I'm not a cat person

I'm not a cat person.  ???

I'm not a cat person. I never have been. Well, actually, when I was a young girl I loved cats. If I remember correctly, my grandmother said that I requested a blue cat birthday cake at some point in my childhood. (Maybe that's made up, IDK). I had a stuffed animal cat that I carried around until it was thread-barren. I used to chase kitties around my neighborhood, but that was when I was little. I must have had a run-in with a cat at some point, because I remember that for most of my life I have NOT been a cat person. In fact, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I hated cats.

Ziggy waiting to be adopted

So why is it now, I have a cat? Not just any cat. Ziggy. Ziggy is the BEST cat. He's fat and fluffy. He can be sweet, but will scratch the crap out of me if he is done having his neck rubbed. He won't cuddle, but wants to be within 2 feet of me most of the time. He stays near my feet and I'm convinced that one day he will trip me and I'll be an old cat lady with a broken hip.I have this cat because my friend, Gabby, needed a collar for her cat and we decided to visit a nearby PetSmart. If you weren't aware, Animal Welfare Inc helps assist in the adoption of pets through PetSmart. Guess who was at PetSmart that lucky night? Yup, Ziggy. So . . . Gabby, my daughter, Laura and my friend, Robert, all thought that I should just get Ziggy that night. Uhhh . . . No . . . I'm NOT cat person! Secretly, I left that night with the cat on my mind. It took me over a month to get over myself and adopt that sweet boy.

Ziggy on alert

I recently got a new office desk. It's positioned right next to a double window overlooking my front yard. Ziggy has decided to stake claim to this desk, along with the windowsill, as HIS domain. Considering that I work from home, I'm wondering if I can consider him my assistant. He definitely helps. He alerts me to any stranger danger lurking. He actually growls like a dog if someone walks in our yard or parks their car in front of our house for too long. The funniest thing that he does is pull down the window blind if he can't get the view he needs. Needless to say, this cat keeps me entertained, if not sometimes a little distracted when I'm trying to work.

Have you noticed? I love this damn cat! Not just like him. I LOVE him. Ziggy has brought such joy and silliness to my life. He makes me laugh daily. He has brought such a calming presence to my home. And now, I've reduced myself to taking stupid pics and posting them on Facebook and Instagram. Yes, I'm one of "those people". 

Ok, so maybe I'm a cat person. I guess it's not the worst thing I could be.

If you are interested in becoming a cat or dog person, or if you already are one, consider adopting one of these FURever friends. Contact Animal Welfare, Inc., P. O. Box 4797, Shreveport, Louisiana 71134-0797, (318) 221-0053, Gloria Freeman, President. 

My cat's approach to lizard catching

Bowling 2.0 featured in International Bowling Industry Magazine

Holiday Lanes is excited to be assisting in the development of the new BPAA Bowling 2.0 Program, featured in the March 2013 issue of INTERNATIONAL BOWLING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE.

Flip to pages 20-31 to read more about the Bowling 2.0 Program

It's about fun

I was so stunned to be featured on the cover of the February1, 2013 issue of the BOSSIER PRESS TRIBUNE and representing Holiday Lanes.

Click here to read more about I have found the best and most fun job at Holiday Lanes in Bossier City, Louisiana.

I'm honored to represent Holiday Lanes in the January 2012 issue of NWLA BUSINESS MONTHLY.

Flip to pages 5 to read more about how I use social media in my super fun job as Marketing Director for Holiday Lanes in Bossier City, Louisiana.

Time to get refocused on my weight loss

Once upon a time I underwent gastric bypass surgery. I was very successful for about seven years and then I transitioned back to my old habits. I ran across this article that featured my story in SHAPE Magazine and am hoping that it will serve as a reminder that weight loss is a lifetime journey. Check it out

My Life as a Facebook Narcissist

(Previously titled Facebook: Narcissism or Consociation?)

Recently, a Facebook friend of mine posted a comment on her wall about frustration with people who, in her opinion, are plagued with narcissism:

You can tell the people on FB who are narcissistic (i.e. absolutely in love with themselves) by the number of photos they post OF THEMSELVES!! LMAO! People, we know what you look like. 200 photos showing the same damn thing (YOU) is not interesting or exciting! SMDH!

I don't think that the post was directed at me, but after reading it, I started thinking about this and paused slightly to consider whether my posts were reflecting narcissistic behaviors. Let me say that I work in marketing and have several Facebook profiles that I maintain, so for the purposes of this blog, I am specifically talking about my personal page. 

I love the consociation created by Facebook. I love everything about the friendly connections created and often check the status of friends daily. My favorite thing about Facebook is that it allows people to stay in touch with those who don't get to connect daily. The name "Facebook" in itself describes the point of it all. Seeing photos of "faces" is a joy and gives me great pleasure. I thoroughly enjoy friends who post photos of their children as it allows me to reflect on how much they have grown. My daughter lives over 500 miles away with her dad for a school year. Her step-mom posts pics regularly so that I can feel included in her daily activities. 

Obviously, the point of my friend's post was that people love posting pics of themselves. Lots and lots of pics of themselves. She went on to say in an added comment:

. . . I just don't feel the need to take hundreds of photos of myself & slap them all over my FB profile. It comes across as self-absorbed & narcissistic, and contrary to what the poster may think, it makes for a highly uninteresting FB profile.

While I completely get her point. I find it funny that she has been my one Facebook friend that I have longed to see in photos. You see, this friend is a reconnect from my high school years. When I first got the friend request, I'll be honest in saying that I couldn't quite remember the connection. I ran to look her up in our 1987 yearbook and had that "aha" moment: "Oh yeah, I remember her". I accepted the friend request, excited to see what she'd been up to. I wanted to see what she looked like, not because I'm shallow, but because I was genuinely interested in her life as an adult. At the time, I couldn't find one face photo of her. Every profile pic, had a lion in the place of her face. I thought, "ok, she is a private person". We have been friends on Facebook for a couple of years, and very rarely do I see her face on Facebook. I will say that she is a very interesting person, probably the most interesting of my fb friends. She is well traveled and wise beyond her years. She has a motivational fb page that allows her to share uplifting quotes and tips on living. I have noticed in some of her posts that she has a healthy amount of self love, but I would delight in seeing more of her face. While I appreciate her love for the lion species, it makes me want to say "you are a beautiful woman, stop hiding behind the lioness!" 

When I see photos of others smiling, it makes me smile. Seeing people happy, makes me happy. When I read posts of my friends going through a rough time, it makes me pause and say a prayer. I checked my own profile, and definitely fit my friend's depiction of a narcissistic person, if you go purely based on the pics posted. I'll accept that label. I even noticed that my blog has a slide show of pics of me with my family. Geez - maybe I need therapy! I'm probably not going to change because I know that my family and some  friends get the same joy that I get from their photos.  

What do you think? Do you consider yourself narcissistic?

Going International

I'm honored to represent Holiday Lanes in the December 2011 issue of INTERNATIONAL BOWLING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE.

Flip to pages 21 - 26 to read more about my super fun job as Marketing Director for Holiday Lanes in Bossier City, Louisiana.