Sunday, November 29, 2015

'Tis The Season For Minimal Contact With The Outside World


Thanksgiving is done and over with. We're officially sick of leftovers. The remaining turkey meat has been cut up, bagged and put in the freezer. The Christmas tree is up along with a few other festive indoor decorations. Lisa finished with the outdoor display earlier today. It's beginning to look a lot like...Christmas.

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Lobo Got His Ramp


Two monumental things happened today. The first, I updated my Facebook status with a vague update...leaving my readers hanging. This is one of those Facebook thingies I despise. However, it was all in fun. My vagueness wasn't to conjure up drama or stomp on an individual. It was to simply lead up to something quite exciting. This brings us to monumental moment number two...

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Thankful For The Here And Now


I wasn't going to post anything today. It's Thanksgiving. A day to unplug completely from the virtual world. However, something happened. Or didn't happen. Tuesday, on the overnight into Wednesday, I was wiped out. I sat on the sofa to do some work and dozed off unexpectedly. Not just for an hour. Or two. It was more like 4 1/2 hours. I woke up at 3:30 a.m. I had 30 minutes to get Lisa's breakfast ready, coffee brewed and lunch made.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

And Now For My Next Trick


I planned on going out with Lisa today to deliver Thanksgiving biscuit love, visit and enjoy an adult beverage coffee with friends, and run a couple of errands. I was looking forward to it. I baked pumpkin bread for the occasion. I even showered and put styling product in my hair so I wouldn't look like my usual frumpy, work-at-home dog mom. I even contemplated giving myself a DIY pedicure.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

If Our Kids Don't Like You There's A Good Chance We Won't Either

Our kids love their Uncle Jayber

I stand firm in my belief that dogs are exceptionally perceptive and intelligent. They can sense when you're sick, scared, sad, etc. They can also sense a multitude of natural happenings hours and days in advance from storms to earthquakes. Earlier this year, when our area experienced daily earthquakes, our kids knew they were coming. In the hours before, they'd pace, growl at what appeared to be nothing and Coco refused to eat breakfast. Sure enough, a few hours later, the rumbling began.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

10 Things You Probably Shouldn't Say To A Dog Mom


Although my tongue isn't sugar coated and the words I speak are candid, I do believe some things are better left unsaid. Some situations warrant a little thought as to how a question, statement or opinion might be received. It is never my intention to offend or come across as judgmental. On the other hand, and in all fairness, there is a time and place for no-holds-barred.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Random Rant: We're Hanging On Tight To Old-School


I have more dork moments throughout the week than I care to admit. The most recent is I scheduled a biscuit delivery the same day Lisa had a previous obligation. What it boiled down to is I forgot to transfer a Post-It reminder to my non-virtual calendar. And, I didn't hand-write a reminder to check my non-virtual calendar. Thankfully, the recipient was understanding. We shared common ground. Dork moments.

Friday, November 13, 2015

I'm Not An Expert. None Of Us Really Are.


I've been in my line of work for almost a decade now. Some years ago, several people referred to me as an expert. Although humbled by their choice of terms, I took pride in their high regard for my talent and skills. Without giving it much thought, when others asked what I did for work, I'd begin with, "I'm an expert in the areas of (or my areas of expertise are) social media, online marketing, blogging, content management..." That "pitch" didn't last too long. By choice. Although my knowledge and experience in those areas have a strong foundation and my experience is lengthy, I realized I had an aversion to the word "expert." In fact, as the months and years rolled along, I downright despised it.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Poopy Paws And Peanut Butter Smudges


This morning I stepped on a large Nylabone while walking across the kitchen floor. I'm not sure what's worse. Stepping on scattered Lego blocks or a heavily chewed Nylabone. I was barefoot. The door frame leading into the biscuit room was my saving grace. I restored balance. Dropped a few F-Bombs. Located an old pair of Crocs flip flops. Exhale. I headed towards my office. This requires me to walk through the living room. That's when I noticed it. The mess.

Monday, November 9, 2015

10 Reasons Why Working At Home Isn't Glamorous


I've worked at home for almost 10 years. Despite the misconceptions, working at home doesn't come without its fair share of obstacles. It's not glamorous. I've had to adapt. Set limits. Put my foot down at times. Cancel plans. Work when others are playing. Focus. Focus. Focus. Granted, I don't have to deal with commuting to work during inclement weather or the stress of clocking in on time however, I'm faced with a slew of other challenges.

Saturday, November 7, 2015

If You See Something, Say Something


One of my favorite quotes is, "If you're shocked by what I say, then you obviously haven't paid attention to who I am." I have a mouth. A voice. And I don't hesitate to make that apparent. For some, it has a tendency to shift their disposition towards me. Those who know me well aren't phased when I take a stand.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

The Great Debate...Regular Leash Or Retractable?


Dogs have always been a part of my life. Growing up, we had dogs. In my adult years, I've almost always had a fur-kid. Of course, with having a fur-kid as part of the family, comes the responsibility of taking them out to do their business, walks and the occasional day trip to the lake. Back in the day, collars and leashes were your typical run-of-the-mill and geared more towards functionality than style. Over the years, that has changed.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

If We Had Human Kids They'd Be Dirty And Uncool


Last month I was on the phone  with an acquaintance of mine going over details for a project I'm working on. I don't remember the conversation in its entirety. At one point, she blurted out, "You're lucky you don't have kids." I was slightly caught off guard.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

It's Time To Start Thinking About...


It's November 1st. Time to start thinking about the holiday season. Not that we haven't already. It's come up in conversation. Thanksgiving is right around the corner. The next few weeks will fly by. Then, Christmas Eve. Christmas.