Is that sour kraut I smell?

I'm dog sitting once again for my friend Jesse's cocker spaniels. They really do have such personalities. Maxie is the older of the two. More independent. While Junior is always looking for attention. It's funny to watch the inter action between them. One minute like brother and sister, the next like an old married couple madly in love. For some reason tonight it's Maxie's turn to be all over me. And Junior is giving her space to do it. I'm betting it has something to do with the pig ears I gave them as a treat. By far they are Maxie's favorite. In fact anything that is considered food is Maxie's favorite. Now the pig ears have a little side effect. It makes them fart. A lot. Tonight Maxie is happy to hang with me and Junior on the bed. Chewing away on her treat. She is content to lay at my side, farting. With her butt in my face. No matter how I move she is right back there. What I can't stop laughing at is when she passes wind it sometimes is a bit loud. And quite fragrant. This is so frustrating to her since she can't figure out where the noise is coming from. Junior on the other hand is smart enough to have figured it out and keeps jumping off the bed for some fresh air. I keep reaching for the air freshener. She looks at me like I'm the guilty one. I see why people love their pets so much. They really do give you unconditional love, even when they think you've passed wind and are trying to blame it on them. They'll turn around and lick your face as if to say, it's OK, I still love you! I love you too Maxie. R-

one month, 18 days

That's what it's been so far. 48 days that I asked for a "drama free" summer. My Birthday wish that is. I know, you shouldn't tell the wish you make right? But see, I wanted to put it out there. It was more of a "don't even think about not granting my request." (Like that double negative)? Kind of a line in the sand if you will. OK, I know it was a bold and silly request. But lets face it, the last few years have been busy with crap. You know the drama that finds us in our day to day lives. Friends that bring you their "stuff." Problems that you have because some computer at a say, bank, might bother you with. Well that's over. Yo. Fifth Third bank. Yes, you. I got that taken care of. Got a nice new Audi (not financed through you). Everything I wasn't looking for but I love it. Still can't get use to the size though. And I do still miss my porsche from time to time. But let me tell you it felt so good to walk into the bank and tell them "I hope I never see you all again!" They laughed and knew how I meant it! Banker's Insurance. That mess with the fire I had. Over. They said "Uncle" And everyone told me the insurance company doesn't care or even know who I am. Proved that statement wrong. Remember, never mess with a hairdresser. Never. We hold power through our clients. These two things alone ended a week or two after my Birthday wish. Landed a gig at a local barber shop on Sundays. Fun for a while. But not much cash. Now I took a job at a salon in Coral Springs on Sundays. 40 minute drive but could turn out very good. My friend Mindy got me to go and check it out. She owns Life Publications. Through her magazines has started a campaign to get me business. This is my second Sunday. Hope it's better then last week!!! Sometimes it's good to be "drama free" Seems to be working out just fine for me. Not sure what the rest of the summer will bring but you can bet I will be able to handle it just fine. Now what your step, I wouldn't want you to fall over that line. R-

Two years.

Two years today.  Wow.  The memory of the fire is still with me.  I can remember that day so clearly.  Getting up and going to work on the photo shoot from hell.  I was fighting with the photographer most of the day.  And over what, how we wanted to do the best job we could on a guy that was paying us to shoot his comp card?  He had no business modeling.  We knew that.   But we always try our best to make them look good.  At the end of the shoot I sat there thinking, "aspirins, lots of aspirins..."  Then the phone call from Regina telling me my house was on fire.  The knot in my stomach building as I rode home with the photographer.  I still get that feeling in my stomach when I see a fire truck.  Two years.  I look around my new house and finely feel safe.  Thankful I had a place to move into from my landlords.  Wasn't much left to take, so I thought at the time.  I love this little house.  It's suits me.  I even have started going through my closets thinking, boy, I have too many things.  I've already given some clothes away.  Which is funny in and of it's self since the fire left me with no clothes at all!  You can always replace things.  And our memories stay with us.  The good, bad, and the in between ones.  So today is an anniversary.  One that has given me strength.  And a new perspective on holding onto "stuff" that I really don't need.  Maybe it's a good time for a little spring cleaning?  R-

I'm not a tourist, I live here

Driving back from breakfast this morning with friends, it hit me. I live a mile from the beach. Yet I only seem to go there when I'm working on a shoot. When asked why I never go, my response, "I only go to the beach if I get paid." Silly I know. Yet thinking about how I wound up meeting my friends this morning and where, could in fact lead to a paying job! Living in a tourist town, the locals shy away from the areas most populated by "snow birds" until the beginning of summer. Yet this morning I had breakfast at a beach side cafe. Early of course. After leaving the cafe, we walked towards our cars, stopping in the stores that lined the area. The beach shops that sold all those must have gifts to give to everyone that says, "I was thinking of you and brought you back this." What it really means is, you have no taste at all and think a tacky trinket will say you care. Of course there are the tee shirts we love to read, think for a sec that we may buy and then a friend slaps us up side the head asking what are you not thinking? This happened to my friend Joyce and I while shopping in Santa Fa. She asked me what I thought of of a fringe hand bag she was holding. I reminded her while it was fun, could she see herself walking the streets of Manhattan with it? The bag dropped so fast you thought it was a bomb! While chatting with one of the store owner about the clothing she carried, I told her I knew the designer and had worked for him shooting some of his collections. She then replied they knew each other and the other label that the store carried was her families. As we started to leave, I handed her my business card. She gladly took it and said she would give it to her husband as they are getting ready to shoot there new line. How funny to go to the beach to find a job. I decided to drive home along the beach instead of the main streets. Wanting to see what I am missing from my town that draws so many tourists each year. While it was a nice ride, I couldn't help but see it's lost some of it's charm. "Where the boys are" just doesn't seem to fit anymore. Condo after condo line A1A. Construction sites are everywhere. With fancy names of new places to live, most new projects lay empty. But the snow birds come, year after year. Maybe it's time I stopped taking it for granted. After all, I to had come to Ft Lauderdale to vacation back in the day. Now I'm proud to say "I'm not a tourist, I live here."