What to Write???

Hmmmm...I seem to have a bit of writer's block today. Life was fairly uneventful over the weekend. My eye felt so nasty by the end of the day Saturday, I just ended up staying home. I did feel better Sunday. So, Casey and I were off to Franklin to meet my friend Pattie. She's going to do a lovely watercolor of my 4 dogs. So, Sunday's meeting was fun. I took a bunch of pictures for her to pick her subject references. I also got to choose the color of my paper. I'm really excited to have the ball rolling on this project. It's something I've wanted to do for such a long time. My next project is a painting of Bear from Melanie. She does absolutely beautiful work!! Go and visit her blog to see some of her fantastic work. Monday was the usual cleaning day.

The work for the humane association chili supper is coming along well. I really feel like this is going to be a great event for us. The wine tasting is also starting to come together. I have a couple of themes in mind, so I'm going to let you all vote. Just leave your vote in the comments:

1. A Toast to Spring and Spirits

2. (Picture of a big wine glass with a little begging dog looking at it) "Whining for Spring.

3. (A lot of local restaurants are coming in to have food tables) A Toast to the Taste of Shelbyville.

Any one of these or none at all could be used. The big vote will come at the Thursday night meeting. Let me know what you all think.

Details are even coming together for our 2nd Annual Celebration Pet Day. We've gotten our place booked and our date set. It's on Saturday, October 14, 2006. We are going to have a kick off brunch, a dog show, agility competition, and hopefully a canine act that night. Now I just have to set up meetings with my committee.

That's the first of the week rundown for me. Everyone have a great afternoon!

Challenger....20 Years Ago

I'd like to take a moment to remember the astronauts that lost their lives in the Challenger explosion 20 years ago today. I'd also like to remember their families. The Challenger explosion was one of the first, jarring "where were you?" moments of my generation. The very first memory that I have of the Challenger isn't the terrible explosion that day. It was the day that I visited the White House in Washington D.C. on an 8th grade school trip. As we were touring through, I remember the tour guide telling us that President Reagan was going to announce which school teacher would be going into space on Challenger in the very room I was standing, later that night. I remember crews hanging a HUGE picture of the space shuttle behind the podium. From that day on, I kept up with all Challenger news. I would have never dreamed how the ending would go.

I wasn't watching live coverage that day in 1986. I was a freshman in high school. I can remember it so vividly. It's a cliche thing to say I know, but it's true. I was on my way from drama class to my French I class, when my friend Pam told us the news. I remember thinking, "she MUST be exaggerating". As soon as I got into class, I knew it was no exaggeration. Every classroom television was broadcasting and rebroadcasting the tragedy as it unfolded. It was one of those moments, much like the assasination of President Kennedy, and 9/11, where the United States and the rest of the world stopped to watch in horror. It was one of the very first national tragedies my generation had known. Even though the Vietnam war wasn't over until 1973, my generation grew up in a time of relative peace. We had witnessed many happy endings as a generation: the assasination attempt on Reagan - who lived, the freedom of the Iran hostages, and a time of a fairly good economic boom. The Challenger disaster was the one instance were no happy ending was to come. As we all watched the explosion streak through the sky, my generation learned to mourn with the nation and to feel for fellow citizens that we didn't even know. Many of us were faced with our own mortality for the first time. Our dreams of regular citizens in space dashed. We were left to wonder if we'd ever fly into space again, and how we could go on. What was next?

Unfortunately, space travel has always been a risky business. This weekend also marks the anniversary of the Apollo I accident. Then in 2003, we relieved the shuttle disaster all over again, when the Space Shuttle Columbia exploded on reentry. I just feel it's necessary to remember all of those folks that gave their lives to expand OUR horizons - that gave the kids like me a reason to look to the stars and wonder what is out there.

Happy New Year....Again!!

Astrological Clip Art provided by Astrology.ca Free Astrological Clip-Art, Horoscopes and Zodiac Gifts

No, I'm not completely off of my nut. It's the Chinese New Year. 2006 is the Year of the Dog. I definitely feel that it is in more ways than one!!

This weekend promises to be a mish mash of things. If I'm up to it, (I have yet ANOTHER nasty eye infection. This one is a bit more painful and harder to treat. Yes, my eyes are my achilles heel!) Casey and I will probably head up to Clarksville tonight. A few of us from the 501st are headed up for a prop party. Casey and I are going up to learn how to build armor and various other things for our costumes. Yes...we are the biggest nerds we know! Tomorow, I'm meeting a friend of mine, Patti, in Franklin. She is doing a watercolor of my 4 dogs for me. I'm meeting her to pick out my paper medium and to give her pictures of the wild bunch. I've wanted to do this for such a long time. I'm so excited to finally have it done. I have no idea what to expect or what my choices will be. I've seen her finished work, and it is beautiful. I'll keep you all posted as work progresses.

Monday will probably be a typical cleaning day. While I was off work yesterday, Casey really got into high gear cleaning. He cleaned out the refrigerator and also started on the spare room that is "no man's land" So to spur him on, I have to keep the momentum going on Monday.

Everyone have a great weekend!

Rarities

My brother received this little bit from one of his very good friends, Sherry. The pictures and story are so unique and animal related, that I thought I'd share it here:

Albino Fawn, from folks who live on Bolivar Peninsula, Texas

A very eventful day around here... A once in many lifetimes experience! Mark saw this lil' feller run out in front of a car, thought it was a lost baby goat. Stopped to get it, and WOW. A real Albino Whitetail Deer. Just hours old, but doing fine. No Moma deer around. Another car nearly hit it in front of Mark...

Well... he is THE neatest thing any of us ever saw. And such a 'freak of nature', that only 1 in more than a million are even born. He took his bottle of food, followed us around the house, doing great. So, we called the Zoo & Fossil Rim, who were both interested, but going to send him to a Rehab farm, at a vet that we have never gotten along with... So, one of Dad's best friends is our Game Warden. Kinda reluctantly, I called him and told him the deal. He came right over, of course, and assured me that he wouldn't take it to that vet, that he was going to 'go to higher levels' than that with him. So, he is gone now. We got a lot of pix, and something we will never see again probably, so it was very cool. Maybe he will make it in captivity somewhere and be appreciated. So rare... Sure wanted to keep him tho. but, not the thing to do. And not LEGAL either ; But, here are a couple of pix to show ya. He was snow white, pink eyes, ears, nose and hooves. Kids called him POWDER. He was SO small. That is my shoe lying beside him... WOW..how cool is that??

Another rare thing. I've been tagged for a meme by Barb over at BloggoChicago. So here goes. 99.9% of this is already done by Casey!!

Target Partner: male

8 qualities of my perfect partner (not necessarily in order)

1. Loving

2. Loyal

3. Supportive

4. Funny

5. Responsible

6. Rational

7. Honest

8. Helpful

I think that I'm supposed to tag a few people: Jennifer, Katherine,Lindsey,Chissy, Pennie, and Yvonne. Gotcha!!

Everyone have a great day!

Adventures of Reuben

I've got an extra special treat for dog and book lovers today. I was contacted yesterday by Carlos Aleman asking me to visit his blog. Little did I know, a wonderful treat was waiting. Carolos and his wife, Jean, are writing a book called The Life of Reuben.

Copyright 2004-2006 Carlos Alemanused by permission It's about the world adventures of a little dog named Reuben. Each day, you get a peek into Reuben's personal diary. Carlos also does the fantastic artwork for the book himself. Beautiful illustrations. It's a book that I just can't resist. It hasn't been published yet, but please go have a look at the e-version HERE. For updates visit Carlos' website and his blog, for even more illustrations, stories, and even t-shirts about Reuben. He's been blogging Reuben's adventures, since 2004. There's so much material that Carlos suggests, "If you want a starting place for Reuben's most recent series of adventures, I would pick his trip to China:" HERE. I've added his site to my blogroll on the sidebar, so we can all keep up with his adventure. Happy reading everyone!

Everything But The Kitchen Sink

I think that I'm finally back to my old self. It took a couple of days to adjust to Nick being gone, but I'm finally on the mend. I pretty much spent all weekend relaxing. Casey cooked some fabulous dinners, and we just kicked back to watch DVDs. We watched Hustle & Flow and The Wedding Crashers, both of which I enjoyed. Casey's movie choice was top notch, this past weekend. It poured rain all weekend, so in between, I got lots of reading done. I'm a bit anal when it comes to reading, so I always have a book stash to keep me occupied. Yesterday, I spent the whole day cleaning. I'm just about to get all of that deep cleaning done.

I have several things on the agenda for the humane association. I've got several big fundraisers to plan for in the coming months. Our first is a chili supper that I arranged. The arrangements are firm. The restaurant is doing everything for us. All we have to do is advertise. Here's the details:

The next event up is the annual wine tasting. It's been moved to the spring this year, so we are having it April 29th. I've been picked to come up with a theme. EEEEEK!! I have NO idea. Since our event was in the fall, it was called "Taste Around the Holidays". The most pitiful best I've come up with so far is "A Toast to Spring and Spirits" or something like that. Anyone have any good suggestions?

Then in October, I'm organizing our 2nd annual Celebration Pet Day. I've got a date nailed down now, Ocotober 14, so the real planning can start. I've got lots more help than last year. I have a whole committee this year!! We've got the Bedford County Ag Center all booked. I think it will be a great place to hold our event: two rings and plenty of space to hold all of our events. Here's the plan so far. We are holding a kickoff brunch for the kids (and any adults that want to attend). I'm hoping to get some of my 501st Legion friends to troop the event and be available for pictures. We have a dog show planned, an agility competition planned, and I'm hoping for a performing canine act for that night. Does anyone know of any canine acts in the middle Tennessee area? So, I have LOTS of planning to do. Any and all suggetions are welcome. Everyone have a great day!

Saying Goodbye

The time finally came for me to say goodbye and let go of Nick last night. I ended up crying at one point or another nearly all night. He's in good hands with a bright future in front of him. So, why do I feel so crappy? I feel like I've finished a long, exhaustive trip. I'm just in a blue funk. I guess our gloomy weather today is not helping either. I am looking forward to getting frequent updates on him and hearing a happy adoption story. Keep checking HERE for updates on Nick.

Casey has rented Wedding Crashers to watch tonight in an attempt to cheer me up. I sure hope it works. I'm not sure what else we'll get into this weekend. We are both so tired this week, it may be a veg on the couch weekend. I do hope to get some more cleaning and organizing done on Monday. Well, I'm going to go and get some work done. Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Friday Mish Mash and Flying Dogs

Casey had to be at work an hour early this morning, so here I am, killing time. My post today will probably be as disjointed as my foggy brain. My goal is to get a list together of all of Nick's things that I need to remember to send with him to rescue. I need to remember all of the meds he's still on, his food, his vaccination records, medical records, and various other things. I'm dreading the exchange tonight, even more so than I thought I would. I actually said to Casey last night, that I wish I could just send them both without me. I KNOW in my heart of hearts that this is the very best thing for him. He deserves so much more than I can give him. It wouldn't be fair to my animals or him to just keep him. BUT....goodbyes are REALLY horrible for me. I dread saying goodbye tonight. I dread tonight, because I know that I'll be upset. I'm just trying to focus on the positive. He'll be able to have his eye surgery. He'll have a nice, luxurious indoor place to live, and hopefully, he'll have his very own loving family one day. Goodbye Nick, and good luck!!

There was also cool dog news on my local morning broadcast today. Nashville is having a flyball racing tournament this weekend. I thought I was pretty up on dog sports, but this is the first I've heard of this. According to the Music City Road Dogs website this is the definition:

What is Flyball?

Flyball is a relay race with 4 dogs on a team. The course consists of a starting line, 4 hurdles spaced 10 feet apart and a box. The dogs jump the hurdles and steps on a spring loaded box that shoots out a tennis ball. The dog catches the tennis ball and then runs back over the 4 hurdles.

I saw a demonstration of this on the news this morning, and it was incredible. There are teams and events all across the country. This weekend, the event is called Wired for Sound. It's at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds this Saturday and Sunday and is free and open to the public. I'm working on Saturday, but I'm planning to get by on Sunday to see some of this competition. For more information on the sport of Flyball and the tournaments, click HERE. Everyone have a great day!!

Rescue Update

I have some very happy news to report this morning. Nick, the Sharpei that we are fostering, is being placed in a Sharpei rescue. I was informed of a possible spot late last week. He is going to Sharpei Rescue of Tennessee, located in Decherd, TN tomorrow night. They will be finishing up his medical needs, such as his neutering and his necessary eye surgery. Apparently the eye condition is common in the Sharpei breed. After his medical procedures are finished, they will concentrate on placing him with a loving family that wants a Sharpei.

I'm a little sad that he's leaving me and Casey. I've grown quite attached to him, in the month he's been with us. BUT, I know that he's going to a place that specializes in helping dogs like him. They love the breed, and they find homes and families that love the breed. I just hope he finds a family as fabulous as he is.

I just want to say a special "THANK YOU!!!!" to the people who have helped us and Nick along his journey:

Thanks to Dr. Charles G. Kinard at Kinard Animal Hospital, who took Nick in and nursed him back to health.

Cindy Sherrill of Tennessee Sharpei Rescue who is giving Nick the chance he deserves.

Mary Hord of Almost Home Animal Rescue of Rutherford County who has searched for a place for Nick to go with me, since we found him.

And last but not least, Mrs. Kitty Graham and the Shelbyville-Bedford County Humane Association who has brought Nick in from the cold, and provided for his medical care so he can have a better life.

Hopefully, soon, I'll have a very happy ending and new pictures to share with all of you.

Post Birthday Fodder

Yesterday, when I got home from work, I had a nice package waiting for me. It certainly was a bright spot for a dreary, gloomy day. It was a birthday present for me from Casey's aunt. That box was packed with all kinds of goodies. The contents were as follows: designer makeup bag with one of a kind artwork, 2 pairs of socks, 2 REALLY cute dog frames, 3 snowman candles (I collect snowmen to display December and January), and one fat envelope of Christmas/Birthday money for Casey and me. She really does send the coolest boxes!! Needless to say, I was in post birthday meltdown! After all of the agonizing I did over my mom's monetary birthday gift, it only took me a split second to decide what I wanted to do with this birthday money. By 9 p.m., I was the proud owner of my very own Master Replicas Force FX Anakin Skywalker Lightsaber. Say that over again, 10 times fast. I know that it was probably wasteful and childish to purchase one of these in the middle of January, but I just couldn't help myself. THIS ladies and gentlemen, THIS is the lightsaber I've been waiting for since I was 12 years old! I first saw one of these back in the early spring, before Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was released. I was instantly and totally in love. It was just one of the coolest things that I had ever seen. I finally walked away from it. I thought that it was just something that I could get over wanting , but it just didn't go away. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted it. So now, after many months of waiting, I have my very own complete with its own special display stand.

I got it home and unpacked it. That thing was packed more carefully than a Waterford crystal vase! I fired it up in all of its beautiful glory. Poor Fergie, who isn't a fan of the lightsaber sound, ended up spending about a half hour hiding in the bathroom. I, of course, had to take it and show it to my mom (who lives next door). Then I just had one of those nights again, because my brother and I were out in the front yard battling with it. It certainly made an interesting sight for the neighbors. Last night was officially the first snowfall of the season for my neck of the woods. Big, white, fluffy, wet flakes that looked beautiful falling. And there I was, out in the yard, fighting my force battles. I'm really worried that I might be going through a second childhood or something. Anyway all of this is to say, I had a fantastic night last night. It's not often those days come around, and I like to take full advantage of enjoying them.

I really wanted to get some pictures last night, but my camera battery is still not charging for some reason. I guess it's just time to get a new one. It's charging up today, so hopefully, I'll have some new pictures for the blog soon. I think I'll just keep my fingers crossed that today will be just as much fun!

The Cat Pianist?

Thanks to Andrea over at Modern Pooch, I now know that there is a special Animal Academy over in Germany that is teaching dogs, cats, chickens, and other animals how to play musical instruments. They say it is a method of using positive reinforcement. I know that I do better with positive reinforcement. I do MUCH better when rewarded with a cookie, instead of a whack over the head. It is a REALLY interesting article though, very thought provoking. Makes me wonder if I could try something like that at home. To read the full article and see a video demonstration, click HERE.

Back To Normal

I can't tell ya'll how happy I am to be back on my regular schedule. I'm really not sure how today will go, since classes start today. It's raining, so that always makes the first day interesting.

Casey and I really had a nice 3 day weekend. On Saturday, we went into Nashville to do a little shopping. We stopped into the now liquidating Media Plays around the area to look for bargains. We picked up a couple of DVDs and CDs cheap. There were a few other things I looked at but decided against. We also stopped by Old Navy . They were having a fantastic 75% off sale. I picked up a sweater and a purse. Casey grabbed a couple of polar fleece water proof pullovers. We got out of there for under $20!! Then, we were off to downtown for Casabona Italian Restaurant to spend one of our gift certificates. I was really looking forward to it. I have to say that I was a bit disappointed. The atmosphere was pleasing, but I was hoping for Italian music, instead of Van Halen. The hostess seemed a bit out of it. It took a while just to get our name on the waiting list. The wait was 30-45 minutes, even though there were many tables empty at 5:30-6:00 p.m. I'm suspecting a shortage of wait staff. I was also disappointed, since I don't eat salad, that there were no soup offerings. I love a good Italian soup. Our waitress was great, but it took a long time to get our food. I had the Spinach Tortellini in the reggiano cream sauce. Casey had the Pomodoro Penne pasta with italian sausage (It had a name, but I can't remember it). Both of our dishes were really tasty but very rich. I don't know. It just wasn't as fabulous as I expected. We are going to try it again. Maybe they were just having an off night. Thank goodness we have another gift certificate.

Casey and I had a very relaxing Sunday. We got up and had a tasty breakfast of link sausages and waffles. Then we got ready and went to see a Sunday matinee of Hoodwinked. It was a very cute movie indeed!! I really enjoyed it. Afterwards, we came home and puttered around. We had our italian leftovers for dinner and watched Lords of Dogtown on DVD. I enjoyed that movie as well. Yesterday, Casey and I did what we call, "Operation Organize". Casey reorganized all of the cabinets in the kitchen, while I organized the chest of drawers in the bedroom and cleaned house. We got a lot accomplished, and I'm so proud of us! Little by little, we're getting everything together. I also got Nick to the groomer's for his medicated bath. He looked so nice afterwards. He's scheduled again next week. Hopefully, I'll know something more concrete from the rescues, by the end of the week.

Gotta get moving now. I hope everyone has a great day!!

Rainy Day Friday

It looks like our unseasonably warm January weather may come to an end. I woke up this morning to pouring rain and the temperature dropping. I hear by tonight, we have a chance of seeing snow. A little farther to the east, they are expecting 2-4 inches. I know whatever we see here won't stick around, because it's supposed to be back in the low 50's tomorrow. It still would be nice to at least see a little of the white, fluffy stuff this year.

Not much is going on today. We are expecting the students back to move in sometime this afternoon. So, we should stop looking like the land of the dead soon. I'm anxious for everything to get back into full swing. The break is nice, but it does seem to drag at the end. I really miss my regular routine.

Casey and I are going to get some shopping done this weekend. Tomorrow, we are driving into Nashville. I think we are probably going to spend the day in town and use one of our gift certificates for dinner. It will be a nice way to break the monotony. We figure that it will be a nice way to spend a 3 day weekend. I'm not too sure what we'll do on Sunday. We may just hang around the house and watch movies or something. Maybe we can go to a matinee. It's been a few weeks, since we've been. On Monday, I'm taking Nick to the groomer's to have another one of his medicated baths. I'd do it myself, but he's gained so much weight. He's now officially strong as an ox too. It's just too hard to do in my teeny bathroom. The shampoo has to soak on him for at least 10 minutes, and I don't believe that dog is EVER still for 10 minutes. He's so boisterious now that he's feeling better, I couldn't even begin to imagine it. Well, that's the Zoo report for the day. I hope everyone has a nice holiday weekend!!

Amazing Penguins

Casey and I watched March of the Penguins last night. It is a truly wonderful film. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend that you go to your video store and get it. This movie follows Emperor Penguins for a year of their lives, particularly their over 70 mile march to the breeding ground every year. I was amazed at the life habits of these animals. Their ability to not only exist in Antartica, but to flourish and raise their young is incredible. To me it is amazing that anything could survive their living conditions. Did you know that the average Emperor Penguin is 3ft. tall and weighs approximately 60 lbs, and that the males while hatching the young go without food for nearly 4 months! On the DVD, there are also 2 really wonderful additional documentaries with further information. This film really drove home how VERY important it is that we conserve our environment. Everything we do, affects a living creature somewhere on this earth. We must learn to conserve and instill in our children the same thing, or our earth will lose some of its most precious inhabitants.

For another incredible penguin story, click HERE.

Purely Genetic

Today is going to be rather busy. I've got a big work meeting this morning that promises to take up my day until after lunch. I have nothing big or exciting to report, so I'll leave you guys with this news tidbit. It's about a kitten that was born with only one, large rather cycloptic looking eye and no nose. Many people said the photo was a hoax, but according to an AP photo expert, the photos had NOT been retouched or altered. It's an interesting case of science, but sad. For the full story and photos, click HERE.

Success!

This nice little piece of artwork will soon hang on my living room wall. Yes, I won the auction. I can't believe it. I thought the bids would go much higher. So, my day has started on an upbeat note. I just received a shipping notice that it is going out today priority mail. Hopefully by the weekend, it will be in my hot little hands. I'm really looking forward to getting it.

I seem to be in better spirits today. I think it has something to do with the fact that Casey and I started our workout program yesterday. Excercising ALWAYS makes me feel better, even if I never lose a pound. I guess that I just feel better mentally. I could tell a difference by the time we got home last night. Also, our unseasonably warm weather is giving me spring fever. I'm looking forward to the warmer weather and being outside. I think I miss Bear's walks as much as he does. No big plans for today. Just the usual.

I found this article online today. It concerns a case of a lady whose cat was killed by a dog. Since she wasn't home at the time, she's used DNA evidence and identified a neighbor's dog as the culprit. I thought that it was a pretty interesting read. For the full story, click HERE. I hope everyone has a terrific day!

Decisions

My mother gave me $25 to do with what I like for my birthday. Now I know that's not a lot of money, but I've agonized over that $25 like I haven't agonized in years. I do really well with gift cards. I also do really well with gift certificates. It just seems that I have problems with gift money that has no designated place to go. Since it's January, for a few nano-seconds, I opted just to keep it to help pay the bills. That thought quickly evaporated for the "me, me, me" contigent. This is my money, and really, I do want to spend it on me. I've gone over various purchases like, that lipstick gift set that I want, underwear, the few Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith action figures I need to finish my collection (yep, I'm a nerd AND I have a COLLECTION!), Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume 1, and various other items. I had forgotten that several days ago I perused that wonderful entity known as Ebay. I had forgotten that I had placed a piece of Schipperke artwork on my watchlist. Just a little bit ago, I got a notice that bids are ending on my item soon. So in a flurry of impulsiveness, I hit the bid key. Now, I'll just have to wait it out. But if I get lucky, THIS is what I'll get. The more I think about it now, the more I really do want it. Everyone keep your fingers crossed. I'll let you know that outcome tomorrow.

More Information

Since my post last week, ramifications of the Diamond Pet Food recall continue to be felt. Now, as many as 76 dogs have lost their lives due to this food's contamination with aflatoxin. Now it is believed that the contaminated dog food is not only found in the U.S. but abroad as well. The Diamond company says it's determined to help pet owners whose pets have been affected by the contaminated food. They are saying that they would like to take care of veterinary bills and medical costs. If your pet has been affected go HERE to get the pertinent information about the recall and HERE to fill out a form and get the company's phone number to report your pet.

For more information on the latest story, click HERE.

Remember, this recall affects 19 varieties of dog AND cat food in the following areas:Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Vermont, Virginia and other overseas markets.

Yick, Monday!

During the holidays, where I work is only open Monday through Friday. This means, instead of working Tuesday through Saturday, I find myself working a more conventional Monday through Friday schedule. Even though I get a few Saturdays off, it still irks me to actually be here on a Monday. Monday is my play day. It's my get things done around the house day. It's laundry day. It's my I need this day to prepare properly for my week!! It just throws me off to work on a Monday. It also doesn't help that today is Monday and it's my birthday, which makes me REALLY not want to be here. Luckily, this is my last Monday here for a while. We'll be returning to our normal schedule next week. You all can probably hear me exhaling that sigh of relief through your monitors. I'll be glad to get back to my normal routine. I just don't seem to take change well. It upsets my apple cart. I'm really trying to do better with it. I'd really like to be more spontaneous, but I'm a planner by nature: but I still try.

The weekend ended up being rather quiet. I really just wanted to hang around the house and get things done. Casey and I ended up running around Nashville after work on Friday. I was in search of my schipperke calendar at a discounted price. Yeah I'm a cheapskate, when it comes to calendars. Three malls and four hours later, I happily had it in my hands. We did a little shopping and had a cheap dinner in between. Because of this, we decided to just kick around the house. Casey did fix me a fabulous steak dinner in celebration of my birthday. My mom is having me to dinner tonight, and my office mates are treating me to a fantastic lunch today. One of my office mates made me some really yummy chocolate raspberry brownies today too! I certainly won't be hungry!

Today I informed Casey that I had officially declared it THE BIRTHDAY PRINCESS DAY!! I just wanted him to be prepared. I've decided that today, when something doesn't suit me, I'm going to play THE BIRTHDAY PRINCESS card. All should be right with the world. Things shouldn't trouble me today. I should get my way today. I think spritely elves should bring me yummy treats on a satin pillow, and I should get to watch as much Star Wars as I want. I also think that the world should bend to my will today. You guys don't think I'm over doing this do you? I think that everyone should have one day out of the year that they are the most special person around. Try it (it's not an option...I'm the Birthday Princess you know). It's fun. Even if you have to declare it yourself.

So Attached

Since I've gone back to my regular routine this week, I've realized just HOW attached I am to my animals. After having 2 weeks off to lounge and recover with them 24/7, I've realized my bond is even stronger. I spent a lot of time thinking last night how much I think of them and miss them, when I'm away. The past week's illnesses have given me some appreciation of what a parent goes through, when a child is sick. While Slate was so very sick, it nearly killed me to leave him alone to go to work. So much so, that I had my mother (who lives next door) check on him twice a day. Luckily, everyone (except Slate) finished up their medicine yesterday. I think we're on the mend now. My animals are as much a part of my life as the food I eat and the air I breathe. Even though we've only had Nick a couple of weeks, that little boy has wormed his way into my heart as well. I'll be so sad to see him leave (when it happens), but also glad that he'll be on his way to a good home. I have no idea why this concept has just now occurred to me. Maybe it's because it seems I've been holed up at home for the winter. We'll just refer to it as my little hibernation period. Am I the only one that feels like this?

The work week is finally winding down. We don't really heave plans for the weekend, even though it's my birthday. We do have a couple of sweet gift certificates to Casa Bono (is it still in business?) and Jimmy Kelly's Steakhouse in Nashville. We are still undecided at this point where to go. Any suggestions? I have no idea what I'm in the mood to eat anyway. Any and all suggestions would be welcome. I hope that everyone has a great weekend!

Dog Health Alerts

Two dog health alerts have been brought to my attention. The first has been around a week or so, but it's extremely important that dog owners in the affected areas be aware. Diamond Pet Food announces a recall. It seems that the product that was manufactured in Gaston, South Carolina was tainted with aflatoxin, which is a mold that is toxic to animals. This toxin can cause major blood clotting disorders, many other symptoms, and can be fatal. The following states are affected by the recall: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Vermont and Virginia. I just spoke to a friend of mine yesterday who runs a large breed rescue here. One of her weimaraner's got poisoned by a bag of this recalled food. It was just a stroke of luck she and the vet figured it out, before it was too late. This dog and another got into a scuffle, and she had taken him in for just a couple of stitches. As the vet began to work on him, he started bleeding out. The vet thought he'd been poisoned, and notified my friend. She immediately pinpointed the problem as the recalled Diamond Pet Food. So, if you are feeding Diamond Pet Food and live in these areas, please stop feeding from this food source and watch for symptoms!! For recall information and symptoms click HERE. For a full story, click HERE.

There has also been some safety concerns with the favorite dog pet treat, Greenies. Now, my dogs absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE greenies!! So much so, that I refer to them as, "crack for dogs". Just like my dogs know what "out, outside, O-U-T, and potty" mean, they also know the words, "greenies, and G-R-E-E-N-I-E-S" mean. So I sat up and listened, when I heard the blurb on the local news last night. The concern is, "...the larger pieces can get stuck in the intestine," says Dr. Bruce Graves, Murphy Road Animal Hospital." This is apparantly done when the dogs swallow a bite that is too large. A law suit has even been filed against the Greenies manufacturer. My opinion? I think it is good to be concerned about it, but I don't think I'll stop using them. I mean, the same thing can happen with regular food. Bear and Fergie love to crunch ice cubes for goodness sake. However, I don't think they should be given to dogs, when they are alone. The manufacturer warns against giving multiple greenies during a short amount of time and suggest using the size that is appropriate for your dog. For now until I hear otherwise, I'm going to keep using them. For more information on the story, click HERE.

These are just a couple of things I thought you all should know. Everyone have a great day!

Where Did The Holidays Go

Man! I'm moving ever so sluglike through the day today. Being off from work for 2 weeks really messed up my circadian rythm. I did really well yesterday. Popped right out of bed for work, fresh and ready for the world. Today, I think that I could have done with 14 more hours of sleep. I just can't seem to wake up. I've already downed a Coke and a cup of coffee and still feel like I could just nap.

I guess that it doesn't help that I'm nursing sick dogs at home. I did talk to the vet again for Slate yesterday. He told me not to worry. He also gave me another medicine to give to him, along with his antibiotic and cough medicine. After a round of new meds, he seems to be a little better this morning. He got a good nights rest last night, finally. I had been up the previous 2 nights with him. I didn't realize that I had been so stressed over his health, until I got home and found him better yesterday. Maybe, I've finally relaxed and the lack of sleep is catching up with me. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that Shiloh and Fergie stay nice and healthy. Just sick boys for now.

Nick will finish his meds up tomorrow. He's as strong as an ox and very rambunctious now. I got another e-mail this morning that a local Sharpei rescue may be able to take him next week. We'll see. I think I'm gonna run and get a few things accomplished for the day. Hope everyone has a great afternoon!

Return To Life

I'm slowly slipping back into real life. I'm back to blogging regularly again. I've put up the winter design. So drop a comment and let me know what you guys think.

I'm happy to report that most of the brood is feeling better. Slate is still very snotty and still coughing. I'm probably going to call the vet back this afternoon, just to be sure. All of us are due to finish our anitbiotics on Thursday. Isn't it always the way. I feel better, just in time to go back to work! It sure is hard getting back into the swing of things. I hope that everyone had a good holiday season.

Since I'm so busy catching up today, I thought that I'd share this story that I received in an e-mail. I got it right before Christmas. I'm not sure of the source. So if anyone knows please leave me a comment, so I can credit it properly. Everyone have a great day!

Rescued: Dog Frozen On Tracks

Chippewa Falls - He's missing a lot of hair, but a Siberian husky has a new name and a new life - thanks to the men who rescued him when he was frozen to train tracks in Wisconsin, United States, just minutes before the train came.

Construction worker Jeremy Majorowicz said he thought it a little strange that the dog had been sitting on the train track for an hour-and-a-half in the cold.

Stranger still that he wouldn't accept a bite of muffin.

Majorowicz then called police.

Police officer Tim Strand said the dog was "shivering unmercifully" when he arrived. The dog would not come to him, so he called animal control officer Al Heyde, who also couldn't get the dog to budge.

Strand realised the dog was frozen to the tracks when he "lifted its tail and hind quarters".

Strand pulled hard on the dog's tail and was able to release him, but the dog lost a lot of hair.

"He gave a heck of a whelp," said Strand.

Just 10 minutes later, a train came down the track.

The dog was taken to the Chippewa County Humane Association, where workers have named him "Ice Train".