FOUND DOG (MISSING OWNER)

FOUND DOG (MISSING OWNER)

Anyone There? Anyone?

Since you all are missing my random updates to the virtual scrapbook and have been checking back daily to see if I've left any posts...

...wait, you did realize I've been gone for a while?  Didn't you?  Surely you've missed us and wondered which side of the earth we might have fallen off. Maybe just once... or Maybe pondered for a second? even a nano second?  No?  Well, I've been gone from the computer world for quite some time now.  Ever since my computer got fried and refuses treatment, I've taken an indefinite hiatus from the keyboard until I find the perfect laptop.  I almost took advantage of some great sales on them, but then I thought Nah, maybe I'll just get into the giving spirit of Christmas and get Dax Christmas presents instead. Told old pots and pans are getting rusty. har har. 

No, seriously, there's like a huge list of heavy cool electronics we need and a laptop just isn't at the top of the list right now.  There's only so much you can buy while living in a one income family.  But I get to stay at home w/ Dax and there's not a laptop existing that could or ever will make up for that, soooo, until then I've been using my mom's computer every now and then to check emails.

Needless to say, there just isn't much time to get in the "zone"  - computer zone that is and type my fingers away until I've spilled every minute of our personal life not spent on the computer. 

So in a quick update, Clint is working hard as ever.  His employer even threw in a double shift one night with the the latter shift being a trip to Huntsville.  So he's in good health, but exhausted to say the least.   I'm doing pretty good, jolly as ever,  like - Santa Clause SIZE jolly.  I'm not breaking any scales yet, but let's just say it's time to get on the treadmill b/f my weight gets out of control.  Other than that I'm just plain peachy.

AND Dax, of course,  fun as ever.  He's got all his preschool "things to learn" out of the way except right now he just finishing up on learning to recognize the letters of the alphabet, he's been able to say them for some time now, but if he's able to pass the TERO alphabet flashcard scramble, he'll earn himself a brand new "Hiccup" toy he's been asking for (already bought b/c it was on sale).  (That's  Hiccup as in "How to Train Your Dragon" movie).  He's growing tall and his hair is still as curly as Shirley Temple's and shines like the moon.   He has the verbal skills of a 5 year old but not the comprehension of one.  So it's very tricky figuring out what he understands and what he doesn't.  He often fools us.  Of course not on purpose though.

So, that should do it for now.  With this parting sentence I'll leave you with an interesting photo.  I was digging through the desk drawers at my parents house (that occupies my childhood bedroom and found my last pager "BEEPER"    Wow, seems like so long ago when people carried these things it might as well be buried under ground along with the Cro-magnon man's remains. Lame analogy I know, but I'm tired and it's late.  And the best excuse of all   "I have a 3-yr old.

Nostalgia is flowing over me like a river right now.  ;o)

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

Like Father Like Son? or is it really Like Mother Like Son?

When Auburn kicked off this year Clint and I finally got a glimpse of the future that we'd (well Clint really) dreamed of.  Dax being his father's son - watching the game side by side with their Auburn shirts or jerseys on.  Jumping up and down with excitement over a good play.  You know how it made Clint feel.  It was special to me too just because I know that's the beginning of a special bond between them.  That Like Father Like Son feeling...

So, it's September and Auburn is playing Mississippi State and I was enjoying watching both of them jump up and down yelling GO BABY GO!  TOUCHDOWN AUBURN!  Dax had already been fond of his AU Jersey, his stuffed Aubie, his AU helmet and football, but now he was "beginning" to understand what all of it was for. It was a great day.

Fast forward to the present, October, by now, Auburn's lack luster season is getting annoying.  The cheese dip doesn't taste as good and Dax is starting to act more like his mom when it comes to Football.  Let me explain:

I love Auburn football.  I've always been an Auburn fan along with my brother with parents who are Alabama fans (long story).  I'm not the live for football, know all the stats and every player and position type and etc, but I had ALWAYS watched or listened to all the games, know the history pretty well, and get that euphoric feeling while visiting the campus, Toomer's Corner or attending home games.  You'd think that Clint and I would be a match made in football heaven wouldn't you?  Uh, wrong.  After spending 12-13 football seasons with Clint I'm much less of a fan and enjoy the games less than I did before.  
 
"But how could that be?  Is it because he's one of those obnoxious rival fans?"- you ask.
Absolutely not, we're a lot alike when it comes to that sort of thing.  He doesn't give a hoot about the rivalry and aside from lighthearted jokes here and there he doesn't banter w/ Tide fans.  He just has a love for football.   

"Well, then what's your problem?"
Lots of little things I guess, like for 1, I can get very nervous/serious and on the edge of my seat while watching the game with my heart racing when things go bad so I stay very quite except for touchdown time (of course!).  While Clint, on the other hand - the whole game-, paces, claps his hands constantly (he's got some big hands and they make a really loud ear piercing clap) never is quite, he's either in constant TV pep talk or hollering angrily at the players, coaches, commentators, man cheerleaders - when things aren't so well.  Watching the game with him/listening to all this makes me a nervous wreck.  So, since we've married if we're watching the games at home, I have to do this little dance of watching in a separate room while at times walking back and forth between the rooms at Clint's calmer moments - if there are any. A lot of times I have to shut the door and even that doesn't help.  I'm not dissing Clint, I'm really dissing myself.  I'm just not the GUNG HO fan that most SEC fans are.

Then, of course, there is this need to watch every game on TV, listen to Paul Finbaum (sp) ever second we're in the car and hogging the computer visiting au.com, rivals or any other site that is in the know about stats, recruits, team news and etc.  But the worst is planning our life around a game. i.e. 

Me: "Clint, guess what Mom and Dad have offered to take us on a all expense paid trip to Brazil!!"  Clint:  "No way, do you know how many games will miss and I seriously doubt they pick up the games in Brazil."  

Or another example:  

Me:  "So we're finally getting married, YAY, I was thinking of a Fall wedding, what do you think?"  Clint:  "Only if we get married Mon-Fri. or on a Sunday.  Don't forget Fall is football season..."

Okay, I'm exaggerating a little about the Brazil trip - a little but the "Can't get married on a Saturday in Fall" is totally true!  So, it's kind of taken the fun out of football season for me.  I still find myself giddy at times, but it's definitely become a "I can totally live without it" feeling.

So, there we were last Saturday watching Auburn get beat by LSU.  Dax was constantly running to me wanting to do something else because he wasn't just bored out of his mind, he was a bit upset.  Why wouldn't he be.  Clint was upset at the game and was vocalizing this at the TV.  Unknowingly he was in danger of breaking the father son football bond without realizing it.  Once I brought it to his attention, he stopped of course and made more of an effort to "act" happy.

I know, I know, Dax is only 3 and he's got so much more growing and learning to do when it comes to appreciating football but if he's personality is anything like mine, which sad to say he already shows many signs that it is, all it's going to take is a couple of bad memories and he's done.  Let's just hope it's w/ football and not with Auburn.  I mean, there's always baseball and soccer.  Though it really wouldn't bother me much if football didn't interest Dax it would, however, bother me if he becomes an Alabama fan. ha ha  Just kidding, of course.  But that would break Clint completely.  Seriously.  And I'd have to repaint his room too. That would be tragic. If you've seen his room, you'd agree.  But, if he did go BAMA it might serve Clint right for being so fanatical.

Until then, we'll just have to cross our fingers for more weekends like this one:

WALL-E

Here is the picture to go with my Facebook status update a while ago.  So you could see just how funny it really is.  Check out that shirt his Aunt Sheila gave him.  Aunt Sheila, he loves that shirt even though he can't appreciate the humor in it.- YET.

Facebook 9/8:  My son has a new lovey-a small food scale. He thinks it's WALL-E. I can't believe he fell asleep holding a 5x3.5" plastic square that measures chicken by the oz. We may be weird but atleast we're not dull... :o)

Mouse Powell

FINALLY after approximately a year of eluding capture of every mouse trap known to man or rodents, alike, (not to mention rat poison) I finally caught the tiny terror.  Thanks to my two cats along with my own cat like reflexes this little feral dude is on his way to being domesticated.

I'm sure you're thinking,

"did I just read domesticated?  Wait, doesn't she mean executed?"  

Nope, you read right. After all this time of outsmarting man and his deadly contraptions.  It just doesn't seem right to kill him.  I kind of have respect for my bug eyed nemeses that I've tried to get rid of for so long.  Dax took a peek and said 

 "Awe, he's a cute little mousey!  Hey little fella - hey cute mousy - wanna play?"  

That just about did it...definitely helped sway my decision towards mercy for mousey.

This mouse has been around so long it's almost as if he's apart of the family.  Like a disturbed sibling that wreaks habit but you are so use to him being part of a weekly (if not daily) ritual of trying to catch him.  I think he's earned the family name.

When I asked D to name him, he looked at him and hollered

"HEY MOUSE! WHAT'S YOUR NAME MOUSE?"

After all, I admit, I'm not grossed out by mice (*Rats- now that's DEFINITELY a different story) but ever since I was a kid I thought they were cute.  Sure, they are disease ridden and leave tiny droppings which disgusts me to no end especially because I use Clorox to clean up where they've left tiny droppings and I hate the smell of Clorox.  You know if you caught me in the middle of cleaning up where they've been and you were to ask me what I think about mice, I'd absolutely be singing a different tune.  I'd want to recommend mouse genocide.  But, put that same mouse in a little small house with a tiny litter box and wallah, you've got a fun funky little pet that will run up and down your arms.  How do I know this?  How do you think?

I would like you to meet Mr. Ben "the Mousey" Powell - formerly known as Pest!

Pet Mouse... Seem strange? Yeah it is. But at least we're not this bad off. I would never write a song or a movie about a mouse. But I do sing the song to him. "Ben, your always running here and there, you feel you're not wanted - anywhere.... ;o)



FYI:  Have your own mouse problem?  Don't call Pest Control or what most people refer to as the Bug Man.  Most don't do that type of pests.  Or at least our Pest Control doesn't.  We use A-1 and I absolutely adore them.  Especially the reminder calls from his wife (who in 20 years not once altered her tone or script when leaving the message).  However, they won't whack a mouse for you, so you'll need to seek out a special pest control for that.

Sadly to say that "Ben" didn't live but a little over a week in captivity.  I don't think that's why he died b/c as soon as he got his own little house he seemed as happy as could be.  I think the kitties had probably hurt him before I got to him.  I'm not even joking when I say we miss him.  Dax and I had fun letting him swim in the bathtub everyday.