Losing a Pet

Just over a year ago, Destructo was only a few weeks old, our dogs were let loose from our back yard. It took us almost 4 hours before we even noticed them gone. With the help of friends, the neighborhood was searched, their name were called. That night we went to bed wondering if we were ever going to see them again. The next morning we went to Kinko's and printed 50 colored copies of fliers with a picture of both dogs and a REWARD offered. Again, our friends gathered to help us hang fliers. Within 48 hours of our dogs missing, we got a phone call that one family had Hailey, (our brown dog). She was found limping down the street (she has arthritis) and was taken in by this family who saw our fliers hanging in the neighborhood. She was returned safely and the family refused to except the reward. The Handy Hottie then put an ad on Craigslist for our other dog and another 24 hours later we got a call that another family had found Dakota. This family had found him the morning after he went missing sleeping on their front porch. They gave him a bath and fed him. The kids fell in love with him and they decided that if they couldn't find the owners, the would keep him. But luckily they saw our ad and called us, also refusing to accept a reward.



This story has come to my mind lately b/c for the last two weeks or so there has been this flier hanging in our neighborhood and the surrounding area. My heart breaks for the family who is missing their dog Petey. I know the pain associated with losing a pet and I hope Petey is returned safely to this family. If you have any information, if you've spotted this dog wondering around, if you are the kind family who found this dog and are giving it food and a bed, please call this devastated family.

An interesting weekend....

Our weekend, to say the least, was very interesting.

Friday night we got to see an old friend get married to the love of her life. The ceremony and reception were held at the Larimore House Plantation. We kept Destructo up late to celebrate this special day with friends, getting him home and in bed around 10pm only to have him wake up crying at 11, 2, 4 and 6am.

Saturday morning, Destructo spent with his "da DA" (yes the second syllable is always exaggerated) while I worked. Then we went to two different Pre-Thanksgivings. The 1st was a family event (on the Handy Hottie's side). It was nice to spend some time with the family catching up on things. The second was at a friends house. After walking into the house, I run into a man whom I have meet at least 20 times and the conversation goes like this....

Me: Hey there.
Man: Hello (confused look) and you are?
Me: Jennifer (still getting a confused look from him) The Handy Hottie's wife
Man: OH YEAH.... Where is the Handy Hottie?
Me: Outside (man brushes past me to go outside)


Once outside.

Man: HANDY HOTTIE!!!! I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN FOREVER, HOW ARE YOU?
Pat: Good, man you?
Man: Oh man, I have to say, you make one good looking baby.... Is it a boy or girl?

Now I will give this man a little bit of leeway considering that he was pretty intoxicated but come on!!! You know my husband like he's your best friend forever, but you can't seem to recognize his wife or the gender of his child (which let me tell you he was wearing a blue button down shirt, so it can't be that hard!).

Sunday we spent the morning at the flea market, the afternoon in the company of good friends and the evening RELAXING at home!!!

I just can't do it!

Two nights ago I came home from work to find out that Destructo had just gone to bed. I could still hear him rustling around on the baby monitor and I had an internal battle:

Me - go in there and say good night
Me - no don't go in there cause then he'll think its time to play
Me - you missed him all day and he missed you, go in there
Me - don't do it, it'll throw off his whole night

So I waited until the moving stopped and I snuck in there, I rubbed his back and covered him back up with the blanket (which i had to pull out from underneath him since he likes to ball it up and lay on top of it) which then woke him up. So I snuggled with him for a minute or two and put him back to bed.

Yesterday morning I had to leave the house so early that I walked into Destructo's room, got him out of his crib, put him in an outfit, put him in the car and dropped him off at the babysitter's. I spent maybe 15 minutes total with him. Then I raced home from work last night sure that I'd get to send a good half hour with him, only to find him in bed again. The Handy Hottie told him he tried and tried to keep him awake long enough for me to see him but (him not feeling well) he just couldn't stay awake!

Then there was this morning... I was getting ready to walk out the door when I finally heard Destructo wake up. I spent about 5 minutes with him before leaving for work.

It's been hard, real hard. I don't want to do it, I CAN'T do it! I need time with my son!!

Career Change

I recently have gotten a new job that I LOVE LOVE LOVE. I am now a Personal Trainer. I have been working at Club Fitness (a St Louis area based gym) for about a month now. I have started my day about an hour earlier than what I've been working in the past..... and it's actually easy to get up in the mornings. I'm not sure if it's that I enjoy the job that I'm going to or the extra energy I have from working out but I get up in the mornings with less grunts and groans as each day passes. The great think about being a Personal Trainer is that I get to decide if my day is going to be the same as yesterday or if it's going to be new and exciting and I have chosen to always make it new and exciting. I love shaking things up and making my client say "you want me to do what!?" and then seeing them succeed and being proud of themselves for it. I received an email after meeting a woman for the first time saying "Thank you for making something that's been so intimidating to me seem easy". THAT is what makes my day!!!

Unhealthy Ways

I am so fustrated today. Patrick and I went out to eat the other day and I got fish and a side of veggies (the default side is fries), "that's going to be 75 cents extra" the waitress says, "really? you're going to charge me more to eat healthy?" I say. I'm not mad at the waitress, she doesn't set the prices and I know from working in a the food business before that she can't enter in veggies and NOT charge me the 75 cents.

So who do you blame? The manager? The resteraunt owner? America?

Our country seems to be getting worse with our eating habits. Do other countries eat this poorly? How can those in office say they are fighting childhood obesity in schools and blah blah blah and then I have to pay extra for some vegetables? The kids meals at this particular resteraunt USED to come with a bag of baby carrots AND oreos.... now they just come with oreos. Does anyone else see something wrong with this? Cut out the oreos and keep the baby carrots for goodness sake!!!! I feel that I do a pretty good job introducing a variety of foods to my 13 month old. I make sure he eats his veggies (which he loves) and I only let him splurge with white potatoes on occasion. Parents.com states "Scary fact: French fries are one of kids' favorite vegetables. Even scarier: Research has found that one third of young children eat virtually no vegetables at all".

Well.... Maybe cause they charge us extra for them!!!!! SHEESH!!!