For anyone else whose husband might be looking for work

As seen in the Stateline Shopping News:

"WANTED: 99 Male singers call Clint at 608-755-1290"

Brad's new job

"So, do you think you are going to be able to sell cars?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure I can."

"Well, you sold me on marrying you..."

Wanting to Win Soooo Badly!

I cannot believe I am typing this right now seeing as how much work I have to do before leaving tonight for the four hour trip it is to Brad's parents' house. His 17- year old sister's baby shower is tomorrow. That's right. Baby Shower. The graduation party was two weeks ago. But I cannot seem to concentrate on my work because I am so preoccupied with something. Something serious. Something that could change my life forever. Something that could either make or break my marriage with Brad. I just feel like I need to get it off my chest and maybe then I'll be able to stay focused and be efficient. I am constantly building my argument in my head and am having a really hard time being creative while trying to write an assessment on why I think a child has Oppositional Defiant Disorder.

What could possibly be so serious that I am both highly distracted from my work (not that it takes much) and afraid of the effect it could have on my relationship with Brad? This is what I am struggling with:

Meet "Icey" and "Scout." Both are available for adoption through the Michigan Sheltie Rescue, and are willing to adopt out of state! How could anyone possibly say "NO" to either of these beautiful faces?

Well, Brad could. And has. Not to these two, but to many, many others. In fact, he is so against us getting a dog that he will not even agree to fostering a dog, which from what I understand, costs minimally anything.

I realize Brad is currently still unemployed, but he has been in training for what could be a very lucrative job if he does well. He is committed for at least 90 days (in order for us to get reimbursed for the $500 training fee), so we have the prospect of an income again.

Here is the jist of my entire argument:

1) Brad insists we don't have the funds for a dog, but my destitute friend Shannon manages to support two dogs. I have a full-time income and with Tupperware money, am fully prepared to be the sole provider for the dog. Yes, we still plan on completing our debt recovery program, but what if we already had the dog? We would not be getting rid of it just to pay our debt faster!

2) Brad has really enjoyed several dogs he has ever come into contact with. At my friend's wedding in January 2005, he met her Miniature Pinscher, Dallas. Shortly after the wedding, Brad was looking on www.petfinder.com for adoptable Min Pins, and that was when we were still in our one bedroom apartment! He loves my friends' dog, Maggie, who was rescued in Tennessee by Shannon (again). Figures they would fall in love with her, and by the time we had our house and the space for her, they didn't want to give her up (we don't blame you, Chris & Court)! These are just a few examples, and there are only a few select dogs Brad had less than ideal experiences with, and if we were to take into consideration their owners, it isn't surprising why!

3) Brad didn't know I was bringing Yummy home, until I was already at the vet with her. For the first few hours he didn't seem to want a lot to do with her, but by the end of the night was bringing her to bed with us because he couldn't stand to hear her meow in the bathroom (where we had decided to keep her so she wouldn't get lost in any of the open crevaces that were once in the house). He insists the cat is mine, which is fine, because I am the one who, the majority of time, feeds her, buys her food, changes her litter box, buys her litter, clips her toenails (Brad helps hold her sometimes), uses the kitty wipes on her, combs her, and takes her to the vet. Brad will participate in some of the aforementioned duties when it suits him. And, because Brad is going to read this eventually: I AM NOT HOLDING A GRUDGE. I love taking care of Yummy, and am fully prepared to take full responsibilty for a dog, as well. That was the point of #3.

4) I need to exercise, and I think having a dog to walk would make the event much more enjoyable. There is a dog park in our neighborhood that I am just itching to experience, as I have never been to a dog park and am really excited to take a dog there! That, and although Yummy is a very good traveler, I cannot take her to parks, bike paths, or other fun-filled places where dogs are allowed.

5) Speaking of Yummy, she is spoiled and needs a sibling. She is under the impression that she is in charge of the house, and even though I admit we are guilty of spoiling her, it's because she is the only pet. She is the only domesticated animal in our home for us to shower unsolcited affection on! I strongly believe that introducing a sibling into the home will not only increase her socialization skills, but will help her realize that the world as she knows it at the Huntsman House does not revolve around her cute little self!

6) The more obstinate Brad is about not getting a dog, the more whiney and persistent I will be about getting a dog. I don't want to go aganist the part in the marriage vows where it says to trust and obey (if those were in ours...Brad insists he was the only one who listened to our vows and he may be right), but I am becoming very anxious, and we all know how obsessive I can be when faced with oppostion to something I really want.

7) We have a HUGE yard! We move into this quaint fixer upper with almost an acre of land, and it is being neglected. The yard is perfect for the pitter patter of four little paws racing through it catching a ball, frisbee, rabbits - you name it! Granted, we have to finish fencing off the yard before we will be allowed to adopt, but I have that all figured out, too! Additional fencing will pull the yard together and will increase the cosmetic value of the house. What is especially cool is that Scout, dog #2 above, is really into agility courses, so we could set one up in our backyard and invite people over to watch him (maybe even charge admission) or enter him into contests (and win money)...dog beauty competitions (cash prizes)...

...and people say a dog costs money.

Flashbacks

I will be the first to admit that high school was my personal hell which seems to contradict my recent gung-ho behavior towards my impending "10-year Reunion." However, I absolutely hated being in high school. My only decent memories are extracted from my experience with the band, and I am oddly comfortable admitting this on my public website. Yes, that's right, I embraced my band-geekiness, even advocating that students wear their band shirts on game days, much like the cheerleaders, dance team, and players would. I was laughed at and taken anything but seriously.

I am not entirely negative about those horrid four years of life, as I do have several good memories. One of which is reflected in my new title. Shannon and Crista and I would have sleep overs at each other's homes (mostly Shannon's, though, since she had a pimped-out basement complete with carpeted metal poles, a menagerie of coke paraphernalia, and a cool counter top that looked like a bar, but really just had board games stored in it). These sleepovers (which did include sleep, since I was involved) never went without the appropriate sized stash of full-calorie Mt. Dew and double-stuffed Oreos. We could exist the entire night and early morning simply on this combination of caffeine and disgusting amount of sugar. I am careful to make the distinction between full-calorie Mt. Dew and Diet Mt. Dew, because at the time, we would rather drink back-washed flouride treatment than Diet Mt. Dew. The absurdity! Flash-forward three years when we all three seemed to have an epiphany while sharing a dorm room at NIU and trying to ward off evil freshman, that Diet Mt. Dew was actually sort of...what?...refreshing and light? I think Erin Hade reintroduced us to the healthier form of the drink we could formerly not live without as she appeared to have her own dorm room stocked with the tasty beverage -- and this was before people started freaking about the Y2K scare. I have now gone a step lower by preferring Caffeine Free Diet Mt. Dew, which some people claim is like drinking "colored water." Ahem. What a glorious day that would be when Diet Mt. Dew flows freely from my kitchen faucet, and its glorious yellow-green hue and sweet citrus taste can be obtained at my will to quench the thirst that craves the drink daily.

I was prompted to write this post after reading an MSN article that can be found here. I think many of you will enjoy it if you haven't read it already, and it makes my insecure high school alter-ego feel so much better about myself and that I never married John Cusak (or was ever serenaded by a man in a tan trench coat outside my window with a giant boombox).