Battle of the Bed

I've given up, I've lost.

I now sleep with this:

We adopted Duke from the animal shelter, a very subdued dog so it seemed. We came to find out he was coming off anesthesia the second time we met him - he'd just been neutered. We were able to take him home the day we adopted him, and I wasn't ready for that. We had just seen him a couple days before and he had not been neutered at that point. The intention for that days adoption was to set up a transport day to the animal hospital I worked at, that way I would have time to prepare the house for the dog. Once we adopted him I took him straight to my work for boarding.

He was sick with kennel cough, infested with fleas, and had tapeworms. I don't blame the shelter, they do their best - but I still don't know why they would neuter him on a day he was sick.

We initially crate trained him when we brought him home. Too many horror stories at work about dogs left unattended and the things they get into. After a few months we started to trust him sleeping outside his crate - and that is where the battle of the bed began.

I bought him his own bed and placed it near ours. I would allow him up on our bed to chew on a bone while we watched TV and then he would sleep on his bed.

He's a smart dog though. A couple months of good behavior, sleeping the entire night in his bed turned into a challenge. He'd wait... patiently for us to fall asleep and ever so slowly crawl into our bed. After a while I started sleeping with a spray bottle under my pillow so that when I felt him crawl in I could spray him off. This only seemed to make the challenge more fun for him.

When he got tired of pretending to sleep in his bed he would cry and whine and pace around our bed until we let him up. I realize I've encouraged this behavior and gave in to his whining, but doggie nails on hardwood floors can drive you to do some seriously crazy shit. Placing him in his crate didn't work either as that action only spurred the whining to higher and higher decibels, and instead of nails on wood it was nails on metal and plastic as he desperately tried to dig his way to China.

So, I've lost. I now sleep in the middle of my bed, having sacrificed my side to this goofy black dog we decided to fall in love with. He likes to lay right up against me and on his back - taking up the entirety of what is now his side of the bed. I've been kicked in the mouth by unruly paws, licked awake in the morning and body slammed as he tries to lay on my chest. Somewhere in his head I think he sees himself has a 10 pound dog, not the 60 pound dog he is. For as much as he drives me crazy, I wouldn't give him up. He's a wonderfully goofy dog - a shelter dog on top of it all. He's just happy to be here.

Random Vent

Whose bright idea was it to make all the cashiers at the grocery store ask you if you found everything OK? Who actually says "no, I had a horrible time finding the schitzelpatts " and even if someone were to admit not being able to find something at all, what can the cashier really do? I mean assuming there's a line behind them does the cashier get a manager? Does he just apologize? And in thinking of this situation, this person is checking out. So, basically at this point they've just decided to say "fuck it, I'm going home." I know it's trivial and stupid and every single time they ask me if I found everything OK, my brain immediately beings to think "No, in fact I didn't. In fact, I've been in the store since last Tuesday and I am only now finding my way out."

Monticello Ghost Tour 2010

So, last night I went on ghost tour with some friends around the city of Monticello. The tour was hosted by the Big Bend Ghost Trackers. Monticello is said to be the south's most haunted town. I always thought that title went to St. Augustine, but for the purposes of this blog-it's Monticello. After each story I'll post the photos from that location.

One of the first stops on our tour was to the Jefferson County High School. The school was built in 1852, and was the first brick schoolhouse in Florida. The school is currently being renovated. The workers have reported hearing children laughing, and tools disappearing. The cloudy looking pictures were photos I took by placing my lens against the glass and shooting. The tour guide said that because of the type of glass it wouldn't be a problem. The last photo was the cleanest photo I was able to get. I don't understand though, because the people around me who were doing the same thing were getting clean pictures.

Next, we went to the John Denham house. It now serves as a bed and breakfast. There are reports of a woman in white walking throughout the yard. There have also been reports of seeing people walking around inside the tower in the center of the roof. There was a man there last night. I believe an actor. When he stood sideways he resembled Alfred Hitchcock. His movements were calculated, he would duck down, and then slowly pop up. Walk to a window and then duck down again.

Next on the tour we stopped at the Palmer House. The Palmer House is supposed to be the most haunted house in the south. It served as a funeral home from what I understand. The road next to the house was a cemetery. The graves were dug up before the road was put down. Our guide said that when they looked in the coffins there were scratch makes on the inside- meaning some people weren't actually dead when they were buried. As a way to make sure that the dead were actually dead they would tie a string around the buried persons finger that would connect to a bell above ground. Someone would sit in a chair next to the grave over night - where the term "graveyard shift" supposedly comes from. If the bell was heard ringing you were considered a "dead ringer" or "saved by the bell". Among the reports in this home are flying teddy bears, chairs rocking by themselves and a blood stain above the fireplace that refuses to go away even though the original wall that the stain was on has been replaced. The house is currently serving as an antiques shop. While we were listening to the stories outside the house, a woman came from around the side. She owns it now, and opened it up for us to walk through. Outside of the house is a statue. Apparently there have been reports of the statue moving. Not like "Night at the Museum" moving, more like, it shifts.

* That's not the moon.

Following the Palmer House we walked to the city's hanging tree. On our way we passed a group of people hanging out at the gas station (because that's where people go in Monticello for a good time) started making "ooooooOOOoooo" sounds as we walked by. It was pretty funny. The hanging tree sits outside the Courthouse. When it was used, hangings would take place at noon on Thursday. The shops would all close up at noon to go to the hanging tree to watch the days' hanging. To this day, the shops in the city still close at noon in keeping with the tradition. One of the stories about this tree has to with people driving by and seeing a soldier standing in front of the tree.

The Court House. At the bottom of the steps the concrete is slightly discolored. The tour guide told us that she believes it is from a gun fight that took place there, the stains left over from the blood. The following pictures of the Court House I included because of the orbs I caught. They seem to move, and don't appear in all my photos. I just thought it was neat that the one seemed to want to follow our tour guide. In the first photo, on the door is the brightest orb I've ever got on camera.

Next, we went The Wirick-Simmons House. This house was built in 1831 and survived the fires brought on by the Civil War. It currently acts as the Jefferson County Historical Society. A lady in pink and a lady in yellow are common sightings. Most people see the lady in pink looking out the windows, and the lady in yellow is reported to be seen in photographs. One of the ladies of the house used to make coffins in a building on the lot.

The Jefferson County Jail was the last stop on our hour and a half walking tour. No one knows for sure when the jail was built. The first mention of the jail was during a dedication of the Court House in 1908. This prison is actually 3 stories tall. The prisoners were held on the top floor and the bottom floors housed the officers and supplies. The back of the prison was where the women were held. Among the stories of this prison are hearing moaning, footsteps, and the sounds of cell doors being opened and closed.

Brief Update

So, October is starting out pretty well. I had a job interview this past week, with a follow up interview scheduled for later this week. Also have a ghost tour scheduled for Friday evening too. So excited. I'll be sure to take pictures. :) Not much else in the way of news. I haven't been baking so I've not had anything to post on my other blog lately.

Come on October!

I LOVE this month! The colors, the cooler air, the sense of mystery that Halloween brings. I am so excited about going on a ghost tour this month in Monticello with my friends. The food during this time of year is also incredible. Pumpkin bread and stews. Hopefully this month will be good luck in the way of jobs. I spent an hour working on my resume. We'll see what comes of it if anything. :)

What's In A Name?

Apparently A LOT! A friend of mine suggested that I make a food blog with recipes for the various things I make. I thought it was a good idea. Sort of like an online cookbook. I was trying to come up with names that hadn't been used before for food blogs. Almost everything I came up with was used. Yum-Yums, Delis Dish, This Could Get Messy, Jonesing For... But! I did come up with one that I could use. As far as I could tell, "What Are You Jonesing For?" hasn't been used. So, I'm working on a food blog now. Exciting stuff! :)

I Must be Crazy

So, it's about 1:20 in the morning. My shoulder is in so much pain, and I've got one hell of a headache starting. But given all that, I've spent a lot of time reflecting.

Perhaps my experiences in Virginia were a lesson. Perhaps I wasn't supposed to be there in the long run and that's why my luck never turned. Perhaps I was supposed to learn forgiveness, which to be honest I still haven't come to terms with Rich (the principal) lying to me. Perhaps the experience was a lesson in patience.

When I had my own classroom, I actually did enjoy it. Yes I was upset with the "system", and yes I had some administrators that I did not like. Yes there were some children that were challenges, and yes there were parents that were even more challenging. But, all in all - I have to remind myself, that I did enjoy it. I liked getting to know the kids. It was hard to become attached and really get to know them because as a substitute I was only there briefly. But, all in all I tended to have a good time. Even on the trying days.

I took it as a sign that I shouldn't teach because of the trouble I had with Virginia. So, I started applying everywhere. I'm attracted to jobs that help people, that help children. I've applied for state positions and federal positions and have heard nothing. A part of me for some reason keeps getting pulled towards teaching. I don't know why. I can't explain it.

So, I took a leap of faith so to speak. And I spent 75 dollars that I do not have (thank you Andy) to send off my application for a temporary teaching certificate. The school year has already started, but if I do get a temp certificate I can at least work on my certification. There are still jobs in elementary schools, and it's not uncommon for there to be positions mid-year. We'll see what happens. But, how funny would it be for me to send off an application for a temp, and get it on the first try? Where as in VA I tried for 3 years. Wouldn't that just be, insane? And if it doesn't work out, and I've wasted 75 dollars - well so be it. Virginia prepared me to deal with being screwed. It prepared me to not get my hopes up. It prepared me to just keep going.

So, as is typical in these type of situations: I am a leaf in the breeze, let's see where I land.