It's Time We Start Educating Oursleves!

My dear friend Dana has had a very interesting last five years.  Not only did she fight and beat Stage 2 Breast Cancer, but she has become extremely passionate about stopping the gas fields from transforming our beautiful Pennsylvania landscape.  Just recently, I got to spend some quality time with my dear friend and I have to say that I was appalled by some of the stories she was telling me.  I was baffled that there are families being drastically affected by these gas fields right in my back yard.  Even more alarming to me was why I wasn’t hearing about it on our local news.  They tell us about everything else on the news why not mention something as serious as the cause and effects of gas fields being put on our soil right here!

My friend shared this story with me and I would like to share it with you....click here to read it.  I guarantee that you’ll want to start knowing more…it’s scary!   

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on StumbleUpon Share on Delicious Share on Reddit

Share on Digg Share on simpy Share on Technorati Share on furl Subscribe to Feeds RSS

Rick Rick Ricky, Ricky Racoon

Last night I was woken from my sleep by this terrible scream/squeal followed by some hisses and growls. This sounded all too familiar as a couple nights ago I heard the same noises as well as last summer too. Damn raccoons. Although I knew what the noise was it still can be a bit frightening, especially when you know this is all going on just outside of your window (I live in my basement). I am not sure why the raccoons make this sort of noise, last year I thought it was a cat fight but by the looks of my garbage thrown around, I knew better. Anyway last night I prayed that my garbage would not be too destroyed. To see what all of the commotion was about I peeked out of my blinds and turned on the back light, me and the raccoon seemed to make eye contact – it was creepy. He knew very well what he was doing but did not seem to care even though I caught him in the act. I started banging on the window for him to stop and finally I guess it startled him a little and he scurried away. I got back in bed and tried my best to fall asleep. All of a sudden – “crash” my garbage can fell to the cement. Great. Damn raccoons.

Last summer the raccoons were pretty out of control to the point where my dad tried to get rid of them in the not most humane way possible. They must have been immune to whatever he tried to give them because a few nights later they were back for more of my garbage. They do a great job at invading your space, there doesn’t seem to be much I can do to get rid of them without harming them in any way. 

I plead to all of the WW&B readers, what can be done to get rid of these raccoons? Has anyone else had a similar problem? I want to do it in the most effective and natural way. It is sad, I used to think raccoons were cute but now they absolutely disgust me. They are like large rats, now that I have seen a few rummaging through my garbage, they have this mean look in their eye and it just freaks me out. PLEASE help me get rid of them. I never want to hear the screams/squeals ever again. 

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on StumbleUpon Share on Delicious Share on Reddit

Share on Digg Share on simpy Share on Technorati Share on furl Subscribe to Feeds RSS

Doggie Mama Drama

As I have written about before, I am dog sitting for my mom. Well, we had an incident yesterday. While on our first morning walk, Libby started limping about 100 yards away from the front door. It seemed to come on all of the sudden because she had just been sniffing something. And these walks are definitely not full of exertion. But she was doing the whole head-bobbing, limping thing. She had really hurt herself.

While I got ready, she didn't do much, which is her usual. But when I went to take her out again, she was hesitant to start down the stairs. So I carried her and she walked about the front yard for a little bit. I told her that I would be home for lunch to check on her.At this point, I really wasn't too worried about her since she had just been limping, but seemed to be okay otherwise.

When I came home for lunch, she was still limping, which I expected. But she was also lethargic and didn't come over and beg while I ate my lunch. I gave her a treat before I left, but she dropped it on the floor and ignored it. Now I was concerned.

Back to work I went, worrying about her and wondering if she was going to be okay. I talked with the girls here at work since they are experienced dog owners. They suggested monitoring her for a couple of days before doing anything else because she could have tweaked something or even been stung by a bee. I had a great fear that I would come home and she would be dead. To be honest, I was a little surprised for myself about how worried I was.

When I got home, she was still limping, but acting like her normal crazy self. It was such a relief! This was my first time having to deal with a hurt puppy all by myself. Thankfully, it looks like she just needs to take it easy for a couple of days and she will be good as new.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on StumbleUpon Share on Delicious Share on Reddit

Share on Digg Share on simpy Share on Technorati Share on furl Subscribe to Feeds RSS

The Value of a College Degree: Is it Really of Value?

A recent article on Forbes.com http://www.forbes.com/sites/georgeanders/2012/06/05/udacity-sebastian-thrun-disrupting-higher-education/ got me thinking. How valuable is a college degree today?

From my own personal experience, and I sincerely ask that you weigh in on this too, I don’t think what I learned during my undergrad will set me above the bar, or in front of other job candidates. What sucks is that we have to pay thousands of dollars for a 4-year degree that in the end, everyone else has. What makes a college graduate stand out from someone else? Don’t tell me its grades, internships, where you go…because I don’t believe any of that for a second. It is all who you know and what you know. But do you actually learn what you need to know to perform you job during your college career?

That is the point of the article. Everyone now has a bachelor’s degree. I knew that in order to differentiate myself from the others I had to take the next step get my master’s degree. Just another lump sum of money to get a piece of paper that says I spent XX amount of hours learning something. But again, what even makes that degree relevant to what I am doing today? (Disclaimer: I understand some jobs you may actually learn things in school that will reflect greatly upon your career, however read on).

A big part of all of our “big girl” jobs is marketing, public relations and communication. While the basis of these concepts still remains the same, things have changed since all of us have graduated. When have I ever used a theory in any of my positions? Any marketers out there that have? I can say with a 100% guarantee that no one in our core marketing group has a class on social media, YouTube, Pinterest ,etc. But yet we work with these sites every day to reach our prospects and clients. How do you teach something that is changing faster than the speed of light? You don’t. And that is what Prof. Thrun preaches with his new approach (reference article).

With his plan, individuals can take online classes that don’t cost the thousands of dollars that regular classes cost and can still teach you the most up-to-date, relevant information. If you want to be certified in something (basically to show it on your resume) then you can pay a small fee but it is nowhere close to what a degree costs. In the end, Thrun’s thinking is that the idea of a degree is that you spend a fixed time right after high school to educate yourself for the rest of your career (like 50+ years for some of us!) But careers change so much over a lifetime now that this model isn’t valid anymore.

So if Thrun’s plan was an acceptable means of learning in the world today, who would do it? I know I would! I loved the time I had in college, but thinking back to it, I really can’t relate any more than 5% of what I learned to my job today (and the number may be lower than that). Maybe in the future, sure, if I decide to jump back on the broadcasting train it might be more relevant, but right now, I view my undergrad as a good time, a time to make lifelong friends and a time to grow as a person. It was also a huge waste of a lot of money.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on StumbleUpon Share on Delicious Share on Reddit

Share on Digg Share on simpy Share on Technorati Share on furl Subscribe to Feeds RSS

Yum! Pour Me a Pitcher!

Are you starting to dream of the summer days where you get to sip your favorite cocktail and bask in the sun? If so, it’s time to fill up your pitcher and enjoy the beautiful weather and share with friends and family.

Us girls met the other day for dinner/happy hour and Colleen ordered a mojito. When it was brought to the table it looked absolutely delicious. My wheels started to turn as I thought about my upcoming beach vacation. I love a great summery cocktail and I quickly began thinking about what I will be making to accompany me at the beach.

In honor of the first day of summer (yesterday) I decided to make a list of the top summer cocktails. Enjoy!

1. The Ultimate Ketel One Lemonade

Ingredients

- 1 1/2 ounce(s) Ketel One Citroen Vodka

- 2 1/2 ounce(s) fresh lemonade

- 1 piece(s) lemon wheel

Directions

1. Shake vodka and lemonade with ice in a cocktail shaker.

2. Strain into ice-filled highball glass.

3. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

2. Watermelon Margarita

Ingredients

- 1 1/2 ounce(s) Don Julio Blanco Tequila

- 1/2 ounce(s) lime juice

- 1/4 ounce(s) agave syrup

- 1 slice(s) watermelon

Directions

1. Muddle watermelon and agave syrup, add rest of ingredients, and shake well.

2. Double strain into a frozen martini glass.

3. Garnish with a watermelon slice.

3. Mojito

Ingredients

- 12 whole(s) mint leaves, plus a few extra for garnish

- 1 1/4 ounce(s) Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum

- 1 teaspoon(s) sugar

- 1/2 ounce(s) lime juice

- 2 ounce(s) soda water

Directions

- Place mint leaves in bottom of glass.

- Add crushed ice, Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, sugar, and lime juice, and muddle.

- Add soda water and garnish with mint leaves.

4. Planters Punch

Ingredients

- 3 ounce(s) Myers's Original Dark Rum

- 3 ounce(s) Captain Morgan Silver Spiced Rum

- 1 1/2 ounce(s) Grand Marnier

- 6 ounce(s) orange juice

- 6 ounce(s) pineapple juice

- 1 1/2 ounce(s) lime juice

- 1 1/2 ounce(s) simple syrup

- 4 dash(es) bitters

- 2 ounce(s) grenadine

- 1 orange wheel

Directions

1. Add in a pitcher Myers's Original Dark Rum, Captain Morgan Silver Spiced Rum, Grand Marnier, orange juice, pineapple juice, lime juice, simple syrup, bitters, and grenadine.

2. Pour into shaker and add ice.

3. Shake and strain into an ice-filled highball glass.

4. Garnish with orange wheel.

5. Barbados Punch

Ingredients

- 1 ounce(s) Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum

- 1/4 ounce(s) triple sec

- 1 ounce(s) lime juice

- 2 ounce(s) pineapple juice

- 1 slice(s) lime

- 1 slice(s) pineapple

Directions

1. Add Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, triple sec, lime juice, and pineapple juice to a blender with crushed ice.

2. Blend until smooth and pour into glass.

3. Garnish with lime slice and pineapple slice.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on StumbleUpon Share on Delicious Share on Reddit

Share on Digg Share on simpy Share on Technorati Share on furl Subscribe to Feeds RSS

Let's Go Bucs!

So last night I went to the Pirate game with my hubby.  Although I’m not a huge baseball fan, I was really looking forward to going all day.  My husband absolutely LOVES the sport and watches every game on TV (not just the Pirates but literally every baseball game that might be on TV), has one of those “business man special” season ticket packages and a fantasy team that he watches and nurtures all hours of the day.  At times I find it to be terribly annoying and other times, I find it endearing.

So how did I end up going to the game?

My husband’s best friend and fellow season ticket holder, wasn’t able to go last night so I was asked and said yes.  I haven’t been to a game yet this season and lately my hubby and I have been having a blast together and I wanted to keep the momentum rolling.  Besides…the ballpark has cotton candy, hot dogs, peanuts, dip n dots and beer which, was especially delicious on last night’s muggy night in the ‘burgh.

We got to the seats and they were awesome.  They were close to the field on the third base line and it was one of those rows of seats that just had four seats.  We settled in to watch the game.  However, things didn’t go quite the way I thought they would.  Have you been to a game lately?  I feel like because the Pirates have been terrible for so long and people more-or-less stopped going to the games, that they forgot their baseball game manners.  Seriously!  Not a single person waited till the action stopped before getting up and moving around.  They just would stand up as the pitch was being thrown and we would miss what happened.  This one guy, he really didn’t get it…to the point where I got snappy at him.  After a few innings of dealing with it, we decided to leave our seats.  We headed over to the new Budweiser bar (at least that’s what I think it’s called) in the outfield along the first base line.  It was really nice and what a way to watch the game!  You have a beautiful view of the city and river, you can see the field, they have flat screens everywhere in case watching the game live is boring, they have a lovely liquor selection and the beer selection was MUCH better.  So we settled in here to watch game.

I ended up getting a little tipsy and I think the hubby did too.  We laughed our asses off.  In fact, at one point, we were discussing whether or not the Pirate Parrot considered himself a “furry.”  Of course we were at the game just off the heels of the furry convention ending so naturally our conversation went this way.  Overall, going to the game last night was super fun and they WON!  My point is, if you haven’t given the Bucs a chance yet this season, you should.  It was a great night out.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on StumbleUpon Share on Delicious Share on Reddit

Share on Digg Share on simpy Share on Technorati Share on furl Subscribe to Feeds RSS

Are You Woman Enough?

We have all seen, heard, read, droned on about last month's Time article, "Are you mom enough?" The image has been plastered all over the media. Spoofed on SNL and facebook. Truth be told...I haven't read it. The headline was a turnoff though the imagery was quite thought provoking. I will admit, I've read, digested and wholeheartedly loved the rebuttals!

The whole idea got me thinking. Who had the bright idea of questioning the validity of a woman? We do it all. Let me say that again, WE DO IT EFFING ALL! All while standing on our heads, walking backwards in heels holding a child, making a phone call and planning the next meal or meeting. You would never see a headline asking a man if he were dad or man enough. At least not in the same "are you second guessing yourself because if not you should be" sort of tone.

It infuriates me. Every day, I feel mediocre at best. At any point in time, I never feel as though I'm giving 100% to any aspect of my life. If I'm working my tail off on a project at work, my kids are being ignored and babysat by the 50" Samsung. If my kids require a bit more attention (read: summer break), I cannot possibly give my undivided attention to work. Never mind my husband. He's left to his own devices most of the time. And forget about all the other small, annoying time sucks-- the meals, the mail, the bills, the dishes, the laundry (I'm convinced there are several invisible people who live in my house and use our dishes and wear our clothes--four people cannot possibly create that many dirty dishes or soiled undies).

I know I will never be CEO or even vice president of a company. And I will never sit on the PTO or be homeroom mom.  I don't serve four-course meals each night at dinner. I don't do my hair everyday. Rarely wear make-up. Don't get to work out nearly as much as I want to or should. While I give 100% all day, everyday, there are too many factors that divide that percentage into smaller portions of my pie, so each section of my life some days only gets a sliver!

I will settle for keeping everything moderately functional. I wont' get awards at work. I won't be my sons' teachers most involved parent. I won't be the hottest woman on the beach (sorry, babe. You can always gawk at the younger, firmer women). But that is OK. As long as my work is satisfied, my children are happy and I'm not driving the man of my dreams completely insane, I would categorize myself as a success! I give myself permission to be less than perfect. Society won't allow me that. The expectations keep getting higher and the to-do list just keeps growing.

So cheers to you. The mediocre, the just-get-by, the good-enough, average, ordinary, not the most productive or patient or forgiving or involved, best damn you you can be!

We are doing it all. And, might I say, brilliantly!

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on StumbleUpon Share on Delicious Share on Reddit

Share on Digg Share on simpy Share on Technorati Share on furl Subscribe to Feeds RSS

When It Rains, It Pours

Last time I blogged, I wrote about my dog sitting experiences. Those experiences are going to last a little bit longer.

While my mom was on vacation, a pipe burst in her master bathroom and the water ran...for days!!! Her neighbors who were watching discovered the disaster zone. They had been in the house on Sunday and nothing was out of the ordinary. By Thursday, the ceiling in the family room and the kitchen was falling down, my mom's bedroom was drenched, the wall leading up to the second floor was soaked and water was standing in the basement. Lots and lots of damage on three floors.

My mom was flying into Pittsburgh on Thursday. Instead of enjoying a weekend here with her wonderful daughter (me), we had to spend the weekend sorting through damaged items in her house, listing things that needed to be replaced. As a result of all this flooding, she is going to get a new master bedroom and bathroom, kitchen, family room and basement. And I get to keep her dog for the majority of the summer.

It is unreal to see all the damage. It reminds me of a tornado scene where part of a house is destroyed, but the other part has been left untouched. Today marks 7 months since my dad has passed away and this year has been full of very high highs and very low lows. My mom keeps saying that this year will come to end. We just have to make a few more months.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on StumbleUpon Share on Delicious Share on Reddit

Share on Digg Share on simpy Share on Technorati Share on furl Subscribe to Feeds RSS

Oh Dad...

Father’s Day, that Sunday in June where we reward our fathers for being awesome. Each year, that Saturday rolls around, and I still have no idea what I’m going to get my dad. My mom has probably already bought him new shorts, shirts, something cooler – this year she got him a new weedwacker.  But what am I going to get him?

My dad, though having numerous hobbies, isn’t all that easy to shop for… and usually ends up spoiling any surprise I’ve tried to put together. He has endless amounts of sporting wear, representing his Black and Gold teams. And really, how many ball caps can one man own? My dad has to have HUNDREDS (when in doubt, I buy him a new hat). He loves to fish – but really, does he NEED the newest, shiniest lure? And he loves racing – but if he wants to go to the races, it’s something he buys for himself, along with any magazine subscription.

So here we are, a couple days before that dreaded Sunday in June. What am I going to get my dad? I feel terrible being a cop-out, and springing for a Dicks Sporting Goods gift card and ANOTHER Pittsburgh sports team polo shirt… but it’s my go-to gift. If I think outside of the box, he ruins it… (note: this Christmas, I tried to buy him a Kureg, as he enjoys his morning coffee,  but would you believe the man was at the mall the SAME TIME I was, and happened to look over the railing from the top floor and see me lugging the thing from one end of the mall to the other? Well he did… and on Christmas morning, he “guessed” his gift – jerk). So no surprises.

So really, what on earth do I get the man that owns EVERY tool under the planet, has more clothing than I do, and treats himself to a guys’ vacation whenever he wants? I really have no clue.

The thing is, he really is the best dad ever, and I have him totally wrapped around my little finger. I’m a Daddy’s Girl through and through. He deserves a great Father’s Day. I know, I know… gifts aren’t everything, and really, I bet he could care less if I didn’t get him anything, but he deserves it. Really. (mostly for putting up with my mother, but SHHHH, don’t tell her I said that).

So yes, as I head to the mall this evening, I will keep my eyes out for an awesome gift, all whilst looking over my shoulder, because I know he may be lurking…

Happy Father’s Day, Fellas!!

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on StumbleUpon Share on Delicious Share on Reddit

Share on Digg Share on simpy Share on Technorati Share on furl Subscribe to Feeds RSS

Mark Eaton's Story

I have mentioned my dogs in previous posts, but I would like to tell you about Mark Eaton, my mutt.

Mark is my pound puppy. My now husband and I had just started to date and he had to put his Boston Terrier down, so it was a tough time. I was working at Starbucks and going to school and the one day a guy came through the drive thru with the cutest puppy ever. Of course I asked him where this cute puppy came from and he told me the local shelter. So since I knew where to find really cute puppies, I got home and immediately told my now husband that we must go see! He wasn’t too thrilled at the idea at first because he missed Odie but he eventually took me.

So we went to the shelter that the guy at the drive thru said he got his puppy from, but they didn’t have any more left. There was another couple there that was looking for an older dog and overheard us talking and told us that at another shelter down the road, where they just came from, had a bunch of puppies. So off we went!

We got to the other shelter, and to this day, I 100% guarantee I could never get there again. It was in a really odd place and I remember it being in the middle of nowhere. But anyways, there is where we found Mark! He was in a cage that had another cage on top of it. It was just him and his brother, but his brother kept barking. Mark just sat there looking so cute and not barking, crying, anything. I felt so bad for him though because he had some poop on his head because his cage was not the cleanest, so I just had to take him home and give him a bath. (Side note – we made sure his brother got adopted!)

So we adopted Mark, which can I just tell you seems like more paperwork than adopting a child, and my now husband named him Mark Eaton after his favorite hockey player. Mark became an immediate addition to our still fairly new relationship, but he also helped us grow closer. I honestly believe that every couple should have to take care of a puppy before they have a child. You really get to see how each other is going to be with taking care of something else, especially something that poops, pees, cries, gets dirty, needs attention and wants to play when all you want to do is sleep.

Mark has since grown out of his playing days. Sure, he’s a bit overweight, loves to eat (veggies oddly enough) and he acts like an old dog but he is just 4 years old. For Christmas one year, my mother-in-law had a DNA test done on him because we truly did not know what breed he was. Some people would say lab, others – including the vet – said he probably had some pit bull in him, and we knew that he had some sort of pointer in him just because he would point at things in the yard. Turns out he is a crazy mix of Dalmatian (he only has like 15 spots on his chest), German Shepherd (which is mostly what his mom was, we saw her), German Shorthaired Pointer (yup) and Pekinese (ummm…that is a tiny dog. Mark is NOT tiny).

But I don’t care what Mark is. He is my best friend, my baby…my husband knows it too. If I start to think about Mark not being with me, it just gets bad. Like right now, tears. Uhg. I know he won’t live forever, but I am saving up now to clone him.

We all have had special pets, but Mark has beat out any others that I have had (or have). Don’t get me wrong, I love Axel (our other dog) but Mark is mine and he stole my heart the first time I saw the poop on his head!

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on StumbleUpon Share on Delicious Share on Reddit

Share on Digg Share on simpy Share on Technorati Share on furl Subscribe to Feeds RSS

My Brazilian – Part 2

As promised, I said I would update you on all of my laser hair removal appointments so that you could hear the progress. My original appointment was scheduled for last week but when I showed up at the office they told me that my appointment was accidentally canceled and they couldn’t squeeze me in - I was very annoyed. They scheduled my new appointment for yesterday. This time I met with Carey. She was super nice and I immediately felt comfortable. She asked how I was doing and if I noticed any results yet. I told her I am so happy with the results already, it already started to work after only my first appointment. There are some spots where my hair follicles are completely dead. However, there are patches where it is growing back – this is normal. She said that I am right on track and it sounds like I am having great results so far. It was sort of the same routine this time except this time I did not have to wear tight goggles; I just wore these green sunglasses – very stylish. She said that she doesn’t make anyone wear the tight goggles unless she is doing hair removal around their face.

So before we got started she told me to let her know the pain level on a scale of 1 to 10… 10 being the worst. Much to my surprise the first jolt was not bad at all – I scored it at a 5. It hurt much worse the first appointment. She said she adjusts the laser setting to at least make the pain at a 5. When Toni did it last time, I remember the faint smell of burning hair, I didn’t really smell it this time. The room was a little bigger, so maybe that is why? The woman said that if the laser is on too high of a setting they can actually burn people – she then showed me a scar on her arm. I then wondered, did Toni have it on too high of a setting last time? Toni told me she looked for a pink color of the skin and the smell of burning hair. This time I didn’t experience either and Carey made no mention of it. I am just hoping that it works this time and that the laser was not set on too low of a setting to do its job. Carey said that people don’t understand that the laser will still work on a lower setting, it just all depends on the person’s skin type and how they have to adjust it. Since I have darker skin, she said she could burn me more easily than someone with lighter skin. Sounds kind of weird but it is true. We will see if it works at all – if not I will have to see if Carey can put the setting a notch or two higher. For the money I spent, I want to make sure it is working and although she said that the laser being a lower setting doesn’t matter, I assume it was higher when Toni did it and it seemed to work great the first time! We shall see. By the way, Carey said that I got 110 jolts this time - she usually only gives people about 90 but said she wanted to go over a few areas to make sure she got them. Now, this doesn't mean she zapped me 110 times. Overall, the appointment only took 15 minutes total, from the time I got into the room with Carey, til I got dressed and was out the door. It is a fast process - so far I reccomend it 100%! More updates next month to let you know if the second treatment worked!

Has anyone gotten laser hair removal? How was your pain level? I am just really hoping that it works this time since I had a little different of an experience.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on StumbleUpon Share on Delicious Share on Reddit

Share on Digg Share on simpy Share on Technorati Share on furl Subscribe to Feeds RSS

Random Acts of Kindness

Every once in a while, you meet someone who does the right thing for the right reasons. Or, if you are really lucky, a group of someones. No ulterior motives. Nothing to gain. No vain reasons for gaining ground and moving forward. They put themselves aside to move mountains for other people. For the simplicity of doing the right thing. Not for fortune, fame or glory.

My son's pediatric therapy center is run by just that person and staffed by just that group of people. They love what they do and you can see it in the way they act and interact. We've tried, tested and deserted our fair share of centers that "care" about kids. Like many businesses, even the non-profit ones, they are out to make a buck. Usher kids in and push them out. Discharge them before they are ready. Underestimate their abilities. It runs the gammot. Not this place. It sounds so cliche, but they really care.

So I enter my plea. My shameless plea. Visit this site. Log in. Vote. What will take you literally 60 seconds or less, could actually make a big difference to a bunch of little kids, and some pretty damn amazing adults! A $250,000 difference.

1. Follow link: http://www.missionsmallbusiness.com/
2.... Click Log in/Support
3. Type in: Sensory Link

Invite all of your friends to help support us! Every vote counts:)

www.missionsmallbusiness.com

Mission: Small Business℠

www.missionsmallbusiness.com

Chase and LivingSocial are awarding $250,000 Grants. Vote for your favorite small business at www.missionsmallbusiness.com.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on StumbleUpon Share on Delicious Share on Reddit

Share on Digg Share on simpy Share on Technorati Share on furl Subscribe to Feeds RSS

Adventures in Doggie Sitting

My mom is on vacation and while she is away I have taken ownership of her dog, Liberty. We did a trial run in March just to make sure all parties involved adjusted to the arrangement. So I am now 5 days into her 11 day stay. And things are going pretty smoothly. But it is a change for me. I get up earlier so I can walk and feed her. I don't run errands after work so I can walk her again since she has been cooped up inside all day.


Since I live in an apartment and don't have my own yard, she can't go outside by herself. She is used to having a fenced-in backyard where she can run around and lay outside if she chooses. I walk her twice before going to work and 2 or 3 times between coming home and going to bed. Thankfully she does really well on a leash.


She can be a little demanding. If she wants something, she will hit you with her paw. She'll usually hit you on the leg because that is what she can reach. But this morning, I heard her hit my bed twice before 6 am. She was ready to go outside. I was not. We eventually went outside, but after 6 am. She may be demanding, but I am still the boss.


Overall, it has been a pleasant experience. I will miss her when she goes home with my mom. It is nice to see her so excited when I come home. I talk to her and pretend that she cares what I am saying. I had to run to the basement to change over my laundry after walking her and I asked her to wait for me. And when I came up she was sitting on the landing waiting just like I asked.


I do want a dog of my own, but I am still determining if I want the full-time responsibility. Time will tell, but for now I am good with my house guest.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on StumbleUpon Share on Delicious Share on Reddit

Share on Digg Share on simpy Share on Technorati Share on furl Subscribe to Feeds RSS

How Would You Sound With Auto-Tune?

Music, music these days sucks. Popular music especially. I can’t even stand to listen to the radio in the car any more – and for someone like me, who’s CD player has decided to stop playing burned CDs, the radio is the only option – and I hate it!

Where has all the good music gone? If I have to listen to another auto-tuned remix with Nicki Minaj or Rihanna, I might jump off a bridge. Not to mention the newest Gyote song has been given a “pop” remix just to play on our local pop music stations. It sucks.

Anyone can be a singer these days, great producers and some auto-tune can make a star out of just about anyone.

I don’t get it. Back in the day, artists were talented, wrote their own music and played their own instruments. I bet the members of LMAFO wouldn’t have the slightest clue what to do with a guitar.

I should have been a teenager in the 60s. I love me some Beatles, the Mamas and the Papas, CCR, Elvis and the Rolling Stones.

Don’t get me wrong… I have a very eclectic taste in music. I enjoy all genres. But most importantly, I enjoy talent. The “artists” these days are performers, putting on an act. They put on a show full of electric-induced music. Geeze, give me a good costume designer and some dance lessons, and I could be the next big thing.

Good music touches your soul, makes you feel something, brings out a good memory. I feel bad that the kids today are going to grow up listening to the less-than-talented Katy Perry. Introducing them to actual performers, like Adele, is a much better choice.

Now, this is my opinion… many of you may agree, or agree to disagree. But I all hope that you can relate to at least ONE good song that brings you back to an amazing time in your life (I just hope it’s not LMFAO).

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on StumbleUpon Share on Delicious Share on Reddit

Share on Digg Share on simpy Share on Technorati Share on furl Subscribe to Feeds RSS