Thursday, April 30

Pics from Monday morning




I just snapped a quick couple of pics Monday morning before I went to work.
Just now getting a minute to post them, sorry!
The close up one is Ted... aka Mooseboy! You can see him in the 'group shot' he's in the front, sleeping. He's bigger than his brothers and sisters, so it's always easy to pick him out!


Wednesday, April 29

Looking into other options

Ad in the paper.
Another bank.
Not sure of any details, but I'm going to submit my resume to find out.
Depends on job description (if it's a teller at a different bank, why bother?)
Depends on the pay (if it's the same or more, I'm THERE!)
Depends on the hours (banker's hours, shouldn't be too tough! Unless more Saturdays are involved)
I'll keep y'all posted.

In the meantime, the puppies are WONDERFUL, so cute, and fat and happy. I cannot believe how much they've changed, not even a week old. They've grown so much already. Pictures coming soon.

Saturday, April 25

The family grows



Our family increased by 8 on Friday. Miss Comet has 4 sons and 4 daughters (see post below for their temporary names!)
They're about the size of small guinea pigs right now, and their eyes are closed but they are still cute as all hell, and as soon as they get a bit bigger (and cuter) I will be posting more pics.

This photo also shows just a little bit of my husband's skills at building a whelping box... which we did Wednesday night... just in time!

I will wait a week, then go online and register the litter at the AKC website. They'll send out papers for me to give to each new puppy owner, so they can name and register their new baby... after they pay me, of course!

Six to eight weeks from now, they'll all be gone! Except Chloe, of course... the one that my mom is keeping... so I won't have total puppy withdrawals! Thank goodness!

Friday, April 24

Eight is enough

Comet was acting 'weird' this morning. Bloodshot eyes, droopy tail, ears cocked different. Not as springy and silly and wiggly as usual.

Hmmm... could she be telling us that she's going into labor?

Yes!

Her water broke (I didn't realize that dogs' water breaks, just like humans!) about 10:40... Jack was born at 11. Then the wait began... Jack had alot of 'mommy and me' time. Chloe and Daphne came along about 11:50... followed quickly by Ted, who was enormous. No kidding, Ted's a moose. Then came Bill. Followed by Thelma and Louise. Finally Thomas showed up around 2 in the afternoon.

This was my first time seeing puppies being born, and as Jack came spewing into the world, in all the mucus and slimy glory of birth, I got tears in my eyes. I was so proud of Comet, she knew exactly what to do, and she is just the most wonderful attentive Mommy.

So, now, of the 8, I have homes for 2 of the girls, and one of the boys, which leaves me with 2 females and 3 males that need homes... I'm going to make up fliers to put up at a few places, pet food store, kennel, Mom's bar and probably one for the lunch room at my bank.

Anyway, now I am exhausted and I am NOT cooking dinner. Taking a nap!

Wednesday, April 22

Welcome to Nessa Rose!



Nessa is on the highest shelf, Tiny is below her. They're getting along much better now. I ended up getting Nessa Rose from a lady I work with, she read on FB that I was having trouble finding a rescue kitty that fit my requirements, female, spayed AND declawed AND free... since I had already piled money into Naughty... which, btw, I won't get any thing back from... sunuvubiatch...
The pic is pretty dark, but she's a calico... tortoise shell coloring, dark, and long soft hair. She's really not that big, it's just all that hair! She is very sweet, she loves to cuddle.. she loves to be held and she does NOT meow! She opens her mouth, she goes through the motions, but no sound comes out... not to worry, I know she is capable of making noise... the first week or so she and Tiny had several fights... loud cat fights... in the middle of the night!
Thank goodness they're over it now, and getting along pretty well. The dogs were also a new thing for Nessa, and after a few days of hissing and smacking them, I think everyone knows where everyone stands on the issue: Don't touch me, and I won't smack you...deal? good.

Tuesday, April 21

My Aunt Jeanne

http://okiejontheroad.blogspot.com/

I got an email today from my favorite aunt, Jeanne. She lives in Oklahoma. She has started a blog, with destinations of travels to little known locations as her main theme...

I was just there, it's a hoot, she's the best, and I highly recommend checking it out... there's only 4 posts so far, so it won't take long, but check back periodically for updates.

I am also in the process of adding her to my blogroll (and updating it, all together!) So that's the plan for the night.

Oh, and uploading here and on FB the pics I took over the weekend, of Tiny Sue and Nessa Rose AND a great pic of the Momma Comet... her due date is Sunday April 26th... she's really big!

Sunday, April 19

Some good news

We finally got some good money news!

We got an insurance quote from where I work (banking, trust, investments and insurance all in one building).

By changing our auto (2 vehicles, full coverage on both) and our homeowners policy, we will save $1410 PER YEAR!!

So the plan is the $40 per month savings on the auto premiums will be allocated to a fund to be sent periodically to 'the bill of the day'... whomever is next in line for payoff.

The savings on our mortgage (we escrow our insurance) will stay there. My mortgage payment WILL go down... but the payment I send will remain the same.

OH! And adding to the mortgage payment going down is the refi we are starting the process of doing. We will be going from 7.25% to 5.25% interest... and that will substantially lower the monthly payment, too. Again, keeping the payment sent the same... will drop us from a 30 year payoff date, to something closer to 18.

Things like this make me happy... for a couple of days there, it was like people were coming out of the woodwork offering to save us money! Thanks!

Friday, April 17

email to share

1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me alone.

2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt or a leaky tire.

3. It's always darkest before dawn , so if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

4. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

5. Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.

6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

7. If you think nobody cares if you 're alive, try missing a couple of house payments.

8. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

9. If at first you don't succeed...... skydiving is not for you.

10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

11. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

12. Some days you're the bug, some days you're the windshield.

13. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

14. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

15. A closed mouth gathers no foot.

16. Duct tape is like 'The Force'. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

17. There are two theories to arguing with a woman - Neither one works.

18. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.

19. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

Wednesday, April 15

I need help

I think I may have found a solution to the financial dilemmas.
But in order to even give this a shot, I need input... help.
From YOU.

I've decided to try sending off my book to publishers. But I'm assuming that first I need a literary agent. (Do I?) dunno.

I've been doing some research online, and getting the runaround. Yes, you MUST have a literary agent (say the literary agent websites) No, you can make it without one (say the people who have... after countless rejections)

I just don't know where to start. Suggestions? Leads?

Thing is, it may not lead to a check, and a book deal... but if nothing else it will keep my mind off the things that drive me nuts... and give me something else to stress about, right?!!

Oh well, what the hell.

Monday, April 13

Been a bad month

For blogging, anyway. I haven't had much of a couple of things that blogging requires: Time and things to talk about.

But I got a new kitty on Easter Sunday. A lady I work with needed to get rid of her kitty, since her boyfriend is moving in, and he's allergic. So LeAnn brought Nessa Rose over to meet us all.

Yeah, the new kitty's name is Nessa Rose. As in Elphaba's sister from WICKED... it was too perfect to pass up, and she is just a dream.

She's a tortoise/calico long haired kitty. She's no kitten either. She is not a fan of the dogs, she's already smacked Hailey and Comet. But she doesn't have front claws, so they were more surprised and scared than hurt. She and Tiny aren't on speaking terms yet... well, that's not really true, they "chat", but they have yet to find their 'inside voices' when conversing.

I think Tiny is pissed that Nessa doesn't back down the way Naughty did.
The conversations now heard meowling are more like this:

GET OUT OF MY HOUSE

Bite me, Fatty...they like me and I'm staying.

I'm sure they'll eventually come to an agreement, but for now, it seems as though we have an upstairs cat (Tiny Sue) and a downstairs cat (Nessa)

On another pet related topic, Comet is just about done cooking her mini corn dogs... that's what we call the lumps in her belly. She is due in just about 2 weeks. I will be posting pictures as soon as we have pups!

That's all on the animal front, everything else is pretty dull, so I'll spare you the details...
Later.

Sunday, April 12

Marley & Me

We got the kids this movie for Easter. Just watched it.
I know, I know, we are like the last people on the planet to see it. That's why this is not a review of the movie... y'all know how it ends.

I really liked it. But I will never watch it again. I hate crying THAT much over a movie. Real life, that's worth crying THAT much about. But not a movie.

If you haven't seen it, I do recommend it, I think everyone who's ever had a dog will relate to it (thus the crying) and anyone who's never had a dog (those few poor bastards left on the planet) will benefit from knowing how it feels to love someone that much and have to say goodbye.

Really really good movie, but never gonna watch it again... can't.

Wednesday, April 1

Any ideas?

I'm trying. Really I am. Trying to get our financial house in order. But then things happen. Flooded basement. Braces for 2/3 of my offspring. Hours cut at work.

It's hard to get ahead when just making it under normal circumstances is the norm. Throw a curve ball at us and I don't know how long we can keep our heads above water.

I have a full time job. And I have a part time job. I work every other weekend. That little bit only gets me about $80 per weekend, not counting tips. Hardly seems worth it. I considered asking for more hours with the part time job, but the other people who work don't really want to give up their hours either. All the slots are full...

JP has a full time job. And he has a part time job. One weekend a month (my ass) and 2 weeks in the summer. His weekends pay much better than mine. Well, his full time job pays about 3 times as much as my full time job, too, so that seems reasonable.

I just want to do more. But I don't know what else I can do. I need something that pays me but doesn't take me away from home any more than I already am. I need something that pays me but doesn't take up too much time, since I don't have a ton of free time to spare.

That kind of job doesn't exist, does it? Oh, and I should say that I'd prefer a job that's LEGAL... that really narrows it down, huh? LOL

Man, this economy really blows.
*sigh*