Finding the Positive

My front yard at dawn.

I was making coffee, standing at the counter just shivering. I thought to myself, "Well, at least you burn calories when you shiver!" That made me giggle just a little bit. It's one positive thing that will come out of all of this snow and cold. Yes, there will be lots of negatives and it will be hard for many people. And I realize it's a serious matter, but why not find the fun and silly to get us through these stressful times? So here is my list of positive things that may result from all of this snow and cold.

• Calories will be burned by shivering. But please don't use it as an excuse to keep the thermostat down though! I know how many of you started a diet recently. 
• Hot flashes become almost bearable. Or worse. Nothing like going from burning up to chilled.
• You will have time to get caught up on the DVR and magazine reading. 
• Spending time with your children will happen whether they want it or not. I know it's different for those with young kids versus teenagers, but this comes from the point of view of a mom with teens. I'll take what I can get...Ashlyn goes to college in 8 months. 
• It's an opportunity to get those taxes started! I now everyone just struggles to carve out the time to work on those. Take advantage!
• As you dream about warmer weather, think about all the projects you have planned for when that happens. I'm pretty sure you will find the snow quite wonderful after that.
• Play Guess the Footprint. I always see a variety of footprints in the snow and it's fun to guess what creatures made them. 
• Read War and Peace. 
• Find things for your amazing, wonderful husband to bake and then nag him to do it. 
• Train your puppy or dog or cat or hamster. They are bored too!
• And the BEST thing about the snow? It covered up all the gross-ness that is my yard...the piles of you know what, the mud, the holes, the scattered straw. My yard truly looks like a Winder Wonderland. 

Those of you stuck inside because of the snow and the cold - What positive things are the result of today's weather drama? Please share!

Funny how things work out

Brenna finally conceded to letting me get her a backpack for school. I'm not sure why she preferred to carry around a stack of books and folders, but my nagging finally paid off. Don and I found one we thought was super cool...it was made of canvas, leather and fire hose material. See? Pretty nifty!  It's from duluthtrading.com, one of our new favorite online places to shop! Don asked if he could have one too, but now is not the time to buy stuff for yourself, as you will understand later on in this post.

When it arrived, I thought it might be a bit too "manly" for a teenage girl, yet still very cool nonetheless. I wasn't sure what to do with it, but I had an idea, as I'm sure you do too. :)

I decided to see what I could find on Amazon. While browsing, I came across a cool looking one made by OGIO. I'd never heard of this brand or seen anything like it. I bought it. And she loves it! Thank heavens, because as anyone that tries to buy for teenagers knows, it's difficult! Score one for mom. Here it is: 

But the story doesn't end there, although that would be a happy ending, wouldn't it? As I was looking for something for her, another OGIO product popped up as a "you might also like..." product. And when I saw it, I knew I had to have it! Here it is. See why I had to have it? It's so me! Perfect color, perfect size, perfect price ($39.95) and it even has buttons.

But, I didn't buy it right then and there for 2 reasons:

1. Never buy anything for yourself in the 6 or so weeks leading up to Christmas. It just isn't fair to those that need gift ideas or who have already purchased things, and
2. I was in the midst of a "buy things for myself moratorium". Which, btw, is another idea for a blog boast...

So I put it on my Wish List and moved on with life. Christmas came and went, and I thought often of this purse/bag/what I've been looking for all my life, but still wasn't sure I wanted to break #2. A few days after Christmas I decided it was indeed ok to spend some of my gift money on myself. First I bought the Fitbit (awesome decision so far!) and then I went to my Wish List to find THAT purse. This is what I saw:

That's right. Currently unavailable. Rats. No problem, really. I will find it somewhere else. Easier said than done!!! It was unavailable everywhere, even on the OGIO website! Oh, I found red and yellow and green and olive, but I wanted blue! And no one knew when and IF, they would become available. Then I remembered eBay. eBay has everything! And it did. ONE seller had it and they had 4 available. Except, there was a problem. It cost $63! That's 50% more than retail. In a panic that it might never be available ever again and I didn't care that I was spending too much, I bought it. 

Then as is usual for me, I had buyer's remorse. It was just a purse after all. Did I really need to spend that much more than retail for a purse? Granted it will always fit, but I really feel the need to be smarter about my purchases. Well, it was done. Nothing to do about it at this point. I would enjoy that purse! A couple of days later I got an eBay message from the seller. It read:

I'm so sorry but I was just informed by our supplier that the item went out of stock and will be available early in 2 weeks but no exact date.

Since the shipping got delayed and would not able to reach the said delivery date, we decided to refund the money instead. We will keep you posted in the future when it's available with a reasonable discount due to this inconvenience. We will also contact you right away if the stock is available this week.

I will issue you the refund as soon as I send this email. I apologize once more and I thank you in advance for understanding.

Seriously? At this point, I just figured it wasn't meant for me to have this purse. Time to move on. I have plenty of purses and my mother-in-law had just shared a very nice new-to-me purse. I was set. I felt a huge relief at not spending all that money and really did believe things happened as they should. 

Anyone who knows me even a little, knows that I probably wouldn't let it go. That should have been the end of my story. Of course it wasn't. And if it was, I wouldn't be blogging about it now. But, I am, so there here is the rest of it...

I was playing around on the computer and just joined this thing called Swagbucks. One way to earn "swag bucks" is to search through their website, so on a whim I searched "OGIO Brooklyn" just one more time. Up popped the usual listings that I had seen on previous search efforts, but mid-way down there was a new one:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/985426-REG/ogio_114007_166_booklyn_tablet_purse_tide.html

So I clicked on the link and I heard music and the skies might have parted, but probably not so much, since it is just a purse and I'm sure those kinds of things are saved for things that really matter. But there it was! The purse I coveted! And priced at only $32.97! That's cheaper than Amazon's price! And...it gets better...FREE SHIPPING!  So as you might have guessed, it arrives in 7-10 business days. And while it took weeks and had some unexpected turns, I got the darn purse and for less than I was willing to pay. I know it's just a purse, but it makes me feel all warm inside that I got it. 

And the first backpack I bought for Brenna? We wrapped it up and gave it to Don. Funny how things work out.

Another New Year

Welcome 2014! I started this blog on New Year's Day 2011. I started off 2012 by posting. I skipped 2013 and while I have an idea as to why, it's the past and I'm all about the present! I have so much I want to share with you! Where to start? 

Some of the things I want to write about are:

• How and why we got each of our dogs.
• My running story...it's a long one!
• The "bad" number.
• Why I love my job.
• Folly makes me feel special.
• Lessons from an old dog named Rosie.
• The surprise in the mirror.
• Perfect isn't flawless.

Because I named it "Almost a Sitcom" I feel the pressure to make each post funny, or at least mildly entertaining. I need to get over that. Even in sitcoms there can be a serious message, or big lesson to be learned that isn't all that funny. 

So I will do my best to get to each of those stories. But first I need to get on the treadmill...it's Day 1 of 100 days of running! Happy New Year friends!

Turning Left

It was time. Time to get back into shape. Time to lose the 15 pounds I gained back after loosing 28. Time to get outside into the sunshine! Time to take a walk. A walk that would be the first of many walks and eventually, jogs. There used to be two options when walking or jogging: right on Hickory Point Road or stay on Oak Point Road. Now there are three.

Staying on Oak Point means doing five laps to make 2 miles, no change in scenery, dogs chasing me and Reba (usually they are nice ones!), neighbors to wave at, and the security of my house being close by.

Turning right on Hickory Point led to a flat, curvy walk filled with barking dogs, lawns being mowed, houses, traffic, and Camp Tapawingo. I usually turn right. Mostly because it's never boring, but really because turning the other way used to be a Dead End. The road wasn't finished so I couldn't walk very far. But now it's open. Turning left is an option. So on Sunday, May 19 at around 9:45 am, I turned left.

I've driven this road quite a few times.(It's the road to Henry! Flyball!) I've even ridden a bike for part of it. Don has taken Wrigley for a jog/walk on it one or two times, but I've never walked it before. So I put a collar on Reba and we set out.

The sun was shining. It was warmer than I thought it would be. I shoved my sleeves up onto my shoulders and walked up the street at a quick pace. Reba always ensures that I keep a decent pace. Join me as I relive my first walk with pictures...

After about three quarters of a mile, I arrive at the first hill. I love this picture! See Reba's ears at the bottom? At this point I feel blessed to have this place to walk. Isn't it beautiful?

This is at the bottom of the first hill. Everything is so green! There is a small creek at the bottom that I can hear as I walk by.

Still in between the hills. Sometimes there are cows in this field, but not today.

There are lots of good smells for Reba. Sometimes she gets distracted. :)

This is still in between the two hills. I'm never sure which side to walk on. I try to walk against traffic, but if they can't see me because of a bend in the road, I will go on the other side. If there is a bend for that side too, I walk in the middle. I feel like such a rebel when I walk in the middle of the road!

Mid second hill. It has a more gradual incline than the first one. I remember feeling so energized at this point! It was a lovely day; the weather was perfect. My body was so excited to be out and moving.

The top of the second hill flattens out. I can see fields as far as the eye can see. On this day, there was a farmer plowing the field. How awesome to see this in action. If you look closely, just above the white tip of the middle stake, you can see the tiny red tractor. Things like this provide awesome distractions to keep my mind off of things like burning hamstrings and a pounding chest.

The other side of the flat road. A beautiful green meadow.

At the "end" of the flat road is Lourdes Road. (One could go straight, but it's gravel.) If I take a left here, I end up in Germantown Hills. If I take a right I end up at Route 26, which leads to Lacon, which leads to Henry!! Which means flyball. The completion of this road cut almost 15 minutes off of my drive there!

 This the flat road on the way back towards the hills.

Here's the entrance to someone's homestead. I love the horses hanging from the top. Makes me smile.

Now dooowwwnnn the hill we go!

Reba thinks down is better too!! She is the best walking partner!

So pretty! I heard all sorts of sounds in the woods on either side of the road: birds, frogs, water...

At the bottom. Now to gear up for the walk UP the other hill. At this point I had never walked up it before - only driven. I had no idea what it would be like. I was a little scared!

Going up...

 Still going up...

Watch out for cows!!!!!!!

Still going up.

 We made it!! Cue Rocky music...

This is the cool down mile towards home. Still beautiful, even when I'm panting and my heart is racing and my legs burn. I was so excited about what I'd done! It felt grade to push myself and work up a sweat. It had been too long.

Reba is a trooper. She didn't complain - not even once! Well, at least not out loud.

This is looking back from where we came from. It is also the view as I set out each time I do this walk.

 Towards home.

Almost to my street...just around the bend!

My neighbors keep their cows and horses here. I love watching them do what they do. On this day they were in the back.

Look under the shorter tree and you can see the horse.



And in about a half mile I was home! I was so excited that I'd done that walk. Who knew turning a different way would start me on the the path to getting active and in shape again? Thank you for sharing this first walk with me!!!

News for Riptide

Hey Wrigley!

What? I’m a bit busy.

Doin’ what?

Looking for Rosie. I want to lick her teeth while she growls at me. Cracks me up!

That’s not very nice! She has a birthday coming up, ya know! And she hates it when you do that.

Riptide, you are so naive! Rosie loves it when I pay attention to her. She’s just playing hard to get.

I don’t think so. I think it really bugs her. And what does ‘naïve’ mean? You darn border collies and your big words. Is that a name? I don’t get it…WAIT! Stop distracting me. I have something important I need to tell you.

Fine, my flirtations can wait…what’s up?

Flirtations??? Ugh! Never mind. Rumor has it that…that…gulp…Fringe is coming to visit.

Wrigley starts walking in circles…Rumor has it! Rumor has it! woooo! Rumor has it I’m the girl you’re leavin’ her for…

Wrigley! Did you hear me!!!?? Stop singing! Focus!

um, what? Sorry! I love that song. One of my favorites to howl with. What did you say?

I heard Brenna ask, “When is Fringe coming?” I think that means Fringe is coming to visit!

Oh, I knew that.

What! How did you know that and I didn't?

Because I told him.

Reba! Why did you tell him and not me?

I did tell you. I told both of you the other day. Too bad you couldn’t stop running around with that stupid Frisbee to listen.

UGH! I hate it when I miss stuff! When is she coming?

Today.

TODAY??? But I’m not ready. I have to find all of my favorite toys…and decide if I will share or not! And I have to hide the bones. And find a nice bed for her. And nap! I need to nap!! You know we will play for hours when she gets her. I’M NOT READY!! And then she will be gone. Our play dates are always way too short.

Dude. She’s not leaving today.

You really need to learn how to pay attention. I’m impressed Wrigley knows more than you this time.

What do you mean?

Dude. She’s coming for “summer camp”. That means that she is staying aaalllll summer, or for most of it anyway.

Really!?!! ALL SUMMER???? WOOOOO HOOOOOO! Rumor has it! Rumor has it!

Stop spinning. You look goofy. You’re not a border collie…

 oh. Sorry. I have so much to do! So much to prepare! So much to hide! Oh joy of joys!! This is the best day ever!!!!

Dude. Chill. Been there. Done that. My “Booga Booga Booga” skills are ready to go. I LOVE the look on Fringe’s face when I jump out at her! Yours is pretty funny too. haha haha haha

Oh Wrigley! You are such a goof! I am so excited! What about you Reba? Aren’t you excited? This will be so much fun! Me and Fringe! Fringe and me! Oh the adventures we will have. C’mon Reba, aren’t you excited too??!!??

Thrilled.

Dear Baseball Fans,


It's opening day for the Cubs!!! And I have something that I need to say. I am hereby giving notice that any pessimistic or snide comments made about the boys in blue or their fans will not be tolerated in 2012!! It is poor sportsmanship and not cool. 


Please cheer on your team as I cheer on mine. But when you start raining on my April parade, I will put my hands on my ears and sing "GO CUBS GO!" (This also means you will be hidden on FB. I will unhide you in November, don't worry!)


But if you love baseball like I do, then let's get ready for a summer of sun, peanuts, and maybe a beer or two. 


LET'S PLAY BALL!!!!!

Sincerely,
Becky :)

A Conversation between Wrigley and Riptide...and a little Reba too.

This is what I heard last night. I swear. 

Hey. Hey Riptide. She got the bag out.
Bag? What bag? Wrigley, who are you talking about?
I'm talking about HER. The lady that lets us chase frisbees and bark and counter surf.
She doesn't 'let' us counter surf. You just do it. Even though she yells NO! and shakes a can and has threatened to get the spray bottle.
How can I not try? There is so much good stuff up there. It's almost as good as the garbage can...wait! The bag! I was talking about the bag! Dude, don't distract me!
Like either of you need help with that.
Shush Reba. Us dudes are having a conversation.
Ha! I'll leave you alone. I have feet to lick anyway.
Don't go Reba! She never wants to hang out with us unless we have a toy or a bone. Why do you think that is Wrigley?
I think it is because she is envious of our awesomeness...wait! Focus Riptide! The bag! Focus on the bag! She only put shoes in it tonight, but they are athletic shoes. That means flyball right????
Athletic shoes?
Yes! Athletic shoes.

Athletic? That's a big word Wrigley.
No it's not.
Well I think it is.
Riptide, athletic is not a big word.
'Riptide, athletic is not a big word.' geeesh. Border collies.
Back to the bag with GYM shoes in it. Is that better?
Much.
Why else would she put GYM shoes in the bag? It's gotta mean flyball.
Maybe she is going on an exercise vacation...without you.
Reba! Go lick something.
Yeah. Go lick something. And she hates exercise.
You boys are so clueless. Of course it means we are going on a flyball trip.
But Reba, how can you be sure?
Really Wrigley? Really Riptide? Does she ever pack a bag for anything else?