The Organizational Aide

It's official, I'm a business owner!


The Organizational Aide. Check out my website! It's simple, but it's just a start for now.

I'm trying to post more often

So, I'm starting a business. I'll post more details once I know it's all as it's supposed to be, but for now, it's professional organizing. I'm going to aim for the small, overworked business owner that needs help putting it all together. They know their job and their desire, but they get bogged down in the admin details. I'm already working with my dog trainer, and it's a really neat feeling. I'm not sure what my goal is beyond paying off bills and just trying to have something else that I'm good at to do.

Eventually, I'd love to be able to do this full time, but giving up my paycheck and the job I actually love will be hard. We'll see where we go.

Also, munchin, Henna, is growing like a weed. Ten pounds in the first month that we've had her. We start puppy class on Tuesday. I talked my trainer into puppy class as we haven't had her that long and she's still a munchin. I don't think she's ready for something that requires more attention span.



Brian is going back to nights starting tomorrow.. I swear it seems like he just got off nights. Oh well, what are we gonna do? Two years left in the Navy, thank god. Of course, I have no idea what he'll be doing after that. Hopefully something. I have goals in the house, if we end up staying here, I want a sunroom and to remodel the upstairs so that it's usable for us. I'd like to put another bathroom in upstairs and have the master suite up there as well. We'll see. We'll have a big decision to make once Megan gets out of high school. If my business or my job are really doing well, I can't see how I'll be able to move. As much as I want to go home to Ohio, I just don't know if that will be the right thing to do. Kat wants to move away from VA, far away. Vincent is still living here. Megan, we have no idea what she'll do. Brian talks about starting his own business with the parking lot maintenance, but we'll just have to see. I'm supportive, don't get me wrong, but I just want to see him get something going. It's not too early imo.

Puppies..

Axel and Henna in the foyer.. It took "Uncle" Axel about 10 days to get used to Henna. We went visiting at the foster's house to get him used to her, and I think it made a huge difference. Of course, it was very nice that the foster lived at the end of the street! How cool was that?




This is Axel and what was his great blue ball. Yes, I said blue ball. Of course, the first one lasted two years, the second one two weeks, now he is the proud owner of a bigger red ball. Any guesses on how long this will last?




And this is pretty little Henna the day she first came to visit when she crawled up on the couch (which she doesn't really get on now that she lives here) She's a cutie pie, very sweet, always smiling (I mean, ALWAYS) and has this very care free attitude that blends well with overly bossy, snotty, bastard Jax, and grumpy Uncle Axel that forgets there are four more toys behind him when she's looking at one in front of him.

Did I mention, all my stress from work vanishes when I walk in the door? :)

Oh and how could I forget my Jax? (APPLEJAX!)

Time passes quickly...

I can't believe I haven't posted anything since January. I mean, really. Is it that hard? I guess it is.

Updates: Acquired new puppy - name is Henna. Don't have any pictures to upload on this computer, but I'll find something one of these days. She's an aussie like Jax, and this is our FINAL puppy addition to the house. I don't have time or room for more! But she is a precious little thing, almost 6 months old and we've had her for 2 weeks now. She gets along great with Axel and Jax, and with all of Axel's health problems, I'll be surprised how much longer we have him. Hopefully a lot longer than I think we will, but I just can't get my hopes up.

I've only got 5 courses left till I earn my associates degree in Paralegal studies. I'm pretty happy about that. I've been thinking for a while about continuing on with a business management degree, but right now, I think I'll stop where I am. I have way too many loans already and putting another 4 years on will hurt more than help I think.

I'm also starting my own business. The Organizational Aide. I want to help people organize and get their own small businesses back to what they want, the meat of the operation instead of the admin side. I think it's a knack of mine. I'm already helping my dog trainer, Lori, with her business and I think this is really something I can do well. It's all in how much time I'm willing to devote to it. Who knows, maybe someday it can be full time. We'll see. I also still love my day job at child support and I'm hoping as we are probably expanding in August (If we win our contract which I think we will), that I can earn a management position. We are also looking at raises, which would be yummy.

The girls did wonderful in school this year, Kat finished with straight A's, and Megan's grades are so much better than before, I'm so proud of both of them. Kat has her first boyfriend, a very nice young guy named Matt, and the two are nearly inseparable as much as I let them be. I just hope she stays smarter than I was.

Brian got PRK on his eyes. It's like lasik but better, no flap, so he's been 2 weeks without glasses now and he is loving it. As for what he'll do in 2 years when he gets out of the Navy... good question!! (grumbles)

Well, that's my brief update..

Dean Koontz

I love Dean Koontz books. His newest is about a woman that rescues Golden Retrievers. This is a quote from the book about dogs. (In the book, it refers to she, since I have male dogs, I made that small change for myself..)

“Dogs’ lives are short, too short, but you know that going in. You know the pain is coming, you’re going to lose a dog, and there’s going to be a great anguish, so you live fully in the moment with him, never fail to share his joy or delight in his innocence, because you can’t support the illusion that a dog can be your lifelong companion. There’s such beauty in the hard honesty of that, in accepting and giving love while always aware it comes with an unbearable price. Maybe loving dogs is a way we do penance for all the other illusions we allow ourselves and for the mistakes we make because of those illusions.”

9 Words Women Use

(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

(6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says "Thanks a lot" - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say "you're welcome" ... that will bring on a "whatever").

(8) Whatever: Is a women's way of saying F*** YOU!

(9) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking "What's wrong?" For the woman's response refer to # 3.

What I've Done...

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn’t care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life