Would you believe that right now in the retail world no one is thinking about jolly old st. nick or red and green Christmas decor? Nope. Its set up, set out, and those that are going to shop either have or will be and that's that. So, in the spirit of true commercialism, the next big thing is Valentines Day. You'd be amazed at how much candy is being moved around the country right now. Chocolates, Nuts, with cute little whatevers written across the face of them demonstrative of a male (or in this enlightened age) a females affection for another human being.

It's disgusting And its plugging up my work environment. I have a feeling it will be until the day after Christmas or so when it starts going out in earnest rather than just at the trickle it is now. I always thought love was better served by being a good partner rather than waking up one cold ass morning in feb to search out fresh flowers and chocolates just so your mate has something to squeal about in her office with her counterparts or when you come home from your work with said gifts in your arms after she's been slaving at home and you've been slaving at the office yourself.

However, no matter how disgusting it makes me, I like my job. So please... in the light that the economy is really bad, don't forget to buy LOTS of chocolate and flowers to cheer up your mate, spoil your loved one shamelessly, and keep the economic cog greased.

Seriously. The title sums it up. Crazy huh? Sure, it won't last, but for right now I'm savoring it. See... I've been confined at my house for roughly the last two and a half weeks almost going on three while I recovered from carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand. It was great having a break from work, but when your on a 'break' you want to be able to do stuff. When your hand is wrapped in gauze and causing you serious pain, you really can't do ANYTHING. I could wiggle my fingers, but that was about it.

Now though... I happy. I just went back to work today. I missed work. I really love my job. It can be crazy busy or dead boring slow, but its always an interesting and challenging part of my day. I like to think I'm a great hostler. Maybe I'm not the best one that ever lived, but I love to smile all day long and do the best job I personally can do. That means, to me, cleaning and straightening up the yard (it can get trashed fast with 300+ trailers). That means giving the best customer service to the DC I work for that is possible. It means having a 'can do' attitude thats heavily infused with friendliness and helpfulness. Sometimes I have a bad day, but even when I'm having a bad day, I still have to put a smile on my face and get my job done.

I guess when you take time off work, you always wonder if you'll be missed. Will people even notice? It goes along with the whole thinking process about disappearing or dying today who would care or notice? Turns out... everyone cares and noticed. I got so many smiles, thumbs up, "LET ME SEE THE SCAR", people poking at my wrist, gossping with me, complaining about all the frigid weather I conveniently missed... it was bliss.

Granted my palm hurts where they cut through it after an 8 hr shift, but thats to be expected. I haven't done much with it for three weeks. I only had the stitches out Wednesday, but baring that, emotionally I'm in bliss. The substitute did a good job, but my relief...

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I always get the biggest kick out of people that expertly announce that cats are loners and don't like companionship of other cats or too many people. Being a cat person myself, I have to say this is the biggest bunch of bunk I've ever heard. Sure there are cats that are loners, but by and large I've found felines to be some of the coolest, friendliest, most loving companion animals there are. They love people and they truly love each other. I have a cat, Cloud, who wants to be with me 24/7. He'll sit at my feet as I cook. He'll escort me to the restroom and when he gets shut outside, little white paws end up under the door grasping at air. He has a brother (unrelated) who loves him dearly (and also thinks I'm the foam on the milk, if you know what I mean)... and tonight I caught them cuddling. I thought I'd share. Their baby sister Zephyr (who's totally unrelated but well loved by them) is hanging out behind them snoring as well. I hope you guys enjoy a little cuteness in your day today. Now.. these guys are on a pillow leaned up against the arm of an oversized couch arm... with a blanket over it. Zephyr is sleeping on the arm of the couch while the boys are on the pillow. I'm sitting beside them taking the picture.

Moth is in the front (big grey boy), Zephyr is in the back (looking ruffed up - she just got a bath from moth and he's not too neat when hes washing ears and scrubbing rears), and Cloud is the pale pillow getting the hug...

It's odd how hobbies can draw unlikely people together. Right now I've been talking to two different people who have been making cookies tonight and tried to feed me virtual ones over the net. One of them I've met because she traveled over 2k miles to visit me last year to 'hang out'. The other one is a new friend, a guy, who likes to bake snickers bite-sizes into his chocolate chip cookies. Both are equally cool. One is filled with cuddles and hugs and positive encouragement, the other one comes up with really strange character concepts that strike me as fantastic and fitting without being generic or filled with overused themes.

Mizahar has had this effect on people.

We've been open since August, and frankly it was like birthing a child I would imagine.. one that needs attention and constant TLC. But like having a child, it opens doors to new groups of friends. When your single, and you suddenly get married, you start hanging more with other married friends rather than your solo remaining singles. You don't mean to do it, but somehow it becomes a bit easier. Its the same with kids, I think, even though I do not have any. You make play dates and bond over babysitter issues. And so.. i have my real life friends, my work friends, and I have my online friends.

Frankly, I can't imagine my day without saying hi to the online group like I do the real life group. It's not the same unless I chat it up with GP or Mike, even if its just for a few minutes. Getting hugs from Mish, grinning over Terminus' life, or helping some new stranger get introduced to the world of Mizahar. I love popping into chat and tracking the converstation, wondering where its going to turn to next. I really super enjoy meeting new folks too. Everyone is different. Everyone brings something to the table that the rest of us learn and grow from.

This place is amazing because of that. Seriously.

It's the only place I'd dare to invite someone with nine posts to DS for...

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Winter is one of my favorite seasons. I like the slowness, the relief from life, and the beauty that is in the world all around us. I'd like to share some beauty with you today. For those of you who live in big cities and never experience the worry of pipes freezing, there's a routine you need to go through in the country. For those of us that have well houses, we must put heat lamps in the to shine on the tanks and pumps to keep them from freezing up. Then if we have barns some distance from the house that are not heated (I mean who heats a barn?) you need to keep the water running to keep the pipes from freezing. It's all part of the whole routine that goes along with wrapping pipes, outdoor faucets, busting tanks and troughs of water with an axe when they freeze all in the pursuit of keeping your animals watered.

So, same old deal... we ran the hose out of the end of the barn in front of my draft horse's run. A run is a paddock that a stall opens out onto. These fences are six foot tall btw, so while they might look very short, they aren't. The hose is then left on to spray fine mist day and night.. and this is what happens. I thought I'd share the creation with you this year, since it was a bright sunny day and we already had people stop to take pictures (since this year we sprayed the hose on the road side of the house rather than the pasture side). The tree is over my head, and the nobs on the ground are fist size or larger... this whole area is about fifteen by eighteen feet, and growing daily. But its absolutely gorgeous. I can show more pictures as it gets bigger, but its pretty impressive right now.











and of course....



I hope you enjoy....

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