Political Watch Dogs

The other night, my husband and I were relaxing after dinner and quietly watching television. Suddenly, River and Sydney began howling, growling and otherwise barking their cute little heads off. Thinking this didn't sound like the usual growl when one of them spies a squirrel or rabbit in the front yard, we hopped up to see what all the commotion was about.

Approaching our front door was a young man holding a clip board and sporting an Obama '08 T-shirt. My husband went out to speak with the man as I held the dogs back and tried to quiet them down. I could hear Jason saying that we didn't support Obama or the Democratic party (his actual words were "I believe Obama is a socialist"), but then he shook hands with the guy and thanked him for what he was doing and being a part of the political process. As the guy moved on to the next house and Jason came back inside, I had finally gotten the dogs to calm down. Smiling, I patted each of them on the head and said, "Good girls. Barking at Democrats is good." I promptly rewarded them each with a Milkbone.

Oh Times They Have A Changed

One of my very good girlfriends emailed me this article a few days ago. Life, it seems, is not without irony: I only thought to blog about this just today, as I was baking bread in the kitchen, barefoot. How could have I let this perfect gem of blog material lay dormant for days in my email inbox? Perhaps the reason is answered in tip number six:

Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees: There's no longer any question whether transit companies should hire women for jobs formerly held by men. The draft and manpower shortage has settled that point. The important things now are to select the most efficient women available and how to use them to the best advantage.

Here are eleven helpful tips on the subject from Western Properties:

1. Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, they're less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn't be doing it, they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently.

2. When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. It's always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.

3. General experience indicates that "husky" girls - those who are just a little on the heavy side - are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.

4. Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination - one covering female conditions. This step not only protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit, but reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.

5. Stress at the outset the importance of time the fact that a minute or two lost here and there makes serious inroads on schedules. Until this point is gotten across, service is likely to be slowed up.

6. Give the female employee a definite day-long schedule of duties so that they'll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes. Numerous properties say that women make excellent workers when they have their jobs cut out for them, but that they lack initiative in finding work themselves.

7. Whenever possible, let the inside employee change from one job to another at some time during the day. Women are inclined to be less nervous and happier with change.

8. Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.

9. Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive; they can't shrug off harsh words the way men do. Never ridicule a woman - it breaks her spirit and cuts off her efficiency.

10. Be reasonably considerate about using strong language around women. Even though a girl's husband or father may swear vociferously, she'll grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this.

11. Get enough size variety in operator's uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point can't be stressed too much in keeping women happy.

In addition to tip six, I especially enjoy tip number eight. After reading tip number eight, one would think all women are red-lipped hypochondriacs, with one finger on the trigger of a can of aerosol hairspray. Ever wonder why the standard of beauty for a woman is typically measured by the size of her jeans? Consider the suggestion of tip number 3. And thank God I'm married, because according to tip number 1, if I weren't married, I'd be hitting on every guy at work! But at least I have the "pep" to work hard at the office, (because after all, I "need to work" or I "wouldn't be doing it").

A lot has changed since 1943. Some things are a lot better, other things are a lot worse. This article gave me a good chuckle, and made me even more thankful I live in a time where women are respected at work and valued for everything they bring to the table, in the workplace and at home.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go tidy my hair and wash my hands.

Move On...Please

This post shall be filed in the "I'm rolling my eyes at this very second" file:

MoveOn.org is planning to give away 1 million "Obama '08" bumper stickers this week as part of their campaign to get this manipulating Dem into the oval office come November and set into motion the downfall of our country as we know it. You think our current crisis with the economy, global relations, energy and health care is bad now? Elect Barack Obama as president, let him marinate a few years in Washington, and THEN get back to me on the status of our country and our relationship with other countries.

I stomached the MoveOn.org website to do some research, and I notice the following at the bottom of their home page:

MoveOn.org Civic Action is a 501(c)(4) organization which primarily focuses on nonpartisan education and advocacy on important national issues.

Nonpartisan? Are you freakin' kidding me? Visit their website now, and you'll notice a nice big picture of every Dem's favorite bleeding heart liberal, Al Gore. Apparently MoveOn.org has moved on so completely out of the atmosphere that they consider themselves nonpartisan. Now, they may have started off thinking they were nonpartisan (the founders of MoveOn started their lovely website with an online campaign to censure President Bill Clinton and "move on" to more important political issues). Give it up, MoveOn.org. The gig is up. Move on to your next liberal agenda item and quit purporting yourself to be nonpartisan.

Ten Years or Ten Minutes?

My ten year high school reunion is coming up in four weeks in Winston-Salem, NC and I am really looking forward to the event. A flyer in my email inbox listed the weekend festivities, beginning with tailgating before a home football game on Friday night, the actual reunion in downtown Winston on Satuday night and a brunch on Sunday morning. We haven't decided what events we'll be going to, but I've already been considering the important decisions that have to be made before then: what to wear, how to do my hair, how to lose 8 pounds by August 19, how to properly exfoliate my face to give me that healthy glow, and how to turn my skin from pale to tan. You know, the really important stuff.

And after considering all these extremely imporant decisions to make pre-high school reunion, I began to wonder - after ten years, have I really changed all that much? The past ten years have flown by like it's been ten minutes. Are these the things I'm really worried about...at age 28? Alarmed by this realization, I began to examine my life and daily routine and discovered that though I am ten years removed from high school, I still have frighteningly similiar taste to a 17 year old girl...

I recently became obsessed with the television show Gossip Girl. How do I know this is an obsession as opposed to a mere liking of the show? I "became a fan" of the show on Facebook. Which leads me to my next point...

I'm on Facebook. Sure, there are a TON of people of all ages on Facebook, but wasn't it originally intended as a online social network for students?

The book I am currently reading? Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld. It's the story of a girl from the midwest who goes off to a prep high school in Massachusetts. It's really well written and I'm thoroughly enjoying the story.

I have Miley Cyrus on my iPod...twice. Shut up. I like her songs, especially when I'm out for a run.

Shopping malls excite me. I love to shop. I love looking at clothes and trying them on. I like looking at all the jewelry, the shoes, the handbags and oh yes, the shoes. It's a wonder I hadn't made it up to Mall of America sooner.

Pink is my favorite color. Purple and blue are a close second.

So, some of my tastes aren't as "refined" as I would like them to be. They may even be down right immature. But then I realized, it doesn't matter what other people think of me. These things in my life make me happy; they put a smile on my face. And life is too short to worry about what other people think about you. So maybe I have come a long way since high school. I'm confident in who I am as a person, my life and the choices I have made. It may have felt like ten minutes, but the past ten years have taught me a lifetime of lessons, and that makes me feel a million years removed from high school.

Mall of America

This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit Mall of America, located just a few minutes outside of Minneapolis, MN. My mother-in-law currently lives in Eden Praire, MN and we took a long weekend trip to visit with her. She had never been to Mall of America either, so it seemed like the perfect destination for two women to spend an afternoon together. And there is just one word you can use to describe Mall of America...

Massive

Think of all the malls you have ever been to in your life. Then combine all the stores you've ever seen at these malls. Now place them all together in one huge indoor arena, throw in an amusement park in the middle, add FOUR levels, a never ending parking lot, and an IKEA next door to boot, and you have Mall of America.

And really, when you think about it, the name is absolutely perfect. What could be more American than the indoor shopping mall? The most American of institutions. A place where young and old can gather together, where parents and children can share quality family time together (but oh-my-god-not-REALLY-together-because-I-will-absolutely-die-if-I-am-seen-within-a-mile-of-my-parents-at-the-mall-in-front-of-my-friends-and-especially-my-oh-my-god-there-HE-IS-the-guy-I-like!!!), where you could quite literally do ALL of your Christmas shopping in one enclosed venue and if you find yourself in a situation like Natalie Portman did in the Where The Heart Is, you could eat, sleep and live in Mall of America for a good two years (which, I will admit, probably would not be the worst thing in the world to happen to me, assuming that I had my husband and dogs with me).

And speaking of dogs, Mall of America has it all...


Lego Fido!


Melanie and Mall Shark!

After several hours of shopping and lunch at Rainforest Cafe (do NOT eat here unless you have several kids with you or you happen to enjoy the smell of aquarium with your lunch salad), we returned back home tired and happy. Mall of America was definitely an experience worth having. Even if you think you've seen every store there is, it's quite the sight to see them all under one roof.

Happy shopping!

Free Kibble

This is a very cool website started by 12 year old Mimi Ausland of Bend, OR. Mimi got her idea from www.freerice.com and adapted it as a way to help her local animal shelter feed hungry dogs. FreeKibble's mission is "to provide good, healthy food to dogs and cats to those shelters who are working so hard to see that none of them go hungry." Every time you visit the website and play Bow Wow Trivia, 20 pieces of kibble are donated to animal shelters. Check out this website often to help our furry friends across the country.

32 Days

In 32 days, the 2008 Summer Olympics will open in Beijing, China. On August 8th, the world will gather for the Opening Ceremonies, and I for one, cannot wait! So, for those like me who cannot wait, I hope that you are enjoying the final night of the Olympic trials on NBC. Tonight is track and field and swimming. While my husband is probably going to scream if he hears the name Micheal Phelps again, I'm soaking in every minute (get it? soaking...swimming...the pool...water...ok, whatever). Bring on Bob Costas and that wonderful Olympic theme song (John Tesh, you get such a bad wrap). It's time for the Olympics! And those Visa commercials with Morgan Freeman? Come one...how could you not love a commerical narrated by Morgan Freeman and promoting the Olympics? Seriously!

While it's just the trials now, I find it exciting and interesting nonetheless. I love seeing athletes compete in their best events. They have sacrificed everything for the chance to make team America and try for gold at the Olympics. It's inspiring and exciting, and it's something I look forwarded to every four years. And in 32 days, I'll have 2 1/2 weeks of competition and excitement.

Go America!

Happy Birthday Sydney!

Today Sydney is 2 years old! She got a bath outside on the deck to celebrate. Probably not the best birthday present in her opinion, but much needed nonetheless.

Sydney came into our lives in September 2006. My husband got a speeding ticket on his way to work and ended up with 19 hours of community service as punishment. I agreed to do the community service along with him. One of my friends at work who is active with the Franklin County Humane Society suggested we work an adopt-a-thon at a Petsmart one weekend. So we did.

We volunteered on a Saturday and Sunday, handing out pamphlets to shoppers. A litter of puppies was "on display" during the weekend - seven lab mixes. The mom was rescued from the animal shelter and gave birth to her litter a week later. We noticed the cute pups on Saturday, but on Sunday we couldn't keep our eyes off the little ones. I was done in when I first held a curious little pup with a white chest - she looked like she was wearing a tuxedo. In the pin with her brothers and sisters, this one seemed to be the most alert, the most inquisitive.

The next thing we knew we were filling out the adoption paper work and were trying to think of a name for a new little daughter. We bought a leash, a harness, a toy and some food and made our way back to Cary. And our lives have never been the same since (you may think I'm exaggerating but dog owners get this feeling). We came home with our little bundle of joy and Jason turned to the Internet so we could begin brainstorming dog names. When Jason said the name "Sydney" I knew we had discovered the perfect name. And so Sydney it was. While Jason had grown up with dogs, Sydney was my first one, and she certainly has taught me a lot. She has so much personality, so much love for people and other dogs. She's still very curious, and mischievous, but I wouldn't have it any other way. She's one of my best friends, and I love being her dog mom.

Sydney, I love you so much! Happy 2nd Birthday! Love, your Momma


Always ready for a picture.


Sydney and her cousin Tucker.


Sydney and her big sister River.


Sydney is so sleepy!


Sydney is pooped after a game of soccer.


Sydney and her Momma.

Happy Birthday America!

Today is a day to celebrate our nation with friends and family. Today is a day to remember those who have died to ensure and protect our freedom. Today is a day to think about all the many blessing we have, simply because we are Americans. Our life in America is easy to take for granted. These stories remind me that we are truly blessed, and that we should never take anything for granted.

In Honor of Jesse Helms

Lopez Lomong

A deserving gift to animals

Final Salute

Coffee, Cars and the Consumer

Your morning cup of joe may be a little harder to find now.

Starbucks announced to day that it is closing 500 stores nationwide, a sign of the times of the current economic turn down. This seemingly unstoppable company that couldn't open new stores fast enough ten years ago, is now realizing that people have come to their breaking point. Gas prices are now edging out the coffee drinks that made Starbucks so popular. No longer does a $4 latte taste as good when it takes $4 in gas to go get it.

It's estimated that about 12,000 people, or 7% of the Starbucks workforce, will be out of a job. That's a whole hec of a lot of barristas roaming the streets trying to find another job. And they're just one more group to join the masses faced with unemployment or a serious threat in their industry - mortgage brokers and loan officers are basically all unemployed, automobile workers and car dealers are seeing fewer sales and slower manufacturing output, restaurants are seeing almost a 25% drop in patronage and the list goes on. It seems that our economy has switched over to decaf during the past six months, and there's no caffeine in sight.

The consumer faces tough choices these days. No longer can we be flippant about extraneous items we use to purchase without much thought (think Frappacinos). When it takes almost $80 to fill up my car, I think twice about the places I really need to go. I'm much more price sensitive at the grocery store than I use to be. A year ago, a ten cent price difference between coffee creamer brands wouldn't even catch my eye. Now, I reach for the cheapest item on the shelf. My brother's company is cutting back on the air conditioning circulated in the office (no kidding - he actually said it's warmer in the office)! And he works at a billion dollar company in Research Triangle Park!

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? I hope so. But I fear this economy is going to get much worse before it gets better. I fear more jobs will be lost. I fear the wrong person will win the presidency in November. I fear that gas prices will be $5 per gallon by the end of the summer. Everything is going up (except our salaries) and I fear that it's only going to get worse before it gets better. And more companies like Starbucks will start to close stores and lay off people just to survive, as consumers are forced to adapt to the new, decaffeinated economic climate.