I'll Never Take you for Granted Again....

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to do your job without a computer?  I can't say I've spent too much time thinking about it myself.  I've heard horror stories from people and I think "oh boy, that sucks", but that's about as far as it goes.

Well, my friends....I can honestly say FIRST HAND that yes, it does suck!  We had a nasty virus run through our whole network so EVERY computer had to be taken in for repair (and rescue).  I was without a computer for 3 whole work days!  In one word, it was AWFUL!

99.9% of my job revolves around my computer.  And without it, I'm pretty much dead in the water.

Thank God for the iPhone!  I was able to get my emails, google phone numbers I needed and occupy my time by playing games and visiting pinterest.

I will never take technology for granted ever again!  I always thought it would be horrible to attempt my job without my phone, but being without a computer takes it to a whole new level of misery.

As of yesterday afternoon I am back up running, but now I have 3 days of work to catch up on!  Ugh....It's always something!

Happy Friday!

My Love/Hate Relationship with Pinterest

If you were to ask me how I feel about Pinterest, I would go on and on and on about how I absolutely luuuuurrrvvee it.  But, last night I got to looking at my pins and it got me thinking!  Most of the items I have pinned are for "looks only".

I will NEVER have the patience to do this

I will NEVER be thin enough to wear this:

I will NEVER convince my husband to allow pink appliances in our home

I will NEVER have hair long enough to look like this

I will NEVER have a kitchen this spacious

I will NEVER have a midsection that looks like this

I will NEVER have the patience to do this

I will NEVER have a house this cool

I could do this all day, but I think you get the idea. I guess Pinterest is a place where I can dream!

source for all photos

I hate Valentine's Day

I was going to write a whole post about why I hate Valentine's Day, but then I read this article on CNN and it sums up all my feelings!

Why I hate Valentine's Day

And, on a personal note....My hubby and I got into a huge fight yesterday!  Ughhh!  Our Valentine's Day was awful.  Do you wanna know what the fight was about?  Tator-tot casserole.  Yes, my friends....tator-tot casserole!  Evidently my husband doesn't like cream of mushroom soup used in recipes AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT! 

Thank God that stupid "day of love" is over!

Happy Valentine's Day

Getting the itch

I'm not sure if it's all the nice weather we've been having or what, but I'm getting the home improvement itch!  We didn't do anything all winter to the house and now I'm ready to get started.  I've got a bedroom and laundry room calling for attention.

First on the list is the Master Bedroom.  Our bedroom has been the one room in the house that I just can't figure out.  I have painted, repainted , changed window treatments and changed the bedding about a gazillion times in the past 3 years and still...still, it is the one room I cannot stand to be in.

I have really been concentrating on this one room and I think I finally figured out one of the major issues I have....IT IS SO DARK! 

It is a fairly small room that is filled with a lot of BIG pieces of furniture.  My first thought was to downsize the furniture, but that is impossible considering that my husband can't get into any of the closets in the house (the doorways are too narrow for his wheelchair), so his only way to store his clothes is in the 2 dressers and huge armoire.

Our room is about 12'x12' and here is all the furniture we have in there:

Large Armoire (from Meijer)

Smaller dresser for t-shirts, socks and jewelry (from Ikea)

Larger Dresser (from Ikea)

Bed Frame (from Art Van)

Do you notice anything similar about all of these pictures?  Everything is SO DARK!!

After coming to this realization, I had the idea to paint the armoire white to see if it would make any difference.  It is the largest item in the room (besides our bed, which is leather and can't be painted) so I figured it would make the biggest impact.  And boy oh boy....does it ever make a difference!  We purchased new bedding, changed the curtains and painted the armoire!  It is like a whole new room!  We have chosen our paint color for the walls and hope that when it is all said and done, this will be a room that I will finally enjoy spending time in.

Before and after pictures to follow once the room is complete.

Do you have a room in your house that just doesn't fit your style?

Changing People's Views

"Is she a Pit Bull?"

This is a question I hear frequently.  More often than not, people ask the question with fear in their eyes.

As a result, I try to be a pit bull ambassador whenever I step out the door with my dog.  We do our best to affect each person that we meet.  Most people who dislike pit bull's typically have never actually met one.  For this reason, I want to show people what amazing, lovable companions they can be.

Most people leave convinced after she plants some big wet kisses on them, but there will always be a few skeptics. 

I had three different people approach me in puppy class Monday night to tell me (in a nutshell) how surprised they were that she was such a loving dog.  Two of the ladies actually said they wanted to bring their husbands to class so they could see what a beautiful, full of life, affectionate dog she was.

I was a proud Pit Bull Mama!

Dogs are individuals, I can't stress that enough.  And all dogs can bite...people need to remember that.

The comment I hear the most, usually has something to do with pit bulls having "locking jaws".  This is untrue.  Pit Bulls do not have locking jaws.  Nor do they require a key to unhinge them!  They are not different from who they were nearly a century ago when they were America's premier war hero and family dog.

The problem lies in that people are not being educated on how to properly raise and handle these breeds.  These are not dogs that just anyone can own.  They require a lot of attention and discipline.

I absolutely believe that we have a "Bully Movement" going on here in America.  These dogs are finally being promoted in a positive manner and I plan to play a part in this.

I can only hope that pit bulls will someday rise above their reputation.

Now take a look at these pictures and tell me why this breed deserves to be banned and removed from the care and love of their families.

Lainey & Webbie ~ Best Friends

Webbie & I

Lainey ~ 2 months old

Lainey ~ 3 months old

Webbie ~ The Bumblebee

Webbie & Lainey at the Howl-o-ween Pet Parade

Webbie won 1st Place in the KISSING contest

Lainey ~ 4 months old

Lainey ~ 5 months old

Lainey ~ 6 months old

 

Puppy Training - Class #2

To read about Class #1...go here!

So Monday of this week rolled around, and the closer it got to 6:00pm the more anxiety I was feeling.  I had debated not going back EVER, but I couldn't give up after just one class, considering there were no refunds for "drop-outs".

I put Lainey in the car and off we went.  We arrived to class and parked the car.  Before I even opened the door to let her out, I took a deep breath and tried to find a way to send positive vibes through the leash.  Lainey and I got out of the car and quickly noticed that everyone was standing outside waiting for the door to be unlocked. I quickly had flashbacks of last week and I nearly turned right around to get back in the car.  Of course, I decided against leaving and slowly worked my way up to the door to stand around amongst the other dogs and their owners.  Lainey did fairly well in the group, but as soon as we walked through the door it was a disaster.

Immediately she started pulling me towards the toy corner.  She was already draining me of every ounch of strenth I had.  We made it to our designated spot in the circle and she WOULD.NOT.STOP.PULLING!  Class hadn't officially started yet and I was already mere seconds away from tears.  Just as I had made the decision that this class wasn't going to work for us and we needed to leave immediately, one of the trainers approached me.  She asked me if I was okay and I broke down.  I explained that this class wan't going to work for me...I was too physically and mentally exhausted to put myself through another hour of torture.  She pulled me aside to discuss what was going on and I explained how Lainey becomes a totally different dog when we enter this room than what she is at home.....and that's when EVERYTHING CHANGED!!

The trainer asked me about my feelings toward a choke/pinch collar and if I would be willing to try one out for that night.  I desparately agreed to try one since nothing else seemed to be working.  IT WAS A MIRACLE!  One of the trainers held her while the other trainer slipped the collar on her.  As soon as her leash was snapped onto the new collar she became a whole new dog.  She immediately stopped pulling and sat there all prim and proper.  You could feel the tension and the stress release from her body (and mine).

Lainey was so well-behaved with her new pinch collar that the trainers were using her as the "example dog" for all of their lessons, and.oh.my.god.she.was.a.perfect.dog!!!!  I was able to successfully complete every task that was given to us for the remainder of the evening.  She never barked again and not once tried to pull on the leash.  I truly witnessed a miracle!

Even the gentleman who stands beside us (who has a perfect puppy) leaned over to me and whispered, "had I not seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it".  Yes!  This is the vision I had all along and it was finally coming true.

The next evening after arriving home from work, I put on the pinch collar and took her for a walk.  It was amazing.  I was able to hold the leash with only one finger and it was drooping loose beside us.  I was now in tears because I was so happy.

I know some people may have strong feelings towards the use of choke/pinch collars, but for me and my puppy, it is a MIRACLE collar.

Puppy Training

As you probably already know, we send our puppy to Doggy Daycare a couple times a week.  We've considered it a benefit as she is getting socialization, along with structured play time (not to mention she is so tired when we pick her up...and like they always say "a tired puppy is a good puppy").

I had been thinking about taking puppy training classes for about a month, so when the daycare posted that a new class would begin in January, I jumped on it and enrolled immediately.  This was perfect timing as our precious puppy was beginning to become very disobedient.  Everything she had learned (sit, shake, come, etc) had become impossible!  Not to mention that she was quickly growing and it was becoming harder and harder to walk her, because she is 50 lbs of pure muscle pulling me in every direction.  I should have known that my "bragging" about how well she does on a leash and how we did "absolutely no leash training...my dog is the smartest dog ever"....would somehow bite me in the a$$ one day!

I was counting down the days until our first puppy training class.  You would have thought I was a little kid on Christmas morning based on my excitement as I drove to class last Monday evening.  Then we parked and got out of the car....My bubble burst just as I opened the back end of my SUV and she jumped out all the while barking her head off at the people who parked beside us.  This was just the beginning of the worst night ever!

Class was to begin at 6:15pm, but most everybody was excited and had arrived early.  We all wanted to be the "teacher's favorite"!  Unfortunately, the door was locked which left all of us (and our dogs) waiting outside.  The second indicator that this was not going to go as well as planned happened next.  My dog wanted to "play" with a few of the other dogs, so she continued to bark and get down on her front haunches in the play position.  Once my dog started barking and bouncing around, it caused all hell to break loose with a few of the smaller puppies.  They were terrified of this big lug (my puppy) and they started to bark, growl, cry...it was so loud!  Of course, my dog was the instigator to all of this madness and the evil eye was given to me by multiple people.  Great, we haven't even gotten inside the door and already I'm hated by a majority of the group.

The events that took place over the next hour will be something I will never forget.  First of all, I should have known better than to take "training classes" in the same room that my dog attends daycare.  From the time we arrived she just wanted to play.  Pulling, choking, and doing her best to get to the toy corner. At one point we were split into groups, larger dogs in one corner and smaller dogs in another corner.  She continued to pull and I continued to hang on to her with every ounce of strength I could muster.  And faster than you could blink, her collar slipped off her neck and she took off running towards the "toy corner".  It just so happened this is where the group of smaller dogs were grouped together.  Thank goodness for quick reflexes by one of the trainers.  She was able to grab her and take her to the ground while the other trainer slipped the collar back around her neck.  It was at this very moment that my first tear formed.  I was humiliated to say the least.  My normally well-behaved dog was a monster and I had no control over her.

This was probably the image those little puppies saw as Lainey was charging towards them!!!

We somehow made it through the whole class and as soon as I reached the door to exit, I burst into tears.  I was humiliated, disappointed, furious, and physically exhausted.  I cried the entire ride home.

Then to further frustrate me, once we arrived home and I started telling my husband about the events that had taken place, my devil of a dog slipped back into her angel persona.  This led my husband to think that I was over-reacting which led to even more tears.  My monster dog was acting like a perfect little puppy.

......to be continued with Class #2 

Tidbits

Every morning on my drive to work I have such great intentions of writing some fabulous blog post.  As you can see....it never happens!  I just don't have the time to write every day (or even every other day).

As a result, you are left with bullet points. 

• I'm becoming more and more annoyed with facebook.  My newest annoyance is people who keep posting the "if you are my true friend you will like this post and copy...if not, I'll understand".  Give me a break people....can your self esteem really be so low that you are begging people to "like" you!!!

• It's been raining for 2 days here in west Michigan and I just can't get used to it.  It is Michigan....In January....it should be snowing!!!

• I have 2 big home improvement projects that I would like to start, but I haven't found the energy (or the time) to make it happen.

• I broke down and upgraded my iPhone to the new 4s.  My old 3GS still worked, but after dropping it into the toilet the sound only worked every so often.

•  Another facebook annoyance is when people "announce" that they are going to delete friends from their list.  Again, this is just begging for people to boost your self esteem by forcing them to comment in order to remain safe on your list.

• I just realized that I could go on and on about my current pet-peeves concerning facebook (I like you enough to spare you)

• Took Lainey to our first puppy training class last night.  One word...HORRIBLE!  This deserves a post of it's own (to follow soon)

• Today is the 6 year anniversary of my grandpa passing & the 3 year anniversary of moving into our house

• Everyone I know or talk to is sick!  I can only hope that I stay healthy.

• Like a majority of all woman...I'm addicted to Pinterest

Speaking of Pinterest, I gotta go so I have a minute to browse before my lunch hour is over :-)

Lifes Happenings

Here are a few tid-bits of what's happening in and around my world:

• I dropped my iPhone in the toilet over a week ago!  I immediately put it in a bag of rice to dry out, but since then, I've been having problems with my sound.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  If this was just my personal phone I wouldn't worry about it, but since it is technically a work phone, it is important that I have a ring tone to know that customers are calling me. I have the option to upgrade from my 3GS to an iPhone 4S, but I've been so hesitant to do it.  I know I will love the new 4S, but I am a creature of habit and I am (for some reason) really attached to MY phone and don't want a new one!  What to do?

• Last month I got our electric bill and my jaw dropped to the floor!  I assumed it was because we had all the Christmas lights on in the house and all of the outdoor decor lit up.  Well, I'm still assuming that, but this morning I got our electric bill for this month and it is about $100 more than last month!  I don't know how we are going to keep paying for these.  I checked to see what my bill was last year at this time considering we would have had all the Christmas lights going last year too.  My current bill is over 150% higher this year....what the hell!

• Next Monday Lainey and I start puppy classes.  We both need some serious training!  I've tried and tried to properly train her to walk on a leash and heel when commanded, not to jump on people when they come into the house, to sit on command...every time.  Whatever I am doing is not working.  I just hope that the classes are worth the money and can really teach both of us a thing or two.  I'm also hoping that my spaz of a dog doesn't get kicked out of class on the first night.

• I love my kindle (as I knew I would), but I feel so guilty when I sit down and start reading.  My mind won't relax and instead keeps reminding me of all the things I could be accomplishing if I wasn't just sitting here reading.  I made a promise to myself that in 2012 I would slow down a little and enjoy more ME time, but I'm starting off the year a little rough.  Do you think there will ever come a time that I can fully enjoy putting chores aside for a little relaxation to read?

• I'm loving this Michigan weather.  It has been near 50 degrees about 3-4 times in the past week.  And the sun has even been shining!  They are calling for some snow later this week, but until then I'm not complaining one bit.

What's been happening in your neck of the woods?

Grief

It's been 8 months since my brother passed away and I can honestly say that my heart aches more today than it did on that horrible Monday in April.

I think about him ALL.THE.TIME!!!  And on days when my heart just can't take any more....I cry!  In the past couple weeks I have cried at Target, in the car driving, on the couch watching Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, at my desk, in the shower, walking the dog.  I feel like I am constantly trying to hide my feelings and wipe my tears before anyone sees them and it is killing me.  All I really want is one good, loud, snot-dripping cry without being afraid of someone asking me what is wrong.  I don't like to explain my tears.  I feel like as long as I don't say the words out loud than it can't possibly be true.  Obviously, I'm not crazy and know that reality is what it is, but I really hate saying it out loud.

I'm hurting and don't know how to make it better.  I don't even necessarily want it to go away, because I want my heart to always remember....but, I can't go on like this.  I'm starting to think my grief is affecting more of my life than I would like to admit. 

I'm even so desperate that every night before I go to bed, I pray to my brother to please visit me in my dreams.  I just want to hear his voice, to know that he is okay.  But, every morning I wake up and he never came!  Which then, starts this crazy mind of mine on a whole other roller coaster with a whole other set of questions.

I'm not even going to re-read this post before hitting publish....I already know I sound like a crazy person and I'm okay with that.

I miss you!!!

Baby Sister got Hitched

My baby sister got married on New Years Eve.  It was by far the most beautiful, most formal wedding I have ever been to.

But, best of all....they had a photo booth!  I'm venturing to guess that my siblings and I probably used it the most. 

Here are some of the pics we took:

Of course, hubby and I got in on the action too.....

Here are a few other family pics. 
(my sister, the bride, is not in any of these pics because she is on her honeymoon and none are being posted until she returns and gives the ok)

Hubby and I

Dad, Me, Sister Rachel, Grandma, Brother Chad

And here we are in "birth order"...it's a family joke!

Some of the cousins....good genes sure do run in the family!

Sister and I

And, before I forget.....I have to give credit to my sister Rachel for all of these pics.  I forgot my camera as we were rushing out the door. (typical Amy style)

Christmas 2011

Between my husband and I both having pneumonia I didn't get any pictures from Christmas.  I'm really disappointed!

But, I was able to find a few on my iphone

This first picture is of our tree after a night of wrapping gifts.  It looks as though Santa had already visited our house!  The amazing part is that these were not all of our gifts.  At the time of this picture, we still had more wrapping to do.  And not to mention, this was only ONE of our trees.  We had another Christmas tree that was full of gifts also.

And of course I have to throw in a picture of our Lainey Bug!!  (The markings on her neck look a little like a beard...haha)

And just so there are no hurt feelings....I had to throw in a picture of both dogs.  Stewie, our Jack Russell is on the left and our "little" Lainey is on the right.

I'm a little disappointed in the entire holiday season this year, but I have big hopes for Christmas 2012!

Good Riddance 2011

I wanted to write a nice long recap post about all the happenings in 2011, but it ain't gonna happen people! I am still recovering from the holidays and too busy taking care of my husband who now has pneumonia (that I passed on to him).

I will say that I am ecstatic to see 2011 come to an end. I am even more excited for my little sister to get married tomorrow. What a great way to end the year by celebrating two people in love!

Happy New Year to you all. May 2012 fulfill all your hopes and dreams!

On the Mend

After a whirlwind few months of constantly being on the go....my body shut down last week.  It was 11 days of getting out of bed or off the couch only in emergency situations (using the restroom, heating up chicken broth, going to the hospital, etc).

If I could only put into words the illness that I just recovered from.  The correct term would be pneumonia, but it was so much more than that.  My body literally shut down on me.  There were days I physically could not move.  Lifting my head for even the slightest thing was exhausting and nauseating all in the same breath.

On the worst of days, I couldn't even get myself to the bathroom to urinate.  My husband was a trooper and kept bringing me clean clothes and washing my soiled ones.

To sum it up....it was horrible.

But, on a brighter note....I am now back to work and the holidays are just around the corner.  And needless to say, the next time my body tells me to slow down I will surely listen!

Shopping, Shopping and More Shopping

I'm not usually one to complain about shopping, but the past 3 weeks have been insane! In a 24 hr period I am only doing one of the following:  sleeping, working or SHOPPING!

Not only have I been shopping for my own family and inlaws, but I am also doing all of the shopping for our company party at work.  This requires purchasing 25 gifts (unisex gifts) and trying to stay between $30-$35.  In my mind this seemed like such a simple task....boy was I wrong!!!

For one thing, gifts are either geared towards a male or geared towards a female.  Purchasing something that both gendors would enjoy is nearly impossible. 

Secondly, most gifts are priced at either $20 or upwards of $40.  Finding 25 items that fall around $30 gives you slim pickin's.  And evidently, it is frowned upon if you buy duplicate items in order to get to your desired spending amount.

I am currently 7 gifts away from finishing this task and I am stumped.  Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Portable North Pole

I seriously just spent an hour on this website.  Check it out

Here is a video to my husband (I also made one for my nephew and brother-in-law).

Oh, the things I do to waste time at work....LOL!

Not Enough Hours in the Day

So today is my 3rd day back to work after having 11 days off.  And to be completely honest....I need another vacation! I was more busy during those 11 days off, than I would have been had I gone into the office.

My time off consisted of a ton of shopping, 3 Thanksgiving celebrations (all on separate days), holiday decorating (both indoors and out), my sister's birthday, laundry and house cleaning, and spending time with family.  All of these items bring me great joy, but I greatly missed having a single minute alone with my husband during those 11 days.  By the end of my time off, we were so physically exhausted from being on the go, that I think we were both ready for me to go back to work.  At least during a normal work week we have dinner together and get some quality time to talk about our day, upcoming events, etc.  It's hard to put into words how badly I missed those simple conversations.

The good news, is that I have many scheduled days off in December and I am counting down the days until then.  I have promised myself that I will SLOW DOWN and enjoy those days as much as possible.

And because this post was kind of a downer....here is a picture of Lainey displaying her holiday spirit as we decorate the Christmas tree.

Vacay

I'm on vacation next week and I am counting down the minutes until this work week is over!

I'm truly hoping that somewhere in the 9 days that I have off, I can find at least ONE day to relax.  I plan to stay in my pj's and not move off the couch.  At least for just that one day.

A girl can dream...right?

I'm Hoping it's just a Phase

I'm grumpy....and have been for a few weeks!  I'm hoping it's just a phase.  I initially thought it had something to do with hormones and "that time of month", but as the feelings linger, I'm beginning to think it is more than that.

I tell myself every morning when I wake up, that today is going to be a good day.  And within minutes, something triggers and I am one big bundle of stress with very little patience for anyone or anything.  I'm hoping it's just a phase.

I know it has a lot to do with me having a lot on my plate, but my life has always been hectic and busy with me going in a million different directions. Why is it any different now?  I guess I'm getting older, and the little moments that I am missing out on mean so much more to me.  I want time to relax with my husband.  There are days when we barely see each other.  Just long enough to ask how our day was and then off to bed.  I want time for ME.  To curl up on the couch with a good book or a movie.  I want time to play with our pets.  To sit on the floor with a toy and enjoy the happiness it brings to our cats & dogs.  I want time to cook dinner and bake cookies on the weekends.  I WANT MORE TIME!

I'm hoping it's just a phase and once I get used to the time change and it being dark when I leave for work and dark when I get home from work things will change.

I'm hoping it's just a phase and once the holidays get closer I will enjoy the time spent with family.

I'm hoping it's just a phase and I will snap out of it soon, because if I don't, I have a feeling my husband is going to strangle me!