Maybe I'm Just Feeling Squirrelly

But something about this picture just made me giggle.

Happy Wednesday!

This one goes to the dogs.

Finally! 
We had a beautiful weekend. There are the faint signs of spring around and even though it was still cool you hardly noticed with all that glorious sunshine. We made it outside to go walking and maybe I'll be ready for the 5K we're doing in 6 weeks. I've fallen behind in my walking/jogging the last few weeks considering both A and I have been under a funk; she had a nasty upper respiratory and I've just been in a blue mood. 


We started the weekend by celebrating Sia's 10th birthday. I know, I know....we baked a cake and added candles for a dog but what the hell, 10 years is a milestone for a little dog. She must be up around 50 in human years. Somewhere I have a conversion chart for dog to human years but I don't feel like finding it right now so I'm just estimating. No matter what, she's my baby girl and she and the others thoroughly enjoyed their cake.  

No frosting but they did get Reddi-Whip. I could apologize for my appearance in these pictures but fuck it! I just came home from an extremely long Friday and was in no mood to try to look presentable.


Friday Gizzy's doggy stroller arrived and we strapped in him for a test drive. With his bad knees he just can't walk as far as he used to. He was a little nervous at first but I think he will enjoy it and A gets to be the one shamed by pushing a dog in a stroller. 

Saturday we had to go do the dreaded grocery shopping. Ugh! There are few things I hate more. A buys me Starbucks and tries to keep me entertained and I appreciate all her efforts. At one point we were in the meat department and I spotted a middle-aged woman with really long hair. You know, the kind that is past their butt, straight and with ragged split ends. Whenever I see hair like that, I have an incredible urge to take the scissors to it. So much so that last year I almost ran a woman down in the Memphis airport to give her $12 and send her to Great Clips. A spotted the hair at the same time and muttered that it "would make a nice nest for 2 kangaroo rats". I immediately started to giggle and the more I did the funnier it got. We received a few odd looks from other shoppers. I mean we are two adults laughing so hard we have tears while standing next to the poultry. I know it was one of those things where you just had to be there and maybe it was all the caffeine and sugar in my vanilla latte but it's those little moments spent with someone you love intensely, who loves you back just the same that are so special. In situations like these, A almost always leans in and tells me how happy she is that at least I find her funny. Yeah, she makes me laugh like no one else.


The grocery store we frequent has a large (and over-priced) floral department and we usually cruise through to check things out. Over the years we've found some cute planters there that we have been able to closely replicate on the cheap. This day I found these beautiful blue orchids at an inflated price. 

I immediately thought of Bethany and how much she would appreciate these. Although I found them stunning, I can just picture one of the dogs running through the house with those blue petals in their mouth. Lets just say it wouldn't end well.


So we have just about 2 months until we go on our first "big" RV trip and Nipples to the Wind is still stuck in storage. It's too wet and muddy to drive it out of the storage shed and we really don't want to get that thing stuck in our friend's yard. Still we're getting anxious because we still need to un-winterize it, change the oil, get new wheels and tires installed and most importantly install a new stereo and speakers. I'm trying to be patient but just don't want to feel rushed/stressed trying to get things done on a deadline. 
Patience....that's what I must keep chanting to myself. Happy Monday.

I've Got Nothing

I was home all day. I had a list of things I wanted to get done today but got no where. I started several blog posts but just wasn't feeling it. Pretty much the only thing I did accomplish was purse shopping online. I was weak and it was so bright, shiny and spring-like that I just couldn't resist.
Otherwise not much going on around here; no stories to tell and no interesting pictures to post. Today I received a link to this photo display so I'm sharing it. We've all seen photographs like these in black and white but they are even more incredible in color.

Rare Color Photographs of America Before WWII

Getting Facebook Bitchy

And I don't give a fuck who I piss off either.

My dear friend Ash (who was married last year in Jamaica) is expecting her first baby in June. What I love about Ash is that she's a smart, tell-it-like-it-is, no bullshit kind of person. I know she's going to be that kind of parent too. But like all first time mothers (I imagine), she's nervous and questioning and finding her way.

Anyway, today on Facebook she posted pictures of her nursery. Two simple pictures started a fire-storm of criticism. Someone started by asking if it was or was not okay to have bumpers on the crib and then it went on and on from there. Every know-it-all on FB had to throw in their opinion but one bitch really pissed me off. She started out talking about how she works for the state and has investigated many SIDS deaths (her FB profile says she's a secretary for the state) and that you only do things this way and lay your baby that way and NEVER take your baby in bed with you and that's what's best because those are the laws for every daycare in the state, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Maybe I'm just feeling bitchy tonight but it just pissed me off. I'm so annoyed with the fact that some people think that just because a woman is pregnant, she's suddenly public property. Pregnant and new mothers can be so vulnerable because they are inexperienced and anxious. Then you have people who come into the situation and feed into those anxieties. So some women end up constantly worrying about doing something wrong instead of following their instincts and enjoying the experience. I made some smart ass comment on FB about how I don't know how women have managed to have babies since the beginning of time without the "help" of government regulations. And that Adam and Eve are lucky they made it through before someone made all the rules

Then I sent Ash a message to follow her instincts. I know she's going to be a great mommy. And I love her response to the bitch. It went something like; as parents we all want the best for our children and I have read the recommendations and they keep changing every year. These are guidelines and the ultimate decisions are made by the parents based on the needs of their child. You tell'em Ash!

Jill-e-bean: Before and After

What a difference six months makes.

Sept 2010

March 2011

She doesn't even look like the same dog.

Photo by Michael Yamashita

I just love this photograph. I came across it a few days ago and something about it looks so familiar; like I've been there before or A and I have walked that path somewhere along the way. Or maybe it's just the color or the incredible need I have to get outside and go hiking. I don't know but I enjoy it anyway.

So I guess it's Ash Wednesday. I didn't even realize it until my boss said something this afternoon. I don't participate in such things and really don't care to start now. I don't have ashes smeared on my forehead or give up meat or sacrifice something for Lent. He started by asking me if I had plans this evening and after I said I had nothing special planned he asked the question "Do you ever take part in the Ash Wednesday services?" Of course he knows my answer; we've had these conversations before. I've had multiple invitations to come to his church. I always politely decline. But you can almost read the thought of "godless heathen" on his face. Ugh!

All I know is that during my childhood, mom dragged us all from one church to another; almost every possible Christian denomination. The locations may have been different but the people were all the same. She was always looking for something; maybe an answer to her problems or depression or maybe just peace. She lived with the belief that life was hard because it was all a test of faith and the more you endured on earth the greater the reward in heaven. Whatever! Even now she still searches and obviously she still hasn't found what she's searching for in any church or Bible. I guess these days she's settled for searching for it in the bottle of brandy.

But what do I know...I'm just a kid in the grand scheme of things but until you can supply me with some proof, I'm not changing my mind.

Embarrassed Much?

A and I text each other often during our work day. It's the usual "how's your day?" or "what do you want for dinner?" and often "I love you" and "miss you." Sometimes when the mood strikes those texts can be a little more racy too. It's kind of like all day foreplay.

Monday morning I received a panicky call from A. She had written a colorful and rather naughty text for me. She hit send and then was horrified when is was sending to her ex, Mimi. She started pushing the end button over and over but it was too late...it was already up in the air. She quickly sent a second message to apologize and explain that was meant for me. Mimi responded with a huge smile and the comment that she enjoyed the sentiment.

I told A it probably made her year since she was just bemoaning the fact her wife isn't very romantic.

I think it will be years before A lives down the shame of this one.