Watch this fun video!
I’ve been on a quest to make sure that we (Kevin and I) are doing everything we can to be the BEST pet parents. On this quest, I recently wrote an ethics paper using PetSmart as the topic of conversation. It only makes sense to do business with a company that is ethically sound as opposed to one that is notorious for having issues with customers and their pets.

This paper explored the changing workforce and the ethical challenges that potential employees and consumers are concerned with.  Retail continuously becomes more and more competitive and to sustain business, companies like PetSmart need to make sure that their ethics are in line with their business. A pro-active code of ethics that shows in daily work habits will help to ensure success for years to come. This mix also helps to make customers happy pet parents!

Below I have created a video of two dogs discussing some of the topics that were covered in the paper. Enjoy!

If you are interested in sharing the video or using it in the classroom, the link is http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/14388508/pet-smart-movie. For those of you who have never viewed an Xtranormal presentation, here is the website on how to create one of your own: http://www.xtranormal.com/. You then have the ability to upload it to YouTube.

Last week marked the end an era…

The last of a long line of Volvo’s is no longer in our family lineage. My brother, Stuart just got rid of his blue Volvo 240, commonly referred to as "The Volvo". For as many years as I can remember, there has always been a Volvo in our family. Our choice of driving funny looking foreign cars, and living in an American automotive town always drew scoffs and funny looks. 

Many owners of the late model Volvo 240 know that as they age, there are finicky things that happen to these cars. Where I am located in Michigan, it became harder and harder to find a mechanic that was willing to work on the cars, or had the intricate knowledge of their quirks.

Over the decade that I drove a Volvo 240, I had three different cars.

The first one was a beautiful gold Volvo. She was perfect. We lost her in an ice storm my freshmen year in college. That Volvo saved the life of my friends Allie and Jenn, and I. I will never forget the state police officer saying “You are lucky you are in such a safe car, another car would have flipped over the overpass and right onto 1-75”. I had the grill from this car hanging on my bedroom wall for years.

The second one was Maroon in color and had been re-painted with a metallic fleck in the paint. This car was the car that I managed to run out of gas in about a dozen times because the gas gauge was no longer functioning.  I also lost the last key to Volvo #2 in between the slats on a dock and into the Saginaw River.  We searched everywhere for a hidden copy of a key to this car, but had no luck. My car had to be towed away from a spot downtown where it was collecting parking tickets, broken into, and re-keyed. This would have been enough to have anyone trade her in for a different option, but I was stubborn. I drove that car until I blew the engine because it hadn’t had an oil change in way too long. Oooops.

The third was also a maroon Volvo 240. When I first got this car, the transmission from the previous car was swapped in. Over the years that I drove that car, the starter had to be replaced, and many other functions went awry. I remember college textbooks being forever locked in the trunk mid-semester and having to be replaced. This car sat for a whole summer because there was no remedy for why it wouldn’t start every time you got in it to go somewhere. I rode my bike a lot of places that summer.

After driving three Volvo 240’s over a decade, to my dismay, it was time to trade mine in. In June of last year, to the joy of my Fiancée, I traded in my Volvo for a Pontiac Vibe. The radio, speedometer, and turning indicators on this new car all worked. What a luxury! This new car also started every time I wanted it to. The anxiety that was once involved with “will I be able to get there on time?” washed away.

My trials and tribulations involved with my Volvo were also paired with many fond memories. I’m sure the memories may not have been as fond to fellow passengers that were stranded places with me, but nonetheless, fond memories.

As my brother writes:

Friends,
Today marks an exceedingly bittersweet event in my life and the lives of many young adults across the world: the retirement of a first car. Although many times frustrating beyond belief, I truly enjoyed driving my unique and iconic Volvo, known by many as “The Volvo.” I could not be more thankful that I’ve been fortunate enough to put many miles on this car since turning sixteen. Maybe I will buy a 1990 Volvo 240 again in the future, hopefully at a time when I can restore it to out-of-the-box form, but for now, on to bigger and better things.

Goodbye old friend. Thanks for the memories.”

In the future, I hope to own a sea foam green Volvo 240, and drive her in the summer with the windows down. My brother hopes to own one again in the future and turn it into a rally car. Mark my words; there will be a time when they are back in the family, and used for tootling around.

When I was about 12 years old, my father requested that I do a “future planning” exercise. He sat me down with a pencil and photocopied sheets that contained the numbers 1-100 with blank lines next to each of the numbers. He instructed me to write down 100 things or places that I wanted to accomplish or go in my life. This is very different than just asking as 12 year old what they want to be when they “grow up”. Looking back on my 12-year-old girl ambitions, some are very silly, and others are very profound.

The list has morphed over the years. Things get removed when I am fortunate enough to accomplish them, or because something doesn’t interest me anymore. Because of curve balls, and self inflicted side tracking (procrastination), there are also numbers on the list that I wish I had already accomplished. I re-visit the list every few years and edit as needed. This is the most recent list, with some completions.

1)      Fire a Civil War cannon.
2)      Go on a hot air balloon ride.
3)      Go to Oktoberfest. (September 2012)
4)      Buy a really nice camera.
5)      Take a class on how to use my really nice camera.
6)      Get married. (January 4, 2014!!)
7)      Graduate from college. (Associate degree- complete, Bachelors- December 2013)
8)      Walk the Mackinaw Bridge on Labor Day.
9)      Have a baby. No more than two.
10)  Be a really good mom.
11)  Be a mentor.
12)  Go in a plane ride over Saginaw/Bay City/ The Bay.
13)  Visit the Grand Canyon.
14)  Go to LEGO Land.
15)  Visit the Harry Potter exhibit at Universal.
16)  Marry the love of my life. (Pending)
17)  Visit New Orleans.
18)  Visit Washington D.C.
19)  Visit Gettysburg.
20)  Hollywood Walk of Fame
21)  Scotland with my family.
22)  Go to the Craig Ferguson Show.
23)  Vacation on a houseboat.
24)  Stomp grapes in a vineyard or winery.
25)  Fall in love. (DONE!)
26)  Be in a movie, whether as an extra or as the star.
27)  Pan for gold in a mountain stream.
28)  Watch the sun rise and set in the same day. From a good location!
29)  Go outside and dance in a rainstorm. (Accomplished, but it will be done again.)
30)  Train for a 5k.
31)  Go whitewater rafting.
32)  Go parasailing in Florida.
33)  Go on a vacation with my best friend. Just the two of us!
34)  Cut bad friends out of my life. Drop poor relationships (In progress)
35)  Own a pet and take good care of it. (Moxie- January 2013…it is a process)
36)  Plant a tree for someone.
37)  Go to Coney Island and taste test.
38)  Go to the Guinness Factory, and have a pint at the sky bar. (Done, but hope to do again in 2015)
39)  Hang out in the Temple Bar District in Dublin. (Done, but hope to do again in 2015)
40)  Walk to the top of the Parthenon. (September 2011)
41)  Vacation on an island. (5 Greek islands- September-October 2011)
42)  Win a contest with a prize that is worth more than $1,000.
43)  Visit Stonehenge. (Done)
44)  Vacation in London (Accomplished!)
45)  Re-visit Wales
46)  Take Kevin to Great Brittan. (Hopefully 2015)
47)  Grow a pumpkin patch and carve the pumpkins.
48)  Go on a snow train trip or train trip.
49)  Be a supportive partner.
50)  Kiss my hunnie in front of the Bean. (Chicago)
51)  Skinny-dip. (Accomplished.)
52)  Buy a cabin on, or right by the water.
53)  Watch the top 25 of the list of the top 100 movies of all time.
54)  Attend the Olympic Games- Winter
55)  Attend the Olympic Games- Summer
56)  Roll/bake my own pretzel!
57)  Go to a concert every month for a year. (12 total- In-Progress! Will finish June 2013)
58)  Take a Week-Long Technology Hiatus
59)  Watch the northern lights in the UP or Canada
60)  Continue to have music and singing in my life. (Community choir, musicals, etc.)
61)  Be a great wife.
62)  Take pictures of my children frequently.
63)  Get a Characteure drawn.
64)  Tour the Neuschwanstein Castle (October 2012)
65)  Do a 3 day cleanse/fast once a year.
66)  Be an elected official- Commissioner? School board?
67)  Participate in Geocaching. 68)  Continue my education- lifelong learning.
69)  Have a backyard retreat.
70)  Sleep outside, under the stars.
71)  Take a tour on a Segway.
72)  Eat at 5 Dinners, Drive-ins, and Dives (Two down, three to go.)
73)  Visit a No Reservations Location
74)  Spend the holidays with my family.
75)  Do something with my parents at least once a month, or MORE!
76)  Take Kevin to Vegas. Stay in a hotel on the strip.
77)  Watch a Movie at a Drive-In Movie Theater
78)  Kick Negative Habits.
79)  LOVE myself, LOVE others!
80)  Visit Vatican City and All of Its Attractions
81)  Experience Christmas in Chicago.
82)  Be a college professor, speaker, or a continuing education educator.
83)  Try not to go to bed mad.
84)  Don’t hold grudges. FORGIVE.
85)  Stay active in church, raise my kids in the church, and sing in the choir.
86)  Become a Mrs. Clause.
87)  Attend a Cirque du Soleil Show
88)  Plan a date for a trip, but not the destination until the day we leave!
89)  Take a cooking class.
90)  Tour the new world Trade Center
91)  Go to the Statue of Liberty, Again.
92)  Learn something new every day.
93)  Visit Niagara falls. (Summer 2010)
94)  Learn to time manage and be more productive.
95)  Make a time capsule. Put fun things in it and news articles from the time. Include a letter and open everything 10 years later.
96)  Experience life with abundant joy and gratitude!
97)  Once a year Sleepy Sunday-You don’t leave the bed! (Well, except to use the bathroom/eat.
98)  Be a productive member of society.
99)  Be a bridesmaid. (Done, done, done, done, haha)
100) Turn my "can'ts" into cans, and my dreams into plans.

If you do not have a list of your own, make one. Use any of the numbers above to get you started on your own.  You may have dreams and ambitions in your head, but take the step to compile them into one place. This is also great for gaining some incredible insight into the goals/dreams of someone in your life.

Happy listing! Live long and prosper.

I never knew such a small dog, weighing in at 28.4 lbs, could have such a big bark. It is overwhelming, and potentially time for a shock collar.

As I sit here and type, my darling little Moxie’s morning routine has been abruptly disrupted by the neighbor’s roofers. Moxie won't stop barking at the six men on the neighbor's roof singing to "Bennie and the Jets" at the top of their lungs. I’m sure the hammering, sawzall, and multiple new voices aren’t helping the situation either. Her curiosity always gets the best of her, and in this case, she can’t decide if the noises are potential new friends, or the enemy.

She would not pee first thing this AM. She has yet to go after her breakfast.

Is it common to send out a “there will be roofers disrupting the peace and quiet of your neighborhood starting on Monday April 22nd” memo? I’m sure my next door neighbor will have a heck of a time getting their two little ones down for a nap, and they are even closer to the action. I’ll think about this again when we re-roof next year.

In addition to the roof top excitement two doors down, Moxie has discovered delicious little rabbit droppings strewn about the yard.  I didn't know we had rabbits until she was frantically running all over the yard looking for "treats". I’m glad we thought ahead and got her the vaccine for that!

Today was supposed to be a calming and relaxing day. I was to be keeping her as calm as possible because she is still recovering from surgery. No jumping, no running, no climbing stairs. So far, she has managed to accomplish all three with a heavy dose of barking.

At this point, I will be eagle eyeing to make sure she does not continue to itch. Who knew that when shaved hair grows back on a dog, it is much like shaved hair growing back on a human? For Moxie, it’s been itchy enough to cause sores that need the attention of anti-ich cream.

I am happy to report that as I finish out this post, Moxie has gotten the “morning crazies” out of her system and is resting peacefully under my feet. I do however fear for the next outdoor outing and the ears of the neighborhood. Happy Monday!

About Voxer- Voxer.com

I recently switched over to the “dark side” and finally got a smart phone. I had been holding out for all of those years because I mainly didn’t want to pay for internet at home, as well as on a phone. I will however tell you that my switch has been more like the “bright side” and my daily productivity is truly better.  Upon the switch, I was asking friends and family for suggestions for apps that were beneficial. One among the suggestions was Voxer. I use this app daily, and have multiple conversations going at once. This app also has a Wi-Fi connection option and I was able to converse with family and friends while overseas in Germany. I love this app! But before I go too far, let me clue you in on this nifty innovative networking tool. (Assuming you don’t already know.)

Voxer.com states that their app was “founded with a vision to make voice communications more useful.” The websites describes it as: “A Walkie Talkie application for smartphones. Voxer lets you send instant audio, text and photo messages to your friends (one or more!). Messages stream live as you talk and your friends join you live or listen later.”

The best part is that Voxer is available for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android devices. This allows you to use the app with any smart device. Voxer has the ability to have a one on one conversation with another user, or set up a chat to have multiple users on the same conversation. When you set up a chat with multiple users, all members can listen to the simultaneous voice conversations and respond accordingly. If you aren’t available and can’t listen “live” when someone is sending you a vox, the voice message is stored for you to listen to it at a later date. This also gives you the opportunity to listen to the message multiple times if needed.

An article on Wikipedia nicely compares the app "as being similar to the Nextel walkie talkie phones, except it lets users listen to messages at their convenience and talk one-to-one with other users." The app also allows users to send text messages and photos and has a location feature that allows users to see on a map where other users are located when they send a message. Voxer is much like normal texting that comes standard on your phone, but has the capability to add voice messaging as well as global positioning.  When operating the app, you even “touch the screen” like you would if you were using a real walkie talkie. How clever!

Voxer’s significance is growing. I found a news article that was published in March of 2012 that stated approximately one million additional users were being added each month. I was very interested to learn that Voxer’s significance is growing large enough to get facebook’s recognition. Just three days ago facebook shut off Voxer from receiving friend data from facebook. When you first downloaded and signed up for voxer, you had the option of linking your Voxer account to your facebook friends. This would allow you to easily see who of your facebook friends were on voxer. Facebook recently determined that they were a “competing social network”. This may stem from the recent additions of facebook recently launching free voice calling to friends through wi-fi. This is facilitated by their newer and ever changing messenger app on iOS.

This new innovative networking tool with only continue to grow, and I am a huge advocate for Voxer. I am consistently recruiting new members for the app. It is easy to use, stores conversations, and also aids in being a safer driver on the road. No texting and driving!