Rosebay

What is it they say about life, it’s been a wild ride. On this rollercoaster I am on the hill heading back up again with hopes the next valley is not so far down. So on the upside, I have moved. Not far but my new place is bigger and cost less. I miss being close to the pool but we have a wonderful view of the lake facing east which my garden just loves. I started a temp job that just turned permanent. I started my own business consulting and made two proposals the week before and two bids now to submit (today). 

Lil dog is doing fine although he is going through anxiety between the move and me returning to work full time. The dog walker starts on Monday. The knee still pains me but I can walk without a limp now. There are even days when it doesn’t hurt at all! Doc says I need surgery but that will have to wait, too expensive.

I have been looking in on each of you. Special thanks to Seth who left me notes and comments even when I was MIA. Thanks to Beth and Mail Lady, Spaces friends who kept me connected. And a big warm thanks to all of you that kept me in their thoughts and prayers. I only have limited internet now and when I do it takes forever. Hoping to change that soon since I need it for the new jobs.

As those who have known my blog for some time know that I love to post those great email stories that I receive. I’ve seen this one so many times but thanks to Duckie, who sent it to me today, it seemed like a good come back piece.

So, in the true Rosebay tradition:

This is one of the kindest things you may ever see. It is not known who replied, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the   US postal service.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.

I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim.

I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies..' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.

I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.

By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,

God

Twitter is like standing in the middle of a huge party. There are so many people with so many ideas and opinions, everyone is talking, mingling around. Now look over there in that corner. Those are the social people. They are on Twitter to meet up with friends and send greetings. There are a few of the Spaces family that pop in from time to time to post a tweet. There is a couple that I follow that are a hoot to read. They send messages back and forth even though one is upstairs and the other downstairs. A guy is sharing his baby growing up (his name is Coen and he is 3 months old @coreyanderson).

Over there is the group who join Twitter (like me in the beginning) to follow local events and news. Almost every station, news cast is on Twitter tweeting breaking news, weather, so forth. Local events such as the Super Bowl and Gasparilla posted happenings and pictures. The MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) announces new IMAX movies and displays (Body Worlds is coming).

All around you can find groups of special interest. (Loach have you found the poker room yet?) I have a law group of lawyers, legal blogs and opinions. I even have the house sending tweets about the  votes on the floor (I’m a law geek, I know – boring). Obama was actively tweeting during his election campaign. Since he took office we haven’t heard from him but I’m sure once he settles in he’ll be back.

A group of chefs provides me with wonderful recipes that I will never cook, lol. The pictures look good though and I can drool. Ever have popcorn cauliflower? It sounded good. I have found many local people on Twitter and have been trying to get out and attend one of the local networking events and meet some new people. I am all set to go to one this week but fear with the lack of response it will be cancelled. The one in January had over 100 people at the MOSI.

There is a star factor to Twitter also. With Ashton Kutcher @aplusk and Demi @mrskutcher posting often (right now in Germany and threatening to drop a kid from the balcony like Michael Jackson – j/k http://qik.com/video/1018034 look at this one too http://qik.com/video/1018316). The make up artist and props guy from the series Heroes post picture and happening right from the set of the show. This is cool for me since I enjoy the show. Greg Grunberg, known as Matt on the show, also posts his happenings. Today he has a photo shoot. Music star Limp Bizkit and Dave Matthews are starting to contribute.

Then the rest of the room (or at least the major part of it) is filled with PR/Marketing people. I actually have learned so much from them. They share so freely. It has definitely started a thought process in my mind on how to market ME and my skills. I even have had thoughts formulating in my head about doing legal technology consulting. Many lawyers will scream and hide under the table if you even mention “paperless’ to them but it is oh so powerful. I never would have formulated this idea on my own. 

The tweets are full of inspirational messages, blog post, music, pictures and so much information that at first I was overwhelmed. I was unsure of how or when to Retweet. So for a while I sat and watched. Then all of sudden there was a huge following. I tell you I felt like the new girl in town being introduced to the football team. LOL I followed back all that followed me. I’m glad I did or I wouldn’t be so familiar with twitter now. I have even watched a few live broadcasts for how to use Twitter.

So what do I get from Twitter? That’s the question. For me, I am enjoying the socialization. I don’t get out much any more so it is almost like having people to talk to. I can go days without hearing a voice other than my own sometimes and quite frankly, I bore myself. As my life situation get worse it seems every turn, this is a distraction. So if you have been wondering where I have been or seen me on Twitter wonder WTH? – now you know. SO much for keeping it down to 140 characters, I think I’m over the limit here. Take care all.

I was recently on a forum and the question was asked “How did you get your pet’s name?” So I started thinking about names. Lil dog, as I commonly refer to him, name is Jaegermeister. When I tell people his name they usually smile at me with that knowing grin as we all think about the drink. And yes, that was part of it but not the whole reason. My first consideration was that I wanted a good German name for my German breed. Big dog’s name was Max and he was a Weimaraner. So I had a big German dog and a lil German dog.

Translated literally, Jägermeister means “hunt-master,” combining Jäger (hunter) and Meister (master, in the sense of an accomplished professional). If you know the dachshund breed, they are a hunting breed originally trained to hunt badgers. Dachshunds were first bred in the early 1600s in Germany. The goal was to create a fearless, elongated dog that could dig the earth from a badger burrow and fight to the death with the vicious badgers. They can actually dig a foot and a half in one minute with their powerful, spade-like claws and strong feet.

Ok so back to my point of lil dogs name. Even when he was a pup he was an avid hunter. He will search for hours for his “prey” or as we call it “piggy”. When we go out to the field, often only part of him you will see is his tail up in the air as he borrows through the weeds.

The color of his coat is also of similar color as the drink. The reddish brown with the overlaying black coat makes for a nice rich color. Actually when my hair falls over him, our hair is almost the same color (not the black part though).  See the similarity? Yes, I love that dog.

Lil dog is a tough lil fellow. He is a big dog in a little dog body. He is not a yapper but has a strong bark that will have people passing by jump out of their skin (that’s entertainment folks – gosh I need to get out more). His walk is proud with his chest out and his head held high. His determined personality only adds to his likability. I have yet to meet anyone that doesn’t like him or anyone that he doesn’t like.

So there, my reasons for his name and the similarity to the drink (that I somewhat favor – story for another time):

1. German name
2. Master hunter
3. Color
4. Powerful impact
5. Everyone loves Jaeger

One final interesting fact I learned while writing my reasons, it was originally brought back to American from Germany and made popular by Frank Sinatra.

So what about Rosebay? Any guesses? Where did you get your pet’s name? Or better yet, if you are using a name on your blog, where did it come from?

BTW- Rosebay is another name for Oleander which is a very popular plant here in Florida with pretty blooms and is also very poisonous. I thought it fit.

Well we have had some cold temps here in Florida this past week. It’s a glorious 70 degrees right now and I’m loving it!

You may have seen the photos of the strawberry fields being frozen over on the news this week. The farmers do this to protect the berries during a freeze. Although it was cold enough for snow, the was no moisture in the air to produce snow. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t happen.

In 1977 was the last time, and one of the few times, that the Tampa Bay area saw measurable snow. I was in high school and remember it as the only “snow” day ever. The schools are open air and the heaters didn’t work so we had a snow day. Still, it’s funny to get up in the morning and see the lawn all white with frost. We had two mornings of frost this past week. Lil dog didn’t even seem to notice any difference and just hopped through the grass as normal. Me, I was freezing my hinny off. I don’t own a real winter coat and rely on my sweatshirts for warmth. I wore two of them.

We are gearing up for the Super Bowl party here in Tampa Bay. This will be the second time the Super bowl hit our stadium. This next week or two is going to be crazy around here. People are renting out their homes and apartments to visitors coming to see the game. This is combined with our annual Gasparilla Festival. This past weekend, it kicked off with the children’s parade. I’ll tell you more about Gasparilla in the coming weeks. It’s a fun time with pirates and invasions, beads and parades.

I did have an interview this past week. It went well and I was then sent five essay questions to answer and send back. I thought this was a bit strange but I answered them none the less and sent it back and now await for the second interview. I also spent three full days in training for a volunteer position. I am now a certified domestic violence advocate. Next Wednesday I will attend my first court date in this new position. The training was grueling although not as graphic as you might have thought. Just long days returning home worn out by all the information. This link is to one of the videos we watched during training. It has Stevie Wonder singing also:

Talking about YouTube - Babyface - How Come, How Long
Babyface How Come, How Long(C) 1996 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

It’s been a long few days and I haven’t gotten around to visit at all, that’s my next plan. Have a great week ahead everyone.

Good Luck Mr. Obama! Make us proud.

Sea Prayer wrote a blog with a link to a funny comedy piece. I so enjoyed it that I remembered running across this comedy video and saving it as a draft.

Chonda Pierce “just may be the best kept secret in entertainment, a comedian with a firm hold on the heartland of America who is quickly gaining acclaim in other arenas as well. In addition to churches, fairs and theaters, she has been one of the most popular speakers at the Women of Faith conferences, Extraordinary Women Conferences just to name a few.” (From her website)

Quote

Talking about YouTube - "Weird Things Happen To Me" Comedy By Chonda Pierce
   

Here’s another:  Three Little Pigs with a devotional ending.

Hope you enjoy!

Well as the title states, I’m still jobless. The employer told the staffing recruiter that she found someone else. I think she just didn’t want to pay the fee to the staffing agency. To state it mildly, I was so disappointed. It seemed like a perfect opportunity. But it obviously wasn’t the right job. I do have a job interview next week who wanted to interview me while I was going through the first hire process (which was never completed). This attorney is very similar to the job that didn’t go through. So let’s hope for a good interview. Sis’ job has been “delayed” and she is not sure when she will actually start working. With the unemployment rate of 7% in FL, finding jobs is difficult. The whole country is looking for work it seems.

Staying at home is getting me stir crazy. I have found a volunteer opportunity that I am going to apply for. It will keep my skills sharp, get me out and involved and help some deserving women. If it works out, I’ll let you in on the details. There is extensive training program that is only offered 4 times a year which starts next week. I’m all set up to submit the application and go through the background check and staff interview.

I saw the orthopedic doctor and he gave my knee a shot of cortisone. It’s like a miracle. Most of the swelling has gone and the pain is almost gone. I wish I could have found this doctor 4 months ago. Even a month ago would have been good. I walk with almost no limp at all.

Final thought, let sleeping dog lie…

Well… What a week it has been. This new job is turning out to be a real blessing. See, I haven’t been the only one looking for a job. Sis has been looking too. Up until now she has been working out of her home as a property appraiser. It has been great for her to be able to work from home and be there for the kids. But with the housing sales down, she has gone from two employees to just herself and started looking for employment. She believes she has a position that may start as soon as January 15th. But that also would mean that the kids would have to go to after care until she was off of work. Well as it turns out, my job is only part time for a while. Business is slow but I will work up to full time when needed. BUT the pay is higher than my last job so I will be making about the same money (can’t beat that, right?). Now my new office will be only 5 minutes from the kids school. So, since I will get off work at 3:00 and the kids need to be picked up by 3:15 – you guessed it! – Aunt Wendy will be able to pick up the kids and save Sis $400 a month!  WOO HOO! She has been so much help to me these last few months that I am now blessed with the chance to return – Pay it forward – right Morbid?

Look up in the sky folks – the stars are beginning to align. It is such a blessing to us all that this job came through.

Speaking of Sis, I started working on her Birthday present. Not much money be here is my thought… She turns 40 this year. So I am gathering “Cougar” (as in the Demi Moore fame – see Today Show) items for her as a joke gift. I am making her a T-shirt with the Cougar logo, got a movie, a song, a drink and I am sure I will find a few more goodies. Just fun ribbing and much better than the old stand by Over The Hill. No she doesn’t date younger men and yes she is single, beautiful and very independent. Go read the article.

I’ve been playing with the different blogs and posting sites that I have joined, often to keep in touch with one or more friends that has moved off of Spaces. So I discovered some cool things. Live Writer will publish to Spaces and also to Blogger and notify Twitter. Twitter also will update your Facebook status. Now if I could figure out My Space into the mix, I won’t be running around. Pretty slick I think. I haven’t really kept up with these other sites like I do here in Spaces which will always be my favorite but this will certainly help. The main advantages of Live Writer is that don’t disappear and the pictures upload automatically. I also found that the new version of Live Writer is you can get to you stats in a click, to the What’s New page and view the html code.

Well I am getting here late today so I will probably visit tomorrow. Have a great night all.

Thanks to everyone for the positive thoughts and prayers – it really worked!