Et tu, Bailey?

SPAM...not the kind you find in your inbox

On my way to Caroline's baby dedication this morning (more to come about that), I stopped at a gas station to get some gum. After toiling over my decision of which flavor of Orbit gum to try this time, I finally made my way to the counter where my eyes spied a whole entire display of this:

Ewwww....SPAM? Being sold in single serve packets?? Ok, don't get me wrong, I did experience fried SPAM as a child. However I gave it up for good around the same time I eliminated bologna, hot dogs and Steakumms from my diet. I was 5. Now it might not be so shocking to see single servings of SPAM in a gas station in oh... Hawaii (where one can get SPAM at McDonald's) or Ludowici, GA (no offense to the great citizens of Ludowici) where I'm sure you can also get pickled pigs feet and pickled eggs out of those big glass jars, but I was in Dunwoody right across from Perimeter Mall. Who in Dunwoody eats SPAM? Seriously. Naturally my curiosity was peaked so I came home to do some internet research in order to find an image of today's topic for the blog post. But I never anticipated that I would also find this: A website devoted to SPAM Singles. What will they think of next?

Doggie Daycare

It's seriously one the best ideas anyone has ever had. Go ahead...roll your eyes. I would have up until about 2 months ago. I have to go to Gainesville once a week for work though and that makes for about an 11.5 hour day. Too long to leave Cash in his crate. So now that he has gotten his puppy shots, he is going to Pawtropolis when I am in Gainesville. It's a great way for him to become socialized and learn to play with other dogs too. He was a little shy his first day as you can see from the picture:Who am I kidding? He looks like one of those dogs on that terrible animal rescue commercial with Sara McLachlan singing that Arms of the Angel song in the background. He is already a Pawtropolis Rockstar though because he made their blog too. I was in complete disbelief when I picked him up on Monday and they had a report card complete with stickers on it like it was his first day of preschool. The staff treats him really well though and he was practically jumping out of the car this morning as soon as he realized where we were at. What I love the most about it is that he is super sleepy whenever I pick him up in the evenings. A tired dog makes for a happy dog owner.

In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning

I am a night owl to the core. It's only natural considering both of my parents are night people, and they are directly responsible for many of the traits that make me who I am. I often joke that I never had a bedtime whenever I was a kid to which Mom always insists that I did. I'm not convinced. There are so many great things about the night: looking at the stars, listening to the crickets chirp during the summer, a bright moon shining against the dark sky, David Letterman and SNL...the list goes on and on. So normally whenever I make a reference to the wee small hours of the morning, it is because I have stayed up all night long until that time of day. Not so much the case anymore. I cannot count the number of times that I have been woken up during the 4 o'clock hour in the past 7 weeks. Sleeping until 6:00 without interruption is absolutely unheard of. Whoever said that puppies sleep all the time is obviously a dirty liar. At first I hated it. I went to sleep with a sense of dread knowing that my sweet dreams would be interrupted earlier than I preferred. However on Sunday morning (as I was walking around outside at 5:57...church doesn't start until 11:00 so technically I could have snoozed until 9:30 and had time to spare...and to top it off I didn't even make it but that's another story for another day), I realized that the mornings aren't so bad at all. In fact, I am really beginning to like them. Everything is so quiet and still. It's great being outside when hints of pink start to appear in the East as the sun rises. To me it seems almost like it's God's way of pulling the covers back on the Earth and saying "ok kiddos, time to get up and start y'alls day" (and yes, I'm confident that God says "y'all"). Then the birds wake up. Even though they sing from a different sheet of music than the crickets, I really enjoy their song too. Since I'm now waking up two hours earlier than I need to each morning, I have time think about the day ahead and set the tone for how it's going to be. Recently I have been thinking about how I have an opportunity to make a difference each day. Now, I know that sounds really trite. It's not like I have to feed the hungry or play shuffleboard at the senior center or drive the Bookmobile or stand on a corner and preach Jesus to make a difference either. My attitude and actions throughout the day in my regular routine can speak volumes to someone. All too often, I slip up and have to check myself before I wreck myself...especially this time of year. But when I have some time in the morning without the tv or computer and with Jesus before I go out and face the world, I have found that my days are much more productive and much less harried. It's a great way to spend the day. Hmm...maybe those morning people have been on to something all along. Now the trick is to figure out a way to be both a morning person and a night owl without causing fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes. I vote for mid-day naps.

A Sweet Set of Wheels

I believe that the majority of the population will agree with me that this was a bad idea for the automobile industy:However there is still at least one fan of the whole car-truck concept out there, and as luck would have it...this individual was in my apartment complex today!!! As I turned the corner to park in front of my building you can imagine my amusement when my eyes fell upon this:
Seriously? I suppose that this is a car-truck for the elite. Well...that's questionable. Good thing I had my camera in my purse to capture this Kodak moment! Now all I have to do is make friends with the owner so I can cruise around the Classic City in style. Wouldn't Cash look so cute in the back? (Note: Don't worry Mom, I'm not really going to galavant around Athens with a complete stranger.)

Face Lift in Progress

The pink had to go. Don't get me wrong - I love the color pink. After all, I am a girl and was a Phi Mu and you all know how we think pink and white is dynamite (I'm embarrassed that I just typed those words), but it was time to change up the blog a bit. Apparently I have a thing for green and brown. Yesterday I wore a brown skirt and green shirt. Today I'm wearing a green skirt and brown shirt. My purse is brown, and my wallet is green. My dog is brown, and his collar is green. I see a pattern emerging which makes it imperative that I rid my blog of the pink music playlist at the bottom and replace it with one that matches the new look. I'm in the process of creating a new playlist with even groovier tunes for your listening pleasure. Be excited... very excited.

Blogger's Block

I've got it. Yet, I feel as if I should take advantage of the opportunity to blog now before classes start back. Ugh...Classes. It's not as if there is no blog-worthy subject matter. There's plenty from the past week alone. For instance:

• It has been an exciting time of arrivals!! First, my friend Christie's (which if she had a blog, I would have inserted the hyperlink to it here...HINT) husband made it back home to her from Afghanistan after being gone for nearly 15 months. Welcome home, Allen! Thanks for doing what you do! Then my old roommate, Allison (which if she had a blog, I would have inserted the hyperlink to it here...HINT), gave birth to her new baby boy. He arrived casually late and nearly drove his sweet parents crazy in the anticipation I'm sure, but he's here and he's healthy and that's all that really matters. Welcome to the world, McKinley! We're glad that you're here.
• Helicopter parents have been out in full force. They are much more relentless during certain times of year. Fee payment deadline (which is quickly approaching on August 4th) brings out the worst behaviors in them all. I'm glad that my child(ren) will not be a part of the Millennial Generation because I would drive myself crazy if I behaved like these parents. (I know, I know...famous last words, right?...I'll probably end up the Chinook of helicopter parents - 2 propellers - since I just said that.)
• I finally got to the bottom of the mystery behind my next door neighbor's multiple arrests and visit from Athens-Clarke County's version of Dog the Bounty Hunter. Seriously, he even had his own versions of Beth, Leland and Dewayne Lee with him. Except Leland and Dewayne Lee were about 7 and 10 years old. Sheesh. I digress. Apparently he does things like steal gas from gas stations and bounce checks left and right. Which totally clears up my question as to how he can afford to live next door to me if he bags my groceries at Publix. He can't. He just pretends like he can. I do sleep easier knowing that while there is a criminal next door, he's a pretty harmless one. Unless I try to sell him some Tupperware or something. He may not pay me for that. Sell him Tupperware??? Where do I come up with this stuff?
• I made it to see Mamma Mia! (remember from a post last week about how jazzed I was to see it?). It was good. Not as good as the actual musical itself, but it was totally worth my hard-earned $6.25. Meryl Streep did really well, but Pierce Brosnan should keep his day job as Remington Steele and James Bond. I'm not sure who thought it was a good idea for him to play a role that requires singing ABBA tunes in the first place.
• And finally I'm happy to have rediscovered Pop-Up Video on VH1 Classic. Hey - it's a combination of both the small, seemingly insignificant things, AND the big things that make life so grand. Look for the small things and take the time to appreciate those too.

Hmm...seems that the bout with Blogger's Block has passed. That's a relief. :)

Cash and His Cronies

Cash has made some pretty great friends in his little life thus far. In the jazzy photo collage above they are from left to right: Ellie,Cody and Phoebe. I'm most thankful for these pups' owners though because they are super friends to me. I appreciate Maggie for not making too much fun of me for being so head over heels for my dog even after I teased her relentlessly for her dog being better accessorized than I am. Ok, that's not the complete truth, but Elles is a very stylish canine. Emily has been a life saver to let him out on days when I have to work in Gainesville. She is also my puppy mentor given that Cody is only 8 weeks older than Cash. Even though Cody is angel puppy who doesn't bite or chew on furniture and well, Cash is the reason why I need a new kitchen floor. Hmm...maybe I should send him to Emily's for a week. Nah, then I would just have two floors to replace. Katie was a great encourager when I wasn't chosen to adopt Layla, the Boxer, when I first began my quest for the perfect pup. She even braved the McDonald's downtown during a power outage for the cause. ...and I'm not talking about downtown Elberton. Ok, enough blogging about my d-o-g. I do have a life otherwise.

In a period of 24 hours...

The doormat, linoleum in the kitchen and carpet in the dining room have all been forever changed by this beast:
It looks like he gets to take another trip to Home Depot this afternoon. He'd better bring his wallet is all I have to say.

Athens Anniversary

They say time flies when you're having fun. Who are "they", anyway? It's hard to believe that I have been in Athens for a year this week. Especially considering that this is probably one of the last places in the Eastern time zone that I would have ever chosen to live. While it's no Dahlonega (nor will it ever be), there are many perks to living in the Classic City. I love love love the convenience of being 2 minutes from Publix, Old Navy, Barnes & Noble and Chick-fil-A. Not that I go to Chick-fil-A all that often, it's nice to know it's close in the event of an insatiable urge for chicken fried in peanut oil. The energy in this town during football season is contagious as well so that has been fun too. I really like the downtown area even though I'm still mastering parking there. I'm also still mastering this: The Loop

Loop 10 is quite possibly one of the most baffling things I have ever encountered in my life. Can someone please explain to me how it can be considered a loop when at one point, you have to get off of the loop in order to stay on the loop. I'm getting better, but more often than not, I go the wrong way on the silly thing. There are other things that I'm still working on as well that hopefully I will accomplish during year #2. For instance, finding someone in the area to cut my hair. No. My hair is not "just hair" that "will grow". This head of hair can quickly result in a hairmare if a stylist without experience with natural curls takes scissors to it. I also haven't found a church that I just love here yet either. Athens Church is where I go most regularly, but it's just different from what I am accustomed to. However I am constantly learning that God sometimes has to take us out of our comfort zones in order for us to become the people He wants us to be. And I still haven't had any Michael Stipe sightings either. Never mind the fact that he's on tour. There are many other positives to being here too. I love the people I work with. I have always been fortunate to have a pretty great working environment, but this one is by far the best. The great peeps are the reason why, and I am so appreciative of how they welcomed me in like I've always been a part of the team at The OC. Another good thing (which is the primary reason I moved in the first place) is that I'm becoming smarter every day thanks to my graduate program. Ok, that whole smarter every day thing is open for debate, but I am earning another piece of paper to put in a fancy frame. My time here in Athens is only temporary (this coming from the girl who lived in Dahlonega 6 years longer than originally planned) so I plan to make the most of it while I'm here.