Some People Shouldn't Own Pets

I was walking Jacoby and came upon an Aussie laying in the middle of the road. He was soaking up the sun, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.

When he saw us walking, he sauntered over to say hello.  He had a great personality and walked a mile right by my side.  When we returned to Jacoby's home, the Aussie waited by the door for me to return.  I checked his tags since he hadn't gone back to his home (I thought perhaps he was just out and lived in the neighborhood).

He had a 2012 Rabies tag from Country Club vet clinic, yay!  He had an ID tag with his name "Thompson", his owners name, phone number, and address, YAY!  BAZINGA - this sweet boy was going back to his home.  And a third tag which read: "This dog is NOT lost. He lives on 30 acres. He wonders away, but will come home on his own." 

I debated taking Thompson back home so that I could express my lack of enthusiasm for the owner's regards for Thompson's safety.

I debated taking Thompson up to Country Club Vet so that they could perhaps express a lack of enthusiasm for the owners' regards for Thompson's safety.

BUT I decided to take him to animal control where the owner could pay a nice fine for his lack of regard for Thomson's safety. (Of course this was contingent upon the grounds that if the owner didn't respond, that they call me and I'd find the sweet boy a better home).

The moral of the story is that if you are going to have a pet, please take care of the sweet baby.  Its life is precious and we make a pact with our pets that we will watch over them and protect them.  We do not live in the middle of the country where it is safe to let your dog roam.  We live in a growing city with people who are speeding, texting, and otherwise distracted.  There is a reason fences, both standard and underground electronic versions, exist.  There is a reason we have leash laws.  Too many times pets are out and get hit by drivers who simply did not see them - and that is a tragedy.  As a pet owner and professional pet sitter I do not understand why anyone would let their dog roam at will.  Clearly Thompson has been out and returned enough times that the owner felt the need to make a tag expressing his lack of concern about Thompson being away from home.

PLEASE be a responsible pet owner.  PLEASE keep your pets safe and secure.  It is our duty to protect our furbabies from pain and hurt.

You Have A Choice

The most wonderful thing about the USA is freedom.  Particularly freedom of speech - I have a blog and I can write whatever I feel the need to talk about.  Since there are no names associated with this blog - the only thing you can do is read it, form an opinion and move on.  You'll never actually be able to know who or what Im talking about.

That being said, if you are offended by a post or think something is about you - well than that is your own choice.

Its MY BLOG...

I haven't really blogged anything in about a month now - the main reason being I just didn't have anything nice to say.  Now since this is my blog, and for the most part it is anonymous - I can say what I want to say!

Here is an update - I could care less about certain subjects.
Lets start with infertility - I don't want kids.  I am very comfortable in living my life in the style that I have grown accustomed.  That being said...most of the stuff that you women OBSESS over mean nothing to me.  I don't care that you can't have kids, I don't care about your cycle, I don't care about your miscarriages or failed adoptions.  I DON'T CARE!  I don't want to hear about them in EVERY SINGLE conversation we have - especially when we are out in public around people you've never met before that are my friends from other circles.  Did I mention I don't care??  Oh and the fact that you can't have a single conversation - ever - without mentioning your infertility makes me not want to spend any time around you or even answer my phone.

You're being "busy and overbooked" - yeah lets go ahead and throw it out there that if you volunteer for something and then spend every chance you get complaining about said commitment and how you don't have the time for it or you have no idea why you said yes -- do yourself and the commitment a favor and step down from the position. 

Having suggestions for improvement on an "international replicatible system" for a networking group is asinine.  If you look at a chapter or group - and are given documents with a Code of Ethics and Contract For Profitability before your membership is completed, it is safe to say that you know EXACTLY what is expected of you and to what standards you will be held accountable.  If you don't care for one or two of the items it is worth mentioning, however if you disagree with the entire intent, purpose and system of doing business than perhaps that is NOT the group for you.

Divorce - now who am I to judge, I have never been married.  I am now single after being in a seven year, serious, committed relationship.  For over a year I wanted out of that relationship and when I finally decided it was time to get out, it took me another three months to finally get my life together and get out of the relationship.  My point is that after being miserable -I got out.  I did what was right for me - I evaluated things from my perspective, my morals, my dreams, my life in general.  It seems to me that if you're unhappy and  counseling hasn't made things better, than perhaps divorcing is the best option.  Why suffer through life with someone who isn't making you happy??

That ladies and gentlemen is just a snippet of how I really feel...if you don't like it, well then move on to the next post which is probably back to the bubbly happy me.

No Really, Be There!!

When someone has a baby...you be there for the person.  You help them overnight, take them meals and ice cream in the hospital, send flowers, bring presents for baby, run to the house to feed the cat and grab things mom discovered she needed, bring them home from the hospital and run them around because mom can't drive yet, hold the cute little monkey for a while.  Its sort of what friends do - there is nothing to gain, there is nothing motivating you.  You just do it because its the right thing to do and you be glad in it.

Now that we know what to do, there are a lot of things you don't do: be selfish, be rude, be stand-offish, divert attention to yourself, start fights, cause drama, refuse to be supportive, refuse to come visit, play games, play guilt trips, create more work for mom, break a water main in the subdivision so there is no running water (that was random, but nonetheless SO happened).

There have been a couple times this week when it took all I had to hold my tongue because sometimes people need to be slapped.

That is all.

You Can Fire People!

I did a promotion in March with HalfPriceOzarks.com - it is an affiliate of KY3.  I had an amazing response and as such have 17 really good new clients come from the promotion!!  One of the clients that I received, however; has been a pain since day one.  I spent countless time on the phone with her answering questions and talking to her about service.  She had a million questions and seemed to be quite high maintenance.  I explained that I had a sitter who lived less than a mile from her residence, was delightful as well as licensed, bonded and insured.  After a few conversations and answering all of her questions she asked me to have the sitter set up a consultation for her and her pets.

He did so.  The consultation went well and service was provided as requested.  Upon her arrival home she said he was delightful, the pets were well cared for and even sent him a tip to show her appreciation for services rendered.

She called again for service, when I called her sitter he declined the job.  I thought it was odd since he was so close to her home.  He said simply I he wasn't available for her service.  I assigned a new sitter.  This time after the consultation I got a phone call voicing some concern that she is somewhat overbearing, course and very very meticulous about her 5 birds.  I took it with a grain of salt and moved on - I mean, after all - if someone is hiring an in home pet sitter they care quite a bit about their pets.

After this service I received a long detailed email explaining that she didn't feel her sitter fed the proper amount of fruits and vegetables to her birds.  Upon speaking with the sitter, I learned that since the birds weren't eating all that was put out the sitter put out less food so that it wouldn't spoil since the client had expressed multiple times that birds are quite susceptible to botulism.  Makes perfect sense to me.  Way to look out for the well being of the birds and go above and beyond.  EXCELLENT!  Uhm the client did not see it as such - but rather than my sitter was neglecting her birds and not following her instructions.  She paid her invoice in full, without a tip this time and requested this sitter not provide service for her again.  Okay Dokay.

She called AGAIN to request service and requesting her original sitter whom she spoke so highly about.  He again declined the job.  (I might point out again that he lives less than a mile from her home)  I had another sitter call her.  She told the sitter she had canceled her trip and hung up on the sitter.  RUDE!

I having just had my wisdom teeth out and not feeling overly inclined to have to bite my tongue emailed the client and said quite simply:

xxxx,
At this point I do not have any sitters available for you. xxxx said she called this morning and you were rude to her and also hung up on her.  You might try xxxx with "xxxx" at xxx-xxxx.  He has been in business for a while and is licensed, bonded and insured. 


Her reply:

My husband and I had already decided your services were less than acceptable and did not meet even our most minimal standards. 

As far as rudeness., I was not rude. I stated that we did not need services., Someone was to have phoned us last week and due to the fact no one phoned to make arrangements, our trip had to be cancelled. Rude is the fact you pretend to provide services that you do not have. 

I had many friends that were interested in how well your company did/or didn't do. Needless to say, your performance speaks for itself and will be shared. You may consider yourselves dismissed from our employment. I am sure my husband & I will have more to say, should you wish to phone to discuss this.

My reply:

We seem to be on the same page as far as your service is concerned - I wish you luck in finding someone who can suit your needs. xxxx who provided your original service lives less than a mile from you and did not wish to continue service for you.  You RAVED about how wonderful he was and even sent him a tip after service was completed.  If you wish to tell your friends how awful we are, that is fine.  We have a shining reputation and in 11 years of pet sitting you are the first client who has ever been less than pleased.


What I wanted to say was:

You have been a pain in my ass since day one; you want top notch service and yet want to negotiate the price, your original sitter that you spoke so highly about has declined to work for you for reasons unknown to me - even though he lives less than a mile from your home, you call constantly with questions that are clearly answered in writing on the website, in our conversations and in your pet sitting agreement.  If you feel the need to trash my company to your friends, please feel free to do so. If they are anything like you - I don't want to subject myself or my sitters to their ridiculousness.  Furthermore upon calling the sitter I recommended to you I found out he had already dismissed you and also doesn't want to deal with you.  Oh and if SO MANY of your friends had inquired about us, then why didn't any of them call?? After all you just LOVED your original sitter.

People Get Married Daily! Updated

"In honor of Royal Wedding week I have decided to do one thing English everyday..today I drove to work on the wrong side of the road."  -Fence Boy

Uhhuh and you guys all claim I'm the accident queen?  Fence Boy is has that in the bag!

Anyways, so if you have been living under a rock (like I apparently have been) than you may or may not have gotten the memo that it is "Royal Wedding Week" because good ole Prince Harry William and some chick Kate Catherine are getting married.  

I'm pretty sure people get married (and divorced) on a daily basis, but this is apparently a Big Deal.  I will never understand why the media (and subsequently the public) go so crazy over royal weddings and other such nonsense.  Personally, I think if people spent as much time paying attention to their loved ones, spouses, children, friends and/or family as they do celebrity gossip - maybe the divorce rate and counseling bills would go down.  

Just Sayin.

You Start It, You Finish It!!

Thank you for calling me pissed off and leaving a mean message.  Thank you for also texting me "Call Me Right Now!" while I was in a meeting, yes I went ahead and called you because, I thought it was something life threatening or of dyer importance.

Now that you have me on the phone, don't scream at me about something you have no knowledge, no part in and no business yelling at me about.

Now that I've hung up the phone after being more than polite to you because I was in public and with a business associate - don't spent the rest of the night and the subsequent day texting me ALL DAY LONG about the same subject.  Again - you don't know the story, you weren't there, you had NOTHING to do with the situation and you have no solutions.

Now that you have spent 36 hours texting me - berating me, yelling at me, telling me how horrible of a person I am and offering up solutions which have proven to be useless and not feasible (which I told you before even wasting the time to look into them) we are in the SAME EXACT place we were when you initially called me.

Oh but now, all of the sudden you have work to do so you wish to call a "truce" until 8am.  Oh so you can begin telling me how awful I am, how Im not doing all that I can do, maybe offering me more useless solutions, taking me away from clients??  GREAT IDEA!!

Have you lost your @#$^&%* mind?  No No No...you pulled me out of a meeting, you ruined my entire day and you wasted my time.  Just because the timing has become inconvenient for you doesn't mean we can just pick it up in the morning when its better for you.

Direct Lines of Communication Are Always BEST!

If I refer business to you and the business deal doesn't come together according to the time line discussed, I don't expect you to call me and have me play middle man. I also don't expect the sales person to call the customer. I expect you as the deal maker and business owner to call the customer directly that you made the deal with and have an open, honest line of communication.

If you did call me, the very first question I would ask is "Did you call so-in-so to discuss the matter with them yet?"  When you said no, Id direct you to do so...because that is the adult thing to do.  There is no sense in involving me or the sales person - that just muddies the water and causes mixed messages. 

Furthermore, if you do have the sales person playing middle man, make sure they are conveying the same message you as the owner wish to convey.  If a sales person tells the customer that everything is fine and just keep them posted - I as a consumer am going to think that everything is fine and I am going to keep you posted as more information comes forth.

People Are Assholes!

I said it...loud and clear, spell check made sure I didn't stutter.

There are days when its rainy and nasty outside.  When you're in a great deal of pain.  When you're emotionally overwhelmed.  When you have a full schedule of things you really don't want to do.  When you're stressed to the hilt and just trying to keep it all together.

So, you go ahead and put on a happy face and decide, what the hell...maybe if I put some positive vibes out in the universe my day will get better.  Only, all of the assholes of the world come out in full force and make sure you have a shitty day nonetheless.  (DO NOT insert comments about making your own day and choosing your attitude.  That could cause rage and loss of life...namely yours)

Thanks for being super supportive guys...really, I appreciate it.  Oh and ps, next time you're having a bad day - I won't be there **Shaking Pom-Poms** and saying nice things because I know its what you really need.  Instead, I'm pretty sure I will mutter something about putting on your big girl panties and call a waaaaa-mbulance.