Animal Crazy

I have an extreme empathy for animals. And children, but we'll stick to animals for this story.

That said, as you can imagine, I do not watch the Sara McLaughlin commercials. You know the ones where her song plays and some animal rescue/shelter agency puts the most pathetic, sympathy grabbing pictures of animals on the screen while filling your head with awful things happening to them so you'll send money. Or adopt. Or both. CAN'T. WATCH. I cover my eyes and start singing loudly until my husband or son changes the channel.

I also can't watch the lion eat the zebra baby or the great white eat the seals.

Yes, I'm that animal lover.

The marketing classes at my son's school had to hold a trade show. Each student had to find a company to represent and put together a booth promoting their products or services. The Boy's girlfriend chose a company that sells those little self contained aquarium environments that contain two little frogs in each.

Frogs. Little, inch long, swimming, always-underwater frogs.

She picked up the three aquariums she was displaying (and giving away in drawings) the day before the trade show and took them home. Her three cats decided they wanted frog legs for dinner and wouldn't leave them alone. And seeing how the cats were interested, her dopey dog figured he should be interested, too.

A call to The Boy resulted in the frogs spending the night in my house. In my dining room to be more exact. Three little aquariums of frogs that spend all their time either playing dead in the water, or trying to escape their limited surroundings.

Seriously, they swim at the side or the top as if they think they're going somewhere. But they only get two or three inches before they have to try again.

Ahem. Yes, I felt sorry for the frogs. I wanted to go buy them a full sized fish aquarium so they could swim freely. Little plastic sunken treasures to swim around. Bubbling sunken ships to hide in. I wanted to fool them into feeling like they had a life.

Then I looked outside and saw the pond. The pond where all the frogs in the neighborhood live. Hundreds of frogs. They could have a family! They could be free!

I started for the door as the local blue heron swooped in for an afternoon meal of frog legs (and bodies). *

I left the aquariums where they were and tried to pretend they weren't there. I breathed a sigh of relief when she came to pick them up after school. Out of sight, out of mind, right? I mean I don't think about zebras being lion dinner unless the damn nature shows are on. Or I'm writing about it.

If I had endless reserves of money, I would have a large ranch full of rescued animals. And frogs. I would be happy, the animals would be happy and people would think I was the Crazy Animal Lady.

Fortunately for Hubs, we live on a reasonable middle class budget.

*I didn't really head for the door with the frogs. But I did think about it. And we really do have a blue heron or two nearby that come by for frog meals fairly regularly.

***Ally
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Where Have I Been?

I'm still here.

Yesterday I even commented on some blog posts that have been sitting in my inbox for a couple of weeks. That's right, I said weeks.

My mind has been a little preoccupied.

On May 5th, after an undefeated season and being ranked #1 in the state for weeks, my son's high school baseball team lost their first game - the division title game - giving them 2nd in our division. It was a hard fought game. Their coach said, "There's no such thing as a good loss, but if there was, this would be it." No worries though, it just ranked them for the the next step, which was District play-offs.

On May 8th and May 12th, they played three games in District play-offs. They won game #1, then won game #2 against the same team that had handed them their first loss. And then they walked into game #3 thinking they had it done already and lost to a team they had beat twice during regular season. They simply didn't show up mentally. It was the first game all season that I saw that little glint of them thinking they could win without trying. That didn't work out so well and resulted in them placing #2 in the Division.

We all hoped it was a lesson learned. Turns out, it was.

On May 19th, two games in the first round of State playoffs went down as wins.

On May 25th, having traveled across the state, they won again in the semi-finals, putting themselves into the finals. THE FINALS. THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS!

And guess who they were up against in the finals? The same team that had beat them first, then they'd come back to beat. It was a re-match of epic proportions, both teams with a lot to prove. Our boys were actually glad that was who they were playing. They were looking forward to it. I'm pretty sure it gave me an ulcer.

And... they won the State Championship Game! 

 This is a very blurry picture of what a pile up looks like 

after the last pitch of the game has been thrown.

There is so much in my head. So many amazing things and amazing people went in to this season, this win. But I wanted to share where my head has been. I am a highly superstitious baseball fan. I refused to talk much about it before hand, except to plaster a smile on my face and say they were headed for the playoffs. With the win, I will say that these boys rocked my view of teenagers in general and gave me faith in the next generation. They are that incredible - both on and off the field. And their coach - well, I'm saving that for another day.

***Ally
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Washing, Washing, Washing

If you don't already follow him (why not?) and didn't read J-Tony's post yesterday over at A day in the life...  well, you should. It's short, it won't take you long. Go. Now. I'll wait...

Ewwww, right? I mean really, the dryer?

Really? You didn't just click over and read it? Okay, okay - basically he witnessed a dude finish up in the men's bathroom and walk over to the hand dryer and dry his hands. Did you catch that? #1 - he peed. #2 - he dried his hands. There was no washing involved.

Ewwww, right?

I was thoroughly grossed out, but put in my two cents:  We were at a high school baseball play-off game last Saturday, and I had to use the loo. Upon entering, I realized that of the three stalls, #1 was occupied, #2 had flooded, and I wasn't wading through that water to get to #3. So I waited.

The door on #1 opened and the school AD (athletic director) walked out. I smiled at her and headed into the stall. As I turned to close and lock the door, I saw her exit the bathroom in a straight line from the stall to the door. Without a stop at the sink. That's right, she didn't wash her hands.

Now even in a perfect world where she didn't pee on her hand, and she didn't get any pee on her hand that soaked through the thinnest toilet paper ever made, she touched the stall. She touched the door, the lock. Someone else peed on their hand before touching that lock. Just sayin'.

Sigh. And she's in charge of our children.

My plea to you - For the love of all things cute and cuddly, please take the extra minute and a half to wash your hands, preferably with soap, after using the public restrooms. Mmm-kay? Oh, and try not to touch that door handle on your way out...

Zulily

Ooh, ooh, ooh! PS - They're (my son's team) still in the baseball play-offs. In fact, we are on our way to the other side of the state today for the semi-finals and finals. They're in the top 4!! Wishing them all the best!!!

***Ally
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Hanging On Too Tight - A Tale In Pictures

Unfortunately, I tend to do a lot of this:

You know, hanging on tight. Too tight, usually.

I'm practicing doing some of this:

Letting go. Relaxing the death grip. Giving up control.

Because while I laugh about being a control freak, that stuff isn't healthy. The only thing I need to worry about controlling, is me. Beyond that, trying to control too much causes stress. Too much stress causes ill health, both mental and physical.

Because instead of feeling like this when things don't go perfectly:

I want to feel like this:

After all:

Yes, I could have written a post about this, but I thought the images said it well.

***Ally
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All images from Pinterest. 

Those That Came Before You - Random Rambling

Dear Usher, Justin Bieber*, and all the others like you,

I know you feel all good up there on the stage. Doing your moves, working the choreography, dancing by yourself or with your back up dancers. But, you know, you aren't really original. I have two words for you: Michael Jackson.



Dear Lady Gaga, and any others like you (but especially you, Lady Gaga),

One word for you: Madonna.

source

With that said, I didn't just randomly decide to rant on these poor, unsuspecting "artists". I just happened to flip past the Billboard Awards and catch both Usher and The Bieb** doing their Thang. All I could think while watching was that Michael Jackson, in all his profound weirdness, had done it all before them.

That led to a conversation with my son, which led to us talking about Lady Gaga (who I actually think is quite talented) reminding me of old Madonna.

I don't know if anything is original anymore. There's always someone that's done it before. Except maybe Dave Matthews Band, because I'm a HUGE fan so I make all exceptions there.



Do you ever start a post and get most of the way through and realize you have no idea where you are going with it? I'm there. Now. I'm not sure this post does anything but date me. As in, make me feel and sound old. I'm not old. Age does not cause random rambling, life does.


*I cannot believe I just typed the name Justin Bieber into one of my posts. MY posts. HERE. On THIS page. What is the world coming to?

**I'm proud to say that that is the first and only time I've ever seen a complete Bieb performance. I'm usually changing the channel or turning it off faster than a match lights gasoline. I'm sad to say that watching the entire performance just made me want to send him to his room for grabbing his crotch so many times while looking like he's still 13.


***Ally
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10 Things Hubby Should Do

Link up with Stasha at The good life for Monday Listicles. It's a different topic every week - follow along and join in. And look at her beautiful pictures while you are checking out her site.

10 Things Husbands Should Do. That's today's subject matter. Ha! Only 10? Okay, okay. I have one of the best husbands out there, and he does A LOT, but I can still probably come up with some kind of a list:

1) Hubby should always leave the kitchen in the same condition in which he found it. (*just in case you are reading, Dear, I KNOW you do lots of dishes at night. And I love you for it. It's that whole make the lunch/coffee/breakfast in the morning thing that makes me snarl out of the side of my mouth.)

2) Husbands should wipe the rim of the toilet bowl. I figure it's not me splashing there, so why should I be the one to wipe it down? (This goes the same for boy-children. Ahem.)

3) Hubs, you need to dust your desk once in a while. My duster and I don't venture into that kind of scary territory, but it still needs to be done.

4) Husbands should do the after dinner dishes. Oh wait, mine DOES that! I love that guy!

5) When asked if my outfit looks okay, a husband should know exactly when to be honest, and when to just agree. I'm sorry hon, I know that's an impossible task.

6) A husband should understand when my brain is temporarily taken over by hormones each month and nothing but crazy comes out of my mouth. Oooh, he does this, too! (99% of the time) He's a Saint.

7) Husbands should take care of all things nasty. Dead things, smelly garbage, dog poop, hair clogged drains (my gag reflex is in total overdrive just typing that)... you get the idea.

8) He definitely should take care of shower scrubbing and car washing - those are the chores I loathe. I'll happily trade dusting and sink scrubbing, which he loathes. Except for the desk - see #3.

9) Husbands should understand that once in a while, I really am too tired and sleep really is more important.

10) Hubs should greet me with a cheerful hello and a kiss after work each day. Yep, he does that, too!

I'm lucky to have him!

***Ally
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It's Friday. I Deserve To Laugh.

It's been a really long week. All the more reason to end it laughing, right?
All courtesy of Pinterest. 
 

I had no idea how many times I bump into walls until I got elbow tendonitis. It quickly came to my attention when every bump created excruciating pain.

Every. Single. Morning.

Never fails to amaze me.

Because if I'm miserable, everyone else should be, right?

Totally true at my house. In case you ever come for dinner.

***Ally

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