My Eccentric Neighbor

Before you read further, please play the video link below so that you can fully understand the entertainment that is about to unfold:
(Please be sure to pause the music in my sidebar first, so that it doesn't all jumble together!)  

So after I got home from Mykelti's Advanced Obedience class earlier, I decided to take the "big dogs", (Macy & Ranger) for a nice walk. It's gorgeous outside today! What happened during our walk is too amazing not to share with you delightful bloggers!


Prepare to be entertained by my eccentric neighbor:


While the dogs and I were strolling along through the neighborhood, I stumbled upon the most unholy, yet simultaneously glorious sight! Leave it to my "eccentric" middle-aged neighbor to make me laugh my myself silly today! As the dogs and I walked past his house, I heard an old, familiar song. I couldn't help but think to myself, "Wow, I used to love that song in the 90's!" (I've always had an eclectic taste in music, what can I say!) That's also when I noticed "Mr. Eccentric", was in the middle of his living room: beer gut hanging out, no shame, singing away, and dancing like a mad man to the Prince classic, "Pussy Control"! Let me just add that this is also the same neighbor who does not believe in using curtains or blinds. The dogs and I shamelessly watched quite an entertaining show for a few minutes there! I laughed so hard that I almost peed my pants! What can I say, the crazy man knows how to get down!!


Please note that this is the same eccentric neighbor of mine that always leaves his windows open! His pitch may not be perfect, but he sure does enjoy a good song and dance! (I think he must be some sort of exhibitionist...) Strange things are always happening in that house, much to my amusement lol!

A brief summary: 5 month blogging hiatus

I'm sure my fellow bloggers have noticed that over the past few months, I've been absent. I just needed a break for a little while to clear my head and focus on the things that were happening around me. I'm glad to say however, that my hiatus is over with now and I will be back to blogging more frequently!


Since you guys have missed out on the happenings in my life over the past 5+ months, here is a very brief summary. I will fill in more details & pictures later on!


In no particular order:


1. Jack and I are no longer together: I wish him well in life. However, I deserve more for my life than the hurtful things he subjected me to in our relationship. He refused to elevate himself, and make positive changes to improve the overall situation, so I refused to stay in a relationship that was detrimental to my well being and future. That's it in a nutshell.


2. My beloved cat, Velvet passed away in June after fighting Chronic Renal Failure for several years. I had owned her since I was a young child. It broke my heart to say farewell, but I am happy she is at peace now.


3. I moved out of my apartment when my lease was up and into a rental house recently. I LOVE IT! (Surprisingly, it was cheaper each month for a rental house, than it was for a tiny apartment...go figure! The dogs and I are loving all of the space and the lack of stairs!)

4. I brought home my new Australian Shepherd puppy back in March. Her registered name is: AKC Brake's Femme Fatale. (Her call name is "Mykelti". )She is a love bug! She is a Blue Merle with Tan & White points. She has one brown eye and one split blue/hazel eye. Since I brought her home, she has passed her puppy and beginner/intermediate obedience classes, and she is currently enrolled in Advanced Obedience classes. She will begin Agility classes soon, and is on track to become a registered therapy dog like Ranger. (I will devote an entire post to Mykelti and her pictures soon!).Mykelti has already been to one event as a "therapy dog in training" and couldn't be more well-suited for that line of work! Wish us well as we prepare for her upcoming CGC and Delta tests over the next few months!


5. Since Ranger and I passed our therapy test back in March, we have been busy going on weekly therapy visits throughout our community! We visit an adult daycare center every week; the people there are so nice! Ranger loves going on visits; he always gives out lots of kisses and makes everyone in the room smile! It absolutely makes my heart melt when I see the people we visit, smile the moment they see us walk in the door! Ranger also did the summer reading program for a local school. We loved it so much that we plan to do the year-round school program as well! It's amazing to watch children who were once fearful of reading, read to Ranger and find joy in their new found skills because they do not feel judged by him! The impact we've been able to make in our community with our therapy visits has been such an amazing blessing! I pray we are a successful team for years to come!


6. Macy , my pit bull mix, celebrated her first "Gotcha Day" on August 28th. It was a very big deal because Macy is in end-stage heart failure. She was born with several birth defects to her heart that have dramatically affected her health and will shorten her lifespan. The vets told me that she would not see her first "Gotcha Day" when I adopted her (we expected a few good weeks, maybe months at that). Sweet Macy has thrived in her new home here though, and got to share that milestone with us. It was an amazing blessing! :)


7. I got my tragus pierced on my 26th birthday; it's that little flap of cartilage near the inside of your ear). On that note, I celebrated my 26th birthday at the end of July, with my best friend, Renae. We had dinner, drinks, got my ear pierced, and saw a movie. It was so fun!


8. I recently "celebrated" the 1year anniversary of my heart procedure on August 16th. That date marked the anniversary of the complications I suffered post-op. (Phrenic Nerve Palsy, 2/3rds of my right lung is collapsed,etc.) For those of you wondering about my heart/lung issues and the surgery complications I suffered, unfortunately, there has been no improvement yet. I still go to cardio-pulmonary rehab, take my medicine, and follow the specialists orders. I do what I can physically to take care of myself and I leave the rest of it up to prayer. Hopefully one day God will see fit to restore my heart and lung function to a healthy/safe level. In the mean time, I just make the best of it and I'm thankful that things are not worse than they could be.


9. My nephew introduced me to the joys of hot air popcorn poppers! I LOVE MINE! (I just got an inexpensive Sunbeam popper from Target). I use it all of the time and like to make my own seasoning. Once you try it, you will never go back to microwaved popcorn again! 


10. NARS "Wonder" lip gloss...try it, love it, buy it! It looks quite orange in the tube (I was VERY hesitant when I first tried it...I decided to be brave though and found that the color turns into the most gorgeous coral-peach shade when you wear it. It literally flatters every single skin tone I've seen it on. Try it; you won't regret it!)


11. My sister and her family moved recently as well. Unfortunately the house they moved into did not allow cats, so I took in one of theirs, Lucky to give him a home. I wasn't planning to add anymore cats to my house after my oldest one, Velvet died back in June. Lucky was too sweet to turn down though. My sister's children home-school, so since they stay with me a lot during the week, it makes me smile knowing that they still get to see their cat anytime they'd like and that he's in a safe home with me.


12. I was diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea after I had a sleep study done recently. (It was NOT a pleasant experience!). The specialists think that it relates to my decreased lung function due to the complications I suffered from my heart procedure. For now, I have to use a CPAP machine at night to help me breathe better. If my lung function ever returns to normal again, they will retest me and see if I can be taken off of the machine at night. Keep your fingers crossed that it happens soon; I'm very claustrophobic and hate having to wear a mask on my nose at night!


13. Purex Crystals (lavender): the best thing to hit my laundry room shelf in ages! The fragrance is awesome and I love how soft it makes my clothing!


14. "Rio" is my new favorite movie! I love the vivid animation and how well-made it is! I've watched it twice in the theatre and six+ times since I bought the DVD: I'm hooked!


15. I've had to deal with the stresses of my ex husband's continual harassment and stalking. I have moved 5 times since I left my abusive marriage nearly 3 years ago. It's draining and upsetting to say the least! Since he is a cop, there does not seem to be any accountability for his heinous actions either. I'm fed up, but I will not let him control my life or hurt me again! I may have to make adjustments for my safety, but I'll be damned if he will get the best of me.


16. I finally put up the family picture shelf I've always dreamed of. It is too stinkin' cute! I posted a picture of it on Facebook, but I will have to post one on here for my blogging friends!


17. I re-discovered the amazingness that is 7-Up. I am in love; I like it more than Sprite!


18. I recently had Vonage phone service installed and I have to say that I'm loving it! My new home is essentially a "dead zone" for my cell phone. As a result, I can not use my cell inside of my house without it dropping calls. Since I still have issues with my ex husband stalking me and the continued heart/lung issues, my dad insisted I get a home phone. I do not regret it! If you are in the market for a home phone, consider Vonage! (It works through your internet).


19. I'm soo excited that it's almost fall! I love that the weather is starting to cool off. Pretty soon I will complete my yearly routine of filling my place with fall-scented candles and decorating. Can't wait!!


20. Free Body Wash Alert:  Ladies, the next time you're in the mall, stop by Sephora and sign up for their "Beauty Insider" club. It's completely free to join and you get free rewards (like a Kroger card.) Every year on your birthday, they give you a free bottle of Philosophy's "Happy Birthday Beautiful" body wash. (you can claim it two weeks before or after your birthday.) It's an amazing body wash, and it's completely free! I got mine this year on my birthday, and my mom recently got hers for her August birthday. All free! Ya! (It's a good sized bottle too and it smells just like vanilla cake! )

5 Deadly Terms Used By Women

5 DEADLY TERMS USED BY WOMEN. 
(I saw this on my friend's facebook page earlier and couldn't help but laugh and repost!)


(1) FINE -this is the word women use to end an argument when they know they are right and you need to SHUT UP. 
(2) NOTHING -means SOMETHING & you need to be WORRIED 
(3) GO AHEAD -this is a dare, not permission. DO NOT DO IT. 
(4) WHATEVER -is a woman's way of saying: SCREW YOU.
(5) THAT'S OK -she is thinking long & hard on HOW & WHEN you will pay for your mistake.

We Did It!! Registered Therapy Team!

    (We're officially a Registered Therapy Team through Delta Society, Intermountain Therapy Animals, & Mid-South Therapy Dogs & Friends! Ya!)

                                  
On Sunday March 20th, Ranger and I sat for our PPSAT test through Delta Society, and I'm thrilled to say that we passed! We are officially a registered therapy team! Out of the nine dogs tested that day, only Ranger and our friend's dog passed (I'm glad they told me about that little statistic AFTER we tested, otherwise I would have been a nervous wreck lol!) 


It's been a fun and crazy journey so far as his handler, and I'm soo excited to see what the future holds as far as our therapy visits go. We will be working with Delta Society, Mid-South Therapy Dogs, and Intermountain Therapy Animals. I hope that Ranger is able to bring as much joy and happiness into the lives of the clients we will visit as he already brings into my life! He is such a sweet boy and I am such a proud puppy momma this week! He turned 1 yr old in January and he has already passed Puppy, Intermediate, and Advanced Obedience classes as well as Beginner Agility, his CGC test, and now his PPSAT test. We are currently training him in a more intense Advanced Obedience class right now and he is starting up Intermediate Agility as well as Rally Obedience soon. I also plan to start competing him in the future for Obedience, Rally, and Agility titles; I absolutely love the bonding experiences that the different training classes and such offer us. The thing I really love about Australian Shepherds is that they are sort of a "jack of all trades"; any job you give them, they absolutely love and seem to thrive at with proper guidance!


In a bit of exciting news, later today Ranger, and I are taking a road trip to Missouri to scout out potential Therapy Dog #2 from Ranger's breeder!! I'm soo excited! (We were going to take Macy with us also, but the vet didn't think  it would be wise to take her that far from home with her heart conditions, so my sister will be checking on her while we are gone). If all goes well and the right pup is there, will be adding a third pup to our pack! (The timing couldn't be better either, since I'm planning to move into a nice rental house when my lease is up....can we say "fenced in back yard"?!?!) Hopefully Macy will be a calm, loving example for the new pup, and Ranger will teach it all about therapy work and competition! If we bring one home, I will be sure to post lots of pictures for you lovely blog readers! :)

John 6:27

(Our homemade potato salad! Soo yummy!)

"Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal."

~John 6:27~

What a great verse! Every morning when I wake up I like to read a Bible verse; sometimes this is in the forum of  an application on my cell phone. This was the daily Bible verse for this morning and I thought it was quite appropriate! 

This week is my nephew Cooper's spring break, so he has been spending the night with me since Saturday. Last night/today we have been doing one of our favorite activities: Cooking (and laboring around the kitchen slicing, dicing, and all sorts of things, just having a great time). Last night we made my Aunt Syliva's homemade potato salad recipe and some smoothies. A little background on that potato salad recipe: my grandfather used to own a Kosher deli & meat market in the Memphis area years ago and this is the recipe that my Aunt Sylivia used to prepare for their customers! In addition to last nights recipes, this afternoon we started in on a homemade spaghetti and meatball recipe that I've been wanting to try out (Katie Lee's recipe). This recipe is fantastic and almost has a bruschetta taste to it; delicious! How appropriate is it that in the midst of our culinary adventures, we're reminded by God that we should also be focusing on the bigger picture. :)

New Fruit Topping!

So tonight I spoke with my Cousin Barton for a while. (He's actually my father's first cousin and like a second father to me). Among the myrid of our conversation pieces (dogs, politics, weather, and such) I mentioned that I had picked up some fresh fruit at the grocery store yesterday.(Since most of their produce left something to be desired, I decided on a pre mixed fruit cup that had strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.) He mentioned that my Aunt Sylvia used to mix sour cream and sugar together and put it on top of her fresh fruit. Being a recipe junkie, I thought I'd give it a try. It was delicious!!!!

So, new fruit topper recipe is simple:  I eyeballed my ingredients, but for reference it looks to be about 1 tablespoon Sour Cream + 1 teaspoon Sugar : mix it together and the voila! You have a delightful fruit topping that is to die for! I'm also thinking at if you add a pinch of vanilla, kaluah, vanilla liquor, or even orange juice to the mixture that it would be quite delicious!

Wordless Wednesday

(My dad had an open house the other day and bought some flowers to decorate with. He was nice and brought them over to my apartment today since he was done with them. I thought it was a sweet surprise. :) )

Dust Bunnies, Be Gone!

I'll preface this by saying that I have 3 cats and  two dogs. (Two dogs that shed quite a bit despite daily brushings, premium food, and regular baths! I think I've tried everything...) I typically vaccume my apartment every day, if not every other day to keep this place nice and tidy and to keep everyone healthy. My mom has owned her own cleaning business since I was a baby, so I definitely grew up a bit of a neat freak haha. This week I got a little busy and let things slide however. It has now been 4 days since I vaccumed my apartment and now you'd think that some mega dust bunnies had rolled into town and took a leisurely trip throughout my apartment. ICK!  I love my furbabies, but I prefer their fur stay on them and off of my carpet! So, I suppose I'll be devoting part of today to a little deep cleaning of the apartment...time to break out the Dyson and get to work!

(For those of you in the market for a new vaccume, I've had my Dyson for 3 years now and it is the only vaccume I will ever use from now on! Mine was a gift several years ago, but I will defintiely say it's worth every penny and I've never had issues with mine! I definitely think it's worth if if you have pets or allergies/asthma! The model that I have is a Dyson Animal DC 17 and it picks up EVERYTHING!) 

Cheese Please!

It's no secret that I'm a bit of a cheese freak...I'm obsessed with the stuff actually! (This might not be my best obsession considering I'm Lactose Intolerant haha). I am always trying out new cheeses when I visit the grocery store.) Several months ago while I was at Costco of all places, I discovered my new favorite: Dubliner by Kerrygold! It's AMAZING! It is a delicious snack when you chop it and pair it with whole wheat crackers, wine, or fresh fruit. It also mixes incredably well into homemade alfredo sauces, makes an amazing mixture with onion, garlic, and bell peppers for stuffed chicken, and is an amazing topping when you mince it up with blue cheese and broil steak or chicken with it...yummy! (It also makes amazing dips,etc...the options are endless with this gem of a gourmet cheese!) For my local blog readers, I've bought this at Costco and Kroger. (It's pretty inexpensive too! Remember that with a lot of gourmet cheeses, a little goes a long way ;) ) Enjoy!

Dubliner Cheese Link

Compliments. Perfume. Confusion. Laughter.

So tonight while I was leaving a store, this nice lady who held the door open for me had them most amazing perfume on! I complimented her on her perfume and asked her what the fragrance was called. Her reply?? "Black Woman" (Considering she was a black woman, I wasn't sure if she was joking or serious, so I just kind of stood there a little unsure what to say to that one hahaha). My uncertainty was ended however when she busted out laughing and said she gets the same reaction from everyone who asks! Apparently, her perfume is indeed called by that name! I'm a bit of a perfum whore, so I always like trying out new scents and asking others what they're wearing. Tonight I found yummy new scent as well as a few laughs from a friendly stranger. For those of you curious, the perfum is called "Black Woman" Sean John.

Best Commercial!

I LOVE this Subaru commercial! Not only does it make me laugh, it totally fits the bill that the mischevious dog throwing the snowball is an Australian Shepherd like my Ranger lol! (I also think the black dog in the car looks a little bit like my Macy dog, even down to the pink collar and the motherly bark). This commercial cracks me up everytime I see it on tv. Enjoy! :)

Word of the Day: Indubitably!

For lack of a better post idea, I thought I'd post my favorite word as today's special "word of the day". Today's word of the day is: "Indubitably". It means, "without a doubt".  Not only is it the best and most incredible word EVER created in the English language, it is also very fun to say! Indubitably, Indubitably, Indubitably! Doesn't it make you smile?!

It is also fun to use that word in response to a text message instead of other adjectives. If you want to go for even more pizazz, try adding in a British accent and then using it. Funny, huh?

Here's the prim and proper definition: Merriam Webster

Now here's my favorite online dictionary's definition:  Urban Dictionary


Now, don't you feel smart? The best part is that you now have a fun, new word to use! Instead of using a simple "yes" to agree with someone today, use the term "indubitably", and say it with a straight face while the other person around you laughs!

Upgraded!

After two years, I was finally eligable to upgrade my cell phone to something a little less dinosaur-y today with my Sprint upgrade! Ya!! If it's possible to be in love with a cell phone, call me head over heels!! So without further adiou, meet the new technological "love" in my life! :

HTC EVO SHIFT 4G

(Mine is sporting a purple case ;) )

For those of you curious, here's the break down of all the details



Random Review Thursday:

So today I thought it would be a fun change of pace to review a few of my new favorite things. All of these make me smile and best yet, all of these are budget friendly!




1. TEA DUCKIE: TEA INFUSER

The first item on today's review is this little beauty: It's a Tea Duckie tea infuser. How stinkin cute is this?!?! I'm not a huge coffee drinker; I prefer good teas. I especially love loose-leaf teas as they typically have more flavor to  them. My old diffuser broke recently, so I had added a new diffuser to my mental shopping list. When I was at Cracker Barrel with my mom for dinner on Saturday night, we did a bit of browsing after our meal, that's when I found this little gem of an infuser! I LOVE it. Not only is it adorable floating in my cup of tea, it does a very good job of infusing the loose leaf tea and bringing out a rich flavor! It is also quite easy to clean which is another perk!

2. Italian Pet Spa Italian Honey and Lavender Daily Spritz (by Prince Lorenzo Borghese). The above picture is of their shampoo (equally amazing), but the fragrance bottle looks similar.I LOVE my dogs; I do not however love it when they have that musky dog (Disghusting) smell on them after they go for a walk or trip to the dog park. So, this is a wonderful compromise; it is tearless, moisturizing, pet safe, and leaves their coats shiny and soft!  Everytime I take their leashes off, I spritz a bit of this on their coats and they smell absolutely delicious! Best yet? My apartment doesn't smell like dogs. I have a few other favorite fragrances, but this is my new fav! (Best yet, the last time I went to Petco, they had both the shampoo and the spray discounted!)

3. Estee Lauder Sensuous Noir- I've been absolutely dying to get ahold of this perfum ever since late November when I caught a wiff of it in Cosmopolitan. It is aaaaaahhhhmazing! The only issue is that during December with Christmas time and what not, every single place I tried was sold out! Macy's Estee Lauder botiques, Sephoria, even amazon and other online sites....sold out! Ugg! Well, fret not...I found it!! On a recent trip with my best friend to Ulta, low and behold they had it! I was pretty much estatic!! It smells amazing and is definietly a great new signature fragrance!

4.O.P.I. Drip Dry - this may be the most amazing way to dry nail polish yet! Try it; this amazing little gem works like a charm and it's super fast too!!! You just add 1-2 drops of this over your topcoat of polish and it makes the nail polish dry quickly without chipping. Love it!

5. Woodwick: Applewood- It's no secret to my friends/family that I absolutely adore anything apple scented! This candle happens to be one of my favorite! It smells Ahhhhhhh-mazing! I don't have a fireplace, so I absolutely adore the crackling noise that the wooden wick produces when you light the Applewood candle. YUMMY! (In other news, Woodwick candles recently came out with some new scents! Ya!!! My new favorite is their 'Bakery Cupcake'...ohh my goodness!!)

In honor of Valentines Day:

In honor of Valentines Day, I leave you lovely readers with one of my favorite cheesy love songs. Enjoy!

"You Send Me" - Sam Cooke