happy Monday: green

eeks! I know I'm late on posting this, but I just had the time to do a little editing this morning. I was up until 2AM writing two papers for my English class... thankfully I got them completed so I am now done with spring semester!  

I took this on our rock fishing trip, of which I have yet to post about. 

this little guy was calling my name... and the name of the several fish we caught as well, apparently. 

grrr, this is my angry face

before I begin this, I would like to state for the record that I'm feeling hormonal today, which is probably where this post is coming from. also, because I know people will read this and automatically think "OMG that post is about me"... it's probably not, so calm yourself. these things are a combination of annoyances that I've witnessed on Facebook, Twitter, and the like. really, they're all just generalized pet peeves that I have instilled in my mind. oh, and it's my blog, so I can do what I want.

I really hate to be negative, but some things have just been irking my nerves, and I feel as though I have to vent. I think bullet style will work best here, because if I don't this might turn into a 10 page essay, and we don't want that amount of negativity here, now do we?

so here we go... a little list of sorts of things that piss me off to no end.

• Hormones. getting off birth control has turned me into a chocolate craving, bitchy, hormonal, breakdown having, spazzed out psycho. I was always real laid back, never had to worry about my flying off the handle or anything. yeah, that shit's over. nowadays I can go from 0 to Holy Shit Why Am I Crying AGAIN? in about 2 seconds. poor Sean... he truly didn't know what he was getting into... I didn't even know I had the capability of being like that, but I think my hormones are just completely out of whack. I hope I'll be normal again someday.
• Negative Nancies. if more than 75% of your Facebook updates, tweets, blog posts, etc contain something that could be considered a "rant," go do something that makes you happy, because you've obviously got way too much time on your hands to sit around and bitch about everything. complaining about things and not making changes in your life make you worthless.
• yes, I realize that this blog post is a "rant" but most of my posts here are happy ones and I feel that one negative post in a dozen of happy ones makes me human, not Debbie Downer or Negative Nancy.
• People Pleasers. while yes, I think that if you have a blog that you want to be popular, it's important to reach out to your readers. but do not change yourself completely based on what's trendy in blogging right now. write about what YOU want to write about, and don't worry about what others think. you're never going to please everyone. if you aren't passionate about the things you write about, chances are, people will smell that from a mile away. if you really want to please people, just be yourself. :) 
• The Word "Front" Used As A Verb. I shit you not, I've read or heard this at least 8 times in the past week and one instance was reading it regarding the analysis of Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby on a discussion board for my English class. if you are not ghetto, please refrain from using the word "front" in any other way than describing the location of something, ie my fist in front of your face.
• Over-Analyzers. stop worrying about what other people are doing/saying/thinking and stop trying to analyze WHY they're doing/saying/thinking these things. stop questioning it... people have their own opinions for a reason, and it's not so that you can speculate and judge them; get your own life.
• Unsolicited Advice/Opinions. people who need to have an opinion about my husband and I trying to have a baby and subsequently feeling the need to question me about it, such as "are you sure you're ready for it? zomg they're such a big responsibility!" and "why do you have to 'try'? it's not hard! look at me, I got knocked up accidentally WHILE on birth control. TWICE! woops!" while that's awesome for you, it's not a really considerate thing to say. and a little birdie (aka everyone I've ever met in my life that actually has children) once told me that you're never truly ready for kids. but thanks for being concerned. 
• Motherfuckin' ANTS. I keep my house clean and these sons of bitches still find a way in. they're in random places too, like my bathtub! obviously, the people who installed our tub didn't do such a great job caulking/grouting, so it looks like we'll be taking on yet another home improvement project. add it to the list. 
• Mean Girls. I guess what I mean by this is, girls who hate other girls simply because they have a vagina. the whole "well I just get along better with dudes" act is probably not true. if you don't have girlfriends that you can trust, it's most likely because you're a bitch and untrustworthy. I mean sure, I get along with guys too, but that's because they aren't complex human beings like women and don't require much effort to maintain a friendship with.
• Undeserving Pet Owners. think of having a pet as having a child. if you cannot afford to take care of a child (except that it's actually a lot CHEAPER than having an actual human), you should not have a pet. I understand that unexpected things happen and spontaneous trips to the vet definitely suck, but it comes with the territory as being a pet owner and it's something that is bound to happen. there's no such thing as a "free" puppy/kitten/iguana. also, if you keep your cat/dog/domesticated animal as an "outdoor" pet, only giving it attention when it suits your needs, just shoot yourself, but make sure to have a good home for your pet before you go. if there's one thing I will judge you on, it's how you treat your animals.

good day, sir. 

soft kitty, pretty kitty...

as if I need another distraction from my everyday responsibilities... a friend of mine recently shared this link with me. so for all my fellow CCL's (that's crazy cat lady, FYI)... you're welcome. 

oh, and if for some reason, you can't do video right now because you're at work or whatever, here are some pictures that I shamelessly stole from www.kittencam.org so that you can get your fix in too. 

these little bundles of love are only 9 days old and residing in California. I would give a body part to visit them. someone buy me a place ticket!

oh, and if you think they're cute in the pictures, wait til you see them on video. especially when the mama cat gets back in the box after eating... the "mew mew mew" of the babes are enough to make my heart pitter patter.

Friday loves

this video that Sean sent me this week. baby laughing at a dog who eats bubbles. I'm pretty positive there's nothing cuter in the world.

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I don't have much of a green thumb, but I've been wanting to grow my own herbs this year. these three planters (thyme, rosemary & basil) from C&B would be perfect to sit on my window sill. and if I ever got tired of growing herbs, they could double as flower planters too.

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our local March of Dimes walk is a little over a week away, and I'm thoroughly excited about it. one, it's for a great cause, obviously. our team has raised almost $2500 for the charity and I couldn't be more proud to be a part of the largest walking team in our area.

oh, and two, it'll be great exercise. and I'm wearing a purple & black tutu. don't worry, there will be about a gazillion pictures taken. <---- I know this isn't something I've come across on the internet this week, but I'm SO pumped, I couldn't NOT post something about it.

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these running shoes, which I may or may not be buying for myself. there will be a post regarding my progress (or lack thereof) of the C25k next week. short story is that I've got shin splints and I need them to heal. I've also been running wrong. only I would find the "wrong" way to run and fuck my legs up because of it.

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I started following Sherry's (from YHL, as if you didn't already know that) boards on Pinterest this week, and am so glad I did. she is an awesome pinner (is that a real term?) and I love her style! it would be awesome if their servers weren't down all the time though, ugh.

also, while I'm on the subject of cute baby & dog videos AND my crazy obsession totally normal affinity with YHL, check this video out. adorbs in every sense of the word.

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totes digging these funky vases from Pier1. I'm hoping to stop in my local store this weekend, and I'm crossing my fingers that they have that teal one in stock. 

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spending hours a day watching a live feed of a Bald Eagle pair and their newborn baby chicks! thank you to Kaley for passing this cuteness over to me! it's seriously one of most awesome things I've ever seen. if you haven't seen it, go here now and keep it up on your computer at all times. you will not regret it.

Happy Friday!

from A to Z

I promptly stole this from my friend Erinn. I had every intention of finishing it on Friday, but I got caught up in work stuff, and I spent the entire day yesterday running errands and doing a little shopping... I'll show you my goods in another post. I love surveys... play along if you'd like!

A. Age: twenty-five, as of last week.

B. Bed size: it's a king. I could never go back to a queen.

C. Chore you dislike: uh... all of them, which is obvious if you've ever seen my house. for real though, washing dishes really blows, especially since we don't have a dishwasher.

D. Dogs: none. I'd like to have one eventually, but we don't have the space right now.

E. Essential start to your day: coffee, which coincidentally, I did not have this morning.

F. Favorite color: green, grey, and mustard. I can't pick just one and you can't make me. 

G. Gold or Silver: white gold.

H. Height: I'm almost 5'-9" tall.

I. Instruments you play(ed): I learned how to play the flute when I was in 5th grade. but that was something everyone had to do. no talents here.

J. Jelly bean flavor: I will seriously eat the shit out of some Jelly Bellies, as long as it's not the licorice or popcorn flavored ones.

K. Kids: not yet, but we're workin' on it. ;)

L. Lucky Number(s): 12.

M. Month: I'm gunna have to go with May on this one.

N. Nicknames: Mandeefofandee, Mandee Ree, Stank Ass (affectionate, no?), Quinn. 

O. Overnight hospital stays: when I was born, and then again when I was 17 - I had an abscess of fluid in my tonsils (it was an infection, pervs), and had to be hospitalized for a few days.

P. Pet peeves: negative Nancy minded folk, when people don't pick up their feet when they walk, the saying "could care less"... it's "COULDN'T care less" you fucking idiots. "could" implies that you actually could care less. what else? normal stuff like bad hygiene, crazy drivers, traffic, etc. also, close talkers. gimme my space, man.

Q. Quote from a movie: "It's not a purse, it's called a satchel. Indiana Jones wears one." - The Hangover

R. Righty or Lefty: Righty.

S. Siblings: Two real brothers and two half brothers... so mathematically... three brothers. :)

T. Time You Wake Up: anytime between 8 and 8:30.

U. Underwear: I wear them, yes. in fact, I just went on a little mini shopping spree at VS this weekend.

V. Vegetables you don't like?: hmm, any kind of beans really... except green beans. I love those. I'm not big on beets or mushrooms. and I only like onions if they're cooked... no raw onions here.

W. What makes you run late?: shit... what DOESN'T make me late is more like it. unfortunately, I'm one of those people who is chronically late... not to the point where I'm like 20 minutes late, but I'm always late by a few minutes. I'm just really really bad at time management, but luckily, Sean helps with that.

X. X-rays you've had?: oh man, tons... my teeth/mouth, nose when it was broken, ankle, both wrists.

Y. Yummy food you make?: homemade mac & cheese.

Z. Zoo animal favorites?: HIPPOS. and alligators, zebras, tigers, polar bears, monkeys... pretty much all of them, but hippos are always number one.

Hope everyone is having a fun weekend! 

Miss Chow: a story about love

I know I didn't have much time to post about her on Friday, but I wanted everyone to know everything that happened/is still happening with her story. 

let me begin by saying that I am SO honored to know good people. thanks to the love of so many people, we raised $1400 to contribute to her vet expenses. it amazes me to know such generous and kind folks, and I hope that if any of them ever encounter a tragedy like this, that someone is there to help them. 

I think it'll be easier if I just copy & paste all the updates I posted on Facebook and on the Chip In site. so much happened in such a short period of time that it's all kind of blurry now. 

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as you know, I hit a dog on Thursday evening on my way home from work. there was no way to avoid the accident, but I knew I had to take immediate action. I got her out of the road and thanks to the help of a stranger, I got her to my car and to the local veterinary clinic. They got her stable with fluids and pain medication, but they discovered through an ultrasound that she has some loose fluid in her abdomen, which meant that she was bleeding internally. Thursday night was a sleepless one for me... we weren't sure if she would even survive through the night.

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update posted Friday 12:03PM:  

she made it through the night and animal control will (hopefully) not be collecting her until Monday because she's still pretty unstable and bruised up. no owner has shown up yet, so I'll be going around to local places tomorrow with a picture of her to see if anyone recognizes her and to look for missing dog fliers. if anyone could offer to give this dog a loving home, that would be amazing.

at this point, I received an emailed picture of the pup, so I posted ads on Pet Finder, Craigslist, and the Anne Arundel County Animal Control  website. I also contacted several rescue organizations by email and called our local ASPCA to report the found dog and to inquire about the possibility of someone fostering her once she got healthy. 

I posted her story and a description of her on Facebook and asked people to pass it along. I tagged a bunch of people in her picture to make sure it would make it's way to tons of different people, in hopes that I could possibly find her owner.

at the suggestion of a couple people, I started the Chip In donation site to seek funding for her care. I knew that she wouldn't really be treated for her injuries unless I had some way to pay the vet. 

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update posted Friday 6:39PM: 

just talked to Dr. Ruiz. they said she's still in the same condition as she was in earlier today - no better and no worse. legally, because she could potentially be someone's dog, any willing foster or adoptive pup parents will have to go through animal control to take custody of her. so pretty much, what I'm doing is awesome, but I can't just walk in there and take her if we get enough money donated.

I will definitely keep everyone up to date! I'm going to the vet tomorrow to see the pup and talk to the doctor about actually finding out what exactly is wrong with her and how/if she can be treated. I'm also going to call Animal Control tomorrow to see what their policy is with adopting homeless animals. I mean it makes sense to me that they would rather her be in a good home than in their facilities, but who knows.

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and this is when I realized that things were going to be okay...

update posted Friday 9:01PM: 

I am seriously in tears right now. you all are SO amazing to hand over your hard earned money to help this poor pup live a full life. we are up to $1,000 in donations already! you are all unbelievable. I wish I could tag every one of you in this post, but you know who you are! I owe you guys... big time. 

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update posted Saturday 10:53AM: 

wooo! we're up to $1200 in raised funds for Miss Chow pup! heading to see her now and talk to the vet about possibly transferring her to another facility or to a rescue place. will keep everyone updated!

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update posted Saturday 1:17PM:

visited Miss Chow at the vet this afternoon and this is what I found out:

legally, they have to turn her over to animal control because they have already been notified of her whereabouts. the good news is that she cannot go there until she is stable. I paid $800 of her balance today at the vet. they are going to run blood tests as well as do more extensive x-rays to figure out exactly where the problems lie so that she can be treated accordingly. if there are people lined up to foster and possibly adopt her from animal control once she's there, that is a VERY good thing.

the good thing is that she's not necessarily getting any worse, but she's not getting better either. she's not mobile at all and there's definitely something wrong with her back legs. they're trying to keep her out of pain but the pain medicine also causes her to be sedated all the time, so it's hard for them to gauge where her pain is coming from. every time she comes out of her loopy state, she TRIES to get up on her back legs, but she can't.

the vet said that it's still very early and that the owner could still show up. it might be a situation in where the owner was on vacation and someone was supposed to watch the dog, but she got out, etc. there are a number of different reasons why the owner has not shown up, so we just have to keep up hope that they're out there looking for her too.

either way, they are going to treat her the best they can while she's there. the vet seems eager to work with me in helping her and diagnosing her injuries. I don't have an exact vet bill, but I will know more on Monday after they run the rest of the tests. luckily, animal control is letting them keep her and treat her until she's better, and I'm hoping that by the time she's ready to be transferred, we'll have enough money together to pay for her treatment AND have a place for her to call home!

please keep in mind that there are no guarantees that she will live on and lead a happy, normal life. her injuries might be so severe that there is no possibility of survival. trust me, it's devastating to think that might be the case, but it is possible and I want everyone to be aware of that. we are going to try everything we can to help this poor girl.

thank you ALL so much for your support. please continue to pass Chow's information around! we still have $426 in our fund at the moment and I'm holding onto it until I find out the results of the rest of the tests. 

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update posted Saturday 6:40PM:

Dr. Ruiz called me at about 4:30 this afternoon to let me know that miss Chow is standing on her two back legs, which was one of the biggest problems she was having, and also what worried the doctor the most. she's still a little stiff and wobbly, but because she's putting weight on them, there's less chance for a spinal cord injury.

she's also eating now, which is GREAT! this means they took her off the pain medicine drip and have switched her to oral pain medication. she's still super anxious and stressed, so they're going to continue her pain management to keep her calm so that she doesn't injure herself any further.

Dr. Ruiz will be checking up on her a few more times throughout the day tomorrow, and then she'll run the rest of the tests on Monday. we're keeping our fingers crossed that there are no kidney or liver issues and that her blood comes out clean and that there are no serious fractures. 

ALSO. I'm teaming up with my friend Nicole Palermo, who has been working her butt off saving dogs for the last few months. she truly is a saint, and is going to help me make sure this pup doesn't end up being euthanized. her friend Kim, who runs a rescue organization, spoke to animal control this afternoon. they told her that the owners of the dog have until February 17th to come in and claim her. after that, she gets put into the adoption program.

I'm in dire need of someone to foster her when she's well until we can find a permanent home for her. she's going to have a long road ahead of her and it's going to be difficult to find someone who wants a dog with a potential vet bill.

thank you all SO much for continuing to pass this information on and donating! it makes me SO happy to know that there are good people in this world!

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FINAL update posted Sunday 6:15PM:

AWESOME NEWS! I was just contacted by a family who is the owner of Chow! They saw the ad on Pet Finder and called me immediately. They will be going to the vet tomorrow to get an update on Chow's progress, and then we'll be getting together in the evening to talk about everything. The woman said she's been in the hospital and that's why she didn't know that Chow was missing. I am so relieved to know that Chow will have a place to go when she's all healed up.

I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me, posting her story, and donating your money. If I could go out and save every animal out there, I would. You are all amazing people and you should be proud of yourselves for doing such a good deed! I continue to be impressed by the good hearted nature of the people I associate with.

I'll be meeting with the family tomorrow. I've informed them that I've paid $800 of the vet bills and that I still have another $631 in donations to go toward her care (yep, that's a total of $1,431 raised). I'm not sure what to do from here in regards to the money. I was thinking that I could donate the money to an animal organization, or even to Muddy Creek Animal Hospital for working with my crazy ass. I don't know if the owners have the money to pay me back, and I'm honestly not worried about it at all, because my goal was to get Chow healthy.

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everyone agreed that the best thing to do would be to pay the remainder of the donations to the clinic to go towards Chow's continued treatment. I'm also going to suggest to the owners that we go ahead and get Chow microchipped. ;)

I cannot tell you how lucky I feel to associate myself with such amazing people. to those of you who passed on the story, donated, or just kept Miss Chow in your thoughts: I thank every single one of you, from the bottom of my heart. if it weren't for you guys, this story may not have had such a happy ending afterall. 

Happy Valentine's Day! ♥

please help.

you can read her whole story here. 

I cannot tell you how heartbroken I am about this. This poor dog has no one to care for her except the girl who hit her and almost killed her, and that's me. The vet will not even run the tests necessary to find out the extent of her injuries without someone being financially responsible for her bill. I can't do anything else except beg for help from everyone I know.

Water For Elephants [book review]

I know I'm late to the fun on this one, but I just finished reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, which came highly recommended to me from several friends and bloggers. I finished the entire book, cover to cover, in less than a week - started last Friday and finished it Tuesday evening (that's 5 days, people).

Summary

the story is told as a series of memories from a ninety (or ninety-three) year old Jacob Jankowski, who is remembering the most magical time of his life while he lives out his days in a nursing home.

taking place during the Great Depression, Water for Elephants is the story of a 20 something year old college student named Jacob. due to a sudden and tragic circumstance, he decides to leave his normal life behind to escape his reality. he hops a train one night and it just so happens to belong to a traveling circus.

once discovered as a veterinary student, the ringleader makes the decision to hire Jacob on as the menagerie's new doctor, which puts him in charge of the show's animals with their various illnesses, mostly due to neglect and mistreatment. his new boss, August, is the head trainer of the animals, and while he is often charming, he tends to be brutal and violent towards the animals, as well as his fellow circus crew. Jacob then meets Marlena, who is not only the star of the horse act, but also married to August. 

the novel takes it's twists and turns as Jacob falls in love with two of the show's biggest stars... Marlena, and Rosie, the bull elephant. the story tells the tale of a great love story, as they overcome great odds and survive during the gritty and depressing time period that is the 1930's, while traveling from town to endless town on the circus train.

Review

I can honestly say that this book is one of the best stories I've ever encountered. I was hooked from the first few pages, and I was continuously illuminated throughout the entire book. to say this book is a page turner would be quite the understatement, and I seriously don't even know that my words here will do this book the justice that it deserves. 

Gruen is such an amazingly brilliant writer. I was instantly impressed with the terms she used to describe the different classes of circus workers, and the lingo seemed to be right on from what I've read regarding the Big Top lifestyle. it's abundantly clear that she did her research. she really makes the time period and the setting come to life... you can just see the big canvased tent and the line of workers waiting for their breakfast on those hot summer days. 

the raw and abrasive misfit performers and surviving working men disgust you and warm your heart at the same time. it's easy to imagine that you're in the crowd when Rosie & Marlena perform their choreographed routine, just like you can see yourself in the menagerie tent when the animals are being brought in from their cabooses of the train. 

from the song the band plays when something goes wrong, to the set up and take down of the show, and the cooch tents and homemade moonshine during the prohibition period... everything is just so carefully explained in a matter that allows your imagination to see this distinct world through a clear looking glass.

the way the characters are described, along with their dialogue, is just... perfection. you get to know and love these people like you know them in real life... you know their personalities and you could probably even imagine what their voices sound like, and what they look like. 

 

the story is wonderfully written, and it certainly kept me on my toes during the whole five days it took me to read it. being an animal lover, this book was an excellent read, and one I will always recommend to people. 

ALSO, Robert Pattinson & Reese Witherspoon to star in the movie? don't miiiind if I do!


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*on another note, I have the day off work tomorrow and will probably not be near the computer. I plan on doing some things around the house (including putting my kitchen back together... finally!), having lunch with Kaley, and ringing in the new year with close friends. I hope you all have a wonderful, safe, and hilarious New Year's Eve! see you guys next year! ;)

arthritis walk & giving thanks | day twelve

as I mentioned in this post, I signed up to walk with my best friend, Kaycie, in support of The Arthritis Foundation. it's important for me to encourage and support my friends, and participating in this walk was a wonderful experience. it was a great turn out, and our team came in 3rd place overall for donations. 

I can't thank everyone enough for donating (I'm lookin' at you Nesties) for such a wonderful cause.

it just so happens that the walk took place at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, so you know I got tons of pictures of the animals! we were lucky to have beautiful weather, although it was a little chilly. I bundled up with long sleeves, my Caps jersey, and one of Adam's Penn State hoodies. it was a great day overall, and I'm so proud of Kaycie and our team for the money we raised to help fight arthritis.

alright, enough chit chat... on to the pictures!

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today, I'm thankful for my heath and my ability to support my friend in this endeavor. she's rippled with pain every single day, and she struggles with such simple acts as getting out of bed in the morning and tying her shoes. 

I'm lucky that I'm able to walk around without being in any pain, and I know the little things I AM able to do are things that I take for granted. 

I was more than happy to donate and participate in the Arthritis Walk this year, and I might even make it an annual occurrence. it was a great experience, and I'm was so honored to be able to be a part of such an amazing group of people. 

I am able to walk, run, jump everyday, without the slightest bit of pain. for that, I'm thankful.