Authors Note: For those hanging on pins and needles (LOL) to find out what happened to my computer… It is broke and for $800 plus dollars I could get it fixed. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know it would be wiser to get a new computer – so I did and today they should be downloading all of my data from my old, dead computer. My fingers are still crossed that they are able to retrieve all of the data – especially the pictures that represent 5 years of my life. But, today I had something more important to blog about…
*********
I am so excited to say that my state has gotten on board the anti puppy mill train. On Sunday, Govenor Pat Quinn signed HB5772 into law! This law will force pet stores across the state to expose just where their puppies are coming from. Which, for people like me, is not news but now thousand of potential buyers will see that these puppies are NOT from local, reputable breeders but from mass breeding facilities where little care or human companionship is ever offered.
HB5772 was a different way to go about ending the plight of puppy mills and at first I was disappointed that IL didn’t take a stand like WI did. WI attacked the problem by regulating the operations – providing strict policies on what the operations can and cannot do. It will make mass breeding operation extinct because few of them will ever be able to pass the inspections.
To me, directly punishing the operations made sense.
But, as I join in the celebration of HB5772, I realize that this is also an outstanding way to cease the operations. By forcing pet stores to reveal where the dogs are coming from – educated consumers will walk away and look for a reputable breeder where they will likely spend less money and get a quality dog – a dog raised in a home environment and not prone to illness and disease.
Eventually, enough people will stop going to pet stores to purchase puppies and pet stores, like Petland, will either sell animal products like a Petsmart or Petco or they will go out of business. Or, like the Petland in Wheaton, IL – they will have dogs available from local shelters to adopt. (what a great idea!).
Worried about the cute, little puppies in the window – who based on my scenario will be left without homes? Worry no longer. If, I mean WHEN, pet stores close and have puppies left over – I can guarantee that local shelters will happily take the pups, get them the vet care they need, spay and neuter them and then find great homes.
While shelters worry about the over crowding this could present at first – every shelter and rescue organization will welcome the day when puppy mills are a thing of the past.
I once slammed Representative Jack Franks for not supporting an anti-puppy mill bill and he called me on it to discuss his point of view. Well, now, in case he or his staff reads my blog again, I want to thank Rep. Franks for co-sponsoring HB5772. He has begun the end of puppy mills and certainly shown that IL, like its surrounding states, is joining the fight against mass breeding operations and recognizing “man’s best friend” deserves better
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Truths: The Trouble with First Days
So, I am sitting in my daughter’s room, under her loft, typing this blog… and that is an indication of how my first day on the job went.
See yesterday was IT – my first scheduled day to work on my book. I took the dogs for a walk at 9am – showered and sat at my desk at 10am ready to begin my job. (Okay, I was 20 minutes late for work…but at least I didn’t get in trouble!)
I was a bit anxious. They say the things hardest to start are the ones you care most about and well, starting this job was going to be no exception.
Where to start was even hard – do I re-read the 180 pages I have written? Do I look back at the pieces I revised during the writing conference? Do I just start writing?
Well, I did a combination of all of them. I began by digging out my notes from the retreat – re-reading the first 10 pages of my manuscript and then - feet first – began revising and writing.
As I clicked on the first page to begin typing, I noticed that the click button on my laptop mouse was not working… so, I dragged out the old fashion mouse and clicked away. It was a brief hurdle but I was too engaged and too excited to think it through.
I typed away – brainstorming how if I were the reader I would want to see the story – what I would want to feel – what I would want to see on the first chapter… and then my mouse didn’t work.
I didn’t have time for this. I unplugged it and plugged it back in and kept going. A moment of creativity is not something you can just stop – it must keep going.
Type, type, type – I couldn’t stop… What seemed like a mountain to climb that morning was now seeming like a hill – I could do this – one chapter at a time.
And, then my screen went blank and the computer went to sleep. Huh? So, I hit the return button twice and “bam!” it went back on, my document was there and I kept going – almost finished with re-writing chapter one.
My gut instinctively told me to hit the save button – which was also freeing – because I relabeled it “chapter one” and felt good about it.
I began chapter two… and the computer pulled its little hissy fit a few more times and that is when I began to really worry. Somehow, I managed to think logically and found a hard drive I could back my data onto. You know the kind of thing you buy when someone tells you to – but then wait for a rainy day to actually use it.
Apparently, it hasn’t rained in Woodstock since. I opened the dusty box and actually followed the directions to set it up… as I clicked on the drive and began what I think was backing up my computer – my computer shut down.
Are you kidding me?
I turned it back on and while freaking out – managed to copy my book to the hardrive and then tried – what would be 15 times – all unsuccessfully – to back-up my whole computer.
Oh, I should mention that before the total breakdown – I did manage to schedule an appointment for today at the Apple store with one of the “Genius” people – I can only hope that Genius is what they are.
This morning I crossed my fingers and ran to my computer to see if it finished backing up the system – only to find that my computer is DEAD… D-E-A-D – dead!
There are a lot of ways to look at this – the most obvious being that writing this book is a ridiculous idea. The book Gods are laughing at me and only trying to avert me from complete failure.
I mean what are the odds that the first day I decide to dedicate my time to working on my book – my computer dies?
I could also look at it – that I was able to save my book – out of all the things that are on my computer – that is the one thing that was saved for sure. (I can cry later if Apple can’t re-store everything else and I face the reality that the last 5 years of pictures are gone forever)
But, I have my book and THAT must mean something.
It HAS to mean something, right?
So THAT was my first day – when Bill came home last night and would usually be talking about his day and the tons of meetings he was stuck in – it was ME who whined about my first day of work: I was late and my computer crashed… I think I won the worst first day award!
Please… cross your fingers for me that when I enter the Apple store this afternoon – the computer Gods will shine down upon me and rescue me from this complete disaster.
See yesterday was IT – my first scheduled day to work on my book. I took the dogs for a walk at 9am – showered and sat at my desk at 10am ready to begin my job. (Okay, I was 20 minutes late for work…but at least I didn’t get in trouble!)
I was a bit anxious. They say the things hardest to start are the ones you care most about and well, starting this job was going to be no exception.
Where to start was even hard – do I re-read the 180 pages I have written? Do I look back at the pieces I revised during the writing conference? Do I just start writing?
Well, I did a combination of all of them. I began by digging out my notes from the retreat – re-reading the first 10 pages of my manuscript and then - feet first – began revising and writing.
As I clicked on the first page to begin typing, I noticed that the click button on my laptop mouse was not working… so, I dragged out the old fashion mouse and clicked away. It was a brief hurdle but I was too engaged and too excited to think it through.
I typed away – brainstorming how if I were the reader I would want to see the story – what I would want to feel – what I would want to see on the first chapter… and then my mouse didn’t work.
I didn’t have time for this. I unplugged it and plugged it back in and kept going. A moment of creativity is not something you can just stop – it must keep going.
Type, type, type – I couldn’t stop… What seemed like a mountain to climb that morning was now seeming like a hill – I could do this – one chapter at a time.
And, then my screen went blank and the computer went to sleep. Huh? So, I hit the return button twice and “bam!” it went back on, my document was there and I kept going – almost finished with re-writing chapter one.
My gut instinctively told me to hit the save button – which was also freeing – because I relabeled it “chapter one” and felt good about it.
I began chapter two… and the computer pulled its little hissy fit a few more times and that is when I began to really worry. Somehow, I managed to think logically and found a hard drive I could back my data onto. You know the kind of thing you buy when someone tells you to – but then wait for a rainy day to actually use it.
Apparently, it hasn’t rained in Woodstock since. I opened the dusty box and actually followed the directions to set it up… as I clicked on the drive and began what I think was backing up my computer – my computer shut down.
Are you kidding me?
I turned it back on and while freaking out – managed to copy my book to the hardrive and then tried – what would be 15 times – all unsuccessfully – to back-up my whole computer.
Oh, I should mention that before the total breakdown – I did manage to schedule an appointment for today at the Apple store with one of the “Genius” people – I can only hope that Genius is what they are.
This morning I crossed my fingers and ran to my computer to see if it finished backing up the system – only to find that my computer is DEAD… D-E-A-D – dead!
There are a lot of ways to look at this – the most obvious being that writing this book is a ridiculous idea. The book Gods are laughing at me and only trying to avert me from complete failure.
I mean what are the odds that the first day I decide to dedicate my time to working on my book – my computer dies?
I could also look at it – that I was able to save my book – out of all the things that are on my computer – that is the one thing that was saved for sure. (I can cry later if Apple can’t re-store everything else and I face the reality that the last 5 years of pictures are gone forever)
But, I have my book and THAT must mean something.
It HAS to mean something, right?
So THAT was my first day – when Bill came home last night and would usually be talking about his day and the tons of meetings he was stuck in – it was ME who whined about my first day of work: I was late and my computer crashed… I think I won the worst first day award!
Please… cross your fingers for me that when I enter the Apple store this afternoon – the computer Gods will shine down upon me and rescue me from this complete disaster.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Truths: The true “gift” of womanhood.
**Warning this blog might not be for everyone**
It started about two weeks ago… The irritability, the uncontrollable sadness – snapping at the innocent, tears at the drop of a hat – Then, came the headaches and the sore back – until, finally, a week later came my monthly gift.
For 25 years I have been receiving this monthly gift – and I can count on my hands how many times I was actually grateful to receive it! (you know where you pray you will never do “that” again if you could just get your period THIS time)
It is the gift that does tell us we are the stronger sex because no man could bare it – especially for 30—40 years. You know that if the gift was something men got – they would have figured out years ago – how to stop it.
I know the gift is also something remarkable – this beautiful process that allows us to bear the next generation – makes us the key to survival. Still, I would prefer someone else have it each month.
I mean – nearly the whole month we are somehow suffering from its wrappings… For a week we become these unrecognizable women – blubbering over ASPCA commercials where they show Fido wagging his tail and hoping for a home. Then, we become angered when – like any other day – our husbands leave the toilet seat up and we lunge at them with the plunger demanding to know why the $%^* they can’t think of how that affects us.
When the emotional tyrade wears off, we find ourselves in agony – first it might be headaches that immobilize us from daily activity, then backaches that aren’t cured from a bottle of Advil… then the bloating to the point that even our fat jeans won’t button and then BAM – here comes the gift like the rapids and we find ourselves double over with cramps.
What kind of horrible joke is this?
We then spend a week dealing with our gift until finally we are able to enjoy about 10 days before it starts all over again. Aren’t we the lucky ones?
All of this hit me when I had mine last week and found myself in need of another box of tampons. Okay, first I needed a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough ice cream and then I realized I needed more tampons. I was up at the cabin and the only place to go is a tiny grocery store. The kind with one check –out and 10 aisles.
Even at 39 – I couldn’t bring myself to buy the ice cream and the tampons at the same time. It just seemed so obvious – so I did what any grown woman would do – I made do with the stock I had at home and only got the ice cream!
The next day there was no denying that I needed to replenish my supply so I mustered up the courage to walk into the tiny grocery store and only get the tampons. Yes, I could have added some unneeded items – but I was 39 – surely I could flaunt my maturity.
I walked into the store with two younger men – hoping that they would take a left when I would take the right (and they did).
I walked right to the feminine products in search of a multi-pack (God knows our gift can’t just come in one size package – it has to keep us guessing how bad it is going to be that day or that hour).
Who was I kidding? This wasn’t Target at home – the selection was not going to be that good – so I grabbed “Super Plus” and “Regular” and darted to the check-out and this is where my writing inspiration came from…
As the older woman cashier bagged my goods and handed me the receipt she said, “Have a great day!”
Seriously? Did she NOT see what I just bought? There is nothing great about the day I was about to have!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Truths: Sororities don’t always have greek letters
Last night was the Woodstock Garden Club’s annual dinner with spouses. And, yes, I am a member of the club. My friends often giggle when I say that – I think it conjures up visions of big floppy hats and teapots but I joined because I enjoy gardening and really needed something more than animal welfare to be a part of my world.
(I have learned in the last year – that basically, I have a lot to learn about gardening)
I have never been one for large groups of women…sure I was a college sorority girl – I went to U of I – one of the largest greek systems – but, usually, I find women to be a bit catty.
However, I have been fortunate and the women of the garden club are wonderful. Now, it can’t go without say that I am the youngest member of the club and many of the women could easily be my mother – but I really enjoy getting to know them and truthfully, they are just the nicest people.
Last night was my first dinner with the group… I brought (dragged) my husband along so he could meet the ladies and all of their husbands and didn’t bring any expectations with me.
Boy, was I surprised.
The night was a lot of fun and I just could help but later compare it to a Gamma Phi mixer in college – here we were, this group of women, with our dates, gathered around a beautiful pool, chatting away. I was holding a beer and there were cocktails going around – even shots of apple pie!
In the middle of the night, the women all posed for a group picture – arms around each other – smiling as though we would later order the picture for our scrapbooks.
And for those friends who picture us wearing white gloves and sipping camomile… many of us found ourselves without knives as we stared at our plates with chicken breast patties…doing the only thing possible, we picked them up with our hands and ate them! Who knew, right?
The night got better when one of my closer friends, Vicky, explained to me (and you are gonna love this) that if you poor any type of cheap liquor in a Brita pitcher, it tastes great! (I am buying one today)
I guess what I am trying to say is that I had an unbelievable fun time – perfect venue, wonderful women and lots of good cheer.
When I joined the garden club – all I was looking for was a diversion from all the sad stuff I was witnessing in the world – but what I got was so much more and along the way some really beautiful friends.
(I have learned in the last year – that basically, I have a lot to learn about gardening)
I have never been one for large groups of women…sure I was a college sorority girl – I went to U of I – one of the largest greek systems – but, usually, I find women to be a bit catty.
However, I have been fortunate and the women of the garden club are wonderful. Now, it can’t go without say that I am the youngest member of the club and many of the women could easily be my mother – but I really enjoy getting to know them and truthfully, they are just the nicest people.
Last night was my first dinner with the group… I brought (dragged) my husband along so he could meet the ladies and all of their husbands and didn’t bring any expectations with me.
Boy, was I surprised.
The night was a lot of fun and I just could help but later compare it to a Gamma Phi mixer in college – here we were, this group of women, with our dates, gathered around a beautiful pool, chatting away. I was holding a beer and there were cocktails going around – even shots of apple pie!
In the middle of the night, the women all posed for a group picture – arms around each other – smiling as though we would later order the picture for our scrapbooks.
And for those friends who picture us wearing white gloves and sipping camomile… many of us found ourselves without knives as we stared at our plates with chicken breast patties…doing the only thing possible, we picked them up with our hands and ate them! Who knew, right?
The night got better when one of my closer friends, Vicky, explained to me (and you are gonna love this) that if you poor any type of cheap liquor in a Brita pitcher, it tastes great! (I am buying one today)
I guess what I am trying to say is that I had an unbelievable fun time – perfect venue, wonderful women and lots of good cheer.
When I joined the garden club – all I was looking for was a diversion from all the sad stuff I was witnessing in the world – but what I got was so much more and along the way some really beautiful friends.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Truths: Fly Damn It!
So, I hit a bird yesterday… though I really think that the on-coming car hit the bird and then it flew into the front of my car. (At least that is what I am telling myself). I don’t hit animals. I am one of those people who is bound to end up wiping out into a telephone pole to miss the raccoon crossing the street.
People have told me for years that I need to think of myself first when I drive but it is pure natural instinct for me to think of the animal. Swerving to miss an opossum or a stray dog is just in my DNA.
But, the fate of the bird yesterday really got me thinking… Why in the Hell does a bird fly so close to the traffic? Here they have one of the most amazing talents – one that many humans wish they could possess: the ability to spread their wings and fly wherever they want to.
And yet, they choose to use this gift to hover over cars racing by at 60 mph. What gives?
Worse is when you see a goose or duck WALKING across a 4 lane highway? I guess the term “bird brain” had to start somewhere.
But, seriously, it got me philosophizing life in general. Truthfully, we are all much like the birds – we are given talents, passions, yearnings and yet, we do everything we can NOT to use them.
Okay, maybe it’s just me I am talking about – but you know that you smiled when you read that.
My book…my fricking book. I have already made a commitment to myself to get serious about it once Abby starts school which is exactly two weeks from tomorrow. And yet, I find myself thinking about a job at a nursery, or going back to school, or starting a business.
I want this book to happen and still I am sabotaging myself – MYSELF!
Why do we do this? I once heard or made it up in my head that the things that mean the most to us are the hardest to start (which is why I never got around to scrapbooking any of Abby’s baby pictures).
If I could get my book published and just sell it to 100 people – that would be my dream come true and still I let myself wander away from it.
It should not take gut wrenching discipline to fulfill the one dream you know you are passionate about and yet, for me, it does.
Like the bird yesterday, I let myself hover amongst racing thoughts and interferences – allowing myself to be bumped around by things that just don’t mean that much to me.
And like the poor birds fate yesterday, that might soon be the fate of my book if I don’t spread my own wings and get flying!
Think about what really means the world to you, what you would love to have accomplished in a year, 5 years or just simply before you leave this world and then ask yourself, “What is keeping me from achieving that?”
If it helps, think about the little sparrow who failed to use the amazing talent he had…no one wants that to be them. ☺
People have told me for years that I need to think of myself first when I drive but it is pure natural instinct for me to think of the animal. Swerving to miss an opossum or a stray dog is just in my DNA.
But, the fate of the bird yesterday really got me thinking… Why in the Hell does a bird fly so close to the traffic? Here they have one of the most amazing talents – one that many humans wish they could possess: the ability to spread their wings and fly wherever they want to.
And yet, they choose to use this gift to hover over cars racing by at 60 mph. What gives?
Worse is when you see a goose or duck WALKING across a 4 lane highway? I guess the term “bird brain” had to start somewhere.
But, seriously, it got me philosophizing life in general. Truthfully, we are all much like the birds – we are given talents, passions, yearnings and yet, we do everything we can NOT to use them.
Okay, maybe it’s just me I am talking about – but you know that you smiled when you read that.
My book…my fricking book. I have already made a commitment to myself to get serious about it once Abby starts school which is exactly two weeks from tomorrow. And yet, I find myself thinking about a job at a nursery, or going back to school, or starting a business.
I want this book to happen and still I am sabotaging myself – MYSELF!
Why do we do this? I once heard or made it up in my head that the things that mean the most to us are the hardest to start (which is why I never got around to scrapbooking any of Abby’s baby pictures).
If I could get my book published and just sell it to 100 people – that would be my dream come true and still I let myself wander away from it.
It should not take gut wrenching discipline to fulfill the one dream you know you are passionate about and yet, for me, it does.
Like the bird yesterday, I let myself hover amongst racing thoughts and interferences – allowing myself to be bumped around by things that just don’t mean that much to me.
And like the poor birds fate yesterday, that might soon be the fate of my book if I don’t spread my own wings and get flying!
Think about what really means the world to you, what you would love to have accomplished in a year, 5 years or just simply before you leave this world and then ask yourself, “What is keeping me from achieving that?”
If it helps, think about the little sparrow who failed to use the amazing talent he had…no one wants that to be them. ☺
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