Monday, November 28, 2011

Becoming A Foster Parent--Part 1--The Shock Of It Hitting Home

I added a new layer to my identity. For many years, I have been a writer, editor, blogger, lawyer, business person, traveler, reader, swimmer, friend, daughter, granddaughter, cousin, niece, curiosity seeker, intellectual, volunteer, and student. And now I am a foster parent.

No one is more surprised than me. I have seen the ads on TV and the signs around town asking you to consider becoming a foster parent, but I never connected that to me. It was not on my radar screen.

It all started with a minor relative who needed me, or someone like me. She was born into a toxic, unhealthy home, which got worse over the years. Suddenly, she was in foster care, and our extended family went into shock.  How did we not know about this sooner? How did things get so bad without us realizing it? People like us don't have family members go into foster care, do we? That just doesn't happen to people like us? What in the world happpened????

I should know better, as I have been involved with child abuse prevention activities for years and know that this can happen in anyone's family. But you still think it can't happen to yours. Until it does.

I had the option to get involved or not get involved. Of course, I got involved. I feel like in some way I have been preparing for such a role all my adult life: child abuse prevention activities, foster care activities, juvenile law class, guardian ad litem CLEs. My background is perfect for taking this on.

Especially since she is my relative, and I love her. And she needs me.

Replying to the social services letter that yes I wanted to be involved--to the point of saying she could come live with me--set off a whole chain of events. Background checks, fingerprinting, parenting class, home study. Since she was in state care, I had to get permission to see her, which wasn't often enough. Phone calls with her were discouraged, as social services did not want to provide too many opportunities for negative conversations about her homelife, which could cause her more angst about the situation.

The process had just begun.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Boyfriend Anniversary Gifts

I used to do all kinds of strange things, like fret too much over whether men liked me or not. I also was tempted to get boyfriend gifts for anniversary or generally make myself too available to men. Then I read the Rules. Yes, the book that caused so many waves a decade or so ago. The Rules was criticized for being manipulative, or some such. But people misunderstood the reason for the book. (The authors did themselves no favor by being bad spokespeople for their own message.)

The whole idea behind the Rules is that you have some boundaries for yourself and men. That you don't get carried away and think your relationship with a man is more than it is. That you protect your heart in order to make good choices. That you don't waste precious time chasing something that isn't going to work.

I have to admit that the Rules have worked for me. At least from the standpoint of not getting hurt so much or chasing after lost causes. That in itself is invaluable. I'm not saying you should never get a boyfriend an anniversary gift. Just make sure that there is a real anniversary to celebrate.

Most Eligible Dallas

I think I mentioned that I watch more reality TV than I should. I am hooked on several shows: some of the Real Housewives series, Millionaire Matchmaker, Survivor sometimes, and now Most Eligible Dallas. Sometimes you wonder where the TV producers get the cast members. Like how they picked those for Most Eligible Dallas, as compared to others who could have been cast????

Well anyway, I was hooked on the drama between Matt and Courtney, and the fact that they finally got together. But then it didn't work. That is too bad. Wonder if he ever called for flower delivery in the city of Dallas, TX? He should have ordered her flowers at least. Or maybe he did. He needed to make up to her for his wandering eye, or not carrying through.

I also was hooked on watching Tara and her icky choice of men. What gives?

Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens next season. Although, it seems like it would be hard to beat the Matt/Courtney drama.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

I Think It Is Hard To Buy Men's Birthday Gifts

I love to buy gifts, but I find it hard to buy gifts for men. Most of the time, though, I can come up with some good items, but it causes me a lot of angst, and takes a lot of time to come up with good ideas. It is so much easier to buy for women. I have a friend's birthday coming up soon, and I may have to look for: mens birthday gifts online. I love to shop, but don't have time to go look in person. Maybe I can come up with some good ideas. Just have to find the time to search the web.

Need To Up My Beauty Routine, Get My Groove On

I am tired of looking awful. Fat and overlooked. I miss getting looks from men. I need to lose weight, work on my beauty routine, get my skin back in shape, eat better, exercise, relax, buy new stylish clothes, etc. I need to do it all. And soon.

I think I do my makeup pretty well, but am thinking of trying some eyelash growth products, since I am a little deficient in that area. I may just buy some false eyelashes first, to see what I look like with bigger, longer, fuller lashes. If I like it, I may try one of the enhancement products. I want to get in shape and look my best. And then looks will come my way.

A Friend Had To Close His Restaurant

I am sad that a friend had to close his restaurant recently. It was a fun little hangout, and I had hopes it would turn into my "Cheers." It had good food and even better drinks. Seemed like it had all the right ingredients, no pun intended, to succeed. Good ambiance, friendly staff. It was close enough to downtown that people could go there for lunch or stop by after work. Except that they didn't. Every time I drove by, there were fewer cars in the parking lot. I stopped by when I could, and I was going to take my family there. But it closed before I could. He could not afford to lose money week after week, so he had to cut his losses. He had a lot to do to close the doors, including sell his restaurant supplies. It is sad, but I have heard for years that the restaurant business is extremely hard, and many do not make it.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Life Near A Medical Center

For years, I have lived near a major medical center. I used to dream of working there, handling their communications and PR. I never did that, even though I did that kind of work on the university side of things. And I loved it. Yet, the medical center did and still does call out for me. I guess I am a frustrated doctor.

I see the medical students come and go in their scrubs, and think--that could have been me! I especially think a teaching hospital, with all of its research, would be a fascinating place to work. I can't imagine a more satisfying line of work. Helping to heal people and sometimes give them a new lease on life. Of course, there would be sad times in being a doctor too. But I would think the good and happy would outweigh the bad.

But I am a journalist and a lawyer. Too late to go to medical school--that is for sure. No scrubs for me, unless I am sleeping in them. http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/





Spiffing Up My Bedrooms

Now that I am becoming more domestic :) I am looking around my condo to see how to make it more cozy and nice. I think I have done well so far and have done it on a small budget. (Even though a small budget for redecorating is still too big for me right now.) But slowly and surely, I am making it more cozy and interesting, at least I think I am.

I realize that you don't have to spend a lot of money to make your home environment more comfortable. Maybe a little splash here and a little splash there. For instance, maybe buying some new comforter sets for the bedroom could be all it needs for a makeover.

I am thinking about that for my two bedrooms right now. I like my comforter in my guest room, but it is really too small for the bed. I bought it when I had a day bed in there, and now I have a full bed. I may be looking for some comforter sets in the same color scheme in the near future.

As for my bedroom, I probably need to update it too. One of my comforters is just too hot. It never gets that cold at my house, and the few nights a year it does, I can make do without that heavy duty covering. And I am just tired of the other comforter. Guess I'll be looking for comforter sets for both bedrooms.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

There Are Cute Maternity Clothes Out There Now

I have never been pregnant, so never had to buy or wear maternity clothes. I remember as a young girl thinking that women seemed to be depressed about their pregnancies. Don't really know why I thought that. They just always seemed to be complaining, and they looked disheveled a lot of the time. They didn't look like they felt well, and maybe they didn't. Somehow I got the impression pregnancy was a real pain in the ass, something not fun. Maybe part of the reason that I myself never got pregnant. 

Maybe had I been around more positive pregnant women early on, I would have wanted to get pregnant too. Seems like people celebrate being pregnant now more. They have fun showers and wear cute maternity clothes, even if they have to wear plus size maternity clothes. (However, when one mom told me that she wears plus size maternity clothes, I was shocked. To me, she did not look plus size.) Also, doesn't every pregnant woman really have to wear plus size maternity clothes?

Anyway, today it seems like women are happier about being pregnant. Back when I was young, it seemed more like drudgery. Of course, maybe part of it is today women have more choice about whether to get pregnant or not. Back then, it was just expected. 

Friday, November 18, 2011

Hope Banks Are Starting To Lend Business Loans

I keep hearing that banks are starting to lend unsecured small business loans. I hope that is true, because apparently that is one way to get the economy going. Businesses take out loans and then they make improvements to their businesses, buy more inventory, hire more people, expand. All good.

I don't have need of a business loan right now, but if I ever go into law full time, maybe I would, I would have to worry about rent, equipment, furniture, payroll. But that is so far away for me, I might as well not think about it. Maybe I will just be a solo forever. Who knows? But if I don't need a loan, I know a lot of other businesses do. I just want the economy to get better now.

BFF Settling Into Florida

One of my BFFs got married last year and moved to Florida. I miss her a lot, but I am happy for her. She sort of got her happy ever after moment. She married one of her former loves from high school, and everything came together like clockwork. You might say they are meant to be. Or least that is how it seems because everything happened like a dream.

Well anyway, they are making their new life together in Florida. They have a nice, big new house and entertain a lot. They built an ingrown pool, so of course they have to have a florida pool fence. They are both busy with their jobs, but also seem to have a lot of fun. They have invited me down anytime I want. The best thing is that because they have had this perfect reunion, it makes me feel like maybe I will have one too.

Mom Is Recuperating Well

I was really worried when I heard my mom needed laser spinal surgery. She had had a minor stroke only a few years before, and I was afraid the surgery would cause another one. I have no idea if that could be true, but when strokes are involved, you worry.when and if another might strike. Her regular doctor did not want her to do it because of the stroke.

Well, the surgery went well, and in  retrospect, I am glad she did it. The surgery has made her feel so much better, and she has better mobility and less pain, which is great. She can travel and even exercise a bit. And there have been no more strokes. I am feeling very grateful about all of this, and I know she is too. I guess she just followed her gut about the surgery, and it turned out to be the right choice.

My Studious Graduate School Neighbors

I live near two universities, so it is probably not surprising there are a lot of graduate students in my building. It is nice because they are quiet and study a lot. (I considered myself one of them when I was in law school a few years ago. We could all commiserate about studying and falling asleep on the sofa. Now I am done with school, but I still fall asleep on the sofa. But that is a whole other issue.)

My neighbor next door is studying to be a speech pathologist. She is perfect for that job; she is so nice and kind. I went to a speech pathologist for a short time, and she was very helpful. I know my neighbor will be just as good for her clients.

She will be finished this spring, and is already looking at Speech-Language Pathologist Jobs, She is such a good neighbor that I wish she would find a job here in town. But she is from another area of the country and says she wants to go back there. I will be sad when she leaves. I've had my share of bad neighbors, so I appreciate a good one.

Clearing Out My T-Shirt Collection

Part of cleaning out my closets and decluttering my home involved dealing with my T-shirt collection. My T-shirt collection was more than 25 years old. I had T-shirts from junior high swim team, high school, college, alumni band, travels, animals, concerts, charity events, reunions, and even funny tshirts that I had for no reason. My closet swelled with all of these shirts. Couldn't even get my good clothes in correctly--thing were always scrunched in my closet and wrinkled. Some of the shirts were so old, I couldn't fit into anymore--those from junior high. Others were so old the design had worn off. Others I was just tired of. So in the trash bag they went, and either out to the garbage, or to Goodwill. I did keep some that are particularly sentimental, and I am planning to make a quilt out of them. (It's kind of pricey though. It's on my to-do list.) Now I am just more careful when buying T-shirts. I don't have the room, don't want to spend the money, and most of the time, I don't wear them.

Shoe Shopping This Weekend

As I am cleaning out my closets and throwing out and giving away old clothes and shoes, I am reassessing my style and what I need. You have to have the right balance of comfort and spiffy and professional clothes. I used to have the right balance, but now it is unbalanced. I probably have too many comfort clothes. And that is not a good thing.

I like to be stylish, but it is a little harder when you are not in shape. The cool clothes just don't look as good on you. But even so, you still want to look good and not frumpy. You want to look good on your way to getting back in shape.

One thing is I want to wear cool shoes. I have a few pairs, but need to round out my selection. I may go shopping this weekend and hit Macy's, Nordstrom, Belk, or maybe look online for some good selections at
nicole shoes and some other kinds.

I want to be someone who turns heads again. I will get there! I have promised myself that.

Need To Update Equipment At Some Point

Since I am still only doing law part time, and I don't have a real office, I do not feel the need to update any office equipment. Especially since I don't really have any, except my netbook. I haven't even figured out how to use my printer at home. I've had so few clients that I haven't had to really start worrying about handling and storing a multitude of documents. But I do see that my system has some holes, and they are just going to get bigger as I start handling more legal problems.

One is, I need some scanner software, because there are just too many times that I need to turn something into a PDF, for example, and right now I just don't have the ability.  I also need a home fax machine, and a good color printer. I am thinking I can get one machine that does all three things. I do have an iPhone now, which is good. I have a 4 pixel camera, which is fairly good, but now you can get 12 pixel cameras for under $100, and that would be even better. It is amazing how much work you can get down without all of this apparati, but it sure would be helpful to have and fun to boot.

I am probably going to buy some nice cherry filing cabinets for home. A friend of mine told me I can use her office anytime I need to, so that is a good option. I am looking forward to the future and love being a LAWYER!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

I Need To Get Some Chi Chi Clothes

I have been cleaning out my closets--long overdue--and I have been making a lot of trips to Goodwill. I tend to get attached to clothes and keep them long past their usefulness. I look at them and remember when I wore them. Oh yes--that is the outfit I wore when he "noticed" me. That is the pair of slack I wore t the inauguration. You get the drift. it makes me happy to look at these items, so I don't feel bad about keeping them way past the point of practicality. I don't have that many of those items.

I have a lot more items that I can pitch without a second's thought.  For example, the plus size dress that I thought was attractive until I saw a really unattractive woman wear it--that went immediately into the Goodwill pile.Or the many tops and skirts that I bought that are so-so. Pitch.

The thing that bothered me was looking at all the skinny dresses I can't wear anymore. My wardrobe used to be pretty snazzy. I know I could get in shape again and wear similar styles. I don't know why I haven't. I think I just haven't had time. Or the energy. But I need to do it and soon.

But in the meantime, I need to get some more attractive clothes. I have noticed that today a plus size dress
can be very stylish, as much so as a smaller size. I like to feel good and confident when I go out, especially if I am going to be in a difficult or awkward situation, and the right clothes can make a difference. Or the right clothes can set the mood for romance.

So, I am going to look for a plus size dress or two that makes me feel like a babe. But it will be only temporary, until I can get into those skinny dresses again.

My Friends, The Vegetarians

I admit I am a meat eater, even though I probably don't eat meat but a couple of times a week. But sometimes that steak or burger, or even chicken or shrimp just tastes so good. I do have some guilt feelings when I actually think about the animals being slaughtered in order for me to enjoy my meals. That is why I just don't think about it and stay in denial. Like when I refused to go to that slaughterhouse in Argentina.....I just couldn't face that.

There is a couple I am friends with, and they are vegetarian. They do eat seafood, but no other kind of meat. I know there are different kinds of vegetarians, some more strict than others. I guess they don't feel guilty about eating a little shrimpie. It seems like once you started down that path, it would be hard to draw a line as to what you are willing to eat and not willing to eat. I guess that is why some are vegans; they just can't draw a line anywhere. But to me, that would take the fun out of eating if you had to limit your choices so much.

But back to my friends--they are also into growing some of their own food. They have a great vegetable garden and have their own composter. They have been nice enough to share some of their spoils with me. I love fruits and vegetables, but don't think I could eat them exclusively. Well OK, my friends are into wine and chocolate too, so we have a good time at happy hours once in a while.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Need To Get My Diamond Appraised, Tightened

My diamond ring is my prized possession. No, it is not an engagement ring, but a ring I inherited from a loved one. And it was her prized possession, and her engagement ring. She wanted me to have it, and I wear it and think of her. I particularly wear it, when I need strength to face a tough situation. And I wear it when I am going to have a particularly good day. I want her with me on the good and bad days. She means that much to me.

I have insured it, which is good. But I have been meaning to get it cleaned, reappraised, and tightened in recent years. I am very afraid of the stone coming loose. Not sure why, but it is an expensive ring, and I have heard you need to get diamond rings tightened once in a while. I will, I will, I will do these things soon.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Onsite Clinics Can Save Companies Time And Money

One of the most interesting magazine articles I have ever written was on the benefits of companies having onsite health clinics. Corporations increasingly are focusing on occupational health and safety and how to cut costs and increase efficiency, and this is certainly one way to do it.

A company wanting to have an onsite clinic can make available a space for a nurse practitioner, partner with a hospital or medical group to do this, and then the clinic is open for business! Such a clinic can take care of occupational health and safety concerns such as minor injuries and illnesses, or employees can even sign up for preventive health exams and screenings. Some of the people at the company I profiled had had their first checkup in years at their onsite clinic.

It makes sense for companies to do this. If employees can get healthcare free or at reduced cost, and they don't even have to leave the workplace, they are more likely to take care of their health. The company benefits as well by having healthier employees and not losing downtime when employees have to travel offsite to go to the doctor. The increased focus on occupational health and safety and having healthier employees will enable companies to get better health insurance rates.

Travails And Anxiety At Cash Register Of A Bookstore Long Gone

About 20 years ago, a friend of mine worked at a beloved bookstore in my town. It was a family owned bookstore, with just two or three outlets across the city--something unheard of today or even yesterday. First the family owned bookstores fell to the chain bookstores, and now the chain bookstores have fallen to the internet and digital media. How things change.

My friend was a literature nut, so this small but packed bookstore was the perfect place for her to work. They wanted people working there who were well read and could talk intelligently about books and make good suggestions to the customers. She fit the bill.

What she wasn't so good at was doing math in her head. They had a cash register--old timey of course--and a calculator for figuring out sales tax. But they didn't want the employees using the calculator. They wanted them to figure all this out in their head. I had been a customer there for years and never knew this, until my friend told me. Unfortunately, my friend didn't last long there, because she could not do the math in her head. Her stomach would get tied up in knots everytime she had to ring someone up.

How stupid of the store, I thought. Doing math in your head has nothing to do with reading books. I don't know whether this ridiculous policy had anything to do with them going out of business, but maybe. If they were this stubborn about the calculator, what else were they stubborn about? I felt bad for my friend. She lost a job, and they lost a valuable employee. Even if they didn't know it.

Today, of course most establishments, bookstores or otherwise, have POS systems to make their checkout and sales easy. I would hate to think of the messes there would be today if stores insisted on employees doing the math in their heads.

Monday, November 14, 2011

No More Excuses--I Need To Diet!

There is nothing worse than going clothes shopping when you are overweight. Trust me, I love to go clothes shopping, but it has not been as much fun in recent years. Why? Because nothing fits. At least nothing cute fits. And it is so depressing. I need to get on a good diet--eating a lot of salmon and salads or do the South Beach diet or something. And start excercising. I was doing some exercising for a while, but somehow I hurt my hip, and that took me out of the exercise loop for a couple of weeks. It is feeling OK now, so I can start again. But I don't know what I did to hurt it before, so hope it doesn't happen again.

I need to buy some new PJs or sleep shirts and want to find something cute. I am afraid I may have to buy plus size lingerie at the rate I am going. That is not to say that they don't ahve cute plus size lingerie out there these days. I would just prefer that that demographic not include me. Even when I was thin, I did buy larger sizes for sleepwear, so it would be comfortable. But, there is a difference between a large size and plus size lingerie. I want to get into shape, so I don't even have to worry about it anymore. Wish me luck!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Need To Pay More Attention To My Teeth And Smile

Among the many things I haven't paid enough attention to lately is my teeth. And my smile. I have a nice smile, and I need to do it more often. Sometimes I'll catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror and see that I look tense, or mad, or hurried. I need to slow down, smell the roses, and smile. Take my time.

I also need to spend more time on my teeth. As in flossing. I am afraid I have gingivitis. And it isn't going away. If I could do one thing over, or one of many things over, it would not have let this get started. I floss, but not enough. I just need to do it. I am tired of going to the dentist and feeling like I let them down.

I also need to whiten my teeth, I have heard of different places to get this done, such as teeth whitening san antonio. I had my teeth whitened before, but it has been a while ago, and I need to do it again. I remember the whitener made my gums hurt. But it was worth it. Not sure how much it costs at teeth whitening san antonio, but I would need to maybe check their prices, as well as some other dental office prices. When I had it done before, the dentist had a special discount price for the procedure.

I had to use a retainer type thing with whitener in it and had to keep it in my mouth for several hours a day. Who knows? Maybe teeth whitening san antonio doesn't even use it that way. Maybe they use a laser? Not sure how they whiten teeth now.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

In Our State, We Can Finally Buy Wine Online

Our state is getting a little more progressive in terms of wine sales. No longer do we have to buy wine only from a local wine warehouse, but we can now buy it from an online wine warehouse! That is so great, because we can now shop for online deals and also buy wines that may not be available in our local stores. Or if you travel to an area famous for wine, such as Napa Valley, or Simi, or France, or Italy, you can actually ship some back home. For so many years, we couldn't do any of that.

Now we have one more hurdle to jump. We need to be able to buy wine in our grocery stores. I love it when I travel to another state, and I can buy groceries and my wine at the same establishment. Grocery stores tend to have some good prices on wine, so that is another reason I like to buy there. 

So, for the time being, we can either buy wine online or go to a wine store or local wine warehouse, but we can't buy it in grocery stores. There is a movement right now to try to change that. I am all for that. And why not? The only reason we can't, is because of the alcohol lobby. And that is not a good reason. 

Friday, November 11, 2011

Taking Credit Cards Makes It Easy For Our Clients To Pay Us

I know some companies balk at the thought of taking credit cards for a variety of reasons, and we were one of them for a long time. But it got to the point where we had to start doing so. Some of our clients were paying late and falling farther and farther behind, or not ordering to begin with because we didn't take cards. We kept getting asked if we took credit cards, and we had to say no. Some new business went elsewhere. When it started to look like we were really losing sales by not taking cards, we had to rethink our policy.

Once we decided to start taking cards, we had to look into finding a credit card payment processing system. I was not involved with that process, but it seems like others at the company did a good job at researching various companies we could use.

Now that we have a credit card payment processing system in place, we take credit card payments all of the time, and it has helped our profitability. I noticed our statement from last month, and we had quite a few credit card sales. We would have lost out on all that money if we had not started taking cards.

I am not the one who does the credit card payment processing at work, but it seems to work quite well. At this point, we are glad we started taking cards, and because of the new system, we actually feel like we are a little bit more up to speed. With more money in the bank, we certainly feel more successful as well.

Hoarders Show--Unbelieveable!

There are some unreal reality shows out there today. I don't mean they aren't real life (as some complain) but that they are unreal. Who would think about creating a show about real addicts, or little people with pit bulls, or any number of the topics? I have to admit, I am somewhat of a reality show junkie. I don't watch cooking shows or fashion shows, except once in a while. I have watched the real estate shows some, and they are addictive. Oh heck--what am I saying? Most of the reality shows are addictive. My secret pleasures are the Real Housewives series. I always say I watch those franchises because I don't have enough drama in my life. Right!

The one that is the most unreal to me is Hoarders. Hard to believe that people live like that. Sometimes when I watch it, I almost feel like a voyeur (but that doesn't stop me.). I guess it is the disbelief that keeps us watching. Seriously, how can people live like that? Sometimes my house gets messy, and it might have looked like a mini hoard when I was in law school (who has time for housework when you are worrying about your torts or contracts exams?). But even then, at some point, I picked up things and threw them away. These hoarders have some truly disgusting homes.

Almost every week, you see Houston junk removal teams come to help clean up messes there, or other junk removal teams cleaning up in whatever city they are filming in. These teams appear to be quite efficient, as more often than not, they clean up a total disaster area in two days. Quite a feat.

I wonder what the Houston employees think when the Houston junk removal  trucks are called to a certain location. I wonder if they are warned ahead of time if it is a hoarder? Or do they just find out when they show up. I would hope they get fair warning as to whether it would be an easy job or one of the bad hoarding jobs.

It is good that there are such companies as Houston junk removal and the other Got Junk franchises. Because if they didn't exist, the hoards might never be cleaned up. It is just too bad that people get to that point. On the show they say hoarding is a form of OCD, and I guess it is. Something goes haywire for sure, and it makes their lives miserable.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Sexual Harassment And Exploitation Must Stop

There have been two unsavory accounts of sexual misdeeds and crimes in the news in the last couple of days. First are the allegations against Cain that he sexually harassed multiple women years ago. The second, more heinous, are the allegations that Jerry Sandusky of Penn State sexually molested multiple young boys over many years.

First of all, I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I think Cain is guilty. Why? Because some men think they are entitled to do such things and that they can get away with it. Why do I know? Because it happened to me. I was sexually harassed by a boss in my early 20s, and it was just seen as par for the course by him and others in the office. I was the youngest in the office by many years and had no one to stick up for me. Of course, Cain could be telling the truth. But I doubt it. As I have heard one talking head say, if you were accused of sexually harassing someone, even 12 years earlier, wouldn't you remember it? The fact that he says he doesn't is very suspicious.

The Penn State case is just heart wrenching. Those poor little boys and no one really did anything about it.  This case is as bad as the Catholic priests scandal. I too am sure that Sandusky is guilty. Again going out on a limb. Just a hunch.

The bottom line is that both of these cases involve men thinking that they can do what they want with their chosen sex objects: women children. It is disgusting and has to stop once and for all.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Making My Dog Stoopot Look Extra Special

I love my dog dearly, but I am not the best at dog grooming. You only have to look at the dog hair on the floor or on the furniture to see that. I need to brush him more. Not only would that cut down on dog hair, but it would be a bonding experience for the two of us. Dogs love to be brushed.

I don't even give him a dog bath as often as I should. He is not a water dog and doesn't like to get wet. So the hang dog face he gives me when I give him a bath breaks my heart. Since I live in a condo and have no yard, I have to give him an indoor doggy bath. I manage that by puttiing him in the shower. Yesiree! Step right in. He stands there so nice and quiet, but so sad  when I give him a doggy shampooing. You would think I am torturing him.

But not long after he gets out and gets dry, he seems to know how good he looks--all clean and fluffy. He has an extra spring in his doggy steps. I need to do this more often for sure.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Planning My Mother's Birthday Party

I have never done a birthday party for my mother, and I know she would like that. She has hinted at it a couple of times, so I thought I might do it this year. It is not a big birthday for her, but I have the time to plan it and some extra money, so why not go ahead and do it? I think she would really appreciate it. I am thinking of renting a boat and inviting some of her friends. It won't be until next spring, so it will be warm enough. And the river is so relaxing and beautiful. I think she and her friends would enjoy it. I would get some wine and beer and food. I have been invited to some birthday parties before on this same boat, so I know how fun it can be. And I love being on the water, and I think most other people do too. I will need to get some
invitations to send out. But I have enough time to find some really good ones, and to come up with a guest list and the menu. This far ahead, I shouldn't have any trouble booking the boat either.

Operations Requires Attention To Many Details

When I worked at a business school, I was involved with all of the academic departments because of my job. I probably had the most affinity with marketing, because of my writing background and the similarities between the two fields.  I was fascinated by other departments, including entrepreneurship and biotechnology. I was probably least fascinated by operations. And funny, now that I am working in a business myself, operations is what I am mostly doing. Or need to be doing. I like doing inventory, so that is not a problem. But you have to keep up with a lot of other operations in the company. The owner here still does most of these things the old fashioned way--in his head. Which is fine, but I am not in his head. Others keep telling me that you don't have to do all of these things yourself anymore, that there is maintenance management software that can do it. I have mentioned to the owner that maybe we could research some maintenance management software, but he looks at me like I am from outer space. I don't think he sees any need for it. Because he can do it in his head. But, if I take over the company someday, I could pursue this other avenue and check into  maintenance management software, and find a company that can design something we need. I would prefer we move on to this step,  but it looks like it is on the back burner for now.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Hair Salon

Thanks for the guest post by Jo Levy

Owning my own hair salon was never part of my life plan but one sort of fell into my lap while I was cutting hair there about 4 years ago. I’ve since taken this dinky little salon from a two man shop to the best place in town and I’m really proud of that, you know? I have a lot of employees counting on me and I know there’s nothing like the thrill of making that first $10 bill – do you remember that day if you’re an entrepreneur? I had to do everything myself in the beginning from going to http://www.bank-card-processing.com/ to calling on clients to my very first marketing campaign but it obviously all paid off and business is better than ever. I love what I do and that I’ve got so much flexibility and I know my stylists are really happy here, too. I can’t imagine what my life would be like without owning this salon but it was so out there it’s a wonder it ever happened in the first place! Things work out.

Cancer Is Such A Terrible Thing

I really hate cancer. I do. I want it out of the universe and gone. Everyone in my family who has died had cancer. And some of my friends have succumbed to the terrible disease as well. Most of my family members have died of lung cancer, so I have never smoked. And I try to stay away from those who do. I also used to be really good at following an anti-cancer vitamen regimen, but that has gone by the wayside a little bit. I want to start doing it again.

Some cancers have had some success. Breat cancer for one. You can see the pink cancer awareness ribbons and feel good that so much time and attention has gone into research for breast cancer.

Childhood leukeumia is another one. I don't know if there are cancer awareness ribbons for leukemia. The ALL version, the type that mostly strikes children, has had a lot of success. Most are cured now!

But there are so many awful cancers where there is no hope in sight. Lung cancer, pancreatic, sarcomas--all terrible death sentences. Again, I don't know if these individual cancers have cancer awareness ribbons, but I hope they do. We need cancer to be a thing of the past, once and for all.