. I get about twenty wrens at a time, an occasional pigeon and a scrub jay. Yes…all these creatures are welcome in my sanctuary.

But not that mouse. (Or rat!)

Year in Review

As 2006 draws to a close, I look back on the past year and marvel at the changes. So much can happen in such a short span of time…life moves so quickly that you don't really realize how much has changed unless you actually make time to stop, look back and reflect.

* Still reeling from a bit of culture shock from our return to the States, Hubby and I uprooted ourselves yet again and moved cross-country to California. We also took the plunge and became homeowners. OK – technically, this all happened in 2005, but it was in December of '05 and can technically roll itself into 2006. Especially since we closed on our home on the 29^th…that's a year ago today, so I'm gonna count it.

* We nested. We lived in our home for two months without furniture, except for two camping chairs in the living room, a mattress and box spring for our bed, and moving boxes arranged to form an entertainment center for the miniscule TV that we bought to entertain us. It wasn't until the last day of February that our household goods arrived, and a few days later, our furry ones followed. Finally our home was complete – if still a disorganized mess. We've since managed to get everything situated and sorted, turning a simple house into a comfortable escape from the outside world. BTW – we're still in the process of making changes and upgrades to our home.

* I got a job. Can I just tell you how scary it was to purchase a house on one income?!? Fortunately, the stars aligned and I landed a good job in time to get paid so that we could make our first mortgage payment. *whew!*

* Hubby and I have networked and made friends while settling into life in this new place. We've met some great people through his car club, and I've made good friends at work. We've also reconnected with old friends and had some come and stay as guests. In fact, in the one year we've lived here in Cali, we've had six people come visit our home. Only two people made it to Europe to see us, and we were there almost five years!

* Hubby and I have continued our love of travel and managed to visit some amazing sights. Kings Canyon National Park – America's deepest canyon. Sequoia National Park – home of the largest tree. Death Valley National Park – home of the lowest point in the lower 48. Devil's Post Pile – an absolutely amazing volcanic formation. Yosemite National Park – home of the tallest waterfall in the lower 48. San Francisco – we didn't get to do too many touristy things here, but we did see the bridge! Morro Bay – amazing ocean views! Mono Lake, Bristle Cone Pine Forest, Shaver Lake, Huntington Lake…the list goes on and on and will surely grow in the next year!

* I've managed to land a better job! Technically, I don't start working there until January of 2007, but the offer was extended in November of 2006, so that's where I'm counting it. It's one of those jobs that you quietly hope and look for, all the while toiling away at your current one. The one that you have isn't bad, you just know that there's something more suited to you out there, and you're grateful for what you have while you continue to look.

* Hubby and I have endured separation…again. After more than two months of false starts, Hubby returned to the sandbox. In an almost perverse way, we're fortunate to have been through this before. We know what to expect and can prepare ourselves for it in advance. Long distance love, connecting via e-mail, occasional phone calls that are hit-or-miss, letters and cards, care packages and little surprises. We know how to stay connected to each other and also know that we support one another one hundred percent. We know that there are no worries over the separation – we're both strong people when we're apart, and that makes us even stronger when we're together.

And thus another year is gone. We close another chapter in our lives. All in all, we've had a good year. There have been a lot of stresses…things that could have come together to form a recipe for disaster under different circumstances. Fortunately, we come prepared with an outlook that allows us to take these things and turn them into positives. We've done well.

Taking the time to reflect on the changes of this past year helps me to prepare for the upcoming year. Only time will tell what will happen in 2007. But I can look at everything that has happened to us in the short span of 2006 and tell myself that no matter what gets thrown at us this year, we'll make it through.

Bad Momma

I am suffering the guilt that only a mother can feel.

Let me explain…

The day is Tuesday, 26 December 2006. The time…4:30am.

That's right… four thirty in the morning. I am awakened by Fred because his collar is jingling from pacing the floor and he's breathing really heavily. You know…that fast, excited, loud breathing that dogs do when they're upset.

I lay there for a few minutes trying to ignore him, and also trying to listen to figure out what has him so darned upset. There's no wind, no storm…what can it be? After about ten minutes, he's not giving it up, so I decide that he must have to go to the bathroom. At four thirty in the morning. Can't be bothered to wait two more hours, now, can he?

So I get up, stumble into the living room, turn off the alarm and let him outside. My eyes were so heavy with sleep that it hurt to open them. When all is said and done, I reset the alarm and crawl back into the warm bed. Fred lays down on the floor next to my side of the bed and does that "smack smack sigh" thing and goes to sleep.

As I'm laying there, trying to get back to sleep, suddenly it hits me. Fred Fart. The SBD kind. It wasawful. Labrador farts are the worst.

Sleep was lost. Gone for good. I could lay there with my eyes closed, but sleep just wasn't happening for me any more.

So I'm forced to live through the day, having been rudely robbed of two precious hours of sleep because of Fred. Fred – who most likely spent the day curled up in bed while I was suffering at work.

Fast forward to Tuesday night. A winter storm is rolling into the area – meaning lots of heavy rain and wind. Wind at my house means a whistling up in the attic and quite possibly through the windows and door. Yes…reinsulating and changing the windows and doors are on our "to do" list.

So I crawl into bed at 9:30, hoping to find the sleep that so eluded me that morning. I even took the precaution of removing Fred's collar, because I knew that a storm outside means Fred pacing the floor inside. Fred pacing the floor means the jingling of his collar. Jingling of the collar means no sleep for me.

Well…he curled up on the floor next to my side of the bed and proceeded to smack his chops nervously every couple of minutes because of the weather outside. I try to be patient and intervene a few times with a stern, "Fred – Stop it!" Which works for about three minutes each time I say it. Visions of me duct-taping his snout shut start dancing in my head as sleep continues to elude me.

Finally, at 10:30, I get out of bed and coax Fred out of the room. At which time I promptly close the door and crawl back into bed…where it still takes me awhile to fall asleep because of the guilt that weighs heavily on me.

Laying there in my warm bed with my black cat resting against my body, silence enveloped the room, broken only by the sound of rain beating against the window. Music to my ears, but causing my poor dog to spend who-knows-how-long pacing the hallway.

I feel awful. But well-rested.

Pet Peeves And A Resolution

Following is a list of my major pet peeves, in no particular order (except for that first one…):

1. Misuse of the apostrophe. If you were to ask me on any given day what my number one pet peeve is, this one would win hands down. Nothing annoys me more than to see a professionally printed sign with the apostrophe used where is shouldn't be. "DVD's For Sale." Are we saying that the "for sale" belongs to the DVDs?? Because that is what is implied by the sign. It's very sad to me that this type of misuse is so common that people don't even notice when it happens anymore.

2. People that chew with their mouth open. I neither want to see or hear you food as it begins the digestive process. Take smaller bites, press your lips together and chew. Keep your lips closed. It's not hard. I absolutely cannot stand the sound of smacking! (gum included) I've even been known to get up and move away from an offender.

3. Repeating myself. I hate this. In my current job, it appears that I am responsible for informing sixteen different people where the other admin is when she is away from her desk, or where the latest plate of goodies has come from. And it appears that I get the joy of doing this for each individual as they mosey up to the front of the office. I am not a parrot. I've actually taken to writing down where something comes from and sticking the note next to said goodies. Woe be to the person that opens their mouth without bothering to read the note. I'm about to suggest to the other admin that she send out an email, detailing her schedule, every time that she gets up from her desk. It seems that as soon as she turns the corner, she is the most popular person on the floor. Maddening!

4. People that tune out of a group conversation, then tune back in and insist on knowing what development has happened in the past two minutes. If you cannot multi-task your attention span, then don't try. Focus on the conversation at hand. Please refer to pet peeve #3.

5. Those stupid prank calls that comedians conduct and then record to share with the whole world. I don't know what is more sad…the fact that someone bothers to waste a customer service representative's time on these worthless endeavors, or the fact that said customer service representative actually falls for the story being spun to them? I heard one last week that actually had a representative believing that a potential customer's walls fell down, leaving their windows suspended in mid air. With nothing supporting them. I thought that the gig might be up when her supervisor came on the line and informed the "customer" that there was no way that windows could be hanging in mid air with no support. Sadly, the comedian managed to convince the supervisor that this was indeed the case, and she actually fell for it. *sigh* I didn't laugh…I just shook my head. Idiots! Which leads into my next pet peeve…

6. Stupidity and idiocy. How can some people be so dumb? So stupid? So unable to see the writing on the wall, right in front of them? I'm not talking about intelligence…I'm talking about people that have no common sense. People that can't look at the entire picture, put two and two together and come to a simple conclusion. They should be shot…all of them. At the very least, I'm voting them off of my island.

7. People that can't drive. And there are millions of them out there. And I do believe that the bulk of them are in the same part of town that I am in at any given moment. It is so easy to see how road rage can become such an issue…to be stuck behind someone that insists on going five miles per hour below the speed limit…to be cut off by someone yakking on their cell phone…watching people charge through red lights (while yakking on their cell phone)…people that don't use their blinkers to signal turns (while yakking on their cell phone)…people that in general don't know where they're going (are they getting directions from their cell phone?!?)…people that slam on their brakes rather than miss their turn…people that ride out the merge lane until the last possible second, then insist that you let them in…rubber-neckers and people that cause traffic to back up on freeways for no apparent reason…my list could go on and on. Every morning, if my windows are covered with condensation, I take the time to squeegee them off so that I stand a better chance of steering clear of all the idiots out there. I'm not saying that I'm perfect…I'm just better than a lot of other people out there.

8. Ah, a personal favorite of mine…Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part. I am a planner and an organizer. DO NOT rush up to me at the last minute needing something faxed, mailed, fedexed or delivered to another department. The deadlines are the same every day. You know what they are, and they're there for a reason. Just because you chose not to meet your deadline does not automatically mean that I now need to be rushed to do something for you. Particularly when it is time to go home.

9. People that are entirely out of touch with reality. I'm not specifically referring to the Paris Hiltons out there…you don't have to be rich to be out of touch. There are plenty of "commoners" out there that have lost touch with reality. If someone says that they're not participating in a specific endeavor, don't ask a lot of unnecessary questions. That runs the risk of opening up an ugly can of uncomfortableness for someone. Just because you can do it doesn't mean that everyone else can. And speaking of not asking questions…

10. Nosy busy bodies. If I happen to overhear a conversation that I figure I shouldn't be hearing, I try to tune it out. If I can't tune it out for whatever reason, I certainly don't start asking questions. There are certain things that are not my business, and I'm pretty darned good at realizing what those things are. I also can't stand when people start sticking their noses into my personal business and I do my best to cut them off as kindly as I can. I may come off as a little cold while I'm doing it, but if you hadn't been sticking your nose in my business, I wouldn't have had to go there.

11. Having to explain myself. For whatever reason. Why did I choose to go here instead of there? Why did I do this instead of that? See complaint outlined in pet peeve #10.

12. People that feel the need to throw their two cents in…when they should have kept the change. Not everything requires a comment or the expression of your opinion. Sometimes, it is better to keep your mouth shut and not say anything at all. Quite often, that is the best action to take.

13. Slow talkers. This includes people that call a business with no real thought process having gone into the direction that they want the conversation to go. "Uh…this is Jane Doe…and…uh…I was calling because…uh…" GET TO THE POINT ALREADY!!!

14. Hypocrisy. Why should it be OK for you to do something, but not for someone else? I absolutely hate people that lay down double standards. I've actually been known to call some people out on this… "Uh, hello pot…this is kettle…"

15. People that insist that your opinion is wrong. Just because my opinion is different than yours doesn't make one right and the other one wrong. Hmmm…last time I checked, opinions were opinions and not subject to the court of right vs. wrong.

16. People that try to impose their beliefs on other people. It can be religious beliefs, dietary beliefs, beliefs in aliens…whatever. Believe and practice what you want to…just keep it over there and don't try to press it on me.

This list is not all inclusive. I have other pet peeves. Trust me on that. I've chosen to leave some out for the sake of tact. Ah…yes…let's add people that lack tact to my list. We'll make that one #17.

On this note, my New Year's Resolution is to practice tolerance. Mark your calendars…I hereby vow to do my best to be more tolerant of others. I will work to practice my "Duck Theory of Relativity." No…that doesn't mean to duck and hope that you don't get hit. It means letting things roll off my back and not affect me in a negative way.

I make no promises…especially when it comes to stupidity and idiocy. But I will try.

Happy Anniversary

Today is Christmas Eve.

It is also mine and my Hubby's seventh anniversary.

Even though we're miles and miles apart, he still takes the time to make sure that the day is special for me:

And tucked in among those beautiful reds:

These lilies are tucked in throughout the gorgeous arrangement!  And they're all in various stages of bloom, guaranteeing that this beautiful bouquet will change each day.

And the fragrance is intoxicating!  The entire front of the house smells like the perfume of roses and lilies.  It's a little slice of heaven.

Hubby isn't the kind of guy that normally buys me flowers.  This is only the second time he's bought me a bouquet of flowers in our entire history!  (He did buy me a potted hibiscus once...too bad we couldn't bring it back to the States with us!) 

What a way to brighten my day!  I can't wait until the next time we get to talk!  

Mouse Update

I'm going to take advantage of my pre-approved tardiness to work to post an update this morning...

My hero from Terminix just left.  He put down six glue boards laced with peanut butter to see if we catch anything.  (We my ass...I'm not bagging those bad boys up for disposal...someone from Terminix will be called back out to dispose of any uninvited guests to this party!)

I told him the story of my little not-named-Mickey-mouse and how he felt the need to introduce himself to me after gorging himself on my bird food.  He asked me if it was OK to use glue boards, and I told him to do whatever works, I'm not picky.  I should have told him that he was more than welcome to sit in my garage and pick off anything that moves with a bb gun if he so chose.    Just get rid of the damned things!

So we've got traps laid, and we'll see if anything pops up.  I hope that the sonic blasters that I bought do the job sufficiently...especially since he informed me that the droppings that I found on the car cover of my Hubby's project car was most likely RAT droppings!  I may faint!

Please stay out of my house...please stay out of my house...please stay out of my house....

Fantasy World

OK…I'll make the admission. I live in a fantasy world.

No…not literally. Hubby and I actually have a pretty modest existence. We have a modest home, live on a modest income (for our area) and drive modest vehicles. (Ok...his car is a bit flashier than my granny mobile...) While we enjoy travel and entertainment, we don't eat out every night or embark on luxury vacations. Usually a day trip to the national parks will suit us just fine.

No…in my head, I live out a fantasy life. Amazingly, it is still a modest life, just a little better than the one that we're currently living. It helps me to make it through the day-to-day things in this life if I have this little place to escape to.

Mostly, I envision the same house we're in now, just better. The windows are new, the kitchen is remodeled (with Granite counters!) and our bathrooms have been redone. There's a bath tub big enough for soaking in. Everything is organized. The house is always clean. And of course, I don't have to do the cleaning. It is a fantasy world, after all.

We have no money worries. No mortgage to pay, no bills…they just don't exist.

I drive a new car. Nothing very fancy – it gets good gas mileage and has a sunroof and heated seats. Those of you that live in very warm environments and don't have a need for butt warmers in your car seats can count yourselves lucky. It's my fantasy, and I don't want to have a cold butt.

While I'm at it, the temperature in my fantasy house is always perfect for me. Never too cold!

I have the same husband – proof positive that it really is love – he's just home more often, has more money and cleans up after himself. Again – It's a fantasy!! Let me dream!

I don't have to work, and we travel more. I'm not talking trips to fantastic places all the time. Of course, there are some of those trips, but mostly we're just driving to see something new and enjoying our time together.

Sometimes, I break away from the mold and envision us in a different house. A bit bigger than our current home, and it's an old home. Something with character and charm. And a wraparound porch. And land. Space for the dogs to run, a blank slate for me to garden, and big enough for our (future) kids and their friends to have a safe place to play. And there is a multi-car garage for Hubby. Of course, even in my fantasy world, I am a realist and know that no matter how many car stalls we have, my vehicle will never see the inside of a garage. (It may be a fantasy, but even I have limits to how far I'll allow my imagination to roam!) More car stalls means more cars for Hubby. J So in this other fantasy house, I have a covered carport for me, and a big detached garage with a workshop for Hubby.

That's it. I guess that this is proof that it really doesn't take much to make me very happy. I'm pretty well grounded in this reality. Our life is good. I don't need expensive things to make life complete. I just want my loved ones around me, and a secure, comfortable lifestyle.

My fantasy world isn't something so extravagant that it is out of reach for us. In reality, I see it as what we're working for. And it is attainable. Perhaps I'm just looking ahead and seeing what is down the road a ways. And that's fine…I like what I'm seeing. I hope we get there.

First It Was Spiders...Now This!!

OMG!

So I'm doing laundry tonight....and I go out into the garage to grab stuff out of the dryer when A MOUSE scurries past me from under my pantry cabinets.  A MOUSE!!  I just about jumped out of my SKIN! 

Turns out that the little bastard was eating from a bag of birdseed that I had sitting on the floor next to the dryer.  And by the looks of it, he had been at it for quite awhile.  Can't say I blame him...it's nice and warm there next to the dryer, and a nice source of food right there.  How he got all of that seed out through the ittybitty hole in the bag I'm not sure, but he sure left me a mess of empty seed shells to clean up!

Thank goodness he didn't find the bags of dog and cat food sitting there in front of the pantry cabinets!  Those have been moved to safety inside, where their only predators will be my incredibly hard-headed cats.  I'll have to put something in front of the cabinet door to keep them from prying it open and chewing a hole in the bags to get to the food.  Goodness knows that they're fat enough to live off their own bodies for weeks, but still....

So anyhoo...I high tail it up to the hardware store with ten minutes to go before closing time.  I knowthey've got those sonic blastie things that emit a noise to keep rodents and the like away.  I pick up a pack of those and high-tail it back home, where I promptly run extension cords down to ground level and plug those puppies in, aiming them at both doors.  If I seriously feel the need, I'll go back and buy some for inside the house, too.

Tomorrow, I'll be calling Terminex.  Rodents are covered in our contract, and I plan to take full advantage of this service.

A MOUSE!!!!!  shudder

Household Rules

Fred absolutely cracks me up!

It is a well-known ritual in this Sullivan household.  If you go out and get a burger, you had better bring one home for Fred.  Or don't bother coming home at all.  That's the rule, and that's just how it is.

So tonight while out running a few errands, I finally decided to try an In & Out burger.  I have heard so much about them since I've been out here that I just couldn't put it off any longer.  I dutifully went inside and ordered two cheeseburgers and an order of fries.

When I made it home and came in through the front door, the usual frenzied greeting began, and abruptly changed as soon as Fred caught a whiff of what was in my hand.  It's as if he suddenly sniffed and declared, "Why, that bag has food in it!  I smell cheeseburgers!  MY FAVORITE!"

After giving Fred a suitable greeting, I deposited my take-out bag on the stove and proceeded back out to my car to haul in my purchases.  After my second trip into the garage to drop off cat supplies, Fred let his discontent be known in a very verbal manner.  I could hear him through the garage/kitchen door declaring, "Hey you!  Out there!  I don't know what you're thinking, BUT THERE'S BURGERS IN HERE!!  THEY'RE NOT GOING TO EAT THEMSELVES, YOU KNOW!!"

Upon returning to the kitchen, my purchases safely nestled on the couch, I began to "dig in" to the bag of goodies on the stove.  (I love the fact that we can leave food unattended around our dog without worry...even if said food is a cheeseburger!)  I pulled out our cheeseburgers and unwrapped them both.  You see, I know not to give Fred his burger all at once.  You have to tear it into chunks and feed them to him one at a time...preferably while you're eating yours.  If you feed him his first, then you're stuck with him staring at your burger while you're trying to eat.  It makes you feel very guilty.  He's very good at that.

My feeble attempt to stave him off with an offering of fries was met with a stare and an airsniff directed towards the bag on the stove.  He was saying, "What is this?!?  I don't want THIS!!  There's MEAT in that bag...fork it over, lady!!" 

Well, apparently I wasn't moving fast enough for Mister Fred.  He let loose with his "howl of discontent" that lasts a full seven seconds.  "Arrrwrrroooo..rrrrroooooo...rrrrrooooo...rrrrroooooo!"  translates roughly into, "C'mon....what's taking so long?!?  I'm not getting any younger over here!!!"

So after we've both eaten our burgers, and I move towards the back of the house, he picks up the first stuffed animal that crosses his path and gallops across the living room, down the hall and into the office ahead of me.  Such joy eminating from his being, and all over a little cheeseburger in a bag.

And that's why we have the rule.

I swear I love this dog. 

Crappy Connection

If you're keeping count, today's tally was one call at just over seven minutes.

FYI - when you're watching a show on TV, and someone has one of those sattelite phones with the really long antenna, and they're having this really long conversation with crystal-clear reception...it's a lie!

Not only do Hubby and I deal with trying to not talk over each other, I'm trying to hear him talk over a crackly connection and background staticky noise that makes it sound like he's standing alongside a busy interstate.

And then the call gets dropped.

Garrr!

But he thought enough to call.  Accentuate the positive, right?  

Animal House

Well, today I picked up my official job offer from The City.  Starting January 1, 2007, I will be employed with The City's animal control division.

This is a very exciting opportunity for me.  I'll be running an office that is in desperate need of organizational help.  It was all I could do to not look like a kid in a candy store when my new boss detailed all that she hopes to see happen in the department.  This is an organization that has been suffering from neglect, and is just now coming into all of the good things that it deserves.  I get to be there to help them rise from the ground and grow upwards towards better things.

I had the opportunity to meet most of the staff that I will be working with today - office staff, cleaning crew, adoption center personnel and the guys that go out and take care of the animals in the community.  They seem like a great group ~ and the office environment seems like one that will be really fun to work in!  I can't wait to get started!

I'll be working with people and animals in this new environment.  The people that work at this facility, both as paid employees and volunteers, are passionate about animals.  I'm really looking forward to getting to know them and their stories.  Animals tend to bring out the best in people, and we'll have a revolving door of critters moving through - both the people and animals will touch my life, I'm sure. 

I really think that this position will give me a chance to grow professionally and personally.  I will get the chance to really develop my professional office skills...something that has languished over the past year or so in a position that wasn't utilizing my skills to their full potential.  I'll get the chance to meet and bond with some really great people and develop my passion for critters.  I can already tell that it's going to be hard not to adopt every furry thing that crosses my path, but I'll be making new friends and hopefully seeing many go on to new homes. 

It's a great work environment - in a great location - a fabulous opportunity - and great pay.  It's like this opportunity was meant to be...just lying quietly on the side of my path waiting for me to stumble upon it.  This is one of those things that I've learned to go look for - good things are out there, just waiting to be found. 

It feels like this is just another stepping stone in my ever-growing path.  With patience and persistance, and by accepting whatever comes my way and finding a way to make it work in my life, I've managed to overcome another obstacle and grasp this brass ring.  It feels good.

SLEEP!!!

As I roll out of bed this morning, and stumble zombie-like towards my coffee pot, only one thought rolls through my head.

I WOULD KILL FOR THE ABILITY TO GET A FULL NIGHT OF UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP!!

Seems like I just can't accomplish that any more, and I'm suffering because of it.  I start to "crash" after 2pm, and fight to stay awake at work.  I make it home, and fight to stay awake until at the very least 9pm.  I crawl into bed and it takes me awhile to get to sleep (not unusual) and then just snap awake somewhere in the 3am hour.  If I don't let myself come too far out of it, I can get back to sleep, but it's ruined.  The remainder of my sleep isn't so good, and the cycle begins again.  And if it's not me "snapping awake" on my own, something happens to wake me up.  This morning, it was my computer rebooting in the middle of the night.  Some nights, it's one of the critters parading across the bed.  I never know what it'll be, but it's driving me batty!!

Thank goodness for the coffee pot with a timer...coffee is waiting for me when I get up.  That sweet nectar of morning - such a necessity in my life.

I actually had a full night of sleep one night last week.  It was absolute bliss.

  zzzzzzz........

SLEEP, DAMMIT!!

My Dog Is A Ferocious Killing Machine

Okay, I just have to laugh. Really, I love my dog.

As mentioned in my previous post, I have my windows open in the house today. I want to take advantage of this break in the cold weather to enjoy the mild temps and let the breeze blow some fresh air into the house.

Apparently, my dog Fred has issues with this. You see, we have curtains hanging on quite a few windows in the house. They're lovely curtains, and they soften up the appearance of the blinds underneath them nicely. Fred has no issues with the curtains on normal days, just the days when I open the windows causing these denizens of evil to billow in the wind. When the curtains hang nicely and quietly, unmoving, Fred isn't concerned with them. It's when they take on a life of their own that he gets all nervous and jittery. Right now, he's alternating between being glued to my side and pacing the floor.

Seriously, I love his creature.

While having a big dog (the only way to go when it comes to dogs, in my opinion) can create a bit of security, we seem to have gone wrong somewhere. Our big, bad dog - while able to instill fear into the hearts of strangers - is a big baby. He's scared of his own shadow! Okay…admittedly I've never seen him jump at his own shadow, but he has been known to be overly-startled when he hears a fart emerge from his own behind. You can laugh, but I'm not making this up!!

My "ferocious" dog is scared of loud noises. Firecrackers send him into a frenzy of nervous pacing that just about drives me crazy! It's not so bad now that we have carpet…but in our apartments with wood floors I would go nuts at having to listen to the clickclickclick of his nails on the floor. He also paces at heavy rains, thunder and lightning and heavy winds.

Today, one of the bedroom doors blew shut and Fred jumped behind me. He wouldn't go into the now suspicious room until I walked in to find something to use as a door-stopper.

The vet tries to look into his eyes with a little flashlight, and Fred jumps into the chair behind me. I can't help it…I go into hysterics.

Silly pup.

Now, he's not all wuss. He can perform his big ferocious duties when needed. He's been known to throw himself between me and a charging Boxer while out on a walk. It surprised the heck out of me when he actually jumped in the path of the oncoming dog, bared his teeth and growled a threat at the other dog.Where did this come from?

He also does a marvelous job of barking loudly and menacingly when the doorbell rings, or he hears a suspicious noise outside. It scares the crap out of anyone that isn't familiar with him, and that's fine with me. Particularly when the doorbell rings at ten o'clock at night. Who the hell rings a doorbell to a strange house that late at night?!? I don't want to know…and thanks to my ferocious beast, I don't think they'll be back! Good job, boy!!

And in spite of all of this, he is known as the dog with a kind heart. He gives up his rawhides and pigs ears to his best friends without complaint. He doesn't acknowledge the hateful swats of my crazy cat. And when said crazy cat comes and rubs up against his feet (foot fetish!), Fred would rather get up from his comfortable position and move than confront this crazy creature that he knows he's not supposed to chase.  He loves children, and recognizes that when he's too tired to run really far after his ball, that these little people can't throw quite as far as the bigger people, therefore making them the perfect candidates to throw the ball now. When we're out on a walk and children swarm to him, he'll stand still and revel in the affection.

Yes, he amazes me.

So he's laying at my side right now, staring nervously at the billowing red curtains in the office. I guess when Hubby comes home, he'll be installing the pull-backs next to the window so that Fred will be able to rest easy when I open the windows in here. After all, it's all bout making the dog happy, right?

That's right…my dog is a big, bad, ferocious killing machine.  And I love him for it. 

"Unusual"

Hubby and I have lived in quite a few different places. Every time we settle down somewhere, it is in a decidedly different environment than what we just emerged from.

But I've noticed a pattern wherever we go. It doesn't mater where we land, all the locals say the same thing. "This is unusual weather for our area this time of year."

We lived in Germany from 2001 until the tail end of 2005, so we were in Europe for the "unusual" heat during the summer of 2003. You remember...when all the French people died? It seems that every year, the summers get longer and hotter over there. It's all just compounded by the fact that so few people have air-conditioning in their homes. (Can you just imagine how enjoyable that hot hot hot summer was?!? All you could do was open your windows and pray for a breeze. If you were lucky enough to have bought fans for the limited time they were available in stores, all the better for you!!)

The recurring phrase would pop up time and time again. "This heat is unusual…you normally don't need air conditioning!" "My, but it's a dry season…this is very unusual." "That incredible storm last night was very unusual…we never get lightning or such strong winds!" "I hope the leaves change…we had such a dry summer that the trees may not have gotten enough water. Very unusual."

Now I read that the European alps (one of my favorite places to be!) is experiencing an "unusually" warm autumn/winter. The warmest in 1,300 years, so they say. People are canceling, moving or amending their planned ski holidays because of lack of snow on the mountains. Very unusual. Huh.

We followed the weather patterns in the States while we were gone. The Gulf Coast experienced the most freakish of hurricane seasons while we were gone. In all of my life living in Florida, I had never seen anything like it. And for once, I was glad to be out of the state. Up North, they got some crazy snow. Flooding in Europe as well as the States made the news.

Now we've settled in California. It was an "unusually wet" winter and spring this past year. Man, it seemed like the rains just wouldn't quit! The weekend that we closed on our house, Fresno was talking about the threat of flooding to low-lying neighborhoods because the systems were overwhelmed by all the water! Then there were a few weeks of 100+ temps this summer. Again characterized as "unusual" by the locals. Now, after a few cold weeks with freezing nights, we've slipped into a weekend with weather so nice that I've got my windows open. "Unusual" they say. The rains are a bit late this year, and it shouldn't be so warm right now. In fact, a record may have been broken this week.

Snow storms continue to bury sections of the States, cutting off power for days. Floods and wildfires and dry conditions abound. All considered "unusual."

What's up with all of this? Are my husband and I harbingers of unusual weather patterns wherever we go? No, I think that the answer is a bit more scientific than that. Global warming is a fact, despite what the nay-sayers think. It's here, and we need to do something about it. Quickly…before the "unusual" becomes widely accepted as the "new norm."

One Month Gone

Today marks one month since Hubby officially left home on his journey to the sandbox. What has happened and changed?

- The furniture in the living room is rearranged. My beloved sectional couch has been put back together, thus creating room for my ottomans to be replaced under the bedroom window. This has opened the foot of the bed back up for my morning ironing. I also purchased a floor lamp for the living room, eliminating the dark, cave-like feel until Hubby comes back and hangs the ceiling fan with light in that room.

- Have taken on the dutiful responsibility of driving Hubby's beloved car a couple of times a week, in order to keep it running in good condition while he's gone. Mechanical Emergency Number 1 - Why didn't he top off the power steering fluid before he left? That silly "Hicas" light keeps coming on and I'm totally baffled at how to read the contraption that calls itself a dipstick in the power steering thingie. Guess I'll find out when the next car club meet is and ask someone there to help me out. Grr!

- Scored a new job! It's a position kinda with the police department, so I'll be undergoing extensive background checks. They're going to fast-track it to get me in as soon as possible, though. The pay is a huge jump, and I'll be working with animals. Gotta turn in a mountain load of paperwork, get fingerprinted and take a polygraph. Holy cow!

- Survived Thanksgiving. Didn't have to cook…went to the grocery store looking for a rotisserie chicken and found out that they cook turkey breasts for you! SCORE!! Between that and the pre-prepared rolls, green bean casserole and mac and cheese, I may never cook Thanksgiving dinner again! Fred and I ate in style.

- Number of meals cooked: 0  (Note that I do not count frozen pizzas or baking a hamburger in the oven as cooking.)

- In an effort to appear Christmassy on the outside, have bought Christmas lights to hang on the eaves of the house. Took me long enough to find a style that I genuinely liked. Wound up with C9 sized bulbs (the big ones) in a frosted clear. They look really nice along the house. Also decided to hang cup hooks every two feet along the eaves…permanent fixtures so that all we have to do is hook our lights through them. One afternoon of work for years of laziness. I love it! I'm on the prowl for nice, simple and tasteful yard décor for the holidays.

- Accomplished the majority of our Christmas shopping. Ordered, signed, addressed and mailed off all of our Christmas cards (more than 50 this year!) For once, I'm ahead of the game, and it feels really good. Maybe I'll be able to keep up this new outlook. J

- Had our first medical emergency. Had to take Fred to the vet - his constant scratching has been driving me batty! Seems like he's having an allergic reaction to something, and a shot calmed him down after a few days. Also wound up pouring gunk in his ears twice a day for a week to clean them out. He was surprisingly cooperative.

- Hubby was gone four days, and I found three spiders. EEK! Called out Terminex to spray the house. Had them go ahead and spray for fleas, too…just in case. I really don't think that they're an issue, but Fred's constant scratching has really unnerved me.

- Planted my spring bulbs.  Black and red Tulips, Daffodils, Freesia and Aenomne (blue poppies.)  Can't wait to see them come up in a few months!!

- Have cleaned up and organized the office. Can finally vacuum in here! (Side bar - accidentally lost power to Hubby's computer, and it won't power back up…thus it is holding all of our photos hostage!) Got my scrapping nook organized and am ready to get down to some serious scrapping! Case in point - from November 4 until December 4, I matted and framed 5 photos and scrapped 124 pages. That's right - one hundred and twenty four pages! I've caught up from November of 2001 until April of 2003!! At this rate, I should be finished up with our European adventures in no time!! Incidentally, I've purchased two gorgeous parsons chairs for my desks…I'll be spending a lot of time at my scrapping station, and will need some cush for my tush!!

Crafty Ways

I have always had a passion for creating. When I was little, I was drawn to art. I loved drawing, painting, coloring, cutting and gluing. I would make life-sized paper dolls completely from scratch. I would trace pictures from coloring books and change the picture to suit my whim.

As an adult, I have taken my love of crafting and focused it into the preservation of memories. I'm working with photos and paper, creating a library of sorts of cherished times in my life. These albums read like journals, capturing memories, impressions and facts.

As I move steadily through my recent history, jotting down words that convey the stories behind the photos, I look forward to the possibilities that await me when I complete the project that I am currently working on. You see, being overwhelmed with thousands of photos that need to be incorporated into our library of scrapbooks, I am opting for simplicity and clean lines. Photos and art through words are carrying me through this project. The look is clean and contemporary, a style I often find myself drawn to.

When I finally wrap up this project, I plan to expand my horizons. I want to incorporate more decorative techniques into my work. I have tools - scissors, stencils, punches, chalks and paints. I even have decorative paper and stickers. I want to bring more artistic means to my work - the focus won't just be on the photos and the stories behind them. Sharing the spotlight will also be the time and labor that goes into creating the perfect canvas to display them. A labor of love. Patience and dedication.

I have a love for so many crafts. I scrapbook, create jewelry, mat and frame art and photos, draw, dabble in photography and home interior design. I've expanded my horizons into the outdoors - embracing gardening and learning a bit about landscape design. As I work at mastering one art form, another often catches my eye and demands my attention.

Creating in these ways provides me with such joy. It brings a balance to my life, as this is another way of expressing myself. I am able to work with my hands. I can pour my heart and soul into the creation of something beautiful. I can lose myself in the task at hand. The process of creating this way brings an element of calmness into my life. We all need someplace to escape to, and this is mine.

I can't wait to see where this road will take me. I love expanding my horizons and trying these new things. That's how passions are born, after all.

Dog Whispers

So I've started watching this show on the National Geographic Channel called Cesar Millan - Dog Whisperer.  The basic concept is that you have an unruly dog, so you ask him for help in correcting the dog's behavior.  He comes out to your home and environment and fixes the problem in literally like, 5 minutes.  It's the most amazing thing I've seen.

Does this guy speak dog?  It sure seems like it.

In actuality, what he's doing is training the owner. He shows owners how to establish dominance and let their dog know that their behavior is not OK.  It's pretty darned neat, and I think that I may be taking a lesson or two away from these shows.

He shows owners how to change the "energy" that they project towards their dog.  Just this one simple act shows the dog that they are not in charge...you are.  The simple corrective act of snapping your fingers, pointing and making a "shh" sound immediately corrects every single dog's actions.  They back down, move back and sit. 

There is very little "physical" discipline.  Tonight he showed one owner that reaching out and tapping her dog in an authoritative manner would stop the dog from jumping on her.  Moving your foot out to deflect the dog's jump is OK.  Immediately, this energetic collie-spaniel mix caught on and stopped.  All over a change in energy, a verbal sound and a touch.

Think you can't teach an old dog new tricks.  Nuh-uh.  He's working this magic on dogs that are 9 years old.  It's incredible. 

Seeing this show has shown me that we've done quite a few things right with Fred.  But there are some areas that require additional attention on our part.  Because I value our dog and treasure our relationship with him, and want to be able to share his company with others, I have promised myself that I will learn from this show and direct some of this Dog Whisperer's techniques towards our own pup.

Seriously...this guy is amazing.

Dwelling In The Now

I remember waking up one morning recently, and as I rolled out of bed, I was overcome with a wave of contentment.  I'm not sure what exactly caused this sensation to wash over me at that particular moment, but there it was. 

The thought that rang through my head as I stood there next to my dresser was, "You know what?  I'm really happy."  And it's true.  I've got a great life, a wonderful husband, our health and good friends.  It's been a long road to get us to where we are today, and there's quite a stretch of road ahead of us, but overall life is good.  I'm very happy with where we are.

We've had lots of great experiences - things that most people can only dream about.  We've been to amazing places and seen some spectacular sights.  We've met great people along the way.  Where we are today is a direct reflection of where we've been.  And where we've been hasn't always been easy for us. 

We've been uprooted, separated, and shuffled.  We've had to work hard to stay afloat.  There have been times where we didn't know exactly what was happening, but things always seemed to work out for us.  We've been in situations where we've felt at the bottom of a barrel and had to build ourselves back up.  Looking at where we are now, and where we've been, and how little we've gotten by on at times never ceases to amaze me. 

We miss our families and long-distance friends.  How different would things be if we had never uprooted our lives with the decisions we've made?  Where would we be today?  Would our lives be as filled with the comforts that we have now?  Would we be even more comfortable than we are now? What if we had not made these various sacrifices?  It hasn't been easy for us to take the paths that we've taken.  But the roads that we've traveled, the experiences we've had, the things we've seen and the people along the way have all been worth it.

I wish that I could look ahead and see what the future holds.  Oh, but for a magic looking glass that would tell me that things will be OK, or to look out for the bumps ahead!  Alas, no such devise exists, so we forge ahead hoping that our decisions will bring us closer to the life that we have envisioned for ourselves.    

Where will we be five years from now?  Ten years?  We don't know.  It could be that we'll still be in the home we've made for ourselves here, or we could be starting over again somewhere else.  It's difficult not knowing the answer to those questions.  But I think that we've learned to reflect on our past, dwell in the now and keep an eye open for what will come.

After all, we've made it to where we are, which is a pretty nice slice of life.