Tags: Jeep, Liberty

Tags: Wet dog

Tags: CSA, River Dog Farms

Dear audiobook “publisher” (distributor, whatever!),

It is very frustrating when you do not put the appropriate book title/author/chapter # - heck, ANY FREAKING DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION on your audiobooks.  I mean it, VERY frustrating.  Because then I have to take the time to do your job, thereby diminishing my enjoyment of an audiobook before I even have a chance to listen to the first chapter.  If YOU don’t believe in it enough to package it nicely, why should I invest my time?

And really, how long does it take to set up the manufacturing process for audiobooks?  Call me stupid, but with the advent of these things, maybe you heard of them COMPUTERS, you type in the info and hit copy times x # of books.  One time set up, good public service.  To hell with public service though - I am PAYING YOU TO DO YOUR JOB.

Gah.  I already have a job I hate, I don’t need another.

I notice that on the really big authors, James Patterson, Danielle Steel, etc. you take the time - so why not be an equal opportunist.  Share the joy of reading and listening.

Thank you and good night.

Tags: Audiobooks

For the record, I don’t really believe in dressing my dog up.  Rather, I seize opportunities to make myself and my family laugh.  I hope everyone can enjoy them - and please, don’t report me to Pet Protection Services.  I promise, this beautiful beast is very much loved.  Besides, look how stylish she is!

First, Happy Birthday Liberty (a few days early, but she is a very forgiving type)

Here, she is really vying for a vacation:

And lastly, after hitting the bottle.  Who is a pretty, pretty princess? 

Tags: Liberty

My fierce puppy dog has saved from from what she perceived as certain death - the rinse cycle of the washing machine.  What would I do without her?  She is so brave and fearless!

She also pulled a Dakota on me today - it tugged at my heart.  Dakota was such a good girl, especially at bath time.  It took a couple of years, but eventually all I had to do was point at the tub and she would begrudgingly jump in.  Not her favorite event ever, but she did enjoy the toweling off process and I believe that in her head the reward outweighed the inconvenience of being lathered, scrubbed, and rinsed.  Today, it was time for Liberty to have a bath as it has easily been 6 weeks or more because of the staples in her side.  But since they are finally out, it was time to wash the stink off (and oh did she stink!)  I politely asked her to join me in the bathroom, and she did.  Then I pointed to the tub and she gave me the look of DOOM.  She slunk around behind me, looking for a way out.  I gently cajoled her and then, like a little miracle, she jumped right in the tub.  I am so proud of her.

I sold my motorcycle over the weekend.  Turns out, maybe I shouldn’t have.  My insurance premium went from $760 for TWO bikes to $1111 for ONE bike.  WTH?  Something about losing the multiple motorcycle discount.  Too late now.  I self excluded myself from riding Lambchop’s motorcycle and that will drop the rate down considerably, and seriously, I have not, nor will I ever, be the driver of that bike (except in dire emergency).  His bike is just too big for me to be comfortable handling.  So no loss really, just a shock that the rate would increase, let alone go up so much.

While I shopped for new motorcycle insurance today, I also checked out a new homeowners policy and managed to save about 40% there.  Auto is as low as I can get it considering our personal comfort level.  I might try to reduce our flood coverage, but dealing with all of the other insurance wiped me out.  No joke, I have spent HOURS in the phone today.  Some day “off”, eh?

I sold the motorcycle to pay for a new computer - should be here tomorrow.  Yay!  This little old Dell is about at the end of it’s days.  I hope the computer is here when we get home tomorrow, or preferably, that Fed Ex comes when someone is here.  Not sure any neighbors are home during the day and naturally, I could coordinate my day off with the delivery company.  So far, we haven’t had problems when they leave packages at the door - but just my luck, my computer will get stolen.  O, the inhumanity!

While things are Ok at work and home, I can not get a repetitive thought out of my head.  That I need to be away.  I don’t want all of these trappings in my life - for that is what they are doing, trapping me.

I want to be free from it all.  (Don’t worry husband, you are safe…for now)

But then, I guess the rest of the world probably feels that way too.  In fact, some would call it retirement.  That is a depressing thought.  I want it now.  I want to escape from most of civilization - I want to live off of my land (with all of the modern conveniences, of course).  I want to have my own schedule and, and, just AND.

Part of me thinks that if these feelings are so strong, that they are invading pretty much every moment, awake or not, then I must be true to myself and work towards that goal sooner rather than later.  Or, shall this too pass?  I doubt it, I have repressed these feelings for so long.  Time just feels short somehow.

Maybe if I avoided the news and media more I wouldn’t feel this way quite so much.  Everything just feels so overwhelming at times.

Earlier this week I was invited to take part in a focus group regarding home improvement stores.  Eventually it was revealed that the company behind the focus group was Home Depot and I learned some interesting things about their new push towards customer service.  I also had a revelation about the major difference between Home Depot and Lowe’s.

Recently, a Lowe’s opened up in our immediate area.  Home Depot is closer to us, but after visiting other Lowe’s stores much farther from home, we were SUPER excited to have one open near us.  I observed as part of the focus group that there is definitely a different target market for each store, where I previously thought it was the same group. 

There was a definite preference of women in the focus group to prefer Lowe’s.  Specifically, they really liked all of the displays and the glitter that the store provided.  Everyone loved the customer service at Lowe’s.  Everyone agreed that essentially, each store carried equivalent merchandise at similar price points.  It was noted that Lowe’s hires a slighter older, more mature worker, whereas Home Depot had a younger, more diverse group.  Lowe’s was more family friendly, whereas Home Depot felt like it ws geared toward the contractor crowd.

And that is when it hit me.  We really like Lowe’s for the glitz, but if I am being honest, I think they are a glorified Walmart.  When I want to get something done, I go to Home Depot.  Sure, I have a really hard time finding anyone to help me - but when I do, they are knowledgeable and I leave knowing exactly what to do for my project.  Home Depot gives me the know-how and the skill.  Once I have that info, I confess to looking at each store to find the best deal on materials.  But I always start at Home Depot.

It is less of a “shopping experience”, and more about getting the job done.  I discovered I lean more to the contractor preferred store, and less toward the “family” store. 

Home Depot is planning on having more employees dedicated to helping customers during certain “Power Hours”.  During that time, the employees will not be stocking or cleaning - they are there only to help and be available to the customer.  When they are done with a customer, they will congregate in the open center aisle so they can easily be found by the next needy customer.  A “greeter” will be at the door to help direct people to where they need to go.

So rock on Home Depot.  The displays are pretty to look at, but I love you for your substance.  I hope you don’t change too much - and only in the good ways.  I believe in you because you believe in me.

PS.  Thank you for the $100 gift card for taking part in the focus group.  I will be sure to spend it, and countless more $$ and cents in the coming weeks.

Tags: Home Depot

After spending two consecutive days tiling the floor (which turned out to be a MUCH bigger project than I intended - I thought 2 days, tops.  Not so, but I digress.  I do that alot.) It looked like we were running low of thin-set mortar.  So, after my helpers went home to recover, I made a mad dash to Home Depot for more mud.  I arrive at 5:15pm to find that they closed at 5.  Oh well, I understand with it being New Years’ Eve and all.  So I decided that the husband and I deserved a DQ Blizzard.

Drats, they were closed too.  Hate that.  But then, I spy in the distance (OK, 300 feet) Starbucks!  Score!  I succumbed and treated myself using my B-Day gift card.  But, being a piggy, I bought 2 - for ME!  You know, one for later.  (Did you know that the Frappuccino’s freeze well?  They make a great breakfast.  I am just saying.)  As I am leaving the drive-thru (I love you drive-thru Starbucks!) I spy a crisis forming in front of me. 

Just over the hedge, in the street, a woman is screaming.  A large suburban is stopped and it is obvious something bad has happened.  I see people starting to gather, but they remained 40 feet away.  I stopped the truck, jumped out, went over the hedge, dodged oncoming traffic, and raced to the man laying face down in the street.  He was unconscious, but I could feel a pulse.  His wife, who was still in hysterics, kept trying to pull him up and roll him over.  I got her a little calmer and finally another bystander stepped up to deal with the woman.  Others were gathered around the cars involved and I honestly don’t know who hit the man or what the situation was, only that a man was down and no one else stepped forward.  If I am ever in that position, I hope someone steps forward.  It is a lot to just hold someones hand, check for a pulse, and be a force of calm and reason.

Anyway, I could see two people on the phone with 9-1-1 and they both asked me questions about the man’s condition.  I was surprised at how calm I was.  I was grateful he was breathing because I did not want to turn him over.  He eventually regained consciousness and was uncertain what happened.  He did recognize his wife’s voice and I was able to get her to come around and hold his hand, though, in her hysterics she kept yanking on him.  In response to her hysterics, he told her he was ok and was going to be fine.  I don’t think he was quite sure of that, but she needed to hear it.  He was able to move his fingers, but not his legs.  It was pitch black, so I could not tell if he was bleeding, but then again, I didn’t move him.  I was pretty certain there was a spinal cord injury, and I knew that the paramedics were better equipped to assess the situation.  When they finally arrived (a LONG time), I stepped away.  I told them I saw nothing and gave them the vitals as best I could.  I then calmly recrossed the street and got into my truck.  My car door was still open, my lights were still on, and my wallet was still on the seat. 

Thank goodness for karma.  All in all, I think I deserved those 2 Starbucks drinks.  But that is just me, and I am searching hard for justification.

No news on the man or his condition, but then, it was a VERY busy night and gun shots and general violence marred the entire evening around town.  So I prefer to believe that no news is good news.  And, I am grateful it was not me unconscious in the middle of the road, nor was I in the vehicle that hit him.  I hope I was helpful.