I suck at blogging and other tales

Hello Dear Reader,

Thank you for taking a moment to stop by this lonely little blog of mine. As I have stated in the title, blogging has not been my forte of late, and I have struggled with keeping this web page open. But here we are!

Again.

So life lately has been busy. I've failed at doing monthly updates (I did start them! But didn't complete them so.) so here's a synopsis of the remaining summer months:

VolleyBall (lots and lots of volleyball):

Rock Climbing:

I'm like a "regular" at the climbing wall!

Bike Rides:

Cades Cove 8.15.15

Live Music Events:

House Parties + Cookouts:

Friends:

The Fur Kids:

Lots of MeetUps:

Its been a fun one! 

HOW many animals do you have?

“…. Well I have a lot of animals on a regular basis, just a regular old kennel I run sometimes haha!” 

“Oh really (smile slightly dims) how many do you have?”

“Well right now I only have three dogs, and two cats. But I can have anywhere from six dogs and two cats to just two dogs and two cats, though the latter doesn’t happen very often! Wish it did sometimes! Haha!”

“Ooh (subtly tries to look around and find a way of escape) well.. that’s …. …. Nice ….”

Toto … we are not in Kansas anymore.

Apparently outside of the veterinarian/dog world, having more than two animals is completely borderline hoarder-ish. 

I would be inclined to concur at moments. 

07-02-13 10:38p:

"So That Happened" 

That pretty much sums up my day. Despite having big plans of renewing my registration and using a gift card I'd received, one look at my stitched up dachshund this morning, and I knew I'd be hanging around the house today. He had a major surgery yesterday in an effort to "fix" this ... and has been in a lot of pain all day. He's been exhibiting a lot of anxious behaviors, and would almost panic if I left his line of vision/side. Scared that he would do something like rip out his stitches i did a lot of hovering this afternoon. Hovering stresses me out. Being helpless in the face of pain of a non-verbal being is exhausting, not knowing what the screams, or the sudden jerks that leave my bed splattered with blood mean, then finding out he couldn't use the restroom properly due to bandages, which was causing some of the anxiety. Not to mention the fact that I have two puppies in my house I have take care on top of this? 

It feels like to much. Despite my almost four hour nap this afternoon, I find myself wanting to crawl right back into bed and shutting everything out. 

I'm ready for this whole deal to be over. 

However I did finish a book today. I've been slacking in the reading area so it was nice to lose myself in a story once again ... 

Weekly Recap

This [Past] Week Categorized: 

Good

1. Making plans to see Rei and her partner this summer!! 
2. Finishing the first week of the Couch to 5K plan 
3. Trying new recipes 
4. Finding out two friends are expecting babies :) 
5. Meeting the cutest beagle mix puppy ever
6. Planning and making dinner/snacks ahead for the coming week 
7. Trips to the Library 

Bad 

1. Starting a fire in my stove
2. Finding a dead bird in my bedroom 
3. Finding out I may need to get screened/assessed for dyslexia 
4. Staying up 'till 4AM and subsequently being late for church
5. Finding out I need to update my car's registration $60 !! >:-(

Ugly 

1. PMS
2. Cutting myself with a butter knife
3. Watching my dachshund eat a baby-rabbit 

At the very least the good out weighed the bad right? :)

A Summation of the Week Thus Far..

This Week: I almost feel as if I have developed some sort of phobia when it comes to writing about my personal life. Every time I open the post editor, my mind goes blank, my heart rate speeds up and I can't think of a single intelligent thing to say.  This may be in part, due to the fact, that this week: Nothing Happened. To be honest, free time is fun when you've been slammed with work and school, as I had been a mere two weeks ago. Now... its boring. Its lonely, and a bit depressing. Yes it was a Holiday, and I got off work and all that, but I pretty much stayed at home, cleaned my house, play computer games and listened to a audio book.

Cleaning, Organizing and DIYing 

 A fifty six chapter audio book, I should mention, one in which the author dies before completing the final chapter of. The bad thing about it was that it was such a good story, and knowing the ending wasn't complete was a tragedy in and of its self, however it was nicely summed up by, some other dude. No he didn't go as far as too write the chapter himself, but he voiced what we hoped happened in the end. If you are a Jane Austen Fan you will adore Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.

iPhone and Speaker playing Wives & Daughters

The remainder of the week will see me, working, carting my brothers & sisters around while my parents are on a "romantic getaway" and more baby-sitting. I know, don't be jealous.

In Other Blogs: Puppy Xander spent the night and helped me Baby-Sit and We were asked to give a review of Mr. Chewy on Texas's Blog. Be sure to check them out!

Insta-Friday #2

Another Insta-Friday ... with finals right around the corner, I have spent the majority of my week in front of a computer, slaving away over last minute homework. By Wednesday my brain was fried. HOWEVER getting an 85 on my exam...? TOTALLY WORTH IT. Looks like I'll make a "B" in Math. For the first time in my college history. Yes I'm a little excited about that fact. 

And because Finals we're going "so" well, I decided to take puppy sit for a day. You can read about that BIG mistake on my other blog. :) 

But he's oh-so-cute

How was your week?

November 5: A Letter

Dear Mr. Flash,
I have to start out this letter with an apology. I'm a very humble person and when I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I can admit that. (...wait does me saying that discount my humbleness?) I have had a ...hate/hate relationship with you, since I got my DSLR camera. Your "in-camera" flash has ruined many a perfectly good photo. So.Many.People use you, yet they use you wrong, hence solidifying my hatred of you. Everytime I see a photo shot with a on-camera flash I cringe. So you can imagine my reaction, to finding out we were REQUIRED to buy you, Mr.Flashy Pants. It wasn't pretty. I seriously consider/considering dropping the class, due to not being able to afford your expensive..self..


Until I borrowed you from the school. And.. *starts to get choked up* I realize..that uh....*sniff* I may, have been...wrong...about..um.......um... wrong about you. 

I may have, you know, complained to my fellow classmates at how I hated using the flash, and how awful photos with "on camera" flashes were. I may have vowed to only rent one, because..psht..I'd NEVER use one of those things outside of class. Its a humbling thing, I tell you, to be proven wrong. Humbling. 
It was also, very, very hard to let you go. All evening I've missed your brightness bouncing off my ceiling. ...my roommate would beg to differ..:)However, I am scrapping all the money I can so I can buy you. Yeah I'll be broke for the next week, and no I probably won't be able to do anything other than purchase gas..but I'll have you.
Well ok, no YOU per se, but HOPEFULLY one just as good. Stupid school, of course spares no expenses for their equipment, which means when people like me, use you, our desire to have you is quickly squashed by logging into Amazon.com. So I'm stuck with the one, that's $150 less.

Please be worth it. 


Love,

Bubbles PhotoShoot - 10 years

Canon Rebel xti - 50mm \ Manuel Focus

New Camera

I am not one to pass up a good deal when I see one, and when I saw an ad on Craigs List for a Canon Rebel EOS xti - 3 lenses (50 1.8 mm, 35-700mm, & 18-55mm) - Camera Bag+ for only $700. I emailed the seller immediately.

I have to say that I was a little bit nervous about making the leap from Sony to Canon..as I still love my Sony very much. But after about a week to play I think we'll be just fine.

I do have to say that the kit lens on my Sony is soooo much better than the Canon. But I'm starting to get the hang of and like the 50 mm.

Canon is much lighter than the Sony, so I have to really hold my hand a lot steadier. I'm not getting rid of my Sony just yet. I've had the camera for about two years now, and its my baby :)

Anyway here is me playing with the 50mm lens..

Last Weekend

Life is back in the slow lane again, and it feels sooo good!! But anyways, had one of the funnest, wettest, busiest weekends...Saturday rather. 

Normally after camp meeting we have a big picnic with all of our out of town guests. The weather stations had been reporting rain, rain, rain all day Saturday, but some of us...ok me, was very optimistic that it would be beautiful day.

Needless to say my hopes were squashed at the sound of pounding rain in the morning. Which immediately made me decide that Ira would need to sit out this picnic, (which was to go on rain or shine) After waiting about an hour after it was scheduled to start, we loaded up on umbrellas and towels, and headed out in the rain.

Which was still POURING DOWN. Everyone was huddled under shelter, eating, talking and having a great time.

Eventually some decided that a little water wouldn't hurt them and dove outside to play volleyball. While we (smart ones) stayed under the shelter and watched the park turn into a lake...or a ratha large pond.

Once everyone was throughly water logged, we made plans to do something INSIDE later, and I split for work.

Two hours later was on my way to Gatlinburg TN, to go Ice Skating!! I have never been, but used to roller-blade Alllll the time. It took some getting used to the thin blade of the skate but once I did, it was fun!

Once they kicked us off the ice...(they were closing) we all walked around the Bass Pro Shop...massive all things camping-fishing-hunting-store......it had Starbucks..:)

I headed home ASAP as I was seriously dragging and my dogs had suffered another day crated, so I went home exercised them and crashed.

A Great day IMO.

Saturday - August 22, 2009

This next week is going to be the start of a series of eternally busy weeks...or so it seems. I think I have something going on every single day, without a moment of down time.

....it will seem like that anyways.

Ben (yellow lab) will be going to another trainer, on Tuesday which is sad, cause I was thinking I'd have him until he graduated in a few short weeks. But alas and alack, it is not to be.

So on top of running hither, thither and yon, I have to re-introduce another dog back into my household, life and schedule. *Sigh*

After getting home at 2:30AM last night, I pried myself out of bed this morning, and drove to Wilderwood's Kennel to meet with some new foster families as they picked up their new puppies. I hadn't gotten a chance to see our new litter of newest golden pups, but they were adorable!! (OF COURSE I DIDN'T BRING MY CAMERA!??! WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM? A PHOTOGRAPHER?)
And of course I was bitten by the puppy bug, not really again, because its been gnawing at me for a long while now.

I'm this close to asking my boss if I can take one of the pups to foster myself, along with my other duties. Crazy? Maybe. But also feel it would help me working with our foster families as well. Realistically I don't have time now...but there is always next year!

Man I miss puppy raising.

But anyways, the time is now 9:34 PM and I am beyond way tired, so I think I will say "Good Night".

And thanks to the one of you who stopped by my blog.

XXXXX

Erin

P.S. (101 N 1001? Still working on it. Will be able to cross off getting the dogs vaccinated!)

Bandanna's

We were honored to be able to receive some bandana's from one of our new twitter friends! Go check out her store here: http://www.thehandmadehound.com/
Or follow her on twitter: twitter.com/handmadehound

Bubbles was all about her bandanna and pranced around the house.

Texas wasn't overly fond of his bandanna, and begrudgingly let me take photos.

Gideon got one too...but let it be known quickly that he thought it was a play thing...so we'll attempt pictures later. haha

Bandanna's

We were honored to be able to receive some bandana's from one of our new twitter friends! Go check out her store here: http://www.thehandmadehound.com/
Or follow her on twitter: twitter.com/handmadehound

Bubbles was all about her bandanna and pranced around the house.

Texas wasn't overly fond of his bandanna, and begrudgingly let me take photos.

Gideon got one too...but let it be known quickly that he thought it was a play thing...so we'll attempt pictures later. haha