Dog zones and why I will never own a dog/pet

First off, I just want to say that I am not a dog hater. I love dogs. I grew up with dogs my whole life. They are a great companion and it has been proven that petting dogs can relieve stress. However, there are a lot of people who don't like it when dogs are constantly barking or when you have to smell dog poop because someone didn't clean up after their dog. I live in an apartment and we are not allowed to have dogs. The housing behind us allows pets because they are townhomes. The other night, we were trying to go to sleep and 2 dogs were constantly barking from 10-11p.m. Kyle went to the townhome and knocked on the door but noone answered. We figured the people had gone out and left the dogs out. Kyle decided to call the police and report a nosie complaint. The only thing they can do is leave a note. This ordeal really upset us.

For this reason, I think there should be dog zones. There should be parts of town designated to be dog free zones where people cannot own pets. They would enjoy peace.

I will never own a pet because I believe it is unfair to them. When we go to work, we leave our pets behind. Is that in their best interest? They probably would like it if they were not locked up and could be free to run. If you only have one dog they would probably get very lonely as well. Also, there are animals that get abused and abandoned. If there wasn't such a demand for pets their wouldn't be breeders and therefore less animals. Breeders are out to make a profit and probably don't care for animals. Animal mills do not have a good reputation. Mother animals are forced to start breeding at a very young age and being impregnated as soon as they give birth. The animals are also forced to live in very poor conditions.

Owning a pet is expensive and is a time commitment. Buying food, toys, brush, leash, etc. adds up. There is a time commitment of walking the dog and giving it the attention it deserves. Also, you have to clean up the poop which is not very fun.

There is also the debate of feeding animals a vegan diet since I am vegan. I wouldn't want to force an animal to eat a vegan diet just because I am vegan especially since cats and dogs are naturally carnivorous. So, due to my morals I would have to feed my dog meat. However, I am opposed to the slaughtering methods in order to obtain their food.

Please have your pet spayed or neutered.

Acceptance

So, I am learning how to accept other people. I am doing this because I want people to accept me especially since I am different. I am vegan, I am an atheist, I don't want children or pets, I am not consumed by the consumerist world and I don't want to live in one place for a long time. I have always felt that I am a very judgmental person and I feel that people are judging me all the time. I am not myself around other people. I don't want to criticize people for how they live their live. I want to understand how people live and what they believe.

I will do this by realizing people are who they are and there is no changing them. As much as I would love to persuade people to become vegan or atheist, it is hard to change people's minds. I would be more than willing to answer questions but I don't want to be pushy. I don't want to be that person standing outside of the library trying to get people to donate money to planned parenthood. I feel like they just come at you. Often times it is on a weekend when the last thing you want to do is talk to people. It's not like I do not approve of Planned Parenthood. I am in support of them and I think it is great what they are doing. But, to force people to talk to you is not right. I feel bad ignoring them but that's what you have to do if you don't want to talk to them. Same thing with telemarketers. They suck you in. I know, because I was a telemarketer.

How do you not get irritated when people do what you wouldn't do? Accept people as they are. They were raised differently than you. Maybe you can learn something from them. Just because I decided to be vegan, atheist and not have children doesn't mean that everyone in the world needs to be like me. The world would be boring. So embrace people's differences. I know it is easier said than done...

Going green

1. Use reusable cleaning cloths instead of paper towels. Use reusable napkins.
2. Change lightbulbs to compact fluorescent lights.
3. Use rechargeable batteries.
4. Shade windows in the summer.
5. Use less toilet paper.
6. Only fllush the toilet after pooping.
7. Pay bills online.
8. Drive through a parking spot. (uses less gas)
9. Ride your bike or walk whenever possible.
10. Fill the dishwasher as full as possible.
11. Turn thermostat down.
12. Unplug things when not in use.
13. Take shorter showers.
14. Buy in bulk.
15. Recycle!
16. Bring your own bags to the grocery store.
17. Don't buy bottled water.
18. Bring your own coffee cup to coffee places.
19. Use oil lamps instead of lights.

Vegan for environmental reasons

1. Nearly 1/3 of the land surface of the planet is dedicated to livestock.
2. Animal waste seeps into rivers, lakes, and oceans killing wildlife and polluting air, water, and land in ways devastating to human health.
3. Farmed animals in the US produce 130 times as much waste as the human population.
4. Livestock is responsible for 18% of greenhouse emissions measured in CO2 equivalent.
5. Livestock are responsible for almost two-thirds of anthropogenic ammonia emissions which contribute significantly to acid rain and acidification of eco systems.
6. Livestock accounts for over 8% of global human water use.
7. Expansion of livestock production is a key factor in deforestation.

Facts from "Eating Animals" and "Vegan Outreach"

Humans are not like carnivores

1. Humans have small mouths suitable for softer plant foods while carnivores have wide mouths suitable for swallowing large chunks of meat.
2. Humans eat more slowly than carniovores.
3. Human teeth are similar to those found in other herbivores. Our canines are flat and small. Our incisors are flat and spadelike, useful for peeling and biting relatively soft materials.
4. Our nails are not claws.
5. We find rotting or raw flesh gross. (Isn't it interesting that we have to cook and season the meat to make it taste better? No other animal does this.)
6. We perspire through skin pores while carnivores perspire through their tongue.
7. We have an intestinal tract 10-12 times our body length while carnivores have an intestinal tract that is only 3 times their body length so that they can rapidly pass decaying meat.
8. Humans have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than that of a carnivore.
9. Humans have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest grains while carnivores don't.

This gives evidence as to why humans are not supposed to eat meat. We are conditioned to eat meat. It is what we have known since our parents fed us meat. We can easily live without eating meat. It is even healthier!!!

Where I got the information:
The Face on Your Plate by Jefferey Moussaieff Masson
"How humans are not physically created to eat meat"

Foods not to buy

1. baby carrots- regular carrots are cheaper, you're just paying for them to be chopped up.
2. things in cans and jars-often have added salt, sugar, preservatives, chemicals
3. bread, pizza crust, pitas, bagels (make it yourself)
4. meat, eggs, dairy-I am vegan and I will talk more about my reasons of why I became vegan
5. foods with a lot of ingredients that you don't recognize
6. pop
7. candy
8. don't buy the big brand names
9. packaged vegetables and fruits-you're just paying for them to cut it up and package it
10. individually packaged items
11. avoid food with sugar, high fructose corn syrup and white flour

Living with little money

I am not someone who has been sucked into this consumerist world. I have always lived frugally but having fun at the same time. Here are some tips to saving money especially in this recession:

1.Choose between a cell phone or a landline. If you decide to go with the cell phone, stick to talking at night so that you don’t exceed your minutes.
2. Credit cards can get you into a lot of debt. Switch to a debit card if you think you will spend more money than you have.
3. When going to the bars, bring cash so that you don’t overspend.
4. Go to free concerts, events, and happy hours. Also, going to the park, hiking, and running are usually free.
5. Ride the bus or ride your bike when you can.
6. Go to the library instead of buying books, DVD’s and CD’s.

7. Go to a cheaper place to buy clothes such as Ross, TJ Maxx and Plato’s closet.
8. Try to cut out something in your life you can live without such as buying a coffee every day, going out to eat, going to the movies, or buying a newspaper or magazine. You can go to the cheap movies, read the news online, and make coffee and food at home.
9.Cut down your electric bill by lowering your thermostat, or use oil lamps instead of lights.
10. When shopping, buy the store brand and buy in bulk if you can. Sunflower market has a great bulk section. You can even get spices in bulk. Also, use coupons and try to drink tap water instead of buying expensive water and soda.
11. DIY: Make your own shampoo out of baking soda, make your own dish soap, cleaners, deodorant, face wash, bread, tomato sauce, bagels, pizza crust, etc.
12. When traveling, use couchsurfing or camp.
13. Use reusable cleaning cloths instead of paper towels.
14. Buy seasonal produce.
15. Make homemade cards.
16. Grow your own vegetables and fruits.

Plain and Simple: A Woman's Journey to the Amish

My Aunt gave me this book by Sue Bender because I believe in a simple life. The Amish are the definition of simple living. I got a lot out of this book and I will share it with you.

1. "The more I willfully tried to force something fresh, the more I failed." Go with the flow of life.
2. "My worry over the outcome robbed me of my joy in simply doing the work."Sometimes I worry too much and that takes away from the moment of now.
3. "Acquiring possessions might lead to temptation, and they didn't want to become dependent on the outside world."Being self-sufficient is so much more rewarding than depending on places for your food and entertainment.
4. "Find meaning in work itself."
5. "Do whatever you are doing to the best of your ability."
6. "We mustn't try to change or conquer nature or exploit the land."
7. "To simplify my life, I'd have to learn to say no."I used to say yes to everyone. I became overwhelmed with doing things that other people wanted me to do, that I wasn't doing anything for myself.
8. "They do not spend time questioning who they are or where they belong. Accepting who they are brings a different kind of freedom."
9. "Satisfaction comes from giving up wishing I was somewhere else or doing somthing else."
10. "Trust, no matter what life turns out to be-even if it is not what I expected, or what I thought I wanted."I definitely thought I would have a career by now and doing things that everyone else are doing. I have learned that what happens happens and that I don't need to live a life that everyone else is living.

Insensitivity

In my last blog I said that I am an atheist and that I don't celebrate Christmas. That comes to the discussion of people saying, "Merry Christmas" to me around the holiday season. I realize people are trying to be nice but what they don't know is that they are being extremely insensitive. You can never assume what people believe. They may not celebrate Christmas. What if they celebrate Kwanza or Chanukah? I don't think happy holidays is appropriate either because not everyone is celebrating a holiday. I would hope that businesses would tell their employees not to say these things to their customers. I didn't mind when people said these things to me. Now, it is going to bug me and if someone says one of these things to me, I will tell them I don't celebrate. Same goes for Easter and any other religious holiday. I wonder what their reaction will be...

My thoughts on gift giving

Gift giving is something that puts a lot of stress on all of us. We wonder if the person is going to like what we gave them and if they are going to use it. It is a lot of guess work. If we do ask people what they want, it is no longer a surprise. I have always been pretty good at gift giving. I would remember birthdays, make sure to give them a card and a gift they would like. I have done this all of my life up to now. I believe people waste their money on gifts, especially if the person is not going to use it and it ends up in a closet or in the trash. My Mom would receive gifts that she had no use for and would end up giving it to someone else or donating it. The same thing happened to me. I also noticed that the gifts I gave to people weren't being used and that made me sad. My Mom would always say, "I would rather have the money..." I agree with her. Sometimes you get gifts you really like but other times you don't like the gift. However, you can't be rude and tell the person that you don't like it. Therefore, you lie and tell them how much you like it. I am now only giving cards, money, gift cards and food. I still buy store bought cards but I want to eventually make my own. I am also telling people that I do not want gifts and if they want to give me something they can give me money or food. I have strong feelings about Christmas. Christmas has become the number 1 shopping holiday and it disgusts me. People spend so much money on stuff...It has taken away from the real meaning of Christmas. (It is funny that I am saying this because I am an atheist.) Stuff doesn't make people happy, it's the time shared with people. During the season it is a shopping frenzy and people start to worry about what they will get people and start procrastinating. I have decided to no longer celebrate Christmas. I do not want people calling me on Christmas, texting me or giving me gifts. I will not give gifts to people on Christmas. I will treat Christmas like any other day. I understand that people think that giving gifts is a nice gesture and it shows that they care. However, you can do many things to show people that you care such as spending time with them, cooking them dinner, taking them on different outings, etc. Maybe I am being too frugal, (think about how much money you will save by not giving gifts), but I don't think consumerism is a good thing.

Why Blog?

I decided to blog to express how I am thinking and to have an outlet. I want this to be a place where I can organize my thoughts, look back at adventures and learn. I would also love to write about simple living, veganism, photography and political/social issues.

Right now I am living in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is a gorgeous town and I feel so lucky to live here. My boyfriend, Kyle and I have taken advantage of the many things to do here. We have toured most of the breweries, gone to a lot of the music festivals, and enjoyd the many parks and natural areas. However, we both are in a rut. We moved here in November after going to Hawaii. We didn't have any other plans so I suggested Fort Collins. I found a job right away and that was probably a bad thing because I worked as a telemarketer. I could only handle it for a month since I was constantly being yelled at. I was thrilled when I quit! After quitting I felt pressured into getting another job and I felt like the only job I could get was in an area in which I had experience. I got a job as an early preschool teacher. The kids were so cute and I had a lot of  fun most of the time. I quit that job because it was overwhelming to take care of 12 two year olds! I feel a little foolish for even taking the job because my mentor teacher in Sheridan had told me that I would be better suited for older kids and that is probably true considering that I like control and am a perfectionist. I just don't want the experiences I have had teaching early preschool and kindergarten steer me away from teaching if it is something I would have a lot of fun doing.

So that takes me to where I am now. I have been unemployed for a little over a month. I feel so much more relaxed. I don't have the pressure to find another job right away because I have money saved up. I really wanted to use this time to figure out what I truly wanted to do in life. In fact, I feel like I have wasted a lot of time watching movies, dinking around on facebook and sleeping. I hear about my friends traveling and doing cool things and that is what I want to be doing. Both Kyle and I are ready to get going and have some really fun adventures. So, that is what we will do.