Meet a Pit Bull

I love pit bulls. They are cute, sweet, loving, loyal, very smart and the underdog. I know many, many people out there don't like pit bulls, or THINK they don't like pit bulls because they actually don't have any idea what a pit bull is / isn't.

From a pit bull owner's/lover's perspective, let me explain this first. When you say you don't like pit bulls, or refer to them as "those mean dogs" or assume a dog attack involves a pit bull, you rip our hearts into a million pieces. We don't just think of the dogs we love at home, we think of the millions (yes, millions) of pit bulls put down every year. Many because of this type of breed discrimination. You know how you feel when someone says something mean about your child? (no one would ever DARE do that, right??) That is how we feel about our dogs. Except it isn't just our dog, it is ALL dogs who look like the dogs who own our hearts.

Pit bulls are good dogs! They are. If you aren't sure, ask a pit bull owner! We are so proud of our goofy bundles of love that we would LOVE to help you get to know the breed(s). Being unsure is ok, but don't let the unknown turn into fear. Pit bulls want your love too – and your spouse's, neighbors, children's love as well).  Please - pause, think about your feelings and then open your heart and mind.

Pit bulls were once the #1 family dog in America! Don't believe me - take a look at the American Kennel Club about the American Staffordshire Terrier (or one of many "pit bull" breeds). http://www.akc.org/breeds/american_staffordshire_terrier/.

Or visit StubbyDog - http://stubbydog.org/2011/01/pit-bull-facts/ it is hard to know how this beloved American dog could fall from favor so quickly and for reasons out of their control.

Did you know Sergeant Stubby (a pit bull) was the most decorated dog of WWI and the only dog promoted to Sergeant? http://www.cesarsway.com/news/Remembering-Sergeant-Stubby 

These are loyal dogs. They want to be with, and take care of their family. Once referred to as the "Nanny Dog," these dogs aren't bad for children! They play with kids, don't get upset when kids might tug a little hard on their ear or tail and are the absolute best snugglers EVER!

Lastly, I want to profile a Pit Bull owner for you:

Retired, high income, married couples

Young families with small children

Same sex couples

Single, big city gals

Outdoorsy types (Pit bulls LOVE outdoor adventures)

Newlyweds

Single guys (Man's best friend!)

Still uneasy? Ask me! I'm a pit bull owner and can't wait for you to get to know an amazing breed.

You're not that busy!

One of my pet peeves (I have several) is "I'm just so busy." NO - you aren't. Everyone makes time for what is important. Saying that you are too busy is really saying "It's not that important."

I have the privilege of meeting and getting to know many amazing individuals by working in the nonprofit sector. These are people who have never uttered the phrase, "I'm just too busy."

They are parents of seven children who found a nonprofit after their fifth child is born with Down syndrome because they want to help other new parents of babies with Down syndrome. They are marathon runners, cancer survivors, single mothers and volunteers...all at the same time! (I actually know these people!)

Then there is one who always makes me feel lazy. To call her amazing and inspiring isn't enough, but I don't know what else to call her.

She is beautiful, but that isn't what is surprising. She is young, but again, that isn't an accomplishment. She is a successful business owner, which is nice. Oh, and she runs crazy races all the time. She is giving to others and of her time - that is impressive. She is a mother of two little boys, which I'm sure is harder than it looks. She volunteers on STARS' board of directors (thank you!) and two other terrific organizations in our community. She is the person who follows through, is reliable and dedicated. But while all of these things are on her list, she was battling a very serious illness.

This amazing young leader was told, at 28 years old, that she would need a kidney transplant. In the time I have known her, she has had a few "almost" transplants, that turned out to not happen in the eleventh hour. I think everyone around her showed much greater disappointment than she ever did. A simple post on Facebook to let everyone know that the surgery was called off, with an optimistic tone, was all I saw. One time she actually brought someone into STARS for a tour because "I didn't have anything else scheduled," after her surgery was cancelled. Finally, in spring of 2011, without much notice, she received her transplant! However, I'm pretty sure she never missed a beat with her other commitments during the entire process.

There isn't one thing that makes this woman something we should all attain to become, it is that she is so many things in one and doesn't seem to mind a bit or ask for sympathy or accolades.

In the words of this amazing woman:

“I always ask myself, ‘If service is the rent you pay for your existence on this earth, are you behind in your rent?’ My answer: ‘Never have been and never will be.’”

Money, Money, MONEY

Makes the world go 'round? or go crazy?

I pick crazy.

Here is the reality. Kyle and I don't make a lot of money. Period. I love working in the non-profit sector - I love what I do and where I work. What I don't earn in a paycheck, I receive a million times over in the satisfaction I get from making someone's world a little better. Kyle is a pilot. "What?!," you say, "I thought those pilots on the 747 I fly make lots of money," well, YES, THEY do. But a mid-20-something pilot who doesn't have a degree from a military academy or an "in" with a sweet job, does not make much...at all.  So there you have it. We are happy, but we are broke!

In this post-wedding clarity we have found that making new priorities is much easier than it was before the wedding. Getting total control of our finances and becoming financially secure is our #1 priority. So, in light of this, I am going to write about it!

Step #1: Kyle sold his car! He had a beautiful 2006 VW Passat which was in great condition. He sold it for more than he paid for it! Then, he turned around and paid cash for a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder, which is also in excellent condition! Savings = $200/month.

Step #2: Combining things now that we are married. The first thing we combined was our car insurance. By combining our policies, and Kyle getting an older car, we save $50 a month! Next is our cell phones. My contract is up in September so we will hopefully be saving more then!

Step #3: Changing service providers. First, we opted to leave the Vet we have used for 4+ years. They are very expensive and no longer 1 minute from our house. We are using the Banfield Vet at Petsmart for $25 / month / dog. If we even use this 3 times in one year (not per dog - total) we will come out ahead.

After these.... we are talking about getting rid of our beloved DirecTV and DVR. We are also talking about selling my car and buying something for cash to eliminate ALL car payments. Lastly, we are going to sell stuff! Kyle has already started selling some items on Craigslist, and we will continue to do that as well as have a garage sale this fall.

Writing about this will be fun! It will keep me honest about what works, what doesn't and force me to fess-up when we fall off the saving wagon. Wish us luck!

Till next time...

Post Wedding Planning Reality

Oh my goodness, I am a married woman! It is awesome!

Three weeks ago today, Kyle and I said our vows in a beautiful ceremony in San Francisco and everything went more than perfect. We were amazed how honestly perfect the whole day was. How did that happen?

The process was anything but perfect and happy. It was a straight pain in the behind! I learned a lot, however, about those who matter most to me, the strength of mine and Kyle's relationship, and that my family will be in my corner no matter what.

People get crazy around weddings, and not just the bride, people! If a woman is getting married and she gets upset about something, the automatic word is "Bridezilla." However, if she weren't getting married and the hair salon still messed up her hair and she got mad, that's no big deal. But, because it ended up the wrong color two weeks before her wedding...she is the dreaded "B" word.

None of that matters. When you put on that dress, whether is it an awesome vintage dress, bright pink, a $10,000 monster that doesn't fit into any closet, you feel like a Bride. It will hit you like something you cannot explain until it happens. And when it does, nothing else matters. You know you are about to make the walk you have dreamed about your entire life, you are wearing a veil (which will never again in your life be appropriate) and you might feel like crying (I did cry!) or you might feel like puking (I felt a little queezy) because this is the biggest moment of your life! None of the crap from the engagement matters.

As we danced our first dance with our 58 friends and family watching, we said to each other "We did it! That was it. We got married!" like we had to remind ourselves that we no longer had to talk about it - we just did it! It really happened. And it was perfect. It was OUR perfect. Everyone danced the night away, no exaggeration, drank way too much and had so much fun! We were humbled by the love that surrounded us and the memories that will last a lifetime.

Now, back to reality! What am I going to do now that I don't have to plan a wedding? Perhaps, all the things I've wanted to do the past 16 months but couldn't:

• Write a blog!
• Take MAJOR control of our finances
• Get a hobby or two
• Go Camping
• Take some classes - photography, writing (again), cooking
• Volunteer more
• WHO KNOWS!