Happy Birthday, Baby!

It's been a full year since my baby's much awaited birthday (photo on the left) and now look at her. I blinked, and she's 22.

I've watched my child change from a thumb sucking baby to a full grown and beautiful lady. What's even more amazing is what my kid has asked for on her birthday! Not a car, nor an iPad--she hasn't requested a new computer nor phone. You may have three guesses of what she wants.

1. No. She loved the koala bear in

Australia, but she did not ask for one of her own. Good try, but try again. 

2. Are you nuts? Sure, we had a great time visiting Kennedy Space Center in Orlando, but she did not ask us to send her to the moon.

You have one more guess, so make it good.

3. Of course not. Twenty-two is NOT old enough to want to be a baby again!

If you want to know what my Erica wants, keep reading, but be careful. If you read on, you may find yourself in need of making her birthday wish happen because YOU have the ability to get her what she wants. I will post the letter that she wrote to everyone and ask that you help her out . . . even if it's just $1. Hey! If everyone who reads my blog gave even $1, she'd meet her dance marathon goal.

Here's her letter:

,

Dear Friends and Family,

With my birthday less than a week away I wanted to do something extra special for it. Instead of asking for gifts or fun Facebook posts, I would love if you could donate to the Children's Miracle Network instead. Most of the money raised for this great organization is raised one dollar at a time and that is all I am asking. If all of my friends donated one dollar, then we could raise over a thousand dollars for the Children's Miracle Network. All donations are tax-deductible and directly go to where these local hospitals need help the most.

This year on March 28th and 29th, 2015, I will be participating as staff in Knight-Thon, UCF’s dance marathon and largest philanthropy benefiting the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. At Knight-Thon this year, we will be standing for 20 hours and hope to raise at least $500,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. We are standing to show love and support for the children that CMN Hospitals treat. 62 children enter a CMN Hospital for treatment every minute, and 1 in 10 children in North America are treated at a CMN Hospital every year. Every dollar truly does count. Below is a link to my donor drive where you will be able to donate to this phenomenal cause.

http://www.helpmakemiracles.org/index.cfm…

Thank you very much for your time and support. It means so much to myself and to the children and families that benefit from your donation. If you’re interested in hearing more about CMN Hospitals, Dance Marathon, or why I’m raising money for this cause, I’d love to talk with you about it! Thank you so much for your time and generosity!

Lots of Love, Erica Lansky  “For The Kids We Are!”

http://www.helpmakemiracles.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participantDonations&participantID=290530

Please help "For the Kids"!

http://www.helpmakemiracles.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participantDonations&participantID=290530

#WW: Another Puppy Pic.

#MM Dance Marathon Time

My daughter Erica will be participating in a dance marathon at UCF in Orlando to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Won't you help by making a small donation? 

Thanks for your donation. 

You may help to make miracles here!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava’s Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.




PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Armed Robbery

Our peaceful neighborhood has been rocked by three armed robberies in the past week. No, we do not live in the "dangerous" part of town; we live in Germantown. Although Memphis has her fair share of crime, Germantown had been rated as the tenth safest suburb in the country. See for yourself Ten Safest Suburbs in US. So what's going on?

Here is a report of what didn't happen during the first robbery, but I'll use my author's creative rights to change the story.

An elderly woman drove home from picking up dinner. Without warning, a man, wearing a hat, gloves, and ski mask, grabbed her arm and pushed her into her house. As he pointed a gun at her head, he didn't notice her 85 year-old husband who sat at the kitchen table. Being that he had no early Altheimer's and a body as fit and limber as it was in his twenties, he sprung out of his seat, disappeared into the back of the house, and called the police.

Once notified, the police arrived in two minutes. (That's not fabricated.) They pointed their pistols at the robber and told him to drop his gun. When he didn't follow directions precisely, they shot off his white balls, which dripped the last of his testosterone all over the kitchen floor.

Cuffed and booked, Mr. Felon was dragged to 201 Poplar and thrown in jail with a group of sex starved men. He couldn't sleep for fear of one of his fellow prisoners attacking him in the night. 

Not exactly the story, but hopefully they'll catch this thug and shoot his balls off, anyway.

#WW : Party Time!

#MMMM: Bands With Animal Names

Up first is a song from Cage the Elephant called "Ain't No Rest for The Wicked."

Next, please enjoy an old song from a group called The Animals. Remember them? "We Gotta Get Out of This Place." That could be my theme song this year.

Finally, if you have not commented on or shared my last post, it's not to late. Someone will win $50! Dog Fence.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava’s Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.




PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Dog Fence DIY: Containment Made Easy

Three Reasons You Might Want 

an Electric Dog Fence For Your Yard

There are few things in life more fun than being a dog owner. Sure, there’s the poop-scooping, tick-picking, and fur-fighting stuff that no one loves (you don’t know anyone who actually enjoys that, do you?). But the unconditional love, spontaneous kisses, and the fact that this little creature is unwaveringly loyal and fully dependent on you pretty much make up for the gross parts. All you have to do in return is take the best care of your dog that you possibly can. That’s not too much to ask, right?

Making sure your dog gets enough exercise, for example, gets you out of the house and moving, too. Taking care of your dog’s physical and mental health automatically boosts your own well-being. Picking out the things that help your dog, like a functional collar, plush pet bed, and darling monogrammed sweater (okay, maybe not a necessity…), is also a lot of fun. Sometimes, however, the choices can be a little more difficult to make.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a yard for your dog to play in, choosing a safe way to keep them on your property is a tough decision. Your two main choices are a traditional fence and an electric fence. Some people think that electric dog fences are cruel and unusual punishment, but if that were the case, they wouldn’t be so steadily gaining in popularity. Of course, not everyone will want to use an electric dog fence and e-collar, and that’s fine. It’s still nice to understand why some dog owners might choose to use one in their yard, so let’s take a look at a few of the practical reasons (because for all dog parents, practical is key!).

Reliable Containment for Escape Artists

Some dogs, especially little “diggers” like terriers or hunting dogs like labs, just won’t be stopped by a traditional fence. If they want to get out, they will find a way! Dogs aren’t aware enough to understand the dangers beyond their boundaries, so it’s up to their owners to keep them safe from their own blissful ignorance. Determined dogs can dig under traditional fences, jump over them, and break through them. An electronic dog fence, on the other hand, doesn’t even allow your dog to get close enough to the perimeter to consider finding a way through it.

Now, some people think that the e-collar used with an electric fence is painful. In reality, it’s more annoying. And as long as you take the time to thoroughly and properly train your dog with the e-collar, your dog won’t feel the “shock” more than a few times while learning. Once your dog knows what its boundaries are, they’ll stay in the safe zone and won’t be bothered by the corrective static shock again.

“Invisible” Boundaries for All Types of Yards

An invisible fence is a great solution for all types of “problem” yards. Yards that have irregular shapes, uneven terrain, and lots of acreage aren’t easily enclosed by traditional fences. Placing a traditional fence on those kinds of yards is difficult and sometimes not even possible. If you have a stellar view from your yard that you want to preserve, or if your housing authority prohibits fences, an electric fence may be your only option. When you start reading invisible fence reviews, you’ll find that there are containment systems that are specifically designed to deal with all types of unique yard situations while still providing the best containment available. Similarly the technologies available in dog containment systems can also be used for pet proofing; that is keeping your dogs away from furniture or dangerous areas.

Low-Cost and Low-Maintenance       

Unfortunately, money is always more of a determining factor than it should be in all areas of life. We’d all like to have enough money that we’d never have to worry about a budget, but hey, we don’t live in a fairy tale. When you look at the numbers, the invisible fence cost is much lower than a traditional fence. With as a little as $300 and a weekend of do-it-yourself work, you can install an electric fence system. With a traditional fence, you’re looking at

$2,000 and up. Because it’s not exposed to the elements, an underground or wireless dog fence also requires much less maintenance work and expenditure over time when compared to a traditional fence. Wireless dog fences consistently rank four stars in Amazon. You can read the reviews here.

Clearly, a containment system for your yard is an important purchase that shouldn’t be taken lightly. When it comes to the safety of your dog (or as some like to say, your baby), there’s no cutting corners. Everyone’s preferences, budgets, pets, and properties are different, so be sure to consider all the angles before you start fencing in your yard. And no matter what you decide, you can be sure your dog will still love (and slobber on) you like always.

Published in partnership with www.dogfencediy.com. We encourage you to share your experiences with a variety of dog containment systems in the comments section. Commenters and those who share the post in social media qualify for a drawing of a $50 Amazon gift card!

#WW : Comic and Fantasy Convention II

Real Troopers 

Buff

Disturbing (but hey, check out the hot guy behind him)

#MM: Guns and Roses

Although Guns N' Roses was a band of misfits who met in LA in the eighties, they created amazing music. The lead singer, Axel Rose, claimed to have been arrested more than twenty times and spent three months in jail. So it's no surprise that Guns N' Roses was seen as dangerous with their anarchist attitude. Today, they still perform and produced an album in 2008, but for the most part have been out of the lime light.

Sweet Child O Mine 

Paradise City