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Got some new babies at my house!

Not sure what type bird they are, but they currently reside in a fern hanging on my back porch! It's funny how this happened...cause we lost Pluto yesterday!

Pluto was our rowdy parakeet, but we had grown to love him! He was Hallie's, a gift from Peepaw for her 4th birthday. We're not sure what happened to him, but this nest of new birdies is right outside the window where we put his cage. So, with death came life, or so it seems.

In other news....my neighbor's are about to have a new baby at their house too. Currently taking it easy, April will be bringing the little guy into the world in the next couple of weeks! We're so excited for her, daddy ~Chris~ and big sister ~Courtnee~!

Who Knew?

The cows are depleting the ozone. Who knew? I mean, cows have only been on the planet for how many years?

Now, folks want to tax those farmers tending thier herds for....what? What's the motive here? What will the money from the tax on superfluous cows go toward? Will it be earmarked for education? Global warming research funding? Will it go to improve roads? WHAT? I'm just not buying the fact that it's all to save the world. Sorry.

This seems so absurd to me. I mean, these farmers are making a living providing the public with the items they need to have strong healthy bones and teeth. Holy cow!!!! How is this going to affect the "Got Milk" campaigns if the farmers are forced to "off" part of their herd for affordability? I'll tell you how...the price of products derived from moo-cows is going to skyrocket! Milk will go up. Cheese. Butter. Meat. The list goes on, I'm sure. I imagine goats aren't polluting the ozone with their gaseous nature, so we should all switch to goat cheese and milk. Or maybe, someone will come up with a milk product that looks, tastes and drinks like milk with the same nutritional value that isn't actually milk. Ha! Doubtful.

I wonder how this happens. How does it come that we blame cows and their farts and belches for the depleting ozone? I feel certain we as a people are doing a pretty good job of depleting the ozone on our own. Cows are just defenseless and easy to blame I guess.

It just seems so nonsensical...especially when the world is going to end December 21, 2012 anyway - according to Nostradamus.

(What? If you believe cows are the reason we're all going to die from the ozone opening up then you probably believe that too.)

Me, personally, I'm not sure what to believe about it all. I just know that I'm not buying into the cow theory just yet. I feel certain there are greater factors at risk here and the farmers out there shouldn't be penalized for owning livestock that may be contributing to the deterioration of the Earth's ozone with their flatulence.

Try this theory on for size: There are certainly more people on the planet than cows, right? Therefore, the amount of gaseous effect depleting the ozone would be larger coming from humans than cows, right? So, on your next income tax return don't forget to check the box marked 'Human'. That way, the federal government can hit you with a "Flatulence Tax". They'll probably base it on the size of your household. The more folks in your house, the more gas being emitted from said house. Oh...but wait! For those with acid reflux present in the confines of your home, you'll be taxed additionally for you being more likely to introduce these toxins into the air - due to your condition and all.

I foresee there being some contraption designed that we can wear over our faces (and posteriors) that will catch the erroneous odors emitted and change them into plant thriving elements. (Something like a water filter for your faucet.) There will have to be different designs for animals and humans alike. Maybe, someone else could design cool covers or faceplates to allow you to personalize your very own ozone replenishing mask! I can hear Billy Mays now - "Make your Fart Filter the envy of all your friends with these crazy covers! They'll be saying Wow! Call now and get not one, not two but three covers! One for church, one for work and one for the night on the town with that special someone. And if you call within the next ten minutes, you’ll get a set of our matching covers for your Fart Filter! One for you and one to gift to a friend!”

Crazy! What are your thoughts?

Seasons of Change...

It's been a while since I've posted. No reason in particular other than trying to keep up with everyday life. What's been going on with me? Well...where should I start? We're really looking forward to Turkey Day at our house! We get to travel to Atlanta to celebrate at Uncle Derek's house! It's always good to go visit them and the kids absolutely love their cousins Nick and Chris! They are just too cool for school!

I'm crazy addicted to this Swaptree site! It's a sickness...for real! I'm mailing books and getting books at least once a week and it's awesome! I wonder if it will be a fad that will fade like MySpace was for me. We'll see.

I'm trying really hard (and doing pretty good) to remember to take my new Thyroid medicine the Dr. put me on. I have noticed a difference, so that's good. Are you officially 'gettin' on up in the years' when you have to start taking maintenance medication? Oh well...like it matters. Better now than when it's too late.

The kids and I are reading Harry Potter. We read a chapter each night and Hallie is loving it! She's way more into it than Hayden, but he'll come around. The first book is a struggle to get through anyway, but you gotta read it to know what's going on! The two of them amaze me everyday with their knowledge! (Hayden did manage to stump me with some math...but that's for a different blog. I'll try to get that one up tomorrow or the day after!)

We have four puppies left from Jacee's litter! They are adorable! I have three black girls and one black boy left. Any takers? They're cuties! So sweet, huge paws and short hair like a lab. The daddy dog is quite a story too...I'll elaborate more in another blog.

And today, I went through the roughest day at work I've ever had. We went through some layoffs at work this afternoon and when I tell you it was hard, I'm not even scratching the surface on describing it. It was heart wrenching to watch your friends and co-workers pack up their stuff, walk out and know that they won't be back tomorrow. I was lucky to not be among them, but I'm one of the many left behind to make sense of it all. It's hard not to question management in situations like this because you don't have all the pieces to the puzzle. You might think you could have done a better job at this or handled things more professionally or in a better manner, but no matter how you deliver it....it's still the same bad news. I struggle like anyone else to make sense of the decisions, but I hope for everyone's sake that they were decisions made that will benefit everyone in the long run. I'm hopeful that the company will learn to be more efficient through this; I'm confident that some of these folks got a kick start into retirement and perhaps they'll learn how to relax all over again; I'm optimistic that a situation like this can throttle people into something they might never have tried otherwise; and I'm also painfully aware of the economy and how much worry and stress everyone of those individuals is feeling. I feel sad that they're gone...very sad. But, what is life if not a roller coaster, right?

More pictures of the puppies!

Well...back by popular demand - more puppy pictures! There's several here! The pup with the white streak on his head has been named (appropriately so) Harry Potter! Feel free to change her name is you decide to take her. They're a week old now and still haven't opened their eyes or ears. They are grunting a lot more and requiring more food from Jacee (also pictured below)

and she's been a great mommy. The kids adore them. Not sure how that seperation is going to go when the time comes. Oh well...

Hallie holding the one we call Harry Potter!

The one we call Harry, again!

No name for this one yet, but look at that face....precious, right?

Here they are - one big happy bunch! They spend most of their day like this.

Aren't they adorable!

And their mama - Jacee!

New Babies In the House!!!

My dog, Jacee, had puppies on Thursday night and they just might be the most adorable creatures I've ever seen. I'm unsure of their deadbeat daddy or his whereabouts...but they are super-cute! See the picture above! I'm looking for great homes for each of them. I believe they are Lab/Golden Retriever mix. However, it's a bit too soon to tell. Soooooo....drop me a line (jmbw4au@hotmail.com) if you're interested! They were born on September 25th - so they'll be ready about six weeks from that date. I have six females and three males.

Look What the Cat....errrr....Dog Dragged In!

WARNING!!!!!!! GRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY FOLLOWS!!! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!

As most fellow petowners can attest....you get some interesting "presents" from the four legged, furry friends. My pet is no different. The picture speaks for itself, I think.

So.....that's it. I had a cat once and I was often given chipmunks, squirrels, mice, etc. But, I've been given a deer leg. I thought, at first glance, "Wow! Jacee actually caught a deer!? That's crazy!" But, I'm pretty sure that I'm neighborly with a hunter. Perhaps that hunter just isn't so thorough in their cleaning process.

Regardless, just another day in the life of having pets, right? Anyone got anything to top a deer leg?