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Every day I wake up bright and early- 5:00 am. My husband will swear that I am a morning person. While he is right 97% of the time, every person is entitled to have a case of ‘the Mondays’ every once in a while. Enter Kooper- our overly stimulated, under educated pug. Every morning when Enya sounds on my alarm clock I hear faint whimpers come from the walk-in closet. If ever I thought of taking a morning to sleep in, all bets are off once Enya’s (magical) voice sounds. Now, Monday mornings come a lot sooner than any other day of the week. Today, like most other days, I open kennel doors to have Kooper run mini-laps in the bedroom (while Scotty pulls up the comforter and falls into a deeper sleep- with a smile I might add!!) and Jinx rolls over with a less-than-pleasing grunt. I chase Kooper out of the room to avoid waking Scotty and get on all fours to pull Jinx out of her kennel for our morning walk. Usually she comes out of the kennel and makes a B-line for the bedside table- knowing I can’t reach her without turning on the light and moving the bed! Unlike her brother, she adapts and realizes she can’t avoid the morning tasks. Kooper at this point is outside the bedroom door panting and crying because I am taking too long. Taking too long!? I am chasing Jinx around the bedroom trying to block her entrance under the table or back into her kennel while Kooper is yelping outside the door!! Who wants to start a Monday like this?? Once the kids are up I have to carry princess Jinx down the stairs- hoping not to miss a stair and go flying down the entire flight because the automatic light didn’t turn on this morning!! Following our 20 minute walk comes feeding time. Have I mentioned yet that Jinx refuses to eat her already deluxe (meaning, not cheap!) quizzine unless it has warm gravy added?? Oh and don’t think that means just sprinkling a few drops here and there. Let me be completely honest in stating that too much or too little warm water results in growls and temper tantrums… which in turn result on Kooper getting beat up. While we don’t have all the answers of being the parents to temperamental children, the pugs are easing us into the world of parenthood- No time soon Grandmas!!

I’m not sure how this happens, but every Friday I leave work with my Coach tote packed with papers to grade or reports to write that I fully intend to do in order to be on top of things come Monday morning. Today I realize that this thinking is optimistic and unlikely. Between work and school I savor my weekends because it allows me to either catch up on things or get ahead. Let’s be honest, if you know me, I use my weekends to get ahead.

For the most part I am unproductive because we have weekend distractions. We either have people come over, which rationalizes my ‘not getting around to’ my commitments, or we have plans to go somewhere. This weekend was one of the first that we had nothing on the books. On Saturday we ran a few errands and today we stayed in and watched the Charger game. Somehow I still neglected my self-assigned tasks. I think I justify avoiding my work because I tell myself that it is the weekend and that the weekend is a time to rejuvenate and prepare for the upcoming week. But, let’s be honest, most of us can’t get through our daily tasks- work, chores, homework, errands- unless we dip into our personal time. I know that I am extremely organized (OCD perhaps) and I really do monitor my time wisely. So if procrastination can sneak up on me, it is likely to affect most of you as well!

One of the things a wife of a computer genius needs to understand is that in order to maintain genius status one must keep on top of the latest technology. I can’t really complain because when I met my beloved husband he had a passion for the newest toys. Whether it be a remote control for his car stereo (yes, the car stereo that was within arms reach) or a robotic vacuum cleaner that vacuums when you are away and finds its way back to the docking station to recharge without anyone being the wiser- he had to have it all. So, when the day came that Mac released its newest Macbook and Mackbook Pro I should have been prepared to be a little lighter in the checkbook. I have to hand it to Scotty, though, at one time in his life when the new toy hit the market he would be the first in line with his credit card in hand. Now, he is still the first in line but has the cash on hand because he sold something or other on Ebay to get it!! With the new release of the Macbook items Scotty sold his current Mac laptop for a little more than the new laptop will cost. For those of us who know Scotty, love Scotty for his scheming ways. We appreciate him for many reasons, but one memorable reason being that he helped many family and friends (and wife) sell their old iPhones for the same amount as the new iPhones- then convinced us all to take the day off work and wait in line!! He is good at what he does, but will he ever not be the first person in line at the Apple store with various customers mistakenly asking him for technical support??

I remember reading somewhere that a common fear among adults, and probably children, is public speaking. What can be worse than standing in front of your peers and lecturing, teaching, or trying to inspire? Today I was called upon to do all three. I am on the Leadership team at my school and I know that my role is minimal because I have not taken my position as a true leader. I love being on the team because I get to learn. My principal mentioned that I need to get out of the backseat and ‘bring something to the table’ (for lack of a better phrase). As a shy girl/woman this is but my most excruciating challenge in life- to be heard. I had a small section of a training to give to the staff today at my school. I had the notes, I highlighted the text, and I rehearsed in my living room on more than one occasion. Nothing prepares you for the impromptu question or the unexpected comment from the audience. How we react and what we say is critical to the cohesion of the presentation. I am happy to say that I was able to give my presentation and present a little humor by being honest with my audience and telling them that I am in an uncomfortable element. To my surprise and delight, my audience laughed when I tried to make a joke and engaged in activities when I asked. If I didn’t impress anyone in the staff room, I impressed myself. Each day presents new challenges that require we step up and take initiative. While these challenges might be really uncomfortable and create dry mouth, we must approach the obstacle head on and risk feeling embarrassed or as if no one understands a word we say. I might sound wise in the moment, but I have to admit, I still have yet to conquer this incredible wall of a challenge. I am still shy, introverted, and insecure, but I am taking one opportunity at a time to go to an uncomfortable place; a place where I am heard.

The fires are not something completely unfamiliar to Scotty and I. Actually, when we first started dating we had a week off of work and school due to fires in the San Diego area. Last year we both had a fire week off of work as a result of fires up near Fallbrook and Oceanside. So when we heard there were fires in Fallbrook and Oceanside yesterday we figured it was the same game. It turned out to be anything but. At 10:00 I got a call from my aunt telling me that my grandparents were evacuated, nearly against their will, because the fire was approaching their property. My grandparents are strong-willed and it would have taken an almost guarantee loss of their house to make them leave. In fact, when they finally got to our house around 10:30 they believed their house was gone. They came to us with one bag packed- pajamas. They left pictures, jewelry, and their dog behind. Those of us who know their dog Charlie, love Charlie. The dog has more energy than a 2 year old. They just couldn’t get him in time to evacuate due to the fact that they had minutes to leave. Scotty, undoubtedly the most caring person I know, booked my grandparents a room at the Comfort Suites down the road. He calmed me down when emotions were in overdrive. We checked my grandparents in and got their one bag of belongings brought to the room. Flash forward to this morning. My uncle drove from San Pedro at 5:00 am down to Fallbrook to check out their home front and found that the surrounding area burnt to a crisp. As he drove up the drive way he saw Charlie waiting at the front door. Today was a day of miracles. My grandparents home of over 20 years is the only thing left standing on the 7 acre property. The dog somehow survived his first, and let it be his only, night out in the wild alone. We are all truly blessed.