Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Leapin' Lizards- February's Almost Gone

Happy Leap Year (one day early)!

I haven't been posting much because there has been very little worthy of posting. I hate having my time wasted, so I won't waste yours, dear readers. All two of you, mom and dad. :)

Work has been very soul-sucking lately. I'd recount some tales for you if I thought they were particularly funny. I started walking on my lunch break a couple of days a week. I'm not sure why I started that. It has very little to do with fitness and more to do with wanting to walk straight off the premises and out of Miami.

I have been reading up a storm lately. If you are on Shelfari, you can see what I've been reading. I read mostly fiction and I vary it between some more serious stuff (New York Bestsellers) and action/fantasy novels that are pure drivel and for entertainment purposes only. I recently read a New York Times article about falling in love with "Airport Literature." Those would be the sort of books you find in the airport kiosks. The journalist was well-read in the Classics and wanted to continue to read more cerebral work but found that when she picked up "Airport Lit" she enjoyed traveling a lot more. Personally, I try not to be condescending towards what people read because at least they are reading! Most Americans read a pitiful number of books a year. On my "down" months I read at least two books. In February I finished five. I'm low on cash lately, so I've been using the library way more than my Kindle (still love it). I live very close to my library, but the only problem is they organize books like yum-yums. Seriously, I have to look in THREE places to find New Arrivals. Young Adult books are half on their own and half mixed in with Adult Fiction. I cannot find a lot of the books I am looking for- I'm going to have to figure out the loaning system (not as easy as Madison's was)... At least there is always the option to try to check the books out from J's student library.

Let's see, what else can I tell you? Well, Ruby has been a doll and a terror. Simultaneously. She REFUSED to go potty outside. She has a more stubborn personality than I do! She'll hold it until we put her down for quiet time and then she goes on her potty pad IMMEDIATELY. We don't like to scoop her up to take her out because that scares her and then she won't go outside and then she won't go in front of us (which means secret diddles under the couch). BUT, I must say this, I would gladly deal with her going on a potty pad for the rest of her life because she is just such a good dog all around. She's calming down a bit now that she is getting older. She's pretty good with her tricks and commands (we are proud parents of a Puppy Dog 2 class graduate). She is so precious to us. When I come home late (which I do about two days a week), she greets me at the door and will not stop staring at me or following me until I pick her up for a hug. Petting her while she's on the floor won't do, she wants to be up in your arms for a solid six seconds before it is back down to play. She likes to be greeted properly. She's also funny when it comes to cuddling. If I am on the couch, working on my laptop, she'll stick her nose underneath one of my typing hands so I have to stop and hold her. But as much as she's a dear, she grumbles A TON. I've never known a dog to be so grouchy about car rides. It makes me laugh because it shows so much of her personality: playful, energetic child mixed with crotchety old-man.

There hasn't been too much to look forward to/work towards lately. I cannot wait for June because one of my dear friends from college is spending a long weekend with me. J might be gone to a conference so I'd get a girl weekend! I haven't had one of those since July. Thus far, the only trip I have planned for Milwaukee will be for my second cousin's wedding in October. I hope I get home before then, but the flies coming out of my empty wallet are buzzing another tune. Sometimes I think about getting a second job, but it would be unfair to J and unfair to Ruby (J is so busy with school right now). I'm already pretty tired from work, craft night, and volunteering... and I get very little time with J as it is, so I want my weekends to be flexible so I can sneak a couple of hours of his time, if possible. In college if I needed more money I just worked more. I don't have that option at my job. I've never been on a fixed income before this job and there is talk of more money being taken out for the retirement plans (so less money that I take home now). Sigh. It is my goal to start selling stuff on Etsy soon, so hopefully I can set aside a little sum to get myself started with that.

Well, that's it for now. It's been a pretty quiet thus far. Hopefully I'll have wonderful things to report for March. In the meantime, do something fun with your extra day of 2012!