Things For Which I am Thankful This Shopping Season

I like to shop, but I detest the crazed Christmas crowds this time of the year. So I try to do my shopping at odd times (usually during the day on a weekday while most people are working) or as much as possible on one of the busier shopping days. Yesterday was one of those days.

My goal was to hit Kohls during their "Power Hours" sale, which lasted until 1:00pm yesterday, and other various quick stops best accomplished without a three-year-old in tow. Along the way, I compiled a list of things for which I am thankful for.

1. Clean Public Restrooms and paper toilet seat covers. I, like many other people I know, detest using public restrooms and avoid them at all costs, but on a day-long excursion, eventually even the most determined can't avoid them. Therefore, I am thankful for those stores that actually maintain their restrooms (meaning they at least periodically clean them!). On my list of reputable restrooms is Kohl's, Hobby Lobby, Macy's and Nordtroms. There might be more, but those are usually dependable. An added bonus is the paper seat covers which allow me to greatly reduce my public restroom time by not having to build my tp nest. These sanitary little life-savers are MUCH appreciated, especially in an era where people apparently do not believe in wiping their bodily functions off the seat after themselves. YUCK!

2. Emily's stroller and automatic doors. I have found that Emily's stroller works much better without her in it. It works great for carrying my purse, drink, coat and packages leaving my hands and back free to shop. Of course, it would help if the aisles were bigger (JCPenney, are you listening?) and the doors were automatic, but still I may be using that stroller at Christmas time long after Emily has outgrown it. Kudos also to anyone polite enough to hold a door open. It doesn't happen often enough.

3. Clean fitting rooms with doors large enough for above-mentioned stroller to fit through. I greatly appreciate those stores that take enough time to maintain their fitting rooms. I detest rooms (and the people guilty of this) that are filled with clothes to the extent that there is no room to hang the clothes a person brings in with them. People, put your clothes away!

4. Competent cashiers and employees with adequate cash registers. Finding a helpful employee is rare, but great when it happens. I always try to make a point to find a manager and send a good report. On the second point, having enough check-out lanes during a busy season is a must. Again, I must praise Kohls for this one.

5. People with a good sense of humor and a smile on their face. Again, this is a rarity in the "most wonderful time of the year". It goes a long way toward "making spirits bright". (I couldn't resist.)

6. Individual gift receipts with more than a bar code. Having the item description makes life so much easier later.

7. Christmas music playing in the background. This falls into the making spirits bright category.

8. Warm weather. Not too warm of course, but sunny with a little nip in the air is just perfect. No ice, no rain, no wind.

9. Finding exactly what you want, in the right size for at least 50% off. (Then seeing the "you saved $120 on your purchase today" on the receipt.)

10. The all-Christmas, all-weekend long local music station. It's the most wonderful time of the year!

That Kind of Day

Emily painted (with permanent purple paint) the months-old new kitchen table and floor and centerpiece and placemats and base board.

While yelling at her in as controlled a voice as I could manage....

The dog peed on the floor.

Then Emily left a "load" in her diaper while asking me for the 17th time if she could get up out of her chair yet.

It had been a good day....

Still sound so "wonderful" to you now, Chris?

Where's Grandma when you need her?

The Newest Member of Our Family

Well, I know that I am about to make my dog-loving blogging buddies very happy. We have a dog.

To be exact, we now own a German Shepherd mix (with what, we don't know!). Her name is Bella and she is 11 months old. She and her brother were picked up by a police officer (not sure of the other circumstances). The story is that the two dogs were so scared that they promptly puked all over the officers' patrol car. By the time the Humane Society worker got to the scene, the officer had puked all over the road. Apparently he doesn't handle bad smells well. (This causes me to wonder if he has ever picked up a drunk, seen a dead body or has kids...)

So now she is ours. We claimed her last night and it took until around 11:15 today for her to bark at all. She's basically a cuddler. Oh, and she likes to chew. A LOT! I woke up this morning to Bella staring at me from about 5 inches away, paws on the edge of the bed. That's gonna take some getting used to!

So far, Emily likes Bella. She told everyone we saw on our walk and in Meijer, that she had a new dog named Bella. The cats are surviving. But that leads me to another part of the story...
Monday, as part of the humane society's requirements, I had to get our cats up-to-date on their shots. So I took Emily and two cats to the vet. I'd say that you can imagine how that went on your own, but really, you can't. Bob, the smaller gentler cat did okay. She didn't like it, but she survived. Puma, on the other hand, was a different story. Puma is MY cat, and only mine. She tolerates everyone else. Monday, she tolerated no one. To sum it all up, Emily was in tears, terrified, Puma was screeching like an angry panther, Bob was cowering in the corner and it took 4 veterinary personel. a huge pair of thick rubber gloves up to the elbow and a muzzle to do even a cursory exam. They didn't finish. They also told us she didn't need to come back in a year...she could wait three...or forever.

Oh and did I mention that Bob, the other cat, gets carsick....and did.

So far, Bella seems to be very gentle and pretty well behaved, but not trained and not perfect. But we'll work on that. My life should be pretty interesting...any tips appreciated!

And now for the pictures...

It's My Birthday But Please...No Surprises Like This!

Today is my birthday. It's the last one we're going to officially count before we stop. Now, I enjoy surprises as much as the next person, but this is one surprise I can say I'm happy to have never received...

According to Fox News:

"Officials at a U.K. high school were aghast after a stripper visited a student during class and whipped him in front of other students and a horrified teacher, Sky News reported Thursday.
A booking error is to blame after a mother arranged to send a "gorilla gram" to her son on his 16th birthday, an arrangement she cleared with Nottingham's Arnold Hill School and Technology College. Instead, the agency sent a stripper clad in a policewoman costume, Sky reported.

Click here for the Sky News story.

After whipping the teen, the stripper placed a collar around his neck and led him around the classroom with a leash, telling him he had been a "bad boy" for not doing his homework. She then put on a Britney Spears tune and stripped for the shocked class, witnesses told Sky.
The police were not called and no one was suspended from the school in the incident, and officials said they were investigating."

I"ll bet that was one very surprised student and class. But where in the world was the teacher?

Talk about a birthday to remember!!

Some Recent Pictures

Sitting on a bench in front of the river

Taking a hike on a nature trail

Our little leopard on Halloween

Cute kitty!

Visiting daddy at his office