Relief...

So I have done a lot thinking and pondering how life works lately. I have always been a believer that everything happens for a reason and sometimes it is hard to stick to that because things happen in life that are less than satisfactory but after getting through those times I look back and can always find something to take from each situation I have been in being good or bad. This last year has had its ups and downs but I still believe it all happened the way it was supposed to. I have learned a lot about myself and at times have feel lost. I know everyone goes through times of contemplation and uncertainty and at the time things can seem so confusing but I feel those are the times in life that shape a person. All in all in my life things have worked out pretty well and I do not regret any choice I have made because those choices have brought me to this point in my life and shaped who I am and I am proud of who I am.

So needless to say today was a very good day!!

Not a complaint...just observation and opinion.

I saw something this weekend that was quite bothersome. It is something that in the past few years has become quite popular among a certain group of women and girls. It is something that needs to stop.

Note to remember: As anyone who knows me knows I love animals. My animals are my family and I love with every fiber of who I am. I am very proud of them and love when people compliment them.

Who are these people that seem to think small dogs make good fashion accessories? I never in my life have thought hey lets go out for lunch or go shopping and lets bring the dog. This makes no sense at all. As much as I love my animals I know they are animals. They do not want to be sitting in a bag at a restaurant while I eat lunch, they want to be running around with other dogs or playing in the water. My dogs sure as heck don't want to be in Walmart while I shop, Walmart on a busy Saturday afternoon is a scary enough place for Matt and I, imagine how scared to death a dog would be.

It seems a few years ago the young hip "so-called" celebrities started carrying around their dogs like they were fashion accessories. Now this is a common thing around a certain group of ladies. When it comes to animals being mistreated I become very feisty very quickly and I am the first to act if I see an animal in danger. Carrying your dog around in a purse while shopping or eating out is not technically abuse (emotional abuse maybe) so I can't say anything without coming off very rude but I want so bad to go up to these girls and well....give them a piece of my mind on proper pet ownership. Many of these people may love their dogs very much but I have a feeling some of these people have these dogs for the wrong reason. I would be interested to see how many of these girls still have these dogs in a couple years. When this trend started I heard that Chihuahua breeders saw a huge spike in sales of their dogs then later saw a huge spike in returns of dogs...hmmmm what does that tell you, maybe some people realized that the dog is a living creature and took a lot of money and care.

No matter how cute your dog or cat is I assure you they do not enjoy being stuffed in a bag, carried around like a wallet or cell phone so they can watch you eat in a restaurant.

Thankful

There have been ups and downs in my life and sometimes the struggles seem never ending but then think hey life has been pretty darn good to you (me) so stop complaining. Sometimes I feel I am overly critical of things and others and I have been trying to make a huge effort not to criticize others or situations because I have not walked in anyone else's shoes but my own. I have been pretty lucky in my life, even though sometimes I have a nice pity party for myself overall I have been very lucky and there SO many people in this world so much worse off then myself. Even though I am struggling finding a job and it is so frustrating I am so thankful for everything I have. I always tell Matt when I get down I just think of the millions of less fortunate people out there and that shuts me up real quick. It is so easy to forget about all of the homeless, sick people or children living in shacks not eating for days because we don't see that on a daily basis. Millions and millions are unemployed and their families are being forced to the streets and to shelters, so every time I get down about not having a job I just thank god I am as lucky as I am. I think people need to take a good look at their situations and be thankful for what they have. I am not saying I will never complain again, I think it is in our nature but I am making a huge effort to tone it down because we do have blessed lives.

Something more...

I feel good vibes in the air...

Buhhhhhh......

Waiting...

What a strange time...

So we are in San Diego and doing very well but reality of the state of this nation and economy has really hit home. I am in the process of looking for a job along with millions of other people in this country. I read blogs, message boards, the papers and watch the news though the day and I continually hear stories like mine and hear about how people cope and their ups and downs concerning the dreadful job search. It is so strange now because it is not about just looking for a job and having bad luck it is so much more now. It is so scary and really leaves an empty feeling of unknown. Nobody knows when this horrible time is going to end and many people predict it will continue to get worse for a while, especially in California. Unfortunately California has one of the worst economies and unemployment rate in the country. It is a strange situation for us because we moved here because Matt (luckily) had an incredible offer but the down side is that for me the job market is very grim. I try to stay positive and remember that it is not me and reading others stories actually helps me cope because I know so many others are going through this hard time and many have it much worse. You go to school and work hard at jobs through your life working toward the "American Dream" and poof it can all be gone just like that. We are at a point in this country where education and work history don't mean much which is hard to grasp sometimes. I invested so much of my life, time and money into getting a good education and working hard at my jobs and at this point it doesn't mean anything. This is not trying to complain it is more trying to cope. I have heard that anti-depressants and sleep meds are being prescribed at an alarming rate. It is so scary right now and even family and friends I know that thought their jobs were secure and have invested themselves in their companies are afraid they will lose their jobs. Who knows when this will end or when a job will come but I will keep on keeping on. As I mentioned before so many others are worse off then me so I figured the best thing for me to do is give back as much as I can to others less fortunate. I think how lucky I am, I have family, pets and friends that love me unconditionally, I have a roof over my head and plenty of food to eat. These are things that everyone should have but so many people don't and we all need to remember and be thankful for what we have.

It's been a while

So it has been a while. The last month has been a blur with the move and trying to get settled but now we are finally feeling settled. Matt had a week off before he started work which was wonderful for us to see the town and get the house unpacked. Last week was Matt's first week of work. He really likes it, the people there are all so happy to have him there so it is a great fit. It is stressful because he came in when there is a lot going on so he is super busy but he is doing great.

I am on the hunt for a job. As we all know right now is a very difficult time to find a job but
I am just staying positive about it and I know something will come along. Until then I am volunteering with a horse therapy organization that just recently started. They are a wonderful organization so I am excited to be involved with it.

We really like our house, it is so nice having a lot of space. The bad part of it is that it is a pretty long commute, especially with traffic, for Matt. So there is a good chance we will only be in this house for a year and then move closer to the city. Where we live now is in a town call Escondido which is in north San Diego county. It is a nice area but a bit far from the city or La Jolla (where Matt works). We are discovering some other wonderful areas that are closer to the city, now we will have a good chance to get to know the city and other areas so we can find the perfect place when our lease is up. That is still a while ahead so we will enjoy the house while we are here.

So on to the my least favorite part of this city...the freeways. Whew...I know I am from the Midwest when I get on the freeways, Midwest freeways are nothing like here. People here are in such a hurry all the time. Matt drives it everyday but he doesn't mind them, when I do I am super cautious and a bit nervous. Eventually I will hopefully get used to them when I drive on them more. We were in La Jolla (where Matt works and also a very beautiful place) and we took the back roads through the city to get home, wow we went through some of the most beautiful areas.

We have been out as much as we can to investigate the town. We got a lot of tourists brochures to find out about areas of the city. There is so much to do. We are still in tourist mode so we are in awe that we have so much cool stuff available to us. I am sure we will get used to it but what I have found is that so many people that have lived here for years still love it and that gives me a good feeling. We got a membership to the zoo so we can go anytime and also there is a wild animal safari that is included so we are excited about that.

That is the update as of now, hope all is well with everyone!!