Job Reviews

Job reviews are unlike any reviews known to human kind, as all workers will attest to... fess up, you know what I am saying is the truth.

Movie Reviews are rated on the star system. Four Stars = hit. One Star = 'da bomb. Restaurant Reviews are rated on the knife, spoon, fork system. Four of any one knife, spoon or fork = lines around the block and reservations well into the next millennium. One knife, spoon or fork = site of new parking lot....

The worse type of job review is the "Self-Appraisal". It is a lot like Russian Roulette... wonder if this dish will run away with a knife, spoon or fork????

As I prepare to fill in the blanks I am trying to find just the right words to convey that I am very much a team player without seeming to be the whole team. Hopefully if done correctly I could be awarded anywhere from 1% to 3% more money or as much as 6 cents an hour more.... Oh be still my heart... at this rate I will make the "high rollers" league in another 100 years!

You are handed these pages and asked to evaluate yourself. Too glowing and you chance being looked at as braggart with a bag of hot air going for you. Too modest and you chance being looked at as filled with false modesty and fishing for complements. It is a total No Win situation!

Wish me luck... if you don't see or hear from me you'll know one of two things... I didn't get any % and could no longer afford the luxury of Internet access, or, I got the 3% and am out celebrating... Anyone know where you can get a 6 cent beer?

Life of a Pug's Social Secretary

This just may be a statement of the times, but one of the most important jobs I have is to keep AJ HoosierHugPug's Social Calender in pristine order and see that he is not late nor forgets an appointment or commitment to his many social events. It is also part of my responsibilities to see that he is properly attired for the events which he attends.

AJ, who is a Pugminstrator at FLOP, on Dogster, tries to daily connect with the many active members of FLOP's Grilla Guys Club, where they are known for their good deeds to the community and a place where the guys can just chill, have a few Pugwisers or "Ice Teas", enjoy a card game or two, talk about the latest sport standings, smoke their prized cigars, the Grills have an endless supply of their favorite food and well in general just be boys. From time to time they will tolerate invasions from their FLOP sisters, The Monkey Girls, only to have to chase them from their piece of the Pugdom "jungle" when the girls start wanting to "frill up" the club room.

AJ also finds that he is called to join in the active adventures of his furiends at Spoiled Pugs (SP), where he is a member of the House of the Blue Swift Warriors and The United Pug Foundation (UPF), as he is a skilled swords man and has a keen aim with a water gun.

As you can see by AJ HHP's latest picture he is dressed in full battle armor as he prepares to join in UPF's dragon hunt. It seems this tiny pugdom has been plagued of late with fire breathing dragons and all able bodied pugs and pups have been called upon to fight off these hordes and restore peace to all the realm. Oh, and if by chance the warrior's capture the dragon's golden eggs, that would be a bonus for the pugdom.

Since the battle will rage this very evening, I do believe it is time for a short but powerful Pug-nap so AJ and his wearied social secretary will be able to fight the good fight...

Oddly, I find his calendar is far more full then mine. Wonder if he would give me tips on my Social Skills?

FLOP

When AJ and I first stumbled on to Dogster, similar to My Space, but for dogs (there is also Catster, and your right it is for cats), little did we know what a life changing and enhancing day that would be.

At Dogster you have every bred of dog God has created and some extras, but unlike most humans, the furkids there just seem to get along so well.

Being a pug, we went looking for pug people and found some really great new friends. The first group that I wandered into was For The Love Of Pugs. FLOP!!!!

Everyone there made us feel so welcome and at home! It wasn't long before AJ was wanting to play with his new friends everyday. He soon discovered he was making friends around the world and they all had one thing in common... how to get more treats from their humans! They, the pugs and pups, would share their secret plots and coy maneuvers of twisting we humans to do their bidding.

Mean while the humans share, through their furkids, tips on how not to be maneuvered by the coy brown eyed "child" begging at your feet. If we are honest, the begging works 99% of the time.

We share the good times, when house-training works and the sad times when one of ours has made their final journey to Rainbow Bridge.

We bow heads and fold paws if one of our loved furkids is ill, we also share our experiences with illnesses, special diets and rescuing pups who have extreme needs.

AJ & I just want to salute the founders of Dogster and acknowledge the vision they brought to us and so many others. We also want to thank our FLOP family, for that is what we are, a family... for all the love and care and FUN we have every day.

God's Sanctuary

I love Summer Sundays! Well, early mornings of Summer Sundays.

That time just after sunrise and before the city awakes. When there is still the quiet, broken only by birds in praise of the day. No car horns, cell phones or human voices to distract from the cathedral like grandeur of my surroundings.

I love sharing this time with my pug, AJ, on the first walk of the day. As he stops to inspect his territory for assurance no breach had been made, I can converse with my Creator as I thank Him and His angels for safely bringing me and all those that I love safe through the night, only to present me with this gift of creation, a new day.

As AJ wanders from patch to patch, I can see the bees collecting their early morning pollen and a caterpillar softly nibble at a succulent leave, storing up energy for the soon transforming process to butterfly.

Here there is only my thoughts melding with my Creator's as I affirm that this is all good. I can take time to enjoy the hosts of choirs singing praises to the Lord.

Yes, there is something so special about Summer Sunday mornings when you can feel the true greatness of God, in the sanctuary He has made.

July 5th, 2008

From the Front:

As this is being written, it is just about 12:30 a.m. on July 5th. While there could have been a Peace accord signed in some warring part of our world, one would not know it from the sounds of rockets and exploding missiles streaking for the nearest tree line.... When will this insanity stop?

Taking cover in bed, perhaps by dawn the crazies will have run out of fire power and also retreated to recoup supplies and replenish their armaments for tonight's attack upon the city.

Happy 5th of July.... the day on which our Forefathers should have made firework illegal!