Face to face.

Remember back in the good ol' days where most communication took place face to face?  Trust me when I tell you, I am not one that would ever bash on technology (while you are reading the words I am typing from Black Forest while working on another computer) BUT...there was a time when you had to say something to someone's face and bottom line you just simply knew better.  I met one of my brother's friends this weekend for the first time at his BBQ - no matter what that man would have said, I would not have just called him a moron.  Even if he was one.  I was reading a recent news story about a woman who got a pedicure and a bonus infection that caused major surgery.  I read the article...took it into advisement...and honestly looked at my toes and thought to myself OMG do I need a pedicure.  However when I read the comments on the article written by Trolls (as we call them in the industry) I was amazed to hear how many people said no kind words, not even Wow that stinks.  But instead they were all circulated around well that's what you get for going to a cheap place...did you watch them clean out the basin before you stuck your feet in? -no, well then it's your fault.  Hmmmm.  Interesting.  I like to sum up this watched encounter by using the comedian Louis CK as a reference.  Below is a video of him on Conan O'Brian that I think sums up what's different between face to face and through the digital world.  If you don't have time to watch it...this is my favorite set of lines talking about why his kids aren't allowed to have smart phones.

I think these things are toxic, especially for kids...they don't look at people when they talk to them and they don't build empathy. You know, kids are mean, and it's 'cause they're trying it out. They look at a kid and they go, 'you're fat,' and then they see the kid's face scrunch up and they go, 'oh, that doesn't feel good to make a person do that.' But they got to start with doing the mean thing. But when they write 'you're fat,' then they just go, 'mmm, that was fun, I like that.'  

The whole video is here - Louis CK on Conan O'Brian

Simmer down Crystal

Well the tyrant was in full effect this weekend.  Tadd hosted a BBQ at his house in honor of his birthday, so my job was appetizers.  The girls and I loaded up and went to the store Sunday morning to get the supplies we needed.  Of course they picked out the cart with the car attachment that makes it impossible to maneuver, I start in with my usual keep hands feet and heads in the cart and to yourself speech and then head on over to the produce section.  Park the cart against the cooler and begin to pick out jalapenos.  I caught a glimpse of something and heard some rustling, so of course I assume it was one of the girls riffling through the veggies.  Without skipping a beat the feared King snapped under her breath something about knocking it off and keeping your hands to yourself.  Just then I actually turned my head and some poor old woman dropped her bags of produce.  Now I am apologizing and helping her regain her sense of going to the grocery store without being verbally attacked.  Perfect Crystal.

Juggling

Juggling....

See that slightly pudgy clown standing in the corner with the sad face because her balls dropped?!?!  Yeah that's me.  I had a mandatory meeting this afternoon at the same time as I needed to get Austin to school.  So in my infinite reason I thought I could just be a little early to the conference call and a little late to Austin's school.  Took the call on the road and as I was getting out of my car to drop Austin off, I hung up the phone accidentally.  Guess who has two thumbs and didn't bring the call info with me?  At least it was only required by the legal department, not like it was important or anything.  I am still shaking my head.  I know most days I juggle too much but most days I manage to pull it off which I guess makes days like today a little harder to pick up from.

More meetings this afternoon, followed by trying to get the girls to Joe in time for me to make it to darts.  Mama's gonna need a beer.  Oh yeah and did I mention that I am attempting to not drink every single night.  I know give me a effin medal, but it is extremely hard for me in our lifestyle not to have a drink a night.  But I am sure somewhere it is bad for me, at least in my waist line it is.  Shoot this week alone I have made it two full days without drinking, of course not consecutively - let's not be crazy or anything. *Cheers*

The nurse, a pit bull and death row.

Sounds like the start to a bad joke huh?

Nope more like what swirls around in my head on a daily basis.

The nurse - I jinxed myself the other day by saying that the girls have been remarkably well behaved as of late, they play nicely together and listen well.  And then...they got sick.  Currently they are on the downward side of being sick and finally starting to feel good enough for Austin to go back to school, but there for a week or so they were miserable, chewing each other's faces off.  And I suppose as the adult I had several options, I could have stepped in more but instead I just allowed them to turn the playroom into a MMA fighting ring and hope that I have one surviving heir.  Why you may ask...because I have less sympathy in my body than the water bottle I am staring at.  Sometimes I can squeak out some empathy but sympathy runs dry in these parts.  So when you are sick in my house you get 6 hours.  That's a good part of a day to lay around, moan and groan, talk snippy and overall be a pain.  But then you have to muster, you have to get up and take care of your life and all that it entails.  ***Sorry I just actually laughed out loud - because*** Joe keeps talking about getting his knee worked on and I remind him that he's got 6 hours when he gets home to work through it.  I think this frightens him enough to stall the surgery.  I find myself gazing out at our children with the snot running down their faces and just shaking my head, please for the love of all that is holy can you find a tissue and an attitude adjustment.  Therefore I think I would make a terrible nurse.

Pit bulls are a very heated topic nowadays.  There was a 1 year child bit yesterday here in Colorado by a pit bull type breed and the story on Facebook has prompted over 1,500 comments.  I can't remember anything else causing that kind of stir on my news-feed.  Both sides believe so wholeheartedly that they are correct that it is as if we were arguing religion or politics.  It's amazing to watch.  Although I must admit that I stay completely out of it, only because I know I own a breed of dog that can and I am sure has killed someone...I don't say that it's the owner not the breed or that if raised right no dog would ever do that.  I try and live with my eyes wide open and my jaws clenched.   Both Hiro and Kuma have growled once at one of the kids, my answer to this behavior (though I am sure Caesar Milan would argue), I beat um' all.  The kids, the offending dog, the dog sitting there minding it's own damn business.  Basically in my perfect world Mom is the scary one.  Is it better for a King to be feared or loved?  In the case of animals that someday can eat me, I would like to think that fear has a great deal to do with respect.

Death row - We had our first prisoner come up for execution here in Colorado since 1997, so the debate has been getting more press.  While I can argue it many different ways both for and against, I am not a supporter of the death penalty.  Currently we have a democratic Governor in Colorado so it never really came to having to execute this man, Hickenlooper pardoned him just as we all thought he would.  I suppose on some level it comes down to the morality of the crime in your mind.  Most people that I talk to have a personal algorithm as to what would qualify for the death penalty versus life in prison, and from what I have gathered none of these have ever matched.  Yet the judicial system in each state draft rules for what they would see fit, it's an odd way in my mind of taking something that very few people agree on and passing it down to the masses oh yeah and resulting in the death of a person at the end of it all.

Bunch of random nothings...

I have been drafting a blog in my mind for days, if not weeks now and can't seem to put enough together to make it "real" so instead of continuing to wait I have opted for the blurb like style.

We took 52 friends with us to Wolf Creek for Valentine's Day weekend, 4 days, 5 houses and gallons (literally gallons of Fireball whiskey).  What a fantastic trip?!?!?!  Hoss and his brother flew in, Helen flew in and her and I were able to gossip the whole way to the resort (a 4 hour drive) and the whole way home.  Not to mention my parents, and my brothers all came.  It was fantastic and if you ask my Mom I just got smarter with each sip of whiskey throughout the weekend. :-)  We even rented skis for the girls, Tyler will need therapy and managed to scream profusely through it but Austin LOVED it.

Getting all ready to take off down the slope.

This is what it looks like when you pack for that many people for four days.

Just look at those smiles...how could you not have fun with those ladies?

Meowser managed to catch a mouse the other day, to which I placed a heavy glass bowl over so the girls could watch it.  I had to walk off to check on work, told them both to not touch the glass bowl...minutes later I hear "Goose let the mouse go".  Whelp I guess that was his freedom pass.

I am not a very sentimental person, I try to be don't get me wrong.  But at the end of the day when we were evacuated from our house I was more concerned about taking the camera than the photos.  Obviously most everyone I talk to has issue with this, making sure to point out that I should keep Austin school work and such.  Again, I try...but it ends up in a pile of dust and then I throw it away.  The other day while in my "trying to sentimental attempts", I walked into my office to find Austin cutting up the very same Valentine's Day heart that she made me - complete with the little paint hand prints and everything...this one I was really going to try and keep I swear.  She looked up excitedly and exclaimed that she was making me a Kitty Meow Meow...problem solved, she whacked it up which now means that it is for sure trash.  Perfect.

Work has been keeping me busy, but not with actual work but rather with conference calls.  I spend a crazy amount of time on the phone, threatening the girls to be quiet.  Some days I will have three calls...which means at least a total of 3 hours where the house needs to be near silent.  In a corporate world I see families and especially children as a hindrance and a liability which is why my team doesn't know I have kids or am married...none of their business.  Let's face it, if my daughters need something at the same time as my boss needs something you know who wins...but you also know in this scenario that I can't let one another know who won.  So I run around like a crazy person with my finger to my mouth in an effort to keep everyone on their best behavior.  I only have to say the occasional "oh sorry I was talking into mute...meanwhile spanking my kids and running to the garage where I know it will be quiet....what were you saying?".

Hiro and Kuma are best friends which is super cute to watch.  I can't decide if Hiro needs to be by Kuma for safety and comfort or because he thinks he's the boss.

Baths

Once a week Joe takes Kuma to work with him.  Let's be honest...this dog is going to be massive and we have been entrusted with the responsibility to make sure he stays social and doesn't become aggressive.  We both take that responsibility very seriously.  So one of his learning experiences is to go with Joe for the whole day...sometimes that is mostly at the shop, he goes to the bank, the car dealership for oil changes, the bar if Joe has time, just anywhere that Joe goes.  It's fantastic for Kuma and we will be rotating in Hiro when he gets better about house training.  So today Joe decided to take Kuma so I gave him a bath, trimmed his finger nails and brushed his teeth...of course since Hiro is here now I decided to throw him in the mix.  My Mom always used to say nothing builds relationships faster than a common enemy.

Bound by their mutual hate for me and the baths.

At some point Hiro decided that he HAD to get just a smidgen closer to Kuma.  It's hard to believe that these two are only 3 months apart.  I bet Kuma's body hurts growing that freaking fast.

Wow.

Remember the old saying "If you have nothing nice to say...".  I've been full of piss and vinegar lately, so much so that it has kept me from blogging for a month now.  Wow!

I am feeling better now, so let's give this a whirl.

The shop gotten broken into again Friday night.  I can't really describe what it's like to be sitting at home watching on the cameras as someone tears through so much of your investment.  It hurts your heart and I try not to on the 911 call but I am sure I sound like it is an actual person that is being hurt rather than a business.  Meanwhile we are having to jump through more and more regulations, making our costs go up.  It's a tough business not to throw your hands up in the air at times.

I am still gainfully employed...YAY!  I have been picking up more projects and anything else that I can to try and stay that way.

We are working through the figures on the expansion of the business, which I really don't need to go into for anyone reading this to know that it must be stressful.  

I happened to be talking about the Myers Briggs test the other day with Joe so I had him take it just to see what he got.  (If you have never taken one, it is a pretty neat perspective on your personality and you can take it here for free Myers Briggs and then you can find some explanations including the types here Myers Briggs and Temperments).  I am a ESFJ which means that I am a provider..."Providers are observant, cooperative, informative, and expressive. They are greatly concerned with the health and welfare of those under their care and they are the nurturers of established social institutions such as businesses, churches, social clubs, and schools. Providers are the most sociable of the Guardians and they strive to provide friendly social service. They spend a lot of their energy making sure social functions are successful, traditions are upheld, and the needs of others are met."  Yep nailed it.  Whereas Joe is a ESFP which is the performer..."Performers are tactical entertainers, concrete in speech and utilitarian in action. In social situations, they are informative and expressive.^[2]The most fun-loving of all the types, Performers excel at delighting others with their artistry and humor. They continually seek stimulating experiences with those around them. Performers dislike being alone, which is seldom a problem because they naturally attract the attention of other people. They live in the fast lane, keeping abreast of the latest trends. They are drawn to sensory pleasure, sometimes without thought for the consequences. Though Performers are more subject to temptation than the other types, their zest for enjoying life is mostly a healthy pursuit. Incurable optimists, they are generous to a fault. They live in the moment and trust that tomorrow will take care of itself. "  And there's Joe.  The problem that we both have is that our "perfect matches" are exactly what we are EXCEPT for the "E" which means extrovert rather than "I" for introvert, so his exact match would be an ISFJ and mine a ISFP.  See our issue?  So we are both super outgoing and when we argue neither of us take a back seat very well.  It's no wonder that we both agree that we don't believe in divorce but we'd both bury one another in the back yard.

We went to New Mexico this weekend to pick up the second puppy, we left the girls with Grandma and Papa and decided to stay at a casino.  Somehow it wasn't as much fun to throw money away right after a major break-in but I still gave it a good try.  Wallets a little lighter we picked up Hiro (which means abundant or tolerant in Japanese).  His full AKC name will be Moonlight's Raiden, after the Japanese God of Thunder and Lightening. 

Just look at that face!!!

Austin simply had to "dress him up" this morning.

His favorite place to sleep, at least while he is so small.

 Until that pesky table bucks him out.

  Of course we had to get a second puppy...just look at this beast - he is just not a puppy anymore, weighing in well over 70 pounds already at only 5 months old.

Austin still loves school and I still loath it.  We have never been approached about a play date or anything else, and I am sure it's because I stand there, jaw clenched nearly shaking my head the whole time.  If I can be frank...and I can, because it's my blog.  We have a perfect mix of trash and judgement in the school parents.  So either they would hate us or we would want nothing to do with them.  It's an odd situation for someone like me that's so outgoing to be in.  Our other choice is private school where it would be less trash, possibly more judgement and nearly all white and affluent.  I do love that Austin's school is so diverse even though that means 50% of her class has a learning disability of some sort.  Joe had some employee changes at work so he is there a lot more now, which means that I take Austin and pick her up four days a week for a total of nearly three hours a day I am away from my computer.  Sigh.  

So then this morning, I go to feed the fish in my office - we have 5 total and I only count 4.  Hmmm, weird.  So I finally ask Joe to come in and make sure I am not somehow missing him hiding in a clear tank.  Joe opens the cabinet door and somehow the fish had jumped out of the back of the fish tank and fell into the cabinet.  We both say our "well damn's" and Joe goes to pick him up.  HE'S STILL ALIVE!  Even though he's all dry.  Freaking crazy fish.  He's the large white and orange one pictured here swimming around like he hadn't been dehydrated this morning.