Take Time for a Do Over

 Laura posted this last year and only read it if you don't mind some tears, have tissues handy and own a dog.  I use the latter not because I think that people who don't have dogs won't get it, but because though I read it last year and it made me feel undeniably sad, I don't think it brought me to tears.  As an animal lover, I hate any and all animal injustice and believe me, I see plenty of injustices every day.  I said that because I read Laura's repost of  it tonight and cried like an idiot because now I have a dog to associate this with.  Like putting a face with a name.  I look at my Rhys and know that was his situation and would have been his situation in the end had we or someone else not fallen in love with him.  His last family gave him up because a baby was on the way.  So Rhys was the first baby but in his case, being a canine made him a throw away to these people.  And despite the fact that their ignorance was my gain, it still makes me angry when I think of the situation through the eyes of my dog.

And I see dozens of stories like his and worse every week.  Too many unwanted animals and not enough homes; not enough people to take a chance on a do-over dog but instead go to pet shops and breeders so they can start fresh with a puppy.  It isn't that I have anything against reputable breeders (and many of them are not reputable so do your homework if you are going to go this route) and the people who chose to use them, but most people do not see what I see.  They don't see the little Yorkie whose owner had landlord issues, trembling in the back of a kennel because he is terrified of all the barking and so confused as to what happened to life as he knew it.  They don't see the Chow and the Border Collie who have grown up together but due to the current economy, their owner had to give them up and due to the economy, the shelter will probably have to separate them in order to get each one adopted out.  They don't see the eager, hopeful year old pup who rushes to the front of her kennel for every person, desperate for affection and attention, or the three year old mixed breed, who passed his assessment with flying colors but two weeks later, the stress of shelter life causes him to snap and he is led from his kennel, no longer adoptable.  

These are the sad stories of shelter life.  Yes, there are happy stories too, like the purebred who went to his new home this week and as I watched him greet his new family, I teared up; both because he had been saved and also because so many others are not.

I say these things because I want people to understand my passion and for every one abandoned dog, there are five cats with the same story.  No kitten should ever have to begin and end their life in a shelter, yet it happens every day to dozens.  There will never be enough people to adopt them all, especially when so many refuse to spay and neuter.  But for every one person willing to take a chance on a shelter animal, it is one less sad story shelters everywhere have to endure.  We are all there for the love of the animals and with faith and hope that our educating the public will make a difference even to one animal.

 These faces are the reality of too many animals and too many shelter employees and volunteers.  We fight for them every day and for every person who takes a chance on an animal who desperately needs that chance, we add one more person or family to those more than willing to educate others to the joy their do over pet has brought to them.  

In many cases, we have to wonder who really rescued who.

Why I Love Them

Life at a shelter is often difficult for the employees as well.  Twice in two weeks, one of the kittens I have been loving on has died.  When the first little fur ball passed away, I felt as if my heart was being ripped from my chest.  T, one of my favorite co-workers, told me that was why she kept her distance from the animals.  I pondered this long and hard and came to the realization that no matter how hard it can be to lose them, to not love them is simply not an option.

How can I not shower them with a little love and a little cuddle when for whatever reason their mamas have vanished and they have placed into a cage surrounded by dozens of other crying kitties?  How  can I not in some small way bring some small comfort to one of God's little furry creations?  No, not getting close is simply not an option for me.

No matter how hard it can be, I am so thankful to be working there.  I love being able to help animals (who I regard in higher standard than most people) in any way.  I find it satisfying and so worthwhile.  Not always easy but nothing worthwhile ever is.

I found this on Facebook a week or two ago and I wanted to share as I love it.  I think it is true of most animals but especially of dogs:

Dogs Ten Commandments

1. My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years - any separation from you will be very painful. 2. Give me time to understand what you want of me. 3. Place your trust in me - it is crucial for my well being. 4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment...You have your work, your friends, your entertainment... I HAVE ONLY YOU! 5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I understand your voice when you're speaking to me. 6. Be aware that however you treat me, I'll NEVER forget it. 7. Before you hit me, remember that I have teeth that could easily crush the bones in your hands but I choose NOT to bite YOU. 8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I've been out in the sun too long or my heart may be getting old and weak. 9. Take care of me when I get old. You too will grow old. 10. Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say, "I can't bear to watch it" or "Let it happen in my absence." Everything is easier for ME if you are there. Remember that I love you.

My Non-Existent Blog

Yeah yeah yeah.  I know.  I suck.  If someone could create another eight hours in a day for me or better yet, a pill that enabled me to only need one hour's sleep a night, I'd get a lot more done.  

Work has been rough lately.  Really rough.  It is not uncommon to walk around a corner to see another employee in tears or to hear two employees who are really good friends, exchanging angry words.  Fuses are short and emotions are running high.  We are all there because of our love for animals and we are in the heat of kitten season and it sucks.  

Kitten season means that cats are out there producing at alarming rates because people are irresponsible and don't have their cats spayed or neutered and then they let them outside.  Those with male cats probably figure that their tomcat is not going to bring home any kittens and that would be correct but someone is finding them and bringing them to our door.  Little balls of sweet fluff who are unwanted in the world and who were brought into the world due to human irresponsibility.  It sickens me.  

The shelter is completely FULL right now which essentially means that anything that comes in right now is given a death sentence.  71 animals were put down in one day this week, simply because we are out of room and I would bet that the majority of that number were feline.  Each afternoon on break, I go back to the feline holding room, find a little kitten that fits in the palm of my hand and take it back to my desk to love on for 15 minutes and when I take it back to the cage I have no idea if I will see it tomorrow.  This is the reality of shelters  during kitten season.

Is this post doom and gloom?  Yeah, probably, but it is a hard time for us right now.  

Yet there are happy moments too.  Yesterday, The Genius was out walking the dog before I left for work and he called me from his cell phone, announcing he had found a "puppy" and no one was around.  I drove a few blocks over to meet him and the "puppy" was actually an elderly chihuahua.  I put the little girl in the back of my car where she sat politely for the ride into work.  Checking her out once we arrived, we found her nails had been recently trimmed and she smelled as if she had been recently bathed, but she was off the streets and not in any danger of being hit by a car or worse.

By that afternoon a crying elderly lady was at the shelter, so grateful that her beloved companion had been found and rescued.  The dog, who was actually 16 years old with a heart condition, had apparently slipped out when her husband had left for work, but now she was back safe and sound with her human mama.

These are the good stories and the reason I love my job.  I know we are working for the greater good, but at times it is so painful.  We see the stupidity of people firsthand; their lack of caring and their inability to comprehend that their decisions dictate a horrible fate to a lesser but in my opinion, far more superior species.  

We do the best we can.  If only the general public would strive to do better then maybe one day kitten season could cease to exist.

Oh and Strat, I dunno.  I have thought about writing THAT book before but am afraid they will find out and sue me for some reason...or stone me. 

This Makes My Blood Boil

A Shady Grove couple found guilty in April of abusing nearly 80 farm animals have been cited again, now for the alleged abuse of four dogs at their home.

A total of 14 animal cruelty citations were filed against Ralph and Susan Fries, said Franklin County Humane Society Police Officer Floyd "Buck" Hessler.

They have not yet entered a plea with Magisterial District Judge Duane Cunningham.

The dogs, which Hessler described as "husky-type," were seized April 23 from the couple's residence at 1704 Buchanan Trail East. Hessler said he acquired a warrant to go to the home after a neighbor contacted him about the conditions there.

All four dogs, one male and three females, are currently being held at Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter, Chambersburg.

Three of the dogs had medical issues when they were seized, Hessler said.

The Frieses are cited for not providing veterinary care to the male dog, which allegedly had severe infections in both ears. After the dog was seized, a veterinarian prescribed medication for the infections.

"The dog was in severe pain because this was not taken care of by a vet," Hessler wrote in the citation.

Two of the female dogs exhibited a "severe skin condition," according to Hessler. Medicine was prescribed for both dogs after they were seized.

Hessler's citations allege that he found the dogs living in unsanitary conditions. He said they were forced to live in contact with their own feces and urine.

It appeared that the dogs, all adults, were kept in small cages in one room of the house "for hours at a time" whenever they were brought inside, Hessler said.

The cages were too small for the dogs to stand or turn freely, Hessler said. Urine and clumps of fur were "all over the floor" of that room, according to one citation.

The strong smell of ammonia from urine inside the house "took your breath away," according to another citation.

In an outdoor kennel behind the garage, Hessler wrote that he saw dogs "walking and standing in the mess" of feces that had not been cleaned out.

One citation alleges that shelter in the outdoor kennel was inadequate, since there were no dog houses "to protect the dogs from weather conditions rain, snow, cold, heat, wind."

Another citation alleges that the dogs were not properly groomed, and had long toenails and clumps of fur falling out due to a lack of brushing.

Hessler said the dogs were apparently being fed and provided with water.

Ralph and Susan Fries each face seven summary citations for the alleged neglect of the four dogs.

Hessler said that if the couple is found guilty, he intends to ask for the maximum fine of $750 on each citation. He is also asking that they permanently surrender the dogs and pay restitution for veterinary, grooming and kennel fees.

He said the total cost of caring for the seized dogs is not yet known.

If they are found guilty, Hessler wants the Frieses to be prevented from owning any animals during a court-ordered probationary period.

While the law allows higher-level charges for repeat animal cruelty offenders, Hessler said he couldn't seek such charges in this instance, because the dogs were seized before the Fries' were found guilty of a previous set of violations.

On April 28, Ralph and Susan Fries were found guilty of 14 citations for the mistreatment of 70 goats, seven donkeys, a horse and a pony kept on a farm in St. Thomas.

Magisterial District Judge David Hawbaker ordered them to pay court costs and fines of $100 for each citation. Those animals remain in the care of a farm at an undisclosed location, Hessler said Thursday.

Read more: Pet-Abuse.Com - Animal Abuse Case Details: Dogs neglected in home - Shady Grove, PA (US) http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/16339/PA/US/#ixzz1NVyyLuNK

*****

So not only have these asshats been in trouble with animal cruelty charges before, but now they keep freaking appealing while their dogs SIT IN A SHELTER.  The dogs have been in the shelter for a year and if these idiots keep appealing the dogs could be in the shelter for years more.  If these people ever got these dogs back, the poor dogs would be so screwed up from the incredible stress of shelter life that they would probably wind up right back there again.  DO THE RIGHT THING.  Admit you screwed up, stop appealing and allow these poor animals to be adopted so they stand a chance.

The laws for animal rights, as I am learning, are downright shameful.

Okay, I have been waiting to say this....Jimnotmike, you know I love you but a husband and a dog and a 60 hour a week job does not not equal a teenager and a tween, five cats, a dog, a guinea pig, living with all straight men and ain't none of them tidy in the least, a 40 hour a week job I am still adjusting to after five years of 20 hours a week and lemme tell you something else...there isn't any bed turning down service here nor a chocolate on my pillow!

Whew.  I feel better now.  Trust me, I will trade you for a week and you will so want your life back!  

But all in all, life is good for the most part.  The dog is settling in, not without challenges.  Today, we had to leave him alone for about 4 hours and please know that we rarely have to leave him alone for very long as he goes to work with me!  So we left him in the computer room so we could close the doors on one side and put up a child gate on the other door, much like this one:

 I went to training for work and The Brit and The Lawyer went to church for an Easter egg hunt.  The Genius was at his grandmother's house.  When The Brit and The Laywer got home, Rhys met them at the door.  Hmmmm...interesting.  In the hallway was an empty Kleenex box. Also interesting.  They came through the kitchen to the door that had been blocked with the child gate....and The Wonder Dog had chewed through one side of it in order to succeed in his escape.  From there there, he had a whale of a time shredding kleenex and paper towels in the dining room . I was most thankful they got home first and had to clean up the mess.

Rhys has definite separation anxiety but of course, we don't know his story before he came to us.  His mouthing issue has improved a lot and is rarely an issue already. Thanks to my bosses wife and her harness recommendation, walking him is much easier now. The cats are doing a tiny bit better...venturing out here and there, but Jonah is still quite vocal about his unhappiness at the dog's presence.  So we are all adjusting but for me, he is now part of the family and I adore him.
 
I am struggling with a few pounds I need to still lose and it is driving me insane.  Finding time and energy to work out while working full-time is hard.  I get off work and still have dinner to get or kids to get home to as I am single parenting a lot, and a house to keep clean (with minimal help from the males), lunches to pack, etc.  Many nights I am not relaxing until 8:30 or later and then bedtime is 11:00 or a bit earlier as the week progresses . I was walking with Rhys and gearing up to start running again but Thursday night I sprained the hell out of my ankle.  We're talking that it looked like a golf ball was attached to the side of it.  It is slowly improving and was pretty good this morning but the more I was on it today, the more uncomfortable it became again.  So this will possibly and probably mean no kickboxing this week as I'm not sure the ankle will be able to tolerate it as it is a nasty sprain.  So I am sitting on my ass eight hours a day instead of four, and having problems finding workout time!  What is the solution?  I can't get up earlier to go to the gym due to having to get the kids off to school and of course, the dog comes to work with me but can't come to the Y with me in the morning.  I had a pre-dog plan of getting up really early a few days in the summer to hit the Y before work and just shower there and leave for work.  If my kids would learn some responsibility with the dog, this could still be a option but so far, they are kind of sucking at being responsible.  The only time Rhys has an accident in the house is when the kids are in charge of his potty schedule, despite the fact that I leave them the schedule in writing.  *sigh*

So though I have sucked at updating here, let me see how many of you are still out there reading.  Two questions:

What is your best tip for leaving a dog at home alone?


And how do you fit in exercise with your full time schedule?

Okay, Okay

So forty hour a week job, church activity, husband on the road at least every other week, two kids, house, five pissed off cats and one new dog who nips when he gets wound up and ya'll wonder where I've been?  Can't imagine.

Things are going pretty well with Rhys though a few bad habits are being uncovered.  He does get wound up and mouthy, as they call it, and I am trying to break it.  Asking around to people who have been there and am hoping to get with my big bosses wife to ask her.  Pat Miller has written a few books on dog training, five I believe, and has traveled to places such as Australia to teach dog training.  She also has a business and website called Peaceable Paws, so check her out.  Anyway, she is teaching a class at work this week so I am hoping to tag her as well for advice on Cutie McNippy.  Rhys is a great dog 95% of the time but there is a lot of puppy still in him.  According to my Executive Director, about 3 or 4 years of it.

At work, Rhys is an angel.  He plays with his toys and dozes and at lunch we take about a 40 minute walk.  He knows "Sit" and "Down" though at times will play a stubborn card and not want to do it, though I wait until he does, even if I have to push his rump down to achieve it.  The cats still hate him though a few of them are starting to stick up for themselves.  Micah spends most of the evening hiding though I believe he comes out during the day when Rhys is at work.  I feel guilty about this because they were my first babies but everyone keeps telling me if takes about a month for things between the cats and dog to calm down.  

We took him on Saturday to Central Dawgma and the Dawg Wash which is a car wash for your dog.  I plan to bathe him myself most of the time but it was fun outing for us and Rhys was very well behaved for the bath.

In non-dog news, The Genius has a girlfriend.  She is a year older than he is and so far I really like her.  I just have to be careful about the possibility of him sneaking off to see her.  Last night he told me she wanted him to meet her at 4:00.  I reminded him he had track practice and I know had that not come up, he would have ditched practice.  So we had the conversation about doing the right thing.  I am not sure I am ready for dating but the choice is not mine really.  Ugh.


Work is still good but I am so busy right now.  Our Spring mailers are coming in with a vengeance which is good, but I have about 100 letters to do at this point.  I am also getting things ready for a Volunteer Appreciation dinner on Wednesday and for a complete system conversion.  I went from looking for things to do a few weeks ago to now knowing how in the hell I am going to get it all done.

And I think I am coming down with another cold...which I really don't have time for.  I'll try to update more regularly but time gets away from me.  If someone would like to take my kids once or twice a week, I should be able to be more timely ;)

Can it get any better?

I am in one of those seasons of life where things are going so well that I am waiting for something bad to happen.  I have an amazing new church, a job I love and this...

 coming on Thursday!

Yes, The Brit finally not only agreed to the dog but fell in love with this guy!  Is he not adorable?  This dog actually picked The Brit as this was not the dog I intended for him to see.  We had a purebred Golden Retriever come in last week...my favorite breed.  On Friday, I tried to find him, but couldn't.  I found this guy though and tried to convince myself this was the golden.  He had some attributes of a Golden and they had him listed as a mixed breed so I thought maybe though the girl assessing him thought he was purebred, the animal care folks disagreed.  

Saturday, we made a trip out to see him.  Well really to show The Brit where I worked and we ended up perusing the animals.  He found "Max" and was drawn to him.  When we went back out front, C asked me if I showed him the dog and I said yes.  I figured that had to be him as he was the only dog that looked anything like any sort of Golden on the adoption floor and C was asking me about him.  She tried to get The Brit to fill out an adoption request, but he needed to think about it.  He told her it was expensive and C, being quick, came back with "You cannot put a price on love."  

Well, Sunday morning, The Brit was looking up dog names and Sunday afternoon he was putting in a pole and zip line in the back yard.  Today, he went in and filled out the application.  When he left, the girls in the lunch room were asking dog he was adopting (I can't technically adopt for 90 days but my husband can!) and  I told them Max.  Shortly after, C was asking me what dog I was adopting because Max was not the same dog!  Copper was my Golden!  I went back to see Copper and sure enough.  He was in the stray holding area and not on the adoption floor, where both C and I assumed he was!  But, The Brit had already decided, so it seems that Max picked us!
 
I am so excited! Not sure the cats will be though!

Why is it Okay to Throw Them Away?

Did ya'll get to look at that eagle cam?  Is that not a GREAT camera?  

You are going to be getting some animal posts again as I am back in the industry again after five years and technically, other than being a writer, the animal industry is a dream job for me.  Though I am not working directly with the animals, I am working FOR them and there is no where else I'd rather be.  

What blows my mind and has always blown my mind (and you all who are my FB friends know I have talked about this before) is why do people consider animals dispensable?  If they don't act the way you want them to, or if you have a baby and suddenly have concerns about having a dog, or if they have bathroom issues, or if they suddenly encounter medical problems, people think they can just drop them off somewhere and be done with them.  Now granted, any of those things mentioned above are problems, but let me tell you something else, compared to the issues I can have with my kids (who never act the way I want them to!) the pet problems are no big deal!  

My pets have never been disposable to me.  They are my other kids with fur.  When my human kids tick me off, obviously I am not taking them somewhere else to live and hoping for the best, no matter how much in the moment I may want to!  The same goes for my cats (and soon to be dog).  They don't get thrown away when things don't go the way I think they should go.

And here's the other thing.  When you get a pet, you should go into that situation knowing that times they are going to cost you money; maybe a lot of it.  Most important?  You must have them spayed or neutered.  If you are planning to breed them for a profit that is one thing (not the way I would go but I don't want to tick off any breeders) but otherwise, stop them from accidental breeding.  All it does is fill up our shelters with unwanted animals.  Here's a wake up call: One unspayed dog and her offspring can lead to 67,000 dogs in six years. One unspayed cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in seven years.  Sounds like a great reason to spay and neuter to me.  Believe me, I am seeing these poor animals that are brought into the shelter, desperate for a home of which a large number of them will not find.  Get your animals spayed and neutered.  I don't care if Snowball will never go outside.  Mine don't go out either but they have, on occasion, played Houdini and gotten out...and it only takes one time.  Get it done.

Your pet will probably also encounter an occasional medical problem that is going to cost you money.  If you have concerns about this, you are not ready to adopt a pet.  If your kids need medical attention, you get it for them.  Your pets should not be any different.

You need to plan before you adopt.  The same way you would plan to have a human child, you need to plan for your furry kid, who will always be a kid.  You will always be their person and they will love you unconditionally.  They deserve the same thing from you.

Late and Quick

26 minutes to spare before I would have missed a day of blogging!

We went to the lake today and took photos which I am too tired to post.  Best part though?  This morning we were talking about the nature at the lake I mentioned that I had never before, other than in a zoo, seen a bear.  Well, tonight after boating, we were taking the boat to the storage place and lo and behold, what crossed the road in front of us?  You got it!  A bear!  He was huge!  It was like God heard me and said "Here ya go, honey.  Here's your bear."

Totally cool and amazing!

More tomorrow!

The One Where Kim Gives Her Neighbor's Cat to the SPCA

The title will be meaningless to anyone who never was aware of the titles of "Friends" episodes.

ANYWHO....today, I got home from running some errands, not too long before Aaron arrived home from school.  He came home and went out back to get his bike and a moment later he comes flying in the house.

"Mom!  There's a cat out here!"

"You can't have it.  We have six."

"No, it looks really bad."

So I went out to the deck and there was a shabby looking white cat.  She was incredibly thin and rather dirty, and had a lot of gunk around one eye, so I immediately went inside to get her food and water.  She took a nibble or two of food and then walked over to the other side of the deck and laid down, looking a bit spaced out.

"Aaron, this doesn't look real good.  I think she is either sick or old or both, and we are leaving for England next week, so we can't exactly nurse a sickly cat."

I called my friend Kelly to see if there was any option other than the SPCA.  No, not so much.  Cat rescue maybe but if the cat wasn't healthy, they probably would not take it.  So I called the SPCA and arranged to drop the kitty off there, explaining to Aaron that this was the best thing.  The SPCA would have a vet look at the kitty and if it was sick or suffering and needed to put down, at least she would not be dying a slow and miserable death outside in the rain.

The cat was so lethargic, it gave us no trouble getting her into the carrier and then we headed to the SPCA.  Kitty did not utter a sound the whole way there, where any of my six felines would be yelling their lungs out.  We signed her over and the tech at the desk agreed with me that the cat looked pretty sick and that a vet would look at her tonight.  Aaron and I then took a stroll through the SPCA as he had never been there before (honey, they had an adorable lab/rottie pup!) and then headed back home.

A few hours passed and then Aaron came back in the house.

"Mom, you know our new neighbor?"

"Yeah?"

"Her white cat is missing."

Damn.

So I sent him down to explain what happened and then I spoke to the neighbor on the phone, who was very nice about the whole situation.  She said the cat was actually a little sick and pretty old (around 17) and she had just picked it up from her former home in PA today.  She had put kitty on her back porch while she went out to run errands, assuming the cat would not go anywhere (????) and she did.  To our deck.  Of course, me being me, I do not let my kitties outside, though we do have a few neighbors with outside cats.  I explained to the neighbor that as I had never seen this cat before and because of how bad she looked, I was afraid for her anyway, plus there were other outside cats who could easily kick the kitty's butt in a fight.

But she called the SPCA and they hadn't even processed kitty yet, so it should not even cost her to get kitty back.  I guess a lot of people would have just left the cat alone on the deck, but I couldn't do it because she looked so bad and I can't bear to see anything suffer.

Guess next time we need to knock on some doors.

Survived the Zoo

So I chaperoned my first field trip today and survived.  Way too many third graders, but all in all a good day though it could have been warmer.  I was going to wait to post pictures but honestly, I am so tired tonight that all I can do is post pictures!



These were my three charges for the day, from right to left: Darryl, JJ and Tod.



The pandas were a little shy this morning, so this was the best picture I got.  I just love them.



The Brits' favorite dude....



JJ and Tod.



JJ and a very photo-friendly Amazon fish, maybe the equivalent of an algae eater???



My dad's favorite creature in all creation.



The kids informed me that this is a Mexican wolf, but when I asked if it spoke Spanish, they joke was completely missed on their part.  Sometimes I just need an older crowd.




In other news, my knees are freaking KILLING me!  Between kickboxing and horseback riding...OUCH!  Does anyone recommend anything?   This cannot go on!

The White House Gets A Dog

We now have a first dog...Bo.  Bo is a Portuguese water dog that was a gift from Sen. Edward Kennedy & wife.  I won't bother posting videos and pictures because they are all over the internet.....but it got me thinking.....shouldn't every family have a dog???

I have to admit, I've been a cat person my whole life.  Then about 3 years ago, I insisted on a dog.  Hubby was against it - he didn't want a dog.  He didn't even want to discuss it - no dog.  But one day I decided to go to a rescue and get a dog; I asked him if he were coming.  He did - and that's how Toby came to be. 

I will admit, dogs aren't self-sufficient like a cat is.  They require a lot of care.  The first few weeks with Toby were a nightmare - I decided I didn't want a dog after all.  But after awhile things worked out, so it was no surprise that a year ago we went back to the rescue and came home with Keyser.  Having Keyser made me realize that Toby wasn't a hard adjustment at all...we're still going through a Keyser adjustment.  But we love him anyway.

There are allot of dogs out there in need of homes.  Nothing can be better than giving a home to a dog that for some reason or another has been given up, abandoned or neglected in a previous home.  Check your local SPCA or if you have a breed in mind, look for a nearby rescue.  Remember, it isn't always necessary to start with a little puppy - as a matter of fact, if you don't have the time, don't get a puppy.  They are like having babies around.

Kim has an interest in a golden retriever.  Very good dogs for kids.  Here's a nearby rescue:  http://www.goldheart.org/  .  Now I know Kim won't be me and just go out the door and say she's going to get a dog....she'll want Chris to agree.  But I truly believe that that time is coming soon!

Heigh Ho Silver Away!

So I checked out the stable today and really liked it.  It's not fancy, but they have 60 horses and 125 acres.  I got there a little early and drove around and from what I know from watching Animal Cops Houston, the horses all look to be good body weight.   They have plenty of room to graze and lots of land to explore.  Driving back the road, alongside the fenced area, there were horses all over the place and all was peaceful.  I'm no horse expert, but I liked what I saw and had a good feeling about it.  They supply all equipment (helmet etc) so there is no expense to me other than the lessons.  They can teach lessons in trail riding, competition and barrel racing if I ever wanted to go those routes.  I am going to take lessons for April and May, and then break until school goes back in session in August or September and that works out fine for them as they teach summer camps for riding over the summer.

Other sites I had looked at over the internet wanted a bunch of money up front, but Heritage is fine week to week and they recommend that at first to make sure I like riding and to make sure I like them.  If I ever want to purchase in advance, I can do 10 sessions for the price of 9.  My first lesson is April 2nd and I am very excited.  I think it is considered exercise as well, isn't it?

If The Brit is working late tonight, I may go and pick up a Zumba class at the YMCA at 6:00.  It's another I would like to try.  Of course, if he isn't working late, I would love for him to join me, but I'll just have to wait and see.

Anyone watch The Biggest Loser last night?  How about Tara being targeted for all that extra weight and she still won the challenge, dragging a car behind her as well as the extra pounds the other contestants placed on her?  She can annoy me at times, but she has been so consistent in her weight loss and she works so hard and I felt really bad for her last night when they gave her all their extra pounds.  Guess she showed them it is gonna take more than that to slow her down!  I'm also glad that Kristin became the first female to lose 100 pounds on the ranch.  She needed a win, even though she does hog camera time, in my opinion. 

I'm trying to increase my water intake.  I've been drinking entirely too much coffee lately and not enough H2O and though my coffee consumption will automatically decrease a bit in warmer weather, I need to get started early.

Still waiting for word on The Brit's mum.  She was scheduled for an MRI this morning.  She is still in the hospital and was feeling better as of yesterday as she had been dehydrated when she got there.  They said they were concerned about an area near her appendix, but they didn't feel she had symptoms of appendicitis.  So per Healthline, it says the symptoms are this:

Classic symptoms of appendicitis include the following:

• abdominal pain, first around the navel then moving to the lower right quadrant of the abdomen (her pain is below the navel)
  
• nausea (check)
  
• vomiting (Check)
  
• loss of appetite  (double check)
  
• diarrhea, constipation, and/or inability to pass gas (yup)
  
• fever beginning after other symptoms
  
• abdominal swelling and tenderness

Other possible symptoms are pain on urination, inability to urinate, or frequent urge to urinate if the swollen appendix is near the urinary tract and bladder. When perforation occurs, abdominal pain becomes more AGEBREAK gale:page="163" gale:pdfName="gech_0001_0001_0_00179-p.pdf">AGEBREAK>intense and involves the whole abdominal area, and fever may be very high.  (she said she felt as if the pain started at her navel and went to her bladder...hello?)

I'm not saying she has appendicitis, but the symptoms are there!  Hopefully we will hear something soon.  This feels like it is taking forever.  Thanks for the prayers!

 

 

? and Me

So yesterday did improve after the morning bedroom session.  Apparently they are learning that mom means business!

Due to a scheduling conflict, we went to see "Marley and Me" yesterday.  Great movie, loved it, knew it as I had read the book a few years back (actually, the Brit and I listened to it on iPod on the way to New Jersey for a long weekend away but reading/ listening, eh, sue me).  So, here is what I have decided (only in fun, sort of as I am kind of serious but I don't know if it will ever happen):

I have a plan in my head that I have been making up since yesterday, despite what the youth group said today which I will get to in a minute.  I want a puppy.  A rescue puppy, one day.  A Lab or a Golden, but I will not pay a breeder when so many dogs, even purebreds need homes.  My plan entails my wonderful hubby getting me a puppy for my birthday some year as not that my birthdays have been bad, but just memorable.  We haven't gone away on any amazing trip or anything like that, as lots of people don't and though birthdays are generally pleasant, a puppy would be really, really memorable.  A male puppy.  Bailey (yes, I have even named him).  My little made up story in my head includes me going on walks now that I am in much better health with Bailey.  I would not be worried about strangers because Bailey would not allow anyone to attack me.  Yes, he would need to be housebroken and I would need to poop scoop and that is okay.  I will train him and love him and keep him for my very own, George (Robyn, what was that from???).  I'm very excited about my future puppy!

The youth group today, when I told them I wanted a puppy, said "Well, The Brit is away for two weeks, just let it be there when he gets home!  What's he going to do!"  Kirk said they got severa of their cats that way; when papa was away!  But I would not do that.

I also think I may look into seeing if I can volunteer an afternoon a week at the SPCA.  I was thinking of finding some sort of volunteer work anyway, but I don't know what their minimum time requirements are.  We'll see.




Does he not have my name written all over him?