My Animal Friends

I am currently dogsitting for a friend - a couple of big, friendly pooches that are great with my children and get along well with my dog and cats.

Last evening my daughter brought a friend over and the dogs, hearing the noise at the front door, bounded over to greet the newcomer.

"Are these your mum's dogs?" my daughter's friend asked.

"No," my daughter replied, "they're my mum's friend's."

"What?!" the other teen exclaimed. "Your mum's friends are dogs?"

I guess you can't hear an apostrophe.

Sticking it Out

I have thought off and on over the summer about giving up my part-time job at the library. Working full-time plus raising four children on my own (every other week when they're not with their dad) plus three cats and a dog plus a new relationship with a very wonderful man plus a part-time library job is quite a lot to fit on my plate. However, I have such fun during my shifts at the library that it doesn't feel like work. Also, the bit of extra money makes a difference each month.

I have come to the conclusion that I'm not ready to resign. My supervisor was pleased to hear of my decision and has asked if I'd be willing to help out with the odd Sunday storytime. Of course I agreed - I absolutely adore doing the storytimes with the children. I should know my new shift schedule in a few weeks.

Just Doing My Job

Early on in my evening shift at the library, I helped an older gentleman with his requests. We didn't actually have the book he desired, but I found something else for him and we had a nice chat and a few laughs in the process.

Later, just before the library closed for the night, the same gentleman returned to the reference desk and presented me with a gift card for a local coffee shop: a thank you gift for my help. Frankly, I was stunned. I was just doing my job.

Thank you, sir, for your kindness and generosity.

Exceeds Expectations

Life since my ex left me has had its ups and downs, but lately things have been up, in general. There have been problems, like my 13-year-old daughter wanting to live with her dad (a decision fueled, I believe, by the fact that discipline in his house is considerably more lax than in mine) but I'll get through them in time.

My performance review at my full-time day job took place on Friday, August 8th. (08-08-08 if you're superstitious and believe in the Asian "lucky number 8".) My overall review rating was "exceeds expectations". I was thrilled.

This past month of my life has also exceeded expectations. I have met a wonderful man who understands the mess my world has been recently, yet he's interested in me anyway. He's not scared off by the existence of my four children: he has met them a number of times; they like him and he likes them. I'm sure my friends will think of him as the "rebound guy", following so closely on the heels of the dissolution of my marriage, but neither he nor I think of things that way. I warned him when I met him that I had enough baggage to fill a transatlantic airplane. His response? "When you're ready, I'll help you unload that airplane one bag at a time." My rating for him is, for obvious reasons, "exceeds expectations".

UPDATE: A photo taken by this wonderful man:

Words to Live By

Seen on the back of a dump truck while driving the other day:

"Do Not Push"