Hello there, my name is Miranda Holloway, and as a junior I am a member of the 500 something most stressed out people in school. Not only am I a junior but I am a student, along with about 2100 other kids, at one of the top ten high schools in the state and while the stress at any school can get rough, everyone knows that the pressure can be intense and the workload can be high. So in the spirit of staying sane, I have started this blog to remind my fellow knights, and myself for that matter, to stop and smell the roses, take a walk in the park or watch a funny movie; essentially want everyone to take a deep breath and smile. Inspire d by the website 1000awesomethings.com, I will be posting this blog twice a week until the the end to the school year, 82 times in all, about things that are meant to make you grin. Happy moments, enjoyable memories, blissful feelings; you name it, I’ll post it. So, overall, take a minute to just relax and think happy thoughts.
Thought #16- Quality time with pets
I don’t know what I would do without my dog, Annie a golden retriever. She is the sweetest thing on the planet and is always happy to see me, wiggling her entire body and making a noise similar to some mix between a bear growling and a wolf howling every time I get home from school. As terrifying as that noise may sound in theory, it’s really quite sweet and happy. I wish everyone was that excited to see me.
She will cuddle up next to me and give me love no matter how crabby I have been with her or the rest of the world that day. I dig the unconditional love. With humans, that sort of ‘I love you because I love you’ attitude seems to be running a little low. It’s a sort of a no strings attached relationship.
OK, there is one string attached, I sometimes “drop” food on the floor for her to eat during dinner, but that’s rare and it’s the least I can do (have you smelled that dog food, yuck).
Then there is my cat….
Say what you wish about cats (they’re gross/creepy) but all I know is that my cat, Gibbs (my family watches a lot of NCIS), is totally the comic relief in my family. He comes over to the kitchen table, and will just lay down on the paper you’re reading and beg shamelessly for attention. If you are able to ignore him through that, he will kindly begin ripping up the newspaper with his claws and teeth until you scratch him behind the ears .And he’s not even allowed on the table; we have just given up trying to get him off.
I know that sounds annoying, and it is, but it is also really cute. It’s when he hides behind a chair and runs out and attacks your feet, that’s the problem.Any-who, I have been swamped with work and I haven’t had time to spend time with my fluffy little friends. So on Thanksgiving morning, armed with my camera and in the only hour of spare time I had before I went off to my cousin’s house, I captured my pets in all their glory. This is the result.
Obviously Annie, a seven year-old golden retriever, is thrilled about the beginning of her modeling career. I believe that if you look up "puppy- dog eyes" in the dictionary, this picture is in the place of the definition. I think she was making these eyes at my dad to say "Please make this girl stop taking pictures of me."
I think she had settled into her role at top model by this point and began to look into the camera a little, which literally never happens. Either that or she was tired, annoyed and too lazy to get up and move away from me. This is my cat, Gibbs, who has a mustache and my sister Veronica. His thoughts: "If it was not for the camera, I would kill this whole family now." There are so many things I could say to this picture it's hard to choose just one, so here are three. 1. Oh hey there, Gibbs. 2. I swear he's not drunk. Alcohol is bad for kitties and he's not 21. 3. I he looks somewhat taken aback by something. Annie likes to give people hugs and in this case her victim is my sister. I say victim because these hugs can go on for upwards of 45 minutes but it's cute and sweet and all that jazz so we put up with them. Dogs have no need for tissues they have tongues. Annie's tongue is so long we used to call her Jarjar Binks, the star wars character with the goofy long tongue. Annie is a hopeless romantic. Her main loves are food and sleeping, but I guess humans are up there too. We love her too. How could you not when you stare into those big, brown eyes? Gibbs, making his preparations for black friday. If I ever do go black friday shopping and have to wait in long lines, I think I'll bring Gibbs and make him bite at the ankles of people in front of me. Gibbs in hunter mode, which he's in for a good 80 percent of his waking hours. The other 20 percent are spent eating or making attempts at being cuddly. I live for that 20 percent. Gibbs says this photo shoot is over.
