I Did It!

I gave my self a shot in the behind!
I had to close my eyes but other than that...I really never thought I'd be doing this myself (or blogging about it) but I'm geeked!
Gotta say though, whenever Andy is home I will still want him to do it. Especially since there is a very small amount of my own behind that I can reach myself....

Conversation with a Starbucks Employee

So I went to Starbucks today to get some work-related reading done. I find I have a hard time reading in my office, there are just too many distractions and I've been wanting to read this book for awhile (like, years) so it was about time.

My first encounter with "Starbucks Man," as I will call him for the purpose of this story, was as he was mopping the floor in front of the cash register. Instead of saying "I'm sorry, I'll be quick" or something similar, he just said "pardon me...?" with a lilt at the end that made it sound like he was going to follow that with something else. I waited patiently but he didn't say anything else so I ordered my Decaf Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte (90 calories, in case you were wondering, it's their new thing, posting the calories) and found a comfy chair near the door.

A few minutes later he was mopping near me again and it went something like this:

him: "Pardon me"
me: (thinking he was apologizing for mopping near me again) "No problem."

"What's that you're reading?"

I show him the cover that says "Hurt" by Chap Clark

him: "Is that a novel?"

me: (until this point I hadn't made eye contact with him because I didn't really want to chat with a Starbucks Employee at the moment) I looked up, "no, it's kind of educational, it's about teenagers, and how difficult it can be."

him: "yeah....I'd say one or two (pause) of my teenage years (pause) was difficult."

me: "Yeah, pretty hard..."

I go back to reading, he goes back to mopping.

A bit later I finish my drink and go to the bathroom. When I come out there is a seat further from the door available so I move and begin to read.

"Hi Again." He says.

"Hello." I say.

"So...are YOU an adolescent?" He asks.

"No, I'm a youth pastor."

"Oh, that makes sense. May I ask where you're a youth pastor?"

"Yeah, Thornapple Community." (I point in a Westerly direction)

"What denomination is it?"

"Reformed."

"OH! Do you know.........(long pause).....oh, I forget her name, she works here! And she's reformed!"

*And then I palm-smack my forehead*

Update

The book was gone!
Good grief. Called the mom, explained the situation, asked her to please remove the picture from her daughter's book before she got home.
Whew!
I don't know how good I'm going to be at this parenting thing if I'm losing them already...

Typical Me.

So tonight, as I brewed some tasty chicken noodle soup, I decided to update the blog and post a picture of the "cute" little "embies" the doctor gave us on the day of our transfer. I headed to my bedroom to grab the camera and the picture (it is going to have to be a picture of a picture since I don't have a scanner) out of the book I've been reading. See, when the doc gave it to me I had no better spot to tuck it than in the book I had in my purse and I'd kept it there during my two days of bedrest because it was kind of nice to take it out and look at it every once in awhile.
So anyways....
I glanced around the room, no book.
Checked out the dining table, no book.
Started thinking back over my day. Whoops.
Turns out I had borrowed the from one of my students at church.
And returned the book.
This afternoon, with the picture still inside.
Thankfully by "returned" I mean I put it in her box at church so I was able to send a quick email to the church secretary to please remove the picture from the book in my student's box.
That could have been awkward...especially considering the student....I would have felt like I'd been caught in; "the act."

Too True

Just a picture for you to reflect on this fine cold day...

How Men Screw Up Romance:

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Pets Can Save Your Life

At least according to WebMD.
I recently read an article that described 27 ways pets are good for their humans' health. I thought I'd take a moment to share a few of my favorites with you:
First, there's the obvious- having a dog (usually) promotes walking, and walking is exercise. Plus, when it's not 13 degrees and freezing out, walking gets you in the sunlight which increases Vitamin D and therefore strengthens your bones!

Next, it has been found that children raised in homes that have animals (and they don't specify the animal) have fewer allergies and higher immune systems. In particular it mentioned cat allergies as being far less common in children born into families with a cat UNLESS the mother had cat allergies and a cat is introduced before 4 months. Then the rate of developing an allergy actually goes up. (I just love genetics, they fascinate me)

Third, cats are good for the heart. And not in the lovey-dovey way; studies have shown that people who have never owned a cat in their lives at 40% more likely to die of a heart attack, and DOG owners have a higher rate of survival one year after a heart attack! I have no idea where the correlation is but I'll take it!

Animals are also good for your mental health. Psychologists have found that depression patients benefit from owning a pet. For those who need to talk, an animal will listen to you as long as you want, provided your hand is constantly making a petting motion. It also helps to draw people outside of themselves when they care for another creature. (Of course, one must be careful not to become the crazy cat lady.)

It's also been shown that spending time with an animal lowers stress or anxious feelings. Just 15-30 minutes spent with an animal tends to be effective. Cortisol, the stress hormone also responsible for weight gain in the belly area particularly, is lowered and serotonin, the "happy" chemical is increased. (For those who are wondering, I would assume the animal you're spending time with must be tame as hanging out with a trapped grizzly or puma might only increase stress...)

Dogs especially also tend to help their owners be more social. As the article stated; "A dog is a conversation waiting to happen" as dog owners often like to talk to other dog owners about their crazy pets. If Samson isn't a case in point, I don't know what is. Although perhaps "accident waiting to happen," or "cautionary tale in the making" might be more appropriate.

Exercising with your pet takes on a whole new meaning with these last little tidbits of advice:
1)Stretch when your cat stretches. Sorta like the old adage; "sleep when baby sleeps," the idea is that cats stretch a lot more than humans and are much more flexible. If you mimic your cat and stretch whenever and however he does, you'll release more lactic acid and become more flexible. I however opt not to try to lick the top of my own head OR the other end. Thankyouverymuch.
2) Use your cat or other small animal as a dumb bell. Sure, why not? They're just sitting around doing nothing. Might as well put them to good use!
3) Join a "Doga" class. That's dog+yoga and yes, they do exist. Who better to teach you the proper technique for "Downward-facing Dog?" :)