By the light of the computer

A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore. ~ Yogi Berra

Bath time

Atticus and I went to the dog park again today.  We had a much better time today because it was overcast so there weren't as many people there. 

However....3 days of getting strange dogs' slobber in his fur + 3 days of dog-park dust + who knows when the last time I gave him a bath was = bath time. 

Now, I don't know why I'm such a stickler about paying for things sometimes.  I don't pay to get my hair or nails or eyebrows done (and yes, it usually shows).  I don't pay for dog treats, for dog nail-trims, and if I ever get off my lazy butt and buy bone-meal, I won't be paying for dog food either. 

And I don't pay for dog baths.  I could pay $20 or $30 for someone else to hose him down.  Considering how little I actually give him a bath, that wouldn't cut into my budget.  There's also a natural foods petstore around here which provides pretty decent facilities for bathing one's dog.  However, that comes with its own set of obstacles...and a $17 fee. 

So, I do it myself.  Atticus now knows the bath routine, and while he isn't completely willing to be locked in the bathroom with me for an hour, he no longer puts up a fight when I try to drag him in there.  Its almost like he knows the sooner we start, the sooner he can leave.

But here's some proof as to why we don't do this more often...

The bathroom floor carnage.  What this picture doesn't show is a fine layer of condensation/water + dog hair all over the unprotected part of the floor.

Its spring.  Atticus sheds like crazy.  This is just a random sampling after being brushed.

A sampling of the bottom of my bathtub.  I literally just cleaned it yesterday.  *sigh*

Atticus's natural tendency is to be as dirty as possible.  Only his mission wasn't accomplished this time, as he was rolling around the living room carpet and not in a mud puddle.  This really doesn't show it, but he will never be cleaner than he is in this picture.

And there you have it.  Bath time.

Hoping to have a busy day tomorrow with a bunch of people.  

I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult. ~ Rita Rudner

The park

Its been a beautiful past 2 days...so Atticus has been treated to 2 days at the dog park.

I say treated because the park tends to drive me nuts:  the people, the dirt, the dust, the dogs that owners won't control, the people, the people, the people....



This dog wouldn't leave poor Attie alone yesterday. 



Ugh...people.  Atticus right in the middle.

Another dog trying to play with Attie. 

How did it get so late so soon?

It's night before it's afternoon.
December is here before it's June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?
~ Dr. Seuss

Back...

...and finally reunited with this guy....

"That was a lot of shenanigans for 21 cents." ~ K.B.

The next morning

So I made it through yesterday....barely.  Towards the end of class I ended up standing up in the back and shifting my weight back and forth (in a socially acceptable way of course) just to stay awake.  It was pretty brutal.  I wanted to tell the instructors "its not your fault!", but didn't.  I'm hoping my ability to stay awake today will reassure them they are, in fact, doing a great job.

For those of you wondering, I'm attending an academy class that teachers me, a trainer, how to train.  It promises to be very interesting and very informative.  After my initial anxieties with getting lost etc all gone, I can now relax and learn. 

I opted to treat myself to a hotel rather than drive back and forth every day.  I'm very glad I made that decision.  Especially after yesterday.  After teaching the front desk lady how to add up my sales tax (!?!), I got to my room, reclined on my super comfy bed, turned on the TV, and promptly fell asleep for 45 minutes. 

I woke up at 4am this morning (what?!?!), answered all the texts I missed last night (the problem with being a night shifter, is thats when people try to get ahold of you....), and am relaxing for a bit before I have to start my day.  Add a very unappetizing cup of hotel-room-coffee-pot coffee to that, and that about sums up my morning.

I'm actually looking forward to the continental breakfast.  And to class day #2.  And to finding a Starbucks. 

My huge hotel room.  Blurry picture, sorry.

This doesn't even capture all the walking around space there is.  Seriously, HUGE.

I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught. ~ Winston Churchill

Turn-around

In what may be one of the worst turn-arounds in work history, I came home this morning at 8am from a 10 hour shift, took Atticus to the kennel, have forced myself to stay awake for several more hours (I'm almost at 1:30 pm!), because when I wake up from sleeping (I'm hoping for roughly 12 hours of sleep....although thats wishful thinking) I need to pack up and drive to Seattle for the week for training.  I start bright and early tomorrow morning at 8am. 

From graveyard to dayshift in 24 hours.  Now tell me thats sane.

My kitchen mess from yesterday...whipping up a batch of biscuits for Atticus to take with him to the kennel...

Courage is the power to let go of the familiar. ~ Raymond Lindquist

Reason

My supervisor asked me tonight..."Whats the reason for wearing the sparkly shoes?"

I was unaware one needed a reason.

A rule that cannot be bent will certainly be broken.  ~ Robert Brault

Another week, another...

...everything....

I looked at all my camera phone pictures I took recently and they're all blurry except for ones I can't post (pictures of friend's babies). 

Renewed a 6 month lease on my apartment today.  Ugh.  I hate apartment living.  Unfortunately after weighing pros/cons etc, staying here for at least another 6 months made the most sense.

It was a beautiful day today...almost 70 degrees...which is rare for May in the Pacific Northwest.  Atticus and I spent 2 hours at the dog park before we visited a friend's new house who lives nearby.  We got back too late for me to make any super good dog biscuits, so I hopped on the internet instead and hope that he'll forgive me.

I got to audit an interview at my work today....that was interesting.  Its weird being on the other side of the table.  A lot less nerve-racking.

Here's a picture from last week.  My friend Katie (one of the 3) wanted to make some head bands so she came over to use my sewing machine.  Thats how cool I am.  :)  Her dog is sitting under the table.

Random picture from my lunch 2 weeks ago - a perfect heart in the middle of my chip.  Jalapeno, in case you were wondering.

Thats about it.  Life is both busy and boring and the same and ever-changing all at the same time.

Right now I am enjoying these last few minutes of silence before I go get ready to Zumba and go to work. 

Accustomed to the veneer of noise, to the shibboleths of promotion, public relations, and market research, society is suspicious of those who value silence. ~ John Lahr

cranky

Atticus woke me up 2 hours before my alarm went off this morning and I couldn't get back to sleep.  This after I rescued my brand new shoe from him after I came home this morning - he was using it as a chew toy. 

Cranky.


View from our morning walk
























"Just because you say its a crime doesn't make it one."
~ An angry citizen, to me

My ink...my art...my mother....

My art.  I love thread sketching.

A tiny little camera purse!

Padded, to protect my mom's point & shoot....

What would it be without an antique button?

I did something different w/ the card.  The white/brown heart is actually leather cording I got at Tuesday Morning that is absolutely good for nothing except looking cool.  Any amount of pressure on it....it breaks.  So....I used it to make 3-D art. 

I love you, Mom!!!!

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~ Tenneva Jordan

Another one off the list

Yesterday I went to the driving range with a friend...

I was actually able to occasionally get the ball to the 54 yard flag. 

I definately have a new found appreciation for golfers.  Or at least people who can hit the ball with any sort of accuracy.

Yesterdays golfing + a cold I'm harboring = I'm kind of miserablish today.  Sore muscles, sore throat etc.

Not so miserable that I can't give a hint about tomorrow's post...

I call this..."My ink".....



Golf is a good walk spoiled. ~ Mark Twain

Presents

One of my coworkers (not another dispatcher if that tells you anything) gave me this yesterday for winning an award.

Cake balls!!!!

They were super delicious.  Even more delicious because they were a surprise. 

I don't really like to be publically recognized.  But feel free to recognize me as much as you want with dessert. 

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who love chocolate, and communists.
~ Leslie Moak Murray

Just because

I bought myself a necklace and thought I'd show you. 

Pretty, right?

I have a lot of things swirling around my head.  Lucky me I get to go to work and add some more swirls. 

To be nobody but yourself in a world doing its best to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle any human can ever fight and never stop fighting.
- e. e. cummings

Five

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
~ William Shakespeare