A Tale of Two Tails

Remember where we left off? I was on my way to a local animal shelter to look at two dogs. One was Comet the Australian Cattle Dog, and one was Cricket, the Lab/Sheperd mix. I arrived promptly on time for my 2 o'clock appointment to see Comet. When I got to the desk, the lady there told me that he had just been adopted an hour ago. I told her that I was happy for him, and not surprised, but I didn't understand. I had the first appointment of the day, so how did someone see him an hour ago? She asked me who made the appointment, and I told her that Maureen did. It turns out that Maureen is a little senile. The place actually opened at 10, and someone came in and got him. So I told her that I was also interested in Cricket. So they went and got her, and guess what? She is not a Lab/Shepherd mix, she was a beautiful, young.........GREAT DANE. That would explain those ears. She stood on her back legs with her huge paws on my shoulders, and started trying to lick my face. Uh, no, sorry, Cricket, you are lovely, but I do not want a $400 per month food bill. I recommended that they put the correct description on her picture, because I'm sure someone out there wants a Great Dane. So then we went into the office. The lady said that I could fill out a card, and if they got a dog fitting the characteristics I wanted, they would call me. Then, the kicker. Here's what you have to do to get one of their dogs.
1)Bring both of my dogs in for a health check = $50 apiece = $100
2)Have a home inspection = $50
3)Have a credit check, so they know I can afford a dog = $25
4)Pay the adoption fee = $120
Total = $295. Non-refundable, and if you fail numbers 1 - 3, you forfeit the dough.

So I said, thanks but no thanks. I'll try for a private adoption, like Kenni and Elli. I went home, sad and feeling defeated. And I feared that the worst was yet to come. Yesterday was Elli's Comfortis day. So I deployed the ham bomb strategy (see post from 7/8, The Battle of Armageddon). Whaddaya know? It worked like a charm again. My little precious. So then I gave Kenni a bath and the rest of the ham. Then I took him for a walk. On our walk, we met one of my neighbors, and while Kenni was "catching up" with her dog, she told me to go to Orange County Animal Shelter. All you do there is select a dog, and pay the fee. She got all of her dogs there, and they are lovely. So that's what I might do. I will also be looking at Craigslist for an older dog who needs a home.

Onto more pleasant topics, like what I'm wearing. My top is by American Rag, and my pants are Michael Kors. The top is another one of those really sheer numbers that I seem to favor, so I am wearing a white cami underneath. And you get to see my most stylish accessory, my name tag.

I debated about the shoes. I didn't have any white ones that I could wear, and since the pants are sort of a jean style, I went with my Style and Co wedges. These puppies are turning out to be a favorite of mine.

The only caveat is that I really need to pay attention to my pedicure. But the toes passed the inspection today. For my necklace, I chose a double stranded piece made by Cookie Lee.

It is made of teardrop shaped abalone pieces, and each one is overlaid with a teardrop made of siver filigree. It doesn't get as much wear as it deserves. On my left arm,

I have a David Yurman silver bangle and a silver and mother of pearl ring ( remember, I have the same ring in onyx, due to my fetish for duplicates). On my right arm,

Another silver and mother of pearl ring, and my favorite Seraphite bracelet from Southwest Indian Foundation. This mint green top also allowed me to continue carrying the giant green tote from yesterday.

Well, hound search 2014 will continue. My little Kenni has stopped howling, which is good, but I do want a companion for him. In the meantime, I am lavishing him and Elli with extra attention, which they absolutely suck right up. Stay tuned for the next episode.

My First Blind Date in Years

Well, I guess you all know that I am hopping back in the saddle again. Kenni has been howling mournfully since Sunday afternoon. It did slow down overnight, but he is as devastated as a dog can be. Last night, I took him for an hour and 5 minute walk in order to tucker him out, and also had him inside (shudder) while I changed out of my school clothes and read my mail. He didn't destroy anything. Here he is, exploring parts of the neighborhood that he hasn't seen.

He's a big MinPin - we joke that he's a MaxPin. He weighs 28 pounds, which is huge. Some of the females are 10 pounds. He's a little chubby, but it's mostly meat - he's solid. So I was watching the news yesterday morning and they always feature a dog that is up for adoption. The one yesterday was very cute, but way too young and big. But then I went on the shelter website, and found two that I love. Take a peek.

Comet is a 2 year old Australian Cattle Dog. They want him to go to a home with other dogs. He is also the perfect size. Then there is the other cutie.

Cricket is a 4 year old lab/shepherd mix. She looks like there's a little bunny rabbit in there too, with those ears. Either one would be fine. So I filled out the application, and faxed the adoption papers from when I got Elli, so that they can contact the vet for a recommendation. And lo and behold, I have an appointment at 2pm today to see both of them. It will really come down to who I fall in love with. I have to choose one. Maybe only one will be left, thereby relieving me of this decision. You can bet that I will keep you posted.

So I haven't had a "blind date" in at least 25 years. I wanted to look good for my future pet. After consulting with Elli (the queen of all things beauty and grace), I elected to go with the dress I got for $3.47 last week at Old Navy, when I got her luchadore American flag suit. This dress came in green and white, and navy and white.

I was leaning towards the classic navy, but then I decided on the green, because that means I can wear two items that see very little action. First, my Leila Rose by Payless shoes. They are maybe 5 years old, and since they are so weird, they were super cheap.

So hideous that they are awesome. Next is my big green tote purse. I don't remember where I got it.

For jewelry, I picked up the white stripe. I picked my floral Ebay necklace.

I opted to wear jewelry on only one arm. On my left hand, my nice stretchy bracelet, and my Montana peridot ring.

So there you have it. Today, I am linking up with beautiful Patti at www.notdeadyetstyle.com for Visible Monday. That is especially appropriate today, since I look like one of those maritime signal flags. On a more somber note, RIP Robin Williams.

A New Part Time Job for a Little Pocket Money

Well, after yesterday's sorrow, it's back to business. There was one little thing that happened this weekend that was bright. I stopped in CVS to get hair spray, and they had a big table filled with samples. You could have as many as you wanted. Most of it was different kinds of shampoo. Here was the haul.

I also got a black satin cosmetic bag and a sample of Garnier Blur Creme, which I wanted to try. I need blurring, especially today. My stomach hurts again from being upset, but this too, shall pass.

So remember the American flag outfit I got Elli last week? Well, she had a great idea. She seems to whip through her allowance at a blinding rate, so she needs a little extra pocket cash. And, being that she is Mexican, she got some inspiration from the TV this weekend.

Los luchadores!!! So she tried her suit on and took a look at herself in the mirror.

Oh, that looks great!!! However, someone may have beaten her to the proverbial punch.

But good old Elli wasn't upset at all - she is texting him now, so that he can be her first opponent.

So what about me? What am I wearing today? Well, I wanted something that was absolutely care free and loose in the bellay. So I got out this trusty cowl neck dress that fits the bill perfectly.

To counter the sweetness of the dress, I wore my trusty Carlos Santana gladiator sandals.

I believe the jewelry is all on repeat as well. In rapid succession, here are my two faux turquoise necklaces, and my right and left arms. On the left, KC bangles and costume ring, and on the right, goldtone blue bead stretchy bracelet and costume ring. The stretchy bracelet pinches my arm flab between the hinges, so I have to take it off when typing at my computer.

In order to distract myself from thinking about Jackpot, I did a lot of yard work yesterday. So my manicure got trashed. But, I needed distraction again last night, so I redid it in Concrete Evidence. It looks pretty. My toes are bright red. Well, onto my search for a new companion for Kenni. I have a couple of leads - the one happy thing is that now I get to save another dog who has no home. I'll keep you posted!!!

I Won The Lottery

Not really. I had 4 dogs - Delila, Domino, Black Jack, and Jackpot. Dee and Dom were the parents, and BeeGee and Pot were the puppies. I write this with a heavy heart. This morning, my darling Jackpot was put down - the last of the four, at 15 years, 4 months, and 3 weeks of age. She lived the longest of the four. I knew this day was coming, but it does not make it any easier. She lived a very long and happy life, and she deserved every minute of that life - she brought such gentleness, and made us all so blessed to be in the presence of such a delightful creature.

She was the only puppy in that litter - a little unusual for a dog of Delila's size. When Delila was pregnant, I got this fortune at a Chinese restaurant

I realize that this is hard to see, but it is 15 years old. This is why I chose her name. She was so sweet, and always super fat - here is how she started out.

She was up for anything - I would stuff her fat little ass in lots of things and take her picture for laughs.

But don't get me wrong - I loved her, and she was absolutely beautiful - she was gray and white, while evryone else was black and white. My pool man, Nick, said that she was his favorite, because she was so sweet and pretty.

For the first 13 years of her long life, she was Black Jack's constant companion, through thick and thin. One time, they escaped, and got picked up by Animal Control. I had to bail them out. 600 dollars later, they were mine again. Doc said that she wasn't the mastermind, only a co-conspirator. Then BeeGee died, and she was Kenni's constant companion.

Well, that all changed last night. I was microwaving a snack, and I noticed that the water in the pool was churning, like someone was swimming. I looked, and Jackpot was struggling in the pool!!! So I dived in, clothes on, and saved her. But she kept trying to jump back in , so we took her inside. It was obvious that she was dying. She had agonal breathing and could not stand up. So we made the awful decision to put her down.

We brought her inside, and made her comfortable. In the morning, incredibly, she was still alive. We let Kenni in to say his goodbyes. I know this is nuts, but he howled all night long. He knew what was happening, even though he is really not a smart dog. The pathetic howling broke my heart - I cried all night long. I said my own good byes in the morning.

We took her in, and the vet agreed that it was the end for her, even though it was obvious. I cried and cried, and am still totally heartbroken. Good bye, my sweet darling little Jackpot. I have loved you every day of your very long life, and I will never forget you.  I hope that you are happy in dog heaven. You deserve it. I will nurse my broken heart, and will relish the time I had with your sweet, lovely, gentle soul for the remainder of my life - I know that when I die, I will see you, and all my beloved dogs, in heaven. God grant me peace, and joy in the knowledge that I loved you, and did whatever I could to make your life joyous.

Give It To Me - HEY!!!

We saw Get On Up, the James Brown story, last night at the movies. Chadwick Boseman played the lead role, and he did a great job. I think they kinda glossed over JB's drug and women issues, but it told the story of his life with the emphasis on how he rose from poverty (with a bump or two on the way). It does make one grateful for a pleasant childhood. I didn't get a picture of what I wore, because I just wore the T shirt from yesterday with my hot pink print shorts.

Onto today. Today is one of those days when I am wearing two things that I have never worn together, and actually, I have never even tried the skirt on. Most of the time, I don't try stuff on on the store, because the lighting makes me look awful in everything. I take the stuff home, and if it doesn't fit, I take it back. That has only happened a couple of times, because I am a pretty standard size. So this outfit was a total crap shoot - could have gone either way. I like it, although it's a little more conservative than usual. This skirt was given to me - the previous owner felt "too much like a hippie" when she wore it. I got the top at Macy's in Laguna Hills. I remember that it was dirt cheap.

Here is a closeup of the cold shoulder efeect on the top. It is made of a sheer material, so I wore a white cami underneath.

The skirt is trimmed with opalescent paillettes. It glitters pink and gold, so that's what I went with for the theme. It does make a swishy noise when I walk. It's pretty. I should have worn it sooner, but white makes me tremble in fear at lunchtime.

For shoes, I went with my Style and Co Santana sandals, since they turned out to be uber comfy. The studs are gold and silver, and they have a luscious suede footbed that is kind of molded, similar to Birkenstocks.

Remember, these only cost $10.85 at the Macy's 4th of July sale. A fantastic purchase. For my necklace, I went with a very old piece that I got at Nordstorm. It is gold tone, with white stattions, white bead spacers, and white cloisonne beads. I had to scrub the grime off of it, since it has been a while since I have worn it. It was a summer favorite of mine some years ago.

You can get a really good look at the fabric of the top in this shot.

Now for something really hilarious. A Where's Waldo moment. My friend had an eyelash in her eye, and went into the bathroom to fish it out. In doing so, her contact fell out. Do you see it?

Come closer, my pretty.

Fer cryin' out loud. Anyway, today, I am linking up with Renae at www.simplesequins.com for Fashion Item Friday. She has cancr, and gets her last chemo today. Walk away, Renae!!!! Go on over and visit this lovely lady. Also, have a great weekend!!!

Bell Bottom Blues

These pants are making me sad. Not because they are ugly, but because I made a hole in them with one of my rings. Boo hoo hoo -I have had them for so long, and now I fear I have killed them. But that didn't stop me from taking them for one last spin. They are made by Express. The T shirt is from Old Navy, and the cardigan from Merona. All three items are from different stores, but they match perfectly. Here is a view with and without the sweater.

This colorful outfit left a lot of room to play with my jewelry, but I ended up wearing things yu have already seen. On my left hand, my Vernier goldtone/crystal watch, and my London Blue topaz ring.

On my right hand, three gold/sapphire/diamond bracelets and a malachite ring that I got in Vegas last month.

I hadn't undone the Joan Rivers necklace from last week. When I decided to wear it, it just turned out that the colors looked great with today's outfit. In this shot, you can also see the embellishment on the T shirt. When I wear my sweater, it gets covered up.

So you may have noticed the row of mugs on the windowsill behind me in my office. They were all gifts at some point or another. Here they are:

On the left, we have a Girls Love Shoes mug that I received from a friend. In the middle, we have a mug from Project MAPP - this was an epidemiology research project with University of California, Irvine, that I participated in. When the two year study was over, the university sent me a list of gifts from which I could choose, to thank me for pariticipating. Guess what I picked?

Wanna make a nerd happy? Give her a book!!!! And last but not least, on the right is the piece de resistance - my Bristol Stool Chart mug that my coworker got me as a joke. Believe it or not, the appearance of one's stool yields many clues as to the nature of their ailment. The choices are quite descriptive.

This mug remains unused and pristine.
And for a final tease, look what I got for Elli yesterday.

Later this week, you will get to see her in it!!!

And since it's Thursday, I am once again linnking up with Erin from www.simplyjustlovelyblog.com for Working Girl Style. Take a peek at all of us stylish working ladies!!

Purple People Eater

Lavender is close enough to purple, so it counts, right? Anyway, today's outfit is all kinds of purple. This dress is another uncovered treasure from the closet excavation of a couple weeks ago. When I worked down in Newport Beach for a few years, there was a boutique called Chantal and Vicky. They had really cute, one of a kind dresses that they made in the room behind the shop. This dress came from there. I did have a couple others, but I don't know if they are still around. This dress actually has a tiny hole in it, but since the pattern is made of different colored abstract shapes, it's not noticeable.

I got the sweater separately, but I couldn't tell you where - the label says Fifi. Here's a closeup of the beading trim.

One thing about these kinds of dresses is that they are comfy, and I just had to pull it over my head and go. That's a good quality for work clothes to have. I once again debated between a few different pairs of shoes, and finally ended up with my Merona gold espadrilles.

For my jewelry, I went with all silver, with assorted lavender stones. I think there are a couple of things you haven't seen before. On my left hand, my amethyst, agate, and sugilite bracelet, and an amethyst ring that I bought when the synagogue of one of my friends had a crafts show.

It's made of tiny amethyst squares. On my right hand, a rose quartz ring and two thin elasticized silver bracelets with quartz beads. I got them at the same time - that's all I remember.

My necklace is a monogram - I jumped on the same bandwagon as everyone else a couple of years ago. Here it is.

Once again, since it's Wednesday, I am linking up for What I Wore Wednesday at www.thepleatedpoppy.com. Go on over and check it out.

One more thing - remember I told you that I was busy due to the Ebola scare? Well, Elli has graciously offered to help me out. One problem - this new job cuts into her 35 daily naps.

And just one more thing....