April 18

I know we are a few days past April 18... but it was a good day. After all, it is my birthday. So I decided to take a look at other things that have happened on April 18th in history - as well as any holidays (real or bizarre) for that day.

In History

• In 1775, Paul Revere made his famous ride from Charlestown to Lexington, Ma., shouting "the Red Coats are coming" as the American Revolutionary War begins.
• In 1880, an F4 tornado strikes Marshfield, Missouri, killing 99 people
• In 1902, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala is destroyed by an earthquake
• In 1906, the Great San Francisco earthquake hit, killing 700 people.
• In 1923, Yankee Stadium opens
• In 1924, Simon & Schuster publish the first crossword puzzle book
• In 1981, the longest professional baseball game is begun in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The game is suspended at 4:00 the next morning and finally completed on June 23.

Famous Birthdays (aside from me... LOL)

• Actress Barbara Hale (1922)
• Actress Haley Mills (1946)
• Actor Rick Moranis (1953)
• Talk Show Host Conan O'Brien (1963)

Famous Deaths

• English Judge Julius Caesar (1636)
• German physicist Albert Einstein (1955)
• American Host & Businessman Dick Clark (2012)
• American Author KD Wentworth (2012)

Holidays

• Army Day (Iran)
• Christian Feast Day
• Independence Day (Zimbabwe)
• International Juggler's Day
• National Columnists Day

PUPPIES!!

Little Bebe Magoo, who we bred with my Hamlet, is having her puppies today! When I last talked to her Mama on the phone, she had 5 little pups. All are doing well so far. :)

RIP

I know I haven't posted in a while. Since losing Leslie, the family has been through other ups and downs. On Feb 16, we lost my cousin, Josh Adams. He was 29 years old.

On Feb 23, my husband lost his cousin, Swift Spaulding, at the age of 51.

In the early morning hours yesterday, April 22, we lost my cousin Brandon Duprie. He was 21. What is horribly tragic is Josh and Brandon were direct cousins - Josh's mom and Brandon's dad are brother and sister.

Over the weekend, I found a card that Leslie sent me when I was sick in August with the flu. I've been really missing her. Just remember to hold on to your loved ones - let them know how you feel! Never waste a moment!! In the blink of an eye, it could all be gone.

My Leslie

Words cannot describe this horrendous loss of such a special person. While I love all of my friends and family unconditionally, Leslie had a special place in my heart. She had such a huge heart that she wanted to share to the world.
The media reports are making me angry. So many assumptions about Leslie, about the family, about Nick. We are united and we all have to grieve in our own ways. It's human nature. I wish the press would just let us grieve - let anyone who has lost someone grieve. What is it? Because it is a celebrity, the family doesn't mourn the same? I'm no celebrity and I can honestly say - we are all grieving this loss. So don't judge Leslie, or Michael Jackson, or Heath Ledger, or anyone by what is said in the media. You only hear partial "truth."
I love you Leslie - we all do. I couldn't even put my makeup on this morning without crying. I had memories of you doing my hair and makeup at Grampa's house for his play. You had such an impact on me and I wish I could have done more for you.

Rest in Peace Leslie.

Yesterday was the big day -- David turned 18. 18! Can you believe it? It's hard for me to think that I have an 18 year old. Where did the time go? It was mainly a quiet day as it was a Tuesday. I made him dinner - his choice. Anisa came and had dinner wiht us. We watched a movie - his choice. :) And Anisa made him an ice cream cake that was soooo yummy. Now I just need to tackle his graduation from high school.

I started at the gym last week. Down almost 10 pounds! I missed the stretch class today :( My personal trainer I am sure will give me hell about it tomorrow. I'll do my cardio when I get home today. I have to keep myself motivated.

I am missing Alex quite a bit. He's doing really well though and I am proud of him. He's going to try to go to the Naval Academy for a week this summer. He had the 2nd highest PSAT score at his school and his Colonel recommended he try to go.

Gonna keep my pugs... which makes me happy. I love my babies... they keep my going, keep my laughing... it may sound silly... but if it does, that just means you haven't owned a dog, especially a pug. :D

Whine Fest

Been a lot on my mind lately. Feel the need to write... just not writing what I should be writing.
David had a great visit with his dad and brother. It makes me sad that the time has come for all of us to start going our separate ways. David just started his last semester of high school. He graduates in May and will be moving on to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. I am so very proud of him, but the idea of not seeing him every day is hard. I love my kids. It's been hard enough not having Alex here with me anymore. I miss him very much.
Steve tells me that the empty nest thing is a good thing... but i'm not feeling like that yet. I know it will be.... But I have spent so much of my life caring for these boys.... I know that they will always need me, even when they don't want to need me. But I'm just not ready for David to be gone yet.
and then Steve talks about how he's all about making sure other people have a chance at success. Yet, I have found that this is only towards coworkers.... my children don't fit into the desire of success. And that makes me sad and angry too. I know he is not their father, but I was kinda hoping he'd take a small part of the job a little more to heart.
I'm thinking of selling my pugs. Which breaks my heart. They are my babies. But it is just too much. Ariel tries to attack Bambie which doesn't end well for Ariel. Sanders and Prospero get picked on all the time by all the dogs. So I am going to get Ariel spayed and then find a home for her and Hamlet. And then find a home for Pros and Sanders.
and myboss is moving to Switzerland. And that makes me happy for him, but sad for me. I'm not sure where this is going to take me. Technically he will still be my boss. And I dotted line report to 3 other people. I just don't get a good feeling about where I'll be in a few months. Not unelss Theo can work some magic and get me moved into an SAP security role. Application security is what I want to do. And I can do that from anywhere.
Just a lot to take in at one time.

Gerianne & Heather

Been thinking about these 2 friends a lot lately. Maybe it is because my 20 year high school reunion took place, even though I did not attend. Gerianne was one of my best friends through Jr High and High School. She had the most beautiful smile and laugh. She was always there for me. I used to drive to her house in the mornings so we could drive to school together in our Senior year. She was born in Seattle on June 20, 1973 but died of an aneurysm on May 18, 2003. She was only 29 years old.


Heather I was introduced to in 1997 by my friend Robert. We quickly became close and I loved her dearly. I only wish I had more pictures of her and I don't have anything digital. She died in a car accident in 2005. Her mom died in the accident too. She was a wonderful person who cared deeply for others. There is actually a scholarship that has been created under her name... that is how wonderful she was. It is the Heather Chapman Young Memorial Scholarship


So Heather and Gerianne - I love you both and you are not forgotten.

Let it go!

I have seen this before but just read it on my BFF's blog so thought I would repost it. It is very true and makes one remember what really is important in life.

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough; remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
and start to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full and they agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "Yes".

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed.

"Now" said the professor, as the laughter subsided,"I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life."

"The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions; Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full."

"The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car..."

"The sand is everything else -- The small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued,"there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.The same goes for life."

"If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,you will never have room for the things that are important to you."

"So...Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner."

"There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap."

"Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter."

"Set your priorities. The rest is just sand"

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

So let it go! Focus on what is really important. The little negatives ain't worth it! But do recognize the small positives. Enjoy life - love, forgive, appreciate and take the time. And remember that the smallest gesture of kindness can mean a lot to someone.

A little bit about August 23

Did you know that August 23rd....

....is when the first picture of the Earth from the moon was taken by Lunar Orbiter 1 (1966)

....is the birthday of:
King Louis XVI, king during the French Revolution (1754)
Gene Kelly, actor, dancer, "Signin in the Rain" (1912)
Barbara Eden, actress "I Dream of Jeannie" (1934)
Shelley Long, actress, "Diane" on TV series "Cheers" (1949)
Rick Springfield, singer (1949)
Kobe Bryant, NBA basketball player (1978)

....is "Ride the Wind" Day

....is the 235th day of the year (236th in a leap year)

....is when King George III declared that the American colonies existed in a state of open and avowed rebellion. (1775)

....is when Napoleon left Egypt for France to seize power (1799)

....is when the automobile tire chain was patented (1904)

....is when Japan declared war on Germany (1914)

....is when the first mid-air refueling was performed (1923)

....is when Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression treaty (1939)

....is when Cesar Chavez organized the Salad Bowl strike - the largest farm worker strike in US history (1970)

....is when West Germany and East Germany announced that they will unite on October 3 (1990)

....is when the original Shamu of SeaWorld died (1971)

....is Father's Day in Nepal

....is Flag Day in the Ukraine

....is the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism

Manic Monday.... and Tuesday.... and.... all of it!

Last week sucked! I had the flu and I tweaked my back. I ended up in the ER on Saturday night because my back hurt so bad I was crying. Thanks go John and Denise for taking me. The ER gave me a shot of Demerol and a shot of Valium. Woo hoo! Loopville was a good place to visit. :D Then on Sunday, Denise came and got me so I could go get my ER prescription filled. I made it in to work today still in pain. Went to the doc where they gave me a shot of Toradol and a shot of Valium. John and Denise picked me up from the doctor as I couldn't drive. The Valium proved useful as tonight was the open house for Mountain Pointe. David's Senior Year! I like all of his teachers and he will have a challenging year. It's now 10:43pm and I am blogging, after getting some work done, and David is doing homework. I think tomorrow I will be tired.
David's homework is for his AP Government class. It's pretty interesting. I like his growing interest in politics. He'll be able to vote in the next presidential election!! Can you believe it?
Okay, I know it's not an exciting entry tonight, but I'm tired and drugged. After the Valium and Toradol wore off, I was hurting pretty bad... so took my pain meds and they are kicking in. While I do enjoy the break from the excruciating pain... I don't like the way these things make me feel. Sometimes I prefer the pain over the loopy, nauseated, vertigo feeling.

Random Word

Driving to work today I almost got hit by a woman in a Prius talking on her cell phone. I figured since I have posted my thoughts on driving while talking, today I would focus on the word Prius. What does it mean and how did they come up with that name for a car? I went to my trusty friend "Google" and did a search. Wordsmith.org states that Prius is a noun.
MEANING:Something preceding, especially a necessary prior condition.
ETYMOLOGY: From Latin prius (something preceding). Earliest documented use: 1882.

According to Dan Lee, a technical training manager at Gulf States Toyota, Inc., the executives at Toyota arrived at this name because the Prius hybrid vehicle is to be considered the predecessor of car-model designs in the future. The growing world population along with frequent increases in oil prices and conflicts in the Middle East make this technology efficient and desirable.

Read more: How Did the Toyota Prius Get Its Name? | eHow.com

Hutch Dog

Pugs are awesome! So awesome in fact, that they are famous.... yes, FAMOUS, in India! Do a search on YouTube for "Hutch Dog" and you will see what I mean. Here is a link to a blog type page called Bin's Corner: http://www.binscorner.com/pages/h/hutch-dog.html
Here are a couple YouTube links:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfPGNLluiYQ
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNLaBA2GFXg

And speaking of pugs...(aww, come on... you knew I would go there!) here are a few new pix of my babies! 5 of them now have owners and will go to their new homes the beginning of September. I still have 1 female left and the little runt, a boy. Sooo cute! :) Maybe I should keep them? Nooooo!! I wish I could!!!

Pug Addiction

HI - MY NAME IS NIKKI SPAULDING AND I AM ADDICTED TO PUGS!

I hear that admitting your addiction is the first step to recovery... but I am here to tell you that I don't want to recover from this addiction. Pugs are the BEST! True, they aren't the smartest breed out there, but I dare say that they are the most loving and fun-natured. My pugs are my babies. And while our German Shepherd is my baby too, she just isn't a pug (even though she tries to be!).
I had an email today from a person who bought a male from my 2nd litter. It totally made my day! She also sent pictures of little Pierre. I also have another person who I am Facebook friends with who bought a pug from my second litter. My good friend Jackie has my little female from litter 2 and my friend Omar has a male from litter 1. It's great to be able to know how these little guys are doing! I wish I would have done better with my first litter and tracking who had the pups.
So here are some pictures of all my pugs!

Wags to you!

This blog belongs to my friend Clark - actually it is his guide dog's blog... ;)

http://wagstoyou.blogspot.com/

Forgiveness

Things have happened in my life and to those around me lately that has had me question what forgiveness is all about. Don't get me wrong - I am all about forgiving someone because to not forgive hurts you more than the person who wronged you. But what causes some people to not forgive? Or to say they do forgive but act in ways that show they don't? Grudges can be debilitating. So what are unforgivable acts for some people?

My first stop was to Google the word. The third on the list was a link from Mayo Clinic. I have a lot of respect for what the Mayo Clinic has to offer and their article on the subject of forgiveness hit spot on. The article is titled: Forgiveness: Letting go of grudges and bitterness

From the article:

What is forgiveness?
Generally, forgiveness is a decision to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge. The act that hurt or offended you may always remain a part of your life, but forgiveness can lessen its grip on you and help you focus on other, positive parts of your life. Forgiveness can even lead to feelings of understanding, empathy and compassion for the one who hurt you.

Forgiveness doesn't mean that you deny the other person's responsibility for hurting you, and it doesn't minimize or justify the wrong. You can forgive the person without excusing the act. Forgiveness brings a kind of peace that helps you go on with life.
**********************

Fourth on the list is from a Christian website and is about what the bible says about forgiveness. This is a good thing, but also something that frustrates me. While some of the most forgiving and loving people I have met are Christians - some of the most unforgiving people have also been Christians.... especially Catholic. Not to say that all Catholics are unforgiving - I know this is NOT true. But what I am trying to state is that I do not believe that religion has any bearing on forgiveness. Sure, you can say "I forgive you because that is what God/Allah/Goddess would want me to do" but then you are not forgiving the person for YOU, but for your Deity. And that type of forgiveness doesn't work.
**********************

I want to have this topic open for debate. I'm curious to know what people have truly forgiven. I know I have had my share of challenges and while not all have been successfully forgiven, most have. I will end my rant with some quotes:

Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were.
Cherie Carter-Scott, "If Love Is a Game, These Are the Rules"

If you haven't forgiven yourself something, how can you forgive others?
Dolores Huerta

To err is human; to forgive, infrequent.
Franklin P. Adams US journalist (1881 - 1960)

There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.
Josh Billings US Humorist (1818 - 1885)

Forgiveness is almost a selfish act because of its immense benefits to the one who forgives.
Lawana Blackwell, The Dowry of Miss Lydia Clark, 1999

The hatred you're carrying is a live coal in your heart - far more damaging to yourself than to them.
Lawana Blackwell, The Dowry of Miss Lydia Clark, 1999

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
Mahatma Gandhi Indian political and spiritual leader (1869 - 1948)

Pray you now, forget and forgive.
William Shakespeare, "King Lear", Act 4 scene 7
Greatest English dramatist & poet (1564 - 1616)

Proud Mama

I'm proud of Alex. He's come a loooong way in the last couple months. The kid I saw over the weekend was not the kid that left my house in February. He is now a Devil Pup! He completed 10 days at Camp Pendleton, which was a condensed version of bootcamp. Yelling, spitting in the face, Old Smokey included!! Here are some pictures of his graduation.
















SEMPER FI

Molly Photography

She's a great and dear friend who is the same age as David. She wants to pursue photography. Check out her blog!

I will remember you

By Sarah McLachlan

I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories

Remember the good times that we had?
I let them slip away from us when things got bad
How clearly I first saw you smilin' in the sun
Wanna feel your warmth upon me, I wanna be the one

I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories

I'm so tired but I can't sleep
Standin' on the edge of something much too deep
It's funny how we feel so much but we cannot say a word
We are screaming inside, but we can't be heard

But I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories

I'm so afraid to love you, but more afraid to loose
Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose
Once there was a darkness, deep and endless night
You gave me everything you had, oh you gave me light

And I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories

And I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories
Weep not for the memories

Amsterdam

I so want to go back to Amsterdam. I'm sitting here not wanting to work. I know, that is bad... but I have caught up on most of my work this week. So, I thought I would post some facts and pictures about/from Amsterdam.

The Netherlands has more than 4,000 km of navigable rivers, lakes and canals.


Amsterdam has over 1 million bikes but only 700.000 Amsterdammers.


Holland has over 15,000 km of bicycle lanes.

When you land at Schiphol Airport, you are actually four meters below sea level.

Amsterdam has over 300 coffee shops which can legally sell up to 5 grams of soft drugs to each person.


Amsterdam boasts more museums of any city in the world, measured per square meters. With over 70 major well know museums in Netherlands of which over 40 are in Amsterdam. They cover every sort of weird and wonderful topic, from famous painters to museums on the history of sex and marijuana.



The Dutch are the world experts on keeping back the water / sea from over running their country and turning it into another Atlantis. During the hurricane Katrina disaster it was the Dutch the USA government turned to for help on how to repair the levies in New Orleans.

If global warming causes the sea levels to rise even a little it could be bye bye Amsterdam as it will be one of the first cities to get flooded, because it’s actually well below sea level and most of the country has been reclaimed from the sea so it is almost entirely flat and is 6.7 meters below sea level at its lowest point.

Amsterdam is built entirely on piles, huge stakes driven into the ground.Central station has 6000 of them keeping it up.

The world famous Koh-I-Noor diamond was cut in Amsterdam.

75% of the entire worlds flower bulb production comes from Netherlands.

What is wrong with people???

Seriously - I go to CNN.com and what do I see? I see stupid people! They are everywhere!
Ann Coulter thinks you can "pray gay away." There is nothing wrong with being gay! Why does it need to be "prayed away" or "fixed" or whatever? Who is harmed by someone being gay? No one! So shut the hell up!

Casey Anthony mask nets nearly $1 million? Why would anyone want to run around looking like Casey Anthony? First off - even if she didn't kill her daughter - she has serious mental issues. Two, she's probably one of the most hated people in America right now.... some woman got assaulted for looking like her... and you want to look like her on purpose?

Airbrushed ads banned in UK - At least the Europeans aren't completely moronic. They understand false advertising and how these ads appear to the younger generation. Women can't really look like that! And celebs should stand up and state that they do not want to be airbrushed. Famous people have zits and poop too.

Okay, that's enough for today....