Popping in to say....

...my feet are cold and the dogs are annoying me.

I love puppies, don't get me wrong. But until the last one leaves I'll be getting up multiple times through the night, listening to crying and trying not to allow their smell to permeate my entire house.

Until they're three weeks, I'm fairly lenient. After that, it's fair game. And this morning was the breaking point.

It wasn't the puppies who sent me over the edge. It was their mother. She had to go numerous times last night and when, at 5:30 this morning, I didn't want to let her out anymore, I didn't. So she shit all over the office. Not exactly her fault, I know. But still, very frustrating.

I laid blankets down on the porch, hauled them all out there and put up the baby gate. I told Jada that if she ran away, she might deserve to after keeping me up all night and leaving me unpleasant surprises. But in all reality, she won't run away. She can't jump the fence and she won't leave her babies.

Yes, it's kind of brisk outside but it was nearly 60 degrees when I left so I'm not too worried about them getting too cold. I'm more worried about Jada knocking over the baby gate and puppies roaming all over the porch.

And yes, my feet are cold.

Very cold.

Rambling...it's what I do

warning: this post will contain an assortment of ideas, updates and general ramblings of Me. But for your convienence, they've been categorically organized. Good luck. Oh, and this will probably take all day for me write.

CHRISTMAS ~ Actually getting my Christmas tree has been somewhat of a problem. I had intended to get it Saturday but I went shopping Saturday. Then it was Sunday but after church, work, Wal-Mart and watching the first half of the Cowboys/Steelers game, I just wanted to go home. So Monday it was. I left work early (at 3 p.m.) and tracked down a very fine Christmas tree at the one and only Wal-Mart. I had stopped by the nursery to try and do what I felt was the proper thing and that was "buy locally" but the only live Christmas trees they had were potted. Um, okay. Who wants a potted Christmas tree? She told me that people buy them and then plant them in their yard to remember by-gone Christmases. I told her I wasn't that sentimental.

So Wal-Mart it was. And I found the perfect tree. My only concern was getting it in the back of my car (a.k.a. station wagon) but it went. I made sure of it. :)

Decorating the tree was awesome and I sat back in Christmas wonder to take in the beauty of the creation. Beautiful moment. :)

PUPPIES ~ In true puppy fashion, they're annoying the crap out of me. They'll be three weeks old tomorrow and they're at that age where the only way they know how to communicate is by crying. They cry when they're hungry, when they're eating, when they hear me come in the house, when I'm changing their beds, when they're trying to play, when I'm holding them, petting them, talking to them....cry, cry, cry. And they're too little to scold so I just close the two doors that are between them and the rest of the house and wait for them to fall asleep. Then, it's peace.


But they really are cute and growing so fast. They're starting to play and they really hate it when I go back to the puppy room (a.k.a. the laundry, a.k.a. my closet) and then leave. Boy, that pisses them off. They want attention all the time.

I had hoped to be moving them outside onto the porch but I haven't done it yet. I haven't figured out the weather here, it changes so quickly. And I don't want them to be outside and have it be 60 degrees out when I leave and then hours later have it be in the 30s and snowing (like it did Monday and Tuesday.) So for now they're chilling in the laundry room in front of their electric heater (which I unplugged today) and I'm enjoying the daily task of cleaning blankets, floors, pens, etc.

I've gotten a few calls about them and the people seem fairly interested so that's a plus.


WORK ~ Work is good. Last week was semi-brutal because I was solo Wednesday through Saturday and of course, shit hit the fan. The mines laid off 600 people, there was a shooting and something else happened Friday that I can't remember. But now that our sports editor is here, I feel as if there is some semblance of a schedule. And I'm not working 60 hours a week.


LIFE ~ Pretty broad, huh? :) But life here is evening out, it feels like. I have friends and people who are inviting me out. Tonight I actually have TWO things to go to. :) One is the birthday party for the police chief and the other is trivia night. So I'm pretty stoked. I've also found a church and am working on getting settled in that, networking, etc.

It's all a matter of perspective, really. And it takes a lot of work moving to a new place, if you want to be somewhat social. It's about putting yourself out there and making yourself available to the people you want to be friends with.


SNOW ~ We got our first snow of the season Monday night and everyone was laughing at me because I called it "a snow." I mean, I consider 2 inches a pretty good come-down. But they all are like, "oh, that's nothin'. what are you, a pansy?" I kindly reminded them I spent three winters in Minnesota and two in Wisconsin. No, I'm not a snow pansy. But I still contend that 2 inches of snow is a pretty good amount, especially when most of it was still on the ground on my way home last night.

But for the next week or so, temperatures are expected to rise into the high 50s and low 60s. I should know...I've only been talking to meterologists for two days.

Here's my thing about writing weather stories. First, just to get it out in the open, I really don't like writing weather stories. But I love talking to the weathermen. Their terminology cracks me up and their direct quotes are the best. However, I've done some thinking about why I don't like writing the stories and I think it's because I feel as though I'm telling the public what they already know.

"Snow fell this morning." No shit.
"It was cold early this morning." REALLY?

But as long as it keeps raining and snowing and storms blow in from the Pacific and two-part storm systems fly in from Arizona, I'll keep writing weather stories.

CHRISTMAS PARTY ~ I'm super stoked about that. I'm hosting our work Christmas party at my house and I do enjoy having parties.

Well, friends, for now that's about all I have. :)
Have a great hump-day.

Christmas spirit

If Christmas tree decorations, Christmas cards, stockings, poinsettas, garlands and red hot candy candles are indicative of the Christmas spirit, I've totally got it.

Admittedly, I was slightly concerned this year about the Christmas Spirit because I'm living alone. Totally and completely alone. As in, my house is void of any other human besides myself. So I approached the whole idea of Christmas decorations and a Christmas tree cautiously because I didn't want to send myself into Depressed Mode.

But as time has progressed and the weather's dropped colder and carols are being (annoyingly) sung again and again on the radio stations, I completely and thoroughly have been sucked in. Alone or not, I have the Christmas Spirit.

And in an effort to be ahead of the game, I've written my Christmas letter and will mail it out Thursday. I've gotten some Christmas shopping done but I have my list made. I've purchased all the goods for our work Christmas party, which I volunteered to have at my house. I've got the garlands up, the stockings up, candles lit in their cute Christmas-y candle holders and a WELCOME mat all decked in snowflakes and red. Really, I'm quite pleased with myself.

Today's task is to find my Christmas tree.

On finding the dump...and actually dumping

My trash has built up for a month now so the need to take it away was imminent. It has been for a few days, actually, but every morning that I allow myself thirty extra minutes to get to the dump, something's happened and I've had to either speed off to work to catch a breaking story or....sleep an extra 30.

For those who aren't familiar, because I live in the county, I have to use a "dumping station." Basically a big dumpster that people who live out in the middle of BFE (or BFF, if mom were reading this) pay (with their taxes) to have. I hadn't found mine yet but I got directions from someone who knew where my dumping station was.

In true New Mexico fashion, the directions weren't exactly clear. Something about being on the right, before the store, big metal bins on the side of the road. One thing I realized today, there are many, many big metal bins on the side of this road. I mean, many. Many that made me slam on my brakes and wonder if the discolored dumpster was the one I was looking for. The travel trailer next to it and the subsequent junk around it clued me in on the fact this probably wasn't it.

Okay, so maybe the directions were crystal clear but for me and my brain directions are processed and immediately jumbled to the point of non-sensicalness. All I really knew (and understood) was the dumping station was on Hwy. 35. Surely I could handle that.

Apparently not.

I loaded up my seven bags of trash and left the house at 8:10 this morning thinking that this gave me plenty of time to dump the goods and get to work on time.

I drove and I drove.

Good news was I was on Hwy. 35 so I knew it had to be around there somewhere. But I couldn't find it. Thirty minutes (in one direction) I decided to turn around. (YA THINK!?!) I amaze myself.

I stopped at the little store in the middle of BFE and asked her for directions. She pointed me in the direction of left and said I'd stay on that road for 2.5 miles, something to do with an A-frame house, a chainlink fence would be around it, if I made it to the Mormon church I'd gone too far and it opened at 9. All very good information.

Information that my mind wadded up and threw in my face.

I drove the 2.5 miles, which, conveniently was in the direction of my house.

I passed a chain link fence surrounding a brick building, propane tank, and some other stuff. It didn't look like a dumping station to me but hey, the chain link fence part was right (but why did it have "high voltage" signs on the fence. whatever) I turned around and pulled in front of the locked gate. It was 8:45.

I pulled out my trusty new Blackberry and proceeded to make it to level 13 on the stupid-game-that-I'm-addicted-to. At 9 the gate hadn't opened, I hadn't seen a soul and was beginning to wander (aloud) why I didn't see dumpsters.

This must not be it.

I continued driving. Ahhhh, I saw someone sorting trash into bins on my lefthand side. That MUST be it.

And it was.

I followed the attendent's directions, backed my car up to the dumpster and tossed my trashbags in.

Ya'll, I drove past that sucker three times. And it's 5 miles from my house.

So by the time my morning tootle finding the dump station was over, an hour had passed and I proceeded to work.

I passed a sheriff's deputy car headed in the opposite direction. Not too strange.

Then another and another and another. Then two more. And an ambulance. Now that's a little ridiculous.

I called the sheriff's department and was informed that there had been a shooting and they weren't sure if it was "accidental or intentional." I turned around.

A picture was all I was after. So I drove back in the direction of my house, couldn't see any deputies. I stopped someone on the road and asked them. They said the cop cars had gone in the direction of A. I stopped at the corner market and narrowed their location to a certain subdivision, which I proceeded to drive around in for 10 minutes.

Don't let the word subdivision fool you. It's basically farm houses and mobile homes on dirt roads that are closer then a 'holler' together.

In the meantime, I called the sheriff guy back and asked where the guys had gone. He "didn't know." Bull-effin-sh*t. Don't lie to me. I wanted to rough him up over the phone but I restrained myself.

An hour and a half later, I was in the office, pictureless and wouldn't you know it, I JUST got the information 45 minutes ago (and partial information at that.)

Here's what happened:

By Holly Wise
Sun-News Bureau Chief
SAN LORENZO — A dispute between a father and son Thursday morning resulted in the son being taken to the hospital with gunshot wound, the Grant County Sheriff’s Department reported.
The investigation was ongoing at press time, but preliminary reports indicated that a father and son were arguing on Century Drive in San Lorenzo. The father reportedly shot a gun at the ground and the bullet hit his son’s foot. The son was transported and admitted to Gila Regional Medical Center.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Department and Gila Regional Medical Center Emergency Medical Services responded to the incident.
Identities of the two involved were not released Thursday. More information will be available later today.

Basically, someone was shot while I was driving around looking for a dump and I didn't even hear the gunshot. Are you kidding? Must have been the mountains and the way the sound echoed or something.

Today (and yesterday) I was a total newshound and I loved it.

Now I'm tired.

For your viewing pleasure

The puppies are twelve days old and they're getting bigger! The first one opened his eyes last night and here's a video to prove it:

I noticed this morning that a few others have little slits so by the time I get home, they should all be opened.
And let the fun begin!
You guys won't believe the transformation from this age to a week from now. It's amazing.
Of course, you'll be updated.

On strange dreams and sleeping alone...

Some nights it's probably a good thing I sleep alone and last night was one of them, although I'm sure my bed partner last night would beg to differ.

And if you're curious about my aforementioned bed partner, here he is, waiting for me to get out of bed:

I can't remember the crazy dream I was having last night but it involved elements of slimy puppies in bed with me. Now, if it were cute, cuddly, rolly-polly puppies the dream would have been fine. But these were slimy puppies and I think they were dead.

Anyway, I woke up feeling something on my shoulder and the next thing I knew, I was batting and swatting it away, all the while getting tangled up in the covers and wondering (in my sleep-haze) why slimy puppies were on me.

It was Marley's foot.

He woke up as startled as I was, wondering why I was hitting at him and trying to get away from him as quickly as possible.

He slept on the floor the rest of the night.

I still don't remember what the dream was or how it originated but hopefully it won't be a recurring dream, for Marley's sake. It didn't scar him too bad, though, because I woke up to him curled up at my feet.

Home Again

I had a wonderful four days of being home with the family and spending the last ten days with various and sundry members of the clan.

Now it's back to my life. And it feels...quiet.

But since it's been more then a week since I've posted here, I figured I'd hit a few highlights of the last few days:

1) I have a Blackberry Curve and I'm in love to the point that I don't ever want to part with it. Let's just say I keep a hawk-eye on my purse and if I get nervous about where the BB is, I put it in my pocket so I can feel it whenever I want.

2) My hair is dyed a cherry chocolate red with orange highlights.

3) I jammed my finger playing football. Three days and $112 later, it's not broken. But it's black, swollen and crooked. It's crooked in the right way, though. It curves down so I can still type with it in a stiff, henpeck, fluid sort of way.

4) I'm wearing the best pair of Maurices pants ever.

5) My new dog should be here in a couple weeks.

6) The puppies are all healthy and growing strong.

7) I don't have to work an obscene amount of hours anymore thanks to the arrival of the new sports editor.

On that note, I'm going home.
Get this: it's 5:15 and I'm going home.