Agent Dog Get

I am currently mostly just a stay at home fur mother and homemaker. It is TERRIBLY boring though. I started selling Mary Kay, thinking it would be a nice break from being at home all of the time. However, I am NOT the kind of person that can beat people upside the head with sales pitches. So I am NOT making as much money as some of those above me.

I tried to think about what I would be good at, what kind of job I could get that I think I could keep? What kind of boss could I have that I would not get in a tiff with? I am a very social person, I liked being around people and being out in the world. It gets really boring being shut inside the house all the time.

I thought occurred to me. Anytime I am out in public where there are animals I gravitate to them almost more than humans. I have a tendency to not even hear what the person is saying or to know where the parties I was once accompanying have disappeared to as my full attentions  go towards wanting to interact with the animal.

And I also know of myself a few other fitting facts. I can handle walking for quite some time. And since I was a child my mother and sisters have referred to me as Ellie Mae Clampett. I seem to get along with animals fairly well. Though I do not pretend to be any kind of Cesar Millan type person. I do think I have away with them.

Then upon realizing what my new dream was, I decided to start looking up salaries. I discovered that a certified dog walker, perhaps even some on certified funds, can make up to almost $20 an hour her dog for a 20 to 30 minute walk. The certification is not cheap. Almost $400 for a three year certification if you do not join and become a member. Becoming a member is $150 a year on average. I think I would rather just pay for the three-year certification and not the added membership. Unless I learned that the added membership has some kind of serious benefits.

in case you have not figured it out by now... I am referring to a dog walking / pet sitter job. I could be my own boss. Advertise on websites like care.com, eventually get certified, and make my own website. I would not need a boss, or have to worry about what hours they force on me or what holidays they will let me have. Sick days might be tricky to navigate as well a few other things. But all in all it sounds grand.

There is currently one major thing holding me back. I have a car, one that would work decently for a job such as this. However, anyone that knows me is aware that I do not drive. It is my goal to take the written test before the year's end. I seem to do OK on practice tests, apps on my cell phone, so I plan on trying to take a written exam next Wednesday after my doctors appointment. If time allows. I would like to take the test before December is over. And then I can work my way up to taking the actual driving course exam thing. For those of you who are not aware that I do not drive you might wonder why? Well I was born with half of my left arm, and every time I have been behind the wheel of a car I feel like I do not have very good control over it. It makes me panic a little and scares me from trying to learn. But the older I get, turning 33 this year I believe, the more I realize I cannot just walk everywhere. I do not live in Atlanta or any major city where that is an acceptable option. I live in the suburbs. And for this job to happen I will need to learn to drive.

But that is my new goal... Pet sitting.

Process

1. Take written driving test
2. Learn to drive
3. Get license
4. Build up pet sitting jobs
5. Get certified
6. Make website
7. Happy

Of coarse... Until I am finished learning to drive there is no reason I might not offer these services to my neighbors. I can always have my cost lower until I am able 2 get certified.

Wish List - House

We will at some point be in the market for a house. It needs to be good, because we likely will not be moving away anytime soon once we plant our roots. Jacob has a job he likes in an area he likes, and he likes to pay things off, he likes something being HIS, owned, so I imagine we will need the first one to be a good one right away. No big DIY thing. As he is too often busy to do work on it. Here is my blog on the thoughts we have now.

Red front door, white trim, shingle roof, windows with the white trim inside them (I love the look of it), neutral color exterior made pref of anything but siding. Unless its very dimensional detailed house like a Victorian or something. Love shingle, rock/stone, stucco, and brick exteriors. 

Want small lawn, flat. Pref shaded, then I can have moss lawn (low maintenance) If not I want either Tall Fescue or St Augustine. No Bermuda grass or hybrids of. It dies in winter leaving an unappealing lawn. I want a year round lovely lawn. 

We would not mind a shaded spot, because it lowers the ac bill. But I do not wish a yard full of pine trees and evergreens! Not only are they on the allergy list, I think that they are unappealing for the most part. Other plants that cause allergies? >>> CLICK HERE <

A quick summery:

Garden Foes

Grasses - Bermuda, Fescue, Johnson, June, Orchard, Perennial Rye, Redtop, Salt Grass, Sweet Vernal, Timothy.

Shrubs - Cypress, Juniper.

Trees - Alder, Ash, Aspen, Beech, Birch, Box Elder, Cedar, Cottonwood, Elm, Hickory, Maple, Mulberry, Oak, Olive, Palm, Pecan, Pine, Poplar, Sycamore, Walnut, Willow.

Weeds - Poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac, Cocklebur, Pigweed, Ragweed, Russian Thistle, Sagebrush.

Garden Friends

Flowering Plants - Begonia, Cactus, Chenille, Clematis, Columbine, Crocus, Daffodil, Daisy, Dusty Miller, Geranium, Hosta, Impatiens, Iris, Lily, Pansy, Periwinkle, Petunia, Phlox, Fose, Salvia, Snapdragon, Sunflower, Thrift, Tulip, Verbena, zinnia.

Grasses - St. Augustine

Shrubs - Azalea, Boxwood, English Yew, Hibiscus, Hydrangea, Viburnum.

Trees - Apple, Cherry, Chinese Fan Palm, Fern Pine, Dogwood, English Holly, Hardy Rubber Tree, Magnolia, Pear, Plum, Red Maple.

More info HERE

Roofing. More into that. I like normal shingles. I like tile roofs, and could even handle the unattractive metal roofing (tin) if it was in a style that mimicked that. Though Jacob said "No, its noisy". Roof should be darker than house color, in my opinion. 

The house we get needs to have a good roof, Jacob knows that they are expensive too, but most worries about possible inside damage from a bad roof. Unattractive outside colors, and in, can be painted. 

however.....

THIS (

is a NO GO!

No wood paneling inside, wallpaper, or brick. We like a certain look that these, even painted, would not go great with. WOOD PANELING does not include various moldings, railings, wainscoting, etc. Things that make a house look more expensive. 

Now...do I hate wallpaper? no. Three examples of stylish WP.

Plus there are now stylish "wall decals" and such that can add a touch of wow. But all those are up to the new owner, who is decorating, and not to be decorated around for buying a house with it.

ceilings. Well, I have to say I like the trey ceilings, catherdral/vaulted, and normal. I like molding (which I can add later) and flat clean smooth ceilings. No popcorn, or pattern. Smooth can have so much done with it decor wise. its another canvas.

For a kitchen, we want beams. We can add later also. 

We will need basic BONES to the house to be good. Jacob does not want to have to do anything really period, but I think small jobs like painting and all would be doable. Just as close to movie in ready as we can get. I.E. - Decent kitchen esp cabinets, floors, structural, doors, ceiling, rooms, layout, bathroom (main things, sink, tub, shower, tile, etc.) flat easy yard, no big TLC or DIY things. 

Reason? Well, more than one. He likes the idea of living in a house that is not always being fixed up, since he is use to being in them that are. He does not like extra work. And had a friend tell him he bought a house to fix it up, and never got around to it with the job keeping him busy, so now they are in a house they don't like.  Jacob did not like the idea of that.

KITCHEN - gas gas gas gas. I pref gas stove. Can I use electric? yes, but I won't be content cooking with it. Gas cooks better. So, no buying a house unless its already got or set up for gas stove/oven. No cheap laminate counters. We likely will not be able to afford changing them any time soon after moving in, so best we can handle them. Cabinets. Hopefully, not plywood. No broken or busted. We can paint white, though would rather find white kitchen with dark counters if at all possible. 

Bathroom. I like tubs. I need a tub somewhere in the house. Also, shower Jacob and I can both fit in, as we often bath together. Master needs TWO sinks. We get ready for bed together and etc.

There are things I'd like, as in example : Apron farmhouse style enameled cast iron sink for kitchen, granite or quartz counter tops, all wood floors (my love is pecan wood) except in kitchen bedrooms and bath. Kitchen  is to have possible slate tiles, bath to have a neutral more spa like warm tone. windows that look cottagey, a laundry room next to the walk in closet by our bedroom, a half bath for guests near living room, a butlers pantry or walk in pantry, an elegant entryway, a stone/brick patio, in ground pool, etc. Things I realize I probably wont get in a house for our range. But as I said, there are things I won't budge on. 

No modern manly contemporary log cabin looking or any other overly manly looking house. A cape cod, craftsman, shingle style, or something in that range will suite me best. Though I have a list ten miles long of yes and no styles. Including details that say the same about a house, like windows. 

I like colonial, contoured, diamond, craftsman, half colonial, etc. I like the grids, they often appear in homes that are richy or even in cute cottage style homes.

So

wrap up

What are we looking for in a house?

Must Haves

* 2+ Bedrooms

* 1.5+ Bathrooms

* 800 sq ft or MORE

* Public Water 

* Decent Closet/Storage Space

* Safe Decent Neighborhood

* Range $30,000 - $100,000

* Payments Under $600 Month 

* Good Condition Roof

* Some kind of outdoor space

* Working Heating and Air

* Minimal to No work Needed

Wants

* Gas Range/Oven

* Walk In Closets

* Patio, not deck

* Master Suite

* One Story

* Four Bedrooms

* 2 Car Garage

* Cul-de-sac

* Under 20 minutes to work

* Sewer Connected 

* Flat (ish) Yard, Small

* 2000 sq ft (ish)

* Open Floorplan, With Dining Room

* Decent Ceilings 

* Large Kitchen

Icing On Top

* Pool (in ground)

* Built In Bar

* Stone or Brick Exterior

* Austell Georgia

* French Doors

* Cute Windows

* Entryway

* Nice Community, and/or Gated

* Sidewalks, Close to Shopping

* Nice Flooring, Trim, Windows 

* Vaulted and Trey Ceilings

* Privacy Fenced yard

* Kitchen Needs No work, Large Gourmet

Deal Breakers

* Wood Paneling

* No Gas Hookup (oven)

* Main Road/Busy Street

* Wrecked Kitchen

* Over Abundant Wallpapering

* To Much Work Needed

* Bad Neighborhood or Area

* Bad History (ex: Termite damage, flooding)

* Too far (30+ drive to work)

* Tiny Crappy Kitchen

* Noisey or Stinky Location 

 

That's at least some of it. Appliances already in would be a plus. Yard half acre-ish. Walk in closet a plus. Good floors a plus. Few more pluses, but right now, that is all.

Well, Jacob wants a cul de sac, that is something he is pretty set on trying to get. 

Blanketing The Fog

What is the truth?

Is it possible that maybe the movie "The Matrix" was on the right track? Could our world be a blanket of thick fog set before our eyes to distract us, to limit what we see, what we know?

The other night, I had a dream of which I can find no image to assist in illustrating. Well, less a dream as a vivid flash of a vision blindside me while shutting my eyes to try to relax and fall asleep. It was quick, with no rem nits after my eyes open, nor upon re-shutting them. 

A veil or dark sheet being pulled over my eyes. Almost like I closed my eyes in time to just catch the end of the act, just in time to see the pale hand and blackish purple covering. Like a creepy night. Though the vision was fleeting, the eery feeling and questions were not. 

I am rational enough to realize that the likliehood the actual vision means anything is not great. What IF we were being controled, or mislead. What if our reality is NOT what the world is around us. Is our whole understanding of life wrong or false? 

Is it feasible that an event like we are always "waiting on" has already happened and the destruction or defeat has already taken place? Could we be being controlled in order to obtain some specific goal? Contain rioting, anarchy, or something else? Or even less along the lines of the "Matrix" movie, is it more suddle? Are we simply being lied to on a grander scale in our own reality? With the distractions of technology and stress of modern day life, how could anyone have time to notice any of this?

But, at some point, the lies must come falling down. At some point the truth will be revealed. And the shock to our society will be massive! as the world they thought they knew, its history, stories, idols, wars, all crumble in their hands. 

While I must warn you, I am prone to conspiracy theories on occasion. I am NOT a nut job with them, believing ANY crack pot theory thrown in my face. I am not sure I believe the one surrounding Obama. (video below) I do believe there is something going on behind the scenes with our government, something has been for so many years now. And I have a feeling its probably NOT GOOD. Less fantastic than they might try to convince us all it is. 

I would not be shocked if there was a "one world government" as prophesied, in the works. It be fitting to a few other things popping up lately. Its not uncommon, in fact its often, that LIES will hide themselves within TRUTH.

Like this show, "Ancient Aliens". Lets examine that briefly. Quite a few people would readily dismiss all as lies, giving no credence to anything that comes from the mouth of the "Ancient Astronaut Theorist". I however see that there is LIKELY to be a sweet and sour mix of both truth and lies. Truth is a Lie's best disguise. With its own face, It would get no where. 

I think that that is how EVERYTHING should be thought of, PART TRUTH, PART FICTION. Why? Because HUMAN INTERACTION with everything you "hear" or "learn". Humans LIE, and puff up the truth. After years of humans spreading the same information, shouldn't you expect that.....the water might be dirty since everyone's bathed in it? I THINK SO! 

I think that there are big pieces to our puzzle missing. Ones we might not get back, and others that will be so numerous, we might be crushed upon the receiving of them. I think that everyones searches for the truth, wants it so badly. Its in our nature to. But what if this truth screwed up your whole life, messed with your whole reality. Maybe even your loved ones, your house, food, EVERYTHING. 

Ask yourself, which pill would you take?

Would you allow your eyes to be opened to reality, which could be devastating. Or would you rather wrap yourself up in your warm comfortable blanket of lies and hide from the truth?

I, myself, have trouble saying "yes" to possible crippling devastation and mental anguish! Simple point, its bad, negative, ICKY. So why thrust yourself into it? Knowledge. Its the "knowing", the need to know the truth. They say truth sets us free, and it may feel that way. But it is possible the truth could reveal that we are not at all free, that we are doomed to be slaves or worse. It could be a nightmare waiting for you. A dream devouring nightmare world. But still, how do you say "no" to THE TRUTH?

Just a few thoughts. Take them as you will. Or don't take them at all. The choice is yours. In your mind, you are always free. In your mind, you can seek out truth, and fight back.

LD