Too Much Time On My Hands

I'm quiz-crazy tonight for some reason. It feels like the first time I've sat down all day and I guess I just need some mindless entertainment.

You Are Right Brained In Love

Bit of a drama queen Peacemaker, first to end a fight Good at thinking up creative dates Tend to fall in love and get hurt easily Going with your gut instead of your head Empathetic and caring, sometimes to a fault Good at recognizing patterns in relationships Been in love many times, perhaps too many to count Wildly passionate and intense when falling in love Spontaneous with relationships, going with the flow Overly visual - can play back past dates like movies in your mind Roses, love poems, and stuffed animals are a good start to winning your heart

Are You a Right Brained or Left Brained Woman in Love?

Roam If You Want To

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

Heaven On Their Minds

One of the things I've been struggling with and touched on in a previous post is my inability to live up to my desire to be a good person and put away the petty thoughts and feelings of anger, jealousy, envy, and judgment. A big reason for this is that when Scott and I were married we chose the following passage as one of our readings and when we chose it we did so because we believed it and ever since then, I've been trying to live it.

"Teacher, 21 which commandment in the law is the greatest?"
37
He said to him, 22 "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
38
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
39
The second is like it: 23 You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
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24 The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

Rather than getting easier as time goes by, I am finding it more and more difficult and I don't know if it's because I've become more isolated by being at home or because I'm just getting more set in my ways and I have a reduced tolerance for bullshit. I don't know but I find myself increasingly challenged to live up these ideals.

And lately there is one person in particular who is challenging me in ways I never imagined I'd be challenged.

There is a new woman who joined my MOMS Club; I've actually mentioned her before. We had a disagreement about using pacifiers before we ever met in person. Once we met, I found out we went to the same tiny liberal arts, women's college. Our sons are roughly the same age. On paper, I should like her. And I've tried. I've really made an effort to bite my tongue and think positively. But I just can't stand this woman.

She's butch and physically unattractive to me and not by accident. I mean, her personal style choices are just bad. Okay. But that's not reason to dislike someone. Right? I think my perception there is just a manifestation of my dislike of her personality.

It seems that no matter what the topic we discuss in MOMS Club, she has an opinion. And I consider myself kind of left-wing and liberal and open-minded and open to alternative lifestyles and health choices. But this girl takes it to an extreme level in that she has to make an issue out of everything.

I kind of see this as an age-old problem with certain individuals on the fringe. Just as there is a group of right-wing nutjobs out there who want everyone to live the way they do, there is an equally annoying faction of liberal nutters who want everyone to live in grass shacks and use outhouses.

Okay. That last bit is an exaggeration. My point is that everyone needs to be free to live as he or she chooses and not have someone else telling them that the choices they are making are wrong.

If Miss Girl wants to use a neti pot to clear her sinuses, that's just ducky. But if I want to use store bought saline solution for myself or my kids, I don't need her writing a five-page essay on how I'm destroying my nasal cavity AND the Earth because it comes in a plastic bottle.

I don't tell her that she needs to lose approximately 50 lbs to be be healthy. Can she just shut up about whether or not the produce co-op we were invited to join is organic or not? Can you really be that obsessed with your health and be that fat?

See? This is what I'm talking about. I get mean. I don't want to think these things. I want to look at her with compassion and love. And I'm not doing that.

I feel like these honest, human emotions and thoughts are bad. I know that it's wrong of me to think this way. But every interaction with this girl just pushes my buttons. And challenges my beliefs.

I guess people like this are put into our lives to help us stretch and grow and reach for our personal best. It's easy to love the people who are like us and it is harder to love our enemies.

How do I get beyond these feelings of distaste, annoyance, and anger?

Let It Snow!

On Saturday, we got the first real snow we've had. The snow earlier in the week just left a light dusting that was melted away overnight by the rain that fell. However, Saturday's snow dropped a few inches, which is quite a lot to us Atlantans. We had a ball playing in it. I loved seeing Brendan enjoying this new experience and Scott and I really enjoyed playing in the snow, too.

We just went out to play with Brendan, but before we knew it, we had half the kids in the neighborhood in our yard having a snowball fight. It was awesome. I loved it! I love that the kids in our neighborhood are comfortable enough with us and each other to do that. Brendan, who is a little shy, kind of clung to the edges of the group and would only throw snowballs at me and his dad, but I think he enjoyed being a part of the fun. I don't know that it was like this for him, but for me, it was kind of like watching a movie. When I was a kid, I wasn't allowed to play in the snow because my mom thought I'd get sick. And guess what? Brendan did get sick and now I'm sick, but it was worth it to see him having such a wonderful time and to interact with our neighborhood kids in that way.

I hope it snows again before winter is over and we can do it again. Much of the snow melted before we got a chance to go back out and by Sunday most of it was gone. We never had a chance to build a snowman and I was pretty disappointed about that. Especially after seeing some of the creative and hilarious examples dotting the neighborhood.

If you're curious, you can check out some of our other photos at Flickr.

Sick Bed of Dawnulainn

What is up with all the sickness?

I have gone from being one of the healthiest people I know with the healthiest kid to someone in our house being sick constantly. I guess it started roughly a year ago. Almost exactly a year ago when a plague descended upon our house. Exhaustion from having a newborn and post-partum depression had taken their toll and I ended up with a sinus infection that spread to my eyes, the flu, and an outbreak of fever blisters. I remember the timing of it because it was the week before Brendan's birthday party and I was so worried we would have to cancel the party because I was so sick. Brendan's party is next week. Thankfully this year it's very low key. I'm not worried that I have to prove to him that we still love him even though he has a new sibling.

So, I'm just going to try and rest as much as I can the next few days and accept that the basement playroom will not be ready before the party and deal with it.

Scott is out at CVS right now getting me some Theraflu and then is going to stop at the Thai place to get me some super-spicy curry. Hopefully, that combination opens my sinuses up and we can move forward from there.

And hopefully Brendan's cough improves. I've been up with him the last three nights and think I caught this last night when he coughed so hard he threw up on me. At least I felt fine until sometime around 10 a.m. today when it all started going downhill fast.

So, on that note...Goodnight y'all. My food and Theraflu just arrived.

Taking Care of Business

I am loving my BusyBodyBook! It is proving to be a great system for me. I can see all of our calendars at a glance and it's ideal for me to keep up with my to-do list. I prefer jotting things down by hand to doing it on-line. So, even though I've used Ta-Da Lists with some success, this suits my personality better. And I love the pocket at the front of the book. This morning when I went out to run errands, I just stuck the things I had to mail, a check and deposit slip, and stamps right in there, so everything I needed for errands was neat and tidy and in one place instead of at the bottom of the diaper bag.

I just received an e-mail from Joan at About Your Time, makers of the BusyBodyBook. There's a great sale going on now until Groundhog's Day! Take a minute and check it out. This would make an excellent gift for the messy, unorganized person in your life.


20% OFF
In Honor

of

Punxsutawney Phil !
According to legend, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather.

It's FREEEZZZING here today. I'm so desperately hoping that Punxsutawney Phil is absolutely shadowLESS and to lure him out of his burrow now for an even earlier spring we're offering up a 20% discount on all of our BusyBodyBook products until the official Groundhog Day on Feb. 2.


Aug '07 - Sept '08 2008


The UNdated Fridge GRID Pad
Start planning for an early spring with BBB and save now when you enter discount code BBBSALE in the comment box at our checkout.

Wishing us all warmer weather!
Joan

About Your Time LLC
(973)761-6782

Everything Memes Nothing to Me

Merlot Mom just tagged me. I don't get tagged for memes very often (that's not an invitation to any of you wiseacres out there!). And since my sick-and-at-home big boy is otherwise occupied at the moment and playing nicely with baby brother, I have a minute to do this.

So, these are the rules: (1)Link to the person that tagged you. (2)Post the rules on your blog. (3)Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. (I apologize in advance!!!)(4)Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. (5)Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website. Damn! That's a lot of work when you think about it. Ha! I'm kidding. It's fun!

WAIT! WE NOW INTERRUPT THIS BLOGCAST FOR A HURT TOE IN NEED OF A DORA BAND-AID! DETAILS AT 10:00!

...And now we join Belle Responds to a Meme, already in progress...

1. I always put my shoes and socks on sock/sock, shoe/shoe and I always start with my right foot. It feels weird to me to do it differently.

2. My very first dog's name was Dusty, hence my porn-star name would be Dusty Virginia if you follow the childhood pet/street name rule of name-making.

3. I have a strange affinity for the band Styx.

4. I worked hard to refine my Southern accent from a hick accent into one that sounded more proper. I did this after a friend made fun of me for saying yalla instead of yellow and thE-ATEr instead of theatre. My aspirational accent is Virginia Tidewater or Atlanta/Birmingham elite. Sadly, I can't remember the specific names for those accents. All that said, when I drink, my accent becomes more pronounced.

5. I love white and pink roses.

6. I sleep better when I'm touching someone I love. That includes my dog Cooper.

Okay. Tag you are it: Renn, Jen, http://thewonderkeepingthestarsapart.blogspot.com/, Jeremy, Mimi, and Melanie!

Death Letter

I can't say I was really a fan of Heath Ledger, but I found him likable enough and a good enough actor that I enjoyed him in movies.

For some reason, his death really made me sad today. I actually cried and I don't usually cry when famous people die. I think it's the idea of his little girl growing up without him. He seemed like a decent guy and a good dad. And it's always sad when someone dies so young and at the height of his or her career.

I made the mistake of going to a celebrity gossip site after hearing just a mention of his death on BBC America World News. I was mortified that the site had pictures of his body being removed from his building and a disgusting article about how much apartments rent for in his building. I am disgusted. I guess that's what I get. I just wondered how or why he died? I didn't need to know any other morbid details or know the square footage of the vacant apartment in his building and how much it rents for. In other words, I didn't need them to revel in the death of a successful person so some mediocre columnist at a third-rate gossip site could make himself feel better.

More and more, I find myself disgusted with this culture of celebrity gossip, the cult of personality. Is it any wonder poor Britney Spears can't keep it together? God bless her, but I know she had no idea what it is like to be a mother and all the responsibility it entails. It doesn't sound as though her mother did a very good job mothering her or her sister. And then every mistake the poor girl makes is blown out of proportion and put in neon lights for all the world to see.

I can attest to the fact that once you start doubting your parenting skills and making mistakes, if you don't believe in yourself it can all go to hell really fast. And there's no way that poor girl could believe in herself with the entire world judging her.

Again, I'm no fan of her as a singer or entertainer, but damn! I feel for her and any other mother out there whose day to day life is examined and judged in the way that hers is.

All that said, Miss Girl needs to get it together and she clearly needs help doing so.

But I ask, who are the childless 20-something writers at the gossip magazines to judge? And who are we, really? I mean, we all make mistakes. Every one of us probably has some stupid thing we've done – as a parent, a friend, a wife, a lover, a member of society – that we wish we could undo. But it's not our place to judge others. As hard as that may be. Trust me. It's a particular weakness of mine that I've struggled to overcome and I fail often. But I don't want anyone judging me for all the stupid things I've done, do, and am likely to do again. So, I try to work on it.

My apologies for going off on a tangent there, but obviously these issues have struck a nerve for some reason. I guess I'm just feeling my mommy-ness right now and these two situations just strike me as very, very sad for all the children involved and I find it disgusting that the celebrity media don't seem to take those babies into consideration when they're writing disparaging things about the parents or showing heartbreaking photos. You'd think they were raised by wolves.

Hey, Grandpa! What's for Supper?

Scott Peacock's Chicken and Rice
Creamed Cabbage
Black-eyed Peas
Cornbread

Words

I just heard Mitt Romney, on CNN, describe the U.S. Constitution as a piece of paper with a lot of words on it.

I have no words...

Can't Complain

Every time I start complaining lately, I find myself feeling guilty and horrible. When I get angry because my kids are being too loud and I can't hear myself think and all I want is a moment of silence, I find myself thinking about how there are so many parents out there who would give anything to hear the shouts and screams of their little ones, but can't because they've died of some terrible disease. When I get irritated because I'm trying to do something and Brendan wants to talk and talk and talk about some cartoon or a toy or something I'm not all that interested in at the moment, I think about all the parents of autistic kids who are trapped in their minds and can't talk at all. Lately, my life is an endless cycle of guilt.

I think bad thoughts about someone, judge the person for how I think she has hurt me or someone else, and then I think well, I should put myself in her shoes. What would I do if our roles were reversed? It's constant for me.

Whatever negative feelings I have, I immediately feel guilty for feeling them and feel they are either unjustified or someone else, some better person, wouldn't be feeling the way I feel.

Ugh! When did I become this neurotic freak who just isn't able to simply BE?

Brendan told me yesterday – after I asked him to forgive me for getting frustrated with him for not listening to me for the nth time – that he forgave me and that he always forgives everybody. And when he said it, he meant it. And he was so filled with goodness and kindness...I was broken-hearted by how much I love this kid and I just wish I knew how to be the perfect mother for him and his brother. How to be the perfect wife for Scott. The perfect friend.

I guess I just feel like I fuck up over and over again, let the people I love down by not having the time or energy for them I know they really need. Not being who or what they need. I always feel like I'm spread so thin. Other women do it and do more. And certainly with far more grace and far less anger and guilt and fear. I just keep thinking if I can just find the right magic bean to figure out who it is I am meant to be I can make everyone, including myself, happy and loved, and I can be successful and have it all – happy marriage, happy kids, happy friendships, happy, successful career, money, wonderful experiences, health, energy. I guess I want what most everyone else wants.

Of course, my first thought as I write that is how selfish I am for wanting those things. That all I should really want is world peace, for the poor and hungry of the world to be taken care of, blah, blah, blah.

I guess I just need to accept that this is where I am now, this is what I feel, and I'm not the Devil for feeling what I feel or thinking what I think. I simply AM.

Poison Oak

Okay. This is totally freaky. I just kind of had the TV on for background noise while I was surfing here this morning. And all of a sudden I look up and see the church I grew up in on TV. With the Oak Ridge Boys standing on the altar singing. Right behind them is the baptismal font where I was baptised when I was 16. The choir loft where I used to sing on Sunday nights. The balcony where I sat with my girlfriends, slipping each other notes. It's just a little weird and unexpected. Especially since the town I grew up in is tiny...only about 20,000 people. It is a suburb of Nashville, only about 30 miles away. But it's just kind of weird and unexpected and it makes me a little homesick and nostalgic.

Midnight Train to Georgia

Happy Friday, y'all.

I'm having a bit of a rough day emotionally, so I don't feel like writing much, but I wanted to share something cool with my Georgia readers that I just learned about.

It's the Georgia Blog Carnival, happening today over at Georgia Politics Unfiltered. Check it out for some links to some fascinating Georgia-centric blogs. And for a more complete, in-depth list of many, many cool Georgia-based blogs, check out the Georgia Blogroll over at Georgia On My Mind, a really cool site run by an elementary history teacher that features Georgia history, Georgia blogs, and Georgia goings-on. I just discovered it recently and love it.

Winter Wonderland

It's snowing! Whoooo-hooooo! Yay!

I'm so excited! I hope it sticks!

Listen to the Lion

So, I've been meaning to write about this and present this particular post for several days now. However, I needed to give this quite a bit of thought before I began writing.

You see, Rennratt gave me an award. It's the Roar for Powerful Words award, given writer to writer. And I am tickled pink as you can imagine. It's always a good feeling to know that someone likes and appreciates what you're doing. Especially when it's someone whose writing and talent you admire.

The award originated with a quite talented writer/journalist named Seamus Kearney and his writers' collective, Shameless Lions.


So, here's how it works, more or less:

"How does it work? Below are copies of the award that we can each distribute to those people who have blogs we love, can't live without, where we think the writing is good and powerful. I thought interested members could kick things off by publishing the award on their own blog, naming five people they would like to give it to (members or non-members), and accompany the image with three things they believe are necessary to make writing good and powerful. The recipients then do the same, passing it on to five other people, and so on."

Which five fellow bloggers do I admire? Who has the blogs I can't live without? Who writes well and powerfully? All good and interesting questions and ones I can't answer without acknowledging the fact that I probably shouldn't award the person who awarded me or anyone to whom she gave the award. So, that narrows my field by at least two. I just nominated a new favorite for a Perfect Post. So, with all that in consideration, here are some of my current favorites, though they are in no particular order (and if yours isn't here, that doesn't mean I don't adore you and your writing). I'm just being forced to choose.

Dancing On the Jetty:
I know Jeremy in real life and he's a good friend. One of the best, most salt-of-the-earth folks you will ever meet. When I worked as a copywriter, Jeremy was my proofreader. As long as I have known him, he has been a straight-shooter, but sincere and compassionate. His writing reflects those qualities. He has an infinite knowledge of music and film that seems to span every genre. He knows a ton about sports, especially baseball. He's more socially and politically-aware than your average bear and whenever I read his blog, I learn something.

Letters About Eve:
Letters About Eve chronicles the life of Jen, her husband Ben, and their beautiful daughter Evelyn. It's a private blog, so you probably can't access it, but I still want to acknowledge how much I love reading about Jen, Evie, and their adventures. Jen's husband Ben is in the Army and just came home after being deployed. They live on a farm with Jen's parents and reading about her wonderful family – Grammy and Grampers, Big Bro and Doc Rom, Uncle Stan – as well as the goats and other farm animals, Jen's work with an autistic kid, and soon her experiences in graduate school give me a peek into a life I will never experience. Her writing is so crystal clear and succinct. It reflects her joy of life without being cloying or sentimental. In essence, I think her clear, descriptive writing and the things Jen chooses to write about are illustrative of the true essence of the world family. Letters About Eve has become a blog I look forward to the way I look forward to a sunny day after a week of rain.

The Wonder Keeping the Stars Apart:
If I just stumbled onto this blog, I'd be compelled to read it, simply for the beauty of its title, which comes from this e.e. cummings poem. Again, I must admit that this blog's author, Suzanne, is a real world friend. We have a long and complicated history and she is someone that I genuinely love. Her writing is bright, witty, refreshing, and runs the gamut from her beloved Charleston, her brilliant legal career and her romance with Sweetie to national and international politics. It's like Sex in the City meets Face the Nation. But in her writing, you see her humanity...pain, joy, strength, vulnerability. Her writing is intelligent, often witty, and always cuts to the heart of the matter.

Suburban Turmoil:
Lindsay Ferrier is an excellent story teller. She has a natural gift for dialogue and a keen sense of the ridiculous in this world. I often find myself disagreeing or thinking that she's overly judgmental and harsh. Sometimes, she even comes across as mean-spirited. We're worlds apart on the topic of smocked clothes for boys. But still...I always come back for more. I think the ability to write funny, as it were is rare indeed. I would give my eye teeth to be able to tell a funny story. Sadly, I just don't got it! Lindsay does, though. The only blog that provides me with more laughs on a routine basis is Rennratt's. If you've never read it, you should definitely check it out.

A., Woman of Independent Means:
A. writes about as honestly and as much from the heart as any blogger out there. Her blog covers topics from raising her two children and life as the wife of a minister to her own career as a minister and the life she has put on hold in many ways to be there for her kids. She writes about the world at large and the world in her own home with care, passion, intelligence, and above all, honesty. She, like Jeremy, is a straight-shooter, but she is never snide, cynical, mean, judgmental or any of the other qualities that I find so distasteful about many bloggers. In fact, I tend to find A.'s writing inspiring and uplifting without being overly sentimental. Even in posts that express anger or dissatisfaction, I find comfort because I finally feel that someone else understands the maddening thoughts of my inner life.

Who Do You Love?

I found this little quiz over on James' blog, Right Face, and thought I'd take the test to see where I stand. I honestly think of myself as being very middle of the road, although I have considered myself a Hillary supporter since she was First Lady. Initially, I was a bit shocked by the results of the quiz, but when I thought about it, I realized it makes perfect sense. Ms. Clinton is not the raging liberal the Right makes her out to be. And as much as I want to like Obama there's just something there that makes feel I can't trust him. And don't get me started on Edwards. Lord. He makes my skin crawl and beside him, Bill Clinton looks like a Boy Scout to me. Edwards I totally do not trust. He's too smiley and his aww-shucks, cornponiness just rubs me the wrong way.

I do like John McCain and was surprised to see I don't line up more with his beliefs. I tend to be a bit hawkish on military issues, but I knew we didn't line up on Iraq (I say clean up our mess as much and as quickly as we can, then get out.), but still I thought I'd be a closer match.

So, there you go. Take the test and see where you fall.

85% Hillary Clinton
85% Chris Dodd
85% Barack Obama
83% John Edwards
75% Bill Richardson
70% Joe Biden
68% Dennis Kucinich
66% Mike Gravel
61% Rudy Giuliani
51% John McCain
42% Mike Huckabee
41% Mitt Romney
35% Tom Tancredo
29% Fred Thompson
26% Ron Paul

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

It's Not Safe

Meredith Emerson's murder and the possible other murders committed by this monster, Gary Michael Hilton, have really shaken me. I guess it's the idea that a serial killer was walking around within a few miles of my home, sometimes living in a park I've taken my children to, and mutilating and disposing of bodies in an area I used to go hiking in when I was the same age as the girl he murdered. It's really put me on edge and made me realize that I need to become more aware of my surroundings.

Last year there was a mugger or armed robber who targeted moms with small kids who would have to be put into car seats. He would wait in the parking lot until he saw the women putting the kids in the car and then approach them from behind, put a gun to the back of their heads and rob them, threatening to either kill them or their kids. Again, in the area where we live. He robbed one woman in the Whole Foods parking lot at the store I used to frequent once a week. Oh, yeah. He did this in broad daylight. He was eventually caught and arrested, but that made me start paying more attention to who was around when I had the kids with me.

But this just brings the issue of safety to the forefront of my mind again.

This article appeared in the AJC today and has some good tips. There is also information at the end of the article about free self-defense classes for women which are being sponsored by local radio station Q100.

The only bit of advice I have to add to the tips offered by the article is something a former cop told me once. He said never let an attacker get you in the car. If someone tries to carjack you, or push you into a car (yours or theirs) let them kill you on the spot before you get in the car. He said either way, you'll end up dead, but at least if they kill you on the spot your family will have you to bury and maybe someone will see or hear it happen.He said that very few people who get abducted are ever found at all. I always have that in my mind as horrible as it is. And I don't even know if it's true, but it sure sounds plausible.

Learning to Fly

The moral of today's story, folks, is don't get too big for your britches. I was so pleased with myself last night for cleaning my kitchen and shining my sink as the FlyLady recommends. I had Brendan's lunch packed and his breakfast all laid out and ready to go. His backpack was packed and ready. I was so full of my newfound excitement over being organized that I decided to get my automatic coffeemaker all set up and ready to make my coffee and have it waiting for me when I awoke. I was thinking, Wow, I am off to one excellent start on this efficiency thing! Look at me!

So, where did I go wrong? I know that's what you're asking yourself. Right?

In my being so pleased with myself, I managed to forget to put water in the coffeemaker. So, when I awoke, I got to have the wind taken out of my sails a little. Still, I had a pretty good start to the morning. Because I had most everything done that needed to be done before Brendan gets up for school, I had time for prayer and meditation and to blog a little.

It's going to be a great day!

Oh Mercy

If anyone came in my house at the moment, I'm really not sure what they'd think. I'm not sure what I think...

I'm halfway through taking down our interior decorations, but there are boxes, rolls of wrapping paper, and used gift bags all over the foyer. In my living room where I am right now, Brendan is pumping a tire pump pretending to put air in my exercise ball while Beckett walks around him in a circle repeatedly while holding a plastic Peter Rabbit bowl. Going by the quizzical look on his face, Beckett seems to be trying to figure out what the heck his brother is doing.

Me? I just finished taking down the outdoor decorations, cleaning and repairing the gutter on the front of the house, and placing all the exterior decorations in their proper places (wreaths hung on hooks in the garage; lights, garland, and hangers in a plastic bin, labeled and in the attic.). I also put all my fall decorations (a witch, some berry garland, and some autumnal wreaths) in their own bin and put that in the attic as well.

Before this unusual sibling ritual began, I thought I'd take a break and check my e-mail, then get right back to work. But this was too funny and bizarre not to mention.

Now that they've performed their dance of brotherly fascination, Brendan has decided to start taking his favorite decorations of the tree and this has caught baby brother's attention, too. I think it's time to intervene....

Dog

Hey, my animal-loving friends. Here's your chance to do a kind deed for an animal today. A friend who volunteers at Atlanta Pet Rescue, a no-kill shelter, sent me the following information. If you would be so kind as to participate, I know I would appreciate it, as would all the sweet, adorable dogs and cats waiting at APR until they find loving families.

Thanks!

Circuit City is holding a contest for the next Firedog, the mascot of their customer support service. For every vote each dog receives, the animal shelter of that dog's owner's choosing will receive $1. The shelter of the winning dog will receive $50,000.

Please vote for Toby. Toby's shelter is the Atlanta Pet Rescue, a nonprofit, volunteer-based, no-kill animal shelter that could really use 50 grand.

To vote for Toby:

Go to firedog.com
enter your email address and click Submit
check your email for the confirmation link
Click the link
That's it. If you really want to help, use every email address you have. But remember, you have to click the link in the confirmation email for your vote to be submitted. And if you want to help some more, forward this email to everyone you know.