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August, 2010

  1. Daily (short) Rant: I hate sweating.

    August 12, 2010 by me

    I hate sweating. Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s good for me, and I should do it more because that means I’m actually exercising for health benefits, but I hate sweat. I hate sweating on my clothes, I hate the sweat that migrates from the inside of my knees to my ankles, I hate the beads of sweat dripping down my forehead when I’ve only walked a half of a block.I hate the mustiness of the air, I hate the dust I can see in the air, I hate the fact that I can only walk a block before Ollie’s tongue is hanging out the side of his mouth. And I hate how tired I get in this heat.

    What I love is sweater weather. I love crisp apples. I love pumpkins and the smell of the roasting chestnuts. I like closed-toe heels and lace-up oxfords and pageboy hats. I like brown leaves and red leaves and leaves of all colors. I like lake breezes and the smell of change in the air. I like sharpened pencils and new school supplies and deep, rich color names like burgundy, indigo and mahogany.  I like twilight at 8 and sunrise at 6. I like sipping pinot noir outside under a blanket while reading a book. I like when my hair isn’t a giant frizz ball. I like being able to wear a metal necklace and not get scarred.

    In other words, I love fall. I’d hate to admit this, but I’m ready for fall. Give me sweater weather over excessive heat warning any day!

    Category Daily Rant. | Tags: | 1 Comment

  2. Daily Yay! : how a dog harness saved my shoulder

    August 10, 2010 by me

    My daily yay today is just from personal experience. I am in no way getting compensated for this (although, if Sporn decided to compensate me, I wouldn’t say no necessarily…)

    Here’s the abridged version of my dog Ollie’s “pulling” problem:

    When I first walked him, he chokes himself because the leash is attached to the collar and he’s pulling it like there’s no tomorrow. I’m starting to wonder if this was such a good idea…

    Fast forward to one day at the groomers (who still trim his nails despite his bloody murder cries) I notice a harness on the wall that seems to be something worth trying, even though it’s about $30. Buy it anyway, with promise of return if it doesn’t work. It works! He pulls, but not so much that I have to ice my shoulder. I’m happy.

    Fast forward to this year. I either have the smartest dog in the world, or he’s just a natural born adapter. He has learned that if he takes a running start at pulling, the harness doesn’t really hold him back, it just mildly applies pressure. So, zoom he goes, and my shoulder has almost been pulled out of its socket a million times over.

    Fast forward to today. Got this WONDEROUS product called “The Sporn Mesh Harness” that claims to “stop pulling instantly”. Yeah, right, I say, but I order it anyway, because frankly, I’m desperate at this point, and my four-year old harness is starting to fray.

    OMG. This thing is a miracle worker. Not only does it somehow stop Ollie from pulling, but he actually walks ALONG SIDE me, instead of zigzagging like he normally does. It’s AMAZING.

    So, it was a little awkward to put on, but right now, after our normal 1/2 mile walk where I am usually so mad that he’s pulling that I let him run up the stairs sans leash, Ollie is actually WAITING for ME to walk up the stairs.

    I’m hoping this feeling never ends.

    Buy it here

    Category Daily Inspires. | Tags: | No Comments

  3. Daily Rant: dust, dog poop and those damn buggers!

    August 10, 2010 by me

    I like being outdoors. Like, in 70 degree weather. Not the muggy weather that makes me feel like I am still living in Florida. Ick. Not the weather that makes me want to stay in the freezing cold dungeon that is my edit suite and makes me shiver to the point where i am drinking hot tea. Not this muggy, dense, icky, yucky air that makes me want to hide. This weather is making me miserable, but something today made me even more miserable than the humidity. My allergies. I blame the tuckpointing happening outside my door that makes its way into the souls of my shoes and the soul of my home. I blame the city sidewalks that are littered with, well, litter, and I blame the gnats that are flying around, mixing pollen or whatever it is to make my head feel like a helium balloon. But I definitely DO NOT blame myself for not taking my nightly allergy medicine…

    And another thing…why do dog owners in the city allow their dogs to poop on the sidewalks and then NOT PICK IT UP?! I mean, HELLO!! It bothers me to no end that people do this. They do this in the backyard here at my condo, and that is just not something you want to see when you’re grilling steak. Ick. I get it in the winter. It’s cold, you don’t want to be outside, your dog doesn’t want to be outside, the wind is howling, and you ran out of a bag. So you throw snow over it, and no one’s the wiser, well, until the thaw comes along. But during a 90 degree day, when I’m responsibly walking my dog on the sidewalk and see him literally jump over a pile of poop in the way!? COME ON, people. You forget a bag, fine, find the nearest dog owner and ask for a bag. And god forbid you do that in front of me…I will call you out on it and shove a bag in your face. Hey, it’s nicer than shoving your nose in your dog’s you know what…

    And finally, is anyone else getting eaten alive?! I stood outside my friend’s condo for about, oh, say, 30 seconds, and was eaten by what seems like 20 mosquito. Seriously. I have what a co-worker called “True Blood” bites on my neck. Now, I’m no “fang-banger”, but damn, these things are big, and ugly and ITCHY! At last count, there are: 2 on my neck, 2 on my face, 5 on my right leg, 2 on the inside of my left knee and 3 on my left foot. I know I’m full of sweetness, but come on…give a girl a break.

    And, rant over.

    Category Daily Rant. | Tags: | No Comments

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