My dog died yesterday.

He wasn't sick.

He wasn't hit by a car.

He was murdered. By two other dogs. Or at least, two monsters masquerading as dogs.

For those of you who knew my dog Einstein, you knew how much of a sweetheart he is.

But yesterday, two monsters attacked him. They've been harrassing other animals in my area lately, injuring a neighbor's dog, and scratching up my grandmother's. But my Einstein, my beautiful Einstein, was their first casualty.

I don't know who found him first, but Mom told me that he was found in a field up the road from our house. My dad carried him all the way home, wrapped in my old Star Wars comforter because he didn't want to take him back home in the car, because the car wouldn't be as gentle as he was.

They made him a pallet of blankets and pillows in the living room floor and called the vet. They were basically told they he probably had internal bleeding and probably wouldn't survive the night. Einstein was checked over, and sure enough he was bleeding from the mouth, most likely from coughing up blood. Mom probably could have taken him to the vet anyways in the most miniscule chance that he could have been saved, or at least his death prolonged. But we decided we'd rather his last hours be spent on a comfortable bed of blankets and pillows, surrounded by those of us that loved him the most, instead of on a cold metal table, surrounded by strangers.

I was with him for awhile, petting him and soothing him by telling him over and over how much I loved him. But he stopped breathing for about 15 seconds once, and that was all I could take. My mom made me leave, because she knew if I was there when he passed away, it would destroy me.

BUT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE. It's been tearing me apart since mom called me last night to tell me that he had died. I wanted to be with my baby in his last hours. Although, I know if I had been there, I wouldn't be me anymore. I would now be just a shell of myself, and that would not go away for a long long time. See, Einstein wasn't just a dog, MY dog... Einstein was my baby, my child.

So when those monsters attacked him, they killed my child. And now I want vengeance.

We know who the monsters belong to. A couple right down the road from us. Mom went over there after Einstein was attacked and said that they have 4 more dogs on chains in their yards, pit bulls to be exact. And MEAN pit bulls nonetheless. She informed the couple of what happened, and told them those two dogs of theirs are dead. No if, ands or buts about it, she was shooting them. The other neighbor whose dog was also attacked went too, and told the couple that if any of their other dogs ever left their yard, he was shooting them too.

If you know me well enough, you know how much I DESPISE hurting animals. But these aren't animals, they're monsters. And those dogs they have in the yard are becoming the same way. If they ever got loose, they could seriously hurt someone. The two dogs have already tried to attack the above mentioned neighbor's wife and daughter. He shot one of them, but wasn't able to kill it. But if they ever come near my mom's house again, they will be dead.

I want to hurt the people who's monsters hurt me. But I can't. And only because of their children. They have two kids that are the only thing holding me back. As much as I hurt, as much as I want to hit back, I could never directly involve children.

So I'll just have to settle with the knowledge that soon those two monsters will be off the streets. And I am also slightly comforted by the knowledge that Einstein is now up in heaven, playing with all my other animals that have gone before him, and being watched over by my Uncle Michael, who passed away last year.

So in closing, I just ask that each of you remember Einstein in your thoughts, and prayers for those of you who pray. An angel passed away last night, and to me the days seem so much dimmer now.

FINALLY!! After all these years! My GED graduation ceremony is tomorrow! I'm so freaking excited!!!

Does anybody want to come? It's at the technical college tomorrow at 7 in Clarkesville.

Oh! Also... does anyone have a video camera and would be willing to come video tape it for me? Or would be willing to at least let me borrow it for the night? It would be greatly appreciated. I've been waiting for this day for years, so if I could have a video of the night, it would be amaaaazing.

I'll be getting pictures taken too, so as soon as I figure out how to work my grandmother's printer/scanner/etc I'll be posting them up for your viewing pleasure. :)

So I've been home from my wonderful misadventure through the lower portion of America for about a week now, and decided that it's time to blog about it. As a lot of you know, I flew out to California a few weeks ago to drive back across the country here to Georiga with my wonderful twin Amy. She's moving out here, and she and Ashley have an apartment down in Atlanta with Ashley's older sister.

To me, my trip officially started three weeks ago, on Tuesday night after work. I went home and started packing. I decided to forego my humongous suitcase this time (the biiig one that I used in other trips, such as going to California with Ashley, or to Florida with Sammy) and use a backpack. I found it kind of funny that I could pack seven days worth of clothes, all toiletries needed, chargers, etc in my orange backpack that served me in my senior year of highschool. And apparently so did everyone else. People kept asking me if I had enough clothes in there lol. So anyways, I finished packing and just waited around for 2am. My plane was at 6, so we left at 2, got there around 4, and the rest of the time was taken up with saying goodbye to my mom, security, and waiting around.

My plane ride was uneventful as I slept most of the way. I had one layover, but it wasn't long. I just played my PSP as I waited. So I finally arrived in San Francisco, and after getting something to eat, headed outside to hunt down the BART line. For those of you who don't know, the BART line is basically MARTA. After a bit of panicking and calling Amy while trying not to freak out (hey, the map said the line I needed was only open on weekend evenings! and it was midday on Wednesday!), I finally figured out where I needed to be. I get on the line I needed to be on, and everything's fine. Until the announcer says that if we're trying to get to such-and-such line (MY line), we need to transfer at the next station. So I do. Only to be taken ALL the way back to the airport. Which totally sucked, seeing as Amy was waiting to pick me up in Dublin, over an hour away. I finally get back on the line I needed to be on, and make it to Dublin, an hour or so after I told her I'd be there. (Poor Amy.. it was awfully hot that day >.<)

The rest of that day was pretty uneventful. We made it back to Stockton, I met her mom who took us out to eat at Outback Steakhouse. It was the first time I had ever eaten there, and the food was amazing. :) I also met her brother Zac, and all the cats at her dad's house. Yay kitties! We didn't do much else that day, just a lot of talking before I crashed probably around 9pm lol.

The next morning, we get up and are running behind lol. We go by her dad's house, so Amy can see him before we leave. He's a nice guy. :) He checks over her car, makes sure she has a spare tire, etc, and gives us the OK to go. Her brother also gives her about eight bucks to buy pepperspray. :P And of course, Amy's first conclusion is "Woo! Free lunch!" haha. So we finally get on our way to LA, only two hours behind. We're heading to LA to stay with her ex stepmom Candy for the night, before we really head out in the morning. We get there around 4-ish I think? About a six hour drive. After a bit of a mix-up with the exits, we finally get to their apartment. I meet Candy and her sister Julie. They're both a bit crazy, but totally awesome. And! Candy works for Disney!!! That's my dream job right there. :D Candy takes us all out to eat at this Mexican Restaurant across the street, and while we're there, a television show is being filmed! That was awesome. We think it was a dating show, like Blind Date or something.

The rest of the night was also pretty uneventful, we all just sit around talking and finally go to bed around 11-12ish. We get up a little bit earlier the next morning, get everything together, and head out. There was a bit of roadwork or something going on our off-ramp, so we had a bit of a problem finding the detour at first, but eventually we found and we were on our way out of LA. I think the rest of that day was pretty uneventful also. Except for Chili's! We decided to stop and eat at Chili's, and they have the most amazing dessert there! They're in these shotglasses, and only cost two bucks. They had different flavors, a chocolate something one, a cheesecake one, an apple something, and then Amy and my favorite! It was Cinnamon Roll. :D And it was delicious. It was heated up, with a coffee cake thing on the top. Just talking about it is making me hungry...

Moving on! The rest of the day just involved driving. We made it to Arizona, stopped and bought some souveniers, and drove some more. We finally stopped around 11 and got a hotel room, watched some tv, and went to bed. We left around 10am Saturday morning and everything was fine.

For the first couple of hours.

Randomly, around 2-ish (I think?) Amy's car starts to shake and pull, and I tell her she's probably got a flat tire. So we pull over, clear everything out of the back of her car that we can, so we can get to her spare. She's got a newer VW Beetle, so her trunk and the back of her car aren't separated. We get the spare out, I get the tire changed, while somehow cutting myself up all to hell on the metal wires sticking out of the blown tire. But it's changed and we put the blown one where the spare tire was, because she didn't need to throw away that wheel, cause it can still be used. We get back on the road in search for a mechanic to check the tire and make sure that it's not just a temporary spare, meant only for the next 50 miles or so. We finally find one, and he tells us the tire's fine to drive all the way back to Georgia, it's not just a temporary spare.

So back on the road again! Only to have her car run hot several hours later....

We pull over at a gas station to let it cool off around 7pm. But the station decides "Hey, it's 7:30, and there are people here! So we're gonna close now!" and they do. Jerks. :( We get back on the road again, hoping her car's cooled down enough. It hasn't. About 5 minutes later, the light goes off again, so we pull off in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, find a restaurant, get something to drink and something to snack on, and wait for the car to cool down some more. We go back out to the car and it STILL hasn't cooled down some. We put a bit of water in the radiator, and it seems to cool down after a bit, so we leave.

About 10-15 minutes down the road, the light comes on yet again. So we pull over, this time actually on the side of the interstate, and let it cool for about an hour or two. It doesn't help, so we finally give in and call AAA. They come get us and her car about 2 hours later, and drive us to this place called Tucumcari, New Mexico. Amy has decided to name this place her own personal Hell, and in the next blog I will tell you why. ;)

This one's pretty damn long, so I figured I'd stop here, and continue on again later tonight or tomorrow.

Keep tuned for the continuation of this gripping narrative of the misadventures of Sharon and Amy through the American countryside!

This has been an AWESOME weekend.

First off, on Friday, my Canada man FINALLY got his ass back online after 3 weeks. He's one lucky Canadian. I was giving him 1 more week. It's his own fault for giving me flashbacks of the last time something like this happened. :( But he finaly got back on, and so things are good now. I'm happy again. :)

Then I made Paul go shopping with me Saturday lol. It was a good thing I brought him too, he helped me pick out some stuff for my piratey outfit for Renaissance Festival yesterday. We spent a few hours puttering around the mall, Target and Wal-Mart. And he had to drag me away from the two sections at the last two. He never should have let me near the Transformers toys. :P

And THEN! Renaissance Festival!!! It was amazing!!!!! I had never been before, so I probably had that touristy look on my face the whole time lol. But the trip wasn't for me, it was for Ashley. It was one of her birthday presents. :) And I think she had a good time lol. We saw some jousting, the Tortuga Twins (all three of them :D) and fed some animals at the petting zoo. And the pirate auction! Wow! It was awesome! The pirate Captain who led the auction was GORGEOUS. And then one of the other guys was dressed like Jack Sparrow! I told Ashley I didn't need any of the weapons they were auctioning off, I'd just take them. :P

But anyways! The auction! They started off by throwing out free stuff, which consisted of mini whip things (I wanted one =(  ) and keychains, eyepatches, etc. Then they called off numbers that corresponded with numbers of tickets that you could pick up during the day. If they called your number, you got free stuff. After that, it was the "Trust the Pirates!" game!  The Captain asks for a certain number of people to raise their hands and trust them to give them something good for a certain price. It started at $5 or $10 and moved up. Then they randomly auctioned off some really nifty weapons, like this set of 6 japanese swords and the rack they go on. It was a $500 vaule, but the guy got them for $200! They also auctioned off a smaller set of 3, and I got one! For $30! It rocked!

Ooh ooh! And at the Trust the Pirates for $40, I raised my hand and was selected. :D So I went up and paid, but I couldn't tell what it was. They put these stickers on the box, and if you break the seal, you can't get out of the festival with it til you go back and get it stickered up again I guess. I told Ashley if she wanted anything I'd get it for her, but she's not as big on weapons as I am, so she said no. But I did buy just about everything else she got that day, so there. :P

After the auction, we saw the last half of the Tortuga Twins. And they totally rock. You should go to their website and buy their DVD NOW. They will make you roll on the floor laughing. Before we left we saw a little jousting, which was nifty. After that we left.

When we got back to Ashley's house, we immediately HAD to open the mystery box and see what I got. It was a rapier! And it's gorgeous! So we had to take it out and play with it. :D We took a lot of pictures of us playing with them, so soon as Ashley sends them to me, I'll put them up. :)

Not much happened after that, I went and left the weapons at mom's, cause my grandmother would flip if she saw them. Then I went home, and went to bed around midnight.

And then today! We're finally up and running at the newly built station. I'm so excited to finally be in the new building. We have lots of new equipment for me to play with, so I'll have something to occupy me all day. :)

Soon as I get the pictures from Ashley, and find my camera cord, I'll have some pictures up of pirates weekend. And some of me, Ashley, and Amy from when she was here in April. :)

Well my life is starting to look WAY up. As a lot of you know, I took my GED pretest about a month ago. I passed with the highest score possible, so I didn't have to take any classes. Now I just have to wait til May or June so I can take the test. I'm really looking forward to that. :)

A few weeks ago Randall, the other guy that was working here at the radio station, told me that he was leaving to go manage a new station in Lavonia. He told me because he knew I'd want the full time position. And I did, but I knew mom wanted to get back into radio also. (I took over from her.) So I told her about it, and she talked to my boss. But he had already decided on someone else. Her name's Carol, and we started training her Monday. But Thursday she calls in and says that she's decided she can't do it.

So..... I got the position! :D I'll be working Monday-Friday 11-7, and will be getting weekends off. I also recieved a 75 cents raise. So come Monday I'll be putting in my two weeks notice at Lanier Village Estates, and then after that I'll be here at the station fulltime. My next two weeks are going to be hectic. I'll be coming in for a few hours at the station, from 11-3, then going to work at LVE from 4-8. But after that, I'll just be here, with weekends off! Woohoo!

Soo... my education is on it's way, and my job aspect is steadying out... all that needs to be finalized is my love life. That's the one aspect right now that I honestly have no idea on. My umm.... idk... relationship prospect? (Or as Ashley would call him, my "Paramore" lol) said he can't move here because he has a career waiting on him. But now I have good things starting to happen to me down here, and I don't know if I'm willing to leave anytime soon. I really really like this guy. Like, on the Nick level of liking just about.... if ya'll remember who he is lol.

Anyways... that's my latest life update for everyone. :)

Are the most infuriating creatures on this planet. Seriously. If it weren't for the whole needing-men-to-make-babies thing, i think the male of our species would have died out a loooong time ago.

I'm too lazy to go into details... but they're idiots. And I seem to have the worst luck with them. I finally found a decent guy... in CANADA of all places... we've been talking... and now he isn't sure if he wants a girlfriend. After months and months of talking. Could someone please tell me why I always seem to get hit with that damn "bad luck with men" bat? And tell me why I can't find a good guy in the same state... much less country??

The one positive thing out of all of it is he told me that he's willing to try with me... but if he's not ready yet, I'm afraid to see how this will turn out.

*sighs and waits for Ashley to get here so maybe this poor unlucky one won't be bored the rest of her day at work*

The puppy mill industry will continue to thrive as long as consumers are kept in the dark about the tactics and conditions employed to mass produce purebred puppies and designer dogs. With your help, we'll shed light on the cruelty of puppy mills and put this brutal industry out of business.

Thank you for your commitment to stopping puppy mills and for all that you do for animals.

Sincerely,

Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States


This puppy (link below), purchased from the
deceptive Wizard of Claws, was
plagued with health problems.

https://img.getactivehub.com/an2/custom_images/humane/puppymills3_sbphoto.jpg

^ This dog came from the Wizard of Claws.
We filed suit to protect others like her.


If anyone wants the link to those three things listed above, ask me and I'll give them to you.

Yeah... I'm moving back to Cleveland this week. I don't have internet at my old house that I'm moving back into (All by myself, Woo!). I've been packing today, got some more packing to do tomorrow. I'll have my cellphone of course, but no internet, home phone, or tv. So that'll give me some incentive to work on the SSA I guess lol. And I'll get a lot of reading/video game playing done. :P


So yeah... I dunno how often I'll be able to get on. I can get on at work of course, but probably not anywhere else. If anybody needs anything, or just wants to say hi, you can email me, or call me if you have my cell number.

shalia_earante@yahoo.com


PS - Expect many halo parties coming soon! :D

I've been going through my email, deleting all the old ones, and I came across the one email Casey sent me, back when we were dating. He ended it "love ya, cya."


I read that and for a second it was just hard to breathe.


I know I can't go back to the past. I discovered this fact when I went to see Casey on the 14th of this month, for his birthday. I baked him some cookies. And when I dropped by, I met his new girlfriend. I didn't ask her name, but she seemed really nice. So I'm happy for him.


But there are times when I miss him, and being with him, so much. I think separating from him was the right thing to do, but I miss him. Or maybe it's just the feeling of being comfortable with someone that I miss. It could even be the feeling of innocence that thinking of Casey brings to mind. Casey was my first love, and that holds its own innocence.


Either way, there are times that I wish things could go back to the way they were, but I know it's not going to happen. I've had two relationships since Casey since then, neither of which I regret. But both of them were just online things. Both backed out of meeting me after discussing it, for different reasons. I don't blame either of them though, because they did what was best for them.


I don't know what the future holds, and sometimes that scares me. I don't know if I'm ready for change. But I'm going to have to try. I like someone. Someone actually IN Georgia. He doesn't know it, I don't think. And I'm in no hurry to change that. We hang out and goof off, and I like it that way for now. 

I received this email today from the Humane Society:

Dear Sharon,

Soon after "Baby" arrived at a puppy mill, her vocal cords were cut with scissors, without any anesthetic, so she couldn't bark. The puppy mill owner didn't want to be disturbed. Then, she was confined in a cramped cage with a chicken wire floor, so the owner did not have to clean it. Later, she broke her leg, and it was left untreated for years. Ultimately, the leg had to be amputated...

Click here to read the rest of Baby's story -- then, make your donation to save other dogs from the cruelties she endured.

(Clicking here leads to a page with the following listed:
What happened to Baby? When the poor dog could no longer produce any more litters, she was taken from the cage to be killed. She escaped that fate when a kind person came to her rescue. That's why we know Baby's story.

Baby was one of the few lucky ones. Today, thousands of helpless dogs remain trapped in puppy mills with life sentences of unspeakable cruelty. You have the power to help The Humane Society of the United States put a stop to these abuses.)

Puppy mills operate largely out of sight and mind, even for many who care deeply about animals. The Humane Society of the United States is working hard to change that -- and with your donation today, we'll drive these massive commercial breeders out of business for good!

As you may know, puppy mills are large-scale breeding facilities. They force mother and father dogs to produce litter after litter of puppies to support consumer demand for purebred and "designer" dogs.

"Breeder dogs" are routinely kept in horrific conditions, enduring a lifetime of misery in tiny cages, deprived of exercise, decent food, or even basic veterinary care. As they age and their fertility wanes, these animals are often killed or abandoned.

What most pet owners and animal lovers don't realize is that so many of the puppies sold through pet stores or Internet sites come from places just like these -- breeding operations filled with suffering, disease, and malnutrition. Puppy mills typically operate without oversight, sell puppies through third parties, and use deceptive practices to fool the public into believing they care about the puppies they breed. That is why it is crucial to shine a spotlight on this unseen industry.

Help stop this cycle of abuse by making a generous donation today. With your gift, we'll have the critical resources we need to:

* Investigate and expose the realities behind this cruel commercial industry

* Advocate for stricter regulation of the industry and increased funding to enforce existing animal welfare laws

* Educate the public about how to avoid buying puppies or kittens from inhumane commercial breeders

Puppy mills put profits above compassion, and it's time we put them out of business for good. Please make a generous donation today. We can't do it without your help!

Thank you for all that you do to help animals.

Sincerely,

Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States



Now, I wish I could help them out by donating, but a lot of you know just how little I make. So I'm going to do what I can to help by posting bulletins and blogs here and there so that maybe some of you will help and join me and many others in the fight against these cruel operations know as Puppy Mills.


Thank you,
Sharon