Pirate's Booty

Earlier this week, I took Samson and Matilda to the lake for some much needed exercise. I think Tillie was a fish in another lifetime. As soon as she saw the lake, she took off running and dove head first and swam to her heart's content for an hour. I had to make her come out of the water. She loooved it! I knew she loved water because when I run a bath she climbs up and topples in. Then she splashes and splashes and will climb on the back of the tub (it has a ledge like steps in the back) and jump off like she's diving off of a diving board. I guess that should have been a clue. That girlie loves water.

Samson is another story. It cracks me up that the horse of a dog is afraid of everything. If a bush blew and a twig hit him, he would jump and run to me. It's beyond comical. At one point, he was wading in the water (and that's an exaggeration. He never got more than his paws wet) and he saw a rock jutting out of the water in front of him and he got all scared and started growling. Even after I walked up to it and touched it, he thought for sure the rock was going to run after him and bite him. He wouldn't go near it. I don't know that he's necessarily afraid of water, but he's afraid to get too far from me and venture out. He's our sensitive little boy.

Oh, and Tillie found a hidden treasure. Tillie is pretty good about learning when I tell her not to chew on things, but for some reason it's impossible for her to resist sunglasses. If I leave my purse on the floor, she will dig through it until she finds my sunglasses and then take them in the corner and gnaw on them. That's why it's so funny that she found this old pair of glasses along the lake:

She pranced around with them like they were a grand prize or she had just taken them from a ship full of pirates.

ZZzzzzZZZzzzzz...

Are you getting enough sleep at night? Adults need a recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night in order to achieve optimal health. When we sleep, our pineal gland restores our body of melatonin (to help our circadian or sleep rhythm) and serotonin (important for many things including depression). These are among other hormones which are vital to our metabolism and cellular oxidation.

Lack of adequate sleep can lead to behavioral changes including mood swings and irrational or immoral attitudes and actions, loss of concentration throughout the day, decreased energy, headaches, digestive problems or lowered immunity.

If you aren't getting enough sleep, it's important to find the cause. Do you have trouble falling asleep due to restlessness or mind wandering? Do you have trouble staying asleep due to nightmares or awaking to go to the bathroom? Figuring this out can help treat the cause and allow you a better night's rest.

Here are some helpful tips so you can catch your "z's" and keep them:

-Exercise regularly. 30 minutes at least 3 times a week can rid underlying anxieties that you may have. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or this will hinder your ability to fall asleep.
-Sleep in complete darkness. Even the slightest bit of light can throw off your hormone production and disrupt your sleep rhythm.
-Read inspirational or spiritual literature before you go to bed.
-Consciously slow your breathing and imagine your body relaxing. Start either at your forehead or your toes and climb all the way up until your whole body is relaxed.
-Avoid bedtime snacks. If you must have something at bedtime, try a relaxing tea like chamomile or ginger. Definitely avoid sugars or grains.
-Listen to a relaxing CD of nature or white noise.

If you are questioning whether you have sleep deprivation, keep this in mind: you should be able to fall asleep within minutes of laying down; you should wake up in the morning without an alarm clock; and, when you do wake up, it should not be a jolting or disruptive event and you should feel refreshed. If you fit in this category, try the above mentioned techniques. If you are still having trouble, try such products as the rising sun alarm clock and talk to your chiropractor about underlying causes.

Reality Bites

Here is the reality...

Mike did not take the rent house. Before he signed the lease, it had rained and the master bedroom flooded and mildewed. There were other problems, too. The landlord turned out to be the realtor. The realtor lied about being the landlord so that he could swindle more money by making statements like "the landlord needs someone to move in now. The landlord needs X for pet deposit," etc. etc. It was very sneaky and untrustworthy.

So here we are. Mike's rent is up at the end of the month. It would be wise for him to just get something temporary; like say, an apartment for a shorter term, save up some money and then buy. But there's Sammy. The apartment complexes in this area don't like big dogs. Sammy is very large. Well over the weight limit. Besides that, it wouldn't be fair to Sam. He needs a yard and room to stretch out his big paws. But then, he's very lazy and would probably be ok in an apartment. He doesn't run around much or chew on things or get in trouble. But if he had an accident...well, let's just say it would only take one to ruin the carpet. And living in an apartment, he would have to learn to go to the bathroom on a schedule when you walk him down which could take some training. And you would have to pick it up with a doggie bag. Eeew. It would take at least two per trip for him.

I think about not seeing Sammy's droopy eyes anymore and cry. He is such a sweet creature. He wants to hide his big head in your lap or under your armpit and would cuddle all day if you let him. I love him.

Traveling Adventures

Mike took me and the pups to Kingwood last weekend. It's always so hard to travel with Tillie and Sammy. Samson is getting so big that he almost takes up the entire back seat of Mike's Civic. He usually ends up sitting on Tillie. She just sits there looking like a squished bug with her tongue sticking out and eyeballs protruding.

They like to go to the Gallagher's back yard. Sammy is a gardener. He makes sure that by the time he leaves, there is not a plant left that is still alive (sorry Mrs. Gallagher!). They both love the low lying ivy. That's the usual hang-out for them to curl up and get some rest. And the good news is that they haven't figured out how to kill that yet.

Mike's sister, Tara, was up from Victoria with her beautiful baby girl, Hannah. She's such a treat! It's always good to see them.

On Saturday, I met up with a friend from college who lives down there now. We talked like we never lost touch. Funny how that happens. She's planning on coming up to Dallas to visit. Good times!

Opening Soon!

Today I went and put a deposit down on the space in Southlake! Yay! It still has to be approved by the current tenant (it's a sublease) and the owner, but the realtor congratulated me and said it shouldn't be a problem! Finally! It's such a primo space. In the square. Above the shopping centers (Gap and...get this...Starbucks!). I'm so excited. It's pretty small; only a reception area and a treating room, but to me it's perfect.

So, no, I don't have it yet. But I'm pretending that I do. And unless I hear otherwise, you must all pretend with me. It should only be a few weeks. The realtor said he anticipates me starting the lease by the end of the month. Go to the website and check out my space...181 Grand Avenue Ste 200 Southlake, Texas 76092. www.southlaketownsquare.com.

Monthly Catch Up

I officially finished with Parker College of Chiropractic! OK, it was like almost two weeks ago but I'm just now telling about it so I'll pretend like it just happened. I think it seriously took this long for it to even sink in. Not that it totally has; I still feel like I'm holding my breath until I get that diploma. Nonetheless, I do feel some sense of relief. :)

I am still looking for an office space. The space that I loved had landlords that were unable to negotiate and it really was more space than I needed. I'm still having trouble finding a realtor. I've probably talked to five and they will only show me spaces that they have. That means they're not really representing me. Their interests lie elsewhere and it is so frustrating. If I ask them to represent me and not the landlord they want me to sign a contract stating that if they find me a space and the landlord doesn't pay their commission, then I am responsible for paying their commission. No thanks. I go to look at more space next week so hopefully my finances will be strong enough and my business plan will convince them that I am worthy of signing. There's one space in particular that I am really excited about looking at. It's much smaller so it's reasonable rent, a sublease so it's shorter term and it's in the beautiful square. I'm trying not to get my hopes up though.

I got to see Joshua, as previously noted! His spirits and looks are as beautiful as ever! He is such an amazing person. I'm lucky God picked him as my brother.

Summer came through Dallas this weekend for her mawmaw's surgery. :( It sounds like her mawmaw did really well, as expected. I got to go to lunch with Summer and her mom and step dad. They are just the sweetest ever! They even came and picked me up and took me to Chuy's. My car had a bad wheel bearing so I was without transportation. I don't know what that means beyond the fact that there has been an ever so faint whistling noise and Dad says my tire could fall off. Well, it's fixed now. Finally.

Mike is getting ready to move closer to me in Grapevine! He found a beautiful little 3 bedroom home right near the lake. He moves at the end of next month. Yay for saving on gas money!

OhmigoshOhmigoshOhmigoshOhmigosh!

We've received word...Joshua is coming home on Saturday! Actually touching ground in the United States! We're not sure when he'll be able to come home. He lands in Fort Bragg and we are hoping he will get a long weekend the week after he lands and we will be able to see him then. Mom and Dad are flying to North Carolina to be in his receiving line. How cool is that?! So emotional, though. I can't wait to see him!

Also...I looked at the most perfect office space in the entire world today! I'm really crossing my fingers that it works out for me. It's so perfect. It's right across the street from high school just off the main road. When you pull up, there is a really neat and eclectic water fountain that would be just in front of my doorway. It has room for growth and even enough room for a massage therapist. Hopefully, we can negotiate the rent down just a tad and they will accept our financials. That is pretty much what we are waiting for. They even said they can hold it until June when I'm licensed! Pray, pray, pray for me!