a silly little life

Oftentimes when I am in a situation where my name is to be shouted out, I just use the nickname "Mac."  No, it's not an actual nickname of mine, nor is it a very girly moniker.  But it's quick, easy to say and easy to understand.  Surprisingly, "Shannon" is tricky for most. When I lived in Spain, my name in the household was "rubia" because my señora could not say "Shannon."  It became my name in public, too.  At a Starbucks I noticed my amigos were giving themselves pet names as well.  Aubin went by "Sarah" and Amanda went by "Maria" because otherwise we didn't know our drink was ready.  I preferred the quizzical smirks from the Spanish baristas than my drink turning cold. Fortunately most of Starbucks language is universal A while ago I used "Mac" when I was with friends.  One got quite a chuckle out of it.  And I guess I get that--it's not something normally used or heard.  But you know,

There is a reason people love dogs--they provide unconditional love and support.  Doesn't matter if you're fat, stupid and ugly because your four-legged friend is at home waiting to greet you with love.  If I could, I would have more than one, but I don't have a yard or the kind of money needed with that responsibility.  So I continue to dog sit and consider others' dogs as my own in a way. Look, no one loves a great dog more than me.  I've been taking care of a friend's lab, Moe, and he's the greatest.  He literally understands everything I say, and doesn't even need to be walked with a leash.  He's friendly but tame, a winning combination. But the other day while I was walking him and his cousin, Gabby, a neighbor recognized us and went (pardon my French) apeshit.  She had her hands full of bags but put them all down to "say hello" to Moe.  She kept trying to get him to stop sniffing around and let her pet him.  Gabby, meanwhile,

I have been a terrible blog host by not writing for quite some time.  But, all the time spent away has only created more adventures and hijinks to write about! Today marks two full weeks of dog sitting.  Lots of dog sitting!  More business just kept coming, and I am not one to turn it away, especially considering that I was free all day.  Which was no longer the case after the first day of the first job.  I literally found a job that is not off the internet and not some scam.  An old friend owns a bridal shop and she needed help--immediately.  As it turns out, Fortunata, her only consultant, was not so fortunate  as her namesake would have you believe.  She was hit by a car and seriously injured.  When Emma reached out about filling in, I was ecstatic.  While I can forgo any type of big wedding of my own, I found such a job to be ironic for me.  But it turns out that it's even better than any kind of retail: there is very little inventory, when it's sold it's sold, and t