Chet the Jet AKA @Chetthedog

I'm reading the second book of the Chet and Bernie mysteries...Thereby Hangs a Tail. I've mentioned the books before so I won't dwell, I just wanted to share an excerpt that makes me think of Riley.

"A strong breeze sprang up in the room, and not too long after that I realized it came from my wagging tail."

Oh dogs!

Anyway, as a reminder, you can check out Chet's blog at chetthedog.com where your pets can become friends of Chet as well (Riley and Bella are both there). You may also find him on Twitter where he goes by @chetthedog!

You won't find it as a big surprise to also know he's hanging around Facebook. With so many new people to smell, why wouldn't he?

No One Gets Me Quite Like Me

No one quite gets me, like me. I've always said that I write for my own self. I often reread what I wrote to laugh at myself, to see how I've digressed, or perhaps improved. I also have a much more personal blog [I know, more personal than this?] that no one really reads; I very randomly read it to see how I've changed, to refocus my mind in a healthier manner. I think it's necessary that we do that every now and again. We have to do things for us. If we don't take care of ourselves first, how are we to ever help anyone else?

Anyway, I got started on all of this because I read Greg Kot's Wilco Learning How to Die. It was a great book and biography about Wilco and Jeff Tweedy. While it's ancient in terms of Wilco having concluded around 2002; the thoughts of Jeff Tweedy would still ring true. One of his particular quotes made me think of how important we all are to ourselves.

"That's the beauty of music" he says. "Because when it feels right, it does feel like you invented it-because you did. You invented if for yourself"

We should all be able to take a moment to forget what anyone else will think of what we write, draw, sing, or cook. If we make ourselves happy, the others will soon follow. We can't control the world, but we can control what decisions we make.

Anyway, I wasn't going any place in particular with this other than to say I really enjoyed the book. I also really enjoy rereading what I write because no one gets me like I do [my jokes are dry, but damn, I love 'em]. No matter who comes and goes in our lives, they each served a purpose while there that we should be grateful for that rather than resentful. Also, it's way too easy to get wrapped up in things greater than ourselves, but we shouldn't. We are all that matters. If we take care of us, the rest does follow.

Now, off of my public service announcement with a quick update that I'm moving on to the new Chet the Jet book. Also, I thought it was time to make you think...

You get only three clues...What Am I?

• I am a fiber tip pen.
• My ink is translucent.
• I was invented in Japan in 1962.

Chet the Jet

I recommend books all the time that people probably end up hating and wondering why I'd even bother reading let alone recommending! But one of the books I once recommended to my brother was Dog On It by Spencer Quinn, seemingly enjoyed by all. My mom and both my brothers read it. Since then, and to my utmost delight, I found the blog by Chet the Jet (hero of the book, a dog named Chet). I also follow Chet on Twitter! Anyway, the new book is out, Thereby Hangs A Tail.

I chose to mention this because I was reading today's blog which made me chortle aloud at work, thus giving away the fact I wasn't actually working. [People don't laugh at work in this industry]. So it goes, Chet arrives home and realizes that there have been trespassers. I'm on edge with anticipation as to who might have been on his property...

...I followed the scents: squirrel, bird, the mailman, toad, and several of my guys, including – Iggy?

...I have to laugh, that's just exactly what a dog would do; get everyone up in arms thinking some one is at the door or breaking into the house, you charge through rooms at the ready to find, but what, really?, that's just a squirrel taunting you with it's tail! Ohhhhh Dogs!

Anyway, good books, go read!

SMART ASS
WHAT AM I?

I am a form of dance.

I have companies throughout the world.

My lead dancers are called principals.

I have five main positions.

Edgar Degas’ paintings of me are well known.

The Nutcracker and Swan Lake are among my popular works.

Mikhail Baryshnikov is one of my most famous dancers.

My apparel can include tutus and toe shoes.

[easy peasy japanesy...and on that note, Mike, you were right, it was Degas...interesting that we just had that conversation yesterday]

WORDS

febrile: marked or caused by fever; feverish. This word, along with fever, are derived from the Latin word febris, meaning a fever.

confabulate: 1.:to talk informally; chat. 2. to hold a discussion; to confer. 3.:to fill in gaps in memory by fabrication. Confabulate, fabulous, and fable are all derivatives of the Latin word fabula meaning "conversation" or "story" depending on the usage.

kinesics: a systematic study of the relationship between nonlinguistic body motions (as blushes, shrugs, and eye movement) and communication. The formal study of "body language" is believed to have begun with the publishing of Ray Birdshistell's book Introduction to Kinesics in 1952.

Amanda Is Finally On Facebook

Blog-
Last night was rough. Today is bearable, I'll be leaving work at noon. Today's lessons:

1. Don't sweat the small stuff.
2. Don't panic and stress about the things for which you have no control.
3. Give yourself something to look forward to, always!
4. At the end of the day ask yourself if the choices you made, actually made you happy . . . if not, then on the next day, try to reconsider what you can do differently.
5. It's probably too far from your heart to kill you.
6. Don't let guilt guide you.

Recent updates: I finished Dog On It, super cute book that I am loaning to Chris. I am now onto Bloodsucking Fiends. We have Mama Skweak's birthday party this weekend. My window in my car was fixed thanks to Chris who went to the junk yard, got a window and put it in himself. Saved me loads of money too. I may have already blogged that. Amanda is finally on Facebook. Took long enough! I am still pondering the 6th installment of the Hitchhiker's Guide. Thanks to the Sutter siblings for providing me with exciting play by play on the ESPN spelling bee yesterday (when I needed the entertainment)!

Yesterday and today's comic Brevity, (that I am sharing this week because it's backwards)! See previous blog for clarification!





Likes/Dislikes-

People I know blogging; or getting to read interesting blogs.



So many bloggers, does anyone read any of it? And why aren't more people I know blogging?


Word-
yo

1. When followed by an apostrophe (yo'), a contraction of "you" or "your".

2.An informal address or title to one whose name is not known; can be used as an interrogative address.

3.A declarative or imperative exclamation, whether alone or within a sentence.

Did You Remember Your Towel?

This weekend, and in general some things I found interesting . . .

1. Yesterday, Monday May 25 was Memorial Day for the US, a Bank Holiday for the UK, and Towel Day for everyone. What's that all about you ask? Read Hitchhiker's Guide and you'll know all about the need for a towel. You could also check out the following website: http://www.towelday.org/! For those of you that are unaware, some Irish fellow is commisioned to write the next installment of the Guide. I'm holding him to extremely high standards! (How does one pronounce that name, Eoin? (Owen??)an be assured I will read it and let you know my opinions!

2. LoopLoop Video, Sorry I'm Late. Watch all the way to the end to see how they made this short film. For those of us not artistically savvy, it's really cool. For those of you that may be artistically savvy, perhaps you already know how cool it is; but neat to watch anyway hopefully?

3. I went to the bookstore twice this weekend. It should be no surprise to you that I left both times with books. What did I buy? Dog On It; Bloodsucking Fiends; Broken; Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bible; Fool; 101 Things To Do With Ramen Noodles. I finished Lovely Bones and am mostly through Dog On It!

4. This week, one of my favorite comic strips, Brevity, is mixing it up.



So what is Your favorite comic?

5. My broken window was repaired on Friday; Grace was 4 on Saturday, party that morning, then we had a mellow night at Eva's; I went for a bike ride on Sunday on a winding path that was really neat (in Glen Carbon); I washed a load of towels on Monday for Towel Day, so yes, that does mean I had Monday off of work; I don't know that I ever updated anyone on any of my cool birthday presents; I watched Eagle Eye yesterday, good film, I've been waiting for the government to contact me; surprisingly enough I am in a good mood today that I can't explain (nothing great happenend, nothing bad happened, didn't sleep bad, didn't sleep great; it's very odd, I'm sure it will dwindle as the day moves along).

Words-
shank:

1. A homemade knife.
2. To stab someone with a homemade knife.

muscle queen: A gay man who pumps iron every waking moment in order to be as physically appealing to other men as possible.

totty:

1. An attractive or sexy person. Usually refers to a women, but sometimes used for men.
2. To be unsteady on one's feet, usually as a result of intoxication.