A Tribute - Finally

You know - there's so much I've been meaning to post and about a hundred reasons I could give for not posting. But the true fact is - there's always a hundred reasons.  And I'm never going to be not busy.  And I'm probably always going to spend too much time on Facebook, in the hot tub, reading, working etc etc....and if I cut out some time from those things, I'd have PLENTY of room to blog. So know going forward that "busy" means the above-referenced - and time management sometimes sucks. 

The sad stuff:  On February 26 I had to say goodbye to a being that was a part of my life for over 14 years.  She had the warmest brown eyes you ever saw, gorgeous yellow fur and the sweetest deposition of all.  Her name was Bailey - and she was my beloved pet.  And I couldn't write about her at the time because the pain was so fresh.  And then I wanted to write about her on what would have been her 15th birthday on April 18 - but I couldn't find the right words.  And I still don't know if I can find the right words to honor her, but I'm going to give it a whirl.

Bailey arrived to us a sassy like scrap of a fireball.  She chewed up cell phones and pagers, numerous shoes, she chewed the walls, she chased plastic milk jugs when she couldn't find her tennis balls (very trailer to be kicking milk jugs at your dog off your porch - let me tell you).  She was a pain in the arse - but she was also so many other things:  Loyal, protective, loving, a fantastic listener, and pretty darn good kisser.  And as our family grew and we added babies, Bailey would let them crawl all over her, tug at her ears, grab at her fur and I never once worried.  I knew she loved them and would take care of them.  She had a heart that was strong and full of love. 

Kids grew - Bailey got older.  That dog lived to do a banzai jump off a dock into the water to retrieve a ball.  I swear she could have won tournaments doing that.  She got some distance.  The ball was her best friend and she'd chase it all day.  Up until a year or two ago, she still chased that ball.  She was slower and couldnt jump like she used to ...but she'd chase it.  She still let the girls crawl all over her and a year ago, she tolerated a new puppy - her doppelganger really - to enter our world.  Mia is what Bailey was when she was young.  And Mia would trample over Bailey -bite at her fur, try to get her to play and Bailey would look at her with this exasperated look as if to say, "Kid..you've got a lot to learn.  And I'm going to teach you - because this family will be yours soon."

Soon came on February 26.  After months of watching her and seeing her fail more and more, and seeing her struggle to get up and down steps and control her bladder and fall down on shaky hips ....and looking into her eyes and seeing the pain ...we made the hardest decision we ever had to make.  I kept waiting for a vet to tall me that her heart was weak - or that she had a disease that we couldn't cure - but they never did.  Bailey's heart was huge and strong as always - and internally - all systems were fine.  It would have made it easier if there would have been something seriously wrong.  It would have made it easier if she would have just closed her eyes and went on her own.  But life isn't always easy - and after months of talking and stalling (mostly by me) I finally admitted that it was time to let her go. 

I didn't go with to that final appointment.  I couldn't get myself to do it.  My 10 year old did though - and although it was hugely painful for her - I give her all the credit in the world for being there and hugging Bails as she closed her eyes forever.  I think Big A learned a lot about life that day - and got one of those valuable life moments that stay with you forever.  And I admire her so much for having more strength then I did that day in being there to say good bye to Bailey. 
I miss her.  I know to some they're just animals - but for me they're family members.  I will always miss her.  And I'm not entirely convinced she taught Mia everything she should have before Bailey had to go (the Kid still has a LOT to learn) but I know she probably tried.  :)  Mia has been a diversion for us and has probably made the healing a bit easier though - if not for anything other than we're constantly yelling at her to stop chewing things and chasing things - much as we did with Bailey back in the day.  I remind D of that when he's exasperated with Mia - that Bailey was the same way - and look what she became.

After she died I sort of did that thing where I wanted a sign that she was okay.  I didn't know what but for some reason a red bird came to mind.  I don't see a lot of red birds and to see one would be unique.  I looked for days and days after her passing but never saw one.  I looked on her birthday and never saw one.  Mothers Day - I looked out on my deck and right there on the edge around it - right next to the sliding glass door - stood a red cardinal.  It was about 6 feet away from me and it stood there for about 10 seconds and just looked at me.  To some - coincidence and no big deal.  To me...it was my sign..on Mothers Day...and was saying, "Hi Mom."  I smiled through a couple of tears....and whatever you want to make of it...it was indeed my sign. 

We love you, we cherish you...we will never forget you Bails. 
Finally...my poorly worded horribly phrased tribute to you...but the best I can do for now.


Bailey Day
April 18, 1996 - February 26, 2011

Dull Moments???? Nah!

I've been told a few times by my SIL that we need a reality TV show crew at our house.  And oftentimes I agree with her. Not to be boastful or think our life is "all that interesting" but sometimes...well....it really IS that interesting.

Case in point:  Last night.

Lets begin, shall we?  Yesterday was a normal day..a day we got up and the girls and I had our typical arguments about getting ready for school on time, we made our cereal, we scrambled to get our winter gear on and actually make it to the bus on time.  See..the day before Little A had missed the bus because of being lazy and I had declared she was grounded yesterday as a result of that.  So this particular morning,  I was making it VERY clear she should not miss the bus again. 

This isn't the interesting part.  In fact..this part is boring.

So the day goes on as usual.  They go to school, I go to work.  I drive home and pick up Little A from her Wednesday night daycare (Big A had went to a friends) and we head home.  At this point, Little A decides that being grounded is really not that fun and that I should reconsider and let her have a friend over.  My answer...no.  And I stood my ground..which I know a lot of you will find surprising..but I did.

What resulted after that was an hour of screaming, grabbing me around the legs, hitting me (oh yes she did), telling me I was mean and that she didn't like me.  Truly...it was an hour.  And fun...or not. 

So my friend Jen was going to come over that night to deliver a birthday present to me.  A wonderful fabulous birthday present of 15 different lip glosses..which is AWESOME.  Long story short..Jen comes over, I tell her she needs to accompany Little A and I to go pick up Big A and she agrees.  I GPS the address (hadn't been there before and boy do I wish I could change the GPS voice to an Australian male - if so I'd just drive around for hours...but I digress) and we pick up Big A.  Immediately upon Big A's entrance into the MomMobile, girlish screaming ensues..and wouldn't stop.  I believe we made Jen think twice about wanting a second child. 

Arrive home to sample lip glosses...of which my children put way too much on making them look like 80's video vixens...and then go to watch them show off their moves to Jen playing Just Dance 2.  About this time, D arrives homes with a bottle of something called Bitter Yuck.  Basically, it's a deterrent we spray on various household items to ensure that Mia (the puppy) will not chew on them.  In the past, we've had something called Bitter Apple but since he couldn't find that, he decided on Bitter Yuck.  So D starts spraying everything...the table legs, the chairs, the couch, the carpet...and within minutes, all of us are developing a strange bitter taste in the back of our throats.  Jen gets up with her sweater around her mouth and says she can taste it.  The girls have their faces all scrunched up and I'm sitting there like, "Good Lord...this is awful."  About two minutes later, Jen breathily declares that she has to go its so bad..and she literally puts her coat on with the speed of lightning and hightails it out the door.  At this point, D had the back door open and told me to leave the front door open.  The girls are wailing that they can't breathe (they could totally breathe..it just didn't "Taste" good).  We start lighting candles all over the house.

This story is getting long.  Stay with me though.  Its' worth it. 

The girls are upstairs, I ..being the one that can handle this type of stuff best in our house (true...ask anyone..I'm tough as nails) decide it's time to go sort the potential 57 loads of laundry that I have.  As I'm sitting there, D pulls out a box of stick matches and starts walking around the house waving them.  He finally comes down to me, lights a stick match and holds it up and starts talking to me.  About 23 seconds later, the fire detector right above his head and coincidenally..about a foot from the lit match goes off....and it's not a beep..it's more like a RAHHH, RAHHH, RAHHH!!!!!  I jump three feet and probably said an unsavory word or two, he stands there with a look on his face that can only be described as, "DER!" and makes the comment, "Maybe that wasn't the greatest idea," and goes upstairs to check on the girls.  I hear wailing from Big A and D asking, "Where's Little A?"  He comes down the stairs and Miss Little A enters the front door..from the outside..in her nightie...in tears.  This is the following conversation that ensued between D and Little A.

D:  What are you doing?
a:  I ran outside (sob).  I was scared. 
D:  Why?
a:  There was a fire alarm.  Is our house burning down?

Now...in reading this, it really doesn't "read" funny.  But in experiencing it....and being away from the action and not letting anyone see how I'm reacting (remember...I'm sorting laundry), I'm dying laughing.  Like...laughing so hard I'm crying.  Here's why:

a) Little A has apparently learned that when the fire alarm goes off, you go outside.  Thank you MW Savage her Kindergarten teacher for teaching her fire safety.  I now know that in a real emergency, my youngest tot knows what to do. 

b). The visual image of my baby scampering outside in socks and a nightie all by herself without saying a word...well, it simply slays me.  It's so dang cute, and so dang sweet and heck...she was all for saving herself. (no regards to her family or pets, but hey...she's six) and I couldnt' stop replaying that image in my mind.  And it cracked me up.  My baby ran outside in the dark.  I know that doesn't read well and is probably not nearly as funny as it was to me..but I literally laughed for 20 minutes.  Silently of course.  And I think it was all the tone of her voice that did me in.  It was drama...and D being the fire detector starter was trying to be the big hero and talking to her in a bid "dad" voice and for some reason, it all just struck me as very comical. 

I know...weird sense of humor.  Just know that when I told people over the phone later, they laughed as hard as I did. 

To sum up...the girls go to bed, D decides maybe he should eat something and goes to get a pizza from downstairs.  After doctoring up his pizza with some extra ham and cheese, he looks at me and says, "I don't think I can eat this."  See...the Bitter Yuck apparently doesn't wash off easily.  And since he was the "sprayer", his fingers were covered in it.  I took a piece of ham off the pizza to sample it and ...Holy Mother of Mary....my mouth was filled with Yuck.  His Yucky fingers had contaminated the whole frozen pizza.  Alas,....it was not to be saved and after careful consideration, determined it was not edible.  He wanted pizza so I got another one and it was determined that I needed to make it since after 13 washings of his hands, they were still Yucky.

So I did.  I made his pizza and he ate with gloves on.  (Okay..he didn't..but he ate very delicately). 

Let's just say this...Mia won't be chewing on anything for a long time and the next time she does and the Bitter Yuck needs to be pulled out....we're all wearing HazMat suits. 

A typical day at the Days...really...there's never a dull moment. 

Winter Blows

Sometimes I get irritated when we're referred to as the Tundra, MinneSNOWta or MinneICEpolis.  I think...we have REALLY hot summers (we do!) and minus the mosquitos, gnats and horseflies...summer in MN is blissful.

Today...good grief...I live in MinneICEpolis, MinneSNOWta.  (disclaimer:  technically I'm in a Minneapolis suburb but you get the drift). 

Days like these..the sun is shining, the snow is beautiful and everything is sparkly and you go outside and WHAM!!!  Your boogers freeze, you can't breathe, your fingers feel close to falling off in minutes, your eyeballs explode from the outside glow of white snow and bright sunshine and you're suddenly blinded..and it's not nearly as pretty anymore.  You frantically escape to your car and sit there for 10 minutes with it on until the ice crystals on your windshield get slighty warm enough to wipe away, thus creating streaks that you try to see through while making yourself as small as possible hunched over your steering wheel. 

And you think, "WTF?!?!?!"  (you all know what that means..I literally think W..T..F..as in the letters.  Yes..I text too much). 

I was born and raised here and every year I dread winter.  I was born in January..thus making me a winter baby even from birth (Aquarius..yes still, but I'm thinking Water Bearer should have been coined Ice Bearer).  You would THINK I would ski, skate, snowmobile..all the typical winter activites that start with S.  And I have skiied (not well), skated (used to be pretty good..not so much anymore...maybe it's my skates, though) and snowmobiled (periodically yes..but only if I can drive my own snowmobile.  I'm not a good passenger.  Too slippery in a snowsuit/pants on a vinyl seat) but do I love any of them??? 

No. 

I love water. I love boating.  I love swimming.  I love floating in the middle of a lake on a hot summer day with a cold drink.  I love bbq's.  I love sitting on my deck in the evening.  I love bonfires at night. 

I don't love cold and I don't love winter.  Case in point #1:  I have 12 swimsuits, and only one pair of good mittens that my daughter wears to school every day, thus leaving me a cotton pair of gloves that really do nothing.  Case in point #2:  Im running around barefoot on the first 50 degree day, but I don't carry a snowscraper in my card, thus leaving me to use a credit card to pick away the ice on my windshield.  As my daughters would say...DER!

I'm generally a pretty happy content person, and I still am in the winter mostly, but this winter..wow, this winter is like winters of old.  We've been spoiled the past few years but not this winter.  As of now, we have more snow right now..January 18..then we did all of last winter.  And we still have at LEAST two months left.  That thought alone depresses me.  I think by February, I may kill for a warm weather vacation (which unfortunately, is not in the cards this year).  I may resort to tanning and highlighting my hair (oh shush people...I'll spray tan if it will make you feel better).  I've been known to sit down in the aisle at Target that has the suntan lotion to just sit there and smell it (true story...the girls and I did that last year).  I'll fire up the grill (after digging a path to it) and grill burgers just to get the summer smell.  I'll look at pictures of summer and yearn wistfully for them, as if they are gone forever (which I know they're not, but on days like today..man do they seem far away). 

So if anyone would like to bestow on me say...oh..I don't know...a trip to some tropical paradise that will serve me a drink with an umbrella by a cute cabana boy..well, I wouldn't object to it.  You wouldn't have to twist my arm and I'd smile my most delightful smile, look at you straight in the eye with an earnestness you may never see again and say, "Oh THANK YOU!  Thank you SO much.  I'd be delighted to go."

But until then...I'll try to find the beauty of winter....but probably from inside where it's warm.

God...I have so many ...okay, two...ideas for a blog.  One being about the fact that I'm a SunBaby.  The other being this "You're not what you think you are" horoscope bullshiz I've been reading about. 

What's gonna win? 

Horoscope.  Apparently astrology is a major matter this week. Next week...probably not so much, but this week it is so.

So what I've read is that apparently when horoscopes were "created", the world has since wobbled.  So we're not what we think we are.  Here's a clip (pretend it's the Tonight Show and some amazing graphics come up on the TV that comes out of the wall for this next bit). 

"The ancient Babylonians based zodiac signs on the constellation the sun was "in" on the day a person was born. During the ensuing millenniums, the moon's gravitational pull has made the Earth "wobble" around its axis, creating about a one-month bump in the stars' alignment."

So here's thing....the Aquarius definition fits me WAY more than the Capricorn definition..which is what I'd be with this new way of thinking. 

I'm not convinced.  All my life I've been a water bearer... an air sign...a fixed sign (yes mom..I've paid this much attention to it).  I'm not up for change.  I'm...fixed. 

So I'm copying and pasting something I found from a website.  And in the interest in not boring people, I'll highlight the good parts. 

Aquarius
January 20 - February 18

Aquarius is the eleventh sign of the zodiac, and Aquarians are the perfect representatives for the Age of Aquarius. Those born under this sign have the social conscience needed to carry us into the new millennium. Aquarians are visionaries, progressive souls who love to spend time thinking about how things can be better. They are also quick to engage others in this process, which is why they have so many friends and acquaintances. Making the world a better place is a collaborative effort for Aquarians.

Aquarius is symbolized by the Water Bearer.   While Aquarians are happy to bestow these ideas as a gift with no strings attached, they are much happier when the rest of the world agrees with them. Naysayers will quickly find out that Aquarians can be impatient, even temperamental, with those who disagree. Yes, these folks can be quite fixed in their opinions, in keeping with the Fixed Quality assigned to this sign. Even though Aquarians are happy to give, and they do, it's often on their terms and within their comfort level. Generally, that means ample space, since these folks are freedom-loving and individualistic and need to roam (and yes, they do enjoy travel). While Aquarians are generally sympathetic and compassionate, they like it when things go their own quirky way. Some might call their behavior eccentric (and they would be right), but when you consider that the Aquarian's heart is truly in the right place, a few oddities should be overlooked. In their own way, Aquarians treasure their many friends and acquaintances and want to give back as much as they can.


At play, Aquarians like to surround themselves with lots of people, preferably family and friends. That said, if they don't know the 'players,' they soon will!  Aquarians favor watery colors, like shiny silver or aqua blue. When it comes to love, Aquarians will also be playful, even flirtatious. While they play for keeps, it won't necessarily feel that way, since these folks are the opposite of jealous.

And now let's' look at Capricorn..which would be my new sign.....and gosh..I'm so sorry if this is boring....it's not to me. 

Capricorn
December 22 - January 19


Capricorn, the tenth sign of the zodiac, is all about hard work. Those born under this sign are more than happy to put in a full day at the office, realizing that it will likely take a lot of those days to get to the top. That's no problem, since Capricorns are both ambitious and determined: they will get there. Life is one big project for these folks, and they adapt to this by adopting a businesslike approach to most everything they do. Capricorns are practical as well, taking things one step at a time and being as realistic and pragmatic as possible. The Capricorn-born are extremely dedicated to their goals, almost to the point of stubbornness. Those victories sure smell sweet, though, and that thought alone will keep Capricorns going. (okay..seriously?????  Maybe a BIT...but not so much).


The Goat symbolizes Capricorns, and an apt mascot it is. Goats love to climb to the top of the mountain, where the air is clear and fresh. In much the same way, Capricorns want to get to the top of their chosen field so that they can reap the benefits of success; namely fame, prestige and money (okay..I'll go with this...pipe dreams, I know).  . Getting to the top isn't always a walk in the park, however, so it's likely that Goats will ruffle a few feathers along the way. These folks can indeed be domineering (seriously?)  even egotistical, on their route to the top. They'll tell you it's part of being a leader with bright new ideas (in keeping with the Cardinal Quality assigned to this sign).


Capricorns are industrious, efficient, organized (HA!) and won't make a lot of waves. They are scrupulous with details and adopt a rather conventional posture in business and in life. These folks feel best playing it safe, since this is a fail-safe way to get to the top -- eventually.

Capricorn is ruled by Saturn. . Those born under this sign also want to be the top dog, and they're smart enough to know that the title won't simply be handed to them. Caps are happy to work for it, and luckily they possess enough discipline and sense of responsibility to get them there. Capricorns tend to be mature and are amply blessed with common sense, two more qualities which help their success-driven endeavors.

The element associated with Capricorn is Earth. No big surprise there! Caps are down-to-earth in the sense that they're not interested in wild ideas or round-the-world dreams. They would much rather stay put and get to work. (mmm-hmmm...not so much) 
A Capricorn at rest (yes, there is such a thing) enjoys leisurely sports, like golf (I do like golf)  and croquet -- so long as they have a chance to win!

Okay truly people..which is more me????  Comment and tell me....because I think I know the answer...but I also thought I did in tests back in the day and clearly I didn't,. 

Stupid zodiac wobble effect.  
















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