Helicopter Skies

Here in the Valley of the Sun, helicopters are used often -- many times to help rescue folks who have hiked too far, outside their limits, or forgotten to pack enough water with them.  Even when it's a cool 65 degrees, you need water when you're outdoors even if you aren't warm or overheated!  That's just how it is here.

Helicopters are also used to help the police locate ... potential "bad guys".  They can shine a spotlight down and highlight or search for things in the dark.  With our nearly always clear skies, they become a good tool.  However, they can also add to a person's "freak out" level - especially when that spotlight gets shined into your backyard on a very dark night, lighting up the windows and making you wonder "what the f*ck is out there??"

Friday night, warmer temps, mean more people are out and about, doing things.  But Sadie and I, we headed out for our evening walk.  We noticed two choppers circling off to the North.  Judging by how distant they seemed, they certainly weren't in our own backyard area, so we headed off for our walk, which is usually to the south.  About 20 minutes into our walk, we had reached the grassy area that I refer to as "the park".   Mostly, it's just a large grassy area, no playground equipment, when I noticed that the helicopters were headed back over our section of the neighborhood. 

While Sadie sniffed and snooped, I watched as the helicopter shined his spot light over the grassy area, sweeping over me and Sadie.  I didn't go crazy and run off, I just stood still, staring up until it moved on.  Sadie and I headed for home, watching the choppers circling their light in a different area again.  I'm guessing since they were covering a larger distance they were following a car, not someone on foot!  As we trotted our way home, Sadie kept nosing my leg.  She was either asking to be picked up and carried (NOT!) or was just in a hurry to be back indoors again!

And again on Saturday, our morning walk and here come 4 Army helicopters flying overhead.  They make a lot more noise than the local ones.  We stood and stared up at them as they flew over.   Later in the day, several more Army helicopters passed overhead, and the flight pattern of the local airports was changed.  I noticed, because I don't usually have passenger airliners flying over the house.  Most often, flight patterns change due to weather.  But today was clear, calm and 75!

Don't know what's up, but something was!
Happy Weekend!

Retail & Change

This is my second weekend in a row off work!   - ok, not really *on* the actual weekend, but having Friday and Saturday off is a pretty good thing.  In the retail sector, we work so many crazy days because there isn't ever a time when the stores are closed any longer, so we're expected to be available for the times when shoppers are there.  But if we went by that, most would have Tues/Weds off, because weekends are truly the busiest times.  Which is why I'm glad I'm off!  lol

I'm trying to come to terms with the new schedule, although my boss doesn't seem to like it much.  I'm training two new people in my area, and he thinks I should be there more to guide them.  But I've been working without weekends since March 11th (Elvis' D-Day!) and frankly, I'm old and need my recuperating time alone, away from work.  I'm just a phone call away *if* my girls need me. 


But what's in the future for retail?  It has me a little bit worried.  There are rumors (in every big corporation, not just retail!) that my position will be ending in one year.  That figure was pretty exact, and I'm mostly writing it down here so I can come back later -- and hopefully laugh at my fears!  Or cry because I won't know what my future holds after that.  In the past, when positions were eliminated, severance packages were offered.  Sadly, I'm not anywhere close to retiring, or I might consider it. 

In Jan 2018, the National Retail Federation claims the [retail] industry isn’t dead at all and in fact it’s on the verge of a turnaround with more jobs and innovation expected by 2020.  “I think there will be more jobs that will be opened than there are now,” Cristina Cersoli, NRF senior vice president for retail strategy told FOX Business on the future of industry. “We’re already seeing more jobs in advanced analytics and artificial intelligence.” 

“It will be a highly interactive and highly immersive from a technology perspective,” Cersoli adds. “So, whether it’s using augmented reality to test new makeup or if you’re one of the outdoor outfitters like Nike, where you can try on a pair of sneakers and then run on a treadmill or try on a coat and step into a giant refrigerator. These are things you can’t replicate on your couch in your jammies and it will draw more customers back into stores.”

Ok, so that's a bright spot on the bleak horizon being painted about all shopping being e-commerce, not actual retail stores.  So now it's just a matter of getting to know there's a different direction, and being willing to learn and anticipate some of those moves so that I can keep with my job for .. oh, 8 years, 6 months and 3 days --- but who's counting?????

So cross your fingers, or send me some good thoughts, good vibes! 
I'm going to need them in the upcoming weeks!

Retail news media seems to be stuck 

in a cycle of doom and gloom, 

with relentless headlines proclaiming the death of retail. 

Relax, already. Breathe.

Mine's a Pug-ly World!

It's Saturday, in the real world.  In my world, tomorrow is my "Monday".  I had Friday and Saturday off from my BigBox Store.  I took Sadie back to the vet on Friday to have her ears re-checked and they did another application of the "ear stuff" just to be sure it doesn't come back so soon.

I was a very anxious "pug momma" on the drive over and back again.  Even though Sadie is over 6 years old now, she has never gotten over the excitement and anxiety she gets when riding in the car.  I used to take her everywhere, then knocked it back to once a week ..... she just never outgrew that puppy excitement of car travel.  When I'm driving to Tucson - a 2 hour drive - for more than the first hour, she never settles in and just chills for the drive.  I think she probably might if she got to sit on my lap!  But at 32 lbs, she's just too big to fit there so that I can drive!! 

It all went pretty well, and I arrived back home safe with her, with no reaction to heat this time.  I made sure the appointment was first thing in the morning just for that reason!  But as I get older, it's just not safe for me to be driving and trying to control her in the car at the same time.  If I want to travel with her more often, I need to train her to a car kennel.

She's of a mind where she wants to be in the same room with me, at every waking moment, and yet she's used to being asleep much of the day when I'm at work, so every time we sit down, she's snoring again.  hehehe  So far today she's "helped me" hang wallpaper, spray paint a picture frame, fill a cement crack in the backyard patio .... yeah, you get the picture.  It's like having a two year old follow you around to "help" !!! 

It's a crazy pug-ly world I live in! 

Weekends!

Bought Sadie

a summertime

wading pool....

she likes it,

has been in it

several times

already!

Even though

it was warm,

we roasted

hot dogs

then made

s'mores!

yummmmmy