Cherish Family and Friends

I had a wonderful weekend visiting my future in-laws and friends. I attended a surprise birthday party for my fiance's cousin. It is nice to get away from your house and just be around people who make you laugh and smile, make you feel loved, and let you forget for a moment that you have 900 things to do before tomorrow.

I had a great night partying and a nice breakfast with my future mother-in-law. And the drive back home to Auburn in Chad's car was great with the sunroof open, windows down, and music blaring. It is nice just to rock out and dance in the car with the beginning of 60-70 degree spring weather!!

On a random side note... I did not know that birds killed other birds!! I saw what I thought were bald eagles (please do not comment about my lack of geographical aviary knowledge... I do not know if bald eagles even exist in Alabama).... but I never noticed what kind of bird it was because I was mortified when I saw it carrying a large crane while other birds chased it. So sad. I am definitely not a fan of survival of the fittest!! Eat veggies and we will all be skinny, healthy, and cancer free and then all the animals and humans can join hands and sing songs. It can happen.

Pet Peeve Monday: People Touching Screens

Some of my pet peeves are definitely not shared by many. While every Tom, Dick, and Jane self-diagnoses him/herself to be OCD, I believe I do have a few things that classify me as a little nutty. One of them... it drives me absolutely insane when someone touches the screen of my computer or my TV. It is to the point that I want to go get cleaner and wipe of the smudge as soon as possible, but out of fear of looking like a crazy cleaning loon, I stare at the fingerprint and dwell on it and nothing else until it has been wiped away.

Why is it that someone HAS to touch the screen? Pointing and touching are two different things. When you point to something, I can look in the direction of your finger and my brain is complex enough that the neurons begin firing and I know what you want me to look at. It is not necessary for you to actually reach an extra inch and physically touch the word(s) or picture. Give me the benefit of the doubt that I am smart enough to connect the imaginary line from the tip of your finger to my screen. I did complete a few connect the dot pictures in grade school.

I like to compare this with manners. Some people are really laid back, and do not like to be called ma'am or sir. On the other end of the spectrum, some people are really uptight and are completely offended by the absence of manners. To err on the safe side, it is common sense to be polite to everyone until they tell you it is okay to let your guard down and be more relaxed and informal. So, when it comes to my personal belongings, I would appreciate it if you respected my things, and not touch them unless I do so myself first or for some strange reason, I say "hey, you can put your fingers all over my computer screen if you would like to touch it." Maybe my computer or TV screen are not completely clean and smudge free to begin with, but I have enough germs, dust, and dirt to clean on a daily basis without you adding to the mess. So if you missed Manners 101 with your parents, please keep your hands to yourself. Thank you, sir.

A Little Bit of Optimism

I like to think of myself more as a realist instead of a pessimist. The news we read, see, and hear is mostly negative, and it is hard to not have our views slightly skewed the same way. It makes me think of the three monkeys who hear, speak, and see no evil. We all wish we could just cover our eyes, ears, and mouths some days. But every now and then, things surprise me, and I find myself smiling from the small light of good news and/or good deeds.

Today, as I was driving home, I had one of those moments. Every year, Auburn has an event where fathers take their young daughters (under ten) to a local ballroom for a night of dinner and dancing. Every year, it seems I happen to drive by just as all the dads are parking and getting their girls out of the car. The men are dressed in suits and ties and the girls have on their Sunday best. Hand in hand, the girls usually skip to the front door with the sheer excitement of spending a whole night with dad. It is so heartwarming to see little things that make us stop and appreciate family when we are constantly running through the hectic motions of daily life.

I know it is not the same to read about these moments as it is to experience them, but I wanted to show that I am not always the Wicked Witch of Blogs.

Pet Peeve Monday: People Who Leave Pets in the Car

Anyone who has met me and talked to me longer than five seconds knows that I have an extremely high devotion to animals and animal welfare. I have rescued cats and dogs since I was physically able to pick them up. Every animal that has come through my house, and my parent's house when I lived at home, has been a rescue with the exception of one kitten we brought home from a farm after my first cat, Moses, died when I was in 8th grade. And there have been lots... lots... of animals in my life. As a baby, the cats slept in my crib every night, and I am still alive to talk about it today. No crazy horror stories about PeeWee, our Balinese, trying to smother me once my mother walked off. Appropriately, my first word was kitty. My parents, although sometimes exhausted with my efforts to save every animal, are so proud of my value for all life and for the lessons I have learned about caring for animals.

I currently have seven cats and a dog, all rescues, all with different personalities, and all loved unconditionally. I usually have at least one animal a year who is a visitor at my house until I can find a suitable permanent home for him. I am probably not the best foster parent because I become instantly and overly attached to each animal who comes through the door. I had a cat here less than forty-eight hours and I cried when the new owner came to pick him up because I felt like I was losing a piece of my family and my heart. Hell, I cried when the Clydesdale and the longhorn ran side-by-side along the fence in the Budweiser commercial during he Super Bowl. So, yes, I am an extreme animal lover and advocate.

I hesitate to even write on this topic because I feel so passionately about it, I could fill up several books, and do not know if a blog even does the issue justice. I CANNOT STAND IDIOTS WHO TAKE THEIR PETS WITH THEM ON ERRANDS AROUND TOWN. Your dog, cat, or whatever animal you own may exhibit some form of separation anxiety that you might feel you are doing them a favor by taking them to the store with you... but you are not!! I fight the urge every time I see a dog sitting in a car in a parking lot with the car window SLIGHTLY cracked (so he can gasp for air in an unknown environment while strangers are walking by and loud noises are coming from every direction) not to bust the window open, rescue the poor animal from its ignorant owners and call authorities to reprimand the offender while I chew them out and inform them why they are so stupid as we wait. Sadly, animal cruelty officers only exists in a few large cities, and most police officers and humane societies in other towns do not have the resources, or the willingness, to respond to such calls. I saw a dog in a car with all four windows completely rolled up one afternoon. It was probably seventy degrees outside. I walked inside the building reassuring myself that someone had to be coming RIGHT back out to get this poor puppy. Well, an hour later, I came back to my car, and there is the same poor pup sitting in the car. I was absolutely sick to my stomach when I called the local non-emergency police number and the operator said "Well, ma'am, don't you think he will be okay so we don't have to send an officer out? It's not that hot outside." I wanted to scream at that lady until I passed out. I hope they do not give the same response when a child is locked in a car. The fact is, it takes only a few minutes for an animal to suffer irreversible brain damage from sitting in a car with poor air circulation. You think it is not that hot outside? Try sitting in the car with a fur coat on for a little while with the window cracked during the summer in Alabama. Your dog would much rather stay at home in a familiar environment where he can run and play and sleep comfortably.

Another horrible situation is the redneck who has his dog running around in the bed of his truck while he is barreling down the road at 50+ miles an hour. I know accidents are rare, but all it takes is one and that dog is dead. I would not want to take that chance. And you can be the best defensive driver in the world, but you cannot anticipate and control other drivers. I see dogs standing on tool boxes slipping and sliding while the driver is taking turns and I hold my breath each time and wish I had the authority to take the animal. I understand there are people in the world who do not share my feelings. I understand there are people in the world who do not want a wet, dirty, stinky dog in the car when they bring them home from the lake. In response, I tell those people... don't own a dog. If you cannot take care of a baby properly, you should not have one in the first place, and the state should intervene if the situation gets serious enough. And the same should go for animals. If you do not want the mess, maintenance, and sacrifice that comes with owning a pet... please, do not get one. Leave that cute kitten or puppy with the breeder, shelter, or friend who is showing it to you so that someone else who is responsible and mature enough to care for the animal can save him/her.

Animal cruelty laws are FAR too lackadaisical in today's society. People go unpunished or receive minuscule fines in most cruelty cases, and it is just despicable. While there have been some advances in animal cruelty punishment, it is not widespread across the United States, and in most cases, the punishment is insignificant compared to the crime. Animal cruelty cannot be punished if it is not reported. Most cops are not trained to look for animal cruelty and often do not know how to respond to reports. Humane agencies, such as the ASPCA, do not have the funding or the presence in every city or county, so it is largely up to eyewitnesses of neglect to report issues, no matter how small the issues may seem, to the proper local authorities. Until irresponsible pet owners are held accountable for neglect and/or abuse, they will continue to lock their pets in cars while they shop or eat in town. If you see an animal in a car, please do me (and more importantly, the animal) a favor and wait for the owner and (politely) explain the dangers of leaving a pet in a car even for a moment. If you do not like confrontation, call the authorities and let them handle the situation. The animal owner may be upset, but hopefully they will learn a lesson and some pets will have a better life because of it! I love the new campaign from the ASPCA with the tag line "We are their voice." Nothing could be truer. Animals cannot speak for themselves, so we have to do it. Some animals are better off free so they can fend for themselves. But in the situations where they cannot, we should do our part to help.

You can download a brochure to leave on the windshield of cars where an animal is locked inside at www.mydogiscool.com/b_flyer.php Print out a few and leave them in your glove box to use when needed. You could be educating someone and saving an animal's life and nobody has to know.

Pet Peeve Monday: Monogrammed Cars

Welcome to the first edition of Pet Peeve Monday. All the pet peeves featured in these posts are truly pet peeves of mine. Some are funny. Some are not. If you share any of my pet peeves, feel free to post comments with your stories! If you are the target of my irritation, please correct your erroneous ways immediately! My peeves are listed in no particular order in terms of irritation level, which ranges from mild to extreme.

Today's pet peeve: monogrammed cars. For those who do not live in Alabama, or another state that is generally considered mentally slower than the rest of the nation, it is exactly what you might imagine. Girls, and maybe the occasional guy questioning his sexuality, actually put a sticker with their initials on the back windshield of the car. The purpose, you ask? Who the hell knows. My best guess is so when the offender is in the presence of her Vera Bradley-toting, North Face jacket-wearing, I-only-smoke-when-I-drink friends, she feels that she fits in with the crowd. Surely she does not intend for me to gain some IQ points by learning that the car belongs to "ABC." And I would assume in most cases, it belongs to ABC's parents, so the decal should actually read "DBC." Southerners and bright ideas are not bosom buddies.

I have never been, nor will I ever be, trendy. Maybe that is why I despise luggage, purses, and clothes that have name brands plastered everywhere so people KNOW you own Louis Vuitton (or at least a well-made knockoff). Maybe that is why I have more friends that are guys. I just do not get into (what I consider) nerdy obsessions that make girls waste their money on a product or idea that will be yesterday's fad in no time. I was somewhat of a tomboy growing up. I prefer sports over fashion and beer over wine. I am not a Southern belle. I wear sweats and t-shirts that I have owned for ten years ninety percent of the time. I actually, to my college roommate's horror, wore a poncho the first time it rained after I moved to Auburn. I am a marketer's nightmare. I rarely have to have the things I see on TV or the newest "it" item that people rush out to buy. So I probably would not be on the research panel for the company who designed these decals, but I will be the blogger who criticizes the product!

Alabama is a little more traditional when it comes to, well, everything. Monogramming is immensely popular. I can understand the married couple's linens, maybe some baby accessories, but do you really have to advertise your name on your car. It is bad enough that many Alabamians have personalized license plates ranging from (you guessed it!) monograms to hobbies (please see the related photo display of dumb personalized plates on my facebook), so why is it necessary to personalize the bumper and the windshield? In case they are separated at the county fair, they can be reunited by a good Samaritan? If the monogram decal is used in combination with a sticker supporting the University of Alabama, you might as well take it to the junk yard!

As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said in A Psalm of Life, "Be not like dumb, driven cattle!" Stray from the herd! Be a rebel! Become a pioneer! Feel the rush of the revolution and REMOVE THAT DAMN MONOGRAM FROM YOUR WINDSHIELD!

I have used the screenname "auhusker" for a long time. It is a combination of my two favorite schools, Auburn University in Alabama and the University of Nebraska. My support is even reflected in my little fish tank up top with the scarlet, white, orange and blue fish. I was raised as a Cornhusker. I learned the fight song right along with my ABCs and I was saddened by the switch to the West Coast offense from the option after Tom Osborne's departure. I was introduced to Auburn during a week-long trip of college campus visits during high school. When I became an Auburn Tiger, I jumped right into the traditions as overwhelming school spirit emerged shortly after my acceptance. I proudly wear orange and blue with my heels every Saturday in the fall. When I travel outside of Alabama wearing Auburn clothing, I am often asked to clarify the confusion about our mascot. We are the Auburn Tigers, and Aubie graces the sidelines at all the games in his tiger suit, but we yell "War Eagle!" (or in some cases, for the extremely proud, "War Damn Eagle!"), and an eagle circles the stadium before every home football game while the crowd vocalizes the battle cry until the eagle lands in centerfield. So, for those interested, here is some clarification.

There are many stories on the possible origin of "War Eagle," but the version often told is of a Civil War soldier who kept a wounded eagle as a pet after finding him on the battlefield. The soldier brought the eagle to the football game against Georgia in 1892, and Auburn was trying to come from behind for a win. The eagle left the soldier's shoulder and began circling the stadium as Auburn moved the ball down the field and scored a touchdown to win the game. After the victory, the eagle took his final dive and perished on the field. The eagle died, but his spirit has stayed with the Auburn faithful through the years, and if you are lucky enough, you will see the eagle circle the field before each home football game on the plains.

You can read other versions of the "War Eagle" origin here: www.auburn.edu/admissions/auburn/traditions.html . There are several videos on YouTube of the eagles who have flown over the years, including a special flight at the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Utah. It is a very moving tradition. I tear up with emotion and pride every time I see the eagle fly. I am unaware if visitors to Auburn get the same feeling when they witness the pregame flight, but it is a amazing sight for those who are privileged to see it.

War Eagle! And Go Tigers! Who is your favorite team?

Pet Peeve Monday: Introduction... on Thursday

I created this blog a year ago with the intention of writing gripping entries that millions would read and would somehow get me a date with Justin Timberlake. Well, to my disappointment, none of that has happened... yet. And I believe it is simply because I created it and abandoned it. So now, new devotion to a new hobby.

I want to make the disclaimer in my debut blog, that I am by no means a professional writer. I write simply for my own enjoyment (and your amusement). And while I do hope that all my spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct, and that my witty commentary is worthy of publication in a popular magazine, there will inevitably be errors, and for that I apologize. I will do my best to write honestly and openly about things that tickle my fancy (whatever a fancy happens to be), and I make no claims to be an/the expert on anything. I realize many will disagree with my opinions and/or may find them offensive or rude, but that is what makes opinions fun! They are mine and are not necessarily fact! And hopefully, just as many people will find my opinions spot-on, intelligent, and humorous.

So... without further ado, I would like to introduce my first novel idea: Pet Peeve Monday! I consider myself George Carlin-esque, not because of my graying hair, but because of my typically glass-half-empty pessimism. I must say at least ten times a day "THAT is my biggest pet peeve!" I am sadly all too aware of the increasing number of idiots that are present in our society and all of the idiotic things they do on a daily basis. I have wanted to collect a list of my pet peeves to publish in an dictionary-sized book believing that there are thousands of intelligent people out there who share my thoughts. But as I lack the motivation to compile and publish a book that would go straight to the bargain bin, I will share those pet peeves with you, my non-existent followers.

Today, I will not indulge you with a particular pet peeve, merely an introduction to what will be a weekly, Monday edition to my blog. I assume since everyone wakes up on the wrong side of bed at the beginning of the week, we can all share in our common hatred for the morons who are invading our territory. It will also give me an incentive to publish a blog at least once a week to keep you entertained.

Please feel free to share your pet peeves with me. Maybe your pet peeve will be mentioned in a future edition of Pet Peeve Monday!