Pippa the Party Pup

Well, y'all, it was a fun and exhausting weekend and I'm still tired on this Monday and that's okay. I'll sleep again one day.

Friday night, after the Madison Academy football game, I picked up Pippa from the house and headed over to Jackie's house for Ashlyn's spend the night birthday party. She had three friends over for the party, and two of them were staying the night. She had asked me to come and stay the night as well and to bring Pippa too and so I obliged.

Pippa and I arrived about 10:15 p.m. and soon after a dance party ensued. We had glow sticks and necklaces and bracelets and even put a glow necklace around Pippa's neck so we could keep up with her in the dark. We danced for a while and then the girls wanted a snack and so we feasted on cheese dip, salsa, and chips. The girls laid out their sleeping bags around 11:15 and began the process of going to sleep and Jackie and I finally decided to call it a night around midnight.

Pippa, of course, could not get settled. It was a new environment and a new bed and everything was confusing. She jumped from me to Jackie and then crawled all over me and all over Jackie and was just generally speaking insane. Not to mention that I didn't bring any toys or rawhide for her to gnaw on. She finally settled down at some point and then when I had to get up for a natural break around 2:30 a.m. she got riled up again. I'm not sure how long it took her to settle down, but about 4:30 a.m. or so I was up again - this is what happens when you drink a bunch of water right before you go to bed - and once again Pippa got fired up.

I took her outside and tried to hold her down while sitting on the couch. I tried this and that and everything in between but she was having none of it. I had really wanted to stay the whole night since I had promised Ashlyn we would, but since Pippa was not settling down and I needed a wee bit of sleep to function on Saturday, I decided we would go home.

So, about 5:00 a.m., I loaded up all our things and Pippa and I headed back to town. I sent Jackie a text explaining why we had left and to please apologize to Ashlyn. I managed to get about four hours of sleep after getting home and Pippa slept too. I guess she was just overwhelmed with all the new things at Jackie's house that it was too much for her to even think about sleeping for a few hours.

So, needless to say, it was quite an adventure,  as there is never really a dull moment with The Pip. Maybe by the time Ashlyn's 11th birthday rolls around we will be able to stay a complete night, but with Pippa, you just never really can tell.

Side note: Sadly, I got no photos of Ashlyn for her birthday. Clearly, I'm on top of my game. 

Book Review and a Giveaway - All of Me That You Can't See

I was recently given the opportunity to review a set of children’s books that are being released this Tuesday, October 1. These books are being released by the publisher Graham Blanchard and are aimed at teaching children about God and at the same time can be used as a tool for parents to start important questions with their children about faith.

There are four books being released and they are written by Callie Grant. Here is a look at Ms. Grant’s bio, “Callie’s work as a writer and editor has taken her from the Tennessee Valley to Silicon Valley, where she learned about starting new ventures. In the 1990s, Callie was part of the Scholastic, Inc. product development team in Palo Alto, where she developed a passion for educational publishing and children’s books, later authoring two titles. She and her husband Michael and their daughter live with the family pup in Austin.” 

The first thing that made me want to review these books was the fact that Ms. Grant is from right here in the Tennessee Valley, which is also the lovely place I call home. The four books are each unique and explore different topics of discussion. Below is a brief description of each book. 

 Jesus Shows Me is the first book in the “Knowing My God” series, which teaches young children about God’s love by explaining selected scripture through colorful photographs and supportive text. Each page of this board book illustrates a segment of John 15:9-14 with a photo of an animal parent caring for its young, which exemplifies how God loves people.  

Jesus Invites Me is the second book in the “Knowing My God” series, and explains Matthew 11:28-30, in which Jesus calls people to learn from him and to follow him. 

All of Me That You Can’t See is an illustrated rhyme that invites the child reader to become aware of his or her own spiritual self. 

Mud Puddle Hunting Day written follows a young girl’s splashy walk in the rain, as she discovers and celebrates some of life’s little joys. 

I received a copy of All of Me That You Can’t See which is a short and sweet book about a little boy who tells the reader about things they can see about him (brushing his teeth, playing baseball) and also explains about the parts of him that cannot be seen – his soul. He describes that we should aim to be like Jesus. It’s a really great book for kiddos and a great way to start a discussion on what a person’s soul is.

The books are available at online retailers such as Amazon. In addition to receiving a copy of All of Me That You Can’t See, the great folks at Graham Blanchard have provided a tote bag for me to giveaway to one reader. It would be great to carry books in or any other thing you need to tote around. If you are interested in winning the tote bag, just leave a note in the comments by Friday, October 4 at 10 p.m. Central time.

Thanks for reading!

Nuggets of Random Tidbits

We've reached another Friday in 2013, and can you believe it is the last one for September because I certainly can't! This year has zoomed by and much of it seems a blur.I don't have much of anything in particular to blog about today but wanted to try and post something and so what you now end up with is me rambling on about a whole lot of nothing.

 

This coming up weekend is sure to be fun. Jackie's kiddos have reached another birthday and we are celebrating tonight and tomorrow. Tonight Pippa and I will be joining Ashlyn and her friends for a slumber party and tomorrow I'll be putting my bowling skills to the test at Troy's soiree. It promises to be a lot of fun. I've also got plans for highlights and a much needed haircut and somewhere along the way I hope to get my DVR cleared out for another week of shows. 

 

Speaking of shows, the new TV season started this week and it's the moment I've been waiting for since last season ended in May. The summer TV shows were a complete bust this year in my opinion and I have been anxiously anticipating the arrival on the new regular season. Along with the return of some of my favorite shows (Parenthood and Chicago Fire to name two), there is also a slate of promising new shows out and this television season is shaping up to be one of the best ever, in my humble opinion anyway. So far I am intrigued and cannot wait for the next episodes of Hostages and The Blacklist, both of which come on at the same time on Monday nights. I've also really enjoyed Sleepy Hollow which, as luck would have it, is another Monday night show. I'm sure I'll have more to say about these and other TV shows before too long; but, for now, I still need to catch up on a lot of the show premiers that came on last week. 

 

Thursday night after working out for an our with the personal trainer in my WOW class, I got home and took Pippa for a walk for 30 minutes. I was hoping against hope that this walk of ours might relieve her of some of her energy. The evenings have been increasingly frustrating as all she wants to do is bark, bark, bark and bite. I've come up with various solutions, all of which last only a night. So, I took her for a walk and her behavior was a little better in that I was actually able to watch a little TV while she attempted to gnaw the skin off my bones. Lately I've gone to the extreme of putting an oven mitt on my hand which worked beautifully one night, but not so much the rest of the week. It's still working okay, but she's not as intrigued by it as she was on night one and now mostly just attacks it with vigor. Before I went to the gym, I stopped by PetSmart and signed her up for some training classes. I did not wand to dish out the money, but we both need some help and I'm hoping these training classes will be the solution, or at least get us on the way to a solution. I have no doubt, this will provide me with many new blog posts. 

 

In other random news, I've finally made an appointment to see a doctor about my foot. You may or may not recall that I had a bone spur removed from my left foot in December 2010. I was scheduled to have the spur in my right foot removed in October 2011 but my doctor had a heart attack and the surgery was never rescheduled. Since that time, I've heard a lot of people I know have had problems with this doctor and so I asked some co-workers which doctor they went too and they have all recommended a Dr. M. and I have scheduled and appointment for October 24 and am hoping he will be able to take care of my foot such that I will no longer be in pain. Sadly, if I require surgery, it will most likely be a few days before Christmas, thus putting me out of commission during the holidays. I'm sure I'll find a way to do some cooking though because I wouldn't want my people to starve. At any rate, I'll keep you posted on the saga of the foot.

 

Since October is right around the corner, I'm really itching to get my decorations out and, of course, buy some pumpkins. I'm not sure how the decorating and decorations will work out with Pippa around. There is just no telling how she will react or what she will eat. I'm not sure if I will have time to get it done this weekend, but if not, then I'll definitely drag it all out next weekend and get the house in the fall/Halloween spirit. If only we had some crisp/cool weather to go along with the decor. 

 

Hope you all have a great weekend!

The Wizard of Oz Revisted

The Wizard of Oz is one of my all-time favorite movies. If I needed to, I could probably recite every line by heart. I've loved this movie since I was a wee lass and love it to this day. I've been known to pull it out of the cabinet on more than one occasion just to give it another watch. My fondest memories of watching this movie are from when I was a child. I'm pretty sure it was around Thanksgiving time that The Wizard of Oz would be shown on TV and I vividly remember watching it on the TV in my grandparent's bedroom while all the adults were playing cards, and occasionally we would watch it on the bigger TV in the den. 

 

I also remember when we received our first copy on VHS. It was given to us by some friends of my parents who had received a few complimentary VHS movies and every now in then while watching the VHS, the words, "Property of Warner Brothers Home Video" would pop up at the bottom of the screen. That was always annoying to me, but at the same time, I was so thankful to finally have my own copy of the movie and Justin and I wore that tape out. Justin and I also had favorite parts of the movie that we would re-enact or sing together. Our favorite of those was the scene when the Cowardly Lion has his giant solo singing, "If I were King of Forest". Those memories always bring a smile to my face. 

 

In case you didn't know, or haven't heard, as part of the 75th anniversary of the film, The Wizard of Oz has returned to the big screen for one month only. In fact, it's not only the big screen, but the biggest screen as it is being shown in IMAX 3-D. The opening was Friday, September 20. Since The Wizard of Oz is also one of Troy's favorite movies, I met up with Jackie and the kids on Monday afternoon to check it out and I'm so glad I did. 

 

Seeing the movie on the big screen brought it to life like never before. I noticed facial expression and freckles and all sorts of things that I had never noticed in the previous 100 plus times I had watched the film. Jackie and I also noticed that Toto did a little whining when Mrs. Gulch went to put him in that dreaded basket of hers and that was another thing I had never noticed before. Troy and I both would recite a line or two on occasion and, for me anyway, it was hard not to sing along with every line in the movie. Jackie and I also noticed that some of the audio was off from the way the actors lips moved and it cracked us up. 

 

I usually am not a fan of spending the money on 3D, but I enjoyed this 3D movie like I have never enjoyed a 3D movie before. It was totally worth the extra cash. One thing I noticed as well that if you tilted your head slightly, then the screen would go a little fuzzy so that was kind of annoying, but other than that, I have no complaints. I even clapped at the end of this movie and I know I've mentioned before how annoying it is to me when people clap after a movie. What can I say, I got caught up in the moment and magic of it all. 

 

Troy and I put a hurtin' on some popcorn too. I brought my refillable bucket for popcorn and It got refilled twice. Troy did most of the eating. I thought I ate a lot of popcorn, but that kiddo can out popcorn me any day. He also told me I kind of looked like Glenda the Good Witch - that was a first! It was such a fun afternoon and I really enjoyed the movie, maybe even more than I ever have before. If you are a fan of The Wizard of Oz, then I encourage you to go check it out. You will be so glad you did!

Welcome Fall 2013!

I neglected to wish y'all a happy Fall! Autumn officially arrived this past Sunday afternoon and with it came some glorious weather in North Alabama. After a rainy Saturday morning, the afternoon and all day Sunday were just beautiful with clear sunny skies and a nice cool breeze. It was a a lovely welcome to my favorite time of the year.  

The weekend wasn't too hectic for me but was still somewhat busy. Since I don't sleep as well as I did pre-puppy, I like to catch up on my sleep on the weekends and therefore spend the majority of my day on the sofa while trying to get some housework done too. On Friday, my dad and I had planned on going to the Madison Academy game. We had not been the previous two weeks because MA was away and they beat the snot out of everyone they play; so, I was really looking forward to the evening with my dad at the ball field. That afternoon, though, he called and told me he probably wouldn't be able to go because my mother was not feeling well and long story short she ended up having to get an IV treatment at the hospital. So, I ended up going by myself and sat with my friend Aimee's parents since they had a spot available next to them. 

I actually debated going to the movies. I really want to see Prisoners which came out on Friday and thought I might go see it instead of the football game. My love for concession stand food won me over though because I was really looking forward to a burger from the MA concession stand and that ended up being the deciding factor between the movies and the game. The game was a blow-out by half time as MA was leading 35-0 and it also was starting to rain and so I just decided to head to the house mainly because I was bored. Aimee's parents also left at the half which left no one in my vicinity to talk to and so I just went on home and finished out the evening watching TV.   

Saturday morning Pippa and I woke up early and got to work on some laundry and such.I was raining profusely when I got up and Pippa wasn't too thrilled about the prospect of taking a natural break in the rain. So, I stood out there for a good 30 minutes under the umbrella while she got soaked and finally decided to do her business. I guess she realized we would be out there all day until she went. I then went to Gibson's for breakfast which I ate with the small group I was in at my old church. The lady who let's Pippa out during the day is also in this group and I wanted to treat her and her husband as a small thank-you for all their help. Despite the fact it was pouring down rain, the parking lot was packed and I had to park way out back, but it was worth it. The breakfast was so good, as was the company and I was really glad I went.   

After breakfast at Gibson's I went to Sam's, which honestly, I need to write a whole post about because it's kind of my new addiction and I try not to go very often. I wanted to get some chocolate milk (because it's $3 cheaper than at Publix) and I also wanted to get a dog bed for Pippa in hopes that she might wallow around in it some at night rather than all over me. I also ended up getting a new blanket to use in my large chair in the den so Pippa won't scratch the upholstery off and a bag of tortilla chips (living on the edge, people!). I also ended up with one impulse purchase which was a Kuerig Coffee Brewer. I have wanted one of these for a while but haven't wanted to spend the money. I've been watching prices, etc. and happened to notice that this one came with 36 K-Cups and three extra filters and was $20 off the already low Sam's Club price. So, I stood at the display for no less than 20 minutes while I debated and looked up prices online and finally decided to just go for it. I'm happy to report I've had no buyer's remorse so far.The rest of the day I watched football and cleaned and tried unsuccessfully to nap. I grilled some hot dogs for dinner and called it a night around 10 p.m. 

 Pippa and the new bed

 Coffee, anyone?

Sunday I went to church and afterwards had a delicious lunch with Jackie and her family at Outback. Then I picked up a few things at Publix and headed home where I was thankfully able to catch about an hour's worth of a nap before heading out again. I made a stop by Target before church because their sodas were on sale and also picked up some pumpkin walnut scones which are so very good, and if you haven't been by Target lately, they have some swanky new shopping carts which drive so smoothly. It's the little things in life!  

 

 After church I had again wanted to go see Prisoners, but good sense prevailed and I went home to mow the lawn which was in desperate need of a cutting. It took a sweet forever to get the lawnmower started and in fact I gave up at one point before going back for one more try. I don't know if the good Lord had mercy on me and my lawnmower or what, but it finally cranked up and I mowed faster than ever before so I would get done before the daylight ended. Thankfully I succeeded and grilled hot dogs again for dinner. I come from a hot dog loving family - I get it honest. 

So, it was really a good weekend, just not long enough, but they never are. The next few weekends are going to be busy with all sorts of activities and I'm really looking forward to those and to sharing about them with you. It's my favorite time of year. Happy Fall, y'all!

Book Review: NIV Integrated Study Bible

This month I am reviewing the NIV Integrated Study Bible: A New Chronological Approach for Exploring Scripture for Booksneeze.  We are studying the Bible in full (from Genesis to Revelation) at the church I attend this year and a few weeks ago, our minister had mentioned that if we could purchase a Bible that laid out the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) side by side we should get one.So, I was very excited when I saw this was one of the books to choose from this month because this Bible does just that and more. I got online early in the morning to reserve my copy and it's a good thing I did because they went quickly!

I have always been a lover of the Bible in general and have more than my fair share of copies at home in various versions and formats. I am a sucker for a new Bible too even though my old one is still reading perfectly fine. I love the feel and look of an old worn Bible because to me it tells the story of the owner who has turned it pages countless time and studied passages over and over again. A new Bible, on the other hand, leads ways to new sermon notes and maybe even a new way at reading a particular passage. I have never thrown out a Bible which is probably why I have upwards of 20 copies in my house.

I'm not going to review the Bible for you today, hopefully you all know about The Good Book and if not, please email me and I'll be happy to point you to someone in your city who can help familiarize you with God's message. I do, however, want to tell you a little bit about the newest edition to my Bible collection. I think I have mentioned in the past my copy of The Daily Bible which puts the Bible in chronological order, rather than the order in which you will find a typical Bible and it also breaks it down into daily Bible reading from January-December. I have enjoyed this format for my daily Bible reading as it is laid out in a more historical order and the story flows a bit better as the story is told as things take place. 

The NIV Integrated Study Bible is the same way - it is in chronological order and events that are taking place at the same time are laid out side by side. For example, if a story takes place in all four gospels, then that story will be in four columns on one page so you can see the difference in each author's version of the story. Also, many of the events in I and II Chronicles and I and II Kings also took place at the same time as events in I and II Samuel and these are laid side by side in this version of the Bible. Many of the psalms were written throughout the history of the Bible, not just at one time and these are placed alongside the scripture and story where they were most likely written which brings the whole big picture together.

In addition to how the Bible is laid out, there is also a timeline at the bottom of the page so you can have an idea of the estimated time period you are reading about which is very convenient for those of us who love the historical side of the Bible as well. Unlike The Daily Bible that I have, this Bible does not break things down into convenient daily Bible reading portions; instead, this Bible is geared more towards use as a study tool. In fact, I took this Bible to church with me on Sunday night just to see how it would be to use during worship and it didn't work out too well as some scriptures were difficult to find since they weren't in the traditional order. There is an index in the back, however, that will help you easily locate the scripture for which you are looking when you are studying at home.

If you are looking for a new study Bible to add to your collection, I would definitely recommend the NIV Integrated Study Bible as it will certainly help you understand more about how stories in the Bible are related to each other and will be a great tool in helping you improve your understanding of the Bible. 

The NIV Integrated Study Bible is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble as well as other fine retailers. 

In exchange for writing this review for Booksneeze, I received a free copy of the NIV Integrated Study Bible. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Photos From My Phone - September 2013 Edition

It's been a busy week and I've had zero time for composing or posting anything. So, I thought I would post some photos from my phone because I haven't done that in a while and at least it would be some new material for the week. I should have thought about it a couple of days ago though because I ordered a new phone and had it activated on Wednesday and have yet to figure out how to email myself more than one photo at a time. Nevertheless, I managed to pull these few photos off the phone for your viewing pleasure.

I go to the gym at the Downtown YMCA and this is the lovely view outside the gym door. I love Big Spring Park, but especially love this side of the park.

 This Alabama wreath was made by the mother of my friends Meri and Lindsey. It looks a lot cuter in person. Notice the little "Nick Saban hat" on the side. A nice touch if I do say so myself.

Please bear with me as I post numerous puppy photos. One day when Pippa, or The Pip as she is often called, will be a big dog and we can look back on these photos with fondness, or maybe not. Here she is from a week or two ago gnawing on a ball in the back yard. This dog has a lot of energy and I wish I could just have an ounce of it for myself. 

Another photo of Pippa - I like these profile pictures for some reason.

A rare moment of sleeping while I am at home. 

Watching College Game Day can be tough for a wee pup. 

This is how my den looks most of the time these days.

Another view of the extravagance of toys.

So, you may recall that back in June I attended a blogger meet and greet in Huntsville and was so very excited to run into my friend Lindsey at the event. Well, I'll have you to know, that Lindsey and I have hit the big time as our photo is in the Huntsville Event magazine -we've made it to the society pages, y'all! Thanks to my Aunt Linda for discovering this little nugget. 

A Change In Vets

I've used the same vet's office since The Tide was a young lass. When we moved to Huntsville from North Carolina, we used the vet that may parents' used which was also the vet that performed The Tide's hip surgeries before she was one year old. The vet was Dr. L. and he was always so wonderful with all the animals and their owners. He would remember each animal by name and what was going on with them and took time to talk to you when you went in for a visit. It was more or less like and extension of your family. 

 

The Tide always loved going to the vet, I suspected it was because she somehow knew that the people in that office were the ones who saved her life and allowed her to live for so long. When we would pull into the parking lot, she would start getting excited and she would always nudge me out of my seat until I got out of the car and then she would run to the front door. she is probably the only dog in history to love a trip to the vet's office.

 

A few years ago, Dr. L. was diagnosed with cancer and as a result had to take time off to care for himself. He ended up selling the animal clinic to his longtime second in command, Dr. J., who has always been nice but also lacked the compassion that Dr. L. seemed to have. Dr. J. was blunt and to the point and I doubt he's ever cried over the loss of an animal. I've never had a problem with Dr. J., just have always preferred Dr. L.

Since Dr. J. took over the clinic, I had noticed, but not really thought much about, that there were fewer and fewer cars in the parking lot. My dad had noticed the same thing but chopped it up to the economy and people not having the money to spend on their pets when it's difficult to put food on the table.

 

Fast forward to last Tuesday when my dad and I worked at our respective polling locations. My dad's location is close to the vet's office that Dr. J. now owns and throughout the course of the day, he heard multiple stories of negligent care. There was a misdiagnosis and a couple of cases of prescribed medications not being in line with what a dog should have received, and another case of where a dog was going to be put down, but a last minute call to the Barn saved it's life. (The Barn is Auburn for those of you who may not know.) All of this information was a little disconcerting and my dad told me I might want to look at changing vet's and that he was thinking the same.

 

After thinking about it and discussing it with my dad, I decided to go ahead and make a change. In addition to all these terrible stories, I had a heavy heart every time I  walked into the clinic as all I could think about was The Tide and even cried when I took Pippa for her first appointment there. A co-worker of mine had told me long ago about the excellent care he received at Chase Animal Hospital, particularly when his Husky had to have a leg amputated. Some other friends also use this clinic and come to find out, so does one of my cousins. I made an appointment there for last Friday, September 13 to take Pippa in for her second round of boosters and her rabies shot. When I called to cancel my appointment with Dr. J. for the 14th, the girl that I spoke to said, "Ok, thanks." and hung up the phone. I was shocked that I wasn't asked about rescheduling and thought that if they were not that interested in my business then I certainly shouldn't feel guilty about leaving.

 

I took Pippa in last Friday to Chase and the people there were very nice. I was comforted by the fact that there was a Bible verse and a cross on the wall and anyone who loves the Bible enough to put a verse on the wall is a-okay in my book. Admittedly, I did tear up a little while waiting on the doctor - I think from now until the end of time I will always think of The Tide when I am at a vet's office. There are three vets at Chase and the one I saw was probably in his 60s and in a way remind me of my dad. He was a round, jolly fella and he had a nice personality. Pippa got her shots and I made an appointment for her next round of shots.

 

So, I've made the plunge and I think I will stick with Chase. It's closer to my house and I really don't have any regrets about leaving Dr. J. I am extremely grateful for the care they provided The Tide over the years but without Dr. L. there I'm not sure it will ever be the same again. So, new dog, new vet and I think we're going to like it just fine.

Blogging With A Puppy

You know what’s difficult? Blogging with a puppy in the house, that’s what. Pippa can be perfectly content chewing on a toy or a rawhide and the minute I pick up the Kindle or the computer, she forgets all about the toy and starts attacking me and/or walking all over the keyboard or the Kindle. It’s every bit as awesome as you are imagining.

So, I ask for your patience as the blog posts may not be as frequent as they used to be or as I would like. It’s difficult to get anything churned out in the evening thanks to Pippa and writing at work just is not happening these days as I am so busy and some days barely have time to answer email. Not that I’m complaining, I’d much rather it be busy than slow. It makes the time pass by quicker and keeps the brain functioning…or something like that.

Speaking of Pippa, some things are getting better and some things are not. She is doing a lot better about not going potty in the house Over the weekend she only had a couple of accidents and the evenings are getting a lot better too – averaging about one to two a night instead of five or six. I would assume her bladder is getting bigger and she is (hopefully) also learning that going inside is not acceptable. I’ve heard that after dogs are fixed it is a lot better as far as the house breaking is concerned and also in regards to energy, but I’m not sure I believe it. Pippa will be fixed sometime in the fall, probably in the November time frame – I’m sure you’ve been wondering. 

She is also doing some better about sleeping at night. She more or less sleeps most of the night. The main issue is getting her to settle down when I first go to bed and then she sometimes gets rowdy again when I bring her back in from taking her out in the middle of the night. Sometimes I guess she wakes up when I don’t’ wake up and then wants to play. It’s during these times that I will find myself being awoken by a puppy running her claws through my hair or sometimes a puppy chewing on my hair. I’m not sure what the fascination with my hair is, but apparently there is one. Pippa also sometimes will be fascinated with the ponytail holder that is holding my hair back at night and will start pulling on it, so I will take it out and give it to her to keep her from clawing my head. Speaking of her love of my locks, I’m pretty sure she has stolen and hidden my hair brush as it is nowhere to be found and I’ve since had to buy a new one. I have no idea when she would have taken it though so this is the great mystery of 2013. 

The big problem still is that she loves to bite and claw and I have countless bruises and scratches on my arms and hands and few in other random places. I really don’t know what to do about this. The Tide was also a biter as a puppy and she was never broken of it so I’m not really sure what to do. Pippa’s bites hurts like the dickens and I’m here to tell you that the thought has crossed my mind on more than one occasion to bite her back, but biting a dog seems weird. So, if you have any tips, please pass them along as I am really tired of being bitten. 

So, I think it goes without saying that we are still adjusting. I miss having an old dog who loved to lay around as much as I did and I really miss being able to come home at night and watch TV without being jumped on, barked at, or bitten. I know I’ll be there again someday but at the moment, that day looks like it’s far, far away. 

 

Let's Talk About The Bathroom

By no means do I consider myself the queen of etiquette, but I do try to play by the rules and for the most part I think I do rather well. Today, I would like to talk with you about bathroom etiquette, specifically, that of the public bathroom. I realize this isn’t the most appealing topic in the world, but I need something to write about and told my friend Meri I would be putting this up on the blog after she and I had a conversation about it at work one day. 

Occasionally when I stop in the bathroom at work, there is someone who more or less has her pants and/or panties on the floor of the bathroom. I do not understand this in the least. A couple of weeks ago, in fact, I walked in and one of these offenders had dropped her drawers all the way on the floor and it was hard not to notice as they were bright blue leopard print. I assure you, this is not anything I wanted to see and am still trying to erase the memory from my mind. What I do not understand is why these people need to drop their pants/panties all the way down to the floor. I mean, I have never felt it necessary to do this; so, why do they?

Another peeve Meri and I have regarding the bathroom is people who do not flush the toilet until everything has gone down the sewer. I mean, no one wants to see your left over tissue or other unmentionables when they walk into the stall. Please, I beg of you, check to make sure it’s all been flushed down before leaving the bathroom stall. It’s the right thing to do. 

 Talking on a cell phone is another thing that is annoying in the bathroom, and admittedly I have done this before, but it is rare and is when it does happen I’m typically heading home for the day. I also know Jackie has done this before (not to call her out or anything, but her work bathroom is rarely occupied).  What I find annoying are those people who sit in the bathroom for minutes upon minutes just talking away as if they were sitting on their couch at home and not in a stinky public restroom with flushing toilets. Most of these people talk really loud as well as I suppose they are trying to speak over the loud toilets and people doing their business. I have no interest in your family drama, so please leave it out of the bathroom.

What about the rest of you? How do you feel about bathroom etiquette? What are your pet peeves when you go in to do your business? Am I the only one feeling this way?