Sassy Sidenote: All My Single Ladies

Ya know the fact that Jon and I aren't married yet doesn't really bother me. But I think this picture from a friends wedding this past summer might suggest otherwise:

yes, that is me in the black dress with the white top...no shoes, game time stance, and arms doing my best to block the rest of the single ladies.

Posting will be back to normal next week. Our internet has been wonky at best this week. (I am posting this from work shhh).

oh and sadly I did not catch the bouquet...all of that prep for nothing

Fever Pitch

*Disclaimer, I have no idea what is up with the spacing.

Good luck at trying to decipher the words-I apologize

I AM SO SICK OF BEING SICK!

Sorry 'bout that.

I think I can pinpoint yesterday as the moment that I lost it. 

It all started when I was convinced I gave Frankie my flu; yes I was convinced I gave Frankie, the dog, my human flu. I called the vet in a panic and when

the vet assured me that I couldn't give Frank my flu, I yelled, "ARE YOU SURE?!" and then I back pedaled feeling dumb and said, "of course you are sure

I mean you studied dogs for like years....of course you know". And then I hung up with my tail between my legs.

And that was just the beginning.

My fever came back and my cough was down right un-controllable so, at the advice of my mom, I called the advice nurse to make sure I shouldn't come into the emergency room.

The advice nurse said that there wasn't really anything they could do for me in the ER. I would just have to stay at home ...and suffer!

She told me to get plenty of rest, at which point I told her that we have a new puppy and that rest wasn't really part of the plan.

She then said, "well you can't be a good puppy mom unless you are better".

This is when my lip started to quiver...I was trying really hard to be a good puppy mom...like with all my heart.

I told her I would try to get rest and be a better puppy mom and then she whips out, "oh you have arthritis already?"

I then explained to her that it's an old dance injury blah blah blah. And then she whips out the little gem, "so sad, because you are so young"

I hang up with the advice nurse and start sobbing, "I'm an awful puppy mom and I am too young to have arthritis AND I feel awful!"

So then I called my mom and she somehow took the ridiculous mess that was me and calmed me down.

So now tonight I am feeling slightly better, slightly, but Jon is totally sick.

Frankie is supplying lots of smiles and so is this little lady:

Barbie Girl

Were you a Barbie girl (or boy) growing up? Come share your favorite Barbie memory with me here!

Image Courtesy of Google Images.

It Breaks My Heart

It should be no surprise to you when I say I love Jon. With all my heart un-conditionally, good times and the not so good times. I love him rain or shine, cranky or good mood. The fact that people are willing to say that these same feelings don't count and can't be validated by marriage if (and only if) they are had by same sex couples,-well it makes my stomach turn to say the very least. Now some people are trying to take away the rights of those same sex couples that have already been married, saying that they should have their marriages invalidated. If you feel similar to me, go here and sign here.

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Cough, Cough, Sniff, Sniff

ugh. In the midst of all of this puppy excitement I have managed to get sick :[ Like super sick. I think what has actually happened was that the upper respiratory infection I had never got better and is now back with a vengeance. Late Sunday night I was freezing cold, having trouble breathing and just felt all over awful. Well sure enough, I had the flu and a nasty temperature to go with it. Jon insisted I take a "luke warm" bath, which truly felt like I was bathing in the arctic, to lower my temp.

So here it is Tuesday and I am feeling just awful. I have a cough, aches, runny nose, well you guys get the picture.

But I suppose there are worse fates on this earth

The Best Valentine's Day Ever

Early Saturday morning Jon and I hopped in his car for a three and a half hour drive to Redding to pick up our little pup, Frankie. Regardless of the early time, we were both so excited and full of energy the whole way there.

Here we are waiting to meet the breeder (at a gas station in Redding) moments before getting our puppy.

We were told to look for a silver Toyota Tacoma and let me tell you there are a lot of silver trucks in Redding. I thought every truck was carrying out little one. But then we finally saw the truck that had Frankie in the back. We walked up, handed the guy our money, he handed Jon the paper work and me Frankie. I waited until we walked away from the truck and then I just started crying. Seriously. Tears just streamed down my face as I looked at his. I just knew he was meant to be ours and I was so glad that we decided to keep him, bad knee and all.

We brought Frankie's crate with us but I decided that I would rather sit in the back seat (for all three and a half hours) and alternate between holding him and putting him in his crate.

At first Frankie was nervous but he seemed to warm up to me in no time. He even fit in a little nap.

Once he got up from his nap he was bright eyed and busy tailed. Jon said that Frankie looks like he is on an episode of "MTV Cribs" in this next picture. I think it looks like he is saying "Come on in, I've got some Cristal chilling in the back."

Once we got him home we let him take in his surroundings and get to know the place. And we also cuddled him and loved on him.

After he made himself at home he took a long nap on his dog bed as if it has always been his.We have only had him for three days but he just feels like he was always meant to be ours. I look into his little eyes and I swear it feels like he is connected to my heart in some way.   

Here is some video of Frankie playing around.

The day after we picked Frankie up Ashley and Chris brought Burrito over to play with his brother Frankie. It was so weird to think that these two adorable pups are brothers, which we all agreed, made us family. We had some great laughs and more than a million "OH MY GOD, SO CUUUUTE!" and "I AM DYING!!" Ashley also took some great photos of our little man, go check them out. After they left our little guy was pooped! Which is understandable, check this out:

Sassy Sidenote: Anticipation

My Twitter friends have been asking that I post some more pictures of our little Frankie (we picked him up on Saturday). But every time I walk to the computer to upload the pics and write Frankie's story about how he found his way into our home and our hearts I just stop in my tracks because his little face is looking up at me.

I will post a whole bunch of pictures tomorrow-scouts honor! But Ashley has some beautiful pictures of Frankie to tide you over. Seriously people they are pieces of art-Ashley is so talented. 

So I will see you all tomorrow until then Frankie says relax:

The Pursuit of Healthiness

Recently I told you how I was sick and tired of feeling out of shape. Unfortunately, it's not enough to say you want something to change, you have to put some work into it. In this case, a lot of work. I also feel like I can't back down from my want/need to be healthier, mainly because I proclaimed it on the Internet. You know that once you tell the Internet, well it becomes real and it would be quite difficult to explain to people why I am writing about the benefits of an elastic waistband instead of the genius that is Jillian Michaels. I have had getting fit at the forefront of my mind because of you guys-I hate you-I mean thank you from the bottom of my efficiently pumping heart.

THE HARD PARTS:

I'll be honest it has not been easy. First of all the 30 Day Shred is an ass kicker. But thankfully it is done within the privacy of my own home, which means I can grimace, sweat and whimper without losing my dignity. Well a little dignity disappears when I do the jumping jacks and the windows in the living room rattle.

Moving on....

At first I was totally irritated by Jillian Michaels. Who does she think she is, coming into my home at all hours of the day and night and commanding me to push myself until my whole body resembles a jello mold...mmm jello...Anyway, Jello, I mean Jillian and I, have now started to form a little bond of sorts. I now see her demanding nature more as tough love.

My next fitness regimen that I have been incorporating into my routine to keep things "exciting" is the Gofit kettlebell with corresponding dvd. I really like using the kettlebell, it's a really fun and effective way to lift weights. Basically you swing this weight every which way-which is a little scary for Jon because the swinging of this weight takes place in front of his pride and joy, his tv. But anyhoo, if you are looking for a way to change up your workout try the Kettlebell.

The toughest part of being healthy is eating well-hardest.part.by.far.

Jon and I have been planning our meals so that we don't have super un-healthy stuff laying around the house. This means salads for lunch with a hard boiled egg. This isn't really hard for Jon because he has the willpower of a Navy Seal (I don't know what that means, I just assume Navy Seals have outstanding will power for some reason). But for me it's a bit harder and by a bit I mean ridiculously harder. I mean once I get used to eating healthy its not so bad but it's jumping that hurdle which is hard. (And FYI I have not given up baking oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I don't care what you say, they are healthy because oatmeal is involved I tell you!)

THE GOOD PARTS:

I just feel so much better. I don't know whats going on as far as weight loss is concerned because we don't own a scale and I don't believe in weighing myself. I think getting healthy and fit should be all about how you feel, not a number. Plus, I know that the moment I get on a scale I will become obsessive thinking such thoughts as: muscle weighs more than fat, I have really thick hair so that's probably two pounds right there, my organs are probably heavy too....", and really, who needs that?

So as I was saying, I feel better, stronger, and have more energy which is odd because I am waking up early to fit in a work out most times.

So far so good. I can't wait until I can actually see some results on top of feeling them.

How are you guys staying healthy these days?

*Images Courtesy of Google Images

Sassy Sidenote: My Bad

Um so remember when I had the little interview from Lacey? well I totally forgot to pass it on, that's what happens when you do so many things at once.
So the first 5 people to respond in the comments section with "Interview me" will get interviewed by yours truly. :)

Book Worm

As you may or may not know, I have a strange obsession with books. I am loooove books. Whenever I am finished with a book I feel a huge sense of accomplishment(it doesn't take much does it?). Well lately I have had some guilt creeping into my love for reading. Each time I went to the bookstore I would spend somewhere around $50! And while I don't think books are a waste of money, I just knew there was a better way to fulfill my love of reading; especially in this economy. (Seriously, my least favorite word is "economy" right now)


When Jon and I moved I took a good hard look at our book shelves and took off all the books that I didn't see myself reading again or the books that I didn't completely love. We took sold those books to a recycled book store (triple points for saving money/making money/saving earth). I always had a weird outlook on used bookstores, like the books were out of date, boring etc. But oh no, they are chock full of wonderful, new interesting books at a discount!
I love recycled bookstores! See here I am at a recycled bookstore with Ashley.
Well as the economy (there's that word again) got a little worse I really tightened up on my spending and visited somewhere I haven't been in a long time...the library! Again, I had this weird thought that library books were old and boring (like Barnes and Noble is the only place that has new books psh!)


And while I can't slip these books onto my shelf after I conquer/read them, I have been having so much fun checking out books. So far I have been checking out books that I thought sounded interesting but not to the point where I would want to buy them.


Like the following books:


Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer
I don't normally buy history books because they often don't keep my interest long enough they are just too...stuffy. But since I didn't have to worry about buying it, I check out this book (below) and I actually ended up really liking it!
Bulldogs for Dummies. I don't like buying how to books because I figure I could always find the same info on the Internet. But I didn't want to miss any info when it came to researching while we got ready for Frankie (btw we are getting him this weekend). But thanks to the library I could get all of the information without the price tag
Stori Telling:
I am a little embarrassed but I checked this book out but I wanted to get the 411 on all of the 90210 gossip. So I checked it out and I am enjoying it now without having to buy it-because goodness knows I wouldn't do that.

And fellow Babysitter Club lovers...check out the new cover. I am not sure I like this...

Read any good books lately? Do you have a library card?
Have you changed the way you do things because of the economy? Any helpful tips to share?


P.S. I am on goodreads (under Sensibly Sassy)...care to join me?

Gross Crush

Jon's sister, Taylor, is known for some pretty zany hypothetical questions. One of my favorites is "who is your gross crush?" A gross crush is basically someone you would never ever find attractive normally but somehow you find slightly attractive. 

Taylor's gross crush is Hulk Hogan:

And for the longest time I was having trouble figuring out who mine was. Until last night that is. Jon and I were watching the Grammy's and Kid Rock took the stage to perform and bam!-I had my gross crush. 

Who is your gross crush?

Decision: Made

First off  Thank You. Every time I let my crazy show you guys just come back with more understanding and love that make me feel like I am not so nutso for being all emotional. You guys are some of the nicest people I have never met (well some of you I have but you know what I mean). 

So after I wrote the post on Thursday Jon and I went to Thai food because we needed to talk about what we were going to do. But first Jon asked me if I was going to be able to "hold myself together in public". Luckily I was able to keep it together as we weighed our options. And even though my heart was clearly walking in one direction, it is best to let your brain weigh in when a choice is to be made. By the end of dinner we were still all up in the air.

Before bed our breeder sent us a picture of Frankie's legs to show us that his back right leg (the one with the issue) wasn't all bent up etc. And when I looked at his little butt, I just knew that was our baby's butt. 

Isn't this the cutest butt ever? (Excuse the balls)

But Jon and I decided to sleep on it anyway. But I was looking through all of the pictures of him and I just knew we had to keep him. Some people may say you can't fall in love with a dog via pictures, but I know I did. I just know it. So I emailed Jon and said "let's just do it" and he said "yes, let's  bring our guy home". So there you have it.

So Jon and I will be opening an ING account for our Frankie with the money that we are being discounted (great idea) in the event that he needs some knee surgery. But in the meantime we will be loving the heck out of him. 

Thanks again for all of the love and support friends.

Jinxed

I don't walk under ladders, open umbrellas inside or step on cracks because I somehow believe that this stuff has an actual influence on how my life plays out. That was why I was quite hesitant when I printed out pictures of Frankie, showed them around at work and posted them on our fridge. I felt the same paranoid gut tugger when I told Jon's mom the size of crate we would need (because she so kindly offered to buy it for us), when I put his picture as my background on my phone and when I introduced him to the entire Internet.

But I did it anyway, because as my therapist said, "Sarah just let yourself enjoy the process of getting this puppy!"

So I did. And I started to get really excited to have little Frankie come home with us.

And then tonight I got an e-mail from his breeder informed us that she took him to the vet and he has a medial luxating patella-a knee cap that slides around. Which as her vet said, "could never affect him or it could need some surgery down the road". She signed off with telling me that she would lower his price to compensate or give back our deposit if we changed our minds about bringing him home.

So now here I sit, waiting for Jon to come home, contemplating this. Do we still take him knowing this or do we put a halt on the process. I mean I could see the pro's and con's of both. And we know that this breed has "issues" down the line but it's like conformation that something will arise. I mean, we knew there would be expenses but gah I don't even know what to say. 

But what my reasoning brain doesn't seem to understand is that I have already fallen in love

 with the cow spots on his ears and his chubby toes. I have already pictured his little face looking up at me. I know I haven't met him yet but so this may seem a little mellow dramatic but I really do not want to pick another dog-I want him.

And now after looking at his face I am crying. Crap this sucks.

Thoughts?

The Kindness Movement

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." --Leo F. Buscaglia

The other day I was driving home and as I sat at a stop light I surveyed my surroundings. And then my eye was caught on the face of the woman next to me. She one of the most pleasant smiles on her face. I didn't know if she was thinking of a fond memory, smelled something good, or if she was listening to her favorite song; I didn't know what it was but I knew I liked it. Just seeing her smile made me happy.

This made me think harder about my impact on people when I am unaware of it. So for the past few days I have been calling attention to my expression and yikes! Sometimes my brow is furrowed, my lips pursed, my jaw tight. I can only imagine the vibe I am giving people. But most importantly, what feeling am I giving myself by looking so serious?

While I think I am a pretty nice individual, I think I can do better. I think I should use people's names when talking to them more (It always feels good when people add my name after "how are you doing...Sarah?"), I will give compliments when I think of them (i.e. I won't keep it to myself when I think someone looks nice) and I am going to try and smile more. I already feel cheerier. Kindness is free, free is very good these days. And the best part about kindness is that it breeds more kindness!

So who's with me? What are you going to do?

Trying on my more relaxed me