Be thankful.

Well, after a really busy long weekend off, I'm back at the factory all dressed up and watching the rain. I came in grumpy. I mean, it's Monday, I have to dress professional, it's been raining since yesterday, blah, blah, blah. But then, after all my whining, my Dad calls and I'm reminded of how fortunate I really am. He's in Greensburg today helping some members of his church clean up their home....what remains of their home. He says trees look like toothpicks, and you can see from one end of the town to the other because there's nothing standing. Al Roker was reporting from there this morning. They have to monitor who is coming into the town to prevent looting. He's taking pictures but says seeing the pictures and actually being there are two completely different experiences.

So, now I don't feel so bad about dressing up....at least I still have some clothes! A little off the subject but along the same lesson lines, I watched "The Pursuit of Happyness" this weekend. Whew. THAT was a tough one. A little difficult for me to watch. It's based on a true story and Will Smith and his actual son do a wonderful job. But the reality of what they went through is troubling to say the least. Again, makes you stop and count your blessings.

Okay, let's talk about something cheerful. We pick up Tippy tonight! That's right! The cute little princess you saw in my last post is coming home with us. Brett asked me if her last name would now be Neis....of course it will! We got her a hot pink collar and a new doggy bed. But while I'm on the subject, I'd like to get on my soapbox for a minute. What is with pet adoptions these days? First of all, when you go to adopt a pet from a shelter, aren't you doing it because you want to save an animal from being euthenized? Not to mention it costs an average of $100-125 to adopt a dog because it comes already altered (spayed, neutered) and with all it's shots, etc. SO, going into the adoption, most people are taking it pretty seriously. Well, after my experience with adopting Tippy, I would think twice about adopting a second time. Why? Because I had to give my entire life history on a 3 page adoption application that asked some pretty pointed questions including whether or not I would agree to a home visit prior to the adoption. IN addition, I had to wait a minimum of 2 days for my references to be checked and for them to "decide" if I would be a fit parent for my new pup. WOW! I mean, I had even gone so far prior to even visiting the shelter, to research pups online through Petfinder.com. THis site is a database of National shelters that have pets for adoption so that you can locate the pet you are looking for. I spent days....literally, poring over these pages to find a pet the me and my family felt was a good match. Then I emailed the shelters that had pets we were interested in to find out more about each individual dog. Then I inquired about the adoption process, asked if I could come visit the pets, and scheduled time to take my kids to see the pup(s). How much more dedication do you need? Apparently the application process is not uncommon to shelters and they are VERY particular about the information you include. I couldn't leave the application until I had put my vet's contact name and info on it so they could call them and get references as to how we've treated prior/current pets. I think it would have been easier to adopt a child in Haiti. Either way, we get Tippy tonight. But we've jumped through hoops to get her. It makes you feel a little criminal in a way, like I've been invaded. I think policies are going to have to change if shelters want to adopt rather than euthenize their animals.

Okay, I'm done griping. Just had to get that off my chest. I'll post pics tomorrow of Tippy. She's going to be one spoiled little doggy!!!

Will Tippy end up sleeping in my room:
8 ball says....ask again later!