My company with my industry...

Every once in awhile, I'll get a piece of mail filtered to me at work that really stands out. If it's not a fake "past due" notice that says, "your account is seriously past due" (which turns out to be a scam), it's a letter like this one. The word of the day, boys and girls, is "vague:"

Dear Shelby,

Our buyer group has requested that our firm assist them in locating a company within your industry that would be willing to sell their business.........

Of course, the letter continues on with additional vagueness about the "limited information" they have about our company (what? our mailing address?) and asking me to call a 1-800 number so that one of their analysts in "my area" (way to narrow it down there, folks) can discuss this opportunity with me.

You know, I'm half-tempted to call these people and play along - ask them what information they have about our company that would dictate such an opportunistic letter.


Maybe later.

Angelina? Fergie? Janeane? Octomom?

I was listening to people say Octomom is obsessed with Angelina Jolie; however, I found a few other people she looks like:

Now, in no way am I comparing Octomom to the lovely ladies above; I am merely saying maybe Octomom is obsessed with Hollywood and fame...including "copying" celebs.

Mom Update

I talked to my mom on Friday night. She said that she had to undergo more tests, but that they would have to wait for the test results as they would be coming from Atlanta.

Thanks, but I'm fully capable.

We took Cash and Grimm to Petsmart today. Cash gets to walk on the tile floor; Grimm has to ride in the cart (Grimm is only 9 wks old -and who knows what is on Petsmart's floor). We're in the toy aisle when the Petsmart trainer (*rolls eyes*) approaches. As she approaches, I tell Grimm to "SITZ," which is the German command for "Sit." He politely sits down as the trainer approaches. Now, you'd think she's commend Grimm for being so well-behaved for being a 9 weeks old puppy. Instead she asks, "Is he a German Shepherd?" After confirmation that he is, she then asks, "Will you be doing any training with him?" (Did she not just hear and see me do a "SITZ" command?) I reply yes that we intend on training him and titling him - if not Search and Rescue as well. She looks at me and says, "oh well good we offer training classes here as well - in case you wanted to do obedience with him or something." I replied that I knew and that dogs, in order to be SAR dogs had to be fully obedience trained and pass the CGC. She just pets Grimm, smiles, and walks away.

Now, it normally wouldn't bother me, but this particular Petsmart - they have two trainers. You can have the most obedient dogs in the world (as mine normally are), and they will still tell you that you would do best in enrolling in their programs.

An interesting phone call tonight...

I got home tonight from work, and my parents' phone number flashed up on my cell phone briefly. I sporadic service at the house so I couldn't answer. I was making dinner, and I thought, "I'll call them back after I'm done."

About thirty minutes go by, and my parents' number flashes again. I tried to answer it this time, but I was too late. I called my parents back, thinking it was an update on my paternal grandfather ("grandpa") when it was my dad that answered.

"Hey, is mom there?"
"Uh, yeah. Hey...did you get my e-mail?"
"No, why?"
My dad was silent.
"Your mom's sonogram came back today from her tests. It's not good. She has lesions on her liver and her spleen. We go in tomorrow for a CAT scan and some tests. I sent the e-mail when she wasn't around."
"Are you the one that called then?" (Sorry, I was in shock)
"Yes. Your mother....isn't in the mood to talk to anyone tonight."
"Okay, call me when you guys find out something."
"We will. Your brother and Kim already know."

So that's always wonderful news. I went outside to take the call and was peeling the label off Andrew's and my charcoal grill. When I hung up the phone, Andrew, who was out walking Cash, asked, "Is everything okay?" and I just broke down crying. I had to wait to catch my breath, and I told him what dad had said.

I turned around and walked inside.

Some XKCD fun....

Lies.

Some lies that the dog trainer - whatever she is - in South Carolina is guilty of (besides our lies) and found on her "website" (also known as MySpace):

"'K9' Gernhardt - 'K9' Gernhardt (my retired partner)" : Gernhardt is not/was not a K-9 police dog. The trainer/owner/whatever got Gernhardt from someone off a message board who could no longer care for him. I think he was 9 or 10 at the time. Gernhardt was never this "trainer's" K-9 partner - retired or otherwise.

"Meeka @ 10 months, trained in Criminal Apprehension and Drug Detection" : Funny that Meeka's description has changed since the last time I checked on it. This was the dog that we were supposed to get. At 10 months old, she is not trained in Drug Detection nor Criminal Apprehension. They may have had someone run with a suit on, and she chased them, but that's it. As far as "Drug Detection," I had asked the "trainer" what kind of tracking training she had. The "trainer" said she had been started on trailing, but she had no formal training. Now, again, her description changes to read that she is a trained Criminal Apprehension and Drug Detection dog. Hell, I'm still wondering if there was even a "Meeka."

"K9 Vadar - K.I.A.": I don't see how a dog can be K.I.A. when it was never a working police dog. This was one of her pets down in South Georgia!


"Hey Brandy" - Funny...she told us her name was something other than Brandy. Where did "Brandy" come from?