here's what my gift really looks like !!!

thanks Nadine for sending me the image

sheesh .. puts my poor pathetic pictures to shame doesn't it? ;-)

Remember the day's blessings ~ Forget the day's troubles

when i received this beautiful mirror in the mail from John .. created by Nadine, i thought perhaps John might want to see the gift he got for me (since it was shipped directly from Nadine) so i suggested that perhaps i could just take a picture for him
it really didn't seem that complicated but i admit that i've never tried to take a picture of a mirror before
obviously the 2 images i decided on do NOT do this beautiful gift any justice

you'll just have to trust that its beautiful and soooo perfectly ME !!

and this is one of those times that saying "thank you" just doesn't seem like enough ..
but thank you John ~ thank you Nadine

in the news

via united way and highlighted in a local news story last night .. in order for a parent and preschool aged child to live in Santa Clara County and afford basic expenses, such as housing, medical expenses and child care, and not receive public assistance, the adult must earn $27 per hour
in San Francisco County, the amount is $23 per hour, in nearby less expensive counties, the amount is $20 per hour
1 in 4 families here in the Bay Area can't afford basic expenses
the article below goes on to hint that the responsibility to "fix" this mess belongs to employers
4 years ago my daughter and i were forced to find a new place to live .. it took me 3 months before i was even able to find ONE apartment that was available .. a small 2 bedroom 1 bath in nearby Sunnyvale for $2,200 a month .. by 10 am there was a waiting list of over 30 families for that apartment
visitors to the Bay Area could plan on spending a minimum of $300 a night for a hotel room IF they could find one available
there were auctions being held on available housing .. i recall one friend of my ex-husbands having a room to rent .. he encouraged interested parties to "make an offer" .. what started out as $500 a month ended up going to the person that bid $2,000 a month for a single room rental
in the last 2 - 3 years there has been a mass exodus from Santa Clara County .. dot coms going under .. massive layoffs in the semi-conductor industry .. more housing is available now than in the last 3 years .. and the prices?  they haven't moved
during the time when rental costs in the Bay Area were rocketing out of control, the cost of living was (if i recall correctly) upwards of 7% .. while my employer had normally given out annual cost of living increases, 3 years ago they refused to match the 7% and instead handed out increases of 2%
(currently, the San Francisco/San Jose area is back down to a more reasonable annual cost of living increase of 1/2 %)
my own little cottage used to rent for $900 a month until i moved in .. knowing it was a "sellers market" the landlords increased the rent to $1,700 a month
i moved to the Bay Area in high school .. a million years ago .. well, ok, more like 30 years ago .. while i would love to plan on retiring here, there is NO way under the current housing situation .. once both my children are safely tucked away in college i'm out of here
you can read more here on the findings by United Way ...
BAY AREA / 1 in 4 families can't afford basics / United Way study finds widespread poverty

answering DJ's comment

Comment from: rebafandj
"I'm curious though (not sure if you know), what's the most popular reason why people give up their dogs/cats? What was the most stupidest reason they gave up their dog/cat.  For me, the most stupidest thing I heard of giving up a BEAUTIFUL Tan colored Angora who is 11 years old. No health problems....the cat was given up because the fur color doesn't match the owner's new furniture. Isn't that a HOOT?! Luckily, she was adopted quickly..BUT c'mon!?  Love your Humane society stories...keep it up! ~DJ   "One pet cannot change the world, but the world will change for that one pet."
i just wanted to comment on DJ's recent comment in my journal about owner surrendered pets at the Humane Society
the most common reason i've seen for people to surrender their pets is is "moving to a place that doesn't allow animals"
thankfully its never happened to me, but i do sympathize with people that were forced to give up their pets .. it would be too easy for me to sit here in judgment claiming i'd NEVER surrender my pets .. but just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't ever happen so i try not to be hard on those people .. i'm sure the majority of them feel bad enough
when an animal is surrendered, we try to get as much information as possible about the pet .. habits, likes, dislikes, where he spent most of his time (indoors/outdoors - with people/alone) .. what saddens me are the dogs that are surrendered that spent 100% of their life outdoors with only a small percentage of their time with people .. it just doesn't feel right that people would go to the effort of bringing a pet into their home only to banish it outdoors and not make an effort to make him a part of the family
although we DO ask why the animal is being surrendered .. the majority of the time the answer is left blank .. as long as the reason for the surrender isn't due to a behavior or medical issue, we don't insist that people share that information with us
i've only spent a few hours in customer service where people surrender their animals .. but i do have access to the owner surrender questionnaires .. we go over those thoroughly in healthcheck when we're checking the animals health and behavior
i've never run across anything like DJ wrote about, a pet surrendered because it no longer matches the furniture (sheesh) .. the reason that bothers me the most is where a relative died or is hospitalized and the surviving relative surrenders the pet to the humane society .. that just breaks my heart
just last week a gentleman's father passed away and he surrendered his dads 14 pigeons .. when we explained that there was a $10 intake fee he threatened to go outside and free the pigeons .. rather than have that happen, we waived the fee .. but all he had to do was ask to have the fee waived
the majority of the animals i've seen at the humane society are strays .. i'd venture to say that at least 80% if not more .. some of the dogs are so ferocious and threatening that we actually perform the behavior check IN the stray kennels .. usually a quick food test or the eye contact test (staring contest) lets us know if the dog is sociable enough to be taken out of his kennel for a more thorough test
when we arrive at the stray kennel, refraining from speaking to the dog in a comforting voice, we hunch down to the dogs level making eye contact (staring) .. with the kennel gate closed of course .. stares can be perceived as a threat or a challenge to dogs .. if the dog attempts to attack, he is not suitable for adoption .. period .. thankfully the majority of dogs react with submission when greeted with a stare
what puzzled me initially is when some of the dogs wag their tails .. something i initially perceived as a friendly greeting .. boy was i wrong .. if the dog lowers his head, takes a firm stance .. his shackles raise, his eyes bulge (referred to as "whale eye") indicating that the dog is nervous or afraid .. if the stare isn't broken, a nervous or ferocious dog will begin growling or snarling or sometimes attempt to attack
without knowing what the body language really means, i can understand how some people get bit, seeing only the wagging tail and believing that its a friendly greeting
on that note (i guess i wandered a little off the original subject eh?) i need to go be a momma .. my daughter had two of her permanent teeth removed yesterday afternoon as requested by her orthodontist .. the extraction ended up being more painful than anyone had originally expected .. hopefully her pain is more tolerable this morning but i've already decided to stay home just in case she isn't up to going to school
knowing she was nervous about the appointment, i had the dentist give her a prescription for valium .. thankfully she slept before her appointment and most of the day after her appointment
in two weeks we go in to have two teeth on the other side removed .. i am so not looking forward to that .. something about my baby crying in pain that just makes me want to hurt someone .. i've tried to be consoling and reassuring .. but explaining to a 13 year old to try to get her to understand that some pain is necessary is one of the most difficult challenges i've faced as a mother
i guess i wasn't  really surprised when the dentist refused to give ME my own little prescription for a couple of happy pills .. life just isn't fair sometimes

whoops .. i almost forgot to mention that my daughter made sure and asked her dentist to give her the teeth he removed
afterwards, she handed the teeth to me, telling me that "after what i went through, these teeth are gonna cost the toothfairy some BIG BUCKS"

Changes at the Humane Society & introducing TWIX !!!

Twix (<-- click here on his name to read more about him) finally made the Humane Society webpage, so here is his picture and the information they've posted about him

Name: TWIX         ID#: A439787
Pit Bull mix
Age: 2y                    Male
Solid, stoic Twix is a gentle giant who loves to snuggle and receive attention. He leans in by your side, putting his big soft head in your lap for petting and stroking. This touch-tolerant, affectionate boy accepts treats with a very gentle mouth and enjoys receiving hugs and scratches. Due to his large stature, Twix will be best suited for a family with kids at least 12 years of age.
there is a sweet tempered gal there that has also captured the attention of several of the employees .. she's an older, very affectionate lady by the name of Erika .. here is her picture and information

Name: ERIKA         ID#: A034936
Labrador Retr/Rottweiler mix
Age: 12y                    Spayed Female

Delightful Erika is a confident, affectionate, and energetic lady. She is food-motivated and not shy to let you know when she wants more treats by vocalizing her desires! Erika enjoys petting and touching, usually staying close to your side for attention. She has lots of energy for her age and is very eager and excited to go out for walks. Erika seems to get along with other dogs and is happy to make friends with everyone she meets.
beginning October 1st, there is going to be a drastic change in the way that the humane society functions
currently the Humane Society is the only drop off location for all owner surrenders, strays, investigations and confiscation's for the cities of San Jose, Los Gatos, Cupertino, Saratoga, Milpitas, Santa Clara, Monte Sereno, Sunnyvale and Campbell .. serving a total population of almost 1.7 million people.  Last year the shelter cared for almost 30,000 animals
October 1st the new Animal Care Center in San Jose will open for business and will be the only facility accepting strays and providing animal shelter services for residents of Milpitas, Los Gatos, Cupertino, Saratoga and San Jose.
the humane society will continue to accept owner drop offs, (referred to owner surrenders) from all cities, and strays from the remaining cities in our county.  it is estimated that the new facility in San Jose is equipped to house 20,000 annually
what this means for the humane society is that the number of strays or injured animals will essentially be cut by one third, allowing the humane society to concentrate on the "more adoptable" pets, becoming more of a "no-kill shelter"
the only reason any facility can claim "no-kill" status is because they are allowed to be extremely selective in which animals they will allow to be accepted at their facility .. if any animal is deemed unadoptable for ANY reason (whether the animal has behavior or medical issues) they will not accept it
what this change means to the Humane Society is that instead of focusing the majority of their man hours in processing unadoptable pets, is that we will now have the privilege on focusing on spending more quality time with the adoptable pets to ensure that they find suitable homes and to ensure that their stay at the shelter, regardless of duration, is a positive experience for the dog or cat
i am so looking forward to the changes .. the thought of being able to spend as much time as necessary with each animal in behavior check .. being able to spend more time socializing adoptable dogs rather than being faced with a daily processing list of 20 - 30 dogs to process in 8 hours
dogs like Twix are going to benefit .. when he was healthchecked last weekend, he was so happy just to spend time with people .. the lovable big lug was content to sit at our feet and watch us.. once he greeted each one of us making sure we knew he was there, all he wanted to do was watch .. content to feel included i suppose
yesterday, after a week in the adoption kennels, he wasn't his goofy self .. he's a large imposing boy who can't help that his previous owners decided to chop off his ears to make him look more ferocious .. he just wants to play like any of the other dogs
sadly, the volunteers, the "dog socializers" pass him by .. there wasn't one socializer card in his envelope after a week .. why?  i've seen the volunteers make their way, from puppy to puppy, even though there are dozens of larger dogs who have been there for months
why?  yesterday we had NO open kennels in adoptions .. each kennel had anywhere from 1 to 4 dogs each .. half the day was spent attempting to partner up the dogs in the single kennels with another dog to free up a kennel .. unless you reach a certain experience level in dog socialization, you are not allowed to remove any dog from their kennel .. you socialize inside the kennel .. put 2 dogs (or 3 - 4 small dogs) in one kennel, PLUS a socializer, there simply isn't room to breathe let alone play .. you put 2 pits or other large dogs together in one kennel and only the bravest most experienced socializers will dare enter the kennel
why?  the puppies are more fun .. it doesn't take any skill or training to play with a puppy .. the larger, stronger, sometimes fierce looking dogs are intimidating to the young girls who volunteer at the humane society to play with the puppies and kittens
i understand completely .. i really do .. but my heart still goes out to the dogs who sit day after day in the adoption kennels, only being socialized when those of us that work in healthcheck aren't bogged down with processing 20 - 30 new dogs daily
dogs need time to be socialized with as many new dogs as possible .. it keeps their social skills sharp, allowing them to be more adoptable to families who already have pets at home .. if a dog spends too much time alone or with a single kennel mate, they can quickly lose their social skills
you can read more about San Jose's new Animal Care Facility here:
Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services
or here:
Humane Society Can Focus on Core Mission: Finding Loving Homes for Pets

was it more than a "game" for #42 ?

this morning i had the opportunity to revisit a time in my life that i've decided was best kept locked away in my closet of skeletons .. filled with those memories that need to be examined carefully ...

and this is the head noise that resulted ~
i really got into football when my son played varsity in highschool .. i learned more about the game, the positions .. the plays .. the dedication .. the hard work .. the effort that it takes in highschool football maintaining a respectable grade average while practicing the game 5 hours a night .. .. but then i went and learned about the politics and then i learned about the way that some young mens already fragile self esteem is tied directly to the outcome of the "game"
thankfully his dad moved and my son was back in our hometown for my son's senior year in high school .. my daughter and i made an effort not to miss a single game .. we'd make signs to hold up during the game .. hearing people yell my son's name during the game when he finally got ahold of the ball .. seeing his name mentioned in the local newspapers .. he even managing to grab a few seconds being highlighted on the local news broadcast .. making an effort to be sure he was on time for all the weekly team dinners .. running down to the school a few nights a week to watch him practice 5 hours a night during the week .. holidays included .. i figured if he couldn't sit and have thanksgiving dinner with us the least we could do was to watch him practice his beloved game


it was the best of times .. it was the worst of times
and then one special young man fumbled the ball on the 2 yard line during the last few seconds of a game .. his team lost by 2 points .. it was an important game, homecoming .. and instead of having the time of his life at his senior homecoming, my son walked slowly off the field, head hung low .. refusing to make eye contact with his mom .. his heart breaking for letting his school down, letting his team down, letting his friends down .. yea ok, the game before he made 5 touchdowns but all that seemed to have been forgotten


i treasure the newspaper articles .. the videos of the news broadcasts .. his "Go Spartans ~ 2002 Homecoming"cup, filled with little candies, made by the school cheerleaders for each member of the team .. after the game i followed my son out to mid-field .. there was no way i was going to let him slink away in shame and self-doubt .. he handed me his cup asking me "Mom, will you keep this for me" .. and i have ..
i haven't watched a game of football since and that was nearly 2 years ago .. i figure one day he'll speak again of his highschool football career and he'll remember the entire 4 years instead of the last 4 seconds .. and maybe .. just maybe .. we'll sit down and watch a football game together again
and when he's laughing, when i know in my heart that he's let his heartbreak go .. just for kicks i'm going to bring out his homecoming cup and politely ask him if he wants a piece of candy .. and if he laughs at the sight of his momma bringing out some stale years old candy for a half-time treat, i'll know i can let go of my own heartbreak

so sorry :-(

no time today to do a voice entry .. i tried going into the kennels once, with the intention of recording it via AOL by phone .. and i swear the dogs must have heard what was up because they were oddly quiet

guess its true that rumors on AOL journals really do spread like wildfire eh?

anyway, i'm beat .. 9 hours at the shelter and we managed to healthcheck 20 dogs .. and i fell in love with a little terrier mix lady named China .. she's a lap dog from the word go .. she climbed into my lap and sat there while i updated data in the computer for at least 30 minutes .. when her kennel mate came over to get a bit of attention she actually growled .. it was rather comical this baby dog not even weighing 6 pounds doing her best to appear ferocous lol

i had a blast even though i'm exhausted .. i got to work with a new partner in healthcheck, Alexis .. i've seen her around the shelter but never had the opportunity to work side by side with her before .. within a short amount of time we had the radio blasting in health check, dancing and singing to oldies while Tank, the cutest little 6 month pit danced with us .. turns out Alexis gave her notice yesterday and plans to find a new job .. i'm going to do my best to talk her out of it :)

i was hoping that Twix would get his mugshot up in the humane society's adoption page so that i could share it and y'all could see what a lovable big lug he is, but his pic wasn't there .. hopefully they'll put his pic up next week unless he's already found a home by then

on that note, i'm off to indulge in a much deserved glass of wine ~