The Little Pond that Could

It's official.  The pond that has been in the neighbourhood longer than I have (I've been here 18 years) is gone.  The water has been drained and replaced now with bulldozers and dirt.  It used to be a haven for various waterfowl, including ducks, great blue herons, avocets, plovers and the occasional Canada goose.  I used to enjoy seeing the pond teeming with all sorts of birds on my drive to work.  In the winter, someone would go and shovel out a section for skating.  They even left a fire pit for everyone to enjoy afterward.

I felt angry that our community association would let a construction project of this magnitude go on, especially since the signs read that the land is for lease for retail/restaurant space.  Ironically, we already have those things not 5 minutes down the road.  I launched a one-person campaign to get some answers - I fired off emails to the construction company, our alderman, our community association.  My biggest question was the timing - this was happening during nesting season - the waterfowl had little ones who were too young to fly - where would they go?  My letter to the Calgary Herald was ultimately published in the Calgary Herald, but yielded no real answers either.

Then another letter and article about the pond appeared in the paper as well.  I wasn't the only one concerned.  Another family, who's kids loved to come down to the pond to see the ducks, were also concerned about the timing of the pond being drained.  The pond got a reprieve for awhile - the construction company relented and decided to leave the pond alone until the ducks were old enough to fly away.  Then they would continue with draining it.

Most of the summer went by and the pond, in most of its glory (what was leftover from the previous draining) continued to harbour the birds.

As soon as September hit, the water pump was back, draining the water out again.  The ducks continued swimming, even as the water levels were slowly decreasing.  Finally, the pond was empty, save for one small corner.

As I watch now, that little corner of the pond is still there - and surprising, still harbouring the same waterfowl that called it home for so long.  That little corner is little more than a puddle, but it is teeming with ducks - even amid the earth movers and bulldozers.  It seems that the pond and it's inhabitants are launching their own little protest - refusing to go away.  The ducks are refusing to leave what is left of their home and the pond it seems, is trying hard to keep what little water is has left.  The resiliency of nature leaves me in awe.  It saddens me to drive by there now and see nothing but dirt instead of what was once a home to wildlife, but give myself a little smile to see that little corner still there, teeming with life.  Amazing.

Don't Take "No" For an Answer

Life with a child with a disability is never dull.  There is always something happening, whether it be a meltdown, a breakthrough, or advocating for your child.  This past week has me advocating for my daughter.

With the events of this week, I find myself wading into waters that I am not only unfamiliar with, but also makes me cringe.  It has also been an eye-opener as well.  What I am finding is that in the insurance industry, there is a lack of education regarding those with disabilities, and in particular, certain types of disabilities.  I have to question how long ago policies were written about which type of disabilities are insured and which are not.  I am finding that, like most things, there is room for improvement.

To update, I recently changed financial advisors for my investments.  Great - worked out really well.  This advisor also suggested that I move my current life insurance from where it was to his company, as he could get me a considerably better rate.  Awesome, I thought - I'm all for getting a better rate (I think insurance companies, be it auto or life, charge way too much anyway) and I proceeded to make the change.  I am now finding out what a bad move this is turning out to be.

This insurance company just informed me that they will insure myself and my son - no questions asked, even though I have asthma, which can potentially be a life-threatening condition.  They flat out refused to insure my daughter because she has Aspergers.  No request for medical records, nothing.  Just flat out refused, even though her condition is not life-threatening or high risk.  They also denied coverage for her dad, which is understandable, because he has a heart condition.  However, interestingly enough, in his description, it was noted that if he has another EKG they will reconsider their decision.  There was no such note in my daughter's description.  Now, her dad's condition is very much life-threatening and we totally understand the reasoning behind his denial of insurance.  But we are totally stumped at hers.  Their description said "due to medical history", which they don't have and never asked for.

When I called them and asked for an explanation, their only reply was "there are varying degrees of Aspergers", which right away, told me they did not have a clue about my daughter's disorder.  In fact, Aspergers is part of an Autism Spectrum Disorder and is one of the most high-functioning "degrees" of an ASD.  There are not varying degrees of Aspergers.  Aspergers is of itself an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Now I find myself in the midst of a fight with this current insurance company, but also trying to find an insurance company who will treat my daughter with the dignity she deserves.  The scary and sad reality is, there are not many companies out there, something which I am looking to change.  No one deserves to be discriminated against based on a medical diagnosis.  This is never OK.  I believe also that if the insurance industry is not willing to entertain changes to their policies, then the Insurance Bureau, or the governmental entity needs to consider have a separate company specifically for those with disabilities.  Either way, something needs to change and fast.

I would say to anyone who is refused any kind of service or anything because of a disability, don't accept "no".  Continue to fight - it's the only way changes will happen.

Domestically Challenged

I really don't ask for much in life - my needs are pretty simple.  Occasionally, I will ask a member (who shall remain nameless) of my family for a small favour - usually involving laundry.  Sounds simple, right?  That's what I thought.

Picture this:  the first time I asked him to help with the laundry, as I had to work that evening, my instructions were simply this:  "Please do not put my TOPS in the dryer. Please hang them up so they don't shrink."  I thought this was pretty easy follow.  When I got home that evening, I discovered that apparently, sweaters, weren't considered "tops".  As a result, my nice fuchsia Tommy Hilfiger sweater that I got at a screaming deal in Las Vegas, now fits my 15 year old daughter.  I asked him where sweaters are usually worn.  He said "on top".  I rest my case - therefore should be considered a "top".  I promptly made a note to myself NOT to ask him to put anything considered delicate from the washer to the dryer.

The next time I asked for assistance, I figured, OK, he should be able to do this task.  After all, this is a guy with a degree in history and a degree in marketing.  No sweat.  He was asked to remove the clothes from the dryer, so they didn't get wrinkled, because, next to vacuuming, I really detest ironing, and let's face it, not too many people actually iron anymore.  I then received a phone call at work, asking me what should be done with the clothes, now that they were out of the dryer.  I jokingly said that he had two choices - he could either fold them, or leave them on the bed and I would fold them when I got home at 12:30 at night.  Guess where the clothes were - you got it - on the bed, still in the basket, waiting for me to fold them!  He may as well have left them in the dryer, because they got wrinkled anyway.  Made another note to myself to remember to make sure he knows how to fold clothes.

This past Sunday before I left for work, I again gave instructions for the washer and dryer (since neither were finished their cycles before I left) for the load that was in the washer to be put in the dryer.  Believe it or not, I actually get a phone call at work asking me what should be done with the clothes that were currently in the dryer.  Huh?!  I was too stunned to say anything and then I tried not to laugh.  I told him that he could either take the clothes out of the dryer and put the wet ones in, or just shove all of the wet clothes in with the dry ones and run the cycle again!

I am finally realizing that since I write a blog, screenplays and correct and revise legal documents at work, I might as well add a "dryer instruction manual" to the mix, because it seems like I need one.  Although I do get the feeling that this might be deliberate, to get out of having to do it.  In any event, it seems as though my husband of 21 years is domestically challenged!

Don't Worry....Be Happy

As I reflect back on the last week, my first thought is "what is happening in the world that is making everyone so angry?"  I have been emotionally drained and attacked for my belief system and my values, my honesty and integrity brought into question by people who know next to nothing about me and my patience as a parent tried in having to deal with the same bullying issues that were thought to have been dealt with.  Maybe there are things going on in their lives that the only way they know how to deal with it is to take it out on someone else.  What they don't realize, however, is that I will staunchly defend all of these virtues.  I basically got bullied myself by 3 people, one of which swallowed his pride and showed up in person to apologize to me.  In the words of my husband, they picked the wrong person to piss off!!  He's been married to me for over 20 years, he should know!!

I realize that is hard to be positive and happy all of the time, but at the same time, if there is something going on in their lives that is bringing them down, it isn't up to me to fix it - I'm not the cause of the problem, so don't take it out on the first person you see.  Figure out the problem and fix it and move past it.  If I've been wronged, I expect that person to apologize to me, the same as I would if I was the person who made the mistake.

I find that alot of these people don't like to take responsibility for their actions either.  They figure the bullying is OK and it gets them some gratification to think they can push people around to get what they want.  However, the opposite it true - being polite and nice to people gets much better results than bossing people around.

These incidents were a setback for me to say the least, but what I am trying not to do is to dwell on them and move forward, treating people with the respect they deserve and forgive them for their actions.

In the meantime, my friend and I have taken the mantra that we will be avoiding the negative people in our lives, and sticking with those who have a much more positive outlook on life.  The negativity just gets everyone down, and life is too short to be mired in negative energy and darkness.  I would rather be surrounded with positive, happy people who enjoy life, no matter what!  In the words of Bobby McFerrin "Don't Worry, Be Happy".

Is It Really the End of an Era?

I read today that the series finale of "Desperate Housewives" is scheduled for May and I was thinking to myself "am I really going to miss it?"  I used to watch it religiously - until Mike and Susan broke up the first time.  Then I stopped watching it.  It seemed to me at the time that the writers were only interested in breaking people up, not keeping them together.

Then it got me to thinking back to other shows I watched all the time and was surprised when they ended.  I am happy these days that I can now find them again on Amazon - yes, I am an '80's TV show addict!!  People tease me about my '80's addiction - my music on my iPod is largely '80's tunes, my satellite radio in my car is tuned to the "80's on 8", my kids know more '80's tunes than they do the modern stuff.  OK, I'll admit that maybe I need to get out more, but finding and collecting these shows is kind of a hobby of mine, and it's kind of cool watching them again, checking out the hair styles back in the day, the clothing, vehicles, etc. (think "Magnum, P.I., "Remington Steele", "Simon and Simon").

The one thing that is kind of distressing (to me, anyway), is that not all seasons of certain shows are being released.  As someone who collects TV series, it would be nice to be able to complete all of the seasons of the shows I like.  To give you an example - CHiPs has only had Seasons 1 and 2 released - and the execs in charge don't know if and when the rest of the seasons will be.  My question is then why release it at all?  It's kind of pointless, if you are interested in collecting the series, to have only a few seasons and not the rest.  The same goes for the Equalizer, Matt Houston, Perfect Strangers, etc.  To me, this just gives pirating the go ahead to continue to rip people off.  It just doesn't make sense to me to release a "teaser" season, and then say, "Oh sorry, that's all you get".

As an aspiring screenwriter, I would hope that once my show(s) get picked up (and I'm hoping they will), that it would last awhile, and hopefully be immortalized on DVD.  I don't see the end of a show as the "end" per se - if it is on mediums like DVD or digital download - the work of everyone involved in that show is still captured forever.  But, to give the show and everyone associated with it the full credit, the entire show needs to be released, i.e.  every season, otherwise the pirates will see it as a positive to continue ripping people off by selling them poor quality, stolen reproductions of shows that are in demand but hard to get.  To me, that is akin to insulting the hard work of the actors and everyone associated with the show.  Get them out legitimately, (those of us who are serious collectors are perfectly willing to pay for them) and put the pirates out of business.  I'm not sure why the studio executives aren't seeing this.

Anyway, just got my 2nd season of "Diagnosis Murder" (I know, that was the '90's, but close enough!) that I think I'll watch - just to make sure it's a good quality!  Can't wait for my next acquisition!  Yes, I'm perpetually stuck in the '80's!!

The Power of Positivity

After a particularly emotionally draining Monday, I had to meet at my daughter's high school to discuss classes for next year.  While there, new behaviour strategies were also touched on.  When my daughter entered the room after class, she told us of a couple of the steps she achieved regarding her behaviour.  Three of us acknowledged those milestones with "that's awesome" or "great job", however one of the other resource teachers answered with a "but, your still doing..." without putting in the positive side.  You could see my daughter slowly deflating.  I continued to praise her progress as we were leaving to go home.  I wondered, though, how is her school setting her up for success then, if they can't see their way clear to acknowledge the positive things she's doing?  When she's told she's bad all the time, where is the incentive for her to do well?

Why does it seem so much easier for people to say negative things than it is the positive?  That has baffled me for a long time.  It just seems that people find it easier to criticize someone (even someone they don't even know) than to offer a compliment.  I'm finding that people are using social media to bash other people as well - people they don't even know.  I guess it's even easier to slam a person you can't see.  That way, you can't see how much your words hurt.

I remember a line that Julia Roberts said in "Pretty Woman", when Richard Gere's character, Edward, offered Vivian (Julia Roberts) a compliment.  Her line was "the bad stuff is easier to believe".  Wow.  Why is that?  Why do we find it easier to believe the bad stuff about ourselves and not the good?  My theory - because we only hear the bad stuff first; the good stuff is almost like a "footnote" ("oh by the way, you did this well...").

I believe for anyone's mindset to change, the positive has to be focused on first.  Give compliments where they're due.  You can also discuss negative things in a way that doesn't make them sound too negative. ("Maybe we can work on this issue...").  Start telling someone they've done a great job, or wish them luck on a project or interview.  Wish someone a great day or say hello to someone.  Maybe we can eventually break down the negative barriers and build up positive thinking.

To Discipline or Not Discipline - That is the Question

This subject has been on my mind all week, especially in the wake of the controversy surrounding the video by Tommy Jordan where he shoots his daughter's laptop.  I thought what he did was brilliant, although I thought shooting the laptop was a little extreme.

I know there were a lot of people who thought he shouldn't be using the social media for this, however, those people missed the point of the exercise.  First of all, his daughter used the very same media to rant about how much work she supposedly has to do at home.  Now we all know that kids, especially teenagers, will exaggerate to garner sympathy from their peers (the worse the story is the more sympathy they get).  Instead of his daughter expressing her feelings to just a few of her friends, she chose to put it on Face book.  The only reason she got caught was because she had used an account that was under the dog's name (she created this one herself, because she had blocked her parents from seeing her Face book).  However, her dad works in IT and since she wanted him to fix her computer, voila, her stuff got exposed to him. 

From the updates that I read, Hannah (his daughter) had pulled a very similar stunt months before, and she was grounded then.  It was not put on the social media then, and Mr. Jordan rightfully assumed that she had learned her lesson.  Apparently not, because she did it again.  So, now he was stooping to her level and catching her at her own game - she humiliated her parents, and now he was serving her some humble pie himself.  He did what he thought would be the best way to get through to her.  I see nothing wrong with that - she didn't learn the first time, so something a little more drastic that would get her attention needed to be done.  Hannah also posted on the update, and she understood what her dad did; she did learn her lesson from it, and realizes that if she ever expects to get any privileges, etc. back again, then she needs to earn them back.  She basically violated her parents' trust in her and now she needs to earn that back.  She isn't scarred by it either, as some people posted.  She completely understands what she did was wrong and is now working to correct it.

Kids nowadays have this weird sense of entitlement, and figure that they can get away with things.  I had my 9 year old son watch the video, and I asked him at the end what he learned from it.  Granted, there were a lot of bad words in it (mostly from Hannah, I might add), and he said to me "don't dis your parents."  He then went on to say that if him or his sister ever did anything like that, I certainly wouldn't use a gun - I would use a hammer instead!

I see so many kids with a lack of direction or discipline these days, I can't help but wonder what they will be like as adults.  Even at my son's elementary school (which is a Catholic school no less), there are kids as young as 6 or 7 using bad language, fighting, etc.  Obviously, these are learned behaviours, but the point is that are the parents that oblivious to how their kids are behaving?

It's amazing that some of these parents will ignore what their kids are doing, yet they are the first to pipe up if someone else's kid is acting up.

There are many experts out there who tell us how we should be raising our children.  I never listen to these experts.  Why?  Because every kid is different, and what works for one kid may not work for another.  Some kids get the point right away, other need a few more "lessons" taught to them before they get it.  My daughter is one of those kids.  She is a teenager, but she is also special needs.  So, when she acts up, the discipline is going to be different for her than it is for her brother.  She doesn't "get it" right away - she may need a few other "lessons" (i.e. having her computer privileges taken away) before it sinks in.  With my son, it usually only takes one time and he's got it.

I am by no means saying that my children are angels either. They make mistakes like we do and they have to learn to correct them. My daughter is learning right now as a matter of fact that when you break equipment at school (or anywhere), you have to pay for it (not your parents - you). She isn't happy with it, but it's a life lesson for her - you break, you buy.

I know I may take some flak from this, but my point is that you have to discipline your children the way you know works (within reason of course; that doesn't mean you need to beat them black and blue), but they need to realize that there are consequences to their actions.  Once this happens, they can grow up to be productive members of society, who look out for others, not just themselves.


Anyway, I look forward to everyone's opinion on this subject, just please keep it clean!

Old Habits Die Hard

We've all heard that expression, right?  I had to laugh the other day when someone questioned as to why I write appointments, etc. on my calendar at home instead of using an electronic calendar.  I not only write it down there, but I make sure the one in my purse is updated, and when I get to work, I update my day timer at work as well!  Seems like a lot of work, but that's what I'm used to doing.  I like to see what is coming up for the next few days.  I also have birthdays written down on the calendar as well.

The answer is that I don't have my cellphone on all the time, so I would miss some important dates if I didn't have it on or didn't have it with me.  I don't have my computer on all the time either, so again, it would defeat the purpose.  Plus, even if I updated my electronic calendar at work, I wouldn't see it until 4:30, when I start my shift!!  So for me, this is the best way to go.

Writing things on the actual calendar, which is hanging on the bulletin board by the dining room table serves a couple of purposes:  not only does it tell me what is going on in the coming days, it tells the rest of the family as well - the kids know what is coming up on any given day (dentist/doctor's appointments, etc.), holidays, and whatnot.  It also helps when someone calls me and asks if we are available on a certain day, I just take a quick look and tell them right away.

Call me old fashioned, but I like to be able just to look up at the calendar and know what's happening.  Whenever the kids or the hubby asks if we have anything going on on a certain day, I just tell them to look on the calendar, because it'll be written there.  I guess old habits do die hard, but this is one habit I can't see changing!

Does Common Sense Exist Anymore?

The other day, I had a discussion with one of the mom's at my son's school about common sense.  The conversation started when I noted the amount of people who park in the bus zone (and in fact, right at the bus stop), on the road in front of my son's school.  Parking is always an issue there - the reason being is that parking is no longer allowed in the cul-de-sac beside my son's school.

Parking in the cul-de-sac became a very hot topic as there were those who chose to park in front of resident's drive ways and left their vehicles to walk their kids to the doors.  The residents who live across from the school in that cul-de-sac loudly voiced their displeasure, and as a result, the cul-de-sac is now a drop off only area.  So, now, those that want to park have moved to the street.  However, their common sense has not gotten any better - they still block driveways and bus zones!

Parking in the bus zone/stop is not only dangerous to the people disembarking, but to other drivers as well.  The bus now has to stop in the driving lane to let passengers off.  They run the risk of being hit or slipping and falling under one of these vehicles or the bus itself, especially if the roadway hasn't been cleared.  In doing so, the bus is also holding up traffic, or runs the risk of someone hitting the bus from behind.  

Now depending on the bus driver, he will call it in to say that there are cars obstructing the bus zone/stop.  Interestingly enough, it is the same people who do it every day - at least the same vehicles are there every day.  The problem is by the time law enforcement gets there, these violators are already gone, having picked up their children.

I observe this every single day as I go to pick up my son. I'm someone who makes sure my car is clear of someone's driveway; it's common sense. Yet, it is always the same people who are violating these basic driving rules, all the time, every day. The funniest part? There is one lady who blocks two driveways (she parks between them, along the small grassy area in between the two houses), and her husband is a driving instructor! Wow - remind me not to send my children to that driving school! She even makes a u-turn in the middle of the road to park in that spot. Amazing.

It's scary to think that these are the same people who will be teaching their own kids to drive later in life.  I would by then, common sense would prevail, and they would take responsibility for their actions, though I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Distracted...Shopping?

I'm the type of person who likes to get her groceries and get out.  However, my grocery trip this past Friday proved to be quite interesting.  I usually start at one end of the store and finish with the fresh produce, etc.  I don't know what it was exactly on Friday (full moon maybe?), but it seemed that every aisle I turned into had someone in the middle of the aisle, talking on their phone!  I kid you not!  One lady was talking so loudly that I'm sure the whole store heard about what she was going to be doing this weekend.  Sounded like a full weekend anyway.  Another lady, with 2 kids in tow, was talking on the phone, oblivious to what one of the kids was doing.  This kid proceeded to tell her that he hated her (I guess she wasn't paying enough attention to him).  The next one I encountered was so focused on what she had to pick up that she almost rammed me with her cart.  Apparently though, it was my fault for intruding on HER aisle (I just needed to get cereal, sheesh!!).

The worst thing (and the rudest) in my opinion, is going up to the cashier while still talking on the phone!!  I swear some of these people came into the store with the phones glued to their ears, and left the same way, never missing a beat.  Wow.

I have a cellphone, but it isn't on all the time.  If it is, I have blue tooth in my car, but my way of thinking is this - I have voicemail - if I don't answer, leave a message, and I'll get back to you.  Nothing can be that important (except maybe the lady with the full weekend planned) that it can't wait.

My point is that these people were so focused on their phones, they had no idea of what was going on around them.  There were several near-misses (not just with me) and I don't think they would have even noticed if their purse suddenly went missing out of their cart.

The same with distracted walking.  I have had so many close calls on my way into work that I'm surprised my hair isn't greyer than it is.  I've witnessed so many people (men and women) who are either plugged in to a device, or have the phone up to their ears, and just step off the curb, without even looking to see if there is any traffic coming.

Please, everyone, for your safety and mine (and everyone else's), use common sense.  What did we do before cellphones, texting, etc.?  We survived just fine.  Even in today's busy culture, common sense needs to prevail.  It's just not worth the aggravation (mine!).

Kids Say the Darnedest Things...

Last week, when I picked my son up from school, he was visibility upset.  I asked him what was wrong, and he told me he had just been called down to the office.  He apparently heard a word that he thought was funny, had no idea what it meant, and blurted it out in class.  The word was inappropriate to say the least (I won't repeat it here).  So, off we went, back down to the office so I could speak with principal.  Thankfully, she was understanding enough to realize that my son had no idea what this word meant.  Being a typical 9 year old, also has no "filtering system" to keep him from repeating it.  He finally revealed that he had heard this word from his sister (she's 15).  It made sense, in a way, that he would heard it from her, however, I knew she didn't know what it meant either.  Needless to say, I don't know which was more traumatic for him - being sent to the office (he never gets in trouble) or using this word.  I think he's learned his lesson (one would hope anyway).

Later, I found out that it was in fact, on a YouTube video, that is masquerading as a "kid's" video, however, there is commentary from this person using bad language and inappropriate words.  You'd think this person (or people) would have enough common sense that if you are making a video to put on the worldwide web, and you make it using a kids' character (in this case, Mario), that you'd tone it down and not using for a personal rant against the game itself, and in particular not use inappropriate language, knowing full well that kids will likely be attracted to this video.

I find it quite interesting that on a huge media like YouTube, they would monitor the videos that are posted little more closely.  They are certainly on top of it if one violates copyright laws.  Yet, when it comes to videos that are supposedly aimed at kids, but are not, they don't react.  I think they should indeed monitor this, and at the very least, post a language warning.  I know that the "higher-ups" from YouTube would say that it's up to the parents to monitor what their kids are watching and to an extent they're right.  However, if they own a site such as YouTube, the onus is also on them to make sure the content is appropriate for the intended audience.

In the meantime, we are being extra vigilant as to what the kids are watching.  You'd like to have your kids learn to make their own judgments, but at the same time, when you have videos that appear to be safe yet are not, it makes it extra hard.

Dog Daze

Dogs are funny creatures and I say this with affection.  I have two dogs - one is a "labradane" (lab/great dane cross) and the other is a "shepsky" (shepherd/husky cross).  Billy, the labradane is 6 years and Angel, the shepsky, is 4 years.  I've had them both since I adopted them from the Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) when they were both 4 months old.

There are some people who treat their dogs like humans, and in some ways, I can understand why.  In my case, my two "furry kids" as I call them, have personalities all their own, and Billy is very set in his ways.  He likes to be around us all the time, even to the point where it can get annoying.  What I mean by that is because of his size, he stands "guard" and it is like a brick wall trying to move him out of the way!  However, it's also amazing how small he can curl himself up on one cushion of the couch to sleep.  If there is something in the way of "his" cushion, he will stand with chin resting on the arm rest of the couch until someone moves the obstruction.  He's also intimidating because of his size and very loud bark, but he has a very sweet personality.  He's also the first lab I've known that doesn't like the water!  (must be the dane in him).

Angel, on the other hand, isn't quite as set in her ways yet, but she has her own routine.  Because of the husky in her, she likes to spend a lot of time outside.  She can't be trusted off leash, because of the husky tendency to run.  She knows how to get Billy riled up.  She also will curl herself up in the snow with her tail over her nose, much like the sled dogs do.  She likes to stretch out on the couch as well.  She will start off stretched out on the carpet in the family room when we're watching TV, but later on she moves upstairs to the couch.  She needs her "own" space I guess!  She is also a very sweet dog.

Given their size, Billy and Angel are often popular in the campgrounds.  Kids will reluctantly come up to them, and once they've gotten their faces washed, will continuously look for the dogs whenever we take them for walks and know them by name.  The kids will come up and fling their arms around the dogs' necks, and of course, Billy and Angel bask in all the attention, since, apparently, they never get any at home (yeah, right!).

Dogs also seem to know when something is not right.  I know if I'm not feeling well, Billy will jump up on the bed with me (even though he takes up most of it), and rest his chin on my leg and just sleep there.  They will also stick close if I'm having a bad day.  I've tripped over them sometimes (even as big as they are, sometimes you don't even know they've decided planted themselves on the floor behind you), and they always let me know if someone is around (even if that person is just walking down the sidewalk).  Of course, dog hair is a major part of furniture (and clothing, floor, etc.).

I've always been around dogs.  I had one when I was little, and my parents raised German Shepherds when I was older.  I had one when I moved out, and we got one, and then another, once we were settled into our house.  We had to get a bigger RV to accommodate the dogs.  It's amazing what we will do to adjust our lives to theirs, but I can't imagine life without them!

One Sock Mystery

It has always been a mystery how two socks can go into the laundry, but only one seems to come out.  There are those who have come to the conclusion that this other sock ends up in some vortex and finds its way into someone else's laundry.

I think I have figured out this mystery.  I have accumulated a stock pile of "one sock", mostly belonging to my 9 year old.  I could never figure out how it is that he has both socks on his feet, yet only one seems to end up in the laundry.  Upon a thorough cleaning of his room, particularly under his bed, the said mates to these socks suddenly appeared, as if by magic.  They seemed to have slithered out from wherever they were hiding and decided to show themselves.

Now, my son's laundry hamper is at the end of his bed - he cannot miss when he puts his clothes into it, yet, the socks for some reason have not both made it in.  The problem, it seems, is because he removes his socks as soon as he gets home (he doesn't like wearing socks), and just leaves them where he takes them off.  Pretty soon, somehow, they seem to end up either between his mattress, under the bed, or one is sticking out from wherever it is he has left them, but the other seems to have vanished.  Thus, only the one he can "see" ends up in the hamper.

Then, when it comes to needing socks, he wonders why there aren't any in his drawer to wear, and of course, it's because mom hasn't washed them yet!!  I direct him to the "one sock" pile and tell him to pick the two that closely match and wear those, to which I am greeted with a funny look.  Sigh!

I at first wasn't sure if it was a little boy thing, but I've recently discovered that my daughter (who is 15) is having the same issue - both socks go into her hamper, but only one ends up in the wash.  I've since discovered that her's end up stuck in the leg of her pants.

So, I think I've solved the one sock mystery - for now.  On to the next one!