Tag! I am IT! And so are Debi, Heidi and Heather!

Hmmm... Mrs. Senora Cobbey over at Orangina (formerly God Writes a Lot of Comedy) tagged me for the Three Things thingy.

So, here goes:

3 Joys

1. Carl. He likes me the way I am, and that's hot.

2. Bailey Gene, Bellie Jean, Molly Jean, Henry Gene, Millie Jean, Genie Jean and Jude.

3. Doing something unexpected for a friend.

3 Fears

1. Dying in a fire

2. Getting dementia or Alzheimer's.

3. Having no one to wipe my butt when I am old and in a home.

3 Goals

1. Moving out of this neighborhood

2. De-cluttering my life. MONICA WHERE ARE YOU?????

3. Setting some cash away for my eventual old age.

3 Current Obsessions

1. Sleep... sleep... sleep.

2. Shoes.

3. The BeautiControl Opportunity (don't ask)

3 Random/Surprising Facts

1. I was the class clown in high school. Hard to believe, huh?

2. I recently found a stray chin hair... on my boob!!!!

3. When I am missing home, I make a pot of kluskis and bacon (potato dumplings fried with bacon and onions) and I am back in Gramma's kitchen. Even at this age, I still get homesick.

Now the fun part. I tag the following ladies...

Debi over at Scriggle

Heidi/TeaHo over at RaggyGirl

Heather/RelocatedYank over at Desperately Seeking Sanity

Ladies - please share!!

The credit crisis has reached Japan

It's true! The credit crisis has reached Japan...

In the last 7 days, Origami Bank has folded, Sumo Bank has gone belly up and Bonsai Bank announced plans to cut some of its branches.

Yesterday, it was announced that Karaoke Bank is up for sale and will likely go for a song while today shares in Kamikaze Bank were suspended after they nose-dived.

While Samurai Bank is soldiering on following sharp cutbacks, Ninja Bank is reported to have taken a hit, but they remain in the black.

Furthermore, 500 staff at Karate Bank got the chop and analysts report that there is something fishy going on at Sushi Bank where it is feared that staff may get a raw deal.

(Dang, this is funny stuff.)

And now for something completely different...

Sent to me by a friend in a far-away place (west Fort-freaking Worth) and too darn funny NOT to share. Be sure you have your sound turned on!



I always do that music in my head when I am either a) close to missing a deadline, b)thisclose to missing a deadline, or c) I've just missed the darn deadline.

This music plays in my head a lot.

The Story of Millie and How She Grew (or is Growing)

This was Millie only five sort months ago. Do you see that cute little handful of a dog? She started out as one of five pure-bred Great Pyrenees puppies unceremoniously DUMPED on the side of the road in Abilene, Texas. Millie, one sister and three brothers were picked up by a concerned passer by and taken to the Abilene shelter.

This is that little ball of nothing today.

It is totally hard for me to believe how big of a change there has been in her. She went from being a little runty (but quite feisty) pup to a 60-pound bundle of energy, joy and love. It seems like overnight.

Great Pyrenees are known for their herding and guarding abilities. Quite often, they are placed as puppies with a flock of goats or sheep (and usually an adult Pyr) to learn the guarding and herding secrets that are passed from Pyr generation to Pyr generation. At least that's how I *think* it works. Maybe I am getting Great Pyrenees mixed up with American Indians. Maybe I am confused. Maybe I need a nap.

However, Millie (or Mildred Jean when she misbehaves) is nothing at all like the herding guardian she is supposed to be.

Nope. Not at all.

Carl, my dear husband, has totally spoiled this little monkey. She is totally and deeply in love with her Papi and has him wrapped around her tiny little dew claws. Anything Millie wants, Millie gets. (Hey - I feel a song coming on here.) Whether it's a puppy treat, an hour-long tummy rub, snuggle time with a nap for good measure or the opportunity to clean his plate after dinner, he denies her nothing. NOTHING! What a sucker!

Millie fell in love with Carl on the ride home from Abilene. Our rescue group took in four of the five pups (don't worry - the other girl was adopted by a shelter worker and is living the high life too). From the time Carl (and Lorrie) picked her and her brothers up, she has rarely left his side.

Anybutt, I was looking at some photos of her, and am just truly amazed at how she has grown and how deeply she is entrenched in our lives. The problem with us (the League's) and rescue dogs is that once we have them all well and healthy, we find it too hard to give them up to new homes.

So, obviously, Millie is a foster failure. She joins Jude, Henry and Genie - all failures too.

Seriously, is there ANYTHING we don't suck at? GADS!

EDITED: Here is a photo of Millie in Carl's arms right after he picked her up from the shelter. Can you SEE why she is Papi's girl???


Note: Millie was only 8 weeks old in the first photo. She is now almost 7 months old. What a cutie!

I am NOT a Mommy-Blogger. I'm not even a MOMMY!

Mommy blogging is hot-hot-HOT! You've heard about them all, Dooce, Pioneer Woman, Amalah, Dad Gone Mad... blech, blech, BLECH! I'm not even going to link them here because sometimes (just sometimes) reading about other people's kids and all the cute little misadventures, bad words and goofy little things they do, get on my nerve.

You know I only have the one, right?

I've done some research and my blog doesn't fit into any of the mainstream blogging categories, which (in case you didn't know) are: Automotive, Business & Marketing, Entertainment, Graphic Arts, Green, Lifestyle, Mobile, News 2.0 (what the...), Parenting, Sports, Tech and Video Gaming.

My little home on the web doesn't fit into any of those particular categories very well, so I'm going to suggest a few of my own.

Dog Bloggers: Puppy parents (or kitty parents) blog about the day-to-day trials and triumphs of living with pets. You can have all the wailing puppy stories, the cat-ate-my-couch stories, tips on finding the right food, hairball relief, training a puppy to only poop in the neighbor's yard tips and so forth. THIS is a blog I would read.

Evil Step-Moms to 20-Something Kids: Another blog that is relevant to me. I have two stepkids - 28 and 26 - who STILL LIVE WITH THEIR MOTHER!!! No, I am not kidding. This irks me to no end, but then again, I was on my own at 17, married at 18 and divorced by 21. My step kids think I push them too hard to find jobs, get their own places, and have their own bank accounts. So does their mother. They're right - I AM evil!

Jobless and Maybe Soon-to-be Homeless: FABULOUS! I am right here, right now. I think this blog might be a little discouraging though. Just writing the title made me a little sad. Of course, if Federated Media decided this was a worthy category, it could wind up being a money-making deal. Then it wouldn't be so darn depressing.

Cooking from Cans: I noticed that there weren't any Food categories up there, yet there are a LOT of food blogs. I think some should be dedicated solely to the art of cooking from canned items. I've got some weird things in my cupboard that I have no idea what to do with - like Cream of Crab Leg Soup (now with MORE imitation crab legs!) and Jalapeno-Mint Jelly.

No Kids, No Way, No How: While I always thought I would have kids of my own, that wasn't the hand I was dealt. And I'm OK with that. But lets have some blogs dedicated to us - SINKs or DINKs or whatever they want to call us. They can focus on our obsessive needs to have clean hardwood floors, sparkling fixtures, and the latest and greatest gadgets in our homes, cars and on our persons. It could be the TOTALLY Selfish Blog! I like it. I should run with it (except that I am a member of the Jobless and Soon-To-Be-Homeless demographic).

All seriousness aside, you KNOW I love hearing about your kids, seeing their artwork and recounting their outstanding accomplishments on the soccer fields of America. I also like hearing about your cats, dogs and hamsters (SO sorry about Jello) their hairballs and seizures and potty problems. And I love to hear about your jobs too - especially if you JUST got a promotion and a GREAT BIG RAISE. Those make me feel all warm and gooey on the inside.

Hey - can anyone help me move a couple of bodies? :-D