It's Saturday Finally!!!

Finally!! The last day of the work week for me! I'm very happy about it too! Not much going on here today. I have no dog events to keep me occuppied today, so it's just the time ticking on until quitting time. I have only 2 necessary things on my "to do" list today. The first one is to call Puppy Palace, my grooming mentor's shop, and schedule a start date. I hope that she is there on Saturdays. If not, I guess that I'll just wait until Monday. The second is to answer another e-mail that I received from the prospective pet sitting service, For Pete's Sake, that possibly wants to hire me to do work in my little hometown. They want to get together for a meeting in the next week, so we can start setting things up. So, 2 job possibilities to take care of today. I do have a little work that I need to finish up for the shelter. A couple of pics and new additions to Petfinder, and a final report to put together to finish up the spay/neuter grant requirements. Hopefully, none of this will take to terribly long. If the weather cooperates, I plan to come in and have a lazy day swimming and sunning. On Monday, Mom has her checkup at the doctor's in Nashville. Afterwards, I'm going to treat her to lunch at her favorite restaurant, Princeton's Grille, as an extra birthday to her. Not much time to slouch on my days off this week. Oh well! Have a swell weekend everyone! While I was sitting here, bored, this morning, I took one of those little survey tests on Tickle. It is the "What Breed of Dog Are You" test. I've posted my results below: What Breed of Dog Are You? Cheryl, you're a Bernese Mountain Dog! No bones about it, you're a good-hearted, people-loving Bernese Mountain Dog. Down-to-earth and loyal, no one works or plays harder than you do. You put your nose to the grindstone when it really counts, but you never neglect your social calendar. Simultaneously strong and sweet, you're very tuned-in to the feelings and needs of the other dogs you run with. Without having to be asked, you always have a helping paw to lend and a sympathetic shoulder to lean on. "Communication" is your middle name, and when that's paired with your unswerving devotion, you get a breed that everyone respects and trusts. Woof! To find out "What Breed of Dog" you are go here.

TGIF!!

Well, I don't know why I really said that. I work on Saturdays, but it still helps to end the week on a good note, no? I did make it over to swim laps yesterday afternoon. I tried to be really careful and backed off of the intensity, on behalf of my back. I still ended up having a pretty good workout though. Casey and stopped on the way home and had Checker's burgers. It was too good! I hadn't eaten much at all yesterday, so by the time I got finished at the pool; I was starved. Everything was perfect. The bacon was crispy, the coke was fully carbonated, and even the cashier was suprisingly nice. Not a bad dinner, even for a burger place. As soon we got home I decided to walk Bear, since I realized that once I sat down would be no getting up. While we were walking, we passed by a huge yard sale by one of my neighbors. They know that Casey and I are into fish aquariums and let us know they had a really nice one in the sale. It was HUGE, probably a 90 gallon or more, and it was an Oceanic one at that! It came with a really nice wooden stand too. We nabbed it for really cheap. It weighs a ton, so this afternoon we have to find a truck to go and pick it up. We may have to find a moving crew as well, since it is so heavy. Since we don't have a place for it in the house right now (we already have a 75 gallon, 29 gallon, 20 gallon high, 20 gallon long, 15 gallon, and 10 gallon already in operation, not to mention all of the lizard tanks) we are going to store it in the garage for the present. That means I have to make myself get out there and do some rearrangement, while Casey picks it up. I dread that with all of that pushing and pulling to be done, but oh well. Other than that, I really don't have that much on the agenda for today. Maybe I'll have to make some interesting weekend plans. Besides just attempting to swim again on Sunday, my schedule is pretty much free. I guess this is where some spontaneous action would come in handy. Everyone have a great weekend!! Bt the way, you all may have noticed that I've added a blogroll to my sidebar. Just give me a shout, if you'd like to be added. TAH!

Groomer News Update

Things are starting to come together a little more in my pursuit of a career in the animal industry. I heard from a lady that runs one of the most successful grooming shops in the town where I live. She has agreed to mentor me in the art of pet grooming. I'm supposed to call her either today or tomorrow and set up a meeting. She said that she would love for me to come and train on Mondays. YAY!! At least I'm going to get a little bit of training. Hopefully, it will work out to be a good learning opportunity. I'm still looking forward to my future meeting witht the pet sitters as well. I think I can truly be happy working in the pet profession. Animals have a way of giving back to you. Not much else is going on today. Hopefully, I can keep my angry back muscles at bay and get in some laps today I sure wish I had more endurance, but hopefully that will improve the more laps I do. The weather seems like it will be cooperative too. Casey said that he'd just hang out and wait for me to get finished. We are cat sitting for a friend that lives here in Murfreesboro, so he can hang out there and surf the net or watch t.v. or something. I'm still battling this exhaustion thing. It really has me puzzled. At least it's gotten to where it's at least not every day now. I'm still trying to figure it out. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to let me know. Hopefully, the laps won't do me in for the rest of the night. Gotta run! Until next time....

Mid-Week Blues

The birthday dinner went off without nearly a hitch. Casey really outdid himself on that meal! The steaks were luscious, and the baked potatoes were nicely done as well. Although the meal was fabulously prepared, we'll probably all die of poisoning! Seems every time we decide to grill out, the stupid city decides that they simply MUST fog for mosquitoes!! We must be having cases of West Nile again this year. Here I am, out walking Bear, while Casey is cooking and this fogger truck comes by. I always try to get in as quickly as possible, but it's hard not to breathe while walking the 3 blocks home. It NEVER fails!! They could only spray once a year, and they would pick the night we decided to cook out! Aside from the asphyxiation, it seems Mom had a good time. I had a poem and a bouquet of lilies ready for her, when she got there. She enjoyed her meal, her flowers, her cake, and her company I think. I'm just waiting for Monday to do her birthday part 2. After the birthday festivities were over, I ended up reading. I think I stayed up a bit too late, but I just couldn't seem to quit. Sometime later in the night, I woke up realizing that my back and shoulder were spasming again. It made it hard to get back to sleep. Needless to say, I don't feel my best today. I have my stuff packed and ready in the car to swim, but I'm not so sure I'll be going today after all. I may have to wait until this weekend, so my back can just get over this thing it has been having this week. This is the first week I've missed doing laps since May. I hate it when things like this happen. It's just so aggravating. I guess it's just better to wait though than to do laps and make it worse. I'm just sitting here now, all hunched over, considering taking something to help ease it off a little. I must be crazy to even consider doing laps.....The day otherwise will be pretty much run of the mill. I'm supposed to have a meeting this morning that is scheduled during my regular break time. Being a hypoglycemic, I'm not fond of having my food schedule changed around with only a day notice. That will pretty much make me cranky to deal with. Oh well...hope everyone has a better day than mine...toodles!

Lazy, Lazy, Lazy!!!!

After having such a productive Saturday, the rest of the weekend was kind of downhill. By Saturday night, I was suffering from a full blown back spasm. It completely put me out of commission for the rest of the weekend. I ended up just mostly sitting on the sofa reading on Sunday and Monday. I did finish the second book in the Outlander series called Dragonfly in Amber. I've now started the third one, Voyager. I just can't believe how good this series continues to be. I'm glad I had something wonderful to occupy my down time. Luckily, it was stormy both days, so I didn't worry too much about not getting to swim. I may try to do that either this afternoon or tomorrow afternoon, depending on the weather. I have heard back from the pet sitting business, and it looks like this may turn into something promising. Everyone keep their fingers crossed for me! Now, I just have to take a quick break and say: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!! Mom and Bear, Christmas 2003 Today is my Mom's birthday. Casey is going to cook one of her favorite meals for her tonight. T-bone steak, baked potatoes, and we have cake to eat too. I am also going to take her out to one of her favorite restaurants called, Princeton's Grille, when she goes for her checkup in Nashville on Monday. Looks like she is stretching this birthday into a week long event! Anyway, Happy Birthday Mama!! I love you!! That's it from the peanut gallery today. Everyone have a great Tuesday! Toodles!

Soak Up the Sun......Dog Days Update

Back from soaking up the sun. Although it was hotter than hades out there, the trip to Dog Days turned out to be a wonderful and profitable event. There were so many beautiful dogs there. Weimaraners were everywhere! I saw chihuahuas, dachshaunds, and corgis too! They were all SOOOOO cute!! They had a lot of nice information booths and also vendor booths. None of the booths had greenies, but I ended up scoring something MUCH better!! I won one of the doorprizes. I won a dog bed, 2 bags of homemade dog treats, and 3 bandanas!! Not a bad haul huh? I was also offered a part time job by a well established pet sitting business here called For Pet's Sake. Seems they want to expand their business into the tiny little surrounding town, where I live. They said they'd like for little 'ol me to handle they pet sitting there.! I can finally see an opening in the animal industry, which is what I truly would LOVE to do! I still want to learn to groom as well, but this is a fabulous opportunity. I'm just so excited. I guess I'll be bouncing for the rest of the day. Hope you all have a great weekend......

Happy Saturday!!

Today is officially "Dog Day" in Murfreesboro. They are having a little "to do" at the Canonsburgh Historical Park. It's only 3 hours, but what they hey? Our little furries are at least getting recognition in these parts. I'm going to take a very early lunch and go check it out. The festivities end at noon. They are supposed to have vendors there, so I'm hoping to snag some greenies for my dog crew at home. They had packs of 8 and 15 at the Agility Show, a while back, really cheap. Maybe I'll get lucky today, and they will have them there as well. I meant to take my camera to snap some pictures of the really cute dogs, but I ran out the door this morning and completely forgot it. I'll just have to commit everything to my memory this time! It's just about time for me to head out. I'll try to give a report as soon as I get back. Toodles!!

Why Do I Work at the Shelter?

A lot of people ask me why I volunteer for my humane association and at their shelter. They ask me, "isn't that depressing?" I started volunteering, when I was high school. It's always been my "pet" project, so to speak. And now that I'm an adult, my house is so full that I can't adopt any more, but I can find them good homes. Below is my best reason for volunteering: Casper and Gracie How could I deny them?

Tired Already!!

Casey finally got in around 8 p.m. last night. So, back off to Murfreesboro to pick him up I went. Bear didn't get his walk in. I had him down to the end of the street at the corner, when the call came from Casey. So much to his disappointment, I led him back home. Guess I'll have to make up with double walkies tonight. I've got a pretty full day ahead of me today. I'm still catching up at work from the vacation. After work today, Casey and I have a lot of errands to do. We have to go to PetSmart to get food for the dogs and cats and then it's off to Aquatic Critter to get fish food and goodies for the lizards. After that we are supposed to be at a group gathering to celebrate a birthday at Red Lobster. It's always a chore for me to find something that I really like there, because I'm not a seafood fan. Somehow just knowing that we have all of that to do AFTER work makes me tired already! I'm still battling this exhaustion wave for some reason. I've got a guess that it's because I'm consuming way too many sugary products again. Before vacation, I had cut myself down to just one can of Coke a day. While on vacation and even now, I'm drinking down at least 3 cans. I'm probably not getting enough water either. I'm going to try a new remedy today and maybe that will help things. I sure hope so. I hate feeling this way. One good piece of new is that Casey's cousin, who is stationed in South Korea right now got his new assignment. It seems that during his next assignment he will be stationed in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky!! That is just so cool!! Ft. Campbell is only about 2 hours away from me and Casey, so hopefully we'll get to see him more. That's about it for now. I've got to run and scan those pictures for the shelter. I didn't get a chance to do that yesterday, so I'm off. More later.....

Two Steps Forward and One Step Back

Well, I have made a little more progress in my grooming dilema. I've gotten lots of advice from lots of professional groomers. The consenus is that I should just scrap the correspondence idea, and just let a local groomer mentor me. That way I can have hands on experience. I can live with that. I spoke with Kitty (isn't that a great name for a shelter worker?!), my co-head volunteer at our shelter. She is going to speak with the lady that owns the grooming shop that does the shelter's work. Kitty seems to think that she would be very receptive to teaching me to groom. I'm hoping that this will have a good end result. Everyone keep their fingers crossed for me. I guess that it is good to get all of this ironed out now, before I go throwing my money around, than to find out it was all useless later. I've been sent a LOT of very useful websites today and lots of pet product places to peruse for my equipment. So, my day is at least looking up. TAH!

Pet Grooming Adventures

I'm sitting here this morning somewhat frustrated. Just for once, I wish I lived in a place where I had the opportunity to do what I want careerwise. I've been going in circles over getting started in grooming school it seems. I've joined a couple of grooming lists, where I posted and asked about correspondence schools. The response I received concerning correspondence was that it was a waste of time. Very discouraging. One list has been especially helpful. Instead of going through correspondence, it was suggested that I find a mentor locally and use that approach. I hadn't considered that approach, but it is definitely worth a shot. So next week, I'm going to some of our local groomers and see if I can mentor with them. Surely someone would like free help on Mondays! I'll keep you all posted on my progress in that area. While I was sitting here typing just now, a nice lady popped in on my messenger and is discussing one of the schools I had on my list for possibles. She attended the same one, and she is nicely giving me advice. Maybe all is not lost. She has been very helpful. Other than my grooming frustration, things are going pretty well. I have a ton of new doggie and kitty pictures to put on Petfinder for the shelter. Seems every time we do a lot of adoptions, we get in a whole new batch. They sure are cute though. I'll try to do some of that scanning work during my lunch hour. Casey has to go back to court hearing today to finish out the subpeona thing he started at the first of the month. The case was continued until today. It's three hours away and not scheduled to be heard until 1:30 p.m., so who knows what time he'll be done tonight. I've opted to just go home, take care of the dogs, and come back and get him. I did manage to get by the pool to swim yesterday. I ended up sharing my lane with another swimmer, a very nice older gentleman. He was very helpful about giving me stroke and technique advice. It was kinda nice to swim with a partner. Well, that's about it for now. I unfortunately need to get some work done, so I'll be signing off for now, but I'll leave you with this interesting animal story that was sent to me.

3-Pound Cat Is World's Smallest Clinic Doctor Says Cat Has Genetic Defect A 3-pound cat in Perkin, Ill., has been verified as the world's smallest domestic cat, according to a Local 6 News report. The 2-year-old cat, named Mr. Peebles, is officially listed as the smallest living domestic cat by the Guinness Book of World Records. Mr. Peebles lives in the Good Shepherd Veterinary Clinic in Pekin. The clinic's employees serve as collective co-owners. "I do bring him to bed with me at night between my husband and I," Dr. Donna Sassman said. "And he curls up in my arms and sleeps next to my neck when it's cold. And one of his best habits (is that) he'll lick me on the chin at night to give me a kiss." A doctor at the clinic said that Mr. Peebles has a genetic defect. And he's expected to hold onto his title for some time. Because he's already past the age when a cat reaches normal size, Mr. Peebles probably won't get any bigger, according to the report. The clinic said he was named after a ventriloquist's dummy on an episode of "Seinfeld." Watch Local 6 News for more on this story. Copyright 2004 by Internet Broadcasting Systems and Local6.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Wednesday of My Discontent

Since I returned to my regular work week just yesterday, I'm slowly starting to realize that the rut, I left on vacation to make go away, still exists. Seems this week is turning out to be the "same ol' same ol'". I just wish that I could figure out something interesting to do for the week. I'm having a horrible bout with fatigue this week as well. I'll just be in the middle of doing a task, watching something, or going somewhere, and it hits all of the sudden. It's the onset of that sudden sinking feeling of absolute exhaustion, and I can't wait to finish what I'm doing and lay down. This time last year, I was plagued by this problem almost every day. My doctor suggested that I start taking vitamins. I did, and they really worked. This is the first time, since I started taking the vitamins, that this has happened. Maybe it's just from getting my routine out of whack, while I was on vacation. Hopefully, everything will even out for me as I get back to normal. I spent some time yesterday checking out pet grooming courses and schools. I've decided to take an academic hiatus for the fall semester this year. I've been taking college courses on a part time basis and working full time for over 6 years now. I'm very close to finishing up my BS, but I really just need a break for one semester. Since I'm not the type of person to just sit and do nothing but work, I've decided to get a certification in grooming. Since the only actual "school" is nearly 5 hours drive east of me, I've decided on starting with an accredited correspondence course. I've gotten it narrowed down to 2 schools. One is JLK Grooming School out of Canada. They are accredited here in the US as well. The other is Groomadog Academy out of South Carolina. They are both priced comparably, but their instruction approach is a little different. If anyone out there reading is a groomer and has suggestions, please post some comments for me. I think I'm really going to like grooming. It will be something I can do that will really help out the shelter too! I need a favor for one of my good friends, Melissa, as well. She teaches Seniors at a local high school here. She wants to do a new project for her class' term paper this time. She's decided to have them compare and contrast fact and ficticious facts from movies about British history. The problem is, we are having trouble thinking of movies that fit the bill. We've thought of the obvious ones like Braveheart, Rob Roy, and Lawrence of Arabia. I know that I have some great readers from the UK, so if you (or anyone else for the matter) has any suggestions, please send them to me, or post a comment. This has become like a little scavenger hunt for us. It's fun to see what we can come up with to put on our list. That's about it in my world today. Tah for now!

Back to the Regular Work Schedule

Here I am. Back to the old routine. My weekend was pretty nice. The obedience trials were really interesting. I watched the novice classes a lot. I wanted to pick up some tips to use on Bear. I really enjoyed the utility class too. That kind of dog obedience is something to definitely strive towards. It was impressive. I love that it was done by voice command only. One other class that I watched, and I'm not sure which it was, the owners put their dogs in sit and left the room for about 5 minutes. Those little dogs just sat there like little stone statues! That was too cool. The owners then returned an put their dogs in a down position and left the room again. Talk about some obedient canines! Sunday I didn't do much of anything. I just sat around, watched t.v., and did some kitchen cleanup. I visited with my Mom for a bit too. She's been under the weather lately, but is finally starting to feel a little better. Yesterday, I managed to get back to my regular swimming routine. I went early, so I could be finished by the time I picked Casey up from work. I managed to get all of my laps done, and I added something different to the routine yesterday. I managed to get in 20 laps with a kickboard. I figured my bottom half could use some extra work! Anyway, I felt quite accomplished, when I got finised. Hope that I can keep up the good workouts. I just feel better, when I get exercise. Of course being out in that good sunshine helps boost my mood too. I don't have much planned for today. Just my normal work routine. When I get home, Casey and I are going to sketch out some more of our total "simplifing our life" routine. We are hoping to pitch out a fair amount of the junk we have stored in our house. I hope that we are able to stick with it. Hope everyone has a good day! TAH!

Kicking Blogger

Ok...I'm just helping Cheryl out with the weirdness of Blogger and even I'm a trifle flumuxed. Will someone please tell me why the posts are migrating to the sidebar. Maybe the weather is nicer on the sidebar. Maybe the posts are bored and want to visit the links. Who knows. But crikey, I wish Blogger wouldn't give us anything without at least telling us first!

Dog Days of Summer

Good morning folks. It seems that my little neck of the woods really has entered the "Dog Days of Summer". Everything that's going on for the next 2 weekends are dog related here in town. Today and tomorrow, the university is holding obedience trials across campus. I'm so excited that these are within walking distance of my building. I'm going to use the same plan as I did for the agility trials and take my lunch over there. I'm really interested in obedience trials, because I hope to get Bear involved in them one day. He learns so fast, and I don't believe that he'll have any problem getting his AKC Good Citizen certification. Next Saturday, July 24th, the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department is holding Dog Days at Cannonsburgh Historical Park. They are going to hold all kinds of contests, such as costume, best barker, most doggie kisses, etc. A lot of cool vendors will set up booths there as well. I'm going to take an early lunch and go and check that out too. I just wish that I didn't have to work, so I could take Bear out there with me. He just loves social events. Well, I gotta get to work. Seems that Yahoo is not connecting for me this morning, so if I owe anyone and e-mail and you don't hear from me, that's the reason.  Lots to do before I break for lunch and the obedience trials. I'll report in this afternoon and give full details. Tah!

Outlandish Ideas!

I forgot to mention in my previous vacation wrapup post, that I'm totally addicted to the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. My good friend Kim, lent me her copy of Outlander to read, when I was lacking in literary material. I only lacked a little finishing, before vacation, so I went out and bought the next installment Dragonfly In Amber. I didn't think I could wait to continue the story until I got back to reality. These books are full of historical references, time travel, and romance. A little bit of everything wrapped up into one neat package.I managed to get in reading on vacation everyday!! That was so relaxing! I highly recommend this series to anyone with a love for reading. Once you get started, you can't put them down. I had no idea until just recently that this series has the HUGE following that it does. There's a companion book, webrings, discussion groups, etc. I can't wait to purchase the whole set now! Here's a brief summary of the plot.

The year is 1945 and Claire Beauchamp Randall, a former British combat nurse, is on holiday in Scotland with her husband, looking forward to becoming reacquainted after the wars long separation. Like most practical women, Claire hardly expects her curiosity to get the better of her. But an ancient stone circle near her lodgings holds an eerie fascination, and when she innocently touches one of the giant boulders, shes hurtled backward in time more than two hundred years, to 1743.Alone where no lady should be alone, and far from the familiar comforts of her other life, Claires usual resourcefulness is tested to the limit. The merciless garrison captain so feared by others bears an uncanny resemblance to the husband she has just left behind. Her own odd circumstances expose her to accusations of witchcraft. And the strands of a political intrigue she doesnt understand threaten to ensnare her at every turn.But of all the perils her new life holds, none is more disquieting than her growing feelings for James Fraser, the gallant young Scot she is forced to marry for her own protection. Sworn by his wedding vows to keep her from harm, Jamies passion for Claire goes beyond duty. As she struggles with the memories of another lifetime, she is forced to make an agonizing and fateful choice, and learns ultimately that a man's instinct to protect the woman he loves is as old as time.This bestselling novel of time travel fuses the drama, passion, and violence of 18th-century Scotland with a wry, modern sensibility, as Gabaldon tells the story of one daring woman and the man who loves her.

Sounds good no? I know that a couple of my readers have read and are reading the series now. Feel free to leave comments and reviews here. I know that I'll enjoy them.

Back to the Real World

Well, here I am folks. Back from my Florida Beach hiatus. It's awfully hard to be back in the real world. We had a great time at the F.I.R.E. show. We made 4 new purchases. We got mostly mates for the crew we already have. Here's our list: 1 female hypo golden gecko, 1 male hypo tangerine male, 1 sandfire x chris allen red bearded dragon, and one female crested gecko. Got them all pretty cheaply. Not a bad shopping trip, if I do say so myself. They all made the trip home fine, and they are all eating like little pigs. On Saturday night, I hooked up with one of my oldest, childhood friends, Barbara. We've been friends, since the 6th grade. We'd lost touch, since both of us married 7 years ago. It just so happens, we hooked up shortly after this past Christmas. She is newly divorced and now employed by Disney and is living in Orlando.Casey and I met Barabara and her new boyfriend, Abraham at Carrabba's for dinner. After a fabulous meal, we all headed out to Epcot to see the Illuminations fireworks show. I just love watching that show. This was the 3rd year in a row that I've been able to see it. Barabara, being a Disney employee, got us all in free, and we also rode in her car for free parking. Anyway, we all had such a fabulous time!It was so good to be able to sit and visit with her again. We drove the entire trip home in one day. Needless to say, we both needed butt cushions by the end. We got back into town around 8:30 p.m., and went straight to Kindred Spirits to pick up Bear. He got a very good report. He was well behaved and no trouble at all. Seems he had a grand old time, while we were away. He was in psycho crazy play mood, when he saw us there. I got many puppy kisses on the drive home, which is a rarity. Bear is not much of a kissy dog at all. That was the first time in the year that I've had him that he's done that, so he must of missed me a little bit admist the fun. Slate, Shiloh, and Lola fared well too under the care of my Mom. The cats and kittens all were well also. I have lots of pictures that I hope to get posted soon. It seems that Casey and I have lost the connector cords for downloading for our camera somewhere in our own house. Until we find them, I'll just run to Walgreen's or something over the weekend and download them to CD. As soon as that task is finished, I'll be sure to post them for you. Until next time....

Wish You Were Here!

Greetings fellow blog readers!! Hello from sunny Florida! I'm sitting here on the second floor of the downtown Orlando Marriott at the free internet connection. Casey and I are busy exploring our new surroundings. We just checked into the Marriott, late this afternoon. This is the first internet opportunity I've had so far in the trip. After much preparation on Tuesday afternoon, and dropping Bear off at Kindred Spirits, we made our way on the first leg of our trip. We stopped and spent Tuesday night in downtown Atlanta. We had a fabulous dinner at our favorite restaurant, Carrabba's. Early Wednesday morning, we made out for Florida. We arrived at our destination in Palm Coast, early Wednesday afternoon. Seems we rode in on the tail of one fantastic thunderstorm. Power was out all over town. When we went to check into our hotel room, the desk clerk informed us the power had just come back online. Anyway, we were only able to go and walk on Flagler Beach, because the rain just didn't stop soon enough to permit a swim. We strolled along, got our feet wet, and collected lots of shells there. On Thursday morning, the weather was sunny enough to venture south down the coast to Daytona Beach proper. We got there about 10:30 a.m. With umbrella rented, much sunblock, chairs, and a cooler full of lunch packed, we enjoyed the sun, sand, and surf until about 4 p.m. At that time another HUGE storm drove us away from the beach and back to our hotel room. The storm did quite a bit of damage and even collapsed a business roof at nearby Ponce Inlet not too far from us. Today was much better weatherwise. No sign of storms anywhere near us today. We got checked out of hotel around 11 a.m. this morning. Since we couldn't check into the Marriott until after 3 p.m. in Orlando, we decided to go back down the coast to Daytona again. We did a little shopping, and I finally got to see inside the Salty Dog Surf Shop. I ended up getting a t-shirt and ankle bracelet there as my Daytona souvenirs. We finally made our way back down to the beach and got our umbrella all set up. Casey and I managed to be quite the seafarers this time around. We made it out pretty far. Not being used to swimming in the ocean, it took us a little while to become comfortable in the deep sea water. When we finally managed, it was a very rewarding experience. We've definitely decided to do a beach trip next summer too. We left Daytona after 4 p.m today, a little sunburned and no worse for wear, and headed out to Orlando. That's the details so far. The F.I.R.E. show starts at 10 a.m. in the morning. We'll be here until Monday morning. I think that we are going to try to do Downtown Disney one night before we leave to come back home. I'll check in again tomorrow night to let you all know about any new lizard family that we decide to bring home with us. Everyone have a pleasant evening!! Until tomorrow......

Lazy Sunday!

Hope everyone is having a nice fourth of July weekend. I'm hanging out at my brother's house, after enjoying grilled hamburgers, and just thought I'd do a quick post. I've been really lazy today. For the first Sunday in 2 months, I slept late. The pool is closed today and tomorrow for the holiday. I'll just have to wait and do my swimming in Daytona. Got up at 10 a.m. this morning. It stormed from about 3 a.m. this morning until about 9:30 a.m., so the dogs kept waking me up jumping onto the bed. Shiloh, the jack russell, is terrified of storms. She finally calmed down after I put her in bed with me. I decided to walk Bear early this morning, because of the chance of rain and also the fireworks that will be going on later tonight. He's not afraid of them at all, but I was afraid of being hit myself with bottlerockets. My neighborhood really enjoys fireworks it seems. Afterwards, my Mom came over and we had spaghetti with the pasta that Casey and I got at Wild Oats Organic Grocery. It was really yummy. I spent most of the afternoon cleaning the house. I'm finally whipping it into shape it seems. Casey and I have decided to just stay at home and watch the Nasvhille fireworks on t.v. The local park is way to muddy to park the car, and since Casey has to get up early in the morning, we decided not to do Nashville either. So, looks like it's a night indoors for us. That's o.k. I have plenty to do at home. I think I'll just read. I've been reading this book called Outlander by Diana Galbadon. It's really good. It's about a World War II army nurse that somehow mysteriously travels back in time to the 18th century and falls in love. There are 5 books in this series so far, and the author is working on the next one. I stopped by Books A Million yesterday and picked up the second one to carry with me on vacation. It's one of those books that you just can't put down. I borrowed it from my friend, Kim, and I knew I wouldn't be able to wait until I came back to continue the story. That's about it for my day. Until next time....

Testing 1...2...

Well, I've finally gotten around to testing this feature. Please pardong the blog interruption. Took me a while to get around to it, because for some reason, my computer keeps freezing up on me today. I'll have someone take a look at it while I'm gone. I sure do hope that this feature works. I'd really like to be able to check in a few times, while I'm away. Well...tah for now! ===== "Meddle not with dragons for thou art crunchy and taste good with catsup" __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

Ahhhhh.....Vacation!

Well, it's finally here! This is my last day to work, before I leave for vacation! No more work for nearly 2 entire weeks!! I'm so happy. We are leaving on Tuesday for Daytona Beach, FL. After 3 days there, we are heading down to Orlando for the Florida International Reptile Expo or F.I.R.E show. It's one of the biggest in the country. We are planning on purchasing a couple of lizards to complete our breeding program, and you can get them really cheap at this show. I want another male, bearded dragon, preferrably a red morph, and Casey wants to find some female crested geckos. We also need a male tangerine leopard gecko as well as an male albino. Seems we have quite the little list doesn't it? At least I have a couple of days to get the house clean, laundry done, and to pack our bags. I've just about gotten all of Bear's things packed too. We are dropping by PetSmart this afternoon to pick up a few last minute things for him. I have a blogger e-mail account that I'm going to test in just a few minutes to see if I can send posts away from home. That way, you all won't have to look at the same post for the next 2 weeks! I sure hope that it works. I can't beleive that it's actually sunny outside today. It's the first time in a week that I haven't gotten out of bed to the sound of pouring rain! It cleared off about 2 p.m. yesterday. Worked out nicely for my afternoon swimming plans. I did about 30 laps yesterday in two sessions, so I'm improving. They had a lady teaching specific strokes to a set of sisters. I tried to eavesdrop and overhear the instructions. I applied the suggestions, while doing my laps, and it greatly improved my endurance. I'm thinking of signing up for those lessons myself now. Casey didn't get back into town until after 6:30. It ended up that their case wasn't even heard yesterday, so he'll have to go back again at a later date. He did emphatically tell them he'd be unavailable until after the 17th of July, luckily. We had spaghetti with homemade sauce, courtesy of Casey, last night for dinner, and boy, was it yummy!! After that I was absolutely no good, especially after getting up yesterday at 3 a.m.! So, poor Bear will have to have extra time added to his walk tonight to make up for my ommission of yesterday's walk. I sure bet he'll be ready to run today! I sure hope that everyone has a wonderful 4th of July weekend! Everyone stay safe! Just remember that fireworks often scare pets. If your dog or cat stays outside, bring them inside until after the fireworks are over. Make sure that they all have the ID tags on, just in case they become frightened and bolt away. For more 4th of July pet tips, log onto the Humane Society of the United States Website. Bear sure isn't afraid of fireworks though. I was out walking him night before last, and there was a little boy and his grandfather shooting bottle rockets that I came upon. Bear just sat down and watched non-chalantly. Never flinched, skittered, or anything. Seems he was enjoying as much as the little boy. He's such a calm dog in new situations. Now, my other dogs are a completely different story. Shiloh, my Jack Rusell is terrified of any noise, especially thunderstorms. Lola, the Cocker-Spaniel, was the same way until she lost most of her hearing a couple of years ago. Slate, the chihuahua, seems ambivalent to them, and the cats, being cats, couldn't give a flip. I don't have any real big plans myself. I may stay home and go out to our local city park with Casey and watch the fireworks there. We've also toyed with going into downtown Nashville to watch the big fireworks display there (it was voted 8th most explosive in the nation last year and is slated to be shown on CMT, I believe). Well have to play it by ear, since Casey has to go into work early on Monday. We may grill some burgers and hot dogs too, if the rain decides to stay away. That's about it for now.....tah!!

Finally Friday!

Whew! What a long hard week it's been. I'm glad that it's Friday finally. Although I'm not sure why, since I have to work every Saturday. I guess it's because the regular monotony of the week is over. On Saturdays, I'm able to kick back and relax a little. It also helps that tomorrow is my last day to work, before I leave on a 2 week vacation. I can hardly wait, but more about that tomorrow. I have a way that I can use my e-mail and make posts on here, so I may test that out either later today or tomorrow. That way I can give you all road reports. Not much going on today. I have an incredibly busy day of work ahead of me. I just finished getting the invoices finished for the humane association spay/neuter grant that we've been working on all year. We did pretty good and spent most all of the money that we were awarded. I'm so glad that we were able to do such a huge community project. I'm also glad that Tennessee is going to be able to award more monies for the Tennessee Animal Friendly Grant this year. This grant is made possible by the sale of special animal friendly car tags. This year, when my registration comes due, I plan to get one of my very own. They look like this: Everytime you are out on the American roads and see one of these, please realize that this person helped to spay/neuter animals and prevent overpopulation! Casey got subpeoned to court in Lexington, TN. He answered a call in dispatch and has to go and verify that he works at the police dept. and that is his voice on the tape. We had to be at the station before 5:30 this morning, since Lexington is 3 hours west of here. Anyway, that's going to make my day a long one. He doesn't figure he'll be back in town until around 7 or 8 p.m. tonight, so I get to hang out. If it's sunny (which a day hasn't been this week so far), I thought I might go and try to swim. If not, I'm going to go and hang out at my friend Melissa's apartment. I'm feeding her cats this week, while she's away. I'll probably just read or watch t.v. in that case. I'll have internet access, so I may do some test blogging. I'll probably get home around 9 p.m tonight! Oh bother!! A VERY SPECIAL shout out to my friend Andrea. It's her birthday today, so everyone wish her a great day! I hope she has a wonderful birthday! You can send her birthday greetings by going to her blog here. It's really good, since she knows nearly everything about music. Toodles for now folks!

Spay/Neuter Crusade!

You may have noticed that I've put a new banner on my blog (I know, I'm starting to get a little nutsy just popping things on here, but I felt it was important). It's a banner for the PAW petition. This petition is circulating across the United States. The purpose? It's a petition for the states to provide low cost and free spay/neuter to citizens to prevent unwanted pets. Each state has its own petition drawn up. Please realize this is NOT a petition for MANDATORY spay/neuter of all animals (so breeders, you can rest easily). This will just enable those folks that don't necessarily have the funds to afford it, to spay/neuter their animals as well, responsibly. This petition also has a clause in it to give animal shelters state supported spay/neuter funds as well. So if you are an animal lover, please take part in this petition. It is the best way to help shelters and the homeless animal problem. You can click the banner above, or click the one at the top of the page. After signing, take a minute to browse around the Pets and Animals website. They have lots of great articles, tips, and pictures of animal related issues. I've also added a button so you can listen to the Best Friends Animal Radio Network. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is located in Angel Canyon, Utah. They shelter abused and abandoned animals for life. Their goal is "No More Homeless Pets". They provide education, seminars, listservs, etc. all across the country to promote this. They do adoptions too! Anyway, have a listen at some of the shows they broadcast. There is a lot of good tips and suggestions they give. They even broadcast "call in" shows so you can ask a question. I'd love to visit the sanctuary some day. It looks absolutely beautiful. I've posted some pics, courtesy of their website, below. Enjoy!! Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is located in Angel Canyon, right at the heart of the Golden Circle of national parks, including Zion, Bryce Canyon, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. photo credit: Raphael de Peyer Dr. Rich Allen examines a new arrival at the Best Friends Clinic. photo credit: Jana de Peyer Feeding 650 dogs is a big job, but it’s all in a day's work for the staff and volunteers at Best Friends’ Dogtown. photo credit: Harry Munro