Why my fiance is better than your fiance!

Last week while Brandon was working, he sent me an email.  From Groupon.  Do you know what Groupon is? It's a super fun online coupon and discount website that provides all sorts of deals each week for items, events and places in your area.  Brandon has since become nearly addicted to Groupon. And I'll allow it since the deals are pretty exceptional.

Anyhow, the email he sent me wasn't of something he wanted to buy, but instead it was something he had "bought" me!  It was a donation to West Place Animal Sanctuary.  What?! So sweet!

Shortly after he sent that he messaged me again and said, "I think we should donate to a charity or organization every payday. We could pick a new one each time, researching each one to make sure it's legit and worthy."  I think at this point my heart melted out of my chest and slipped onto the floor.  After I picked it up and put it back in my chest we talked about how we could make this small donation each payday, which wouldn't have a huge impact on our budget yet could make a significant impact on those we donate to.

This week, Brandon chose Great Danes Friends of Ruff Love. It's an organization for Great Danes who have special needs and are hard to be adopted out. Being such large dogs, with some unique conditions it makes these dogs unappealing to many, the donations collected by them go towards helping to provide the care to the dogs and possibly education for new owners.

Tell me Rufus isn't adorable?!

We're going to continue each payday to search out organizations and charities that deserve some extra money for some great causes! They don't all have to be animal centred- though we are animal lovers.  But there are lots of deserving charities out there!  So we're on the lookout.

Do you have a charity you enjoy giving to? 

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe...

Things happen in three's, right?  So I'm waiting for my third.  I'm hoping it was when I stubbed my toe yesterday, but I'm thinking that wasn't big enough.

First there was my water logged MacBook. My poor, poor MacBook still laying in a bag of rice with any hope it will dry out. I didn't give much thought to the coming in three's rule. That is until Saturday around 1pm, when I totaled my car.

Granted the car wasn't a masterpiece of auto-amazingness. But it was my car that got me from point A to point B- generally work to home. You know, helping me make money to save for a house and whatnot.

This isn't my car, but it is the closest representation via an online search I could find. I wish I had thought to take a picture of my cheap little Saturn that didn't in any way do well in what should have been classified as a fender bender.  The other vehicle just had some rusted out pieces fall off her rear bumper, but my car... it's whole front end is destroyed.  Can you imagine if I had ever been in a serious accident? Like head on collision? My car's airbags didn't even go off.

So, Brandon and I will be off to look for a new vehicle this week. And until we get it, I'm busing it around town (horray). And waiting for my third (and hopefully final) awful happening. Let me know if you see it coming, and I'll try to avoid it. Or maybe it's like the Final Destination rules- it will find you. Perhaps it's best to just let it happen.

WTF Mac Gods?!

There haven't been a lot of blog posts lately, and I can't blame that entirely on what happened to my computer, because it's more recent, but it definitely hasn't made it easy.  Remember this post, where I finally got my new MacBook Pro?  And how excited I was, because I had waited sooooooooo long for it?!  Since then, I have been having a love affair with my MacBook Pro.  I absolutely LOVED that machine, more than I thought I could love any inanimate object.  So why the past tense?  Because of this:

WATER!

 

About that much water was knocked all over my beautiful Macbook Pro.  Yup.  You read that right.  I'm not sure if you know what water does to component electronics?  Of course you do.  But if you don't, it ruins them.  As in destroys.  Kaput.  Finished.  Macbook go bye bye.

The only suggestion was to put my precious machine in a big ass bag of rice for the next 2 weeks in hopes the rice draws out enough moisture to somehow make the Mac God make it start working again.  I'm at 36 hours of no Mac, and typing on this lowly gaming PC Brandon calls a great computer, and it sucks!!!  Mac God- WHY?!?

Belly Button Munching Monster

I imagine him looking something like the Cookie Monster, but less happy.  And less… blue.  I think he must be quite tiny to fit in there- my belly button.  Oh, I didn’t tell you who I’m referring to: Belly Button Munching Monster.  What?  You haven’t heard of him?  Don’t you have one living in your belly button?  Let me explain who he is and what he does, and maybe you’ll know him.

The Belly Button Munching Monster is similar to Polkaroo (who is a children’s television show character from here in Ontario, Canada) in that he is never seen.  If you know who Polkaroo is, this reference will make total sense to you and you may even have fond memories of watching the male host of Polka Dot Door miss Polkaroo again.  If you don’t know him, and think I’m crazy, just know that the Belly Button Munching Monster is never seen.

If you’re unfamiliar with him (or her, I’m sure they have females BBMMs, or how else would they procreate? I can just confirm that mine is male… don’t ask me how.), he lives in your belly button and eats small tiny, just noticeable holes in your shirts.  Holes that are small enough you don’t notice them when you put the shirt on, but later in the day when you look at yourself you think perhaps you’ve spilled something on yourself, and instead it’s a teeny tiny little hole.  “Crapola! How’d that even happen?”  This is how I came to realize I totally have a BBMM.  And once they’re in there (your belly button) there is no removing them.  He’s harmless enough, I suppose.  Though it’s starting to get annoying that I’ve got holes in so many shirts.  Why can’t he be more productive, and eat belly button lint instead?

I’ve decided I’m ok with him hanging out.  I’d appreciate it if he didn’t eat my shirts, but a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.  And I’d hate to see the little guy starve.  So I let me Belly Button Munching Monster, live freely in my belly button, creating holes in my shirts.

Or maybe it’s just my belt?

Hey Hey Anybody Listening? Hey Hey Anybody Care?

Brandon made some big gaming decisions this week.  And unfortunately one of the decisions was the download a new computer multi player, World of Warcraft type, game and not order two other Xbox games he had on pre-order.  While it sounds like a better trade off, one game in place of two other games, the game of choice is intense and lengthy.  As in... there is no real ending.

At least the Xbox games have an end to the storyline.  They have a goal to reach and then when it's achieved it sort of loses it's luster.  While there is still "free play", tournaments and playing against your friends online, it's just not the same time commitment.  However, the game he is now playing, Guild Wars 2 (because #1 just is so last year), has no ending.  It's just like World of Warcraft.  In fact when I look at the screen it brings me back to these days, and these days, and these days (among many others).  It looks nearly identical.  Of course, if I was playing it (hahahahahaha) I'm sure I would see the differences.  But I just have to listen to the same grungy "monster" voices ("hey I can't restock this until we get more in"), the mythical background music (that's who keeps the flute players employed!), and the common battle with loud outbursts every now and then by Brandon, "agh! so stupid!" or "look at those little raccoons hanging out on the side of the road".

Other then these sporadic comments, he doesn't say much... or listen much.  Just as with WoW, I've lost his attention.  Sometimes I will ask him a question, or make a comment, and it's like I'm talking to the desk he's sitting at.  "ummm, hello? Brandon?"  Nope.  He's gone.  He's immersed in the game world.  I'm fairly certain he thinks he's a part of that world now... or I don't know how else to explain his new horns he's been wearing around the house.

My Dog Hates Everybody

I don't get it.  Look at this face:

How could THAT hate anyone, right?!  I have no idea!  When he was a puppy I took him everywhere.  He traveled to friend's homes, to the pet store, around town... wherever I was allowed to bring his adorable face, that looked more like this at that time.

But now, he hates people.  Well it's not like he wants to bite people, but he prefers "strangers" not to touch him.  Look at him from a distance- ok.  Try to touch him- no way!  He doesn't discriminate against gender, ethnicities or body types.  He just hates everyone.

Once he's warmed up to you and gets to know you however, then you may be asking me to remove him from the room because he's all up in your grill.  And thinking about it logically, it kind of makes sense.  He wants to get to know people before he lets them touch him.  Isn't this the case for (most- non-slutty) humans too?  Like if some chick just walked up to me and said "oh hey there Shannon, your mom suggested I say hi" and then touched me or hugged me, I may be a bit put off.  Actually I know I'd be weirded out.  I'm not a super touchy-feely gal to begin with.  But get someone I don't know touching me, and I'm just not ok with that.

But the expectations for dogs are different. It's kind of like kids.  Parents always tell their kids, "don't talk to strangers" and "don't go with strangers", yet they briefly introduce them to people like their day care supervisors, distant relatives or friends of theirs and then expect the children to "play nice" and sometimes accept a hug from them.  This must mess with their minds.  And after considering it for some time, this is pretty much what I'm asking my adorable and lovely dog to do.

So, no more Hudson.  I will ensure you are properly introduced and have time to adjust to the people I bring into your life before asking you to let them touch you.  You readers may think I'm crazy for addressing part of this post to my dog, because most animals can't read.  But I want you all to know, my dog is advanced for his age. :)

Are You My Mother?

 

Have you ever read this book?  If not, you really should.  If you're not aware, "P.D. Eastman" is a Dr. Seuss protege, so you can expect the typical Seuss-ical style to this book.  If you haven't read it- you should.  But this post if not solely intended to boost Dr. Seuss sales of "Are You My Mother?", so let me continue...

How many of you women out there sometimes feel like you're significant other's mother?  If you're anything like me, and apparently many other women out there (according to a magazine poll), you likely do the following "motherly" type things for your man:

• help him with laundry 
• help clean his room/house
• organize his appointments
• remind him about appointments and when he needs to take time off work
• make meals for him to take to work
• shut off lights, close doors and just generally clean up after he's left a room
• take care of him when he's sick 
• fold and put away clothes
• run errands for him
• organize and keep his official records and documents (banking, ID) safe
• help with banking and saving

I often think/ask, "am I your mother?" to which he usually replies, "no, but you can be my fiance who acts as a mother".  Men want to be mothered, no matter what they outwardly say.  They love to be taken care of, doted on and know that when they mess up there is a woman there to make things right.

Are you my mother?
No, I am not your mother- but you'll treat me as one anyway.