dogs, Dogs, DOGS

I never was much for dogs. I don't like the way their nose is always wet and they lick you ALL The Time! I can't stand when they jump up on you and they bark incessantly. And typically they are much too needy. Nope, I am definitely a cat person.

I have known a few good dogs though.
There was Rouge, a roommates pet, that was a good dog. She would guard my bedroom door. She never begged, crowded you at the table, or snuck food while you weren't looking. She didn't bother the cats and I never even heard her bark. She was a good dog and I would love on her when I wanted. She even knew she wasn't allowed in my room but on occasion I would let her in so I could pet her but then she would go right back out again to guard my door. She never jumped up and I don't recall her ever being on the furniture. Yup, a very good dog.
(There were one or two others but I can't think of their name and they are no where near as good as Rouge anyway.)

Well, Marlin is a dog person. He has two. A boy, Beau, a good dog and Nakita, the female, a bad dog. Beau wants lovin' and at times it is a bit too much but he is a big lug of a dog so I don't mind it. He does bark and it drives me crazy or he starts whining in the middle of the night and I have to let him out. But all in all, he isn't so bad. He listens when I say get down. He comes when I call. Yup, he is alright.
Then there is Nakita. The Female. And I am quickly hating her. She doesn't listen to me. If she does, it is at her own slow pace. She has to sleep in the bed, and should I have to get up, she moves to my side. She used to not move at all till I forcibly moved her and then she acted like I ripped her leg off and then Marlin is worried I hurt her... yup, she is manipulative. She has started peeing and pooping in the house. It smells. Bad. He has tried to spank her (for a few days) and it didn't seem to work, so he gave up on that idea. I offered several different suggestions but he had reasons we couldn't do any of them. She apparently has a heat condition so she can't be outside when it is too hot. Then, once it cooled down, he was afraid she would escape the back yard and run away. We couldn't keep her in the bathroom on the tile, because she would claw the door and the garage was out of the question because the camper is in there and it is much too crowded for his baby girl. When we were spanking her, I used the flyswatter, which if you ask me did nothing to her but according to him, it gives her trauma and I can't use it anymore. So that was out. I offered the water/vinegar spray my sister suggested but never gotten any comment back on that (and I have mentioned it 3 times!). And don't even get me started on the way he talks to her; like a lover. I makes me sick!!!!!!!!!

I love him and he is wonderful but I hate that dog!

Now, I am a cat person and I LOVE cats. He knows this but apparently he is deathly allergic. His issues, he said, would be -
--the litter box. I would have to keep it clean. I agreed (even though I think cats should go outside). But he fears I won't (because a past girlfriend didn't). But never mind that I clean up the poo or that I step in the pee his dog leaves on the carpet.
--the smell. He can't stand the smell of cat pee or if it sprayed. (Yet his dog goes every day and he doesn't seem to notice).
--the dander.... Hello, you should see the dog hair! It is everywhere. I can't sit on my own bed without being covered in it. It is all over our blankets (and I do wash them often) so it is constantly blowing in my face... it drives me crazy. It is all over the couches. There is no place you can sit in this house without being covered. I can't vacuum everyday. I work. And even when we are cooking, it ends up in the food - now that is GROSS!

DOGS!!! I can not stand that dog! I tried. I tried loving on her. I tried scolding her. I don't even touch her now. I have nothing to do with her. She won't stop peeing and pooping on the floor and she needs to be outside.

a Gift

Whilst I had been living in San Antonio, I had been feeling a little down and a friend Alex gave me a little gift to make me smile.


(Alex is an IT guy at one of my former employers and so he updated my avatar as a surprise. It is a good one and I appreciated it. Thanks Alex!)

In Remembrance of Veterans

I Thank All of those who Serve.


Some have joined the military and fought battles on foreign lands.

Some joined and never saw battle but was ready at a moments notice to do their duty.

Some did not go but supported the troops while the rest of the country turned their back.

Some could not join but supported the family while they were away.

Thank you to those that fought, those that joined, those that stood up and those that kept close.

God Bless you all this Veteran's Day

My Prince

My God has sent me a Prince and I want to Praise Him!

My Father in Heaven has heard my prayers. He has comforted me when I cried out for a husband. He took notes, read my heart and sought out to bring me a good man and a fine husband. He has given me Marlin.

A few nights ago, we had planned on going to the Olive Garden for a date night out (per my request). I had offered later that we postpone to stay home and continue working on picking colors so we could have a better plan when we went shopping the following day. Marlin was so grateful that I had suggested it because he too was concerned about getting all this done. We spent the weekend shopping for tools, paint stripper, tools, curtains, tools, stain, tools, etc....(hahaha) and then we came home and he played with his tools to hang my curtains, and played with tools again to hang his fountain at the entry way and he even got to show and tell to a few friends that stopped by.

So Monday came and he had called me at work to ask about ripping the carpet up earlier than planned so we can save $500 by dumping it now with his parents (they are also replacing their flooring) instead of later. (There is that feeling of overwhelmed again) I tell him that I didn't want concrete floors for the winter and was this going to move the floor project up? I wanted to save the money too but I just don't see how we are going to get it all done now! So he calls back later to tell me he loved me and not to be frustrated with him during this time.

I spend the rest of the day in knots trying to decide if I should say "Go ahead, honey, I trust you know what you are doing and going to make good decisions with our budget and our plans..." OR put my foot down and say "No! Not another dime will be spent on anything until we get the kitchen and living rooms painted at least."

I get home to have the talk. I walk in the house to see him busy in the back yard. He runs in the house, grabs me and places his hand over my eyes and drags me to the bedroom to wait till he is comes and gets me, then dashes out again.

When he returns he leads me out to the back yard where he has started an intimate fire in the chimnette, placed a candle and two glasses of wine on a small bistro table in front of the fire. He gave me a sweet kiss and dashed in the house again.

Course One: Appetizers
Fried cheese with marina and garlic bread with butter

Course Two: Soup
Italian Chicken and Dumpling with Spinach

[it began to rain so we brought our "picnic" inside - not raining on this parade!]

Course Three: Main Course
Chicken Parmesan

He had gone to Olive Garden to give me a romantic evening since I had given him the time he wanted to work on the painting project. I much preferred this intimate dinner to a crowded loud restaurant anyway. It is nice to be taken out on a date sometimes but last night was perfect.

The evening concluded with him laying across the couch, head in my lap and falling asleep peacefully and I finishing the James Bond movie he picked out.

So here is a picture of my Fine Prince:
He is a fine looking Prince indeed.

3. Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. 4. He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.
5. Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. 6. His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.

Song of Solomon 2:3-6

16. My lover is mine and I am his
Song of Solomon


My Father has blessed me and I Praise HIM!
Amen!

Riggers of Remodeling

It is a process. It is an adventure, a headache, a learning experience.

My beau, Marlin, and I have been starting our "remodel". We aren't knocking down walls (thankfully) but we are taking out carpet, putting in hardwood flooring, painting, curtains, building a shed and back deck, laying down paverstone paths and putting in landscaping. Granted, not all at one time but we are starting with the painting and curtains.

Our theme: Country cottage

We both like the rustic and cozy feel and agree to most of the ideas but once in application, frustration sets in:
Marlin has to draw everything out right now and get the measurements of everything and pricing on the entire project and tools! for every thing to prepare for the upcoming projects. He says we have to do all this to submit for approval from the HOA which could take up to 6 months or so. He is the details and planning on the numbers side; pricing the lumber, determining the type of brace we need, buying the nail pressure gun, calculating the cubic inches, looking at blue prints of decks, buying software to virtually design it, and staking out the yard (even though we aren't building it for a year).
I am not as left brained. I like drawing out the plans for the landscaping and deck and yes, I want it all now too but I want to work on one project at a time. We both know we are working on a budget so I have a hard time seeing why we have to buy tools now we won't need for months. I understand we have to draw plans for approval for the HOA but do we need pricing for next years project when it is very likely the prices will have changed in a years time. He is so focused. I get overwhelmed with the entire project so I am trying to pace ourselves so we are only looking at what we need now for just painting; then we can look at buying another mantel or getting estimates on flooring, or buying pressure nail guns in two different sizes... etc.
Hence we get frustrated with how the other one works.
{sigh}
But I absolutely love him and am so glad that he can do all this stuff and I am so very happy that he will be working with (and learning from) my Poppa. Hopefully, this will bring them closer and Marlin will enjoying spending as much time them as he does with his family.

the space in between (chapter 2)

So if you have no one else, you should have your family. ... but sometimes those who have your back, may not even be related to you.

I had just been beaten up, and packed as much as I could into my truck, called a former roommate that had lived in the house with us, who had moved north of Austin, had driven back to San Antonio to help me load as much as he could into his car and follow me 2.5 hours north to my grandparents. I had called mom and my grandparents to let them know what was going on and ask my grandparents if I could stay at their house while they were out of town. Granny said "yes" and Poppa was concerned about having the electricity and water turned back on for me (since they had been out of the house for the summer, the utilities had been turned off ). This is when things started going haywire. From what I remember, Mom had talked to Trisa (her sister, my aunt) and she, Trisa, was suggesting I call Travis (thier brother, my uncle), of which I couldn't get a hold of. I couldn't get a hold of Trisa either so I am basicly on the phone with Mom the whole 2 hours bawling my eyes out at what I was going to do now since I couldn't get a hold of Travis and Trisa wouldn't come to Lampasas and oh boo whoo ... I was DISTRAUT!
Between talking to Mom and Granny & Poppa, it felt like I was getting further from San Antonio but not closer to a home or place to stay.
(I have only cried harder than that on one occassion and that was from a betrayed heart.)
As we pulled up to my grandparents and started to unload boxes into their workshed, Travis happened to drive by. He began asking questions as to why I was there and seemed very suspicious about the whole thing. From what Poppa had said earlier, Travis was supposed to give me the key and turn the utilities back on; but Travis said he hadn't talked to anybody. Due to his lack of interest in seemingly wanting to help out or being concerned at all, I just said I would stay in a hotel. --Needless to say, I stayed in a hotel that night and out of everyone's way.
(Please note that I am relaying my present state of mind in it's delicate condition at that time and am not intending to slander anyone).

So I spent the week staying in a hotel and looking on line for a job. The following weekend would change my life forever....

....stay tuned!

the space in between (chapter 1)

I know it has been a LONG LONG time since my last blog.... and SO VERY MUCH has happened. (hopefully in my long absence, I did not lose my one loyal reader hahahaha)



The update:

Well, Let's see. I was in San Antonio and Heather was visiting. It was a very nice visit. The wine probe was fun and I must admit that I had to pace myself and start alternating water after a glass or two. We also went to a dude ranch and had a blast and Heather even stood on a horse!!! ( I promise I will post the pictures soon). We went to the lake and went camping with some other friends of hers and it was nice to get a little sun on my translucent legs. Soon it was time to head back to Korea.

Some weeks later, Kevin and my living situation came to an unfortunate end. What started as a disagreement about living space soon turned into a physical altercation. We had been discussing his leaving trash on the kitchen for days and how it is our common area and we rent to live in this space etc.... suddenly he is up out of his chair, charging towards me, hand up and screaming within inches from my face. I had already started arching backwards to keep a distance but my instincts soon took over and I felt I needed to defend myself. I slapped him and told him to step back. This of course sparked the flame and he lunged towards me and from what I remember, we were grappling and wrestling around the kitchen. He was trying to punch me screaming "Not in his house" and I was trying to slam him into the cabinets to get him off me. It ended by him having me pinned down in the living room with my face pressed up against the stairs and him punching me in the back of the head. Needless to say, I called the police and left that night.

The ordeal was very traumatic for me but what possibly hurt worse was that I felt like the people that are most supposed to be there for you (family) weren't.

.........................to be continued...