Pet Peeves

Pet peeve: People interrupting me when I’m trying to say something.

Nothing so irritating as someone who interrupts you as if they know what you are going to say. They don’t. I going to start hanging up the phone or just walk off. Maybe they’ll figure it out? Conversation - a lost art!

Pet peeve: People who suck the joy of a story you tell them by not acknowledging what you tell them & launch into their story, which isn’t even remotely like your story. Or…they just hijack the story before you finish so they can talk. 

I just want to tell them: Do you actually listen to someone when they are talking?  Do you really? So, do you engage with them so that they feel you heard them? Or do you just listen long enough to interrupt them so you can take over & do all the talking?

Do you monopolized the conversation, throwing in “well”, “anyway”, “but”, anything to keep you talking & not let the other person speak? What? They aren’t that interesting to you? Or are you so vain you think only your story is worthy? Try asking them something about what they were saying to get them talking & get a real conversation going. Give & take & listen. Learn to be a listener!

Stop being a social vampire! You may think your interests are important - they are to you - but so is that person who came to talk or called you on the phone. Would it kill you to encourage them to talk? So what if you don’t find it interesting (or you don’t understand). Ever consider they aren’t interested in what you are rambling on about, but are more polite than you?

Be polite for once! Stop interrupting people! Listen to them. Share their joy, make it about their experience. You just might learn something & enjoy yourself.

Pet peeve: 

1. People who only call you when they want something.
2. People who dump your call for someone else - that they could call back!
3. People who expect you to come get them & expect you to meet them somewhere because they don’t want to go out of their way to pick you up. 
4. People who talk on their phones or text while you are out to lunch with them. You, apparently, are not as important as this random person. 

I like to take people out to lunch as a way of celebrating their birthday or to cheer them up. Apparently, I’m the only one who likes to do this amongst my “friends”. Only one of the 5 people I took out for a birthday lunch took me to lunch & even called me on my birthday this year. One sent a HB via FB. I’m saving my money this year & not bothering to bore them this year. 

Just a few random photos I’ve taken lately.

Florida Soft-shell turtle

Geese at the koi ponds

Sandwich terns

Homo sapiens trying to fly. 😁

 

Behold! A bunch of white birds! 😁

Just adding some Snowy egret & Great Egret photos for your enjoyment of nature. 

Taken in Bayou la Batre, AL

 

End Of The Year Donation

I’m posting on all my blogs in the hopes that you will learn of this fantastic group who work to help people in arid regions of Africa to care for their environment and to feed themselves.

The Edenland Foundation: http://edengardens.org/
Founded by a fellow Ridgeback owner’s family from Sweden.

Hoping you’ll join me in donating to this great cause. You can send money via PayPals to:: loverescueoperation@gmail.com

Dukan Diet Tips

As I promised my FaceBook buddies, here's a few tips that have helped me stay and not stray from my diet:

Pure Protein bars: From WalMart or Target or Vitamin Shoppe: My favorites are the Chewy Chocolate Chip and S'Mores bars. These are great to stuff in your purse just in case you are stuck away from home and are craving something chocolate like. One of these and a Coke Zero and I'm a happy camper.

Oh, Yeah! bars: From Vitamin Shoppe. I haven't seen them anywhere else, but this is Mobile and you might have them at one of your local stores. My favorites are the vanilla, peanut butter and mint wafer bars. I keep these in the frig because they tend to be a bit "melty"...and they are just plain yummy cold!

Truvia: From Walmart or most grocery stores. Unlike aspartame, this doesn't have a bitter after taste. I use in in my plain yogurt. You can use it in your coffee, tea or what ever beverage you like sweet.

Jerky. From any grocer. This is a great packaged item you can take along to work or in the car for a quick protein, low fat snack . One of my triggers to snack is reading, so I snack on jerky instead. Keeps my mouth occupied and out of mischief.

Calbee Snapea Crisps: I LOVE these things. I found them first at Walmart, haven't seen them since. I just bought them from Amazon and Vitacost and had them shipped to me. Great for the crunchy munchy cravings!

Sugar free chocolate syrup and sugar free strawberry syrup: From any grocer. I can drink skim milk if it's really cold, but a dollop of sugar free chocolate syrup makes it a bit special. I like the strawberry mixed with plain yogurt for an afternoon or late night snack. If it ever gets cold again, sugar free chocolate in hot milk for hot chocolate. Yum.

Oh Yeah! drinks: Jennifer likes these when she's in a hurry to get going in the mornings. I'm not such a fan, but you might be. I have tried the Oh Yeah! and Pure Protein drinks and prefer the Oh Yeah! drinks.

Caesar dressing: I've found that this won't mess up your diet to use on salads. They do have a good "mayonnaise" like recipe in the book, but I'm bad about forgetting to make it ahead of time. Along with mustard, it makes tasty "deviled eggs", too.

Fluids: Although the diet says water, coffee, tea, diet drinks, Crystal Lite, etc work well, too. Drink lots!

Olive Oil PAM spray: Even though I bought two new non-stick pans, I've found that spraying the Pam before making galettes to be helpful. Also, smaller galettes are easier to turn over than the bigger ones. You can store them in the frig and use them to wrap around cooked ham lunch meat... sort of like a burrito.. for a snack or lunch.

The No Brainer Diet

Beginning April 1...yes, April Fool's Day, I started the Dukan diet. I've tried just about every one there is....some worked well, but were too restrictive, some left me just plain hungry! The Dukan diet, so far, is a perfect match for me AND there is a two step program to help you lose the pounds and a two step program to help you retrain your body to keep it off. That's been a problem in the past, too. Lose the weight, gain it back PLUS 10 pounds! Not good.

To date, I've lost 25 pounds -Yea, me!

Basically, you eat all you want of lean protein and vegetables, low fat milk products like skim milk, yogurt and cottage cheese, eggs and oat bran. Not that oat bran cereal that you find in stores... real oat bran. Oddly, I couldn't find it here so I ordered it from Amazon. Now, it's expensive there! I did find it at VitaCost much cheaper.

Honestly, if you are hungry on this diet, it's your own fault. Of course, you will have cravings if you are a sugar and carb person, but it's a DIET for heavens sake.

To help me, 'cause I'm a chocoholic, I buy Pure Protein bars...my favorites are the Chewy Chocolate Chip and the S'mores from either Target or WalMart or Oh, Yeah! bars from the Vitamin Shoppe. I love the Vanilla, peanut butter and chocolate mint wafers. One of those and a diet Coke around 3 PM and you are quite satisfied.

I bought the book and read it first, then I got my "stuff" together and started. I recommend you do the same if you'd like to try it.

*** Update: As of today, 6/14/2011, no more blood pressure meds! Yea, me! Thank you, Dr Dukan!

Paintin' My Picture...

This morning, I see the post on the RR Members about the updated schedule for the Specialty. It stated that "the judge" decided to have stud dog and brood bitch after BOB on Friday AND that I would take an hour lunch before the BOB finals.

For the record, I do not have the authority to set the schedule. That is what the SHOW COMMITTEE does, not the judge.

They did ask me what I though they should do about the overload on Thursday and I did SUGGEST moving the property classes after BOB. That's what we always did in the past. Apparently, they are worried people would leave.... er, so what?? Only the diehards and those shopping for bloodlines like to watch that anyway, so why do we care if the day trippers leave??

They want to keep the spectators and build the suspense, so the waiting to judge the finals of BOB was their idea. Okay.... but don't paint me as the dictator!