OK, as you may know, I am a little puppy crazy right now. And the plan is to start looking at breeders in June and get a puppy this summer. And up to now I had made up my mind on what to get:
A miniature schnauzer. I did my research, consulted my dad (who is a veterinarian), and finally came up with this choice. And I mean, I was set on it.
Until this weekend.
I went home to my mom and dad's for the weekend (which was awesome. It started with me calling Dad for help with a burnt-out headlight Saturday and ended with me packing up for an overnight stay that included working on the car with Dad in the garage all afternoon, doing my laundry FO' FREE ("Unforgivable," anyone?) and going out for dinner and drinks with the people my parents ride Harleys with and watching Indiana's Katie Stam WIN Miss America! Wooo! But anyway, back to the dogs...)
OK, so my dad says, "We had a puppy come in to the clinic and it made me think, 'You know what would be a great dog for Lisa? A pug.'"
Me: "OK, what?! That's what I had originally wanted to get but you said it had too many health problems!"
Dad: "What? I don't remember that."
Me: "Uh...I do. That's why I started looking for other ideas. That's how I came up with miniature schnauzer!"
Dad: "I don't remember you saying you wanted a pug. They're fine; they don't have too many problems, and they don't shed. And miniature schnauzers bark a lot."
Me: "Nice flip-flopping, Dad! Who are you, Mitt Romney?"
So now I'm trying to decide between the two. And I know what you're probably thinking...(a) why do I care, (b) why are you freaking out, it's only January, or (c) you've stopped reading by now so you're probably thinking about what's for lunch.
But I'm just trying to consider my options. So here is the famous Liz Lemon list of pros and cons:
Miniature Schauzer Pros: Very intelligent and easy to train Loyal, protective Doesn't shed Good swimmers (this dog has to go to the lake, so that's important) Good with other pets and children Good watch dog Cute beard and bushy eyebrows
Pug Pros: Fairly intelligent and trains well Loyal, likes to cuddle Doesn't shed Loves people "Comedian" of the dog world Super-cute curly tail and buggy eyes
Miniature Schnauzer Cons: Hair has to be groomed often Barks at strangers Will tear things up if he gets bored
Pug Cons: Susceptible to some eye injuries/infections and breathing issues Not sure how he'll do in the water (but they do make doggie life jackets!):
(is it bad that this video makes me laugh so hard?!)
And I'm sure a big part of the decision will come down to what's available when I start looking. But if you want to weigh in on this or if you've ever owned any of these breeds, let me know what you think!
So I forgot the rest of the game from the previous post: if YOU want to play, just leave a comment saying so and I will give you a letter! (I think it's just arbitrary letter assignment...back me up, Kels?)
Because what fun is a game if other people can't play? Unless you're playing solitaire. And sometimes even then.
So yeah, if you want in, let me know and I'll give you a letter!
OK, so Kelsey let me in on this game where you are assigned a letter and then you name ten things you like that start with that letter. So heeeeere we go!
1. Tap dancing - I was just talking to someone about this last night at musical rehearsal, actually. We were both agreeing that tap dancing is so fun because it's so hard and yet once you learn it, you could do it in your sleep. Also, it sounds really cool.
2. Time off - I don't get a lot of time off, so on weekends and rare vacations, I really live it up...which usually means sleeping a lot! Haha!
3. Talking - ask anyone. I love to talk so much it's insane. You can probably tell by how long my blogs are, because if I were talking to you instead of writing it all down, it would be a lengthy conversation. I love talking about shows, movies, philosophy, religion, and even politics sometimes. I just love to talk!
4. Television - I know it's my job, but I honestly do really like TV. Not just working in it, but watching it. Sitcoms, dramas, reality shows, news, sports, the Disney Channel...I even like watching commercials!
5. Technology - (Cue Kip from Napoleon Dynamite: I love technology, but noooot as much as you, you see...but stilllll I love technology, always and forever...) I am so bad at keeping in touch, so I thank God that I have a cell phone with people's numbers saved inside, and Facebook, and email! And GPS for the car! (Not really for keeping in touch, but for not getting lost lol).
6. Theatre - "The theatre, the theatre...what happened to the theatre?" White Christmas, anyone? Anyone? Yeah, if you have read some of my previous posts or know me at all, you'll know that I love going to see plays and musicals as well as performing in them!
7. Traveling - This is something I really enjoy, but I would like to do more of. I was lucky that I got to travel a lot in college with the Purduettes, but since then it's been tough to go anywhere. But I love flying and I love airports, and I love road trips! I don't even sleep most of the time! And I truly believe that half the fun is getting there. And the other half is getting back. No, I'm totally kidding! :)
8. Tank Tops - (Is this like Scattergories? Do I get more points for that one?) Aren't tank tops great? You can wear them in the summer, layer them under stuff, sleep in them, put them over your swim suit...so versatile! And thanks to places like Old Navy, you can get them in pretty much every color ever.
9. Tube socks - I started wearing these this summer to play softball, and then I started wearing them to HSM rehearsals, and then we all started wearing them all the time! They are fun and comfortable and (like tank tops) come in many colors!
10. Tina Fey - my hero!!! Hire me, Tina!
OK, that's my Then things that start with T! Thanks, Kels, for letting me play! :)
As they say out east (I think it's a Jersey thing, anyway), I'm gonna need freak-out control!!!
Everyone's favorite mockumentary web series is ba-aaack! I just saw the Season 2 trailer posted on YouTube and flipped my lid!
Here it is:
In other news, I just found out that I have to work until 11:15 Monday through Wednesday next week. So goodbye to my daily eight hours of sleep, but hel-loooo overtime paycheck!
That's all I got. Speaking of sleep, I need to get some pronto.
OK, it took me forever to watch this episode, so this is gonna be kind of a random-thought recap.
~ How much do you love Stephanie? What an amazing lady! It was so precious to see her surprised by her little girl and to see Jason in tears! :) I have a thing for guys who can cry like that. I loved the Lego rose, too...wow, what a special date!
Group Date: "Rub the Man Down!" as the sailors say...or wait, that was Erica.
~ I will say it was cool to see something that could potentially be a trashy, "let's all skip to second-base" date actually be treated with a lot of respect and meaning. And especially by Megan, who is so deep (just ask her).
~Megan tells Jason she's been a little down since she got here because she loves helping people and being a non-profit role model, and going 10 days without helping people has been really hard on her...because no one has appreciated her, thanked God for her, or thanked her. Is it just me, or is serving others supposed to be about...well...others?
~Erica's trashin' on Megan again. That is getting old.
~Poor Nikki and her awkward silence! Pageant Patty did not get a high score in the interview portion this round. She seems like a really good person; I just wish she'd loosen up and relax.
~Melissa is just too adorable! She is obviously very comfortable with Jason even when she is feeling insecure. And her faces reacting to what's going on with the other girls crack me up! She has to be genuine because she doesn't mask a single facial expression. I'm pulling for her in the top four, along with Stephanie.
~And Jillian. She seems so stinkin cool. Poor Nikki is choking on her words and Jillian is like, "Let's see who can jump the highest on this Austin Powers-inspired mattress!" Jillian is like the girl I would want to actually be friends with, and if I got a rose and she didn't, I'd be like, "Here, girl, take my rose and write me letters! I'll be rooting you on from home!"
~Poor Sha-Nay-Nay does not have a good group date. I think the more I see of her the more I like her, despite the fact that she comes off as a little desperate. And crazy?
Natalie's One-on-One: Material Girl
~Natalie is running super-late, leaving poor Jason in the lioness den with the other ladies. I love what Melissa says, "You have to wait till later in the relationship to do that." As a girl who is constantly running, shall we say, "fashionably late," I do know that a guy has to really love you to wait around while you change shoes seven times. And so far the only guy who loves me that much is my dad. So good point, Mel.
~Natalie has an annoying habit that I call the "extension pull," where she sort of constantly gathers her hair up and puts it to one side really carefully like she has extensions that are going to come out if she pulls too hard. If you want it all on one side, put it in a side pony, for goodness' sake!
~Jason enjoys having some serious arm candy for a swanky night out in Vegas, but wants to dig deeper into Nat's personality. And here's what he gets: "I heart bears. Wait, what were we talking about? Don't stereotype me just because I'm gorgeous and love to party." Fun, but not enough for Jason to build a marriage on. And when Material Girl doesn't get what she wants (for probably the second or third time in her entire life), she gets sooo mad. My thoughts: "This is gonna be one heck of a Diary of the Departed." She finally says what, unfortunately, I might have stereotyped her to say: "I am hot. And guys would literally kill to be with me. And he's just Jason. What am I supposed to do, swoon? Ew. What is wrong with him?"
~When Natalie doesn't come back, the girls are almost as surprised as Natalie. And they have a party to celebrate.
Rose Ceremony: More Kisses!
~Poor, perfection-crazed Nikki finally gets her kiss, which she all but ruins by trying to talk and laugh in the middle of it. Relax, Max!!!
~I think it's cool to see a Bachelor who has been through the show's process before and can really relate to the girls on that level.
~Molly reminds me of a friend of mine. She is really cute and freckly and tomboyish, so other girls tend to underestimate her. But put her in a strapless dress and heels and she's got it going on, and she will surprise you with how sophisticated and elegant she can be!
~Jason tells Molly about Natalie's last words, so Molly relays to the other girls that Nat may have dropped some names in the anger of the moment. Megan is quick to show, once again, how much more mature she is: "I would've bowed out gracefully."
~Poor Sha-Nay-Nay is so stressed out and upset. Megan criticizes her for this, but I think it was actually good to see the real Shannon other than her Jason Trivia knowlege! She's growing on me.
~Stephanie finally gets her kiss too! And she totally plays it Mr. Darcy style! Nice!
~Lauren rats out Megan and Erica, the "two drama queens of the house." But she does so at Jason's request. Megan eavesdrops, probably thanks to an eagle-eyed PA tipping her off. Poor Jason is really confused by all this lady drama, and Chris Harrison helps him out by forcing some honesty out of the girls. This turns into the Megan and Lauren show, until Shannon throws up. :( Then Jason hands out the roses to...
Molly (yay!) Lauren (not a surprise, but I'm neutral about her) Melissa (woo!) Naomi (meh) Shannon (aww poor thing. Glad she got a rose.) Nikki (glad for her, but I hope she'll continue to loosen up) and...dun dun dun...Megan!!! GASP!!! The music gets so loud at this point that I can't even hear what her reaction is. Erica and Kari go home. It will be interesting to see how Megan does without Erica antagonizing her...but I still feel like she'll be trouble.
And next week...Jason doesn't give away the final rose?! What's that about? And more importantly, when the heck is Deanna gonna show up at Jason's doorstep?!
OK, as always, the folks who do it better than me: Lincee Chris and Beyond Reality:
Mondays are tough. Especially this time of year, it barely seems worth it to abandon the coziness of your bed and put on a brave face for work. That being said, here's something I found on YouTube last night that got my Monday off to a good start, and I hope it does the same for you!
Here's how my version of this little film clip went today:
Hobo Girl (me): (throws herself onto the rock [or work desk] crying) "What's the use of trying? They tore down my computer and all of the video edit settings on this one are wrong, and I can't find any of the websites I need because my favorites aren't saved on this computer!"
Charlie: Buck up! Never say die! If it weren't for Mondays, we wouldn't love the weekend so much, and besides, tonight is a brand new episode of The Bachelor!
Hobo Girl: (with determined fist pump) That's right, Charlie! We're gonna get to see Stephanie reunite with her daughter and hopefully Jason will send Megan and Erica packing!
So imagine whatever your version of this lovely little film would be today, and let Charlie do the cheering! (Isn't he adorable, by the way? I wish I had a Charlie Chaplin to hang out with all the time!)
I think it started when I got my first pair of high-heel tap shoes in dance class (probably at age 9 or 10). Sure, they were only about an inch tall, but oh, the glamour!!! And oh, the sounds you could make with high-heel taps!!! The dance instructors used to make us sit on the floor with our feet in the air while they gave us directions just so we would all stop tapping -- it was that much fun!
And then came junior high, when it started to become acceptable to wear heels not only in the dance studio, but in church and at school, too. That was the same point in my life that I stopped growing; at age 13 I hit 5'2" and stopped, instantly becoming one of the shortest girls in my class.
That was also the same point that flare jeans came into popularity. (Remember that?) And all of them were too long for me to wear with tennis shoes, so I had to start wearing heels if I wanted to wear my cool new jeans.
That's how it started. From there, it just kind of snowballed.
This was back in the day before everyone started cranking out those cute little ballet flats; when I was in high school you had limited shoe options; you could wear tennis shoes, boots (which back then were like hiking boots, not Uggs or anything similar), flip-flops...or heels. Tennis shoes were out of the question for me unless I was wearing my windsuit (all of us on the swim team had 'em...they were bright purple, and we always thought we looked like big grapes). I wasn't really into wearing the boots, and flip-flops were only for summer. So heels it was.
When I went to Hoosier Girls State, my mom took me shopping for some "business dress" clothes, since you spend the whole week running for office and doing interviews. I got this super-cute outfit with white pants and a pink jacket, and we went on the hunt for the perfect pink shoes to go with the ensemble. We found these adorable alligator-skin round-toe pumps with big silver buckles on the sides, and I fell in love. I still have those shoes, and they are still one of my favorite pairs of all time. Ever since then, through the rest of high school and college, I just kept collecting more and more pairs of heels.
So I wear heels whenever I can; to work, to church, to go out on the town...and I love it! Even if it makes my feet hurt a little bit more, even if it slows me down just a hair, knowing that I stand a full 5'5" or 5'6" in my adorable shoes just makes me feel good!
But some older lady always tries to spoil it. Does that ever happen to you?
It's always some lady in her late 50s or older, and she's usually a total stranger. And she usually says something to the effect of, "I don't know how you walk around in those heels all day." Or, "You've got some guts, walking around in those heels!" This happens to me a LOT. Last Sunday, I was heading down the church hallway to go work in the nursery, and some lady who I definitely don't know sort of yelled after me, "She's pretty brave to be wearing heels in the nursery!" It was clear she wanted me to hear that, but I just kept walking, because it was like being made fun in a high school hallway, only I was in church and being made fun of by a senior citizen.
I always wish I had some sort of clever zinger for these old biddies sneering at me as I hoof it across their paths in stilettos. But I always sort of feel bad about the thought of sassing older people.
I just don't get why they all have a problem with young ladies wearing high heels!
I mean, some of these ladies were my age in the 40s and 50s. I know they had high-heeled pumps back then! And others of these ladies were living it up in the 60s and 70s, when platforms came into style. So I can't help feeling like these ladies have galloped around town in heels a time or two in their day. Why do they feel like giving me a hard time about it?
I promise that when I get older, even if I have vericose veins and arthritis caused by all my high-heeled younger days, even if I can't stand to wear anything that makes me taller than 5"3 and a half, I will never give a girl in her teens or twenties a hard time about wearing heels. I might even say something lame like, "Work it, girl!" Or maybe just, "I love your shoes!"
