Disney

I plan on getting this blog going but heading in a Disney Direction. We will see what will happen! It will be anything from random trivia, Disney photos, Disney Links and deals.  Follow me on twitter to! lexitoad 

Peek-a-boo

I caught Cody out front sniffing at spring.

What a cute face!

I have this problem... I bounce my leg while sitting at my desk. Well sitting anywhere really. Regardless of the number of cups of coffee or the cans of Coke, my leg bounces. The only way I avoid it is by sitting on my chair with my legs Indian style (is that even PC anymore?)


(That PC stuff has gotten so out of control)


(Lazy: motivationally dispossessed )


(Evil: niceness deprived )


(Lost: locationally disadvantaged )


I mean really? Okay, back to my bouncing...


I can't stand it when someone else does it to me, especially in a meeting, at church, or the movies. I am conscious of it myself if I am sitting in a pew or close to other people because I don't want to annoy them.


Then earlier this week, with no caffeine on board, I feel as though I have broken the floor beneath my desk because my computer screen is shaking as I work. I try and stop myself from bouncing to find that it is not my leg this time. So my brain goes directly to yelling at Cody, my furry office pup, who usually sits on my desk. I ask him without looking in his direction to stop scratching. When he does not oblige I realize that he is passed out on my desk not even dreaming.(that tongue is too cute!)


(I am not bias at all)






Now my brain completely confused itself. No leg bounce, no dog scratch, yet my screen is still wobbling back and forth, hmmm. I turn to my co-worker and as our eyes meet with both say. "I think it is an earthquake." I go to the front window and check to make sure someone hasn't blown up the massive generator in the top secret bank location across the street...(shhh, you don't know that) Nope. No truck or trolley rolling by either. No redneck monster truck either (Yes, there are plenty of those that go through town.)


I go out to the other window and brace my hands on either side of the dormer window looking over the back parking lot. Still shaking. "It has to be an earthquake."



The only other earthquakes I have felt here have been really quick shakes. One in the middle of the night sounded like what I think would be a meth lab exploding. And the other a large truck flying up the road. This one on the other hand allowed me to think about it --- move across the office--- think about fighting with my 3 other coworkers for the 1 door jamb on the 3rd floor of our more than 100 year old condo--- and then some more thinking.



After the at least 30 seconds of the long shake I head to the local news station website to see if there is anything up about the rumble. Nope. CNN, nope. USGS, nope. I then flip over to my Facebook account and that is where I get the confirmation that it was not just us who felt it. Within the next 60 seconds I have at least 35 people asking if they were the only ones that felt the shake. After some playful banter back and forth I am convinced that we did, in fact have and quake. (Now that we have had a real one I am entitled to shorten it, right California?) The news took at least 15 minutes to break the story. I think from now on I will get all my news from Facebook from now on.




The official information -




http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2011/usc0005ild/




Anyway, that is my story about the quake felt all along the east coast.

Why the long face...

It's Monday

Smell Memory

The sense of smell amazes me. One little scent and it can bring up the oldest memory, best memory or worst.  This smell didn't bring back a distant memory but a more recent and recurring one.

I work in downtown Winston these days. Besides the interesting characters I see on the street, the never ending sirens and car honks, the overpowering noise in the city is the mass transit bus roaring up and down the streets.

The exhaust from the city bus is not a pleasant one nor a healthy one. But if I close my eyes I can transport myself to another world -- Walt Disney World.

I can close my eyes and see myself unloading from the bus, skipping into the Magic Kingdom and taking in the first sights of "The Castle" and Main Street USA.

Walking to my club level room and my "home" resort hotel that I will never be able to afford --  Wilderness Lodge.

Waiting in the hot and muggy morning with a handful of sleepy eyed parents with children dressed in their princess and pirate garb bubbly bouncing around the station asking if each bus that stops is "their bus."

I remember the humor of the bus driver that stopped to pick up a group from a resort and he was asked "Does this bus take you to Disney World?" And without missing a beat the driver said "Poof you are there"  and drove off. The would-be passenger had the strangest look of dumbfound -ment. It was priceless.

(For those of you not Disney-fied. If you are at one of the resorts you are technically at Walt Disney World. What the passenger was asking was if the bus would take him to Magic Kingdom.)

 All these memories along with many more flash before my closed eyes in a matter of seconds. Then I open my eyes and I am back in Winston walking in the office door. So much for the 10 second vacation.

doggie biscuits...

Must I eat dog food? I am the Codyman!

The treat pot is *gulp* empty

You don't believe me?

I am pretty sure it is empty.

How can you deny this face?

Are they ready yet?

*nom nom*

Full tummy --- Night Night

In Memory

Two of my friends this week lost part of their family. One lost a furry member named Samantha. She was 20 years old in people years but that doesn't make it any easier for the family to say goodbye.

The other friend also had to choose to put down their family member due to liver failure for an unknown cause that he may have never recovered from.

Brady Mo

Having to make the choice of putting an animal down is never easy no matter how much pain they are in. Pet owners are sometimes selfish that way. We want them to stay around forever. We never want to let go.

Thinking of Brady Mo and Samantha reminds me of my past family members that had to be put down to prevent more suffering.




In memory of my family members gone:

Oscar '87

Tucker '03

Moose

Moose, Ace, Toto, Spike
Brothers and Sisters

I will always love and miss you all!

So I had my TV service turned off. YIKES.
I kept the internet but I am hoping by dropping the TV, I can not only drop by bill but my butt as well. I am hoping that it prevents me from sitting on the couch at night after work and rainy weekends. I have a lot of other hobbies I want to do more of but holding the couch down is slowing that down. Hopefully this will become a more active blog than once or twice a year.

Stop & smell the paws

I love the way Cody's paws smell. I know you think it is gross and I don't even want to think about what he steps in on the way to the office in the morning.... but after a bath while laying in bed there is nothing better. I just love the way he smells all around. There is something so comforting in the smell of dogs--- well my dogs. I can remember growing up with Tucker, Moose, and Ace and hearing my mom complain they smell like dogs and thinking that is the best smell ever. It is home. I will give Pioneer Woman's credit for her blog about her Charlie's Frito-paws. Just made me think. I love it when Cody is sleeping on my pillow and we share the same square foot of space. Nothing better.

Anchorage-Eve

Well, I have started pack and realized that I am going to have to get out my sweaters to pack. The high is 55 and rain the whole time. Guess I will truly see what Anchorage is like.

As I pack I am torn between carry on and check baggage. I know on the way back I will check as much as I can because I don’t care if it makes it back with me right away or not. On the way there I should probably carry my interview clothes and accessories incase it doesn’t make it on one of the 4 planes. So if I have to carry that much on why should I check something? It is only 4 sets of clothes. I wish I had the automatic option of gate checking it. I don’t mind lugging it through the airports--- most of the time, but I do hate having to stuff it in the overhead bin while everyone behind me is impatient. I guess if this is the biggest decision I need something else to worry about.

Hopefully I will get my to-do-list completed tonight and get enough sleep to make the 5:50am flight.

I will try and keep this updated as I go!

With hopefully a lot of changes to occur soon I thought I would give blogging a shot so I can keep everyone updated.

I have been accused of using the phrase “let’s do something different” too much but that is the way I feel right now. I am tired of the “Groundhog Day” effect and I am only 27. I have a lot more time to get bored with life. To try and start this something different I started looking for a new job. I found a firm that was hiring someone with my years of work experience—4 years and a job description that was everything I can/could do. Then I saw the location--- Anchorage, Alaska. Wow that would be a change! The more I thought about it the more excited I got. When else in my life could I drop everything --- except Cody --- and run away to Alaska? The only string I currently have is my home which as much as I love it I could give it up --- if I dig up the $100 tree I got for my birthday this year.

So I took the steps to apply. After not hearing back from the HR personnel and leaving voicemails I started to lose interest. I then mentioned it to a personal friend who has more connections than anyone I know. He started the chain of who could help and by the end of the week they were calling for a phone interview. Goes to show you have to know people to get anywhere. Don’t burn those bridges as much fun as it would be!

A month later and on Thursday I fly to Anchorage, Alaska for a job interview. I am hoping all goes well. As petty as it seems it will all come down to the amount of money they can offer me. It would/will be a great experience but I do have to be able to pay my mortgage here and rent wherever I end up because I do not plan on selling my house here until I know I am not coming back. I do love my house and saw myself being there for quite a while. But the way the economy and my life is right now I am looking for a new start and ready to experience new things --- especially those that do not occur in the triad.