Boy I am beat. ;   Today is our Saturday after working the kennels..........it is so much fun out there I swear.  Getting to see alll the sweet babies and taking care of them.  Just awesome.  I'm putting a slide show on here, so you can see this place. 


In the Kennel, there are 6 buildings for boarding.  In each building is 20 runs.  Each run has an inside and an outside.  Then there is a 7th building that has...40 runs?  I think so.  Those are for the student trainers who are going to school there to learn to be trainers.  The dogs they use are from the area shelters.  Then there is a building just for Luxury boarding (i didn't get pictures of that yet).  It only has 8 runs, a bit fancier - and there are flat screen tvs on 3 walls in there that play disney movies all day (101 dalmations, lady & the tramps, fox & the hound.........you get the idea).  The things that can be added to boarding are:  Beach club, Nature walk, Playtime (there are 4 different yards where they can run and chase balls etc.), Brushes & Hugs.  Then they can also get treats:  Tasty Toys (a ball with kibble in it that they chew and roll around to get the food out), or an Everlasting treat which is a different kind of ball that they have to work even harder at, but sure keeps'em busy!, and of course a Frosty Paw, which is a soy based ice-cream cup that a lot of the dogs just love.  And that's how we spend our day (plus we get TONS of kisses) !!!!! 

We have the next two days off. yay. My body is killing me.   Well - i DO have to go to Frills tomorrow, but i get to SIT there while i work!!!! LOL

HAVE A HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!

Well, i found the perfect job for me!!  It is at Triple Crown Dog Academy in Hutto - the world's largest dog training facility!!!!  I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! 
You can visit the site HERE

So, for a while I will still be working at my aunt's store, but then eventually I will go full-time at Triple Crown. 

We had a message from CJ last night.....he says he's doing ok, but he sure did sound homesick!!!  He said he sent us a letter with his address, and he wants us to write EVERY. DAY.  God i miss that kid!

Not much else going on here...........we just been workin workin workin!  Soon as the bluebonnets pop up, I'll try and get some pics up - don't know how they'll be this year.  Ta ta for now!! 

I MISS MY BOY!!!!  Saw a guy in a truck today - looked like CJ the last time i saw him - same hair cut, same beard.  Really wrenched my heart!!  Sigh.

Well, I just spent the last couple of days in the pits of hell. Sigh * Well, not really, but it FELT like it. I suffer from Major Depression, and have been on medication for it for 11 years now. I thank God for antidepressants, because they saved my life. Well, with the new year, somehow the pharmacy lost my information and didn't show any refills for me (I had 2 more to go). So of course I waited until i was OUT completely to get my refill. So they gave me a couple days worth and faxed my doctor. I go back in a couple of days to get my meds, and there's still no refill record!! Argh. So i've skipped days now, in between, and they give me a couple more days worth. Meanwhile, i make an appointment with my doctor for my 6-month check and blood draw, and get his nurse to call in the refill. By then i didn't have the $$$ for damn stuff, so i had to skip a couple more days until payday. Saturday I finally got my meds, but it was too late. I had already screwed with my system too much, and I crashed. So i spent the next 3 days having anxiety attacks and feeling like the world was ending - its really awful.  You become immobilized and can't  function or do even the simplest tasks, and you can't think straight and everything -all your thoughts- feels like a crushing weight.  And of course, you can't call anyone because you can't hardly talk it's too much effort, and you just feel soo very very sad. ; It's a feeling that goes deeper than the ocean i believe.  Anyway - yesterday i felt more like myself, and today I'm (almost) as good as new.  I can remember not long ago, feeling so good that I was thinking Hmmm, maybe I can finally get off these meds....HA!!!  I forgot how that felt, so that was a bit of a reminder. 
Then, today CJ left for the beginning of his journey to Ft. Benning.  He called one last time to say goodbye before he got on the bus - he sounded so nervous!!  I miss the heck out of that kid, and I know this will be hard not hearing from him. 

Anyway, today all is good and survivable again.   So my advice for today is:  Don't wait till the last minute to refill your medicine!!!! ;

Not much going on here...........the weather is COLD and RAINY, very blah.  But, I wanted to include a picture of my little patio that i love so much...wish i could sit out there right now with a good ole cuppa coffee!!!!

So many things going on........ ok, we sold CJ's truck to this young couple, very sweet - we sold it as is and told them it needed a front end alignment and the windshield eventually would have to be replaced.  Cool, ok......sold.  Well, they called the other day and said they had taken it in to have it aligned....only it turned out to NOT be that.  Turns out it needs a whole new front end, and something about bushings and bearings, and shock absorber had a busted nut and I don't know what all else.  I felt horrible!!!!  They had it at the mechanics and were waiting to find out the estimate.  Well, i offered to pay half because i felt terrible, and the mechanic had said it was a hazard to drive....................God.  They called us last night..........$3700 is what it is going to cost to repair.   We sold it to them for 3500.  Sucks.
So the next thing is - I had been working part-time for a vets office...love working with animals. But this crew was a bit different, and a lot of things bugged me about all of them...but i would just shrug things off. They all seem very shallow to me for one thing. All very young..........anyway. The icing on the cake was when they promoted the other receptionist to tech and didn't even bother to ask me if i wanted it or was interested...........Here's the thing - i had been there 6 months, she had been there 2.5 When she started, she had NEVER worked at a vet before - i had worked for one for over a year. I don't know - it didn't set right with me, so I basically QUIT. No notice, nothing. I still get pissed when i think about it. Oh yea, and on my resume when they hired me, it said my goal was tech. But see....I didn't fit in with their little clique back there. The other girl did.
So now I'm gonna try and find another one. The one I worked at in Vegas spoiled me completely - they were all sooo professional and everyone worked together as a team, and there was respect and integrity. That's what i want to find again. Wish me luck!!
So, there's my week in a nutshell. BUT, i AM thankful for my life - i feel so very blessed, and this is all just stuff. Hope everyone is having a good week wherever you may be!!!!!
Oh, and also:

Well, today CJ swore-in and is now officially Private Fannin.  Because of all the delays and some confusion thrown in there, now he will be leaving on February 21st, to Ft. Benning, Georgia for 14 weeks.



I just can't believe it.

14 pounds and holding!  I'm on my 3rd cheat day where i can eat whatever i want.  Tomorrow i go back on an 11 day menu again.  WooHoooo!!!!!!

Pounds lost as of today: 10!!
 I so happppyyy!!!!  Last time i lost ten pounds was when I had all my top teeth pulled.  I gained all that back with the first solid food I got to eat a couple weeks later!! LOL.  For me, major accomplishment.  So now, instead of 50 pounds I have to lose, I only need to lose 40!  Doesn't that sound so much better??  Yes, I thought so.  I had a pair of jeans that I was about to shove to the back of the closet because they had gotten too freakin tight, and that 10 pounds has made.them.LOOSE. 

I'm on day 6 of my second 11-day menu plan.  Just had my meal #3 (bowl of mixed veggies and an orange/pineapple smoothie), and put waaaay to much pepper on there.  My mouth is still on fire.  For my #4 meal tonight I'm supposed to have fish - well, at the store I grabbed a bag of what i THOUGHT was tilapia fillets, and I get home and it's (ugh) salmon.  I haven't had the best of luck with salmon in the past.  May have to opt for the shrimp instead!!!!

Last night at the Vet Clinic, our last appointment was a couple that had gotten a new kitty.  aDORABLE!!!  It's a snowshoe mix, so it's siamese-ish with the white sox and blue eyes.  So anyway, they are there for a little check-up and the doc notices a little place on him.  She says she believes it to be ringworm and goes to get the black light.  (I never knew but if you turn on a blacklight, ringworm will glow!!)  So she turns off the overhead lights and turns on the blacklight, and the whole kitty lit up like some space alien.  Everyone was pretty grossed out after that, and we were all itching like crazy.  Doc said that was the worst infestation she has ever seen.  Almost completely covered with it, head to to tail.  The owners i thought were gonna pass out, because they had him home for a week and a half, and they had just been luuuuuuuvin on him, and snuuuuggggling on him!!!  Will have to see if they break out with it.  Wow.  Always something interesting there at the clinic, that's for sure!!!!! 

Well, gonna go for now....gonna put a log on the fire!

ps.  CJ is supposed to process into the army around the 31st i think they've told him.  They FINALLY have all their damn papers they needed.  He should be shipping out next month.  Wah!!!

Well, I just came off of my 3 day eat-whateveryouwant.  Today i am back on an 11-day menu and I hope I see the same results as the past one.  I lost 7 pounds, and that is just great by me!!  We shall see!!!

So  I have finally started a diet. (8 years after quitting smoking, I am finally going to work on my Quitting-Smoking-Weight!)  I'm not ABOUT to confess to how much I weigh right now, but I WILL confess to needing to lose a good 50 pounds.  Wow.  Prior to starting my diet, my energy level was close to zero.  When I would get home from work, i would be soooo exhausted.  I would be in bed early just wiped out.  On Sunday, my one whole day off, I would get up early, and end up going back to bed about 10.  I would get up about 12 again, and then later in the afternoon, I would be sliding back into nap-land.  Just exhausted I tell ya!  This was my life.  Work, be wiped-out, sleep.  Then I found this diet.  Is it a fad?  I don't know.  What i DO know, is that it made sense to me and sounded a heck of a lot healthier than what i had been doing.  So, I started it, and am on my fifth day.  Have i lost weight yet?  Maybe about 4 pounds, but i really don't care....because I.FEEL.GREAT.  It's works with Calorie Shifting to boost your metabolism.  Since the first day, my energy level has sky-rocketed.  On Sunday, my usual day of sleep - i was doing all KINDS of things..re-doing my living room, painting some window frames, a table, organizing....it was nuts.  At work, same thing....but instead of feeling like i'm walking through mud, I am just bouncing right along!!  The first couple of days I thought - well, i am just excited that i've actually STARTED my diet, so I'm all hyped up because of that.  But each day, I wake up and i feel great and I am eating healthy.  So, we will just see how this continues to go!  The diet is FatLoss4Idiots and I absolutely hate that name.  You eat 4 times a day and it's just lean protein, veggies, fruit, and some dairy like cottage cheese, milk, and other cheeses.  No counting calories and all that.  You are just supposed to eat until right before FULL.  See, I look at this whole thing like this:  When i smoked, i had a nicotine addiction and a bad habit.  It was hard to quit, but it also took a certain mind-set to make a change for LIFE.  So now I have to face the ugly fact that I am a Potato & Pastry addict.  I HAVE to set my mind to not have these foods because for me they are unhealthy and I cannot keep it in moderation.  I mean, with cigarettes i had to quit it PERIOD.  NOTHING with nicotine.  At least now I still get to eat!!!!!  Just not potatoes and pastries!!!!!  LOL.  They say well, maybe you can lose weight with this, but you'll gain it all right back because then you'll start eating "normal" again.  I'm thinking I want to eat this way for Life.  It makes me feel good!  So we shall see won't we?  Wish me luck and I will keep ya posted!!!

Well, i guess it's official.  CJ leaves for Ft. Knox Kentucky on February 7th for 15 weeks of boot camp.  He's going to be a scout, so i guess he'll end up in an armoured unit, cavalry.  Going to take some getting used to...........wow.

Well, it finally got cool here...yay!!!  This weekend was so knock-out gorgeous and Keith was on his last couple of days of vacation, so we got to enjoy it together.  Saturday night we took a friend and her girls to Zilker Park for Ghost Stories in the Park.  Zilker has a hillside theater where to have plays in the summer, and you bring a blanket and picnic and sit on the hill under the stars and watch fantastic plays.  I love it.  Well, this is the first time we went to the Ghost Stories....it was pretty neat.  The first half was stories for the younger crowd, and they all loved it.  The story-tellers got the kids involved in their stories and the kids were shrieking and having such fun.  Then the younger kids were taken home and it was time for the adults.  The stories were great, and told wonderfully, and they were ghost stories of course............but we were all expecting more halloweeenish ghost stories, so that was kinda different.  But it was great and we had fun.  There was a couple on the blanket in front of us that we were SURE were about to have sex right there in front of God and everyone, but they didn't - Thank God.  Cheesh.  This guy couldn't keep his hands OFF the woman!!!  It was a middle age couple too!  Not some young pups!  He was practically smothering this chick...........i would've had to heave him off and tell him dude let me have some breathing space!!!  Anyhow, other than that bizarre distraction, we had fun.
On sunday we went to a PetFest at this HUGE dog-training-boarding facility in Hutto.  They have dog shows there a lot, and i think they train the police dogs there as well.  They have agility contests there and training for that.  Well on this day, they had Dashin' Dachshund Races, Dancing Dogs, a Costume Contest, Police Dog Demos, Dunk a Cop, plus they have a doggy Beach Club where the dogs can go swim and a dock they can dive off of.  Oh, and an adventure trail.  We had a lot of fun there.  Our girls loved it too for a while, but Bailey - the 11 year old - had enough after a while and was getting a little panicky with the crowds and the noise and the butt-sniffers.  Her eyes kind of bug out when she gets like that, so when you can see the whites of her eyes, you know it's time to leave!!!

Tomorrow is back to work and this week at Frills we will be closing down for a couple of days to get ready for our Holiday Open House.  It is so much fun when we do this.......trying to set up pretty and creative displays and we crank up the stereo and put on Christmas music to get in the mood.  And usually on Halloween night, we take a break from the work and go down to the town square to the haunted city hall.  My aunt will be working THAT this year, although i don't know what she will be so it will be a surprise.  They do a GREAT job, and for extra scares they take you down in the OOOLD jail and slam the bars and pretty much scare the crap out of you.  Great fun!  It's always so nice, standing out there waiting in line, and there's tons of kids in their halloween costumes, and laughter and shrieks in the air, and the wind is usually blowing just enough to stir the leaves up................my favoritest time of the year!!!

So, i look forward to this week ahead.  Hope you all have a great one as well!!!!   HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEEEN!!!!!!!!

Been busy busy with work, at Frills we are preparing for our Annual Holiday Open House and boy by the time we get this thing pulled together we are exhausted!  But it's always well worth it!!!  At the vet clinic, I have had the pleasure of seeing many many cute and adorable babies!  There was a schnauzer in the other day that reminded me so much of my own dixie chick......nosy and adorable!  We had in a puppy Chinese Crested - now when these are full grown adults they are BUTT ugly....hairless with spots, and whisps of hair on the head and tail and paws.  But I have to tell you...this puppy was freaking ADORABLE!!!  It looked like a my-little-pony!!!!  It was just precious.  I had never seen a baby one.  We had a lot of frenchies in this past week (French Bulldogs), and those are like little piggies.  Love-em!

Keith got a promotion at work - he now runs the highest volume store in austin.  He's up for the challenge, and since they have a lot more staff there, he should be able to get his days off.  If he gets his days off, he's good to go and really likes his job.  It's when they work him to the bone and he walks around like a zombie exhausted and worn out that he hates it.  But things are looking up for sure!

CJ finally got to come home last night.  Of course, that doesn't mean I'll get to see much of him, but thats ok.   I know he's alright.  Did I tell you he got Tattoos?  One on his left forearm that says Fannin, and one on his right forearm that has a pinup girl in it.  Lol.  He says he's getting more more more.

Well, I am off today (wow!) so i need to get up and get doing some things.  Will write more another time.  Peace out!!!

LOL.  Soooo very much has been happening and I probably can't cover it all.  We'ved moved from little Taylor to bigger Round Rock and now we are right smack in the middle of everything.  I just love love love it!!!!  It has shortened Keith's drive in half, and mine isn't hardly anything to either job.

We got CJ graduated from H.S.   Then he tried to enlist in the ARmy, but when he went down to get his physical, there was some question about exercise asthma.  He was pissed.  Anyhow, since then he has stumbled onto a fantastic job with Tracks Geotechnical Drilling, and he's making gobs of money now.  Right now he is in San Angelo - i think they will be out that wayfor 2 months, although he'll get to come home for time off.

I am working 2 jobs, both part=time.  My usual Frills because I love it, and now also a vet clinic in Austin, which i love love love tooo.  I am in hog heaven.   Keith is still with Ritz, but he does not love love love his job and i wish he could find one he does.  But all in all we're doin pretty good!!

We love our new apartment and it's location and HOPEFULLY we will be there for at least a couple of years.  Right now though, we have no internet at home, so it's catch as catch can right now.

Well, this will hafta do for now...........gotta get back to work!!!!   Buh-Bye!!!!

Well, it's that time again!    I get sooo hooked on this stupid show!  Go figure!

Let's seee....how have things been since the ice storm???  Ok..On the last day of "The Ice" I slipped this way n that and pulled my back.  So I spent a couple MORE days at home, this time laying on the ice.

But I'm ok now.

 Ummm.....this week all I have managed to do is screw up our checking account but good.  Ok, so it's not ENTIRELY my fault....the snowball effect started with that blasted ice that slowed up the paychecks that slowed up the.....well, you get the idea. Sucks.

Anyway.  Duty calls.  Ta ta!      

  Ok, so it's not exactly snow-ing, but it's allll a sheet of ice out there!  And no work again today, and of course no school.  So looks like it will be a day of snuggling, fireplace roaring (mild roar), and movies.  How awesome is that?????