Give Thanks by Giving of Yourself

As we approach the big Thanksgiving holiday, most people are thinking about all the things they are thankful for: family, friends, what is left in their 401K. I'm no different. I'm very thankful for the leadership team at Coastal Pet Rescue, the ones you don't see on TV but give all they have to get the pets into our program, properly cared for, and adopted. I'm thankful for the volunteers and foster parents that give of their time and homes to give our pets a second chance. I'm thankful for my supportive parents who still come to my rescue when I need them.

But today was a bit different. At the office (for my real, paying job), our production manager got all six of us to agree to join her at a blood drive at Second Harvest Food Bank. Turns out, we weren't the only ones that had the same idea as it was a drive coordinated by the Tourism Leadership Council. When we arrived, there was a line, so three of us had to wait, outside, in the cold wind. After 30 minutes I decided to move my truck closer so the other two girls and I could stay warm inside. Another 20 minutes later we were finally able to get in the blood mobile. An hour later, I was giving blood (the other two girls were turned away).

I have never given blood before. I always joke that I only save animals, which is why I'm a Red Cross instructor for Pet First Aid and CPR. I only recently got my certification for Adult First Aid, CPR and AED only because it was recommended by United Animal Nation's EARS program, for which I just got certified last month. I told the lady taking the blood that I was only there out of peer pressure. In fact, four of us were going for the first time. But as I sat up, a little dizzy from the drain, I actually felt a little good for helping people for once. We were each given a Christmas ornament featuring a white dove and the Red Cross logo. Underneath was a small card, "May the joy of giving keep you warm this holiday season."

This Thanksgiving, I encourage you to do something for others that you wouldn't normally do. Perhaps the best way to show your thanks is to pay it forward. You just never know when it might come back to you.

Sidenote:
Here's a quick way you can help others. The Second Harvest Foodbank of Coastal Georgia is a finalist for $100,000 worth of tuna. All they need to win are your votes. You can vote up to 3 times per day with your email address. Click here to lend a hand to your community now.

The Quest for New Jeans

Ok, so the word is out... I have lost 31 pounds since May 19th. I've gotten lots of compliments, mostly in the form of "wow, look at you." Ok yes, I know I was heavier the last two years than most people have ever known me to be in my life. But I ate my feelings, then the dogs ran it all off. So back to the jeans thing...

I have exactly one pair of jeans that fit me properly. They are left over from my college days and somehow missed the Goodwill transport two years ago. I feel great when I can wear them. The problem is I usually have to change clothes at least twice a day thanks to the pups. The other jeans I have are very loose and let's face it, I'm looking to strut the weight loss a little. Since I had a little down time tonight, I took myself to Savannah Mall, thinking I'd find something to make me feel great. What I found was frustration.

I hate clothes shopping. There are too many choices, and I never know if I'm really getting something that is in style. I much prefer comfort, just as my flip flops, shorts and tank tops, but that's not working for me with this weather right now. I don't remember the last time I went shopping for jeans, but I was incredibly frustrated tonight. Most were "low rise" and "boot cut" or "flare leg," none of which made me feel good. In fact, I was either worried about showing plumber's crack or tripping over my pants. Then there were all the different wash types and the instructions that some of the jeans would have to be washed separately before wearing. Again, this is not helping me to keep a simple and comfortable lifestyle if I have to wash one pair of jeans by themselves. I went through six stores and did not find a single pair I liked. I don't understand the trends today. Perhaps that is a sign that I'm getting older.

All the shopping and trying on clothes made me hungry, so I headed to the food court. I bounced back and forth trying to decide what would satisfy my palate. I ended up at Chik-Fil-A with a #1 combo. I found a seat a little hidden by the plants where I could watch the Hawks game without too many people looking at me like a loser, eating alone in the food court on a Friday night. But truth be told, I love doing that kind of thing. Usually, I'm at Barnes and Noble for a couple hours. I just love books, and since most people in there are fellow geeks and nerds as well, I never feel bad hanging out alone there. But for whatever reason, I really just don't care that I eat out alone so often. I don't have to worry about someone else thinking I'm a pig if I eat my dessert first or if I only order dessert at all. Of course, if I want to keep fitting into a size six jeans I'm going to have to learn to curb my fast food cravings. If nothing else, I can keep doing laps around the mall to work it all off.

So what was the point of this blog? Who knows. It's been a long couple of weeks, I have 12 dogs sleeping in my kitchen because of the cold, and I'm alone for the holidays again. Maybe Santa will bring me a personal shopper this year or better yet, the winning lottery numbers so I can move somewhere that I won't have to wear jeans ever again.

Who I Am

Recently, I've had some interesting discussions with friends, giving me perspectives about the person they think I am. Some are dead on, others, I think I should defend but maybe they are right as well. Regardless, the findings have been insightful and given me lots to think about.

"Rough around the edges." Ok, yeah, that's not really new. I give some blame of that to my father. Anyone that has ever met the man knows he speaks very little and never tells anyone anything good that he thinks of them. I'm very guilty of this, though I have tried much harder in the last year to do better. I still have some work to do. I'm also very guilty of saying what I'm thinking rather than pausing to reflect before I speak. Maybe that will be a new year's resolution.

"Suspicious [of others] until proven otherwise." It's no state secret that I've been hurt a lot in my life. Those that I allow into my inner circle didn't get in overnight. I take my time building my trust in others. I don't necessarily see this as a bad thing. Too often I have given trust too soon only to be made the fool or worse. So I'm a little protective of myself. It seems fair to be; the only one who is going to look out for me is me.

"Zealot." Ok, really, that I think was a bit much. Yes, I'm very passionate about my animal rescue, but I'm nowhere near the level of "zealot." I much prefer "passionatly determined." Just look at all these cute faces that enter my house with histories of abuse. Wouldn't you be, too?

"Stubborn." Once again, an attribute that is completely my father's genetics. While I may be set in doing things my way, I'm also set in making sure things happen. Yes, I may have run over a person or two along the way, but I'm learning to be better about listening to others before barreling down the road.

I really think these are only small parts of me. I consider myself a simple person (I'm not into materialistic things) who enjoys the comforts of her friends and a good companion. My favorite attire is shorts, tank top and flip flops, and I'll wear them most anywhere. I despise wearing makeup, but understand it is sometimes necessary for a greater good. I'm not a fan of designer labels for anything, though my favorite pair of jeans are my size 8 Tommy Hilfigure's since I love the way it shows off my 31 pounds of weight loss. My favorite foods are chocolate, ice cream and steak, though right now I love chili and roasted marshmellows. I am not a fan of cooking though I love to grill out (I make a fantastic grilled meditteranean chicken). I am a Parrothead, and my lifelong dream has been to meet Jimmy Buffett in person one day. I don't have a single MP3 CD in my truck that doesn't have at least 10 of his songs on it.

I'm also a hopeless romantic. I'm a great fan of Jane Austen and Kate Chopin. I enjoy writing short stories and poetry and listening to love songs on the radio or watching sappy movies on TV. I'm content to sit for hours on the north beach jetties, listening to the waves under the starlight or driving around town with the windows rolled down and wind whipping my hair around listening to my favorite soundtrack.

I also love to learn. If I had my way, I'd be in school again right now. I already have my sights set on my Humane Educator certification in 2009, and possibly a masters degree in public relations. It's not uncommon to find me late at night strolling around Barnes and Nobel breaking the bank with new finds.

On the education topic, I'm also a huge computer geek. It's not uncommon to find me online very late at night working on a project or website or just reading to see what else is out there. While I can troubleshoot lots of things, working on computers outside my home is not something I enjoy. There's a reason I don't work at Best Buy.

I am an incredibly dedicated person, not just to my passions, but to my friends. Since I take time to get to know folks before I trust them, there is very little to sway that trust once it is earned. I have driven across state lines late at night to be with someone who needed me, and on more than one occasion, I've left my comfy and snuggly bed to give someone a ride home from River Street. There is very little I won't do for those I care about anytime I'm asked.

But even greater than all this is my desire to be a mom one day. I've been teased about having lots of practice with the pets, and often times I think there is just no way I could handle a child as frustrated as I get with certain dogs at the ranch. But there's just something in me as I've gotten older that has the desire to share my loves of life with offspring.

So maybe there's something to Shrek's theory about onions and layers, though like Donkey, I much prefer a parfait from Dairy Queen.

Celebrate the Holidays Safely with Your Pets

It’s a season of giving, but giving too much can be hazardous for your pets.

While you sit with your family at the dinner table, it’s not uncommon to want to give in to those sad puppy eyes staring at you from their bland food bowl.

But sharing food from the dinner table is not the proper treat. Many holiday foods can actually be toxic to pets or cause great illness. Some foods to avoid include turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing, tomatoes, bread dough, mushrooms, grapes, raisins, raw eggs, anything with onions or garlic, milk, chocolate, caffeine, and alcoholic beverages. Avoid the temptation to give pets bones as cooked bones splinter easily and can cause choking.

If you want your pet to feel included, purchase food items specifically for them from local pet specialty stores. And remember to wrap and store leftovers immediately after dinner. There is very little to stop a determined pet who has been eying your turkey for most of the day.

In addition to food, families should be cautious of hazardous items around their home, including lit candles, potpourri, wrapping paper and ornaments. It is especially critical to keep poinsettias out of reach as they are very toxic to pets.

If you have a concern about something your pet may have ingested, you can call the Pet Poison Helpline at 800.213.6680. If your pet is showing signs of distress, call your veterinarian or the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Referral Center at 912.356.6113.


(originally posted Nov. 12, 2007 on SavannahPets.org)

A Victory to Keep Going

I had another fabulous trip to an area ER last Thursday for chest pains again. It's been a couple years since it happened. I thought I had done better about managing stress, but the last couple of weeks have really taken a toll on me.

We spent a lot of months with little adoptions and few donations. But things are looking up. We've had six adoptions over the weekend and a few more scheduled. Our big Yappy Hour event is this coming Saturday, and we're hopeful this will raise enough to pay off our vet bills.

I was finally starting to get my numbers down at the house. But on the way to the Yappy Hour planning meeting, I saw a mom and her two puppies in a yard. The trailer was a little run down, and mom and her babies were really close to the road. I slowed down, trying to be subtle and as to make sure the person following me didn't hit me. I argued with myself, do I stop or not? I had already rescued Cora from just a short way down the road. It's not unusual to see the dogs running back and forth, scaveging for food. I decided to keep going though and that if I saw them on the way back, I would stop for them.

A couple hours later, I was on the way back home. I almost thought of going a different way. I was pressed for time to meet a potential adopter. But I went along, and sure enough, there was mom with the two babies once again. Two vehicles were in the yard this time and a male was standing out in the yard with them, just watching, not interacting at all. Fear overcame me and I drove past. Despite what people might think, I'm really a very passive person and I hate confrontation. But the thought of the skinny mom trying to take care of those babies as the weather gets colder was enough to make me turn around and try.

I was amazed at how calm I was. It almost felt like someone else was speaking for me. I was incredibly diplomatic and asked to see the puppies. The young man said I could have them, that all her puppies were free because she just "keeps dropping them." I learned that this was not her first litter at all and that there were more puppies, but they were all gone. I wanted to take mom, to put an end to the cycle and give her a better chance. I could already see the puppies had wormy bellies and were full of fleas. They were eating wet adult food, not even puppy food. I decided to give the kid my card and tell him if they decided they wanted mom to go live somewhere else, I would take her. Honestly, I didn't know where I would put her, but it would have to be a better life than what she had going on.

I drove home with the two puppies. The smell filled my car so quickly on the short drive. I was eager to get them bathed, but as soon as I started, the potential adopter showed. I introduced him to his potential pup and took to the bath. The poor babies were covered in fleas and dirt, the water ran nearly black. Each puppy cried, completely unsure of what was going on. I dried them off and put them in a crate together along with puppy food and water. They dove into the food dish almost as if they had never seen food before. It broke my heart. The potential adopter left, and I sat back watching the puppies, wondering just how many more of them there might have been and where they are now. About 30 minutes later, the young man called and told me I could come get the mom. I sprinted out the door, down the street and was welcomed so warmly by his mom who was eager to sign the papers to get the dog out of her place.

I see so many dogs that come in and are so eager for attention. We put so much work into them to give them a better life that they usually leave much different than their arrival. As I sat alone in the ER last week, I had thought that my time had come to walk away from rescue, that I had done the best I could with what I had. But despite the defeats, I found a lot of victories this weekend. And that's what I ended up naming my newest momma dog, Victory, as a reminder to me that while not every battle is won, we are making a lot of progress.

Feeling Indifferent on Election Day

I'll be honest, I thought about skipping out on voting. I was so completely turned off by all the political ads, the bs "he said, she said" back and forth, and the fact that no choice seems to match anything close to the values and lifestyle I lead. I can't help but feel that I'm not alone, that many others out there also feel indifferent about voting. I no longer see candidates who actually represent their constituents. McCain has how many houses and I have to work how many jobs to pay for my one? Obama wants to give more to people who don't make as much but then I might get to keep less of what I've earned for myself. I want someone in office who lives similarly to me, paycheck to paycheck, that really understands my situation and will work to make things better. But instead, we've made our elections process something in which only people who are fiscally well-off can participate. I don't want to see ads about how this candidate or that understands where I come from. I don't remember reading about McCain working with his family since he was a child helping to make ends meet and learning that Santa can't grant every wish at Christmas or that you can't just go to the mall and get whatever you want when you want. And how many winters did Obama spend without heat or hot water? Give me a candidate that has done the best and made something positive of themselves with what little they were given and then I'll give a darn enough to vote.

And that's just national elections. The local ones aren't much better. People running for office have been unresponsive to my requests for help for a very long time, and one candidate, whom I've known since 8th grade, still cannot remember my name anytime he sees me in public even though he's presented me with two national awards in my life. However, when I'm out with my parents, who are big campaign contributors each election, I at least get greeted with a smile and a handshake.

I guess it's a good thing that I have a mom who still cares about and believes in the system. Between her nagging and the offers from Krispy Kreme and Ben and Jerry's, I'm actually going to make it to the polls today.