Searching for Sanity: March 2011

A woman in our firm sends out a "Thought of the Day" everyday at 11am. I liked today's and I thought that I would share it because there's nothing better going on in my life right now to tell you about.

Bill Gates Speaks to Kids...

To anyone with kids, of any age, here's some advice Bill Gates dished out at a high school speech about 11 things they did not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teaching has created a full generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

RULE 1
Life is not fair - get used to it.

RULE 2
The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

RULE 3
You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone, until you earn both.

RULE 4
If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.

RULE 5
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping - they called it opportunity.

RULE 6
If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

RULE 7
Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

RULE 8
Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

RULE 9
Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

RULE 10
Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

RULE 11
Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one

What I'm Loving Wendesday!

11:47 AM

In case you were wondering...

8:57 AM

Tuesday Tidbits

10:40 AM

This is my confession...

2:57 PM

Mom's Sloppy Joe's

recipe 9:48 AM

Welcome to Searchy Boot Camp!

9:46 AM

I posted this sometime ago and it still holds true - my mom's house has officially gone to the dogs as she has no control.   The bouts of chaos turned into several trips to the doggy ER and the final straw was 14 staples in the Cocker Spaniels leg. The dogs were then separated at all times in different areas of the house. They couldn't walk past each other without growling. My mom kept leashes on them so that if they did decide to fight, she could grab a leash and pull them off without having to risk being bit herself. My mom was at our house over the weekend and the whole thing was such a pain in the ass trying to juggle her two dogs.  The Cocker Spaniel would shake violently and growl each time that the Bulldog would walk by. My mom is stressed out and worn out. So, after much discussion, it was decided - Gracie the Cocker Spaniel has been enrolled at Searchy Boot Camp until further notice.

My house now contains one nutty two year old. A 115+lb St. Bernard. A 115+lb Bullmastiff. A 24lb Cocker Spaniel. A Husband. A hamster. And one momma who is clutching a bottle of Shiraz.

It's a lot of moving slobbery, hairy, opinionated beings in one house.

We all like Gracie. She's become my running partner too, which is nice. She gets some energy out and I get someone to help me pace myself at 5am! She's learning not to get on furniture and that her place is on the floor (though she does sneak up on our bed in the middle of the night. Not cool.) She's learning that when we are outside that she cannot become obsessed with the ball and drop it in holes that are meant for plants. She's learning not to run full speed when coming in from outside. She's learning that she's not in charge- we are. She's learning how to be a dog.  Both dogs had been put on a pedastool at my mom's house, with very little discipline and exercise. My mom is working with the bulldog and a behavioral trainer in the meantime with the hopes that Gracie can integrate into their house again. Upon Gracie's graduation from Searchy Boot Camp, the next step will be for my mom to enroll and graduate as well. That should prove to be extremely difficult.

I think that all of us are prepared for Gracie to stay with us permanently.

No one will be happier than Cameryn, who was in tears when she realized that my mom left without Gracie and insisted that "Gramma forgot her!"  Now, Cameryn and Gracie are buddies.  Cameryn throws the toy for Gracie and loves that Gracie will bring it back to her and drop the toy on command. She loves that Gracie will sit with her. Most of all, Cameryn really loves that she is finally bigger than a dog!

So, my dream of having another child... yeah, well... Kind of on the back burner. The house is full. Who needs kids when you can just have another dog?