FRIDAY FUN FACTS !!!!

1. I love milk.

2. I hate having to dress up.  I'm into neat, but casual.

3. I've been eating Braum's sausage biscuit for breakfast every work day for ten years.  I LOVE their sausage.  I don't like cheese on a breakfast biscuit - yuk!

4. I wear Ice's terry cloth robe around the house when he's gone.  I don't want one of my own, I'd rather wear his, lol.  It's big and thick and smells like him.

5. Spring is my favorite season of the year and I can't wait for it to get here.

PB, I copied and pasted yours again, then typed over.  However, number five fit me too, so I just left it. 

I think I've discovered a clue to world peace!  It was so amazingly simple, right under my nose all the time, that I simply overlooked it!  I immediately had to put fingers to keyboard and announce my revelation!

The clue?  Well, here goes......are you ready?

The clue to world peace is........eliminate all thermostats! 

Funny how I had missed it all along until today.  After being out of bed a couple of hours, I realized that I had icicles hanging off my nose and that wasn't at all condusive to cooking breakfast.  So I look at the temperature, 66 degrees, and realize it hasn't been taken off our usual night time "cold storage" setting.  Okay, I thumb it up to 70.  Now I'm thawed enough to move around the kitchen.  All is well.

Until.......

Ice made a run to town, to get some things.  I notice after a few minutes that he has apparently thumbed the thermostat on his way out and I once again, am draped in icicles.  I try to adjust, but after a while, I made my way back to the little box on the wall for healing warmth.  70 degrees is my target......ah, I feel it coming out the vents.  Wonderful! All is well again.

Until.........

A few minutes ago, I no longer felt that lovely warm air around me and wondered why my fingers were frozen.  So I go to investigate.  Ice has been back home for a little while and apparently didn't like my adjustment.  I look at the thermostat and not only has the heat been turned off, but the air conditioning has been engaged and blowing harshly from the vents.  I can see that he is planning a good long walk on the treadmill, so I concede and don a heavy quilt. 

Now, on a bad day, this could turn to war, ya know.  But I realize that I'm not usually this cold natured and he did actually waltz by, in his shorts, just now and ask me if I'm cold?  Does he need to turn the a/c down a little?  Must have been the quilt that got his attention, ya think?  lol.  No, dear.  I know you're about to work up a sweat, so I'm fine.  Prissy has since come along, apparently attracted to the warmth if the quilt and is sweetly warming my lap (under the quilt, I might add).  Isn't she a little darling?  I've noticed since she is in the "family way", she has become more and more clingy.  In fact, she doesn't think her royal little paws should meet the floor lately.  Oh well, I love her company and she just had a bath last night.  Wonder what I could do about her breath? 

Well, that's all the earth shattering revelations I have for today.  I think I'll just turn this chair around; dog, quilt and all, and watch a sexy man get all sweaty.  I'll be warm in no time!

It's Tuesday morning and I'm sittin in front of my computer, drinking my coffee and looking forward to the day because of one thing - I'm not going to work and neither is Ice.  We definitely need a day of rest.  It's been too long!

I think we're both on the same page as far as realizing we're trying to do too much and trying to figure out a way for some relief.  I know he is as stressed as I am with his job.  We both like to do our jobs well and we both have jobs that keep getting harder and harder to accomplish that goal.  It's frustrating, to say the least. 

I've worked in the non-profit arena for the last twelve years, and although it's a worthwhile venture, it's also a constant battle to keep funding coming in, keep what funding we have from being cut by legislature, and staying within the endless standards and criteria that each funding source demands.  I was always second in charge, which was stressful enough, but a year ago, I took on full command.  I wonder what I was thinking? 

Even tho this type of job has it's perks, the burnout rate is very high and the pay is extremely low.  Frankly, I was burnt out several years ago after nine years at the first non-profit.  I had the opportunity to find a new career and could draw unemployment for several months.  After six weeks of that, the "other" non-profit in town advertised and I literally got pissed off because I knew I was the only person in town that was a shoe-in for the job and because this is a small town, I was afraid to NOT take the job in case nothing came available.  So.......Puppy jumped right out the frying pan into the fire.  And, of course, I got the job.  Damn.

Now, I'm not burnt out any more.  I'm on meltdown and have four more years to fight the battle.  For now, I have at least half the staff in five locations that frankly don't have any motivation and are there simply to draw a paycheck.  I'm not looking forward to having to fire that many people, but if they don't move on soon, which some have, Puppy is going to have to be the bad guy and make a lot of enemies.  Part of the job, I know.  But I know the consequences of jobs not done and I'm damn tired of having to do other's jobs for them while my own suffers.  Something has to give or I'll be in a rubber room in four years and retirement won't mean a thing.

I've been thinking lately that maybe the Schnauzer business wasn't a good idea, not because I don't enjoy it, because I do.  But not when we're already so overworked and everything is happening at once, I wonder at our sanity of taking on even more responsibility.  I committed myself to CARING for our dogs, not just have a puppy mill.  And taking proper care of these animals and their offspring takes a lot of work.  I won't compromise and be just another selfish, non-caring animal owner.  I'll quit the business first. 

Maybe a day off will recharge my batteries.  Maybe it will give me a little better attitude.  Maybe getting it off my chest will help.  Maybe.....

The only thing I know for sure is that I'm looking forward to today, being with my husband, taking care of the dogs, and relaxing a little.  I may pay for it tomorrow, but for now I'm going to revel in this day off.

Oh, by the way.........Good Morning Everybody!  Now, I need another cup of coffee......

I love getting emails like this:

Well, I was up til three oclock this morning, so I slept in til ten thirty.  Ice had been up a while and gone out to the kennel.  We finally decided to close off Peanut's doggy door before we went to bed, in case for some reason he got outside and maybe too exhausted to get back in.  So Ice went out and opened it back for him this morning.  After a quick cup of coffee, I headed out toward the kennel and Peanut came halfway out to see what was going on.  I stood still and talked to him a bit, so he came on out and proceded to do his "business", walking pretty good. 

When I went in the kennel, he came back in and wagged his tail at me.  What a relief to see him walking around and looking rested.  I gave him his medicine and he ate well.  He was also helping himself to water, so all in all, I was very pleased.  I think he is too.

The next step was to open the pen and let the puppies into the main kennel area.  They were so excited, so I sat down in the floor and they literally covered me up, crawling in my lap and licking my face.  What a delight they all are and what fun I have with them.  I tried to pet them all at once, and they finally calmed down enough to venture out to find something to play with.  I keep old wash clothes that are tied in a knot and also chew bones handy.  They're so active and mischievous that it keeps me busy watching to make sure they don't chew on the heater cord or something.  I just had to pick each one up several times and cuddle them and talk to them.  And of course, my chin was covered in puppy sugar, lol. 

Ice made some calls and checked out some web sites about road conditions.  He decided at two oclock to try the trip to the city again and so far the roads haven't been too bad.  He just called and said they are doing fine, so I hope the interstate proves to be as easy.  Once again, I said goodbye to three of the puppies and I miss them so much already.  I snapped a few more quick pictures before they left, then called the buyers who are all very excited to be getting their pups and that always makes me feel better.  What I really enjoy is when I'm there when they're delivered and I get to see how happy the folks are with their new babies. 

I apologize that we haven't had much time for visiting everybody's blogs lately.  It's been such a trying week and we've both been on edge, worried, nervous and overworked.  We found ourselves snapping at each other over the least things and then reacting to that also.  So we had to sit down last night and talk about things.  We have a great relationship, but we are also realistic to know that the best of marriages have some trying times and rough spots on the road, so we try our best to hang in there and work through it.  It helped a lot just to sit down and vent a little, as well as make our apoligies for being so short with each other.  We also know that a lot of our anger comes from not only what happened last week, but the worry and tension we've felt since.  Sometimes we just have to break the cycle with a good long healing conversation.  I have a wonderful man that loves me too.  I'm no where near perfect and I didn't marry a perfect man.  But he's perfect for me. 

What a wonderful thing to know that even through the hard times and the bumps in the road, I don't have to worry if he will still be here when it's over and the road is smooth again.  And he knows the same about me. 

I know I get sentimental and "sappy", but I believe in giving credit where credit is due.  So when I feel it, I say it.  There's not enough of that going around here in this ole world, except for here on the "stream".  Just another thing I love about it.

I can't stop thanking you all for all your love and support and positive energy and I hope we can return at least a fraction of it.  Thanks, guys!