Tu Pasaporte por favor?

My passport expires this month, and this past May, I applied for a new one.  Without really thinking about it, I also booked a vacation to Barcelona this November.  Now with the federal government clamping down on the issuing of passports I'm starting to scratch my head.

I'm not freaking out just yet, but in the back of my mind I'm wondering if I will have to go to the passport agency to beg and plead for help.  My tickets are non-refundable and I really need to go on this vacation.

I guess I can (and will) officially freak out in October.

E

Elvis the skunk

8/21 UPDATE: the saga continues 

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I guess i'm a bit ignorant, but I just don't understand. Rescuing a skunk to be a house pet?

"...I found him in the middle of the street the poor thing didn't even have teeth so I raised him on goats milk..."

This post is a joke right?

E

When you have nothing to say...

...well, maybe I have a little something to share.

I spent most of the week with an annoying head cold. In the haze of sudafed and nyquil, I really feel like I accomplished next to nothing. Unless you consider a beat down on the germs squirming around in my body, an accomplishment.

Since I was stuck in bed, with tissue and a plastic bag (for a trash can) I turned my little attention span to the SYTYCD finale - Go Sabra!  Yup, that was pretty much the highlight for the week.  But in all honesty, those dancers are pretty inspiring, even though I feel like a big fat cow after watching any of those routines. Cap that with a little crazy Mary Murphy, and you've got a show that is starting to rival "Dancing with the Stars"!

I did change the look of this site, and for now I'm satisfied. After 2 years of staring at an umbrella pitched on a beach off the Great Barrier Reef (see my homepage), I decided I needed a fresh look.

The current yellow template works for my mood now, but I'm still scouring the internet for other interesting blog templates. Hmm, maybe I had something to say after all?

Coffee Break Spanish

I find it weird to brush up on Spanish by listening to a podcast produced by 2 people from Scotland! But the thing is, I like it and I'm learning. The podcast is called Coffee Break Spanish, and while I was doubtful from the beginning, I've changed my mind.

The hosts' (Mark & Kara) Scottish accents don't really get in the way, although it did at the beginning. I think the lessons are very helpful, and sometimes quite entertaining. Most of all, it's audible -- unlike other language podcasts that sound like it's produced in a garage.

While I know that my visit to Barcelona in November, will be challenging due to the primary use of the Catalan language, I might as well arm myself with Espanol. Afterall, who wants to be the "ugly American" in a foreign country?

A Dog's World

I have a big habit of perusing the Craigslist Pets section. I tell myself, "Ooh, maybe Jango's brother or sister is out there somewhere, waiting to be adopted". The trouble is, we're in no position to adopt another dog.

So why do I constantly visit the page?

Truth is, I am sucked in by all the hardship stories of people who can't keep their pet due to the following things: moving (which is why Jango was dumped in the shelter before we adopted her), having a baby, not enough room, didn't know how big of a responsibility owning a pet would be, financial hardship, etc.

Then there are the posting of dogs on death row. Shelter Volunteers are doing as much as they can to spread the word about very adoptable dogs that have somehow ended up in a crowded shelter. They sometimes post sad pictures of puppies (and kitties) who will lose their life due to pet overpopulation, unless a rescue agency or adopter gives them a home.

Then there are those who post arguments and "debate" (for lack of a better word).

Each day I visit this section of craigslist, I hope to see a post about a dog's successful adoption (which sometimes happens). Why do I care? I just do.

Bottom line, I frequently visit the Craiglist Pets page because I can't believe people can be so cruel, but I should know better. I can just pick up the paper and find all sorts of crappy events happening all over the world.

I can't save all the homeless animals, but I'm gonna think of ways I can help them.

E