seeing eyes

every morning on my way to work. i pass a bus stop. there is a woman. who stands patiently. every morning with her beloved black lab by her side. it sits at attention. also waiting patiently. sometimes i see them crossing the street together. or huddled under a store awning when it is raining. the dog is her seeing eye dog. i cant help but smile and gush every morning i see them. the lab's sweet yet serious face. i just want to squeeze it. i would love to meet them. but i have found when i do things like that. i freak people out. (too aggressive?) i also realize the dog is working. and i am not allowed to deter it from doing its duties. they seem to be a perfect pair. i wish i could watch them all day long. it is amazing that these dogs can help so much. there was a time. long ago. when i thought it would be awesome to help train the dogs as puppies. but. i know myself too well. i am a lover. a nurturer. i wouldnt be a good trainer. it would be hard for me to be strict. and not give them hugs and kisses after i scolded them. (this is how i am with zola and was with cory). and the biggest reason i talked myself out of it. i could never give those puppies up. i would be too attached. and instead be heartbroken. after seeing my 'friends' every morning at the bus stop. i know there are others out there. equipped to handle such tasks. its such an awesome thing. even more reason i just love dogs. i found a site below. in case any one is interested. i know there are many programs out there.

the seeing eye web site

wink

happy monday. i found this picture of baby zola. when downloading others from mother's camera. i thought it was the funniest thing. helped brighten up my case of the mondays.

neewollah

i didnt get to celebrate halloween this year. which saddens me. since it has always been one of my favorite holidays. (it cant trump christmas - i like presents over candy). i woke up on the thursday prior with flu like symptoms. and lived in quarantine for a couple of days. before retreating to my folks house. to be nursed back to health. exact words from my father. he was so sweet. so since i didnt get to see any costumes (i wasnt too upset about missing the years latest sexy costumes) i found much delight in the photos sent to martha stewarts dog costume contest. take a peek. i dont know which is my favorite. i think untitled should have entered with stan the man in his pumpkin outfit. maybe next year.

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/halloween-pet-winners-2009

hermes

i met a great dane puppy last night. hermes. he was four months old. i totally called it prior to meeting him. he was at the same outdoor patio with us. i might have freaked out the table when i said. yeah, four months, he still has his balls. okay i did gross out a few people. hermes is a beautiful blue dane. with an aqua colored collar. and his name embroidered on the top. i loved it. i loved him. cant wait to pick out vivian. and her collar. her bed. all her toys. and teach her to be the best doggy ever.

and thats all.

ready

my lease will be up in december. i dont know if i want to move. pack everything back up. and out. and then back in. but that has been my life. and part of me does get restless. to move again. the excitement of a new place. and redecorating. i think i will move if. i find a cute. reasonable price place. hopefully in the same neighborhood. that would let me have one of these. the real reason for this posting. is i am ready for my own baby. although it might cut into my business a little. i hope that i could bring my little girl with me when i dogsit. or the grandparents could watch her. (even though mother will say no at first).

meow

i have opened my heart to a kitty. yes. yes. as many times as i repeat on here. that i do not like cats. i will admit there are a few that i have learned to love. i am an animal lover after all. the kitty is chairman mao. and he only deserves to be called by his full name. he is very active. yet innocent. he likes to play. and entertains himself for hours with a small piece of paper. i think what has always turned me off about cats. is that they act like they dont care if you are there or not. they will survive on their own. and of course they hiss. ick. but chairman mao. he likes me. lets me pick him up. he is very soft. and only has sweet little meows. but the one thing i dont understand. is the purring thing. he sleeps on the pillows above my head. and it sounds like a motor. if he rotates or moves from one side to the other. i can hear the motor move. it is very odd. i was a little worried how i would be able to handle ten days sitting for a new kitty at one of my usual houses. it has turned out to be a-okay.

i still prefer his older brother. bibo, the nutty doberman. he is a goofy, loveable dog. just like zola. or zolita. who wouldnt love a face like this (see picture below). when i saw her over the weekend. after our greeting time. she sat on my lap for awhile. so happy and content. mother says its because i carried her around when she was a puppy. just like a baby she says. i replied back. its because she was a baby. duh. (chairman mao is not as photogenic. as shown below).



the iphone is going great. thanks for asking. i admit. it was a bit whelming. when the apple guy told me i was a rock star. handed me a box. and i was alone. standing there. with this new. fancy. schmacy phone. and little knowledge on what to do next. i of course spent all afternoon. evening. (until joj arrived. and we found her a wedding dress the next day. whoot!) and the rest of the weekend. familiarizing myself. i have found that i think my little mac laptop is on the fritz. i cant upgrade my itunes to be compatible with the iphone. without upgrading my whole system. this seems to not be something the computer likes. so i am letting smart people take a look. and give me a verdict. fingers crossed.

book idea

i have had this idea in my head. couple years now. always thought once i finally bought a digital camera. i would do it. but then i find myself shy. or not quick enough to capture the image. or afraid i might cause an accident.

the idea: a coffee table book. dedicated to bad (funny) bumper stickers or license plates. this was sparked when terri schiavo. i remember the day after it happened. there were tons of bumper stickers out. terri was murdered! i couldnt believe someone was making money off her death. well then again i could.

so there have been a few others cross my path. ones i cant remember. and ones i do. there is one by my house that says: i heart homeschooling. but one that i encountered this weekend. out in a bad side of town. on my way to company tennis match. on a banged up. rusty. geo metro. (if that doesnt paint a visual). with a bumper sticker that read: my bitch gives good head. there it is. priceless. who thinks of this stuff. but the bigger worry. who buys this.

also watched coxie's boys this weekend. obie (golden). luke (big lab). and yoda (kitty). it was nice being around the big doggies. although made me miss cory. it was so weird being home last week without her there. but enough. before i tear up more. we had fun chillin on the porch. watching the suspect activity across the way. and yoda tried to attack a bird. see below where she is waiting at the bottom of the tree. the puppies were very well behaved. and during our walk time. i was able to let them run around the park. and play. off the leashes. if i even called their name they looked up. and came my way. besides the dead baby bird obie found on one of our walks. (after asking nicely to drop it. i opened the locked jaw. with a plastic bag over my hand. and grabbed it out. aaww. sick).

ode to mom & d.c.

this weekend will be time spent to celebrate my mother. or pat. patti. patrish. patricia j. woman. pakelekia. pit. babydoll. but usually mom. or woman. cant go wrong there. so to thank her for all her days of taking care of her fam. i will honor her with my presence. a lot. leave it to smokin' joe (father) to plan a fun filled family weekend. starting saturday afternoon with a movie. then dinner. and the best. is brunch on sunday at 1924 main. i am even jealous of myself. ha.



so enjoy your mothers' company this weekend. give her an extra long hug. a smooch. or even a phone call. but be appreciative for mums are the greatest. even when i was told to suck on my spit on long car rides when i whined of thirst. or usually when i get told to stop whining the majority of the time. she raised me well. and i only hope to make her proud everyday.

enough mush. lets discuss my morning activities. besides the holiday on sunday. today in kc was announced as david cook day. i have never been a big fan of a.i. or american idol. but this season. mid-way. i tuned in for the boy from kc. also b/c my cubie mates' bff dated this guy. love the six degrees of separation. well and also. there hasnt been a whole lot of good shows on right now. so after our nightly runs. lil joj and i make dinner and have a.i. on in the background.

this morning he had a free concert downtown. so i of course jumped on the wagon to go. we left the office with no time to spare. and showed up along with hundreds of other david cook crazies. the excitement was intense. we could hear the blazing crowd scream. the closer we got to the venue. and then. from out of nowwhere. a city bus hit my friend when we crossed the street. and we never made. ha. no probably not something to kid about. but we did make it. and spent our time trying to get closer. and closer. so here are some highlights of the show. he played two songs. thanked everyone. teared up. and then walked through the crowd of screaming fans. we were out of there in 20 mins.

and here are the two boys i am watching this weekend. the longest clients i have had. i think its been three years. riley is the spastic weimaraner dog. curls up into a tiny ball. and sleeps by my head. simon. is the bassett hound. who i have carried up and down stairs. but he is better now. and only needs my help to get on and off the bed.

less than zero

finished the book last night. and done. accomplishment to check off the list. but now this means i must find another book.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Less_Than_Zero

where have i been? i feel like after researching it on the web. i have been under a rock. i found the book on the bookshelf at one of my dog sitting houses. i did email them while staying at the house to ask permission to borrow. and i would return the next time i stay. which is in a month.

it was a quick. easy read. if i were on reading rainbow. giving my critique. i am not sure i would recommend. its pretty dark. but i dont mind those.

on the front cover last night. i noticed one critique of the book. that it was the most disturbing book that person had ever read. and i would have to agree. made me thankful for my middle class. midwestern teen years. niave. and thinking the worse thing was smoking a cigarette after school when leaving cheerleading practice. or sneaking beer into the woods behind my house. nothing comparable to the items in this book. now i need to rent the movie. looks like brad pitt made it as an extra.

i was able to exchange my camera over the weekend with no problems. the target girl asked no questions. and i now added the lanyard to the side. thanks to some much needed advice. obviously. this is jameson. the culprit of the camera accident. he doesnt sit still for very long.


GF08: and i ran. i ran so far away. thanks to jaybird's help last night. i pushed myself to run even longer than usual. (i admit i usually like to slow down. or walk on hills.) not last night. and i am not sore. or feel any different. my legs did feel like jello during. and my arms hurt. and i wanted to whine. but i didnt. came home to only find my spot on the sofa. and did some cleaning. more this evening. still didnt sleep too well. think it might be b/c its muggy in my room. even with the fan on. but i try not to sleep with the window open. as then the allergies will flair. so i opened the window today to help get some cooler. fresh air in.

z

z is for...

zyrtec. i have to take this allergy medicine everyday. 365 days a year. i have indoor and outdoor. i am not a happy camper without.

zany. we once had a friend we called zany dave. wonder where he is now...hmm. anyway. we encountered him one night at a house party during college. he was wondering around the party asking girls if they would like a kiss. most would look in disgust and say no. he then pulled out a hershey kiss (that he found in the candy dish in the house). and said its chocolate? ha. we tried to call him crazy dave. he said no. i am zany dave. since then i try to use whenever appropriate. when i meet someone just as. not crazy, but zany.

zeus. the first great dane. i fell in love with. here are a couple of pics of me on my 22nd birthday. it was love at first sight. or love after an evening of celebration.


today is the last day of the meme. so i really wanted to go out with a bang. today is not the day. i woke up late. side note: one thing i like about jameson is he sleeps-in. just like me. and the bedroom where we stay is super dark. navy curtains that do not let any light in. so we were just snuggling (he likes to curl up in my nooks) and snoozing. then i looked at the clock. eeek! put him out back to have outdoor time. then got myself done up. raced to the office. to only realize i forgot my laptop at the house. an hour later. with a much needed trip to starbucks. and the gas station. where i had an ordeal with this new zip code security thing. i entered my work zip instead of my billing code. geesh. it was not a good morning.

the hair turned out marvelously. i love it. the color. the new cut. adore it. just what i needed. i tried to exchange the camera last night. bucktoothed target sales guy didnt have any in-stock. wtf. so i was given directions to go to another. i didnt feel like it. it was raining. and people do not know how to drive. or walk for that matter when the weather elements change. so rather than force myself to drive amongst the lunatics. i went home. watched the office. and read a book. i need to get back into reading. i cant remember the name. but of course will have a critique once i finish the book.

GF08: my hair appointment was last night. no time for fitness. maybe tomorrow i will take wild man jameson on a jog. tgif.

t

t is for...

television. i probably put in the above average amount of tv watching. but as it was claimed in college. it is my life source. i can sit. watch. and watch. and watch. and then feel revived. ready to go. it is my down time. i dont have to think. worry. stress. while i watch it. my favorite shows vary. from reality series. to comedies. animal planet shows. hgtv. food network. it is a great invention. and i seriously would have a hard time with out one. and cable. and now dvr.

timesheets. i hate filling out my timesheets. at all my jobs since college. i have to bill my daily tasks by increments of .25 = 15 minutes. this is hard for me. time consuming. and bothersome. i have no method to the madness. i know some folks that fill them out as they complete the task. some that enter their time at the end of the day. i am a weekly. and especially since our department has to donate $1 to the birthday cake fund if not done on time. i have been good about it. although sometimes. at the end of a long day. at the end of the long week. i have no energy to recap my week increments of .25. i have donated $2 thus far.

tread climber. after being warned. warned that another person almost hurt themselves on the same machine. i risked it and tried what i thought was a regular treadmill last night. mistaken. it was a tread climber. and i too almost lost control. and could have gone flying off. its an odd machine. two seperate tracks that move up and down. its a balancing act. i managed 30 minutes. but dont plan to try again.

troy. lets discuss how hot brad pitt is in this movie. oh girl. two snaps. and an all that. ha. no, but i am watching the movie troy on amc. besides brad being delightful. it really is a well made movie. i am not much of a history buff. but this keeps my attention. i also love a good soundtrack in a movie. and the raw. emotional music really helps to capture the moments.

i am finding that my calling might not be in photography. i tried taking a couple of photos of the doggies i am watching right now. treats seem to help. oh well. here is my work. zsa zsa. and bibo.


GF08: 4 miles again. but all on the treadmill. i decided that it might be too soon for 5. i dont want to get too crazy about the running. and then lose interest. no old men tonight. really the gym was deserted. except for this one girl whom i know from a good friend from h.s. i have hung out with this girl before. so she knows me too. but ever since she joined my gym. she thinks its ok to give me a p.a. = purpose avoid. the reason i know its on purpose is because she looks at me. we have even made eye contact. and i wave. or smile. yet. she still continues to not say hi. this has been going on for well over a year. i let it bother me a lot at first. i thought. well maybe she doesnt recognize me. i have since checked that option as a no. she does know who i am. she has said hi to me since on various occasions. but its always on her terms. oh well. i out ran her tonight. and i p.a.'d her. so yes. obviously it does still bother me still. i just dont get it. its not like i am trying to have conversations with her. or keep her from working out. i just want a hello.

one last item. i randomly woke up last night to mr. bibo barking. he didnt stop. so i sat up and looked out the window. there was a fox. just jaunting down the side walk. almost like a trained animal would. i just thought this was pretty cool. a red. bushy tailed fox. just out for an evening stroll in the middle of the city.

j

j is for...

jamie is tired. tired of working. tired of being an adult. tired of my everyday tasks. tired of the meme alphabet challenge for awhile. it gets tough. i need something else to be inspired by for the moment. i am tired of little. unimportant things. being blown out of proportion. i am tired of bitching about the same crap day. after day. after day.

its not fair. its not fair to the people that have to listen. for my breath to be wasted on these blobs. taking up other peoples air. sucking the life out of me. i was done last week. i was ready to do the ultimate. a walk out. the point is made. and taken. when a person just walks out of their job. it shows you dont care anymore. and you dont care that you dont care anymore.

the energy it takes to rev myself up each day is becoming less. and less. if i didnt have my buddy jeff at work to keep me laughing. i think i would be insane. this a.m. when i asked what i should write about. that j was so tough. he said easy. jeff. you know you want to. i just giggle. i giggle when he writes crazy messages on the milk jug in the refrigerator so others wont try to steal it. the best was the human cloning experiment. or snake venom. ha. its the little things that help my days better. opposed to the small things that get blown up. and make it worse.

so in the spirit of this post. i decided against the gym tonight. i ran outside yesterday. and when i crept our of bed this morning to let the doggies outside. i felt like an old lady. that my bones. muscles. and jelly screamed. i will instead work like a mo' fo. try to play the ever ending game of catch up. and go to bed. to wake. do it all over again.

here are the pups. tonight is my last night with the angels. or hellions. in all seriousness. they are sweet. loving dogs. i have enjoyed my time here. with lots of qt spent with cali and max.
pic one: max is more photogenic. two: waiting at the door for my bloom to come back. three: cali after one of our jogs. (too bad i didnt get one of us on the uni-leash. next time.)

f

f is for...

feet. i once had a stranger tell me i have the most perfect feet. that my toes align perfectly. and then he wanted to do things to them. i will not repeat on this blog. stranger danger. it was at a royals game. in the parking lot during a tail gate. again. wont get into the details. i really like my feet in the summer time. with a golden tan. fresh painted toes. in the flips flops. i often walk around the office barefoot. it freaks people out. but i cant help it if i am a hippie at heart.

feathers. my favorite smell is down feathers. my bed consists of many elements of feathers. on top of the pillow top mattress is the feather bed. then i have 4 feather pillows. these must be arranged in certain order. it matters which one is on the bottom. which one is on the left. on the right. also the pillow cases coordinate with the the bottom and top pillows. then i have a down comforter. i am not ocd. just a tad particular about my things. i like to fall asleep face down. in the center of my queen bed. with my face buried in pillows. my eye mask on. i take in a deep breath and i am relaxed. ready for a lovely night of sleep.

family. i wont go into a long story like last night. but i can not say enough about my family. i adore them. we are all so different. yet so much alike. it can be scary. my brother and i were like monica and ross from friends at one point. my parents have unisex names and people are often confused. but at the end of the day we can share each other's company. usually spend it laughing. we are very funny people. at least we like to think so.

friends. what would i do without my girls. "the girls" are my closets friends from college. they are my sisters. but not in greek sort of way. the four of us are all so close. even though we are miles away. we remain bonded. always pick up where we last left off. it is an awesome feeling. a shout out to my girl dbaugh. what can i say it was love at first site. i can not leave out the close friendships i have gained since graduating college and becoming a career woman. i have my gd gal pals. who i grew with in my first job. my friend two yulies. who helps to let me be a kid again with madmax. and to guide me through the crazy times. my friend untitled. with our walker bodies. we can walk and talk our way through anything. now i am forming my new group of work friends. really. i am a popular girl. i have a lot of friends. and i cherish each and everyone of them. we bring out the best in one another. and make life a happier place.


GF08: cali and max were my treadmill tonight. it was a nice out. 70 actually. i am dog sitting. so i strapped the two pups onto their uni-leash. if thats what it is even called. i made it up. basically i hold one leash and they are connected. i tried to take a pic of the dogs. but my battery is low. the charger is at my home. so. i jogged with them for 30 mins. not sure the total distance. but i feel warn out. along with the jogging. being pulled by two 80 lbs. puppies. i had the resistance against the wind. tgif. well tomorrow.

d

d is for...

dogs. i am immediately attracted to the k9 fur balls. the person who sees one walking down the street and lights up when i see a dog. i like to smile. talk to them. pet them. hug. kiss. love them. they bring me joy and happiness. here is a picture of my friends great dane. doby. i hope to get a great dane of my own someday. i would like to get a black and white one. name her vivian.


and i totally forgot to give a shout out to cory lynn love yesterday for c. cory is my family's chocolate lab. she has many nicknames. princess always seems appropriate. my friends also like to call her helen keller b/c she will try to grab food off the table. like helen would do in the movie. she is very much a begger. enjoys all human food. she is a beast. i had to beg and beg to get her. she is technically registered to me for her akc paperwork. but now that i have moved out. she is my parents baby. the glue that keeps them talking about when she goes #2 or if she had her pills for the day. cory is an old lady. getting ready to celebrate her 13th birthday in june. like me and my mom, she is a gemini. i dread the day that she will have to leave our family. but i know she will be happy eating treats. chasing balls and sleds. and swimming in her pool in puppy heaven.

dogsitting. has become my part time business. it started 3 years ago as a favor for a friend. she then recommended me to a friend. that continued. and has kept going through the years. it has also helped that i have switched jobs. as that always brings in new clients. as mentioned above. i just enjoy being around doggies and with my nurturing nature i get a great feeling while caring for others' dogs. i hope to eventually either open my own business of a doggy daycare or find a profession working with dogs. possibly a trainer. or a person who works with dogs on photo shoots or movie sets.

dancing. i feel this can best be explained in song. i've got rhythm. i've got music. who could ask for anything more. its in my soul. please read a past post 'the message' for more detail on my most recent dance adventure. i can dance anywhere and at anytime. it goes all the way back to my days in car seats. my dad claims he would put on "bird is the word" while in the car. i would go crazy. apparently i was a little rump shaker back in the day. now i like to shake my money maker. and my milkshake does bring all the boys to the yard.