¡No hablo Espanol!

¡Hola!

Warning: This post is full of whining and complaining. When writing this post, the author threw Philippians 2:14 out the window. Proceed with caution.

I have to teach myself Spanish before sometime next spring, and I am NOT excited. Long, long ago, I earned 24 hours towards a master's of arts degree. After I started working full time, I did not take anymore classes and basically ignored the fact that I needed to learn a foreign language and take three more classes to finish the degree. One of the stipulations of earning the degree is finishing it in eight years. I have somehow gotten so old, that this is my last year to finish it!!!

Sigh. I don't wanna go back to school!!!!!!! Sigh again. It would be really silly to just let those graduate hours go to waste, but I don't wanna go!!!! Really! I registered anyway though. Yet another sigh. There actually are several classes that I would be interested in taking, but since I'm a full-time mommy, I have to take classes that fit the best with our family's schedule. I signed up for the only online class offered, southeast Asian writers (I have never heard of any of the authors listed!!!!!!), and a form and theory of poetry and prose class on Wednesday nights. Blech. These two classes, which are very near the bottom of classes I would have chosen if scheduling wasn't an issue, are going to cost around $1600!!! Double blech. I think I will get a $500 grant, so maybe the classes won't seem so ridiculously priced. I guess everything is ridiculously priced now though. What's a gallon of milk up to now? Twenty smackers? :)

I'm one of those weird people that really liked school and love to learn, so even though I'm being awfully negative about going back to school, I'll honestly probably like the English classes I have to take. The problem is going to be somehow learning Spanish! For a master of arts, recipients have to know a foreign language. The language requirement can be met by taking classes or passing a test. The classes would cost another $1600, so I'm going to try to teach it to myself and pass the test. Pray that I have an aptitude for foreign language!!!! :) I've checked out some stuff from the library and am using a CD that I got for free somewhere. I might have to start watching Dora the Explorer soon. I have discovered, however, that my husband somehow knows any word or phrase I throw at him, so hopefully having him as a tutor will help. I knew he had three years of Spanish in high school but didn't know he remembered anything. The man is full of mysteries. :) I wonder what other secrets he has kept from me? Maybe he has a secret bank account in Switzerland...

I'm done complaining. For now.

¡Adios!

Down with Dogs!

WARNING: This post is full of complaining. If you have no desire to read my ranting and raving about how the neighborhood dogs are driving me crazy, come back tomorrow for Favorite Foto Friday! Let the complaining begin!

Apparently, my family lives in a neighborhood of dog-lovers. Either that or a neighborhood of deaf people. Almost everyone on our street has a howling, barking, yipping, dog (or three) in their backyard except for us. When the weather warms up each spring, the barking is even more annoying for awhile because our windows are open, and we are outside more. It would be nice to hear the breeze blowing through the trees and the sounds of birds chirping through our open windows, but instead of those nice springtime sounds, we get to listen to howls, yips, and woofs of the neighborhood barking chain. When we go outside to do yard work, or just enjoy the warm weather, we get barked at as if we are intruders. The dogs all come to the fence and start growling, snarling, barking, etc. like a gang of Cujos. I wonder what it would be like to be able to enjoy our own backyard without needing earplugs?

I am SICK of the barking dogs! I am tired of waking up at four o'clock in the morning to canines serenading one another. I am frustrated that I can't take my baby to MY OWN garden without my neighbor's German Shepherds and black lab scaring him! Are my darling husband and I the only people in the world who think it is rude and inconsiderate to allow one's dogs to bark ALL the time (specifically at night)? Dogs CAN be taught not to bark. Water hoses work wonders. I'm sure that dog whisperer guy could take care of it in no time.

Really, I think most of the dogs would be relatively well-behaved, but the black lab behind out house just can't keep her big mouth shut. She's like the Rosie O'Donnell of the dog world. When she barks, all the rest of the dogs in the neighborhood answer. She's the ring-leader. Or bark-leader I should say. I'm excited about something though. She's dug a hole under the fence from her yard to ours. I'm not sure if you can see it or not from the picture, but it's getting bigger! She can fit her whole head through now.
I don't think the lab's owners have noticed this hole. Is it wrong of me not to tell them? Is it wrong to hope she escapes and moves into another neighborhood? Or finds her way to the highway? That's awful! I don't really mean it! Really...

Anyway, I don't know why the dogs are bothering me so much this spring. Maybe I sleep lighter because of my new mommy radar. Maybe it's because I'm home during the day now, and I never knew how much they bark ALL DAY LONG. The howling dogs have always kept John up a lot though--he's a really light sleeper. He's had dreams of going on a rampage with a shot-gun, but since we only have a BB gun, I think the dogs are safe.

It's not that I don't like dogs--I do--or at least I used to. It's inevitable that I will have a dog someday too, since practically every little kid ends up wanting their own pooch for their parents to take care of. I just don't think this country's forefathers meant for the first amendment to apply to canines, and I wish my neighbors would be considerate enough to make their dogs BE QUIET in the middle of the night. All you dog lovers out there don't need to worry. I'm not going to go crazy and hire a hit man to oust any puppies. I'm not going to sneak out in the middle of the night and remove any vocal cords. I'm not even going to let all the dogs out of their fences and hope they get sent to the pound. I might buy seventeen roosters and an elephant to make noise in my back yard to see how the neighbors like that! Not really. I'm just going to complain on my blog. I'm done now though. Have a nice day!