Sorry for the delay in blogging...life gets busy sometimes. I am in a mood of sorts...so I am going to let it all hang out!! If I offend anyone...then I am sorry...and you can stop your reading right here.

So where to begin??

I did mention in my last blog that my IP's are having a little boy. Some people told me that I didn't tell them in my blog...perhaps they just didn't read all the way to the bottom. I won't do that anymore...don't want to upset my readers. :)

Almost 2 weeks ago, Kent and I, along with Ashlyn, Michael, and Kayte, became proud owners of an 8 week old English Bulldog. Talk about a cute mug!! As I type, he is laying in his bed...on my bed...snoring away. We are working on the potty training thing...and it's going...well...it's going. Some days are way better than others.

I have never had a puppy like this little guy. He is very smart...loves to play...and play...then plops down and sleeps. Couple that with belching, hiccups, and farting...and we are good!!

Personally, I would have settled for a cat...a normal cat...not one that was bulimic...and would eat so fast...then go and puke it up...and then because he would puke it up...he would have to poop...but he wouldn't go in his litter box...it was usually in a spot to be "found" by a shoe. I could not handle that any longer...so he went back to where we got him. Not that he was a bad cat...he was a talker...and loved to watch birds out the window. But...there is only so much that I can deal with.

I was asked by a friend how long is this new animal going to last...well...that was kind of a snarky question...and I didn't answer back. True...it's mostly me that says enough...I am done....I can't handle this...and I re-home the animal. That is just me though. This dog Kivu, however, is not my animal alone.

The Dachshund that we had...Maggie....she was pretty much my dog...and I am not sure why that was. It was usually me that let her out...fed her, played with her...you get the picture. But everyone is really helping out with Kivu. All of the kids take him out numerous times a day...and for that I am thankful. Kent gets up with him...sometimes 3 times a night to take him potty. That was never the case with Maggie...Maggie was vindictive...true story. You would never have thought that about her...but she was. If you did something she didn't like, she would get you back...and then mom would yell...there would be swearing...gnashing of teeth...and tears (from me of course...) and I couldn't deal. So, she found a wonderful home in Vancouver with a gal that would love her forever.

So, if you ask me how long with this animal last in our home...my answer will be forever until he passes on. I have my moments with him...actually, it's only been one moment...and I talked it out with Ashlyn and Kent...and I know what I need to do. Kivu will be dependent on everyone...not just me.

My step-dad had a stroke last Friday. My mom says that he will be ok...but it is a rocky road to recovery. I have been praying daily for him...and my mom...for strength for both of them...for him to get better...and for my mom to be able to deal with this. They can use all the prayers that they can right now...if anyone can spare any.

We had a fiasco with the (BLEEPING) bank this past week. I would love to say it was all our fault...but I don't honestly believe that it was. Kent got his bonus check last Friday...so we put it in our bank. All is good...our washer died 3 days before that...(can you say laundry piling sky high??) so we went to Home Depot and bought a new washer and dryer. We have been a one car family since Kent sold his Jeep in December. Well, on Saturday, we bought a cute little used Jetta for me...and we went and withdrew the money from the bank to buy it. On Sunday, I went to the hundred dollar store (Costco) and bought groceries...and to Fred Meyers for groceries. Monday, I went and did some small errands...using my debit card the whole time. Around 4pm...I went to Freds and spend $4.04 and used my debit card yet again. This time...it said "Not Authorized." So I tried it again, and it said the same thing. The gal put the slip in and it printed out that there were "insufficient funds." Luckily, I had $5.00 in my wallet...and then briskly walked over to the bank (which is in Fred Meyers.)

I asked the teller why it said we had insufficient funds, and she said that the risk department had put a hold on all of our funds because they had to make sure that the check..which was depostited on Friday was good. I explained that Kent gets a bonus every year...and there shouldn't be any reason that the check wouldn't be good. She told me that after they reviewed everything, then the funds should be available by Thursday. So...in essence...you are telling me that I am not going to have any money until Thursday? Yes...until Thursday. I then tell Kent about this...and he is more than LIVID!! So, when he gets home, he calls the bank...does not get anywhere with them...but the promise of a phone call with 24-48 business hours. So yesterday, I go online, and in the WAMU "my messages" I see that there have been 3 items "returned" because of ....yes...insufficient funds!! Seriously?? We have banked with WAMU for over 10 years, and I get three items that will be returned. AARRGGHH!!!

I guess the point that I am trying to make here is this...The teller NEVER said that they would put a hold on this check. We came away with a good balance....the balance only went down when we bought something. It wasn't until Monday afternoon that they put a hold on the check...and then told me I was overdrawn!! IF they would have said ANYTHING about placing a hold on this check...do you think we would have bought a washer and dryer and a car?? Hell NO!! We would have bought NOTHING until the check was cleared. (Can you tell I am upset about this??) Anyways, I called yesterday and spoke to someone in the risk department...and after being on hold, she comes back on and tells me that the reason they put a hold on this check was because the bank that it was drawn on was not wanting to release the funds. This seems strange to me...we get paid twice a month through the bank that the money was drawn on. Why now would they not want to release the funds?? And Kent is not the only one to get a check...there were many employees that received one. My thought on this, is that, yes, they held it...probably because they usually don't see that kind of money in our bank account (Please...I am not talking THAT many thousands!!) and perhaps they thought that it was a fraudulent check??? You know us baddies...Anyways...I am just rambling here...so I should probably be done. Oh...they did release the funds back into our account while I was on the phone with them...and the strange part...WAMU didn't "charge" us any overdraft fees for the returned items. Why not??