The Daily Graham

TRULY Reality?

Mrsjennyg — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:58:58 GMT

Do you agree with me when I say that most American's are skeptical of some one "truly" falling in love and proposing in such a short time frame with cameras watching their every move? I'm taking about our secretly favorite show, The Bachelor!

I'm not here to bash the recent Bachelor, Jason Mesnick, but to question the reality of how true love can develop over such a short and pressured time. We all know that there's always the case in which some things are just meant to be, but with this show it seems few and far between. After dating 25 women in just a few months, can we really blame Jason for not being able to make a clear decision?

How much pressure would you feel if you and a Bachelor(or Bachelorette) were put in a room with candles, roses and a steamy HOT TUB?! That could make any man or woman feel like they're falling in love! Oh, and add the camera guy, light guy and sound guy and you might see why I'm questioning the true reality of honest to goodness LOVE!

I can't go any further without mentioning the next victim, Bachelorette Jilliain Harris. So many of us have, go figure, fallen in love with her quirky and charismatic personality this past season. She's great! That's why I feel so bad that she's subjecting herself to this pressurized show in unrealistic settings. I wish her the best and hope that she honors her word by not letting her dad see any more hot tub scenes.

Will I watch this show for years to come? Of course! I will admit that I am a sucker for these questionably true "reality" TV shows. I must say, their production staff is doing a great job, that's for sure! Since I live in the Seattle area you can bet that I will be keeping my eye out for the new Bachelor family...Jason, Molly and Ty. Here's wishing them happiness and true love!

Eco-NO-MONEY

Mrsjennyg — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:45:26 GMT

In these struggling times who hasn't stopped for a moment to reflect on how you can survive this economy? Few of us are doing just fine and have the ability to benefit the economy, while most of us are wondering how long it's going to take for companies to start hiring again so that we don't have to foreclose on our homes.

We think about the security of our jobs, or lack of a job. How much do we spend versus how much we bring in? What can we cut back on? For the most part we feel helpless. Basically, if you don't have money to spend and you can't get approved for credit, you're screwed.

Consequentially, the unemployment rate is growing everyday causing a mad dash for ANY job posting. Since these employers have so many people throwing themselves at them, they feel that it's ok to lower the pay for these highly demanded positions. How are we ever going to catch up with years and years of inflation if we are forced to reduce our income? I hope someone sticks a needle in inflation. Now would be a good time for it to pop.

It was best said by 19th century English preacher, Charles H. Spurgeon, "Economy is half the battle of life. It is not so hard to earn money as to spend it well." Thus the source of our problems results in...Eco-NO-MONEY!

Dismal Dog Winterfest

Mrsjennyg — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 11:57:40 GMT

My husband and I were so excited for the Seattle Dog Winterfest 2009! We have a 2 year old black lab mix that we rescued from a kill shelter, and ever since we got her we love going to any dog festival. So we went to this event earlier today and have mixed feelings about our experience.

First of all, we did get to meet Cesar Millan as you can see from the picture on this page. So, of course, that was the best part! Cesar Millan is the host of his own show, "The Dog Whisperer." He is a hero! My husband and I DVR all of his shows in hopes of learning new technique to try with our puppy. I truly appreciate all of the work he does to make sure that dogs are treated properly and get a fair chance at life.

To elaborate a bit more on the event, we felt that it was poorly coordinated. The Meet & Greet with Cesar was 'first-come' for VIP ticket holders only! This was not noted ANYWHERE at the event! No signs, no notice on the website either. We got in line and, just like MANY other general ticket holders, we were not informed that we had to be VIP until we had stood in the line for a FULL HOUR! They made us get out of line and go to the end of the line again...which ended up being a total of 3 hrs in line! I was grateful that we actually got to meet Cesar, but the coordinators needed a lesson in how to run a large event. How about signs of who can go where? And publicly displaying VIP requirements for the Meet & Greet! Sorry Cesar, but Seattle Dog Magazine did NOT meet our expectations.

Also, don't bother bringing your dog! This DOG festival does NOT allow DOGS!!! Fortunately we decided not to bring our pup because she's not ready for such a social setting. I saw so many people coming up to the doors with their dogs and they got rejected! How sad! They only allowed vendors to bring dogs if kept in their crates. There were about 8 dogs up for adoption from Ginger's Dog Rescue. I'm sure most of them got adopted, but it looked like they were asking unreasonably high prices for the dogs($450+).

If anyone is planning on attending the Seattle Dog Winterfest tomorrow(Sunday) I encourage you to reconsider or at least ask plenty of questions before waisting your time. There are a few good vendors like doggie daycares & new dog food & toy companies. Some will give out sample treats & toys. I can assume that the biggest attraction tomorrow will be "The Next Dog Star" Talent Contest, which will probably be pretty entertaining. If you choose to attend, I hope you have a better experience than ours.

*I give this event a dismal two paws out of five.*

**HOLD ON! I'm not done yet! I was just informed that Bell Harbor Convention Center decided at 11pm last night that they would NOT allow dogs in the building other than the crated ones for the vendors! Should Bell Harbor be blammed? I don't think so. Fingers point to Seattle Dog Magazine and their "Queen Lady Dog" Editor -in-Chief. The entire Seattle dog-loving community is ashamed. How embarrassing for Cesar Millan and Ginger's Dog Rescue!

Money!

Mrsjennyg — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:41:28 GMT

Money is one of the biggest factors that determines how we live our lives. It feels like today, more than ever, we are waking up and going to bed only thinking about that crisp green paper. When I woke up this morning my husband immediately turned on CNN to get the latest news on the stock market. I was excited to hear that oil went down! I just filled up my car for only $3.19 a gallon! But that was about the only positive financial change this week. I used to go shopping and reasonably buy anything I might enjoy. Now I am analyzing every little penny...aren't you?

Even though being more frugal is difficult for most of us, I believe this is exactly what Americans need. It is frustrating to see so many of my friends thousands and thousands of dollars in debt, especially since they're all under 30. My husband was born frugal, so luckily we married eachother with no debt and it continues to stay that way. We are not the couple that has the coolest flat-planel tv, furniture, or electronic games because we buy everything with money we actually have in our bank accounts. Americans should follow suit. We are happy and secure in our future financial status. Not to boast too much, but we were the first in our group of friends to actually buy a house. It's nice, but we had to work to get it that way.

The moral of my blog today is to value every cent you make. Control your spending and stop using so much credit! It's easier that we all think. Next time you go to pick up that super cute pair of shoes that are so immpractical, wether it's $20 or $2,000, think "can i live without these and if not, can I pay cash?"

Fall is falling

Mrsjennyg — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:43:56 GMT

Fall is Falling

I stepped outside for my morning run this October. The first breath I drew in felt fresh and, in a way, so familiar. The air was soft and cool with the scent of trees and grass lingering in a sublte breeze. It immediately brought me back to my childhood when I would help my dad rake the leaves that started falling from the trees. I looked around before I embarked on my autumn run and took in the sight of former green trees gradually changing to earthy reds, oranges, and yellows. This truly feels like the begining of fall.

The sky is not as bright any more. The air feels a bit more cool and dewy on the skin. I feel a sense of refreshing change about to happen. I am looking forward to the rain which will start up soon and replenish the lawns. My running shoes are a bit damp and will probably feel that way for the next 6 months. I have to add a long sleeve shirt to my morning wardrobe to fight off the cool air. As I continue running along the same sidewalks I've been freqenting through the summer something sounds different. It's the crunching of fallen leaves under my shoes. For some reason I love that sound. I almost want to run slower just so that I can listen to the crunching linger beneath each stride. I try to enjoy every sound and smell of the my morning run because I know that uninviting weather will soon prevent me from leaving the house as often.

Summer has settled and Fall is falling.

Walk the Dog

Mrsjennyg — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:04:29 GMT

"Ya Wanna Go For A Walk?!"

This is all it takes to get your friendly canine excited about exercise and adventure! There are too many of you out there that were so gracious enough to adopt or for heaven's sake BUY a dog just for it to be couped up in your house rather than a kennel. It's great to get that cute little dog you always wanted as a kid, but you have to learn that walking the dog is one of the most important things we can do for thier mental and physical health. Not to mention, walking is also very beneficial for your own health!

Benefits

Making a habit of going on a walk with your dog is a good way to create balance and dicipline. I walk my dog, Jasmine, at least 3 times a week. We take a different path nearly every time. This keeps her familiarized with our neighborhood and also exposes her to various experiences. She is currently learning how to control herself around the neighborhood cats. If we practice the same routine every time we encounter a cat, then she will learn to just ignore them and continue on her walk. I feel that our walks allow both of us to release the stress of a day. For her it may be that she's anxious to explore the outside world and gather a few new smells. For me it's to relax my mind after or before going to work.

Most importantly, a walk can be the strongest tool used to develop a bond between you and your best friend. For a happy and healthy pet, practice exercise, dicipline, and affection.

Happy Walking!

Why Not Recycle?

Mrsjennyg — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:20:11 GMT

After moving from Chicago to the West Coast, my husband suddenly developed a need to recycle nearly everything. It took me a while, but I soon caught on to this eco-friendly activity. Why weren't we doing this earlier?

Get Organized!
It is so easy just to toss everything into one garbage can, but just think of the global ramifications! It's just as easy to have two 'garbage' cans! One can simply be for soiled trash and the other for recyclables like paper, plastic and glass. Most neighborhoods and apartment complexes offer a recycling bin for YOUR convenience. WHY NOT RECYCLE?

Make It A Habit!
After reading the newspaper, I can just place it into the recycling bin that we conveniently placed near the kitchen. After drinking a bottled water or can of pop, just rinse it and recycle! It makes you really feel like you're doing something good for our children's future.

Encourage Others!
If your work place is not separating their paper and plastic, suggest it! Or even better, take the initiative and bring in your own blue recycling bin. I guarantee people will catch on to your eco-friendly habits! They will look at you as a considerate trend-starter.

Do you have creative suggestions on how to recycle effectively?

Let everyone know!

EMAIL ME AT mrsjennyg@gmail.com