Darwin Award Candidate????

This entry is dedicated to one of my best friends, Melissa, who is probably running through Kohl's parking lot at this very minute!! She can always make me laugh, even in the worst circumstances......

I can't believe that I forgot to mention this in today's previous post. This morning, for just a few minutes, I sadly realized that I could have qualified for one of this year's Darwin awards. The event in question happened, when I was blow drying my hair. One of the heating elements in my blow dryer hasn't been working, so instead of it taking 15 minutes to dry my hair it is now taking 30. Lately, I've been flipping my hair up on the ends, and doing so requires me to hold this malfunctioning dryer up against my brush. I noticed this morning that the dryer was making little popping noises. Then, all of the sudden, I had heat. I shrugged this off thinking, "Hey, my element is working again!! YIPPEE!!" So, here I was, unsuspectingly holding the dryer against the brush for total flippiness, when the popping noises started again and blue sparks and flames blew out the end of the dryer!! Of course I made a quick little screaming noise first, and then remembered to get the dryer away from my hair that was lathered with styling products. The sparks went away just as quickly as they appeared, before I could even turn the dryer off. It was at this point, that my nomination should have been sent to the voting committee. In a split second, I decided that the dryer was again working normally and I should continue to style my hair, but only with it far back away from my head. WHAT WAS I POSSIBLY THINKING?!!! Yes folks, you read it right. I KEPT ON DRYING MY HAIR AS IF NOTHING HAD EVER HAPPENED!!!!! In the two minutes that immediately followed that decision, I made the much more sane decision to turn the dryer off, unplug it, and put it away. I dug out the old dryer that I had replaced with the flame throwing newer one to finish my hair. I very well couldn't be flippy on only one side now could I? As I was digging the old dyer out, I suddenly remembered why I had gotten the new one in the first place. The old one's switch had broken and could only be used in the HOT and on HIGH setting (I admit, I have a problem throwing old appliances out). So there I was, attempting to finish my hair with the high setting on blowing it into oblivion. I swear that I looked like I had just touched a static ball!! Needless to say, this hasn't been the best hair day that I've ever had.

PAH on You, Ice Fairy Princess

You did not come by and grace us with your presence for very long last night..... We did get a little bit of mixed precip last night, but it was very short lived. It seems our temperature stayed just above freezing by one degree, so we missed the coating of ice that our neighbors got just 50 miles east of us. So, here I am sitting at work. Now I love snow, but ice is an altogether different beast. I'm glad that my electricity is in no danger of going off in these chilly temps. I would, however, have liked some of the white stuff. At least our forcast seems a little more stable for the coming week; cool with highs in the 40's.

Nothing big going on for today. I am looking forward to meeting my friend, Melissa, for lunch today. It's always good to visit and catch up. I may call Jennie tomorrow to see if I can drop by and start learning the ropes to the kennels, but other than that no big plans there either. Mom's doctor's appointment got moved from last Monday to this coming Monday, so we'll be heading into Nashville for that. Hopefully, I'll get the photoblog updated again today. I say hopefully, because I have, once again, left from home without the camera cords. My friend Zinia is working across the hall, and I think she may have hers with her. There's nothing quite like posting pictures the hard way. Everyone have a great weekend!

Send the Men in the White Coats....

Because I think I certainly need therapy today. For some strange reason, I woke up in the middle of the night worried about my weight. I was terrified that all of this Curves stuff is for nothing. All I can surmize is that it is because Casey and I have had 2 terribly stressful weeks for reasons which I won't go into here. I've felt wound tighter than a bow string for this past week especially. I think if someone were to startle me, I'd look like one of those cartoon cats hanging from the ceiling. So there I was, laying in bed, saying a little mantra to myself, "calm down, relax, don't be so stressed". I slept so fitfully for the rest of the night, and I woke up this morning feeling like a train loaded with sleeping powder rolled over me. I really hate being at work and feeling this sleepy. I'm sitting here now sipping "nectar of the gods", or otherwise known as Coca Cola. It's helping very little though. I think I probably need in I.V. of caffeine straight into the vein. I have a feeling that my productivity will probably suffer today.

The weather has been really bizarre here again this week. Day before yesterday, it was nearly 60 degrees, when I left for home. By the time I got to the other side of town ( a mere 20 minutes), it had dropped into the 40's and just kept dropping. We are under a winter storm watch today. We are supposed to have sleet and freezing rain throughout tonight and into tomorrow morning. Looks like I may or may not get to work tomorrow, depending on the road condition. I don't mind the snow so much, but ice is another story completely. They did say that we might end up with some snow flurries on Sunday morning. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for that.

Hopefully, I'll wake up soon. Everyone have a great day!

I've Gone to the Dogs....

Yesterday was a fairly productive day in all aspects. A lot of work stuff got done. I had a nice conversation with my good friend, Melissa, and I had a MOST productive drive home yesterday. One of our shelter dogs, Fergie, has become quite the pistol in our shelter director's medical abscence. Fergie has definitely been giving the other volunteers a run for the money. So much in fact, that it has jeopardized her existence. Anyway as a last ditch effort, I contacted my friend Jennie from Kindred Spirits on the drive home. Jennie, being the great trainer that she is, has agreed to take Fergie for 4 weeks to do intensive obedience and behavioral training. So hopefully, Fergie will be able to lead a full and happy life afterwards. While I was talking to Jennie, she offered me a little part time job on some weekends. I'll get to go the the training facility and help her with the dogs and help clean up. This will enable her to attend some seminars in the future. I'm really looking forward to helping her. It will be a nice little side job for me too. I think that I'll be able to take Bear with me and turn him out in the runs for a little exercise, while I work. I'm supposed to go by week after next, to get all of the details.

Last night was pretty typical. Did my usual visit to Curves, and then we went over to my brother's house for dinner. Afterwards when we got home, I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. It's just more of the usual today. I've got to finish up entering a bindery order at work.

I got this in my e-mail today from the Best Friends Organization out of Utah. They run a wonderful animal sanctuary there. They adopt out animals, but for the ones that can't find homes, they let them stay there forever. The have a beautiful website, so go and check it out. Anyway, they are helping a group do a Valentine's project for chained dogs across America, and are inviting everyone to participate. Read on for details:

Dogs Deserve Better Announces its Third Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week, February 7-14.

Dogs Deserve Better, a nonprofit working to bring dogs into the home and family, has designated Valentine's Week, February 7-14th, "Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week."

The group is striving to raise awareness for chained and penned dogs in a positive way...by delivering a Valentine, a brochure and a treat to dogs living outside all over the U.S. as well as in other countries where they have representation, such as Canada and Australia.

Dogs Deserve Better seeks to mail and/or hand deliver more than 3000 Valentines, in this, its third season. In 2004 the group delivered over 2400 Valentines to chained or penned dogs.

Tammy S. Grimes, founder of Dogs Deserve Better, states, “Last year, elementary students made 500 of our valentines, which were a touchingly successful addition to our campaign. This year we’d like all 3000 valentines to be hand-made, and we're seeking interested elementary teachers and students nationwide, as well as groups such as girl and boy scouts, to create Valentines for the chained dogs. The students and groups gain a sense of accomplishment from creating for the dogs, and our hope is that more and more dog caretakers are educated as a result of the children's efforts.”

All Valentines are needed at the Dogs Deserve Better headquarters in Tipton, PA by February 7th, and must fit into an A10 envelope when folded. Any group who would like to participate should e-mail info@dogsdeservebetter.org or call 814.941.7447 for further details.

Dogs Deserve Better invites any interested volunteers nationwide to deliver Valentines to local chained dogs. Volunteers can also provide the group with addresses of dogs in need of a Valentine and treat.

Those interested in sponsoring Valentines for the chained dogs may go to www.dogsdeservebetter.com to help one or more of the many wonderful dogs living alone outside in our country.

Please spread the word about this special week!

Thank you for being a part of our Network and for any help you can provide.

Sincerely,

Deborah Delgado-Hand

No More Homeless Pets

Best Friends Animal Society

5001 Angel Canyon

Kanab, Utah 84741

(435) 644-3965 ext. 4401

deborahd@bestfriends.org

www.bestfriends.org

Bear's Been In the Corner

This past Sunday, Bear began dealing with some jealousy issues. I noticed that this time, as well as times in the past, this kind of behavior has been exhibited right after coming home from Jennie's and boarding. Anyway, Bear and Slate couldn't seem to get it worked out who was going to be the alpha dog of the day. Casey and I were in the living room having a snack, when the trouble started. Bear jumped up and suddenly proceeded to roll Slate (the little chihuahua) all over the living room floor. He wasn't biting him, just kind of bullying-ly rolling him along. Of course, Slate who has NEVER been jumped on, became frightened and began to yelp. Slate can be a bit of a drama player and can sometimes growl and carry on just when someone invades his space. Casey and I got them separated, and while I dealt with Slate, Casey sufficiently scolded Bear. At first, Bear got sent to the bedroom. After about 15-20 minutes had passed, he was allowed in the front part of the house, but he wasn't allowed to come out of the kitchen. Then, Casey got up and went into the bathroom. Bear sneakingly creeped back toward the living room with me. All of the sudden, Casey made a clanking noise in the bathroom, and Bear flew back to the kitchen and planted himself in the exact spot that Casey had put him in. It was so funny, I couldn't help but laugh. When Casey returned to the living room, Bear got up, turned around, and put his back to Casey. Every once in a while, he'd turn and glance over his shoulder at Casey all pitiful like. It was hysterical!! Bear decided to pout at Casey up until yesterday. He wouldn't have a single thing to do with him. I have to give it to him, that dog has a VERY long memory. Things have settled down now, and we are hopefully back to normal at the zoo. I guess all of the animals need to press their luck, every once in a while.

Since I Didn't Win the Powerball....

I'm back at work this morning. No big plans on the agenda this week. Just catching up and getting the bindery order ready. It was so wonderful watching the snow fall last Saturday night. I got to drive all the way home in it, but it stopped about an hour afterwards. It did snow again early Sunday morning. When I let the dogs out first thing, I noticed that my car was covered. We got a good dusting, but the sun came out and melted it all, except those patches in the shade. It wasn't much, but I'll take what I can get. Casey and I went over to visit my brother on Saturday night. We had a really nice visit, and ended up staying much longer than we intended. We also managed to polish off quite a bit of the frozen red rooster drinks as well. Those are just too yummy to have just one. I got up feeling crafty on Sunday morning, so I decided to make my sausage, egg, and cheese casserole, along with my cheese grit casserole for everyone's breakfast. Breakfast was about all that I got accomplished this past weekend. Casey and I did enjoy a much needed and stress relieving weekend just relaxing and watching our DVDs and t.v. Mom's doctor's appointment got rescheduled until next Monday, so we didn't have to make the trip into Nashville. I did manage to get to Curves yesterday, where I met up with one of my oldest friends, Jennifer. She has decided to start coming back with me, so it was really fun to exercise and catch up at the same time.

Casey and I went to the monthly humane association meeting last night. We had a new volunteer come, and she decided to help take care of the animals at the shelter. It was a good thing, because we are so short of help there at the moment. We began to plan for our spring fundraiser. Everyone decided to go with the idea that I pitched a couple of months ago, about an animal fair. It's going to be like a Dog Days in the park. We are going to have vendors come in, special programs going on, and also some food booths. Right now, we are working on securing our location and deciding on a definite date. If any of you have any ideas of things we could add, please feel free to leave me a comment. Speaking of shelters, I've been watching the new show, Who Gets the Dog? on Animal Planet. They have teamed with The Humane Association of the United States to promote adopting homeless animals. It airs on Mondays and reruns on Fridays. To find out more check out the article below from the HSUS:

So Who Gets the Dog? Those Who Visit a Local Shelter.

January 7, 2005

For most homeless dogs, finding just one adoptive family is more than they dare to hope for. But Buckeye was lucky. He had three loving families—all anxiously vying for his approval. It seemed like one of those things that only happens in the movies.

But this shelter dog's dream is rooted in reality, even if the script was produced in Hollywood. The goal of Who Gets the Dog?, a new program from Animal Planet, is not just to entertain, but also to match up homeless shelter dogs and responsible families—and to inspire viewers to consider adopting their own furry show–stopper.

Buckeye´s quest for his ideal family is featured in the Monday, January 17 series premiere of the program. Each episode that follows gives another homeless dog the chance to sniff out his perfect match. During each show, the lucky pooch spends 24 hours playing and getting to know each of the three prospective guardians. Although he gets a little help along the way from a team of pet experts, it´s the pooch who ultimately decides who his new family will be.

The program is hosted by comedian and dog lover Dorothea Coelho, and the prospective family's interactions with the pooch are evaluated by a team of pet experts, including dog behaviorist Tamar Geller, author Merrill Markoe, and veterinarian Dr. Dean Graulich.

Who Gets the Dog? is a program that puts the pooches´ interests ahead of everything else. Before the program even began taping, the prospective adopters were carefully evaluated by the Animal Planet team and pre–approved by experts at The HSUS to confirm that all participants would make good adoptive pet parents. The local shelters and adoption groups that participated in the show, as well as show producers, selected dogs whose personalities were well–suited to the excitement of meeting new families and posing in the spotlight.

The Extras: Homeless Dogs Around the Nation

Although only a lucky few made the casting cut, there are literally thousands of dogs in neighborhood shelters around America who deserve a staring role in a loving home. Every day, countless dogs, cats and other companion animals wait for someone to take them home. Adopting a pet from the local shelter or rescue group doesn't just ensure a new best friend—it also saves a life.

While the number of animals entering shelters has gone down over the last few decades, public misconceptions about shelters, the proliferation of puppy mills, and the large number of animals who are not spayed or neutered have continued to make pet overpopulation a serious problem in the Untied States and around the globe. In fact, The HSUS estimates that about 6–8 million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters every year. By adopting a homeless animal, pet lovers can help do their part to give all companion animals a loving home. Websites like www.Pets911.com can help by matching potential adopters with animals in their area.

In addition to showcasing the powerful pull that a shelter animal can have on pet lovers, Who Gets the Dog? instructs the newly selected pet parents in dog care and gives viewers insight into the tools needed to become responsible owners—for life. Understanding the commitment involved in adopting an animal is the first step to becoming a great pet guardian.

Animal lovers who want to learn more about how to be a patient and devoted pet guardian will soon have a new behavior tool at their disposal. Geller, the renowned behaviorist and expert from Who Gets the Dog?, has teamed up with The HSUS to produce a series of short pet training videos. Pet lovers looking for answers to some of their toughest behavior problems will benefit from the informational videos. In addition, behavior pet tips sheets are available online at www.PetsForLife.org.

Well everyone, I'm off to the grind. Everyone have a great day!

Winter Weather Update!!

It's official!! It is coming down fast and heavy outside!!! Yippee!! It probably won't stick since it was so warm earlier today, but it sure is pretty to look at. I just KNEW I should have brought my camera today!! Maybe I can snap some shots, when I get home. Tonight sounds like a good night for a DVD and a hot cup of cocoa or spiced cider. YUM!! Everyone have a great weekend!!

The Weather Outside Is Frightful......

Well, not yet exactly. As I'm typing this, it's still in the balmy 50's. BUT, by noon today, our temps are supposed to plummet, thanks to an approaching winter storm. We are only supposed to benefit from the outer fringes of the storm, but we are supposed to have SNOW by late afternoon, tonight, and maybe a few flurries tomorrow morning!! It's not supposed to amount to much, but it will still be nice to see the flakes floating down from the sky. We had snow last Sunday, and it was so exciting. It keeps trying very hard to snow on us this winter, so I'm just sure, that soon we'll have a whopper of a snow, before winter's done.

Yesterday while doing my daily blog read at Warm Puppies, I discovered a link to a wonderful new blog. It's called, ANIMALS are HUMANS too!. It's quite an interesting blog with several, probably over 20, contributors. They are currently accepting new contributors, so I signed up to post over there occassionally. So lope on over there and have a look. Tell Thess and the other contributors hello! Also, while on Warm Puppies, I ready Chrissy's WONDERFUL rescue story!! It was so touching, I found myself looking for a Kleenex afterwards. I recommend that everyone go and have a look at a wonderful rescuer's story, but be sure to have plenty of tissues.

Since it seems I'm obsessed with winter weather this year, I thought I'd post some winter weather tips for our furry friends. Always remember to follow this advice to keep your pets happy, healthy, and warm this winter.... Everyone have a fabulous weekend!

Cold-Weather Concerns -- 15 Warming Tips

You know it's getting cold when your furry Persian won't leave her perch beside the stove and your woolly sheepdog looks like he'd appreciate an extra coat.

While dogs and cats are never really underdressed -- they wear their favorite furs year-round -- Jack Frost's nip can still give a painful bite.

Without protection from the elements, dogs and cats can develop frostbite or hypothermia -- a potentially deadly condition that may occur if their temperature drops even a few degrees. At the very least they can be cold and miserable -- or even have ice balls form between their toes.

With a few simple precautions you can keep your pets cozy no matter what winter throws your way -- and even save their lives should they accidentally spend too much time in the bitter cold.

For Dogs and Cats

Consider his background.

Not all pets are equally at home in the cold. While a Labrador or sheepdog might be comfortable outside on all but the coldest days, a miniature poodle or short-haired cat might get chilly even when it's balmy, says Tom Bradley, owner of Luftnase Kennel in Watertown, New York. Check with your vet if you're not sure if your pet is bred for chilly climes. If he's not, you'll want to keep him where it's warm -- in the house, garage or a comfortable outbuilding.

Check his wardrobe.

While most cats are comfortable in the cold, "only dogs that grow thick coats can really stay outdoors," Bradley says. "My Labradors, it doesn't matter what the weather is. They go out and play in the snow. My German short-haired pointers, on the other hand, go out, do what they have to do and then come in and get underneath the woodstove." Keep his hair combed.

"If your animal grows a thick hair coat for the winter, you want to make sure it doesn't get matted," says Kenneth Sperling, D.V.M., a veterinarian in private practice in Anchorage, Alaska. "Wet, matted hair can lead to diseases of the skin because the dead hair traps dirt and debris." Lend him something warm.

On particularly cold days, your pet may appreciate being bundled up before he goes outdoors. This is especially true of breeds such as toy poodles, which typically have thin coats and aren't well-suited for the cold. "Dog sweaters are perfectly fine," says Dr. Sperling. Give him time to adjust.

After spending a nice sunny season warming himself in the yard, your pet may not be prepared for winter's chill. It usually takes between three and six weeks after the temperature drops before your pet's winter coat gets thick enough to stave off winter's chill, says Mark Raffe, D.V.M., professor of anesthesiology and critical care at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in St. Paul. "Allow the pet to slowly adapt to the environment," he says. "Give him progressive periods outside, starting with 15 minutes a day."

Do your share of skin care.

Winter air can be extremely drying, and even pets that never set a paw outdoors can get dry, itchy skin, says Dr. Sperling. To prevent this, he recommends giving all pets a B-complex vitamin that contains fatty acids, which will help keep their skin from drying out. Give him shelter. Watch the wind-chill.

Even if the thermometer reads a relatively comfy 25?, a breeze can make it feel a heck of a lot colder. "With the wind-chill factor it could feel like 25 below," says Dr. Sperling, so be prepared to bring your pet in when it's blowing. Listen to his appetite.

If your pet lives outdoors, he'll burn up a lot more calories in the winter just trying to stay warm. If your dog spends a lot of time outdoors, "you may need to increase his calorie intake by 25 to 50 percent," says Dr. Raffe. "They need those extra calories not only for energy demands but also to get a thicker coat."

Keep the water bowl full -- and fluid.

When the temperature drops, water freezes. "An animal can go for only 20 hours without water before becoming dehydrated," warns Dr. Sperling. He recommends providing fresh water frequently throughout the day to keep the water bowl full. Or you can buy an electric warming device that will keep the water liquid on even the coldest days. "Just be careful not to run an electrical cord where the animal can chew it," he adds.

Trim around the toes.

While many dogs and cats love romping through the snow, they'll occasionally develop small ice balls between their toes that can lead to frostbitten feet. "You should regularly trim out the long hair between the foot pads so it doesn't become the focus for ice-ball formation," says Dr. Raffe. Turn on the heat.

If your pet already has ice balls between his toes, you can melt them quickly with a hair dryer, says Ronald Stone, D.V.M., clinical assistant professor of surgery at the University of Miami School of Veterinary Medicine and national executive secretary of the American Association of Pet Industry Veterinarians. Hold the dryer about six inches away and keep it moving until all the ice is melted. "Just keep it on a low setting so you don't burn them," he warns.

Look for damage.

While you're doing the pet-icure, check to see if ice has scraped or cut the pads. If it has, apply a little first aid ointment containing an antiseptic to help prevent infection. Then rub on a little hand lotion or aloe vera to keep the pads soft, he says.

For Cats Only

Do an engine check. During the cold months many outdoor cats will creep into the engine compartment of cars to take advantage of the "central heating" -- and then get hurt when someone turns the key. Before starting the car in the morning, you may want to check under the hood for visitors, vets advise. It takes only a minute and could save your pet's life.

When to See the Vet

If your pet has been outside too long and you suspect he has frostbite -- symptoms commonly include flushing, swelling and itching of the affected part -- rub him gently with a blanket or your hands to gradually raise the temperature of the frozen parts. "Don't do a lot of rubbing or you'll cause more damage," says Kenneth Sperling, D.V.M., a veterinarian in private practice in Anchorage, Alaska. Frostbite is serious, so you'll want to get your pet to the vet as soon as possible, he adds.

The same advice applies if you suspect your pet has developed hypothermia, or low body temperature, which can cause shallow breathing, a weak pulse or shivering muscles. (If he's not shivering, however, it could mean that your pet has suffered severe exposure to cold and that his metabolism isn't capable of spontaneously increasing body temperature.) "You need to bring him into a warm environment and slowly allow him to rewarm," advises Robert J. Murtaugh, D.V.M., associate professor in the Department of Medicine at the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Massachusetts.

But avoid using the heat from lamps, heating pads or open ovens, because your pet could be burned. Instead, wrap him in a warm blanket and hold him close so your body temperature will help raise his. Then get him to the vet as soon as you can.

Old Dogs Can Teach People New Tricks

Yesterday was a very typical day. Nothing too exciting or mind blowing at work. I went to Curves last night and worked out. I've got to start the diet part next week. I'm REALLY dreading that part. Casey, once again, made us a great dinner. Afterwards, we settled in to watch his 2 new DVD sets. They are the cartoons Aqua Teen Hunger Force that air on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. See, Casey and I are adults, but we love cartoons! Anyway, Aqua Teen is one of those crazy, late night, adult cartoons that is absolutely hysterical!! So, we spent the better part of the evening doubled over in laughter.

Today is going to be the usual. I'm just finishing a few things up at work. I am looking forward to the weekend. I'm planning on doing some cleaning and kicking back. Mom's got an appointment for her checkup on Monday, so we'll be going into Nashville. Hopefully, I'll have lots of new pictures to post on the photoblog, since I've been remiss in posting this new year. For all of my fellow readers that are trying to diet and exercise this new year, read the article below. Apparently, a study that I found listed on Modern Pooch on some dogs has determined that the benefits are more than just physical. Enjoy and everyone have a great day!

Old dogs can learn new tricks

Tue Jan 18, 2:32 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Exercise and a diet fortified with vitamins, fruits and vegetables helped older dogs learn new tricks and kept them spry in an experiment that scientists said could teach humans a thing or two.

Beagles given either the fortified diet, regular exercise or both did much better in learning new tricks than dogs fed regular chow and allowed to lie around more, the researchers reported on Tuesday.

Dogs are similar to humans in their dietary needs and the way they digest food, so the findings have implication for people, said Molly Wagster of the National Institute on Aging, which funded the study.

Dogs also can develop memory and learning problems as they age in much the same way people do.

"This research brings a note of optimism that there are things that we can do that may significantly improve our cognitive health," Wagster said in a statement.

"The combination of an antioxidant diet and lots of cognitive stimulation -- which was almost the equivalent of going to school every day -- really did improve brain function in these animals," added Elizabeth Head of the University of California Irvine, who worked on the study.

"We're excited about these findings because the interventions themselves are relatively simple and might be easily translated into clinical practice for people."

For the study, Head, William Milgram of the University of Toronto in Canada and colleagues studied 48 older beagles over two years.

Writing in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, they said they divided the dogs into four groups that got either standard care; a diet supplemented with tomatoes, carrot granules, citrus pulp, spinach flakes and supplements; standard care plus extra exercise and play; or the special diet and the special play and exercise regime.

A second set of 17 dogs aged 1 to 3 got either a standard or fortified diet.

Tests included having to find a hidden treat. The older dogs clearly benefited from the special diet and the special exercise program, the researchers said.

All 12 of the older beagles that got a supplemented diet and exercise could solve a difficult problem, compared to eight of 10 dogs that got the enriched diet alone and two of eight dogs that got no special treatment.

Last week the U.S. government issued new guidelines that encouraged Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables and to exercise for at least an hour a day to improve their health.

All Creatures Great and Small...

Last night I was out in the back yard with Bear. He was just out there walking and sniffing as is his usual way. While I was out there, my charges from next door started their usual barking to let me know to come and visit them. I went over and gave them some food over the fence. As I was doing this I got to thinking how wonderful my life is because of my pets. It is absolutely beyond my comprehension how some people can treat animals the way they do. I've just got to move faster on those 2 sweeties next door. Hopefully, something good will happen for them soon. Animals are a source of unconditional love. They always understand, never reject you, and love you 100% no matter what. How empty my life would be without my little home zoo. It always seems just as I'm jam packed to the rafters, one in need will turn up, and magically I've got space for just one more. I realize, at this point, that I'm only able to be a temporary solution for the dogs next door, but I just have to do what I can for them. I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't. I can't tell you how many times that I've wished I could win the lottery to be able to create an animal sanctuary. It's also funny how by helping them, I get so much back in return. I suppose that any of you animal lovers out there know what I'm talking about. Anyway, isn't it funny how much deep reflection you can do, while your out on a dog walk? Check out the story of a fellow animal lover below. It came from my daily e-newsletter that I receive from ASPCA. Enjoy!!

SUCCESS STORY OF THE WEEK: ALL CREATURES SMALL ARE GREAT!

Emily S., a self-described "animal lover to more of a degree than anyone could imagine," even surprised herself by the lengths she recently went to save the life of an animal.

Emily was leaving her house with her two dogs, en route to an appointment with the vet, when she heard a group of kids screaming and running around. "I was shocked to see one of the kids walk up a staircase and 'accidentally' drop something small and living," she says. Despite her chronic bad knee, she found herself running—for the first time in six years!—up the stairs. "On my way up, one of the kids lifted her foot as if to stomp on the creature, and I yelled at her to stop. When I got up there and saw that the animal was a mouse, my feelings didn't change one bit."

The little mouse was an albino, so Emily surmised the animal was most likely a pet or a feeder mouse from one of the nearby recently vacated apartments. She caught the mouse with relative ease and brought her along to the vet.

"The doctor confirmed my suspicions that this little girl was most likely a pet or feeder mouse, so I bought her a small temporary cage," recalls Emily. After waiting for a few days to see if someone was missing a mouse, Emily decided that the animal, who was "given the appropriate name of Lucky," would become a permanent member of the family.

And when Emily got her new friend a larger permanent cage, she also bought her a mouse friend, whom she named Raven. "Up until I rescued Lucky, I had never considered having a pet of this type. Now, I couldn't imagine not having them!"

Not As Crazy As I Thought

Yesterday was much calmer than I was expecting. I always forget that the start of the spring semester is not nearly as hectic as the fall semester. We'll see how today pans out. Other things went as usual for a typical Wednesday. When I got home, Casey had rearranged the kitchen a bit. His aunt, Louanne, gave us a really nice toaster over for Christmas, so he made a really cool chicken dish with it. I've got my yummy leftovers packed for lunch today. I did go by Curves last night. I felt a little sluggish, since I had missed Monday being in Jackson. Other than that, I don't have a whole lot to report.

I'm subscribed to a newsletter from a place called Replacements, Ltd. They deal in discontinued china, cyrstal, and flatware patterns. They have the most wonderful pet policy for their employees. They have a "bring your pet to work" policy. I can't imagine working for a place that wonderful. I've posted the following story from their monthly newsletter. Enjoy!!

Replacements, Ltd.

Featured Pet - January 2005

Jason and Micheal Smith met five years ago at Replacements, Ltd. Not long after meeting, they realized it was something special. Jason’s first Christmas present to Micheal was an adorable Lhasa Apso puppy who they named Vinnie, after Jason’s favorite drummer. Recently, they decided that Vinnie needed a playmate, so they sought a new puppy. Originally, they tried to acquire another puppy from Vinnie’s biological parents. Unfortunately, her mother was only able to have one litter. Jason and Micheal soon found an adorable Shih Tzu who they named Tanner.

The Shih Tzu (which means "lion") is reputed to have been the oldest and smallest variety of the Tibetan holy dogs and bears some similarity to other Tibetan breeds. The Lhasa Apso also originated in Tibet. Legend has it that the Dalai Lama would present pairs of Lhasa Apsos to visiting royalty and dignitaries to bring them prosperity and good luck.

Vinnie and Tanner are similar in their appearance, but their personalities couldn’t be more different. Vinnie is very energetic and loves to get attention from everyone she meets. Also, she loves to bark when Micheal is on the phone. Needless to say, Vinnie stays home most of the time. Tanner on the other hand, is very easy going and has only warmed up to a few people. Micheal said that she doesn’t really care for strangers. When Tanner comes to work she loves to lie on her big red pillow in Micheal’s office. She rarely leaves her pillow unless one of her friends comes by to give her a belly rub.

Both Micheal, who works in Online Marketing, and Jason, who works in Human Resources, love having their dogs at work. “Being able to bring our dogs to work is a great benefit offered at Replacements, Ltd. There’s nothing like being able to take a break from everything and be with your dog!”

Whoosh!!!!!

We had a great time in Jackson with Casey's family. We finally did his family Christmas. We received some great gifts!! I got lots of woolen things, so I should stay pretty warm this week. The temps dropped back to frigid this past weekend and have stayed there. I don't mind too much though. The older I get, the better I like the changing seasons. When it's winter, I really want winter weather. If I can't have snow, I like for it to be cold. I probably enjoy it, because it never stays very cold long, here in Tennessee. While we were in Jackson, we met Casey's cousin Andrew's new girlfriend, Lupe. She was really nice and got along well with everyone, and I really liked her. They just got an apartment in Ft. Campbell. Andrew is scheduled to deploy to Iraq sometime in the early spring. I think they may be planning to get married before he leaves. It should be an interesting few months, to say the least. Bear stayed with Jennie at Kindred Spirits as he usually does when we are away. She always says he's no problem, which is very lucky. The only thing he liked to do was stay out. He's got that little fur coat on and doesn't realize that he freezes his humans in weather like this. Luckily, Jennie has HUGE fenced areas, so she didn't have to be out with him the whole time.

Classes start back today, so it should get pretty crazy in here during the next few minutes. I'll run for now, but I'll leave you with this funny that a fellow shelter volunteer sent me over the weekend. Enjoy!

HELP WANTED

A "HELP WANTED" sign was placed in the front window: "Must be a good typist and be good with a computer. Successful applicant must be bilingual. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer." A short time later a lovely golden retriever dog trotted up to the window, saw the sign and went inside. He looked at the receptionist and wagged his tail, then walked over to the sign, looked at it, whined and pawed the air. The receptionist called the office manager. He was surprised, to say the least to see a canine applicant. However, the dog looked determined, so he led him into the office. Inside the dog jumped up on a chair and stared at the manager expectantly. The manager said, "I can't hire you. The sign says you must be able to type. The dog jumped down, went to the typewriter and proceeded to quickly type a perfect business letter. He took out the page and trotted over to the manager, gave it to him, then jumped back up on the chair. The manager was stunned, but told the dog, "That was fantastic, but I'm sorry. The sign clearly says that whoever I hire has to be good with a computer. The dog jumped down again, went to the computer and proceeded to demonstrate his expertise with various programs, produced a sample spreadsheet and database, then presented them to the manager. The manager was dumbfounded!! He said to the dog, "Hey I realize that you are a very intelligent applicant and have fantastic talent, but you're a dog - no way can I hire you. The dog jumped down and went to the sign in the window and pointed his paw at the words, "Equal Opportunity Employer." The exasperated manager said, "Yes I know what the sign says. But the sign also says you must be bilingual." The dog looked him straight in the eye and said: "Meow".

Another One?

Yesterday went off with only a couple of hitches. After I got home, I did my usual trek to Curves. I met a new neighbor that lives about a block from me, while I was there. It turns out that she breeds dogs and volunteered to help us at the shelter. It's always interesting where and how you can make contacts to help you further your cause. I try to never miss an opportunity. Afterwards, I decided to walk Bear, since the weather was still so warm. I want colder weather, but Bear is enjoying the January thaw. Right now, it is so warm here that you can frolick about outside in just a light pair of pants and a short-sleeved t-shirt. My brother had invited Casey and me and my mother over for dinner last night. We had steak, salad, and baked potatoes. It was a very yummy meal indeed. He had picked up a stray kitten that had been thrown out in a county field to die. It's a little male and looks to be about 6-8 weeks old. It is grey and black tiger striped just like my 3. Anyway, he's trying to figure out what to do with it, since the doctor has ordered that he have no litterboxes in his house, due to his allergies. He thought that maybe he could keep it outside, but I think it's too dangerous for one that little without its Mama, so Casey and I are considering fostering it with our cat "herd" and placing it on Petfinder for adoption. I have no idea how the youngest 3 will accept a new member in the family. My 2 older cats are used to animals coming and going, so it will be an interesting few days. Now is a good time, because Casey has a few days off from work to be at home. The results, I'm afraid, could be quite chaotic.

Casey and I are headed off to Jackson tomorrow morning. We are going down to visit his aunt, uncle, and cousin. His cousin is in the Army and is stationed at Ft. Campbell, KY not too far from us. He is able to come home some weekends. He is scheduled to be deployed to Iraq in the near future, so we wanted to make sure that we got to spend some time with him, before he ships out. He is supposed to bring his new girlfriend, who he is moving in with, to meet us for the first time. All of this family togetherness may prove to be very interesting.

I gotta run, got a lot of stuff to get finished before I leave for the day. I'll try to post more later. TAH!

Feeling Better

I've gotten up feeling more like myself today. Well, at least I don't have the urge to kill people...not yet at least. I went to Curves and did my workout, and I felt much better afterwards. Casey cooked another fabulous dinner for us. I'm still trying to find other options for filling Mom's prescriptions. Not much other than that to report.

I got an interesting update from The Humane Society of the United States on a new program on Animal Planet. It sounds really good, and I can't wait to watch it. Read below for details:

So Who Gets the Dog? Those Who Visit a Local Shelter.

January 7, 2005

For most homeless dogs, finding just one adoptive family is more than they dare to hope for. But Buckeye was lucky. He had three loving families—all anxiously vying for his approval. It seemed like one of those things that only happens in the movies.

But this shelter dog's dream is rooted in reality, even if the script was produced in Hollywood. The goal of Who Gets the Dog?, a new program from Animal Planet, is not just to entertain, but also to match up homeless shelter dogs and responsible families—and to inspire viewers to consider adopting their own furry show–stopper.

Buckeye´s quest for his ideal family is featured in the Monday, January 17 series premiere of the program. Each episode that follows gives another homeless dog the chance to sniff out his perfect match. During each show, the lucky pooch spends 24 hours playing and getting to know each of the three prospective guardians. Although he gets a little help along the way from a team of pet experts, it´s the pooch who ultimately decides who his new family will be.

The program is hosted by comedian and dog lover Dorothea Coelho, and the prospective family's interactions with the pooch are evaluated by a team of pet experts, including dog behaviorist Tamar Geller, author Merrill Markoe, and veterinarian Dr. Dean Graulich.

Who Gets the Dog? is a program that puts the pooches´ interests ahead of everything else. Before the program even began taping, the prospective adopters were carefully evaluated by the Animal Planet team and pre–approved by experts at The HSUS to confirm that all participants would make good adoptive pet parents. The local shelters and adoption groups that participated in the show, as well as show producers, selected dogs whose personalities were well–suited to the excitement of meeting new families and posing in the spotlight.

The Extras: Homeless Dogs Around the Nation

Although only a lucky few made the casting cut, there are literally thousands of dogs in neighborhood shelters around America who deserve a staring role in a loving home. Every day, countless dogs, cats and other companion animals wait for someone to take them home. Adopting a pet from the local shelter or rescue group doesn't just ensure a new best friend—it also saves a life.

While the number of animals entering shelters has gone down over the last few decades, public misconceptions about shelters, the proliferation of puppy mills, and the large number of animals who are not spayed or neutered have continued to make pet overpopulation a serious problem in the Untied States and around the globe. In fact, The HSUS estimates that about 6–8 million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters every year. By adopting a homeless animal, pet lovers can help do their part to give all companion animals a loving home. Websites like www.Pets911.com can help by matching potential adopters with animals in their area.

In addition to showcasing the powerful pull that a shelter animal can have on pet lovers, Who Gets the Dog? instructs the newly selected pet parents in dog care and gives viewers insight into the tools needed to become responsible owners—for life. Understanding the commitment involved in adopting an animal is the first step to becoming a great pet guardian.

Animal lovers who want to learn more about how to be a patient and devoted pet guardian will soon have a new behavior tool at their disposal. Geller, the renowned behaviorist and expert from Who Gets the Dog?, has teamed up with The HSUS to produce a series of short pet training videos. Pet lovers looking for answers to some of their toughest behavior problems will benefit from the informational videos. In addition, behavior pet tips sheets are available online at www.PetsForLife.org.

One of Those Days

After having such a wonderful weekend, I seem to have gotten up on "the wrong side of the bed" this morning. I feel absolutely and totally cranky. There was nothing unusual about last night. We got our bad tire replaced and went on our merry usual way. I went to Curves. We got home and Casey made hamburgers. While he worked on dinner, I took Bear out for a walk. It has been unusually warm this week, so I figured that Bear and I would take advantage of it, while it lasts. After dinner, Casey made a huge batch of chocolate chip cookies. I ate a couple and that was that. Maybe I'm just getting too much refined sugar or something. Anyway I'm having that sort of day that if anyone looks at me funny, I'd like to just break them in half. Sorry that I'm ranting to you guys, but I just had to vent somehow. One thing that I know is bothering me is the state of my mother's prescription plan. See, to survive, my mother's medicine costs more than she earns every month. She is retired and on social security (as I've posted in previous posts, I'm the child of older parents). Anyway, seems the state of Tennessee is cutting her care package, so now she'll have to choose between rent, electricity, food, or the medicines she needs to survive. She has a chronic respiratory disease that makes it impossible for her to breathe without her medications. So, we are all scrambling to figure out what would be the best solution. She has an appointment scheduled with her regular doctor, so maybe he will be able to help us figure some things out week after next. So, I've got a few big things on my mind today.

For a little fun. Visit this site to see the winners of "I Look Like My Dog" contest. I ran across this link, while I was visiting Modern Pooch.

On a Natural High

I'm back from a, might I say, FABULOUS birthday weekend. I can't remember when I've had a better birthday! My dinner out with Cathi at B. McNeel's was wonderful. I do have to say that it was a little pricey. Casey and I never usually spend that much money for the both of us to eat. Still, it was a celebratory thing and not the norm. They had this really good chicken, tomato and avacado soup. It was the most delicious soup. For my entree, I had the southwestern raviolli. It was in a spinach pasta filled with black beans, 2 kinds of corn with some more spinach. It was all covered in a cheese con queso sauce. Quite yummy. For desert we split the molten chocolate cake, which just oozed chocolate. YUM!! I was quite done for afterwards. Saturday was a wonderful day in it's own right. Casey and I headed out to Franklin by mid afternoon. We did a little shopping at Old Navy and a little sheet music shop. Afterwards, we joined Melissa at Carrabba's Italian Grill I did have an apple martini or "appletini", while I was there. It was SO delicious. In fact, I had 2!! I'm not used to having a drink very often, so Melissa and Casey thought my walk to the restroom afterwards was quite hysterical!! Anyway, I ordered the Pollo Rosa Maria. It is grilled chicken breast stuffed with fontina cheese and proscuitto in a basil lemon sauce. It was served with their fetuccini alfredo. It was heavenly!! After the wonderful dinner, we all went over to the mall to walk a bit of our dinner off. Melissa was so sweet to get me a cinnamon Yankee Candle, which is my favorite!! Yesterday, Casey and I went to Nashville to pick up some dog food that had been donated to the shelter. After loading about 60 pounds of dog food in the car, we were on our way. We stopped at a restaurant supply place to have a look at some stainless cookware that Casey wanted. Then, we stopped by Aquatic Critter for supplies. Then Casey took me to a great local hangout for supper called Toot's. After we got back home, we went over to my brother's house. He had a bottle of champagne that he opened to celebrate my birthday. Then, it was finally off to bed to recover from all of these festivities. All in all I had a wonderful weekend!!

There's not much going on today. Casey's driving in to get a new tire for my car. One of the front ones has finally given up the ghost. So, we've been trying to tire shop over the phone all day. Tonight I plan to do my usual Curves visit. Then, I hope to sit back and relax a little at home.

Wandering Mind....

Yesterday turned out to be an extra special, fabulous day!! The only 2 things that would have made it better would have been to actually win the lottery and it been my birthday. It started out with that fabulous gift that I got from Kim. It was such a thoughtful and great gift. I hope she realizes just how much it meant to me. I then went to Curves after I got off from work last night. I was a bit nervous, because it was my first weigh-in and measurement day. I figured that I'd be doing well if I, at least, hadn't gained any weight during Christmas. Imagine my surprise when I found out that I had done really well. I won't bore you all with details, I actually lost 2.5 lbs (but not bad, since I ate like a PIG during Christmas), but the best part was I lost several inches all over!! It just made my day to know that this time and money has been invested in something that acutally works. I can only imagine what the results would have been, if I'd been watching what I ate. Hopefully, beginning the 17th, I'll be able to get back to good eating habits. It's no use trying until then, because of all the birthday festivities. Too many meals to go and eat in celebration, but believe me, I'll DEFINITELY be keeping up my Curves workouts. If any of you female readers, are trying to wage the battle of the bulge in 2005 and are looking for a great fitness plan, I highly recommend it. I think you'll be surprised by your results.

I have a busy, busy weekend planned. Since my birthday is on Sunday, I'll be getting to celebrate all weekend. Today is Casey's last day at his present job, so he'll be off the next 10 days. He'll get to spend my entire birthday weekend with me too! Tonight, my friend Cathi, and I are going to a fancy little restaurant to celebrate a late Christmas. We had meant to do it before Christmas but illness and other things got in the way. We are going to a place called B. McNeel's here in Murfreesboro. It's said to have excellent food with a really good atmosphere. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm trying to be careful about not eating too much during the day today. I want to be good and hungry when I get there, so I can really enjoy it.

Casey has already let me order one of my birthday gifts. It's a signed and dated ceramic Schipperke. It looks just like Bear. There are 4 poses that go togehter in the series. I've ordered the sitting pose to begin. The artist, Sandi Rolfe, is working on the others. Click here to see it. As soon as she's finished, I plan on getting the others. Tomrrow and tomorrow night are really going to be the biggest portion of my birthday celebrating. Casey and I are going to do some shopping at Cool Springs Mall in Franklin. Casey and I are on a mission to find a nice club chair for the empty corner in our living room. He's planning on that being "his" chair, which he definitely deserves. Then, we are meeting my friends, Melissa and Marci and Marci's husband Chad for dinner at my very favorite restaurant, Carrabba's Italian Grill . My Mom is also planning to come and celebrate with us tomorrow too! I just can't wait. I'm planning on ordering my very first Martini there tomorrow. I don't know why I've never gotten around to ordering one, so I figured this would be a good time. What do you all suggest? Shaken, stirred, speciality? Leave a comment with your suggestions. I need people in the know. I have no idea what the plans are for Sunday. I kind of figured we'd take it easy. I think I might like to take Bear to PetSmart. That always promises a fun trip. Who knows what I'll actually end up doing. I'll go for now. I hope that you all have a fabulous weekend!! I'll be back on Monday with hopefully the camera in hand to update the photoblog for a change.

Consider the Consequences

I don't have a whole lot going on today and last night was pretty typical as well. I've just been busy all day working on year end statistics for work. I did come into work this morning to find a wonderful suprise waiting for me in my chair. It was a Christmas/Birthday gift from my friend Kim. She gave me all of the hardback editions that I didn't have of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.

They are all in the original release cover too!! WHEEEE!!! What a real treat!! That's my favorite series of book.....EVER!!! You all that have been with me a while, will remember my fast and furious posts about being addicted to the series. Anyway Kim, a shout out to you for SUCH a TERRIFIC gift!! I'm also a little happier about the weather today. It is a little colder tonight. I'll enjoy it for the 2 days it is supposed to last.

I'm borrowing a post that I found over on Chrissy's blog. I think she found it somewhere else, but it bears repeating this time of year especially. There are a lot of puppies and kittens given as Christmas gifts that find themselves abandoned this time of year.

Pet Keepers

I've always had pets. I haven't always been a responsible pet owner, but wisdom comes with age. I have cats. I'm not averse to dogs at all, but I have a lifestyle which would not be fair to a dog. Fairly often I work late or have to be gone for a few days. Give cats a source of water and food, and have somebody drop by and clean out the litter box, and they're okay. I have multiple cats, and they keep each other company quite well. But they stay indoors all the time. They're all female, and all except one are neutered. And she's gonna get it.

Here's my tirade against irresponsibility with pets: owners who keep pets outdoors, un-neutered. I volunteer on occasion with the Humane Society. The place is filled with sweet little kittens and puppies that are dropped off at the Society. Some find homes. I have one.

But many don't. They're euthanized. And the reason is that a lot of pet owners are irresponsible.

If Miss Kitty or Miss Puppy is left outside un-neutered, pregnancy is the inevitable result. And the world is seldom ready to provide a home for another litter of mixed-breed dogs or cats. Of this sad bunch, the LUCKY ones end up at the shelter. All too many are unceremoniously dumped to fend for themselves where their lives are savage and short. They die from disease, malnutrition, predator or traffic.

While these stray abandoned images of our favored pets are trying to make it in the world, they're nuisances. The worst is the cat. Feral cats will decimate local wildlife: birds, squirrels, small mammals. Dog packs in the country will attack livestock and ravage garbage cans.

Growing up in the country on a lonely road, our doorstep found more than one poor little dog looking for a home. We tried finding homes for some, but usually Dad had the Animal Control truck haul them away. Coyotes took care of a lot. Life for a dumped dog or cat in the country is not long or pleasant.

Our Humane Society and most responsible adoption agencies now have policy requiring neutering for all pets they adopt out. After all, we're not talking about breeding pedigreed animals for sale here. But let's take it a step further. If you're going to adopt a cat or dog from a private source, YOU should be the one who takes the little thing in for neutering, right along with that first vet checkup and shots. Prices are reasonable, especially if you shop around.

For those few people for whom the price of neutering is an unbearable expense, aside from the obvious question as to whether the cost of a pet isn't already too big a burden, then a lot of pet societies have reduced rate arrangements for neutering.

I'm realistic about this post. I'd imagine that most of my readers are intelligent enough to care properly for their little companions. All I'm asking is to help get the word out to folks who haven't thought the question out clearly. Don't breed them unless you've got homes for the offspring.

Rose, our mischevious, egg laying bearded dragon! 

Strange Things Afoot!

I had really meant to post earlier today, but I've been tied up with other things. I finally managed to wake up yesterday about time to go to bed last night. I ended up resting well, and I feel much better today. So, yesterday passed in the regular fashion until about 8:30 last night. See, that's about when Casey got home from work. His usual routine is to come in and feed and water all of the lizards that we have. He'd been at it for about 30 minutes, when he comes back into the living room with the strangest look on his face. It was a look of total disbelief. He stared at me all concerned like and said, "Rose (our bearded dragon) laid eggs!". So, I took off for the back bedroom to have a look in her cage. Sure enough, there were 11 little eggs resting neatly on the cage floor. Not bad for a first timer. It was her cage that we had moved into the back just before Christmas. Now, we have our big, male bearded Mupit in the back bedroom as well. I never really gave it a second thought. Anyway, I knew in the back of my mind that all it takes for a female to lay eggs is just to have seen a male sometime in her lifetime. Of course, the eggs were only slugs, but it seems that Ms. Rose is ready to procreate. We were relieved that she was able to lay without any problems her first time. It means that we should be able to breed her successfully later. So as you all can see, we had an exciting night. She's really skinny now, so we need to stuff her full of food and extra calcium to fatten her back up. Casey and I felt a bit like grandparents in an odd sort of way.....

Today has been pretty normal. Just the usual here at work. Casey was headed into Nashville this morning to have his physical for his new job. Who knows what he'll get into today. I will do my very best to get the photoblog updated tomorrow. I did managed to take a bunch of new pictures last night, only to completely forget the camera this morning. I'll write a note across my forhead or something for tomorrow! TAH!

Oh My! I Was Afraid of This!

I'm having one of those mornings. You know the kind. The kind where you just want to die, when the alarm goes off. The kind where you feel if you have to even open your eyes, you'll be doomed. The kind where you stagger around all morning in a sleep stupor. Yep, that's me today. I know that I've been out of my regular schedule due to the holidays. So I feel like I'm sleepwalking today. I just finished polishing off some cookies to see if that will give me a little energy boost. I'm slowly but surely getting back into the swing of regular life. After I finished work yesterday, I went by Curves to do my regluar workout. Casey had managed to get off work a little earlier, so we had one of those pre-made chicken lasagna dinners by Stouffer's I think. It ended up being really good too. We watched I-Robot, while we ate. I was suprised that it was quite good. I missed a lot of the finer points, because all of the dogs kept walking across me. I think they were in shock that I'd actually been gone all day away from them, so they were a bit crazed. I have no big plans on the agenda for tonight. I just want to make it through the week. Casey is having all of his exit interviews today, so maybe work won't be that hard for him. He said he thought he'd probably get off early tonight too. I have no idea what supper plans we'll have. I'll just go and do my regular workout.

I know that I've been remiss on updating the photoblog as well. I hope to get some new pictures made this week. Well, I've got some work to catch up on. Tah!

Get Ready for 2005!

I guess that normalcy is slowly returning. I always feel a little blue this time of year. The holidays are such a warm time of year for me. I love getting together with my friends and family. So much so, that I always am a little sad to see it all be over and done. It's a lot of preparation for just one day that comes and goes in the blink of an eye. Anyway, here I am, back blogging and catching up with you, my friends. How was everyone's holidays? I just clicked over to Snowbabies and viewed some of Deb and Paul's wonderful wedding and honeymoon pictures. It looks absolutley lovely. A big hearty congratulations on the wedding you guys!! I got a great, funny Christmas card from Christine from her Christmas card swap. Andrea sent a great Christmas mix CD, and well my family, my family topped it all of folks. This Christmas was very unique in that it was not celebrated in our traditional fashion. Since Casey has been working the 12 hours shifts, all of the holiday reveling had to be rescheduled. My first festivity occurred the Saturday before the actual holiday. We held our traditional family Christmas potluck gathering. I've done this since I was a kid, and it's a tradition that I wouldn't miss for the world. I got, what I consider, the my best gift this Christmas. My cousin, Ruth, gave me a picture of my grandmother, when she was a young girl. I'm the product of older parents, so I'd NEVER seen a picture of my grandmother at such a young age. Not many of my family had either. So, imagine my suprise when she brought that wonderful, antique picture in and then bequeathed it to me!! The picture was taken around 1910 or so, and it is absolutely lovely! I just cried when I finally figured out that she'd given it to me!! It's one of the best presents that I've ever received. My regular Christmas stuff was great as well. Casey gave me some birkenstocks, and a few gift cards. Then last week, he took me shopping to spend all of those free shopping dollars. That was such a fun day together that we had! The best part of the actual Christmas day gift giving was giving my mother her gift. She had seen this beautiful bracelet out shopping that she desparately wanted. She kept commenting that she hopped the store would put it on sale after Christmas, so she could buy it. Well, I told her that I had stopped by the store and they had sold every last one of them. She was crestfallen. All the while, I had it gift wrapped and hidden in my trunk! Casey and I waited until ALL of the gifts had been exchanged and stockings had been given out to give it to her. It was such fun to see her suprised and excited like that. It's those things that I always remember about Christmas time. We still will be doing Christmas when we visit Casey's family in 2 weeks. Seems we are just prolonging the holiday season. New Year's Eve and Day was quiet and mostly spent visiting with my brother and his friend Tonie, from Canada. We drank champagne and watched movies. I did finally get all of the Christmas decorations taken down and put away for the year yesterday. I put out all of my January snowmen. I collect non-Christmas-y snowmen to put up after I take the Christmas decorations down. I'll try to post some photos on the photoblog tomorrow of those

I have another big weekend coming up again this weekend. My birthday is next Sunday. We are planning on eating at Carrabba's with Melissa, Marcie and my Mom to celebrate on Saturday night. I have no idea what Casey has planned for me on Sunday. His last day of work on his present job is this coming Friday. He'll start the new dream job on the 18th. That will give him a week to rest up and have a little free time to himself, before he starts fresh. Sorry for the long post. I feel we have so much to catch up on in life, but I'll end it for now. I've posted a Tsunami survival story below. That was such a horrific, tragic event, and my thoughts and prayers with with all of those affected. It's an uplifiting story I read about at Modern Pooch, so enjoy!!

Dog Rescues 7-Year-Old in India

Sun Jan 2,10:22 PM ET

By CHRIS TOMLINSON, Associated Press Writer

CHINNAKALAPET, India - "Run away!" her husband screamed from a rooftop after he spotted the colossal waves. The command was simple but it presented Sangeeta with a dilemma: She had three sons, and only two arms.

She grabbed the youngest two and ran — figuring the oldest, 7-year-old Dinakaran, had the best chance of outrunning the tsunami churning toward her home.

But Dinakaran didn't follow. He headed for the safest place he knew, the small family hut just 40 yards from the seashore.

Sangeeta thought she would never see him again. The family dog saw to it that she did.

While water lapped at Sangeeta's heels as she rushed up the hill, the scruffy yellow dog named Selvakumar ducked into the hut after Dinakaran.

Nipping and nudging, he did everything in his canine power to get the boy up the hill.

Sangeeta, who like many south Indians only uses one name, had no idea of the drama unfolding below. Once she had crossed the main road to safety she collapsed into tears, screaming over the loss of her eldest son.

"I had heard from others that the wall of my house had collapsed, I felt sure that my child had died," said the 24-year-old mother.

She told her story a week after the giant waves crushed or washed away at least 123,000 lives on the shores of the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, with the horrible loss of life and property stretching from Sumatra to Somalia on the west coast of Africa, 3,000 miles away. The tsunami was spawned by the biggest earthquake in the last four decades deep below the ocean about 100 miles off the Sumatran coast.

Selvakumar looks pretty much like every other dog in the village. He hardly ever barks and lets the three boys climb all over him and pull his tail without protest. At night, he joins the rest of the family and sleeps among them, no matter how may times they throw him out.

Most days, the dog escorts Dinakaran to and from school, spending the rest of the day playing with the other two boys, or begging for food.

Sangeeta's brother-in-law gave her the puppy, following the birth of her second son. When the brother-in-law died in an accident two years ago, they changed the dog's name to his.

Sangeeta's family had always lived along the coast, just north of Pondicherry, a former French colony.

The morning of Dec. 26 began like most others, with sunny skies and a cool breeze.

Sangeeta's husband, R. Ramakrishnan, had just returned from his early morning fishing with a boat full of fish.

From their home, the view of the ocean was obstructed by a two-story community center. So when they heard a strange noise coming from the sea, Sangeeta's husband went to investigate.

When Ramakrishnan saw the waves, he ran to the roof of the center and shouted down to Sangeeta to flee. That's when she made her agonizing choice.

"He is somewhat older than the other two. I knew he would be able to run, so I grabbed the other two," Sangeeta explained.

Dinakaran credits the dog with saving his life.

"That dog grabbed me by the collar of my shirt," the boy said from under some trees at Pondicherry University, where the family is waiting for relief. "He dragged me out."

Sangeeta said she wept with joy when she saw her son walking up to her, with Selvakumar by his side.

The Tamils of south India believe that talking about the death of a living person can make it so, so Sangeeta didn't want to mull over her decision or speculate how she would have felt had her son not survived.

She did say that she believes some special spirit, perhaps her brother-in-law's, resides in the young yellow dog.

"That dog is my God," said Sangeeta — with Dinakaran sitting on the ground at her feet and Selvakumar sleeping on the warm asphalt next to him.

Get Ready for 2005!

I guess that normalcy is slowly returning. I always feel a little blue this time of year. The holidays are such a warm time of year for me. I love getting together with my friends and family. So much so, that I always am a little sad to see it all be over and done. It's a lot of preparation for just one day that comes and goes in the blink of an eye. Anyway, here I am, back blogging and catching up with you, my friends. How was everyone's holidays? I just clicked over to Snowbabies and viewed some of Deb and Paul's wonderful wedding and honeymoon pictures. It looks absolutley lovely. A big hearty congratulations on the wedding you guys!! I got a great, funny Christmas card from Christine from her Christmas card swap. Andrea sent a great Christmas mix CD, and well my family, my family topped it all of folks. This Christmas was very unique in that it was not celebrated in our traditional fashion. Since Casey has been working the 12 hours shifts, all of the holiday reveling had to be rescheduled. My first festivity occurred the Saturday before the actual holiday. We held our traditional family Christmas potluck gathering. I've done this since I was a kid, and it's a tradition that I wouldn't miss for the world. I got, what I consider, the my best gift this Christmas. My cousin, Ruth, gave me a picture of my grandmother, when she was a young girl. I'm the product of older parents, so I'd NEVER seen a picture of my grandmother at such a young age. Not many of my family had either. So, imagine my suprise when she brought that wonderful, antique picture in and then bequeathed it to me!! The picture was taken around 1910 or so, and it is absolutely lovely! I just cried when I finally figured out that she'd given it to me!! It's one of the best presents that I've ever received. My regular Christmas stuff was great as well. Casey gave me some birkenstocks, and a few gift cards. Then last week, he took me shopping to spend all of those free shopping dollars. That was such a fun day together that we had! The best part of the actual Christmas day gift giving was giving my mother her gift. She had seen this beautiful bracelet out shopping that she desparately wanted. She kept commenting that she hopped the store would put it on sale after Christmas, so she could buy it. Well, I told her that I had stopped by the store and they had sold every last one of them. She was crestfallen. All the while, I had it gift wrapped and hidden in my trunk! Casey and I waited until ALL of the gifts had been exchanged and stockings had been given out to give it to her. It was such fun to see her suprised and excited like that. It's those things that I always remember about Christmas time. We still will be doing Christmas when we visit Casey's family in 2 weeks. Seems we are just prolonging the holiday season. New Year's Eve and Day was quiet and mostly spent visiting with my brother and his friend Tonie, from Canada. We drank champagne and watched movies. I did finally get all of the Christmas decorations taken down and put away for the year yesterday. I put out all of my January snowmen. I collect non-Christmas-y snowmen to put up after I take the Christmas decorations down. I'll try to post some photos on the photoblog tomorrow of those

I have another big weekend coming up again this weekend. My birthday is next Sunday. We are planning on eating at Carrabba's with Melissa, Marcie and my Mom to celebrate on Saturday night. I have no idea what Casey has planned for me on Sunday. His last day of work on his present job is this coming Friday. He'll start the new dream job on the 18th. That will give him a week to rest up and have a little free time to himself, before he starts fresh. Sorry for the long post. I feel we have so much to catch up on in life, but I'll end it for now. I've posted a Tsunami survival story below. That was such a horrific, tragic event, and my thoughts and prayers with with all of those affected. It's an uplifiting story I read about at Modern Pooch, so enjoy!!

Dog Rescues 7-Year-Old in India

Sun Jan 2,10:22 PM ET

By CHRIS TOMLINSON, Associated Press Writer

CHINNAKALAPET, India - "Run away!" her husband screamed from a rooftop after he spotted the colossal waves. The command was simple but it presented Sangeeta with a dilemma: She had three sons, and only two arms.

She grabbed the youngest two and ran — figuring the oldest, 7-year-old Dinakaran, had the best chance of outrunning the tsunami churning toward her home.

But Dinakaran didn't follow. He headed for the safest place he knew, the small family hut just 40 yards from the seashore.

Sangeeta thought she would never see him again. The family dog saw to it that she did.

While water lapped at Sangeeta's heels as she rushed up the hill, the scruffy yellow dog named Selvakumar ducked into the hut after Dinakaran.

Nipping and nudging, he did everything in his canine power to get the boy up the hill.

Sangeeta, who like many south Indians only uses one name, had no idea of the drama unfolding below. Once she had crossed the main road to safety she collapsed into tears, screaming over the loss of her eldest son.

"I had heard from others that the wall of my house had collapsed, I felt sure that my child had died," said the 24-year-old mother.

She told her story a week after the giant waves crushed or washed away at least 123,000 lives on the shores of the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, with the horrible loss of life and property stretching from Sumatra to Somalia on the west coast of Africa, 3,000 miles away. The tsunami was spawned by the biggest earthquake in the last four decades deep below the ocean about 100 miles off the Sumatran coast.

Selvakumar looks pretty much like every other dog in the village. He hardly ever barks and lets the three boys climb all over him and pull his tail without protest. At night, he joins the rest of the family and sleeps among them, no matter how may times they throw him out.

Most days, the dog escorts Dinakaran to and from school, spending the rest of the day playing with the other two boys, or begging for food.

Sangeeta's brother-in-law gave her the puppy, following the birth of her second son. When the brother-in-law died in an accident two years ago, they changed the dog's name to his.

Sangeeta's family had always lived along the coast, just north of Pondicherry, a former French colony.

The morning of Dec. 26 began like most others, with sunny skies and a cool breeze.

Sangeeta's husband, R. Ramakrishnan, had just returned from his early morning fishing with a boat full of fish.

From their home, the view of the ocean was obstructed by a two-story community center. So when they heard a strange noise coming from the sea, Sangeeta's husband went to investigate.

When Ramakrishnan saw the waves, he ran to the roof of the center and shouted down to Sangeeta to flee. That's when she made her agonizing choice.

"He is somewhat older than the other two. I knew he would be able to run, so I grabbed the other two," Sangeeta explained.

Dinakaran credits the dog with saving his life.

"That dog grabbed me by the collar of my shirt," the boy said from under some trees at Pondicherry University, where the family is waiting for relief. "He dragged me out."

Sangeeta said she wept with joy when she saw her son walking up to her, with Selvakumar by his side.

The Tamils of south India believe that talking about the death of a living person can make it so, so Sangeeta didn't want to mull over her decision or speculate how she would have felt had her son not survived.

She did say that she believes some special spirit, perhaps her brother-in-law's, resides in the young yellow dog.

"That dog is my God," said Sangeeta — with Dinakaran sitting on the ground at her feet and Selvakumar sleeping on the warm asphalt next to him.