Monday, August 16, 2010

Kicked in the shins. Big Bad Collars.


I have a lot of thoughts running through my head right now.  If I sound discombobulated, I am.  I will attempt to combobulate the discombobulated.

You see, I feel like life keeps kicking me in the shins. And I am getting pretty bruised.

I want to kick back, but there is nothing to kick.  No opportunity to block, no chance to sidestep.

 Frustrating.


So what do you do?

I think that is what defines us. 

So what am I going to do about it?  Most importantly I am going to stand up again tomorrow, and do it all over again tomorrow.  That is the only way I can even have a chance to kick back.  Simply, you have to be on your feet in order to run with the opportunity when it does come to you.

Vayden up there was kicked pretty hard by fate.

You see, Vayden belongs to a friend of the family.  A friend of a friend had this neighbor who had gotten a new puppy.  And it kept getting out.  And out.  And out.  Every time this friend of a friend had rescued the puppy from the street, alley... her porch where it had learned to come knowing it was a safe place...she faithfully returned it to her neighbor.  Then this neighbor made a comment that opened a world of opportunity for her.  He made it clear that although his daughter would miss it, the puppy didn't really need to come back home...ever.  The next day the puppy was gone,  again.

This time the puppy was lost.  

Somehow the puppy couldn't find its way out of this friend of a friend's living room.  

Phone calls were made.  Eventually Vayden met my friend Sheila.  He was skittish, dirty, hungry, beaten down... and slowly being choked to death by a nylon puppy collar that had never been adjusted as he grew.  And he was oh so sweet.

Opportunities are there to change the direction of our fates, the direction of our lives.  The opportunities are sometimes presented by the most unlikely sources.  Sometimes we have to take the opportunity, sometimes we have to make it ourselves, sometimes we have to do a combination of both.  No matter how, we must be on our feet in order to get the opportunity...and go!

I intend to be standing tall.  Today, tomorrow, the next day.  No matter how hard life keeps kicking me in the shins.  And when the opportunity comes, I just hope I roll with a John Wayne saunter as I go.


correction:  I apologize to Sheila.  I confused Vayden with Raisin  :-).  (Please don't tell Raisin!)  Raisin and Vayden are both members of Sheila's pack of rescues.  Vayden has a similar story in the way that Sheila was contacted again by yet a different friend and told of a dog in need of a good house full of love.  Vayden's story is different in the way that his life was much worse than Raisin's and he needed a lot more help to adjust to the family.  And Sheila came through, again.  What is clearly the same in both stories is that Sheila is a caring, loving woman with a pushover heart!  (Thankfully for Raisin and Vayden!).

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Wiener Dog Song

Okay...it's 2:45 in the morning...and the blogging aspirations must yield to the need for sleep!
Therefore I leave you with this profound social commentary:

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The Spokane Song by Jewel.

The Spokane Song by Jewel.  OMG!

When I saw this on facebook from some friends back home, I honestly thought it was a virus!  This is wonderfully hilarious!  Thanks Jewel! from an ex-pat from the little town that never actually realized it was a city!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Afghani stray that stopped suicide bomber: SAVED!


UPDATE 8/02
Rocky: A True Military Hero
Operation Baghdad Pups: No Dog left Behind
 Rocky has been rescued!  Thanks to the coordinated efforts of many different animal welfare organizations, Rocky was rescued from Afghanistan last week.  In 2009, Rocky and another camp dog intercepted a disguised suicide bomber as he attempted to enter U.S. Army barracks and explode himself.  Rocky and Sam stopped the bomber in his tracks, forcing him to explode his lethal weapon before reaching the barracks, and saving countless lives.  Unfortunately, Sam suffered fatal injuries.

Rocky, a true military hero has the retirement he deserves - a safe and loving home in the United States.  Rocky will be living with, David, one of the soldiers that he saved on that fateful day in Afghanistan.  We are extremely grateful to Rocky, Sam, David and all the troops who are serving in Afghanistan to protect our way of life here at home.  

Friday, August 6, 2010

Bloggerlutions. Big Bad Collars.

 I simply wish I had more hours in the day.  I have always felt we need 3 day weekend:  1 day to sleep on the couch, 1 day to do chores, 1 day for family and friends.  With the attention span of a gnat...I start everything...and finish nothing.  Luckily for my husband...and these hard economic times...I am not much of a shopper.  Unfortunately for my husband, I am project person that is never satisfied with painted walls.  To me, once you get the walls painted, it just points out how much more can...NEEDS (or I will go insane)...to be done! (Yet I can't stay long enough with the first project before tearing into the next...breathe...focus...)

With this in mind, I am officially stating my BLOGGERLUTIONS!  (I love this whole blog world...it just begs for more made up language to go with the made up word "blog".  Yes, my nerd is showing again...)

1.  To Write more!  To find a regular routine of writing and hopefully interesting topics for the world to read!
2.  Post more pictures!  Thinking a silly dog picture contest....
3.  Make more!  I need to get the ideas out of my head and into real, tangible things!
4.  Work out 5 days a week.  I have 40 lbs to lose and  a bet with a friend that if I lose the weight, she has to lose the mom-jeans!  It's not good to be wearing the same style as President Obama...First Lady Obama I could handle...
5.  Find a blog-schtick!  Something interesting to keep things humming along...
6.  Make the world a better place.  I am feeling a little to futile, ineffective and marginalized lately!  Sadly I think many of us feel that way right now...time to do some JOHN WAYNE around here!
7.  Launch my "Dust Rhinoceros" blog...because I do believe life is a shared experience.  It's nice to know we are not alone...no matter how bad we mucked it up today...
8.  Actually train my dogs...not just rely on their good nature...
9.  Win my war with the Mesquite Tree!  I have got to post pictures of the thorns on that sucker...5 inches I %^&** you not!
10.  Hike the Grand Canyon...coming November...and make it back out not on the 6 o'clock news!
11.Caulk the tub...long overdue...
12.  Grow pumpkins!
13.  Lauch my super awesome formal wear line!  Dog collars that work...in Swarovsky!
14.  Have my family's christmas presents...from last year...finished before Dec. 25th!
15.  Become a Yoga goddess...okay the Yoga part may be setting the sights a little high...how about just Goddess!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

SOME OF US ARE JUST BORN WITH WINNING STYLE!


THE WINNERS ARE:
1.  blog:  Janice G.
2.  email:  Robert L.
3.   etsy: Bernolli
I will email the three winners now! Choose any item from the Big Bad Collars Etsy Store.
If there is an item that is chosen twice...it will simply be first dibs (using the time of email request).
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ALL!
NEXT MONTH (september) I will give away a CUSTOM COLLAR! designed by the winner of that contest!

SO DON'T GO AWAY!
There will also be a charity event!
New stuff coming!
Fantastic blogs written by me!
Silly dog pictures wanted at all times!
 

Monday, August 2, 2010

GIVEAWAY BLOGAWAY!!! LAST DAY!!!

GET HOPPING!
LAST DAY TO ENTER!


COMPETITION STILL LOW FOR BLOG SIGN UP AND ETSY HEARTS!

ARE YOU REALLY, REALLY EXCITED?!?
IT'S A GIVEAWAY!!!
IT'S A BLOGAWAY!
(yes I am shamelessly promoting!) 

THREE PRIZES TO WIN! 
and
THREE WAYS TO ENTER!:

1.  SEND ME AN EMAIL!
YOU KNOW IT:  HERE AND NOW! 
(And just in case you don't know it:  info@bigbadcollars.com) 
It can be as simple as "me me me" or great as "i love big bad collars".
(If I have your email already...just check in and say "hi" and you will be in!)  This will put you in my email list.  There will be more giveaways to come and couple charity items planned.  So don't go away!
(one email entry per person...you can email just to say you care, too!)

2.  GO TO ETSY AND "HEART" MY STORE!
RUN DON'T WALK:  GO! ETSY! GO GO GO!  
Scroll down the right side to "FAVORITES" and click "ADD SELLER TO FAVORITES".  Please "heart" my store for the giveaway.  Please heart items just because you love me! 

3.  SIGN UP AS A BLOG FOLLOWER HERE!
Scroll down the left side here and sign up!
 CLOSES MIDNIGHT, MON. AUG 2nd...if I don't have you by then, then you have to wait for the next round!
PRIZES ANNOUNCED TUES. AUG 3rd 

PRIZE:  choose one item, any item, from my Etsy store and it is yours!  There will be three winners:  one from each category!  

In the random case that the same person is chosen from two categories, then a second person will be drawn so that three separate people may win.

I will have the two year old (she can't count yet so you know it isn't biased!) draw a new and separate number for each category.  Counting from oldest to newest, the person who corresponds with that number will be the winner in that category!  

NEW ADDITIONS ALL THIS WEEK!

I will be adding new styles, new LEASHES, new items, new sizes all this week!

Don't have a dog?  YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOES!  just think, the next birthday, christmas is covered!

MAKE YOUR FRIENDS SIGN UP!  Get them to win the prize for YOU!

SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS!  (YES I NEED MONEY!  MY DESPERATION IS YOUR GAIN!)