wyldechylde

Half Full Friday!

2012-02-10T08:15:00.039-07:00

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. Be sure to link up here once you've posted your list! (This isn't a blog hop so please only link up if you've participated by posting your happy list. Thanks!)

~I'm happy because...

I get to sleep in tomorrow!!!

I got the pantry reorganized so things fit in there a lot better now!

Only 6 more days the big Post Secret event!!! Soooooo excited for this!

I got to hang out with a friend for a little bit this week!

I got the note taker job! The school pays me so I don't have to worry about trying to collect my $75.

A classmate has agreed to let me use her power points for a class I'm currently taking that she took last semester! She had a different professor but it's all the same information.

*****

I apologize once again (for the millionth time, I know!) for not getting around to everyone as much as I would've liked this week. I tried to visit everyone at least once. This week and next week are crazy! I have 3 exams next week and am really nervous. I made the Dean's List last semester and would LOVE to do it again this semester.

One of the exams is for math. I can barely do basic arithmetic and failed the class miserably last semester. I'm doing better so far but still struggling. One of the other exams is for a class that I totally am not understanding. So far it's mostly just been graphs that seem to be way over my head. I feel like I forgot how to take notes or something. I have all these graphs but very little written notes next to them so when I look at them a day or two later, I have no idea what they're for! Fortunately, a classmate in a different class has agreed to let me use her power points to study from.

Source

(Note: This isn't one of the graphs from my class but the ones we use are similar looking. I even use different colored pens to differentiate the lines.)

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-08T08:15:00.001-07:00

A Tag & An Award!

2012-02-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

Cara recently tagged me for a fun game. If you haven't ever read her blog, you should totally check it out!

The Blogger Game Rules:

1. You must post the rules.

2. Post 11 fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create 11 new questions to ask the people you've tagged.

4. Tag 11 people and link them on your post

5. Let them know you've tagged them!

Fun Facts:

This is a hard one. I feel like I've already told y'all pretty much everything about me. Some of these "facts" have probably been mentioned before in previous posts.

1. I'm majoring in Business and Economics and am doing a minor in Political Science. I have no idea what I'm going to do once I graduate.

2. I'm a junk food junkie! If I could have a diet of only junk food and still be healthy, I totally would!

3. I get cold easily. Being cold makes me miserable.

4. I get frequent headaches.

5. I love watching old episodes of Unsolved Mysteries and reading the message boards for updates and insider info.

6. I LOVE to sleep in! Sadly, my boys don't always let me.

7. I've gotten better about recycling and now feel guilty if I don't recycle something.

8. I'm not a fan of kids. ADORE babies, but kids...not so much!

9. I usually paint my toenails but rarely paint my fingernails. I don't know why.

10. I love to lounge in my jammies on my days off.

11. I'm bringin' sexy back! (Ok, not really! The song just happened to be playing as I typed this out and I couldn't think of anything else.)

Questions For Me:

1. What is your all time favorite TV show?

Honestly, I don't know that I really have one. There are shows that I've loved like Six Feet Under, Friends, ER, etc., but once they're over, I'm ok with that. I just move on to something else. Currently, I'm enjoying Desperate Housewives, Big Bang Theory and Storage Wars.

2. What is your favorite shampoo?

Right now, I'm using Biolage and am loving it. I will only use products from a salon. No grocery store shampoos for me!

3. If there was only one blog you could read, what would it be?

So that I don't hurt anyone's feelings, I'll go with this one -- CDAN! I love this blog and try to visit it daily. I've been reading it since the very first post.

4. How often do you blog? Do you schedule your posts?

I try to blog on Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's. I used to not pre-post stuff because it wouldn't always post when it was supposed to. Now that I'm in school and working, I kind of have to or there'd be no regular schedule.

5. Do you have a TV in your bedroom?

Yes, I do! I watch it more than the TV in the living room. I love to curl up in bed with the chi's and watch TV. I have to DVR all my shows now or else I'd never get to see them.

6. What would you say is your 'signature' meal?
I don't cook very often and when I do, it's usually some kind of box meal that's quick and easy. Most of what I cook tends not to come out very well because I don't want to take the time to follow directions or I'll substitute ingredients when I probably shouldn't. I do make an excellent grilled cheese sandwich though!!!

7. If you could only shop at one store...what would it be?
I'm soooooooo tempted to say something like Sephora or Bath and Body Works but I'm gonna go with Walmart. They have both food and non-food stuffs.

8. What is your 'day' job?
Student and I also work part-time at the testing center at my school. I wish I could afford to just go to school and not work but my school loan only stretches so far.

9. What kind of car do you drive?
A red 2001 Chevy Cavalier. Yes, it's an older car. I love it though because it's my first and probably only ever brand new car. Up until the last few months, I've had to put very little maintenance into it. It's been a very good little car and I'm gonna miss it when it's time to get another one.

10. Coke or Pepsi?
Pepsi!!! I used to drink several Pepsi's a day but now I just try to have one on Saturday and one on Sunday.

11. What is your cocktail of choice? If it is a specialty of yours, share the recipe.
I never know what to order when I'm at a bar. I usually wait to see what others are having and will order the same. The last time I went drinking, someone got me a Copper Camel shot. Not sure what's in it but it was soooooooooo good! It tasted like chocolate and I could barely taste the liquor.

My Questions For You:

1. What makes you want to follow someone's blog?

2. What makes you comment on someone's post?

3. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation and time and money weren't a concern, where would you go and why?

4. What's your favorite Starbucks drink?

5. Do you prefer the cold and snow or the sun and warmth?

6. What's your favorite food?

7. Why do you blog?

8. Do you believe in psychics?

9. Who is your favorite actor? Actress?

10. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? What do you like best about yourself?

11. What is your proudest accomplishment?

~*~*~*~*~

My Brown Newfies passed on an award to me about a week ago. Thanks, Jenn!

The rules say I must tell you 10 things about me that you might not know. Please see above. I had a hard enough time coming up with 11, I can't think of 10 more! I'm also supposed to pass this on to 6 other bloggers.

If you'd like to do the tag or accept the award, please feel free to do so. I love passing awards on to blogs I love but it seems like people usually ignore them. Not everyone does, of course! I realize that just saying that an award or a tag is for everyone that most people won't accept them but please do! I will tag Katie though because she asked me to ask her questions for her blog.

Half Full Friday!

2012-02-03T08:00:00.042-07:00

~I'm happy because...

I got my free Zoya polishes in the mail!

I racked up some good karma by helping a friend in need this week!

Cali agreed to go to the Big Dance with Shiver! My boys are so excited, they can hardly contain themselves that they get to date sisters!

My mom bought me some flowers for no reason at all!

Post Secret is coming to town and I've got a ticket!!! Soooooooo excited for this!

*****

I apologize for not getting around to everyone yesterday. There just aren't enough hours in a day, I swear! I worked 9 hours and was just exhausted when I got home. Work is getting busier a lot sooner this semester. Today is our short day and we have over 900 people coming in. Ugh! I guess it's just as well that I can't do homework at work because as busy as it's getting, I wouldn't have the time anyway.

I did sneak in some math homework yesterday during the last hour when things slowed down, at least. We have 6 required hours of online homework each week and sometimes I have a hard time meeting it. All of my classes this semester are a lot harder and I have to keep on top of it all so I don't fall behind.

*****

As I'm sure you've heard, Corbin and Ernie could really use your paws of prayer. Ernie seems to doing a little better but poor Corbin hasn't been improving. As if that wasn't bad enough, his mama hurt her ankle and is now on crutches. When it rains, it pours!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Half Full Friday!

2012-01-27T08:00:00.040-07:00

I'm happy because...

I played hooky on Monday!

I got caught up on homework and notes easily!

The rain has melted the dusting of snow 2x this week!

I might have a new job!

I'm finally breaking in my Uggs knock-off boots.

Phoenix...

...has agreed to go with...

...Chico to the big dance! We're still waiting to hear back if Cali will go with Shiver.

*****

That's an old picture of Chico but it's my favorite one. He really is a cute little dog!

Speaking of pictures, I don't know what's up with my camera but I can't seem to upload the pictures of my quilt square. Soooo annoying!

*****

I'm gonna try my hardest to get my giveaway going on Monday. I can get into my account now but haven't had the time to properly use the product. I wanna give it the best review I can so that you'll all wanna enter for the fabulous prize!

*****

So the new job... There's this girl in one of my classes who needs someone to take notes for her. Not sure why she can't take them herself. But that's good for me! Anways, I volunteered and it's a paying position. It's only $75 which is only like $5 a week but hey, it's $! And any little bit helps.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-25T08:00:00.001-07:00

Monday MeMe

2012-01-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

I played hooky today and didn't go to school. I don't know why but I just REALLY didn't want to go! My classes aren't even that bad so I don't know what my problem is. Actually, I do! I just wasn't into waking up at 5 AM. Gotta get over that in a hurry because I've got the whole semester ahead of me and can't be skipping all the time. I'm gonna use today to catch up on the reading I didn't get done over the weekend.

I took this from Curious as a Cat.

1. You just moved to Sesame Street. Which Muppet is your new roommate? How do you think you two would get along?

I've always been partial to Cookie Monster. I have a wicked sweet tooth so I think that's why I liked him so much. We would get along fabulously as long as he shared his cookies.

2. Would you be willing to commit perjury in court for a close friend? What if your lie would save his or her life?

I once had to testify for a former boyfriend. I didn't think he was guilty at the time. He was found guilty by the jury and looking back on it now, I believe he was. I didn't lie. I'd like to think I would never perjure myself but if I felt that my close friend did something wrong but understood why he/she did it and felt that they did it without malice, I don't know... I'd like the think I'd do the right thing and tell the truth.

3. List a few of your favorite ways to bust up cabin fever in the middle of winter.

I don't really do anything different in summer or winter. I like to keep busy with reading books, reading blogs, blogging, sleeping, watching bad tv, talking to friends on the phone, playing with the chi's. And if I get REALLY bored, I might actually clean something. But I'd have to be REALLY bored to do that, lol!

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 reminds me of my dad. He used to wear ties to work every day. Some of them were colorful like this, some of them had cartoon characters, one of them had flashing lights and he also had some holiday themed ones. Plus I dreamed about him last night so seeing this really makes me think of him.

Half Full Friday!

2012-01-20T08:00:00.046-07:00

~I'm happy because...

I started school this week!

I got to school and back safely in the snowstorm Wednesday!

The heavy rains yesterday washed away a lot of the snow!

I got my brakes fixed!

I got a haircut! And while I'm not exactly thrilled with it, it does look much better now that it's all shaped up!

I had THREE participants in last week's HFF! Anyone can join in at any time, no permission needed! Don't forget to link up in the Mr. Linky box above if you play along.

It's Friday!!! Which means I can sleep in tomorrow!

*****

I apologize if I haven't been able to visit in the last couple of days. School has started up and I'm already busy. Plus I'm sooooo tired; I have to get used to getting up at 5:15 AM this semester. I did visit a few of you and will try to stop by and say hello to more of you over the weekend, depending on how much homework I have.

The first day of school was not a good one! It wasn't all due to school at all, there were other factors too. After buying 12 books for 5 classes, I found out I have to buy an additional 2! And I think me and my new math professor are gonna go the rounds; I already don't like her. Unfortunately, I can't switch classes because all the other ones conflict with my schedule.

*****

I finally got around to taking pix of my quilt square but my computer is being extremely annoying at the moment and refuses to upload them from my camera, no matter how many times or how loud I scream at it. I've called it several obscenities and it's put me on ignore! lol I'll try it again this weekend and hopefully get it figured out.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-18T08:00:00.005-07:00

Giveaway Update

2012-01-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

My first giveaway was sponsored by none other than me and my tiny savings account. It was a lot of fun and I vowed to host another one. I hadn't planned on doing it so soon but I was approached by a company and asked if I'd review their product and do a giveaway.

I'm having issues getting into my account with them and until I hear back from the company, I'm unable to complete a post about it. I'm guessing since today is a holiday (holla, MLK!) they probably won't get back to me until tomorrow at the earliest.

In the mean time, enjoy the three day weekend!

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Half Full Friday!

2012-01-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

~I'm happy because...

I go back to school next week!

I got my student loan yesterday!

I ordered some textbooks yesterday and will be picking some up later today!

Just found out I made the Dean's Honor List last semester!

I got an award!

I got Kimberly's giveaway prize! It's a coupon for a free Farm Rich product.

I'll finally be getting my brakes fixed on Monday!

I got my square done for the Fearless Five quilt!

I'll be hosting another giveaway on Monday!

*****

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I can't believe it's been a month since last semester. Wow, that time flew by! I've been a big bum this entire month and have gotten very little accomplished that I wanted to. This past week has been even worse. I've spent it mostly watching tv or online which really only makes the day go that much faster. About the only productive thing I've done this week was to clean my carpet. And then it took me several days to move the furniture back! Because I had no real incentive and just didn't feel like it...

My camera has been charging for a week now. It's been sitting on my counter untouched so I still need to take pix of the chi's. And my square. And my Christmas swap gift. I was supposed to do a post on my swap and have been too lazy to even do that.

I think my problem is that I'm sad to be going back to school. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited but I'm going to miss spending all day with the boys. I love them with all of my heart and have thoroughly enjoyed this time with them. I only work 3 days this semester so that'll help, at least!

*****

My new bloggy friend Ruby was kind enough to give me an award! I never think I'm worthy of them so am always surprised when I get one. Thank you, Ruby! I'm honored.

If you haven't checked out her blog, be sure to do so. She's an excellent artist!

According to dictionary.com's translator, liebster is German for "dearest."

The rules for this award are simple: award it to 5 other upcoming bloggers with less than 200 followers. However, as discussed above, I'm very lazy. I'm not in the mood to see how many followers everyone has. Plus I know several of you already have this award. So....if you want it, take it. And if you don't, that's ok too!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

Monday MeMe

2012-01-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

I took this from ...Curious as a Cat because I don't really have anything to blog about.

1) Would you prefer to have your own swimming pool or your own airplane? Why?

I'd go with the airplane. I'm not sure why but I'm scared to death of large bodies of water. Maybe I drowned in a previous life or something, lol. Plus, with an airplane, I'd be able to travel where ever I wanted to at a moment's notice.

2) Which items in your house do you think will bring in the most money at an antique store in a century.

Honestly, this is a hard one! While I do have some nice stuff, I don't know that I really have anything of any real value. After thinking about it for a little bit, I'm decided on my telephone.

These days, everyone and their grandma uses cell phones. Except for me. I've gone my whole life without one and am surviving just fine. When I tell people that, they look at me like I must be crazy and insist they can't live without theirs. Trust me, you can!

I don't have a rotary phone or anything, just an ordinary wireless landline and one with a wire connected to the wall. I'm gonna go with the one with a wire just because it seems like hardly anyone has one of those anymore.

3) Do you shop around when you look for clothes or do you buy the first thing you like?

I always shop around. AND I make sure to try things on before leaving the store! I'm short so I have to make sure the length is right. Plus sometimes I'll find an outfit that I just adore but then I'll try it on and it looks horrible on me. I have a love/hate relationship with clothes shopping. I'll love it at the store but when I get it home, I tend to hate it.

4) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or tell a story if it reminds you of one.

It looks like a nicely wrapped gift. And this is the story it reminded me of:

About 87 million years ago, I used to work at a salon. Every once in awhile, a gift would need to be wrapped and somehow or another, it became my official job to make it look pretty. I don't know how or why the responsibility came to fall on me.

I'd just barely get the wrapping paper rolled out when my boss would rush over to remind me to measure the wrapping paper before cutting it. When she could see that I'd measured and cut and would just barely start to wrap it around the gift, she'd pretty much insist on taking over, even though it was officially my job. She'd always wrap it up so nicely and make it look like it was done professionally.

Whenever the gift was presented to the recipient, they'd invariably comment of the beautiful gift wrapping. My boss would proudly inform them that I did it. I'd always insist that I didn't actually have anything to do with it but my boss would never take credit for it.

Half Full Friday!

2012-01-06T10:41:00.001-07:00

***It's Friday and Mr. Linky is probably tired so I'll give him a break this week. He won't load after over a half hour of trying so if you've participated today, be sure to add a comment to that effect so I can come by and read all about your happy things from the past week.***

~I'm happy because...

I still have another week and a half of freedom left before heading back to school and work! Wow, these last 3 weeks have just FLOWN by!!!

I applied for a different job that's more in line with my major and it pays more too! Wish me luck!

Even though neither of them linked up, I had 2 participants in last weeks's HFF! Usually I only have one.

I got 2 free bottles of polish from Zoya with paid shipping! Read here for more details but hurry; the offer ends soon! The shipping is less than one bottle of polish!

I won Kimberly's giveaway!

The camera is charging for a long-overdue photo shoot with the pups!

*****

I finally figured out what fabric to use for Sandra's memory quilt. I decided on one of the shirts that Chico's former owners gave me when I bought him and part of our bedsheet because me and the chi's sleep together every night. The plan was to do half a square in the shirt fabric and half in the sheet fabric. The reason I chose the shirt is because when I got Chico, our little family was complete. The reason I chose the bedsheet is because the three of us cuddle up all night long and having them there with me makes me feel safe and happy. Unfortunately, Chico's little shirt was too small. Didn't realize this until after I'd already cut it up. :( So now it's back to the drawing board.

*****

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Earlier this week, I took a look at the required textbooks for each class. I always do this early so that I can compare prices and get the best deal and am prepared when my student loan money comes in.

Well, lucky me! One class requires no less than 7 (yes, 7!) books!!! WTF??? It's only a 16 week class, why on earth would we ever need so many books? Sadly, it's a required course so I can't just drop it. I'm just hoping I'll actually have student loan money left over because anyone who has had any kind of higher education knows that those books aren't cheap!

*****

Pip could really use the Power of the Paw. He's feeling better and is more energetic but I'm still worried about him. Get well soon, Pip!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

2012-01-02T08:00:00.036-07:00

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Happy New Year!!!

This is the time of year to make new resolutions. With Jenn's permission, I've ~~stolen~~ borrowed hers!

Our resolutions for 2012 are pretty simple this year.
--Be a little kinder.
--Laugh a little more.
--Love a lot more.
--Stress a little less.
--Take better care of my health.
--And most importantly: Enjoy every moment!

Oh, right! You wanna know who won, huh? The winner is:

(*drumroll, please!*)

***
CARA
***

What did she win?

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Cara, I emailed you last night. You have 24 hours to get back to me from the time I sent the email. If you fail to do so, another entrant will be chosen.

Thanks to everyone for playing along. This was a lot of fun. I had 31 entries which is waaaaaay more than I expected. I'll have to hold another one sometime.

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

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Half Full Friday!

2011-12-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

~I'm happy because...

I had a nice Christmas this past weekend!

My mom bought me a pretty necklace on Wednesday!

The weather wasn't bitter cold yesterday so the chi's and I took a walk!

I realized yesterday that I was actually excited to get back to school and start the new semester!

I got some new followers this week! Welcome!

I have more entrants than expected for my first giveaway!

*****

If you haven't entered my giveaway yet, make sure you check out the link above. You get your choice of two different prizes. It ends soon so don't miss out! I've tried to keep the rules easy peasy. All you have to do to enter is follow me publicly (so I can verify) and tell me which prize you'd prefer in the comments. And I even give you ways for additional entries!

*****

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Any fun and exciting plans for New Years? I'll be spending it with my mom. I didn't want her to be it alone or feel lonely. My father used to go to bed around 10 or 10:30 but at least he was there. And this year he's not. I don't know, I just want to be there for her. All the major holidays are hard the first year after a death and hopefully by my spending time with her, it'll be a little easier on her. I miss my dad but my mom spent almost 24/7 with him.

You know, in years past, I was always ready to see the new year in and always said that I'd hoped the new year would be better. But 2011 wasn't so bad! It definitely had it's bad moments -- losing my dad and spending the vast majority of my small savings to fix the car would be right up there! -- but for the most part, it was one of my better years. I felt much more at peace with myself and happier than I have for a long time. I just hope that it continues on into 2012. I'm excited to see what the new year will bring!

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Cheers!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-28T08:00:00.002-07:00

My Firstest Ever Giveaway!

2011-12-26T08:30:00.023-07:00

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas yesterday and that Santa Claus brought you everything you ever desired and more too. Mine was nice. Quiet, but nice.

I always told myself if I ever got 100 followers, I would host a giveaway. That time has finally come.

So what can you win? You have 2 choices. Option #1:

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How about a $25 gift card to Starbucks? We have one on campus and if I could afford it, I'd go there daily.

Option #2?! Not everyone enjoys Starbs or even has one near them. So...

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...how about $25 worth of dog toys? That's $25 before shipping.

What do you have to do in order to win one of these fabu prizes? Well, first of all -- you must follow me publicly. This giveaway is only for my friends! Please don't follow if you're only interested in the giveaway though; follow because you want to and come back to visit me again sometime.

Secondly, leave me a comment saying which prize you'd rather win. These two are mandatory.

Want some extra entries? Blog or tweet about this and leave me the link. That gets you an extra 2 entries each.

I'll pick a winner on Sunday night, January 1st, 2012, and announce the winner on January 2nd. And yes, this giveaway is open to entrants outside of the US.

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-25T08:00:00.002-07:00

Half Full Friday!

2011-12-23T08:30:00.075-07:00

~I'm happy because...

I've had the entire week off from school and work!

My mom and I drove around to look at all the Christmas lights a couple of nights ago!

I've spent lots of quality time with the chi's!

Today is payday! My last one until next semester.

I had an excellent time at the holiday party I went to last weekend!

I never thought it would happen but I officially have 100 followers now!

*****

I have 100 followers but not 100 readers. That's ok, though! I always told myself that if I ever reached 100, I'd host a giveaway. Details on Monday so be sure to come back and look for that. Hopefully at least one person will enter. And then if no one else enters, you'd win by default. So yeah, make sure ya enter!

*****

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How is it possible that Christmas is just a few days away? The year has flown by! I always reflect on the year past, at this time. It's been a year of change and a year of loss for me.

I started school in January which has given me hope for the future. I didn't really have any hope for a long time so I'm so glad I went back; it wasn't nearly as difficult as I made it out to be. Just thinking about it seemed overwhelming, but it really wasn't!

I also got a job which was another big change. The job sucks and pays very little but at least it's something. A friend said to me earlier this year, "Doesn't your job make you appreciate your education so much more?" And yes, it does! Hopefully it'll guarantee I'll never have to work at a dead end job again!

The biggest changes were the losses I experienced. First was my dad's ancient beagle. Her name was Angel and I loved her as if she were my own. I collect angels and always said the reason we got her is because I collect angels. My parents always pointed out that she wasn't my dog though. Didn't make her loss any easier to bear and I still miss her.

Two short months later, my dad was gone. I feel his loss even more now at the holidays. I still mostly just feel relief that he's gone - more for him than for me, but for me too because it was difficult to see him in that condition. Simple things like decorating the tree remind me of his loss though and I miss him.

And then there's my betta fish, Red. It's silly but I still miss that fish! Had him for 3 years and miss him more than I ever thought you could ever miss a fish. My mom buying me another one has helped but I still think of Red from time to time.

*****

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In the event that I don't get to stop by everyone's blogs before the big day -- Merry Christmas to you all!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-21T08:00:00.006-07:00

Power of the Paws Needed

2011-12-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

Unless you've been under a rock or haven't bothered to visit Blogville over the weekend, you've seen all the posts dedicated to the Houston Pittie Pack. Each and every one of them make me cry. I cry not just for the loss of those beloved dogs and everything else, but I cry because Blogville is a beautiful place and I'm proud to be a part of it.

As you all know, Sandra and her family not only lost their home in a horrific fire, they also lost 5 of their 7 dogs. My heart goes out to all of them. I don't know the details of the fire but I do know that they did everything they possibly could to save those dogs. I can't even begin to imagine the family's pain in going through right now.

What bothers me most is that poor little Shelby had such a horrible life before coming to live with Sandra, who has a heart of gold, and then sweet Shelby had such a tragic ending. The only positive I can seem to find in all of this is at least Shelby is safe now. She can run free, she can see out of both eyes again. She's no longer in any kind of pain and she's 100% healthy again.

Not that the other dogs are worth any less, because they aren't!!! I didn't follow Sandra's blog so I'm not familiar with the others but I did follow Shelby's progress and they even joined in my Doggone Dog Swap earlier this year. I was more familiar with Shelby but that doesn't mean I don't feel the loss of the rest of the dogs too.

Sandra and her family lost everything, nothing was salvageable. Blogville has come to the rescue, as it always does for one of its own. There's a page dedicated to Sandra's Fire Recovery which has raised almost $6000 as of this posting, several blogs hosted comment-a-thons, there's a memory quilt being created for Sandra with the images of her beautiful angels (click here for more details), Zona's mom is auctioning off an Animals Matter Over-sized Car Seat and donating the proceeds to Sandra's family and I'm sure there's tons more going on that I've missed. Sarge's Blogville Community Calendar has a growing list of all the activities and if you know of any others, please feel free to add them in the comments so that we can all be aware of them.

If you're in any position to help, please donate. No amount is too small. It all adds up quickly. I know this time of year is a bad time to ask anyone for any kind of donations but Sandra and her family will need all the help they can get for a long time to come. They lost everything and literally have to start all over again.

Half Full Friday!

2011-12-16T08:00:00.081-07:00

~I'm happy because...

I'm done with school and work for an entire month!!! Even better, I can sleep in every day!

I ended the semester with 3 A's and a B! I met my goal of raising my GPA!!!

We had lots of yummy food at the pot luck at work yesterday!

I got a beautiful ornament from Katie's Ornament Exchange! I'll post a picture next week.

I saw an owl sitting in one of the trees at school the other day! Never seen one before except at the zoo; wish I'd had my camera with me.

I'm all done with my Christmas shopping!

I'm going to a Christmas party tomorrow! One of my friends just had a baby and I'm hoping she goes too and brings the baby. I'm kind of doubting she will though since the baby is less than a month old.

With all the time off, I can scrub my house down from top to bottom and spend tons of quality time with the boys!

*****

Source

I got lots of cards in the card exchange this year. Haven't opened them all yet but I'm workin' on it! Finally got my cards yesterday so my first big project is to get them done and sent. Some of them may be late and for that, I'm sorry. If you sent one, I thank you and one will be on it's way to you shortly.

I had two free sets of cards from Shutterfly but when I went to go order them, I discovered I still had to pay shipping which would have been more than what I could buy cards for at the store so I didn't get them. I really would've liked to, but $$$ is super tight right now.

Fortunately, I was able to pick up an extra shift Wednesday and worked 10 hours. Usually I close but the last three days, I opened. That meant getting up at 4:45 AM which just absolutely KILLED me! But it's what's gonna pay the mortgage so I didn't complain. I asked to work yesterday afternoon after my last final too but they didn't really need me so I just grazed at the potluck for an hour instead. Because really, who doesn't like hanging out at work when they aren't being paid? lol

I'll be around to visit everyone soon. Sorry I've been a bad blogger lately and haven't visited as much as I would have liked. It wasn't because I didn't want to! Sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T08:15:00.004-07:00

Half Full Friday!

2011-12-09T08:15:00.017-07:00

~I'm happy because...

I picked up an extra shift next week!

I got $150 from selling my textbooks back yesterday and used some of that $ to buy Christmas presents!

I got another follower this week! Welcome!

A light on my car's dashboard came on and the service place fixed it for free! I feel like I've had them on speed dial lately.

With the extra credit assignment in Anthropology, it brought me up to an A so I won't be doing the optional final!

I should be ending the semester with 3 A's and a B! And an F in algebra but that doesn't affect my GPA since it isn't for credit, so yeah, we won't talk about that...

*****

Source

I tried to get around and visit everyone this week but it's been difficult. I'm working 6 days this week and, with classes and studying for finals in the mix, I'm exhausted! (If I missed you, I promise to make up for it soon.) No more classes after tomorrow but I'll have 3 finals and work next week. Monday is gonna be hella long but the paycheck will make it worth it. If I'm super careful and don't buy anything that isn't a necessity, I think I can swing the mortgage payment next month. :)

Last semester, I was really sad when school ended because I enjoyed it so much and wouldn't get to see my friends anymore. This semester, I made new friends and ran into some of the old ones here and there, but it doesn't feel as bittersweet. It went so quick that it's hard to believe it even happened. Guess time flies when you're having fun!

I was talking with a friend at work yesterday and saying that I don't understand why my major has to have so frickin' much math and when would I ever even use that shit out in the real world? She commented that it's not so much about the math, it's more about teaching you to use your brain to think logically. After contemplating that for awhile, I can see that... So now I have a new perspective. Still don't enjoy it but I understand why it's necessary now.

Looking forward to the Christmas break and being with the chi's. I've missed spending so much quality time with them.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

Christmas Is In The Air!

2011-12-05T08:00:00.038-07:00

Source

We got our first real snowfall yesterday. When I drove to my mom's house last night, the roads weren't too bad yet but I'm worried about how they'll be on the way to school. The highway is known for black ice and there isn't any alternative route to get to school. Keeping my fingers crossed because my brakes are bad. At least I have new front tires.

My boys are very prissy and don't like to get wet. So I was shocked when Shiver went out while it was snowing! Didn't stay out long though. And then he went out again a little later and I was surprised when I couldn't see his little paw prints. Granted, there wasn't a ton of snow on the ground but still...

My professor gave us an extra assignment in Cultural Anthropology last Friday. We had to write a 2 to 3 page paper on our culture. Thank you to everyone who sent me emails or commented on this post as I found it extremely helpful. It took awhile to get started but once I did, I didn't want to stop. I wrote 3 full pages and could've written so much more!

Source

On my way to gas up the car last night, I drove through town and admired all the Christmas lights. I so love Christmas. This will be the first one without my dad and I have no money to pay my mortgage next month, let alone buy Christmas presents. It still hasn't dampened my spirit though; I have my mom, my chi's and my friends - bloggy and IRL! What more could I ask for?

Half Full Friday!

2011-12-02T08:00:00.085-07:00

~I'm happy because...

I only have one more week of school, another week of finals and then I'm OFF for an entire month!!!! Soooooooooo looking forward to having time to actually breathe!

I'll be especially happy when this day is over because I'll have completed two presentations and an exam!

A girl in my study group found a helpful website to study from!

All of the blood came out of my white sweater! (Bloody nose)

While I'm not excited about having to work 6 days and probably a ton of hours next week, I'm happy it'll help recoup a tiny portion of the major bucks I spent to fix my car! The car still needs some work done but I'm out of money.

I got some new followers this week, welcome!

*****

April over at dot... dot... dot... is hosting her annual holiday event. If you haven't had an opportunity to check out the great giveaways, head on over and take a look! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the Starbucks gift card, although I'd be quite happy with any of the goodies. The best part? I've won at least two prizes from her and she's always come through in sending them out! Here's Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday's posts!

*****

Don't forget about Katie's giveaways! I've won a ton of them from her and she is really good about sending prizes too! I snagged her badge for this without asking, hopefully she won't mind too much. Sorry, Katie!

*****

I probably won't be around much in the next two weeks. As mentioned above, I'm working 6 days straight this coming week and probably working a ton of hours the following week in between finals. And then I still have to find time to actually study! Please don't forget about me!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T08:00:00.006-07:00

The Santa Paws Drive!

2011-11-28T08:00:00.024-07:00

Y'all KNOW I love animals! My two favoritest are my beautiful baby boys. They're well taken care of -- they have plenty of food, water, toys and lots and lots of love. They're very lucky, even if they don't realize it.

Unfortunately, not all dogs are so lucky! When I read about the Santa Paws Drive on My Brown Newfies blog, I just knew I had to help in any way that I could. While neither of my boys came directly from a shelter, I've gotten past pets from there and will get future pets from there too.

Here's some info taken directly from their web page:

Santa Paws Drive is dedicated to helping shelter animals have a happy holiday season! These furry friends are often overlooked during the holidays, and it is our goal to make sure they get the love, attention and gifts that other pets are lucky enough to get. Please help us bring some joy today!

Now in our third year, Santa Paws Drive is the first "virtual toy drive" for pets! Donate either cash or gifts (the choice is yours!) and the Santa Paws elves will divide up the goodies and money and send them off to six shelters across the world! Our goal is $900 plus oodles of toys and treats for each shelter!

Check them out on facebook and twitter too! If you're poor like me but still want to help, post about it and spread the word. All the shelter pets will appreciate your help, in whatever form you provide it. Shelter pets deserve happiness too and what better way to bring it if you can't take one home today?

Half Full Friday!

2011-11-25T09:27:00.002-07:00

***

~I'm happy because...

I've had an entire week off from work and school! Me and the chi's have spent lots of quality time together!

I've slept in every day but one!

I still have two more days off!

I found a paid internship for next semester that I'm going to apply for! It pays more than my current job does AND I'd be getting college credit for it!

I mostly got my car fixed!

I got most of my homework done this week! Just need to catch up on some reading, do an outline and get it sent out to my study group.

*****

Wow, this week has just zoomed by! I knew that it would. Time off always does when it's so limited. I really appreciate holiday's and long weekends so much more now that I'm back to school and work. When I wasn't doing anything, they were just like any other day.

No matter how hard I try, I just can't convince myself that I need to work on math this week. Because my professor told us that we didn't have to do our required online hours this week, I haven't touched it at all. I even have my notebook, pencil and calculator all set up by the computer but I just can't force myself to even log in to the website.

Thanksgiving wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was very quiet. I've never been a big fan of Thanksgiving anyways but I really wasn't looking forward to this year's as it was the first big holiday since my dad died. Actually, I guess it isn't. He died July 3rd so I guess July 4th was the first big holiday. Anyways, I definitely felt the loss yesterday. As I said, it was a very quiet day. I kept thinking about how he always watched football while my mom did all the cooking. He always carved the turkey and would fight with my mom about how to open the sparkling cider bottle. (He was an alcoholic so we didn't have champagne.) My mom said a quick prayer of thanks before we ate and her eyes teared up. It finally occurred to me that as much as I miss my dad at times, it must be 100x worse for her.

Today is Black Friday and I'll be spending it at home catching up on reading. After bringing my car in for a simple fix, I'm now freaked out about how I'll pay my mortgage in January. Thank God I put money away from my job but now that money is all gone and I still have to finish getting my car fixed. I originally took it in because my gas gauge wasn't working. I ended up with a new fuel pump and they told me I needed to replace the front tires IMMEDIATELY!!! One tire, the tread was separating from the inside part (can't think of what it's called right now). I can't believe it was that bad and I never noticed it before! Still need to replace the brakes and get an oil change. This has been a good little car though and I've had to do very little maintenance to it over the years so I guess it's all just catching up to me now.

***Edit: I don't know why the Mr. Linky thing didn't work and originally, the font was really tiny for some reason. Blogger is sooooooooooooooo annoying sometimes!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Monday MeMe

2011-11-21T08:00:00.017-07:00

Getting my car fixed today. It's supposed to take most of the day. Since I'm stuck without a car, I'll be doing homework. I can't believe there's only 3 weeks of class left, another week of finals and then this semester is DONE!!! It went so fast!

I snagged this meme from Curious as a Cat.

1. You arrive at work to find all the items in your cube packed up in a box. There's no note and you have no idea what's going on. What do you do?

After freaking out initially and presuming I must be fired, I'd ask my boss or a co-worker and keep my fingers crossed that the reason my shizz is packed up is because I'm moving to a different cubicle.

2. What continent would you most like to visit? Explain why. Have you been there before? Is it the last one to check off your list?

I'm embarrassed to admit that I had to look up the seven continents. I remember learning them as a kid but it's not like I use this info daily so it's long since been forgotten.

Anyways, I've decided on Africa. No particular reason and I don't even know what I'd do once I got there. I've never been before so it would be fun just to sight-see and maybe visit MaxMom if she wasn't too busy.

3. List some good memories of your father.

When I was a kid, I remember the neighbor girl talking about all the fun things she did with her dad. My dad worked nights at that time and I remember telling her that I didn't remember the last time I'd seen my dad. I'm sure I'd probably seen him recently but I was probably only 4 or 5 so it just seemed like forever.

Then I grew into a teenager and my father and I didn't get along. At all. I couldn't stand him and the feeling seemed to be mutual. Things remained much the same way as an adult until I finally moved out on my own.

The last really good memories I have of my dad is when he was in the hospital. He wasn't of his right mind and didn't seem to know who I was most of the time. I'd been visiting him for awhile one day when I told him I was going to leave him be and let him rest. He asked me not to go so I didn't. I'm really thankful that I stayed because by the end of the week, he was gone. A day or two later, he seemed to be doing so much better. He hadn't been able to eat and was being fed intravenously. I walked into his room to see one of the nurses feeding him. They left shortly after I came in and I fed my dad. I was so excited he could eat again and thought he was getting better. The next day, he was in a coma-like state and the day after that, he passed away. So those are the memories I'm going to share today.

4. Show and tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or tell a story if it reminds you of one.

It reminds me of a castle. I'd love to go there on Halloween and see what spirits were lurking there.

Half Full Friday - On A Saturday!

2011-11-19T09:15:00.000-07:00

~I'm happy because...

I have the next NINE glorious days off from school and work!!!

I got a new shirt!

I put all but $20 from each paycheck into savings so I can afford to get my car fixed! Unfortunately, it's going to take most of my savings, boo!

My BusComm professor let me switch groups for our skit! Didn't like the first group at all.

My Comm professor let me do a different extra credit assignment since I didn't care for the first one! The first one was something similar to doing the final without studying - yeah, I don't think so!

I'm getting together with friends on Saturday!

♥♥♥♥♥♥

I'm sooooooo excited about having a whole week off! I got home from school and work last night and had a hard time keeping my eyes open. I'm physically and mentally exhausted!

I don't have any exciting plans beyond sleeping in everyday. The only day I have to get up early is Monday so I can bring my car in to get it fixed. The gas gauge went out a couple of weeks ago so it needs to be replaced.

Other than that, I have some homework to catch up on and the extra credit assignment for Communication. I'll also be studying for finals.

And catching up on blogs! And napping! And spending time with the chi's! And napping! And getting pix of the boys! And napping! And making my house look presentable again! And napping! And going to Christmas bazaars! And whatever the hell else I want!

Yes, that's a lot of napping! My new meds make me sleepy.

What are your plans for the coming week?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T08:00:00.006-07:00

Mellow Monday

2011-11-14T08:00:00.024-07:00

So a few weeks ago I took my first math exam and failed miserably with a pathetic 56%. My math professor looks over our work and will sometimes give us credit for an answer even if the online program doesn't. She hadn't posted my grade yet and I kept wondering what was up with that. Friday afternoon, I checked again and she raised it up to 69%!!! Still failing, but I'm still excited because it's one point away from a C-! I'm really behind but I'm going to try to catch up more over Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving was never my favorite holiday anyways but I'm really not looking forward to it this year. This will be the first big holiday since my father died and it just won't be the same without him. I'm half way betting my oldest bro will come visit and he and I DO NOT get along. I suffered through his visit when he came for the services because I had to but I also avoided him as much as possible.

While I'm not looking forward to the holiday, I AM looking forward to Thanksgiving week because I have the whole week off from school!!! It'll be sooooooo nice to have some time off. Once the week is over, it's back to the grindstone hardcore because there's only a few weeks left of school so I need to focus on finals. I'm just praying that the week off won't be like spring break where every professor gave a big assignment to work on over the week. Either way, part of next week will be devoted to trying to get my chi's to cooperate so that I can get their pix for my Shutterfly Christmas card. I don't know how long they take from the date of order to shipping them out but hopefully I'll get them in time to use this year.

I'm really looking forward to this! It's only $10 maximum before shipping, I think I can swing that. You still have time to join in -- it's open until November 28th and everyone will get their swap partners on the 30th.

Several of you asked what I named my new betta fish. I wanted him to have an "O" name for some unknown reason and couldn't decide between Otto or Ollie. So he gets both! His name is OllieOtto but I call him Ollie. I ran it by him and he didn't seem to mind that he has a dumb name. He just fanned his beautiful fins out.

Rescue Me Week!

2011-11-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know Mayzie but all week long I've been seeing lots of my bloggy furiends pawticipating in her Rescue Me Week. I'm a day late but I love the fact that she's doing this so much that I just had to join in.

Sadly, her Grandpa J passed over the rainbow bridge and to honor him, she's asked that Blogville post about a pet that needed to be rescued. To encourage as many people as possible to pawticipate, she'll pick out 5 posts and award a $100 prize to their favorite shelter.

You know I'm all about the chi's so I found a beauty to present. Meet Princess. Wish I could take her.

Princess is a tiny black and tan Chihuahua who is around 2 years old. She came to Fuzzy Pawz Rescue from a shelter where she was doing poorly and was completely frightened. She is a delightful little girl who loves to snuggle and follow you around. She hates to sleep alone and needs to have company at night. She is happy and sweet and prefers scratches and love to playing with toys. She is a "people" dog, but also plays well with other dogs and cats. She recognizes other Chihuahuas and gets all wiggly and happy when she can play with them. Princess has obviously had a rough go of life so far; she is a bit shy at first, and, until she knows you, she likes her space respected. She doesn't like hands to be reached out to her and will nip a little until she is used to you. It took her all of one minute to bond with me and become her darling Princess self. If you give her a minute she will bond strongly with you and wont leave your side. At first she was scared of the men in the foster home (spouse and 2 teenage sons), but it took less than 24 hours for her to warm up and snuggle shamelessly with them all. Now she prefers to sleep with one of them over the foster mom. However due to her being a little bit fearful of strangers, Princess will have to go to a household with no children under the age of 14. Princess loves naps and laps and will bring your family years of joy and delight. Please contact foster mom Liz at 899-9656 or sweetlizzie972@gmail.com for questions and to set up a time to come and meet the Princess. Note an adoption application is required and can be completed on-line at http://www.fuzzypawzrescue.com/adoptionapplication.htm. There is a $40 adoption fee for Princess. Princess is spayed and up to date on her vaccinations.

Half Full Friday!

2011-11-11T08:00:00.056-07:00

~I'm happy because...

I've discovered my love of the trolley! I'd seen it driving around campus but never paid much attention to it until someone mentioned she rides it regularly because her classes are all over campus like mine. Best part -- it's free!!!

I got signed up for classes for next semester!

My adviser says I'm right on track for which classes I need to be taking with the exception of math! This was my first advising appointment so I'm happy that I'm doing the right thing.

My new heartburn meds make me sleepy. This makes me happy because it requires me to go to bed much earlier to get the sleep I need. (I'm a night owl and rarely go to sleep early so I pay for it in the morning.)

I finally named my new betta! It's a stupid name but he doesn't mind! lol

We had beautiful weather yesterday! We're supposed to get nasty weather this weekend so that kind of helps make up for it.

Today is 11/11/11!

I was prescreened for ADHD yesterday and it turns out that I exhibit many (but not all) of the symptoms!

Why would this make me happy? Because I couldn't figure out why I can't seem to focus. And now I feel like I'm not lazy or crazy. I've always had issues with it but it seems like I notice it more now when I have to focus.

Because I exhibit many of the symptoms, I need to go back for the actual screening process. It costs $200 but my insurance should cover it. I just have to get some documents together and have my mom, a friend and a former employer complete some forms. Not sure what to do about the employers as none of my former bosses still works for the company. I don't talk to my current boss much (he stays in his office for the most part) so I doubt he could really provide much information.

It really does make me feel better to know there may be a reason behind why I can't seem to focus.

*****

Because of my bad hip, I swore I'd use a campus map when set my schedule for the coming semester so I won't be running all over creation again. Didn't do much good, my classes are still all over. My first four classes are fairly close together at one end of campus while my fifth one is waaaaaaaaaay over on the other side. BUT...now that I know about the trolley, it won't be so bad! My first class is only 2 days a week which is nice.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

2011 Shutterfly Holiday Cards

2011-11-07T08:00:00.062-07:00

Have you heard of Shutterfly? I'm sure you have; a lot of bloggers have done reviews for them. They have the cutest designs so I decided I needed to get in on the action and order some for myself. They have so many designs to choose from that it'll be hard to order just one set.

These are some of my favorites:

holiday card collection

Christmas cards

And if Christmas cards weren't enough, they also offer...

party invitations

(With an invite like this, I would sooooo want to go to Maggie's princess party!)

thank you cards

(Isn't she the cutest?)

and even address labels!

These are just a few of the examples of the fabulous designs they have to offer. Aren't they just so cute? Instead of using pictures of myself, I'm going to use pix of my chi's. I've received Shutterfly's cards in the mail before from various friends so I know they're excellent quality.

Are you a blogger? Want a chance at 25 free cards this holiday season? Register here.

What are you waiting for???

Half Full Friday!

2011-11-04T08:00:00.013-06:00

~I'm happy because...

I got my hair cut yesterday! It needed it!!!

I finally went to the dr. and got prescription meds for heartburn! It's bothered me most of the year so it was time!

The weatherman lied and we didn't get the snow we were told to expect!

My mom bought me a new betta fish!

I got some very sweet comments on Monday's post! Thank you one and all.

A friend invited me over for dinner yesterday!

After failing my first math exam so miserably, I've resigned myself to having to repeat the class next semester so I'm not in the least bit worried or stressed about that class anymore! At least until next semester! lol My professor typically comes around and checks our progress but she hasn't done that with me since the exam. Maybe she's given up on me.

I won Amber's giveaway! I won free Shutterfly cards so I'm going to use pix of my chi's on them.

*****

I don't know if it's true or not but someone told me that the reason my Anthropology professor is pushing us so hard to create a culture journal is because it's going to be an extra credit assignment at the end of the semester. If that's the case, that explains why he says it'll help us. It'll not only help us to understand and define culture, it'll also help our grade. I haven't started it yet because I'm still kind of mulling over all the thoughts and ideas everyone gave me. I figure Monday's post is a good start for my journal and that there's still lots I can add to it. I really do appreciate everyone helping me with this.

Now is there anyone who can help me pass my math class in just under a month? lol

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-02T08:00:00.004-06:00

Happy Howl-o-ween!

2011-10-31T08:00:00.139-06:00

Source

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween. I want to go trick-or-treating! I actually did go one year as an adult. I'm short so I was able to pull it off. Plus I wore a mask so no one recognized me.

Source

*****

Last week, I asked why you blog. I said that if anyone was interested, I'd share why I do. No one asked but I figure it's only fair that I share my reasons since I asked for yours.

What seems like 87 bazillion years ago, some guy I'd been hanging out with told me he had a computer. They weren't as common back then as they are now. I went to his house and he showed me the internet. I found it interesting but wasn't really quite sure what to do with it. He showed me his email account and we checked out a chat room.

Awhile later, my mom got a brand new computer. Every once in awhile, she'd allow to me to play on it for a little bit. It never seemed long enough and before I knew it, she was telling me she needed it back.

Cut to awhile later - I had a boyfriend who helped me set up my first email account. I didn't get much email at first, most of what I did get came from him with an occasional one from a friend or two.

When I moved out on my own, I got my first computer for Christmas. At this point, I still wasn't sure what to do with it because I'd never been able to play around online for very long before. I was intimidated by it at first but it didn't take long before I'd pretty much figured out all the fun things I could do with it and I was HOOKED!!!

I got my first chi (Shiver) and googled "chihuahua" where I ran across my first dog blog. I read it several times a week and one day, I clicked on one of the blog owner's favorites links. It opened up a new blog, of course, and from there, I clicked on even more links.

I then decided I needed to create my own blog. Sadly, I quickly discovered I had nothing to say. After sitting dormant for a long time, I told myself I needed to either use it or delete it. Every once in awhile I would put up a new post but I never included pictures because I wasn't sure how to. For the most part, my posts were just about things that I discovered I liked, such as McDonald's Fruit Smoothies. Once, I posted about a pretty tree that I'd seen and liked.

I naively thought I'd have instant visitors and that everyone would be sure to comment. Yeah, that didn't happen! It took at least 6 months, probably even more, before anyone else actually checked out my blog. It finally hit me that if I left comments for other people, they might do the same for me. So that's what I did. The first few comments I left didn't lead to anyone coming to check out my blog.

However, I then ran across a blog from someone who had just adopted a chi. I commented and a day or so later, she not only commented on my blog, she was my very first follower! I was soooooo excited! But I also suddenly felt pressure.

I hadn't been blogging with any regularity and because I knew no one else was reading it, I didn't worry about whether or not it was interesting. I knew that if I wanted my one and only follower to stick around, that needed to change!

I wasn't sure what I could do to make it better or even where my place was in this blogging world. I decided to just check out as many blogs as I could and figure out what seemed to be working for them and what didn't. I left comments and slowly, I began to get more followers.

I noticed that blogs who hosted giveaways or swaps seemed to have a lot more followers so I held my very first Doggone Dog Swap 3 years ago and had 6 participants. It went well but I think I only got maybe one follower out of it. That didn't deter me though and I've hosted it every year since. Now I host it not to get followers but just because it's fun. I decided that when/if I ever get 100 followers, I would host a giveaway. That hasn't happened yet but I'm close.

Along the way, I've had a lot of fun. I've made some really wonderful friends, I've won some great giveaways, I've participated in various events, I've cried each and every time I hear of a beloved pet going over the rainbow bridge, I've prayed for people and pets who aren't doing as well as they might, I've laughed at other people's posts and at comments they've left me, I cried at a post someone wrote about me because it was just so sweet (I have it bookmarked so I can go back and read it whenever I want to) and I've appreciated all the wonderful comments people left me when my father passed away. Sadly, my friends IRL were not as supportive as you all were. It's not that they don't care, because I know they do. Some friends have never commented on it at all. That really hurts!

I've also had other bloggers who were kind enough to send me things. You know who you are and I appreciate every single one of you. Sometimes the things I got were for a specific purpose (Christmas, for example) and other times, they were sent for no reason at all. Thank you!

I haven't had very many bad experiences with blogging. I've had a couple of comments that I didn't exactly appreciate but no one has harassed me. I won 2 giveaways and never got the prizes. And one blogger, I blocked. Other than that, I'm so glad I got involved in it.

I'm still struggling to find my place in the bloggy world but I'm still here. I've been accepted by the dog blogs which I love but I also have a lot of followers who aren't involved in that world too. I'm not the best writer, I don't have the most popular blog and I may not have the most interesting things to say but I don't care, I'm here and I'm here to stay!

Half Full Friday!

2011-10-28T08:00:00.023-06:00

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. Be sure to link up here once you've posted your list! (This isn't a blog hop so please only link up if you've participated by posting your happy list. Thanks!)

~I'm happy because...

My new shoes are sooooo comfy! Oddly, they came with different size shoelaces which I didn't notice at the store since I only tried on one shoe.

I mowed my lawn for the last time this year!

My mom helped me and she didn't give me her usual endless lecture about how I really need to take better care of the yard.

I got lots of responses to my blogging questions!

My friend took me out for a belated birthday dinner and gave me some very nice gifts!

I got a B on my Government test!

*****

I didn't do nearly as well on my math test though. We had 4 practice tests we could do and I took them all. The last one I took, I got a 70% and felt confident that I'd do well on the real test. However, the day came to do it and I flunked it big time -- a 56%!!! I'm wondering what they'll do with me now.

*****

Thank you to everyone who answered my blogging questions! Some of you chose to email me and some of you answered in the comments. MaxMom sent me a really long email that I know must've taken her quite awhile to type out and Finn's mama did too! They both brought up some interesting points that I hadn't even really taken into consideration and really made me think.

On Monday, I'll tell you about why I blog! I figure it's only fair since you all shared your stories.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T13:43:00.000-06:00

Please Help Me With An Assignment

2011-10-24T08:00:00.017-06:00

I'm taking a Cultural Anthropology class because everyone raved about how great the teacher is last semester and how easy the class was because he lets us use notes for quizzes and exams. I thought it would be an easy A.

Source

However, this semester seems to be a little different. Last semester, the final was optional. It doesn't seem like that's going to be the case this semester. Plus he's pissed that no one participates in class and not everyone does the weekly quizzes. I do the quizzes.

My professor has repeatedly told us it would behoove us to keep a journal discussing our culture. It's not a requirement but he strongly implied last week that there would something regarding this on the final and maybe even on the exam next week. He said it doesn't even necessarily have to be about culture as in your nationality -- it could something you're involved in such as a tattoo culture or theatre culture or dog breeding or anything really. I didn't really know what my culture was in that regards and then it finally hit me -- I'm part of the blogging culture!!!

I have a feeling that the final (or at least part of it!) is going to ask us to write an essay about enculturation and acculturation and how they apply to our own culture.

Acculturation is defined as culture/experiences taught by outside influences. Enculturation is culture/experiences taught by our own families/cultures.

So just out of curiosity, could you maybe tell me about how you got into blogging, what did you learn about it from family, what did you learn about it on your own, what did you learn from others, what got you started and why do you continue with blogging? Anything else you can think of would be helpful too. Basically, I just want to get an idea of why others do it to jump start my own thoughts and ideas. Plus, I can use this information in my own journal to discuss the culture as a whole.

I would greatly appreciate it and if you want, I can answer those questions as well if anyone is interested. You can leave your answers in the comments or email me @ everythingisbetterwithsprinkles1 (at) hotmail (dot) com.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Half Full Friday!

2011-10-21T08:00:00.092-06:00

~I'm happy because...

I've only heard my noisy neighbors one day this week! They spent hours and hours hanging out in their yard that day but at least I only had to deal with them for one day!

I got to sit or most of my shift at work on Wednesday and amazingly, it actually seemed to go quickly for once! I swear that all time stops the moment I walk through the door to start my shift! lol

I made chocolate chip cookies yesterday! And I still have some left!!!

It only rained once this week!

I figured out how to block a follower who pissed me off! Normally, I would only encourage followers but she was the rare exception!

I'm going to buy new sneakers after work today! I'm especially excited about this because my old ones are all worn out and hurt now. That's why I'm so happy I got to sit for most of Wednesday's shift. Normally I have to stand and walk around.

I enjoyed the annual tour of homes last weekend!

*****

Source

***Sorry if this picture offends anyone but this is truly how I feel about math!

So in math class, we have to do these assessments every 10 hours or 20 problems we complete, whichever comes first. This means about an assessment test once a week for me. We're not supposed to use our notes but I always do. If you get a problem wrong, you have to retake the whole section all over again - even if it's multiple problems and you only get one wrong! Last week's assessment set me back 20 sections. Yes, 20!!! I already had over 50 sections to get through before the end of the week so this was very upsetting to have another 20 added on and I knew there was no way I could catch up. I had another assessment this week and it set me back another 10!!! I was ROYALLY ticked!!!

I talked to the professor on Wednesday and she said she was going to schedule my first exam for next week. I told her I was going to have to retake the test next semester anyway since I'm already so far behind everyone else and that I didn't see how I was ever going to catch up. She was adamant that I'm going to get through this semester and move on to the next math class. I almost started crying when I told her I just didn't see that happening. This is the only class I'm struggling in and I can't afford a tutor. The only one I could find for under $20 an hour never called me back, even though I left 2 messages.

The school does offer free tutoring for math as well as a couple of other classes but I go to school, eat a quick lunch and go to work. By the time I get off work, I'm tired after a very long day and ready to go home. Plus, it's not like math is the only class I have homework in. I can't just focus all my attention on math. I've been told that the math tutoring center isn't that great. It's apparently pretty full at all hours and that you sometimes have to wait an extended period of time to get someone to help you.

My professor said she's going to try to see if she can get some kind of extension for me. I'm not sure how I feel about this. In some ways, I'm thrilled she's going out of her way to help me. On the other hand, I just want to do as much as I can this semester and retake it next semester. Since I'll have already taken it once, it should be slightly easier.

Source

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-19T08:00:00.005-06:00

Fun With Flat George, Part II!

2011-10-17T08:00:00.004-06:00

You can read Part I here!

Here's Flat George standing at the foot of the Bronco which is the school mascot.

We're enjoying a lunch of salad and grilled chicken with swiss cheese.

Flat George is relaxing on the rules board at work.

And finally, he's ready to go home after a long day at work and school. He's a little too short to reach the steering wheel or the pedals so I had to do the driving.

There's still more I could've shown you, like some of the art around campus, the library and Starbucks. We should have done some steps too. Maybe I'll work on that next semester.

Half Full Friday - On A Saturday!

2011-10-15T08:00:00.049-06:00

~I'm happy because...

I'm taking the annual home tour today! I LOVE this tour!!!

I learned my crush's name! :)

I did my speech early for Communication 101 so for the next week, I can just sit back and relax while the rest of the class does theirs. And this speech was the reason I learned my crush's name! :)

I got lots of birthday wishes this week! Thanks to everyone who sent them.

While I didn't appreciate being called into work on my day off, I'll appreciate the extra money!

The rain finally seems to have stopped!

I saw a beautiful patch of rainbow this week! It wasn't very tall but it was wide and very vibrant.

*****

Source

I meant to post this yesterday but I was busy, busy, busy on Thursday trying to prepare my speech (which I left to the last minute!) and didn't have time. And then yesterday I wasn't feeling so hot. I kept telling myself it was nerves from having to do the speech - I'm sooooooo not a public speaker! But I couldn't seem to shake it, even after. When I got home from work, I checked and it turns out I had a low grade fever. I really think I have a sinus infection and need to make an appointment to get some antibiotics.

Source

I'm so excited for the tour of homes this afternoon! I love going, even if I feel slightly depressed afterwards that my house isn't nearly as nice as the ones on the tour. I haven't been able to go for the past few years because it's the same weekend one of my volunteer activities has a big retreat. I was supposed to go this year too but told the head chairperson that I couldn't make it.

Stay tuned for Monday's post, it's Part II of my adventures with Flat George.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T08:00:00.006-06:00

Fun With Flat George!

2011-10-10T08:00:00.018-06:00

Flat George hung out with me at school again and had much more fun this time! We got enough pix for two posts. His tail is still missing, poor thing!

Back in the day, this bell used to be freestanding. It was brought to all the football games and someone would ring it any time the home team made a touchdown. It was stolen several times by a rival college a few towns over so finally they put it here. It's nowhere near the football field now.

Click to enlarge. This is a tribute to 9/11.

These are pictures of the seismograph machine which shows earthquakes all over the world. That hand in the second picture belongs to some guy who offered to hold George for me. He didn't even look at me weird like some other people did when they saw me taking pix of Flat George all over campus.

Here we are taking a break between classes and work. George insisted we check his favorite blog!

Tune in next week for Part II of our adventures!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T08:00:00.007-06:00

Monday Meme

2011-10-03T08:00:00.034-06:00

Yes, another one. I'm working on something different for next Monday though. Remember my adventures with Flat George? Well, he's been hanging out with me at school again this semester and we've been having a great time taking pix all over campus. I'm hoping to have that post ready next Monday.

Week Number 286

1) You're out to eat a nice birthday dinner with your family when the waiting staff marches out from the back room with a cake. With everyone around singing happy birthday, you decide this is the moment to make that life-changing announcement you've been considering. What is it?

Uh.......that I'm gonna become a porn star?! Nah, probably that I was going to move to NY. I don't know why but I've always wanted to live there. It's probably not nearly as glamorous as I like to imagine it to be.

2) What's the last movie you rented? Was it any good?

I don't remember so it obviously wasn't that great or it'd be much more memorable!

3) What holiday annoys you the most?

It used to be Thanksgiving. I don't know why but this one seemed to annoy me the most. Probably because my mom spent all day cooking and I spent the day trying to be invisible so I wouldn't have to help. We'd eat and then I'd have to help clean up. Not my idea of a good time.

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 reminds me of my father because he was in the military. He didn't go to West Point as pictured here though. I wonder what they're doing in this picture and where they're going.

Half Full Friday!

2011-09-30T08:00:00.050-06:00

~I'm happy because...

I'm feeling considerably better!

Today is payday!

Today is my short day at work!

Because I was feeling bad on Wednesday, I spent the evening at home with my boys so I got to spend part of their birthday with them after all! I usually visit my mom on Wednesday evenings.

I got an 84% on my Anthropology Exam! It brought my grade down from an A to a B but I'm ok with that - there's still time to bring it back up.

I found 2 more people for my Government study group! We each cover one chapter and share notes from the texbook and lectures with one another.

*****

Sadly, my betta fish passed away yesterday. He seemed fine when I went to bed Wednesday night but was dead by morning. I know it sounds kind of ridiculous but I miss him! I had him for 3 years and 3 months. I lit a candle for him yesterday.

Source

***Note: this is not my fish!

*****

I thought I just had allergies and the beginnings of a sinus infection but Tuesday night I realized I had a fever which lasted through Wednesday and finally broke on Thursday. Maybe it was just a cold. Still have a stuffy head but I'm feeling considerably better now and slept a good portion of yesterday. I didn't miss any classes or work even though I wasn't feeling great so I'm sure my body needed the extra rest. My boys were very sweet, they curled up with me all day.

Happy 5th Birthday, Baby Boys!!!

2011-09-28T08:00:00.028-06:00

Yes, these are old pictures. Please forgive me! I've been dealing with major allergies this week and what I suspect is a sinus infection so what little free time I have is spent zoning out and doing as little as possible.

Today is officially Chico's 5th birthday. I'm not sure what day Shiver's is but I do know they were both born the same year and around the same month and day so we celebrate them together. Coincidentally, I got them both on Thanksgiving weekend in different years.

Wednesday's are agonizingly long for me. Because my babies' special day lands on a Wednesday, I was planning to celebrate with half of their goodies on Tuesday and half on Thursday. I gave both the boys a new toy with a squeaker in the middle yesterday, which I thought they'd love. They tend to be very picky about what they'll play with but these toys fit all their requirements -- small, lightweight and a squeaker. They were excited for all of about 2 seconds and then they had no interest whatsoever. Hopefully they just need to get used to the new smell or something and these toys will become their favorites.

Happy Birthday, Beautiful Baby Boys!!!

2011-09-26T08:00:00.059-06:00

Not too much happening this weekend -- just lots and lots of homework. I did go see The Help with my mom yesterday which was really good. Everyone told me I'd enjoy it and they were right.

And because I have nothing else to talk about, I decided to do another meme. Yes, it's an easy out. But it's this or nothing so take your pick...

Week Number 285

1) Today, whose mouth needs to be covered with duct tape?

I live next to a row house and one of the families who lives there thinks they need to be out in their yard every.waking.moment.of.every.single.day. I wouldn't mind this so much but they also seem to think they need to be very LOUD! It doesn't matter the weather, they're out there in their postage stamp sized yard making tons of noise. I wouldn't mind it at all if their mouths were covered in duct tape.

2) You are a zookeeper, and one day a shady-looking man brings in what he calls an "exotic animal." This animal is in a wooden box with small air holes on the top and the box is stamped DANGEROUS. He throws a picture on your desk and you look at the strangest creature you’ve ever seen. Describe it, and tell what you’re going to do.

The head is shaped like a horse and the body is that of a lizard. I call the local news, end up on talk shows and become famous. Eventually, I sell the animal which I name after my boys, Shiverchicos, to a zoologist and am a multimillionaire. I never have to work again and live happily ever after.

3) Share three good things about your life right now.

--My baby boys, Shiver and Chico. I heart them so much!
--School. For the most part, I'm enjoying it.
--My mom. I appreciate her more now that my dad is gone and I realize that she'll be gone one day too.

4) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one.

Source

I don't really have a story but it kind of reminds me of life in general. The reason I say that is because there's a turn in the road and you can't see what's just ahead. I'm not particularly religious but I do believe in God and I like that Jesus is in the trees right there. All you have to do is look for him.

Half Full Friday!

2011-09-23T08:00:00.009-06:00

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 fullinstead 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. Be sure to link up here once you've posted your list! (This isn't a blog hop so please only link up if you've participated by posting your happy list. Thanks!)

~I'm happy because...

I saw Our Idiot Brother last night!

I'm probably going to see The Help this weekend!

I've gotten good grades so far this semester! And my partner and I got extra credit for answering all the questions correctly on an in class assignment for Communication.

I got around to visiting almost all of you this weekend!

I won another one of Katie's giveaways! And even better, she still let me have the prize even though I was waaaaaaaaay overdue in getting her my info.

I played hooky yesterday and spent the day with my boys! No school or work but I did have some things to take care of. Oh well, they can wait!

*****

I was supposed to post this on Wednesday for Summer but totally forgot. Oops, sorry Sums! September 21, 2011, was National Myositis Awareness Day. Summer suffers from Dermomyositis.

She asked everyone to post this on Wednesday to raise awareness. We had the sweetest email exchanges (that I saved) on the day of my dad's services and she helped me feel better so I knew I had to do this for her. If you'd like more information on this horrible disease, please check the website listed on the ribbon. And then go visit Summer and say hello!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T08:00:00.005-06:00

What I've learned this semester

2011-09-19T08:00:00.018-06:00

1. Business Communication - Encoding: Sending a message
Decoding: Receiving a message and trying to understand it

2. Elementary Algebra - 32÷[2+(20-18)x3] = 4

3. Cultural Anthropology - Chimps have oral sex

4. Communication - Communication is the processing of messages from one person to another. Communications is mass media.

5. State and Local Government - "The Water Pipe Analogy": At the top of each pipe are various valves where money comes in from a variety of taxes. It pours into the state bucket which pours into other smaller buckets such as Health and Welfare, Medicaid, corrections, etc. If you raise or lower the valve (taxes), it has an effect. If you lower the tax, you have less money unless you raise taxes elsewhere. Taxes can be raised in 2 places for 1 purpose.

Aren't you glad I share my wealth of knowledge so you don't have to go to college too? Think of all the money you're saving! LOL

Half Full Friday!

2011-09-16T08:30:00.068-06:00

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. Be sure to link up here once you've posted your list! (This isn't a blog hop so please only link up if you've participated by posting your happy list. Thanks!)

~I'm happy because...

It's FRIDAY!!!

I saw a rainbow on Monday! Didn't see the rain, just the rainbow.

I had fun at Art in the Park!

I got some cotton candy!

We had slightly cooler weather yesterday!

I attended a class to learn some better study skills!

I won't have to take my first math exam when everyone else does!

I flirted with a cute classmate on Wednesday! It's been awhile so I didn't even realize until after the fact that we were flirting and that the guy was the one who initiated it.

My math professor suggested earlier this week that anyone who was struggling could potentially move into an easier class and to just email her for more info. So of course I emailed right away. She told me to go talk to some guy who I guess is the head honcho over the math department. I went to the his office yesterday to ask about switching over and he checked my stats. He immediately told me that I didn't want to switch and I immediately told him that yes, I did! I explained that I never took the assessment test like I was supposed to and just chose that particular math course out of the ones being offered. Apparently, since the class isn't for credit, I didn't actually have to take the placement test yet.

He explained that he really didn't want to move me just yet because of the progress I've made so far. I told him I didn't feel like I was making any progress at all and that I was just struggling along. But then he told me that as far as progress goes, I'm in the top 20-25% in the class. If I continue along the way I've been going, I have a strong chance of passing the class and moving up to the next one. However, I won't be ready for the first test in time because I still have too much to learn. Basically, I'm finally at the starting point where everyone else in the class was at when they tested in for placement. If I'm still doing poorly after the first exam, then he'll consider moving me.

At first I was kind of pissed that he wouldn't move me. But after thinking about it for awhile, I felt a little better. It's nice to know that someone thinks I'm progressing, even if I don't really see it myself. The guy was really nice, at least.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T08:30:00.000-06:00

Is It Friday Yet?!

2011-09-12T08:30:00.050-06:00

I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately. I haven't been home much and when I am home, I'm tied to the computer doing homework. Even work has been busy and it's only going to get busier as the semester continues.

I went to Art in the Park with my mom this weekend. We usually go every year. As we climbed onto the shuttle bus, I remembered that last year I sat next to a girl who was going to my school and she helped me understand how financial aid works which was a big help. Because of her, I was able to get a much larger pell grant. I didn't buy any art but I did score some cotton candy! YUM!!!

Coreen from Velvet Over Steel recently mentioned she remembered that I'd posted my first day outfit and books last semester. I told her that I'd had a request for them and she asked me to post them again for this semester. So here they are!

Folders and notebooks. I tried to find corresponding colors for each subject.

One of my books came in shrink wrap without any cover so it's in a notebook. The things on the left are called Bar Charts and contain additional info you might not find in books.

I forgot to get the jeans too. The shirt is too big but I like them roomy. You can't really see it but it's bright pink and also has the school mascot on it. Those boots are one of the new pairs I bought.

Half Full Friday!

2011-09-09T08:00:00.055-06:00

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. Be sure to link up here once you've posted your list! (This isn't a blog hop so please only link up if you've participated by posting your happy list. Thanks!)

~I'm happy because...

I managed to pick up all the chicken my neighbor threw into our yard before my boys noticed it! She likes to throw food over the fence for them.

I got my haircut yesterday!

I'm going to Arts in the Park this weekend!

I went grocery shopping this week and now my fridge, freezer and pantry are full!

I lost 3 pounds!

No one used my debit card after I accidently left it at the gas station!

*****

This has been kind of a hard week with missing my dad. On Tuesday, I had to run a few errands. The first place I stopped, I stood in line behind some guy who looked very much like my father did from behind. He was about the same height and weight, wore similar clothing, his hair and skin coloring were about the same - everything! I didn't get to see the guy's face though. When I first saw him, I thought to myself, "There's my dad!" But then I remembered it couldn't be him.

A little later on, I ran into an acquaintance at the grocery store. I last saw her just after my father first learned of the cancer diagnosis. She mentioned at that time that her own father hadn't been doing well and the doctors feared he had lukemia. Turns out her father is just fine and doing much better these days. We talked for at least a half hour, maybe more. She told me about her first husband who died when she was just 34. I knew she had been married before but didn't realize the first hubs had died. So sad! I talked about my dad a little bit and started crying. I think seeing that man earlier in the day and then talking about him with my friend just made it all kind of come back to me that he's really gone.

Wednesday night/Thursday morning, I dreamed about my dad. I don't really remember much about them other than it was a series of dreams where he kept popping up. He was dead in the dreams but I kept seeing him when no one else could and he was trying to make me smile by doing different things. This is the third time I've dreamed about him since he passed on.

Most of the time, I feel like I'm dealing with his death really well, but every once in awhile it just hits me and makes me sad. My dad used to say he was going to outlive us all and I truly believed him.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T08:30:00.000-06:00

Animals Galore!

2011-09-05T08:30:00.028-06:00

This is the second installment of Melissa's guest post. You can read her first one here! This is the last of the guest posts unless someone else decides they want to do one for me.

♥♥ ♥♥ ♥♥ Hey guys – sprinkles is heading back to school and will be quite busy with her course load, plus her part-time job so I offered to do a guest post. And because I’m so awesome, I offered to do two! This is my second one.

Now because I’m not really familiar with most of sprinkles followers, I thought you probably wouldn’t want to hear too awful much about me, so I decided to just entertain you instead (hopefully anyway).

So, courtesy of Cheezburger.com, I present some silly pictures for you.

Half Full Friday!

2011-09-02T08:00:00.099-06:00

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. Be sure to link up here once you've posted your list! (This isn't a blog hop so please only link up if you've participated by posting your happy list. Thanks!)

~I'm happy because...

Three people joined me for Half Full Friday last week!

I won two giveaways!

I got a 100% on my first test this semester! It helped that it was open book.

I have a three day weekend! WOO HOO!

I took my dad's beagle on a fundraiser dog walk and we both had fun!

So far this semester, my homework load isn't quite as bad as it was last time! It's still the beginning of the semester though so I'm sure it'll get busier! Mostly now, it's just been a lot of reading.

*****

For the most part, I'm feeling better about school now. I realized that I just needed to change my perspective and that I'm very lucky to be able to attend college. The only class that I'm really struggling with is math but I found another tutor and am going to contact him for more information. (The first one never got back to me.)

The one girl I was excited to see in my first class apparently does remember me. We had to do a class project together so I casually mentioned that I didn't think she remembered me from last semester. She said my name and I told her talking to her now was like talking to a stranger. She didn't really have anything to say to that and we haven't spoken since so I've chalked it up to us not being as good of friends as I thought we were.

The one friend I talked to the most last semester saw me on campus and said hello before I even saw her. We couldn't visit as we were both on our way to the next class but it was good to see her and I'm hoping we'll run into one another again when we both have more time. We have similar majors so we may even have classes together in the future.

*****

So far, work is ok. Last week we pretty much did nothing but sit around and play on the computers. This week has been busier and I'm actually happy about that. I didn't mind playing around on the computers but I felt kinda bad about getting paid to sit around and do nothing. It's still a little boring, even with people coming in for tests, but it's only for a few hours a day so it's not too bad. My boss and coworkers are all pretty nice.

*****

Last weekend, I took my dad's beagle for a fundraiser dog walk. My dad used to walk Scamp almost daily but now that he's gone, the dog doesn't get out much except for the back yard. He walked soooooooo slow and had to sniff every single little thing which kind of annoyed me because I had to get home to finish up some homework. But then I remembered that he doesn't get many walks and felt bad so I let him take all the time he needed. Unfortunately, I only got one picture of him and it isn't exactly the best. Oh well!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-31T08:00:00.006-06:00

Roman Noodle

2011-08-29T08:00:00.003-06:00

Guest poster #2 is from Meg @ Through the Roses. We became bloggy friends when she joined in my Doggone Dog Swap. She's participated for the last 2 years now.

The lovely sprinkles asked me to guest post while she was taking a couple of weeks away from the blog world. Let me introduce myself. My name is Meg, I am a wife, a furmommy, a daughter, a sister, a friend and a pediatric oncology nurse. I, of course, have a blog called Through the Roses. I live in Florida and have a pretty fabulous life.

I asked sprinkles what she wanted me to post on and she said anything, I had no idea what to post on. The things I talk most about on my blog tends to be animal rescue, cancer prevention and just a little of this and a little of that. I think one of my favorite things to talk about is my furbabies and since sprinkles can relate to that, I’m going to talk about my little heart, my Roman Noodle.

Roman Noodle was rescued in Feb of 2006. I found him left outside of a Publix in a little box. (I thought it was fate, I had been thinking about rescuing a little dog to add to my gaggle but the problem was all the ones that ended up in rescue were funky with really bad habits.) Anyways, back to Publix—this little dog was so little. I had no idea how young he was but he had puppy breath **love**. I drove an hour south to where my friend Gail who owns and runs Animal People Inc lives—I had to show her my new little baby.

When I got to Gail, she was working and we didn’t have any puppy food there so I got him a hot dog (I know so bad furmommy!) and he happily enjoyed that. She thought he was between 8-10 weeks and definitely a Chihuahua. We stayed and chit chatted for a little while threw names back and forth (couldn’t settle on anything), then when she got off work we wet back to her house and she lent me a dog crate and I headed back on the road for the second time another hour drive but back to my apartment to introduce this little boy to the rest of his fur siblings.

Everyone took to Roman pretty well, everyone sniffed, he clung to me while they all said hello and now it was bedtime our first night. Well I put a nice big fluffy bed in his perfectly sized little crate and tried to sleep—no less than 10 minutes after “bedtime,” I heard this awful screeching noise—what the hell was that?!?! Oh just the puppy, I checked him out to make sure he was ok, which he was, pulled his crate into my room and tried to sleep again—10 minutes again and another terrible noise, holy crap, I now draped my hand into his crate, which settled him for another 10 minutes and then that awful noise again. What is wrong with this little puppy? Well I pulled him into my bed and now there is nothing, he just wanted to snuggle. He curled up next to me and slept the next eight hours. When I woke up the following morning, got up to pee the little puppy got off the bed with me and found a perfect spot on my carpet to have a morning pee also. OMG, what is wrong with this dog? Well I found later that nothing is wrong with this dog, he was just a puppy and holy crap, I was going to have my hands FULL.

I worked so hard with this puppy that I ended up naming Roman, more affectionately called Noodle—hence his full name Roman Noodle was born. We trained an hour or so a day on behavior, sit, stay, wait, roll over, we worked constantly on potty training (which was a freaking nightmare), and he came with me day in and day out to work where I babysat. He became super accustomed to meeting new people and playing with kids and as it turned out I had the nicest, best-behaved Chihuahua out there.

I couldn’t figure out for the longest time why this sweet little boy would be abandoned. He did have some food aggression, which we nipped in the butt by feeding my kitty Kiwi with him. He had some wicked separation anxiety, which Kiwi also helped fix by crating with him when I left the house. It wasn’t until about 6 months after I had found him that I figured out the real reason—he had his first seizure. Seizures are scary and his manifested really weirdly. They just weren’t a typical tonic clonic seizure so after multiple episodes and other tests trying to discover what this was that we resided in that they were in fact seizures. It is my thought that the previous owner/breeders say this and realized that they could not sell this dog knowing his health issues.

Roman like all my animals have gotten me through hard times but there is something special about this little dog, he would give up seeing the light of day if it meant he could sit on my lap forever. His love is so unconditional for me and I can’t fib, I love it. He walked down the aisle on my wedding day because he truly is one of my best friends. I miss his little face whenever I am away from him and couldn’t imagine him not being at my house day in and day out. He’s my heart.

Thanks for listening to my story about my little Chihuahua heart and enjoy some wonderful pictures of my little boy.

~Meg

***Note from sprinkles: Sorry about the weird spacing. I tried to fix it but blogger was being a b**** and wouldn't let me.

Half Full Friday!

2011-08-26T08:00:00.061-06:00

~I'm happy because...

School started this week!

I was finally able to get all my textbooks!

I got another laptop! My mom gave me my dad's old one. Didn't tell her I already bought one.

I got to spend the entire day with my boys yesterday!

The Dog Walk is tomorrow! I'm taking my dad's beagle who LOVES to go for walks.

I got loads of free samples from school on Wednesday!

*****

As you know, I started school on Monday. I was so excited when I saw one of my good friends in the first class! I sat next to her and tried to strike up a conversation, only I don't think she really remembered me. She was nice but it was very much like talking to a stranger, which I guess in a sense I was - since I seemed to be a stranger to her. I was shocked by her lukewarm reception as we talked all the time last semester. Or maybe she does remember me and she didn't like me as much as I liked her. Who knows?! None of my friends were in any of my other classes.

My classes seem a lot more difficult this time around. On Wednesday, I sat in my all of my classes and realized just how stupid I am. I didn't have a single thing to add to any of the discussions at all and just sat there like a lump. I tried to remind myself that it's only the second day so I shouldn't be expected to know anything yet but it didn't help since I was like that in all 5 classes. By the end of the day, I was ready to go home and host another pity party for myself; I couldn't though because I had to go to work. So I saved it for Thursday instead, with the only guests being my baby boys. I'm sure things will get better, I just feel very overwhelmed and unhappy at the moment.

Before you sign up for math, you're supposed to take an assessment test to ensure that you're put into the correct course. Stupidly, I never bothered to take it. I just signed up for one and went to class. The class is done entirely online and the system lets you work at your own pace. Before beginning, the system gives you a second (or in my case, a first) assessment test to find out where you are. The professor said that there's 263 objectives (sections) to get through this semester and that the system would probably bump us up past the first 80 to 100. Um, I got bumped up past the first 7 objectives!!! So yeah, not exactly feeling proud of myself right now.

Source

This is the class where I have to spend 10 hours online each week. I have to do 20 objectives per week in order to be done by the end of the semester. I've spent 3 hours online already and haven't even finished one! I don't know how I'm going to manage it but I'm determined to stick it through and not give up. Just find a good tutor who won't charge much.

Source

I paid through the nose and got a closer parking spot this time. My first class is just a short walk away and my next 2 classes are in close proximity as well. However, my fourth class is clear across the campus and my fifth class is like running a marathon to get to! Next semester, I'm definitely making sure I have a campus map with me when I pick classes.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-24T08:30:00.005-06:00