My nerds...

Back in 2007, my husband and I started volunteering with a local, breed specific dog rescue.  Starting out it seemed pretty harmless.  We would help on adoption days and at other fundraising events, transport dogs as needed, coordinate dog washes, etc.  Then came fostering!  Fostering is not for the weak!

Our first foster, Libby, came from a home where they kept her tied to a porch with a three foot rope and made her wear a barking shock collar.  She was thin, had the saddest eyes, and was extremely afraid.  She was with us for only a week or two when the applications to adopt came pouring in.  I reviewed them all and found a reason why each home just wasn't the right place for her...until Katherine and Carlos.  I told my husband about their application and he said, "They can't have her.  She is our dog.  I knew it the first day she got into our truck."  And so it began...

Our second foster, Frannie, came to us from Dekalb County Animal Services.  I saw a posting on our local Craigslist that read, "if you are looking for a pure breed dog, DCAS has akitas, goldens, weimaraners, etc."  So, I looked on the DCAS website and found her.  Then I had to go and see her in person.  I looked through every single cage at DCAS to be sure she was the only one.  I broke her out of jail that day.  She was so scared she didn't want to come with me.  But she did...and she hasn't looked back since then...and neither have we.

Our third foster, Millie Sue, is a puppy mill rescue.  She was found extremely sick and starving at a pet store.  A group of kind ladies saw her and contacted rescue.  They were willing to pay for her if rescue would take her in.  My husband went to pick her up for what was supposed to be a weekend.  That was November 2007 and this has been an incredibly lllooonnnggg weekend!
     

Business Travel Observations!

Never, ever, EVER stop at the top of an escalator or at the end of the 'moving sidewalk.' You will get glared at, yelled at, or plowed over. This is like the keep moving lane on the highway - keep going and MOVE WITH A PURPOSE!

If you race up to security 15 minutes before your flight, there's a good chance you WILL NOT make this one. Don't get all huffy and impatient. You're the one that didn't allow enough time. Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine. Don't expect all of the other passengers to accommodate your stupidity!

It is important to understand that the sky cap under the airport is NOT the TSA. It is NOT a good idea to try to run through security to make that flight in 15 minutes. You WILL get tackled.

If you are staying at a hotel with a large group of teens, the elevators will stay occupied at ALL hours of the day and night while they are in the hotel.

If you have to go through the metal detector 3-4 times because you "forget" to empty your pockets, take off your belt, tell the TSA agent about the metal plate in your head, you should NOT be flying.

If the gate agent or flight attendant tells you that your bag will have to be checked, don't argue. Shut your mouth and comply. Perhaps you should consider purchasing a bag that will actually fit in the size/check dimensions contraption.

While riding the Park & Ride bus in Atlanta, stay off your cell phone long enough to pay attention to the driver. The driver will call out the row on the ticket and you will tell the driver what the make/model of your car is. The driver will deliver you right to your car. IF you are rude and spend all your time on your cell phone, the driver will move right on by your car. Do NOT pipe up and say, "hey, you passed me up." YOU passed up yourself by yammering on your phone at an inopportune time!

Also, while riding a packed Park & Ride bus in Atlanta, you do not need to take up two seats. Close your legs, put your brief case with the skinny side between your feet, and face forward...and hang up your cell phone, please!

Lastly, NO ONE WANTS TO SMELL YOUR STINKY FEET! Do NOT take off your shoes in the terminal at the gate, in your seat on the plane, or anywhere near other passengers!

Well, hello - it has been far too long!

So, I started this blog-venture last year. In my mind I was so gung-ho about starting a blog. And after two posts, I did absolutely nothing to nurture it. I didn't know what I was trying to accomplish other than I thought blogging was cool and I never was one of the "cool" kids, but could be...maybe.

Since 2010, I have started following several blogs and have learned a number of things!!

1. You don't have to be a professional writer to have a blog. Misspellings and improper grammar are a-ok in the blogging world - though they drive me bonkers on a personal level.
2. You don't have to be a Wordy Gertie to have a blog. The blogs I read the most are straight-forward and, dare I say, simple.
3. The best blogs aren't glamorous - they are just every day musings and experiences...LIFE (see #2)...and it isn't always rainbows and butterflies!! People out there have hurt in their lives just like me!
4. The best blogs don't have crazy requirements for their give-aways. Some blogs want you to go to the shop and then comment on what you like the most, then go 'like' the shop on facebook, then go 'follow' the shop on twitter, and then...well, you get the point. I understand the point - frequency of impression and exposure to the products will drive sales up! For a short while, I was one of those shopper, liker, followers - and it was exhausting! I encourage any blog that does give-aways to consider doing them like The Pioneer Woman or Young House Love. TPW and YHL do them just because.
5. To be a "successful" blogger, you have to nurture it (which I haven't done in the past). And, you can define successful any way you want! As for this blog, I would consider it a HUGE success if there was a single comment (good or bad).