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Hello

Here I am. Finally. It took more courage than I thought to get something like this started, mostly because I am a very private person. But I am going to take this on as a challenge, a way to grow and learn, a place to overcome my fears as well as speak openly and honestly about the things that are, or have happened in my life. My only sister passed away in September of 2015 and I would like to have a place to spill all the struggles and feelings I am still going through to this day. But this blog will not be just about that, because in all seriousness, life should not be taken too seriously. I have a deep passion for dogs (training, rescue, breeds, education, anything dog related really), I love photography and reading, as well being outside and enjoying nature. I tend bar so my life and job is never boring! I try to stay positive and happy, and have never turned down a good glass of red wine (or bad glass for that matter). Of course,  my ultimate passion is and always has been, writing. I believe that words on paper can touch a soul and never let go. Words on paper can have more meaning than words spoken and last with someone forever. With that said, let’s see where this blog will take me, hope you’ll be there for the journey.

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Three Year Monk

OK, so maybe it’s more like 5 year monk but you get the gist. But either way, I’m baaaaaack!

This time, though, shit’s gonna be different. I have officially started a blog, not this random jargon of my thoughts, but an actual blog called The Healthy Mutt. With started, I mean, just. started. Currently, I’m in the learning phase, and holy crap there’s so much information it’s hard to keep up, but I’m doing this, no matter what.

It occurred to me that other people may want to follow along this journey, this beginner blogger journey, so you can benefit from all the mistakes I’m about to make over the next few months, shit, maybe even years! You’re welcome.

OK, so on a more serious note, I just want to document my journey and hopefully one day will be able to help other fellow beginner bloggers reach their goals.

Speaking of goals, what is my goal?

So there are two ways to go about this blogging business, and one is just that, a business, and the other is your passion on a website. My goal is to quit my bar job (check out my previous post, the forsaken bar life to get an idea) and I’m currently trying to find a healthy balance of passion and business. Let’s be real, I want to make money. I want to live that lifestyle of being able to work from anywhere. I started my blogging journey 2 weeks ago, and have already overcome and faced some hurdles (being brand new at something sucks sometimes) but every time I want to quit, I picture my future house on 10 acres in Florida with foster dogs running amuck. My end goal is for my blog to create enough revenue where I can quit my job. Realistically, when I reach $5,000-$10,000 a month in revenue (notice how i said when, and not if, mindset is huge y’all, more on that at a later date) I’m out. Blogger for life. Ha!

So, want to join me on this journey? Let’s go. I have no idea what’s going to happen, how long it will take, how many hurdles are in the way, but either way I’m doing this. I ain’t getting any younger and if someone else can start a successful blog and make monthly revenue, so. can. I.

Fear

Ever wonder how much you could accomplish if you weren’t afraid? If you didn’t down talk your goals? If you didn’t nit-pick and slander you very own self? If you didn’t question every detail of your dreams? If you told yourself ‘you can’ as opposed to ‘you can’t’? If you actually believed yourself and your abilities?

Yeah, me too.

Lets try and change that.

-Life is a constant work in progress. Enjoying the journey is as important as the end result.

Dogs are Better than People

Not going to lie, this is going to be a longer post. I’m so frustrated.
Is fostering dogs the answer? No.
Is funding dogs on death row the answer? No.
Is opening another shelter the answer? No.

None of these things are addressing the problem where it starts. They are a plight to save lives, but not a solution.

Damn. How can we educate people to spay/neuter? How can we make this more readily available to people? How can we make this affordable to people who may struggle with finances? How can we teach people, that dogs from pet stores, come from puppy mills whose parents live in deplorable conditions and are bred non-stop for profit, and shouldn’t be bought? How can we teach people that when you buy a puppy from Craigslist, most likely its coming from a backyard breeder? How can we teach people that rescue dogs can and do make wonderful pets? How can we teach people that dogs are not a commodity? How can we teach people that dogs (and all animals) have feelings and emotions? How can we teach people that a dog (any pet) is a commitment to the life of that pet? How can we teach people that it’s not about YOU (you selfish prick) but maybe you should take the time to find a dog that suits your lifestyle as opposed to its’ looks? And how can we teach people that when your dog is old and grey, and you no longer choose to uphold him of the loyalty that he has upheld for YOU, that the humane thing just might be euthanasia as opposed to dropping him at the closest shelter? You are a coward in my eyes either way, don’t get me wrong, but have the decency (balls) and do it for your dog that has done nothing but been loyal and looked up to you.

STOP being selfish! Stop telling yourself that you “rescued” that dog from the pet store or “rescued” that dog on Craigslist because all you are doing is supporting that avenue for greedy, selfish, low-life scum to make money!

And if I hear one more person say “she should have one litter” before being spayed or he should “produce one litter” before being neutered I’ll lose my shit on you.

End. Fucking. Rant.

The Forsaken Bar Life

As most of you know I tend bar for a living. I recently changed jobs to become a bar manager at an entertainment center (bowling alley) which has a 30 seat bar attached to it. I left my previous gig of two years and just started about a month ago. I was actually in a funk for sometime so I thought a change would do me good. Ya know, get me motivated. Challenge me and my unused business degree. Meet new people and start fresh. Change is good, right? Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, oh so wrong. The irony behind it all is that I’ve been in this industry for over 14 years and only had one manager position, which was in my early twenties. Thereafter I never wanted it. Despite my step-father’s plea to take on a “real” job I knew better. Although I do like certain aspects of the “Professional Adult Babysitter” position, it just wasn’t for me. The calls and texts on my days off alone made me want to quit. You know what those days are for? Recouping from  shitty, sleazy, mostly drunk human interactions. Yes, I like my job but just because I have to be nice and pretend to like people while I’m working doesn’t mean I need to do so on my days off.  Needless to say I have already stepped down from this position, back to my comfortable, simple, bartending life. Ahhh, feels nice. No stress. No calls. No inventory to count or schedule to figure out. Life is good.

I’m a Three-day Monk!

So guess what?

I opened my mail today on my laptop and got this weird charge from WordPress. And then, I vaguely remembered… I have a blog! As it turns out, if you grab a dictionary and look up the word procrastinator my picture shows up. Well, welcome back! As it turns out some things never change, don’t run out of cat food and in case you wondered about my title; the Japanese have an expression, Mikka Bouzu, which translates to three-day monk. It’s a term used for people who start things with much enthusiasm or eagerness yet never finish their initial intention. And I’m sure if you looked up that terminology in the Japanese dictionary my picture would show up there too.

Three-day monk I am…for now!

Day 2, and No, Tomorrow Will not be Titled Day 3

So let’s be real. I already wanted to not write a post today. It’s day, freakin’, two! How can I already not want to keep up with this? But alas, here I am. I suppose today was just a regular day. Well, wait, work was actually great; my daytime bar shift deemed fruitful. I had a lot of regulars and no one was being a jerk, at least not to the point that I notice anymore, which is always a plus.

On another positive note, our cat is getting braver around the house. He’s our newest addition (got him three weeks ago?) and it’s taking a bit of time for the dogs (OK, our american pit) to get used to the new feline. Although I am not a big person on quick decisions, after my boyfriend and I went to Lee County Animal Services “just to look”, we fell for him. Smart bastard. He purred his way straight into our hearts. After looking for an adult/senior cat and him being one of the oldest (at only four) they told us his adoption fee was $10. As it turns out November is ‘adopt a senior pet month’ (again, he’s four, but I wasn’t about to complain). Needles to say, we left that minute with him in tow. Two and a half hours left before my night shift at work and we ran to Petsmart and the dollar store for cheap toys and bowls. Was it the best idea? Maybe not, those suckers live for a long damn time, but he’s one badass cat and he’ll be with us forever now.

Welcome home, Mr. Griz.

 

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