I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop

I haven't decided yet if last night’s dinner was to distract me from putting the kids in a structured summer school program or just why they were sucking up so bad.  I have to admit it was some of the best sucking up I have ever had from them. Now there are only three of them at home at the moment so life is settling down some. But out of school means I hate to go home.  They are all strung out on hours of Korean soaps and still in there PJ's. Dogs have had a field day and just terrorized the house because they don't watch them. I have been looking into some kind of school so I can live through the summer without killing myself.  I am at my last resorts and I even took the garbage can out of the house so everyone must take their own happy ass outside to the curbby container. No more "I don't know why the garbage is everywhere in the house" Now I am suffering right along with them as in the morning making coffee and a bagel will send me out that door three or four times.  I have to get up just a little earlier to give myself extra time to make all my runs to the curbby outside. So for the time being it’s better than coming home to Archie in the trash and half cleaned up coffee grounds that he has spread from one end of the kitchen to the other: then of course someone now has pissed on the coffee grounds, as if the Damn Dog wants them for himself. GAWD...
Well now the girls do not want to go to summer school of any kind so there for there has been a few improvements’ and last night was a humdinger.
I was not paying attention to the time and was working past quitting time and the girls call to find out when I am coming home as they are waiting on me to eat with them.  This alone is a first; they never wait to eat with me.  If they're hungry they eat no matter what time it is. Then as I am making my final statement about I am leaving now, I hear, we made dinner for you. (Click, and the phone goes silent) Now I am worried and am afraid to go home and find out why they felt the need to make me dinner as they don't do this.  They will cook but it is for them and I eat it.  They never make me dinner. All the way home my imagination has come up with every possible bad scenario I can conceive of. As I get out of the car hear the Texas fly swatter smacking a counter or two getting the dogs to be quite. Man I am starting to sweat now. Wow, I just wanted to get back in the car and drive away. I went in and they are all busing themselves putting food on the plates and pouring lemonade into their glasses. I had a nice glass of wine sitting next to my plate, they even using my hand painted wine glass that I got for Christmas. There were flowers on a white table cloth, and the most mouthwatering smells that engulfed me as I walked in. This alone is scary because the smell of iceberg lettuce and hot chili peppers boiling on the stove make a person lose their appetite.  The girls then say happy first day of summer we made you a nice dinner to celebrate the first day of summer.  I had a smiley face note that said I love you Mom, sitting next to my plate.  My first reaction was to be sarcastic and make some stupid remark, but decided to keep my mouth shut because this was nice and sucking up or not, I was liking it. They all start pointing out their contribution to the dinner and asking me if liked it.  "Yes, I love it, good job girls". I'm still waiting for the other shoe to fall when one of them says "Mom I made the chicken do you like it". Yes it’s good. Then she laughs and says I can cook American food now, so I can marry an American guy. Now if I had not known better I would have fainted dead from this statement but I just bust out laughing.  Ya,whatever.....
I then ask "how did you make the chicken what did you put on it". Then out of left field comes "the yellow stuff in the refrigerator".  Mustered?????  "Well I'm guessing this is a onetime only food" We ate and laughed and just had a wonderful dinner. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I'm not as sneaky I as I thought..

As much as I think the kids are not paying attention to me, it has come to my attention that they are defiantly watching me and making mental notes on my sneaky behavior.  Over the years they have kept track of the things I do to get their attention and, or try to get by them.  When I feel they are not listening to me I do things like hide things, make them disappear.  In the beginning they found something had come up missing they would ask for it.  I always, outright lied and said “I did not know”. Now I am too focused on hiding things so they will learn to take care of said things or just plain let them know what life is like without these little things, in hopes that they will learn something from all of this.  Now I am not paying attention to them because they are one step ahead of me they have found said items and are in full control of the situation at hand.  I think I am teaching them lesson and in fact I am learning it is me that has to learn they are much smarter than I am giving them credit for.  They now find and get the things I hide and I forget about them and they have full use of them.  When I started to smarten up was a few weeks back when I hid the ramen noodles. Now I know you’re asking yourself if she’s nuts, hiding noodles. Well I find the noodle packaging all over and never in the garbage, 50% of the time it’s my bed where the dogs drag it off to tear it up and make a mess. 30% of the time I find it on the counter where it was just left and 20% of the time it is in the cupboard where the garbage is kept but somehow it never makes it in the garbage just the  bottom of the cupboard. So I took the case of noodles that I just bought and hid them. By the time I find the packaging, it is at a time there is no one to yell at.  So because I will forget to call them on this, I hid things then they have to ask and I then remember I have to yell at someone.  I know my parenting skills will never win any prizes.  Any way because I had just bought the case only a couple was missing from the box when it went hiding. A few days go by and no one has asked about the noodles and this is strange as the kids are addicted to them.  Now I have a little flag waving at me but I dismiss it and go about life then a few nights later I am getting ready to turn in when I grab the blankets to straighten them out and give them a big shake and what should fly out, noodle packaging.  It’s late and all have gone to bed so now I must get the case of noodles to see who found them the dogs or the kids. I went rummaging through the closet till I found the box to see it size has been lighten considerably.  Yes this is kids so I move them to a different spot in the basement storage room on the top shelf feeling quite smart about my hiding spot. Now as I am crawling into bed I am imagining there surprise when they think they are sneaking the noodle and find them gone. I give a little smug giggle and turn the lights off.  A few days go by and one of the girls says “Mom can we please have some noodles” Wow I finally get to call them out, for their lack of clean up and their belief that they pulled one over on me. About half way through my speech on, if you’re not going to clean up properly I will not buy any more noodles and then we won’t have a problem.  When the youngest starts to laugh and says “ ya Ma I still know where you hid them”.  “And how do you know where they are”? I know where you hide everything I find it. Holly Cow batman you can’t find Easter eggs how do you find the other stuff I hide? I just know where you hide stuff.  Well my smugness has been replaced with the meeting of the minds.  I will just have to get craftier than they are now.

Someything is wrong with your dog???

I am having my porch and deck redone with all new screens a door and a doggie door put in.  I have had this wonderful structure that was one of my favorite things about this house but unable to use it much because the previous owner’s dogs took out all the screens and killed the door. The deck on top allowed the rain to soak through and keep the porch wet all the time.  So for the last three years it has been an outside potty for the dogs that just did not want their feet to touch snow or just did not want any part of going in the grass.  This year I finally had the money to make this a wonderful spot to sit outside and enjoy summer without the bugs and poo the dogs seem to think belonged in there.
Last night it was time to settle up with the contractor: he came by and we sat outside and talked I wrote him three checks because for some reason my idiot hat was on way too tight and I just could not get it right. As we sat there and laughed about my lack of brain cells and enjoyed the dogs playing around us, I hear him say your dog is hurting itself.  I turned around and saw a couple of dogs just kind of standing around behind me.  I ask him which one and he said "that one".  Now I am use to the kids not using nouns but that one just did not narrow down the list of dogs I have.  So I ask him "which one"? Again he points to the dogs behind me and says "that one".  I see we are going to have a problem so I start narrowing down the field by pointing and calling out color of the dog and saying "this one". No! the one that is licking his foot. Okay now no one is licking anything. Again I keep trying to narrow down the choices so we can get to the dog that is hurting itself.  He keeps saying "No, not that one".  Then I said “is it the little one, Julie" and I pointed down at her. As she is the last one it has to be her but I am not seeing anything out of norm about her.  He says "yes look at her feet she has hurt herself" I turn and look down at her feet and turn back and said" No, that would be my girls are home for summer and board she just has her nails painted".  Now we both got a good laugh at that one and he said "I should have guessed that one with all your girls".  I can tell he did live with a bunch of teenage girls....

Where did you get your dog?

I try to not blog angry as I loose myself and who I am.  Today is the exception to my rule. This is not to insult just educate folks and blow off steam. I need to talk about the so called rescues out there that are not in the rescue business for the reason they should be.  I will not call out names or point fingers as this is not my style but I hope to educate potential adopters on what they need to look for.  Anyone can set up a rescue give it a name and get some, give away dogs and sell them for some pocket cash.  The internet that has helped so many dogs find wonderful homes is also helping the scammers. So many of us in rescue have learned the hard way about the scammers and we are taking a beating for it.  These folks give the real rescues a big black eye. I worry about the dogs that are used for these scams.  I worry about the good folks with good intentions getting taken when their new family member turns up sick and they have to pump tons of money into the dog because they are often bonded with the dog before they even touch it. Sometimes the dogs live and sometimes they die.  But the scammers have their cash and good luck with getting your money back.  Our laws do not protect these little dogs because they are still considered property and not a breathing feeling life. With the country in financial problems and cuts that have to be made our little four legged friends are kicked to the curb as the laws that need to be changed, won't, our politicians  are too busy with the deficit, crime, terrorist and keeping this country going. So the scammers, abusers, hoarders and the breeders for money not for a better breed are out there in full force taking advantage of every little nook and cranny they can find to get a dime from the folks who love these little animals; that we as a mankind were put in charge of not owner of. Don't be fooled by registered pure bread dogs.  My rescue is full of them I throw the papers out, they mean nothing unless you’re showing your dog, or competing with your dog.  Fighting these people and groups will have to be done in the trenches were it all starts.  I have had to resign myself to the fact that I cannot save all of them.  So to educate is what I can do to help stop these people.  The money stops and they stop.  We need to stop buying cute puppies from neighbor, coworker, pet shops and back yard breeders.  The majority of pets are obtained from acquaintances and family members. Twenty-six percent of dogs are purchased from breeders, 20 to 30 percent of dogs are adopted from shelters and rescues, and 2 to 10 percent are purchased from pet shops. Approximately 5 million to 7 million dogs enter animal shelters nationwide every year, and approximately 3 million to 4 million are euthanized. These numbers are not even counting the numbers that go and come from private rescues and the ones that don’t end up in a shelter they just end up abused and or neglected. 12,000 a day are euthanized and these numbers are low. So if we do nothing, nothing changes. If we speak up and refuse to help these unethical, uncaring and plain unthinking people stay in business then we will win one dog at a time.  Yes the cold hard facts are they will still die by the thousands every day because we all have to start somewhere and nothing changes over night. I have had to harden my heart to stay in rescue and this saddens me to think I must harden myself to be able to sleep at night, to be forgiving and to stave off the helplessness that I feel. But I know that the animals and kids of this world have no voice so all of us must stand up and be the voice of the abused and unfortunate of our humanity's future.
If everyone who reads this and stops buying and taking these little animals we can put a dent in some ones pocket, yes it will cost the life of animal but this is the price we must pay for allowing this to get this way.  I do not believe there is one person or one thing that is to blame I blame our society as a whole and yes I was ignorant and bought a dog from a breeder looking to line her pocket.  But my eyes are open and I can no long stand by and look the other way. My part is done, one dog at a time and by educating the folks who do not know about the problem behind the cute little puppy face they see and want.
Many folks are starting to be more responsible and getting there dogs/puppies from shelters and rescues: hats off to you, but now we must see the other problem that is out there taking advantage of the unknowing caring folks trying to do the right thing.  The unthinking neighbor who has allowed there dog to get pregnant and feels better about what they allowed by giving the puppies to friends rather than putting them in shelters.  The problem is still there, is the dog fixed?????? The people that are using the word Rescue to line their pockets.  They are picking up dogs on a death list and craigslist, free puppies in the back of a truck in Wal-Mart parking lot. Now these pocket lining people now put their ads up on line for the unsuspecting public that have no idea these dogs have never seen the inside of a vets office.
To arm ourselves with tools to catch these folks at their own game is what we must do to find out who the real rescues and rescue folks are over the others.
If a rescue is not 501c3, does not mean they are not good; it means they do not have the funds to apply for this, or do not want to, but having one surely shows more creditability because the time and money spent to get this status is very difficult and shows that your group is motivated and monitored so doing this for a cash crop is difficult. We cannot profit from this in any way. We are here for the dogs.  But there are some fine wonderful caring independents that are out there to save a dog and do everything in their powers to make sure these dogs get good homes and vetting treatments needed.
Yes there is ways to weed through them.  First ask question lots of questions.  Where did the dog come from is there an owner surrender signed document, Do you have signed papers form the shelter you pulled this dog from.  Shelter just do not hand out dogs, there is a paper trail that fallows the dog. When was the dog last at a vet and do you have documentation.
The difference between a shelter and a rescue is rescue has time to work with the dogs help them to get into a family that is best for the dog and family, not one or the other. Shelter is there for all and any dog, they do the best of their abilities with the time and money constraints they must live in.  Recue foster home are volunteers they do not get anything except to know we/they did the best they could to get this dog in the best home.  Never hesitate to contact the head of a rescue over the foster home to make sure everything is on the up and up. We all make mistakes and we must correct and do better. This cannot happen if we are not all held accountable for these little animals. Again ask questions, here are some more to help get started.
Are you a 501c3 rescue?
Do you allow adoptions of dogs that are not altered?
Are the dogs in your care Heartworm tested and preventive meds given?
Do the dogs in your care have all their vaccinations up to date?
Do you disclose everything about this dog and stand behind it with paper work?
Will you adopt a known biter to a family without their knowledge?
Has this dog displayed any behavior changes or health concerns in the last month? (If a rescue is turning over dogs to quickly they will not know the temperament and it is their job to know these things before passing the dog on to a forever family.  Is your dogs adopted out on a contract that it must be returned to the rescue if something happens you can not keep the dog? If they get a truck load of dogs that are on a euthanasia list and then start adopting them out within days of getting them, why was the dog on the list: sick, aggression, no space, get the answers and then make your decision?  All dogs are cute and we fall in love with pictures but we do not have to live with that picture we have the living breathing dog that we pick and must accept.  Pick and choose before you get the dog.  Not after you find it’s just not as wonderful as the picture. Please be a voice and stand up to the pocket liners that only want money, or the ones who want to make themselves feel better about taking your money and don't let the word Rescue be your deal breaker. Educate yourself and be your own deal breaker.   I will offer to alter your pet before I take your unwanted and pray you can learn and understand what your doing. I will turn the spot light on your dirty business before I turn my head the other way so you can keep doing what your doing.
I now stand down from my soap box. Sue Yancey, A founder and President of Naked K9 and small dog rescue

Heart attack OMGAD

There comes a time in every pet owners life that we panic over something one of the pets have done.  This panic often comes when we notice something that is just not right in our pets.  The feeling of my GAWD what has happened and are they OK. I had one of these moment the other night when I came home from work.  I was sitting out side enjoying the wonderful warm breezy day with the dogs.  The dogs are doing zomies around the back yard and just having fun.  After a short time we went into the house to to deal with the evening consumption of food; as we are looking in the refrigerator for the 10th time in hopes that the next time we open it more food will appear, I notice one of my dogs limping and only walking on three legs.  My heart fell into my shoes and I quickly grabbed her up to see what happened to her front foot; I started to look carefully so not to hurt her any more than what she already was.  I looked for blood and then looked to see if she had pain. As I am maneuvering her foot I felt her toes and they seemed twisted I sat down to look closer and found that the only thing wrong with her was her toes where crossed, like we would cross our fingers. At this point I wanted to bean her in the head as she just gave me a heart attack and she only has her toes crossed and couldn't get them uncrossed. OK so she has long nails that's my fault. I guess I am the bad mommy and she should bean me in the head

Can you add a noun?

 

English is our house is slaughtered; pronunciation cannot even be pronounced by my kids, let alone done. So communication is often the ruler of my day or lack thereof. So for my kids to know a word and how to use it and say it often takes me by surprise and some time pure shock. The girls only use Pronouns so the subject is always lost. This, that, he, she, it , thing, and my favorite is You know mom. Hell no, I don't know so let’s start all over again and use a couple of nouns OK.  One of the girls was arguing with one of the other girls and I over heard her say "Shut up T. you’re so annoying",  I almost choked because she said and pronounced it perfect with just the right tone.
One day last week I was working away in my room when I overheard that someone was coming by and this someone was a person I had no intention on seeing or speaking to. So the mature 59 year old woman that I am, ran up the stairs grabbed my purse and yell "Hell no, I'm out of here".  Now the girls are not sure how mad I am or where I am going. As they have only seen me so made I had to leave one other time in their lives. I jumped in the car and left. Now I turned my phone off and went to the movies to get the knot out of my panties. I immersed myself into a stupid comedy that totally failed to make me laugh. After the movie I decide that home was still not a place I wanted to be so I went shopping. And for the folks that don't know me I rather have open heart surgery than to go shopping.

Now I have wanted to buy a bigger TV for my room, as it sets so far away and a 19 in. screen with my old eyes it's impossible to read. I have to get up to go stand in front of the damn thing to read the TV guide so I know what is on. I left the theater and saw a Walmarts close by and they are in my price range, so off I went to Walmarts. As I am walking through the store feeling like turning around and leaving,  I see a rack of jean on sale. I decided that I might as well get into the swing of thing or take my butt home: I flipped through the jeans as mine are becoming thread barren and I was not sure I had 5 more years left in some of them. I found a pair and forced myself to try them on because there was no way in hell I was coming back to exchange them if they did not fit. I made it to the electronic department with the one and only jeans I could force myself to buy. I did find a bigger TV in my price range of course the clerk was ready to choke me if I did not leave. I had no idea someone wanted me out of the store more than I wanted out of the store. I made it out of the store with the TV and my pair of jeans without a major anxiety attack. I drove home under speed limit as if the couple of minutes I spent extra were going to make me able to deal with the shame of my temper tantrum. Now I know my kids are worried and have called me a few thousand times so I must deal with them and my behavior. Fair is fair they get to call me on my behavior as I will call them on theirs. The two older ones are on the patio waiting for me: I parked the car in the garage and walked up and they started in on me. I hung my head, not to low I am still big dog here but was feeling like a little kid. One of the girls said" did you go to the movie"? Ya how did you know?  She said “because the last time when you got mad at us you went to the movie”. I had no idea I was that predictable. Then they wanted to know what else I did because the movie is only two hours. I told them I went shopping. First they were shocked then they wanted to know what I bought for them. Nothing this time I bought for myself a pair of jeans and a TV.  Then straight out of left field came "hallelujah it’s about time". I had no idea she even knew this word let alone how to use it and say it correctly. Little did I know that all my failed attempts at bettering my mood was sitting on my patio and all I had to do is buy something for myself and bring it home.

HALLS junkie

 Now somethings still have not changed, Marley is still an opportunist and will steal things and eat/chew them. He has developed a taste for Halls cough suppressants.  I had no idea that he was getting hooked on my throat lozenges.
I take medication that makes my mouth dry and some times its hard to swallow, I found that halls will temporarily relieve these symptoms.  I keep water at my bed side but found that it only helped a little at night time and made me wake up more to pee; the Halls did last longer and did not make me pee so I now keep both on my night stand for easy access. At some point I noticed the Halls drop were gone most mornings; I was thinking I must be eating them and not remembering. I thought the smell of eucalyptus would wart of any dog nose and hey they were asleep so they would not bother it.  I now know this is not so. Then the other day I had a bag of Halls in my purse so I could take them to work.  I heard the paper crinkling in the kitchen and saw that the dogs where trying to open the bag.  I took it away from them and put it in my purse thinking they got it off the table. Later that night again I hear this sound and find Marley in the kitchen with the bag of Halls. Now at this point they have not gotten into them, just persistent in trying.  Again I put them in my purse push the chairs in so they can't climb on the table and forget all about them. I still have not put two and two together, so today I go to my purse to get a halls and find the bag is missing.  I know the kids like them and think they are candy so I start blaming them for taking the bag, as I see no evidence that the dogs has gotten them.   I got my usual, I don't know and I did not take them, from the kids. Later I was sitting on the sofa and Marley jumped in my lap for some snuggle time when I noticed this red sticky subsist in is face hair. I then went searching for the bag looking for the guilty party or parties. I found some strange pink stains on the pee pads on the floor and thought is that blood????  I then moved on to the stairway and found Halls wrappers scattered over the stairs and hallway. Now I have red flags flying all over my head and my education kicked in and I could put two and two together and came up with the Damn Dog. I went to my room and found them on the bed. I went back upstairs to get the camera and when I returned all the dog followed me back.  While I am taking this picture Marley grabbed the bag and ran like hell. I am hoping to find him a twelve step for his addiction.