DUDE! I'm gettin' a Dell!

Don't you just miss those commercials? I loved that guy - he was so funny! And I'd love to hear him say 'his thing' to me right now! You know why? Because....

DUDE! I'm gettin' a Dell!

Ok, yes, it's true - I already have a Dell. That, my friends, is beside the point. You see, on Friday of this week, my sweet Daddy is driving 800 miles to bring me a brand-spanking new Dell laptop that he has purchased for me!

Spoiled much? Yeah, ok, my dad totally freaking ROCKS!!

It's kind of a long, drawn-out story of how this all came about, but, suffice it to say I was supposed to be getting a Dell laptop hand-me-down. And the winds of change blew into town, as they are often known to do, and here I sit - the spoiled brat I've always been. Hey! I may be a spoiled brat - but, I'm one grateful spoiled brat, that's for sure!

Daddy!!

Now, I have no idea how much Dell Memory this new bad boy has, I really don't quite 'get' all the in's and out's of memory. All of that jargon cornfuses me. It funny, it frustrates Mark to no end, because, he has explained all of that memory crap to me over and over again and I just DO NOT GET IT! It drives him crazy because I LIVE on my computer, I make my living on the computer, all of my little friends are in that 'little box on my desk'! Haha - that last remark is in reference to a very telling graphic a friend (in Canada!) left on my myspace once! I need to post that here one day! It made me laugh and laugh and laugh!

Who knows? Maybe when I post it, I'll be posting it from my new notebook! Woohoo!

My Nissan Frontier dream...

...has been rekindled. I had to drive my mother-in-law's truck around for the last two weeks to take care of her horses. It's a Toyota Tacoma. Granted, that's not a Nissan, and it is not a stick shift - but, it made me start longing for a four-door Frontier again! I had kind of put that desire on the back burner, so that I could drive a minivan, and carry extra kids around. But two weeks in that truck has lit my Frontier fire again! I used to drive the kids crazy with it - every time we saw a Frontier, I would start singing that old western TV show song. Heck - I can't even think of it right now! I've just always assumed that once the kids were a lot older, then I could switch from the mom-mobile - to the hott mama sexy truck! But now with our car situation being all goofy - me stuck at home - my contractor hubby in my minivan on remodeling jobs - I'm thinking, "Oh - it's ok, I can get a Frontier now.....yeah, sure I can, it'll work...." I even put a Frontier module on my LisaMarieMary Squidoo lens today. And ...oooh! It came with all these truck accessories, I was just dying to shop! Now if only I could win a lottery!! The funny part is that I want one from the first year that they were made - they changed the body style in the second year and I don't really like it. But ever since getting behind the wheel of my mother-in-law's truck, I just keep remembering test-driving that Frontier quite a few years ago - and how much fun it was!

I've been taking care of horses and dogs

See these two handsome boys?
They have been taking up a good chunk of my time. My mother-in-law has been ill, so I've had to take over care for these two sweet boys and her very demanding Yorkie-poo! And let me just tell you, taking care of these two huge beasts is way easier than the demands placed upon me by this shrimpy monster:Yes, he's cute. Yes, I love him. And yes, he's a MAJOR PITA!!!!! His name is Baxter, and he is now, THANK THE HOLY HEAVENS, back in his mother's care. He and Lucky do seem to enjoy each other's company, but, he is just too much work for me right now. I am still in charge of the sweet, darling horses, though - at least for a couple more days.

I love taking care of the horses, and I love bonding with them, but, I am exhausted, my house is a wreck, and my poor blogs are neglected. Well, most of them, anyway - I've been able to do quite a bit of posting at Hippie Spelunker. That's the only blog that's really gotten any love lately, though. I've just been too busy and tired to be able to fit in much more. I've been so tired, especially with all of this heat and humidity, that I've felt like maybe I needed a humidifier! Maybe I could get one like the one my mother-in-law borrowed from my nieces - it's in the shape of a duck! It's so cute!!

It is definitely filling my spirit up to be spending so much time with Doc and Leo (the horses), but, right now my focus is my online work and I just really don't have time for extra animals. It's kind of heartbreaking, because, for the first time in my life I have constant access to horses - something I've dreamed about for a very long time! But I have such incredible drive and passion for my work online right now, that it is overshadowing that long-standing dream of being with horses.

It is a strange place to be, really. I guess the things we want so badly in our lives 'right now' really do change. You know those things we long for so dearly, that we never think will change. And it's not really that it's changed, even. It's just that building my brand online comes first right now. And I feel a calm peace about the horses - like my time for that will come. And so I'm going to trust that it shall.

And now - I've got to go feed two hungry horses their dinner!

I love animals and jewelry, too

I would love to have a collection of animal jewelry. It is so hard to pick from, though. I do have my favorites - dogs, horse, elephants - but, I really love all kinds of animals. Whenever I am on, say, The Animal Rescue Site, where I like to remember to click the 'feed the animals' button, I get so overwhelmed. There are so many different pieces that I like. I just recently got a locket with a picture of my sweet dog in it. It is the prettiest locket! I just love it! My kids love to bring me elephant stuff and point out elephant stuff to me, because, they know how much I love elephants. Sometimes they even bring me home their school magazines, when they've had a story in them about elephants. But I do love lots of different animals.

My sweet kidlets

So much of my jewelry now is either from them or is about them nowadays. I've got several pieces here on my desk right now that are from them. I have two necklaces - one from Sammie, one from Shawn, that are out on my desk, because, on our way back home from Texas - I wanted them in my purse so that I could keep them with me and keep them safe. And I keep my purse in the office here, so they never made it back to my room. And I kind of like it that way, because, that makes me think of wearing them more often. The necklace from Sammie says #1 Mom, and the necklace from Shawn is a peace angel. I also have a bracelet and a ring that Patrick made me on my desk. He was so creative in making them. The bracelet is pink and yellow paper folded up and rolled up and it came out really hard and sturdy - it's really cool. The ring - I just love the creativeness of this - is a piece of gold nugget he had, put on top of an empty key ring. And that is just the start of it - I have tons of jewelry about them!

I like working at home on the internet

I thoroughly enjoy working at home on the internet. I am usually always involved in several projects at one time, sometimes even too many. But I just love it. And I am contributing to our household, doing what I love. And I am available to my children, should they need me.

There are people in my life, however, who just don't get it. They think I need to do more - or different, even. Mark wants me to sign up to be a notary public and put a sign up in the front yard. (That one - I may actually do.) Granny wanted me to be a school bus driver. My mother-in-law wanted me to clean houses. Maybe somebody even wants me to be a real estate broker! My sister-in-law wanted me to get a J.O.B. just somewhere - 'you just need to go get one'. My brother called and asked why I hadn't gotten a job outside the house yet.

Well, like I explained to my wonderful sis-in-law, going out and getting a J.O.B. is not going to take me anywhere, except to a bi-weekly paycheck. That's it. Sure, you could make advances in the company, even get some good experience and knowledge to put on your resume. But you are basically at the company's whim. Doing what I'm doing now - I'm at my whim. And that's just where I like it. I am learning so much, and gaining in momentum every day. Earning momentum, that is. I feel extremely passionate about what I am doing, and I fully believe this is the right path for me.

My back is killing me

I am quite certain the evil culprit would be our eleven year old, special clearance sale bed! I've been trying to do a little stretching here and there, but, I am nervous to do too much, because sometimes that actually makes it worse. I should probably get started on some daily sit-ups, because, I know that would be a great help. I should add it to my Healthy Habits List.

But we definitely need a new bed, that's for sure! I keep begging Mark to take me to the Century furniture store here in town so that we can at least check on the prices. I want to have a ballpark figure in my brain to know what to shoot for, you know?

That old thing in our bedroom is so bad that sometimes I'm even sleeping in my massage chair. Yes, having a massage chair is a lovely luxury. It is not, however, a really good place for sleeping. Some of the nights, though, I am just so desperate for some back support, that I do sleep in it.

Yesterday Mark wanted me to help him move our new swing that he just bought. He had just stained it, and it was so sweet of him to actually do the staining way at the end of the driveway so the smell wouldn't mess with any migraine-sensitive people - but, that did, however, mean that once it was done, I had to help him move it back up towards the house. I was moaning and groaning, and he was amused because he thought I was being a wimp and just moving the swing was hurting me. I told him that, no, my back had already been hurting and moving that thing sure didn't help! Not to mention it got my hands all sticky! But that's another issue entirely! (Me and my hand-cleaning OCD! *sigh*) The swing is pretty nice, though. It is made of cedar and will seat 2-3 people and we put it under the pecan tree and Mark is going to bring the firepit out there. I'm sure we will have some lovely evenings out there.

Am I a good post-wanderer, or what? We went from my back hurting to our new swing under the pecan tree...pretty good, eh?

Healthy habits list and stretching

Guess what I did? Finally! I earned this:

And - I earned it fair and square! I completed the whole list! I did it on Tuesday, Aug. 7th. I almost did it again on Wednesday, but, I was missing one bottle of water. Total bummer to miss it for a stupid bottle of water! Ah well, I am getting better about getting back in the swing of things. The swing of healthy things.

You know one thing that really helps me? Stretching. Yep, stretching. It's really that simple. It is one form of exercise that I really like and I am really good at it - I am super limber. And when I am staying stretched out, I feel good and well, sort of ....athletic. It's kind of embarassing to say, but, it's true. It makes me feel athletic. And that, in and of itself, is inspiring. It encourages me to embrace a healthy attitude - in all things, you know? Stretching can be beneficial in a number of ways:

1. Increased Range of Movement
As one constantly stretches, the length of the muscles and the tendons are also increased. This will help in increasing the range of your movement. Thus, the limbs and joints will be able to move, way before an injury can take place.

2. Increased Ability to Perform Skills
When you have a wide range of movement, you will be able to do more things. Stretching helps you to have a more active lifestyle.

3. Injury Prevention
One can prevent injury to joints, tendons and muscles with stretching. When the muscles and tendons are well-flexed, they are considered in good working order. This will help in a faster recovery and decreased soreness. The muscles of the body will be able to take more exhausting and rigorous movements with less probability of being injured.

4. Reduce Muscle Tension
If the muscles are given their regular exercises and stretching, it is less likely that they will contract. This will definitely relieve you of any muscle pain or problems.

5. Enhance Energy
Being able to move more will also give you more energy. Stretching will also help enhance your awareness of your own body. As such, you are going to be more driven to move rather than sit at your desk all day. (Of which I'm often guilty. Eeks!)

6. Reduces Cholesterol
Research also shows that doing prolonged stretching exercises, like yoga, will help reduce the cholesterol in the body. This of course must be accompanied by a healthy diet. This could prevent and even reverse the hardening of the arteries, allowing you to avoid coronary diseases.

Yep, stretching is definitely cool. Hey, if it's something physical that I'm good at - I should just go for it, right? I think so!

List complete and Google Pedometer

Boy, oh boy, do I ever deserve this, yet again:

Yesterday the kids and I walked to McDonald's to eat lunch and then we went to the yogurt place for dessert. That sure doesn't make it sound like I completed my Healthy Habits list, now, does it? Hahaha! And I actually didn't complete the list, but, I had such a workout, that I am giving it to myself honorarily again!

I am so sore today! I heard on the radio that the heat index was 110 degrees! And that time of day, the hottest, is when I chose to take my kids on a 2+ mile walk! I never said I was the prettiest crayon in the box! And we do live on a hill, so coming home almost killed me. I wound up with a migraine, and went to bed at 6pm. But you know what - I had a workout - and that rocks! I'm so excited about that.

I found out how far we went on this great new Google tool my friend, Amy, just told me about recently. It is so awesome - it's the Google pedometer and you can measure the distance of where you walked/ran. And it's better than going back and tracking in the car, because you can track where you walked that you wouldn't be able to in the car. For instance, the kids and I cut through the college parking lot and field at one point, and I was able to tell the Google pedometer that and get a measurement of our distance covered. Totally cool.