Monday, July 28, 2014

Melty Monday

The forecast is calling for triple digits today, which is where the title of this post comes from.  It's so hot, I feel like I'm melting.  Thank goodness for air conditioning.

Nothing has really happened to blog about, so I'm doing a meme today.  Hopefully I'll have something to talk about later in the week.  If I haven't melted by then...
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Took this from here.

1.  What would happen if you could fly whenever you wanted?  When would you use this ability?

I would fly EVERYWHERE!!!  Think of the savings in gas alone!  I'd use this ability quite a bit at school.  This year, my classes are clear across campus.  No matter where I park, it's gonna be a long walk.  I'm not looking forward to it because I have a bad hip.  Some days it doesn't bother me at all.  Other days, I'm in pain and sometimes have difficulty walking. 

2.  Share a story about your worst date ever.

When I was in high school, I went to the movies with a guy.  I distinctly remember him spending more time at the candy counter than actually watching the movie with me.  Looking back, I think it's more because he was nervous than hungry.  Even though it was dark and we didn't have a lot of interaction, it was his first date.  

3.  If you could have personally witnessed one event in history, what would you have want to have seen?  

There's so many options from history to choose from!  I would have liked to see Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his "I Have A Dream" speech in Washington D.C. in 1963.  

Which historical event would you have liked to have witnessed?  

4.  Show and tell.  What comes to mind first when you see this picture?  Or tell a story if it reminds you of one.  
This is an x-ray of a knee.  One of my friends is an x-ray tech.  Another friend of mine went to school to become an x-ray tech, but decided against making it a career.  She and I were coworkers and often ate lunch together.  This particular friend told me about Clarence Dally during one of our lunches.

To make a long story short, Dally worked with Thomas Edison.  X-rays were being discovered and used during this time.  Dally x-rayed his left hand repeatedly in an effort to experiment, and unwittingly exposed himself to radiation poisoning.  When he began to show symptoms, he started using his right hand instead.  Eventually, he died from the radiation.  Click on the link for a longer and more detailed version of the story.  

Friday, July 25, 2014

Fractured Fryday Hairy Tails

Once upon a time, there were two sweet chihuahuas.  The larger one is Shiver, the smaller one is called Chico.  They live happily together with their mama, who is named sprinkles.  This is their story from Shiver's point of view...

I love summertime!  The mama stays home with us most days, and we all cuddle up together while taking long naps in front of the TV.  We also play with our toys, and hang out in the backyard frequently.  What could be better?  More treats, that would be better!  We get one in the morning after we go outside and do our business, then maybe one or two more throughout the week if we're lucky.  The mama says that we're little boys, so we don't need a lot of treats.  Hmph, I think she's wrong!  Otherwise though, we're a pretty happy bunch!

The mama is always thinking about ways to keep us entertained so that we aren't getting into stuff.  I'm usually good about not getting into anything, but I do still enjoy checking out the trash from time to time.  It's fun to pull something out of it and then watch the mama chase me around trying to get it back from me.  Sometimes she even says HBO words if I don't drop it quick enough.  It's also fun to steal toys from Chico.  He growls up a storm, pretending he's all big and bad!  Doesn't stop me from taking the toys though.  He should just realize that I was here first, so I should get all the toys.  And all of the treats.  And all the loves the mama gives out throughout the day.  

One day the mama received a notice that the post office had a package for us.  It was too big to put in our p.o. box, so the mama had to go in person to pick it up.  We couldn't begin to imagine what could possibly be in it!  The mama brought it home and set it down in the middle of the kitchen so that we could sniff it.  And sniff we did!
See ^, that's Chico sniffing.  I sniffed first, then let him take a few smells before I pushed him out of the way so I could check it out again.  The mama let us smell it for about 87 minutes.  Finally we couldn't take it anymore, and begged her to let us open it.  She sliced the tape with a box cutter, then told me to pull the box open carefully with my teefs.  Chico wanted to help, but I told him no.  Since the mama said that I could open it, I knew that it must be for me, and I didn't want Chico to get his scent all over it.  

When I opened the box, I was startled to find...
WTF?  It was almost as big as me!  Was it real?  Did the mama bring home another chihuahua???  Me and Chico barked and growled at it, but it didn't react.  It just stood there!  This went on for another 87 seconds or so.  Even though I'm a big chi, I get very anxious in new situations.  Chico has no fear, so he walked up to this new chi and lifted his leg.  That's right, he did a little wee on the new chi!  I laughed inside, but the mama was not happy about it!  She scolded Chico and made him go out in the backyard to think about what he'd done.  I went too, because I didn't want to be alone with this new thing.  

We had a fun time playing in the yard and stayed out there for a long time.  Finally the mama called for us to come in.  I was nervous that the new chi would still be hanging around, but the mama managed to coax me in.  And there it was, sitting in the kitchen right where we'd left it!  Only now it had a big wet spot on its leg where the mama had tried to clean it off.  Chico and I barked at him a few more times, but he still refused to move!  What was up with this new chihuahua?  

Finally the mama squeezed him and he squeaked!  Not just a little squeak, but a great big one!  I knew right then that it wasn't a real chi so I walked up to him, grabbed his ear and shook him with all my might!  I dropped him, and Chico grabbed a leg.  Chico is an itty bitty chi, and the toy was bigger than he is!  It was hilarious watching him try to shake it.  Normally I would NEVER consider sharing my toys with Chico, but this time it was OK.  We both worked on destuffing the new chi in a matter of minutes and pulled that squeaker out!  The mama wasn't happy about cleaning up the huge mess, but she said it was all worth it since it made us happy!  
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Thank you to Murphy and Stanley for putting this together.  We hope that they'll host this event again in the future.  Our story might be dumb, but we had fun writing it.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Chewy.com Review & Mr. Pip

My boys are always excited to do a Chewy.com review because that means they get a treat!  I love it too, because it means I can save money by not having to buy them any treats.  Plus I know that I can depend on the quality of what I'm giving them.
This time we chose the Natural Balance Dental Chews Pumpkin and Chicken Meal Formula with Papaya Dog Treats.  I chose these because poor Chico has bad teeth, and these help support healthy teeth and gums.  Here are the key benefits of these chews, taken directly from the website:
Key Benefits
  • Helps reduce plaque & tartar - unique grooves encourage healthy chewing action and the removal of plaque & tartar
  • Easy to digest - formulated to support easy chewing and digestion
  • Helps freshen breath - the mechanical chewing action helps remove plaque & tartar that may cause bad breath
  • With antioxidant nutrient - Vitamin C, a key antioxidant nutrient, is added to help support immune function
  • Made in the USA!
These treats include pumpkin, potato starch, chicken meal, parsley, and alfalfa, among other things.  A small to medium size breed, 13 oz. bag (22 treats) is currently on sale for only $14.32.  That's a 28% savings off the regular price of $19.99.  A medium to large size breed, 13 oz. bag (12 treats) is on sale for $13.14, which is a 34% savings off the regular price of $19.99.  I'm not sure how long these will be on sale, so you'll want to jump on these now to get these prices.

This isn't the greatest picture, but here's Chico enjoying his dental chew under the kitchen table.  The camera on my iPod leaves a lot to be desired, but it's all I have.  He was really excited about his treat, as you can tell by his blurred tail.
We were not compensated financially for this post, but were provided free samples of dog treats in return for our honest opinions.
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Have you gotten your copy of Mr. Pip's book yet?  I just received mine and I love it!!!   It's available on Kindle, iTunes (which includes an exclusive video!), and on Amazon.  A portion of each sale goes towards different charities supporting pet rescue.  

I enjoyed reading all of Pip's life lessons, and it was even more fun seeing all of the adorable pictures.  There were a few I hadn't seen, and others brought back memories from his blogging days.  

I don't want to spoil anything for you, but you're missing out on one very cute book if you don't order this!

Friday, July 18, 2014

Half Full Friday

Half Full Friday is a series of weekly posts that Eyegirl originally started in June 2009.  We believe that a lot of our happiness is determined by our attitude about the things that happen to us.  So by participating, I'm deciding to see the glass as half full instead of half empty.  I'm choosing to concentrate on the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.  The Half Full Friday posts are a way to do just that.  They're a list of the things in my life that have brought me happiness over the past week.  I'm determined to find something good in each day.  Are you?

For the next week, I'd like to challenge each of you to keep a list of at least one thing that brought you happiness each day.  And then come back here and tell me about it!

~I'm happy because...

1.  My mom came over this past Sunday and I made her a delicious dinner!

2.  I got some cleaning done around the house!     

3.  My mom and I went to an art museum and had a picnic afterwards!

4.  I gained a new follower!  Welcome!

5.  I've been accepted to join another campus organization this coming semester, which will be good to add to my resume!  
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Sorry I haven't been around much lately, it's been a busy week.  The first part of the week was spent trying to clean up a bit.  Once I start cleaning, I see how everything else looks in comparison and then I have to start cleaning that too.  Seems to be a neverending job.  

I've also been busy trying to get everything worked out for next semester.  So far, I've got five classes, one weekend workshop, two student organization meetings, work, and a potential internship on my plate.  If I get the internship, I'll drop one class and still get the same amount of credits.  The internship lasts through the first part of the November, then I'll have to write a paper on what the experience entailed and what I learned.  Once that's done, it's done, and my schedule will ease up a bit.  It'll all work out - it always does.  I have a feeling each day is going to last f - o - r - e - v - e - r.  This is my senior year, so I have to make sure that I take time to enjoy the experience too.  

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Source
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I was supposed to post this on Monday, but completely furgot!  Did you see what Sarge got from his Christmas in July swap?  

Monday, July 14, 2014

Just the facts, ma'am!

So I've been seeing several blogs who've received the "Shine On" award from Whitley.  I don't know Whitley, and was not presented with the award, but I loved reading all the fun facts everyone had to give about themselves as part of the rules.  It's been awhile since I've shared any random facts about the boys, so that's what today's post is all about...

Shiver
1.  I bought Shiver from a pet store.  (I know, I know...  I really do know better and would not buy from one again!)

2.  He was 4 1/2  months old when I bought him.

3.  I was going to name him Avery, but he shivered all the way home from the mall, so that's how he got his name.

4.  He can get very anxious if I move furniture around, do anything to upset his schedule, etc.

5.  Shiver is a big chihuahua.  He's about twice the size of Chico.

6.  Shiver HATES to go for walks!

Chico
1.  Chico was born at a puppy mill and spent most of his first year of life in a small crate, only being let out to go potty and to make babies.

2.  He was just over 2 years old when I bought him off Craigslist from a family who kept him locked in the garage or out in the back yard.

3.  Chico has luxating patellas in both back legs.  Basically, his kneecaps slip out of place when he walks.  It doesn't seem to bother him very often, so we haven't treated it, but I'm always watching to make sure he's OK.

4.  He snores loudly when he sleeps.

5.  Chico is a little chihuahua.

6.  Chico is a very chillax chi, not much seems to bother him.  

sprinkles

I couldn't let the boys have all the fun, so I joined in too!

1.  I love to sleep and can never seem to get enough.

2.  I'm a senior in college and only have one more year left.  I'm also a non-traditional student, meaning that I did not enter college immediately after high school.

3.  I enjoy reading for pleasure, but often feel like I don't really have enough time during the school year.

4.  I'm allergic to bee stings and swell up HUGE!

5.  My favorite colors are pink, purple, and blue.

6.  Even though I have an excess of shoes, I still think it's never enough and that I need more.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Half Full Friday!

Half Full Friday is a series of weekly posts that Eyegirl originally started in June 2009.  We believe that a lot of our happiness is determined by our attitude about the things that happen to us.  So by participating, I'm deciding to see the glass as half full instead of half empty.  I'm choosing to concentrate on the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.  The Half Full Friday posts are a way to do just that.  They're a list of the things in my life that have brought me happiness over the past week.  I'm determined to find something good in each day.  Are you?

For the next week, I'd like to challenge each of you to keep a list of at least one thing that brought you happiness each day.  And then come back here and tell me about it!

~I'm happy because...

I have a job interview next week!  Please keep your fingers crossed, because I really do not want to have to go back to my old job next semester, especially with all the new changes!

I'm getting a copy of Pip's book!  Sooooooooo excited!!!

I made an excellent dinner earlier in the week and will be making dinner for my mom on Sunday!  This is pretty big, because my usual idea of cooking is making microwave or boxed dinners.  

I got my crazy rosebush cut down more this year than I think I ever have!  Still needs a lot of work though!

Chico's vet visit went well this week!

I finally figured out what I need to do to register for an internship for credit, and figured out it's not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be!

Both of my Christmas in July participants have already sent and received their goodies!  I shared Mona and Weenie's already, I'll share Sarge's on Monday. 
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My poor Chico has been sneezing and reverse sneezing a lot, so I took him to the vet for a checkup.  Shiver went along for moral support, and both boys were so well behaved!  Chico thinks he needs to bark at every other animal within eyesight and once he starts up, Shiver tends to join in.  Neither of them did that this time though, and I was so proud of them both!  Neither of them made the slightest peep the whole time we were there!

The vet didn't have much to say about Chico.  He just said that there must be something in the air that was irritating poor Chico's little nose.  I told him that I remembered bringing the boys in for their annual shots a few years ago.  The vet sprayed some kind of liquid stuff in Chico's nose and he reversed sneezed the rest of the time we were there.  The vet at that time commented on how that was a sign of allergies and suggested that Chico needed some allergy meds.  I did not get any medication at that time simply because I knew he was doing that because of the medication he'd just been given in his nose.  (I can't remember what the liquid was or why they put it in his nose.)  The vet this time insisted yet again that there wasn't really anything to do for the reverse sneezing.

The vet told me to give Chico 15mg of liquid Benadryl and to buy a vaporizer and use it.  So that's what I did.  It's funny how Chico was so quiet the whole time we were at the vet's office, yet the second we stepped outside, he was reverse sneezing again.  The Benadryl seems to have helped.  We haven't tried the vaporizer yet.  I'm just thankful that he's OK.  

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Source
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Check out the loot that Mona and Weenie scored from their Christmas in July swap!  

Monday, July 7, 2014

Merry Monday

I was just thinking yesterday that about half my summer is gone already and I've nothing to show for it.  I haven't really accomplished anything.  I've gone out and done some fun stuff like watching the fireworks display last Friday, going on the annual garden tour, having dinner with friends, etc.  But I've done none of the deep cleaning that I've been wanting to do, or found a different job for next semester, or really much of anything...  I still have half the summer left though, so there's still time!

Tomorrow will be a busy day, so I'll feel accomplished if I can manage to get everything done.  First, I'm going to call the vet to set up an appointment for Chico.  He's been having allergies this summer, sneezing and reverse sneezing a lot this past weekend.  I don't want him to suffer unnecessarily, so hopefully the vet will prescribe something to make him feel better.  I also need to pay bills, go grocery shopping, wash bed sheets, and finish applying for a job that I want.  I know you must all be so jelly of my exciting day!

I like today's date:  July 7, 2014 = 07 07 14 = 07 + 07 = 14
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Took this from here.

1.  If you were a professor, what subject would you teach?

I remember answering this question before and my answer would be the same.    

87 years ago, I attended beauty school to learn to do hair and makeup.  I found that I didn't care for doing hair nearly as much as I enjoyed doing makeup.  Unfortunately, my school didn't spend very much time at all on how to apply it properly.  Once I started working at a salon, we would occasionally attend hair shows to keep up on all the latest styles.  We learned at one of those that there would be an upcoming class that taught how to do makeup professionally.  It was a three day class and I *LOVED* every second of it!  I learned so much and still use those same skills we were taught when I do my own makeup today.

After that class, I look much more closely at other women's makeup.  I try not to judge, because many of them probably never had anyone to teach them how to apply it properly.  Sometimes I wish that I could walk up and ask them if I could show them how to do it right, but that would probably be construed as me being rude.  

So that's what I would teach!  I'd would hold a class on how to apply makeup correctly.

2.  Describe a dream that you had recently.  Provide as many details as possible.

I don't remember most of my dreams, but the ones I do tend to be very weird!  The most recent one is that I ran into a college friend somewhere and she didn't really seem to remember me.  I don't really remember where we were, other than we were out in public.  I saw her approaching my way and enthusiastically said hello.  She gave me an odd look like she was trying to place me, but couldn't quite remember when or where we'd met.  She said hello back, but kept on walking.  I tried to have a conversation with her, but she didn't stop and she didn't say anything else.  

In real life, this particular college friend has graduated and moved back home in a different state.  We don't keep in touch, but we are facebook friends, so I keep up with her life that way.

3.  What is the dumbest thing you have ever done?

Recently I applied for an internship, and got an email from them asking if I would be able to come in for an interview.  This interview was in a different town from the one I live in, and I was only vaguely familiar with how to get there.  I looked up the address, then Googled directions.  I got to the general area fairly easily, and parked.  Then I walked up and down, up and down, up and down the street repeatedly looking for the correct address.  I asked people walking by if they could help me, and also went into several businesses on the same street asking if they knew where to find this place.  Everyone kept telling me I was in the right area, I just had to keep looking and eventually I'd find it.  Funnily, I even went into the building where my interview was to be conducted, asking if they knew where I was supposed to go, only I didn't realize that I really was in the right place.  The building is full of various businesses, and I remember looking at the signs in the lobby, but didn't see this particular company listed.  I couldn't call and ask for directions because I don't have a cell phone.  After almost an hour of searching, I gave up and went home.  I looked up the address again and discovered to my horror that I'd written the address down wrong and that it didn't actually exist!!!  I don't know how Google didn't catch this, but it did not!  No wonder I couldn't find it!  I was on the right street, but I had the building number wrong!

I immediately emailed the lady who set up the interview, apologized for the no show, and explained what happened.  I asked if there was any way possible that the interview could be rescheduled.  Initially, no one contacted me back and that was part of why I was so depressed several weeks ago.  I knew the mistake was mine, and not theirs.  They were under no obligation to reschedule it.  Fortunately, they did actually contact me about three weeks later and asked me to come back in.  That's the internship I mentioned recently, and I won't actually know if I got it or not until mid-August.  

Moral of the story:  check, double check, triple check addresses before Googling and writing down directions!!!!!

4.  Show and tell.  What comes to mind first when you see this picture?  Or tell a story if it reminds you of one. 
Well, it's obviously a close up of a strawberry.  This is my mom's favorite fruit.  I enjoy them too, but don't like that the seeds always seem to end up caught in my teeth.  

Friday, July 4, 2014

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Fourth of July!
Yesterday was the three year anniversary of my father's death.
 

(c) Copyright 2010 Zany Dezines. Premade Layout from Zany Dezines.