Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Still looking for a pal.

Well,I am quite upset now.

I am upset with these small non-shelter based rescue groups who foster their dogs in private homes and then want me to fill out a lengthy application complete with personal references, an interview and a $200 nonrefundable adoption fee.
This is getting ridiculous.
I just want a little dog.


I am not upset with the lady who came out this weekend with the dog.
She was a very nice woman and really loved the dog.
I could not have taken the dog from her even if I had wanted it.
She loved the dog and the obviously loved her.

But.....
This morning, I found another dachshund on another website in a small town about 70 miles from here.
I e-mailed the group and called the number on the web site thinking I would get an answering machine.
Well, I didn't get a machine, I got this woman's home.
First of all, she sounded half asleep.
I could hear dogs barking in the background.
She said yes, the dachshund was still available, she was right there in the house. And she said she would e-mail me an application to adopt the dog.
AND she said she had 9 dogs NINE DOGS there at her house and she thought she would have time to e-mail me the application BEFORE SHE LEFT FOR WORK!

Now I am sorry but this is totally CRAZY.
This woman has 9 dogs IN HER HOUSE and she is leaving for work.......
and I am supposed to fill out a 2 page application with personal references, a veterinary reference agree to an interview and give her a $200 NONREFUNDABLE adoption fee AND sign a contract saying that if I ever gave the dog away, I would have to agree to return the dog to their rescue group.

THAT IS NUTS>>>I'm trying to get ONE LITTLE DOG.
This woman has NINE dogs in her house and she is LEAVING FOR WORK and I have to prove to her that I would be a good dog owner?????

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE??????????

Needless to say I am NOT going to pursue this little dog although if i could drive down there and steal it just to get it out of that environment, I would.

RIDICULOUS.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Just Can't Find a Friend...

Well, now I feel really bad for Cookie.
We have been trying to find a friend for her.
She is such a sweet little dog and she would LOVE to have someone to run with and play with.
So, we've been looking for a friend for her but unfortunately, nothing seems to be working out.
And I feel even worse today.
Her last real friend died in April of last year and she's been by herself ever since.
We got another dog from the pound for her but he didn't even stay here 24 hours.
He was a good dog and didn't do anything wrong;
He just took over and totally overwhelmed her.
Not to mention the fact that he was too much of a handful for us. (We need something with a little less energy...)
Now, over the past two weeks, I have been looking online at some of the pet rescue groups.
They can be a pain with their scrutiny but I found what sounded like the perfect little dog so I decided to give it a go.
I thought their dogs might be nicer and a little less shell-shocked than a dog that comes straight from the pound (Auschwitz for dogs).
I filled out the application, put in the references, sent it off and waited for a reply.
They called me and set up a "meeting" with the dog's foster mom.
She was a VERY nice lady, she was kind and obviously loved the dogs she was taking care of.
But that turned out to be the problem.
She loved them a little too much.
When she got here yesterday with the little dachshund we were interested in, Cookie was tickled pink.
She tried to run and play and wanted so bad for this little dog to pay attention to her.
The little dog was sooooo bonded to its foster "mom" that she totally ignored Cookie and sat in the woman's lap.
I think the woman had the best of intentions but she never really had any plans of adopting out this little dog.
She just needed confirmation that this dog was hers to keep.
Even if I had wanted the dog, i couldn't have taken it from her.
It was her dog and the body language between the two of them made that very apparent.
But now I feel really bad for Cookie.
She thought she had a new friend.
And she seems sad and disappointed.
The search for a friend for Cookie (that sounds like a book title "A Friend for Cookie") continues.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Juat Call Me Daddy!

My Midwinter Protest:
Okay, every year about this time when I am sick to death of winter and I am ready for spring, I find myself starting my midwinter protest. This year it is no different.
I have stopped shaving. Everything. Everywhere. Ewwww. I know it's gross but men do it all the time as a form of protest and it's fine for them. I do it in the middle of winter when I figure it just doesn't matter anymore. I am wearing turtlenecks and jeans every single day so I just quit because it saves me some struggles in the shower and is just easier. I go as long as I can. If I can't stand it any more, then I will start again. If not......I just wait until spring. It's my way of saying I am totally sick of winter and I want it to be warm and sunny again.
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A New Heat Pump:
Yay... I was a bit upset with hubby last week because it was sooooo cold here and our heat pump was not working right at all. Fortunately, I held my tongue, I did not say a word to him. And to my surprise, he had been researching new heat pumps on the Internet and called 3 different contractors to come out here to give us a proposal and an estimate. I must admit, I was very surprised because I had no idea he was doing that.
The 3 contractors came out, they all gave us estimates (we chose the first guy because he was a very polite young man who'd worked with his father in heating and air for 15 years. He was knowledgeable and thorough and his price seemed fair.) He will be out on Thursday to install a brand new Trane heat pump. I am sure that it will be much more efficient and we will actually have heat! The price? $7000.. And that was the mid-range model.
I pointed out to hubby that I will have to postpone my quest for a new car. He said that would be a good idea and I could start looking again in the spring. Fine with me.
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Golf:
That is it. I (along with everyone else on the planet) played golf yesterday because we got a break in the weather.The rain stopped and it made it up to nearly 65 degrees. It was fun but I played with my blacksmith and I like him a lot, I just wish he could find some men to play with. He is a very nice, sweet, patient man and he doesn't seem to mind that I have to hit the ball 4 times for every once that he hits it. He says to men take the game to seriously and he just wants to play. So we played 18 holes. I walked and I was exhausted. I had been looking forward to a little Zen golf...maybe next week/
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Adopting a Chinese Baby:
Hubby and I sent in an application to adopt a rescue dog that we are interested in. We think she could make a nice companion for Cookie. But I think that it would be easier to adopt a Chinese baby than it is to get a little dog from these folks. They have a 3 page application, they require personal references, a veterinarian's reference, an essay "Why Do You Think This Dog Would Make a Good Addition To Your Home". I'm surprised they don't do credit checks and criminal background checks as well. I understand that they want to be cautious when placing a dog in a new home.....but I promise, we won't use the little doggie for any satanic rituals or animal sacrifices. And I don't want a Chinese baby girl.
I just want a little friend for my dog who is lonesome.
I'll be waiting to hear from them.
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That's it.........

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Fix it...please

PLEASE.......just FIX something when it's broken.

Just FIX it.

End of the Hamburgers For a While

Okay, I think I am finally hamburgered out for a little while.
It went over the top yesterday when we went to a local sports bar to watch the inauguration on their big screen televisions.
Without even thinking I ordered one of their sports bar hamburgers. It was HUGE and it had two slices of cheese on it and tomatoes and jalapeno peppers. I scarfed it up without even giving it a second thought.
That is something I NEVER would have done six months or a year ago.
My eating habits have hit an all time low.
I have eaten out 6 of the last 8 days.
And it's been screw the salads.
I have been ordering omelettes, cheeseburgers, french fries, onion rings without even thinking about it.
It is getting REALLY bad and I know I am going to have a difficult time recovering from the damage I have done to myself this winter (which totally sucks so far, thank you very much).
My eating is out of control and I can't even force myself to go to the gym.
I can't play golf or do anything but sit here on the G*d D***ed computer.
This is why I hate winter and I hate being cold.
I have 3 layers of clothes on and I feel fat, tired, old bored and bloated.
This has got to stop.
I think I am hamburgered out for now.
Ugh :-p/
I cannot keep doing this.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

How does winter really make me feel?

Fat, bloated, old, tired and bored.
And those are the good parts.
I am NOT a winter person.
I don't get all giddy when there is a dusting of snow.'
I don't find it brisk or invigorating.
I am just sick of the cold and the damp and when it snows, it just gets messy and muddy and dirty.
I want winter to go away.
I have had it with winter.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Gallagher, Gallagher, Gallagher

Gallagher,Gallagher, Gallagher.
Did I mention Gallagher?
Oh by the way did I mention Gallagher was older than dirt?
And that smashing watermelons was funny in the 60's.
Oh, yeah..I think it was Gallagher who did that.
He was a funny guy who smashed fruit with wild abandon.
Gallagher.
The people in the first six rows of every show had to wear plastic tarps.
See? I know about Gallagher.
Gallagher, Gallagher, Gallagher.
Abandoned grocery stories turned into "comedy clubs"
And "D" venues. (filled with nervous laughter...).
Uuuhhhhh yeah... this guy is funny (or maybe just a little demented.)
Gallagher.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

A GREAT game

I must admit, I had one of the best golf games ever today.

I was sooo very pleased.

I went out about 9:30 and it was soooo cold (I dressed like I was going skiing, not going to play golf) and I had to wait about 15 minutes before all the frost was off the greens.

During that 15 minutes that I was waiting, I started talking to the guy in the pro shop (His name is Breezy... what a neat name for a golf guy).

I asked him a few questions about some things that I've been having difficulty with.

He was VERY nice and gave me some great advice and some good suggestions.

When I finally got out to play, I was the only one on the entire course and I had a great game.

I made a birdie on the first hole, I hit the green directly on the second, I made par on the third and it continued that was for the entire course.

He suggestions really helped my game.

Even though it was COLD (41 degrees) it was brilliantly clear and sunny.

And I had the course all to myself.

What a fun day.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The Yogurt is Better.

okay....
Here's the deal.
I kept breaking my stomach at dinner.
I would make veggie soup with pasta and peppers and it was very good but it always broke my stomach.
So at the beginning of the week, I bought a great big thing of vanilla yogurt.
I started having a cup of vanilla yogurt for dinner and if I was still hungry, I'd have some grits and a scrambled egg. Maybe some toast.
No upset tummy, no need for Alka-Seltzer.

Well, I spent the day with CrazyFriend.
We had lunch and did a bunch of shopping.
It was very cold all day and when I got home, I thought....Gee some nice hot soup would be good for dinner.
I made my usual soup.
And guess what.
I am sitting here wishing I hadn't/
I need an Alka-Seltzer.

I think I will go back to the yogurt for dinner.
It definitely works MUCH better.

Stick to what works. Duh.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Ugh ugh uggity ugh ugh

Ugh.
I ate too much today.
I've eaten too much EVERY day.
Ugh.
Just plain ugh.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Is it Easter already???

Here's what really bugs me about holidays and why I am such a Grinch all the time.
I am SICK of the holiday hype and commercialization.
Holidays are NOT about holidays any more.
They are not about meaningful special days.
They are about how much the retailers can get you to spend.

On Tuesday, December 30 we went to the movies and to the Cracker Barrel restaurant for lunch and I kid you not:
All of the Christmas stuff was totally GONE.
It looked like Christmas had never happened.
And one window display (I swear to God, I am serious) one window display was all EASTER merchandise. Easter!
In the center of the store was all Valentine's Day stuff.
And there was even a little bit of St. Patrick's day things.

It was the same at WalMart.
Every shred of Christmas stuff had instantly vanished. The racks were filled with Valentine's t-shirts and the card racks had Easter and Valentine's cards.

And when I went to the higher-end clothing stores.....
They were putting in SPRING things.
Pastels, light weight cottons, short sleeves on the mannequins.

Do we HAVE to rush every season?
And can't we go a nanosecond between "holidays".

I am soooo sick of this.
It ruins what was left of the "holidays" for me.
I don't want to look at pink Easter bunnies in January.
Give us a little breathing room, please.
Can't we just have a plain, regular day or two.
Isn't that what makes the "holidays" special and set apart from the regular days???????